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

[Boss]

| Sam Sarith |​

12:05PM
Host Village
Town Center
​

Walking further into the home was like revisting Dominic's personal chambers. There was an eerie mood that lingered in the air, the feeling that tugged at one's fight or flight instincts. Throughout the abode, a quick splash of whiskey echoed. It's source was Sam's dining room. He'd have walked in on Dominic, who downed his third shot since he arrived. Head tilted to the side as Sam's footsteps announced his arrival to the dining room, he set aside the glass. "You've done enough, Sam." he croaked through a solemn tone. Waves of corruption flowed from Dominic, steadily sapping the life energy from the things around him. The potted plants withered. The fish tank - a liquid graveyard.

"I've entrusted you with the life of my daughter, and you-.." Dominic gritted his teeth, the grip on his shot glass tightening. ".. You let her go off with Dominion scum." Under the growing pressure of his hand, the glass began to crack. The angrier Dominic became, the more intense the oppression of corruption. "Now she's missing, with the full force of the Brookfield branch hunting her, you absolute IDIOT." Soon, vibrations could be felt throughout the flooring. The whiskey bottle skittered across the tabletop's vibration. The air was getting thick with unholy energy that directly correlated with Dominic's soul.

Swiftly, his free hand shakily reached into his suit jacket and withdrew a small container. As the seconds rolled by, smoke became to form in the center of the room, slowly congregating into a black mass with red, canine eyes. It was undoubtedly Kenshi, but as the smoke continued to reconstruct the wolf, it also added larger, more fearsome jaws that sported wicked teeth. In that black, transforming mass of smoke, multiple red eyes opened and trained on Sam.

The container was finally popped open to reveal several pills. Barely able to grab one, he threw it onto his tongue, poured himself his fourth glass of whiskey, and let it wash the pill into his system. Only then did the black mass revert itself. The red eyes closed and dissipated. Kenshi's hollowed form returning as black fur shifted to white. The vibrations ceased, and Dominic let out a defeated sigh.

".. I'm dying, Sam." He admitted in a much more calm, familiar tone. "The negativity of this village-.. I take it in. The sins, regrets, frustrations, sorrow-.. rage. All of it. It's attracted to me like a whirlpool with me as it's center." Dominic swigged down the remaining whiskey in his glass, then nodded to an empty seat on the opposite side of the table.

 

[TerraBooma]

Sam wasn't sure how to react at first. He felt a hot flash of anger at Dom's accusation, which quickly eased into worry as the corrupted Kenshi formed. He had always been a lucky host. He knew that. The Soiree supplied Cetus with what she considered an eternal paradise. Him so less than any other host was at risk of corruption. It just...hadn't been a factor he'd had to consider. Combining that with the fact that it'd been so long...Sam knew that something was wrong with Dom. He had smelled in in his room. He smelled it now. For a moment, he could smell his own fear as Kenshi's red eyes stared him down. By the time Dominic had stabilized himself and gestured to the table, Sam hadn't even realized that he had materialized a harpoon in his hand for self defense.

After seeing Dominic...relatively calmed down, he dismissed it and took a seat, still on edge, but wanting to believe his friend was back to normal.

"I...know. I smelled it, outside your room. Didn't want to beleive it then but...that kind of cements it huh?" Sam sighed, settling into the seat across from Dom. "A long ways from me trying to figure out what the hell was going on and lugging pipes through schools huh? Been...quite awhile." Sam sighed and leaned forward, rubbing his temples. "I'll let that...whole thing pass for now. I've got questions, questions that you will answer. And you know how I am with burning questions..." Sam had never been good at pulling back from his curiosity, especially when friends were involved. "But we got more important things to talk about here." He leaned back in his chair, standing up and grabbing his own drink from a nearby shelf. Sam wasn't much of a drinker, and thanks to the way his body metabolized these things, didn't really get drunk, but he figured the gesture would mean something at least. He poured a glass of brandy and stared at it, sighing.

"But we gotta talk about Camilla first don't we? I don't...what happened Dom? Last thing I know I'm running off to fight some propaganda hacker. But based on the amount of things I've learned recently...I'm startin' to think I'm pretty out of the loop here."

 

[Boss]

| Sam Sarith |​

12:10PM
Host Village
Sam's House
​

With his blinded gaze cast aside, Dominic let out another hefty sigh. His hand gently toying with the damaged shot glass. "You want to know if what the hacker claimed was true." It was quite clear what was on Sam's mind, because it was on everyone's mind. "To begin to understand what Camilla is, you have to know what you saw in my chambers was real. Len is Camilla's mother by blood, as she also Logan's. Before Len ever came to Armstrong Academy, she spent her youth honing her soul for a ritual, one that every Templar-class goon undergoes. The ritual's purpose was to permanently change the person's soul into a repellent against corruption, like holy water to a vampire. Naturally, this meant that she wouldn't be able to take on a Zodiac, as all Zodiacs are tainted with hollowing energy by design."

"When Logan and Camilla were born, Len and I thought that because our souls were polar-opposites, that it would essentially result in our children being completely normal human beings. Logan was host-less for his first four years, then I discovered that his imaginary friend wasn't exactly made up. Camilla on the other hand, never thought that her odd perception of time was unnatural. She had never been visited in her dreams like every other host-to-be. Eventually I found out that she had abilities, but her Zodiac had never interacted with her. It never took on a physical form. It never gave her a name. Nothing. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was an entirely new generation of host. A Zodiac-less host."

"I couldn't tell her. How could you? Try telling a child that she's different from even the 'different' kids. Tell the village and everyone will alienate her. Maybe they'd even harm her when they discover who her mother is - and they will. Give anyone an inch and they'll grab a mile."

 

[TerraBooma]

"And what about me huh? I've been with you since high school. Ever thought of filling me in on her condition? I thought it was weird that she never manifested but...c'mon Dom. How many high stakes ops have you stuck me out on? Yet you never filled me in on her or...or Len." Sam's voice grows a bit taught at the mention of their once ally, now longtime foe. He'd never gotten on exceptionally well with Len, even when they were part of the same group. Lacking context, he'd grown to respect her as an enemy, but he felt every blow of frustration when she attacked hosts. He wasn't...fond of her. To say the least. That said, Sam's tone was one of genuine confusion, not hostility. He couldn't understand why Dom hadn't filled him in. When not performing dangerous operations for the village, he'd been practically a close uncle to Camilla. "How'd it go bad? I mean...in that picture, she smiled. Didn't know that was even possible these days. And if she's really..." He couldn't continue the line of thought. He just nodded. Sitting in silence

Instead of pressing the matter beyond that however, he just downed the last of his whisky and spoke of moving forward.

"That's...all a thing." Sam said, waving a hand. "But Camilla's still out there, and me defending wounded pride isn't helping here. I'm sure you had your reasons. That's why your the leaderguy, always had better plans than I did. If anyone's going to hurt Camilla though, they'll have to go through the whole damn soiree to do it. But first thing we gotta do is bring her back right? I can't...connect to Samantha for some reason." Sam seemed genuinely surprised by this, but shook his head. "Whatever hell that reason is, it means she hasn't been killed...Samantha'd have snapped back to the soiree if that happened, and Cetus would've filled me in. So she's still out there. So how we planning on getting her back?"

After a long quiet pause, he added one question that was really eating at him.

"And...Dom? How long you got?"

 

[Boss]

| Sam Sarith | ​

12:15PM
Host Village
Sam's House
​

"Weeks. Days, maybe." Dominic returned. "It's not clear when it'll fully take over." With it said, he exhaled once more. "And Camilla is her father's daughter. She's probably thinking she's protecting the village by leaving altogether. It's impossible to force her back with her stubbornness and ability, so we'll have to convince her." Dominic pushed his chair back and rose. "Get some rest. When you're ready, take Colt and whoever else you want to the city in order to find her. I've been gone for far too long apparently, so I'll stay here and manage the damage."

As he started to walk out, Dominic stopped before he turned the corner. "Sam, don't tell the girl about her mother. Camilla-.. isn't ready to know." Saying his parting words, Dominic disappeared around the corner.

 

[Boss]

One Day Later

Camilla Ferrari | Lucy Black​

Evening
Brookfield | Downtown
Lucy's Apartment
​

A rough 15 hours after the events of the cult and a long, well deserved rest later, Lucy was once again back within the safety of her own walls. From the horrific happenings within the church, to the brief kidnapping of Dominion forces and visit to the criminal underworld, the girl was finally returned to the familiar emptiness of her small estate. However, there was a catch.

Boom! Clang!

"Crap, crap, I'll pay for that!" the overly charged host stressed after she had carelessly bumped and knocked over an entire dish of cinnamon rolls along the kitchen floor on the way to where Lucy was. In her arms, Camilla carried the now only surviving batch of rolls that resulted from her signature 'lightning fast cooking' - a method where she used discharged electricity from her new and upgraded abilities rather than the conventional oven. "I'm not sure how these taste, so I'll.." Camilla, after setting down the rolls on a coffee table, suspiciously eyed a cinnamon roll still crackling with a faint hint of electricity before grabbing it and taking a bite of faith out of it. She paused, glancing around the room while her mind processed whether or not she had a future in the culinary world. "Hmm.. Mhm." Her look of concern fading into a smile, she gave Lucy an affirmative nod.

There wasn't many ways for a host on the run to find herself bunking with a non-host other than a promise of a deal. In exchange for Lucy's hospitality, Camilla offered to rid Lucy of her recent hauntings. Having being half Zodiac, there was a sensible, spiritual difference between Lucy and the average person. Camilla assured the girl that she was indeed a host, and even went so far as to help her manifest her powers - effectively ridding her of her nightmarish visions.

"Mm, could do with a little less amperage on this one.." She jested. "Try one. You too, Samantha." Camilla called out to seemingly nothing.

 

[Randomfella]

Lucy Black
Home?​

Deep blue eyes darted, following Camilla as she moved around the kitchen. Lucy remained still, kneeling with her hands almost tucked on her knees. "What am I doing?" She thought to herself, glaring down at her watch. The Dominion had told her to report these... People. That was her part of the deal, I mean, they had saved her life... Then again, so had Camilla. Lucy couldn't help but feel like a lost lamb as she stared downward shamefully, like some worthless creature that needed the help of others to survive... How was she going to find er parents if she couldn't even help herself?

As the sound of clambering things rumbled through her home, Lucy's eyes peered up in shock, only to be met with the girl's apologies. "D-don't worry... About... it." Lucy's voice gradually grew more silent as she spoke, as if she wasn't quiet enough to begin with. Wavering eyes watched as Camilla took a bite of the rolls, almost fixated on the electricity crackling from them. Still, Lucy was in disbelief at the sight of Camilla, she seemed... Friendly? The girl definitely wasn't the image Lucy had for someone with abilities like her, and the idea of it almost flipped the small girl's understanding on it's head; Still... Despite all she had done for her, Lucy couldn't help but feel there was a tangent to the host's kindness.

"No... Thank you, I'm - not hungry." She awkwardly attempted to refuse the food offering, placing an open palm to her side, attempting to look genuine. If it wasn't enough that she couldn't lie to save her own life, likely literally, the shortly following *grumble...* from her stomach didn't help her case.

Then there came the case of what the hosts had told her... That she was apparently one of them. It didn't seem to matter how much she denied it, the two seemed sure of it... Did they have some way of telling? Lucy could only wonder, and the fear of the idea of it, that she was one of those... Monsters. Lucy shaked the thought from her head, it was too much to mull over. Of course, Camilla's offer to help wasn't the only reason Lucy let her stay. After what she had done for her the smaller girl couldn't just let her sleep on the streets. Lucy's gaze moved slowly toward where Camilla seemed to be talking, toward where the other one was... Truthfully, she would have preferred nothing to do with Samantha. There was nightmares, and then there was a spirit staying in your home, and after their first meeting, she wasn't thrilled to have her here. Still, she seemed calm... For now.

Lucy's gaze moved back to Camilla's core, awkward expression plastered upon her face as she waited. Though she didn't know what she was waiting for.

Boss TerraBooma

 

[Boss]

Diana Young | Tom B. Stone | The Clown​

Evening
Brookfield | Red Light District
Minutes away from Diana's hideout
​

Crashing through puddles as it rolled over tarmac was a midnight-clad vehicle. Darkened windows and reflective body paint that made the neon glowing signs and streetlights of Brookfield seem like Time Square at 10. Inside of it's clean interior was the suited crime boss Lorenzo, and a similarly clothed female. The girl, whom was no older than 20, stared lifelessly out of the one-way window while Lorenzo was putting the finishing pieces in place. "..You'll receive your money when my end is finished. Meanwhile, keep your people out, Dominion included." Lorenzo paused as an inaudible voice responded on the other end. "..Of course. No innocents. This will be a struggle between scum." Another pause. "It's been a nice chat, captain." The familiar ding of an ended call brought the boss' focus back on the situation at hand.

Finally they had arrived. The vehicle stopped just shy of the casino formally owned by the upcoming mob boss Diana Young. The girl merely gazed in silence, already feeling Lorezno's glare drill into the back of her head. "Do you remember your orders?" "..Yes." "Repeat them back to me, word for word." "Infiltrate the stronghold, take Diana Young into captivity. if she isn't subdued, kill everyone else. If I am to fail-.. kill myself."

"What are you waiting for, a flare? Get going, 13."

The girl stepped out of the car and sized up the building. The lights were still on in many of the rooms within the casino and hotel portions of the building. The front, however, was ill-guarded save for a car-valet that stood out front. Still feeling the gaze from Lorenzo, the girl set out, crossing the road she stood on and walking up to the corner of the casino. Along the building's side, there existed a service entrance for maintenance and money trucks for the casino. This was a large garage door that almost always remained locked and watched with multiple security cameras. To it's side was a regular locked door for foot traffic. 13, as she was named by Lorenzo, casually strolled down the side-alley that led to said entrance, when the supposedly locked door swung open and a couple of night-shift security guards stepped out for a smoke break.

"Yeah, my wife was on the way back when those cult freaks went all nuts. The Dominion blocked off the road as much as a dozen blocks from every church. Shit was a nightmare." "Well damn, I'm glad my ass took a sick day."

13, now hidden within shrubbery, focused on the door that naturally started to close on it's own. With a narrowing glare, 13 disappeared into a puff of darkness, and in the same fashion, reappeared inside the building at the exact point she was looking at. The door closed after her, the guards none the wiser.


A lone guard charged with surveillance was lazily reclined with dirty boots kicked up on the edge of the desk. He hadn't thrown out a sore loser in 4 hours, and he was getting antsy. Rather than stare at stacked monitors, the guard resorted to mobile games for the remainer of his shift. Suddenly, a gloved hand covered the guard's mouth while cold steel lightly grazed his throat. "Yell and I'll break more than just your phone screen." 13 threatened, right into the guard's ear. "Is Diana Young here tonight?" She questioned. The guard nodded as carefully as he could with a razor sharp blade at his neck. "Show me which room."

 

[Depresso Espresso]

Diana Young
( Boss Solemn Jester - I hope this works out! If not tell me to fix x3)
Letting out a sigh she threw her head back as the cold whiskey went down her throat. She was sitting in one of the abandoned parts of the casino room, the whole place was filled for tonight but she made sure to keep this area to herself, the bottle of whiskey sitting on the table next to her as multiple guards were around the perimeter. She had said goodbye to Tom and Clown and decided it was one of those nights to just get drunk, "Hey... Axel are you there...? You know, you're pretty rude for being you know, a Zodiac, why is that?" Saying out loud in a normal tone she cast a look across the floor, some people where jumping excitedly from their winnings while most of the tables that were filled with gang members sat quietly joking with each other and smoking up the room.

Pouring some more liquid for herself she sat up more straighter, her get-up the same as usual as she got some strange stares from across the room from people she hasn't seen before.​

 

[Boss]

Diana Young | Tom B. Stone | The Clown​

Evening
Diana's Casino
Abandoned Room​

Perched cross-legged on a sofa diagonal to Diana's was Axel, who had suddenly appeared without a whisper of her arrival. "Maybe it's the thief in me." was the Zodiac's response to her host's drunken rambling. "Maybe it was being a Maiden for hundreds of years. None of us are social in the least." Axel looked down at her own hands. "You'll be needed in Limbo tonight. We're almost at the Manor, and I can feel that we're expected."

 

[Depresso Espresso]

Diana Young
( Boss )
Letting out a sigh she took another swig off the glass, "I'm going to take a random guess and say that being expected is a bad thing." Saying that she let out a chuckle before thinking for a second, "Say, most Hosts have pretty extreme powers, well by human standards anyways. What's mine? Or well, what's the weapon I'm going to be using anyways? Ooh! I like the idea of a scythe, you know?" Saying that she let out a drunken giggle to herself sinking a bit before stretching her arms up. Lowering them to look at Axel with a blank stare before leaning forward using her arms to hold her head up, "Did you even have anyone to talk to while you were stuck in Limbo? Maybe another thief or someone that would at least be considered an acquaintance there?" Saying that she gave Axel an intrigued look, this person who was now bound to her, and yet she only knew her name, well, her AKA name anyways.​

 

[Boss]

Diana Young | Tom B. Stone | The Clown​

Evening
Diana's Casino
Abandoned Room
​

"There are plenty of other Maidens at the manor. Were, actually-.. Before we were hollowed." The air around Axel hung with a slight dullness. "Every Maiden had their own personal wall up. There was an unspoken rule not to burden another, but we interacted at basic levels. The last titan I hunted was with a Maiden we call Tyrik. It was the same hollow that attacked you when we met. Before the corruption came, she was a shy, yet stubborn girl at the same time. She was always looking for a fight, but at the same time found empathy for others. Naturally a person like that ended up becoming our leader." Axel's stare never left her hands. "I've never had a host before, so I couldn't tell you what abilities you've gained through our contract. Though-.. anger is a common fuel for hosts of the Maidens. As far as a weapon goes, it'll be finished when we get to the manor."

 

[TerraBooma]

Samantha: Rogue Spirit
​

The shark spirit didn't approve of bunking with Lucy for the last few days. The shark woman had no sense of reservation about Lucy's loyalties but...Camilla had decided to trust her. Though she wasn't bound to her physically anymore, she still saw Camilla in charge, so the situation was rather clear. She would simply have to keep an eye on the other girl..a task for which she was well suited. The spirit spent no time attuning herself to the electronics of the house. Lurking in the wires between the oven and the microwave. She was able to dart around the house through the outlets, and quickly had set up a sort of electrical surveillance network. She did that now, exiting from a nearby outlet and apperating into her feminine form. She cocked her head with a bemused brow. And tried to grab one of the cinnamon rolls. Much to her misfortune however, her hand simply dissipated through them, and she let out a sigh.

"The offer is appreciated young cousin, but it seems my grip on this world is still temprary." She seemed more amused by her failure than frustrated, and the sigh turned into a small smirk. "You know, with my powers, it would perhaps be more ergonomic to have me possess the oven and cook to a desired temperature. I am not exactly sure...electrocution is the more reliable method. But I like your shine! He was right, you are creative." The woman swirled, first around Camilla, and then over to Lucy, teeth flickering as she did so...though she made no motion of whether the action was meant to intentionally spook Lucy. "Tell me, girl. What does it taste like? It's rude to reject a gift you know." She made a pouting expression. "I'll have you know I've heard nothing but exciting stories about her cooking, though I haven't tasted them myself." Samantha turned her head to Camilla.

"Both the successes, and the failures. Like the time she nearly burned down a certain someone's house while he was away."

Sam: Village Recruitment.
​

Sam tried to rest, the shark man twisting and turning in his bed after Dominic had left. He was plagued with worry for Camilla, and confusion for her parentage. So she was really Len's kid? It...kind of made sense, but why would she...Sam had to know. He pulled out his phone, squinting as blue light hit his face in the middle of the night. He concentrated and fell into the internet, shifting to a small safe house of his in Cairo. Secure, protected, and expendable. He pulled out a burner phone and fired off an email through a couple dozen encryption algorithms. When he was done, it'd be impossible to locate where it was coming from...even if it was, Sam had no intent of returning to this safe-house anytime soon. He fired off a simple message. It took him...time to figure out how to word the message. Finding Len's address was an easier thing to crack. He'd partially helped build up some dominion tech, and some of his old back doors still worked. It was a short message, if a powerful one.

I know about your family.

Why?

-Sharkbyte

Sam then tripped a fire alarm and flipped a switch, starting a small fire that was sure to turn into a blaze that would torch the place to the ground. He didn't have anything sensitive here anyway. jumped back to the village, into his room. He gave up on trying to sleep while Camilla was still on the run. He needed to do...something to occupy his time. He got dressed and headed out in the night, coming to Colt's house. He took a deep breath, hoping she was still awake...or at least not too mad about being woken up. He knocked curly on the door three times, a pattern he used often when coming to visit.

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari | Lucy Black​

Evening
Brookfield | Downtown
Lucy's Apartment
​

Camilla's eyes darted to the window as she nervously laughed off the memory. "Sam sure does say a lot, huh?" She uttered. Half the village had stirred thinking a raid was underway, only to discover it was one of Camilla and Logan's cooking mishaps. Before her thoughts wondered off, she realized just how stiff Lucy remained. There was still a hint of fear and confusion in her eyes - something Camilla was still getting used to. Her smile was sighed away. "..I suppose I should fulfill my end of the bargain, huh?" Her tone wasn't as light as it was a minute ago. "I should explain to you about those visions you say you had." Camilla briefly made herself comfortable for a long explanation. "There is a realm that our souls exist in. Some call it the spirit world, which isn't too far from the truth. It has a name: Limbo. This Limbo is the same place all of our dreams take place in. It's also where hosts draw their power from. The visions you had were actually of Limbo. The creatures you described sounded like it's unfortunate inhabitants we call 'Hollows'. They're souls without purpose and consumed by negativity. They live off of the positive energy of the living. It's the only thing that keeps them from fading away into nothing."

Camilla stared directly into Lucy's eyes. "You don't notice anything different about yourself, but you are a host. The proof is that only a host can see souls that leak out into our world." Camilla motioned to Samantha, who continued to float around the space. "Most people think hosts are evil, but my dad always said that people will be scared of what they don't understand. I'm going to help you meet your Zodi-"

Bang bang bang!~

A loud series of heavy knocks echoed throughout the apartment, causing Camilla to jump in her own skin. "Ms.Black? It's Ben." Confused eyes flickered from Lucy, to the front door, and back to Lucy. "You were involved in an incident and we need to talk." He stated, his voice muffed by the thickness of the door.

Bang bang bang!~

"Ms.Black? We're coming in."

"We?!" Camilla echoed.

Suddenly the front door was unlocked by another key, and the door swung wide to reveal Ben, who was shadowed by three Dominion escorts. The four walked in. Ben approached Lucy while the three began to spread out and search the apartment. Lucy wouldn't have noticed it, but when she'd turn to look at Camilla, the girl wasn't there.

"Did I interrupt your dinner party..?" Ben asked after looking at the surplus of cinnamon rolls. "I thought since you used the watch recently and didn't come to your appointment that something may have happened to you."

 

[Randomfella]

Lucy Black
Home?​

A nervous glanced watched Samantha, and though they avoided her gaze, she could notice the flickering of her teeth from the corner of her eyes. As she spoke, Lucy looked downward shamefully. Sure... It was rude, Lucy knew that... But the way they had been made... It was all just...

Lucy scanned Camilla as she spoke, offering only a puff of air and a light smile at her joke, which soon faded, lacking the gall to chuckle along with her. The girl simply listened, without an interrupting word or question, trying to understand exactly what Camilla was saying. "Hollows?" Lucy mulled over the older girl's words, thinking back to her nightmares. Did that mean that these creatures were real? Or at least... Real in this limbo? It was all so confusing to Lucy, though her confusion soon turned to concern, as her mind drifted to familiar faces in her own mind. "Does that mean my parents are...?" Her mind continued to ask questions her mind could not answer, only speculation came to her, and in her mind, that often resorted to the worst. Lucy had seen them, tangled in the web of one of these creatures, if Camilla's words were true, did that mean they too were hollow? No... Surely not, Lucy had seen people in her dreams before...

Gaze drifting from Camilla's body, moving toward the ground, Lucy suddenly looked up once more as she once again called her a host. Lucy's eyes followed Camilla's motioning toward the spirit beside them. If she was telling the truth, then that confirmed Lucy's fear... Though she knew little about spirits, and even less about Samantha herself. Then again, why would she lie? After all she had done for Lucy, Lucy felt as if she owed her at-least a basic amount of trust. Even if the girl's words stung at her like the stinger of a bee...

"I..." Luc was preparing to respond, she knew what word would come, the one which began with Z... She didn't even want to think it, and yet...
Lucy's head quickly spun to the door as a knock came from it, her body almost jolting out of the chair it sat in from the sudden audible intrusion. Her focus was fixated, until Camilla's voice suddenly echoed. She turned back, eyes wide open in worry. What would happen if they found a host here!? Not just to her, but to Camilla!? What if they found out what she believed to be true!? Though as she finally turned her head, there was no one there. It was as if the girl had just... Disappeared.

As Ben approached, Lucy's gaze moved back toward him, though she couldn't help her eyes wandering to observe the other agents suddenly intruding within. "U-uh... I-" She suddenly spoke up in response, though 'spoke up' may be overselling her nervous whisper of a tone. "My mother's recipe..." She silently mumbled, looking back toward the strangely made rolls. Beads of sweat began to form on her brow, slowly streaming down the side of her face.

How could she have forgotten? Considering what had happened to her in the last two days, quite easily, but in her mind she had just made a massive mistake. "S-Sorry... After what happened..." Lucy paused, trying to think her words through. "I'm not even sure exactly what..." She continued, her tone making it clear once more that there was clearly something hiding behind her own words. "Sorry..." Her body slumped, eyes looking toward the floor, anything to keep them from Ben's gaze.

 

[Solemn Jester]

Tom B. Stone


The loud, giddy laughter of a certain con artist could be heard well throughout the Casino area of Diana's H.Q. The other day had started of rather badly, but it was all made better when Tom went off on that dope head piece of shit. He'd be damned if he was going to let some coke sniffing asshole insult him, or his people. He was the only one who could treat Clown like shit! Although he might have gone a bit overboard, as afterwards their was a pile of body's that required... dealing with. So he did the sensible thing, and burned the place to the ground. That way it would look like they died in a fire. At least so long as no one looked to hard into it. But Tom was pretty good at faking accidents. So he was confident things would be fine. Now he was playing Black Jack with Clown, while Diana was off somewhere getting plastered. He wasn't getting left behind though, as he guzzled a bottle of Scotch, and puffed on a Cuban cigar. Clown was also playing with him, although he wasn't doing nearly as well as Tom. But to be fair he was counting cards. So it was to be expected. It wasn't exactly illegal, nor cheating, but if he was caught in any other shady casino he'd get his legs broken at the very least. Luckily this classy joint belonged to his girlfriend, and Tom oh so rarely got caught. He chuckled, taking his cigar out to exhale smoke, and take another sip of his Scotch."God bless this beautiful world! I haven't had so much fun since I conned that sorority into thinking I was some big time movie producer. Haha, looks like another win. Better luck next time Clown old buddy." He told his masked friend, before greedily confiscating all the chips he had just won."Here ya go, for your troubles." He said tossing Clown as cigar. The air was electric and he was feeling good. He didn't think anything could ruin his night. Well, he felt bad for the person who did anyway.



Depresso Espresso Boss Sinny The Fool

 

[Depresso Espresso]

Diana Young
( Boss )
Diana giggled lightly at Axel before sighing, "I am going to take a random guess and say being expected is a bad thing." Saying that she let out another drunk giggle taking the whole bottle and swigging it, the cool liquid making it's way down her throat before sighing and placing the bottle down, "Axel I've been meaning to ask," Saying that her face goes serious, to the point where if she were looked at now she wouldn't seem drunk in the slightest, "I need the power you're going to give me, it's not that I'm impatient, but I think if my business partner knew I was a Host, then who know's how many people know, dangerous people with the ability to send other Hosts after me." Saying that she leaned back into her chair casting a look over to Tom across the floor with a tsk.

"You've never had someone to talk to in Limbo have you? Not a friend or acquaintance even? Some sad sap drunk and ready to lend and ear perhaps?" Saying that she gave a soft smile to Axel, this spirit and herself were in this for the long run, whether they liked it or not.​

 

[Boss]

| Sam Sarith |​

Evening
Brookfield | Uptown Morgue
Outside the autopsy room
​

"They assured the council that they could clean up Brookfield's mess with only a fraction of the time and even mess manpower." The old man croaked, chuckling away the ridiculousness of the Chinese Dominion. "The fools have no idea what the hosts are made of here, what the land has been through." Together with Len at his side, they stood outside the room to Byakko's ongoing autopsy. With Dominion tech, the results of his death could be converted into a possible lead on who the second speedster was, battling throughout Brookfield. "Just give me the word, Boone. I'm close enough to Dominic, I could take him down within minutes and have the location of all of his hideouts." Boone, who was reclined in his motorized wheelchair, nonchalantly waved the notion. "No, it's too soon after the operation using Logan." Len's eagerness hit a sudden wall. Hearing that name visibly upset her.

Boone looked up at Len. "I don't doubt your physical ability. Your array of skills were honed for taking down dangerous hosts, not to mention the suit-" Boone broke his chain of speech to cough into his fist. "-..But it's the heart he'll go after. Even if you strengthen yourself outwardly, that is still your family you're fighting." ".. Sir, my family died when they abandoned humankind." "Oh don't be as foolish as to actually believe that we - the Dominion - aren't at fault as well. You know this in your heart. There is always, always, another side to the war, to this.. crusade." "With all due respect, Overseer, it isn't our job to consider the lives and stories of those that pose a threat to humanity." "-Hm."

Len's phone dinged, and for a moment, she fumbled to retrieve it. A slight hiss escaped her when she read it.

I know about your family.

Why?

-Sharkbyte

Boone watched Len out the corner of his eye while Len aggressively stowed away her phone. "Please reconsider the proposal, Overseer Boone. This may be a chance for us all to put the past behind us." With that as Len's departing words, she marched down the hallway and rounded a corner. Boone was left to sigh and await the results alone.

Evening
Host Village | Near the Center
Colt's House
​

Sam would have stood in silence after his initial knocks, but he could audibly hear things shuffle about on the inside. One light after another flickered on, and with some brief latches being moved, the front door opened.

"-...Sam?" Colt answered. Judging by her loose clothing and messy bun, Colt must have been sleeping, or about to. "..What's wrong? You look troubled-.. Come in." Colt stepped aside to let Sam in, closing and locking the door behind him. She followed Sam and turned on lights as they went.

 

[Boss]

Diana Young | Tom B. Stone | The Clown​

Evening
Diana's Casino
Abandoned Room
​

As fresh and new as both Axel and Diana were to holding a contract, the newly appointed boss had a point. Brookfield was a mosh-pit for hosts, and putting Diana's position into consideration, it was only a matter of time before someone wielding supernatural power came for her life. Axel fell into silent contemplation, her gaze retracted to the floor as she recalled her early days of being a Maiden. The Maidens themselves weren't known for taking on hosts, even rarely have them visit the manor. "There is something we can try." she perked up, exchanging glances with Diana. "But you need to return to Limbo for us to do it. Try closing your eyes." Assuming she listened, Diana would hear Axel shuffling closer, until her next words were directly in front of her. "Shut down your physical body. Numb your senses."

Daylight..?
Limbo | ???
Armored Steam Train | Engine Bay​

Even meager attempts would bare results. Upon trying to ignore the sensation of the sofa she sat on, the temperature of the air around her, and all of her other senses, she would feel the air suddenly chill. It was as if Axel had turned on an industrial fan. The sofa grew stiff and colder. Sounds of a locomotion chugging away in front of her..

"Quite simple, isn't it?" Axel inquired. Diana would find herself using Axel's shoulder as a head rest as they sat inside a roofless steam train. The air was chilling to the bone, yet the heat from the coal engine in front of her warmed her face. Taking a look around, Diana's surroundings could best be described only as if she lived on someone's desktop background. The train effortlessly ran hundreds, if not thousands of feet above a snowy landscape surrounded by mountains. The train itself ran along a self-building track that formed dozens of feet in front of them. They had been traveling between mountains for a while, judging by how much snow had collected on Diana's body as her attention was focused elsewhere. "The man who operates this train is also a Zodiac. The energy this train generates is being pooled into your weapon, there." Axel pointed to a cast-iron furnace where coal was to be deposited in. It doubled as a forge that the Zodiac used to craft all sorts of equipment. "I struck a deal that in favor of having your weapon made, we were to kill any titans that obstruct his routes." "Aye, me looks forward to that." growled the 7-foot Zodiac in question. His appearance was very close to a tall dwarf, or Zeus if he was a blacksmith.

"The manor isn't very far, and this particular area hasn't seen action in centuries." The conductor commented. As they rode the sky-train through the mountains, Diana could barely make out a mountain-sized, humanoid skeleton that was partially buried and resting against the face of a mountain. It's skull had been split down the middle, stopping just between the eyes. "Tyrik and I took care of that titan together." Axel stated as she pointed towards it. A slight smile donned her face as she remembered better times. "Anyway, we can take this time to explore your abilities and break them in. I asked our tall friend in advance to make you equipment similar to what us Maidens use in our past time." Motioning to the conductor, he nodded and walked into the train car coupled directly behind the engine. Moments later, the entire train vibrated with a harsh scrapping noise that drowned out even the locomotive. It took all of the conductor's strength to pull two sets of cuffs from within the train. Despite his struggling, the cuffs themselves weren't very large - it was roughly the size of hula-hoops, but thicker and made to look like cast-iron rings.

The conductor released the cuffs and keeled over to catch his breath. "-..If.. you will.. please." He strained. This was when Axel rose up and approached the cuffs, grabbing one with a single hand as if it was made of cheap plastic. A second later, a green light illuminated the crevices within the cuff, and it's entire size shrunk to the size of bracelets. Axel repeated the same process with the other three cuffs, and motioned for Diana to stand. "Hold still." she requested, as she unlatched two cuffs and put one around each of Diana's ankles. "All of the manor's objects weigh ten times their appeared mass, so it's best if you get used to these first."

Oddly enough, the cuffs on Diana's ankles weren't heavy at all. They sat uncomfortably against her skin - it being iron - but it was quite light for what it was. Axel beckoned for Diana to hold her hands out, and Axel secured two to each of her wrists, like bracelets.

"Okay, don't let this take you by surprise." Axel commented before each cuff was illuminated once more.

CLUNK!

Diana would be suddenly pulled to the ground with an impossible weight. Despite the small size of the cuffs, it was impossible to lift them even an inch off of the ground. If Diana's center of mass was perfect, she would have completely severed her own feet the moment the spell was lifted. Luckily, she found herself belly up on the cold floor of the engine bay. Axel let out an entertained chuckle having seen Diana instantly floored. "Pff-. I told you not to let it take you by surprise." She teased.

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari | Lucy Black​

Evening
Brookfield | Downtown
Lucy's Apartment
​

"Lucy," Ben scoffed, lowering his head. The light reflecting from the lens of his glasses as to hide his gaze. "I understand that you're scared, believe me. What happened and still continues to happen to you is dreadful, it really is."

Ben crouched down beside Lucy, who was most likely still averting her eyes. "I beg of you not to sympathize with those animals. They see their lives as overly grand - that they're better than us. They see us as trash, subhuman." As Ben talked, his escorts actively searched the apartment, rummaging through items and personal belongings.


Under the bed, Camilla could safely track the muddy boots of the agent that marched into the room. With the rough handling and frantic movement, it didn't take a genius to guess that they were looking for anything supernatural - a hint, anything. Sliding out a drawer, Camilla's eyes widened as a pair of panties fell from a suspected grasp. "Huh, interesting." the agent muttered as he bent down to grab the underwear. A second agent walked in. "Anything?" asked the second. "Just these. The supernatural readings are off the charts, we might want to bag this for later examination."

Camilla gritted her teeth. Her eyes began to ebb with anger. Something she beginning to let take control her.

"Christ, you ought to be reported. Standard protocol says that if you can take a copy of evidence, do it."

...

Camilla's fists crackled with electricity. That was when an unfamiliar sound rang out. A scanner in the possession of either agent had suddenly chirped, and the agents froze for a moment.

...

"No way, these really are brimming with energy!" The agents exchanged laughs before leaving the room.

"These are the ones supposedly protecting innocent people..? What kind of protectors are these..?!"


"I'm trying to help you here, Lucy Black. I can't do that if you won't let me."

 

[Randomfella]

Lucy Black
Home?​

Lucy's eyes looked down toward Ben's legs, doing their best not to lock back to the spirit circling around her, though the concern Samantha was making her feel was more than enough to keep her on edge, especially with the irritated way she stared at the man. Perhaps this confirmed what Camilla had said, either that, or Lucy had gone insane, another theory she didn't allow to slip past her train of thought. Lucy's gaze only fell shamefully as Ben called her name, her expression following suite. "animals" The thought of his word's echoed through the small girl's mind. If Camilla was right, then that was what she was too. Lucy knew how the Zodiac's thought of humans, at least, she thought she knew. In the back of her mind she would tell herself this was all a trick, somehow... Somehow they planned all of this... As for the whys or hows, that part escaped her. Another part however, the part which truly ate away at her, was the part which told her she was simply in denial. Still, she could not gather the strength to act on either.

"I-.. I know they are." Lucy slightly whimpered, small beads of sweat had now fallen to her chin, dripping slowly, though they could have been mistaken for tears. "I wont miss another appointment." She added, looking up slightly, in an attempt to reassure the man, her words just, she owed it to him to at least hold up her end of their bargain, at least most of the time. Turning her head toward to where she could hear the agents searching her home, the girl's ears perked up. "W-what are they... Doing?" Lucy queried with a light concern, and a mix of anxious fear.

Boss TerraBooma

 

[Sinny The Fool]

Clown

Just a day after they had met a dead end in their ‘investigation’, resulting in Tom doing what he does best, shooting stuff like that ‘guys’ head and of course! Clown totally didn’t overreact what so ever (Flashback Clown - “AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!! WHAT IF YOU SHOT ME?!?! TOM!!?? CRAP LET ME OUTT OF THIS PLACEEE I AM TOO TALENTED TO DIE!!”) But now him and Tom were having the day off, spending most of their time playing Black Jack in the casino area of Dian’s HQ. Clown always enjoyed ‘trying his luck’ at these sorts of things, but today he was facing a losing streak, even WORSE, a losing streak to Tom. At this rate Clown was going to lose everything he’d earned from his last pay to the very individual who paid him.

‘STUPID, STUPID, STUPID GAME!!!’ Clowns mind rushing frantically as sweat dripped from Clown’s forehead to the table he stared intensely down upon ‘This time...THIS TIME I WILL WIN! Lady luck wouldn’t let me lose this bag of chips so easily!!!’ With a few moments passed, the last draw was made...With the decisive victory of their last game being…*Clown imagines a drumroll in his head* Tom! Again….Clown’s jaw dropping, leaning back in his chair and frantically flailing his arms back with defeat.

“WWHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTT!?!?!?!?!?"

(Tom Said: "God bless this beautiful world! I haven't had so much fun since I conned that sorority into thinking I was some big time movie producer. Haha, looks like another win. Better luck next time Clown old buddy.")

‘I feel myself crying inside..’ “Were you cheating!? WHATEVER!!! One day Tom! One day I’m going to DESTROY you in Black Jack and take everything you own!!”

With what Clown felt like a gaping hole in his soul from the loss of his ‘oh~so~sweet’ bag of potato chips that he bet on the game, he flimsily caught the cigar tossed to him with both hands, first analyzing it between his fingers ‘Of course, the ‘cheap ass’, gave me his cheapest cigar..’ before tucking it away in one of his pockets “So...What is on the schedule for today? Shooting at people, or shooting at people? Oh I know!...It’s shooting at people isn’t it?~”
​

(Mentions: Solemn Jester Depresso Espresso Boss )
(Color Code - Tom B. Stone & Clown)

 

[Boss]

Camilla Ferrari | Lucy Black​

Evening
Brookfield | Downtown
Lucy's Apartment
​

Just seeing how tense Lucy was in her situation forced Ben to soften his demeanor. It was clear to him that she was hiding something or knew more than what she let on. It was her genuine fear that gave her a free pass. Two of Ben's agents had emerged from their search, giving Ben a brief head shake to signify that they had found nothing. Ben sighed, rising to his feet. "Alright Ms.Black. Same time tomorrow, I assume." He said, referring to her early-morning appointment. It was the last thing he said before leaving the abode with his agents.

...

Curious eyes peeked out from the bedroom, and Camilla soon tip-toed her way back to the living room to rejoin Lucy. "You.. didn't tell them.." A smile slowly crept it's way onto Camilla's face. She had half the mind that Lucy would rat her out. "..Thanks." Glancing over to the cinnamon rolls she made earlier, she noticed it had long lost it's warmth, and with it - it's worth. The girl dropped down to her knees and picked up where they had left off. "I'm not going to sugarcoat it-.. Getting to the bottom of your visions won't be pleasant. What you may see in Limbo is-.. You have to be mentally prepared for it. Are you ready?"

 

[TerraBooma]

Sam Sarith​

Sam entered the house with a grateful nod. He felt kind of bad for waking her up, but he hoped she'd forgive him for that at least. He examined her house as he walked. For some reason or other, Sam had never really been in colt's house. He'd never meant to avoid it...something just came up and he never had the time to come over. He gave her a kind nod as he tried to make conversation.

"You know, I've never seen your hair in a bun, it's uh...nice." Sam sighed mentally after speaking. What was that even supposed to mean? "Nice...house?" After they arrived to where Colt was taking him. He let out an actual outward sigh. It was clear that there was a lot on his shoulders, but he decided to start with formalities.

"Dom is..." He paused, having to stop himself from saying 'dying.' right out of the gate. "Having me put a team together to go after Camilla...I want you on it." He made a small smile. "We work well together, and given she's a speedster, might be out in the field for awhile, so I need people I know got my back, and your definitely one of those. Also wanted your thoughts on the rest of the team. I'm not...really close to the rest of the village since Dom's always had me on assignments. I thought Johnny and Abel would be good, since I heard they made it back safe. whatcha think?" He looked to her expectantly. There was an undertone to his words. He could really use the distraction.

Samantha, spirit​

Samantha had circled the room with a relaxed air about her as Camilla darted away. she was confident the girl would find a hiding place, and she was also confident she couldn't be detected. For the time being, that left her consent to circle Ben like a shark hunting for a meal. Sometimes closer, sometimes further away. She knew him, fragments of memory in her mind. Sam had worked with him once, back when they were all a big happy dominion family. She briefly considered plunging a harpoon down into his neck, but hesitated. Not out of some sense of empathy, but simply because she was unsure how effectively her physical attacks would be in this space...since being shunted away, a large part of her power was missing. She couldn't act as a shield without an anchor point, and her physical attacks were likely the same. fortunately, she still had control over water, but that was a trump card for when things became difficult. Besides that, her electricical travel, sensing, and tracking were still on par. She softly spoke to Lucy.

"Tell me girl. Are these the ones with which you align? They care not for you. They think of you as nothing more than a labrat. See how they treat you after one missed meeting? What justice is that!" She shook her head. "You have a power within you girl. You should use it to stand up for yourself, at least somehow." The spirit continued to circle around. "I shall go check on Camilla. But ask yourself this girl. She's known you for barely a day, but compare the two. I ask you, in moments of crisis. Who's been a nicer person? These dominion goons who ransack your home? or a girl who only asked for sanctuary and told you all she knows of your current position?"

and with that, she floated upstairs to check on Camilla.


***

She floated downstairs after securing Camilla's saftey, and simply returned to hovering. "Limbo is not a hazardous place, but if you want assistance, I can help you there, at least...I may." She looks to camilla. "Could I go with her?"

 

[Boss]

Diana Young | Tom B. Stone | The Clown​

Evening
Diana's Casino
Abandoned Room
​

Bzzt

Suddenly, every bulb in the abandoned room went dark following a brief sound of fizzling from the breaker panel. Moonlight stretched across most of the room, and for a moment, reflected off of the cold surface of a dagger. 13 was barely visible behind the grey lightbeam, her stoic expression fixated on Tom and Clown. She started walking forward, knife dancing in her clutches. "You're the representative.."