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

[Boss]

Tom B. Stone | The Clown​

Afternoon
Brookfield | Downtown
Prime Defense | Lorenzo Albeck's Office
​

It was slightly creepy watching Tom communicate to his... Zodiac? Like a sock puppet. The eyeless tendril slithered around Lorenzo's desk, anxiously awaiting a slip up from the boss. Despite this, Lorenzo tried his best to ignore the prickly feelings he had. Tom sounded like a businessman. A whipped businessman, but a man of progress overall. Lorenzo grinned ear to ear having found common ground with a man who previously came in with guns at the ready. "I'll do you one better." He replied, looking over to the blonde that stood by. "Bring me 13." His tone more demanding towards his servants. The blonde was off without a word. "It's truly a mystery why you refrain from claiming your throne. I'd offer you advice, but you sound like someone who is confident in their plays."

Minutes later, the blonde returned with 13 in tow, who's expression lit up with surprise when she saw Tom with the Clown and a few other goons. Hiding her emotion, 13 walked up to the side of the desk and bowed her head. "You called for me?" "I did. Some of my people told me that you attacked these men last night." 13's glare skimmed over Tom and Clown. "..Yes." "I told you to talk to Diana Young peacefully, did I not?" There was a slight pause before 13 realized what Lorenzo was trying to pull. With suppressed anger in her tone, she replied. "..You have." "For your punishment, you're going to share your undying loyalty to our good friend here, Tom. You're going to hear his words as if they were from God himself, is that clear?"

A gloomy aura radiated from 13. "I understand." Turning to Tom, 13 extended her bow to him, although reluctantly. "When we're finished here, go take him to Ms.Young." Lorenzo instructed, then turned his attention back to Tom, reaching his hand out for a handshake. "Hopefully this will be the start of a profitable relationship, Mr-.."

 

[Boss]

| Sam Sarith | ​

???
Limbo
Setsu World
​

The last two minutes were a complete blur. With the sheer scale of destruction at hand, it was a miracle that Colt, Sam, and a few of Cetus' crew still remained. However, perhaps death was a better alternative than what they were now thrust into. Standing before them was the infamous Fushensetsu. Colt didn't want to believe it was real, but the head of Sam's old friend definitely was, judging by the smell of decomposition. She had only known the crazed soul from stories and drawings, but having seen him in the flesh... Colt found herself paralyzed for hostile actions. As if matters weren't bad enough, The area looked exactly like how it was described in the past, when James died in the mirror. "Sam.." She called out, but doubted her words even reached him at this point. Better get a handle on this situation, fast.

"You're supposed to be dead! You died in the war!" Colt exclaimed. None of this made any sense. Why would Fushensetsu go after Sam even if he didn't die? What was the point in tormenting Sam further? The headless James, the body of a female Colt didn't recognize-.. She imagined Sam was going through hell for no real reason.

 

[Solemn Jester]

Tombstone

Tom chuckled, this Lorenzo was certainly interesting. He reminded Tom allot of himself. Minus the sexist bits. Tom didn't need his help. He was just another piece to move across the board. The throne would come to him with or without Lorenzo's advice. It was just a matter of when."Haha, I'm glad you think so. I like to imagine after years of pulling the wool over people's eyes I'm rather good at it." Tom watched as the blonde walked off. A smirk on his face at the thought of seeing his old partner. He licked his lips in anticipation. Before sitting and observing the conversion between Lorenzo, and 13. He watched silently as they talked. Even getting excited little bumps on his arms. This was better than he could have imagined. He wanted to rip her to pieces. But she could prove useful. Once they finished and shook hands. Tom had to think on what name he'd give. A small smirk spread across his face, as an idea popped into his mind."Hmm, I am a man of many names. But you can just call me Diablo." Tom couldn't help but mimic the twisted smile his tentacle had given him when they first met." Before I leave. I must thank you for your cooperation. The gift is...acceptable. I do want her to do one thing before I leave though." A evil glimmer popped into the corner of Tom's eye. He turned to 13, and commanded Spike extend one of his tentacles towards her."As proof of your loyalty. Kiss the tentacle of your new master. Do this, and I will know where your loyalty lies. Spike, do no harm to 13 as she does what I've ordered. Only if she steps out of line may you..punish her." Once 13 had done this he'd write his alias, and number down on a piece of paper and toss it to Lorenzo."Alright, since that's done. Call me should you ever care to...strategies. Come along everyone. It looks like there won't be any bloodshed today." With all this done Tom would leave the room. Making sure Spike was still on guard. All his men, along with 13 in tow. "Clown, inform all our men that we're going to get Diana.Tell half of them to head back to HQ. The other half can follow us.Then inform Angel that we've settled things peacefully, and are going to retrieve Diana. I want their guard up until we have her, and are safely back at base. That Lorenzo fella is a tricky bastard. Ha, and that's coming from me." Tom said unable to help the happy grin on his face. He found a interesting individual indeed. Although he was hoping to feed spike. He'd figure something out sooner or later.


Boss Sinny The Fool

Mentioned ~ Diana Depresso Espresso

 

[Azukai]

TerraBooma Boss

The culmination of Samantha's power crashed onto Lilith and subjected her body to the pressure of its immense weight. In the aftermath, there was very little of her body which remained--only numerous splatters of her cursed blood which rested on the surface of the water and was slowly merging into a single, generalized pool. At first glance, it seemed to be an overwhelming victory for Samantha; though such dreams were quickly crushed by a familiar, bored tone. "It's a start, I suppose." Lilith said as her pool of blood began to bubble. It was a somewhat gruesome scene to watch her figure rise from the pool, covered from head to toe in the blood of her body; nonetheless, it was an effective form of regeneration that effectively undid the efforts of Samantha's prior attack. From this point, however, there wasn't any time for follow ups. The nightmare was beginning to disintegrate--starting with the cavern walls that crumbled into falling projectiles which aimlessly crashed into the water below. Lilith watched the destruction occur, at least until a boulder targeted the very position she stood in. With a bored yawn, she vanished before being crushed; leaving Samantha alone with the hollow, Leviathan, who re-appeared in front of her.

"It is funny how quick one's resolve can change..." The hollow began with a cackle. "The seed has been planted within your soul. The darkness of humanity, awakened by your desire to protect that which is close to you. It is amusing...for now." At the hollow's conclusion, the world began to fade--darkness overtaking Samantha's vision, leaving only the sound of Leviathan's laughter filling her head.

"She's coming back to us." Willow announced with relief. Since the start of the nightmare, Samantha had long fallen onto the ground; to which Willow had been kneeling next to her with concern on his face. Now, she was showing signs of stirring; and so, he gently pulled her body into a seated position and let her rest her back against his own. "Considering there aren't any tentacles trying to murder me, I'm going to assume that your trial was successful." He announced with a hearty chuckle towards his own joke.

"And...not...a...moment...too...soon." Ecstasy interjected with sudden urgency in his tone. One of the monitors that depicted Camilla's current location with a blinking red dot suddenly shifted across Brookfield and into a separate location all together. "She...was...moved" he explained--his urgency replaced with curiosity as he began investigating the new location. "...to...a...hotel...that...is...convenient..." With sudden enthusiasm, he began typing away at the console's keyboard, all while Samantha was suddenly approached by a familiar, yet foreign figure, who seemed far too bubbly, given the circumstances as of late. "Hello!" Lilith said in a cheerful tone that matched the wide smile which was plastered across her face. "My name is Lily, what's yours?" she asked while grasping Samantha's hands and shaking them rather enthusiastically.

In the background, Ecstasy began to speak again, mostly under his breath, though certain words and phrases still audible, as he engaged in conversation with an unknown entity on the other side of his cell phone.

Yes...I...require....your...expertise...
...cameras...need...hacked...
wonderful...a...deal....ICE

 

[Kiosk]

She promptly noted the gun as well as the eyes that followed the two of them, this was nothing new. While she had a small amount of respect for a woman who could handle herself she kept skepticism about her at almost all times. Janaiya would beat her down too, if needed. Hopefully this temporary alliance won't have to end that way and the gun did give her a bit more confidence when they do manage to corner that asshole.

"We're going to find that bastard. He can't be too far. He can't get too far. Those medals have my name carved in them. I'm not letting him go,"

Janaiya met the woman's determined gaze with a glare.
"First, make sure that safety is on." The girl nodded at the gun the older woman clumsily put away, "I don't want you to shoot me by 'accident'." making sure to let the stranger know she did not trust her.
"Second, you got a phone on you? We could put the address in and get directions, better head out soon before that asshole realizes he lost it." The truth was, she didn't know how to get around this town yet. Much less track some thug down here or... get back without a phone.
"Oh, hold on." She looked at the ground and picked up the medal she spotted earlier, and eyed the name engraved on it.

"Those medals have my name carved in them."

Yue Chen.

a small spark of recognition lit up in her eyes but goddamn it, she still couldn't place where she heard this name from, but seeing as this medal was for shooting she wasn't sure if she should relax or tense at this information. "Here." she handed the medal towards who she assumed was Yue.

"Lets go."

hwayi

 

[TerraBooma]

Sam Sarith
​

"You..."

The world had come to a sudden halt for Sam as soon as the familiar voice of Fushinsetsu hit his ears. Sam was frozen for a moment as the head of his long dead friend rolled past his feet. Sam stared down into lifeless eyes for a few moments. They felt like an eternity as a whirlpool of emotions swirled just under Sam's exterior. The area around him faded away from his mind and a storm of rage stormed into his mind. The words of Colt fell on deaf ears, and he didn't' hear any of the surviving crew or even Cetus herself. Colt was right about one thing. Sam was going through a hellish landscape of buried emotions and memories. Despite what felt like an eternity, it was only seconds before Sam burst into action with a scream full of rage and anguish. There were no words as Sam suddenly raised his hand and pointed. Under normal circumstances, this would have spawned dozens, if not hundred of harpoons into reality to skewer Fushinsetsu on the spot, but due to the Soiree's occupation and the boat's destruction, the supply was more limited. Half a dozen harpoons answered Sam's call, and plunged themselves and their vicious points towards' fushinsetsu. Powered by rage, they fired quickly...and Sam's supernatural accuracy kept them on target.

As the harpoons dove in, Sam continued his scream and pulled his gun up, a modified colt 1911 from when he first started serving with the dominion. It would hurt a spirit as badly as it would wound a human, and Sam quickled loosened off a burst of 4 rounds at Fushinsetsu's center of mass. Not satisfied, Sam charged forward at breakneck speeds, using the moisture in the air as a jet to propel himself forward. With every step, the grass around him withered and died as he utilized the moisture in them for his own mobility. He fired off one more round before holstering the gun and tackling towards Fushinsetsu, stopping at the last moment to place a foot hard into the ground, transferring his momentum into a devastating harpoon strike up through Fushinsetsu's chest. To finish his assault, his teeth grew long and razorous, and he bit down at Fushinsetsu's shoulder. As his teeth transformed, his primal scream turned into a single legible breath.

"NOT AGAIN. YOU DIE HERE. YOU DIE NOW. NOT AGAIN YOU HEAR ME!?"

Cetus watched on and nodded to her siblings, they and the surving crew took up readied positions, waiting for an opening. With Sam in such close quarters, they didn't want to risk hitting him, so they waited for an opening...or for more foes to arrive. They knew one thing perhaps better than anyone else Sam had worked with.

A shark was dangerous in the middle of a frenzy.

​

 

[hwayi]

Yue Chen
​

Yue cleared her thoughts, and it dawned on her that this was not a good idea. Bringing this girl with her. She'd be responsible for whatever happened to her if, well, something did happen to her. Yue was alright with this risk. But having to carry another person with you? She narrowed her eyes for a quick second, wearing her suspicion on her face. She was met with a glare, but she shrugged it off. Yue wouldn't trust a stranger who has a gun either. Not even when they had a medal to prove how good they were.

The stranger questioned the safety of her gun. It wasn't safe at all, she was not following any of the regulations right now. It wasn't smart but safety was the last thing she was thinking about. She reached for her gun, unloaded it and held the pellet before the girl's eyes. Unless she shot from very close range, these wouldn't do any harm at all. Maybe shock someone and scare them off at maximum. Pellets were made from lead and air guns could operate in very low pressures and temperatures. It was perfect for sport, but for actual...shooting someone?

She reached for her phone and looked at the paper from before. Adding the address, she noted that it wasn't even that far away. Looking at the girl again, this time she was offering a medal to her that she hadn't noticed. Yue nodded as a way to show her gratitude to the girl. Putting it back in her backpack, she shook her head gently.

"You shouldn't go. I can just get your phone back and give it back to you, just give me your number and name or something," she said, deeming that it was really not a good idea to drag a teenager with her. If Yue was caught confronting robbers with her gun with a teenage girl in her company instead of calling the police, it'd spark some unwanted things in her life. She rarely trusted the police to do anything but this girl couldn't be much better of an option. She'd rather do it all herself and suffer the consequences alone.

Kiosk

 

[Kiosk]

"You shouldn't go. I can just get your phone back and give it back to you, just give me your number and name or something,"

Janaiya rolled her eyes, oh it's this kinda deal now. First, she didn't like the idea of giving any information about herself to this woman. Second, being treated like a child pissed her off. The 6 foot girl leaned down to meet eye level with this woman. Irritation obvious on her face.
"What, do you think you're gonna be my fuckin' hero now?" Janaiya scoffed, "I. Don't. Give. A shit. I ain't your responsibility and I can handle myself." She straightened back up and cracked her knuckles.
"I'm not leaving until I punch that man's face in." she turned her head to the side to obscure the smile on her face from the thought of it.
"If you're not down, then I'll go. I just need your phone. Otherwise, I don't trust you to do this without me. But either way, I AM going and you're wasting my time." she turned back towards Yue and reached her hand out, gesturing towards the phone. This was no time to be wondering if it was ethical for a 17 year old to be hunting down thugs.

"Hand me the phone, or start leading the way."

hwayi

 

[hwayi]

Yue Chen
​

Yue really did not like the idea of having to babysit this kid right now. This kid who was significantly taller than her, but nonetheless. Yue knew what she was capable of and wasn't exactly the best with teamwork. She was met with who knows how many profanities, scoffs and scorns. The whole time, her face was blank as she stared at the girl. It was like everything went in from one ear and immediately out. 'Ah, seriously, why'd it gotta be a teenager,' she thought to herself. Didn't exactly help that this kid was relying on aggression. Something Yue could painfully relate to and was not happy to see her personality being mirrored right now. Not wanting to cause any more scenes in public, she eyed the girl from head to toe. As if she was evaluating her even if she was given no choice from the start. She sure as Hell wouldn't give her phone to this stranger, having the same level of distrust towards her. She let out a defeated sigh, sounding like a serious senior citizen right now.

"Since when have I become a babysitter?" she complained under her breath as she took a look at her phone once again. Not that far away, the address. Yue really started to wish that she had chosen to live alone in some nice house instead of a dorm. Now why on Earth had she chosen that noisy place? Yue was broke at the time when she started her studies. And it had backfired. She started going through who could have robbed her. Who could have been stalking her enough to memorize her schedule and get inside her nest? The first person who came into mind was Lee, but she crossed that option out, knowing very well that the kid couldn't have possibly done that. Then who was it? She had no idea and was about to find out soon.

"Alright giantess, the address isn't that far away. Whatever you do, don't make stupid decisions," she pointed at the map on her phone as she started walking. Yue mentally prepared herself for agonizing screaming and hurling insults from her partner since she knew very little about this girl. She would call her giantess until she'd introduce herself. She did not have any options, the girl probably had read her name off one of the medals. Perhaps she even knew who she was, it wasn't like Yue was not a public figure.

The younger woman mumbled something about Yue being annoying. She didn't take it too harshly, nodding side to side to signal; 'Eh, I know that very well.'

Kiosk

 

[Boss]

| Diana Young |​

Daylight
Limbo | Tundra
Base of the mountain => Maiden Manor | Front Gates
​

Axel shot Diana a worried glance. If that brief scuffle with the Count was considered hard, then the next hour would seem impossible to bear. Axel had to be honest with the girl at this point. "We're lucky to have gotten this far unscathed. Maidens are typically aware of what and who treads on this mountain." With that said, she had hoped her words didn't jinx their good fortune. By now, the two were on the final stretch towards the manor. It's almost gothic-themed gates loomed high even over the 3 foot blanket of snow. The darkened soil on the other side of the gate was completely devoid of snow or plant life. The trees dotted around the front yard had long-since withered thanks to the stench of corruption, and to complete the dreadful sight, the manor sat perfectly silhouetted against the gloomy sky.

Axel and Diana finally stood before the large gate, which was already closed before they had arrived. The trail of blooderflies coasted over the fencing, but something felt very wrong about simply 'hoping' over the fence. Nothing could be seen, but there was a creeping sense of danger lurking on the other side of the gate.

"Ora~ We aren't accepting requests at this time.".. Called out a dignified male from somewhere off to the side. A tall male had appeared just slightly off of the beaten path, his existence previously unknown until his voice gave it away. Other than his odd-clothing and mask, the figure stood well over 8 feet tall, grasping what looked to be a book in his arm. It was then that Axel stepped out from behind Diana, eliciting a joyful response from the mysterious person. "Master Axel! I feared the worst last we departed!" Offering a brief bow of her head, she replied. "I'm surprised your head isn't on a spike." "Master Aletti and Master Tyrik have been most kind - Oh, excuse my manners, young lady. I go by no other alias than the 'Librarian', eternally humble servant of the Maidens for over two thousand years and counting." The Librarian tipped his upper body forward in a bow to both Axel to Diana. "Diana Young, I've kept a keen eye to your deeds over the course of your terribly human life. I see the Count has taken a liking to you already." He commented, nodding to the single blooderfly that perched itself on Diana's shoulder. "No human has set foot on this property for 24 years, 220 days, and 6 hours." The singular illuminated eye brightened with the volume of the Librarian's excited laugh.

"I'm afraid this isn't going to be a pleasant visit like before. We're going to free the manor of it's curse." It was then that the Librarian dipped his shoulders in a sigh. The upward-curved eye shifting down in hopelessness. "The days are getting no better, I'm afraid. With the Maidens inactive, titans have been running rampant all over Limbo. Master Tyrik has not announced a bounty since the destruction of her battleaxe. The others simply mimic her symptoms." The Librarian's somber tone lifted with his gaze. "I'm pleased to see you both have the resolve to banish this blight."

 

[Sinny The Fool]

Clown
(Mentions - Solemn Jester Boss )

Clown decided to keep himself out of most of the conversation, walking back and forth near the entrance of the room as he went over the different ornaments in the room with a hovering hand, and was at the very least a good enough distraction from Tom’s horror-inducing tentacles. Admittedly for the first time, Clown was almost disappointed that everything went so smooth that he never got to try out his new ‘shock-toy’ *le~sigh* ‘It’s almost too bad...Oh well~ There is always a next time; Unless I’m strangled, shot or dropped off the side of a skyscraper before then...' Not paying all that much attention to the conversation between Tom & Lorenzo, that was until he heard Lorenzo turn to one of his colleagues and say

"Bring me 13."

“Ooooohh?” Clown mused under his mask, with a few minutes passing and a little more ornament gazing later. 13 had entered the room, Clown peered at her direction, a smirk stretching across his face as he performed a dramatic bow before 13 & popping back up with an equally dramatic salute gesture as he said “Oh what a pleasure! It’s my favorite fangirl!~” he paused as Lorenzo continued, and Clown reminisced what 13 had told him on that rooftop.

"For your punishment, you're going to share your undying loyalty to our good friend here, Tom. You're going to hear his words as if they were from God himself, is that clear?"

Clasping his hands together and swooping right in front of 13’s face “Ohho!! So you’re gonna be joining up with us!? Oohh this is such great news!!” he said with a cheery tone before swooping back the millisecond he noticed Tom, and ‘spike’ approach them.

"As proof of your loyalty. Kiss the tentacle of your new master. Do this, and I will know where your loyalty lies. Spike, do not harm to 13 as she does what I've ordered. Only if she steps out of line may you..punish her."

Clown placed both hands over the lower portion of his mask where his mouth would have been, the thought making gag and “Oh, oh jeez!... That just...Isn’t right..” the thought passing through his mind ‘I wonder if eating spike would be considered ‘unhealthy’..’ his attention caught by Tom once more who was suddenly leaving the room, and ordering Clown

"Clown, inform all our men that we're going to get Diana. Tell half of them to head back to HQ. The other half can follow us. Then inform Angel that we've settled things peacefully, and are going to retrieve Diana. I want their guard up until we have her, and are safely back at base. That Lorenzo fella is a tricky bastard. Ha, and that's coming from me."

“You got it Bossoo!~” He said, trotting not far behind Tom whilst taking his phone out and making the call *Ding Ding* “Change of plan, we are going after Diana the ‘Boss’ wants half of you following us to retrieve her, the other half will be heading back to base and making sure it’s secure until me and the Boss return with Diana.” *Click* the next thing, was sending another text to Angel and fill her in on their progress.

My Angel

me

I found Tom, and we have a lead on Diana; Lorenzo Albeck, Tom is gathering everyone to move in on Prime Defense now.

me

Affairs at Prime Defense were resolved peacefully, we're moving in to retrieve Diana now.

 

[Randomfella]

Lucy Black
Dark Hall​

Eyes gazed back over toward Ben, saying nothing as he escorted her out. As she met Camilla, her fists clenched into a weak ball, she looked down, staying silent. She still didn't know what to think... How could Camilla offer to betray her own father? Even with how truly evil she believed him to be, the small girl found it hard to understand, mentally attempting to put herself in her position. Yet she couldn't.

Deep down, Lucy knew this wasn't the end for her, not with how the Dominion had acted. It seemed like nothing made sense like it used to. The Dominion had saved her life, yet now they used her as some sort of bargaining chip. Still, was it all for the greater good? After all, they protected people from monsters... Maybe her. Camilla had gone to great lengths to ensure her safety, but why? The girl would be lying if her name did not carry a certain stigma to it, and after what she had done. Was it possible she would go after her own father out of guilt?
Then again, perhaps this was simply a prolonged nightmare, one Lucy could not be rescued from.

Looking slightly up at the now freed Camilla, Lucy simply nodded, her head turning toward the one that would lead them out of the building. "It won't be..." A slight whisper seemed to echo from Lucy's lips, finally responding to Camilla as she turned away, a slight shake to her step. They were still prisoners after all.

Boss

 

[Depresso Espresso]

Diana Young
( Boss )
Diana jumped back slightly about to pull out the canon again before it was clear he was no threat. If anything she had to be even more defensive at the moment. They were about to walk into the hornets nest and poke it with a short stick. Lowering her arm she was a bit surprised before she herself bowed her head to him, apparently these two knew each other. Listening to him speak she took note on his words about how he watched her, "Terrible human life" at the mention of that a thought came to her mind about her past, and the fact she might find the answers she was looking for.

Raising a finger to the butterfly she coaxed it onto her pure black plastic hand, holding it in front of her face she watched it flutter it's wings before she placed it back on her shoulder, looking at him with a mix of anger and intrigue her words were as cold as ice, "I don't mean to be rude. But how much do you know about my life...?" Saying that her anger subsided a bit before looking at Axel and letting out a sigh, "I'm only here because she pulled me into this mess, I just hope Tom isn't drawing on my face like he usually does when I'm sleeping..." Thinking of that she let out a short laugh and a smile. She couldn't wait to get back and beat him at Poker, or lose... Again...

Snapping out of her day-dream she cast another look through the gates, the dread feeling that came from the building was only complimented by the dead garden sitting around the area. Casting her gaze back to the blooderfly she wondered why the child had taken a liking to her... Since well, she blew her head off.​

 

[Jackaboi]

Lexi Caiheart

Lexi practically skipped down the street with a box of assorted chocolates in her hands and a smile on her face as she made her way to James' place. Whenever she goes to visit James she always brings a gift as a sort of peace offering. Despite being well beyond the need of bringing peace offerings she still likes doing it none-the-less. But then she started getting hungry. As usual she didn't eat before leaving the house again. She stopped and looked at the box for a moment. "... Maybe he won't mind if I take one..." She opened the box and reached in... All of a sudden the box was half empty already. "Wha!? No way I already ate all of that!?" Unfortunately Lexi didn't have enough money to go back and buy another. Every time she's in such a rush to leave the house she always forgets to eat beforehand. "(Sigh...) I guess I'll just have to explain when I get there..." She continued on her way to James' place and approached the front door. She knocked on the door, half excited to see James yet also reluctant due to her lack of self control around food.

Solemn Jester Boss Azukai

 

[Solemn Jester]

James Mac niadh Lane

James had been reading his bible contently for a bit. But the ac in his apartment was busted. It only seemed to blow out hot air. So he had to turn it off, but this didn't help him any as he was trapped in his house with its airtight insulation. The heat lingered around him, and he wasn't about to open his door to let just anyone in. So he decided to open his single tiny window to let it vent some. He walked over sliding the tiny frame up until it clicked into place. He stepped away and began stripping, his bulky bod once again filthy from sweat. He hated the feeling. It was one of the few things about exercise he could do without. But no pain no gain as they say. So he walked over the napping Champ and jumped into the shower. Turning the cold water on, and letting it rain down on his head.


As he showered taking in the sensation of the cool water as it trickled down his mountain of a chest. He couldn't help but have flashes of his past spiral through his mind. His unremarkable childhood, all the way to his time as a boxer. He remembered the joy of his first fight. Knocking first against flesh. Feeling equal, or even superior to someone for the first time in his life. He made him smile, but before he could slip into his darker memories. A knock came from the front door. James turned the water off, grabbing a towel, and stepping out as old Champ began yapping in his tired way at the door. "Oi! Shut it ya daft old hound! Yeah, hold on. I'm coming." He called to whoever was behind the knocking. He wrapped a towel snugly around his waist. Then went to the door opening it to see who was there. Still, damp from his shower, his hair slicked back, and muscles showing off his old battle scars. He looked down and frowned surprised to see Lexi. "Ah, Lexi. Didn't expect you today. Come for a visit? Come on in then, " He suggested stepping aside to let her in. But before he closed the door he scowled at his neighbor. A nosey woman with nothing better to do than snoop."Aye? Get an eyeful to have ya? I'd show you my ass but I'm a man of the cloth. So I don't want to make God think his followers have such low standards. Bugger off ya old vulture. Go get your kicks from someone else." He said insisted, waving her away with a look that asked, what are you waiting on? Before shutting the door.James always was a bit more relaxed at home. Because he didn't have to keep up appearances like in public, or at church. It was just him and his pug...usually. James turned to Lexi raising any eyebrow in puzzlement."So to what do I owe the pleasure of your company? Everything ok?" He asked, completely forgetting the only thing keeping him from being a flasher was the towel clinging to his waist. Luckily it hadn't fallen off yet.


Jackaboi Boss
​

 

[Boss]

Tom B. Stone | The Clown​

Afternoon
Brookfield | Downtown
Prime Defense | Lorenzo Albeck's Office​

"Kiss the tentacle of your new master."

As badly as 13 wanted that to be a joke, one of the tentacles slithered through the air towards her, black mass peeling back to reveal a set of sharp teeth in a smiling fashion.

"Spike, do no harm to 13 as she does what I've ordered. Only if she steps out of line may you..punish her."

Then tendril had already moved in, hovering uncomfortably close to the reluctant girl's face. Lightly gagging at the faint smell of blood on Spike, 13 steeled her resolve and planted a swift peck atop the tendril. She wiped her lips frantically as the black layer of spike was a lot more.. organic feeling than it looked. With the seal of her loyalty stamped, Lorenzo pocketed the number Tom had slipped him soon after. "Diablo. A name I expect to hear a lot of from now on." He gave Tom a shark's smile as he and his men began to depart with 13 guiding them.

Afternoon => Mid Afternoon
Brookfield | Downtown => Harbor​

13 lead the group back to the ground level without a word being spoken. Her glare never left the ground as the group found themselves back at their vehicles outside. "Your Diana isn't in this building. She's stashed in a shipping container at the harbor." It made sense for Lorenzo to avoid holding a captive at a place of business, and judging by 13's abilities, she must have been able to position Diana in a container inaccessible by normal means.

The next half hour consisted of driving. 13 sat begrudgingly in the back seat with Tom at the wheel and Clown just off in the passenger seat. Any and all questions directed at the girl was either met with silence or a brief 'yes' or 'no'.

The small convoy arrived at the docks without any issues. Even with their number of vehicles, they had been permitted to enter through one of the docks' gates that led to the import and export containers. "Over there." 13 pointed at a stack of containers left unattended. When they arrived, 13 stepped out motioned for everyone else to wait. After giving the area a brief scan, 13 teleported onto the assortment of containers, then teleported again in which she disappeared out of sight.

Roughly a minute had passed before 13 reappeared again with an unconscious Diana on her back. From the looks of her, Diana wasn't tortured in the slightest, and looked just as well as she did before the attack last night. "Here, take her." 13 hissed.

 

[Boss]

Janaiya Wilkinson | Yue Chan​

Late Afternoon
Brookfield | Combine
Night Owl | Streets
​

By following the address, Janaiya and Yue were taken to one of Brookfield's most unruly neighborhoods only known as the Combine. If crime wasn't enough, Combine was also a common hideaway for hosts and all things the Dominion declared illegal. Here, the police barely made their mark, and most conflicts had to often be handled by Dominion personnel. Most of the local news' shocking stories originated from this specific portion of the city. The two found themselves standing across the street from a weathered nightclub. A fairly sized line of party-goers stood outside, all waiting to be checked one-by-one by a bouncer. A secondary line existed with fewer people, but these entrants seemed to flash a special note to the bouncer, who then shined a blacklight on it before granting them access.

The note looked similar to the one Janaiya and Yue had, but the question at hand was if it contained whatever code or symbol they needed to gain entry. Another noticeable fact was that the secondary line was usually consistent of shady-looking individuals, rather than the wealthy.

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari | Lucy Black​

Late Afternoon
Brookfield | Downtown..?
Dominion Safehouse
​

"The exit is right here."

In Len's hand was a small device that, when stuck to the wall, broke into four different corners that expanded to form a six foot oval. Each piece then lit up a bright blue, and between them a thin but vibrant layer of sky blue light filled in the large gap to create what looked to be a man-made, portable... portal. Without needing further instruction, Camilla was the first to slowly step into the oval, and with a slight tug of air, she disappeared through it. Lucy was the next and last person to pass through the portal, which had allowed them to step into a spacious, rather expensive-looking apartment. Both Camilla and Lucy's movements triggered the interior's lights to flicker on automatically. One side of the wall began to fade into a transparent, glass-like view of Brookfield from dozens of stories high. It was a good view of the city, river, and countryside that also allowed the reddening sun's rays to leak in.

It looked calm, but their situation wouldn't allow them to fully appreciate it.

Right away, Camilla took the liberty of plopping down on one of the three sofas that surrounded a coffee table. The fourth side was simply the wall and a fake fireplace within it.

"Good afternoon, new tenants. I am Nexus. Today is March, 20th, 2038. The weather is partly cloudy with low humidity. The indoor temperature is below the recommended setting. Should I fix this now?" An A.I rambled on through hidden speakers installed in the apartment. It had already detected both Camilla and Lucy in the brief time that they arrived. Camilla didn't respond to the A.I. Her gaze was fixated on her fidgeting hands, wondering if the deal she had struck was the right call.

 

[Boss]

| Diana Young |​

Daylight
Limbo | Tundra
Front Gates
​

The Librarian looked back to Diana. "Enough to know that you and Master Axel have shared the same burden. Abandoned by your family to the stree-" The Librarian cut himself off when he felt Axel's glance tense up. "-.. My apologizes, Master Axel." He bowed his head, then refocused his attention to the host. "I hold account over thousands of souls, both living and dead. It is my duty-.. was, my duty, to study the nature of titans and how they're formed. Somehow, corruption can alter a soul's very makeup, be it mentally or physically. In a way, you could say it's my job to purify the Maidens-.. though, violence seems to work." His voice trailed off to Axel. "May I suggest you and the young Diana rest before continuing on? Fighting a Maiden is surely tiring on the body."

Silence fell for a moment while Axel thought things through. It was true that Diana would need to get used to her new arm before she could use it effectively in combat. With the bracelets, it would speed up her strength training tenfold. "Fine. Do you know of a safe place?" she questioned. The Librarian held his book forward in response, opening it's cover and allowing the pages to flip on their own. When the pages ceased moving, the figure turned the book to face Axel and Diana. On the pages was a small, cartoonish cottage that looked like grandma's house from little red riding hood. The drawing seemingly pulled in Diana's field of view until it was the only thing she could focus on. After a rush of the dusty book smell, Diana's senses would normalize and she would find herself standing in front of that very cottage with Axel, now lifelike.

What occurred was that the Librarian had absorbed both Axel and Diana into the book. From the outside, a rough, childlike sketch of the two were now apparent on the pages.

Under the security of the Librarian's written world, Axel retired into the abode surrounded by forestry and made herself comfortable on one of the single beds inside. When Diana entered, Axel explained the process of returning to the waking world, which was the same method used to enter Limbo.

 

[Solemn Jester]

Tom B. Stone

Everything was going well. Today was a good day, and he hoped it stayed that way. The ride was awkward, but he smiled anyway. Even putting an arm around 13. He found her silence annoying. But he didn't blame her for it. He probably wouldn't say much if had to kiss a tentacle either. Regardless, he didn't want to leave their relationship at a bad area. Once he had Diana, and she was safely in their care. He walked up to 13, smiling as kindly as possible."You've done well. I look forward to your future assistance. So tell me your name. 13 is not to my liking." He seemed to command, but he had every intention of using this as an opportunity to give her a little taste of free will. "Pick a name if you don't already have one. Otherwise, I'll just call you girl. Now come on, girl." He ordered walking back to the car and ordering them to head to the base. He was glad that so far Lorenzo had kept his word. It meant Tom could formulate his next plan. With his new abilities, he had a doorway into something wonderful. He would use his newest alias properly, and with Clown it was possible. He'd start a rebellion, and with rising tensions, it was only a matter of time before things aligned. He stepped into Diana's room and laid her down. Ordering two grunts to stand by just incase she woke up. He then headed to Clown, tossing a suitcase to Clown. He opened it up revealing it was filled with money."Ok, so you take the girl or whatever she has decided on being called now. Then go buy you some new equipment, and the girl whatever she wants. But buy your shit first. We need good equipment for what I Have in mind." With that, he headed outside. His plan was to go off on his own, in search of Dominion members. He'd only target easy targets. He'd intimidate them for info about Camilla's whereabouts. Whether they had info or not he'd have Spike devour them whole. Leaving little to no evidence. Before moving on to the next target, or if he got lucky. To Dominic, if he had info worth giving.

Boss Sinny The Fool Depresso Espresso

 

[Jackaboi]

Lexi Caiheart

Upon hearing Champ's yapping and James shouting from inside her anticipation grew, she had no clue whether or not he actually liked chocolate but she had a feeling he'd love the gift either way. The door opened and spoke before she even saw him. "JAMES! It's great to see... AAH!" Realising James' choice of garb, or rather lack of garb. Lexi jumped back in surprise, launching the box high in the air. She scrambled to catch it before it hit the ground and succeded. A little more prepared this time, she shyly looked back. "Geez... A little warning next time would be nice..." James moved aside, granting passage for Lexi to enter. "Oh! Uh thanks!" As Lexi strolled inside with James yelling at his neighbor as usual, she pondered about James' physique. Sure she knew he was a boxer but she never actually saw just how well built he was. Then all those scars too... Is that how all boxers look? Wait... Didn't his neighbor just witness a man wearing nothing but a towel let a young girl into his house? Lexi hoped she wouldn't call the police or something... Lexi's train of thought was broken by a quick yap from Champ. Suddenly she completely forgot the last five minutes that happened and instantly started petting the adorable pug. James turned back and asked why Lexi had came for a visit. Looking back at him she wasn't sure if he was even aware that his dignity was being left in the woolen grasp of the towel. "Oh! Right! I got you a gift!" She said with excitment as she held up the box of chocolates to him. "But uh... You know... You're still wearing a towel... Right?"

 

[Randomfella]

Lucy Black
Dominion Safehouse​

Slumping as she followed, Lucy's eyes popped open at the sight of the... What was that? The sky blue light formed a strange oval, Lucy's eyes darted around it in confusion, watching on as Camilla stepped through it. The girl took a short breath of shock as Camilla seemed to vanish through it, her own body still slowly approaching the light. Eyes closed, and a hand outstretched, Lucy stepped toward it, before finally falling into it... Literally.

A small *thud* escaped as Lucy's arms hit the apartment floors, her eyes finally opening, her entire body moving from side-to-side attempting to figure out what had just happened, and where she was. Eyes simply gazed over to Camilla as she casually sat down, almost like this was all some normal thing.

"Eep!" A peculiar sound of shock escaped Lucy as a voice rambled through the room, her body shuffling onto her backside as she attempting to find where the sound was coming from. Looking back toward Camilla with some fear and confusion, the girl's nonchalant state did some good to calm Lucy, though it was more than clear that something was on her mind, and after what had happened, it wasn't too hard to imagine what it was.

"You'd really let them take your father?" The small girl finally mumbled out a question, hardly audible through her concern. Yet her tone was not venomous, nor sincere, yet rather purely curious. Lucy had no idea how their relationship was, though she had heard plenty about the horrid man from the news, as well as her parents. It was clear the idea that they were being monitored hadn't even entered her mind as she looked up toward the girl, looking down if her gaze was returned. "I wonder what they'll do with us..." She noted gloomily, a slight bout of liquid running down her face, a permanent frown seemingly plastered on her.

Boss

 

[Sinny The Fool]

Clown
(Mentions - Solemn Jester Boss Depresso Espresso )

Everything was going smoothly, Clown absently stared out of the car window and staring at the buildings rapidly passing by and almost finding it hard to believe how everything was being resolved so smoothly, especially after considering how all these events started. Aside from making a few offhand comments about the music playing on the radio, Clown refrained from any idle chat while they were in the car until reaching the harbor where Diana was being held. While 13 was off disappearing to retrieve Diana from the stack of shipping containers, Clown spent his time playing games on his phone.

Roughly a minute had passed before 13 reappeared again with an unconscious Diana on her back. From the looks of her, Diana wasn't tortured in the slightest, and looked just as well as she did before the attack last night. "Here, take her." 13 hissed.

To say the least, Clown was underwhelmed by the condition of Diana. Looking just as good as she did the night before, he couldn’t help but wonder whether this was all worth being shot for “Oh yes, how wonderful, how wonderful now let’s go~ Oh Tom, as celebration how about you buy me a coffee? Yes? No? Of course it’s a no, you are so cheap Tom, uh, but don’t worry I love you - and spike anyway~” knowing his words were falling on deaf ears or would get him closer to be strangled by Spike he went back to playing games on his phone while Tom spoke to Diana, and they all got back into the car and headed to ‘base’, Clown continued playing his phone all the way back to Diana’s building and the more he played, the more it made him think of the daunting fate of his equipment, which was lost in the fiery wreck of Tom’s car which had been sent hundreds of feet into the air.

His own perception of the whole event playing like a badly sketched cartoon in his head, the ar looking like a tumbling fireball in the sky and a exo-view of his equipment in the backseat weeping Clown’s name as it blew up in flames; Tom not even appearing in his sketched out thoughts ‘They are in a better place now Clown...A better place.’ sucking up any sniffling as they arrived at Diana’s building, with everyone proceeding out of the car and into the building. Clown made himself comfortable on the lounge outside of Diana’s room while Tom went to lay her down, only a few moments later Tom approached Clown now with a suitcase in hand - revealing it being full of cash. His eyes turning into dollar signs and the sound ringing in the back of his head * 'CHA-CHINNNGGG’ *

."Ok, so you take the girl or whatever she has decided on being called now. Then go buy you some new equipment, and the girl whatever she wants. But buy your shit first. We need good equipment for what I Have in mind."

Bursting out in a fake jolly laugh “HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Oh sure Tom, thank you oh so very much.” his whole tone and manner speaking sarcasm at first. After taking another look at the eyes of Tom, Clown realized he was being serious “Wait, seriously?? Fooor meeeeeeee?” Sniffling and wiping a metaphorical tear from his mask he bowed his head “OOOHH! Tom, you are such a beautiful and great human being I take back everything I said earlier about you being ch-I mean nothing! Y’know, you may have shot me, threatened to have me strangled and consumed by Spikey - but I think that just’s just strengthened the bond between us~” he ranted while bowing down excessively and taking the suitcase from Tom before he was able to change his mind and Clown turned his attention to 13.

“So 13, or whatever your name is??” taking a pause while leaning in slightly and giving 13 the side eye “It’s a date~ Time for shopppppinnng!” rubbing and patting the case like a personal treasure “And if we have anything left, stop off for coffee~” ‘I doubt I’ll ever replace my ole’ reliables, but things are definitely starting to look up again...If Tom keeps paying like this, I might just stick around a while longer.’ gesturing 13 to follow as he started trotting towards the exit, stretching his arms out wide into the air once they got outside and resting them behind his head “So, you think you could just woosh us both to where we need to go, or am I going to need to get one of our cars? I know a few people we can visit to get what we might need, well what I might need; I don’t think I know anyone that could offer any katanas better than the one you already have.”​

 

[Boss]

| Tom B. Stone |​

Late Afternoon
Brookfield | Downtown
Alleyways
​

For the next couple of hours, Tom and Spike were busy cutting the Dominion down to size, one by one, to entire squads at a time. It was an effective way to learn just how Spike would react in certain ways. For every attack, there was one common factor: Tom took them by surprise, and in secluded areas at that. During Tom's latest attack, he was easily able to devour all but one recruit, whom, instead of shooting back, attempted to escape. Dropping his Dominion-issued rifle, the recruit just barely escaped death when he slammed a backdoor shut after him, avoiding Spike's usual toothy lunge, which resulted in Spike getting his teeth stuck in the door itself instead.

"Slither away, worm!" Spike was completely lost in a bloodthirsty trance, having been given what he wanted - an all you can eat buffet. The recruit scooted backwards, staring at the bent door Spike was pulling off of its hinges. As the door was ripped and tossed into the wall on the other side, the tendrils soon flooded the open doorway, chopping at the heels of the panicking recruit. The soldier went for another door, but an extra tendril slammed it shut before he could pull it open. This rendered the soldier completely helpless in the corner. "S-Stop! I don't want to die! No!" The soldier pleaded, pissing himself regardless of what happened next.

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari | Lucy Black​

Late Afternoon
Brookfield | Downtown..?
Dominion Safehouse
​

"You'd really let them take your father?"

While Camilla didn't immediately respond as she usually did, the words Lucy spoke only added to the sea of questions Camilla was already asking herself. She wished there was another way, but as much as she hated to admit it, her father was dangerous. "If it ends all this fighting." she replied. Finally, she pulled her gaze from her hands and looked over to Lucy, who still spoke as if they were in it together. Lucy had tried to defend her once, but that was before she had learned about the murder and her family ties. Camilla felt as if now was a good time to lay out her intentions. "My father isn't fighting the Dominion to stop the violence against hosts. He does it out of spite." This was a conclusion she had made herself from piecing together fragments of her father's past - the parts he was reluctant to talk about.

"On one hand, targeting hosts simply because they're hosts is wrong. On the other, someone needs to protect the helpless from hosts that think they can do whatever they want." Though Camilla hadn't seen many hosts outside of her own village, she had gotten a bad first impression with Byakko and Ryu, the former especially. "On top of that, my dad is rarely himself these days. It's almost as if he's going to endanger my entire birthplace if nothing is done about it." In a way, removing her father from the village was like a means of protecting the village. If Dominic was a ticking time-bomb, then it would've been best to move him as far away from the village as possible.

"Am I intruding on a personal conversation?" echoed the A.I once more, who had apparently never turned itself off after not being responded to. Camilla sighed, devoid of the willpower needed to tell the A.I to shut up.

"I never wanted to drag you into this mess, Lucy. I'm sorry about that. All I wanted was for you to find your Zodiac."