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

[Kisaki]

Amelia Diamond
Azukai

"You're the silly type aren't ya?" Amelia scoffed. She noticed the masked man seemed to be in hurry. A reason why some of her questions were labeled as useless. She listened attentively as Yatagarasu explained. "Hollows and Zodiacs, huh. I admit, I don't pay much attention to the news with all the news channel just playing fear mongering 24/7." Amelia said. The newspaper proved her thoughts right. She heard of Dominion from her students at the elementary school. They were some supposed anti-supernatural group. Amelia brushed a strand of hair back that stood up. Another thing to admit was that she was oblivious to the supernatural existence almost completely. " I'm not suprised by my fellow humans' aggressiveness towards anything they don't understand. I honestly feel bad for Zodiacs who only want to live in peace."

" Soo, a Zodiac could be peeping on me while I'm taking a bath since I'm assuming they are invisible to us humans?" She asked out of curiosity.

She kept her swords nicely on a rack. They were only used for practice or emergency purposes. " Just bring all my swords here. I'm going to look like some sword maniac if I carry these with me." She rolled her eyes and pulled he weapons toward her. A small frown appeared on her face as she heard him laugh.

"You somewhat answered my questions, Karasu warau." Amelia sighed. She didn't exactly know of what he meant by guardian angel, but it seems he was implying she wouldn't be able to skip on it, even if she didn't want. She sucked up the idea of laying on the comfort of her bed to this summit that he speaks of. "I'll go to this summit of yours," The girl raised her pointer finger in the air." But, if I hear anything that I don't like I'm leaving." Amelia told the god.

 

[Randomfella]

Lucy Black
Home. 3:50pm​

The car ride back was short, and as she finally got home, Lucy thanked the driver before moving toward her room. It was still somewhat early, yet she felt as if she hadn't slept in several days. The girl stared at the strange watch now strapped to her wrist, examining the button with the edge of her finger. What would she do if she truly did see one of these monsters? Lucy doubted herself more than anything, she'd likely freeze up if it came to seeing one during an attack. Lucy slightly sighed at the thought of it, she hoped it would come to be that she could help them in return for what they had done for her, and hoped this device would put an end to any more of those dreams. With that thought, Lucy fell back on to her bed, closing her eyes, falling asleep not soon after. Despite the early hours she could easily sleep 'till morning.

Boss

 

[Azukai]

Boss TerraBooma

Kaivant watched as Camilla and Sam entered into the village and vanished from his view. He wasn't fond of the delay Camilla had imposed on him, but there wasn't anything he could do in light of still achieving his goal. Her reaction to Byakko's slip of the tongue, essentially proved that she had been kept in the dark by her father; but it also seemed as if the man's advisors had been as well. You've always were an enigmatic man, Dom...just like he was...
There were several flashes of lightning as a pair of shrouded men arrived at the scene and knelt before Kaivant, who beckoned them to rise with a wave of his hand. "Sir, we finished our reconnaissance. Our intel shows that Crowfall has begun their move on the summit. Also...Dominic may be attending." On the surface, Kaivant maintained his composure, giving the soldiers a quick nod which sent them away in a similar manner to their arrival. Internally, however, he was in a state of turmoil--his original plan had been reduced to utter shambles. "This is the worst possible outcome. The hollow incident was unfortunate, given circumstances..." There was a moment of silence as he began to ponder the next, best move; though, it did not take long before he continued with his new orders. "Ryu, you will remain in the village with me and help repair the damage you have done." There was an immediate grunt of annoyance from Ryu, but he began moving towards the village without a single complaint. "Byakko, I want you in the shadows. Get to the bottom of the hollows and keep her safe. Finally..." He paused to reach into his robe, where he retrieved a mobile phone that soon connected with the final member of the team. "Gyu, your mission is a go...infiltrate the summit."

~~~

There was a depressing atmosphere at the village tavern. Many of the village inhabitants had congregated to drown their sorrows in pints of hard liquor--Kaivant included as he sat in an isolated corner with a glass of bourbon and ice. There was a general air of animosity directed his way--even more towards Ryu who labored outside, though as a whole, the general public remained tolerant in light of his beneficial contributions to repair and new development. At this point, there wasn't much to do but wait. Camilla had told him to remain, and that's what he planned to do.

 

[Boss]

Den of Snakes P.10
| Ezekiel Kokinos |​

3:34PM
Club Cosmos | Basement
Multipurpose Room
​

The small gathering split into their own conversations between one another. Lizzie was deep in thought over the tattoo design for Zeke, while Lex started to boast to Birdman about her past experiences during a summit. The featureless goons lingering about the room had also wandered off into their own discussions. It felt like the initial surprise of seeing Zeke had died down, returning the room's original mood of gossip that was present before his arrival.

-BZZZT-

The Boss's phone vibrated to life in her skirt pocket, snatching her out of whatever deep thought she had fallen into to read the message sent to her phone.

Recipient

them

303 County Road. 4:30.

The Boss was only one of several recipients whom the message was intended for. Diana too, would have received the same text message. In it's cloak-and-dagger context, there was no doubt that the message contained the meeting location and starting time of the summit.

"Well, Boss. I'm ready when you are, but first I'd like to discuss the things I saw in that.. Dream of mine. It... May be important to discuss before we leave."

Her eyes sharp, the Boss shifted her glance to Zeke, which then softened after she stowed her phone away. "You would fair much better talking to Bastion than me in that case." The Boss stood up, breaking the flow of stories Lex had been spewing forth. "Is it time?" Lex asked, her demeanor had completely changed gears. Light-hearted fun turned to stern attention. The Boss nodded, shedding light on the text message's contents. "County Road.. That's in the middle of nowhere if I remember it right.."

Many of the goons were following the Boss out of the room for what felt like a long-awaited departure. Lex and Birdman soon followed after, yet Lizzie remained by Zeke ever since she heard him mention something important about his dream. "Let's talk and move." She suggested to him. Unlike the line of people that marched to the club floor above them and flowed outside, Lizzie stopped Zeke outside the room he had been assigned. "-Oh, you have to go get dressed before we leave." Her words may have interrupted Zeke's explanation, but so would her sudden stop.

Art of War
Camilla Ferrari | Sam Sarith​

3:36PM
Host Village | Town Center
Alleyway
​

Silent, Colt watched with concern as Sam made the outer workings of a building his personal punching bag. Slabs of host-assembled stone was shattered to the ground as Sam's anger was literally carved into the buildng's structure. Colt struggled to find words to comfort her ally. Instead, she could only watch as Sam dropped down, his back against the battered wall. Naturally, she still couldn't help but take partial blame for the events that unfolded, but that, she kept to herself.

"This.. Kaivant man.." She started. "..-probably has never had to protect someone important in his life before." Colt leaned against the wall opposite to Sam's, so that the two were generally facing one another. "Had there been nobody to protect, you wouldn't have gotten yourself injured, nor would you ever show restraint." She was speaking of their raid on Dominion turf the night before. It was an interesting form of apology for her lack of reaction to the explosion. Sure, she received the brunt of the damage, but had she not been careless neither of the two would be in such a sorry shape. "The difference between our power and Kaivant's is that we're not fighting to destroy, capture, or-.. dominate. We fight only when we have to defend ours." The woman's eyes were lit with a newfound resolve. "Camilla's returned to us in one piece. I don't consider that failure, and neither does anyone else in the village."

For a moment, Colt glanced upward towards one of the castle's towers that lingered above the village. "And I'll be honest with you. I never understood Camilla's Zodiac. Everyone here had at least met theirs, even little Leo, who was contracted at the age of 6." The host Colt mentioned was about a boy who spent all of his time within the town tavern and was rarely seen outside. Ever since he became a host, Leo was constantly forced to observe countless alternate realities - a power he could never cease using. "There were some days where I'd help Camilla reach out to her Zodiac, but it never worked. I've never even seen Camilla's limbo. The source of her power is an enigma, and it's no surprise to me that Dominic knows more than what he's letting on."

3:45PM
Host Village | Castle
Little Ferrari's Bedchamber
​

Standing in the oval mirror was a gloomy teenage Camilla dressed in her casual outfit. Samantha stuck to her like a shadow, yet Camilla paid her no mind. Her icy glare was focused on her reflection, which returned the hostilities in equal measure. The girl felt alienated in her own body. The longer she looked, the less she knew about herself. A strand of hair managed to free itself and stick far above her patch of hair, eliciting an annoyed tch from the girl as she worked to fix it. "If you're real, show yourself." She spoke out to her 'Zodiac', though she knew that nobody would answer. She remembered how Logan simply asked for his Zodiac and it appeared in it's feathery form. She would even go as far as to say that his Zodiac was an additional playmate of theirs growing up. Finding Logan's hidden crows among the castle sure was an interesting hunt.

Oh, damn it.

She could see the tears began to stream down her face for the second time since she made it back to her room. The first had occurred during her bath, which was a result of the pent-up emotions she carried coming in. Camilla honestly felt that she'd run out of tears by now, but as her blurred vision confirmed, there were plenty of waterworks to come. Logan was already an emotional landmine, but with this new development in her life, she felt like a broken mess. Her idealistic future seemed unlikely now. What if she actually was part-Zodiac? It initially didn't make sense to her. Zodiacs were smart, knowledgeable, and most of all, skilled. Camilla lacked all three aspects. Gravity yanked her down to her knees and she knelt in front of the mirror, allowing the sorrow built up to overwhelm her and get it out of her system for good.

She wondered if she'd hollow with all the negative energy she carried. What kind of monster would she become? She imagined a scenario where she was no different than Hanjiro, who died before he could even live his life. Just imagining the people she cared about being forced to put her down put an actual weight on her soul that she could feel. A few minutes like this had passed.

She had to pull herself together. The tears on her face dried up, yet left a faint trail down her face. Slowly, she rose up and washed off her face once more in the bathroom nearby. When she emerged, she walked believing she was ready to face the outside world again. She did have questions, after all.

Roughly 3 seconds later..​

Camilla stood in front of the town's Inn. Her swiftly arrival pulled the attention of nearby hosts, but she didn't care. With a furrowed brow, she pushed open the tavern doors and locked glances with Kaivant on her way in.

Kaivant had been given an empty table far from the other patrons. The air was tense, she could feel it. Glares were stabbing Kaivant from every direction, and now Camilla was getting looks, too. She sat across from Kaivant with the table separating the two. Her hand cupped the other as she sat in a momentary silence, her gaze focused on her hands. Out of all the questions she wanted to ask, this was the first she brought up. "What business do you have with my father and who is he to you?"

 

[silverlinedmist]

Among all the hustle to get moving, Zeke followed Bastion closely, eyes locked onto her. Her suggestion to talk and move made Zeke feel like he had to talk quickly, though it wasn't likely the case.

"Well.. It was a really creepy place I landed in. I was in a prison of some sort with cells all around me, and I was even locked in one. Other cells contained skeletons and bodies and, eugh. Gross stuff. I had to use one of the skeleton's arms.. Some kind of contraption that looked like someone else put together to get the key across the hall to get out. I got out, and I was already wounded in some places. It hurt, but I kept moving. And then I came across this... Thing. It was--"
Bastion interrupted him, stopping suddenly to talk about getting dressed. He looked a the room, then back at her for a moment before going in, immediately noticing the suit laying on the bed. He picked it up, looking it up and down only to note that it did look like his proper size, and it was nice looking. Zeke grabbed the bottom of his shirt to take it off, only to stop part way through to realize he left the door open. Letting go of his shirt he walked over, smiled to Bastion, and gently closed the door. It wasn't long before he came out again, fully dressed up in this fancy suit. He was starting to look like the rest of them, and on top of that he thought he looked pretty good.

"Um, sorry, so.. Where was I...? Oh, I saw this thing, it was really creepy. And it attacked me instantly, right? It was all dark and had this creepy grin. But I managed to defend myself against it and even cut off it's arm, which then it ran away. So I went up this mountain and found this old man, who was all cloaked and kind of looked like the thing that just attacked me in some ways, but he was very calm and we had a conversation, about my Zodiac. His name is Oronin, and the man also had him as his Zodiac for some time."
Zeke shook his head. He needed to get to the point already.

"Okay, so he point is, the man told me he was unlocking some of the power in my soul or something to fight Oronin, and that's when I woke up. And I don't know how to tell when the power is unlocked, or anything. But at the moment I still have little control over what Oronin does when he takes over."

Zeke took a breath. Maybe that was too much information for the little time they had. He stared at Bastion, waiting for a reply. Maybe even an explanation of some sort.

 

[Boss]

Den of Snakes P.11
| Ezekiel Kokinos |​

3:36PM
Club Cosmos | Basement
Hallway
​

While it didn't seem like it, Lizzie was eager to learn about Zeke's experience meeting his Zodiac, but as he went on, it sounded more and more like he had gotten the short end of the stick. Zeke's explanation was interrupted when he disappeared into his room. For about half a minute, Lizzie stood at the doorway wondering if he'd actually leave it open while he changed. Any concept of privacy was lost on Lizzie, as she caught herself staring at Zeke with a stupid smile on her face. The boy had looked back a second too late to notice her staring at his upper body.

...

When Zeke came out properly fitted, he wasted no time in picking up where he left off. By the conclusion of his speech, the two were already up on ground level, standing by the bar that occupied one corner of the inactive club. The floor was empty during the afternoon, yet the staff were hard at work to prepare it for the night to come. "It sounds like your Zodiac may already be hollowing." Lizzie spoke up as Zeke sought an answer. "Hollowing is like a form of cancer that is fed by negative emotions. When the cancer overtakes them, they become former shells of themselves, hence the word hollow. To battle it, they need an energy source produced by living creatures called life force. It is the polar opposite of supernatural energy, and negates hollowification. During a contract, both the soul of the Zodiac and the soul of a host are constantly trading their energies for the other. The host gives out life energy for the Zodiac to live, and the Zodiac gives the host supernatural energy for abilities. It appears to me that your Zodiac's taking your life energy, but not returning the favor with supernatural energy."

While the group had already made their way outside, Lizzie held back with Zeke by the bar. She casually waved to the bartender who prepared his station and asked for a glass of water. "The old man must have noticed it too, and unblocked part of your soul so that you could draw supernatural energy." It didn't take long for the bartender to return with water. Lizzie offered the glass to Zeke to hold. "I heard from Birdman that your power must involve heat somehow. Why don't you try focusing your all of your attention on it?"

 

[Depresso Espresso]

Diana Young
(Tags Boss Solemn Jester Sinny The Fool )
Diana kept snickering the entire time as Clown and Tom had their back and forth between their conversation, a smirk painting her expression in an approving manner, letting out a sigh and pouting slightly when he left before she crossed her arms, looking at Clown before letting out a sigh, "Yeah I have a spare room, lucky for you it used to be the security office, so their should be some towers still in there..." She let out a sigh before moving out of her room, across the hall opening a door to a dark room in which she flicked on a switch, sure enough two large towers covered in dust and an extremely old monitor sat on a desk with an old kitchen chair that looked like it was about ready to break, "Huh, no wonder we never used this room." She said giving a short laugh before looking back at Clown, "Here ya go, you can grab a chair from the kitchen, just don't freak out the Kids." Giving a death glare to Clown she rubbed the back of her knock before she pulled out her phone, "The location is here, tell Tom I want to know what's going on." She said letting out a sigh before moving out of the room, leaving her phone with Clown.​

 

[silverlinedmist]

Stopping at the bar with Bastion, Zeke listened carefully to what she had to say, his brow furrowing at the explanation. At this point, Zeke was fine with sharing his life energy with Oronin, but to think that his Zodiac would be so selfish.. He let out a huff of frustration, but he couldn't be too surprised. The Zodiac that forced itself upon him every chance it could, talking about the potential he had.. It started to make sense, actually. Oronin might be desperate for the life energy from Zeke. Which of course, only raised more questions that he was about to bring up, until Bastion shoved a glass of water in his face. For a brief moment before she spoke, he wondered if his skin looked dry. Hesitantly, Zeke took the glass in his hands, staring at it intently. He wasn't really sure how he would even activate these powers of his, but if it involved heat, and there was a common theme of ice in any instance Oronin was involved, he could only imagine it.

He took a deep breath, clearing his mind and focusing on the glass before him, but more importantly, the water within it. He pictured the glass emptying itself, draining slowly as if there was a hole in the bottom, yet the glass still remained full. After a few seconds, the glass itself seemed to start to freeze, an icy design slowly making its way up the sides of the glass. Soon after, the water in the glass also began to form intricate patterns, freezing over the surface first, then slowly freezing itself all the way down to the bottom of the glass. A surprised expression formed on Zeke's face, unsure if he was hallucinating or if he actually did that himself. To make sure, he tilted the glass sideways a bit, then all the way upside down after he made sure it wasn't going to spill. His jaw slowly dropped, staring at the glass in awe. Was it that simple? He shook he glass, double checking to make sure that the frozen water wouldn't come out at all. Poor Zeke was locked in a trance staring at the frozen glass, and only snapped out of it when he saw the soft blur of Bastion behind it. He tried to compose himself again, closing his mouth and taking another deep breath as he set the glass down. His fiery eyes looked anywhere but the glass, locking onto Bastion as if searching for words to say.

"Um. Well. I.... Did that. Didn't I," he spoke softly, oblivious to the group outside that was still waiting on the two of them.

 

[TerraBooma]

Sam listened to Colt's explanation only half paying attention. But slowly, she was able to draw him out of his melancholy. She reminded him of the things they fought for. He held up a hand as she referred back to the incident during the raid on the dominion.

"Listen...Colt, don't sweat it. Me being injured...that wasn't why I failed his 'test.' So don't worry about that." He shook his head. "We're a team right? So success and failure...they happen together." He looked up and gave her a weak smile, trying to at least pretend to be in a better mood. His gaze turned from her to his hand, and he let out another sigh.

"I know Dom kept...a lot on his chest. But I've always been able to figure it out. Ever since we were teens and I investigated his...supernatural defense team. I could figure out what was going on. These days...he's harder to figure out. I should've known something was going on with Camilla's...or rather I guess that Camilla is...a zodiac. If we can believe what those guys have to say. This could all be a hell of an elaborate lie just to get Camilla to go with them...but it lines up with her not having a zodiac manifest so late into her age..." Sam forced himself to stand up, letting out a slow breath, the rage and sorrow were gone. Now Sam was just...confused and concerned.

"Thanks for letting me...beat the shit out of a wall. Appreciate it. I don't suppose Dom magically resurfaced while I was off with Camilla huh?" He shook his head, already knowing the answer. "Right. Enough of me being all...mopey." He shook his head. Sam clearly wasn't still...alright. There was a bubbling of emotions underneath that threatened to spill out but Sam had always been good at keeping things in check when he wasn't in a freznied anger.

"Let's...focus on the task at hand. We need a sitrep as to the status of the village, we need to figure out if any of our contacts in the field have seen Dom, and...if he's not coming back, we need to figure out how the hell we're going to do things. I made this place with Dominic, I'm not about to let myself throw it away because of...issues. How're your injuries, can you walk okay? You look pretty beat up...sorry for forcing you to get outta bed." He laughed sardonically, trying to lighten the mood. "We can get you back in a bed if you need it...I apreciate the backup though."

 

[Azukai]

Boss

I have no business with your father--at least not in the sense you are thinking of. Dominic and I went our separate ways many years ago, shortly around the time you were born in fact. I am here solely to meet with you. Though, to give you the answers you desire, perhaps a story is in order.

Fourteen years ago the world was nothing like it is today. Surprisingly enough, your father and I both lived ordinary lives--unfulfilling perhaps, but they were peaceful, those days. Under normal circumstances, your father and I would have never met...or I say, we should have never met--I was an apprentice to a chef in Japan; whereas your father had just begun his high school career, here in Brookfield. What you need to understand is that neither of us had any intentions of being involved with the supernatural world, much less each other, but fate had a different plan for us. You see, despite the fact that our lives shared no connection, there was in fact a single, latent bond...a single thread that bound us, unknowingly and unwillingly.That thread had a name and it was Shun Takumi.

From your father's perspective, Shun was nothing more than a rich, classmate who had little interest in anything but painting. He was the purest definition of an introverted teenager, and because of that, your father payed him little attention...though that eventually became one of the biggest mistakes he has ever made in his life. It was not his mistake alone, however. Armstrong academy was more than just a school; it was a breeding ground for hosts, and a secret training facility for Dominion agents. Your father and his classmates were given the chance to become protectors, guardians against the threats in the shadows. Shun was not given this opportunity. Without guidance, he walked a lonely path that eventually led him to the darkness which consumed what was left of his broken heart...and in turn consumed everything I knew and loved.

Not many people know the truth behind Fushinsetsu's birth. It is a taboo topic these days, and I would imagine your father has certain regrets around that man. He brought us together, however--first as enemies, then as allies, and now as survivors in this fucked up world...fighting the good fight in our own unique ways. Back when all the anti-zodiac oppression began, your father chose to run, and I hated him for it...The Great Dominic hiding in the forests with a colony of hosts...But you know, I think back now and I understand. Dominic has lost far more than you can imagine...all of us, veterans, have...

You are different though, Camilla. Your generation is bound by the sins of your fathers, and for that we are sorry. But a life here...in this village...being raised as a child...it isn't what we need right now. You are far more special than you can imagine. You have been born, not as a human, not as a zodiac, but as one who walks in between both worlds. You have advantages that hosts can only begin to imagine...but you are not alone.

Tell me, have you ever heard of an organization known as Crowfall?

 

[Boss]

Art of War
| Sam Sarith |​

3:39PM
Host Village | Town Center
Alleyway
​

Colt shook her head. "No, I've rested enough." she stated with confidence. "The overall well-being of the village takes priority. How goes the reconstruction effort, Nathan?" Colt's attention shot up to a small stoic boy who stood at the edge of one roof above them. Nathan, dressed in a cleric-y theme, peered down at the two with a curious silence before Colt had noticed him and addressed him. "The big man is helping to haul the cobblestone back in place." He looked over his shoulder to the wall that was out of the duo's view. "We could be finished by nightfall at the current rate." The boy was but one of many who had been born in the establishment created by Dominic and the others. Rarely any of the younger children had ever ventured outside the walls, or have seen a normal human being. Thus, their interactions were awkward at best. "Sorry I spied on you." He muttered, bowing his head in atonement. "Think nothing of it."

With the boy rushing off out of sight, Colt looked back towards Sam with a smile. "What do you think we should do now that Dominic's gone?"

| Camilla Ferrari |​

3:48PM
Host Village | Town Center
The Inn | Lounge area
​

Camilla kept focused on her hands while she listened to Kaivant. Most of what he explained, she knew already by the stories she was told. No matter how many times she heard it, Camilla found it hard to believe that there was a soft side to her father. Sure, he would let her get away with things every now and then. Birthdays were wholesome and cozy, so were the occasional hide-and-seek games Camilla and Logan forced Dominic to play. Her posture may as well had been frozen, until a new name broke her from it. "Crowfall?" she echoed, lifting her head up in curiosity. "No, I can't say I've heard of it before. Is it ran by people like me?"

Den of Snakes P.12
| Ezekiel Kokinos |​

3:37PM
Club Cosmos | Ground Floor
The Bar Strip
​

Lizzie couldn't help but take Zeke's maturity into hosthood as a product of her own tinkering. She was just as lost in a trance as he was when the glass of water froze over in roughly ten seconds. "There's nothing to it!" she brimmed with satisfaction. Lizzie suppressed her emotional high to give Zeke some advice. "This is a good practice tool for you, Wraith boy, now you just have to melt it and start over." While she was fully comfortable with watching Zeke test out his newfound ability, the majority of the group was not. "Guys, what are you doing? Hurry up!" shouted the irritated Birdman. Everyone else had mounted up, save for Zeke and Lizzie.

"Oh shut it, bird brain. We were doing something important." protested the girl, who took off for the club exit with Birdman and assumingly Zeke himself. Like the drug deal the night prior, the front of the club was lined up with the gang's armored vehicles. It was unclear who got in which car as the windows were blackened out. A beckoning hand would direct Zeke to whatever car Lizzie and Birdman were in, and once that was done, the journey to the summit had begun.

 

[Sinny The Fool]

"Clown & Tom B. Stone"

~Diana’s Building/Old Security Office~

As both Clown and Diana entered into an old dusty office room, taking a gander around the place and what it had to offer, his interest laying specifically upon the old dusty monitor with an expression of disgust that was hidden behind the mask he wore. “I suppose this works..” he silently exclaimed to himself, and after he listened to everything else Diana had to say he nodded in confirmation. Taking the phone with him as he waltz into the kitchen to get himself a chair that wasn’t ready to break under his weight, and on his way back inside he noticed the kids sitting on the couch, completely distracted away from the TV by his appearance. Clown saw this as his chance, and dropping the chair for a quick moment to extend his arms out in front of him as if imitating a fictional monster and yelling “RAWR!!!” at the children and giggling to himself afterwards at the frightened reactions they gave.

Now he was back into the dusty old security office, he looked around him quickly almost as if paranoid before moving toward the dusty desk in the other end of the room, shifting the broken down chair and replacing it with the one he got from the kitchen. He stared at the dusty monitor before him for a few moments, his eyes sparking a furious flame. “OUT OF HERE YOU WORTHLESS PIECE OF GARBAGE!!!” he shouted with a fiery passion as he swung both of his arms across the old monitor and sending it flying across the room and toppling back onto the floor. Spending the next few moments huffing & puffing to himself and eventually transitioning to making his set up. Taking off his side-strap bag, taking out his own equipment and setting up around the dusty old desk. Once he finished, he sat back onto the chair and took a look at the location that showed on Diana’s phone. “303 County road at 4:30 huh? Well that only gives me so much time..” Letting out a sigh and powering up his laptop, he twiddled his fingers before getting down to work. Now he had the location of the Summit, it didn’t take much effort for him to find a suiting nearby location for the weapon shipment to be sent to. Taking out a set of (stolen) headphones with a mic and putting them around his ears. First contacting those responsible for delivering the shipment, Tom’s dealers to be specific. Telling them a location that had been almost just around the corner from the summit’s location “Make sure to keep it quiet too, now ba-bye.”

Next up was letting the Mafia know the shipment was being delivered, and Clown was going to do this by posing as ‘Bruno Salvatore’, a mafia leader who was going to be used as their scapegoat. Altering his voice to sound like the mafia leader, testing with himself a few times and going back to listening to audio files of his voice to make sure he had everything as perfect as he was able to manage. This time, contacting the mafia themselves under the impression of being Bruno Salvatore and sending them to the same location as the weapon shipment "I don’t want no funny business, got it? If I hear one thing about something goin’ wrong at this shipment I’ll have the lot of ya’ fed to my dogs capiche?” disconnecting from the call. He took a moment to lean back on the kitchen chair with both of his legs kicked up on the dusty desk “All in a afternoons work as they say!” Looking off to Diana’s phone, which reminded him he should probably call Tom and wondering what was taking him so long. He swiftly took Diana’s phone into his hands, and because he knew it’d be easier he rung Tom using her phone, slowly waiting for a response.

“...”

Tom had returned to his car. Clicking a button on his little remote to his car, and unlocking the trunk with a little beep from the car. He opened up the trunk, it's door swinging wide open. "Wow now, down girl!” He said pushing the trunk door down with one hand, and covering its contents with his body. “Could be bad if anyone noticed my little toys. Now, time I get ready for the party, this should be fun.” Tom grinned his smile reminiscent of the cheshire cat. His trunk was filled with weapons. Automatics, pistols, shotguns, and even a few grenades of varying type. Of course the weapon he was searching for wasn't exactly of the explosive variety. He pulled out a black suitcase, rubbing his palm across its smooth velvet cover. He shut the trunk, locking it before his phone went off. He recognized the ringtone immediately. His phone sang out "You’ll never find! As long as you live! Someone who loves you, tender like I do!” Tom sang along to Barry White's You'll never find another love, before he clicked the answer button. "Heyo! This is the T-Masta what can I do fer ya today?” He asked expecting his lovely girlfriends voice to reply.

“T-Masta? Really? WHERE ARE YOU TOM EVERYTHING IS READY!!”

Toms smile immediately turned into a frown as his was unpleasantly greeted by Clown’s voice. "I wouldn't be talking with a alias like Clown! Besides, it's just a nickname I sometimes call myself when talking to friends.” He explained annoyed by Clowns questioning his great nickname. He grabbed the suitcase and opened up his car door still on the phone. "God, how needy are you? I haven't been gone all that long. I'll be back in a sec, check over everything. You know I like to be thorough with these things.” Tom insisted before putting the phone on the dash of his car. He then placed it on speaker, and opened up his suitcase. Before him was his black suit, all nice, and shiny. He rarely got the chance to whip it out. So he was happy to have that opportunity. It seemed today was getting better and better for him. Tom changed in his car. Somehow managing not to mess it up as he struggled to put it on in his car. Once he had finished he picked the phone back up "Alright! I'm coming! Geez keep yer mask on will ya!? Be there in a moment.” With this he exited his car. A comb in one hand and a mirror in the other. He fixed his hair to his liking as he headed back inside. Looking suave, and respectable more so than usual. "You know Clown. If this job goes smoothly. Then we'll be on our way to the top! Sooner or later with our teamwork we'll own this place.” He told Clown then re-entered the room they had previously been in, heading to the room he knew Clown would be in as it was the only computer room they had, and standing in the doorway. He hung up the phone smiling as he leaned against the door. "And we'll be looking good doing it, or at least some of us will be.” Tom said with a sly grin standing in just such a way to show his suit.

Clown turned back to Tom, his unimpressed expression hidden under the guise of his mask “What do you mean? I happen to like this mask..” gandering down to his rugged and dirty attire he was wearing, he slowly added “Maybe I could go with an extra pair of clothes...But nothing you couldn’t handle for me once this is over~” he said with an endearing tone at the end, extending his arm with Diana’s phone out with the text of the summit location on it. “Everything is ready, all we need to do now is wait for the summit to begin.” a prideful smile painted on the face behind the mask.

Tom rolled his eyes at Clown’s lack of self acknowledgement. “If you had half the sense of fashion as you do for computers you'd know that mask is tacky. But fashion aside, we need to wait for my other informant to make a call. I like to see what info he offers. Best to see where his heads at before things get messy.” Tom looked at himself in the nearest mirror straightening out his tie as he made sure he looked his best for the summit. He smirked at Clown, sliding the black suitcase over his way.”Silly Clown. You didn't think I'd honestly leave you out of things, now did you? I can't have you looking bad our big debut now can I? Check in the case. There's a change of clothes. I trust they'll be to your liking.” Tom informed Clown before taking a seat on Diana's couch in her office. To give Clown some time to change.

​

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

 

[Boss]

En Passe​

4:00PM
Brookfield | Outskirts
Old Courthouse | Parking Lot
​

Far to the west, where the highest reaching buildings within Brookfield could fit between two fingers, a gale of street sand blew across a vast, empty parking lot. In it stood three individuals. Two of them were the same duo that had visited Diana's base of operations, though their masks hung lazily at their side, letting their hair of opposite colors be manipulated along with the wind. The third in their company was similarly dressed in a crimson black suit, though his figure was less impressive than the other male to his side. Nonetheless, the lanky man pushed up his glasses with a resolved demeanor. "I suppose I'll get started then." The man withdrew a large roll of blue paper identical to a blueprint and rolled it out along the tarmac. It's surface blank, the male sat cross-legged before the canvas to silently study the shoddy, partially destroyed courthouse. The other two exchanged glances and gave the smaller man his space.

"What do you think?" questioned the male, whose short, void-black hair was disturbed by his own hand in thought. The female, who donned long snow-colored hair, peered down both directions of the road they now stood on. "Not a soul for at least half a mile.. The boss is probably expecting something to go south here." "I can't see how you'd miss it. The feeling of tension in the air is thick. Gang war or not, someone violated code, and that doesn't go unpunished."

The ground began to shake violently, interrupting the duo's conversation as their attention was turned back to the courthouse. Long formations of brick, concrete, and other materials began to shift unnaturally. The partially caved-in roof was lifted upright by itself. The numerous holes created by the aftermath of the great war were regenerating like a human body fast-forwarded. Entire sections of construction peeled away as new additions were put into place. All while the lanky male lazily drew away at the blueprint in the parking lot. The motions of the building seemingly shadowed the motions of his pen.

"Whoooa, impressive." gawked the male. By now, the courthouse was beginning to look like a different building now. A more modern, sturdy looking structure was in the works under the influence of an interesting host's ability.

 

[TerraBooma]

"Don't worry 'bout it kid!" Sam shouted as the young host left eyesight. He had grown used to those in the village with little social skills, he knew they meant well. He'd pushed Dom in the past to get some sort of...social school thing going, but the village's resources were always pretty tight. That combined with Sam's own issues made it difficult to give them some proper social skills. After all, bloodlust wasn't exactly a trait he wanted to pass down to the next generation. Sam nodded to Colt and started walking.

"C'mon, walk with me. I think I've done enough moping around today. We should get a plan in place." He hummed as she asked him what they should do next. Sam had never considered himself great at planning, but it was important to at least be doing...something.

"Alright, first thing we gotta do is figure out where everyone else is standing. That...explosion was a trap. Even if Dom's going underground for a bit, we need to figure out if anything's been compromised somehow. I don't know if Abel and Johnny made it out...we need to figure out what happened to them. If they're alive we need to find them...if they're free, we bring them home, if they're captured, we break em out. If they're dead..." Sam's tone faltered a bit, but he pushed on. "Besides that, figuring out what the hell happened to Dom is top priority. Then check out with the rest of the information network. Figure out if anything's coming, the Dominon think they knocked out a pretty big group of us, they've gotta have something planned as a follow up. Once the defenses are back up, I want watches stepped up for a bit. At least until we get in contact with the sensors. Also, no you don't get to take watches. I want you recovering as much as possible from those injuries." Sam gave her a serious look. "I need everyone at their best, and...I don't want you to get more hurt. Trust me, I get your tough, but you will be resting. Got it?"

"Now then. I want to check out the castle real quick, see if Dom left any notes or some shit in case thise happened. The dude was prepared, I figure he's gotta have something for if he goes AWOL."

 

[silverlinedmist]

Zeke's eyes wandered back to the glass as Bastion explained that he just needed to keep practicing. While she went on ahead to catch up with the others, Zeke looked back to the glass momentarily. He put his finger on the rim of the glass, focusing on making it melt again. Within seconds, condensation began to build on the outside of the glass, the ice within slowly melting from the outside in. It wasn't long before the ice melted completely, and a small puddle formed underneath the glass from all the condensation dripping down. Why should he stop there, though? Zeke narrowed his eyes at the glass, trying to see just how far he could go. A small amount of steam could be seen rising from the glass, and suddenly, bubbles appeared as well. To Zeke's surprise, the water had started boiling. However, as he took his hand away from the glass, he noticed his arm felt quite stiff. He looked down at it, noticing bits of frost that had started forming on his hand. Out of curiosity, he rolled up his sleeve, only to see that the frost had started moving up his forearm as well. It stopped about halfway through his arm, making his fingers almost numb. They were a bit difficult to move, but he picked up the glass of boiling water regardless, and walked out to the car with it.

The water had mostly stopped boiling by the time he got into the car next to Birdman and Bastion, and even began to warm up his frosty hand. His sleeve was still rolled up, and could be easily seen by how blue his skin started to look. Zeke wouldn't have realized it, but his eyes also had blue specks in them. The spots were almost glowing, as if his power was showing through his irises. Zeke said nothing to his friends sitting next to him, but instead focused very intently on the glass of water, and what was happening in his arm. The only conclusion he could come to was that the heat did not in fact come from nowhere, and he had used the heat from his body to boil the water, in turn making his arm freeze from the lack of heat in it. If that were the case, where had the heat gone when he froze the glass to begin with? Had he stored it somewhere in his body, perhaps? He hadn't felt any warmth, or at least no strong sensation in comparison to the freezing cold he was feeling now. Maybe it was simply because his body was already warm, and this water was just room temperature, so it wasn't enough heat to impact him. He had many questions, but the trance he was in over this barely bubbling glass of water was almost eerie. When was the last time he blinked?

Zeke's speckled eyes wandered down his frozen arm, then up again to the glass of water. His hand had begun to warm up more thanks to the heat from the glass, but it didn't solve the problem of barely being able to properly move his fingers. A quiet "Hmm.." could be heard from him mere seconds before he froze the glass again only a second or two faster than before, immediately curing his arm of the burdensome frost that had covered it. His skin was no longer blue tinted from frostbite, and his eyes went back to normal. His jaw dropped a bit, his free hand touching the areas of his arm and hand that had been frozen over. He was completely fine despite the incredibly odd sensation he felt. By now, any commentary from the others in the car would reach him, as he was not quite as entranced as he was before. It felt almost as if he had solved a puzzle of some sort.

 

[Boss]

Underbelly -> En Passe
| Tom B. Stone |​

4:00PM
Brookfield | Outskirts
Burned Building | Third Floor
​

Unbeknownst to the trio who stood before the reforming courthouse, the man known as Andrew Orlov silently watched from an elevated position, well outside of the range that a human eye could focus on. After half an hour of silence - and double that for finding an effective sniping position - the Russian lowered his binoculars with a firm settlement that this was the spot. He had been watching the unnatural movements of stone and brick since it began. Rugged hands withdrew his flip phone and he cycled through a list of contacts to call 'Gregory Handson'.

"Do you have the weapon I requested?" was the first words to come out of his mouth.

Art of War
| Sam Sarith |​

3:40PM
Host Village | Town Center
Moving through town
​

Sam had made a good point on several issues. Colt's injuries inhibited her ability to fight, she was well enough to make it to the wall and scale it. Her movements were awkward, obviously to avoid suffering any unneeded pain. "Abel and Johnny are fine. Better off than us, matter of a fact." Colt mentioned. As they walked, they passed by countless hosts and Zodiacs that lingered throughout the town center. Despite the attack, most people turned back to their business without a second thought. Perhaps it was their confidence in Dominic's protection? It wouldn't be long before word got out that he was missing. "You know I'd rather be out in battle than lay in a bed when people need me." she complained as they went along. "The village healer mentioned that our injuries are healing at an accelerated pace. In theory, we're back to 100% tomorrow."

Colt stopped in front of the Inn. "Still, if that's what you think is best, I'll talk to some of the people at the Inn to see if they can relay the orders. I'll see you again soon."

...

It was common knowledge that all important information was kept away within Dominic's personal chambers, whom nobody was allowed to enter, save for Colt and couriers. When Sam arrived, there was a strange feeling of dread seeping out from the crevices of the wooden door to his chamber. To an inexperienced host, it was simply that. However, Sam could realize that the energy he felt radiating from within was in fact the same energy that drove hollows. Corruption.

 

[TerraBooma]

"Then I'll see you tomorrow at 100%! Consider that my order." Sam grinned, and made his way over to the castle. He planned to check out the proper documentation after investigating Dom's room, he was looking for answers. The way he saw it, Dom might have left behind some sort of notes in his personal chambers that he didn't want to risk being leaked to the public eye.

***

Unfortunately, all that Dominic's room revealed was more questions. Sam instinctively held his arm up to his nose as he walked in, resisting the urge to cough. He'd always had a good sense of the smell, and the scent of corrupting was...overwhelmingly powerful. He hadn't even opened the door yet. Sam grimaced, how had he not noticed this king of thing happening before? Placing his right hand down on his holster, Sam wanted to be prepared for anything that he could be forced to deal with. With his free hand, he pulled up his shirt, trying to at the very least stifle the overpowering scent. After which, he made a waving motion, and the shark Lucy appeared beside him. She didn't like the smell any more than he did, but he figured two noses were better than one. He'd liked to have had Lucas as well, but his fight with Byakko sadly had the shark on recovery, reforming within the confines of Sam's own limbo. Despite being down a shark, Lucy circled him faithfully, ready to react if need be. Sam placed a hand on her back, calming the shark down slightly. "Steady girl...steady." Before looking back to the door itself.

"Alright Dom, you've been keeping a lot of secrets from me over the years huh? Let's see if there's anything you actually meant for me to find. Throw me a bone here man. Just once make figuring something out easy?" Sam muttered to himself, the sound muffled by his shirt, turning the doorknob slowly, Sam entered the room, pistol at the ready for whatever might lie inside. The hope was that between him and Lucy's tracking capabilities, they'd be able to find the source...but that was just to see if one exsisted or was pressent. Sam's objective was still information, and despite his unease at entering Dominic's personal chambers, he didn't exactly have many options left. He'd check out where the intel was if this ended up being fruitless.

"Corruption man seriously? Should've told me about that...could've figured something out. A plan to slow it down..." Sam hissed slightly, frustration mixed with concern. But now wasn't the time for those emotions, he had to keep a level head. Pushing forward, Sam entered Dom's room.

He had a bad feeling about this one.

 

[Azukai]

Boss

"Crowfall is..." Kaivant's voice trailed away; his composure showing signs of hesitation towards the explanation Camilla desired. In her current state, the young girl who had lived a sheltered life was likely impressionable to new ideals...vulnerable to the temptations that the organization might bring. Nonetheless, there was no point in hiding the truth. In a single swig, Kaivant downed the remainder of his whiskey and slammed the glass back against the table. A heavy sigh escaped his lips, just before he began his final explanation. "Fushinsetsu...has a lineage." He reached into his robe where he retrieved a small picture that depicted a pair of twins who were wrapped in a single garb of plush and feathers. One was a male child with glowing blue eyes and tufts of black hair; whereas, the other was a small girl with glowing red eyes and strands of the purest white hair, flowing from her head.

"This is Azrael and Lilith. The latter I am unsure of her whereabouts or life, but the former...he is the founder of Crowfall..." Again, there was another pause as Kaivant inhaled a deep breath. "Like you, he is a being that transcends the current evolution of humanity. I am unaware of his overall goal, but I have knowledge that he intends to follow his father's footsteps. I also have reason to believe that he is searching for others to join his cause."

Gone was the hesitation from his voice, replaced with a genuine warmth that enveloped the subsequent words he spoke. "I want to protect you...no...I want to train you into someone who can protect them self. In your current state, you would be no match for Azrael--your village...let's just say there would be much sorrow."

 

[Boss]

Art Of War
| Sam Sarith |​

3:55PM
Host Village | Castle
Dominic's Chambers
​

The door to the bedchamber weighed heavily against Sam's push. A constant flow of corruption escaped through the ever-growing gap between the door and it's frame. As the negative energy was exerted outward, the overbearing sensation of dread and corruption had lessened as a whole and was reduced to a tolerable level. Dominic's chambers still had it's lived in feel to it. A bed and blanket with vague imprints of a human body. A work desk, wardrobe, and mirror nearby. A bathroom off to the side and a pad-locked metal cabinet in the corner. On the surface of the desk sat a neat stack of blank papers and envelops. This was probably where Dominic sorted out village requests given by the inhabitants below the valley. Several opened letters were all in braille. It would be impossible to read unless Sam knew how to read braille. The outgoing letters were obvious, as they were written in small, focused trails of smoke that stuck to the paper, and not written in braille.

Spoiler: Un-packaged letter

Mrs. Pepper,

Before anyone says otherwise, yes, I have been receiving and reading their letters. I am fully aware that children need space to grow, and that they should act on their wanderlust. However I can't condone the travel to and from Brookfield under any means. People old enough should remember how persistent and ever-lurking the Dominion is. Call me paranoid, but I would rather restrict everyone's access - not just the children - from the outside world, instead of risking the Dominion discovering our only safe-haven and eradicating us all. To further push my point, anyone who is caught leaving without permission will be KILLED ON SIGHT. We can't risk them finding us. Rely this message to everyone, including the patrol captains.

Beyond the piles of letters sat several photos neatly aligned with one another. It's purpose was unclear, considering Dominic was blind and couldn't see them.The majority of the pictures were of his high-school days, including the group photo from prom day. Sam could recognize several faces, such as the reclusive Shun, the timid Len, Akira, who stood next to Sam's younger self. James, who always held a snickering grin. Clark, whose face had been mostly hidden behind the massive afro of Nikky, and finally Dominic, who was off to the opposite side. Similar school pictures were placed with one another in chronological order, but as the photos moved along in the timeline, the smile Dominic put out became less and less genuine. The same could be said for those included in his pictures.

The following pictures were baby photos. The first was of Camilla, wrapped in what looked like a shirt, whilst being held by a woman whose face was out of frame. The woman's hair was long, and of a dark blue hue at the least. Another picture showcased Dominic cradling Camilla, though at this point his eyes had been covered up. Nonetheless, the smile on his face was just as bright, if not brighter than on prom day. A series of baby pictures of Camilla were bunched together with Logan's, whose was not much different, save for the fact that he was being held by the same female yet in full view, with Dominic standing proudly behind her and Camilla just off to her side.

That face.

The woman holding Logan, surrounded by the Ferrari's, was Len.

| Camilla Ferrari |​

3:50PM
Host Village | Town Center
The Inn | Lounge Area
​

Camilla's eyes lit up for a brief moment upon seeing Lilith's picture. She wanted to mention that she knew Lilith, but it wouldn't do either of the two any good when neither of them knew her whereabouts. It also went without mentioning that Kaivant must have had a different future in mind for the little girl versus what Camilla wanted, so she stayed silent and listened to his explanation. it wasn't like the news he gave was light. Knowing that not only was Fushinsetsu a father of two, but the son wanted to continue whatever twisted work his father had going on, almost made Camilla suffer a cold sweat. Kaivant's words of concern acted to calm the girl, yet his prediction for the future didn't. He foresaw that she and Azrael would fight one day. Two beings of a new breed, half human, half Zodiac, colliding in a battle with no clear outcome. It almost sounded like a plot-line from one of Logan's comics.

"You think he'll hurt a lot of people..?" Camilla questioned, though the answer seemed obvious at best. For a boy to found an organization, whilst killing whoever he pleased, meant that he must have a considerable amount of support from other people - perhaps hosts. He wouldn't able to act wildly, less he compromised his organization and whatever it stood for publicly. One thing was for sure; if Dominic heard about this, a mess would be an understatement. If Azrael was any bit as powerful as Fushunsetsu, their battle could send echoes across the horizon.

"I'm willing to grow as strong as I need to be in order to protect this village. I'm not there yet right now, but-.. If there's a chance Azrael could come here, it could be disastrous."

Den of Snakes P.13
| Ezekiel Kokinos |​

3:40PM
Brookfield | Red Light District
Vehicle | On the move
​

By the time Zeke snapped out of his trance, he would have been aware of the stares that were pinned to his figure - more specifically, his arm, which had repeatedly turned an icy hue, and back again. Lizzie was silent, yet the look of admiration on her face spoke a thousand words. The interior of the limousine allowed it's occupants to sit around a central island, stocked with drinks usually found at the club's bar. This gave everyone else no other choice but to witness Zeke exercise his power in front of everyone - that being Lizzie and Birdman.

"So you're no longer a possessive type then?" He questioned the newbie, though Lizzie answered. "He isn't necessarily a different type of host now. The barriers around his soul were unblocked enough that he can draw energy from Limbo." Lizzie's explanation ended on a special note, as she smirked to herself with self-praise. "..That's.. quite the explanation, Lizzie." "It's Bastion, bird-brain." The two would inevitably go back and forth teasing one another during the duration of the ride, unless Zeke spoke up about a matter.

 

[Azukai]

Boss TerraBooma

"I am not sure." Kaivant said with a somber expression on his face. It was a pathetic answer to Camilla's question; however, it was the best, honest truth he had for her. "Azrael keeps to the shadows. If it wasn't for our...meeting, I would have never known of his existence to begin with. All I can say with certainty is that he plans to bring ruin to humani..."

"False."

It was a single word that cut Kaivant short--one that was not spoken from within the inn, but rather, from the phone that was stored within his robe. Its tone was slightly muffled by the layers of fabric which surrounded it, though it was still loud enough for Camilla to hear. "You are a naughty man, Kaivant. If you are going to share knowledge about us, at least give us the decency of the truth you were told." The voice was not human; instead, a computer generated tone that masked the identity of its original source.

With an air of caution, Kaivant reached into his robe where he retrieved his phone and placed it on the table. Despite having been locked, its screen was now active and was displaying a holographic render for a turquoise colored ram. Underneath the image was a single word that was depicted in a snow-white font and all capital letters, ICE. "It is nice to meet you, Camilla...or should I say sister." The graphics on the phone began to change; the ram soon replaced by a pulsating, red heart which soon exploded into a multitude of smaller sized hearts. "You see, we had no idea of your existence, but Kaivant, here, was easily manipulated into leading us to you. Thanks." The voice fell silent to let its words truly sink in. On the phone, the graphic began to change once more; this time to a winking emoji that was soon followed by a slow, monotonous laughter.

"Ha...ha...ha...ha...ha..."

Kaivant's reaction was immediate. He smashed his right fist into the phone--an act that not only shattered the fragile device, but also split the wooden table into a broken mess. Unable to properly control his rage, his body began to mutate. All across his left-most side, spikes began to rise from his skin, in addition to the wisps of hollow energy that began to emanate from his body. All eyes were now on him, many of them ready for a preemptive attack; however, it wasn't long before the voice returned. In a matter of seconds, the broadcast being televised on each of the inn's tvs began to flicker until the image was replaced with the holographic ram and ICE.

"Good evening, village of the host Dominic. This is live news streaming from the organization nobody's every heard of, Crowfall, and I am tonight's host...the worldwide hacker sensation, ICE. Tonight, I bring breaking news...Camilla has been found as the fifth Human-Zodiac hybrid in the world. Now, this is a shocking discovery that I can only imagine is one of the many secrets being kept from the good people of this village. What I want to know is how does this make you all feel? Angry...confused...? It is time for the lies of our forefathers to stop...the Dominion...the old hosts...neither have our best interests in mind. What we need is a future where hosts are free...a world where we can be who we are and what we have...unwillingly...become. This is the future, that we at Crowfall, promise to you all...And it is a future that we plan to bring..."

At the final word, the message simply rewound and restarted from the beginning. No matter the channel, it was the only broadcast being televised, and one that was spread across any active TV throughout the village.

 

[silverlinedmist]

As Zeke's mind came back down to earth, he felt the pairs of eyes glued onto him. He slowly looked over to Bastion and Birdman, who began speaking to each other about what they just witnessed. Zeke, looking as if he was just caught doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing, quietly listened to them bicker back and forth for a few minutes before he got an idea. His hands rose in front of him and clapped together, Zeke once again focusing on controlling his newfound powers. Slowly, one of his hands started to frost up again, turning more blue than it had been before. The other hand seemed to do the opposite, turning red as though he had been standing out in the sun for hours. It wasn't long before the connected point between hot and cold started sizzling. Zeke forced his two hands apart, taking deep breaths to contain the heat swap he just did. It strangely required more effort than he thought it would, when all he did was transfer all the heat from one arm into another. His breathing slowed into a more steady pace as he got used to the feeling, his fists clenching tightly.

"Holy.... Shit," he managed to say, turning towards Bastion immediately, thrusting his arms out in front of her. "Feel my skin. Is it hot and cold? Does it feel any different than you would expect? How hard is this ice, I wonder... Is it just normal ice, you think, or could it be something stronger? There are so many possibilities if so. On top of that, the heat..." His eyes locked onto his heat-filled arm. "That.. Could be used in so many ways, too..." he mumbled, waiting for her to finish looking at his arms. When she was through, he held his hot hand up towards the roof of the limo, as if he were absorbing more heat. After a moment, his arm began to look strained as the entire limo got a bit colder. A pained look came across his face as he reached up with his icy arm to grab his other wrist. The ice immediately melted, absorbing back into his skin as his hot arm went back to normal, as did the temperature of the limo.

Zeke sighed, moving his hands around and shaking them off as if to get his blood flowing again. The pained expression turned curious as he began to speak out loud, unaware if the others were actually listening or not at this point. "That didn't hurt, but it felt very odd. Maybe my body just isn't used to this power yet. Or perhaps it was just too much heat in one area of my body. I could--" He cut himself off, shaking his head. Perhaps it was the heat he was just playing with, but it almost looked like Zeke was blushing.

"Sorry, I think I'm just nervous about this. The possibility it could turn violent when I'm not in full control is a bit unnerving. I don't want to just rely on my Zodiac in times of need, you know..?"

 

[TerraBooma]

Sam supposed he should have expected braile. Given Dominic's condition, it only made sense that the man received his letters in a type of language he could actually read, but damn it all if it wasn't inconvinent. He made a mental note to scan the internet later for lessons on how to read braile. Thanks to his contract, learning things off the web could happen almost instantly...if the information only stuck around for awhile. That plan hidden away in his mind, Sam was in no way prepared to deal with the reveal that followed next he stared in shock at the set of photos just...lying out in the open. Or at the very least, the damming evidence to be seen.

"Dom...what the hell!?" For what felt like the millionth time that night, Sam couldn't help but question what Dom had been thinking. He had gotten together with...Len? Sam'd always thought the guy was secretive about his love life, but he never thought this was the kind of answer he'd get. He leaned closer to the portraits. Studying them. It couldn't be her...right? But the person in the frame was undeniably Len...yet it still didn't make sense. Sam'd worked with he woman before he left the dominion. She couldn't even accept a contract if she wanted to, what with the training she had gone through. She was the furthest thing imaginable from a zodiac...did that mean that Logan and Camilla were only half related? Sam shook his head. That revelation was less important given the other implications of the photo. Len...she was their enemy. She'd been after the village for as long as Sam could remember, he'd even fought against her on multiple occasions. How could she end up...having kids with Dominic? And how come Dominic had never told him? Frustration echoed through him again, and he was about to let out a shout of frustration before he was interrupted by his phone begginging to vibrate and make noise. The same broadcast that had reached the entirety of the village had reached Sam.


Sam reacted quickly once the broadcast started, summoning the technological looking harpoon and jamming it into his phone. Thanks to it's supernatural nature, his phone wasn't damaged, but it let him connect. The screens throughout the inn and the rest of the village would fizzle, and a Shark would seem to start chasing around the Ram.

Sam let his power surge into his phone, and he transferred himself into the digital realm. Diving into networks had always been a trickier aspect of his power to learn, but the network of the village was home turf for Sam, and he knew it like the back of his hand. The world of data swam around him, countless information swirling in every direction, swimming in an ocean of information. He sniffed, eyes snapping over to the relevent data stream.

"Get out of my village you son of a bitch." Sam swam forward, lightning fast in the information network, and followed the data stream back to it's source. Sam knew the odds of "ICE" being at teh end were slim. But it was worth the chance. Harpoon in hand, he was prepared for any sort of defenses the hacker could throw at him.

This was the terrain in which Sam excelled at fighting.

***

In the inn, Samantha stared at the screens, seemingly transfixed by them. She stared as the shark chased around the Ram, threatening to grow ever closer. The shadowy woman's gaze turned back to the group.

"He's fighting the hacker."

 

[Azukai]

TerraBooma
It was a simple stream of data that Sam chose to enter into.

There wasn't a single hostile entity along the way, much less a firewall or any other form of basic encryption. That being said, the data itself was somewhat dull; containing mostly useless information apart from a single, generalized location that depicted that outcome of his journey, Blue Springs. Based on the available information, it was a logical inference that Blue Springs was a major metropolis located in north-Midwestern America; however, there was no more supporting information as to localized whereabouts or ICE's identity. Nonetheless, Sam didn't have to wait long for further developments, as the stream of data came to a sudden end and left him standing in a new environment that was likely a unique experience.

The world which surrounded Sam was neither reality, a limbo, or a virtual experience; rather, it felt as if it were a mysterious culmination of all three. The ground...the chill in the air...the stars in the night sky...all of it felt far to real to be a simple simulation. Yet the real world was out of the question, given the copious layers of Zodiac energy that filled the space with its non-hostile presence. There was nobody else within the space; it was simply Sam standing amidst an empty, circular plane that stretched several feet away from his centered position. "Welcome, Sam Sarith." Like the broadcast, the sudden announcement was lathered by a computerized tone; however, unlike before, there were no further explanations. Instead, the world surrounding Sam began to change. The platform beneath his feet remained the only constant, in light of the surrounding environment that became an expansive space, filled with countless, over sized capsules that hovered in the air and stretched as far as the eyes could reach. "You have been registered as the 42nd explorer to join the open beta."

All around Sam, user interfaces began to appear, one by one. First was a window that depicted general information about himself, in addition to game-like attributes such as strength, agility, class and more. All the numbers associated with his stats were normalized at five, whereas his class depicted the title of Explorer. Next was a series of windows that included other RPG elements such as skills, inventory, and so forth. That being said, none of them mattered in the long run as they were abruptly closed at the sudden arrival of a new guest. In front of Sam, a portal of data began to tear itself into existence and from it, exited a slender woman with a cat following closely behind.

"Welcome to my world, Sam...or should I say, Limbo, since you old timers are more familiar with that term." The woman spoke in a noticeable feminine tone that was lathered with an air of confidence. On her face was a small smirk as she snapped her fingers and caused Sam's harpoon to deconstruct into a burst of pixels. "No weapons, since this is my world, we abide by the world's rules--even I have too." Again she snapped her fingers and a pair of swivel chairs constructed themselves underneath each person, to which she quickly fell back into with a happy twirl. "I'll let you keep your powers since you are not participating in the game...unless you wanted to of course. I just figured you came all this way for a different purpose so let's hear it."

 

[Boss]

Art of War
| Camilla Ferrari |​

3:58PM
Host Village | Town Center
The Inn | Lounge Area
​

Torn fragments of wood exploded from Kaivant's impulse-driven smash, flicking past Camilla's furrowed brows, intense glare, and gritting teeth. In all honestly, the realization that they were being listened to didn't shock Camilla as much as it simply pissed her off to no end. Finally there existed a time and place where Camilla could get the answers she yearned for, only for it to be interrupted by yet another ominous development. The robotic voice referred to her as sister. It took the girl a second to reaffirm that she was indeed the surviving half of two that came from her father, but this did nothing to clear the confusion as to the hacker's choice of words. The splinters were still flying, yet elegantly slow to Camilla.

Time resumed it's normal pace. At this point, the combat-able locals had bared their fangs towards Kaivant, whilst those non-combatant simply backed off in fear. It was at this time that Colt had stepped through the double doors and joined the others as their attention was suddenly shifted to a large television mounted up in the corner of the lounge. It's circuits cut to life after months of inactivity, yet only serving to maintain the hacker's control on the situation. ICE, as hacker called itself, brought one of Camilla's biggest mysteries to the stage for all to see. It wasn't just those in the Inn. Every television in the village echoed the same rhythm of revelation, acting to throw not only Camilla's reputation into the zone of uncertainty, but also to sully the doings of her father and his close friends. "Someone turn this TV off! Now!" Colt shouted, yet everyone remained still. Had she be in better health, the woman would simply sent a projectile into the screen, but movements using her burned half harbored excruciating pain.

Colt could feel it. Just about anyone close enough could. The air around Camilla could crush a man's soul. Her crimson-tipped hair hiding away the fierce glare that fixated on the broken table in front of her. Col that figured that under extreme stress the girl would shut down externally to find solace in her mind. However, in doing so, she exerted an intense aura of anger, packed like an explosive with a hair-trigger.

Camilla had nobody to blame but herself and her stupid father. The hacker said that it had been led to her, and it also knew more about her than she knew about herself. Stupid, she thought over and over. Because of her ignorance and her father's secrets, the entire village may have been compromised. As her gaze lifted, she realized that everyone was looking at her now with eyes she had never seen before. Stop it, she pleaded. Don't look at me. she cried out, inwardly. She was pelted with a mix of looks. Confusion, shock, wonder, and the like. None of which had an inkling of warm familiarity anymore.

Camilla rose from her seat and stepped off to the exit, where a bandaged Abel ran to stand in front of her. "Hey, Camilla, don't listen to that thing! You're still the same person we all know! You're still you!" She shouted. In actuality Abel had hoped someone else would help stop Camilla from doing whatever it is she was about to do. Colt was motionless, yet a worried expression followed Camilla's movements still. "Move, Abel." Camilla muttered in an emotionless tone. "I won't! Not when I know what you're thinking!"

Camilla's sulking head lifted to exchange glances with Abel. The look on Camilla's face unknown to everyone but Abel, but it was enough for fear to instantly wash over her face in response. Abel became a motionless figure, eyes wide with fear as Camilla rounded her classmate and walked out of the Inn. Sounds of thunder leaked into the building as she stepped out.

It's me who's causing the trouble here.

The attack on the village, the unnecessary deaths of those that protected it, and now, the complete unearthing of her birthplace.

An easy fix.

Because Abel had not moved from her position, Colt hurried out of the Inn only to be greeting by nothing but a steady downpour of rain and kicked up gravel where Camilla no longer.

Den of Snakes P.14
| Ezekiel Kokinos |​

3:44PM
Host Village | Downtown
Vehicle | On The Move
​

Zeke's outburst of curiosity and experimentation was genuinely innocent in Lizzie's eyes. Watching him ramble on and play with his abilities was like watching a bird learn to fly, or a baby trying to walk, and Lizzie observed as such. His powers were just as intriguing to her as it was to himself. The free-flowing manipulation of heat. She was beginning to feel her right side chill from sitting next to him. Zeke eventually snapped out of it for a second time, bringing forth a casual laugh from Lizzie and a roll of eyes from Birdman. "No no, it's completely natural to practice with your abilities, Wraith. You need as much experience as you can get to deal with worst-case scenarios." Lizzie droned on about the positives of host training despite not being a host herself. The entirely of her knowledge was sourced from countless hours of web searching and book reading.

The way she smiled when she addressed Zeke was kind of upsetting. A pit of negativity began to form and grew with each minute Birdman sat in the car with them. His best attempts were used to ignore that void feeling. Zeke's power was interesting, but what was more interesting was how he came to grow on the gang in such a short period of time. It was only yesterday that Birdman remembered the protective hostility Zeke put off when he mentioned his siblings. Now, he comfortably relaxed next to one of the gang's top shooters, and only artist. Birdman exhaled, his eyes drawn to the shops that passed by. Where was this summit again?

 

[Solemn Jester]

Tom B. Stone

Location~Diana's place
Interactions~Clown Sinny The Fool The Russian Boss


Tom rose a hand halting any more talk from Clown. Then left the room, taking out one of his many phone's which had started to ring. He picked it up checking the caller ID before answering. It was Andrew Orlov. He couldn't help smiling he popped his head back into the doorway where Clown sat."I have to take this call. Be a dear and delete any call logs that might exist after your little buisness calls would you? Thanks, bye!" Tom once again disappeared from the doorway. His expression turned more serious, and he answered the call. Quickly putting it up to his ear."This is Gregroy Handson. I trust this is Andrew Orlov?"Of course his question was immediately. As the deep gruff russian accent immediately requested answers."Yes, the dragon is caged and ready to blast some flames. I'll be sure to have one of my men deliver it to you. Just need to know where."
Tom awaited the Russians answer. Of course he already knew the where the summit was being held. He just wanted to see if the locations matched up. There was also the chance that he wanted to pick up the weapn somewhere else. So it didn't hurt to ask.