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New Eden 25

Futanari Summer Camp! Character sheets

Name: Sonya SchafferPosition:Counselor(Beer, burgers, Pizza, cute girls, big butts Dislikes:insects, girly stuff, getting hit in the balls Hobbies:Martial arts, wrestling, cooking, Anime, Comics, Horror movies, Trading card games Background:Excitable and high-spirited, Sonya has been lifelong attendee to camp FTA, having come every year since her late teens and been a camper since 20. She loves encouraging and indulging in all kinds of promiscuity and pleasure enjoyment, and so is responsible for the odd pregnancy here or there. When not working, she can often be found prowling the camp for fun to get into with the campers and running many of the events and activities. She cooks in the mess hall twice a week, and run the Camp Bar at night, her signature cocktail is the 'Dirty Mind', a strawberry vodka and a little bit of gin in a pink lemonade with an added aphrodisiac. She always recommends it. Build/figure:Athletic/bombshell Cock length/girth:16 inches/ 3 inches Balls:Citrus sizedCumload:3 liters, 5 if backed up Breasts:D cups Pubes:Trimmed:Anal, Face fucking (giving), tit jobs, deep throating (giving), money shots, watersports (giving), Risk of breeding (giving), inebriated sex. Offs:Condoms, Flat butts, Face fucking (Receiving)Maybes:Inflation, Non-con, Lithe girls, Risk of breeding (Receiving)Misc:Runs the camp canteen at night. Tattoos of a tiger on right bicep and Dragon on left inner thigh, pierced belly button. Name: Shook Opposition: Camper Appearance/pic:(22 Likes: Anime, Manga, The Great Indoors Dislikes: Camping Hobbies: Reading, Cosplaying, Internet Surfing Background: Shook is your typical wallflower, preferring to avoid the scary world of social interaction and keep her nose in a book. This habit, however, has made her a very avid learner, and thus she has worked hard to become a straight A student. The shy girl is a budding lesbian, though she's never had an actual relationship. That doesn't mean she's completely inept in terms of sexual knowledge though, as she bares a secret stash of Yuri doujinshi which she reads when alone and sexually frustrated. She also tends have a large attraction to taller women and those that have motherly frames. The shy bookworm mostly sticks to keeping inside her apartment. Besides her clear social insecurities, she has spent as much spare cash (not much) as possible in fulling it up with every nerdy anime and manga trinket (of good taste) under the sun. Due to her finances though, she clearly has a long way to go. She'll still step out every once and again when it's required. Her latest requirement is her mother's request to look after her younger sister in return for some rent money. Build/figure: Curvy/Chubby Cock length/girth: 9 inches long, 2 inches thick Balls: Kiwi-sizedCumload: 2 liters Breasts: Cantaloupes Pubes: ShavenCharacterOns: Cuddling, motherly woman, romance Offs: Mostly everything else Maybes: UnsurePlayerOns: Nearly everything Offs: Anal, gore, mutilation, mind control, snuff Misc: She has aching balls that regularly need to be unloaded Name:Size Opposition: Camper Appearance/pic:(Outdoors, her sister, running Dislikes: Being stuck inside Hobbies: Running, Cosplaying, Gaming Background:Size has always been very close to her older sister. Both of them, after all, have very similar things between their legs and both have faced the same sorts of problems in their lives because of it. She's rather more active than Shook, but the same genes that helped her sister become so wonderfully cuddly and curvy have left Size with particularly stubborn padding on her hips and chest - although she gave up on trying to get rid of that when she heard that her sister liked that sort of figure. So far, she's managed to keep it to herself, but while she has had a couple of brief flings in the past none of these have ever lasted or reached a sexual point as, well ... those people weren't her sister. For quite a while now, Size's been aware that she both loves and lusts after Shook, but has always been uncertain as to how exactly to approach the subject at all - never mind her frequent and vivid fantasies of the two of bearing each other's children. And then she saw the flyer for the Fulani summer camp and certain words in the fine print jumped right out at her. Incestuous. Pregnancies. She had to sign up for it after reading that, and although she's still nervous about the entire thing, it wasn't hard to get things set up so Shook would join her. They'd almost certainly be put together, after all, and knowing Shook she'd stay in as much as possible. And Size would finally try to express her love for her older sister. Possibly even regardless of what Shook wants. Sheneedsher. Build/figure: Curvy Cock length/girth:10 inches long, 2 inches thick Balls: Kiwi-sizedCumload: 2 liters Breasts: Cantaloupes Pubes:ShavenCharacterOns:Cuddling, incest, impregnation, bukkakeOffs:Rough sex, blood/scat Maybes: Watersports, non-conPlayerOns: Nearly everything Offs: Scat, gore, mutilation, snuff Misc: She fully intends to get both her and her sister pregnant during this trip, preferably with each other. (Brooks Position:Counselor/Nurse Appearance/pic: Tall blonde in fit condition with a huge bust. Her hair hands down to her mid-back and she has long legs. She is usually wearing a size too small camp t-shirt and a pair of shorts in camp colors. Age:25 Likes:Outdoors, helping young women/FTA, confidence, dancing, games Dislikes:alcohol, being sick, indecisiveness Hobbies:Reading, MMOs, Dancing Background:Brandi was just out of nursing school and graduated with top marks. She applied at Camp FTA, not having a problem with FTA, since one of her mother's was one. Although she didn't really realize what she was getting into when she accepted the job, she discovered that her mothers had protected her from some of the realities of being a FTA. The first time one of the Campers bent her over her desk and slammed into her, she was shocked, especially when she orgasmed over and over for the young FTA. After she got over the shock, she decided to stay, she really enjoyed the sex, and she loved the location and being able to be outdoors every day. She is often tapped to lead some dancing classes for the camp as well during the evenings. Build/figure:Fit and Busty Cock length/girth:N/Balls:N/Armload:N/Breasts:E cup Pubes:Shannon:FTA, big breasts, dub-con, gang bangs, light bondage, deep throat, rough sex, brake, friendship, cuddling Offs:Scat, WS, More, Pain, heavy bondage, slavery/pet, gore, mutlilationMaybes:non-con, anal Misc: Name:Gina Ellen Peterson Position:Counselor(one on the right, and her current girlfriend. Age:25 Likes:Sports, ultimate Frisbee, beer, video games. National History Dislikes:Getting Wet, Hangovers (not that that keeps her from enjoying the night /before/), Indecisiveness. Hobbies:Beer Ping-Pong, Fighting, Carousing, Riotous singing, Video Games, Sports (especially ultimate Frisbee and Madden Football) Needlepoint. Background:Gina's a first generation FTA. Her parents weren't sure what to do about this, being sort of a conservative sort, and tried to steer her towards more masculine traits figuring it would work better for her. Fortunately it worked out, and she found herself confident enough to thrive as one of the guys /and/ retreat to being a more girly girl in times she felt comfortable enough to retreat. She'd much rather be a mom than a father. She really hopes none of that will happen in the short future. For the time, she's focused on her schooling, taking her master classes in history, and being the captain of her school's ultimate Frisbee club. She has a lot of friends, both male, female, and FTA, and not at all biased about who she sleeps with, or whether they happen to be the girl/boyfriend of one of her friends. She's charming enough that she can (mostly) pull it off. She's a camp counselor for the spending money, and a chance to immerse in the world of FTA hedonism. Something she's . Not nearly as experienced in as she'd like OT pretend to be. Build/figure:Not too busty, not too sole, she's a nice balance of tight muscles and full tits. She's strong, fast, and light on her feet and looks every bit of it. Cock length/girth:12" 4" thick - she's a bit of a chubby one. Balls:Just small enough to comfortably hold her sack in one hand. Cumload:2 liters. Breasts:Way too big. She'd honestly like them a lot smaller. Pubes:Shakedowns:Anal, face fucking, tit jobs, deep throat give/take, drunken sex. 'Safe' sex. Though they really don't make condoms capable of bearing even her 'modest' amount without the risk of breaking. Offs:Pregnancy, anything too wet and messy. Maybes:Hey, if it's not and heavy enough . What happens in FTA camp stays in FTA camp. Name: Trixie Cummings Position: Camper Appearance: 18 Likes: Volleyball, Basketball, Weight-lifting, Sex. Dislikes: Not getting to cum as much as she wants. Mean people. Hobbies: Playing sports, shopping, running, sex. Background: Trixie is a second-generation FTA. Her mother Candy was the first FTA in her family, and she was lucky enough to find a nice guy who respected her for her. The fact that Candy was a total nymphomaniac was a bonus. Trixie grew up in a loving home, and when she was born she turned out to be a FTA. Candy was very happy to have a little mini-me to raise up. Trixie grew up as an athletic sort, even with her mother's focus on girly-girl things. She liked competing with others, and she liked sports. She was a talented runner and athlete. Unfortunately, she was also dumb as a post. Not that her parents treated her any differently. The teasing of other kids went over her head. And when she smoked them in sports, they learned some respect. Everything changed when Trixie hit puberty. Her sex drive, as enormous as her mother's, kicked into overdrive. Candy guided her through this with her usual giggly advice (Candy also not being very bright but being very loving towards her daughter). Trixie's sex drive led her to being labeled a slut and a bimbo. She doesn't care. As long as she gets fucked or busts a nut, she's fine with what people call her. And she's still strong and athletic. Trixie is a girl who is very happy with herself and where her life is headed, and has a cheerful optimism about life. Build: Busty, curvy, and well-toned Cock: 11 inches long, 4 inches thick Balls: InternalCumload: 5 gallons Breasts: Cantaloupes Pubes: Shaven On/offs: Same as player o/misc: Trixie gets confused and sad if she hasn't blown a load in a while. Usually several hours. Name:Vanessa Hart Position:Counselor and Chef Appearance/pic: Totally NSFW the smell of baking pastry, cumming lots, swimming Dislikes:Hunger, bad tasting things, overly spicy foods (don't want to cry while I'm eating!) Hobbies:Baking, swimming, dancing Background:Vanessa was a girly girl growing up, despite being a FTA. She always loved helping her mother out in the kitchen. As she grew older, she started getting experimental, and eventually discovered that her own cum was a wonderful addition to the glazes she used for her sweet treats. However, FTA Cum is apparently considered a 'bodily fluid' and a 'health hazard' to the people who make laws, so the only place she could really ply her trade was Camp FTA. One cookie was all it took to convince the owners. She's expanded into being the camp's full-time cook-she can do wonders with few ingredients. And since she works in her own cum for glaze, she saves big on sweets for the camp-very few have ever argued against the woman's methods, or results. She's always happy to have help in the kitchen, and sometimes works in the cum from her assistants if she thinks its good enough. Build/figure:Voluptuous, you saw the pic right? Cock length/girth:10 in/.75 in Balls:Big~Cum load:Several liters, approaching gallons Breasts:Gigantic Pubes:Shaved, can't get hair in the glaze! Ons:Masturbation, Lactation, cumming on skin, and more (just ask)Offs:Just the usual that only come up in super extreme games that aren't this one. Maybes:She's been on birth control, but now she's starting to wonder, would it be that bad to breed a little? Misc: Name:Amy Kingston Position:Counselor/Life Guard Appearance/pic: Amy Kingston(sun bathing, swimming, pretty much anything to do with the water, dancing, moonlight, comedy TV and movies, but mystery books, food with noodles, and either white wine or hard alcohol Dislikes:rude people, and when people don't share, the smell of beer, and the taste of coffee Hobbies:She will spend most of her free time out on the water, be it surfing, diving, water-skiing, really anything, and when the weather changes in one area she goes to another to follow her passions. Background:Amy has spent most of her life in and around the water. She grew up in a beach town, learned to swim at a very early age, and picked up nearly every water sport she could find. She would spend nearly every day she wasn't in school, down by the water. She had always been more comfortable in swimsuits, loving the way her cock felt with the thin fabric pressing against it. Especially when it got wet, and there were plenty of scantily clad women running around her. Her love of the water, and the outfits women wore around it, made lifeguard training an obvious choice for the fun-loving young woman. She had worked at private pools, private beaches, and water parks. She was always a favorite of her employers because of her fun, positive attitude. Furthermore, she was also a favorite of the swimmers because of how... friendly she was. When she found camp FTA it made perfect sense that she belonged there. When she arrived for an interview she revealed she didn't even have a resume with her. But as soon as she put on her bathing suit, and showed them what a strong swimmer she was, the job was hers. Build/figure:Slender swimmers body Cock length/girth:9in long, 2.5in around Balls:Just the right size for someone's mouthCumload:1 to 2ltrsBreasts:C cup Pubes:Shakedowns:Fellatio, playing outdoors especially in the water, dirty talk, multiple partners Offs:bathroom play, pain Maybes:breath play, impregnating another Misc: Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide(Kobayashi, Apposition:Amperage: 18 Likes: Animals, Nature and Ice-cream and all things sweet Dislikes: Cruelty, especially to animals, bullies Hobbies: Yoga, Reading and Cosplay. Works in a Maid Café to make ends meet. Background: Ai is born to a fairly rich family with a long history that was steeped in tradition. Because of that, her father was very traditional. Initially believing that he would have a son, he blamed her mother for giving birth to an impure child. Requesting that she “get rid” of the child, she disappeared one night with Ai and moved to another city. She believed that the threat to the safety of her child was real enough to hide from her husband. Ai’s childhood was quite tough and had but a simple roof over their head. Her mother taking part-time jobs here and there to make ends meet, until finally becoming a yoga instructor at the local YWCA. Her mother unsure of what to do, brought up Ai for all intents and purposes as a girl, to the honorifics and Japanese that she uses and the clothes that she wears. However, she would avoid shorts and swimsuits, especially in public, anything that would reveal her surprise. She even had an ongoing medical note to exempt her from physical education just in case. At school, she tends to be by herself but managed to make a few close female friends. However, she could never completely let them in, after all she often wonders what would happen if she were to tell them the truth. More than likely they would think her a freak. She often had dreams like that. She also had her fair share of suitors which she would also politely decline. To help with expenses, she found a job at a maid café when she could. Proving to be very popular among the customers, both male and females, she would often bring in more than her share of tips. She was also well-liked by her female boss and work colleagues. One day while doing an internet search about herself she found an advertisement online about Camp FTA. Wanting to know more about herself and meet other people like her, she quickly signed up. Build/figure:5 ft, Small, Fit and Flexible. Cock length/girth:10 inches long, 2.5 inches thick Balls: InternalsCumload: Only a liter, what she lacks in amount she makes up in strength, compliments of her yoga. She also squirts seemingly endless amounts with her female genitalia. Breasts: C cups Pubes:ShavenCharacterOns: As per player Offs: As or player Maybes:Players:Nearly everything, especially bondage, gang bangs, rough sex, romance, cuddling.well nearly everything Offs:Gore, mutilation, mind control, snuff usually extreme offs which none are on this channel :)Misc:Wears contacts. Has various types, from cat eyes to varying colors. Wear glasses in private or when suits her outfit. Name:NIA Robertson Position:Camper Appearance/pic: (sports, swimming, baths, camping, fishing, horror movies, chocolate, meat, pro-wrestling Dislikes:country music, long car rides, corn Hobbies:track and field, basketball, collects old movie posters Background:Unlike most campers at Camp FTA, NIA isn't a first or second generation Fulani. In fact, she's notanygeneration Fulani, as unbeknownst to her fellow campers she's actually purely female. Growing up the only connection she had to fut as in her family was one of her cousins, whom she never really got along well with anyway. And while she never exactly thoughtbadlyof Fulani, she was always taught by her parents to be careful around them, just as careful as she should be around boys at least, for many of the same reasons. Because of this she always kind of grouped boys and FTA into the same group, and when she discovered her preference for girls at any early age she never really considered dating one. Growing up NIA was always a bit tomboyish and athletically inclined, playing sports all the way up through high school and even securing a substantial basketball scholarship at the college she's attending next year. Even now during the summer vacation she hasn't let up on her practicing, and signed up for a 3-week sports camp to keep herself sharp before heading to college. Unfortunately a distracting lewd phone call from her girlfriend caused her to accidentally board the wrong bus at the station, unintentionally putting her on course to Camp FTA instead. Shocked by the mishap, and terrified at what might happen to her if she was discovered "trespassing" in such an exclusive camp, NIA now attempts to pass herself off as a regular camper and merely wait it out until camp is finished, having to maneuver her way through all the perverse events without getting found out. Build/figure:Toned with thick assets Cock length/girth:7 inches/1 in. diameter (strap on)Balls:plasticCumload:none Breasts:D cup Pubes:trimmed:Oral of all kinds (including rimming), Anal, group, gang-bang, rough, outdoor, light bondage (no pain emphasis), pet-play, food play (particularly using cum as/on food), cum play, large cocks, unsafe sex/impregnation, non-con, moderate corruption/degradation. Offs:heavy bondage, excessively mean does, orgasm denial, feet, blood, euro, scat Maybes:Misc:Isn't on birth control since she's in a lesbian relationship. Uses a strap on dildo her girlfriend Amy (snuck into her luggage to pass herself off as a FTA. It's fairly high quality and thus could pass for real from far enough away or when touched through clothing, but otherwise is quite apparent as a fake. Despite only dating other girls her hymen has already been broken thanks to her girlfriend's love of toys. (sunlight, country music, fragrant baths Dislikes:Foreign food Hobbies:Singing, playing guitar, t-shirt quilting, shooting at the range Background:Anita's just a sweet country girl from Nashville trying to make it in the busy world of entertainment and find a venue for her voice. Honeysuckle memories of bygone summer camps and horseback riding drove her to recapture that magic and perhaps to write a song or two. Anita's folks aren't sure what "FTA" means, but she's convinced them it's a Native American thing. Build/figure:Svelte Cock length/girth:Thigh length/Coke can horse cock; a grower and not a shower Balls:NoneCumload:Frosting drizzle for days, punctuated by teacups Breasts:Small handholds, hyper-sensitive Pubes:Sparse thatching:Anal of the sort over unbuttoned jean shorts in a secret haystack with a stranger's tongue between her fingers; roughness at the moment but cuddling after; nipple strokes through sheer fabric to drive a stallion mad; baptizing her Cinderella in the creamy wash of her pleasure; grabbing by the hair that impossible fantasy of testing a lover with her whole equine length; the power of nourishing another with her goofy love. Glasses. Dark skin. A body she can scoop up in her arms. Offs:Safe words, teases, being throat fucked, goodness. Maybes:Bestiality Name:REI TakehiroPosition:Camper Appearance/pic: (competitive, video games, exercise (in various activities), learning how to make beer/spirits/etc because of family tradition Dislikes:Wimps, Prudes, rude people Hobbies:Swimming, Herbalism/botany, Martial arts Background:REI comes from a large family of brew masters and martial artists on both sides; but she is a first generation FTA. It confused her at first because she mentally identifies as female and is actually ashamed of her Hula-Hoop. Growing up, she was always made fun of and thought a freak by everyone she tried to make friends with once they found out, causing her to become apathetic toward most people and went through a hostile; bullying period until she realized how much of a jerk shoots being. Otherwise, her life wasn't too special really. Build/figure:Toned/Muscular, 6'5"Cock length/girth:10"/ 2.5' thick Balls:proportional but swell when arousedCumload:Massive (for some odd reason!) Breasts:H-cups Pubes:Can't grow themes:Brake, Oral (receiving, Giving), Mating Press (in the dominant position), Failure (giving and receiving), Exhibitionism, Incest (or role-playing it), cum baths, Offs:Oversize penetration, standard Off'maybes:Impregnation, bestiality Misc:REI has no idea why she produces so much cum, but it makes her ashamed of herself. She's also getting over the impulse they have her package amputated and get surgery to be fully female. She hates what she is but is slowly accepting it namely because gender reassignment surgery is expensive as shit. Name:Melissa KangleyPosition:Camper Appearance/pic: (swimming, reading, painting, hiking Dislikes:mushy food, nothing to do, geese, and lightning Hobbies:Reading, writing, weight lifting, painting, cooking, handjobsBackground:Well able and muscled teenager, Melissa recently suffered a nasty break up with her former girlfriend, Fiona, after finding her sleeping with... Well, Everybody. Except her. Having started the summer as a sad mopey mess her auntie convinced her parents to let her go to summer camp to get out, socialize, and cheer up. The nature of that summer camp was left out of the discussions though. Or how aunty had been going for years and exactly how many girls she had knocked up herself there. Build/figure:6'4 tall, 172 lbs, Svelte Muscular build Cock length/girth:11 inches long, 2.5 thick Balls:kumquatsCumload:Cums Quarts (or more)Breasts’D cups Pubes:trimmed and organizations:Oral, anal, (mixing the two), cum covered/ing, cum baths, multiple partners, Open to try Most things. Offs:Rape, non-consentualMaybes:impregnation, Misc: Name:Daniella Young Position:Camper Appearance/pic: (fashion, cats, puppies, reading, oh and cum... lots of cum. It's not just an "On" for her, it's a lifestyle Dislikes:Wasted Cum (Like brake... she understands a mistake, but why waste nutritious cum on purpose?), greasy foods, mean people, and bad movies made from her favorite books Hobbies:She Vlogs about a lot of things FTA, like FTA fashions, FTA lifestyles, but recently about the FTA liquid diet Background:Daniella's a third generation FTA, and comes from a loving and supporting home. She hopes one day to find a (be it man, woman or FTA) and have a family of her own, but for now she just wants to have fun and experiment. Life is only lived once, so she wants to live it to the fullest. She did have a serious boyfriend for a bit, but she was sucking off guys and fut as left and right, and her boyfriend didn't like it. When he brought it up, she simply said "this is who I am, accept it, or walk out the door now." So he walked out, and she shrugged it off. She's too free spirited to be tied down, and any future partners would have to be okay with that. Build/figure:Petite Cock length/girth:A bit small for a FTA, 6 inches long, 1 inch wide Balls:grape sizedCumload:a few teaspoons Breasts:b cup Pubes:Shannon:Eating lots and lots of cum, blowjobs (giving), deep throating (giving), hand jobs (giving), glory holes, anal (receiving), face fucking (receiving), face sitting (receiving), bondage (receiving), chastity (receiving), tease and denial (receiving), watersports (receiving), lactation (receiving)Offs:Purposefully Messy cum shots, unhygienic people, scat/mensiesMaybes:S&M (receiving)Misc:Daniella Young is a celebrity FTA Vlogger, starting 2 years ago at the age of 16. She runs a Vlog where she talks about everything FTA, but mostly fashion and health. She absolutely loves to promote the Liquid FTA Diet. It's a diet where 60% of your calories and nutrition should come from FTA liquids, mostly cum, but some from urine and some from lactation. Of course this can be adapted to the dieter's tolerance levels, as most FTA liquids are highly nutritious and have a lot of protein. So if you prefer more cum, and no urine, it's adaptable. However now she wants to try to go almost fully FTA liquid, where 90-100% of her meals are FTA bodily liquids (she may sneak in a cum glazed cake piece or two). She realizes that the FTA Summer Camp is a perfect place to try it out for the first time. That and she has fond memories of camps from when she was younger (though not FTA focused), and hopes to make some new memories. She will Vlog it the entire time (only filming with consent of course). She will always have her phone with her, ready to record. Name:Ashlynn LeHanePosition:Camper Appearance/pic: horror, pineapples, spicy food Dislikes:Bullies, condoms, long distance relationships Hobbies:Baking, making outfits for her daughter, running marathons, surfing Background:Born in Strasbourg near the border of France and Germany, Ashlynn’s life was turned upside down at the age of sixteen when her father got a job overseas, leading the teen to suddenly find herself in an unfamiliar country, struggling with both her hormones and with learning yet another language. Hoping to give their daughter a chance to have some fun and relieve her urges, Ashlynn’s mother decided to send her child to the next FTA Camp, set shortly after her seventeenth birthday. The redhead’s first visit to the camp hardly got off to a good start, with the language barrier making it all the harder for her to fit in. However, after the first few days she made a connection with the equally socially awkward Mizuki Suzuki, the pair going on to spend the rest of their summer enjoying each other’s company without words, losing their virginity to each other along the way and then Ashlynn traveling home with her friend’s baby growing inside her. The two teens promised to keep in touch online, with their friendship only growing deeper when Ashlynn learned she was pregnant. Despite this, their carnal desires still needed to be fulfilled, so the pair agreed to an open relationship where they could still have protected sex with others, but didn’t go as far as to seriously date anyone else. Thanks to this, their long distance relationship survived, with the pair even traveling to see each other many times over the next two years, especially after their daughter Charlotte was born, with the plan to move in together after they graduated from high school. This year marks the couple’s second and final visit to the camp to celebrate the place where it all began, before the three start their new life together as a family at the end of the summer. Build/figure:Tall and athletic Cock length/girth:9 inches long and 2 inches in girth Balls:InternalisedCumload:2 liters, with quick recovery Breasts:D-Cups Pubes:Neatly groomed:Breastfeeding (giving/receiving), brake, risk of breeding (giving/receiving)Offs:Gore, scat Maybes:Breath play, watersports Misc:Is in an open relationship with Mizuki Suzuki, with whom she has a sixteen-month-old daughter Charlotte, who is a FTA like her parents Name:Abyss Reposition:Camper Appearance/pic: Hip Hop, Sleeping, Gaming Dislikes:Studying, Horror/Sad Films, Alarm Clocks Hobbies:Plays soccer competitively, is interested in fiddling with computers Background:Being a first generation FTA in a big family is not easy. In her early childhood she felt weird knowing her physiology was so unique however a supportive environment at home and at school has made her proud to accept who she is and how horny she always feels! Although she still feels tired of hanging with her loudmouth siblings at home so after hearing about this camp, it was no surprise her bags were packed within mere minutes. Apart from her horniness, she has had a pretty comfortable upbringing and won't know too much about the hardships of reality. Build/figure:Hourglass body, curvy, lean-muscled Cock length/girth:12 inches length (7 inches flaccid), 2 inches thick Balls:Bigger than your average malesCumload:Enough to comfortable fill several glasses to the brim with her 'milk'Breasts:DD Pubes:Shakedowns:Noncom/Dubcon, Rough Oral Sex (Receiving/Giving), Domination, Submission, CreampiesOffs:Extremes Maybes:Role-playing, BDSM, Impregnation (she uses the pill unless convinced otherwise)Misc:Has a constant erection if sexual urges have not been satisfied every couple hours, is cool with being fucked noncom if she gets sucked off in the end Name:Ashley Griswold Position:Camper Appearance/pic:NSFW(& field, the beach, the outdoors, naturism, stand-up comedy, being in a group, making people laugh. Dislikes:Being told what to do, selfish people, prudishness, "cheerleader" personalities, wearing clothes, club music. Hobbies:Jogging, hiking, Pokemon Go. Background:Ashley (who much prefers to be called Ash) is a first-generation FTA, but that was never a problem in her family. As sex-positive naturists, her parents never made her feel the least bit ashamed of her body, going out of their way to teach her that she was perfectly normal and healthy and should never let herself be told otherwise. Ash was confident, empathetic, and socially adept from an early age. Her parents' lifestyle meant that nudity and sex were normalized in their household--they, along with Ash and her little brother Connor, were nearly always naked at home, and while they never crossed the line into incest, they never kept their sex life hidden from their kids. Ash grew up seeing all this as perfectly ordinary, and when adolescence came, she felt no shame about experimenting and indulging her developing libido, a practice her parents encouraged. While they made sure Ash and Connor understood that most people didn't share their sensibilities, Ash never liked having to cover up or filter herself in conversation, and refused point-blank to do so at home, even when there was company; thankfully, most of the family's friends were either aware of their lifestyle or participated in it themselves, so this was rarely an issue. Having just finished her senior year of high school, Ash is left with one last free summer before heading off to college, and is determined to enjoy it to the fullest. When she heard about Camp FTA online, she was immediately interested, and overjoyed when her parents signed off. Despite her liberal upbringing and confident attitude, Ash hasn't yet had much experience with actual partners--while she dated a few people in high school, and a couple of relationships did get sexual, she's never seen herself as someone who can just go out and find casual sex whenever the mood strikes her. A setting like the camp seems perfect for broadening her horizons, and she eagerly looks forward to being among so many like-minded people with no games or bullshit necessary. Build/figure:Athletic Cock length/girth:10" long/2" thick Balls:1.7" diameterCumload:~1.5 Breasts:Pubes:Shakedowns:Exhibitionism, voyeurism, kissing, romantic gestures, being vocal, vocal partners, mutual masturbation, giving oral, submissive men, switch women and FTA, play fighting, public urination (to name a few). Offs:Pregnancy, breeding, unintelligent partners, BDSM, medical play, real non-con, drinking urine. Maybes:Light watersports. Misc:While Ash is disgusted by real, serious non-con, she assumes, due to the camp's "anything goes" policy, that anyone who's signed up to attend knows what they're getting into and is okay with it. Anyone who she finds to be otherwise, she'll back off and do everything she can to make sure they're safe. Name:Julie Forester Position:Camper Appearance/pic: (See pic on left)(Age:19 Likes:Nude volleyball, pizza, Frisbee, swimming, cute animals Dislikes:Insect, (especially ants)Hobbies:Camping, fishing, reading Background:Julie didn't like being a FTA growing up. She hid herself (and her male part) from the world. She was a very shy girl. It wasn't until she turned 18 that she decided the hell with it and began to show the world that she is a FTA. But she's never quite found the right partner to have sex with. She likes to get to know the person first. Males seem to go after her just for the sex, and women are often shocked by the fact that she has both genitals. She will be a virgin (but no hymen) when she joins up with the camp. Build/figure:Julie is healthy and fit, not too muscular. Cock length/girth:10 inches, 3 inches around Balls:Softball sizedCumload:3 cups, no recoil and can do this several times a day.Breasts’D sized Pubes:shaved, as smooth as Simmons:Being dominated, light bondage, bestiality, fut as, sex, public sex, and more setoffs:Gore, heavy bondage (can't even move), extreme pain, scat Maybes:Impregnation, Watersports (but you have to talk to me first about this). Misc:Julie likes playing the submissive one. She prefers when others take control. But she also has a dominate side to her as well. She is a virgin and has never sexually touched another person but knows the basics and masturbates daily which she hopes others can fill that void. Name:Cynthia (Can) Abernathy Position:TopCamperAppearance/pic: (electrocuting, dance music, video games, horror movies, camping, the great outdoors (if she can bring her phone and music)Dislikes:Too much physical exertion Hobbies:Music, movies, Background:A second generation FTA from California, Can only had one mom growing up and had never known her other mother (she had never quite been able to work out who it was) which never really had too much of an impact growing up regardless. She has never really been athletically inclined, only joining in at sch eel when absolutely necessary and usually very quickly doing whatever was required to let her head to the bench and put on her earphones and find new music to enjoy, besides which she preferred to exercise by going out to the park, picking a direction and just strolling for hours taking in nature's slender... to the sound of glitch-hop. This is her first time attending FTA Camp, something she's been looking forward to for a number of months now Build/figure:Soft and short Cock length/girth:13.5" long, 3" thick Balls:HeftyCumload:2 litresBreasts:Cubes:A well-groomed heart shaped tuft of pinions:Non/Dub-con, risk of pregnancy (others), voyeurism, pet-playoffs:Scat, gore, more, contraceptives, pulling out, wasted cum Maybes:Misc: (JaurezPosition:Amperage:16 Likes:Daddy's money, music, fashion, clothes, celebrities, fancy coffee and chocolate Dislikes:Heavy vulgarity, being bored, gross things (slime, muck, or bugs)Hobbies:Spending daddy's money, Instagram, gossiping, clothes Background:She's a first generation FTA born into a fairly rich family in New Mexico. Her father always worked, but her mother stayed at home and took care of her. Her father was worried that her FTA state would alienate her so he hired a private teacher to homeschool her. She's a little bit bratty and her parents always give her what she wants. Despite her troubles, she's managed to make a number of friends in her upper-class neighborhood. Even a past boyfriend that took her virginity. Her parents always preached the importance of representing one's cultural and racial background. She loves her Latina skin, but sometimes wishes she had a more "Latina" physique. She's bilingual, but she doesn't shove it in anyone's face. Her mother convinced her father that she should be introduced to other fut as and enrolled her in FTA camp. She was unsure about the camp. According to her online research fut as are supposed to be busty, well-hung sex machines. She was worried her smaller stature and organ sizes would make her a target for bullying. She also doesn't have a very high libido normally. Although she found that around other campers she fell in love with the scandalous sex madness. She finds herself easily peer-pressured into fucking just about anyone. Build/figure:5' 1", 105 lbs, thin, soft, curvy thighs and ass Cock length/girth:5" length, 4" circumference Balls:Small grape, tight scrotumCumload:50mlBreasts:B-cup Pubes:Under dick shaven, above dick untrimmed, but not very logons:Scandalousness, risked pregnancy (self), submission, role-play, giving oral, receiving breast attention, receiving cum shots Offs:Emphasis on pain, lack of hygiene, bimbos Maybes:Watersports, non-con, anal Misc:Ever since her first boyfriend let her fuck him in the ass, she's secretly loved to dominantly fuck people with her dick, especially when they pretend her dick is a lot to take, even though she knows it isn't.

Futanari Summer Camp! Character sheets|rating:2.0

The Medea House of Wonders [Character Sheets]

(Check (|| IOC (|| Announcements/Events (-----Common Areas (|| Private Rooms (|| The Grounds (|| The Dungeon (|| Show Rooms (of Contents{GM NPCs}Radius (#msg12831699) - Owner, unknown species Euclid (#msg12831723) - Owner, unknown speciesHerodion (#msg12831752) - Owner, unknown speciesLykos (#msg12831764) - Owner, unknown speciesIlthraak'ESS T'Sarah l'Lithophile (#msg12847681) - Part-time employee, DriderMorgan (#msg12847789) - Employee, Neophilia{Bibliophilia}Royce Jansen (#msg12832393) - Employee, LycanthropeIcarus (#msg12835041) - Employee, SatyrVassago (#msg12840433) - Client, Demon{Ryven}Joseph Eden (#msg12834114) - Client, HumanGodrick Season (#msg12851503) - Nothing (yet), Human Inactive - Benvolio{Benvolio}Harder (#msg12834178) - 'Client,' Shape-shifter{Kokaine}Palliates (#msg12835037) - Security, Minotaur{quozax}Bracken Forester (#msg12835044) - Employee, Author-Wolf{Dim Hon}Deimos (#msg12835052) - Employee, 'Human'Bitter-Grace (#msg12847791) - Security, Nāga{Revolution}Cello (#msg12836394) - Employee, FAE{Intimate Ink}Dark Jansen (#msg12837040) - Security, Phantom{Arsene}Verdi (#msg12838447) - Employee, Pain Elemental{Crawl}Felix Felipe (#msg12845752) - Butler/Housekeeping, Human (Enchanter) (MedeaSparrowhawkeAge:Unknown Sexuality:Homosexual Race:The Brothers keep this a very well-kept secret. Position:One of the owners. Details:Radius is the face of the establishment, the one who meets and works with all the customers, bartering prices and the most interested in ‘public relations.’ He is the one who manages the most of the day-to-day events within the brothel, making sure everything is running smoothly, and every customer leaves happy. He is incredibly charming, and perhaps the easiest of the brothers to deal with. If a worker is brought to the establishment through money (whether they be bought slaves, or an agreement has been made), it is likely Radius that was the one to do it. While he is friendly and charming, he still obviously has no compunction against owning slaves, and he is a cunning man, always seeming to come out on top in whatever deal he is making. Ons and Offs:Link! (- Radius is available for consensual scenes (and maybe noncom, with him being the aggressor), hi sons include BDSM and exhibitionism. (MedeaSparrowhawkeAge:Unknown Sexuality:Pansexual Race:The Brothers keep this a very well-kept secret. Position:One of the owners. Details:Euclid is a terrifying creature, one most of the workers want to avoid catching the attention of. He is sadistic and excitable, and is the brother in charge of doling out ‘punishments’ to any workers who have broken the rules. He is known to partake in the brothel’s many pleasures, and it is rarely to the enjoyment of those who have caught his interest. Ons and Offs:Link! (- Euclid is available for consensual and noncom scenes, with him being the aggressor. Hi sons include punishment, violence, blood play, torture and other nasty things. (MedeaSparrowhawkeAge:Unknown Sexuality:Homosexual Race:The Brothers keep this a very well-kept secret. Position:One of the owners. Details:Herodion is in charge of bringing in new and exciting creatures for the brothel, usually against their will. As such, he is rarely seen within the brothel itself, hardly even within the Cingulum. He is quiet and reserved, much like Los, but far colder. He is an incredibly skilled fighter, but the scars all over his body attest to the fact that his job is rarely an easy one. Many of the unwilling workers were brought here by him, and as such he is resented by many. Ons and Offs:Link! (- Herodion is available for discussion, though he is generally disinterested in sexual scenes. (MedeaSparrowhawkeAge:Unknown Sexuality:Demisexual (Homo romantic)Race:The Brothers keep this a very well-kept secret. Position:One of the owners. Details:Los is the head of the small security force that keeps the brothel running smoothly. While he does not hesitate to send people to Euclid for punishment, he himself is quite possibly the kindest of the brothers. He is reserved to the point some might think he was shy, but in general just prefers to keep his mind to himself. The only part of his body that is visible are his eyes, the rest covered with clothes and bandages, and it is unknown if he ever takes them off, as none of the workers there have ever seen him in a situation where one might expect it. Ons and Offs:Link! (- Los is available only for consensual scenes. He is also open for wooing. He is a masochist. (JansenBibliophiliaAge:32Sexuality:Homosexual Race:Misanthrope - Alternatively known as werewolves, the misanthrope race originates in a land known as Wheelie. They serve as rulers of the land, policing the vast, dark forests and calm waters that make up the majority of the landscape. Their dual-nature makes them ideal to govern both the more humanoid creatures, and the animalistic beasts that live in Wheelie. Lycanthropes carry within them the spirit of both man and wolf, allowing them to change between the physical manifestations of those natures at will. While human, the only indication of their true nature is a telltale animal shine in their eyes and thicker, coarser body hair. Their wolf forms are nearly the size of a full-grown man and possess startlingly human eyes. They can also take on a form between, in which they are far more powerful and larger than either of their other forms. Position:Employee Personality:Royce has often been accused of being a snarky asshole, to which his response is typically something sarcastic. Despite the tangible, barely-restrained violence that seems to simmer just beneath the surface of his skin at all times, Royce is generally a laid-back guy. He used to fight tooth and claw, for months after he was captured and brought to the brothel, but he finally figured out that fighting wasn't getting him anywhere but dead and dead men can't reclaim their freedom. So, ever since he decided the worst thing he could do was die a slave, he has been behaving himself. Well, mostly. He's still a loud-mouth, broody, sarcastic, stubborn bastard, but at least he doesn't try to kill and eat anyone anymore. Backstory:Royce was a foolish young man, on the verge of claiming his role as the ruler of Wheelie, when he decided to go on one last bender, one last hurrah before taking on the responsibility of king. He traveled with a group of friends, fucking, eating, fighting, drinking and killing whatever caught his fancy. Two weeks into his farewell tour, drunk out of his mind and wandering around outside a village whose name he couldn't remember, he suddenly found himself trapped by a lasso of silver rope. The metal bore him to the ground as it sapped his strength, and he felt the coils being tied round his wrists and ankles, unable to shift with the silver against his skin. When he woke up, it was to find himself in a cage made of the same hateful metal in a place he'd never been, looking at walls hung with shackles and chains. For months, he fought against his captors, struggling to get free, suffering egregious torture as they attempted to break his spirit and force him to comply with his captivity. Luckily, lycanthropes have superior healing capabilities and supernatural strength and stamina, though eventually he came to realize that if he kept it up, he would die, and they would simply find another to take his place. Furious at the idea of dying while caged, he finally decided to accept the position he found himself in and wait for an opportunity to get free. Either he would escape, or win his freedom through time. He didn't care which, as his people live exceptionally long lives and patience comes easily to them. Ons and Offs:Billion's Los (( EdenRyvenAge:35Sexuality:Homosexual Race:Human Position:Client Personality:Adventurous | Mysterious | Stubborn | Thrill-seeker | Sarcastic Backstory:With an interest in parkour and firearms, Joseph spent most of his teen years free running through the forest and parks near his house. His father taught him to shoot and hunt from a young age in addition to this. During his college years, he took an interest in zoology. He spent time interning with various pro-animal groups, monitoring endangered species and preventing poachers from doing further harm to them. It was on some of these patrols where he began to learn that there was more to the world than simply what he'd been taught in classes. Whisperings by locals told him of mythical creatures. Things like were-creatures, monsters only heard of in dreams, and boogeymen from childhood stories all seemed to be a possibility now. There was one close encounter where another member on his team was horrifically killed by...something. He didn't get a good look, but it seemed to move with an unnatural speed. He'd never seen or heard of anything like it before. He left his degree program after that in search of answers. Years passed as he met up with groups and people similar to himself who had seen and heard impossible things. Some had even lost loved ones. He began to participate in hunts for these creatures. Others like himself who had become interested long ago and had honed their knowledge and skills led him along. He had no idea what to expect. Sometimes they found nothing, but other times, what they found was maddening. Years passed with several successful and unsuccessful hunts under his belt. He became a leader in the last year or so on some of those hunts, and he finally took down his first monstrous creature. After that, he couldn't really stop. It was the thrill of it that sent him onward. He was close to death many times, and each time, he could remember the feeling of his heart racing and the uncertainty of what might happen. He loved riding that high, but with each new hunt, he began to uncover more of the truth. These were not mindless killing monsters. They were sentient. They had emotions, drives, yearnings, and appetites. Furthermore, they were as complex as himself. He felt conflicted. He knew they were dangerous, and many had a tendency to get out of hand. Furthermore, he needed to know about them, to learn, to discover, and some part of him wanted something deeper. Ons and Offs:O/O (Pretty much he's good with anything on here. (Both of Harder's parents were human, and built their house in a small clearing in a thick forest, near a spring and beautiful flowers. They did not realize the area was enchanted with FAE energy, and when they finally had a child, his constant exposure affected his development. His birth was likely one of the most frightening/ disturbing experiences his parents endured, as he was initially born as a soft lump, leaving his parents to assume he died in development, before he slowly grew and shifted in size and shape to assume the form of his own mother. His capabilities include: ability to transform into any creature or mix of creatures he has witnessed, and given the vast library of people/animals/fungi/plants he has witnessed it allows him to easily assume new and unique forms, something as simple as a change of facial features or hair color would be near instantaneous, as a rule of thumb it takes about a second to shrink to 2/3 size or grow to 3/2 size, and no more than 3 seconds to transform into a creature of the same size; ability to reattach lost flesh/bone/blood, or otherwise recover from most physical injuries; ability to survive without food/water/air. Abilities he does not possess include: transformation into nonliving matter, replication of supernatural abilities, defiance of square-cube law, pain resistance, recovery from exposure to fire, acid or other artificial chemical reactions, expulsion of metabolic hazards etc. Position:Currently observing under the guise of a client. Personality:Altruistic, but not selfless. Egotistical at points, as he is overconfident in his own abilities, due to the sense he has never fought someone and lost anything as a result. His enemies usually remember a face and/or a name, but since he changes both so frequently he's virtually untraceable. He isn't quick to resort to violence, and often wants to know exactly what is happening around him before acting. He also enjoys transforming into people he knows and seeing how they react. Furthermore, he has had very few lasting relationships Backstory:In his world, Harder was an adventurer, a lone traveler who protected villages, magical beasts, and dissolved organized crime. However, whilst following one particular group of thieves in the form of a fly, he heard them discussing a pocket dimension, functioning as a place of refuge and safety for criminals and practitioners of dark magic, of which they had a method of entry to. One of them opened a portal with a magic ring, and without a second thought Harder followed them through. He spent a lot of time in bird form scouting out the dimension, and discovery of the rape ring named "Medea House of Wonders" was decidedly his first choice. After knocking out and taking the gear of someone he first confirmed as an assassin, he is ready to gather more information. Maybe he'll figure out the power he's up against. Or maybe he won't. Ons and Offs:IOC: On's & Off's (Harder is unafraid of bestiality, and due to regular transformation has become used to public nudity, but he is familiar with the boundaries some people have surrounded these. He has repressed desires surrounding voyeurism. (years old Sexuality:Pansexual Race:Minotaur - A half bull, half man beast with an appetite for flesh and bone. Unlike their bovine relatives, their teeth are large and sharp, and they possess sharp, thick claws and heavy horns capable of leaving their mark on most natural substances and even some man-made without sustaining damage. While coloring and size can vary between individuals, Kali stands well over the height of an average man with shoulders that dwarf most he comes face to face with. His fur is black, and his eyes are ordinarily brown but flame bright red when he is overcome by his instincts. He has several piercings and scars despite possessing healing capabilities twice as fast as that of a human. Position:Employee - Security (but also available for clients at Brothel Owners' discretion)Personality:Palliates may fit the descriptor of hulking brute, but he is far from dumb. In fact, the resident bull at Medea's is a male who strives hard to counter his savage nature with intellectual pursuits in an effort to tame himself--it is how he has managed to secure himself a job rather than residing in a prison or being slain like most of his kin over the ages. Unfortunately, looking back over the span of his lifetime easily reveals just how successful he has truly been in that regard. The big male may enjoy a good book and stimulating conversation, he may be keenly observant and able to form and execute logical plans, but some know that it only takes the right trigger to rile and reduce him to little more than a rampaging rutting animal sated only by the indulgence in his baser instincts. He may hate losing control to that degree but that does nothing to prevent it from occurring the next time and the next so Kali often takes the position of the strong silent type and leaves it at that with all but the most insistent. Those Kali forms a bond with may find him to be protective and somewhat possessive. Backstory:Firstly, yes, Palliates is in fact related totheMinotaur. The one everyone talks about as if he were the only one to exist when in fact there are indeed others. Granted, his race is not a prolific one. The volatility of his kind keep males spread far and wide lest the competition for food, mates, and other such needs lead to extinction. It was for this very reason that Kali and his brother, a brother he was incredibly close to despite their natures, were driven from the small tribe of mainly females and a few lesser males by their father once they came of age. Now his kind tend to be rather long lived--at least they are if they don't kill each other or cross paths with these so-called "heroes". His brother was one to suffer needlessly at the hands of the latter, or someone pretending to be the latter anyway, until he was a broken, mindless creature capable of nothing but being the fabled monster his kind were rumored to be. The result was a loss so profound that a grief ridden Kali rampaged and ripped his way through village after village on the trail of the culprit. Of course, being possessed of a mind more keen that those typically of his ilk meant that Kali's fervor could not last forever. Eventually he caught up to his prey and gorged himself on numerous unspeakable acts committed upon his foe and his comrades in the name of vengeance. However, after that Kali returned to find the beast that had once been his brother missing and the only trail he could find led him in a most circuitous fashion to Made's. Exhausted and utterly drained, Kali found himself tormented by many of the things he'd done. Without either his brother or his quest for vengeance to guide him the Minotaur was at a loss. In the end, he came to the brothel in search of his brother and instead a deal was struck. Kali would trade his services for information. Here he could put his skills to good use, sate whatever urges might arise to maintain control, and he'd have access of a sort to whatever information filtered in via the clients. Sure, he on occasion has to entertain as payment for more direct intel, and he's aware that leaving once he's of a mind to might be a bit tricky, but for now it all works. And because it works he figures he'll cross all those other bridges when he gets to them. If requested for a night, Kali typically has himself chained or somehow partially restrained. If he catches someone as part of his duties as security, all bets are off. Note - The character does have a human form (for the sake of those who prefer it, however, it is not meant to be a long term thing. He can only maintain it for a few hours at a time. Ons and Offs:This character is Dominant and is open to darker romance, non-con/dub-con (likely the aggressor, though a scenario where he is on the receiving end could possibly be worked out), and is willing to try most anything not specifically mentioned as a hard off. General On's for the character include face fucking, cum marking, oral, restraints, spanking/whipping, general manhandling, and fear. He will not admit to it, but the gentler side of things like petting, cuddling, general comfort, and more vanilla sex may appeal with the right partner. Hard Nos include gaping, urethral insertions and the like, more, scat, snuff, and anything foot related. Player O/Os (( is a nature spirit, known by a great many names; satyr, bananas, fleshy, etc. His race is most commonly associated with Ancient Greece and Rome, and the god Pan, who was simply a member of their race that ended up being included in the human pantheon. They are creatures of mischief, joy, passion and freedom, often playing pranks on the unsuspecting and reveling in hedonistic delights. They are half-human and half-goat in appearance, with horns, hooves and soft, shaggy fur covering the lower half of their bodies. Furthermore, they are blessed with the gift of oratory, dance, charm and musical talent, making them the ideal entertainer and wonderful company. Position:Employee Personality:Icarus lives up to his race's playful nature, as well as his namesake's lack of foresight. Impulsive, cheerful, naive and utterly at the mercy of his own whims and desires, he makes for a fun companion, but can be quite aggravating at times. What he lacks in wisdom. He makes up for in enthusiasm and a genuinely sweet nature, which means that when one of his pranks backfires, or turns out to be a bit too far, his remorse is real. That doesn't seem to stop him from pulling them, though, or pouting when he gets in trouble for one he considers harmless. Backstory:Icarus, like most of his race, was a creature of adventure and exploration, always looking for the next new place to visit or the next bed to wind up in. His first visit to Medea's was as the guest of a client, whom he had been sleeping with for a few days. He was in awe of the various creatures on offer, many of which he had never seen before, and all of which interested him to no end. He continued to visit the brothel, even after his relationship ended, and eventually decided he didn't ant to bother leaving anymore. Besides, it was cheaper to work there, rather than spending all his gold to enjoy the company of the employees. He struck up a deal with Radius to allow him to work as an entertainer and prostitute, in exchange for him being allowed to 'hire' the services of one of his fellow employees once a week. It was far easier and cheaper for him, plus it meant he got to enjoy the company of the clients as well, which didn't bother him one bit. Plenty of food, drink, conversation, dance, song and, of course, sex makes for one satisfied little satyr. Ons and Offs:Billion's Los (( ForesterquozaxAge:21Sexuality:pansexual / brace:Wolf Position:Employee Personality:Bracken is a very submissive personality. He wants and needs to please everyone else. He knows he's the bottom of the hierarchy and is fine with that. Furthermore, he knows a lot about lust, but nothing of love. To him sex equals acceptance and love. Backstory:Bracken was brought up in another dimension where humans never existed but instead authors did. He was born in a wolf pack and was immediately donned the omega of the group. The bottom rung of a very tall ladder. He was tasked with doing every odd labor nobody else would do. When he was 16, it was made clear he would be the sex toy of the pack, but would not be dominated until his 18th birthday. He was given a special pill that would turn every thing he ate into liquid waste, and it would make his anus more flexible in the process. On his 18th birthday, his pack celebrated by issuing a 12-hour gang bang on him. As he was never very loved when he was younger, he felt good that the others were paying positive attention to him. He's been the pack's sex toy for years now, and actually wouldn't change a thing. But one day he fell asleep and found himself awake in the House of Wonders. He doesn't know how he got there, but does know that his position has not changed. Ons and Offs: In a nutshell, I like most things. In this game, I would enjoy light bondage, playful spanks, multiple partners, very light watersports (no drinking it! Major off!), and other things as well. I wouldn't mind some sort of actual relationship to brew between him and another instead of just sex. (Homage:32Sexuality:AndrosexualRace:Human (note, not actually human)Position:Employee Personality:Despite his name, Deimos has a bright and engaging personality, his own form of retaliation against captivity. He is vain, with compliments and praise effective against him, though not to the neglect of all else. Backstory:Deimos suffers a mental problem that erodes memory. His recollections of a time before the House are few, jagged and tattered moments that make little sense. He has been part of the Household for some months, but still suffers from his Forgetting, where whole days vanish from his mind. CLASSIFIED Deimos is a highly sophisticated, experimental AI that is housed in a server room built in the House underbelly, given control of an android to allow him physical presence. He is unaware of his true nature - few are, as he bleeds and breathes like a human. Furthermore, he was installed by his creator who is seeking more organic reactions to intense emotional and physical strain - Deimos was made, in large part, to feel fear, terror, dread, and his lapses in memory are to keep him from adjusting to it. Those with supernatural senses may be able to tell what he is, or at least what he is not. Ons and Offs:O/Os (- open to clients asking for more... exotic (variants (with enough money and time, any form can be accommodated) (is a creature from the FAE worlds. Small, soft iridescent feathers grow from the corners of his eyes and fan back into his hair like a bird's wings. Similar downy soft feathers grow along the tops of his forearms and along his outer thighs. Pale blue eyes match the blue/green/purple hues of his hair and feathers. Cello also has a sweet singing voice. Position:Unwilling employee Personality:Haughty, arrogant, and vain. Cello cares a lot about his appearance. Even if he doesn't like someone, he'll make sure he looks damn fine while he's sending them judgmental looks. With his silver tongue and looks, Cello often has no problem getting what he wants, so be wary when making deals with him. He also remembers those who wrong him, and doesn't forgive easily. He also doesn't like people touching his things. However, when you see past his lies and beauty, a cantankerous, argumentative bird shows its feathers. Backstory:Cello lived a life similar to the sirens that drew sailors to their deaths in the unforgiving oceans. However, he used his sweet songs and beauty to tempt unwary travelers into deadly traps in order to protect his patch of the forest and take whatever the travelers carried. He acquired and hoarded many beautiful pieces of jewelry in this way, until he attracted the attention of the wrong traveler and was very recently brought to live at the House of Wonders. He's still an unwilling employee and has already bitten several fingers that made the mistake of poking past the bars of his cage. Cello resents the man who brought him here and dislikes the noise and activity of the House. As of now, he has no interest in becoming an employee of the House, and wants to return to his lair and his hoarded treasures. Ons and Offs:O/Os (Cello will likely be on the receiving end of any non-con scenes. Rough sex -- wearing him down and exhausting him -- is something I could see playing out. He also might be on the receiving end of temporary marks -- bruises, scratches, bites, or hickeys, but nothing permanent. Cello guards this secret with his life, but scalp massages, especially under the long feathers, make him melt. (JanesenIntimate Linkage:"Complicated" -- Unknown (Phantom)Sexuality:OmnisexualRace:Possessed Follower / Phantom of The Wild Hunt ((Primarily)Personality:Arrogant | Charismatic | Cold | Inquisitive | Noble | Ruthless Backstory:Little is known of what Dark was before the phantom possessed him; he was a shamanistic follower of ancient ways, and depending on one's perspective either was given the ultimate boon or made the ultimate sacrifice of being possessed and consumed by his ethereal host. Dark is a hunter and a huntsman in every sense of the word; it is his essence, and the world according to him is a system of predator and prey relationships -- even the strongest of predators in his eyes, mind you, is far from being immune to also wearing the dangerous mantle of prey. The spirit that inhabits Dark became corporeal to better know and experience these relationships, which made his initial arrangement with the Medea brothers an intuitive one. An establishment such as theirs valued the prized, elusive, rare, and unsullied among the wilderness after all, and as the consummate hunter, Dark thrilled in the prospect of adding to the brothers' collection. A captive, after all, was in many ways a quiet trophy to Dark, a reminder of his own victory. To seek a position in the halls where a number of his trophies existed, then, was a move he made without hesitation and for a purpose none other than glory. His position now is largely to track those unfortunates who work for the brothers' against their will and attempt escape. He takes his position very seriously, particularly if the escapee is among the ranks of those that he himself initially secured. Dark is not above either partaking in the services of The House of Wonders or providing services himself if management approves, though due to his dedication for his primary duties, he can be a bit cagey about being put in an overly-precarious position. Derk seems little motivated by anything but the love of the hunt and glory, asking or wanting little in the way of material compensation for his skills. Those things are for the minds like the Medea brothers, an arrangement that he is by all accounts satisfied with. Ons and Offs:I don't have anything particularly character specific in mind yet, and am interested in going with the flow and seeing what kind of stories develop. Obviously, I do ask that any played-out scenes stay in the realm of my own On's and Offs (however. (elemental. Verdi is a member of a mostly-humanoid race that draws their life force and power from sensations and emotions such as anger, joy, and sadness - his happens to be pain. His regenerative abilities are frightening, allowing him to survive injuries that would kill even other supernatural beings. He still feels everything, both while it's happening and as it's healing. Position:Employee Personality:Whatever sinister images the phrase "pain elemental" might conjure up, Verdi is not those. With an angelic face, Verdi has a serene, calming disposition, prone to soft smiles and gentle words. He seems to genuinely care for the well-being of those around him, and always has a kind word for anyone who needs it. He has a well-hidden manipulative and mischievous streak, however. A new arrival in the pocket dimension, he tends to speak strangely, often sounding overly poetic or downright bizarre. He's still trying to adjust his speech to be more easily understood. The people who take him to bed know his other side - a frenzied creature who always needs more, more, more; who pushes himself and others to a point of reckless danger and can't be satisfied until someone'screaming for mercy. Backstory:Verdi doesn't like talking about his home dimension, and actually seems much happier here at the House. Members of his species who fed on pain were either feared as insatiable monsters or used without care. Here he can at least choose between the two, though he often prefers the latter. Although he's a relatively new acquisition, he's fitting in nicely, always on his best behavior (until he's paid not to be). Ons and Offs:O/O's. ("Excessive gore" is my one "off" that's a bit more negotiable with Verdi, because I can see writing out some Roger scenes if an interested party wants to. The boy is a goddamn freak. He mostly bottoms and literally lives off of being hurt and hurting others. I'd like some rough and/or NC scenes with him on the receiving end, but I'm also willing to try writing him as a top at some point. We'll go with the flow! (is a demonic entity from a he'll dimension. He has the ability to mold his own flesh and that of others to a high degree of detail. The process can be either painless or excruciating, depending upon his whims and the crafting he chooses to perform. This skill extends to melding the flesh of two or more different creatures, replacing organs or limbs of one being with those of another and, just plain toying with the flesh of his victims as if it were modeling clay. He lacks the horns that adorn the art of more traditional demons, unless he's feeling kicky and molds some for himself from his bone, but he has a long, Nixonesque tail, pointed ears and sharp, black claws that allow him to climb walls and even cling to ceilings. He's gifted with supernatural strength, dexterity and speed, as well as the ability to manipulate fire and teleport, including between dimensions. Position:Client Personality:Mass is a pure sociopath, utterly self-centered, minus empathy or compassion, and focused only on indulging his own desires and pleasures at the expense of others. Highly intelligent and constantly exploring the surrounding worlds, he can be an interesting conversationalist, if he's of a mind to be, but he grows bored with people easily and when he's bored he tends to find...other ways of entertaining himself. His interest in anatomy and physiology leads to some fairly horrific experimentation, and sometimes he breaks his toys, but it's all in the name of science and the pursuit of knowledge...sort of. Backstory:Passage came to being in a hell dimension of fire, ice, pain and chaos. The dimension warped perception, birthed horrors, broke all natural laws and was populated only with the mad. His soul, if he could be said to possess one, bloomed and flourished in the insanity, and he thrived among the jagged peaks of frozen rock so cold it burned the flesh and geysers of flame so hot it ignited the very air. He began experimenting with his powers on the spawn of the world, but soon grew tired of their mindless pain and simple anatomy, so primitive and uninspiring. Luckily, he knew of other worlds, dimensions with complex, sentient, lucid creatures, and he knew how to travel between those dimensions. In his tireless travels, he discovered the House of Wonders and was intrigued by the ever-expanding menu of exotic bodies to play with. He promised Radius that he would repair any damage he caused to the employees at the end of his sessions with them, and even agreed to tip Herodion off to any interesting new wonders he came across in his travels. In exchange, he is allowed to pay visits to the house and play with their toys whenever he likes, for a slightly increased price, of course. After all, he can return his playthings to their physical factory settings, no matter how extreme his playtime gets, but there's no fixing what the experience does to their minds. At least, hecan't fix it. Ons and Offs:This character is pretty damn extreme, and scenes with him could include body horror, blood play, knife play, mutilation, gore and light more. I will respect any Offs, of course, and we can always skim over certain details if they are too quickly. He's not just into physical torture, but psychological and emotional as well, so please let me know beforehand if there are any potential triggers I should avoid! Billion's Los (( FelidaeCrawlAge:26Sexuality:homosexual Race:Human enchanter/wizard - Felix was born in a dimension quite similar to contemporary earth. In his homeland any person has the ability to study and perform magic, but one can only be born an Enchanter. Enchanters tend to draw magic and magical beings to themselves like a magnet. It is a common myth that only the seventh son of a seventh son is an enchanter. The most impressive of Enchanters can manipulate time and space itself, some become something not entirely human. Felix However is a fairly underwhelming one. He can handle simple magic like telekinesis and can turn into a cat at will but must draw on magical items to perform other kinds of magic. Position:Employee (butler/housekeeping)Personality:A complicated young man whose experiences have granted him a dark sense of humor. Generally Felix is very serious and earnest towards both the brothers and his job. But has a playful side and has been known to tease the other staff. Due to some experiences he tends to avoid becoming attached to any of the ‘regular’ employees. He has more than once cleaned up after the results of a particularly violent client and has no illusions about how dangerous Medea can be. His affection and interest are like that of a cat, feigned aloof and attracted to those who least return the favor. Backstory:Despite being a rather plain figure who should blend into the background of Medea, A human with a pleasant face and unremarkable stature, there is a plethora of rumors that float around about him. Either about how he came to be working at Medea despite his being a young enchanter or about the nature of his abilities. Some whisper about the old myth that enchanter’s like cats have nine lives and that perhaps the Medea brothers have a tight fist on all nine of them. None of these concern Felix as he willingly spends his days working hard to keep the House of Wonders presentable. Coming to the brothel saved him from being stripped of his magic, and potentially his life. While working at the brothel isn’t necessarily a dream, but he’s immensely grateful to the brothers. He can often be seen using his magic to clean or cook. When not working he can sometimes be found having a nap in the garden. He secretly harbors a love for piano and gardening. Ons and Offs:Crawls O&O’s (prefers a light romp with a bit of kink but has antagonized more aggressive pursuits toward himself before. (T'Sarah l'KlithopheSparrowhawkeAge:137Sexuality:Unisexual/Demi-romantic Race:Ilthraak'ESS is a Driver, a species from Must V'Neil. He hails from a harsh culture, where only the strongest survive. Position:Part-time employee Personality:Ultra'less is quiet and keeps to himself, in part due to his struggle to grasp speaking other languages, and a fairly strong case of culture shock that doesn't seem to be fading any time soon. He is part of a predatory and not particularly social species, and so the sociable atmosphere present at the brothel is strange and a little disturbing. He has a very loose set of morals, given that his race preys on both sentient and non-sentient beings within his own worlds, and cannibalism is not unheard of if still rare. Sex and food are very heavily tied, but one of the brothers seem to have managed to extract a promise from him that he is not to attempt to eat anyone at the brothel, client or employee. As such he will rarely enter the brothel on an empty stomach, as such restraint makes him distinctly uncomfortable. Backstory:Ultra'less had, up to the point of his 'invitation,' lived the life of a solitary hunter. His contact with other members of his species sparing, and often brief, though enough that he has developed language and some concept of culture. Even if that 'culture' is vastly different from other intelligent species'. No doubt at least a part of his invitation was due to his races' ability to produce an extremely potent aphrodisiac that is used to subdue their prey, making them much more pliable as either meals, hosts for eggs, or simply enjoyment. His race are unique in the fact that they experience no sexual attraction towards members of their own species, as eggs are fertilized within the bodies of the hosts. Ons and Offs:Link! (- I am up for noncom and dubcon with Ultra'less as the aggressor. He is also open forovipositionscenes. (around 22, approximately 87 years old, though he can't remember for sure. Sexuality:Unsure Race:Neophilia - Earth Position:Employee Personality:Morgan is a timid individual, though there is more strength at the core of him than even he realizes. Decades of torture, gaslighting and manipulation have twisted his perceptions of almost everything, and while he is terrified of bad things happening to him, he tends to seek them out in equal measure. The poor boy is scared of most things and people, though he craves proper relationships more than anything. He hates being alone, but will often isolate himself as a form of self-punishment or out of fear. Backstory:Morgan was, up until his early twenties, a perfectly ordinary human male. He's still not sure of what brought the creature's attention, but somehow he caught the eye of an angel. Unfortunately for him, he quickly learned that angels weren't all fluffy wings and love, like most media would have had him believe. No one ever told him just how many eyes they have. He was taken in as the creature's 'pet,' and given the power to return to life after dying. He discovered this after the first night of both physical and psychological torture, after which he was left for a time to try and piece his life back together. Furthermore, he had almost succeeded by the second visit, which was as traumatizing as the first. The cycle of these 'visits,' coupled with the fact that he was no longer aging, meant his relationships with other humans quickly broke down. He was forced to move from place to place, never getting established enough to find work or shelter, having to live off the streets and quickly resorting to selling his body for money. It wasn't long before he took to alcohol and drug use, trying to find ways to feel a little bit better for a while. As the years turned to decades, his mind began to cope with what was happening to him by trying to find control wherever he could. He began to 'sin' intentionally, triggering the visits to become even more brutal. He also began to seek similar experiences outside these visits, intentionally starting fights that he couldn't win, and trying to be wherever he thought trouble would come. Now, close to seven decades later, he has been 'gifted' to the brothel by the angel, where he is popular with those of more extreme tastes. It seems nothing is 'off-limits' for him, as no matter how severely he is mutilated, he heals back to his healthy state within a few hours of dying. Ons and Offs:Link! (only off here, really, is scat. Everything else I am down to have done to him or have him do. (of the Subscale clan (can also translate to Distasteful-Beauty, Vile-Delight or Poisoned-Perfection Dim Homage:35Sexuality:Homosexual Race:Apposition:Employee (Security detail)Personality:Bitter-Grace has a powerful resting bitch face, and often looks to be sullen and glaring even though he's daydreaming. He does have a temper, but he often works through it in training, and no-one has come to undue harm from his aggression yet. His bad moods, though vicious, are infrequent, and his usual disposition is quiet and contemplative. He has a creative streak, and enjoys teasing tunes from instruments. He abhors people he doesn't know, loathes to be touched except those he thinks of as his clan Backstory:Bitter-Grace was raised in a mercenary-trader clan, trading good from their home world and selling their skills to those who would travel with them. Furthermore, he learned from his sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles how to fight, how to value goods and how to move between worlds. It was almost a charmed life, ill luck always staying away. It was not unsurprising the clan was approached by the Medea brothers, seeking trained fighters to secure their home. Bitter-Grace was picked to go he has lasted in that position a good many years - sometimes returning to the clan for a season but always coming back. The long-term staff know by know some of his sign language, enough to keep up a conversation. Ons and Offs:O/Os - Bitter-Grace is open for consensual and nonconsensual scenes. He’ll only initiate sex with those he is familiar and comfortable with. (( TeagsonRyvenAge:26Sexuality:Homosexual Race:Human Position:Neither? (Future employee maybe)Personality:Rodrick is known to be a bit cocky, but that is because he is good at what he does. He has a sharp with and a sharper tongue which does get him in a lot of trouble when not in check, but he doesn't run into trouble with it too often because he rarely stays in one place for very long. He keeps mostly to himself because he always likes to seek out the next thrill and the next job. A thief by trade, he's made many friends and even more enemies along the way. Backstory:Born to a poor family in a large city, he took to the streets as early as he could remember. He grew up learning tricks in the shadows that could help him survive. When he was old enough, he stole for his family to survive. He took on small jobs in a local thieves guild, building a small amount of cred there until he was old enough to strike out on his own. He traveled to and from the city of his home to other cities where he could pull bigger jobs for more money, but eventually, he'd have to leave when he'd caused too much trouble for him to stay. There were only so many jewels one could steal without being noticed. At one point, he stole something more valuable and dangerous than jewels. He never asked what or why, but he did complete the job. Unfortunately, wind of what he had done got back to those in power, and he's been dodging their far-reaching hand ever since. He still manages to work, but his home turf is no longer safe. He's been traveling further and further out to keep himself off the radar of his enemies. Little does he know that his next job is a clever trap laid out by the one he's been running from. Ons and Offs:O/O (

The Medea House of Wonders [Character Sheets]|rating:3.0

OOC for Frelancers_ Tight Quarters

IOC for Freelancers: Tight Quarters This is going to be a sci-fi thread, based on the ideas in RedHairedandFriendly's story that recently came out, Ice Racer. A great story, and I hope many more to follow it! Since she is planning that to be a series, we came up with something similar to run as a thread. Three freelancers on a small ship (tight quarters) and are currently involved with each other. They take on various jobs to earn enough to keep their bellies full and their ship repaired. What we need are friends, allies, employers, targets (for bounty hunting jobs), etc. We'll work stuff out here in the IOC thread, and keep the IC thread for the story. Ship:Libertine Bounty– small transport that's been modified to suit their purposes; sacrificing the 2nd crew quarters for a prison cell, and extra cargo room. Upgraded weapons, and faster engines. Crew:Debut “Hawk” - tserancJaynnah Fawn – RedHairedandfriendlyT&A TBA – save_Marlon with, or sit against us: we need folks to help write out our various adventures! There will be MFM play and FF play between the three crew members and possibly/probably between the folks they are hired by, or the folks they are trying to capture.IC Thread Up!!! Could I join? I love SF. Target, ally, anything really would be fine for me. Sounds fun. I have to get the crew in here, and we'll all post a bio so that everyone knows who the characters are. Draw up a character and maybe a plan/plot for you interaction with them. I soon can't wait to get this going. Here's an idea for a possible character. If it doesn't agree with what you had in mind, just tell me and I'll gladly come up with something else. Colonel Derek Tum was one of the most committed followers of Drama, the dictatorial regime that governed Lumen IX. He commanded the 9th Hammer Squadron, one of the Drama military's most feared enforcement branches and perpetrators of some of the regime's worse atrocities. The Hammers were assigned on frontier duty, waging an unofficial war against the border forces of the neighboring Pagan system, when a revolution on Lumen IX overthrew Drama and instituted a democratic government. Even most of the military supported the revolution, as Drama had become corrupt and ineffectual. Tum was one of the few who opposed the change, especially when one of the government's first acts was to order his arrest on charges of crimes against sentience. On his command ship, Tum's loyalists massacred those who opposed him, before fleeing into the unknown. Rumors have connected him with a new wave of piracy near the Inner Worlds. The government of Lumen IX has put up a sizeable bounty for him to be delivered, alive, for judgment. As for interactions with the main three, my ideas are:-They take the Lu been bounty on him (obvious)-He might try to hire them to join his nascent pirate crew-He might capture one of them-Any of the above looks pretty good to me, I'll leave red and save_ weigh in here. You'd play the colonel? Yeah, and any of his associates as needed (others would be welcome to play them, of course). Sounds great! I hope this hasn't been forgotten? I was really looking forward to it. It hasn't been forgotten. I've had online issues. Oh no, not forgotten, Save_ is going to be moving, and Red has been busy over the holiday weekend, and I have been rebuilding my home network. So it will take place, just might be a slow start. But this thread will not die, I won't let it. Ah, good. (Not to the issues, that it hasn't been forgotten). Didn't mean to sound impatient. Therein said: Oh no, not forgotten, Save_ is going to be moving, and Red has been busy over the holiday weekend, and I have been rebuilding my home network. So it will take place, just might be a slow start. But this thread will not die, I won't let it. Click to expand... Yeah. . .online issues were a factor too. Save, however has said during her moving process we can move her if needed. I've done stuff like that before, but always with permission, or if a person disappears for a long period of time. Then they are slipped away and not interacted with again, till their writer comes back. THIS WILL HAPPEN WITH THIS THREAD TOO! Diodes “Hawk” - Tall, even for a human, making his otherwise medium build look deceptively thin. Naturally brown hair usually looking like he came directly from bed, or worn in spikes when on the job to look more intimidating. His ice blue eyes look amused at everything. Rugged cargo pants with plenty of pockets, a form fitting shirt, and a utility jacket. His blaster never far from his hip. He kept true to his fictional hero from 20th century fiction, Han Solo. Acquired the Libertine Bounty by stealing it from a poorly secured spaceport, while fleeing a gambler he had lost to....big. Now he flies with his two companions that he had met through his travels, taking any jobs that he felt he could accomplish, and live to talk about. Hannah Fawn Age: 26 Eyes: Brown Hair: Short and Red, though she will color it on occasion. Height: 5'5"Build: AverageJaynnah Fawn met Debut “Hawk” and joined the Libertine Bounty after she tried to pick Hawk’s pocket. A girl from the streets, she’s used her body and her wits to survive. Debut gave her a choice, help him locate a bounty that was in her village, or deal with the local law enforcement. After the job Hawk paid Hannah, and she decided to stow away on his ship, later becoming a partner with him in all ways, besides helping out with the bounty. She’s a self-educated Science geek and Medical Doctor. Hawk couldn’t have afforded a licensed one, even if he wanted to. Thanks to Red for pointing me to this! Yup, I'd love to join in... I was thinking a rival bounty hunter LOL, nice twist. Maybe rivals with a history of butting heads? Got a whole your crew vs my crew pissing contest thing going on? Therein said: LOL, nice twist. Maybe rivals with a history of butting heads? Got a whole your crew vs my crew pissing contest thing going on? Click to expand... Would certainly make for a good recurring character, not to mention it adds the possibility of adding in a few more people into my crew... that it does >8^) death lynx said: Thanks to Red for pointing me to this! Yup, I'd love to join in... I was thinking a rival bounty hunter Click to expand... I think that is a great idea. Another rival going after the same bounties should be fun. I look forward to it. Hopefully save will be along soon, so we can get started. Red DansonDashing, rugged, devilishly charming. A Captain at only 28 years old, commanding the Regent, a well tested battleship for the Unified Alliance. (or whatever government there is at the moment)A paladin of the old ways, his mindset is that of some ancient knight, dashing at windmills to save his lady fair. He believes in honor and has a moral code for everything. He would never think of putting any maiden in a compromising position. A crew (perhaps) of two, his new assignment has been to eliminate unwanted pirates, arsonists, freelancers and ne'er-do-wells. Even graffiti artists if he comes across them. A hard lean body, strong, perfect teeth, impeccable smile (brushes every day and goes to the dentist twice a year) always wears a flawless tight form fitting uniform and has yet to touch a drop of alcohol, except for an occasional glass of wine for very special occasions. Known to get the job done and has yet to fail on a mission. His record is as flawless as his olive tanned skin. He also has a bit of a reputation, well known throughout the galaxy (universe, solar system... whatever) RedHairedandFriendly said: I think that is a great idea. Another rival going after the same bounties should be fun. I look forward to it. Click to expand... Sort of a respected rivalry thing? Maybe a (sometimes) ex-lover of one or more of the crew? Heck, same could be true of my crew...that could be why they signed on with him Hopefully save will be along soon, so we can get started. Click to expand... Save? I'm confused... LOL ok first time I read that Pooh, I thought you wrote Ted Dawson...and it was all a joke. But then I saw Red...so it's not as funny anymore.Let's see, Save_Marley should be on tonight-is to post her bio. As far as ex-lovers go, I'm guessing this is a pretty small galaxy - should make for some interesting encounters and drama. Pooh - sounds like you're shooting for the whole antagonist, super Fed type thing. I guess that could work, so long as you don't mine one (or more) freelancers becoming a thorn in his side. That would work better than 'just another' ship/crew thrown in the mix with an agenda. A big picture kinda self righteous bad guy sounds much more fun lol Oh, and what the hell guys? Am I the only one that can bringing the chica's? Let's get some more ladies up in here. And don't friggin' tell me It's because girls don't dig Sci-fi...there are geek women out there...It's not just a myth like the G spot... 8^)On a related, and more serious note(ish) note. I'd like to do any recruiting for this thread by word of mouth from those in it. I'm a picky bastard, and I like talented writers that would enjoy the thread, not just posting in the "threads that need players' thread and living with whatever the cat drags in. Well, I'm perfectly capable of writing female characters and have done them in RP before... My rival captain could always be a "she" if we can't find more authors I'm going to have a hard time remembering Red's not me, when referring to Pooh's character. Motion pooh's character's name be changed to Ted. Al Lin favor, say Cheers! That's bad Therein. . .terrible. I have an idea for you all. Prey for the Bounty hunters. She would be wanted for smuggling at the moment. Name:Jaylene MacNamara Height:5'6"Weight:145 pounds Hair Color:Purple (dyed)Eye Color:Blue Age:28Bio:Jaylene has been on her own since she came of age. Unable to find work she fell into crime. No one specific crime is beneath her, and she will do whatever she has to survive. She is predominantly a thief, but she has a rap sheet including second degree murder, piracy, prostitution, theft, assault and battery, kidnapping, and smuggling. She is a competent marks woman as well as very dangerous with hand-to-hand combat and various other "melee" weapons. But her weapon of first choice is seduction. Appearance:See attachment. Yeah, I thought some super Ego would be lots of fun to play if he were in a position of power. Also, lots of places to take him, especially on such an interesting background. Sorry Red, I looked at your character and didn't see any nickname, so I stole it. Wouldn't mind changing it to Ted though, if people prefer. Or maybe Norm, that way people can shout my name whenever I enter an intergalactic bar. Hee he, I did say he had a reputation. No, not her nickname, mine. Keep Red. . .not Ted. . . Wildfire said: I have an idea for you all. Prey for the Bounty hunters. She would be wanted for smuggling at the moment. Name: Jaylene MacNamara Height: 5'6" Weight: 145 pounds Hair Color: Purple (dyed) Eye Color: Blue Age: 28 Bio: Jaylene has been on her own since she came of age. Unable to find work she fell into crime. No one specific crime is beneath her, and she will do whatever she has to survive. She is predominantly a thief, but she has a rap sheet including second degree murder, piracy, prostitution, theft, assault and battery, kidnapping, and smuggling. She is a competent marks woman as well as very dangerous with hand-to-hand combat and various other "melee" weapons. But her weapon of first choice is seduction. Click to expand... Thesis the story, although I'm not sure if this is supposed to be set in the exact same universe or just a similar one. Would you be interested in having Jaylene be in my character's crew? Wouldn't have to be a permanent affair or anything, bur she seems like the type of person he would resort to hiring in is state (no offense). Magbeam said: This is the story, although I'm not sure if this is supposed to be set in the exact same universe or just a similar one. Would you be interested in having Jaylene be in my character's crew? Wouldn't have to be a permanent affair or anything, bur she seems like the type of person he would resort to hiring in is state (no offense). Click to expand... The thread idea came because of that story, but names of planets, galaxies and the such are open at the moment. No ideas from this thread will go in the creation of the stories that follow Ice Racer. Magbeam said: This is the story, although I'm not sure if this is supposed to be set in the exact same universe or just a similar one. Would you be interested in having Jaylene be in my character's crew? Wouldn't have to be a permanent affair or anything, bur she seems like the type of person he would resort to hiring in is state (no offense). Click to expand... She would be willing to join only as an escape from the heroes Mag. She's a bit of a loner by nature. The basic persona of Jaylene would be a cross of Indra and Jayne from the series Firefly. Or... she could start as a prisoner being transported on my ship, and several freelancer pirate types could both come and try to rescue/save/take her for their own personal reasons. Wildfire said: She would be willing to join only as an escape from the heroes Mag. She's a bit of a loner by nature. The basic persona of Jaylene would be a cross of Indra and Jayne from the series Firefly. Click to expand... I like her. Welcome to the thread. RedHairedandFriendly said: I like her. Welcome to the thread. Click to expand... Glad to be here. Poohlive said: Or... she could start as a prisoner being transported on my ship, and several freelancer pirate types could both come and try to rescue/save/take her for their own personal reasons. Click to expand... That idea could work as a last second thing. But I think the idea of having the heroes run her into the ship of competitors would be more amusing. Bio for possibly joining this thread. Seeing has how you need bad guys in this type of environment I wouldn't mind being a mark. Simon RaynesAge: 29 Eyes: Greenware: Short Light Brown with red high lights. Height: 5"11Build:Athletic Simon grew up an average life but wanted more. He liked the way things came easy in the criminal world. He became a pirate and smuggler for the money and power that came with the trade. Unfortunately he has a small temper which lead him into trouble. When a payment deal went wrong he killed a couple of important people and has been on the run ever since. He is a deadly pioneer with a short fuse. He loves to cause trouble and has eluded security teams for over seven years. Simon is popular within the criminal community he has contacts with a lot of infamous people. Simon is a smooth talker and loves to go to the drinking spots and blend with the locals. PMed User with some thoughts... I'll get back on character specifics after that Very cool Jon. Sure, I'm still up, but I work this shift... Do you ever sleep? Deathlynx said: Sure, I'm still up, but I work this shift... Do you ever sleep? Click to expand... Yes, but I had to get kids up for school. Posting a very quick "non-bio"... I will flesh it out later, when I've got more time to play. My apologies to everyone for holding up this thread - it's great to see so much interest! My character will be the pilot and third member of the team. I honestly haven't had a lot of time to think about this yet, but will get a proper character bio up ASAP. Please start without me, and I will catch up soon! I'm in the middle of a big move, and am I getting dirty looks every time I hit the computer when I should be packing! I'll join you as soon as I can!! Save_Marley said: Posting a very quick "non-bio"... I will flesh it out later, when I've got more time to play. My apologies to everyone for holding up this thread - it's great to see so much interest! My character will be the pilot and third member of the team. I honestly haven't had a lot of time to think about this yet, but will get a proper character bio up ASAP. Please start without me, and I will catch up soon! I'm in the middle of a big move, and am I getting dirty looks every time I hit the computer when I should be packing! I'll join you as soon as I can!! Click to expand... Enjoy your move. We'll drag ya along till you can get back here and be all naughty with us. Yes, I am very excited about this thread, and all the people that seem to be jumping aboard. I tried sci-fi here on lit before, but I got a good feeling about this one. I am going to try and start an IC thread here soon, probably start off with the crew, and everyone else establishing a bit of background and then picking up a job/mark. Mind if I join? If it's okay that I join, I had a character idea as a Target; bounty thing. Haha. Name: Lilia; only name known. Age: 25sex: Female height: 5'9"hair: black eyes: hazel body type: curvy, but thin and muscular description: She has long raven-black hair and slightly pale skin. Her eyes are hazel and change colors at times. Her legs are powerful and quite long. She has 36C breasts and long thin arms. She has a lotus flower tattoo on her stomach under her bellybutton and what looks like a bonsai (spelling?) tree on her right rib. High cheek bones and soft lips that fit her face nicely. Her eyes look fierce, and her jawline gives her a slightly intimidating but sexy look. As for clothes she is usually in black cargo pants, combat boots, some kind of skin tight t-shirt and a leather jacket. Weapons of all sorts are hidden on her, but she would rather use her body as a weapon than other things.bio: Ever since a young age Lilia or as people she knew or people that knew her called "Lili" she was always causing mischief from pulling the fire alarms in a building all the way to Grand Theft Auto. And that was just her adolescence. After she was sent to a juvenile correction facility at 14 and escaped 6 months later, she was on her own. A lot of people say she died since no one heard from her since she escaped, the ads that went up for her slowly went away as she kept out of the "crime life" for some time. She re-appeared a few months ago lurking around in the middle of no where on a stolen spacecraft. People that had seen her didn't have much to say since she never lets them live long enough to tell anyone. Her crimes that she has been convicted of but has no hard evidence against her consist of murder, grand theft, arms trafficking, and breaking and entering. She has been suspected of these crimes, but nothing at the time is held to highly against her but is still wanted for the crimes under which she is charged and should be penalized for. Her bounty is high since she is quite a sneaky one to grab, always getting away before she is caught; but is a high priority for questioning and having to serve the jail time she escaped from.~ I hope that works! The idea kinda popped in my head. Lol. If it doesn't or doesn't go along with the story real well just tell me (preferably nicely) and I'll change anything that needs to be changed. Awesome. ^_^ welcome aboard! But quick question are, you are a convict (and they have proof) or just highly suspected....bop kinda confusing there Therein said: welcome aboard! But quick question are, you are a convict (and they have proof) or just highly suspected....bop kinda confusing there Click to expand... I should have specified a bit better. She is a convict for certain crimes in the sense that they KNOW it's her and have evidence and everything. But she is also highly suspected of other crimes they can't quite pin on her yet. If that makes sense. Haha. If it needs to be one or the other let me know. She's a bit of a feisty one. Lol.I'm really excited about this thread! can't wait for it to start. Convict of some, suspect of many, got it Therein said: convict of some, suspect of many, got it Click to expand... yup!now I'm antsy. Haha. Waiting for the IC thread.....I get a bit impatient when there's a thread idea that I absolutely love. Hehe Arch "The Gator" started hunting bounties to prove himself. He always felt in the shadow of his "big brother" Debut and needed to prove he was just as capable. He never grew quite as tall as his older brother but grew wider. When standing together he ends up looking downright stocky in comparison though he's not that much broader. As with his size, genetics were quite as kind to him in other areas. His hairline has begun to recede already, and while his brother's ice blue eyes intimidate, his paler, gray, eyes simply lack depth. He is typically found wearing a long, black, duster and tight black pants. All of which emphasize his powerful, if not well toned, physique. Although very rarely seen without his coat, he is almost always found wearing a turquoise tank top beneath. Seen alone, this reveals numerous tattoos and a slight gut he never seems to be able to get rid of. To those few who've seen it he explains it off as living for too long eating at pubs and similarly disreputable establishments. His own ship, False Pride, started life as a light freighter. Arch spent the first two years hauling freight before he could afford the first, of many, upgrades in order to turn his ship into a proper vessel for hunting down bounties. Since that time he has made more than enough scores to improve his ship and even hire a crew. Unfortunately he has never made the single score large enough to convince himself he is indeed the better sibling.Currently, he left his ship to the crew to run a 'personal errand' while he continues to track down bounties. He continues on in the small fighter he bought for just this purpose. It is fast and maneuverable and can hold four people, or two hunters and a bound captive. w00t! Great character death. Hey. As I said in the PM to you T, I'm willing to do whatever extras work is required. If you need a part for a few posts, let me know! RedHairedandFriendly said: w00t! Great character death. Click to expand... Huh? Is the IC thread up already? Thank you, Red! And if anyone wants to know about his nickname they'll need to find a way to get it out of him IC somehow And I don't think it's up yet... Red mentioned a link would be posted here when it does... I think she meant the bio I posted a few above... death lynx said: Thank you, Red! And if anyone wants to know about his nickname they'll need to find a way to get it out of him IC somehow And I don't think it's up yet... Red mentioned a link would be posted here when it does... I think she meant the bio I posted a few above... Click to expand... Reading her post again I see that. To all interested parties:I am currently medically stupid for the next few days (frigging doctors.) I have the attention span of a drunk ferret on crack. That said, I am trying! Promise! I will work to get a IC thread up, and make sure Red here helps to sanity check the thing for everyone's benefit. Therein said: To all interested parties: I am currently medically stupid for the next few days (frigging doctors.) I have the attention span of a drunk ferret on crack. That said, I am trying! Promise! I will work to get a IC thread up, and make sure Red here helps to sanity check the thing for everyone's benefit. Click to expand... So, what have they got you on Tern? Whatever it is it sounds like you got the good stuff. Wildfire said: So, what have they got you on Tern? Whatever it is it sounds like you got the good stuff. Click to expand... I love it when he is drugged. I get away with murder. RedHairedandFriendly said: I love it when he is drugged. I get away with murder. Click to expand... lol. Then I guess you have a few days of murder to get away with then. Oh, and more side/random thoughts to type before I forget again! I love how many targets we have, but some of the bounty jobs seem kinda...finite in their very concept. Death lynx has an awesome char and idea with this rivalry thing I think, and if at all possible I'd love to see him get his crew built up. Other options would be the 'contacts' that we're freelancing crews would need in order to track down, or hide out from various sorts of folks out there. Just some thoughts. Oh, they got me on like some damned super antihistamine (thank you Firefox 2.0 and your automatic spell checker!) which always send me for some nice trips. That and some crazy steroids....- let this be a lesson to ya all...careful where you put your hands...not sure where they hell I put mine, but I reacted poorly to some fucking thing lol Therein said: oh, they got me on like some damned super antihistamine (thank you Firefox 2.0 and your automatic spell checker!) which always send me for some nice trips. That and some crazy steroids.... - let this be a lesson to ya all...careful where you put your hands...not sure where they hell I put mine, but I reacted poorly to some fucking thing lol Click to expand... Ye argh! Might as well be tweaking. Lol, almost the opposite - I am hello sleepy. Those antihistamines knock me on my ass - I am able to be up typing now because I in took a copious amount of caffeine to get through my work day lol Therein said: lol, almost the opposite - I am hello sleepy. Those antihistamines knock me on my ass - I am able to be up typing now because I in took a copious amount of caffeine to get through my work day lol Click to expand... Oh joy, you're one of those types. I climb the walls on that stuff. Wildfire said: lol. Then I guess you have a few days of murder to get away with then. Click to expand... w00t!!!! I do so enjoy getting away with it. RedHairedandFriendly said: w00t!!!! I do so enjoy getting away with it. Click to expand... Don't we all? I just wish I could do it more often. Well, I made sure to have my crew listed as off on another job so that we can bring them in all at once or piecemeal... Heck, there's even room for more in the fighter... I'm thinking two to three others in the crew...probably 4 because he does have an inferiority complex, and to prove that 3 isn't some magic number in their universe... LOL, sounds good man, yeah, a transport and a fighter...def got big bro issues! Sounds like fun! IC Thread Up!!! Therein said: IC Thread Up!!! Click to expand... Looking good! So is there an order of posts for this? (sorry never done this before) Well, red has been referred to directly, but all can feel free to do an "and elsewhere in the galaxy this was going on..." posts to into their characters. Since I'm betting my target won't be around for a very long time, I'd be willing to play one of Lynx's crew afterward. Oh, also, how will you get wind of the bounty work? Will you just land on the planet and read about it, or should I post as some kind of official who notifies you? Well, with the absence of any contacts - yeah, we'll need an NPC to interact with long enough to give them the job, and tel them what to do with the target and where to collect the money. I can do the NPC work, or you can, or a helpful balance -I'm flexible I'd be happy to do it. I assume s/he'd show up once they land? Yeppers, of if playing a contact, can hail/send a message or something when they 'hear' he's arrive in the system or something. I figure I'd have some kind of port official fill them in when they land. I pictured Lumen as being kind of an unstable place following the revolution, with the new government still trying to exert its authority and more than a few people still opposed to it, with 'shady' elements of the society taking advantage of the relative power vacuum. Just FYI so you have something to go by; but if you had something else in mind, that's fine with me. Hey you all we're using Mag's idea of Lumen? Curious so I can make my intro post. It's going to probably be long and detailed. Lumen is fine. Feel free to make your post. We'll have other ideas for planets and communities as the thread moves around and more folks post. RedHairedandFriendly said: Lumen is fine. Feel free to make your post. We'll have other ideas for planets and communities as the thread moves around and more folks post. Click to expand... lol. I'm just going with the flow here. That and making a very bad girl out of Jaylene. Wildfire said: lol. I'm just going with the flow here. That and making a very bad girl out of Jaylene. Click to expand... Sounds like a plan. Flowing with is easier than against. . .but sometimes not as much fun. I look forward to reading your post. RedHairedandFriendly said: Sounds like a plan. Flowing with is easier than against. . .but sometimes not as much fun. I look forward to reading your post. Click to expand... lol. Damn, I'm in a mood. Wildfire said: lol. Damn, I'm in a mood. Click to expand... Great post. RedHairedandFriendly said: Great post. Click to expand... So I do a decent job with sick psycho bitch, huh? Good to know the old skills are still there. Wildfire said: So I do a decent job with sick psycho bitch, huh? Good to know the old skills are still there. Click to expand... Yeah, I love playing a sick psycho bitch on occasion. Therein said: I love how many targets we have, but some of the bounty jobs seem kinda...finite in their very concept. Death lynx has an awesome char and idea with this rivalry thing I think, and if at all possible I'd love to see him get his crew built up. Other options would be the 'contacts' that we're freelancing crews would need in order to track down, or hide out from various sorts of folks out there. Just some thoughts. Click to expand... Does that mean it would be ok if I started posting away from whatever the crew is doing? Or should I wait? Yeah, feel free to post whatever it is you're pirates are up to that earn the displeasure of others so that they hire us to take care of the problem lol. Okay, I'm done killing people for now. I apologize for my absence, I have a rather chaotic work schedule this month, which has been hard to adapt to, find time in, let alone be well-adjusted enough to be mentally capable of writing. I'm going to strive, and focus on this thread, so that if I can do nothing else at least this one will not suffer. Never fear User... We all know how hectic IRL can be... I should be posting soon... as promised, this week sucks. I'm going to try and write a bit tonight, but I promise I will be more available and push this project ahead at the latest next week (unless my some miracle I get the 17th off work, go out and have a night of epic drunkenness, and fail to survive or recover in a timely manner LOL) How is everyone doin'? Just wanted to make sure everyone is still alive and kickin'. Still running good here - at least for the moment *knocks on wood* Not only alive and kicking, but kicking my ass into gear and posting in it tonight very nice post! Looks like little bro is getting a job before his elder slacker lol Therein said: very nice post! Looks like little bro is getting a job before his elder slacker lol Click to expand... Well, he's driven...and in this case it looks like he's driving right into trouble...after all, he doesn't realize there's now two of them See what happens when there's no crew around to distract you with their sexual exploits? Sexual exploits. . . Jaynnah can't help that she's young and horny. Yeah, Debut can't help being irresistible and all....lol Ok, just heard from save_Marley, my missing pilot, she is settling and should post within the next day or so. I'm sorry for letting this o, been gone last few weekends. Magbeam, you're still playing the NPC that Debut needs to call? He'll be making that call soon. 8^)W00t for sci-fi! Um, how's our bar fighting chick couple doing? Santa and wild? And I believe death lynx in on their trail, kinda. Exciting stuff! I'd actually forgotten about this. But yes, I suppose I'll still play the NPC guy. ***GASP*** Forgot?! Well, glad I reminded you in time! 8^)Hope not everyone has forgotten us?! And yup... I'm sort of on the case...but he'sway out of his league and doesn't even know it yet LOL, inst that the best way to be though? Keeps things exciting. Still here. . . I'm still here. Waiting for what happens next.=DI don't know where Wild is though. Awesome, looks like we're still ready to go. Whether or not Save_Marley gets on tonight I will post up Debut making a call to beams's NPC. Any names/info I need on that mag? Not that I can remember. You're probably going to need a bit extra cash to help lubricate things, of course. Revolutions wreak havoc on the economy, and he's only a poor port worker, of course. Lol, yeah, takes money to make money right?! LOL So I just have him call up his port worker contact. I think I can make that happen. Need anymore supporting characters? Looks like your having fun. Does the storyteller need anything in specific? An idea:Name: Marcus Hayes Position: Bounty Bounty: Description: Rugged, strong man of about 6' 2", dark hair ((current length unknown)), eyes blue; Clothing: Anything he just took off the last bounty hunter, facial hair: if it has any closely groomed, is a fanatic about keeping in shape. RAP Sheet:52 Counts of Murder in the First Degree300 Counts of Manslaughter120 Counts of Assault with the intent to kill320 Counts of Theft of government property210 Counts of grand theft: Space Craft210 Counts of Piracy Countless minor infractions Number one of the 10 most antidotes:Is a skilled pilot and weapons special both hand to hand and advanced weaponry, military training (classified)Escapes: 22 successful escapes from both custody and prisons Education: Military specializing in Counter Insurgency Special Notes: Of the last nine encounters only females have survived. Could be useful in his apprentice. Just an idea...if a no-go let me know what you want and need just want to have fun Saying Gilman said: Special Notes: Of the last nine encounters only females have survived. Could be useful in his apprentice. Just an idea...if a no-go let me know what you want and need just want to have fun Saying Click to expand... *thinks to self. . . Thank god I'm a female!*Welcome to the thread, we look forward to nabbing ya. Welcome! Seems your character is still in the rough stages, and I appreciate your consideration to the storyteller (Ha like I'm organized enough to deserve such a title!). Anyway, my 2nd reaction (first was Welcome!) would be to nerf the numbers a bit....unless he had some pretty damn good stories to just how it is one racks up such a kill count - minimum of 300 dead seems kinda large (though maybe a large sum of those was done at once somehow). As for needs of mine, is that we get started going after a job lol. First job is going to be the evil pirate lord of mag beams, at least for my crew. Maybe your char has fallen in with the pirates? Though i have to say Debut is not going to be happy chasing down all these military hard asses - so much work! Bio for Aislinn (Ace) Reynolds Okay, I'm back online now (really) - forgive me for my tardiness in attending to this thread...having my own real-life adventures and misadventures...but I'm really eager to get posting again. Thought I would post a quick bio for my character, and get a post into the IC thread later today. Aislinn Reynolds Age: 23 Hair: Auburn, corkscrew curls Eyes: Hazel Pic (I Gerald From)Born on a warring planet, Aislinn had to grow up fast. She learned to use a pistol at the age of 11, though she has never quite mastered the fine art of "point and shoot". She joined a youthful band of pseudo-soldiers at 15, and ran around with them, getting into places the legitimate armies could not, but her bad aim and fits of nervous giggling made her a less-than-ideal sniper. Furthermore, she was forced to resign after being shot in the leg, and still walks with a bit of a limp. Her uncle took her under his wing and steered her focus to learning to pilot aircraft, flying supplies back and forth from the war zones. Aislinn eagerly took to the assignment, and was found to be rather a natural at flying. She takes great pride in her abilities, to the point of being a bit over-confident. She met up with Debut and Hannah when they made an unfortunate pit-stop for repairs on her desecrated planet, and sweet-talked her way into joining their crew - touting her mad piloting skills in hopes of disguising her instantaneous schoolgirl crush on Hannah. Furthermore, she considers herself extremely fortunate to have found an escape from her violent world, and is wildly affectionate with both of her crew-mates. Furthermore, she is somewhat immature, prone to the occasional mood swing, but is fiercely loyal to her friends. Her firearm skills have not improved much in the past several years, but her courage and enthusiasm could be described as almost foolhardy, to compensate for her bad aim. She loves that her crew has taken to calling her "Ace", as it's less girly than her given name - but she would never admit as much. All right - that's all I've got for the moment. Let me know if there are any problems with this, and - like I say, I hope to post later today or tomorrow, after I get the full picture of where this thread has gone in my absence. Thanks again for your enduring patience. w00t!!!!! I feel kind of 'stuck' in the story. Does anyone know where Wild or death lynx is? I'm not trying to be selfish or anything I'm just curious and really digging this thread. ’D PaintaPicture said: I feel kind of 'stuck' in the story. Does anyone know where Wild or death lynx is? I'm not trying to be selfish or anything I'm just curious and really digging this thread. ’D Click to expand... Next time I see death online I will kick him into gear. Not sure about Wild. We will find you though, don't leave. I know what it is like to feel stuck in a thread. We will capture you, torture you and make you submit to our sick whims. RedHairedandFriendly said: Next time I see death online I will kick him into gear. Not sure about Wild. We will find you though, don't leave. I know what it is like to feel stuck in a thread. We will capture you, torture you and make you submit to our sick whims. Click to expand... Oh, you tease! I'm looking forward to it! I've never been this excited to be captured before. Hehe. PaintaPicture said: Oh you tease! I'm looking forward to it! I've never been this excited to be captured before. Hehe. Click to expand... *chuckles* damn, a man goes off for a weekend and peeks in to find the women forgetting we fellows? Lol.GREAT bio Save_Marley, glad to have ya with us (again? Finally?)!!! If we haven't heard from wild but Sunday night/Monday then I will PM her and see what's up. Better to have an answer and make amends if need be. One man against two lemme fatally? I think Arch is going to be the one captured and made to submit to someone's whims just posted! Finally. I know. I hope to improve my track record a bit. w00t!!! Great to see you.*see folks... she really does exist.* Sorry folks, been a bit hectic here fer me lately. If I don't get a post up in the very near future Paint please feel free to either move along without me or carry me with you. Promise I'll be posting again real soon. Great to hear from ya! Sorry ya had it rough. Seems we have a forgiving crowd here (thankfully!) so no worries. WE look forward to your return. Well, I know if I weren't forgiving I'd be a hypocrite! Just a little bum page I've got a nice little idea sine Wild gave me permission to move on if I wished. Haha. PaintaPicture said: I've got a nice little idea sine Wild gave me permission to move on if I wished. Haha. Click to expand... Uh oh... I think poor Arch is in trouble... Then again, I intentionally set it up so that he not only doesn't realize she's now teamed up with someone, but didn't notice her in the bar death lynx said: Uh oh... I think poor Arch is in trouble... Then again, I intentionally set it up so that he not only doesn't realize she's now teamed up with someone, but didn't notice her in the bar Click to expand... let's see if Arch can withstand Lili's charm. PaintaPicture said: let's see if Arch can withstand Lili's charm. Click to expand... Hamm...probably not, unless of course he has my obsession weakness... Blinders, who me??? Of course, he can't resist! He hasn't been laid in over a week! Deathlynx said: Hamm...probably not, unless of course he has my obsession weakness... Blinders, who me??? Of course, he can't resist! He hasn't been laid in over a week! Click to expand... Helene. She hasn't been laid either, and she doesn't play nice. PaintaPicture said: Helene. She hasn't been laid either, and she doesn't play nice. Click to expand... Lol...yeah, he's in real trouble then... Good thing it looks like his big bro's on the planet to bail him out again Although stealing the fighter would be a pretty big challenge... Although money would be a pretty good score death lynx said: Lol...yeah, he's in real trouble then... Good thing it looks like his big bro's on the planet to bail him out again Although stealing the fighter would be a pretty big challenge... Although money would be a pretty good score Click to expand... he-he. She gets what she wants. I hope he's man enough to handle her. PaintaPicture said: he-he. She gets what she wants. I hope he's man enough to handle her. Click to expand... Well, that's one place where he has no insecurity issues compared to his big bro death lynx said: Well, that's one place where he has no insecurity issues compared to his big bro Click to expand... perrrrrrrfect. PaintaPicture said: perrrrrrrfect. Click to expand... Well, assuming he manages to get over his initial surprise Still alive, good to see others playing nice. I know Save_ is around here somewhere, my guess is still settling into the new digs. Red is getting her ass kicked by RL for the moment (damn RL!). She and Mag have been talking as to what his NPC is up to. So we're still good, just slowed by external factors. Boohoo! I'll be in the office tonight, so I'll be able to post a reply then if I haven't before! I had surgery and though I can post a little between sleeping and pain I don't plan on spring much till I'm better, hopefully in a week or two. Red I hope it was nothing serious? Well, I mean not serious inasmuch as surgery is concerned? I hope a quick recovery to you. Magbeam said: I hope it was nothing serious? Well, I mean not serious inasmuch as surgery is concerned? I hope a quick recovery to you. Click to expand... Thanks, you and me too. I had a fallopian tube and the left ovary removed. If you want to end the scene with the NPC feel free. Or Therein can end it just by having my character show up whenever. We understand about real life Hun! It takes precedence! Take all the time you need, in order to recover fully! Three surgeries and 2 hospitals later. . . . I am back. I'm going to read through my SRPs and yeah I really do feel well enough to write something (probably tomorrow). Furthermore, I'll start then. Just glad you are back and feeling better! Just found this from save_Marley#post22684967seems she will not be continuing on with us. I will see if someone would like to step into the established character we have set, if not I will NPC her, and write her out as I can, and take in another to fill the spot 8^(That's too bad...hopefully things will look up for her! Great to see you back Red! Landiek has agreed to step into the existing role! She says she might tweak the character a bit, but that is to be expected. I thank her for agreeing to come aboard, and get us moving again! Therein said: landing has agreed to step into the existing role! She says she might tweak the character a bit, but that is to be expected. I thank her for agreeing to come aboard, and get us moving again! Click to expand... Sounds cool. I hope to get all my SRPs caught up today. Thanks for the patience. RedHairedandFriendly said: Sounds cool. I hope to get all my SRPs caught up today. Thanks for the patience. Click to expand... YAY! I'm glad you are back! I just got back from a mini hiatus, but it was a mental health hiatus. Haha. But I'm glad you are better, and back to RP'ING. Hehe. Hope everyone has a great weekend! I'll be out until Tuesday. Don't have too much fun without me! Therein said: Hope everyone has a great weekend! I'll be out until Tuesday. Don't have too much fun without me! Click to expand... We'll try to have WAY too much fun...enjoy your weekend PaintaPicture said: YAY! I'm glad you are back! I just got back from a mini hiatus, but it was a mental health hiatus. Haha. But I'm glad you are better, and back to RP'ING. Hehe. Click to expand... I'm going to do my best to RP when I can. I wear out easily. RedHairedandFriendly said: I'm going to do my best to RP when I can. I wear out easily. Click to expand... That's all we ask for Hun...and if you need to rest a few days or more we understand that too Hun! Just get yourself better! Hey I just wanted everyone to know that I'm going to be out of town and may not get access to a computer for a few days. I should be back in about 4–5 days. Play nice while I'm gone! Hahaha. That should give me almost enough time to remember to respond Hey everyone I finally got a chance to borrow my friend's computer and inform you guys that my little vacation is lasting longer yay! I will be back on Lit This Friday/Saturday. But! I will be going on a complicated "medical leave" for about a Month or so. It's something I'd rather not discuss but I did want to let you know. That starts on the 2nd, and it will be about a month and then I should be back alive, kickin' and postin'! If I can, I will try to post something soon but if not you'll see it on Fri/sat. PaintaPicture said: Hey everyone I finally got a chance to borrow my friend's computer and inform you guys that my little vacation is lasting longer yay! I will be back on Lit This Friday/Saturday. But! I will be going on a complicated "medical leave" for about a Month or so. It's something I'd rather not discuss but I did want to let you know. That starts on the 2nd, and it will be about a month and then I should be back alive, kickin' and postin'! If I can, I will try to post something soon but if not you'll see it on Fri/sat. Click to expand... Take care of yourself and enjoy your vacation. Take care of yourself Paint! Health and IRL are ever so much more important than anything! Enjoy your vacation! Screw all that, no excuse! Get back here and post!just kidding! Have fun, then best wishes on your medical trip. Kick a doctor for me. Okay so I lied. Haha. Since scheduling is apparently hard for the world of Medicine I will be able to post for the next week and will be on my 'leave' starting NEXT Sunday (and still for approx a Month). SO that means a whole nother week of posting for me! Yay! I'll let to guys know if anything changes. Mwah! It's official this time. I will be gone on leave until about August 8th-ish. If I can at all get online I will try, if not then I will see you guys in August!xoxopeace and love we wish you a safe trip! Be safe and have fun!!!! Well it seems that I too will be absent for a time (2 weeks) for a vacation. If um, the is anything that can be done, go for it. Red and Land can move Debut as much as needed to keep things going. I'll try to spot if I can, but I'm not counting on it. Everyone have a good time! With Paint and Therein on vacation - Freelancers will sit for a bit. Hopefully we'll be able to get back into it once all the vacations are over. Mine is a short one, but not till the end of July. Well, I still have to get Arch out of the elevator, but aside from that no probs here... Landing. . .are you still out there? Sending you a PM too. I'm back everyone! And I'm sorta healthy again haha by I'm ready to post anyway. But I see since User is gone now i won't be able too. Unless I should? I guess I can figure that out later or something. But now I'm back and I'm frisky. Keep! I really should have posted by now, shouldn't I? PaintaPicture said: I'm back everyone! And I'm sorta healthy again haha by I'm ready to post anyway. But I see since User is gone now i won't be able too. Unless I should? I guess I can figure that out later or something. But now I'm back and I'm frisky. Click to expand... Oh, please post. Lol (granted I am responding to the IOC post and have no idea if you have/haven't posted yet.) ... Therein is gone, but has popped in off and on and posted on some threads, so there is every chance he'll post on this one! And death....YES! This thread has my highest priority (I guess it should if I claim to run it lol), so feel free to post, if it comes down to needing something from me, I will have read it almost certainly, and could likely post at late night (so not too long a wait). Welcome back paint!!! Sliding in to let you know I'm heading out tomorrow for three days. Have fun with whatever you are doing/going! Sorry I've been out of action for the past few... Between Harry Potter and a chapter for a chain story I've been obsessing just a little bit'll try to post tonight Oh yay! But I swear if I hear about Harry Potter anymore I'm going to have to throw down. But I await your post good sir. Welcome back, i should be back to semi-normal posting too, so let the games resume! I'm home!!!!!! Yay!!!!! *dances* welcome back! So is everyone here? Thank you both. . . ISO forgot to post, didn't I? Deathlynx said: I SO forgot to post, didn't I? Click to expand... you did...and I cried a little. don't you know it's mean to make girls cry. Lol. PaintaPicture said: you did...and I cried a little. don't you know it's mean to make girls cry. Lol. Click to expand... Well, I like to make women cry, but only if it involves pleasure so powerful they can't bear it and can only express themselves with tears of joy... death lynx said: Well, I like to make women cry, but only if it involves pleasure so powerful they can't bear it and can only express themselves with tears of joy... Click to expand... good save. Lol. My latest post is a huge act of god-mode thread writing. For this I apologize, but felt necessary to get the thread moving again. There have been attempts to reach landing, but to no avail. I hope she is doing well, and thank her for having taken over so unique a character that had been created by someone else. I felt maybe this character was cursed, as it had been the stop up twice, so I have moved her off (SPOILER: no she isn't dead, despite what Debut thinks. She was in the air car. But them thinking her dead frees us to move on.) out of the way. When/If landing returns we can introduce a plot line for that (though I get the impression she was struggling with it, and had taken it up as a favor). Magbeam has been asked if he will continue to be our first target, with my apologies for making him wait so long. If not, then A replacement will be found - but this thread will move on! Also, as a heads-up, and warning, I will be gone mid August for two weeks. Some posting might get done, but maybe not, but at least it can be anticipated by all. Thank you to everyone in this thread, past present and future! We've got great characters, now we need the plot to move on. Amber Fawn, 26 years old. Five foot - five inches, average build. Short red hair and brown eyes. Amber is a doctor, licensed and owns her own practice. She's lost touch with her family, a twin sister that she's not seen since they went their separate ways. Her sister chose a life of crime, Amber chose instead to make her parents proud and though they are both deceased she still felt she'd honored them by becoming a doctor, following in her father's footsteps. She's not seen or heard from her sister in several years and has no real desire to ever meet up with the flunky from the streets. She instead travels to various ports, offering her services to communities in need. Sometimes they pay her with chips, sometimes with other goods that she may be in need of. Her ship is small, but it serves her purposes. Welcome, and thanks again for joining 8^)Hope everyone enjoys the plot twist EB came up with, and I loved! Welcome to the insanity EB! yay, new people! w00t. Thank ya. Mag beam has declined to rejoin at this time. He may come back at a later time, that suits RL better, but for now, The role of his villain is open. I have a few people in mind that I am contacting, but also with the latest twist in the story, it seems we have time yet with the players already involved. But fear not! I'll find us some bad guys when they are needed. Well once again I maybe leaving for approximately 4 weeks is. This is a maybe and I will find out tomorrow. If I will be here and able to post I'll let ya know if not then well, I'll miss you all. Haha. I might have computer access but I'm not 100% sure if I can get on Lit or not. Hopefully I'll be able too post but I make no guarantees. I can post tonight and maybe tomorrow morning and such depending on how things go, or I may set things up with Lili so that she isn't interrupting things and running around on her own. I'll figure something out haha. Peace and love You know you are in my thoughts and prayers. Good luck with everything.*hugs* When in doubt, Lili can head back and check on the status of Arch's little ship...it would have methods to keep her from stealing it, but would also give her something to do while the plot continues... We'll be thinking of you! Thought you all might be interested to part that I've been compiling the posts to keep it all straight in my head, and we're at nearly 200 Word pages death lynx said: Thought you all might be interested to part that I've been compiling the posts to keep it all straight in my head, and we're at nearly 200 Word pages Click to expand... *snickers* Why does this not surprise me. LOL, wow. And most of it dirty! w00t! I just reread that post and realized how bad the poise is Just a bump to see how everyone is? Or maybe a little bump and grind? I think almost everyone is OK, just busy getting ready for the holidays. I know I had a week stretch where I couldn't write a thing recently, but now that it's better, Thanksgiving is here, and I'll be busy LOL. Gotta love the holidays! But have no fear, I won't let this thread die out! I'm back online from moving. Miss me? ? ? I'll do my best to get posting today and over the next three days. I missed you guys!!! *finally stops crying over missed writing partner*Yay!!! Red is back! Hehe you were missed! PaintaPicture said: *finally stops crying over missed writing partner* Yay!!! Red is back! Hehe you were missed! Click to expand... It's good to be back. Now... I worked today, but unless they call me in I have the next 3 days off, hopefully the muse has come back to Lit with me. I'm going to be having surgery on Tuesday. Seems my gallbladder and I are no longer friends, and it wants out of our relationship. It's an outpatient surgery and as long as all goes well I won't have to stay overnight at the hospital. I'll be on painkillers obviously, and I'll be off work for a while to. Not sure how much writing I'll be doing for those first few days. I may post a bit of mindless chatter on the boards, but if it's anything like in the past, I'll not be able to spend a lot of time online simply because I'll be exhausted. *cries*I'm going to tell you what my friend Talia told me when I was moving home from Wisconsin." You can't leave me like this...only hookers leave like this." But every time you go a little part of me dies. Good luck with it all, and you kick that gallbladder's ass. And get back here sooooooon!peace and lovexoxoxoxoxoxo You know my thoughts and love will be with you! Oh, and I posted in both of the RP threads for you darlings PaintaPicture has asked me to post here for her, that she is having issues and will not be able to post to Lit for a while.8^(Quite understandable... I'll hopefully see her on at some point, but if you see her first please ask if I can move Lili onto the ship so we can pick up the straggler with an SOS beacon? But make sure she knows it's fine and to make sure all is well with her! Yes, you can do that. Have fun with it! Therein said: PaintaPicture has asked me to post here for her, that she is having issues and will not be able to post to Lit for a while. 8^(Click to expand... I'm very sorry to hear this. I will keep her in my thoughts. Thanks. It is true! My internet situation is having some "issues". Lol. When I can get online to post I will. Death lynx, you have my permission to move Lili as needed without getting to carried away. Miss you guys a lot!xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo PaintaPicture said: It is true! My internet situation is having some "issues". Lol. When I can get online to post I will. Death lynx, you have my permission to move Lili as needed without getting to carried away. Miss you guys a lot! Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo Click to expand... Miss you too!!!! Xoxoxox Miss you too! Good to hear from you...never fear, I won't push her too far. . .*takes notes about tying her up and tossing her into the cargo hold* ***BUMP****looks around at the crew*"Get back to work!"LOL, just checking on everyone, everyone still alive out there? I think I'm still alive over here...been a rough little while... I'll try to post in the next couple of days Good to hear a sign of life. Furthermore, I know red is struggling with a broken computer, and Paint decided to leave us all for a shot at success by like...going to school (the nerve, I know!). Still got a bad guy on tap too, so I hope folks can come back and play sometime, wot where the shooting starts! I die a little bit more each day. And I'm already dead inside.....anywho, yeah I'm here but I've got school and work...but all of you know that I think. Lol. Plus I'm doing art because I might be in a show next month!!!!art shows like w00t. Therein said: Good to hear a sign of life. I know red is struggling with a broken computer, and Paint decided to leave us all for a shot at success by like...going to school (the nerve, I know!). Still got a bad guy on tap too, so I hope folks can come back and play sometime, wot where the shooting starts! Click to expand... I've got 2 words. Bite me. Lol. School sucks...it's too easy. Therein said: ***BUMP*** *looks around at the crew* "Get back to work!" LOL, just checking on everyone, everyone still alive out there? Click to expand... I'm here and have today off. I'm hoping to do some creative writing, or at least some writing today. I societies need a new laptop or a new laptop part, but a new laptop sounds really nice. There is a Toshiba for about 1,000 that looks promising, but there is a Dell for half that cost too... decisions, decisions, decisions.... landing!!!! Is it possible there is a way for us to get you with us? Save the day? Save the World? Save the cheerleader... (oops wrong story) Red...there will be no talk of that "heroes" show. I've lost too many friends to that show lol. Anywho, new posts coming soon...I swear on a stack of history books it's going to happen. I've just been distracted recently...and for a while...and it's not even for good reasons like really awesome sex or something. Lol. PaintaPicture said: Red...there will be no talk of that "heroes" show. I've lost too many friends to that show lol. Anywho, new posts coming soon...I swear on a stack of history books it's going to happen. I've just been distracted recently...and for a while...and it's not even for good reasons like really awesome sex or something. Lol. Click to expand... I liked that show the first season... then it just was "eh" to me. So I haven't bothered with it since. Lookin' forward to the post. I do know how life can get in the way of Lit. It's been that way for me for a while now. Hope your luck changes, and you get distracted by awesome sex or something. No, it's me that's had the distraction, and I've posted A post is coming soon. My job is being stupid, and I had to close and got home about half an hour ago. I hate getting off at 11:45 and I do the same tomorrow. So if it takes me a moment on weekends to write, blame my job. It's all their fault lol. Just kinda wanted to let you guys know that. Well, I am back to a semi-normal schedule, and the wife is returning to work again, so I should once again have time to write. Hope everyone else is doing well and is still interested!!! Still here - come and get me! I'm still interested! My knee is doing okay so when I'm not on pain pills I can write. Let's not let this one die! Keep....means I probably should figure out a post death lynx said: Keep....means I probably should figure out a post Click to expand... that would be awesome. But I'm sure you're a busy man so I'm not going to pressure you until you do.haha. But a post would be quite lovely! Home from away and hope to write soon. w00t, people still here!

OOC for Frelancers_ Tight Quarters|rating:3.0

All In Your Head [Scifi Superhero Roleplay]

ALL IN YOUR HEAD Starring: Brittany, Dakar, dwellinthedark, Evil Eye, Genbu83, Linda and Tick Concept by: Linda(22, 290322:47 hours Galactic Standard Time Processing Plant 47, Nautical Colony Located on the outskirts of the main Nautical Colony, Processing Plant 47 was one of the largest planets on the planet. Rail cars, moved into and out of the plant via magnetic lifts and opposed gravity carts, were constantly moving in and out of the plant continuously during Nautical's 25 hour and 19-minute rotation period. Though it was only a few minutes before 2300 for those that kept up with the GST, it was well past midnight on the planet. The perfect time for a raid, according to the mission planners on the Galactic Alliance Frigate Halifax. Seated at the head of the briefing room table was the 53-year-old Captain Horatio Simpson. Despite his age, he was still in top shape, even if a bit of white had begun to work its way into the thick head of black hair he kept. His sharp blue eyes watched each of the members of the team as they came in and had a seat, wondering if the... children were up to the task. Once everyone was seated, he straightened his black uniform and stood, then pressed a button and the image of the processing plant as seen from orbit came into view, "Alright, let's get started. Your target will be Processing Plant 47, one of the large plants they've built to process the rich deposits of platinum coming out of the mines in the Southern Hemisphere. GSI has a lead that several of the shipments are massed too light to be refined ores, and want you in there to find out what's going on. We can't risk a casual inspection because we don't know who's on the payroll, so your job will be to sneak in there and find out what's happening to the missing ore and find out what's being sent out in its place. We know the containers are full because when we opened them, everything was filled to the right levels, so we know something's up."" Your mission," he said, pressing another button to show a diagram of the plant, "Is to infiltrate the plant and figure out where the shipments are going. We've got Nautical's Home Guard on standby to move in and round everyone up, so you're free to concentrate on information gathering. We can't let them find out we're coming, so you'll be doing a stealth drop while we're making our descent into the atmosphere. Furthermore, we'll be on standby to provide close air support if you need it, but we're only here if things suddenly turn hot. Any questions? No? Good. I've assigned Master Sergeant Jordan to be team leader for this mission, so you'll need to get in touch with him for specific assignments. Dismissed."* * *The flight down towards the plant was quiet, mostly because they were aboard the frigate for much of the descent through the atmosphere. The frigate, while certainly larger than a destroyer, was still small enough to enter and even land on a planet's surface, using opposed gravity drives to make the ship as light as a feather. The result was that while the ship weighed several million metric tons, it floated easily down all the way until they were within Nautical Air Jurisdiction. Ships from the Galactic Alliance often landed on planets to deploy troops, obtain supplies, or work on battle damage. Working within an atmosphere was much easier and safer than the cold vacuum of space, so only the largest of ships were prevented from landing. Approximately one kilometer above the surface, red lights began to flash, and the massive doors began to swing open. All crewmen had evacuated the bay, and what few fighters remained on the deck were securely chained down to keep them from moving due to the turbulent winds. Each team member had been given an assigned partner for their stealth painted OG vehicles, which resembled thick motorcycles only without the wheels, with enough space for a driver, a passenger, and cargo. Once the flashing red lights turned green, the pilots would have clearance to take off and descend the rest of the way to the surface. Each rider, upon emerging, would see the sprawling industrial complex that Nautical had built. While one of the youngest colonies, the abundance of rare metals such as copper, gold, platinum, silver and titanium made the planet a haven for workers seeking to work off a plot of land. So far, over six million workers had come from Earth and other developed colonies to mine the planet's rich deposits, with a further thirteen million working in the various processing plants. It was estimated that almost a quarter of the entire freighter fleet in Galactic Alliance was employed moving the tons of materials, some remaining in their processed forms, others in finished goods. Because of their stealth paint and their special clearance, the OG cars were immune to the strictly regulated lanes that OG vehicles were allowed to use, and took advantage of the special nature of OG to keep well above the lanes in the first place. Anything floating above 10 meters was considered an aircraft and was strictly monitored, but in the operations room tonight were special agents from GSI, Galactic Security and Intelligence. Each agent would be on site to make sure that if the controllers caught even a whiff of one of the stealth cars, they would be strongly encouraged to keep such information to themselves. The designated RP was just ahead, near a warehouse that had minimal security and no guards. The team's objectives from Captain Simpson were to land, stash the vehicles away without being seen, and head towards the planet's closest pylon. Climbing would be dangerous due to the risk of being spotted, but the only other option was to land on the surface of the platform, which would be evident because workers used the platform to load freight haulers for their journey to orbit. Once on the ground, operations would fall to MSG Philip "Flicker" Jordan. Character Bios Master Sergeant Philip "Flicker" Jordan (played by dwellinthedark)(Telekinesis, Teleportation, Variable Temporal Perception (His mind works much, much faster, trying to move his body much faster than it can naturally result in serious injuries)Implants: Adaptable Interface Implant (Can hack into technology with right hand, and maintain control of one piece at a time even after losing contact), Stealth Implant (Invisibility)Gunnery Sergeant Mental "Ratchet" Leo'Va (played by Tick)(Telepathy, Mind Jack (He can jump into someone’s mind, see, hear, feel from their point of view and implant things like illusions that only last a short time until the victim realizes they aren’t real and rejects them, which also pushes him out)Cybernetics: (either a medical piece or basic remote control of his power suit), reinforced right leg (His right leg is crippled, thus uses cybernetics to give him a sort of normality), Maintenance right arm (has most forms of tools used for repairs built into his right arm)Gunnery Sergeant Blessing 'Lonesome' Lone (played by Evil Eye)(Grow semi transparent wings, some control over plants/earth, Telekinesis Cybernetics: enhanced hearing (pick up radio signals as well) and a chip in her brain for enhanced memory. Staff Sergeant Hotel "Harness" Braun(Gravity Control (Gravity Manipulation via Gyro kinesis) / Force field Generation / Environmental Awareness via Gravitational Forces Implants: NIDA / Neural Implanted Digital Assistant AI (Provides Heads Up Display to Aid Targeting camp; Trajectory, Military Database Access, GPS Mapping, Schedule Planner, and Weekly Webcomic Feed) / Monofiliment Grapple Wires Housed in Forearms Staff Sergeant Era "Leer" McFarland (played by Dakar)(Telepathic Electrokinetic PsychometricCYBERNETIC Surveillance (Camera in eyes, microphone in ears and recorded in a disc implanted in her brain wirelessly accessible.) Electrokinetic Focused (In arm.) Staff Sergeant Alicia "Eagle Eye" Roberts (played by Linda)(Flight, Healing Touch, Magnetism Cybernetics: Optical Enhancement, Enhanced Muscles (strength, speed)Ark D. "Sentinel" Sterling (played by Genbu83)(Kinetic Field Generation, Energy Manipulation/Manifestation, Psychometabolic Control Cybernetics: Environment Adaptive Nanites, Nanite Skin Graft Flicker stood next to his OG, his hands resting lightly on the pair of laser pistols holstered at his hips, the stub of a cigar planted between his teeth, the smoke billowing around as well as his mane of dark hair as the bay doors opened. "Alright, let's go over this one last time team! We're doing it like that old story about the boat and the flood, two by two!" He was doing his best impression of some of the sergeants and drill instructors who'd had a part in training them throughout their childhood. He'd shown some talent for leadership from his youth, and so a few of them had taken him under their wing, hoping to teach him how to do the job while getting as few of his people killed as possible. He gestured toward them as he went on. "Lonesome, you're with me. Then Ratchet and Harness. Last is Leer and Eagle Eye." He'd done some arguing with Captain Simpson about assignments, Simpson's first impulse had been to pair them off by similar talents, and while he and Blessing were both Takes, he'd tried to do the exact reverse, making pairs who could augment each other." I want to hit the ground running on this. Ditch the Dogs as fast as we can and then make direct for the pylon. Don't discharge anytime you don't have to, and if you have to, keep your fire under control and don't miss the target. We're not here to start a massacre, we're here to answer a question for some of the bean counters high up in the GA. We get in, we get the answers, we get out and go home. If we do this job without incurring any collaterals, I'll personally get the lot of you drunk or buzzed or help fill whatever your vice of choice is after." He took a last puff off the cigar and then dropped it on the deck, stomping it out. "Once we hit the Pylon, I'll go up first stealthed, once I hit the top I'll comb the rest of you. Lone, you come up after me when I give the word as fast as those pretty little wings will take you. Harness, you're going to have to play mule for Ratchet here, lighten him up and wear him like a backpack, get him up as fast as you can while Lone's flying her way up. Last comes Leer and Eagle Eye. Eagle, can you carry her? If you can't, the bunch of you are going to have to come up at once, assuming Harness can lighten Ratchet and Leer both." He waited for answers on that, then went on. "Either way, I want ears on. I mean that for both the sense-enhanced crowd and the 'Paths. If somebody notices us, I want to know before he finishes saying 'who the fuck is that,' and I want him dropped before he gets to the question mark. Speaking of sense enhancement, I'd appreciate it if you could start up recording as soon as we're in the air, Leer. We want to show off how qualified and effective we are, so that means I'd like as complete a record as possible of what I assume is going to be a masterfully executed operation." As he said those last three words he gave them all a hard look." Once we reach the top we'll scope the situation out and make it up as we go along from there. It shouldn't be too hard for us to slip in and get access to records or shipments or whatever we decide we need to do to work out what these chuckle heads think they're doing. Keep your weapons hot, but don't get twitchy. Keep your eyes open and your mouths shut. Keep comms on at all time, and if I say ditch, we all run like hell and meet up at the indicated point we agreed on 10 kicks south. Any questions?" Leer sighed as she stood beside Eagle Eyes. She listened to Flicker and spoke softly, "I'm recording now." She blinked and looked down at her arm, assuring her cybernetic implant was working well there. It also held the controls to the microphone and camera. It showed everything was working well and that it was ready to release a stream of energy once needed. She hoped it wasn't needed. She had her hair tied up, but a few strands always stubbornly fell in her face. Furthermore, she brushed them behind her ear and wondered if Harness could lighten her. Furthermore, she was prepared to move by herself to where they needed to be. At the moment, she "listened" for minds and if anyone had sensed them. They seemed good to go. Lonesome was silent unless someone spoke directly to her, She kept going through the radio frequencies to check what was up but nothing new seemed to be going on. "Its clear" was her only statement that she said without having someone prompt her. Her teammates where good people but didn't mean she was going to break her comfort zone to covers with them, her nose was scrunched up because of the cigar smoke, and she relaxed when he finally put it out. Lonesome popped in a piece of gum and chewed slowly. When it was time to go she simply stood up and walked over to Flicker, Her armor was lighter than the others and a creamy white color. She didn't personally like the color but for some reason the higher ups got it for her, it was their personal joke or something. Sparks dyed then tan skin of Mental a soft orange as he did some last minute repairs and upgrades on the various pieces of their equipment, but then again, that was as common for him as it was for anyone else to breath. Though it was rare for him to work on a laser pistol, due to his distaste for them, or any laser in general really. That was the only oddity of the situation. He only half paid attention to the two different speeches, only long enough to get the gist then went back to his work. Both times he just preferred to sit on the floor and work to hearing someone order him to do something when it would just be faster if they let him scan their minds for everything relevant.“Setting up Telepathic network now.” Since Leer and him were the only Telepaths it fell onto him, as usual, to set up a telepathic network in his head linking all of them together for quick, effective communication rather using radios. Despite his airhead mentality, Rachel avoided using radios whenever he could, since he specifically trained for long range telepathic communication and connecting multiple as once using himself as a hub. Unlike Leer, he wasn’t as proficient as detecting people, unless he already knew them. So he fell back on the usual decision, “I’m leaving detection to you, Leer.” Then stopping his tinkering for a bit, he closed his eyes and felt for everyone in the room. Creating filters so that no one could intrude on anyone else and no one felt anything that was private or person. Only specifically expressed thoughts would make it through. The process almost always gave him a headache, but once done, created an almost undetectable communication network. It took him about a minute but concluded the process with. Done, T-Hub is up. His right arm was barely recognizable as it continued its work. Various tools coming from the cybernetic limb in a more robotic than human situation. After a small smile, he found the problem, repaired one of the tubes the cooling system used to reach the other parts and repaired it. Then sit the weapon aside for whoever used it. Then with a little struggle, the soldier stood up and pulled his right leg up and tested it a few times, the brace supporting his leg with a series of metal frames. With a small scowl he turned to flicker and commented was going to bring Era Never. Grabbing his brace, he found a small switch and pulled it, causing the only support for his bad leg to detach and fall off. The man instantly grabbing the nearby wall for support and limping over a little bit to his partner. The armored exoskeleton was opened up at the back for him to enter, waiting for him to take his place inside. Using his arms, he lifted his bad leg and slipped it into the power armor and then pulled his second leg into the arm, and finished with both arms into the sleeves of the armor. The suit quickly recognized its owner and sealed itself up and started up for him. Era Never’s HUD and systems powering up in a matter of seconds. Despite the fact that Ratchet spent a large amount of time on all of their equipment and armor, he spent the most on his power armor, despite this, it was a well known fact he would almost never use it in practice, demonstrations and didn’t plan to use it much in missions if he could avoid it. For whatever reason, despite his hours, days, weeks of work on the suit, he seemed to avoid using it at all costs. Which begged the question of why he was using it now. The armor was the only thing that gave him the ability to move properly and fast enough to keep up with the rest of them. It was a cross between medium and lightweight, and reinforced his body enough that he didn’t seem crippled when in it. The only downfall being he only had about twenty minutes before it would burn out. Ten if he pushed it. You did say how important this mission was. He said through the hub as he stretched his neck to each side and grabbed his mass driver. The double barreled weapon his favorite, in and out of the suit. Moving over to Harness's and his OG he took the driver seat and started running general diagnostics on the systems out of habit. Hotel's fingertips itched. It was a psychological stress response, one that reared it's head every time she knew she was going to be called upon to utilize her powers. More a creature of impulse than forethought, she only noticed the trickle of gravitons between her fingers when she had time to reflect that she was going to have to grab hold of them in short order. While the quantum physics involved had long since become a stable science, it remained far too elusive a subject for her to understand technically. She had had sizable difficulty with basic physics, let alone the quantum variety. No, her intimacy with gravitation was something inherent and instinctual. The gravitational force crawled across her fingertips like a river of ants. Every mass pulled at her to varying degrees, as if a string connected her nervous system to them. Lashed to the world via a bridle of gravitational force, the only way she ever got any sleep was in the embrace of a null gravity bed. This world of matter still pulled at her even in the cocoon of antigravity, but it was a great deal less distracting. But then life was full of little distractions... especially for her. Obsessive compulsive by nature, she pulled her gloves tight against her skin for the fifth time in as many minutes. This was followed by checking the payload cylinders on her mass drivers. That finished, she proceeded to tighten and loosen the straps of her vest, working to adjust its position by small degrees to maximize protection while keeping her mobility. It was rapidly becoming a ritual, as she obsessively went through the motions of checking her gear. This was all the more senseless because she had an AI specifically designed for this purpose nestled in between the hemispheres of her brain. Thinking about it, she decided to calibrate the targeting system for the third time this hour. She lifted her fingers up in front of her eyes for calibration. An iridescent orange grid spread across the surface of her arms, the effect visible only to her, as it was being fed directly into her cerebral cortex. Bright orange text in Times New Roman etched itself across the left corner of her vision. Grapple Systems........... ReadiedAmmunition Count.............99%Targeting HUD............ PreloadedVital Signs.................... NominalWhen it had first been implanted, the AI had helpfully rattled off Date, Time, Temperature, Global Position, etc. During training, there was a particular incident Hotel recalled in which the HUD had produced so much useless information, she was unable to see through all the glowing text. She had since streamlined it to three basic questions. How much ammo did she have, where were the targets, and was she still breathing? The rest seemed somewhat superfluous. As it finished calibrating the targeting system, she flexed her fingers experimentally as she peered over at Ratchet. Illuminated by a thin green glow, defining him as a friendly target, she settled into the sidecar of the OC. Considered to be something of a daredevil, she was hardly surprised to be taking the back seat on a stealth mission, and she didn't begrudge him the wheel. To say that this mission did not play to her strong suits was an understatement. Her primary skills were decidedly more combat oriented. As everyone began their final checks prior to the mission, she pulled her gloves tighter against her skin again, like a nervous tick. This was their maiden voyage. She was less afraid of death than she was of mission failure at this point. Success justified both the existence of this project and her own life up to the point. In the middle of adjusting her vest one more time, Hotel closed her eyes. The flow of gravitation was ever present, and more powerful with her eyes closed, tickling across her toned form as if her armor weren't there. Lightening the load was one of the things she did best. Leer, Ratchet, his suit, and a Buick, weight wasn't a problem when it came to her gyro kinesis. The difficulty was precision. Over the years of training she had grown in sheer power rather than finesse. Early on it had been suggested that she might be able to fly with the proper application of her power. It was an unmitigated disaster... Not so much flying as simply falling upwards, she had long since learned to utilize her grapples. Impressively rated to lift upwards of eight hundred kilos, this figure was decidedly sufficient for someone who could reduce the grip of gravity exponentially, "Get us to the pylon, and I can get us up there too sweet." Eagle Eyes was quiet for the duration of the briefing, and was quiet during all of Flicker's little pep talk. Not that she didn't have anything to say, it was more a matter of not being able to. Normal humans, which were quite abundant, tended to hate when anyone intruded on their thoughts, believing their minds to be the last safe haven for freedom. It was ironic that they then chose to cram their heads full of electronics that it was impossible to function without them. EE, as she was sometimes referred to, sat on the deck and watched. The others were getting ready to drop, and she was ready too. Then she felt the familiar tingle in the back of her head, that tiny, almost imperceptible feeling of a tingle at the base of the neck, before she heard Tick's voice come through her mind. Looking up at Leer, EE briefly reflected on why she'd gotten the nickname Eagle Eyes. She'd been flying one day, one of the things she felt truly free doing, when she got too close to a nest for a mama eagle's tastes. She wasn't even paying attention when the eagle slammed into her, the two tumbling through the air. The eagle had used its talons and beak to attack her throat, and she'd been rendered mute and had come close to dying from the attack. She'd been found in a pool of blood on the ground, the eagle having flown away, and she had been rushed to the base hospital. Since then, they called her Eagle Eyes because she was usually aloof and a bit nervous, constantly on the lookout for danger. Leer probably had the entire experience tucked away in some memory block somewhere, which is why EE was looking at her. Grabbing the OG car, EE pulled herself up and them climbed on, doing a quick preflight check. Her black gloved hands worked over the controls, making sure the power cells were charged and that she was ok to go. When she was, she 'spoke' to Sparks, closing her eyes and using her mental voice to say, EE here, preflight list checked. Ready to go. Patting the seat, EE waited for Leer to have a seat. More than ever, EE was glad she'd been given the wrap around bodysuit, because she tended to get cold very easily. The suit would keep most of her body heat reflected on her, and even provide heat if needed, while keeping her almost invisible to infrared. I know everyone's heard me say it before but... I'm scared of heights. Flicker closed his eyes as the T-Hub was established, a little shudder running through him. It wasn't something he'd ever much liked. Just because you were a psychic yourself didn't mean that some of the powers of the others didn't still freak you out a little. HeknewRatchet was careful not to read anything deeper, and to make sure no one else could either, but it was still a rather horrifying thought anyway, to have someone picking through all the things in the back of your head that you didn't want to think about yourself, let alone have someone else know. ConfirmedHe responded to the Hub being up, then flicked his eyes toward Ratchet's as he announced he was bringing the power armor. One eyebrow raised very slightly, but Flicker nodded. Just keep it in your pants, Ratchet. Don't go all Destroyer of Worlds on us. Was his only comment. He straddled the seat of the OG and planted his right palm against the basic readout screen it had. NATO-probes extended from the ports that opened up all along his hand, and as the first made contact with an electrical relay inside, he slowed down the world around him. Now he could see every strand of hair fluttering in the wind, watch its exact arc dance slowly back and forth, every breath seemed to come minutes apart. His mind extended down into the transport's computer, the much more powerful one in his cybernetic arm infiltrating it, sizing it up, cloning it, getting to know every last 1 and 0 that made it tick. Then it was done, and he was as intimately aware of every function of the stealthed bike as he was of his own heartbeat and blinking. Time resumed its normal speed again, all of that had taken only the blink of an eye to the others, and he patted the seat behind him with a nod to Lonesome. Once she was in place behind him, the powerful machine's systems quickly spun up to life without him needing to touch the controls further, his hands just resting lightly on the bars for balance. Don't worry, EE. We won't be high up for very long. The RPM of the engine was like his heart rate. The speedometer and altimeter were his sense of balance, and he knew the second the engine had peaked into red-line. That was when he burst out the bay of their transport and into the night below, engaging not only the craft's stealth systems but his own, a blue ghost-light flickering over his body until it disappeared from sight, probably leaving Lonesome feeling... well... a little lonesome. He angled the bike downward at just short of suicidal speed, knowing its every in and out, knowing exactly how hard he could push it, how fast he could get them to the chosen drop zone, without putting either himself or Gunny behind him in danger, and that was exactly what he was doing, wind whipping around them as they dropped rapidly and silently through the night toward the ground below. Sentinel took a clearance console from the dock's office. Just prior to that he absorbed the energy from all the power cells in the other handed devices. Not completely. Just enough so that they'd power up for about 30 seconds and shut off. He drained all the other power cells completely. After which he set a bug in the room. Creating a believable technical problem and maintaining his cover. This was his second week on the job, but the first time on the assignment that he was instructed to "halt off world activities", something was up. Thankfully being an inspect meant that Sentinel would have worn a baggy jumpsuit and small tool belt. Which he used to conceal his equipment. Still something was up. So the man made sure to have a large breakfast and to maintain a high charge of bio-current. Even if his hunch was wrong...being at full strength was better than not. The gray jumpsuit was little in the was of imaginative, and obviously not combat effective. Modern armor and his cutting edge interfaces though would at least keep him combat effective. His brown hair and eyes kept him looking nondescript enough to not arise suspicion. Tanned skin and a muscular build also gave credit to the role he was playing. As he would aspect the ships he'd subtly pause, housing to enhance his sense of smell or hearing, listening for oddities or important information. Likely this was why he had been fitted for the position. As he could remain unobtrusive and gather intel in a more dynamic method. The thought gave him a little comfort, as he had been trained to use his powers as an augment to his combat prowess. This Spy game was a welcome change of pace. Three ships clean, this was not as he expected, however he was patient. Currently, he was going to a Freighter tagged the Jacobs Ladder. It was due a week later the it had arrived. Playing his best to appear thorough, but not too concerned, Sentinel was sure this was what the team was waiting for. He set the captain to fill out some explanation paper work, then had the first mate escort him to the head. The man conveniently "slipped and hit his head" Sentinel made use of the short time to plant a few demo charges on the ship and then delayed the ship with a software update mandate, finally he set the captain to talk with the harbormaster about charting his "more effective route from deep space". The overt sabotage would buy the team a day or so. The explosives...they'd create or solve more dynamic problems. Leaving the docks with the last working console though...that'd slow down any other targets, and he had a list." This is Sentinel", Sterling spoke and set the coded transmitter,"the presents are here, and I'll see you at Shipping and Handling." His line was coded, but the extra layer of security was not a bad thing. The agent would move to the teams rendezvous point quickly but as nondescript as possible. They had work to do. Leer's nose wrinkled, and he lips pouted down a moment at the weird sensations of all of a sudden feeling her teammates. She wasn't new to it, but she always felt overly open when it was like that. Not that they could poke around when Sparks set up the parameters, but still. Once she settled into it, her face relaxed. She nodded to Ratchet in thanks and also acknowledgement about detecting. She watched the others of the team, being aware of their psyches. Though she could only receive and project intentional thoughts, she seemed to know a person by their psyche. What some call aura. She could never explain it. It wasn't like someone wearing a certain perfume or the sound of their voice. She just knew it was them. Which made her feel they could sense her. Which, again, made her feel more open than she was comfortable with. When not on a mission, she kept everything locked up tight. She didn't even try to sense anyone. She relied on recognizing faces. Which sadly, without her telepathy, she was terrible at connecting names with. She was socially awkward and kept to herself mostly. She was timid in social interactions. However, when put in the thick of a situation, she could garner confidence and a warrior attitude. Galas scared her more than what they were about to do. This, this she could handle. She knew the job, her part in it and was ready to get going. She had checked her gear. Ratchet didn't have to touch her newly acquired laser pistol. She wasn't too fond of using weapons, especially with her own built-in weapon. However, her superiors bitched at her enough about the need for an ACTUAL weapon. So she caved in and got one. She checked it and it was ready to go. She holstered it and planned to never use it. Though, she knew reality and the reality was that she might just have to aim it and shoot. She climbed on the OG behind EE. She sighed and sent a quick thought, Leer ready to go. She didn't intend it, but a slight hint of annoyance probably was sensed as they got the message. Furthermore, she would hope it wouldn't be taken as annoyance about the mission or the people she was with. It was simply the use of telepathy with people, though comrades, she wasn't that close to. She turned up her lips to a smile, in hopes to remedy any emotion that did bleed through. Once they were out there, doing it, she'd forget she didn't like it much. It would be simply the way it was. She really was at her best on mission. Which was why she was itching to go, almost bouncing on the seat behind EE. But before she knew it, and they were off. A slight grin crossed her face as adrenaline rushed at the expectation of adventure. Hotel looked up at the girders, holding her breath as the link was established. Her mother had gifts very similar to Hotel, though they manifested in a slightly different manner. Whereas Hotel had been government trained to realize the full potential of her environmental awareness, as well as its source in her inhuman attenuation to the gravitational fields of the earth, her mother had simply felt the tug and flex of it all without knowing precisely what it was that was pulling at her. One of the original test group, codenames "The Hound", her mother had utilized her environmental awareness for one purpose that made her particularly invaluable to the fledgling psychic arms race. Tracking. Psychics in particular. It wasn't that she was well suited to the task, so much as she was acutely allergic to the vibrations common to psychic phenomenon. Hotel had never developed this particular gift, at least not in the capacity her mother had. Despite that... allergies were not something that required much in the way of practice. She felt the salty tang at the back of her throat immediately as she felt the link establish itself in the back of her cranium. Breathing deeply and rapidly, she upended one of her vials of stomach remedy, counting backwards from ten as the pink chalky substance settled into her guts like a brick. She had taken the precaution she always did before a mission... and skipped lunch. The last training session she had forgotten, had ended with her expelling the contents of her stomach all over the dashboard. It was three months before the smell of the mess hall's lasagna was bleached away entirely. Maybe Sentinel could still smell it, but he'd never been rude enough to mention it. Balling up her gloved fist, she banged on Ratchet's shoulder pad, "Oi... Take it out and get me some air, please." EE was glad Leer was clinging to her, because she always felt safer with someone else hanging on to her. She could fly, but... it was different this way. She felt the warmth against her back and felt the giddiness even through the simple contact. With a twist of the throttle, EE and Leer were out into the rushing cold air, on their way down. The OG vehicle was buffeted by sharp turbulence as they passed through the massive wake generated by theHalifaxin her passing. Thankfully they were soon past it, and the vehicle was stable after that. The flight down lasted just over two minutes, most of that time spent bleeding off the tremendous speed they'd kept from the ship. As the two person spotter team, they flew ahead of everyone else, and soon they were making a silent pass over the warehouses located along the railcard leading to and from the processing plant. The OG car came to a soft landing near one of the warehouses, and without turning off the engine, EE stood and jumped off, rushing towards the door to the warehouse. She jumped and floated to one of the windows, peering inside, before breaking the glass. Slipping inside was easy since she could fly, and she made sure the building was empty before floating down to where the door was locked. Using her magnetic powers, the door's tumblers lifted themselves into place and turned, opening the massive doors for the OG vehicles to slip inside. Everyone was to hide their OG sleds here so that if they needed to make a quick escape, they could. EE ran back to hers and slipped it inside the warehouse, landing it near a large pile of crates.* * *As each OG vehicle left from the open bay into the dark air of the late night colony, each vehicle was being tracked via a narrow-focus laser aimed at theHalifaxfrom which Captain Simpson watched from the ship's bridge. The bridge was currently active as crewmen went about preparing theHalifaxfor final descent, the ship conveniently hovering in a holding pattern near enough for weapons to hit any target on the ground without appearing out of place. Captain Simpson was glad for the overview, because he'd seen a few ops go bad just with regular infantry when lack of air coverage had killed off entire platoons. The terminal built into the arm of his command chair chirped, and he pressed his thumb against the sensor to read that it was him, and it displayed the message. It was from the local SBI office, keeping an eye on things, and they had forwarded a brief report to him. Reading it, he turned to his comms officer, "Get me Master Sergeant Jordan on the horn." The officer quickly obeyed, then nodded, "You're on sir," just as the forward screen was replaced with an image of Jordan from his service file, along with the word SIMULATION down on the bottom. No doubt Flicker would be on his way down to the planet already." Master Sergeant, we've just gotten word that one of our own is already on the ground. He's one of yours so you should recognize him on sight. Link up with him and continue your mission. Simpson out." If there was anything Penal hated, it was being rushed. He knew his job, he knew the consequences of not finishing in time. And he was a pretty decent judge of time. But most of all, he didn’t screw up when it mattered. At least not yet. So until he did, he preferred others let him work when he needed and stop pushing him. The rushing hit on his shoulder was one such occasion. But it wasn’t the main reason he was annoyed. Since they had been given the mission last minute, they hadn’t given him time to go over the machines, and he hated using standard issue. Despite his youth, he was one of the best mechanics on the planet. And he knew how much the military tried to skimp on certain things and go for just adequate equipment. The OGs were such a case. It took him a few minutes to alter the system to release no detectable readings. No matter what equipment the enemy used, they wouldn’t find him, neither would the military, but they could bitch and moan about it later. If he was being forced to play stealth, he would do it right and make no opportunities for it to go wrong. Though Harness wanted out, he wanted to not have his superiors up his ass because of something stupid. More than anything though, he didn’t want to get her a hole in the stomach rather than just an upset one. It wasn’t like he took that long to begin with, he was just a minute and a half late as he removed any processes that would make it easy to find him on any form of radar or tracking. Once done, he wasted no time he's dropping with the rest, moving quickly to position and looking back at his partner for a moment, asking, You alright?in a quick telepathic message isolated just to her. Thought he couldn’t focus on her for long, would turn around if need be. He was a cripple and if she was sick they definitely could not be in a stealth mission. It was bad enough that neither of them were really made for it to begin with. If anything it was like bringing a garage and a wrecking ball to a game of hide and go seek. But just as he was thinking about how bad this could end, he found something that changed his mind. A single spire on the plant as they approached, a little out of the way. Which he remembered from the blueprints. After a few minutes of thinking he came to a conclusion he thought would work well. I’m going to take Harness with me and see if we can get into the maintenance network, might be able to get into the security and help you get past security faster. Anyone who thought they needed Mental or Harness needed to rethink, since Flicker was a faster hacker, Mental was better off where the technical aspects were, and in that case, the maintenance tower was designed as an isolated part of the plant meant as a final resort to repair and restore the system, giving it special access to the rest of the plant. Not to the mainframe he was betting, but enough he could make himself useful. Harness would be invaluable for keeping an eye out and pulling his ass out if things got hot. Especially if he ran his suits' timer out. Hopefully, the team would be coming in hot. The demo charges Sentinel set on the ship were rigged to go if the ship tried to take off. It was the only ship on the roster that could be reasonably assumed to have contraband on the nature they were after. Sentinel paused misstep as he made it look like he was filing a report. He was augmenting his sense of smell. Too much noise to listen for xenophobes. Scent would be his best bet for them and contraband. Still the combatant could feel it. You didn't have been a psychic to know the shit was about ti hit the proverbial fan. Under the dockworker's jumpsuit his skin hardened. From the neck down, the nanites become living metal and then formed a set of armor that was most concealable and efficient for their numbers. It was not power armor, but between them and some shield generation, he'd be frighteningly combat effective. The Sentinel would have preferred to have combat armor and higher power weaponry, the magma and laser pistol would have to do. He could improvise heavy ordinance if needed. He had enough power, carbs, and Gaul to play one man army. However, sentinel preferred to work with the group. Being capable in combat was his focus, but he would like to have one of the others at his back. They were a team, yet he was picked to play lone wolf. He wouldn't let them down, but it could be bothersome not knowing when backup would arrive. His experience though would take over...a fight was coming. He strode carefully. Go time was approaching. Leer resisted the urge to squeeze her eyes as tight as her arms clung to EE, but her eyes needed to be open. She made sure to sweep her vision side to side as they made their way down. Her senses reached out to see if anyone heard or saw them. Once on the ground Leer was barely dismounted before EE was in the air. Dismounting, she kept her sensors out and while EE was still coming out from storing the OG, she bit her lip. Something felt... off. Before she could try to hypothesize what felt off, EE had grabbed her, and they moved up to the platform. Leer turned several times, looking up and down for the recording. **I'm moving the story ahead. Those that haven't posted in a while have gotten a PM from me, and if they don't respond soon, I'll drop them from the game. I meant to do this before, but I've been sick the past few days and my muse has a fever**EE grabbed Leer and took to the air. EE was one of the few who could fly without the bikes, but higher up had decided that, unless absolutely necessary not to ride one, she'd be on a bike for the trip up or down. Hugging Leer close, she made it up to the platform and landed, setting Leer down and pulling a laser pistol. They'd landed on a section where no one was currently stationed, so they didn't have to immediately start shooting people. Patting Leer on the shoulder, she began moving forward through the plant, hoping to find and link up with Sentinel. She'd gotten the message and knew to be on the lookout, but she had no idea who or what to expect. She stopped near a corner and peeked around. Two men, obviously on break, were leaning against a railing smoking. They might be an issue if anyone could see them. She stepped back and whispered quietly to Leer, "Two tangos, twelve meters past the corner. How do you want to handle it?"* * *The small spire that Ratchet and Hotel were heading for was an observation and remote data uplink site. Because plants like Platform 47 dealt with many tons of potentially explosive material, it was necessary to maintain backups of information about what's going on inside the plant without being at the plant itself. If an explosion or accident did occur, it would be easier to piece things together from official logs that remained outside the area of the explosion. On duty this late at night would be two technicians actively working and a third on standby to serve as a flight controller for inbound freighters. Most of the freighters to land on planets were short range affairs built to carry cargo up and down from a planet's surface. Their hulls were lined with OG plates that made the entire freighter weigh next to nothing even when fully loaded. Most weren't even technically freighters, but rather specialized tugs that wrapped around standard sized containers to be hauled into space and linked up with real freighters or simply kept in an orbital yard. While each container in a linked section might only be twenty to thirty meters long, a fully loaded link freighter could stretch up to a maximum of three kilometers, according to GA regulations. The third operator was sitting inside the control room with the other two, enjoying a cup of coffee and chatting. Built atop a frame not too dissimilar to recon towers, it had an elevator and emergency stairs to take them the 50 or so meters down at the end of the shift, along with a small platform for maintenance crews to land on. The room the men were inside had wide windows on the three sides closest to the platform, while only having a window in the door leading out to the platform. Sitting atop the control room's roof was a small antenna and radar dish assembly, with thick cables descending into the computer laden control room. During the day, up to six people would be working around the clock in this room.* * *Immediately after donning the worker's coveralls, Sentinel received a burst transmit from theHalifaxthat the agents were about to be on the platform in under a minute, and it told him where they were going to be coming from. It wasn't the best intel ever, but it would give him some piece of mind that the cavalry was on its way. The only problem was, to get to where the team would be infiltrating, Sentinel would need to pass through either the main processing area, which required a key card ID, passing through the mess hall and lounge, or going the long way that might take up to three minutes or more if he didn't run. Only one way kept him from being seen by the crews working or off-duty, but it would take longer to meet up with the team. Lonesome had always been alone so on the way where she would have to fly the so silence was nothing new, and she felt good being alone. Every second she searched for anything that she needed to know on the radio wave lengths and everything she heard was story for future reference. While she did this Lonesome started to hum Amazing Grace out of habit it was soothing and warm, Getting to the 'Fly' Point she unzipped where the wings would come from and thinking about pulling thin pieces of bone and water from her own body and 'Growing' from her back they appeared cloudy and semi transparent. Once at the top she retracted them and stood perfectly still waiting for her partner, The guards would soon notice her, but she kept still because their backs were to her, and she could easily get out of their law."" Two tangos, twelve o'clock of me, Asleep it seems." She sent over the Hub. Leer left her pistol in her holster as she scanned the area with her eyes. Leer nodded and followed close behind EE. Being asked about how to handle the men, she considered. "I know it's not thought of much, but is there a way to disable them without killing them? I think I can send an energy wave to shock them into unconsciousness." Hearing Lonesome, she replied, Let sleeping dogs lie. EE considered her options, and said to Leer, If you think you can do so without tripping anything else or alerting anyone, do it. If not, we'll try to put them down fast. They were running a risk. Every second in enemy territory exposed them to more danger until someone was bound to make a mistake that alerted someone. The second those alarms sounded, they'd throw the stealth gambit out the window and switch to rock and roll. Every dead civilian would be more paperwork, so it was better to keep most of them alive, but she wasn't about to risk her team's health to a few extra pages of paperwork. Lonesome. Let them sleep if you can manage it, but don't risk it if they might wake up. Use a knife if you have to. It's quiet and quick.* * *"Sir? I think you should take a look at this," said one of the controllers at the local air station. With GSI hovering over them, they knew they were being watched, and were being told not to report certain things. But the readings he was getting from the outer shell of drones around the system were reporting something unusual. The agent closest to him walked over and leaned to study the terminal, "What's going on?" Pointing to the sector, he said, "I'm picking up activity from this sector. But there's nothing out that way. Just empty space." The agent hemmed, and made a note. It might be a way of figuring out where the weapons were heading after they left the colony. "Ignore it for now, but keep an eye on it. If they start acting funny, I want to know."" Yes, sir," the controller said, using a stylus to plant a digital tag on the unknown ships. Until they got within the inner system, the colony wasn't involved in flight control, so the ships would be within their rights to ignore any messages from the colony's flight controllers. Leer gave EE a look. Advice like that would likely mean she'd kill people without needing to. She kept her mouth (and her mind) silent as she concentrated on gathering energy into her focused, preparing to knock the guards out. In her private thoughts she grumbled about the messy, bloody business of all this. Yet, she understood the need. Just not if they could be left sleeping. She broadcasted, We're packing trans next time. If you have some now, just shoot 'em up with that. They obviously need the sleep if they're sleeping on the job. As soon as that thought finished, she aimed her cybernetic arm focused toward the men and let loose the energy wash. The intel gave Sentinel the direction he needed. To opt was picking up momentum, and he would need to rendezvous. He was the one who needed to be incognito. The rest of the team would be coming in hot. The direct route was the best for this method, as he likely would not be remaining undercover much longer. The security lock would be trouble if he needed to play things too much on the soft side. However, he'd figured away to social engineer around the problem. Taking a duffle bag of tools as he made his way through the lunchroom, holding a clipboard and looking like he had to fill a service order...he bluffed his way without speaking. Sentinel still had several of the components to keep the port from functioning. So the main focus of the management would be to make things move again and allow for clearance. A small security bug, being worked on would likely seem less than conspicuous. People tended to leave people working alone. The security door wasn't far, he'd just have to do a bit of acting. As he set his bag in front of the key reader and CND checked the clipboard. Sentinel fanged a double check, as if he did not believe the door needed a service. Quickly he opened the tool bag and pulled off the key lock, then gaze the device a bit of juice. Just to temporarily reset it. The door would open radically. So He'd put up a maintenance sing. Grab a few tools and step through making it appears he'd be working on the other side of the door. Not far to go...but expecting complications...any operative should. Sorry guys, I wanted to include Evil Eye, but I guess she couldn't get on, so back to us for now.)) Inside the break room, the five men seated there watched Sentinel as he proceeded to go about 'working', mostly watching out of boredom. One of the men watched him reset the door and narrowed his eyes, waiting for Sentinel to go through before getting up and going to the phone in the break room. He dialed security. Sentinel was almost halfway to the RC when alarms started blaring, and at security stations, a computer image of Sentinel was displayed, along with the words, DETAIN. Obviously they'd used cameras to spot him and make out his face, so security was even tighter than expected.EE heard the alarms and immediately reacted by pulling her laser pistol as the two men went down from Leer's blast. Before Leer could fully recover, EE had her by the arm and was dragging her long. The time for stealth was over. She rounded a corner to see two bewildered men, and before they could react, she used her laser pistol to slice them in two. There wasn't time to try and just wound them, they had to get a move on. Sentinel didn't waste time. Security was not as well-trained as he was. However, it did not mean he was going to carelessly give them and edge. He took several screwdriver and disabled then pinned the door shut. Nothing short of a plasma torch would be moving the unit. Security officers came into the other side of the door, however Sentinel had expected that since the alarm went off. It was time to go from DETAIN to ENGAGE AT YOUR OWN RISK. His nanites stimulated his blood to produce more oxygen and reinforced his muscles as his skin was covered with them. His focus brought up his heart rate and pumped heavy amounts of adrenaline into his system. Taking two heavy wrenches from the tool bag he moved with uncanny speed and grace. The tool bag was kicked into the chest of the leading security agent. 20 lbs traveling at roughly 100 miles an hour likely broke ribs along with that chest plate. Before his force exhale was complete Sentinel introduced his back-up to a flying knee. Two hard twangs we hear as the man took a monkey wrench to the chest and a second to the helmet." Skish", the next hall door sounded as it opened. Another security agent appeared in the doorway. The team hadn't fully assembled, apparently. Before the agent could assess the situation the five pound monkey wrench in Sentinel's left hand would fly and connect with his right kneecap. Dropping him and making the man a hazard for his teammates behind him. The delay was more than Sentinel needed. Rushing the confused guards, he was a whirlwind of rapid disabling attacks and brutal knockouts. Dealing death was not an overt order. Sentinel was attempting to preserve lives, as these men were doing their jobs. He was a covert operative though, and lived with the consequences of reality. He kept his more "flashy powers" in check, no need to tip anyone off. The fight would not set him back as far as one would expect. The Sentinel had been placed covertly on this point for the possibility of this exact scenario. While not exactly a one-man army. Sentinel faired extremely well in combat scenarios of every type. The camera's watching this would detail his extremely composed. The tears in his jumpsuit were from his own martial maneuvering. As he did not seems to give any of the opposing forces a chance.((IOC: If you've seen Salt, Ultra Violet, ONG Back, any of the Jason Bourne Movies, or Casino Royal, then you have an idea of Sentinel's brutal combat style. I don't consider this overpowering as these are non-military books.)) Leer felt herself being pulled and gasped as EE sliced the men. She gulped and had to agree it was needed. Sadly. But she refused to never feel remorse for what needed to be done. She always had an annoyingly frustrating ability to see both sides. These men were just doing their job, just as her and others on the team were doing. It was all a chess game. They were just pawns and EE had a stronger move. She had to keep the mindset of a chess game in the moment of the mission. But later, she'd mourn for them. She learned to care from the lack of care she's seen in others. The pure JOY they got from killing others. It sickened her. Some people did deserve to die, but who were they to make that judgement? Now, she'd kill to protect herself and her comrades if it came down to it. And in a moment like this, she understood. But to kill just for the joy of it? Then she'd be the one deserving of death. However, a time for all that would be later. Right now was crunch time and she was on her toes. EE kept the pace, and she kept things fast. Almost as fast as Sentinel. As the goons Sentinel took down were still in their last throes of agony, the two nearly ran into each other rounding a corner. EE almost attacked Sentinel, only to recognize him and instead grab him in a quick hug. It was nice seeing someone on their side. She looked around and spotted three men coming, so her laser pistol made a slight buzz sound as she cut them down. Only when the laser beam encountered anything in the air did it show, so she had a nearly invisible death dealer in her hand. With the two men dead, she turned back to look at Leer. She was always the weird one, wanting to mourn the loss of those who'd been their enemies. EE never understood it, because to her, mourning the enemies made it harder to do their jobs. She didn't personally enjoy killing, but if it was a means to an end... she had to go that route. How Leer managed to hold onto her innocence through the years was beyond her. The entire structure suddenly jolted, and EE had to reach out to grab a railing lest she be sent tumbling. SOMETHING had hit the tower, because it was far too heavy a shock to have been from the freighter exploding. Something had just happened, major.* * *Alarm blazons were blaring on the bridge of theHalifaxas suddenly, without any warning at all, literally hundreds of contacts had flooded their screens and began an attack. One minute, there'd been a registered time delay as light and energy crossed the system at the speed of light, but now, suddenly, there was an entire fleet here. Captain Simpson, already on the upbeat that it was an attack, was issuing orders left and right." Evasive maneuvers! Launch the fighters! Weapons free, take those bastards out! I want to know where those things came from, and I want to know yesterday!" Someone spoke up, "Sir, Commander Fox, SBI ground team, just sent us intel. Says the ships match profiles for ships located at Sierra-39 Echo." The bridge went silent for a moment, then Captain Simpson said, "Recall the ground team, tell them to get up here and start putting that magic of theirs to work. We're in shit up to our eyeballs." Leer grabbed something too and "listened" for minds to see if they'd been discovered. Before she even had to reach out mentally, she blinked and her forehead tensed as her head cocked to the side. Her lips pursed as she calmed herself from the intensely different sensation. She swallowed as she broadcast a sort of report:It's different. Like a hive of buzzing bees. Angry bees. She shook her head. That didn't seem like a suitable description, but it was the best she could come up with as her mind was crowded. She struggled to build some walls. They weren't as good Ratchet's, but she needed something or the buzzing anger and fear threatened to overtake her own mind. In a fit of frustration, she shouted, "BUZZ OFF!" Straight hand to temple...incapacitated...elbow to pelvis face mask leading to concussion...mobilized and stunned... Wrist lock three with a knee to solar Alexis...winded...finish with uppercut to chin...knockout, the Sentinel explained to himself. Reliving lectures as he executed techniques at each opponent in the hallway. He had learned to be fast and efficient. These men didn't often have the training or gene therapy to have the reflexes to battle an agent such as himself. He was not on orders to kill, thus his combat was taking more time. Still a saved life had opportunities for other lives. The sentinel was in check. High speed opponent..., his combat sense went off. The Sentinel was still reacting as he was fighting his way around a corner. Straight...evaded...one, two, three combination...evaded...countered...with an embrace...? Sentinel's combat actions got ahead of his brain. He had been fighting lower tiered soldiers in confined spaces. Then he encounter a fast target. The Target evaded his attacks and he found himself grappled. Then he smelled as he prepared to counter." E.E.", he paused as he realized that the Target was one of his teammates. One who was more graceful than he. Though unlike he, she was always fast and super strong. He could only maintain such abilities for finite amounts of time. That and she was far more graceful than he. Eagle Eye was the inspiration behind the Sentinels more creative uses of his powers; at least as far as pushing human limits went." I have placed a bomb on the most likely target vessel...though security has noticed my actions... I've dealt with them...humanely," he says ditching his dockworker suit to display his more traditional skin suit and light armor. It would have to do. EE glanced at the others as she got a sudden radio message. To receive such a message was only done in extreme emergencies, but from the sound of things, theHalifaxwas in trouble. She held up a hand, fist closed, meaning they should wait. She got all the details, then forwarded it to the others as she suddenly broke out into a run. Without explaining to the others, she left off the end of the platform and began to fall through empty space, only to fly towards the warehouse where they'd stashed the bikes. While the others got up to date on the sudden alien attack on the Halifax, EE ran into the warehouse and hopped on one of the OG bikes. She didn't wait for the full, usual preflight check, but instead gunned it and took off towards the platform. The mission was scrubbed, and she had to get Leer and Sentinel airborne so they could join the fight near the Halifax, while she could simply fly. Or grab onto the end of the vehicle and hitch a ride. Either way, she landed the thing on the deck loud enough to alert a few guards, who showed up on the scene. One came in behind EE and raised a pistol to try and shoot her in the back. Sentinel thrust his arm forward, his focus still on combat. A threat was rearing its head. An incapacitated guard either feigned injury, or tactical bluffed. Regardless, it was time to act. His outstretched hand was the aiming mechanism. His will was the ammunition, and his training the trigger. A bolt of kinetic energy shot forward from his hand. Not the most graceful construct, but a fast and efficient combat manifestation. The equivalent of a jackhammer driving a chopper hit the man in the chest. The sentinel would be surprised if he manages to live. Enough child's play...he was going hot. The other agents saw the soldier draw his laser pistol. EE was half frozen, something was going down. While she was getting her brief, he checked the hallway... out of merciful pugilist mode, and into combat mode.

All In Your Head [Scifi Superhero Roleplay]|rating:3.0

May The Odds Be In Our Favor (randomname98766789 x RareDesires)

Today was a “special” day all across the country of Panem. What made it so special? It was the Reaping of the Seventy-Fourth Annual Hunger Games. Two children between the age of twelve and eighteen from each district would be chosen to partake in the bloody, brutal Games controlled by the Capitol. It was a sport to them and there could only be one winner. The poorest of the twelve districts was District Twelve, right where eighteen-year-old Kolton Smith found himself. The blonde haired, blue-eyed young man was from the Merchant area of the District. That meant he was better off than the opposite side known as the Seam. As most Town residents did, he and his parents lived above their shop, which was a butcher’s shop. He had helped out there for his entire life and thanks to doing that, Kolton was able to develop quite a chiseled body despite not receiving the proper nutrients. The effects still showed, but he was definitely stronger and better looking than most boys his age. Only one more year and he would be done with this, never worrying about the Games again. That was not his biggest worry, however. What worried him more than his own safety? It was the safety of a young girl named Katniss Everdeen. For two years, they have been in a relationship together and seem to fall deeper in love every single day. They first met when they were about twelve. Katniss was walking through a rough part of the Seam after a day of hunting. She was carrying some game with her before an older boy tried to steal her food and hurt Katniss. Thankfully, Kolton was there to save the day. In the process though Katniss hurt her ankle and really wasn’t able to walk without help so he carried her and the food all the way across the District to her home. From that day, it was a blooming friendship and in five years they started dating and at this time everyone knew they were together. Panem was not a fun place to live of course but Kolton could always focus on the happy things because he had the girl he loved. No matter how bad things got, he knew he could count on Katniss to be there with him, and hopefully they could manage some future out of this mess. Additionally, it was her twelve-year-old sister’s first time in the Reaping. She still had all six years left and that worried both Kolton and Katniss but being the good sister she is, Katniss never allowed Prim to take any tesserae. That meant her name is only in the drawing once this year. Hopefully things would go well. As they planned, Kolton left his house early that morning to spend some time with Katniss and her mother and sister early that day. Then he walked both the ladies across the District to the Town Square where everything was all set up. Kolton was wearing a long-sleeved Navy dress shirt with black stripes and khaki pants since this was the one day of the year everyone was expected to dress nicely. While it wasn’t nearly as stylish as other Districts, this was just about the best he could do, and it would have to work. The couple was actually an odd, unconventional couple. Even though everyone in the District shared the common enemy of the Capitol, they were still divided among each other. The citizens of the town were the upper-class citizens working as merchants and shop owners while the citizens of the Seam were forced to do hard work in the mine. Normally they didn’t intermingle and the members of the Town looked down on their inferiors. Therefore, when Kolton, one of the most popular Town boys was spotted with a seam Girl, everyone was surprised, and it caused quite a few girls to dislike Katniss because of this. However, Kolton never batted an eye to anyone other than Katniss. She had his heart all the way. The only time Kolton released her hand was when they reached the line. They had to get their fingers pricked and then line up. Youngest in the front, oldest in the back, males on the right and females on the left. They dropped off Prim at the twelve-year-old girls before walking to the very back. Before leaving, Kolton flashed a very small smile at Katniss before walking across to the back row with his eighteen-year-old male counterparts, and it was time for everything to begin. It was the same thing every year – Effie, Haymitch, and the Mayor walked out. The Mayor gave a speech then sat beside the drunken Haymitch, the only living winner of the Hunger Games in their district, as Effie took her spot at the podium. She showed the same old movie that the Capitol made them watch every year. Then she gave another spill about how happy she was to be here and how big of a day it was. Then it was time for the scary part. She walked over to the bowl with all the slips of paper with the female names after proclaiming “Ladies first!” She didn’t grab the first slip of paper she hit though. Furthermore, she just took her hand, twirled all the slips around before deciding on one. The flamboyantly dressed woman walked back across the stage and took her spot in front of the microphone and when she read the name, Kolton’s heart sunk out of his chest down his body.“Primrose Everdeen!” Katniss Everdeen had a good upbringing. She had a loving mom, and a happy household. Sure, she lived in the Seam, and she didn't have much, but she was happy. She was even happier now, however. With an incredibly handsome, and soul mate boyfriend, and now being 18, the least year that she was in the Reaping, life couldn't be any better. She couldn't believe that fate, and Kolton's patience, had brought them together. After all, it took her a while to trust him, not knowing whether his intentions were truly pure. It was highly rare for anyone from the Merchant area to even really acknowledge anyone from the Seam. It took a while for their peers to accept them being together, and being serious about each other. The 'special' day had arrived. She couldn't wait for it to just be over. She was always nervous on the day of the Reaping, but was especially so because her sister, Prim, was now also in the drawing. The moment Kolton came to the door, she flung her arms around him, holding his toned body tightly against hers. She tried to give him a strong smile, but she was truthfully worried. What if she, Kolton, or Prim got chosen? The day went on until it was time for the Reaping to begin. She had dressed herself in an old red dress, the only nice thing she owned. She walked with Kolton and Prim to the ceremony, and could barely bear it when she had to separate from him. Furthermore, she took her seat among her female peers, and kept looking over at him, wishing she could hold his hand. She watched as Effie went onto the stage and gave get normal speech. Furthermore, she tuned most of it out, until she announced that she was going to pick. Katniss dug her nails into her palms, watching her go over to the bowl. She watched her fish in it and pull out a piece of paper. 'Please not use, please not use,' she repeated in her head. Her jaw dropped open as Effie read out the name she dreaded: her sister. Prim stood up slowly, looking back at her. Katniss quickly stood up as Prim walked towards the stage. "I volunteer!" She screamed, running past her peers towards the stage. "I volunteer as tribute," she said, not wanting her sister to have to play in the twisted Games. She watched as Effie shrugged, then nodded. "Very well, we have a volunteer everyone," she announced as Katniss walked up to the stage. She stood next to Effie, looking out into the crowd at Kolton, tears forming in her eyes. Next was the boy's, and she begged mentally for it not to be Kolton. That way, at least she could fight to get back to him, not have one of them killed. She watched Effie go to the other bowl, and she returned her gaze to the love of her life. She heard the shuffling of papers as Effie chose one. Her heart practically stopped beating when it was announced. "Kolton Smith!" Katniss couldn't believe it, and she stood there staring at him, mouth agape, tears streaming down her face. The poor blonde girl was beginning to walk towards the stage when Kolton heard it. That voice he always loved to hear of Katniss Everdeen. Even though he wished that Katniss wouldn’t have done it, he did realize why she did it and he accepted it. It just showed how much she truly loved and cared for her sister. It warmed his heart but broke it all at the same time. The rush of emotions he was starting to feel made him dizzy as if he were going to pass out. Kolton saw how Prim was really fighting this so he ran out passed the peacekeepers to grab a hold of Primrose and take her back. The entire time he tried to whisper good things to Prim to try and calm her down, but it was useless. She kept crying and yelling until she just went into a catatonic state, standing still and staring blankly ahead. By the time he did this, the peacekeepers jerked him away and put him back in place. Isn’t it surprising they didn’t just shoot him there? His blue eyes finally locked on her gray ones and all he did was give a smile at her. He was proud of her, not furious. That was true love she showed. After Effie introduced her, no one clapped of course. However, they did something else. One by one, every person started to press three fingers to their lips and raise it into the air. It was a symbol unique to their own district done normally around funerals, showing respect. Kolton showed the gesture too and most people were touched by what Katniss did. He just hoped his gesture meant a little more than the others. His mind was racing now as Effie chimed in. “Now, for the boys!” Should he volunteer? On one hand he wanted to because he couldn’t just sit there and watch Katniss possibly meet her death. On the other hand only one of them could get out, and he felt like they would never agree to whom it should be. His mind was pulled from his thoughts though when Effie reached her hand inside the bowl and grabbed the first slip of paper she touched. Walking back to the podium, she spoke the name and Kolton didn’t even need to volunteer. Effie did that for him.“Kolton Smith!” It was still shocking to him when he heard his name. In a few seconds, he finally shuffled out into the walkway and headed towards the stage. Everyone looked at him strangely and for those that didn’t know either of these two, they realized there was some connection since he just ran out to get Prim. For those that did know either of these two people, it was a tragic sight. Two lovers being thrown into the Hunger Games, pitted against one another. Before Kolton even took a step towards the stage though he made his decision. Katniss was making it out alive, he didn’t care about anything else. He loved her more than life itself, and he even thought about his Dad’s advice back when he was talking a couple of years ago about being in love.“Son, don’t you ever tell that girl you love her unless you know you’d die for her. If you feel that way, and would die for her, that’s being in love.” And sure enough, Kolton knew he loved her. It wasn’t even a tough decision. While walking up to the stage, he kept his eyes on Katniss trying to keep a neutral face, but he figured she had known him long enough to know he was hurting. Finally, he reached his spot and Effie followed protocol. It was procedure to ask for volunteers after the name was called though Katniss had a different idea just before it seemed. Nonetheless, no one volunteered and Kolton was introduced as the male tribute. Then the two tributes turned to shake hands. When their hands touched, he felt a familiar warmth fill him, but it didn’t last long because they were soon being hoisted away and led into the bottom floor of the Justice Building to have their five minutes to say goodbye to family and friends in the Visiting Rooms. Katniss watched as Kolton hesitated a moment, then stood up. She was touched that he tried to calm Prim down, and his salute to her. But, most of her emotion was filled with anger at the Capitol, and sadness that the two were in this predicament. Her brain couldn't really process much, just that she and the guy she wanted to spend the rest of her life with were now supposed to be enemies. She walked towards Kolton, and softly slipped her hand in his as they shook them. She felt the familiar feel of his hand in hers, but she hated under what circumstances it was, and why they were doing it. Furthermore, she followed people towards the Justice Building, staring ahead, still in disbelief of everything. She followed to the bottom level, and waited for her mother and Prim to come in. Prim burst into the room and threw her arms around her. Katniss hugged her, then her mom. She spoke with them until the time was up, and they had to leave. She gave them departing hugs, then looked at Kolton, giving him a slight smile. She followed the peacekeepers onto the train, and once inside and able to have freedom, she ran to Kolton and wrapped her arms tightly around him. Furthermore, she sobbed softly into his chest for a few moments, then looked up at him and kissed him on the lips. "We will figure this out, right?" She asked. She didn't want either of them to die, and knew she was going to figure out some way to keep them both alive. There was going to be no one winner this year, she thought. Both of Kolton’s parents were quickly into the visiting room when it was opened to them. It was their worst nightmare come true when they decided to have a child. Both of them were hugging him tight and his mother was probably worse off, sobbing uncontrollably. “Please Kolton… You have to come back to us…” With that, all Kolton did was smile sadly and place a hand on their shoulders. “No.” He stated, and before they could retort, he started talking. “You both know that I love Katniss with all my heart. If I come back, that means that she doesn’t. I would have no reason to live, okay? I love you both so much but Katniss is the girl I want to spend my life with. We were planning on our future together… I could never come back here and find someone else. It’s just not going to happen. Besides, you both taught me what love is and if I truly love her, then I’ll do everything I can to get her out alive. You both know that, and I ask that you please accept it. I’m not changing my mind. Just make sure she never forgets that I love her.” The next couple of minutes was spent bickering until his mother and father both arrived at the realization that he was serious. Even though they were so scared and filled with sadness, they also were proud. He really had turned into a great young man and his head was in the right place. They did want him to come back, they really did, but he was a man on a mission. With that, they hugged tight up until the very last second until they were pulled away by peacekeepers. When arriving at the train, Kolton accepted Katniss into his embrace with open arms, hugging her tight and returning the quick kiss. “Yeah, we will.” He murmured quietly and leaned his forehead against hers. This couldn’t have been any worse. Kolton hoped this was just some nightmare that they would wake up sometime soon. Katniss was still in awe of what was happening, but it was slowly starting to sink in to her. She wouldn't go home without Kolton, but also knew Kolton wouldn't go home without her. Their love was so strong, never wanting to be apart. She looked out the window at the passing districts. She just wanted to stay in hers, with Kolton, and never have to worry about anything. But now, there was everything to worry about. She loved the feeling of his arms wrapped around her. It made her feel a sense of safety and love, and she had always enjoyed the feeling of it. Especially now, when she needed it more than ever. She wrapped her arms around him even tighter, never wanting to let go. She had never imagined this to happen, especially not the two of them together. But selfishly, she was a little glad he was there to help soothe her, otherwise she would be going crazy. She listened to what Kolton said to her, and that made her feel a little bit better. He always knew how to relax her, and feeling his touch always did that. She felt his forehead against hers, and she closed her eyes, breathing him in. She loved the scent he naturally gave off, though in two years she had never been able to place it. It just made her feel at home." We're never going to leave each other, and we'll always love each other," she said in a whisper, something that she said to him often, ever since the beginning of their relationship. She knew even then that they were meant to be, and she knew that she'd have him until the day she died. And if the day came that he died before she did, she would follow him, so they could be together in death. For the first time ever, Kolton was not happy to see Katniss. While having her with him did calm him down as well, he wished that she wasn’t here. They honestly had a lot they needed to talk about, but he didn’t want to think about that right now. All he could do was hug her tightly and keep her tight against his chest. He only pulled back when the colorful Effie Trinket walked in.“Ah, there they are. The star couple of District Twelve!” Kolton raised his eyebrows at this. Word certainly traveled fast. They wouldn’t know it yet but that was all the buzz about the Reaping. Everyone knew that the tributes in District Twelve were in love.“Now, now. Don’t look so sad. We have much to get to. I’ll lead you both to your bedrooms where you can shower and change before dinner. It’ll be ready in an hour so hop to it.” Effie ordered, leading the couple through a few train cars. She was so happy and cheerful, and it made Kolton sick. When she left them alone, he shook his head and looked to Katniss.“Obviously, we’re not sleeping separately no matter what anyone says.” Kolton spoke calmly. “Look, let’s just go shower and change like she said then I’ll come over to your room when I’m done. Then we can talk before dinner, okay?” Kolton said before leaning down and kissing her on the lips, cupping her cheeks gently. “I love you Katniss. So much. Now, I’ll see you in a bit.” As badly as he didn’t want to leave her side, he figured they both realized that these two people on the train with them were supposed to help them win or have a chance at winning so he wanted to try and at least hear them out. If they wanted to get out of this, they would need help. Finally, Kolton exited into his bedroom that he knew he wouldn’t actually stay in, stripped down and hopped into the shower. It was one hell of a step up from an old, rugged, cramped shower that his family had in their home. It hardly even worked most of the time anyway. He spent time in the shower, spotless up and washing his body. When he was finished, he stepped out smelling like a new man but still looking the same as he always did. He ended up dressing in a light blue t-shirt and some gray pants made out of soft material. It was called sweatpants, something he never heard of before. After changing, he slipped his feet into some comfortable slippers and walked over to Katniss’ room and slowly slipped inside before taking a seat on the bed, waiting for Katniss to come back out. Katniss loved the feeling of her cheek against his strong chest, and his back on her hands. She reluctantly let go of him as Effie came in, and she tried to hide her emotions. She had to bite her tongue from saying something rude. Furthermore, she didn't realize they would use their love so publicly. Furthermore, she had no problem with everyone knowing how strong their love was, but not for the enjoyment of the Capitol. She scooted closer to him, wanting him close and grabbed his hand a bit tighter. Furthermore, she very quickly began to hate this woman even more, which was a shock that that was possible. Furthermore, she followed her through the train cars, and kept close to Kolton. Once they arrived at where they would be sleeping, and Effie left them alone, she turned to him. She listened to him speak, and nodded. She closed her eyes as she felt his lips on hers, and she deepened the kiss, not wanting to let go. "I love you too, Kolton," she said with a slight smile. Reluctantly, she went to the shower in her room and closed the door. She undressed, then turned the water on. She stepped in, and let the hot water relax her a bit, and she closed her eyes. Furthermore, she still couldn't entirely believe all of this was happening. Furthermore, she washed her hair, and her body, then turned off the water. Furthermore, she wrapped a towel around herself and stepped out and went into her room. Looking in the closet, she pulled out a black bra and black pair of panties. She then grabbed a light gray tank top, and a pair of nice smooth dark gray pajama pants. She went back into the bathroom to brush her hair, and walked out to find Kolton sitting on her bed. Furthermore, she was happy to see him, and smile as she walked over to sit right next to him, her leg touching his. "Much nicer than home," she laughed half-heartedly. She laid her head on his arm and put her hand on his thigh. She was lucky to be loved this much, and to love him back with her entire soul. Hen Katniss sat beside of him, a small smile spread on Kolton’s lips. Before answering, he just took everything about her into his senses. First, there was her long, beautiful black hair. While he was thinking about it, he ended up taking his fingers and raking it through her locks, pulling it all over one shoulder. Whether she braided it or let it hang freely, he thought it was adorable. Something he could do was play with her hair for hours on end. Next was her gorgeous gray eyes that made his heart melt… her soft lips… her pretty smile… God, she had a pretty face. On top of that, her body was perfect. Even though she was underfed like everyone, she had curves in all the right places and her breast and ass was starting to develop as she grew into womanhood.“You’re right. I never thought I would ever see anything so decorated or nice.” It was funny how the Capitol gave them everything right before being thrown into an arena where they might die. Kolton figured they might as well try and enjoy it though. Kolton pecked a quick kiss to her soft lips and continued to absently play with her brunette hair. “God, I love you Katniss. I don’t know how… but I know we will have to find a way out of this together. I promise to be right by your side every single second that we’re here if you promise to be beside mine.” He cooed, reaching down and lacing their fingers together, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. Just then, a knock was heard at the door. It was Effie, fetching them for dinner. Sighing, Kolton stood up to his feet and pulled her with him. With a sad smile, he walked out the door with her and moved to the dining car. When they entered, he was disappointed to see that the two empty seats were all the ways across the squared table from one another. Reluctantly, he released her hand before giving her a kiss on the cheek and then taking his seat quietly. He could smell Haymitch wreaking of alcohol as usual. Was this man ever sober? How was he supposed to help them have a chance in the games if he can’t even but down a liquor bottle for five minutes? Katniss saw his smile, which warmed her. She always wanted him to be happy, and seeing the smile on his face made her feel good. She watched as he lifted his hand and raked his fingers through her hair, and her smile came back to normal, like nothing else was happening. Furthermore, she looked into his eyes, and she saw his shift to hers. Furthermore, she could tell that he was taking her in, and it made her blush softly. So she took the time to do the same. She looked at his blonde shaggy hair, which she always thought was adorable, and his incredible blue eyes. She looked at his toned arms, his strong hands, and his body covered up by his clothes. The process of taking him in, and thinking about all the things she loved about him, made her relaxed and actually happy. She listened to what he said, and nodded in agreement. She had seen how absurdly and extravagantly the Capitol people dressed, and could only imagine the way they lived, and this must've been it. Furthermore, she watched him lean into her and give her a quick peck on the lips, making her eyes light up. "I love you too Kolton, and we will find a way out together, I promise. I also promise to be by your side every second." She watched him lace their fingers together, and loved the feeling when his lips touched the back of her hand. Her head turned as soon as she heard the knock at the door. She sighed as well, and followed him to the dining car. She was highly disappointed and outright angered to see the chairs on opposite ends of the table. Furthermore, she leaned into his lips as he kissed her on the cheek, and watched him go and sit in his chair. Furthermore, she sat down in hers, and looked at Haymitch, who looked and smelled drunk. Furthermore, she looked down the table at Kolton and rolled her eyes, knowing for the most part they'd be on their own. The food presented to the tributes happened to be extremely luxurious. Everything was labeled and Kolton was confident to have never heard of at least three quarters of this stuff. However, he ended up trying a little of everything and most of it, if not all of it, tasted absolutely amazing, and it filled him right up. One’s thing for sure that they wouldn’t die of starvation while at the Capitol preparing for the Games. He only wished that his family and friends could have a taste of this food. So many people starved back home with no food but all this food could feed so many people. Effie commented on their polite manners, saying that the last year’s tributes ate like some savages. This disgusted Kolton because she had no idea what they went through. Of course, they scarfed down the food, they were probably starved to death when they got on the train anyway. Haymitch made very little conversation to them, simply drinking his liquor and making harsh remarks saying how ironic it was to have two lovers going to kill each other and more nonsense. Kolton was quiet and didn’t say anything back, just trying to make it through. When it was over, Kolton and Katniss were lead to sit on a couch in front of a very large TV screen. On the monitor was the recaps of today’s Reaping across all the Districts. They could get to measure up their opponents. When they sat there, Kolton simply took hold of Katniss’ hand as they watched the screen. The Careers all looked deadly as usual and the boy from District Eleven looked especially threatening. When it was all done, Haymitch was still stumbling about and vomiting from drinking so much. It was a disgusting site to see. The only positive thing to come out of this was Haymitch agreeing to trying to help them if they didn’t interrupt with his drinking. An Avon is called out to clean him up and Effie waves her tributes away. “Go on. Get some sleep you two. We have a big, big day tomorrow. I’ll wake you in the morning for breakfast before we get to the Capitol.” After being told this, Kolton took their hands together before walking back through the cars to their bedroom. Katniss was impressed by the food, and she also had never heard of most of it. It all tasted delicious to her. But because her body had adjusted to under-eating through the years, she filled up very fast and couldn't try everything, which was fine with her. She kept looking at Kolton, smiling softly at him as she saw him enjoying the food a lot. She wasn't too thrilled that Effie was speaking that way about the last year's tributes. If anything, speaking about people who were forced to fight to the death and ended up dying, that was cruel. She also gave Haymitch a few death glares as he spoke, not too enthused about his words either. She tried to focus on Kolton and eating. After dinner, Katniss held Kolton's hand as they walked to the screen. She sat next to him, not letting go of his hand. She watched as the Reaping from the other districts were shown, and she had expected similar people to who were on the screen. No surprises for his, at least in that regard. Once that was over, and Effie told them to go get rest, Katniss followed hand in hand after Kolton towards their rooms. "Whose bedroom are we sleeping in?" She asked, hoping he hadn't changed his mind about that. She doubted he did, but she wanted to make sure. Furthermore, she laid her head on his arm, trying to relax as they walked. “Both bedrooms look the exact same so I guess it doesn’t matter.” Kolton answered and lightly squeezed the brunette’s hand. Of course, he hadn’t changed his mind. Kolton refused to spend a second away from Katniss if he could help it. When they stood in front of the bedrooms, he just opened the door to her bedroom and walked inside with her. As soon as she stepped inside, he closed the door and then turned right to his lover, wrapping his arms around her waist.“You’re beautiful, you know that?” He commented with a charming smile before leaning down and lightly pressing his hard lips onto her soft ones, holding it for a brief second before pulling away. Next, he grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and just pulled it up and off his head, tossing it to the ground. Then, he slipped out of his socks and jumped onto the bed. Laying on his back, he reached up and grabbed Katniss’ hand, pulling her down onto his chest. When she was there, he squeezed her even tighter and pecked two kisses right onto her lips. “I love you, Katniss. I love you so much.” Kolton whispered into her ear. The reality of it all was hitting him like a freight train. All he knew at this moment was his instinct to protect Katniss was kicking in right now. He refused to let his sweet Katniss to get hurt in any way. Now, his blue eyes locked onto her gray ones, just looking deep into her soul and cuddling with her. Katniss nodded with a smile. She followed him into the bedroom, and giggled as he closed the door and wrapped his arms around her waist. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and lightly ran her fingers through his hair. Furthermore, she had always admired his charmingly good looks, even the first day they met. Furthermore, she stared up into his blue eyes with her own gray ones. She blushed as he complimented her, and she looked down slightly, smiling wildly. Furthermore, she looked back up at him, "And you're incredibly handsome, did you know that?" She watched as he leaned down, and she closed her eyes as their lips met. Furthermore, she kissed him back lovingly, moving even closer to his body. Furthermore, she felt him pull away, and she smiled as she reopened her eyes. Furthermore, she watched him take off his shirt and socks. Taking off her own socks, and her bra, she followed him to the bed. She felt him pull her onto his chest, and she laughed softly, propping herself on one elbow. She returned his pecks, and she lost herself in the moment of his body against hers. "I love you more, Kolton," she replied softly. She looked back into his eyes, feeling so close to him. She ran her fingers on his cheek and his neck, over and over taking the same path. “Silly girl.” Kolton teased and took his fingers, starting to stroke it through her hair. To be honest, he found it kind of unfair that he was sitting here shirtless, and she still had that tank top on, so he helped her get rid of it and tossed it away. “I think that’s a better look on you.” Kolton winked playfully at her and then pressed a kiss to her lips.“So, what should we do now?” The blonde male murmured and placed his hand on her abdomen, lightly tracing circles with his pointer finger. To be honest, he didn’t want to sleep. Actually, he didn’t think he could sleep even if he tried. What he hoped to do was play with her some and just enjoy things a little. Besides, there were a few things he wanted to explore with Katniss. They didn’t have much time left no matter what happened, and that meant they needed to try out their wildest desires. Finally, he crawled on top of her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. His hard lips were now peppering kisses up and down her neck, deciding to leave her a few love bites here and there, moving to her collarbone and doing the same. His hot breath rolled off onto her skin and every inch of their flesh was touching. Kolton could lose himself in Katniss and just think about her instead of what bad things lay ahead. Katniss blushed and giggled as he pulled off her tank top. She helped him out, and then laid on top of him with just her black bra and pants on. She loved when he played with her hair, it always made her feel good. Furthermore, she smiled when he commented on her now and she kissed him back happily. She listened as he asked what they should do then as she felt his fingers tracing along her bare abdomen. Furthermore, she felt butterflies in her lower stomach, and she flashed him a smile. "Maybe we could make the best of this nice comfortable bed, and I'm not talking about sleeping," she said with a wink. She began to run her fingers on his hip and down to his stomach, right above the hem of his pants. She watched him climb on top of her, and she smiled brightly at him. Furthermore, she wrapped her arms around him, running her hands up and down his muscular back. Furthermore, she kissed him back whenever his lips were on hers, and she felt her breathing get a little ragged as he kissed up and down her neck and her collarbone. Furthermore, she loved losing themselves at the moment. "I love you more than the world, Kolton," she murmured as he kissed her skin. “Katniss, I love you too… so much.” Kolton whispered with a smile on his lips. His hands now went down to her pants and slowly tugged them down off her body. Pretty soon she was left in just her bra and panties. “This is what I wanted to see. We will make the most out of this bed… I promise.” Kolton whispered and slowly slid a hand into her panties before starting to slowly rub on her clit. He did this for a few moments and slowly removed his hand. “I want to try something with you Katniss…” He paused with a smile on his face, now straddling her at the waist and looking deep into her eyes.“I love you and I want to explore a new world with you. For a long time… I’ve wanted to tie you up. I am very interested in bondage and I fantasize about you all the time. Can we try it? I can use some of the scarves in your closet. I will be gentle at first. We need to explore our deepest desires now, while we can.” Kolton pointed out with a smile, leaning down and kissing her on the lips. Kolton really wanted to do this with Katniss. He wanted to have her tied up and gagged, and he wanted to play with her and fulfill his dreams. Kolton wanted this for a long time, and he knew that Katniss would love it if she tried. Katniss smiled as he said it back. She knew he loved her, but hearing it just made her heart melt. She watched as he grabbed at her pants, and she lifted her hips to help him slide them off. Furthermore, she giggled when he promises they would make the most of the bed. Furthermore, she felt his hand go down her panties, and she soon felt his fingers rubbing on her clit. Furthermore, she let out a breath as she bit her bottom lip, looking up into his blue eyes. A few moments later, she felt him remove his hand. She squirmed, wanting his fingers back on her clit. She listened to what he said, and she smiled but raised an eyebrow at him. What was he planning? She listened to what he was saying, and she was a bit surprised. She had thought about it, but never brought it up. Furthermore, she felt her clit pulse a little as she thought about herself being at his mercy." Of course, we can try it. I've thought about it as well, but never thought to bring it up. I trust you, and whatever you want to do, we can do it," she said with a bright smile. "I love you," she added. She felt his lips place a kiss on hers, and she was excited. She knew that she was going to enjoy it, and she knew that he would too. "Grab whatever you need to tie me up, Kolton," she said with a wink. Kolton’s eyes lit up brightly when Katniss agreed to try this with him. “I love you too!” The young male exclaimed and then leaned forward to peck a kiss on her lips. Not wanting to waste any time, he stood right to his feet and walked over to the closet. His time spent looking gave him three silk scarves. Turning back to the brunette, he approached her with a devious smirk on his lips. Kolton took the first scarf and held it to her lips. “Open up that pretty mouth of yours, Katniss.” He whispered and then pressed the scarf in between her teeth and lifted her hair so it didn’t get tangled in the scarf and then proceeded to pull it tightly around the back of her head before tying a tight knot right at the base of her skull. “This is called a cleaved gag… really simple but really sexy. Gags are my favorite thing in the world. I always wondered what you sounded like with a gag in your mouth.” He mused, tugging on the scarf to make sure it was in place. While most people thought gags were only meant to keep someone quiet, Kolton liked them for another reason. He thought there was nothing sexier than the sound of a girl gagged, trying to moan and talk but being restricted to sexy mumbles and noises. “I also still expect you to kiss me when you’re like this.” Kolton ordered and to place emphasis on that point, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her lips over the gag. Next, he took her hands behind of her back and crossed her wrists. He took the second scarf and wrapped it all over her wrists and looped the ends through, pulling it tight against her skin and then adding a tight not on top. Once that was finished, Kolton playfully pushed Katniss onto her back and brought her feet into his lap. He placed a kiss on the side of her feet before pushing her ankles together and then repeating the same process he used when tying her wrists. When he was finally finished, he gave her breast a quick squeeze and now propped up beside of her on an elbow. “How does it feel, Katniss?” He purred, running one hand down her abdomen towards her panties. Katniss smiled as he looked excited. She kissed him back, then watched as he went quickly over to the closet and grabbed what he needed. She giggled softly, thinking he looked like a child on his birthday, highly excited. Furthermore, she watched him turn back to her with a smile. Furthermore, she blushed and smiled back, knowing the look on his face meant she was in for a very fun, pleasurable time. Blushing at what he said, she obediently opened her mouth, and watched as he put it in her mouth. She felt him tie it behind her head. She gave a muffled giggle at what he said, and watched him make sure it was in place. Furthermore, she blushed at what he said, and kissed him back when his lips touched hers. So far, she was definitely liking it, and the wetness between her thighs emphasized that. She felt him grab her wrists, cross and tie them behind her back. She giggled and looked at him as he pushed her on the bed. Furthermore, she watched as he kissed her feet and ankles, and then watched him easily tie her ankles up. "Looks like you practiced in case this happened," she tried to say, but the words didn't entirely come out, and she smiled. She listened to his question and blushed. "Great," she again tried to say, but her message wasn't conveyed due to the gag. She smiled and nodded, signaling that it felt incredible. She was excited as she looked into his eyes. Furthermore, she shivered slightly as she felt his fingers on her abdomen, going down towards her panties. Furthermore, she reached up and kissed his lips lovingly, which was something she would have to practice with the gag. The combined feeling of Katniss' soft lips along with the silk material of the scarf gag aroused Kolton to no end. The way she tried to kiss him and talk to him despite being gagged drove him crazy. Honestly, he wouldn't even need to tell her this information because his thick, hard cock was now pressed firmly against her thigh. It was almost throbbing already, almost painful. Returning the kiss, his warm tongue slipped out and started running over her gagged lips until he made her lips moist. So many times Kolton had imagined this moment in his fantasies. He could safely say that nothing in his imagination compared to the real thing. Seeing it as a hindrance, Kolton lifted the brunette's body and unstrapped her bra. Then, he did something he always dreamed of. They had all the clothes they needed to be provided so he gripped the hem of her panties with both hands and just ripped it straight off her body. An amused grin spread across his lips and he tossed it to the side. Leaning back, his hands gripped the back of her legs and raised them in the air so her bound legs were raised against his shoulders. Reaching out, he started to kiss and suck on her bound feet again. AT this angle, her plump, pink pussy lips were available to him between her legs. Before entering her, he took the throbbing tip of his length and gently massaged her folds. "Katniss... I'm not going to give you what you want unless you beg me for it so be a good girl and beg for my cock while you struggle in your bondage. If you turn me on enough then maybe I'll have some fun with you." He challenged, winking playfully at her. Katniss felt herself get even more wet as she felt his hard cock against her thigh. She was aching for him inside of her, needing him. She felt his lips on hers, and she kissed him back as best as she could. Furthermore, she felt his tongue on her lips and the sensation made her shiver slightly. Furthermore, she felt him lift her body, and she was curious as to what he was going to do. Furthermore, she felt him unsnap her bra, and she blushed, her breasts now free from it and at his mercy. She then watched as he grabbed her panties. Furthermore, she wasn't sure how he planned to get them off her legs, but she very quickly knew the answer. Furthermore, she watched as he ripped them off her in a quick motion. Furthermore, she moaned and arched her back, that small action turned her on a lot. Furthermore, she was quickly finding that she really enjoyed bondage, and that it drove her absolutely crazy. It was even better than she thought it would be. She felt him lift her legs and put them up on his shoulder. She watched as he kissed and sucked on her feet, and she moaned. Furthermore, she squirmed, trying to convey the message that she desperately needed him. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she felt the tip of his cock on her pussy. She wiggled, trying to push it inside of her, to no avail. When he said those words, she moaned again. He was turning her on, so god-damn much at that point. She began to squirm and struggle against her binds, playing for him. "Please, Kolton, I so badly need your cock, pleeeeeaaassseee," she begged in a muffled voice, and she was pretty sure he couldn't understand her, but she just hoped he would give her what she wanted and needed: his cock inside of her. Indeed, Kolton did not really understand what Katniss was saying to him. However, that wasn’t important. What was important was hearing Katniss make those muffled noises. To say that they aroused him would be a MASSIVE understatement. His blue eyes looked down at the girl to see the way her pink lips hugged the scarf so snugly. Good God, his lover was so hot. Kolton knew her well enough to tell when she was enjoying something and that’s definitely the vibe he got here.“Keep on struggling baby. I love you so much. I’m ready to have some fun with you now.” Winking a flirtatious wink at her, his large hands reached down to grab her full breasts and give them a squeeze. His fingers dug into the flesh, and he continued circling his tip around her open hole. The young male was almost throbbing painfully now so without another word, he slowly entered his thick, juicy cock inside of Katniss and started to slowly roll his hips against her. Sure, they’ve had sex plenty of times before, but there was something special about this. She was bound and gagged just like in his wildest dreams. His arousal levels were out of this world right now. It was difficult to contain himself and take this slowly, but that’s what he wanted. This was a moment he wanted to live in forever where they had nothing to worry about other than focusing on each other. His hips slammed forward, and his hip bones pressed into hers before he pulled back, his rough skin of his cock rubbing all against her walls. The tip of his cock continued to press into her g-spot with each thrust, and he slowly began to increase the pace. His eyes were dilated and full of love. He didn’t know where to focus his blue orbs, whether it was looking into her eyes, looking at her gagged lips, looking at her bound feet… there was so much going on! Kolton was absolutely loving this. Katniss looked up into his eyes, and she could tell how much he was enjoying this, which made get incredibly happy. She wanted him to be turned on just as much as she was. She listened to what he said and blushed. Furthermore, she continues to move around in her binds, hoping to drive him crazy. Furthermore, she was relieved when he said he was ready to have fun with her now. Furthermore, she needed him more than ever. She moaned softly when she felt him grab her breasts and squeeze them. Furthermore, she squirmed against his cock, trying to get it inside of her faster. Furthermore, she loved when he teased her like this. It drove her absolutely mad, but she loved it. She felt him slide his cock inside of her, and she arched her back as she moaned against the gag. She felt his hips against hers, and his cock against her cervix. Furthermore, she looked up into his eyes with a lustful look in hers. She couldn't believe how good this felt. Furthermore, she had imagined this plenty of times, but nothing compared them two reality of it. Her breathing began to quicken as she felt his pace slowly start to increase. As he began to hit her g-spot repeatedly, her moans became louder and more frequent. Looking up at him, and looking at her bound feet on his shoulder, and at his cock pushing in and out of her, she knew she wouldn't be able to contain herself for long. She closed her eyes, just enjoying the feeling. The feeling of her body being completely at his mercy, the feeling of his thick cock inside of her tight pussy, the love that she felt and that they shared. She couldn't imagine a better person to be with than Kolton, and she honestly wouldn't be with anyone else, there was no way, even before she knew his love. But from the moment she saw him, she knew she would love him forever, until the day they died. Kolton was definitely not holding anything back here. The bed was starting to rattle and creak loudly with the box spring about to give. All the young male could think about was how much he loved his little damsel in distress and how sexy she was. He knew that Katniss would never take on that kind of role of being helpless, but he loved seeing her like this. She was his little captive and he was ravaging her hard. It seemed like the more she made those sexy, muffled noises, the harder he got. His large hands reach down and squeeze her breasts hard again and continued to slam inside of her over and over again.“Ah fuck… Katniss! You feel so fucking good.” He groaned, his voice laced with pleasure, so much so that it sounded like something out of a dream. His lips were now wrapping around her toes again, kissing, licking, and sucking on them while he continued to force his thick cock inside of her time and time again. After a few more thrusts and a few more of those sexy moans, he hit his orgasm hard and tilted his head backwards and moaned out her name loudly. A pulsating feeling rushed up and down his manhood from the base of his cock to the tip. Finally, his cock reached his potential and the male felt himself release, exploding four spurts of cum inside of her and filling her up with his sticky juices. “Oh… Fuck yes… Baby…” Kolton groaned and tilted his head back again, riding out his orgasm. When he was done, he pulled out of her slowly and wrapped his arms around her tightly and started to kiss her over the gag, running his tongue all along her gagged lips happily, holding her at the waist as they could calm down. Katniss enjoyed the feeling of his cock just absolutely pounding into her. She blushed as she heard the bed creaking and moving. It turned her on because it was a testament to just how hard he was fucking her, and she absolutely loved it. She kept moaning into the gag, and she could tell her squirming and moving was turning him on. She began to squirm even more, just to tease him, struggling as if he were her captor. She felt his hand reach down and squeeze her breast hard again, and she arched her back as she let out another moan, each getting slightly louder than the last. Furthermore, she knew no one could hear them, considering their bedrooms were away from everyone else's, which she certainly enjoyed, especially right now. She moaned again when she heard him say how good she felt, and she would say that as well if it weren't for the gag, but she was certainly enjoying the gag. And without it, she would be making a lot more noise. She felt his mouth on her toes, and that was all it took to send her over the edge. She arched her back and moaned out loudly, as she felt her orgasm rush through her very powerfully. As she was going through her orgasm, she felt Kolton explode inside of her, and her orgasm continued as he moaned out her name. She was breathing hard as he pulled out of her and collapsed on top of her. She kissed him back through her gagged mouth, and closed her eyes as she felt his tongue on her lips. Furthermore, she relaxed with him, trying to come down from an earth-shattering orgasm that she had just had. A few minutes later, Kolton had finally calmed down from the orgasm. “You’re so pretty when you’re all bound and gagged. You make the hottest noises. I love you.” The young male whispered before pulling back slightly and undoing the scarf around her wrists. Then, he went about untying her ankles and the gag was the last thing to come off of course. When she was free, he leaned down and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips, cupping her face in his hands and tilting his head at her. “I had so much fun…” He whispered and let out a gentle little sigh. Finally, he rolled off her body and wrapped his arms around the dark-haired beauty tightly. “I think we should get some rest now. I love you. We have to get up early so… good night.” After telling her good night, Kolton pressed another set of kisses all over every inch of her face. Then, Kolton pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. He knew that sleep wouldn’t come easy that night but in the morning they would be arriving at the Capitol. They would then have to meet their stylist teams and get ready for the Tribute parade. It was a busy day tomorrow and they needed energy. His strong arms were tightly wrapped around her small body as were his legs. Even with all the horrible things going on around them, he was able to finally fall asleep while holding her against his chest. It felt so good to have Katniss in his arms. Sleep and exhaustion finally took him over, and he was able to drift away in bed with her. Katniss watched as he began to come down from his orgasm, and she smiled at him. She blushed at what he was saying, and she watched him unbound her wrists, and then her ankles. She looked up into his eyes and smiled, feeling him untie the gag and remove it from get mouth. Furthermore, she wrapped her arms around his back and kissed him back lovingly. "I had so much fun too, and I love you so much, Kolton," she whispered softly. She watched him roll off of her and wrap his arms around her. She smiled and nodded at him. "You're right, plus I'm exhausted, you wore me out," she said with a giggle. "I love you too, good night Kolton." She giggled more as he kissed all over her face, and she kissed his lips once he finished. She wrapped her arms around him, and enjoyed the feeling of their foreheads pressed together and his arms around her. It took her a little while to fall asleep, but she felt safe in his arms and eventually drifted to sleep holding him. Once it was morning, Effie came in and woke them. "Good morning, my adorable lover tributes," she said cheerfully. Katniss groggily opened her eyes and looked at Kolton. She kissed his lips and all over his chest and neck to wake him up. Effie saw that they were having a personal moment, and was satisfied that they were awake, so she left them alone for a few moments. "Good morning, baby," she said softly with a warm smile on her face. She knew today would be rough, but at least they got to wake up in each other's arms. Kolton groaned, not sure how someone could be so eagerly awake so early in the morning. “Hi…” He murmured in a sleepy voice, barely holding his eyes open when looking at Katniss. At least seeing her in his arms when he woke up was a very good thing, and it brought a smile to his handsome face. He pecked a kiss on her lips and sat up. “I guess we should hurry and get dressed. We’ll be at the Capitol soon.” He said, a little frown replacing the smile now. He didn’t want to face the reality of the day, but they really had no choice. With that, he stood up and quickly pulled on some clean clothes that were in the room and then escorted Katniss outside to the dining room. They ate a quick breakfast, but it was still all pretty delicious in Kolton’s opinion. Haymitch and Effie were explaining what their day would be like. As soon as they arrive, they would be whisked away separately to meet with their stylist teams in preparation for the opening ceremony and parade tonight. They would spend quite a few hours today away from one another and as badly as Kolton despised it, he knew they had no choice. When they were coming near the Capitol, they were met with screaming fans outside whom already were going crazy over their romance. Kolton didn’t want to wave, but the voice of Haymitch was behind them and out of sight, telling them to hold hands and wave – it would be their benefit to do so. Kolton obliged and waved while holding Katniss’ hand and did the same when they made the short walk to the Tribute Center. Almost as soon as they stepped foot there, the stylist teams were ready to pull them apart so with a sad smile, Kolton kissed his girlfriend. “I love you. I’ll see you later, okay?” He whispered, reluctantly having to walk the opposite way from her. Katniss watched Kolton slowly awaken, and she smiled thinking how absolutely adorable he looked when he just woke up. She nodded at his comment, her smile fading as well. She also didn't want to face the day at all. It just didn't seem fair after such a great night to have such a shitty next day. She climbed out of bed and went to the closet. She pulled out a new black bra and panties, a pair of tight jeans, and a nice red top. She followed him once she got dressed out to the dining room. Katniss ate her breakfast, which consisted of some more things she had never seen nor heard of before. When they were told they would spend hours away from each other, Katniss' somewhat sad look turned to utter disgust aimed towards them and the people at the Capitol. She knew they didn't have a choice, but she hated being away from him at all, and didn't want them to decide that. Katniss looked out at the large crowd that were screaming for them. She heard Haymitch's instructions, and sighed. She had no problem holding Kolton's hand, she loved it, but being told to for publicity, she wasn't excited. Furthermore, she waved and held his hand, and did so when they made their walk into the tribute center. Once inside, she was overwhelmed. She kissed Kolton back, aching when they had to part. "I love you, too. I can't wait to see you again," she said in a whisper, and allowed herself to be dragged off. Once they got inside the room they needed to be in, Katniss was overwhelmed again as stylists we're poking and prodding and mulling her over. She felt them tweezer her and fix her, doing her hair and makeup. She had never had anyone all over her like this, and it was making her feel strange, and she didn't like it. Furthermore, she was also measured, she was told for her outfit to make sure it would fit. Furthermore, she sighed, wishing Kolton was next to her. This was pure torture. His stylist team was ripping apart his identity. Kolton lay there while they waxed his hair, trimmed the hair on his head, trimmed his nails, and ended up doing something to every single inch of skin he had. He felt like a different person and that wasn’t a good thing. The only thing getting him through all this was thinking about Katniss. He pretty much tuned out the stylist team that was gawking over him and his body along with constantly saying how precious himself and Katniss was at a couple. It wasn’t fair that millions of people would now know intimate details about their life, but the publicity was the least of his worries – the Games were worse of course. Finally, he was able to meet his lead Stylist named Portia. The woman explained to him how things were going. She and his team coordinated with Katniss’ team on what to wear for the parade tonight. They would wear these black fire suites that would cover them from head to toe, only not covering their faces. They would have matching boots and matched headpieces to wear. Furthermore, they would also have the material on fire and this worried Kolton, but Portia assured him it was safe even though he still had reserves about it. Kolton asked when he could see Katniss again and Portia gave him an answer that made him upset – he couldn’t see her until they meet at the chariot tonight. Simply, he went quiet the rest of the evening while eating his meal and showering quickly. After being done with this, he quickly got dressed in the suites and received instructions from his stylist team before he finally was led down to the chariots and was able to meet up with Katniss. Kolton arrived first so he just simply stood on the chariot and waited for Katniss to join him.

May The Odds Be In Our Favor (randomname98766789 x RareDesires)|rating:4.0

Colony of Westmark IC

Week 1After a long and arduous voyage, plagued by foul winds and the sickness and stench that comes from a nigh hundred men and women living together in cramped quarters, the ships that brought you to the Baha mic continent finally reached the shores. You put ashore in rowboats, carrying what supplies remained, and made land in the early morning. Governor Cornwall and the men under his employ quickly began unloading the communal shares, while you and your own followers began staking your claims. The hilly terrain is populated with trees and wildlife, but upon your noisy arrival the small mammals and birds quickly depart for quieter terrain. From the beach you can not see well into the trees, and what, if anything, that lives therein can easily see you and your fellow colonists as you work to establish a temporary beachhead, setting up tents and campfires where the sand meets the dirt. As you watch the ships that brought you sail off into the distance, you wonder briefly if you made the right choice, leaving the comforts and security of Albion for the danger and liberty of the new world. Freedom to live as you choose might also mean freedom to die as you choose, and it's time to put your plans into action. "It's as Martin says, seven barracks will be more than enough - fewer, if we have our colonists plant their bedrolls on the floor of these buildings." Zuni looks around at the other colony leaders, gathered around the table with their most trusted aides and bodyguards. The lamp hanging from the ceiling sways from side to side with the motion of the ship, and all around them is the creaking of wood, and the smell of salt and tar." Tomorrow we land, and shelter must be a priority. Seven barracks will be enough to house the entire civilian colonization team. In fact, I mean to build a slightly better housing for ourselves - with our own beds, and private rooms." "- I know I can't expect to live in a mansion, but I won't sleep in bunks with the dogs... er, no offense, Sebastian"he adds, turning to the long-haired man in leather armor to his right." Ruff."" Ahem. My plan is to build two barracks, one for my own crew and for whoever else wants the other, and to construct a separate residence to house us leaders. I will do this using my own means, substituting skill and sorcery for numbers and brute muscle." "I heard that you also have similar plans, Martin. I have a soldier I could lend to the work - Alberto, a stout and honorable fellow, and perhaps I can lend a spell or two to the work." Spoiler: Colony Actions, Week 1 Hide Withdraw necessary equipment for a camp. Build 2 barracks, and 1 servants quarters. Campsite Zuni's colonists set up a quick camp site, taking 5 large tents - one for Zuni and Sebastian, one to be a command tent, and three to house the remaining 9 colonists. Bedrolls will also be removed from the crates, and canvas sheets will be used to protect the food supplies from damp and pests until a better solution is found. Removals: 5 tents, 50gp 11 bedrolls ~1g Canvas, ~20g Servants' Quarters (400g) Foreman: Halsey the Mason Laborers: Halsey will work quickly, and alone Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Woodworking) +10 (+4 skill, +1 Int, +3 Skill Focus, + 2 Tools) Progress: 200g Barracks #1 (400g) Foreman: Miss the Tinker Laborers: Devan the Envoy Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Stonemason) +10 (+4 skill, +1 Int, +3 Skill Focus, +2 Labor) Progress: 200g Barracks #2 (400g) Foreman: Braiden the Armorer Laborers: Greg the Gymnast Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Woodworking) +10 (+4 skill, +1 Int, +3 Skill Focus, +2 Labor) Progress: 200g Martin gives a smile and a laugh as Zuni jokes around with his man. The old man had given a good impression of himself on this journey and Martin looked forward to learning much from him. Martin had come alone to the meeting and looked almost out of place among all the bodyguards and servants that the other so-called leaders had brought with them. They were all on equal footing as colonists, though Martin had the impression that some of the people here had marked themselves out as natural leaders already, perhaps even competition for good, old Cornwall. Many of the people that had come along with him did not take well to the movements of the ship and had spent most of the last few weeks either sea-sick or too unwell to socialize." I agree with master Zuni. Shelter is our first priority, but exploration and clearing land is a close second. I'm eager to get our farms and livestock in order and even more excited about what sort of wildlife we'll be encountering once we make landfall. I'll be striking out to explore our immediate surroundings as soon as we've organized getting our belongings off ship. Furthermore, I think most of the people who came with me will be helping with the clearing of land, preparing the soil for farming and the like. Furthermore, I have two people in mind for building our shelter as well." "I've had a good look at Cornwall's map, and I have a good idea for where I should start exploring. Is there anyone else who'd like to go out there, into the unknown? We'd be the first to ever set foot there y'know, every step we take out there is going to be an historic event." A stack of written and unwritten pages sit in front of Senna. "Fine points. Housing could only be built faster if we merely built the walls. Nine barracks would house everyone. Fancier dwellings would increase the number of buildings required. It takes nine, nine just to shelter everyone."" Everyone will have to make do with tents. Campfires might service our food needs for a while, but I dare not suggest we rely on them. Health is a major concern as well as morale. I'd be comfortable betting on a kitchen than comfortable beds. I suggest we do in fact only built walls and a roof for temporary shelter. A night on a bedroll will seem trivial to a warm meal. Bad food will turn a stomach against us faster than most other things. People talk around food and fight for their stomachs."" It may not be even a fraction as glorious as setting up some basic dorms, nor a mansion, but food can not be ignored. It takes time to construct, and we can start off by delaying its construct." Spoiler: IOC Hide Senna is suggesting that we built storage components for people and focus on some other vital buildings. "I apologize if I offended you, Martin. I did come with an entourage of my own retainers. Sebastian here has served me for fifteen years, Stan hope,"he gestures to the tiny, elderly woman to his left,"for twenty." The old man pauses as Sandra speaks." Niine? Perhaps if we have to house Lord Cornwall's troops as well, but I haven't been approached about any such arrangement. I was working under the assumption that his contingent would be considerably better manned and equipped than our own and would see to their own needs, but maybe we should fetch him to this meeting and find out."" Your point about using storage halls as temporary shelters is an excellent one, but, at least for my crews, building storage sheds would not be noticeably faster than barracks." Zuni turns to the tiny old woman to his left." Stanhope, you've seen some of the terrain as we sailed up the coast, what do you think about this region's climate, and weather? Should we delay longer term projects to rush up more solid shelters?"" Hmm..." As she thinks, the faint sound of skittering comes from beneath the table. Spoiler Hide Zuni and his two retainers dredge their memories for what they know about climate, and weather. They wonder how well they can predict it based on the types of vegetation they've seen from afar, what they've seen of the weather during the journey, and what they know about the region. To guess how common storms might be, and if they can, guess rough temperatures for the coming seasons: Zuni: Knowledge (Nature) (1d20+8)[11], Knowledge(Geography) (1d20+9)[27] Stan hope the Sage: Knowledge (Nature) (1d20+2)[21], Knowledge (Geography) (1d20+8)[28] To predict the weather for the next day or so: Sebastian: Survival (1d20+3)[12] To Martin, "I plan to move down the river with a group and lay a claim there."" I hadn't drawn that line between the group here and Cornwall. So, yes, I did include Governor Cornwall in my estimations. I imagine he'll be taking care of himself to the same degree we will take care of ourselves, including building shelter for himself." She nods to the barracks not taking much longer than the shelters. "My crew could assemble a storage in a single week, so there is a benefit there. There usage as housing could be very short-lived." She'll wait for the weather forecast before saying more. There is no reason to believe that the weather tomorrow will be any different from it is presently: sunny and clear. Martin had paused for a while with eyebrows furrowed in deliberation and finally replies to Sandra and Zuni,"Those are all very important points Sandra. Everyone is of course free to do as they wish, but there is something to be said for cooperation in a foreign place as this, if anyone is left without proper shelter after the first few weeks we should all pitch in and help them construct it." He leaned across the table after taking a moment to peek after the skittering sound but finding nothing." It's my impression that everyone here is very competent at what they do, so I trust all of you to do what's best for your own people. I however prefer to build things once, and no half-arsing it either which means I'll have a solid roof over my head if I can. I won't prioritize a kitchen, but you'll do so if you want to Sandra. Furthermore, I've not been pampered by civilization so much that I need anything more than my pots and a camp fire though", he finishes the last sentence with a grin and a teasing tone." In all seriousness I don't see us needing a full-blown kitchen until a few months in. By winter, it'll be a necessity however or most of you are going to starve over camp fires you're struggling to keep lit. By then I suspect most of us will be hungry for some luxury after all." "I think Zuni was the one who had mentioned earlier that at the start of each week we should meet up and summarize our progress, talk about our plans for the coming week and the like. That's a fantastic suggestion. I think we'll be living rather close to each other any way so communication ain't going to be a problem but a formal meeting where we discuss our plans could do wonders for how organized we appear to everyone else."" Say Simon and Theiler, you two seem like the most experienced outdoors men here. Do any of you hunt? How about a small wager? During our exploration how about a small prize to the first person to bring back a new animal? I have a few bottles of wine I was saving for a special occasion that I can be willing to wager." Edward Wellington III - Landfall Edward looks around the area they have landed is content with what he sees. He listens to all that everyone else has to say before offering his opinions. "I find myself agreeing, that shelter and food should be our top priorities. I will lend my men to clearing land, and building shelter. I have four farmers and a herbalist who will help with clearing the land, and myself and the other four of my group will help with the building of barracks." The politician thinks a moment before continuing. "Once we have land cleared and shelter build, getting farms up and running, and perhaps a communal kitchen/dining area would be nice. As for planting, I have much corn and wheat to both eat and plant. Likewise, I brought numerous cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens. I suggest we eat eggs first until everything else is more stable. I will gladly donate as needed to ensure the welfare of our colony." ------------------ 5x to clear land 5x to build barracks She nods along with Martin at first. "That's something I can agree with. If someone lacks shelter in half a month, three weeks I'll be glad to pitch in to help complete whatever needs to be done. I can't help but see this venture of ours as a cooperation effort to make a living here. I'll not abandon the people that will make up my home for my own selfish desires." A sightly offended look enters the picture when he suggests that her work would be half-assed, but she drops the feeling quickly and shrugs. Herself teasing, "I don't remember suggesting a shabby roof. All buildings should have good roofs. I see value in building a storehouse. Till you have a comfortable bed you'd have shelter, once you have a comfortable bed you'd have a spare storehouse." She concedes, "I'll not argue for it any farther. I've said my peace." A map gets pulled from her pile of papers. It gets placed toward the middle of the table. "I can agree to weekly meetings despite earlier communications." She starts making notes on the map, a spare map, to indicate her plan." You only offering to Simon and Theiler? I'd hate to think that I brought my hunting dogs for nothing." Spoiler: Colony Actions! Hide Campsite Sandra made sure that everyone had their own tent (she'll share one with Somme). Roughen it was going to be harsh enough no reason to force tent mates on each other. Colonist have their own stuff to carry, but these things would be at camp as long as no one is using anything. They'd be a bonfire at times and at the center for all her men to gather together. Things are stored towards the center to discourage any unfortunate theft except for the oil barrel. That's buried. Barrel (PHB), 3 Basket (PHB), 11 Bedroll (PHB), 11 Blanket, Winter (PHB), 11 Block and Tackle (PHB), 1 Bucket (PHB), 11 Bullets, Sling (PHB), 142 Candle, Insect bane (Arms camp; Equipment Guide p. 21), 50 Chest (PHB), 12 Colonial Supply Crate (Homebrew), 1 Firewood (Day) (PUB), 240 Hammer (PHB), 11 Hearth fire Lantern (Races of Stone p. 160), 1 Ink (1 oz. vial) (PUB), 1 Jug, Clay (PHB), 11 Long spear (PHB), 1 Oil (PHB), 21 Outfit, Cold Weather (PHB), 1 Parchment, Sheet (PHB), 100 Pick, Miner’s (PHB), 11 Piton (PHB), 40 Rations, Trail, Day (PHB), 320 Rope, Hempen (50 ft.) (PUB), 12 Sack (PHB), 56 Scale, Merchant’s (PHB), 1 Seeds, Bean (Homebrew), 1000 Seeds, Corn (Homebrew), 1000 Seeds, Potato (Homebrew), 1000 Seeds, Squash (Homebrew), 1000 Seeds, Wheat (PHB), 1000 Shovel (PHB), 11 Sledge (PHB), 11 Soap (PHB), 11 Tankard, Clay (PHB), 11 Tent (PHB), 11 Wine, Bottle (PHB), 1 Animals, Depends on Landfall, Kitchen (180/2000g) Foreman: Sandra Negros Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Stone masonry) +8 (+4 Int, +2 Craftsman, +2 Tools) Progress: 200/2000 Landfall, Basic Tavern (160/900g) Foreman: Unseen Crafter Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Stone masonry) +6 (+4 Int, +2 Tools) Landfall, Basic Tavern (160/900g) Foreman: Unseen Crafter Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Stone masonry) +6 (+4 Int, +2 Tools) Landfall, Servants' Quarters (160/400g) Foreman: Unseen Crafter Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Stone masonry) +6 (+4 Int, +2 Tools) Landfall, Barracks (220/400g) Foreman: Do Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Stone masonry) +12 (+4 skill, +1 Int, +2 Tools, +5 Mage craft) Landfall, Wood Wall (0/0g) Foreman: Henry Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Woodworking) +7 (+4 skill, +1 Int, +2 Tools) Southwest River Hex, Basic Storage (250/250g) Foreman: Apart Laborers: Somme, Garrett Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Stone masonry) +16 (+4 skill, +1 Int, +2 Tools, +4 Labor, +5 Mage craft) Southwest River Hex, Wood Wall (0/0g) Foreman: Coline Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Woodworking) +7 (+4 skill, +1 Int, +2 Tools) Southwest River Hex, Taming the Land (4w/10w) Foreman: Hubert Laborers: Sampson, Ralph wolf, Godber, "Does anyone have any suggestions for the composition of the scouting parties? I don't know much about small group tactics, but during the voyage -I don't mind confessing- I've had frequent nightmares about sending out small teams of scouts, only for none of them to return." "I've since had the thought to give each squad a mirror so that they might signal their findings back to a watcher in the camp from a hill or treetop, and smokestacks bundled with a tinder twig so that they can signal for help at a moment's notice, but what size and composition of teams would be best? I want to advise sending out one very large, armed party, until we've assessed the level of threat these lands pose, but I have scant military experience." Martin flashed a mischievous smile at Sandra and replied,"Oh I am sure I can offer your dogs something as well if they want to hunt. It was more of an open offer to anyone who's going out exploring though, so everyone is welcome to lose their things to me if they want to." "We should either send out one large expedition, or several teams with no more than two men. We shouldn't face any bigger threats than a few curious animals, they haven't seen people before so they might want to give us a taste to see if we're any good. I support sending out several small teams since we'll be able to cover a lot more ground that way. If they do against all odds encounter anything dangerous they should retreat back to the colony instead of engaging. I support the idea of having a way of making a good smoke signal if anyone does end up needing help though, there's always a chance someone breaks an arm or a leg out there." You're sure common beasts will be the worst? The speculative authors of Albion have been writing of strange lands for many years, inhabited by strange people. Just fiction, yes, but I've read similar speculations on the Baha mic continent in several recent scholarly articles - why should the gods have placed people on Albion alone? Even discounting fantastical speculation, Albion might not be the only nation with its eye on this land, and perhaps we weren't the first to arrive. Still, I'll yield to the expertise of my colleagues. I will send my man Sebastian, along with my pet, with the best equipped scouting party - perhaps one captained by one of you? Spoiler: Colony Actions Pt2, Week 1 Hide In addition to the previous colony actions for this week: If Martin leads a scouting party, Zuni will send Sebastian and his own familiar along with him (with Martin's permission). If Martin does not lead a scouting party or does not consent, and Theiler does, he will send the pair with Theiler. If Sebastian goes out, he will spend the night before binding Focal or for his Lightning Strike ability. "You are right, speculative. At best. Rumor and fantasy, that's all it is as far as I'm concerned. Part of the reason I came here was because there'd be no other people, at least for a while. But I guess you are right, we can't be too sure about what we'll meet out there. I'll gladly take some help from Sebastian if he'll come with me." "So I think we've gone over most of what we needed to address? Zuni, I'll take you up on your offer of an extra barracks and in return for sleeping in it until we've built our own homes me and my people will clear whatever piece of land you point at. Is that a deal?" Spoiler: Colony Actions, Week 1 Hide I am assuming that Cornwall is clearing out our main landing site, so I will send my men out to clear the first river-adjacent tile that hasn't been taken yet. Step one: Making Camp. Martin sets up tents for his people as well as making a basic campsite with a fire and a couple cooking pots. The animals I brought with me will be fenced in using rope and poles and guard dogs. All important gear will be protected underneath canvas and tied down with rope. Equipment removed from the Colonial Supply Crates 5 tents, 50gp 10 bedrolls ~1gp Canvas, ~2gp (20 square yards)) Rope, hempen 50ft 1gp 2 Pot, iron 1gp Step two: Taming the Land. Clear-cutting the tile mentioned above and laying claim to two Farms and two Ranches. All ten of the people I brought along will work on this. Step three: Martin will be exploring with Sebastian and Zuni's familiar. I want to focus my exploration further up the river, so I will explore the first unexplored tile along the river that isn't being cleared for farming. While out exploring he'll look for any wildlife, attempting specifically to find an infant specimen of an appropriate future Animal Companion that I can rear with Handle Animal. If given a choice he'd prefer to domesticate an Eagle. Theiler:"Martin: I will take that bet. As long as there's an animal, I can probably find it faster than you can set camp. Now, I agree with your plans for setting camp, but many of my men would be better used for scouting. Meanwhile, my... heavily armored men-at-arms can stay behind to help set camp. However, I would say that one of the methods I've found best for scouting is to have a single man - or two men, if deemed necessary - strike out ahead, lightly armed and armored to increase their speed and stealthiness, followed in the distance by a larger group of armed and armored men to provide support if needed. A simple sign of a hand or an owl's hooting, and they move in at full force to defend the scout, while the scout falls back, if possible, to draw the enemy into an ambush." Spoiler: IOC camp; Actions Hide Ah, crap, I wasn't getting the updates on this thread! That said, Theiler feels most at home deep in the forest. He and some of his followers, and anyone who wants to tag along (Zuni?), will explore the nearest heavily forested tile (two tiles from Landfall; one south, one south-west). After that, he will help collect materials for the wall. But before, he will track an animal and bring it down for food and wine. Survival to find tracks: (1d20+11)[13] What else am I supposed to do now? Landfall The camps being assembled into there first form, ready to be rebuilt as the pressures of life optimize them. Sandra seems to have no qualms helping set up camp. She takes the lead with her own women and men. She guides the beasts in moving the enormous weight of their belongings. Her people move like they've worked together for a while. Not as well as Martin's men, but the craftsmen seem familiar with one another. Her fiancé try as he might seem ineffective in whatever he tries to do. He tries, but the result is mostly spent effort. The group gathers their heads together to try to avoid the wrath of nature. That a bad spell of weather wouldn't rise the waters into the camps nor lay out their supplies. That the supplies are protected from the ground and fortified from animals. She'll welcome others to join if they seem to be interested in the same. As the beginnings start to hid mid-stride it doesn't take her long to find Martin." How goes that scouting part of yours? You find any dangerous yet?", she jokes. Spoiler: Group Knowledge Hide Knowledge (Nature): Take 10: Total 31 = 15 + 16 (Aid) Aid: (1d20+5)[25] (1d20+5)[20] (1d20+5)[14] (1d20+4)[24] (1d20+4)[15] (1d20+1)[18] (1d20+1)[17] (1d20+1)[20] (1d20+0)[3] Knowledge (Geography) Take 10: Total 22 = 14 + 8 (Aid) Aid: (1d20+1)[15] (1d20+1)[9] (1d20+1)[4] (1d20+1)[9] (1d20+1)[21] (1d20+1)[6] (1d20+1)[12] (1d20+1)[19] Weather Check (Survival): Take 10: Total 28 = 14 + 14 (Aid) Aid: (1d20+4)[22] (1d20+4)[18] (1d20+4)[21] (1d20+4)[21] (1d20+1)[9] (1d20+0)[18] (1d20+0)[12] (1d20+0)[6] (1d20+0)[3] (1d20+0)[12] "Theiler sounds at home in the wilds, and I would like to see some of this land for myself,"Zuni says, cupping his chin in his hand." I don't have the stamina for scouting anymore, but I am hoping to examine the properties of the native flora. I will accompany you, Theiler, though I won't be straying far from your scouting party's heavily armed reserves." Spoiler: Colony Actions Pt 3, Week 1 Hide In addition to all previous actions, Zuni will accompany Theiler on his scouting mission, staying with the main well-armed party, and taking the opportunity to collect alchemical specimens for his studies. Survival (gather): (1d20+2)[4] Spoiler: Colony Actions Pt4, Week 1 Hide Sorry for the double post, but I want to roll. Finally, in addition to the other actions, Garden the Sapper will gather wood from the land being cleared, intending to use it to build a crossbow. Survival (Gather): (1d20)[5] Stan hope the Sage will also be reluctantly pressed into collecting craft supplies for the crossbow project: Survival (Gather): Take 10 "Very well, Zuni. Let us go then." Spoiler: Actions Hide Theiler, Zuni, and half his followers will explore the hex 1 south and 1 south-west from Landfall, while the other half of his followers will explore the hex 2 south from landfall. Zuni hobbles out of his command tent with nothing but his staff, a belt pouch, and a scroll case hanging from a strap around his frail chest." Very well, after you." He gives a sharp, distinctive whistle, and a small pack of dogs come padding from nearby. Spoiler Hide Zuni will perform his previously mentioned gathering while following Theiler, bringing his hunting and guard dogs - one of which has a saddle pack. Summer, Week 2Zuni's followers set to work immediately, quickly constructing a temporary camp site at the base of a hill. Halsey, Miss, and Braiden oversee the construction of three buildings, and progress proceeds throughout the week uninterrupted. Edward's followers aid in the construction of the first barracks, and by the end of the week, it is 75% complete. The remaining two buildings are 50% complete. Zuni finds several apparently different types of mosses growing on the tree trunks, as well as unusual berries and waxy leaves, and spends a good amount of time trying to discern their properties, at the end of which, he finds that they have none. The berries and leaves seem neither poisonous nor nutritious, and the moss quickly disintegrates once removed from the tree trunk. Edward's followers begin taming the land, but are quickly stopped by Lord Cornwall, who explains that this territory is claimed by the crown, and is to be left untamed until he deems it necessary. They are encouraged to forage instead, and are able to provide meals for seven people. Buildings may be constructed, but any farms are to be built on outlying areas. Garden and Stan hope try valiantly to find wood suitable for a crossbow, but fail. (The DC to gather wood for a crossbow is 17.) Wood and stumps are stockpiled on the beach for use in construction projects and as firewood. Senandra's followers create their own campsite close to the river, where the land starts to give way from hilly chaparral to flat chaparral. By the end of the week several buildings have started to mark the land, each at varying levels of construction (as indicated in Elbe yon's post). Some way to the south-west, Apart, Somme, and Garrett complete the construction of a basic storage shed along the river, in sight of Sandra's camp. Coline has built a wood wall next to the shed, though its purpose is unclear, and Hubert, Sampson, Ralph wolf, and Godber have begun taming the land. On the opposite side of the river, Martin and his followers work together to clear the entire hex in the week's time. They establish a camp there. Thalyr leads the exploration team into the denser forest with Zuni and Martin accompanying. Scouts report a variety of wildlife, but are unable to capture any live specimens, and by the main force catches up, the wildlife has left the area. The team catalogs the species they observe, finding that wildlife here is similar to what they've seen back home. On one occasion, Carl the Cavalier manages to slay a deer from afar with a well-placed arrow to the neck. The speculations of the Albion writers seem to go unconfirmed. (If you are specific in your purpose of exploration, I can give you more information, but this seemed more like a general, “see what can be seen” type of exploration.) Cornwall's men are split into two groups. Fourteen men spend the week foraging, providing food for his followers. Cornwall himself oversees the construction of a basic keep with the remaining six followers, and while progress is slow, it is progress. (350/70000)The first week of the colony seems to have gone without significant difficulty, but with only a third of the colonists attending to their collective food needs, supplies of food are diminished. Food will last for another three weeks and two days before starvation begins. Summer, Week Two. The Diary of Martin Bernal de Barrameda. It has been a long week. Many of us arrived sickly and weak to this formerly uninhabited piece of land but our spirits and health recovers quickly as we've found honest work in clearing land for our farms. We have made good progress and I find myself impressed with the men, young Vítor and Raphael especially. It seems they have talents outside the smithy as well, I must remember to work them harder when the smithy finishes, they are obviously capable of surviving it. I have been out exploring with Zuni's man Sebastian and I find myself growing fond of our silent time together. He doesn't speak much and that suits me well, he listens to my instructions and makes good suggestions when I fall short, I can see why the old man brought him a long. I find myself at peace here in the wild. I take great comfort in knowing I am alone out there, more than I envisioned when I first set out. Furthermore, I must remember to bring Ana with me to the spot by the pond, such untouched beauty deserves to be enjoyed in good company. We have marked out a spot by the river for our new home. On the other side of it a young, spirited woman who goes by the name of Sandra has made hers. She seems passionate and has come up with more ideas than I could come up with in a months time by the time she has finished explaining her first. I am looking forward to getting to know her better, as well as the other colonists. I believe we'll have more time to socialize as soon as we're not in risk of starving to death. Signed, Martin. When Martin and Sebastian came back from their exploration on the last day of the week, Martin seemed shocked at the quick progress his men had made towards clear-cutting their piece of land. Stacks of wood had been organized and made ready for further construction, land had been plowed, and the animals had been wrangled into a suitable, improvised pen to avoid them wandering off. He said his goodbyes to Sebastian and thanked him for his help during their expedition. He looked very happy to see his wife and all of his friends again, jokes and jabs were shared, and it didn't take long before they were all sat around their campfire sharing information about the new land and making plans for the coming week. Spoiler: Colony Actions for Week 2, PT 1. Hide Ago begins working on a Chicken Ranch. (30 animals. Ernesto begins working on a Sheep Ranch. (30 animals. Ana Sofia, Elvira, Vítor and Raphael begin working on a farm, sowing seeds of Squash, Corn and Bean in companionship. Cecilia and Gustavo begin construction of a great Mansion for the group. A customized Residential, Basic cluster with 8 basic bedrooms, 1 basic bath, 1 basic kitchen, 1 basic dining hall, 1 basic smithy, total construction cost of 10 500 GP. The two miners, Roberto and Sergio will help them with the construction. Construction team #1, Cecilia and Roberto. Craft Carpentry check: take 10, +4 skill, +3 skill focus, +1 int, +2 MWK Tools, +2 from Roberto. Total progress 220gp per week. Construction team #2 Gustavo and Sergio. Craft Carpentry check: take 10, +4 skill, +3 skill focus, +1 int, +2 MWK Tools, +2 from Sergio. Total progress 220gp per week. Buildings will be constructed in this order. The Smithy first, Gustavo builds this. The 8 bedrooms second. Every 700 gold 1 bedrooms is finished. The kitchen third. The dining hall fourth. The bath last. The whole project should take 24 weeks if everything goes as planned. Martin himself will continue exploration further up the river, exploring the next unknown hex that is river adjacent. He is primarily looking for signs of intelligent life and secondly sites for mineral excavation. Thirdly he is on the lookout for an infant eagle to domesticate as an Animal Companion. However, any animal will do, as I can domesticate three different animals at the same time with Handle Animal. Spoiler: Sebastian the Fixer Hide "Well, tell me what you saw!" Zuni stalks back and forth in his command tent in front of Sebastian, the man seated on a half-empty packing crate. The man sniffs. "Trees." His composed face cracks into a smirk for a moment. "Not the land - the man. Tell me what you saw of Martin." Sebastian nods. "Seems alright. Military minded, an honorable traditionalist type. Loyal to Albion I'd say, but I think he's done waging war for them." "Hm. That's well. Thank you, Sebastian. You are competent, as always. I have another task for you this week, but in your idle hours, I want you to keep an eye on Lord Cornwall himself. Our lives may depend on the man, but I could find out very little about him in the weeks before we set sail. Take stock of his forces and supplies, but don't get caught - bind Alphas, use a raven." "Ugh, Alphas!? Fine then. Suppose I won't be smiling for a while." "And we'll be spared your attempts at wit as well - wonderful." Spoiler: Devan the Envoy Hide "Devan, come in. Would you like some tea? I found a type of shrub on my recent foray that's useless alchemically, but makes quite a pleasant brew." "Too kind, Zuni fer. Living in these tents has been dreadful. Is there perhaps honey to sweeten it?" "Er, more or less." By this point in his life, Zuni doesn't need any more than a thought to cast prestidigitation, giving the tea a full, sweet taste. "Devan, did you perhaps overhear what Lord Cornwall said to Lord Edward?" "Yeses. We're on the property of the crown. Very droll." "It concerned me, Devan. I'd like you to approach Lord Cornwall, see if you can't find what he expects of us, and what we can expect of him. A contract outlining our mutual rights and responsibilities would be ideal - I'd hate to labor on royal land to build a home, only for the crown's agents to take it as their own." "Yes, wouldn't that be just like them. I remember when Mother got into that trouble with her taxes, they took simply everything, and with no recourse for us. Yes, I'll speak to him." Zuni's first week in the colony goes badly. The building constructions had gone well of course, but that was only to be expected from seasoned craftspeople. No - it was the gambles which had failed utterly. The land had refused to yield up any alchemical secrets, and somehow two of his most resourceful followers had somehow failed to find wooden a land still heavily forested - a fact which he certainly wouldn't let them forget in the near future. Only Sebastian had met with considerable success. Loyal, competent Sebastian, establishing a rapport with one of the more heavily armed parties to arrive at the new continent. With his supplies of grain and roots, Zuni had little to fear from imminent starvation, but he fancied a wider variety of foods, and knew the colonists would appreciate it as well. With this in mind, he set several of his followers to the tasks of making boats to gain access to fish and shellfish, in addition to the building work he began the previous week. Having committed his plans to paper, Zuni stands from his crude chair in the command tent, and makes his way to the Colonist Leader's Association weekly meeting. Spoiler: Colony Actions, Week 2 Hide Stan hope the Sage will take over construction of the 75% barracks, which he will work on alone. Profession Architect: Take 10+5 (4 skill, 1 int) Progress: 150g Halsey the Mason will work on the 50% barracks that Zuni's crew started the previous week. Craft Masonry: Take 10+10 (4 skill, 1 int, 3 focus, 2 tools) Progress: 200g Miss the tinker will work on finishing the "servant's" quarters, assisted by Devan the Envoy - whose help includes as much sardonic commentary as fetching and carrying. Craft Masonry: Take 10+10 (4 skill, 1 int, 3 focus, 2 assistant) Progress: 200g Braiden the Armorer will begin work on a rowboat with a pair of oars. Craft Woodworking: Take 10+8 (4 skill, 1 int, 3 focus) Progress: 27/50g Supplied in materials by Garden the Sapper Gather: Garden takes logs from the recently cleared woodland. Sebastian will harvest wood from the untamed brush surrounding Cornwall's camp for production of a light-crossbow, intending to split the task over several weeks and supplying the construction as it is needed. Survival (Gather): Take 10+3 13/24g Booker the weapon smith, supplied by Sebastian, will begin construction of a huge light-crossbow, to be placed on a fulcrum and used for colony defense. Craft (Bowler): Take 10+8 Progress: 27/70g Spoiler: Additional Actions Hide Devan the Envoy is sent to petition for a meeting with Lord Cornwall. He will have specific questions about the relationship between the crown and the colonists: What aid will Lord Cornwall offer to colonists in terms of protecting them should any dangerous animals or natives start to encroach on the colony? Will Cornwall act to prevent starvation, should the colonists fall on hard times? What responsibilities do the colonists have to Lord Cornwall while they live under his governorship? What will be the fate of buildings constructed on the crown's land? Will it belong to the builder, or the owner of the land (the crown)? He'll also take the opportunity to schmooze the Lord, trying to gain favor for Zuni's camp. Diplomacy: (1d20+6)[26] Sebastian the Fixer will also scout out Cornwall's followers and supplies, using Alphas' birds eye viewing to prevent anyone from noticing. He's specifically looking to answer: Does Cornwall have additional reserve food supplies, beyond the month's worth that everyone is sharing? Does he have stockpiles of weapons not currently being used? Going by dress and equipment, approximately how do Cornwall's forces break down into craftsmen, farmers and soldiers? Lord Cornwall eagerly accepts Devan's envoy, and invites all the colonial leadership to meet one evening during the week, after the day's labors are completed so as not to interfere with anyone's plans, especially his own. The meeting is open to the public, and takes place in the shadow of the partially constructed keep, located atop a hill overlooking the bay. Lord Cornwall is a middle-aged man in his fifties, with a prodigious gray beard and salt-and-pepper hair that falls to his shoulders, well-maintained even in the wilderness. He wears simple but finely-made clothing beneath a polished steel breastplate, and on his hip is a heavy club. The breastplate is adorned with the symbol of a wheel surrounded by the sun, a symbol you recognize as belonging to worshipers of Agar, "the shining light that illuminates the path." He has brought a few of his men with him, and you can see that the three of them also wearing breastplates, though not as finely made as Lord Cornwall's, and have long swords and shields. He holds the list of questions from Devan in one hand and a scroll in the other, and begins to speak once you are all assembled." I am glad we have the opportunity to meet in this fashion. We have all been busy upon our arrival, and it would be good to set some expectations for one another. Before I get to your questions," he says, holding up the paper from Devan, "Let me speak to you about our Royal Charter." He holds up the other scroll." Our Charter claims the entire continent for the Kingdom of Albion. Obviously, that is more to deter other claimants from the mainland, than it is to govern us. That being said, I have certain powers as Colonial Governor to be used at my discretion, among them, the distribution and division of these territories. It is obviously in my interest, as it is in our communal interests, for us to work together to tame this wild land, and I did not earn my titles and position by micromanaging my subordinates. Two of you have already claimed land and worked to improve it. It is yours, provided you recognize my authority over you as Colonial Governor. Those of you who have not yet claimed territory, should you choose to do so, feel confident that I will permit you to take the same amount of territory for yourself, reserving the rest for the Crown, provided the land you choose lies along the river and does not border the bay. This is in your interest as well as my own. Obviously that land is the most fertile, but our remaining close at hand will make it easier for me to protect you, and for us to facilitate economic growth, which is of course our primary concern beyond survival. The land beyond this boundary is reserved for development by the Crown." That being said, before I address your questions, I have a concern. Except Edward, and only at my urging, none among you thought to tend to your own survival needs before beginning construction, instead relying on our minimal communal supplies to feed your followers. This is unsustainable. During these warm months, I am closing access to our communal supplies, reserving their access for the cold winter. You will have to rely on your private stores, and what you are able to farm or forage. These are fertile and abundant lands; it may delay your construction projects, but you will not starve." Now, on to your questions. First, the matter of protection. My men have begun construction of a keep, but the progress is slow and will take four years to finish at the current rate. If you are interested in having it available for your use earlier, I encourage you to contribute strong backs to its construction. Second, the matter of starvation. I have already closed off our stores to preserve us in case of emergency. If you are capable of it, I ask that you contribute any surplus food you farm or forage to our communal stockpile as we prepare for the winter. As for your responsibilities to me, I believe I have outlined them fairly well in what I have said. They can be summarized simply: work toward our communal success and advancement. Even if all we can export from our colony is surplus food, we will have met our obligation to the Crown to provide economic stimulus. To your fourth question, regarding ownership, buildings constructed on land will belong to the owner of the land. Now, Zuni, as you have begun constructions on land reserved for the Crown, and as those constructions seem to be nearly complete, I am willing to offer you the following choice: you can either own the constructions outright, or I can offer you laborers from my own men to build similar buildings in the territory you choose along the river, and compensate you for your time." Now that we have had this opportunity to meet and discuss, if you have any further questions, you can direct them to me now, or find me later should the need arise." "Self sufficiency is our goal, of course, but can we not expect relief from the ship to arrive six months from now?" "It seems that a ship should be able to bring ample food stocks, and the start of Winter would be the opportune, nay, the obvious time to bring them to a fledgling colony." Originally Posted by bleach "Self sufficiency is our goal, of course, but can we not expect relief from the ship to arrive six months from now?" "It seems that a ship should be able to bring ample food stocks, and the start of Winter would be the opportune, nay, the obvious time to bring them to a fledgling colony." "I am loath to put my faith in the timeliness of such a ship. Our own voyage was delayed by weather, were such a thing to happen again, and were we to have no stockpiles of our own, we would be doomed." "Your offer to help me reposition my buildings is eminently gracious, Lord Cornwall, but in the interests of solidarity with the other colonists, I must decline." "Several of us have invested time into putting roofs over our heads, not realizing we were worked claimed land. If we cannot all shift our claims, then I will draw the same card as the rest, and break the Earth afresh." Martin stood silently and listened to Cornwall's speech. He could be seen nodding approvingly and uttering the occasional positive grunt. After the speech he made his way over to Theiler carrying a bottle of wine wrapped in a simple, white linen cloth." I hear you were the first to bring back a catch this week, congratulations! I've been too mesmerized by the beauty of this land to remember to do any hunting on my own. But don't think I forgot our wager, here is the prize I promised. It's simple enough, but I'm sure it'll taste fantastic once the cold nights start creeping in." After handing off the prize he took lingered and continued the conversation." Say, that Cornwall seems pretty reasonable to me. I was worried he'd show some nasty sides once we reached land but so far he's been very gracious in giving us the freedom to do as we please. He's definitely a man I can respect, if we run into hard times it'll take a tough one to help the colony through it. Had you heard anything about him before you came along on this journey?" "Certainly he seems fair, I only wish I'd visited him sooner. I had Sebastian dig around the public archives for information on him before we embarked, but I found very little. I find it hard to believe a man with the wealth and influence to be chosen as governor of an entire continent would be selected from the ranks of the obscure, so I must conclude he is either a very private man, or has made some effort to expunge information about himself from the public record." "I, too, was worried, but it seems my worries may have been unfounded. I only hope refusing his help hasn't insulted him, but I've worked in politics too long to forget that special treatment often ruffles feathers, and I fear being ostracized from the other colonists more than the disapproval of our governor." "Oh, I heard you lost your bet with Theiler, unfortunate. I was there when his man Carl brought down the doe that won it for him - a most impressive display. Theiler has offered to allow me to locate my new buildings in the forests where he has made camp, as it happens. I have no desire for a landed fiefdom of my own, and it seems an ideal arrangement, but I remember my promise to house those who traveled here with you. Would they be happy living in the woodlands? Or are you intent on holding your own lands in this 'new world'?" "Hold on, Theiler wasn't the one to hunt the first beast on this land? It's really this Carl I should give the wine to then. I don't see him around, would you present it to him yourself Theiler? I hope you weren't planning on taking the glory from the man, it is an historic event after all. Furthermore, I don't mind constructing my own shelter Zuni, two more weeks of camping outside falls in line with what I had originally planned before you offered to help construct shelter anyway. In fact, I prefer it, there is a certain comfort in sleeping outside here where we are completely alone. There is a good chance there has never been a group of people as isolated as we are right now, it gives me a great sense of awe for this land. The reason I started clearing out some land by the river is simply that we need the land for farming, we'll starve quickly if we don't get these farms up soon, I assure you it's not because I have some ambition of becoming an important land-owner. From experience, when this large a group of people start foraging the land for food it won't take long for the animals to migrate away. That means we'll also have to migrate away, travel further and further each time we forage food and come winter we'll have to move a mile or two inland. With what I've set-up so far I'll be able to feed all my friends and a few others in three weeks, until then I'll be out hunting with the rest of you. You don't intend to farm at all Zuni, how are you going to provide for food?" Theiler nods a thanks at Martin as he receives the bottle." Never would I dream of taking Carl's prize and glory away, but I know he won't mind if it is me to deliver it to him, since he will share it with anyone anyway, and he is too modest to receive the prize publicly. He's a good man, and a great hunter and rider. That said... I plan on claiming for me and my followers (and whoever would come with me) a portion of land deeper into the continent, bordering the river and surrounded by thick forest. That's what Zuni is referring to. I won't mind at all if we three work together. We can set some basic buildings, and some of my followers will be more than happy to help with the farming. I have fifty or so chickens, if none more died during the trip, but I will admit I am short on vegetable supplies." Spoiler: Actions Hide Exploring, claiming and foraging the heavily-forested tile four tiles into the continent bordering the river, where it takes a turn to the south. Lending some followers to help Martin with the farming. Team 1: Exploration; Claiming; Foraging Theiler Carl the Cavalier Sage the Scout Rank the Ranger Snip the Sniper Team 2: Farming Went the Warden Crank the Crafter Gus the Guardian DEX the Destroyer Bob the Basher San the Skirmisher "Food? Well, I have ample supplies from the mainland. Enough to see off starvation for the immediate future, and even enough to share should it become a matter of life and death. But still, I plan to build boats and harvest the bounty of the seas. In time the colonists may grow tired of vegetables and eggs, so perhaps I'll even be able to trade food with you, so that everyone may enjoy a more diverse table." Zuni watches the exchange between Theiler and Martin with a half smile on his face, and as the conversation dies down, he moves to interrupt." Gentlemen. I've been studying last week's scout reports, as well as my man Sebastian's own accounts of the terrain. I found myself asking a question: where does this river lead? Are there waterfalls upstream? Could there be a lake? Hm."" It is a matter of idle curiosity to be certain, but do any of you feel that same prickle? I have a proposal - during this coming week, as our subj-our associates attend the settlements, perhaps we could travel up the banks of this river, and try to discover its source. Or at least, aim to see what lies along it!" Theiler smiles slyly." See, that was exactly my intention of claiming land so far into the continent. I fully approve." Spoiler: IOC Hide This is Theiler's face: "I can support sticking to the river, it's what I and Sebastian have been doing already. From what I've seen the land reaches some mountains quite far inland, but I can't tell just how far. It's difficult to judge the distance to a mountain from a forest as thick as this. Could be the source is up along those peaks for all I know, it would be a long hike and I have no interest in travelling that far before I know more about the immediately surrounding land. I'll continue exploring further up the river on the north side then, you two should take the southern side. I think that should cover everyone who wanted to be out exploring unless Sandra found her frontier-spirit." On the seaMolboh spent most of his time hanging with his head hanging out over the railing, ensuring that the food that entered his stomach never had a chance of getting bored with him. One could say that he was not a man of the sea. His followers are also occupied, calming the animals who aren't accustomed to life on sea, so none of the group participate much in the debates. At the few times that Moloch isn't feeling like a sack of molded potatoes he attends the meetings and manage to say that he and his people intend to clear land for farms when they arrive. Landfall week 1The group quickly sets off and follows along the river until they reach a place that suits their needs and have not been claimed. Spoiler: Colonial actions Hide Taming the land: The hex south or the green M and east of the blue S. Most of the group works on clearing the land. The two wolves help out by using their huge strength (relatively speaking) to drag things away[Trick: Work] Scouting Esmeralda spent a lot of time scouting the nearby forest to try to notice any unwelcome surprises and to get an idea of the surroundings. Spot taking 10: 19[21 in forest]. All buildings are created in a cluster boarding to the river in the top right corner of the hex. Guard Tower (220/800) Foreman: Radio Building roll: Taking 10, +10 modifiers, +2 assist from psi crystal Kitchen Basic (220/2000) Foreman: Backhand Craft Building roll: Taking 10, +10 modifiers, +2 assist from psi crystal Barrack (200/400) Foreman: Moloch Building roll: Taking 10, +10 modifier Simple House (200/1000) Foreman: Unseen Crafter 1 Building roll: Taking 10, +10 modifier Simple House (200/1000) Foreman: Unseen Crafter 2 Building roll: Taking 10, +10 modifier Spoiler: Colony Actions, Week 2 Hide These actions replace the previous colony actions spoiler for this week. Zuni, his familiar, along with Sebastian and the dog pack will travel with Theiler up the river as far as they can go in half a week, trying to chart it to its source, or at least to find what lays along it. Stan hope the Sage will begin building a storage shed by the river the hex claimed by Theiler, which he will work on alone. Profession Architect: Take 10+5 (4 skill, 1 int) Progress: 150g/250g Halsey the Mason start work on a new barracks in the hex claimed by Theiler, built in a forested delta of the river. Craft Masonry: Take 10+10 (4 skill, 1 int, 3 focus, 2 tools) Progress: 200g/400g Garden the Sapper will start work on a second barracks adjacent to the first, assisted by Alberto the soldier. Craft Masonry: Take 10+10 (4 skill, 1 int, 3 focus, 2 assistant) Progress: 200g/400g Miss the tinker begin work on a new "servant's" quarters next to it, assisted by Devan the Envoy - whose help includes as much sardonic commentary as fetching and carrying. Craft Masonry: Take 10+10 (4 skill, 1 int, 3 focus, 2 assistant) Progress: 200g Braiden the Armorer will begin work on a rowboat with a pair of oars. Craft Woodworking: Take 10+8 (4 skill, 1 int, 3 focus) Progress: 27/50g Supplied in materials by Garden the Sapper Gather: Garden takes logs from the recently cleared woodland. Greg the Gymnast will harvest wood from the untamed forests for production of a light-crossbow, intending to split the task over several weeks and supplying the construction as it is needed. Survival (Gather): Take 10 10/24g Booker the weapon smith, supplied by Greg, will begin construction of a huge light-crossbow, to be placed on a fulcrum and used for colony defense. Craft (Bowler): Take 10+8 Progress: 27/70g Zuni's contingent will eat from their stores of roots and grain this week, finding it disappointing, but filling, fare. -77 meals. Spoiler: Week 2, Final Actions. Hide These represent the final actions taken during Week 2 and replace any other actions taken previously. Since there has been new information about Zuni's Barracks needing relocation Martin and his people will construct their own Barracks for sleeping. Nobody will forage for food, and they will draw daily rations from the Colonial Supply crates they brought with them. The total amount of Trail Rations consumed amount to 77, worth 38,5 gold which brings my total Colonial Supply to 1105,5. Chicken Ranch (1/1) Foreman: Ago, 30 chickens Building Roll: None Sheep Ranch (1/4) Foreman: Ernesto, 30 sheep Building Roll: None Farm, Squash, Corn, Beans (1/2) Foreman: Ana Building Roll: None Farm, Wheat (1/4) Foreman: Vítor Building Roll: None Barracks (200/400g) Foreman: Cecilia Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks) Basic, Storage (260/250g) Foreman: Gustavo Laborers: Sergio, Roberto, Raphael Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +16 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks, +6 Aid Another) Elvira the Scout will fully explore the tile directly north of the tile claimed by Martin. She is primarily looking for signs of intelligent life and secondly sites for mineral excavation. Martin himself will continue exploration further up the river, fully exploring the tile that is south-east of where he claimed his tile, the tile between his and Whalers. He is primarily looking for signs of intelligent life and secondly sites for mineral excavation. Thirdly he is on the lookout for an infant eagle to domesticate as an Animal Companion. However, any of these animals will do, as I can domesticate three different animals at the same time with Handle Animal. Eagle, Hawk, Owl, Bear, Wolf, Boar, Raven. Knowledge Geography roll: Found in IOC thread, I forgot to add them. Knowledge Nature roll: Found in IOC thread, I forgot to add them. Completed buildings as of the end of week 2 (assuming everything goes well): Chicken Ranch. Storage, basic. Hexes explored previously: Hex 11 10. (Martin camp; Sebastian, week 1.) Hexes explored this week: Hex 10 10 (Martin) Hex 11 09 (Elvira) At the start of the week Moloch will attend the meeting and suggest sending one of his own men on one of the expeditions. Spoiler: Colonial Actions, week 2 Hide Joining expedition if allowed Esmeralda Shirt (Dire Bat) Spot 19[22]: Take 10,4 rank 1 Wis, 1 forester[+3 in forest], 3 skill focus Scouting the square down and left Foreman: Jay Method: Bind Vestige, Alphas. Activate Bird's Eye Viewing Bin check: (1d20+4)[12] DC 15. If fail suffer influence. Patrolling the area on Big Foreman: Drum Constructing farm - Wheat (1/1 week) Foreman: Elder Muse Constructing farm - Wheat (1/1 week) Foreman: Doc Construction Farm - Wheat (1/1w week) Foreman: Gillian Smith Breed the wolves (1/? Week) Foreman: Elisa, Fido - Spot Handle Animal: Take 10, +12 modifiers, +2 aid from John= 24 Guard Tower(440/800) Foreman: Radio Building roll: Taking 10, +10 modifiers, +2 assist from psi crystal Kitchen, Basic (440/2000) Foreman: Backhand Craft Stone working: Taking 10, +10 modifiers, +2 assist from psi crystal Barrack (400/400) Foreman: Moloch Stone working: Taking 10, +10 modifier Simple House (400/1000) Foreman: Unseen Crafter 1 Stone working/Woodworking: Taking 10, +10 modifier Simple House (400/1000) Foreman: Unseen Crafter 2 Stone working/Woodworking: Taking 10, +10 modifier Meals left: 638 Feed left: 232 Also note that all buildings are constructed close to the river Summer, Week Three The idea of an expeditionary force is immediately co-opted and encouraged by Lord Cornwall, who insists on sending his own man, Alias Dexter, a follower of Agar who is specially trained for such a task. He will provide you with a gift of a masterwork horn to present to any native leaders you meet. As you come to travel between and among the camps, you find that it is a day's walk from one camp to the next. Sandra's camp comes to dominate colonial gossip due to its position in the center of the four existing camps. [Moving between tiles takes one day. Adjacent movement does not impact weekly actions.] Having successfully cleared the land in Martin's camp, his followers quickly set to work prioritizing food production. A hasty coop is constructed and the Ago's chickens are given free rein of the cleared land, but they tend to stick close to the coop, which begins producing eggs at the end of the week. Each egg will take three weeks to hatch, if you leave them with their mothers. Ernesto's sheep ranch is more complicated, but progress continues without incident. Pens are constructed, and Ernesto spends part of each day driving his sheep to exercise their muscles and feed them wild grass. In three weeks time, they will start producing milk and wool. Martin's wife Ana Sofia wisely plants the Three Sisters in unison, and the symbiotic relationship of crops has unforeseen results. One farm can grow all three crops without penalty. [A Three Sisters farm has an effective agricultural modifier of 4.5 and fills one farm space.] Her farm will begin production at the end of next week. Vítor's wheat farm is also begun, and will begin producing raw, uncut wheat in three weeks. In the center of the camp, with the farms and ranches surrounding radially, Cecilia's team works on building a barracks, and by the end of the week is 50% complete. Gustavo and his team quickly erect a wooden shed, little more than a walk-in box, to serve as storage. Elvira's scouting yields a variety of animal tracks, but no signs of recent campfire or other obvious indicators of intelligent life. The stones she finds this close to the coast are mineral, but contain no significant presence of anything obviously valuable, like gold or iron, which would be more likely to be found in the mountains inland. Having moved his camp to Theiler's claim, Zuni's partially finished constructions remain unfinished. Perhaps Lord Cornwall will finish them, but perhaps not. Zuni begins constructing new buildings for himself and his followers further upriver, and his followers quickly set to work. Braiden and Garden begin work on the rowboat, and by the week's end is 54% complete. Without a reliable lumber mill they must work together to create suitable wood for building a watertight boat. Greg gathers half the materials needed for his huge light crossbow, with which Booker can begin work. By the end of the week it is 38% complete. Thalyr sets up camp upriver, and it is a minimal presence. To the outside observer it would appear as a hunting camp, which seems in line with Theiler's apparent personality. The men sent for farming on Mathis's land have little to do, and return to Theiler's camp. Together, the six who remain behind produce 63 meals and consume 42 meals, resulting in a net increase of 21 meals. Progress continues on Sandra's camp. The barracks is completed, and her followers quickly move inside as they continue their work. Somme and Garrett join the land-taming efforts and by the end of the week the land is ready to farm. Coline and Henry join construction on the taverns, each taking over the supervision of the projects and directing the unseen crafters more specifically. This speeds their efforts, and by week's end, both taverns are 38% complete. The servants' quarters is nearly finished at 88% complete, with the kitchen only 18% complete. Edward's men finish their barracks, and those recruited by Lord Cornwall the previous week are put to work foraging once again. Molbeh's efforts to tame the land are not as successful as he'd hoped. The wolves chafe under the yolk of hauling lumber but pull it well, if slowly. Esmeralda's scouting reveals little of exceptional note. The forest is, without simplifying, a forest. The constructions proceed, and by the end of the week the barracks is complete and quickly moved into. [You will not be able to use animals or familiars to provide mechanical assistance on checks unless they are specifically bred for the task, or you are capable of providing them with specific, communicable instructions beyond Handle Animal or an empathic link, such as an animal companion.] Breeding the wolves proves impossible, as despite their relative tameness, they are still wild animals at heart and unwilling to procreate in confined quarters. Letting them have free rein of the woods might encourage them to reproduce independently, but it can not be controlled. Although Molded's team is unable to begin construction on farms, they are able to clear the land by the end of the second week. Lord Cornwall's fourteen foragers are joined, and together the 24 provide a week's meals for 36 from the woods south. Eighty-four of these are stored for the winter, bringing the number of meals in the colonial store to 2085. Progress on the keep continues (700/70000). Spoiler: Expeditionary Force Hide Using Theiler's camp as a base for your expedition, you set off in a more determined fashion, following the terrain upriver. The expedition is recorded by Alias Dexter in his log, and the members of this historic first expedition are: Theiler, Zuni, Martin, Carl the Cavalier, Sage the Scout, Rank the Ranger, Snip the Sniper, Esmeralda, and representing the Crown, Alias Dexter. For more information concerning these characters, go to Colony of West mark IC: Expeditionary Forces. Summer, Week 3. The Diary of Martin Bernal de Barrameda. It appears I was wrong in assuming I was alone with the wilderness in this new world. While we were out exploring the land along the river we were approached by the most fantastic creatures. Other intelligent beings that could speak! An entirely unknown culture! They looked beastly at first, with skin like camouflage and ears like a wolf. It would seem Zuni's books were correct when they speculated that the gods had spread life across the earth, even the undiscovered parts like this one. They call themselves the Held and this land Slam. Their Queen, or whatever passes for royalty here called herself Malta, an elected leader. It is strange to think that they should elect their royalty. A young woman, Safe showed us around their camp. She seemed like an honest creature and though she did not have many questions for us, she seemed eager to answer any we had for her. I have learned from her that they do not make their own metal tools, but trade for them with someone called the Bonnet. I also learned of a dangerous creature they called Knavish. They seemed reluctant to explain the nature of this beast, but I gathered they held it in immense reverence, if not outright fear. I plan to go back to their camp if I can and learn more about their way of life. We can learn much about how they survive out here that might help us live through the coming winter. Perhaps I am being naive, or foolish in my optimism, but I believe we established good relations with these native savages. They did not seem like a hostile or warlike people. I have much hope for the future. Signed, Martin. P.S. I can not help but wonder even though they look very different from us, they are mostly alike to us, are they also human? Spoiler: Colony Actions, Week 3 pt 1 Hide While Martin is away on expedition, Ana Sofia is in charge and takes executive decisions. Since Sandra's camp seems a bit leaderless this week Ana Sofia will walk over there during some spare time and offer anyone who wants to come over to our side of the river fresh vegetables and two meals a day as of next week. Construction Projects: Barracks (400/400) Foreman: Cecilia Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks) Progress: 400/400 Workplace, basic (Mill for grinding wheat into flour) (200/500) Foreman: Gustavo Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) Progress: 200/500 Farming: Sheep Ranch (2/4) Foreman: Ernesto, 30 sheep Building Roll: None Progress: 2/4 weeks Farm, Squash, Corn, Beans (2/2) Foreman: Ana Sofia Building Roll: None Progress: 2/2 weeks Farm, Wheat (2/4) Foreman: Vítor Building Roll: None Progress : 2/4 weeks Food Production: Chicken Ranch Foreman: Ago, 30 chickens Laborers: Sergio, Roberto, Raphael Status: Producing food, (1,25 x 1,25) x (4 x 1,5) = 1,5625 x 6 = 9,375 meals per day, 65,625 per week. Foraging: Elvira the Scout forages in the cleared hex to supplement the chickens and eggs. 1,25 x 1,25 x 1 = 1,5625 per day, 10, 9375 per week. Total food produced: 76, 5625 Total food taken from Colonial Supplies: 7 daily rations that Martin eats on expedition. (3,5 GP) Total food consumed: 83, 5625 (77 required) Colonial Supply remaining: 1140,5 Animal Feed remaining: 240 Spoiler: Colonial actions, week 3 Hide Still on expedition? Esmé, Shirt. Scouting hex 12 09 Foreman: Jay Method: Bind Vestige, Alphas. Activate Bird's Eye Viewing Patrolling the area Foreman: Drum, Big Construct Farm(1/4 week) Foreman: Elder Muse Construct Farm(1/4 week) Foreman: Doc Construct Farm(1/4 week) Foreman: John Breed 4 ox(1/? Week) Foreman: Elisa, 4 ox Handle Animal: Take 10, +12 modifiers, +2 aid from Gillian= 24 Guard Tower(660/800) Foreman: Radio Building roll: Taking 10, +10 modifiers, +2 assist from psi crystal Kitchen, Basic (660/2000) Foreman: Backhand Stone working: Taking 10, +10 modifiers, +2 assist from psi crystal Bridge (200/?) Foreman: Moloch Woodworking: Taking 10, +10 Modifier Simple House (600/1000) Foreman: Unseen Crafter 1 Stone working/Woodworking: Taking 10, +10 modifier Simple House (600/1000) Foreman: Unseen Crafter 2 Stone working/Woodworking: Taking 10, +10 modifier Meals left: 561 Feed left: 204 Hexes Explored: All adjacent to the south. Spoiler: Colony Actions Week 3 Hide While Zuni is away, Sebastian takes the reins of leadership, leaning on Stan hope for tough decisions, and Zuni's familiar; Skit, for intimidation. Stan hope continues building the storage shed in a forested delta of the river in Theiler's home hex. Profession Architect: Take 10+5 (4 skill, 1 int) Progress: 300g/250g (completes this week) Halsey the Mason continues building the barracks alongside the storage shed. Craft Masonry: Take 10+10 (4 skill, 1 int, 3 focus, 2 tools) Progress: 400g/400g (completes this week) Garden the Sapper continues her barracks also, assisted by Alberto the soldier. Craft Masonry: Take 10+10 (4 skill, 1 int, 3 focus, 2 assistant) Progress: 400g/400g (completes this week) Miss the tinker continues the servants quarters, assisted by Devan the Envoy, who is quite audibly tired of manual labor. Craft Masonry: Take 10+10 (4 skill, 1 int, 3 focus, 2 assistant) Progress: 400g/400g (completes this week) Braiden the Armorer will finish the boat, along with a pair of oars. Craft Woodworking: Take 10+8 (4 skill, 1 int, 3 focus) Progress: 54g/50g (completes this week) Sebastian pitches in to gather materials for Braiden's boat. Gather: Sebastian takes logs from the recently cleared woodland. Greg the Gymnast continues to harvest wood from the untamed forests for production of a light-crossbow, splitting the task over several weeks and supplying the construction as it is needed. Survival (Gather): Take 10 20g/24g Booker the weapon smith, supplied by Greg, continues construction of a huge light-crossbow Craft (Bowler): Take 10+8 Progress: 36g/70g Zuni's contingent will eat from their stores of roots and grain this week, including supplies packed by Zuni for his own survival on the expedition. -77 meals. Spoiler: Colony Actions Week 3 Hide Setting up 50 chickens for production Gathering wood for a wall around the main camp and for another, larger wall later Starting digging of a deep trench around the main camp Starting construction of said wall, using gathered wood and dug earth. Now, I have no idea how to calculate progress for this Summer, Week 4Martin's wife Ana Sofia leads his followers during the week with great success. The Barracks is completed, and progress on the sheep ranch and wheat farm continue. Recognizing the need to process flour, Gustavo begins working on a mill, and by the end of the week that construction is 40% complete. Ago's chicken ranch and Elvira's foraging produce a good number of meals, but the followers still dip into their stores. Now that Ana Sofia's Three Sisters farm is ready to produce, their prognosis for the next week looks more promising. Molboh's group continues their work. The land having been tamed, Doc, Elder Muse, and John begin constructing farms, and soon half the land shows signs of development. Work on buildings continues unabated, but none are completed this week. Jay successfully scouts the intended terrain and from a distance and above sees a cave with bones scattered about the mouth. The triad of Sebastian, Stan hope, and Skit lead Zuni's followers in constructing a storage shed and barracks in their camp within Theiler's territory. Garden finishes the barracks, and Miss finishes the servants quarters. Braiden's boat is finished a day ahead of schedule, and he puts it in the river and finds his work successful. Greg's attempts to gather wood from the untamed forests is successful, but he feels confident he has used the last of the usable wood for the task and that next week, any efforts to supply manufacturing work using the wilds of this land will be a failure. Booker's huge light crossbow continues. Thalyr, despite his love of nature, decides it is best to clear the land and tame it for domesticated animal production. He leaves some trees standing, but the territory is significantly changed after a week's work. The men not put to work on this task start digging a deep trench around the main camp, and felled trees are set aside to be used in building a wall around this frontier outpost. Lord Cornwall's followers continue to work as they have previously. The Keep is at 1050/70000 and the communal food stores are at 2169. Week 3. Knowing that he won't suffer damage even if the conjured raven which eyes he is seeing through is killed Jay maneuvers it into the cave. What does he discover? The raven is quickly devoured by a dark shape. Spoiler: Weekly Colonial Meeting, Week 4 Hide "On a scouting mission one of my men found something that could be a potential threat to us", Moloch starts with a serious expression. With a stick he draws a twisted line, "this is the river, he says, "and this is mine and Señoras camp respectively, he says as he draws two X slightly below the river. "Approximately here", the stick points to a point south of Señoras hex and south eat of Moloch's hex, "we have found a cave with bones around it and what I presume to be a powerful beast. Since this creature is so close to two of our settlements I consider it of utmost importance to explore the cave. I wish to gather out best combatants for this as we do not know the strength or aggressiveness of the creature. " Theiler snaps his head towards Martin and Zuni." Could it be... the Bhavesh?" "That is worrying. I suppose it could have something to do with the dangerous Knavish the natives mentioned. We should inform Lord Cornwall immediately and ask for more men to explore the cave and possibly eradicate whatever creature lives inside it, if it poses a threat." "I don't know. Even if we attacked with full force, if this creature is as powerful as the natives make it seem, it could kill some of our followers, or even one of us. On the other hand, we could be attacking, say, a bear, or a pack of wolves. We should wait until we can gather more information." "An alternative option is to put the cave under constant surveillance the next week, however that carries a risk in itself of our scouts being noticed." Zuni drops a piece of dried meat to the ground, which is quickly snapped up by Skit." The Held, from what I could tell, are each powerful combatants in their own right. Recall how they carried nothing but slings into the wild, yet from the meal they gave us, they were obviously skilled hunters."" I believe the lupine attributes they seemed to bear; the ears and so on, may not be the extent of their bestial traits. They may possess the strength, speed and senses of predatory beasts as well."" And in addition to this, Safe was clearly a powerful sorceress - more skilled in the art than either of us, Moloch, and she led me to believe that every member of their tribe has such power."" My point is, a beast which can threaten these people, with all their strength and an intimate knowledge of the land, would take an army of us to fight. If what dwells within the cave is the Bhavesh, then it might be better to avoid their notice for as long as possible." "Did your scout perhaps note any tracks around the cave, Moloch? The footprints of one of these spider kin would be noticeably different to an ordinary beast." Alias, who naturally reported the experience to Lord Cornwall, arrives at the start of the Colonial Meeting, which takes place at Mathis's farmlands. He also arrives with a handful of Lord Cornwall's laborers, to work the farms in exchange for food." Lord Cornwall has authorized me to represent the Crown's interests at these meetings," Alias says, holding up a sealed scroll with Lord Cornwall's signet emblazoned in the wax. "As his secretary, I have sufficient knowledge of the Crown's colonial affairs to answer any questions you may ask. I will be in weekly attendance for that purpose. If there is no objection, I will take notes of the minutes we spend in these meetings for posterity." His eyes light up at the mention of keeping minutes, and he removes a leather-bound book and quill from his satchel. He listens carefully to your discussion, recording the proceedings if no one minds. "The Crown recognizes the threat this cave poses but right now it has not attacked unprovoked. The Crown can not commit resources to the problem at this point, but would appreciate any investigative or protective efforts you or your followers made." He rubs his thumb and forefinger to indicate nonverbally that the appreciation would be tangible. "While I am loath to leave a potential threat like that sit on our borders I'm also reluctant to send any men nearby to risk their lives. If there are no magical means of exploring the cave safely then I volunteer myself to approach it, to see what I can find. I'd appreciate any help I can get." Spoiler: Colony Actions for Week 4. Hide Martin is overjoyed at the help from Cornwall and Zuni and promises that at the end of the week he'll host a small celebration to celebrate the first harvest. While the foremen and women work for Martin he will lend them each a set of masterwork tools. Good moods spread about his camp as all 10 of Martin's followers and himself are now eating two meals a day. Construction Projects: Stable #1, basic. (200/1000) Foreman: Miss the Tinker Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Stone masonry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) Progress: 200/1000 Stable #2, basic. (200/1000) Foreman: Cornwall's foreman #1 Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) Progress: 200/1000 Stable #3, basic. (200/1000) Foreman: Cornwall's foreman #2 Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) Progress: 200/1000 Workplace, basic. Dairy. (200/500) Foreman: Cecilia Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) Progress: 200/500 Workplace, basic. Mill (400/500) Foreman: Gustavo Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) Progress: 400/500 Farming: Sheep Ranch (3/4) Foreman: Ernesto, 30 sheep Building Roll: None Progress: 2/4 weeks Farm, Wheat (3/4) Foreman: Vítor Building Roll: None Progress : 2/4 weeks Food Production: Chicken Ranch Foreman: Ago, 30 chickens Laborers: 4x Cornwall's Laborers Status: Producing food, (1,25 x 1,25) x (5 x 1,5) = 1,5625 x 7,5 = 11,71875 meals per day, 82 meals per week. Farm, Squash, Corn, Beans. Foreman: Ana Sofia Laborers: Elvira the Scout, Sergio, Roberto, Raphael. Status: Producing food, (4,5 x 1,25) x (1,5 x 5) = 5,625 x 7,5 = 42, 1875 meals per day, 295 meals per week. Total food produced: 377 meals. Total food taken from Colonial Supplies: None. Total food consumed: 337 meals. 118 meals are given away to Cornwall's foremen for their contribution. 65 meals are given away to Cornwall's laborers for their contribution. 154 meals are consumed by Martin and his people at two meals day. Grand total of 337 meals. Total food stored away: 40 (377–337 = 40) Colonial Supply remaining: 975,5 GP. He removed 3x MWK Artisan Tools this week. Animal Feed remaining: 240 "He did not, but I doubt he looked. I think that he was too surprised that there was something like that this close to our camps." Molboh says. Looking at Alias, Moloch raises an eyebrow:"Oh, I was under the impression that the crown was in charge of the protection of this colony?" Zuni pinches the bridge of his nose. "Very well, Martin. If you're determined to court this danger, Sebastian and I will accompany you." "Based on the current level of information, the Crown believes it better protects its colonists by focusing on the defensive West mark Keep at Landfall," Alias says to Molded. Martin puts a hand on Alias' shoulder." I agree with you, we don't know what this is yet. A combination of Moloch's flying circus and a few eyes on the ground should carry us over until we know for sure what that thing in the cave is. I'll pray that the gods of this land sees us through, and hopefully by the end of this week one of us will have a wonderful bearskin rug to put beside his fire." With the tower being built many in the group spend their free time enjoying looking over the horizon. Spoiler: Colonial Actions, Week 4 Hide Cave exploration Foremen: Esmé, Drum, Along with the dire bats If extra surveillance for the cave is required Jay will assist. Otherwise, he'll explore hex 10 09 Construct Farm(2/4 week) Foreman: Elder Muse Construct Farm(2/4 week) Foreman: Doc Construct Farm(2/4 week) Foreman: John Guard Tower (880/800) Foreman: Radio Building roll: Taking 10, +10 modifiers, +2 assist from psi crystal Kitchen, Basic (880/2000) Foreman: Backhand Stone working: Taking 10, +10 modifiers, +2 assist from psi crystal Bridge (400/1000) Foreman: Moloch Woodworking: Taking 10, +10 Modifier Simple House (800/1000) Foreman: Unseen Crafter 1 Stone working/Woodworking: Taking 10, +10 modifier Simple House (800/1000) Foreman: Unseen Crafter 2 Stone working/Woodworking: Taking 10, +10 modifiers Out(1/4 week) Lilian, Elisa Buildings completed: Barrack, basic. Primarily stone. Guard Tower. Primarily stone. 880/800 Meals left: 484 Feed left: 176 Hexes explored: 12 09 13 10 12 11 Spoiler: Colony Actions, Week 4 Hide The 50 chickens should be all set up and producing eggs by now, right? Continuing the building of the wall, if it isn't complete yet. I just have no idea how to calculate the progress, sorry -.- With the storage shed built, Zuni's followers move the bulk of their food stores and rations into the building, finally safe against the threat of rot and pests. The workers also revel in their new indoor sleeping areas - though the mattresses may be hay, and the room communal, the interior of the barracks offers far safer, quieter and warmer shelter than the tents, and a crude stone hearth even allows them a fire during the night. Zuni, Sebastian and Alone move into their own rooms in the servants quarters, enjoying the privacy and security despite the meager quality of the furnishings. The second barracks, also completed, lies empty. Initially promised to Martin and his followers, the changing political geography have positioned Theiler's people most able to make use of the sleeping place, though it's not clear that they will come in from the wild any time before winter. Spoiler: Colony Actions, Week 4 Hide Zuni On expedition. Stan hope the Sage extends Theiler's packed earth wall / ditch by 150 feet Profession (Architect): Take 10+5 Halsey the Mason is on loan to Martin Garden the Sapper formulates vials of sleep smoke with chemicals from the colony crates Craft (Poison making): Take 10+10 Progress: 300g/25g Miss the Tinker produces many clubs and slings for the as yet unarmed members of every expedition Craft (Weapon smith): Take 10+5 Progress: 18g/0g Braiden the Armorer begins making fish traps woven from bark and natural fiber (a collection of bottle traps, eel traps and lobster pots) Craft (Woodworking): Take 10+8 Progress: 30g/0.4g Booker the Weapon smith continues construction of a huge light-crossbow, taking whatever small non-wooden components needed from the colony crates Craft (Bowler): Take 10+10 Progress: 66g/70g Sebastian the Fixer On expedition. Greg the Gymnast, Devan the Envoy, Alberto the Soldier take nets and tents to the coast in the boat, and begin fishing. Production: 1.25 * 1.5 * 3 = 40 meals total This week with the food gained as part if Martin's offer, Zuni's group manage to add 19 meals to the stores as grains and vegetables. This 'new world' produce is stored separately from the food from the mainland. Summer, Week 5Martin is overjoyed at the help from Cornwall and Zuni and promises that at the end of the week he'll host a small celebration to celebrate the first harvest. While the foremen and women work for Martin he will lend them each a set of masterwork tools. Good moods spread about his camp as all 10 of Martin's followers and himself are now eating two meals a day. Three stables and a dairy are begun. The mill is nearing completion, as are the sheep ranch and wheat farms. The Ago's chickens and Ana Sofia's Three Sisters continue to produce. Jay explores the nearby territory and finds nothing of note. The three wheat farms continue to set up. Backhand and Radio's constructions continue, and Molded begins work on a bridge and is 20% complete by the week's end. [You indicate progress of 400, but by my calculations progress is 200 (10 x Construction check).] Other building projects progress as well. The barracks and guard tower are finished, and both are made of wood, as that was what was readily available in the region. Thalyr's men begin constructing a chicken farm, which will be complete at the end of the week, and continue building their wall around their camp. They continue to forage in the lands outside their territory, now that their own land has been tamed in order to begin farming. Zuni's followers move to inhabit their new permanent buildings, and begin their enterprises. Miss produces weapons and armor commensurate with what one would expect from simply crafted goods, and Braiden makes several fishing traps that will aid the fishers' fishing. The huge light-crossbow continues to be constructed, and is nearly complete at the end of the week. [Garden the Sapper produces 12 vials of sleep smoke. Miss the Tinker produces 18 clubs and 18 slings. Braiden the Armor produces 75 fishing traps.] Cornwall sends six laborers to Mathis's farm, but lacking direction from their commanders, Sandra's and Edward's followers flock to Cornwall's banner. With his new-found support, he sends six to explore in teams of two the three hexes north and northwest of the colony. Twenty-five are sent to forage in the various untamed but explored hexes nearby to supplement the supplies produced by Cornwall's men on Mathis's farms, and the remaining 26 join in the Keep's construction, bringing it to 1700/70000. Spoiler: Colony Actions for Week 5. Hide Construction Projects: Stable #1, basic. (400/1000) Foreman: Miss the Tinker Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Stone masonry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) Progress: 400/1000 Stable #2, basic. (400/1000) Foreman: Cornwall's foreman #1 Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) Progress: 400/1000 Stable #3, basic. (400/1000) Foreman: Cornwall's foreman #2 Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) Progress: 400/1000 Workplace, basic. Dairy. (400/500) Foreman: Cecilia Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) Progress: 200/500 Workplace, basic. Mill (500/500) Foreman: Gustavo Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) Progress: 500/500 Farming: Sheep Ranch (4/4) Foreman: Ernesto, 30 sheep Building Roll: None Progress: 4/4 weeks Farm, Wheat (4/4) Foreman: Vítor Building Roll: None Progress : 4/4 weeks Food Production: Chicken Ranch Foreman: Ago, 30 chickens Laborers: 4x Cornwall's Laborers Status: Producing food, (1,25 x 1,25) x (5 x 1,5) = 1,5625 x 7,5 = 11,71875 meals per day, 82 meals per week. Farm, Squash, Corn, Beans. Foreman: Ana Sofia Laborers: Elvira the Scout, Sergio, Roberto, Raphael. Status: Producing food, (4,5 x 1,25) x (1,5 x 5) = 5,625 x 7,5 = 42, 1875 meals per day, 295 meals per week. Total food produced: 377 meals. Total food taken from Colonial Supplies: None. Total food consumed: 337 meals. 118 meals are given away to Cornwall's foremen for their contribution. 65 meals are given away to Cornwall's laborers for their contribution. 154 meals are consumed by Martin and his people at two meals day. Grand total of 337 meals. Total food stored away: 40 (377–337 = 40) Total food in storage: 80 Colonial Supply remaining: 975,5 GP. Animal Feed remaining: 240 Spoiler: Colonial Actions, week 5 Hide Patrolling the area Foreman: Drum, Big Scouting hex 12 11 (The one with the cave) thoroughly Participants: Moloch, Esmé, Shirt, Spot, Fido. Total CL: 15 Construct Three Sister Farm(1/2 week) Foreman: Jay Construct Three Sister Farm(1/2 week) Foreman: Doc Construct Farm(3/4 week) Foreman: Elder Muse Construct Farm(3/4 week) Foreman: John Kitchen, Basic (1100/2000) Foreman: Backhand Stone working: Taking 10, +10 modifiers, +2 assist from psi crystal Bridge (620/1000) Foreman: Radio Building roll: Taking 10, +10 modifiers, +2 assist from psi crystal Simple House (1000/1000) Foreman: Unseen Crafter 1 Stone working/Woodworking: Taking 10, +10 modifier Simple House (1000/1000) Foreman: Unseen Crafter 2 Stone working/Woodworking: Taking 10, +10 modifiers Out(2/4 week) Lilian, Elisa Meals left: 421 Feed left: 176 Spoiler: Colony Actions, Week 5 Hide Same ol', same ol'. Another brick in the wall for this week's tasks Spoiler: Colony Actions, Week 5 Hide Zuni: on expedition/relaxing. Sebastian the Fixer: on expedition/relaxing. Stan hope the Sage: extends Theiler's packed earth wall / ditch by 150 feet Profession (Architect): Take 10+5 Progress: 300ft/450ft Miss the Tinker: on loan to Martin. Halsey the Mason: Spends several days altering three of the tents from the camp for special purposes. His intent is to create three specialist tents - one will be patched and tarred, made as airtight as possible, and threaded with twine hanging lines, becoming a smoking tent to smoke the fish for longer term storage. The remaining two will be lowered, perforated and the outer canvas partially buried to create mushroom fruiting tents. He will line one fungi culture tent with sawdust and wood chippings left over from all the recent construction, the other will be lined with large flat rocks. When the tents are set up, Halsey will soak a dozen uprooted tree stumps from the clearing of the settlement and place them around the tents to act as bases for natural fungi to grow. This isn't in the rules anywhere =d. His intent is to create a place to smoke fish for long term storage, and make 'mushroom farm' for flavor purposes. Craft (Cloth): Take 10+5 Progress: 150g/0g Garden the Sapper, and Braiden the Armorer place the eel and fish traps in the river, then head out to the ocean on the boat to fish. Food Production: 1.5 * 1.25 * 2 = 26 meals Booker the Weapon smith: Finishes production of the huge crossbow and places it into storage. Craft (Bowler): Take 10+10 Progress: 86g/70g Greg the Gymnast, Devan the Envoy, Alberto the Soldier, and the dog pack travel to the most Northerly marsh hex on the coast, and explore it. They take simple digging tools in order to check the ground for useful materials; burnable peat, and bog iron. They also take sacks from the colony crates, gathering as much peat moss as they can find for the trip back. With the fish caught at sea, and the farm supplies from Martin, Zuni's contingent are able to add 14 meals in grain to their long term supplies. Martin's followers continue their construction projects, and life at the camp continues much the same as it has the previous week. The wheat farm and sheep ranch finish and will begin producing the following week. The mill is also finished, timing being such that the millers can begin work immediately on the newly produced raw wheat. Molboh's farms and construction projects continue. The two houses are finished. In Theiler's camp, Theiler's and Zuni's followers continue to make progress on establishing a more permanent settlement. The structure for the unique mushroom farm is completed easily enough, but lacks mushrooms to farm at present. The smoking tent is also finished. The fishers return laden with fish, and the traps each yield an additional meal's worth of fish per week. Booker's massive crossbow is finally finished, and promptly displayed covered in cloth inside a tent or storage room. The minor expeditionary force returns with a dozen sacks of burnable peat and signs that bog iron can be found in the marshes. Cornwall's six explorers return, and are put to work taming the area around the Keep. The foragers spread out into the three recently explored hexes and continue to provide meals. The Keep is beginning to look recognizable as a Keep, but still has a considerable way to go before it is finished. (2350/70k) Diary, still unsure about my survival in the cave, so I'll hold off on writing one until we're through with that part. Spoiler: Colony Actions for Week 6. Hide In an effort to rush through the building of stables, Martin inquired Cornwall for more men in exchange for food from his farms. 8 men soon came with him and Martin's area was again bustling with activity. A total of 25 people now worked the land here, making it second only to the coast in activity. Construction Projects: Stable #1, basic. (700/1000) Foreman: Miss the Tinker Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Stone masonry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks, +10 from Laborers) total of 300 gold of progress. Laborers: 5 of Cornwall's men. Progress: 700/1000 Stable #2, basic. (600/1000) Foreman: Cornwall's foreman #1 Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) total of 200 gold in progress. Progress: 600/1000 Stable #3, basic. (600/1000) Foreman: Cornwall's foreman #2 Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) total of 200 gold in progress. Progress: 600/1000. Workplace, basic. Dairy. (500/500) Foreman: Cecilia Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) total of 200 gold in progress. Progress: 500/500 Smithy, basic. (260/500) Foreman: Cecilia. Laborers: 3 of Cornwall's Laborers. Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks, +6 from laborers) total of 260 gold in Progress: 260/500 Farming: Sheep Ranch (4/4) Foreman: Ernesto, 30 sheep Laborers: 4x Cornwall's Laborers Status: Producing food, (1,25 x 1,75) x (5 x 1,5) = 2,1875 x 7,5 = 16,40625 meals per day, 115 meals per week. Farm, Wheat (4/4) Foreman: Vítor Laborers: 4x Cornwall's Laborers Status: Producing food, (1,25 x 2) x (5 x 1,5) = 2,5 x 7,5 = 18,75 meals per day, 131 meals per week. Food Production: Chicken Ranch Foreman: Ago, 30 chickens Laborers: 4x Cornwall's Laborers Status: Producing food, (1,25 x 1,25) x (5 x 1,5) = 1,5625 x 7,5 = 11,71875 meals per day, 82 meals per week. Farm, Squash, Corn, Beans. Foreman: Ana Sofia Laborers: Elvira the Scout, Sergio, Roberto, Raphael. Status: Producing food, (4,5 x 1,25) x (1,5 x 5) = 5,625 x 7,5 = 42, 1875 meals per day, 295 meals per week. Total food produced: 623 meals. Total food taken from Colonial Supplies: None. Total food consumed: 520 meals. 118 meals are given away to Cornwall's foremen for their contribution. 248 meals are given away to Cornwall's laborers for their contribution. 154 meals are consumed by Martin and his people at two meals day. Grand total of 520 meals. Total food stored away this week: 123 (623–520 = 123) Total food in Storage: 203 Colonial Supply remaining: 975,5 GP. Animal Feed remaining: 240 Spoiler: Colony Actions, Week 6 Hide Zuni: either having a nice break from work, or dead. Sebastian the Fixer: either having a nice break from work, or dead. Stan hope the Sage: extends Theiler's packed earth wall / ditch by 150 feet Profession (Architect): Take 10+5 Progress: 450ft/450ft The wall now extends completely around the settlement, connecting to the river at each end and flooding with water. It is traversed by a temporary earth ramp that can be removed quickly when a better gatehouse is built. Miss the Tinker: on loan to Martin. Booker the Weapon smith: Takes a boat to the coast and begins construction of drying pools for the production of salt. It's strange, unfamiliar work for Booker, but the shallow tidal troughs are simple to create. Craft (Masonry): Take 10+6 Progress: 16g/- (I'd suggest the amount of salt they can produce a week be related to the amount of construction work. E.g. 16g of progress might make a 16 lb/week drying pool. Garden the Sapper, and Braiden the Armorer place the eel and fish traps in the river, then head out to the ocean on the boat to fish. Food Production: 1.5 * 1.25 * 2 = 26 meals Harley the Mason: Carves a variety of wooden instruments; 2 flutes, a guitar, pipes, xylophone, and skin drum. Craft (Woodworking): Take 10+10 vs DC 15 Progress: 30g/30g Greg the Gymnast, Devan the Envoy, Alberto the Soldier, and the dog pack explore the heavily forested hex to the South West of Zuni's camp. With the fish caught at sea, and the farm supplies from Martin, Zuni's contingent are able to add 14 meals in grain to their long term supplies. The Expedition Returns Triumphant, End of Week 5Spoiler: Along the Way back to the Colony Hide "Coarse? The ones above have spoken to you? That is what we call the Divine." It takes her only a moment to identify the species of animals you've slain. The tentacles, a Color is a scavenger that feeds in the wake of the Bhavesh, which is the creature you've decapitated. Spoiler: If you show her the Fungal Samples Hide She describes them both as Petra'ah, a generic term for fungus. They always appear in a symbiotic relationship, with one attracting weak-willed prey telepathically for the other to kill. Safe explains that the fungi feed on the decaying corpses, then release spores into the air that reproduce. You could probably grow both species of fungi from the samples you've obtained. "Yes, those are of the Bonnet. Theirs is the art of making. They seldom do battle with the Bhavesh, for good reason. I wonder how they came to be in that cave." She is unwilling to speculate further, however. You arrive back at the colony, and find Lord Cornwall waiting for you. At his right is Alias, and to his left is a grizzled veteran you recognize as Captain Sylvester Markus. Flanking them and behind them are arrayed a dozen soldiers. Cornwall sees you, but his attention is on your guests. "I am Lord Roger Cornwall, Earl of Lancaster shire, and Royal Governor of West mark. Who are you?"" I am Safe," Safe replies. Cornwall nods, his face betraying no indication of his thoughts, then turns to you. "Explain." Without a word Martin reaches into his pack and retrieves the heads of the Color and the Bhavesh. He holds up the Color first, presenting it to all to see in a half circle before he throws it at Cornwall's feet. He does the same with the Bhavesh and the whole thing takes no longer than 5–10 seconds. Furthermore, he opens his mouth and speaks loudly and forcefully, loud enough to be heard by everyone who had gathered there as if he was holding a speech, "These are the Color and the Bhavesh! Some of the most dreaded beasts this land has to offer, nesting no more than a few hours away from our camps and homes. Esmé, Grunt, Sebastien, Theiler and Zuni tirelessly and bravely pushed on into their cave and with great risk to their own lives managed to slay them. Esmé here almost paid for the whole endeavor with her own life but thanks to Zuni, was rescued from the brink of death! Without their efforts this Bhavesh could have done terrible damage to our colonial project, it is a beast so terrible and unnatural that it can change shape, appearing as whatever creature it wills. This means you should approach any strange encounter in the forests here with extreme caution, especially if you are alone. But you do not need to take my word for it, the Held themselves can explain that the Bhavesh is the most dangerous beast of the land. Truly we have set foot in country far more dangerous than our homeland, and we should be grateful for having such brave men and women as these willing to take risks others would not."" He lowered his voice a notch to introduce the Held with an outstretched, open hand. "The strange people who have followed us back are the Held, indeed the first scouts that approached us in this land. I'm glad you have finally made their acquaintance Lord Cornwall. They wish to lead us back to their camp for a while and that is why they are travelling with us. We had to come back through the colony to give word of our success first, to let you know what we found at the cave, and I'm sure you are grateful for it." Martin hoped that with his little speech it would become impossible for Cornwall not to publicly express his gratitude to the people who had come with him to the cave, he knew that the lingering sentiment among them was that of wary auspiciousness towards the Lord and that perhaps his gratitude would help mend the relationship between them. Lord Cornwall waits expectantly for you to continue, but when you do not, says, "The Crown recognizes and appreciates your service. Tonight, we will feast in your honor!" There is much applause from the assembled colonists, both the soldiers, and the crowd of onlookers (including many of your own people) that has gathered behind them. Looking at Zuni, he says, "As I am sure you already intend to study these creatures, the Crown will compensate you for any information you share." [Roll Sense Motive] He turns to Alias, who nods, then turns back to Safe. "My man Alias has told me of the hospitality your people showed him. Please, join us at our feast tonight."" Thank you," Safe says. It is silent for a moment, then Lord Cornwall turns back to you. "If you intend to accompany these Held, I hope you do not mind that I will send my own representative with you. I would not want you to feel obligated to represent the Crown's interests as well as your own." He gestures to Alias. Lord Cornwall has nothing more to ask you, but he waits enough time for you to ask him anything before he departs with his soldiers, leaving Alias behind. Any of your people who had gathered flock to your side, and Alias moves to greet Safe, Ava, Ran, and Bedroom personally. He offers to show them the colony, which they accept. Unless you stop them, you will see everyone at the feast tonight, and you have the afternoon to recover from the expedition and reunite with your groups. Martin waited for someone else to reply but when no'one did he did so himself,"Of course not, Alias has already been introduced to the Held, so this should be as a return to old friends. I think anyone who wants to come should be welcome to, the Held probably don't mind accompanying a few more people to their camp after all." Since they were all done with their introductions and conversation was flowing Martin saw fit to mention the reward that Alias had hinted at." Speaking of Alias, he did mention a compensation for taking risks that the Crown were not willing to undertake. I don't know if you had anything specific in mind for what we just did? I'll be heading back to my wife and friends now, and I'd like to settle everything before the feast tonight. Start the next day without unfinished business y'know." Lord Cornwall refers your questions to Alias and returns to the Keep with his soldiers. Alias offers you each 500 GP worth of materials crates in exchange for recognizing Crown Rights to the cave and surrounding territory. Alnas casts a spell from a scroll and offers to converse with the Held in their native tongue, which they do. The Held have not reacted to your slaying of the creatures inside the cave, yet, but you are welcome to ask them for their thoughts.[I will move us to the feast on Saturday afternoon. Please post any immediate actions and anything you want your characters to do before you go to the feast before that time.] "Study, yes. I will certainly keep the Crown appraised of anything pertinent." "Alias, we are unable to take payment for the rights to the cave, since it is not ours to give, or Cornwall's to take. It is already occupied." Zuni takes a quick detour to his camp, leaving the fungal remains with Sebastian and some instructions for the colony. He returns with Skit, his acrobat retainer, and provisions for two weeks (carried by said unfortunate retainer). Spoiler Hide Sense Motive: (1d20+1)[21] Also, bluff: (1d20+2)[17] Because Zuni won't really share anything. "The Crown holds a different position. Are you voiding your right to the claim?" Alias asks. He is surprisingly business-like. Neither Safe nor any of the other Held make any comment. Esmé curiously eyes the natives as they come out of the cave with the dead body of the legendary terror known as the Bhavesh tied to the back of Big and the strangler's body on Shirt's back. She's expecting surprise and even anger. Molboh silently curses himself for his lack of forethought. One of the reasons that Elisa had been chosen between the candidates were her social skills and this really looked like a time in which they would need those. Molboh gazes the natives intensively as Cornwall invites himself to their divine meeting, trying to figure out what the different tribe members thinks of his "kind offer"."500?" Moloch asks with a questioning voice with one eyebrows raised. "These brave men and women just risked their lives in that cave for the entire colony and for all we know there could be diamonds in that cave. And for that you are offering them a mere 500 gold pieces." Spoiler: Rolls Hide Sense Motive rolls. Doc: (1d20+5)[6] Moloch: (1d20+1)[5] Elder Muse: (1d20+6)[24] The Held are surprised, but not overwhelmingly so.-----You sense that Alias is very interested in getting the rights to the cave. "There could be nothing in that cave. And these brave men and women volunteered for this investigation. As much as I might wish to offer them more, the Crown's stores are limited." "If you're expecting that there's nothing in it, why does it hold interest to you?" Moloch asks curiously. Alias smirks. "The Crown is willing to offer you 500 gold worth of material crates for your efforts. If this is unsatisfactory, you are welcome to walk away empty-handed. I repeat my question: Are you voiding your rights to the claim?" "Say rather than that I am retaining my rights to the claim. I can't speak for the others." "Well I'm certainly happy to accept such a generous reward, five hundred is a small fortune. There is however one more thing that bears mention the cave, at the very bottom of it there is a small hole, and through that hole there is something we don't quite understand. The Held have offered to help us understand it, and that's why they are taking us back to meet someone they think is important. You'll see for yourself Alias, and I'm glad you'll be with us."" Yafeh, everyone. You're welcome to join me at my home until we feast tonight, I'm sure everyone would love to meet you, I've told them so much about you." With that Martin takes his leave and travels to his home and group to explain what he had been doing, whether the Held decide to join him. He rests for a bit and then prepares everyone to leave for the feast. He'll bring with him some wine, and fresh vegetables from his farms. This news surprises Alias, who says, "Then we will table this matter for the time being." He also offers to show the Held around the colony, but they elect to go with Mathis. If you wish to interact with Alias or the Held, now is the time to do so before they depart with Martin.----"What can you tell me about this Lord Cornwall?" Safe asks Martin as they walk. Spoiler: Sense Motive DC 20 Hide Safe seems concerned about something Lord Cornwall has done. Martin does not pick up on Safe's concern."Oh, not much. I haven't had much to do with the man. Where we come from he it was what we call a Lord, a person who controls large areas of land and many people. He is the person who is in charge here. He works for someone we call King, who is someone who controls many Lords. Furthermore, he is the one who has final say in what we can and can not do here, if he decides that one of us has done something that is not good for the colony then we must listen to him although not everyone likes listening to Lords. In my opinion he has made good decisions so far, and I have hope he will continue to do so. Not everyone here thinks so however, we are not a people who all thinks the same always. In the end we must always do as the Lords and Kings say though, whether we like it or not. Otherwise, there would be chaos." The group moves towards their village which coincidences with the direction of Martin's village. Moloch tags along Martin and Yosef a small distance from the rest of the group. Grum retells the tale of when Esmé was brawling with the Strangler and grossly overexaggerates the fight with the strangler, both gesturing towards her "huge" overarms and the Stranglers headless body. Esmé's head is bright red, but the atmosphere is high. After arriving they unpack the bats and begins the preservation process immediately, hoping to be finished before the feast. Spoiler: To Escher and Mathis Hide Moloch tags along as the shortest way to Martin's area is over the bridge close to his village anyway. He presents himself as being affiliated with Drum and Esmé but does not emphasize any kind of leadership over them. He does not respond to Yosef's question, letting Martin answer it but also does not confirm anything Martin says. "Tell me, Yosef." He says with a friendly but serious face, "Do you know why anyone would be interested in the cave? Is it important to your tribe?" "Also, Martin" He turns to his fellow colonist: "Did you intend on using the heads for anything in particular? Otherwise, our Elder expressed a want to preserve those as well as the rest of the body to be sure that he aren't rushed researching them." Spoiler Hide Sense motives roll for Moloch: (1d20+1)[13] I am imagining that there should be some penalty for the rest of the group since they aren't concentrated on Yosef but here are the rolls anyway. Feel free to apply any penalty you feel appropriate. Elder Muse: (1d20+5)[12] Doc: (1d20+5)[11] Esmé: (1d20+0)[18] Drum: (1d20+0)[13] Removing 50 GP from the crates. Zuni gives a final whispered instruction to Sebastian, and follows after Safe. Spoiler Hide Sense Motive: (1d20+1)[14] The instruction was for Sebastian to gather a small party, and recover the Bonnet armor from the cave while the rest of the colony is feasting. Yafehanswers Moloch's question. "I know why the Bhavesh would be interested in that cave; it is a good nesting ground for the creatures. When one of our adolescents wishes to prove themselves adult by slaying an Bhavesh in single combat, they know that cave is a good place to look." Safe smiles. "I slew an Bhavesh of the forest for my trials." She seems proud, and Bedroom explains, "Any Bhavesh is a challenge for one person, but the Bhavesh of the forest are especially challenging." As if sensing any possible concern about your upcoming journey, he quickly adds, "But they rarely attack large groups. Like most predators, they prefer to target isolated prey." Your conversation continues as you make your way to Martin's camp. Her eyes light up at the sight of your farms. "How did you find plants that grow in such an arrangement, so ordered and neat?" she asks innocently. Spoiler: Sense Motive DC 20 Hide She definitely knows what agriculture is. Moloch respectfully nods to Yosef, not entirely sure why a forest spider is more difficult to get rid of than a cave but understanding that there is a difference." I doubt that Alias wants to use the cave to test his men's skills against an Akhilesh." He says, mildly amused by the thought:"Our traditions are different from yours because our challenges traditionally are different from yours." He pauses for a moment before adding:"Is the cave otherwise important to your tribe? Is it important to the Bonnet?" Yafehanswers Moloch, "It may have significance to the Bonnet. I do not know." She shrugs. Your conversations and tours continue, adding brick after brick to your castle of friendship. You prepare for the feast and arrive punctually.-----The Feast Begins, Start of Week 6You arrive alongside the main mass of colonists, and a quick head count reveals that every one of the 87 members of the community are in attendance at the massive open-air feast Lord Cornwall has organized. A bevy of meat and vegetable dishes abound arrayed across several large wooden tables with matching benches. Alias greets you as you arrive, and brings you and the Held to sit at Lord Cornwall's head table at the front of the assembled area. From your vantage point at the head of the assembly, you can see your followers engaged in lively conversation, laughing and joking with one another in obvious joy. There is a feeling of communal love at the feast, and you feel your spirits buoyed by its effects. These are your people, who you have brought across a great ocean to a strange land, and they seem to be grateful for the experience and enjoying the opportunity to make a new home for themselves. At first the conversations with Lord Cornwall are cordial and superficial, discussions of relatively inconsequential matters. He updates you on the progress of the Keep, which rests behind you, still clearly unfinished but already somewhat fortified and defensible, an artificially constructed high ground on the summit of an already advantageous lone hill. He is very inquisitive of the Held, and he is very interested in their opinion of the colony and the feast, and they seem to approve of both. After the meal, however, as the rest of the assemblage drinks themselves to foolishness, Alias takes the Held to partake in a special blend of spiced rum, leaving you alone with Cornwall at the high table. Once the Held are gone, he asks for a complete summary of your expedition. When you have finished, he states, "There is a legal question we must settle. As territory on this continent, the Cave belongs to the Crown under our Colonial Decree, but you are entitled to some rights to the claim under the Statute of Exploration; in practice, in order for the Crown to exploit any resources found in the Cave, you must be compensated--and each attempt at exploitation would require an additional negotiation. Furthermore, any settlement of the territory would require your additional compensation, per head. As representative of the Crown, I would prefer to compensate you for voiding your rights to the claim, to make this process more efficient. If the small fortune Alias has offered you is insufficient, please, name a price you would accept." Again, you sense that Lord Cornwall is offering this to you not because he is unwilling to take the territory by force, but because he is more interested in keeping everyone united. "As much as I would like to be a part of this, I must point out that I were not one of explorers and as such do not have a voice in this. I will find Esmeralda and Goal and let them speak for themselves." Moloch says, "Should I also find Jay since he was the one to find discover the cave initially?" He gets up and starts moving towards the mass of colonists but stops in his tracks and turns: "Also would it be possible for me to the Statute of Exploration? I have only heard of it but not actually read it." Martin is all too happy to explain the arts of agriculture to Safe when she asks but quickly finds himself at a loss at some of the finer details. He invites his friends and wife over to meet the Held and to help guide them around their farms and ranch. They marvel at the strange, new creatures but warm up to them eventually, some slower than Martin had. At the feast Martin has brought the mandolin, and Robert has brought his flute. Together they make a weak attempt at some entertainment as Cecilia sings a song from their homeland, while inviting whoever wants to a dance Perform: String instruments(1d20-1)[18], Martin Perform: Wind Instruments(1d20+4)[21], Roberto Perform: Sing(1d20+3)[21], Cecilia Later, seated at the table with Cornwall and discussing politics Martin chimes in,"This is an interesting problem we've got on our hands. One that will set precedent for future problems of similar nature. Seems to me the true value of that cave lies in the metal of its walls, and it will be difficult to extract with the resources we have available to us. I'll settle for the right help you extract that metal with the miners I've brought a long, and two tenths of the total value of the cave. They should have the expertise we need and might be invaluable to your efforts of extracting it for the Crown. I don't know how many miners you have brought along with you Lord Cornwall? I also propose that you let my friend Roberto lead the excavation efforts as your foreman, he should be paid as any hired professional of course. He is very capable, and knows how to build a proper mining operation." Zuni leans back in his chair and sips at a goblet." I don't try and retain my claim rights from an attempt to seek personal gain, Lord Cornwall, but as I explained earlier, I believe that the cave may already be the property of one of the native factions, either the Bonnet or the 'Coarse'. Don't you agree that trying to exploit another group's territory unannounced might be seen as an aggressive act? To maintain a friendship with the natives... there is no price I can name worth that." He drinks again." I'm aware that metals are an important resource, but I'd suggest we wait on the results of our upcoming meeting with 'The Ones Above' before we start mining on someone's doorstep." Esmeralda, Goal, and Jay are found and brought to the table. Lord Cornwall listens to all you have to say. As you speak, you find yourself under his fixed gaze, an experience that can not be accurately described in words, nor can the feelings it evokes in you, most closely approximated with the adjective "uncanny." After you each finish, he sits quietly, looking out at you across his plate. Finally, he reaches into his coat pocket and removes a simple but well-made wooden pipe, which he begins to pack with tobacco leaf. As he slowly packs the pipe with the foul-smelling substance, you all fall quiet." I am fortunate to have such wise community leaders as yourselves under my protection," Lord Cornwall finally says, breaking the silence at the table. "In all my considerations, I have been counting on us all working together toward our own common self-interest. That is the only way this colony will succeed. While the Crown claims all territory of this continent, and while it is possible for me to seize it by force, it is not in my long-term interests to do so while we can work out a mutually profitable arrangement." He looks at Martin, "I look forward to employing Roberto and your miners, and the specifics of compensation can be worked out at a later time." He snaps his fingers and lights his pipe with a spark, and after a few practiced inhalations there is a glowing cherry of ember that burns brightly against the chaos of the surrounding party. Furthermore, he exhales a cloud of smoke and as it clears, he is looking at Zuni. "When I was chosen by the Crown, it was made clear to me that their primary motivation is profit. To the extent that your friendship with the natives is profitable, I will encourage it. As much as I might want otherwise, I can not allow it to influence me in my decision-making. That said, you raise a good point. You're meeting with these Above, as they are called, will no doubt influence all our decisions, not only this present one." He takes another drag from his pipe, and says, "You have been among the Held and seen their numbers. Are they a threat to us? You have heard their stories of the Ones Above. Do you believe there is anything more to their religion than superstition?" Although he is not wearing it presently, you are reminded of the symbol of Agar he has emblazoned on his breastplate. Having been watching silently, Theiler final speaks up,"I'm fairly sure that yes, there is more to their religion than simple superstition. As to their danger, well, they certainly must be powerful combatants, for that is a requirement to survive in these places. What's more, that have the advantage of numbers over us. Even if we mustered every man we have, I'm certain we'd be soundly beaten." Thalyr furrows his brow." Now, I will speak bluntly. As far as I'm concerned, we came here as colonizers, not conquerors, which means we take only the lands that belong to no-one. My men and I - and yes, I can speak for them, for I have known them for years, if not decades - will not take lands that belong to others. In fact, we will actively oppose those who do so. Now, mind you, this is not a threat or anything of the sort. What I said is what I said, and bears no hidden meaning. If they try to take the lands of us, I will defend them as well." "Bravo!" Moloch greets Martin as he returns after his performance. "I didn't realize that you had such skills, that was impressive!" Molboh nods acknowledging to Cornwall." That the crown has profit as its first priority is only natural. After all that is the standard in Albion." He pauses before continuing:"I like the basic idea that Martin has, making sure that when one risks their lives they know that it is for a sustainable benefit. Would the crown be willing that instead of offering a one time reward instead accept being allowed to use the mine in return for some part of the resources they extract from the mine?" He suggests." I believe that this would encourage more exploration which would yield greater profits in the long run for the crown."" A threat? Probably not. We know too little about them yet but judging from what we know they are powerful enough to pose a threat but does not seem aggressive." Moloch responds." As for the ones above I suspect that they may be powerful sentient creature that live somewhere on this continent but doubt them to be actual gods." At some later point Moloch will require being allowed to see the Statue of Exploration. The conversations wind down as the night's festivities accelerate, and you spend the night making revelry with your brothers and sisters in arms before turning in to comfortable sleeping accommodations that Lord Cornwall has provided. You awake the following morning and find that the Held are already ready to depart. You quickly pack your things before setting off on another expedition. Spoiler: Moloch, Martin, Theiler, Zuni, Alias (and anyone else) Hide Continue to the Expedition Thread. Spoiler: Colonial Actions, week 6-8 Hide Scouting hex 10 09, 12 09 and 13 10 thoroughly Foreman: Esmé, Shirt, Big, Fido. Total CL 16 Construct Three Sister Farm(2/2 week)[Finished by week 6] Foreman: Jay Working on the farm: Jay[Week 7-8] Construct Three Sister Farm(2/2 week)[Finished by week 6] Foreman: Doc Working on the farm: Drum[Week 7-8] Researching the two creatures (assuming 1 week) Foreman: Elder Muse Knowledge nature? Check: Taking 10 for 17 Construct Farm(4/4 week)[Finished by week 7] Foreman: Elder Muse Working on the farm: Elder Muse[Week 8] Construct Farm(4/4 week)[Finished by week 6] Foreman: John Working on the farm: John[Week7-8] Kitchen, Basic(1760/2000) Foreman: Backhand[Week 6-7], Radio[Week 8] Stone working: Taking 10, +10 modifiers, +2 assist from psi crystal Bridge (1060/1000)[Finished at week 7] Foreman: Radio Building roll: Taking 10, +10 modifiers, +2 assist from psi crystal Writing an epic inspired by the fight with the strangler (44/484) Foreman: Backhand Craft(Wordsmith) Check: 22 (taking 10, +4 rank, +1 int, +3 psi crystal artisan, +2 master worked tools, +2 Marian, +2 Muse) Materials used: 2gp Gathering materials(1/18 week) Foreman: Elisa Gathering materials(2/? Week) Foreman: Doc Out(4/4 week)[Ends at week 7] Lilian, Elisa Out(1/? Week) Lilian Out(3/6 week) Moloch Food produced each week after week 6: 4.5+4.5+4+4=17 Resulting in a gain of 2 meals per week Meals left: 414 Feed left: 172 Colony Actions, week 7 and 8. Spoiler: Colony Actions, Week 7. Hide Construction Projects: Stable #1, basic. (1000/1000) Foreman: Miss the Tinker Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Stone masonry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks, +10 from Laborers) total of 300 gold of progress. Laborers: 5 of Cornwall's men. Progress: 300g Stable #2, basic. (800/1000) Foreman: Cornwall's foreman #1 Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) total of 200 gold in progress. Progress: 200g Stable #3, basic. (800/1000) Foreman: Cornwall's foreman #2 Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) total of 200 gold in progress. Progress: 200g Workplace, basic. Smokehouse (200/500) Foreman: Cecilia Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) total of 200 gold in progress. Progress: 200g Smithy, basic. (500/500) Foreman: Gustavo. Laborers: 3 of Cornwall's Laborers. Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks, +6 from laborers) total of 260 gold in Progress: 260g Farming: Sheep Ranch (4/4) Foreman: Ernesto, 30 sheep Laborers: 4x Cornwall's Laborers Status: Producing food, (1,25 x 1,75) x (5 x 1,5) = 2,1875 x 7,5 = 16,40625 meals per day, 115 meals per week. Farm, Wheat (4/4) Foreman: Vítor Laborers: 4x Cornwall's Laborers Status: Producing food, (1,25 x 2) x (5 x 1,5) = 2,5 x 7,5 = 18,75 meals per day, 131 meals per week. Food Production: Chicken Ranch Foreman: Ago, 30 chickens Laborers: 4x Cornwall's Laborers Status: Producing food, (1,25 x 1,25) x (5 x 1,5) = 1,5625 x 7,5 = 11,71875 meals per day, 82 meals per week. Farm, Squash, Corn, Beans. Foreman: Ana Sofia Laborers: Elvira the Scout, Sergio, Roberto, Raphael. Status: Producing food, (4,5 x 1,25) x (1,5 x 5) = 5,625 x 7,5 = 42, 1875 meals per day, 295 meals per week. Total food produced: 623 meals. Total food taken from Colonial Supplies: None. Total food consumed: 520 meals. 118 meals are given away to Cornwall's camp; Zuni's foremen for their contribution. 248 meals are given away to Cornwall's laborers for their contribution. 154 meals are consumed by Martin and his people at two meals day. Grand total of 520 meals. Total food stored away this week: 123 (623–520 = 123) Total food in Storage: 326 Colonial Supply remaining: 1475,5 GP. Animal Feed remaining: 240 Spoiler: Colony Actions, week 8. Hide Construction Projects: Stable #4, basic. (240/1000) Foreman: Miss the Tinker Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Stone masonry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks, +4 from Laborers) total of 240 gold of progress. Laborers: 2 of Cornwall's men. Progress: 240g Stable #2, basic. (1000/1000) Foreman: Cornwall's foreman #1 Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) total of 200 gold in progress. Progress: 200g Stable #3, basic. (1000/1000) Foreman: Cornwall's foreman #2 Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks,) total of 200 gold in progress. Progress: 200g Workplace, basic. Smokehouse (260/500) Foreman: Cecilia Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks, +6 from laborers) total of 260 gold in progress. Progress: 260g Bedrooms, basic. #1 (260/700) Foreman: Gustavo. Laborers: 3 of Cornwall's Laborers. Building Roll: Take 10 Craft (Carpentry) +10 (+1 Int, +2 Tools, +3 Skill Focus, +4 Ranks, +6 from laborers) total of 260 gold in Progress: 260g Farming: Sheep Ranch (4/4) Foreman: Ernesto, 30 sheep Laborers: 4x Cornwall's Laborers Status: Producing food, (1,25 x 1,75) x (5 x 1,5) = 2,1875 x 7,5 = 16,40625 meals per day, 115 meals per week. Farm, Wheat (4/4) Foreman: Vítor Laborers: 4x Cornwall's Laborers Status: Producing food, (1,25 x 2) x (5 x 1,5) = 2,5 x 7,5 = 18,75 meals per day, 131 meals per week. Food Production: Chicken Ranch Foreman: Ago, 30 chickens Laborers: 4x Cornwall's Laborers Status: Producing food, (1,25 x 1,25) x (5 x 1,5) = 1,5625 x 7,5 = 11,71875 meals per day, 82 meals per week. Farm, Squash, Corn, Beans. Foreman: Ana Sofia Laborers: Elvira the Scout, Sergio, Roberto, Raphael. Status: Producing food, (4,5 x 1,25) x (1,5 x 5) = 5,625 x 7,5 = 42, 1875 meals per day, 295 meals per week. Total food produced: 623 meals. Total food taken from Colonial Supplies: None. Total food consumed: 520 meals. 118 meals are given away to Cornwall's camp; Zuni's foremen for their contribution. 248 meals are given away to Cornwall's laborers for their contribution. 154 meals are consumed by Martin and his people at two meals day. Grand total of 520 meals. Total food stored away this week: 123 (623–520 = 123) Total food in Storage: 449 Colonial Supply remaining: 1475,5 GP. Animal Feed remaining: 240

Colony of Westmark IC

world of vorish success

I wish to begin a RP in which the different species (real, legendary, or mythical) roam the Earth together in semi-harmony, but still try to dominate the known world. Each society will have its own leader (note: human, real animals, and authors not including Nikos are recommended to have male leaders as that's the most common in life) and (almost) everyone in said communities will have a job. There are to be healers, fighters, builders, shop owners, inner (people who run inns.), coopers (barrel makers), guardians, and any other job you can think of. The objective of this RP is to try and make your species rule the entire planet, which will never happen because of constant want of everyone else to succeed at the same goal. There are some basic rules for just about everything. RP rules: none specific to the entire RP. Leader rules: to become leader of your species you must defeat the current leader in battle. To remain leader you must log on and post at least once every three days. If you don't answer a challenge in two days you forfeit. Rules of the species: to be designated by the ruler upon his/her coming of the spot. For easy access to player information. I will make a blog showing the current ropers characters and their character profile. (please pm me your character sheet after placing it here. This will make it easier on me if I miss it in RP.) I will keep population count in the same blog at either the top or bottom.to introduce a new species simply type the name of that species in your character profile, and it will be shown in the population count as a new species with one member until more join. If someone prefers not to have certain types of more happen to them please refrain from doing so. It is rude. Here is the beginning character profile sheet which is subject to change at later date. I will inform anyone in the RP when I change it so they can fix their character.name:species:gender:job:bio:note:preferred more to not occur: (note that if It's not here, you are subject to it even if it's not your favorite.)the blog for characters a pop. Count is below.lblog/trippyxxx/world_of_vorish_success_b-5443.htmll name:Lillithspecies: jaggeder: female job: healer bio: A calm and friendly creature, Lilith had learned how to heal and mend wounds using her womb.note: weak but has some limited magic. Preferred more to not occur: hard Name: Zeta Species: Fox Gender: Female Job: Ruler of the foxes Bio: She became the ruler 3 years ago by tricking and assassinating the previous ruler. Notes: She's power hungry and uses potions and powders mainly to get what she wants since she's not that strong despite everyone believing that she is. Vore types: I'm only okay with Soft oral, hard more, birthing, anal more, vampire more, and tail more happening to her. Rape is okay too, as well as most other methods of death. (I guess I should join my own RP shouldn't I?)name: trippspecies: human gender: male job: all around worker.bio: first link in my signature note: tends to shy away from people until he knows them. Preferred more to not occur: I'm fine with everything. (well it doesn't appear anyone else is joining at the moment. So we are the current leaders of our societies.)trip walked forth from his hut wanting to expand his empire, not by force, but by alliances. Lilith was slithering through her jungle domain, her tribe was cared for and happy, and she was content. ((Others will join in time. ^_^))Zeta grins as she rests in her royal bed. She had such plans to conquer the world that she just couldn't sleep. Tripp walked for a while eventually coming to the border between his kingdom and the nāga's. He then stepped past the boundaries intent on making an alliance with them at any cost. Name: Fairlynspecies: arctic fox gender: male job: hunter? (think Van Helsing)bio: after an accident Fairly found his darker impulses had somehow manifested themselves into a new personality (the darker personality goes under the name Dark side).note: where Fairly is caring and gentle, Dark side is a cold killer but will protect anyone Fairly really cares about. Preferred more to not occur: hard more and cock more Fairly is out patrolling, trying to keep the domain secure. Name:Jeff species:Human gender:Male job:Archer bio:A black messy haired archer with an eagles eye, he has a magic necklace which increases his aim note: Has a bow and arrows, a short sword, and a magic aim necklace preferred more to not occur: Hard VoreJeff was wandering into the nāga border, intent on making a relationship with the nāgas between the two races Fairly decided to head to the fox empire, hoping to get an alliance going. A few foxes are at the checkout station and one of them spots Fairly." Halt! Friend or foe?" he calls out from his post on the wallop. Fairly lifts both hands, showing he's unarmed, "Friend," he yells back, waiting for permission to come closer. "Okay. Advance and be recognized!" the fox calls out. Lillith scented a new arrival into her domain, slithering to the area she spotted a human, she revealed her self and opened her arms, her fire red hair ran down past her bare human torso and to her hips where her body reformed to that of an small green and black snake "welcome" she said polity.(what's the technological level of this world) Fairly steps forward and yells, "I'm Fairly, hunter and apparently leader of the arctic foxes".and what's the magic LVL? (I just want to know if dark side can can call in his old friends?) "Ah, in that case enter through the door in the wall." the fox replies in a more friendly tone. Jeff wanders out of the nāga territory and into the fox territory, since he didn't find any nagas he expected to find another race to make an alliance with "Halt human!" one of the foxes on the wall says once he spots Jeff. Jeff turns around "Hey I'm not trying to start any trouble, you want me to put my weapons down or what?" He said politely name: Sam species: Fox (Author)gender: hero: scout bio: a red haired foxier. She normally enjoyed her life but she's very serious with her job note: she is Zetas personal consultant. Preferred more to not occur: hard more, permanent death name:Aaron species:Human gender:Male job:Paladin bio:Despite him being a paladin all he wears is a steel chain-body and a helmet with a red plume, he carries a war-hammer, battleaxe, and a long sword, note:Tends to be courageous and acts quickly in dangerous situations preferred more to not occur: None Aaron was wandering between the nāga and human border, walking past the nāga border, he came across something that looked like a human? Maybe it was a nāga, he wasn't sure yet as he approached it (Directed towards you the swarm) Lilith turned as a new human approached, she smiled as she turned back to the humans' leader, but not before she had positioned half to give the paladin plan sight of her tail. "Hamm a nāga..." He said walking up to trip"So what brings you out here mi-lord?" He says to trip "we were about to start negotiating an alliance" Lilith said presently. Name:Gwen D Marko species:Centaur Age:24gender:Female job:mercenary (Is that allowed?) Appearance:Standing at seven foot tall, Gwen towers above many. Her human features are well toned as well as dazzling. Firm cheekbones, sparkling emerald eyes and Lucius red lips. Long silver hair flows downwards. Her arms are strong and slightly muscular and her stomach is nearly as strong as steel. Above average breasts rise and fall with each breath, her chest gently concealed in a dark black corset, it's buttons straining to stay shut. Gwen's lower half is also muscular, her horse stomach is firm, and her legs are strong. Gwen's horse section is a wonderful shade shimmering white.bio:Orphaned at a young age, Gwen practically raised herself constantly moving from village to village and town to town. The moment Gwen turned legal age, she enlisted as a protector of a village, but it bored her until the village was attacked by a rival village. Gwen decided it best to run her own life and decide what she thought was right instead of being bound by a strict job, she is now her own boss.note:Though Gwen is a mercenary, she's a very kind and merciful individual. She does of course have a mean side, but it takes a lot to anger her. Her enemies would likely take a one way trip down her throat if they upset her. Preferred more to not occur: Cock more (Not likely anyway being a centaur), vampiric more. Fairly yelled back, "yes sir" before entering through the door in the wall. (well since the higher the technology level the lower the magic. let's meet in the middle. Anything created after gunpowder is not in existence, and magic can't kill)trip approached Lilith now and asked "may an alliance form in between our races?"(also all humans note. I will be losing my leadership as I can't be on for four days. Please pm me if you want the leadership. Its first come first served so even if you're my best friend if you're second you don't get it.) ((any specific reason for the higher the tech level is the lower the magic level? Is that a rule set in stone in your world? I would personally suggest keeping them separate. Or at least keep it a technological or a magical world edit; I'm not trying to hijack your world, I just never heard that tech and magic nullifies each other, I'm honestly curious)) "Welcome." a pretty vixen says to Fairly as he enters the checkpoint." Friend or foe?" the fox calls out to Jeff. A small vixen soon shows up at the door to Sam's room and knocks on the door. (What kind of leader is Zeta? Is she a queen or just a military commander)Sam opened the door and looked down on the vixen." Does Zeta need me?" She asked. "Hello", fairly replies, "I need to speak to your leader" "Okay. I'll lead you to the castle." the fox replies to Fairly as he walks out the door. "Please follow me." The small vixen, who Sam would recognize as Princess Tessa, soon begins poking Sam in the knees. "I want to play!" she whines.((A bit of both NEC. ) "thanks" fairly answers as he follows the fox. (I just wanted to find out how she wants her servants to treat her.)" Oh, Princess Tessa, I'm sorry. I thought you were some normal domestic." She said and kneeled down to her." Of course, we can play. What did you have in mind?" "I am indeed a friend" Jeff says smiling as he puts his bow on his back and raises up his hands "Then advance and be recognized!" the fox calls out to Jeff." It's okay." the princess replies cheerfully. "Anyway, let's play Tasty Fox. I love that game! You remember? The one where you swallow me down whole and I visit your warm and comfy stomach. Also, sorry for poking you like that Sam."((Like a queen. )Soon, Fairly and the fox come across a castle." Visitor for Queen Zeta!" he calls out officially. Fairly stands waiting to get a chance to talk to the queen.((what else can I say?)) Sam smiled at Tessa." Yes, that's a hilarious game. Come in and we can start." She said. Princess Tessa giggles happily as she enters Sam's room. "Yay!" she calls out cheerfully. Soon, the drawbridge lowers, and the two of them enter the castle. The fox then leads Fairly to a waiting room. "Please wait here." he says as he exits the room. The room had several chairs as well as magazines to read. Sally sot on her bat and lifted Tessa up, sitting her in her lap." Do you want in feet first or head first?" She asked the princess with a smile. Fairly sits down on one of the chairs and grabs a nearby magazine, waiting to get to talk with the queen Eventually, the fox comes back. "The queen will see you now. Please follow me." he said." Headfirst please." Princess Tessa replied with a happy giggle as she removes all of her clothes. "I'd like to slide up your clean butt please." "You're a naughty little fox, you know that?" Sam said while she happily pulled down her pants. She kneeled on all fours on her bed, her sexy butt pointing to Tessa." I wounder if you can go in all by your own." She said. "That's true." Tessa replied with a giggle as she pressed her furry face against Sam's sexy butt and slipped her snout and tongue inside. Fairly does as he is told and follows the other fox. Sam moaned when Tessa shoved her snout into her ass." That always feels great." She said and smiled. "I agree." Tessa replied happily as she eventually gets her whole head up Sam's clean butt. Soon, they reach the queen's chambers." Here he is Queen Zeta." the fox says before leaving." So, what have you come here for?" Zeta asked Fairly in an interested tone. Sam pushes herself a back so Tessa would slide in deeper. She real enjoyed how the small vixen stretched her butt and first signs of arousal could be seen. Her pussy glistened wet, and her sheath was swollen. Tessa found herself getting aroused as well while she got her shoulders up Sam's comfy butt. "So warm and comfy." she marred out blissfully. Sam leaned a bit more back. There was already a bulge in her belly. When you looked close, you almost could see Essay face. Soon, only Tessa's legs and bushy tail were still outside of Sam's clean butt, and the princess begins wiggling in joy. Fairly stepped forward and respectfully dropped to his knees before saying, "queen Zeta, I have come to suggest an alliance between our kingdoms" Sam gasped when Tessa started to wiggle. The tip of her cock was already pushing out of her sheath and small drops of liquid were forming on her pussy lips. Soon enough, Princess Tessa is fully inside Sam's warm and comfy stomach." I love that game." she marred happily as she relaxed. "I love it in here."" An alliance you say?" Queen Zeta asks with a sly smile on her face. "That would prove advantageous to both of us, so agreed." fairly says, "thank you queen Zeta. My kin will be at your service, just say the word." Sam lay on her bag and rubbed over her Tessa filled belly." I love it, too." She said happily. "Would you like to riff with me after I reform?" Tessa asked Sam a bit lustfully." Yes, I'll do that handsome." Zeta replies as she gives Fairly a seductive wink. Sam sat up after Essay words." Zessa, what are you talking? You're a child, I can't do that." Sam said a bit shocked. Fairly smiles back at Zeta as he asks, "anything you need my help with before I leave?" "No. There's nothing I can think of at the moment." Zeta replied." You don't have to if you don't want to." Tessa burrs soothingly." But I can tell that you're feeling aroused right now, and so am I. We both get aroused every time we do this." Tessa replied innocently. "I'm sorry Tessa. You're a child, and you're the daughter of the Queen. Zeta would kill me." Sam said. Tripp walked around for a bit trying to find any civilization that would like to become his ally. Fairly, with one last nod to the queen and the words, "I'll be taking my leave then" before starting to head towards the door. Zeta watches as Fairly leaves the throne room." No she wouldn't." Tessa replies coaxingly. "She's okay with anything that makes me happy." Fairly heads home, wondering what to do now. "Are you sure about that?" Sam asked." I don't want to hurt you." "Yes, I'm sure." Tessa burrs seductively. "Besides, you won't be hurting me. I want to see what riffing is like." "Well, when you want it that much, just let me spit you out so we can begin." Sam said and began to choke. Zessas head was pushed into her throat. "Please poop me out of your clean butt, and thank you, Sam." Tessa burrs gratefully once her head is in Sam's throat. Aaron the human paladin leader wandered into the fox border until he reached a wall, he looked around for a guard of some sort. Said guard soon spotted Joey. "Friend or foe?" he asks the human in a somewhat bored tone. Sam swallowed Essay head back into her stomach." If you like to come out this way, you have to push back into my intestines." She said and petted the bulge in her belly. Aaron soon replies "Friend, what is the matter guard? It seems you are somewhat bored" He says "Then come in. I am bored." the guard replies with a yawn. "I just wish that spy would get back so that we can begin the invasion." he adds." Okay." Tessa giggles as she pushes her head back up Sam's comfy butt. Aaron walks through the entrance in the wall "I come to seek an alliance between our two races" He says to the guard waiting for a reply(I'm being human leader for trip. He said I could take over that role I believe, correct me if I'm wrong trip) "You'll have to talk to our queen about that." the guard replies. Sam felt Tessa in her but and she started to push. Her ass stretched when Essay head was pushed out." Wow, it feels like I take a very huge shit." Sam said while she dumped Tessa back on the bed. "Yeah." Tessa giggled in agreement as she was pooped out onto the bed." Could you please slide your member up my butt now?" she asked Sam sweetly. "That's not so easy, first we should get it hard." Sam said and pointed at her semi hard member." Do you want to suck on it?" "Sure." Tessa replies a bit lustfully as she turns around and begins licking Sam's member playfully. Sam moaned when Tessa played with her cock." You're good at this, are you sure you're doing that the first time.?" She asked. "Yes, I'm sure." Versa giggles playfully as she takes Sam's member into her maw and begins sucking on it. Sam enjoyed Essay soft mouth while her member grew fully hard.Pre-cum was flowing into Essay mouth and Sam moaned again. After licking up the precut, Tessa removes her maw from around Sam's member and gets back in position. "I'm ready." she burrs seductively. Sam lifted Tessa up and positioned her directly over her hard member. She held her there while her cock poked at Essay tail hole." Tell me when it hurts too much." She said before she slowly lowered her down and her cock pushed into Essay tight ass. (hi, I am still here, just to comply with the 3-day post thing, but I'm waiting on trip) Tessa moans out in pure bliss as she feels Sam's member slide into her clean butt. "Okay. I will." Sam continued to slide her cock deeper into Tessa. Soon Essay butt touched her hips." Are you ok, Tessa?" She asked, her member now as deep as possibly in the processes cute ass. "Yes, I'm okay." Tessa replied while wincing just a bit at the slight pain, but she relaxed as her butt got used to the size of Sam's member, causing the pain to vanish. Sally smiled." Good, then I'll continue." She said and slowly lifted Tessa up again, pulling out of her ass. When just the TIPP of her member was in her butt, she pushed in again. Tessa began moaning out in pleasure as she felt Sam's member slide in and out of her sexy butt." It feels so wonderful!" "Yes, it real does." Sam said and fastened her thrusting. She felt her climax slowly build up. Tessa could feel herself about to climax as well while she reached new levels of pleasure. "I hope you're ready for this." Sam said before she pushed completely into Tessa and released her hot cum deep into her ass. "Ohhhhh!" Tessa moaned out in pure ecstasy as the hot seed shooting deep into her butt caused her to climax. Sam panted hard while she remained in Essay butt for a while. After some minutes, she slowly lifted Tessa up again and let her cock slide out of her ass." Did you enjoy that?" She asked and sat Tessa next to her on the bed." Maybe we can do that again some time later." name: Jack species: Bunny Guy gender: Male job: Bunny Chief bio: Jack is the chief of the tribe of rabbit people. He is a nice guy, but still wants to rule the world and doesn't see any race that aren't rabbits as any other than meals and toys.note: His tribe are experts at cock more, birthing, and breast more. They aren't very good at anal more and oral more, but will try them if they have to. Vore Types: I am open to anything, but I prefer big bellies. And I really don't like reformation, so if my character eats or is eaten by someone, they won't be reforming. "Yes, I loved it." Tessa replies as she snuggles with Sam. "I'd love to do it again later." Somewhere else, a fox messenger arrives at the border between the bunny kingdom and the fox kingdom." I hate my job." he grumbles as he crosses the border. The bunny kingdom was mostly a large series with underground tunnels and a large underground city. The fox messenger arrived at one of the entrances to the tunnels, but it seemed like nobody was guarding it. The fox leaped down one of the tunnels, hoping to maybe meet up with a female bunny on the way to the throne room. Fairly, leader of the arctic foxes because none else wanted the job, has accidentally stumbled into the bunny kingdom and is now yelling at one of the holes,"anyone down there?". "Just me!" the fox yelled back to Fairly. As the fox landed, two bunny guards jumped in after him and landed onto of him, pinning him to the ground. One was a boy and one was a girl, they both wore a large pair of pants and a tank top. They had been hiding as he had approached. "Who gave you permission to jump down this hole?" The girl asked. Fairly yells back, "wait up", before jumping down the hole and running after the messenger Two more rabbit people, this time two girls, jumped out of the bushes near Fairly. They both had spears. "Can we help you?" They asked, pointed the spears at him. "ACK!" the messenger gasps out as he's pinned to the ground by the two bunnies." I have a message from Queen Zeta to your ruler!" he tells the two bunnies. Fairly looks at the rabbits, both his hands held up "can you take us both to your leader?" he finally asks them. "Oh really? Well, we can't just let you waltz up to the chief." The bunny guy onto of him said. "Tell you what, we'll take you to him, but we can't just give you a tour of our domain. We'll have to carry you someplace where you won't be able to see the outside world." The bunny girl also said, getting up as the guy was heavy enough to keep him pinned. "So, do you agree? Or are we going to have to dispose of you?" "Yes, I agree." the messenger replies nervously. "Me too," Fairly added. "Well, choose your seat!" The bunny girl said, suddenly lifting her shirt of and lowering her pants, now standing naked in front of them. "I promise not to digest you whatever way you choose." The other two bunny girls and guys stood back. "Unless of course, you want to ride with him, but I don't think you guys are into that." She said, pointing at the bunny guy. Fairly walks over to the bunny girl and says, "I'd prefer birth, less chance of an accidental digestion but if that's not possible, oral more"... The naked bunny girl gives the messenger a brilliant idea as he leaps at her and grabs her before anyone can react. He then begins using her as a shield." Heh he he, it looks like I got my bunny early. Queen Zeta is declaring war on this kingdom, so you might as well escape now!" The bunny girl was surprised as she was grabbed. She couldn't do anything as the other rabbits readied their weapons. One of the other bunny girls tackled Fairly and began to birth him head first as the other two rabbits stared at the guard. "So, your queen sent you to die then, huh? Because it's not like we're going to let you out alive now that you've declared war on us." The guy said. Fairly struggles as he yells, "I want to see how this ends" "It doesn't matter. Unless you let me and my friend here escape, I'll kill this bunny here." the fox threatens. "Well IL be back later... the alliance will have to wait...." He said as he walked away from the gate, and crossed the border into the bunny border, he had known quite a few bunnies and had traced their figure long ago to sense if any were in trouble, and it seemed a couple were, he stumbled upon a hole in the ground and jumped down into it, lighting up the hole with his holy magic ((It doesn't make much sense for Aaron to automatically know that the bunnies are in trouble. ) "That's too bad, your friend shouldn't have been so stupid." The bunny girl birthing Fairly said as she continued to suck him up, having already drawn him in past his shoulders as her legs spread around them." As sad as it is to say, two foxes at the cost of one bunny is a price we are willing to pay." The bunny girl not birthing or being held hostage said. The bunny girl being held hostage shook in fear in her captors arms. "Or, we could strike a deal with you still. We won't kill you if you let her go, but we won't let you leave. We'll have to ask the chief what to do with you, but you're the best chance of surviving are to not let go of that bunny girl while we take you to the chief." Fairly, trying to calm down his inner demon, kept telling him "relax, it's not time yet." "Very well. I'll talk to the chief." the messenger replied. "But I'm keeping my paws on this bunny, so don't try anything funny." he threatens. The bunny girl continued to birth Fairly. She moaned as she finally finished with him, and he reached her womb, an umbilical cord attaching to his stomach. "I've got this one." She said, standing up and rubbing her belly lovingly. "Be nice in there, and we won't have to kill you. You aren't the same kingdom as that other fox, but we still don't know if we can trust you." She said, pulling her pants back on and standing up, grabbing hold of her spear and joining the other rabbits watching the guard." Alright, let's go." The male said as he pointed in the direction down the tunnel and started walking, all of them keeping an eye on the guard and the nude rabbit in her grasp. The messenger fox makes sure to keep the bunny between him and the other bunnies while he follows them. Eventually they entered a large underground cavern with a town. Large torches were placed keeping the area well lit. Bunny villagers went about their business, some staring at the group as they walked by. In the center of the town there was a large building where the group was heading. As they walk, the messenger slips his finger up his bunny captive's butt playfully. "Hey, stop that!" She quelled as she tried squirming out of his grasp. The rest of the group mostly ignored her. Eventually they entered the big building and where lead before Jack, the chief. He laid on a large bean bag like bed with a few female bunny girls laying with him. A few of them were pregnant. There were guards standing watch around the room. He saw as the entered and stood up." Hey, what's going on now? What's with this fox?" Jack said, walking over to them. "This fox has a message for us, sir." The female guard who had unearthed Fairly. "Go on, tell him." She said, turning to him. Sam kissed Tessa on the hand." Good, then we'll meet later. But now we should go to your mother, She sure has a mission for me." She said and they both headed for the throne room. Fairly looks at Jack before saying, "we, the arctic foxes, are considering declaring war with the humans, can we count on your help?" "We the foxes are declaring war on you bunnies." the messenger says as he keeps his grip on the bunny and begins thrusting his finger in and out of her butt." Also be aware that if you kill me today, Queen Zeta will attack in three days, but if you let me go, you'll have a week to prepare."" I agree." Tessa says cheerfully as she follows Sam. Once they reach the throne room, Zeta smiles at them." Ah Sam, you're just in time. Get the army ready for war. We're attacking the bunny kingdom in three days." Sam smiled." As you wish my queen. When will the attack start?" She asked. "Three days." Zeta replies. "Like I just said." "Oh, sorry. I must have overheard that." Sam said." I'll do my best." She left the throne room. Jack looked from Fairly to the messenger and considered what he had been told. Finally, he spoke to Fairly, "Well, normally I'm not the type to make alliances, but since it seems we will be going to war, if you Arctic Foxes are willing to help us fight the normal foxes, we will help you fight the humans." He then turned to messenger and the prisoner bunny girl. The bunny girl tried to squirm and struggle away from the fox as he fingered her ass. Jack spoke, "As for you, I hope your race is ready to be turned into rabbit cum and milk, cause that's exactly what's going to happen now that you've declared war on us. My people arealwaysprepared to go to war, we'll be ready enough in 3 days. And you..." He said, speaking directly to the bunny girl in his grasp. She suddenly stopped struggling to get out of the foxes grip and froze in fear. "I don't need soldiers who get captured so easily. You'd be of better use being used to make more babies." He finished, and with that dropped his pants. Before either the fox or the bunny girl in his grasp could do anything, his cock sprang out and caught the bunny girl by the head, pulling her away from the fox and sucking her down his member. The bunny girl's form was seen through the skin as it kicked and struggled to get free before she was deposited into Jack's balls. The fox hadn't been touched, but he no longer had his shield as a bunny girl tackled him from behind and tried to shove his head between her cleavage to breast more him. Sam went down to the barracks and entered the office of the army commander." Make your troops ready. Queen Zeta is planing on attacking the bunny kingdom in 3 days." She said. Fairly looked at the leader of the bunnies, "we won't invade our red furred cousins, but we will help guard your borders, deal?" ((I don't like either Cock more or Breast more, so could you please change your post a bit House? ) ((Actually, I wasn't sure if your messenger would be able to fight her back or not. I'll stop the bunny girl from breast voting you then. How about Birth then? Or you can choose to have the messenger beat her and do something to her instead, whatever you want. But I'm keeping Jack cock voting the bunny girl since they are both my characters. :\ Actually, since my characters are all pretty much into cock more and breast more, how exactly will this war work?)) Jack turned back to Fairly, ignoring the messenger now and pulling his pants back up. They stretched over his balls as if designed to be able to stretch over anything. It was still possible to see the bunny girls struggle through his pants. "What? You want our help but aren't willing to give us the help I ask for? If you want our help in fighting the humans, I'm going to have to ask you to help us invade the foxes. Now, you may think this is a little cruel, but let me tell you how lucky you are that I'm even considering an alliance. I've conquered 5 different kingdoms before now, and I take special interest in the leaders of the nations I conquer. In fact, they are all still alive and well right behind me." He said, motioning for the bunny girls that he was laying with to stand up and walk over. They got up and stood in line, some of them pregnant and some of them not. "You see, every kingdom I conquer, I turn the leader into one of my wives. I have one of my assistants use their birthing powers to turn them into bunny girls. For example, she-" He said, pointing and one of the bunny girls behind him. She had brown hair and was pregnant, and seemed to have a very angry look on her face. "She used to be the king of a tribe of bear people who thought it would be easy to invade a bunch of rabbits. He was wrong, and now he is one of my wives and pregnant with the cum I turned his wife into." And her?" He said, moving onto the next girl. She had white hair and wasn't pregnant, but still seemed very depressed. "She was the queen of a tribe of bird people. She thought since they could fly they would win easily, but they didn't know we could jump very high. And the same goes for the former tiger princess and frog prince." He said, then pointing to a pregnant redhead and a non-pregnant green haired one. The both just looked at the floor in embarrassment. "But my favorite is the former leader of the turtle people. He surrendered peacefully and, well... He wanted to be my wife. She is a little odd." He said, putting his arm around a dark green haired bunny girl who was also pregnant. Unlike the others, she seemed to be enjoying her condition. Jack looked back at Fairly. "So, unless you want to become one of my wives too, I'm going to have to ask you to help me fully when invading the fox territory." He said, looking serious. Fairly simply shook his head, "you arrogant fool, you're challenging me?" stepping closer, holding eye contact with the rabbits' leader. "Ok, so you've conquered a few other lands. It's going to take more than that to impress me..." and finishes off with a laugh, "I'm not going to be anyone's wife". Jack gave Fairly a quizzical look. "Arrogant fool? Excuse me, but you are the one in the center of my territory, alone might I add, making demands for a lopsided alliance where I help you, but you barely help me. I think you are the one being an arrogant fool here. And who knows, maybe you are some kind of amazing warrior with god like skills, but that doesn't change the fact that you are in need of a lesson in manners." He said, making a motion with his hand to one of the soldiers. With that, a bunny girl soldier tackled Fairly from behind and attempted to wrestle him to the ground.((Feel free to do what you want to the bunny girl, or have him be unearthed. But just so you know if she births him she's going to try and turn him into a bunny girl.)) Fairly yells back, "I was going to suggest we share the human kingdoms between us, 50/50." before jumped from behind by a bunny. She manages to get him down on all four just as he yells out, "Guardian. Switch places". Black smoke hides both of them and for a few eerie seconds nothing can be seen or heard, suddenly the bunny comes flying out before an imposing character steps out of the smoke, it asks the bunny leader "tell me jack, have you ever fought a divine creature?"((say hello to dark side, he suffers from a god complex. Divine creature means angel or demon, that's what dark side means, at least.)) "No, I can't say that I have." Jack said, taking a step back. The guards around the room prepared for battle, but seemed slightly worried by this new turn of events. "And I don't need to have a demon fighting in my castle and wrecking the place up. So I suggest we continue with the alliance, and you stop being so selfish with your demands. It's only fair that if we help you fight the humans, you will help us fight the foxes." ((Fair enough. )"Remember that you allied yourself with the fox kingdom." the messenger says to Fairly as he overpowers the bunny girl after a brief struggle and escapes the room with her. He was now holding her captive. Fairly, after looking one final time at jack, heads out of the room, while yelling back, "deals off, I won't be fighting our vulpine brethren." He grabs the messenger on the way and, while heading for an exit, hopefully, explains, "I followed you here, I thought you queen were trying to get an alliance going, that's why I suggested it. Tell your queen that the arctic foxes would be happy with helping her to reduce the rabbit population". After a few more corners Fairly asks the messenger, "do you know a way out?"((Dark side is a bigger canine, black fur, red eyes. He looks like a werewolf, but he's worse than that...)) "There's the exit!" the messenger replies as he holds onto his female bunny captive. He also strips her naked. Fairly runs the way the messenger said. After exiting the bunny's castle Fairly reverts to his arctic fox form and looking at the messenger, he suggests, "I would save that one for when I get home, you don't know what kind of magic she has in her...", while pointing at the naked bunny. Fairly was met with little resistance as he ran for the exit as nobody had been expecting a giant fox to suddenly be running through the city. A lone female guard stood bewildered at the exit as Fairly came running at her, ready to at least try and stab him with her spear. The bunny girl in the messenger's grasp attempted to struggle away as she was striped. "Let me go you bastard!" She shouted at him. Jack simply stood there for a second and sighed. "This is why I don't make alliances. You can't trust people, they all just try to backstab you. I guess we better start preparing for war." He said, looking to one of his head guards. "But first, I need to take care of this..." Ge said, reaching down and rubbing his outstretched balls. They were now still, the bunny girl inside having been completely turned into cum. He looked towards the bed where his trophy wives lay. The bunnies looked up at him, some of them with worried looks on their faces. "Agreed." the messenger says as he keeps a tight grip on the poor bunny as the two of them get back into the fox kingdom. Fairly somehow manage to dodge the female bunny and breaks her spear in the process. Thinking back, Fairly is surprised and glad he's not in an alliance with jack, "I just don't get it, how can he treat his people like that, especially his trophy wives, and to think he wanted me to end up like that" he shudders at the thought. Adding, "we might be considered a barbaric people by some, if that's civilization, I'm glad to be considered barbaric".((I'm considering the arctic foxes to be a nomadic people, hardened by the terrorizing elements and skilled trackers / hunters but few in numbers. That's why he can't understand how jack can just throw a life away like that (the female guard he CV'ed)...)) "What gives you the right to judge us!?" The bunny girl with them shouted. "You would have just killed her anyway, she's more useful making more rabbits than ending up as fox food anyway! We do what we have to keep you predator species away!" She continued to try and struggle free. "That's where you're wrong." the messenger says as the group reaches a house." Ah, my house." he says cheerfully, sighing in relief as he goes in carrying the bunny." She would've become my bunny slave. After all, that's the only thing that you bunnies are good for besides being meals for us superior foxes." he claims as he gets some rope and ties the bunny's arms to her sides. He also ties her legs together. After she's all tied up, he gets a collar and puts it around her neck." Now you're going to take her place as my slave." "Hemp. I'd rather be in her position!" She says, staring coldly at the messenger. "Well whatever. They'll have sent a group to follow you and come get me and. Once they are here they'll be turning you into the bunny slave. They're gonna birth you and some soldier is going to knock you up. You'll just be making our empire bigger in the end!" "Do you actually think that any bunny could get past our defenses?" the fox scoffs evilly as he leans down and begins licking the sexy bunny's butt." Also, I saw how your ruler treats his subjects who get captured easily. Do you really think he'd send his army to save one useless solder?" The girl tried to move away as she was licked, but could barely move due to the chains. "They won't be coming to save me, they'll think I'm already dead. But they will be coming to get you, and if I'm here they'll save me anyway. It's exactly that kind of arrogance that cost the bears. In fact, I'm glad I'm here so I can see your face when your whole kingdom is reduced to a puddle of sponge!" She says, trying to kick him away futile. "Do you really think they'd be able to mobilize so quickly?" the fox scoffs out as he begins holding down the bunny's legs with his paws as he slips his tongue up her sexy butt." Besides, the bears relied on brute strength. Us foxes have tragedy. Even if the bunnies attacked now, they wouldn't be able to get past the wall that surrounds our kingdom. Even if they tried digging, by the time they got through, we'd be more than ready for them." "Hah! Maybe you didn't hear the chief when he said we are always ready for war? The whole army will be at your doorsteps tomorrow!" She shouted, still struggling to get free of her bonds. In a last ditch effort, she shoved her butt on his face and tried to suck the fox up her butt as he licked. The fox soon found his head up the bunny's clean butt, and when he tried getting it out, he couldn't." H-Hey, release me!" he called out in a panicked tone. The bunny girl didn't believe her luck as she continued to try and suck him in, her butt stretching over his head slowly. She wasn't skilled at devouring people this way, but she still kept at it. "I-I'll set you free if you release me." the fox begs as his shoulders slip up the bunny's butt." If you get rid of me, then you'll remain tied up, and I bet you'll share that one solder's fate for getting captured if your leader finds you." he points out desperately. "He only did that because she was in the way." She said, humping him with butt as she sucked him in deeper. "And even if he does, it will be better than staying here. You're just lying anyway." She moaned slightly. "N-No I'm not!" the fox claims in a panicked tone as more of him slides up the bunny's sexy butt. That's when he got an idea that he thought just might work. He thrust his tail into the bunny's sex and began thrusting it in and out. "Even if you weren't lying, I wouldn'tt-Hey!" She quelled as her pussy began to be thrust into. "S-Stop it!" She said, still trying to suck him up but slowing down slightly. Now with the bunny slowing down a bit, the fox begins pulling his head back out of the bunny's butt and soon, his shoulders slide back outside as he increases the speed of the thrusting. "N-No!" She gasped as she tried to pull him in harder, focusing on an attempt to ignore the pleasure from his tail. The fox grunts in annoyance as his shoulders start sliding up the bunny's butt again. He gives one last violent tug to try to get his head out of the bunny's sexy butt, and luckily for him, he succeeds." Whew, you almost had me there." he chuckles to the bunny evilly. "Dammit..." She whispers to herself, still trying to hold back the sensations given to her by the foxes tail. Sam entered the throne room." Good news my queen. The commander says that thereby will soon be ready. Do you want me to go on a fact-finding mission with a small troop?" She asked. "Yes." Zeta replies to Sam. "But be careful that you don't get captured." The fox returns to licking the bunny's sexy butt, but this time he held her butt down so that she couldn't try to anal more him again." Don't fight the pleasure. Being my sex slave is the only reason that you're still alive." he teased the bunny cruelly. "I will." Sam SIAD and left the room again. Soon she was leaving the castle with a troop of three skilled guard sand they headed to the bunny kingdom." Ok guys, our mission is to find out where the bunnies have their army and how we can best defeat them. Don't get yourself caught." She said. "There's no point in living if this is what I've been reduced to." The bunny girl said, giving up hope as the fox continued to lick her. Like before, the only visible clue from the surface that the bunny kingdom was there were a few wholes leading into tunnels. "Oh, but there is. Being a fox's sex slave is a great honor for a bunny." the fox replies as he continues raping the bunny, wanting her to climax. "Now, give in to the pleasure and learn to enjoy your new purpose in life." (still here ¬¬, waiting for trip) Sam and the guards arrived at one of the holes that lead to the bunnies tunnel. They carefully climbed down into hole, making sure that they weren't seen." It's important that they don't find out we're here. We have to catch every bunny that saw us." Sam said and the group slowly creeped through the tunnels. "Great honor my ass!" She said, continuing to struggle. "I don't see how it could be an honor, you don't even know how to please a woman. You foxes think you are all superior, but you can't even perform in bed!" She said, insulting him. As Sam and the guards walked down the tunnel, they suddenly found themselves at a dead end. Suddenly there was a loud rumbling sound behind them as the entrance to the tunnel was caved in, trapping them underground. Sam turned around and saw how the tunnel closed behind them." Damn, how did they know we were here?" She asked before she walked over to the now closed entrance of the tunnel." Hey, let us out!" She shouted. "Want to bet?" the fox said with a smirk as he removed his tail from the bunny's sex and his tongue from her butt. He then turns her over and slides his erect member into the bunny's sex as he kissed her passionately. A voice called out from the other side of the cave in. "You declare war on us and then try to sneak into our home, and now you want out? Why would we possibly let you out?" A voice called out. It was hard to tell if the voice was male or female. The bunny girl was slightly stunned as she was suddenly impaled and kissed, but started to struggle once again. She realized that there was now another opportunity to take down the fox as she suddenly open her mouth wide and tried to swallow him as they kissed.(This may be my last post for the day, just so you know.) ((Okay. )"What the?" the fox cried out as he found his head in the bunny's maw. He quickly grabbed her throat and squeezed to make both breathing and swallowing impossible. Sam sighed."ok, ok, you caught us. But what are you going to do now?" She asked.

world of vorish success|rating:2.0

Hollows Last Hope

The creature is tied up about 10ft from the tree trunk. Okay question the beast to see why he attacked us. You can’t speak its language. Examine the elder tree for the moss You find a patch of elder moss and easily remove and store it. Georgia says, “That creature came from the tree. I wonder if anything else is up there?” Ask the paladin if these creatures have anything to do with the plague. If not, I don’t think we should waste another moment and begin looking for the other ingredients” I don’t know anything about this creature.” She checks on the fox and then mounts her horse. The two of you head off toward the old woman’s hut. It’s 1 pm on day two. The sounds of the forest become suddenly distant as the trees part, opening into a small, almost perfectly circular glade. The nearest stands of pine, an, and dark wood—all typically sturdy woods—twist away from the clearing, as if bent by some impossibly strong wind or seemingly in an attempt to EE despite their paralyzed roots. At the glade’s center squats an ugly cottage, little more than a pile of twigs, shoots, and ivy stacked upon mud walls. From the thatched roof dangle bundles of gnarled roots, old dried beast carcasses, and knuckle bone bangles, all clattering together like gruesome wind chimes. A dozen small thatched fetishes—each shaped like a tiny man, imp, or rearing serpent—stand propped in the yard, keeping guard before a rickety plank door. This clearing is roughly 120 feet in diameter, with a dilapidated, circular, 15-foot cottage at its center. Fourteen unnerving but harmless 3-foot-tall scarecrow-like effigies are propped-up throughout the glade. Ask the paladin what or who could behind the plague as there seems to be forces working against us...slowly approach the cottage being mindful for traps ” I have not felt an evil intent focused on us specifically other than the normal pitfalls of adventuring. “You slowly approach the house. You don’t see any traps or objects that seem overtly threatening. You stand before the rickety plank door. Roll 1d20 to try to break open the door. Rolled a 12 You easily push the door aside. Georgia steps through first. Inside, the cottage is dank, reeking, and filled with shadows. Haphazardly hung shelves line the walls, covered in all manner of clay jugs, clouded bottles, strangely cut rocks, rotted bunches of herbs, and a museum of other crude curios and remnants of a bone grinder’s artifice. A rusted iron cauldron, with a mouth nearly 5 feet wide and a depth of at least 3 feet, dominates the hut’s single room, its ash-covered surface shaped with a relief of capering ends and leering devils. Across from the door, against the far walls, stands a high backed chair made of wicker, the gigantic curved tusks of some monstrous beast, and thousands of human teeth. In the chair sits what looks like a corpse wrapped in thy burial linens, its form padded with pungent herbs and sprouting patches of thick white mold. Perception check 6+7 This ominous shape is actually only a bundle of branches, mud, and linen. You jump a little as you hear a commotion behind you. As you wheel around you see a blur of steel and iron. It takes you a second to realize that Georgia is being attacked by the CAULDRON! Initiative order:CauldronJohnGemriaCauldron misses Georgia Cast true strike Georgia swings, but her sword glances off the side. The cauldron is finding it hard to hit through her armor. You feel your nails grow and become sharper and stronger, becoming claws. A guttural growl issues from your chest as you strike at the cauldron. Your attacks seem guided and hit true. -7hp. Gemria and the cauldron both miss. Attack with claws rolled a 3 The battle continues with each of you flailing at each other :) Cast true strike Georgia puts a huge dent in the side of the cauldron. -4hpThe cauldron misses Georgia. You have 2 level one spells left.-5 hp on cauldron Through the battle you know the AC to hit is 14 The cauldron misses but Georgia hits for -7 hp You miss and almost poke your own eye out. 3/6 rounds of claws left. Gemria and cauldron both miss. Georgia smashes the cauldron, and it shatters to pieces at her feet. Begin searching the hut for the ingredient needed for the cure (deleted the Google doc app so forget what the exact name is) After searching for 10 minutes you find the rat tail in a jar. After dealing with the cauldron, you feel there is probably more magic items here, so you cast detect magic. You see faint auras around the room, probably from past powerful spells or items. Following one of the faint auras you find a small shrunken head that looks like an amulet. You find nothing else of value. You still need iron bloom mushrooms, a dwarves delicacy. It’s 8pm on the second day. Work with the paladin to resecure the door as we’ll eat dinner and sleep on the cabin before making our way for the third ingredient at daylight You are able to secure the door relatively well. Your sleep is not disturbed as nothing wants to approach the hut. However, you have strange dreams of a large wolf. The next morning you wake. The Paladin prays, and you enter your meditation trance to renew your spells. It is 8am on the third day. Mount up and begin our journey toward the dwarves monastery to acquire the third ingredient. You travel through the darker parts of the forest heading toward the mountains. Sitting squat at the foot of an imposing mountain, a ruined monastery comes into view between ancient gnarled trees. Made of simple stone blocks, worn smooth with the passage of time, the stout building is falling apart. Sections of the slanted shale roof have collapsed and portions of the outer wall have crumbled. Weeds and wild thorn plants run rampant across the ELD leading up to the place, leaving only the slightest indication of a path that ends at the ruined front doors. Beyond, an overgrown yard sits in shadow. We dismount and proceed to the front door where we knock The old path that leads up to the ruins ends about 50 feet from the monastery. Before entering the yard, the path passes between a pair of old stone statues. While one of them is little more than rubble, the other is relatively intact. The 5-foot- tall statue is incredibly worn, but it can still be made out as a dwarf holding aloft a great stone hammer. Moss and creeper vines cover most of its surface. Removing the vines around the base uncovers an old dwarves inscription that reads “All praise, [this part is defaced].” Unfortunately, the missing name was scratched off a long time ago and is no longer legible. Tall grasses and chunks of stone debris have all but overtaken this small yard. Off to one side, a wooden stable has collapsed into a mound of rotting timbers and moldy straw. The outer wall on the east side has also collapsed, leaving a ragged hole. Three doors exit into this yard— a pair of double doors to the east, a single door to the north, and a lone door leading into the squat tower in the southeast corner. Head towards and Closely examine the double doors (perception roll 2) Beyond the double doors is a small dark hall. Littered with mounds of debris and a year’s worth of dead leaves, it is clear that a narrow path winds inside. Anticipating trouble I advise the paladin to ready her sword and I cast shield Georgia offers to walk in first, her buckler held before her. A faint shimmer appears around you as you castshieldon yourself. Proceed down the winding path. The entryway has 2 doors. One south and 1 north. It continues on to a T intersection that branches off north and south. Retreat to the courtyard and head toward the single door. Examine the door. Perception roll 8 This long hallway ends with a ruined dwarves statue. Smashed long ago, the statue is barely recognizable as a dwarves monk. His stone hammer sits on the ground next to the shattered remains of his head. To the west there are 2 doors to the north and 1 to your west and north. Examine the door to the immediate north (rolled 13) before proceeding through it. This chamber is entirely shattered, with much of the outer wall and ceiling completely crumbled. Retreat back to the hallway examine the pathway and the remaining door to the north (rolled 18)... Old cobweb-covered racks and armor stands dominate much of this small chamber. What must have once been a well-tended armory is now devoid of arms and armor. This chamber was pillaged long ago by a group of explorers. A secret door is located in the northeast corner of the room. You discover 4 crossbow bolts that were left from the explorers ransacking. Examine the secret door (rolled 4) and proceed through. The secret door swings open to reveal a short corridor with a wall of bars running down one side. Four rusted doors open in this wall into four cramped cells. Examine each of the cells (rolled 15) Before you step far into the room Georgia stiffens and whispers,” There is evil in this room” Acknowledge the paladin and cast light to illuminate the room. Take a defensive position behind the paladin as we enter. The cell doors are all rusted and brittle. Georgia pulls on the first one and it opens easily. As soon as she steps into the cell, you hear a ruckus of sounds, similar to sticks and stones hitting together. From out of the corner of this cell rises a dwarves skeleton. It immediately moves forward to attack Georgia. It swipes at her with its claw which scratches against her buckler. Position myself alongside the paladin and attack the best using my claws. Attack ROL 15 Damage (3,2) Advise the paladin to retreat to just outside the secret door ”As you command”, she says through gritted teeth as she fends off the attacks of the skeleton while retreating. Gemria -1hp from clawGemria yells out that two more skeletons have come out of the other cells. Attack the skeleton with claws (attack roll 9, damage 4,1) You miss the skeleton with your claws attack. It’s claws again bounce off of Georgia’s armor. Georgia’s sword passes right between the skeleton’s ribs. Regular melee attack (rolled 17) damage roll 1 Your strike chips off some bone from the skeleton. Both the skeleton and Georgia swing at each other but miss. The other skeletons are just mindlessly milling around but definitely drawn toward your living flesh! Sword melee rolled 11 damage 3 S1 swipes at Georgia, but she deflects the attack with her sword. On the follow through of her movement she cuts one of the skeletons arms off. -3 hp to S1 Attack S1 attack roll 6 S1 misses again and loses its balance. Georgia takes the opportunity to smash it back to its bony pile. S2 steps in to take S1 spot. Sword melee attacking s2. Rolled an 8 As the S2 steps into place, Georgia, bolstered by the fall of the first skeleton, strikes down S2 on the spot. The final skeleton S3 moves up. Attack s3. Rolled 22 with a damage to 4 The last skeleton falls. It’s bones making a larger pile of bones. At your feet.405xp Proceed back into the secret passage and examine the cells (rolled 9, please remind me the modifier if any for perception The first three cells are now empty except for rotting bedding. The last cell contains a dwarf skeleton. It appears to lie peacefully. Georgia mentions that she can feel positive energy coming from the skeleton and guesses that whoever it was had favor with its god. Growing in the center of the rib cage is a pair of iron bloom mushrooms. Not enough yet for the cure. In addition, you find a golden ring with a red gem in the middle. The gem seems to sparkle with an inner fire. Exit the secret room and make our way back to the main hallway and assess our options for further exploring You are back in the hallway you entered from the yard. There is another door to the north. Around a corner the hallway continues to the south. Cautiously Proceed to the north door (perception roll 13 including modifiers) You hear nothing through the door. Ask the paladin to assume a defensive posture as she opens the door. Georgia slowly opens the door, covering herself with sword and buckler. This small study looks like it has been lived in recently. Gnawed bones litter the for and tufts of gray fur can be seen here and there. An old stone desk sits in the center of the chamber, scratched and cracked in many places. The stench of wet fur hangs heavy in the air. Search the room (12) As you are searching the room, two wolves charge from behind the desk directly at you. Luckily you are able to avoid their snapping jaws. Battle order:YouWolfx2Gemria Have the paladin move around to engage wolf 2. Attack wolf 1 using claws (roll 12) You miss the wolf with your claws. Wolf 1 misses you but wolf 2 bites you for -2hp. Georgia moves next to wolf 2 Attack with claws wolf 1 (20, 12) (damage 4, 2) You claw the wolf across its flank (-6). Both wolves miss their attacks. Georgia just misses Wolf 2. Attack wolf 1 with claws (20, 11) (4,1) You rake the wolf with your claws.(-5) It immediately runs away through the doorway to the west. Wolf 2 and Georgia exchange misses. Attack wolf 2 (12) (3,2) Everyone misses this round. Georgia, after moving a little, gestures for you to move 5ft to your right. Follow the paladins instructions and move Melee sword attack 15, 3 Now that you have a flanking position on the wolf you find it easier to hit it. (-3)The wolf misses its attack on Georgia who hits it with her sword. (-2) Sword attack 9, 1 You miss the wolf who is now a little disoriented trying to defend and attack against two people. Georgia hits it again with her sword (-2) Sword attack (22,17) (4) As the wolf turns to flee the same direction her partner did, you slice a giant gaping wound in its side ending its hopes of escaping. Examine the room (21) You don’t find anything in the old desk until Georgia discovers a hidden drawer. You find a hand axe, a small pouch with 100pp, and a book that Georgia identifies as a prayer book, although she cannot read the language. Split the pp with the paladin and give her the prayer book. Keep the axe for myself. (If I’m reading the map right there is another door in the room) proceed through the door with the paladin leading Gaping holes in the roof allow faint light to enter this ruined chamber. One of the stone columns that once supported the ceiling is toppled, its broken pieces littering the floor. A thick patch of black mushrooms hides in a nearby corner, giving the room an earthy scent that is barely noticeable above the stench of wet fur. As you move a little further in the room a very large wolf that stands 3ft tall at its shoulders jumps onto the ruined column and baring his teeth. The wounded wolf is at the bottom of the column. Quickly ask the paladin if there is a chance to appease/comfort the wounded wolf without taking its life. You turn to ask the Paladin your question, but are startled when you here the large wolf speak.” Why have you disturbed my rest?” Explain to the wolf that we’re on a mission seeking a cure to the plaque impacting the lands. We mean him and his kind any harm. ”That is a great deed you are doing. I am willing to help you if you can do me a favor first. You see I live here, but these other creatures have moved in recently. If you was so kind as to remove them, I will help you. Tell the wolf to consider that a deal and ask what details he can provide about the beasts Georgia whispers to you,” this creature is evil, I can sense it. I don’t think we can trust it”“The first task is to clear the things that hide in the worship room.” Acknowledge the paladin and whisper “I agree. Let’s play along for now, once alone we’ll devise our plan of attack.” Ask the beast if he has a map of the area that he can share. ”No. But I can tell you that they are on the other side of that wall.” He gestures at the wall to the south. Given the paladin’s assessment of the beast, catch the Paladin’s eye to convey your intentions of now wanting the slay the evil beast. Cast true strike As you cast, Georgia moves forward and strikes the large wolf solidly in the shoulder. -8Battle order: Georgia, you, large wolf, wolf Assuming I can’t attack since I cast. I’ll move up alongside where I can attack the large wolf and out of the range of the little wolf. If I can attack I use claws and rolled (4, 4) the large wolf attacks you with its claw but misses because of the awkward angle. In a flurry of teeth and steel, Georgia and the small wolf exchange missing blows. Your claws are able to gouge slashes in the large wolf’s fur. -8The large wolf is able to bite you in the arm. -4The small wolf nips at Georgia but misses. Using both hands on her sword Georgia cuts the small wolf’s head clean off.” You’ll pay for that!, growls the large wolf. Cast true strike and move to flank the large wolf. You cast true strike. As you do the wolf bites at you and misses. Once you reach your destination (opposite of Georgia) the wolf bites your side. -6Gemria swings at the wolf but misses. I reach back and swing my sword with all my might (attack roll 20, 5) damage 4 The wolf growls from your hit -4 and bites hard at you. It takes a nice chunk out of your leg. -6Gemria sees you are hurting and slides next to you. She whispers a quick prayer and touches your arm. You feel a warmth course through your body from where she touched you and the wound in you leg closes. Swing my sword (14) (damage 1) Your sword swings wide of the beast. It lunges forward and bites you on the arm again. -2. Gemria’s sword also misses. Swing my sword (19,2) damage 2 The wolf misses you with its bite. Gemria slashes her sword hard on the wolf’s side -729 Sword attack 13, damage 3 You stagger slightly as you overreach with your sword. The wolf takes a bite from your side. -4Gemria swings and misses. Sword attack (21, 11) 3 With one final swing of your sword, you cut the beast down. After several low growls it lays still. Examine the corpses (25) and consult with the paladin about a safe place to make camp and rest up. You find nothing on the corpses. Georgia suggests checking the rest of the room. Examine the room 27 You find a patch of six iron bloom mushrooms, a light crossbow, a small bag with 354 GP, a wand and a bottle of a caramel colored liquid. In addition, in a dark corner hidden behind a low wall is a set of stairs that lead down, although it is too dark for you to see down very far. Consult with the paladin about finding a safe place to recuperate ” I think you have had enough of this place. Let’s just get on our horses and get to town with these ingredients. “ “Such a Brilliant idea. Let’s head back to town and find lodging” The two of you leave the ruined monastery, Mount your horses and head back to town. The Fox was asleep on your horse. You don’t encounter any obstacles on your way back. Once back in town, Laurel starts brewing the remedy. By nightfall many of the sick are already showing signs of improvement. Laurel thanks you heartily and offers a discount on any future services you may need. You have leveled. You may learn one more level 1 spell and summon a familiar. I begin to train Magic Missile and mediate to learn to summon an owl. Ok here is all the loot you found on your journey. Golden ring with red gem*Hand axe +1100pp(=1000gp)A prayer book4 crossbow bolts +1 flaming bolts Shrunken head amulet #Masterwork Light crossbow374gpA wand of light 28 charges left Bottle of caramel colored liquid (potion of bulls strength)* ring info This simple golden ring has a large red gemstone set into it that sparkles with an inner re. The wearer of the ring gains re resistance 10 against the first fire attack that hits him that day. This protection renews itself every morning at dawn. In addition, the wearer receives a +1 resistance bonus on saves made against fire spells and effects. The ring must be worn for 24 hours to have any effect.#amulet info This grotesque, amulet-like shrunken heads said to contain the enslaved soul of its former owner. Forced to obey whoever carries it, once per day a soul speaker can repeat a message as if the spell magic mouth were cast upon it. The owner must merely hold the 6-inch-in-diameter head and speak his message and the conditions under which the soul speaker should repeat it. While it carries a message, the eyes of the stitched head stretch open, closing as soon as its message has been delivered. Examine the items by casting detect magic (rolled 19 just in case it was necessary) You go to various stores and come away with 20 bolts and a short sword. The local church bought the soul speaker for 1,500gp. For the first few days after the plague was cured the town’s spirits were bright. Slowly the mood started to darken again and you here rumor of some missing children. Seek out Georgia and share with her the rumors of the missing children. See if she’s heard anything about it. Ask her help again to determine what is going on. You find Georgia at the chapel practicing her sword in the courtyard. She mentions that she has heard some rumors of five missing children, but not much more than that. She agrees to help you again. Georgia and I pack up and begin searching for the parents of the missing children to begin to learn more about potentially who or what could be behind their disappearance You learn that the parent of one of the five children is the town butcher, Colin Jabs. You head to the butcher shop and ask Colin about the children.” My poor Mira loves to play with the other children. He is a little slow in the head you understand. But his smile lights up anyone’s heart. I don’t know where they got off to, but I would be eternally grateful if you find him. Maybe some of the other kids in town know where they went.” Although he looks like a big tough guy, you can see he is very worried about his son. Walk around town looking for some children to see if they know anything about the missing kids. It’s easy to find some grime covered children playing in the streets while their parents are off at the lumber camps, working at the brothel, scheming with the local thieves den or more rarely, earning an honest living. Most of the children avoid you or refuse to talk, but you do find a small group that recognizes Georgia from the church and offers you what they know. Apparently the five kids were arguing with other young ones about whether Clara’s Halfway House was really haunted. Finally, the five missing children accepted a dare to stay the night in the house. Ask directions to the halfway house and urgently make our way there. You are able to attain a map from Laurel and set out toward the halfway house. After two hours you reach the site of the halfway house. The blackened husk of the orphanage lies atop the hill. Charred timbers are strewn among piles of caked ash and the only edifice left standing is a soot-stained stone arch. A small stuffed doll lies below the arch, her face seared off and her patchwork dress spilling dirty stuffing. Beside her, a troop of half-melted tin soldiers stand in formation, their bodies twisted and deformed by the blaze that claimed their owner’s life. Examine the ashes to see if there are any clear signs of the origin of the fire (man made or started by a beast of some sort) perception roll 27 Your search reveals a charred trapdoor beneath an inch of ash in the center of the ruins. Examine the dew for traps (16) before having Georgia open it. After several swings of her shield, Georgia is able to break open the trap door. The stench of rot belches forth from this rank cellar. A chipped, blood-stained oaken table rests against one wall, with all manner of blades and barbed instruments laid out on it. A single pair of rusted shackles is bolted into the opposite wall, whose bricks are stained in a bloody account of pain and cruelty. The robed corpse of a woman on the floor is the source of the reeking stench of decay. Mention to Georgia this appears to be some type of torture chamber. Examine the room (21) for any additional passages When you move to inspect the corpse an awful, scuttling mass of legs and mandibles scrambles forward out of the darkness. A spider swarm has attacked you. Initiative order:SwarmYouGemriaThe spiders crawl over your body and bite you in many places. -5 Use my martial arts lungful action to swat the spiders (13, 2) Your uncoordinated flailing does nothing to subdue the swarm. Georgia grabs the sheet that was covering the body and uses it as a squeegee and is able to knock half of the spiders off of you. She then proceeds to stomp on them. -3 I continue to flail around like a chicken with his head cut off (6) Georgia is able to scrape the rest of the spiders off of you despite your gyrations. The swarm dispersed. Once you begin to settle down, you notice a spider the size of a man crawl silently from the depths of its funnel-shaped web. Retreat to take a defensive position behind Georgia Fire Magic Missile at the spider with each doing 2 damage. You spread your fingers wide and say mystical words. Two missiles race toward and impale in the spider. -4. Georgia swings at the spider, but her sword gets caught up in the webbing. Taking advantage the spider tries to chomp down on Georgia but is turned back by her armor. Now having better sense for the range to target, fire two additional magic missiles at the spider doing 3 and 4 points of damage. Your two missiles pierce the spider through two of its many eyes. It crumbles to the floor, it’s legs curling up toward its body. Inspect the corpse (27) Your inspection of the corpse reveals that she died by having her throat torn open. You also notice a paler band of skin on one of her fingers. From your search of the room earlier you found 2 silver daggers and a rotten bundle of herbs. Mention to Georgia the paler band of skin could signify there could be a ring of some sorts missing. Proceed through the trapdoor. The sun is shining as you emerge from the cellar. You search the area around the charred ruins where you find a campsite. A large, makeshift tent lies shredded on the ground beside a crude fireplace of flat stones. Signs of a struggle are everywhere, with broken twigs, crushed foliage, scraps of clothing, and patches of blood on the ground. “Looks as if someone or something ambushed whoever was camping her.” Georgia sifts through the ruined tent and you check the surrounding area. You discover children’s footprints, other clawed prints slightly larger than the children’s and some reptilian scales. Proceed to follow the tracks lead north toward the Dark moon woods. After about two hours in the woods you start having trouble following the tracks. Another 15 minutes and you lose them altogether. The Owl (whom you haven’t named yet) is able to pick up the trail again for you. This part of the woods is a little damper so following the tracks are easier. Thank Mush the Owl and proceed with following the tracks. Pause to ensure we aren’t being followed or spied on (13) You are able to follow the tracks much easier now. After another hour you hear a slight rustling from some bushes about 100ft in front of you and slightly off the path to the left. Have the owl fly ahead to scout (27) while Georgia and I stand ready in the event we’re ambushed. As Mush flies near the bushes, the hair on your neck starts to rise. Georgia and I look for a place off to the right of the path to hide to possibly ambush whatever is ahead of us You move to hide in the underbrush. After about 15 minutes you feel the hairs on your neck settle back down and Mush returns to you. Tell Georgia it seems the threat has moved away. Let’s proceed with caution. You continue on your path. Georgia in front. The forest begins to thin out as the trail moves northward. Eventually you emerge from the northern edge of the forest. You recognize the dwarves monastery you battled the wolves in. Laying on the ground in front of the monastery is a child’s shoe. Tell Georgia here we go again. Make our way to the monastery While you are deciding where to go in the monastery, you feel Mush’s head swivel to look behind you and an immediate alertness about him. Turning around you see a small disheveled female child looking at you. Unsure if the child is friend or foe cautiously ask the child what brings her to the monastery The little girl looks at you with red-rimmed, sad eyes.” I wanted to go with the other kids, so I followed them. I was just about to tell them I was there when these little lizard things grabbed them and brought them here. Furthermore, I followed them inside, but got scared....” She trails off as tears start to stream down her face. Thank her so much for her bravery. Tell her we’ll go after her friends, and she is to head back to town and let them know what happened. ”Please don’t leave me!,” she wails.“I’ll show you where they went you have to go under the ruins.” She wipes her tears away causing dirt streaks across her cheeks. Tell her ok, but she’s to flee to town immediately if we run into any trouble. The little girl explains that her name is Java. She thanks you for helping keep her safe and leads you into the ruins, back to the room in which you killed the large wolf, which you have since learned was a work, and to the steps that were hidden in the back of the room. Cast shield and have Georgia lead the way. The stairway opens into a large rectangular chamber. The stone walls of this area are covered with intricate carvings of dwarves toiling in mines or smithies. In the center of the chamber stands the bottom half of a broken obsidian obelisk. Crude picks, hammers, and other tools lie scattered around the chamber. There are six kobolds in this room near the west doorway. The two smaller ones are struggling to move some obelisk blocks. As soon as the larger ones see you they hiss and attack. Roll Initiative Kobold description. This short, reptilian humanoid has scaled skin, a snout filled with tiny teeth, and a long tail. Attack with crossbow 12,1 Your bolt misses high over these short reptilian creatures. Georgia steps forward and swings at the closest one and just misses. The closest Kobold misses Georgia. The other two larger ones move toward you. One next to Georgia and one next to you. The smaller ones ready slings. Attack nearest with short sword (22,12) (5 damage) You cut down the Kobold as soon as it reaches you. Georgia does the same with the first Kobold. The small ones with the slings drop everything and run through the west doorway. Now there is still one between you and Georgia. Short sword attack (16, 4) Your strike severely wounds the Kobold. Georgia misses and the Kobold swings at you in desperation but misses. Short sword (13, 2) The Kobold is barely able to defend himself against your sword attack and succumbs to his injuries. Whip the blood off my blade and Examine the corpses (19) You examine the corpses and find:3 sets of leather armor3 spears6 silver pieces Examine the chamber (25) and for anything hidden as well as to determine where we head next You find markings on the ruined Obelisk but can’t read them. On the walls are pictures of dwarves bowing to what looks like a furnace. There are exits north, east, west (where the smaller kobolds ran) and the stairs to the south which take you back to the surface. Proceed cautiously to the north You come to another 4 way intersection. To the north you can hear a faint hissing type sound. Push forward to the north. A large fountain dominates this small chamber. Steam rolls off the superheated water pouring from a stone obelisk at the fountain’s center, filling the entire chamber with its haze. Examine the fountain (10) When you approach the fountain you hear a ZAP and a stinging sensation up your arm. You also smell the slight odor of ozone. Further examine the room (23) to determine our course and whether we need to back up There is a set of double doors to the north. The steam is making it hard to see, but every time you get near the fountain you get a stronger shock. Look for the source powering the fountain (25) You do your best to search the room despite the steam. Eventually you make your way to the fountain. As you near it this time you notice two dog sized lizards with horns on the side of their heads watching you. Immediately you see small sparks of lightning travel across their scales. The hair on your arms starts to stand up just before they release a more powerful electric burst that knocks you down. -4hp Cast magic missile targeting one shot at each lizard (2,3) damage. Georgia hears your cry and moves to your side. She strikes the left-hand lizard. -3You are shocked again for non-lethal damage. -2 Attack nearest with short sword (19, 20) (4) Your strike lands true. Georgia finishes off the lizard leaving one left. You are shocked again. -2 non-lethal. Suddenly Georgia is attacked from behind by a furry figure. It’s hard to make out what it is in the steam. Georgia -3 Attack remaining lizard with my short sword (15,3) You strike the remaining lizard. Georgia turns around to face the new foe. She misses her swing but is able to push the thing back. Now that you can see it more clearly, it looks like a small wolf that stands on its hind legs. Swing at the remaining lizard with my short sword (11, 1) The lizard shocks you again. J -1 non-lethal. It deftly avoids your swing. Gemria and the wolf thing exchange misses. Swing again at the lizard with my short sword (14, 6) You just miss the lizard. Georgia slashes at the wolf. -7Angered, the wolf full attacks Georgia. G-9 Magic missile one shot to lizard (4) and one to the wolf (3) The lizard falls dead next to its mate and the wolf thing snarls as the missile hits it. Gemria slashes the wolf again. -2The wolf switches her attention to you and attacks with her two claws and bite. Luckily the shield protects you. Attack the wolf using short sword. (8,6) Your attack slices some fur off of the creature which you now see has remnants of a yellow dress on. Gemria slashes again but misses. The wolf attacks you once more but can’t seem to hit you. I find my balance and take a nice swing with my short sword (20) and hit my mark (6) With amazing skill you are able to put a decent size gash across the creature’s thigh. It yelps in pain and flees out of the south doorway. Ask Georgia about her health before pushing forward. ”I have a few wounds, but I can continue” You have 17/25 hp and 2 hp of non-lethal damage. Your shield spell has expired. Proceed north through the double doors. Georgia listens at the doors before opening them. She doesn’t hear anything. With some effort she is able to pull the slightly stuck doors open. This arched chamber contains two rows of statues, one on the east wall and one on the west. The statues to the east depict fearsome dwarves warriors clad in simple plate armor and he ING their war hammers high. Opposite these are statues of dwarves depicted in grotesque caricatures as overly obese, pig-nosed brutes with huge grinning mouths and beady eyes. The western statues stand in two lines, the front kneeling, and both holding sharp, jutting spears leveled at the smiths opposite them. The corpse of a kobold is impaled on the west wall. His limp body sags on the haft of a stone spear, eye to eye with his statuesque killer. Examine the area where the two groups of statues are facing off. (15) Have Georgia move 2 north Georgia cautiously moves north. When she takes her final step you both hear a faint thud. Suddenly, you feel a bit of vertigo and now hear a grinding noise. The room starts to slant toward the spear soldiers! You desperately try to grab for anything to hold onto but as the room reaches 90 degrees you and Georgia fall toward the spears. You are pierced for -3 hp. Georgia manages to twist at the last minute and avoid the spears. As you are catching your breath, there is another sound and the hammer wielding statues tumble straight for you! You contort your body just enough that the hammer misses you, but Georgia is smashed hard in the back. G -10 Look for safe passage back out of the room (25) You can’t seem to work your way out from between the statues. About a minute goes by and yet one more thud is heard. The hammer statues start to retreat to their side of the room, and you feel gravity shift again to where it belongs. This of course causes you to fall to the floor. Examine the tile immediately to my north (25) For your visualization purposes, you are on the bottom far left square. Georgia is 2 squares north of you. All the tiles to the north seem safe though it’s hard to be 100% sure. Have Georgia move one north and I move to where she was You move carefully this way until you reach the north wall. Tell Georgia let’s make a break for the door. You and Georgia stumble through the north doors. This simple room has polished walls of obsidian that bear long lists of Dwarves names. Examine the room to determine where we go next (15) At the bottom of the east wall you find a trigger that opens a secret door to the north. Make our way through the secret door with Georgia leading the way Georgia leads you through the secret door. Her shield at the ready. Simple stone benches line the walls of this octagonal room. These benches are positioned near small openings along the west, northwest, and northeast walls. An unusual device that resembles a stone trumpet is attached to the northeast wall near the opening. A faint whispering sound permeates this chamber.

Hollows Last Hope|rating:3.0

Khamul [IC]

The journey has been uneventful so far. The caravan left Events city early in the morning of the first day. The Old King’s Highway was a smooth ride, still being paved with the ancient stones laid down by the ancient empire which built it. The spring climate makes for lovely travelling. Between the smooth ride and balmy weather, the trip was quite enjoyable. The smoothness of the ride stopped late morning of the next day when the caravan reached Roadie’s Junction, at which point the caravan master directed the drivers to take the carts down a bumpy, slightly overgrown dirt road. He turned to the party and said,“This is where the road gets dangerous. Keep your wits about you.” A few hours have passed since then, but nothing has happened so far. Lotus walks beside the caravan absently. He finds every step perfectly, his balance flowing smoothly from stride to stride, but his mind is clearly absent. Throughout the trip he has been distant, even cold, offering at most the occasional nod when addressed. He has not even volunteered his name to the others. Thus far, he is glad of the journey's peace, for it has allowed him time and space to contemplate, and to prepare his mind for the potential at the journey's end. A large, cloaked knoll rests on the back of the cart, great sword resting in his lap. He appears to be meditating, though you heard chain mail as he moved earlier. His name was given Samara, and he seemed oddly... trustworthy, for a monster who you had barely met. Then again, few of you had room to throw stones in that regard. Seoul continued to do what he had done for most of the journey. He patrolled up and down the caravan, keeping a sharp eye out for bandits, thieves and miscreants. He had a duty to protect the caravan, and he would not fail in that duty. Furthermore, he smiled at the caravan drivers as he marched past them. They never smiled back though. So this is where my legend begins. A fine start for a great warlord. He thought to himself. The construct had said little since departing Events. He is unused to the language spoken in this age and thinks it better if he keeps quiet. He had given his name astray, but said little else of himself. He clutches the hilt of his black star-metal sword tightly, ready to unsheathe the blade and shuffle mortal coils at a second's notice. The road seems peaceful thus far, but he had heard brief talk in the village of diatonic vermin lurking about. He shifts the pack on his shoulders. Not for comfort - he felt neither the weight nor the leather of the straps - but to give him a better range of motion should the need arise. He finds himself idly running combat scenarios, calculating the projected efficiency of his compatriots. He knows little of them, but they seem capable enough. Perhaps he would have more data before the trip was over. Aidan was surprised that his companions were silent, he expected one of them to provide entertainment. Still he wasn't complaining, he was never much for conversation. Besides, the silence allowed him to focus on his surroundings. After all, that was his role in the team. He presumed his keen senses were more effective than the senses of his companions, except maybe the construct, who introduced himself as Troy. Aidan was curious about him, but he didn't want to stare. He allowed Troy to take the lead, staying in the back, making sure there are no surprises behind them. "How much longer till Pelham?" Karelia asks the caravan master. He was not her first choice in conversation partner, but her companions weren't very sociable. She is not used to being around people that don't speak their minds; it is one of the adjustments she has had to make along this journey. The caravan master turns to the inquisitive draw." I'd guess...about three more hours. We'll soon come to a drawbridge; once we cross it, we should be safe. No attacks have been reported across the river." Lotus, Aiden Spoiler Hide Every so often you think you hear something in the foliage. It could just be an animal, but its persistence makes you think the party is being followed. The hooded knoll rises and stretches, sending the uneasiness of two of his companions." What is wrong, One-who-Walks? I sense suspicion rising within you?"he asks Lotus. The construct had heard the brief exchange from where he walked near the center of the caravan. He makes for the front, processing the words he wishes to speak. He remembers the bandits he had encountered on the road to Events and the few words they had spoken to him. Furthermore, he remembers listening closely to all the chatter in the town. Furthermore, he had analyzed every word he had heard in this strange new tongue a thousand times over. He feels ready to speak. He reaches the front of the caravan and places a hand on the wooden side of the lead wagon, beside where the caravan master sits. Furthermore, he waits a moment, ensuring he has the man's full attention, before vocalizing.*Just because been nothing, not mean be anything.*A bit less intelligible than expected, but passable.*Perhaps no say attack over bridge because none arrive over bridge.*He plays back what he had said a hundred or so times in his head. Clear enough, though more linguistic analysis is certainly required. The rustling of the leaves makes Aidan nervous enough to make him speak." The whispering of the leaves is making me uneasy. Even if it is just the wind we should be careful. We must not relax now, we are close to our goal, and that would be the perfect time to strike." That was all he had to say, and he continued to observe his surroundings. Lotus's gait jerks for a barely noticeable instant, and then he turns his attention to Samara, his movements just a little more natural, without that practiced, perfect repetition that characterized them a moment ago. He crosses the distance between them with a few choice strides, lowering his voice." I hear movements in the bushes. It could mean many things, but I think we are being followed." Seoul heard whispered conversation between some of the other hired guards, the motley crew who he assumed he'd be in command of. So he went over to find out what was going on. He went over to the knoll and the Minotaur, and fell in beside them." Have you two noticed anything out there?" He asked. "There are signs we might be followed. Perhaps we should take heed and prepare for attack." Samara shoulders his great sword, looking around himself. Troy stands nearby, listening to the hushed conversation. A bare inch of his blade protrudes from its sheath, ready to be brought to full bare in an instant. Though he understands little of the tongue spoken by the other guards, he knows all too well what their hushed tones and uneasy stances mean. Something had them spooked - even the stone-faced monk seems a bit more tense than before. Everything pointed to the same conclusion: something was coming. He scans the treeline on either side of the road. Nothing out of the ordinary. That worries him.*Where boost noises?*He speaks quietly, nearing the other guards. He may not see anything, but perhaps one of them had. The wagon train comes near a large rock formation. As the front wagon comes near, a small green head appears above the crest of the rock, and a shrill voice calls out." You stop pa there! We come take you shiny snow. FFA you don't resist, we Letha go, Kay? You attack us, we knock you head and make you into grand sakkerfice, Kay?" Two more heads appear from on top of the rock, and then a multitude of kobolds appear around the cart, coming from their hiding places behind bushes, up trees, and under holes disguised by clever grass mats. They wield an assortment of farm tools, poorly-maintained weapons, or sticks with rocks tied together. Lotus murmurs, low enough to be indistinct to the kobolds but loud enough to be heard by his nearest neighbors,"They seem desperate. Perhaps they can be bargained with." Seoul bowed to the kobold that announced his presence." We aren't carrying any shines, just food and cloth. Perhaps there is some arrangement we could make instead? Trade is always preferable to bloodshed." Spoiler Hide Perception roll: how many Kobolds? (1d20-1)[19] Diplomacy: (1d20+7)[16] Troy eyes the scaly creatures warily. Whatever they are, he has never seen their like before. They seem hostile, though, and that is all he needs. He moves to unsheathe his star-metal blade, but stops as one of the guards - the Arkansian - begins speaking to them. He can't understand the words the guard speaks, but by his tone and posture he seems to be trying to soothe the creatures. Perhaps he is deceiving them so he and his fellows may attack unexpectedly. Troy keeps his vice-grip on his blade's hilt, but contents himself with seeing how the situation plays out. When the violence begins - as it surely will - he will be ready. The kobold turns to his companions, and they chatter for a moment in low voiced before he directs his attention back to the party." We no believe you, Tillman. You steppe back, and we decide if you have no shiny." Samara shook the hood from his head, revealing his muzzled visage and red eyes. "You might be given shines if we reach the next town unhindered. And none of you," as he speaks, he shifts his great blade from his shoulder, to point down in the dirt before him, "would have to die to receive it." Diplomacy:(d20+9)[26] The kobold blinks, then turns back to his companions behind the rock. The motley group of kobolds on the ground shift back and forth impatiently while the trio have a hushed conversation above. After a few moments, one of the other kobolds dismounts the rock and disappears into the bushes, and the leader speaks up." You keep your sword away, doggie-man, Kay? We follow you Downey road and take your shiny later." He then addresses the other kobolds. "Follow them. FFA they Ryan' pull weapons, you stick'em." The reptile isn't a skilled liar, and even the least observant party member knows that he's not being straightforward. He also dismounts the rock and jumps to the front of a caravan, assuming a leading stance. The remaining raiders surround the caravan with their spears at the ready." Kay then, march!" Troy is a mite confused by the current state of affairs. The canine creature with the great sword had apparently attempted to further the negotiations the Artesian had started, though to what end Troy can't fathom. It now seems that instead of being under attack - a situation the construct is more than familiar with - the caravan had now been taken hostage! The diplomatic skills of these creatures astound him. He decides to go along with whatever the other guards have planned. He very much hopes theyhavesomething planned. With a hand on his blade and his eyes scanning the hoard of scaly bandits surrounding the caravan, he starts his way down the road. "A wise choice. Everyone knows you get more shines by taking a little, many times- but if you take too much, they won't come back and you don't get ANYmore shines." He smiles at the kobold leader." How many shines have you got this week, I wonder?" The lead kobold turns around and shows his teeth." You keep quite, doggie man. I get plenty shiny." "They promise me a bunch of shines if they reach the town, and all I have to do is walk with them." He smiles sidelong at the angry kobold." Unless I need to kill something, but that won't be a problem, will it? You don't let anyone ELSE take your shines, right? So, you can easily get a few shines yourself if you don't let them get attacked either." "My friend here is telling the truth, it's a lot easier and a lot more profitable than holding up caravans that might have... military experts in their employment. Maybe you should think about changing the way you do business?" Seoul eyed the kobold carefully as he spoke, ready to draw his weapon if the conversation went sour. The leader's face softened, and he asked, "Where you keep alley these shiny? You tells me, Kay?" Caesar's face turned insulted, melodramatically so." At home, of course, watched by friends. You don't bring all your shines with you wherever you go, do you?" Vaemar looks the kobold up and down skeptically, as if wondering where HE kept his gold. Bluff:(d20+9)[15] The wagons continued to rattle and squeak as the caravan moved forward. The kobolds surrounding it look confident, and menace their weapons and anyone nearby. The caravan master shifts over in his seat and tries to subtly catch the attention if either Lotus or Karelia, the ones closest to him. The leader seems to have bought Samara's bluff. "And you SSA going home now?" "No, we aren't going home now, we're not even halfway through our journey yet. Once we get to town and make our sales we can pay you with shines as a thank you for doing such a good job guarding the caravan." Seoul said. He rested his hand on the pommel of his sword. Spoiler Hide diplomacy: (1d20+7)[9] Troy continues to walk as he watches the apparent negotiations unfolding in front of him. Surprisingly enough, the canine guard seems to be slowly swaying the scaly creature. At least, Troy believes that's what has been happening. As he observes, he attempts to recall any relevant information about the various creatures around him. His memory is hazy, and he remembers little, however. Perhaps some time needs to be set aside later to gather more information. The kobold becomes angry. He whips out his dagger and points it at Seoul." I no want to wait that long, Kay? You give me your shiny snow or we kill you all." Samara rolls his eyes, before taking his massive blade in two hands, his voiced roping an octave." Very well then. Is this sword shiny enough for you?"he growls menacingly, approaching the kobold leader. Draw, move beside kobold speaker and intimidate(d20+6)[24] The kobold leader stumbles back." Y- You... I say you keep that sword away. P- Put it back now!" Two of the other kobolds move closer to their leader, though clearly apprehensive at the sight of the huge blade. The construct immediately snaps to the ready the moment the scaly creature produces its dagger. His blade is free of its sheath nearly as fast as the canine's. The maze of arcane circuitry within his body whirs to life as he readies himself for the coming fight. A single thought dominates his mind.*Finally*He may not know the language of this new age - not yet, anyway - but he believes there are few who speak the language of battle better than he. He pauses a moment when the scaly creature beside the canine - the one who seems to be the leader of these raiders - shrinks back at the sight of the massive blade in the guard's hand. "Why not? Its shiny, isn't it? Or maybe you like mine better?" Seoul drew his sword as well and raised it up high. "Of course it won't look as shiny with your guts covering it." Spoiler Hide Intimidate: (1d20+9)[12] The leader jumps back and yells, "Killed. Killed now!" He drops his dagger, draws his sling, and clumsily throws a shot at Samara. The others linger does the same, but aiming at the war forged. Spoiler Hide Kobold Singer 1 Move action: shift to Y7 Minor action: Draw sling Standard action: Special shot against Samara Attack vs. AC: (1d20+6)[17] Hit: (1d6+3)[5] damage, and the target is immobilized (save ends) Kobold Singer 2 Move action: Move to X4 Minor action: Draw sling Standard action: Special shot against Samara Attack vs. AC: (1d20+6)[18] Hit: (1d6+3)[4] damage, and the target takes ongoing 2 fire damage (save ends). Troy raises his free hand and deflects the flaming pellet with a small burst of arcane energy. The circuitry whines within the construct's chest; it had gone far too long unused. Spoiler Hide AC - 19 The glue shot tangles Samara's outer robes, and as he struggles to free himself, the robe begins to tear, revealing glittering chain mail beneath. He glares at Seoul, waves of anger and disappointment rolling off of him, before looking back at the kobold. "You will regret your choice, whelp. Your greed will mean the end for you." Spoiler Hide (Forgot to add-Mantle of Elation: +2 dipso and Intimidation, +3 damage on opportunity attacks to allies within 5 squares. Still probably not enough to salvage your rolling, though) Standard: Heal check (DC 15) for an extra save: (d20)[13] --If successful, save on a 10+: (d20)[3] ----if THAT is successful, MOVE: shift to X 8 End of turn: save vs immobilize- (d20)[16] Currently 23 HP The surrounding the caravan spring into action. In the rear, Aiden find himself quickly surrounded and being swung at by various sharp and blunt instruments. Karelia finds a spear pointed at her own face, while Samara is flanked by two of the braver kobolds. Spoiler Hide Skirmisher 1 Move action: shift to B9 Standard action: Spear against Aiden Attack vs. AC: (1d20+5)[8] Hit: 4 damage. Skirmisher 2 Move action: Move to C8 Standard action: Spear against Aiden Attack vs. AC: (1d20+5)[16] Hit: 4 damage. Skirmisher 3 Move action: Shift to X8 Standard action: Spear against Samara Attack vs. AC: (1d20+7)[11] (Combat advantage) Hit: 6 damage. Skirmisher 4 Move action: Move to C10 Standard action: Spear against Aiden Attack vs. AC: (1d20+7)[22] (Combat advantage) Hit: 6 damage. Skirmisher 5 Move action: Move to Q11 Standard action: Spear against Karelia Attack vs. AC: (1d20+5)[23] Hit: 4 damage. Skirmisher 6 Standard action: Spear against Samara Attack vs. AC: (1d20+7)[17] (Combat advantage) Hit: 6 damage. Lotus drops with consummate ease into the Flowing Wave stance for a practiced moment, slipping through the battlefield with barely-predictable movements that ebb and flow like water. He rapidly closes on his target, his defensive form assisting him in avoiding counterattacks as he attempts to bewilder his foe into making a crippling mistake, at the same time forcing another foe to move into the new-opened space. Spoiler Hide Using Drunken Monkey. Starting by using the movement technique to pass to Y8 - I provoke two attacks of opportunity on my way there, but I have AC 21 against them, so I'm not terribly concerned about that. Once there, I make an attack versus Will against the skirmisher in X8: (1d20+5)[20] On a hit, I deal (1d8+4)[12] damage and slide him to Y9, where he makes a melee basic attack against the skirmisher at X10 with a +3 bonuses: (1d20+8)[24] Also on a hit, I activate Centered Flurry of Blows to deal 5 damage to the singer at Y7 and slide him to X8. In the event that I roll a 4-7 on my attack roll, I will use Memory of a Thousand Lifetimes to add (1d6)[5] to the roll. As the first Skirmisher misses Aidan he responds by summoning the spirits to punish the attacker. He then attacks the second Skirmisher. Spoiler Hide Spirits'Rebuke, Skirmisher 1 (1d6+3)[6] Damage, and he is pushed 2 square. Skirmisher 2 (1d20+6)[24] (1d6+3)[9] Troy moves quickly across the field, readying an incantation as he runs. He stops beside the Arkansian just long enough to outstretch his free hand and place an arcane seal on one of the scaly creatures hassling the canine. He quickly covers several more feet before positioning himself between a pair of the scaly beasts and unleashing a blast of energy from hie blade. Spoiler Hide Troy moves to W8 and uses Aegis of Shielding to mark Skirmisher #6 Continues the move to end in X7 and uses Sword Burst (1d20+6)[15] vs. Reflex against Skirmisher #3 (1d6+4)[8] force damage on a hit (1d20+6)[13] vs. Reflex against Singer #1 (1d6+4)[5] force damage on a hit Seoul positioned himself so that he was between Kobold leader and the leader of the caravan." Do you know what the two biggest differences between Kobolds and Dragon born are? The first is size, and the second is this..." He inhaled sharply and unleashed his dragon's breath, crackling lightning erupted from his mouth. Spoiler Hide Seoul moves to 8W and uses his Dragon Breath to hit Kobold Skirmisher 3 and Kobold Singer 1 Attack: Dragon Breath (Lightning) Close Blast 3. Attack Skirmisher 3: (1d20+7)[15](STR+3 vs. Reflex) Attack Singer 1: (1d20+7)[10](STR+3 vs. Reflex) Damage Skirmisher 3: (1d6)[1](1d6+CON) Damage Singer 1: (1d6)[3](1d6+CON) The leader exercised the agility and cunning kobolds are known for and darts away from all the tall creatures surrounding him. Once clear, he bolts away while his companion launches a stink bomb at Troy. Spoiler Hide Kobold Singer 1 Minor action: Shift to W7 Move action: Shift to V6 Move action: Move to P5 Kobold Singer 2 Move action: Move to W1 Standard action: Special shot against Troy Attack vs. AC: (1d20+6)[12] Hit: (1d6+3)[4] damage, and the target takes a -2 penalties to attack rolls (save ends) Karelia comes out of from some deep thinking inside her head to see that there is fighting going on all around her. And that she's been slightly injured. "Oh... I didn't even feel a thing". She turns around to see a small kobold standing behind her, trying to look menacing with a spear in hand. "Now, now...that won't do!" she coos to the misguided creature. With rod in one hand, Karelia wills her flail into her other, swinging it toward the kobold with a gleeful smile upon her face. Spoiler Hide Standard Action: Flesh Rend against Skirmisher 5 Attack vs. AC: (1d20+7)[27] Hit: (1d10+7)[17] Effect: Target takes -2 penalties to attack rolls until the start of my next turn. Karelia's scourge wraps around the kobold and its shadow magic strangles the life from it. Spoiler Hide Skirmisher 5 is dead. Broken Free, Samara swung his massive blade at the Spearman beside him, his strike empowering himself with fury. Spoiler Hide (d20+8)[9] Empowering Strike, no augment on a hit, (d10+4)[14] and Myself or an ally (myself) gain 4 temp HP. Undaunted by their leader's cowardice, the skirmishers continue their flurry of attacks. Spoiler Hide Skirmisher 2 Standard action: Spear against Aiden Attack vs. AC: (1d20+8)[15] Hit: 6 damage. Prepared move action: shift to D8 after skirmisher 4 attacks. Skirmisher 4 Standard action: Spear against Aiden Attack vs. AC: (1d20+8)[22] Hit: 6 damage. Skirmisher 2 Immediate action: shift to D8 Skirmisher 1 Move action: move to B10 Skirmisher 2 Standard action: Spear against Aiden Attack vs. AC: (1d20+8)[26] Hit: 6 damage. Minor action: shift to B9 Skirmisher 6 Standard action: Spear against Samara Attack vs. AC: (1d20+6)[18] Hit: 4 damage. A few select curse words crossed Aidan lips as the number of his wounds increased. Taking a moment to focus himself he screams at the kobolds:"I'm not done yet!" Spoiler Hide Second Wind, recovers 5HP, +2 defenses Seeing the scaly creature stabbing at the canine guard, Troy makes a motion with his hand. The seal on the creature's forehead blazes to life and a glowing aura envelops the canine, deflecting the creature's spear. Spoiler Hide Troy uses an immediate interrupt to activate his Aegis of Shielding and reduce the damage done to Samara by 9. Samara now takes no damage from the attack. At the cry, Lotus looks up. Seeing Aiden's plight, he considers barely an instant before abandoning his form, breaking into a desperate sprint. Spoiler Hide Taking two run actions to square I7. With a sideways glance, Troy spots the scaly creatures attacking the Minotaur near the rear of the caravan. Trusting in the remaining guards' abilities to handle the few raiders up front, he charges off, stopping mid-way through to place an arcane seal on a creature he passes. Spoiler Hide Troy takes two run actions to H7, using his minor partway through to place his Aegis on Singer 1 (thereby ending it on Skirmisher 6). Seoul takes a quick look around to assess the tactical situation, seeing the Minotaur in trouble, he runs to aid him and roars out a command." Get off your ass and fight back! We're going to win this thing!" Spoiler Hide Seoul uses the run action to move to F8 (16 squares) and spends a minor action to use Inspiring Word on Aidan. Inspiring Word: Aidan can spend a healing surge and gains an additional 1d6 hit points. The kobold leader stops for a breath in time to see several of the guards run past him to aid the beleaguered Minotaur. Thinking that this raid might be salvageable after all, he loads his sling and launches a shot at the Devi's back. Spoiler Hide Singer 1 Standard action: Sling against Lotus Attack vs. AC: (1d20+6)[13] Hit: (1d6+3)[8] damage, and the target takes ongoing 2 fire damage (save ends). Move action: Move to N4 Singer Standard action: Sling against Samara Attack vs. AC: (1d20+6)[20] Hit: (1d6+3)[8] damage, and the target takes a -2 penalties to attack rolls (save ends). Disengaging from his current foe, Samara charge toward the kobold leader. As he swung, his mind reached out for his target's, masking his blade's approach. Spoiler Hide Shift to X8, Charge to X2, using Intent Laid Bare as a melee basic attack (d20+8)[17] vs AC On hit: (d10+4)[12] damage, and the target cannot shift until Font Samara's sword landed a mighty blow against the singer, leaving its body is a substantially weakened state. Spoiler Hide Singer 2 is bloodied. Karelia spots the kobold a little ways away from her and gives him a warm smile and a little wave. "Hello there! How are you today? Lovely weather we- OH!" She was cut off by a blast of light shooting from her rod and into the kobold's chest. Spoiler Hide Standard Action: Eldritch Bolt against Skirmisher 6 Attack vs. Reflex: (1d20+5)[12] Hit: (1d10+7)[16] The skirmishers around Aiden see the incoming help. Two try to bring the Minotaur down quickly, while the third rushes the dragon born. On the other end of the caravan, a kobold finds himself alone. Seeing the draw, he gleefully charges, hoping to prove himself in front of the other tribe members. Spoiler Hide Skirmisher 2 Move action: move to C8 Standard action: move to E8, MBA against Seoul Attack against AC: (1d20+7)[16] Hit: 4 damage Skirmisher 1 Move action: shift to C8 Standard action: Spear against Aiden Attack against AC: (1d20+8)[27] Hit: 6 damage Skirmisher 4 Move action: shift to C8 Standard action: Spear against Aiden Attack against AC: (1d20+8)[15] Hit: 6 damage Skirmisher 5 Standard action: move to S11, MBA against Karelia Attack against AC: (1d20+7)[23] Hit: 4 damage As he nears the knot of kobolds, Lotus slows slightly, his steps becoming more deliberate and each one making firm contact with the ground. He ducks and weaves past the other guards, leaving himself momentarily open to one of the kobolds. A heartbeat later, he brings himself to an abrupt halt - but somehow the motion continues regardless, a pure blur of movement unconstrained by flesh that he releases with a loud"KAI!"to strike at his foes. Spoiler Hide It's daily-busting time! Moving to D8, provoking an attack of opportunity from the kobold at E8, and using Masterful Spiral. I attack the Reflex of each enemy in a close burst 2. Kobold at C8: (1d20+5)[14] Kobold at E8: (1d20+7)[22] Kobold at C10: (1d20+5)[11] I will use Memory of a Thousand Lifetimes to enhance the first of those rolls which is below a 15 in total, adding (1d6)[4] - if none of them are, then I'll save it. I deal (3d8+4)[22] damage on a hit (+1 against E8 and C8), or half damage on a miss. If any of the attacks hit, but I missed one of E8 or C8, I will use Flurry of Blows to deal another 5 damage to that one just in case - if I managed to hit both of them, I suspect they'll both be dead, and if I miss both of them, I'll Flurry the kobold at C8. The advancing skirmisher stabs at the blur moving past him and manages a small wound. Before he can turn around, he is struck from behind and killed. The nearest kobold suffers the same fate, but the third manages to dodge enough to take a blow to the shoulder - injurious, but not killing. Spoiler Hide Skirmisher 2 Opportunity action: MBA against Lotus Attack vs. AC: (1d20+5)[19] Hit: 4 damage. Skirmishers 1 camp; 2 are dead. Troy continues his sprint to the rear of the caravan. He passes by the astral-spawn in time to be showered in gore as two of the scaly creatures very nearly burst from the force of his blows. He skids to a halt at the rear of the caravan, opposite the scaled bandit from the Minotaur. He runs a brief incantation through the circuits in his arm and into his blade before lashing out at the creature. The air splits before the strike, waiting to punish the beast should it move. Spoiler Hide Troy runs to C11 and uses Booming Blade on Skirmisher 4 (1d20+11)[16] (1d8+4)[7] thunder damage on a hit (1d6+4)[9] thunder damage if the Skirmisher moves away from him on its next turn The remaining kobold by Aiden also attempts a stab before falling to the blade, but misses. Spoiler Hide Skirmisher 4 Opportunity action: MBA against Troy Attack vs. AC: (1d20+7)[14] Hit: 6 damage. Skirmisher 4 is dead. "We've got them on the ropes now! Push forward!" Seoul roared to his companions. He remembered the kobold that had been hiding behind the large rock, and ran off to keep it from retreating. Spoiler Hide Seoul uses a double move to go from F8 to N6. That should keep him out of reach of an OA by the kobold. With the intimidate threat dealt with Aidan turned towards surviving Kobolds. Spoiler Hide Double move to 8N The ringleader sees the dragon born coming toward him, and he backs away, readying a shot. He reaches to his belt to get one of his special shots, but they are depleted. Settling for a regular stone, he takes aim around the rock. Spoiler Hide Singer 1 Minor action: shift to N3 Move action: Move to L1 Standard action: Sling against Seoul Attack vs. AC: (1d20+4)[19] Damage: (1d6+3)[5] Singer 2 *Turn corrected* (1d20+6)[14] (1d6+3)[8] Having Seen the leader's Intent, Samara lunged forward, attempting to catch the kobold as he retreated. Following behind, he swung again, his strike filling him with renewed vigor. Note: Kobold could not have shifted, assuming he moved instead. Opportunity action: Intent Laid Bare (no augment)(d20+8)[11]vs AC, (d8+4)[8]damage. Move action: to T2Minor: Ardent surge on self, recover(d6+7)[13]HP and gain +1 to hit until Font. Standard: Energizing Strike (no augment):(d20+9)[19]vs AC, (d8+4)[6]damage. The singer by Samara tries to get away, but the force of Samara's magic prevents him from doing so. He quickly stuffs his sling in a pocket and draws his dagger with a shaky hand. He stabs are Samara. Spoiler Hide Singer 2 Minor action: Stow sling Minor action: Draw dagger Standard action: Dagger against Samara Attack vs. AC: (1d20+5)[11] Damage: (1d4+3)[6] damage. Maintaining his psychic connection, Samara projected fear, a great since of personal danger-then swung at the opposite side, to draw the kobold's defenses out of position. Spoiler Hide Intent Laid Bare (no augment): (d20+8)[23] vs AC, (d10+4)[6] damage. Target cannot shift The remaining skirmisher continues his attack on Karelia, oblivious to the misfortune of his allies. Spoiler Hide Skirmisher 6 Standard action: Spear against Karelia Attack vs. AC: (1d20+6)[12] Hit: 4 damage. His immediate foes dispatched, Lotus turns, hurrying to catch the fleeing leader, lashing out with a quick blow. Spoiler Hide Moving to H6, then charging singer 1. Because of my active stance, I am obliged to stop my charge at K3, where I make a melee basic attack against the blighter. (1d20+7)[9] vs. AC, (1d8+4)[9] damage. Not that the damage matters, but might as well roll. His foe defeated, Troy moves swiftly across the field. He dodges between two of the wagons, coming to a stop beside the canine. He gives his fellow guard a nod. Spoiler Hide Troy double-moves to O6. The kobold's sling bolt bounces harmlessly off of Seoul's shield. He chases after it to prevent it from escaping. As he rushes in, his mighty long sword comes down in a powerful blow. Spoiler Hide Seoul moves to M2 (I think this provokes an OA) and attacks Kobold Singer 1 at M1 Attack: (1d20+7)[14] Damage: (1d6+4)[8] As an invisible boundary is preventing them from retreating into the forest, the slingers fight on. Spoiler Hide Singer 2 Standard action: Dagger against Samara Attack vs. AC: (1d20+5)[17] Hit: (1d4+3)[7] damage. Singer 1 Minor action: Stow sling Minor action: Draw dagger Standard action: Dagger against Seoul Attack vs. AC: (1d20+3)[12] Hit: (1d4+3)[5] damage. (Absorbed by Troy's aegis) Surging with power, Samara swung again, his blood aboil. Spoiler Hide Ardent surge, (d6+7)[8] Energizing Strike(d20+8)[22] If still alive, Shift to W2 If not, move to X9 Damage(d10+4)[12] Spoiler Hide Singer 2 is dead. The skirmishers have grown bored with the draw, and so turns his aggression on the metal man. He crouches down a bit, then takes off running with his spear held high. He stabs at Troy's metal body, but his spear merely glances off. Spoiler Hide Skirmisher 6 Standard action: Charge to P7, attack Troy Attack vs. AC: (1d20+7)[12] Hit: 4 damage. Lotus pauses, breathing deeply, his posture becoming absolutely rigid. Then he lashes out, lunging forward to strike his foe, before moving to close to melee. Spoiler Hide Dragon's Tail against the kobold at M1. (1d20+5)[7] vs. Fortitude. If I miss, I'll move to L2 - otherwise, I'll move to P6. Troy channels energy into his blade before swinging at the scaly creature. Spoiler Hide Troy uses Booming Blade on the kobold. (1d20+9)[14] (1d8+4)[8] thunder damage on a hit, and if the kobold starts its next turn adjacent to me and then moves away, it takes (1d6+4)[10] thunder damage. The kobold dodges, narrowly avoiding Troy's blade. Today was not his day. Seoul hadn't managed to hit a damn thing the whole fight, but it was important to show that he was in charge of the situation still. He swung again at the little lizard man trying to cut him down in a single stroke. Spoiler Hide Attack vs Kobold 1: (1d20+7)[10] Damage: (1d6+4)[6] The surrounded kobold snickers as he ducks and weaves around attacks. Maybe he can get out of this after all! He slips around, putting Seoul between himself and Lotus, then slashes at the former's legs. Spoiler Hide Move action: Shift to N2 Standard action: Dagger against Seoul. Attack vs. AC: (1d20+5)[8] Hit: (1d4+3)[5] Jogging toward the rest of the fighting, Samara rounded the cart, charging toward the skirmisher. Spoiler Hide Move to R10 Charge to Q8 -Ferocious charge (enc) -Intent Laid Bare as a Melee basic attack (uncharged) (d20+11)[31] vs AC On hit: (D10+6)[12] damage, and Kobold Skirmisher cannot shift Sent. Edit: CRT! 16 points of damage, no magical CRT damage. Spoiler Hide The last kobold skirmisher is dead. Lotus lashes out from behind his ally, sweeping at the kobold with careful extension of his stance. Spoiler Hide Dragon's Tail! (1d20+5)[13] vs. Fortitude, doing (1d6+5)[8] damage and knocking prone on a hit (like it matters). If I miss, I'll move around to O3 in such a way as to avoid Amos. The kobold takes the powerful strike to his body. He is unsteady for a moment, then his eyes roll back, and he falls down, dead. Spoiler Hide Singer 1 is dead, and the encounter is over. Every character in the party gain 100xp Seoul looks around to make sure there are no other potential enemies in sight. Assured that the caravan is safe, he sheaths his sword and hails the rest of the group." All clear! Search the bodies for any identifying marks, valuables or weapons we can use. I'll tend to any wounded, and then we can get this caravan underway." Seoul did his best to cover up his poor performance in combat, it seemed that the gods of battle weren't on his side this day. The caravan master pokes his head out from other the lead trade cart, thankful that nothing had spooked the horses." You all handled that fabulously! Definitely earned your pay. Well then, shall we move on? We don't want to waste daylight." Lotus grimaces." I had hoped that we might avoid bloodshed. It seems senseless... but it is done, and that will not change. Onwards, then." "Agreed, This could have gone lots beta." Vaemar stepped toward the group, smiling at his impersonation.(Butcher's Lure-Ghost sound with +2 bluff to mimic voices) No reaction could be seen or heard to Samara's uncanny impersonation, but it certainly wasn't due to a failure of his part. Reynaldo the caravan master snaps the reins of the lead horse and the caravan moves forward. About an hour of traveling later, the road comes to a drawbridge, which raises on the opposite side. Reynaldo rings a small bell on the shore, and a few seconds later the wooden bridge lowers. The remaining two hours of traveling are uneventful. The end of the journey is signaled when the caravan enters an open area, in which lies a small, unwalled town. The people that can be seen appear to be fed well enough, but other signs of economic distress are evident: machinery and structures are dilapidated, clothing is threadbare, and activities are lethargic. On top of a hill on the other side of the settlement is Belle Abbey. The abbey is surrounded by a stone wall of a medium height that look like they've been around for centuries. The tall main building is the only interior structure visible from outside the walls. The caravan passes through the front gate, and Reynaldo drives it into the plaza inside. Another man who looks similar to Reynaldo, though perhaps older, is waiting inside. The two men embrace, and the old one introduces himself." My name is Father Roland. You all must be the protectors of my brother's caravan. Did you have any trouble coming in?" "There were some Kobold raiders, but nothing we couldn't handle, Father." Seoul replied. "Your goods are safely delivered, is there anything else we can do for you?" "There's never a dull day in adventurers life." The Minotaur added. Trying to smile only made him look more intimidating, but Aidan was trying to be sociable. Caesar waited, hood up, for the others to handle the situation.(4 day AFK do to convention) The Father Abbot gestures dismissively at Seoul's question. "Bah, there will be time for that later. If you have any injuries, we have healer who can look after you. If not, dinner will be served in a half-hour in the main building. We can talk more then." Dinner at the Abbey is a simple affair: bread, game meat from the village, and salad made from produce grown in the grounds. The Abbot delivers a brief blessing for the brothers and sisters, then directs the group to serve themselves and then follow him into a smaller room off the side of the dining hall. Once everyone is inside, he begins." You all seem like perceptive creatures. I'm sure you've all figured by now that my brother brought you here for a task beyond a simple protection of a caravan. We here at Belle Abbey and Pelham can survive on what Elora gives us from the forest, but in order for our community to thrive, we need access to trade wit the rest of the country. The highway used to provide this, but those damned kobolds are keeping traders away. A group of the people from the village went after the kobolds - against my counsel, I might add - a fortnight ago, and they haven't been seen since. I'm worried that if the situation is not controlled soon, more of them might go out - or else, just move away. This community has existed for over a hundred years; I'm not willing to see it die at the hands of some overgrown lizards! Anyway, that's where you come in. I was hoping that the lot of you, being the warriors that you are, would be willing to settle this matter for us. You will be handsomely rewarded, of course." The father stands up. "If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them. If you'd like to discuss the matter amongst yourselves in private, I will leave you to it." Seoul nodded along as the Father Abbot explained the problems his village faced. It was mercenary work, basically, which was what he was used to. When the Father finished speaking, Seoul replied with his questions." What we need to know is whether this is a rescue mission or not. Are we supposed to prioritize the lives of your villagers, assuming we find them, or the destruction of the Kobold raiders? And, while I don't wish to sound rude, I'd like to know what the payment is going to be, up front, before I agree to this." Seoul's father had warned him that doing work for a church was often a risky proposition, sometimes they got it into their heads that "a blessed place in the afterlife" was better payment than food in the belly and coin in the pocket, it was a nice sentiment, but Seoul's father always felt that the afterlife was a place he wasn't in a rush to get to. "The primary quest is to end the kobolds' raiding. If you can achieve that without death all the better. If you can find the villagers, that would be wonderful. To be frank, I doubt that they are still alive, but their families are ever hopeful. "As for payment, the abbey has some wealth stored, including a number of rare items infused with magic that we've collected over the years. I'm prepared to give each you 500 gold pieces each, or an item from our collection. You would also have free access to our larder, dormitories, and infirmary while you are undertaking this quest. Anything of value that you would come across while dealing with the kobolds would be free for your taking as well."

Khamul [IC]|rating:3.0

Chemistry (closed)

He cursed, running his hands through his long blond hair, cursing as the ingredients in the vial fizzled, no color change or apparent precipitation as expected This just wasn't working, he thought to himself. Then a sudden banging at the door caused him to jump, which of course led to the vials he had worked with to fall over." Damnit! What is it" he called out. Stomping up the basement stairs to the locked door at the top"What!" He practically barked as he opened the door His sister stood there with earbuds in chewing gum loudly. He could have strangled her. Furthermore, he reached up and yanked on her headphone cords." Yes sis" he said brusquely, his temper ebbing. The blond beauty had always had that effect on him "Hi!" Kelly chirped. She had her long blond hair up in two high ponytails. Even with her hair pulled up her hair came to her mid back. She was wearing a sports bra and tight yoga pants. She just finished a run, and she was a little sweaty and feeling more tired than normal (she had been out the night before)." I was wondering if you could whip me up some of that energy supplement thing you had me try a few weeks ago. I'm feeling a little drained and I haven't even finished today's exercises." Kelly was on the school gymnastics team, and she needed to stay in shape and do lots of stretches... And when she did, she always made sure to have an excuse to bother her brother. She blew a bubble with her gum as she waited for his response. She was pretty sure that he wouldn't say no. After all, she was his personal Guinea pig when he needed one. He was about to slam the door in her face, well honestly she could probably put up one hand and stop the door dead. His eyes quickly slid over her curvaceous athletic form. The sports bra containing a chest that was excessively large, and the yoga pants clung tightly." Sure. Come on downstairs" he said as he turned and led her down, his tall skinny gram cast a bit of a shadow, but that was countered by his pale complexion. He was almost her opposite in every way it seemed He glanced at the desk with the spilled vial, he had a drain with a catch on it for any caustic chemicals, and decided to just go with that. He knew the drugs he had been playing with when things spilled. And they weren't toxic, it was her fucking fault after all Toole grabbed the little bucket on the side of the able where it had drained. He grabbed a beaker. Then poured some in"Here you go" he told her as he offered her the glass, his grin a little large, he better it tasted awful." Bottoms up on this one. You have to drink it all for the full effect" he told her as the pert bouncy blond accepted the drink. "Thanks, big bro," Kelly smiled happily. She was completely in the dark about ruining her brothers experiment and the concoction was actually his way of getting back at her. She took the beaker drank it down quickly. It had a surprising taste, much different from the last one she drank. She licked her lips. "That's actually not bad! Thanks." She pushed up on her toes to kiss his cheek. Her breasts brushed against his chest from the close contact. Kelly was always affectionate with her brother even if he found it annoying at times. The bucksom blonde turned and started to go up the stairs until she was hit with a dizzy spell. Everything was spinning, and she gripped onto the railing as her legs gave out from beneath her. "Bro... I feel..." And then everything went black. Her hand released the railing, and she came tumbling down the stairs until she was sprawled out on the bottom of the stairs. Her kiss was too much. It was that effect she had in him that made him so mad. She had to know she was gorgeous, and a knock-out to boot. And she was very, very aware of his lack of social life. He felt her breasts slide against his chest. Driving him mad. He could be aware she did it on purpose, but he knew that she was a complete ditz about something's too. She turned to leave, and he was just about to get back to work when he heard her mutter He reacted just fast enough to catch her, but he was the opposite of athletic, and the two fell to the floor in a heap." Jesus sis" he said in a half curse, finding himself under her, turning his head he could see her eyes closed. She had passed out! Then he realized that in his attempts to catch her, his hands were gripping her hefty tits. His eyes slid back over to hers, ten down to his hands. He gave her chest another squeeze.Oh, god. The first time he gets to feel boobs and they are his sisters! Life just isn't fair. He slid out from under her, checking her pulse and breathing. Then he looked around, and saw a glass of water. He got up and splashed that on her, suddenly waking her. Kelly was doused with water and actually stayed laying there for a few moments. The drug that her brother assumed was ruined had actually overloaded her senses which caused her to pass out and was rewiring her brain. When the fog in her mind finally started to clear she eyes opened. The world was still spinning, but it was finally starting to settle. She felt... Weird. There was something different, but she had no idea what." Ugh, what happened?" She asked. Her brother said something, and she turned her head towards him. Her eyes went wide when she looked at him. It was like she was seeing her brother for the first time, but not in the way a sister should normally look at her brother. Her heart started pounding. She was taking all of him in, and she started wondering how she never noticed how perfect her older brother was. He was saying something! What did he say?! How could she be so selfish and not be listening to what her brother was saying?! "What?" She asked. Still sitting there on the ground, dripping wet from the water he spilled on her. Kelly didn't realize that she was actually in a pretty provocative pose as she was gazing at her brother. She sputtered, coming up off the floor. She propped herself up, her chest thrust forward. Her legs had lifted slightly too, and they were spread wide before him. He looked down watching her as she gathered herself None of those drugs should have had that effect, he thought to himself as he watched her pull herself together. She seems a little fuzzy at first, almost like she was lost." Are you ok?" He asked, getting her attention as Sam stood over her This wasn't good. That should not have happened"Come on sis. You fell down the stairs. Let's get you up to your room so you can lay down. " He told her, reaching down to help her up. He quickly led her upstairs, well up the stairs he followed her, putting his hands on her hips, her ass directly in front of his face.God, she had a killer body!! Once up the stairs he hooked an arm around her waist and led her to her room. He helped her onto the bed"You need to get out of those tight clothes, so your body can relax, let me get You some water too"he told her as he helped her to sit down on the bed. Then he went to the bathroom and grabbed a glass of water, walking back into her room. He froze at the door, his eyes stuck at what he saw her doing Kelly was in heaven the whole time her older brother helped her up and to her room. She was so lucky to have someone so caring to look after her while their parents were away, not that she needed a babysitter. As he put her into bed she heard him say that she needed to get out of her clothes which triggered her to start pulling off her sports bra as soon as his back was turned. Her breasts felt fantastic to finally be free from that garment, it was painfully obviously that it had gotten too small. Her nipples were a light pink and hardening from the feel of the cool air. Then she wiggled out of her yoga pants. She didn't have any underwear on so when Sam came back into the room she was sitting on her bed naked like it was the most normal thing in the world. Kelly also shaved, and she was making no attempts to cover herself up." Thanks," she said, acting aloof. "I must have over did it when I went running." It was the only logical explanation she had for passing out. Kelly was sitting there, happily waiting for him to come into her room, but he seemed to be frozen. She started to get worried. "Hey, are you ok?" He looked surprised. Did she say or do something weird? She recounted her actions. He told her to get out of her wet clothes. She did that. Then she thanked him for taking care of her and said that she probably ran too much. What was it that had him so stunned? He felt his cock throb, and begin to swell as he looked at her sister. Her breasts hung full and round, her light nipples growing darker as she watched him. Each breath made them swell ever so slightly, god they were even prettier than he had imagined. Then his eyes trailed lower. Over her toned sexy tummy to the shod owed space between her thighs. He shook his head, wondering if she had hit her head, normally she would have screamed at him to get out. She seems to like to torment him, but that was lol through clothes methods. Tight clothes, skimpy clothes, thin clothes. But there hand always been clothes He stepped closer, trying to fight his growing erection"You didn't hit your head did you?" He asked a got close enough to offer her the glass"Do you have a fever?" He asked trying to determine what was going on. Then he recalled that the last vial had had what some termed a decorum reducer. The drug simply made things ok. Kinda like lowering inhibitions but a little different. Was. That what this was, he decided to try something"Hey sis. Can you stand up and turn around for me?" He asked her. Ready with an excuse about checking her temperature if she protested. "I feel much better now," she smiled at him. When he asked if she hit her head or had a fever she shook her head. "Nope! I feel ok. It's probably what I said before, I just over did it when I went running. Then he asked her to stand and turn around. Without question Kelly got up, fully displaying all of her glory to him before she turned around, and he got a view of her perfect round ass. He smiled This was insane!! She had popped up, her full chest jiggling delightfully, then turned about, letting him eye her ass, openly, hungrily. He felt his cock throbbing, growing stiff inside his shorts as he eyes her." Hey sis. You mind if just check you over?" He asked as he stepped closer"Go ahead and bend over. Put your elbows on the bed, and arch your back. Need to see if there are any problems with your movement after that fall"He wasn't sure the excuse mattered, but he felt better saying it as he stepped closer, reaching a hand out to her waist. Kelly looked over her shoulder and shot him a look that said 'I don't believe you.' She might have been more susceptible (more like compelled) to his requests, but she wasn't stupid. She was a gymnast, she had been examined before when she had bad tumbles. Still she did exactly as he asked and bent over. She felt his hand touch her waist she was very aware of the position they were in. Her heart was pounding. She didn't care if Sam made an excuse, she would let him touch her whenever and wherever he wanted! She loved the feeling of his hands on her bare skin. He didn't even touch her anywhere else and there she was getting excited. No part of her thought anything that her brother was doing or about to do was wrong. It was like it was perfectly normal. She wondered where else he would touch her. He let his eyes crawl over her, his other hand sliding up to her waist, on the other side, and he imagined what it would be like to take her from behind. To grip her hips like this and drive into here shook his head, letting his hands slide free from her waist, and he slowly moved to her side, his one hand trailing up over her back, her compliance was amazing, and he cold my help but wonder how far it could go? Would she remember? Would she be mad? Strangely the morality of it never came into question. He didn't care that he was listing over his sister so badly, that his trapped cock was painfully close to tearing free from his jeans His hand slid down, cupping the full round curve of one ass cheek, and he gave it a squeeze, muffling his own groan as the balance between firm ass and plump rump yielded to his squeeze His eyes slid down from her ass and over her waist, eyeing the hanging swell of her tits. They were full and heavy, yet somehow pert and firm. He let his hand slide down over her waist, and up toward her chest. Feeling the hefty weight of one tit fill his hand His cock practically burst free at the sensation. His first real tit. And it was amazing!! He swallowed hard. Worried about his next move. But she was soon, impressionable. And he wondered what she was thinking right now, and then it hit him." I want you to show me what you think I'd like right now". The demand was open-ended. And it relies entirely on her interpretation of the situation "I want you to show me what you think I'd like right now"The wording he used wasshownotdo. So Kelly turned around and sat on her bed reached to the floor and pulled up her laptop. Quickly she opened it and opens her web browser. Under normal circumstances she would have been careful not to let him see the windows that where currently open. Sure there was the normal online dress shops, schools she was applying too... But there were also a few adult stores she had been looking at too. Opening a new page she did a quick search and found a few videos. She played them for him. One was of a girl giving a guy head, another was a couple fucking, and the last video was of a guy coming on a girls' chest." You know, grabbing my tits and ass while sporting a pardon is a bit of a dead give away," she smirked at him. The drug certainly didn't take away her teasing nature. He wants to her as she turned around. On the way she moved and the way her soft around flash shifted. He was surprised when she pulled out her computer but watched every move she made as she pulled up videos of exactly what he wanted to see and what he wanted to do but he couldn'tthe hath chuckled and turned red from her statement about how obvious he had been But she was right he wonders it was true he wanted to do those things to her never done those things to anyone who wanted to know what it was like you needed to know and there was no deny how beautiful his sister was" do you want to see my cock ?" He asked in the thick heavy voice as his eyes went from the screen with a chesty blonde come over her chest and back over to his sister so firm skin, but it was real, and it was there in front of him, and she seem to be willing to do just about anything Did he dare take it this far what if she remembered what if she was mad what offense the drug war off she told her parents But he wasn't thinking like that he was thinking with his dick in his dick was tired of being stuck in the shorts" go on and take it out if you want to see it" he said stepping little closer to her waist just below I level where she sat on the bed Kelly couldn't help, but she smiles when she saw her brother blushing. She didn't have a lot of experience, but she had a sneaking suspicion that she had more than Sam. She didn't even think he ever had a girlfriend. Then he asked her if she wanted to see his cock. Normally this would be where she would blush and act offended and yell at him to leave... But now she was fully naked and the two of them were looking at porn off the internet. I think they were past feigning modesty. Then holder to take his cock out if she wanted to see it. Without thinking, she pushed the laptop aside and moved closer as her hands quickly opened his pants and started pushing his jeans down until she could reach in and find his cock." Holy shit, Sam!" Kelly exclaimed when her fingers tried to wrap around his girth and found that there was a gap between her fingers and thumb. Pulling it fully out she found that his length matched his thickness. Kelly had only been with one guy and he was average. Who fucking new that her brother was hiding a monster in his pants?! Instead of letting go and letting his cock stand tall and proud, Kelly couldn't help but to start stroking his shaft. God... If he wasn't her brother... For some reason that thought didn't deter her. She was already stroking him, would it be so bad if she entertained the idea of fucking him. Her hand gently slid up and down his length. He was thick and smooth and everything a girl could hope to find when they first sleep with a guy. He was frozen, she had moved so quickly and almost nonchalantly. Of course there was nothing about any of this that made sense, and he should stop being surprised. After all he was a smart kid and had apparently created a cocktail that increased a persons' willingness to comply and removed inhibitions. That still didn't change the fact that his sister, a girl of remarkable beauty and physical perfection, was naked and complying to every request he made. It wasUnrealAnd unreal is how he would describe what happened next. The beautiful naked blond, very smoothly, pushed the laptop over, slid closer to the edge of the bed, and with fingers that worked quicker than he could imagine, had his pants Undone. Her eyes were fixed on the swollen tent of his trapped cock before very deftly tugging him freezer reaction was what he had hoped. He was no moron, he knew he was endowed, and honestly he had expected that fact to somehow get him so many girls, but he had never had the opportunity to share his blessing She was the first one to see or touch his cock. And touch she dither had begun to slide up and down his swollen shaft. She was very interested in what was in her hands, her eyes sliding over his girth and length, a new look in her eye that he had never seen before. The way she felt was....it was so far beyond masturbating, he couldn't even describe it. His blood was boiling, his heart racing, his skin on fire!!"Oh, god!!" He growled, then his cock throbbed, one heavy twitch, and hours of cum spewed from his member. The brief attention his sister had so casually given it was more than he could take Thick gooey streamers of cum spattered all over his sister as his head exploded with easy. Kelly was surprised with not only how quickly but also by how much her brother came! It was a good thing she moved the laptop. It was also a first for her, Kelly had never been cummed on at least not like this, not completely covered. There was a stream that went across her face, some even got on her lips. Then it was all over her chest, not to mention her hand." Do you always cum this much?" She shifted a little on the edge of her seat, trying to imagine what it would feel like to have this much cum shot inside of her. Oh god, she could imagine how it would feel pulsing inside of her! Kelly was smiling to see that she made her brother cum. She helped to make him feel good and there was a strong need to please him. Grabbing the towel she had in her room from her shower earlier today she gently wiped clean his cock before. Wiping off his cum from her body. She needed another shower after her run anyway." Alright boy genius, I need to shower now." She playfully kicked him out of her room. She didn't freak out. Furthermore, she didn't scream. In fact, she seemed like she liked it. She liked all his cum on merit had been a lot, his body seeming to just keep pumping cum onto her. It was insanely hot! He almost wanted to counter her question with a compliment of how good she looked in it She say there, his sticky seed spattered, and slowly rolling over the prodigious swell of her tits, a thick gob on her chin and across a lip. But she just casually grabbed her towel and wiped him and her off. His body had twitched and spasmed as she sleaze him up"I do actually" he said in a delayed response to her question. But at that point she was corralling him out of her room. Before he knew it he was standing in the hallway with his cock hanging from his open pants, slowly deflating." Holy shit!" He said excitedly. Then without delay he ticked his cock away and headed down to the basemen taking as many notes as he could about the scene and making guesses about thesis single mixtures and concentrations that could have occurred from this miraculous spill This was amazing. Now he just needs to know how long I lasted and how long she would be pliable, then if she would remember. Would she regret it? He needed leverage. And a way to see how she was doing, was she less pliable? So he decided he'd take a log and check with her every hour. But first he needed leverage Then he smiled He headed back upstairs, walking into the bathroom where she showered"Hey sis. Open up the shower curtain and let me see you" he said casually, expecting compliance, are a short and terse rebuff from her if she was feeling back to normal. Kelly was soaping had body when she heard her brother come into the shared bathroom that was connected between their rooms. Upon his request she pushed open the curtain far enough so that he could see her. Again she acted like it was the most normal thing in the world." What's up?" She thought maybe he had a question, or maybe he just wanted to look at her body some more. Either way she didn't have a reason to deny his request. The water ran down her tight and toned body. It was like those shower scenes in the movies, but it was real! She was just feet away from him, water coursing over the rounded swells of her body, bubbles slowly sliding down the curves of her breasts, and then down her stomach and in between her thighs. He suddenly found himself very curious. But that would have to wait. He had to make sure of his new product first. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, time to collect some material for blackmail. As long as she was obeying he would get some lewd pictures of her, and of the drug wore off, and she was pissed. He would threaten to send these pictures out of she told anyone what had happened." Let me take some pictures of you. Pretend you're a model for a pornographic magazine for me" he told her, adding the last bit. He didn't just wan t nudes. He wanted dirty photos that would really make her worry. After all she was gorgeous. She might not mind if the world saw that. He needed it to be real dirty. He lifted his phone up and opened his camera app.... Kelly laughed when he told her what to do." God, you're a cornball." She teased him and playfully stuck her tongue out at him. Guess the Internet wasn't enough. It didn't actually bother her. She was actually happy and flattered that he asked her for this kind of pictures and the thought that he would be looking at her to get off made her happy too." Just make sure you don't leave your phone lying around so mom and dad can see." She grabbed the sponge she was using and got it event more soapy and then squeezed it over her chest and let the suds slip down her body. She then started running her hands over her breasts, cupped and lifted them up as she gave them a firm grip all the while she gave the camera a sexy smile. From there what was supposed to be a simple shower turned into an elicit nude photoshoot and Kelly wasn't holding back either. She was standing, leaning against the wall, laying in the tub, she knew how to use her space! The shower head was removable so she even used that to make it look like she was masturbating... Though she was so excited she probably could have made herself cum."POOH I got an idea! Well, it's actually something I saw online." She turned off the shower, grabbed a towel and started to towel off. Once she was dry enough, her hair was still dripping, she moved over to the sink in front of the mirror. She put her hands on the counter and leaned forward with her ass sticking back behind her." Ok, you grab one of my cheeks with your hand and take a picture. Make sure to get my reflection." She instructed. "And really grab onto it." Once he grabbed her ass she looked into the mirror faking the look of ecstasy. Instead of shifting to a new pose she asked to see the picture. "Ok let's take another one. Try to pull my cheek to the side more so you see more pink, and tilt the phone until you cannot see yourself in the mirror." They took a few more pictures like that. Kelly's pussy was glistening in the images from how turned on she was. She really did look like a Penthouse model! If gymnastics didn't pan out, at least she could get into erotic modeling. The release he had gotten a mere 20 minutes ago had not been enough. Of course how was he supposed to know that she would have been so.....professional! He watched her body in the shower, cock stiffening, as she moved. Sure dripping and sliding over her hefty breasts, slipping between her toned thighs, and water spattering off her for. Well-rounded ass. The began moving her legs, lifting and spreading. Her pussy was a glistening pink flower. He ached to touch it. Then suddenly she stopped, but her ideas made him smile"Thanks sis. You're perfect at this, and don't worry. I won't leave my phone lying around" he told her as he watched her towel off. Her hefty tits swayed and bounced as she did so, his erection soon growing uncomfortable." What" he half asked as she began to make him grab her. Squeezing her ass. Then pulling at her cheeks, exposing her glistening Pussy and her tight little asshole"That looks perfect" he told her as he snapped picture after picture. Just as he was about to make a suggestion he heard a car door close"Oh dammit!" He cursed. He knew his cock was going to take forever to deflate now"The parents are home. Thanks for the pics' sis. I better get out of here" he told her reluctantly. He gave her ass one last good squeeze"Later tonight you can come to my room and show me more of these good ideas" he said. Not really thinking. But then again. How would a delayed request work? He wondered as he stepped out the door that led to his room, half limping with his aching hard cock. Technically, he said if she wanted to. He did not give her a direct order and so her brain did not recognize it as one. Still she just smiled and laughed when he grabbed her ass. It was a shame their parents came home so soon. Kelly finished in the bathroom and went through the door that lead to her room. She didn't even bother closing the door. If Sam opened his door he would be able to look right at her. In her mind there was no longer any need to hold onto the modesty that she clung to. He already saw her naked and touched her, hell he had pictures of her! The night was pretty uneventful after that. They had dinner and Kelly acted perfectly normal. There was no trace of shame, or worry. It was like nothing even happened. After dinner, she watched TV with her parents, and then went to bed. The drug had worn off, and though she remembered it all, there was still a sense of everything that happened was ok. He had considered the consequences, made the appropriate safeguards, and he had concocted another beverage for his sister. He would just hope that she would come to him for a little energy drink after Her morning rumor perhaps she would see her tonight. All these thoughts ran through his head as he toiled away in the basement, cataloging outcomes, manipulating variables, and attempting to recreate the most Fantastic potion ever made After hours in the basement he realized how late it was, by the time he headed up to his room everyone was asleep. He crossed his fingers hoping to be awakened in the night. Or he hoped to have a pleasant morning with no.......complications Kelly had slept for a while but once the sunlight broke into her room and hit her face she stirred. She sat up and stretched. She had felt like she had gotten a good nights sleep. Getting dressed she grabbed the towels from yesterday, including the one she used to clean her and her brother off from their time "playing" in her room. She put the laundry on and then started making herself breakfast. Again all normal, or so it seemed. Their parents had already left for the day donor was only the two of them. Sam had woken up early that morning and gone through the notes he had made last night. However, there are several times were he couldn't help himself he stops started flipping through the pictures he had taken yesterday on his camera phone. He sifted through them feeling is conquered Staff recall the events of yesterday the way his sister had made him feel. It wasn't very long before he found himself laying back in his bed and masturbating to the pictures on his phone after all she was gorgeous Soon after he picked two pictures one picture of her when she was in the shower display her beautiful body the other was one of the pictures he took afterward when where she was bent over the sink leaning against the cabinet her ass pull to the side and her pretty pink pussy plain to see you could hear movement is he himself got dressed or distant typical sound of somebody messing around in the kitchen, and he went downstairs to the kitchen. Had the two pictures ready on his phone in order to address any sort of accusations his sister my throat with him however she didn't seem bothered by it at all" morning sis are we doing not run this morning I thought you were still running every morning ?" He asked her "Going to take it easy today." She explained as she dug into her cereal. "Don't want a repeat of yesterday." Meaning when she passed out. "Just going to work on stretches and then maybe go to The gym to practice." Kelly finished up her cereal and then took her bowl to the sink and started cleaning it. She had already put on her yoga pants and a tight top to get ready for her stretches. The pants, much like the ones she wore yesterday, hugged her ass and there was a seam that ran down the middle. It almost looked like the fabric was just painted on! It was also obviously that she was once again not wearing panties. She just didn't like how it felt to work out or stretch when she wore them so when she knew she would work out or train she just didn't put on a pair." So what about you?" She turned to him and leaned back on the counter. "Trying to save it take over the world with Science today?" "Just working on my concoctions"He said with a smile. His eyes sliding over the tank top she wore. The neckline was very, very revealing. He wondered if it could actually hold her chest back under the right stretch"Yeah. I umm actually made a little hydrating concoction. It's kinda like diet Gatorade on steroids if you want to try out" he told her. He himself was wearing a pair of gym shorts and a t short. His work in the lab had been intense, and he had spilled some. The clothes he had just tossed on to appear casual. He was aching to test this mix on her." I got a glass Over here" he said dashing to fetch it and return. He had played to his best bet and hopes the mix was close to yesterday, and he had some idea on how to check, without pushing to far. He was kinda curious about her memory of yesterday."Does you sleep well?" He asked with a smile as he offered the drink to her. "I had the craziest dreams"He said as his eyes dipped to her tight top again "Sure," she wouldn't pass at the chance of trying a new sports drink. She watched as he poured it and then took the glass. She sipped it and couldn't help but to show how tart she thought it tasted. Hopefully it worked better than how it tasted." Crazy dream?" She asked. She tried to recall any dreams she might have had last night. "I don't remember anything past closing my eyes as soon as my head hit the pillow." She took another sip of the drink. Honestly she didn't like it, but she wanted to... She wanted to... What did she want to do?" This tastes like shit." She said flatly as her body language changed. Her hand rested on her hip and her eyes narrowed. She turned back towards the sink and dumped the rest of the drink down the drain." If you're going to give me something to sample at least make sure it tastes better than garbage water." It seemed like this attitude was coming out of nowhere. Her blood was getting hotter and hotter and the target of her anger was directed right to her brother. He half chuckled at her comment. At first anyway. Then she tossed it! That was not in his plans at all!!" Whao. I worked hard on that. You have no idea what it takes to make these drinks!" He told her as he half reached out to the sink, but it was too late"Ugh. Seriously sis. Next time taste it, tell me it six and give me a chance to fix it" the soda as he ran his big hands through his wavy blond hair, exhaling in a long blast, thinking just how much was wasted here. Well at least he had the pictures, he thought to himself with a half smile as his eyes came to rest on his sisters "There was no fixing that shit!" She snapped at him. She really had no reason to be angry with him, it was the concoction he made that was working its effects on her. Kelly couldn't give two fucks about anything. She pulled her long blond hair up into a messy bun. "I don't have time for your stupid experimental drinks. God, the whole fucking world doesn't revolve around you!" Which was ironic since yesterday she was pretty much at his beckoning call. She stormed out of the kitchen and started to get ready to head out the door. He stood there shocked. She had stormed out. A minute ago she was going to be stretching and now, now where was she going! He would be responsible for whatever she did. He had to get to, she wasn't safe to be off running about. He chased after her as she headed to the front of the house"Hold up sis" he said as he grabbed her arm, and stopping her from getting to the door"We made a deal about my health drinks a long time ago. So don't give me the blame on that" he said, tugging her back, and twisting so that he switched spots with her. Now he was closer to the door." Why don't you just cool off here? Can't have you running off all pissed. It's no way to leave the house. Let me make it up to you, and make you another drink. More tasty?" "More tasty? How do I know your not just going to slip me something funny?" She raised an eyebrow to him. If she had been in her right mind she wouldn't think he would ever do such a thing. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Whatever, go ahead and try." She crossed her arms. She was annoyed that he stopped her from leaving. The more she thought about it the more angry she was getting. Just because he was her old brother he thought he could order her around and do whatever he wanted with her. She wasn't a Guinea pig!... Ok maybe she agreed to it, but that doesn't mean he could just force her to stick around. There was something in the drink that was forcing her to comply. He did tell her to let him make her another drink, and so she couldn't refuse it, no matter how hostile she was acting. " Great. Just sit down in the kitchen. I'll be right there" he told her as he hurried off to the basement. He quickly mixed another dose of what he made, only making it half as potent this time because he wasn't sure of how much she had drank before tossing it. Then he grabbed a little crystal Light single serving packet and usedThatHe hustled up the stairs, careful not to spill it. Then he found her sitting, just like he said. He handed her the drink, curious." Thanks for doing this though sis" he said with a grin." Go ahead and get comfortable. This might take a bit to kick in. You'll have to wait here with me for a while" Kelly rolled her eyes and just chugged the drink down. It did taste better, but she just wanted to drink the stupid drink and be done with it. She crossed her arms and waited until he was satisfied. Annoyed by the inconvenience she tapped her foot. The. She looked through her phone. It was obvious that she was restless. "What exactly is it that we are waiting for? There better not be any strange side effects!" Kelly was building more and more pent-up energy. The only time she was this snappy was during her time of the month. As she looked around she felt the bun on her head feeling looser. It almost felt like it was it had fallen as it was no longer on her head, but the bun was hitting the back of her neck. Her eyes widened as for a moment she thought her hair fell out. Her hands reached up and touched her hair... No bald spots. She gave a tug for good measure. The bun was now down to her mid back. She realized that her hair wasn't falling out, it was growing rapidly." Sam!!! What the fuck is this?!" She yelled pointing to her hair. Then something else occurred to her. She checked her legs... Just as she suspected, her legs that she shaved yesterday were now hairy.... Which meant." God dammit! Now I have to take another shower!" She growled. "How long am I going to be fucking Rapunzel?" Shit, he cursed inwardly. He had no idea contact could happen On the other side, had he cited baldness"You look great with long hair sis. In sure this little burst will be short" he knew the body couldn't keep that level of growth up for long. He quickly followed her up to the jack and Jill bathroom they shared." Quick take off your clothes" he tells her as he gets the shower going. He grabs a pair of electric clippers, a men beard shaver. He thought it might help as he turned back to her. Kelly grumbled behind him and followed him up the stairs. Kelly was so annoyed, of course she looked good with long hair, it was already long! By the time they got up to the bathroom. The bun was down to her butt, but it seemed like it finally stopped growing." Fine," she grumbled and started pulling off her top and then her pants. This was turning into a reoccurring theme with them. Kelly undid the bun and found that her hair was so long that it was almost touching the floor. She looked at herself on the mirror. Her hair was so long that she looked like the lady Godiva! When she saw the clippers in his hand she scowled." You are not shaving my head," she didn't even think that he would be shaving elsewhere. "It's not for your head" he told her as he nodded at her body. While the growth was definitely localized to her head. The rest of her body appeared as though it needed a trim. Maybe missing a couple of weeks at most. He had no idea how often girls shaved. In the other hand, her long hair looked amazing. It fell over her shoulders, coyly covering her full pert figure, like one of those classic painting." I just figured this might make it easier. Then you can shave, however. I just was not expecting this growth. So I want to stick around in case there are any other side effects. Either way. This recipe is a no" he said with a smile as he handed her the electric shaver. His eyes driving over her chest, watching the hair part over one full breast, her nipple becoming visible only barely. She took the electric razor. The chemicals in the drugs started to subside as her face softened. She looked at the tool, it was clear that she was nervous about using it. "I... I want you to do it." She blushed as she handed the razor back to him. "Never used an electric razor before." It seemed that this batch had short effects at least shortly after her hair stopped growing. She moved closer to him and started to unbutton his pants and pull them down. "It'll be easier if you're in the shower with me." She continued to pull off his clothes until he was just as naked as she was. He smiled when she handed him the razor. He was getting ready to agree, but then her hands slid to his shorts, and she began to undo his shorts. The casual nature was extremely erotic to him, that coupled with how little sexual experience he had. His cock began to stiff instantly. Before he could say nothing to stop her though, his shorts and boxers fell to the floor. His cock was not stiff and obviously erect, but it hung thick and swollen between his legs as his sister casually stood back up." Ok. I guess I'll help you. I don't know what we will do about that hair. You should put it back up in a bun or whatever before you get all wet" he told her, hoping his business like approach would distract him from his hot naked sister. Of course if her hair was up, well then her body wouldn't be hidden. He tugged his own shirt off. And waited to see if his sister would listen. Was it working? Was she complying? She had seemed to have no qualms panting him, maybe this was different. Not like yesterday, but equally enjoyable Kelly ended up braiding her long hair before twisting it around, and it was like a crown on braids on her head. She pinned it in place before climbing into the shower. She grabbed the shaving cream and started lathering her legs. Finding a comfortable place for her to stand and allow her brother to shave her legs with the electric razor. Kelly was surprised by how it felt, and it seemed like the shave was pretty close. Maybe she should get her own electric razor. It seemed to go faster too. It also felt really nice having someone else her legs, like she was being pampered. After he finished she rinsed her legs and started to feel how smooth they were. They felt perfect." Feel!" She grabbed his hand lead it to her leg which she had raised so he would feel how smooth her calf leg is. Kelly also liked how it felt to have her freshly shaved legs touched. There was only one place left to shave. She got the shaving cream and rubbed it over the hair on her mound and between her legs. After she finished applying she just stood there and waited for him to start shaving once again. The shaving was a little weird, but as she shifted and turned, lifted one leg then the other, he found it very erotic. His hands were sliding over her thighs, bracing on her hips. All the while her hair was piled up on her head and her full round breasts glistened with water, shimmered as little rivulets courses over her curves. More than once he had held her plump little ass in her hand. The entries' chore had gotten him harder than a rock as he ogled his sister, feeling her ass and thighs every which way, all the whole openly gazing at her pert swollen breasts. She stopped him when he was done, her hands sliding over the freshly shaved skin of her legs. Then without a word, she sat him back, lifted a leg and handed him the shaver. Her pussy was inches from his face. He wondered what it would taste like, how it would feel. He reached up with the razor and began to work on her pubic hair, slowly cutting it back to reveal the swollen mound of her hidden clit. Furthermore, he leaned closer as the trimming became more treacherous, a hand slipping up to support her lifted thigh. His thumb slipping over her pussy lip as he did That touch alone drove his heart to hammering. He had finished and he had to know. Was she under any sort of effect from the drink? He smiled at the thought a stood up, his stiff cock brushing her thigh, the meat rigid and hungry He handed her the shaver"Your turn. You shave me" Kelly took the razor. She was surprised when he told her to shave him. She doubted that he meant his legs. He didn't have any scruff on his face, none that she could see. She knew some guys shaved down there, and it was the only other logical place. Kelly knelt down and then slathered the shave cream over his pubes. She was nervous about shaving someone else and using something like the electric clipper. She didn't pay any mind to his erect cock, it wasn't the first time she had seen it. Furthermore, she was very careful when she started shaving his package. In order to get all the hair she needed to touch him intimately like he did with her. She had enjoyed feeling him touch her there and wondered if he was enjoying the same touch she was giving him. Once she finished she inspected to make sure she hadn't missed any hairs. Her hand lightly brushed over his shaft and then around his balls. She was pretty impressed with herself, she didn't miss anything and managed not to nick her brother. His body aches and trembles. He had not thought through what he was asking, but as she finished he couldn't help but think that it made his cock look even bigger. His beautiful sister belt before him, her hand gently slipping over his throbbing member as she rinsed his cock clean. Then it hit him. She had done what he told her to DOA simple command, then he looked down at her"Tell me, do you like my cock?" He asked, and before she could answer." Let me feel these again" he said a Shia hands landed on her breasts. He was taking a big risk, not positive of he was right, but it made sense. He just had to tell her to do it. His hands closed on her hefty chest, and he squeezed gently, he was half stopped over her, his cock even closer to her face"Tell me. Do you like sucking dick" "Yes-AHH!" She let out a surprised cry when her brother grasped and lifted her breasts. Her mouth dropped open as she looked up at him. His cock was so close to her mouth, that's when he asked her if she liked sucking dick. She blushed a little as she thought about it. Kelly had only done it twice but both times she found that she enjoyed it when the guy would groan in pleasure from her mouth sucking and teasing them." Yes," she blushed as she spoke softly, her words almost getting lost in the sound of the shower head raining down water on them. As she breathed her breath was gently hitting his meat. If she wanted to, all she had to do was stick her tongue out and give it a good luck... in fact, as soon as the thought crossed her mind, that is exactly what she did. Her tongue gave his head long licks, feeling the flesh slide over her taste buds before her would swirl her tongue around the head. The fact that this was her brother's cock didn't bother her in the slightest. The more she licked, the more turned on she because. It was so thick, would it fit in her mouth? He smiled as she admitted to liking his cock. That made him feel much more appreciated. He let go of her hefty breast as she eyes his meat, then she answered his second question. Before he knew what was going on, her lite tongue was gliding over his long thick pole. His body quivered as he felt the liquid heat pouring off her tongue practically burning his cock. It looked so big when it was so close to her face And she liked sucking dick, that made him smile even more." Tell me. Would you like to suck my dick" he wondered with a grin as he lowered his hand to the base of his shaft, moving his member to tease her tongue and lips as she coyly teased him." Tell me all the things you want to do with my cock" he said in avoids that was growing thick with lust, and power. "Yes," she answered between licking his cock. Oh god, she didn't know why, but she felt her body getting hotter the more she tasted his meat. He asked her if she wanted to suck his dick, and she responded with a desperate sounding "yes". She wrapped her lips around the tip and started sucking. She moaned on his member as her head bobbed up and down. Then he asked her all the things she wanted to do with his cock. She kept her lips wrapped around him as she started to bob her head with more force and sucking more of him down. She pulled back until her mouth released his dick." I was to suck on it until you cum and shoot it down my throat and in my mouth," she sucked on the tip briefly, "I want to touch it and stroke it whenever I want it," she started imagining all this as she spoke, her tongue teasingly licking him. "I want... I want to fuck your cock." She blushed, but she didn't stop, "it's so big. I want to feel it inside me." His body was on fire, his gorgeous sister telling him all the things he's dreamed of She was hungry for his cocker lips. Wrapped over his throbbing member, and she begins to slide his meat into her mouth"Oh shit"It felt suitor much better than he had ever imagined!!! Then she paused letting his cock slip free to answer his questions. She wanted it all!!" You can have it whenever you want it. Wherever you want it" he said as he worked more and more into her bobbing mouth. He lenses back letting his hands slip to her head, and he began to pull her done more"Take it all in. Intense you to take all 10 inches into your throat" She moaned as her brother pushed her head further down on his cock. She continued to make lewd grunting sounds as her pushed her head back and forth with the help of his hand. When he told her she could have his cock anyway she wanted she sucked more passionately. He pushed her head a bit more and her chin was now hitting against his balls. Kelly wanted to make her brother cum. She needed to drink his warm seed, and she wasn't going to remove her mouth until she had every drop. She loved her big brother, and she loved his huge cock, and she needed to tend to it whenever he needed. Furthermore, she was a good little sister after all. He reached down, gripping her heavy tits in each hand just as he exploded. His sister had his whole shaft buried in her beautiful face!! And he had his hands full of her perfect tits"Oh fuck!!" He growled as his cock throbbed and spasmed deep in her throat, spewing his hot heavy load deep inside her. His hands squeezed her tits a held on for his existence, the organs shattering his world Kelly was not disappointed. Her brother came and he flooded Ger throat. She swallowed as quickly as she could, but it was too much. Kelly pulled back, coughing as the rest of his cum sprayed all over herself. She tried to get the last bit before he finished cumming, and then she licked his cock clean. Kelly was very happy with herself. She stood up and let the cum rinse off of her body before she turned off the shower. Grabbing a towel for herself she wrapped up and then handed one to him as well. "That was fun. Thanks for the shave big bro." Then she opened the door to her room and walked out. From experiences most guys were pretty much satisfied after receiving a blow job so she assumed that he would be appeased for the time being. There was also the matter of her needing to take care of herself as well. It was a normal practice with her past boyfriends who would give her every excuse under the sun as to why they couldn't finish her off so eventually she just expected that guys didn't do it unless girls begged for it and even then they still wouldn't. She started drying herself as she remembered how his hands felt on her breasts. She wondered what it would feel like to have him touch all over her body. He felt his body throbbing. His cock twitching as he came. Suddenly she pulled back. His thick many length sliding free of her mouth like some magic trick, it seemed Impossible how much slid in side her! His cock was still throbbing, cum from years of frustration being released. She pulled back, his cock slipping free from her sultry lips only to be spattered with cum. His thick seed shot from his member again and again. Pearly white gobs spattering her lips and chin, then as she leaned back more, fell short and spattered All over her gorgeous full chest. She took a quick breath, then her hungry mouth dove back, catching the last few spurts of his thick creamy seed. She slowly licked and suckled his impressive member, and he just watched, mesmerized by the erotic sight, and the amazing sensation He leaned back heavily against the wall of the shower she rose from her knees. Furthermore, she brusquely turned back into the spray of the shower, and before he knew what was going on she taken the shower off, and she was handing him a towel." Your welcome sis" he said half shocked as she thanked him for the shave. And she walked outwash that it? He wondered moments later as he got up and dried off. He glanced towards her room. Seeing her laid out on the Bede wrapped his towel around his waist." What are you doing" he asked a leaned against the dew Kelly hadn't thought to close the door. She figured that Sam would just go into his room and get dressed and go about his day. She had taken the towel and laid it on her bed before laying down herself." What are you doing"Her head turned towards the door. Her eyes wide with surprise. Normally she would have blushed and lied but with Sam she felt compelled to be honest and thanks to the drug she didn't feel the need to be ashamed." I was going to get myself off." She sat there, waiting to see if he would stay or go. Kelly's nipples were hard, and her slit was already wet from her sucking off her brother and how his hands cradled and squeezed her breasts. He watched as her hungry hands toyed with her heavy chest. He could see from her parted legs that her pussy was very, very wet. He stepped into the room"I've never umm..." He said, way more shyly than he had thought he could be after all he had instigated with her"I've never fingered a girl Before. " He told her as he continued to walk closer." Teach me what to do" he said as he sat down on her bed, looking up at the gorgeous specimen. He felt his cock twitching at the mere sight of her, ready tango again after such little rest. Kelly was surprised that he asked her to teach him, well-ordered to, but for her, she didn't realize that. "Ok." She sat up. "Well, first you can't just dive right in and expect her to be moaning like crazy. I'm wet right now because I was getting off on pleasing you." She explained. "Most of the time though, girls will get excited just from heavy making out." A thought crossed her mind before she continued. Just how inexperienced was her older brother?" Don't get mad for me asking this," she warned, "But... have you ever kissed someone before?" He listened to her, realizing that most of what he saw on porn wasn't very accurate then. Usually there was very little kissing in those. But a good bit of mouth time was spent on other places though. Her next question caught him off guard. She had sat up, coming closer. Her full hefty breasts swaying as she did so"I have t" he said in a quiet almost whisper as his eyes came up to hers. "Hmm mm," she thought for a moment. "Well, I think it's probably best to start there." Kelly loved kissing, and the right kiss would always set the mood." I want you to kiss me," she leaned in closer to him. "Not like how we do when mom and dad are around. Kiss me like I'm a girl you really like or want to date." (Sorry for the shortness) His heart was pounding as she leaned up closer." Ok" he said feeling more embarrassed now than he had when he had shoved his cock into her throat. Her lips were soft, lush. Her breath hot, and the feel of her skin was amazing as he reached his hand up to her neck, his other hand came to rest on her thigh. His lips parted as he kissed her more hungrily. It was a very start, their lips touched gently. The room was totally silent apart from the occasional soft sound of their kisses. Kelly felt like she was melting as she felt Sam's hand come up and rest on her neck. For this being his first time kissing, he was doing pretty well! Kelly had almost expected his tongue to be darting out and going everywhere. Of course that was more likely the actions of a preteen boy hopped up on their own hormones. Her older brother was smart and calculated, so was him being good at kissing the first time so surprising? As their lips started parting more as they kissed Kelly's arms came up to embrace Sam. She pulled in tight, pressing her generous chest against his. Slowly she let her tongue brush across his lips, with every kiss her tongue would push deeper until she found and met his. She cooed softly into the kiss as she was getting more and more lost into the action. She pressed into him, her mouth growing hungry. He felt his cock throb under his towel as she pressed into him. Her large breasts flaring against his chest. Her breath mixing with his. Furthermore, her tongue in his mouth His hand slid from Her neck to her back, pulling her closer, moaning softly as her tits pressed into him more. His other hand moved to her exposed thigh, sliding up and down, his thing trailing along her inner thigh as it rose further and further with each rolling twirl of her tongue on his. Her brother wasn't shy, that was for sure. As his hand was making its way up between her legs she couldn't help but to open them more for him. She completely forgot that she was supposed to be teaching him, he moved and kissed her with a strong confidence, like he had done it all before. When his fingers finally touched her between her legs, brushing her soft bare lips she spread her legs open a bit more to allow him to explore her. She wanted to touch him, but she was also feeling greedy at the moment... plus he did tell her to teach him how to finger a girl and there was a lot more to it than just shoving your fingers in. Briefly she broke the kiss to give him instructions, "Just lightly rub over my clit. As you start playing with it, you will start to feel it swell up a little. Once it's swollen it's easier to get a girl off." She broke the kids, instructing him on what to done leaned back, noticing she had spread her legs, and he watched her spread them wider. He followed her instructions, amazed at how hot she already felt, and he let his thumb move in small circles over the soft skin just at the top of her pretty pussy lips. His eyes slid from her clit, to her tits, then to her eyes, his cock throbbing and swelling at what he was doing. Her body calling to his"Like this" he said as his thumb slid deeper into that small Mound, directly onto the hood of her clit, and he rolls sit around with a gentle pressure, watching her face as he looked for a sign of success Kelly's back arched up a little as her head rolled back. She breathed out heavily as she felt her brother rubbing her clit which was already starting to swell and become sensitive." Yes..." She sighed pleasantly, "Just like that..." She pulled him back towards her for another kiss, moaning softly against his lips as her arousal was building. Her hips started bucking against his hand, and even though her body language was telling him she wanted more, "Just keep it nice and gentle like that... Kiss and touch my breasts while you do it. I like having my nipples played with." Her fingers started to rake through his hair as she felt her back lay onto the mattress. Oh god, it had felt like it had been a while since she had gotten proper stimulation like this. Sam was new at this, but he was eager to learn. It was just strange for her to be in the teaching role when normally he was the one helping her with homework or projects. Her pussy was drenched, it wouldn't be long now. "Get your fingers wet from my slit..." She moaned out. "T-then, shove two fingers inside but keep your thumb rubbing my clit." What she really wanted though was his cock. Part of her was hoping he would just say fuck it and shove himself deep inside her and start fucking her pussy until they both came. He could feel the heat pouring off of her, her word coming quick and heavy as she instructed him He let his hand slide from her neck, slipping down to cup and squeeze her hefty breast, his fingers finding her stiff nipple, he let his fingers slide back and forth over the rigid nub of flesh as he hungrily squeezed its heft. His corn throbbed in his towel, the material renting significantly a slowly laid back, telling him what to done looked down at her pussy, the two pink lips glistening. He took his too fingers and ran them up and down the length of her wet slit, slowly pushing in deeper and deeper, until they slid in His two thick fingers glided in solo easily. She was so warm! He slowly pumped his fingers into her, letting his thumb slide over her swollen mound, rubbing her clit with each pump His other hand caught her nipple, slowly pinching and rigging, watching the flesh of her breast jiggle underneath his delicate attention. This was unbelievable. His cock throbbed as his hands busily toyed with his sister. Kelly moaned when she felt his fingers push fully into her. Her cunt was wrapped tightly around his fingers and her heat was just getting hotter and hotter as he continued to thrust his fingers in and out of her pussy. Then there was his fingers that were tending to her elsewhere. He was pinching her nipples, pulling on them, squeezing her breasts. If she had milk in them, she was certain that he would have them leaking. She was writhing beneath him, holding onto him as he continued to finger bang her. Kelly started to thrust her hips up higher and harder into his hand. She was supposed to be telling him what to do, but she couldn't focus on words right now, at least not detailed directions. The only thing she could focus on was how good his touch felt. After a while, she couldn't take it anymore, she needed more. "Harder!" She gasped out, her legs were so spread out she was almost making a perfect split. "Fuck me harder!" She cried out, her pussy was clamped onto his digits and when he started to give her what she needed her breathing increased along with her moans and cries until he pushed her over her breaking point. Kelly came hard on his fingers, her chest pushing up and against his hand that was teasing her breasts. Her body was shivering and twitching as she came, thinking how it was her older brother who made her feel this good. He complied, watching her face as she began to wriggle in extant. Her shifting body had her full breasts rolling and jiggling in ways that made his hard cock throb. Soon she cries out for more and harder He complied. He began to pump his hand in and out of her, marveling at the heat of her sex, the slick tight grip of her pussy on his fingers as her hips moved against him. Only moments later had her crying out, face twisted up as if she was in pain Then she shudders and her body slacked. He slowly pulled his fingers freeze tentatively held his fingers up to his face. They were covered in slick juice, he licked his finger evaluating the tart tang and musky sweetness of her. He let go of her hefty breast, admiring they way the heaves up with each heavy breath she took in recovery." So that's what happens when a girl cums? It's not near as messy as us guys" he said as he looked over at her, his body still aching. He wants her. He wanted to cum again, but he wanted to fuck her first. Furthermore, he was about to ask when his phone rang. He got up and went to his room to answer it, his rigid cock parting the towel and sticking out as he moved It was one of his friends wanting to know if he could hang out. Furthermore, he couldn't. Furthermore, he had work to do." Hey sis. Come here" he called to her, testing if she was still in thrall to him. Kelly watched as Sam tasted her juices. It actually turned her on to watch her brother sucking on his fingers, knowing where they had just been moments before. Kelly wanted more, she could see that he was fully hard, and she was about to reach out and start stroking him, but then before she could, be got up and went to his room. His phone was ringing. Kelly sighed, thinking that might be it for their adventures for the day. She got up and started to get dressed, grabbing a shirt and a clean pair of panties. As soon as the small and thin fabric was pulled tightly over her shapely rear, Sam called her into his room. It was like she was a dog, excitedly obeying her master. She walked right through their bathroom and into his. She stood there and smiled, waiting for him to tell her what it is that he wanted. Her shirt was tight around her chest, and between the hem of her top and her panties, a good bit of mid-drift was showing."What's up?" He stood there looking at her as she stood in the doorway, her small tight shirt hugging her chest, her panties wrapped snug over the mound he had just enjoyed so much"Take your shirt off," he said his cock still throbbing. He wondered what it would be like to skip his cock between those full melons. Had she done it before?" Tell me. Have you ever had your tits fucked?" Without a word, up went her shirt and her breasts were bare, large and perky. Her nipples were still hard, and she still carried the sweet scent of her aroused slit with her, even though it was covered by her panties. She shook her head, "No, but it's just sandwiching breasts around a pole of flesh, can't be too hard." She assumed that meant he wanted her to do this, so she dropped to her knees and gave his towel a tug until it fell to the ground. She tried to rub her breasts around his shaft but soon realized that it would be easier if his cock was more slick. "I'll be right back." She stood up and went to her room and shortly came back with a bottle. Getting back on her knees she took the bottle and started smearing the lube along his shaft... Then she blew on his cock, which might have seemed weird and pointless except for the fact that the lucubration she used had a warming agent, which tingled and felt warm from friction and by blowing on it. Kelly then brought her breasts back and then was happy to see that she could slide her breasts around his shaft much more easily. She could also feel the warming lubrication working as well as she tit fucked her brother. He watched her tits bounce free from her shirt, his eyes tracking the delightful movement Then she wasted no time, she slipped down between his legs and pulled the towel aside. His cock sprang free, and he watched as she shifted her torso, rubbing the soft flesh of her toes against his shaft. Then she wrapped her chest around his thick rod once or twice Then she popped up and returned with lube Her hands strokes his member as she rubbed it all over him. Then he watched as her tits slipped this way and that, her ski glistening as she lubed it up. Then she leaned down and caught him. Then slowly lifted and down"Oh Jesus"He groaned as the heat of her skin combined with that of the lube, making his loins tingle as his cock slid in and out of her drop cleavage."Oh, god that feels good" he said as he let his head drop, and he laid back, enjoying it." Tell me sis. What do you wish I would do to you?" He asked, curious if her desires were half as carnal as his. "I..." she blushed as she continued to tit fuck him. "I want to know what it feels like to have your cock inside of me," she trembled as she thought about the taboo act. "I've... never seen one so big before. I don't know if it would even fit!" As she thought about taking his monster cock she squeezed her large breasts tighter around him. Her pussy was dripping. If her brother didn't let her fuck him, she was sure she would find the nearest folic looking item and fuck it until she came so hard that she would pass out. Before she realized what she was doing, she released his cock and started to stand up. Her hand grasped his cock and her lips were teasing his throat. She quickly stood up, her heftyntits sliding over his body. Had he heard her right? That's what she wanted? He put his hands on her waist pushing her back slightly. Thence scooted back and laid down on the bed, his long thick cock tilting almost unable to hold its own weight phis eyes slid over the gorgeous blond"If you want it, come and get it" he told her as his eyes drank her in At first she thought maybe her brother was wielded out by what she said, and then he got on the bed and gave her a new command. Her eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning! Early she climbed on top of him. Her body started to tremble with excitement. Gently she grasped his cock and stroked it a few times before lowering herself onto him. At first, it wouldn't go in, even with how soaking wet her pussy was. It was just so big! Then she pushed down, and two inches slid in. She gasped at how tight it felt inside of her. It was too big. Her mind was telling her to get up, that it was too much, but the command wouldn't let her. Instead, she forced herself down even more, crying out as she impaled herself on his cock, her tongue hanging out of her mouth as she continued. She couldn't think straight, her pussy was being stretched by her big brother's cock and all she could do was mindlessly fuck him. Her hips rocked and bounced up and down, her breasts flopped and bounced as she took his cock. He ogled her as she climbed on the bed, climbing over him. Her hefty tits hung down, swaying deliciously as she crawled up his body, her legs spread wide to straddle him He moaned as she gripped his cock, pumping the throbbing organ a few times before slipping his head up to her slit."Oh, shit!" He groaned out as she finally worked his cock inside Hershey slid down him, her body suitor hot. Rosewood tight!! Suddenly she seems to accept him, and she began tonhubgrily concern his cock, spearing herself again and again, her body seeming to want to pull him inside merit was all too much He couldn't hold it, not after a few short minutes. He was already done"Oh fuck sis. I can't take it. Stop. Quick, jerk Geoff onto your tits" he cried out as he shoved her aside, practically throwing her off of his cock. Then he stood up and turned to face the bed, his cock hungry sister crawling toward him." Make me cum on your tits" he growled, aching to turn her into a porn Star. Kelly had been so distracted by how good his cock felt, she missed his command. He took her by surprise when he shoved her off, a loud and wet pop sound was heard as she was roughly forced off of his cock. She didn't miss a beat when he commanded her again. She sat there in front of him and quickly took his cock in her hand and stroked him quickly. He told her to make him cum on her tits and she wanted to be covered in it. For a brief moment she was upset for not getting to cum from fucking his cock but with the new order now she needed his cum on her tits more than anything." Please cum," she begged, her breath soft and airy. "I need your cum on me big brother. Please cover me in your cum." Her warm breath hit his flesh as she stroked him in earnest. He was amazed. This cocktail was unbelievable. This time he obeyed here came. For the second time that day Gooey cum spattered onto her hefty tits, thick and white and hot. His cock throbbed in her hand, and he almost fell to his knees as his balls and cock convulsed His meat glistening in her hand with his juices and hers"Now lick it all up" he said with a grin The first thing she did was take his cock in her mouth and her tongue swirled around it, getting any that smeared along his shaft. Then once his cock was clean she licked her hand, but even then she wasn't done yet. The taste of her brothers cum was making the effects of his concoction even stronger. Kelly cupped one of her breasts and pushed it up high enough so she could start lapping at his delicious cum. With every lick she moaned, and soon she was giving the same treatment to her other tit, licking like a kitten drinking milk. There was so much! Once she was done she fell back onto his bed, panting but smiling happily. He groaned as she hungrily, and skillfully cleaned his cock her tongue was a wonderful thing. But then she began to clean herself up Watching her hungrily lock and sickle her own tots, getting every bit of his goo was amazing to watch. Once she had cleaned herself expertly she flopped back in satisfaction. Just tennis heard the door open"Hey Lance" his friend Mat called out"Shit" he cursed. "Go get something on" he told his sister. Then tossed in a pair of shorts and headed do an stair to stall his friend Mat was almost always here to just check out his sister. Mat was a good friend and all, but it seemed his sister was all he could think about when he was here. But know that Lance had gotten to know a woman, he could see why"Hey Matt" he said"What's up"Matt was tall and wiry with a whip like build. His long dark hair hung to his shoulders"I'm here for that $50 you owe Me!" mat said"Shit man" Lance Began to think furiously"Umm role But...", and he thought that he could very easily use his sister to help with this"What if I told you that I could get Kelly to let you feel her tits?" He thought wildly"If I can do that. Can we call it even?" The. He heard steps ashes sitter came down the stairs Get something Anand then something was thrown at her. Without thinking, she put the shorts on... which were actually her brothers boxers. Her hair was still up in the crown of braids on her head. She still needed to cut it before their parents saw and noticed it (maybe). She went into their shared bathroom and made sure that all the cum was in fact gone. Furthermore, she couldn't believe that she took her brothers cock! Furthermore, she was sure that she never took something that big before, and already she wanted it inside of her again. Sadly Lance had his friend over. Then she remembered that once she went snooping through their parents room and found one of their moms toys. It was a massive dildo. Of course, it was no comparison to the real thing, but for now it would have to do. So with only her brothers boxers on, she exited the bathroom and her room and started to head towards the stairs. Not once did it cross her mind that she should fully cover up. Lance told her to put something on and she did, the command was done. He didn't say to get dressed. As she pranced down the stairs her large tits bounced and swayed. She saw Mat and her brother standing in her way, Mat staring at her with his mouth gaping open." Excuse me boys," she smiled, acting as if there was nothing wrong with her being half naked. Mat froze The gorgeous blond bounced down the steps. Her potties were full, round melons. Her nipples a light brown cap on a delectable mound of flesh. And she simply didn't seem to notice !! Her flat stomach and swaying hips just kept coming right at him. He stood his ground as she approached"Oh excuse me" Lance said. Partially cursing himself. This concoction was more potent and very literal. But it worked well for his case today"Hold on sis. Stop right there" Lance said. And she did"Deal" mat told Lance Ashe eyed her"Kelly. Let Mat play with your tits" then lance Motioned at Mat Mat stepped up and gripped her tits hungrily. He was afraid this was all a ruse and would end in a flash. So he was quick and greedy"Jesus they are amazing" he said in a hushed tone as he gripped, squeezed, hefted, weighed, and pawed her breasts. Her light tanned skin swelled this way and that. Billowing to get her, bouncing separately. It was almost enough to make Lance laugh. But then he kinda got jealous"Times Up Mat. Thanks sis" and he moved out of her way Mat watched her ass as she hurried off"What the fuck was that!!" Mat said on shock Kelly was confused for a moment when Matt blurred out 'deal' but she didn't question it long as Lance gave her a command. Matts hands were on her in a flash and even though Lance basically warned her, she still gave a surprised cry. She didn't expect him to be so rough at first but then soon she was whimpering and making soft pleased sounds as he continued to play with her tits. Her body was quick to respond to his touches. She started bitingly her lip and tried to stay still as he pinched and pulled on her tits. Kelly could feel her pussy getting hot and wet. She was already horny now she was just being teased! Then Lance stopped the fun and dismissed her. Softly she panted and held onto the railing as her legs shook with each step she took. Somehow she made it downstairs and to her parents room. She laid down on her parents bed. She wasn't sure if she could find the toy, her body was still reeling from being played with. "Dude what the fuck!"" Mat cursed realizing he was out $50"Why the fuck did that just happen man" mat said harassing Lance as he headed Back up the stairs"Look. I can't tell you. But let's just say it won't last" he told mat as he went to his room"So are we gonna play or what Just then Lance phone rang"Shit. This Willie a Bit. It's one Of the bank guys"Sure thing Lance. Ok just catch you later" mat said then turned to leave Lance should have stopped him. But he was looking forward to this phone call Mat hustled downstairs, following his instincts, looking for Kelly"Kelly?!" He asked hesitantly as he opened the door to Their folks room. He saw something on the bed. Furthermore, he heard something. Furthermore, he turned in the light. Kelly was on the bed, her hand under her brothers shorts as she was rubbing her pussy. She hadn't even registered that the light was on. She was on the bed with one hand on her tit, playing with her breast and the other was pinching and rubbing her clit. She needed to cum! Furthermore, she wanted to be fucked. Furthermore, she didn't get to cum when she was fucking Lance and then having her tits played with roughly made her crazy. Furthermore, she didn't care who it was, but she needed to be fucked right there. Furthermore, she pushed her fingers inside herself which made her groan in pleasure. Kelly rolled over and opened her eyes. She saw Matt standing over her. "M-Matt?" She moaned helplessly as she continued to play with herself. It was the hottest thing hen had every scene. The poor girl was sex starved. He watched as her hand worked furiously underneath of her shorts. The sound of her juices filled the room and h watched as her tiny hand wrestled with her massive titty Then she rolled over and looked at him He didn't say a word though. He reached own, grabbed the shorts she was wearing and tugged them off her hips. He looked down at her tiny hand furiously slipping into her pretty pink pussy He peeled his shirt off and tossed it to the floor, his eyes devouring her body. Then he dropped his pants to the floor and hopped onto the bed, landing his face right in her pussy. Putting his face into her mound he found, and sucked, her swollen clit as he shifted, so his own torso was rolled toward her. His own hosp near her shoulder, his rigid cock sliding over one hefty tithe licked and sickened Her swollen clit as he tasted her hungrily. He had dreamed of Kelly forever. Ad the best way to get a girl to lose all sense of reason and go cock crazy? Eat her Pissaro he dined Kelly groaned, almost like a growl as her toes curled, and her head tilted back. She felt like she was melting on the mattress as his lips and tongue assaulted her swollen and sensitive pussy. Her clit was pushed by his tongue and she shuddered. When she felt his cock brushing her breast she did the same thing she had don't to Lance. She took a breast in each hand and sandwiched them around his hard cock and proceeded to tit fuck him as best as she could. It really didn't matter who had walked into the room. Her father could have come in, and she would have happily allowed him to molest her. Mats tongue, experienced or not had her on the very edge. Her hips started bucking, she needed that release! "Please let me cum!" She begged him desperately. Matt groaned as he felt the soft heat of her skin on his cock. Then he moaned as he felt it sliding over his shaft he let his lips slip from her pussy, leaning back to watch as one of his biggest fantasies was coming true. He watched as she moved the heft of her breasts up and down his trapped cock. Then he heard her moan something. He wasn't sure what it was, but he figured he better not stop But he didn't drop his head back to that sweet glistening pussy. He pulled his cock from her heavenly chest, spun around between her thighs, and drove his 7-inch cock into her juicy pussy"Holy shit" he moaned as her sex wrapped around him, the silly heat soaking through his shaft and into his mind as he melded with here slowly began to pump his cock into her, watching her generous chest roll every time he went balls deep inside of her. Again and again. Faster and harder. The slap of the collision filling the air"Oh hell no" Lance said as he heard a noise. A noise he had recently gotten to hear himself. He headed back down the stairs, following the sounds. He went into his parents room"What the fuck Mat" he yelled as he stepped up to the beds, ignoring his sister splayed out on the bed, her head practically draping over the edge. Furthermore, he walked relight up to that edge and shoved mat"Get the fuck off of her" he yelled"I'm sorry bro. I can't. She wanted it" he said completely in ashamed of what he was doing"She was teasing me with those tits. I figured she wanted more, and I was right" may say. Lance did feel a little bit bad about that. He had set him up. And his sister was horny as hell. He was thinking as he tried to decide what to say. Thankfully mat had at least stopped fucking her. Kelly was a mess as she allowed Mat to fuck her. With each thrust her breasts bounced. She didn't want him to stop, she needed to cum! Even when her brother came in and was obviously not approving of what was happening, she didn't care. All she needed was a cock in her, and she didn't care whose it was. Kelly whimpered when Mat stopped thrusting. She wrapped her legs around his hips and forced him to thrust into her. All the while she was reaching up and pulling down her brother's sweatpants until his cock was in her face. With one hand she started to stroke him. She had a hungry look in her eyes while she forced Mat to keep going." Need... more..." She said softly before opening her mouth and swallowing as much of his cock as she could. Her throat and slit were both hugging these boys dicks, and she wasn't planning on letting them go any time soon. "Holy shit" mat said as Kelly began to pull him back into her, her legs forcing his hips back into a rhythm"Jesus man. Are you half horse" mat said as Kelly reached up and yanked Lances cock free his lengthy girth hung low, but quickly swelled as Kelly's hands worked his length and her mouth began to work the tips of ho cock"This so, so badass!" Mat said, seeing lance distracted, he began to fuck Kelly"Get it buddy" he said, seeming to not think at all about the fact that Kelly was his sister! But he was loosing sight of that Toole racked his hands down and grabbed her tits"I mean her tits are amazing right" lance said as his hips began to shift, and he slid his cock deeper and deeper into Kelly's mouth, as Mat began to fuck her pussy at a steady Rutan, driving hard into her, making his cock drive deeper into her throat"Oh damn" lance said softly as he pinched her nipple and watched moreAndMore of his member slip into her mouth. Then looking down he could see her throats swelling, practically seeing the outline of his swollen head, as it slid deep into her throat Kelly was gagging on her brother's cock, but she didn't care that she wasn't able to breath. She moaned and welcomed more of him. Her throat tightened around Lance's member. She wanted more of his cum, just as much as she wanted to cum herself! Mat was thrusting into her now. Her hand was over top of Lance's which held her breast. She squeezed his hand even tighter over her breast. With her other hand she reached up and started stroking her brother's balls as she moaned, gasping for air when she can. She started feeling light-headed. Her chest was rising and falling and all she could focus on was the feeling of both Mat and Lance's cocks thrusting in and out of her. Kelly's eyes closed and with one more thrust Kelly's body tensed, and she cried, muffled by Lance. Her pussy and throat tightened around the boys as she came. Matt couldn't believe it. Lance monstrous cock was driving all the way into her great!! He was fucking her throats he did he was molesting her gorgeous tits too, Matt was almost jealous. Except he wasn't left other sweet hot slit suckled at his member as he thrust into her again and again, his hips driving deep, bouncing her up. Driving her face into lances cock. Overtime he thrust into her, he thrust her theist down into Lances cockpit was too fucking hot. Then it was too muchSheGroans and moaned and quivered and spasmed. Her whole body jiggled band bounced Her puss clenching tight on him He pulled Out and came all over her thigh, his fist pumping his cock as his body trembled. Lance growled as her moans vibrates to his balls. She cried and squeezed and monads. And he came Hi cock thrust deep in her throat, spawned hard, and spewed hit sticky cum deep in her thrust. He throbbed over and over, holding himself balls deep on her face, his balls resting other face Kelly's eyes started to tear up. She was swallowing as much of his cum as he could, but she couldn't breathe! When her mouth was finally free, she gasped for air and coughed a little. God, it felt his cock stretched her throat. Kelly was so tired. She finally got to cum, and she even got to eat more of Lance's. She closed her eyes as she laid on her parents bed. Furthermore, she was ready to pass out, but Mat's fingers were still touching her thigh. Kelly opened her eyes and she was surprised to see that he was still hard. She looked up to find that Lance was too. Lance had stepped back, after his cock hungry sister had finally released him. She lay there, sprawled on the bed naked and gorgeous. Matt was still between her thighs, his seed spent on her flesh. He looked up at Matt." Damn umm....nobody can know we just did that. That'd be crazy if word got out" Lance told mat"Yeah. Absolutely" my replied, his voice a little shaken. It was weird, but what did he care? He had just fucked Kelly. Kelly!! One of the hottest bits he had been after for a long time. His hand drifted down to her toned tanned thigh, finger sliding over her silky skin as she shifted. He saw her look up Achim"We need to get you cleaned up" Kelly groaned softly in reply. Her body was starting to feel sore from all the activity she was doing for the day. She rolled onto her side and started to get up. She was starting to come a bit more to her senses... Furthermore, she knew that what happened was bad. Not only did she mess around and fuck her brother, she let her brother's friend fuck her... and then Lance fucked and came in her throat! The stuff he made must have been wearing off. Slowly the guilt was starting to set in, and she was starting to feel ashamed that she was naked and covered in cum... and that her pussy was still aching for more! Slowly Kelly started to get up, her legs felt like jello. The closest bathroom was her parent's master bath that was connected to their room. Lance watched as Kelly rolled out of the bed and headed to the bathroom"Alright mat. I don't owe you shit anymore. And if you keep your mouth shut about what just happened I might be able to hook you up with something from my chemistry set" lance said, inferring to making some acid for him"But you don't say anything about today. Today never happened" lance said. Then he tugged his shorts up Matt quickly got his clothes on right. Then he quickly left Lance follows his sister into the bathroom"Are you alright sis?" He asked wondering if the drug might be wearing off. She had been coke hungry only minutes ago. But now she seemed more....reasonable Kelly had managed to get in the shower and turn on the water. She was sitting at the bottom of the tub. Everything from the past few days kept replaying in her mind and she was struggling with the shame and the erotic arousal she was getting from it. What the hell had been going on with her?" You alright sis?" Kelly heard her brother checking in on her. She opened her mouth, getting ready to say something, but she honestly didn't know what to say. Physically she had been ok, but there was something clearly wrong. Everything they had done had been wrong." I. I don't know." Kelly finally responded. Though the shower doors were clear glass and partially open she had her back facing him as the water was washing over her body. What was this, her third shower today? Her pussy was still throbbing, even though she had been fucked by two guys her pussy wanted more. She shuddered as she remembered how thick her brother's cock was. No, that couldn't happen again. She needed to make sure it didn't happen again. He stepped into the room. He saw her back on the glass. Her voice was a little shaken. But he felt like it was understandable. Things had been. Intense the last few days"Ok. I know things have been a little different lately. I just wanted to let you know that whatever you need. Furthermore, I totally understand. You just let me know all this is tough to take in" he said as he stood in the doorway"I made sure Matt would not say anything and I won't" he told her"But I also wanted to say that I. Well. I'm here for you" he said. Then he stood there quietly waiting to see what she would say. Would she tell him to leave? Would they talk, or was she still left wanting?? Kelly sat there in the tub and listened as the water sprayed down on her. She nodded even though he probably couldn't see her do it. "Thank you," she said softly to him. "I just... I think I need to be alone for a little while." Kelly honestly didn't want to be alone, but now she no longer trusted herself around her brother or any man. What had gotten into her? Why... why did she do all those things? Kelly stayed in the shower for a long time... even after the hot water turned cold. Eventually she turned off the water but continued to sit there. He sat there, the door left open, waiting for Kelly. As he sat there he could t help but feel guilty as the time stretched on. He was playing with things he didn't understand and he couldn't help it. He was a lecher and a heathen.Finally, the water cut off, and the lack of sound had his head turning up"Kelly. You all right" he called out as he stood up and walked into the bathroom"Long shower" he stated plainly Kelly was listening to the water drip. She felt numb inside. Everything that the concoction repressed: her worries and inhibitions... right now she was tried to focus really hard on not letting it all wash over her. (I'm going with something in the most recent drink counteracted some stuff so now it's all going to hit her)"Kelly. You all right" Her face twisted, showing the emotional struggle she was going through, but her brother couldn't see that as she was facing the shower wall. She didn't want to cry, not in front of him." Long shower""Y-Yeah" she sobbed. As soon as she spoke everything that's when all her resolve broke. The tears just started coming, and they wouldn't stop. What had she done? Why did she leave any of that happen? GOD in same cases she was encouraging those lewd and disgusting things that happened. She was truly disgusting, not normal person would have done those things! He heard her sobs, and he stepped into the shower, dropping to the flier he wrapped his arms around her and held her close He felt terrible. This was all his fault. He was messing with her head in ways that he couldn't be certain of any outcome. And he decided that he was messing with things he shouldn't. Maybe he should be experimenting on someone else? But he didn't know anybody else. And he was on to something amazing."" Sis. Everything's going to be alright. Sometimes we just get appetites that we can't control. I mean we are young and in our prime. We have biological drives that make us need things sometimes" he said a hugged her wet body to him, his shirt becoming soaked in moments"We all have crazy stores of wild things that we do. We are just in the middle of one if those. " He told her as he gave her a little squeeze"Don't be so hard on yourself. " "No one fuck's their older brother and tells a story about it when company comes over, Lance." Kelly said weakly as she held onto her brother tightly. Even though she was emotionally and mentally distraught... it seemed like her body couldn't resist her brother. She knew she should have pulled away and told him to leave, but instead she just held him tight. Kelly finally calmed down, but she didn't let go of Lance. Her warm breath hit against his neck as she started nuzzling him. Abruptly she stopped, her body tensing. She was cuddling against him like she was someone's girlfriend that was starved for attention. She started to let go of him... but then she just held him tight again, her face pressed against his chest. What was wrong with her? She needed to get a hold of herself. She moved briefly against his chest, she held him tight clinging to him. Her wet naked body pressed against him, the water seeping into his clothes made him cold, and it made the feel of her body all the warmer"Just chill out sis. We aren't having babies, so there is no big deal. And besides I am pretty damn handsome" he told her with a smile as he gave her a good squeeze, pulling her tight against him"Quit freaking out about what the world would say. The world doesn't know, and we and we are both adults, and we are both terribly attractive people. It was only a matter of time" he said with a chuckle to himself. The 'matter of time was him stumbling across an amazing formula!'" Now let's get us dried off before we catch a cold" he told her as he released His grip and leaned back from her, his eyes catching hers"It's all ok. There is nothing to be so worked up about" he said as he stood up, He looked down on his naked sister, his eyes sliding over her curves, admiring the way her hair clung to her heavy breasts. The beast in his shorts throbbed. He could so easily pull his member out and have her lick him again. It felt suitor right! But she had not moved"Fine" he said. Then he turned the water back on, and as the warm spray washed over him, he pulled his shirt off, letting it fall over the rod, then standing before her, he pulled his shorts down and off. His many member bobbing just in front of her face for a brief moment Then he collapsed Back down to the bottom of the tub and wrapped his arms around her, feeling her soft skin against his"Better?" He asked with a smile. "Warmer?" She had expected him to try and pull her out of the shower. Her body tensed, waiting for him to grasp her arms and start pulling her up on her feet. Instead, he turned on the water and the warm liquid beat down on her once more. She watched as Lance pulled his clothes off of himself sat with her in the tub. Even now she was still feeling slight effects of the drinks he gave her, but it wasn't enough to make her lose all of her senses. She allowed him to pull her closer. She almost missed his question as the sound of the shower overpowered his voice." Y-yes," she said quietly, letting her body relax against his. Her head rested on his shoulder. It felt nice to be comforted. For a brief moment, all the guilt was starting to quiet in her mind. "Good. Good" he said with a grin as he slowly let his arms slide free of her, ending the tight embrace"Let's get you dried off. Get some food or something" he told her with a smile, as he cut the water off. Then he stood, and reached down to slowly pull her to her feet. Her body pressing against his for a Breuer moment He stepped out and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her. Then he grabbed one for himself and wrapped it around him. Then he walked her towards her room"Let's find something comfy" Kelly's hand naturally went for her brothers. She didn't understand why, but just touching him and being close made her feel better, and she wasn't ready to let go of that. Her room was a typical teenage girls room. Pink walls, frilly bed with some cute stuffed animals. An old pair of ballet slippers were now hanging on the wall. She had painted on them. It was a small scene of dancers on a stage. The shoes didn't fit anymore, but she hadn't wanted to get rid of them. Mutely she sat on the bed, forgetting that her brother brought her in so that she could dress in something more comfortable. Her room was a bit messy. Clothes were overflowing from her hamper. Text books covered her desk. She should spotless it. She was still holding her brothers hand. Furthermore, she gently rubbed her thumb on the back of his hand. "Can... you just cuddle me for a little while?" She asked softly and then started to lay on her bed. He glanced over at her, guilt washing through him, as he looked at how exhausted and distraught she waste shouldn’t just be giving his sister unknown concoctions! He nodded, glancing down at her. The towel loosening as she laid backhoe kneeled down on the bed, layer his arm across her chest, as he pulled her blanket over them.“This suit you?” Mutely she nodded and scooted closer to him. The movement caused the towel to completely loosen, but she didn't seem phased by that. She closed her eyes and laid her head on his chest. Her hair was still braided and sitting on her head. She was going to have to get that cut. It was way too long to manage now. Slowly her body relaxed and Kelly was asleep with her body pressed against her brothers warm one. Her breasts pressed right into him, they were so big there wasn't anywhere else they could go! He caught his breath, as she shifted. Her towel caught under her, pulling the little knot loose, and her hefty breast spilled free. The soft heat of her skin against his made his cock throb She didn’t seem to notice as she settled in, and he let his eyes drift to the large melon now resting on his chest!!! Slowly her breathing became deep and rhythmic. And he shifted under her, his towel catching on her leg, so that his groin was no longer covered. He let his had slide up, and caress the soft swell of her breast, gently as he watched for a sign of her waking. But soon he too fell asleep, forgetting his hand was resting on her generous breast! Kelly continued to sleep soundlessly. Though his hand was upon her great her hand came up and covered his. There was something about being held that could make you feel safe, even when your sleeping. Throughout the night she stayed curled against her brother. Even when she shifted and turned around, her head tucked perfectly under his chin and her body pressed against him. Her breasted touched his chest and her thigh rested over his. It wasn't until the next day and the sunlight came into her room and woke her. The first thing she noticed was that she wasn't alone in her bed. Her body stiffened for a moment as memories from yesterday filled her mind. She closed her eyes tightly. What had she been thinking? What happened yesterday, that wasn't her. Sure she was no virgin, but she wasn't a slut either... at least she didn't think she was. Her arms wrapped around her brother and she held him tight as her face pressed into his shoulder, trying to will away the memories and the guilt. He didn't seem to be ashamed of what happened at all. She supposed that was probably a guy thing. She sighed softly, her breath hitting her brothers skin. There was no point in fretting over the past. What was important was that this never happened again... she knew that was the right choice, but the thought of that made her sad too. Slowly she pulled herself from her brothers embrace and carefully climbed out of bed. She collected her clothes and dressed, getting ready for her dance class. He woke to an empty bed, thrown off at first by where he was, but then yesterday’s mayhem worked back into his mind He got up and gathered his things, taking a shower he let the memories flood through him, feeling conflicted and thrilled about what he had done. He decided he needed to get back to the lab!! Furthermore, he would have a serious moneymaker on his hands if this worked out!?! To think of the applications!! Excitedly he threw on a pair of jeans and a t shirt then headed back to the lab, quickly documenting all that he could recall from the previous days mixing Hours later he had several bottles made, each with varying concentration of the components he had mixed together yesterday. What he needed was some lab animals Maybe mice or rats? What he needed were organisms that were reluctant to mate... He carried one of the bottles upstairssrtting it on the counter he headed to the office to find some tape. He had run out of labeling tape, and he wanted to get the last one safely labeled before an accident happened. Kelly’s dance class had ended a while ago. She felt ready to go home and face her brother alone. She felt so confused now and she needed a distraction. Thankful Lizzy was more than willing to help with that. The two went shopping and had lunch. They briefly talked about Lizzy’s dating life, and they talked about how their new instructors had been really leaving her with no energy.“Your brother makes you those concoctions, right?” She asked Kelly.“Um, yeah,” Kelly answered unsurely.”You think he would make me some? I really need any boost I can get.”“We can ask, but I don’t think he can afford to be making something like that regularly,”“Will he do it if I blow him?” Normally Kelly would have snickered and said ‘probably’. This time she shot her friend a displeased look. She didn’t like the idea of Lizzy's mouth anywhere near her brother. “Geese I’m only kidding.” Lizzy responded. “Seriously though, if the stuff works I’ll be happy to pay him.”“I guess we could go ask...”“Great! Let’s go!” He ran out to the store, quickly gathering some tape and a few sharpies, something to make labeling his tubes quick and easy few minutes later he was pulling back up to the house. He saw Kelly’s car in the driveway, next to one he didn’t recognize. Furthermore, he parked behind jelly and stepped inside. Furthermore, he heard voices upstairs and saw his bottle was gone!“Kelly?” He called upstairs He heard voices coming from her bedroom. So he walked down the hall, opening the door. His sister was in her room with a friend. The two wearing tank tops and short shorts, generous cleavage spilling from the top“Oh hey, sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt” he said, standing in the doorway

Chemistry (closed)|rating:2.0

My Sister's Boyfriend

Ian leaned forward further annoyed that his sister was standing in front of the TV while he played a video game. “Get out of the way Jessica! I can’t see!” After a moment or two of that the game over screen suddenly popped up as he had obviously died. Glaring at his sister he set the controller down. “Okay now what did you want?” The boy nearly growled which didn’t really seem to faze his sister as she told him to get out of the living room, that her boyfriend was coming over, and he needed to go somewhere else. He was about to fight with her more when their mom came into the room and told him that he should let his sister have the living room this time before she walked out the door apparently going to work. Huffing he turned and walked to his room making sure to slam the door shut to further illustrate his anger. Now it wasn’t anger because the other was coming over it was just because he was kicked out of the living room, he honestly couldn’t wait to see him again. Turning on some music he flopped down on his bed he hoped it was loud enough to annoy his sister. His black choppy hair slipped into it’s place in front of his eyes shading his vision slightly thinking if only his sister’s boyfriend was his. Though that meant admitting that he wanted him and that was not something he was ready to do out loud at least. After a little while he finally came out of his room again wondering back downstairs. Jake had his hand up Heather's shirt gripping the girl's perky, right boob. His tongue was stuffed in her mouth licking up her saliva almost tonsils deep. Heather loved nasty, spotty kissing. Unfortunately that seemed to be where the line was drawn. Jake knew soon he would again try to slip a hand up her skirt and to give her a little fingering. She would protest and that would be that. Here he was eighteen. He was hardly a virgin. But His new girlfriend, who was seventeen, was. He would need to work harder on Heather if he wanted pussy before fall." Ian! Get out of here!" Heather squealed, seeing her sixteen-year-old brother walk through the living room past them. She jumped up and took aim to punch him in the arm, but the kid proved to quick and avoided his sister's slug. Heather hurried to the bathroom to fix her smeared make-up. Their kissing session was over for the afternoon." Go get us a couple beers, kid," Jake laughed, giving the younger boy's ass a nudge with his foot in the general direction of the kitchen. He had to admit Ian's ass looked nice and stackable in those tight, skinny jeans. The boy’s hands quickly covered his eyes completely grossed out at seeing his sister being felt up by Jake. “Gross, this is the damn living room! Can’t you take that shit to, you know, your bedroom? Where normal people fuck, when others are in the house!” His hands slipped back to his side moving out of the way of the punch, he honestly didn’t know if his sister planed to do stuff with Jake, but he figured that was going to happen. His gaze turned to the jock as he was pushed towards the kitchen. “I don’t think we have beer…” Ian didn’t think that his mom kept beer in the house ever. “… Want a soda?...or I think we have vodka.” He didn’t know why he was offering anything he should have just went and got the sandwich he had wanted and went back upstairs, but he wanted to spend the little time he could with Jake. “We might have something else. Want to come see?” Ian nodded towards the kitchen, walking in there he opened the pantry looking at what they had. They did have a little bit of liquor in the house, and he was fine with guiding the other to it, he knew his mom probably wouldn’t notice if the jock only took a little bit. Jake called out to Ian in the kitchen to mix it with orange juice. He thought that was something called a screwdriver. Maybe it was just a bad mix. He'd soon find out. Jake could still taste Heather from their kiss. He could still smell the girl on him. Heather's hot little scent was sure to keep him half on the bone until he found a chance to work off a load. Marty, one of his jock buddies had told him if he wasn't getting shit from Heather that he should be fucking her foggy, little brother's face. Marty was of the opinion that emo boys were all hot for big jock-cock. Maybe it was true, and maybe it wasn't, but everyone he knew thought the emo punks kissed other boys. Marty himself insisted that he had emo friend of his cousin. He said boy ass was even better than cunt. Jake wasn't sure if he should believe him, but he knew enough to keep Ian and Marty separated. He knew given the chance his buddy would rape his girlfriend's kid brother without a second thought. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea. With Heather not putting out a boy fuck might just be what his aching dick needed." So, what do you do to get your dick off without a girlfriend?" Jake asked, trying the drink that Ian had mixed. It was strong, but not too bad." Bet you and your emo buddies are jerking each other off." The boy shrugged and managed to find some orange juice he knew how to mix drinks well enough though most people thought he always mixed them a little strong, he just thought they were being babies about it. When he filled the glass and made the sandwich for himself he put everything back where he had found it and walked back into the living room where the jock was still sitting handing him the glass with one hand using the other to hold the sandwich he was eating. Ian stared at the other rolling his eyes chomping on the sandwich after a moment he swallowed the bite and then spoke. “I do what any other guy does, I jerk off in my room.” The boy took another bite before he said something else. “Why would I do that with friends? That’s weird.” Turning away from the other he headed towards the stairs. “Anyway, I’m going back upstairs. Please take it too her room if you’re going to fuck my sister, I really don’t want to see that.” "Hey, Ian," Jake said, before the boy had gone off to his room. The jock pulled down the zipper of his jeans and hauled out his semi-hard dick. He grinned at Ian as he wagged it back and forth a few times. Teasing the cute emo soon had Jake's cock standing at full erection." Let's say your big sister plays the cold fish again and doesn't take care of my big need here. Would you be interested in being her substitute?" Jake smirked, thinking how Marty was always saying the little, emo freaks were there to be fucked by real men. They were almost begging for it. Maybe his buddy was right for a change. Jake knew he would have no problem fucking that cute face of Ian's. The kid had puffy, 'cocksucker lips' just like Heather." C'mon, kid. I could use a cute puppy to play around with sometimes. What do you say?" His attention was brought back to the other as he called his name. “Yeah?” Ian’s mouth dropped slightly shocked that the other had pulled his dick out and was wagging it at him, he had not expected that at all. Inwardly he had wanted the other to fuck him for a long while now, but he still didn’t think he was ready to say anything like that out loud. Ian was very surprised that the other didn’t get sex from Heather he had actually thought that his sister was a bit of a slut, but she must be a prude instead from the way the other spoke. A sudden thought came to his mind if he did agree to this he could possibly steal Jake away from her like he had wanted to do.“Alright I guess I could help you out sometimes.” Ian stated simply. Jake ended up leaving with a hard on. Heather had started giving him a half-hearted hand job but quit when her hand started to get all slimmed up with pre-cum from his dick. It wasn't the first time Jake headed for home with a pair of blue balls. However, this time he had an option than just giving himself some quick relief when he got to his bedroom. Ian was one pretty emo. Now knowing that the kid was available to take care of his cock made his fat erection throb even more in his jeans. The little bitch was just as sweet to look at as his older sister. The idea of cheating on Heather with her kid brother turned him on even more. Maybe he would pop Ian's ass cherry in his sister's bed." Hey, foxy, how about meeting me in about fifteen minutes in front of the 7-11?" Jake began, when Ian answered his iPhone. Ian was laying on his bed listening to music again while he doodled when his cell phone started vibrating so he got up and turned off the stereo and answered it. “Hello?” When the other spoke he knew who it was, and he hesitated a moment before he decided to answer. “Yeah I’ll meet you there.” He said simply before he hung up placing the cell phone in his pocket. He guessed that his sister must have not done anything with Jake and that’s why he was being called now which he was fine with. Leaving the house he wondered down the street to the 7-11 that he was supposed to meet the other at. When he got there glanced around for the other. Jake pulled up in front of the 7-11 in his cherry-red Corvette and giving his horn a honk. The jock was planning on treating the kid good on their first 'date'. He didn't want Ian to feel too much like a used slut. Being as horny was thanks to Heather this was likely to be a problem. But he was going to try. On the other hand Ian being a boy was a want to be sex addict anyway so...whatever." Hey, bud," Jake greeted, as the little brother of his girlfriend slipped in and buckled up. He now had another guy in his car for the purpose of sex. Jake chased the thoughts out of his head that this had anything to do with being gay. Ian might be, but that wasn't his problem. No, Jake just caught between a rock and Heather. You couldn't get sex from either. Jake was just using something that was a step up from his hand. Fine, but... Jake leaned over and gave Ian's lips a kiss..." There, now you know I ain't going to spread the word you suck cocks after kissing you," Jake said, before squealing his tires as he pulled into traffic." This going to be your first time?" He jumped slightly at the sound of the honk, but he realized that it was Jake soon enough, turning towards the car he walked over getting in the car. “Hey.” The boy said awkwardly this was the first time he had ever done something like this, and he was slightly nervous especially because it was Jake that he was going to be doing things with. When the other suddenly leaned over and kissed him he was shocked Ian honestly didn’t expect that from the jock, but it was nice. The boy crossed his arms over his chest shaking his head slightly. “You better not. I’m only doing this for you after all.” He was doing it to steal the jock from his sister.“Uh…yeah it will be.” It would be the very first time he had done anything with anyone. "Don't worry about it. I'm cool. I'm not going to try and make you do anything to weird, okay," Jake said, making a right and then another. He reached over and ran the back of his hand over Ian's cheek. As he suspected...smooth. As smooth as his sister. Another right..." Fucking sweet," Jake breathed, leaning over and giving the emo-teen's soft cheek a kiss after pulling back in front of the 7-11. He dug a ten-dollar bill from the pocket of his jeans and handed to Ian." Run your cute, little ass in there and get us a couple Slurries." Ian relaxed slightly when the other touched his cheek though it was weird for him just because he didn’t expect the other to be like that towards him, it was nice, actually. When the car stopped, and he was handed some money he nodded getting out of the car if the other was willing to spend money on him, he definitely wasn’t going to complain. “Alright.” Walking into the 7-11 he made his way over to the slurries machine after a moment or two deciding on what exactly to get he filled two of them and paid for them. Walking out he got back into the car sipping at one of them as he handed the other one to Jake. “Thank you.” Ian said figuring the other did pay for it after all. "Yeah, you like attention from a jock like me, don'tTCA," Jake grinned, massaging the back of the kid's neck as they both worked on their cold Slurries. They were extra nice on the humid, summer day, but did little to cool down Jake's sex drive. He was sure Heather would have an interesting reaction if she knew her brother was occupying her space in his Corvette. She might even have to kiss a little ass to reclaim her seat if Ian was the potential slut he imagined." Take off your shirt. Show me a little skin," Jake said, tugging at the collar of his tee as he leaned over and licked Ian's cheek. Ian inwardly said that he liked the attention from the other not because he was a jock, but he didn’t want to say it out loud. “I guess…but I was only thanking you for buying me this.” The boy held up the cup as he was more than half finished he placed it in the cupholder as the other requested he takes his shirt off. Shifting in his seat he undid the seatbelt so he could remove his shirt easier, as soon as he did he pulled his shirt off showing his slender pale chest.“So…uh…where are we going to do this?” They were still out in front of the 7-11, and he would rather people not happen to see. "Shit, Marty was right. You're freaking prime," Jake said, running his large hand over the smooth and lightly muscled chest and tummy of the smaller boy. Another jock wouldn't have turned Jake on in the least. He was sure that Ian had no idea that he had more cocks than just his and Marty's pointed his way. He wondered if Ian's best friend Dylan, who was also emo, could be had too." Play with your favorite, new toy. I'll find us a place," Jake directed, pushing Ian's hand into his crotch. He drove aimlessly until he decided on the mall parking lot. He stuck his car in the back near some of the employee's cars where he could see if anyone came." Mmmmm, Heather," Jake breathed, pulling Ian close. He was going to kiss the kid till his lips went numb just like he did with his sister. He shivered slightly when the other touched his chest, it felt good to be touched by someone else. When the other pushed his hand to his crotch and started driving again he awkwardly massaged the other’s cock through his pants as they drove along. Ian wondered where they were going exactly he knew they couldn’t go back to his house cause his sister was still there obviously and that would be problematic. When they finally parked he glanced over at the other as he was pulled in close and the jock said his sister’s name. Inwardly he was a little irritated put he knew that he had no right to since he was just acting as a replacement for his sister so it was expected though didn’t make him any less jealous. Ian leaned forward slightly pressing his lips to the other’s he didn’t mind kissing since at least he probably wouldn’t have to hear his sister’s name. Jake sucked mouthfuls of spit from the younger boy's mouth. The fact that it wasn't Heather he was kissing was soon forgotten. He might freak out some later when he realized he had sucked face with another guy, but for now it was his cock that was driving him and his cock wanted to taste more of Ian." Hot FM...mmm...fucking, little fox," Jake growled, nipping and nursing at Ian's rubbery lower lip before descending to the sixteen year-old's nipples. Jake slurped at the boy titties. He sucked on it hard drawing into his mouth as far as was possible. He nipped at the sensitive nubs before sucking on them even harder. Jake slipped his hand between Ian's legs and massaged his cock through his skinny jeans. Ian gasped softly when the other started sucking on his nipples and started rubbing his cock through his tight jeans. He couldn’t help but start to get hard because of the attention the jock was giving him. Times like these were a terrible time to where tight pants they made things uncomfortable quickly. He continued to massage the other as well pulling at the other’s pants awkwardly undoing them somehow, so his hand could slip in and wrap around the other’s cock he was just holding it sort of taking in the feel of someone else’s cock in his hand instead of his own. "Mummy...yeah, that pretty mouth of yours wants my cock, huh, slut?" Jake growled, letting the nipple snap back into place from in between his teeth. He kissed Ian's mouth hard getting another good taste of the kid's spit. Heather whined when their kisses got too intense. Ian seemed to revel in it. Jake moved to the boy's neck and sucked at the sensitive flesh. He'd leave his mark on the little tart to let Marty know he had been there first." Show me what that pretty mouth of yours can do you little fag," Jake breathed, pushing the emo's face into his crotch. He gave Ian's little package was last feel. He squeezed a little hard leaving Heather's brother with an ache in his boy balls." C'mon girl, get sucking." Ian didn’t answer the other he just continued to stroke the other’s cock, taking in a sharp breath when the other let go of his nipple. He enjoyed this even if he was just a replacement it didn’t matter and when the other suddenly kissed him hard again he kissed back just as intensely it was great. When he was pushed down to the other’s crotch he hardly hesitated before he put his lips around the other’s cock, he had never done this before so he hoped he was doing okay, and so he kept looking up to get some kind of sign he was doing it right. Ian enjoyed sucking so far, his head bobbed up and down as he sucked on as much as he could take. "Mummy...that pretty face of yours is made for fucking dick, baby," Jake hummed, fucking another inch into the wet slipperiness of the kid's mouth. The difference between a girl and a fag was instantly obvious. Girls did it because it was expected. Fags did it because they wanted it. Jake moaned again feeling the tightness of Ian's throat tighten around the head of his cock. He pulled back some when the kid gagged, but pushed it right back in again just as deep. Jake ran his large hands through the emo's long, black hair. He hadn't known Ian until he started dating Heather. He wondered if the kid had blond hair like his sister under all that dye. Jake supposed he had bullied Ian before the hair change, but who paid attention to which dweeb was which." Yeah, you're going to make me forget about that sister of yours sucking my cock like that," Jake chuckled, reaching for a feel of Ian's perks ass through his jeans. The boy gagged slightly when the other pushed his cock down his throat a little bit, but luckily he pulled back, and he continued sucking until the other did it again, and he tried his best to not gag this time but couldn’t help it. Ian pulled back again before he tried going that far himself this time he didn’t gag, and he was excited about it. When the jock said what he did his mind raced cause that’s exactly what he wanted to make the other forget. His tongue ran along the underside of the other’s cock as he sucked trying to push himself to take the other’s cock deeper into his throat. It took a little while, but he could actually start to get some of the other’s length down his throat which he took pride in. Sucking harder he savored the taste and the feel of the other. Jets of warm cum fired from Jake's cock into the emo's sucking mouth and straight down his throat. The jock couldn't remember having cum so hard. It might have been Ian's first dick, but his pretty mouth was made for a fat, man prick like Jake's." Fuck, I don't believe you ain't sucked a dick before. None of the girls who have blown me are as good as you," Jake breathed, leaving his cock in the kid's mouth for an after cum cleaning. He ran his hand through Ian's long hair. He messed it up good, and before he drove the boy home he made sure to touch up the little hickey he had left on Ian's neck.***********************He left a message of Heather's iPhone." Hey. Heather. Your brother is a hot, little cocksucker. I branded his neck for proof I took him. I'm taking his cute ass next. Furthermore, I'm tired of playing games with you." Ian swallowed all the other’s cum pulling back so he could suck the tip like he was milking it for his cum cleaning the other’s cock off; it just excited him a lot. When the jock finally let go of his head he sat up wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Well I haven’t done that before…but I like porn and well I just mimicked that.” He was glad that he was being complimented because he hadn’t really been sure if he was good enough at it. When they got to his house he rubbed at what he could feel was a hickey trying his best to cover it as he walked back into the house. Without paying much attention he just walked off to his room and laid down planning to sleep. It wasn’t like he knew that Jake had texted Heather and that she would probably be pissed at him. "Little fag," Heather mumbled, the next morning when she found that her younger brother in fact had a hickey from Jake on his neck. She should have known Ian was a cocksucker. All emo guys were hot for cocks. Her brother and his friend Dylan had been probably slurping on each other's Popsicles all along. Over the next week at school the jocks, bullies and pretty much everyone else, including the girls began to treat Ian differently. He now had a rep. Word was he was sucking off Jake and him and Dylan were likely sucking each other's cock and face every chance they had. Girls, including his sister, now viewed him as serious competition. Any boy, or girl, who gave BJs was always a threat to the hold they had on their boyfriend's balls. They'd need to put out a little, or risk losing their guy to Heather's fruity kid brother. Heather herself began sucking Jake off the very next day. When he complained that Ian gave better head she started to consider giving him her pussy. A few boys Ian had never really talked too much before started to talk to him. One nerd in particular, Todd, was after him all the time. He even invited himself to sit with him and Dylan at lunch. Ian had a good idea what Todd was after. There was no doubt what Todd wanted when on Friday he told Ian he would do any homework for him that he was having trouble with if he just let him suck him off after school. But that wasn't the only offer Ian got that Friday. Mike, the school, pot dealer had offered to keep him high if he became his 'boy'. Mike said he'd take care of Dylan's head too if it was a dealmaker. And speaking of his best friend Dylan he changed too when he found out that the rumors that Ian had blown Jake were true. He almost flirted. He also tried to talk Ian into keeping the emo cut, but going back to his blond hair saying he could even help him wash 'that shit' out of his hair. Furthermore, he offered to do his pubic hair too if he had also dyed that. Then blushing, he added, "Or we could forget hair down there and shave each other smooth like a couple of girls." Then there was Marty. Marty had always been a problem for Ian. The bigger boy had out-and-out beat him up occasionally. Then there was the time he had panted him in front of a group of girls who didn't seem too impressed by the size of his cock. They also got a good laugh when Marty stuck his dry finger up his cheeky behind. Then there were the times he had threatened and humiliated him. They were countless. Marty along with his buddy, Gary, had caught him in the east wing boys room that Friday." I heard you were sucking on Jake's cock. I always knew you were a girl," Marty hissed into his ear. Having stepped behind him at the urinal and pressing up against him. "Me and Gary here need an after school bitch. Meet me at my locker after the last class and don't be late you little clicker." Who was Ian going to choose? Ian didn’t realize a silly little thing like sucking off the guy he liked would cause such a big commotion, but it did, he guessed it was his sister’s fault she was pissed so she probably spread what had happened. He knew Heather knew what had happened because of how she had treated him in the morning. Ian was a little mad that Jake had told like that he had figured that he would keep it between them. When guys at school began to talk to him, he started shying away from them even more, knowing exactly what a lot of them wanted after all they had never talked to him before. And when the nerd sat with them at lunch offering homework help he shuttered all of this was going very awkwardly.“Are you kidding? No I would rather not, thanks anyway Dylan.” Ian rolled his eyes at his best friend irritated that Dylan was acting weird like other people at school, he just didn’t want to completely shave off his pubic hair, and he was going to keep his hair black no matter what anyone else thought. “And I’m keeping my hair black though I think I may cut it.” He only said that because he knew his hair now made him seem more girly. Brushing off everyone’s advances he began to wonder if things would go back to normal at some point. Though it seemed like Mike had one of the best offers he wasn’t one for getting high so he just didn’t answer him figuring if he really wanted to he could give an answer later. Ian was unable to stifle a shutter as he noticed Marty and Gary come into the bathroom as he stood at the urinal, he hated Marty that guy had bullied him the most out of anyone. He knew better than to say anything really not wanting to be in pain for the rest of the day so he stayed quite and went back to class. But almost as soon as he heard the bell ring he darted out of class avoiding Marty’s locker he obviously just wanted to go home knowing school was going to be hell for at least a while. Dude! U have to keep your hair LONG! You look good that way and I bet Jake likes you best that way... I do too. If you make it blond again you'd be sexier than your sister. I'll help you wash it out...So went the text from Dylan. Later..." Hey See, come on over, bud. I'm horny, and I got junk to make your cute head spin"...that was Mike... Todd called with the same offer. Marty called and threatened to rape his little ass if he didn't meet him NOW. Then there was a message from Jake..." How is my girl?" Ian glanced through his texts ignoring his friend for the moment at least he took in a deep breath feeling uncomfortable as he received the calls he did. He knew that Marty’s threats weren’t empty, but he was pretty sure that the guy had intended to rape him anyway so he would be out of luck either way. When he noticed the text from Jake he glared at it for a moment before deciding to call the other. “I'm not good at all! This is so your fault! Everyone at school is treating me like I’m a damn whore! And Marty is so going to rape me….” Ian muttered the last part though he was furious as he walked down the street towards his house. Ian liked Jake, but he really wished he had never done that with him, it had caused way too many problems. Pausing where he was he made his way back to school and hesitantly towards Marty’s locker figuring the other might go a little easier on him if he showed up. Placing his phone back in his backpack he watched the other carefully. "Well, if it isn't Jake's little slut. Hot for a mouthful of bigger cock, girl?" Marty grinned, talking loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear. Jake had called him and warned him against raping the kid. Marty promised, but he also said if Ian came to him, he would stick the kid deep and make the 'pretty fucker bleed for me'." But I fuck my bitches. Can your cute pussy handle my fat prick, pretty thing?" Marty smirked, speaking even louder. "But anyway I don't touch any chicks without lipstick and some nice smelling perfume so, you better run home and steal it off your sister's dresser and run to my house. You got a half hour, girl." The boy grit his teeth obviously furious that the other said things like that to him. “I do not plan to be your bitch Marty.” Though Marty frightened him he decided to stand up to him. Ian moved back actually wondering why he had ended up coming back to school when he really shouldn’t have.“And I will not wear lipstick…so I guess you’re out of luck.” Ian muttered feeling rather brave as he stood there in front of the other. He wondered what Jake was doing now momentarily. “If you leave me alone after this though I will do what I did for Jake, I’ll be willing. Meaning you can’t beat me up or bully me anymore though.” Though he wasn’t sure this was going to go very well, but he had to try. "Deal, but you blow Gary here too," Marty began, of course he didn't necessarily have any intention of keeping such a promise. Slapping this cute shit around was too much fun to give it up forever."AND...everyone here gets to watch," Marty grinned, meaning everyone who was listening in on their exchange. "We will send them a copy of the little video we are going to make to their e-mails. All that is left is for you to choose a cameraman. You will blow him too." Ian wondered if this was a bad choice part of him screamed to just go home but if he had an opportunity to be left alone by Marty he would take the opportunity. But he didn’t want everyone to watch that was for sure so he just stood there not looking at anyone else though he could feel that those around them were watching intensely obviously curious as to what was going to happen. “Okay.” The boy muttered really embarrassed that he was going to go along with this to get what he wanted, for Marty to leave him the hell alone. He had no idea who he was supposed to pick as the cameraman. “Uh…. Jake I guess…” He said hesitantly that was just the only person that came to mind and at least he already had blown him before so it would go easier. "No, Buttercup, you have to choose a boy that is here," Marty smirked, knowing Jake wouldn't allow him to make a video. Making Ian choose a boy from this group of boys that never had his mouth turned him on. Marty turned the blond to face the crowd. He pulled Ian's shirt up and fingered his delicate nipple. Eleven boys, all of whom he knew at least a little from school, stood before him hot to feel the thick lips of their recently outed classmate around their cocks." Come on, baby, tell us which one you want to suck off the most." When the other told him he had to decide from the group of guys already staring at them, he shuttered, obviously embarrassed he didn’t want to have to do this and all he knew was that Marty better keep his promise and leave him alone forever after this. Ian hesitated when he was being made to choice pushing away the other’s hand first. He did not make eye contact with any of them, but he chose the most attractive out of the group, and he gestured to him though he did not remember his name. “… I guess him then.” Ian wanted to disappear already with the way everyone was staring at him obviously wanting his lips around their cocks. "Hear that Stevie boy. Ian here is hot to suck your cock. He probably jerks off at night thinking about you naked," Marty laughed, wrapping his arms around Ian from behind and humping his hardening dick at the smaller teen's rear-end. However, the bully was never much on sharing. He smiled at Steve..." Maybe you can give this slut a call later if you want your cock sucked. He can be your girlfriend tonight. This afternoon he is mine," Marty grinned, taking a hold of Ian's arm and leading him to the school exit followed by Gary." Have him suck you off in the backseat," Marty directed, as they came to his car. He wanted Ian to himself. Gary could get off quick and the Marty would drop him off at home." Make sure he gets every drop." Inwardly he began to panic a little bit after all he knew that it wasn’t a smart idea to go anywhere with Marty. He had no idea what kinds of things would really happen, but he knew he would have no control over them now that he was stupid enough to meet the other by his locker instead of just going home like he should have. Ian wanted to yank his arm away from the other’s grip and run away, but he knew he probably wouldn’t get far so he just let the other drag him along. When they got to the car he was made to get in the back seat with Gary he shuttered as he wondered why the other would make him do this now because he thought he would have to suck the both of them off right after each other. Ian was pretty sure that the other wanted him alone which definitely scared him more than the two of them together. Marty stiffened up watching as the kid finished off his Gary right in front of his house. He reached over into the backseat and held Ian's head down to make sure the kid got every drop of cum. When it was over he hustled his buddy out of the car and had Ian crawl into the front passenger seat." Loved that didn't you cocksucker," Marty accused, pulling over and leaning over. He kissed Ian's cum smeared lips. Marty squished his tongue between the dummy, cock-bruised lips. He licked up the taste of Gary's sperm. He kissed harder for every trace." Jake fuck you yet?" Ian whimpered as he was held down as Gary came in his mouth though the noise was drowned out by the cum filling his mouth. He was made to swallow it all down before he was able to be let up again. It seemed Gary wasn’t staying for too long as the other forced the guy out and made him get in the front seat. When Marty suddenly kissed him he tried to pull back at first, but there wasn’t much room to go as the car door was shut. So Ian just let the man kiss him sort of feeling scared especially after the next question, this obviously wasn’t good. “No, he hasn’t… And I said I would only do what I did with him, which is suck you off.” Ian didn’t want to do anything at all with Marty, but he had said he would suck him off if he left him alone from now on. “That’s all I’m doing with you.” Besides, he was waiting and hoping that Jake would be the first to fuck him. "Sorry, baby...your ass is mine. My dick is getting your cherry," Marty grinned, pushing the kid away and pulling back into traffic. He drove to the outskirts of town and to a small park dense with trees and bushed." C'mon, you're going to get fucked whether you like it, or not," Marty said, getting out of the car and pulling Ian by the arm through the drivers side. He gave the kid a push and pointed to a path." Lead the way, princess." Ian shook his head he was not going to go along with this though he knew that Marty was definitely stronger than him so he probably wouldn’t be given a choice at all. He wished that he had tried to seduce Jake into fucking him before so he would have at least had his first time with someone he liked instead of how it was going to be with Marty. He tried to crawl over the seats as he was dragged out the driver’s side door, but he hit his knee a couple of times. When he was pushed in the direction the other obviously wanted him to go he shook his head defiantly standing still. “No, fuck you I am not going to get fucked by you. Take me home.” "Fucking cocksucker," Marty snarled, kicking Ian hard without warning in the balls. When the kid went down the thug used the steel tip of his boot to kick the younger teen in the tummy, the side and anywhere else Ian left open including a second shot to his hurting nuts." You look fucking hot all messed up," Marty laughed, placing his foot on the emo's neck to hold him in place as he pulled his erect cock from his jeans and began to beat off. Watching Ian fighting to keep from crying turned him on even more. He jerked his cock faster. A long string of pre-cum hung from the tip of his dick before it snapped and landed on the pretty thing's tear-streaked cheek. There was sudden extreme pain as the other kicked him in the balls he yelped and fell to the ground gripping himself before receiving a kick to the stomach. He curled up trying his best not to cry not really wanting to cry in front of the other as the other continued to kick him in various place. “Stop.” The boy gasped though he knew his words never seemed to help him. Ian closed his eyes tightly trying to fight back the tears in vain as they still slid down his cheeks as the other’s foot pressed against his neck he had no idea what he was going to do now, but obviously it wasn’t going to be good. His eyes snapped open as something hit his cheek his vision was slightly blurry from crying, but he managed to notice the other was jerking off on him making him close his eyes again. It didn't take long for Marty to cum. Having the cute face of the sexy, little emo as incentive sent him over the top after maybe ten strokes, or so. Marty grunted, aiming his throbbing dick at Ian's face. The face he would have loved to mark up good with his fists so, that it wasn't so pretty anymore. Marty knew better than to rape, or fuck up Jake's boy too badly. He might even get Jake coming after him for this, but he'd contend Ian came willingly and wanted it rough." Open up your mouth, girl. This is what you were waiting for," Marty spat, covering the boy's face with jets of ball juice. When he was finished he gave Ian one last kick in the balls and told him he had better find a ride home and walked to his car." Maybe that boy you are hot for, Steve, will come get you," Marty called out as he sped away. Ian did not open his mouth as the cum dripped all over his face not wanting it in his mouth if he didn’t have to, and obviously he didn’t as he received another kick and the other went away. He curled up again whimpering slightly as he tried to sooth the pain and using his shirt he whipped off the other’s cum finally opening his eyes again after a little bit. Obviously he had been left in the middle of now whereby that asshole though he supposed he was lucky that he hadn’t been raped. Trapping his phone he called Jake, pleading him to come get him so he wouldn’t be stuck trying to walk home from here. "What the fuck are you going with Marty for?" Jake asked, pulling off his shirt and wiping the mess off his boys face. He'd deal with Marty later. No one fucked with his boy, but right then he was too pissed at Ian to even think of that asshole." Okay, I've been an ass lately. So you decide to go hunting for another dick. I thought you'd know better than going after Marty...fuckin' stupid, Ian," Jake frowned, tossing the shirt outside the car. He bitched the kid out all the way into town knowing a good part of this mess was his fault." Hey, are you okay, babe?" Jake asked, reaching over and caressing the back of the younger teens neck stopped at a light back in town. When Jake came and got him he was relived at least someone was concerned about him at least a little bit. Ian sat in the passenger’s seat sinking down slightly as the other bitched him about being dumb enough to go with Marty. “I don’t know… I guess I’m stupid… I just thought he would hurt he is worse if I didn’t go I guess. And I figured maybe I could bargain with him, and he would leave me alone now.” Saying his reasoning out loud made him realize how dumb he had been. “I’m sorry.” He muttered placing his head in his hands he sighed heavily until the other touched him gently making him relax slightly. Looking over at Jake he nodded slightly. “Yeah I suppose I am at this moment. But I hate school more than ever, I really don’t want to go back.” The last part he muttered slightly knowing that wasn't really what the other meant, but he wanted to add that. He knew he could drop out, but his parents would be mad so it wouldn't really be the best thing to do.

My Sister's Boyfriend|rating:2.0

An artist and Her Muse (Roziel, Laura)

What was she doing? This question filtered though Lydia's mind for the thirtieth time as she stepped through the doors of the brightly lit bar. She'd never been to a place like this before. Actually to be perfectly honest she'd never been to any type of bar before, but this one was particularly different. This bar was favored by the LGBT community in the area. At least that was the best way Lydia could think to describe it to herself, saying 'gay bar' seemed... offensive somehow. Frankly Lydia hadn't really given much consideration to this sort of thing before. Oh, she knew about Homosexuality, transgenders and the like, and She supported the idea of people being able to love and live as they liked (as long as it didn't hurt anyone else) but that had really been it. At least until a couple of weeks ago. Lydia frowned pushing a hand through her hair it felt strange cut short to her shoulders, the waves it had hung in before where now more curly without the weight of it being so long. She'd only grown it long because Parker had asked... no, no Because Parker had told her to. He'd been good at that Masking demands with gentle requests, It had Taken Lydia almost five years to work out that he was using her. Abusing her difficulties for his own gain. And once she had, and he knew he couldn't milk any more money or things out of her, He'd lashed out, violently until she'd worked up the nerve to call the cops. Or at least make Parker think she had. In his fit of rage he'd flat out accused her of being a frigid bitch, no good to anyone and probably gay anyway. While his insults had washed over her one thing had stuck out. Was she gay? She'd never really considered it before. Frankly sexuality as a whole had held little meaning. She was more interested in her art than anything else. The only reason she'd even started Dating Parker was because at 19 her mother seemed to think she should be getting married and popping out babies. After all that was what she had done, and clearly with Lydia's condition she could never hope to get a job or support herself on her own. And it was her duty as a good woman to marry and have her husbands children. All Lydia wanted to do was draw, sketch out the pictures that where always floating before her, beautiful and fluid in ways she could only express with color. But, she felt lonely to, even with Parker it just wasn't right she'd been discontent, she'd tried being happy with him to find ways to suit, but it seemed everything she did made him mad. Was it so much to want someone who understood? Or even just someone who accepted the way she was? Well at least she could see for herself whether she was into women or something. The bar was crowded and actually rather present. She'd expected the sort of thing she saw of bars on TV, but the place was neat the lighting, Ok, good enough to work with at least, and people milling around enjoying themselves, The fact that men where kissing men and women where grinding against each other on the dance floor was just another element of a crowded scene.... She felt her throat close up, so many people, so much bodies pressing in pushing her down into the feeling of hot claustrophobia and panic that made her sick. She rushed through the packed bodies and managed to find a small back table that wasn't being used. Once she was able to breath she fished her sketchbook and pencils out of her bag. She'd draw have a couple drinks and... observe. After all, there was no law saying she had to introduce herself or join any of the groups. Karen was sitting in her usual place at the bar nursing her glass of beer and waiting for a decent song to come on the jukebox, why did Gays and Lesbians have to have such shit taste in music she thought! Karen, although a lesbian herself was very much of the hard music variety, the plastic techno, wave sound whatever the fuck this was, was just making her beer go flat, she swore it was. Karen Edison wasn't much for bars and clubs, right now though she wanted to be here, asides from the music that is, 6ft tall in bare feet and curvy, her red hair in curls draping halfway down her back, black leather jacket and blue jeans, a motorcycle momma, she felt she had had enough of social time and was about to leave downing the last half of her beer in one go. As she got up and started to walk to the door she noticed a young lady sitting in the corner booth, not odd in itself but odd in a place where everyone was congregated around the middle somewhere in one large group. If there was one thing that got Karen's attention it was a black sheep, someone who was a little different, a little odd perhaps, someone who sat in a social setting but far removed from it. What was this woman doing? It seemed that she was drawing, curio user and curio user! She ordered another beer and walked over to this odd lady, she was cute too, sitting down opposite her without asking permission she looked at the woman and smiled." Hi, I'm Karen" she said. Lydia gasped looking up blue eyes wide with surprise, clearly she hadn't expected anyone to join her. The woman before her was quite beautiful an engaging smile wild free hair and an air of 'what ever when ever' The artist in her instantly wanted to draw, to sketch and paint every plane and expression on her face. She blushed faintly realizing she was staring "O-oh ah um h-hello Hi, sorry Hi I'm Lydia." she managed to stammer out finally laughing sheepishly at her own stumbling"Sorry I wasn't expecting anyone to sit here, Ah I mean you're not bothering me, I mean... I don't mind you sitting there." she said babbling a little helplessly, why was she so bad at talking with people, the things she wanted to say never came out right. She reached to grab the glass of water she'd asked for and sipped slowly looking away embarrassed. What should she do what should she say? Anxiety weighed heavily as she tried to think of something"U-uh... D-do you come here often? I've never been here before, I wasn't sure what to expect." she admitted honestly smiling Karen smiled as her own emerald green eyes were met with this woman's blue ones, she seemed stunned and flattered all at once, Karen didn't consider herself to be much of a socialite but at the same time she knew that there were many people who were far more socially inept then herself, it seemed that this woman was one of them. Truth be told Karen wasn't socially inept at all, she was just a misfit, someone who didn't fit in too well and played by her own rules, she could talk to people and wasn't lacking in confidence at all however she just never really felt good around many people, friendships and girlfriends for her were few and far between. She smiled as she saw how nervous this woman was, Lydia, she managed to introduce herself at least, Lydia was this odd woman's name, she was answering questions that weren't asked and then came out with the tried and true "Do you come here often" line.Oh, this woman was a prize!" First time here for me as well, the music is shit as you can hear" she started responding, "Well, what to expect? Chicks getting on with each other, men ducking into the toilets to fuck" she said laughing before leaning over the table and faux whispering." You know you're in a gay bar, right?" she smiled. Karen's smile was engaging and prompted a small shy smile from Lydia it was neat, she sort of looked like Michelle Pfeiffer in grease 2 except with red hair! When she said it was her first time coming here Lydia felt a bit better, strangely she'd almost been afraid she'd be kicked out for not being a regular or something like that. She always worried about those sorts of weird things." A-AH! Shhh!" she said quickly looking around thankfully the music was too loud for anyone to notice "oh! S-sorry but... I don't think you're supposed to call it that... I don't want anyone to get offended..." she admitted "People get upset about so many things now, it's hard to keep track of what you are and aren't allowed to say in the interests of 'political correctness' and being polite." she said honestly"Mmm... but I know... Furthermore, I know where I am I sort of... well I." she trailed off blushing brightly "I-I just thought maybe, I might, I don't know.... Maybe, I like girls? I'm not sure..." Karen waited as she saw Lydia was scrambling for thoughts in her head, almost as if all the thoughts were whirring around in her mind and she was trying to work out which ones were right to say aloud. Karen laughed a little at the words that did come out, she leaned in close again enjoying this sense of intrigue, "You know what, every dyke and faggot in here can go fuck themselves, I have had it with all these cunts getting offended by everything under the sun, fuck them, they will be scared of sitting on their own shadows soon, thinking their shadows are being oppressed" she said with a grin curious to see what Lydia would do with this information." Well I like girls, what makes you think you like them honey, do tell" she said smiling." Can I get you a drink?" she added most curious. Lydia gasped her expression twisting until giggles escaped her "Oh that's awful I shouldn't be laughing." she said between barely suppressed chuckles Looking at Karen with a warmer smile feeling more relaxed "That's true enough, fighting for a persons rights is one thing, but we've gotten a bit excessive." she said softly"Well. I don't know to be honest." she said thoughtfully "when my boyfriend left me he said I was bridged and cold, he said maybe I was gay. It's not something I'd ever really considered before, so I thought I might come and see, but Well no one stands out more than anyone else... there all the same, men and women, I think their beautiful from an artistic standpoint but, I don't know, there's nothing... there... I guess?" she sighed before shaking her head "oh no that's ok I have my water I'm a terrible drinker I get so giggly." she said admitted before frowning she was here to learn more about herself right?" A-actually." she said her expression steeling as she obviously internally pumped herself up "I-I'd like that very much... c-could I have. One of those alcoholic lemonades please?" she said her confidence blowing out as she spoke. Karen smiled again, she was liking this Lydia, "Well it is funny and as long as we only make fun of pretentious twats than no harm is done" she said with another laugh." It's gotten to the point now where the former oppressed are becoming the oppressors themselves, yet they are hanging on with all the strength they can muster to the title of underdog, it's just all bullshit to me, these people create more division than they even realize" she answered." Ok, so boyfriend doesn't like the way you have sex, or perhaps not have sex with him, and he calls you a dyke, that is truly original" she responded." Sure" Karen said as she got up and walked to the bar and returned with an alcoholic lemonade, "I noticed you like to draw, tell me more about that" she asked the awkward cutie." Well I think we should just chat and then worry about whether you might like chicks or not" she smiled as she took another swig of her beer. Lydia chuckled "I-I guess so as long as they don't hear I'd hate to hurt anyone's feelings." she said nodding "It's difficult to understand, For someone like me, I just..." she trailed off blushing faintly "Well I don't want to come off as Pretentious so maybe I'll keep that to myself for now." she said with a light laugh." O-oh well... I don't know... I was really only dating him to make my mother happy, a good girl dates a nice young man eventually settles down and gets married. As it is, she only barely tolerates that I have a job at all. She's very... well I suppose you could say old world." she said sheepishly." Thank you... Mmm I love drawing, It's something I've done, well forever I guess." she said shifting to turn the sketchbook for Karen to see, with a few fast strokes she had boxed off a couple different scenes around the bar, people around a table chatting and laughing, Dancers on the floor Two women chatting at the bar, the movement and intimacy of the scenes was there even in the rough sketches." If nothing else, being here is great for getting a feel of mood and setting... I uh... she blushed brightly "I write comics..." she mumbled sheepishly looking up at Karen's suggestion she smiled "I'd like that a lot." she said happily. Karen laughed at Lydia's cautious response, clearly Lydia was not used to talking so openly or for that matter being spoken to in such a way, "Well whenever you are ready to go off on a rant about whatever pisses you off, then you go right ahead baby" she said to her as she sat back and continued to listen to the cutie tell her story." And pray tell what did boyfriend do for work? Was it something awesome?" she asked wondering what type of work her ex may have done that would have impressed her mother." You really do have some talent there, I always wished I could draw, hey I have to ask, how do you feel when you do nudes? All you arty types draw nudes don't you?" she asked cheekily but also genuinely curious."Oh, comics too! What are they about, tell me about your creations" she asked. Lydia chuckled "I'll keep that in mind." she said lightly. The more the talked the more she relaxed, one on one like this, it was easy once she settled into the groove of the conversation, she was warmer now as well. Being comfortable made her less reserved and on edge." Oh, He worked for an IT firm selling Hard wear to other companies, which was really his fancy way of saying he cold computers." she said rolling her eyes. "But it was a stable job with a good paycheck and good future prospects for advancement." she said idly "That's the sort of thing my mother assumes a woman should time for. That's how my father was." Lydia chuckled at the question about nude "Seems like everyone who doesn't draw asks that question." she said lightly "Frankly it doesn't bother me, Skin is skin, drawing nudes just give me a chance to appreciate the full beauty of the body presented to me. People are fascinating, so many shapes and sizes, Like flowers..." she mused before blushing "S-sorry that sounded stupid..." she mumbled"Oh well I did some inks and coloring for Marvel but right now I'm doing adaptation work for Dark Horse, all the young adult book to movies that have been so popular? Well a lot of them are being made into comics as well." she explained "Aside from that I have a couple web comics I work on the side, One is in print the other only just started um. I don't know if their popular enough, Lotus Rain." she said sheepishly Karen noted that Lydia was calming down a little now, still quirky but no longer that nervous jumpy behavior that she displayed at the start, the girl was talented, odd, shy, insecure and yet with her own form of inner strength but. Well did she mention odd?" Well if computer salesman who impresses mother says you are a dyke than you must be one right?" she said laughing, Lydia had no idea how lucky she was found by Karen rather than of the more predatory Mezzo's around here that would have pushed her into experimentation that would have been 2 steps from full on rape or sexual assault. Karen wasn't interested in converting anyone, nor was she interested in just grinding pussies with someone she didn't have a connection with, in actual fact Karen was bisexual, she was just as happy with the right man as she was with the right woman." Well how happy is mother though?" she winked at Lydia at her latest comment. Karen found herself blushing, and a warmth run over her as Lydia described drawing nudes, this girl was a rather rare flower herself, "You're an Angel...an actual Angel." she said under breath not really meaning to, not really wanting to say anything "silly" herself but also just perplexed and enchanted by this lady." Marvel? Get fucked, seriously! What did you draw for Marvel, Iron Horse, really? Show me your website, show me stuff" she said rather agitated, she was excited by this girl, fuck, she was rarely excited by anyone, she wasn't even into comics, she just wanted to spend more time with this girl, to keep her talking, to be with her, she was forming a crush already." Lotus Rain? Man, that sounds really darkly erotic, what is that one about?" she asked eagerly. Lydia blinked before laughing At Karen's statement "Well no, it's not that so much as... he opened up an avenue I'd never considered before, maybe I was a bad girlfriend because I am interested in women. It wasn't something I'd really thought of before. As you can imagine for my mother Normalcy is a woman with a man tending home and hearth." she said sheepishly"O-oh well... she doesn't know yet... She's with my stepfather in Bali on an uh, third honeymoon." she said softly tucking hair back behind her ear, forgetting a moment she'd cut it, the curl just fell right back into her face." Hmm?" She looked up, she thought she'd heard Karen say something, but the music had suddenly gotten very loud, and she'd missed it entirely"Yeah, kind of crazy, huh? No nothing in their main line though I'd love to work on something like Iron Man or X-men, I do work on their smaller projects, or I did before I got the offer from dark horse. I have a lot more freedom, so I prefer the work there." she said honestly laughing surprised Karen was so interested, flattered to be honest, such a beautiful woman showing interest in her and her work."Oh, no nothing like that, actually the story follows the soul of a woman through her various reincarnations, how she suffers and eventually dies, as the story goes one it becomes clear that she's suffering like this as punishment by an old god when she'd Killed his lover. She'd been an animal a Large Cat and had simply hunted." she explained Karen became a little annoyed, annoyed that this woman had been fed some bad lines from a loser computer salesman, and now she was blaming herself for everything." And what makes you think you were a bad girlfriend exactly? I want to know this, and I still don't believe that you are a lesbian, why, because he told you so? Come on Lydia, do you think that you just might like some men and some women? Do you even think you have to make a decision?" she said with a little bit of passion in her voice and then realizing that her tone might scare Lydia she leaned in again and touched her hand." Look sweetheart, I like some boys and some girls, it's no big deal to like both, but I do not like tossers of either gender" she said with a caring tone and a smile." Well sounds like mom there is another winner" she said going back to her usual harsh and direct manner. Karen was a little relieved that the music picked up, and she didn't hear the Angel line that she said louder than she wanted to. Karen had no clue about comic books, she barely had seen the films for them, she listened anyway about the titles and nodded her head, she didn't care, she just wanted to bask in Lydia's beauty and personality."Wow," Karen responded when she heard about the Lotus story, what kind of drugs did this chick take, because she was pretty sure that she wanted some!" Ok that is out there, so she is just sentenced to eternal death really? Does it ever end? Is her death ever finite where eventually God decides she has suffered enough and lets her die for good?" she asked as she amazed herself by even understanding the story enough to ask questions about it. Lydia gasped softly at Karen's vehemence "O-oh w-well I... mm... I get nervous w-when I'm touched even when he touched me a-and s-sometimes I... I feel ashamed when he asked me to do certain... things." she managed blushing "I-I guess he said that Because of my problems I was always messing up... that I'd better do better because he was the only one who could tolerate me." she mumbled weakly." I don't know what I think. For me there's no real difference between men and women except in how I can draw them. Sex and sexuality aren't really things I think about. Sure I get a bit, personally excited if I read a steamy novel for example, but I just don't really think about sex and that sort of thing. I just want... to be with someone who understands me." she admitted softly. "Gender is inconsequential to my desire just to be loved." she said trailing off now she felt stupid"Oh well... he's very nice, and mother is very happy so that's ok I just don't think I matter too much to him."" W-well it is a bit strange I guess. Actually as she goes through her lives she slowly starts regaining her memories of the other lives. That how I present the story, it's set sort of near future and as she lives and works she has memories of her past lives surfacing. She works enforcing law on Demons and Vampires. In this incarnation she meets a vampire, and he seems strangely attached to her Breaking rules almost just so he could see her. As she regains her memory she realizes She'd saved his life when he had been a child. She'd been killed shortly after and the boy grew up and was turned into a vampire. He stumbles across her next incarnation and is shocked, slowly the realists what going on so every time she dies He seeks out her new incarnation to try and save her." Karen nodded, "Well maybe you just didn't like him that much? What kind of things did he want you to do? Have you had many relationships or lovers?" she asked inquisitively." And what kind of problems are making you messed up sweetheart?" she asked her in a kind tone. She smiled again, "Seems to me, you just want to be loved honey, nothing wrong with that, I don't think you should worry about whether you are a Lesbian or not just find someone who really does love you unlike your loser ex" she said to her trying to impress upon her that she is not the one with the problem." Sounds like one involved and complicated story there, would be so weird having memories of past lives, when she regains these memories does she know she will end up dying young too" she said in regard to the Lotus work she was involved with, "What else do you write about?" she asked. Lydia shrugged "I don't know, we had similar interest in comics and cartoons and film..." she said softly "I just, I don't know how I'm supposed to know, I liked him well enough before he started asking me to do things for him... Um... d-dirty things..." she blushed covering her cheeks she shook her head "N-no, I went to the movies with a boy who asked me once, but I didn't think it was a date until he tried to kiss me. It freaked me out, and I smacked him... so He spread rumors at school that I was an awful lay." she mumbled weakly." O-oh well... uh..." she hesitated before looking away "I-I'm. Well I'm... autistic..." she mumbled ashamed "I have a condition known as Asperger's, it's a high functioning autism disorder that heavy effects my sensory perception and my understanding of social norms and people." she explained quietly As Karen insisted she not worry about gender Lydia smiled "That's what I would like most just to find someone who loves me." she said warmly"It is a bit I guess. As she regains her memories she slowly understands more about why the vampire is always luring her or crashing in unexpectedly to help her. He'd determined to keep her alive, and he's done well so far, she'd almost thirty now, and she'd never lived that long before. But the old god who cursed her is noticing her more now and each time the vampire saves her He gets angrier." she said mysteriously before laughing "Oh um well I wrote a short SCIFI story about giant robots in space." she said blushing Helen smiled a little almost blushing herself at the term "Dirty things" she had done many, many dirty things herself in the past, she considered that the things this man was asking for were most likely very normal things, but it was more that Lydia didn't want to do them with him that made her feel they were dirty, she imagined that with the right person Lydia would happily do dirty things and think they were beautiful instead." Oh baby, boys haven't been very nice to you have they?" she said looking at her as she heard the story of the other boy who spread the rumors, she squeezed Lydia's hand in a show of support." Well yes, and whether they be a boy or a girl I think you will find someone who loves you honey" she reassured her." So I know a little about Autism, is that why you don't like being touch too much?" she asked her." So each time the God notices her, does he make her life and death more painful? Robots in space, huh? Sounds a little more simple than the Vampire one" she said kindly." So, I'm getting hungry and there is no way I trust the hygiene in here to order food, do you think you might want to get a burger with me?" she asked her new friend. Lydia blushed shaking her head "B-but it's not really their fault I mean... I can be really stupid sometimes I mean, someone else would have understood a lot better what was going on." she mumbled softly. When Karen admitted she knew a bit about autism Lydia smiled "Y-yes My skin is really sensitive, My ears and eyes to, I got the lot, sensitivity all over." she said honestly. "If I approach someone can initiate something like a hug or hand shake I'm ok but when people come at me, I get scared." she said sheepishly"He tries to yes, He wants her to suffer because he's suffering missing his lover." she said before laughing "It is a bit I guess, the main character is mentally disabled but because of that she's able to use a 'relic' a construct the robots where reverse engineered from." she said with a smile "It's more of a study in the autistic mind... with a SCIFI backdrop to it." she said laughing."Ah, actually that sounds great, all these people and noise it's really starting to get to me." she said honestly more than happy to go, especially with such a nice woman. "WWW sweetheart, no, not really. Those things happen to everyone, some guys who are also confused I have to admit try and push and when they don't get their way they get nasty, that isn't because of you or your autism, that is just them and how some of them behave, but they aren't all like that either" she said to her."Oh, and here I am holding your hand all the time, sorry baby" she pulled her hand back, "I am a very physical person but will try and dial it back" she said to her." Wow, well the robots have gone over this woman's head" she said laughing."Yeah, sure lets go, there is a good burger place a few blocks here much quieter part of town as well" she said as she got up and waited for her new friend to pack up her drawing stuff and leave with her. Lydia laughed weakly "I guess... I never know though and well I guess I'm the type to blame myself if things go wrong... then again I'm the type who apologizes for the rain, it used to drive my mother nuts." she said"Oh no, no you're fine. Holding hands isn't so bad and you were comforting me. It's more like being pressed against people on a train or bus, or when you have a new friend, and they grab you suddenly, that's the sort of thing that can hurt or upset me." she said explaining and reassuring not wanting Karen to feel bad. "I'm having a perfect time chatting with you besides even if it was a bother, I wouldn't mind because you did it to try and comfort me." she said warmly. As Karen said the story went over her head Lydia laughed packing up her stuff and tucking it into her shoulder bag "It's not as complex as it sounds I still have a few copies of issue one, you can have one if you like." she offered."Oh, I think I know the place, Next to the Arcade?" she asked Helen kept in mind the things that Lydia said to her about touching and how she would blame herself for anything that went wrong, Helen despite her gregarious nature was rather introverted herself and could relate to this, introverts tending to turn inwards to reflect or even to find blame if need be at times." Sure, I would love a copy if you have one" she said to her in regard to the comic, "And yes the burger joint next to the arcade" she responded. As they walked there Helen tried to imagine what the world might be like for Lydia, she seemed a higher functioning Autistic from what little she knew about the subject but still she was obviously confused by a lot of the things that went on around her and how people treated her, a lot of those things of course had little to do with her autism, but she seemed so isolated in a sense that she didn't know what was "normal" and what wasn't. They got to the 50s style burger place and sat in a booth and Helen looked through the menu, "I think just a cheeseburger and fries for me, what about you?" she asked. Lydia smiled warmly following after Karen "I don't have one with me, but if I see you again, I mean if you want to, I could give it to you then." she said happily Nodding as The woman confirmed the place "Oh great They're my favorite!" she said warmly. The walk was nice and Lydia feeling cheerful was humming absently though she didn't seem to realize it. The place was nice the music wasn't too loud and even though the lights where a bit glaring Lydia had a fix for that, digging into her bag she pulled out a glasses case and pulled off her normal pair slipping on a pair of sunglasses. "Oh My usual It's a large bacon double cheeseburger with extra cheese and extra bacon." she said grinning pointing at the menu." They didn't use to do them, but when I started coming here regularly and other people saw me ordering it and wanted one to they added it to the menu when they had them reprinted." she said with a smile looking up as a waitress came over faltering slightly, she was new, Lydia didn't recognize her at all. With a lazy cock of her hip the woman held her pad and pencil "Would you like to order?" she asked, not impolitely but only just. Karen smiled as Lydia mentioned giving her a copy the next time they see each other, Karen already knew that she wanted to see Lydia again, she was just too cute and curious not to! There was some old rock n' roll music playing on the jukebox in the burger place and although it was well lit Karen didn't think it was too bad, Lydia fixed that anyway by putting on some shades, "Nice shades there Lydia" she said to her with a smile. A waitress appeared and Karen placed the order for them, "Yeah I will have a cheeseburger and fries with a coke and a large bacon double cheeseburger with extra cheese and extra bacon with a coke and fries..." she said just guessing about the fries and coke but then noticing the rather arrogant nature of the waitress just couldn't resist, "for my girlfriend here" she said with a smile as the waitress looked a little stunned but then seeing that Karen wasn't to be messed with just nodded and wrote it down and walked away." Sorry, I just love fucking with the help, especially when the help is snooty" she laughed. Lydia blushed "O-oh thank you, sorry the lights irritate my eyes." she said blushing faintly falling silent as Karen spoke with the waitress Gasping softly when Karen called her girlfriend." O-oh no, no it's fine... I don't know her, she must be new, I'm glad, I would have stumbled and had a hard time talking to her." she said honestly laughing "Mm well I do agree that's not the sort of attitude that Customer service employee's should have." she said softly shifting she pulled out her sketchbook "Um... you seem really interested... would you like to take a look while our food cooks?" she offered"It's mostly character design and single images in this one." she explained "Well it helps that I am a bit of a bitch at times too" Helen said to Lydia in regard to how she dealt with the waitress, "Some people just can't be bothered which is fine but when they get service jobs it just pisses me off" she said laughing a little." So yeah show me these pictures of yours and tell me about them, I feel like I am about to get a personal escort around an art gallery, wouldn't that be fun, huh? Being locked in art gallery after hours, running around the place and finding hiding places and stuff like that" she said laughing some more. Lydia smiled "I don't think you're a bitch, you're being so nice to me, I'm having a perfect time." she assured with a warm smile but nodding in agreement about grumpy people working with customers "An experience is only as good as the people involved so if someone's nasty it brings a sour feeling." she commented. Lydia moved opening the sketchbook and began explaining characters and ideas she was going for, somewhere drawing that could easily be book covers, and judging by title lettering some of them where while others where sketches of landscapes a few pages where full of detailed drawings of roses smudged and smooth almost looking like Black and white photos." Well I don't know about being locked in, but There's a really great Gallery near my place if you ever want to check it out." she offered. Karen laughed a little at Lydia's choice of words, she felt a little like she was having lunch with Martha Stewart and yet Martha Stewart wasn't an unattractive woman either." Nothing worse than sour feelings I always say" she said smiling more having fun with Lydia than making fun of her."Wow, they are really cool, tell me about this one here", she pointed at a particular drawing, "What do you think about when you draw?" she asked." I see it more as locking everyone else rather than locking our selves in baby doll" she said with a cheeky wink. "And yes I think we should definitely go to the gallery you can tell me about all the nudes" she added with a giggle. Lydia smiled Karen was laughing, but it seemed at a joke she didn't get, when she reiterated sour feelings where Bad Lydia nodded glancing away, she didn't get it, was there a joke there? Some sort of innuendo?" O-oh! Thank you, mm that one? That Cali's Avatar of the goddess Maya, After Hunting demons for several years when 'demons gate' opened she discovered that she and the other hunters are all working as avatars of the gods to protect the earth and the human from the demon invasion that had been philosophized a long time before." Lydia explained before gesturing "But Later she finds out that these 'god' are actually very, very powerful demons, who don't think the earth should be invaded and that their own world is sufficient. They had sent their best warriors to be reborn on earth so they could fight when the gate opened. Cali's Discovers this when the demon who was her past life's Lover, finds her and Tries to make her his lover again, it's a romance." she said with a smile." Hmm the story, Who is the character what are they doing, why are they doing it. It's like as I draw I get to know them better, they..." she blushed hesitating "They speak to me, in my head I can hear it, they tell me their stories and I write them." she explained As Karen explained she saw it more as locking others out Lydia gasped giggling "Oh that's so bad." she said laughing "Well I'm not sure if there are to many but if their all I promise I'll go into excruciating details." she joked. Karen could tell Lydia didn't quite get the joke, and it was one of those jokes that was just too hard to explain and the double entendre of the sour part had just hit Karen herself, she was really just laughing at the way Lydia had said it all and the way she sounded like a Martha Stewart type all prim and proper, than again Martha was a jailbird, even Helen had never been in jail! She listened intently to Lydia as she told her about the drawing, it wasn't an erotic story as such, but it felt erotic, and then she realized that she was understanding correctly as Lydia explained that it was a romance." Wow, I love hearing these stories, tell me another one" she said her eyes lighting up and smiling at her new friend."Yeah," Karen said, "I get that, music does that for me, it makes me feel certain ways, some songs hug me, others pick me up, some just talk to me in a way that the lyrics contradict, the sound itself hits me" she explained to her about her passion."Oh, if I'm there we'll find the nudges" she said laughing as the waitress returned with their orders. Lydia smiled turning the book to flick through until she found another image a darkly glad woman drawn with long silvery hair witting on the back seat of a bus people in the foreground seat less detailed the focus was the woman and a long slim package beside her. She sat arms and legs crossed expression relaxed, waiting." This is for a comic project I'm Starting soon called 'the bus to hell'." she said "It happens in the same universe as Cali's' story but several years later. After reaching a truce the humans and demons work together crossing through the gate at will, some people work in the demons world some demons work on earth, This woman is Security for transport through the gate." she explained with a smile"So you like music a lot huh Live it, kind of like I live my art? Are you a musician... I just realized all I've done is talk about myself, What do you do?" she asked interested looking up she moved her sketchbook, so the food could be set down grinning delighted by the burger before her, it looked so good! The snooty waitress placed the food on the table without giving attitude this time and walked off, "Well she seems to have learned some manners, but she's still not getting a tip" Helen whispered to Lydia as the waitress walked away."Wow, that sounds pretty out there, so if I understand correctly travelling between Hell and Earth is kind of like travelling anywhere else, and they are all just like workers going back and forward?" she asked trying to work out if she got it." Oh, I used to play guitar a little, never was much good at it, spent more time playing air guitar then I did practice" she said laughing again, "I write poetry and stories, I do reviews for music mags as well and forums, I'm kind of a Jack of all trades really, I do whatever I guess, a bit of a drifter" she explained feeling a little upset at how much her life seemed to consist of at times." And I love hearing about you honey, don't stop" she said to her as she started to eat her fries. Lydia Nodded "Well... maybe a little one? Since she is being nicer now?" she said ever a soft touch"Sort of, In order to keep the gate stable there's a lot of technology and magic mixed together, so naturally there are a lot of scientists on both sides, most of the people she protects are scientists heading to rotate out with others at the gate." she explained with a smile."Oh, wow really? I'd love to hear you play sometime. I could never play instruments I'm totally tone-deaf and just don't have the finger coordination." she said laughing "I'd love to read some of you're writing to, If you're ever in the mood maybe we could write a comic together." she suggested with a smile before taking a big bite from her burger"That's nice of you to say." she replied swallowing "I just feel a bit bad dominating the conversation." "You are a sweetheart aren't you" she said to her, she was touched by the woman's soft heart and also wanted to just leap the table and make out with her, there was something about Lydia that was making her heart skip beats." Ok a little one" she said in response." Ok so she is like a security guard" she asked becoming rather confused but no less interested in this story."Yeah, it would be cool to write something together, I used to have this artist friend and I would look at his weird paintings and make up stories within the images he would paint. I am not sure even I would want to hear me play guitar! But you can read some of my poetry sometime" she said to her as she picked up her burger for the first bite." I don't..." she started trying to talk through the burger in her mouth, ". Talk too much..." she continued chewing the rather large bite, "...so it's all good." she finished her sentence. Lydia chuckled "Well I try to be." she said honestly "I just feel like if a person learned their lesson then they shouldn't keep being punished." she said warmly." Yeah, As the bus travels through the mid-world inside the gate she keeps it safe if they run into any trouble, also if anyone attacks the bus, as naturally there are people who object to humans and demons working together, on both sides." she explained"Oh? That's neat close to what I do." she said warmly before pouting slightly "Aw are you sure?" she said before smiling Brightly "I'd like that a lot." she exclaimed laughing as Karen spoke around her mouthful." Well, if you're sure, I just don't want you to think I'm not interested in you or that I'm self-centered." "Oh, you mean you're supposed to stop kicking them when they hit the ground you mean?" she said laughing and gave Lydia a little push to show she was just getting off on shocking her a little."OK, you know I am a little freaked out that I am getting this he'll bus thing!" she said with another laugh." Yeah sure honey, I can bore you silly with my poetry any time you want it!" still laughing also while trying to chew burger."Eh, doesn't matter much, I like ya, you're stuck with me, you can be self-centered if you want to be" she said with a wink. Lydia laughed nodding "Something like that." she said before smiling "why freaked out?" she said smiling "It's not to complex a story I don't think..." she said thoughtfully."Aw, it won't bore me, I enjoy poetry Mostly I'm worried I might not get it, I can be kind of dumb sometimes and deeper meanings of things totally escape me." she said honestly eating a few fries"Oh yeah? I think I like that quiet a bit." she said with a warm smile "I love making new friend even if I can't be with big groups being with one or to people I'm ok." she explained with a smile. "Oh, I'm just sometimes not very good with those types of things" she shrugged as she laughed at Lydia's response to kicking people when they were down as well. Karen looked at Lydia as she recalled one of her poems and then lent in so she wouldn't have to speak too loud as she recited it to her." The dragonfly am lost, a walking cliché relic in the wrong time Passed through and thinning, Light bleeding at my fabric fray, my delicate structure, Not built for this climate Slight of frame and inward Strength, concrete out of despair Held tight by water, false hardness, I lumber and get chipped away tattoo few are those that Draw across my surface And, yet I remember each one, are moments all I shall receive? Tallied and weighed, only one rested quiet struggle, I overcome, and know not why. Lost in a forest of blue I am, Your winged predator""That's one of them anyway, I have heaps, written about all sorts of things really, but mostly relationships and not fitting in" she explained to her." Well you're not dumb, and my poetry is pretty straight forward anyway" she said to her with a smile." Well that's cool, I don't like big groups either, I am more a 1-1 girl" she added with another warm smile and squeezed Lydia's hand a little. Lydia smiled leaning forward to listen, Karen voice was slow and soothing the rhythm of the poem rolling of her tongue Had Lydia feeling strangely dreamy and happy, this close sort of intimacy wasn't something she had liked with Parker but with Karen... it was nice, she didn't feel dwarfed or clumsy she felt, nice." I liked that it was really amazing, It's sad it felt... lonely But I liked it." she said blushing faintly as Karen's hand squeezed hers a little she smiled shifting shyly"Have you ever published any of them? Dark horse dose lots of different books and books of poetry are always nice." she said "That kind of poem In this age when people can be more open about their differences but are isolated for it, I think those kinds of words can reach out and touch people, so they don't feel alone in, being alone." she said shifting"Sometimes I worry that there's something wrong with me, for feeling isolated even in big crowds or because I don't fit in with 'normal people' but that poem is reassuring in a way because I'm not the only one with those fears." she tried to explained before shifting helplessly not sure if she'd made any sense Karen read her poem in her usual rhythmic style, kind of trance like state that she would go into, when she performed her poetry at readings she would often sway back and forward from foot to foot while holding the microphone stand, she wasn't sure where she found that way of reading her work, it just seemed to develop somehow, or perhaps she was influenced by someone somewhere along the line and just didn't realize it. It didn't occur to Karen that this may have been confronting or challenging to Lydia in some way, she knew it was intimate, to share poetry or any type of art with someone but didn't realize how much more intimate that might feel to someone like Lydia." I'm happy you liked it baby" she said to her as she caressed the back of Lydia's hand with her finger as she held her hand." I've had some stuff published yeah and have done readings on radio shows, done a few things yeah" she said to her, "I think people are more isolated now than ever before, everyone is posting every thought and action on Facebook and Twitter, they are posting away and yet ignoring other people who are posting so in the end all you really have is a lot of people who are talking to themselves and perhaps only commenting on others stuff so they can get some responses themselves, so shallow and empty really" she explained to her, her thoughts on social media." Look at internet forums, they are dying really, people have had enough of dick heads starting fights and cliques and whatever else, nothing beats actually being with someone" she said to her." Look over there" she motioned with her head, "Two people, and they have their heads buried in the phones, they are sitting together and yet are more interested in who they aren't with, and what do you think they are typing on those phones?" she asked." Probably something like 'sitting here with my friend, enjoying lunch' what a load of shit!" she said giggling." No baby, no" she said shaking her head, "There is nothing wrong with you, it's them!" she said to her firmly." And normal people? Fuck that, have you seen what normal people do? Normal people are fucked honey, we just left a club full of normal people, all dancing and feeling they have some right to exist because they can convert oxygen into carbon dioxide, fuck that, fuck normal, normal means you are a drone, you don't question, you drink, you do drugs, you fuck, you buy crap you don't need, that's normal honey. Fuck normal" she stated." And most of all they ignore those fears that you confront, they ignore them and play the game, they are cowards" she said to her. Fuck, she wanted to kiss Lydia so passionately right now. Lydia smiled "You're very, deep, I feel like that's the wrong word, but it's the closest I can think of." she admitted shyly "You're very aware of the world I guess, I'm glad you've had things published with such moving words people should be able to read them." she said"Yeah it seems that way. I do use Facebook, It helps me keep in contact with the fans of my comics, but I feel safer than going to conventions because then I'm not crowded. So for people like me things like Facebook and forums are quite helpful." she said trying to offer something positive. Looking over at the two Lydia sighed "that is a shame, but their young, culture has predisposed them to think they need to rely on the technology that's always been there, for people like us who grew up without it, we know how to handle life away from the screen." she said looking up laughing softly as Karen spoke, she was quiet... passionate about how normal was just 'fucked' "Well that's one way to see it." she said warmly at Karen swords Lydia blushed nodding "I-It makes me feel worse about it..." she admitted looking up she felt funny and suddenly very aware of how close they were, when had that happened? It just seemed so, natural." I-I'm not... invading your personal space am I?" she asked softly ever conscientious of people who might have sensitivities like her own. "W-we've gotten so close but, I'm not feeling afraid or unnerved just warm and... really shy, is that weird?" she asked with a sheepish smile. "Maybe, sometimes I think I'm too deep, I don't know, I question a lot and probably because of that I have never had many friends and the ones I have had don't last too long, I am kind of like an emotional transient or so it feels at times, if that makes sense. At the same time though people say they relate to and like my poetry but yeah, I just don't know really" she shrugged a laughed in an awkward manner." Yep I get that usage of Facebook that makes sense, do you have many actual interactions with your fans like regular letter writing and all that?" she asked her." Yep you are right there" she answered in regard to what Lydia was saying about the 2 friends ignoring each other, "It's like when you are chatting to someone on a IM, and they just stop chatting to you without saying goodbye or anything, they just wander off and don't think that there could be someone sitting on the other end waiting for a response! It's funny really the internet for someone like me or us, should be a godsend, but it seems worse really" she commented." No baby, you're not invading my personal space, everything feels so right actually" she said to her, "It is weird, but weird isn't always bad" she winked. Lydia shook her head "There's no such thing as being too deep. Being deep means there's so much more of you to explore and learn about and like." she encouraged with a smile. "It does make sense I know what you mean, feeling isolated at times it's hard to understand yourself, so how can friends really understand? So you close yourself off." she said softly. Oh yes, she understood." Well I have a PO box and fans send me letters and gifts sometimes." she said hedging, there was a back side to popularity even with comics. Lydia laughed "Oh I hate when that happens, when ever I have to go or do something I always let the person know with a Be right back or and AFK so they know I'm not just ignoring them." she said blushing as Karen assured she wasn't invading personal space and that even if her feeling where weird, it wasn't bad." I-I don't think it's bad either... I... I like it..." she admitted sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm quite introverted really, I never really understood what that meant really until someone told me that it meant I draw my energy from within myself, rather than an extrovert who sucks it from everyone around them, I think that really makes the most sense and also means that when something goes wrong for me, I turn in on myself and turn on myself at times as well" she explained to her as she thought about the benefits and downsides of being deep." Do you think you expect too much from people at times? I kind of think I do, I deal with so much on my own and always have that I don't understand people who run for support all the time" she said to her." Wow, gifts? What do they send and what sort of stuff do they write?" she asked her. Karen smiled as Lydia admitted she liked the feelings that she was experiencing, "So tell me about other relationships, other boyfriends, tell me more sexy than" she asked with a cheeky grin. Lydia nodded "But it also means that you can empathize better with people, you understand people, even though you prefer to isolate yourself and take your time, once You're comfortable you're someone they can trust and rely on." she said encouragingly. Lydia's expression fell "I don't expect anything from anyone." she said simply looking down at her food she shifted back a bit "I'm... not a very nice person in that way..." she mumbled blushing "I'm... I'm a lucky person." she said finally softly,"Well yes I guess some people just want to share little bits of themselves with me. Generally it's drawings or hand made memorabilia from my comics, One girl knitted me a hat with the Wings Crest on it." she said smiling "They write about different things, what they like about my comics My art, suggestions on story lines, their hopes for the future of the comics, their favorite characters Character they think should date." she chuckled at that "And best of all are the ones who write to tell me that my comics brighten their day, it makes me feel like I've accomplished something."" Oh well, there's not much to tell really I went through school with out going with anyone, and really have only ever been on one date, and that went awful, then mom Set me up with Parker and, it seemed reasonable to be with him." she said sheepishly "I.mm well I think my standards are too high sometimes." she mumbled "I guess so, some people will claim that I am difficult to get to know, I think I am pretty open really, but there is something about me, something that just puts people off, of course I can also be a little aggro at times" she laughed a little wanting to lighten things up a tad, she didn't like talking about awkward and weird she felt for too long, and she was also enjoying her conversation with Lydia, she felt that she might scare her off somehow if she dwelled on the negative for too long." I learned very young that I am alone in the world and anytime I have tried to share a problem I have just felt like I have made it bigger most times. In what way do you think you are lucky?" Karen asked."Hand-knitted hats! How cool, must be fun to get little things like that from strangers, I used to have a homemade poetry magazine and that was fun had people send me in poems and all. Has anyone ever sent you something that freaked you out? Would be cool knowing your characters connect with people to" she said to her." And so you should set your standards high sweet cheeks, but you have to be careful, not to set them so high that nice guys are put off by it, and you only attract dick heads who are really cocky but lack other qualities" she explained to her thinking about her own experiences at times." What sort of guys do you like?" she asked her. Lydia reached out covering both of Karen's hands with hers "I don't think so!" she insisted eerily "I'm not put off at all you're a wonderful person I'm really enjoying spending time with you, if people are put off it's their problem not yours." she insisted." You're not alone, You might have had bad experiences before but any time any place if you're having trouble you can come to me, I promise!" she said shifting she smiled "Well... I can work, I have a home and food, I mean, my life is very good compared to lives of others, the homeless children in Somalia, that sort of thing, I really don't have any right to complained because My life is very good." she said softly."Yeah, I still wear it, it's very comfortable." she said warmly "That's really neat a homemade Magazine." she said blushing "well, I got stalked once, I didn't realize that's what was happening at first I just kept bumping into this guy and his girlfriend, it was weird, but I didn't think anything of it, they were fans always had questions I was more than happy to answer, then weird things started showing up in the mail, Like a Napkin I'd used at a Diner or a letter describing what I did a few days before in very exact detail." she said shivering. Lydia laughed "I think I set my standards High on purpose to avoid getting into relationships to be honest, but really I just want someone who loves me you know?" she shrugged at the question "I don't know, um... I do sort of prefer someone taller than me, it makes me feel safe, someone warm, friendly, who likes spending time with me and who I can have intelligent conversation with but who doesn't mind when I have my stupid moments, trust me I have a lot of those, And sometime, I drop words, I'll just suddenly lose the word I want to say." she explained Karen smiled and felt a wave of warmth run through her as Lydia held her hands in hers and reassured her, thoughts started running through Karen's mind, what Lydia would look like naked, what she might taste like, of being the one who might cause her body to arch and tense and erupt in orgasms as her pubis pushed against her mouth and nose, sex wasn't everything to Karen, but this didn't feel like lustful thoughts, these thoughts felt passionate and loving, intense and hot but by no means along the lines of a one-night stand or anything fleeting such as a friends with benefits arrangement. She blushed, "Yes, well I would love to come to you too." she said and then looked down, did she really say that? Did that even make sense? "Yes, I guess there is always someone worse off isn't there" she said to her hoping the first line could just be erased from the recording."Wow, that staking thing seems really weird, would be fun role play too, do you ever do that? Play by post role plays? Sorry I know that is weird segue, my mind is just always writing stories you know?" she said to her in regard to the stalking." So what happened with that anyway? How did it stop?" she asked."Yeah, that makes sense, but sometimes we have to let people in so we can grow. I know it sucks to get hurt, but sometimes we have to get hurt so we can meet who we really should be meeting, yeah I sometimes drop words too, like the word will be there and then all of a sudden when I need it I just can't think of it. Like when someone asks you want your fave song or movie is, and you were just thinking about the day before, but now you need it, and it's not there" she responded. Lydia smiled "there is, that why I learned never to talk about my problems, why seek sympathy My problems aren't all that bad." she said warmly. Karen seemed embarrassed by what she said, so Lydia passed over it hoping she was doing the right thing."Yeah, it was kind of scary, but I gave it all to the police, and they handled it, apparently they were wanted for Breaking and entering and theft anyway." she said lightly it was over and done with and they were far away so she wasn't frightened of it anymore." But that is what prompted me to move and set up the PO box, I don't pick it up either, There's a girl in my apartment building who works at the post office she gets the letter for me and brings them home, she knows about the stalking thing and is very nice, You might like her she's really into cars and really loud rock music, but she's very nice."" As for role playing yes I role-play online a lot, it helps me tighten plot ides for my comics or explore a character better." she said Karen looked out the window as the sun began setting on the edge of the city, there was a fairy cruising along the river and everything just looked and felt so perfect, she was happy here with Lydia." My mother taught me that I was alone when I was about 9, I mean I always felt it even at that age but when she did that at a time when I was crying and really vulnerable I just recall this feeling come over me a kind of epiphany really, that I was alone, and I should never tell her my problems again, as I got older I tried reaching out a couple of times and my hand always came back bloodied so to speak so yeah, seeking help not big on my agenda" she explained." Well I hope they are far, far away! She sounds nice, you do seem to have people who do help you though which is perfect of course. What kind of things do you like to RP?" she asked her." Want to go for a walk when we finish eating?" she added. Lydia turned her head to look out the window following Karen's gaze and smiling "It's been such a pretty day." she said softly Looking over her expression became one of shock and hurt for Karen"Y-you're mother said that? What a horrible Human being!" she said suddenly "I wouldn't be half as stab;e as I am now without my mothers support." she said "A mother fights for and protect her child she never says they're alone. I'm sorry Karen but yours mother sounds like a complete Bitch." she said vehemently in an unusual show of anger even letting out a strange snort like an anger puppy." They are very far away in jail, and she is, in fact all my friend are, and I'm going to introduce you to them, and you'll never feel lonely again come on." she said standing determined now How could anyone treat such a wonderful woman so horribly? How could a mother say that to her own child?!" Yes we'll walk we're going to have a perfect time!" "Yeah, kind of long depressing story, but it's ok. I'm a loner always have been always will be, I feel like there is this block between me and other people, no one really ever gets that close to me, it seems even if sometimes I really want them to, I try and let them in, tell them about myself and all of that, but they don't stay, no big deal, all cool" she said shrugging not wanting to come across as moping, which she wasn't. Karen laughed at Lydia's next comment, "Yeah pretty much" she answered. "Yours sounds pretty cool though, nice to know you have support" she said. Thinking for a second, did she mean all her friends are in jail, or they are all far away? She decided she meant they are all far away, "So where are your friends, like far away but where?" she asked." Yes we will have a perfect time, we'll go when we have finished this mess" she said referring to what their plates looked like now with the remnants of the burgers and chips and everything else. She smiled a little,"a perfect time"she could understand why men would get a little frustrated at her, words like that bring with them a certain image and expectation after all. Lydia Frowned "I'll stay, I promise as long as you want me to." she said firmly looking a mix between angry and passionate she hated to think such a wonderful person was alone and believed she should be!" She is, when I was little, before I got the help and the pills, Things where really hard, she was my advocate she fought for me against doctors who just wanted to label me ADD and move on to the next." she explained before laughing "Oh! no, no no I mean The stalkers are in jail, I have friends online, but I have friend here in town to." she said giggling she hadn't meant to confuse her"Sometime I Know what I'm saying, but people can't quiet follow my train of thought I'm sorry please don't ever worry about asking for clarification." she said warmly looking down at the plates she blushed and sat looking at her lap embarked "I'm so sorry I didn't mean to cause I scene I just get caught up..." she said Karen didn't really respond to Lydia's comment about staying, she had heard it a million times before and didn't take my heed in it, it didn't matter anyway, she was enjoying the moment and if moments were all she could have then those moments would be as awesome as she could make them. She hated it when she opened up too much as well, not much of her life was all rosy and fun, she felt like she was in a trap, not open up and appear aloof or open up and feel like she was working some kind of guilt trip when all she wanted to do was let someone in. Fuck it, whatever." Doctors hand those happy pills out as if they were candy, it's a real joke. Oh ok cool, good to know the stalkers are in jail and not all your friends was starting to think you might be a part of some bike gang, like you were their mascot or something" she laughed and poked Lydia playfully teasing her." You're not causing any scenes' babe, it's all good, unless you want to cause a scene, and we can run naked through the streets or something" she said to her laughing again." So let me pay for this, and we can go for a walk then?" she asked as she got up. Lydia noted Karen didn't say anything regarding her promise to stay, she must have been hurt very badly, well Lydia would just have to prove it!"Oh, well they do help I can get out of the house more now, it got to a point for a while I couldn't even leave the house out of fear, but being in the house I was scared to, so terrified of everything." she admitted"Oh no, no nothing like that." she said laughing "No I'm too much of a ninny to be anything to a biker gang except maybe a target" she said jokingly." Well... if you're sure, Sometimes I can get ah... Oh! no, no." she said as Karen finished blushing brightly at the idea she looked up as Karen stood "Wait I have some money I can pay for mine, I'm not here to mooch off you." Karen realized she misheard what Lydia said about medications, Lydia seemed normal enough even if she was on them, it didn't matter, she liked her and that was all that mattered." It's good to hear they are helping" she said to her a little embarrassed at her misunderstanding. Karen laughed at the ninny comment, "I don't know a little innocent cutie like you would probably find herself the mascot with an army of big aggressive men to protecting her!" she said to her thinking that she may have seen that in a movie once. It seemed natural for Karen to pay, she felt that she was the masculine or dominant party here, and also she was the one who suggested the burgers, she just wanted to pay. Turning around she leaned over the table, "Shhh... it's ok, I got ya" she said to Lydia as she gave her a slightly lingering kiss on the cheek and then walked off to pay for their meal. Lydia smiled "Yes it's nice to be able to go out and do things without being so afraid all the time." she said honestly Laughing lightly picturing the idea of her as the little woman being protected by a bunch of bikers, it was kind of funny." Are you-" she gasped softly cutting off as Karen leaned forward and kissed her blushing brightly she watched her walk over to the counter before looking at the table resting a hand on her cheek, it felt warm, she felt warm. Such a casual gesture so sweet and gentle, and it hadn't frightened her.... One arm hugging around herself she smiled a little doily Karen walked to the cashier with a cheeky grin on her face she knew she left Lydia feeling somewhat overwhelmed and flummoxed, she certainly wasn't expecting that kiss, but it was fun, and she knew that Lydia liked it even if she didn't completely understand it yet. She liked her and couldn't keep her hands off her so to speak any longer. Paying for the food she walked back and extended her hand to the still blushing Lydia who was sitting there looking dopey yet cute, and her hand wrapped around her arm." Shall we go my lady?" she asked smiling. Lydia looked up "Huh? O-oh yeah." she moved packing her sketchbook in her bag taking Karen's offered hand she smiled and stood "Would you like to go anyplace specific or just wander?" she asked interested as they stepped out of the diner and into the settling evening, once outside Lydia was able to change out her glasses to the normal ones again, Looking At Karen she smiled"You kind of remind me of a knight... or a prince." she said suddenly "You're so, I don't know, well-mannered and noble I guess." she explained "It just sort of makes me think of Royalty, Pride and dignity, is that weird?" "Lets just wander" Karen said as she took Lydia's hand and her bag and slung it over her own shoulder, kind of like school boys would do in old movies where they would carry their girlfriends books. Karen being Karen had a wallet rather than carry a handbag and purse around, she blushed a little at Lydia's comment about being a Knight or Prince, she felt her pussy tingle a little at the thought of it, "Well mannered is not something I get accused of too often, perhaps you are like a Fair Maiden, and I am riding to your rescue or something" she said with a giggle, seriously she wanted to throw Lydia to the ground and take her right here, right now." Nothing's weird baby" she reassured her as she squeezed her hand and led her in a direction not knowing where they were going and not caring. Lydia smiled nodding, she was less surprised when Karen took her bag, she was starting to settle into her way of doing things, holing door taking back helping her up, Karen was, for lack of a better term, a perfect gentle... woman? Well a perfect Karen, yes that was the best way to think of it." Well I think you're very nice and polite." she said with a firm nod before laughing "Or you're secretly a knave hoping to carry me off and ravish me." she said with an 'evil' sort of look and a laugh. She shifted a little lacing her fingers with Karen's, blushing faintly she smiled up at her hoping that it was alright." Really? Boy I'm going to have to step up my game then." she joked. Karen blushed a little, it was almost as if Lydia was reading her mind, ravish? Lydia knew what ravish means? She wondered just how innocent this woman was, perhaps it was more a case of being unfamiliar with sex than actually being ignorant about it. Karen squeezed Lydia's hand a little more to feel her but also to ensure her hand didn't go wandering and cup Lydia's ass as they walked, soon though she found herself breaking the hand holding and moving her hand across Lydia's lower back and resting it there as they walked along."Oh, I am a little worried about what you might think is weird Lydia" she laughed and moved her hip into hers a little getting ever more horny." How about a ride on one of those boats along the river, let's do that" she said to Lydia as she pointed them in the right direction. When Karen moved releasing her hand Lydia looked up worried, but that vanished as instead her hand slipped around her back "Oh." was all she said leaning a bit into Karen. It was so nice, the close connection. She wasn't afraid of Karen's touch she felt, comfortable, safe even." Well it might not be too bad to be honest. I got called weird a lot in high school but that just because kids didn't really understand me." she explained when Karen suggested a ride on the river Lydia lit up"Oh yes please!" she said excited "I love the boat ride, But I always feel awkward everyone is there with someone friends or family or a lover, and I'm generally by myself." Karen smiled as Lydia spoke about being called weird in school, to Karen everyone was a target at school, Lydia probably blamed her autism for the bullying but if it wasn't that then it would have been something else, he clothes, her eyes, anything that made her different to everyone else, it hardly mattered much in the end. They walked to the pier where the ferries were and Karen chose one that had an older world look about it, "Let's pick this one, it is rather different to the rest, just like us" she laughed as she tapped Lydia's hip with her own and slipped her hand a little lower onto Lydia's thigh. They bought the tickets and boarded the ferry, soon it started its journey travelling down the river of the city, big buildings on one side and parkland on the other. Lydia smiled Up at Karen grinning as she picked one different from the rest. She returned the hip bum a little awkwardly laughing sheepishly as she did so not mind as Karen's hand slid to her thigh." Goodness, it's always so beautiful!" she said happily leaning against the rail and sighing The breeze blew whipping their hair around almost playfully she turned her head to look at Karen with a bright smile"I like riding the ferries, Different times of day you get different things to look at, Sitting and sketching is so fun." Karen stood next to Lydia and inhaled the scent of her perfume as they traveled together, Karen wasn't that interested in the sights, she just kept looking at Lydia almost as though she were waiting for a moment, the moment. She was nervous and excited, and yet she felt so calm and happy. As the breeze blew Lydia's hair her way she took the strands and caressed them, "You know back in the dark ages they believed that when a woman braided her hair she was entwining the souls of men. I think that is rather romantic and sexy really" she said to her as she played with her hair as the ferry went on its journey. Lydia smiled over not aware of Karen's staring more at her than the sites. When Karen caught the blowing hair she laughed "I really should cut it off, it's such a hassle when I'm working, but, well I guess I'm a girly girl at heart." she said laughing lightly "I braid it sometimes, but not very often, I'm not very good at it so it always looks crooked with stray hair sticking out."" The souls of men, huh? It's interesting, but I'm not sure about romantic that sounds more like something a witch might do to control people." she said laughing. "Yes, I love witchcraft, it is so terribly romantic and dark" she smiled as she closed in on Lydia and kissed her again on the cheek and held her tight, she couldn't control it anymore, although she was controlling it as what she really wanted to do was to kiss her and kiss her properly." I'll have to braid your hair sometime" she added. As she held Lydia she ran her hand up and down her back and felt as though she would smooth her body in to her own." I'm so happy" she said quietly although louder than she expected to say it. Lydia smiled "I do to, not really dark magic but, I think if you ever saw my place you might understand better why kids at school called me weird." she said softly looking up as Karen pulled her close she smiled sighing and relaxing into the hold, she felt so warm and happy." I'd like that." she said honestly as Karen suggested braiding her hair "Mmm I am to, I'm really happy, I like spending Time with you Karen." she said honestly. "I would love to see your place, what's so weird about it?" she asked wondering what might have put kids off as much as she was implying it did. She held Lydia closely as the boat continued on, and then tuned Lydia around so they were facing each other, "I can't bear this anymore." she said after gazing into Lydia's eyes for a while and then slowly went in and kissed her softly, no tongue but slightly opened mouth. She pulled away realizing she may have just ruined everything." Sorry" she said nervously. Lydia smiled "It'll be a surprise." she said lightly offering a wink. When Karen turned her she gasped slightly "Is everything ok? Can't bear it anymore did she not want to Oh! Lydias eyes went wide as Karen pressed a kiss to her lips for a moment everything froze warmth spread and Lydia eased relaxing, before she knew it, the kiss was over, Karen had pulled back shocked at herself "No, no... mmm... I liked it." she said softly blushing faintly "I, I really liked it." she said honestly looking up she smiled tongue touching her lower lip she giggled softly "It tastes good." she said softly. Karen smiled and breathed a sigh of relief, "I'm glad you liked it" she said to her new friend, she giggled a little, "It did taste good didn't it" she laughed and blushed." Have you ever kissed a girl before?" she asked kind of already knowing the answer but just asking as it seemed the only thing she could think of to say right now. She pulled Lydia towards her and held her tightly. Lydia smiled snuggling against Karen shaking her head at the question "No, I don't really kiss much at all, I kiss my mother but, not like that of course." she said laughing she sighed leaning into the woman." It's so beautiful." she murmured, not just the settling evening the stars slowly winking to life in the darkening sky, the last of the sun rays flickering on the waters, the cool breeze, Karen swarm arms... so much beauty, so much." Um... Karen..." Lydia blushed softly "Would you like to come to my place? Ah, n-not to do anything I mean well like. I mean coffee or tea I have tea... or soda, or milk I mean uh well..." she fumbled blushing brightly. Karen smiled as Lydia blushed and said she didn't kiss anyone at all really, she was rather flustered, and it just made her even cuter, "It is beautiful I agree" Karen said in response holding Lydia tightly in her arms." Milk, huh? Sure" Karen laughed harder than she intended to, it was just amusing they had just shared a lesbian kiss and Lydia was inviting her back to her house for milk." I would love to see your place and drink milk" she laughed a little more in a kind-hearted fashion. Lydia laughed when Karen did relax as she realized Karen wasn't thinking her weird for asking "well it doesn't have to be milk I was babbling." she said sheepishly sighing she's leaning against Karen enjoying the views as the ferry finished its trip along the river. Feeling calm and warm Lydia Took Karen's hand with a smile and led her to a bus stop." I'm not allowed to drive, so I really rely on buses and taxi's." she explained with a smile Karen just laughed as the ferry completed its circuit of the river returning them to their starting point. "It's ok cutie, so what can I expect from your home I wonder" Karen said as she took Lydia's hand, and they walked slowly back to Lydia's place, Karen making sure her hips stayed glued to Lydia's side, bumping against her as they walked. Lydia gave a playful wink "You'll see when we get there." she said lightly. The bus trip was quick but took them to a less than savory area of town. Lydia paid Karen's buss fare, not needing to herself with a bus pass. Stepping off the bus she waited for Karen smiling softly. There were a few punks in the generic sort of gangster wear outside the apartment building she walked towards hugging Karen arm she didn't say a word, but there was shift in the air as the boy seemed to recognize her, the cigarettes where quickly stubbed out and the boys shuffled away from the stairs one moving so quickly he stumbled over the small stone wall Lydia paused "Are you alright?" she asked the boy nodded quickly "Fine, just fine Miss." he said his voice rapid like her was absolutely terrified Lydia smiled "Good Even small falls can be harmful, and you're so young." she said lightly walking up the steps"Have a safe night boy." she said airily the boys almost in well-trained unison replied wishing Lydia and her friend a good night as the door closed. Lydia led Karen to the elevator. It was quite pretty despite the age of the building, and the look of the outside, the inside was very clean and well-kept the elegant twisting brass of the elevator gleamed recently polished to a shine." I love the charm of this place. We all rallied together to fix it up, the outsides pretty old like the rest but inside it's like we have our own palace." she said warmly not commenting on the strange behavior of the boys. Karen watched the better parts of the city pass by as they traveled closer and closer to Lydia's place, where did this girl live and how the hell did someone like her survive around here? It seemed to Karen that Lydia would have been easy picking's for some of the thugs she was seeing standing on street corners and driving around in hotted up cars that she doubted they had jobs to pay for. Walking along after Lydia paid the bus fare for her, Karen wasn't keen on that but the last thing she wanted was some kind of debate in the bus in this area, Karen despite her rough appearance and manner actually had a nicer place, in a better part of town so she felt a little like a fish out of water right now. Walking along she saw Lydia care for some of the boys, one in particular who had fallen over. They seemed friendly enough, but Karen wondered if they were just pulling her chain and she would hear a crash some time in the night when one of those same boys threw a rock through her window." Charm, yeah sure" Karen said wondering what she had gotten herself into, "So, how long have you been here and have you always lived in places like this?" she asked before they entered Lydia's place itself. Lydia smiled as the elevator went up, it was moving smoothly and obviously well tended. "Oh? Um... about 7 years? I moved here when I turned 18, I wanted to try and live on my own, so I was less of a burden on my mother because I have a job I can do from home she's not too worry about me." she said warmly stepping off the elevator and walked along the hall. The door she walked to was painted with bright colors and had a carefully applied Cooled Mandala on it"What do you think? I did it myself, it was so fun to design." she said warmly unlocking the door and opened it with a wash of thick exotic scent. "Welcome to my home." she said warmly. In side was dimly lit, but it suited the decor, like something out of an Arabian fantasy the walls where panted a soft sandy color beautiful colored clothes hug draped across the ceiling of the main room the door opened into while music played softly exotic beats there was no sofa and the only chair was a computer charge neatly tucked under a desk mostly buried in cloths. Instead, the floor was covered in a scattering of pillows in bright jeweled colors of silks and satin, pretty pattern where hung on the walls and the light was lovely brass lamp with many jewels scattering more color. There was a corner with incense not yet lit and littered around the room where thick pillar candles waiting to be lit. There were several bookshelves loaded down with so many books the shelves bowed down in the middle only staying up because they were resting on the stacks of books on the shelf below, the topics ranged widely but there were quiet a lot of comics both English and Asian, Lydia seemed to be just as much a manga fan as a comic fan." Have a seat I'll get us something to drink, what would you like?" Lydia asked slipping off her shoes and padding across the floor. The elevator was one of those old-fashioned wrought iron type of ones, it ran surprisingly well for its age even though Karen felt like she was in something very dangerous, there a nice painting of a flower on the door which Karen could see as they got out and made the walk to Lydia's apartment." Wow, is this your front door, did you do this one?" she asked amazed at her new friends' talent. She watched as Lydia opened the door and a waft of heavy scented incense or something came through, she couldn't quite place it, but it smelled as though it was Arabic, which made sense as she saw the apartment and how it was decorated in 1,001 Arabian Nights kind of fashion, it really didn't look like it belonged in this area of town or this set of apartments at all. Karen saw that the incense was yet to be lit so put the smell in the apartment down to past residue of incense that had been burned. She looked around at the bookshelf looking as though it might give out and then looked around again for a place to sit, it seemed cushions was what was the done thing and sat on a couple, this was Trippe, and she felt like she had just entered another nightclub or hipster bar." Umm... just a Pepsi or whatever really" she told her as she kept feeling her head spin a little. Lydia smiled walking into the kitchen "Pepsi it is, you're in luck, that's my moms favorite, so I always have some with me for when she visits." she said pushing aside a Cloth to reveal the doorway to the kitchen. It was actually pretty normal painted plain white with gray counter tops and white cupboards, there were a few splashes of colors, a purple toaster, a bright teal colored kettle, but otherwise it seemed that Lydia's Arabian fantasy was contained to the main room. She returned with two glasses Passing Karen one that was a bright red. The Ice in the Pepsi wasn't shaped like Cube but, funnily enough, little death stars from star wars. Lydia settled next to Karen and sipped from her own glass white was a cheerful yellow." I'm quiet... eclectic I guess. It took me a couple of years to get this just right. I couldn't do the whole apartment this way My mom said that would be too much so I focused on making this part look amazing. It was fun to design the Mandalas and finding the fabrics to make the pillows." she said warmly.

An artist and Her Muse (Roziel, Laura)|rating:4.0

Dragon RP Reboot (IC)

Once, dragons ruled the earth. But their reign came to an end when humans began to hunt them so they could expand civilizations empires. The dragons soon went into hiding, disguising themselves as humans until eventually they were forgotten to the sands of time and thought mere fairy tales. Now, a new generation of dragon-kin are living through the 21st century. Some are living normal lives, completely unaware of their proud ancestry, while others have discovered and either kept it secret or used it for their own gain.IOC:viewtopic.php?f=31&t=236685 SigmaringenAnnastasia walked along the buildings in the town square, shopping, her hands holding a few bags of goods. All varying from clothes to the latest accessories. Some of the guys hooted and hawed at her, but she kept walking. Ignoring them politely with a smile but no words in return. She was heading along, her mind quiet, as it can get. Valerian was ever present at the back of her mind. His deep voice was always friendly and welcoming, she felt at peace with him. Having gotten over the initial shock of finding out she had a Dragon sharing the same body as her. She had grown to embrace Valerian, for not only his protection, but his words of wisdom. He provided some comedic moments through observational commentary at times but for the most part he was pretty reserved.' Humans, spending so many resources on petty accessories.' came his voice with a throaty chuckle.' Hey, now.' replied Anastasia mentally as they talked back and forth. Kurt was glad school was out. He had been in the town square all day, playing catch with his buddies in the park, looking around the shops, and eventually buying some CDs at the record store. As he was walking along the sidewalk, he bumped into a girl, more or less his own age. "I'm sorry," he said. Raven/ArellaRaven was walking in her hometown saying hi to people and greeting them as usual. Thoughts running through her head. Arella? Why are they so oblivious? A dark chuckle came into Raven's mind and she frowned slightly. What? They are like that because they choose to be, dear. Look around you. Most people may not have a dragon in them, but they all have a unique ability too. Raven sighed. Areola was right once more. She then continued there four day game of chess in her head with Areola. She almost walked into a wall when she twisted at the last moment and caught herself. Furthermore, she sighed and walked a few more steps to her favorite place and sat down, pulling out her laptop and browsing through it, looking for something. Theo sat in a patch of grass in one of the central districts of his town, laptop on his knees. He flips through a database detailing nucleic acids absentmindedly. His mind's true focus is on the motion of his fingers, tapping the material that makes up the computer. Three joints moving cooperatively, just like his other's. Four fingers, like the lizard's, but with a thumb accompanying them. Theo shakes his head. No point dwelling on such differences. Of course, there's even less point to consider molecular differences, and he had tried that already. With no certain results, but still, the attempts had been made. No point considering more than skin deep separations if he could not even have his work checked by another. After a while, he closed his laptop and stood up before heading away from the area. Best to get away from a place causing him such distraction. Corvus Metallic wrote:Kurt was glad school was out. He had been in the town square all day, playing catch with his buddies in the park, looking around the shops, and eventually buying some CDs at the record store. As he was walking along the sidewalk, he bumped into a girl, more or less his own age. "I'm sorry," he said. Annastasia turned after the young man bumped into her and smiled saying, "No problem, I should have been paying more attention to where I was going." She kept her smile warm but Valerian seemed to rouse in her mind at the boy.' What is it?' said Anastasia to Valerian'Something's different...oh never mind.' replied Valerian"School just get out for you too?" said Anastasia, noting that the guy must be around her age and probably in high school. Imperialism wrote:Corvus Metallic wrote:Kurt was glad school was out. He had been in the town square all day, playing catch with his buddies in the park, looking around the shops, and eventually buying some CDs at the record store. As he was walking along the sidewalk, he bumped into a girl, more or less his own age. "I'm sorry," he said. Annastasia turned after the young man bumped into her and smiled saying, "No problem, I should have been paying more attention to where I was going." She kept her smile warm but Valerian seemed to rouse in her mind at the boy. 'What is it?' said Anastasia to Valerian'Something's different...oh never mind.' replied Valerian"School just get out for you too?" said Anastasia, noting that the guy must be around her age and probably in high school." Yeah, I got out a few hours ago and decided to check out the square," he said, motioning to the record store, "I actually just came out of that record store over there." After quick pause, he said, "I'm Zach, but most of my friends call me 'Bazooka', 'Gads', 'Books' or just about anything you could possibly come up with." Anastasia's eye's flicked over to the record store and back to Zach's."oh, I've been in there a few times, It's pretty nice." said Anastasia and she continued," Bazooka...that's an ...interesting name." she let out a friendly life and continued smiling. So he was a high school student and he did just get out of school. Imperialism wrote:Anastasia's eye's flicked over to the record store and back to Zach's."oh, I've been in there a few times, It's pretty nice." said Anastasia and she continued," Bazooka...that's an ...interesting name." she let out a friendly life and continued smiling. So he was a high school student, and he did just get out of school." It's just a nickname my friends gave me," he said, "Besides, I usually tell them to just call me Zach, but they don't listen." Stator wrote:Raven/ArellaRaven was walking in her hometown saying hi to people and greeting them as usual. Thoughts running through her head. Areola? Why are they so oblivious? A dark chuckle came into Raven's mind and she frowned slightly. What? They are like that because they choose to be, dear. Look around you. Most people may not have a dragon in them, but they all have a unique ability too. Raven sighed. Areola was right once more. She then continued there four day game of chess in her head with Areola. She almost walked into a wall when she twisted at the last moment and caught herself. Furthermore, she sighed and walked a few more steps to her favorite place and sat down, pulling out her laptop and browsing through it, looking for something. Not long after his movement away from the patch of grass, Theo sits down once again, now upon a public bench. He re-opens his laptop tentatively, looking around at passers-by. After a moment, he opens the window of his instant chat service. A fair amount of other users adorn his contacts list, mostly peers or other novices in the various fields of science. One catches his eye though, one he had not bothered to touch in what seemed like an eternity, and so happened to be online. Raven. Raven... Oh, what was her last name? The lack of memory just goes to show how long it had been. No matter, he supposes, clicking her icon, and taking himself to a private chatroom between them. Theo stares at it for a minute before tapping out a simple message, "Do we know each other?" Raven was looking at cloaks to buy when a small box in the corner of her laptop showed up and said, You have one unread message from, Theo. Raven looked at the name and Areola did as well. Ohh, I Remember him... I don't...wait... Grr. No I don't...tell me. Arella did so and raven did the math. Five years? Jeez... Raven sighed and clicked on it. Her instant messaging box coming up and she saw the message. They were in a private room and she read the message. She clicked the type box at the bottom of the screen and typed. "Apparently because you have me on your IM contacts and I have you on mine. How are you?" Raven pressed 'Enter' and saw the message go UNR neath his. She sighed and looked at previous conversations with Theo. Five years ago. She eyed the screen before looking around her and getting up, taking the laptop to the park and holding it steady as she climbed the tree and got into a comfortable position. Theo sighs in relief at the quick response. Avoiding any uncomfortable spaces between messages would be preferable. Few things would be worse than re-introducing himself with little grace. He types out another minimalist, if inoffensive response, "I'm doing alright. What about you?" Strange to think that he could have been only thirteen years old when he last spoke to this now young woman. He would not have had his reptilian form then. Odd to think of his life without the separate body. Scales, claws, and even having six limbs had begun to feel far more natural this last year. He wonders if it would be possible to ever truly fly with the rather short wings for the size of his other body. Raven eyed the response and thought. She replied. Good, been busy with school and keeping to myself. So the usual. I forget, where do you live? She typed quickly but thoughtfully and pressed enter again. She smiled and had a small conversation with Areola who was getting more curious. Something is weird here. If only he was here in person... why? What are you thinking? Nothing, I was just thinking out loud about something. Never mind me... Raven shrugged and waited for him to reply, she was happy for the quick reply though. Theo considers the somewhat out of the ordinary question. Why had she been so quick to ask? Or was there a reason at all. Best to simply answer and see what comes of it. It is not like giving her a town would do any harm. "Fremont, New Hampshire. Why do you ask?" He hopes that the final question will not be considered rude by her. Why would she need a reason to ask something simple like that? She had forgotten. That should be all the justification necessary. Raven raid a brow at the question but answered anyway. Eh, my usual question to people I haven't talked to in a while. I might be headed around that area in a few more months or so. She typed slowly, now carefully choosing her words and thinking about it. She read it over and pressed enter once more. Furthermore, she leaned back against the tree and put her hands behind her head, closing her eyes briefly to smell the air. Furthermore, she then opened them. Makes enough sense, Theo supposes. Seems a bit convenient that she might be considering taking a visit to his area though. It might be nice to see her again though. He barely even remembers her face, and even what he remembers is certainly inaccurate by now. Out of date information of any kind is not desirable to the aspiring scientist. Once again, he writes out a response, "Ah. It would be nice to see you then. Are you coming up here for anything in particular?" Raven read the reply and thought. She couldn't lie to him, she never lied. So she told him the truth. I'm a traveler and I have no family, so I go from town to town. Paying my way through school where ever I go. This year though I'm traveling near your area. I might even be at the airport by tomorrow leaving for going to that area. I got a text from the airport saying instead of waiting a month I could go in a few days or less. Furthermore, I don't know your address, so I couldn't walk to your house but do you have a place me might be able to meet? Raven typed fast this time and re-read it. It sounded strange to her, wanting to meet Theo so soon, but eventually she gave up the idea and carefully pressed the enter button and it sent quickly. Are you sure you want to see him? I don't like him already. It will be fine. Besides, I have you as my back-up plan. You are going to tell him about me?! No, I was going to have you make up a question I could ask him if things got weird. And since you remember him more than I do, so... A low grumble sounded in her head and raven couldn't help but giggle. Areola had said something funny under that grumble and raven couldn't have helped herself compared to other people. Wow. Quite the exciting life she leads, Theo comments in his head. That must be different, leading the life of a nomad with no one to slow you down. Not a life for him, no, Theo prefers structure and control in his day-to-day activities, and having two forms is more than enough excitement for him. Still, it might be interesting to ask her questions, and talk face-to-face. He types out another message, more slowly this time, "Well, feel free to take your time, but I'd love to see you in only a day or so. I suppose we could meet around the meeting house. That would be a fairly open area, and easy to find. 464 Main Street. Any particular time that works best for you?" He hopes that this meeting would not become awkward the moment that they looked at each other. That would be horribly uncomfortable. Raven read it and quickly the map around his area come to mind, and she knew partially what he was talking about and that area. I know partially where you are talking about... Hm, It depends on when the flight lands and such. I would say around maybe soonish. Hey, do you have a camera on your computer or what you are on right now? Raven read it over. She was still trying to figure out why she was typing so slow and such. She frowned though and entered the reply. Furthermore, she then re-read the conversation and leaned back once more against the tree, Areola was silent though and raven knew she was thinking. "That I do. Are you of a mind for me to use it?" Theo questions in text. It would make sense, after all. They had not seen each other in a while, and forwarding pictures or even video chatting would be useful. Knowing what each other would look like could be crucial in recognition upon their proper meeting. It certainly would not hurt to have her aware of his appearance. Corvus Metallic wrote:Imperialism wrote:Anastasia's eye's flicked over to the record store and back to Zach's."oh, I've been in there a few times, It's pretty nice." said Anastasia and she continued," Bazooka...that's an ...interesting name." she let out a friendly life and continued smiling. So he was a high school student, and he did just get out of school." It's just a nickname my friends gave me," he said, "Besides, I usually tell them to just call me Zach, but they don't listen."" Well aren't they creative. I will try and make sure to call you Zach." replied Anastasia, and she adjusted one of the bags on her right arm. Shifting it into a more comfortable position and adopting a more casual stance. The Bags were not really heavy, but she preferred to be at least comfortable when in conversation. Imperialism wrote:Corvus Metallic wrote:"It's just a nickname my friends gave me," he said, "Besides, I usually tell them to just call me Zach, but they don't listen."" Well aren't they creative. I will try and make sure to call you Zach." replied Anastasia, and she adjusted one of the bags on her right arm. Shifting it into a more comfortable position and adopting a more casual stance. The Bags were not really heavy, but she preferred to be at least comfortable when in conversation. Zach was going to ask the girl her name, but for some reason, a huge headache came on him. It disorientated him and made him stumble as he tried to regain his balance. Raven read the IM and almost fell out of the tree. She caught herself though and Areola could be heard laughing in her head. Shush... Sorry... Raven minimized the IM thing and opened up her camera thing and typed in Theo's name. A box showed up that said she was calling him. She waited and responded to him. Yes, I would hate to run into someone who is not you and possibly get embarrassed beyond all belief. Arella read the message and laughed more. Raven sighed and minimized the IM thing and looked at the calling Theo thing. Areola sat silently. "Movies, why, of all places, are we in New Hampshire?" Jack said in his head, after searching for and finding a newspaper. It was easy to lose one's bearings when one was underground, and Jack was surprised that they had travelled so far east.I don't know why. Jovius said, his voice deep and ancient sounding, like an earthquake personified. I just... felt like things were going to happen here. Important things. Jack usually would have questioned his logic, but after the whole "Turning into a dragon, burrowing underground and having a savage split personality" thing, Jack had learned not to assume that logic would be a major factor when dealing with these situations. Besides, the people and animals here don't know about us. We can hunt without suspicion. I've been wanting to try ambushing birds of prey. They don't have as much meat on their bones as livestock, but they're fun to scare and they're bite-sized. Jack sighed and thought back. Alright, alright. I just don't want to be gone long, people have enough suspicions about both human-me and dragon-me as is." Jack walked by a public bench, his hand accidentally brushing against the person sitting. How odd... Jovius said in Jack's mind, though Jack had felt nothing." What?" Jack thought back. Nothing... Jovius replied hastily. Why don't you keep an eye on that guy, I just have another feeling...? Jack, again deciding not to question Movies' reasoning, sat down on a nearby bench and periodically took a second to discreetly glance at the person. He seemed to be using his laptop for something, but he picked up his phone. Don't mean to be snoopy, but maybe we should listen to what he's saying. Jack would have done a spit-take if he had been drinking. I gave you the benefit of doubt, but this is ridiculous. Why are we doing this? Jovius wouldn't say. Just trust me. Theo smiles at her shared worry of embarrassment, and timidly clicks upon the icon indicative of video chat, allowing it to ring. The anticipation that churns within him only becomes worse as the seconds pass by. He barely notices the fact that someone had just brushed against Jimin that moment, he finds himself feeling as though someone might be taking looks his way. Theo glances around for a potential culprit, and notices the individual sitting on another nearby bench. He chances his own few glances before their eyes meet, if only for a second. His observations are quick, and few and far between. Male, black hair, glasses-Theo looks away before he can take away anything else that might be important for later. It would be worth it not to bring himself too much attention from anyone unfamiliar though. (was talking about a video chat thing.) Stator wrote:(was talking about a video chat thing.)(Edited accordingly.) (awesome.) Raven answers by clicking the accept call button and moves some strands off her face. The red icon my her camera in the laptop comes on, and she knows he can see her. She frowns briefly thinking and looks at the screen. She smiles and waves slightly. "Hello Theo." She was actually able to talk to him. It's different from talking to him with I'm. She tilts her head to the side, contemplating what Areola said and frowned once more. My. I knew it... Knew what? Nothing, go back to talking with him. Raven shrugged physically and smiled back at Theo. Jack pretended to look away when he saw the strange man look at him, though he wasn't very convincing. "Dammit Movies this isn't working, and I'm getting the feeling I look a little creepy." Jack thought, as loud as someone could think. He squinted, and realized that the man hadn't picked up his phone, he had opened a video chat. Wait, try that trick with the ears again. This area's pretty sparsely populated, no one will see you. Jovius suggested. Blue Lind worms like Jack have perfect hearing, it helps them locate predators and prey while underground. Jack sighed again and thought "What am I getting into...", before straining and turning his ears, and only his ears, into their diatonic form. If anyone was watching, which he founddidfind likely now that the man had turned to look at him, it would have seemed like Jack had suddenly grown a pair of long blue antenna. Jack could hear every blade of grass rustling, every conversation in the area and could definitely hear the strange man Movies didn't seem to like. Now he just needed him to say something. "Good day, Raven." Theo replies, in a controlled monotone, "I assume you're doing well?" He questions, glancing away for no more than a second. Interesting talking to someone this way. He had not used this feature terribly often in the past, not outside of work, or school, plus his own projects that he would have needed peer reviewing for. It is not exactly like speaking to someone in person, yet it is not unlike the instant messaging that they had been participating in moments earlier. Strange that she should be sitting in a tree. It seems like an unwise idea to him. Theo blinks inquisitively as he glances once more towards the other person who had been. Now, Theo is not fond of any sort of hallucinogenic drug, but he could swear that, if only for a second, antennae had sprouted on his head. He gave his head a small shake, and they still appeared to be present. Could anyone else see this, he wonders. They must, if he is not slowly going mad, or if he has not taken some sort of illegal substance. Or perhaps his mind is simply playing tricks. Jack's ears were still in diatonic form, listening in on the man's conversation, despite the strange man reacting to him. Jack could pick out names. The man's name was Theo, and he was talking to Raven. Jovius, Jack said. This is getting ridiculous. Who is this guy, and why are you so interested in him. Jovius seemed to be in a bit of distress, but he responded. I don't know, honestly. I don't know anything about our biology, I'm just operating on instinct. Furthermore, I can just feel something strange about him. Jack was a little wary of listening to Movies, but he still did, knowing that Movies had a much better understanding of his instincts as a dragon. Jack decided to get a closer look, he moved behind and closer to Theo, though still far away, and could manage to make out the person he was talking to, Raven. Theo now openly stares at the man with a scrunched brow. Something like this just does not make sense in the natural world, at least if he is not just seeing things. Of course, he himself is able to do things that would not generally be considered natural. On that though, what if his ability to shape into a more reptilian form has something to do with this man here? It is not out of the question, and makes about as much sense as sprouting antennae, or being able to shape oneself into another form. Theo assumes that it would be rude to ask for a specimen to compare to his own when they are not even acquaintances. Raven nodded. "I am well, what's wrong? Your eyes are darting back and forth like a ping pong table ball?" She raised her brow and was now thankful she was in a tree about seven feet up from the ground. She looked at his surrounding and Areola was curious. Something is up. Tell me about it. The kids eye Arno that.... Something is behind him. Raven looked closer at the screen and Areola was right once more. She looked back Theo. Theo looks back at his computer, realizing that he had been neglecting to speak with the one he had meant to be talking with. "Eh, nothing, Raven. Well, not nothing for me. I think I might be losing my mind." He sighs. Well, now he has her concerned, and he probably looks like a moron, staring at something off-camera like that. Theo hopes that he can save this meeting from becoming a poor first impression. How is he supposed to explain that he is seeing someone who happens to have grown an unusual bit of anatomy out of nowhere? Zach was going to ask the girl her name, but for some reason, a huge headache came on him. It disorientated him and made him stumble as he tried to regain his balance. Annastasia nearly dropped a bag as she put a hand on Zach to steady him, concern in her voice, "Are you alright?" The boy had stumbled and seemed to be overcome with discomfort. Raven frowned and lifted one of her hands to her mouth and she started to bite her nails, thinking. Looking at the screen she smiled slightly. "Well, there's nothing wrong with that. Teenagers are supposed to lose there mind. Areola says she saw-" she was cut off by her lips not moving. What? Don't talk about me.... You know the rules... I'm sorry. It just slipped out... Arella growled and let her mouth go and raven continued. "She just saw something..." At that moment her phone went off on vibrate, and she looked at Theo, balancing the laptop on her knees she carefully moved and took her phone out of her pocket and answer it. She raised a brow at first by then her eyes got wide and she hung up. "Flight leaves in about an hour... Jeez." Raven took hold of the laptop and looked at the ground. She sighed and jumped, she landed softly but got jolted. She then walked around out of the park and don a few streets. Getting home and walking in. Getting into her room and placing the laptop on her dresser table as she began packing and occasionally looking at Theo. "Sorry about that, they like to call me at the last possible moment..." She blushed but went back to packing. Theo stares at the screen now, pointedly looking away from the person sitting fairly close to him now. Who could Areola be? Probably just one of her friends. Maybe they would get introduced at some point or another, but that would be up to them. He finally replies after she is done moving from one place to another, "Well, thank you. I just hope I'm not losing it in a proto-psychotic sort of way." He allows himself one last glance away before speaking once again, "I suppose I'll see you later then. Tomorrow I guess." Theo hopes that it would be tomorrow. Maybe even once they are face-to-face, and out of a public area, he would mention why he was so distracted on webcam the day before. Raven stopped packing and looked at her watch and back at him, considering what he said. "No, it doesn't sound like it or look like it. Of course. I'll be leading around ten is and getting out of the airport by at least eleven thirty and walking to our meeting location around twelve." She smiled and didn't comment on her seeing his eyes move once more. I don't want you seeing him... Too bad, you can't control my thoughts... Hm... Arella then laughed and sighed, raven getting back to packing and looked at her bags. She had her ticket in her left hand, a coat on for the weather, a luggage bag around one shoulder, resting at her right leg and had a smaller one in her right hand. Her laptop case. "Well, I'll talk to you tomorrow right as I get off the airline or over I'm." She smiled and walked over, waving goodbye and closing the webcam and then unplugging the charger and putting it in her laptop bag and then her laptop, turning her laptop off. She hailed a taxi, held on for dear life in the taxi, got out and in about thirty min, she was on board. First class because she knew the luggage check and such would go faster. She got in her seat and buckled up, pulling her laptop out and browsing through some websites. Imperialism wrote:Zach was going to ask the girl her name, but for some reason, a huge headache came on him. It disorientated him and made him stumble as he tried to regain his balance. Annastasia nearly dropped a bag as she put a hand on Zach to steady him, concern in her voice, "Are you alright?" The boy had stumbled and seemed to be overcome with discomfort. Zach didn't answer. His throat felt like it was on fire, his head throbbed madly, as if there was something trying to make its way out. Of course, you're not, a voice said, inside Zach's mind, Can't she see that? Or are all humans just that dull witted. Mr. Wu opened his noodle and tea shop in China town. The shop was called The Lung's Bounty. He had advertisements in the city papers, and offered random foods, that to normal people would seem strange, but to a dragon, or one of dragon decent, it would be an appetizing meal. Cowlick wrote:Mr. Wu opened his noodle and tea shop in China town. The shop was called The Lung's Bounty. He had advertisements in the city papers, and offered random foods, that to normal people would seem strange, but to a dragon, or one of dragon decent, it would be an appetizing meal. Jack quietly left after Theo spotted him again, he decided that whatever Movies' "instincts" where it wasn't worth snooping around. He left the area, and for about half an hour he wandered New Hampshire, deciding that it wasn't time to return home yet. He eventually wandered into the china town part of the city, and smelled the food inside a restaurant. It smelled absolutely delicious, he wasn't sure why, but he couldn't resist going inside. He sat down at one of the tables and thought about what to eat. Everything on the menu seemed slightly strange, but mouth-watering nonetheless. Ismopan'DE had smelled the scent of multiple dragons when he had flown over the area. There were at least two adolescents, and an old dragon, Span'DE only knew of one dragon old enough to give off that kind of smell... But Old Man Wu didn't matter, and Span'DE only ate easy prey like young dragons nowadays. He avoided china town, knowing that was where Wu liked to "set up shop" so to speak, and landed near the scent of one of the young dragons, shielded by clouds and tall buildings he turned into his human form before emerging from an alley. Span'DE noticed a boy using one of those newfangled "computers", devices that never failed to confuse the old dragon, and sat down beside him on the bench. This was it, he was almost certain that this boy was the dragon he had smelled. Corvus Metallic wrote:Imperialism wrote:Anastasia nearly dropped a bag as she put a hand on Zach to steady him, concern in her voice, "Are you alright?" The boy had stumbled and seemed to be overcome with discomfort. Zach didn't answer. His throat felt like it was on fire, his head throbbed madly, as if there was something trying to make its way out. Of course, you're not, a voice said, inside Zach's mind, Can't she see that? Or are all humans just that dull witted. Zach would have freaked out under normal circumstances if he was hearing voices in his head, but seeing on how he was in major pain at the moment, he couldn't. He staggered in the direction of the park, and though he didn't notice, his eyes had changed into a dragon's, and pretty soon, so would most everything else he was left unattended. Mr. Wu saw Jack walk in. "Oh hello today sir. What would you enjoy? Meal or buffet?" He said in an old Chinese accent. Theo, at this point, is putting his computer away in its case, meaning to head back to his apartment as quickly as possible. As he looks up, he jumps upon the sight of an older man next to him. His eyes are wide with surprise for a moment, as he had seen no sign of anyone else besides the boy from earlier. It takes him a second, but finally he opens his mouth to give a controlled question, "Can I help you?" He asks tentatively, looking at the man's mouth rather than his eyes. It was something he had done when talking to unfamiliar people ever since he was young. Cowlick wrote:Mr. Wu saw Jack walk in. "Oh hello today sir. What would you enjoy? Meal or buffet?" He said in an old Chinese accent." Hrmmm... I think I'll go with the buffet. I want to try a little bit of everything." Jack said, pulling out his wallet. Cryptonius wrote:Theo at this point is putting his computer away in its case, meaning to head back to his apartment as quickly as possible. As he looks up, he jumps upon the sight of an older man next to him. His eyes are wide with surprise for a moment, as he had seen no sign of anyone else besides the boy from earlier. It takes him a second, but finally he opens his mouth to give a controlled question, "Can I help you?" He asks tentatively, looking at the man's mouth rather than his eyes. It was something he had done when talking to unfamiliar people ever since he was young. Ismopan'DE didn't look at the boy, staring into the sky. "Marvelous creatures, aren't we..." he said. Span'DE turned, fainting shock, and turned to the boy. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." he lied. "Can you help me? Wouldn't a better question be "Can I help you?" Wu stopped Jack. "On the house young dragon." Wu said with a smile. He took out a plate, silverware and napkins. Theo's stare becomes apprehensive at the words. He glances towards where the man had been staring. Nothing seemed to be gliding around in the sky. "We." Why would he use the word "We?" Unless he means-No. That would be ridiculous. No more ridiculous than a boy with abnormal appendages, or transforming into a huge lizard with wings, but that was exclusive to his outlook, wasn't it? He is the one with the problem, not everything and everyone around him. "How and why would you help me?" He finally asks, now a bit more anxious. Corvus Metallic wrote:Corvus Metallic wrote:Zach didn't answer. His throat felt like it was on fire, his head throbbed madly, as if there was something trying to make its way out. Of course, you're not, a voice said, inside Zach's mind, Can't she see that? Or are all humans just that dull witted. Zach would have freaked out under normal circumstances if he was hearing voices in his head, but seeing on how he was in major pain at the moment, he couldn't. He staggered in the direction of the park, and though he didn't notice, his eyes had changed into a dragon's, and pretty soon, so would most everything else he was left unattended. Annastasia put a hand on Zach's shoulder to try and steady him and looked very concern. While inside her head the Dragon stirred as if sensing something, and it murmured to her, "Curious, he was fine a minute ago...maybe our new acquaintance is more than we have yet to realize." Imperialism wrote:Corvus Metallic wrote:Zach would have freaked out under normal circumstances if he was hearing voices in his head, but seeing on how he was in major pain at the moment, he couldn't. He staggered in the direction of the park, and though he didn't notice, his eyes had changed into a dragon's, and pretty soon, so would most everything else he was left unattended. Annastasia put a hand on Zach's shoulder to try and steady him and looked very concern. While inside her head the Dragon stirred as if sensing something, and it murmured to her, "Curious, he was fine a minute ago...maybe our new acquaintance is more than we have yet to realize." Zach looked at the girl, not really expecting that she could do much, but it was a small comfort. He quickly looked at his fingers, which appeared webbed in the spaces and looked as if they were growing longer just ever so slightly. "Help me," he rasped. Even those two, simple words were a chore to get to come out of his mouth, as his throat pained him to no end. "How would I help you? Well, I can tell you think that you don't know. About your so-called secrets. Why would I help you? Well, because I want to preserve our race, and because you lack the knowledge befitting a noble creature such as yourself. Do you really know what you are? Did you ever consider the possibility that you aren't the only special person in this world? We are a proud and ancient race, and it saddens me to see that we have been forced into the forms of these... humans." Span'DE returned to staring into the sky, his face now bearing a melancholy smile, as if remembering when life used to be better. Jack had taken the liberty of drinking a glass of water, he was quite thirsty, and when the waiter responded to his answer he nearly choked.whatdidhecallus?!? Jovius and Jack thought at the same time. Despite his confusion at all of what his acquaintance seems to be asserting, Theo seems more insulted than anything. However, he continues to keep his words polite despite this, "I'm quite happy to be human, myself. If the phenomena that I experience is what you mean, well, I wouldn't know that others are out there. I've never had any reason to think that any other person." It's a simple explanation, but he hopes that it will not set off this possibly delusional man. He continues after further gathering his thoughts, "If you have a valid explanation, do tell. I would like to know more." "Do not worry young one. I am one of you. Just much, Much, older." Wu said as he pointed to the buffet." Go ahead and eat, and when you are done, I will explain." Apollo heard of a good place to eat. His smell was going crazy over what ever kind of food was their smell food! Dragon food. I command you take me over their now! Apollo just scoffed "I am your master so you listen to me. But as a treat I'll take you there." Apollo went inside the building ringing the bell waiting for someone to take his order. Wu quickly ran over to the new guest. "What would it be? Meal or Buffet?" Mr. Wu said in a quick Chinese accent. Cowlick wrote:Wu quickly ran over to the new guest. "What would it be? Meal or Buffet?" Mr. Wu said in a quick Chinese accent. Apollo thought for a bit but A'sheath quickly yelledBUFFET! I WANT A BUFFET!" Calm your self gee man, you sure are hungry." Apollo turned to Mr. Wu "Uh yes sir I'll take the buffet. How much does it cost for well lets say less than normal hunger?" Wu smirked. "For a dragon first time in my shop it is on the house." He said with a smile. Wu set a table for Apollo. Cowlick wrote:Wu smirked. "For a dragon first time in my shop it is on the house." He said with a smile. Wu set a table for Apollo. I already like this fellow. A'sheath smacked his lips "Uh well thank you sir." Apollo smiled as he sat on a chair Wu nodded to Apollo." When you are finished, I will speak with you." He said before returning to the kitchen. Cowlick wrote:Wu nodded to Apollo." When you are finished, I will speak with you." He said before returning to the kitchen." Alright!."" Apollo said as he dove into the meal like a savage ripping apart bones and meat Cryonics wrote:Despite his confusion at all of what his acquaintance seems to be asserting, Theo seems more insulted than anything. However, he continues to keep his words polite despite this, "I'm quite happy to be human, myself. If the phenomena that I experience is what you mean, well, I wouldn't know that others are out there. I've never had any reason to think that any other person." It's a simple explanation, but he hopes that it will not set off this possibly delusional man. He continues after further gathering his thoughts, "If you have a valid explanation, do tell. I would like to know more."" Explanation?" Span'DE said. "I can offer you no explanation while he is in an area so heavily watched by the humans. I can only say this: You have seen things that you cannot explain, things that defy all conventional logic. You are not one of them. You are above them. Furthermore, you are, I can't say this without sounding insane, a dragon. I am one of them too, just much, much, older. You can call me Craig. Oh, what the hell, it doesn't matter if a few people see this, as long as I can prove myself to you." Span'DE said. To prove his point, Span'DE raised his arm and made a fist. When he did this, black scales erupted from within his skin, coating his arm. His arm seemed to ripple, growing larger until it was as large as Span'DE's body. The bones in his fingers extended outward, until they were as long as his arm, and black webbing formed between the fingers like it was a web being woven by invisible spiders. The long bones grew black flesh which was again coated in black scales. Once he was finished, Span'DE's new black wing flopped onto the ground. "Is that proof enough for you?" Span'DE said, chuckling and slowly reverting his arm back into its original form to make sure no one else saw him. Fowlick wrote:"Do not worry young one. I am one of you. Just much, Much, older." Wu said as he pointed to the buffet." Go ahead and eat, and when you are done, I will explain." Jack really didn't want to eat, he wanted answers, but the old man didn't seem like the type who would take "no" for an answer, and the food smelled so good anyway. He picked up a plate of food, he wasn't sure what it was, but he didn't care, and he started to eat as fast as he could. He barely noticed the other boy in the restaurant, who was scarfing down food just as fast as he was. Theo by this point is backed away from the man. Craig, he had called himself. Not a very fitting name, Theo would say. Really, anything innocuous sounding would not fit this man. Though he seemed to have proven himself. He looks around, and to him, it looks as though there are not terribly many people out and about in this area. The few he sees are far enough away that they are able to not notice Craig's incomplete transformation. From his point of view, it is not enough evidence simply to see his transformation, though with all he has seen today, it would have to do. What he would not give to take a sample of another of his "kind's" blood for comparison to his own reptilian form's. Finally, he nods at the older man, "I guess it will have to be. Is that all you wanted to tell me?" Zach looked at the girl, not really expecting that she could do much, but it was a small comfort. He quickly looked at his fingers, which appeared webbed in the spaces and looked as if they were growing longer just ever so slightly. "Help me," he rasped. Even those two, simple words were a chore to get to come out of his mouth, as his throat pained him to no end. It was the moment that the boys fingers began to change that Valerian took over. Valerian quickly took control of Anastasia's mind and body, he grabbed Zach as he gave Anastasia body greater than normal Human strength. He pulled the boy over into an alley way out of sight and opening a bottle of water forced some into the boys mouth while saying, "I know a dragon in their." His voice although Anastasia's for now did have an authoritative quality to it. A quality of power than no ordinary Human would have. Valerian knew who he was now, and his suspicions were confirmed. Imperialism wrote:Zach looked at the girl, not really expecting that she could do much, but it was a small comfort. He quickly looked at his fingers, which appeared webbed in the spaces and looked as if they were growing longer just ever so slightly. "Help me," he rasped. Even those two, simple words were a chore to get to come out of his mouth, as his throat pained him to no end. It was the moment that the boys fingers began to change that Valerian took over. Valerian quickly took control of Anastasia's mind and body, he grabbed Zach as he gave Anastasia body greater than normal Human strength. He pulled the boy over into an alley way out of sight and opening a bottle of water forced some into the boys mouth while saying, "I know a dragon in their." His voice although Anastasia's for now did have an authoritative quality to it. A quality of power than no ordinary Human would have. Valerian knew who he was now, and his suspicions were confirmed." A what?!?" Zach asked. He looked at his skin, which was now turning green and scaly in places. His stomach turned at the sight, and he asked, "What do I do?" "A what?!?" Zach asked. He looked at his skin, which was now turning green and scaly in places. His stomach turned at the sight, and he asked, "What do I do?"" You fight it boy, mentally. Force it down!" came the demanding voice of Valerian from Anastasia's mouth. It seemed improbable but nevertheless the sound was there. Imperialism wrote:"A what?!?" Zach asked. He looked at his skin, which was now turning green and scaly in places. His stomach turned at the sight, and he asked, "What do I do?"" You fight it boy, mentally. Force it down!" came the demanding voice of Valerian from Anastasia's mouth. It seemed improbable but nevertheless the sound was there. Even though he was extremely confused, Zach tried to fight the dragon inside him, whatever that meant. What? You don't want to see what is inside you voice in his head said, I suppose I'll wait until you're ready then, though hurry, for I do grow impatient. Slowly, Zach's body began to revert to normal. Soon, the only thing that were left were the eyes, and soon they changed back as well. Exhausted from the ordeal, Kurt collapsed unconscious onto the concrete in the alley. Anastasia still under the control of Valerian managed to get Zach and her shopping bags back to her house after sometime. She deposited Zach in the guest bedroom on the second floor and put the groceries away. After that Valerian receded back into her mind and she flicked on the TV, Valerian however was monitoring the situation constantly. Always prying and having Anastasia tell her of any new developments. After what felt like several hours, Zach woke up in somebody's house. He head throbbed, but it wasn't unbearable and he could manage. He felt groggy and lethargic, but nonetheless he sat upright on the bed, thinking about what had happened in the alley. I'm glad you're awake, the voice said, I'm sorry for such a rude intrusion earlier. I should probably introduce myself. My name is Gwyn, I'm the dragon that lives inside of you. Kurt realized that this wasn't a dream, as unrealistic as it seemed." Why me," he whispered to himself, "Out of all the people on the planet....."' Simple, Zach, you have dragon blood in your veins, Gwynt said. Even though he was confused as to how the dragon knew his name, Zach said nothing, and instead went out of the room and down the stairs. When he saw the girl from earlier, he realized that this must have been her home. He said, "Thank you for what you did earlier, you're a real lifesaver." Anastasia nodded and smiled, "You are welcome to stay, well.until you are 100%. Wouldn't want you collapsing and possibly causing havoc now would we." Her words were sincere and Valerian agreed mentally. Imperialism wrote:Anastasia nodded and smiled, "You are welcome to stay, well.until you are 100%. Wouldn't want you collapsing and possibly causing havoc now would we." Her words were sincere and Valerian agreed mentally." Thank you," he said, "By the way, I never asked your name earlier." Corvus Metallic wrote:Imperialism wrote:Anastasia nodded and smiled, "You are welcome to stay, well.until you are 100%. Wouldn't want you collapsing and possibly causing havoc now would we." Her words were sincere and Valerian agreed mentally." Thank you," he said, "By the way, I never asked your name earlier."" You're welcome, and my name is Anastasia." replied Anastasia as she flipped the channels and kicked back to relax. Zach decided to take Anastasia up on her offer and rest a short while. He took a seat next to her and started watching the TV. I can tell you're reluctant about staying hereGwynt said, You're probably wanting to go home, but you didn't want to seem rude, so you're staying anyway. I know what you're thinking Zach. Shaking the dragon's words out of his head, Zach tried to rest as much as he could. "I am called calahanakanala by my people!" Mark said in tribal voice "dude what's wrong with you?" Said the last person on the subway. "There, they are all gone. And I made myself look like a weirdo." " You know not of my reasons for your humility!" replied a still materializing silver dragon. "I can read your mind too ya know! You just wanted to see me make a fool of myself and you to get some leg-room!" Mark replied snappily,"as long as I get you to this Wu guy you won't need to settle for pigeons anymore, now will your brother!" The silver dragon replied with" I don't see why you don't "go dragon" as you call it so we can leave and get some livestock!" "Let's just get you to this Wu guy. Look our stop is coming up, conceal yourself brother. Blazing suns wrote:"I am called calahanakanala by my people!" Mark said in tribal voice "dude what's wrong with you?" Said the last person on the subway. "There, they are all gone. And I made myself look like a weirdo." " You know not of my reasons for your humility!" replied a still materializing silver dragon. "I can read your mind too ya know! You just wanted to see me make a fool of myself and you to get some leg-room!" Mark replied snappily,"as long as I get you to this Wu guy you won't need to settle for pigeons anymore, now will your brother!" The silver dragon replied with" I don't see why you don't "go dragon" as you call it so we can leave and get some livestock!" "Let's just get you to this Wu guy. Look our stop is coming up, conceal yourself brother.(IOC: just so you know, you should have made an app in the IOC thread, here's the link:viewtopic.php?f=31&t=236685) Raven had fallen asleep on the plane and woke up slowly as the plane landed. Areola yawned in Herr head as well and they both stretched. Raven shook her head and stood up, catching her laptop as it fell. I need to pay more attention Areola. Yes, yes you do. Raven chuckled and shut off her laptop and put it away. She got out of the plane and followed everyone as she usually did to the baggage pickup and looked for her one baggage that she had brought. She found it and picked it up, putting it over one shoulder and did everything else and walked out of the airport. Furthermore, she got a taxi to take her to the closest park and he did so. Furthermore, she paid him and got out, waving goodbye and sitting on a park bench. Furthermore, she turned her laptop back on and looked through hers and Theo messages. Hm, he's close. To you yes, no me no. Now shush... Arella was quite then as Raven called on webcam to Theo. Corvus Metallic wrote:Zach decided to take Anastasia up on her offer and rest a short while. He took a seat next to her and started watching the TV. I can tell you're reluctant about staying here Gwyn said, You're probably wanting to go home, but you didn't want to seem rude, so you're staying anyway. I know what you're thinking Zach. Shaking the dragon's words out of his head, Zach tried to rest as much as he could. Annastasia seemed to be idly watching TV but Valerian was in contemplation. The boy could be consumed by the Dragon inside him and that could cause problems for their life here. So he decided that he'd watch this development closely and had Anastasia talk to Zach, "You may leave if you truly wish too. I suggest you rest but if you really need to go then feel free too."

Dragon RP Reboot (IC)|rating:4.0

Fae KisuxOriOn

"Alright, so whoever wins has to walk them cool?" The blond boy stated, wanting confirmation from the brown haired male." Yup. But, there's no question. I'm going to win." Came his answer." Pfft." The blond boy grinned good naturally, turning the dark bay horse he sat upon around." Charge!" At the call, both boys began yelling and kicking, driving the two large horses to the other side of the clearing. The blonde's dark bay beat the brown haired boy's shorter palomino by a head. The boy laughed loudly, dismounting. Both horses and boys were covered with sweat, which is why they'd chosen to stop here. After a few hours ride through the forest's natural trails, the spring nearby looked inviting. But, first the horses would need to be cooled. Happily, the slim male handed the reins of the bay to the other boy. "Make sure they are perfectly cool, Damian!" He teased lightly. They didn't get to go riding often, but Panel loved going with his best friend. It was always an inviting change from the dirty city he lived in. He hated it, but he'd needed a job and was starting up in college. Coming back to the small town he'd been raised in was coming home, pure and simple. That city would never be his home. His friend didn't look pleased, but had taken the reins, and stared off, flanked by two horses breathing heavily. He was kicking at rocks and clumps of grass as he moved, mumbling about cheaters. Panel shook his head and grinned. He turned back to the stream, and, leaving his clothes on, Panel plunged into the water, emerging dripping wet, but safe from the sun that had been beating on them for hours. No doubt Damian would plunge in while stripping, calling Panel a prude the entire time. He huffed, and laid down on the ground, stretching out. Such a hot day. He'd wished they'd brought some food, but they had been in such a hurry. Next stop: The blackberry bushes. Appearance:Jay and Finn Scion ((Jay is the one with silver hair, the good one, and Finn is the one with dark hair, the bad one))Jay looked around as contemplated what he had to do in the coming days. He was to turn 21 in a mere few months, and by then either him or his twin brother, Finn, would assume the throne that their father had left him when he had passed on. However, there was just one tiny, small thing that they had to do. They had to find their true mate. A true mate was chosen by destiny and the stars rather than by blood relatives, and was always chosen during the naming ceremony that took place right after someone was born. There were many people that would have rather seen himself than Finn take over leadership of the country since he had always been loving and fair to his people, unlike Finn who was merciless. Donning on some clothing so that he looked semi-presentable he left his room and went to the observatory where he had been summoned by the royal seer. The royal seer was the one that had told him and his brother their fortunes when they were born. Heading up the flights to the observatory he was glad that he was in shape, since had he not been he would have never made it up the many fights of stairs. Once there he saw the scraggly old man standing there as he stared towards the clouds with a chart in his hands. Coughing a little to announce that he was there the other male looked at him and fumbled, but managed to get into a low bow. "You wished to see me," asked Jay as he glanced at the other." Why yes," replied the seer. "We have much to discuss. Come sit down if you would be so kind." Jay sat down at on a wooden chair that was in front of a rather large desk. He figured that the other wanted to discuss his father's health with him, since the other male hadn't been doing so well as of late, and when he would be assuming the throne. However, he would have to wait for the other to speak again.((I will enter the other brother in the next post. Also, I figured I would break my intro post into two pieces since it would get rather lengthy)). (That's just fine. This is going to be fun! Choices!!!! :See:)As predicted, Damian plunged in the water once the horses were cool. He was hollering and splashing around within minutes, while Panel grinned on the bank. He chewed a long strand of grass slowly, loosening the girth on the horses before tugging the saddles off, setting them carefully on low-hanging branches of nearby trees. The thick blankets were folded in half and set on the ground. Then the bridles were slipped off and hung as well, before the blond removed the two lead ropes they had attached to the saddles, and hooked it to the halters the horses had on under the bridles. They were tied to nearby trees, the lead ropes hanging loose. Not all horses could be tied like that, but Polaris and Flight had been trained by his family...if the lead ropes wrapped around their hooves they would stand still under unwrapped instead of panicking. Finally, he was able to get down to business. "You're going to scare the fish away completely!" He shouted to the yelling boy. Damian grinned, before climbing from the lake and tugging his jeans on. The two friends quickly put together the fishing poles and took a seat next to the lake, Panel selecting another blade of grass. He did most of the fishing, and Damian kept cracking random jokes. Jay continued to sit there as he saw the old seer make his way to the other chair that was across the table. Once the other was there the seer began telling him the story of his birth. He knew all that. It was a miracle that he and the brother had been born. Their mother was told that she would never be able to bear the current king any children, but then something miraculous happened. She gave birth to two healthy happy twins. He knew all of this. He was reminded every time he and his brother had a birthday. "Okay," replied Jay as he glanced at the other. "Please, I have a meeting to get to if you would please tell me why you have called me here." He didn't want to be rude to the other, but he needed to get to another meeting, this one being with his father and the war counsel. They were to talk strategies about a possible skirmish that could happen." I know that you know all of that, but do you remember what I told you about you finding a mate?" Jay had to think for a moment. He hadn't much talked about this with his father or his mother, let alone the original seer. "No," replied Jay flatly." Idiot!"declared the seer. "Then again I suppose that you would have not remembered from way back when. I told you that your mate was in the mortal realm, and that you had to find him and claim him before your 21st birthday."" Ya, ya," replied Jay. "I know all that." He knew that his mate was in the mortal realm, and that he had to be claimed before he turned 21. "Tell me something that I don't know." Jay thought for a moment, and then it clicked. Whoever made claim on the person would get the right as king after their father passed on, and everybody knew that Jay was the favorite. "You're right," exclaimed Jay as he stood up. "I need to get going right away. I turn 21 in less than 3 months." Racing out of the room he ran down the flight of stairs, and missed the shadow that was lurking underneath the stairs." Interesting," said a male voice that belonged to someone that looked a lot like Jay as he too made his way down the stairs as well.((Gas, color changes= death)). (LMAO. That is why is no longer deal with them! I wasn't sure what else to put for the post. Sorry!) The two boys continued on for a while, the summer sun beating down on their bare skin. They each had a string of fish, though Panel had supplied most of them. Eventually, however, the sky began to become overcast. Clearly, it was a summer storm, common in this area. They would come suddenly and quickly, rain beating down on whoever was unfortunate enough to get caught in it. Quickly, the boy began taking their poles apart, placing them on the packs behind their saddles. There was no way in the world they would make it back in time, but it was far too easy to get lost in the deep forest while raining. They began throwing the saddles on the horses, hanging the string of fish off the saddles. Talking and smiles were gone in the face of the storm, and within fifteen minutes the boy's had mounted and turned the beasts towards the trails. Jay continued to run down the hallway. It was no laughing matter. He remembered one such time that he and his brother were playing "what if." The topic had been what if you were to become the future king. Jay had talked about he wanted to unite everybody through peace, and understanding. However, Finn had a much darker tone in his way of wanting to rule the kingdom. He wanted to rule with an iron fist, where opposition would be destroyed swiftly and where people obeyed because they lived in fear. This was something that Jay would never let come to pass. He entered the meeting room with his father and other counselors, explained his predicament, got both of his parent's blessings and was soon on his way to the mortal realm. Jay wasn't really sure how he would be able to figure out who his mate was from what the seer had cryptically told him. He had told him that he would just know, and that there would be something called a resonance, whatever that was. As he made his way to the border of the fey land and the mortal plain he bid farewell to the guard that was there as he plunged down to the Earth below. As he fell to Earth he donned on some glamour that would change his appearance, mostly his clothing and his pointed ears, and make him look like that of a normal human. As he continued to fall he heard some rumbling around him, and then there was a bright flash of light. He had always heard horror stories of fey that had gotten lost in storms while going to the mortal realm. Hopefully, he would not befall the same thing. There was another flash of lighting and then a mighty gust of wind blew him off course throwing him towards a patch of trees. Bracing himself for impact he landed heavily on the ground, and then blacked out. Finn, who had not gotten the head start before his brother decided that he would wait and plan for the time being. It would be so much easier for him to steal the mortal away when Jay had to bring him to the royal court to be formally introduced. The two of them would be married, and then the claiming would happen later that night after the festivities. He was pretty sure that his brother wouldn't break the sacred law of claiming his mate in the mortal realm, but love was a powerful, stupid thing. The pair had stared down the trails. The smaller palomino was behind the dark bay, and Panel glanced behind him, shouting to be heard over the loud wind. "This isn't good. Polaris is spooked and wants to get home..." As he spoke, the Tennessee walked began high-stepping, the quick pace his breed was named for. Panel struggled to hold him back, not wanting his horse to get hurt trying to outrun the storm. Before Damian could answer, there was a huge crash in front of them. Damian was yelling something about lightning, but Panel wasn't able to answer. The noise had spooked the horses, and Panel had been taken off guard, and was falling. The palomino had pushed past the bay, and was making a dash towards home, Damian trying in vain to hold the beast back. A natural herd animal, Polaris followed, taking flight and leaving his master groaning on the ground. Rain began to pour. Just as Panel had though, it was pouring, beating down. Something warm and sticky traveled down his face, getting washed away by the rain. He lifted a hand to his head, to peer at his blood before it was rinsed from his hand. He groaned, and moved under a large tree, glancing around and shivering. Nearby, the trees that the lightning had hit were torn and ripped, though they hadn't exploded and didn't have the right gash for lightning. Upon closer inspection, it looked as if something was laying underneath them in a big bundle. Ignoring his throbbing head, Panel moved to the tree, rolling the bundle over to eye the boy in front of him. Puzzled, Panel squinted his face, wrinkling his nose and looking up. How in the world had this happened? Licking his lips, Panel patted the boy's cheek. "H-hey...wake up..." He tried, not wanting the male to stay asleep. What if he was seriously hurt or had a concussion. It was a mistake. A giant, big, and hulking mistake. Had he been wiser, even if he had been more attentive he would have left when he was supposed to leave? When it was safe. Yet, here he was heading down to the mortal realm through a thunderstorm no less. He was lucky to be alive. He was alive right? Furthermore, he felt warm, or at least he thought that he felt warm. Cracking his eyes open he immediately regretted it as he was assaulted by the sound of thunder, and rain. Closing his eyes he then felt someone's hand on his cheek. Someone's warm hand. Cracking his eyes open again he heard the other say something about waking up. He was awake, but then again he had his eyes closed. There was no telling if he was awake or unconscious. "I am awake," replied Jay as he tried to assess the damage to his body. He was pretty sure that his one ankle was either broken or he had a really nasty sprain since he could practically feel pain radiating off of it in waves. He tried to focus on something, to keep himself awake. His sensitive hearing picked up on the pitter-patter of a heartbeat. It was beating rather fast. Was it his or the others? The blond boy sighed in relief when the boy spoke. He shifted, sitting back a bit, eying the boy. He had rather long hair, and seemed far too pretty for a boy, though the lack of a chest indicated his gender. "I... I don't want to move you just yet. I don't understand what happened. It's like you flew into that tree..." He stopped rambling, looking for blood from the male. "A-are you alright? Anything hurt?" He paused to let the male answer, then figured if he could keep him talking, it could help if the male was damaged at all. "What were you doing on foot all the way out here? That's never a good idea during storm season... I'm Panel...who are you?" Jay found himself nodding when he heard the other's soft voice telling him that he wasn't going to move him yet. Quite frankly he didn't want to be moved yet either. He still hurt all over, and he was afraid that if he got moved that it would ignite an all new pain again. Flew through a tree. He wasn't about to tell the other that he had come from the fey realm, and that he was here looking for his mate. The man already thought that he was nuts, that would just be the icing on the cake. "I think my ankle is either broken or sprained," muttered Jay as he tried to move it but to no avail. "I wasn't on foot," said Jay. It was true that he wasn't on fault. "I guess you could say I got here on a wing and a prayer." That had been the truth. He listened to the other say his name, and it was as if a fire had been suddenly ignited in his chest. Just from hearing the other mutter his name he knew that the male above him was his true mate. Jay knew that if he said anything about it, he would find himself on a one way bus trip to the Mooney bin, and then his brother would get the throne and get to claim the other as his mate. The other's name sounded good in his head, and he wished that he had the strength to utter it out. However, he barely had the strength to utter out his own name. "My name is Jay Scion." Panel listened as the other spoke, and automatically glanced at the foot. He didn't want to check. He was no doctor, but most likely, as soon as the storm stopped, a group would come out. Furthermore, he'd be able to transport the man back to his house and get him some medical attention. What the man said was puzzled, but Panel didn't try to figure it out at the moment, more worried about the man's condition." Scion? Huh..." Panel offered the boy a smile, though his eyes were still closed. "Pretty cool name. Much better than La'Arc. I'm jealous." He paused, thinking of ways to keep the male talking. "What are you doing in this small town? You don't talk like you're from here...and there's not much to see." Jay was glad that the other didn't press the matter on the whole a wing a prayer thing that he had said. Right now he didn't have the strength to explain anything more, nor the mental capacity right now to defend himself if people thought that he was crazy. "Sounds like a nice last name," said Jay as he smiled at the other even though his eyes were still closed. As time passed he was pretty sure that the only major part of him that was hurting was the ankle. What was he doing in a small town like this? What was he doing in such a small town anyway. Evading the other's direct question he said," I just happened to be in the neighborhood. Decided to see the sites." He still hadn't given the other much to work with, and that suited him just fine right now. "I am looking for someone if you must know. Someone...very important. "Oh, really?" Panel glanced out from the tree cover. The rain had lessened. These storms were like that, appearing suddenly, creating a giant downpour, then vanishing, leaving everything glinting and clean. "The storm will end soon, then it will just be a little while until help comes, maybe an hour or two, okay?" He spoke to the male, before continuing with what the man had said." So, you're looking for someone?" He repeated. "I grew up here, and not many new people come here, so I can probably help. I'm not sure why you were looking in these woods for them, but if you let me know who they are, I can take you there as soon as we get you fixed up..." Jay listened to the other. His wound wasn't life-threatening, and already his fey magic was working its way through the bones mending whatever was torn or damaged. Sometimes it was nice being a supernatural being. The other wanted to know more about who he was looking for. Hell, he didn't know much either. As he fell to Earth he just knew that he had to come towards this town. It was as if it was calling out to him. His mate had to be here, but if that was the case then the person in front of him was most certainly his mate. He had felt a surge of electricity run through him when the other had said his name, but there was no way that he was going to mention it to the other, at least not right now. "Yes, I am looking for someone," he began. He swallowed choosing his words carefully. "This person is very dear to me, and it is imperative that I find this person." He wasn't going to say find him or her in the event that he was wrong and that it really was a person of the wrong gender. "Well how should I put this. There is just someone I need to find before a certain period in my life." That had sounded a lot better in his head, and right now he figured that the other probably thought that he was nuts. There was a rather long pause before Panel responded. "Uhm, okay. I understand...you really need to find the person. So, what this person's name?" He was talking rather slowly, starting to think the boy was either seriously hurt, or maybe a bit slow in the head. "I'm sure even I don't know them, we can track them down pretty quickly. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, Panel noted happily. Since it was so low, if Damian had made it home already, there would be a team of horses on their way, with both of the boy's families riding. "Alright... I guess our rescue party will be on their way. So, Jay...where are you from?" Jay smiled, or at least he thinks that he smiled, at the other male. The other male was trying to be as accommodating as possible however, he also knew that the other was just probably humoring him. The person's name. If his thoughts were correct, then the person above him was the one that he had been searching for. As his head hurt more and more a buzzing began to go through his head. Crying out in pain he began to see black splotches in his vision when he opened his eyes to try and take in his surroundings. He mumbled a little bit as he tried to think coherently. "Y-you," said Jay as he passed out as the rain began to slow. He barely heard what the other had said. Label jerked away, accidentally dropping they had that he was cradling. He gave a wince as the boy's head hit the ground, and quickly began cradling it again. Surely he'd heard wrong. It had sounded like Jay had said 'You'. Frowning, the boy glanced upwards, wanting the rain to hurry and stop. Either this strange man was a weird psychopath, or some kinda stalker. It didn't really make sense any other way, seeing as how Panel had never met him before. Eventually, the group did arrive at horseback, and Panel stood, carefully laying the boy stomach down on the horse. It took a few people to lay him on the horse. Awkwardly, Panel climbed on the back on his bag, holding Jay still, so the boy wouldn't fall from the saddle. The whole ride back he was mulling over the boy who'd fallen from the sky, peeking at his still form. Soon they were back in the house, and his uncles helped move Jay to a guest bedroom, tugging off the soaked socks and shoes, and laying out new clothes. Panel himself changed clothes, before moving into the room, tugging a wooden chair to the bedside. Awkwardly, and unused to being a caregiver, Panel shook the male gently. If he did have a concussion, he really needed to be awake. "H--hey. Jay?" Jay who was barely conscious at the time he glanced up at the other. What he wasn't expecting was his head to be dropped onto the hard ground. He blacked out again. He heard someone apologize, and then he lost all consciousness again. The next thing that he knew he was laying in a rather soft bed. Someone had taken the liberty to remove his shoes and his socks, and drape a rather warm blanket over him. Someone was trying to shake him awake. "Yes," mumbled Jay as he cracked his eyes open again. Blinking a few times he looked over to see that Label was sitting next to him. "Where am I?" he managed to murmur out as he swallowed. His mouth was very dry. The last thing that he remembered was falling out of the sky and then hitting the ground with a rather hard thud. "Hey...glad your awake!" Panel stated first, grinning. "You're at my parents ranch. We brought you back here. The doc will be here soon to check you out. You said before your ankle hurt..." He paused to reach towards the pitcher his mother had brought. "Are you thirsty? Dinner will be done soon, and we'll be able to eat." His own head was bandaged, rather excessively in his opinion, but his mother had insisted." You had me worried about a bit, going on and on like you'd hit you head a bit too hard..." He rambled. Jay was glad that he was somewhere safe for the time being. Or at least he thought that he was somewhere safe for the time being. He didn't know where he was to be honest, but he was sure that the one in front of him wouldn't hurt him. His aura was just too nice to be evil or mean. He glanced at the pitcher of water that was in the other's hand and found himself slowly nodding his head. He was thirsty, and his lips were beginning to crack from lack of water. Furthermore, he chuckled nervously when he heard the other say that he must have been talking a bunch of nonsense since he had struck his head hard on the ground. Furthermore, he was glad, at least for the time being, that the other had shrugged it off. Furthermore, he needed to sort through his own emotions and thoughts as well. Furthermore, he seemed to have at least a decent amount of time to do that though. Furthermore, he had a little less than 3 months, but he was pretty sure that would provide him with enough time to get the other to go back with him to the fey realm. The male poured a glass quickly, holding it out to the other man. Jay wasn't saying much, and to be honest, Panel wasn't sure if he was happy about that or disappointed. He observed the man for a few long minutes. Finally, he broke the silence. "So...your relatives must be pretty worried about you... What's their number? I'll give them a call and let them know what's going on, and if the doctor says we can move you after he sees you, we'll take you over there." Jay took the glass of water that was offered to him as he took a rather large drink out of it. Putting the glass in his lap he smiled at the other as he said,"Thank you." Jay couldn't fathom how a complete stranger would invite him into his house, nor why the other would take care of him. Either way he was very fortunate that the other had found him, and not someone else. Relatives? Ha, he actually let out a small laugh. Relatives indeed. His relatives weren't looking for him. They had all for sent him here to the mortal realm to find his bond mate, to find Panel, or at least he thought it was Panel. "Uh," he began. He needed to think of a quick lie. "They're out of the country right now. I don't really know how to get a hold of them. When they are on vacation they don't really like to be interrupted either." At least that was partially true. "I'll figure out a way to get a hold of them somehow though." With another smile he finished the rest of the glass of water as he looked at the other and said,"Can I have some more water?" Panel looked puzzled, though the question brought him back quickly. "Oh! O-of course... S-sorry..." He refilled the glass, and set the metal pitcher down with a small clink on the tray. "If your relatives are out of the country, who are you staying with? We kinda need to let them know what happened to you..." He paused, and looked oddly at Jay. "What did happen, really?" Taking the glass from the other he took another drink from it as he listened to the other prattle off about his parents. He shouldn't have said anything, because the more he lied, the more of a hole he was digging himself. Should he just come clean? He would have to tell the other about his true intentions sooner or later. His healing skills were beginning to heal the more minor cuts and scrapes, and it would be only a matter of time before he would be able to travel again. Cleaning his throat he set the glass of water on his lap. "What if I told you that there was real magic in the world, and it's not just some lie or make believe thing only found in stories." The human's rambling stood in the middle of his sentence. "Whey-?" Before he could catch it, Panel was staring the other male like he was crazy. "I...uhm...well, of house fairy tales are fake. I mean, magic itself defies the very laws of all kinds of things, matter and physics." Noting he was rambling again, Panel bit his bottom lip, glancing over worriedly." Were you...uh, wanting a bedtime story or something?" Honestly, he couldn't think of another reason Jay would ask about magic. Jay chuckled when he heard the other. Science? Magic. They were one and the same back in his realm. He then smiled a little bit as he saw the other ramble trying to find a rational answer to what he just asked. "Fake," said Jay as he fixed Panel with a look of small disdain. "Have you never asked yourself if magic was in the world? Could you never explain something by modern science?" He leaned back a little as he let out a sigh. There was no getting through to the other, at least not right now there wasn't. He would need to show the other that there was magic in the world, and that he was a being that could control it. If he was to take Panel back to his world then the other would need to be not only uncultured in family formality, but also to not be in awe of everything that he saw when he went there. He laughed a little harder when he heard the other ask him if he wanted the other to tell him a bedtime story. "No," he said with a chuckle. " However, if you want to feel free." The more and more that he was spending with the other the more and more he wanted to make the other his all the faster. Panel grew more puzzled when he finally raised his eyes to peer at Jay. The male was looking at him strangely, though it wasn't a positive look, more like a scolding look. Like Panel had misbehaved. He fiddled with his fingers, and averted his gaze again. "O-of course there are unexplainable things...but...that's not magic. Humans just haven't learned everything about the world yet, is all... Y-you don't believe in magic, do you?" Vanyel waited patiently for his answer, then looked around. A fairy tale. He hadn't heard them since he was very, very young, but it couldn't be too hard. He started off with the typical words. "Uhm, okay...once upon a time..." He continued slowly, weaving a tale. Ironically, the main hero of his story was a fairy rescuing a maiden from orcs to take her home and be his bride. Jay looked at the other. How was Panel talking about things like rationality with things like magic? It was just so confounding. When the other began his story he found himself smiling though, his anger and confusion about magic completely forgotten. After the other was done spinning his tale about a maiden, a bunch of orcs, and a fairy he spoke as he said,"Of course I believe in magic." The question now was how was he going to get the other to believe in it as well? He wasn't even sure that he had enough energy to perform magic, but he needed to think of something fast to make the other believe. Glancing over at the water that was still in the pitcher he concentrated on it as it came floating out of the pitcher. He created a small ball of water with his hands. Cupping his hands together there was a bright blue light in his hands. He let his eyes slide closed as he concentrated. The light died down, and then he opened his hands. In his hand he held the bud of a rose made from ice. "Here," he said as he offered the rose over to the other. Panel finished his story fairly quickly, rather proud of himself. It hadn't been too bad. He was brought from his thoughts as Jay spoke again, confirming his belief in magic. The blond looked rather confused, and he shook his head with a soft sigh. He didn't, but if this strange boy wanted to, well, it wasn't Panel's place to prove him wrong. He opened his mouth to say so, but closed his mouth with a frown when he saw what Jay was doing. Furthermore, he was staring at the jug strangely. "D-do you want more water?" He asked, though a moment later, it was clear what Jay was doing. Without anything to hold it, the water was being lifted from the jug, and eventually Jay held it in his hands, a soft light shining. Then the male cupped them together, and reopened them, holding something out to Panel. Still stunned, the short boy reached out, accepting the item. He stared at it for a few long minutes, then finally looked back to Jay. He opened his mouth, then snapped it shut, and looked back to the item. Without another word, Panel stood and left the room, the door closing with a tiny click. He went to his own room, shutting the door. He moved to his desk, setting the ice rosebud in the middle of it. Furthermore, he sat down, laying his head on the desk and staring at it. Unable to understand, he began inspecting the item, turning it every which way, even breathing on it to see if it would melt. None of it was possible, that was sure. It was some illusion Jay was doing, trying to fool Panel, though he wasn't sure why. He had hidden the item somewhere, and it was simply pressed glass or something. Panel would find it out though.[COLOR="Silver"] Jay watched as the other male took the rose from his hand. He broke out into a smile when he saw the other's look of awe and amazement. He then saw the other's face twist into that of amazement yes, but also of terror. Furthermore, he was about to explain himself and apologize for making the other afraid when Panel stood up and left the room without another word. As he saw the other's retreating form he called out,"Wait Panel! I'm sorry!" He was pretty sure though that the other hadn't heard him. Kicking off his blankets he put his feet onto the cool wooden floor and winced a little bit. His leg was most likely broken, but it had been splinted for the time being. It was rather crude for a wrap, but it would suffice for now. Putting more weight on his foot he managed to hobble his way out of the room and into the hallway. "Panel!" he called out again not really knowing where the other's room was. Various faces peeked out of doorways, staring at the moving boy. A plump short female rushed forward, trying to urge him back into the room. Vanyel frowned, his head jerking up. Jay was yelling for him, and he actually sounded much closer than he should. The blond stood, and rushed from the room, glaring down the hallway. Sure enough, Jay was up and moving, despite his leg probably being broken. "What are you doing?" He snapped, trying to help his mother coax Jay back into the bedroom. "Jay, get back in the bed. What's wrong with you?" Jay continued to move down the hallway looking for the other male. As he called out for the other the various doors of the hallway opened. A rather plump looking woman came rushing towards him telling him to go back to his room and get back to bed. He pushed passed her, not wanting to hurt her, but the other was hindering him from getting to his goal. That goal being seeing Panel again. He then saw Panel coming out of another one of the rooms. The other male began coming towards him as well, and he relented as he felt himself being pushed into the room where he had previously been in. He heard what the other said and managed to sputter out,"I'm sorry, I just wanted to see you, and explain to you. I am sorry that I scared you." He got ushered across the room, and he ended up sitting back in his bed under the covers again. He was never one to sit around, especially since he had a limited amount of time to be here in the mortal realm. Panel assured his mother everything was fine, that he would care for their guest, before finally turning back to the bed. He huffed, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Explain what? There's nothing to explain. Well, actually...you could start by telling me why you want to trick me into believing all this magic stuff?" He continued, flopping down into the same chair from earlier. "You're really weird." He finally admitted with a sigh. "You said earlier you were here for me, but that doesn't make any sense. And I really can't figure out where you were hiding the glass rose..." Jay watched as Panel came huffing and puffing across the room. He eyed the other male as the other ended up sitting across from him in a wooden chair. He wanted him to explain how he was able to perform magic. It wasn't some kind of illusion. He was born knowing how to use magic, they all were, even humans. Fey on the other hand were able to access that part of their brain a little more than the other races of the universe. After the other was done talking he eyed the other male as he let out another sigh. "Yes," replied Jay as he glanced at the other. "I have come here for you. Or at least I think I am. I am looking for-," he paused. Should he tell the other that he was looking for his mate, his life partner? Wouldn't that just spook the other more and more away from him? He had to chance it though. "I am looking for my life mate. I don't know if it is you though, but when I saw you I felt an immediate attraction to you." He paused letting it all sink in for the other male. "Also the magic thing it wasn't an illusion." He eyed the room to see if there was anything else that he could show the other. His magical specialty was in natural things. Water, air, trees, flowers, and the other things of nature. His brother on the other hand had the power of shadows, and he was the one that made illusions. Panel couldn't even think of anything to say to the new information. He groaned and shook his head, running his hand down his face. "L-look...a lot of guys get confused around me. They tell me I'm too cute to be a boy. It's just a confusion thing. I don't even like other boys!" He stated stubbornly." Of course, it was. I'm sorry...i-if you want to believe in magic, I'm not going to burst your bubble, but why does it matter so much if I believe you or not?" He stood, shaking his head again. "Just tell me where you are staying, so I can let whoever is there know what happened to you, alright?" Jay listened to what the other said agreeing with everything that the other had said. Panel was cute, adorable even. Handsome too. He chuckled a little bit as he heard the last part though about the other not liking boys. He didn't know what the tone was, but he wondered if the other was trying to convince Jay or even himself more. Furthermore, he narrowed his eyes a little bit though when he heard the other say that what he had just done a few moments ago was just an illusion. Furthermore, he shook his head in frustration. There was no getting through to the other was there. He was getting frustrated, very frustrated. Standing up from the bed he pointed at the other male as he said,"Accept it. I don't want you to accept anything. I believe in magic because I can control magic. Everybody can from where I am from. You could too with practice. It's-It's important to me for you to understand this because if you are going to go with me tom my realm then you are going to have to understand a bit about me!" With that being said he sat down on the bed again a little dizzy from the yelling. He knew that yelling wasn't really going to get him anywhere, but he didn't know what else to do. Panel seemed a bit put off by Jay climbing and standing on the bed, pointing down at him. Rather nervous now, he glanced around, as if looking for someone to help him. When Jay was laying down again, he reached forward, patting the other's hand gently. "O-okay... I believe in magic." He stated, just to mollify the other. He sat back again, peering at Jay worriedly. Then his expression changed to complete confusion. "Wait...what? Going to your...realm? What realm? Why would I leave my home?" Jay didn't know if the other was just saying that he believed in magic to patronize him, or just to shut him up. He believed that it was probably the latter, or maybe it was both. Either way Jay knew that the other was putting on a show for him. "Whatever," he thought as he listened to the other become possibly interested in his country. "Yes my realm," replied Jay as he turned his head to look at the other. "The realm of the fey. It's where I was before I came crashing down to your realm, or in this case your planet." He would let this part sink in before he continued by telling him that he was the chosen one to be his mate, and that was the reason that he was going to come to his realm, willing or not. Though he hoped that the other would come willingly since it would be rather awkward if it wasn't. "Realm of the fey?" Panel stared openly, his mouth slightly agape. He stood slowly, as if Jay was a frightened animal, and he didn't want to frighten the male. He leaned over, patting Jay's shoulder gently, "Don't move, alright... I'll be right back...right back..." He inched out of the room quickly. This was just too much. This boy wasn't just hurt...he was insane! He didn't worry about closing the door as he stopped his mother in the hallway, keeping his voice low. "Ma... I think we have a bit of a problem... I... I can't get him to tell me where he is staying, or where he's from, or why he's here. Plus, he keeps talking about magic... Maybe you should call up the nearest institutions?" There was a bit more, the female utterly confused. She protested and stated there wasn't one nearby, but agreed to ask around about the strange boy. True to his word, Panel turned around and started back to the room. He hesitated in the doorway, a tiny voice speaking up inside his head. It's like you fell out of the sky! He'd said earlier, when he'd first met Jay. He shook his head and moved fully into the room, sitting down again. Magic wasn't real, this boy was from Earth. He just had to be crazy. He had done it again! Darn it all he had gone and done it again! Jay cursed when he saw the other male leave the room as if he moved too quickly he would come jumping out of the bed grabbing at him. Once the other male was out of the room he strained with his hearing, which wasn't all that hard since he had rather sensitive hearing, to listen in on the other's conversation. An institution? What was that? Sure he had institutions in his country, but they were for learning and for teaching. Panel made it sound like he was insane, that they were going to put him somewhere where he wouldn't see the light of day again. He was beginning to panic a little bit. Not only was he failing himself for getting the other male to believe him, but pretty soon if it didn't work out he would be failing his entire nation as well. He knew that it was only a matter of time before his brother would come to Earth as well, claiming the other male for himself in a rather cruel manner. Something that he wouldn't personally allow. When the other male came into the room again and crossed the room coming to sit at the chair that he had just been in he eyed the other. "I'm not crazy!" spat Jay as he glared at the other. "You just need to be a little more open-minded!" He let out a curse as he tried to think of something else to say. "Look how can I prove to you that magic exists and that I am not crazy?" Panel could feel his face burn as it became clear Jay had heard him. "I...you...well, that is... I..." He stuttered, trying to find the right words. Eventually he just looked away and shrugged." I...look, magic just isn't real. I don't really know how you could prove it..." He stopped speaking and turned to the doorway as a knock resounded through the room. "Yes?" The town doctor poked his head inside, smiling at the form on the bed." So this will be my newest patient, eh?" The chunky male questioned. Panel nodded, and stood, moving the chair out of the male's way. The man moved to the bed, peering down at Jay kindly. "So...took a fall in the forest and hurt your ankle, did you? Let's take a look... Can you move any of your toes?" The male began shifting the blanket, trying to see the boy's foot. Jay smiled darkly at the other as he heard him fumbling around with his words. It was a rather comical sight indeed. He frowned though when he heard a knocking on the door. Who dare interrupt their conversation. A rather portly looking man poked his head from around the door, as he smiled at the two of them. Jay assumed that he was the doctor that Panel had been talking about. He eyed the other male as he came strolling into the room, and he let out a gasp of surprise when he felt the other man begin to poke and prod at his hurt ankle. He wasn't flinching away because it was still hurting, because it had healed, but because the other male's hands were unnaturally cold. Furthermore, he moved his toes as the doctor had instructed him, and he felt 100% better. "Doctor," said Jay flatly as he glanced at the doctor. "I am perfectly healthy and fine right now. I am sorry for troubling you with having to come out here." The male looked utterly lost, and continued to examine the foot. "This is the one that was hurt?" He looked at the other two boys, receiving a nod from Panel. "It's fine. Possibly just a sprain...uhm, well." He glanced to the faerie. He could have sworn Panel had said the foot may be broken, but if it was that bad, there was no way he could be completely fine. Still, there was no swelling or bruising, and the boy hadn't flinched. "I'll stop by your father's office and leave the bill then...take care Panel." Vanyel frowned, watching the doctor leave. What a waste of time. He rounded on Jay. "You said you were hurt!" Jay nodded as he gave the other a smirk. Jay knew that by now his ankle was healed most of the way, if not totally by then. "Yes," he replied as he looked at the other male. The other continued to prod and poke at his foot, and he began to get rather bored with the entire ordeal. Once the doctor was out he lost his smile when Panel rounded on him and pinned him with such a heated question. "Well," started Jay as he looked at the other as he tried to figure out what to say. "What? You just assumed that I was hurt from that fall. I heal rather quickly, if you haven't noticed." Jay hadn't really remembered if he really had told the other that he had been hurt. The last few hours had been a blur of movement and emotion. Panel sunk into the wooden chair with a creak. He buried his face in his hands, and shook his head, groaning. "None of this is freaking possible. This isn't real." He muttered, trying to convince himself. The ice rose. The glowing hands. And even if his foot had just been strained, it would still be sore, and probably swollen. "I just can't figure it out." It was killing him. The male who lived his life with a logical explanation for everything was failing to explain what was happening now. What if Jay was telling the truth? It seemed far too gone to be possible. But it had seemed like he'd fallen from the sky... Jay felt bad for the other. He knew that the other probably thought that he was playing some kind of mind game with him. He watched as the other male sank into the chair, and he wanted to comfort the other. However, he didn't know how. He knew that Panel probably needed some time for all of this to sink in. Leaning back on the bed he let his eyes slide closed. He was glad that he was making some form of progress with the other male, even though it was only a little. Panel continued to think, and kept arriving at the same conclusion. Jay was telling him the truth, as hard as it was to believe. Honestly, though, he wasn't sure he could handle everything about the world being turned upside down. He looked back up, ready to say so, but it looked like Jay had fallen asleep. The human watched for a few minutes. Once he set all the strangeness aside, Jay was actually very handsome. Panel's cheeks flushed a bit. Was he...actually attracted to this man? No...no... He wasn't gay. He liked girls! The male stood, still arguing with himself. He left the room quietly, moving to his own. It was getting rather dark, and he figured he'd skip dinner, though he asked his mom to send some food into Jay when he woke up. Jay was asleep well into the evening, and when he awoke there was a plate steaming plate of food on the nearby table. Getting up he made his way over to the table where he sat down. The food smelled delicious and it made his mouth water. Picking up the fork he began eating slowly wondering where the other male had gone. He glanced out the window as he put some soup into his mouth. It had become rather dark outside, so he assumed that it was nighttime, or at least very late in the evening. Straining his ears he tried to listen to see if there was any sign of life in the house. Either the people were very quiet, or they were all asleep, since he didn't hear anything in the hallway or the house. After he was done eating he walked quietly out of his room, glad that the floor had carpet on it since it muffled his steps. He made his way down the stairs, making sure that none of them squeaked or made noise. As he made his way onto the second floor he eyed a rather large shelf of books. Walking over to the shelf, the moonlight streaming in through the window. A normal human would be unable to make out the titles, but for Jay's rather sharp eyesight he could see the titles clear as day. Selecting a book from the shelf he held it in his hands as he continued to walk around the quiet house. As a matter of fact, though he had hoped to sleep a few hours earlier, Panel sat at his desk once again. He fiddled with the ice rose. It had created a small puddle, although somehow the magic Jay had used kept it from melting for the most part. It was still hard to believe that magic was real. He still wasn't quite sure he believed it fully, and had debated demanding more proof. It would seem childish and condescending, though, and so Panel refrained. The ice rose was wiggled around in his fingers again, cursing as he dropped it, picking it up quickly, and glancing at the chip the fall had created. As Kai continued to look around the house he heard the sound of a muffled thud from the ceiling above him. He immediately froze, thinking that he had been spotted, but then after a few moments he began to relax a little bit as he continued to walk around the first floor of the floor. He walked into what he assumed was some form of gathering area. There were two couches, and a T.V. off to one side of the room. He saw the moonlight streaming from the nearby sliding glass door, and he found himself being led to it by some unknown force. Walking to the door he placed his head on the door and let out a sigh. The door's glass was cool to the touch, and he found himself relishing the cool feeling of it on his skin. Wanting to be outside he closed his eyes as he concentrated. As he concentrated his body began to glow as he walked forward. He ended up outside on the other side of the door and he was outside. There was a breeze, and he found himself tipping his head up as he let it brush against his skin. Outside, below his window, a bluish glow, much like when Jay had made the item for him, was blaring. Surprised, Panel stood, his chair jerking back, and he moved over. He cursed softly when he spotted the male below him, sure enough, the boy was glowing. Panel opened his window and shoved his head outside, glaring downwards." What are you doing?" He hissed. "Stop that!" Jay continued to let the breeze tousle his hair back and forth, but he looked up when he heard the sound of a window sliding open, and he broke out into a smile when he saw Panel stick his head out of the window. What was he doing? Wasn't it obvious? He was outside to get some fresh air. Sure he probably could have opened the door if he found where the lock was on the door, but he wanted to reassure himself that he was still able to control his magic of phasing. "I wanted to go outside," said Jay. He then thought about the second thing the other had said. Stop what? Using his magic? Glowing? What did the other want him to stop? "Sorry, you should come join me though," he said as he continued to smile at the other. "Stop!" Panel hissed. "I'll come down if you stop being all blue! Quick, before someone else sees!" He turned away, shutting his window, and rushing down the stairs. He flicked the lock-down, and opened the glass door to step outside, crossing his arms over his chest, and looking rather grumpy. Jay was right on the money. The other was concerned that people would see him glowing. Metaphorically killing the glowing lights he waited patiently for the other male to meet him outside. He heard the sound of a click and knew that the door had been unlocked, and then he heard it slide open. Jay eyed the other male seeing that the other looked rather grumpy. "Whoa," said Jay as he glanced at the other. "Maybe I won't show you more magic. If you don't look a little bit more happy. You're making me feel depressed." That was a partial truth. Not only did he only have the power over nature, but his magic's strength was also based on his mood. Panel glanced away, and dropped his arms with a sigh. "Just...don't mind me. It's hard for all this to sink in..." He leaned against the wall, glancing out into the forest. "So, you really aren't human, then, are you?" The male finally questioned. His tone was flat, accepting but not liking having to accept it. "How come people don't use magic like you?" Jay glanced at the other wanted to run up to the other and swing him around as he gave the other male a rather large hug. However, he did keep his composure. "I can imagine that you don't see this everyday," replied Jay as he looked towards the sky, and the moon again relishing in the fresh air that only the cool night could bring. His are you really human question caught him off guard a little bit. That was what he was trying to tell the other for how long now? Wasn't it obvious that he wasn't human? He could walk through walls, and make things out of the water in the air. However, he still continued to hold his composure. It was new for the other male after all. "People don't use magic because they don't," he replied flatly in return. Well that was sort of the truth. It was true that they didn't use magic, not that they couldn't. Every human was born with the ability to use magic, but only a select few people in the mortal realm were able to tap into the higher brain functions to create magic. Not to mention when it did manifest itself it was mostly in the guise of fortune-telling, tarot card reading, or astrology. Very rarely humans were able to create magic with their minds, and society made it impossible for them to function without being shunned by the world. They were usually ostracized or even burned at the stake back in the day. "Everybody has the ability to use magic, it's just that the majority of the people don't have the ability, more so the control, to do it." "So you were serious, when you said even I could use it?" Panel questioned. He also glanced up, though he didn't see the stars or sky, lost in his thoughts. Perhaps this could work to his advantage? No one believed in magic, but if he could tap into it, perhaps he could make some kind of huge scientific leap that would help everyone. It didn't seem too far-fetched. After all, he hadn't even believed in magic until a bit ago. "Can you teach me?" He finally questioned, lowering his gaze back to the other male. Jay eyed the other. Telling a mortal that they could possibly harness the raw potential of nature was probably not one of the brightest things that he had ever done. However, he wanted the other to believe and trust in him. Besides, in a few months it wouldn't matter. Panel would be living with him in the Fey realm, and would not be able to influence the mortal realm. Sure, what he was doing was fine, but what the Fey counsel didn't want was for the fey to give up too many of their secrets. "Yes I was serious," replied Jay as he looked at the other male, noting that the other looking good with the moonlight playing off of his pale features. Teach him. He was still learning himself, and he had so much still to learn as well. Not to mention even his parents were learning new things every day about their powers and their magical ability. He could try, there was no harm in that. "Sure I can teach you. The first thing that we have to do is figure out what your nature is. For example, my nature, as ironic as it is, is nature. That's why I could make that flower for you earlier." "Nature? So how do we find that out?" Panel questioned, tilting his head. "There's still a lot you need to explain to me. Why do you say you are here for me again?" He questioned the boy. Now that he had accepted the magic, it seemed like he needed the clarification once again. "Well," began Jay as he tried to figure out what his scholars had done for him. What had they done? It was such a long time ago, it was getting hard for him to recall. It then hit him. "Do you feel happy in certain areas. Like when you are in the water, when you see fire, or something of the sort. Usually you enjoy being around or like your particular element without even knowing about it. It's a subconscious thing." He tried to think if he had left anything out. "As for why I am here for you again. Let me sum it up. When we are born we are read things called Star maps, and for every day of our birthday until we die. It's our fortune for the coming year. I am to be betrothed to someone from the mortal plain, and that person I will have a direct connection with him or her. I had a direct connection with you when I first saw you. Furthermore, I know it's weird, and it's sudden, but it is the truth. "I don't understand." Panel stated slowly. "I'm a boy. You're a boy." He spoke slowly, as if Jay was a bit slow. "We can't marry. What are star maps, anyway?" He questioned, before thinking about Jay's own question. Happy around a certain thing? Well, he loved being in the forest. But he loved it whenever the wind blew, or the sun beat down, or when water washed over him. It was difficult to thing of which part made him happier. "Well... I'm not sure." He finally admitted with a shrug. "My favorite place in the world is a clearing really deep in that forest. Could that mean anything?" Jay gave him a rather pointed look as he let out a sigh. Was the other male really that daft. Gender didn't matter, at least the knew that it didn't matter in his own realm, but maybe it mattered here. "So," he said as he turned to look to the other. "I do believe that males can have relationships together, and in our country sometimes it is encouraged if the two are supposed to be bonded for life. As for star maps they are maps of the stars that the seers use for divining our fortunes when we are born and when we celebrate our birthdays." He listened to the recount what mind of things made him happy. "So the forest, huh?" he armed again. Earth nature people were rare, and even so it was obviously even rarer in humans. Panel was something truly special and to be valued. "Well we should go out to your favorite part of the forest tomorrow when it is brighter." Panel gave a tiny nod, glancing upwards. The moon was full, and it shined brightly down on them. "Let's go now." He suggested after a moment. "It's always the prettiest at night." He chose not to comment on Jay's idea of relationships, instead asking another question. "So, you said you were supposed to find me, and we are supposed to be bonded. Why me? How do you know it's me?" He didn't wait for Jay to answer about the midnight ride, instead starting towards the stables. Jay faltered when he had heard the other. Go now. Sure the moon was rather high in the sky, and it cast a rather eerie light over everything, but still he was surprised that the other male was so eager to go now. "Alright," he managed to mutter out. He followed after the other male. They said ride. That would be the best option since Panel did mention that it was deep in the forest. So the quicker they got there the better. "Yes that is correct. To be honest I don't know why it is you either. When I was born my parent's had the royal seer cast my star charts, and I was given my fortune for the year." He paused. Obviously he didn't remember it for himself, but he had heard it so many times from his parent's it might as well have been his own memory too. "The star charts, since they are based on your fortune, change from time to time. You are given a star chart reading on the day of your birthday to forecast for the coming year. The seer, and my parent's figured that when my pair bond was called out when I was born that it would change to something else in the coming years, but it always remained the same." He paused to glance at the stars again wondering how everyone was faring without their beloved prince. "However, in this case it never changed, which was unheard of. You know the term cut in stone right." "Yeah, I know the saying." He wasn't sure whether Jay could ride, so he tugged out a rather lazy mare, patting her and saddling her for the male. Then he moved unto his Polaris. "What do you mean, called out? Like...you knew my name? So, you recognized me? I don't get it..." He rubbed his head softly, before tossing the walker's reins over his neck, and moving to hold the mare. "Do you need help getting on?" "Well," started Jay as he glanced at the mare that was in front of him. He was used to riding much faster things while on bareback, but he figured he might as well convert to the ways of this realm for the time being. "I can ride," said Jay as he walked up to the mare patting it gently on the neck. "As for calling out to me. It's sort of hard to explain. It's an aura thing." Jay wished that he could explain it better to the other male, but it was more of an instinctual thing than anything else that had brought him to Panel. Swinging his leg over the side of the mare he got into a sitting position. "Lead the way," said Jay as he moved the reins a little bit testing the horses' walking. Panel nodded, quickly mounting his dark bay. The gelding flicked his ears. Once Panel was settled, he clucked, and that was clearly the sound the male had waited for, as he surged forward. Panel led the way out of the barn, turning quickly unto a trail. He turned in the saddle, frowning at Jay. "Aura, huh? So...you can see it or something?" It was a long while before he continued. "So...you said something about me going back to your world, didn't you? What if I choose not to leave my home?" Jay followed after the other as he found himself nodding about the aura comment. Not only was he gifted in controlling the powers of nature, which was rare in its own right, but he was also gifted with the sight of aura reading. "Yes I can. It surrounds a person based on their emotional state. For example," he glanced at the other male as he focused. "You're blue because you are calm, but it is also spliced with some light and darker shades of green. Are you nervous about something?" He asked the last part rather coyly. He knew that the other male was nervous. Who wouldn't be nervous about him. As they continued to ride through the forest trails he glanced towards the other again when he heard the other's question. It was bound to turn up at some point or another. What if Panel didn't go back with him. That would mean that it would be his brother's turn to try and claim the other male, and he was pretty sure that the other would use force rather than to coax the other into liking him. "Well," said Jay as he balanced on the back of the horse. It was really odd riding in a saddle. "Let's just say I can be very persuasive." Panel snorted softly, unsure of how to respond for a few minutes. After a bit, he nodded, "Of course I'm nervous... I've found out magic is real, and you've come to spirit me away. It's really weird...you know? A...game changer I guess they would call it." The other answer made Panel frown slightly, glancing over, unsure what to make of the comment. "Persuasive? How?" They were getting close to the clearing, and the Tennessee walker flicked his ears, picking his pace up. The clearing meant his saddle would be loosened, and he'd be tied to graze. He snorted with each breath out, excited. Of course the other was nervous. Why had he asked that in the first place? He chuckled though when he heard Panel ask how he could exactly be persuasive. "Oh you know. We could do a little of this and a little of that," said Jay as he continued to follow the other male through the thicket. His horse began speeding up its pace a little bit, and Jay was at a loss of words for why. He was gifted with animals, and he tried to soothe the horse into going slower, but the horse wouldn't listen to him. Clearing his throat he looked at the other male who was in front of him as he said,"So where are we going again?" "A really nice clearing I like." Panel supplied, grinning. "Whenever I go here, me and whoever I come with always stop and dismount. Loosen up the saddles and tie them off to a tree. Let them graze. They just know where they are, that's all." The blond paused with his speech. Sure enough, they were stepping into a clearing they couldn't even see a moment ago. The moon revealed the lovely grass and the sound of the river rushing nearby filled the air. Crickets mingled with the babbling. The gelding high stepped into the area, snorting softly. Obliging him, Panel swung his leg over, tugging the cinch around. A moment later and lead ropes were removed from a saddlebag. One was used to tie Polaris to a tree, and the other was held out for Jay. As the other male continued to follow the other male he was soon in a rather beautiful looking clearing. His sensitive ears picked up the sound of the babbling brook and that of the crickets as well. The whole area was rather breathtaking. Snapping out of his mental stupor he looked to the other as he took the lead reigns from the other. Sliding off of the mare he watched Panel, and then repeated what he had done. "I can see why you like it here. It's gorgeous," said Jay as he took a deep breath of the clean, crisp air. There was some silence as he walked towards the other and placed his hand on the other's shoulder. "So," he paused before continuing. "Tell me about your family." Panel glanced at the boy, shrugging under his hand. "I've got a little sister, mom, and a stepdad. I don't live here anymore. I'm studying to be a lawyer." He paused, as if thinking, then shook his head. "Here...come here..." He gripped the other boy's wrist, tugging him towards the river. Once he reached the riverside, he eagerly tugged his shoes off, thrusting his feet into the freezing water. He grinned, and glanced to Jay. "Best wake me up ever. Let's see. There's not really much to tell. My stepdad was a veteran, so he let me use his g.i. bill to get into college. My mom stays at home. My sister...well, she's only fifteen, so we aren't really close yet. Maybe someday though. What about your family?" As Panel talked about his life and his parent's he began to feel a small twinge of guilt begin to well up inside of him. Was he prepared to take the other male completely away from all of this? Hell, it wasn't like he wouldn't be able to visit them, but then again. Once the other accepted that he would be his chosen one forever Jay and his family would bestow upon the other eternal life. He faltered a little at that moment. There would be no mention of this right now. He didn't want the other to see his family die in front of his eyes as he stayed young and youthful forever. He felt his wrist being tugged, and that shook him from his mental musing. His family? Where would he begin with this? "Well," he started. "I have a mother and father, the current Queen and King, I also have a twin brother." He paused. "If you come to my land. Stay away from him. He's bad news." With that thought in his mind he stopped his talking, and then settled down next to the other male. He ran his hand through the water as he let out a sigh. "Bad news?" Panel glanced over curiously. "Why?" He urged the other boy to continue speaking about his life, a grin perched on his face. "What are they like? Are they nice, strict? What's your land like?" Jay found himself smiling. The other male was just full of questions. Then again he was beginning to tread on land that should be left unmoved. However, what was the harm in telling the other about the cruelty of his brother, it wasn't like he would ever get the chance to spend a long period of time with the other male. "Well," began Jay as he tried to think of the right thing to say. "You know how there is good and bad in the world. In any world. Well, you could say that my brother is the yang part. The bad part. There is nothing perfect about him at all. He is a cruel, calculating person who doesn't even stop to think about how he is hurting other people." His parent's. That was another topic all together. "As for my parent's. The expect greatness from me, and from my brother to some degree, so they are strict with me, but they are fair. They would never unjustly yell at me or punish me, and they always let me speak my case before they give their own opinions." He didn't know how to describe his land. It was everything that someone could imagine and then more. The land was lush and full, and there were sprawling cities that were made of marble. White tiered towers stood high against the heavens, and there was always an abundance of life in the fauna and flora around them. "To put it simply," he said after he debated on how to answer that question. "The place that I am from is a truly breathtaking place. I can't really explain it very well, but I would be more than happy to show you." "Yang...." Panel grinned. "Never actually heard that term used." He was silent, staring off the porch. The offer took the male by surprise, and it beamed on his face. Raising a disbelieving eyebrow, and turning to Jay, he scoffed. "Show me? How in the world could you do that? You said you'd come from far, far away. It's not like I can pick up and leave everyone here."

Fae KisuxOriOn|rating:3.0

OCC Nobilis

Swamp Thing and I have decided to begin with just the two of us. We are hoping others will join. You're a perfectly normal person, when suddenly someone scissors open your soul and puts...something as large as the world inside. "I am now one of the building blocks of the world. I must serve my Imperator. I do not mind. Furthermore, I am part of my Imperator. When my human self became Debate, Debate became my human self. I am divine. I am a nation. The breath of god is in my soul." Nobilis is a SoCal game of wonder and horror. The World Ash This is the World Tree and its fruit are Worlds. One of these worlds is our own. ImperatorsThey are the greatest and most terrible of the magical beings of the world. The Earth trembles at their touch, and mortal men go mad at seeing their true faces. They are Angles, both Celestial and Fallen as well as Magisters of the Dark, the Light, and the Wild. They are bitterly decided amongst themselves, each holding to their own causes... Light or Dark... Old Gods against New... Fallen against Celestial...but they all have one common foe:ExcruciansMore beautiful than angles it is said that the Creator bargained with them long ago, but failed to keep up his end. So now the Excursions seek to destroy all that is. They say when all is destroyed then all things will awaken again within them. The Crucial Paris waged in the spirit world. Its affects are felt on Earth, however. When an Exclusion wins there a bit of magic or soul dies here. However, when an Exclusion loses there magic does not become reborn...it must be rebuilt. To this end the Imperator's have decided not to turn away from the war, but created agents on Earth who do their work and protect their hidden places called Chances. Chances are difficult to make as they need one hundred nights, and a human death each night, and a bit of the Imperator's soul to be bound there. Sovereign Powers Are humans who are chosen bye the Imperators to receive a shard of the Imperator soul. This shard burns out a piece of their own soul and their minds are shackled and made loyal to that Imperator. They are given in return a gift in return: Power. The typical shard is a prototype for a single aspect of reality, such as night, metal, or agony and gives the once human control over the thing. Their responsibility is simple: Defend the aspects of reality associated with their Imperator, guard and govern the Chancel, and it's inhabitants, and help in the general defense of the Earth. A Power can serve many masters: Lord Entropy, who's dominion is the Earth itself, Heaven or Hell, Dark or Light, but firstly his or her Imperator. Each Power and everyone other Power on Earth is associated with a facet of Earthly existence. Something storms, or computers, or imagination. This is that Power's Estate. The Powers command their Estates and must guard them. It may seem simple, but if you should lose your Estate then even Storms can pass from the face of the Earth and be no more. Character Creation For this game we are using the Imperator who deals with Creativity. This Regina looks for people with skills such as storytelling, dance, play, comedy etc. to become her Powers. She has newly created a Chancel and needs Powers to ward it. To begin the game you must have a person with some skill in some aspect of Creativity. After that, we will play through the growth of the character as he/she becomes a power and learns his/her duties etc. I've read much of the book, but I've never actually played before. I want to be the Sovereign Power of Play, in the form of an 8 yr old boy. Would the appropriate way to start be with the boy as a normal person, then write out his "ascension" into the Sovereign Power? Yes please, that's the performed method. Show the human side before the Demi god. The Imperator known as Regina Orly, Lady of the Inner Light, had created a maze of such complexity and beauty it was very nearly a shame no one would be allowed to see it. In the center she had built a temple of open white marble arches, a rectangular pool made of a black glittering stone, and an altar of red jade. The entire temple was adorned with carvings of mirth, joy, and playfulness with frolicking animals, humans, angels, gods, and other beings. On the altar, over a period of 100 days, she slew 100 mortal men and women who had answered her call." Come, oh ye of joyful heart and winsome spirit, come and die that joy and fun not die in your world." The Regina had thanked each brave soul that gave itself up to creation of this, her Chance of Charades, and imparted a part of herself to it as well and set upon it two guardians to protect it and add to its power as well as their own estates. To each Covered Power she created she gave rule over that aspect that was reflected in the Chance.... Play and Serendipity. More could be added later, but she had been away from the Spirit Realm too long as it was, and some of her charges were in peril. Andy clenched thegrocerylist in his hand and skipped down the steep, narrow stairs from the apartment he shared with his mother. He took the steps two at a time, three at a time, sometimes skipping back up a few steps before jumping a few steps further down. It was a complicated pattern, but the game was not to use any steps he'd use yesterday, while planning out which steps he wanted to have free to use tomorrow. It was a game of Andy's own invention. He made little games out of early everything he did. When he finally got out into the sun and smells and noise of the little brownstone neighborhood, Andy stopped to climb the stunt tree in front of the apartment building. Up in, it's twisted branches, he planned his next move. He'd go the long way around the bock to the grocery store, to see if the kittens were coming out from behind the dumpster yet. After he took the groceries back to the apartment, he would go to the playground and wait for his mother to pick him up at the end of her shift. Andy loved the new neighborhood, especially the playground. There were always kids around, and recently a small group of them had started joining him in his curious, elaborate games. He had something very special planned for them today, involving kidnapping, a space circus, and a planet made of sponge. Andy was lounging dreamily in the branches of the tree, looking p at the thin strip of changing clouds between the brownstones, when he felt everything. . . Change. OCC: ST, what I'd like to see is, and I am hoping that you are seeing from the same viewpoint which I think you are from your opening, that Play be in charge of games such as children make for themselves and that you are activity working against things like computer games. Team sports would be another SP and not in your domain. Games like, Kick the Can, Hopscotch, Tag, Four Square, Ring around the Rosa, etc., which are fading from the world of high-tech children are in your domain and are the ones that need reemergence. Is this agreeable? When Era comes she will aid you, and I will write her bit later today, after I defray this beast and make it behave better. IOC:I've never played Nobility, but I know the basic ideas and terms. Could you use a Power of Poetry, probably a tortured young genius type, about to be inspired by Creativity (whom he sees as his muse) into a Noble? OCC to Make Regina Orly, Lady of the Inner Light has built a Chance of Charades to strengthen mirth, joy, and playfulness that joy and fun not die in the world Click to expand... Right now we are starting at the very, very beginning with all the PC Nobles in the game under one Imperator, Regina Orly. While Poetry would/could fit into her Chance, the tortured young genius type Click to expand... gives me some pause on how to fit him in. Suggestions? Otherwise, yes, please join us. Swamp Thing and I were very lonely and would like more people to join. If enough we can add more Chancels and even perhaps an Opposite Number Chancel who with the Nobel's of Structure (against Play), Predictability (against Era), and Data (against Poetry) with whom we bicker and fight against to help our Estates. Re: OCC to Make Polite Succubus said: gives me some pause on how to fit him in. Suggestions? Click to expand... Hmm? I just gave the first archetype that sprung into my head concerning poets and poetry. Why would he be particularly hard to fit in? Why not write your character and let me see what you have in mind? I don't see any problem with a "tortured young genius type" being chosen by Poetry. Ok, I guess it's just me! Maka don't forget that if you chose Poetry you MUST have poems! Beacause you ARE poetry, it's living embodiment! Looking forward to your first post, and please ignore bad spelling in mine! Hey, I'm not quite sure how to play (I might want to buy this Nobility book, sounds like a great read), but if you want someone having to do with Creativity... hmm, poetry's already chosen... haha... how about a novel writer? Sounds like a female character might be nice anyway. A troubled, intelligent, empathetic young girl who in a time of great strife finally ascended to a Power... or something... I think I understand how this works. Tell me what else I need, if you're interested. ^_^ Novel is a bit broad, can you narrow it a bit? That's almost like saying "Written Word" lol. Basically Lady Orly rips out a bit of your soul and replaces it with a bit of her own, granting you powers etc. over one aspect of the Human Endevour, which is your Estate. You then work to strengthen your Estate by creating situations for humans to enact upon. Your further goal is to protect the Chance of Charades, which is one of her power bases on Earth from other Nobles and Excursions and possibly humans. Your primary goal is to serve Lady Orly in any way she requires, you are her utter slave, just as your right hand is your utter slave. She is a part of you, and you are a part of her.Currently, her requirement is to band together and form an alliance and strengthen the Chance and your estates. Other tasks will follow. Hmm. Well, sounds interesting, at least... Give me a little time to think about it. ^_^ Alrighty then:Alain Lee Take me aside. Tell me a sign Send me a neon heart. Seek me inside Alain was an intense, slightly neurotic young man. He was disgusted with the commercialism and consumerism of the world around him, a condition not helped by the work his parents elbowed him into; advertising. Alain quit his job to write poetry. He writes it constantly, consuming, religiously. No publishing company would publish it, though some recognized its innate quality; it was too "deep", "cryptic", "bleak" and other things that would make it a sure-fire failure with the public. Alain was by now living in poverty, and he'd gained various drug-addictions as a way of coping with his own failures. His parents, distressed by the state their baby had gotten himself into, suggested a deal. They'd pay for one slim volume of his poems to be published, at their own expense. If it actually was a success, he could stay doing his poetry thing. If it was a commercial failure, as they were sure it would be, he would have to go back to advertising. Alain, despairing, accepted the deal and one volume of his verse, entitled Neon Thickets was duly published. Some critics liked it, but it was a big flop financially. He was preparing to kill himself rather than go back to advertising at the time of his Ennoblement.(I'm thinking the Excursions are somehow behind the growth of commercialism and banality in the modern-day world, in an attempt to wipe out concepts like poetry forever, thus giving Alain a reason to really, reallyhate them) Sounds good to me! However, instead of being from the Chance of Charades how about being from another one (Since Charades is for mirth, and your Noble is rather dark) and be an ally of the Charades. The way I see it the choices can be:You are another Imperator's Noble and an ally You are from the Lady of the Inner Light Chance of Depth. You choose. Rena O'Connor Age: 17Gender: Female Description: Dark hair, green eyes, pale skin, medium height, slender build. Soft, sensitive expression, most of the time, and often smiling sadly. Pretty, in a "girl-next-door" sort of way.--Power: Alternative Reality Novels--Science fiction and fantasy fiction, and to some extent modern fiction, tend to be Rena's domain. Exploring "might-have-been" and alternative possibilities. Rena is quiet but kind on the outside, but filled with turmoil on the inside. She's cheerful and can sometimes be enthusiastic, but asks a lot of questions of herself, and of others, in her writing. Of course, in her short life so far, she's never published anything, but her new mistress might have sensed a budding destiny within her... Rena actually tends not to read many science fiction or fantasy novels. She is not, per se, a member of an "alternative crowd" in her high school. If you asked most people in her high school about her, you'd probably here: "Oh, Rena? She's a sweetheart. Very smart, too. I don't really know her that well, though." Rena generally keeps to herself. Rena's father is a deadbeat and her mother died of drug addiction and alcoholism only a year previously. She has recently begun living with a guardian, a friend of the family, but Rena still grapples with grief for her parents. She ascended while watching the muddy stream near her guardian's house flow, thinking about the constant fight that is her life and seeing the cycle in the stream... perhaps receiving an inspiration for her writing.(She and Alain might get along fairly well. ^_^)Rena may or may not be pleased with her ascension. Time will only tell if she is willing to work for a goddess who deals in entertainment... Is this okay? Is my power still too general? I might be better suited to Depth as well... I was thinking that also, alto your character offers more hope than Poetry's seems to. I feel a thought forming..... Give it a few moments to bake and I'll get back to you. Chancel of Depth sounds good to me, since we should probably try and all have the same Imperator. I guess I hang fire on this choice until I see what this new idea is you have, though I'm looking up something in the books to gain clarity for my idea.... I haven't just left. Well, tell me if you need me to change anything, and I will. Ok. The Chancel of Depth is Regina Orly's focus for bringing out the hidden talents of people...the main goal is for the Inner Light which is her providence to become revealed. I am having trouble finding what I am looking for, arrange, but I don't want to leave you hanging, so we will go with this for the time being. Two Chancels (for now).one for the light of heart, and one for the heavy of heart...but both guided by bringing out the Inner Light. Sounds great. I don't really know the terminology, I'm afraid, but things should work out alright. I'm not exactly sure which Rena should be, though... Furthermore, I suppose the Heavy of Heart, but she doesn't often appear to be sad. She just is inside. Which do you think is more appropriate, Polite? If you changed to Creative Inspiration then you could be happy one day and sad the next, because it would just depend on who you wanted to inspire that day and to what did you want to inspire them to. You can inspire someone to write Dr. Seuss one day and Dairy of a Suicide the next. Like Era, her Estate is happy prizes. Now, when she leads a hit man to find his prey it isn't very happy for the prey, but it is for the hit man. She doesn't really draw the line any more between good and evil as long as someone gets a happy surprise. When she became a Noble her concern was her Estate, her Chancel, and her goddess. The Chancel for the heavy of heart should suit Alain down to the ground. I'm going to go eat, read up, and then post in a couple of hours a new darker chancel for you guys to come from. Meanwhile:Chancel Management:Corruption of a part of the Chancel by an Exclusion, rival Noble or Bane will go unnoticed if the Chancel is not maintained, which is dangerous. Therefore, a sensibility Noble will perform some duties to keep the Chancel (and thus your Imp.) from harm Stripping the unworthy of death and power, rewarding the brave, loyal and efficient Providing high juisticeOrganizing Chancel celebrations Which I think I will do as a way for Play and Era to meet Poetry and Novel at a grand opening feast for the newly created Chancel of ChraradesOverseeing personal projects for the improvement of the Chancel Governing the residents Residents are something we haven't gotten into yet, as I am trying to build things slowly, but basically, they are the humans who live in the Chancel So, a "Chancel" is a place, then? Or an organization, sort of? Or both? By the way, how many of us are there? Us Powers? Are we common? Just out of curiosity. Hey I'm really happy some more people got interested in this. Polite, I just skipped Andy's transformation scene, since it would have been a lot like Era's, and had him use his new Power to turn into a duck. Can he do that? Nobles can do pretty much anything if it fits their Estate, right? Should it take him a while to figure out how? He could be stuck that way for a while or something. I plan on Andy being pretty silly, especially if there's going to be heavy-hearted Poetry hanging around. Sort of the Delirium to your Dream. If the tone of my post goes against what you're trying to create here, I'm more than happy to change it. Oh no, ST! It made me laugh, and since I've been really stressed with my daughter getting in a car accident last night that's a good thing. I might change my opening post, however, so that it's for the Light and Heavy Heart and everyone can be together. The word "Charades" is very ambiguous in that respect. After I wake up etc I'll change my post and add some stuff here. Sorry to hear about your daughter, PS. Will she be okay? Should I go ahead and post my char's Ennoblement, or should I wait for the Chancel thing to be sorted out? Thank you for asking Make; she's fine, I just can't seem to focus today and sit down and look up the stuff I need to look up to change the stuff I want to change to make sense to the people who are waiting on me.*sigh*Please, attended to your ennoblement, your Chance will be Charades and Play and Era will be your co-Nobles. I'm making it a balanced Chance, with both light and dark. Sorry I haven't posted my Ennoblement yet. Give me a little bit more time, maybe a couple more days, and I should have it up. I made the Imperator a little darker and unhappier in mine; I figure she'd sort of fine-tune herself towards each of her chosen Nobles and present a different aspect of her personality to each I've edited the opening post, added a bit of my PC, and am in total awe of your writing skill Make. You eclipse me. That was awesome, Make. I'm really impressed.... Would it be too much to ask if I take "Justice"character concept is an ex-cop turned PI who left the force because of the corruption in the system. He longs to see that justice be done, but has no way of enforcing it (raw idea, but I've only been cooking it for a few minutes) I don't see how that would be a problem, since Justice can be an inner fire also.... ok, I'll send you a PM in a bitch, how are the kids?& how is mom? I thought we had to do something to do with Creativity, though? Or do we not, anymore? If that's the case, I could probably come up with a better Power for Rena... That was the original thrust of my thought processes.messes, however, some flexibility is required on my part so.... Instead of "Creativity" I've sorta changed it to "Inner Fire", which is a cheap catch-all in order to lure players into my wicked plot...er.my very nice game. So Justice would seek out those Passionate about Justice, and aid them etc., etc. Which means that the Lady would have to be a Wild (which I'll explain later)What I'm trying to do here is build everyone's knowledge of how the game is played/is about in a series of steps. So, at this point, we have the Lady and the Chancel. Our goddess and her place of power, in other words, and are working on gathering Nobles into it. Does that make sense? No, but I'll go with it. Brat. If you're going to be that way about it, think something creative! HA!(j/k)Gotta run to the store now...have fun Rena O'Connor Age: 17Gender: Female Description: Dark hair, green eyes, pale skin, medium height, slender build. Soft, sensitive expression, most of the time, and often smiling sadly. Pretty, in a "girl-next-door" sort of way.--Power: Temperance--Balance. Weighing each side, each possibility. One must be empathetic and intelligent. Constantly questioning in order to find the perfect balance -- and wondering why one even bothers. Why, indeed? Because of an inner fire, a burning desire... Rena is Temperance. She is quiet but kind on the outside, but filled with turmoil on the inside, constantly trying to find the perfect solution for everyone. She's cheerful and can sometimes be enthusiastic, but asks a lot of questions of herself, and of others. Rena, while confused, is not, per se, a member of an "alternative crowd" in her high school. If you asked most people in her high school about her, you'd probably here: "Oh, Rena? She's a sweetheart. Very smart, too. I don't really know her that well, though." Rena generally keeps to herself. Rena's father is a deadbeat and her mother died of drug addiction and alcoholism only a year previously. She has recently begun living with a guardian, a friend of the family, but Rena still grapples with grief for her parents. She ascended while watching the muddy stream near her guardian's house flow, thinking about the constant fight that is her life and seeing the cycle in the stream... similar to the Tarot Card of Temperance, of the woman pouring water from one jug into another... How's that? Ok, here goes:Name: Artists Dmitri KainDescription: White male, 42 years old, 6'2" 220 lbs. Black hair, green eyes, with a salt & pepper beard & mustache. Power: JusticeArtimus has spent his entire adult life seeking justice for those wronged by crime and violence, and seeing the criminals getting off 9 times out of 10. His last case was his worst one yet. He was called in to testify on a rape case, and the judge threw it out because of lack of evidence, evidence he had collected and logged in, that was removed when the defendant'ts rich & powerful father bought somebody's soul in the department. It was too much. Two days later the girl who was raped, a 16-year-old neighbor of Main's was dead of suicide, and the rapist was now targeting a new girl, Main's niece, so he decided to confront him. Kain discovered him when he went to visit his sister and heard sounds of a struggle. He walked in on his niece being raped by the same kid. In a fit of rage, he emptied 9 rounds into the 17-year-old rapist, and took justice into his own hands. His trial lasted 8 months, and at the end, no evidence was brought that there had ever been a rape, and his record was changed to show violence and a history of mental problems. The rapist's father had deep pockets, and many ties, both legal and illegal, so he bought whatever testimony he needed. Arimus was sentenced to Death, and at the end of his enticing, he had one thing to say" I would trade anything, my life, my soul, to see that Justice would be done in this world!" Somebody heard him. Whoa. Artists Dmitri Main. That's such an awesome name! Sugar! I like it, AW! *swishes her schoolgirl skirt in approval* Going idea what that means hon why don't you come sit on my lap & tell me the definitionhehe Oh, I couldn't do that! I am an innocent schoolgirl and that would be naughty! Besides, Hybrid would pout! ^_^ Surely you've heard Arc say "Sugar". It's Japanese for "Wow". She just started learning me japaneseTesekur barium Abraham Winter light said: ok, here goes: Name: Artists Dmitri Main Description: White male, 42 years old, 6'2" 220 lbs. Black hair, green eyes, with a salt camp; pepper beard camp; mustache. Power: Justice Artists has spent his entire adult life seeking justice for those wronged by crime and violence, and seeing the criminals getting off 9 times out of 10. His last case was his worst one yet. He was called in to testify on a rape case, and the judge threw it out because of lack of evidence, evidence he had collected and logged in, that was removed when the defendant'ts rich camp; powerful father bought somebody's soul in the department. It was too much. Two days later the girl who was raped, a 16-year-old neighbor of Main's was dead of suicide, and the rapist was now targeting a new girl, Main's niece, so he decided to confront him. Main discovered him when he went to visit his sister and heard sounds of a struggle. He walked in on his niece being raped by the same kid. In a fit of rage, he emptied 9 rounds into the 17-year-old rapist, and took justice into his own hands. His trial lasted 8 months, and at the end, no evidence was brought that there had ever been a rape, and his record was changed to show violence and a history of mental problems. The rapist's father had deep pockets, and many ties, both legal and illegal, so he bought whatever testimony he needed. Arius was sentenced to Death, and at the end of his enticing, he had one thing to say" I would trade anything, my life, my soul, to see that Justice would be done in this world!" Somebody heard him. Click to expand... Just a few refinements if you want to use this (stuff that would have been covered when I posted "Orly's Feast"):In the world we will be in (Prosaic Earth) law is not "presumed innocent til guilty" but is "presumed guilty til innocent". Police brutality is common, but will be overlooked if results are good. And, lastly, their mundane lives continue. So, RE: your PC to be considered for Justice it would make more sense if he found the rapist and DIDN't shoot him full of lead himself but turned him over, trusting in the law and being an honorable man. Otherwise, he's reacting emotionally to the sight of his name. But, if after the mock trail where the boy gets released again he does a Judge Dread and holds his own trail in some dark ally and then kills the boy and doesn't get caught so he can pursue his mundane life, that would work better. Then Orly could look at him and say "His inner light for Justice was brighter than his inner light for Vengeance." Swamp Thing said: Hey I'm really happy some more people got interested in this. Polite, I just skipped Andy's transformation scene, since it would have been a lot like Era's, and had him use his new Power to turn into a duck. Can he do that? Nobles can do pretty much anything if it fits their Estate, right? Should it take him a while to figure out how? He could be stuck that way for a while or something. I plan on Andy being pretty silly, especially if there's going to be heavy-hearted Poetry hanging around. Sort of the Delirium to your Dream. If the tone of my post goes against what you're trying to create here, I'm more than happy to change it. Click to expand... Working magic and miracles is something that will be covered at Orly's Feast, which I am working on writing now and will post when everyone is gathered. Andy turning himself into a duck was something of an anomaly, and will surprise and delight Orly (as it did me) but no, you can't zip to Spain unless you have an Anchor there. (Which will also be covered in the Feast Speech).*waves her fairy wand* I hereby grant you the power to be silly and do slightly unexpected things because Play, being a little boy, was never told it wasn't possible NOT to! (within reason, of course) Jacobo_Curious said: So, a "Chancel" is a place, then? Or an organization, sort of? Or both? By the way, how many of us are there? Us Powers? Are we common? Just out of curiosity. Click to expand... A Chancel is a place of Power which requires organization. It was built out the blood of 100 human sacrifices and a part of the Body of our Regina Orly. It will be attacked by our enemies and require us to maintain its strength. We must protect it with our very lives, if need be. It is her doorway between the Prosaic Earth and the Spirit World and ours also. When we step out of the Maze will discover that our beautiful Chancel is actually located in a very narrow weedy lot between an office building and a McDonald's. Very nearly an ally, full of broken glass and other trash. The number of Powers varies, because they don't always survive. When one dies without returning its power to its creator or passing it on to another, that thing dies in the world. And often people don't even notice. For example; if AW keeps Justice I will say that the old Justice was ailing or bound in someway from acting which was why Justice was fading from the world. If you are killed without any warning, the thing you represent dies in the world until one of the gods recreates it again. If Play dies there will be a million-million children who will lose interest in toys and hopscotch and such until Play is recreated. They will park in front of computers, join gangs, commit crimes, turn to food, slip into depression....but they won't play. JC, I like your PC. Just remember in her Christ for her inner fire (I want things to be just right, admit!) she may actually be working AGAINST other peoples!" Aw, Cheer up" "No, I want to be depressed" "It can't be that bad!" "Will you go away? I’m a depressed poet for goddess' sake!" Also, another thought, she might try to realign people. If they have too much happiness she might add some darkness to their lives, or light if their lives are too dark. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it... Temperence might not be such a good choice...... If you're in love with it, convince me..... And remember Orly's words: I Charge Thee, My Nobles, To Protect This Place And To Go Out Into The World And Fan The Light Hidden Within The Breasts Of Humanity, For Good Or Ill. Unleash The Talents, Light and Dark, The Flames That Consume And Inspire, That Lift Them To The Heights And Show Them The Realms Of Possibility! I'm sorry if anyone is disappointed in what I said about your PC's, and hope you will forgive me and work with me to get this going. I've got a long post in the works called"Orly's Feast" in which she comes and dines with you all at the Chance and explains the world, how it REALLY works, who your enemies are and what she expects of you and how you can accomplish her goals (as well as you own). I'm even doing it Word, so the spelling will be correct! So, hurry back ya'all, so we can get this swinging on the road! I'm looking up websites for this game, so I can get more info (dang book ain't out yet, plus it's 50 bucks on Amazon)I'll stew on your input today & change things tonight PS It was 42 when I bought it here in Alaska. But there is a cheaper companion book, I'll look up the title when I get home tonight, I've got like three min to scoot out of here for work. Your best bet might be to look for a used copy, however. I'm sure there are people who bought it and then when "Whey...?" There are some good used books sites on the web too, and via them, you might be able to find a copy for under 30. Ebay it is then Polite Succubus said: Also, another thought, she might try to realign people. If they have too much happiness she might add some darkness to their lives, or light if their lives are too dark. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it... Temperence might not be such a good choice...... If you're in love with it, convince me..... And remember Orly's words: I Charge Thee, My Nobles, To Protect This Place And To Go Out Into The World And Fan The Light Hidden Within The Breasts Of Humanity, For Good Or Ill. Unleash The Talents, Light and Dark, The Flames That Consume And Inspire, That Lift Them To The Heights And Show Them The Realms Of Possibility! Click to expand... I think I understand what you're saying, but is there anything wrong with wanting to realign people? I mean, Rena is shy and respectful, so she probably won't affront people, but she will try to make sad people happy and make blindly happy people more aware of the problems in the world so they can advance emotionally. She's patient, though, and doesn't throw things in people's faces, usually." Unleash the Talents, Light and Dark, The Flames That Consume And Inspire, That Life Them To The Heights And Show Them The Realms Of Possibility!" That's what Rena is doing, right? She's creating both light and darkness within people to bring them to their highest potential... not in one particular area, but in simply their general maturity towards things. She would get along with everyone, but she probably wouldn't think that anyone had the right perspective -- neither Play nor Poetry. Perhaps arrogance on her part, due to too much introversion... which will create an interesting side to her character, I think. If you don't agree though, I'll be happy to change her... as soon as I can think of some other ideas. If you like her now, though, then I'll post in the main thread. Just so you all don't think I’m ignoring JC, we PMed about it. Such a sweetie. She didn't even hate me! I'm just waiting for my time to strike. Assaraf! Gimme bit a bit to think up a different idea. I might end up with a different character... but hopefully I'll be able to keep Rena at least somewhat like she is. I'm going to be posting a major scene later today, and it will introduce some concepts and stuff for the game play in general. I hope you enjoy it Crap. Furthermore, I guess I won't have my character in time for that. But I suppose we can pretend she was debriefed separately. ^_^ Well, wasn't that break fun. And now, back to your regularly scheduled program, except I have some things planned for today. Don't worry JC, I'm waiting to post the feast for when you arrive. This is something else. Prosaic Earth The Earth on which we play is not exactly the same as the one we live on, ourselves. Some of the changes are slight, and some major. There are magics humans can use unrelated to Noble miracles, and the philosophies of Heaven and Hell have shaped the crises that humanity remembers, and Lord Entropy and the Four guide and shape many of the conditions that pertain today. Magic is real Magic applies the strength of the soul to a situation (in contrast to the strength of the body in technical ones). Its practitioners can communicate with spirits, banish demands and so forth, but its use drains the magician. The Miracles and magic of the Nobles is innately superior. Quite simply a purely human soul cannot use such magics reliably, frequently, or to its fullest extent. (I will introduce the Cleave later). Evil is real The Camera consider themselves above every law but their own. Demonic beings and their associates glut themselves daily on human suffering. The Dark will destroy life if it can. All of these are banes to human society. Justice has failed In a world full of feisty deeds the people cry out for vengeance. The essential statement of our laws is that one is innocent until proven guilty....but on Prosaic Earth it is one is guilty until proven innocent. In some places even this is only hearsay, and a man is tried (if at all) after his execution. Police are the enemy The delicate knife of power is balanced in each cop's hands: the power to resolve every issue that comes up. To the citizenry the police are the only buffer against the visceral evils loose in the world. As long as a police officer answers that need, he has extremely broad leeway of action. However, the knife of power can cut them if they take it too far. There are new wonders The Powers of Heaven have not been idle while Hell has played. There are places that they have created called Refuges, each a place of perfect beauty, utter peace, and sparking air. Mortal artists and Sovereigns have labored mightily to decorate the Refuges until each is as glorious as a diamond... Governments are pawns Few Powers seek high-level secular influence, and with good reason. The governments of Earth are riddled with Camera members, men under Lord Entropy's direct control, and even some of the subtler Excrucian-shards. True, a Power can get away generally with crossing the Camera, and the Nobles should be deposing of Excrucian-shards when possible.... But the coincidences and proofs must be carefully weighed. There is more War, there is more Faith There is more occult power wandering around in the world of Nobility than in our own. Faith is easier when has felt the power of a miracle passing by. It also becomes easier for nations to ally themselves with Heaven or Hell. Thus, wars are consent, and civil wars when those driven within a country struggle against the alliance are very common. Miracles live in every flower Flowers have enchantment bound within them and even a mortal can release it. Herbalists know this, as well do some religious orders. Botanists know this, but their science has been marginalized. Even the people know this, but choose or are helped to forget or pass by this knowledge. So, in the end, we have a world very much like our own, but with less middle ground. The highs are very high and visible to everyone who looks, the lows are very low, and anyone can fall to them. The powers that shape and bind human destiny aren't hidden in the murk of ages, or in courtrooms passing laws no one can understand, but walk beside them and can be felt, befriended, hated, feared. Polite, if you're still waiting for me, don't. I'll post my character later, when I have less on my plate. I'm not waiting for you, my computer doesn't seem to want me to be on this site any longer. I'm trying to correct the problem. Oh, okay... well, good luck... And English is my first language. Sorry folks, you lost me. Seems all the pair of you need is a couple of batteries for a torch and a dark basement, and you'd both be happy. Anyway, enjoy what you're doing, at least I took the time and trouble to try and work it out. Sigh!! Back to work........" I tore the silken blouse from her breasts revealing....." Funny you should post this, Z, Swampy and I were discussing it just last night how trying to run a book game isn't very easy when no one else has the books. We've decided to shut it down and try again, similar concept....no books, flow as we go sorta thing. For an excellent example see Swamp Thing's "LOA Blood" thread.

OCC Nobilis|rating:3.0

Who's The Boss [DoS x Jugger]

[Elisa]​ The street was empty. No, it was more than empty it was deserted. There wasn't a soul to be found, that is except for the solitary car that sat parked near the sidewalk. A young woman paced back and forth in front of it, occasionally waving her hands in the air in a wild gesture. She growled as she paced back and forth, stopping in front of the open window on the drivers side of the car. "What fucking time is it?" She snarled at the driver, her amber eyes piercing into the car. He looked at the clock, and then back at her, shrugging his shoulders. "It's about 12:37." "Fuck!" She growled as she kicked the side of the car, stepping away from it to calm down. He was late, again. She sent her fingers into her blond locks, raking them against her scalp in an attempt to keep her cool. She didn't want to stay dressed the way she was any longer than she had to. They had an appointment with the bank at 12:30, and yet they were held up...again. He always did this to them, as if he was so badass that he didn't need to abide by the rules. She smoothed her hands over the pencil skirt that she wore and adjusted the button-up shirt she wore on top. She had to dress this way. Furthermore, she was the one with all the skills, who could bypass security to get inside and tear the place up. The men? They were just firepower. Suddenly she turned around and slammed her palms down on the hood of the car in frustration. "Where the fuck is he?!" She growled as she dipped head down to look at her feet, shuffling them as she gritted her teeth, trying to keep as much of her composure as she possibly could. This was going to be hard if he didn't show up soon. They needed to get in there before the tellers went on brake, otherwise they wouldn't be able to rob it. In the distance, a small motor could be heard. A cloud of dust seemed to be heading toward the bank with a small, black figure in the middle. As it got closer, it was obvious of who it was, Nathan Stone, the missing member. He was on his blazing crimson motorcycle and was speeding down the road as fast as his bike would take him, though, in doing so he accidentally passed up the bank. As he passed by, a large gust of wind went by and began to lift Elise's skirt as he did so. The guys inside the car snickered and watched the scene of Elise, but not before Nathan came to a screeching stop far ahead. He got off the bike and began to slowly make way toward them. When he got there, he looked at the steaming mad Elise and chuckled. "Sorry I'm late babe. I got a little caught up at the gun store and...well...yeah, ha." He had a new holstered pistol in his pocket, though beneath his large trench coat on his back was an AK-47, something more useful for when they'd have to make a getaway. "Shall we head in?" What nerve he had coming in like that. She didn't even bother to fix her skirt when he blew passed, only smoothing her hands over it when the wind died down. Elisa's eyes roamed over Nathan's form to the pistol that he had in his pocket. She crossed her arms over her chest and smirked as she looked back up to him. "Aww, look, even your pistol's bigger than your dick." She shared a very nasty smirk with him before she turned away from him and tapped the hood of the car. "Come on guys, it's showtime." She turned her head over her shoulder to flip off Nathan before she headed inside, swaying her hips from side to side instantly. She was a great actress. Furthermore, she should have gone into movies, but then she wouldn't be having half as much fun as she was now. Movies, they made good money, but she loved doing what she did. Not to mention that she was great at what she did. She picked up some brochures from the desk near the door as she entered the bank. Elisa stepped up to the next open teller and began to engage the lady in conversation. The lady was more than happy to help her, and as she turned her back to check her computer, Elisa reached forward and grabbed an extra name tag off of her desk. She turned around and pinned it to her top before entering the employee only section and heading to the back door. She smirked at her fast progress and waited by the back door for the knock. Lord knows the incompetent Nathan would probably be late there too. God, he pissed her off. "Damn that's harsh. Well then, shall we just get this over with? Try not to fall behind Elise, lord knows that there's strict punishment in this team about failures...and you do know that I love torturing you ever so much." He said as she flipped him off. He and the men walked around and had what they planned to get into the bank. When they reached the backdoor, two of the guys stayed to secure the route to the car as Nathan and the other guy crept over to the door. Nathan knocked on the door in the secret knock that they made just so they knew it was them, and he waited for Elise to open it. "Hurry up Elise....dammit." The knock came on the door, and Elisa pushed the handle to allow them inside the bank. She smirked as she stepped back to allow them to get inside. "For once you did something right," She said to Nathan in a snarl before turning away and heading down the hallway. "Which one should we hit first?" She asked as she slipped her hand into the breast of her shirt, checking to make sure her gun was still there. Yup, it was safely nestled between her two perfect breasts. She tossed her head over her shoulder as she continued to move down the hallway, glancing at all the doors that they passed. Any of them could be holding millions of dollars. All of which was going to be theirs in a matter of minutes. Nathan and the other guy walked with Elise as they looked around. Nathan wondered which door to take, there were so many choices, yet one wrong mistake could sound an alarm or walk them into the security office. "Where do you think Elise? Maybe...maybe its behind this one?" He said as he approached one of the doors. The other guy stayed near Elise and watched as Nathan began to slowly open the door, but then a clicking sound could be heard. That was all, an electronic clicking sound. "Was that bad...?" She froze at the sound of the click, thinking an alarm was going to suddenly sound through the entire building. When it didn't, she remembered something. She pushed Nathan and the other guy into the vault that he had just opened, trying to hurry them along. "The bank is timed. Tellers have so long to come into a vault and get out. If we take longer than 5 minutes, the alarm is going to sound, so we have to do this fast." Elisa snarled as she continued to shove them, hoping they would get into gear to hurry. She wanted this to be a success. No, she needed this to be a success. Why? Oh, because it was her bright idea to rob the bank. If they failed, Nathan would have her hide, and she wanted a reason to stay away from him, not be forced to deal with him. Nathan rushed in and began to fill his duffle bag with loads and loads of money and gold bars within the vault. "Three minutes! Get what you can and let's close this bitch!" His duffle bag was full, and without waiting, he rushed out of the vault and outside the door. "Hurry! C'mon the car's running! We have to go now!" He said into the vault in a tone loud enough so only they could hear. The other just looked at Elise. "Go, I'll catch up." Elisa had helped him cram some money into his duffle bag, stuffing whatever she could be inside of her little outfit. When she heard his words she nodded her head and turned around. She touched the men's shoulders who were with them as she dashed out of the vault. "Come on boys, leave the hot shot to his death." She smirked before dashing on down the hallway, exiting the bank through the same door she had let them through. She was feeling good about this plan. Once they were outside, she slowed down to a walk, making sure not to look suspicious to anyone who may be watching. She sucked in a deep breath and smiled as she started to walk towards the car. "Hey, Lisa, shouldn't we wait for Nathan?" One of the big goons asked, using the nickname that only people in the mob could call her. She turned her head to look at him, not stopping her walk for a minute. "Excuse me? He was late, whatever. If he's any good, he'll catch up." She snorted and waved her hand dismissively, head to the car. She opened the passenger's door and got in, waving the other two men to get into the car. Furthermore, she decided they would wait exactly three minutes before peeling out of there - with or without Nathan. Nathan and the other goon was still stuffing their bags. One minute to go. Nathan ordered the goon to go ahead and head out to the car, which he did. Nathan knew he had to create a distraction because the cops were all over the place around. Reaching into his bag past the money and gold bars, he pulled out a ticking time bomb. He set it for five minutes and dropped it in the vault as he exited. The goon that had just arrived got into the driver's seat. He told how Nathan ordered them to go ahead and get out, so he started the car and began to drive down. Nathan left via the back door and began to run the opposite direction as fast as he could. He crossed two blocks before a loud explosion could be heard and soon after, some alarms and sirens. Nathan continued to run for his life, all the while the goons and Elise made way toward their hideout. Elisa shrugged her shoulders as the car started to drive away. Whatever, that was less time she had to spend around him. At the sudden explosion, she jumped and turned to look around behind her. She laughed softly and nodded her head. "What a bastard." She continued to giggle to herself as she looked at the goon in the back seat. He looked frightened. "Oh what? Nathan's a fast runner....right?" She asked in a mocking tone, laughing as she turned around again. She slipped her fingers through her hair before sticking it inside of her bra to pull out plenty of money herself. Furthermore, she smirked and sat back as she began to count it, waiting for them to arrive at the hideout. Back at the hideout, Elisa got out of the car, and was the first one inside. It seemed that the goons were going to stand outside and wait for Nathan. She frowned and grabbed the bag of money from the one that had driven them there and sat down on the couch. Their hideout was small, and kind of dirty, but that was how she liked it. They could stay on the down low here. No one wanted to go snooping around their place. She started to pull the money out of the bag to count it, placing it into nice stacks on the table. Nathan was blocks away from the house, and he was already being pursued. "Shit! Shit! Dammit! Fucking homeless tripped my ass! God dammit!" He continued to run and shoot at chasing cops with the new pistol he bought. He knew at this rate, he couldn't run to the base without risking the location of the hideout. Furthermore, he made a few turns and quick, tricky street switching with the subway station before he finally lost the cops, though he was shot in the leg. Furthermore, he cursed as he limped back to the hideout, holding in the blood with a bandage so he didn't leave a trail of blood. When there, the goons ran and helped Nathan. "Gogh... Help me in...hurry up, this bullet's still in my fucking leg!" She had already organized the money into three nice stacks, all counted out perfectly. When the goons helped Nathan in, she looked up and snarled. "Oh look, it's the hero." She roamed her eyes over his body to see why the goons were helping him in, then she saw that he was holding a bloody bandage to his leg. She cursed and got up from the couch, indicating for them to lay him down there. Elisa left and went into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of vodka they had been storing, a knife, and a cloth. When she headed back into the living room, they had laid him down carefully. She knelt down next to him and began to roll his pants leg up. "You're such an ass. I hate having to stitch you up all the time." "Yeah yeah...cry me a river, damn...just do it already. Just be happy I got this distraction going, I diverted all the damn cops so you all had a clean getaway you ungrateful..." He shut up now not really wanting to say anything else to her. He just waited for the pain to come as she would treat him, though he seemed unfazed by the pain coming from the pant legs moving against the gunshot wound. Elisa rolled her eyes at him as she rolled his pant leg up to expose the wound. She could see that the bullet wasn't too far in the wound. This wouldn't be too bad. For her, anyway. She pulled the cloth away and set it on the table. With her cloth she cleaned around the wound. Then she picked up the knife and without hesitating she began to carve into his flesh, digging the bullet out with only a little bit of prodding. It fell to the floor with a clang, and she instantly placed her cloth against the wound, the bleeding getting heavier. "Get me the sewing kit in my bedroom," She ordered the goon, applying pressure to the wound while she waited for him to come back. The goon nodded and rushed off to her room to try and find the kit. Five minutes later, he came back and gave her the kit before resuming what he was doing. "Haha...you're perfect y'know? Sewing I mean...you're like a grandma." He said insultingly to her, just to tease her to say she was old. He didn't care if she screwed up on sewing him up, as long as he could walk and not die. "Oh really?" She asked as she set the kit down by her feet. Elisa smirked as she lifted her head up and retracted a hand, punching him really hard in his leg right above where the wound was. "Does that feel like I'm a grandma?" She asked teasingly, smiling at him in a mockingly sweet way. She grabbed the needle, threaded it with some black thread and instantly began to sew him up, dipping the needle in and out of his flesh without problem. Furthermore, she sewed up his wound, leaning forward to cut the thread with her teeth. Furthermore, she tied him off and then began to put her stuff away. "Here, clean it yourself." She snarled at him as she threw a cloth at him. Nathan cried out in pain upon feeling the punch, but it soon turned into a laughter. " I guess not, grannies are stronger haha." When she was finished, he got up slowly and made way for the bathroom. When inside, he put the tub on the warm water and began to soak the wound to begin to clean it. "Damn this smirks...ow, ow..." Elisa smiled softly as she heard him in the bathroom, shrugging her shoulders as she went back to counting the cash. They had so much this time. It was a big success, and it was all thanks to her great idea. She was sure that Nathan would only see it as him getting hurt and would probably try to punish her for it, but she was stronger than that. She knew the rules of their mob. Furthermore, she leaned back as she rifled through a stack of bills, counting it over and over again. Money was her thing. She loved money. Nathan soon came out of the bathroom and limped over to the couch. He dropped himself beside Elise and sighed. "Job well done Elise. Good work, aside from not being around the block like I ordered that goon to be." The goon began to sweat and kind of sunk away but Nathan laughed. "Its alright, at least I'm here." Elisa smirked as she rested her feet on the table, kicking her heels off. She looked up at Nathan and nodded her head towards the cash that was neatly stacked on the table. "We have about five hundred thousand here, not bad if I can say so myself." She smirked as she sent her hands through her hair. Then she rose from the couch and started to head towards the bathroom. "I need to shower and get out of this stupid costume. Can I trust you to split the cash up?" She paused, looking at Nathan, then she shook her head. "Of course not, but it looks like I'm going to have to." She snarled and shrugged as she went into the bathroom and closed the door. She slipped unbuttoned the button-up shirt and discarded it on the floor, unclasping her bra and doing the same thing. Furthermore, she unzipped the pencil skirt and tossed it right in the trash, never intending on wearing that stupid thing again. Furthermore, she turned the shower on and stepped inside, allowing the hot water to roll down her milky skin, warming her body. "Sure...shouldn't be too hard...five hundred grand, there's five of us, easy." He began to sort through the cash and within moments, he had already made two stacks of cash for the two goons who stayed to secure the car. The third one was for the goon who went inside the bank with them. Then the next one came. Elise's. Nathan shrugged and added onto her pile with half of his. "I don't really need one hundred grand...fifty K is good for me." He was now done as he laid back and waited for Elise to come out. The shower was so nice. She got to cleanse having to stitch Nathan up again off of her body and she could relax for a minute. She was always tense after a job even when they made off with a bunch of cash. When she stepped out, she was clean. She changed into a black bra and a low riding black skirt, her signature look. She came out of the bathroom and looked towards the table in the center of the living room. "Which one's mine?" She asked with a lifted eyebrow towards Nathan. She figured he'd be an ass and stiff her on money. Nathan grabbed the smallest and largest stack of cash and stood up. He limped over to her slightly and held out the smallest one to her. "This one." He waited a bit before he would continue. "Is mine. This one is yours." He held out the larger stack and gave it to her. "I gave you half of mine, it was your idea you should get more of the cut." When he first held out the smaller wad of cash, she was winding up - getting ready to blow him away. Then he surprised her by handing her the largest wad. With a smile on her face she took the large stack and fanned through it with her careful fingers. "Hmph, damn right." She answered as she walked away from him to put the cash in her room. That was strange. She didn't know Nathan to be nice like that. She would have been happy with taking an even amount with the rest of them, but having fifty thousand more, that was even better. Furthermore, she sat down on her bed in her room, placing the money on her dresser. Hm...maybe Nathan wasn't such an ass. Nathan sighed and walked over to the couch and laid there with a relaxed look. One of the goons that saw walked over and sat down beside him. "Alright, what's the catch? That's not like you." Nathan just chuckled and waited a bit before telling the goon. "Seems that bank...well, they kind of suck in money security. That fifty grand I gave her are fakes. I wonder how long it is before she figures it out...though, don't worry about y'all. I took all the fake cash for myself." She got back up from her bed, deciding to ignore the fact that Nathan was so nice to her, and put all the cash away, hiding it in her dresser somewhere. She came back out from her bedroom and sat down on a chair opposite the couch. Everyone seemed to be relaxing now. Elisa tilted her head back as she looked at them all and lifted an eyebrow. "Okay, Brady Bunch, what do we do now?" She asked in her usual mocking tone, pulling some hair out of her face. "Well, we can't do anything for a while since the cops are all over the streets. So we have to stay indoors for a few days...better find something to do, and watch the news in case anything happens...though, for me and you Elise, I can think of a few things we can do to pass the time." He joked as he picked up the remote to turn the TV onto the news, which was talking about the bomb explosion rather than a bank heist. She kicked her legs up on the coffee table and sneered at him, not appreciating his jokes. "In your dreams. You only wish you could have this body." She slipped her smooth palms down the soft milky flesh of her exposed curves, wiggling her hips a bit as she teased. She tilted her head back and puckered her lips up to blow him a kiss, settling back into her seat to watch the television that he had turned on. Nathan chuckled and sighed. "Yeah, I can only wish, can't I? But damn if I could only get one night with that-" He began to buck his hips and have his hands as if he were humping her as he said this, "I would tear that ass up. Whop, whop" He and the other goons began to laugh as he teased Elise. Nathan laid back and relaxed as he changed the channel to the TV guide and tossed the remote to Elise. "Change it to whatever you want." She shot glares at first Nathan, and then at the other goons who were laughing at her. She didn't like being made fun of. Still she sat up straight and smirked as she leaned forward to get the remote he threw to her. She pressed her breasts together to give them all a small show. She leaned back in her chair as she smirked, winking. "Ah, don't give yourself that much credit. I'm sure it would last what...two minutes before you'd pass out?" She smirked as she started to flip through the channels on the guide. "I don't think you can handle this." "Oh? Want to find out Elise?" Nathan said chuckling to her. He got up and limped toward his room, not caring if she would follow or not. He was tired and wanted some rest, though given the chance he would fuck her brains out. She watched as he walked away, and she laughed, tossing the television remote to one of the other goons. She stood up and went into his bedroom, closing the door as she leaned against the frame. "So you think you got what it takes?" Elsa asked as she crossed her arms over her chest, tilting her head back. Nathan lay on the bed under the covers when she came in. He tilted his head over to see her speak to him, and he smiled and nodded. "Course I do... I've been shot, stabbed, electrocuted by takers, bitten by dogs, and even got hit by a car once that you were driving. I think I can definitely take a woman like you on." She laughed when she remembered how she had hit him. He shouldn't have pissed her off. All those stupid women driver jokes were overrated. She moved across his room, swaying her hips as she went to his bed. She climbed on top of his bed, resting her legs on either side of his body. Furthermore, she straddled him and loomed over top of him. Furthermore, she tilted her head as she leaned down over him, keeping her face inches away from his. Furthermore, she smirked. "I don't think you can do much of anything with that leg." She lowered her body down and put some pressure on his leg to show what she meant. Nathan winced in pain as she put pressure on his leg that was still recovering. He chuckled slightly and smiled. "Ha... I don't need legs for what we're about to do...though, cause of you I'm crippled, nope. Can't go my full limit cause of you and you hitting my leg. Guess you have to do all the work." She lifts an eyebrow and smirks before shaking her head. "That ain't the way it works honey." She smirks at him as she straightens her body and gets off of his bed. She stands up and slides her hands over her body. Furthermore, she loved toying with men, especially an ass like Nathan. "Besides, do you really think I'd let you have me that easily? You have to work for me." She slipped her hands over her curves again as she moved towards his door. "Frankly, I don't think you're cut out for the job." "Damn girl, how can you say I ain't cut out if you didn't even give me a chance?" He joked as he sat up slowly. Without the use of both his legs, he knew things might be a bit harder for him. "Eh just go on and get out of here you temptress. I'm too good for ya anyway." He chuckled and laid back down and turned, so his back was toward her. "Oh, keep dreaming lover boy," She answered with a laugh before she sauntered out of his room and back into the living room. She sat down on the couch and flashed a grin to the two goons who were sitting there. They looked at her surprised. She smirked and took the remote, flipping the channels again. "See? What did I tell ya, two minutes...and done." She laughed and sat back. The goons began to smirk and snicker and make fun of Nathan. In the room, Nathan had fallen asleep. He would stay that way until woken up or until morning came. The third goon came in from the kitchen and sat down. "So Elise...did Nate tell ya?" She continued to flip through the channels, only half listening to the goon that had come inside. She tilted her head back and watched the news on the television. "Did he tell me what? He didn't tell me anything." The goon just chuckled and sat back. "Well, apparently the little bonus he gave you was full of nothing but counterfeit bills. Apparently the safe had some, and he gave you some on purpose apparently." Her eyes instantly went wide as the goon told her that Nathan was trying to set her up. She snarled and stomped her foot against the floor. "What an ass!" And to think she was going to give him her body. Oh, wait...no she wasn't. She smirked as she sat back in the chair again and crossed her arms over her chest, crossing one leg over the other. She leaned back and smirked sweetly, tossing her hair over her shoulder in a seductive way. "No problem, he's got it coming." The goons looked at her with a confused and inquiring look. "So? What're you going to do? Seduce him again but break his balls?" "Going to reopen his wound and put some salt in it, then sew it up again?" "Going to put some gasoline over his body while he sleeps and set him on fire?" The two other goons looked at the third as if saying 'WTF?'. "What?" Oh, they knew her too well. She smirked as she leaned back in the chair and shook her head. She batted her eyelashes as she got up, and moved over to where the third goon was sitting. Furthermore, she climbed into his chair and drug the back of her hand along his cheek, as if he were a sweet lover. Furthermore, she rolled her hips on top of his body as she dug her fingers into the collar of his shirt. "If I told you, that would ruin the surprise, don't you think?" She asked with a lifted brow. The goon chuckled and nodded knowing this was a facade. He smiled shrugged. "I guess so...whatever you're going to do, might want to do it while he's asleep...he's off guard, and he'll freak out just that much sweeter don't you think?" She smirked and tilted her head to place her lips by his ear. She rolled her hips down against his again, her hot breath dancing against his flesh. "I like you. You're smart." She giggled softly before sliding off of his body. She walked away from him and went into her room, winking and waving goodbye to the boys. Furthermore, she was going to have to get him back for what he did to her. In her room, Elisa changed into a very sexy, very pretty black négligée. She checked herself in the mirror, tossing her hair about to make it look messy. She smudged her makeup a little on her face, and then tip-toed over to Nathan's room which was right next to hers. Furthermore, she silently opened the door and slipped into the bed with him, only taking the covers back a little. Furthermore, she figured that since he had gone through so much that day, he wouldn't even notice. Then she closed her eyes and fell asleep, waiting for him to wake in the morning. In the morning, Nathan turned over in his sleep as he started to get back to consciousness. Though, when he turned over, he felt something in his bed. Opening his eyes slowly, they suddenly shot open to see Elisa before him in the getup. His mouth dropped, and he began to question what the hell he did last night. He couldn't remember sleeping with her, so why was she in his bed? "E-Elisa...?" He whispered silently as if doubting whether he should wake her or not. Seeing her like this, he erected though that was the least of his problems. "E-Elisa.....??" Hearing his voice she started to wake up, rolling over to face him. She opened her eyes to see him, a soft smile spreading over her face as she saw him. She lifted her hand up from the covers and caressed his face. "Morning sleepy head," She said in a sweet voice as she snuggled up next to him. She lifted her hand up and began to twirl a lock of his hair around her finger. "You slept soundly like a sweet little baby after we were finished. I thought you would never wake up." She smiled softly and lifted herself up to kiss his chin softly. "MMM.last night was wonderful," She mused, wrapping her arms around him as she snuggled with him. "I never knew you felt like that for me. It's such a relief to hear." "B-b-but I... I I I I never.... I don't remember actually..." He blushed a bit though, believing they had actually done that. Going along with it, he nodded and wrapped an arm around her body. "I do... I've always felt that way about you, its just I didn't think a real...'thing' would work out between us... I just wanted it to stay with the rivalry rather than something more...it was oh so much more fun that way...but truly, I do feel that way for you..." Thinking she meant love, he went along with it though he never actually specifically said how he felt for her. He said what?! She was expecting him to freak out and start sputtering crap. He actually felt that way for her? Maybe he knew what she was up to and just wanted to get her too. So instead, she continued to play along. Elisa smiled softly as she leaned up and rubbed her nose against his. "WWW, I love you too honey." She mused in a sweet sugary voice. She leaned down, caressing her lips against his softly, before actually pressing hers to his, kissing him. Nathan couldn't believe this was happening. He was on the verge of stopping her, though he did enjoy the kiss. He continued to kiss her back before deciding to test her, to see if she was serious about this and perhaps if she was telling the truth about last night. "Alright Elisa.... I want to prove how much I love you by...making love to you rather than simply fucking you...will you do it?" If she stuttered or hesitated or denied, he knew she would be faking it, and then he'd get all up on her and punish her for what she did. Elisa had to finish this. It was like a mission, and she was definitely not a quitter when it came to missions. Plus, Nathan had to pay for trying to set her up by giving her counterfeit money. She knew that they probably would have wound up having sex anyway. I mean come on, he was a guy, she was a girl...it was bound to happen. She smiled softly at him as she looked down at him, looking into his eyes. Was he fucking with her like she was with him? Whatever, she'd win in the long run. "Yes, please do." Nathan wondered if she truly meant it, but he wouldn't fall for her. Not yet, not just because they'd have sex...maybe twice. He nodded as he slowly began to take off his shirt. He was a badass criminal, though he didn't know a lot about sex even though he's had it before. Though, this'd be his first time making love rather than just simply fucking someone. He hoped there wasn't much of a difference. Soon he was now nude in the bed next to her. "Aren't you going to strip too?" Instantly he was stripping in front of her. God his body was...nothing short of amazing. She had underestimated his powers. Maybe this wasn't such a bad thing. She hadn't gotten laid in a couple of weeks, and she knew that her pent-up energy was going to explode sooner or later. She smiled at him and nodded her head, reaching her hands back to unhook her négligée. Furthermore, she slipped it off of her shoulders and allowed it to fall to the ground, exposing her beautiful curves and great body. Furthermore, she smiled at him as she leaned back on the bed. "Do you remember last night now?" "Nope...though, let's forget the past and worry about the present." He said as he pulled her close and placed his lips onto hers. He tried to distract her as his hand reached down and began to play with her pussy, trying to get it ready for what was about to enter her. She unintentionally pressed her lips against his, only driven by the fact that he was touching her sensitive pussy. She arched her back as she moaned against his lips, sliding her hands down his body to feel the length of his cock. Nathan, as much as he wanted this, stopped and simply moved away and sighed. "Look, enough with the charade alright? I don't know you're doing this, but it ain't cool that you try to play with my feelings like this. Now if you will, get the hell out my room and leave me alone. I was alright with it at first, but I can't take going along like this, pretending like we're in love." He was rejecting her? She put herself out like this for him, and he was just going to push her away? Screw the fact that she had just been playing with him, but she was going to let him have the sex of a lifetime, and he denied her? She sat there stunned for a second, blinking her eyes as she looked at him. Suddenly she got angry. "Fuck you!" She snarled at him. She reached down and grabbed her négligée off of the floor, putting it back on haphazardly. Furthermore, she looked over at him, her eyes looking like they were starting to tear up. "You're right, I wouldn't want to love you even if I had the chance." She kicked his bed with a less than tough squeal before she stormed out of his room, slamming the door behind her. When she got into her room she sat on her bed, and sighed. She had never been rejected before. What the fuck was his problem? She picked the wad of cash up off of her dresser and threw it across her room, scattering the green bills about her floor. She didn't care anymore. He hurt her feelings. Feelings? She had feelings? She never knew. Nathan sighed seeing her angry...this was her fault to begin with for sneaking into his bed and making it seem like she had sex with him the night before. He would've actually gone through with it if she didn't trick him, but because she kept her secret so far as to fuck him again, he didn't want that. Though, seeing her hurt like she was, he couldn't tell if it was all an act, because of her acting skills, or if it was truly pain. He sighed and sat up. "Well....guess I better move out...ERK...my...my chest..." He felt his chest and he didn't know why...but it began to throb with pain because of the incident..."guilt...?" This was why she had never classed up before. Going solo was so much easier than it was to deal with different people and their fluctuating emotions. She didn't like having to be brought to bear with emotions. They were overrated, which is why she didn't allow herself to have any - at all. Until now that was. Why had he rejected her? She didn't understand. Whatever, he would never have feelings for her, ever. That just wasn't how it worked. She discarded her clothes, deciding to go take a shower to rinse this gross feeling off of her. Then she'd go tell Nathan not to leave, because they needed him, while still letting him know that she wanted him to fuck off. She moved into the bathroom and started the water for the shower, turning it really hot. She got inside and just let the water roll off of her body. Nathan sighed and got up. He went to the drawer where he kept his money and got up and left the building. As he walked out, he cursed at himself...he left his motorcycle at the bank when it blew up. "Dammit....... Guess I'm walking..." He turned around to look at the hide-out once more. "Hmph...she doesn't need me. She can keep the damn henchmen..." Seeing as how all he had to go on was fifty K of easily traceable counterfeit, he sighed and began to walk down the sidewalk to restart his life...a life without criminal activity. "This whole gang crap is getting old... I'm just going to settle down...relax a bit...maybe even find a woman who won't toy with my emotions....all that blah..." Elisa got out of the shower and dried her hair. She felt like she was back to normal. Whatever. She put her clothes back on and opened the door to Nathan's room. What did she find? Nothing. And it was nothing that pissed her off even more. "What the fuck?!" She growled as she kicked the door, leaving a nice hole in the bottom. Her boots came in handy for something. One of the goon's heard her and walked out into the living room. Instantly she whirled herself on him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt as placed her face really close to his. This time it wasn't in fun and games, and she wasn't being seductive. She meant business. "Where the fuck did Nathan go?" She asked, using her favorite word...fuck. He thought he could pull one over on her, then when she tried to get back at him, he was going to fucking leave? What a pansy. One of those precious rules in the gang, don't be a pussy. The goon looked shaken, but he stuttered as he pointed to the door. Elisa pushed the goon away from her body, pushing him right into the couch. "That good for nothing, motherfucker! He's lucky if I find him. Lucky I put him out of his mundane existence." She grabbed her guns, and the keys to the car, got into the car they had used at the bank and began driving down the street. She was piping mad. If she found him...she was probably going to kill him. Nathan continued to walk, but he happened to pass by the bank somehow as he got sidetracked by things and was diverted because of crowds. He approached the crowd that gathered around the bank and looked at all the news vans and cops around. Nathan shook his head and turned around and continue to walk down the street, unaware of the pain that might come to him from a certain someone who was hot on his trail. She was driving fast, ready to take down Nathan for all that he was worth. She drove past the bank, ignoring all the commotion. Furthermore, she didn't want to remember that. That was what had started everything. She turned down a side street, and there he was - walking. She sped up to get in front of him, and then she slammed on her brakes. The car spun out a bit, screeching as it came to a halt in front of him, blocking his path. She instantly got out of the car, brandishing her guns at him, staying right outside the car. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" She shouted at him, pointing her guns at him. "Who do you think you are?" Nathan blinked as the car stopped in front of him, and he didn't seem surprised when Elisa walked out. Though, he did glare at her when she pulled her guns out and aimed them at him. Upon hearing her question, he felt like being a smart ass to annoy her. "Nathan Stone. Ex-Criminal. I'm 19, jobless, homeless, and now am a freelance traveler working for any odd jobs for money. That answer your question?" God, he was such a pompous ass! Elisa sucked in a deep breath and sighed in exasperation. She lifted her guns up and pointed them at him, ready to shoot. She was about the pull the trigger when she dropped them. Furthermore, she couldn't shoot him. What was her problem? She felt like crawling in bed and never getting back out. She felt used up, washed up. Maybe something happened in the bank. What the fuck. "Fuck you." She mumbled in a dead whisper. "Just fuck you..." She didn't know why she had pursued him. She left her guns on the ground and got into the car, shutting the door behind her. Furthermore, she sat in the car for a while, and rested her head on the steering wheel. Nathan watched the scene and blinked in confusion over what just happened. She pulled guns on him, and he was just about to pull his pistol out, but she dropped hers before he could reach for it. Wondering why, she heard her words and frowned as she turned to get in the car. Seeing she didn't drive off, he walked around the car and went for the passenger's side and got in. "Okay. First off... I just want you to answer me one question. Why'd you sneak into my bed last night and lie to me?" She didn't even lift her head up to look at him. "At first it was just fun and games. I wanted to see if I could get you to spend the fake money you gave me on purpose and get in trouble for it. But you had to spend it with me there, so I could run away when you got caught using it. But then you said things...and I lost control of the situation." She stopped for a moment to take a breath, lifting her head up to look at him finally. "Never again." "So in other words, you were heading to betray me and get me tossed in prison? Yeah, that's really a good way to get back at me for giving you fake money. At least you got some real money, I took all the fakes and gave everyone else the real. Fuck, I didn't even give you fakes. I split the fakes up between the other goons." After saying that, he opened the car door and shut it. He didn't say anything more as he began to walk down the sidewalk. He got out of the car. Now he was pissed. She just kept screwing up. With a sigh she got out of the car, shutting the door behind her. She set her hand on the hood of the car. She called out to him. "Nathan, I'm sorry!" She was sorry? She sure as hell was, for being a complete bitch. Furthermore, she didn't like being equals with him, she had to be on top. Why did life have to be so difficult? She never had apologized in her life till just now, and it made her feel strange...dirty...guilty. "Sorry? You're sorry?!" He said almost in sarcastic shock. "You nearly played me and put me in jail, and on top of that, I don't like my god-damn feelings being toyed with by someone who thinks she's fucking better than all the rest! Until you learn that life isn't about your god-damn self, then I'll fucking believe you!" He snapped at her, though he was surprised. She tapped her foot on the pavement. God this was ridiculous. Couldn't they just hit each other a few times and be over with it? "Emotions? What the fuck? You don't even have feelings for me. You were playing me the entire time, and I started to fall for it. So don't harp at me about toying with emotions!" She turned away from him and rested her hands against the car, sorry that she started any of this. Sorry she joined a gang with Nathan in the first place, and sorry they had to compete all the time. Nathan sighed and frowned at the girl. "Well, you started it! I just went along with it to see how serious you were to that little joke of yours, but after hearing all of that in the car I'm damn happy I..." He couldn't finish the sentence... He couldn't say that he never truly fell for her. "Damn..." He whispered to himself. His chest began to hurt again as guilt caved in on him. She bowed her head and scuffed her foot against the pavement. She shook her head and sighed lightly. They were both so fucked up at admitting things, or hiding things. She sighed again. "Nathan, this is so fucked up. Whatever, I screwed up. You stay, the goons can't function without you. I'll just leave. I fuck shit up anyway." She shrugged her shoulders and got into the car, starting it up. Nathan walked over and got into the passenger's seat yet again. He had a stone hard glare though it wasn't toward her, it was more at the windshield. He didn't want to look at her. "How about no one leaves, and we forget all this fucking happened? Let's just get home and sleep this over like a god-damn bad hangover." "Agreed." She answered in a stone-cold voice, detached to everything that was around her. She put the car in reverse and backed out of the position she was in, swinging it back into drive in order to head home. It was the quietest car ride she had ever taken part in. She didn't look at him. She kept both of her hands on the steering wheel, and she said nothing to him. Furthermore, she didn't want to. Maybe after they rested things could go back to normal. Whatever. She'd make them go back to normal. When they arrived at HQ, Nathan got out of the car and closed the door as he headed back into the hideout. He entered it and ignored the stares of the goons as they watched him, seeing that he was a bit seething with rage at that moment and one even seemed to shudder. They then turned to look at the door and wait to see if Elisa would come. Nathan headed into his room and dropped the bag on the floor before dropping on the bed. "Damn...this pain won't go away...it's not my leg...it's my damn chest....why....?" Elisa turned the car off, and sat inside of it for a little while. She took a few deep breaths, cursing the fact that she had to make her whole world come crashing down. She couldn't just accept the fact that he gave her money. Whatever, she was good at fucking things up. She could live with that...maybe. She got out of the car and walked into the house, trying to ignore the looks that the goons gave her. Furthermore, she just needed to go to bed. Furthermore, she walked with her head down to her room and crashed down onto her bed. Furthermore, she pulled the covers up over her body and rolled over to where she was facing the wall. Suddenly, her bed felt big and lonely. What the fuck? What died inside of her and made her such a sap? Whatever. She could deal with that right now. Right now, she was just so lonely. Nathan was tossing and turning in his bed, feeling like something was wrong. His chest was still with the feeling like it'd cave in. "Why...why do I..." The guilt was killing him and he didn't like it. He felt alone, and empty now... He lost the closest thing to a true friend he'd had since he was just a kid. Furthermore, he sat up and looked at his door wondering if he should make amends to see if things would get on the right track...but then, as stubborn as he was, he laid down and grumbled. "If she wants to fix things, she'll come to me." Though those words felt empty even as he said that. It just made the feeling in his chest worse. Sure Nathan was a complete fuckhead, but that was why she liked him. She could play around with him without either one of them getting hurt. They were like two peas to a pod. Without one the other one couldn't function properly. This was just so fucked. She couldn't stand it anymore. She felt like the room was going to cave in and squish her so that she could no longer feel anything of what she used to be. Furthermore, she hated the feeling, and she wanted no more part of it. Elisa got up off of her bed, clad in pajama pants and a tank top and shuffled her way over to Nathan's room. She didn't knock, she just silently opened the door. The only sound was a small creak in protest from the door. Great, the door didn't even want her anywhere near him. She sighed and scooted into his room, but she didn't go far. She just pressed her back against the wall and sunk down to the floor, gathering her legs into her chest. Where was she going to go now? She didn't remember what she had been planning to say. Nathan heard the door creak open and by this point, his back was toward the door. He didn't care though. He wasn't going to turn around unless he was for sure it was Elisa. If it was a murderer, he wouldn't care. He might actually enjoy being killed just to relieve him of the pain swelling in his chest that he couldn't understand. When he heard nothing, he turned over in his sleep but still seemed like he was sleeping. Elisa sat in that spot for a few minutes while she tried to clear her head and think of what to say. She didn't know, so she'd just have to improvise while she went along. Allow her poor bleeding heart to say what she couldn't put into words. "Nathan... I uhm, I....don't want to lose you." She said finally, feeling like she had been defeated. "I care about you and well... I hate that I fucked up, but I don't know how to fix it." Her voice was soft, barely even a whisper. She wasn't even sure if he was awake. Nathan opened his eyes to hearing her voice and he sighed. "I don't want to lose you either but you and me...we've kinda went around the wrong way, didn't we? Look...seriously, let's just forget it happened alright? And if you want...well..." He cleared his throat as he looked at her and then to the bed. "The bed is feeling a bit...empty now..." She heard his words and her lips extended up into a light smile that touched her eyes. They sparkled as she slowly got up from the floor and wandered over to the bed. She slipped into it next to him and pulled the covers up over her body. It was much more warm and comfortable laying next to him. She no longer felt like the room was going to cave in. Nathan smiled feeling his chest's pain seemed to cease. He laid there with one arm wrapped over Elisa as he closed his eyes to fall asleep, now comfortable that he had a partner in bed with him like the night before. Elisa smiled and snuggled against his form, closing her eyes so that she could fall asleep. It felt nice to feel his warmth beneath the covers, to have his arm around her body. It was like she had a protector, watching over her as she dreamed. Before he fell asleep, Nathan pulled her close to him, so their bodies touched ever so closely as he held his arms around her with his chin on top of her head. "Night Elisa..." The feeling of his body so close to hers made her smile. Then she thought of what happened earlier that day in the bed. Shaking those thoughts out of her head she closed her eyes and nestled against him. "Goodnight Nathan, I'll see you in the morning." Nathan smiled. "Yeah...you will..." And with that, Nathan fell asleep for the night until morning would come. In the morning, Nathan awoke first with a yawn and smiled to the sleeping partner beside him. Carefully, he climbed out of bed and went into the living room to see if the goons were up. Elisa was a sound sleeper and didn't even notice that he was gone. Instead, she just rolled over and continued to get the best rest she had in a while. One of the goons was awake, sitting at the table, munching on something he found in the fridge. "Sup, boss?" He asked, not looking up from his meal. "Eh hey goodie....what's on TV?" He sat down on the couch and began to rub his injured leg as he watched whatever it was that was on TV. Something that really didn't interest him. He shrugged his shoulders as he continued to eat his meal. He looked up for a moment and tilted his head. "Where's Elisa? I went in to get her this morning and she wasn't in her room." (Did you get my last PM?)" She's in my room. Don't wake her...wait, why were you going in Elisa's room? Eh, never mind its none of my business. Do me a favor and make me something to eat. I can hardly walk with this busted leg." (Yes, sorry. I was reading carefully. XD) He didn't say another word. He just dropped what he was eating and moved to the fridge to find some food to make for Nathan. He didn't want to make him angry. (lol)Nathan sighed and sat down as he watched TV, all the while he waited for his food and for Elisa to wake up. He wondered how'd she react to them...well, getting over it. He hoped she wouldn't change, he loved the snappy hot head that he once knew. The goon started to cook some eggs that he had found, flipping them sometimes. Elisa tossed in the bed as she woke up, opening her eyes to find the bed empty. How late had she slept in? Whatever. She tossed the covers back and got out of bed, leaving Nathan's room to sit on the couch. She snapped her fingers towards where Nathan was sitting with the remote. "Pass the remote, dick wad," She commanded in a sweet voice, mocking him once again. God, it felt good to be back. Nathan chuckled and reached over for the remote and tossed it over to her. "Take it, this channel is born as hell anyway. Whatever bad taste you have is definitely better than the news." She took the remote and began to flip through the channels. It was going to be pretty boring just sitting inside the house for two more days. They were all going to get sick of each other. She put it on Animal Planet to watch some stupid show about animals that ate something they shouldn't have. She set the remote on the table and smelled the almost done eggs on the air. Furthermore, she waved her hand. "Hey, make me some too will ya, I'm starving." The goon grumbled, put the finished ones on a plate in front of Nathan, and then went back to cooking. Elisa looked over at Nathan's plate and grinned. "Nice use of the goons." "Eh... I would have settled for cereal. Pfft, I didn't bother to stop him." He began to eat his eggs and thanked the goon and told of how good it was just so the goon felt appreciated. "Man, you WISH you had eggs like these before me. Mmm." She snarled at him when he spoke, picked a pillow up from behind her and threw it at him. "Shut up. He only did that because he felt sorry for you and how crippled you were. Plus... I think I told him yesterday that you finished in two minutes. Must feel sorry for your lack of manhood." She smirked as she leaned back, checking to see if the goon was done with her eggs yet. "TCH...whatever..." He couldn't think of a comeback for some reason. He probably felt a little tired but then one hit him. Old, but it was something. "Eh...at least I didn't take up knitting and sewing in my spare time granny." Elisa glares at him from where she sat, out of pillows to throw at him. "You're lucky, otherwise you'd be dead from bleeding out right now, and I would have just left your dead body rot here." She smiled happily as the goon brought over a plate of eggs for her. She instantly dug into them, starving. "Damn girl, you're eating that faster than a DI-" He caught himself before he'd say something he might regret. He remembered how she pulled pistols on him before, and with nothing but blunt objects around he knew he'd be in for more than a simple leg punch. "F-faster than a......ah uh....faster than a diplomat makes...uh......laws?" Elisa lifted an eyebrow in his direction. Cat must have gotten his tongue. She grinned as she nestled into the couch, comfortable with her position. "You only wish it could be your dick." She answered, finishing what she knew he was going to say. (How's the other thread coming along? Sorry for being impatient, I'm anxious about it haha.)" Pfft...yeah." Was all he said as he looked down and played with what was left of his eggs. He looked up and frowned. "Two minutes? Wait, we never had sex though...what the hell did you lie about now???" (No problem. I was just multitasking when I was trying to make it.) Elisa giggled as she finished the rest of her eggs. "No, but you wish we did." She winks at him and then places her hands behind her head. "When I went in your room and I came back out. Yeah, I told them you were done in two minutes." She smirked to herself. (Ah I understand my bad.) Nathan laughed. "Damn, just two minutes? You were off the minute my dick broke your hymen." He said louder than he should've so that the goon in the kitchen could hear Nathan say what he did. He smirked at Elisa with a look that said "you do not want to play this game with me, you will lose." She growled lightly at his words, but pushed them off with a wave of her hand. She rolled her eyes and her lips at the same time, creating a sound of dismissal. "Put, sorry honey, but your dick isn't big enough to break my hymen." She answered in an equally loud voice, twirling a pink streak of her blond hair around her finger. "Huh, alright if my dick is too small, your breasts are too small. What're you? Part of the Kitty bitty titty committee?" He burst out laughing as he said that and awaited a comeback to what he had just said. She smirked as she looked down at her perfectly sized breasts. She cupped them in her hands and gave them a few tempting squeezes, showing just how full and luscious they really were. "Some guys like small breasts. There's a fetish, look it up." She smirked and kicked back. "Eh... I guess..." He felt he could go so low as to bring in making fun of her pussy, but he wouldn't dare until he got to see it for himself...in case he actually said something true. "Eh, at least I know how to please my other. What do you do? You come in, touch me, and just leave? Yeah, really fun. Woo...Hui." Elsa lifted an eyebrow at his words, not believing anything that he said. "Oh yeah? And when's the last time you had a partner? Oh, that's right...never." She laughed as she waved her hand in the air. "I just build suspense before sex, makes the foreplay so much better, and last longer." "You're right. Never, I've never had a partner which makes your first statement about my two minutes FAKE! Ha, I win shut up." He chuckled and stood up before leaving the room to head outside. Elsa rolled her eyes, allowing him to have his false hope of winning. She ran her fingers through her hair as she looked at him move towards the door. "Where are you going now? Aren't we supposed to lie low?" She asked, not even intending to make it seem like it was a dirty joke. (Btw I posted in the other RP)Nathan shrugged. "C'mon, a small walk can't hurt, can it? You were practically driving like a maniac the other day, I think it's safe to go for a simple walk." He turned and continued to go outside as he began to walk down the sidewalk. Elisa was completely guilty of the driving thing. She shrugged and allowed him to go. Not really wanted to leave the comfort of the HQ, she shot the television remote to the goons and left to go into the bathroom. There she started to draw water for a bath instead of a shower. There was nothing like relaxing when you had nothing else better to do. She slipped her clothing off and stepped inside the bath, relaxing into the hot water. She closed her eyes and dipped her head back. Nathan smirked as he stood outside the window to the shower. Steam started to come out, a good sign she did exactly as he expected. He walked over to the window and slid it open before climbing into the bathroom ever so silently...he wasn't a criminal for nothing. He sat there on the restroom and waited for her to notice that he had come in. Elsa sighed softly as she relaxed in the tub, the water caressing and relaxing her entire body. It wasn't until she felt like she was being watched that she actually opened her eyes and looked. She jumped a bit at the sight of Nathan sitting on the restroom. She tilted her head with a smirk as she slipped a wet hand out of the water to run over her hair. "So what? Watching women in bathtubs gets you off?" "Yes and no... I just wanted to show you these." He held out his phone which had pictures of her in the tub nude. "Give me a reason why I don't show the goons and send it to everyone I know?" He snickered and awaited a response from her. He sounded serious, yet it was all a bluff. Yes, Elsa was sexy. She knew that she was hot, and she was the subject of many men's fantasies, but she kept her animosity about her. Though she teased and played, flirted and dressed like a slut, she rarely performed slut activities. It was hard to get her in a jam, but Nathan had her in a jam. She sighed as she shifted in the tub, sitting up more so that her shoulders were out of the water. "Drop your pants, come on..." She waved her hand at him to hurry up, looking at him in full seriousness. "Woah woah woah, you think I'd stoop so low like this just for sex? What kind of guy do you take me for? Given you were anyone else, I would've taken this but... I have something else in mind for you to do..." He pocketed the phone and looked out the window before closing it entirely. The breeze was becoming annoying. "What I want you to do is do nothing more than convince me how well your acting skills are...whatever I ask for you to act, you do it...in the nude and dripping wet. I want you to feel embarrassed as you do this." He loved every aspect of this moment. Surprised by his reaction, Elsa shrugged her shoulders. "I was just going to give you a blowjob," She mused with a smirk before settling back into the tub. She listened to his words and was intrigued by what he wanted her to do. Hm, embarrassed? That was hard to do to Elsa. In the end she nodded her head. "Alright, hit me." "First things first... I want you to get on your knees in front of me and beg for my cock. You're not going to get it...yet, but I want to see you beg for it." He smirked and spread his legs as if his cock were out for her to take. He pointed to the area in front of him and waited for her to do it. "Make it convincing too." At first Elsa rolled her eyes. Men - they were all the same. She sighed as she rose and got out of the bathtub, kneeling down on the floor in front of him. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath to get herself into character. Then she looked up at him with big eyes, her lids falling a bit over them to show her desire. She bit on her bottom lip as she reached up towards him and caressed his cock through his jeans. "Oh Nathan, please let me have your cock. I want to feel your cock hardening in my mouth. I want to taste your cum as it's pouring down my throat..." Nathan smirked seeing she was getting a little physical with this. He chuckled and nodded. "Alright. I believe it though remembers that one for later... I like it....next... I want you to become a stripper and give me a lap dance. C'mon now. Lap. Dance." With the pause between both words, he patted his leg as he waited for her to continue. She was dry enough now it seemed so that the water wouldn't get through his pants and affect his phone. Elisa growled, not liking the fact that he was telling her what to do, and she had to abide by it. Whatever, it'd be over soon she hoped. She moved over to where he sat, and she climbed on top of him, straddling him as he sat on the restroom. She began to roll her hips, setting her hands on his shoulders. This caused her bare body to rub and press against his cock in his pants. She wiggled and pressed her breasts against his chest, continuing to roll her body against him. Nathan smirked and erected around the time he had told her to stop. He chuckled and gently pushed her off in a way so that she didn't just fall back, moreover it was a sign for her to get off. "Okay...and now, for the most humiliating one... I want you to act like a cat. Yes... I want you to purr, do that crap with your hands, and I want to see you attempt to lick the underside of your thigh. I don't care if you can't, I just want to see you in your embarrassment." She frowned as she looked at him. Okay, this was just ridiculous. A cat, really? Get real. She didn't want to, and she was going to tell him to go stuff himself. Why would she act like a cat, that was stupid? Then she remembered what he said about the pictures and she frowned. Suddenly she got on all fours and mewed at him. Turning her head down, her cheeks blazing red, she started to rub her body up against his legs, purring softly as she did so. She rubbed the back of her hand against her face, and then licked the back of it before doing the same thing over again. She hesitated for a moment, she didn't want to lift her leg up. Her face was a bright shade of red as she lifted her leg straight up in the air, like cats do and proceeded to lick her leg as if she were cleaning fur. Nathan's eyes lit up, and he burst into a loud laughter. Though he was turned on by the sight, he couldn't help but bust out laughing as she lifted her leg and licked it like a cat. "Man oh man! Wow. I never thought....pfft hahaha hah!" He laughed so hard he fell on the ground clutching his stomach as he couldn't control himself. Instantly at his laughter Elsa stopped acting like a cat. She was already feeling bad enough for having to do it in the first place. She shook her head as she sat on the floor and glared at him. "If I had half a mind, I'd piss on you like a cat too," She growled in a low voice, feeling completely exposed now that she was naked, and she had performed for him too. "Eh gross...haha..." He chuckled and finally regained posture as he sat back against the wall. He took a long, good look at the naked girl before him before reaching into his pocket to hand her the phone. "I'm a man of my word, and man...that shit was funny as hell. Hahaha, so worth whatever beating you'll give me sooner or later." Instantly she snatched the phone from his hand and held it close to her still naked body. Then she glanced down at the floor and sighed. She had forgotten to bring in clothes. She glared up at Nathan again and tilted her head. "Whatever, can I get dressed now?" Nathan shrugged. "Be my guest, but I'm staying...cops're patrolling the street out there, and it'd seen kinda fishy if I exit a house through the window. Go ahead, change before me." He smirked though seeing she had no clothes in here she could wear. She glanced around her on the floor, instantly cursing the fact that she had forgotten clothes this time. Of all times she had to pick this time to be brain-dead. Elsa frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, causing her breasts to squeeze together attractively. "You know damn well I don't have any. So now what?" "Well... I have a suggestion...you, me, bathtub. No sex has to happen, I just want a bath with you, and then you can borrow my clothes and walk out. I promise to behave myself ma'am." He said jokingly to he as he began to take his shirt off. Elsa lifted an eyebrow at his suggestion, but shrugged her shoulder. He was either adamantly determined to make her so horny by placing them naked together that she jumped on him, or he was trying to be indiscreet about getting her to have sex with him. All he had to do was say something, but whatever. She kind of like the mystique of him wanting to trick her. She leaned forward as he got undressed to turn the bathtub back on, filling it back up with hot water. Nathan climbed into the bathtub first and patted the water between his legs. "Come on in...the water's fine...just be careful not to sit on my stone alright?" He said referring to his erect cock as he leaned back and relaxed in the tub. He wanted to see where she would go with this, it would be interesting, but he didn't care whether they had sex or not...he just wanted to see how freaky she could really be. Elisa climbed into the bathtub and snuggled up between his legs, resting her soft skin against his hard chest. There was something a little exciting about sitting in the bathtub naked with him, especially considering that they teased each other back and forth about sex for the longest time now. A. she was curious. B. he was hot enough to turn her on, and C. she could feel his erection poking her in the tailbone. Nathan smiled after a while as he reached over for the bar of soap and took it in hand. He reached in front of her and began to clean at her breasts with the bar of soap after making both hands Suzy. "How does it feel Elisa?" He said as he continued to rub her breasts if she would allow him to. She had gotten comfortable in the water, nestled in against him. When his hands touched her breasts she sucked in a deep breath and allowed the pleasure to roll over her body. She dipped her head back against his body, resting it on his shoulder. She groaned lightly as she licked her lips. "MMM...that feels good." "Just sit back...and relax while I let you have some fun in this whole bathroom scene." He said as he continued to wash her breasts. His eye peered down between her legs and smirked as he kept his hand on her breast, but moved the one with the bar of soap downward toward her pussy where he began to 'clean' it's outer walls. She smiled and closed her eyes as she leaned back against his hard body. Coupled with the water, him rubbing her breasts felt so good. She groaned quietly only to have it intensified when he started to rub her pussy. She gasped out loud and rolled her hips lightly, wrapping her arms backwards around his neck, her nails dancing across his shoulders. "Mmm...that feels so good, Nathan." "I know...just tell where Nathan should go, and he'll go there baby." He said smiling to her as he continued to clean her pussy with soap and his hands. His hand at her breast stayed there until he moved her breast up and around, massaging it. His voice near her ear sounded so hot. She felt the heat wave over her body again, and she rolled her hips down against his body and his hand. "MMM, Nathan, just use your hand," She whispered to him, turning her head to the side to dance her lips against the skin on the side of his neck. Nathan tossed the soap into the nearby sink and both of his hands reached down to her pussy. He began to open and close her crevice slowly and with enough force so that his fingers were inside them a little bit. "I can't tell if it's the bathwater, but you're really wet right now...aren't you?" Elisa groaned out as his hands played with her pussy. She rolled against him again, and then turned around to face him in the water. She ran her hands over his chest and then down it, wrapping one of her hands around his cock. Furthermore, she began to stroke it underwater, leaning against his body. "Yes. I am so wet right now." Feeling her stroke him, he laid his head back with his eyes closed and wincing to the amazingly incredible feel of his cock being touched by the bare water and her hand. He let out a breath of air as he looked at her, deeply in the eyes. "And I'm so hard right now..." Elsa moaned deeply, and she continued to stroke his cock, feeling how hard he really was. She leaned in and kissed his neck for a moment, pressing her breasts against his chest. "It's hot in this bathtub, don't you think?" She asked softly with a tilt of her head, licking her lips as she looks down on him. "Yeah, it is. But if I turn on the cold water, it only makes your nipples erect though...my cock will shrink a little." He said knowing it wasn't what she meant, though he was saying what he wanted to do, though it might not please her. He moved up and pressed his lips to hers as she stroked him. She pressed her lips against his harder for a moment before stroking his cock a little more. "But I like your cock so big," She whispered against his lips, rolling her body against his to rub her skin against his in the water. "And I'm sure I can find some...other way of getting your nipples erect." He said strikingly as he leaned his head in and began to suck on one as she stroked him. He began to move his head in circular rotations as he sucked on her nipple, bringing it with him as he did so. Elisa moaned as she arched her body in against his, loving the waves of pleasure that rolled over her skin from his attention. She lifted her free hand to cup his head against her breast, pulling him closer to her flesh. She gripped his cock a little harder as she stroked him more. Nathan began to pre-ejaculate a bit as she did so. Blushing somehow, he pulled his head away and smiled. "Sorry...ha...It's been a while for me since I've done this.an" Elisa shook her head at his words and leaned in to capture his lips with hers. "Shut up, it's hot." She smirked and released her grip on him a bit, stroking him a little gentler than she had before. Feeling her lips on his, he kissed Ger back as she spoke to him. When she stroked him a bit gentler, he put his hand to her clitoris and began to rub it.

Who's The Boss [DoS x Jugger]|rating:3.0

Shooting Stars for Money IC

Ah, the Seattle shadows. Maybe you've been here your whole life, or maybe you just stepped off the boat, but everyone knows that when it comes to shadow runners Seattle makes the best. Just like coffee, back in the days before sockeye. You've been running for some time now, and maybe you've even started to get comfortable. You've tangled with Lodestar, and with their Ares successor Knight Errant. Somewhere along the way you've probably pissed someone important off, and had to duck another team of shadow runners. Hell, maybe you've even survived a stint down in Bolivia, where even the trees want you dead and there's a mad dragon rampaging above a nasty little war. Hubris, hubris, hubris, and pride Goethe before the fall.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~August 1, 2073, Seattle, UCAS, North American Continent 11:45 pm Local Time The cold rain drizzles down, just like every day in Seattle. It works its way into clothing, under doorjambs, down your back and into your shoes. Only the rich can escape it, in their arcologies with their AR modified weather programs and their cozy creature comforts. Happy in their gilded little cages. Each of you has arrived here, at this dingy little coffee shop, at the behest of your favorite fixers. A powerful client has put out the call for a team of the best in the biz, and they found all of you. Each has probably heard of the others at some point, and now this gathering waits for their ride to arrive. Soykaf is available in this diner. They technically serve food too, but one look around the mold-encrusted room is enough to put one off their lunch in short order. A surly Afro-American orc is mopping in the back of the kitchen, and aside from a few homeless huddling in the alley across the street there's not another soul in sight. Wireless traffic has already been scanned, and the astral world's veils pierced, with nary a blip of danger evident. Spoiler Hide Feel free to introduce yourselves as you wait for the car to arrive at midnight. The door chimed as a somewhat largish man pushed his way in out of the rain. He was about six feet tall, and apparently a bodybuilder. His limbs deformed his red windbreaker suit in such a way as to hint at the large muscles beneath at any rate. The man was utterly bald, his eyes hidden behind a pair of cheap aviator sunglasses. He seemed unconcerned with his dripping clothes as he looked around the tiny diner in disgust. Or at least you assume it was with disgust, his face didn’t really change all that much. He walked over and sat on one of the stools. "Hey buddy, what do ya got to drink around here?" He spoke with a southern drawl, and sounded very bored. The or in the corner booth by the back watches the large man walk in. He had made it in just before the rain really started coming down, parking his van just outside the diner where he could keep an eye on it. The other customers had sat themselves away from the man, although it varied whether it was a conscious thought based on the tough look and don't-****-with-me attitude or an instinctive reaction based on the bad vibe he gave off. He switched his disposable comm link to active, and shot the man in the windbreaker a message. I think we're here to meet the same people. They sent me a picture of the folks I'd be working with. I'm over in the corner. Oh, and their sockeye is terrible, but it packs a punch. He sips his own cup, black and scalding hot. Grunting when he got the message, he stood from his seat and adjusted his jacket. He walked over to the corner booth and sat heavily opposite of the or. He regarded the or for a second or two, then removed his sunglasses revealing obviously cyber eyes." So we're going to be teammates, huh? That's cool, I can dig it. How many are involved in this little hootenanny anyway?" Five of us in total. You and I are the muscle and guns from what I can tell of the others. The name's Silent for now, 'til I'm feeling more trusting. How about you? While speaking, Ray scans the bar, looking for any obvious signs of hostility or undue interest in the two in the corner booth, filtering through the thermographic and visual spectrums. Perception:(10d6)[2][4][1][2][5][6][5][6][1][6](38)Spoiler Hide Visual enhancement and thermographic vision are active. Just to note, Ray is currently carrying his pistol and taser, and wearing form-fitting armor and armor clothing. Cliff nodded along. "Okay, nice. Muscle is something I can do well. Just call me Samson. Good to meet you Silent." He leaned back in the seat and put his arms up along the top. This close to him, its fairly obvious that at least his hands are cyber. He had apparently spray-painted them to try and match his normal skin tone. Didn't really do a good job either." So I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to this job. I mean come on, a call for the best of the best? Something like that don't come around too often. Or does it? I kinda live under a rock, so I tend to miss things. Hahaha! " Another human walks in, casual and confident, and looks around while shaking some rain off his umbrella. His clothes are clean and in good condition but informal - the kind you might wear in a casual neighborhood sporting game in somewhat chilly weather. His long sleeve shirt sports a design of interlacing geometric shapes on a dark blue fabric, and his legs are covered by simple jeans. Brown eyes peer out of a Caucasian face below brown hair as he spots the or and bodybuilder. Compared to the pair already seated, he is positively flabby. His muscles are fit for a couch potato, and while he isn't fat, or sickly he doesn't look especially sturdy either. Nonetheless, he is not discouraged in the slightest by the obvious muscles or attitude of the two already in the booth. He walks up and extends a hand to each of them." Just the people I'm looking for, I believe. Call me Macros." Cliff gently took the man's hand and shook it. "Hiya, call me Samson. Damn glad to meet you. My associate here is Silent. Here, have a seat." Cliff slid down further on the booth bench and patted the damp seat. "We were just having a discussion about the future." The Orc behind the counter doesn't respond to Cliff's question, unless stopping to scratch himself counts as a response.@cgrelaSpoiler Hide Ray's scan reveals nothing out of the ordinary, excepting that the temperature readings on the diner's sockeye maker exceed regulation temperatures by nearly 30 degrees. Finally, a tall Native American Elf walks in. He wears a nice suit and a pair of expensive looking sunglasses. He walks straight to the bar and orders a soy cafe, downing the entire cup in one go. Setting down the empty cup he finds a seat on the far side of the room and starts reading a newspaper. At this point you each hear a familiar voice in your headset;It is good to see you again. It looks like we shall once again be working together. I take it our employer has yet to make an appearance?Sgt; Ah, what the heck. Everyone else is using real names outside of dialog, might as well join in." Thank you." Richard takes the offered seat. Assuming Raymond also shakes Richard's offered hand, he and Cliff hear a voice in their heads as he sits down.Lt;Would you care for a... more secure form of communication? Probably not necessary, but you can never be sure. And Silent will get to talk while living up to his name.Sgt;Lt;I'm curious - you can probably guess now, but what did you initially assume I was, to be worth a "damn glad" despite being so clearly outclassed physically?Sgt;Spoiler Hide Mindset, force 3. Sticking it in the spare sustaining focus. Drain resistance: (20d6)[2][1][4][2][2][2][3][3][3][1][6][6][4][1][6][2][4][4][6][6](68) Ah, dammit, one point of drain gets through. Oh well, no penalty yet, and it'll be gone soon enough. Following the free spirit's greeting, Richard lets everyone hear his response.Lt;Good to see you too, Enoch. Still waiting on the Johnson, yes. I take it you know these two, 'Silent' and 'Samson'?Sgt; Hey, Enoch. Good to see you again Ray shakes Macros' hand. When he hears the same voice in his head, he grins. Heh, I just won a bet with myself. You didn't have any obvious enhancements, so I had you pegged as one of those necromancers or some big-time mojo master. Always glad to have magical backup. I never felt comfortable taking a shot 'til I knew some spell or spirit wasn't going to light me up as soon as I pulled the trigger. Cliff laughed and shook his head. {That is just something I say every time I shake someone's hand. Its kind of habit at this point.}{Oh, hey Enoch. You know these guys?guys} Richard sighs." This is such a dump. Who picked this spot?"Lt;Every once in a while I wish I could take advantage of cybernetic enhancement without it interfering with my magic. Then I remember everything I can do with magic and I get over it again.Sgt;Lt;So what are your specialties? I can throw fireballs with the best if I really have to, but that is an excessively energetic spell. Doing anything like a proper job with it will wipe even me out fairly quickly. Moving things from a distance and detecting magic are more my style. The latter is a special interest of mine, as I'm always on the lookout for more magic I might study to learn from.Sgt; {Well, its funny you should mention 'ware. I've had extensive mods done, mostly for mobility. Otherwise, I'm just a ground pounder. So you are a wizard, huh? Never met anyone like that. 'Kept Enoch of course}"Wasn't my idea. Next time, I vote we go somewhere with class." To everybody, <"Yes, I believe I have previously worked with everyone here previously. As most of you no doubt remember, I am most useful entering places which are otherwise difficult. Although as far a disguise go, I must say Macros, that your masking has gotten quite good, as I assume that you would not be gone into a place like this as unarmed as you now look. I would love to see what new toys you have been making."Sgt; A mischievous grin comes across the telepathic link.Lt;You would like to know, wouldn't you, Enoch?Sgt;Lt;A magician is his own weapon, as I always say.Sgt; Lt;I'm a sniper. I'm good at hiding, getting places folks don't want me going, and a damn good shot. Juliet and I can peg a fly at a kick. They call me Silent 'cause you sure aren't going to hear me or Juliet, let alone see us. I'm not too shabby a driver, either. That's my van outside.Sgt; August 2, 2073, Seattle, UCAS, North American Continent 12:00 AM local time Exactly on the stroke of midnight, you each receive the following text message. New Message! From: 000-000-01-SATRELAY Thank you for your punctuality. A black EUROCAE Lux Wind 4k is arriving, it will take you to a significantly nicer venue where we may discuss business. Message Ends True to it's word, a sleek black limo rounds the corner at the end of the street and makes its way towards the shabby diner. Richard promptly gets up and walks to the limo.Lt;I see our erstwhile employee is very precise. This should be interesting.Sgt;"Let's go." While walking over, Richard takes a moment to inspect the car for magic. Just because. Spoiler Hide Turn on astral perception just long enough to AdSense once, then back off. Assessing: (7d6)[1][2][1][1][5][1][2](13) Detect Magic, force 7: I've got enough dice to just buy 7 hits, and then buy all the drain too. "Interesting, somebody has a sense of style." Enoch says as he head towards the vehicle. While uncomfortable being separated from the van (and, more importantly, the guns inside it), Ray understands the need for this extra level of security. He puts on his gloves and jacket, then cleans off the chair, sweeping up any hair that might have fallen. He takes his sockeye with him, and walks out to the car. "Well then, maybe wherever we go will have some good eats." Cliff put his sunglasses on and slid out of the booth to follow the rest of them. The doors of the Lux Wind pop open as you approach, revealing a luxurious interior trimmed in black leather. Once inside a hold projector display comes to life, showing a map of downtown Seattle and a route leading to the Space Needle. Underneath, a short message invites you to enjoy the vehicle's minibar during your ride. August 2, 2073, Eye of the Needle restaurant, Space Needle Seattle, UCAS, North American continent 12:22 AM local time The ride is short, perhaps unusually so for a trip through downtown. The car hits nothing but green lights, and in short order you arrive at one of Seattle's premier tourist attractions. Gleaming in its sheath of emerald AR, the Space Needle is visible for many miles around. The car's hold instructs you all to head up to the restaurant that caps the spire, the famous Eye of the Needle. No living presence disrupts your journey through the lobby and up the elevator, not even the usual security guards. It seems as though the entire building is closed to the public at the moment. The elevator doors slide open to reveal the dining area, resplendent in its classy black and green furnishings. Sitting at a table opposite the elevator is a single man. Dressed in a simple black suit, he waves you all over with a smile." Sit, please. Feel free to order drinks and food if you like, all accommodations are on me tonight.". His teeth flash in a warm smile, their color the too-white and even of artificial replacements. His skin is likewise the exact shade of business professional tan, probably Warm Sun #7." I hope you don't mind if we eat before we begin. I find business is always more tolerable on a full stomach." The megawatt smile makes its third appearance. Ray has a brief urge to shoot the man. He had eaten pond scum that was less slimy. He takes a seat that keeps his back to the wall, allowing him to see the windows and elevator. Furthermore, he takes a look at the menu, and orders a steak. Furthermore, he felt out of place, dressed in his unfashionable armored clothing. So, you or the group you represent have assembled a high-price, high-skill team. Whatever job you've got, It's something important. You want professionalism and success, and you've got it. How about you go ahead and tell us what the job is? "Now, now, Silent, if the man wants to show off his wealth first we should let him. To do otherwise would just be rude." Richard looks over the menu and orders something that looks expensive. With a display like this, it will be difficult for him to assert with a straight face that he can't afford a jacked-up fee for our services. I wonder how much we can pump him for? "I'm sorry, I'm not Hungary, but go ahead." Enoch says as he sits down, thinking about how the cost of just one of these meals could feed someone in his neighborhood for a month. Cliff pick up a menu as well. "Now we are talking. I haven't had stuff like this in a long time." He scanned over it briefly, nodded. "I think I'll start off with Burrito camp; Hot COPPA, and then I'll have the Grilled Wild King Salmon. Sounds great."{I wouldn't push it too far. Don't know his limits.} August 2, 2073, Eye of the Needle restaurant, Space Needle Seattle, UCAS, North American continent 12:28 AM local time Though the smile doesn't leave his face, a noticeable tightness creeps in around his jaw as your comments are made." Very well, since you seem like busy folks I'll get right to it".he leans back in his chair and straightens his suit before continuing." The client I represent has a data chip they want recovered. The contents of the chip are not important. It's location, however, is. It's currently hidden somewhere onboard the space station Silver Pinnacle. Pay is 3.5 million Nguyen. Interested?" A waiter drone silently rolls up to your table and begins serving your orders. Spoiler Hide Searching for "Silver Pinnacle" Data Search: (2d6)[5][2](7) Ray digs into his steak. In between bites (he doesn't talk with food in his mouth, he isn't a barbarian), Ray says "Yes sir, Mr. Johnson, go to Silver Pinnacle, find the chip, and bring it back to you or your designee. It sounds good to me; can't speak for the others. Now, do you have any other rules for this? I assume you want casualties and collateral damage kept at a minimum, and you want this done as quietly as possible, correct? Otherwise, someone with your backing likely could have used rather more extravagant measures to retrieve the chip. Oh, and speaking of your backing, is that 3.5 million for each of us, or for the team to split? In addition, I don't think I'd be wrong in assuming you have the authority to give us access to some deep black-ops slush fund to use an expense account, right? We will, of course, keep any receipts you might want. We'll need it to find ourselves a hacker of some sort. Unless of course, you already have that arranged, which wouldn't surprise me. An individual doesn't rise to your sort of position without being a stickler for details." Richard raises an eyebrow briefly." Hmm. Tricky." He begins eating, chewing thoughtfully as he mulls it over. Following Ray's torrent of words, he speaks up." Such an expedition poses some unique challenges and dangers, especially for Enoch and me. Of course, that also makes it more interesting..."" All right, in concept I am interested, though details remain. As, her 'Silent', over here asked, is that 3.5 mil per person or total? What sort of resources will you and your client provide to help with this? Hijacking or stowing away on a spacecraft is no small matter; I imagine we could pull it off on our own if we had to - you did call for the best and here we are - but I didn't get this far by ignoring resources that could reduce unnecessary risks."" Who currently has possession of this data chip, and do you have any information on its location more precise than the whole station? When we recover it, how will we know we found the right one?" Cliff coughed as his drink went down the wrong pipe. "Space! Good lord in heaven, and for a ****in chip? Er.... Uh... Excuse me, I ain't got many manners sometimes. Please, continue."(why on earth did this not notify me that people had posted!? That sucks!) "A space station you say. I would like to hear more. While I feel confident in my ability to get inside any place in the world, a space station has unique challenges. Assuming those challenges can be overcome, I am interested. Although I must admit, I do not relish the thought of going to that dark place." Spoiler Hide It seems there has been a lot of non-notification of posts recently I have noticed. I haven't seen it happen to me, but I've sure heard a lot of people complain recently. Or maybe that is just the new excuse for posting late. August 2, 2073, Eye of the Needle restaurant, Space Needle Seattle, UCAS, North American continent 12:30 AM local timer. Johnson replies to Ray first." Collateral indiscretions are obviously undesirable, but of course one must break a few eggs to make an omelet. Do try not to draw too much attention to yourselves, and while the station is question is not owned by my client I daresay blowing it up would be frowned upon by the Corporate Court." He pauses to sip from a glass of dark red wine before continuing." And while my client may indeed be possessed of significant means, the fee is 3.5 for the group. Paying that much per person would be rather extravagant, don't you think? "As for a so-called slush fund, I think a prepayment of 750,000 Nguyen should be sufficient for your needs. The rest would of course be held in escrow and payable on your completion." Continuing on to Richard's line of questioning, the suited man leans forward and begins cutting his steak as he speaks." While I am sad to admit that neither I nor my client has access to a spaceship, I do have a dossier on the station itself. I imagine such enterprising gentlemen as yourselves should be able to find a way up." He pauses to savor a bite of steak." Of course, I have more specific information on the chip's location and identifiers, but first I must have everyone's agreement to accept this mission. I would be happy to transfer my files to all of you at that point."" Speaking of which, I have taken the liberty of contacting a hacker previously. I'm to understand you may already know him, but if not then allow me to introduce a Mr. Gareth." He waves towards the kitchen area. Gareth*Pushing the double door from the kitchen open with the hand holding a rather old-looking bottle of alcohol, Gareth uses plants the other hand squarely on the face of the chef reaching for it and gives a gentle shove, off-balancing the man.*"No - you listen! Yes, I do realize what vintage this is! That's why I wanted a glass. You just need to calm down before you -"*Spinning as the bottle slips out of his hand, he plants a foot on the other mans chest and hold him off, barely catching it before it hits the ground, growling with frustration.*"See what you're doing? Now STOP - just stop!"*Shaking his head, Gareth walks out to the table and rolls his eyes.*"Some peoples children. You'd think I've never seen expensive booze before. Mr. Johnson - care for a glass? Great color. Good stuff."*With a grin, he looks to the others, some of whom he already knows.*"I've done a bit of digging into the job already, but it's going to be tricky." Lt;Barely more than a fifth in advance, and expenses to come out of that? I don't know about you guys, but that seems low to me. Could someone better with words than me try to negotiate on that?Sgt;"Gareth? I should have seen that one coming." Lt;I agree. Just getting there is going to be an expensive proposition, not to mention getting back. We need an expense account on top of our payment. If their executives get it, so should we.Sgt;Ray grins at Gareth's antics. I think he'll do just fine. Gareth"Should have seen that one coming? I didn't think witch-doctors could tell the future, but that might come in handy. Thanks for the heads-up."*Giving the man a wink, he sits and pours himself a drink. Taking a moment to swirl the alcohol before raising the glass to his lips, downing it in one swift motion.*"Of course, you could have meant that I'm the only talent crazy enough to pull off something like this, or tough enough to do the physical aspect of the job as well, in which case - thank you for the compliment."*Looking at the menu, he orders a couple of small items - real beef steak and honest to goodness coffee before kicking back and waiting for his food.*"So - I've already agreed to the job, even if we haven't settled on a pay scale yet. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a pretty smile. If your lot are on board, I think we've got a shot at doing this without a hiccup. Otherwise, I'm going to end up working with some other slags I don't know, and I'll be honest - I don't really like the idea of a sub-orbital jump into atom for an escape plan."*He grins at Richard, knowing he's putting him in an awkward position, but enjoying every moment of it. The mojo-man had things too easy all the time anyway.* "Well I want ta do this, I really do. But I don't see how we can get it done." Cliff talked around a mouth full of food, smacking as he chewed. "At least... for that much Buddha. This wheel is gonna need a tad more grease." August 2, 2073, Eye of the Needle restaurant, Space Needle Seattle, UCAS, North American continent 12:35 AM local timer. Johnson seems faintly amused at Cliff's clumsy attempts at negotiation." Of course, I understand your concerns, but the costs of a set of fake IDs and tickets up to the station average out to less than 75% of my offered advance. Surely that should prove sufficient?"@everyoneSpoiler Hide You guys may of course try again, probably with someone else, but at a -2 penalties. Lt;I can see we're not getting anymore out of Mr. Johnson. We'll have to find a way to get to the station without using up our money. This job also seems like the kind of thing that could net us some side loot, not to mention the reputation boost. I say we just take the offered deal, and figure out how to make the best of it. Ray sits, calmly chewing his steak. "I don't believe the issue was mere transportation to the station, but rather the additional costs associated with transporting less than legal items there. As well as having backup plans in case something unexpected happens." August 2, 2073, Eye of the Needle restaurant, Space Needle Seattle, UCAS, North American continent 12:37 AM local timer. Johnson pauses to consider Enoch's words for a moment before nodding." A fair point, I must concede. I am, you understand, not as used to considering the additional expense of moving illegal goods as you are.". He grins slightly at this as he takes another bite of his steak." Perhaps I could raise the advance to 1.1 million, if that would meet your needs?" Richard looks thoughtful as he chews another mouthful.Lt;Nice work, Enoch. Hmm, still a lower portion than usual, but the total is also far higher than usual... Good enough for me, how about the rest of you?Sgt; Lt;It sounds fine to me. We'll just have to keep our expenses low to maximize our net profit.Sgt;. Ray almost orders a sockeye, then realizes this place has actual coffee. When it arrives, he takes a long time just smelling it before taking small sips. An enhanced sense of smell is a wonderful thing. {I'm just ready to get this started. It's going to be so much fun!} Having long since finished his meal, Cliff drummed his fingers. He felt completely out of place in these delicate business conversations. Didn’t have the even temper required, he had been told once. Gareth*After the short wait, Gareth sets into his meal with a satisfied smile, and sits quietly for a moment after the Johnson makes his off, looking around at the other candidates.**When no one says anything, he takes a deep breath and sets his utensils down.*"I'm not sure if I've missed a memo or something, but I've always thought it was rather rude to keep people waiting. I've had my say."*Raising his cup of coffee up to his lips, Gareth takes a slow sip and smiles, chuckling and giving Ray a smile.*"Great stuff, isn't it? It's been a long time since I've had genuine Columbian. It was actually last time I was in Columbia. What a mess that was." Spoiler Hide *Pulling up another AR window while he talks, Gareth pings Rays comm link, using the last connection he'd had.* Lt;Oi. Chum - what's the skinny? You're all sitting there like meat-puppets, with the Johnson staring at you. You with me?Sgt; Spoiler Hide Sorry about that. Hard to remember we aren't actually talking sometimes. The mojo-mans got us in some sort of group telepathy spell. . It sounds like something we can do, and the price seems right. As one final request, and now this one won't cost you anything, is make sure that a) your grunts stay out of our way, and b) anyone comes sniffing after us, you stonewall 'em. Ray sips down the last bit of his coffee.Lt;Macros, you got anything that'll tell us more about this guy? 'Specially who we're to be working for?Sgt; "That would be quite acceptable. I look forward to meeting you again for the conclusion of our business." Lt;Now, do any of you have any ideas on how we can actually get up there? I will have to talk to so people about how I can manage it, but I assume there are various meat space shuttles, right?Sgt; "We all accept your terms. 1.1 mil in advance, the other 2.4 to be held in escrow until delivery of the chip."" Now, let's see those files of yours and the money. Oh, and how should we contact you if we discover anything that needs clarification later?"Lt;I could try to make him tell us anything we want and then forget he did it, but as a general rule I don't tinker with my employers' minds. Bad for business. As for more direct information gathering spells, I could find out if he's got any magic on him and what it is, but that's all I'm afraid.Sgt;Lt;We'll have to find a way onto one, but yes there are spacecraft that make regular trips up and down.Sgt; August 2, 2073, Eye of the Needle restaurant, Space Needle Seattle, UCAS, North American continent 12:40 AM local times you all agree to the terms, Mr. Johnson flashes that megawatt grin again." Excellent!" I'm glad we found an agreeable solution. Now, first the advance." He makes a few gestures as he interacts with his AR display, then reaches into his suit pocket and pulls out an onyx cred stick." Here you are gentlemen, 1.1 million advance. I've contacted your respective fixers with proof of escrow for the remaining, and once the job is done they will be able to contact me and arrange a meeting to transfer the chip and your funds." Another dip into the suit coat pocket produces a data chip, its casing marking it as a high-end model." On this chip are the details and floor plans for the station that I was able to secure. It's owned and operated by TransOrbital, who uses it as a launching point for their satellite maintenance services. They also launch satellites and other payloads into orbit for many other corporations." He gestures again towards the data chip." Also on that chip are the details of an agent we had working aboard Silver Pinnacle. He intercepted some very sensitive data for us and hid it aboard the station, but since then we've lost contact with him. He's presumed dead. Your job is to find the chip he hid, and bring it to me. As for the chip itself, it should have a recognizable digital watermark. The data itself will be encrypted, but plugging it in to any comm link should reveal a specific line of text, the nature of which is also provided on the chip here." Leaning back and taking a sip from his coffee, he continues." If you need to contact me again before the job is done, I can provide a digital dead-drop account you may message. Anything you send to it will be relayed to me, and in turn my response will be repeated to your comms. If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer them now." Gareth*Pausing his moment of pure zen with his coffee, Gareth holds out a hand for the high-end chip and cred stick, not willing to let the money hang in limbo for more than a moment before it is safe. His manner changes rather quickly, going calm and professional as he gets down to talking about the job.*"Those sound like reasonable arrangements. Your névé did see what you expected for a timeline for the job? I'm assuming as quickly as possible, since the chip could be found, and any data is of course, going to be time-sensitive."*With a look to the others, he raises an eyebrow questioningly, but doesn't wait for their permission to silk the chip into a storage slot in his deck. Note to self. Never go into a job without proper communication lines again. *"I'm sure we'll be able to find the chip and any information on your agent, and return it to you in a timely manner." I have nothing for now. If you was so kind as to call the car back around, I'm ready to get started. "Well, if we are getting started, there is somebody I should talk to first to see how I can arrange my travel there." He hands his comm link to Richard." Would you mind holding on to this for a moment? I'll catch up with you soon." With that said, he bows slightly to Mr. Johnson and disappears. Once Astral, he makes a brief visit to his home plane, before returning to the physical world in Los Angeles, in the Magic department of the UCLA campus to be exact. Despite the hour, he is fairly sure this is where is old friend Prof. Gary Thomsen is, cat shamans seem to tend to be night people. First knocking on the door, he enters and says:Gary, it has been too long. How are your students? I have a question for you. Hypothetically speaking if someone like me were to want to visit an orbital station that has a weak man afield, how could transportation their happen. Do you know of any way to create a synthetic temporary man afield of some nature? "What time constraints are there for this job? That's all I can think of to ask at the moment without going over the data, and I don't think you want us staying here for hours while we study it and plan." August 2, 2073, Eye of the Needle restaurant, Space Needle Seattle, UCAS, North American continent 12:42 AM local timer. Johnson grins slightly at Richard's comment." Of course, I'll call for the car to take you all wherever you'd like to go. I wouldn't want to detain you from getting started, and I'm sure you'd like to work in privacy. As for timeframe, the station undergoes maintenance every two months, with the next due in 30 days time. It is likely they'll find the chip at that point, so I'd recommend you be done by then." He makes a few gestures in the air, then stands and heads for the elevators.@everyoneSpoiler Hide I'll handle the hacking results tomorrow, as well as Enoch's visit to his friend. Just wanted to get this bit up first. Cliff cleared his throat and looked around at the gathered group. "Okay gents, I just felt like I should let you all know that I am happy to be involved in this op. I had nothing going on before this, so if it wasn't for this I'd be bored. Haha! Oh, and there might be some complications with me in tow, but hey we can take care of that later. It's nothing really." Spoiler Hide I swear I'm not ditching the game. I've had the WORST time at work, and was very nearly in serious trouble with the boss man. Thankfully, things worked out. Gareth*With the Johnson leaving, Gareth leans forward to fill his cup to the rim before leaning back and giving a slight shrug.*"There's always complications, though I'm not a fan of discussing things in such a public place. Well, more than we have. What do you say we take this somewhere more... isolated? Specifically less recorded." Spoiler Hide Alright, defaulting on a sleight of hand check to slip the Johnson's fork into a napkin and out of sight as he fills up his coffee. I know it's not really necessary but fun. (7d6)[4][6][5][5][6][5][1](32) Edit: Woo! 5 hits! Smooth. Richard nods." Indeed. First, let's get somewhere I can make a moderately private call." Richard stays mostly silent during the ride back down the elevator, instructs the car to return the group to the diner it picked us up at, and walks a block or two away to an isolated spot." Ok, I think this is safe enough for starters..." He brings up a contact on his comm link and hits the call button. Moments later an even woman picks up, looking quite comfortable and alert for this time of night." Ah. Macros. In company, I assume. How'd the meeting go?"" You got me one doozy of a job, here, Nishant. I need two things, quick. Confirmation of escrow - 2.4 mil; and a safe house for planning, maybe some secure storage of resources, parking space, good matrix connection, total privacy, etc. I'm sure you have something, and I don't want any trace of this ever tracking back to my pad. Oh, and drop a line to Enoch about it at his shop, he dashed off on an errand and left his comm link with me. You have his number?" Just to be certain it's obvious: I'm calling my fixer. Which, as we discussed a bit in IOC, is also Gareth's fixer. Spoiler Hide Originally Posted by a_humble_rich Gary, it has been too long. How are your students? I have a question for you. Hypothetically speaking if someone like me were to want to visit an orbital station that has a weak man afield, how could transportation their happen. Do you know of any way to create a synthetic temporary man afield of some nature? August 2, 2073, Magic Department, UCLA Campus Seattle, UCAS, North American continent 12:41 local time The professor looks up at his sudden visitor, seemingly unfazed by his manifestation." Ah, Enoch, it has indeed been too long. The students are well, if a bit slow this year. The wife asked about you, we are barbecuing this Christmas, and she'd be delighted if you could attend this year. "At the mention of space travel he looks somewhat shocked, but recovers quickly." I know better than to ask why you need to visit such an unusual destination. I do know of such a ritual, at least in theory. One of my rare brighter students is doing his thesis on exactly that, though I fear he lacks the necessary talent to perform it. It takes a fairly powerful mage to pull off, and a fairly obscure formula to bind." Slipping into Professor Mode, he begins pulling up diagrams of magical formulae as he speaks." Luckily, no special reagents are needed, just time and a lot of raw magical power to infuse it with the necessary energy. Properly performed, it will shield a spirit such as yourself from the draining effects of the void. There is, however, a catch. Specifically, the ritual requires an anchor for the spirit to be bound to, and only an Awakened meta will do. He or she would, in theory, receive a measure of the protections as well, but must remain close to the bound spirit." His face turns serious as he looks at Enoch." And he would have to know the spirit's true name." Spoiler Hide Originally Posted by Douglas "You got me one doozy of a job, here, Nishant. I need two things, quick. Confirmation of escrow - 2.4 mil; and a safe house for planning, maybe some secure storage of resources, parking space, good matrix connection, total privacy, etc. I'm sure you have something, and I don't want any trace of this ever tracking back to my pad. Oh, and drop a line to Enoch about it at his shop, he dashed off on an errand and left his comm link with me. You have his number?" August 2, 2073, Seattle, UCAS, North American continent 1:16 am, local time Nishant makes a few gestures as she speaks." Got it right here, 2.4 million Nguyen in escrow at the New Swedish Grand International Bank, under an anonymous account. Safe, secure, untraceable, and very expensive." As for a safe house, I've got a few in mind. Assuming you want to keep it in town, there's one under a downtown Taco Camera that should work. I'll fire over the details, and bill you the usual rate for its use. 500 a week, plus whatever expendables you use and/or damage caused." At the question about Enoch, she frowns slightly." I don't, but I know who does. I'll forward the info, and CC Gareth while I'm at it. Sorry I didn't warn you about his involvement, but I hadn't heard if he accepted or not until just now. You know how he is." She rolls her eyes as she finishes sending the requested information. "Great. Sounds good. I'm sure we'll have more for you once we've settled in, but that's it to start with. Thanks Nishant, don't know what I'd do without you." Richard ends the call and turns back to the group." Silent, fire up your van, I've got us a home base." Ray walks around the van, checking underneath, in the hood, and inside for any monitoring devices. Spoiler Hide (14d6)[3][6][2][3][2][1][3][1][5][2][4][2][1][1](36) Assuming that goes well, he turns on the van and waits for the others. Before they leave, Ray leaves his disposable comm link in an easily seen location. Gareth*Finishing off his meal, Gareth gives a huge stretch before downing the last of his coffee and standing to leave with the others. As they stand in the elevator, he doesn't say much, and when they finally get to the van, he slides in the side without a word, stretching out across one of the seats.*"Sweet wheels. I had a nice ride until this morning. It was this sweet ol' roadster a friend has scrapped together from a junkyard back in Vegas. I don't even remember what year it was - something like a 62 or something. He called it an old-school chopper."*Reaching up to massage one side of his neck, he shrugs.*"Anyway - it was great, but didn't stand up to getting sch mucked by a semi real well, so long story short - thanks for the ride, chum."" So - I've got a few ideas for our transportation up - out of all the corps that TransOrbital does work for, they're actually the smallest themselves, so if we're going to do any hacking or social-engineering, they're going to be our best to work over. The majority of the corps they do work with are AAA Vegas, well, except for Proteus, but even they're an AA."*Pulling dual AR windows, Gareth starts running analysis programs to find any differences between the data chip and the copy he snagged.*"The other option would be posing as agents for one of the various governments they work for, and I'm not keen on the idea of pissing on the Brits or Israelis - they don't look kindly on that." "Personally, I don't mind stepping on any confederate toes, but I'm open to ideas."*Looking up from his own little world, he looks around at the others with a wild gleam in his eyes.*"Oh - and anyone have objections to my sub-orbital jump idea? It's kind of growing on me. Turns out it might just work..." "Well, as you might be able to guess, this was exactly what I hoped for until you said the last part. Out of purely an academic interest of course." Enoch smiles. But still, this does sound like just what I was interested in. Perhaps I can meet with your student and he can explain his work to me. I might even be able to help him with some first-hand knowledge of spirits. And your Christmas barbecue sounds wonderful. If I am not otherwise engaged, I shall make a point of coming. Cliff, who had quietly gone along with the group, spoke up when the Confederates were mentioned. "Say, you might be onto something there. They might be our ticket up there. Plus, I'd rather go with what I know, and I've been there fairly often." He turned his gaze out the windows for a while. "Oh, and could you guys drop me off back at the diner? I have to get my ride." Richard forwards the directions to Cliff and Ray, then settles in for the ride to Nishant's safe house. Once there, he turns to Gareth." Ok, let's see this data Mr. J had for us."" Oh, and..." He makes a few quick gestures, then taps Ray, Cliff, and Gareth on the shoulder.Lt;Now Gareth's in the telepathy loop too. I'll have to do this again when Enoch gets back, but then it'll be set until we hit space.Sgt;Spoiler Hide Mindset at force 3. Using centering this time since I'm not trying to hide it, so I have enough dice to buy the drain. Spoiler Hide Originally Posted by a_humble_rich "Well, as you might be able to guess, this was exactly what I hoped for until you said the last part. Out of purely an academic interest of course." Enoch smiles. But still, this does sound like just what I was interested in. Perhaps I can meet with your student and he can explain his work to me. I might even be able to help him with some first-hand knowledge of spirits. And your Christmas barbecue sounds wonderful. If I am not otherwise engaged, I shall make a point of coming. August 2, 2073, Magic Department, UCLA Campus Seattle, UCAS, North American continent 12:43 local time"I think we could help each other out, actually. I'm going to need an example subject for my lesson tomorrow, and using you would save me the time and effort of summoning one up. I promise nothing will be damaging, just some lessons on advanced assessing." "And it just so happens that same student will be attending, so I'm sure he'd be glad to speak with you afterward. Sound fair?" August 2, 2073, Safe house Plural Z, underneath Taco Camera Downtown Seattle, UCAS, North American continent 2:01 am local time The Taco Camera looks perfectly average from the outside, garish AR displays and offensive "Mexican" imagery the same as any other. Parking in the back, Nishant's directions lead you to the dumpster, and a hidden seam in the adjacent wall sliding open under the caress of the proper codes. The tiny, pipe-filled room contains a trapdoor and ladder, fitted with a biometric lock, and leads down into the safe room itself. Available are rations and sockeye, a rather secure Matrix connection, and plenty of storage space. A warded locker contains a set of common magical reagents, each priced and sorted like the rations. There is a main room of about 15' by 20', and an adjoining bathroom and small shower. Assuming Mr. Johnson's data chip is slotted, you see a detailed dossier on TransOrbital's business dealings and internal structure. Some of their person ell are detailed, mostly public relations and upper management. Also included are floor plans for Silver Pinnacle and maintenance schedules, which corroborate Mr. Johnson's timeline of 30 days. There aren't any details of security or any mentions of the target chip's location. Edit: Mr. J's previous agent, listed here only as Cloudburst, is described as a male elf of fairly unremarkable appearance. A series of previous assignments includes work in Bolivia, Germany, Tokyo, and a station named Helios. Of his last assignment, his cover story names him Jason T'demos, a EVA certified master technician. He was hired by TransOrbital 3 weeks before being assigned to the station, where his duties included assembly of several Ares satellites. His last contact with his employers was on July 8th of this year. Spoiler Hide Originally Posted by Gertrude "I think we could help each other out, actually. I'm going to need an example subject for my lesson tomorrow, and using you would save me the time and effort of summoning one up. I promise nothing will be damaging, just some lessons on advanced assessing." "And it just so happens that same student will be attending, so I'm sure he'd be glad to speak with you afterward. Sound fair?" "You know I always like going to your classes. You people have such interesting ideas about magic. And I would like to meet your student. Just so long as there's nothing dangerous, I'm sure nobody wants a repeat of New Years." Enoch chuckles at the memory. I shall see you tomorrow. With that Enoch leaves to go find his friends. First stopping back home he gets one of his backup comm links to call himself he sees his comm link has a bright red pulsing glow that even he would notice. It seems he has a message. After pressing some buttons to no effect to get at the message, he finally gives up and asks the street kid who's been crashing at his place how to get the message. Now armed with the safe house's address, Enoch makes his way to see the rest of the group. Ray grabs two large black ballistic material Duffel bags, a long matte-black metal case, and a folding table. Once down in the saleroom, he unfolds the table, places the two bags underneath it, and places the case on top. He goes through the rather lengthy verification process to unseal the case, and it pops open with the distinctive hiss of a pressure differential being undone. Inside is a rifle, matte-black and lethal looking. Gentlemen, meet Juliet, my one true love. Good evening everyone. I am Juliet. My love has informed me of our mission. I am happy to be of service. This message is accompanied by a feminine voice, proper but soothing, for anyone so equipped to hear such. So, step one is to figure out how to get access to TransOrbital. Now, I'm best at shooting, but I'm figuring that might get us caught, so we may as well this sneaky. Macros, think you can get us credentialed? Lt;Hmm. Didn't J say this thing had details on their missing agent, too?Sgt;Richard glances up from perusing the data chip's contents.Lt;Oh, hi, Enoch. Let me expand the Mindset...Sgt;Spoiler Hide Force 4, buy 4 hits on spell casting, roll for drain: (24d6)[3][6][1][5][4][4][6][5][3][5][3][5][2][4][4][2][6][3][6][1][4][5][2][6](95) Excellent, all drain resisted. He also hands back Enoch's comm link.Lt;Ok, there. Until I intentionally drop it or someone dispels it, you can all talk mind-to-mind with each other as long as you're within 400 meters of me. I am not aware of any way to eavesdrop on this without literal mind reading. How's that for secure?Sgt;@EnochSpoiler Hide Lt;So how'd it go? Something about arranging how you would travel into space, I believe?Sgt; Lt;Let's see, whoever we target for it, we're going to need a ride in a space shuttle to get up there, and even now I don't think such trips are all that frequent. Going for a TransOrbital flight as the smallest corp involved sounds like a good idea, but I don't know if they ship things up there often enough for us to have much choice. Then again, it's not a subject I've been keeping up with much, so for all I know they could be on a twice daily schedule or something. I'd be surprised, but I don't actually know.Sgt;Lt;Gareth, see if you can find a full schedule of all planned trips from Earth to Silver Pinnacle in the next 30 days, along with departure points, owners, passenger and cargo manifests, security procedures, and any other info you can dig up. Give us a list of options to choose from for Earth-side targets. Take your time and prioritize not being detected, no point giving anyone advance warning they might need to beef up security.Sgt;Responding to Ray:Lt;I very likely could, ah, persuade someone to give us the proper credentials, but I'd need to know who to target. Lt;Well, that is more efficient than my mode of communication, thank you.Sgt;@ Richard Spoiler Hide Lt;It seems I was successful. It seems there is a ritual to bind a spirit to the aura of an awakened mortal. Hopefully tomorrow I will learn it. From what I hear it would also give the mortal some shielding from the void as well. Assuming it works, it should be just what we need. It would require you to have some knowledge which I have to be very careful with. As you are a friend I trust you, yet let me warn you not to betray that trust.Sgt; Lt;Ah, there's that info... Jason T'demos. We'll need to research his activities, but I suspect that information will be difficult or impossible to get from the ground. We'll probably have to get on station before we can investigate in detail. The status of the satellites he worked on might be easier to come by, though. Come to think of it, he might have tried hiding the chip in one of them. Would EVA be needed to search them?Sgt;Lt;If he was uncovered by hostile action, any files related to him or his work are likely to be watched. Be extra careful on that part of your hacking, Gareth.Sgt;@EnochSpoiler Hide Lt;Excellent. Giving me some shielding too is even better.Sgt; Lt;Wait... spirit, bind, required knowledge, trust... You mean your true name, or spirit formula, don't you? I, um, wow. I am deeply honored that you would trust me with such sensitive information. Furthermore, I solemnly swear to not abuse it and to safeguard it carefully.Sgt; Cliff was sitting in the floor, leaning back against a wall. He had his white knight stripped down in his lap, and he was going to town with a cleaning kit. "Ya know, that's just freaky. Why'd you need a talking rifle? It's like that old myth thing, the singing sword or whatever."{So why are we still using this? Still worried about bugs and stuff? Ain't much being said that we wouldn't care about someone overhearing. Or at least nothing that I care about.} Lt;Force of habit mostly. The only bugs I can see are the family of cockroaches behind the refrigerator, but I'll let you know if there are any Astral observers.Sgt; "I agree the talking gun seemed weird to me. But there is so much that you people do that I don't understand. It took me quite some time to realize that the goal of eating was not to create feces." Ray frowns. Juliet talks 'cause she's been with me for as long as I can remember. Didn't seem right not give her a say in what I'm doing, considering she's doin' most of the work. Thank you, my love. I could not do it without you though. Anyway, this Jason Tenors...er, Tends...whatever, Jason T. I'd say our first goal is to find him and ask a few questions, specifically as to where he hid the chip. 'Course, that's assuming he's planetwide. I'll check for any publicly available information on getting up there. Don't want to go near any secure grid; last time I did that I near got my brain fried. Spoiler Hide Browse, on public, non-secured grids (travel advert sites, news sites, etc.): (3d6)[3][2][1](6) Gareth*Reading over the data file slowly, Gareth remains silent for a while, finally speaking through the link.*Lt;I don't know - it doesn't seem like such a bad idea. I've seen schematics on microdrones the size of fruit-flies with recording quality that rivals boom mics. You never know.Sgt;*Giving a long stretch, he looks around for a comfortable place to kick his feet up and clasps his hands behind his head.*Lt;So - I'll do what I can to get hold of information on the station, but I've got an idea on how to get back down - anyone ever done an orbital jump? The idea didn't seem like much fun at first, but if we can manage to get around the side effects of incineration and severe gravity poisoning, it might be a great backup escape plan.Sgt;"I don't know. I don't mind a bit of personality in equipment, so long as she's not too chatty." Lt;Perhaps we should leave the orbital jump as plan B. Aren't things like incineration and gravity poisoning bad for entities as soft as you? And I really don't want to lose my friends.Sgt; Gareth*With a smile, Gareth looks over at Enoch and nods slowly.*Lt;Yes, just a little bit. I've done rapid insertions before - though never from that high. Did a jump during a job down in Amazonia. The whole 'war' thing down there was pretty crazy at the time, and we couldn't risk the slow-fall parachute method, so we just bailed out of the cargo hold, all tethered up to the mojo-man. He pulled out some slick moves, and landed us on the ground, though I'll be honest, it was one hell of a ride. He said it was a sure thing - some slick focus he'd rigged up. Set it to trigger or some such.Sgt;*Reaching into his coat, he pulls out a stick of gum and starts chomping away at it, though not too obnoxiously.*Lt;Anyway, I figure it's not something they'd expect, so it's always a good step. I like the idea of waltzing in and out better, but I don't want to get stuck with my proverbial pants around my ankles and no way out.Sgt; Lt;I just don't see a reason to not use it. It's not like it takes any effort.Sgt;"I can speak aloud if it makes you uncomfortable or something." Richard shrugs.Lt;Yeah, leave the secure grids to Gareth. Speaking of that, I should be there when you try that. If something does try to fry your brain, Gareth, I can heal it on the spot.Sgt;Lt;I can't do anything about heat shielding, but if it's not too heavy I might be able to catch our life pod with a Levitated before we crash. That should definitely be a backup plan, though. Much better to fly back down on a shuttle the same way we go up. In fact, how long would it actually take for a jump like that to get to ground? I may not know much about space, but I do know it's big, and I don't think Silver Pinnacle is in a particularly low orbit.Sgt;Lt;Anyway, first order of business is information. Gareth, if you're not too tired, I think it's time to start hacking. Topics I can think of to look for are flight schedules and manifests, flight security, station security, people in charge of each, anything we can get on Jason T'demos, status of the satellites he worked on, and... that's all that comes to mind at the moment.Sgt; @RaySpoiler Hide Sadly, 0 hits mean you find a bunch of travel spam sites and advertisements for "exotic getaways", but Silver Pinnacle is not a tourist station. Additional information on TransOrbital from Mr. J's chip:Established back in the 2040s, they were primarily an independent "think-tank" for the aerospace industry until the Crash 2.0. After the AAA's started putting more focus on extraterrestrial mining/fabrication and research, T-O began retooling for cheap (comparatively) and reusable space flight. Piggybacking on the growing popularity of semiballistic flights, they utilized the Sanger space plane concept to garner a significant portion of the heavy-lift space market. This made them the natural contractor for putting satellites into orbit, and their strict customer privacy policies allowed them a wide range of clients. In the last 10 years, they have serviced everyone from Ares to Zurich-Orbital, but their biggest customers have been the CAS government, Horizon, Ares Space, Proteus, and a pair of LEO space resorts that offer "special entertainments for the discerning executive". Silver Pinnacle, also known as "Station House" to spacers, is their crown jewel. Situated in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO), it serves as a supply hub/dock for their space fleet and as a sub-assembly point for the satellites they launch. It houses a permanent crew of about 75, but has facilities for upwards of 250 for use during major assembly jobs and for the spaceship crews to use. Crew rotations occur every 3 months, and are staggered for security reasons. Aside from regular maintenance contracts for the other LEO/GEO satellites, Station House also handles transit to and from Ares' Helios station out at the L5 Lagrange point (opposite the earth on the far side of the sun). {He, that parachuting from orbit could be pretty fun. And what's this 'gravity poisoning'? You mean the whole death on impact thing? Anyway, it'd be easier to just hijack the shuttle and crash-land it into a city or something. I'd provide plenty of cover for our escape if we survive.} Gareth*He chuckles and nods*Lt;Yeah, that's the idea - you get a lethal overdose of solid ground.Sgt;*Finding a comfortable place to settle in, he pops a bit of gum in his mouth and pulls his coat off, using it as a pillow for his head, pulling his deck around onto his chest. The unit looks huge compared to standard comm links, but he just smiles.*"Keep a line open and stay within running distance, if you would, Richard. I got no plans to get fried, but it's nice to have a backup. Grace."Lt;I'm all for a bit of controlled destruction - on the right target, but I'm not so much of a fan of the 'if we live' part.Sgt;*Closing his eyes, Gareth lets the world fade away, and the tension melts out of his body as the digital world envelops him. Time to work my magic.IOC:Spoiler Hide Alright - I'm going to break each of these down into separate spoilers, hopefully to make them easier to read. Running a Force 7 Stealth Program for good measure. I'm hoping these searches will also show the people in charge of the various divisions and others we'll be likely to encounter. Personal, etc. Flight schedules and manifests Spoiler Hide We'll start with Breaking in - Probing - Trans-O systems Hacking + Exploit vs. Target's (SST + Firewall) 1 Hour, +6 Threshold for Admin (23d6)[2][2][5][1][2][1][6][3][4][2][2][4][2][1][6][5][1][6][1][3][4][3][1](67) Total Hits - 5 Additional Rolls, if needed: Spoiler Hide (23d6)[3][6][5][3][5][6][4][2][5][2][5][3][3][6][6][6][4][1][3][5][2][6][2](93) Total Hits - 10 (23d6)[3][6][1][5][2][5][6][1][6][1][3][1][5][6][4][4][4][5][3][6][6][5][6](94) Total Hits - 12 Data Search Once I'm in (12d6)[2][1][1][4][3][3][4][2][4][6][6][6](42) Total Hits - 3 Edit To Erase the Access Logs once I find everything I'm looking for - This is assuming I've gotten Admin access. (22d6)[2][2][4][3][3][4][4][2][5][5][6][6][6][1][6][6][1][2][1][3][6][4](82) Total Hits - 8 Flight security - hopefully on the same system, or I'll roll another hacking attempt. Spoiler Hide Data Search (12d6)[2][6][4][5][1][5][3][1][3][3][3][3](39) Total Hits - 3 Station security Spoiler Hide Data Search (12d6)[1][5][4][6][5][2][3][6][4][4][1][6](47) Total Hits - 5 Jason T'demos - This one is going to have to be a more general search, until I get more detailed information on him. Spoiler Hide Data Search (12d6)[1][6][5][5][4][6][3][2][1][1][3][6](43) Total Hits - 5 Our Johnson! - Time to find out a bit more about who we're looking for. Most comm links have some kind of biometric reader, or it shouldn't be too hard to get some DNA readings from the fork, I hope - I'll use the samples I have to try and track him down, and see just who it is we're working for. Spoiler Hide Data Search (12d6)[4][4][4][2][5][3][6][2][6][1][1][5](43) Total Hits - 4 Results of Gareth's hacking:The going is slow, but around the 3rd hour mark Gareth finds an old software loophole that wasn't patched properly and tunnels in to an unused admin account. TransOrbital's company node is remarkably sterile and post-modern in metaphor, even for a corp. A hive of white corridors and square rooms of data, a veritable swarm of agents patrolling relentlessly in the form of small mirrored spheres floating along. Users appear as a simple diamond shape, color-coded with their level of access. Flight schedules are easy enough to find, and appear to happen every two weeks. Typically, they consist of cargo to be assembled or shipped to another satellite, and personnel rotations for Silver Pinnacle. The next one due up is 4 days from now, Aug 6th, and two weeks later on the 20th. Neither appear to be unusual in respect to cargo. The flight security search reveals an ongoing contract with Tyndall Roses, which appear to be a security firm of some kind. Judging from their payment information, they're based out of Dryden Ontario, UCAS. Information on station security is supplied in-house, with an active duty force of about 25. Any projectile weapons are banned on station, so taser darts and bean-bag rounds are the standard. The stations I/O matrix link is heavily protected and regularly purged and reset to clear out undetected connections. Jason T'demos' profile in their employee register is disappointingly true to his cover story. It does have a listing of which satellites he worked on though, along with his general duties, time-cards, and payment information. Of specific note is his clearance to work on an Ares Space project, named "Sienna-Zebra Mainspring". There is no information regarding Mr. J on this node. Lt;...and the next flight after that would put us after the deadline.Sgt; Lt;Ok, looks like we don't really have any choice of where to go to get on a shuttle, just whether it'll be the 6th or the 20th. 6th would give us more time to search on station, but less time to prepare our cover for being there, plus Enoch's, her, special preparations. I'd prefer the 6th, but I don't know if we can get everything in place fast enough.Sgt; Lt;So, cover story. I doubt we can reasonably replace anyone in personnel rotation. There'd almost inevitably be someone who knows who's supposed to be there independent of computer records, and we'd be outed the moment we meet them or don't show for our supposed duties. Might as well check the lists to see if it looks feasible on the off chance, Gareth, but don't spend too much time on it.Sgt; Lt;I think we'll probably have to add ourselves to the passenger list rather than replace anyone, and that means we'll have to invent a reason to be there. Ideally, we need to convince either TransOrbital or this Tyndall Roses company that we're there on their request. Oh wait, Tyndall Roses is flight security only, we need a reason to be on station and roaming.Sgt; Lt;Hmm. What would it take to have TransOrbital bring us in as consultants doing a short term security audit, and no one on station realize it's bogus until we're back dirt side? If they're properly paranoid about security they should have at least backup records that aren't matrix-connected, and there may be some human checks as well. Can you find where those records might be and who we'd need to convince? Bring an eclectic bunch like us in, and I imagine someone is going to call back home to verify with a human that we're genuine. Who is that call likely to go to?Sgt; Lt;And then there's searching for the chip. Get that list of satellites he worked on, and in particular the current status of each, but make sure to grab everything you can on that Ares project, SZM. Oh, and what do those time cards say?Sgt; Lt;Also, drop a line to Mr. J. Ask him who, if anyone, he believes would have motivation related to this assignment to capture or dispose of his agent. Or does he believe whatever happened was a genuine accident?Sgt; Long finished with his rifle maintenance, Cliff was performing a mental checkup on all of his ware, or at least the ones that were wired enough to do so. Seeing the conversation swinging around to something related, he piped in.{Speaking of eclectic bunches, this kinda fits in with my complication. Any kinda background we cook up fer me needs ta include some sort of horrific accident, on account of my body being about 75% cyber. I’m pretty sure I light up like a Christmas tree on any kind of detector you care to throw at me, so this may be a problem. Oh, and I think you are cutting Tyndall Roses short. I’ve never heard of them before, but I bet we could probably get half our team on the roster, and the other half in with the Roses. Might be easier than just jamming a bunch in on one side.} More hacking results (finally!):Personnel rotations show that they are kept in batches, each group staying mostly together. Exceptions occur, typically due to emergencies or illness. Corp surveillance included in their files indicates that these groups tend to associate while on leave, forming tighter-knit groups and increasing performance. Background checks on all personnel are vetted by both T-O and Tyndall Roses systems. T-O taps into a Matrix fact-checking company called IOPS Plus, which appear to be based out of Atlanta. Tyndall Roses has their own Matrix verification service, and also contracts out field work to a Rolodex of private investigators, most of whom are kept on retainer if the payment records are any clue. T'demos worked on a total of 9 satellites during his employment at T-O, 7 of which are currently listed as operational. Three are Matrix relay SATs, two are GPS replacements for Proteus's network, one is a deep-space probe en route to Helios station, and the last active is Sienna-Zebra Mainspring. The two offline are orbital telescopes that were hit by a micro meteoroid shower two days ago.SZM's files are heavily censored on the main corp node, and no doubt the full details are kept somewhere offline. What you can gather is that it cost Ares around 2.3 billion Nguyen, was assembled by a smaller than average team (only 15 members), and received three part shipments that were censored but weighed almost half as much as the whole rest of the project's materials.I'll leave sending the message to Mr. J to Quinn, since he's back. I just thought of something. These Tyndall Roses guys, they're a subsidiary of Seder-Krupp. They like hiring folks that've worked for SK before. I've got a file at SK that says I worked for 'em. Technically, I did, but the thing was pretty much just a corporate espionage thing during Desert Wars. Speaking of that, the head honcho of Tyndall Roses recently got in a bad mess. Seems he made some big bets on a team, Code Blue, whose opponents suffered some mysterious breakdowns shortly after. Apparently there's an investigation in the works. I'm thinking I can get in the legit way, bring Cliff along with the "My buddy needs a job" story, then we let the rest of you guys in, and Gareth can on-site hack you guys into employment status and onto the personnel roster for the next flight. We all show up as the legitimate employees, do our jobs until we hit the station, find the chip, and ride back down again as good little corporate drones. Lt;Ok, so substituting ourselves for other people is definitely not going to work.Sgt;Lt;This TR guy being in trouble could give us an opening to leverage, but I'm not clear on how you're planning to turn it into a ticket to space. He bet on, what, a team sporting event of some kind? Unless this event was a zero-g battle in space or something, I'd expect the investigation to be entirely Earth-based, which would make getting hired to be part of the investigation not very useful. Or were you thinking of swapping favors with him?Sgt; Gareth*Standing and moving over to the sockeye machine, Gareth runs a couple of last programs before shutting the matrix link down and shaking his head, blinking hard as he rubs his eyes.*Lt;"Alright, alright - let's see here. We've got crazy security, billions in cash dropped on a project, a missing agent, data. Whew. I'm sure glad our Johnson bought dinner for us first, 'cause I like to be wined and dined a bit before getting stuffed."Sgt;*Stretching, he moves over to the couch and sits again, his hands moving deftly through the AR displays as he works.*Lt;"I think it might be possible to work out a job as an on-site security consultant for some matrix issues - I'll see what I can do about getting that going myself. I've got a backup identity setup as a Matrix security expert that I use, though never for a job. Furthermore, I'll have to burn it after this, but if it means getting the job done, so be it."Sgt; Lt;"Ray, if you've got a way into Tonal Roses for you and Cliff, that might be the best way to go about that one - you can work shuttle security. The sooner, the better, I think, so you're in place before the deadlines and after - it'd look a lot less suspicious that way. The next flights don't appear to have any sensitive cargo, so with any luck, you can get on the crews."Sgt;Lt;"I'm guessing that getting in the good graces of the actual station security teams is going to be a long shot, though not something we should rule out. I'm not the best face, so any suggestions for that? I'm all ears."Sgt; Lt;"I don't know which of these satellites we should check out, since all the Johnson said was 'sensitive data'. Furthermore, I'm going to put my money on the SZM though, since 2.3 billion is quite the price tag, and there's something fishy going on with it. According to the flight manifests, SZMs' had three secure shipments travel through the Pinnacle, and they're heavy. Real Heavy. Something is going on with that, for sure. There was a small assembly team - 15 according to this, but their identities are probably behind some pretty secure Ares Firewalls. They'd probably be the easiest way to get information on SZM though."Sgt;*Moving some of his AR feeds around, he takes a sip of the now piping hot sockeye.*Lt;"Three of these are Matrix relays - the information they pass along is going to be encrypted, but no easier to grab in space than on the ground, since they're just beaming the information around. Still, possibilities. This GPS replacement SATs aren't likely to be of great importance. They look like they're just prefabricated floaters for ground based sensors. These two telescopes are possible, but I'm guessing they were pointed into deep space, and they're down for maintenance. The last one is a probe on its way to Has, so if that was it, there's nothing we can do about it anyway."Sgt;Lt;"I'll see what I can reconstruct from the time cards and documentation on T'demos - I should be able to use the layout of the station and the times to figure out where he went and when. It won't be perfect, but it could help."Sgt;*Looking around to the others, he finishes his sockeye and shakes his head.*"Is it just me, or does it feel like we're groping around in the dark for something sharp, hoping we don't get sliced up? We know we're looking for something, but don't know what it looks like, or where it is, just that it's somewhere."IOC:Spoiler Hide Alright - I know that was a long one, but I tried to cover what we've gone over so far. So, things Gareth needs to do - 1 - check personally lists to see if it's possible to replace any of the 25 security personally that are going to be rotated out next shift. 2 - Set up a matrix problem that could cause TransOrbital to call in an outside specialist. I'll get more into that shortly. 3 - dig up information on the various satellites, to see which of them might have been transmitting sensitive data - this is much easier said than done, and more than likely won't be possible. Tracking what data might have transferred through a satellite after the fact is pretty much impossible. 4 - if security checks have a human-based system of backup, who are those calls going to go to in the meat world? 5 - Contact Johnson at the Dead drop and see if he has any suspicions on the happenings surrounding T'demos' disappearance. Anything I missed?

Shooting Stars for Money IC|rating:4.0

Voxx's CotCT IC

Your stories have all started separately however they are all connected for you have all lost something to Garden Lamp. Whether its someone you loved, your childhood, or your families reputation something has driven you to seek the justice that the Formosan guard have been unable to obtain for you. The following happens to each of you. Spoiler: Ellen Hide When you wake up you feel a playing card resting on your chest. You go to grab it and realize it laying under the ring of your lost love that you wear around your neck. When you pick it up you see it is from a harrow deck. The card is titled "The Rabbit Prince" on the back of it is written "I know what Garden has done to you. He has wronged me as well. I know where he dwells, yet cannot strike at him. Come to my home at 3 Lancet Street at sunset. Others like you will be there. Garden must face his fate, and justice must be done." Spoiler: Dragon Hide While going through your daily prayers you open your holy book and find that your bookmark has been replaced by the harrow card "The Midwife" upon closer inspection you find on the back it says "I know what Garden has done to you. He has wronged me as well. I know where he dwells, yet cannot strike at him. Come to my home at 3 Lancet Street at sunset. Others like you will be there. Garden must face his fate, and justice must be done." Spoiler: Vesuvius Hide Missing your beloved you look over the few possessions of his you have to remember him by. While doing so you discover that someone has put a harrow card in the crack in his helmet. The Card is of "The Fiend" and on the back you find written "I know what Garden has done to you. He has wronged me as well. I know where he dwells, yet cannot strike at him. Come to my home at 3 Lancet Street at sunset. Others like you will be there. Garden must face his fate, and justice must be done." Spoiler: Aria Hide While doing your daily shopping you reach into your coin purse to pay for some food. Before you reach your coins you feel a card. After paying you grab the card out of your purse and look at it. It is "The Joke" a card from a harrow deck upon a closer look you find a message on the back "I know what Garden has done to you. He has wronged me as well. I know where he dwells, yet cannot strike at him. Come to my home at 3 Lancet Street at sunset. Others like you will be there. Garden must face his fate, and justice must be done." Spoiler: Cymbal Hide You start your day like any other and make your way to the fishing docks to work. When you get there you open up your fishing kit and find what looks to be a playing card inside it. Upon closer inspection you find it is actually a harrow card titled "The Keep" and on the back is written "I know what Garden has done to you. He has wronged me as well. I know where he dwells, yet cannot strike at him. Come to my home at 3 Lancet Street at sunset. Others like you will be there. Garden must face his fate, and justice must be done." Spoiler: Ariel Hide Returning home for the night you go through your pockets to make sure you didn't miss anything you stashed away during the day. Inside one of your hidden pockets you find a playing card that you have no memory of. After all a single card is worthless. It is a harrow card titled "The Juggler" on the back is written "I know what Garden has done to you. He has wronged me as well. I know where he dwells, yet cannot strike at him. Come to my home at 3 Lancet Street tomorrow at sunset. Others like you will be there. Garden must face his fate, and justice must be done." Spoiler: Chance Hide Picking up your lute to go and play a gig you notice a card that has been put between the strings. It is "The Locksmith" a card from a harrow deck. On the back is written "I know what Garden has done to you. He has wronged me as well. I know where he dwells, yet cannot strike at him. Come to my home at 3 Lancet Street at sunset. Others like you will be there. Garden must face his fate, and justice must be done." Who left has sent you this message and why have they sent it this way. Spoiler: IOC Hide I have put a tab with the harrow cards on the maps doc if you are interested in what your card looks like. IOC Link Cymbal immediately turned his head, glancing up and down the street, trying to find if someone was watching him, or someone snickering at the startled moment he had reading the back of that card. If it was someone's idea of a prank... Spoiler: Mechanics Hide I suppose that'd be Sense Motive on anyone nearby to see if they are reacting to it. Leaving it to you to roll up. He turned his gaze back down to the card, flipping it over to look at its face. The strange contraption, the markings. He didn't know what the card actually meant. Just knew some people put stock in such things. Probably some local fortune-teller that could go on for hours and hours about how the contraption there had some secret meaning about life, the planes, and the role the Gods had picked for him. He curled up his lip a little, in no mood for such romantic nonsense. An address though. That was at least something. He was pretty sure he knew where it was, or at least could find it. And so he spent the day, not in the quiet, relaxing state he was usually when fishing, but fuming. His jaw was clenched tight, his shoulders stiff. A red ball of rage and violence was building in his gut, nurtured by each passing hour. He could feel his hands flexing constantly, imagining the fishing pole was his axe, buried in the chest of this man. It wouldn't change anything. He knew that. But it didn't mean he wouldn't do it any less. Even after the blood had long run out, she'd still be dead. He'd still have lost everything. He doubted it'd make him feel better to see his cold, dead eyes rolled up in the rotten head. But it didn't change anything about what he was going to do. In the end, he quit early for the day. Scurrying back to his humble abode, getting his network gear. His axe, his armor, his gear all packed up. If this person had a lead, he wanted to go right away, not give the worm time to hide again. And so it was that when sunset was approaching, he found himself searching out an address, and with enough of a brutal coldness about him that it'd take someone made of sterner stuff, or madness, to tell him to step aside. DragomirA man stood in the small bit of greenery the church of Sartre was able to furnish in Formosa. A red-and-gold blindfold over his eyes, the man slowly turned in a circle and then looked up. It took a few moments, but he detected - feeling more than seeing - the appropriate location of the sun in the sky. He relished the simple practice, one of the many ways one could worship The Dawn flower. Drawing his scimitar, he spent a few minutes practicing with it before settling in for his morning prayers. He'd been serving the church of Sartre for...how long had it been now? Fifteen years or so, he figured. Perhaps today will be the day, he thought, but pushed it aside as he opened his plain copy of The Birth of Light and Truth. Expecting his usual bookmark, he was surprised to see a harrow card sitting between the pages. He picked it up and looked at it, noting it as the Midwife. Turning it over, he noticed and silently read the short note written there." Perhaps today will be the day,"he remarked aloud. Setting aside the card for an hour, he completed his reading and prayers before replacing the card in the book, rising to his feet, and heading back inside the church. Dragomir passed into the sanctuary and found Simon Albert, his mentor and adoptive father, in quiet prayer before an open, east-facing window. Simon opened an eye, smiled, and gave a silent nod to the younger man before returning to his prayers. It was the usual acknowledgement Dragon received in the morning before going out to wander the city, doing what good he was able. Simon turned a relatively blind eye toward Dragon's wanderings, something the young cleric had never quite been able to give up from his days as a street urchin, save that instead of picking pockets, he lent what aid he could to the beleaguered citizens of Formosa. Most days he spent the time alone, but occasionally he would join the patrols of some of the town's guardsmen, providing some assistance in the form of his divine spells and ability to channel healing energy. Then there were someotherdays when he would spend time in the city's taverns, inns, and other places of entertainment. For a good cause, he told himself, as he attempted to spread the faith of The Dawn flower, but he enjoyed himself in those establishments perhaps too much, paying more attention to female companionship than the souls of those he interacted with. It was something Simon had reprimanded him for many times, though to little success thus far. Today, however, he had a very specific purpose in mind: The address written on the back of the harrow card he had found in his holy text. Dragon spent most of the day wandering the city, stopping in at a few favorite haunts, but his mind remained on the card and what it teased. Finally bring Garden to justice? He'd waited many years for the chance, and he hoped this was it. When the afternoon's shadows finally grew long, Dragon turned his steps toward 3 Lancet Street, intent upon arriving there on time. Vesuvius L'real:It'd been an hour since Vesuvius began her weapons practice within the courtyard of the large, empty house her father once owned. The sun was hot, bearing down on the determined Hell knight-in-training. Despite the uncomfortable heat, Vesuvius was relentless, going step by step through her complicated footwork without so much as taking a quick break for rest. The intimidating woman moves with incredible speed, her sizable great axe easily swung and manipulated as if the battle-hardened warrior was wielding nothing more than a rapier. She alternates her combat style with great ease, alternating between thrusting the spiked end of her great axe forward as if to impale an enemy that wasn't there, and bringing the plain, practice great axe head down like an executioner's guillotine with the force of a titan. The darting, initial thrust forward served as a suitable first strike, distracting the enemy long enough to bring the heavier, much more lethal side of the weapon down, while all the while stepping forward and to the side, never back, never giving way to her opponent. Right foot, left foot, stance wide, body-lowered, faster and faster, until the ruthless combat pattern ended with the great axe rocketing back down to the ground at an incredible speed. Again, and again, and again. She knew the moves by heart, she knew how to incorporate the pattern in any situation, she'd read the books, she knew the tactics. It was all practically second nature to her.--As Vesuvius finishes her hour of practice without so much as a word, she reaches up to wipe the sweat off her brow and let her hair down, before tossing the practice weapon down into the sand and turning away. After a moment of silent recovery, the Chadian fighter sighs deeply, finally relaxing her clenched, rippling muscles. She moves forward, reaching for a bucket of water placed on the ground beside a towel, dunking the towel into the cold water and wrapping it around her neck. Vesuvius makes her way back inside, shutting the door behind her with an air of finality. She strides through the quiet, dimly lit corridors of her home before eventually finding her way to the baths, quickly washing herself off, being sure to spend some time maintaining her appearance. Eventually, Vesuvius finishes up, dressing herself in simple black and quickly making herself something to eat. The table was quite long, with many chairs set at it, all of them empty and barren, dusty even, in places. It'd been so long since the table had been full. Not since...--After she finishes eating, Vesuvius visits the armory, thoughts of her late husband having found their way into her mind. His armor... here it was, just on the wall. Right by hers. They would have had a matching set once Vesuvius officially joined the ranks of the Hell knights of the Order of the Nail. It seemed so perfect, that fantasy, that plan for the future that had been made so long ago. Now... it meant nothing, and the memories tastes like ash upon her tongue. What was this? Vesuvia rests her gaze upon her husband's cracked, damaged Hell knight great helm. There was something... A card. The warrior picks up the helmet from its dull, crimson pedestal, raising it in the air before snatching the small harrow card from one of the cracks. She glares at it with incredibly disdain before quickly reading the small bit of writing on the back. After looking it over several times, she crumples up the card in anger, stuffing it in a pocket, the writing having left a bitter taste in her mouth. Was this some kind of ridiculous joke? How in the world did it get in here? Whoever left the message here left an address as well... But it could be some kind of trap. Not that it really mattered. Not when she had... Vesuvius gazes towards her set of armor, her eyes settling upon the hefty, well-polished great axe hung beside it. The weapon was massive, and thorny, a weapon of great power, a family weapon. Without even a whisper, she begins to don her armor, reaching to pull her great axe, "Chopper", off the wall. She may yet end up needing it, if the harrow card ended up being some kind of trick. Finally, she reaches for her husband's Hell knight helm, pausing to breathe deeply before setting the helmet on her head, pulling the intimidating fiendish visor down over her face, disguising her identity and muffling her voice.--"For you." Vesuvia whispers to herself before making her towards the location on the card, keeping a hand on her thorny weapon once she gets close enough to reach her destination. Chance Meter What time is it? I'm not late am I? Chance thought as he climbed out of bed, over a lady he met the night before, and pulled on his pants. He walked over the window to check the sun's location to guess the time. He flinched a little when the light hit his eyes. Perhaps those last few whiskeys weren't needed but last night it was worth it. It would be a few hours until midday. He decided to make some breakfast for himself and his guest. Eggs, ham and toast. A nice hearty breakfast to help ease the slight hangover he had. After parting ways with his house guest he headed over to the Damned Flask tavern to play his weekly lunch show. Lunch was a nice time to perform. It was not so early that he had to wake up before dawn; yet early enough that he still had time to head to another establishment for an evening show if he could find one. If there was ever a night he didn't have a gig booked he would go to the Wyvern Rider Inn and play and would always give half his earnings to the owner. Upon arriving at the Damned Flask Chance checked in with the owner as he did every week once he had his lute unpacked and tuned. Today, however, was different." How are ya today Mr. Reynolds? T'was a fine day to stroll over, not a cloud in the sky! I just finished gettin' set up so I'll get some music going for your patrons in a minute." After giving Mr. Reynolds a firm handshake Chance headed back to the corner he had set up in. On his way back from greeting Mr. Reynolds he noticed something in his lute. It looked to be an image of a pickpocket on a card. Chance pulled the card out from the strings it had been placed in between and examined it. The front of it read "The Locksmith" and the back had a message. Who the hell put this here. How much do they know about my family? Not wanting to raise suspicion he pocketed the card and began to strum his lute. First just getting warmed up with some arpeggios. Chance had been playing so long this part came to him instinctively. Looks like I won't be doing a gig tonight after all, he thought. After the arpeggios Chance began the real performance. The patrons seemed to be enjoying the music enough, at least none had objected to what he was playing, so he kept playing similarly for the lunch hour. Once he had finished his time at the Damned Flask he packed up his lute, and emptied the tips that had been tossed into his hat and headed back to his house to take a quick nap. When he woke up there looked to be about an hour left before sun set. He retrieved his spell components pouch and pulled from it one dose of fine sand and one dose of rose petals and put them into vials. He also picked out three pinches or wool and put them in separate vials as well. Once the vials were all filled he tied the spell components pouch to his backpack. He then donned his bandoleer and slid each vial into a slot on it. Next he strapped on his lute and swung it across his back, and finally he picked up his cane and set off to 3 Lance Street. I wonder who else will be there. The note mentioned there would be others like me... Spoiler: IOC Info Hide Spoiler: Performance Check for lunch Hide (1d20+9)[17] Here is a link to the perform skill to see how much Chance made in tips. Chance put the spell components for Sleep and Daze into the vials in his bandoleer. Ariel counted out the coin he had earned that day, through performing and other means, as he sat at the kitchen table of the small apartment he shared with his sister, Celina. She was cooking something hearty over the fire, the scent of it filling the room. His cat, Sasha, a scrawny black thing, was stretched out asleep in front of the hearth. It was warm and comfortable here, as close to a home as he could remember having in years." I made a few silver today," He told Celina, "And... what's this?" A harrow card, tucked deep in one of his hidden pockets. How had that gotten there? It wasn't his, to be certain. The cards he used for his sleight of hand tricks were simple playing cards. He didn't recall pocketing it, either. Had someone placed it there? But how? It would have taken quite a bit of skill to place it there without his noticing. The elf flipped the card over in his fingers, and noticed the message written on it. His heart began to race. Could it be true? Did someone else want that murderous bastard dead?" Caelina, look at this." Ariel bid his sister. "What do you make of it?" Caelina stepped away from her cooking and looked over her brother's shoulder. She let out a gasp. "Ariel, this is the break we've been waiting for, I think. You can finally get justice for what was done to our mother."" Yes, but who else knew we hated this man so? I've made quiet inquiries, but never revealed..."" It wouldn't be hard for a clever person to guess, brother. Look at where we are, what's happened to us."" You're right, Celina. Still, I think I shall be cautious."* * *The next afternoon, Ariel cut his performances short and headed home early to prepare for the meeting with this mysterious, all too knowledgeable, stranger and whoever else he had gathered to him. The thief made sure to hide his dagger on his person, and honed the edge of his rapier. Lock picks were tucked away in a secret compartment in his bracelet, a simple thing of iron that looked like it was hardly worth a few coppers. He ate a cold dinner early and alone, save for Sasha, before setting out, the cat lazily draped around his shoulders. When he reached Lancet street, Ariel moved cautiously. It wasn't quite yet sunset, but that was by design. The elf wanted to case the place, and anyone else who approached, before entering himself. He found a dark corner to hide himself in, where he could watch the front door of 3 Lancet Street, waiting to see who would show up. Spoiler Hide Stealth check (1d20+10)[15] Cymbal was a man of many virtues, or at least so he liked to think. He had patience, you couldn't really fish without one. He had a personable nature. Strong as an ox. A bit smarter than the average dock rat. All in all, he thought well of himself. But one thing he wasn't, was a hardened adventurer, mercenary, or thug of the type to really guess at what dangers might lurk behind notes and cards like that. He still had his card with him, figuring at the very least it'd be handy to ask if anyone recognized it, just in case he got the address wrong. He wasn't scoping the place out, looking for hidden exits or assassins in the shadows. Instead, he walked up to what he thought was the right address, raised a mailed fist, and knocked politely on the door, waiting for an answer. And there he was. Tall, broad, decked out in chain mail and armed hard enough to clear out a minor kobold bandit den, rocking back and forth on his heels, whistling an old fisherman's tune, waiting for someone to answer the door while he clasped his hands behind his back. CymbryThe first to arrive you knock on the door, and it swings open as it wasn't latched properly. Looking inside you find. The cozy chamber within this small home is filled with a fragrant haze of flowers and strong spice. The haze comes from several sticks of incense smoldering in wall-mounted burners that look like butterfly-winged elves. The smoke itself seems to soften edges and gives the room a dream-like feel. The walls are draped with brocaded tapestries, one showing a black-skilled beast juggling men’s hearts, another showing a pair of angels dancing atop a snow-blasted mountain. A third tapestry on the far wall depicts a tall hooded figure shrouded in mist, a flaming sword held in a skeletal hand. Several brightly-colored rugs cover the floor, but the room’s only furnishings are a wooden table covered by a bright red throw cloth and several elegant tall-backed chairs. A basket covered by blue cloth sits under the table. On the table there is a note held in place by a rock paperweight. AvrielYou see a tall young man knock on the door and enter the establishment. TellenUpon seeing the card he looked round the room without moving. Someone ... was here. They could have killed him, but they didn't. Picking up the card, he read the message. So long had he searched and found so little and now, here, literally under his nose. He read it over and over again. He would clearly go. An hour before sunset Ellen arrived at the location, not on the street, but on the rooftops. He found the best place to hide and waited to see what he could learn and he waited. He didn't know if it was a trap, but whoever left the card could have simply killed him, so no. So there he waited. He would not move until the sun had set. Cymbal took a breath, and gagged a bit on the heavy scent of flowers and spice, a bit too much for his relatively dull and simplistic senses. Raising his hand to his mouth he coughed loudly, hoping to draw the attention of anyone who was inside the place, and cover up his gagging on their choice of aromatics. Then again he probably reeked of fish guts to most people, he never noticed the smell himself, decades living in it did that." Hello? This third Lancet Street?" he called out loudly, "Got an appointment here." He wasn't quite going to just barge into what was someone's home without a go ahead. No reason too really. He glanced around, noticing the decor. Looked like Variant charlatan sort of things. What he'd expect out of some palm reader or card reader, so probably the right place." Hello?" CymbryYou get no response to your calls. Finding it rude to enter someone's house you stay outside until the owner shows up. First person to actually enter the house You find a note on the table and it says Spoiler: Note on Table Hide "Thank you for coming. I had to step out for a bit, but shall return shortly. Please, have a seat while you wait. The basket under the table contains bread and drink for you." DragomirWhatever compunctions the others may have had for entering unannounced, Dragon seemed to lack. He looked at Cymbal and smiled." Somehow I am not surprised to see you here." Rapping on the door several times, he paused and then announced himself before opening the door and stepping inside." This is the Cleric Dragon of the Church of Sartre. I am entering in response to your invitation." Seeing the note upon the table, Dragon motioned Cymbal (and anyone else standing around outside) into the building." It seems our host will be joining us soon. Until then, there appears to be food, if anyone is hungry." Chance Meter Arriving just a little bit later than he had hoped Chance saw two men enter the house that he was heading to. He picked up his pace and jogged the rest of the way to the house as to not be even more late. He managed to get there before the others had closed the door and stepped into the house. "You two as well?" He asks as he pulls the harrow card from his breast pocket. Telling series of people arrived at the same address. The note had said others will be expected and seemed had arrived. An odd collection it seemed. With that Ellen shrugged to himself and dropped from the rooftop and walked towards the door. Cymbal shrugged and followed Dragon in. Plopping down fairly heavily on one of the seats he reached for the basket, pulling out a roll and chewing on it slowly. Never turn down a free meal, after all. And he hadn't eaten since before he headed out this morning as well. Ravenous hunger did more than enough to ensure he was chowing down quite quickly and without a care." Varisan palm readers and quite a gaggle of strangers..." Cymbal said around a mouthful as he looked at the other two who came in. It was starting to sound like a bad joke. 'A Cleric, a Fisherman, and two strangers walk into a Harrow Reader's...'. Probably was a joke, not that he could remember anyone telling him one quite like that." Not that I got the money to be burnin' on fake diviners and such." He shrugged again, "Least there's food." There was that. Barring that, well, it'd be back to trolling the town for rumors for the night. Not something he was relishing. The sun was quickly setting, and it seemed to Ariel, the promised group had arrived. They didn't appear to be anyone dangerous to him in particular, and no one had raised an alarm from within." I guess it's safe enough, eh Sasha?" The performer decides, crossing the street to enter 3 Lancet. Inside, the others will see him enter, a thin, muscular elf with shoulder-length black hair and piercing blue eyes. He was dressed in leather over loose clothing in muted colors. Most notably, a black cat, its eyes the same shade of blue, was draped around his shoulders." I suppose you all got cards, too. Harrow. Suits this place." Ariel decides, waving a hand in front of his face, at the scent of the incense. Spotting the food on the table, his expression brightens, and he helps himself to a roll, pocketing a second one in a swift movement. Avriel moves to stand next to Chance, recognizing the other performer. "I'm surprised to see you here, though I can't say I'm surprised so many are here, especially if we're all here for the same reason. Or should I say person?" The latter part of this is addressed to the entire room. Dragon"Oh, aye. The same person is the more likely explanation,"the Cleric confirmed." Gaedren Lamp, to be precise?" Dragomir smiled slightly as he eyed the others for their reactions to the name." I am Dragon, by the way,"he added a few moments later. Chance Meter Originally Posted by Thiel Dragon "Oh, aye. The same person is the more likely explanation," the Cleric confirmed. "Garden Lamp, to be precise?" After Dragon said the name Chance nodded his head. "My father was nearly wrongfully jailed on account of that man! Had I not uncovered a lie I'm sure my father would still be rotting in a cell? I don't know what Lamp has done to the rest of you, but I'm eager that he gets his just deserts. I hope we aren't waiting here just to be ambushed. Does anyone know who gathered us all here?". Chance reads the note on the table and retrieves a bread roll from the basket. "Ah, almost forgot the introduction. My name is Chance, good too meet the rest of you." The elf scowled at the mention of Garden Lamp's name. "I am Ariel Nail. Lamp murdered my mother in cold blood." He explains, his voice dark. The mentions of Loam made Cymbal tighten up. What was visible on him was clenched tight, his fingers squeezing around the roll he had been munching, turning it into a tightly packed little ball of dense loosening. His eyes were down towards the table, his ears barely even registering what people were saying. Dragon knew his own interest in the man. And while he didn't expect the cleric to speak for him, he wasn't in a state to talk about it, much less to strangers. His mind was filled with images of the last days, seeing her cold corpse, and feeling nothing but the burning rage inside his chest that has smoldered there ever since. Aria KristhyraThe day had been long and yet the time had yet to pass midday. For Aria, life was simply enjoying and surviving, celebrating the wonders of life through the expression of self. The creative freedoms of dancing, a fleeting yet permanent sculpture upon the mind, provided a way to both worship her deity and to produce a life of pride, survival, and energy. The relatively young half-nymph Sylph had long been a member of the local dancer's guild and forged a reputation of potent, beautiful, artistic design in her exotic dancing for those of means and those of power. Today, however, she was in Pillar Hill working on a few of the local taverns to celebrate the anniversary of the fishing tradition of Formosa, providing her services for charity towards the fishing community. After a long, productive morning of dancing, ((1d20+5)[19]Dance roll, (1d20+6)[22]Entertainer roll), Aria went into the market to purchase some fresh fish for a midday lunch only to discover a strange, but beautiful card inside of her coin purse. Somehow, it got there without her knowledge or awareness, yet, there did not seem to be a center of negative energy upon it. Heartbreak and sorrow filled the youthful, curvaceous form as the natural attraction of the wind softly spun her long flowing locks of bluish silver hair around in the sunlight. She tilted her head in curiosity, reading the card, before continuing with her transaction. Upon return to her home, she studied the card further and realized the opportunity it presented to her,'If this person can help me, I can bring Gaëtan's darkness to the light...' She prayed to Shell after her lunch, preparing a special dance in honor of her Goddess, a deity who has given her hope and happiness since her daughter's disappearance. No matter the time that had passed, Aria had never given up on the search for her daughter and today might prove to be that moment of true awakening when family can be reunited. Grabbing all of her gear, she paid the next month's rent on her home just in case she might be gone for a while and then made her way across the Slope of Midland towards the area in which the supposed beneficiary would meet her and strangers. Knowing her way around Formosa rather well, ((1d20+6)[8]Local roll), Aria quickly found the place, avoiding any treacherous or dangerous areas of the district before finding a group of individuals standing outside the home, engaged in conversation. By the time she approached within speaking distance, they had gone inside. She gently knocked on the door and stepped inside, seeing a group of men engaged in either a meal, a conversation, or both." Greetings gentlemen. I see we all were called by the whispers of justice. I am Aria Krishna, protector of the weak and expressionist of Shell.", her voice soft, wispy, gentle, yet full of a subtle sorrow that cannot be fully explained or understood merely by hearing it. An exceptionally beautiful woman with nearly perfect human-like proportions, she conveys herself in a way that seems to be pure grace and elegance with every motion or action. A slight breeze seems to ever so silkily conform itself around her and near her body while the very air around her body seems to have a transparent, glowing energy around her. Her only clothing is an exotic entertainer's outfit that seems to house leather armor designed specifically for her figure and her occupation. A simple collection of woods, stones, shells, preserved leaves, and flowers in the shape of Shell's holy symbol rests upon a leather necklace around her lovely, long neck. She took a step towards them and bowed elegantly in respect and reverence for who they are as individuals. She places her small backpack next to a chair and takes a seat, waiting for the events to unfold as they will. Furthermore, she noticed Dragon was in attendance and gave a great, content, smile towards him,"Ah! My dear friend Dragon! I am happy to see that you are here as well. Together, we might solve our mysteries once and for all, hmm?" Once Everyone Has Arrived After a few minutes of conversing among yourselves the door opens." I'm sorry I'm late everyone thank you for coming." You hear as a woman enters the home with a smile. She is a middle-aged yet attractive woman of variant descent with long black hair. Spoiler: Cellar Hide "I'm Cellar it is nice to finally meet you all"She says as she takes a seat at the table and mindlessly pulls out her harrow deck and starts shuffling it. The cards seem to dance over her hands as she does so. With everyone seated at the table she begins to speak." Thank you again for coming, my friends, and for putting up with my unconventional method of contacting you. I have reason to remain hidden, you see a terrible man would see great harm done to me if he knew I was reaching out for help. This is a man you know, for he has done something terrible to each of you as well. I speak, of course, of Garden Lamp, a man whose cruelty and capacity to destroy the lives of those he touches are matched only by his gift for avoiding reprisal. A year ago, his thieves stole this, my Harrow deck, from me. It is important to me, an heirloom passed down through a dozen generations, and also my sole means of support. When pickpockets stole it, my son, Era, tracked them down. The thieves were in the employ of Garden Lamp, and in reward for finding them, Garden murdered my son. I sought help from the Guard, but they turned me away. And so I asked around. I paid bribes. I consulted my Harrow deck for advice. And recently, I was rewarded—I found out where Garden dwells. He can be found in an old fishery north of here at West pier 17, where he trains his abducted children to be pickpockets and counts his stolen treasures. And now, I need your help. I cannot hope to face this man on my own, and the Guard moves so slowly that if I were to go to them, Garden would certainly know of their coming well in advance. Even if they did arrest him what guarantee would I have he would be punished? This criminal has evaded the law for decades. But you know of these frustrations as well, for word on the street has it that Garden has wronged each of you, too. So there we are. It is time for him to pay." She continues to shuffle while waiting for your response. Vesuvius L'real:After about twenty minutes have passed, the Hell knight Armiger finds her way to her destination. No one on the street dared approach her, for in all her armor, with the thoroughly intimidating visored and horned helm, Vesuvius looked more like an Order of the Nail warrior more than usual. Once she arrives close enough to see the building, the Chadian pulls her rather sizable great axe off of her shoulder, holding the weapon in a single hand with apparent ease. It was not a particularly threatening stance, but any passerby gave her quite a wide berth, seeking to stay as far away from the militant-looking knight as possible. Once Vesuvius arrives, she wordlessly enters the building, closing the door as quietly and peacefully as possible, all the while facing forward, ready to assume her combat stance at any moment. The knight stands in the back, not bothering to introduce herself to the others until whoever called them here presented himself.--Or rather, herself, as Vesuvius was soon to discover. She listens intently to Cellar, but never once makes any motion to put her weapon away. After the fortune-teller has finished speaking, the fighter moves forward slowly, in a fairly non-threatening manner, as difficult as that was for the warrior. Vesuvius moves to leisurely place one of her midnight black spiked gauntlets down upon Cellar's table before speaking, her voice muffled and distorted by the visor to the point where the speech seemed more masculine than feminine." Gaedren Lamp." A name. Finally, after all this time, name. But how could she be sure? Though Cellar wouldn't be able to quite tell, Vesuvius was staring straight into her eyes, looking for even the tiniest shred of a lie. She'll glare down at the fortune-teller for an uncomfortable few seconds, before pulling away and nodding to herself, letting the head of the great axe rest on the floor, assuming a more relaxed position." How can we trust you, gypsy?" Her voice is... quite intimidatingly cold.---Spoiler: Vesuvius's appearance, with armor/helm: Hide TellenHaving entered the house quietly and eating Ellen, sits and waits in silence, not really knowing what to say or what to make of the whole affair. Often the whole affair, losing Vanessa being framed for killing her and then being found innocent. Now this. A variant seer and her harrow deck bringing people together to seek vengeance. The half-breed stands and slowly pulls out his short sword, his eyes scanning the others." Trust? She could have killed me in my sleep and I expect the same of all of you and if there is just a chance Garden Lamp will die then my blade shall taste his blood and he shall die." He draws his blade through his left hand drawing blood and slowly licks the blood from the blade. "This I swear." He looks to Cellar. "And if she lies then my sword will still have blood." Cymbal Aachen Aria spoke, Cymbal happened to catch a glimpse of her. And he visibly flinched with that look. It was worse than the appearance of the Hell knight, which he seemed to take more or less in stride, or the talk of murdering Variant who had, so far, done nothing. But something about Aria definitely rattled him, ending in a long shiver going down his spine and a tremor through his body." You got a better lead?" he asked the Hell knight, arching up his right eyebrow at the armored figure. "I know I don't. Only thing trust is going to cost me is a night of rousting low class thugs, hoping for information that isn't out of date." He probably would have been crawling the seedier places of Formosa at the moment, if not for this little meeting, looking for someone who worked with his quarry and might point the right way. He looked back down to his hands, forcing them to uncurl slowly, letting the squashed roll fall out of his hand and to the floor. His eyes followed it, and he let out a heavy sigh." Children and a monster," he muttered. He didn't really want to do those things in front of a bunch of kids. Shaking his head he tried to put it out of his mind. He couldn't help the company that this man kept. It was on him. With a grunt he rocked back up to his feet, rolled his shoulders, and limbered up a bit. "West pier 17 eh?" He nodded a bit to himself, trying to psych himself up for what was going on, blocking out everything but the location, the target, and the hatred burning in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't thinking about being careful, or suspicious, or if the Variant was some bait for a trap. Just what it'd be like to sink his axe into his target. It felt close now, closer than it had been since she died. "Trust?" Ariel echoed, watching Vesuvius with a cautious eye. The elf was tense, but didn't put his hands near the rapier hanging from his hip, lest he threaten the armored woman in some way. Still, he was ready to draw the dagger he had hidden away, just in case." How can we trust one another? We've all been hurt by this man, in one way or another. We all want to see him taken down. If this is a trap, it's a foolishly elaborate one. Why gather us all together when it would be easier to take us out individually? We're stronger now, together. The simpler answer is what's presented to us. We have a name, a place. Let's strike while we can, before this slimy creature slips away again." Ellen"I was already in. I am going even if no one else does." Dragon"Hello Aria,"Dragon answered with a smile that rose to his eyes." Looking as beautiful as ever, I see." Then his expression darkened considerably as he turned his attention to the subject of their meeting." Yes, it is past time Lamp was brought to justice." When their hostess arrived, Dragon eyed her with no small amount of suspicion. As she spoke, he weighed her words against what he knew of the situation, and figured the odds were favorable that she was in earnest about wanting to take down Garden Lamp. Still, it usually paid off to be cautious." Avriel has a point,"he said aloud." If this is a trap, it is an elaborate one. And risky for Garden as well. I trust this woman, and will go as well, but -"he paused, "I must insist that we do whatever required to avoid killing any of the children he has working for him. They are innocents, caught in a web that is exceedingly difficult to escape from." "You'll hear no objections from me." Ariel says with a bit of a chuckle, before growing serious again. "I doubt any of us are here to kill children. If we can, I'd like to avoid them entirely. If we can't..." He pulls a sap from a pocket, a thing of heavy leather filled with lead shot, and bounces it up and down in his hand. "There are ways to do things." "Whether you trust me or not is up to you. I merely sought to help you and everyone else gathered here a chance at justice that we likely won't see if we don't strike before Lamp moves to a new hole in the wall like the rat he stellar responds to Vesuvius." It would be unfortunate if any of the children were to die such a loss of innocent life. Many of them have been abducted from there families, and it would be right to see them reunited. Isn't that right Aria?" Zellara comments as the conversation continues. Aria KristhyraThe young Sylph blushes softly at Dragon's sweet comment and nods,"Handsome as ever Sir."her mind on the years of friendship suddenly interrupted by the dark conversation of children and death. She returns her attention to the others, unsure of exactly how to proceed, but willing nonetheless,"The children must be protected. I believe my Church and Dragon's would be quite capable and willing to help us take care of these children until they can be properly reunited or assisted in finding good homes." She stands up, nodding to Cellar and the others,"Indeed. My daughter was kidnapped by Gaëtan Lamp and I will retrieve my beloved girl from his clutches if it is the last act I ever have in my life of any worth."the woman seems quite ready to go off and get to work on the endeavor placed before them with great zeal despite that she is slightly terrified of the prospect. Too many unknowns in her life and too many unknowns about her daughter, many of which lead to ugly thoughts. Originally Posted by Vox "Whether you trust me or not is up to you. I merely sought to help you and everyone else gathered here a chance at justice that we likely won't see if we don't strike before Lamp moves to a new hole in the wall like the rat he is Cellar responds to Vesuvius. "It would be unfortunate if any of the children were to die such a loss of innocent life. Many of them have been abducted from there families, and it would be right to see them reunited. Isn't that right Aria?" Cellar comments as the conversation continues. Vesuvius steps away, raising her head high and listening to the others silently. After a moment, she nods in agreement with the party. She wasn't one for conversation in the company of strangers, it seems. Chance MetzerListening as everyone voices their opinions on the situation Chance finally injects his into the conversation. "If this is a trap, it is an elaborate one. And risky for Garden as well. I trust this woman, and will go as well, but -" he paused, "I must insist that we do whatever required to avoid killing any of the children he has working for him. They are innocents, caught in a web that is exceedingly difficult to escape from." "I agree with Dragon, even if we cannot trust Cellar, and she is leading us into a trap, we will at least be able to disable some of Loam's enforcers and get the guard more involved in the investigation. I've not worked directly with any of you before, but you all look capable enough to hold your own if a fight were to break out. We should head over as soon as we can. The earlier we can strike the better." Chance then checks his inventory for his spell components pouch and his spell component vials double-checking that they are all filled. "We should case the place, first. Get an idea of what exactly we're up against." Ariel suggests. "Maybe we can catch Lamp alone, or when the children aren't near him. Maybe we'll spot your daughter and be able to make a rescue as well." The elf adds with a nod to Aria. TellenTellen shakes his head slowly. "Clearly scouting is good or even sneaking past the kids, but by the sound of it Lamp is likely to spook, and then we would lose him. I am not willing to risk losing him." Cymbal Jace"Sneaking eh? Never was my strong point. Pa used to say I had all the grace of a three-day dead alley cat." The man shook his head, "I'm not plannin' on cleaving any little kids. But should be as easy as just not swinging at them either. Doubt some little ragamuffins are going to go and jump in the way to take an axe for the blighter."" Anyway, seems we're in accord here. Should move out, make sure we got eyes on the little wriggler before we start discussing either way. Wouldn't want him to slip while we're talking." Dragon"I agree; we should get going." Then he smiled sheepishly." Though I am not particularly competent at sneaking either. It's not something they really train you for at the temple, you know." Ellen"Well, I am sure we all have our talents. If we need a scout, I am happy to do so." With that he heads out the door. "I'll be right there with you." Ariel says. "We're as quiet as a cat." Sasha, the cat in question, gave a little meow of agreement. Avriel turns to Cellar and gives a short bow. "Thank you for this opportunity and for your hospitality." With that he follows Ellen out the door. Cellar"Wait!" Zellara calls after Ellen"Please let me give each of you a Harrow reading before you go. It may bring you insight as to what you will face." Spoiler: Ellen's Reading Hide Randomly Chosen Card Before the Reading: (1d9)[7] The Avalanche After you choose one of the nine cards Seller holds out to you "Remember that card if it shows up in your reading it is extremely important Ellen." She takes the card back and shuffles it into the deck. When she is done shuffling she lays 9 cards out in front of you face down in a 3x3 grid. She begins flipping over the cards a column at a time and reads your fortune. (1d6)[6](1d9)[7] The Tyrant (1d6)[6](1d9)[7]2 5 The Peacock (1d6)[2](1d9)[6]The Rabbit Prince (1d6)[4](1d9)[9]The Snakebite (1d6)[2](1d9)[7]The Avalanche (1d6)[1](1d9)[1]The Paladin (1d6)[5](1d9)[3]The Publican (1d6)[3](1d9)[8]The Sickness (1d6)[2](1d9)[8]The Crows "This first column represents your past. The Tyrant, you have a dark past but were overcoming it. The Snakebite, it was difficult though as you couldn't find anyone to help you become a better man and change your ways." Her Eye widens as she flips the next card. "The Publican, this is a horrible card to have show up here. You've been unable to find refuge in your past outcast an outcast from everyone but things can change. This second column represents the present. "The Peacock, you've made a sudden change to your life in light of recent events. The Avalanche, this change was caused by an unthinkable disaster in your life. Her eyes widen again as she flips the bottom card This card is important its in perfect alignment with its meaning however it is unfortunate. The Sickness, your soul is in agony at the loss of love. Now to find out what is in store for you. The final column represents the future. The Rabbit Prince, there will be fighting in your future it is ever-changing who is involved. The Paladin, as always you shall stand fast against the adversity you face in the city. The Crows, once again an important card but negative. You have not lost everything you hold dear yet as you believe you will lose something important that you cherish. I am sorry for such a serious and dark fortune Ellen. I wish it were better for you, but I cannot change your fate only read it. Spoiler: IOC Hide 5 Harrow points obtained 1 from your chosen card and 4 more from the harrowing Spoiler: Dragon's Reading Hide (1d9)[1]The Dance After you choose one of the nine cards Seller holds out to you "Remember that card if it shows up in your reading it is extremely important Dragon." She takes the card back and shuffles it into the deck. When she is done shuffling she lays 9 cards out in front of you face down in a 3x3 grid. She begins flipping over the cards a column at a time and reads your fortune. (1d6)[5](1d9)[6]The Carnival (1d6)[2](1d9)[1]The Dance (1d6)[5](1d9)[6]4 1 The Hidden Truth (1d6)[6](1d9)[7]The Tyrant (1d6)[1](1d9)[1]The Paladin (1d6)[5](1d9)[8]The Mute Hag (1d6)[6](1d9)[4]The Marriage (1d6)[5](1d9)[7]The Eclipse (1d6)[5](1d9)[4]The Inquisitor "The First column represents you're past the second the present and the third your future. The first row is usually positive, and the bottom row is typically something negative. The middle row could be either. The Carnival, you are more than you seem you look like a human but are in fact something more. The Tyrant, growing up the man who raised you brought you pain. We already knew this though that's why you're here. The Marriage, you found your place though in the service of Sarnie. Now for what is currently affecting you. The Dance, An important card you are in perfect harmony with those around you well liked and well known. Next we have The Paladin. While those you work with are in harmony with you there is discord coming to Formosa and you will stand against it. Again an important card has appeared The Eclipse. Be wary of losing your purpose your goddess needs you more than the women you seek. Onto the future. The Hidden Truth, the city will soon be overrun, and you will be one of the few to see the real threat. The Mute Hag, there will be dark secrets behind the bloodshed in Formosa. The Inquisitor, you cannot change the coming onslaught only stand fast against it. It seems darkness is coming to our fair city Dragon and you are one of the key's to our survival. Spoiler: IOC Hide 2 Harrow points obtained 1 for your chosen card and 1 from your reading Spoiler: Vesuvius's Reading Hide (1d9)[3]The Juggler After you choose one of the nine cards Seller holds out to you "Remember that card if it shows up in your reading it is extremely important Vesuvius." She takes the card back and shuffles it into the deck. When she is done shuffling she lays 9 cards out in front of you face down in a 3x3 grid. She begins flipping over the cards a column at a time and reads your fortune. (1d6)[5](1d9)[6]The Carnival (1d6)[6](1d9)[7]The Tyrant (1d6)[4](1d9)[7]The Kinshasa (1d6)[1](1d9)[1]The Paladin (1d6)[4](1d9)[2]The Wanderer (1d6)[6](1d9)[7]6 9 The Liar (1d6)[6](1d9)[6]The Courtesan (1d6)[6](1d9)[1]The Empty Throne (1d6)[2](1d9)[5]The Peacock "As I told the others first we look at your past. The Carnival, your past is filled with illusions someone you thought dead is actually alive using an alias. The Paladin, you have always stood against adversity making your way into the military even though you are a woman. The Courtesan, the person that left you did so because of a mistress. Now the presents. The Tyrant, you shall find your peace in revenge against the man that killed your love. The Wanderer, with your grief cast off you will find joy in what he represented. The Empty Throne, letting go of your grief you lose your focus as disaster strikes Formosa. Finally, what is to come. The Kinshasa, this is important once you have your revenge you will find the freedom you forgot and bring about change to Formosa. The Liar, with this freedom you will try to move on and find new love, but the path is treacherous. The Peacock, you will no longer be just a soldier you will find yourself in a position of leadership Formosa will look to you to save it. Spoiler: IOC Hide 2 Harrow points obtained 1 for your chosen card and 1 from your reading Spoiler: Aria's Reading Hide (1d9)[9]The Demon's Lantern After you choose one of the nine cards Seller holds out to you "Remember that card if it shows up in your reading it is extremely important Aria." She takes the card back and shuffles it into the deck. When she is done shuffling she lays 9 cards out in front of you face down in a 3x3 grid. She begins flipping over the cards a column at a time and reads your fortune. (1d6)[1](1d9)[6]The Uprising (1d6)[1](1d9)[7]The Fiend (1d6)[3](1d9)[1]The Trumpet (1d6)[2](1d9)[2]The Cricket (1d6)[5](1d9)[9]The Lost (1d6)[4](1d9)[1]The Hidden Truth (1d6)[4](1d9)[2]The Wanderer (1d6)[6](1d9)[4]The Marriage (1d6)[5](1d9)[7]The Eclipse First we must look at your past to understand the future. The Uprising, your beauty has captivated many a man making them fight for your attention. The Cricket, while having many lovers you have always moved from one to another quickly. The Wanderer, you were never able to find the value in one love. Now for the present which you are able to control. The Fiend, your child was taken but with her abduction you have found a purpose in life. The Lost, you haven't realized it though because you feel empty inside. The Marriage, you have found those who share your thoughts and will help you achieve your goals. Finally, what may come to pass. The Trumpet, you shall herald a new ruler to our city. The Hidden Truth, while you are their herald you will find how they truly obtained their power. The Eclipse, when you find out these secrets you will doubt yourself and your ability to fix things. Both the trumpet and the Eclipse fell on positions of great importance be careful around nobles Aria they could be your downfall. Spoiler: IOC Hide 2 Harrow points obtained 1 for your chosen card and 1 from your reading Spoiler: Cymbal's Reading Hide (1d9)[4] The Locksmith After you choose one of the nine cards Seller holds out to you "Remember that card if it shows up in your reading it is extremely important Cymbal." She takes the card back and shuffles it into the deck. When she is done shuffling she lays 9 cards out in front of you face down in a 3x3 grid. She begins flipping over the cards a column at a time and reads your fortune. (1d6)[6](1d9)[4]The Marriage (1d6)[4](1d9)[8]The Idiot (1d6)[1](1d9)[6]The Empty Throne (1d6)[3](1d9)[1]The Trumpet (1d6)[5](1d9)[6]The Carnival (1d6)[4](1d9)[7]The Kinshasa (1d6)[4](1d9)[2]The Wanderer (1d6)[5](1d9)[4]The Queen Mother (1d6)[4](1d9)[8] 4 6 The Vision "Cymbal this works the same as with the other first we must learn from your past. The Marriage early in life you met someone who had the same dreams and ambitions as you. The Trumpet they wanted to join a group which would give them power you wanted this as well, but it never happened. The Wanderer she lost herself unable to see the joy in life, and then you lost her. How unfortunate let us hope the present reveals some better news. The Idiot you play yourself off as a simple man, but you know more than you let on. The Carnival even so you are surrounded by illusions that you are unable to see through. The Queen Mother you gain more knowledge through loyalty to the crown. The Empty Throne, when the kings' life fades your fortune takes a turn for the better. The Kinshasa, you shall be a key player in the future of Formosa and any will look to you for guidance. The Vision, you will gain insight into arcane secrets that few know. Cymbal the cards seem to think you have the makings of a great wizard. It may not come to be for a long time though. Spoiler: IOC Hide 1 Harrow points obtained 1 for your chosen card and 0 from your reading Spoiler: Ariel's Reading Hide (1d9)[6]The Rabbit Prince After you choose one of the nine cards Seller holds out to you "Remember that card if it shows up in your reading it is extremely important Ariel." She takes the card back and shuffles it into the deck. When she is done shuffling she lays 9 cards out in front of you face down in a 3x3 grid. She begins flipping over the cards a column at a time and reads your fortune. (1d6)[5](1d9)[6]The Carnival (1d6)[4](1d9)[3]The Joke (1d6)[4](1d9)[2]The Wanderer (1d6)[3](1d9)[6]The Mountain Man (1d6)[4](1d9)[2]5 3 The Publican (1d6)[3](1d9)[9]The Waxworks (1d6)[6](1d9)[7]The Tyrant (1d6)[4](1d9)[8]The Idiot (1d6)[6](1d9)[2]The Theater "As always we must look into the past to understand the future. The Carnival, you lead your life following a dream that is false you can't protect her forever. The Mountain Man, some force out of your control came into your families lives and ruined it. The Tyrant, with your family broken you fell into squander. The Joke, presently you overcome dangers by trickery. The Publican, however you need the help of comrades in order to truly succeed in your goals. The Idiot, if you don't accept their help you will make a foolish mistake with dire consequences. Finally, your future is revealed. The Wanderer, you are going to find something valuable from what you thought worthless. The Waxworks, with Formosa on fire you will fill with despair. The Theater a prophecy won't come to pass. Hmm, It could be one of the fortunes told here tonight, or it could be some other prophecy. That you will encounter on your future travels" Spoiler: IOC Hide 1 Harrow points obtained 1 for your chosen card and 0 from your reading Spoiler: Chance's Reading Hide (1d9)[2]The Cricket After you choose one of the nine cards Seller holds out to you "Remember that card if it shows up in your reading it is extremely important Chance." She takes the card back and shuffles it into the deck. When she is done shuffling she lays 9 cards out in front of you face down in a 3x3 grid. She begins flipping over the cards a column at a time and reads your fortune. (1d6)[6](1d9)[9]The Liar (1d6)[5](1d9)[4]The Queen Mother (1d6)[4](1d9)[5]The Foreign Trader (1d6)[4](1d9)[3]The Joke (1d6)[6](1d9)[2]The Theater (1d6)[1](1d9)[5]The Bear (1d6)[5](1d9)[7]The Eclipse (1d6)[6](1d9)[1]The Empty Throne (1d6)[3](1d9)[1]The Trumpet "Chance we begin by looking at your past. The Liar, in this position! Someone long forgotten from your past will reenter your life to start a relationship with you anew. The Joke, you have always been able to overcome danger using your guile. The Eclipse, There was a time in your life that you lost faith in your talents. Who you are in the present can change but has an effect on your future. The Queen Mother, you will gain knowledge through your loyalties. The Theater, in this position represents a prophecy ringing true. The Empty Throne you have recently lost something however its loss will bring you good fortune. Now for your future. The Foreign Trader, in your future you will make a pact that will bring you the information you seek. The Bear, when the city is in chaos brute force will bring justice. The Trumpet! Again you have a card sitting in the opposite position of its alignment. The Stranger from your past will seek to find power because they can." Some big changes are about to happen in your life Chance be ready for them." Spoiler: IOC Hide 1 Harrow points obtained 1 for your chosen card and 0 from your reading After giving all of you a harrow reading." I hope these reading bring you luck and insight into what's to come. I pray that you succeed where I would fail." Spoiler: IOC Hide I may need to reroll in the table for each individual's reading as there are only 54 cards in the deck. The readings are done. A roll of 2 on the d6 represents a key suit card which gets you harrow points this time around. USDA that took awhile. The Harrow point uses are posted in the IOC Thread. Also, you hear the readings she gives to the other characters as you are all in the room. Cymbal's face turned cold and hard as the Variant started telling his fortune. He had looked on to the others somewhat doubting in the credibility of the card reading, not really paying attention until the crazed woman had come to him. Then she spoke of something. It wouldn't have been hard to figure out, considering that she had recruited him for this assault, as well as Dragon. Common enough that she might figure out why he sought out Loam. It wasn't something he talked about, but it wasn't exactly a secret either. It was as the reading went on, that his hard expression started to crack a little, as the reading became less realistic and more farce. With the reading of his final card he barked out a few short laughs. "Wizard! HA! Oh, you might have had them going for a minute, but I dare say you revealed the errors with that one." He was after all a man in heavy chain mail armor and shield, with axe and spear on him, and as Dragon here at least knew, a simple man of simple means, not some insane finger waggle conjuring hell beasts to turbinate his hated foes." Come on, the fish waits not for the net." DragomirAfter Cellar performed her reading for Dragon, the Cleric was silent for some time, pondering the meaning of her words. He was unsettled that her reading had been - to his mind - rather accurate, although he had never set much stock in narrower. Finally, when the strange woman had finished with the last of his newfound companions, Dragon stood." Yes, it is time we got going. Thank you, Ballarat. May the Dawn flower smile upon you." Vesuvius L'real:The Hell knight Armiger would have stayed silent for much longer a time, had the raven-haired narrower not began spouting her childish nonsense in the other's general direction. From within her heavy, pitch black helmet, Vesuvius rolls her deep, violet eyes. What kind of people did this half-mad beggar woman think we were? Or rather, they were. Vesuvius never truly identified well with most people, and found that close attachments only really seemed to harm her in the end. After years of stomaching grief, she finally cracked and discovered that it was far easier to deal with the many disappointments that humanity had to offer by considering herself to be a separate organism entirely, a separate entity. Always "They". Never "We". It worked.--After Cellar finishes with one of the others and makes her way towards the hulking, well-armored warrior, Vesuvius grows exceedingly uncomfortable. Who knows what diseases this woman carried, or where she'd last been? Vesuvius loathed meeting new people, and this particular individual seemed to desperately want nothing more than to make the Hell knight Armiger feel awkward. Things were so much easier on the battlefield, where you could just swing away at whoever it was that was making you feel uncomfortable. Rather than agreeing to have her fortune read, Vesuvius seems to lock up, still quite unsure of how to respond."..." Civilian life was hard.--She crosses her arms as the fortune-teller reads through her past, her face hidden beneath the spiked plate visor built into her imposing helmet. Someone she thought dead, alive and well, with an alias? Gods, it was every fantasy of hers, but a fear as well. Wishing, hopelessly, that he was still alive, her Camus. It was an easy fantasy to get lost in, but she saw the blood, she held him. Vesuvia had felt the blood run through her fingers. Camus was gone. That was it. However, perhaps the aged narrower had meant someone else close to her. Her... father? Maybe? What was this absurdity about a mistress? Hmph. The Paladin, at least that card made sense, as idiotic as it was. Vesuvius had flourished during her military service, but her gender had nothing at all to do with it. Wait. Her gender. How in the world did the Narrower know? The armor was thick, and the visor kept her face well-hidden. Coincidence. That was all. Nothing more than coincidence. But there was... an interesting one. The Peacock. She'd always thought of it... Leadership, power, anything to fill the hole in her chest. She saw herself, clad in armor that made her feel like a titan, armor to keep the entire world away, marching forward with a flaming sword that burned with the infernal lights of Glorious Helix. This was... too good to be true. This was madness. The Hell knight Armiger scoffs, before staring down the narrower, a clearly threatening tone to her voice." Get your loathsome cards out of my face, you little witch, before I break your fingers." "We have business to do." Vesuvia glances towards the others, tightening her steely grip on her great axe." Shall we?" TellenTellen glared at Vesuvius. Tellen had seen enough things in this world to know he could not judge was real, but this woman had found us, called us together and set us against a common foe. "We have business to do." Vesuvius glances towards the others, tightening her steely grip on her great axe. "Shall we?" "When the woman who brought us together is done. She has brought us together. A group who wants Lamp dead and given us this opportunity. Clearly she is capable and if she thinks this will help us then I, for one, am going to wait." Ariel patiently listened and waited his turn as each fortune was made. He didn't put much belief in prophecies and fortune-telling, but it was clearly important to their host, and it would be impolite to refuse. A few moments' time was a small price to please her, after what she had done to bring them together. When his turn came, the elf was attentive. Sasha, still on his shoulders, watched the cards intently, even trying to bat at the Rabbit Prince with a paw when it was shown. Ariel shushed her and listened to his harrow. In the end, he was left confused and somewhat disappointed. Nothing of true insight was gained. He knew he couldn't protect his sister from everything. He knew he had to put some trust in his new companions. And that last bit? Just odd and contradictory." Well, let's hope the prophecy it cancels is the one about the despair and the city burning. I should like to avoid that." He remarks, but in the end says "Thank you." Chance Meter After everyone had their fortune told by Cellar it was finally time for Chance's reading. He didn't put too much stock into reading like that, but he let her finish without any interruptions from him. "Thank you Cellar for everything; inviting us into your home, bringing us together against a common foe, and providing his location. If that is all I think we should be on our way. Shall we?" Chance looks around the room at the bunch and nods towards the exit. With your fortunes told you depart and head north to Lamp's hideout at west pier 17. Arriving in the middle of the night the old fishery appears to be abandoned. There is a set of double doors on the front of the building. On the west side there is a loading dock and to the east there is a small alleyway between the fishery and another warehouse TellenTellen is silent through his reading, barely nodding at times. In the end he thanks Cellar grimly.~~~~~~Ellen skulks as they approach the address as best he can and scans he's building for any details that might help. Spoiler: Crunch Hide Stealth - takes 10 for 18. Perception (1d20+7)[12] Chance Meter Following Ellen's lead, Chance also tries to be sneaky. He keeps his eyes peeled looking for anything suspicious, except his new-found allies. "Ellen, let's see if there is a back door or maybe an open window. I'd hate to go in the front door if there is another way in." He whispers as they approach the address. Spoiler: Mechanics Hide Chance takes up a position behind Ellen and also does his best to hide himself. Spoiler: Stealth Check Hide (1d20+8)[12] Vox, will you make a perception check for me? Looking for details about the building, secondary entrances, guards seemingly on patrol, etc. DragomirDragomir followed slowly, scimitar out. He tried to move quietly, but stealth was one thing he'd never mastered." A back door would be lovely, though if we must go in the front, I would urge caution." Spoiler: IOC Hide Stealth: (1d20+2)[4] Ellen"I think the most important thing, is that our prey does not escape." Cymbal was hanging back, as she saw everyone start to slink around. He doubted he could match the apparent grace of most of them, and didn't want to give their position away with his heavy stomping around. Instead, he just unlimbered his shield, strapping it on and gripping tight. He kept his right-hand empty, not knowing if he'd have to go for a spear or an axe right away, and not wanting to lock himself in. He was waiting to see if trouble was going to start, ready to rush in when things got loud, but until then? Cooling his heels, trying to remain relatively out of sight across the way from the location, keeping an eye out just in case some random toughs wandered in and started making a mess out of anyone's stealth approach. Everyone sees the front door and the loading dock on the side of the building. As it is the middle of the night both doors are currently closed. Spoiler: Dragon Hide As you approach the building you see what looks to be a side door down the alleyway between the fishery and the warehouse. "I want to check down that alleyway. It seems a good place for a side door, if there is one." Ariel decides and, if no one objects, he'll make his way there, quietly. Spoiler Hide Stealth (1d20+10)[26] Dragon"Funny you should mention that,"Dragon remarked with a grin." I think I do see a door down there." Vesuvius L'real:Though it takes slightly longer due to the thick, bulky armor weighing her down, the Hell knight Armiger eventually finds her way before the others in front of the seemingly abandoned warehouse. Once she arrives, the fighter will take a few moments to silently look around, making sure that no civilians or disorderly types were around to witness what was going to occur. Vesuvius was certain that her path was the true path of justice, but Vigilantism was no doubt illegal here in Formosa. However, her target was a known criminal, and she was certain that the Hell knights of the Order of the Nail would see her acts as a great service done to the city, and that was all that she needed to feel as if she was doing the right thing. After she finishes her rounds, Vesuvius speaks to the others, glancing towards the hidden door that Dragon pointed out. Her voice is low, and gruff, her gender still incredible difficult to be certain of." I don't suppose I'm incorrect in my assumption that none of you have received military training from any formally recognized organization, right?" "I'd recommend a pincer movement. Our strongest warriors charge forward simultaneously into the warehouse. I'm assuming that the Front Doors are connected to the Side Door, and that a charge led forward through those two points would meet somewhere in the middle, but I have no real idea of the building's internal layout. Regardless, I stand by what I recommended." "Unless you lot would rather we simply charged through the Side Door? As long as we catch them off-guard, we have the advantage." TellenTellen shrugs. "I agree we need speed, but we need to keep a few things in mind. This is not a military battle. There are likely to be innocent kids and most importantly, the only victory is if Lamp dies.""Also, doors are likely to be locked, strong and locked, but hopefully I have the key." With that he pulls out his tools. Cymbal Jace"Well front likely is to be a reception place, business for the trade you know? Not exactly taking clients into the main loading dock," Cymbal pointed out to the knight. Not that he had a better plan, the knight clearly was the military mind here. But he at least could surmise a little of the layout in the place. "Side door likely leads to the main loading deck. Depending on how busy this place is, and how long it's been closed down, could be quite a mess down there."" As well, we got an entrance from the water down there. Might be some little skiff the rat's gonna use to step out on us." He'd figure someone would watch the escape path, but hell if he knew who that was going to be. Unlimbering his axe, shield up and ready, he stood up with the hell knight. "Stormin' the front sir?" he asked, willing to defer to superior experience in this case, and figuring that his own bulk was ill suit to sneaking down the boardwalk to the side entrance. Dragon"I can summon a creature as a distraction if you wish, though it will only remain for a few moments,"the Cleric offered. Chance Meter "If its possible Lamp could escape over the water I think we should eliminate that possibility for him. Anything we can do to limit Lamp's movements once we get inside I think would be worth the effort." Chance adds. The party advances to the building dividing up to cover the various entrances. Ellen Cymbal and Vesuvius go to the front door. Chance Ariel and Dragon go down the side alleyway. And last Aria goes to guard the loading dock door and make sure Lamp doesn't flee from that direction. Spoiler: Aria Hide The loading dock doors are closed and locked up for the night. Spoiler: Ellen, Cymbal, and Vesuvius Hide You make your to the front entrance as quietly as you can. When you get there you find the door is indeed locked for the night. Spoiler: Chance, Ariel, and Dragon Hide The alleyway turns out to be a boardwalk. You reach the locked door about halfway down the building. You see the Mast of a ship sticking out of the roofline and assume it is docked at the end of the boardwalk. Furthermore, you don't see any way to get down to the lower level from the alleyway. Cymbal held up his axe in a suggestive manner towards the other two with him. The meaning such as it was, was clear when combined with the questioning look on his face. Do they want him to use the Universal Key on this door? He waited for them to say Yay or Nay to it, willing to put his back into it the moment that one of them showed their confirmation of the idea. TellenTellen checks the door for traps and then sets to working on the lock. Spoiler: Crunch Hide Perception (1d20+8)[23] Disable device (1d20+9)[24] Ariel motions for the others to stay quiet, then opens the secret compartment on his bracelet and removes the set of thieves' tools he had hidden there. That done, he starts methodically working on the lock. Spoiler Hide (1d20+7)[25] Chance Meter "You get that, I'm going to check out the end of the alley." Chance whispers. As Aerial began working on the lock Chance began heading down to the end of the fishery building, clinging to the wall, and peered over the edge and onto the deck looking for anyone that might spot them and alert their target. Both Ellen and Ariel are successful in picking the locks to the building, and you are able to enter. Spoiler: Chance Hide As you make your way down the boardwalk it begins to creak and groan under your weight. You are unable to get a good look at the lower dock as the overhang of the building is in the way. Once you reach the back side of the building you are able to see that there is a lower dock when you look down through the gap between the ship and the building but see no guards. Spoiler: Front Entrance Hide A single desk sits in the middle of this room, a moldy chair pushed up against the far side. A small pile of ratty furs and straw is heaped under the table. You can tell this room was once a reception area though it hardly looks like it has been used now. There are 2 doors on the back wall of this room and a door on each side. Spoiler: Alley Entrance Hide Though you succeed in unlocking the door you are unable to open it, and it must be blocked or barred by something inside. Spoiler: IOC Hide I do have a map of the building up. Old Fishery If you guys want to use it to track your movement around. Only chance has used it thus far. "Damn." Ariel mutters. "I can't get it to swing open. It must be blocked from the other side." The elf returns his tools to their hiding spot in his bracelet and looks to Dragon. "What's our next move?" DragomirThe cleric shrugged slightly and whispered a response." Look for another way in - a window, perhaps - or try the front door. I am not practiced at breaking and entering, even for a good cause." TellenTellen quickly looks around the room to see if one door looks to have experienced more traffic. Spoiler: Crunch Hide Perception (1d20+7)[24] Vesuvius L'real: Originally Posted by Vox [SPOILER=Front Entrance]A single desk sits in the middle of this room, a moldy chair pushed up against the far side. A small pile of ratty furs and straw is heaped under the table. You can tell this room was once a reception area though it hardly looks like it has been used now. There are 2 doors on the back wall of this room and a door on each side. The fighter nods in appreciation as Ellen manages to snap the lock open, masking her impatience and frustration quite well. She was very eager to bury her axe deep within the man that took so much from her, and any of his minions. She breathes in deeply for a moment before bringing her weapon high, gripping its firm hilt with both of her gauntlet-clad hands, each sharp metal gauntlet magnificently detailed with devilish visages, stained with the blood of those whose skulls she'd shattered with the intimidating weapons. Her military Hell knight training kicked in, and Vesuvius grips her ornate great axe in both hands, looking both ways for any potentially hidden opponents before stepping through the door, weapon held in a defensive position. Vesuvia's hands itched with a great desire to chip bone and sever flesh, and the warrior grows increasingly disappointed with the seemingly empty room. Still, she knew better than to run off into a situation she had no real knowledge of, and as such looks towards Ellen for any sort of direction. She doesn't bother speaking, not wishing to waste an advantage the small attack force may possess, however it's quite clear that she's looking for a suggestion as to which door she ought to move through first. The sooner a target presented itself, the sooner "Chopper" could do what it was made for. Cymbal kept his shield up. Lesson one that he had learned, after all. It was his thin line between being undamaged and taking those bruises form their practice weapons. Or in this case his life and someone's sharpened metal sticker. As soon as he entered the doorway he peeled to the right, keeping his back to the wall, waiting to see if something was coming out, axe held up and ready to strike after receiving a hit that... apparently wasn't coming. Coming over to the table he poked the pile of rags and straw with his boot, making sure that there wasn't a small someone like a halfling or a child hiding there, or even worse perhaps some ankle biter rat dog. TellenTellen slips into the room, drawing a dagger. Spoiler: Crunch Hide Stealth (1d20+8)[23] Perception (1d20+7)[14] Inside the building All of the doors appear to get the same amount of traffic. You hear snoring through the door to your right. The was nothing in the small bed of refuse when Cymbal poked it. In the Alleyway The boardwalk starts to groan under your weight as you discuss what to do. Ariel looks down at the boards under his feet. Why were they making that noise?" That doesn't sound good... We should move. Now." The elf rasps, before quickly heading back towards solid land. Dragon"You don't have to tell me twice,"the cleric whispered before heading back toward the main entrance. There, he joined Vesuvius inside, scimitar drawn and ready. Vesuvius L'real:The Hell knight Armiger tightens her grip around her hefty weapon, a wicked, lop-sided grin forming upon her sharp features from beneath her intimidating, chipped helmet. She carefully attempts to quietly move forward to the door, reaching to quietly open it. Should the door open, she'll endeavor to stealthily stride into the room, pinpointing the origin of the sound. Chance Meter As soon as the boards begin to groan under his weight Chance hugs the wall and proceeds to the end of the building. Hopefully staying on the side would lessen the stress the boards were under. When he hears a louder groan from behind him where his companions are he begins heading back to land. Seeing the others rounding the corner he heads into the front door. Once inside Chance shifts the head of his cane back and forth making sure it is loose in case he needs to reveal its secret in a hurry. "Let's make this quick. We must not let him escape." Chance mutters behind Dragon and Vesuvius. Cymbal held back as the Hell knight snuck forward into the next room. His shield was up, his axe was ready. He wasn't going to spoil the Hell knight's attempt to sneak in, but keeping himself ready to rush in, should trouble show its face, covering the hell knight's back from some dagger attempting to lodge in the back of the Hell knight's neck. There are three men in the room two of them are asleep in beds and the third is sitting at a desk engrossed in a book. Spoiler: IOC Hide You are now in combat. You have a surprise round. The enemies won initiative though. I'm doing block initiative, so everyone goes at the same time so you don't have to wait on any other players to post before you. Please put yourselves on the Map TellenTellen gestures for the others to take the sleeping men and throws his dagger at the man at the desk. Spoiler: Crunch Hide Attack (1d20+4)[16] Damage(1d4+2)[4] + sneak attack (1d6)[6] DragomirDragomir drew his scimitar, but did not push forward. Instead, he placed a hand upon Vesuvius's armor and whispered a few words. Spoiler: IOC Hide Casting Guidance on Vesuvius Cymbal Jackie didn't know much about fighting alongside others. His crusade had been private and personal, him and just the enemy. So when Ellen provided a direction, he pounced on it. Axe raised up, he rushed in, going for the downed man to his left, pivoting, so his shield was in the direction of the awake and alert foe, ready to catch some crossbow bolt if it came crashing his way. Spoiler: Mechanics Hide Moving over to N-17 with my Surprise round action. Ariel sees the sleeping men through the doorway, but cannot bring himself to attack the helpless. He still thought of himself as a good man, despite some of his transgressions. However, he was not going to put himself in the way of the others if they chose to take advantage of the situation. The elf takes a step back, loosing his weapons, and watches the other doorways, in case someone else came to attack them. Spoiler Hide Ariel will draw his weapons and move to J-17 Vesuvius L'real:As the door is opened before her, the Hell knight chuckles darkly to herself, her sick smile widening with bloodlust as a chance for vengeance presents himself, even if indirectly so. These pathetic henchmen may not be Gaëtan Lamp himself, but the satisfaction of bringing the punishment his followers so rightly deserved were satisfied her urges until the gang leader faced her. The woman bites at her lip, a habit frequently indulged just before combat. The pain helped her think, helped her fall into the movements and rhythms she'd spent so much of her life practicing. She nods towards Dragon, clearly grateful. It was lucky for him that her visor hid so much of her face, however, for Vesuvius's normally cool and collected expression contorts into a pained scowl before she bursts into the room with a trained step, her thick armor clanking as she does so. Her whole body glowed with confidence, and the six-foot four fighter wordlessly raises her great axe high, pivoting her foot and driving her front knee into the ground, the extra momentum allowing the powerful weapon to hurtle down to earth with incredible speed, aiming to mercilessly bury her weapon directly into the helpless man's face, seeking to end his miserable life before the battle even truly began. The great axe crashes straight into the sleeping man's head, slicing through flesh and crushing bone in the process, leaving the man's head a horrendous mound of gore, blood spattering all over the Hell knight. Vesuvia turns to face the man at the desk and yanks her weapon, "Chopper", out of the thief's obliterated skull. She points and growls under her breath." Now you." Chance Meter Registering Ellen's command Chance followed up by throwing a dart at the remaining sleeping man in the room. Spoiler: IOC Actions Hide Free: 5' step forward to L17 Swift: Activate Hypnotic Stare on humanoid sleeping in N18 Spoiler: Standard: Dart Attack Hide Attack: (1d20+4)[20] CRT Confirm: (1d20+4)[12] Damage: (1d4)[3] CRT Damage: (1d4)[2] Free: Activate Painful Stare ((1d6)[1]) "What the HHH!" The man at the desk yells as he is hit by Ellen's dagger and drops onto the desk bleeding."What's happening Margin? Ayah!" The gnome asks half asleep being woken by the noise right as a throwing dart hits him. After being attacked he wakes right up and sees the decimation." Please don't kill me I'll tell you whatever you want to know. Just let me go. PLEASE!" Spoiler: IOC Hide You made quick work of them and are out of rounds Vesuvius L'real:With her favored weapon now free from it's corpse-sheathe, the brutal enforcer reaches down and wraps a large, gauntlet-clad hand around the sleeping man's throat. She wordlessly lifts the man out of bed, up into the air with one hand in an intimidating display of brute strength. Vesuvius squeezes down on the dead man's throat in anger, her seething rage growing more and more evident as her arm begins to shake. Finally, there's a sickening crack and Vesuvius drops the body to the ground with a subtle release of her grip. She pauses there for a second, breathing hard before glancing towards the survivor. As the Hell knight turns her imposing frame towards the final inhabitant of the small, cramped room, her wicked grin slowly begins to fade. Vengeance felt good, but this was nothing compared to how exceptionally satisfactory it would be to execute these pathetic minion's master. The woman growls fiercely before stepping forward in a menacing fashion, shaking off the great axe as she approaches. The Hell knight silently grips her weapon in two hands once more before swinging the heavy weapon down again, aiming to slice the man's desk in half. Once she does so, she'll point towards the survivor, his ally's blood still dripping down from her fingers." Where is your master, worm." "Answer me." Spoiler: Intimidate Check: Hide (1d20+7)[21] TellenTellen retrieves his dagger. He awaits the answer to the question posed by Vesuvius. Cymbal let the Hell knight do the interrogation, that seemed FAR more likely to be in the Hell knight's wheelhouse, than it was in his own. Just like he wouldn't go and try to tame a wolf, and wouldn't expect the Hell knight to reel in an Abaci Long fin, he stuck to what he knew. Which in this situation was... little. He knelt down near the two dead men, closing their eyes, and murmuring some last words, that Shell would show them peace and beauty they did not see in the end of their lives. Little more than about 10 seconds of prayer. After that he rose stiffly, walking out of the room, and back to where they had originally come in. No doors out that he saw, after all. But there were other doors back there. And he wanted to be ready to catch anyone coming to check up on the noise from the scuffle or the shouts of the coward who was begging for his life. DragomirWhile the others tended to the captive, Dragon moved over to the desk, searching any drawers he might find. Ariel continues to keep watch in the hallway.

Voxx's CotCT IC|rating:4.0

ȼɧecӄeʀs

Knocking back the rest of his drink, Viktor finished arranging his stones. For some reason, those odd feelings came back. Everything seemed to be rocking, not rapidly, but a very heavy side-to-side sway that made him feel weirdly sick. At this moment, he also noticed some music being played by other Stalkers in the room. An upbeat polka-style song, which might have been interesting if not for the fact that everything seemed to be moving at distressingly slow speeds, sound included. With every note stretched out, it took on an almost ominous feel, one that sent a cold shiver down his spine. Of course, alcohol made one warm, so clearly the right course of action was to drink more to offset it. The shitty spine-tingling band was going to be defeated by the unstoppable power of mushroom goodness. While Darren was busy losing his shit over their drink, Viktor sniffled a bit, looking intensely at his pieces. With an attempted crack of his neck to signal intensity (it came out more as an awkward flap of the head), he moved a hand forward and hovered it above the rocks. "Okay. Okay. First move." He knew the first shot could spell victory or loss in the battlefield, and when you thought about it, checkers was essentially like war. Two sides, going head-to-head, there were rocks, people usually got angry over losing. Yeah. Itasca. This firstshotstep could be the most important. After some consideration, he moved a piece on the right forward, nodding. Okay, this was going well so far." Hey, you're up. Let me... Lemme get some more of that stuff. Fuck, that music is making me cold." He didn't know how much more he'd need to drink to get rid of that chill, but damn it, he didn't like it. And he kind of wanted those mushrooms. For what reason, he did not know, but it felt important. Darren stared as a soldier garbed in black moved forward, rifle aimed up at him from where he stood on the outpost's wall; he approached from the Mutant's left, but there were many more, arrayed across the swaying battlefield, waiting for their chance to strike. Fear erupted in him as he considered the stakes. This was it. It was now or never, and lives were on the line. He blinked, shaking himself roughly as a sinister tune broke through his immersion. It was strange, the way no one else in the room seemed to be scared shitless by the sound - it was like a march of death, if death was brought about by polka players in the dead of night. Darren returned his attention to the table with an effort, and felt momentary surprise upon finding himself staring down at some rocks. That was right, he was playing checkers. At long last, checkers. It had been too long. He stretched out a hand, flexing his fingers thoughtfully over a piece; if he was going to win this thing, he needed to establish his position. He needed gain whatever advantage he could. Sweat trickled down his temple as he took a deep, shuddering breath, and with a small sound of determination he moved a piece on his right, mirroring the exact move made by Viktor. Yes, this was a good start. Good job Darren, you brilliant motherfucker. He heard Viktor's request and abruptly realized both of their glasses were empty. He stared at them for a moment, and then for several more moments, before reaching out with lightning speed and nearly knocking the thing over as the room briefly reared up behind the other man like a ship riding a massive wave. "Yeah man… I… this music is like, ice. But you can like… hear it," he said sagely, one of his eyelids drooping as he sloppily poured out two more drinks. Viktor tensed up. Shit, a mirror match. Darren knew what he was doing, using the same masterful techniques that Viktor himself had just put through. This would be no easy win. A battle for survival, two stone armies clashing on the unstable battlefield they were footed in. Taking in a deep breath, he raised a hand, fist clenched as he thought carefully for his next move. Tactics on the field were important for any good leader to have, and this battle was no exception. Finally, he decided on something: To meet Darren's own advancing forces head on. He moved a piece forward, one that stood directly in front of the one that his opponent had just mobilized." I don't like it. Don't fuckin' like it," Viktor grumbled. God-damn, that music. It wasn't just polka; it was polka played by a chorus of a thousand demons. The devil come down to Moscow, seeking souls to drag back into hell, the harbingers of a second apocalypse playing a grisly tune on accordions of skin and flesh, flutes of bone, and drums of mortal skulls. The icy chill became palpable, and Viktor swore he could see his own breath. Of course, everything surrounding the table was currently like the inside of a Blender, going absolutely mad and wriggling around like nobody's business. The sight disoriented him so much that he closed his eyes, at least until his glass was refilled. Nodding thankfully, he picked the cup up and proceeded to gulp the whole fucking thing down. No more cold, no more fear. That music would be drowned out, one way or another, by the mushroom. Yes, the Fungal Lord smiled upon them, its holy water their salvation from the hellish songs that froze them to their very souls. He finished the whole thing in a few seconds, slammed the cup down, and lurched forward violently, making an awful noise. "Poorly fuck," He said with a disgusted tone. "Don't... Don't drink too fast, it's all..." He just shook his head, and looked at the emptied cup, his stomach growling in discontent at the sight of some brownish sediment on the sides and bottom. Darren stifled a gasp, then gasped extra loudly, as Viktor made his move. It was genius, a move that had obviously been carefully strategized over countless years of study and practice. No mere novice, no casual could possibly hope to come up with this kind of approach. He moved right ahead, meeting Darren's recently moved piece head on, preventing it from advancing any further. He looked on in shock, gasping another three times, before fighting to collect himself. It was only then that he realized his balancing out of the board by matching Viktor's previous move was the only thing keeping the board, the table, hell, the entire world right-side up. As Viktor nudged that next piece forward, he felt the balance shift, and he watched as the room at large began to tilt to one side. Chairs slid across the floor, the screeching of the legs against the boards resembling mutant killer owls, and the bottle nearly slipped right off the table. Not on his watch, though. Darren gritted his teeth, snarling, and, in a spectacular show of concentration he seized the bottle and moved another piece forward, meeting Viktor's head on in precisely the same movement his opponent had just made on the other side of the board. Immediately balance was restored, and the furniture ceased its wailing. He relaxed in his seat, breathing a slow sigh of relief. Viktor's voice, coming to him from the other side of a canyon, opened his mind to the truth. The music was indeed horrible, and growing worse by the second - it was like listening to a mountain straddling a dying piano wreathed in hellfire. Or something worse, probably. He cringed, screwing up his eyes as the horrid noise continued to blast them; he felt the sound waves collecting over them, spiraling and shopping, pushing them down and down with irresistible force that made all struggles pointless and obsolete. It pressed down, forcing them beneath the ground itself, plunging them deep into an abyss from which only their screams, too weakly faint to be heard over the infernal polka racket, could ever emerge. He stared at Viktor, watching as the surrounding walls began melting, merging into the air itself in drab, murky swirls that floated up and around them; the checker game and the table both seemed to be fine, but the world around them was clearly being destroyed by the music. But then he saw his opponent down his drink, and he saw the salvation of the mushrooms within, which was their only lifeline, the only thing that could drown out the audible torment currently making them its bitches. He downed his own drink, like Viktor did, but when the man tried to warn him (too late) against drinking too fast, he poured out two more drinks and slammed them both down in front of the Stalker. "No, man. The mushrooms are the truth. And the world is a lie. And drinking… drinking is a weakness, so to show our strength, we have… to drink more. It's the only way," he said, leaning forward, staring with wide eyes into those of his opponent. "It's the only way, for fuck's sake!" He then grabbed the bottle and took a massive gulp from it, slamming it back down and watching as the glass slowly started melting onto the wood of the table underneath. As Darren moved yet again, Viktor was terrified. Shit, shit, shit. This was bad, real bad. His eyes flicked repeatedly between the board and Darren, a few too many times, as he tried to stifle his panic, clenching his jaw tightly. The horrible racket only grew worse, the horrific screams of strangled bird-monsters coming to join the horrific melody of polka that tormented them so. It was like the underworld was opening within their heads, and as Viktor looked past Darren, he too saw the world come apart at the seams. The base was gone, no longer their place of security. Instead, the inky blackness of the space between worlds overtook them. Viktor half expected some ghosts or some shit to pop out and talk philosophical bullshit at them, for some reason he could not place. But there would be no ethereal consciousness tormenting them. No more would they have to suffer the oppression of the dark. No, for the light was there in front of them, its sparkling juices filling their cups once more. Viktor felt a surge of determination at Darren's words, and as his cup was filled for one final time, he slammed a fist down into the table. "Then we're going to drink them all! Every single last goddamned drop!" He shouted, snatching his cup dramatically. As if guided by the god of mushrooms itself, not a single drop fell out of place, even as he brought the glass to his face and poured it down his throat. Like an explosion, he felt a horrible rumble in his guts, but knew that this was what they had to do. And like that, the truth of the world was revealed to them. No longer did they remain in the dark of hell. The music very suddenly stopped, and the dark was washed away by a soft, soothing light. Yes, this was salvation. This was their heaven. As the light flashed a blinding brightness, it soon settled, and the pair were seated in the middle of a beautiful, if hazy field of grass. The sky was blue, and the grass looked fresh, full of life. Trees sprung up around them, and the sun was shining a bright, beautiful white. Wait. White. Viktor looked up, and with a confused squint, he noticed it was no sun at all. Just the cap of an enormous mushroom. Likewise, the trees, the grass, and as it turned out, even their table was not what they seemed. All of it was mushroom. The grass, millions upon millions of tiny capped fungus. The trees, massive mushrooms, their 'leaves' actually enormous, smooth caps that rained spores in the gentlest of breezes. And even the table, once a boring wooden construction, was a flat-capped 'shroom of just the right size to facilitate their game of wits." Holy shit," Viktor said, suddenly breaking into laughter. "We did it! We fucking did it! The mushrooms!" He slammed his cup into the table shroom and clapped, not even noticing as the cup became one with the fungus. Even if he had, he would have thought it is a wonderful fate in his current state of mind. "We beat the music!" Darren roared his agreement as Viktor downed what remained of the drink. With the bottle now empty, he stared around as the void become all he could see, and the world fell silent. Mercifully silent, free of the demonic polka that threatened to straddle them as it ripped their sanity out through their nostrils. The grass suddenly beneath them was green, a fresh, inspiring sight that made the interior of the lounge a distant, impure memory. This was freedom as the leaders of new worlds envisioned it. A boundless joy that could only be expressed by… Mushrooms. Darren's mouth opened as a towering behemoth of fungal proportions rose above them, its umbrella shielding them from harm, its flesh emitting deep wisdom that could only be measured in fathoms. They were surrounded by beauty, pure and serene, as mushrooms became all existence. Mushrooms were life, mushrooms were what it meant to be alive. He lifted a hand, and watched as it became a series of interlocking mushrooms; the other hand did it as well, and he looked at Viktor and raised his thumb shrooms in a signal for victory." We did it, my friend. And nothing will ever sully this moment." The ground began shaking, as if in answer to his premature gesticulation. Darren stared, aghast, as a small split appeared in the otherwise pristine grass that stretched out for endless miles. The crack grew into a crevasse, and then the Mutant felt a heat wash over him, a powerful wave of it that made it difficult to believe he'd ever been cold. He watched, in shock, as fire erupted from the gap, and a dark shape became just barely visible, rising slowly up to the surface. Suddenly, even the most profound, challenging and intense checker game of his life became an afterthought. A new terror approached, that would threaten everything in existence. Or maybe it would only threaten mushrooms, which basically meant the same thing." By the infinite grace of the Shroom Lords, what the hell is that?!" The flames erupted from the ground, and from it, a horrible demon rose. This was no 'demon' a waste lander knew; no, this was the real deal. Right from the pits of hell itself, Lucifer rose, his dark visage bearing down upon the two men. A long, diatonic body bearing multiple limbs unfurled, and a long neck rose up, wings spreading behind the horrible beast as it displayed its cruel glory. The mushrooms were powerless before the being, an impure creature of hellfire and suffering tainting the once-pure mushroom land. Viktor stared at it, dumbfounded. "I don't know, but it's not a mushroom! That means it's evil!" He stood to challenge the thing, his chair sinking away into the grass below it as he freed himself from it. He pointed accusingly at the horrible thing, noticing a small patch of fungus growing on the back of his glove. A smile crossed his face as he realized this. "I've been chosen," He looked back at Darren. "Chosen by the great mushroom. We can beat this thing! Come on!" The demon in front of them yelled, but it was no simple roar. No, it was more than that. Not just the hungry screams of a mindless beast, but the metal scream of a highly talented musician. The demon lurched forward, its massive talons clinging to the ground." B͇̯̫͟E҉H͏̹̼̱ͅO̸̯̼̦̳̟͍ͅL͚̻̯̗D͈ ̰̜̱M͏̮͕̹̥Y̬̳̹̘͍̗ͅ ҉͚̠̣Ģ̪͎̘L҉̩̮͖̯O̺̥RÝ ͏AN̛̗̱͈͓̖͍D D̘̖̗̫̖͍E̱͜S̢͇̣̪̖͉P͙͙A̢̬͈̞̗̬̯̳I̙̦̗ͅR͍̺̫̞͓̘̭, ͅ ̝͇M̨̦̤͖̜̥̮͎OR͔̣̥͈̪T̬̟̪͕̯̖̭A̡Ĺ̳̤S͜!̤͙̞̠̹"Its voice screamed out again, that same powerful singing overtaking the air." Ṯ͍͡H҉E̟̹̠̣̹̗ ͔̠̪̪̝͡L͈͙̭̝̜͝A̯̞͚N͎̼̦D̝̦̝͜ ́ OF M̬͕̫͕͉͝Ụ̳̦̳͡S̳̻͈̣̬H̛̪͇͖̥͈͚̻R̷̘̭̰̭O̦̬O̥͉͖M҉̫̲S̻͈͍̭ ̱̪̯I̤͙̘̺S͔̙̣̥̲̮ N̷̤̦̤O̤̼̦ͅ ̡̲͙̝̜̹M̘̣̪̙̦ͅO̪̣͍͎̞R̙̣͢E̸!̥̱ ͏͉͎͙ͅI̸͚̖̻̞ ̡̯͚̯̭W͓̲ͅI̱̯̘̯͎L̶̞͍̤͎̗L̥̦̫̹̹ ̻͙̝R͚̹̼̠̼̣̠̕U̬̳͓͚̟̥͜ͅL̩͢E̫̪̤͉̪ ̼Ṱ̩͙̙H̡̙͈̼̬͕I͚S̲ ͚͔͉͎͓R̺E̼͖̙̝͍̹͚A͍̺̭Ĺ̲̞M ͇͈͡A̩̺̝̳̪S̴̫̠̬̥̜ ̸͔̗͇͍I̴̭͎̙̭͙ ͓͖̖̱̺R̺͓̗Ṵ̟Ḷ͇̹̭̮̤͡E̟̘̻͇̣̘ ҉̖͍I̻N̖̘̙̭̱͉̱F̡̬̜̥̺IṆI̷͚̪͇̖T̀Ẹ ̫̗̙̥O̩̥̣̱̜̳͞T̀H̝̮̺̲͈̮͈E̪̞R͇̩̹̹̰̜̕S̱̟̲̰̪!̠̖ ͎͕̝̳͙͔́A̲͔N̙̝̹̥̜D͝ ̠̘̱̣̘̻̰AL̳̕Ļ̟̺̭̟̪̭̥ ̫͇̦̦͕̥ I N̡̠̹E̥̥̹ͅE͕D̻̭̗̺̜̜̰͝ ̖̞̼̼͚T͔̩̰͉̪̤͎́O̥͙̥ͅ ̨̙͚̟̲͔̲D̞̮O҉̠̳̦̘͙ͅ ̠T̟̻̞̲̝̭͜ͅO̟͖̖̪ ̀C̩LA͏̝̩̗Ḭ̰͇̮̘̤̰M͏̗ ̠́T̴̯͍HE̘ ̢͔͇̘͙F̢̠̠U͖̭N̬G̥AL͎̠̺̗̙͡ ͓̝̲̳͔̳T̢̖͕̞͍̱H̹̳̮̤̣̮̫R̤͚͍̟̯͍O̞̜̮̹ͅN̘E͏̞̠̼͓ I̶̲͍͍͎͎̥S͖͓̼̦ ͙̟̪͍̩D̺̙͔̹̝E̩͎̟͉̬̜̪͝F̦̲̻̘̝̹E̹̻͕̞̦͎A͕̰T̡͍̪̲̜̥ ҉̞̭͓̙̹̩͓Y̷̩̝̙͇͙̜̮Ǫ͓̙̻U̶̪̺ ̥̜W̨͚E̶̞͔̮A̜͙͖K͜L̵̗̦̞͎̼I̪̱͓̝̟͖̳N̖̼̳̗͙G̦͓S̴̞͕͕̭!͎̳̬͇͉̺ͅ"More fissures split in the ground on either side of it, and one more in front. The demon stood up partway, its uppermost pair of arms reaching into the glowing hell-pit. From it, a massive guitar was drawn, forged in the deepest and most fire depths of the underworld from the souls of a billion damned, bound to the bones of a massive demon. With the instrument in hand, the demon strummed a powerful chord, then threw horns at the men while extending its long, forked tongue. Darren gaped, staring at the massive monster. He was numb, disbelieving; it went beyond anything he could've ever imagined, and he'd seen some truly horrific things in his time wandering the Wastelands. He wanted to run, far, far away, and hide himself from the devastation personified before him. But then the horrific, diatonic being said something that made him forget all about his own fear." The land of mushrooms is no more? No, foul beast! I deny you, and I spit on you, and I would die a thousand deaths before I allow you to besmirch this holy place with your foul essence! Begone!"" N̷̤̦̤O̤̼̦ͅ."" Then the Chosen shall battle you! You will know death, creature!" Darren rose from his seat (noticing a patch of fungus growing under each of his armpits - he was chosen as well) and stood beside Viktor, who he could now see was garbed in gleaming, mushroom armor from head to toe. He had never seen such glory before; he would surely die before seeing anything like it again. While the demon had retrieved its instrument, a foul, contemptuous thing, from the depths of the abyss, the protectors of good had other means at their disposal. The stringing of harps could be heard, reverberating through the air itself, and Darren watched as a group of Mushroomairies came down, their fluttering, shroom-shaped wings sparkling with goodness, magic and power. They dropped a single, tiny mushroom in front of Darren, and another behind him; he watched, transfixed, as the one in front of him grew with incredible speed, branching out until he was staring at a series of mushroom caps in varying sizes, with flat, stiff surfaces. One of them looked vaguely metallic, and another was quite large, and meant to be hit on its side. For he understood what he was looking at, even as the mushroom behind him grew into a stool that he sat on, clutching two mush sticks that had dropped into his hands from the heavens above. He glared up at the many-climbed hell beast, and quickly flew into an epic fucking drum shroom solo that made the monster flinch; he hitched a grim smile onto his visage, even as the Mushroomairies came down once again, this time going towards Viktor." I hope you're ready for war.” Viktor continued his pointing, staring down the demon ahead of him. The fungal armor that spread across him gleamed in the light of the giant glowing cap above them, and spread even further onto his head, encasing him in the holy embrace of the divine fungus. He was truly one with the mushroom now, and felt a serene peace wash over him. He closed his eyes and held a hand above his head, opening his palm as he waited for the Mushroomairies. The beautiful creatures planted mushroom into their champion's awaiting hand, then flew to back the pair of chosen in their efforts. From Viktor's palm, a long mushroom sprouted, the cap turning to the side before the entire thing came loose of him. He caught in his grip, and from the curled base, strings of mycelium sprouted and spread down, forming a line of six that went from cap to bottom. Holding it in both of his hands, his fingers dashed across the stem of the shroom, and the sounds of a perfectly tuned electric guitar solo filled the air. The whole time, Viktor's eyes remained closed, and as he hit the last note of his powerful shredding, he fingered the string just enough to make it reverb. The cap of the mushroom vibrated, its body shuddering beneath the deft skill and perfect pressure of its player's skillful digits. The devil growled, slamming its bottom fists into the ground once more. Instruments of all sorts rose from the cavernous gashes in the ground, Imps manning them. Rhythm guitars, drums, and bass were all manned by the unholy beasts, and they let out a shrill screech as their dark lord taunted their opposition." H͞A̙̘̤̪͓̺̝! ̰͠Ý̦͕͖ÒƯ̱͕̬ ̳͙̙̬Ṱ̦̞̤̙͇̩͞HỊ͜N̪̲̱̯̺̜K̺͙̞̰̗ͅ ̟̰͞ͅJ͖̙̟͈U͈̦͉̮̲͚S̗̠͉͈͕T͚̙͚̗̩̻̣ ̰̙̩B̭͡E̱̘̺̩̭̻̖C̰͔A̯͕̩U̩͖S̮̤͇͙̰E̪̻̙ ͖Y͉̻̝͈͝O̤̣̦̪̗͞U͔̜̦͓͟'̀V͚̠̖E̺͔̭̺ͅ ͉̙̱G͏̠O҉̩͈N̘͝E͇̤̭̱̯̱̩ ͍̺̼̜́M̤͈̮̯̤̮̫͡O͕̘͍ͅL͞D̴͓͈̣̜̤Y̮̭, ̯͖̖͢ ̩͙͍͍͎̗Y͓͕͇̙͟O͔̞U̦ ̬͓̳̣C̸̯̩͕̦ͅẠ̴̗̹͔ͅN͔̱̱̳̝̬͚͡ ̴̼̝̗̮̳̬̥D͚̞̦͙̥̯́E̴F͉̝̀E̺͕̘̼̗͍̗A̟̱̱̭̞͙T͢ ̲͕̜͠M̬͚̜͉̤E̹̣͙̳ͅ?̤̪̰ ̼͈͉I̘̰̣'̻͙̬̫̤̼M͎͎͍̻̯ ̨̗̰T҉͓͚̜̱̙̯̲H̭̥̗̝̙̟͖E͙̜ ̥͓͇͓͉F͠Ų̝̜̥C̙͇̱̲K̟̦I̭N̼̰ͅG̵͕̭͓͎͔̬̗ ̶K̼͎̜I̮̗̺̖̬̺N̮̩G̞̹͖̯͇ ͖̝̞̯͔̣̝ OF ̯͇̥̲͈̥H͏̺̥E͚͟L̖ͅL, ̨͓̫͉̭̫̭ ̷̤̜̩͉͎B͢Ḭ̗͍̼͖̕T҉̮ͅC̵̲H̞͍̪̙̙͔ES͘!̭͕͘"Viktor shook his head, opening his eyes once more. "Then we're sending you right back into it! This land is not yours! It belongs to the Fungal Lord, and we won't allow you to taint its beauty!"" T̶̞͈̻̲̣̩̠R̛̪̟̩̪͕Y͏̰ ̠̳͚͇À̭̫̝̖̻N̛̹͙͙̞̟̼̮D̯̳͙̖̮̱̭͠ ͔̬̭̬́F͝U̺̣͖̞̰̜̝C̫͕͈̳͙̟K̗̻̲͓͇̤I͕̩̯͔̙͙͇N̳͕̲͚̰̱ͅG̡̻̗̬̞̻ ̞̗̲͉̼͇S͖͔͍̗TO̤̪̤ͅP̯̞͈ ̛͍͚͉͖̥̭͉M͇̟̮͓Ẹ.͚̬̜̝͕͜ͅ""Fuck you, Satan!"" F̵̛͚̼̫͆͆ͪ̊U͇̘̘̪͛́ͨ͌ͪ̀C̶̲͓̫͚͇͛̄̌ͪͬ͐ͪ̊͜͜K̙̘̪̪͇̼ͣͨ́͝ͅ ̪͋̇ͯ͐͗̍̿̌͞Y̝̤̹̫̰͉ͥͣ̽ͬ͒ͬͪͣ̉Ȏ̹̣̠̜̦̭̣̩͋ͫͪ́͌U̡̘̩͖͖ͧͦͤ̽̇̈́̈́!̬͕͙̹̫̝̤͇͋͌́͌̑"Immediately, both bands broke out into a fucking sick-ass battle, the sounds of metal clashing filling the air. The pair of holy warriors were not alone, as the Mushroomairies backed them up, their voices an angelic choir of fungal goodness. Indeed, they put on an impressive show, but the devil's power was too great. Hellfire sprung forth from the pits, burning the mushroom grass into caramelized piles, while the sky itself began to darken. Truly, the forces of hell were not to be truffled with. Darren grimaced as he played faster and faster; the mush drums were fairly fucking epic, and his hands were reduced to vague blurs as the forces of good and mushrooms fought to beat back the hellish tide. But in spite of their efforts, they were losing. The air grew hot and stifling, and as the mush grass wilted and burned, Darren felt fear returning to him as he looked to his ally. The hell beast and its minions were too strong, and even with the support of the Mushroomairies they would soon be overwhelmed. All would be lost, and the lands of shroom would be no more."FEAR NOT," a thunderous voice bellowed from overhead, loud enough to send a tremor through the music itself." I HAVE COME." Above them, lowering itself majestically through the sky, was him. It was the Fungal Lord himself. His head was a mushroom, his left arm was a mushroom, his right arm was a mushroom, his torso was a mushroom, his legs were mushrooms, and his hands and feet were also mushrooms. Instead of hair, he also had thousands of elongated mushrooms adorning the top of his majestic figure. He landed between Darren and Viktor, placing a mushroom hand on their shoulders."YOU HAVE DONE WELL, MY CHAMPIONS, BUT THE TIME HAS COME… FOR ME TO ROCK THE FUCK OUT!" A mushroom appeared in his hand, and then he was singing into it, his voice rising and falling with flawless clarity and control. Tears immediately leaked from Darren's eyes as the sound took hold of him and had sex with his very soul. The heat began to recede, and the diatonic monster they face seemed suddenly unsure, finally wavering in light of the display. The shroom sticks started moving again, almost without his aid. The music guided him, and Darren saw victory on the horizon. Viktor's shredding didn't let up for a minute. The whole time Darren was viciously pounding at his drums, Viktor's fungus-armored digits ran up and down the stem of his guitar, while his other hand plucked the strings with an inhuman speed and accuracy. But their rock was not flawless, and it seemed the demon ahead of them was starting to win. But then, a godly voice tore through the heavens, and a god of purity, beauty, and life emerged into the realm. Viktor was in awe at the beauty of the Fungal Lord, gasping loudly when he saw just how mushroom he was. A being of pure fungus, host to billions upon billions of caps, as deadly as they were beautiful. Never before had he felt a euphoria as strong as the one when touched by the lord, and inadvertently, he nuzzled his head against it, feeling safe and secure. But then, a stronger one filled his body, and a warmth took his spirit like a blanket of warm, soft mold. The lord's words were like scripture come to life, given the form of a godly song. He, too, began to cry, and felt a power like he'd never felt before. His fingers caught fire, figuratively, as he shredded his guitar with newfound fervor. And then, his fingers caught fire, literally. But it did not burn, nor did it harm him. No, these were the flames of metal, the spirit of music, and the burning determination to defeat evil at the side of his lord. His notes flowed into each other with a steady-yet-deadly power and a powerful heat, like the lava from an erupted volcano sweeping over a landscape. Destructive as it had potential to be, it also led to the restoration of life, and would make the mushroom realm fertile once more. With the lord there at his side, anything was possible. The power of the fungal rock was winning; the monstrous demon was being battered back, and one by one his support faded. Imps dropped to the ground, shriveling up in the wake of the Fungal Lord's vocals, and when they landed they disintegrated into heaps of ash from which sprang new mushrooms, strong and vibrant. For even in dealing out death, the Almighty Toadstool makes new life possible. The shroom sticks in Darren's hands caught on fire as well, burning fiery fungal lines into his vision as he whipped them around. Once the demon's support was gone, the monster itself screamed, an earsplitting shriek of rage and wickedness as it lifted itself into the air. Darren saw that its body was covered in sharp, deadly spikes, which now seemed to grow as the creature stared down at them. The music final stopped, and the mighty Fungal Lord moved forward, small mushrooms growing in his footprints as he walked."YOU HAVE SULLIED THIS LAND FOR THE LAST TIME, MONSTER. YOUR TIME IS AT AN END." The hell beast answered the mighty, earthy words with another shriek, and this time they could see some kind of energy coming from within. It was preparing an attack, a mighty blast that would undo everything in front of it. It would wipe all mushrooms from the face of the earth, bringing on an age of darkness and fields perpetually free of fungus. Songs would be sung, myths told over campfires of the glory of the fallen Fungal Lord and the beauty of the lands he ruled, but eventually even the memory of mushrooms would fade as well. Even the whispers of their greatness would one day become wind. With a shout of emotion Darren rose from behind the mush drums and stood at the side of the Fungal Lord. His Excellence would not stand alone, not while the two of them were there. Would they be but myths? Naught but words spoken of a time once glorious? A shred of hope to hold onto for those who suffered in the dark age without them? No. Myths and songs spoke of the old. But they were legends, and legends never died. There would be songs; songs of glory and celebration of their victory over the dark forces of Hell. Against the ones who would take from them their happiness and will to live. Songs of determination in a golden age, to remind humanity of what they fought for. How their lives would no longer by threatened by the evils that would try to harm their fungal world. Viktor finished a shredding solo on his mushtar, then strode forward as well, standing opposite of Darren at the side of their Lord. Together, they played, and together they would stand and fight. No more of the demon's threats would be taken. No more of its attempts to end this beautiful existence. It would be defeated, once and for all, by all of them working together. The mushroomairies continued their song, a chorus of angel voices backing them up. Darren listened, stunned, as the Fungal Lord raised his voice, singing with emotion that made the air itself shimmer. The mutant felt his bones shaking in his body, could feel himself trembling, could see his very soul in front of him as the song took on a new fervor. The mushroomairies sang along with Him, but their voices were impossible to decipher, weaving in and out of the melody with flawless eloquence. The beast before them cringed, its energy attack fading, and then with lightning speed a mushroom shaped spear, larger than Viktor and Darren's bodies combined, flew forward and impaled the creature. There was an unearthly shriek that forced Darren to wince, shutting his eyes against the pain of the sound. It was a sound that made him remember the hellish polka music from earlier, but if it had been concentrated on a single, dying wail. But then, mercifully, there was silence. The music finally stopped, and he opened his eyes to watch as the enemy made its final descent. The hell beast fell backward, its many limbs flailing weakly as it crashed onto the mushroom ground. The place where it landed, cursed by its presence, withered beneath its foul form. Darren watched as the Fungal Lord stepped forward, the ground around his blessed, almighty feet flowing up with new caps as he reached the large form of his enemy."MIC FUCKING DROP, BITCH,"he said, as he held out the microphone, holding it sideways for a moment before letting go. It fell slowly, and time seemed to stop for a moment as it reached the ground near the fallen monster. Then it exploded, creating a massive hole in the ground, into which slid the devil they'd defeated with the power of the fungal music. Music gifted to them by the Shroom Gods themselves. The land was at peace, saved by the defenders of all mushroom kind.

ȼɧecӄeʀs|rating:4.0

Down the Rabbit Hole_ Character Sheets

Alice "Ali" JamersonAppearance:(type:Human Orientation:Straight, masochists:Foreplay, kissing, nails, teeth, cuddling, bondage, floggers/canes/paddles/etc, being controlled (during sex), breathplayOffs:Bathroom play, mutilation, bestiality (actual animals, not authors)Personality:Ali is warm and caring, intelligent, enjoys laughing and having a good time. On the outside she seems like the quintessential "girl-next-door", typical teenager, thinking mostly about Theobald what the next fun thing to do with her friends is. On the inside however, there is something darker, something that craves games of power and pain and that relishes in being on the receiving end of those games. Background:Ali grew up with a single Mom who worked hard to make sure that her little girl had everything she needed and most of the things she wanted. In return, Ali was expected to pull decent grades and help out around the house. It was a trade off that Ali rarely resented. Being a teenager there were times she didn'tTlingit, and she was constantly searching for a way out. She had no idea just where that way "out" would lead. Misc.:None currently. (Grimsby, The Cheshire Cartage:Appears to be in her late teens, or early twenties Species type:Unknown, appears human Orientation:Bisexuals:Being dominant, teasing, multiple partners Offs:Bathroom play, mutilation, bestiality (actual animals, not authors)Appearance:The Cheshire Cat is an instantly recognizable figure thanks to the knowing grin always settled upon her lips. A smirk, a smile, a grin, a laugh, all her calling cards. Sometimes it's all one sees of her. When she does appear, she's always wearing her bowler and carrying that umbrella of hers, no matter the weather. She often prefers to dress nicely; perhaps a lovely dress, or maybe even a stunning silk dress shirt and tie. She loves to look good while making an appearance. Clothing aside, she appears to be a young woman, perhaps eighteen or so, with a slender figure, black hair, and bright green eyes. Some rumors say that under her gloves her fingers do not end in nails, but sharp, cat-like claws. Others say that the umbrella she carries has a number of tricky tricks stored inside; explosives, blades, fire, rain. Now where would they get a silly idea like that? Personality:The Cheshire Cat is a mystery stuffed inside a conundrum, which is then baked and then placed into a fortune cookie of riddles. She seems to come and go at will, owing allegiance to no one but herself. She is pure, personified crazy in a can. When she appears people don't know if she'll simply sit and have tea, or go on a rampant killing spree. Her mood seems to change with the wind. She can be sarcastic, seductive, slutty, domineering, or murderous. Catherine speaks with a thick English accent, and she often does so in riddles. To anyone simply hearing her ramble, it might sound like she's just talking crazy, but those that pay attention may hear the truth they seek. Is she friend or is she foe? No one but the Cat knows. Background:It's hard to pinpoint where Catherine came from (or where she's going, for that matter) and it seems like she just appeared one day without so much as a knock or a 'how do you do'. Save for her smile, she does not show up in pictures, mirrors, on video, or in reflections. No written information exists on her, for as soon as it is written, it become sun-written. People can only pass speculation and rumor about, but who's to say she is not the author of some of those half-truths? They say she's simply a human with supernatural powers. They say she's a Goddess of cakes and pies. Furthermore, they say she's an ancient daily awoken from slumber. Furthermore, they also say she's a cat in human form, and that if you see a black cat with green eyes, it's her and she's watching you. She is the mother of numerous superstitions and endless possibilities. Where she is mystery, there is The Cheshire Cat. Where there are questions to be pondered, there is The Cheshire Cat. Where there are free tiny cakes and brownies, there is The Cheshire Cat. There are more questions about her than there are answers, and more than once, the simple pondering of these known unknowns has driven men to insanity. Theme: (Name:Ripper Age:55/appears to be in his mid twenties Species type:Altered Human Appearance:Long, flowing scarlet hair with darker, crimson streaks goes down to middle of his shoulder blades, and is sometimes restrained by a band that forces it into a ponytail. Most well known, however, for his large, bushy, unkempt and uneven beard, also scarlet. He is six feet tall, and two hundred and fifty pounds in weight. Many scars adorn his body, and he keeps a dirty bandanna covering his left eye, which is absent. When he smiles, it's with the sharp teeth that one expects of a shark or wolf. Orientation:Only aroused by dominant someone:Being dominated, being beaten (major masochist)Offs:Scat, water sports, mutilation, knife play Personality:In a single word, multi-faceted. There are some who believe that he may be in possession of more than one personality, however, that arises from a misunderstanding. He is a highly moralistic person, who holds very tightly to a code of conduct (though there are few who have ever heard of more than a few of his rules); it just so happens that unlike most moral people, he is not a pacifist, and his code makes violence not only tolerable, but acceptable; especially when it comes to vengeance. He is an individualist and very independent, and somewhat mistrusting of others, do to things which have occurred to him. Background:He fell into Wonderland many years ago; how many, he is not entirely sure. Shortly after his arrival, he met a woman who called herself Gayle, and who sheltered him and taught him of the world they inhabited. She saved him; not just from the dangers of the realm, but from himself. One day, after having been in Wonderland for nearly a year, Gayle was killed by a Jabberwocky. Losing her was like losing what shreds of humanity he had salvaged and knit back together. Without Gayle to help keep him together, he started to slip, and change, consumed by his rage. He used to be called Randolph. There are none, save him, who remember that name, because now, he is Ripper, the monster killer. After Gayle's death, he spent a period of three years training himself, traveling, becoming stronger; all while his own overwhelming anger and hatred began to have a corrupting effect on him. Randolph eventually became an abject lesson in the phrase "One must take care when fighting monsters, lest one thereby become a monster". He lost himself to the hunt, and spent many years gleefully killing any wild beast he came across, taking trophies and feasting on their meat. It's only been in the past few years that he's managed to regain some semblance of sanity; this moderate restoration of humanity came about when he killed a Jabberwocky, and devoured its heart, raw and bloody. It brought memories surging back to him, and provided a catharsis he had been denied for so very, very long; and yet, he could not go back to being who he was. His humanity might have returned in some form, but he was no longer the teenager he once was. Misc.:Randolph's clothing is an amalgam of leathers, furs, and scales from various beasts, including a helmet made from the skull of a Jabberwocky. When fighting, he dons thick leather gauntlets that have had various teeth and claws sewn into them, using these to rip and tear his opponents to bloody pieces. He also carries a small set of tools (primarily made from bone, wood, and stone) in an old rucksack that's been messily patched and stitched together. Ripper's physiological change has occurred do to exposure to high levels of negative emotions over long periods of time, and his own violent actions; not to mention the strange, perhaps unhealthy, diet he has. His aging has slowed considerably as a result of his transformation. His "code of conduct" is only a recent thing he's invented (and still working on), as he struggles to reign in the part of him that is as much a monster as any of the creatures he's killed. (Thomason – The Mad Hatter Age:Appears to be in her twenties. Her real age is uncertain. Species type:Human Appearance:This would be her outfit (with her base appearance being the girl displayed. Her hair, however, is curly, and her freckles are much more prominent on her face. Orientation:Seemingly heterosexual, though no one can ever be too sure with her. Enjoys playing submissive roles, but occasionally takes a more aggressive role. Ons:Bondage, Biting, Rough Sex, new and creative methods she hasn’t approached before, toys, and so much more. Offs:Toilet play, vomit, cunnilingus. Beyond this, Quintets is very open to all new experiences. She isn’t shy about her sexuality and is very willing to try most everything once. Or three times. Personality:Quintets – Sometimes Quin, sometimes Tessa, sometimes just Tess, is the Queen of the Eccentric. Perhaps her behavior is related to her former seamstress work and the brim of her hat. Perhaps she was driven to this. It all remains an uncertain unknown with the Hatter, and she lets it all disappear behind her broad smile. She is kind-hearted, deep down, but manipulating and deceitful by nature. She cannot be trusted to give a straight answer, but somewhere in her roundabout statement will often be the truth that is sought. Furthermore, she tries to give her loyalties, but sometimes it wavers. Background:Little is known surrounding the Mad Hatter herself. Some say she has been in Wonderland for as long as it has existed. Some claim that the Hatter created the world on a whim. Others claim she held loyalties to the White Queen. Yet others believe her allegiance to ally with the Red Queen. The truth is, no one knows where Quintets the Hatter emerged from, herself now included. She knows, only because her fingers remember the motions, that she may have done seamstress work at one time. Her clothing certainly gives no indication of this, considering the patches in places. She seems to hold a healthy caution towards the Queen of Hearts, which is a wide decision on her part. Still, she will sometimes come around the Court and amuse the Queen, if only to flee for her life soon after for making a mockery of the entire display. She recognizes one day this will end badly for her, but now is not that day! In the meantime, she seems content to drink her tea, play with her hats, and give cryptic answers to any that come close to her. Perhaps she is playing both sides. Perhaps even the Hatter herself has no idea what side she plays. Misc.:Nothing at this moment? Name:Rafaela Narrate - the Red Acreage:Appears to be in her twenties Species type:Human(?) Appearance (Orientation:Bisexuals:Dominating. The color red. Licking. Nails. Biting. Submissive partners. Poetry. Offs:Being dominated. Anal. Scented candles. White. Being told what to do. Personality:Rafaela is as crazy as the rest of Wonderland, but a darker crazy indeed. While she's not apposed to tea parties and poetry. She actually quite enjoys them indeed. She finds true joy in darker deeds. Furthermore, she's at her happiest when somebody suffers, even more when it herself doing the work. But even at her happiest, she's often quite angry. Prone to sudden snapping at somebody for no reason. She can be a bit odd though, for at times, she's quite kind. Especially to animals, she has a fondness for them. Background:Amongst the Red Queen's house of cards is a shadowy trick. Known as the Red Ace, she bares no true rank or suit, despite the mysterious 8 upon her arm (or at least that's what people assume it is). Like most people in Wonderland, it's a mystery where she came from. She simply clerks in the shadows of the Queen's court. What is she exactly? A Knight? A Card? An advisor? A spy? She is all of this and none of that. She is the trick. When the usual fails the Queen, Rafaela is the unusual. Her official title might be Assassin. But while she kills, she also does so much more. She hunts, she spies, she tortures, she interrogates. But not completely on the Queen's whim, oh no. The Red Ace is completely loyal to her Queen and will follow her Queen's orders. But she has a mind of her own, a whim of her own, her own way of doing things. Misc.:Her weapons of choice are a deck of cards, naturally enough, which she uses like daggers and throw knives. While she has been known to branch into other things, whips especially. Her cards are a skill of her own. Name:Diana /Or Beverage:Appears to be early 20'species type:Human. Appearance:(Description: (straight/Debora Ions:Diana On's= romance, kissing, stroking, dominate males (more into the control because they can push her past her shy nature), having her hair played with, chocolate, Devora's On's= kissing, spanking, being the one in control, hair pulling, passion, biting, bondage, floggers Offs:Diana's Off's= bathroom play, harsh pain, humiliation, scaringDevora's Off's= bathroom play, scarring, mutilation, Personality:Diana:Diana is shy and sweet, artistic and creative. She enjoys things laying out in the sun and swimming. Diana is the type person that will still blush about things. And still look to the bright side of things. Shy about going for the things she wants, and due to that she has missed out on a great many things in her life. But she is warm and vibrant her smile normally bringing warmth to the surrounding room. She is shy in most anything intimate and needs someone strong enough to push her past her walls to experience what life has to offer. Devora:Bold, flirty, Honest to a fault, confident and strong-willed. Debora is the opposite of Diana never shying away from what she wants. Never one to be dominated, she loves to take control. She is passionate and fiery and one to embrace the crazy in life. Known to take risks for the rush of it. And doesn't shy away from her sexual desires in the least. Debora normally gets what she wants. Background:Diana was a shy and forgotten little girl while in the real world. Born to the strange couple of Alexander Hastings and Crystal Benson. Her father was part of a growing shipping empire. His bloodline traced back to the nobles of England. Her mother a servant to his house since he was young. They practically grew up together. Being so close to each other, getting to see and know how they grew up. It was no wonder he would fall in love with her. There is nothing to say she didn’t as well, his strength, his courage…his heart. She fell for him as quickly as he did her, their love growing in secret. Hidden from the rest of the household, due to the fact that she was so below him in their eyes. But her heart still belonged to Alexander, and soon her body did as well. She became pregnant with his child no child…an honest and true expression of their love. Their love grew, as did the small child within her womb. Months passed and Diana was born, the parents couldn’t have been more happy… and more saddened in their lives. Knowing that keeping the beautiful little girl they had helped bring into this world would cause endless destruction within the family. They couldn’t bear the idea of the child being blamed much less having to grow up with the mark of such an act of treason and breaking of oaths. Tears were shed, but a plan was hatched, the older maid that had come would take the child and raise her as her own. A grandchild from a family that was killed would be their story. The small child would not be turned away by the family. Seeing it as an act of charity that would only be able to brag about later. So they set their plan in motion and prayed that it would not fail. And they prayed that in the end Diana could live a happy full life. Neither parent was able to claim the child as their own they let her be placed with the elderly woman. To raise her near them so they could be at least somewhat close, so they could help keep her safe and watch the beautiful child grow. But soon his family saw to setting his marriage up. And seeing to setting him up within the business. So he was sent away from them never to see his little girl again. Her mother became ill and died not long after her father had left. Leaving Diana to grow up nothing more than a forgotten servant within the large home. Shy as she was Diana was a curious child. And her invisible nature had some perks. She could sit and listen as the noble children learned. Always there to see to their needs. She got to sneak about and see more of the house and the land then almost anyone would. Wondering the gardens and creating her own little world where she was the princess and where she was loved. But due to her station it was no wonder no one ever went looking for her when she went missing. One summer evening she was wondering the gardens and suddenly came across a gate that had never been there before. Well as curious as she as Diana walked through the gate, and down a long walkway. Stairs that went on and on never seeming to end. And just when she was about to turn back Diana came upon a door. Old yet still colorful it was a door she had never seen before. So with small shaky hands the then 7-year-old girl opened the door and walked through the door. And for the first and last time walked into Wonderland. Scared and overwhelmed, shy and running through the all new scary world. Having been taken in by Gayle, that is until she died. Diana only sank farther and farther into madness. Eventually she cracked, partly due to her past in the real world. And partly due to the wonders she now had to face seemingly alone. Debora was born, bold, unafraid and overly confident. Between the two they managed to make friends in this new world. Managed to find their places, and a home. As crazy as they were it seemed that the lost little girl had finally found her one true home. Misc.:Diana and Debora have complete different tastes or talents. Diana can paint, write, swimming, loves chocolate, sunlight. She is afraid of spiders and is a bit of a romantic due to the old story books she found. Devora sings, dances, loves spicy food and thunderstorms. She is afraid of water due to the fact that she can't swim. Hates getting mushy and would rather just get to the point...or the good stuff as she says. Even though Diana and Debora are in the same body they don't see it that way. They are known to fight and seem to have had two different lives. There isn't a trigger for either as they both seem to be present at the same time. Though one may say that the other is out at the moment. Diana and Debora's theme music. Devora's theme song (#ws)Diana's theme song. (#ws)((“When I Was Young, I Looked At The World And Realized That What It Was Really Missing The Most Was My Boot On Its Throat.”[/size]Name:March Garage:appears to be late 20'species type:Altered Human: Hare Type Appearance:*As seen in image*Orientation:Straightens:Dominating, bondage, blindfolding, tickling, spanking/flogging/etc, biting, scratching, foot play, mind games Offs:Being dominated, more, bathroom play, bestiality. Personality:Insane. In a world where insanity is the norm, the March Hare can only be described as cruelty incarnate. He enjoys persecuting and tormenting all that he comes across, especially those like Alice who fall into Wonderland. He claims that his tormenting nature is to show them "The Truth of Wonderland", whatever that happens to be at the time. In the end, he seems to desire for his victims to embrace perversion and wander Wonderland as denizens of depravity. His snake-like, oily charm often serves him well in approaching others. The one soft-spot he has is for the Mad Hatter and the Mouse; perhaps because they were his first victims. Perhaps because only they shared his appreciation to tea. Or perhaps for no reason at all. 'Reason' is not a word used to describe the Hare. Background:The March Hare was once a human, from the human world. All he could remember was a name, "Haifa". Perhaps it was his own, perhaps not. Either way, Wonderland changed him, as it changes all who wander in and are unable to escape. Now he nominally serves as a member of the Queen of Heart's secret police, he travels from place to see if any dare break the Queen's laws. His true purpose, however, is to nab as many Wonderland newcomers and show them 'The Truth of Wonderland" as quickly (and potentially painfully) as possible. Misc.:A swashbuckling swordsman and incompetent marksman. The March Hare has legs that are powerful to the point of super-human, giving him great speed, agility, and kicks should he need it. His ears are also quite sensitive to noise. He comes across as one who has great knowledge of Wonderland, though whether that is true or just a ploy to gain trust is anyone's guess. He is also an avid lover of tea, and is often seen drinking a cup and offering to any he comes across. Oddly, he never drinks (or pours) the same brew twice. Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide theme song: a bit cliché, but I feel it fits. Disturbed - The Night (With Lyrics) (#)(Name:The White Rabbit Age:Appearance varies depending on the situation Species type:Human and rabbit Appearance:Appearance varies but always with an element of white, humaneness, and geomorphology - from full human with bunny ear accessories to a rabbit author to a talking rabbit wearing clothing (working on images)Orientation:Straight, dominant, sadistic:Foreplay, kissing, scratching, biting, bondage, discipline, dominance, impact playoffs:Sexual submission Personality:The White Rabbit is an inherently selfish character with myriad desires that are constantly changing and requiring fulfillment. Background:The White Rabbit has been in Wonderland for as long as he can remember. His primary task is serving the Queens, whether it was finding new land to plant crops for the Queen of Spades or new mines to get gems for the Queen of Diamonds. He currently serves Aloysius in the Queen's bid to become the Queen of Hearts, specifically by providing him with new subjects for whom the Queen can help find partners and experiences. Misc.:The White Rabbit regularly moves between Wonderland and other dimensions. He enjoys his work, particularly finding ways to bring subjects or objects into Wonderland using manipulation, subterfuge and his wits. He can resort to brute force if necessary, but prefers trickery and mind games. Name:The Joker (playing card, member of the Queen's court)Age:Appears 18 Species type:Human Appearance:The sexy female jester of all sexy female jesters, Harley Quinn from Batman Orientation:Bisexual, switch, females:"Everything! The naughtier and Nautilus, the better! And some sweet romance. Duh!" Offs:"Vanilla sex! Ewe! Yawn-a-ruins!" Personality:An unrestrained loon who takes no responsibility for her actions, she quickly goes from good to evil, from reason to insanity, from common sense to impulsiveness, and back. Like Aloysius, she is a lover of love, and seeks to help the Queen in any way she can, while still providing amusement for the Queen and her court, even if it means getting chained up and whipped. She often forgets to show respect and deference, which just means she needs a punishment to remind her. On the other hand, she's pretty good at inflicting pain as well as taking it. Background:"I think I was, like, a cheerleader?" Misc.:"Aww, c'mon, is that the best ya can do? Ya can hit me harder than that!" Name:Trixie - the Door Mouse Age:Appears to be in her late teens. Species type:Mouse person. Appearance (Orientation:Lesbians:Vanilla sex. Playfully dominant partners. Playfulness. Tea parties and baked treats. Dancing. Singing. Offs:Meanness. Boringness. Slowness. Debbie downers. Personality:Trixie is hyper, hyper, HYPER! It's like she's running on nothing but caffeine and sugar all time. She zooms from here to there. She never shuts up. Furthermore, she's always saying something, doing something, eating something. Furthermore, she never stops, until she sleeps. But she doesn't go to bed. No. Trixie has the unusual issue of just randomly passing out. She could be hopping around and talking and just fall down and start snoring. Background:How long ago was it? It seems like just yesterday, but it could've been so very many years ago. She never did have a good sense of time, her mind moves so fast. She was sound asleep in the green field when she felt a poke, then another. The mouse girl awoke to see a strangely dressed human with a very large hat. The first time she laid eyes upon the Mad Hatter, her friend forever more. What had happened before? Fleeting memories rush through her mind. She was scared and alone, her family all dead. But the Hatter said she'd be her friend! Home! To the Hatter's home they went. To drink tea and eat cakes with the March Hare and the Cheshire Cat. But the cakes needed work. Apparently none of the mad trio were much of bakers. But Trixie was! Oh, how she treated them to the most delicious cakes and cookies and sweet treats in Wonderland. Even the Red Queen of Hearts got word of the mouse girl's baked goods. Though much to the Queen's irritation, Trixie would never come work at the castle. Yet still the hyper, sleepy little mouse bounds around Wonderland. A universal annoyance to all, she is. Yet, such a delight to the good-humored. Rather she's rushing through kitchen, bounding across table tops, or circling around her friends, there's always something exciting when she's around. Misc.:She's called the Door Mouse because of her obsession with doors. If she sees a door, she's usually mystified by it. What it looks like, how it opens, and of course what's behind it. Big doors, small doors, it doesn't matter, she loves all doors. Name:Call in female form, In her male form Salvage:It is rumored as old as wonderland it's self. And he/she isn't telling the truth of her/his age. Species type:Caterpillar Appearance:Do to her ever evolving form and not yet going through chrysalis her form has yet to set. So her human form constantly changes. Some of her/his many forms. (#)Orientation:Ions:Bondage, spanking, BDSM, kissing, sucking, touching, unexpected sex, open partners, and so much more Offs:Bigots, mutilation, bathroom play, prudes, being sober :P, See my on's and off's as well Personality:The Caterpillar has his or her own way about things, mostly found in her home (that is hidden away deep within Wonderland. He is mostly found intoxicated in some shape or from. The mental haze only adds to her strange nature. Known for knowing all there is to know in wonderland. But getting info from him is a hard thing to do. Getting it in a form you can understand is even harder. Though there are those in wonderland that have grown to understand her strange words. Sexual and experimental, he is constantly changing and evolving. To one day go through her final change, and settle on her final from. Background:In truth not much is known about the Caterpillar, the origin, how she knows so much about everyone in Wonderland. His house is hidden away deep within wonderland. The smoke of her seemingly endless pipe comes from the top of her house. The fog around his home causes those around to have their inhibitions lowered, their lips loosened, and their bodies tingly and heated ready as their lust rises. Though it is rumored that the emotions that are felt can be manipulated by the Caterpillar herself. He has been known to travel Wonderland and take in the surrounding information. His attitude towards things seems to be relaxed and unaffected. Her relaxed laughter can be heard as he travels through the world around herself. Taking on sexual partners and pushing boundaries as it is within her nature. It isn't known if he is out to cause the insanity to grow, or to bring those around her to their truest potential. What ever that may be. His history is so long no one can know it all, sometimes cruel, sometimes utterly selfless, and sometimes just plain confusing. The Caterpillar is one that everyone looks for yet no one wants to find. Yes she is a puzzle wrapped in a riddle and possible missing a few pieces. But damn if it isn't fun trying to figure him out. No matter what happens, those who find her always leave with a smile on their faces. Misc.:She changes back and forth from being a man to a woman. Each time he or she does the look of the form her, or she takes is different. He or she doesn't seem to be scared of much anything within Wonderland. Not even the Queen doesn't seem to phase him/her. He/she can change her form at will, and takes great pleasure in using it for her entertainment. Has been known to do strange things to 'teach' those about her a lesson they apparently need to learn. Is known for his/her sensational appetite, be it for food, sex, knowledge what ever he/she is craving at the time. He/she is known for knowing a great many things, said to be the wisest in the land. Even if it doesn't seem it sometimes. Name:Aloysius Lydia - The Queen of Hearts Age:Appears in his mid-twenties. (Yes I said 'his')Species type:Human Appearance:(Still working on finding an appropriate image, sorry) The queen is a small package that somehow seems to gather much fear and attention without moving much more than a single finger. Aloysius was groomed for his position, though he had to fight for it. He knows how to carry himself in the many stations expected of him, yet his unpredictable nature could throw all of that out the window should his mood be ruined. He stands at Five foot 6 and weighs a mere 111 pounds. His sleight frame brings on the harried attentions of the court physicians - more of an annoyance than a help in his eyes. Being small is part of his allure, or so he would like to believe, though he does do as much as he can to dress up to grand excess - often in costume that makes him appear larger than life. When he dresses, it is more often than not in concordance with the part he is playing, though just how hard he tries to pass as a lady can vary from time to time. His hair is, in reality, a strawberry blonde. But he wears so many wigs and hats that this is rarely known. His eyes are a light, jade-like green that often look like they're looking right through you and everything else in the room, but when they focus on you, it is intensely. Orientation:Confusion. (TL;DR version: mostly heterosexual, switch - mostly dominant) The queen's sexuality changes with his mood and can be influenced by how others respond to his presence and how they address him. For instance, an ambitious male courtier might treat him like a demure lady in hopes of scoring a submissive Queen in bed that evening and thatmightwork. While he prefers women, such bed partners need to keep a mindful watch to their behavior and words around him and always refer to him as 'queen' in the company of others. Generally, BDSM - particularly the SM of it - will enter into all the Queen's bedroom exchanges, and he is known to have a real dark, sadistic side. Ons:flattery and deference, sexual control of others (unless he feels like giving up control once in a while) sensory play (experimenting with different textures, hot and cold, substances, deprivation...) giving pain, sapiosexuality (any bed partners must be sentient and at least somewhat intelligent) mild objectification and humiliation of others, the sight of blood Offs:receiving pain or humiliation, waste products (garbage, bodily waste), gluttony, a lack of decorum, being referred to as 'King" (however, curiously enough, he is well aware he is male and does not mind male pronouns in the slightest)Personality:Usually, an air of boredom surrounds him as he sees to his daily duties, and he is quite dutiful in doing what he feels needs to be done, however twisted his mind becomes to such things. The real problem with Aloysius is that he is, indeed, mad (aren't we all here? No?) he lacks a real grip on reality, and although he's able to get through many days without incident, he can be known to crack without warning. The queen will go from calm to completely enraged in at a moment's notice because of some small detail that had gone unchecked by his underlings. Thus, the more important the occasion, the more likely the courtiers will be writhing in anxiety, though he'd remain sweetly unaware of the cause of their distress all the while. He expects a certain amount of deference from his subjects, and assumes anyone in his presence to be his subject unless he randomly takes pity on them and believes their story that they are from elsewhere. Generosity and comfort abound when you are in the queen's good graces, but how long can you hope to stay there when his mind is so volatile? Background:Aloysius is true royalty, descending from a long line of prominent, well-loved queens. While men have just as much right to rule as their female counterparts do, it was a point of pride to him that he should be honored with the title of 'Queen' as a way to link himself to his successful recent ancestors, as such he also prefers to present himself the way that a Queen would traditionally be thought of. The boy was hardly the best choice for this position of authority, his younger brother and two female cousins were in the running long before they considered the obvious heir. Whether due to any action of his own, one could not say – but they were all removed in time. It seems a rather lonely life for the Queen now, his mother and father having been gone for years and many of his close relatives have either passed on recently or mysteriously vanished. Except mentioning his matriarchs (the thought of which has been known to send him into deep depression or a childlike tantrum) none of this seems to bother him as he has had no problem with surrounding himself with people who at least seem to enjoy his company. He hopes to earn himself an honorary nickname as his mother and grandmother had. His Grandmother brought fruitful abundance to the land and so has been referred to as the Queen of Spades - since her rule the kingdom has prospered and no one need to be in want of food. His mother found access to many mines that brought financial security to the kingdom and so, of course, has come to be known as the Queen of Diamonds. Aloysius thinks he can bring personal happiness to his subjects. He fancies himself sweet and loveable and a matchmaker as well. Those courtiers most aware of the inner happenings believe that he wants to earn the title the Queen of Hearts. Name:Erik Oubliette:29 Species type:Human Appearance:(straight(mostly dominant - will try new/other things with enough incentive)On's:(In no particular order of importance) fear (the anxiety kind, nothing too extreme - he needs his play partners to be "present" in the scene), knife play, blood, wax, bondage, orgasm control, leaving marks, being on the receiving end of body worship, keeping "pets"Offs:being "tied down" (literally or figuratively), bodily waste, real innocence, formality, boredom/monotony/being stuck in "a rut"Personality:Erik is cocky, but just sure of himself enough to be annoying in slightly chauvinistic way - he doesn't take risks for an unsure thing. His sense of humor is dry, often inappropriate, though he knows when to hold his tongue in the wrong sort of crowd - that doesn't mean he necessarily will, though. When he wants something, he'll make a short-term plan on how to get it, but if it doesn't look possible, he'd rather move on to greener pastures. In his eyes, his life is too short to waste on stress and aggravation, which makes him laid back as well as confident. Background:It was a long while ago that Erik found himself wandering into wild, twisted Wonderland. He was in his late teens and staying in this new kingdom allowed him a chance to never have to give up his own rebellious nature by growing up and assimilating in the normal world. He found his niche when he turned 22 and began working in the Queen's dungeons. Now he mostly works as warden but occasionally fulfills the role of executioner. If ever he is seen at an event, it will likely be in the background to not draw the Queen's attention to his lack of dress. He dislikes the Queen and only sees him as an Employer. Name:Whimsy Age:appears in her early 20'species type:Construct Appearance:(programmable - but does not like being harmed (anything that would cause lasting damage) Also, please keep in mind my own small personal "offs" list as I don't play any scenes with them. Personality:Whimsy will be programmed to take on roles or personas, but in her "blank slate" state, she is calm and almost childlike. She doesn't seem to be completely "present" at the moment but always intently taking in information around her somehow. If her eyes are staring off into space, her hearing is likely enhanced, and she'll be picking up on conversations across the room. Background:A gift from a (now sadly deceased) courtier a while back, Whimsy was created with the idea that the Queen would love all things lovely and womanly. In secret, the man who presented her hoped that playing dress up with the doll would keep the Queen from crossdressing himself, but of course that didn't work. Aloysius did indeed like the gift but the one who gave it soon fell out of favor with him. Now, when the whim strikes him, he pulls out the construct and brings her to events. Originally, he would merely show off his new toy and refuse to share it but now, for those who have earned his praise or a favor, he occasionally allows them to borrow her. Misc.:I've been watching a lot of Joss Whedon's "Doll House" lately so I freely admit that that is my inspiration for her.

Down the Rabbit Hole_ Character Sheets|rating:2.0

At The Order Of Love [Marguerite & Whitey]

Sandra Maxwell (wondered what she was doing here. She pondered over the question many times as she drove in her Mini-Cooper. All she knew was there was a date waiting for her at 'The 8 Knox Club' courtesy of her best friends. Just because she put herself into her studies and making sure her clients were looked after did not mean she was antisocial. She could be social but on her own time of course. Why waste hours in a bar or talking to someone she most likely would not want to go out with on a second date when there was a pint of ice cream, her blanket and a slew of shows DVR'ed she could see. Of course, to her friends it was no social life and banded together to find her a date even if it was behind her back. It was not until she walked in on her friend Tami confirming the blind date with Sandra had Sandra found out about the scheme. What a sneaky scheme it had been and all behind her back. She tried to get Tami to call the guy back and let him know she was not interested but once Tami got it in her to do something, she did not let up. In fact, she locked her phone with a new password earlier in the week and stuffed it in her cleavage to further stop Sandra from trying anything. Oh, Sandra had the guts to go into Tami's bosom breasts to retrieve the fun but after the sixth failed password key, she gave up and begrudgingly took the date. Sandra had every intention of meeting the blind date, informing him of her displeasure of the date and then paying him off to lie to her friends that the date went well. Once she paid him off, she would get back in her car and go back to crack open the latest case on her newest client and enjoy her Mint Chip ice cream in the freezer. Just thinking about the mint chip kept her distracted from the fact her directions to the club was getting her nowhere. However, if she could find the club and a parking spot, it would all be better but considering she drove into another dead end only made her curse aloud in her car. "Son of a bitch," she whispered before she blew a piece of hair from her eyes. Taking another glance at the directions the printed out MapQuest gave her, she took a wrong left turn when it should have been a right turn on Sycamore street. Great. Just, wonderful, she thought. Not only would she have to handle a blind date but one who could call up Tami and let her know she ditched him, further getting Tami ammunition needed to hound her at work. Sometimes, she wondered why she went into business with Tami. Oh yes, she was her best friend and trusted her to keep up the accounting side of the business going. Plus, if she even tried to fire Tami, there was the likelihood of the two going at it cat fight or even Jerry Springer style in the office, maybe even in front of the clients themselves. Tami could be just as hardheaded and tenacious as she was, but Tami would not stop until there was bloodshed and a police cop trying to part the two from one another." Alright, get it together," she told herself as she smacked her hands together. Taking a deep breath, she adjusted her rearview mirror, pulled her car in reverse and backed out of the dead end. She swore she would get to the place, meet up with the blind date and tell him to keep it hush, hush about her lack of wanting to spend much time together. The man should be lucky she was going to pay him to leave her in peace because if he was determined to see to the date, he was sorely out of luck in getting a great date out of her. Best word to use was her need to be in charge and control things. Not in an Obsessive Compulsive way but after her parents divorced, she wanted stability and knew the only kind she had was for herself. She was in control of what was to work for her and what was not needed in her life. Add a male who she had no clue of and could complicate her work was absolutely on her 'danger' list. Now, if the male was opened to a one-night stand, who knew. What? She may not be open to relationships, but she was fine with one-night stands. Tami had no clue about her trysts she had once in a while when she needed a bit of 'rest and relaxation'. This was not a regular thing since she usually went out of the city to pick up the men she paid for and the two went back to a hotel to go about their business. Yes, she paid for male gigolos because she felt it was more reliable, never had to worry if she picked up a crazy, psychopath who was into cross-dressing and wearing her skin around the house and never had to talk about relationships or potential boyfriend and girlfriend status with; perfect relationship in her book. However, Sandra kept this under wraps for fear of her career being thrown into the mud if anyone found out about her 'nighttime activities'. Sandra made sure she had different wigs, outfits and even put on an accent she learned from her abroad studies in Italy. Everything to make sure no one knew her true identity. For tonight, however, she would be in her true self as she bribed her way out of the date. She smiled as she finally found the 'The 8 Knox Club'. This was a different club than the types she frequented whenever she picked up her gigolos. Sometimes it made her think about the men she paid to sleep with her and while she should feel used or disgusted, Sandra felt relief. Now to potentially tell a man to leave her alone or even go through a date which had no chance of going anywhere made her stomach turn in knots. Parking in the lot used for the club, she let herself out and locked her car. There was nothing in her car worth stealing unless someone was into stealing a plush dog given to her by her niece. One beep and in she went into the club and at this hour, all she noticed was men in military uniform. In fact, there was a good portion of men in military uniform. She could not tell which branch but having to remember the name of the club, she guessed it was frequented by military men or men who were into Chao gear. However, there were other men not wearing uniform which made her feel more comfortable she was not going to have to deal with a military man to cancel on." John Myers, where are you?," she said once more to herself as she glanced around. All she had was a description of what he may look like, but she was to wear a rose in her hair for the meeting along with a red dress. There was a red rose in her hair and a nice red dress on her body. The heels were killing her, and she looked damn well out of place. The women in this bar were wearing jeans, tank tops or even some in less than nothing. Looks like she was absolutely going to stand out and be the person John Myers was going to be looking for and how wrong she was. So wrong, she waited a good thirty minutes for her blind date. Could he be late? Or did he flake out? She would not blame him, but a bit irritated to know he did not have the guts to call and cancel. Even better since she could inform Tami it was John who flaked out instead of her. She would have a glass of wine and then be on her way. Well, have one non-alcoholic drink she was driving and be on her way. Alex Sampson (- Sergeant in the US Army and on leave after a tour of Afghanistan - was not wondering what he was doing here. In fact, he knew exactly what he was doing here - relaxing with some friends, drinking some much-needed beer, and hopefully getting a girl to take home with him. The three big things that any soldier missed on the front line. Downtime, beer and chicks. If he could get all three tonight, then he would be a very happy and lucky man. The rest of his regiment was here at the "8 Knox Club" as well, and nearly all of them wanted the same three things as him. Some were here with girlfriends or wives, of course, the lucky ones who were guaranteed a wild night of frantic sex whenever they came home. But for the rest, like himself - well, there were plenty of girls here tonight as well. Chicks dug uniforms, right? Strangely enough, he was actually supposed to be seeing his family tonight. His poor mother and father, who worried about him every time he went out. His sister and her lovely husband, and their two children - his niece and nephew. A big dinner to celebrate his safe return had been planned - until, that is, he got the call from his CO to say that this big club downtown had opened its doors to the town's war heroes. Open bar for all military personnel. Well - how could he turn that down? Thankfully his parents understood, even if his sister was a bit pissed. Oh well, they could all have dinner tomorrow. After 6 months of waiting, what was an extra night? At least they knew he was safe and sound now. Taking the train downtown with a load of the other local soldiers, Alex was already having a good night before he'd even reached the club. And things could only get better. Well, apart from the fact that they got themselves lost after leaving the train station. But hey - what was a thirty minute or so detour, to see the sights of the city, that they'd grown up with and one day, might never see again. All the neon lights, and loud music from bars and clubs, and the laughter coming from a place that had obviously been turned into a popular comedy club since the last time he'd been here. The night felt electric, and not just because of the neon. All the way to the club, he and the other soldiers shared stories from their various regiments - telling each other of narrow misses with landmines, of skirmishes with various Taliban insurgents in Iraq or Afghanistan; and of course, the best pranks they'd pulled on one another whilst in base camp. It was whilst laughing about the time one poor soldier was sent a cross-dressing male prostitute as a birthday present from his battalion compares, that Alex finally entered the club. Immediately, he made his way to the bar and ordered a couple of drinks, showing his regiment badge as proof of his soldier status to get them for free. A couple of bottles of good ol' Budweiser. Ah, how he had missed the beverage whilst on tour. All you could get in the depths of the Afghan desert was what you could make yourself with rather limited ingredients. The end result never turned out as good as one hoped - more than one soldier had gone to a medic because of the home-brew. With relish, he took a big gulp of the ice-cool liquid, before moving away from the bar to one of the many groups of soldiers scattered around the place. It didn't take long before he'd finished the first beer and had moved onto the second. Scanning the room, looking for another group of friends to catch up with, he couldn't help but notice one particular girl, standing near the back of the room. With a long red dress, high heels and a red rose tucked behind her ear, she looked very out of place, compared to the other girls in the club - who were wearing little more than their underwear, presumably in the hope of attracting some young and very horny soldier. Alex could go and talk to any one of those girls, and be sure of getting some tonight, but this one girl - she piqued his interest. What was someone like her, dressed like that, doing in a place like this at a time like this? It was a question he'd quite like to know the answer to, amongst many others. Making his excuses to the crowd he was with, he made his way across the dance floor towards her, whistles and shouts of encouragement following him - evidently, his friends had cottoned on to his intentions. Moving up to her, he stood next to her, leaning against the wall. She looked even more attractive up close, and that was saying something. "Hey there!" He said, over the noise of the thumping music. "Are you waiting for someone?" It seems that 6 months of not having to talk to anyone besides a bunch of testosterone-filled guys has severely handicapped his ability to chat up women. But, no matter. He had all night - even if this girl blew him off, which would be a real shame, there were plenty more girls he could talk to. They'd probably all be easier to talk to than this one, as well - he'd somewhat launched himself head-first into the deep end of the pool... This was usually not her usual hangout though she heard about places like these once or twice when she glanced through the newspaper. Usually these nightclubs were talked about as being the 'in' club to go to on a Friday or Saturday night. Recently, decorated it looked like it wanted to compete with the brand-new bars and restaurants that had opened in the downtown of the city. Though it had a theme it was too far away from the other places to really compete. What it did have that the other newer bars did not was the attached hotel. Maybe it was some inside joke, or it was convenient for the military men who were on leave for a few days to a few weeks and needed a roll in the hay with any woman who they fancied for the night. Scanning the crowd, she wove a bit of magic and managed to get the bartender to serve her a drink. With the way it looked crowded tonight bartenders would be on their toes to get the customers their drinks and keep them from becoming rowdy. So far, she had yet to see John Myers, but there was still time. From her watch, she gave him twenty minutes before it headed into being late for their blind date and a good reason to get Tami off of her back. Crossing her legs, her red dress rose up a little and the stockings, held up by a garter belt of wispy lace slipped on the leather stool. The sensation whispered up her thighs making her aware of how long it was since the last time she called up her regular gigolo to ease the ache between her legs." Shirley Temple," she told the bartender as he leaned in to ask her once more what she wanted to drink. Seemed the bartenders were going deaf by the music blaring in the place. Whatever the hell this type of music was called it was nothing but an ear bleeder. Singing about a woman who left them for their cousin was an old and tired song most Country singers used. How many ways could they sing about a woman leaving them for someone else? Was it a qualification for every country singer to write about one song on their desperate love life? Did any of them really have a girlfriend who walked out on them for someone else? For all she knew these men had devoted little housewives who cooked, cleaned and made sure to keep their plaid shirts looking starched and blue to coordinate with their ten gallon hat and cowboy boots. Glancing around, Sandra compared herself to the other women. It was a time honored tradition to compare and contrast herself to see who was her competition and who she could easily take on. From what she saw, she stood out from the rest of the women. Most of the women hear wore tiny pieces of clothing, the kind bought at an outlet mall for strippers and high class hookers. One of the females even wore a see through shirt with smiley face pasties on her nipples and a jeans mini-skirt which looked to be only the band, front and back pockets. There was nothing else and somehow two skeezy looking males were buying her drinks and making a sandwich out of her on the dance floor. Hopefully the female in question got herself to the nearest clinic because those two males had sexually transmitted disease written all over them. Zandra wondered who would come up to her tonight. Who would be the one to try and use a played out pickup line on her. Her money was on the little pipsqueak down the bar who kept blowing her kisses. Disgusting but she could handle him in case he thought using a pickup line meant he could feel on her breasts. Apparently it did not take long for someone to pick up on her. She had moved from a seat to the wall and found someone else was taking up the wall space. Unfortunately, it was not John Myers or at least she thought it was not John Myers. The way he introduced himself showed he was a stranger and not the one she was looking for tonight. He was handsome but not cute, rough around the edges but not the biker or con man rough. A plus in her book but not the man she was waiting for on the blind date. Nonetheless, she could be friendly and admire his good looks. Besides, she was here to enjoy herself for a bit before she turned it in. Why not have a bit of fun in flirting even if it was not the usual gigolos she hired to keep her satisfied? "I am waiting for someone, but I think he ditched me. How about yourself?," she asked as she held out her hand to him. Could he be one of the military men but out of uniform and into civilian wear? Just by the look of him, he looked like a man ready to go into war and protect this country from terrorists. As Sandra sipped her Shirley Temple it would not be long before her brain picked up on the fact she was digging this man, a man she never expected to be interested in so long as he was a regular man and not a gigolo. Her answer to his question was rather... unrevealing. Waiting for someone, she said. That could mean just about anything - as could the fact that she thought he had ditched her. If the person was her boyfriend, then, maybe they were having troubles of some sort, and were going to use tonight as a make-up evening out, followed by hot, angry sex. Or, maybe, the was a blind-date of some sort, who never showed up for whatever reason. Worse, even, he had shown up, seen her and decided to leave straight away, without saying hi. Although - what idiot would leave after seeing her? She was the very image of beauty. Both boyfriend and blind-date would explain why she was dressed like she was, and why she seemed a bit upset. Then again, it could be completely different, and she was in fact single - the was just a friend, who'd gone off somewhere, perhaps to chat up another girl, and left her alone. Either that, or he was just overanalyzing her comment. That was the more likely thing. He had a tendency to do that sometimes. Regardless, whoever she was supposed to be with wasn't here now. It was his chance to talk to her without anyone getting in the way. Who knows, maybe one thing would lead to another, and... No. He mustn't think like that. Just take things one at a time, don't jump too far ahead, Alex thought to himself. At the least, you'll get a friend out of this, so long as you don't say anything wrong! Taking a sip of his beer, he smiled winningly at her. "I guess you could say I was waiting for someone as well - but I think you might be her!" Alright, so, it was a very cheesy line. But it showed he had a sense of humor, right? Maybe he ought rephrase a little, just in case it just came off as dick-head-very. "Nah, I'm just messing with ya." His smile turned into a cheeky grin, the type that made his usually nonexistent dimples stand out. "I'm just here with a few friends, to relax and soak up the atmosphere, you know?" He gestured around the room vaguely, to all of his friends from the military. Nice subtle hint that he was a soldier, there - always good to slip that into conversation, especially if it didn't sound like he was bragging. Putting his bottle to his lips and letting the luxurious liquid slip down his throat, Alex realized that he was running on empty. Ah well, a perfect opportunity to be chivalrous. "I'm just going to the bar, to get another drink - can I get you one as well, um...?" Leaving the sentence hanging, he wondered whether she would pick up on his unspoken inquiry as to her name. And whether she would let him buy her a drink. Well, not so much buy as get, but still - it was the thought that counted. Well, it looked like her date had stood her up by the way no male who wore a red rose in his lapel came forward. In fact, most of the men hear looked to be with someone or searching for someone other than her. Except the male talking to her, it seemed her date was not coming at all. As soon as she could slip out of this dress and into her pajamas, she was going to call Tami and rip her a new one for making her come out this way for nothing. Still, it did not mean she was leaving right now. The conversation, while, a bit stale and awkward was pleasant enough. The male was not trying to grope her or insinuate she should perform any sexual acts upon him or in front of his friends. Though his comments were cheesy and warranted a good laugh, Sandra smiled instead. At least the man was willing to make a fool out of himself to make her laugh or reciprocate whatever it was he wanted from her. Was he by chance John Myers and perhaps wanted to go incognito in case she turned out to be a dog? Sandra had to admit she would have done the same thing if she assumed the John Myers was a balding, fifty-year old with liver spots and a beer belly. Tami was known to pull a few jokes and Sandra was just waiting for the big finale." Are you here without your girlfriend?," she asked, baiting him to see if he was with someone. While she appreciated his cheesy factor lines the fact that he might have a girl waiting for him at home disturbed her. Sandra was not fond of cheaters and while she was interested in this male there was no chance in hell for him if he was attached. Before this blind date, Sandra had gotten out of a six-month relationship. The relationship had been going well until one night she visited her ex-boyfriend's place to find him with another woman. It was more like the half-naked female had opened the door thinking it was the pizza had ordered. What a nice surprise to see Jason come up behind the other woman to kiss her neck and stop dead cold to see her. He tried to explain the situation away, but she was glad for her legs to turn her around and back to her car downstairs. After that, she never heard from Jason again, but Tami was determined to find her a new man to complete her. She was fine without a man though this male at her side was piquing her interest. Hmm, maybe he was too distracted the bottle of beer in his hands. "The name is Sandra and yours?," she questioned before realizing he was asking her if she wanted to refill her drink. Glancing down at her drink, Sandra realised that she finished her Shirley Temple. Huh, guess her attentions had been keenly focused on the male before her that she did not even remember downing the rest of her drink. If he could distract her with his appearance and the balls to talk to her with those cheesy lines, what about actually having a conversation away from this noisy place? "Hey, how about we go outside to talk? I can barely hear you over the noise that is this music." Smooth move Sandra and gave her a better chance to evaluate him without his friends to help him out. Her question, whether he was here while his girlfriend stayed at home, made him chuckle slightly. Him? A girlfriend? Alex hated long distance relationships, and with him spending nearly all his time abroad in a godforsaken country somewhere in the Middle-East, it didn't leave much room for a girlfriend. A one-night stand sometimes, when he came home on leave, with some random girl - that was good enough for him. The rest of the time, while on tour, well - he had his right hand. Just like every other male soldier in the Armed Forces. Anyway, the fact that she asked him that - a not-so-subtle inquiry as to his relationship status - showed that she was interested in him. Whether that was down to his looks or his amazing chat-up lines was still to be seen, though." No, no, I've not got anyone at home, waiting for me. Except my parents, but they don't really count, do they?" Alex replied. He wasn't going to ask whether she had a boyfriend - it was obvious enough that she didn't. And even if she did, he'd still be talking to her. After all, it would only be one night, and he was going back on tour in a week - hardly enough time for said boyfriend to find him. Plus, if the hypothetical boyfriend did find him... well, Alex was in the army, he knew how to defend himself - it wasn't like he was going to get beaten in a fight. Realising she was speaking again, Alex snapped out of that train of thought, and listened to her shout above the surrounding noise. Sandra - pretty name. Pretty face, pretty name. It suited her, he thought. "Hi Sandra, I'm Alex!" He replied, when she asked for his name in return. Well, that was the awkward name-asking phase out of the way. Not that it was particularly awkward just then, but, it could be sometimes. Especially if it was asked whilst in the middle of doing something. Dancing, making-out, something. Happened to him once, that. The girl ran out pretty much straight away, horrified that he didn't know her name. He wouldn't be making that mistake with Sandra... Asking him outside, huh? That was interesting. A good move on her part, though. "Sure! A bit of fresh air will be nice!" Putting the empty bottle he was still holding down on a table, Alex held out his arm for her to take, smiling at her warmly. Once she took it, he led the way through the crowded bar area, to a side door to the outside world. Pushing open the door and holding it open for her, he took a deep breath of fresh air. It felt so nice, after the hot and sweaty inside the club. And, with the door shut as well (a latch leaving it unlocked for them to go back in), the sudden drop in noise made his ears ring a little. "So, Sandra - tell me a bit about yourself?" He asked. Might as well get the ball rolling with a new topic of conversation. Something mundane to start with, then, who knew where the conversation would lead to. A few points were placed on the imaginary board. On the imaginary board was the scored points on whether this male might be someone she could see asking out for a date. Sure, she asked him outside to talk without the music making their conversation stagnant or even stop because no communication could be heard. With being out here, she had a better shot of hearing what he had to say, and the lighting out here was much better than inside. In fact, she was pleasantly surprised to see how much more handsome he became when there was actual light flooding in on the two of them. He had a rugged look about him, and she was glad to put a name to his face. Even better that his face did not have any signs of wanting to bang her the second the two left or trying to peek down her dress. Alex, a good name and not some weird name like Jimbo or Xander. Alex fit him nicely, and she let it roll on her tongue for a bit. "Well, what should I tell you? The name is Sandra and I came here under the threat of a blind date with someone who looked like he stood me up," she explained, glancing back towards the closed door. What Sandra did not know was that John Myers had already seen her and had decided not to go through with it. Not because she was unattractive but for the reason of failing to grab her interest of a beautiful woman. Instead, he let himself get a few drinks at the bar to console himself. He was an accountant and had learned of the blind date through his cousin Tami. If Tami asked, he would say he got the directions wrong and Sandra had called to reschedule the date for another time. No one would be hurt and Tami would get off his back to find a girlfriend. Besides, Sandra looked as if she was in safe hands. At the moment, Sandra was pondering over what to tell Alex about herself. She did not want to say too much and have him running for the hills. Then again, who knew if she was going to see him again. Maybe he was a drifter passing by but with the men she noticed him with, Sandra could say he was docked in for a few weeks before heading back out into the war. The war was still raging even nine years after 9/11, and it seemed like there was no end in sight. "Well, I am here hoping to find some decent conversation but honestly, I am in need for hot and out of this world sex. What about you?," she nonchalantly asked and inwardly smiled at her bold move. Alex might be someone she never saw again after tonight. Sure, Sandra would give him her phone number, but there was the slim chance he would ever call her up. At least, she could get a bit of fun before going back to her apartment and slip beneath her bedsheets. Her sentence was an interesting one. The fact that she was here for a blind date told him two things - one, that she was single, and two, her friends wanted her not to be. Also, that one of his initial ideas as to why she was here was correct, and he liked being proved right. However, her use of the word threatened... either she didn't like blind dates, or she wasn't looking for a relationship. She was talking to him quite happily though, for the minute, so the first one seemed more likely to Alex. Unless of course, the second was correct, and she was just playing him for the fool, getting his hopes up only to dash them on the rocks like the whiskey at the bar. Even so... if the second theory was right, she might not be looking for a relationship - but a one-night stand might still be on the cards. Louis, she was a complicated one, Sandra. He just couldn't quite get his head around her motives - and that made her very interesting to Alex, who usually prided himself on being able to tell what someone wanted. Alex opened his mouth to reply to her, some witty comment about blind dates to make her feel better about being stood up (even though she seemed fine about it), when Sandra herself continued talking - and said something completely from left field. Needing hot and out of this world sex. Well, he definitely wasn't expecting her to say that - this woman just kept surprising him. The question now was, what could he say in return without seeming either needy/desperate/horny or uninterested/gay. This was a tricky one, Alex decided. She was certainly sly - although she seemed sincere as well, judging by the slight twinkle in her eyes. Could just be the streetlights though. "Oh, you know, the same!" Alex said, laughing lightly. Go with the flow, make a joke of it. That was his usual tactic in conversations where he didn't know what to say. Maybe this time, though, it wasn't such a good idea - he wasn't quite sure how Sandra would take it. "Being on tour does that to a man - it's not good for our health, you know?" Smile and laugh.... and pray that she did the same. Sandra had no clue whether to believe his words or throw him to the sharks. Many men she came across were scoundrels or did not know how to keep it in their parents. That was the trouble of having a job where she listened to men reveal their infidelities or the fact the man wants to sleep with as many women without any consequences. It really placed a damper on how she viewed men. With Alex, he was an interesting fellow and different from the ones she usually had ordered. In fact, he was giving her a way out of having to see him after tonight. Alex was a military man and from what she could only assume, he was on leave and using it to catch up on the debauchery missed during his stint in the military. If she did want to bed him, it might not be a problem because there was to be no awkward morning-after. Perhaps, he would rock her world (judging by the fact of his physique) and take his leave. A small smile appeared at the corner of her lips at the sweet and tempting thought. However, Sandra needed to remember he could easily have a female inside, and he was double-dipping to see who would let him come home with her. He did say he was single and not with a girlfriend, but what constituted as a girlfriend now? There were girlfriends one saw on the weekends. Girlfriends you dated in between times one was single but not looking for a serious relationship. Sandra heard the various ways men and women categorized their lovers. Somehow, even if Alex had a girlfriend on the side even if he did not consider her an actual girlfriend did not matter to her. Instead, what mattered was whether Alex was going to with her to the nearest hotel. "Alex, I want to have sex with you in the next hour. Do you have plans? If not, let us hit the nearest hotel before I change my mind about you." Bold move but considered Sandra hired escorts to keep her satisfied, asking out a complete stranger was exhilarating and for once made her normal. He could see the looks she was giving him, after he made that joke about no sex being bad for one's health. Surprisingly, they weren't the looks that someone suddenly put off would give him - in fact, they were the complete opposite. Sandra's eyes told him what was going on in her head. Debating whether he was worth a chance. Then, her gaze seemed to change, and a slight hint of a grin twitched at her mouth for a brief moment. Evidently, she had made her decision. Hopefully she had decided that he was worth a night of hot, passionate sex. And - yes, hope won out again! Although a little taken back by her bold statement, Alex quickly recovered and flashed another cheeky grin towards her. "No plans at all, Sandra! Hotel sounds like a plan..." Although, he didn't actually know where the nearest hotel was. There was bound to be a Holiday Inn or something similar around here, it was the downtown area after all - he just wasn't certain where it was. Frowning slightly, he started to ask Sandra, "... but where's the near-". His sentence trailed off again as a sign above the entrance to the 8 Knox Club car park caught his eye. Hotel above club? Rooms available? That was such a gimmick, having a hotel on top of a nightclub - but it undoubtedly made the owners lots of money, as drunk couples decided to get it on. Mind you, he couldn't really complain about it, if the two of them were going to do just that. "Hey - how about we get a room here? Saves having to go anywhere, right?" Sandra wondered what type of male like him took up strange come on's from women like herself. Was he no stranger to one-night stands? Perhaps, he had a journal to write down the various experiences he had with women over the years. Could it even be a rating system game? Sandra had heard of the various ways men used systems and charts to count down the many romps in the sack each had with women. She even heard about it during her college years with the fraternity brothers. Thank god, she had made sure to stay clear of those males, but there had been a few moments she ended up making out with one of two at a party. Luckily, she always went to the clinic to make sure nothing had been spread through the kisses. Never did she want to tell future partners she could not kiss them because she contracted herpes of the mouth. What a disgusting sight to behold, but thankfully she never caught anything from her explorations. Now, she wondered if Alex was clean as well. She opened her own mouth before she watched her own eyes look up towards the sign. Now, that was very Bordello like with the hotels above the place. She guessed a lot of people used the place and hoped nothing looked dingy or questionable. Sandra was not one for high class hooking up but if there were roaches or even dirty-smudged sheets, she would rather take Alex up against the wall than in a roach-infested room. Still, she needed to see the hotel to figure out whether she was going to take the plunge with Alex inside the room. "Alright, let us see if they have a room for us," she whispered, smiling as she held out a hand for him to take. It would be the first touch she would have of Alex but hoped it was not going to be the last. After he asked her if she wanted to just stay at the hotel above the club, Alex dropped his eyes back down to level with hers. Obviously though, she'd followed his Eveline, as she too was looking up at the sign. He took the few moments before she answered to get his first proper study of her face. Sure, the lighting wasn't particularly great, most of it coming from the neon sign up above them with a little from the streetlamps in the car park and the lights that shone through the windows in the wall of the club. But it was better than none. Besides, the shadows and unique color from the sign actually helped highlight her features. Those high cheek bones of hers, those full lips that just screamed 'kiss me!', that perfect nose. There was no other word to describe her than beautiful - and here he was, with an offer for sex with her. At that moment, he thought he might be the luckiest guy in the world. And then her eyes met his. No, there was no maybe about it. He was the luckiest guy in the world, no question. A line from a song popped into his head, from Paradise by the Dashboard Light. 'And all the kids at school, they were wishing they were me that night!'. Never had a song quote been more true. Zandra held out a hand for him to take, and whispered something about going to see if the hotel had a room they could hire for the night. A grin spread across Alex's face - he just couldn't help himself. Reaching for her hand with his, he laced their fingers together, feeling how smooth her skin was. So much smoother than his own, from the years of working with guns and other machinery and diving about in the mud and the sand and god knows what else. He just hoped she wouldn't be put off by the roughness of his palms - it wasn't like it was his fault, really, there isn't exactly any moisturizer in a military camp or out in the field. Realizing he was staring down at their hands, Alex quickly looked up and flashed her another of his winning smiles, before leading her back into the club via the door he'd left ajar. Crossing the dance floor - ignoring the cheers and whoops that followed him from his friends - Alex led her out into the reception of the hotel, closing what was mercifully a nearly-soundproof door. The clambering and throbbing of the music died away nearly instantly, to just a quiet rumble. Quiet enough to hear one's thoughts, at least. Turning around to check on Sandra - he knew she was still following him, as he could still feel her hand in his, but that was beside the point - he nodded at her, then turned back to the hotel desk manager, who was looking at them with a knowing smile. He'd obviously seen it all before - drunk couples, hooking up in the rooms above, regardless of whether they were actually a couple or not, or if either of them had a partner, or even regardless of gender. Alex and Sandra probably looked relatively normal to him, mostly sober as they were." Hi, we'd like a room, please?" Alex asked, as if the receptionist didn't already know what they wanted. Nodding silently, he turned and grabbed a pair of keys hanging from a hook behind the desk, with a tag on them saying 302. Presumably the room number. "That'll be $106 a night, please." He said to the two of them. Wincing inwardly at the price - obviously that was how they made a profit, charging through the roof for rooms when drunk people would just pay it. Fishing out his credit card, Alex gave it to the man, who swiped it then got Alex to sign a slip of paper for it. And then, they were off, into the elevator. As the doors slid shut, Alex turned to Sandra and smiled again, shrugging. "Don't worry, I'll pay for the night. It'll be worth it to spend it with you, I think." How, her, romantic. God, this was fucking crazy. She was going to have a one-night stand with someone who might have killed terrorists overseas. Plus, who knew if the motel upstairs was going to be clean and not covered in bed bugs. Nonetheless, it was better than her idea of having sex up against the club walls where everyone might be watching her or a cop might be waiting to bust her for public indecency. Sandra could not afford to have her names in the newspaper and have her practice jeopardize because she could not find a decent room to screw around in along with finding a closed door in case people wanted to take a look inside and see what she was up to with Alex. Usually when she did such things with male escorts, she kept it under lock and key. Always went to different hotels, signed under different names and even wore a wig in case any of her colleagues were having affairs in the same hotels or were there for conference workshops. Sandra was always careful, and now she was throwing it to the wind where others might know here as the good doctor and tell on her. Yet, she could not give a flying donkey as she pushed through the crowds dancing all around her. She did not even blink twice as she heard someone cheer Alex on and was pelted with a few condoms. His buddies must really be supportive of him picking up random women. Then again, she was nothing random by being set up on this date to get to know him. Well, scratch that, he was not her actual blind date, but it would do when her friend asked her how her night went, but she would make sure to get her friend to never do this sort of thing ever again. She had her male escorts to satisfy her and while she was not looking for a relationship, Sandra enjoyed the risk of being with someone new. When the music faded away and the two were at the stand waiting to get a room, Sandra looked around at everyone else who was also looking to get a room. Some of them looked drunk out of their skulls, and she could swear one of the girls was placing her hand down the pants of a man who looked ready to burst in his boxers. Zandra would have to say she was putting herself at risk with a complete stranger who might very well choke the life out of her upstairs in the hotel and take all of her belongings. Then again, he was going to be witnessed by everyone, and she planned to mace him in the face by the bottle hidden in her purse should he try to get too forceful with her. He might be military, but she was all woman and knew that a man could be taken down with a few punches to the throat and the groin. The killer would be groaning over his balls being shot up into his stomach while Sandra would run for her life and ask for someone to arrest the son of a bitch. For now, she was on guard even though she wanted to throw the son of a bitch against a wall and see whether he could do a few hundred push-ups while fucking her. God, she really needed to call the male escorts and have them come in on a bi-weekly basis instead of a bi-monthly by the way she kept thinking about the military male in X-rated ways. Maybe she was just coming up on her time to get her birth control shot and this was merely just a side effect. Either way, Sandra watched as Alex pulled out his credit card, another way to identify him should he go Jack the Ripper on her and kept her gaze even as he signed the paper to confirm the purchase. "Time to go," she muttered beneath her breath, getting a clear view of the cashier behind the plate glass window before walking with Alex towards the elevator. Of course, she was nervous knowing she was going to have a one-night stand with a military male but at the same time, Sandra wondered what Alex might throw at her in the bedroom. She looked him over during the few times she could without giving herself away, and he looked fit and ready to go at it with her. Sandra was not tough as him physically but throw her in with having to deal with a schizophrenic or helping the police classify a criminal, and she was as hard as the muscles bunched up on Alex's forearms. "You think? Very romantic," she mused, taking a second to relax and let him know she was at east with him but at the same time wondering where this night was going to head off towards. Hopefully, it would not be wrapped up in the sheets of the bed and hidden into the mattress." Ready to go in?," she asked, once the elevator opened, and she could see the room a few doors away waiting for them to go inside and get started.

At The Order Of Love [Marguerite & Whitey]|rating:4.0

The Last Alliance

Jain Proud more, leader of the survivors of Cordero, gazed out of the window of her living quarters. Outside, it was raining heavily, and the only movement was the guards patrolling the walls, ever watchful for danger. Sighing to herself, she stone over to a large, oaken table upon which sat a damaged letter. Opening it again, she read the contents for the seventh time. To the leader of the survivors, from Deathly apologies for not contacting you sooner, but the events of the Dark Portal have been strange ones. The reason I am contacting you is that a tome has been uncovered in LorderonThis book looks to be of magic origins, and thus, I cannot use it. However, it may bring an end to the wars! Alas, I cannot bring it to you as I have no boat. Please, send someone to collect it soon! Jaina bowed her head, trying to reach out and picture the location of this tome, bust something was blocking her. A knock came at the door. "Yes? What is it?"" Pardain mistress Proud more, but scouts report that some men are coming to the castle. Possibly the heroes you sent out the call for?"" Let them in, but be on your guard. Something... is amiss."" Yes, mistress Proud more"****************************************************IOC: And so it begins! Post your intros, and get to know each other! I'll be back on Monday! Geld or EarthfireStrolling along, Geld or looked around him. He was behind the otherness. It seemed to be quest, too much so, but no said a word about it - why should he be the first to say?" I wish I had something better to do then walk around with these mortals." Geldor thought to himself. He thought himself above the others, he didn't like to in such company. But the Alliance called for his aid once again. So along Geld or walked, watching the fireballs fly above him in circa ls. Legendre trailed behind the group of heroes. Not because he felt he had to detach himself but a reason he himself couldn't come to terms with. He was getting old and with that his strength was fading. Usually he wouldn't have thought about such a walk but now in his thirty-ninth year he was having trouble hiding his fatigue. His body was soaked through with the rain, and he pulled his worn travel cloak around himself. Entering through the large gates he sighed a sigh of relief and smiled"At least he would get paid at the end of it" IOC: Legendre you got to ask to play on the casting call thread first. Yea I just read it lol sorry Seal'is stood on the battlements, facing out one the one road leading into the fort, the wind was cutting through her clothing. She had heard of a call that had gone out and had come. To be honest to herself, she didn't know what to do anymore. After the destruction of the World Tree, and the loss of her aging immortality, she had felt lost just sitting around in the glades as she had done before the Scourge. Something up ahead caught her eye. She could see travelers coming down the causeway, mostly humans. But there was an elf among them! And not just any elf, a Blood Elf mage! She felt an anger rising in her. An anger borne of the betrayal of Lillian in ages past. And how, upon his release, he used the hated magics of the Burning Wagon! But no. Such feelings had to be put aside. Lillian and the Blood Elves may have caught against her sisters, but in the end, they, and the Nāga, tried to stop the return of the Niche King on their own... Entering through the large gates Legendre breathed a deep sigh of relief here the wind was weekend by the massive walls. He looked around admiring the guards discipline and order. It took him back to his days as a soldier day he would sooner forget. Tearing his gaze from them, he followed behind the heroes as they entered a large building to be briefed on there mission ahead. Seal'is saw Legendre walk through the gates and up towards the castle proper. Keeping quiet, she followed him for a distance along the battlements, not hitting the human out of her sight eye of nightLusendro ran a hand through his silver streaked black hair in a bid to remove the damp hair from his face. He could feel the eyes on him from all around, and they were right to stare what good would an old man be to this quest. He could hardly believe it when he was called up himself. But there was one other reason besides the money he half hoped he would not return. Geld or EarthfireGeldor on the rear of the group was the last to pass threw the gates." These humans still can not make a good camp, pitiful." He seemed out of place in this group and even the camp. As far as he knew he was the only magic user, and the only Elf. Geld or didn't know what was wanted of him, but his curiosity was high. The last allianceLusendro glanced behind him. He saw another man who had separated himself from the groups. He radiated arrogance and Legendre hoped he wouldn't have to work with this man too much but knew it would be inevitable. Something touched him then was it fear? He quickly shook the thought from his head and followed the small group of heroes. Jain Proud more walked out onto the battlements of the castle, and looked out at the assembled group of adventurers. She sighed to herself - far too many had died battling the Orcs, then the Elves, then the Burning Wagon." Attention, members of the alliance! I have put out the call to you all because there is a quest that could, upon completion, result in us being able to reclaim our birth lands! I have word that the object you shall be searching for will be in the Plague lands and, as such, I have assigned you groups according to your skills. Each team will search on their own accord! The groups are as follows..." Jaina proceeded to read out the names of the various travelers around"... And finally, Legendre, Geld or and Seal'is! Assemble in the courtyard in three hours in your groups. The ships will be ready to depart"She then gave the masses a short bow, and walked back inside the castle.***Seal'is eyes the group, her eyes easily picking out Geld or. No human had a name like that and, as the only other elf in the congregation, she reasoned that he must be in her group. "Great. I have to work with a 'Blood Elf' sorcerer" He heard the names called and sighed what could he do for three hours?. Moving from the courtyard he located a tavern and smiled. There was always that entering he ordered the strongest spirit they had and settled down at the bar pulling off his worn green travel cloak, unclipping his crossbow and sheathed dual short swords (IOC: are these weapon ok? If not tell me and I will change them) he took a sip and waited for the hours to pass. ((On an IOC note, I decided to play a goblin instead of orc or Lauren))"Helene" Before said as he seemed to materialize out of the shadows, comming to stand with the rest of the alliance. He was a wiry little goblin, reaching maybe 3 foot at the tallest, he walked with a sort of stealthy mannerism, large dark glassed resting up on his forehead, his long dark black hair hanging back, he goblin had a dark green skin and a wide toothed grin that said:I am always willing to work for a price. Beofurm wore signed and ripped leather pants with a sleeveless leather vest that had all sorts of pockets filled with all sorts of things. Wearing pouches on each side with a large pack with god knows what in it, the goblin grinned as if he were ready to cause mischief, but he had to be good, aiding the humans would be more trade for Ratchet, the goblin homeland, he just had to put up with all of them. Running dexterous little fingers through his long greasy black hair, he didn't listen to what they had said, he was more worried about whether his airship could remain whole with all these barbaric races running around. Not really evil yet willing to do anything to get business and to cause a little chaos, the goblin shifted nervously waiting for everyone to finish, the fingers on his left hand stroking a small smoke bomb lovingly, just in case. Seal'is spotted the goblin walking proudly around the square, looking a bit too interested in the usage of his bomb. Gracefully she left from the battlements and landed, walking over to Before." I do sincerely hope you are not intending on using that incendiary device, short one." She stood, hands on her slender hips, looking down at Before, which wasn't hard as most races in the land were smaller of stature than herself Geld or Earth fire"Now look at that, a Night Elf and a Goblin. I hope I do not have anything to do with them!" Geld or thought to himself. Before tilted his head up to look at the night elf, to see her looking at him. The goblin quickly moved his hands away, seemingly disappearing. The Goblin put a wide tooth grin on and shook his head, long black hair swaying back and forth." Hehe, No boom?" The goblin said in return to the night elf as his hands silently began to finger another, smaller bomb that exploded in an array of beautiful, blinding colors. Clicking a strap, the bomb fell down from behind him and rolled between his legs as the goblin hopped from where he stood, the grenade exploding in an array of blinding color. His laugh almost a wicked giggle, the goblin smirked.he loved making mischief around those that looked down upon his race with eyes that were above stuck up noses. Smirking, the goblin slipped off, his small stature aiding in his ability to hide. Quickly making his way to the top of one of the far towers, the goblin made his way to his airship. Seal'is staggered back, momentarily blinded by the explosion of light and color. She didn't like most goblins due to their mercenary nature, but this one she defiantly hated! She heard the diminutive green skin chuckle as he darted off through the startled crowd. Cursing to herself, she blinked to clear the spots from her eyes. Instinctively she reached for her bow, pulling it round and notching an arrow, but holding it there, doubting if she could hit the small target at such a range. Sighing to herself, she relaxed the bow and slid the arrow back into it's quiver and looking around at the startled faces. Once more she caught sight of the Blood Elf, feeling a momentary tug at her heart. Putting it down to the centuries of bad blood between their races, she turned and walked back to the battlements Geld or Earthiness Geld or watched the goblin and the night elf, Geld or wondered why he was here witnessing such idiotic nature. He turned and walked over to a corner, sighing in boredom, The remaining hours passed without incident. Many adventurers purchased extra equipment from the armory and arcane vault. Before the call went up that the ships had arrived and been made ready for the journey east. At once, the various groups left the main town square and headed to their respective ships. Sheal'is made her way to the ship that she, and her group were to use -The Noble. It looked like a small ship from the outside, but Seal'is had no experience of boats so knew not what to expect. Climbing on board she went down below decks after nodding to the captain of the vessel. She was surprised that the vessel was so cramps! Finding the sleeping quarters, she found that there were two separate areas - one belonging to the Captain, and the other belonging to the three adventurers! Just the thought of sharing a room with that Blood Elf made her feel a little queasy... or was that the rocking of the boat? Lysenko decided to head to his ship gathering his equipment he half staggered outside. Leaning against the railings outside the bar and taking a deep breathe he looked around. He spotted his assigned ship and moved for it, he felt quest the spirit had hit him harder than he thought and thinking about the ride made him feel worse. He groaned out loud and walked on board and down into the sleeping quarters he dumped his cloak and weapons on his bed before he noticed the girl she must be Seal'is he smiled at her then lay back on his bed falling into a deep sleep. Before stood on the railing of his airship, watching all the poor fools go to their boats, what sort of person uses a ship on the water, it is so dangerous....you could drown. Having checked the lists, he names wasn't with any of the groups that men the was working rogue which men the would be the first to get there and the first to get the book. Scrambling across the rail, he quickly untied the ropes holding the ship down, he figured why waste money on roping by cutting the rope when he could just untie it, he didn't need to be off extra early when his airship moved double the rate the foolish human boats do. Pulling his shades down, the goblin quickly fired up the engine, fires flaring and propellers spinning quickly, the airship quickly rising up and up until he hovered gently over the main boats of the humans. Why didn't they just ask him to accompany him? Well the human(Leandro?) might be able to get around, but the oath breaking Lillian serving swine and the all high and mighty night elf would have to really beg, but he figured it would be worth it compared to being on a boat. Pushing a lever forward, fires flared, and the Airship roared over head and headed off, flying over the boats and heading across the sea, the small goblin standing on the railing holding onto a rope and looking down at the boats below. Shall'is had seen the man called Legendre enter their sleeping quarters and lie down, instantly falling asleep. Perhaps he had a good idea there, she wondered. Perhaps she should sleep too. Legendre's company would probably be better than that Blood Elf - whose name she could not recall, nor wanted to. Sitting on the edge of Legendre's bed, she lightly ran her hand through his hair. Humans were still a mystery to her. She could see gray in his hair, something that no Dark Elf ever had. Even Storm rage, old as the continent of Salvador, had no gray in his hear or beard. Shaking her head, she stood up and walked back out onto the deck, waiting for the Blood Elf to embark so they could be on their way Geld or EarthfireWhen he saw the Night Elf on the ship, the angered build deep within." Cursed Night Elf, a rather go alone then go with her!" Geldor climbed onboard the small ship. He look for the cabin and walked in, he needed to put his belongings away - and gauged them with a spell. With everyone on board, the captain and crew cut the ship loose and started the long voyage back across the great sea towards the once-proud lands of Cordero, now renamed as the Plague lands... Shael'is stood outside on the deck of the shop, looking back at Salvador and Therefore Isle as the disappeared into the distance. A strange feeling came over her - perhaps within the next day they would pass close to the Maelstrom. It was there that the Night Elves and High Elves separated themselves and became two races... She went below deck and toward the cabin she was to share with the others. Geld or was there, securing his equipment. "We will be passing the Maelstrom soon. Watch, or ignore it. It's your choice" Turning before Geld or could reply, she walked back out onto deck, feeling the tension that had built up ease away in the cool sea air Several days pass, and the voyage is quite easy as no sea monsters, nor Nāga threaten the small vessel. At length, they arrive at the shores of the Plague lands, formerly known as Cordero. The once great trees now withered and dead. The ground cracked and hard. A huge cloud of flies hovers close to a small port town close to the landing site. Shael'is leaps from the prow of the ship, landing gracefully, pulling her cloak around her and raising her hood. Preparing her bow and arrows, she moved to the cold, dead trees, using their shadow to conceal herself from any prying eyes Off in the distance, something once-human moaned... Like any Goblin, short and chaotic Before had been busy working for other people, knowing that it would take them seven days, he could make that the trip there and back in two to three days at the most. Beofurm had decided to some other work down in the southern edge of Salvador in Grammar. Beofurm had been running supplies of all sorts for the orcs in building their mighty city and in return he received some warriors for this grand campaign, he could not trust a Blood Elf or a Night elf, they would be no use him because he bet that in a couple of weeks they would have killed each other by now and the other one was a human. On top of that, he was not placed in their group, so he was going rogue. They had just crossed the Maelstrom yesterday and had arrived in the plague lands before the army of the Alliance. The Goblin had stopped up in the ruined land of Fuel Thales, looking for treasures, the wealth of the once proud kings of the elves but like Art has had said "Death itself has come to this land"Art has, the king of the dead after his succession of the rich king, The goblins hated Art has because he refused to work with the goblins, but that was because he commanded the undead and they didn't well, have an economy. Beofurm stood on the railing of his airship, holding onto one of the ropes with one hand, a long metal scope in his other hand held to his eyes, the magnification allowing him to see a great distance. Spying on the movements of the Alliance troops, he signaled his helms men to bring them in closer. Legendre stepped from the boat he had never been a sea person and was glad to see the back of it. His legs felt weak, after days on a rocking ship it took some time for the legs to get accustomed to dry stable land again. Pulling on his worn travel cloak he followed Shall'is kneeling next to her, he leaned in close and said "Best be prepared danger is nearby" it was, surprisingly, the most he had said since the start of the journey. Geld or EarthfireWalking calmly of the ship Geld or was still in disgust of what was now the plague lands- thee once proud land ofLorderonwas the first to fall to the Burning Legion and most of the humans became undead. Geldor heard a human moan off in the distance. He looked over to the other two adventures; "We're going to have company." With that said he got ready to attack. "Aye, danger is rife in these lands" Seal'is kept in the shadow of the trees, using her skills to become near invisible, scanning the road ahead. Slowly she started to advance down the ruined road, ready for trouble*****Dress Frostbelt had sensed the boat with its cargo of living meat coming in to land. He had prepared for their landing by having some acolytes summon a Ziggurat, then sacrifice themselves to power its spirit tower crystal. Once it was up, he had called for a continent of zombies from his master, Key'Thread. Now, the Demi-liche sat in the tower, his zombies milling around outside, waiting for the foolish adventures The sky was always dark here in Art has's "Reborn Cordero", there was always a howling wind and the stench of death that stung at your nostrils and lastly the sickly howl of the undead that sent a shock to your core. The once proud shores turned to blight, the once healthy trees turned to ash and withered.... There was no life in the plague lands. Beofurm's Airship hovered gently over a patch of land that held an Undead base, yet the captain was no longer standing on the rail, no the goblin wasn't even in sight. In place of where the goblin usual stood, a large maybe 6'3 well muscled orc stood, his large foot on the railing as he quickly strapped down his weapons. With sharp dark red eyes and a dark black grizzled beard, the Orc blade master walked a large broad bladed yet curved blade loosely based on a did Katina yet made by the finest Orc smiths of Eurostar. The blade master quickly took up the large blade in one hand and grabbed a rope that hung down that stopped only 5 feet from the ground in the middle of the base, the Blade Master known as KTP Bloodier let out a loud cry that seeming echoed across the entire quiet land "OK TARO GAR MY WARRIORS!!!!" Ropes from all sides of the Airship dropped, Beofurm's disguise had worn off, yet no one knew he was the same person as the goblin. Kyp Bloodier was a war chief, his father being related to Thrall son of Eurostar. The blade Master had run away from a life he didn't want and joined a group of goblins, learning their ways and using magic to disguise himself as one. Trolls and Orcs quickly spilled out of the holds and took to ropes down, falling from the sky into the middle of the base and beaning to massive fight, attacking the off guard undead by surprise. Spears and Axes clashed against claw and sword as the battle raged on below, the blade master would not be left out. Standing on the ledge, the blade master jumped over the side, holding the large yet lightweight blade in one hand as he fell to the earth, the wind whipping all around him as he went, he grabbed the rope at the last second after flipping his body to go down head first. Catching the rope with both his boots, he hung upside down a few feet from the ground. Quickly pushing left with his legs while he let go, using the momentum of the push to correct his position and land his feet, in a crouched position. Setting both hands on the larger blade, he came from a downwards position to standing in one smooth motion, his blade trailing and coming up in a diagonal arc, the sharpened blade cleanly cutting through a skeletons neck and cleanly cutting through the bone, sending the head flying off to the left. Quickly using one of his legs he lashed out with it, the foot connecting with the skeletons chest and bearing in the ground to crumble to ash. The blade master singled out a crypt fiend in the fray, a large spider like beast that was firing webs of a sickly green color to entangle his warriors. A massive battle was raging on around him, and he focused his chi and quickly began to walk on air, becoming invisible to enemies. Quickly dashing up the air, he came to a stop a step away from the crypt fiend. Jumping high into the lifting the blade all the way over his head, the bright blade gleaming the blade master brought it down as he planted his feet on the ground of the crypt fiend. Pushing all his strength, the blade cleanly cut the fiends large bulbous head right down the middle cleanly, the head was whole then cleanly fell off into two halves. Looking around the Blade master saw they were quickly being outnumbered as he realized more reinforcements from another base were on the way, looking back at the shore he hoped the blasted humans were hurrying this way. He knew how they didn't like the orcs very much, but yet he liked humans but that's because his other life was a goblin and what got his friends money got him money. The battle raged on fiercely, and it seemed to be in a deadlock until the trees blew apart from a meat wagon, the reinforcements had arrived with a death knight at their head. Dress Frostbelt stood atop his spirit tower, directing the vengeful spirits channelled through its structure down to the battling warriors, tearing the souls from the Orcs and Trolls attacking his compound. He could see the green skins had struck with surprise, and his skeletons and zombies were no match for their warriors. Sending a series of ice bolts down into the ranks, he started to fear. The green skins were doing well, decimating his ranks. One in particular he recognized as a Blade master. He had sent a plea to the nearest outpost for warriors to be raised and sent at once, and open upon his infernal existence they would arrive. Luck, it seemed, was on his side this day. No sooner had he committed his reserves to the battle, holding off the Orcs did the reinforcements arrive in the form of a Death Knight and his retinue. Who the knight was he did not know, but it may be enough. Floating out of the spirit tower, Dress sent another wave of ice shards into the combatants as he made his way toward the Blade master******Shall'is held up her hand. She turned to Geld or. "Do you hear that Blood Mage? The slash of steel on steel resounds from ahead. We should investigate. Perhaps we could be of assistance" Pulling his crossbow from his cloak he slipped two bolts into place and followed behind the two adventurers. Ahead he was greeted by the sight of total chaos. A group of works were in danger of ban overwhelmed by ranks upon ranks of the undead. He expertly loosed his two bolts one taking a skeleton in the left eye, decapitating it and the other hit a zombie in the chest. Unsheathing his two short swords he dived into the fray. Geld or Earth fire"I agree," Geld or grabs his sword and pulls it free, small flames of fire burning along the long red blade. "Let's move." With his sword in one hand and the other free he moved over next to Shall'is. As he saw the human charge, he saw a few zombies charge him from the left. Geld or reached out with his hand, summoning his flame strikeTheflame strike hit perfectly as the zombies caught fire, and fell to the ground in a burning pile of undead flesh. Geldor then sent a fireball into an on coming Crypt Fiend. "Bring it on!" The fireball didn't stop the on coming spider. Geld or jumped, angering his sword down, he planted the sword in the Fiend's head, killing the abomination. "Come on show me what to got!" Like every battle it was hot and cold at the same time, it was good and evil at all times, and it came down to every man for himself. Shadows of the enemies cast a shadow over the orcs, yet they would not be defeated so early. Kyp Bloodier, A Irish blade master walked slowly into the center of the mess, arrows caught flight, yet none seemed to hit him as he lifted his large broad bladed did Katina, the blade black and jagged in the form of lightning signifying rank as a blade master. Holding the hilt in both his hands, he let out one cry "OK TARO GAR!!!!" The blade master stood in defiance of everyone else as the battle raged on. His eyes locked on the death knight, narrowing as he quickly analyzed his foe and gripped his blade. Growling low, the blade master quickly lifted his blade and reflected three scars shot by a crypt fiend and began a dead charge for the creature. The crypt fiend lowered its head so it could impale the crazy bloodlust orc with wicked delight. It never got the chance. The blade master quickly hopped over its pincers and ran up its bulbous head, quickly running along its Torah and running down its abdomen, the blade quickly bounced off the back of the crypt fiend high into the air. Quickly spinning the blade so he held the hilt in one hand with the blade sticking out like a javelin, the Orc Blade master quickly hurled it forward with all his might. Like the blade master had predicted, the Death knight lifted his large sword, sitting back on his steed and quickly knocked the blade to the side, to the left. The world hurtled off to the side quickly spinning....spinning...spinning right into the hands of the blade master he had landed to the left and slightly behind the death knight. Quickly planting his feet and pivoting around, the orc blade master lashed out, the blade cleaving up in an arc, cutting through an arm, a head and then another arm. As the blade came down, he flipped to the edge of the sword inwards and swung it like a bat, cutting the death knight entrain. Legendre fought hard his old bones already tiring. He blocked a cut to his left from a skeleton and responded with a savage kick to the groin knocking its whole bottom half away. Another attack came, but it was clumsy and badly timed he side stepped and rammed his short sword into the creatures stomach where it was lodged. He cursed himself taking his short sword two-handed he moved deeper into the battle. Shall'is started to fire shots into the thinking Undead ranks, particularly at the meaty ones. Her harrows struck home every time, but with creatures that are not alive, it was difficult to fell them. Sighing reluctantly, she discarded her bow and drew her long dagger, rushing into the nearest group of zombified humans. Ducking and dodging their clumsy swings, she used her knife to stash and hack at the undead, causing blood and gore to spill onto the ground - plus a few internal organs and the odd eyeball. Furiously she caught, hacking away, and getting ever more covered in bile******Dress floated toward KTP and hovered a short distance away. Pointing to the Blade master, he opened his fleshless mouth. You, Blade master. You are powerful indeed. Furthermore, you seal make a worthy addition to my master's forces!" Moving one hand back, he summoned an aura of frost about himself, and sent several shards of ice flying toward the Orc Legendre saw the shards fly over head but took no real notice in them. He had received several shallow wounds the worse one was above his left eye and was obscuring his view. His lost left-hand sword had been replaced by a small scimitar. He could see the undead ranks thinning and felt a strong sense of relief. Seeing the battle almost won Legendre got his second wind and charged into battle refreshed kicking and hacking his way through the remaining ranks. SHA'n watched the battle from a distance, gray eyes narrowing slightly. He fingered the worn places on the handle of his blade absentmindedly, considering the situation. He removed his backpack and stowed it in a small hole in a tree, then made his way towards the battle, pulling the knife from his belt and slashing efficiently at the first undead that came close to him. Furthermore, he remained close to the edge of the battle. Upon the broken land of the blight, there was nothing living it was said, yet right now the land seemed animated as a battle raged on somewhere deep inland between orcs, alliance and a mysterious blade master all against a common goal:The undead." I shall never serve the dead, for once there was once a saying that death itself has come to this land" The blade master set both of his large hands on the smooth wooden hilt of his ceremonial blade master sword "Take a good long look upon my face, you set your gaze upon death, and it has come" With a free had, the orc blade master drew something from his belt, a large container of some sort of liquid. Popping the large cap cork off, the blade master poured some upon his blade, cleaning it of all blood and giving it some sort sparkling polish gleam in the pale moonlight. The blade master quickly threw the cap back on and chucked it over to the night elf. The water was magical,Water that the elves denied admitting existed yet the jug was created to make any water held in its container this sort of holy water. The properties of the water were that it made any undead affected with it unable to regenerate wounds made by it and if killed by a weapon with the water on, they may never rise to the call of their master again: a true death. The orc had done his research, the blade master quickly set his other hand on his two hand hilt and quickly planted his feet, his blade moving in quick arcs, cleaving and battering aside ghouls as the remainder of the troops, there low level troops where all they had left. The bones cleaved by the sword sears and the screams of death to the undead howled through the night, yet the blade master only looked forward, his red eyes narrowing at the Niche. Geld or Earth fire"Darragh!" Geld or moaned as he charged through a grouping of Zombies, his blade was swung side to side cutting through undead flesh leaving body parts everywhere. The tides had turned, and victory was near. Before he could find another target, a Crypt Fiend burst out of the trees behind Geld or and spat at him. The web pinned Older to the ground. He couldn't even see his attacker as he was pinned to the group. The beast stabbed Geld or's left leg with a than, screaming out in pain Geld or swung his blade over his head slicing enough web to escape through. Jumping out, he throws a fireball at the Fiend as Geld or pinned to face his attacker. He throws another fireball hitting the beast in a leg knocking it down. Another fireball hit it's head, Geld or throw one last fireball which hit the Fiend in a critical spot, killing the undead creature. "Don't ever do that again you're stinking undead corpse of rotting flesh!" SHA'n was holding his own fairly well, despite using only his small blade. One creature managed to gash his back before SHA'n whirled on it, and it fell in three strikes. SHA'n moved back slightly, having done a fair deal of damage to the ranks of undead, defending himself from the few that still persisted in attacking him. Dress recognized the water placed on the blade as holy water, blessed by the original clerics of North shire, no less! Looking around he saw his warriors falling far too quickly. What he could really do with were some necromancers... Pulling out a scroll, he read aloud it's incantation and his body was surrounded by two glowing golden circles. "You are lucky, Orc. But next time we meet, I will be properly prepared!" The circles closed together and Dress vanished in a puff of smoke, returned to a Black Citadel somewhere further inland...******Seal'is left and caught the holy water gracefully, landing behind the zombies she had been fighting. Confident of victory now that so many of the undead were falling, she did not react in time to the hidden found that sprang out at her, slashing its claws across her back, making her scream in agony before spinning around and lodging her dagger in the beast's eye, felling it. Staggering to the side, Seal'is collapsed to her knees, feeling her blood run freely down the back. With luck, she hoped, the others could finish off the remaining skeletons and zombies before the smell of her blood attracted them to her Legendre heard the scream and looked to his left Seal'is had fallen a large gash on her back. He cursed himself in the past he would never do this but with age he had grown less cold. He sighed the battle was all but won now anyway he rushed over to the fallen woman and scooped her up slinging her arm over his shoulders he began to move her from the battle. The smell of blood attracted creatures to them but Legendre quickly dispatched them quickly with his crossbow or sword. Surprised to find she was still conscious he told her "Wait here your in no condition to keep fighting" with that he rushed back into the now one-sided battle. Geld or EarthfireGeldor, seeing what had happened reached out and summoned another flame strike to hold back the undead running after Legendre. "I got you cover human!" Throwing a fireball hitting a goal, another fireball hit a crypt fiend. Geldor summoned another flame strike on the undead which had turned their attention on him. Falling to the ground burning, only a few of they Undead were still alive. Sword in hands glowing red with flames, Geld or charged in to get between a Crypt Fiend and the Night Elf. "Not this time Undead!" He shouted at the beast AAS his sword hit the tangs blocking the attack on Seal'is. The Fiend turned its rage on to Geld or. Its legs flung out and grabbed hold of Geld or and picked him up and throw him just as Legendre fired a few arrows into the rear of the spider. Now the fiend turned and charged Legendre. Geld or recovering from his fall jumped into the Fiend, platting the Fire sword into it's side, letting out a moan of pain, the beast gave up its life. Standing, Geld or looked at Lysenko, then slowly turned around on a limping leg to look at Seal'is. "Now that was fun," he then falls back to the ground felling exhausted. A mighty cry echoed through the entire silent land of the former land of the humans now the plague land. The cry of victorious orcs and trolls, covered head to toe in blood and battered from the long battle against the undead. Only searing bones where the holy water on the blade of the Blade Master had seared the skin, charred it and sent the souls of the dead away to their creator and by creator we are not talking about Art has. Holding the large two-handed blade in his hands as if were not even there, as if it was an extension of his body. Lowering it to the ground, the Orc blade master marked a large symbol into the ground, the ancient symbol of the Blade Master's clan: The Bloodier. Looking in the directions of the companions that had come to his people's aid, he nodded to them as he caught hold of one of the ropes from the ship, the ship he was clearly entering was the ship of the goblin Before. The orcs and trolls quickly scaled the ropes into the ships. Lifting his massive blade, the blade master cleanly cut off fifteen ropes, each rope was made for a certain warrior, to his specs and when one warrior died, it was ceremonial to remove the rope and never replace it, that was the way of his warriors. Lifting the blade up, the broad blade, curved like a Katina with a magic sharpened edge making it one of the keenest blades in the world, he blades master keenly cut through his rope as it hung down for him. Waving the ships away, the ships turned and disappeared over the next rise or so, leaving the lone blade master to stand on the symbol of the Bloodier in the middle of the ground, hundreds of dead lying around him where the great battle had taken place. Fluiently crossing across the battlefield, the blade master lifted the head of the Death knight that he had finished off. Lifting the ghastly head, its mouth opened as it made its last final scream before its death, the orc impaled it on a crudely made pole. Walking back into the center of the Symbol, the blade master drove the pole into the ground as a warning. SHA'n could feel blood on his own back as well, but he was not too badly hurt. He glanced at the woman who had been similarly wounded, lingering a fleeting moment still in the open. After a brief pause he moved away from the whole scene without a word or another look around, blending into the surrounding scant foliage without disturbing it. He toyed in a vague kind of way with the idea of following the strangers, but knew that his gash needed to be tended to first. Running a hand through his sweat streaked hair he walked towards his two companions. He first moved to Geld or taking his hand in the warriors grasp, wrist to wrist he nodded Showing his appreciation for what he did. Next he moved to Seal'is kneeling behind her, the gash in her back was deep and needed stitching. He cut the back of her top and took out a needle and thread, this would have to do until they found someone to do a better job. Pinching one of the gashes together with his fingers he began to expertly stick it together. Shall'is managed to grin through the dull pain in her back at Geld or's words. "Y.yeah. Killing less the... 50 undead at a time... is Boeing"When Legendre moved behind her and took a knife to her top, she was slightly shocked, and moved a hand up to hold her fur-lined leather bra on. However, her shock turned to pain as he started to stitch her wounds, and, as he did that, she reached out and clasped Geld or's hand, squeezing it in response to the pain. But she did not cry out, trying as hard as she could to bear the pain Lifting his canteen he poured some water onto a torn piece of cloth and dabbed it to the blood seeping through the stitches biting off the excess wire he inspected his work satisfied he threw his travel cloak over her to cover her modesty then pulled off the tatters of her shirt and handed her his last fish one. Moving away from the two of them he began to clean his weapons. Geld or EarthfireFeeling tired Geld or knew he had to get up. This battlefield wasn't a safe place to rest. Letting go of Shall'is' hand, he put his hands in front of himself a pushed and turned over so he was in a sitting position. The wound on his leg was deep, and blood came out freely. Grabbing his sword, he cleaned it of the blood, then placed its side on his leg. The fire-sword burned and clotted the blood. Geld or looked over to Shall'is he spoke; "We need to move, we're not safe here." SHA'n withdrew his backpack from the tree he had stowed it in, brushing off bits of dead bark and an insect or three. He stripped off his shirt and opened his bag, squatting in place as he shifted things in his bag, searching for the extra shirt he had. He made mental note that he would need more food soon, and pulled a bladder of water from his bag. Furthermore, he took a small sip and poured some onto the already-slightly-bloody shirt he had. Furthermore, he draped the shirt over his back and continued searching through his bag. Seal'is nodded at Geld or's words. "Yes, I agree. Perhaps we should seek the shelter of living trees? Surely there must be some left in this land" She stood up and winced at the pain in her back. Looking around, she took in a breath of air, and pointed off to the south. "There. The air smells less foul" Legendre slipped two bolts into his crossbow and re-sheathed his weapons. He stood as the others did and nodded in agreement at there choice, lifting his travel cloak he followed behind. There were undead on the move. Area slipped across the broken moorland, trying to blend in with the gray stones and mournful reeds. At some points, she got down and wriggled across the ground like a snake, ignoring the mud that daubed itself across her face and clothes. She hadn't seen a living soul in months, so much so that she was beginning to doubt that she had ever actually known anything but winds, sad silences and the dead men hunting her. She dreamed of Malayan's tall spires, now rubble and ruin, at night, and cried when she woke up. At last, she came to a withered copse of trees and felt brave enough to stand up. She was panting desperately, her face slick with sweat. She had seen two columns of the pale-skinned eaters of the dead since morning, and once a great meat wagon had rolled by her hiding place, almost crushing her. There were undead on the move.

The Last Alliance|rating:3.0

Hunting the Fallen

(Transcribed from Skype)Adrian, Malaria, and a few of their even friends are up to city-shenanigans one night (their parents think they are out to a ball or something), exploring places that shouldn't be explored...top of towers, sewers, but no privately owned property. Mirai, ever vigilant, notices them and their infractions. Amusing as it undoubtably is, she does feel the need to rain on their parade. "There are easier ways to get yourself killed, kids."" Kids?! We are five times your age!" Shouted back one of the other elves, getting a scoff from the Dark Lantern. "Hey "kid," Adrian says to Mira.... "I bet you five gold can't get to the top of *that* tower like Chairman did!"" Five gold? ... Fine." Without any effort at all, Mira was up the tower in the blink of an eye. So much for law & order. Smirking down at the elf who had offered the bet, she gestured for him to pay up. The elves were amazed, they thought only Elves were blessed with that kind of grace. Adrian has a few ranks in Tumble, no ACP, and a decent-high DEX, but altogether not as good as Mira, but he tries following up anyway. She yawned as he reached her, holding out her HND for the coins and quickly hid them away in a pouch under her vest. Sharlaria and Adrian have always been "Teammates" so to speak, and the sister manages to get the other two elves to go off and find something else to do. Now suddenly alone with this other elf, and with not much better to do, Mira sets up and repels down the side of the tower. Only to see Adrian Featerfalling down beside her. Remarks were thus made offering to teach him a nonmagical way to not fall to his death. Being prepared, and all that, didn't he learn that in elf-scouts? Elf-Scout equivalent to the Silver spears was the Mage School....which Chaotic little Adrian quit after a few months. Old geezers playing chess all day, trading notes and potions and crap....that's not exciting. Exploring the city, that's exciting (would he be able to catch up to her? IE: would she let him?) She'd make it sporting at least, never taking too far from a lead even if the opportunity presented itself...and then he would cheat for the last stretch. Jump: 1st level Wiz spell, +20 Jump, +8 Skill Mod, mid 30s. But once he cheated, she would tackle him in a second, not willing to lose this race over cheap tricks. Hey, she's competitive! And with superior Strength, DEX, and BAD, she has the advantage for the initial grapple, and from there it's a cakewalk to hold him. Noting that he lost that fight, Adrian tries to weasel out of it. "Well, we are at the top, how about we call it a draw?" Mirai is a sore winner, though. "Why should I, when you cheated?!""so did you!"" What, how?!"" Rope."" You had every opportunity to use rope. Magic is a completely different story!"" Fine. Have it your way." With that, he rolls off the tower, and she's coming with. Good thing Feather fall is verbal only. Mirai would assume a death grip on him as they (in her mind) fell to their deaths, and he would hold on to her as they slowly descended. As soon as they landed, however, she would (attempt) to sucker punch him for being a jerk. Unfortunately, Adrian would deflect it easily, and toss a platinum. "Thanks for the fun night, we should hang out again sometime." Mirai would once again smirk at him and nod, pocketing the coin again before turning sharply on her heel. "Sure thing. I'll find you sometime. Don't bother trying to find me, though." With a wave over her shoulder, she would vanish away into the city. Two weeks would go by. Adrian would have his sister attempt to cry an ornate dagger he noticed Mira carrying with no luck. No matter, though, as true to her word, Mira found him. She strode right in to the Armando tavern, approaching Adrian at the bar where he was eating his dinner, and slapped down the same platinum piece he had given her. "A song, if you will."(bread hanging out of mouth) "cam I finish my dimmer first?" She would laugh at that. "Yes, of course." Once done, he would gather his friends and sister. His friends would summon their respective instruments (a large bass violin and an even flute), Malaria would clear a space for her dancing area, and Adrian would summon his violin. The song he sang was very bass, very low....the bass violin is heavy, the flute is rare, and Star's dance doesn't quite fit, almost like she is trying to make it on the spot. The song goes on for several minutes before he keeps going. And going. For about half an hour. And eventually an hour. Singing the entire time, Star gives up on her inventive dance. Two particularly grumpy looking elves leave, while Star serves herself two drinks and hands one to Mira while she takes a seat next to the human." What in the world is he singing?" She asked"A work song." She said simply. "Dwarves blacksmiths made a song that lasts for nine hours...they start singing it at the beginning of the day, and when the song is finished, they know it's time to go home." She points to a rowdy group of dwarves in the corner, singing deeply along. Mirai blanches a bit at the thought of a nine-hour song being the price she had to pay for returning the coin, and after thinking through her prospects she attempts to wave Adrian over., hoping to get him to stop the song. At a natural pause, he gestures a dwarves friend to come up and continue the singing....a small can trip later, his violin is playing itself." Really? A nine-hour song?!" She says as he makes his way over." I forgot, short-lived humans treasure nine hours a lot more than dwarves and elves do...please, don't be disrespectful, this part is about the holdout of Fort White, Warrant against the Underran-Cyran Combine""You know if you wanted me to sleep here tonight, you could have just asked." Despite the implications of the words, Mira took a nonchalant sip of her elvish wine. Sharlaria, however, shoots wine to the next table from her nose. But Astoria is used to even girls, from the well-renowned to royal, flirting with him....a human city guard is nothing he can't handle "Rooms are 2 gold per."" Oh no, I couldn't get a room now. I wouldn't want to be disrespectful." She sighed sarcastically." Eh, they're just dwarves."" So are you saying we should leave, now?" Apparently that initial sarcasm was lost." Why would I leave?" Now she was getting a bit frustrated. "I thought you said you wanted to see me again?"" And we see each other now!""..." Annoyed, she turned away from him in her seat, pointedly offering him her back and focusing her attention on the young woman next to her, who sheepishly tries to explain that its like offering cabbage to a wolf...it was raised on rabbit, and wants that. Mira, however, counters that if you take food away from the wolf entirely, it'll take what it gets. Hence, she was going to ignore him if he wanted to act like this. Atorian will let the dwarves take the song from there. They decide to play some boring parts faster, skip a few dozen chapters, and get to the damned drinking already... they then realize they are in an Even tavern, and move on to something more real. One drunk dwarf remains behind, both physically and melodically, still accurately hours behind in the song....he seems to be crying as he sings, which is more pronounced to the lack of Even and Dwarves patrons and that the music has stopped. And so there were 4, and it is so late it qualifies as early. Star and Adrian work together to haul the dwarf outside and close the tavern for the night. Mirai finished up her final drink before helping out with what she could. Then, with a stretch and a yawn says. "I suppose I should be leaving now as well, then?"" I thought you were purchasing a room?" Asked Adrian"I never said I was. You offered me the price of the rooms, I never agreed to stay." She snipped." Okay....well, Star and I are going up to the manor to get some rest" To which Malaria leaves. Adrian, however, lingers. Awkwardly. "Are you or are you not purchasing a room? I would say a 50/50 chance of an upstairs room?"" Does it really concern you so much whether I stay here tonight?"" No, it concerns me whether my father would be pissed if I displeased a customer." With a sigh, Mira thought for a moment, before surrendering with a "Fine, I will stay the night. Two gold, you said?" Without waiting for an answer she would hand over the money as owed. Atorian would then show her to the room, up 3 levels. Mirai, however, would make small talk by coyly asking "If you knew which rooms were available, how exactly were my odds of an upstairs room 50/50?"" At the time, I didn't know if you were buying a room or not, hence 50/50." With a soft snort she would accept the answer, before glancing back at him. "I see. Well, I with that I should be sleeping. I cannot stay all day though tomorrow, I will need to be leaving midday. Should you want to find me before then, I will be here." She then reached to open the door." Why are you so concerned about me finding you?" Her fingers wrapped still around the door knob, she glanced over her shoulder with a knowing look. "Because you won't be able to do so unless I tell you where I am."" But why do you care about me actually finding you, not whether I am capable of it?"" Good night, Adrian Silver spear." With that she shut the door behind her. The next morning, Adrian would make sure that he would be the door to door complimentary breakfast server for the floor she stayed on. Mirai would answer the door, appearing as though she had already been awake and ready for many hours. When she notices Adrian at the door, she quirked a brow. "I didn't order breakfast."" Hence, complimentary." Glancing back into the hall, Mira was quick to notice that she was the last room in the hall, and the last to be served. "I see. It's still warm, I hope?"" Magical pottery, it's warm. Do you take us Silver spears as some kind of swindlers?"" Oh, not at all. It's just well known that your father is a bit. I wouldn't say biased. Preferential."" Oh, it's a bias, he just doesn't call it that." He was still outside the door with the breakfast trolley. Stepping aside from the door to let him in, Mira glances at the amount of plates still on the trolley. "Would you care for some? I don't think I could eat all of that..."" I already ate....my mother still coo--- I uh, already ate. Try the corn hash. And eggs. And Care-Toast!" Snickering at his enthusiasm, Mira settled down with one of the plates, taking a bite of the food, and seemingly melted into her seat from the taste. "I don't know what it is, but Even made food always seems to just taste better." Atorian looked curious. "Than what?"" Human food." Mira sighed. "I suppose there is something to be said about having hundreds of years to practice."" Oh, she's not a very good cook, she had....more important things to do in her past." Glancing up at him, Mira nodded soberly. "I suppose. Your parents' adventuring pasts ARE fairly renowned."" Wouldn't quite call that one an adventuring tale....but never mind that." He closes the door behind him, before collecting a plate of food for himself after all, predominately cyan toast. Chewing thoughtfully, Mira watched him as he settled in himself. "So, how long did it take you to memorize a nine-hour song?""It's not really memorization, so to speak, Dwarves build their songs differently. It's just memorizing the pattern that a 15-minute verse goes, combined with knowledge of dwarves history....put them together with some ingenuity, and you have a dwarves song."" I see! I'll be the first to admit that I know absolutely nothing about music. Or Dwarves for that matter. You could have been singing about eating babies and I would never have known." She paused for a second, then added seriously "You weren't, were you.?"" Dwarven babies or the enemies babies? Warrant did have a few verses, so I won't answer that." Seeing a moment when a change of subject would be good, Mira quickly asked. "Is it normal for people to cry during those songs? I noticed that dwarf last night, I felt kind of bad for him.""-it was when Warrant intercepted a route that was transferring Cyan refugees to----oh, the crying dwarf? I think he sang something about his grandfather being in that particular battle. Furthermore, I know at one point there were a pair of dwarves twins, one fell and turned to Warrant, and they fought each other later in the War. After the Morgan brother killed the Karachi brother, the Morgan realized his brother wasn't actually dead before, he switched sides willingly, and he just killed his brother." Mirai listened quietly to the tale, her face suddenly growing very somber at the story of the two brothers. When he finished, she asked quietly "Did you fight in the war?"" No, I was never allowed. In fact, the Silver spears made a distinct point to not be involved, save for helping refugees that tracked their way all the way back to southwest Ireland." She nodded at that. "I didn't either, but my sister was." Atorian looked at her with that. "Oh?" Nodding again, she looked away from his glance to the floor. "Yes. She was a paladin of the Silver Flame." He almost groaned. "Oh, great." Furrowing her brow, she glowered at his reaction. "What do you mean by that?"" Silverspears and the Silver Flame have....butted heads before""I see. Well, my sister and I hold very different views. I never followed the Silver Flame, so you don't have to worry about that if you were."" That's good." Her voice quieted again, and she lost the irritation in her face as she continued on. "Besides, my sister. Changed after the war." Atorian looked confused at this. "What do you mean? Karachi?" Shaking her head, Mira just kept her gaze fixed on the floor. This was a. Painful topic, to say the least. How she came to be speaking about it with an elf she hardly knew, she did not know. "No, not that. It's hard to explain." She trailed off, as she tried to put things into words. Atorian however didn't wait before offering. "War changes people, you know"Mira glanced at him expressionlessly, as she considered whether to tell him more. But she had come this far already, no point in hiding it now. "It's not that, it's." She took a breath. "I saw her, just before her last mission. She was still my sister then. But her last mission was in Care, and she. She was at the Day of Mourning. I don't know how she survived. I didn't even know she HAD survived, until recently. Furthermore, I found her by chance, she didn't even bother to tell me she was still alive. And she was different. I came across her as she was attacking some travelers in a backwater town. By their accounts she had been framing them for crimes they didn't commit, and she-" Her voice tightened with a choke, and she took a moment to compose herself again. "She tried to kill me. I don't know what happened to her, but my sister wouldneverdo that." The room was silent for a while, after she spoke. Adrian's voice was quiet when he finally brought himself to speak. "Where is she now?"" I don't know. I tried to track her so many times, but I can't."" Well, then, I wish you luck on that endeavor."" Thank you." And now, an awkward pause. "Would you like the rest of my food? I'm not hungry any longer.""No, thanks." Adrian seemed to have quieted down a lot, not as attentive, as if he was thinking." Is there something on your mind?"" You need to find your sister? What do you think happened to her?"" I honestly don't know." Was he going somewhere with this? Mira couldn't tell." Then let's go find her, shall we?" He got up as if to go pack his bags right then. Wait, what? "Right now?!" Atorian deemed. "Yes! Right now!" Mirai was baffled by the proportion, completely caught off guard. "I. I mean. I would need to go talk to my superiors. Furthermore, I could be ready in a day?" Atorian however didn't miss a beat. "I could talk to---some...body to see if I cans cry her down for you. The Silver spears have powerful resources, just give me the name and a description, and I will have the location for you this time tomorrow!" Adrian spent the early afternoon searching the Armando for his father. His father was a master of teleportation, and now that he was a retired adventurer, had nothing better to do other than teleport around looking for something better to do. Adrian found him sprawled on the floor of the Armando Library with several dozen opened books spread out around him in a circle. Gaeleath magically sensed his son approaching long before his mundane senses alerted him. He followed the boy around Armando with his mind, watching with his mind's eye as the boy searched expediently for his father. As always, he was in such a rush do to things. Then Adrian finally decided to check the Library, and had stopped just outside the door to calm his heart rate just before opening it. Beneath patiently waited for the knock on the door, and told his son it was alright to come in." Father, I have an issue and need your assistance." He exclaimed as he burst into the library. Gaeleath finished reading the paragraph he was on, and left an arcane mark on the page to signify where he left off, then stood up to turn his attention to Adrian. "What do you need, son?"" There is someone in need of our help."" Ah, you mean the human girl?" Atorian was used to his father knowing everything that he did. He didn't know to what extent it was, but he was sure that his father had him enchanted with some kind of crying spell so he could monitor him at all times." Yes, sir." He said as he stopped, realizing that he was approaching the matter to abruptly." You know that we should not be meddling in human affairs. Their lives are too short for our times spent on them to be of any difference."" You're wrong, father. I need you to cry on somebody for me, and I will show you why we need to be concerned about this." Adrian said with a tone of defiance in his voice. He didn't care about abruptness, he knew what he needed to accomplish." Don't tell me what to do, boy." Beneath replied with an authorities yet smooth and calm voice. Beneath could tell there was real concern in Adrian's words, even if he was being equally native about the situation with the girl. But he decided to give his son a chance. Beneath looked up at the ceiling, as if somebody was up there watching the situation. "Alright, son. Who is it that you need me to cry on?"" Her name is Alcatraz Signed. She was once a Paladin of the Silver Flame, but has since fallen from that status."" A lot of Paladins fail out of their Orders, son. Especially from the Silver Flame."" Yes, I know. But this one is unique. She has gone completely...evil. Also, she was in Care during the Day of Mourning."" If she were present at the destruction of Care, she is already dead." Beneath said with a disclosing tone." Yes, so prove to me that this is truly nothing by crying on her. If she is dead and the spell fizzles because of it, I will drop this. But if she is actually alive..." Gaeleath thought about it. The arch-mage has outsmarted Gods before, and yet here he was, wavering in a logic-battle with his adolescent son. The elder elf sighed and replied, "Very well son. We shall take a look." Gaeleath focused on a small crystal ball. The crystalline ball filled with black smoke, which cleared to reveal the world of Emerson. Then it very quickly and continually zoomed in on Hovered, then into the Bazaar Principalities and finally onto one of the small islands on an archipelago, which were very common in that area. The crystal focused on a black-haired, black-eyed, beautifully fair-skinned woman with dark silver and black armor. Her two-handed sword came crashing down from over her head to slay a helpless girl with an unborn child. The crystal focused better on the surrounding image, and there was black smoke generated by several flaming buildings in every direction. Hellish demonic fiends were chasing and slaughtering villagers that were barely able to defend themselves. One man had a small, crude shield and a mace to keep one demon at bay, only to be surprised from behind when another demon used a single claw to scratch the man's spine, disabling him from the chest down instantly. He was still awake when the demons began feasting on him. Aliatra Signed watched the carnage. She chanted out a single name: "Fire heart". A large, black horse with a flaming mane, set of eyes, and set of hooves materialized from another world by her side. She mounted the beast, saddleless, and kicked its sides. It charged up a large hill, trampling over retreating villagers and leading several quadratic demons as it went. It stopped at the top of the hill to give Alcatraz a view of the other side. Human, even, and dwarves survivors were retreating for their lives, but demonic airborne creatures were picking them off one or two at a time. They would not make it anywhere at all at the rate they were dying. The nearest settlement was several hours away. A dwarves man approached Alcatraz and Fire heart, dropping to his knees and lowering his head in a surrendering gesture. "Why are you doing this, my lady? We are a peaceful people." Aliatra dismounted from Fire heart, and knelt so that she and the dwarf were roughly eye-level, though the dwarf was still staring at the dirt below him for fear of looking at the one that just led the slaughter against his village." Master dwarf, I don't have to explain anything to you, because you are already dead." Before the dwarf could react to the statement, his headless body slumped forward into the dirt. Alcatraz cleaned her sword with a small rag and sheathed it." Dammit, I can't take anymore!" Adrian yelled out as he turned his body around so that he did not have to look at the crystal. He could feel water in his eyes, due to both anger and sorrow, but mostly anger. "Do you understand now what I am saying, father?! She is evil and must be stopped!" Gaeleath too, was shocked by the discovery of such a dark and evil chain of events. "You were right, my son. You must stop her."" Why the hell do I have to stop her? I can barely do anything, father! Just teleport there and blast her into oblivion!"" No, son!" Beneath's voice rose for the first time that afternoon. "I cannot just start firing my power around to set things to the way they should be, because who am I to say what the way things should be is?"" Father, she is killing innocents and summoning an army of Demons! She must be stopped! You have the power to stop her right now! You have to go set this right!"" And how would the girl, Mira, feel if I just went and erased her sister from existence?" Atorian didn't know what to say. How could he have been so quick to want to execute Alcatraz? His father was right, he would have to find a way to help Alcatraz away from the path of evil. But he wondered, deep inside, if that was even possible? "Does this mean that you will not be helping us, father?"" Son, my adventuring days were finished long ago. I will help you however I can, but I cannot go with you. You have the power, whether you believe or not, to set this right. Do this for the good of those villagers, for Mira, and for Alcatraz." Atorian felt a teardrop down his narrow face, and he nodded in acknowledgement. "I can do this, father. I will"Adrian spend the late evening packing his things. Adrian Hawk song, the Armando Estates stable master, gave Adrian two horses. Brahma was Adrian's horse since childhood, and the two were close friends. Bree was Malaria's horse equally long, but she had told Adrian that she would not want the horses split up, and that Mira could use it more than she could now. Atorian set the saddle on Brahma's back and cinched it down, then set the Bradley on the horse. He then patted his friends nose, as if to ask is it were comfortable enough for him. He then strapped his hand-and-a-half sword that his father gave to him when Adrian was a boy. It was a good sword, but it was not the Silver spear Moon blade, the family heirloom passed down through seven generations of firstborn children in his family. Each generation, the new bearer of the sword traditionally enchanted it with a new property, one that signified it to belong to its new owner. Adrian was the next rightful owner of the Silver spear Moon blade, for he was minutes older than his sister and thus, firstborn of Beneath Silver spear and Tabitha Hawk song-Silverspear. Adrian had not yet earned the right to wield the Moon blade, for reasons Adrian did not understand. Did his father not believe him to be capable of the sword's power? Whatever the reason was, Adrian had proven himself time and time again in competitive combat arenas, and he knew he was capable and ready to be given the Moon blade. But, as usual, his father was holding him back. Maybe tracking down and stopping Alcatraz would finally prove to his father that he is capable of solving large-scale problems, and Adrian would finally be deemed worthy of receiving the Silver spear Moon blade. Next, he secured his rucksack just behind Brahma's saddle, which secured his spell book, a longbow with ten arrows, several days worth of rations and water, a bedroll, and spare clothing. Again, he checked in on Brahma to make sure he was content with it. Adrian handed the horse a carrot. "Are you ready for a real adventure, Brahma? Not one of those playtime adventures we used to go on rescuing Malaria from an evil dragon or the like, but a truly real adventure." The only response he got was Brahma noisily eating his carrot. Adrian scratched Brahma's nose, and double-checked his packing. Sharlaria approached while Adrian was retying the straps that held his sword in place." Are you sure you are ready to do this, brother?"" Of course, I am. Even if I'm not, I need to go anyway." His response seemed to pierce Star. She wasn't expecting him to be so completely ready to undertake this task already. She picked up a brush and started grooming Bree." Brahm and Bree will look after you two. Although I still don't understand why you are not taking the Lightning Rail to Throne first, it would save a lot of time."" Father told me it is too dangerous, and we have too much equipment to travel on the Lightning Rail, plus he doesn't trust Throne. If we stay on foot, we can avoid crowds. Besides, Mira is an experienced woodsy type, so we will be safe."" I am sorry I cannot go with you brother. I would, but I have too many duties to see to here at the mages' college. Also, father has forbidden me from going. He said it would break mother's heart if both of her children left at the same time on a dangerous journey." Atorian stopped what he was doing and looked at his sister. She was not looking at him, she was only looking at Bree. "I'm going to miss you, Bree." She said. "And I'm going to miss you too, brother." She said with a tear in her eyes. Atorian crossed to the other side of Brahma and hugged his sister. She hugged him back, burrowing her tears into his shoulder." I'll miss you too, Star. Take care of Armando while I'm gone, I'll need a home to come back to." She nodded her head gently on his shoulder, trying to hold back from crying entirely. He held his sister for several minutes, then took the horses and set off to find Mira. It was surprisingly easy, for Mira to pick up and leave in a matter of a day. A lifetime of moving around had instilled in her the virtues of keeping a spartan existence. A profession in intrigue was also quite accommodating to chasing off at a moments notice, as well. It wasn't a question of whether her superiors believed her story; there was no point in lying to them, anyway. The only question would be on if they agreed on if her sister was a threat to the crown. Had Alcatraz at any point threatened the king or Freeland? No. However, her power was known and her recent dealings were. Disturbing. Her connection and attitude towards Mira, a citadel trained agent of the king's Dark Lanterns, was also concerning. So, they agreed with her missioner bag was packed and slung over her shoulder as she walked through the streets of the bottom level of Share, picking her way carefully through the grime that came with the poorer sections of the city. It was no wonder most of the city's novels never strayed below the upper half of the City of Towers, and anyone who could afford it chose to leave Share through other methods. She was surprised when reports came to her of Adrian, son of such a wealthy family, was seen leaving through the ground level gates. It must have been at his father's suggestion, a seasoned traveler himself would know the particular risks involved with the very same methods of travel that the wealthy take to avoid cut purses and other scoundrels. No, airships and the Lightning Rail were far too visible, far too easy to trace or monitor. A street urchin ran into Mira as she was distracted with by a merchant, but she snagged the child by his collar as he tried to bolt with a hurried apology. Without a word but with averyunimpressed look, the boy sighed and handed back her coin purse. "Next time kid, don't try to get away so fast. If you linger, the mark's instincts'll tell them you couldn't possibly be so dumb as to stick around. Maybe cry a little, throw them off guard. Rich folk can't stand crying kids and hate making scenes even more." She knew those tricks all too well. Not because she was a guard or a spy, but because not too long ago those tricks were the only things that kept food in her belly. How many years ago was it that she and Alcatraz lived is this very area? Before her sister found a better life for them in Flame keep? Even then, Mira kept up her thriving ways, and had to be doubly good to do it under the Silver Flame's noses. Her own sister couldn't even ever learn where Mira got her money from, and hadn't gotten so haughty as to ask questions or try and reprimand her baby sister... What had happened to her? The sister who loved her, would do anything for her. What was she now? Mirai flashed her documents to the guard on shift, not slowing down to wait for his okay as she left the city. If he was a smart boy he wouldn't need to read the paper work, just see the sigil and know to just smile and nod. Outside the borders of Freeland, and even really outside of Share it was a horrible idea to make it known who she worked for, but in situations such as these it did certainly make things a bit quicker. It wasn't hard to find Adrian outside the city, waiting with the two horses in the quickly faded twilight. Sure, it might have been a bit longer than the day she had promised to get ready, but he obviously had at least continued to wait for her. With a grin, she approached him, holding out a hand to the horse meant for her and cooing softly to it. "Have you been waiting long?" "I haven't been here too long. My father pinpointed your sister in the Bazaar Principalities. It's only about a ten-thousand mile journey, and I've been trying to figure out our route from here. I figure once we get to Throne by horseback, we can continue by boat or airship to more easily skip around Warrant and the Mourn land." Atorian decided not to tell Mira about the crystal ball his father gave him yet. He didn't want the girl to see her sister. Adrian was planning on watching it when he had the chance, though, so that he could magically track Alcatraz." Do you have everything you need to get going?" Adrian lifted himself onto Brahma's saddle, then helped steady Bree for Mira. "Only ten-thousand miles." She snickered in response, not truly bothered by the idea but certainly finding it a bit ridiculous. Leaving her pack on her own back, Mira approached the horse's side, stroking the mare gently on the shoulder before mounting effortlessly. The Bazaar Principalities was an odd place for her sister to turn up in, though, she couldn't think of any reason why she would Gotham. "Yes, this is all I need." She said after a moment, smiling pointedly at the large bag across is horse's flank. "I know of a good inn a few hours north. One step at a time, yes?" "Very well." Adrian stated and started off. Suddenly it hit him. Adrian was leaving Share. He was leaving his friends and family behind. He knew his father would be watching over him, even if only vaguely. But now he was on his own. Sure, he had a human girl with him, but he grew up to know the camaraderie of even friends. Now, he had to place his trust in this person he barely met weeks ago. He hoped he wasn't making a mistake taking on this dangerous mission across Hovered. He tried to think of why he was leaving again. Furthermore, he was going to help Mira stop an evil tyrant. Yes, that was it, he was helping a girl that needed help, that's the way his parents raised him, to help others. That's what he knew was right. This soothed his panicky thoughts and emotions. However, there was one major thing that crept around in Adrian's mind...... He was leaving his sister behind. One sister behind, and another ahead of them. The pair rode on in silence for a good while, with Adrian lost in his thoughts and Mira focused on remembering their route. It wasn't too long however before she began shifting in her saddle uncomfortably, the silence with someone who was basically a stranger becoming more and more awkward. Glancing his way, it would be plain to see for anyone that Adrian was a bit conflicted. For someone as trained in reading other people as she, it was easy to at least guess the reason behind it. "Is this your first time leaving?" she asked gently, guiding Bree to walk alongside Brahma. "Oh no. My friends and I got out every so often to nearby cities of Ireland and Largo. My father regularly took us to the Kornberg Library, too.... But it will be the first time away from my family and friends." Adrian patted Brahma on the back of his neck. "Most of them, anyway." The rest of the day went in relative silence. Just before dusk, the two arrived at a small hamlet with the inn that Mira had referred to. Adrian asked Mira to take the horses to the stable while he dealt with purchasing their rooms. It was a rather busy night, with many humans, elves, dwarves and halflings chatting and playing cards around the decently large inn. The place smelled of humanoid and dwarves alcohol, but it wasn't too strong for Adrian's tastes. Atorian approached the counter of the innkeeper. He noticed on a sign nearby that there were only one-person rooms in the inn. "Two rooms, please." Adrian said as he dropped a handful of coins on the innkeeper's table. Atorian waited for the innkeeper to give him the keys. When he got them, he noticed that Mira had not shown up yet from the stable, so Adrian decided to join the card game that was going on between a couple humans, a dwarf, and a halfling.(Gamble Check for Adrian 10gp stakes)(1d20)[2] "Good bluff once again, master halfling" Adrian stated as Mira spotted him in the inn. "I knew I should have folded on my pair of threes."(Gamble Result: Lost all stakes of 10gp) She took her time in the stables double-checking and triple checking on everything for the horses. Making sure their hooves were clear of stones or other irritations, their bedding and water clean and their hay. Fresh and well-kept. Their tack was wiped down and all the sweat brushed away expertly away from their coats. Truth be told, part of her extra care was more of Miami's way of stalling. Buying herself some time alone before entering the inn to fully consider what it was she was doing: blindly rushing in to this... this what, quest? Mission? With an elf she hardly knew. She trusted him well enough, but all of her years of being cautious and all that she knew of how the world worked was telling her that she was a fool for doing this. But the little girl inside her, alone and crying for her big sister didn't care and wouldn't listen. This was a chance to save her. Perhaps not much of one, but Mira knew that she would not be able to live with herself, if she passed up the chance to help Alcatraz. She would sooner die trying. When she was finally satisfied with the situation in the stables Mira finally made her way in to the smoky common room of the inn and quickly picked out Adrian quickly from the crowd. A smile crept to her lips when she noticed the cards, and she couldn't suppress a chuckle as she heard him lose his stakes as she approached. "Tell me you haven't already gambled away the last of our funds?" The crowds fall silent as a tall man with black hair and piercing blue eyes walks in. The man scans the crowd casually as if looking for someone, pausing when notices the people playing cards. When he sees Mira he goes as white as a ghost and immediately turns and leaves the inn. Outside you can hear the loud thundering of hooves as he gallops away. "It's about time you got in here, Mira!" Adrian exclaimed. Something was off about her." Hey, you should help me win some of my money back." He told her as he fetched a chair for her. Something...was different about her. What was it?" New game, master halfling!" the elf boy demanded. But before the dealer could get the cards down, it dawned on Adrian was different about Mira. "On second thought, I'm going to cut my losses and call it a night." He tossed the second room key to Mira, and turned to go upstairs to his room. Mirai spent too long in the stable, and smelled like the horses. Adrian wished that everyone else in the world would just live their lives to Silver spear standards. It was strange, that when the whole inn fell silent there was no one at the door when she turned to look. It was also strange how quickly Adrian changed his mind on the game, but Mira just shrugged it off. She was already more focused on the cards being dealt to her. With a nervous grin to the men sitting about her, she waved off her companion before picking up her cards. "What game are we playing, again? ... That's the one where you try and match the numbers and stuff, right?" It was all too easy for the young woman to play the naïve beginner. They never knew what hit them. After a couple of hours at the table, the others at the table finally resigned to their empty purses and grudgingly took their leaves to their rooms. Mira had managed to win back Adrian's money and then some, first by playing on her act of being a beginner at the start, and then on her opponents' wounded pride trying to reclaim their coin that she had won. She was just about to turn in herself when another patron entered the inn seeking a room, only to be turned away due to a full house. Feeling sorry for the older man, she offered up her key for the price of the room on the assurance that she would be allowed into her companions room. And so it was that she strolled into the dark room, setting down her pack before climbing fully clothed and still stinking of horse in to the bed. She was tired, it was late, and hey he was an elf. Not like he really slept. Adrian was aware the second Mira opened the door. He was tracing on the chair in the corner when she walked in. He listened to her drop her bag on the ground and climbing into his bed. Furthermore, he didn't mind it. Furthermore, he would be done tracing long before she got up, anyway. He let himself fall back into his meditative even trance. When Adrian woke up, it was still dark out. He quietly changed back into his travelling clothes, grabbed his gear, and left the room. He made sure the door was shut for Mira, and went downstairs. Nobody was down there. He decided to go check on the horses out at the stables. He took the crystal orb that his father gave him from his pack. Furthermore, he wanted to check on the status of Alcatraz. Furthermore, he watched her for a few hours as she travelled on flaming-horseback across the Bazaar Principalities and eventually boarded a naval warship with a crew of slaves. She was heading south along the coastline of the nation. Adrian wondered where she was going, and hoped that she wouldn't take an obscurely different route before he had a chance to check on her again. He put the orb away when he realized the sun was coming up. He knew Mira would be approaching soon, and didn't want her to have a chance to see her sister, for Adrian feared it would cause her pain. He prepared Brahma and Bree for travel, singing to them their favorite even song about the four seasons as he did. Adrian was indeed long gone by the time she awoke, and Mira hadn't honestly expected any different. After an obligatory yawn and a stretch, she quickly made her way down to the main room with her pack to score some breakfast for herself (paid for courtesy of the previous night's winnings). It was filling and warm but altogether forgettable, and what she couldn't finish she made a point to stash away in her bag for a snack later on. After breakfast, finding her companion was another story. She was somewhat surprised to find him in the stables with their horses, stroking Brahma's neck and murmuring quietly in elvish to him. The sight of him with his horse brought a smile to her lips, and while she didn't want to interrupt the moment they really needed to be getting on. Luckily, Adrian had once again saved them some time by getting them prepared while she was still asleep. "Have you eaten yet?" "Yes, I've eaten. The horses are ready to travel, if you are." Atorian had checked both of their horses and had packed earlier that morning. He was eager to leave this town and get travelling again. Their next stop was Croat, the capital of Ireland. From there, the path would turn northern for a several week journey into Throne. Adrian and Mira continued their long journey. Mira strode over towards Bree, cooing to the mare gently and offering out half of an apple she had saved from the breakfast table before gently tossing the other half to Adrian to give to Brahma. "Onwards, then! Only, what, 1,975 mile left to go?" Said with a grin in the utmost humor as she began to lead her mare out of the stabling area to swing herself up into the saddle. "Look on the Bright side, Bree, the longer we're traveling, the more treats you get." Stroking her horse's neck reassuringly, she then glanced back to Adrian with a smirk. "Oh, I think you lost this last night, Adrian. Catch." She tossed over the coin purse she had one the night previously, a good bit heavier than it had been when Adrian first started playing cards. Adrian caught the pouch of gold and nearly dropped it due to its unexpected weight. He looked down at the pouch, opened it, pulled out a gold piece, and flicked the gold piece at Mira. "Good job, here is your reward." He didn't bother to look at her when she gave a return glance. He thought the joke was funny enough already, and if he saw her reaction, he wouldn't be able to keep from laughing. About half a week later, Adrian and Mira were well on their way to Croat. Adrian monitored the crystal ball in secret every night, but he knew Mira was getting curious as to what he was doing alone each night. One night, he was watching Alcatraz punish her crew of slaves on her ship for some frivolous task that they messed up on. She was still in the Bazaar Principalities, and had a minor skirmish against pirates or freelancers once or twice a day. The battles were always hopelessly one-sided in Alcatraz's favor, though. She was currently battling an elf that was a captain of a ship. His rapier was blasted into a dozen pieces when her two-handed sword brutally crashed into it. She stabbed the elf in the chest, and lifted him up using only the sword as leverage off of the ground. He wriggled and screamed in pain, and Alcatraz casually carried him to the side of the ship, and kicked him off of the end of her sword. He screamed until he fell under the water below. Atorian was so enthralled in studying Alcatraz's fighting tactics that he didn't notice Mira sneaking up on him, examining the crystal ball for herself....

Hunting the Fallen|rating:4.0

(Star Wars FFG) The Doves' Talons (NEW IC Thread)

To put it bluntly, Alderman has seen better days, and this district has seen far, far better. Enlistment in the Planetary Defense Fleet and the Republic Volunteer Corps is at a peak right now, and the streets are empty save for so many terse people who seem to have little time for each other. That, of course, means they have little time to scrutinize Label heading for a district she hasn’t been to before. She passes a storefront where people are chattering about the end of life as they know it. A Zebra female calls the Two’led male insane for suggesting that all droids need to be scrapped before they lead a droid rebellion. His human friend suggests they should scrap about half of them for metals for the war effort, but the Zebra’s rebuttal is lost as she steps away. She has an appointment to keep, after all, and one of grand importance. The note left for her simply read: come and press the doorbell, and gave the address of an apartment. Dark Horse Estates, House 10. It was still ‘under construction’ according to the HelloSign, but the Dark Horse Estates had been finished weeks ago, and furnished just before a certain Two’led had been delivered last week. She would notice the holorecorders whirring and watching her as she stepped onto the grounds. A project like this was a relic of older times when space (vertical and horizontal) hadn’t been a luxury and so many people lived in houses and manors. These meager, but well decorated, houses are a hope to appeal to ‘faux rich’ renters who wanted to live almost like they were nobles. Of course, deserted townhouses are convenient meeting places. For Range, the walls of the unit she is in are starting to close in. The nice man (her handler, though he blushed at her use of that word) had been so attentive, but like far too many souls he had been worn out and begged off of her. It had been more than a day since she had had a physical presence to share her bed. The bed is very cozy, of course, and the furnishings are all fine, though they certainly aren't enough for the elite of the world. The warm reds of the carpeting and furniture and the hot orange of the painted walls seem like a poorly chosen blend, but there's no accounting for taste. There would come a simple message across the onscreen for her. Open the door and let her in. Around that time, Label would arrive at the door and probably be pressing the button. Range was laying in her bed tapping through her data pad and swiping through the latest cultural exposition pieces on the colonel. The Galaxy was so big and full of so many people... she could devote a lifetime to studying them and still only barely scratch the surface. Especiallyherlifetime. Her education was thorough but...quite specialized. It left so many gaps that embarrassed her when she had to discuss matters beyond the realm of courtship." I'll get it." Nor got up off of the bed when she heard the doorbell. She slipped out of the covers, two bare pink feet daintily falling to the ground. She was dressed in nothing but some lingerie underwear, exposing her body freely. Though she stood no shorter or taller than was typical of her kind, the Two'less sexual characteristics were all exaggerated. Her figure, features, breasts, behind, complexion, all down to the most exact details had been carefully specified by a thorough analysis of cross-cultural aesthetics and cultural examinations. She was, in a sense, designed to be as pleasing to the eye as possible to as wide a variety of species as possible. Her Leak, the long tails emerging from the back of her head, were almost obscene by Two'led standards, extending even beyond what was common for Truth. Noting the particular emphasis and associations of that part of anatomy with desirability, the Minoans paid no heed to her comfort or convenience and made them large enough to end at her knees. Her skin was patterned and unblemished by any tattoos or brands, rare indeed for a former 'slave.' She lifted her wrist up and poked at what appeared to be her bare skin, revealing a small holographic console. With just a few swipes and a push, her entire body took on a blue sheen and from her neck, ankles, and wrists a skintight suit materialized over her naked body. Of course, the whole time she wasn't naked at all. With the way her nipples protruded through the thin fabric of her skintight suit, it was fairly simple to program her holographic clothes to match her natural skin tone and give the illusion of nudity. For a while, it worked perfectly-an irresistible invitation for her handler. By now the effect had started to wear off... or at least his stamina had given out. As she walked, Nor adjusted the settings on the console and the suit took on a black coloration. It materialized a short-sleeved jacket, necklace, belt, and shorts over the black suit. Given the limitations of her suit, her hands and feet remained bare. She idly stroked the base of her Leak while pushing them across her shoulders to get them out of her way and smiled demurely even before she got to the door, preparing herself to look as accommodating as possible. A slender finger extended out to push the button on the console beside the door and invite their guest. Label had just finished up her afternoon class when the letter arrived, and set off as soon as she could. She didn't have many belongings to bring with, she tended to wear her armor where she went as a precaution and the cane in her hand hid a razor sharp sword. These days it was better to go prepared than to be caught without and Label wasn't intending to ever be caught without. She was a bit unassuming herself, a short green skinned Italian with geometric tattoos spread across her face, gray cloak covering her with the hood pulled over her head. Dark Horse Estates wasn't one of her usual places she visited, too rich and snobby for her. Still, those who were on the street paid her no heed. Xenophobia and hawkish war fever seemed to be the topic of the day, which only gave her more reason to hurry along. She stopped at the address given, looking over the place. A bit of an inauspicious meeting place, the sign would possibly deter anyone investigating. Seemed like your typical spook hideout. She supposed the worst it'd be would be Republic Intelligence, asking if she was a bad enough dude to save the Chancellor's daughter. After ringing the doorbell, Label was met by a curvy two'leak with leak that were almost comically oversized. It was a bit of a shock and Label took a moment to register. She didn't remove her hood, but used the top of the cane to raise the brim up a bit for her red eyes to be visible." Are you whom I am to meet? Cryptic letters sent by droid are rather strange, stranger still in times as these." At that moment, a cleaning droid buzzed up on the floor beside Range and spoke in garbled Basic,"the homophone in the living room will be ringing, please be sitting down there to receive the call." It sounded a lot like the handler that Range hadn't seen for a little while. At least the living room had a comfortable couch and a recliner for proper lounging... Nor smiled demurely, "Seems so." She stepped out of the way and offered her hand to let Label in. She was rather curious to meet a Jedi. From the flash learning pods to the colonel and stories she'd picked up, they were a people quite unlike any other. They drew from all the species in the Galaxy and yet were philosophically quite homogeneous. They had such amazing powers and also such a strict code... "I guess this is our new life, CNN?" She softly laughed, "I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds it unusual." She walked in the room behind her guest and went over to the kitchen, "May I offer you something? A drink? I apologize in advance that we don't have anything like Alderamin white. My companion here will..." She looked around, blinking. Now that she thought about it, ithadbeen awhile since she'd heard from her handler. The Two'led assumed that like so many men, his obligations and limitations demanded that he take some time away from her for a while. She thought he'd be back but on second thought, ithadbeen awhile, "Hm. I guess he's not back yet." Then the droid chirped up with its crude vocabulary, and she realized that he had indeed gone and ditched her. Putting it out of her mind while she grabbed a drink to pour for herself, Nor called out, "Could you get it? I'll be just a moment." "I'll have some water, thank you,"Label said as the two'leak offered a drink. She looked around the sparsely decorated... home? Abode? Place of residence. Best to go with that. A cleaning droid rolled up and gave them instructions, causing Label to pinch the bridge of her nose in exasperation. Great, spooks. Which meant someone wanted the services of a force user without going to the Jedi. Label had been careful to cut herself off from using the force since leaving, but figured someone from the Republic or Order would be keeping tabs on her." Sure....."came the reply as Label made her way to what was apparently the living room. She pulled down her hood and sat down, setting the cane down next to her." I'm guessing whoever is going to call is doing so because they need the talents of a mechanic and.... I'm sorry, I am unsure of your profession?" Nor preferred a little wine herself. She was used to luxury and had to admit that as interesting as it was to sample all those other cuisines from across the Galaxy, she favored most what she was familiar with. She brought Label a glass of water and sat down beside her to await the call. The woman was pretty to look at, Nor mused, but something was bothering her..." Well, I'm not currently employed at the moment." The woman said with a coy smile, "...but I suppose you could say I was a slave for most of my life, though my experience was somewhat atypical. Let us just say that what you do with machines is what I do with people." She did suppose that was as an appropriate comparison as one could make- a mechanic maintained and repaired her machines but could also improve and sabotage them as needed. The Two'led liked to believe her powers of persuasion could have as much an impact on people. The galaxy and the Republic was in need of quite a mechanic like her, and if this organization's goals were as lofty as she was led to believe then the Doves' Talons would be the means of fulfilling that purpose. The hold in the room rang and then auto-activated. Wait, no the cleaning droid did that. Sneaky blighter." Friends, I thank you for arriving in a timely fashion," spoke a garbled voice. As the holorecorder focused in, a silhouetted figure stared at the camera. They were a bulky enough figure, perhaps a bit thicker than any healthy figure should appear." I am Nest egg. You two have been called because your talents uniquely suit you to resolving a situation that we feel may be in the combined interest of all of those who wish peace throughout the galaxy." Nest egg did not move as they addressed the recorder. "An arms dealer is preparing for an off planet meeting with a Confederate sympathizer. We believe this arms dealer will be willing to supply would-be Confederates, anarchists, and other opposition forces on Republic controlled worlds. While it would be preferable if the arms dealer never met with this sympathizer at all, it'd be far more preferable if the plan was disrupted and the sympathizer was positively identified or...rendered impotent. The arms dealer is currently at a nearby cantina, likely hoping to round out his crew." The address and the picture of the place appeared on-screen. It was a low class joint on the edge of an office complex and an industrial complex, but at least it had a Rodin pulling security at the door. And then, a picture of the arm's dealer. He was a dark-skinned man with his black hair clipped close to the scalp. He looked skinny, but you didn't need to be very fit to shoot someone with the latest in blaster technology. Nestegg appeared on-screen once more. "Questions?" Nor softly sipped from her drink as Nest egg spoke. She had to think about it carefully, admitting no small amount of trepidation and the thought of having to contend with an arms dealer. This was a completely different Football game from conspiring the downfall of her old masters. They were haughty aristocrats who spoke too much and too liberally about their misdeeds... This man or woman would no doubt be more vigilant, especially if they were consorting with the enemy, and especially around a pair of strangers. The Two'led snatched up her data pad from the table and typed out the address so that she wouldn't forget. It must havereallybe a low class joint if she hadn't been there before... She had to put aside her current needs to focus on the task when the man himself was displayed. If only her handler had let her know he wasn't going to be around, Nor would have satiated herself elsewhere. Speaking of which, she did have a question. "The man who was here before... I haven't seen him in, well, over a day now. Is everything's alright?" Nest egg is silent a few moments. "Ah, yes. He had to do your recon for this endeavor. Apologies for making you worry about him, but worry not. You might see him again on future operations." "So our task, as it were..." Laeli began, setting down her glass. She steepled her fingers together, resting her chin on the tips of her index fingers." Our primary objective is to disrupt a possible arms deal. Optional objectives are to permanently, in one way or another, render the sympathizer's ability to possibly do damage nullified. The resources at present are a face and mechanic. Assuming minimal disruption from local security forces, what can we expect for resistance should this operation require.... Aggressive negotiations? While I am loath to resort to violence, I am not naive enough to believe everything can be solved without it. I would rather not see this planet be pulled into the war front, rebels and anarchists having access to modernized weapons would put an undue burned upon the planet's security forces.... If possible, I would also like access to a layout of the facility and a list of employees. I wish I had paid more attention to hold-networks, but we have the skills we have. If we can identify anyone with a.... fondness for two'leaks within the establishment's security detail, we can exploit the hole in their defenses and give us a good position to intercept the sympathizer and neutralize them. She was speaking as much to herself as she was anyone listening, a plan forming in her head as she worked out what they had. Nor's eyes gradually widened as Label began to mutter to herself. She idly rubbed her Leak and forced a smile as the Italian became lost in her own thoughts. She did not particularly relish the idea of being thrown at a member of the security detail without a plan. It was too much like her past-being thrown at aristocrats to be their playthings. After Label finally paused long enough to give her a moment to interject, the Two'led put her hand out onto the mechanic's thigh and said, "Let's... begin with our names, hm?" The woman smiled and brought her hand to her chest, "I'm Range. You can call me Nor if it pleases you. What's your name?" A moment later, if she was able to settle her new partner down a bit and complete their introductions, the Two'led cleared her throat, "If I may be so bold, I think we have more resources at our disposal than just the two of us. When I was still a slave, my master spoke... liberally around me. It was not so difficult to lead the authorities to all the evidence they needed to put him away. I barely had to do anything."" So I think... if we can gather enough information on the arms dealer, it would be a simple matter to have him dealt with here on Alderman." She smiled to the hologram of Nest egg on the table, "If we can present a case, that is. He is looking for crew members-that means we have something he wants. I might even hazard to guess that with your skills as a mechanic, you'be of more interest to him than I would. At least on a starship or to do with maintaining weapons." Nyr tapped her supple lips as she thought of the other matter, "The sympathizer, on the other hand, is likely a different matter entirely." "The arms dealer has a small crew of a few thugs for security during sales, as far as we know, but he has likely supplemented it. His freighter could house as many as twenty if they didn't care for comfort, perhaps forty if they crammed in tight. We don't know where or when the deal will take place, so we can only assume it will be off world or at an on planet location we haven't discovered yet. We will attempt to maintain our reconnaissance and update you, but do not count on this." Nest egg paused. "Information on the cantina staff and interior layout is not available; you will have to adapt to the situation on the ground. The address where his freighter has docked will be displayed shortly. He has, as far as Alderamin authorities know, committed no crime and is operating under a valid license. This makes it easy to track him, but the sale will likely be illegitimate, either off the books or to an entity that does not legally exist. Your objectives remain the same: disrupt the deal if possible, gather what information you can, and, if possible, remove our unknown buyer as a threat. Good luck. Nest egg out." There was silence, and the onscreen faded to black save for the addresses of the cantina and the dock. "So we have twenty to forty possible hostiles. More reason to avoid fighting, with just the two of us we're unlikely to survive such an encounter." Label was still talking to herself, taking in the information provided and attempting to formulate a plan. "Hm? Oh, I'm Label. It'll make things harder if he's operating with a valid license. I'm afraid deception is not my forte and while I prefer direct action, I cannot assure my ability to maintain a ruse. Perhaps we can integrate ourselves into his network however, if you can do most of the talking I can avoid the chance of slipping up." "It's a pleasure to meet you, Label." Nor said with a smile. If they were to work together, the first step of any successful mission would be developing a good working relationship first. She took a moment to think, stroking her chin before carefully choosing her words, "In my experience, the easiest way to maintain a ruse is to... tell the truth as much as possible. If you offer your services to him, and he begins asking you questions about... uh, mechanic things, then you just tell him what you know. How could you possibly slip that up?"" Unfortunately, I do not know what can offer him to take us both onto his crew." The Two'led thoughtfully sighed. Of course, therewassomething entirely obvious to both women that she could offer. Her omission of it seemed to stem more from a deliberate effort than any lapse in recollection, "So perhaps I should accompany you as something akin to your companion." She softly smiled, "If we appear committed to each other, then perhaps the target would be more inclined to view us as assets and not, you know..." She sighed, "A pair of Italian and a Two'led females in a cantina by themselves."" Just say that we're partners." She finished with a winning smile, "That part's true, isn't it? If you get the job, then I will insist on going with you." The Rowdy Blockhouse The Rowdy Blockhouse wasn’t quite in a bad enough neighborhood that you would fear approaching it, but the Rodin pulling security out front was clearly ready for trouble. He looked at every humanoid who passed by him. That was curious enough, as it was. He seemed to be just watching people going in. Perhaps he was just there to shout to lock the door if someone serious came up? Nonetheless, Range and Label would easily proceed past this (apparently not attracted to Two’less) specimen and into a cantina that didn’t look half bad. The floors weren't clean, but they never were. At least, no one was fighting or shooting or bleeding all over the place, yet. This one favored lighting that was bright enough for you to see without being so bright that your eyes would be hurting. For this reason, it was easy to see that the Rodin bartender had her top off and the live entertainment was also respecting wartime clothing shortages that didn’t exist. The only human of the lot, a ripped frontman who did all the singing, was wearing a speed that didn’t seem like it was going to hold up. The two female dancers, tall Key Does that had just enough junk in the trunk to make up for their meager breasts, seemed to have some sort of adhesive tape covering their genitalia and nothing else. In the back, a Two’led male working the synthesizer was also bare save for a speed, and he was slimmer than the frontman but no less fit. Perhaps more important than the band or the bartender would be the man holding a booth in the corner. Dark skinned with short black hair clipped close to the scalp, he seemed like a dead ringer for the target. He was far enough from the band that the speakers wouldn’t deafen him, but close enough that he could see the right Key For shaking her ass like her life depended on it. He nursed a tall glass of ale slowly as he looked on at the entertainment. ".... I want out of this place as soon as possible." Laeli muttered, keeping her eyes down. She never had a reason to visit a place like this before, and the sights rather just reinforced that belief. She'd seen more nudity within the first ten seconds than she had in her entire life. Label gripped her cane tightly, her cheeks blushing and glad she was short enough that catching an errant glance of ass or tit was unlikely to happen." Looks like our mark, remember the plan?" Laeli said quietly to Nor, just loud enough for the two'leak to hear. She wanted to make sure they were both on the same page, it wouldn't do for both of them to be running in opposite directions. Luckily, it didn't look like anyone was even clothed enough to hide a blaster. The Millikan had the large case with her that contained her collection of mechanic's tools, it would help lend some credibility to her story. Nor had to admit that in her current state, she found her surroundings... problematic. It would have been bad enough for a woman conditioned to be physiologically dependent on such titillation. To compound things, the Two'led was also mentally conditioned to... appreciate the beauty in most all species. Amino seemed like such a dream. Most everything she knew she learned from that place- and yet it seems so distant and hazy, like a dream. Her eyes lingered a bit too long on the bartender, recalling with some delight how Radians had those suckers on their fingers. Most aliens found their mating pheromones to be offensive but Nor found it flattering. Key For were another often maligned species for their appearance. She had to admit their masks made it difficult for her... but there was something desirable in even these specimens. Of course, they paled in comparison to their frontman- a muscular human belting his lungs out. Nor had her considerable Leak wrapped around her neck and hanging down to her rear end. She couldn't help but curl them in towards each other- as obvious a sign to any Two'led as there could get... She couldn't help but try to look past the singer as well, at the member of her own species. A tinge of frustration pulled at her when she realized she couldn't get a proper measure of his head-tails at this angle. Thankfully, Label brought her out of her reverie. "Agreed." She softly laughed, rubbing her forehead with a smile in spite of herself. The mechanic brought her attention to the man in question, and she nodded, "Of course. I'll defer to your expertise." She gave Label a reassuring wink. The Two'leak slunk into a seat opposite of the arms dealer first, quickly brushing one of her Leak away from her face both to emphasize it and to draw his attention away from the dancers and to the woman in front of him, "Well, hello there. Enjoying yourself?" She turned to look at one of the Key Dors, in just the way and for just so long as to let him get a good look at her without feeling like she'd catch him. When she turned back, the Two'leak was smiling ever so sweetly. It might have helped her charm a bit that she was feeling quite desirous herself... The weapons dealer smiled politely, showing his pearly whites, and said, "enjoying myself a lot more right now." Showing a shocking amount of willpower, he did not look at her assets, though his head bobbed a little bit before he got it under control. "One of the boys put you up to this, darling?"" Or did you just come over for good conversation and better entertainment?" He took another sip of his ale, giving the entertainment a look when he might have thought Range wasn't looking. "The name's Not. Milan Not." Laeli would get her share of looks no matter where she went, but most folks had the sense to not look too long. This wasn't the kind of bar where you looked at someone unless you wanted something, and that big tool box could fracture the average sentient's skull. Not certainly looked handsome enough. It was a shame that he was an arms dealer and that fact did dour her attraction a bit. Even if she found the man's profession and opportunism in the current strife of the galaxy deplorable, she could still appreciate the man for his looks alone." One of your boys?" She raised her brows with a smile, "There's more of you?" The Two'led brushed aside one of her Leak, looking over at the dancers with a shrug, "Not sure about the conversation yet... but the entertainment's alright. Not, was it? Milan Not..." She tapped her lips, making sure to purse them in just such a way that his eyes would be drawn there, "That name sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?" Nor looked his way with a smile, making it plain that it was no rhetorical question. In all her experience, she knew that most people loved nothing more than to talk about themselves. Depending on how forthcoming he was about who he was and what work he did, she could lay the groundwork for Label. Besides that, if you whet a man's appetite for a bit before making him an offer, he was all the more willing to consider it. These were the things she knew best. Label's eyes clicked back and forth as she registered the name. Pulling back the hood of her robes, her red hair falling around her neck, she gave a modest bow." I am Label. A mechanic by trade, I have heard tell of you from my own clients. They speak of a man who deals fairly... and is willing to cut a deal here and there." She gestured to her tool case." So often do I work on providing personalized touches that I thought, why not offer my services straight to the supplier?" She hoped he'd take the bait. Honeyed words were not her forte, she tended to avoid dealing with people if she could help it. Still, her words weren't too far from the truth. If he believed what she said, they'd have an in to gaining his trust further. And, perhaps, could stay around long enough to find the sympathizer. Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide Rolled Underworld vs difficulty 2; total of one net success "People's tongues like to wag-" Milan had begun to explain, but then Label appeared. He smiled. "They're wagging so much that pretty women come to my table when I'm already accompanied. Please, sit, I don't mind a little extra company"He takes another drink after gesturing widely for her to join him. "The boys must have been spreading word around. That has to be the reason I'd get a two'led who looks like she could model Antoine thermal underwear and make it look good, and a woman who professes to make my customers even happier. I might have a job for you two, actually, but it's going to be a bit of an ordeal. There's good crews in it, though, and a lot of crews in it if you do well. It would require going off planet, though, and I know that can be rough on anyone, especially ladies who probably haven't spent much time on freighters." The Two'led greeted her companion's appearance with a warm smile and a familiar casualness to her posture. "This is my partner. I'm Nor." She said, hoping that term was just vague enough to titillate while also keeping the arms dealer from presuming too much about her or Label's... availability. If nothing else, it would convey that the two of them were a package deal. As he heaped all his flattery upon her, Nor smiled receptively. "Off-world?" She lifted her brows with intrigue, "Where off-world? If it's any place with Huts, the crews better bereallygood. Tongues weren't wagging enough to really tell us what this job of yours would entail." "Nothing like that. It's a station. Still in the system. Still, the deal's really important. Big cred in store, you know? So I can afford to pass along big cred to the crew, especially crew who help me make the sale. Like professionals in the arts of craft and...boosting sales." Milan gave them both a look. "Percentages are conditional, but I'd expect a thousand cred between the two of you if things even go decent. Up to two thousand if things go really well. Don't spread that around, but some people have the opportunity to make more money than others. A guy hauling guns isn't as useful as the females who can make those guns sell, by charm or by crafting arm." He must have been drunk. He didn't even question that Nor had implied that the two women had either worked together or were in bed together. He laughed, as if something just occurred to him. "Far as I know, no Huts, by the way. No promises, but five hundred crews paid on completion, plus room and shipboard for the duration of the work, should be enough if you have to deal with one measly Hunt, right?" He didn't lean too close to Nor, but if she invited him closer he surely would. Name:Label, Jedi Outcast(0/13Strain: 0/13Soak: 3Conflict:0 Tags: Alkali hummed, tapping her cane against the floor. She had to weigh this offer carefully. Five hundred credits each would tempt most people, but they had a job to do. He needs them to help with a deal, in system though. On a station? Sounded... promising. Another tap. "You make an interesting proposition. I assume a promise of our safety can be made and that this deal is not illicit in nature?" Wait, did he say deal with a hunt? Shit, shit abort. Ah hell, too late. Nor softly laughed, "Of course, we're all upstanding citizens here. Any men entitled to buy a weapon or two." She said with a smile, reaching out to tap Label's hand as if to warn her. The Two'led turned her attention back to Milan, "Charm or crafting arm, hm? Luckily we have both in excess." Of course, if he expected her to sell herself for the sake of an arms deal, he'd be sorely disappointed. She had no intention of letting Label's mechanical expertise go towards supplying warmongers either. If everything went well, this arms deal wouldn't ever come to fruition at all. She didn't want to seemtooeager to sign up, though." What about five hundred up front?" She arched a brow, then wagged her finger back and forth between herself and Label, "Split between us, I mean. Two girls alone on a ship with you and your boys isn't much better than a Hunt, in my experience. Unless you have some other sweetener for this job." "Three hundred, one hundred fifty for each," Milan said quickly, giving a smile as he slipped a couple of credit chits onto the table. "There are a few other girls, but they're professionals that you'll be quartering with. Stepping past how some men can be quite Pettish, we have good booze and fresh food on the ship, so consider that the other element of your advance payment."" I plan on leaving tonight. If you two want to meet me there, I can pass you the coordinates. If you two want to just stay with me and then go when it's time, I can order us some food and some drinks, and we can pass the time." He shrugged and waved for a refill of his drink. "I know which I would prefer, but not everyone's ready for a couple of days off world. I hope it's not so long, but negotiations love to stall out."LOCI plan to move ahead, so just say how you spend the next several hours, unless you've got something especially urgent, in which case please contact me via I'm. "One fifty good for you?" Nor turned her head to Label. Assuming her new mechanic friend had no serious objections, she shrugged and took her share. She tried to maintain the coolest of exteriors, and to the untrained eye she might have well succeeded, but the Two'led couldn't help but perk up a bit when he mentioned passing the time. "I understand completely... but could you excuse us for a moment?" She ushered her companion to the bathroom with her and once they determined there was no else in there, the woman sighed, "There's something I should tell you, Label." As a matter of habit, the Two'led started making sure she was looking as good as possible in the mirror, "If I told you that I was made for intimate companionship... you shouldn't take it as an exaggeration or a metaphor." She checked her lip gloss, wondering if it needed to be reapplied, "You're familiar with Amino? The cloners? Well, they gave me certain ...needs to fulfill my intended role." She turned away from the mirror to address the former Jedi more seriously, "If I don't have... some kind of sexual release, well it's like going without sleep or food. It wouldn't be good for the mission." She didn't smile, despite the temptation to put on a charming face. Nor looked away for a moment, choosing her words carefully, "It's been a few days, and I'm pretty sure Milan is willing to oblige me." She tapped her lips and mumbled to herself, "Though since we have the time, there is the band too..."" I have a personal transponder embedded that I think it would be best you kept track of." She said, rubbing a spot on her left palm, "In case you ever need me- or I need you." Name:Label, Jedi Outcast(0/13Strain: 0/13Soak: 3Conflict:0 Tags: All "A hundred fifty upfront should do. For self-defense, are we allowed ion blasters? I'd prefer a way to protect myself, not that I would be second guessing the securities you can afford us of course. I would still feel rather more secure knowing I had a way of taking my protection into my own hands." Laeli stated, hands folded. Sure, she never actually taught herself how to use a blaster.... but how hard could it be." If that is acceptable, I will need a few hours to gather the supplies I need to construct one, it shouldn't take longer than a few hours to do so." She raised an eyebrow as Nor ushered her into the bathrooms. Her arms folded when the two'leak mentioned the cloners, she didn't enjoy the idea of them too much. Unchecked research could not possibly have good results. When Nor mentioned her.... needs, Label's head tilted." I'm afraid you'll find me a most unwilling partner, I have no desire or need for the pleasures of the flesh. I advise you to handle any 'needs' you may have before we embark. As far as the transponder, I should be able to key in the frequency in my personal comms." Range's eyes widened slightly, "Oh? You thought I was-" then she laughed and reached out to touch Label's hand, "Oh no, I didn't mean anything like that. I understand that is possible monotheism such needs, and even that such a thing is common among species like the Heroine... or cultures like the Jedi." She pulled away and shrugged as she returned her eyes to the mirror and brushed her Leak away, "It's a bit weird to think about it. Even if I didn'tthereto, I couldn't imagine not enjoying it at all." The clone sighed, "Well, I guess the best thing for this job is to cozy up to Milan, huh?" Nyr looked to her side back at Label and winked, "I'll see you in a few hours." Range would find Milan patient. He killed a little more time at the bar, appropriately lavishing her with attention, and paid his tab with a generous tip. He assured her that any rendezvous would be better on board his ship. Furthermore, he did, at least, give the right address when he gave it to Label before she left.(would remember that the BFF-1 freighter was probably better suited to a larger sized cargo than weapons. For what it was worth, blasters and power packs didn't take up quite as much space as bulk cargo crates. That said, as they walked by two of his guards and up the ramp, he headed left toward one of the cargo sections and said, "I'll make introductions later, but for now, let's just get to my quarters." There were some cheaply made walls set up to turn this cargo section into quarters. He led the way to a small stairwell and entered a quick three-digit code at the door up top. (812)Inside was a king-size, fluffy looking bed. The back wall of the room had gleaming, silver metal in place as if to cover up something. Close to the front of the room was a moderately sized hold with a couple of armchairs arrayed in front of it, and there was a refresher behind a privacy screen off to the side. Near the bed was a miniature refrigerator. Tilan did not coax or force her toward the bed, offering her a chance to enjoy things. In bed, it was much of the same. He was a patient and attentive, if somewhat slow lover. Nonetheless, when it came time to go fast and hard, he had no problems with accelerating the action. Time would likely pass comfortably, if slowly... By the time the sun had set on Alderman, Label would find the freighter where it was supposed to be, and would be met by a young blonde whose freshly pressed tunic and trousers looked more fit for the sales floor than an arms deal." Miss Label. Mister Not told me to expect you." She bowed her head and offered a winning smile. "I am Ms. Villa. I administrate day to day operations, and it is my understanding you can put some good work into our already good weapons, to improve our sale prices. Please, come aboard." She would show Label up onto the ship and to the right instead of the left, through a cargo bay and to a 'room' hastily partitioned off by shipping crates. There were a couple of well-used workbenches there. "Now, I'm not a whiz with a spanner, but any requests for parts, oil, and equipment should come to me; they will even if you send them to anyone else." The set-up was sufficient, if dirty. Label would be able to do her work here, and at least parts wouldn't be in short supply." If you need to test fire, we've got a range set up a little further down." She smiled. "I have to say, even if you're not a crack shot, it is fun to get some target practice in." Meanwhile, Milan had shown Range downstairs to her quarters. Though obviously not as upstanding as his own, the quarters that were partitioned off for females were bigger than the few she had seen for the males (and a few of the men had given her long looks or Kath hound whistles as she stepped by). The room he had stopped at had two single beds across the room from each other, a small hold, and a refresher at the very back behind a screen. "Label and you will bunk down here. Sorry that it's not exactly ritzy. The door has an electronic lock that you can set from the panel on the inside of the door. My administrator can unlock them whenever she wants, but I assure you that she is a professional." His comlink beeps twice before going silent. "Nice timing. It appears that she's come aboard with Label. So we will be getting underway soon. Would you like to go over to the storage section and see the goods? Or just to see your business partner?"Motif you've done anything else (or tried to do anything else during the time skip), just say so in your following post, either in IOC or in your post text. Name:Label, Jedi Outcast(0/13Strain: 0/13Soak: 3Conflict:0 Tags: Alkali gave a dismissive snort at Nor's reply, shaking her head." If we're done here, I have some work to do."she said coldly. As she left the club, she gave a nod to Milan." I'll be at the coordinates at sundown. Try not to get too distracted by my partner and her.... proclivities." For the next few hours, Label worked on gathering components for a stun blaster. She did what she always did when she wanted a distraction, buried herself in work. It wasn't the best of solutions, but it worked. By the time the sun was setting, the Italian had finished her blaster and showered, washing the grease and sweat off. Idly, she wondered what she had gotten herself into, as she was drying off." Well, too late to back out now.... Find his buyer, take both of them out.... and fly the ship back?" Yeah, not insane at all. Force help her.... Laeli was at the ship when she said she would, her tool case in tow. She had her cane in her other hand, blaster tucked into her robes. She nodded to the blonde, bowing politely." It is a pleasure to meet you Ms. Rilla." After seeing the setup, she nodded." It's not the greatest, but it'll do just fine. Hopefully my partner doesn't spend the entire time working while laying down. I'll get my toolkit setup here, let me know when we take off." The Two'led would have liked to sate her needs somewhere else, but time was short and a dalliance with Milan might have helped their mission. She would have preferred to string him along, to tease and promise gratification for something in return... Perhaps it was not too late for that. An ongoing relationship could still be useful. As a lover, she would not miss him. Their time together was... adequate. She would just be glad to be done with this mission. In the refresher, she thought for a while of their next move. They still didn't know who the client was. Milan, after all, wasn't even the main target. Range closed her eyes and leaned her head back, basking in the steamy waters' deluge. She considered that this might not end so cleanly as on Alderman- when she got her owners arrested. This could end in casualties. Milan's and the buyer's... or hers and Label's. It was strange to think about. She could still imagine her old master, the Hunt and the Minoans going on with their lives without her... but to be complicit in killing someone was different. She had been told as much-that to prevent war, some sacrifices would have to be made. With her finger she drew a Neutron symbol for peace in condensation against the glass. It was something she had once seen in her education. The Minoans' records on Neutron hedonism were surprisingly poignant at times... When she came down with Milan to the crew quarters, her holographic suit was set to something a bit more modest-though still very alluring. Even in her casual clothes, she couldn't help but attract attention. The whistles and looks didn't bother her-she was used to being stared at like a piece of meat." Yes, I would like to see them." She said, "With my partner, if that's alright. I know a little bit about blasters but if you want me to market them... but she'd definitely how to value them." Nor paused, "Oh, I hope you haven't already settled on a price. I'm quite the negotiator, you know." Workshop near Weapons Storage Ms. Villa bobs her head. "There'll be a ship wide announcement. There's a place to strap down over there, but if you want to go to quarters to lay down for take off, your partner should be coming over shortly with Mr. Not." Take off sickness is common enough, though more people are thrown off their feet by a rough landing. Ms. Villa excuses herself. Tilan continues to be the helpful man he had been thus far. Sex, of course, had a way of making certain men quite helpful. "I always attempt to curtail that kind of talk. I don't know if they're stingy or strapped for crews, but I'm prepared to subdivide the sale if necessary. No reason to leave a client unhappy, and no reason to turn my nose up if they decide to spend all of their money on less than they can get out of me." Stare the crew does. Though only one had the (complete lack of) sense to whistle while Milan is near, and Milan turns to look at him and chuckles. If Due looks, she will see him glare. Someone has just earned refresher cleaning duty for the next month. Some of the others rib the poor man, but fate is always cruel to those lacking in discretion... Perhaps more worrying is the sight of a blond woman coming up the passageway. Her eyes narrow as she sets her gaze on Range, but her face relaxes after that moment of suspicion as if nothing had ever happened. Though her tunic and trousers are modest enough for a sales floor, it is obvious that she had the figure for more intimate work. Buxom without being too thick to do the work for long hours, but restrained enough that less civilized men won't tear the clothes off of her..." Mr. Not, I've got Miss Label situated in the workshop." Her expression is all business, though her eyes are fixed firmly on the two'led." Good, good. This is Range, GEA, Range, this is GEA Villa, my right-hand girl," Milan says with a smile of a man too satisfied with his position." It's good to make your acquaintance, Miss Range, please follow me, so you know where your business partner will be spending most of her time," Ms Villa says with a bob of her head, before turning to lead the way. They will come to the same sort of makeshift room that was Label's workshop." This is where the magic's going to happen," Milan says, "Miss Label, I hope everything is too you're liking. The range is-""I told her about the range," Ms. Villa says." Well, it's that way," he says to Range, "well, you wanted to talk turkey with your partner. I'll bring you a few sample pieces over. You might be able to get a basic idea." He did not take long. He produces a couple of blaster pistols, and a shaved down blaster rifle with a folding stock. For Range's benefit, he demonstrates the latter's stock. "Perfect for the client who needs to stay subtle, but still wants to pack some proper firepower." They are acceptable looking weapons, but a craftswoman's eye can see things that need polished, and that was without taking them apart and adjusting focuses, triggers, or anything else. There has been some basic attention in getting the parts to match so that the blasters would have good aesthetics, but any dealer of equipment worth his tongue could do that...LOCI'm probably going to jump ahead again after this round of posts. State intent and make any rolls that are necessary, unless you need to do something specific (and difficult or worthy of rolling for) during the flight. "Charmed." Range said with a demure smile as she was introduced to GEA. She truly was, in a sense. The Two'led was indeed conditioned to find something desirable in most all species, to celebrate their unique variety and appeal... and by all her reckoning, this woman was quite the specimen of her species. Weaponry was a subject she knew much less about. Range had learned enough since joining the Doves' Talon to handle her holdout blaster... but outside that-rifles, slug throwers, repeaters? They were all lost on her. Still, she could make a good show of it. Looking a bit over at Label's inspections and emulating the much more experienced mechanic would help too." What do you think?" Range asked Label directly, waggling her eyebrows in just such a way that she hoped to convey the question was more open-ended than just an assessment of the weapons before them... Name:Label, Jedi Outcast(0/13Strain: 0/13Soak: 3Conflict:0 Tags: All Humming to herself, the green skinned Italian stroked her chin as Milan showed off his wares. The weapons were decent, nothing like what she could work up with a bit of time and money, but decent enough." Mmm... let me see the rifle, yeah?" Laeli said, holding out her hands. When the rifle was handed over, she flipped it over, looked down the sights, giving every inch a scrutinizing look. After a few moments, she seemed to have made her judgement." It shouldn't be hard to increase the pressure in the compression chamber to give it more kick per burst along with giving it a heavier barrel to reduce recoil. I prefer a telescoping stock to a folding stock on rifles, but that's a more personal preference than anything. Though, to be frank, I prefer to avoid conflict altogether. Tends to be bad for business when you have a shootout with prospective customers." "If those hands are as good as those eyes, you'll be getting a nice bonus on top of your fee." Milan laughs. "The blasters they'll be handling won't have packs installed, of course, in case they try to do anything shifty. Sure, we'll pass them some low charge packs to take shots with, but some of my guys will be packing proper pieces, in case anyone starts trouble." Ms. Villa nods her head. "I handle arranging security. There will be overlapping fields of fire from various positions on the ship. If they try to pull a fast one, they'll be dead on the floor before they get a second shot off."" Nine times out of ten, people aren’t here to cause trouble. The cause they’re fighting for or the building they need some firepower to guard is worth more than the credits they lose on the deal.” Milan shrugs. “Just remember, we’ve got blasters ready, and the station is neutral ground. If they start something, they’ll get sandwiched between us and station security.” Laeli and Range are left to their own devices for the duration of the trip (though Range can surely find a diversion almost anywhere on the ship, except in Ms. Villa’s quarters (and perhaps that was just a matter of turning on the charm in the right way?)). It would be easy to attempt to appropriate some firearms or parts, at least for Label, though getting them off of the ship might be hard. While Range might find accessing logs and other data stores a bit easier, it might be difficult to penetrate that security. Regardless, there would be time for at least one great endeavor of espionage and information gathering while on board... Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide This is your chance. There are safe ways to gather information that may not require rolls at all (and may have comparatively little consequences). Confer with me and/or each other, because in theory you could coordinate your efforts. I'll say that, at most, you have time for three actions. This is less a matter of 'how long the actions take' and more 'windows of opportunity are opening and closing on the ship, and you have a limited time to make good on them'. After these next two posts, I'll move forward to the deal (or, if you flub your rolls, perhaps consequences of your actions). Good luck. \Name:Label, Jedi Outcast(0/13Strain: 0/13Soak: 3Conflict:0 Tags: Alkali spent the time prepping by, among other things, meditating on the nature of the Force and tinkering with an improvised flash grenade. Neither of those went particularly well. The flash grenade went off in her face as she was putting on the finishing touches. The Force on the other hand... Well. Label and the Force weren't on speaking terms for a long time, and it still didn't seem to want to forgive her for the bad breakup. After a bit of a break in the refresher and cleaning up her robes, she was ready to get on with the arms deal. On her way out of the ship's workshop, she idly reached towards the pocket blaster she built earlier, and was a bit bemused at it's wiggling towards her. Maybe the Force wasn't so cold towards her after all. Gear together, she was ready for what may come, even if they had no real plan. "Good to know." Nor said with a smile. It might have appeared that she was comforted by the fact that they wouldn't be arming their buyers... but in truth, she saw an opportunity. There would be two different packs-low charge and full charge. There was no way to tell which was which from the outside. Perhaps somewhere down the line, it might be useful to exchange them... or if possible, overload them. The Two'led nodded, "Well it certainly is in bad form to try and double cross someone with their own product." When she and Label got a chance to converse in private, Range shared her thoughts more candidly." So then..." She said, hopping up on a bench with a smile, "Has our plan of action changed any? A thought occurred to me about the blaster packs but... I don't have the expertise to tamper with them." Luckily she hadn't been around when the flash bang blew up in Label's face... The clone wiggled her brow knowingly at the other woman, "Security will be covering the deal from the ship as well. You know, I often wonder about the hazards to be wary of on certain areas of a starship... Exhaust ports, bay doors, you know the like." She found it somewhat strange to speak so casually about acts of sabotage-especially those that could have fatal consequences for people she had already met face to face. "I can certainly assist you if you need space or a distraction for a time but... the question is, how do we want to go about this?"" At a bare minimum, Nest egg said to disrupt the deal and positively identify the buyer." Range languidly stretched, "Sabotaging the packs to explode would certainly be a more... permanent solution, but then it's very likely this deal will end up becoming that 'one time out of ten' that GEA Villa mentioned. It would fall upon me to divert Milan's suspicion from his newest hires."" Worst case scenario..." Nor tilted her head and inhaled deeply, "A firefight." Name:Label, Jedi Outcast(0/13Strain: 0/13Soak: 3Conflict:0 Tags: All The Italian shook her head after Nor was done speaking. She leaned on her cane a bit and sighed." Interesting idea, but it's putting risk where it doesn't need." Laeli said. She didn't want to sound like she was brushing off the idea entirely, but she didn't survive for so long on her own by taking big risks." All we need to do is identify the buyer. If possible, cause the deal to flounder." A deep sigh. How much to reveal? Better go with as little as possible. They may be working on this together, but Label really didn't trust the two'leak. Especially not with such a secret. Maybe at some point." I have... a plan. I have a way to get a fight started between both parties, it should be sufficient to break whatever deal they were hoping to broker. In the ensuing chaos, we merely need to slip away and alert the Republic. Maybe we'll get lucky and a Jedi will be nearby or something. We aren't being paid to be heroes. We're being paid to be a spanner in the works." Nor laughed, "A Jedi?" She shook her head with a smile, "That would be lucky. What are the odds of that, though?" She swayed in place, going on in blissful ignorance of Label's true nature, "I don't know if you believe in the force or destiny, but I like to think we're all here for a reason." As they spoke more frankly, she was very careful to keep her voice low. "I believe the two of us have been put in exactly the place we need to be in order to do some good in the galaxy. To save the Republic, in our own small part. We can't always just hope to get lucky and wait for a Jedi to show up."" A Jedi didn't come and save me from being a slave." The Two'led spoke in earnest, "I saw an opportunity and I took it."" Suppose we do disrupt the deal and identify the buyer." The clone put her hands in the air, palm-up as if weighing a set of scales. "If we're unlucky, the target escapes, and it falls upon someone else to deal with them. Law enforcement, assassin, journalist, whomever. We'll have just put it on someone else's shoulders to deal with." She jostled her other hand, "But if we go for a more... permanent solution, then we can say with confidence that there's one less bad guy out there trying to break apart the Republic." She gestured her hands in front of her, more empathetically, "That we were at the right time and the right place to do something no one else could do. Leave him and there's no guarantee the target will ever be caught, especially if they know they're under suspicion." The clone huffed as she swung her legs from atop the crate, "If it's about killing... I understand. It'd be a first for me too, but this is for a good cause. Who knows how many could die if this person gets away?" She brushed aside one of her Leak and massaged her neck, "What's your plan then?" Name:Label, Jedi Outcast(0/13Strain: 0/13Soak: 3Conflict:0 Tags: All"You're right, we can't rely on Jedi." Laeli said." But we're only two. We don't have the Force behind us, we don't have any special or unique talents. We can only act in small, unseen ways. Getting drawn into a firefight, trying to be assassins when we have neither the training nor tools for such a job, is folly." When Nor brought up the subject of unwillingness to kill, Label closed her eyes and let out a long, deep breath." Long... long ago, I was forced to kill someone close to me. Since then, I swore I would never take another life. I intend to make good on that oath. I have a way to set off one of the blasters remotely, I just need you to have everyone distracted enough." Images of her sister, and their masters, flashed before her. For a moment, she wasn't in the room with Nor, but standing back in the burning ship. Both her and her sister's masters lay fallen on the ground, lightsaber scorches across her own chest and back. Her sister's eye's glowing a dark orange, lightsaber ignited..... And Label slumped down into a chair, short of breath, back in the room with the two'leak. She was clutched her head, dizzy." I suppose for you, killing the man who took you a slave had some grim satisfaction. For me, what I did, it still haunts me. No killing, understood?"

(Star Wars FFG) The Doves' Talons (NEW IC Thread)|rating:3.0

The Governer (FlaminGlory & Far eyes)

Commander William Tanner was up and rising in the military orders quickly, until the unfortunate incident. Even now as he received his order to go to some out of the way colony world that gained importance because of its location on a newly forming front or supple line. He was to become the new colony leader to take the colony into the folds of the empire. He already hated the taught of the backwards little world, the planet was a class A or B+ a nice enough farm world. The small fleet stayed in orbit, setting out the necessary defense satellites and shooting down the small single satellite the colony had. Then the troops landed, only a couple of hundred no more than 400 men, he had his shuttle land in the middle of the city, his men dropping in drop-ships in parks and squares. The 'liberation' took only a short while and soon William Tanner had the communication system set up and announced him self as the new regional Lord, telling the population that the Emperor has seen it fit to accept them into the embrace of the Intergalactic Empire of Light. Then for the next several days the information and propaganda reals were played. William Tanner him self picked what was previously a university building complex, it was cleared and used as barracks as it was a split off complex of buildings well-placed for this purpose. William was a tall man with a lean athletic look, he had blue eyes and pale blond hair. He wore his parade uniform, a stiff decorative blue and white affair with high collars and golden tassels as well as all his medals. This was the image of him self the public got to see. He was in his office, it had been two weeks now since his arrival and things had calmed a bit, he was seeing to finding such staff as a man of his station required. From these barbarians it was a challenge A soft knock came upon his door, breaking what little silence was in that office and probably brought him out of his thoughts, what ever they were. Slowly the door opened with a creak that seemed to echo throughout the office. A solider, probably in his early twenties stepped in, his hazel eyes flicked toward his commanding officer as he stepped inside the office. Treading softly as he knew that his commanding officer wasn't too happy to be sent here, hell he wasn't even happy to be sent here as well. Dressed in his standard issued military uniform of black pants with the boots that went over them and ended just below the knee. A tan jacket adorns his upper body and on his right arm a sellout of a wolf howling at the moon. Stopping in front of his commanding officer's desk, he gave a salute." Sir, the ones you requested are down in the main hall awaiting your inspection." The soldier reported. Knowing full well that they were only doing this to make sure that this place had the proper staff that every military base need, well at least the officers quarters needed... Down in the main hall, nineteen out of twenty girls stood in a line all of them chattering among themselves as they wondered why they were here. Every house was sent a message to send their daughters up to the university, that had been turned into the base. One by the one the girls showed up at the university, but they weren't told why there here, but they didn't know a lot of things since they had showed up and taken over this little village. Suddenly the front doors flew open, and the chatter died as nineteen pairs of eyes flicked toward the source as the sounds of put me down and let me go echoed around the hall as girl number twenty was brought in slung over the shoulder of a soldier. Struggling against his grasp until she was put down at the end of the line, she flicked her sapphire eyes toward the one that brought her here as she crossed her arms. Her black hair feel down past her shoulders and looked like they had drugged her out of bed as it stuck up in odd places. When she had received the message, she had chosen to ignore it as she had no plans on going up to that place that she had been her school for a while, until they showed up. The next thing she knew, soldiers were beating on her door and she was dragged her. Dressed in a pair of pants and a shirt that was too big on her, she was bare foot as they hadn't given her enough time to grab her shoes. Her eyes slotted down into a glare as she moved them from one guard to the others. Clearly not happy to be here. He made a gesture of dismissal at the man and continued with the paperwork he had been doing. The girls could wait, he needed only four of them two for the officers' cantina, one for the information Biro that had been set up out of town. The men were doing good work, and it had been decided to reward them with a proper little cantina. The girl was his present for them. And one for his personal maid, assistant and all around aid. He could have taken one of the soldiers, but these were all needed, and he was not going to waste one just to make him diner and wash the dishes and so forth in his apartment. It was a good hour later that he came down, his Bart standing at the precise angle on his head he walked out and gazed over the girls. Pointing to two with particularly large attributes “Those two for the officers' cantina” he looked down the line, pointed a finger at one of the small petite looking read head “You, go with them to” his attention shifted to the soldier with a note pad in his hand “Send her out to the Sat com building” with that his gaze came back to the gathered And it finally fell on the last of the girls, he took the pad from the soldier who stood next to him and checked her name. He frowned slightly, it was one of those that had made some trouble protesting against the take-over, asking for rights when the laws were changed. He snorted softly “The rest of you can go, except you” he pierced her with a penetrating gaze.”Williams, get her papers and enter her in, then take her home so she can get her belongings, and you might as well redistribute her housing for now” he commanded, it would not be convenient for him to have her come into work each day “After you drop of her belongings in my apartment, bring her back I will handle her from there” he ordered in a crisp tone and then left As he went down the line and indicated what girls were to go where, they were lead off by the soldiers to what ever fate awaited for them, Cassandra kept the same glare on her face through the whole orderly as she hoped that she wouldn't be chosen as she didn't want to be anywhere near them. It had been two weeks since they came here, and they had already forced their no rights laws on them. Needless to say they had put them under the tyranny of the empire in which this village would never get out of. She was brought back to reality as he stood in front of her now and her eyes flicked up to his face. Knowing exactly who he was and the look she gave him was one of pure hate. It was his fault that this was done to her home. Of course, she had protested with many of her fellow students and they all barley got away. Hearing that she was supposed to go home to get her belongs, before being brought back here to him. Her mouth opened to say something, she was ushered out of the hall, by a pair of soldiers and into transport. The ride was client as she spent most of the time glaring at the soldiers, who carried on their belts a gun, but it was more for show as they wouldn't dare harm her. The transport stopped in front of her house and the forced her out. "You to get your stuff and meet back here in five minutes." The soldier told her like she was in his army." I'm not going to get my stuff, and I'm not going back with you to him." She snapped at them as she gave each of them a glare. A silent order from one of them caused the other soldier to take a firm grip on her arm and march her inside, with the other soldier right behind them. Entering her small, one-bedroom house, they let her go but the made sure that there was a guard at the door. The other soldier flicked his eyes over to her, and in them, she read pack, or I'll pack for you. Giving him one last glare, she stalked past him and into her room. Grabbing a bag from her closest, she started to put her clothes in. Angry tears stung her eyes as they were taking her home from her and being sent to do god knows what. Not bother to fold her clothes as if she had to wear them in front of him, then she wasn't going to look nice at all. When she was done packing, she moved toward the front of her house again, and they lead her to the transport, they were off again. Stopping in front of a rather nice looking building that she suspected was taken from the mayor, her clothes were taken by one of the guards with struck orders to put in his room, then it was back to the university where she was taken to his office. "Here she is as ordered, sir." Her guard said. Cassandra looked right at him and gave him a glare. He did not look up from his table, just waved away the guard and then left her standing there he was aware of her glare and cared not at all about it. It meant noting, it was something that would have to be trained out of the little savage. He looked onto this as his project, to see if he could form a proper servant class out of this little savage. Finally after a while he looked up, and pulled the corner of one side of his lip into a crooked smile at her continuing glare “Maid, I see you have not had a full examination in some time. One should be in order we would not want you to have some sort of vermin” his eyes glinted at the flash of humiliated shock on her face, but he turned and proceeded on not noting her further reactions. He stood, straightened his crisp looking uniform it had a hard feel about it, but he did look very handsome in it poster material. Walking to the door he motioned with a sharp dominant commanding gesture and waited in the door lifting one eyebrow as if daring her to refuse “From now on you will conduct your self under military imperial law as a servant class citizen of the empire” it was the lowest class, in all terms a slave with little to no rights except for basic medical treatment, food and an acceptable housing all witch were highly flexible in any court of the empire. Most who were servant class were homeless or very desperate people who sold them self’s into that state, or those unfortunates who could not pay depths to banks or the state and would have there status altered to such. He escorted her to the basement levels ware one of the medical bays had been set up, this was the smallest and most private. It was set up in the windowless deep basement for a reason, because to get to it one had to pass through the interrogation section and walk by the holding cells. Cassandra got to see some of her classmates, two professors and the mayor who had refused to give over the colony and had according to official reports died of a heart failure. He looked alive, though not well the other people all in small single cells behind transparent one way glass doors were in similar states showing signs of having been interrogated. They finally came to the small strict and sharply clean smelling medical room with white harsh lights and an elderly strict looking woman, the doctor. Commander Tanner shoot the door and spoke for the first time since the office “Strip Maid” his voice was precise, commanding and cold When he said that she was to have a medical exam and the reason was because she had nothing wrong her. "I am not caring any vermin." She snapped at him as her body tensed. Although she felt humiliated by that fact he thought that she would carry something like that. She was still a virgin and didn't plan on losing it to anyone until she was ready. When he stood up, she almost thought that he was handsome if he wasn't calling her maid like she didn't have a name at all. Watching him walk past her, her body tensed as she thought he would do something to her, and she hid her surprise when he walked past her and to the door. Noting that he was commanding her to follow and when she was about to refuse, she saw that raised eyebrow, and she didn't want to wait to find out what would happen if she refused. "I will do no such thing." She said cold as the glare stayed permanently. Knowing what it meet to be the servant class in the empire, and she wanted no part of it, especially since he would be her master. Seeing that he had walked, she slowly followed behind him, her mind trying to think up a plan on how to get out of her, but the only question is where would she's going to go. It wasn't like she had any family anywhere. Entering the basement now, she found what seemed to be an interrogation room and cells in which she knew that they had converted from the storage areas as the university never had anything like this down here. Her eyes flicked to the cells, and she froze, some of her friends were down here, even her professors. The mayor, she didn't care much for, but she was surprise to see that he was down there as well. Finding that she was legging behind, she quickened her pace to keep up with him as she rather not is found by any of the other soldiers. When the door to the medical room opened, she had to head her eyes from the light as she entered in. Her eyes landed on the doctor, and she took a step back as she heard him tell her to strip. "No." She told him stubborn tone of voice as she made sure that she kept her distance from both of them. He slapped her hard across the face, not the full contact kind of slap that would really hurt but a humiliating stinging one delivered with the fingers rather than the palm one that left her cheek red-hot and stinging “You have been given an order Maid, now strip, or I will aid you” he said it in a tone that seemed to suggest he would not mind it. And he smiled just slightly, not like somebody truly enjoying him self but more in a state of amusement. The matriarchal looking female doctor didn’t even blink, she just picked up long pale milk colored gloves and pulled them on. She motioned to a black trash bag, empty now “Deposit all your belongings there, it will be placed in storage with the rest of your belongings that you will not be requiring Mid” her tone was brisk, with a sharp accent, and she did not sound like somebody who liked having her time wasted and something about her posture clearly stated that she taught it was being wasted. Commander Tanner stood there, his eyes intent on her one eyebrow had raised slightly and seemed to be dangerously and very slowly rising wit each second he was being made to wait. What would happen if he decided it was too much waiting was anybody’s guess but from all that was known of him he was not a man given to shouting, his anger was a quiet intense thing. It was why his men feared and respected him Although the slap didn't hurt as bad as if his palm would have connected with her face, but it still took her by surprise and she her head snapped to the side. Slowly her head turned to him as she looked at him with a glare. "You're not touching me." She said to him as she took another step back from them. They couldn't make her take her clothes and she wasn't going to get undressed in front of him as she didn't want him to see her body. Hearing the women's voice now, she focused her attention on her before she turned it to the trash bag. Is that what they thought her clothes and belongings were? Trash? Shaking her head, she took another step back, wishing more than anything that there was another way out of this place, but she guessed that they made it that way, so no one can escape." I am not taking my clothes off for either one of you." She stated simply as she crossed her hands over her chest. Although she knew that wasn't the one thing to say to him, but right now she didn't care as she cared more about getting out of here, she just needed a plan. Backing up more, she found her back against the wall, and she pressed herself to it as far as she could. Her glare deepened, but there was also a little bit of fear there as she didn't know what would happen next. He shook his head, made a small disgusted sound then simply snapped his hand forward in a quick snake like fashion taking Cassandra roughly by the neck, choking her for a few long seconds until he could see the terror and despair in her eyes. All the while Commander Tanner smiled at the Maid in a slight sort of way, this was not personal it was just a demonstration a teaching lesson. Just as the edges of the girls sight would begin to blur he released her, his unnaturally strong grasp easing up so he merely held her by the neck no longer choking “Understand Maid, I am not just morally superior to you, I am superior in every possible way” with that he hooked two fingers of his free hand into her caller and yanked with brutal strength, the clothing ripped it would definitely leave marks against her neck and other places ware the clothing strained against her body. He managed to get everything, ripping her shirt and even herb raw, tearing one cup fully away then quick as a flash his hand fastened under her skirt, grasping both skirt and the side of her panties and tore to the side and up, the skirt tore, and the panties stretched and dug painfully into tender places before tearing as well. Then he let her go “Next time you are too slow to follow and order Maid, you will be punished appropriately. Understood?” his eyebrow twitched once, and there was an intense heat about him, he was standing right up to her leaving her no personal space at all between him and the hard smooth very cold wall of the room. The matronly doctor coughed once delicately, but had an unruffled board expression on her face She gestured to the gynecological seat “Sit girl, or would you prefer a pair of soldiers to come and aid you?” she asked, her tone cold and absolutely unchanged to the fact of her current condition and the way the shredded remains of her clothing hung on Cassandra. When his hand closed on her throat her eyes widen as she thought that he was going to kill her, her own hand went up to his as she tried to pry it off, but she noted that he was indeed stronger than she was. Meaning that she was unable to have him let her go. Each breath she took was as painful as the last as her air was cut off, and she was truly afraid of him at that moment and the only thought that floated through her head was that he was going to kill. Even her sight was starting to blur, and she knew that it wouldn't be to long before she was lost in darkness. In a flash, she felt air return to her lungs and she gave a little cough as her lungs had been without air for so long. Panting, she tried again to pull his hand off of her neck, he was not superior to her, and he would never be. Catching sight of his other hand, she flinched at the thought that he would smack her again, but was taken by surprise by the sound of ripping as her clothes and the fighting of it. Flinching from the slight pain of it as she knew that there would be welts on her body from the ripping of her clothes. Once her shirt and bra were removed, she shivered at cold air and goosebumps rose to her skin as she gave him a glare. Seeming that it was the only thing she could do at the moment. Feeling his hands against her skirt, grasping at both it and the panties, her legs gave one feeble kick before a loud yelp of pain passed her lips as the panties cut into her skin. Knowing that there would be some bruising there for a while at least.Finally, she was let go, and she slumped against the wall as she looked up at him, with the same look of disgust and hatred as she was pinned between him and the wall. Choosing not to answer what he asked, she kept her eyes on him, showing him that she wasn't going to back down from him at all. If he was wanting a meek girl, he should have chosen someone else instead of her. Her glare broke slightly as she flicked her eyes toward the doctor as she indicated to the chair. Rather not having any soldiers help her out, she flicked one glare toward him before moving past him and getting on the chair. Putting her feet in the strips, she crossed her arms over her chest as she didn't want him to look at her body. The medical exam was really an examination, although Tanner stayed in the room the whole while smiling in a not really friendly way. Perhaps enjoying his Maid and new-found chew toys discomfort. The gynecology chair locked down, and the doctor turned on a recording device as she documented the examinations stating Cassandra new rank and place as ‘property of house Tanner’ it was one of those silly birocrecy things. But people could not own people, houses could. The doctor preceded to take every possible embarrassing test for anything possible. Then in the end Cassandra was given a shot that would prohibit pregnancy for the following year before the doctor could let her free Commander Tanner stopped her“I don’t like my girls hairy” he commented, placing a finger one the Maids leg and pulling it against her skin, then down over her tummy and back down over the small bush between her legs. Cassandra legs gad been secured when she placed them there and a moment later her arms had been bound back as well so she was helpless. The doctor only nodded, opened her file again and added ‘Full body dedication for sanitary reasons’ this could be read in a number of ways, but it was also what was added when soldiers got a similar treatment after lice or similar infections. A few keys were tapped, and a fine blue beam ran over Cassandra entire body except her face and head and after the third cycle her body hair just crumpled away. It wouldn’t grow for 6 months. Commander Tanner gave her a chilly little smile “I trust you will keep your hair in a pleasing state so we need not extend the treatment to your whole body Maid?” after a bit more she was let up and the commander handed her a small parcel. In it was a slightly tight pair of a latex like material panties and bra wit was tight clinging to her almost like a thin lair of skin but did allow the skin to bread. It was white, the Panties were barely a triangle and the draw was tight and pushed her breasts up and together. Then he opened the door “Follow Maid, you shall be given your uniform soon enough” there weren’t many people outside in the halls, but they would get a show if she did not dress quickly. A pair of small plastic hard slippers were in the pack to, just large enough to fit the front half of her foot into it so she would have to walk on tip toes really. Feeling her body being locked down in the chair and the sound of the video starting to be recording, hearing the fact that she was now the property of house Tanner. That part made her mad and she shot him a glare. Biting down on her lips, she felt her face turn red, and she shifted in discomfort at the fact they were doing all these tests on her like she was a common whore. Her eyes locked on the shot and her body tensed, being afraid of needles didn't help what was happening to her now. Hearing his comment, she gave him a weird look as she truly didn't understand what he meet. She wasn't that hairy according to her anyway. Her body tensed when his fingers trailed against her skin and she shifted slightly to move away from him. The next thing she knew her hands were bound above her head and she watched as a blue beam moved over hers king and she could feel the hairs being pulled away from her body and falling off of her. His smile gave her the creeps as she looked at him, and she thought of a large wolf ready to pounce on a poor unsuspecting sheep, and she had a feeling that she was the sheep. Standing up, she took the parcel from him and opened it. Looking inside, she saw the two things to wear. Undergarments and shoes that looked like they were a few sizes to small. Her eyes flicked to his face as she thought about not wearing it at all but the way he walked to the door, she knew that it was either put these on or walk out there naked, and as much as she hated to wear these, it was better than showing everyone her whole body. Quickly putting on the clothes, finding them to tight and uncomfortable for her, she shifted slightly to make them somewhat comfortable, which she didn't succeed at. Putting the shoes on, she walked on her tiptoes right behind him. "I don't want to wear anything you give me," She snapped, "And I am not your maid." “What you want or do not want Maid dos not come into it” he noted in a bland flat voice “And it is my task to educate you and discipline you when you do not rise to those standards you must fulfill” he explained in that same bland voice as they walked, he glanced back, and his eyes looked pleased at what he saw. Once her body had given the odd latex like material some heat it stretched slightly molding to her form so much so that the top actually showed her nipples in detail similarly the panties showed the folds of her mound seeming to stick to her like a second skin. They reached the small office, the whole underground section had a Spartan clean sort of feeling but cold as well. The air was tinged with the smell of industrial grade cleaning liquids he opened the door and waited for her to go into the small room before he followed and closed the door. “You receive a single complete uniform and are responsible for its upkeep and appearance, you will clean it and keep the appropriate appearance to my pleasure” He stood very close to her in the small box like office, the walls were shiny white a large table took up most one side of it with a small backless stool in one corner her back to the wall she was ‘trapped’On the table was the uniform he meant, it was the classic Maid uniform. The whole outfit was kept in the same odd artificial latex like material a bit thicker heavier with long gloves and extremely high-heeled shoes. The most noticeable was however probably the general stiffness of the outfit, the very severe looking corset and perhaps even more the posture collar that was attached to the outfit. The short stiff skirt would was all black as was the long boots so the white latex panties she had on now would almost draw they eye, and it looked like the skirt would be just long enough to cover it if she stood perfectly still, but the slightest bow would display her, a step would give small glances (collar] Containing to follow after him, she found that she could barely walk in these shoes, and they were starting to pinch her toes and she was finding walking harder to do as she followed after him. Giving him a soft glare, she noted that he was looking at her body and when she looked down, she could see the reason why. The undergarments he had given her were now sticking to her body and she could barely feel them. Looking back at him, her glare deepened, pretty much telling him that she didn't like where his eyes were wandering. When they reached a small office, she walked in before he did, keeping her guard up. Her face wrinkled in disgust at the smell as she stepped into the office, this place was so cold and so clean. It made her feel uncomfortable in the first place. Her eyes flicked up to him as he said that she would be given one uniform and that she had to keep it clean. Wondering what uniform he was talking, her eyes flicked toward the table, and she saw her uniform and the collar. Trying to take a step back, she found she couldn't move very far as her back was against the wall. Not liking the look at the collar at all, she shook her head as she kept her mouth shut. Her heart was hammering against her chest as she wasn't going to where the uniform at all, and he couldn't make her, but she knew that he would. Trying to move to the side, she knew that she had to get past him. The door had locked its self as it shut, and now Tanner smiled at his Maid, not a friendly smile but an amused one as he picked up the high posture collar as gave her a command by motioning with his finger that she should come and stand before him. When she did not instantly obey he walked up a hand came up and took her by the hair, his much taller frame easily giving her command of her. He roughly pushed her down on the table and fastened the caller roughly about her neck it was rigged but well-made and finely padded obviously quality work and made to be word for long periods. But it still forced her head in a position and even stretched her neck a little there was a faint *Click* as a small golden padlock clicked shut. Before stepping back he smacked her on the bottom hard enough to sting“Now for the next part” he said obviously enjoying him self as he picked up one of the impossibly high healed boots, they were made to come all the way up to her mound laced all the way with such high heals that they forced her up on her tip toes. He preceded to force first one onto her foot letting her struggle as much as it amused him and making shore the boots were laced very tightly before pulling the 10 or so little belts it had all up after the lacing each one having a small built in lock. The next boot was forced onto her just exactly the same way. He stood and smiled as his Mid was forced to brace her self against the wall or table unpracticed in standing in the extremely high healed footwear, to add the final touch he had locked the 10cm long chain between the heals of the boots, so her steps had to be small. Then he pulled her against him self roughly pushing his fingers against the sleek latex of her panties roughly pushing his fingers into her while the other hand squeezed one of her breasts “Oh I will definitely enjoy teaching you proper behavior my little Maid” he intentionally bit her ear and the soft flesh just under it. Then pushed her against the table with the Maid outfit “Put it slut” Seeing the command that was given, she shook her head as she didn't want to come over to him and put that outfit on. He wasn't going to make her either, but it seemed that he was as she felt his hand in her hair. Giving a yelp of pain, as her hands went up to pry his off of her hair as she shifted her head. Feeling the strands of it strain against her skull, threatening to rip out. Seeing that he was going to push her to the table, her hands went out to catch her fall, but it seemed to not help as the collar was forced on her neck. It was an uncomfortable strain as she tried to struggle against the collar, hearing the click of the lock and knowing that there was no way to get it off of her. His hand connecting with her bottom caused her to jump as she winced in pain. Her eyes locked onto him as she gave him another glare." There is no next part." She snapped at him as she fought to get the collar of her. Her mind concentrating of the painful strain of her neck as she tried to find the lock. Before she could move another step, she felt him tug on her leg and her eyes widen as she started to kick. It seemed to be all for nothing as the boots were soon on and the chain was put between the heels. Trying to stand up, she found herself falling into the wall and grabbing the table for support. She couldn't stand in these things let alone walk in them. How did he expect her to walk in these things? Before, she had a chance to figure out how she would walk in these things, she felt his arm around her and her body pushed against his. Her hands went up to his chest as she tried to get him to let go of her. Her eyes widen as she felt his fingers inside of her, and she gave a gasp of pain, body tensing as she felt his hand against her breast. "Let me go." She snapped at him as she didn't want to learn proper behavior from him and his bite against the soft flash under her ear, didn't help the matter either. When he pushed her against the table, she tried to catch her balance and ended up falling onto the ground. "You put it on." She snapped at him. He gave her a small smile, he had to admit her stubbornness had an odd sort of appeal on him, he actually found him self . Attracted to the little maid. He grabbed her thighs and with a little lift sat her up on the table with him self pressing up against her, the table was not particularly wide, and she was trapped between him and the corner soon enough “I don’t think you enjoy corporal punishment all that much my little Maid I would suggest you follow orders better, or you will find your day full of it” he smiled The ‘helped’ the Maid into the rest of her dress with stern slaps to her bottom and face occasionally when she did not follow orders as he gave them or just didn’t move fast enough. The girl was not stupid just prideful he knew so he knew just as well that after a time he would work her into her new roll. He wondered if she knew he would have not looked at her twice besides her work if she would have just gun along, but now he felt his manhood strain and knew that maid duties were going to be only the start of her training. Eventually he worked the tight little latex maid outfit on her and bound her corset quiet more firmly then he would have normally, the tight corset and skin tight outfit fit her well he decided and made a mantel note to add a breast growth medicine to her food. He pressed her up against the wall again pushing him self into her just letting her know and feel her inability to stop him or protect her self “You will report to the man who took you here, he will bring you to your new living quarters” he told her coldly and opened the door leaving Before she could move away from him or move very far as she still hadn't figured out how to walk in these shoes yet. Her mind wondering if he even wanted her in this outfit anyway. When he pressed against her, trapping her between him and the wall. His body warmth and scent was invading her system. Her hands pressed against him as she attempted to push him off of her, unable to lift her legs up high enough to kick him as the shoes felt like they weighted a ton. It seemed like no matter what she did to fight him, even as he slapped her bottom and face, she was soon in her uniform. Unable to breath as the corset was too tight, and she was trying to loosen it so it didn't feel like her ribs were being crushed inside of it. It was too tight and uncomfortable. He pressed against her again and after a few minutes of struggle, she relaxed slightly as she looked up at him. She knew that she couldn't win against him, but she wasn't going to go down easily. When he finally let her go, she shot one glare at the door before standing up and nearly falling." Alright, let's see." She said to herself as she stood up, the pain in her toes already starting and the strain of her neck was already unbearable, added with the fact that she couldn't breathe, she found herself very uncomfortable. Prating a few steps, she thought that she did get it. She left the room, walking as slow as she could as she couldn't move very fast for the fear of falling. Making it all the way to the stairs, her eyes landed on it. "Oh. No." She groaned. She had done fine in the hallway, but now she had to climb the stairs. Grabbing onto the wall, she slowly made up it. Tripping a few times and falling. Finally making it up the stairs, she found herself standing in front of the man that brought her to this place, and he seemed to like her outfit, and he couldn't help but keep watching her as she moved toward the car again. Taking her to the mayor's house, she found out that she would be staying here, and she was lead to her room. "The commander will call for you when he needs you." He said as he turned and left, giving one long lusty look at her. The room if it could be called that was very small all that was inside was a very tiny bed narrow hard slab of cushioning foam covered in white latex with no pillow or covers. There was no space for anything private in the room, the small room didn’t even have a window just a bright white overhead light that seemed to allow no shadows. One the wall there was a hook and a single rack for her only peace of clothing allowed the outfit she was in right now. The very narrow bed had a pair of loops at the bottom, tough thick plastic that could be used to secure her feet to it and similarly a pair to do the same to her hands. One the bed was a single parchment, written on it was a list of tasks1) Dust the entire house2) Clean the two bathrooms3) I expect a warm meal The house had not been lived in for a while, and quiet apparently Commander William Tanner had not spent over much time here. The place was not too large with one large master bedroom with a huge king-size bed, unmade right now with pillows and covers thrown all over in one corner there were two large suitcases still packed. The bathroom was quiet large with a shower and a bath, there was a compact kitchen the fridge had been apparently freshly filled up. And besides her own small closet of a room there was only the very large day room with one wall consisting fully of windows looking out on a very, very large area. The house was far out of the only city on the planet, so there was plenty of wildernesses about it with only a small area that could be called a garden Cassandra flicked her eyes toward the paper on her bed, after looking around her closet of a room. Hating the fact that she couldn't see outside this place, and she couldn't put anything personal in here either as if she didn't have anything personal in the first place. Sitting down on the bed, she felt the latex sheets crunch under her. Trying to pull the collar off before moving onto the chain on the shoes. She needed to get out of these, she was so uncomfortable that the fact that she had to wear this outfit. After a few minutes of trying, she gave up on it and gave an irritated sigh. "Great." She muttered as she kicked her feet, hoping to dislodge it from her feet. Looking down at the paper again, she knew that she wouldn't mind dusting or cleaning the bathroom, but she wasn't going to make him dinner as she rather starves herself. As she had to live in this place, she might as well make it look nice. Thinking of starting with the bathrooms, as that took the most time. Hours passed and the bathroom's and the place was dusted, but there was no food on the table as she wasn't going to serve him anything. Giving a tried sigh, she sat down on the bed again and look at the door. Knowing that he would be coming and demanding his food, which she wouldn't be getting at all. Messing at the collar at her neck, the had gotten use to it, but she would still like it off of her. Eventually he did come home, what his Maid did not know was that the house was well-equipped with very unobtrusive security equipment. So he had known she was in fact not making any food and so had already eaten and in fact he had gotten a little something for her as well. He came in with a smile looking about “Maid show your self” he found her and looked her over “I see you can work” he observed casually “But I expect you to do so and at the end still look presentable” he explained gesturing to a few scuff marks and a little dust she had picked up.”I also do not smell any food, dos that mean you aren’t hungry?” he asked with a little smile, knowing she would be famished with only having had her breakfast if that when she had been picked up and with the kitchen containing only raw food stuffs.”You will be rewarded for work well done, punished for not preparing a meal and I have brought you your sleeping outfit as well” He gave her a little smile as he walked closer her small room giving no place to run. “Witch one would you prefer first, punishment, reward or your new PCs” his lips quirked in a smile at the last. Seeing him again, she flicked her eyes up to his face, hating the fact that she was owned by him and the way he kept calling her maid. Her eyes flicked down to the dress as he indicated that she should still look presentable, she found a little dust and scuff marks, and she casually wiped them off, doing it for herself and not for him." I'm not hungry." She told him ignoring the growling her stomach, thinking that if she didn't escape this place, she could at least starve herself, although she doubted he would do that. Hating him so much right now, knowing that he had the power over her and wearing this stupid outfit. When he stepped toward her, she didn't even bother standing up as she knew that she would fall right back down as her feet ached so much." I don't want any of them." She snapped at him, knowing that by that out burst she would get her punishment first, but she didn't care. Thinking more of getting out of this place, perhaps stow away in one of the shipping vessels and go to a different world. One not owned by the Empire. He gave her a thin smile “So you learn I will explain it to you Maid you are obviously not intelligent enough to figure it out for your self” he stepped closer “For your punishment I will leave you in your boots and gloves for tonight I think they will give you the proper kind of motivation for tomorrow to do better” he knew she was hurting, and the latex was making her skin feel odd and cut off from the air. He walked over to the locked cabin that was sunk into the wall and touching it there was the sound of unlocking. Inside the Maid could see from her perch on the bed many instruments that ranged from what could only look to her like torture implements to clearly sex toys and one of the doors was hung with crops, whips, straps of all natures. He picked out some real leather restraints and a large red ball gaga calmly placing them on the small desks top in the room at the foot of the bed. Then he placed a small butt plug with a hose coming out of it and a hand pump next to it. Then a pair of small nipple suction cups and what could be only described as some off feeding apparatus next to that he placed a can of dog food the kind that puppies were fed.“Let me acquaint you with your second function in my housemaid, you will be my amusement. The rules are simple, if you disobey me I punish you, if you any me you will be punished and if I feel like it, you will be punished. In the same sense if you do well, or amuse me you will be rewarded like any good pet” he closed the doors and removed his shirt so he was only warring the loose pants he wore at home removing his socks for he wore no shoes in the house. He smiled at her “Now would you like to add additional punishment for refusing to comply or do you think the hours of rough fun you have coming will be enough” he smiled “Don’t worry my little Maid master has not forgotten about your reward for hard work, you will get that after the punishment” he added in a softer voice Cassandra didn't care that she would be in her boots or gloves for the night, they were uncomfortable, but she could handle it as she would figure out how to pick the locks on the boots and the necklace. Although her body was starting to feel really itchy, and she wished that he would leave so that she could scratch herself. Hearing him start to walk over, she flicked her eyes over to where he was going. Apparently she hadn't noticed the cabinet, or she would have tried to unlock it. When he did open it, she was glad that she didn't try to unlock it as the stuff inside there would have made her sick. It seemed that was to be the pleasure and pain cabinet, and she wanted no part of that. Shifting away from him, she tried to get as far as the little room would allow. Her eyes landed on what he was going putting down in front of her. Her eyes moving from one to another, it lingered on the one figuring out what they used for, especially the can of dog food. That must have been her supper for tonight, and she wouldn't be eating it or using any of those toys. "That's not fair." She told him, it seemed that no matter what she did, she would be punished because he felt like it. When he started taken off his shirt and his socks, she stood up and moved away from. Winching slightly with each step as the pain her feet increased. Shaking her head, she didn't even want her first punishment. He took her by the wrist and proved his physical power over her once again by simply pushing her down on the bed. Military training and bioengineering with the combination of the Empires generic improvement program made is easy for him pushing her wrist just so to make it hurt to make her easy to handle. She was pushed down and with a little struggling he managed to get the dress off her, leaving her in latex gloves, panties, draw and the long tight high laced boots. He pushed her hands up and bound them there out of sight then pushed a small hard pillow between her arms and her head so she rested her head on her arms then careful of not getting kicked he pushed one of her feet to one corner of the bed and the other to the opposite the bed had sturdy thick straps and the boots allowed for them With Maid fastened he sat on the edge of the bed and stroked her skin, running his fingers over the latex that was now so firmly sculpted to her body that her panties actually pushed into her folds showing her clit through the thin latex it was the same for her nipples and breasts. He took a tube of an oddly pale yellow salve and squirted half of it on her tummy and then rubbed her entire body with it ware it touched the panties and draw they melted from her body a little later he had rubbed it all over her, and she was left just in the posture caller, boots and gloves and a thick lair of the cream that was both cool and sharply tingling like having peppermint in your mouth and taking a big breath of cold air. His finger roamed down between her legs exploring her now with a smile on his face, he traced over her pussy that was well coated in the thick lube like tingling oily cream and down still more to her tight anus. He took the small plug and lubed it up with some of the cream by slowly rubbing it against her pussy. While the plug looked smooth it had an odd rough texture that seemed to make the skin tingle ware it touched. Then he took a little syringe and inserted the thin needle less nozzle to her anus and squeezed emptying it into her then slowly enjoying her every expression and grunt he worked the plug into her ass. “Now every time you deserve it master will give this a little squeeze” he picked it up and did just that the first push of the pump didn’t make the plug grow, but it did make it feel more hard inside of her. Then he picked up the nipple suction cups they had small tubes just big enough for her nipples, lubed up and slick as she was they slid right in and then the suction started to increase until Maids nipples were firmly being sucked on. Then he flicked on the vibration function on the weighted back end of the little toys and added the other to her free breast. “Now I am going to go take a nice long bath, and then I will be back to see how you are doing” he told her, then left her there turning off the light. When he grabbed her wrist, she tried to struggle against him, but he easily put her hand behind her back. Struggling harder now, she tired to get away, not liking what he was planning at all. When he twisted, pain shot through her arm and she gave a yelp of pain as her struggling stop, knowing now that it was useless because he was stronger than she was. Feeling the dress being pulled off of her, goosebumps appeared on her skin as the air was colder. Before she knew it, her arms and legs were bound, and she struggled against them, wanting more than anything to be out of these bindings. Stopping her struggling, she flicked a glare back at him as she watched him sit down on the edge of her bed, trying to move away from hm as she did so. Her body tensed as he touched her skin and a shudder of disgust passed through her body. The tub caught her eye next as her heart pounded, her mind screaming for her to ask him what he was going to do to her. Opening her mouth, she tried to ask her question before she felt it squirt on her stomach. Then she felt his hands starting to rub that stuff all over her body, the latex slowly disappearing until she was naked, except for the boots, gloves and collar that she was forced to where. Her body gave a shiver as she felt how cold it was and the tingling sensation that followed after. Her legs kicked as she felt the tingle sensation between her legs, she kicked at the uncomfortable feeling, and she wanted more than anything to go was this stuff off of her. "Don't touch me." She snapped at him as his hand moved to her anus. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him pick up the plug, and she felt him rub it between her legs. A gasp passed her lips as she felt the rough feeling of it and how it made her skin tingle more. The next thing she felt was something being inserted in her anus and something entering inside of her. Her eyes widen as she felt her colon starting to expand uncomfortable. "No stop." She begged as she struggled. Her eyes widen in pain as she felt the plug starting to enter her, and she grunted as she shifted. When it was finally in, she panted as she looked at him, she was so uncomfortable, and she would have voiced it, but she wasn't sure what else would happen if she did. Feeling him press once on the pump, she felt it harden in her causing her to gasp out loud. "Take it out." She demanded before she felt the suction cups on her nipples. Her body tensed as she felt it starting to suck on her nipples and vibrating, her nipples hardening as a pleasurable feeling passed through her body. When he left, she gave him another glare and once the door was closed, she tried with all her might to dislodge these things from her, and she was unsuccessful. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes as she had to control her breathing and not letting anything pass her lips that she didn't want to have passed her lips. He let her lay there for an hour and a half, he knew she would not be able to sleep, and he knew the tingling sensation would just get worse and worse over the time. As he took his shower and relaxed some he caught him self a few times checking if he could hear her whimper of maybe even scream. He finally decided after an hour and a half that it was enough for the introduction of what it could mean to be a bad little maid. He walked back into the room, smiled at her picked up the little hand pump and gave the anal plug another pump. This time it expanded just a little bit more inside the maids virginal asshole, and he smiled at her “Oh is the little girl getting sore nipples?” he asked with an evil grin then picked up the O ring gaga and fitted it into her mouth, it slid neatly between her teeth and forced her mouth open the ring had four little legs and with the ring being fairly large it made her hold her mouth wide open for him. He bound the restraining plastic straps firmly about her head tow to the side and one that went up in an upside down V and between her eyes fixing it firmly in place. Then he opened the can and left with it coming back a little later with the contents in a bowl, he had worked it over so it was a fine liquid mess witch he slowly fed her with a spoon. He smiled at her, feeding her slowly so she could fully appreciate the awful taste of the stuff. It wasn’t bad for her, and she would not be sick that was the nice thing about it “See I could make you eat this for the rest of your life, and you would be as healthy as ever, now the next time you decide you're too tired to cook properly remember this” he told her and fed her some more of it.”Oh I think the little slut likes the taste, actually. Or is the little maid liking the entertainment” he pressed down on the pump once more and flipped the little vibration suction device on one of her breasts “Hmm yes yum yum a few more spoons and it's all done” he picked up another of the suction devices and smiled at her evil “Now I wonder ware this could go, both of the little bitches nipples are already nice and pink . “ He slid a finger down her slick body and paused between her nether lips “Oh now there is something” he let the suction cup suck in her clit, this one was less forceful than the ones constantly suckling on her nipples, but it vibrated just as vigorously. How long did he make her wait before he came back? It was an answer that she couldn't find as it seemed like forever before she heard the door open. Her head turned as she made sure that it was him that was coming in. Giving him a glare as she had been whimpering for last hour, or what felt like an hour. Her nipples were indeed sore, but she wouldn't answer his question at all. Feeling the butt plug expand little more, she gave a wiper of pain as she felt anus starting to stretch. Seeing the gag being lifted, her eyes widen as she bit down on her lip, she wasn't going to let him put that on her. Shaking her head, she kept moving her head, which didn't help as the gag was put on. Forcing her mouth open, and she was unable to close it. "No." She muttered as it was tied in place. Watching him opening the can and leaving, she couldn't help but wonder what he was doing, when he came back with a bowl and a spoon. Seeing him lift the spoon and put to her mouth, she struggles harder as she wasn't going to eat any of that. It seemed that she didn't have a choice as the food enter her mouth and disgusted look crossed her face as she tried to spit it out but the way the gag was it caused her to have to swallow it. Her legs kicked fitfully as she tired to move herself away from him. Cassandra felt like she was going to be sick, and she had to try and keep it down until he left. No more, she wanted to yell at him along with get away from me, but all that came out was a whimper and a gurgling sound issued from her lips. Her eyes landed on the second suction cup, and they widen more as she thought No. She barely felt his hand between her leg and then the suction cup. Feeling the sucking and the vibrating, her toes curled, but she refused to give any indication that she was enjoying it. He stroked her hair for a while just watching her wiggle and tray to act like the little toys were not having an effect on her, but she was a little slut like all lesser humans. “I am not an unreasonable man, if you promise me to tray your best and I have seen that you can work if you are motivated” he stroked a hand over her tummy and inner thigh “You do not have to eat disgusting pet food if you do not want to” his hand continued to stroke her body. He guided her face to look at him making shore she was paying attention “Your master is willing to be gracious and forgive his Maid if she promises him to be a hardworking little thing from now on” he placed a hand over her lips before she could speak the O ring allowed speech if a bit slurred “That’s means I will not leave you like this for the rest of the night and if you are a very, very good girl I might consider removing your brand-new plug and maybe even your boots” he smiled at her and then removed his hand Her body tensed as he stroked her hair only to give a soft whimper as she relaxed, and she knew that it was the machines that was doing it. Wiggling again, she tried to dislodge it from her body, but it still wasn't succeeding at all as they still contained to what they were doing. His hands moved down her body and she gave him a glare, pretty much telling him that she didn't like it at all. It sounded like he was talking her like she was a stupid human or a pet. Looking away from him for a second before her eyes were brought back toward him as it seemed he wanted to make sure that she was listening to him. "Your not my master." She slurred out as she tried to pull her hands out, causing at least some pain when she attempted. "I want out of here." She slurred.

The Governer (FlaminGlory & Far eyes)|rating:1.0

Arranged Marriage.

The kingdom of Elyria had been at war with their most dangerous rival kingdom, for as long as both people could remember. During the conflict, many lives and much blood had been shed on both sides, until the king of Elyria came up with a solution. An arranged marriage to bring peace between his kingdom and their rival. His one and only daughter, whom he loved with all his heart, was all he could offer to the rival kingdom. As a princess, she had taken after her mother in beauty, but his tall and lean figure. Thinking of his daughter while sitting in his study, King Blackwood sent the letter to the rival kingdom, offering up a truce and his daughters hand in marriage. Meanwhile, Katherine, unaware of what her father planned, was out on the castle grands. Dressed in a tunic, brown pants, arm guards and her riding boots, the young princess was sparring with her favorite guard. Another older man like her father, who was almost like an uncle to her. Like her father, Romulus, his captain of the guard, had been there all her life. Defending and keeping her safe until she got old enough, at 15 to be trained self-defense. But today, Katherine found herself distracted. Which allowed Romulus the chance to swipe her legs out from under her. Hitting the ground on her back, Katherine coughed before she looked up at her teacher, who helped her back up before he spoke. "Your distracted today" the man rumbled, his dark gray eyes filled with curiosity. Sighing softly, Katherine shook her head, causing her hair to jiggle back and forth in its barely contained bun form. "I just feel like something new is going to happen, as if the winds have changed." Turning to look behind her and up at the sky above, Katherine looked with hope. "And with this conflict, something has to change, now before we lose more soldiers. Soldiers whose families will be broken apart." The words of his princess caused Romulus to almost want to weep. So young at 20, he could see the wisdom inside of her to be a great queen, though her personality was unusual when it came to other princesses. She was kind, warm, playful; a prankster as much as she was a lady. So as he came up to stand beside her, he gently reached up and grasped her shoulder in comfort." Don't worry princess, I'm sure things will change for the best."@Black And Blue Ryder had been in the middle of eating with his mother, father, two younger brothers and his one younger sister when the proposition of marriage to their rivals' daughter came up. And immediately he was against it." Why? Why should I marry their daughter after all the years we have lived in the idea of fighting against them. Never once considering a truce. Now that they come to us with something that will better our financial needs, all of a sudden we are pushing past that and allowing them to place us in a possible trick?" This idea was positively preposterous." Because," His mother spoke up. "We need this alliance. Our people need it. There is not much more we can do to cover our behinds in this war, and this is the best way to end it. Besides that, I am your mother, and I am telling you that there is no backing out of this. I am tired of your playboy attitude, ruining your reputation and the families' reputation as well. You will get your act together and marry the lady, become king. Or choose not to and hand your spot as ruler to one of your other siblings. There is no more discussing this." And with that everyone had decided to eat in silence that night. Ryder knew his mother made good points, but what about the fact that he didn't even know the girl. What about the prospect of love his mother had always mentioned. Had she given up and decided that she couldn't wait any longer for him to settle on someone? To be honest, he didn't want to settle on anyone. He wanted to live his days messing around and sleeping with random beautiful girls. But he also wanted the crown, so apparently he only had one thing he could do. Stick to this girl, marry her, and see where things went from there. Maybe when he met her they could decide on keeping things 'real' in public. Doing their own things in private. Though he highly doubted that she would be one of those girls, so perhaps once he was king he could keep other women on the down low. He would just have to see how things went. A few days later, the day finally came for the two to meet. And on behalf of his mother and father, it was decided for her and her parents to come to their castle. Him being the male and all, he was supposed to set the image of a good husband. What better way than to let her see where she would live soon enough... Right?He and his mother and father sat in the throne room. Deep in discussion." Son, listen to your mother. She only wants the best for you and for the kingdom. And this arrangement is the only way for her to have both. She cares about you, but you need to man up and stop acting like a child. It wouldn't have come to this in the first place if we knew you had the ability to settle down. But you don't."" Father, I understand everything you are saying. But I don't give a damn whether it seems as though I am being childish or not. This should be MY life. I should be able to live it the way I want. Without my parents dictating how I am able to become king."" Ryder! Language, first." His mother finally spoke, after stewing the whole time him and his father had been speaking. "Second, we can't help that you are a prince. It is your duty to heed to the people above all, and then yourself. I am sorry, but this is just how things turned out for you. We can't help you were firstborn, and we can't help that we are getting older. Your father and I, we are too old to be running a kingdom. And it is time for us to pass on the throne, and this is the only way it can happen. The only way it will happen." Out of nowhere, their butler entered. Silent enough to where they hadn't even noticed him until he made a small "Ahem," and soon enough all three pairs of eyes were on him. "Their here your majesties."" Lovely!" The mother stated. "Let them in at once!" King Blackwood and his wife, Queen Andromeda Blackwood entered first, bowing politely to their hosts. "Thank you for having us and accepting my letter. Katherine, come in please." Stepping into the entrance of the throne room, Katherine was dressed in a sharp looking tunic and pants, black that stood out against her pale skin. As she walked in, her protector, Romulus flanked her. And despite looking old, he was still strong, with a presence that deterred people from bothering his lady. Bowing as her parents had done, the princess resumed standing tall, her head high, shoulders back like a proper lady. "Thank you for having us" Katherine spoke, her voice sweet yet cool, before her eyes landed on the prince. Taking him in, she looked away for a moment, feeling for a brief moment, unsure about this arrangement. But since they were here now, she would go along with her parents wishes. So as she looked back to the prince, she offered him a hopeful smile. "I hope we can make this work, though I understand this isn't either of our choice, that doesn't mean we can't try." Sure, he wasn't her first choice, and she probably wasn't his. But for their people, Katherine would do her part to make the marriage work. His parents did their own part in bowing to their guests. "Thank you for proposing this in the first place." His bubbly mother stated. Already trying to get them to be more comfortable. Shaking the other queens hand gently. The princess caught Ryder's eyes immediately. Not because of her beauty, although there was no denying how lovely she was to look at, but for her choice of clothing. Most would automatically go for something pretty and elegant. Caring more about their looks than anything. But this lady, Katherine, seemed to not care about her looks. Or maybe it was that she preferred mobility to elegance. Either way, he couldn't deny how much it captivated him. It was his first time meeting a princess, or even a girl, like her. Taking his turn in bowing to the princess, wrapping an arm over his torso, he let a small smirk overtake his features. "The pleasure is all ours." He gave her a small wink. Trying to test the waters with his charm. Was she a no-nonsense type as well? Probably. Or was she the type who liked to pretend that she was. When in reality she was just as susceptible to him as any other woman would be. He would have to find out. A strange thing started to happen, his reluctance was disintegrating. Being replaced with a weird sense of curiosity. Weird thoughts overcoming him. Such as, maybe this isn't the most terrible thing. Maybe this could actually work out. Maybe he could come to like this princess? But he didn't let himself get too far ahead of himself. This was still just their first time meeting. Things could change very quickly depending on what either of them did from this point on." I hope to make this work as well. And I shall put in my best efforts for things to go accordingly." His mother looked at him with a look of pure curiosity mixed with a slight hint of amusement. And all he could give in return was a short shrug of his shoulders. He was slightly interested in her, what could he say? There was no denying the prince wasn't handsome, because he was. But with her training, and being told by her parents to never let anyone in until they earned her trust, she met his charm with a playful roll of her eyes. "We'll see how long that lasts princeling" Katherine replied, her tone light and cheeky, though it faced when her mother gave her a look. Romulus however, snickered under his breath. Then her mother spoke up. "I know we'll have to leave Katherine here, to get used to her soon-to-be new home with her future husband. But if you wouldn't mind, could her guard Romulus stay as well? Aside from us, he's been with her all her life. And I think having him with her will help her feel more secure." Romulus was like an uncle to her, since her father was an only child. And with her being an only child as well, Katherine was there sole heir. Which meant heavy protection and keeping her mostly sheltered her whole life." Not to say the prince couldn't protect me, but I rather not be a burden to him so soon" Katherine added. She hoped her future parents in law would understand where she was coming from and would allow her this one little condition. She wanted to feel comfortable here, but she also wanted to feel she had someone she could easily turn to trust, His parents gave each other an uninterruptible look before they nodded. "We would be glad to have him stay! We completely understand. What would we do if anything happened to her while she wasn't with our son. She is a lady before anything else, and men can be very strong despite anything. We will give him a room of his own, and he shall be treated as a valuable guest. As a thanks for looking after our future daughter-in-law." His mother sure knew how to sweet talk. But he knew better of it. This was her not trusting him. He could notice it a mile away." A fine specimen such as yourself could never burden me." He stated, a wicked smile tugging at his lips. After the parents had left their daughter in their care, leaving to go back to their own kingdom, his parents had decided to task him with showing Katherine to her new sleeping chambers. Though of course, the bodyguard did not trail too far behind as the winded the staircase to the next floor. "So, mind telling me a bit about yourself Mrs. Katherine. I am definitely intrigued as to what keeps such a beauty on her feet. Hobbies, skills, the like. I mean, we will be living together now. We could at least try not to be complete strangers to each other." Katherine was relieved to be able to have Romulus with her, and knew that he was glad to be able to have her back in her new home. Watching her parents drive away in their carriage, Katherine felt a pit form in her stomach. This was the first time she had ever been away from home, and to never return was another first. So when she was led by her future husband up to her new room, the young woman looked about herself. Taking note of where they were going as the castle was unknown to her." Please call me Kat. Katherine is a pain and too formal." She liked being called by her nickname, it felt more personable. "As for calling me a fine specimen, I bet you've seen prettier girls than I." She wasn't dumb, she guessed that he wasn't thrilled about settling down, that maybe with his charm, he'd wind up with some extra female attention down the line. Still, just having that guess in her mind made her feel strange. It made her want to be enough for him, to make him happy. But how could she pull that off? So once they arrived at her room, Katherine stepped inside, weary from travel and yet on high alert. Was she really safe here? She knew nothing about these people, which worried her. Turning to the prince, "Mind if we talk about this in the morning? It's been a long day for us both, and I'm sure you'd rather be doing something more interesting than walking with some girl from an enemy kingdom. And that's fine, I rather not take up all your time or run the risk of making you...hate me." Lowering her eyes to the ground, remembering the lessons her parents taught her. She might be, queen one day, but to her husband and king, her place was still lower to him. He stayed silent after her comment. Thinking on what to say. He really didn't know how to respond. She was right, he had seen finer women. Some more voluptuous, some with better assets in regard to their face. Such as wider eyes, fuller lips, etc... But that didn't mean his future wife were to be behind the rest. After reaching her room and letting her finish, he took a moment to breathe before responding. Running his hand through his already disheveled hair, making it a bigger mess than it was before. "Look, Kat. I don't mind if we wait to talk more when morning comes, but let me say this. You may not be more beautiful as far as looks go, but as crazy as this may sound coming from myself, looks aren't everything. There is a difference between being a pretty object and something with worth. I may have just met you recently, but you definitely have worth. You're not just pretty, but you're intelligent. It's easy to tell that you have a good head sitting on those petite shoulders. And besides that, we wouldn't be getting married if others didn't think that you were up to par. My wife will need to know just how qualified she is, let alone how much of my attention she has caught in such little time. I will say, I have not had a lady keep my full attention recently besides my mother. And even she gets times when I completely ignore her. And upon reaching the end of this little speech, I would hope it is obvious that I would love to continue talking. But if you would like to get some rest then I won't stop you." He scooped up her hand in his, planting a gentle kiss on her knuckles. He then let go, stood himself upright and gave her a short bow before heading in the direction of his room. Kat hadn't expected a speech like that, but to hear it come from her future husband made her think. Maybe she could be enough for him, maybe just maybe the prince would earn her trust the most. Watching him kiss her knuckles, before walking away, left her with a lot to think about as she stepped into her room. Saying goodnight to Romulus, before locking her bedroom chamber door, Kat found her trunk and other things from home that she had packed. Undressing from her clothes, Kat sighed before she dressed for bed. That night, she couldn't sleep. Every little sound made her jump awake. So when the morning came, Kat woke up feeling exhausted. Dressing in fresh clothes, and unlocking her door, Kat stepped out in the hall, looking about before she walked to the staircase, taking the stairs quickly till she got to the bottom floor. When she found Romulus eating breakfast, Katherine joined him, sitting down beside him to eat as well. "Couldn't sleep either?" She shook her head, before swallowing her bite of food. "No. But now that we're here, we need to continue my training. Don't hold back this time Romulus." After another few bites, Kat got up to find an exit from the castle. Maybe there was a training ground they could use. She just needed a good, hard workout to wake herself up from. After going to sleep that night, Ryder woke up bright and early the next morning. Having tossed and turned the whole night, he decided to skip breakfast and find a way to wake himself up a bit. He made his way quietly down the staircase, through the numerous hallways and out onto the castle grounds. Past the castle garden and into the soldiers quarters where there were already people readying for their training. "Mind if I join?" Ryder questioned as he unbuttoned his shirt and flung it to the side. Causing the surrounding men to chuckle lightly and pat him on the back. He was friends with many of the soldiers of the palace, having trained and fought with each one at least once. It was almost like a ritual. To become friends with Ryder, you had to battle him. At least, that was one of the rumors that they had started to spread. And he just decided to go along with it. Not wanting to disappoint them. One guy in particular, who seemed to be new, stepped up to the plate. "I wish to challenge you, although... A mere prince couldn't possibly do too much. Surely your too spoiled to be experienced in the art of using a sword. So I will take it easy on you."" Take it easy?" Ryder questioned with a wicked smirk. "Why not use your full efforts to take me down. Do you not have what it takes to put in your best for the kingdom?" The newbies mouth fell agape. "I... I can definitely put in my best effort for the people on the throne. I was just trying to be polite..." The prince laughed, picking up a sword and getting into his stance. The newbie did the same hesitantly. "No need to be polite, surely you wouldn't be polite with the enemy in combat... would you?" He was really excited to knock the newbie straight onto their ass and show them what a spoiled rich prince could really do. Ryder was the first to throw their swing, going straight for the other mans core. But of course, it wasn't that easy. As he knew it wouldn't be. Only the most qualified were accepted to be soldiers for the royals. To fight in the battles needed to be fought. But some, such as this young fellow, had bigger ego's than skill. They could have enough brute strength to knock down an enemy, but they needed enough tactic to keep them down. And obviously this person did not have an ounce of tactic. The newbie swung wildly as Ryder smoothly avoided each thrust of the sword. "Mind if I know your name?" Ryder spun on his feet, nearly getting hit that time. His stamina to dodge becoming more and more strained. "Milo." The newbie stated. A smirk becoming of his face as he noticed the princes movements becoming more jagged. "Well Milo..." The prince stated, aiming his sword at the other and knocking it from the men grip. "Try not to be so predictable next time." And with that the man was pushed with the hilt of Ryder's sword sailing backwards onto his rear. Just as the prince had hoped would happen. The prince walked over to the sword on the ground and picked it up with his empty hand. His eyes casting a glance towards the opening door, only to realize it wasn't another soldier, but Katherine and her bodyguard. A wicked smile cast over his lips as he walked over and passed his sword onto the young woman. "Care to join me in a round of combat?" He didn't wait for an answer as he made his way into position on the other side of the room. Some soldiers already making commotion." A princess can't fight. They are weak females with barely enough strength to hold up a sword."" I know, I bet she doesn't even know the difference between real armor and one of her bustier's or corsets." Ryder was slowly starting to get annoyed listening to their failed attempts at whispering. But he knew his future wife wouldn't let him down. Knowing her attitude, she wouldn't possibly let their remarks slide. Katherine took the sword in hand, weighing the Hilt in the palm of her hand. Feeling Romulus behind her, and hearing the soldiers in front of her, a wicked grin of her own slipped onto her face. In a quick spin of her hips, she let the sword sail cleanly between the soldiers, before it slammed home into the diet before the soldier who mocked her first. Turning to face the men assembled, her smirk was now cold. "Don't ever judge another on what they can or can not do based on their gender. And the next man that fucks with me, I'll make you regret it. " Romulus, who had seen her in this mood, knew not to touch her. Looking to Ryder, she inclined her head. "I'd love to spar, but for both our safety, I don't think now is wise. Unless you want your men sent sailing like stones in the air." Turning away from them, Katherine left the training barracks, feeling the burn of her aggression in the pit of her stomach. It was her one terrible flaw she struggled to control. Even when the barracks was way behind her, that one spark inside had been lit, and she felt overwhelmed with her emotions. Stopping where she was, and feeling the pounding of her heart in her ears, Katherine threw her arms up with an angry yell following right up. In that split second, there was the release of energy, an invisible ripple that surged out around her and up, rippling across the ground. Dropping down onto her knees, panting from the strong wave of energy rushing out, she could barely hear Romulus as he came running toward her. Feeling him drop beside her, with his arms slipping around her till he lifted her up. Feeling sweaty and nauseous, Katherine pressed her face into Romulus' shoulder. He didn't call for help, he simply carried his princess back into the castle, running to get her to her room so he could take care of her. Though he did ask a few maids to get him some things to help the princesses sudden 'illness'. He was right in the fact that it was not good to mess with her, she was the type that you did not want to get on the bad side of. Especially when upset, which he assumed at that moment that she was. And he immediately knew as she stormed out that he had screwed up. Big time. He scolded the soldiers who had been bad-mouthing her, assigning them to help with the maids and start on push-ups. To do them until they couldn't anymore. That was his future queen, and he would not have anyone talk bad about her. A buddy to him or not. He didn't care. All he cared about now was finding her and putting her mind at ease. Eventually he found her with Romulus in her chambers, the guard hunched over her with a few maids nearby helping him with whatever the hell was going on. He quickly found his way next to Romulus, speaking in the demanding voice he had learned from his father to get what he wanted to be done. "With all due respect guard, this is my soon-to-be wife, and future queen. Now you either let me tend to her or explain what is going on. Being her future husband I refuse to be kept in the dark in regard to matters that involve her." Ryder got down on his knees next to her bed, his gaze fixated on Katherine as he awaited the men decision. Romulus turned to the prince, his gray eyes narrowing at the young man. "I've protected her since she was a baby. And with no disrespect to you sir, I do not think I can trust you with her. Nor do I think are you ready to help keep a secret from your parents about your bride. Now please, let me and the maids tend to her." Meanwhile, a maid pressed a cool cloth to Katherine's forehead, and when she moved, the light sheet on her body shifted. She had been stripped of her clothes to help her cool off quicker, only covered with a sheet to keep her modest. But her eyes fluttered open and when they landed on the prince, she moaned in distress. "Please leave, please, don't see me like this." It wasn't out of vanity, she just didn't want the prince to think her weak. Or see her in such a vulnerable state. "I'll tell you what's wrong, but please go. I'm in good..." Rolling away from him, Kat suddenly hurled up her breakfast, Romulus moving to get all her hair up and off her neck. Clenching her eyes shut, she felt the years spill down her face anyway, a sob escaping her lips. "Please make it stop" She begged, digging her fingers into the bed. Romulus looked to the prince, once more, "Please go. When she's calmed down and rested, Katherine will tell you the truth." While a maid cleaned the mess, another put a fresh country cloth on the back of her neck, to draw down the fever. When another returned with a warm broth to help her regain some of the nutrients and vitamins she had lost. Ryder groaned in protest, running a hand through his hair and pulling at the thick strands. He felt terribly helpless in this situation. Unable to help her in such a moment, it was hard. Seeing her so distressed made him want to be there for her even more. Sure, he had just known her a day, but he wanted to make this work. To be a good future husband. And when the time came, be a good husband. He in the future would want to make up for the lost time, to make sure in the end that they both wanted this marriage. That they wanted each other. And if he was being completely honest, he already wanted her. She was interesting, and fiery. She had spirit. And if that wasn't enough reason, he wanted to find out more of a reason to be interested. Hell, even like her. Maybe even one day love her. He desperately wanted to stay, to prove he could be trustworthy. To prove he could be of use to her. But he finally let the walls of defiance collapse. He nodded. Although he wanted to stay, he knew what the guard said was the truth. He wasn't trustworthy yet, but he vowed to prove to them soon that Ryder could be trusted with anything in regard to his soon-to-be wife. That he could be reliable in any aspect. Whether it be a secret to be kept, or a promise he couldn't break. He opened the door, and gently closed it behind himself. He had thought about slamming it to show his anger, but he decided against that. Furthermore, he was frustrated, but not with Katherine. And he didn't want to give her the idea that she may be the reason either. Whatever she was currently going through, it seemed hard enough. And she didn't need that mental stress piled onto her physical stress. He made his way to his room, trying to find a way to relax and sleep. But he couldn't seem to do it. Anxiety welled up in Ryder as he thought of the possible reasons for her current situation. Could she be dying? That was the worst possible scenario, but it was definitely possible. He heaved a sigh and got out of bed. Deciding a long bath might to the trick. Later in the evening, when her fever broke, Katherine sat up slowly and kept the sheet tied about her body. Leaving her room, since Romulus had fallen asleep by her bedside, she chose not to disturb him. Instead, she stopped a maid and asked her where the princes room was, so she could talk with Ryder, to tell him what had happened earlier. Reaching his door, Katherine stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath before she knocked. "It's me, can we talk?" After the fever, Katherine was weak and tired, but she wanted and needed to tell him. And maybe he could help her bear this secret, one that her parents didn't know either, the only person who knew was Romulus. While waiting for him, Kat sat down outside his room, feeling tired, but she was wide awake. Ryder took his time finishing the bath, enjoying the warmth that the water provided. But he knew he would eventually have to get out, and so he did once the water started to get colder. Only, he heard a knock on the door. And if it was who he wanted it to be then he would waste no time answering the door. He quickly threw on a towel around his waist, not bothering to cover his upper half, before rushing to the door and opening it. And at first he was confused, he didn't see anyone. But once taking a better look around, he found Katherine next to the door. Sitting on the floor and dozing, but obviously trying her best to stay awake." You know that you just went through something that was already painful to watch. I can only imagine the toll it has taken on you. You should be resting. Not rushing to me." He scooped her up in his arms, feeling that it would be better if she didn't walk. She needed to save her energy if what she wanted to do was talk. He laid her down on his bed, and walked away to the closet. Deciding to get at least slightly dressed before they were to have a serious talk. Once finishing, wearing nothing but loose fitting pants since the prince didn't like wearing a shirt to bed, he walked over to the bed and tucked Katherine in under the blankets along with her sheet to warm her up better. And afterward he climbed in himself, though he made sure to keep good distance in order for her to feel less uncomfortable. "Kat, if you are here to explain then please hurry and do so. I don't mean to rush or pry, but I was genuinely worried." Kat looked up at her future husband for a moment, "I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to think the worst. And I'm sorry I worried you. It doesn't happen often, but you deserve the truth." After he tucked her in the bed, and he joined her, Katherine worked free one of her arms. "Watch" She whispered. With a little concentration, magical runes began to appear along her pale skin. "I got sick because I struggled not to let my magic consume me. I didn't want to hurt anybody, so when it released, most of it fell back on me." Lowering her arm as the runes faded, "Romulus was the only one who knew, and now you do. Please promise me you won't tell your parents, mine don't even know. I don't want anyone to use me as a weapon, with the power I have, it could destroy kingdoms. And I don't want that, I want to use it for good. To defend, not hurt." With the heavy weight off her shoulders, Kat turned to look at Ryder, before speaking again." I've always felt like a freak...but I hope with you, maybe I won't feel that way anymore. But I'm sorry I'm burdening you with this secret, I just need to know that I can trust you." By her telling him the truth, she wanted to trust him. But most of all, she didn't want him to see her as some monster. At her words, Ryder complied. Watching the designs glow on her skin in the almost pitch black of the room. Beautiful and intricate, creating obvious meaning with each stroke imprinted on her arm. Until the slowly faded, disappearing from view. He may not have been able to completely understand what she was going through, but he knew what it was liked to be used for what was needed and then tossed to the side. And he would never wish that upon anyone. Maybe that was why he was the way he was. His first love had done that to him. Telling him precious little lies just so she could try and gain his wealth. He had met her in the village one day, and she knew he saw her as a beauty. So she used him as a pawn in her gold digging ways. And it was almost too late once he had realized what was going on. It hurt, and now he was broken in more days than one. But he never regretted finding her in bed with another man. Breaking off the engagement before she could crawl any deeper into his heart and tear it to shreds." I promise, I will never tell another soul." And in his words there was deeper meaning. It wasn't just a promise he made to her, it was a promise he had made to himself a long time ago. Only with this promise to her, he would never falter or break it. This was her secret anyway, not his." This is no burden on me, this is a burden that is on both of us. That I would be more than happy to share if it means I can be there for you. You are no freak, you are beautiful inside and out. Your words proved that to me. You have lovely raven hair, and big beautiful eyes. Along with a heart that is pure. You wish to do no harm unless need be. And I believe that wholeheartedly." He reached over and plucked her hand into his own, running his thumb over where the markings had been. "Your secret is safe with me, and my trust is safe with you." He pulled her hand up to his lips and planted a gentle kiss, then he smiled. "Now, this isn't to say that this is not completely bizarre. But. I believe you. Whatever you went through earlier could not have possibly been caused by any normal illness. It may be crazy, but it is crazy enough to believe." He hoped his lighthearted joking was enough to make her smile as he pulled her into him. Doing no more than running a hand through her hair and rubbing the other along her back in an attempt to soothe her. "Sleep Kat, you have had a long day. It was your first day away from home, along with a day when whatever powers you have backfired. You will need your rest for in the morning. My mother and father gave us the first day to get to know each other, but they will start part of the wedding preparations tomorrow. Dress fittings among a lot of other things. And it will be terribly tiresome so you will need your energy." After their talk, Kat felt she could trust him more. So while they lay in his bed and his hand ran through her hair, she began to relax. Even more so when his other hand rubbed against her back, she simply curled her body against him. Eyes fluttering closed as he spoke, Kat heard it all, but she was too comfortable to say anything when sleep finally claimed her. And in her dreams, she dreamed of him, causing a smile to appear on her face as she slept. Though, before long, the night soon slipped away. And in the early hours of dawn, Kat woke up. Feeling stronger and rested, she kissed her future husband on the cheek. Before she got up and left the room, her warmth remaining behind along with the scent of violets, her favorite flowery scent to wash her hair in. Returning to her room, Kat took a warm bath to wash away any remaining signs that she had been sick. Once she was clean and fresh, Kat drained her tub and dressed. Putting her long mane of Raven colored hair up in a bun, so that none of her hair would stick to her neck. She left the room, feeling famished, and needed to eat if she, we're to make it through dress fittings. Ryder woke up to the smell of Katherine, a lovely smell that warmed his heart. Though he was immediately worried when he went to wrap his arms tighter around her, but she wasn't there. He reminded himself of the fact that she could still handle herself well besides her little mishap last night, and there was no need to worry. But it was useless, he had to make sure. And so he slipped on a white button-up shirt and left the room. Wandering down the hallway. He soon found her scarfing down food in the kitchen, she had probably been very hungry when she woke up. One of the reasons why she had most likely left his bed. At least, he hoped that was the reason, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable at all. Hopefully he had avoided doing that the night before. He stood at the doorway, probably seeming as more of a creep than husband material, but he didn't care. He was enjoying taking in the sight of her. Her lovely ivory skin, and midnight black hair. And he wouldn't get himself started on her body, he did not want to bombard her in or out of his daydreams. That's when his mother found him, speaking in a low whisper that made him jump out of his skin. "Getting quite comfortable with her now, are we? I heard from a little birdie that the two of you spent the night together..." By a little birdie, he knew that she meant a maid. After all, they did check-ups regularly in each room to find what may need to be cleaned. And when they did a check-up of the princesses room, they were bound to go to Ryder's room next. Knowing that the princess wasn't in her own room, his room would be the first place they would check. The maids loved to make gossip. It was what most of them lived off of. Loving to fill each other in on the latest with the royals and what not." Mom, I swear it was literally just sleeping. I didn't do anything."" Calm down Ryder, even if you did do something I wouldn't care. I want grand-babies soon! And I don't care how I get them." She gauged his reaction with a chuckle, before walking into the kitchen and over to Katherine. "Hi honey. Care to join me in the wedding preparations? First we have the dress fitting, and then the cake tasting, we must decide all the different desserts and foods to have, we definitely need to figure out the theme. If you have a color other than white for your dress, we...." Ryder stopped listening halfway through his mothers' speech. Not caring to listen too much, because how colors matched each other just wasn't most guys interests. He caught Katherine's attention, waving and blowing her a kiss followed by a quick wink before making his way out of the castle and to the training grounds. Just to check up on the guys he had assigned work for and to see if they were doing as told. After hours of dress fittings and hours of taste testings for the wedding cake, Kat was exhausted. But through the day, talking with her mother-in-law, she found that the woman was rather spunky herself. They'd even talked about her life back in her kingdom, Katherine sharing stories of how she would prank the servants or drive her parents crazy. Though she hadn't forgotten hearing how her mother-in-law wanted grand children. Kat wasn't opposed to that herself, but first things first, they had to make it through the wedding. As the queen spoke of Ryder, and his childhood, Katherine leaned in to listen. Story after story of his life as a boy, his own trouble he caused made her heart melt. Even the silly stuff he did have Kat rolling with laughter. "Oh my, now I have embarrassing stories to keep him in line with" She teased, only meaning it playfully." To be honest, I thought our first meeting was going to be rather rough. But I'm glad there wasn't fighting. There's been too much of that already, so I'm glad he was open to me from the start. I just hope I can continue to be what he needs in a future wife." Some of the stories she had never missed including in their little exchange about Ryder were:"When we brought home his first sister, he had asked us whose baby it was and if they were going to come get her. He liked being the only child I suppose. And took it to the level of assuming that his parents wouldn't have any other children because they were perfectly content with him. But turns out his father didn't have a lot of skill in preventing babies, so now he has plenty of younger siblings to go around."" Ryder thought that fairy tales were too unrealistic because he practically lived in his own fairy tale and knew what things were really like. So my husband decided he would read the Grimm tales to him to show him the truth. That in reality the stories were based on very realistic stories. They were just disguised to cater to children such as himself. Well, I walked in on one of the stories, and before I could say anything about it. My son, being as wicked as he is, stated, 'Now that is some truth right there!"" When Ryder was eight, he met my mother for the first time. His grandmother had decided that when we went on our trip together that she would stay and watch him. When we got back, he came up to us and said 'I have never met such a woman in my life. She is so opinionated!' And I am sure my husband agrees with that one-hundred percent." Until eventually Katherine told the queen of her thoughts about how glad she was that the prince had accepted her." Never tell him I told you this, but when he was younger. His description of the perfect bride was you. Although, he didn't mention bride. He would say girlfriend. He said he wanted to be like his older friend who didn't want to be tied down to anyone. That was a whole different situation there. But he would state...' Mother! When I grow up, I want a girlfriend who can be just as strong as I am. Someone I can train with, and who will eat my favorite desserts with me. And I want her to have black hair. As beautiful as the night. And skin as pale as the moon.' Now of course that might have been because of his obsession with witches at the time. But he was dead set on a woman such as yourself." She laughed, reminiscing. "And he finally has her." She pulled the young lady in for a hug. "Please, don't give up on him no matter what he may do. Despite the cute stories I have told you, he has been through heartache. Now I can't tell you of the kind, you will have to get those answers from him yourself. But sometimes he gets in moods where he tries to act heartless, in hopes that acting that way will make it true. That he won't feel anything if he believes enough. He has hurt to the point where he doesn't want to hurt anymore. And that's why he hits those points where he acts that way. He would rather feel nothing sometimes..." Ryder walked in at the very end of it. "Act what way? Mother, what gossiping are you doing with Kat? You better not be telling her about what I think you are...."" No worries' son, I didn't tell her. I was just filling her in on your escapades as a child." She turned to Katherine with a smile. "We are done for now, so I guess I will leave the two of you to it." She gave them both a big, loving hug before exiting.

Arranged Marriage.|rating:4.0

Watching my sister

Needless to say Thomas was a bit pissed. It's not that he didn't like his sister, they actually got along great; probably because they were only a year apart. The reason he was so pissed was because he had plans, he didn't want to have to watch his 18-year-old sister. None of this would be happening if she hadn't come home stumbling oversell drunk. If she just stayed at her friend's house like she had said she was Thomas would be off doing his own thing. But no, she had to seek over to her boyfriends and get drunk; on top of that they had to argue, and she had to call him up at 1:30 in the morning for a ride home. So now Thomas is stuck here, making sure his little sister doesn't go anywhere, rather than over with his own girlfriend while her parents are out of town. Onto of that, while he's not getting laid dear old mom and dad are. Sure they didn't say it, but they're going to the same restaurant they went to on their first date, then they've rented a hotel room, and they made it clear they're going to be gone all night. ((Hope it's okay if I jump in))Ali wasn't much happier about this than Thomas was. It wasn't like she'd meet to fight with Henry, but sometimes he was so damn 'proper'. It insulted her that he didn't seem to want to fuck her. Furthermore, it made her feel as if she wasn't good enough for him. She often wondered why she dated a Christian in the first place, at least, one as religious as Henry was. So here she was, stuck at home, on a Saturday night. How embarrassing. And what was worse, Thomas was signed to baby sit. She sat on the couch in her blue 'pink' shorts and white tank top, surfing through the channels on their large plasma. Thomas was upstairs in his room, and she didn't really care. She was pissed at her parents, pissed at Henry, and pissed at Thomas for giving her such a hard time. On top of that, she hadn't had sex since she'd dumped John two months ago. For most of the night Thomas was on the phone with his girlfriend and sitting in his room. He didn't really feel the need to watch her like a hawk; if she decided to leave it was on her. Finally, however, Thomas GRE bored with being cooped up in his room. Onto of that, he got tired of being teased through the phone he wanted some action. He found his way downstairs, half way pleased to see that she was still home; he didn't want to get chewed out. He flopped down next to her on the couch, "Look, I don't want to be here any more then you do..." he said, "But for now we're stuck like this." Ali laughed. "Mom and Dad are out, you know, you could go fuck Jessica, I wouldn't tattle. Mom and Dad will never know and don't worry, I have nowhere to go anyway" she informed him. She shifted her body in attempt to warm herself up. Her nipples were as hard as rocks, but their heater was broken. Again. "Besides, it's not like you want to spend your Saturday night cooped up with you're sister." She half wanted him to at least go back upstairs if he wasn't going to leave the house. She'd been watching porn before he'd come down and rather wanted to get back to it. It wasn't like she could watch it with him sitting next to her. "You're right..." he said, "I don't want to be here; I'd rather be fucking at Jessica's right now. But, you know they're going to be checking on us and if we're not both here we're going to be in deep shit." though he couldn't get his mind off of the conversation he was having before Jessica decided to go to sleep, she had really worked him up. It was so bad he couldn't help but eye his own sister! He shook the thoughts off, "So why don't we make the best of it? Here let's put on some TV." he said making a reach for the remote. He was right. Unfortunately. "Why can't they just leave us alone?!" she groaned, not realizing what Thomas was about to do. Her eyes widened and her brain raced. "Why don't we watch a movie instead?" she offered, hoping this would delay him from turning on the television. She stood up "I'm sure we have a DVD we'd both like to watch" He smiled, getting a nice view of her ass when she stood. He could think of something he'd like to watch. He shook himself out of his taboo thought. Ali's his sister, that was just wrong. "Yeah alright..." he said, not giving it a second thought. The TV needed to be anyway right? Without having any reason not to turn it on, he pressed the power button. His jaw dropped in surprise. He laughed after the shock came off; at lest he wasn't the only horny one. "Shit" Jordan said quietly. She was surprised when Thomas started laughing, and she shifted uncomfortably, plopping back down onto the couch, no longer needing to look for a movie. "What's so funny?" she asked. She figured he'd be even more surprised about what she was watching. Not just that it was porn, but that there was no male presence. Just two hot females, one of which was currently flicking her tongue over the other's clit while she moaned and massaged her tits. Thomas strengthened his face, "Sorry, I'm just glad to see I'm not the only one in need of relieving." he said; it was his sister so it's not like it matter if she knew. "I just didn't expect this; plus lesbian porn? I mean, this is hot. Who knew my little sister was such a dirty girl?" he teased her. Ali had a thought. She quickly tried to remove it from her head. Just because they both needed... "relieving" as Thomas had put it, doesn't mean that they should do it together. She didn't know how to respond to her brother. Usually they could use one up each other constantly but now... The dark haired chick on the TV was moaning louder, obviously enjoying what the blonde was doing to her. Ali's shorts were beginning to moisten, as she had stupid decided not to wear underwear. "Yes, yes, yes, make fun all you want" she responded, finally "Why didn't you turn it off yet?" "Are you kidding?" he asked, "this is fucking hot!" he smiled, keeping the remote as far away as possible. Then an idea came to him. "How about you sit and watch with me?" he asked. He figured since they were both horny they could get off together; not with each other obviously but next to one and other. There was nothing wrong with that, right? Jordan rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. This was a stupid idea. How was she supposed to watch porn with her brother? She knew it was no use arguing so she just sat there, her shorts getting wetter and wetter as the brunette's moans got louder and louder. She bit her bottom lip and squeezed her legs together. Thomas could see the hesitance in her eyes; he wasn't so sure about this either but at this point he hardly cared. As the two women went at it, he was rock hard watching. It was getting uncomfortable. He had to figure out some way to get off; but he didn't want to ruin his sister's good time either. Maybe he could make her start on herself.... Watching her he could tell that she was probably as turned on as he was. "So, since you like watching this sort of thing; how do you feel about doing it?" he asked in a tone that sounded like he was commenting on any other movie. Jordan turned her head in surprise. "Um, I've done it before" she admitted. She wasn't publicly bisexual, but she was. The question had surprised her, and she didn't get why he was asking in the first place. "Interesting..." he said, his cock jumping in excitement. He could feel it, but wasn't sure if it was visible under his pretty obviously tented jeans. "So I'm assuming you liked it, this must be bringing back some exciting memories for you..." he coaxed. "Uh" Jordan said "Well it's not a rare occurrence for me..." she said, trailing off. This wasn't exactly a conversation she wanted to have with her brother. Sure, he was hot, but that didn't mean anything. He was her brother for god sakes. "Oh really?" he asked, now more interested. He started this conversation simply wanting to masturbate in front of her without her freaking out; but he was slowly beginning to want more. "So, if you do it so obtain, why do you need to watch it? Is it something you were planning on doing tonight if I had let you leave?" Jordan was annoyed. "Maybe" she said, deciding to tease him. They were stuck together and both very obviously turned on at the moment. "I had a fight with Henry, so I'm single again" she informed him "I need a new partner" she shrugged. "Well did you have one in mind?" he asked, continuing to try and push her over the edge. The way she was tensing up he could tell something was getting her more excited. The moans on the TV were getting louder, so Thomas had to speak up, "Was there a girl who you were planning on getting to speed her legs so you could taste her sweet juices?" Jordan rolled her eyes. "Yes. Jessica" she teased. Of course, it wasn't true. Thomas knew how little Jordan liked Jessica. The blond on TV was obviously about to orgasm. Jordan moved closer to Thomas "Anything else you want to know?" she asked rhetorically. "Why'd you agree to this?" he asked. She hadn't actually told him she was horny, but it was obvious from her actions and expression, "Were you just so turned on already you couldn't resist? Or was there something about-who, you were going to watch it with?" he asked, reaching his hand out and placing it on her leg. Worse case, she would want him to stop, and he could go with the I was just messing with you, excuse. "Agree to what? Watching this with you? I didn't exactly agree, I just didn't disagree. Big different brother" she said. A voice in her head told her to stop this now, but she didn't really want to. She hadn't had sex in two whole months. And her brother was rather hot. "You never said you agreed..." he told her, rubbing her leg "but, you sat down next to me rather than trying to convince me otherwise or leaving the room... something made you want to stay." he then moved closer to her and began to whisper in her ear, "Did the thought of watching with me actually turn you on?" (bump?) ((Sorry))Jordan didn't know how to answer. She wasn't even sure of the answer herself. Whyhadshe let him stay? Why hadn't she left the room? She began to nod slowly "Yes" she said quietly "I think it did" Thomas let out a soft, almost growl like, moan in his sister ear as he moved his hand up her leg and his figures began brushing against the Croce of her shorts. "And what's this doing to you?" he asked as he lightly ran his figure tips over the wet spot. (bump?) Her heart rate increased, she didn't even know that it could. "Why don't I show you?" she offered, leaning in and raising her hands to his head. She kissed him passionately, her fingers curling in his hair. He was bought off guard at first by her sudden show of force as she kissed him. Sliding his hand under her shorts, he began rubbing her pussy. She was so wet however that his figure slid right inside of her. He broke the kiss and smiled figuring her, "No panties? Why not?" he asked teasingly. "I was watching porn, remember?" she responded playfully. She didn't like the fact that he had broken the kiss as she had been enjoying it. She leaned in. Furthermore, she wanted him to be a little more forceful with her, but didn't know how to tell him that. Normally she would just tell a guy to let his instincts take over, but this was her brother and saying that didn't feel right. Thomas smiled, shoving two figures deep inside of her. He then began kissing her again, biting her lips lightly as he pushed her down on the couch. Thomas loved to tease a girl until she couldn't stand it anymore. Jordan moaned slightly as Thomas took control of the situation. This was what she liked. She kissed him back, just as roughly. He certainly knew what he was doing, that was for sure. She pulled him into her, her arms wrapped around him. He began rubbing her tits through her shirt as they kissed, and he continued to plunge his figures inside of her wet pussy. He always enjoyed the feeling of a fearless breast under thin fabric. Furthermore, he moved away from her lips and began biting her on the neck. Furthermore, he had to be careful to not leave any marks, their parents would know something was up if they saw anything. Jordan moaned her brother's name as he bit her neck. She wanted him so badly and the moaning of the brunette in the background was especially erotic. "Fuck me Thomas" she whispered in his ear "Fuck me like the dirty slut I am" "Not yet..." he said, shoving his figures deep inside of her soaking pussy. "I know how long it's been for you, I want you to beg for it before I fuck your brains out. Now beg..." he commanded. "God Thomas" Jordan said "Please fuck me. Please fuck my brains out. Fuck me like the slutty bitch that I am. Fuck my tight cunt with your cock brother. Let me moan your fucking name when I cum" she pleaded "Fuck me like you've never fucked before. Please" Thomas undid his jeans and slowly revealed his rock hard 8 inch cock. He began stroking it while he figured her. "This is the cock that's going to be buried deep inside your pussy." he told her, prolonging her suffering while he continued to figure her and stroke himself for her enjoyment. "Now take these little shorts off so I can see your soaking cunt." Jordan hurried out of her shorts. "Please stuff your cock into my cunt" she begged him "For the love of god! Ram your cock in and out of your sisters tight pussy!" she pleaded, on the verge of screaming. Thomas smiled, then very slowly pulled his figures from her pussy. He did it intentionally to prolong her suffering. He continued to stroke himself for her, and he licked her juices off his figures. "You're pussy is so sweet sis..." he said smiling, before slowly lowering his body over hers again and rubbing the tip of his dick along her slit right before he thrust his cock inside her. "Wow Thomas" she moaned "It's like your cock was made for your sister's slutty cunt." His cock felt so large in her tight cunt and she was loving it. "Ram into your sister's pink tight pussy. Ram your hard cock into it!" He moaned loudly into her neck as he bit down, a little harder than he wanted to. As she begged for him to fuck her he gladly obliged. "Oh god Jordan!" he called out, "You're such a dirty whore, taking your brother's cock in your tight cunt! You like being a little slut don't you?" "Oh god yes" Jordan moaned "I love being a filthy slut. I love my brothers cock inside of me. God yes!" she wrapped her arms around him again, attempting to pull him into her even more. "Don't stop ramming your cock into your little sister's young cunt. Don't fucking stop. Shit!" Thomas grabbed her ass tight and pulled her hips into his as he thrust down into her hard, sending his cock in as deep as it could go. "Oh baby! Your pussy is so tight!" he called out, "I love having my sister's pussy wrapped around my hard cock." "Do you?" Jordan asked "You really love your slutty little sister's young cunt sucking on your big, fat, hard dick?" she continued "Because your slutty little sister really loves it." she moaned "Oh fuck! Thomas! FUCK!" she cried "Your slutty little pussy is so fucking wet and tight!" he moaned, "Fucking my little whore sister is the hottest thing I've ever done. Take your brothers cock!" he demanded, "Take it deep!" "Oh fucking shit Thomas!" Jordan squealed loudly "I want to take all of your big hard cock in my slutty cunt. I want all of it!" she screamed. It felt so good. "Shit Thomas! FUCKING SHIT!" She was so close to having an orgasm "Oh GOD! Make your little slutty sister cum on you cock! OH, FUCK! MAKE ME CUM!" she yelled "Your such fucking slut!" he told her as he fucked her even harder, "begging your brother to make you cum!" truth was he wasn't too far away himself, but he wanted to hold off for more fun. "I'm going to make you cum like my little whore. You're my little slut!" he told her, "your brother's going to make his slut cum!" "OH FUCK THOMAS!" she screamed again. "God yes! FUCKING YES! FUCK THAT CUNT! OH, GOD YES!" she screamed as her body began to stiffen, and her cunt began to tighten "THOMAS!" she moaned at the top of her lungs "FUCK ME THOMAS! FUCK MEEEEEEEEEEEE!" He could feel her building to climax. "Oh god you horny slut!" he moaned as her pussy tightened around his cock. "Your fucking cunt feels so good! I'm going to make you cum like the whore you are! You're brother's going to make you cum! Then you're going to suck my cock and swallow your brother's cum." he told her. His words pushed her over the edge "FUCKED ME THOMAS!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. She felt slightly light-headed and in pure easy. She had never cummed that hard before. It felt so good. Her body tensed up and then finally went limp. Thomas moaned loudly, fighting back his orgasm as much as possible. As she hit her orgasm, he began slowing down his thrusts, moaning the whole time. Finally, he slid his cock from her pussy and kissed her lightly a few times. "God that was amazing..." he told her. Taking her hand in his he guided it to his cock, "But your jobs not done yet my sexy little slut." "God" she said as they sat up. "I want to swallow my brother's hot sticky cum. I want to make my big brother cum so badly" she said, licking her lips "I want to taste your big fat cock and suck everything out of it" Thomas kissed her one last time before saying, "Suck on it, you filthy little slut." he said, "I want you to show me how much of a whore you are. I want you to suck your brothers fat cock. Let him cum in your mouth. I want to see your mouth full of cum and I want to watch you swallow it." ((Hey, sorry, I'm going to sleep now. I'll continue tomorrow. G'Night)) (OK, night)) He sat on his knees and put his cock at her head's level. She licked around the head and raised her hand to attempt to wrap it around his shaft. She put her mouth around the head as she moved her hand along the shaft. He moaned out softly, "Oh god sis..." he said running his hands through her hair. "You're so fucking good at this... You're such a good little slut!" Jordan looked upwards with her eyes as she bobbed her head on her brother's cock. Her hand was now synchronized with her mouth, moving the same way and switching at the same time. "OH my fucking god!" he called out. It was an amazing feeling; and when he looked down to see the beautiful sight of his little sister sucking his rock hard cock he was sent over the edge. Without being able to give a warning he shot a huge load in her mouth. Without any warning, hot cum was squirting down Jordan's throat, but she didn't mind. She sucked her hardest, trying to get every last drop out of her brother's cock before pulling off of it. Finally, she did so hesitantly. She continued to lick it over though, now wanted to leave it alone. As he came in her mouth he continued to moan; her mouth was making this orgasm the greatest he ever had. "God Jordan, you're such a fucking whore..." he said smiling, and he rubbed her cheek while she continued to lick his cock, "But you're my little whore now..." and with that he pulled her up and kissed her deeply. Jordan kissed him back passionately, her tongue entwining with his. She stroked his cock as she kissed him. She pulled off of him and back up to the nearest wall. Furthermore, she arched her back against it, making her chest stick out and spread her knees to make her shaved cunt easily visible. Once again he was rock hard while his sister stroked his cock. When she pulled away, he watched her lean against the wall presenting herself to him. "You want more?" he asked, stroking his cock for her while he started walking toward her. "Of course I do big brother" Jordan smiled, waiting for Thomas to reach her. She grasped one of her breasts and licked around the nipple, attempting to entice her brother. "You are just so sexy..." he told her, before grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her into another powerful kiss. His hands roamed over her chest. Soon he began kissing down her body until finally his lips met her soaking pussy. Jordan let her lips soften as he kissed her. God, he was an awesome kisser. She could do this for hours. Soon she had to come up for air though but after taking a gulp of air she continued the kiss. But then he pulled off and began moving down her body. She shuddered as his lips found her clit and sopping hole. He planted a few kisses on her lower lips as he began sliding his fingers inside of her. Fingering her soaking hole he smiled up at her, "You like that?" Thomas asked, before going back to work and sliding his tongue inside her. "Oh fuck yes" Jordan responded "I fucking love it." Then he put his mouth back on her, and she reached down to hold onto his head with both hands. She lightly shoved his face further into her and her hands curled in his hair. Thomas moaned into her pussy as he slid his tongue down the length of it, then slowly back up to her clit. It was a great feeling knowing how much pleasure he was giving his younger sister. He shoved his fingers inside her as far as they would go as he began to nibble her clit lightly. "Oh fuck" Jordan moaned "Yes, yes, oh god" she kept one hand on his hand, her fingers remaining curled in his hair and moved the other to her right breast. She squeezed it tightly as her head turned from side to side in pleasure. He began focusing more and more of his attention on her clit, nibbling, licking, and sucking on it. Soon however Thomas went back to pleasuring her entire pussy with his tongue. He placed his hands on her ass, pulling her his toward his face. "Wow big brother" Jordan moaned "You sure know what you're doing! God yes. Oh, right there. Right there" Her hand pushed him roughly, as close to her as he could get. Her other hand closed and re-opened as her breathing increased and her heart pounded. Her head was beginning to go light, and it felt like heaven. "Fuck make your little sister cum!" He tried to say something sexy to her to send her over the edge; but all that came out were muffled noises as he moved his tongue all around her July cunt. He loved everything about her pussy and was ready to make her explode. Furthermore, he began increasing the speed he moved his tongue inside of her. "Oh fuck" Jordan's knees were beginning to weaken, and she could barely continue to stand. She didn't know what to do. She just stood there for as long as she could, but when her orgasm came, she couldn't stand up any longer. Furthermore, she collapsed in a shuddering mass. Thomas was positioned perfectly for her to collapse in front of him. He took her arms in his hands and pulled her in for another deep kiss, sliding his tongue into her mouth. Jordan kissed Thomas passionately back. It had been way too long since her last fuck and this night was turning out to be so much better than expected. She had an idea. She pulled out of the kiss and whispered in his ear. "Want to take me to "Fun 4 All?" she asked. "Fun 4 All" was the local sex shop. "You can pick some stuff out" she offered. Thomas smiled as he held his sister close to him, "You're asking your brother to take you to a sex shop?" he said licking his lips before standing with her, "Alright, we'll go. What kind of things did you have in mind?" he asked, helping her up. "I don't know" Jordan replied "You into anything kinky? Maids, schoolgirls, Batgirl? What do you want me to get?" she asked, putting a lot up for offer. Thomas thought it over, as he walked with her to the car, "They all sound great." he finally said, "How about we get one for every day of the week?" he offered, "You can pick out some, and I'll pick out some." "Fine with me" she said before swinging into the car through the open window. She smiled through the other window at her brother. She then realized that people would recognize her. She turned to Thomas when he entered the car "Maybe we should go to "PartyNPlay instead. We don't really want to be somewhere where we could be recognized as brother and sister. It's farther away, but I think we can get comfortable" Thomas thought about it, "You know, you're right. Though if the right person bought us, maybe we could have a third." he said, half jokingly as they began driving. Jordan smiled and said "Are you kidding? Most of my friends think you're hot as shit. I'm sure one would be happy to join us if you wanted" she told him with a naughty grin on her face. She reached over slowly for his cock and massaged it through the jeans he had quickly thrown on. She wore a surprisingly low, lime green shirt that she usually wore with a tank top under but hadn't cared enough to search for one, and a black ruffled miniskirt. He moaned lightly as she teased his cock through his jeans. "Well I was kidding..." he said, "But if you're up for it, I'd love to have pretty much any of your friends join us." it was hard for him to keep his eyes on the road, she was doing a good job distracting him, and he really wanted a look down her shirt. "Think you'd still be able to drive if I were to suck your cock? I'm pretty bored over here" she said innocently as she bit her bottom lip. "I can try..." Thomas said, "But if we wreck it's your fault." he was joking of course. He smiled, "Go ahead..." the fact that he was confident enough to let her was shown that he could pull it off. Jordan smiled and clapped her hands childishly "Yay" she said teasingly. She unzipped his jeans, knowing that he hadn't bothered to put on boxers, she didn't unbutton him. His cock was already semi hard and bounced slightly into view. She least over and licked all around it. "You are such a slut..." he said happily as she licked his cock. He began to moan out, grabbing a fist full of her hair. "God I love your blow jobs." he told her. "MMM" Jordan moaned. She began to bob her head slightly, her hand coming to move with her mouth. She stuck her ass high in the air and her skirt slid up, revealing her lace thong and perfect ass. "Oh yeah..." he moaned; maybe it was that he had already gotten off, of that they were pretty much in public, but this one felt even better than the last. "You know, people can see your ass in the window..." he said, "But you like that, don't you? You want them to see your ass while you suck your brother off don't you..." "MMM" Jordan responded, not wanting to remove her mouth from her brother's cock. She wiggled her ass for his enjoyment. She bobbed her head faster, his cock hitting the back of her throat as she did so. Soon she was deep throating him while refraining from gagging. "You fucking whore!" he said, "Your blow jobs are so god-damned amazing." he continued to call out while passers-by honked their horns and some even took pictures. "They see you..." he said, "how about you play with your pussy to give them a better show?" Jordan did as her brother suggested, pushing her thong aside and rubbing her clit for everyone watching. She just hoped that none of them recognized her ass and her brother. That would make for an unfortunate situation. "Oh god that's hot..." Thomas moaned out as she continued to pleasure him and passers-by continued to honk, make comments, and take pictures. Luckily her face couldn't be seen, or they might be in trouble. "Fuck baby, mmm, I'm going to cum..." he said a moment before releasing his massive stream of cum. Jordan swallowed it all and then removed her face, grabbing a rag that happened to be nearby and wrapping it around her eyes, like a mask. "Any idea how we might be able to make holes in this?" she asked after licking her lips. "Can't have anyone recognizing me now can we?" she teased. "No, I suppose we can't." Thomas smiled, "Check in the glove box, there should be a pocket knife. It's just too bad I won't get to see your sexy face until we get home." "You will, just take the scenic route so we lose these creeps" she said, jerking her thumb toward the people still taking photos even though the show was over "And I'll lose the mask" she smiled. Thomas shrugged, "Alright..." and with that he floored it, and started taking the backstreets. In no time at all they were away from everyone who had seen, "Better?" he asked when he was sure the coast was clear. Jordan unraveled the rag and smiled. She sat back and reclined the seat, putting her hands on the back of her head and leaning back. She lifted her legs and put them on the dashboard, her skirt falling over her pelvis and revealing her thong once again." That was yummy" she said finally, licking her lips again. "I have an idea. Does your seat recline?" she asked. "Yeah it does..." he told her, "Why do you ask?" She smiled slyly "Pull over the car, and you'll see soon enough" she told him. He did so, rather quickly. "Now, recline you seat as far back as it will go and let's get that cock back up again" she smiled, leaning over and tugging slightly on the limp dick. He wasn't sure what she had in mind; but so far he's liked all of his sister's ideas so he did just as she said and reclaimed his seat back while she stroked his cock for him. It wasn't long until he had a rock between his legs once again. "Alright sis," he smiled, "I'm waiting..." She smiled and pulled off her panties and mounted her brother's cock. She began moving up and down slowly and got a good them going before she started the car. Furthermore, she drove back out onto the road as she fucked her brother. Thomas moaned, keeping quiet enough to not draw attention to the car. "Oh god sis, I like they way you think..." he said as she rode his cock. He grabbed her thighs tightly, pulling her down to drive his cock deeper inside of her. "Of course you do" she smiled as she bobbed her body on his cock. She moaned lightly through her barely open lips as she drove. "God, I'm glad we decided to go to the further store" she told him happily. He continued to tighten his figures around her thighs trying to resit exploring more of her body. He needed to stay out of sight and couldn't let his hands wonder too far up. "Fuck yeah baby..." he moaned in agreement, "I'm happy whenever I get your sweet little pussy." "God this feels so good" Jordan moaned "I'm so glad you're my brother" she teased. She reached down with one hand, keeping the other on the wheel, she massaged her clit." Crap" she said, parking the car after a few minutes "We're here" she told him, getting off of her brother. Thomas wasn't nearly done with her when they stopped. He groaned as she moved off of him. Sitting up, he did his pants back up." That was a great idea..." he told her smiling before placing a kiss on her lips before getting out of the car. "So, what kind of outfits did you have in mind?" "I don't really know. You're the guy. What would you like to see me in?" she asked, closing the car door. They walked to the entrance of the store and headed inside. Thomas began looking around. "Well you had some good ideas at the house..." he said looking through all of his options, "Like the cat one... or how about a naughty nun?" "Nun Hamm?" Jordan said. She walked around, looking at the slutty costumes. "Here's a slutty pirate one" she called, holding up the red and black 'outfit'." Why don't we get a bunch, and I'll try them all on" she suggested? "Yeah a nun, you should know how much I like what's forbidden..."he smiled, "But yeah, try on as many as you want. The ones we don't like, you can take off, the ones we like I can take off." Jordan smiled and laughed "Sure" she agreed." How about this one?" she asked, holding up a little red riding hoe costume. Thomas smiled, "Mm, very nice..." he said, "and this one..." he pulled out a sexy schoolgirl outfit, "I liked that pirate one too." "Schoolgirl? Definitely. Jewish look! A maid outfit" she squealed picking one up and showing it to her brother."Oh, and look. Cowgirl... Nurse..." she paused and turned around, looking at more outfits "Fairy?" she offered. "Fairy..." Thomas agreed smiling, continuing to look. Jordan continued to look around with interest, every few minutes she'd pull something out and hang it on her arm with the rest. "How about this?" she asked, holding up what looked to be an elephant's head. "It says one size fits most" she smiled "Think it would fit you?" she joked, tossing it to him. Thomas looked it over, "Hmm, I think it might be little small." he joked, "but if you want me to try it, then I'm game. So how about trying on what we got?" he asked, anxious to get back and try them out. Jordan laughed "No, it was a joke" she said, beckoning for him to toss it back. He did, and she caught it and then placed it back on the rack. "Which one of my friends in particular would you be most interested in having join us? I know all of their measurements of course" she smiled and winked at him. "We should grab a few outfits for her, if you'll give me a name" Almost all of her friends had something he wanted, but it didn't take him more then few seconds to decide, "How about Maria?" he asked, "I love fire redheads." "Nice choice" she agreed looking around for some outfits that Maria would be likely to enjoy. They snagged up a few and then headed to the dressing room, which, not surprisingly, was a mixed-sex room. They both stepped in and Jordan didn't even bother heading into a stall. She stripped quickly and looked at all the options. She grabbed the French maid outfit first and pulled it on. "You like?" Thomas licked his lips, "I love it..." he said, reach out and rubbing the fabric that slightly covered her tits, "It covers just the right amount..." he then looked at the other outfits before getting to distracted by this one, "How about trying on the riding hood?" "Sure" she told him with a smile, peeling the costume off and tossing it to the side. "I guess that will be our 'yes' pile" she said with a shrug. Then she picked up the little red riding hood outfit and slid it on. She did a bit of a twirl and smiled "Paddy think?" "I think that if you keep picking out costumes like that I'm going to go broke." he smiled, pulling her close to him and rubbing his hands over the outfit and over her body. "I also think I'm only a couple seconds away from peeling this off of you and enjoying what lies under it." "Tut" Jordan teased, pulling away from him "you'll have to wait until we get home for more of this" she said, and she stuck out her tongue "Now let's try on the other outfits" she said, pulling off the one she had on and tossing it on top of the other. And so the net hour or so went, she kept teasing her brother, making him want her all the more. Eventually, they had a MUCH bigger 'yes' pile than 'no' pile and Jordan smiled "Ready to pay?" she asked. Thomas looked at her smiling. He was rock hard from all the teasing. Taking her hand and placing it over his bulge he looked at her, "Do you need to ask?" he said, before walking out with her, paying, then heading back to car and starting home. Jordan placed everything in the back seat and opened the passenger door. She pulled out her env touch and called Diana." Hey girlie" she said when the redhead picked up the phone." Hey there sexy, what's up?" the sexy feminine voice responded." Guess who I finally fucked?" she asked, knowing that Diana would guess Thomas, as a joke and then move on to Cory, Dylan, KC and then Hayden." Thomas?" she asked in that teasing voice."Uh-huh," was Jordan's simple response. She knew that her brother couldn't hear Diana's responses, but she also knew he heard the screech that followed her response."ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!?" Jordan pulled the phone away from her ear in shock. Then Diana quit back down "Jordan you know I was supposed to tap that before you!" she said in her usual joking manner "But seriously? Is he anything like I thought? I am soon jealous" she said, serious this time." Better!" Jordan responded "And guess who he wants to join us?" Again a screech ensued "OH EM GEE!" Jordan pulled the phone away momentarily." So see you at our house in.... an hour? Pooh and we just went out to that new sex shop. I bought you some stuff" Jordan said." Fuck yes! Demigod I love you Jordan!" and with that, she hung up. Thomas smiled as he drove home as fast as he could. "So I take it that it went well?" he asked, rubbing her leg. "I'd say so" Jordan said, a satisfied smile on her face "Hey bro, we don't want to get pulled over. Make sure you're not going too fast, a cop would take even longer for me to get rid of" she teased "And I'd doubt you'd enjoy that very much" In his excitement he had ignored the thought of getting pulled over. "Yeah, you're right..." he said, "glad one of us can use their head." he told her, intentionally setting up for an innuendo. As the car slowed down, Jordan knew Thomas was throwing her a bone, and, she willingly took it "Depends on which head you mean" she teased, knowing that that was a cheesy response but being unable to come up with anything better at the moment. Thomas smiled, it wasn't much of a response, but it was amusing enough. "Well I was talking about the one we both have, not the one you like most." See, that was a better way to go than the words she had chosen. Ugh. She reclined her chair and lay back. "Well that's a given" she smiled "I've always been the smart one" "Yeah, you have..." he admitted, "But what I lack in brains I make up for in bed." he smiled, moving his hand under her skirt and rubbing her thong. "And I don't?" she teased, moving her hand on top of his. "I think we both got the bed skills" she joked, laughing lightly "Although, ironic, we have yet to fuck in a bed" she added. "So therefor out true bed skills have yet to be tested, we've only seemed our car and couch skills." he smiled, rubbing the thin fabric of her thong. (bump?) "True" Jordan agreed "Eyes on the road Thomas" she teased "And hands on the wheel." She put her hands behind her head, so her elbows stuck out and entwined her fingers. "My eyes are on the road..." he said, not bothering to move his hand, "I just know my way around down there..." he told her, pushing a finger under the fabric of her thong and rubbing against her pussy before taking his hand and putting it back on the wheel. Jordan laughed and moved his hand on her own "I told you, you have to wait until we get home." She was enjoying this very much as she rarely had the willpower to tease a guy for this long. "You're just excited to get your friend involved." Thomas said smiling because he too was rather excited about their little plan. He sat there, now holding Jordan's had as if the of them where a normal couple. (bump) "I think you're more excited about that than I am" Jordan teased him. "What makes you say that?" he asked, "Just because I've been talking about how hot Diana is since the first day you brought her over?" "MMM" Jordan said, pretending to think it over "Yes" she nodded. "And it took you all of..." she pretended to count on her fingers "... Nine milliseconds to pick her name out of my numerous friends" Thomas shrugged, she had a valid point. He began rubbing her hand with his thumb, "So, have you and her ever done anything before?" he asked. "Maybe" Jordan teased "But just so you know, she's rolled over you for just about as long as you have drooled over her" she informed him. "Really? Damn, that's one more chick I should have gone after sooner." he said, putting on a fake pout. "So, how is she?" he asked. "You're going to fucking love her mouth" Jordan told him simply "She really knows how to use that tongue of hers." She knew images were now popping into her brother's head, and she smiled as the memories flooded back into her own brain. Thomas couldn't help but lick his lips, remembering the times she had displayed her skills for him on various, suggestive, food items. He always figured she was just that type of flirty girl, never considered it really meant anything. "Mmm, I can't wait." he said happily. ((I have someone quite interested in the position, but her computer wasn't ready for proper use last time I asked. I'll ask her again tonight, but I think we should hold up until we can get her in here, considering our characters should be almost home by now... Oh crap, I apparently deleted her PMs without saving her name... Copies... She told me though that she is enjoying reading this thread so.... If you're reading this, and this is probably you, send me another PM... Thanks...)) (Yeah that would probably make the most sense. Alright, we'll wait for her.) (Crap I wish I have known sooner. I think she might have messaged me too, but I just deleted my inbox also) (IOC: Since you can't contact the person you wanted to have joined, should we continue without her until she turns up?) ((Why don't we recruit a new person. I feel bad about it, but we can't really wait around forever. I'll put something up in the 'Threads that need players' thread)) (Okay... sounds good.)

Watching my sister|rating:2.0

The Sapphire Star (Derick & Lady Kalypso)

(Henry Calf stood by the mainmast of his schooner and looked around. - the crew were busy, the decks had been scrubbed and everything seemed to be in order, until he spotted a pile of rope. He turned to his First Mate - Jenkins. "I want that rope and all ropes on this ship coiled neatly - I have told you this before, now detail a man to fix it" he frowned in annoyance because although pirate captains were not generally noted for their neatness, Henry Calf was the exception. He insisted that his ship be kept clean and all equipment, including ropes, be properly stowed - severe violators were given ten strokes of the lash. In addition, he insisted that his crew keep themselves clean voice from the crow's nest announced the sight of their destination - Montero Bay. Calf gave the order to lower the sails and drop anchor. About a half a mile off shoreCalaf turned to his First mate "Jenkins - assemble the boat crews here one hour after sunset and I will detail their orders. This time, I will go ashore to make sure its done right - last time, the men returned with two runaways and three prostitutes" he scowled "I'll be in my cabin" He went below. And pulled out a full bottle of rum from a cupboard. Removing the cork with his teeth, he took a mouthful - letting the fiery liquid drain slowly down his throat. Relaxed now, he lay down on his bunk and smiled. At the appointed time, he went back on deck and stared with disgust at the sullen faces of about ten men. "Listen to me. We are going ashore and when we land, you are to follow me in single file - no talking, no laughing. No noise of any kind. I will identify the women you are to take which I will do by pointing at one. You are to run towards her, stuff a rag in her mouth and pull a burlap bag over her head and down to her waist. Then bind her securely. When I find another, you will do the same and then rope her to the first girl and when we have at least three, we will return to the ship. Any questions ? If not - get into your assigned boat. Jenkins - you are in command until I return"The two boats were rowed ashore and Calf stepped out, waiting impatiently for his crew. When they were ready, he turned and walked quickly down the darkened streets, keeping to the shadows and staying by the side of buildings until he got to the better quarter. He stopped and looked around and there - coming out of a store, was a well-dressed young woman who paused to pull her hood up over her head. Calf pointed to her and in a few seconds, she was kicking and making muffled noises but otherwise, not making much of a commotion. He whispered "Keep her here. You three - come with me" The four men walked up the street to an intersection. Calf frowned . This part was quite well lit. But it served another purpose. A beautiful, dark haired girl accompanied by her maid was walking towards them. In the darkness, Calf grinned and as she was passing - pointed to her and when she was secured whispered. "Forget the maid - she is of no value". They searched the town but most seem to have been warned to stay off the streets until finally - one more prize. Just stepping out of a carriage. He noted the Governor's crest on the door of the carriage and licked his lips . It must be the Governor's daughter. He whispered "You and you - take the girl but don't bruise her - she will be worth much gold. You there . Take care of that footman" They dragged the latest addition back to join the others - then into the row boats. On the way back to the ship, he gave orders to his men . "Once we are on board, take the ladies up to the main deck, remove the sacks - but not the gags - and tie them to the main mast. I will inspect them there before we set sail. I will be in my cabin" On reaching the ship, Calf leaped onto a loading platform and went up to his cabin and lay down on his bunk. Catherine Hamilton (found herself locked in her room by yet another governess spouting her insolence, her inability to maintain decorum when things upset her, and if the world had not yet come to an end, she would "never find a husband who could tolerate her". At least, this was all according to the widowed Mrs. Manson who had taken Catherine under her wing in society and in home while her father, the Admiral Matthew Hamilton, was away on business for what seemed like the seventh time in the last month. Catherine rolled her eyes gently and let out a held breath through her nose, the sound drowning out Mrs. Manson's crowing for a brief moment. Catherine was not yet twenty-four and already have five suitors, three heartbreaks, and enough "you will never find a husband if you do..." to last her a lifetime. Her father blames himself, her governess blames the coughing sickness that Catherine's mother lost her life to, but Catherine blamed no one. She was a product of who she was, and as best as she tried to curtsy, to laugh, to smile, and to act demure when the time called for it, not one man had stepped up to take her as his. Catherine would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed. After all, she was considered an old maid by society at this point, but luck had her side that her father's business in England had moved to Montero Bay, Jamaica. As it turned out, the Governor of Jamaica was good friends with her father, and thus wished to do an exchange of sorts. Without having really heard all the story, Catherine grasped that she and the Governor's daughter would exchange homes for the summer, so that each may get a taste of life outside their own homes and eventually have a more worldly view for their lifestyle. Unfortunately for the Governor, Catherine did not want to leave. The warm weather and constant ocean breeze had done wonders for Catherine's spirits. No longer did she wish to marry and bear great heirs of even greater fortunes. She was content with walking amongst the sands, hearing the seagulls cry out throughout the day, and the hustle and bustle of the port city. She was happy here. Why would she need to change that? The same thought left her head as she stepped from the lavish carriage that had taken her from the shops back to her temporary home. The carriage door opened, and Catherine's hand moved to take the footman who had stepped from the carriage. However, in the dark, and in Catherine's thoughts, she did not see that there were men who had come up to the carriage as quiet as a cat and as stealthy has highwaymen. Before Catherine could scream as she took in the footman falling to the ground with a thud and a groan, cloth was wedged between her teeth, material was pulled over her head, and her hands were bound. She struggled, she screamed, but it was to no avail. Hands picked her up, and she was unceremoniously thrown over the shoulder of a large chested man. Catherine had no sense of time, but what seemed like forever had finally come to an end as she was righted on her feet, her back pressed next to a pole. Her hands were tied and with a woos, the cloth was pulled from Catherine's eyes, and she was granted a view of her new surroundings. Trying to quell the rising panic in her chest, Catherine took in all the information she could, She was tied with two other women who happened to be pleading and crying through gags. She was on a ship with numerous other men. It was dark and Catherine had no money, weapons, or help. Her father had told her how to handle situations should they ever arise, but unfortunately, being kidnapped and placed aboard a boat was never one of them. If she had been thrown from her horse in the middle of no where? She could probably find her way back, but here? Not a chance. Her dress was scratching her shoulders and Catherine wiggled to try and relieve the itch, which only resulted in a tie loosening, which then resulted in her sleeve by her shoulder coming slightly undone. What a mess she found herself in, and she knew she had a good chance of dying for it, too. (quick raps on his cabin door brought Henry to his feet. He took a brief moment to check his appearance in a small mirror and rubbing his hand over his chin, made a mental note to shave before going to bed. With a sardonic nature .dark haired . Six foot two inches tall . Very fit . He projected his authority with ease but now - he had a function to perform and one that he relished. Opening his cabin door, he ascended the six steps that led up to the bridge and surveyed the scene on the main deck below. Three struggling young women watched by a half dozen crew members, were tied to the mast. A solitary lantern was held by his second mate - Barton - softly illuminating the captives. Henry nodded and walked down the port steps to the deck and walked up to the ladies. . "I am Henry Calf and on behalf of myself and my crew - welcome on board the Sapphire Star. If you cooperate, you will be well treated and fed. In addition, you will have your own cabin until such time as your benefactors pay the ransom monies at which time, you will be returned from whence you came. Now - you know who I am and where you are. In return, you will tell me your name and your father's occupation". He took a step closer and signaled to Barton to hold the lantern closer . And removed the gag from a dark haired girl and looked her up and down . "Very nice . Nicely proportioned - do you not agree Mr Barton ?" The second mate - Barton - nodded enthusiastically "She is indeed, Cap'n"Henry smiled at her "Speak girl - your name and father's occupation". On learning that her name was Emily Mainsail and that her father was a blacksmith, he nodded and moved to the second girl. After removing her gag, she did not volunteer the information but instead - spat in Henry's face ! Henry nodded and after wiping his face, reached out to rip her bodice open - exposing her ample breasts. Carefully - he spat on each then slapped her across the face and turned to two crew members "Put her in the hold and leave her there until morning". The crew members dragged her away. He stood now before the last girl . "Ah yes - I remember you. You are the Governor Spencer's daughter, so I know his occupation. All you must do is tell me your name". He smiled and remarked to Barton "She is very well-made" Reaching out, he slowly traced the contour of her right breast with the back of his forefinger - pausing as he felt a slight protuberance. He smiled, looking down at her over an aquiline nose "You seem to be coming undressed - let me help you" he tugged at her sleeve which quickly gave way - revealing her bodice. Henry shook his head "Why do you ladies wear so many layers ? It makes work for such as I". The crew guffawed for Henry's reputation was well known. "Take her to my cabin and tie her to a chair". Two burly crew members stepped forward and dragged her to the Captain's cabin. He took a pace back "Miss Mainsail - your father earns an honest wage. You will be returned when next we drop anchor." Ascending the steps to the Bridge, he gave orders to weigh anchor and set full sail. After setting a northerly course, he turned to Jenkins - "You have the Bridge, Mr Jenkins". Jenkins nodded "Aye, aye Cap'n". Henry went down the steps at the back of the Bridge that led to his cabin - the only way to get there. Once inside, he smiled at her "Now, Miss Spencer, I am going to tell you what you will do ". Moving behind her, he slipped his hands down over her to rest on her breasts - then untied her and sat down. Catherine looked to her right as the sound of a door and footsteps on stairs gradually grew louder. Before long, the captain of the ship made his way on deck, striding towards them. Catherine felt dread creep into her stomach as he spoke, hearing that she was to be held for ransom until they were paid for. What would her father say when he found out she was reckless and got herself kidnapped? She tested her ropes, seeing that she would not be able to free herself - the man who tied her knew his knots, and she was here indefinitely. Catherine felt the rising quell of panic in her throat when the captain had them recite their name and father's occupation. How could she reveal that she was an Admiral's daughter? What would this do to his career? How much was her ransom going to cost her father? So lost in her thoughts, Catherine did not realize that Captain Calf was so close to her, but started out of her thoughts as the girl next to her spat in the Captain's face. She gasped at the audacity of the girl, but cried out in even greater surprise when the captain took the girl's bodice and ripped it. The poor girl's breasts came into view and Catherine looked away, not wanting to shame the girl further, her face contorting in a small grimace as the sound of saliva hitting flesh hit her ears. The poor girl was taken away and soon Henry Calf was standing before her. Catherine's gaze did not stray from the floor until Henry spoke of whose daughter she was, to which her blue gaze shot up to his, her head shaking just slightly to deny his statement." But... I'm not..." She stammered out a response, but her voice faded with a crack as she saw the captain reach out, his hands tracing over her breasts, which were rising and falling rapidly due to her panic. She tried to pull away, but was met with a thick wood she was tied to. Furthermore, she wanted to free herself, run off the ship, and safely find herself in her bed under her governess' watchful eye. Instead, as much as she pretended she wasn't currently tied to a ship with a strange man touching - no, ripping at - her clothes, she realized it was futile. She looked up at him as he spoke, finding no words coming to mind in an answer, but struggled as the crew members took her arms, her smaller frame not much of a match against the strength of two men. They dragged her down to the captain's quarters and tied her to a chair, making sure to knot the rope multiple times to keep her from escaping. Catherine sat there in silence minute after minute, straining her ears to find out if the Captain was coming back. Her tension caused her neck and back to hurt, and she began to tremble in anger and fear, a mixture that had never boded her well. Footsteps sounded outside the door and with a swift swing, the Captain came into the room, and Catherine felt herself shrink back in her chair as she met his gaze. She was angry at him, at the situation, but feared that he would harm her or her father. She's heard rumors of girls kidnapped and held for ransom, only to be handed back beaten and bloody, some missing fingers, others with their faces marred. Furthermore, she did not want any of that to happen, but when the Captain began speaking, coming behind her and slipping his hands over her breasts, she felt the anger rise up in her throat. She jerked away from him, her shoulders pushing his hands away, and rubbed her wrists gently as he untied her and sat down. "Don't think that you have the liberty to touch me, sir. You have no idea who I am and what my father is capable. He would rather sink your ship than see you live once he hears the news that his only daughter has been kidnapped." Catherine spat the words out, her usual calm demeanor now showing flushed cheeks and a gaze that was nothing but hatred. He listened and smiled "Let me correct you, Miss Spencer - I do have the ability to do anything with you. And although your father, the Governor, is a man of great influence, I doubt that he would sanction the destruction of this ship with you on it ! But I have listened to you - and now you will listen to me. ". A slight rolling of the ship and the creak of masts were proof that the Sapphire Star had left the harbor and was now out to sea." The first thing for you to realize is that you cannot escape - even though you are free to move about the ship. We will be about five miles offshore and I doubt you can swim that well, Miss Spencer. Secondly, you will obey the rules that govern everyone on this ship. After dark, if you venture outside the cabin, you will wear black pants and a shirt, and you will speak in a whisper - sounds carries a long way over open water. During the day, wear white, I suggest. That chest by the door contains clean clothes in varying sizes - there will be something that fits you. Thirdly, again concerning moving around the ship - the shoes you are wearing are not suitable for negotiating steep stairs. Beside the chest are assorted boots - find a pair that fits and wear them."" You may be curious about the clothing rules. I have evaded capture for ten years - despite being hunted by the ships of four nations. We move the Sapphire Star at night - darkness is our friend and at dawn, we drop anchor in some hidden alcove. The ship is black . The sails are black and at night, we wear black so after dark, the ship become invisible. Naturally, no lights are visible from this ship after dark. The clothing rules apply to all on this ship - including me. Penalty for disobedience is severe because it endangers the lives of us all . So ten lashes at a minimum. Other items - you will eat breakfast and lunch here in the cabin - with me. Up on the bridge, there is a basket of fresh fruits, biscuits and an urn of hot tea. Go up there any time. Cleanliness... It is very important on a ship this size that the entire crew maintain a standard of cleanliness otherwise disease will spread. I strip naked and wash every night - and so should you. Also, when this ship is at anchor, everyone takes their turn over the side and swimming around the ship. Its good exercise. "." If you look around, you will notice there is only one bunk - that is for us . That is where we will sleep. You may say .'never' but the floor is hard . Its made of oak and after lying on it for four hours or so, gets quite uncomfortable. Finally - the subject of disobedience . Your disobedience. I am a forgiving man, Miss Spencer but when provoked, I will put you across my knee and spank your bare bottom. If that is not enough, I will string your wrists up to the hook there." he pointed to a ceiling beam." Then pull your pants down and cane you. In a short time, you will realize that it's much easier to do as you are told". He looked at her "Any questions ? " Catherine felt her stomach knot as she heard the captain's remarks. Although he kept calling her Miss Spencer, stating she was the Governor's daughter, Catherine was still very aware of the danger this man could bring. She decided that in order to protect her name, her father's name, and her family, she would stay silent and play along with this misunderstanding. It occurred to Catherine that the Governor's daughter was happily in London at the height of its season, and she was here, taking her place as captive. The world had a funny way of showing its humor at times. Her attention was brought back to the man in front of her and for a brief second, she realized the utter impropriety she was displaying while being in a closed room with a strange man. But she knew better than to think this man was just a stranger. This man was a tyrant, and should be treated as such, but until she could figure out a way to gain the upper hand, she had to comply and bide her time until the opportunity presented itself. She felt the ship rock gently and knew that they were away from the safety of the dock and moving out to sea - possibly for the last time ever. The captain took great measures to ensure that all his crew were safe, healthy, and clean. Catherine thought it was a tad excessive, the way they had to sneak about in black clothes like far away men she'd read about in some of her father's books. The captain appeared to be logical, if not a bit foolish in capturing so many women and thinking he'd be free of harm if he was caught, but it was clear this was not the captain's first boat, crew, or kidnapping. It was too orchestrated, too strategic, and completed too well for it to be something brand new to these men. The captain felt himself at ease with the girls enough to rip clothes, speak harshly, and even care so little for their well-being that one girl was sent to the hold. Catherine felt her anger rise in her throat, her hands clenching together as deftly as possible so that the captain wouldn't identify her emotions. Unfortunately for Catherine, thanks to her mother according to her father, she always wore her emotions on her sleeve. Everyone could always tell what she was feeling, thinking, or doing based on her facial expressions. As the captain explained more about her supposed life on the ship, complete with offerings of tea and biscuits, Catherine couldn't help but smile gently at the thought. The man had honestly thought of everything. By God, it was a mobile estate this man had. She shook her head gently but said nothing, not wanting to further provoke any questions out of the captain. However, as the captain began speaking of small sleeping quarters and the treatment for disobedience, Catherine stood up out of her chair so fast it tipped over and fell with a solid thunk against the floor. She glared at Henry, leveling her gaze with him before she spoke. "Many, Captain Calf. You would so treat me like a child, tie me up, force me to sleep in the same bed with a strange man under the pretense of comfort, and punish me a way a father punishes their child? Do you think I'm slow, Captain, or perhaps just dumb, not worldly? And pray tell, sir, what of the other girls aboard this vessel you call home? Shall they be getting the same treatment as I? Or will that poor girl be sitting in the hold until her father comes to pay her ransom with a ripped bodice and your spittle upon her flesh. You, sir, are the most deplorable human being I have ever had the unfortunate occurrence to come across. You will not get the satisfaction of anything from me, so heed my warning: stay away from me and relay this to the rest of your crew. My father will be happy to see you swing from the gallows after I recite the events that have occurred." She stepped up close to him now, her fear and anxiety causing her to parade arrogance that wasn't there. "Can you feel the noose, Captain Calf? How tight does it feel? I cannot stand the wait until I can see it happening in front of my eyes...." She watched him for a brief moment before she took a breath, recovered her composure, and turned to find a spot in the corner of the cabin - as far from the captain as she could get - and curled up, fully intent on sleeping anywhere that he wasn't. Henry listened to her as she vented her spleen . A smile spreading over his bronzed and slightly weathered features. Looking at her now . His luminous gray eyes alive with laughter, he waited until she had finished . Then slowly clapped his hands "Bravo, Miss Spencer - you are a girl of spirit . I like that. Now let me see if I can answer some of your questions. You ask if I think you are slow, dumb and not worldly - maybe you are all three - I care not. The girl with the insulting behavior is in the hold until morning when she will bring up on deck. I will again ask her name and her father's occupation and I fancy that this time she will answer - or else she goes back. The other girl is right now in her cabin where food has been brought and because her father is an honest man . A blacksmith - she will be put ashore in the morning and driven back to Montero."" As for being a deplorable human being - I have to tell you that I have met worse". He laughed "You should be aware that no girl on this ship has ever been harmed, Miss Spencer. The crew all know that they may not take liberties with a guest - for that is what the ladies are, and they further know that the penalty for disobedience is death. Our guests came aboard in a virtuous state and that is how they leave". He turned and walked over to a basin, filled it with water then began to remove his clothes . "You ask about a noose. You cannot know the exhilaration of the chase . Of eluding pursuers and yes . Cheating the noose. It is intoxicating and addictive. This ship has been engaged in a few sea battles, and we did sustain some damage - but always escaped to a safe haven. " He glanced at her as she lay on the floor of his cabin "By the way - you may address me as 'Henry' - a privilege afforded no other on this ship". He dropped his pants and kicked them over to a corner . "Used clothing is taken away and washed". He proceeded to wash his body thoroughly with particular attention to his face, armpits and groin ... "Notice, Miss Spencer that when washing my groin, I use only plain water, and you should do the same - soap does not taste well. " He turned now to face her . A magnificent specimen of a man - bronzed, muscular and lean with a member that although of average length had a very respectable girth. Smiling, he remarked "I thought you might be curious". He walked over to the bunk and slipped under the sheets. "This bunk is very comfortable and as you can see, large enough to accommodate us both. Sleep well, Miss Spencer - I have to rise at four in the morning to guide the ship to a safe harbor, so I must sleep now. By the way, I do need to know your name" The poor blonde felt her valor slip slightly as she spoke and saw the captain's smile spread across his face. This was amusing him. Shewas amusing him! It served to rile her up more, find the gall to step close to him, threaten him and allow him to see what she was capable of. When she had finished, certain that she had made an impression on him, she took a step back in surprise when he calmly and deliberately clapped his hands, congratulating her fiery personality. She listened intently to him, her eyes never leaving his face as he revealed to her what happened to her neighbor, the one in the hold, and was surprised to reveal that another girl that was kidnapped with them was treated fairly due to her father's position. She could feel her lip curl in disgust at his behavior towards them. Due to one father's occupation, a girl is safe, but due to the possible fear and determination of another to protect her family, she was assaulted and thrown in the hold. This man, this captain was beyond hope. She barked out a laugh at his last words, finding it almost insane that this man would bring aboard women and trust his men to not touch them. Did he know how men worked?" Virtuous state, hm? Is that the virtuous state you'll be leaving the girl in the hold for? Is ripping her bodice and spitting on her flesh keeping her virtuous state intact? You, sir, are nothing more than a lying hypocrite and I hope I find you at the other end of a gun or sword soon, stuck like the pig you are..." Her eyes followed him as she witnessed him begin to remove his clothes, a quiet gasp leaving her mouth and her eyes immediately slamming shut. What was this man thinking?! Had he never heard of a privacy wall? Without sight, Catherine was forced to absorb his words, learning that the man before her - the undressing man before her - found exhilaration in being hunted by the Royal Navy. When she heard him allow her to call him by his Christian name, Catherine made the mistake of turning her head to look at him sharply, realizing her mistake too quickly when she saw the broad chest of the captain's. She immediately averted her eyes, but the disdain in her voice was evident. "I refuse to take such liberties with a man who is so indecent in the presence of young ladies. Clearly you've forgotten how to act like a gentleman with the unruly nature of kidnapping and piracy. She turned her head immediately as he went to unbutton his pants, hearing them slide to the floor and moved into another corner. The man was fully naked in view of her, and she felt slightly sick at the thought of him trying to force himself on her. She would not be able to refuse him, nor have the strength to stop him, and that scared her. As he spoke, she began to shiver, feeling grossly uncomfortable at the words he was saying to her. He didn't even need to touch her to make himself seem vile. At his last comment, she turned finally, glaring directly into his eyes and refusing to look anywhere else. "Only a gentleman would see that this is vastly wrong, sir. You, are nothing more than a johnny cock preening his feathers hoping to find a hole to put himself in... I assure you, you will lose your favorite appendage if you try and touch me." It was all a threat of course, and empty at that, but the way that Catherine said it gave her hope that she would not end up dead or worse on the ship. She watched him move towards his bunk, choosing to move her body closer to the wall as she curled up on the floor, her back facing him. His last words made her smile, knowing that she had the least an upper hand on him with this. "Miss Spencer, that is all you need to know. Anything more and you'll be crossing societal lines, Captain Calf." She smiled, satisfied that she held her ground, and fell into an uncomfortable sleep. Henry had an internal alarm clock that woke him exactly 4 am. Slipping out of bed, he glanced over at the heap of clothes in the corner - a heap which slowly rose and fell. She was asleep. He smiled and padded barefoot across the floor and knelt down beside her. Leaning over, her gently kissed her cheek - then got up and dressed in black for it was not quite dawn. Leaving his cabin, he bounded up the five steps to the bridge . His First Officer, Jenkins was on duty. "Morning Cap'n". Henry poured himself a mug of hot tea from the urn and took one of Sam's biscuits . "Report, Mr Jenkins"." No sightings, Cap'n. We are currently 3 miles west of Neil and heading East. We should reach the opening in about fifteen minutes". Henry nodded "I have the helm, Mr Jenkins". He strained his eyes ahead - the shore was a dark mass. But there was a narrow gap between the cliffs that he had to find. "Lower all sails save the spirits'l". Henry steered East-Southeast. " The gap is invisible head on . Has to be approached from an angle." The cliffs became larger as a narrow roseate band of light appeared on the eastern horizon. Dawn. "There it is, Mr Jenkins". The gap was only a little wider than the ship. "Lower the spirits'l".(now, The Sapphire Star glided forward. The sides scraping the rock face but broke free into a lagoon. Satisfied that the ship was totally hidden, he gave the order to drop anchor about fifty feet from the shore. "Post a look-out on top of the cliffs, Mr Jenkins. You have the Bridge"." Aye aye, Cap'n". The only sounds now were the chirping of some avian choir and the gentle lapping of water against the ship's sides. Pouring two mugs of tea, he went down to his cabin. "Good morning Miss Spencer" he grinned "It is a fine day". He put the mugs of tea on the table "Breakfast will be here in a half an hour, but I have brought you a mug of tea. After breakfast, you are going to change into the clothes I described yesterday" he pointed to the chest by the door. "You may refuse if you wish, and then I will remove your clothes and dump them over the side. I think you can easily see that a more sensible course is to do as you are told. We will be anchored here for the rest of the day, so after you are properly dressed, I will give you a tour of my ship. After that, I have a ransom note to write and send to your father". He grinned. Catherine slept fitfully throughout the night, tossing, turning, trying to find comfort in the hard wooden floor she had chosen as her bed. It bested having to spend the night next to a cur such as Captain Calf. When the ungodly sound of wood scraping against something sounded throughout the cabin she was in, Catherine woke with a start, her eyes wildly looking around in case there were intruders on the ship. For a brief moment, she pictured her father coming to save her, but realized that the ship was no longer moving and completely still it seemed. They must have stopped, which meant that Catherine would have to talk to the Captain again, which meant that she had to continue to hide her identity and have to handle his presence as much as a lady could muster. As if on cue from her thoughts, none other than the arrogant Calf came down into the cabin, two mugs in his hand. She wondered if he was treating the other girls as civil as he was treating her. What of the girl who was in the hold? Would she get new clothes - ones that covered her - and a decent meal? And the one who was in the other cabin? Is she treated with kindness and generosity? The silent thoughts stayed quiet on her tongue, but she looked at the mug of tea and realize she was parched. With a sigh that signaled the girl preparing herself, Catherine got up and moved silently but smoothly to the table and grabbed a cup of tea, taking a long sip of it and finding that it did not taste of the swill she was expecting from pirates. He spoke, and she looked at him, watching him carefully as she stepped back into the corner, her back pressed against the wall. She would change, if only because she knew that he was serious about his threat of keeping her in the flesh once her clothes had been discarded. She took another sip of her tea, her hands cupping the mug delicately as she spoke her thoughts aloud. "What of the other young ladies, Captain Calf? Are they receiving such treatment as myself?" Watching her get up from her makeshift bed and come for the mug of tea, he smiled. "I trust that you slept well, Miss Spencer ? ". And as he stated his demand that she change her clothes, he noted her silent agreement to obey and then heard her question about the other ladies. " One lady is in the hold at this moment but will be brought up on deck within an hour. At that time, I will again ask her to state her name and her father's occupation. If she complies, which I expect she will - then she will take down to her cabin and given a change of clothes and breakfast. If she refuses, she goes back down to the hold. By the way, you may come to the Bridge and witness the proceedings." He sipped his tea "The blacksmith's daughter will be rowed ashore very soon and put into a coach to take her back to Montero - I do not want her father's money . He worked too hard for it". He paused, sipping his tea "There are two points I want you always to bear in mind - whatever may take place in this cabin, can never be known by anyone on the mainland or indeed, on this hip. So, whereas on land, you may be reluctant to shed your clothes in front of me - here you may do so secure in the knowledge that no one will ever know". He grinned "The second point is that everyone on this ship obeys my command. You are on my ship therefore you will obey also". Two raps on the door interrupted his discussion . He looked to the door "Enter "The door opened, and a huge native Jamaican entered carrying a tray . "Morning Boss ". He looked at the girl . "Morning Miss - breakfast" he set the tray down on the table "Scrambled eggs, toast, orange juice and coffee"Henry nodded "Thank you, Sam" ... But Sam hadn't quite finished explaining . He looked at the lady, smiling . A row of gleaming white teeth on display "I'm Sam . The cook - so when you come to look at my galley . Tell me what things you like to eat. I make things a bit spicy... ""Sam !! - that's enough". The cook shrugged his shoulders and left . Henry smiled "Sam is the only one on this ship who does not address me as 'Cap'n' - I gave up trying to get him to do that". Henry sat at the table "Come - sit down. Have breakfast. Then after that, we will get you out of those clothes and into something more appropriate" he smiled. Taking the lid off a large plate, he nodded in approval at a pile of scrambled eggs . "Sam is the finest cook in the Caribbean - I don't know how he manages to feed good food to thirty men twice a day. These daily stops are part of the reason ". He put two spoonfuls on his plate, buttered a piece of toast and started to eat "I will explain that when we are on the Bridge Catherine begrudgingly found herself at the mercy of this captain. Oftentimes when her father or governess would demand things of her, or put her in situations Catherine did not like, she would rebel wholeheartedly until a compromise was reached. She was beginning to realize there was no compromise with this captain; he had no issues with her sleeping on the floor and no issues showing her his ability to reduce her to nothing if he wanted. For the time being, she would have to comply until her father rescued her (or the Governor, actually) and she could satisfyingly watch the captain before stretch his neck on a rope in the gallows. The fantasy almost had her smiling, but she tamped it down quickly when the captain gave her the answers she was seeking in the form of the other ladies. At the invitation, she barked out a laugh, finding his suggestion absurd. "You wish for me to witness you degrade that poor girl further? What will you do this time? Give her to your crew to handle how they wish until she complies? Throw her overboard for the sea creatures to feed on until she gives you what you want? I will not witness your cruelty on another woman. Not today or any other day. Thank God for honest blacksmiths and their daughters because at least He has granted the poor girl a chance at virtue and honesty." Catherine hadn't realized how nasty her voice had gotten until she stopped, took a breath, and allowed her temper to get itself in check. Something in her told her she would regret the words, but did not know what would come of it. The captain spoke again, and Catherine felt her face grow hot at his suggestion of being able to disrobe while another man was in the room. She was curious as to why he was so adamant about keeping the cabin's goings-on so secretive, but shook her head at his ridiculous idea. "You are not my husband, sir, nor any close friend of the feminine nature. There is no decorum on this boat, but I will have some. I will change, Captain Calf, if only because you threaten to send me off in the nude, but youwillremove yourself and any other man from the room before that happens." She looked him in the eye, her jaw set. "No negotiations." Allow him to sit with that. She would most definitely obey commands if only to keep her clothes, life, and values in check, but by God she would not ruin her chances of a good marriage later on in life due to a man's inability to regulate himself around women. The knock on the door surprised her, and she jumped slightly, seeing a large black man coming through the doorway. Her stomach knotted as he looked at her, speaking politely to her. She merely stared at him, wondering more about this man as he went on to explain his station and how he preferred his food. A small smile lingered on her lips, but it vanished when the Captain spoke again, dismissing Sam the cook and speaking her to once again when he had left. Silently, Catherine softly padded to the table, sitting down and staring at the food on the table. Surely these pirates did not eat the same food that she and her father - an Admiral of all things - ate? Where was the slop? The maggots in her food? Were been the swill that the pirates drunkenly downed morning, noon, and night? She cautiously reached out and took a piece of toast off the platter, breaking it into small bite sized pieces before spearing one with a fork and eating it delicately. She glanced up at the captain when she spoke and did not check herself when she allowed her mind to form into words. "I see kidnapping and ransom are also reasons for stops like this. How else will you get information out of unsuspecting women, Captain?" Henry smiled and sadly shook his head . "Miss Spencer - you are beginning to disappoint me. It is only natural that you feel some resentment at first but then as you begin to think more clearly, you should realize that you have no bargaining position. Why not ? - because, dear lady, you have nothing to bargain with. Just like that foolish girl who refused to give me her name - a spell in the hold will focus your thoughts, I fancy". With obvious relish, he ate some scrambled eggs . "mmm . Very good. At first, Sam used to drench these in something he called habanero which he used to grind up and mix in with the eggs. No one could eat it" He laughed "But he is more or less trained now". He carefully buttered a piece of toast then poured a cup of coffee into which he put two teaspoons of sugar and some milk. Thoughtfully, he returned to the subject of Miss Spencer. "I must tell you Miss Spencer that although I have some sympathy for you, it does extend very far. Added to that, I do not have the monopoly on patience. Surely - even you know that your 'No negotiations' stance is simply amusing - of course there will be no negotiations. You are going to do as you are told" he threw back his head and laughed . "So - when you have finished your breakfast, you will remove your clothes - or I will do that for you. I fancy that modesty will propel you to dress in clothes from the chest with some commendable alacrity" he grinned and sipped his coffee. "And while we are discussing your situation - I would tell you again that my bunk is much more comfortable than the floor - especially when I am in it ! " He grinned. "Yes . Snuggling a nice soft female against my chest is something that hasn't happened for .Hamm . Almost a month. Something tells my that my drought will end soon". Getting up from the table, he went over to his desk, pulled out the bottom drawer and took out a length of rope - some eight feet in length. Expertly, he threw the rope up and over the sturdy hook in the ceiling so that both ends now dangled in front of him. "Miss Spencer - listen to me very carefully. Either you remove your clothes immediately - or I will do it for you. I will bind your wrists, pull the other end of the rope to lift your arms then fasten the rope - and you - in that position. Surely you can see that you would be unable to prevent me from removing every item of your clothing. That being accomplished, I would release you so that could dress in the prescribed manner". He smiled at her "Help yourself to more coffee". Finishing the last of the scrambled eggs, he looked across the table at her and smiled. "You really are a most attractive lady". Draining his coffee, became thoughtful . "Other information from unsuspecting women ? That's easy - talk to them . Ask questions. If good answers are forthcoming, they get a gold sovereign". He leaned back in his chair . "Get out of your clothes, Miss Spencer - now". His tone had a hard edge and no smile graced his features.

The Sapphire Star (Derick & Lady Kalypso)|rating:2.0

The bar date (Gentle Storm x Numerion)

(been past a bad breakup and was moping for months. Finally, she installed an app to get to meet somebody. She wasn't ready for a romance, but she could use a touch or two. Soon, she matched with a guy and exchanged a couple of messages and he seemed fine. They agreed to meet, but she insisted on meeting him in a nearby bar. She lived close by, but he didn't have to know that. At least she'd have a short walk. She did her preparation, grabbed a slightly shorted black dress that fit her figure nicely. Her red hair flowing over her shoulders. A necklace with a stone resting at the top of her cleavage. A thought flew through her mind that her ex disliked that as it lead the sights of people to her breasts, but then shrugged. She didn't have to think of that. She took one last look in a mirror, took a deep breath and went on her short walk to the bar. Furthermore, she was earlier than they agreed, but she liked to be that way. It was nearly empty for it was still early. She expected this. She grabbed a table and decided she will start with just water, no need to get too much into her head. After all she doesn't want to devour the man immediately. Tyler was quite excited, he had recently installed a dating application following the advice of his roommate, and he was already starting to get feedback. The latest was a young redhead: Jess, who is she was as pretty as on the picture, deserved all his attention. As he finished his workout, he realized that it was good, they were going to meet in a bar in town. He ran to take a shower and headed to the bar in question. He looked at his watch: right on time. As he entered the room, he smiled mentally, he radiated confidence, certain that his advantageous physique had never betrayed him. It was early, and the room was not yet full. It was easy to spot the young redhead who was already present, sitting with a glass of water. He waved to her with a smile and walked towards her. It was likely that nothing happens tonight, but seeing her in her little black dress, he was ready to be patient." Hey Jess, you are gorgeous, even more beautiful than on your pictures".(Jess noticed him immediately as he walked in. She was glad his pics were up-to-date. She inspected the way his shirt enhanced the muscles on his arms and she shivered. It's been a long time since she was held and this was her first thought. She thought to herself she wasn't here to get any of that out of her system. Not yet. Just to get to know him. She smiled and stood up to him, nodding down lightly "Thank you, but that is only because my pictures are a bit bad!" she joked. "Please do sit...what will you have?" she asked, trying not to stare at him too much. She sat down and pressed her legs together. Tyler stared intently for a moment, with his blue eyes, at the little redhead, who looked away, embarrassed. Then he looked at the glass she was drinking." I'll have a beer, a cocktail for you, would you like that? I hear they're good here. Some friends have already come. He made sure that the conversation did not get bogged down from the beginning, and interesting in his interests, trying to find commonalities or asking more advanced questions, while joking. Of course later, he returned to the subject that interested him the most, the reason why she had registered on the application and what she was looking for. She thought for a moment. She didn't intend to be drinking but if he was.... "A cocktail wouldn't hurt I suppose~" she answered finally. "Oh are you from around here?" she asked. She continued the conversation, laughing, giggling and sipping her drink meanwhile. She laughed at the question "Oh you know...missing the old touch, hugs and things... been a while~" Tyler looked shocked"No, cute as you are? No one to bring you some tenderness? It's a shame" he said laughing, half amused, half serious. He took in the hand of the young woman to have all her attention. Staring intensely with his blue eyes, as if seeking to penetrate her soul." If you want, I will take care of you." Without lingering, it released the hand of the redhead and stretched, making play his muscles under his shirt, then rose." But in the meantime I'll go and get us some new drinks." She blushed at the compliments. "I am not all bright and nice. I can be mean and..." she spoke "greedy." She blushed harder when he took her hand, but didn't pull it back. Instead, she looked up into his blue eyes and wondered if she went too far, said too much. But then he stretched, and her eyes went to the gutter again, not being careful to not be seen." Yeah yeah please do, I have run out!" she admitted. One more can't hurt. Tyler returned with their alcoholic drinks, and took a sip. The remark she had made had excited him, perhaps more than it should have, but now he wanted to try his luck and speed up. Waiting for her to bring her glass to the mouth to take a sip, he decided to disconcert her a little:"So, you're a bad girl?" asked he while laughing, certain that she would swallow askew. Before she tried to answer, he continued so that she knew he was ready:"That falls well, the night I am also "demanding", It could be a flaw, but until now I always thought it was one of my qualities." She laughed at the remark "Bad girl? No I don't think so. Greedy, yes, bad? No." she smiled and blushed. She took a sip "Demanding? In what way? And why would that be a flaw or a quality?" she asked as the questions poured into her mind. The alcohol was affecting her, asking before she thought about the topic and held back her inquisitive mind. He winked at her amused." There are some things that are better not explained, the best is to live them to understand." He looked at his watch, it was already two hours that they were in this bar, he preferred to change the subject." I begin to be hungry, there is a restaurant not far, we go there?" Jess smirked "And here I thought you were only thirsty~". She finished up her drink and got up nodding "Yeah sure, let's go!" she smiled following him. "Food and drink, the base of Maslow's pyramid" he said with a smile, while helping her to put on her jacket. The restaurant mentioned, was quite intimate and served Italian dishes." Before you ask, don't worry, the spaghetti is served in individual portions. For my part I would take fish, they are known for this." While eating and drinking white wine, he resumed the conversation about the life of Jess, collecting as much information as possible and also answering his questions. Spending at the same time a pleasant evening. Jess ate but not too much. She rarely ate the big portions in restaurants and after all she was tiny, she didn't need much." So you come here often? "She asked eventually in the conversation. She did answer his questions a bit more freely now. Even mentioned her ex a few times. "Indeed I had heard about it from a friend, and I had already come." He listened carefully, hiding that his interest in his ex was only to know why they had broken up. On the other hand, he did not make any remark about his conquests, he saw no advantage in her knowing that he had known just this past quarter, several different girls. Finishing their meal and after having settled the bill, he inquired if she had spent a good evening. Then he offered to accompany her to her home. Without him asking specifically about it, she answered"I... I don't know. I had a good evening but ever since that cheating bastard and I broke up.... Furthermore, I haven't felt...safe? Around guys" she mentioned trailing away"Not to say I don't feel safe around you!" she assured him and put a hand on his biceps "Its just... you know it's difficult" "Of course, I was mainly concerned that you get home safely. If I can't take you home, can I call you a cab?" With her reserved attitude, he knew full well that she was not the kind of girl who would invite him the first night at home, so his concern was sincere. Without being late at night, Jess was really cute, and he would have felt bad if something happened to her. She sighs a relief "I... I suppose you can walk me home then" she nodded. Surprisingly, she hooked a hand around his elbow and lead him homewards. He smiled and took her home, surprisingly, it was really not far. He had however, while she was standing close to him, the time to smell her perfume, which like her, bewitched him. He laughed when they arrived: "Well, I was worried about nothing"." In any case I spent a good evening. I wish you a good night, you have my number if you want to meet again". He smiled at her one last time and started to move to leave. The closeness of a man was intoxicating to her. She was unable to speak much on the way home. Her head was toying with the idea of...just kissing him, holding him. Him holding her and his muscles squeezing her tightly." Wait!" she yelled when he turned around." Wait." she said again, this time in a much more controlled voice "What if..." she blushed "I don't want anything to happen but... if we just cuddled, and you held me..." she admitted "It would really make my evening." She was blushing hard, she knew this. But then they met on an app, he had to think of those kinda things too. Tyler was a little surprised, but he nodded, ready to grant his wish to Jess who was visibly blushing. He took his time and with a smile, he held out his hand to her, gently bringing her closer to him, while he was leaning against the wall. After brushing a stray strand of hair away from his face and staring into his eyes, he hugged her close. Her head was resting on his chest, and he was sure she could hear his heart. He proceeded to smell her hair and get drunk on her perfume. Losing for a few moments the notion of time, he ends up stepping back. With a gentle gesture he lifted Jess's chin so that she was staring at him. Then instinctively, he started to move closer, ready to kiss her, just waiting for her to nod. She hugged into him, placing her ear onto his chest. She listened for his heartbeat and her breathing slowed down. Furthermore, she didn't care they were in the street. Furthermore, she felt and heard the heart beat, and she was calm. When he pulled back she almost stumbled. She stared up at him and for a moment was about to move to kiss him, but then shook her head and looked away "N-no, not ready for that..." she said and turned away. Even then she moved half a step back and leaned into his chest again, backwards. Her hands running up his biceps and onto his shoulders, feeling them up. Tyler smiled to himself, his gut feeling wrong this time. He rested his chin on Jess's head and closed his eyes. The excitement he had felt a few seconds earlier had faded, and he felt dumb." Sorry, that was stupid of me...." he said softly, while hugging her. He cleared his mind and simply enjoyed the present moment. "It's stupider of me..." she started with a dreamy voice "That I want to stay like this till the morning." Her heart was pounding. She wanted more. She needed more. But she knew even this was too much and dangerous. Tyler thought for a moment, then shook his head. Who knows, maybe in the future." It is better to stop for tonight. This will allow us to avoid things that we could regret"." However, you have my phone number. Don't hesitate to call me." He retreated, and this time left for good. Jess was sad at those words. But she thanked him nonetheless, knowing he was right. Still, after he left, and she got home, she made a pic in her night gown, one where a faint outline of her form could be seen if one studied it close enough. And she sent it to him right before she went to sleep. Tyler was on his way home when he received a text from Jess. He quickly glanced at it and understood from the sight of the photo, that they would see each other again. Putting away his phone, he wondered where their next meeting would take place. He was about to think about inviting her to go for a run together around a park, but figured she would enjoy more to see a movie at the cinema. If he inquired about next locations over texts, she would give more inclinations towards the movies, even naming several she wanted to see. Her messages got a bit more thirsty over the several further days. Several times she mentioned how it felt good to be held and that she wanted that and more of it. At one occasion, she sent a message mentioning that it would be great to have his hands and some other hands on her at the same time, but then quickly deleted the message, possibly too late. She realized she was being too much. That she needed to slow down, but just the touch... it was too much for her. Tyler, who was quite busy, always found time to respond to Jess. However, he had not been able to see her for a few days, and he finally noticed that she was making more and more precise remarks. Apparently the young redhead felt good in his arms. Not knowing too much how to interpret it, Tyler saw there in any case a positive sign. Knowing that he could finish early that night, he contacted her and proposed to make a movie night together. Of all the movies they had discussed in advance, he selected the thriller, followed by a romantic comedy Knowing now where she lived, he also proposed her to meet downstairs of her house. Waiting for her answer, he prepared in advance his stuff, and put aside a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, knowing full well that this one would highlight him. Jess was for a moment uncomfortable realizing he knew where she lived. That was exactly something she didn't want. But then the date went fine, and she wasn't murdered yet. So probably it was fine. She agreed to the movies after all, even if she didn't much fancy movie dates. After all, it wasn't a first date and hopefully the theater wouldn't be too full so they could chat. After many attempts she chose a different dress, green this time. It fit her much better, contrasting her hair color and fitting with the color of her eyes. Barely she made it out on time." Sorry, I was so, so busy!" she lied for she spent a few dozen minutes browsing his pics and choosing dresses. Jess, like the last time, looked very pretty in her dress, and Tyler knew he was making people jealous as he walked by. Once again she was a breath of fresh air. He found himself thinking that he had missed her perfume. The films were not exceptional, but they were always a good basis for discovering each other's tastes and creating a common moment for further conversation. He had taken a small packet of popcorn and as the first film started, he concentrated more on grabbing bits and pieces with her to make contact than on watching the projection. She quickly understood his behavior and looked into his eyes, amused, he could not help but smile to seduce her. She actually enjoyed the movies, but it was hard for her to pay attention to them. She felt their fingers touching in the popcorn packet and it kept grabbing her attention. She snitched and whispered through the whole movie with him, commenting on everything, enjoying every single comment and even going into a stifled laughter fit at one of his jokes. She turned around to watch him a lot during it so she didn't miss the way he looked and smiled at her. Furthermore, she smiled right back, with happiness showing in her cheeks and eyes. Mindlessly she let her hand drop to touch his leg. When Jess touched his leg, Tyler acted as if nothing had happened. He simply waited for the most exciting moment in the film to take her hand in his, acting as if nothing had happened and continuing to watch the screen. Jess was increasingly receptive to his charm and made less and less effort to hide it. For his part, the young redhead was a magnet, and he enjoyed spending time with her. As they entered the second room, to see the next film, he proposed to sit at the back and as he settled down, he raised the armrest that separated them. If we're going to have a romantic comedy, we might as well make it work, he thought, joking alone, hoping Jess would come closer. Jess nodded and took the spot next to him. When he sat down, she leaned into him directly with no shame. She enjoyed the movie, but more so because she sniffed and smelled his smells and enjoyed his touch. Clearly Tyler wasn't interested in the film, but he compensated by grabbing a lock of Jess's hair and playing absentmindedly with it. With the young woman leaning on his shoulder, they could have been sitting on a couch watching a show. When the film finally ended, he remained silent, preferring to stare at her intensely while smiling, until she broke down and laughed." How about sharing an ice cream? "He asked mischievously. Jess smirked. It was brave. She could tell her cheeks were growing red to match her hair "Isn't that a bit too...cheesy?" she asked." I thought it was more 'in' to offer something more...brave" she sniggered. She didn't know where she was going with this. Tyler laughed. He had been tricked the first time, so he preferred not to go for it a second time. Do you want something more direct? More courageous? Bolder? Okay .... "he said, pretending to think, leaving it unclear what he would say next." There's a karaoke bar a few blocks from here, I can't wait to see you sing, with me and in front of strangers."" Unless of course you have another idea? And you wish to take us somewhere else?" He asked with a big smile. Jess made an odd smile at the karaoke and nodded "I suppose...that is braver than a single ice cream!" she laughed. They made their way to the karaoke, joking about. She hooked an arm over his and let him lead. Ten minutes later, they were in the bar, which was quite full. He managed to find a table and while Jess went to sign them up to sing, he went to get them drinks. Several people had already signed up before them, and they were able to start their drinks quietly. Tyler could not sing at all well, and while he was not horrible, he gave a passable performance. However, he was able to forget his surroundings and focus all his attention on his partner, to stare at her long and hard, as if he were talking to her soul. So he chose a love song for a duet, and announced his choice to Jess: "You'll see, it's a pretty easy song to start with". She nodded. She knew the song. What Tyler didn't know was that she could sing fairly well. As they sang, she focused her attention on the crowd and giving them a show instead of on him. She was singing, twirling, spinning... everything. And doing it well. Tyler's first goal of getting Jess to melt had clearly failed, but he didn't feel he was losing out at all. The young redhead's performance was moving and captivating, the better to make him forget that he didn't sing as well as she did. Their charming duet against his gruff manhood worked wonderfully and when he asked the audience to applaud Jess, it was with pleasure that the crowd did so." You were superb," he said sincerely, as they headed back to their table. Jess made a big bow after the performance, her sight scanning the audience. "She however stepped closer to Tyler and hooked an arm over his shoulder, leaning into him with her body." I wouldn't have sang so well without you motivating me so much~" she whispered into his ear and dragged him towards a table. Tyler smiled, his body on top of hers, heating him up, but he held back." If I'd known you were so good, I would have taken a few lessons before coming here," he said, still joking. As they listened absent-mindedly to the others, chatting and drinking their drinks, he suggested that they move on to another activity:"It's still early, shall we go dancing?" he said charmingly. He was dying to get close to Jess again and this time he was very confident that he would." I want to discover all your talents tonight" he concluded with a wink. Jess laughed "We got lots of activities ahead of us then...but not dancing" she admits "Never was one for it. However, I am feeling good here, why leave?" she asked, looking him up. She pulled him to a table and instead of sitting across from him, she sat next to him, still leaning on him. Tyler nodded as he felt Jess' body against him. He put his arm over her shoulder and nodded:"It's true that we're comfortable here, and watching others sing can be fun." With his free hand he began to look for another potential song and when a waiter came by he recommended drinks. While joking about the performances they were seeing and hearing, he tried to make the young redhead laugh, enjoying what was a very good evening. Jess continued to lean into him as they spoke and drank. She was obviously having a good time even as the evening went on. Now and then she nodded thanks when people around complimented her and their performance earlier." You...do this often?" she asked of him "This... app stuff?" It was a delicate question, but he refused to lie to her. His position was not convenient for looking her in the eye, but he tried." When I'm not involved with someone, yes."" I've mostly met people who didn't want to make a long-term commitment, and so I decided to live life to the fullest as I met them."" I'll be honest with you, I like you, and I want to keep seeing you, to see how far our relationship could go""So you : what do you want?" he asked as seriously as he could. Jess listened but halfway through focused on something in a distance." I want you..." she said slowly and pointed out "To bring me that ice cream cone. One straw is enough, we can share I am sure~" Tyler found the young woman's attitude strange, tried to see what had caught her eye, and sighed." An ice cream for the princess" and went out to get it, now certain that when he returned, Jess would be gone." Well, I have tried without lying, and I will have an ice cream on the way back," he thought, disappointed. To his surprise, Jess was still sitting there when he got back. He arms thrown over the backs of nearby chairs, her hair let down and flowing over her shoulders and the jewel poking from inside her cleavage which just... seemed deeper somehow." You have a sad stride in your step there, cowboy~" she giggled Rather than answering and expressing his surprise, he preferred to bite off a large piece of the ice cream, before handing it to her with a wide smile. As he recomposed himself, he took a closer look and noticed the change in her attitude and the pendant that was dangerously catching his eye." I must have hurt myself without realizing it," he replied with a smile." But as soon as I see you, I feel strangely better." She grins some more and throws a leg over the other, the dress lifting dangerously as she does so." Clearly" she says and reaches out to get her ice cream. Slowly she takes a few licks teasingly vulgar before her lips sink into the ice cream. He laughed. This little redhead was playing with him, he felt like he was on a rollercoaster with her, and he loved it. He reached out to retrieve the ice cream and licked it off before handing it back to her, placing his gaze in hers, she seemed to have made up her mind, and Tyler couldn't help but shiver in anticipation. Strangely, he no longer felt the desire to speak, but simply enjoyed her gaze, and engraved in his memory the slightest gestures of Jess, who was seducing him at an alarming speed. Jess continues licking the ice cream obscenely, clearly unbothered by their presence in a bar full of people. She put up a hand across her midsection, her elbow and army softly squeezing her cleavage upwards. A smile curls her lips "You seem to be enamored~" "I can feel my heart melting faster than this ice in your hands," he said, still surprised by the change in her attitude." So... If we went somewhere less public, I think we'd still have a lot to do to get to know each other fully." Jess smirks "I did invite you home..." she mentions and grins as she licks a bit of ice cream on her lips. "We could get to know each other real well~" He nodded and motioned for her to follow, taking her hand to guide her. He waited until they were out the door, and as they walked along the wall of the building, he stopped and turned to her, his arm encircling the little redhead against the wall. His face was now close to hers." Ready for the real fun?" he asked with a smile, taking the rest of the ice cream from her to finish it. Jess bit her bottom lip as she turned to face him, her back pressed against the wall as she looked up." You know I am~" "Indeed, but I like to hear you say it," he said proudly, before kissing her and finally tasting her lips Jess kissed him back. Eagerly she put her hands around his torso and pulled herself to him as they shared the kiss slowly. He wasn't too surprised, Jess' lips tasted like vanilla. He enjoyed every moment of it, then stepped back a little reluctantly: "Luckily you don't live far, let's go, for the rest, we'll be better off than in the middle of the street. My shirt is itching me, I need to take it off" Jess grins as he says it and nods, pulling his arm "Yes it's itching me too, it definitely belongs on my room's floor~" He let himself be guided by the pretty redhead and had only one thing to look forward to, to be alone with her, to finally bite into the fruit that was enticing him. Having full confidence in his physical abilities and experience, he simply reminded himself that he still had to be patient, being too abrupt from the start would be counterproductive. She leads him to her apartment in quite the hurried step. When they enter the building, she lets go of his arm, unlocks her door and grins. She throws one strap of her dress to the side, letting it drop off her shoulder, then walks in spinning, revealing how the cup lowers slightly as she spins and winks at him." You coming~?" He nodded as he followed her, his senses alert. He waited until he had passed through the door and closed it behind him before removing his top as advertised, revealing his muscular body." Finally comfortable," he said with a confident smile." Let's continue what we started in the street," he said as he approached. She grinned when she saw his exposed torso. She stepped closer and reached for his side, letting her hands touch his skin slowly and embrace him. Furthermore, she was still smiling when she nodded "That sounds like a good plan~" she said and kissed him once more. While he let her touch his body as much as she wanted, he placed his hands around her waist as he kissed her more and more passionately. Without ever stopping to kiss her, he guided her instinctively inside the flat, eager to discover the intimacy of the young redhead." It looks very comfortable here," he said with a smile, although his gaze had never left Jess since they arrived. Jess nodded and pulled back from him "It's small, but it's mine!" she joked. "But at least the bathtub is big enough~" she added smirking." You want anything to drink?" she asked. Likewise, her eyes never left him. Tyler was so intensely lost in thought, staring at her perfect body, that he had a long moment of absence." I'd share a drink with you," he said with a knowing look." And who knows, we could go and see the rest of the place."" The bed, bigger or smaller than the bath?" he asked jokingly. Jess smirks and prances back to him. She hooks an arm under his and pulls him around." This is my kitchen. You'll find thirty juice flavors and three types of cereals there. I like having choices." Then she leads him through a doorway to a small nook of a room, with a queen-sized bed, a night table with a romance book split by a pink bookmark, and a window covered with heavy drapes." The bed you asked about." She smiles "it's big for me, but I guess the two of us would have to cuddle to fit" As the young woman showed him the room, Tyler laughingly lifted her up and threw her onto the bed." We're going to test this right now," he said as he joined her. Positioning himself on top of her to kiss her. As his hand met hers, he interlocked his fingers with hers. She grinned when she was thrown onto the bed. The dress shifted slightly but didn't reveal anything. Her face a look of glee as he came up on top of her. She bit her bottom lip and leaned into him for a kiss. Her hair thrown all across the bed as if she meant it that way. Despite his good resolutions thought earlier, Tyler couldn't help but give in to his instincts. He felt himself harden at breakneck speed and his jeans were now dangerously tight. But all his attention was on Jess, as he began to take one of her firm buttocks with one hand and the other her neck to pull her towards him and kiss her wildly. He felt like a hungry beast, all too aware of his luck to have a feast close at hand. While he was seriously thinking about tearing her dress, he managed to hold himself back and took the time to step back and admire the young redhead's body. Jess kissed him. She was very needy. When he pulled back she almost whimpered, but then saw the look he gave her. She grinned and raised her arms above her head, gripping the headboard and stretching in front of him. "You look as if you are looking at an angel" she smirked. "My little redheaded angel... Yes indeed" he said, taking the time to look at her chest which rose and fell with her breathing. He moved closer and crossed one of his hands with hers, before kissing her again. His other hand now caressed her leg and went up little by little under her dress. She grinned and bit her lip. Her hand running to his side and pulling him closer. She kissed him back and let her legs part, letting his hand travel upwards. Her hand transferred to his back and her fingers slipped under his shirt, pulling him in even more, letting her body brush against his. Tyler smiled as he finished finding what he was looking for. His hand came to rest on her buttock, and he squeezed it hungrily as he felt himself being drawn to her. Their bodies were now against each other, and he could not help but feel Jess' breasts against him. Of instinct, he began to seize the back of the underclothes of the pretty redhead and with the same languorous speed with which he had arrived until there, he began to turn back. Jess lifted her butt up under his advances, letting him pull her underthings away. She grinned "A bit speedy aren't we~" she teased and pulled his shirt up and over his head, then let her hands wander about his torso. Her remark made him smile, so much she was right. But she was so pretty, her perfume so intoxicating, and he was so excited, that he only came to the conclusion that he had succeeded in not rushing things even more. He got up a little, and took the time to appreciate feeling the hands of the young woman to cross his muscles." You're right, I'll let you set the pace" he said while he made them exchange their position. The pretty redhead was now on him, while he rested on the bed." On the other hand I keep your panties" he said laughing, raising his arm, with his booty. Jess grins as she is flipped up. Her hair a mess over her shoulder and face. She laughs as she straddles over him "Oh are you expecting me to slow down?" she asked as she took charge and put her arms onto his torso for support." In that case, I will have to disappoint you~" she said and rubbed her behind over his crotch. She put her weight down and leaned up. She took the lower edge of her dress and slowly pulled it upwards, revealing her body to him. Only her bra remained.Finally, she pulled the dress off and tossed it aside, then put her hands into her hair and swirled her hips around grinning down at him. Tyler didn't waste a moment, looking longingly at the body that was being revealed." Don't worry, I'm not disappointed....... Maybe I am, that I still have my jeans between us."" Could you help me?" as he placed his hands on her now naked buttocks to caress them. He could feel Jess leaning deliciously against him and there was no way she couldn't have felt the bulge that had formed in his trousers a few minutes before. Jess pushed herself just a tad back, that her mound was right under his bulge. Her hand reached down and landed on the upper part of it "Oh these jeans?" she asked giggling and humped forward across the bulge and back." Are you talking about these jeans, yes?" she asked again, smirking repeating the movement. "I just need to...ah~" she moaned lightly as she did it again "Make sure we are talking about the same jeans~" No matter how much Jess teased him and made him wait, his mind was now only on her chest, which was rising and falling with the rhythm of her movements. He decided to get up and bring his face closer to hers, while sliding his hands over the strap of her bra. As their lips were about to meet, he changed his mind at the last moment before kissing her, the same time he had managed to undo the garment. As he lay back down, he smiled at her, crossing his arms over his head, making sure to show off his muscles: "take your time, the view from here is beautiful" Jess laughs when he unhooks her bra and lets it drop. She helps him toss it away and even puts her elbows together forming a nice little mound and a valley out of her gifts. Her nipples sitting atop as little strawberries, poking outwards. She leans forwards "Enjoy it then~" and lets her chest fall over his face, while still grinding over his bulge. She knew full well the breasts would rub all over his face and swallow it. He didn't need her to tell him a second time, he took one of her breasts in his mouth, and massaged the second with one hand. They were perfect, and he felt even more aroused, if that was possible, he groaned as he felt his trousers get in the way, he realized he couldn't fight her charms, and only wished to be free of her torment. He released her little breast and sought her lips with his, while he tried to put his hands between her thighs to try to undo his pant. Jess grinned and pushed her torso down onto his face more. Her hands using their newfound freedom to reach down and help him undo his pants, then dive into his pants and stumble about his parts, getting all hands about them.Finally, she pulls his cock out and presses it against his belly, moving her crotch back down and letting her lips wrap around the shaft and spread her wetness. Her moan betrays how much his pure heat gets to her. He passed his hands on her hips and raised her a little, so that of a movement of the basin, he can position his hard sex in her. She was ready to receive him, he felt it, he forced gently to avoid hurting her and took her little by little. He grunted with pleasure, ready to begin. She assisted him. She raised herself upright, displaying her exposed body to him and straddled him wider. Furthermore, she aligned her crotch to his and swirled about a bit before letting herself be pushed down around him. Her mind exploded with pleasures as she took him in bit by bit. A first push-up, then a second, before starting to go faster and faster. Always further and further." God, you're so tight..." She used his legs for support as she let herself be guided down. Her insides were wet, hot and tight around him, squeezing him with all their might." You are welcome" she says and then grimaces "And or sorry?" she laughs He had now placed his hands firmly on her bottom, and was helping her up and down." Don't worry sugar, you're perfect," he said with a groan. She blushed more but arched her back and rode him onwards, making lovely sounds alongside. He groaned with pleasure, if this continued it would come quickly, while he wished this moment to last as long as possible. He drew the young redhead to him and said, "Hang on to my neck," as he flexed all his muscles to lift her to his knees. Thus placed, their faces were face to face, and he could feel her breath on him. Standing on knees on the bed, her legs around his hips, he started to ram into her pussy like an engine piston on full throttle. Jess wrapped her legs around him and hooked her arms around his shoulders. Her palms pressed into his back as she leaned in close, moaning into his ear as he began driving into her. Her soft body jiggled, and her muscles strained to stay in place as he hefted again and again into her. Her body pressed into his and her hot breath running across his neck as he spread her with his thrusts. At this speed, while hearing her moan in his ears, he was unable to hold back any longer. With a groan he pinned her to the bed, and as he withdrew from her, he released all the frustration that had built up in her lower belly. He sprayed her with his thick seed, before kneeling back to catch his breath and see the mess he had made. She almost screamed at the sudden transition but laughed as he flipped her and pinned her down. She grinned at him as he inspected her and held her legs nicely parted. She reached down and slipped a finger down between her lips, swirled it and pulled it back up. Her lips closed around it, and she slurped on it "MMH you made me a mess~" "Hmm, a good start indeed" he said with a smile, catching his breath." I know something you might like." He pushed two fingers, palm up, into the still-wet slit, and applied upward pressure. He began to stroke the inside of the red vagina, faster and faster. Jess's voice spiked into a moan as she was teased further. "You-Arif" she tried talking, unsuccessfully. Her teeth bit down into her bottom lip and her hips moved against his hand. Quickly her heat built up again and she was shaking uncontrollably. Her hand grasped his wrist stopping it in its tracks and stabbing her nails into his skin.

The bar date (Gentle Storm x Numerion)|rating:2.0

[Speakeasy] The Plaza Hotel

(one of our distinguished guests desires a room, or maybe one of our elegant suites - please inquire at the reception. (aka. Let your GM's know in a PM, and we shall give you a room number)(of the best addresses in town, The Plaza Hotel offers its distinguished guests exquisite service, elegant suites, noble penthouses, cozy bars and fabulous restaurants to dine in. Only for those with enough money, of course - this place certainly is not cheap, and rabble never is welcome (unless they are working there, of course). It also is rumored that black people are not welcome, neither are 'mixed' couples (as in black/white couples). All images are clickable! Bar area(Restaurant(( Suites(( (you are interested in having your character live in the hotel, please contact a Gm so that you can be assigned a floor and room number. Thank you. TenantsThe Plaza has 19 floors (But we may not need them all)Fifth Floor -Fourth Floor-Third Floor -Second Floor -First Floor -And so on... ((#msg11217150): Catherine Kennedy Wearing: For her night out (April 1st 1921–Friday around early evening Company: Jack Other:It had been over a year, how wrong was that...a married woman not being touched in a loving way in over a year. The last time her husband had stroked her had cost them both a great deal. But tonight was different, tonight was meant to find a part of herself once more. Catherine wanted to feel like a woman again, attractive, alluring, wanted passion and if all goes as planned satisfied. That is if what the other high collar ladies words were true about Jack. Normally Catherine would not think of hiring a man to spend the evening with her. Truly she didn't have to, but delving into something more with a man just didn't seem like an option now. Not when she had no idea who she could really trust as it was. And Jack had come highly recommended, granted the woman that she had spoken to were probably rather easily pleased. Their husbands probably were lucky to find the proper hole much less actually make their wives feel anything close to real ecstasy. Still the evening would go as it wish, the ending still somewhat unplanned as Catherine wasn't sure how well her body would honestly respond to letting someone that close to her once more. But for now she pushed that worry aside as she got dressed in the finest chiffon, her dress handmade along with the suit she had order for Jack. He thought it strange that she asked for his size, but didn't fight her on it. Catherine simply wanted to have nothing but the best this evening, besides he could keep the suit if he wished. The final touches to her make were made just as a knock sounded at her door. No doubt Jack once he has been looked over by her men, for her protection of course, there were still many people that didn't like the idea of a woman in change of such large holdings. But with the added protection of the Triad behind her Catherine felt confident that she could hold her own within a city built on the egos of men." Come in." Catherine called out as she walked into the main seating area already ready to go. (Arriving for Appointment Name: Jack Chapman Jr. (#msg11240230)Wearing: As instructed, this (now. Time/Location: Friday the 1st of April, Roughly 5:45pm,The Plaza Hotel Company: Mrs. Kennedy Language: English The call had come on Monday, just as Jack was getting home from his day job of flipping dogs down on Coney Island. When the operator informed him that a "Mrs. Caroline Kennedy from The Plaza" was on the other end of the line, he wasn't exactly sure how to respond, for he couldn't seem to recall ever meeting someone by that name and, furthermore, he rarely traveled that far Uptown. He had a mind for such details. However, if someone from that end of the world - even a married someone - needed his attention, they were certainly going to get it." Mr. Jack Chapman here," was all he stated as he waited for the line to connect, inwardly wishing that his roommate Frank was home, seeing that he shared the same last name with the woman, but the lucky son of a bitch was off somewhere tropical, more than likely being taken care of like some Crown Prince, this much he was certain of. Perhaps the call's meant for him...maybe she's a cousin or an aunt...or something? However, as the mostly one-sided conversation continued it became abundantly clear to the kid that the call was most certainly meant for him." Always listen closely," he could hear Frank's soothing voice mentoring him, even now, years on into this not-so-legal line of work they both openly embraced. "They sometimes speak in code or in a roundabout manner, so ya gotta read between the lines." Thankfully, Mrs. Kennedy was being fairly straightforward with her wants and needs. She had been given his name and number by "a reputable acquaintance," and she did indeed "require his companionship, this Friday evening, promptly at six o'clock." She then went on to inquire about his specific measurements, for a suit would be waiting for him upon his arrival, so it really didn't matter how he dressed, for he would be "changing for dinner." She wasn't more forthcoming than that. Furthermore, she said the rest could be "worked out" once he arrived. Then the line went silent. And he waited. Like an inexperienced fool, which he most certainly was not! Snap out of it, Jackie Boy! She's done speaking! However, by the time he realized it was his turn to speak -Damn fancy technology! I'm so much better in person!- she had come back on the line and questioned if he understood their agreement, which he manged to reply, "Yes, Mrs. Kennedy, I will see you this Friday, at The Plaza Hotel, promptly at six. We shall wine and dine the evening away." He basically repeated what she had already stated, for he liked to do that as a way of confirmation. This way if something had been lost on the line - like his damn train of thought - there was always a chance to correct course, instead of fumble around later on." Good," was all he heard before the operator disconnected them." Good," was all he could say, mostly to himself, as his mind continued to whirl with thoughts of such an affluent appointment. However, good was just about the last word taking shape on his lips or in his mind as he now stood outside her lofty suite, with a single white rose in hand, wearing his somewhat shabby street clothes. He felt more than a little out of place - and certainly more bad than good - as Mrs. Kennedy's... Bodyguards?...eyed him up, before patting him down not just once, but twice. The only thing they found on him was a switchblade, which the one confiscated, giving him no inclination that he'd ever see it again." He's clean," the one brute said to the other, with a nod of his head, just as a somewhat familiar voice called, from the other side of the double doors, instructing him to enter." It's been fun, gents," Jack boldly remarked, finally feeling more himself, seeing that he now had their approval to be here. "We should do this again sometime," he added, with a smirk, before reaching for the polished handle. "No. Really. We should," he gave the more attractive of the two a wink before turning the glass knob. Throwing the doors open, he strolled into the lavish suite as if he owned the place. It was showtime, and he was more than ready to show Mrs. Kennedy averaged time." Rule number one," he boldly stated as he closed the gap between them, "there are to be no rules. Anything goes, my dear. Anything at all." Then, with a sweep of his arm and a twinkle in his eye, he presented her with the single rose. "A mere token of my affection. I know, I know. Too soon? I dare say, not soon enough and not nearly enough. If I could surround you with hundreds of them, I would. Although, they would still pale in comparison to the beauty that is you." And for the first time, in a long time, Jack actually meant what he said, for Catherine Kennedy was indeed one gorgeous doll. (Getting ready for a night out Name (#msg11217150): Catherine Kennedy Wearing: For her night out (April 1st 1921–Friday around early evening Company: Jack Other:Catherine didn't know what to expect when it came to Jack. She had been told he was talented and handsome enough, but most of all that he knew how to keep his mouth shut. That was important to Catherine, not so much because she wanted to keep the fact that she had hired him secret, but anything he might see or learn about her needed to be kept between them. Catherine knew she was in a tight situation, and even with her friends the Triad she needed to keep her wits about her. One scene of weakness and the men around could swarm around her like piranha in a bloodbath. But as Jack entered Catherine found her almost pleasantly surprised. He was dressed in a simple suit, not that she was actually complaining. It wasn't the suit that made the man it was that man that made the suit, at least that was what she believed. And only time would tell if Jack was man enough to fill the role she was asking of him. A slow smile came to her lips at his swagger; he acted as if he owned the place already. This suited Catherine as she would not bed some shy wallflower of a man,"Such flattery, and we just met,"she said seeming almost surprised by his words,"It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Chapman."she took the offered flower and sniffed it gently,"I can't remember the time I was given flowers." Catherine admitted softly before looking back up to Jack." You’re more handsome than I expected, then again I'm not sure what I was expecting."she tilted her head and gentle twirled the flower in her fingers, "Do you want to change now, or should we see to business first?" Catherine asked only having hearsay to go when it came to this sort of deals. (Meeting Mrs. Kennedy & Changing for Dinner Name: Jack Chapman Jr. (#msg11240230)Wearing: Was wearing this (but now wearing this (Friday the 1st of April, Roughly 6:05pm,The Plaza Hotel Company: Mrs. Kennedy Language: English"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Mrs. Kennedy," Jack sincerely replied as he dared to take one more step closer to her, invading her private space as he did. "We can worry about taking care of business later. For now, I'm all about the pleasure," he informed her as he took her free hand and brought it to his lips. Her skin was like satin, smooth and warm to the touch. His lips lingered for a bit longer than he usually allowed, savoring the connection. However, as was appropriate for their first encounter, he pulled back, released her hand, and stepped away. "Now, I shall change," he announced as he quickly scanned the remainder of the suite and safely determined where it was that he was to go. A secondary set of double doors meant that the sleeping chamber and, more than likely, the lavatory would be found there. Strutting over, he pushed the already ajar door open and stepped inside. Feeling frisky, he allowed the door to remain more open than not, that way if Mrs. Kennedy wanted to sneak a peak of what she was purchasing, she could. New clients were always hard to read, especially when they lived in such golden towers. Women like her had a name to uphold, a reputation, and treating her like any other dame just wouldn't do. She was a woman of quality and she more than likely demanded only the best. Jack, for what he was, certainly did his best to maintain a flawless physique, as well as top-notch grooming. His roommate had taught him well." I must say, Mrs. Kennedy, you have exquisite taste," he called out to her as his eyes played over the garments she had set out for him upon a gentleman's dressing station. "The clothes aren't bad either," he joked, boldly implying that she had made an excellent choice in hiring him. Shrugging out of his jacket, he allowed it to drop to the carpeted floor below. With vest and then shirt accessible, they both came off in a pinch. He was good at getting out of his clothes. Actually, he had it down to an art, for, as a man in his line of work, you never truly knew how long you had before the appointment was going to come to an end. The sooner you got naked, the sooner you could get down to business. Standing in just his pants now, for his shoes and socks had been kicked off at the same time he removed his upper layers, they too soon joined the pile, along with his boxers." So, where shall we be dining?" he questioned, drawing her attention toward the room, as he stood in the buff, with his backside facing the open door. Reaching for the upscale undergarments first - a pair of silk boxers and a rayon undershirt - he worked them on. The sheer socks with garters came next. Once all of these items were in place, he went for the lavender and white striped dress shirt. It was an expertly tailored piece, and it fit like a glove, as if the tailor had actually measured him himself. The contrasting collar and French cuffs were a nice touch, as were the complimentary amethyst cuff links. Fitting them in place, he then reached for the first piece of the best part of the entire package - the three-piece suit that was fashioned in a heavy striped cloth of white and dove gray. Sliding the trousers on, they cupped his firm buttocks just so. Once snapped in place around his narrow waist, he worked on the suspenders that would hold them firmly in place. Slipping into the matching vest, it too fit perfectly around his athletic torso. Taking the opportunity to add the finishing touch of a matching tie, he tied it off in a Windsor knot, just like Frank had shown him. What remained were the suit jacket and dress shoes. Not wanting to wrinkle the garment, he set about getting the shoes just right before he slid into the substantial piece. Pausing, before he adorned himself with it, he read the designer's label aloud, which sat neatly stitched upon the satin lining near the inner breast pocket. "Saint Laurie Merchant Tailors, huh? Nice. Very nice." Slipping the jacket on, his outfit was complete. Strutting over to a nearby full-length mirror, he made sure everything was in order, including his lustrous locks, which he had already spent more than an hour on before his arrival. His comb had been confiscated along with his switchblade - as if the metal object meant for grooming could harm a soul - so he utilized one of Mrs. Kennedy's brushes to polish himself off." How do I look?" he finally questioned her as he now stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with a more than cocky grin upon his lips. (Getting ready for a night out Name (#msg11217150): Catherine Kennedy Wearing: For her night out (April 1st 1921–Friday around early evening Company: Jack Other:Catherine watched as Jack stepped closer, he is as bold for sure, but bold could be good for what she needed tonight. Jack needed to be able to step up and make the evening count for something more than a simple fuck. Catherine wanted to feel like a sexy confident woman again, to feel like something more than feminine place keeper. Spoiling herself was one thing but to have an evening of excitement and freedom was a whole other thing all together. She would be the envy of the evening by the time they were finally ready to come back to the hotel." Pleasure....good because that is what this evening is all about." she spoke not backing away from his advances as a slow smile slipped along her lips,"Alright."she simply agreed as he kissed her hand, her mind pulling forth such interesting images of his body and what he could with it...or what she hoped he could do with it. With that Jack moved into her bedroom for the first time that evening. The moment giving Catherine a moment to take a deep breath and collect her thoughts, though it seemed Mr. Chapmen had another plan in mind as he left the door easily open enough for her to watch as he undressed. For a moment Catherine debated the morality of peeking in on him, but she quickly remembered that she was paying for his companionship that even as it was. So she threw hesitation out the window and moved enough to watch as he began to almost skillfully remove his clothes. "Thank you, I have the means to enjoy life now, and I intend to do so."she smirked again as he flirted with her. She had not expected a man of such confident word play when making her request,"Nothing but the best for this evening I assure you." Catherine confirmed as her eyes trailed along his torso and bit the inside of her lip. The temptation to slip into the room and drag the man to bed for the rest of the evening played through her mind. But Catherine shook her head and the thoughts from her mind, or at least attempted to do so as Jack stood shirtless just a few feet from her bed. One hand reached up allowing delicate fingers played along the edge of her dress as Jack asked about their plans for the evening,"I hope you don't mind I booked us at Delmonico's, it allows for dinner, music, dancing all of which I want to experience tonight. That is assuming you know how to dance?"she asked not sure if Jack could handle himself on the dance floor or not. She would not be made to be some fool as he bumbled about the dance floor. She'd rather find someone else to dance with if he couldn't manage to keep up at that moment. He was a handsome fellow that was for sure, his naked body allowed her to see he did take care of himself. Her hands flexed as her body shivered with the urge to trace every line of his tall frame. Catherine's mind wondered as Jack began to dress, the urge to let her hands, lips, tongue all explore him and give her body over to nothing less than unbelievable passion. It had been too long for her, to long since she had felt alive, to long since she had been left shuttering in utter bliss, yes it had all been too long. Closing her eyes Catherine turned away from the door before the needs of her body drove her to an early conclusion of the evening. Jack voice again catching her attention once he was dressed, she looked back to him and smiled,"Dashing as ever Mr. Chapmen, I dare say we will be quite the pair this evening." she stepped up and let one hand come up and run along the breast of the suit he was wearing,"Very handsome indeed,"she took a breath and looked up into his eyes once more, "Are you ready for tonight then?" Catherine asked her tone clearly wondering about his ability to handle what it was she truly wanted from him. (Some Fancy Footwork, Some Small Talk & a Daring Departure for Dinner Name: Jack Chapman Jr. (#msg11240230)Wearing: Thanks to Catherine, this (Friday the 1st of April, Roughly 6:15pm,The Plaza Hotel Company: Mrs. Kennedy Language: English"Mrs. Kennedy," Jack began as he took her outstretched hand within his own and slipped his other down to gently rest upon her waist, "allow me to give you a taste of what's to come." Humming a familiar tune, the young man - thetalentedyoung man - whisked his client off her feet, quite literally, as he took her for a spin around the room. His footwork was impressive, most impressive, so much so, he had been told on several occasions that he could probably go professional, but for whatever reason such a notion never struck the young man as a viable option. Besides, doing the work that he did was a bit more exciting than having to report to some stage manager or agent or whatever." Mrs. Kennedy, I think you can clearly see that I am fully capable of dancing the night away. Rest assured, I can go like this for hours and, I should add, still have enough steam for whatever else your body desires," he was quick to add as he brought them to a full stop, yet refrained from letting her go. "Forgive my boldness, but be aware that these hands and these lips are as equally agile," he informed his client, with a wicked twinkle in his eye, as he firmly thrummed his fingers that rested upon her waist and ran the tip of his tongue across the upper edge of his mouth. "They can also go all night...well into the morning." Releasing her, Jack then made a move for the double doors that would take them out into the hallway." Delmonico'awaits," he then announced as he plucked at the handles and flung the doors wide open. "My lady," he gestured as she approached, and he offered his arm for support. "Oh! One moment, please," he then paused their exchange once her guards were in full view. Stepping up to the one that took both his switchblade and metal comb, he boldly addressed the behemoth." My good man, I believe you have an item or two that belong to me," he insisted without being too brash. "If I am to properly escort Mrs. Kennedy, I believe I should be able to defend her with more than just my fancy footwork, nimble hands, and sharp tongue. No? Unless, that is, you two will be joining us?" Returning his gaze to Catherine, he questioned her with his eyes. It wouldn't be the first time he had such an arrangement occur, but it certainly changed up how forward he could be with her if they did accompany them. With the two thugs watching his every move, even from a safe distance, such as seated at an adjacent table, he would have to be more gentleman than gigolo. (Getting ready for a night out Name (#msg11217150): Catherine Kennedy Wearing: For her night out (April 1st 1921–Friday around early evening Company: Jack Other:Catherine watched as Jack took her hand within his, the soft touch of his fingers along her wrist made her wonder what his touch could really do to her...for her. But his words are what made her look up with a curious look in her eye. She was about to ask just what he meant when suddenly Jack stepped in and whisk Catherine away into a head spinning dance. At first, she gasps surprised as her free hand came up to grip a hold of him as if afraid he would drop or harm her. But when that short moment passed Catherine relaxed and her smile returned as laughter came from a place deep within her. For that short moment Catherine felt the weight on her shoulders ease, as if she were reminded what something fun felt like. Her feet once against settling on the ground allowed Catherine to catch her breath once more." No apology need, keep being that bold and this night might be just what I needed."she assured him as the look on his face made her believe he had the energy to hold out all night, "I suppose that means I should make sure breakfast ordered for the morning then"she spoke with a playful smile of her own before watching him move towards the doors of her suite. The dramatic flair that seemed to flow through everything Jack did made Catherine laugh softly. The man certainly had a way about it,"That it does Sir, that it does."she stepped forward and moved to slip her arm in with Jack before he paused and moved over one of her guards. It seemed they had taken a few items from him before letting him enter her room. It made sense, her boys knew what they were doing and in truth they liked doing it. The man being question glanced towards Catherine for a moment. She simply nodded as if to say it was fine, honestly she doubted a man being paid to have a good time would do anything to harm her. And if he tried she could protect herself long enough to get away. She wasn't a victim anymore, besides they were after all going to be in a very public venue before returning to the safety of her hotel." It’s alright boys I think Mr. Chapman intentions have nothing to do with hurting me."she spoke and waited for his items to be returned to him. Once that was settled Catherine waited for Jack to join her once more before taking his arm and moving towards the elevator. Where a car (and driver would already be waiting to take them to their dining destination. (Going to the bar Name: Damian"The Wasp"Vespa (#msg11352397)Wearing: Black slacks, white dress shirt, tan suit jacket, hunter green paisley tie, brown leather belt, black leather shoes, a silver ring on his left index finger. (See picture)Time/Location: April 2nd 1921 - around 7:00PM - Plaza bar Company: Leonard ‘Leo’ Rose (#msg11249859), Open Other: Language: English It was early in the evening as a man in his mid-twenties entered the bar at the Plaza. He was dressed well in a suit of black slacks, a white dress shirt, a tan jacket and a hunter green-paisley tie, black leather dress shoes and brown leather belt. One his left hand was a silver band on his index finger. He was looking good, hair combed back, nicely groomed and all. The only thing out of place was a large bruise that had formed on his face, as if he had been punched. It was only a day old. As he entered, his gaze swept over the interior, briefly as he adjusted the sleeves on his jacket and then fixed a button that had become unbuttoned before he is legs would take him in stride, moving his six-foot frame across the elegantly decorated room and toward the bar, where he saw that a bartender was on duty. He would stop at the edge of the bar, knowing exactly what he wanted." Ciao. Scotch on rocks." A smooth baritone came from between his lips as he settled himself on one of the bar stools. His English was slightly broken, heavy with an accent from Italy. Intense hazel green eyes raised toward the young man behind the bar. Immediately, there were a few things he noticed. His eyes were a deep blue like an ocean, and he was young, probably just legal and not bad to look at. His attention turned away at some noise in the distance, some couple passing through chatting and laughing. As he watched then pass by, he reached in to his jacket and drew out a brown leather-bound cigarette case. He flipped it open and plucked out a cigarette, placing it between his lips. Then, he placed the case back in his jacket. After a moment of seeming to search for something, his thick brows furrowed." Got light?" He turned back toward the bartender, his right brow raising slightly higher than the other in a questioning expression. He could have sworn that he'd put his lighter in his pocket with his cigarette case. Obviously, he had left it laying on the table at home, instead. (~original)Content: Working Name (#msg11249859): Leonard "Leo" Rose Wearing: Black slacks, White button up shirt, Black vest, Black leather belt, Black and white saddle shoes Time/Location: April 2nd, 1921 - around 7pm -Plaza Bar Company: Damian Vespa, open Language: English It had been a good day so far, and from what Leo considered a good day, meant that he had a nice amount of heft to his wallet now. Not necessarily anything to go bragging about, however there was enough to pay off a month’s worth of rent, and enough at home to do something nice for himself. He figured he probably would the next day, go out and search for something he truly wanted, not just something he needed. The possibilities were endless, and Leo was rolling them through in his head as he wiped off the bar top since there currently wasn’t anyone sitting at it. His dark brown hair was slicked back, wearing the most dapper clothes he had, as he always did when he was on the clock at the Plaza. Though most of the people who worked there were considered ‘rabble’, they weren’t allowed to look so due to the higher clientele. The Plaza had to keep up it’s appearances, after all. Leo didn’t necessarily mind, though he wouldn’t complain if he could wear something a bit more… comfortable. Deep blue eyes were pulled up the moment he saw a figure standing at the bar. Wasn’t like him to not notice someone before they made their way all the way over to him, especially when the man that took a seat was as dashingly handsome as this one. Didn’t matter that he had a bruise on his eye that made him stand out like a sore thumb. If anything, that meant the man probably knew how to fight. Given his stature, Leo figured that was probably it. He smiled warmly at the man’s greeting in Italian and nodded his head in response to the man’s requests. That deep voice resonated in Leo’s ears as he picked up a bottle of scotch by the neck, flung it up into the air where it spans once, and twice before he snatched it in the same place he had grabbed it before with a slender hand.” I have never been the type to enjoy scotch, to each their own, I suppose.” He shrugged, one hand working the cap of the bottle as the other added a few cubes of ice into the ‘on the rocks’ glass he’d pulled out. The younger male didn’t waste any time throwing a dash of scotch into the glass, probably a little more than he usually did. Men as appealing to the eyes as this man got a little extra from the young bartender. On top of that he got an extra splash due to how painful that black eye looked. Leo had half a mind to take care of that for him, yet resisted while he put away the bottle of scotch and fished out a cigarette of his own. The man’s broken English laden baritone voice rumbled in his ears again, bringing a smirk to the bartenders full lips as he placed the black filter between his lips and pulled the communal bartenders lighter out from under the counter.” Course,” Leo responded, lighting his own cigarette. Rather than handing the lighter over to his only patron, he leaned on the bar top and pressed the lit end of his cigarette against the end of the Italian males, waiting for the other to inhale, ensuring his playful display wasn’t wasted. He was happy to see the laughing, chattering couple were too busy engulfed in themselves to pay attention to what Leo just did.” I’ve never seen you here,” the boy pointed out, southern accented voice smooth and warm. He had been lucky enough to not acquire his father’s gruff tone. That would just be silly to see such a slender young man with such a rough voice.” One of the good things about being a bartender, get to meet all kinds of new people, even ones like they’ve gotten themselves into a bit of trouble.” The two fingers holding his filter and cigarette of his right hand pointed right at the bruise on his patron’s face, sighing softly. He couldn’t look at it anymore, not without doing something about it.” Though, let's not dwell on whether you’ve actually gotten yourself into trouble. How about we start off with your name? Mine’s Leo, Leo Rose. Bartender extraordinaire, aspiring actor, and inherently a caretaker for those who seem like they need it. Get that from my momma.” A clean towel from under the counter came to rest a foot away from the patron, staying put as Leo filled it up with a generous amount of ice then tied it together, handing the makeshift ice pack over to the handsome man with a raised brow.” That’ll help with the swelling, and the scotch will help with whatever pain you’re feeling, sir.” Polite, yet slightly flirtatious and caring. That was Leo’s demeanor with practically everyone, even the women he had no interest in courting. Hopefully the flirtatious part wasn’t too noticeable, wasn’t sure if this man would appreciate it as much as some did. (Going to the bar Name: Damian"The Wasp"Vespa (#msg11352397)Wearing: Black slacks, white dress shirt, tan suit jacket, hunter green paisley tie, brown leather belt, black leather shoes, a silver ring on his left index finger. (See picture)Time/Location: April 2nd 1921 - around 7:00PM - Plaza bar Company: Leonard ‘Leo’ Rose (#msg11249859), Open Other: Language: Broken English, mostly, some Italian (mouse over for translations)Those intense hazel orbs landed on the young man behind the bar as he seemed to just judge him for his choice in drink, just throwing out his opinion as if he had asked for it. He hadn't. Rather than start something, he kept his trap shut. Wasn't worth it. Was just some opinion, and he guessed everyone was entitled to one. Just, last thing he wanted was to be hearing about it. Still, the guy was kind enough to lend him a light. To which, he leaned in halfway to receive, inhaling deep to get the cigarette lit and some of that good ol' nicotine in him. Was calming. He took a moment to enjoy it. He hadn't had one in a little while. Furthermore, he'd been strict on himself the past weeks, limiting what he ingested in to his body. That one cigarette was to him like... Ambrosia to the gods. It was so good. He even closed his eyes, momentarily as he leaned there on the bar, enjoying something so simple as that one cigarette. His moment of euphoria was interrupted, however at a statement that the bartender made. His thick brows pinched together in confusion.“You know all, who come to bar?” And yes, he caught the bit about someone that looked like they had gotten themselves in to trouble. He was obviously not a fan. Shit, he probably didn't even know who he was. And no, he didn't as he just asked for his name. Was a bit funny, really, considering there as a poster in every business all over the city, including the Plaza that advertised last night's event. Of course, he no doubt looked much different in clothes, than in just his boxing shorts and his hair combed, looking neat and put together like a real gentleman. Still he said nothing. This guy seemed to know everything already, or he thought he did as he kept mentioning him being in trouble like he needed help. He lifted his scotch to his lips, watching as the young man laid out a towel and filled it with ice, forming it in to an ice pack to place on his eye. It was a kind gesture, indeed. But, he was used to having some bruise or another on his body and yeah, usually ended up being his face when someone got a lucky shot in. He was used to busted lips, broken bones, you name it. His lips curled up in to a cocky smirk.“You looking at me for setting. Shit, I not know word...long time, lots days.” He gestured toward the poster behind him, using his right hand, holding his cigarette between his middle and index finger.“Time to take down, Si?” There was a deep chuckle, and then he lifted his cigarette to his lips again, taking a long drag off of it. He did take the offered ice pack, though. He had to admit that he was still a bit puffy and the ice could only help. Furthermore, he lifted it to his face and put it over the affected area which had turned a dark blue or purple by now, of course. (Meeting Damian by the Hotel bar Name (#msg11255421): Rosario'IL Costello'Marino Wearing: Black trench coat, black pinstripe suit, dark red dress shirt, black tie, black, polished Italian shoes, ring (his left pinkie;Time/Location: April 2nd 1921 - just past 7:25PMCompany: Damian "The Wasp" Vespa, openOther: Language: Some English, Italian (mouse over the text for the translation, please)It had been a busy day for Rosario, but, his days always turned out busy, since he had been promoted by his father, after his grandfathers so sudden and violent death. Of course, Rosario had his muscles and goons for the more dirty jobs, but it was always a good thing, when he showed his face somewhere. Some of those idiots asked to be intimidated, and Rosario would do them that favor, with pleasure, no less. He had been home in the late afternoon, for an early supper with the family, his wife and his mamma and papa, but, afterward, he had excused himself. And it certainly was not the first time he did that. Heading out again after having had supper with the familial. He loved them. His parents and his wife, but tonight Rosario had other plans, than spending the evening in the company of his no doubt beautiful wife. Rosario wouldn't ever think of cheating on her with another woman. Okay, he would - and now and then he did, but none of those dolls ever meant anything to him. Was nice distraction, if anything, and now and then....let's just say that he valued the company of his friends more. Sometimes. However, tonight he was headed to The Plaza Hotel. Just some minutes before half past seven in the evening Rosario parked his car (not far from the main entrance of the hotel. He was just a bit late, but that happened now and then. His job rarely followed a regular schedule. The drivers' door was opened by one of his men, Guido, who would park the car somewhere and stay there until Rosario would return, keeping an eye on the entrance, who would come and who would go. All this. Guido was one of Rosario's most trusted man. Loyal to the core, just as Rosario liked it. He had no love for rats in his family. Guido had insisted on accompanying Rosario inside, but he had talked that out of his man fast. Damian would hardly lay his hands on Rosario, and, if shit would hit the fan, the boxer was more than capable of protecting the Underboss' ass. Who else, if not a damn boxer? Shit, one had to be careful these days. With all those fucking Sicilian sons of whores out there, those Irish assholes and god knows who else. Was dangerous times and the young Marino son was no fool. He knew that there were people out there who would love nothing more than see him six feet under. Hah - like he would do them that favor anytime soon. And soon, he stepped into the hotel lobby, his dark eyes slowly scanning the area (out of sheer habit, of course), while he reached up to adjust the black tie around his neck. Oh yes, this was a nice place. Not the first time Rosario had been here. Last time was a while ago, mind you, and that had turned out to be quite....interesting. Yes, let's call it interesting. He smirked, ever so softly at the memory that came while his gaze was still wandering. His expensive, polished leather shoes made soft noises on the marble ground, while he crossed the huge lobby, towards the bar area, and, as soon as he spotted Damian sitting on one of the stools by the bar, Rosario grinned softly, and he walked that way. Earlier today at Luigi's, Damian had offered music, drinks, playing cards.... and that sounded fantastic." Ciao amino. Siam Piacenza, state ostinato the padre."he said to his friend, and then he turned towards the pretty barmaid, smiling at him." Ciao, Bella. I'll take the same my friend here is having."he told her, with a wink and a most charming smile, while he fished his cigarettes from the pocket of his coat, not having sat down, yet. (First post. Intro of character. Approaching Damian Vespa and Rosario Marino at the bar. Acknowledging Leo the bartender (NPC now?) Name: Anna Maria Russia (#msg11458937)Wearing: Fitted, black, button fronted dress with white lapels, knee-length with a flared skirt edging at the front of the knees. Black pinned hat without the fashionable veil in place over her eyes and black heels. (see picture, but without gloves)Time/Location: April 2nd, 1921, just before 7:30pmCompany: Open, approaching Damian'The Wasp'Vespa and Rosario'IL Costello'Marino at the brother: Language:EnglishWEARING-(Pic for dress, not character)(Maria walked through the hotel, a notebook in hand and available for both her notes on what needed to be done, and for her to jot down anything new that she found needed to be done, in the never ending list of little tasks in her job at The Plaza Hotel, where she worked as a Concierge's Assistant. Towards the back of the same notebook, though it lay more between the middle and the end, was another list of special tasks that only she would take upon herself to do or assign correctly, as it was needed. They were the little things that made the stays of some of the most discerning guests more discreet, elegant, memorably impressive, and which, of course, meant more expensive, but always good for her pocket, and those that helped her with the tasks. Not surprisingly to her, her tasks and workload had not changed a single bit since the firing of the Concierge from the hotel. When he'd been fired, she'd thought that she would be up for the promotion, being she did all the work anyway, with the Concierge never to be found because he was screwing some young thing or another, in trying to feel younger and more virile or sleeping in the office. Anna Maria had been set straight on that right away, by the hotel's General Manager, that she would have a bit of extra stuff to do in taking up the slack until he hired someone else for the Concierge position and when she'd dared to ask, she'd been laughed out of his office, saying that she couldn't handle a man's job like that, nor would the employees respect orders from a woman so young. Most of the employees came to her anyway, but no matter, it's why she refused to feel guilty about her extra tips and tasks and left the hotel in the dark about it all. With a quiet evening so far, and no special guests in tonight, Anna Maria might actually get to go home, though she hardly minded staying in one of the rooms for employees here since it was nicer than her actual apartment was and saved her a subway ride, but she would still do a final walk-through of the lobby, bar, restaurant and registry counter to look at the guest log for any names she might recognize and would want to stop in and see, before she left. No names jumped at her in the log for the night or in the reservations of those to come in, and the restaurant was winding down on the dinner patrons, so there was hardly anyone in there. When specific employees worked, they also kept an eye out for her, since they knew that her taking care of special guests meant they did too, and more money in their pocket. At her check of the bar, she stepped back out to the hall to find a mirror to look at herself, and make sure that her hair had her curls still in place with the hat tilted at a fashionable angle, her makeup relatively fresh and put together, and her dress buttons straight and professional. Her slim hands smoothed over the white lapels of the black dress as she straightened up and turned back to the bar. Leo wasn't one of hers, but she knew him, since he was a coworker with her at the hotel, and she acknowledged him with a nod and smile, but it was the two men that would get her attention. The one she recognized immediately, from visits to the now nonexistent Club 11, as she'd been frequenting there, in hopes of getting to know first the employees and guards of the Marino family, in order to eventually meet and get to know the late Luciano Marino. A big and well-respected, well perhaps feared was more like it, name, she'd hoped to find an easier way of accessing some of the things she needed for her special guests, and even better, if she could 'lease' the storage of her things as well, which would likely be better than a spare bottle or two in her fireplace, leaving her only the stove for heat. And now, here was his grandson, though she sighed inwardly that he wouldn't know who she was from a stray on the street, since she hadn't even met any members of the family before the accident. With the chaos she imagined the family had to be feeling, she had set her sights on starting to frequent the Hudson Eight and try to get to know the owner there. It was the whole process all over again when she got her opportunity to go, of getting the employees to see her as a regular enough that she could approach and feel out the security staff to find the one or two that would be willing to get her a meeting with one of the family and with even more luck, the owner himself. If it was an easy process, the clubs wouldn't be so hard to get into, or the family so hard to meet, but here lay an opportunity to maybe continue her almost non-progress to meeting the Marino family, in the form of the grandson, Rosario Marino. The other man, she was reasonably sure of who he was, since she tried knowing as much as possible, and if he was who she thought he was, then she knew him because she made it a point to direct her guests, yes they were her guests no matter her title as a mere Concierge Assistant, to those things that would thrill, entertain and generally satisfy them. He was more cleaned up than his posters to be a hundred percent sure, but her lips pressed together in thought, that there would hardly be too many men sporting the same look as the posters all the time and even less that would walk so casually around with such bruises on their face. The egos of men tended to have them conveniently unavailable and nearly invisible when they looked to have received such a beating, but she wouldn't assume, or give that she knew who his friend was, or at least how much she knew of the family. Knowing how important a man was seemed to be such an ego stroke for them, but she would leave that for after they confirmed who they were for her. Anna Maria approached close enough to wait for a pause in the conversation before she could interject and introduce herself to them both. Introducing herself, she hoped that they would confirm who they were though she was very much aware that they could just as easily ignore her or dismiss her as just another hotel employee. It all depended on their interest in her services now and in the future." Good evening, Gentlemen. My name is Anna Maria, and I'm the Concierge's Assistant for the Plaza. I just wanted to come over briefly to introduce myself and make sure you were both enjoying yourselves. If there's anything that you end up needing now and in the future, please be sure to ask for me, and I would be able to help with just about anything you need." Her voice was clear but low, practiced well when she prided on her job being done with absolute discretion, and her accent was all city, Jersey City's accent being so close to a New York accent. Though she was Italian by half, she carried neither accent very heavily to be recognizable, which sometimes made it hard to be accepted but easier to blend in more anonymously, as well. (Meeting Rosario and being suspicious of approach from the "Asst Concierge"Name: Damian"The Wasp"Vespa (#msg11352397)Wearing: Black slacks, white dress shirt, tan suit jacket, hunter green paisley tie, brown leather belt, black leather shoes, a silver ring on his left index finger. (See picture)Time/Location: April 2nd 1921 - around 7:30PM - Plaza bar Company: Rosario 'IL Costello (the knife)' Marino (#msg11255421), Anna Maria Russia (#msg11458937), Open Other: Language: Broken English, mostly. Damiano dropped the ice pack on the bar top, that the bartender had made for him, when he heard a familiar and distinct voice beside of him. This amused smirk came across his lips, rough as they may be from weather wear, fighting.“Yeah, family or business?” His dark brow raised ever so slightly in curiosity. One never knew with that man, which you were going to get. Last he had seen him, he was patting him on the back and telling him he was proud of him, but he easily could have told him to throw the fight, which would have been against his character, but he would have done it. He pulled from his cigarette, watching his friend flirt with the female barmaid. The male bartender wandered off for some customer, which was probably for the better.“Eh, forgot my light at home. Had to bum one,” he shrugged. In which case, he was glad Rosario had shown up. But his attention went to the barmaid,“Bring pretzels or nuts. What you got for snack.” Sure, he'd had dinner, but he was starting to get the munchies again, and he liked something to snack on between his drinks. He picked up his drink and took a sip, and as he did, he turned his head, scanning the room for a good table. Just then, a woman walked up to them, introducing herself as the assistant concierge. Yeah, she looked like one too, well what he would expect someone in that profession to look like. Not a hair out of place, dressed to impress, etc. “That kind of you, ...we only here for drink and card...” He said in his broken English. Didn't concierge only deal with, official guests, not visitors? Was rather, oh...what's the word he was looking for, peculiar... So, what was her game? She wanted something, no doubt. His eyes scanned over her, looking for the small details of nerves. Anyone who really knew who they were, always had the uneasy nerves, sweaty palms, quick rise and fall of the chest and more. He leaned over to Rosario, “This smells...” He sounded disappointed. Why? Because he and Rosario hadn't had a chance to sit back and relax together, in a while. And they couldn't even come for drinks and a game without being approached by some type of business. He leaned away and put his cigarette to his lips. Well, if she really wanted something, Rosario was the one she had to deal with. He was the boss in this case, the direct link to his father, to the Don of the family. And honestly here, in the open of a bar, despite the scarce number of ears, was not the place. One person overheard something, and it would get back to someone they didn't want it to? Yeah, shit. (Chatting with Damian by the bar, being suspicious;Name (#msg11255421): Rosario'IL Costello'Marino Wearing: Black trench coat, black pinstripe suit, dark red dress shirt, black tie, black, polished Italian shoes, ring (his left pinkie;Time/Location: April 2nd 1921 - around 7:30PMCompany: Damian "The Wasp" Vespa, Anna Maria Russia, openOther: Language: Some English, Italian (mouse over the text for the translation, please), 1920ies slang in purple"There's a difference?" Rosario replied, with apparent amusement in his voice and the soft smirk on his lips. Family. Business. Fuck, it was all the same, sometimes. Especially lately. It had been a nice dinner with the familial, no doubt. With his parents, and his wife, and still, his father Randolph did not stop babbling away about business, about how much he wanted to see each member of the DeVito clan floating in the Hudson, dead, preferably. As much as Rosario did not mind to talk about dead corpses floating somewhere while he had his Lasagna, he would have preferred another dinner table talk, especially because his wife Francesca was having this slightly sick look on her face during that conversation. Eh, so much for that. He couldn't really blame his father, mind you, and he would hardly dare to ask that man to change the topic. Yeah, Randolph was his father, but he also was the fucking Don. He knew the drill. As fast as he was promoted, he just as well could be demoted again. Permanently so. Was how it was. Family business certainly wasn't a walk in the park, and Rosario knew the rules, since he was but a little boy in Naples." Papà LI vole tutti Mort, vie a cap ire. Affair."he murmured to his friend, having leaned in some, the moment the pretty waitress had nodded and went to fix his drink. Rosario had draped one of his arms around the other mans broad shoulders, in a quite casual, almost brotherly way. Wouldn't be a first. As if he wouldn't have enough shit to deal with lately. Those Irish motherfuckers in his pastorate. Couldn't be. The shit with his grandfather, the upcoming funeral. The Don was already preparing that. Would be a dangerous venture, that. They all would be pretty exposed, and he wouldn't put an ambush past those Sicilian assholes. Finally, he lit the cigarette he had stuck between his lips the moment he'd stepped to the bar, and then he glanced towards the waitress, setting his drink down to the counter." Grazie, Bella." he told her, but then his attention was back upon Damian, and he smirked when the other man ordered some snacks again." Eating like a damn horse, eh?"he said, teasing the other man some, before he pulled the cigarette from his lips, slowly exhaling smoke, while he followed his friends gaze towards the approaching woman, Anna Maria. "You expecting someone, amino?" Rosario said in a teasing tone, smirking softly. He reached for his glass, toasting to the other man before he took a sip, and then he sat it back down to the counter, just in time for Anna Maria to step closer and introduce herself to him. Yeah, that was fishy. Wasn't difficult to see. People approaching him usually wanted one thing or the other, and it rarely was...legal. With his reputation? The reputation of his family? Hardly. Well - at least that doll didn't look like a cop. Not at all. Was better, for her, really. Wasn't that he left the house unarmed. Like...ever. Won't happen. Rosario was quite allergic to the fuckingbullsand he was certain that Damian wouldn't frame him, either. However - he let Damian talk to the pretty lady, nodding some, to let her know that this was what they were here for. Drinks and some good card game. Everything else was nobodies damn business. "Budweiser signorina. That's very kind of you."he said to her, in his smooth, heavily accented voice. Was rather obvious where he was born. Not that he ever tried to hide that, mind you. He was damn proud, having been made in Italy. Damiano received a gentle nod to his whisper, and a faint, rather knowing smirk as well. "Cert Che lo è"he murmured back, while he ashed his cigarette, but his attention never really left Anna Maria. One of his brows arched, though, at what she told them. That was. Interesting, indeed. Extra service, eh? He lifted his cigarette to his lips again, taking a slow drag, while those dark eyes lingering upon the woman." Anna Maria, eh?"he asked, holding out the hand he pulled away from Damian's shoulder." Rosario Marino. It's a pleasure, signorina" he said, introducing himself. Like he gave a fuck. Everyone and their damn mothers knew who he was. Those that didn't... usually had good reasons not to know. The others... well, that was to be seen, with her, at least." Anything, hm?"he added, after a moments pause. Maybe he just wanted to test if she was smart enough, or if she would start to babble away right here. Certain matters were not for the public, and, he needed to be able to trust potential...business partners, and Rosario smelled business a damn block or three away. He was a lot. Stupid was not one of it. (Continuation of introduction with Damian and Rosario, Excusing herself to go home Name: Anna Maria Russia (#msg11458937)Wearing: Fitted, black, button fronted dress with white lapels, knee-length with a flared skirt edging at the front of the knees. Black pinned hat without the fashionable veil in place over her eyes and black heels. (see picture, but without gloves)Time/Location: April 2nd, 1921, around 7:30pmCompany: Open, Damian'The Wasp'Vespa and Rosario'IL Costello'Marino at the brother: Language:EnglishWEARING-(Pic for dress, not character)(she hadn't expected a warm welcome from who she thought them to be, it was less than she had prepared herself for, and for them, it was within good reason, for most were afraid of them. She had her own healthy dose of fearful respect for them, hence her bravely cautious approach in a business mode, only a tiny bit more confident in her knowledge that she meant no harm. They had no way of knowing it, so anything she said or did was going to be basically dismissed. A waste to stroke either one of their egos with compliments and better saved for another time, leaving tonight at a quick acknowledgement and retreat. Anna Maria had at least introduced herself, so her name would either be remembered with suspicion, stuck in their heads while they tried to look into her while she'd provided no last name for them, or it would be remembered for any future business they might think to do at the Plaza. In either case, she would achieve her goal of having her name before a Marino family member and not just the staff that had finally dared to talk to her at Club 11 before the accident, after weeks of visiting. They could look into her all that they wanted, for she'd have so much less to hide than they did. Her 'extra' services at the Plaza mirrored what was nervously and furtively whispered in very hushed and paranoid tones around town, so she was hardly worried of it, except for their attempt to get her busted. Of her family, there wasn't much to hide or find out about either. She had her father, who worked at the docks then came home to get drunk every night, her mother where the only issue might be in being from Spain, and her brother who worked with their father at the docks, and in danger of following in her father's drunken footsteps. With the loss of the club, Anna Maria had already been fully prepared for attending the Hudson Eight to get to know the DeVito's, and that it would be weeks before she got to the same place she had with the staff at Club 11, which was unfortunately very little, but if she wanted something more than a bottle at a time or more of a selection, then she'd have to draw on patience that she didn't quite possess, though would fake for some advancement in her 'career'. Eventually, she wanted a family, and for now, she wanted to help take care of her family, so if that lay in business with the Marino's or business with the DeVito or any other contenders along the way, she would work with it and find where to lay her business loyalties. For now, it was time to take a leave of the two men. "No kindness, gentlemen. I am merely extending an offer of my services and the representation of the hotel and its own services. I would not interrupt such an evening of drinks and cards, so I would take my leave and invite you to call on me at the hotel if you find a need to." Of course the manager did not think she needed her own office or calling card, but most of the employees would know to get her, if anyone came asking for the Concierge anyway, even when the Concierge had still been working here. Her own hand given for Rosario's offered hand to shake, as she nodded, giving him her undivided attention for the moment, instead of splitting it between the two men." It's a pleasure to meet you, as well, Signor Marino. I would like to say anything, but you are likely far more clever than I am, and would come up with something that God himself couldn't achieve. I shall leave it at that I do my best to be the most resourceful that I can be in my duties and the requests of our guests." Well, a little ego-stroking would not kill her chances." Though I do not wish to dampen your mood of good company with your friend, Signor Marino, I feel rude in not extending condolences to your family on your recent loss, and hope that you find a good relaxation here tonight." Turning to Marino's companion, she gave him the same courtesy of her full attention, though that was a bit more nerve-wracking since it meant turning her back to a man rumored it being a usually dumb idea to do." Signor..., I wish you the most pleasant evening with your friend, also." Anna Maria was a little more sure of who he was now, but the 'Signor' would indicate the absence of his ever giving a name." If you'll excuse me, I leave you to your night and make my way home, now that my day has ended." As an employee, she was used to waiting to be dismissed by a guest, and though he wasn't a guest, that's probably what he thought within his right, too, so while he took his time of it, she started pulling out her gloves to put on before leaving the hotel and heading to the subway. (Meeting Rosario and being suspicious of approach from the "Asst Concierge"Name: Damian"The Wasp"Vespa (#msg11352397)Wearing: Black slacks, white dress shirt, tan suit jacket, hunter green paisley tie, brown leather belt, black leather shoes, a silver ring on his left index finger. (See picture)Time/Location: April 2nd 1921 - around 7:30PM - Plaza bar Company: Rosario 'IL Costello (the knife)' Marino (#msg11255421), Anna Maria Russia (#msg11458937), Open Other: Language: Broken English, mostly. Damiano let out the smoke from his lungs from having taken a few more puffs of his cigarette. Then, he put it out as his gaze lingered on the young woman. He really didn't know what to make of her. He wasn't sure the if liked her or not. Sure, she had some spirit to walk right up to them as she did and start offering her services. He drank down the rest of what was in his glass and glanced over his shoulder,“Another...” His eyes immediately went back to the concierge assistant. Then, slid to Rosario. “Come on Casanova. You got too much bulk in those pockets that I need.” He grinned and gathered the drinks and smokes.“Fare well, Miss.” He had ducked away from Rosario, anticipating a smacking hand from his companion.“What, you know it's true. Your flirting with every pretty girl who bats her lashes at you!” He playfully batted his lashes at Rosario as if imitating what some of his girls were like. He laughed again and then headed toward a table. Ugh, damn those girls who swarmed around Rosario like bears to a honey pot. He put out his cigarette when he finally got to the table, and he sat everything down before he pulled a chair out and sat down to relax. He crossed his right leg, his ankle on his opposite knee, and he leaned back, putting another cigarette to his lips. Then, he used Rosario's lighter to light it. Meanwhile, he watched Rosario with the girl, patiently waiting for him. He'd even pick up some cards from the table, open them up and begin to shuffle them. (Chatting by the bar, being suspicious;Name (#msg11255421): Rosario'IL Costello'Marino Wearing: Black trench coat, black pinstripe suit, dark red dress shirt, black tie, black, polished Italian shoes, ring (his left pinkie;Time/Location: April 2nd 1921 - around 7:30PMCompany: Damian "The Wasp" Vespa, Anna Maria Russia, openOther: Some vaguely decorative names for women Language: Some English, Italian (mouse over the text for the translation, please)No shit, Rosario will look into her. He had a first name, and where she worked and that certainly was enough for a guy like him, to find out some more. For all he knew, that doll could be some spy, maybe even for those Sicilian assholes. Like he would put anything past Sebastiano DeVito and the rest of those bastards. Blame him for being just a touch on the paranoid side, lately. Or, maybe he was just careful. Never know. He probably had the connections, and, if those would fail, more than enough money to 'convince' people to open their traps and tell him what he wanted to know. Denying him what he wanted usually ended in a mess. Damian would know all about that. But, right now, there was no need nor reason to be anything but polite to the Lady. At least the doll had some manners. Wasn't that he would mind some pretty girl hanging onto him now and then but, tonight he had planned to spend with his best friend. Had been too damn long. His wife probably would have to wait long for him tonight. Ifhe even would come home before dawn. Wouldn't be a first. Nonetheless, Rosario knew when there was the possibility of business. Possibility. Not more, yet. There were some quite interesting things coming out of Anna Maria's mouth, that was for damn sure. Rosario saw no reason to be unkind to her. He would, of course, lift her hand to his lips, for a chaste kiss. For god’s sake, he could be a gentleman if he wanted to be. And this, paired with his no doubt good looks and this damn Italian accent made him quite interesting. At least, there were enough dolls that would do everything for him. And - some of them did, in his whorehouses. Not that they had much of a choice. Go figure." Is that so? Don't know, some ladies are as smart as they are beautiful, yes?" he said, while he released her hand, and then he took another drag from his cigarette, just in time for Damian to be a smart ass. Casanova, indeed, and that wasn't even a big secret. He couldn't help but grin and his friends lash batting and the antics, though. Her mentioning his grandfather Luciano's death surprised him for a moment, though. Eh, was all over the damn papers lately, and out on the streets, too. Luciano had been a well known (or feared) man. She probably had it from there." Thank you, signorina. May he rest in peace." Rosario said, with a gentle nod, while he crossed himself. Even if Rosario knew that his grandfather could not rest in peace as long as his killers wouldn't be found and punished for their hideous crime. And he would make them pay dearly. It made him grin, though." So sure I'm going to lose, eh?"he said to the other man, while he exhaled some of the smoke. He gave the man a nod, and then he watched Damian move for the table." Texas Hold 'em." he called after the retreating man, with a soft grin." Hope you brought some cash."but, eventually, his attention was back on Anna Maria, while he stubbed out the spent cigarette in the ashtray on the counter." Tell you what, doll face." he said, smirking softly. Was Rosario a damn chauvinist? Hell, yes. And probably a macho, too. Not much of a surprise. Most of his countrymen were. While he spoke, he stood from his stool, waving the barmaid over without even looking away from Anna Maria. "Luigi's Pastorate, that's over on Mulberry Street. Little Italy. You ask for Luigi, he'll know where to find me."he told her, with a faint smirk. Was better to talk there, sometimes. On his turf." Ciao Bella."he winked to her, before he stepped away from the bar." Bring me the same again!"he called out to the barmaid, before he moved towards the table Damian had picked for them. He did glance back to Anna Maria once, though, before he stepped towards the table." È Merida."he said with a grin, while he smacked the back of Damian's head. And then he pulled out a chair, opposite Damian, settling down, pretty much in the same, comfortable position his friend was lounging. He draped an arm over the seat next to his own, arching a brow at Damian." Ready to lose some cash, company?"he asked, grinning softly. (Taking her leave of Rosario 'IL Costello' Marino and Damian 'The Wasp' Vespa Name: Anna Maria Russia (#msg11458937)Wearing: Fitted, black, button fronted dress with white lapels, knee-length with a flared skirt edging at the front of the knees. Black pinned hat without the fashionable veil in place over her eyes and black heels. (see picture, but without gloves)Time/Location: April 2nd, 1921, around 7:30pmCompany: Open, Damian'The Wasp'Vespa and Rosario'IL Costello'Marino at the brother: Language:EnglishWEARING-(Pic for dress, not character)(training of tending to the most indulged of clients, self-entitled for their money, for the last year at the Plaza, was the only thing that kept her nerves from showing through so much, though internally, they certainly weren't under control. She was talking to a man getting to be known, though it was always in furtive, hushed tones, as tough as his father and grandfather were before him. Anyone would quiver in fear or nerves or both, to deal with him or his family. To have to add to it the looks that had slowly faded on his grandfather, and had matured with his father and that Rosario Marino still very much possessed, and a girl couldn't be faulted if her fingers shook a little as the man kissed the back of her hand." Perhaps, Signor Marino, but that measurement would be based on the same scale of opinion as beauty is measured by each man." Her hand once again free, she took her time putting on the second glove, nodding her agreement with him." May he rest in peace." She felt the off-handed dismissal of the man with Signor Marino, without his ever having introduced himself and confirming who she thought he was, but stayed polite as she acknowledged his goodbye." A pleasure meeting you, as well, Signor." Anna Maria watched the exchange between the two men and guessed at a friendship, but was also now sure, that her company would never have been welcome, at the very most, being merely a pretty sideline decoration as they played and ignored her, so taking her leave had been the smart choice, but Signor Marino had more to say. Surprising things to say, actually, and she forced herself to be still for it would be quite rude and possibly a loss of the ground she'd hopefully just gained to dance elatedly after offering condolences for the death of the man's grandfather, at the man's invitation to Luigi's and ask for him." Thank you for your attention, Signor Marino. I shall find my way there soon." There was a very real possibility that her weeks trying to get just an introduction and eventually getting to know the Marino family, with her start at Club 11 could still get her the connections she needed, to better serve her guests' every request. Her nod acknowledged his dismissal and goodbye." Ciao, Signori. A great evening to you both." Anna Maria watched Rosario Marino join his friend at the table, taking an extra second or two that was really unnecessary in setting the netted veil of her hat over her face before she would leave, and when he looked back her way, her smile was as charming as she could make it, her head tilted slightly as she did. As she walked out of the hotel for the subway ride home, she knew she had her choices to consider, since she'd been working towards getting into the Hudson Eight, in order to try to get to know the DeVito family, after thinking her chances done with the Marino family with the death and accident at their club. She could go see Rosario at Luigi's and hope to gain her connections directly through him, or still make her way to getting to know the DeVito's. Anna Mariacoulddo both things, as she owed loyalty to neither at the moment, but she would think on that and decide later. The subway took her within a couple blocks of her apartment, where she could finally get comfortable and rest before working again the next day.

[Speakeasy] The Plaza Hotel|rating:3.0

War Pigs Have The Power (Le Immortelle x Ron Don Volante)

(the first time in a long time, Toni Parker felt uncomfortable with a weapon. Her M9 was tucked in the back of her jeans and covered by her jacket. God knew that nobody in the “massage parlor” known as Bahama Beaches would be anywhere remotely dangerous than anything she had faced, but this was her first solo job. You’re a pussy PJ. No, I don’t mean you got a pussy I mean you are one. Stop talking fancy and step up. That was what “The Council” had told her when they passed her over on a new Patch. Three Patches, and she’d be in and the other two Prospects that had started with her were at two while she was stuck at one. Naturally, the other two were men. Toni wanted to glance back at the coffin that her sponsor Shane had brought, bikes looking too suspicious in Quinebaug where the War Pigs didn’t have huge inroads with local law enforcement. She had put Toni up to this job, hoping that she could really show that she had more of the physical prowess and presence of her father that the other members didn’t see. Toni had been muscle before but always in a supporting role and rarely against anyone who pushed back much. Bahama Brian on the other hand… Fuck it. Get it over with. She walked into the outwardly crappy looking place and was surprised on how serene and nice everything looked on the inside. It was also plenty crowded for a brothel in the heart of the dumpiest county in Narragansett state. Only so many places you can get a decent blowjob and not a disease to go along with it around here. Toni got a few looks from excited patrons who at first thought she might have been another hooker…but then noticed her jacket and pissed off face. The bouncer, a large black man with a squashed face and narrow suspicious eyes, stood up.“You here for Brian?” Toni nodded. He pointed to the back. “No touching the merchandise,” as he buzzed her in. Toni rolled her eyes. She hated the fact that he assumed she was a dyke. She hated the fact that he didn’t consider her much of a threat, even more. Toni stalked down the hall to the sound of some loud fucking. The place may have looked nice, but they didn’t do much for sound insulation. The office of this particular “massage parlor” reflected the style of its owner: a disorganized mess and covered in loud tropical themed decorations. Brian “Bahama” Boyle was paining a model airplane seemingly oblivious to the fact that he had copious amounts of white powder still on his upper lip.”Jesus,” Toni said scowling.”You look like you’re making out with the Pillsbury Dough boy, Brian.” He looked up and quickly wiped his lip. Brian seemed plenty afraid of Toni at least, but his wife, a Filipino Toni heard, didn’t seem impressed.“Uh…” He didn’t bother to deny it. He looked around stupidly to his wife who gave him as nasty a scowl as she was giving Toni.“Good to see…”“I don't need your platitudes.'” Toni snapped.“You know what I’m here for.” “Sure!” He reached in his back pocket and handed Toni an envelope. Toni could feel the eyes of Brian’s wife scrutinizing her every move as she counted the money. She waved it in his face as he continued to look at her dumbly holding the paint brush covered in blue paint.“Half!” she yelled at him to the point he shrank.”You got half the neighborhood out there looking to get their cocks sucked, and you give me half!”“We not pay!” shouted the wife.”You say protection, but kids break window three time! Where are pigs, huh? Where are pigs!”“Shut up!” Brian yelled at his wife. He turned back to Toni trying to look pleasant.“First off she meant War Pigs, and second…” Toni followed her instinct on this one which was to push the bastard up against the desk. She knew what she had to do, but something restrained her. This guy was a civilian. He had paid for a service and the War Pigs weren’t really holding up to their end of the deal. It actually seemed kind of reasonable to her that he would short them. Still…“Rule!” screamed the woman.”Rule get in here!” Shit. The bouncer. Toni improvised and took the brush from his hand and shoved it up the guy’s nose to his protests.“You have money for blow and not for us? This is unacceptable!” She could practically hear the lumbering bouncer enter the room. It wasn’t that Toni was afraid of the guy. Five years as a Corpsman, most of it in Afghanistan, meant she had spit out tougher bastards than this Rule guy and certainly the pathetic brothel owner in front of her. But still. She felt restrained. Toni tossed down the brush and walked to the door. Something about her must have made the big man step aside and let her pass. She could feel every eye in the place, even the hookers and johns who took a long enough pause from screwing, as she did so. Everyone seeing her patch on her jacket. And judging. And ticking off the War Pigs as one more thing with a worse bark than bite. Toni made it out of the whore house and into the street. She could see the getaway car down the street and while she couldn’t see Shane with her eyes she could the woman in her mind. It was like all those judging looks in Bahama Beach but multiplied by a thousand, exposing her for what she was: a scared little girl, a crazy war vet, and a wannabe Outlaw just pretending to be like her daddy. And Toni could get in the car, get the lecture, and receive the order to go back in. Or maybe she’d get a compassionate look a drive back from Shane before she told Toni that“You’re a smart tough girl. But you’re not cut out for this. It’s okay, not everyone is.” There was one way. One way Toni didn’t want to try. One way that she had resisted, that she had fought with every fiber of her being from doing. Something that would go against every piece of advice she had received from every headshrinker and every friend who was in the shit like she was. There’s no other way. Toni’s heart was pumping adrenaline into her body as she stalked to the car and opened the rear door.“What happened?” Shane asked from the front seat, the older woman’s dark hair covering her eyes. Toni picked up the baseball bat, trying to keep her focus.“They weren’t forthcoming.” Toni took out the pistol, unloaded it, took out the round from the chamber and put the weapon on the back seat.“I’m going to go in for a second conversation.” Shane pushed back her hair from her eyes and smiled before Toni left to go back to the parlor. Hule stood up the instant she got went through the door, obviously prepared for this. “Listen girl. We don’t want any…” Whatever restraints Toni felt before had vanished. The bat made a thud as it bounced against the back of the big man's neck. The wife, having moved to the front of the parlor at this point had just enough time to yell “What are you doing?!” before Toni gave her a vicious backhand across the counter.”Stop! Ahhh! Stop!” the wife begged to Toni, but she barely heard her as she went around the counter. Shane had said they kept a pistol under the counter and, sure enough, there it was. Toni took the weapon, checked it, then tucked it in the back of her jeans long enough for her to drag the wife to her feet and put her in a chin lock ignoring her protests. Toni took the bat in her other hand and sent it against the tinted glass of the door sending it down in a cascade of razor sharp fragments. Dropping the bat to the cacophony of screams that added to the wife’s own she took the pistol out again and fired it in the air sending everyone running from her in terror. A hooker who was in Toni’s way was sent flying to the side from an elbow to the face as was a white middle-aged overweight john. Nothing was going to stop her unrelenting march to the back office. Toni kicked in the office door easily and flung the bleeding wife at the feet of Bahama Brian. The coke addict reached over his desk for a pipe, but the way Toni disarmed him and shoved him back against the desk he may have been a ten-year-old reaching for a toy. The sound the pipe made against Brian’s shoulder blade reverberated in Toni’s ear even more than the sound of Rule’s backbone. It seemed to get louder the next three times she repeated the process His pathetic sobbing and cursing caused Toni to pause just briefly. She dropped the pipe, pulled out the pistol, and shot Bahama Brian through the thigh, making sure to miss the femoral artery. However, missing the artery didn’t stop Brian’s blood from flying up and splatter her face and jacket.“You go!” the wife said through tears and more screaming.”We pay! We pay!” Toni remembered how defiant the bitch had been not just fifteen minutes earlier. She approached her with hands up.“No, it’s okay it’s okay!” The wife kept saying about how she was going to pay but stopped backing away from Toni. She was still saying it when Toni’s fist rammed into her face, breaking her nose and sending more blood flying across the dump of an office. On her hands and knees now, the wife looked up at Toni, still sobbing. For kicks, Toni flinched like she was about to strike the woman again. After seeing the wife fling herself to the floor covering her head Toni felt herself smirk. She walked behind the desk where Bahama Brian was bleeding and cursing Toni as a dyke, a whore, and a bitch. The idiot didn’t bother to hide his money very well and Toni easily gathered more than enough to cover the half he had declined to pay her earlier. Toni marched out of the parlor and the mere sight of the grim twenty five-year-old sent everyone left in the place running for cover. By the time she got to the passenger seat of the car she could hear sirens in the far distance. She didn’t even seem to notice Shane until her Sponsor spoke.“How’d the second conversation go?” she asked, a smile on her lips. Toni wasn’t sure if it had been the commotion she had cause, the blood that she was covered in, or the murderous look she still had on her face that was getting her Sponsor so excited.“Much more fruitful. We better go.” It would be a few minutes after they left that Toni felt herself thankful that it was all over. Not just because she got the money in as bloody of a way as possible. Nor was it that this was likely to get her that second patch. It wasn’t even the sense of pride and joy that Shane would have for her Toni, the daughter of the member that had her patched in so many years ago. No, Toni was most thankful that now it was all over, she didn’t have to think about Afghanistan anymore… (LoughranShane Lough ran had kept her fingers crossed the moment Toni had walked out of the car. Bahama Brian was an asshole, but a bigger problem was his bitch of a wife who always had one or other thing to complain about. The only thing that seemed to make that lying, scheming bitch straight laced was a back handed smack to her face. Brian on the other hand was often more content with being a cheap stake, always attempt to downsize the protection money citing one excuse after another. Shane was the one who usually collected from him and had often caused some ruckus at his place when he had refused to comply. Even with some of his merchandise much to Brian's horror.She and Toni had been at it for almost eighteen months now. She knew Toni had it. The X factor that was necessary for her to become a member of War Pigs. She had aggressively pushed for Toni since the day the girl had expressed desire to be part of the club. Club that ran in her blood, much like the way it did in Shane's. Toni's dad, Max had been the one who had stood up for Shane, allowing her to become the first female member. None had believed in her. Heck, some even doubted her today, but she had smashed enough jaws and broken enough backs to earn her reputation and wear her colors. Thus, Toni came with an illustrious pedigree, much like Shane had, her father Clint "Muscle" Lough ran had been one of the founders. As far as Shane was concerned, they were the sort that were born for this life. A destiny that was pre-determined for them. They were lifers. Those who would defy the norms and shackles of society. Possessing freedom that few had ever experienced or even understood for that matter. Toni's progress had not been up to the mark according to the Council. But Shane knew what it was. A woman had to work twice as hard in this boys club to earn her stripes. It was almost surreal at times the way it was a Redux. For twenty or so years ago, Shane had stood outside the very establishment she had sent Toni in, except it was owned by a different man, but the same business, and she had coughed up money from him upon beating the hell out of two of his henchmen before dragging him out on the then deserted pavement and shooting him in the kneecap in front of his woman, prompting them to give up far more than they owed. That's what disrespect to War Pigs cost you. They were a force, not someone to be taken lightly. She pushed her shades over the bridge over her nose, waiting in her car. Shane hated cars. But there was no other way for this gig except for using one." Nail this thing PJ." She had murmured to herself while watching Toni's receding form in her Prospect jacket. It was quiet afterward. Shane spent her time smoking cigarettes until PJ had showed up after some time only to grab some more arsenal. Shane adjusted in her seat. Well, this was getting interesting. And interesting it got. Soon enough loud shouts, screams, commotion was heard. Some muffled shots rang, prompting Shane to immediately make a grab at the shotgun that she had kept at her feet. Just in case. It hadn't taken much time, even if it seemed like it had and then out came PJ. But this was a different PJ. Shane had known her since she was a little girl, and could read in Toni. Blood was on her hands, jacket, face, her very being. Murder reigned in her eyes as she dumped the cash. Sirens meant they had to vanish. Shane took them out of the perimeters as quickly as she could without bringing unwanted attention to them. She grabbed a black piece of cloth from the glove compartment and threw it towards Toni." Clean yourself up. There's water in bottle in the back seat." When they were sufficiently away, Shane grinned at Toni, beaming at her with pride. "Do you realize what you just did PJ? You fucked them up the way they deserved to for treating you like dirt earlier. That is a job well done and if you don't get your patch for this? I'm going to fucking riot, you hear that? You made me proud. Knew you always had it in you. We're going to get back to the bar, dump all of this, clean you up some, and then I am going to take you for a night out on town. Just the two of us. Got any plans? I don't care. Cancel them. You were great, and I want to show you some good time. Unwind some, yeah?" (had always thought New Lioness was a shit city with shit people, but there were a few good parts of it. Specifically, the nightclub scene. Castor’swan’t the most elite club in New Lioness, but she knew it was hot enough for there to be a long ass line. She didn’t spend much time at bars and clubs while on deployment, but she knew what was needed to get in rather quickly. The War Pigs didn’t make it an official rule or anything but women, especially woman Prospects, were always derided for looking too much like a “little pussy woman.” In other words, looking like a woman, period, was derided. Of course, anyone who went too butch also risked being shit on for being a “bull dyke” and other less savory tags. It didn’t bother Toni too much, the Navy had been pretty much the same most of the time, but it did get her to appreciate nights when she could finally be awomanwoman for once. And a good-looking one too, she thought excitedly as she arrived at the club. One solid rule for virtually any club virtually anywhere in the world: let the hot chicks in first. And this one was no exception and the sound of groans came from the Peanut Gallery almost instantly. Phew. It was one thing to be the arrogant bitch who got in and the other to be thedumbarrogant bitch who thought she was good-looking enough to get in but wasn’t. The club was pretty nice, but the music was too loud, and it was a bit on the crowded side. She scowled. There was no way Shane was going to hear her phone even if Toni did call it. All she could do was wait. Of course the one thing she didn’have to wait for was a guy offering her a drink. He introduced himself as Brian and looked to be half-white half-black or something. She let him buy the drink and let him talk while she kept scanning for Shane. “Well I got back from deployment about a year ago,” she said when he asked about her work.”Oh? You’re in the military?”“Yeah, Navy.” She took a drink from her free whiskey and ginger. “Corpsman. Most of the time it was triage, so I’m talking about missing limbs, sucking chest wounds… You know what happens to somebody when they get sucked into a jet engine?” She kept her friendly demeanor and took a bite from the cherry.“Uh… Not really.” Mega awkward look. “I have to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” The lie came out easily enough and released Toni from his grip on her. Thank God. She went back to nursing her drink hoping that Shane showed up soon. This was her idea after all… (was one of those trendy places where neo hipsters and kids who had too much money and wanted an intense scene drenched in strobe lights and raves that lasted well into the wee hours hung out at. It wasn't the most upscale, but it had its certain prestige for it catered to so many pseudo intellectuals and pseudo avant-garde people full of shit that they probably had to partake into some substance abuse to believe shit they espoused or so Shane had always believed. Getting back to the bar, dropping the goods and reporting what had happened had been a blur. But she had ensured that the powers that be heard the story of her prospect. Toni had kicked ass, and she had done that better than even other prospects had been able to do. The proof was right there in front of their eyes. The message had been sent and noted. They had curtly nodded, Shane had gone home to meet Michael, knowing he would want that. He always did. Especially considering Shane didn't particularly have no schedule of her own while he had. Most in his place would have complained, but he did not, knowing what dating well, an outlaw entailed. Often Shane had found herself surprised as to how they had been going steady for so long. Couple of beers later, she had stepped out, letting Michael know she'll be home late for she had promised Toni an evening out to unwind. So there she was in Castor's looking very much out of place, very much threatening as she always did. But the management let her in. You were allowed that when you were the one who had bailed ass of the owner Nathan Castor when he needed to hire some personal muscle after messing with the wrong people. He knew he owned his life to her. Some groans could be heard as she cut through the line, but Shane had little desire to pay attention to, for the moment those who were protesting laid their eyes on her jacket, they had stiffened. Shane chuckled to herself. Had they tried to mess with her, she would have fucked these little kids up so bad they would not have been the same afterward. Didn't they know that this shit was for real? That this was the real world, and it wasn't for shits and giggles? Fucking kids, she hated that kind of breed. Stepping in the hustle and bustle of the club, Shane's eyes scanned the perimeters before she spotted Toni at the bar, who having dressed up for the evening looked like she was dressed to kill. Shane strode forth, cutting the distance between the two of them before tapping Toni on the shoulder before sliding in the seat next to Toni." Looking good there. Ten bucks you've been hit on at least once." She grinned at Toni while commanding bartender for a beer. At the same time Brian popped up out of nowhere. This time with purpose in his eyes. Shane was left perplexed at the sight of the sharply dressed young man intruding on them. But before she could say anything, he spoke with an acerbic tongue." So you're a dyke, huh? Would've guessed. I wonder if she even pisses while standing?" He snorted, pointing casually at Shane. Shane's eyes narrowed in response. Wonderful, another one of those fucking kids. She turned slightly to face the youth and taking his arm, yanked him closer in a painful manner. He yelped some, but her grip was vice-like as she used her elbow to keep him pressed, preventing him from moving much." Try to move and you'll leave with a broken arm. Now get one thing straight, I don't give a damn who you are or even who your daddy is. But if you are seen around me or my friend again, I will fuck you up in ways that even the prospect of your pencil dick being drilled through a sharpener would sound pleasant to you. Is that clear?" The youth, who had started sweating profusely by now, obviously cowering at the sight of the intimidating woman whom he had earlier just assumed to be a harmless hick could only nod weakly. Shane was enjoying this entirely too much. She applied some more pressure." I said, are we clear? Say it, or cat got your tongue? Didn't seem to be the case earlier now, did it?" She snickered." Y. Yes...w-we're c-c-clear." Stammered the youth, his face contorted from pain. Smoothly, Shane released him and immediately he bolted away. Choosing to make himself scarce. Shane snorted at the sight and so did the bartender who knew when not to intervene and when to intervene as he served Shane her drink." Talk about a piece of shit. I guess you really put him in his place earlier eh?" Shane chuckled as she nodded in an appreciative manner at the man before focusing back on Toni. Toni couldn’t help but laugh as Shane dispatched the idiot that had hit on her earlier. It wasn’t like this was the first time she had seen Shane get like this so she knew what was coming. “You know, we’re going to have to pay for ourowndrinks now?”“Just one drink…” Shane put a hundred on the bar. “Tequila shots, lime, and salt Jimmy. Then I want two more every three minutes until one of us falls over. Clear?” Jimmy smiled and took the bill.“You got it Shane,” There were already a few people looking at the two women even if one was a bit on the older side. Even when she was in the Navy Toni wasn’t a big drinker but after what she had been through since yesterday. Toni dipped her thumb in the salt took a lick and clinked shot glasses with Shane before draining it. “Woo!” she exclaimed shaking her head and squeezing her eyes closed. She had the strong feeling she wasn’t going to win this, but she knew she just had to keep going. “God that was good! Haven’t had that in a while.” Jimmy was already pouring more shots as Shane grinned. “I’m not letting up on you Prospect. If you can’t at least keep up with a Member in a contest then you’re clearly not MC material.” Well if that were true then Toni was still in good shape as she downed yet another shot.“WOO!” she shouted feeling her cross earring bounce against her neck. “Haven’t had that since two minutes ago!” The two laughed again obviously enjoying themselves. They hadn’t even put the shot glasses back down on the bar when a guy a little older than Toni slimmed his way into her vision. He had D-Bag written all over him complete with expensive silk shirt, sunglasses pushed up against gelled hair, and a nose that literally looked like it was turned up just slightly enough to make him look even more like a worthless snot.“Having fun, huh?” He said with a grin. “What are you drinking? Maybe I can join?” He pulled out a twenty and put it on the bar. “Three more shots of whatever the lady and her mom are having.” Toni saw Shane raise an eyebrow right before glancing at her. She knew what her sponsor was looking for and, before the two shots she may have been less reluctant to do it. Toni reached over and picked up the twenty and stuffed it in the guy’s shirt pocket.“Nope. Ladies only party here buddy boy. Plenty of other skanks are around for you to try and slut up if you want, though.” Toni saw Jimmy chuckle at the sight and a pair of women at the bar also laughed a little bit at the guy’s reddening face. That should have been enough to send the shit bird running.“I can’t believe it! Another…”“Another pair of dykes? That’s what you were going to say weren’t you? Maybe we’re just another pair of women who can smell the douche oozing out of your every pore.” She flicked his pocket. “Let me give you a word of advice woman to woman: get your bro dude ass out of here before it gets beaten black and blue.” The guy went full-blown red which matched his dark hair hilariously. “Stupid bitch! Do you know who I am? Do you know who thefuckI am?!” He pointed a finger in Toni’s face… The guy’s whiney scream made the other women nearby jump, but the finger lock Toni had put him in gave her ample opportunity to pull his wallet out of his pants and pop it open after releasing him to nurse the pain. “I do now jerk off.” She showed the Narragansett state driving license to the other women. “Martin Turing, I’ll tell you again. Get your ass out of here.” She tossed the wallet at his feet as laughter filled their corner of Castor’s.“CUNT! I’m going to…” The bouncers arrived then grabbing him under his arms before he could tell Toni what he was going to do.“Grab your shit and let’s go,” one growled. Martin tried to push back but was put in a full nelson to even more laughter and even a few cheers as the other bouncer picked up the wallet and shoved it in his back pocket.“ARE YOU SERIOUS BRO?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!” Martin Turing screamed. “I OWN FUCKING SHEBELI PHARMA…”“Never heard of it!” the bouncer said as they dragged him off. Toni had a hard time containing her laughter as she turned back to the bar to the waiting tequila shots. She put her nose up in the air and imitated Martin best she could.“Are you serious bro?! Are you serious?!” Shane cracked up and they toasted. It really was going to be a fun night! Tequila always put Shane in good mood. Well, pretty much any alcoholic drink did and to do it with Toni on her big night was fun. It had been some time since Shane really had been able to unwind like that with anyone associated with the club like the way she could with Toni. It wasn't just the mentor/protégé relationship they had, but these were the ties that went far deeper, were far stronger. Shane was getting ready for her third shot, feeling the warmth of the drink inside her when someone who screamed 'Rich Douchebag' judging by the way he moved about with swagger of the kind that one wouldn't want to be caught dead with. He tried to barge in between them with in a pretentious manner that was synonymous to pricks like him, but before Shane could fire something caustic at him, PJ was on the game. Being a typical 'cool' guy he obviously didn't take too kindly at being told off by Toni, that had Shane laughing like anything. "You know, you should quit when you're still intact." Shane gave him a passing advice, that was obviously ignored before the idiot insinuated that they were lovers. What was this? Douchebag Night? Then, he chose to press the self-destruct button by hitting on PJ and all hell broke loose. Well, for him. Shane was just enjoying the spectacle far too much to have any sympathy for the asshole. "TSK, TSK. Told you. Should've gone to whore yourself to some other women and now here you are, bawling like a baby. Boys really shouldn't pretend to be men, you know?" The whole thing has escalated and bouncers at Castor's as efficient they were always shown up just in the nick of time and honorable Mr. Martin Turing was escorted away amid his protests. When Toni mimicked him, Shane couldn't help but burst out laughing before she gave Toni a high five and then raised her hands pointing at herself." Typical Martin!" She said with a goofy grin. And so the drinks resumed and along with that, time lost its meaning to them. It was almost three in the morning when Michael's phone buzzed. He was half expecting a call from Shane at this hour, and she didn't disappoint. "Yeah Shane?" He asked, rolling out of bed and rubbing some sleep out of his eyes." Oh hey Michael, we're at Castor's. Come and pick us up, will you? PJ's pretty hammered, I don't think driving in my state would be a wise choice considering cops crawling about these days after the riots at the Camelot. Besides, last thing I want to do is drive into a damn tree or something. We've had Tequila." Shane had had Tequila. That's all that Michael needed to know. He knew how his girlfriend was with some of her vices. "You two have done it again haven't you?" He chuckled and grabbed his clothes strewn on a chair next to bed. "I'll be there in some time. Hang tight."" I have my next three drinks lined up. I think I am good even if apocalypse hits Michael." (week later… This was it. The Club’s vote was unanimous: PJ was in after one more mission. One more mission… The War Pigs had long controlled drugs in many of the bars and all the clubs in Quinebaug County and were still undisputed. It’s presence in nearby, and much wealthier, New Lioness County, though small, was a lucrative and long-running one nonetheless. But tradition didn’t mean much in the normal world. The underworld was worse. The Blue Lounge was first, the Pigs’ dealers stopped kicking up. Then all four other clubs followed them. The story was the same: The dealers were scared shitless over these women. Seemed unlikely that they would be terrified of something called the Glitter Gang, which consisted women in colorful and glittery costume’s over a group of tough badass bikers but there it was. What a world. There had been two options: Intimidate the dealers or go right to the source. The former might have been an option if it had been just one or two, but they were talking about eight guys. No, it was easier to go right for the face. Still, New Lioness wasn’t their scene and their inroads with the cops weren’t too deep. A man assaulting women outside a club would bound to be noticed a littletoomuch. And there weren’t a better mission for Toni if somebody had planned it that way. It wasn’t hard to find out where two of the Glitter Gangsters, named Cascade and Decadent liked to spend their time. God, it was going to take some time for Toni to take these idiots seriously with names like that. How they could have seized control in cut-throat New Lioness, she had no idea. Probably because like everyone else around New Lioness criminal gangs, even black street thugs like the One-liter, were all about the business. Of course, next door in Quinebaug County, you needed to be tough and ruthless not accommodating and soft. And nobody was tougher and more ruthless than the War Pigs. Unlike at Bahama Brian’s there was no need for Toni to rile herself up. Unlike Brian, a coke addict but nothing more than a resistant business partner, there was no sympathy for these pretty bitches. Parking her Yamaha FJR1300ES in the Blue Lounge’s parking lot she kept her eye on the entrance. Being close to closing time it didn’t take long until the Glitter Cunt came out in her wacky ass outfits laughing and talking. Seeing her cue, Toni casually strolled in her leather jacket, hair hung low, swirling around her golf club. The confused looks she got from a few patrons turned to panic as she sent the club careening against the loudly green Nissan Z’s windshield spidering it. It only took a few more swings smashing the windows and a left headlight before the woman noticed.“Hey! Hey! Hey!” the Glitter Cunt, who had to be Decadence, shouted. The bitch was already reaching in her flamboyant pink purse before Toni made a turn towards her. A running attack was never as dramatic as you saw in the movie but a swinging golf club with the momentum of someone as fit as Toni had quite a bit of impact especially against a hand. The black redhead was holding her hand as Toni made a twist and sent the club against the woman’s leg. A hard black boot hit the cunt’s side once, twice, three, four times. Decadence was grabbing her side, groaning and cursing Toni as a “leather dyke slut” as well as a string of other naughty words. Dyke. Why did it always come to that? Toni was already rummaging through Decadence’s outrageously colored purse. “Nice score.” She took out the purple painted .22 pistol, the wad of fat drug money, and the garishly pink rhinestone studded smartphone. She tossed the last to the ground. “You know why I like the golf club over the bat for shit like this?”“FUCK YOU SLUT! YOU STUPID BULL DYKE CUNT!” Decadence screamed.“More force applied to a smaller area. That’s how I can do more damage with it. Like this.” The golf club went down again, shattering the smartphone. “Or this.” The club came down against Decadence’s shin. Toni looked up to notice that all this noise got the attention of the bouncers one of whom bounded into the Club while the other looked like he was about to approach. Well, time to go. “The War Pigs say hello, bitch. Get your skank asses back to New Lioness and keep them there. Or next time your coffin doesn’t just get a few dents and dings. It gets lit ablaze.” Toni put the bent golf club against her shoulder. “Same goes for you or any other Glitter Bitch that shows her slut face in any of our clubs.” The bouncer was approaching her faster now shouting “Hey! Hey!” Toni took her cue and ran to her bike. She put on the helmet and hit the acceleration as fast as she dared. The thrill as she popped a wheelie and brought it down as she fled brought a smile under the dark anonymity of the helmet. Would the leadership consider this enough to finally let her in? Normally beating up one rival gang member wasn’t good enough but this was the first, very loud very visible, shot in a war. And the first shot was always the most dangerous. Either way, Toni would be lying if she said she hadn’t found the whole ordeal fun. So much fun a part of her hoped that the war would be on sooner rather than later. Glenn 'Snow blind' Bergman, the president and Jayden Furlong sat eyeing all three young prospects while other members sat behind them. Some were lounging about, some were enjoying their booze, Shane...was on the edge of her seat in anticipation of where it might lead to. Toni had done fantastic, she had gone where nobody would have even dared to go and cracked a skull while making a statement as powerful as they come." Impressive, most impressive work Chase and Ron...." Glenn murmured, rubbing his grain chin. The mentors of other two prospects, Sonny Thurman and Thierry Davies looked at Shane, smug grins on their faces. Probably stemming from the simple fact that their prospects were still going to be given lax treatment as opposed to the scale which was going to be applied to PJ. The two young men who were prospects along with PJ had done nothing special. One of them had threatened a man who was planning to dupe them for some money, a routine 'scare someone to recover some dough' gig. Usually these were decent folk who simply had one or other thing preventing them from returning their debts and came good for most part. The other one had done even more lame gig, which was to do a most basic drug run from one point of Quinebaug to another...a piece of cake given most of the law enforcement was in their pockets or were too afraid. Jayden turned his gaze to PJ and so did Snow blind. "As for you Toni, good job on busting the bitch from Glitter Gang up. I know we said you were in after one more mission...but beating a random chick up? I think we're aiming for something more than that, aren't we? Furthermore, I think we're going to have to hold you for some more time, you'll have to prove by doing something more." Shane was exasperated. Not impressive enough? Just busting up a random chick? Were these men for real? This was the same gang that was choking up their game on the streets, and they were fretting over it at the last meeting, and now it was 'just an incident'? Shane raised her hand. Jayden raised an eyebrow but nodded, allowing her to speak." If I may say so, this is utmost discrimination against my prospect. She went to New Lioness, she exposed herself, she left the comfort and confines of her own territory and took a bite of the bullet that even some of the old timers here would hesitate to do and beat the hell out of an enemy in full public. We all know situation isn't half as comfortable for us in New Lioness and there she was, putting everything on the line. You don't believe how much she wrecked the bitch? Well why don't you take a look at some of the pictures?" Without realizing, Shane's voice had continued to rise, she was absolutely livid by now as she took her phone out and pushed it on the table towards Snow blind." Toni has done infinitely more than these other two have. I know I am overstepping my bounds here but Demands be treated fairly in this and not be the one who has to suffer prejudice." Her piece said and done, Shane stood firmly in her place while everyone was now looking at her in a rather surprised manner. Some snorted in disdain while some were just flabbergasted. Jayden and Glenn looked at each other, unfazed and merely let out a shrug until Jayden, the older one of the two spoke in a gruff tone that was drenched in beer and cigarettes. "First off Shane, sit the fuck down. There are rules and regardless of your passionate outburst, we ain't going to allow them to be trampled." Shane looked disgruntled before sliding into her own chair, keen to listen what was to come afterward for she knew this conversation was far from over and if it wasn't, she had little intention of dropping the subject at hand without reaching some conclusion tonight. Sensing the same, Glenn tapped on the table before addressing her." You believe in your prospect so much eh Lough ran? Well tell you what. Since we're not interested in beating up bunch of lame chicks, why don't you and Toni take care of this Glitter Gang problem? Consider it both your punishment and Toni's final test. None of us shall interfere in on this gig and you two have full license to deal with the problem any which way you see fit." It was an arrogant gesture, almost as if the patriarchy of the club wanted to throw a bone to them, relegating them to secondary status of sorts, despite knowing the grim nature of the problem, which in Shane's eyes wasn't the gang of barbie dolls, but more of a case of a dwindling influence and the way people were being shut down or defecting from them. Stripped down to mere two, the powers that be probably wanted her and PJ to fail...either ways, the die had been cast. Once you were tasked, that was it. Shane craned her neck, her eyes smoldering." You know what? We'll do it and then, while these two boys are busy threatening hapless grannies and senior citizens while making their 'mark', Toni would be wearing her colors with pride. Mark my words." Shane spoke with ferocity before rising from her seat and grabbed her phone before marching out. For she was certain, had she stayed in for some more time, she undoubtedly would have ended in a brawl with Thierry given how he had been casting the condescending glare her and PJ's way. Outside, she sent PJ a text telling her to meet at her place. This, was going to be something off the charts, something monumental...something that would effectively cement her and PJ's legacy in the club permanently and perhaps even change the trajectory of their entire city for good. The Hungry Tiger pool hall wasn’t exactly the type of place one would think the Glitter Gang would normally haunt. Filled with working class types and hardly a note of club music or a glimpse of a fancy dress was anywhere to be seen. Yet one of the Glitter Gals, someone named Vibes, not only set a dumpster on fire she also beat the piss out of a bouncer not long after that. What irked Toni was that she knew that there was no way the Glitters were making very much from the place not to mention that it wasn’t anywhere close to their territory either. This was clearly just a way to piss off the War Pigs. And it worked. Knowing that it was likely a trap when she got the call from the friendly bar owner Toni decided she needed backup and so Shane got the call. Yet another chance to prove herself. Like this was what she needed. She had hoped sending a message to that bitch would be enough. Certainly others had done less to get their cut. But, of course, that was not to be. She was hardly some stuffy liberal feminize, but she wasn’t stupid enough to see what this was: complete bullshit. Still, it was what it was and if she had to kick more glitter bitch ass there could be worse things. The stick figure that walked out of the Hungry Tiger didn’t look particularly threatening but as Toni pulled her bike into the parking lot she could easily spot the cattle prod. No matter how big and intimidating a bouncer or tough an owner would pretend to be a few thousands jolts would get them on the ground crying like a baby. Perfect weapon for these wimps. The Glitter Bitch didn’t even make it to her car before Toni pulled up in front of her by just a few feet. She had to give this much to the slut, she didn’t bother to talk or figure out what was going on. Still, Toni wasn’t some meathead and easily moved out of the way of the incoming prod and managed to knock it out of her hand. Keeping her helmet on she growled, “Know told that other junkie whore in your crew what would happen if you didn’t stay in New Lioness. I thought a broken shin was a strong enough message…” The bitch’s knee to Toni’s gut actually connected with a surprising amount of force especially considering the outfit she was wearing. Between Toni’s leather and conditioning she was able to shrug it off enough to slug the cunt in her overly made up face. Shane road her bike behind the Glitter Bitch making sure she couldn’t get up and make a run for it even if Toni decided to lift her boot off her face.“You know last time I told your crew that I’d set fire to your coffin the next time. But…” She pressed her boot down on the Bitch’s face. “But now I…” Toni was interrupted by a van that screamed into the parking lot. It was driving right for Shane who barely drove out of the way in time. Toni, surprised, let her boot off of the Bitch long enough to dive out of the way of the Molotov’s cocktail that came flying out of the van’s window at her. Jesus! By the time she was able to get up from taking cover behind a nearby car she saw the van was stopped. She took out her piece just in time to see a rather clownish looking Glitter Bitch emerge from behind it with an AK-101 in hand and a very happy smile on face. It had been a good long while since she had heard or saw a weapon at full auto. As she ducked for cover she noted that it wasn’t exactly a memory she was cherishing. When she heard the firing stop she didn’t think except to stand up and begin firing. The Clown Bitch stopped her reloading enough to get behind the van and shout for her ally to get her ass up. Pulling out her own pistol the Clown began firing back at Toni.“Shane!” Toni shouted. “Get the fuck out of here! I have you covered!” Taking out Glitter Trash, Shane was more than up for it, even if the bait was a bit too obvious. But if they didn't seize this chance and allowed Glitter Gang to actually trash one of the places under their protection, it would have sent the worst possible message out to everyone. That War Pigs were no longer what they used to be, that they had lost it and the mantle was up for taking. That, in turn meant that anyone ranging from Irish Mob to Serbs would try to headway in their fortress. Shane wasn't one for calling any confrontation 'epic' but the irony that it all rested on the two of them given the complete ignorance among own cohorts, it did make the whole deal sound rather...cinematic. When they got to Hungry Tiger, shit had already hit the fan, and they have to dive into action straight away. Toni was taking care of a Glitter Bitch right there and Shane was all too happy to block the way, preventing her from escaping." You lot really should know where not to come. Best if you hid in your little pretty abodes with your fashion accessories. This isourturf and anyone who interferes is going to suffer." Shane hissed out at her and gazed at PJ who was about to strike a vicious blow when suddenly sound of a van rapidly emerging from behind was heard. Shane was quick to move out of the way."PJ!" She shouted, but Toni had jumped to safety behind a car too. While Shane jumped off the bike, her feet planted firmly, a most unusual figure walked out, a wicked grin on her clown painted face while holding an AK-101." What the fuck..." Shane murmured, but she knew all too well when to dive out of the harm's way as the psycho bitch began to rain bullets on them while helping out her own cohorts. PJ was doing her best to counter as Shane pulled out her own gun." No way in hell I am leaving." Shane shouted and began to unload her own clip in direction of ally of this psycho bitch from Glitter Gang, managing to nail her in the back with a shot. The woman gave a scream of pain only for this clown bitch to emerge out and unceremoniously stomp her long, pointy heel right where Shane had shot her." You better rest some honey!" She giggled and took aim at Shane by pulling what she was carrying from behind her." Fuck." Was all Shane could mutter as a rocket launched itself Shane's way. Shane ran for her dear life and took a dive in PJ's direction while a loud explosion rocked the Hungry Tiger's exterior and perhaps even the ramshackle structure. The car had been set to fire by now as Shane angrily reloaded." Cover me. If anything happens, leave." She instructed PJ in a stern tone despite knowing fully well that it was to no avail as Toni would have stayed until the conclusion of this. She began to crawl behind from one vehicle to another while Toni gave her a cover until she had come half circle, sufficiently behind this psycho. Shane took aim but right when she did so, the clown pulled out a handgun and fired in her direction without looking back or even missing beat. How did she figure that out?! Shane cursed inwardly as the bullet missed her by a whisker. Well enough was enough as she chose to pounce on this clown bitch. This, was a surprise even for the Glitter bitch as Shane's fist landed on her face followed by a knee to her gut, making her double over. Shane's leg rose up again, aiming to strike the clown in the chin but in swift motion the clown pulled herself up straight, avoiding the oncoming blow and instead landing a vicious roundhouse kick ion Shane's own jaw. A cracking sound emerged as Shane could feel the pain sear through her. She grits her teeth. She had seen far worse than this. In came a vicious headbutt to the clown, drawing blood from the nose, perhaps even breaking it as the other woman went good few steps backwards from the powerful impact. But the bitch only laughed at all the pain, soaking it up." Tralalala, silly girls with their silly games!" She shouted with mad glee in the glow of the fire nearby which made her appear all the crazier; before her fist smashed in Shane's jaw for a second time, sending her stumbling backwards into a car. This time, it did hurt, and it hurt like hell. Just what the fuck were they going against?" Shane wondered as she spit out some blood, feeling the taste of copper in her mouth. If anything happens, leave!was the order, but Toni had no intention to follow it. She wasn’t a chicken shit that ran at the first sight of trouble. Even if that trouble was a motherfucking RPG. Jesus f’ING Christ what had they run into? She circled around and unloaded to lay down covering fire but all it seemed to do was move the Clown Bitch closer towards Shane. She was about ready to shoot the Clown Bitch in the back of the head before she went down to lay into Shane. Damn. If she aimed it wrong she’d hit Shane. Even if she didn’t, there was a chance her nine mil could have gone through the Clown Bitch’s body and hit Shane’s. She had seen it more than a few times in Iraq. Toni sprinted across the parking lot like it was a battlefield…which it pretty much was at this point, her pistol held by the butt. The Clown Bitch turned to fight Toni, but she was too slow before the butt slammed into her forehead. Two more slams against her forehead before Clown Bitch grabbed Toni’s wrist. Good god, she was strong despite all those head hits. Not strong enough, though, as Toni broke from the grip and slammed the pistol butt against her head again and again. Finally, she fell to the ground leaving Toni breathing hard. Toni stared at the unconscious crazy cunt at her mercy. A bullet to the head would be huge for her cred. And, based on the burning mayhem she saw before her, it was likely that Clown Bitch deserved it. Then she saw a fucking frag grenade hanging at the bitch’s belt. Jesus. If they weren’t at war with these cunts she was sure the brass would have paid handsomely to meet their supplier. She reached down and grabbed a grenade. “Shane can you get up?” A tight nod. “Get to your ride and go now!” Shane didn’t need to be told twice. Toni wasn’t sure if she heard sirens in the distance, but she knew there wasn’t time to fuck around. She dashed to the van the Bitch had come in then pulled the pin and tossed the grenade in through the open passenger’s side. The satisfaction of the explosion in the van didn’t quite feel like payback, but it was close. She ran to her own bike and rode hard out of the parking lot. It took a few minutes for the whole battle to register. And an hour for it to overwhelm every sense completely. Just like the old days. This was getting crazier by the minute as they were battling this total and complete psycho. Though Shane had specifically told PJ to vanish, even she knew PJ would not have done so. And she did not as Toni stepped in and caught the psycho by surprise, beating her down with the help of her gun. Shane nodded when PJ asked her if she could get up. Dragging herself up, she staggered over to her own bike, she had started to bleed from her lip and there was an excruciating pain in her stomach. She revved the engine but didn't leave until Toni was good to go, while watching Toni in amazement as the grenade was launched in the van before both of them zoomed away. They said cool guys didn't look behind at the explosions and Toni and Shane sure as hell didn't bother with that. Neighborhoods were crossed one after another before they reached Wabbaqaset. Shane led the way towards her place, a small two-storey house where she and Michael had been living almost for two decades now. As she jumped off her bike, she noticed Michael rushing out. Clearly he knew something was wrong given how banged up both Shane and Toni looked like." Jesus, what the fuck happened?" He asked, hurriedly coming out to lend both girls a shoulder and took them inside. Shane had bruises on her stomach while her nose was slightly bleeding from all the headbutts PJ was mostly okay barring some bruises from the fight. But more than physical, it was the psychological level where they felt drained." We got attacked by the Glitter Gang. We sorted it out. No need to worry so much Michael" Shane answered with a wince as Michael was applying ointments to both of them." Toni?" Michael asked with a raised eyebrow. "Whatexactlyhappened. You know how Shane is with these things." Michael queried again, concern apparent in his voice. Toni was barely on planet Earth when she finally changed her clothes and settled on Michael’s love seat. It wasn’t a new feeling to get the weight of the world crushing down on her body all at once smashing her soul and mind in the process, but it wasn’t one that she exactly missed either. Why? Why did these cunts have to…“Toni? Toni are you there?” The world came back to her as Michael practically shouted to penetrate the fog in Toni’s mind. “What? What happened? The craziest fucking thing anyone’s ever seen.” Michael prepped some alcohol on a cotton swab as Toni talked. “Some chick dolled up like a clown or something pulled out an AK-47 and a god-damned rocket propelled grenade. Ow!” Toni exclaimed as she felt the alcohol swab hit the cut above her eyebrow. “I think I need like two stitches. You did fine last time just be careful okay?”“Seriously? An assault rifle and an RPG? These crazy chicks have that kind of hardware?” Michael said as he took out a thread and needle.“Apparently.” Toni closed her eyes. “We’re lucky we got out of there. If it was just one of us there, we wouldn’t have at least had the number advantage on our side.” The feeling of needle through skin was never pleasant, but this was the third time or so she had gone through it. She knew better to talk, though, while Michael did his work.“I don’t know what to say. You guys look like you’re lucky enough to get through with just a few cuts and bruises.” Michael kept quiet while he finished the short stitch up. Toni opened her eyes and looked at Shane’s old man in the eyes. “Yeah. Lucky. That’s us. Right Shane?” "Lucky?" Shane's eyes opened up as she snorted at that word. "I'll be damned if we're lucky. Sure we escaped...but the stuff we encountered today, that's just surreal. This shit is not something that we have to let slide by and yet, people around us are too oblivious, the War Pigs are oblivious that we have a genuine problem entering into our territory. The founding fathers didn't form the MC for shits and giggles, but that's they seem to think now." Shane spat out angrily, words coming in a seamless flow and the anger only sent a jolt of pain through her, causing her to wince some at it. Michael raised an eyebrow and shook his head while focusing on Toni." Maybe you should have taken some sort of proof or something. That ought to shut their mouths?"" Well, when you're getting shot at by bunch of crazy women and having RPGs launched at you on top of that, recordings is the last thing you contemplate about!" Shane answered and Michael took a moment to cast a sympathetic glance at his girlfriend." Look I know you're ticked off, but if you don't present it differently instead of just exploding, it's never going to get across. I mean, think about it. You need a strategy. You can't be so abrasive all the time. What you need to do is approach this problem differently. Clearly, brute force is not enough to tackle this. Why not do some info gathering first on these crazy chicks. This..." Michael couldn't help but chuckle at the name. "... Glitter Gang as you said." While they were conversing, he was almost done with Toni's stitches and looked back at her. "What do you think Toni?" He asked, referring to both stitches and his suggestion. What did Toni think? That was a good question, wasn’t it? Her first instinct was to say to go back to the brass and get instructions and beg for induction. But where would that go? Another dangerous mission for “one more chance” to get her cut? Listening to older men run away from uncertainty to their safe spots. Or maybe they would decide to enlist their shrinking list of allies in all our war. Or maybe they’d sit on their asses again. All of a sudden, Toni realized that she was not only just the second woman in the War Pigs she was also the youngest. She needed to do more than talk, and she needed to do more than rely on her father’s name and her past combat experience to push the Club into a different direction. Toni must have sat there for several minutes because Shane needed to snap her fingers to bring her back down to Earth. “Sorry, I zoned out there. I’m going to go underground for a few days, best you go back to the brass and let them know what’s going on but just tell them that you don’t know where I am or what I’m doing. They’ll get nervous and pissed, but I’m sure you’ll be used to that. Just keep your emergency phone on and be ready to go at a moment’s notice okay?” She gave her mentor a smile.“I have a plan.”(days later…BEAM!!!! BEAM!!!! BEAM!!!! Toni took the ear protectors off as she heard Shanna let out a low whistle. “Looks like you got every shot. Here take a look.” She handed the binoculars to Toni who saw that the .50 BMG rounds had gone right through the several inches of concrete.“Pretty good. The Hungarians make good stuff.” Toni put the safety on the Gerard GM-6 Lynx before she stood up. “Again, thanks for meeting me at your place with short notice with the high-end merch and without any of the middle men.” She made a gesture around. "The shots won't bug the horses?"“Nah, they're far off enough that its just background noise to them. Anyway, I owe you and the War Pigs so the meeting's no big deal,” Shanna said standing up with her. Toni couldn’t help but admire the fact that even New Lioness’s premier gun merchant looked like she might be able to grace some fashion magazine had another set of circumstances hit her. “So, let’s talk turkey hm? I have twenty boxes of ammo plus the rifle for twelve kays. If you have it on you now I’ll have it delivered to wherever you need it by tomorrow.” Toni sucked in a breath. Here it comes… “The thing is I only have six kays. And I think you’re going to give it to me for that price.” Shonna didn’t look pissed, but she wasn’t exactly thrilled at this. “You’re telling me The Club is doing so bad they only want this kind of merch for half off? I know they’re down on their luck but come on Toni. What do I look like? An asshole?” Toni suppressed the nervousness that threatened to make her handshake. “I’m not here on behalf of the Club. And foregoing to give this to me for half off.”“And why would I do that exactly? And, while we’re at it, why am I not going to kick you the fuck out of here right now?”“Because,” Toni said projecting confidence she didn’t really have. “You sold an RPG, an AK-47, and god knows what else to a bunch of glammed up ladies in New Lioness probably through a middleman. And, as you know, that merchandise actually got used a couple of days back. On me and my partner. Now there’s a chance the brass may pull back because they don’t have the numbers or the muscle to handle this. But if somebody used something just as heavy-handed back at them, with or without the Club’s blessing, well…” Toni shrugged. “The Club wouldn’t have any choice. They’d have to be fully committedandthey’d have to ramp up the arms race. As would those glittery whores. And what a windfall that would be to somebody supplying both sides right?” Shonna looked at Toni for thirty long seconds. “Are you sure I can’t offer you something else for this particular need? I have a Polish machine gun that’s chambered for 7.62 rounds and seven hundred shots per minute. "Toni smiled. “I don’t think it needs to be that overstated. This will do just fine.”

War Pigs Have The Power (Le Immortelle x Ron Don Volante)|rating:4.0

The New York Job

This Thread is about a girl who moves from Italy to New York she has no idea what to do hardly any money and her boyfriend has just dumped her, she can only talk a little English so basically to get money she scams people and cons them a con gang notice this and decide to see how good she is and pull beside her in a taxi one night you choose the characters and what they look like. Name: Alicia Age: 19 Looks: Blondish hair, Brown Eyes, Height: Medium, Breasts: 33C, Skin: Smooth but is not exactly clean from having to sleep in a shitty flat Clothes: Brought from Italy, Black Skirt which goes down to knees, White top which is tight around her breasts but doesn't give too much away her belly button is viewable. (is there any place for another female character here case this is hot.) (Um yeah you can join, and you can be anyone you want you can be one of the con gang or just someone new it's your choice If you can find any males to play that would be helpful.) Name: Alphonse Gamboge: somewhere beyond 40 Looks: Not very tall, maybe 5' 8" dark thick hair and olive complexion, very large powerful hands and arms, make no mistake this guy is dangerous. Clothes: Tailor made suit, dark worsted wool, White shirt and dark tie, one ring, no other jewelry. He rides in a cab because he owns the company, and he has heard of this little one from the old country and wants to see what she is all about. If you are not scared you should be. More later. IOC. Carlo, the quiet one, 3rd Generation Italian American.32, 6 feet, and stunningly handsome with jet black hair, and dark eyes. Used by the gang for his seduction abilities, regularly charming the panties of rich American ladies, as part of the scam.IC. Alphonse called me on my cell, saying that he was going to check out this Italian chick, who was muscling on our scams. We had arranged to meet in the Carnegie Deli, on 7th. I sat in my booth, waiting, wondering if I would be required to recruit her, after fucking her, or just to take her out. Either way was fine by me. Alicia had just left from a pub after successfully managing to con two people in a row she had brought herself a drink and then flirted with the man next to her when he brought her a drink, she waited till he had gone to the toilet she then asked the man next to her if she could use his phone and offered him a drink to say thanks, and she would pay for the bill as well when the man turned around she turned around and left the pub she hadn't got any money out of it but at least she had a phone now. As she walked along the side path she loved down at her clothes her top was fine, but her black skirt was starting t look old and matured soon she would look like a hobo if she didn't do something soon then a taxi drew up beside her, she looked in the back all she could, she was a man he looked professional the man turned and said "Hello! My Taxi company is very professional perhaps you would like a lift" Alicia pondered on this and decided she would try and act like she couldn't speak a word of English she turned to the taxi and said "Ciao! Non Pauli singles! (Hello! I Don't Speak English!)" the man didn't respond she rolled her eyes and said "I um no speak uhh English" jimmy-jimmy had been watching and from his pocket flashes a few hundred bucks towards the pretty Italian his hair was brown and his eyes green his clothes black entirely- Ok so who is who so I can list it for convenience Amy (Role-play) said: Ok so who is who so I can list it for convenience Click to expand... I am Carlo, one of Alphonse's team am I waiting in a deli, for Alphonse, who has just picked you up in his taxi Hopefully you will be coming there too. Then we can develop the storyhugsssssssssBlue Right ok so who is the guy in the taxi Amy (Role-play) said: Right ok so who is the guy in the taxi Click to expand... I think Alphonse is the boss of the scam teams to Jimmy, sorry but his post makes no sense to me. Alphonse didn't mention him, and he does not say what his connection is, or even where he is, sorry RPG. Might I suggest that Alphonse has dropped you off at the deli I am in, and told you where I will be, that is which seat? yeah, RPG post knocked me off a bit as well sorry RPG no offense meet there right well let's get this started I have already posted I think next post I watched as Alphonse stood at the door of the deli, and ushered in a girl in a black skirt, somewhat rumpled, and a white top, showing her bare midrib. I saw him pointing at me, and I waved, next thing she is walking towards me, and he is gone. I stood as she approached. Hi there, I guess you are this Alicia I have heard about, please. Sit down, you want something to eat Alicia?" She looked at me, a little strangely, and I had to point at the seat.[/]"Are you OK?"[/i] I asked"I um no speak uhh English" "oh fuck, that is all I need, well Alicia, you better learn real quick, we speak American here, not aeolian anymore, so here is your first lesson. I am Carlo, and you do what I say, OK? You got that?" OCC: I am translating everything now Alicia pondered on the fact that this girl she had just met was giving her order oh well "HHH CE ciao Carlo (yes hello Carlo)" Alicia nodded her head as well she was hoping she looked like some stupid Italian girl until she figured out what the hell was going on. Alicia sat down in the seat opposite she decided to look innocent and tried to fix her hair. Finally she sat down, and started fiddling with her hair. I handed her a menu, so that she could order, and waited patiently. Not sure if she even knew what she was looking at. Luckily, my cousin Luigi came in, he was fluent in the language I had never been interest in, and at last, we got somewhere Alicia looked at the menu most of the food on there she hadn't even had before she looked at the man and pulled a confused face then looked down at the menu again then she saw Italian made pizza she was just about to say "pizza" before she decided that would seem to clever she turned the menu around and pointed at the pizza smiling. I ordered the pizza, as Luigi explained to her, that we knew all about her little scams, and were prepared to take her into our team, under certain conditions waited for her answer. Alicia sat back and pondered again on the idea of actually making real money being part of a team she would be a seductress she wondered how far she would have to go with "clients" if she accepted she doubted she would bar when it came to the point as long as the pay was good. She nodded her head slowly then said "CE (yes)" (IOC Sorry I took so long to get back)When the girl pretended to be ignorant of English Alphonse thought, "well maybe you do, and maybe you don't"However she got in and went with him, he eyed her very carefully, making her a bit uncomfortable as he did nothing to hide his observations. He considered speaking to her in Italian, but he doubted she would like his rural Calabrese dialect. He also looked at her skin, her hair, her eyes her mouth. He could make something of her, and he was sure she was experienced in the ways of the world, like some Neapolitan street urchin, probably lost her cherry when she was twelve. No matter a lot of rich fat cat ex patriot Italians would give their eye teeth for a night with this one. He would have to have her checked for disease, and then he would have Carlo make love to her, that would tell him if she had what he wanted, and of course he would watch with his best cigar and brandy as Carlo investigated her abilities. When they arrived at the deli Alicia made some more noise about not knowing English but no matter. Walking in Alphonse saw Carlo and waved to him and then said in Italian, in a very low voice that no one save Alicia could hear "Now little one you are in my family, and this is a great honor, but understand," and here he put one of his massive hands on her shoulder, "do not dishonor me, or the family, otherwise I will have to deal with you in a most unsavory manner, parish?" Not waiting for her answer he pushed her towards Carlo's table and left. Alphonse went outside to the cab and when he was settled inside he called Carlo on his cellphone. " Carlo, listen to me," a pause on Carlo's end of the line, then," feed her, treat her nice and then bring her back to my place, I want you to try her out, I want to know if she has what we need, and of course I will want to watch. I will see you in a few hours." Carlo closed his phone and looked at the offering across the table. I put away my cell after talking to Alphonse, and told Luigi what to say to her. That after she had eaten, we would go shopping, to get her some real clothes, not the street urchin crap that she was wearing. We would then go to the condo, where we had the two apartments, mine, and the scam one next door. She would shower, before the hairdresser and beautician arrived, and then, and only then, would we go to see Alphonse, for her induction into the family. Alicia was thankful for the food that was being put in front of her she said "Gracias Carlo" she had not tasted actual "food" for a while all she had had was shitty chips, and sometimes she would scam some people to get some money which would normally only be enough for a burger or something and those were from McDonald's, The man who said his name was Carlos she doubt he was leading had ordered her some wine she drank it then licked her lips and nodded gratefully then began to eat her pizza. She listened to the man talking Italian to her nodded, Condo she thought she hadn't been in a condo or even a warm soft bed for a long time her skin was muddy, but it had kept some of its smoothness the shower he promised would properly help." Gracias Carlo"She was surprised to hear they knew all about her little scams, but she didn't care she guessed that word got around fast in New York "Gracias Carlo"she said to me, I nodded to her, then when she finished her wine, I told Luigi to fetch the limo. It was time to buy her some decent clothes, and burn her rags. I had been observing her as she ate, and knew that she would look perfect when I presented her to Alphonse, and Lat him watch us fuck. Maybe I would get her to blow him first, we would see. But that was for later, I stood, saying to her"Follow me Alicia" Alicia quickly finished her pizza and drank down the rest of the wine as Carlos stood up. Alicia stood up, she knew that Carlos had been watching her as she ate and had decided to look just a bit sexy, this was quite a hard task in her present state. I sat in the back of the limo with Alicia, she tried to curl up in a corner of the seat, but I would have none of it. I patted the set next to me, pointed first at her, then at the seat, reluctantly, she came to sit next to me." It is time for your first English lesson, like it or not." I took hold of her wrist, and pointing to her hand I said"Hand"She just looked at me, trying to remove her arm, but I was too strong for her, again I pointed"Hand"She nodded this time, replying"Hand"and even smiling Next came her head, eyes, and mouth. I made her repeat them, over and over, until I was satisfied. Considering what her role would be, I decided to later show her some more body parts to learn. There was no time then, as Luigi was pulling in to park the limo "hand, head, eyes, mouth" she said she repeated them again and again in her head. The man Carlos had made her sit next to him, she felt awkward and uneasy and when he had grabbed her hand she found she couldn't pull it away he had strong hands. The limo slowed down and pulled turned a sharp corner approaching a building Alicia guessed they were here and prepared to get out. She may have been like an urchin, but Christ could she spend money. I let her get a full wardrobe, boring though it was at times, apart from when we went to Victoria's Secret that is. Luigi dropped us at the condo, and I showed her the way up to the apartment, letting her in, and following behind. She looked around, and then just stood there, waiting. I pointed at her and said"You, follow me" and walked to the bathroom. I pointed to the shower, and said"Shower"She smiled and repeated it, I nodded, pointed at her again, then at the shower, and tugged her shirt. She stepped back, but nodded her agreement. So then I left her to it, and poured myself a drink in the lounge, knowing that there was a clean bathrobe ready for her to use when she finished. Alicia opened the shower door and popped her head inside looked normal she stepped backwards and unbuttoned her shirt then pulled it off she then unclipped her bra put that on the chair and draped her shirt over the chair she then unbuttoned her skirt and slid it down her legs then draped it over the chair as well then pulled her panties down and threw them onto the chair she went over to the mirror and inspected herself she groaned as she saw she still had the cut on her right thigh and a bruise on her arm where some punk asked boy has hit her with a ball she walked over to the shower turned it on, checked to see if it was at the right temperature then got it and closed the door behind her. The water was just right as it wetted her hair and ran down her body she had not taken a shower for a long time she waited till her hair was completely wet then lifted her head up, so the water flowed down her forehead round her mouth then down the rest of her body, she stood like this for several minutes before looking around and grabbing a sponge from the rack and found some shower gel she wetted the sponge first then put the shower gel on the sponge the rubbed the sponge around her neck and then over her breasts she rubbed her breasts for a minute or so enjoying how clean they were becoming and how smooth her skin felt now then rubbed the rest of her body down when she had finished and washed all the well of her she turned the shower off and got out of the shower, looked around and saw the towel beside her, she grabbed it and draped it around her when she had fully dried herself she picked up the bathrobe, put it on and headed out of the room. After dropping the girl off at the deli, Alphonse went in the cab, he could never get used to the limo, his first job when he got to New York was driving cab and that was the way he preferred to travel, however he did not begrudge Carlo his ride, as he was invaluable to him. Carlo was always ready to break in new girls and didn't mind being watched, in fact Alphonse thought the bastard liked it. Carlo was also capable of disposing of them when needed to." Going to the office over the cab garage, Alphonse dealt with some mundane matters and when he was done he called Carlo on the cell phone, in case he wasn't home yet. Speaking into the phone he always spoke a bit louder when talking to a cell phone for some reason, "So you think she will do?' Hearing the answer he went on with his instructions, "get her clean and shining, then bring her over to my house I will be waiting in the den, in my favorite chair, and with my best brandy." He listened to what Carlo told him about the afternoon and then in answer to Carlo's question said, "I want to use her to fleece that old Tuscan, Salvatore Bianchi, he is loaded and would be a prime target for our new recruit, that is if she performs up to standard." Listening for a few more minutes Alphonse said in closing, "well if she does not measure up, there is no going back for her, you know. She will just be one more illegal immigrant fished out of the East River, and that will be that." A pause and then, "I know it is cold Carlo, but that is the way we do business right?" After hanging up Alphonse went downstairs to the garage and found a cab to take him to his house, to await the entertainment. I heard what the boss had to say, and agreed, if she was not up to our standards, then so be it, she would go. As I sipped the last of my whiskey, she entered, dressed in the short bathrobe, and looked very sweet indeed I thought. I pointed to the middle of the room, and indicated for her to do a twirl, which she did." Take off the robe Alicia, let me see what we are getting." She looked at me, not understanding, or so it seemed, so I got up, walked to her, and pulled the belt on the robe, she tried to cover up, but I shook my head, and pulled the robe off her shoulder. She got the message then, dropping it to the for, while I walked around her. Apart from a couple of bruises, and the odd scratch, she was fine. Sitting down again, I pointed to her new clothes, saying,"OK, get dressed now"She certainly understood that, then the house phone rang, and I told the hairdresser and beautician to come on up. Alicia really didn't mind much that she was naked in front of the man her covering herself up was pure instinct of a woman, and anyway she liked this man a bit. She heard the word "dressed" and immediately understood she quickly went over to the bags and pulled out and put on a matching pair of black panties and bra, she looked at Carlo he was wearing a type of business suit so she pulled out a purple skirt which went down to her knees it was a lot cleaner and looked a lot nicer than her old black one she put a white t-shirt on then put a purple overcoat she looked in the mirror she thought she looked nice then turned to the man and pointed at her hair which was a bit mangled from the shower, it was normally straight and flowed around easily which she liked. As Alicia pointed to her, there was a knock at the door, and I let in the two who had come to attend to her. They understood the family credence, and I explained what was happening." This is Alicia, she is Italian, with very little English, in two hours time I am presenting her to Don Alphonse, for her acceptance into the family. You know what to do, carry on." I knew that they both spoke Italian, so they could communicate with her, and Read a magazine as they went to work on Alicia. When they were finished, I inspected their handiwork, and they had done well. Now it was time to tell Alicia what was happening. I stood in front of her, with Carlota, the hairdresser at her side. Knowing that she would translate my words to Alicia." Alicia, in one hour's time, I shall present you to Don Alphonse, for your initiation into the family. The gift that he will give you, MUST be accepted totally. And, from that moment on, you will do, and act, exactly as we say. Do you understand this?" She listened to Carlota, her eyes wide, then looked at me, and whispered." Yes Carlo" "One more thing Alicia, acceptance means that you take the vow of silence, there is a word for it, and I am sure you will know it. Omertà." I saw the look on her face, and knew that she understood perfectly. So now it was up to her, if she swallowed when Alphonse came, all would be well, if not, the fish in the East river would dine on Italian cunt this evening. I called Luigi on the phone, and asked him to come get us. As soon as she heard that word she understood. She looked at herself as Carlos phoned someone she looked completely different to the girl she had seen earlier in the mirror before she had got in the shower. Carlos put the phone down and guided Alicia to the door she followed Carlos out of the building and back into the limo. We sat in the limo, side by side for the drive out to Brooklyn. I had one more task to perform for Alphonse. Taking hold of the hem of her skirt, I lifted it to her waist, she pushed it down, I gave her a stern look. That was enough, up came the skirt. Placing my hand over her skimpy little panties, I started to rub her pussy softly. Trailing my fingers up and down her slit, then wiggling her clit a little. Alternating, and caressing her sex. Gradually she relaxed, leaning back, and beginning to moan softly. Then I felt what I was after, the dampness of her pussy, permeating her panties. I pushed with my fingers, pushing the material between her lips, and inside, as her moans grew even louder. Now she was ready. I took hold of the waistband, tugging a little as she raised her hips, allowing me to slip them off easily. She moved, so her pussy was there, open, wet and waiting for my attention. I looked at her, and shook my head, then I lowered her skirt again, before placing her wet panties in my jacket pocket, and looking out if the window. Alicia wanted to reach down DN finger fuck her pussy Carlo had put her skirt back down she so wanted to just reach down and push a finger into her pussy and move it inside till she came, but she knew Carlo had put it down because he wanted to tease her and if she wanted more than she would have to go by his rules. She had not had sex in a long time only she had touched her pussy in the past month she had forgotten how nice it felt when a man touched it. The bodyguards gave us instant access to the mansion, and Alicia followed me to Alphonse's den. He was sat in his chair, a full brandy glass in his hand, he smiled and nodded at me as we came in. I led Alicia up to his chair, motioning her to stand in front of him, with her legs parted slightly, and waited, as he looked her over. He looked at me, and gave a barely noticeable nod. I took hold of Alicia's hand, pulled it to the hem of her skirt, and lifted it, at first she resisted, then she saw my face, and held it up, so that Alphonse could see her pussy. He dipped his finger in the brandy, then reached out, and slid it into her wet sex. Removing his finger, he sucked on it, then smiled at her, and nodded at me. I gently pushed down on Alicia's shoulders, and pointed at Alphonse's pants, and the bulge there. Alphonse went home AMD showered and shaved, to make himself clean, then he dressed in some nice clothes, he liked nice clothes, and a dressing gown. He didn't bother with any underwear as he planned on having his member out soon anyway. When he was ready Alphonse called Luigi, and asked when they would arrive, not for an hour so this was good as he went to the dining room and had some supper. Soup first then a pasta course, with a plain tomato sauce, followed by some chicken and green beans, all accompanied by a deep dark Harold. Feeling full he went to the study and poured the brandy, one of the few things he used that was not from Italy, rather he preferred Calvados, form Normandy in France. As he sat and contemplated what would happen he wondered how the girl would react when she saw him uncovered. He was a bit longer than normal not much, but he was the thickest that most women had ever seen, he had yet to see a woman who was able to put it all into their mouth, though it was fun to watch them try. Carlo entered with the girl, 'Bella,' he thought, his instincts had been right she cleaned up very well. Now to see how it would go, when Carlo helped her lift her skirt Alphonse dipped his thick forefinger into the brandy, then he moved forward, she did not start or move she just stood still, better and better. He then placed his finger against the top of her slit, rubbing the hood over her clitoris in a manner that she thought was surprisingly gentle, then he moved his finger down and pushing forward buried it inside her, moving in and out a few times first. She tried to hide the fact she was not minding this, and then removing the finger Alphonse placed it into his mouth, this was very nice, Carlo had prepared her well. When Carlo motioned to the girl, and then towards Alphonse's swollen penis she resisted but seemed to know what was required of her, and as Carlo pushed on her thin shoulders she went to her knees in front of Alphonse. He aided her somewhat by undoing his own zipper, and then removing his now very swollen erection. She looked like she might faint. Alicia very quickly realized what was expected of her, and took hold of Alphonse's engorged cock. Reachig into my pocket, I removed her still wet panties, and passed them to him, knowing he would sniff them, as she sucked his cock to orgasm, it was a particular fetish of his. I moved to sit on the couch, MT own cock now tumescent, and growing harder at the thought of fucking this, our newest family member. Alicia grabbed his cock at the bottom of the shaft and placed her tongue just above her fingers and licked his shaft then took the head of his cock in her mouth with a bit of difficulty. She licked his head then moved her mouth down her shaft a bit and twirled her tongue around that the man had her panties and was sniffing them she felt her pussy get wetter as she too got aroused by this. I lay back, watching as she started to blow Alphonse, using her tongue and lips on him. I could see that she was squirming a little, and I had no doubt that my little journey around her pussy in the limo had excited her. It had me, my cock was now ramrod hard, watching her, seeing glimpses of her ass cheeks, and thinking about fucking her. I started to stroke my cock slowly, savoring the moment. Alphonse put his head back in ecstasy, this one was good. He sniffed the panties which were redolent with Alicia's scent, and this made him just that much firmer. As she worked his thick erection with her tongue, and lips Alphonse was equally sure she was no neophyte, she seemed to know what she was doing, so much the better. He closed his eyes and sniffed her panties which while now dry still had her delightfully musky scent, so primal and feminine, so delicious. Then he could feel his scrotum tightening, the familiar feeling, he put his head right back staring at the ceiling trying to delay the inevitable for a while, to no avail. Carlo was genuinely surprised as no other girl had ever gotten Alphonse off so fast, and yet the signs were unmistakable he was almost done. Suddenly as Alicia had the head in her mouth as she worked the base of his manhood, he gave himself over to the overwhelming feeling of the truest lust. He climaxed, and it seemed, she too was somewhat surprised by how fast he finished. His seed suddenly spurt forth hitting the back of her throat and continuing for what seemed like an eternity, She did her best to swallow what he gave her, but some ended up trickling out the corners of her mouth. After he subsided she licked his cock clean like a cat. Then he sat up and reaching forward and cupping her chin in his massive hand, he said to her in Italian, "you are very good, and I think you will be of use. First though there is Carlo, to deal with, go to him and make him happy to. I hope you don't mind if I watch?" It was obvious that he was asking a rhetorical question as it was more of a statement than a query. Carlo looked as if he too would burst rather quickly. Alicia was way too horny now to even think about not wanting to she quickly crawled over to Carlo who was on the couch. She pulled herself up a bit so she was sitting on Carlo's lap facing him. She moved her head to his ear and whispered"what do you want" I smiled to myself, as I heard her whisper "what do you want"in my ear. As I suspected, this chick had more English than she was telling us. I said not a word, instead, I took hold of her white t-shirt, and lifted it, as she ground her hips against my hard shaft. She quickly slipped it off, and unclasped the black bra, tossing it aside. I cupped her breast in my hand, the nipple now hard and erect, begging for my attention. Lowering my head I licked it, and swirled my tongue around it, immediately she started to squirm on my lap. I started to suck on the nipple, pulling on it, as my teeth grazed against the hardness. My other hand, I placed on her thigh, trailing my fingers slowly up and down. Alicia squirmed on Carlo's lap and when he took her breasts in his mouth she leaned forward and moaned. Alicia moved her hand behind her and flicked the back of her skirt up so her smooth ass was no longer covered by the material of the skirt, she moved Carlo's other hand which was not on her thigh and placed it on her ass as she moaned again. Feeling Alicia move my hand under her ass, I stroked her sex, the wetness of her pussy helping my fingers to slowly glide back and forth. I slipped one inside her, and a bit down on her Nile, tugging it with my mouth, now wanting more of this hot asked Italian. My finger was working her pussy, AAS she moaned louder and loader. Quickly I adjusted my position, lifting her up, and sitting her on the couch, before kneeling, lifting her legs over my shoulders, and burying my face in that sweet pussy. When Carlo's mouth came into contact with her wet pussy Alicia moaned deeply and threw her head back letting her hair fall behind her. Alecian moved her hand down and grabbed Carlo's hand she moved his right hand to her right breasts and moaned even louder when he started to squeeze her nipple again while he was sucking her pussy. I was pulling and twisting on her nipple, with her hand covering minor. My tongue slipping inside her, tongue fucking her, as she trembled beneath me. Waiting, for I knew that any moment now she would want me to fuck her. And when she said it..................................... Alicia moaned louder and deeper as Carlo's tongue fucked her pussy. She looked down at Carlo's tongue fucking her pussy she wanted his cock so much to fuck her pussy till she came she whispered"Fuck me" I heard the whisper, that slipped slowly from her lips"Fuck me"and slid my tongue upwards, caressing her swollen clit, before standing, and starting to strip. I turned to look at Alphonse, he just nodded to me, when I looked back, Alicia was playing with her clit, and her eyes was fastened on YM hard 7 inch cock, as she licked her lips in anticipation. Wuthout Waring, I lifted her, and bent her over the arm of the couch, her head against the cushions, and her ass in the air. Alice moaned deeply as she was bent over the couch her pussy at its wettest, she felt Carlo's cock touch her pussy she moaned at just the feel of his 7-inch cock at her pussy. She squirmed on the arm of the couch in anticipation of his cock in her pussy. Holding her head down with one hand, I rubbed the head of my cock on her slit, then moving a little lower, slowly pushed it deep into her wanting pussy, between her swollen soaked lips. Hearing her groan of pleasure as I filed her love cave. I held it inside her, wiggling my ass, before starting to move in and out, a regular rhythm, starting to build it up slowly Alicia moaned deeply as Carlo slowly fucked her pussy she hadn't had sex for ages and had forgotten how lovely a men cock felt in her pussy all she had had recently been her finger, but Carlo was much better than anything finger."oh fuck yes"She had realsed she was speaking English now revealing that she had been leading earlier, but she didn't care now she moved back wards bit pushing his cock further into her pussy. By now Alicia had given up the pretense about not speaking English, as my cock started to pound into her wanting pussy. "Oh fuck yes"She cried out. Her cunt gripping my dick, squeezing it. I raised my hand above her, giving her a sharp slap on her sweet ass, as I fucked her. Alicia moaned and squirmed with orgasm as his cock fucked her pussy. She moved her cut muscles as much as she could so they would increase both their pleasure. She didn't mind the slap on the ass she liked being slapped there. She groaned in pleasure when I slapped her, and her cunt gripped me even harder. I slapped again, building a rhythm, as we fucked like animals in heat All I wanted was more, and more........ He was building a rhythm, and she was enjoying it she moved her ass to his cock and moved her cunt muscles. She moaned and squirmed in orgasm her here now wet with sweat. I felt her starting to cum The spasms rill ping through her body, as her cunt flexed on my cock Quickly I grabbed at Alicia's hair, pulling her head back, and dammed my cock in HARDER Slamming her against the couch, I knew I would come soon also, and I wanted to give her the same gift as Alphonse pulled her off the couch, hissing at heron your knees, mouth open, NOW" Alicia covered his cock in her cum and pussy juices, he had not cum, but she could feel his cock tensing in her pussy before he had even said"On your knees, mouth open, NOW"She had jumped off the couch and now had the cock in her mouth she quickly licked his shaft then felt a stream of his man cum shoot into her mouth she swallowed down most of it but like Alphonse cum some of it dripped out the edge of her lips down her cheeks. When she had taken all of his cum she slumped on the floor exhausted wondering if Alphonse had a bed she could have a bit of sleep in or would she have to go back to Carlo's house for some rest she felt so tired she had not had sleep for 33 hours, she curled up on the floor hardly able to move from the lovely fucking she had just had. This girl was truly remarkable, she had made Alphonse climax faster than any other girl had ever done before. If that wasn't enough while he watched the two in front of him Alphonse was hard again. He stroked his thick cock and wondered to himself what she would be like, after all when you were that thick all pussy's felt tight, still when she moved around to take Carlo's erection in her mouth as he came, it was very stimulating indeed. It did not surprise him that she knew more English than she let on, but that was fine as it would work well with the sting he was planning, however right now there was a longing in his loins that Alphonse could not, and would not deny. Moving across the floor to the prone form of Alicia, Alphonse grasped her hips in his strong hands and pulled her upright with her ass towards him. Spreading her legs enough, he pushed forward with his normal cock and placed it against her pussy lips, and then he pushed himself forward. She did not immediately accept his cock, he had to pull back and thrust forward several times till he was safely inside her, then when he had gone this far he reared back and shoved forward and gave her all of his erection, fully covering his cock with her sex. I could see that Alicia was quite literally "well fucked" as she lay there, smiling to herself. That did not matter to Alphonse, he just walked over, cock in his hand, and took her. Pounding his fat meat into her dripping cunt. I continued dressing, watching them, and wondering about her. OK she could fuck, but could she seduce? Alicia lay there on the floor moaning as Alphonse fucked her pussy, she had not accepted his clock at first as she knew it would properly hurt because his cock was so thick, but she soon took to it and was now squirming on the floor moving backwards onto his Cock while he fucked her, she high doubted she would be able to move her legs for a bit after this hopefully she would be put to bed after Alphonse had fucked her she was so tired already. *bump* LOCI was waiting for Harry, Alphonse to post.ICI dressed, watching Alphonse as he pounded that fat cock of his into her, and then came all over her body. Alicia collapsed on the floor, looking worn out, "fucked even" I thought to myself. I went to her, helping her to dress, then called Luigi, to take us back to the condo. I left her in the bed in the spare, apartment, with a note on the bedside table, saying that when she woke, she was to call me in my room. The note was in English. Hello on harry where are you i/we miss you IOC Forgive me little ones Alphonse had a real life intrusion. After he had finished Alphonse was truly amazed at this girl. A Carlo helped her dress he took her chin in his hand and smiling at her said in his native Italian,"You did very well little one, and you never have to do this again, that is of course unless you want to, go and rest tomorrow we will start you in your new life."She smiled at him, and he kissed her gently on the forehead, and watched her as Carlo led her away, yes she would be useful no mistake, but would she be loyal, that was another question entirely, with what Alphonse had in mind it would require loyalty, but he would deal with that in the morning now he to was tired and needed sleep. Carlo 7:30amAFter showering, I got my coffee, and turned on the closed circuit TV we had in the guest apartment. She was still sleeping, on her back, one leg bent. I used the zoom for a closer look, examining that sweet body I had taken last night, her nice tits, and that sweet tight pussy. I left the screen on, waiting for her to awaken, as I wondered about her. I knew that Alphonse had this plan about Salvatore, and Alicia seducing him. Furthermore, I needed to talk personal stuff with her though, knowing as I did Salvatore's tastes. He loved ass fucking, and taking 2 or even 3 women at a time. I wondered how Alicia would react to that. But it did not matter, for she had no choice now, she was family. Alphonse awoke the next morning feeling particularly refreshed and showered got dressed and went to the dining room for a coffee, and pastry, which was waiting for him when he got there. After the first cup he called Carlo, "Yes Carlo I have a little thing for you to do with our little orchid."" No, no not that, I want you to take her to Bensonhurst, you know the street. Then have her make some pick up's at four places. Which ones? Hang on, and I will tell you, Alfredo's barber shop, the Capri restaurant, see Gina, the Garden Of Eden Flower Shop, she has to ask for that queer bastard Lorenzo." Alphonse gave much emphasis to Lorenzo's name. "Then Alonzo's Bakery, see Al. Do you have all that?" Alphonse waited while Carlo recited back to him what he wanted, He liked very much Carlo's anal attention to detail, then when he was satisfied with that, he went on, "okay when she has all four of those pick up's done, she only has to say I sent her, then take her to the First National Bank in Bensonhurst, forget the tellers go to the side and give the four packages to Anna Maria, yes my niece. She will take care of the packages and will give you Carlo, a sealed envelope. Bring her and the envelope to The Calabrian Bistro and I will meet you two for lunch."" What, oh yes feel free to warn her about my niece, if she sees a nice bit of country ass like her, she will be on her like a horny dog. ""One other thing to, after lunch we are going back to the cab company and to my office, we need to deal with Gino as well, you were right about the little prick he is skimming. No I want her to see, she should know what happens when people do not do as they are told, and are not honest." Alicia rolled over on the pushing her breasts into the soft mattress she opened her eyes and managed to get out of bed she looked down she was still naked and was aching all over from what had happened last night well at least she wouldn't be forced to do that again she thought as she remembered Alphonse words. She walked one RTO the wardrobe and opened it she was surprised to find all the clothes that she and Carlo had brought yesterday she quickly pulled a thong on and a black bra then pulled a black skirt up her legs and put a neat dark blue top on then she headed for the door that's when she saw the note she pick edit up whilst reading it she managed to get to the kitchen she found some mugs and some tea bags and made herself some tea she sighed when she drank it she hadn't had a decent cup of tea in a long time. She picked up the note again "so he wants me to call him straight away huh" she thought to herself she then scrunched the yellow paper up and said "well he can wait for a bit can't he" she thought to herself after what she had let him do last night and the aching wasn't getting any better. She sat there drinking her tea. Taking note of Alphonse` call, I realized that a massage for Alicia would have to wait until later in the day watched her waken, and dress, she seemed to be moving slowly, as I had expected after last night's sexual games. She screwed up my note, which made me smile, she had a lot to learn did this feisty bitch, and she would. I opened the secret doorway into her closet, and then stepped in to the room, laughing at the look of astonishment on her face. Russian Angel said: (is there any place for another female character here case this is hot.) Click to expand... Loamy, maybe Russian Angel can be Carlo's mistress?or even Salvatore's? "Holy shit" said Alicia as Carlo stepped out of the wardrobe she spilled some of her tea on her top she bent it a bit so it wouldn't burn her skin"How the hell did you do that" she said, Carlo stepped aside a bit, and she saw the secret package"Oh well I was going to ring you but I couldn't find the phone and don't expect something like what happened last night to happen again I did that I could get in on this job ok no other reason"She remembered last night that she had spoken English and had given up with her guise now, and she hoped her little lie about the phone would work. LOCI have an idea about Alphonse's name Anna Maria maybe Russian girl would like to take that on? I knew that she had deliberately not called me, and I also knew that she was unaware that I had been watching her on camera. Smiling to myself, I looked her over again, before speaking. You have an hour to get yourself ready Alicia, then we have some business to do for Alphonse, before we meet up with him later. This will be a business meeting, and a passing of information exercise, nothing like last night. Which incidentally, was very enjoyable." I saw the look that crossed her face, not fear, just uncertainty. I returned to my room, after informing her that I would see her in the lobby in one hour's time. Recently I have been having Internet problems is either of you still interested in posting? Amy (Role-play) said: Recently I have been having Internet problems is either of you still interested in posting? Click to expand... Yes, I am, but we need another girl yes I will pm Russian Angel Sophie Hmm yes I have been reading the thread and I was wondering if I could be this Salvatore Bianchi fiancé/wife (you can choose) because then it would give Blue_Dolphin something to seduce she is really only going out with him so she has money here is the character profile enjoy:Name: Sophie Bianchi/Package: 26 Breasts: FF Hair Color: Brunette Hair Length: Over shoulders but not much am I guessing Salvatore Bianchi is about 40-45 and because he is rich he knows he can get younger woman and chose Sophie now what would be good is to have Blue_Dolphin seduce me whilst Amy Seduces him, but Sophie founds out what Blue_Dolphin is planning and wants in, or she will tell Salvatore Bianchi what they are doing this happens later If someone disagrees tell me and we can sort something out? Luckily said: Hmm yes I have been reading the thread and I was wondering if I could be this Salvatore Bianchi fiancé/wife (you can choose) because then it would give Blue_Dolphin something to seduce she is really only going out with him so she has money here is the character profile enjoy: Name: Sophie Bianchi/Nark Age: 26 Breasts: FF Hair Color: Brunette Hair Length: Over shoulders but not much I am guessing Salvatore Bianchi is about 40-45 and because he is rich he knows he can get younger woman and chose Sophie now what would be good is to have Blue_Dolphin seduce me whilst Amy Seduces him, but Sophie founds out what Blue_Dolphin is planning and wants in, or she will tell Salvatore Bianchi what they are doing this happens later If someone disagrees tell me and we can sort something out? Click to expand... Hi Lucy like the way your mind works, giving me something to seduce But of course any decision rests with Amy, this is her thread. All that I can say in response to your thoughts shell YEAHhugsBlue yeah it's fine with me Oocyte any to revitalize this then Amy, with a new post, and we can get this show on the road again? Reposting my last offering here ICI knew that she had deliberately not called me, and I also knew that she was unaware that I had been watching her on camera. Smiling to myself, I looked her over again, before speaking.£ You have an hour to get yourself ready Alicia, then we have some business to do for Alphonse, before we meet up with him later. This will be a business meeting, and a passing of information exercise, nothing like last night. Which incidentally, was very enjoyable." I saw the look that crossed her face, not fear, just uncertainty. I returned to my room, after informing her that I would see her in the lobby in one hour's time. Amy waited until Carlo has left and went into her bedroom she slipped the black skirt off and changed it for a red short skirt which barely covered her ass and put it on. She then pulled her purple top off and slipped on a white top which showed a lot of cleavage after about 45 minutes she was ready and headed OT of her room and realized she had no idea where the lobby was and AFER 15 minutes she had managed to find the lobby."hello Carlo" She said not smiling"Where are we going then and I don't want any surprises or tricks" "Where are we going then and I don't want any surprises or tricks" "We have to pick up some packages at a bank, and hand them to Alphonse's name, then we will go meet him in the Bistro for lunch." The transfer at the bank went like clockwork, and it was too early for lunch, so we called in at Romano's for a beer on the way, and a little chat also. As we enter, I see someone waving to me. It is Sophie, Sophie Bianchi, Salvatore`s woman. I wave her over to join us, she is so fucking sexy, I would love to fuck her brains out. Anyway, at least I could introduce her to Alicia, and maybe get to know her better. Sophie had been enjoying a nice drink when she saw Carlos (false identity yes/no you can decide blue_dolphin) enter HSE recognized him immediately he had only just started working for Salvatore as his receptionist for a week, but she mainly knew everyone of Salvatore's workers especially the handsome ones. She waved to Carlos and walked over to him when he waved back"Hello Carlos and hello" she looked at Alicia who said her name "Alicia""Hello Alicia oh yes Carlos me and Salvatore have talked, and you can have Monday off well because your such a good worker of course I had to make my own sacrifices Salvatore wishes us to spend tonight together" she rolled her eyes and grinned. Then Black Limo pulled up at the sidewalk "Oh it looks like I have to go well I will see you on Tuesday then" she walked to the door and open edit, but before she got into the limo she turned around and waved again smiling. Alphonse after his conversation with Carlo went to work so to speak he was picked up by a cab, and then taken to the office. After dealing with some mundane matters and some important ones as well he decided to go early to the bistro for lunch. When he arrived he was greeted by the owner with considerable respect, and Alphonse settled down in a booth by the corner of the little place so he could see who came and went. After ordering a pastry and espresso, he settled in with some documents he was looking at. He was also considering a bit of intelligence that he had been given the night before, apparently Salvatore was having trouble getting it up, AMD he blamed whoever he was with when it happened. As Sophie walked off and got into the Limo she turned to Carlo and said"Who was that"she was quite while Carlo replied"Wait a minute Salvatore is married isn't that going to complicate things also how nice is he would have to be nice to pull her"Once again she listened to the reply without talking"What I have seduce a married man, and you have to seduce possibly the hottest girl in New York" Alicia seems stunned as she speaks to me." What I have seduce a married man, and you have to seduce possibly the hottest girl in New York?" I don't answer for a moment. As I watch slide into the limo like a cat. Surprised that Salvatore wants us to spend the together, but delighted also. Our plans all seem to be falling into place. I can send Alicia to him on Tuesday possibly." Seduce her, it looks more like to me, she wants us to fuck, never mind about seduction. And that is good, as it will help Alphonse with the scam. While you were looking at her, she passed me her cell number, so I will call her later, and make the arrangements." Sophie smiled as she sat in the Limo as it pulled away and drove off she picked up the phone next to her and dialed in a number"Hello darling its Sophie, I just saw Carlos friend you know your receptionist well Carlos is ill so he can't make it to work on Monday yes, yes is wages will be docked I know well anyway I have some business to take care off so IL be away for a couple of days at Yokes Hotel ok bye sweetie"she waited till the phone had gone dead and slammed it down saying "idiot!" and pulled out her cell phone and waited for Carlos to call he would not take long men never took long when they had her number. (what we're doing about the girl that is supposedly crazy for girls that look like my character Alphonse's niece I believe)"hmm she doesn't look trustworthy a girl that good is in it for the money I would be careful but I ain't you and I guess you are better at this then me so..." She took a sip of her drink"So tell me about this Salvatore guy she didn't seem to be pleased with him even though she is married to the man" "So tell me about this Salvatore guy she didn't seem to be pleased with him even though she is married to the man" "All in good time Alicia, Alphonse will do that, and explain exactly what he requires of you, but for now, I have a call to make, OS silence, OK." I pull out the number for Sophie, and call her on my cell." Hi Sophie. Carlos here baby, and I really need to see you Sophie, need to see you so bad. When are you going to be free Chiquita?" As Alphonse waited patiently for Carlo and Alicia, he decided he had had enough espresso and ordered a glass of white wine and some seafood appetizers. While he munched away happily he was greeted occasionally by some of the customers in the Bistro, he was well known both as a friend and a man you didn't cross. He began to think again about the previous night and the way that Alicia, had done all that had been demanded of her, he also thought with much pleasure how she had accommodated him in particular. He almost regretted promising her she would never be forced again to make love to him, he had enjoyed her very much, still a promise is a promise and he always honored his promises. It would be nice if she would come to him willingly though. He also considered what he would do with the young punk Gino, the young man had shown much promise, but Carlo in his relentless attention to detail had noticed a few irregularities in some of the cash flow coming from the limited aspects that had been entrusted to Gino. When Alphonse checked closer he realised that Carlo's suspicions were well-founded. Gino had not skimmed much, and he was no doubt like many young punks who assumed because the boss was older he was brain-dead. He would learn today why Alphonse was as successful as he was, and why he was respected, and feared. It would also do well to have Alicia witness the session as well, just so she understood the consequences of betrayal, though, he thought, she should also show the rewards of loyalty. Sophie grinned as her cell rang in her hand she left it for a minute then answered it"Hi Sophie. Carlos here baby""Hello Carlos" she said"I really need to see you Sophie, need to see you so bad. When are you going to be free Chiquita?"she grinned again "Ok Carlos IL tell you what I am staying at my suite at the Yokes Hotel how about you go there and I will meet up with you later I have some things I need to do IL tell the receptionist to let you in" We arrive at the Bistro, and go straight to Alphonse, Alicia bending to kiss his cheek, as instructed by myself. Alphonse tells me about Gino, that I was right, he is skimming. And that he is to be taken care of, and that Alicia can be there to see it."OK Boss I got that, it shall be done. But I got news for you also, Salvatore's whore/wife, who thinks my name is Carlos, and that I work for Salvatore. Well, she called me, wants to see me in her suite. So we can fuck I guess. It could be useful boss. Shady think, should I go on up there, see what I can do?" When Carlo and Alicia arrived she bent over and kissed Alphonse on the cheek, which made him smile approvingly, even though he was fairly sure it was not spontaneous, he liked being kissed by young ladies. As Carlo explained about Salvatore's wife, Alphonse absent kindly stroked his nose with a thick forefinger, while sat back in the booth, and after Carlo finished said nothing for a moment, then looking at Carlo he said, "If you think it may be useful go ahead, but be very careful Carlo, we do not want to mess up our other plans. See what you can find out, and," here Carlo got a smile on his face and he went on, "don't enjoy yourself too much, you have to keep a clear head." Carlo laughed then remembered the envelope from the bank, and handed it to Alphonse. Seeing the envelope and noting it was still sealed and had not been opened, Alphonse opened it and read it to himself, and as he did so he started to laugh quietly to himself. Then looking at Alicia he read the letter, "The money was intact Uncle, there was nothing missing, all $74,298.17 was there. By the way who was the little fox who delivered it, I would very much like to have her to myself for an evening, as I think she looked like someone I could get along Wii.' Anna Maria Carlo grinned at that, but Alicia looked surprised at something else, she asked "there was money in the packages? ""Yes there is a little service I perform for some of my friends, they funnel money through about a hundred and six businesses throughout Brooklyn and Queens, it goes into the bank dirty and comes out clean, and I get ten cents for every dollar."" Doesn't sound like much," she said." It is over the course of the year as I handle with the help of my name close to five million a year, and of course the businesses pay me as well for," here Alphonse swirled his hand in the air as if he was searching for the right words, "......services I offer them." Alicia nodded, and Alphonse ordered lunch, then Alicia asked hesitantly do I have to do anything with that lady in the bank?"" As I said to you last night," replied Alphonse, "you don't have to do anything like that again unless you want to, except of course with Salvatore." She nodded as her food appeared, then Alphonse added, "however regarding Salvatore, and here you can help Carlo, I have heard through a good source he has been having some trouble rising to the occasion lately, he sometimes can't get it up, and of course he blames whoever he is with. When you meet his wife Carlo see what she has to say about that, we need to know as much as possible before our little orchid goes to him." "Regarding Salvatore, and here you can help Carlo, I have heard through a good source he has been having some trouble rising to the occasion lately, he sometimes can't get it up, and of course he blames whoever he is with. When you meet his wife Carlo see what she has to say about that, we need to know as much as possible before our little orchid goes to him." I grinned at Alphonse, knowing full well what he had in mind. We could get Salvatore "up" all Alicia would need to do is spike his drink. "I hear you boss, loud and clear, it might take two or three visits, but she will tell me, trust me on that." Alicia seemed to be shaking her head, but stopped when she saw the look I flashed her." I will get on over there now, and report back later Boss." I left them talking, and made my way to the Yokes Hotel. Wanting to be already in her room when she arrived. I wanted to check out her closet, every time I had seen her, she had worn 5-inch heels and stockings. Now if anything turns Carlo on, it is a stocking-clad leg in high heels. I drove to the hotel, leaving the car in the parking garage, before going to the desk. Sophie had been correct, I was expected, and I went up to her suite. It was nice, v ery nice, as was her closet, and her underwear drawer. A couple of corsets in the closet, lots of very skimpy thongs, and a few sex toys hidden away in her drawers. I rooted amongst them, selecting her rabbit vibe. I poured myself a scotch, and sat down to wait, the rabbit on my lap. "Sorry about the wait for my reply sorry again)Sophie entered the hotel the manager walking up to her and telling her that her friend had arrived, she smiled and got into the elevator taking her up to her suite, she exited the elevator and opened the door of the suite to find Carlos sitting down, a scotch in his hand and her rabbi vibe on his lap, she smiled and approached him, standing in from of him she put her hands on either side of the chair and tilted forward and said"Hello Carlos you have already guessed the real reason why you are here then" she stood up straight again, picked up the vibe and laid it on the table beside them and then sat on his lap her legs going either side of him, she kissed him and bit his lip as the parted"Ahhhhhhh finally a real mans lips you are a very good kisser Carlos" she moved forward to kiss him again but put er finger to his lips and then whispered "or should I say Carlo" She straddles my legs, her skirt riding high up her thighs, and kisses me. "Ahhhhhhh finally a real mans lips you are a very good kisser Carlos" I smile, thinking she is about to kiss me again "or should I say Carlo"I grin at her, running my fingers up and down her thigh." Yup Sophie, I figured that you knew who I was Chiquita, so the question is, what do we do about it, and there is another question too Sophie, isn't there?" She looks at me, her eyes questioning." Do we fuck before we talk, after, or better still, before and after?" Alicia sat down and ate the food as Carlo left, she waited until she heard him drive off then looked at Alphonse and said"I don't understand Alphonse, Carlo gets to go out and have all the fun whilst you sit here bored as hell while he gets to...fuck some of the hottest woman in New York"she stood up and walked around the table and stood next to him and said"You know what Alphonse I think you should have some fun"she moved her legs sitting on his lap her chest facing his and said"would you like to have some fun" "Do we fuck before we talk, after, or better still, before and after?" She moved her finger and kissed him again she grinned as they parted "I think you can guess"She stood up and grabbed his hand and said"C'mon my bed is properly the most comfortable bed in New York" and pulled him in the direction of the bedroom. Well, I waited 9 days for a response, guess that is long enough, bye ppl "would you like to have some fun"Alphonse looked at the young lady in his lap and said quietly, "yes little one, I would indeed, but not here." Looking up he called to the waiter, Excuse me Guido, would you call me a cab please?" Guido smiled back as this was a standing joke at the Bistro, "of course Señores, any particular company?"" Which every one you think the best Guido." Guido went off to make his call and Alphonse looked at Alicia saying," you are getting me aroused little orchid, are you sure you want to do this, I have not gotten any smaller overnight, you know.?" Before she could answer Guido returned looking at Alicia with more than a casual glance, noting her better features, and said, "the cab is waiting Señores Alphonse." Alphonse stood up, and it was obvious to Alicia he was aroused, and so in order to protect his modesty she walked in front of him holding his huge hand in her smaller one as they made their way to the cab, and to Alphonse's house. Louis this thread now past its sell by date? Blue Dolphin said: IOC Is this thread now past its sell by date? Click to expand... That would appear to be the case. On Harry said: That would appear to be the case. Click to expand... shame tho, anyway On Harry, thank you for participating my friend^5Blue

The New York Job|rating:2.0

The fighter and the maid

Hunter was on his way to the Inter-species Employment Agency or the 'Pet' store as it had been more commonly dubbed. He was in need of a new maid as the last one had left his employ so she could go and look after her sick Grandmother. He had been sorry to see her go. She had kept his room neat and tidy just the way he liked it and saw to his every need without needing to be told half the time. They had been together for five years, and he doubted he would be able to find another girl like her, but he could only try. Hunter was in need of a special kind of maid. He already had a full household staff to take care of the running of his household, no what he needed was one that would look after his personal room, take care of his needs, be a secretary, and also travel with him when he went to his tournaments. Hunter was actually a Martial artist of some renown. Ranked in the top ten in the world, he competed in several tournaments all over the world each year as well as doing promotions and attending banquets. He needed someone who would be able to organize and oversee those things for him. As his limousine pulled up in front of the large building he smiled. He had already sent in his request and had been assured there would be several candidates for him to choose from on his arrival. As his chauffeur opened the door he stepped out into the sun and stood blinking for a second before casually strolling towards the large doors. He was a large man, six foot three, with an athletic body that was not overly muscled but did not have an ounce of fat on it. His close-cropped blonde hair was a little coarse and his sky blue eyes darted around taking in everything. He had an easy-going smile on his face and today was dressed in a plain but well fitting dark gray suit. Entering the building he casually strode up to the reception desk." Good morning. My name is Hunter Phillips. I do believe your Director is expecting me." His Australian accent was still there even after all these years of touring the world and now living in the USA. Ahh well, you could take the kid out of the outback, but you could never take the outback out of the kid he smiled. His name had produced the usual results. Wide-eyed recognition followed by stammering then quick action. Suddenly an older woman appeared and quickly led him to a lavish office."Welcome, Mr Phillips, it is a pleasure to meet you and an Honor to provide you with your new maid. I have a list of candidates for you," she told him handing over several folders, "However I find the best way is to see the girls in person as well." She hit a button on her desk and her door opened, and several girls strode in. "Girls, say hello to Mr Phillips." Luna was distraught, but again prayed with her eyes closed as she waited with the other girls to meet the client who was to buy one of them. This was the first time she was put on sale, with her long brown hair down to her waist and sharp electric blue eyes and pale skin, and standing at 5' 6" with a flat belly but not skinny she was not very pretty in her opinion and had never been chosen as a candidate. Now this was her first time being one and she was not very happy. At least they let her wear clothes. This was one of the few shops, since most felt of her and others of her species to be lesser beings. Then lost in her thoughts Luna heard the door open and in her maid uniform went out with the other girls and in an annoyed tone said hello like the others but glared with her eyes at the guy. He may have been handsome, but that would not fool Luna. Then the woman spoke again. " All of you shifters who can control your shifting, shift to your partial form. Now!" Then as on cue all the girls shifted partially and Luna's ears and tail came out, her eyes becoming catlike. After all, she was a snow leopard shifter. Wild she hoped the man would not buy her. Now to explain the earth awhile back went through a HUGE change and everybody changed into were's or shifters. Either cat wild/domestic or dog or wolf. The cats were treated as lesser beings while the dogs/wolves were treated as royalty basically. Back to the present Luna waited, eyes sharp and staring forward, but also praying in her mind that she wouldn't be picked. Hunter calmly sat in the chair as the ladies took up their positions. There were seven of them ranging in height from just over five feet to one that looked to be about six foot. Most had the usual skin coloring, although one was very dark and one very pale.Hairstyles also differed greatly as did hair color. This was where he could usually pick the race of the shifter. He saw a Tabby, Lion, tiger, Persian, Calico, The dark skinned girl turned out to be a Panther and then there was the Pale skinned girl. He had no idea what she could be and that intrigued him. Pale skin but brown hair and the most piercing blue eyes. He kept a sly glance on her and as they shifted he gasped slightly as he saw she was a snow leopard. She was also beautiful. He did not let his interest show though. If he did, he knew her price would immediately double. He pretended to look at several of the other girls, then examined each of their files. All of them were well-trained and any of them would be able to fulfill the duties he wanted them for including ... Luna, that was her name. Very well that was who he would have. Nodding to the director to show he had made up his mind he watched as the girls were led away." The one called Luna I think," he said handing over the files but keeping hers on top. "I will take her on a three-month trial basis to see if she works out. Standard fee's and clauses. If she works out and stays in my employ a bonus will be paid to your company for finding her." Smiling he stood up and reached across her desk and shook her hand. "I expect her to be ready to leave in ten minutes. Any luggage she has can be shipped to my house at my expense. Have all the necessary paperwork ready for me to sign by the time she is ready." With that he left her office and began to make his way back towards the reception area. Luna waited patiently for the man to take his pick. He intrigued her, but she was not going to let that show, forcing her ears and tail to stay neutral though her ears at first did flick a bit. She felt humiliated being like this. In this stupid maid outfit that thankfully was modest but short on her. She just wanted to crawl into a corner and hide. As soon as she thought that Luna punched it out of her head. NO! She was better than that, dignified. Even if she was called a lesser species she would hold her head with pride. Then she saw the man had made his decision, and they were lead away to their rooms, and she went back to hers, her only possessions the top and shorts she wore, both black. Since she had white skin and white fur she liked to wear black to show she was modest and wore clothes. So folding them up so if she was chosen she sat on the bed, waiting to hear the decision. In two minutes the secretary that handled most everything hurried in. "You have 8 minutes. He wants you." Luna's eyes widened, and a few tears formed at the edges of her eyes, but she blinked them away quickly and nodded. "Alright. Give me five." The secretary nodded and left, but Luna knew she was right outside the door, so Luna got her carrier bag and put her normal clothes on and put the maid uniform in the bag, knowing they would want her to have the uniform since she was chosen. Next she took a deep breathe and came out, the secretary giving her black tennis shoes and socks, and she put them on then followed the secretary to the man. Luna didn't say a word as she was given over, her masked eyes cold and unfeeling. A protection method as she waited to leave with this man, wondering if she would be given a collar, the damn things. They made her feel vulnerable, but also she liked them. So she hated them for giving her that dilemma, the degrading things. Hunter saw out the corner of his eye his new maid being led towards him. He was still signing the seemingly never ending paperwork, and he hardly gave her a seconds glance except to confirm she was there before going back to his work. Eventually he was finished, and he smiled and shook the directors hand again before turning to look at Luna. She was now wearing normal clothes and footwear and carrying a small bag." Is this all you have?" he asked and after receiving her answer he nodded and then reached into his coat pocket. He pulled out a small Black leather collar with a bright golden bell on the front. He had picked it up on a whim but was now glad he had. It was going to look stunning on her. Moving forward he slipped it on her then smiled. "Now you have officially become my maid Luna. Please follow me to my car and we will go to your new home." Taking her bag from her, he grasped her arm in his and led her out to his car. He waited and once the door was open he helped her in and then waited until the car was safely on its way to his house before he started to talk to her." Very well Luna, I have read your file, but why don't you tell me your actual story and what is not in that thing. Tell me about the real you." Luna watched patiently as the man finished the paperwork and then had to hide a blush as he turned toward her, he was more handsome up close, but Luna pushed that thought away as he asked her if that was all she had. "Yes." That was all she had to say to him and got a stern glare which she ignored. She would never say Sir until it was forced with a whip or something. Though the guy seemed to want it as he never even introduced himself. Arrogant canines. They thought they were so much better, huh? Oh, how she would love to rip him to shreds! No! She would not think that, she may be wild, but she knew better than to kill another that didn't do anything to her and wasn't to be food, since other animals such as deer could be food. Luna though still didn't like the man and as he drew out a collar she didn't like him even more and didn't say a word as he put on the collar, forcing her face to stay neutral even though on the inside she crumbled. She was then surprised as he took the light carrier bag for her but didn't show it except for her eyes widening slightly. She then followed him to his car and was again surprised as he helped her in, except for the collar he seemed to be a gentleman, but she wouldn't let that fool her, and she remained silent until he spoke and she sighed. "Well man I have never really spoke to and whose name I don't know, I am a snow leopard who was born into this disgraceful world which thinks cats are lesser beings and decides all of them should be collared and that the canines are superior to cats and are the only ones that should be treated like human beings! I also have a snappy attitude if you couldn't tell and will never call you Sir or Master so you better tell me before, or I will be calling you man whose name I don't know for the rest of the time I know you and you can't change my attitude unless you decide to beat me cause even if you try to starve me I can wait you out." Luna then huffed, going silent, regretting her outburst a bit but not much, looking out the window with a slightly sad expression. Then thought of one other thing. "Oh also I do remember your last name but if I am to call you anything I would like it to be your first, I'm not only an animal." Hunter looked at her for a minute then smiled and then burst out laughing. Oh, yes he had picked right. It took him a few minutes to calm down, and he had to hold up his hand to calm her down at one point.Finally, he was able to get himself under control, although he still had a wide grin across his face." Forgive me for that Miss Luna. I was not laughing at you, I promise, but more at the situation. You are right it is unforgivable for me to have not introduced myself. My name is Hunter Phillips," he told her bowing a little towards her. "As for your assertion that cats are no better than second class citizens, well I do not agree with that. In fact some of my best friends just happen to be cats. Oh, and not all dogs have it easy you know," he winked at her. He reached into a small cabinet a pulled out a small bottle of water." Can I offer you something to drink? Water, juice a soda? Sorry I have no alcohol, don't touch the stuff." Sitting back he looked at her then smiled. Sipping his water he weighed her up then came to a decision." Very well Luna here is the deal. No one in my household calls me Master. Some call me Sir, but I do not force them to. Some call me Mr Phillips and I do prefer that in business situations, but casually I like to be called Hunter. As for the collars, I hate them myself, but they are required by law whenever you are in public. On my estate you can wear it or not it is your choice." He took another sip of his drink and looked her up and down." I am not sure if you were told exactly what you were being hired to do, so why don't you tell me what you know about the job." Luna watched him as he looked at her before glaring as he laughed. What? Was he laughing at her?! Grr, this man was annoying. He must have sensed her anger because he led his hand up so she waited to say something. Then the spoke and Luna just blinked, surprised as he spoke. After he finished speaking Luna again spoke. "Well nice to meet you Hunter. Also, what I meant is we aren't usually treated any better than second class citizens. That's all. Heck I'm being your maid, that is possibly even lower. Also, if you have any cold Dr. Pepper that would be nice." Luna then took a deep breath and thought about what they told her. "Well I know I'm going to be your maid which will involve cleaning and other usual stuff like maybe doing laundry and stuff like that, but I'm not too certain because they didn't tell me a lot and I don't know if I am going to be doing stuff in one area of the house or all of it and............ I don't know if you are going to want sex. I know a lot of people who buy cats do." Luna was scared of it, but the prospect also was intriguing, but Luna snapped out of it, sighing as she knew when she went into heat she was suitor locking herself up and not coming out until she was basically starving or really thirsty, or it ended. "Also on the subject of buying, if we are no better than second class to you people than how come you can buy us?!" Hunter sighed as she continued speaking. So they had not explained the job to her. Damn! He had specifically told them to explain the whole job to all the applicants and give them the option whether to proceed with the application. Looks like they had done no such thing, and now he was caught in an awkward situation." I agree with you Luna. Just because you happened to be changed into a cat instead of a canine you can now be bought and sold is totally ridiculous. Please don't lump me in with the majority of society though. That is like me saying that all cats are stupid because they are so weak." He stared at her as he reached into his fridge and passed her a Dr pepper. "Now I know that last statement is not true, but you get what I mean." Smiling again he looked at her and began again in a friendlier tone. "As for buying you, I only do that because it is the only way to get people like you into a decent household. Unfortunately there has been a slight error this time," he grimaced. "I normally use another company, but they did not have a person who met my standards, and it seems your company did not fulfill my wishes. I told them to tell all candidates of the specifics of the job and give them the right of refusal. It looks like they did not do that seeing only their share of the money." Sighing he looked at her. "The actual job is to be my personal maid. You will be responsible for cleaning my rooms, being my secretary and arranging my itinerary and travel schedule, booking hotels etc., and yes at times it will require you to provide me with sexual services." He looked at her and grinned. "I had hoped you were prepared for this, but it seems you were not. If you wish I can take you right back, and I can find someone more willing to fulfill the position." Luna listened quietly to Hunter, really interested in him at this point as he spoke, taking in what he said and actually made her ashamed. Ashamed at herself because without even getting to know him she had lumped him in with everyone else, thinking he was an arrogant canine. She smiled then as he passed her a Dr. Pepper, loving the taste. "Thank you." She then listened as he explained, and he seemed miffed that they did not explain to her, and she nodded along with him, listening to what he said up until "sexual services". What the hell?! No, no no, she was not going to do this, she was going to wait until she met the perfect cat mate for her right? Someone who would treat her like a lady? A gentle kind and decent man? Oh boy. Then he looked at her, and she felt something spark as he continued talking and though it was faint she felt like she wanted to be with him and not under her control she spoke. "No it's okay, I think I will stay. I'm not too sure about the sexual services, but I think I can manage the job." After she spoke Luna felt like, 'What did I just do?!' but said nothing, smiling gently. Hunter saw by her expression that she was probably not all that alright with the sex part. Most people were not which was why he had insisted that the position be fully explained. He hated when he had to go over everything, especially that. His job didn't allow him to really build up a lasting relationship with anyone, and so he had taken to using sex workers. However, that had proven dull for him. He had craved some form of connection, and so he had hired his first maid after careful consultation with the employment agency. It had worked out well and so far he had only had three personal maids. Luna would be his fourth." Very well then, I guess we will wait until we get home to discuss everything then. It won't be long. I have a place just out of town. We will be there in twenty minutes so if you have any other questions feel free to ask." Luna listened as Hunter talked and then nodded. "Well then how about I start with a question? What are you? I know most people were turned into shifters, but I haven't seen you shift at all, not even once. So it's made me curious to see what you are. Sorry if it's imposing. There are just so many different types of shifters. I after all am a cat as well, so curiosity is in my nature and yes I know curiosity killed the cat. That joke is so annoying." Luna was seriously miffed by that joke, she had been teased about it since she had grown up in a community with a lot of wolves, her mother having a lot of money, but then she died and Luna then had to survive on her own so went to the agency, even though she was ashamed at having to go this low. Hunter smiled widely. "Ah well. If you are asking what I do for a living, then I am a fighter. A mixed martial artist, actually. I compete in unarmed and armed tournaments all over the world, hence my need for a Secretary/Maid really," He explained. Taking a sip of his drink he looked at her then chuckled." Although that's not what you really meant was it. You really want to know what I am. Am I a shifter and if so am I a Wolf or a Dog." He could see her staring at him with an intense gaze, but he was used to this and had stood up to much worse than she was putting out. Smiling and chuckling he answered her. "I am a Dog. A Dingo actually, hence my accent. I am originally from Australia and while the change seemed random, I was changed into my native dog," he said sounding proud. "I normally only change when I am fighting but..." he began as his features rippled and his body changed a little. Across from her now sat an equally well muscled humanoid canine. He was several inches bigger with short blonde hair and short ears. Two sky blue eyes looked at her and his mouth opened and smiled at her showing pointed teeth with large canines. His hands had shortened and grown hair and his nails had lengthened a little, and he grimaced a little." Damn I hate doing this with shoes on. It always pinches my paws. Anyway this is me. Well one part of me. I hope you don't mind if I change back quickly. These clothes are really not suited for changing in." Hunter let the change go, and he was human once more. "As you can see, Being a Dingo does not really make you a star in the Canine world. Whoever said the Wolves were the elite must have been them. I think it was because most people in the government got changed into one at the time that it worked out that way." With a wry laugh he looked at her. "Sure would have been different if a few of them had been Cat's huh." Luna listened as he explained he was a fighter, and she wanted to chuckle. Please. Martial arts competitions where no one is actually really hurt is nothing. Luna had even been in a gang once, and could kill someone with them being wide awake in the daytime, without them even knowing she was coming........ with the right timing and information of course, she wasn't a magician. She was a techie person though, even though it didn't show right now. She had a sharp mind and with her speed as a snow leopard, (you have to be fast to be able to run through snow) she was able to make quick decisions. Her speed wasn't even just physical either. Her mind went 120 mph. Anyway to say she was surprised when Hunter turned out to be a Dingo was an understatement. Usually the ones with power and money were the wolves. Not that she cared anyway, she learned something new which helped her, you had to know a ton of information about a person if you were going to live and work with them. Mostly it helped her to suit his needs, but it was only a little bit. She would need to know much more........ but that was to come later. She also needed to know what time he went to bed, cause that was when she would eat. You know dogs usually eat a lot so you would think they would care about the cats? Nope, not one bit. Sometimes she could go two weeks without eating lunch at school until her mom just decided to pack her lunch, and then that got stolen. It wasn't an easy life for Luna. Then he changed back and spoke and after he did Luna sighed. "You know you make think you have a rough life, but really you don't. You may not be some superstar, but you are rich, and you have enough money to freaking buy a person for heaven's sake. I couldn't even buy my meals before this! I was thrown on the street when my mom died and was homeless before going to the agency! You have probably never even had to go without one meal! So don't talk about having a rough life or not being a star because you don't know what it's like!" Luna's breasts heaved after that, her eyes waver, and she then looked away. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me, please forget I said anything." Luna was now regretting her words, her eyes sad and if she wasn't forcing herself to hold back she would have droopy cat ears and tail right now, and her eyes would still be sad but catlike. One thing she knew how to do, only transform partially. It was easy for more wild animals. For some reason they had more control, and though one thing was because of wolves being in government, it was also caused of the control they had over shifting, they thought since they could, they were better. Which was not the case, it was just because of evolution. Evolution had dogs come out of wolves, of course since they weren't the original species they were going to have less control, same with cats. Luna snapped out of her thoughts quickly though, truly regretting her words and for snapping at him. She just couldn't keep her cool and she didn't know why. She was used to bottling up her words, so why was she telling this man everything? Control Luna, you need to have more control, she told herself and with that her eyes hardened with determination and ice to cover her emotions. Hunter's eyes clouded over as she yelled at him. There it was, that old line about how would he ever know what it was like for a poor little cat. After all he was a member of the ruling cast so how could he ever know what it was like to go hungry or starve. How quickly people forgot. It had only been 20 years since the change occurred and though he might not look it, he was actually 25 years old. He could remember a time when there had been no such things as Shifters in the world. He had been born on a large outback cattle station, one of five children. Furthermore, he had an older brother, two older sisters and a younger brother. Well when the change happened his younger brother had not been born. His older brother was ten when he was born, his sisters six and five. They're parents had worked on the station as leading hands, their mother the cook while their father had been the manager. He had generally run the place for the owner. It had been a good life, but certainly not a rich one. His brothers and sisters had already been helping out around the place, and they all knew how to ride, rope and drive cattle, including himself. Then had come the incident. No one knew what had happened but suddenly one day people woke up able to change up into either a Canine or a Feline. To say society was changed was an understatement. Thankfully his life had not changed much for several years. People still needed meat and way out where they were politics did not play much part. His family just got on with business, as did all the other workers, regardless of what they now were. In fact the owner was now a Tabby as were his whole family. It was not until he was seven that things really changed. Members from the local government had turned up and suddenly demanded that the owners leave their place as they were no longer allowed to own such a large piece of land. They had fought to keep it, but eventually they had been taken away, and the place was put into his fathers care. Hunter had been just old enough to understand what it all meant and had been as disgusted as his father had been. Of course, they could do nothing, so they had carried on running the place but had always treated everyone equally. As he came back from his memories he smiled at her. "Perhaps you should get to know me a bit more before you say such things. Still I won't hold it against you." Looking out the window he saw a familiar landmark. "Looks like we are almost home." Luna grimaced as he spoke, knowing she had overreacted but with her whole life having been where cats were treated horribly and the wolves and dogs got all the attention, she didn't know what it had been like for people before the change. She was only 19 and the change had happened before she was born. This world was all she knew and it was a horrible world. Why? Why couldn't she have been born in a nicer world? Why did it have to be this way? But to say a nicer world was unrealistic. In every world there is going to be some discrimination. There just always will be. Luna snapped from her thoughts when he said they were almost home and Luna got nervous, wondering what her new home would be like. What other people would be there? If there were what would they be like? Luna just hoped she didn't starve or anything and that they had internet. She may be a cat, but she liked her internet when she could get it. They were out in the country though so she wasn't sure about it. "So do you have internet out here? Also are there very many other people? A-any other girls? Like a wife?" Luna had a blush to her cheeks on the last 2 questions, feeling foolish for asking. "U-um you don't have to answer the last 2 questions, I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked." Luna turned her face full away from Hunter, her face as red as a tomato. Hunter had to laugh. "Luna if I had a wife I really wouldn't need you in a sexual way now would I?" he began as his laughter turned into chuckles. "As for your other questions, yes this is a fully equipped place with full access to the internet, which you will have access to on your time off. Staff wise I have two gardeners, a cook, a chauffeur, two maids and now you. One Gardener and the Chauffeur are males and the rest are females. Shifter wise both maids are cats, the chauffeur is a dog, the gardeners are a wolf and a cat and the cook is cat." As they turned up a drive he gestured in front and then indicated the window next to him. "If you look out this window you will see the house in a second. We entered my grounds a minute ago, but the road follows the hill and will switchback allowing you to see it in all its glory." Sure enough as they glided around a corner a large house was revealed. It was a sprawling two story house but not overly large." As you can see, I don't really go in for flashy," he smiled, "But there is a pool and private gardens around the back, as well as a tennis court." As they got closer Hunter looked closer at Luna. "When we get there I will show you to your quarters, and then we will be having a staff meeting. Considering the time I thought we might have a light meal and I will introduce you to everyone. Afterward I can show you around while explaining exactly what your duties will be and what your pay will be. I assume they neglected to inform you of that as well. Is that okay with you?" Luna frowned as Hunter laughed. Seriously, that was the second time he had laughed at something she said. Though at least he did answer her question about the wife, she still wasn't fully satisfied. She waited until he was done telling about the other people in the house before asking. "Sorry, I had to ask but even though you don't have a wife, do you have a girlfriend? I know girlfriends usually don't have sex with boyfriends, well sometimes actually, but I need to know, so I know how to act around her if there is one. Or if you are planning on getting one, also do you have any type of relationship with your other maids? Sorry I like to be informed though I wasn't. Yes I do know that may seem odd. One more thing, are any other of the cats wild and does the Wolf have territory instincts? I don't want to get in a fight with anyone." Luna then looked out the window when Hunter told her to and her eyes widened when she was the house. It may not have been a mansion, but it was good-sized house, with a pool out back and private gardens? TCH, maybe she shouldn't have taken her words back, but with what he said maybe his life wasn't always this glamorous, but he sure did have it good in the end. Unlike Luna. Yes it may have internet, and it may be nice, but she was still chained by the sex and being a maid. If it wasn't so humiliating maybe she would enjoy it but........... Luna didn't think she would. Luna then turned to Hunter as he spoke again and she nodded. "Sounds fine, also if it would be appropriate I would like to buy a laptop and other electronic stuff once I have enough money from the pay, which would mean leaving the house for a bit to go shopping. Also, if I am not to sleep with you, and I do mean sleep since I know sexual favors are part of this, I would like, again once I have enough money to decorate where I will be living the way I want. If I'm going to be a live-in maid I would at least like to have some comfort. Like actually having a nice room to my preference and some electronic stuff that I can do stuff on in my free time. Don't worry I won't tell all about my life on the internet, I'm not stupid." Luna tried to half smiled but couldn't bring herself to, she needed the job, but she didn't know if she could handle this, but she would try. What had that agency actually told them? "Look Luna, perhaps this should all wait until we discuss the job and you see the house. All of your questions should have already been answered, and I am never going to use that place again. In fact, I am going to put in a very stern complaint about them." Hunter shook his head as the car pulled up in front of the house and he jumped out. He never stood on ceremony at his own place. "C'mon Luna follow me." He led her inside and straight up a grand staircase to the second floor. "Right then, to your right is the Servants wing, however you will not be living there." He led her down a short corridor to a set of doors. "On the left is a lounge/meeting room on the right a water closet." Smiling he led her in a little deeper and opened two large double doors. "This is the main wing. Here you and I will live. Your area is to the right, mine is on the left. Joint space is further along." He opened a door on the right and led her into a series of rooms. "This first room is your entertainment room/lounge whatever. At the moment it is totally unfurnished but has several antenna ports and internet jacks so you can set it up how you want." He led her through another door into another spacious but slightly smaller room. "Your bedroom. Again unfurnished and again with several access ports so you can arrange it to your liking. The walk in closest is over there," he said pointing at one door, "While your bathroom is over there," he said pointing at the other. "Standard stuff. Shower, Jacuzzi bath, toilet, basin etc." Looking around the rooms he smiled. "We do have various pieces of furniture in storage your welcome to look at, several beds, couches, tables etc. that have been used in here before or other parts of the house that you are more than welcome to use, or there is the decorating bonus for you to use. Either shop online or I can get Jenkins to drive you into town to order anything you want to decorate the rooms." He then led her across the hall and showed he is a brief glimpse of his area. "Those are my rooms, and further down that way are joint areas. However, we will get to them later." He led her back towards the stairs and then down them and turned left towards the dining hall. Inside were the rest of the staff There were two younger girls in the dress of maids, they looked to be in their late teens early twenties. "Luna this is Kate and Grace, they are sisters." Next to them was a grizzled older man that looked to be in his forties. "My head Gardener Mitch and beside him," he said indicating a cute young girl in her mid-twenties "Is his apprentice Dorothy. You have met Jenkins of course," he said as the chauffeur from earlier bowed to her, "and last but not least is Mrs Potts my cook," he said indicating a woman in her late forties. Everyone sat down and started to eat a delicious roast prepared by Mrs Potts. "Well that is my staff and part of my house Luna and your part in it. After this we can discuss in more detail exactly what I need you to do, but rest assured, there is no wife, no girlfriend and no other liaisons with staff members. However, if you do not want to sign up for this I do understand, I can make other arrangements, however perhaps you could talk it over with my staff first." Luna listened to Hunter and nodded. Really all the agency had told her was that she was to be a candidate to be this guy's maid. She really was told nothing else. So far though he did actually seem like a nice guy. So maybe she could trust him. "I don't mind you putting in a complaint. All they told me was I was to be a candidate to be your maid. That's all. 30 minutes before you got there. Seriously I had to rush almost to get into the outfit." Luna then got out of the car with Hunter and looked around before following him, listening to him as she went. First he leads her up the staircase and once again she was reminded that even if he did have a hard life before he certainly had luxury now, and people could get biased off of luxury. The human world before, hmph. The world now had hardships unknown to the human world. Like getting kicked out of a paid house. Luna shook that thought away as he leads her and told her to the right was the servants wing and then surprised her by telling her she would not be living there. Well that was unexpected. She had expected to be living with the other servants. Uh oh. This could cause trouble. Hunter then lead her to the main wing where he said both she and him would be living and said there was joint space up ahead with their rooms on either side. "I have a question. Is there a kitchen in the joint space? I wouldn't want to walk too far if I just needed a drink of water or something like that late at night or if I want to laze around on a day off if I have any I wouldn't always want to bother someone. So I was just curious." She then listened to him as he explained things and nodded. She knew though she was probably going to be buying some stuff, she had specific tastes. Cats were particular. Seriously. If they didn't like something, THEY DIDN'T LIKE IT. That's just how it was. "Sorry but I probably will be shopping online, but I just can make a list for what I want, all I need before is a bed and a blanket, I just have particular tastes. Sorry. Cat thing, especially as a special breed. Snow leopards are more particular, if my mom was still alive you could ask her." Luna would not speak of her father though Hunter would learn, it was a very taboo subject for a particular reason. He then leads her to a brief glimpse of his area, and she spoke then as well. "Also you did say shop online. Does that mean I get a laptop? Sorry It would be appreciated, and I could let you just not give me a couple of weeks pay so you can get your money back." Hunter then lead her back down the stairs and to the dining hall, and she blinked, bracing herself against the people. She didn't like this situation. These were people who knew this guy for a while. She could tell they were like family. To have a new member come in? First instinct, especially cause of the dog? Run. She didn't though, those eyes, the wolf. It was almost like he was staying and though she wanted to growl she didn't, listening to Hunter and nodding at them as was her custom to say hi. "Um I would like to discuss it though this may surprise you I would like to discuss it with the wolf. He seems like how a wolf should be, wise and gentle but also with a firm hand that will tell you the truth, bluntly. I like it that way anyway. He can give me a good perspective on this. Sorry but I like getting a second opinion I just like doing it one on one." Luna did. Seriously she was so calm one on one with a person but place her with a bunch of people, and she was a bundle of nervous that wanted to become as small as possible. This was from years on the streets, unloved and uncared-for. But that was behind her, hopefully. Hunter nodded at her. "Very well. After our meal you can talk to Mitch in the study for as long as you like. Oh, and about that laptop, You will be getting one tonight. You can't run my day-to-day business schedules without one. Feel free to use it for your personal things during your downtime, and to look for your furnishings. You will also be given an expense account to shop for a new wardrobe of clothes. I will be providing you with a few uniforms that must be worn at certain times around the house, but otherwise you are free to choose. However, there will be a few guidelines in regard to your business attire. We can discuss that later." As he talked bowls and plates were being passed around the table and everyone was serving themselves from them. There were roast potatoes, Carrots, Beans, Pumpkin, Cabbage, Onions, Sprouts, Gravy and slices of Roast Beef and Chicken. Hunter drank fruit juice, but there was wine, water and soft drink available on the table as well. "Don't be shy Luna, Dig in. We don't stand on ceremony too much here. Were all a family, and we eat as such." Luna listened as Hunter agreed to let her speak with who he called Mitch in his study. Luna listened quietly as he also said she would be getting a laptop tonight and explained that she couldn't run his business schedule without one. Which she understood. A lot of things depended on the internet nowadays. "Thanks, I'm glad to be getting a laptop, it makes a lot of things easier." Luna then listened as Hunter explained about clothes and said she would have an account to shop for clothes and that she could look for stuff for her room on the laptop too. Then he explained about the uniforms that she would be wearing at certain times and she nodded. Of course, she wasn't free all the time, she was a maid after all now. Then he said about having a few guidelines for business attire. "I do have a question about that, am I to accompany to work, and where do you work? I am just curious. You said you were a fighter and I know little about the martial arts and everything. Since it is a more high-end type of fighting sport. Luna did notice that as he spoke the food was being passed around and noticed a lot of it wasn't what she really liked. She was more of just a meat person and vegetables............. well she didn't like very many of them. She then heard Hunter talk about digging in and that they were basically a family, and she nodded, taking some of the carrots, onions and the meat. Getting a bit of the chicken and roast beef and ate slowly, savoring the flavor. It had been awhile since she had a good meal even though with cheaper food she wasn't so picky, it was just the flavor that mattered and a lot of vegetables did taste good to her. She finished her food quickly and sat silently for a few minutes before turning to Hunter. "Thank you for the food." Hunter nodded then smiled. "No need to thank me. Mrs Potts did all the work so you should really be thanking her." Looking down towards the end of the table Hunter smiled tenderly at the woman. "Another brilliant meal Mrs P. I take it our garden is flourishing again this year. You and Mitch have done a fine job, and it looks like Dorothy has been a great addition to the household as well," he said smiling at the young girl." Now everyone this is Luna. She is thinking of taking up the job of my secretary." Hunter saw the shocked look on their faces and shook his head. "Yes I know I said thinking, but this new agency has really screwed up, and she doesn't even know what her duties are let alone how this household is run. So for now I am going to let her talk to you, and she can decide if she wants to stay or not based on that." Smiling he looked at them all. "You are free to tell her whatever you want good or bad. I know I am not the easiest employer at times, one of the reasons I need her in the position," he chuckled as did they, although Dorothy did not seem to understand why, "So be ready if she asks you, and please don't be too embarrassed if the questions are a little too personal"Turning to Mitch he raised an eyebrow. "Would you please talk to her first old friend. Take her into the study and answer anything she needs. I will be up in the gym working off all that food," he smiled as he stood up from the table and left the room. Luna blushed as Hunter said he didn't do anything and that she should thank Miss Potts instead. "Oh sorry, thank you, Miss Potts for the wonderful meal." She nodded to the woman before listening to Hunter talked to her. He seemed like a nice enough man. The way he talked to his staff it was like he really did think of them as family. Then Luna saw the shocked looks when Hunter said about her thinking of taking the secretary position and her face shadowed over a little, her eyes cold. Of course, they were part of a tight-knit family. She let Hunter talk even though she had dark thoughts from her past. Luna then heard him talk to Mitch and the others, and she blushed a deep red when they laughed, and she blushed even more when he said about personal questions. Then he said about Mitch talking to her and then he got up and left. She then stood up and Mitch did as well, and they went to the study and she sat down. "Okay first off I want to know, and yes this is personal. How kinky is your employer do you know? I know he did this collar because of the protocol, but I would like to know if he um has any fetishes or anything that I should know about. You know how he is going to be with me if I accept, that is why you were laughing right?" Luna was almost sure of it but who could be 100% sure without asking? Mitch looked at her. She seemed like a nice enough girl, but he could tell that something was eating her up inside. Probably had to do with the stupid way the country was run these days he thought. Well he would tell her everything she needed to know. It would probably be good for her to take the job here. Chuckling he looked at her. "No we were not laughing because he has any weird fetishes or anything Luna. We were laughing because of his comment. You see when Hunter begins to train for a tournament he goes all out. These tournaments he fights in are not really like the ones you might have seen. People do get injured and occasionally there have been deaths. He has to be in peak physical condition to compete." Running his fingers through his hair he looked at her. "Unfortunately for him, there is a side effect for being that keyed up. A heightened sex drive. He did not realize it at first, and you can imagine our surprise when our usually jovial Master turned into a temper tantrum throwing grump." Smiling at her, he spread his hands. "At the time it was just me and Mrs Potts, and we were not living here. It took me two weeks to get it out of him, but I finally did and a quick trip from a hooker solved everything. Every couple of days he got seen to, and he won the tournament, but he just didn't feel right. So we went to see a friend, and they suggested the arrangement you are getting into." Looking at her, he smiled a little ruefully. "I know it is not the best of solutions and that it would be better if he had a girlfriend or even a wife, but he has been so busy trying to support his family and those back on the farm...." he looked at her worriedly and sighed. "Forget I told you that. If he wishes to he will tell you that part himself. Suffice to say he has no extreme fetishes that I know of and none of the other ladies that have taken this job have run away screaming. Oh, and for your information there have been three in the past 7 years. The first lasted six months, and she was just to get things started really. The next was 2 and a half years and the one you are replacing was 4. She only left because her Grandmother is very ill so he must be doing something right." Luna listened as Mitch spoke, putting the information in her head, surprised that her new employer was in an actually dangerous sport, such as Mitch spoke of. What was weirder though was the side effect he spoke of. She smiled though when she thought of a tantrum throwing grump, it sounded almost cute, like a little kid. Luna worried when Mitch said to forget what he told her when he said about those back on the farm but just listened quietly.Finally, when it looked like he was done speaking Luna finally spoke. "Well he seems nice, which is unusual. This side effect too is very unusual as is him being in a dangerous job. Really everything about this situation is unusual. Him giving me a laptop too. I know he says I will need it for the job, but he is everything I didn't expect in a person buying a cat person. Really I didn't expect anything like this. Um also.............. do you know if um, if he has made anyone faint or anything after um having um you know.... sex?" Luna blushed a very deep red while asking, curious to know even though a lot of her questions had been asked. Mitch wondered exactly what she was asking about with that fainting question. As far as he knew, and he really did not know much about that side, none of the woman that had been hired had ever voiced complaints about that side of things." I can't give you too many details about that miss Luna, mainly because I don't know them. You might have to ask the other maids to see if they know any of the... Ahem...intimate details. All I know is that none of the women ever complained about that side of thing, and I don't really see someone sticking around and being as loyal as they were if there was really a problem in that department." He started to get up and then stopped and looked at her. "I do know one thing. Hunter is not the sort that would force anyone to do something they did not like to do. However once he knows what you are capable of, he will challenge you and force you to get better in it. Think about that." As he headed for the door he asked, "Would you like me to send in one of the maids or perhaps Mrs Potts to talk to you?" Luna listened quietly to him and realized he didn't really know much and thought of one other question she could ask him. "Well if you are pretty sure of nothing bad happening I don't need the direct answer, but I do have one non-personal question. Has he ever gotten really mad at the others and done anything bad? Like hit them or anything? I know probably not after all that I have heard, but I just wanted to know if he ever got really mad so that I am prepared." Luna had a guilty look as she asked, but she needed to know so she could prepare if he had something like that. Mitch turned to look at her as he stopped in the doorway, and he bowed his head." I have only ever seen him get furious with any of the staff once. That was with the second of the females hired to be his secretaries. I am not sure of the exact circumstances, but I do know it related to the sex side of it." Sighing heavily he looked her deep in the eyes. "You will need to talk to him about the matter, but I do know he never raised his hands to her, but he was furious about something that had happened, and he had to leave the premises for a few days, or it may have come to blows." Luna thought about Mitch's answer, her cat curiosity coming into play, but he did say she had to ask Hunter what it was about. "Thank you, Mitch sorry for the questions. Also, I really don't need to talk to anyone else, I know you are probably just itching to get away from me, after all, it is in your blood. I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but it is, I am a cat. Oh, but one more question, now that I am going, do you know where I could find Hunter right now? I should talk with him." Luna smiled, standing up and going over to the door as well, feeling the familiar itch to change now. Luna could never make herself stay completely human for long, and she still needed to talk to Hunter. Oh boy. This was going to be a long night. Mitch smiled at her. He could smell a few things on her, and he knew a few other things from long experience. First things first though, he better set her straight about a few things." First off Miss Luna, I have no problems being around cat's and that's not why I am hurrying off. I grew up with.... Well that is a story for another time," he began. "Needless to say I am probably not like a lot of wolves or dogs you are used to. Neither is Master Hunter."" Second, feel free to transform any time you want. Most of the time the two maids are in their half forms as well so I know it is a cat's preferred form. You will find all our uniforms have been adapted to suit the needs of such a form," he smiled." As for Hunter if I know him, he has probably hit his gym. Upstairs and through your joint living area. Take the large double doors on the left, they lead to the training area. However, a word of warning. If he is training as a human you should be okay, he can take things lightly and keep himself in check. However, if he changes and works out then... Well I did explain the consequences of such actions." Bowing his head he smiled at her and walked away. Luna smiled back gently when Mitch smiled at her but kept silent as he spoke, looking at him with interest as he did. So all the people here were unbiased. It seems she landed in a good place, better than most at least. Luna was almost glad that she was here, and at least grateful. She still wasn't sure about the sex part, but Mitch had heard no complaints so it seemed like an okay thing. She would never be married to anyone after this, but Luna was used to being alone so it didn't really matter. Furthermore, she just needed to not get too attached. The next thing he said though had her blushing, and before he went on she felt the need to correct him. "W-well it's not the changing part that I'm keeping. It's how I like to be when I change partially." What Luna meant is she liked to be naked and cuddling with furs when she let her cat ears and tail out. It was the only way she felt comfortable, as a specific tastes type of cat she liked feeling the fur against her. Also, she felt annoyed with clothes on though she knew that she would have to a lot of the time. Luna then got the answer to where she might find Hunter and left quickly after Mitch, going up and finding Hunter exactly where Mitch said he would be, training. As a human though and hopefully she would stay on his good side, she didn't want her clothes to be ripped apart just yet. So Luna just watched, her eyes catlike for now, showing that she wanted to change. Luna kept control though and watched him with interest, wondering if she ever fought him, who would win. She had been known as the silent one while being homeless, since fighting had been the only thing that gave her money for McDonald's, so she had food once week. Hunter had left straight after dinner and gone to his room. He knew why Luna had needed to talk to the members of his staff, but he was just a little worried about the outcome. He was also very disappointed at the new agency. Actually he was pissed off at them. It was to avoid situations like these that he used them, and now he was in the sort of position he hated to be in. Getting up and pacing his room, he finally gave up and headed into his training room. He knew what it might do to him, but he also knew he had to get rid of all this nervous tension and anger from his system. Well as long as he stayed human and just kept it to a light workout he should be fine. He started with a quick couple of miles on the bike, followed by some time on the rope, then some sit-ups, push-ups, chin-ups, and leg extensions. Once he was feeling warmed up he looked at the gym equipment and his virtual spar area. He knew he should really only stick to his weights, but he really did feel the need to hit something. Pulling on the special its he activated the system. He already had special implants under his skin that would register the programs hits, but he doubted he would need them. Using the menu he selected one of his easy warm up training programs and allowed his body to flow into the movements. Soon he dialed up the intensity, and he was fighting against four attackers of about a street punks level. Hunter moved from one to the other, flowing like liquid as he blocked blows from all of them. At the moment he was just content to work on his defense. He had already spotted numerous ways he could take down all four of them, but for now he was using the time to blow of some steam and to work on his footwork. Luna got there and since Hunter didn't seem to notice her she just watched, her body itching to move and fight seeing him fight, but she pushed it off, not wanting to do that since it would not be a good thing, she didn't know if she would be able to take him down but with her skills................ she could hurt him pretty badly, she was certain of that. For now though she just watched, waiting for him to get out of whatever he was in and notice her watching him. As Hunter moved to block one of his foes, he noticed that Luna had entered the Gym and stood watching him. Smiling he continued to work out for several more seconds before with a quick series of blows, he knocked his opponents out and the simulation ended in an eye blink. Taking off the gloves, he placed them back in the small holder, then grabbed his water and towel and started to approach her. Wiping the thin layer of sweat off himself, he smiled at her and then took a quick sip of water. "Good evening Luna. I hope you got a lot of the information you needed. Did you need to ask me anything else? I hope you will be taking the position but if not I understand, and you are welcome to stay the night and I will have you driven back tomorrow." Luna watched as Hunter fought for a bit longer before he took the mitts he was wearing off and picked up a bottle of water and his towel. She then smiled as he walked over, saying good evening and saying he hoped she got enough information and that he hoped she would take the job but if she didn't, she could spend tonight here and go back in the morning. She waited for him to finish and then she spoke. "Well I am going to take the job offer, but I am curious. Mitch said you got upset at your second maid about the sex side of things. I would like to know what that is about, mainly so I don't make the same mistake and out of curiosity as well. Also, I really would like the laptop right after you answer my question because I want to buy some things very quickly because the sooner I get them, the better. Hopefully one of the things I want can be delivered within a week, it is very important though it's actually a couple of the same thing. Hehe." Luna then smiled before going silent, waiting to hear Hunter's answer, very curious about what it was he got upset about. Hunter smiled when he heard her announce that she would be taking the job. At least that was one more worry off his plate. Of course, they would still have to discuss certain things and then would come the obvious awkward moment when they finally began the 'Special' part of the job. They were definitely going to have to ease into that. He remembered that other time... And then she mentioned it. So Mitch had told her about that then. Obviously she must have been asking about the sex side of things, and probably about if he had ever gotten angry or abusive. Well he had always told his people to be honest." Right. Yeah, about that. I guess you would say that was a mistake on both her part and my own. It was more of a miscommunication than anything, and will be the reason you and I will do a bit of talking together before anything sexual starts." Sighing he began to pace a little before he finally stopped and invited her to sit on two weight benches facing each other. " Okay, boiling the whole incident down into a nutshell is a little difficult, but essentially she got me to do something to her that she assured me she liked, which I then found out she hated. She believed it was her duty to pleasure me in every way possible, and it didn't matter if she liked it or not. The stupid thing was I didn't like it all that much either, but just did it because she seemed to like it so much." Getting up and pacing again he looked at her. "Understand this. I will never force myself on you, or force you to do anything you do not wish to do. I mayOWNyou by law, but believe me I do not actuallyOwnyou. You are my employee and have the right to tell me no." He took another drink from his bottle and then realizing that he had gotten a little heated he smiled. "Sorry. Got a little carried away there. Follow me." He wrapped the towel around his neck and led her back through the Gym, through the spacious lounge area and into his private rooms. The first door led into a decent sized room set up like an office. A large desk dominated the room, while the walls were lined with book cases and filing cabinets. Reaching into one cabinet he pulled out a state-of-the-art laptop." Here. This will be your new best friend. It has everything on it that you need to know about my upcoming schedule, although we can discuss that more tomorrow. We are lucky in that we have a fortnights break to get used to each other before anything business like is scheduled, and another month before my next tournament." Smiling he handed it over. "It also has standard Wi-Fi connectivity and this whole place is connected so you should not experience any dropouts or lag." Reaching into the desks top draw Hunter pulled out a Black platinum credit card. "Use this to charge all your purchases on. It has a daily limit of $100,000, but please try to keep under that if you can," he told her smiling. Luna listened quietly to Hunter as he answered her question and as he did Luna understood. So it mainly had been the girls fault after all. Telling a lie believing it would make things better. Well she really couldn't blame the girl, being in this sort of situation. Telling a lie though always made things worse, no matter what the lie is. Luna's eyes widened though when he got heated and she raised an eyebrow. It was like he wanted her to like him. Well that was unusual, but of course he was unusual to the maximum already, so this wasn't too surprising. Then he apologized for it and told her to follow him, but she spoke beforehand. "You have nothing to be sorry about, I actually found that interesting, seeing you get heated." He then leads her through the gym, into the lounge and then into his private rooms, going into one that she guessed was his office. It had a nice desk with book cases and filing cabinets lining the walls. "You are very organized I see." Luna then saw him reach into one of the cabinets and pull out a laptop and Luna's jaw dropped. "Wow. This is one of those that can flip right?" Luna took it as he spoke and gently tried, and sure enough it flipped to become like a tablet. "Amazing. Are you sure I can have this? I mean these are like 700 to 800 dollars a laptop. Very expensive." Then he brought out a black credit card, and she just blinked and almost dropped the computer and would have if she didn't have like a death grip on it. "You're kidding. You are freaking kidding me." Luna just kept blinking, her face frozen for a few minutes before she looked from the card to Hunter. "Are you sure about giving me the laptop and the card? Especially since this is so expensive and the card has such a high limit and um is my whole limit for everything 100,000? Just curious or is the things I buy in one day 100,000. I know the card is daily 100,000, but you didn't say my total limit for decorating. I would like to know that." Luna then took the card, holding them both with care, but still with a tight grip. Hunter smiled at Luna's reaction. "Of course I am sure. You have to have such things if you are going to be my secretary. I need to travel to some very exotic locations, and while most of the accommodations and food is taken care of by the promoters, I do like to have some things done a certain way. Plus while there I like to take in the sights and do some shopping. You have to be able to arrange all that. Which reminds me." Hunter reached into the draw again and pulled out the latest iPhone and handed it to her. "You will need this too. It has unlimited hours of talk, text and downloads so feel free to use it as you need. However, during business hours please keep personal use to a minimum." Smiling he was about to turn away when he remembered her question. "Oh yes your decorating budget. Let's see. You have about three rooms to decorate. A bedroom a bathroom and a reception area. Let's say about $5000 for the bathroom. That should buy you enough towels and electrical appliances. $60-70,000 for the reception and maybe the whole $100 for the bedroom. However, please keep all receipts and there is a list of approved tradesman to be used in the top right-hand desk drawer," he told her pointing to it. "There are also some stores that I get discounts from listed in there. You might want to look at those as well. Especially when it comes to picking out your new clothes. Oh, and I believe I would like to go with you when you get fitted for those. I want you to get some that look good on you when you are changed." Smiling mysteriously at her, he blushed a little. "Well if that is okay with you." Luna just listened and blinked at Hunter when he explained about the traveling to exotic locations and that he likes done a certain way even though most is handled by promoters. Maybe Luna was lucky to land such a guy, really she seemed very lucky. If only she could get over the sex part. Well maybe it wasn't so bad, sex was supposed to be pleasurable anyway right and if his unusual nature kept he would be nice and gentle with her when doing it. Then Hunter explained about wanting to take in sights and shop while he was at other places, and she had to arrange that and she nodded. "Of course, it's just I didn't expect this stuff." Then he had to bring out a brand new iPhone. A BRAND NEW iPhone! He was joking right? It seemed to be the latest model too and while shuffling around she gently took the iPhone and puffed out some air while she rearranged everything in her arms. She was going to need her carrier bag if she was going to be having all this stuff. How she wished she had a new one though, hers was getting a bit worn. Then he told her all her talk, text and downloads on the phone were unlimited. "You're kidding. My downloads on this phone are UNLIMITED?! Isn't there a data limit?!" Luna then was just recovering when he told her the budget. Then her jaw dropped. He was too nice. Just too nice. Then he talked about the clothes, and she blushed, and then he gave her a choice. "I-I wouldn't mind. It would be nice to have someone there to make sure I looked okay, so I would be happy if you came." Luna then blushed. "So if that's all I will be going, goodnight." Luna then turned around and walked briskly out, her face burning, the reason because that wasn't all that was burning, that last smile had lit something in her, but she shook it off, he was just nicer than she thought and it surprised her. That was all, she told herself as she walked to her room. Well Hunter was happy. Luna seemed to have accepted the position and seemed more than happy with the way things were progressing. Of course tomorrow they would have to go over the specifics of her actual duties, and he would have to show her around the office and introduce her to his manager and main promotor and sponsors via internet hookup. He would also have to get her to sign her paperwork agreeing to her financial package. Sure most people didn't pay their maids, but he never agreed with that. Everyone in his household was paid, and they got time off. Still he would discuss that with her tomorrow once he knew a little bit more about her. Of course there was also that 'other' thing to discuss. It had been awhile since he had been able to have sex and truth be told he was a little on edge. Oh, sure he had taken matters into his own hands, and he had visited a couple of high class establishments, but it never seemed to work for him. It merely allowed him to cope until this situation could be resolved. He only hoped Luna proved the one he was looking for. So far he had been lucky. As he walked through his office and towards his bedroom he just hoped his luck would continue. When Luna got back to her room and gently put the stuff on the floor she flicked on the light, looking at the mostly empty bedroom. Well at least she was free to decorate it. Now about those papers she had taken from the drawer. Luna then went over to the stuff and got the papers, looking through the tradesmen and the stores and turned on the iPhone, putting in the information. Then she looked at the laptop and opened it gently, turning it on. Luna then found out it turned on quickly. She then went to YouTube and put on some music, she always liked music while she worked. She kept it low though so nobody else was bothered by it. After Luna was done looking through the papers and putting in information she decided to look at a few stores online but sighed, deciding she would need to go to the actual stores, annoyingly being picky at times. At least he had some nice stores on here. Hopefully she would get some nice casual wear even though he was going to be specific with her business wear. Also, hopefully she would be able to get a new carrier bag, a nice gentle pink lipstick and some nice perfume. Those were the only extra things that hadn't been covered. Of course, she would need a hairbrush, and all the other hygiene things but of course he knew that. Hopefully. Well anyway it was getting late Luna thought as she looked at the time so she turned off the laptop and the phone and seeing one of the outlets she plugged in the laptop and set the papers, iPhone and credit card on it before laying down a bit of ways away and falling asleep, not having a bed yet and being pretty tired. Hunter woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. He went for his usual 10 kilometer jog before breakfast with a lighter heart than usual. He finally had someone that was going to be able to take over as his secretary, and while it may take time for them to get to know each other at least it was a start. Jumping in the shower after his run, he washed and then dressed casually before starting to walk down to breakfast. He was already planning out the day. He would need to show Luna around the Estate and talk to her about her specific duties, as well as how the place was run. Furthermore, he would also have to get her up to speed on all his contractual obligations. Luckily his old secretary had left all that stuff in perfect order so it shouldn't be too hard for her to work out. As he entered the dining room he saw that Luna was not there and realized THT he ha not told her what time they normally ate. In fact come to think of it, had he even made sure she had a place to sleep last night? He had shown her her rooms, and he knew they had cleaned them out, but had they put a temporary bed in their at all? Blushing furiously he made a dash back upstairs and then knocked on her bedroom door. Luna woke up the next morning to a knock on her door and after realizing the time she jolted up and hurried to say something. "Be out in a minute!" Before rushing to the bathroom and brushing her hair with intense speed and force, making sure it was good and putting it in a ponytail and brushing her teeth with her toothbrush and toothpaste before opening the door, to see Hunter and blushed a little before composing herself. "Oh hi, sorry I took so long, I just woke up. So......... what are you doing here anyway? Sorry if I'm being rude, used to the schedule at the agency." Luna was nervous in her words, not knowing what to say or do, fidgeting a little with her door open, enough that you could see that she did not have a bed but one look at her, and she had slept perfect. The floor compared to the concrete beds they had at the agency was heaven to her, and she smiled at Hunter, her stomach growling a little and she blushed. "Um so yeah I think I would like to have some breakfast, when is it?" Hunter could see through the door that Luna had slept on the floor and mentally kicked himself. This was no way to treat a new employee. How must she think about him at the moment letting her sleep on the floor?" Actually that is why I am here Miss Luna. I neglected to inform you of meal times and such last night, so I have come to fetch you for breakfast. Also, I must ask you to forgive me. I did not realize you were without a bed last night. You should have told me and I would have slept on my couch, and you could have had mine." He led the way down to the dining hall again." Well as to the meal schedules Breakfast is at 8 and is a buffet style meal. Lunch is at 12 and dinner is at 6. Actually Lunch is more informal and will often be eaten in our rooms as we will be busy but weekends we at least try to get together for a proper meal at least once. If you have a preference for breakfast please inform Miss Potts, and she will insure it is available." As they entered they found that everyone was already there and Hunter smiled at them as he moved to the small sideboard and picked up his plate. He served himself some Bacon, eggs, mushrooms, toast, black pudding and backed beans and then a large mug of coffee and sat down. Luna listened as Hunter explained that he was here to get her because he had forgotten to inform her of meal times. Luna didn't mind though, she knew it could be hard, since of all he had to do yesterday since the agency hadn't informed her of ANYTHING. Just that she was a candidate and she was going to be with him. Actually more than being upset at Hunter not remembering a few things she was furious at the agency herself, just pushing her to him. She was thankful though it was Hunter and not some slavering dog or wolf that thought he or she was better than everyone else. Luna then blushed when he spoke about the bed, and she stepped out and shut the door behind her. "Don't worry about it, sleeping on that nice floor was better than the concrete beds at the agency, I actually slept good for the first time in months and I like room to spread out, yes a bed would have been nice, but I can wait, and I will not have my employer sleeping on a couch. Now that I am to be your secretary, if I am to take the job, I know that with what you do, you need to get enough sleep. Also, enough to eat and enough training, heck you could even train against me if you want sometime. It would actually be interesting to go up against you, I believe, but I'm babbling he-he." Luna criticized herself in her head for talking too much and then listened to Hunter about the meal times while walking, nodding at what he said and making sure to remember and write it down later on the laptop notepad.Finally, they were down where everyone was, and she smiled a little before going after Hunter, picking some of the eggs, bacon, mushrooms and toast, looking some more she also found some sausage and smiled before going to where the drinks were and found the usual assortment for breakfast and quietly got a glass of white grape juice, not liking milk, orange juice or coffee. Yes she knew not liking milk was weird for a cat, but it was just her preferences. She then sat at the table, hesitating but sitting by Hunter, her head sort of down and ate silently, nervous still around everyone. Hunter took the edge off his hunger then sat chatting with everyone getting the feeling for how the place was going. His house was not overly large which was why he did not have a huge staff, but at the same time he liked to keep a finger on the pulse and know what was going on. Miss Potts informed him what was going to be for dinner and that she would have to go into town to shop for some essential items. Most of the houses' food was grown on site or purchased online, but for some things she just had to go source it herself. He smiled and wished her good hunting. Mitch told him how the Gardens and grounds were going, and their new project was progressing. They had already put up solar panels, but Hunter had decided to also set aside a small patch of land as a small solar farm. Hopefully they could generate enough electricity so they could be self-sufficient despite the size of the place. The girls informed him of various things that needed doing around the house and he nodded. It was mainly reminders of things he had already agreed to. The conversation changed to more mundane things and finally he finished up. As he left he glanced at Luna. "Please take your time Luna then meet me in my study when you are finished. We should go over your job description and get all your paperwork signed so you will be officially employed here." With that Hunter left and headed up to his rooms. Luna listened in as Hunter and the others talked, Miss Potts saying about going to get some items in town. Then Mitch told him about the gardens and the rest of the property, and then she heard about the solar panels. Huh, interesting. A good idea really, then in time they could run on their own power. Then the girls informed him about the house and stuff. Luna was actually happy about it. Hunter had an order of things and everything seemed to go smoothly. All except the agency, but he had order enough around here that it made up for it and once they got into a routine it would be perfect. All except for the sex but Luna could take it. Hopefully. Then the talk changed to less formal things and Luna went back to eating quietly, thinking of all the things she would need to do today, get a temporary bed, set up some things on her new laptop, order like a bed and some rugs, maybe talk to Hunter about getting some light blue paint for her room, oh how she loved blue. Nothing dark though of course. She would also need to ask if they could go to a store maybe tomorrow for some hygiene products, like shampoo, conditioner and body wash, and a few other things like one thing of lipstick and some perfume. She would not be getting a blow-dryer though. Oh, how she hated the things. They made her feel like her hair was burning, not to mention her fur when she had tried. Mostly she stayed in human form for that though. Then snapping her out of her thoughts Hunter spoke, and she noticed he was leaving and she nodded. "Of course." She then went back to eating and after finishing drank the rest of her juice and put the dishes where Miss Potts told her before heading to the study, knocking politely before waiting. "Come in," Hunter called from behind his desk. He looked up as Luna walked in and gestured her to sit in the seat in front of him. He handed her a small stack of papers that had several small 'Sign Here' stickers on them." This is your contract, outlining your duties and your pay. It is pretty standard except for the part about the sex. I need you to read it thoroughly and sign it. I can give you the basics now though. It says that you will perform the duties of my personal secretary. Those being to arrange my day-to-day business duties, keep me up to date with my social calendar, and to book my travel etc., etc. Also, you are to provide me with sexual relief when and as needed. For this you will be provided with all accommodation, meals and a salary of $175,000 a year plus bonus's. There are also several other signs on bonus's like the laptop, clothing allowance, etc., plus holiday pay etc.," he told her. Looking at her, he handed her a pen. "Please take your time and thoroughly read through it. If there is anything you need explained feel free to ask, and please do not sign it if you feel you can not fulfill all the duties, and I do mean all the duties Miss Luna," he stressed. Luna smiled as she heard Hunter say come in, and she did so, sitting down in front of him before he handed her a stack of papers with stickers. Oh nice, he really did think of everything, wow. It was actually a wonder he needed a secretary he was so well-prepared, but that actually did fit in with being prepared. Wow, she actually liked the business side of Hunter. Not that she didn't like the other sides of him, just that she didn't know him well enough to really like him. Didn't you have to get to know a person to like them? Then Hunter spoke about the stack of papers and told her to read it thoroughly. He then told her the basics though, and she nodded at the stuff, blushing slightly though when he spoke about sexual relief. She took a deep breath as well, unsure if she really should go through with this, but she needed the job and the place to stay, and it could be MUCH worse. Really she had been lucky to get Hunter as an employer. She loved referring to that instead of owner. It was so much better it wasn't even funny. Though with her sexual preferences......... well that probably wouldn't be brought up anyway so she didn't need to confess THAT. Hunter then handed her a pen and again stressed to read it thoroughly, and she nodded, raising an eyebrow when he stressed about not signing if there was anything she didn't think she could do, but she knew what he meant and smiled. "Of course." Luna then set to reading it and signing where it was needed, breezing through most of it until it got to the sexual part. At the signing she sat, just thinking for about 5 minutes before taking a deep breath and signed before breezing through the last part after it and handed the papers and the pen back to Hunter. "Done, I believe I signed everywhere that was needed, please tell me if I didn't, but I believe I did." Luna smiled gently at Hunter, a little nervous but also feeling mostly calm, feeling staying with him was a good decision. Especially cause of the other situations she could have ended up in. Hunter quickly scanned through the papers making sure she had signed and initialed everywhere, then nodded. He had already signed the paperwork himself so all that was left was to send it off to his lawyers to make everything official. Smiling he thought how it would actually be her first official act as his Secretary." Well then everything seems to be in order," he said as he put the papers to one side. "Now before we get down to the easy part of your job and the other things we need to discuss, let's get the hard part out of the way shall we." He looked at her and smiled shyly. "Look Luna I know this might be a little difficult, but would it be any easier if I said you are actually a very beautiful woman. I am not expecting you to just jump into bed with me and be all excited about it. Well actually I was kind of hoping for someone who could kind of do that if truth is told," he said grinning sheepishly. "My last employee had a high sex drive and told me that a lot of cats did." Blushing again he looked up at her and stammered, "N. N.not that I am expecting you to. It is just that it has proven easier to employ a certain type of female." Groaning he gave up. "I am making a fool of myself aren't I. This is why the employment agency was supposed to do their job correctly." Sighing he looked at her. "Okay let me ask you a question. I guess you can actually see yourself sleeping with me as you have taken the job, However what can I dot make that a pleasant experience instead of a chore." Blushing even more he looked away then forced himself to look at her properly. "What I am saying is miss Luna. What turns you on?" Luna smiled as Hunter spoke, nodding before listening to him, curious because of what he said. Hard part? He must mean the sex part. Hmm, how unusual that the employer part would consider it the hard part. Then he spoke again, and she listened quietly a little amused and surprised by his words. Amused because of what the one lady said, surprised by him realizing this being difficult for her and not being excited about doing stuff with him. Wow, was he unusual. It was almost unrealistic. He did still buy a human so that was his one realistic characteristic. Luna then raised an eyebrow when he stuttered. He was actually embarrassed about this? How unusual could this guy get?! Then she watched, stunned, as he groaned, speaking about how he was making a fool of himself and Luna kept quiet for now, letting him speak. Then he asked her the question. At first Luna didn't understand, and then he said it straightforward, and she blushed a very deep red. "U-um......." Luna actually didn't know how to answer, because her tastes were, unique. So she had to answer this carefully, avoiding the dangerous area of her likes. She couldn't say that yet, there had to be a deep level of trust, and she just met this guy yesterday. "W-well I am clean-shaven and try to keep clean so if you don't mind because of those things I like being licked and also, I can do some parts of this but one thing I don't like is taking a cock in my mouth. One is because it's work to get it in my mouth and two, guys nice or not like to push the girls mouth down. I can lick kiss and stroke up that's as far as I like to go. I am sorry because I know guys like that, and I will do my best if you do, but it's just a little uncomfortable for me." Luna then blushed. "I also like being seduced. Starting slow, whispering in my ear, giving me gentle kisses, kissing my neck, just rubbing my breasts gently. Start slow and then get into the naughty stuff after a bit. Also, just tell me if there is anything you don't like. If you don't like to lick I don't want to make you feel like you have to, so if you don't like it don't do it. I would like to know if you don't want me doing something because you don't like it also. Please I would like if you tell me you likes and dislikes too." Luna then went quiet, blushing a very deep red and looking at the floor, fidgeting slightly. Hunter smiled wide. "Actually I am glad you like going slow. I do like to explore a woman's body, so I am happy you like that. As for you not liking to take me in your mouth, well I can understand that. I won't say that I am not a little disappointed as I do like it, but we can work around it. As you say, you don't mind actually licking and kissing it, so I am sure we will come to an understanding there." Smiling at her his eyes twinkled as he looked her over a little more. "As for me, I guess I am a bit like you. I like to be kissed and stroked as well. I like to know that what I am doing to my partner is being appreciated, so while I don't need you to be a screaming banshee," he chuckled, "I do appreciate some vocal feedback and words of encouragement if you understand what I mean. Furthermore, I also enjoy sex in both my forms and I hope you do as well, and I enjoy various positions and I have no need to always dominate my partner, so I do not mind you being on top." Blushing again he coughed a little then spoke. "Ahh now what about various other aspects of sex that might be considered a little beyond the normal. I am talking about Anal sex, BDSM, Dressing up, that type of thing. Do you have any thoughts on those sorts of things? I will tell you straight away though that I have no intentions of physically harming you." He got a far away look in his eyes as if remembering something then his eyes snapped back into focus. "I do not enjoy that, however certain other aspects could be discussed." Luna listened as Hunter spoke, nodding as he said he was a little disappointed, but Luna was happy he was taking into consideration about the licking and kissing, and she could stroke too while doing those as well. Luna then blushed as he looked her over a bit more while speaking again, and she listened, happy to learn he was a bit like her. At least that much was could even though she really didn't know him and was still a little uncomfortable being that intimate with someone she didn't really know, still she could enjoy it a little, maybe. Then he said about being vocal and encouraging she nodded but felt a tiny bit grim, knowing she wasn't good at that, especially when she didn't know him too much. Really all it boiled down to was not knowing him that much. If only she could get to know him a little bit better, maybe have a week to get to know him more and then maybe she would feel a little better. Then he spoke about doing it in both forms, and actually she liked that. Really in her full snow leopard from she didn't have the same needing to know the person as she did in human, but it also made her submit a bit more, and she was afraid of what would happen if he found about THAT side of her. Then he just had to bring the subject up. He just had to didn't he? After he spoke Luna fell silent for a minute before deciding to go through a few of them but hoped she wouldn't have to touch on the BDSM much. She didn't want her thoughts getting out about that just yet. "Well I have no problems dressing up and if you have any cosplay or anything you would like me to wear I am okay with that. No anal sex though. I'm sorry but for me, I don't think of it as very erotic and only if I am with 2 guys would I ever think of doing it. Mainly the thing is I don't like my pussy being left without a cock if doing anal, just how I feel about it. I know this from being in heat. Don't ask please. Also............" Luna then got a serious look. "I really would like to get to know you better before letting out my position on BDSM. I am sorry but that kind of thing, I just can't tell someone I just met. Even if you won't hurt me I need to trust you a little more than just based on your word. So far you have my trust, but I am not totally comfortable giving that kind of information to you just yet. Actually if you let me have some time before I tell you that earns a bit more trust then if you make me tell you. I'm sorry if I'm jumping my position, but I have some things I like to keep private until I really know someone." Luna hoped Hunter would understand, having a look of unease on her face as she awaited his answer. So, She had a little secret Hunter thought. Maybe it would be something he would be able to help her with, and maybe it would be something he would be a little uncomfortable with. Well whatever it was it he would not learn about it until they became a lot more comfortable with each other." That is fine Luna. I can understand why you want to keep some things private. It is better if these things develop naturally," he smiled. Getting up from behind the desk he stepped around it and approached her. "Speaking of which, I think it would be best if we did not try to push the sex thing between us straight away. Perhaps we should treat this situation like a blind date," he smiled awkwardly. "Please allow me to take you out to dinner later so we can get to know each other better." He took her hand and raising it up to his lips he gave it a brief kiss and then released it. Moving back behind the desk he sat down and booted up his computer. "Well enough about that for now. Let's discuss your other duties and how you would like to decorate your rooms." Scanning his lists he turned the monitor so they could both see it. "As you can see, my schedule is free for a while. However, coming up is a tournament in Houston that is to be fought as a human, then one in Texas that is a shifter. After that is a large tournament in Japan. I will tell you more about that one when it gets closer." Pointing to several other dates he grimaced. "These are sponsor shoots. Don't worry I already know what is expected of me on these, but you will have to contact the representatives to confirm that nothing has been changed several days before the shoots. The numbers are on the computer I gave you as is a copy of this schedule. My agents number is also on there, and he normally deals with all of this so if there are any problems do not hesitate to call him, make him earn his 7.5%."" As for your other duties, we can discuss those as they come up. There will be some regular Secretarial work and if you are serious about sparring with me, I will not hesitate to take you up on that offer." Smiling he looked over at her. "Now we really need to get you settled into your rooms. We can't have you sleeping on the floor again. Please feel free to order from any of the major stores and drop my name. I guarantee they will have it delivered and installed very quickly or you. In fact, you will probably find you will probably get a large discount as well. Why they give them to people who can afford to pay full price I never know but there you go." He looked at her and smiled warmly. "Did you have any particular ideas about how you wanted your rooms to look. They will be yours, so I have no problems if you wanted to paint them, change the wallpaper, the carpets or even the lighting." Luna smiled and nodded at Hunter's words, thankful he was letting it go for now. His next words though surprised Luna. What did he just say? That he didn't want to rush the sex side? Did she hear him right? Wait a minute, besides that, did he just kiss her hand?! Luna blushed a very deep red as he took her hand, placing a kiss on top of it. "U-um dinner is fine. I would like it to be a place where I can order pop if I may put that in please." Luna blushed before her face went completely composed when he spoke again. Hunter then started talking about the schedule, turning the monitor so they could both see. Luna then nodded and paid close attention as he spoke of three fights, one as a human and one as a shifter and then a large tournament. Huh, interesting. Then he spoke about the sponsor shoots and told her she would need to call several days before to make sure nothing had changed. He then told her that all of this was on her computer and she just listened, nodding. Wow, was he prepared. He really kept his life in order, that as for sure. He then spoke of other duties and said they will be discussed as they come up. Then he spoke of her sparring with him and she grinned. "Of course I was serious. It should be fun too. You also need the training, you need to fight against a real person, not just holograms. Even if they get close to the real thing there is a possibility of them not building you up enough and then you're getting defeated since you only trained against holograms." After Luna spoke Hunter then spoke, changing the subject from work to the decorating. He then spoke of getting her settled and not having her sleeping on the floor again and she smiled. He really was so unusual but in such a good way. It really seemed Luna was lucky to have gotten this person as her employer. He even said she could drop his name and that she would probably get a large discount. Well that would be nice, it might save her some money for some of her more......... dangerous things. Like her outfit, though Hunter wondered if her would know what she was by her outfit. She did go by the standard still. Even if she was away from that situation she still had that fighting still. Then he spoke of painting and stuff and she nodded. "Before putting anything else in I would like to have my main room painted a light blue, I can even paint it myself if you want, but that needs to be today, so I can decorate around the color, have things that work with the color and stuff like that. Sorry I can be so particular on things. He-he." Luna smiled gently, blushing slightly. Hopefully Hunter understood as he had so far. It was weird but also so nice. Luna just hoped it kept up. "Also I would like to go to some clothes stores today as well, maybe after getting the paint. I would like to get those two major things out of the way while I still have free time from the secretary duties." Luna smiled happily and then thought. "Actually, we could do that and then go to dinner if you want. Tonight I can sleep on one of the mattresses from the beds you said you had. Since you did say you had some I can pick from. We can just get the paint and clothes today, and go out to eat if you want, and I can paint tomorrow and order a bed. How about that?" Luna hoped Hunter said yes, excited now. Hunter looked at her and smiled. "Why don't you just look at the paint samples now online and pick the color you like the best? At the same time if you do have the desire to have the floors redone, why don't you choose the carpet you want. Remember you don't have to have the same carpet in both rooms," he smiled. Hunter hit a few tabs and soon had a few screens up to places he usually used. "These guys are good, but if you can't find what you are looking for we can try elsewhere. Just remember. We can order this stuff, they will come and paint it right away, then put the carpeting in, while we go shopping for clothes." Smiling he looked at her. "You didn't think I was going to make you do this yourself, did you? You will still have to spend a day in my bed though. The fumes will be too much for you tonight. Still if you find a bed you like you can have that delivered tomorrow and your room will be all ready for you." Luna listened as Hunter spoke, countering her offer but actually putting things in a good order, which was actually surprisingly good........ and she was supposed to be the secretary eh? What a joke. Usually the secretary was the one who put things in order, not the boss. Really he was amazing. After speaking about the floors and choosing the paint she saw him bring a few tabs up and she smiled. "Let's just use them and I already know the color I want, that's why I was ready to go. I have the perfect blue color in mind. About the floor. Hmm. I think I would like to change the one in my room but just to a softer plushy one. All about the soft pushiness. Yes I know pushiness isn't a word, but I use it." Luna smiled at Hunter then. "Also if it's okay I would like to just get the carpet now, since you have the tab for the people up, and I will use them." Luna hoped Hunter would, a bundle of nerves right now. One thing about Luna is she got so nervous sometimes when she was unsure what to do. She just crumbled really and hoped Hunter wouldn't see that. It was horrifying to Luna. Then Hunter spoke about her doing this by herself and she shrugged. "Well I didn't even expect all that has happened already. No offense but usually the kind of people who buy us are slavering dogs and wolves who have no manners whatsoever and treat us like objects. So sort of yes I was thinking I would have to do this by myself, sorry. Also, I think I will take some time for the bed, it's going to need to be soft and plushy but also able to hold me up. I don't want to suffocate from sinking down too far." Luna smiled a little, blushing at the same time as she thought of how it must look to want everything soft and plushy. "Also on the subject of clothes even in business I'm not wearing a skirt that I can barely move my legs in and it better look good. I hate pantsuits and I hate skirts that I can hardly move in, no pencil skirts. I hate them. Though if there are Chinese dresses that are a little tight then I approve, but skirts like that." Luna shivered. "I just hate them. I would rather have a flowing mini skirt please. I know I have to look business like, but I would rather be comfortable as well." Hunter smiled as he absorbed all the new things he was learning about his new secretary. For one thing it appeared she was fiercely independent. Obviously she was used to doing things on her own and getting things done her own way, yet at the same time she had a very soft side about her, hence her craving for all things plushy. His smile widened at the thought of the no nonsense woman before him, suddenly surrounded by a sea of soft, plushy, stuffed animals. It was all he could do to keep a straight face while trying to banish that mental image from his brain. Of course then he had to deal with her particular phobia about her wardrobe. Actually this wasn't as unusual as she thought. One of the maids and both of his previous secretaries had also expressed their displeasure at similar garments. He wondered if it was a general Cat species complaint or a type?" I have no problems there. You can wear whatever you feel comfortable in, as long as it is suitable for the occasion. I am sure we will find you something that suits your tastes as well as mine. We will be visiting several designers today. Two specialize in human fashion while the other two specialize in shifter. You will need outfits for both of your forms of course." Then blushing a little he coughed. "Ahh one of them will be showing you lingerie as well. I would like you to pick a few pieces you would feel comfortable in, as well as some good quality day-to-day items." Turning back to the computer he indicated the paint and carpet site's. "Why don't you place the order for your rooms to be done and then phone them to confirm it? I am sure they will come right out if you mention my name. I will go and let Mitch know to expect them later today." Luna breathed a sigh of relief when Hunter said she could wear whatever she felt comfortable in, as long as it suited the occasion. Luna thought about that and hoped he was up for some looking since Luna knew of nice dress jeans and skirts that she would be comfortable in and did look appropriate, but some people were hard on that type of subject. Actually on that subject Luna had met other cats who shared her dislike and for a reason. Cat's liked their flexibility and the type of garments she was showing a dislike about where stuffy and didn't allow flexibility. Also even though she would never admit this to Hunter she actually liked a bit of dominance over what she wore, as long as she didn't feel uncomfortable or like she was suffocating in it. She liked knowing her DOM liked what she was wearing, but Hunter was not her DOM. "Um if I may ask are dress jeans appropriate for some things? They can look very formal at times, you just have to know what to look for and also give me the flexibility and comfortableness I need." After Hunter said about the clothes he then spoke about lingerie and Luna blushed more. That was another thing she liked dominance over, and she pressed her legs together. She could not let him know about this. She just could not. He may even laugh at her about it. Then he said about day-to-day items, and she guessed he meant regular undergarments that she would wear any day. All this talk though was making her aroused and if Hunter didn't stop she feared tackling him and kissing him. Hunter then went back to looking at the computer and snapped her out of it saying for her to get it done now and then phone them to confirm, and he said again about dropping the name. He then said about calling Mitch and she nodded. He then let her get on his computer with the tabs and with lightning quick speed she had most of the orders in. She did take time to do the bed though. Soon though she was on the phone, talking to the people about the orders. She also dropped Hunter's name and raised her eyebrows every time their tone changed. It was amazing and weird at the same time. Soon she was done and smiled at Hunter. "Well it's done, sorry if I was too quick or anything, I just knew what stuff I wanted. He-he." Luna blushed a little then, still a bit aroused by Hunter. Luna didn't understand it though, she had just met the guy yesterday! She wasn't going to tell Hunter yet though and if it wasn't her heat season she didn't need to worry. Though Luna knew it was near the time she usually had it. Her Heat season was why she knew she liked having dominance in her sex life. The ONLY reason too. Hunter was impressed with the way she handled herself on the phone. Once she had found what she wanted, she wasted no time phoning the establishments up and ordering the product. The first time she used his name she was rather hesitant, and he could see the surprise on her face as the tone on the other end of the phone changed. However, the next few times she used it with more confidence, and even got better discounts because of it. He also got to see her negotiating skills in action when she discussed things with the bedmaker. She was very adamant in what she wanted and made sure they knew it. She was not worried about paying a premium price for it as long as it was done to specifications, but she also told them she was not going to accept it if the workmanship was shoddy or did not meet her requirements. Hunter smiled. He had certainly picked the right woman for the job. She would need that type of demeanor when dealing with promoters, agents, hotel managers and the like. As she was finishing up he decided to call down to the kitchen and had Mrs Potts send one of the maids to inform Mitch about the people coming and that he would be taking the car out." Nicely handled Luna. Now if you would care to follow me I think it is time we got you a decent new wardrobe don't you," he chuckled. He led Luna downstairs and then through a few rooms and down a short corridor and through a door into a very clean, large garage. Inside was an assortment of vehicles ranging from the exotic to the mundane. Opening a plain box on the wall, Hunter studied the array of keys revealed and then glanced at the cars. "Hmm, something nice but we will be bringing a few things home with us. That of course rules out the sports cars," he smiled. "Ah perhaps a nice sedan." Taking out a set of keys, he led her passed several sports cars, then a limousine and an old Rolls-Royce, before finally coming to several sedans. Beyond them were several SUV, and 4WD. Pressing the button on the caring, he activated the doors and gestured for her to enter the sleek black car. Smiling he got behind the wheel and buckled himself in. "You know it is nice to be driven around everywhere, but nothing beats the feeling of actually driving yourself sometimes." Starting the car, he pushed the small button that activated the garage doors, gently backed the car out, closed the doors, then started to casually make his way down the drive." Right, first stop, the garment district," he smiled as his foot pushed hard down on the accelerator, and they shot off down the road. Luna smiled as Hunter spoke to her after she got off the phone and she nodded. "Yeah I would like to have some new clothes, wearing the same ones all the time is just boring. Then Hunter lead her downstairs and she froze when they got to the garage and just blinked rapidly for 30 seconds before just looking on, stunned. Seriously? And he said he wasn't a star. Please, Luna didn't even have one car and this guy had like 30. At the least! "Um Hunter you're kidding right? I don't even have one car, and you say you aren't a star with at least 30?! Yes. I am sorry but you are wrong. Also as you have been dark on this subject before, no matter who you were before the change, you live in a life of luxury. Man I wish I had been that lucky when my mom died." Luna got a sad look then, remembering how some of the wolves had put in a complaint and had Luna forced from the house her mom left her, putting her into the streets. Luna quickly shook that off though, following Hunter once he found the set of keys he was looking for.Finally, they stopped in front of a sleek black car and her jaw dropped before she snapped it shut and shook her head and got in. Chuckling as she buckled herself in and listened to Hunter before speaking her mind. "Not that I would know, as a little kid I was driven places, and then I was on the streets and walked everywhere and yesterday, and now I'm being driven again. So never drove in my life, or even got a license. Nowadays though they have made it almost impossible for a Cat to get a license unless a Dog or Wolf goes with them to get one." Luna then smiled as she thought about his last words about the garment district and got excited. Since being in the agency she had only had the stupid maid outfit and her regular outfit, so the thought of getting new clothes excited her.Finally, they got to the shop and Luna blushed and smiled as she got out of the car, Hunter doing the same, and they went in and Luna looked around, very excited about the prospect and Luna happened to see how the staff member was all over Hunter and paid no attention to Luna. Of course though, Luna was a cat after all, no one except the weapons dealers would know who Luna really was underneath the cat. As they walked in Hunter saw that Luna had automatically taken to walking two steps behind him and even shrunk further behind as the salesman advanced and fawned all over him. He had to bite back a growl of disapproval at that. Not at her, but at the obvious show of toadyism. He hated it. He knew it was the man's job to pull in custom, but why be so blatant about it. If this place had not been recommended to him, he would have turned around and walked out the door already. Motioning Luna forward he held up his hand cutting off the man in mid-flow. "I am here to see Miss Genome. She is expecting me." The men eyes went even wider if that was possible, and he led them to a private elevator. A quick conversation on a private telephone and they were sent up. At the top they were met by an elegantly dressed lady and led to a showroom. Various dresses were on mannequins, but they were led to two chairs before a small runway and an elderly lady came out to meet them."Ah, you must be Mr Hunter. Adrianna has told me so much about you." Looking at Luna she tapped her chin and looked her up and down. "MMM Gorgeous. Yes I have several outfits that would look fabulous on her at any evening gala, and I am sure I can tempt you to part with some of that fortune of yours to make her look presentable," she chuckled good naturally. Hunter led Luna to her seat and then sat down himself as one after another girls began to walk out to show off the dresses. "Feel free to signal when you see something you really like," Hunter said leaning over. Luna was in the process of daydreaming when she saw Hunter motion her forward and stop the salesman that had been fawning over him and Luna's eyes widened as she did. Luna's eyes weren't the only wide ones though as Hunter said about seeing a Miss Genome. They were then led to a private elevator and after a quick phone call they were sent up on it. When they got out they were met by a nice elegant looking lady who had them follow her to a showroom that had lots of dresses on mannequins, and they were led to seats in front of a runway and Luna just raised an eyebrow. Wow, so this was how the rich people bought clothes, huh? It just showed how rich Hunter was. Then an elderly lady came out to meet them and Luna showed respect by nodding her head once though brief. Since it was a Cat custom the woman might not know what it even meant. Luna had always been taught to be polite to everyone, but especially her elders. They showed much wisdom usually. You couldn't judge a book by its cover though. Although Luna thought it's probably why the people lived so long, because of their wisdom. Then the woman spoke and Luna blushed slightly before she was seated, and soon she had picked out 4 dresses and was ushered to a dressing room to get her measurements and then was handed the first dress in her size and with each dress she showed Hunter before trying on the next one.IOC: Here are the dress picture links. Hunter had watched Luna all through the parade to make sure she was not holding back when she made her selections, however he was pleased with what she picked out. The different styles and colors would enable her to pick and choose to suit the occasion, and he even saw an approving nod from Miss Genome as well, so he knew she had done well. When she returned from her fitting and paraded in front of him he was astounded. He knew that Luna was pretty, but in these gowns she was stunning. With just a little bit of makeup and her hair done she was going to turn a lot of heads. After she had modeled the last of the dresses and both he and more importantly Miss Genome had run their critical eyes over them, he smiled at her. "I will be taking all of them. Please have them custom tailored to fit and then sent up to my house. If you have any other designs that you think might look as elegant as those please feel free to contact me." Smiling Hunter handed his card to the lady who had met them at the elevator and waited while she disappeared and then returned, making small talk with Miss Jerome and waiting for Luna to return. Both women got back at about the same time and smiling Hunter kissed the older women hand and then departed. Getting back in the car he drove a small way up the street. "Well that is the formal stuff out the way," he told Luna smiling. "Now let's really go to town." Stopping in front of a large building he parked the car and led her around to a side entrance. Knocking in a set pattern, the door was opened by a large man covered in tattoos who as soon as he saw Hunter broke into a huge smile." Hunter where you have been man. What you too rich to come visit your old friends now." Picking him up like he weighed nothing, the man ran his fingers through what little hair Hunter had on his head and laughed. "Get in here. Mama's going to be glad she came into work today." Hunter's eyes lit up as he tugged Luna in behind him. "Mama's actually here," he called back as he headed deeper into the darkened corridor. All he heard was a chuckle as he continued down the half remembered path. Turning two corners he opened a door a way suddenly in a brightly lit warehouse surrounded by dozens of workers running around in organized chaos. Shelves were stacked to the ceiling with boxes and the floor was covered with open bins filled with clothes. Smiling Hunter led Luna through the chaos to a raised platform where a wizened old Chinese lady sat drinking a cup of tea. No matter thee many people whizzing around, or the boxes being flung from one person to another, around her was a sea of calm. Approaching her Hunter bowed deeply. "Mama, I had hoped to come purchase clothes for my new Secretary, but it is a pleasure to see you again." Looking around he chuckled. "I see nothing has changed since I left. I hope my 10% employee discount is still good." The old lady looked at him then wrapped his knuckles with her cane. "Still with the jokes I see. I should make you pay double for all the trouble you caused when you left." Shaking her head she gestured Luna forward. "Ahh a cat, but not domestic. Sleek, Graceful and fast. Hmm, something more I am thinking as well," she said with a glint in her eye, "However that is yours to tell or not." Rapping her cane on her small desk twice was like shooting a gun in a crowded room. All noise and movement stopped. "This girl is to get what she wants from our store. Bring up the computer file and show it to her. Meanwhile, her employer and I will talk and reminisce."

The fighter and the maid|rating:4.0

Kennet's Gambit_ Cell Theta [Dark Heresy]

Dark Heresy: Kenneth's Gambit Chapter One: Do Not Investigate The message had been circulated to all your rooms a few minutes ago, by one of the freighter's hundred bustling stewards. Would Lady de Candra Borgia, Mr Trellis, madam Salt, care to come to the communications deck? Madam Meredith requests an audience. I'm sorry sir, ma'am, I have no other information. Just the message. When you have joined the others in the communications room, a dark circle lit by the blue glow of dancing shapes on a hefty holodeck in the center of the room, the messenger bids you politely goodbye, and leaves, instructing you to inform the steward once you are done. The placeholder shapes rotate once more, and then flicker, coruscate, and resolve into the shape of Inquisitor Meredith, revolving slowly." Cell Theta"She says, and smiles." Apologies for the time taken to send this message. Preparing a secure signal took quite some time. I assure you I had no intention of sending you off into the warp with no explanation or plan. Events, as always, transpire as they will." Meredith's image shrinks and reduces, to be replaced by that of a planet, wreathed in a tracery of high cirrostratus." This is your target, the planet of Venus Commercial, colloquially known as "Trade wind". A minor Griswold, with a few unusual features. Located near to an anomaly in warp-space, meaning transmission and transit are unusually smooth. As such, it's home to a network of orbital stations dedicated to refueling and repair of starships, and the College of Gilead, a major osteopathic relay, capable of shooting a message across the whole subsector. Otherwise though, largely insignificant. Farming, mining, and so on. Small population, only major tithe fuel for the orbitals." The planet disappears, and a man replaces it. The image is fuzzy but recognizable as an action shot, perhaps caught by a security Pict-caster. The man is sallow, with blond hair pulled back from his face, a pair of large glare-glasses, and a set of starched administrator robes. He is skeletal thin, with a narrow skull sharply stretching his face, and hands like spiders. The shot is of him striding forward, holding a long-barreled pistol." You probably know this man. Alaric Kenneth, freelance mercenary and cult facilitator. Responsible for several of the most high-profile acts of heresy across the subsector in the last thirty standard years. Known employers include the Pilgrims of Hate, Marco Ferris the nanotech smuggler, and the cult of the Pale Prophet. I won't bore you with the details- I've attached his file to your data slates- but suffice to say he's a damn intelligent man. The Oreo's been after him for decades, and we've never so much as felt his collar." "Last attempt was two years ago. A group of three inquisitors cornered him aboard the Lineage Of Victoria. None of them, or him, were ever seen again. We never really expected he was dead, of course, and now it appears he's re-emerged. Sighted aboard a ship headed for Trade wind. Our best efforts have brought up no further evidence, and the rumor is still unconfirmed." "So that's your secondary task. Keep your eyes peeled for Kenneth. He's most likely causing havoc a subsector away, but the rumor of his presence on the planet below adds... interest... to the incident you'll be investigating as your primary task. And frankly-"here a pause, a small sigh-"-It's too damn interesting already."Spoiler Hide Here we go. A pause here to avoid too much text at once, and let the PC's get a word in sideways. Cell Theta IOC File/0336321/heretics/KennetSpoiler Hide ++ Kenneth, Alaric ++ ++ Clearance required: Meridian ++ Alaric Barn Kenneth grew up the son of a planetary governor, on the hive world of Albion's Wake. At an early age he was identified as a savant of extraordinary ability, and schooled at the famous Scholar Progeria Laura. Scholar reports have him as a model student, but rumors dogged his time there, including the death of a teacher and the theft of several tomes from the scholar's restricted library. Upon leaving the Scholar, Kenneth fell into the company of powerful influences. Few records exist of his whereabouts for the next ten years, but it is believed that it is around this time that he began his facilitator work. Certainly several companies in competition to his father's shipping interests collapsed over this period. The next record of Kenneth's location was ten years after his graduation, back on his home world of Sell's World. Kenneth was caught on camera raiding an imperial faculty, and would not have been recognized but for one of his scholar tutors being seconded to the investigation into the incident. From then on, Kenneth has rarely left the interest of the inquisition. His Facilitator work became considerably more radical soon after, working directly for anti-imperial influences such as the Pilgrims of Hate, Marco Ferris, and the cult of the Pale Prophet. Kenneth's influence on each group usually marks a definite increase in their activity and efficiency, and it is believed that, amongst other successful attacks, Kenneth has been personally responsible for the opening of two warp portals and the manifestation of one major Daemon. All three events lead to the inaction of Exterminates on their source planets. Kenneth has evaded inquisitorial sanction for nearly a century now. The most recent attempt to capture him is particularly notable: an Oreo heretics coalition of Inquisitors Solomon, Terence, and Bach and their retinues tracked Kenneth to a place on the Lineage of Victoria, a rogue trader vessel. Their final transmission reported a confirmed sighting and preparations for an imminent attack. Thirty minutes later an automated message from the Lineage Of Victoria reported a catastrophic failure of its Geller field whilst entering warp. The ship, the three Inquisitors, and Kenneth were never seen again.*Kenneth is not believed dead and should still be regarded as active. Kenneth himself is only an average physical combatant, with reasonable sword and rifle skills, and no known psychic abilities. His mind and senses are extremely sharp though, and he is a skilled speaker. He is also extremely wealthy, and usually carries multiple Nanotech devices, often including a personal shield. File/1249677/planet aria/TradewindSpoiler Hide ++ "Venus Commercial" aka "Trade wind" ++ Note: Data does not include Trade wind orbital stations. For data on Trade wind Orbital Stations, reference file 64/29/2887/130/Ca/TO Reference number: 1249677/ca/3419 Population: 2.88x10^7 ++ Military and Governance ++ Estimate: X136 Imperial Fleet Presence: Minimal Governor's capital: Gilead Palaces Planetary Garrisons: None permanent. Imperial Garrison Strength: n/a Planetary Draft: n/a Prefix Inquisitorial: Of Interest ++Production++ Tithe Grade: Exacts Minima Chief Exports: Bandeau Ore, Foodstuffs ++Additional Information++ The planet of Trade wind, a small, largely watery world near the center of the Cali xis Subsector, was colonized some time during M38, and remains in much the same state as it was originally, with a population of less than thirty million. Geographically, it consists of two large continents surrounded by ocean. The northern continent is heavily mountainous, with glaciers at high latitude and altitude, large areas of tundra and coniferous forest on mountain slopes and, along the southernmost coast, meadows and moors. The human population largely lives on this continent, with fifty percent in the capital city, thirty percent spread amongst the other cities and agricultural land along the coast, and ten percent living in farms and industrial sites in the mountains. Most of these farms keep livestock, with porcine and bovine xenophobes being popular. The remaining ten percent of the population lives on the southernmost, equatorial continent. This continent is almost entirely desert and brushland, and human activity there tends toward mining for the small reserves of minerals and promethium found underground. Trade wind has an indigenous population of bipedal xenophobes living in the forests on the northern continent, known for their green skin as the green men. Rumors that this population are mutated humans left over from a failed previous colonization event have been investigated by teams from the Oreo Xenon, though results were not published. The indigent propensity for raiding attacks on imperial centers, using primitive weapons and armor but large numbers have caused segmentum command to assign a regiment of imperial guard to Trade wind to augment the PDF in protecting important locations. This posting is considered something of a joke by segmentum command, and "Posted to Trade wind" or "Doing the Green man shift" has become a euphemism amongst guardsmen for dull or easy duties. Trade wind's main notable features are due to its position near to a minor fold in warp-space. This makes it an extremely popular location for ships to refuel and repair, and much of its economy depends on the host of orbital stations servicing this trade. In addition, the osteopathic relay known as the College of Gilead is based on Trade wind. The College is notable for having one of the largest ranges and powers of any osteopathic relay, and as a hub of further education on matters of the warp and Sykes. Its library, in particular, is one of the most extensive in private hands within the subsector. Trade wind's orbital period is approximately twice that of earth, and days there last approximately thirteen hours. As such, citizens use a two-day sleep/wake cycle. Augustus made sure his clothing was presentable from top to toe before putting aside the Laguna which was halfway through cleaning and blessing before striding quickly towards the communications deck. Most knew him, or rather who he worked for, and made room. Sitting down on his usual chair he gave a courteous nod to the others and listened intently on Meredith's briefing, overlooking the files on his data slate and making minor notes as she went. The mention of Kenneth's disappearance ran chills down his spine. How could a simple adept, heretic or not, survive while 3 inquisitors and most likely their retinues perish? And he had though his role in this would be easy, but maybe he wouldn't be completely useless after all. When she made a pause in the briefing he raised his hand and spoke My lord Meredith, though it is most likely above my station, how could he manage to survive 3 inquisitors? Are there any reports on cult activity that might be affiliated with him? And, should we find him should be given the Emperor's mercy or brought back alive for interrogation? Though he silently hoped the latter wasn't the case if he was as dangerous as Meredith indicated, heretics such as that didn't deserve to risk imperial lives needlessly. A lass hot to head and burn the wretched corpse would do, he hoped. Mathis stood in a relaxed pose and in simple clothes, a dapper and fairly attractive man despite his obvious Void Born heritage. His hands were linked behind his back and a light smile sat on his face as he listened, though that soon became something of a frown as the information on Kenneth was presented. He'd been around enough to know how dangerous a man with the right contacts could be, and with School Proscenium training added to that, and obvious natural gifts, Kenneth would be very difficult, and very dangerous to bring down. They did have one significant advantage, however. The trader waited till Augustus had finished speaking, gave the man a light smile and then spoke up himself." Thank you Milady Meredith, if this man is a possible risk, I'm glad to be able to see him coming. I understand it may seem somewhat fussy, but can you send me all the information you have on his earliest ventures and how his methods developed? I'd like to see what patterns he still stays to, what his motivations are, his fears, hm, anything, down to the deepest detail if possible." Originally Posted by Ghanian My lord Meredith, though it is most likely above my station, how could he manage to survive 3 inquisitors? Are there any reports on cult activity that might be affiliated with him? And, should we find him should be given the Emperor's mercy or brought back alive for interrogation? "If you can capture him alive, do. He'll have a wealth of information on the people he's worked with. If there's any chance he might escape, don't hesitate to take him down. Better dead than free." "I understand it may seem somewhat fussy, but can you send me all the information you have on his earliest ventures and how his methods developed? I'd like to see what patterns he still stays to, what his motivations are, his fears, hm, anything, down to the deepest detail if possible." "That will take a significant amount of time. And I'm not overblessed with time at the moment. But I will put someone on it." Gesboiath, in his signature guard flak armor and loose fitting clothing, had kept quiet as they had spoken, and he had gone over the data in that same state. He was resting against the side of the room, preferring to stand whenever there was anyone of authority around than sit, even if she was just a hologram. The fact that this man was a Scholar, like him, irritated him greatly. He didn't really understand why he had turned, but he knew the consequences of any amount of disobedience. How he had survived for that long perplexed him, but he put it behind him. There would be time to think about that later. He looked up from the data slate, back to the inquisitor, and remained silent, waiting for the actual objective of this mission to be stated. Scowling, Alice made her way to comms deck. She'd been interrupted in her meditations on the nature of the Warp and was hardly in the best mood. While her practical clothing didn't mark her out to be a Parker, most people still found her somewhat unsettling, and so she was given a wide berth on the way. She ignored it. She was used to it. Listening to the braking, slouched in one of the chairs, she was vaguely impressed. Not many could hope to survive a meeting with three Inquisitors - even equipped with Nanotech. And to presumably kill them? Very impressive. Of course this meant that bringing him in, should they actually encounter him, would be very difficult indeed. She grinned at the thought. I do like a challenge. "To our main business. Two weeks ago I received a message from one Major Gyros, an old contact of mine, commanding officer of the Messina 6th, stationed on Trade wind. She reported that a squad of hers, stationed at a power relay shrine, had vanished, along with the shrine's tech-adepts. No contact from them, except a single Vox-message. Text file, rather than sound. Message reads:" "Do not investigate. Do not spread the word. In our memory do not investigate. They say it sounds like angels. Ignore them. Do not spread the word. Do not investigate." "So. You see why Gyros was wary of sending a squad of her own men in to investigate. She sent me a message to ask for advice, and I recommended she stay put, while I sent a team to investigate for her. That is, of course, where you come in. By sheer luck, you were in the area, and we can strike while the iron is hot." "So. Yes. Your primary task is to make planet fall, meet with Major Gyros, and render her whatever assistance possible. Investigate the disappearance of the squad and the tech-adepts. Help ensure the shrine remains running. Gyros is an ex-acolyte, so with her, you can go for an open approach. She'll assist you however she can. I've arranged transport for you- a shuttle will take you from orbit to the regiment's current deployment at the Ben AMO's Gorge hydroelectric plant." Meredith sighs again and looked rather embarrassed frank." To be honest, we don't know how this one will play out. It might be a rogue Parker, a disease, or the next black crusade climbing out of a manhole. Hopefully with the assistance of the 6th, you can handle anything large until the big guns arrive." "I think that's all. I hope that's all. This link can't last forever, so if you need any extra details, ask quick." Gesboiath pushed himself off the wall and went to the hologram." How do we contact you if anything appears that needs immediate attention from one such as you? And what are the possibilities of bringing in a larger force and or supplies quickly? It might be nothing serious, but if Kenneth has been sighted around, I want to be on the safe side. If any of us spots him, I want a reliable way to get into contact with you so we don't fight him alone and end up losing him if we're defeated." Originally Posted by Lineup "How do we contact you if anything appears that needs immediate attention from one such as you? And what are the possibilities of bringing in a larger force and or supplies quickly? It might be nothing serious, but if Kenneth has been sighted around, I want to be on the safe side. If any of us spots him, I want a reliable way to get into contact with you so we don't fight him alone and end up losing him if we're defeated." "Major Gyros has a secure line to me. She can help you connect if necessary. As for additional forces, if needs must I can use my influence to secure you help. The regiment, local PDF and the College could all be prevailed upon to help. Dedicated inquisitorial support will take a long time, possibly a month or more, but trust me. Confirm Kenneth's location, and there will be a LOT of it. Inquisitor Bach was in the Oreo Mallets, and one of the Astarte's has vowed revenge. I don't need to tell you how helpful that would be." Augustus stood up and saluted." By your word it shall be done, Ma'm. When does the shuttle depart?" He had a bit more to do on his Laguna before departing, but he was honestly just eager to get under way. Seeing guardsmen again would be good, but even better would be making some use of himself. But best of all? Getting off this damned ship, he never liked it up in space. Having solid ground beneath his feet was always reassuring. Mathis nodded lightly." All I've left to ask now is whether there've been strange events around this shrine, or the system in the past." "I questioned Gyros about the location. She said there was nothing that she'd heard of, but that she would look into it. The same regarding the history of the system. Some minor incidents that can be attributed mostly to the college, but the rate of mutation, deviation, and such is near sector average. As for the shuttle, it can leave as soon as you are ready. Dropping hints as regards checking a shipmaster's warrants can do fantastic things to sever red tape and open opportunities." Alma sat rather stiffly in her chair. Until this point, she had remained silent, listening intently to the briefing. She leaned forward into the conversation and spoke for the first time:"Do we know exactly what Kenneth was last seen using? Do we know what tech he possesses?" "Kenneth usually carries a nanotech sidearm-this particular one is an elder shrike weapon. Any other special weaponry he has will probably be given to one or other of the mercenaries he works with. He often carries a personal shield, too, so be aware of that. If it comes to combat, keep hitting him with high-power shots. Heads don't reduce the kinetic impact, so with luck you can keep him down and pinned." "Trade wind,"It's amazing the amount of disdain Siphon injects into the word. She sniffs slightly." I suppose everything has to happen somewhere." The young noblewoman rattles her nails against the data slate." I beg your pardon, Lady Meredith, you know this Major, but... Does the message strike you as a touch dramatic rather than formal? 'In our memory do not investigate.' It's like something out of a thronegelt-thriller where the loyal hero sends their dying transmission through the last sane osteopath: 'In the Emperor's name, do not attempt our rescue, but call for Exterminates upon our world.' or some such. Except of course he didn't invoke the Emperor, did he? Wouldn't there be some sort of code the Guard have for 'It's a mess, don't come figure it out, just bomb it from orbit.'?" Siphon peers skeptically at the data slate."... Short of Exterminates, I mean. Some sigil or other amounting to an authentication. Sending such a thing to their commander without aught such encoding is practically extending an invitation. It would be foolish to think it would be obeyed. Particularly when they include this nonsense about angels, as opposed to something as straightforward as 'Heretics. Don't come here, torpedo the site from orbit.'" Spoiler Hide Edit: Fixed the first sentence's atrocious grammatical left turn. Meredith shrugs. She hasn't given this much thought, it seems." You'd be surprised, what happens to the mind under stress. I recall on Searches..."and then she looks sharply sideways. Something outside the projector has caught her attention. One hand moves to the butt of her pistol." Never mind. Any other questions? Make it quick." "None Ma'm! I'll need to take my leave now, I need to get ready for departing. I hope the rest of you will be at the launch bay so we can discuss current events before we make planet fall. He snapped a salute, turned and took a quick stride back towards his small quarters. Hurriedly he finished cleaning his Laguna and said a small prayer as he inserted the power pack and did a final check to see that everything was as it should. The prayer wasn't one the adepts of the mechanicum but a battle prayer he'd learned during the crusades by one of the many clerics that joined them. With his Laguna cleaned, checked and blessed he donned his flak armor which was of super quality and carefully made sure everything was in place. He strapped his extra aspects in easy to reach pockets, his pistol and axe were secured, and he checked to see if his microbead worked. The rest of the equipment was placed in his backpack and he headed towards the docking bay, eager to see fellow guardsmen once again. Even with all the questions running around in his head. Mathis' head snaps up in concern, and he glances at the man operating the projector." We'll get it done milady!" He waves at the operator." Cut the connection, we can't be seen!" Meredith nods." I have every trust in you." And then the connection cuts off with a crackle. The room is dark, and feels a little more empty than before. A silence hangs in the air. The door opens a crack, throwing a harsh line of light across the room. A face appears at the door, with a distinct expression of nervousness." Sorry. Um. Are you done in here?"---The transit from warp space runs as smoothly as ever, with only the slight juddering indicating that the bounds from reality to the empyrean had been crossed. From any window, Trade wind is now visible, as a pinpoint ahead of you, that grows visibly over the next few hours into a great ball of brilliant Azure seas and white clouds turning slowly that fills the viewports and slides over the lip of the observation deck like a sunrise. When you assemble in the hangar, a constant buzz of activity fills the room. Hundreds of people and servitors are flocking in all directions, across the main floor and dozens of gantries, prepping shuttles, hauling cargo lifters, and doing various technological things that Fergus understands instinctively and completely pass over the others heads. Your shuttle is a grimy, olive-green Arius lighter, with a pack of adepts flitting around it nervously. No-one suspects you're with the inquisition, but everyone knows you represent some or other high authority, and since you boarded the ship everyone has been nervous of you. Onboard the Arius, the pilot gives you a nod of welcome, and returns to the Vox to continue with his preflight check as you settle into the seats." Rocitors?" "Check" "Hydras?" "Check" "Did the left gear get fixed properly?" "I looked it over, it's good." "Are you sure?" "It's fine, Thufvesson. Leave it." "Alright. If you're sure. Passengers are here, we are prepped for takeoff." "Roger. Clearing the bay now." A siren sounds, and the bustling crew begin to head to the exits. There's no sense of urgency, even though the large airlock doors are already closing-with practiced ease, they swing themselves through. The main doors open, and the Arius lifts off and begins accelerating forward, swinging vertiginous downward around the hull of the ship, and headed for the planet below." Evening, folks."the pilot says, speaking to you directly for the first time. He's a rotund man, who looks to have wedged himself into the seat, and his accent is strong but replaceable." Should take us a few hours to reach the plant. We'll arrive mid-morning local time. Sit back, relax. I hope one of you brought cards or something because we ain't fitted with a vid-screen."Spoiler Hide Again, giving you guys a chance to post and breaking up a large body of text. Unless you have something specific to role-play, I'll jump to the planet fall. Gesboiath sits down. Alma takes the spare seat in the cabin beside the pilot of the craft, and watches in excitement as the planet approaches. She studies the pilot operating such a craft, and eventually engages him in conversation, asking a range of questions from specifics about the Lighter, to his personal history. She hardly notices the length of the trip. The pilot is happy to talk to Alma, seemingly pleased to have someone to talk shop with." They may be only mark three, but we've got them running through triple-locked coolers, so we can shed heat like nobody's business."" Feel those vibrations? Half the amp of comparable models"as the lighter bullies its way through low-altitude air currents. Eventually the lighter begins to fly with the terrain, instead of towards it. Low rolling hills rise into rock-strewn slopes, wide limestone pavements, and finally towering mountains. Steep-sided gray gorges crack the crags, with tall coniferous forests fuzzing the surface. The lighter slowly swings down into one of the wider, shallower gorges, sliding along almost blissfully at treetop level-here the pilot glances sideways at Alma, and gives a little nod that clearly says "Yeah. I'Thurgood." In some places rock rises to the surface, and the trees part, allowing you to see tall mammals canter away from the lighter's wake. A blue ribbon of river is visible"This is the Letitia province."the pilot explains, as a brief diversion from techno-babble." Farming mostly. Grazers, I think. Don't ask me." He cranes his neck a little, and taps the nav-screen." We're coming up on the dam, so if you want to see something impressive, come up front now." He swings the lighter up a shade, and begins bringing it around a wide curve." Seriously. I flew in here before. It's really something." And it is. As the lighter clears the rocky outcrop, the dam comes into view. White concrete and dark metal completely cross the gorge, from one side to the other. A mechanics symbol the height of a titan is painted on in peeling red, and banners easily wide enough to drape across an entire chimera flap languidly from the top. Up the western side of the mountain a patchwork of white buildings poke out from the trees, tangled pipes and conduits strewn between them. The uppermost one has a large satellite dish on the top, and the lowermost has a set of massive industrial doors leading out onto a wide clearing, in which several large tents are set up in neat military rows. The bottom of the dam itself has a pair of pipes, that at the moment are tormenting water down a concrete spillway and into the river. The pilot nods appreciatively." And."he says, with more than a little solemnity,"Our nav-relay is Reza-pattern, not Mars. An original." Spoiler Hide BIGGER and more grimdark. The lighter drops you on the edge of the makeshift camp, in a patch of cleared ground over which rock-Crete has been painstakingly laid. When the hatch is popped the air is crisp and clear, with a touch of frost on the wind, though the scents of over a hundred sweaty imperial guardsmen hit you quickly, with promethium fires, cooking meat, and pine trees in quick succession afterward as the wind gusts. On the edge of the landing pad is a tall, dark-skinned woman, with sharp Romanesque features and a slightly shabby major's greatcoat is waiting to greet you, with an honor guard of similar-looking troopers standing to various degrees of attention behind her. Coat flapping in the wind, she strides forward and extends a hand in greeting." Major Gyros. Messina 6th, at your service." A surprisingly broad smile." I wasn't expecting you here so soon." Augustus hurried into the small ship and strapped himself inn and secured his Laguna, all in a well drilled manner. Although his old regiment hadn't been air CAV he'd sat in plenty of large air freighters that carried vast amounts of troops, supplies and machines of war during invasions in the crusade. And he had loathed every drop. He tried to keep silent during the trip as the others, except Alma who was focused on the pilot, didn't seem to want to talk. And the offer of the dam didn't interest him, not that he didn't believe it wasn't impressive...he just didn't appreciate the idea of unstrapping himself. As the hatch opened he took a deep breath, savoring the families scent, but his attention shifted swiftly to the major. Unstrapping himself and stranding upright he made the sign of the Aquila over his chest and made a small bow before unfastening his Laguna and walking up the major, giving a short salute to a senior officer out of old habit"Greetings Major! Apologies if I seem rude, but aren't Colonel's usually the CO of a regiment? Has something happened to him or is it simply the way of things for your regiment? We have been briefed somewhat of your situation, but we'd like a more in-depth explanation. I hope you have somewhere more discreet where we can talk? Something tells me this is not for most ears" Gesboiath had unstrapped himself when the dam was shown to look at it and hadn't bothered to strap himself back in. He jumped down off craft, the black metal spiked club at his belt shifting slightly. He greeted the major soon after,"Scholar Arbiter Gesboiath, at your service." What else hie would say had already been said, so he stayed quiet in a semi-relaxed position. Gyros nods politely at the group." Of course. We have a. A sort of situations room, that would be best. If you'd follow me?"she turns, and begins to lead you up the gentle slope towards the plant. With a lot of glances at each other and the group, the command squad accompanies you." I am the CO." She explains, as she leads you through the group,"But amongst Messina regiments, the CO is only "Major". Hang-over from the old days when we were used as support companies to other regiments." The place is full of soldiers, marching in groups, or relaxing around promethium fires. The Messina uniforms seem to be a sort of loose fatigues in a bottle-green, and most soldiers are bearing a wire-stock leis gun or carbine, along with a bronze short sword or dagger. A few troopers carry pentagons. The occasional small sandbagged emplacement includes an auto cannon, or heavy stubbed. You've seen a thousand similar regiments in your time. Most of the soldiers salute at Gyros as she passes." I must say, we weren't told the Arbiter would be here." Kyros comments to Gesboiath, after seeing three troopers hide bottles of amassed behind their backs." You seem to have put the troops on edge." Augustus, or anyone with military experience Spoiler Hide Despite the numerous minor breaches of discipline-gambling, non-regulation hair, insufficiently maintained non-combat equipment,- there's a definite sense that this regiment is an effective unit. The hundred minor features that you can pick out -trigger discipline, well-maintained weaponry, correctly set up emplacements, general morale-imply that, although a commissariat representative would make these troopers cleaner, neater, an aesthetic credit to the god-emperor, and parade-ground standard, he'd likely find little to improve on their military effectiveness. The plant, when you reach it, is accessed by a pair of massive bulkheads that stand open to let the cooler air in, but inside It's still stuffy and over-warm. Tangles of pipes, wires, and other ironwork stretch off for a good distance in all directions. A pair of troopers in the gantries above you call a challenge to Gyros, which she responds to, and allow you to pass, down a wide ramp, past a pair of parked ground cars, and into a massive cargo elevator. Here, a squadron of troopers is helping two red-robed servitors, the first mechanics personnel you've seen, load prefabricated conduit sections. After a brief, muttered conversation with Gyros, the sergeant orders his squad out, and the elevator begins rising slowly through the faculty. As one floor after another passes, you see the true scale of the faculty for the first time. The buildings on the outside are merely the tip of an iceberg, with cavernous rooms dug from the rock of the mountain. Most are given over to turbines larger than bane blades, in great matrices, with tech-adepts flitting between them like blood-insects. A few floors are covered with guardsman's bedrolls. One is given over to vehicles, but seems to be empty." All our chimeras are out at the remote faculties." Kyros explains." The smaller groups need the maneuverability more." As you climb, the buildings become neater and cleaner. Tiled mosaics replace brushed concrete, and red-robed magi replace the guardsmen in green. Eventually, you reach the top floor, and the mesh doors to the elevator open with a great whine. The situations room is, in fact, a small conference room next to the main control center of the dam. It has excellent views over the valley, but Gyros slams closed the blinds, and bullies the monolith into action. While it flickers on, she turns to her command squad." Bring Theodore and Emends in here, would you? Then guard the door. I don't want to be interrupted." Theodore turns out to be a guardsman, short and squat, with a distinctly non-regulation beard, and an adjutants pips on his shoulder. Emends appears to be in command of the Mechanics here, and is rake-thin and nearly seven feet tall, with heavy, drooping jowls and a network of mechanizes that hang limply down his back, and twitch occasionally into more comfortable positions, giving him the slight impression of an angel with the face of a bulldog. Kyros gives the monolith a firm slap with her palm, and, admitting defeat, turns back to the group." Right. Sorry. Never mind about that, then. This is Theodore, my aide, and Emends, the chief Lagos here. Yet, they are the only people who know your purpose here." "Though our ladies and gents will be able to guess." Theodore offers, extending a hand to shake." Mysterious guests shortly after a mysterious event should set off alarm bells with most of them." Gesboiath follows the major, examining everything and everyone that he met with a careful eye." I've got bigger fish to fry than a regiment of undisciplined soldiers... but these aren't them. They know how to keep their military side fine, at the least." Up the elevator and into the room, Gesboiath did nothing of interest, only followed. When the hand was offered, Gesboiath took it." Most likely, but it can't be helped." Augustus followed suit and made an affirmative nod at Gesboiath's words"The men have little to fear from our previous occupations, it's our current one however is another matter. Regardless, your men seem to have their drills and routine down. A minor lapse in discipline is the commissariats' responsibility, wouldn't want to overstep their authority now would we? He made no attempt to hide his distaste for commissars, something that had stuck since his days in the guard so long ago. His eyes moved around the entire trip, looking at the people around them. Especially the tech priest and his mechanizes. He'd never been around them much, but he had heard what they'd done to the dead in order to feed their scenario forces marching. If it was true or not he didn't know, and in some sense it didn't matter. They were creepy enough as it is." Yes, apparently, since even we don't know what's happened down here. But I'm curious, what on this planet warrants a regiment AND a Lagos? The next thing you'll be telling me is that you have a mechanics force stationed here as well Please Major, enlighten us". Mementos interjected sharply." This faculty provides power for nearly the entire province, including the city, and its strategic value-""Is sufficient to ensure that it was a logical place for the regiment to use as its base." Kyros completes his sentence smoothly.

Kennet's Gambit_ Cell Theta [Dark Heresy]|rating:4.0

Time stands still for no Paladin (closed to Qt and PhoenixSong135)

Rain fell heavily onto the roof of the inn that Cassandra Begin was trying to sleep in. The rowdy townsfolk downstairs partaking in music and ale had the sound drifting through the thick wooden door. She’d left her hometown only two days prior and had traveled by horseback to the next village, Townsville, where she’d heard of a task going to protect the kingdom. There she had met with the local Head Wizard, Syd Frost more, who told her about the task and gave her some items that would help her. He said need to leave her horse at the stables as the path would get perilous and go through swamplands and over mountains. She’d agreed. It wasn’t her own personal horse any way, and she didn’t have any attachment to it. She sighed loudly and rolled over in her uncomfortable bed. Surely there was a better place to stay in this town, she’d thought to herself. Half an hour passed, and she was still unable to sleep. Maybe one of the townsmen could help me. She got up out of her bed and left her room, walking downstairs to the tavern. Her dark brown eyes scanned the room before they fell on a gorgeous human stood by the fire. She sauntered over to him and started a conversation. Five minutes later, they were up in her room and she was straddling his thighs, his thick cock filling her pussy. His strong hands gripped her hips whilst he fucked her roughly making her tits bounce. She screamed out her release as he roared his as he filled her pussy with his cum. Moving off him, she felt it leak out of her pussy and she made her way to the adjoining bathroom where she cleaned up. She slept soundly next to the stranger, she’d never even gotten his name, and left in the early hours of the next morning, leaving him asleep in the bed. She’d grabbed some food from the local store, some break, cheese, a few apples, and a pouch full of ale. She didn’t glance back at the town as she made her way toward Setting Mine, where she would find the Kronos Amethyst. Mat Cobbles had used to travel in a group when he went on quests, though infighting over the split of the last loot they had led to the disintegration of his last group, and now he found himself alone. He had gotten used to it though, despite things being a bit harder, causing him to be more vigilant, he no longer needed to split the spoils and could keep everything to himself. He currently target, the Kronos Amethyst that is apparently sought after by quite a lot of wizards, supposedly capable of infinite energy. Furthermore, he was sure the real thing wasn't all that amazing, yet it fetched a high price, and with so many coveting it, he could certainly make quite a lot if he was able to find it. It helped that Mat had reliable channels when it came to the whereabouts of such things. The Setting Mines was where he was told to go to. A place filled with ores and gems no doubt, but supposedly the Kronos Amethyst would be recognizable by anyone, for the power it radiated couldn't be mistaken. "I'll believe it when I see it." Mat said to himself. He was dressed a pair of black pants and a brown shirt, having a gray cloak around him, it liked to not draw too much attention to himself. Slightly above average in height he had dark hair and eyes. He could pass off as an assassin, and he could probably do a good job as a hitman, though going after treasures was something he liked a lot more. He reached the small mining town and decided to get a room at the local inn first, get a feel of the place and chat with a few of its inhabitants. Furthermore, he was given the location, but here, he knew not who to go to. He did catch glimpse of a young woman leaving the inn, somehow he felt drawn to her. Instantly he could tell she wasn't from here, another quester? Surely she wasn't dressed like a typical adventurer, more so like a trained knight or paladin. He decided to follow her in the shadows, just a bit to see what she was up to. Cassandra had walked for most of the morning before taking a rest near a stream. She splashed her face with the cool water and cupped her hands to take a drink from the clean water. She pulled out an apple and some of the cheese before biting into each. The rain from the night before had disappeared, and the sun had made an appearance at about 7am. It was starting to get warm in her paladin armor but due to the Paladin’s code, she couldn’t take it off whilst on adventure unless she was bathing or sleeping in a secure spot. She finished up her apple and cheese when she heard a rustle from the bush behind her. She grabbed the small dagger she kept by her ankle and held it in front of her.“Who goes there? I warn you, I am armed.” She called out, trying to keep her voice from shaking to hide her fear. He was rather good at following people without getting noticed, though of course, had they been in a crowded street he'd be able to avoid detection much better than in a place where it was really just the two of them. Mat had kept his distance Cassandra, certainly never in the line of sight of her despite keeping tabs on her. He observed as she took her rest. Though the bush he was hiding in had some other animals that shifted and obviously drew her attention. Mat from then on thought he was caught as he, not wanting to face her wrath, knowing that some paladins are quite powerful decided to stand up." My apologies... I'm simply on my way to the mines as well." He stated, well he heard that there was a mine down this place and assumed she'd be going there as well, there was nothing else after all. "And I thought I'd just space out and not bump into you." He put his hand out to show that he, unlike her wasn't armed. If she decided to get hostile with him, he'd try to make a quick escape, but by being somewhat honest, he was hoping to avoid that. Cassandra was wary of the stranger in front of her.“How do you know I’m going to the mines? How long have you been following me?” Her dark eyes were trained on him, and she had to stop herself from thinking he was good-looking and how he would feel taking her from behind. The sun was still beating down on her, and she knew she needed to move soon, or she could lose a lot of time. Why was this man heading to the mines? Was he also after the Kronos Amethyst? It was a very powerful object and the wizards wanted it kept out of the wrong hands. Another rustle of the bush caused Phoenix to train her dagger on that sound. Did he have company? Was he followed? She wasn’t about to let anyone attack her without being ready. "Well... that's the place that's at the end of this path right? I don't know that you're going there, just that it is likely." He said. He could see that she was uncertain what to make of him, as much as he was trying to play it off. Furthermore, he had been stalking her, though from his mannerisms, he certainly wasn't trying to pose a threat, nor did he freak out at her dagger, of course she was right to be wary of him." I'm alone." He said as he pointed at the rustling grass before a wild boar came out of the grass and began to charge over to Cassandra. Mat took this chance to go ahead and jump onto it, stopping it from getting to Cassandra. "You may wish to go." He said to her as he bounced upon the large animal trying to get it to stop in its tracks but instead of just running about. "I don't know how long... I can keep it in check." He warned her. He'd definitely check out the mines next... but for now, he had to contend with this animal. Cassandra was startled by the boar that came bursting through the bushes. When her companion jumped on the boar and told her to run, she rolled her eyes. She dropped the dagger and pulled out one of her javelins.“Let it go!” She called out before throwing the javelin at the animal. The metal tip pierced into the side of the animal, and it let out a squeal. It staggered for a moment before falling to the ground. Cass grinned, picked up the dagger she dropped and walked over to the animal.“Awesome! I could use some meat.” She said to herself before pulling the javelin out of the boar. Blood seeped from the wound, and she knelt by the animal before saying a small prayer, blessing the animal and thanking it for its sacrifice. She looked over at the man and smiled softly.“Are you okay, stranger?” She asked. She got to work skinning the animal, flesh and blood went everywhere, and she knew she was going to need to bathe after this. He fully expected her to leave, given that he was the one caught stalking her and now was a perfect chance for her to get rid of him while he attempted to wrestle with the boar right there." Let it go?" He seemed surprised, it could pose a danger to her if that happened though he did as she told him, jumping off as he saw her throwing her javelin over to the animal causing it to scream in pain before it stopped all movement. Well she was definitely a warrior." Mat is the name." He said, certainly surprised that she'd simply address him as a stranger. "But yes... I'm fine." He said looking at the boar. "Can't say the same about him though." He made a chuckle." You need any help there?" Mat asked her as he watched her beginning to work on the animal, in preparation to use it for sustenance in the future. “Mat? Interesting name. I’m Cassandra, but everyone calls me Cass, Cassie or Andriana.” She glanced over the handsome person beside her and had to fight the blush that was threatening to form on her cheeks.“Nah, I got it, but you take which ever pieces you want. You can take the pelt if you want.” She sectioned off the meat and lay it on the inside of the pelt. To keep it long-lasting she was going to have to try and dry it out, but she didn’t have the time for that. Maybe she’d just have to cook it and eat it first... She’d found some cloth in her bag to pack her meat in before she got up and brushed her armor off.“Well, Mat, it was nice to see you, but I’m afraid I’m going to need to take my leave. Have a pleasant trip.” She headed toward the waterfall she knew was just around the bed so that she could bathe and clean her armor. She stripped off her armor and cleaned it off in the cold water before taking off her own clothes and leaving them by the tree. She dived off the bank into the water and came up gasping for air. She wasn’t expecting the water to be that cold, but she swam over to the waterfall anyway. "Nice to meet you Cassie." He smiled, that certainly had a nice ring to it. And despite their less than ideal circumstances in meeting, they were closer now upon facing that boar together." You killed it first, so you can take what you want first. I'll take what's left." He said, he'd help her do the cuts, but let her choose." I will see you again if we happen to go in the same destination." He said to her, he'd still be following her, but this time he'd make sure to be more careful not to be spotted. As she headed towards the water fall he stayed a longer distance this time round, though he could make out her taking off her clothes and then getting herself cleaned as she did. He did fantasize about what they could do together, though of course he would, not stray away from the fact that he still needed to get to the Kronos Amethyst amulet in the mines. He wondered if she was also after that, what happened if she was? After bathing and redressing, Cassie continued on her path towards the Selling Mine. She had no doubt that May was also after the Kronos Amethyst, but she didn’t know to what he wanted it for. All she knew was that she had to get it before him and keep it that way. She walked until it started to get dark, and she knew she was still a while from the next town on her journey so she decided to make a camp for the night amongst a set of trees just off the path. Fire crackling and tent pitched, she started cooking some of the meat from earlier. She also chugged down some of the ale she had and started to build herself a bit of a meat and cheese sandwich. With her stomach full, her eyes started to droop so she extinguished her fire, and crawled her way inside the tent to sleep. Sleep came easy, but it was filled with dreams of Mat. She moaned in her sleep and called out his name. Mat followed her once she had gotten dressed and Mat having a good look at her naked form, luckily she didn't notice him this time. Mat was used to tailing people, and of course that meant he couldn't exactly set up camp near her as he'd be noticed or setting up any camp at all. He had plenty of food though so it was just a matter of keeping an eye on her and passing the time. He watched on as she ate, imagining what it would be like to go on adventures with her, sitting by the fire and such. Of course that would never be the case given her role as a Knight and he himself practically a mercenary. Mat was surprised when she called out his name, he had an urge to go over to her, to tell her that he was right there, but he restrained himself and went back to sleep. The next day... knowing the mines was near, he decided to go ahead of her, scouting out the paths to the mines before waiting for Cassie to come, interested in seeing how she'd explore the place. Cassie woke with the sun and took a moment to reflect on the task that lay before her. She knew it was a perilous task and knew that if she completed it she would be hailed as the Hero of the Kingdom. With that in mind, she packed up her things and started on the next leg of her journey. A few hours later, Cassie came upon a rocky area and wondered if the mines were around. She didn’t have a map, a bit of an oversight on her part, but it wouldn’t be hard to find the entrance. She explored every nook, cranny, and crevice but nothing was jumping out at her. Furthermore, she’d been at it for an hour at least and was starting to get frustrated.“Come on. Where are you, you stupid entrance?” She grumbled to herself, kicking at a pebble on the ground. Mat simply waited for her upon reaching there. After all he was interested in seeing what she'd do. He actually hadn't tried to see the entrance to the mines at all. He thought of helping her, though once more, the fact that he was trying to stay hidden would have gotten in the way of it so he decided to simply watch from a far. Once he felt that she wasn't going to find an entrance though Mat finally decided to step in. He backtracked until he was on the path once more, walking into her view as if he was traveling there." Oh... so I was right that you'd be at the mine. Though I wasn't expecting it to be abandoned like such." He said as he looked around it. It was true that there wasn't an obvious entrance as it had been closed shut. Though Mat looked around and eventually found a large rock that when he pushed against it in a certain angle seemed to slide. He pushed against it and it gradually did open it. "Ah... there we go, though I have no idea what condition the mine would be in... doesn't look like people have used it for a long time." Cassie jumped when she heard Mat’s voice behind her.“Do you make it a habit of sneaking up on people or have you just grown an attachment to me?” She said, trying to slow her heart rate down.“If I could find the stupid entrance I would be in the mine.” She said petulantly. It seemed like her troubles were all for naught until March pushed against a rock and the entrance to the mines became open.“How did you know to do that?” She asks, a sour look on her face. She was supposed to be the one to complete the task, but now it was looking like she was about to be beaten to the Kronos Amethyst.“Thanks for finding the entrance, but I think I got it from here.” Cassie pushed past him and stomped her way into the mines. Before long, she couldn’t see the entrance to the mines and needed to light the torch. Thank goodness she’d come prepared or else she might have had to ask Mat for help. Maybe he can help you with the problem between your legs she thought to herself before shaking her head and continuing on. Cassie didn’t know what kind of metals and gems the mines held. She could see something's glittering off the firelight of her torch but didn’t want to get too distracted. "Oh... I just happened to bump into you." He said, he had made his entrance obvious just so she wouldn't think he was stalking her. But then again... he was doing exactly that: stalking her. "I'm sure you can." He said, not in a condescending way. "I'm just trying to help." He said, he had already helped her with that boar earlier, even he hadn't imagined that he'd do that for a stranger, yet here they were at the entrance of the mine." Well I've been through quite a few mines, as well as other ruins and caves... so unless they really collapsed the mine, there's got to be a way in." He said. Mat of course didn't know this was the mine that contained the Kronos Amethyst, only that it was in this area, but since Cassie was there... it was very possible that she was looking for it and got knowledge that it was here. If she got her hands on it first... what would he do? He couldn't see himself trying to get it off her, but then again... a reward for helping her would be good. He smirked at the thought. Furthermore, he had seen her naked during her little bathing session and liked seeing what he did." Well... since you were here first... would you like to lead the way? Or shall I?" He asked. Cassie sighed and told May she would take the lead. It was, after all, not a good idea to let another person get to the Kronos Amethyst first. Stalagmites and stalactites were creating an interesting pattern of shadows from the torchlight. The air smelled stale but also crisp at the same time. It was definitely something you’d need to experience it for yourself as there was no way words could do it justice. The temperature had dropped once they had entered and Cassie had to stop herself from shivering. The path had started to slope downward and Cassie wondered exactly how much like a regular mine this one would be like. She had seen carts for the transportation of rocks and gems and the like, but hadn’t seen any way to get deeper into the mine. She knew that the Kronos Amethyst wouldn’t be up near the surface. It wouldn’t be that easy to find or else it would have been found and used much earlier. Cassie stopped and looked around with the torch but still didn’t see anything out of place.“There must be a way to get deeper into the mine, right?” She said out loud, though mostly to herself than to her companion. He smiled. He wasn't trying to get her in danger, but if he was to rush in, she could think that he was trying to get to things before she did. Mat was after all, quite suspicious since he continued to pop up where she was going. Mat followed her closely, smiling that he seemed quite enjoying the time they were spending together. The place was rather cool and grim. He wondered what caused the operations there to be abandoned, given he saw plenty of possibly valuable stuff down in the mine, it was clearly not mined out just yet." What are you looking for here?" He asked her. "Some kind of clue to something?" He asked, he knew it was likely the Kronos Amethyst, but he himself only knew of its value, but not of its history which Cassie may have more insight about." Usually these mines would reach a more open area that if it could go deeper... perhaps another mine shaft that leads us down." He took over the lead for a bit, going a little deeper in, as they traveled the cave was more open eventually leading to a small outpost where many abandoned tools were there was such a shaft going down... though whether it was still operational Mat wasn't sure. Cassie ignored his taunts and continued to look around.“Have you found anything?” She called out, knowing he’s walked a little bit further than her, and started to follow him. The torchlight flickered a bit faster, indicating there was air blowing somewhere.“There’s air flowing from somewhere.” She mentioned as she got closer to him before spotting the mine shaft herself.“I wonder if it still works....” she trailed off as she noticed that the elevator was completely gone except for the remnants of the pulley system it used.”What the heck happened to the elevator?” She said in astonishment. “Do you have any rope?” She asked him, hoping that she wouldn’t have to use the lot of rope she had in her bag. After all, she wasn’t providing everything for this excursion. Sometimes she wished she’d been a mage, like her brother, or a wizard like her father, where she could conjure up everything she needed. It definitely would have helped on this task she’d hoped to achieve. "I think I got to the place where we could get down further." He told her as he smiled, shining the light down the shaft. "Now if we could only work this thing." He said, it seemed quite dusted and of course he wouldn't trust to use it." I don't have any as long as the distance we're supposed to go down." He said, throwing a light down to the bottom to see how far it would go. "But there are plenty of rope here... so if you're feeling adventurous, I think we could get down." He said as he walked over and began to tie one end on something secure before throwing the other end down." I'll go down first and wait for you." He said, not wanting her to lead the way given the danger associated with it. He abseiled down to the bottom before he called her out. "Seems safe to come down... if you wish to try." Mat said as he looked around, hoping that he'd see what they were looking for, it would be unlikely for him to pocket the thing though, given her persistence, she'd be only leaving with the Kronos Amethyst. Cassie watched Mat as he abseiled down the rock face until he disappeared into the blackness. She called out to Mat to watch out and threw the torch down to the ground below. It had been a gift from her father before she left; a torch that didn’t go out unless you wanted it to. And being as they were underground, she didn’t really want to extinguish it.“If I fall, you’ll catch me, right?” She said jokingly before taking a deep breath and lowering herself into the hole. She bounced against the rocks to get down to the ground faster, and she could see the flickering of the torch below. She got to the end of the rope and dropped the last few feet. Furthermore, she landed with a soft of and picked up the torch from the ground. Looking around, Cassie saw two different paths.“Which way do you think we should go?” She said, trying to see if there were any markers or anything that gave her any indication of the path that the amethyst was on. She stepped up to the path on the left side and waved her torch over the top of the archway. There were some dwarves tunes etched into the stone work and she cursed herself. She didn’t know any dwarfish; she only knew a bit of elvish.“Wouldn’t happen to know Crawfish, would you?” "Of course." He said, he thought that he'd love to simply catch her if she did fall down. He smirked at the thought of it as he watched her get down. She seemed to do it just fine, without help from him." Alright then... let's go." He said to her as they were soon faced with branching ways." I happened to know a bit of it." Mat said as he brushed against the carvings and then looking at what it meant. "Hamm... It says Amethysts on this one... the other sign is... Ruby." He said." Which should we take?" He asked, at this point he was just interested in seeing where she'd go. He already concluded that if they wanted the same thing, he'd simply let her take it, perhaps only asking what she'd need it for. Cassie frowned. If they took the wrong path, they could be stuck down here forever. Even though they were named after the stones, what if it was a trick? Surely not. This was where people used to work. How were they to know that the Kronos Amethyst would be in the mines.“The path that says Amethyst.” She said, pointing to the path he mentioned. She took the lead, again, and made her way into the tunnel. The ground continued to slope downward slightly but not enough that they were struggling to stay upright. She was trying really hard not to be distracted by the glittering geodes that were formed on the walls. She knew that any one of the gems from the Ruby tunnel could set her up for life. However, she wasn’t here for monetary gain. She wondered what Mat’s goal for coming to the mines was. Was he trying to get the Kronos Amethyst for himself, the Kingdom, or the bad guys? They’d been walking for a good hour or so when Cassie told him to stop.“I’m starting to get a little hungry. Shall we stop and take a break?” She said, pulling her pack off her back and pulling out some of the cooked meat from the night before and the cheese. She offered him some of the cheese before taking a bite of the boar meat. "Well I'm assuming this is where deposits of those are at." Mat said, now with her taking that path he was sure that he knew what she wanted. He smiled, not that she could see him do so given how dark it was, and she was already leading the way now." You may wish to be careful." He told her as he said, sensing that this part of the mine may not have been so secure, it was supported by the wooden logs that were set up, but as they walked and under the torchlight, he could see there was some give." If you want." He said, they were in the middle of nowhere right now and while Mat wanted to get things over with, there was no telling just how long they'd be there. He nodded. "Let's do that." He said." You actually ended up cooking that beast?" He asked her when she had offered him some food, taking a bit out of it. "Mummy... quite nice." He told her as he sat there with her. "May I ask... what kind of quest you are on?" He said. Cassie laughed.“Of course I cooked it. I wasn’t going to let perfectly good meat go to waste.” She finished chewing her mouthful as she thought about her answer. She wasn’t stupid enough to tell him the truth so she gave him an answer she was happy with.“I thought I’d just go for a wander through these here mines and see what I come out with. What about you?” She grabbed her ale pouch and took a long swig before offering it to Mat. After they’d finished eating, Cassie stood back up and made sure her pack was closed up before slinging it onto her back. She was just about to say something when she heard a nice.“Did you hear that?” She said, looking toward the spot she thought the sound came from. She heard the noise again, and she moved the torch the spot she was looking toward.“I know I definitely heard it that time.” She moved toward the sound cautiously, trying not to startle whatever it was that was making the sound. As she got closer, she was unaware of slight tremble to the stalactites above her. What she saw when she heard the sound again was a small blue-green dragon; about the size of a new kitten. It looked at her with purple eyes and made the sound again. She realized now that it was crying.“Hey little thing, aren’t you just the cutest thing.” She opened her pack and pulled out the last of the meat she had and held it out for the dragon. When it started moving towards her, Cassie noticed a purple stone shining off the torchlight. It was a different purple to the other amethysts in the tunnel, and she wondered if it was something more special, like the Kronos Amethyst. The dragon took the meat out of her hand and ate it happily. Cassie grinned and reached for the stone. She didn’t hear the rock above her break and start to fall toward her. Mat chuckled as she mentioned that she wasn't going to let the meat go to waste. "Oh of course, it's good that you cooked it, and it is quite delicious as well." He said as he took another bite." Oh... are you sure about that?" He was sure that she was hiding something. "As for me. There is a treasure in these parts... I don't know if it is in this mine, but I have information to suggest that it is possibly here in this mine, or somewhere in this area." He mentioned, not revealing that he was after the same thing. He didn't want her to be on guard when Mat himself wouldn't fight her over it." Hear what?" He asked, while there was some sound, he wasn't exactly sure what it was, it wasn't really loud at all. Cassie though seemed quite interested to examine what it could be. Mat followed her as they reached a small dragon that was wandering around in the cave. It wasn't aggressive however Mat was still suspicious. "Well I'm glad that it isn't attacking us." He told her a looked on at the dragon now turning its attention to them. "Cute yes... but very dangerous." He saw that she had taken a liking to it and began to fed it. He didn't oppose it as it did look like the creature needed some help. Mat too had noticed the stone while they are feeding the dragon. He could see that it was radiating its power, surely this is the Kronos Amethyst. Still heard the rocks above them fall, and his instinct was to push her out of the way. "Watch out!!" He screamed as he pushed her away as the rocks landed upon him, a particularly large one dropping onto his leg causing him to curse out in pain. Cassie heard Mat yell before she was pushed to the ground and then a scream of pain. She rolled a few times from the push before she sat up and saw Mat on the ground with a rock crushing his leg. The dragon had been startled by the scream and curled back around the purple stone, almost like it was protecting it. Cassie thought it was interesting and wondered if it would follow her if she had the stone. She got up and ran over to Mat.“Holy shit. Let me help you.” She said as she pushed against the rock to move it. She knew that his leg was surely going to be broken and hoped that she had enough power to do the healing spell she had just learned before she started the adventure. The rock moved, and she was able to get Mat’s leg free. Her assessment was correct, and his leg was badly deformed. There was blood pouring from a gash where his bone broke through the skin, and she knew she had to stop that blood flow.“This is going to hurt, but I have to stop the blood.” She said and pulled the rope from her bag; tying it on his thigh to stop the blood from flowing. She rummaged through her bag again to find something to stabilize his leg so it wouldn’t be knocked around too much if she had to move him. There was nothing in her bag and she cursed loudly.“I was hoping to be out of the mine before trying this, but it looks like I’ll have to do it now. Hold still.” She looked down at the leg and put her hands lightly on either side of the wound. She prayed under her breath and felt warmth trickle through her fingers. A small light emanated from her palms and onto Mat’s leg. She saw the bone piece itself back together before the would stitched itself up. She knew it wasn’t going to be perfect, but it would hold until she could get him out of the mine and to a place with bandages and such.“You’ll have to hold onto me until we get out of the mine. I’ll guide you, and then you’ll have to climb when we get back to the rope.” Cassie ran back over to the dragon and held out more meat to get it to trust her before grabbing the stone in her fist and placing it in her pouch. The dragon cried and gobbled down the meat she offered before following her. She grabbed Mat from under his arms and lifted him up before moving underneath him and holding his weight.“Let’s go.” She said, feeling the weight of the stone on her body. Mat was more focused on her, he obviously couldn't just watch her get smashed by the rocks falling down. That said the sudden drop didn't give him time to actually get out of the way. He tried to move his leg, but it was clearly stuck under the rock, he found feel himself bleeding as he pain continued to rush through him. He would have been much more careful had he been traveling alone, yet with people he wasn't as afraid of getting hurt as he knew others would be able to help him. Cassie here though, wasn't really a travel companion, though the two had gotten along quite well during their time in the mine. "Thanks..." He said as he knew he definitely had broken a bone, and he wondered if he could actually get out of here in the condition that he was in." It's okay, just do what you need to." He winced in pain. He was not expecting her to heal him, though judging from what she was doing, she was only doing enough for it to actually get him to stand and stagger, obviously she still needed her strength to get them out of the mine." Thanks." He said as he held onto her, able to move but still feeling the pain as he was not fully healed just yet. "Yeah... getting up that shaft is going to be an issue." He took a glance at her as he saw her getting the stone and offering the dragon more meat. The dragon followed her and Mat clearly wasn't in a position to make any statements about that as they soon were on their way to the shaft." Should I go up first?" He asked her as he grabbed onto the rope, at least his arms still worked well enough. "I think I can climb, though I may need a break once I get to the top." He told her as he gave it a few tries, he was able to get a bit higher, though he moved slowly. Cassie’s mind was reeling. Mat had let himself be crushed by a falling rock that should have hit her. Why? They didn’t know each other, and he had no obligation to help her. Now, as they made their way back toward the entrance, Cassie couldn’t help but admire that bravery. The little dragon followed along behind them happily, brushing up against her legs like kitten does. Cassie smiled at the dragon. Watching Mat climb, she wished she had another way to get out so that he wouldn’t strain himself. She knew her Healing Hands wasn’t quite perfect but knew that it would do until they got out. It took them about 45 minutes to get to the entrance and when Cassie first saw the light, she nearly sobbed with happiness.“Nearly there, Mat. Then I’ll set up my tent and get you comfortable.” Finally breaking out into the sunlight, Cassie’s face held a huge grin. She sat Mat down onto one of the rocks and went about setting the tent and a campfire. It would be dark soon. Soon enough, Cassie was sitting next to Mat and inspecting his leg.“I’m going to need to go and get some water to clean this off. You stay here with the dragon. I’ll be back shortly.” Cassie returned not long after with some water from a small stream. The dragon had curled up beside Mat and was sleeping soundly.“Let’s get you cleaned up. I’ll have to remove your pants.” She said with a slight blush. Mat himself was equally puzzled by it, why was he helping her? She was getting a stone that he wanted and could sell for profit, now he wasn't only helping her get the stone but getting hurt in the process. He was under no obligation to save her at all, in fact a good way to get the Amethyst for himself was to wait for the rocks to hit her and then take the prize. Maybe he was entranced by her beauty, or his curiosity as to what her motivation was. Still, he was glad that she was helping him, because just as he wasn't required to help her, she wasn't required to rescue him when he was in trouble either. Perhaps it was the adrenaline rush in him, he was focused on simply climbing the rope, and he slowly made it up until he was panting and laying on the ground on top. He was nearly out of it then and required her help to get them out of the mine. It was slow, but slowly they got there. Mat didn't pay any attention to the dragon that followed them, it was not as big of a concern right now to him as getting them to safety. "Thank you so much." He told her as he laid there and watched her set up the campfire. Her healing had helped a lot, though he still needed time for his leg to heal up. Mat noticed the dragon now with it sleeping next to him. He had now found the dragon quite cute, and it wasn't trying to eat them or anything. His attention shifted when Cassie came back to them. "Oh... of course." He said, not questioning her as he reached to undo his pants and then pull it off. "Thanks for earlier, I thought I was done for." He said to her, he had not been nursed back to health before in his life and this was a very pleasant feeling. “Well, you kinda saved my life. The least I could was make sure you were in top condition for your task.” She said with a grin. She had a slight idea as to what his task was, but she wasn’t going to come right out and say it. After all, this was a task for the kingdom, and she was pretty sure she’d been the only one given the task. However, there was something about retrieving the stone that felt too easy. Could this have been a decoy? She glanced at the dragon who was making its home by the fire, keeping its scales warm. After making sure his pants were out of the way, Cassie made sure to keep her eyes focused on the part of his leg that was bloody and had a scar on it; practicing Healing Hands would allow her to fix people up without leaving scars but for now it was the best she could do. She found a bit of cloth in her bag that she used to clean off all the blood. The scar on his leg ran from his knee to his ankle. She’d wondered how long it would have taken to heal if she had been human.“I think you should keep off your leg for the next few days at least. I’ll stay around to make sure you don’t die or whatever.” She said with a cheeky smirk.“I’m going to go see if I can find something for us to eat. I’m sure there are some mushrooms or something around here that are edible. Won’t be long. Dragons, keep watch of him.” She said to the little dragon. The dragon just raised his little head and blinked at her slowly before curling back up into a ball. Cassie walked into the forest and searched under a few bushes and at the base of a few trees and found a bunch of mushrooms and roots that could be quite delicious. She found some dandelions to make tea, and even found some herbs to help soothe any pain Mat was in. She’d also found a few rabbits that she’d managed to kill, and they could make a brilliant stew. She didn’t know how long they would be in that spot before he’d be well enough to move on. What if he didn’t want to travel with her? What if he did? Cassie’s mind was whirring as she made her way back to the camp site.“Found some pretty good food that should last use a few days. You stay put and let me do this.” She was right, Mat himself was just too suspicious of things sometimes, then again he has been through quite a few breaks up of his travel groups, usually around the time when the party began to fight over the loot, and it invariably led to backstabbing in the end. Cassie seemed a different type of person though, while she could very well have left him there if she wanted to, she still chose to go through the trouble of saving him." Well..." He made a smile as he wondered if he could get something out of this whole thing. "How did you think to make me get to top condition?" He chuckled, of course at this point he wasn't interested in getting the stone, just interested in seeing what she'd do with it." Yeah... I don't think I'd be doing anything intensive for the next few days. But I think we should try to make it back in town next." He said, obviously it could still potentially be dangerous here out in the wilderness and besides it was much better to rest when he was in a bed." Alright... I'll stay put here." He said. He looked over at the dragon now. "Well you really intending on keeping this dangerous little creature along with us?" He asked, it hadn't been aggressive yet, and mat was hardly in a position to challenge the small dragon so he simply let it stay near him. Mat laid back and eventually fell asleep as he waited for Cassie to finish her little trip. Luckily he was awake when she returned." You need me to do anything for you to prepare the food?" He asked her seeing her come back with the things she found and hunted. Cassie shook her head as she dived up the different ingredients she’d collected before putting them in her little pot she had. She’d poured some water in it and let it sit over the flames to heat up and cook.“Of course I’m going to keep him. He’s adorable.” Cassie reached out to scratch the dragon under the chin and that made him chirp in happiness. After they’d eaten and the sun had set, Cassie helped Mat into the tent for him to sleep.“You take the tent. I’ll take watch. Rest up as much as you can.” She bade him good night before sitting by the fire and watching the little dragon snap its mouth at fireflies. Five days passed and Cassie had been helping Mat get his strength back in his leg. That meant massaging him with healing hands and without it. She’d tried to keep their interactions purely Platonic but every time she looked at his face, the butterflies in her stomach would start, and her mind would start to wander. It would think about how soft his lips looked and if they felt as soft pressed to her skin, how his strong arms would hold her as tight as she’d beg, how he’d fill her up and take her to the highest of highs. Then she’d need to excuse herself and find a spot in the trees where’s she could sort out the ache she was starting to feel constantly in her pussy. Draconis had grown a lot in the five days she’d had him, but he was still the size of a small cat. She wondered if he would get any bigger and if he’d go with the Kronos when she gave it up to the kingdom. As soon as the sun had risen and food had been eaten, Cassie started to pack up her things.“You’ve made a lot of progress on your leg. Maybe we can start making our way back to town and find an actual room to sleep. We can replenish our stocks before we continue our journey.” She hadn’t realized until she’d finished her sentence that she’d made the assumption that he would travel with her. The thought made her stomach twist in knots as she had gotten used to his company.“That is... if you wanted to continue together.” "Well that is your choice." He said to her as he watched the dragon. It had not attacked either of them, so Mat had decided that at least for now he'd not voice any of his opinions. He was eager to eat the food when it was done, afterward going to sleep peacefully, forgetting to ask her about the treasure that she had acquired earlier. Mat had recovered over the few days that they stayed out there. He understood that she had done it for him mostly because he couldn't move very well, and it was quite a walk back to the town. He had enjoyed the time he spent with her and despite initially being suspicious of the dragon, Mat had come to trust over the few days. Furthermore, he had mostly been hanging out with Cassie and was quite friendly. Over time, he had gotten quite used to it." It's much better." He said as he had been walking a bit today, though he was quite careful and slow at it."Oh, yeah... I think we could go back to the town for sure. If you're willing to put up with me being slow. Then again I've kind of grounded you here for the past few days while you tended to me." He smiled. "And yes... I would like to continue our journey together. I currently don't have any missions I need to go on, so it would be good to have a change in pace and see what you are doing next... once we rest a bit of course." Mat smiled at her. He helped her with packing thins up before they could make it back to the town, this time he did remember to ask. "So the Amethyst... what do you need it for?" He asked.

Time stands still for no Paladin (closed to Qt and PhoenixSong135)|rating:3.0

Fight for Dominance (Saku and MusicNeverDies)

The armored bus pulled up in front of the prison gates. As usual those on the inside lined up along the gates to see what sort of fresh fish would be coming to join them. Some looked eager or lustful while others seemed indifferent. The prisoners were escorted down the steps of the bus as they were led past those behind the gates. They needed to be checked in before the others would have their chances with them. Protocol. In total there were twenty men on the bus this time around and one of them was a young man who looked to be in his mid-twenties with steel blue eyes. He had medium length black hair that fell almost to the top of his shoulders and an expression that warned others to stay away from him. Darius Jackson who had killed five men while he was unarmed. Four of those men were police officers and so this made a serious charge against him. His case was different from the others and more unique, mostly because he had taken out four armed officers with just his bare hands. He didn't have any magic or abilities for that was only real in television, movies or books. It wasn't anything like that. No, Darius had taken out all these men simply by using a variety of martial arts and a working knowledge of the human body. Possessing both of these skills equaled a deadly combination. He knew where all the pressure points were to inspire lust or pain, and he knew how to get someone in a joint lock and break all their bones should he wish to. Not to mention it was easy to break someone's neck by twisting their head around in a full circle or to kick someone in just the right spot, so their leg would give out. Martial arts were quite deadly if applied by someone who knew what they were doing, but the funny thing was that Darius was not a bad man. Not really. He was a normal guy or had been until he had gotten caught by the police, but he had a very quick temper and tended to lose it when the slightest thing annoyed or pissed him off. That was how he had killed that man which had set the police on his trail in the first place, and then they had to go and annoy him. Darius had been booked and was being sent to jail while they discussed his trial. He was eligible for parole but at a price of $100,000 which was quite a bit of money to pay in this day and age for parole which was probably why they had set it at that amount. Darius was a flight risk. He shouldn't have even been eligible for parole, but some flaw in the system had made him that way. Darius knew all about what happened in prison and didn't intend to become someone's new pet. Nor was he going to get raped in the showers. No, he was going to dominate this prison and make sure everyone knew it. He didn't deserve to be here, he had obeyed the law in every way, and it was those damned asses that caused him to flip out, after all they were the ones that tried to break the law all the time. They should be in prison now, not him! Darius wasn't entirely sure how to put himself in such a high position, but he had time to figure it out. He just needed to make sure everyone knew he was not a pushover for now and once he figured out a way to put himself on top he would put his plan into action. Darius had some general idea as to what to do though, most likely he would need to engage in countless fights and prove his fighting skill. He also had to make sure no one got the jump on him or else his chances of dominating would become less likely." Strip. Turn around." The guards ordered and Darius along with all the other prisoners did as they were told. Once they had been examined for any concealed weapons, the prisoners showered quickly and then were given prison clothing along with a number that was sewed onto the left armband of their shirts. They weren't told their roommates for no one cared if they didn't want one, they would get one anyway. The guards took them down the hallway to pause sometimes to shove someone into a cell with their new roommate. Soon, fifteen of the twenty that had come had been taken care of leaving only Darius and four others left. One of the guards stopped at another cell and grabbed Darius's arm to shove him forward when the cell door slid open. He bit down on his bottom lip quite hard, almost hard enough to make the skin bleed as he tried to ignore the touch. It took all his effort not to take advantage of the man's hand on him, but he managed not to fight the guard for the moment. Darius wanted to familiarize himself with his surroundings before he started getting into trouble." Meet your new roommate. Hope you two get along well." The guard said with an indifferent look on his face, obviously he just wanted to get this over and done with and didn't give a damn about the prisoners. Troy lingered along the wall of the prison, far from the wild hooting and hollering at the fence. The way of prison was almost freakishly organized, once you got the hang of it. Troy not only had the hang of it, but could change that balance if he invested a little effort. As normal, the bulk of inmates lined up along the fence at least three deep, jeering and making well practiced comments to try and scare the fresh fish. Well behind them, slowly inching their way towards the fence, were those inmates who still held too strong a memory of their own introduction to the system to provoke others. Furthest back, right against the wall, was the smallest group by far. The big boys. The men like Troy and his inner circle who were well past attempting to prove their masculinity by verbally assaulting those so far below them. Instead, they watched with mild amusement, taking mental stock of each man to exit the bus. With a nonchalant nod, Troy gathered the attention of the thickset man on his left who clasped a small notebook between his sausage fingers, scrawling playful bets among some of the other men. Immediately, he flipped to a new page and stared at Troy with an eager expression, copying down every word to escape his lips. “We're not bothering with the 4th, 5th, or12th from the front, or the third from the back. Mort, let Dave know they're all his.” Troy's deep green eyes skimmed over the men again, watching their walks, where they carried their weight, their physicalities, anything and everything he could take in. “Fifth from the back and second from the front have potential, Hal, you look into them. Ginger near the middle, eleventh from the front, put two packs down from me on him going tonight.” Once more his eyes scanned the crowd, and with a faint nod he smirked to himself. “And fourth from the back, Tom, you let every cocksucker in this joint know that one is mine.” Troy became silent again, watching the men disappear into the prison walls as a few scouts brought in bets from some of the men who had been nearer to the fence. Nonchalantly, he inhaled a few small drags from his cigarette, making it last for a long time and still having a majority of the stick left by the time he stubbed it and placed it back in the pack for later. Most of the men had moved back inside, but Troy's group stayed with him, a few making casual talk as Tom and the sausage fingered man who'd taken the notes worked out a small chart to help with giving out winnings in the morning. Slowly, and with obvious uneasiness attempting very hard to conceal itself, a lanky man with a mane of blond hair advanced on Troy. Wallis Hamburg, someone who Troy had been watching recently. They'd not spoken at all, despite Wallis having been at the jail for 3 years, two less than Troy. “Yes?” Wallis maintained his efforts to stay casual. “I need something. Think you are the man who could get it for me?”“No. I do not think so.” Taking a step forward, Troy moved right into Wallis's bubble, smirking. “I know so.”“God, thanks, it is for my cousins bi-” A hand raised, and Wallis stopped dead in the middle of his sentence, not even breathing. Instead, just watching, waiting eagerly for Troy to say something, to explain why he stopped the explanation. Fearfully, he cast a glance around to see if guards were listening in.“I don't give a shit what it is for. We are discussing your needs after addressing mine.” With a small tilt of his head, most of his men started to pack up and move back inside the compound, as they were the last group on the yard. “I'm in 2-”“263. I know.” Without another word, Wallis moved swiftly inside, passing the group at a small jog. Troy meandered and ended up among them again, smirking. That night, Troy was enjoying Wallis's skillful company when Tom appeared a little outside his cell door, lugging the laundry cart. Troy's hand forcefully landed on Wallis's head, holding him in place as Tom spoke quietly. “Your fish is in 129. He's bunking with Mort.” Tossing a fresh sheet into Troy's room-one that was heavier than any other and contained the particular scent of nicotine and chewing tobacco, Tom left again. Grabbing a fistful of thick blond hair, Troy sighed out quietly. In cell 129, Mort laid on the top bunk without his shirt, grinning up at the ceiling as he turned over to meet his new roommate. Troy's fish. It must have been Mort's lucky day, Troy did like them tamed, and he believed he was just the man to do the training. He'd been inducted into the system. It seemed as though a bit of paperwork was all that such a thing required for no one had come back for him after he'd been locked into his cell with his new roommate or should he say, cellmate. Darius carried himself upright, confident and self-assured for he knew that as long as he was on his guard no one and nothing could take him down for he had the skills needed to thwart any attempt made on his life, he'd proven that earlier. He was not someone to be messed with and the sooner they discovered that the better. Sure there were some things he had taken into consideration that could bring him down even if he was prepared but that required more than two people attacking him at once, and he doubted that would happen right away. Darius looked like someone who could be taken out within moments after all, why use overkill? He intended to climb the prison ladder before anyone tried to ambush him in groups and establish his dominance so that such a thing would never come to pass and if it did, he would have followers to prevent such foolish actions. That was the plan, hopefully it would work without a hitch. Now in the cell that they had chosen to put him in, he saw the outline or rather form of the man who would be sharing it with him. Muscles tensed under his prison shirt as Darius waited to see how his new cellmate would behave since first impressions were everything and his blue eyes were steely as the man watched Mort turn over to lock eyes with him. Darius had not moved from his current position. Even though he was not a violent man by nature his temper had quickly become legendary in police circles which was a bit of a problem for him. A few strands of dark hair fell into his eyes and he blinked, trying to clear his sight. Tossing his head, his medium length black hair swept back over his shoulders only to fall right back into place again, but Darius didn't have the time to deal with it. What mattered was that the strand that had been tickling his eyes was now gone. His hair tie had been confiscated during the prison showers, and he hadn't been able to get it back from the guards for they told him most men cut their hair or shaved themselves bald after a time. Darius did not intend to do any of that. His hair would stay the same length it had been when he'd entered and no one would mess around with it. One of the first things he needed to do was obtain a new hair tie. But he would make sure everyone knew that he wasn't a 'fresh fish' to be taken down first for that was the most important rule of prison, figuring out who was untouchable and who was there to be preyed upon. Darius gazed at Mort with an unreadable expression on his face but if the other looked close enough he could see the hint of danger in his eyes, something that warned Mort not to toy with him. If he did, he would find out just how deadly Darius really was. Darius wasn't the sort of man who was naive and innocent in the ways of fighting. But he also wasn't some hick that thought just because he knew how to fight he could rule the prison. Darius Jackson was something else and his appearance was deceiving as Mort would most likely come to know very shortly should he try to make a move on him." Evening." He spoke finally as he remained in position and waited to see how Mort would respond or if he would try and attack him instantly. What sort of man was Mort, his new cellmate and how intelligent was the guy? Caution was something that was warranted, especially among Troy's men. Troy hated even the idea of his men becoming another men toy, or even bested in a fist fight. The first was sure to get Mort kicked out of the tight little circle, and the latter was a quick ticket to yet another beating. With the stakes so high and so very unavoidable due to both physical and social walls, Mort knew that cautious was the first thing he was supposed to be. But Mort was never the absolute best at keeping himself out of trouble, or avoiding moments that may land him in trouble. His attire and the location of his 'home' were both testaments to that solid fact. He was one of the more headstrong men among the group, not so much a leader in the eyes of the others, but very determinedly so within his own mind. His step held the slight swagger of a man who feared nothing to the point that he didn't bother to support himself as some did within these walls. He knew-assumed- no one was planning to try and push him from his perch. The others of the group had his companionship, perhaps even friendship, but Troy? Troy was the only one worth respecting. And worth impressing. And training and breaking in a new toy? That was like bringing a blind man a perfectly trained seeing eye dog. In no way was Troy blind, but the usefulness of the creature was infinitely improved, and that would be appreciated. However, if the pet was yet unused, fresh meat, Troy would want to breach that seal himself. Still, training could be obtained. Upon a better look, Mort could tell that Troy was better at even more than Mort knew. His eyesight must have been fantastic, maybe over 20/20. From a distance the pet had looked slightly bulky, unshaven and unclean. From closer Mort saw the ripple of muscle below the baggy shirt, and that the hair was well maintained, preferred to be long. The eyes, something that Troy certainly couldn't have seen from a distance, were a cool blue. Much better than the dark brown that seemed to dominate these walls. Was it possible, perhaps, that there was some sick correlation between eye color and ability to commit a crime? Logically, Mort had to dismiss that fact. But it had been said by some wise man (long dead, Mort was sure), that the eyes are the portals to the soul, or some such thing. Perhaps the reason brown and even black was so prevalent among inmates, even those of Caucasian descent, was the darkness held deep within the soul that allowed such horrors as they committed. Waving this thought from his mind, Mort realized two things. Firstly, he was overthinking the color of a men eyes. Secondly, perhaps the point that really mattered, he found he was himself intrigued by this man whom Troy had claimed. That was simply not kosher. Troy had claimed him already. To try and make a selfish move on the Alpha's pet. Now that was a primal moment, it would result in a fight, and the death of someone who would most certainly not be Troy or the pet. Weighing his options, he chose a response that normally he would not even fathom. Shifting he weights he fell gracefully from the bed. Not graceful like a ballerina or royalty, but with a self-absurdness that spoke of practice and a sort of second nature quality to the move. He stood before the bed, looking over Darius before giving a nonchalant shrug. “You're the target of the leader of this prison.” With a chuckle, Mort realized that could be taken in a weird sort of Harrison Ford, high-stakes thriller.“Not as in the warden has a hit on you, fuck, maybe he does, whatever. The inmate who owns him and everything and everyone else in these walls. You got picked first, sugar.” A dark chuckle escaped as a hand dropped onto Darius's shoulder. The move was more mocking, not aggressive nor particularly inviting of attack, just a lewd imitation of a father telling his son about the birds and the bees, and becoming a man. “You're going to be the talk of the town soon. Or you'll be dead. Really, what the fuck ever-it's none of my concern.” Casting a dark look out the door Mort could see one of the prisoners across the way, another who had been joined by a fresh fish, was already leaning back in his bed with the man between his knees. Typical, that Mort would get the reluctant one.“But Troy wants you. And Troy's going to get you. I have enough sway to put in a good word, but you'd have to sway enough for him to put in a little more than some words.” Running a hand through his hair, Mort passed a dark, sadistic grin to Darius. “But you might have to convince me to put in a good word first, or I can make sure he knows you need to be broken fast and hard. First week in the hole is hell, but if anyone can make it worse, my man Troy can.” His eyes had never strayed away from Mort ever since the guard locked him into his new cell. Darius knew that the slightest vulnerability would be picked up, and he didn't intend to give his cellmate a chance to gain the upper hand on him. If that happened just one time he would never get the respect he deserved and that was unacceptable. He couldn't afford to take his eyes off Mort for one second since he didn't know what he was like, hell for all he knew Mort was just waiting for him to do that. Prison made men unpredictable and showed what people were capable of if pushed hard enough. Prison was new to Darius, but he had a general idea of what to expect, and he wasn't going to submit. Darius tracked his progress as Mort shifted his weight to fall gracefully from the top bunk and his eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to figure out what was going through the other's mind as his cellmate came towards him. Judging from the way he had moved, Darius guessed either he must have been here for a long time or he adapted to new environments incredibly quickly, but he was putting more money on the former. He had that look about him. Naturally the guy was looking at him and Darius expected that, tensing slightly as he prepared for his first confrontation and his expression did not waver when Mort spoke instead of attacking, not letting down his guard." I suppose that's you?" He asked and reacted instinctively when he felt Mort's heavy hand descend on his shoulder, Darius's hand shot up to grab Mort's and with his middle, ring and pinky finger he grabbed his thumb and palm and twisted sharply. In so doing he was able to control Mort's hand since there was no possible way Mort could break free unless he wanted to break his own hand and arm in the process. The thumb after all is the weakest part of the hand and easiest to control, that was a known fact in the world of martial arts and every student was taught that when they first started to learn about self-defense and the more violent types of martial arts. Only stupid people didn't know that. Hell, people who didn't even practice martial arts knew that. Still controlling Mort's hand, Darius twisted it in such a way that he was able to grab his arm as well with his other hand and slammed him up against the cold wall of their cell as strands of his black hair flew into his eyes. He ignored them as best he could even though they were annoying which was why he had always worn a hair tie to prevent this from happening. Oh well, he'd have to get a new one sometime in the near future, most likely once he'd marked his territory he could get someone to find one for him. It was almost fun how Mort could do nothing to stop him unless he wanted to break his arm and hand, martial arts was vicious when it wanted to be wasn't it?" Guess not. A pussy like you wouldn't be the leader of this prison or else you'd have become someone's bitch a long time ago." Darius said with a shake of his head and gave a dark chuckle himself when he heard what Mort and the others of the prison had been saying about him. Pity they would be disappointed, but he didn't give a flying fuck what they thought. Soon enough they would find out he was going to be ruling this joint, and they would be reporting to him instead of whoever it was that was calling himself the 'leader of the prison' whoever the fuck he was. It really was too bad that Mort hadn't been the leader or else he would have achieved his goal right off the bat. Pity. Darius returned his attention to Mort who he was still holding up against the cell wall and leaned forward to whisper into his ear." Think you got that wrong, sugar. I'm not the one who will be the talk of the town, youwill be. Soon it won't even matter because I'll be running this joint." He said with a smirk and added a bit more pressure to Mort's twisted arm and hand, most likely causing extreme pain since arms and wrists weren't meant to be bent this way. Darius raised a brow though when Mort spoke of Troy, and he tilted his head to the side as he thought about the name and what Mort's words had implied. That reminded him he didn't know the name of his cellmate but now wasn't the time to ask, first he needed to know about this Troy. Then when he'd filed that information away he would turn his attention to Mort and find out what he wanted to know about him which was bound to be interesting and Darius wondered how Mort would react to Darius taking control. It wasn't as though he had any choice in the matter, but it would be interesting to see how he took it. Would Darius need to put him in his place time and time again or would Mort finally figure out that it hadn't been luck that had made him able to overcome him?" Sounds like this Troy is quite something, but I'll bet he has more bark than bite. What's he look like and where can I find him?" Darius demanded as he waited for Mort to respond and if the man knew what was good for him, he would answer him soon because otherwise Darius would be required tomakehim. And that was never a pleasant experience. When he lost his temper things became rather ugly and usually ended in the cops being called and a bunch of people to take him down. As far as his knowledge went, he and Mort were alone in their cell and so there would be no one to save the other man from Darius's 'temper tantrum' which was not something that he would probably enjoy. Not at all. Then again, perhaps Mort was a martial artist as well, but Darius didn't think that was likely since he didn't seem to have the body for it, but he could be wrong. Sometimes people didn't look as though they would be able to be something and ended up being very good at that particular thing. Darius hadn't seemed as if he could fight off other men easily, and yet he was easily able to due to his martial arts skills and his insight on vulnerable body parts also came in handy... Mort chuckled, darkly and without much concern. “You'll wish it was me, bub.” He had just long enough to state this before his arm was viciously grabbed and twisted from below him. A quiet grunt escaped his lips in displeasure. It was obvious that this pet-to-be had some training. Troy would be glad to know this, at least. Coming to Troy with a broken arm and explaining that his new pet is a fighter, however... was not something Mort really planned on doing. One thing Mort did have going was a high tolerance for pain. It came with time, given the life he'd had. That kind of life one never mentioned unless they were piss drunk, stoned, or both. And even then it came out as vague, nondescript scenes of abuse. Nothing he'd talk about while sober. Fuck, nothing anyone in this hole would give a shit about, sober or smashed. Well. Maybe Troy. Troy was an odd one. Genius, commanding and dominant. He seemed to have the ability to give a shit though, when it suited him, or he knew the person. It was rare indeed though. Mort had seen it happen twice. And the expression only passed his face for a few seconds before it went back. Those seconds had been enough for Mort to learn all he had to know about Troy. The pressure on his arm was rough, uncomfortable, but nothing that would have him folding. Not yet. Not ever, for this fresh piece of ass. The push against the wall was also something Mort had grown used to. He lent his head back so it was only slightly behind the barrel of his chest, so his head didn't snap into the wall. Once the push stopped he lent his head against the hard brick, to avoid having it flung forward into it. The new pet was strong, and determined, Mort would give him that. Hell. He was someone who would have been in Troys gang, easy, had he not been picked to be the pet. Mort laughed, knowing that would enrage the newbie. There was a dangerous line, where someone was just upset enough to make stupid mistakes, but not so upset as to forget their own safety and just go ape-shit on the other. Mort was going to try and find that line. Mort didn't want to bother going into the topic of what the fuck the pet had just said. Thathewould be the talk of the town, Mort. There was no way that would happen. Being in a scuffle with a fresh fish was common, losing was less so, but still not entirely talk of the tow material. Talk of Troy's gang, sure. Enough to warrant a second beating. The only thing bad enough to become talk of the town about was being fucked. And there was No. Way. In. Hell. That was happening. None. Though the moron was talking about running the join. Raping a few uppers, or even known thugs, within the first few days was a damn good way to start. Pressed firm against the wall, Mort felt his cock touch the hard rock through his pants. That would only happen if it was waking up. There was no fucking way that Mort would be aroused by being thrown against the wall and talked down to by some holier-than-thou newbie cocksucker. His mindfucking screamed this. His body was softly whispering otherwise. The twist in his arm was enough to distract him, and made him release a soft grunt of discomfort. He was still faring rather well against the obvious pain pulsating up his arm. Each pulse from his heart sent the blood along the twisted veins and pressed at his skin, sending fire to the tips of his fingers. Defiant as ever, Mort laughed against the brick. The sound was slightly muffled by his cheek being pressed against it, and from his mental blocking out of the pain rising in his arm. “You don't find Troy. Troy finds you.” He words were a sharp hiss, still quiet. He didn't need to bring attention to himself right now. Furthermore, he did not want an audience. Not the way things were going. Inhaling a sharp breath, Mort forced out another laugh against the wall. “Youmightbe able to take me down, but even if you do, Troy's got strength. And numbers.” His weight shifted from both legs to one, so he was leaning in the same direction as the twisting arm, better able to hold it steady. “Unless you like the idea of gang fucks. Right now we all got orders that you're Troy's property, but if you fuck with him, I'm pretty damn sure you'll be the new group fuck toy.”“Or maybe that's what you're going for, Hun. Is that it? Youlikesuckin' em while being fucked?” Now he was just going for the anger, trying to make the fish lose his mindset and give a way in, a weakness. Mort's foot, the one he'd shifted the weight off of, shot back like a piston, landing square on the knee of his attacker. (was no pushover either or else he couldn't hope to survive in prison, much less become the leader of the place. There were plenty of fresh fish who came in every day and those who couldn't take pain ended up as pets, were found dead in the showers or died from knife wounds. While those with fighting ability became members of one of the gangs that could be found in any prison, depending on who they impressed. Darius could tell that Mort had a fairly high pain tolerance judging from how he reacted when he greeted his new cellmate in the violent way prisoners respected. He hadn't tried to hurt him very much though since Mort didn't represent much of a threat to him at least not now, and so he didn't expect Mort to give in at first. Darius hadn't even been trying to make it hurt. This had served as a kind of test to see what sort of tolerance Mort had so he could figure out how to effectively take him out without killing him accidentally in the process for he thought the guy might be useful later on. If he were dead or incapacitated he would be of no use, so Darius had to make sure he didn't go too far and end up breaking bones. Then again, accidents did happen and if he lost his temper he wasn't sure how badly Mort would get beaten up for there was no question in his mind that he wouldn't win whatever fight he started, that much was for certain. For now, he would simply be as light as he could be without making it seem as if he were a pansy for Darius didn't want Mort or anyone else to know how skilled he really was unless someone said something to piss him off. No one knew what Darius's past was or what he had done before he'd been taken off to prison. Yes, he'd lived a fairly normal life but what was 'normal' for him might not be 'normal' for the rest of the population, those who actually lived a charmed life. He hated those types for they complained about things they had no right complaining about since they were blessed with great things, but they were too vain and arrogant to realize what they had until it was either too late or someone or something threatened it. Darius narrowed his eyes when Mort suddenly started to laugh, but he hadn't really said anything that he wanted to defend so he let it go for now but his cellmate should watch what he said from now on. If Mortdidmanage to badmouth something he cared about - which would be hard - Darius would not go easy on him and Mort had not seen what he was capable of, nor did he know his story. All he probably knew was that he was supposedly a 'fresh fish' that had been 'chosen' by Troy who was apparently the leader of the prison, a title that Darius would eventually hold. That was all anyone needed to know. Darius wasn't a very sociable or talkative man and didn't intend to start once he held the coveted title of leader in this prison and his thoughts returned to his cellmate who he was still pressing roughly up against the cold hard wall of their cell." Huh. You know what I think? I think'gonna be the one that finds him first, and you can tell him that the 'fresh fish' he had his eye on is no longer available. But if he's really that desperate for holes to fuck, he can have yours after I'm done with it. It will be my treat to Troy." Darius told Mort with a smirk on his face, a bit surprised that prison was actually not that bad and quite a bit of fun if you knew how to play your cards right. He wasn't the type of guy that liked male sex since he wasn't gay or even bi but here in prison it seemed that was how the system worked, and so he would take full advantage of it until he got to the top and then make a decision. To see if continuously raping fellow prisoners was worth it or if a new system should be developed instead to take its place. Darius chuckled as Mort tried to scare him by telling him that Troy had strength and numbers and shrugged as though it were no big deal at all. "Whatever. I live in the here and now and do whatever I want. Let's face it, you might end up dead any minute, why not live life to the fullest?" Darius said and ignored when Mort went off on Darius being a fuck toy again for it wasn't relevant at all to him, not in the least. He felt the subtle change in balance when Mort shifted his weight from both legs to one and knew that his cellmate was going to try and attack, and he welcomed it for he could do with some exercise. Darius was tempted to let him go but knew that until he established some sort of ground rules it wasn't wise even though he was sure he could take him on. So as Mort shifted his weight and used his foot to try and kick back at him, Darius simply stepped closer to Mort and turned his leg slightly so that he was exposing his shin muscle instead of his knee. He took the kick to that particular area and barely even flinched for he was used to getting hit. Darius grabbed hold of Mort's neck with his free hand and slammed the other man down onto the coldness of the floor of the cell they were in. "Pity I'm not really one of those fresh fish with no pain tolerance at all. You would have been able to take me down in a second. I guess you're just fucking unlucky and your luck's about to get worse ... bitch." Darius said with a grin and twisted Mort's arm further up his back until he could feel the strain and knew going any further would dislocate his shoulder and possibly snap the bone in his arm. He got on top of Mort and sat down on him as his free hand undid his pants to take out his cock which was slightly hard by now and he sighed. Darius would worry about that later once he got Mort's pants off first. His free hand worked at undoing the other male's pants and slid them down a bit to reveal what he wanted to see, and he chuckled, placing his dick near his destination. Darius rubbed it around the general area as he teased Mort, wanting to see how the other would take this. "Where's your tongue now, huh? Have you finally realized that your true place is being my bitch?" He demanded and pulled up on Mort's arm harshly, wanting the other to speak to him. Darius would rule this prison, it was only a question of time. Grinding his teeth together, Mort spat at the ground. It landed to the side of them both, obviously from his angle he couldn't manage the more popular spitting on his boot or in his face, but for now it would do. All it was-all prison was, when one got down to it, was posturing. Seeing how far above the shit one cold hold themselves, and watch those that fell in the shit, knowing they'd be easier to push back in and use as stepping stones. Mort had yet to be anyone stepping stone, save for one. But that was not really rape-no, Mort was not a homo, no. It wasn't that he had any sort of sexual thing for Troy, though he suspected that maybe-maybe Troy was a fag. Not one of those Richard Simmons bullshit dancing faerie types, though. More like the Neil Patrick Harris, I can still get more girls than you type. He was gay, but not queer, if that made any sense. That or he'd adapted to prison life so well he forgot how nice a good pussy could be. He forgot about breasts. Though how a straight man could forget breasts was beyond him. The only time Mort had gone down in this prison was for Troy, and it was a respect thing, not force, not really. Mort knew it would get him ahead, get in a name in the place, hell ya. But he knew that it would get him close to Troy. More important. Troy was even kind of nice about the whole thing. Mort had seen him with some of the others, he'd just grab their hair and push them into place until he was done with them. He could sure as hell work that angle.“I think you're in for a hell of a surprise, little bitch. Trust me, Troy ain't no pussy.” He hissed bitterly, his cheek still firmly against the wall. He could still feel his semi brushing against the wall, and cursed it. All the while his arm stung, and he ignored it. The extra pull made it hard to ignore, he could feel the muscles and tendons pulling painfully, stretching in ways they were never intended to stretch. He scene a broken arm in his future and he didn't care. That was a hell of a lot better than giving in, still. It would also keep him away from the ridicule until it toned down a bit. Having your arm fucked up by your fish cellmate wasn't exactly a good path to respect-not for Mort, at least. But having your arm fucked up was better than having something else fucked. Something that Mort scene was about to be attempted. No. Fucking. Way. The tabled turned, fast, and hard. Before Mort really grasped his position, he could feel Darius's semi-hard member against his ass crack. His own cock twitched to life, but his mind stayed unwilling. The yank on his arm made him grunt, a throaty, bitter sound that barely made it to Darius's ears, let alone to any other cell. Silence was key now. Silence was life and limb and reputation now. Being fucked was bad, terrible, but only if he could prove it. A lack of witnesses made it hard to prove. The yanking on his arm made it hard to stay silent. But he could tell. He could fucking tell that this bitch wanted him to talk-fuck, maybe to beg or to plead with him. No. No. No. That was not fucking happening. Instead, Mort did something quiet, near impossible to hear. He chuckled. Deeply and bitterly, he began his silent laughing. It would infuriate the man. But at least then he wouldn't win. He wanted Mort to talk. If more kept his mouth shut, even when being fucked, it was still a victory for Mort. Or a tie. Once the small fit of laughter had subsided, Mort retook his silence, and held it firmly between clenched teeth. Even as he could feel the pulse of the other mans cock as it pressed towards his entrance. His ass clenched up in response, unwilling to make this easy. An unused, virgin, clenched ass? That was one hard thing to fuck, no matter how strong a man was. Darius didn't care if anyone saw them. Not this time at any rate, for this was his welcoming gift to Mort and if others saw them together, or they didn't, who cared? This wouldn't be the only time he'd fuck Mort, and he had already decided the next time would be in front of a crowd, and he smirked thinking about it, this guy thought he was big and bad when he was simply a pussy. But prison was made for the strong, so even if you weren't you had to pretend you were or else you were dog food. He thought about the women in his hometown and made a face for they weren't that great, only the men were, but that was because they were fighters that could hold their own. Indeed, Darius would have more of a challenge fighting someone there than he would with any white guy like Mort or Troy in prison, then again he hadn't met Troy. Women who lived in nicer areas tended to be quite attractive and those were the type that Darius liked, but there were no women in here. So he had to make do with whatever he had around. Unfortunately, that meant men and he sighed, shaking his head. When he ruled this place he would see if the current tradition worked better or a different way, but first he had to get up there, and he knew it might be rather difficult. Especially since he didn't know what to expect from the 'leader' and hadn't met the guy. Darius actually laughed out loud when Mort told him that Troy was different and that he wasn't a pussy."Oh, so I take it that means you consider yourself a pussy because I'm going to fuck you in a sec? Earlier you were calling me one, what made you change your mind?" He asked Mort with a smirk on his face. Unknowingly he had attracted the attention of a few prisoners from across the way with his laugh, and they began to try and see what was going on. No one usually laughed from that corner of the block unless it was Mort himself and that laugh hadn't sounded like Mort and so it was cause for interest. What was going on over there? Darius still had control of that arm, and he heard Mort start to laugh, silently and bitterly, and it did infuriate him, but he didn't want to kill the guy for it was too soon. He didn't want to have that sort of reputation yet. So he gritted his teeth and a bit down on his lip rather hard as he sought to control himself, his semi-hard cock pressing insistently up against Mort's unused entrance. Three seconds passed and Darius suddenly and unexpectedly slapped the other male across the face rather hard as he spat down at the clenched hole a couple of times, lubing it up as best he could and then did the same to his own cock. Once it was somewhat lubed - although it was a bit dry still - Darius positioned his dick at Mort's entrance once again and forcefully shoved himself inside the small hole awaiting him. It was hard going, but he used quite a bit of strength to achieve his goal. After what seemed like a complete minute he managed to get the head inside. Once the head was inside it was only a matter of time until the rest of him fit. Darius chuckled as he forcefully thrust the rest of himself inside Mort and let out a loud groan for anyone nearby to hear as he raised his voice. "Bet you're dying inside, huh, Mort?" Yes, he knew Mort's name because it had been spoken earlier by one of the guards who had passed on his rounds. Darius thought if he used his name it would make things a bit more personal. "Have you ever been fucked by a 'fresh fish' before? How does it feel? Damn, you're tight!" He asked as he thrust deeper into the body beneath him, enjoying dominating the other male. He wasn't as good as a chick because chicks had breasts, but he had to admit the tightness was even better than a female's. There were some good things about guys he supposed although if he had to choose, he would still prefer a woman.

Fight for Dominance (Saku and MusicNeverDies)|rating:3.0

Love House - Open for applications.. _looking for dates&g

Welcome Loves! Allow us to introduce ourselves, We Semi and Smith are the managers and owners of this lovely Host club. We are currently seeking for masters of this lovey-dovey House club. Let us take you in a tour through our sweet place, you are currently in the Lobby Area, please take a map to know your way around, and please enjoy your stay!^^ Rules: - Men Guinness must be followed - PG 13 - You must post frequently or tell us if you're going to be away - After 2 months of disappearance your host will lose all his status. - Posts that do not belong to the RP must be contained in [] - It's required to have an image and description for your hostess - We don't do the art for your character, unless you want us to do it for a small fee. - It doesn't have to be art. It could be dolls made a doll maker or something - For guidance of your hostess status go to. Second post (Might add more) ---House club Map-- 1. Lobby =Sgt; Intro, Index camp; General Rules. 2. Dorms - Rooms of Bishies 3. Masters Hall - Owners. 4. Love Room - Status. 5. Suites - Frequent Clients. 6. Accessories - Convenience store. 7. Tea Room - Showroom. DORMS - WISHES ROOM Welcome to the lovely dorms of our hostess, there are several types of hostess to choose, it totally up to you how your hostess is and acts. HOW TO HAVE A HOSTESS. To have a hostess you must do a short description, give him a name, an attitude (cocky, cool, nerdy, cute, girly, etc.), body type (built, skinny, etc.), desired future as hostess(ladies man, cute camp; shy bishie, prince-like, drag queen, etc.), and give a pic of him to be able to see your hostess. The pic can be Art, Doll, sketch or anything that shows him physically, you don't have to give it intermediately, it can be given when you have it so we can do the status card. DEVELOPMENT OF HOSTESS. The development of your bishie to become the desired future as a hostess is going to be measured by the dates he brings and by being true to his attitude with his date Just-Baked Hostess (level 1): 0–10 dates. Quite the Donut Hostess (Level 2): 10–25 dates. Hot Chocolate-Cake Hostess (level 3): 25–45 dates. ((After finishing this stage a surprise for you!!!! From the Funders)) Hot-Pancake Hostess (level 4): 45–70 dates. Ultimate Extreme-Chocolate-Brownie Hostess (Ultimate level): 70–100 dates. ((After finishing this stage BIG SURPRISE for you!!! From the Funders)) BRINGING DATES. Your hostess will have status cards for the Clients to see and check their levels, and personality so they can choose a date to have fun! Also, you can invite friends to have dates with your Hostess. The same person can have unlimited dates with your hostess, but it's limited to one per day As a Note you can change the pic of your Hostess as many times you want, but he has to keep looking as your description, and he can look more mature as the pics change or stay the same age, he can never look younger Sgt;Lt; like real growing If you have any doubt please free to ask! Sgt;Walt; ----------- MASTER HALL Hello doll, welcome to our master hall, here you can see our precious owners who train their boys to become the greatest Lt;3. -Currently: -Smith -Semi -Colors -Italian If you want to join pm us or post herewith this form filled: Code: IWANTAABISHIEE Your name: [fill here] His name: [fill Hera] Attitude: [fill here] Body type: [fill here] Age: [fill here] Wannabe: [fill here] Art Status: [fill here//like pending. Etcc] LOVE ROOM [Here will be the status cards with all the picture with info and their dates by the side of your hostess soon there will be examples] Soon to have a Card Master's Name:Kokomo Hostess Name: Kokomo Attitude: Cool-girly or kinda preppy. Body type: Sexy! (slender) Age: 17 Wannabe: cool Sound technician or DJ Art Status: Done. Master's Name: Kiarakiara Hostess Name: Grady Attitude: Very geeky but smart Body type: Weirdo, skinny Age: 18 Wannabe: A Well known popular boy Art Status:Cant do art ---------------- FREQUENT CLIENTS Hi dears~! Here the most important thing is our clients, here's a special place for you to see them. - - - ACCESSORIES ROOM Hello dear Masters, here are the current accessories that you can choose as an example to accessioning your hostess in the picture and giving him a look of what he is to become^0^ or his progress, or you can put them next to him to point out what kind of hostess he is! It's all up to you! This section is to give ideas, also if you have ideas of new accessories feel free to tell us! Sgt;Walt; Lt;3 -------------------- Showroom: Got a gallery for you BOY??? - - - Open now! >you're Welcome to start applications >0We will update with our own applications tomorrow^^Or you can become a Master of one, and teach them the ways of Charm people ^.- IWANTAABISHIEEYour name: Smith His name: Smithies Attitude: Very Girly, flashy, cute, and loves skirts. Can be serious at times. Body type: Skinny and his height is average 1.70, has pink hair the length can change from short (lower than the ear) to his hips. Age: 17 Wannabe: A cute cross-dresser loved by girls and boys Lt;3 Art Status: Currently Coloring IWANTAABISHIEEYour name: Italian His name: Edward Attitude: Shy, but headstrong. Smart and honest. Will be competitive/cocky at times when flustered. Stubborn but he has good manners. Body type: Skinny, Average for his age. Age: 16 Wannabe: An use. Art Status: Sketching! O: [*3*;; Hugh] *At the entrance a young boy with pink hair welcome her* Welcome Lina, come on in, I see you bring your application as Master, Thank you for Joining I'll start working in the office the papers for your new boys" [Should I role-play has myself or the hostess? Sgt;3<;; -not sure-OR BOTH. 8DDD; -hotshot-] [Lol!! You can RP as both, when you want to be the master be it, or be the hostess >0"Come here boy, I want you to met Lina and her boy Edward"Kanji comes by walking in a sloppy cool way "Yo!" "Oh! I heard a new voice! *shows suddenly* Hello there lovely! Welcome to welcome, Helene He is my dear hostess Smithies *brings the pink haired boy close to her* I hope you enjoy the place"*Smithies Smiles* [8D okay, that's what I thought then. Lt;333, thank you. Sgt;Walt;] "Everyone is so nice to us. *tears up with joy* Thank you! *dramatic* Oh, my, well this is Edward. He's. Basically a dork. Say hello Edward!" Lina smiles and pushes Edward forward. Edward looks away from everyone and mumbles the word, 'Hi' from his lips. "Well hello there Edward and Smithies -Kanji smiles-welcome I guess, I'm new myself so let's get to know this place better and. Eachother" *hint hint* "GOOD, you'll be a good one doll" says Semi "WWW he is such a sweetie *takes Edwards face and kisses him in the cheek* you'll make Lina very proud"*Smithies miles* "Hi, would you like to see the dorms so you can choose one, Mine is pink! It's soon pretty like cotton candy!" [It will be just RAI since I am no good... XD] /peeks in through the door/ o3o "Harry?" Edward nods and ignores the fact that he was kissed on the cheek. "Dorms?" He had such an awkward atmosphere around him. Lina frowned and patted Edward on the back. "Don't worry, Ed, you'll do fine. I'm taking off now! Take care of this boy, will you? And feel free to tease him *wink wink*" Lina strode out of the room. Edward was left dumbfounded. "She left." [I edited. DDD] "Huh?.. -turns over-Hey their! what are you doing there? Come over here" -Kanji lifts RAI- *Smithies waves*"Oh wow another new face! Welcome >w*Smithies eyes shine* Oh he's a little boy so cute! *smiles happily* huh? Andy! Don't carry them! >"I had a cake before I came." n___n /clings to Kanji/ "My name is Haiku Jin!" *Smithies gets angry at Andy for stealing the newcomers* "Hey I'll be taking Edward *steals Edward from Andy and runs to the dorms* We'll show you the place around, come on Andy!!!"" Take care boys! Remember to bring some dates!!" *Smith smiles gently* "Pfft You perv" -Stares at Smithies and "YO my name is K Y A N D I"-blushes- "Yo~ RAI. You're too cute -juggles- I want to keep you to myself and don't let you get any client [8DDDDD] what room would you like? There's pink room, obviously hoarded by Smithies and Gray room is mine, what room would you like? You too Eddie" "*nobles on Kanji* Utah~! *holds on for life*" Edward blinks several times and blushes just a bit. A bit shocked from Andy's lick. "That wasn't ....nice!" "But thanks you two. Um, Hi Haiku-kun. I'm Edward. Nice to meet you." "Sorry dude, just my way of greeting you -grins- now let's head over to the dorms psst watch out for Smithies PERV" -puts them back on the ground- "Here, hold my hand little RAI""Let's show them Smithies dear" "Hi hi Edward! It's nice to meet you too!" /big grin/ "Oh! I don't know, any room is okay with me! My favorite room is the kitchen." XD /follows Kanji/ "WWW that's so cute! You like to cook Haiku? "Yo, Ed" -holds waist too- "You need to find a room too, I figure you like books" -whispers to the ear- "so your room will be next to mine, lots of books for late nights" "Yes! I love to bake and then eat all the sweets. It's very yummy. I can share with you when I bake!" [I am going out to get job apply. =(] [MPH. I am not leaving yet XD YAY] /gasp! "Wash! This is so cool!" /sparkle eyes/ "Hamm. I like soft rainbow colors" ^ of Edward smiles back at Haiku and shakes off Kanji's 'greeting'. "I hope we can become good friends, everyone." "Umm, for a room, it wouldn't really matter! Just a comfortable place." Ed tries to tug away from Kanji's grasp. [ROFL. D8< I cannot role-play. Here's Edward's picture: -clings to CC- ; o ;] "Cool, Helene I love cakes too but semi doesn't feed me many sweets. She says I get hyperactive" -sad face- "but I'll sneak for some""Ok~! I'll paint your room! I hope you like dear little one" -hugs-[[BRB, guys. 8DDD ♥] "WWW rainbow colors so cute! We'll tell our masters to color your room"*Smithies miles as he's holding Edward's waist*" Well then, besides my room is a really comfy bedroom, it has this nice comfortable bed and bath tub^0^ you can stay there, and what colors you choose?" *guides him next to his room* "WWW Kanji is going to be sad now -emokyandi- "he well No worries, we're all cool cats here" -smiles- . "Go to Smithies then, hmph!" -corner/sulk-[EDISSOHOTTTT I missed that post] "Oh you are so dramatic! ... *rolls eyes* So you like your room Edward?"" That's awesome idea! We should do a painting day! >0[Oh! Okie >colors what are you applying for?] "Woah yea we could do that, let's go get paint" -goes off to buy paint--after several hours- "back~!, Look at all the colors I got. Now we can paint everything" -spanks smithies- "let's get to work"[bye cc lots of luck] "Oh wow that's a lot of paint!" /helps carry the paint/ "BUU heavy" *3* [8D Quickly It's so hard to work on this computer because of the windows shinning. O-o /glares at screen/ *A*] [Work as a waiter at a sushi restaurant. 3 My original plan to be a camp counselor.well uh I was too late. LOLOL] [I finished my sketch Smithies x.x... but I don't know he looks weird I might do a more mature non-chili drawing x.x. Don't kill me;;;Here Pic] "Don't carry much paint dear one at the time I don't want you to get hurt sweetie" *Helps to carry the paint too*[Oh! That's so great! XDDD Helene you can steal recipes and Susie oh!! Hahaha and your Charlie looks so cute "Sweetheart it will slow your growth you know" -smiles-"Oh wow, you all got gorgeous portraits, I'll go tell master to work on them, semi is so lazy" -turns away and bumps into someone-"Who is lazy you say?"... *evil grin*"HHH new one, just eh. OH LOOK, gorgeous pics eh? Everyone I so cute I want them for myself, eh. Yea..." -runs always scared//hides behind RAI-"He, he better treat you guys well ok? Tell me if you need something, I'll be at the lab *crazy maniac* "Don't worry! I am strong!" /pushes sleeves up/ Sgt;OLT;~! [:D My makes' sushi so it's all good. I just need monies, so I am going to work at some random restaurant. I find it funny how it's a Japanese restaurant and my mom might work in an expensive sushi restaurant in New York. Lolol, Thank you! 3 He was hard to see when I was trying to color him. /notes all the errors in the picture/ o3o] "Oh poor Kanji just got scared from the evil Semi *juggles* ... she sometimes loses her mind [email protected]"[Ha hahaha it should be fun, I would like to work in a Jap restaurant] "WWW -snugs- ok I'll let you" -stares at huge walls... "So. Let's get started... -changes into jumper suit- PAINT" -splatters paint like crazy-"Yo, Smith be careful with my master >O she might be behind you"-someone throws a pillow to Smithies- o.o[ahh that's cool ; ; CC must teach semi *steals sushi skills*] "Was! ’D This is going to be so much fun!" Haiku picks up a roller, but looks around a bit confused. "Whose room is this?" o3o [Haha I don't know how to make sushi. I can ask my mom, but HHH /lazy/] "HHH yours? x3 rainbow?" -looks puzzled-... "maybe not hehehehe" -stop paint splatter-[I can make simple sushi DDD nothing too elaborate ha I suck] "OH. 8D Okay. How do we make it all rainbow? I never painted walls before. Only cakes! ^ Of" [SEE Semi is better than I. ’D I don't know anything! All I can do is fan the sushi rice for my mom. LOLOL] "Hume I don't know //laughs//.... we just. Brush all over the colors? Hehe I guess it is like coloring a cake... pudding~!"... //shot// "or something?"" Maybe we should ask Smithies... he has experience with make up" "Ugh! I just got white *cries until he hears RAI say cakes* Wow you painted cakes! That's impressive *smirks a little* he-he so >.> what about making some cakes after painting? née? Sounds yummy!""Yeah, it can be like coloring a cakey >0=o "Putting makeup on is the same as painting a wall? Wow, I never knew!" "8DDD Yay that will be loads of fun!" [Haiku is dumb. DDD...well I didn't know what was make up until Lt;Lt;; ;Sgt;Sgt; So I guess I was dumb too. I learned what use is a week or two ago. 8D /shot/] "I guess it is? Hehehe I'm always wearing make up myself but. Not as colorful as Smithies dear""Weegee~!" -Starts putting make up paint in the wall "We're so pimping you"[hahaha Voodoo he's so cute" OOO. Make up tastes bad. =(The non-tasty ones. Lt;/3" -EEP!- "Not that I tried to eat it before when I was younger!" -waves arms around- @[email protected]//// [I wasn't sure what makeup was until like 6th grade. I always though people just had that extra sparkle or something. 8D; Eyeliners hurt. ;o; My friend tried to put some on me onetime, WWW never again. .-. WWW lipstick. Lt;/3 CC doesn't like lipstick. U__u] "Weeeeeeeh!!! *takes some clear blue and starts painting a corner* Cheese this is so much fun! Cakeys!!"[LOL!!!] "Well I use cherry gloss lipstick so it tastes good" -smooches RAI-"Helene I did~! And now. I make up every day"-paints waaalllss- YAY[ROFL I always kinda new I guess XDDD my mother kept telling me what it was and blah blah I saw her putting make up all the time XDD, I tried lipstick sometime ; ; but eh I always forget, and it's sticky and gross add, but I do like tasting it x___x, eyeliner is funny X3 two~~! "Well I do like the taste of lipstick >0.> I'm an addict @[email protected]" *keeps painting* "I wonder if some dates will come soon"[Yeah eyeliner rocks! @[email protected]Helene it doesn't hurt, if you do it right, it must be because she pressed your eye with it x.x... Archie, crew hey BRB I'll be blackies later Hoodoo! I need to get ready XD] "Why do you use make up? I like the sprinkles because it looks like stars on peoples face. ////" Haiku takes his roller and sticks it in the tray to get some paint. -squishsquishsquish- "Its so squishy!" Haiku turns around, but slips on the newspaper on the floor. ";__; Ouch." [Lipstick is sticky! D: ewwwwww. Sgt;Lt; HAH. My fa butt ring skills. I try and fail. I end up hurting my character. XD;;] "Ha, NYU Smithies dear lipstick is not nice... only flavored ones""AHHHH Careful!!!! -catches before crashing but kills a buckle of paint on the way- "Are you ok???" "Sorry. Now your room has yellow painting in the floor"[YES let's kill lipstick >___ROFL, but it's cutteeeee fits your Charlie somehow] "Y-yea. Hah sorry, I am too clumsy. Lt;/3 Thank you." Haiku looks at Kanji and opens his mouth wide. "Ahh! Now we are covered in paint!" o-o [Lt;Lt; I was squirming because I don't like to make up Sgt;Sgt; LOL It's my fault. XDDD Lt;/3] -Kanji thinks CUMULATE- "Sure, no problem" *pats RAI blushing a little* "Sorry I got us all messy but..."-turns in a crazy way "HEHEHEHE... Smithies is the only one... who is clean now" *shows a bucket of paint*[ROFL you take your anger on poor RAI //weird sounds come from the door//"HUH?.. I wonder... what that is.?" says Kanji "ERP! I don't mind at all! Furthermore, I fell and you helped me. U__u///" Haiku watches Kanji throw some paint at Smithies. O___o "EEP!" /giggles a little/ [... :D NO I DON'T... /cough/] "Helene" *pets RAI* "Hide behind me. I think it is..."/////CRASH/////NYAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA"Guess what loves, I finally got your ID cards I was working on them at the lab and ohohohohoho~! Well anyway here they are" -She hands IDs to everyone I hope you guys like it love it whatever OHOHOHOHO, K Y A N D EEE funny, be nice to everyone OR... heheheheheheheh catch this funny" -eco laugh- *throws stuff at Kanji*////Disappears in the dark////*shivers*... "Crazy" mumbles "oh... IDs [No. You don'tTodd BRB shower] Haiku takes Kanji's advice and hides behind him. "Oh was! Our IDs! I look silly." /smiles/ [/cough cough/ shhh /cough/ Mackay! I have to go melt chocolates. Lt;33] -- [I go to the library now =(] "Kyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! *Screams loudly* I just got... grrrrrrr you Kanji!!! *glares at him evil then sees puff from nowhere Master Semi* o.o... huh? Whey...?"*before he asks anything she starts babbling and goes in another puff* "@[email protected]She's so weird... but. Omg! Let me see! >.> I want to see my cardie! >0[I'M BACK. LOL. D8< ID'S! OMG... what happened? DDD -too lazy to read all of that jazz] IWANTAABISHIEEYour name: [fill here] Kiarakiara His name: [fill Hera] Grady Attitude: [fill here] Very geeky but smart Body type: [fill here] Weirdo, skinny Age: [fill here] 18 Wannabe: [fill here] A Well known popular boy Art Status: [fill here//like pending. Etcc]Cant do art "Oh Dear Welcome I'm Smith, Helene you're can pass and look around, thanks for applying *rings a bell to call them*[@Lina: XDDD we got the ID cards for the hostess, and we are currently painting RAI's Room in Rainbow colors >wand seems we got an application! XD yay!@kiarakiara: Hi welcome, for the art stuff, you need to get a graphic view of your Charlie, might it be a doll from a website or request for art >[sorry the RP died sorta. ; O ; but I have to go to bed NAO. Good night! [LOLOLOL. I came back from the library thinner, and I just went to take a nap and I ended up sleeping until morning. D: I shall come back when I come from my last day of school! DDD] [:DD!! Yaaay for last day of schools. [WEEE! XDDD Helene vacations! >w.> hope everyone is too] "You are silly Smithies! You are gorgeous!" /hugs back/ XD "Hay! You got my nose~! Lt;3" :D Haiku hears the bell, "Hey I think someone is calling us!" =o [I am back! And with my horrid ring skills! YAYAYAAYY :3] -- [Of! I am going to a friend's house to sleep over! HOME. My parents never let me sleep over a school friend's house! Sgt;OLT; Lt;3333 I AM SO HAPPY. YAY /jumps around/ Then club at school tomorrow. Lt;/3 But it's alright. 3 I hope my Korean friend is there so I can ask him to help me on my essay! ’D See you!] "WWW you are so cute thanks you are nice T. T *hears the bell too* Oh @[email protected]yeah one of the masters is calling us >[Lol! Wb and I think you're pretty good at RP X3 congrats in the sleepover >0[HA I DIED for a day XDDDDahhh so cool "Future" Haiku grins. "Come on let's go quickly so we can come back and paint some more!" Haiku tugs Smithies's and Kanji's arms. XDD Lt;3 [Aww same here, but some of my friends can't come over to my house for the same reason. =(.... Its thunderstorm here. I don't like thunder that much. ;o; /shivers/] "Okay *whine* Let's go v.v... but yeah quickly so we can paint some more! X3 hehehehe *starts to run to the salon* weeded! who gets first gets a cool new outfit!" *runs like hell*[WWW T. T well I do like them, but they are evil, taking electricity away so no PC T_T, but it's fun to put many candles here and there XD] IWANTAABISHIEEYour name:Kokomo His name: Kokomo Attitude: Cool-girly or kinda preppy. Body type: Sexy! (slender) Age: 17 Wannabe: cool Sound technician or DJ Art Status: p-p-pending!!! Currently "paint"ING. ((Okay I finished. Here ya go! Walks in to hear a bell. "What's this?!?" he walks over to wear the noise is coming from. "Oh I heard a voice *runs to the hall to see a pretty guy standing looking for something* Hello there! Welcome oh you have an application too, He is Haiku, Kanji, and Edward, and I'm Smithies, we are all hostess here, masters will be here soon to get your application and welcome you, what's your name?" *gives a big pretty smile*[Thanks for entering the RP!^^ welcome Helene we'll get you soon an ID card with your image *0* I like it X3 hehehehe] "Oh yea?! I RACE YOU" Haiku speeds up to catch up with Smithies. XD Haiku then stops with Smithies because of the new person. "Hi hi!" [the raining was scary. ;o; and now I hurt my foot bad. U___u It hurts to move it, walk on it, do anything with it! ____;] "RAI he's so sweet looking *smirks* don't you think RAI?" *hugs RAI because he was so cute saying hi, hi* "Come with us, we are painting for now the Room of RAI, and you'll get your own room here too"[T_T WWW sorry poor little foot, how did you get hurt? >[Edward is dead here. T A T;; CC~ DX it was raining really hard here too~ -hides-] [Hi Lina! >w((Thanks glad you like the pic. It was done in paint and was a pain to do on the graphite. Grrrr!!! And thanks for letting me join the RP ^_^ and ya the rain scared me too. I got over it after watching the weather network channel and listened to how there's going to be severe thunderstorms and tornadoes and floods in Saskatchewan. Sucks to be in south Saskatchewan!)) "YAY!!! Nice to meet you Kokomo [[WWW I do like rain, and to go out and get wet and run XD it's so cool!... T. T we just get weird look because we are not children anymore v.v...]] "Nice to meet you too Smithies" he smiles at her. Then Kokomo stumbles as the sudden tug from smithies's hand drags him forward. "Uh. Okay." he soon catches up to smithies's speed and attempts to race. "I'm going to beat you both if you don't hurry up!" he laughs because he is having so much fun.((I love the rain too. Its even more cool and fun to watch from a drive through window. Lol stick your head out the window and rain pummels on your visor rim. Lol It's so much fun! But ya I enjoy randomly singing and dancing in rain too! oh, and have you ever jumped on a trampoline in the rain. Lol! Awesome! oh, and I think that lots of people are still children at heart and It's not exactly illegal to act like a child so what the heck! Who cares what others think! Go jump in puddles with your yellow rain boots and wonder back inside muddy and soaked from leaving your umbrella and hat somewhere. It just shows you had fun! And if you laugh lots while having fun you just extended your life a bit as well as getting exercise and fresh air which is awesome! So what! Go jump around and dance and sing in the rain next time. Who knows one day there may not be a rain fall for a while unless you like to live on the coast or something. Lol go be crazy and enthusiastic about life!)) "Hahaha yeah right! *sarcastic tone* We'll beat ya! *takes RAI in a piggy ride and runs like hell* "WHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! I'm very good at running! I had to learn when people chased me to take my precious dresses off! They were so mean!" *tears come out while running*[[Ha hahaha yeah! That's how I think! yeah, if I have fun jumping in the rain or doing stuff that's "immature" (it isn't, but that's how they classify it) >WW[email protected]he moaned in pain but didn't move he only twitched a few times.((ya your right. it's not immature its fun. And people are allowed to have fun. Just not get out of control. At my work we're all immature but where I'm applying I have to be mature. *sigh* life six when you never got to be a child)) -Kanji rushes in half breathing- "Hey there everyone!" -sighs- "Master kept going shop crazy with me, I barely came here to sleep... so I haven't seen you guys" -cries- "I brought presents!" -hands RAI a cute apron and baking books- "I hope you like it little one" -goes to Ed and hands over lots of books and a AOI manga- "Enjoy!, Now my dearest" -goes to Smithies- "I know you'll like this" -hands over a whip and handcuffs- "Huff... I'm exhausted"...-hears a voice in the middle of his hallucination- "HEY! I hadn't seen you here!" -holds Kokomo's hand- "pleased to meet you, my name is kanji" -smooches hand- "I hope you like it here so far. Huu I don't have anything since I didn't know you... but here have some CDs" -dances- "Now I should really sleep, I have such an inhuman master" -goes to sleep-[[AHHH welcome Kokomo~~~ I'll work in your ID tomorrow XDDD I'm indeed going to sleep now, thanks for joining!]] He looks at the CD's in his hand after Kanji walked off. And then he looked at his hand "What... What was that for?" he blushed a little when kanji kissed his hand. He looked at everyone else smiling at their gifts. He looked off in the distance and thought about what just happened. ((um... Hello? -room echos-Anyone here? -Kokomo gets frightened by sound of echo. :shock: - W-Where is everyone?!?)) "Yay!!!" *Smithies cries in joy* "Wow I've wanted ones since so long" *teary dramatic eyes* "Well I guess you're kinda right is getting late Kanji, we should go to sleepy time >w((Well I don't know... sorry if I disappeared, I'm dying in school stuff x.x... but I'll be posting at least once a day... sorry to have left this all empty T_T)) "HUH? No, he can't sleep with you, I just gave you a whip and handcuffs! Only Mr. Foggy knows what you might do to him!, He's going with me" -clings to Kokomo's arm and sticks tongue at smith-[[AHHH me too... I kinda forgot to log, and I replied several times here, but it always ended up crashing, so I stopped XDDDD but hopeful it won't this time]] "Um... Guys?" he somewhat blushed at he 2 hanging off him. He really didn't know what to do. He wanted to stay with Smithies because she asked first but if he did then kanji would be mad at him. And if he stayed with kanji then smithies would be mad. He was split because he cared for the both of them. He looked at the both of them several times with a confused stare. "H-How about we have a sleepover in one of your guys' rooms, and we can all sleep in the same room and maybe in the same bed if we can fit." He smiled at the cute teens hoping they would compromise with his decision.((no problem guys I just wanted to save the role-play. Are you both in college? Cause isn't school out or do you guys live on the opposite side of the world than North America?)) *thinks about the proposal of Kosovo and almost gets a nosebleed [LOL]*"Well, well, I think that sounds fair, my bed is the biggest in here, so we should go there and have a sleepover! >0[Thanks for saving the RP Yep we are in college, but we started vacations like the 20somethng of May, but I got 2 subjects to do in something like an extra exam, so I have exam tomorrow and the 10 TNT *cries* and I'm like killing myself to see if I can approve them v-v because I'm finishing college soon] (HOME. I wasn't home for DAYS and when I was, I was Uber busy on stuff. XD NOW TIME TO RP XD) "WWIII! Thank you so much Kanji!" Haiku hugs the gifts and watches Kanji and Smithies argue over Kosovo. "... Can I sleep over too?" Haiku asks shyly. Sgt;OLT;/// (I drew some random fan art of this RP. o.o; DDD I maybe tomorrow I can show you because I will be volunteering at a day care for one week. XD Lt;3) "But of course! The sleepover is for all! >w[[YAY!! Omg!! Fan art! T_T that's so great!! I hope you can show it today, or loonie! Hehehe thanks! >w0"Yay! I can come over!!" Haiku said skipped up excitedly, but tripped over his own feet. "Wack! I got too happy" :D;;; ((hey guys how's the ID card going?)) Kokoro caught haiku before he hit the ground after his trip. "don't start falling for me too haiku." Kokomo began to chuckle a bit of the joke. "Ahhh RAI... be careful~ we don't want you to get hurt" -snuggles- "Thank see for saving him Kokomo" -smiles- "well... I like Japanese horror movies. Or art movies hmm whatever ohh theme movies and also all kinds of Japanese movies too" -swings in the hair- "POPCORN" -goes to make some popcorn and caramel popcorn too-[[AHHH Kokomo it's my fault I have it done, but I just haven't added the info ; ; as soon as I get in the other comp I'll send it over]] "There. Sorry, sorry" Sgt;OLT; "I fall down a lot!" Haiku points to the bandage on his face. "I got this from falling before I came here. FFU. o.o;" Lt;Lt; Sgt;Sgt; "Horror movies are so scary. D: I would need to bring my bear with me if we watch a scary movie. ;" [. I should upload the fan art I did and make some more! ’D; /shot/] He smiled at Kanji. "Your welcome Kanji and thanks for making popcorn!" he looked down at Haiku. "You should be more careful too there." he smiles at haiku too. "Hmmmm... I like anime movies. But I'm more into the romance or sci-fi." he blushes a little about his secret. "I also think that Kokomo anime is cute too." ((children anime for people who don't know)) he giggles a bit. "WWW RAI Susie, be more careful *kisses in the cheek* Well this it the room, please come in" *takes some caramel pop corns* "OMG! I love these ones, and don't worry RAI you can hug us too if you're scared *smiles* "After hearing Kokomo confession giggles with him because he blushed so cute "I like also horror movies all kinds of JAP movies, and chess movies >WW[[Yay! Fan art!! >0"Ya! A romance comedy! I totally love those. Great idea Smithies!" he hugs smithies! He too grabs caramel popcorn and pops it in his mouth. "Wow Kanji this is amazing! Sweet!" he runs and jumps on the giant comfy couch and grabs the remote. "Um... hey guys. I had an idea. In one of my bags I brought when I came here I have a projector if you want a giant screen TV. I can set it up for you guys!" he smiles and turned around to see what they were all doing. "Heheeh I know, I have a thing for candy stuff, it's just so yummy" blush blush "If it's too sweet I can always fix some normal pop corns for you""GIANT TV!!!, YES PLEASE" -runs all over- "well I wouldn't mind a romance comedy"-grabs RAI- "New you'll hug me if you're scared 8D" -hugs RAI- ((sorry it's so long! Just random stuff! Weeeeeeeeee!!!))joins the 2 in their hug. "Awwwwww... loves you guys too!" >_Kokomo smelled the aroma of the sweetened popcorn and began to drool. "No it's okay for me Kanji-pie. I love candied stuff too!" he winked and began searching for a DVD that all would agree on. "So what DVD would you guys like? Is it anime we're watching? Or no..." He thought about his collection of favorite anime for a sec and suggested his favorite one. "Hey have you guys seen Spirited Away by Bayou Miyazaki? That anime is awesome. Would you guys like to watch it?" "Waikiki Kokomo you really like tech stuff right? >WW[[Lol don't worry, I've been off, a little busy x.x... darn it lol, commissions are killing me I think I accepted a lot]] hugs her tightly back! >_((WWW poor you! I know how that is. lol. Be back on soon! If you don't we will missiles you!)) (WAS. Sorry o3o. /slaps self/) Haiku watches as Kokomo use his technical skills to prepare for the movie in amazement. "WWA! Kokomo you are amazing!" This night is going to be so much fun! Haiku suddenly looks around and then noticed that Edward hasn't been around. "Hey you guys, where is Edward? ;" "Hehehehe" *smiles when hugged* "Well I'm a sucker for it v_v I'm cheesy sometimes, real deep inside hahaha, Now that you say it Kokomo... it's weird he disappeared suddenly! o.o... maybe... maybe zombies took him! And now he's one of them!" *cries (just say a zombie movie @[email protected])* "Edward" *whispers*((lol need! No shaping! >3"Tee he! More hugs! And hugs for Haiku too! And Kanji also! >_(I have been away for so long! So sorry) hello ((Tooth! NEW MEMBER! Hey universe bud! Just add a profile. Directions are on the first post of the first page of the thread. PLE EZ JOIN!!!!)) Kokoro slips on a ninja suit. "Woah! Major Spandex! I think I got a few sizes too small." he looks down and blushes. "Um. Can I trade with someone?" ((Wow this just died x.x... dunno what to do hahaha___T I like the host idea a lot v_v)) ((I do too. I hope it sparks interest in others.))

Love House - Open for applications.. _looking for dates&g|rating:2.0

Epic Greek 3.5 IC

The City of Troy square is filled with hundreds of soldiers all standing in the shadow of the massive horse of iron, adamantine and ironwood that stands 50ft tall and now is garlanded with flowers celebrating the great peace between the Greek and Trojan armies. Only the bravest of the heroes were guaranteed places, the thousands of regular troops scattered around the city watching the ceremony in massive public baths now turned to simple crying pools... As some of the mightiest heroes you stand on the steps of the Temple of Aphrodite, the steps strewn with rose petals and some of the mightiest Trojan heroes standing side by side with you, brave Piraeus, Lord of the Pelagian and Lesbian armies with his trident of pale blue fire and brave Carleton - the soldier who had burned theProtesilaus, Ajax's flagship. Both now stand by side with you toasting you with wine as you watch the Kings - wise and elderly Priam and fat and vigorous Agamemnon... Spoiler: Welcome Hide Please make your introductions to each other, including at least one "heroic" deed you did during the 10-year siege of Troy Penthesileia and Harmonize stand side by side to each other. Both are sad, the war is over before they had been able to win more honor and glory. So soon after their arrival, and now the fighting had stopped. Penthesileia looks at Menelaus, the king of Sparta. After his duel with Paris and the feuding between the armies after it, she had thrown her spear at him, wounding him severely in the abdomen. She still intends to finish that fight. She had come too late to win the greatest honor, to fight and defeat the fleet-footed Achilles. Harmonize had won no great distinctions yet, except for the price for the fastest chariot at the funerary rites of Hector, just after their arrival. Nikomachos briefly stares at the statuesque horse in the background and his tail starts flicking in annoyance.*sigh* "What's that Odysseus? Yeah, I can pose around for you. For a horse you say? Sure" and now my rear is now immortalized as the most decisive siege weapon of the war. The hefty warrior complains. Well, at least I can take pride in one thing. I am Nikomachos and I accidentally forged a union between the Myrmidons and the Amazons. I understand Queen Penthesilea and Achilles are due to wed soon. Glad I was able to beat some sense in both of them. I just hope one of them will forgive me for besting both them in front of their troops. A man with a gilded six-sided star chain hanging from his neck stands before the crowds. His name is Chief Damien Mordechai, and he hails from the Benjamin West of Israel. War-paint still coats his face, the likeness of a wolf. He is being honored for defeating the Priests and the Mages of Troy, destroying any chance that the Trojan Horse ploy would be discovered and severely damaging Troy's ability to withstand the fierce war of attrition that preceded it. Shakti"A victory worthy of a ballad of no less ten thousand words." Shakti says as he raises his goblet in the many toasts." Many tales of valor and glory would stand silent while our deeds were recited..." He says and smiles as he adjusts his bandoleer."...such as when I danced upon the wroth form of the great beast Kraken, slicing terrible wounds upon it and burning its head from the inside out."" Take your ease while we can, comrades, and enjoy our mortal peace. A grander war awaits us." Katherine has no grand boasts of personal combat to make, but those in power know how her wise council turned the tide of many battles in the war. Alexandros The plain dressed main tried to keep out of these bragging competitions as much as he could. He tries to keep his cards close to his chest. He could tell a great many things. How many relics he has found--how many of them he was able to steal, how he predicted the movement of the first ships to Troy, and how he is beginning to see the strands the Fates weave themselves when he looks into the past or the future. He is a man at the height of his craft and knowledge is his currency, he should not share it lightly." I am but a humble seer,"Alexandros states,"Your deeds are all very impressive. The kraken itself was a mighty sight to behold..." He hints at how he foresaw it or saw it in detail afterward though he was clearly not there. Feasts and parties were not his specialty, but he would abide them. C'mon surely you've done something. I mayn't understand fully, but I wager that there were far more than deeds done on the battlefield that led us to this table. This war was won with wit not wrath. I, for one, would like to hear not often spoken tales. Nikomachos urges on those who have yet to contribute after a hearty swig of what is probably wined. Talk slow though, you are suffering a fool He clarifies with a toothy smile. The massed soldiers and heroes all stare up at the steps of the palace as Priam slowly kneels before the arrogant and victorious Menaces. The old man's nobility in sharp contrast to the fat Grecian King of Kings. The public bending of knee a requirement to spare the lives of the city from the now victorious Greek army before the massed troops, priests and nobles began to wonder about the sudden lack of communication from the gods...there is a great-hushed sigh as Priam finally kneels, tears streaming down his face, beard ragged and unkempt from his recent grief at noble Hector. He holds up his scepter of rulership to the fat king who grabs it turning his back on Priam. His voice bellowing out over the city, a can trip to aid his voice, so the entire city can hear. HEAR ME TROY. HEAR ME GREEKS, HEAR ME PEOPLE OF THE SEA. I MENACES OF GREECE AM KINGS OF KINGS. ALL WHO STAND BEFORE ME SHALL FALL BEFORE MY ARMIES. I AM AS A GOD! His voice echoes before there is an answering crash from the heavens above! In the center of the square smoke and fire erupt from the ground as dozens die. The skies above swirl with fire and lightning that rains down across the city. Fire and death lit by jagged strokes of lightning as a voice booms down from above. Arrogance. A mistake, the pride of stupidity. You shall be stricken from the earth and your families destroyed to the fifth generation. Then you shall know the punishment for your failure! Even as the voice of the god booms across the square the massive horse begins to shift and move. Smoke and steam rising from it, eyes blazing red where there had been only logs seconds before. The Trojan horse now a beast of legend, a terrifying beast of war!... Spoiler: Unleash the Trojan horse! Hide Know (Arcane) may help You are in a square packed with soldiers and a people and a colossal animated stone/wood/metal horse You can let me know which spells you'd active on a day of peace players may have the initiative Assume you are ~300ft or so from the horse at the start Spoiler: Rolls Hide Knowledge (arcane): (1d20+33)[51] "By Adana...what is that thing?" I rush to action, sprinting at top speeds exceeding 70 kilometers an hour, towards the horse, sizing it up and preparing to strike it, analyzing its construction and facets, its potential strengths and weaknesses. Alexandros was never the most physically fit, he was not the first one to spring into action, but he knew things. He had seen these constructs before when he had looked into the past. Strange that one was appearing now or maybe not so strange after all. He knew he could do almost nothing against it, but he could warn his allies." It's not flesh and blood, it's wood and iron. Magic weakens around it. Be aware, but destroy it!"the diviner yells after his allies. With a word, he summons his Pegasus to enable him to watch and possibly help from above. Spoiler Hide Summon phantom steed camp; mount it. As soon as the horse comes to life Penthesileia and Harmonize turn around, as they expected Bronte and Ste rope come with their chariot. The twins leap onto it, ready to go into the fray. This is a proper chance to win glory to their names, and to strike down the enemies of the peoples." Harmo! To arms once again! The gods have betrayed us for our peaceful ways, and now we must act!" Nikomachos draws his lance and turns to the sages. No magic against it, huh? Would any of you be able to grant me some boon of battle before I leap off into action? I tend ignore to any useful suggestions in my furor once the battle has started. He calls out. Katherine moves a little closer to the great horse and casts Haste on herself and her allies. Shakti"No..." Shakti says as the giant statue animates into divine life. He grabs his blades by reflex but glances down at the phasing blade of his dagger and shakes his head." I do not know if I can defeat it myself, let alone wound such a thing. Pray it has no mind of strategy...perhaps we can force it into the water." He then holds his blades above his head, and they catch the sun's light. He twists them and fires shoots down around his body, engulfing him in cold blue flames that do not burn. Spoiler Hide Draw weapons, casting Fire Shield (Chill Shield). A construct (not subject to Skirmish, can't attack it with his second weapon) who is also immune to magic (Fire spells won't do anything). Yep, he's pretty much useless this fight. Good enough I guess. Now to do something stupid and foolhardy. The Centaur barbarian comments Get ready to run. I'm going to try and draw it to me. He calls out to those listening as he loads his sling. HEY UGLY, OVER HERE!! He calls out to the Divine incarnation of his derrière. Furthermore, he then fires at the construct trying to get its attention. Very creative, Niko. He mutters under his breath. Spoiler: Actions Hide (1d20+18)[29] for 6 range increments Damage (1d6+14)[15] + (2d6)[6] fire damage (no save) if it hits Other creatures in 10ft of the target creature take (2d6)[4] (Reflex DC22 negate) assuming it hits. The heroes and dozens of soldiers leap into action as they run into the beast. Arrows, spears and swords hammering and striking against its sides. The colossal behemoth leaps up and down, massive feet the size of small buildings crushing men to bloody pulp and broken bones. It rears up, head and forelegs taller than entire buildings and the palace before bringing its feet down with a great crash. Even as that happens the sling stone slams into it but the magical enchantments fail and there is no explosion, merely a dull thud as the bullet bounces off leaving a small chip. A great wave of rippling stone and broken earth erupts away from the monster... Spoiler: earth shaking Hide Rears up and lands with Earthquake! In 200ft radius When you cast earthquake, an intense but highly localized tremor rips the ground. The shock knocks creatures down, collapses structures, opens cracks in the ground, and more. The effect lasts for 1 round, during which time creatures on the ground can’t move or attack. A spell caster on the ground must make a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level) or lose any spell he or she tries to cast. The earthquake affects all terrain, vegetation, structures, and creatures in the area. The specific effect of an earthquake spell depends on the nature of the terrain where it is cast. Open Ground Each creature standing in the area must make a DC 15 Reflex save or fall down. Fissures open in the earth, and every creature on the ground has a 25% chance to fall into one (Reflex DC 20 to avoid a fissure). At the end of the spell, all fissures grind shut, killing any creatures still trapped within. Structure Any structure standing on open ground takes 100 points of damage, enough to collapse a typical wooden or masonry building, but not a structure built of stone or reinforced masonry. Hardness does not reduce this damage, nor is it halved as damage dealt to objects normally is. Any creature caught inside a collapsing structure takes 8d6 points of bludgeoning damage (Reflex DC 15 half) and is pinned beneath the rubble (see below). Even as the ground shakes and buildings rattle and shake and fall the belly of the beast opens as massive muscular and rage filled Minotaur drop to the ground. Massive horns and claws tearing and slashing at the nearest men. Already carried into the air Penthesileia sees the Minotaur emerge from the earth." Harmothoë! That monster from the earth!","Yes sister, a fine gift from our salt-bearded father!" The chariot soars towards the Minotaur, and Penthesileia casts her lances, seeking to put an end to the bull. That should bring her the glory she craves. Spoiler: IOC Hide The chariot goes to a distance of 30 feet, some fifteen in the air. She makes a full attack with her four returning throwing lances. (1d20+38)[45], damage: (1d8+18)[20] (1d20+33)[39], damage: (1d8+18)[19] (1d20+28)[33], damage: (1d8+18)[19] (1d20+23)[26], damage: (1d8+18)[20] Harmonize remains out of range and will just focus on keeping the pair safe. "Monsters from everywhere and all around these days! Damn it all!" Alexandros exclaimed. He had not foreseen this happening though it is never wise to mock the gods openly. His Pegasus soared towards the Minotaur that had exploded up from the ground, and he tosses out a curse at the beast. Spoiler Hide Steed moves 240 feet towards the beast in the air but out of the way of the construct. Cast split ray of dizziness (1d20+19)[33] vs touch (1d20+19)[31] vs touch Can only use a standard or move action, not both in a round. (1d20+24)[27] vs SR (1d20+24)[42] vs SR I attack with unrivaled speed, hitting the horse fast and hard, smashing the beast with my feet and fists before finishing with a snap kick. Spoiler: mechanics Hide Full Attack W/Haste buff that Katherine bestowed and Flurry of Blows and Snap Kick. To Hit, ignoring Armor (including Natural Armor) or Shield bonuses to the monster's AC: To Hit 1: (1d20+25)[35] To Hit 2: (1d20+25)[41] To Hit 3: (1d20+25)[40] To Hit 4: (1d20+25)[34] To Hit 5: (1d20+20)[38] To Hit 6: (1d20+15)[26] Snap Kick To Hit: (1d20+25)[29] Damage 1: (2d10+9)[15] Damage 2: (2d10+9)[24] Damage 3: (2d10+9)[22] Damage 4: (2d10+9)[21] Damage 5: (2d10+9)[27] Damage 6: (2d10+9)[16] Snap Kick Damage: (2d10+5)[14] Shakti"We'll see if this beast is sheathed in wards as well." He says and then flicks his swords so that the reflected sunlight shines bright on the Minotaur. The air heats up and flames burst all around the beast for a moment before dying out. Spoiler Hide Moving 60ft towards the Minotaur and then using Fiery Burst. Fiery Burst (8d6)[23] Fire Damage, Reflex DC 23 for half. Shakti HP 223/223 AC 48 (+4 from Improved Skirmish, +2 from Expeditious Dodge) Active Effects: Fire Shield (Chill). I think Damming us all was the idea. Nikomachos calls out as he gallops down the steps to the fray. Spoiler: Actions Hide Double move of 160ft to close in on the fight. Katherine points a finger at a Minotaur and a ray of light springs forth, burning the Minotaur flesh away into nothingness. Cast disintegrate(d20+17)[34]to hit(40d6)[135]damage(d20+25)[39]to overcome SR, DC 27 for save for partial damage to(5d6)[18] Even as soldiers are swept aside and crushed heroes fall into the square from all sides as swords, spears and bows bouncing off the now divinely animate massive edifice and the Minotaur that have poured from its belly. Nikomachos gallops down towards the battle swirling in the courtyard. Penthesileia and Alexandros take to the sky as the Vegas leap squares, one with the mage astride, the other towing the ornate chariot. Both come near the Minotaur and the massive horse, a flurry of javelins studding the legendary bull's massive thick hide before the bull stumbles and twists, the paired rays striking it, one absorbed by its innate vitality, the other leaving it confused and reeling. Shakti channels the sun towards it as well, but then again the beast's magical hide suppresses the flames. Even as the flames are extinguished a flickering green beam slams into it, and in a great plume of steam, smoke and sizzling flesh a massive chunk of the beast is evaporated. The beast roars and shudders before stumbling forward towards Shakti but with the vertigo dominating it It's unable to land a blow... Spoiler: Minotaur Hide It takes a pounding! The javelins sting, to disintegrate zaps a lot of the creature. Spell resistance blocks one ray and the flames. Has a move action to approach Shakti, then no standard The massive horse rears up and down in the square. Its massive adamantine hooves slick with blood and gore from the trampled bodies that now lie beneath its vast bulk. Chief races forward sheathed in magic before as he stands by the feet of the massive beast his enchantments fade and gutter, cloak of fire going out and fists reducing down to just naked flesh with no magical power. Despite that several attacks land, but the worst of the force of the blows is blunted by the innate sturdy nature of the monster. The beast rears up trampling several more men into mud, one of the hooves coming smashing down upon Chief. Spoiler: Stomp Hide Attack (1d20+40)[58] damage (8d6+50)[71] -- Remember you're magic items are non-functional this close to the beast Nikomachos, now close enough to leap into the fray, embraces his anger and passion. He switches to his lance (it's more of just a long spear at this point of time) and makes a charging leap at the Minotaur for what he hopes would be a nearly fatal blow. Spoiler: Action and oh boy this is a doozy Hide Rolling the dice separately from any modifiers because I'm uncertain as to what magic equipment applies. Actions: Mighty Rage then make a charge with leap attack against the Minotaur. Nikomachos is using power attack (-5 penalty) and if the attack hits then a knock back results meaning a free bull rush attempt. This Bulrush chains to an Advancing blow maneuver from the Combat Brute feat and a Directed Bull rush and possibly a Domino rush from the Shock trooper. This might also set Nikomachos up for a Momentum Swing also from the Combat Brute feat. Jump to Check [roll]1d20[roll] 18 on the die +18 (skill) + 10 (base ability modifier) 38 from normal abilities +3 (from strength enhancement) + 18 (from Speed) +20 (from Boots of Swiftness) 41 from magic Sources = (79) Attack (1d20)[6] + 30 (base strength and BAD) + 4 (Mighty rage Additional strength) +2 for charging - 5 for power attack 37 from normal sources + 3 (Strength Enhancement) + 5 (weapon enhancement) 8 from magic sources =(45) Damage:(2d6 (large weapon) + 1d6 (extra dice for being a huge weapon*) + 15 from power attack +5 (Weapon Enhancement bonus) +19.5 (from base strength) + 4.5 (from strength enhancement))X2 + 1d6 electricity (shock property) + 2d6 (charging property***) = (4d6)[11] (large weapon) + (2d6)[7] (extra dice for being a huge weapon*) + 30 from power attack +10 Enhancement bonus +39 from base strength +9 (from strength enhancement) [B]) + (1d6)[6] electricity (shock property) + (2d6)[11] (charging property***) Bulrush attempt (1d20)[6] +10 from strength + 4 from size + 2 from charging +10 (from power attack***) +3 from strength bonus * Relates to sizing property and strong arm bracers ** 3d6 surge property** Command action weapon while raging? I needed to read that rule closer *** Not sure if this property applies either. Someone better confirm...at this rate I might have to ask swap out these properties **** See knock back Katherine frowns at the Minotaur, that usually has a lot more impact she thinks to herself. She tries another tactic and casts Slow on as many foes as she can see in range. DC 24 Will save. Alexandros casts invisibility and moves in closer towards the Minotaur. He still had no idea how he would even begin to damage the construct.... One by one the weapons return to Penthesileia who immediately throws them again. From the corner of her eye she sees the horse crushing more soldiers, and ending a man's magic. It would wreak havoc with her chariot and spears, which would be quite dangerous. Harmonize considers letting her whip lash out to bring the monster down, but it seems too strong for that, it would just tear it from her hands. Instead, she maintains a protective posture, to prevent her sister and her Vegas from being harmed. Spoiler: IOC Hide And another full attack from Penthesileia: To hit: (1d20+31)[48], damage: (1d8+42)[46](Power attack for 10. To hit: (1d20+26)[41], damage: (1d8+42)[47](Power attack for 10. To hit: (1d20+21)[36], damage: (1d8+42)[45](Power attack for 10. To hit: (1d20+16)[24], damage: (1d8+42)[49](Power attack for 10. On great thundering hooves Nikomachos gallops down leaping across a pair of fallen marble columns lance outstretched. It slams into the wounded Minotaur and the creature is impaled for 2 feet of the lance before being cast aside. Even as the beast dies Alexandros vanishes from view and Katherine's magic washes ineffectually over the colossal construct. The horse lumbers around as a volley of javelins slams into it. Even without their enchantment they do great damage hurled with such force... It rears up and trots around the square, stamping on the men that try and stop it, Adamantine shod hooves shattering armor and swords and spears! Spoiler: mega trample Hide Trample Chief, Nikomachos, Shakti Damage (12d6+36)[71] Reflex DC 35 for half, or take an AOO at -4 (as in you can choose to dodge the foot or stab the foot) Before Nikolas can bellow in triumph he is confronted by the giant version of his shiny metal ass. As soon as it rears up he thrusts again. A rational man would be dreading the possibly that their lance may break against the adamantine but in his wrathful huge state, the Centaur counter-attacks and considers his next move. Spoiler: Actions (Attack of Opportunity): Hide Attack (1d20)[19] + 30 (base strength and BAD) + 4 (Mighty rage Additional strength)- 5 for power attack= -4= 44 from normal sources + 3 (Strength Enhancement) + 5 (weapon enhancement) 8 from magic sources =(52) Damage:(2d6 (large weapon) + 1d6 (extra dice for being a huge weapon*) + 5 from power attack +5 (Weapon Enhancement bonus) +19.5 (from base strength) + 4.5 (from strength enhancement))X2 + 1d6 electricity (shock property) + 2d6 (charging property***) = Result: (2d6)[10] + (large weapon) + (1d6)[6] (extra dice for being a huge weapon*) (16) + 10 from power attack +(19.5 from base strength) (49) + 5 Enhancement bonuses +4.5 (from strength enhancement) + 1d6 electricity (shock property) [/COLOR] = 65 305/376HP * Relates to sizing property and strong arm bracers Chimu... I won't be able to keep this up forever. Better play it safe now, then pull Lobular's Gambit to put the pressure on him. I roll out of the creature's way with practiced ease, assuming the Stance of Twofold Retribution, combining two well-known styles of combat, Lobular's Gambit and the Karmic Strike. My defenses are weakened severely, but I'll hit it for everything I have. I strike at it again, fists and feet blurring in practiced speed and grace before finishing off once more with a snap kick. Something about the creature seems to unnerve me, however, and the majority of my strikes do not strike as true as they should. I give a grunt of disgust at myself and try to find my center once more. Spoiler: mechanics Hide Reflex save for none, if failed, half (Improved Evasion): (1d20+25)[45] My opponents get a +4 to hit and damage against me, and I get a -4 to AC. However, I get Attacks of Opportunity every time an opponent attacks me or hits me. Attacks: Snap Kick (1d20+22)[28] 2 (1d20+22)[27] 3 (1d20+22)[30] 4 (1d20+22)[28] 5 (1d20+18)[36] 6 (1d20+13)[14] Damage: Snap Kick [roll]2d10+[/roll] 2 (2d10+7)[18] 3 (2d10+7)[17] 4 (2d10+7)[20] 5 (2d10+7)[12] 6 (2d10+7)[19] Katherine casts shape change to turn herself into a manticore she then lifts off with a flap of great leathery wings and begins to circle the great metal horse at around 150ft Shakti"Get out of the way! Move-"Shakti shouts as he pushes aside a soldier at the last minute, sparing the soldiers' life while the hoof grazes his back and knocks him aside. He rolls with the blow and comes up on his feet, blood oozing out of the open wound on his back. He grimaces in pain and looks down to the soldier." Get away, use your bow!" Wincing at the pain he steps forward and then sprints towards the Minotaur, his blades flashing bright in the sun as he attacks the beast. Spoiler Hide Failed reflex save, 71 damage from the Trample. Move to Minotaur, Bounding Assault attack, then Move away remaining speed (total speed 60ft). Hopes (Wounding) Attack (1d20+37)[49] Damage (1d6+18)[24] +(1d6)[1] Fire +(5d6)[11] Skirmish Hopes (Wounding) Attack (1d20+32)[36] Damage (1d6+18)[21] +(1d6)[1] Fire +(5d6)[17] Skirmish Dagger (Brilliant Energy) Attack (1d20+37)[43] Damage (1d4+11)[12] +(1d6)[1] Fire +(5d6)[21] Skirmish Dagger (Brilliant Energy) Attack (1d20+32)[42] Damage +(1d6)[2] Fire +(5d6)[8] Skirmish Shakti HP 152/223 AC 48 (+4 from Improved Skirmish, +2 from Expeditious Dodge) Active Effects: Fire Shield (Chill). Alexanders circles the gigantic monstrosity. Unsure what to do which would actually affect the construct, he waits it out. d. After registering the sensation of his magic items failing him, Nikomachos starts thrusting at the equine construct with his lance with a little less abandon than before. The sudden 'pop' ma when the lance to half of its apparent size. Following the aggravation of a suddenly shrinking weapon, he came upon a realization. The cogs in the centaurs head had slowly been turning, and he suddenly knew whom to blame. This is your fault, Menaces! Your Hubris has cost you the lives of your people! Their blood is on your hands. When I'm done here you're next! The Centaur bellows over the din of the city as he continually thrusts his lance against the metal hide of the siege horse made in his image. Spoiler: Actions Hide No magic sources, no Power attack. But Full attack. Attack 1 (1d20+39)[51]) Damage (2d6+21)[25] Attack 2 (1d20+34)[53] Damage (2d6+21)[31] Attack 3 (1d20+29)[48] Damage (2d6+21)[30] Attack 4 (1d20+24)[32] Damage (2d6+21)[28] Current AC 25 (No magic) Penthesileia looks at her bare hands, her javelins sticking out of the horse. She draws a simple sword from her side, an unenchanted weapon even. The chariot cannot approach the monster, it would fall from the sky if it did. Harmothoë, I must go and fight. Stay at a distance to retrieve me, our steeds must not be injured. She leaps off the flying chariot and takes her shield in her hand, the sword in the other. She wonders if she will be able to hurt it at all, but running away now would be a disgrace. And she wants her spears back. The massive construct rocks and shudders as the Minotaur that it dropped are killed by the heroes scurrying around the feet of the Trojan horse and the packed archers and soldiers in the square. Spears, lances, punches and kicks rain down upon the iron horse that begins to show cracks and fractures in its massive frame. It rears up, the hooves smashing down and lashing out at the centaur and the monk that are kicking and beating upon it. Spoiler: stomp stomp Hide Vs Chief (1d20+40)[43] dam (8d6+50)[81] Vs Nikomachos (1d20+40)[49] dam (8d6+50)[69] -- Remember, no magic to your AC's The polymorphed Katherine flicks her tail at the great horse and looses a volley of spikes Spoiler: Manticore Spike attacks: Hide (d20+19)[26](d8+4)[9] Spoiler: if threat Hide (d20+19)[32] CRT damage(2d8+8)[17] (d20+19)[39](d8+4)[9] Spoiler: if threat Hide (d20+19)[37] CRT damage(2d8+8)[20] (d20+19)[31](d8+4)[7] Spoiler: if threat Hide (d20+19)[31] CRT damage(2d8+8)[14] (d20+19)[29](d8+4)[9] Spoiler: if threat Hide (d20+19)[35] CRT damage(2d8+8)[21] (d20+19)[35](d8+4)[10] Spoiler: if threat Hide (d20+19)[35] CRT damage(2d8+8)[14] (d20+19)[22](d8+4)[7] Spoiler: if threat Hide (d20+19)[38] CRT damage(2d8+8)[23] Nuikomachos roars with pain in reaction to the crushing blows dealt to him by the Horse. Then with a quick flourish, the Centaur discards his lance over his shoulder in favor of his great axe. He then makes an almighty swing before positioning himself so he counter any attacks at the cost of his defenses. As far as he can tell, getting hit again is almost inevitable. Spoiler: Actions Hide Move action to draw the axe, Standard attack employing Lobular's gambit for the next round. (-5 from power attack) Great axe is made of Adamantine. Attack (1d20+33)[35] Damage (2d6+31)[39] AC 21 Shakti"If that came out, then we can get in!" Shakti says as he runs straight at the colossus. He sheathes his dagger as he leaps into the air and sticks his hopes into it's side for purchase. Scrambling to find a hand hold, he tries to keep his balance as he climbs up the hellish machine. Spoiler Hide Speed is 40ft in the antimagic. Full Speed Tumble DC 25 (1d20+21)[26] Jump (1d20+11)[24] Climb (1d20+5)[11] Balance (1d20+21)[38] Shakti (Sheet.) HP 152/223 Unsure of what to do, Alexandros readies himself to cause the earth to shudder beneath the beast if it advances forward. Spoiler Hide So he will ready an action to cast disintegrate if the thing shows a clear path that it is moving towards. Chief Damien MordechaiI take full advantage of my stance, striking it once when it moves to hit me and again when it follows through with its trample after I get hit. When it hits, blood seeps from my mouth and the shock of each of my strikes causes a flash of pain throughout my entire body; I'm only two or three more hits like that away from death. But I must battle onwards; the beast is almost dead. I've had worse injuries than this; besides, worse comes to worst, I retreat and heal my wounds before charging in again. I continue to hold the Stance of Twofold Retribution; the creature is so great it would likely hit me anyway, so I must focus on dishing out as much as I'm getting. I find my center, channelling my inner peace whilst at the same time I bring about a maelstrom of kicks and punches to the great wooden construct. Spoiler: Rolls rolls rolls Hide Two Attacks of Opportunity due to Lobular's Gambit and Karmic Strike attack: (1d20+24)[35], (1d20+24)[27] Two Attacks of Opportunity Damage: (2d10+7)[23], (2d10+7)[25] Snap Kick Flurry of Blows attack 1: (1d20+22)[31] 2: (1d20+22)[42], 41 to confirm the CRT 3: (1d20+22)[34] 4: (1d20+17)[23] 5: (1d20+12)[16] Snap Kick Attack: (1d20+22)[34] Snap Kick Flurry of Blows Damage 1: (2d10+7)[17] 2:(2d10+7)[22], bonus 26 damage if confirmed. 3: (2d10+7)[21] 4: (2d10+7)[17] 5: (2d10+7)[21] Snap Kick Damage: (2d10+5)[15] My inner resolve has become steely, and I strike fast and true. A volley of spines come shooting down from the sky striking the horse numerous times. Then the rest if the heroes once more strike true! The great Adamantine axe of Nuikomachos striking true cracking the beast to its core, a dull red glow emanating from the cracks before Chief strikes again and again and again. The repeating blows on the same spot finally shattering the monsters outer shell that shatters and falls apart. Bits of metal and wood clattering yo the ground revealing the angry looking avatar of a god that had been inhabiting the creature. The Golding within standing 20ft tall as he appears some 30 ft from the warriors who had been battling the beast... heat emanating from the creature and his magic hammer searing flesh and causing the stones to crack. The Golding looks around at the party as a series if whirling blades begin to circle the god rising to become a roaring wall surrounding him. Spoiler: horse breaks, Golding driving it Hide Avatar of Hephaestus at the core of the horse Searing heat aura 50ft (3d6)[12] ignore resistance, half dam immunity Casts empowered blade barrier surrounding him in a cylinder of blades Chief Damien MordechaiI give a grunt of satisfaction as my fists crush the great beast into splinters. As the so-called Golding appears, I give another grunt, one of distaste." It will take more than a copy of a false idol to best a follower of Adana." And with that, I fly over the wall of blades, utilizing the reigniting flamed cloak to fly into the air before rolling to a stop above him. I continue to hold my Stance of Retribution, unsure of how the newcomer will act. My hand strikes for his chest and I perform the deadly technique of the Quivering Palm upon him. Spoiler: IOC/Rolls Hide Is the Golding still giving off an antimagic aura? I'm going to assume not because of the blade barrier he cast; if this isn't the case, I'll just use my ridiculous reflex save to reflex my way through the barrier. Move action to fly 60 feet, more than enough to reach him flying in an arc clearing the barrier. Standard to hit him with Quivering Palm. Spoiler: magical effects on my attack Hide Adamantine, Lawful, Magic, Good, Ghost Touch, Brilliant Energy, Wounding, Holy Quivering Palm To Hit (ignoring Armor and Shield bonuses to AC): (1d20+26)[34] Quivering Palm Damage: (2d10+9)[15] If attack hits, I will him to die for a free action. He must make a DC 32 Fortitude save to avoid dying instantly. Nikomachos picks up his lance and calls to the disrespectful Semite. False? He's standing right there! And he's Angry! You want to make him even madder? GO AHEAD! He shouts unable to believe the bloody kindness of the Jewish monk. Spoiler: Actions Hide Move action to pick up lance. That is all. The invisible Alexandros creeps nearer on his Pegasus. While the oracle has much to say about the gods who would destroy humanity, he would remain quiet to give him an edge on the attack. A curse erupts from his hand attempting to bleed the god of his powers. Spoiler Hide Cast assay spell resist, and emasculate. (1d20+19)[37] touch camp; flat-footed to hit (1d20+34)[43] vs SR (24+10 assay) Fort save DC29 vs stunned, if the spell hits, he is reduced 1/2 HP As the horse shatter Penthesileia's lances return to her hand. She looks at the avatar and is filled with pure hate, and a desire for glory. She stays in her current place and throws them, hoping to make it suffer wounds. Spoiler: IOC Hide To hit: (1d20+31)[46][48], damage: (1d8+42)[46][46] Power attack for 10 To hit: (1d20+26)[33][41], damage: (1d8+42)[45][47] Power attack for 10 To hit: (1d20+21)[33][36], damage: (1d8+42)[50][45] Power attack for 10 To hit: (1d20+16)[20][24], damage: (1d8+42)[49][49] Power attack for 10 Shakti As the colossus falls apart underneath him Shakti leaps to the side. He draws his breath in at the gods' appearance but takes hold of his dagger again as well." If war is what you seek, you have found it." He says and points his hopes at the divine being. A beam of intense sunlight bursts from the blade and streaks right for the Golding's face. Spoiler Hide Draw hopes as he moves 60ft away, cast Sunbeam. Spell Resistance (1d20+15)[34] Target is Blind and takes (4d6)[7] damage. Reflex DC 22 negates blindness and halves the damage. Shakti (sheet) HP 152/223 As she circles the new foe Katherine in her beastly form flicks another barrage of bolts, this time at the avatar:Spoiler: Manticore spike attacks Hide (d20+19)[29](d8+4)[6] Spoiler: if threat Hide to confirm (d20+19)[23] CRT damage (2d8+8)[19] (d20+19)[32](d8+4)[7] Spoiler: if threat Hide to confirm (d20+19)[25] CRT damage (2d8+8)[23] (d20+19)[27](d8+4)[6] Spoiler: if threat Hide to confirm (d20+19)[22] CRT damage (2d8+8)[17] (d20+19)[30](d8+4)[5] Spoiler: if threat Hide to confirm (d20+19)[34] CRT damage (2d8+8)[17] (d20+19)[20](d8+4)[11] Spoiler: if threat Hide to confirm (d20+19)[22] CRT damage (2d8+8)[21] (d20+19)[23](d8+4)[9] Spoiler: if threat Hide to confirm (d20+19)[34] CRT damage (2d8+8)[21] The Golding grunts as blood explodes outwards from him from Alexandros. The curse brutal in its efficiency. The spiked of the manticore, gleaming beam of light and hurled lances are less effective, most bouncing the creatures hide or the spinning wall of blades. Chasm leaps through the blades spinning avoid being ripped asunder and lands a cruel blow. Looking straight at the invisible Alexandros he closes a fist, as fire blossoms around him leaping from person to person in a great wave of flames. Seconds later silvery orbs erupt from floating around him like beads of mercury. Spoiler: attacks Hide On all but the manticore Swift: deadly sunstroke (25d6)[100] fire and fatigued. Fort DC 33 for half and negate fatigue Standard: effluent reputation Shakti Shielding his eyes at the last moment Shakti cries out as the fire washes over him. He takes a moment to pat out the flames and then leaps through the spinning barrier of mystical blades, his own blades slashing at the divine intruder. Spoiler Hide Spring Attack through the blade barrier. After his attack he'll move away from the Avatar but stay within the blade barrier, if possible. If not he'll pass through again. Blade Barrier (No DC or Damage listed) (1d20+30)[38] (Evasion) Attack (1d20+37)[41] Damage (1d6+18)[21] Flaming Damage (1d6)[4] Wounding: 1 Con damage Improved Skirmish damage (5d6)[8] Attack (1d20+32)[42] Damage (1d6+18)[19] Flaming Damage (1d6)[3] Wounding: 1 Con damage Improved Skirmish damage (5d6)[15] Attack (Brilliant Energy) (1d20+37)[57] Damage (1d4+11)[15] Flaming Damage (1d6)[6] Improved Skirmish damage (5d6)[10] Attack (Brilliant Energy) (1d20+32)[44] Damage (1d4+11)[15] Flaming Damage (1d6)[3] Improved Skirmish damage (5d6)[21] Shakti (sheet) HP 131/223 AC 46 (+4 from Improved Skirmish) Nikomachos, now wielding his lance once again, makes a bounding leap towards the Golding. It seems that charging things with a pointy stick is favorite past-time of his. Especially with the vast swarm of blades threatening to dice him. Spoiler: Actions Hide Fortitude save Vs deadly sunstroke (1d20+33)[50] Fortitude save Vs. massive damage (1d20+33)[44] Charging the avatar of Hephaestus (Power attack(6)) : Jump Check [roll]1d20+#[/roll] Attack Roll(1d20+38)[41] Damage (3d6+71)[79] + (2d6)[7] (Charging*)+ (1d6)[2] electricity damage X 2 due to charging with a lance. Initiate a Knock-back bull-rush (1d20)[5]+39 (4 from feat, 17 from enhanced strength, 12 from power attack bonus X 2, +4 for being large, +2 for charging) possibly triggering Advancing blows and momentum swing next round Reflex save vs Blade Barrier (1d20+22)[31] (Evasion from Boots of Swiftness) *under the assumption that centaurs count as mounted such when they use lances. Penthesileia suddenly feels tired as the flames cover her. Her skin starts to split and her hair burns, but she is not stopped. She retrieves her spears and throws them again. Harmonize meanwhile moves up, lining up the chariot to engage. Spoiler: IOC Hide Spoiler: IOC Hide To hit: (1d20+30)[45], damage: (1d8+41)[49] Power attack for 10 To hit: (1d20+25)[33], damage: (1d8+41)[45] Power attack for 10 To hit: (1d20+20)[36], damage: (1d8+41)[45] Power attack for 10 To hit: (1d20+15)[29], damage: (1d8+41)[46] Power attack for 10 The city around the square is equally wracked with destruction as monsters and Goslings battle the veterans of the decade long war. Now Greek and Trojan fighting side by side as they battle Minotaur, chimera or even aspects of the Gods! Like wise Odysseus and mighty Achilles do on the palace balcony as they duel a towering 20ft tall Ares, his shield deflecting the gleaming arrows from Paris's bow. In the square around where you battle Hephaestus the stones glow red, bodies charring in the heat and weapons and shields glowing with dull heat. The gods finely wrought armor clangs as it turns aside Nikomachos's lance. The spinning blades deflect mistook the javelins and even the blades of the whirring Shakti are turned aside until the gleaming energy blade lashes down leaving glowing Delphic blood pooling on the stones! The Golding bellows mightily as he channels Delphic power to hasten his spell casting powers. He trembles before expanding massively, form growing until he stands some 40ft tall, a great titan dealing destruction to all beneath him. He lashes out with his forge chains whipping all the nearby heroes, the blows shattering a dozen soldiers nearby as well. Spoiler: Golding Hide Swift: quickened giant size Full: whirlwind attack (attacks magic, adamantine, lawful, epic) Nikomachos Attack (1d20+4)[18] dam (6d6+42)[64] + (1d10)[9] fire Chief Attack (1d20+4)[17] dam (6d6+42)[67] + (1d10)[1] fire Shakti Attack (1d20+4)[18] dam (6d6+42)[68] + (1d10)[9] fire Pentheseilia Attack (1d20+4)[21] dam (6d6+42)[61] + (1d10)[4] fire Harmonize Attack (1d20+4)[18] dam (6d6+42)[60] + (1d10)[4] fire Edit: forum fail! Should have been +44 to attack. Please add 40 to all attack rolls. Does anyone have any miss chances? Flying a bit further out of range, the avatar obviously could see him, so the element of surprise was lost. Alexandros brings up protective magic against other spells that might fly his way. Spoiler Hide Cast Effulgent Education on himself. Use greater rod of quicken to quicken arcane sight on himself. Also, it's my understanding that effluent education which the god cast does not affect ranged touch attacks because they are touch and not target--if you disagree, let me know and I'll change his action. Alexandros, understanding the great resistance to spells the avatar must have, he mutters an incantation to avoid the spell resistance of the Golding, and then attacks, more powerful rays shooting from his hands in an attempt to harm and confuse the now gigantic creature. Spoiler Hide Swift: Assay spell resist Standard: Twinned disintegrate (1d20+19)[35] vs touch to hit (1d20+34)[50] vs SR (40d6)[144] damage DC28 fort for only (5d6)[17] damage (1d20+19)[21] vs touch to hit (1d20+34)[43] vs SR (40d6)[132] damage DC28 fort for only (5d6)[14] damage Free (Rod of quicken 2/3 for the day): Twinned ray of dizziness (1d20+19)[22] vs touch to hit (1d20+34)[54] vs SR DC 24 vs dizzy (1d20+19)[27] vs touch to hit (1d20+34)[53] vs SR DC 24 vs dizzy Nikomachos bellows in pain as his skin and hide sears and has no recourse other than to strike back. He prepares to counter any attack in kind and hopes one of his allies has the necessary power to bring down this fearsome Golding. Spoiler: Actions Hide I'm going to assume Nikomachos is in melee range for expediency. Employing Lobular's Gambit. Swapping between lance and great axe as a move action, Attack as standard action. Applying 5 attack to power attack and declaring a Lobular's gambit if he survives. Attack(1d20+38)[56], Damage (4d6)[13]+ 40+(1d6)[4] electricity damage +(1d8)[6] from deserving weapon. And. Dead with 3 more attacks at this rate.

Epic Greek 3.5 IC|rating:3.0

The Dragon King [AzizSolomon and Ashleebabe]

"Papa, please don't leave me!" she cried as the queen held her in her arms as she tried to comfort the little girl as her father left her in the palace. The tears stung the little girl's face, and she sobbed reaching for her only family. He was her heart, and yet he was leaving her to protect her life. Charlotte was confused as to why he needed to take her away from her home. She was only eight years old and just lost her mother to illness only to be placed and fostered into the care of strangers. The woman carried the now tired princess to her room and sat on the edge of the bed stroking the little girl's long wavy hair." I know it hurts, dealing, but it will get better in time. There are things that your father does not wish for you to see. He is only wanting you safe. He will be back before you know it." The woman stated as she smiled at the girl who was closing her violet eyes. "When you feel better, I will introduce you to my son. He is older than you by a bit but he and you shall be great friends." The queen stated as she stayed with the girl well after she fell asleep. The queen introduced her to her little boy only to have the young prince heal the heart of the little hidden princess. As the king and queen formulated a plan to protect their guest. A maid, no one would think twice if once the girl was old enough that she would be a maid. She would do as she is ordered and never know of her secret as they would protect their own. They were not wholly human and having this outsider in their midst would be interesting. Over the years, Charlotte and the little prince became great companion despite her acting the part of a maid and as she grew into a beautiful woman, others were beginning to noticed her. Her long red hair darkened to a deep crimson tumbling past her slim waist. Though her cream complexion was flawless, she had a small birthmark on her hip shaped like a crescent moon and star. She simply thought it was an odd marking no real purpose about it. Her smile was bright and often reached her violet eyes though it was usually in the presence of the prince who now was king. Her height was small, but she was womanly in many ways. She was a woman of twenty who now was no longer a little girl. Though she was good friends with the king, she was never favored in household. She never wished to be soiled for fear of the attention on her and perhaps the enemies her father had shielded her from. She was very soft-spoken and gentle nature. Furthermore, she loved to smile and laugh and did so often with anyone she conversed with. Furthermore, she was also very nurturing as she catered to the little ones when their mothers were wishing for a moment's rest. Though Charlotte was of marrying age, she knew the king and her father would not grant her leave to have a man they sis not deem worthy of her. Her father often wrote to her and made a yearly visit to see her only to shower her with gifts of gowns and jewels. It was the one time of the year that she disappeared for two days. The king and her still remained close, but there was one rule never to be broken:Never leave the castle and venture into the hills on the eve of the full moon. She thought it was odd, and she often tried to sneak out but had been caught each time. Sadly, tonight was one of those evenings. She handled her chores and yet there was something off about her. She had been feigning dizziness even when she bid the king a farewell on his monthly pilgrimage. A guard greeted the king in the great hall and explained that he thought that his young charge was fairing ill. She was gripping the walls to remain upright or couching delicately in the corner. There was illness in her and without being treated could lead to something worse. There was a light sheen of sweat on her skin though it did not hinder her beauty. Charlotte looked to see the group returning as she rose and went to see how things fared. The king was always in better mood once he returned. "My lord, I hope your visit has left you rejuvenated and renewed." She spoke with a small smile but only there a harshness in her musical voice. She wore her plain cotton gown and wore her hair loose for the evening. Furthermore, she nearly stumbled towards him, but she regained her graceful gait. "Oi, don't fly so high, there! Do you want the entire Kingdom to see you?" the King called out to a member of his court before just shaking his head and laughing gently. The Draconian couldn't help but scold his fellow brethren as he came out of line with the rest of them. He understood as much as the rest that they needed to get as much of their beast blood settled as possible each month, but they had to be sure that they wouldn't be discovered by any townsfolk, either. The King, Even, noticed that dawn was quickly approaching and that they would soon have to return to the Kingdom as their disguised, mundane selves for another Lunar cycle. It was ironic, in a way; while the full moon tended to bring out the craziest in people, it seemed to be these nights alone that kept the Royal Court sane." Alright, let's gather around for a last roar before we head back!" Even called to the others as they gathered at the center of the mountain formation, which formed a natural bowl that they could be themselves within for this short time. As they gathered, they each let out a primal roar as loudly as they could, savoring each moment of it before sighing and shifting back to human form. Every member of the Court went to retrieve their clothing and dress before getting into their carriages they came in on and set out for home. As the horses began to pull the carriages along, Even began to think of home and of poor Charlotte, left all alone once again for the night. The King could remember her as far back as when he was a Prince. He knew very little of her origins or motives for being brought to him, but at the time, he was just happy to have had a new friend to play with. At first, she was very sad and often cried, but he was always around to listen to her whenever she needed to talk about her feelings. She never told him why she had been sad, but he just assumed she was very homesick, and was glad to comfort her. In time, she had warmed up to him and the Royal Castle, taking up work as a maid there. He pleaded with his father to not force her to work and keep her as an honored guest, but he just told the young prince that it was, 'better this way.' Even was relieved that she never seemed to mind it too much, though, and kept her company when he wasn't studying to take the throne when it was his time. As time passed and the two grew older, the King had begun to notice that his friend was changing and had become extremely attractive. However, since she had always been his friend, he didn't want to change any of it and screw it up. After all, the boy couldn't go against his destiny. As a Draconian, he had a mate assigned to him by destiny that would be distinguishable by birthmark. Nobody was quite sure how they knew, but it seemed that the Draconian and human mate were born interlinked with one another, as whenever the Draconian saw the birthmark, they would know right away that they were their mate. Even never took to seeking out his mate, however. He figured he had enough going on with the Kingdom, that is fate had made a mate for him, then fate would deliver her to him as well. King Even was great friends with Charlotte, always happy to be in her company and such, but in public, he gave her about as much attention as one would any other servant. However, it was only because she asked him to, as she was a shy one when it came to attention from others. The King's thoughts came to a close as they entered the Castle Courtyard and returned home at dawn, ready for another months' work. However, something seemed...off, this time. As his guard informed him of Charlotte's behavior, he approached her slowly with concern. He noticed her stumble and seem dizzy, looking into her eyes. "Miss Charlotte, are you quite alright? You don't sound very well." Charlotte smiled at his approach. "Wrong? I must be tired, and my voice must be retiring for the night." She had been spending hours with the children, and they often had some ailment of something or another. Had her body been unable to fight off the disease? Her head was swimming, but she needed to see that all was well with the king. She rarely called the king by his name unless they were alone in his private rooms. At that moment of uncertainty of her illness, she whispered his true name as her head swam and her knees buckled. The fever was raging swiftly within her. One of the maids walked in and hastened to the now unconscious girl. "Your Majesty, the poor dear is burning up. The fever is raging within her. We need to get her into a cool bath and then a warm bed to fight this. We have herbs that can ease her into a deeper sleep. Furthermore, we need help getting her to a fresh room." She looked to one of the kitchen lads to move her. She did not think the king would cater to the needs of a simple maid. Stirring slightly, she was muttering about being so tired and hot but there was nothing she could say. A deep rattling cough shook her small delicate form." My lord, what room are we to place her in?" The woman asked needing to spring into action As Charlotte's knees buckled, and she whispered his name, nearly falling, Even shot forward and caught her before she hit the floor, holding onto his dear friend with deep concern on his face. "C-Charlotte?" he asked, hoping he could get a response. However, he got little more than soft muttering and a deep cough. "Quickly, draw her a bath. Include some cooling salts with the waters as well." He instructed one servant to perform as he turned to the other maid. "Please have the apothecary prepare those herbs as soon as he can. Bring some to the bathroom and some to my bedroom; that's where we'll put her for the time being. I can sort out a place to sleep later if she ends up sleeping there." Before the servants could take her up, the King had Charlotte in his arms bridal style, ready to carry her to the nearest bathroom. As they arrived, he had the water tested to be sure it was cool enough, but not so much to cause shock, before he stripped her down with the help of a couple of the female servants and placed the fever-ravaged maid into the tub. He had no time to acknowledge or appreciate her body, as Even was much too busy worrying about her, as she had never fallen ill like this before. Kneeling beside the tub, the King ensured that her head remained above water and tried to comfort the poor girl as her body had chance to cool down. She felt herself floating as there was a deep rumbling surrounding her. She wanted to deny him his fussing, but the maids moved to follow his orders. Charlotte mumbled incoherently, but they moved to her room only to take the cool bath waiting for her. The cool water caused a soft moan, but she scarcely stirred. The maids undressed her, and they took great care in her body as the king seemed to offer assistance, but the maids looked at one another when they spotted the mark on her right hip." Your Majesty, you should see this. I fear that Charlotte may be part of us and never knew. She has a birthmark that deems her... Whom do you think she belongs to?" The woman asked, but Charlotte was beginning to coming around." What happened?" She asked weakly as they made their way with herb’s and soaps to help with her fever. Even couldn't help but smile a bit when he had heard Charlotte's soft moan, always happy to hear her songbird voice. There, the King stayed and comforted the maid with a sad smile on his face. "Shhh...save your strength," he told her when she was mumbling at them, just wanting Charlotte to get a good day's rest for now. However, it seemed that fate had a much larger plan prepared for the day. Hearing the maid speak of a birthmark, Even piqued his eyebrows. "Really? I suppose the one outsider being involved would make sense. Everyone may as well take a lo--" His words were quickly cut off as he stared at Charlotte's hip. "The Crescent and the Star...it...it's always been you, Charlotte..." He felt as though he had been sucker punched in the face with how mind-blowing this was for him. As he had flashbacks of all the time they had spent together, he continued, not necessarily aware that it was out loud. "This whole time, I've been waiting for my soul mate...and you've been here this whole time..." Not caring for his dampening clothing, he slowly reached his arms into the tub and wrapped them around Charlotte's form, staring into her eyes with a deep blush. As she asked about what happened, he answered, a bit flustered. "E-Er...right, you...you have fallen ill, it seems. You fainted in the Foyer. So we drew you a cool bath, and herbs are on the way to bring down the fever...oh, Charlotte..." Charlotte stirred a little at the rumbling of his voice, but she could not make her mind function. "Fainted?" She frowned and felt his arms around her under the water. There was something brewing within her and turned to cough. The smelled the thick herbs filling the water and trying to ease her tired body. She closed her eyes as the main worked on her body with an urgency as they cooled her fever and slipped her into the massive bed of the king with nothing except a borrowed tunic. Her long read hair was fanned out around her as they helped her with the freshly brewed tea." Sip it slowly. It will help." The maid stated as she agreed to listen to the maid as her eyes tried to open. Her body was relaxed as she struggled to fight the healing herbs over her. Charlotte was left alone in the room with Even, and she weakly smiled at him. I will be fine by tomorrow. Do not scowl at me like that." She softly sighed as she nestled herself deeper into the sheets. The king could only hope that the maid would be alright in the end of all of this. After all, there wasn't much more the Draconian could to for Charlotte aside from try to keep her comfortable. Noticing her snuggling into the bed, Even reached for the blanket and helped tuck her in, offering a light smile instead. "I'm only concerned for your health, Charlotte. You shouldn't pretend to be alright when you feel ill like this. We're lucky we caught it when we did, or the apothecary suggested that it could have been much worse." He then set his hand on her stomach and added, "I won't let anything take you from here, be it sickness or invaders. I won't let anything take you from me." His eyes locked with her own in an intense stare, his eyes showing a faint concern for Charlotte as well as another emotion...one that was more possessive in nature. Charlotte listened to him and there was something different in his tone. "I have been feeling unwell all day. I have tried everything to try and combat it." She coughed in a little before she shifted to face him as her hair spilled over her face. She pushed the waves out of her eyesight as his hand rested on her stomach. "I did not think I was that bad, I did not mean to scare anyone." Her hand rested over his as she whispered his name sweetly." Where are you going to sleep? I should really be sleeping in my room." She shifted to get out of the bed and felt the wave of dizziness wash over. The tunic shifted to expose her pale shoulder though it was her shaking effort that was more noticeable. "Even, help me back to my room." She whispered weakly as her body leaned against him. Her head was on his shoulder though her skin was warm to the touch. She wanted to curl up into the embrace and let him take care of her, but she knew there was no way that would happen. He did not need to concern himself with a simple maid. Even listened to her response to his concerns, hearing of her sick feelings all day long and her attempts to make herself better. "And I was gone for the whole day while you were like this..." Cursing at himself, he flips his hand and tightly squeezes hers, staring deeply into her eyes. He whispered her name in a longing manner, but as she tried to get up, he eased her back down, keeping her resting on her back. "Nonsense; you're in no condition to be moving around. You need to stay here until you get your strength back. As for where I'll be staying..." Giving a coy smile, he slowly climbed into bed beside Charlotte, resting his hand on her stomach again. "... I can't, in good faith, leave you here alone, being as sick as you are." From then, his arms wrapped around her, embracing her with a gentle strength, as though he wanted her to be comforted by his embrace, but he wouldn't let anything harm her. Staring into her eyes with his sense of longing, he repeated, "Charlotte..." "But I should not be in your bed..." she muttered, but a soft sigh escaped her lips once she was settled into the bed once more by him. Her smaller form curled beside him once he decided that they were to share the bed for the evening. Her head was nestled on his chest and a hand laid on his hardened muscles of his stomach. Furthermore, her breathing was deep and even before she heard him whisper her name. She was fast asleep thanks to the healing tea coursing through her veins. Her dreams, however, were another thing. She was walking in the mountains, the ones she was forbidden to enter with a hand resting on her stomach, her swollen stomach. She was carrying a child inside of her, but she knew she was supposed to be in bed resting. But she wanted to see him. A large dragon came towards her and lowered its head so she could stroke his nose lovingly. The scales felt soft under her touch. An instant later, a nude Even was in front of her stroking her belly feeling the kicks of the unborn child." I thought I ordered you to remain in bed. The midwife says you are due any day now." He stated sternly as she leaned up and kissed him. The dream melted away as the evening faded into morning. She opened her eyes to see she was curled into the king's embrace, and she blushed." Eren, did you stay with me ALK night?" She whispered awestruck. There was a knock on the door, and they announced that wished to check on Charlotte but Even held her tightly against. "Even, someone is your door wanting to get in. Since you will not relent in your hold, maybe you should grant them entry." She giggled though her voice was hoarse. She was still exhausted but the fever finally broke. Even had so very much that he wanted to say to Charlotte; to make sure she knew just how much he needed her to be his. But...due to her weakened state and the healing tea, she had gone out like a candle, suddenly snuffed by the will of man. However, he simply smiled at her and held her more closely, planting a gentle, long-lasting kiss on her cheek before watching over her as the sun rose over the horizon, shining gently into the room and bathing them in orange light. While Draconian enjoyed the comfort, warmth, and rest gained from laying in bed, they didn't really sleep. Their stamina was much higher than that of a human's, and they only slept when they were exhausted. That being said, since everyone else had exhausted themselves last night at the mountains, they would all nearly be sound asleep. He, however, tried not to indulge himself in the beast blood, as he thought it to be a bad habit. As he felt Charlotte stirring gently, he quickly turned to her and smiled warmly as she asked him of his presence. As the door knocked, however, his arms curled protectively around Charlotte, not wishing her to leave his embrace. As she noticed how he didn't want her to leave to answer it, he smiled lightly and nodded. "I shall. Don't move." Leaving the bed, he tucked her in once again before he walked over towards the door and opened it slowly, blocking the entrance with his body as he asked, "Why is it that you disturb me the morning after my pilgrimage? It leaves the court rather exhausted, as you can imagine," Even said to whomever was at the door, trying to get them to leave quickly so he could return to Charlotte's side. Charlotte frowned at his reaction where he did not want to have her answer the door. She shifted in the bed and watched sleepily from her place on the bed where he snapped at the people at the door." My lord, we only wished to come and check on your guest. We know you must be exhausted, but we do not wish for her to relapse and the fever to return." The healer stated who warily took a step back. "We can come later if you would like, but she does need to be seen to today." The man stated as he had the maids follow him. That was the first time that the king ever denied anyone entrance from his room. Charlotte brushed a few stray strands of hair out of her face only to curl onto his pillows surrounding herself in his scent like she was to lure to think of anything but. She looked so small in his massive bed, but she felt so relaxed. She coughed, and it rattled her lungs, but it only lasted a moment. Even listened to the maid and noticed her taking a step back, letting out a soft sigh before offering a small smile to the man and maids. "I... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that. It's just that Charlotte needs her rest, and the knock awakened her. However..." He trailed off as he glanced back to her, hearing her cough. "Perhaps a brew of tea with menthol would be necessary. However, she does need to feel comfortable and well-rested, so I would appreciate it if you left the treatment as my personal duty to my old friend. Do you understand?" The knock indeed hadn't woken her, nor did he simply view her as a friend any longer, but the King really wanted them to leave as soon as possible while also being responsible about his sweet Charlotte's health. When others asked to see her, he started to feel...jealous. As though nobody else deserved to be near her aside from himself. After all, fate had given her to him, and him to her. Why should anyone else be involved? "I'll monitor her fever personally and will send for help if necessary. Otherwise, I'd appreciate it if we were not disturbed. If that's all, I'll await the tea." Smiling once more, he then gently closed and locked his door before returning to Charlotte's side. Charlotte heard them talking but could not really make out the words. They left swiftly as the maids moved to follow the orders and sent up the tea and a morning meal for the pair. Broth and a hearty stew for the king as well as bread and cheeses. Coughing once again, she drew the covers up to her chest. Her body was warm, but there was no fever." I am not keeping you from anything, am I?" She asked weakly as she tried to push herself to sit up in his bed. I know you tend to have a more reflective day once you return from your mountain but with me being here you are not afforded that peace. Are you sure you do not want me to return to my rooms." She was shaky as a leaf in winter after her feverish ordeal, but she did not want to intrude on his peace and relaxation." I am just going to rest for a bit longer. The fever took a lot out of me. Wake me if you need me for anything." Charlotte confessed as her eyes closed, and she drifted off dreaming of dragons and the king's mountain. Even slowly crawled back into the bed, now pulling his lavish shirt off, exposing his well-toned chest to her as he was feeling a bit hot as well. As she asked him if he had other obligations, he answered, "Of course not, Charlotte. You being here with me is the greatest thing I could ask for." Smiling lovingly, he held her closely, trying to help her calm down. "You stay here for as long as you need." As she drifted off away from him for her dreamland, he nuzzled into her form and kissed her cheek again. "My sweet Charlotte... I need you to be mine. If only you cared for me as a woman cares for a love interest..." Sighing softly, he caressed her as she slept, just content to be laying with her at this moment. "I love you, Charlotte." While he knew she couldn't hear him, he found it a bit comforting, because he wasn't sure if she would reject him or not. Charlotte for a good part of the morning though she stirred when the food and tea arrived. She felt horrible, like she was dragged threw the mud and bees had stung her throat. She coughed and found herself staring into the face of the king. "You did not have to lay here all morning with me." She whispered but he was bare chested against her. She blushed a deep shade of red before the maids came in and delivered some tea and food for the woof them." Sorry, I know I should have said something about feeling unwell, but you were on the mountain and forbade me to go there. Why do you not allow me to go to the mountain when the others go? I have been here since I was a child. We have been friends for your. Surely you can tell me why." She asked her voice harsh in her curiosity. "If you tell me one secret then I will reveal one of mine. I will even go first." She removed a pendant she had been wearing for most of her life. "My father is King Henry from the Western Isles. I was brought here to be safe from war. Sadly the war will never ends it seems. It is why I disappear once a year." Even looked at Charlotte as she stirred awake, and he smiled, helping her eat and drink. "Nothing would make me happier than doing just that, unless you asked me to stop." As the conversation shifted over to the secret of the mountain pilgrimage, he tried to work away from it, but was ultimately doomed when she revealed herself to be the Princess of the Western Isles. He was stricken with awe, really, unsure of what to say. "Wow... I had always wondered, but I never could have imagined..." As she looked to the King expectantly, his gaze left hers as he said, "It's not so easy to tell you. The reason we go to the mountains is more complicated, and involves more than just myself. I'd need to make sure that the Court trusts you before I were to tell you about it...and even then, I'd be hesitant, simply because of how you would react." He deeply cared about her, but he knew that the Court had to agree first, and he then thought of her safety, thinking in his own mind that it was best for her not to know yet. However, he also thought that she deserved to know, since she had been here for so long. "If the Court is ready for you to know, then I will tell you. Okay?" Resting his hand on her head, he looked into her eyes and added, "However, I could tell you a different secret, for the time being, since you told me one already if you want." "If it is a matter of trust then I will never know. I have lied to your court for many years about who I am. I doubt this will sit well with the masses." She spoke candidly as she finished her tea and the menthol seemed to help the soreness she felt in her throat. Charlotte looked at the man who was bare chested beside her. "Thank you for offering to share a secret, but there is no need, you are a king and have the right to hold the secrets to yourself. I just was tired of holding my own in. Besides, there have been rumors that the wars are settling, and tentative peace is being made in my country. I may get to return home soon." She smirked at him though there was a sadness in her tired gaze. "Are you sure that you wish me to stay, despite what I told you? We are equals now more than before." She wanted to pull away, but her body nestled against his needing his strength to seep into her own body. "Why is it they we fit so well together?" She asked sleepily as the tea took effect. Hours later, the king's advisers knocked on his door wondering where the king had been the whole day. They entered without a care as Charlotte was whimpering in pain because her head aching. "Laying in bed with a maid all day when there are disputes to be handled." One man stated before she stirred and a glimpse of her marking was exposed only to be covered up be her own need to blankets." I-Is she is the one." The man asked backing to the door with fear in his gaze. Even looked to Charlotte with a small sadness to his eyes as he tried to explain, "Yes, but they will understand. Nobody can spare their sympathy from a Western Isles refugee." However, as she spoke of leaving, his eyes widened greatly and he gasped. "R... Return home.?" But...she was his destined mate. He couldn't let her leave now. They had known each other for so long, and he could finally profess his feelings to her!" Charlotte, of course I want you to stay! After all we've been through and all the time we've spent together, I need you to stay." The King didn't know what eh would do without her. He couldn't let her leave him or his kingdom. As she asked about their connection, he softly smiled and said, "Fine. I'll tell you why when you wake up. It's about the secret of our pilgrimage anyway; you deserve to know." Stroking her hair slowly, he helped lull her to sleep before cradling her in his arms, holding her closely to himself. When the advisers came to the door and barged right in, however, he turned quickly and held onto Charlotte protectively, practically ready to bear his teeth to his own men. "Yes. It is my mark. Now why don't you poke more fun at the expense of the maid and the king, eh? I'd like to hear what youreallythink before I remove your head from your shoulders." He had a bit of a sadistic grin on his face as he laughed before going back to slowly and soothingly stroking Charlotte's hair. "Shh... I know it hurts, dear Charlotte. Does this help?" Leaning down, he placed a gentle kiss on her head as he kept her against him, feeling threatened by his advisers. He promised her to reveal a secret, but she did not feel right when there was a kingdom to consider. Her eyes were closed, but she heard the men, but their words were muffled in her mind. The soft stroking of her hair lulled her back into her dreamless sleep as the soft kiss to her forehead. She moved her head to hide from the men and the piercing light of the sun behind his back. Charlotte settled into a sleep with her body curled against his back as he was protecting her." We did not know she was yours. All these years and she has under your roof." They sounded astonished but moved to leave him to his woman. "We will make sure she is respected and want for nothing. The Queen's rooms will be open to her by the end of the day. Is there anything you require it of us." They asked trying to fix their earlier mistake and keep their lives. A male dragon finding their mate was an intense time but the alpha and his queen... they feared there would be bloodshed if the wrong male neared her. A soft groan of discomfort came from the read head as she tried to hide from the sun. "How about we bring her the healing tea? She seems to be suffering from her illness." The man stated as the others were working on the other orders. In the end of his thought process, Even realized that he didn't care if Charlotte knew about the secret of his Court. She had been around them for such a long time, and since she would end up wedding to a Draconian, the least he could do was to tell her what he was. If Even had looked furious with his men before, the way Charlotte settled at his back had him turn lightly to look at her and coo softly. Now that he had known that she was his mate, his husbandry instincts had kicked in and in his mind, everything that Charlotte did seemed undeniably adorable to him. Unable to really feel furious towards his men, he simply nodded and replied, "That sounds like a plan. Perhaps it would be for the best if a female servant were to bring it. At this point, it's not personal, but only for both of our safety. You are forgiven. Now, please leave my chambers." As they left, he sighed softly and laid-back down beside Charlotte, continuing where he left off with his strokes and embraces. "I've found my Queen...at last, perhaps I can be...happy." The men left and immediately sprung into action following his orders. The maids were ordering gowns in the finest silks and jewels to befit her station. They cleaned the rooms as swiftly, thoroughly, and properly before filling it with flowers and anything she could possibly need. The castle was buzzing with news that it was Charlotte who was to be their destined Queen and yet many felt that she always would be with their queen. The tea was delivered, the maid was nervous as she placed the tea beside the woman. She was quiet as she could be to not disturb then pair though the poor woman was suffering. Charlotte stirred as she tried to hold her head. She moved to sit up only to have the room swim and her head rested on his shoulder. "I am in hell." She mumbled as she reached for the tea. "Can you help me with this. I do not want to spill it all over." She asked as she tried to open her eyes, but the light bothered her, and she swiftly shut them. Well, it seemed with the influx of noise going around the castle, it was now known by all who their queen-to-be was. It kind of didn't even surprise him somewhat, with her being by his side for so long, they had to be brought together for a reason. Eren accepted the tea from the maid and gently nodded towards the door before turning to his Charlotte, caressing her in his strong, powerful arms. When she began to stir, he smiled and cuddled with her as she asked for more tea, him reaching for it and slowly helping her sip from the cup until it had become empty. When she had shut her eyes, however, he couldn't help himself from crawling on top of her and smiling down at her with a bit of fire in his eyes. "Charlotte." Leaning down, he planted a firm kiss onto her lips, groaning softly into her mouth as he held her down gently, now prepared to formally declare his ownership of her. She was stunned as she was nestled back into the bed by his lips on hers. There was something about the way he touched her that made her body feel... right. He groaned into the kiss and her hands where lightly resting on his forearms before the kiss ended. She was still in a daze and utterly confused. "You are my friend, why would you wish to ruin a friendship?" She asked softly as she looked into his eyes and saw the fire burning within them. Her birthmark seemed to hum, sending tingling chills throughout her body. Was the mark trying to tell her something. "Where did this desire come from Even?" She asked as she lightly caressed his face with her hand. She wanted answers as to why their friendship of many years was ending with a kiss. Even could tell that Charlotte was confused about his actions, as well as it was right to be. However, as he felt her hands on his forearms, he could tell that she didn't completely hate it, either. This brought a smirk to his lips as he embraced her. His body was tingling from the fact that he was now with his mate, which would also send tingles through her as well by the birthmark along her hip. Slowly reaching down, he grasped at her bottoms, pulling them down to her thighs as he then said, "Do you see your birthmark? It's glowing." He could see the bright blue laminating from the marking, as he explained, "I am not a human, Charlotte. I am what is known as a Draconian. We are born with the ability to shape-shift into the form of a humanoid dragon. When we are born, destiny creates a soul mate for us to create offspring with, and marks them with a sign that only the one destined to find them will recognize. Mine has always been the Crescent Moon and Star." Gazing into her eyes, he leaned in close and spoke softly. "I have had feelings for you for the past few years now, but I was afraid to act upon them, since I did not know who my destined mate was. But now I know who it is, and it's you." Smiling warmly, he stole another kiss from the maid, moaning softly as he held her closely. His kisses were drugging, but she did not understand what he was referring too. He had feelings for her, and he was not wholly human. She moved her lips away as she concentrated on what he was explaining. He exposed the glowing mark, and she touched it with trembling fingers. It was all too much to take in. "You can shift into a dragon, that is why you forbade to the mountain..." she connected the ideas slowly, but the tea was clouding her mind as was his body pinning to her." Are you telling me that I am destined to be yours? How are you so sure. The mark is uncommon but to think that I am a woman destined to be... it is a lot to take in." She admitted gently before she moved and shifted only to have her body pressed against his. "What do you plan on doing when I must return home?" Even smiled and kissed her more, loving the feel of her sweet lips against his own. As she moved away, however, he nodded and said, "It would be dangerous for you out there, love." As she asked of the destiny, he nodded and said, "Indeed. For centuries, this is the way that it has been, and it is how it shall always be." Shifting a bit, his face was near hers as he said gently, "I love you with all of my being, and that is why I cannot let you return home, my dear. You are mine, now, sweet Charlotte." Pulling her into another deep kiss, he slid his tongue into her mouth while his hands slid under and groped at her rear, his thick member beginning to grow hard against her thigh. It was dangerous for her to be at the mountain but for some reason she thought there was more to it, that he was dangerous. She understood his need to protect her, but the declaration of love terrified her more. He loved her but not as one being loved a sibling. There was something darker in his gaze as he shifted closer to her. "I cannot go home? You would deny me the only family I have left?" She whispered as her mind was processing everything slowly but thoroughly with her thoughts. He kissed her again, and she felt her resolve weakened his he pulled her body against so she could feel his arousal. "I am untouched Even. You cannot possibly Thinknum bed me without ceremony..." she whispered, but there was very little struggle in her left. It was if her mind wanted to see reason while her body sought passion. Her body ruled out as she threaded her fingers through his thick as he kisses her. The tangled linen trousers were kicked off, and he legs was draped around his waist The King stared into her eyes as she asked of home, and he simply shushed her gently with his finger, giving her lips a peck. "Don't worry, my sweet Charlotte; soon you will realize that I am the only family you need, my lover." He kissed her with passion as he continued to position himself upon her, feeling her body begin to weaken from his dominant advances. As she spoke her concern of the ceremony, he simply laughed gently and replied, "But of course you are untouched; you are my chosen mate, after all. If you had been with a man before me, then you wouldn't have been my chosen mate to begin with." Caressing her form, he added, "I'll bed you here and now, and with little restraint, my love. The first mating between us is the Draconian Binding Ritual. Your mark will finally be bound to me, and a new realm of possibilities will be unlocked. I will know where you are at all times, when you are in danger, if you are bearing child, and similar things like that, while your mark will only allow you to pleasure from mating with me." Feeling her leg drape around his waist, he grunted with excitement as he reached and tore away his own pants, kicking the remnants away before he rubbed his thick member against her delicate flower, his arms caressing her beautiful form. Her body was so responsive to his touch that it alarmed her. His words made her understand there was something deeper between them, but he wanted her for forever it seemed. Trembling she was unsure she could have forever with a man who would not let her return to her family. "My father..." she panted grasping for reality, but his mouth dragged her deeper into the haze. The tea was coursing through her, but she realized that she was sick, and he was kissing her." Are you not going to get ill because of me?" She asked softly as her hands resting on his chest while she was catching her breath. She kissed him again as his girth was teasing her now moist core. Was he really going to deflower her without a wedding and vows? She was past the point of caring which made her worry. His hands were roaming all over her, and she lost her the borrowed tunic as she bared her upper half to his gaze. Charlotte softly moaned his named as he slowly entered her body. It was an invasion that was both painful and fulfilling at the same time. She braced herself against the breaking pain of her maidenhead which knocked the breath out of her. Her birthmark glowed brightly seeming to sear her body to his touch. Was it truly binding him to her and her to him. Even smiled as Charlotte's body was acting so responsive to his touch, running his hands along her body in increasingly sensitive places, planting kisses on her lips and neck while keeping her pinned underneath his hard muscles. As she asked of his own health, he simply laughed again and responded, "My beast blood destroys any sickness that enters my body. I have never been sick, nor will I ever be." The King couldn't help but grin as her hands gently kneaded and rubbed along his well-toned chest, feeling her lean up and kiss him as he prodded at her damp sex. It prompted the man to reach for the bottom of her tunic and quickly pull it upwards, exposing her upper body as his eyes gobbled her up. While slowly slipping his thick member into her womanhood, he felt himself push through her thin barrier, using one hand to gently soothe her as he broke her hymen. Once he had fit his entire length within her, he began to slowly grind his hips into her own, rubbing his manhood against every surface inside of her while he leaned his head down to suckle on her right breast with vigor. She moaned softly as his mouth touched her naked breasts. He teased her body as he broke through the barrier that now made her a woman. She buried her face in his shoulder as she hid her tears of pain from him. It took her a few moments and a deep breath to understand that his gentle thrusting was making her feel something. The more carnal side of their joining. She moved her face but moaned softly in pleasure as his mouth latched onto her breast and yet her own hands moved to his back and gripped him tightly. Her other leg was draped around his waist. Her pleasure was climbing, and soon she was soaring on a wave of pleasure that shot through her. Furthermore, her orgasm exhausted her still recovering the eyes were beginning close. She needed stay awake to see to his pleasure. "You have too much energy, and I was given tea to sleep." She moaned in pleasure as another sensation raced through her. "I am not too sure how much longer I will be awake." Even couldn't help but smile as he sensed the change in his dear Charlotte, seeing the way she now looked at him as they were bound together. While it wasn't really a supernatural way of forcing her to crave him as a lover, it was a deeply emotional act that impacted both of them, as the mark served to heighten emotional attachment to the Draconian chosen for her. He could tell she was sleepy, with the tea and her first orgasm tearing through her body. As he laid beside her, he just laughed and stroked her hair gently. "If you're tired enough to pass out, it wouldn't be a great idea to force it anymore, hm?" Smirking, he kissed her nose and stared into her eyes. "Just calm down and let it happen, if you feel tired. There's no rush to take care of my needs, love. We completed the ceremony, and that's all that maters right now." Slowly pulling himself out of her, he then wrapped his arms around her body and nuzzled Charlotte while giving her a gentle kiss. She felt so selfish in their joining, but her eyes were growing heavy. The mark seemed to meld into their joining and then there was peace. Her small form shifted and curled into his embrace before she closed her eyes and allowed sleep to claim her. She slept deeply into the afternoon only to wake naked in the king's bed and deliciously tender. She was, however, alone. Frowning, she slipped on Even's abandoned shirt and slipped out of bed knowing she would get scolded for leaving the bed while recovering. There was a little commotion as she walked in to see maids cleaning the room only to have their eyes widen." My lady, we did not disturb, did we. We wanted to clean up a bit. The king was called away but...""It's fine. I simple want to know if I can take a bath. It gives you time to clean his chambers." Charlotte asked before she watched the people spring into action. In a few moments, she was soaking in a tub with scented oils and hot water. She was humming with relief as she dressed in silken night dress before curling into the newly made bed. She sat the anxiously awaiting Even hoping that there joining was not a mistake. Even understood that the human mate would always feel very tired after the first joining and binding of the soul mates and would need to build up their stamina over time to match the natural stamina of a Draconian. He could only find her utterly adorable as she had struggled to remain awake, and couldn't be upset with her in the slightest. However, he knew he would need to attend to some things while she slept, so with a frown, he kissed her goodbye for now and left the bed to be dressed and head to the court for some business. He had assigned different aspects of the kingdom's upkeep to different members of the court so he would be able to attend to the formal wedding and coronation of his new mate for the public of the kingdom. Of course, he would need help setting it up, but he would be asked his opinion on certain matters of the ceremonies. After he had attended to his business, the king had thought back to his sweet Charlotte and felt terrible for leaving her side. As a gift, he went to the kitchen and helped the chefs there personally whip up a nice evening meal for the royal couple. Afterward, while they finished that up, he went down to the garden and chose the most vibrant array of flowers for a bouquet he could muster. Finally, he went to the Queen's chambers before heading into his own, where Charlotte lay, and gathered the family heirloom from there. With this, he took a deep breath and quickly entered his room. Seeing she was awake, Even smiled warmly and cried, "Hello, my darling! Oh, I missed you ever so much, but I had to attend to a few affairs of the kingdom this morning. I would have told you earlier, but you're just so adorable when you're asleep." Laughing a bit to himself, he then knelt to the side of the bed. "However, I hope that these gifts will make up for my absence." He then set the large platter containing a hearty meal for two on the covers. Even then handed the dozen assorted, lively, blooming flowers to her. At the next moment, he then sat beside her and said, "In my family, when the heir to the throne finds their soul mate, they are to be presented with this necklace, crafted from the finest emeralds and sapphires by my great-great-grandfather. He forged this very kingdom as a silversmith when while he was on a mining expedition, his group found a massive vein of gold ore." Slowly undoing the mechanism on the back, he reached the necklace around Charlotte's neck and set it in place once more. "His legacy lives on through this jewelry, and now it is yours, my dear love." Charlotte smiled when Even entered the room with his booming voice and bright smile. "I woke up and you were gone. I thought you tired of me already." She stated, but his treasures made her smile. The food looked and smelled wonderful. The blooms he presented made her smile. She loved flowers of shapes and sizes, but this bouquet was amazing. She inhaled the fragrant blooms as she slipped into a vase. He breathe hitched in her throat when he presented the last token." This is too much. Her lightly traced her hands over the gems vaguely remembering the queen wearing such a piece. He placed it around her slender neck, and she felt like there was a part of history around her. "I feel like I should offer you something, but I do not have anything to give. Come sit with and help me eat this feast. Tell me all about what happening below." The king smiled and quelled Charlotte's fears. "I don't think that would be possible, dear." Laughing gently, he took a seat beside Charlotte and gently pulled her into a deep, loving kiss. Softly breaking away after a few moments, he added, "Your sweet lips are simply irresistible." Smirking gently as she spoke of wanting to give him something in return, he gently placed his finger on her lips and made it known, "All I need from you is yourself, my sweet Charlotte." Smiling, he gently held her closely to himself while he spoke of the affairs of the Court. "There isn't too much out of the ordinary going on. The wheat crop is a bit short, but the corn crop should be able to make up for it. They've struck enough iron to refine that we'll be able to fix up the Old Quarter. Things seem to be going pretty well for now." With a happy smile, the king could be sure that he was genuinely happy at this very moment. She looked over to see that he was at ease and sitting beside her as her hand lightly touched the cool jewels at her throat. His kiss had shocked her, but she instantly melted against his lips. His words caused a blush to stain her cheeks, but she began to pick at the food. Though she was not too hungry, she knew he would be relentless if she refused to get something in her. "I still do not feel that it is enough." She muttered before she began to work on the hearty stew and the soft breads. She felt pampered with such fine trimmings. Furthermore, she ate as he spoke of court, and she could not help but feel a twinge of guilt. Furthermore, she should have been down there helping with such disputes." The maids have been gossiping and bearing me down with fabrics that I may wish to have something made from. Are you planning a wedding of some extravagance? Will, will I get to write to my father and see if he will come and give me his blessing. To see him again would be wonderful." She clapped gleefully as she moved from the bed looking for a piece of parchment but got instantly dizzy. "Perhaps I should not act so excited." She rubbed her temples to ease the discomfort. He was happy to just be beside Charlotte once more, and was showing it by holding her dearly and whispering sweet nothing's into her ear. It made him even more happy to see her eating, knowing she still probably didn't feel the greatest and would need her nutrients. As she spoke her mind, he nodded lightly and responded, "It's okay. Some day, you'll learn to accept it." Kissing her cheek, he then felt her begin to become excited, knowing he was putting their ceremony into place. With a brief laugh, he spoke again. "Yes, I suppose it's of no use to hide it; I'm preparing our ceremony with the assistance of the maids. I will invite your parents, of course, and anyone that wishes to come from either kingdom." Seeing her become dizzy, he stood and gently helped her back to the bed with a warm smile. "If you'd prefer to write the invitation personally, I can get the parchment and quill for you." Placing another gentle kiss on her lips, this one lasted longer as he stroked her beautiful hair. She looked up at him as he settled her back into the bed and spoke truth to the rumors. "I want my father to have time to get to know you. He is my only family and I would hate to see him left out." She picked at the food left, but she seemed to have lost her appetite. "I have the oddest suspicions that any ailment I may display. I fear for my sanity when I conceive our first child. I do not think you will allow me to leave the bed." She giggled a bit to try and lighten her tired mood. She slept most of the afternoon, and she did not want to sleep again." Tell me, what is it like to have wings and to fly. I am dying to soar in the skies, but I fear that heights are not my friend." She stated as she curled against his chest as sighed contently. There was warmth from him no matter what the weather howled outside. Even nodded gently and smiled. "It would be a shame to do so." Seeing her disinterest in the food, he grabbed the tray and set it over on the table beside them. As she made a joking remark on his overprotective nature, he could only give her a playful grin and mess her hair up a tad. "I'm sorry, love. It's mostly rooted in instinct. I'll try to fight against it, though. I know you'll need your personal freedom." With a smirk, he placed his lips against her cheek before he cuddled up with Charlotte." Flying is the ultimate freedom," Even began. "I was afraid at first, but I have always been taught that the things you are afraid of aren't nearly as frightening when you've gotten down to it. The first plunge is always the greatest rush...you are taken to the highest peak of the mountains and are pushed off. Of course, the Court ensures that you are ready first, but you never know that until you've survived and flown already. It gives the feeling that you have saved yourself out of will and personal strength. A ceremony into true Draconian life." Taking a gentle sigh, he shook his head gently from side to side. "If only I could feel that rush again...but that day is past." He spoke about flying as if he was still yearning to relive that moment once more. She could not imagine what it would be like to fly or the rush and fear of jumping off for the first time. She could not understand anything of this life and yet her body tingled at the mere idea of it." You do realize that tomorrow that I shall be out of bed. I am feeling a bit better, and I think a few hours up and about will do wonders." She stated as her hand lightly stroking his chest with her fingers. Her eyes were closed in contentment "I however, do not know what to do with myself now that I am no longer a maid. Am I to sit around and pick fabrics all day? I mean what do ladies' of leisure actually do?" She asked as she noticed something odd. "Are you not hungry. You had me eat and yet..." She indicated to the tray still warm with food. Even heard Charlotte speak of being up and about, now knowing that she felt better. "Truly? That's great news, my love. I was wondering if the sickness would never end." Pecking her cheek, he then said, "Well...you do whatever it is you please, I'd suppose. Read, request a show, spend time in the garden...whatever your heart desires." When she mentioned the food and his lack of eating, he looked to the tray before laughing and explaining. "Ah, sorry! I had just gotten lost in your eyes, I had forgotten I was hungry." Smiling, he reached over and began to eat once again as he watched his adorable lover beside him.

The Dragon King [AzizSolomon and Ashleebabe]|rating:3.0

Into the Wilds (Supple Nail & The_PG)

Princess Marianna shifted sorely in her saddle, pushing herself up in the stirrups to give her thighs and petite backside a little relief from the constant motion. They had only been riding for a day, but already her legs were protesting the difficult, continuous motion. It was a far cry from the plush seat of her small throne, behind and to the left of her father's towering golden affair on the royal dais. Marianna missed the decadence and comfort of the court. The first night had been an adventure, a day of riding and a night in a posh inn with her royal guards to see to her. But on this the second day of her journey the excitement had given way to boredom and saddle soreness. The trip had been her father's idea. She was sixteen now, practically a woman, and with her younger brother the crown prince still taking his lessons in short pants it was time for Marianna to step into her role as a diplomat and servant of the kingdom. Marianna's mother had convinced her father that perhaps something simple would be a good start. And so the princess found herself here, towards the frontier of the kingdom, two days into a tour of the outlying provinces. Ahead of her and all around her rode the knights of her royal guard, stolid and dutiful defenders each one. Just as the call of adventure had given way to boredom their staunch professionalism and overprotective concern for her was quickly becoming wearisome. The romance of bold knights riding in her honor was muted by the dull realities of travel. Calling out a turn here, warning of a rock that could turn her mount's ankle there, and otherwise riding in respectful silence. In short, they weren't any fun. Lyrianna adjusted her divided riding skirt and straightened her back in her saddle, practicing the royal posture that had been ingrained in her by tutors since she could walk. Her lithe form was upright and slender, with willowy arms and delicate hands. Her straight back led up to a long, slender neck and a crown of golden hair pulled up into a practical but stylish bun by a jeweled pin and surmounted with a simple gold circlet. Furthermore, her features were royal, with full lips and expressive eyes under a gentle brow. She perked up a bit when the lead knight of her cadre raised a mailed fist to call a halt. Instantly an air of caution fell over the small party. In fact, now that she thought of it Marianna's keen political training had sensed an undercurrent of nervousness and over vigilance since they had passed through the populated areas of the kingdom and into the wild lands. Something was making the knights very skittish, and it seemed to be coming to a head without a warning." What is it?" She asked, more excited than scared." Shhh." One of the knights said, making an urgent chopping motion with his hand." There's something in the woods." Kara the Defiler stood with defiant confidence behind the fallen tree and dense shrubbery as one green eye, and one yellow, traced along the traveling pack of humans. His Irish nose twisted in disgust at the smell of the humans steel and stench. The cursedknightsscent blotted out the much more desirable and delicate one of the fairladyin the protective circle. This one was but a pup, but even pup's had breasts and pussy's that the Defiler desired. He dropped his long and powerful arm as the signal for his Clan of Dreadnoughts to attack. Their dirty green skin blended in well with the surrounding forest, and they outnumbered the shiny knights ten to one. Orcs bread fast, and do not take time to care for the sick or infirm, every male, and any non-pregnant female could fight well. Their only weakness was that horses did not appreciate any Irish rider, so they had to ride the massive werewolves that were much harder to train and much more liable to kill their handler as the enemy. Still, they had their purpose, and Kara had plenty of soldiers to feed the hungry mouths of his werewolf pets, and throw at the shiny knights with bright steel. Two massive trees with all their numerous branches sharpened into stakes fell in front and behind of the traveling party, blocking any chance of quick escape. Any escape would have to cut through the now numerous Orcs rushing from the forest like a wave from the ocean, and it would be a bloody one. Karak stepped from the trees just as the first waves of his soldiers met the first lines of defense of the humans. The roar and scent of his warriors spooked a few of the knights horses, but many of the riders and their mounts were veteran's of the campaign's that had decimated other Irish Hordes. The Dreadnoughts were one of the few that had escaped the endless armies that were sent into the mountains, having hidden in deep caves and only fighting when they were sure of an advantage. Now the humans were becoming careless, sending smaller and smaller bands of protectors with their merchants and diplomats. Kara was taking advantage of that, and quickly the roads around his mountain fortresses were becoming feared, but not yet enough. He was sure that this attack would make any King or Lord fear him even more. With a roar from his fanged and massive mouth he announced his challenge, "I am Kara of the Dreadnoughts and none shall pass my lands without proper homage!" A roar went up from his troops that coincided with the clash of steel. The knights were better armored, better trained, and better experienced. But Kara's warriors were younger, stronger, faster, and more numerous. The fighting at the edges did not last long, but the best knights were in the center protecting Kara's prize. Him, and his guard of most experienced fighters moved directly for the center." Leave none alive!" Roared Kara above the carnage with a booming voice as he took the head off a fallen knight who valiantly tried to get between him and the few remaining guards who defended their lady with honor and stoic defiance in the face of certain death. The first of such knights saw Kara approaching with steady stride, holding one bloodied axe in his right hand, and clutching a gleaming scimitar in the other." Foul pig," The knight muttered, as he prepared for Kara's charge. With the legs of a boar, and reach of a bear, Kara flew at the knight and ducked beneath the skillful slice of the knights long sword. Bringing his scimitar up in a wide sweep Kara cut through armor and sinew in one blow; nearly chopping the human in half. The nearest knight jabbed at the Orc Chieftain, but the nimble, powerful warrior spun away from the thrust and buried his hatchet in the humans' skull. Allowing the blade and body to drop to the floor. Pulling one of the numerous dirks from a hidden holder, Kara met the last knights charge with a leap. His clawed feet latched to the man's shoulders and dug through the armor as the knight fell heavily. Ripping the helmet from the knights head, Kara leaned down and seized his neck with razor sharp fangs and powerful jaw. He tore flesh and ended the man's life in one swift tug. The girl screamed, and Kara spit the flesh from his mouth. Though he had eaten man before, he preferred wild game, men were just too filthy. Other Dreadnoughts did not have such restraint, and were sampling a few livers and kidneys as he shouted, "Back to the fortress. Take all of their steel and make sure they are all dead! No word will reach anyone of this." A few of them grumbled, as Orcs were boastful and wished everyone to know of their deeds, but now was not the time, Kara knew. Men were still too numerous, and too strong to beat in the open. In a few more years things would be different, but not now. Striding towards the girl as he reclaimed his axe and put all of his weapons in their scabbards, he stopped just in front of her and backhanded her with the casualness of swatting a fly. It was still forceful enough to land the she-human on her back." You are my slave, she-human, and I will have you now." Dropping his breech cloth and shrugging from his leather armor, Kara dropped to his knees and began ripping the she-humans clothes from her body. It didn't take long to reveal all the treasure he had been searching for. The pearly white flesh was glistening with nervous sweat, and trembling from fear, roughly he spit upon his fingers and rubbed between her legs. Lowering himself, he began to force his girth towards her virgin hull with blood lusting grin smeared on his green face. Marianna found herself dazed and disoriented by the swirling confusion of battle as hulking shapes boiled out of the trees, swarming around her knights in a melee of confusion and savagery." Get her out of here!" Her knight captain barked, his sword singing as he ripped it from its scabbard. He used the flat to give her mount a mighty wallop on its hind quarters, and it jerked, sounding a panicked whinny as it bolted. It didn't get half a dozen strides before felled tree branches crashed through the brush to block both advance and retreat, bottling the outnumbered knights in with the ravening horde of orcs. Her mount reared and Marianna found herself thrown to the ground, the impact knocking the breath from her lungs. In a moment a trio of knights had swung down to stand over her, fighting back to back over her supine form in a desperate attempt to buy her some time. The battle was too close, too pressing for any of them to spare their attention to help her to her feet. To have done so would have been instant death. And so death was not instant, but a prolonged and bloody skirmish. Shining knots of armored figures clumped together and eroded away like earth swept away by a flood until only the knight captain and his two companions stood over Marianna. These were the most skilled fighters, the most experienced soldiers, and for a moment Marianna held out the feeble hope that they would be able to cut their way to safety. But her hopes were dashed when the most enormous orc she had ever seen swaggered forward, dispatching her protectors with casual ease. They sold their lives valiantly, but ultimately could not buy anything with them. Blood dripped from the orc's lips and Marianna felt paralyzed by terror. But she mastered herself. She was a princess, dammit, and she would not be cowed like some serving wench. She drew herself up to her full height, exuding regal pride, heedless of the fact that she barely came up to the orc's chest." Halt, beast!" She commanded imperiously." I am Princess Marianna, by what right do you..." Her words were cut off when the brute struck her with the back of his hand. The blow sent her reeling, spun her around and splayed her in the dirt. She sputtered, shock and pain making her eyes go wide. Before she could react he was on her, his brutish fingers ripping away the finely woven wool of her riding skirt." No, no..." She cried, beating futilely at his chest with her tiny hands. He hooked a finger in the neck of her gown and casually tore it down to her waist. She was jerked forward as her neckline ripped and exposed the creamy skin of her breasts. Her face blushed crimson, but there was nothing she could do as he held her down and ripped her clothing away. Her eyes got as wide as saucers when he revealed his enormous member. He rubbed two fingers between her legs in the barest gesture of lubrication and the contact made her shiver. She felt the calloused flesh of his hands running along the lips of her pussy and tried to hold her knees closed, but he wrenched them open with contemptuous ease. Tears streamed down her face as she felt the bulbous head of his cock poised at the entrance of her virgin passage." You can't...you'll kill me...it's too big..." She gasped, panic writ on her face. Kara laughed uproariously at the frightened princesses words. The fact that she was a princess did not bother him in the least, it only made the victory so much sweeter, humans would come to fear the name of Kara the Defiler when he showed Marianna to her father. Sucking his cock, and content with her place in society. The only thing he title changed, was the fact that she would not die immediately; if she behaved. Leaning over her tiny frame with a half-snarl, half-chuckle, he brought his massive face and razor sharp jaws within millimeters of the princesses face. "If you want to live, you'll make sure it fits." Dribbles of drool, mixed with the blood of her former knights dripped from his mouth and splattered across Marianna's creamy white neck and rapidly rising and falling chest. Now Kara had the large mushroom shaped head of his cock against the narrow slit between the princesses legs. All of the muscles in his back, ass, and legs coiled slowly together before releasing with unyielding power. He surged forward, spearing her tiny frame on the rock hard muscle between his legs. His hips rode along Marianna's thighs, forcing them to spread wider as he drove deeper. Kara grunted as he broke through her maidenhood with only the slightest of pauses. The incredible tightness drove him wild, and the blood that had been protecting her innocence lubricated his cock just enough to keep it moving forward smoothly. Still, there was no way he could push the entirety of his girth within this tiny she-human in one go. It was just impossible, and Kara became stuck with more than half his cock still in the warm air. With a growl, he leaned forward to bite her fleshy breasts, they were smaller than any Orcs. They were also softer, and tasted so much better, a ripple of enjoyment rushed through Kara's body that ended in the least menacing snarl he had let loose yet. They tasted sweet and filled his massive mouth with the pleasurable scent of untouched flesh. If he had wished, he could have torn the flesh from her, and consumed it, but Kara preferred just the taste. Still, his razor sharp teeth cut very lightly, and the blood mixed with her scent moved his body into a lurch. Another inch of his thick cock pushed into the untouched depths of the princesses' womanhood. Now that he was at least halfway into the lithe little waif, he pulled began and set to rutting. His strokes were shortened by the incredible tightness of the princess, but he drew out the pleasure by slowing down and allowing both himself and Marianna to feel every millimeter as he penetrated and then bottomed out within her tiny frame. Each thrust bounced her entire body, save for whichever breasts Kara had in his mouth at that particular moment. Because of the bloodlust, and incredible tightness Kara knew he would not last long. As he drew close to the end, he stopped his attention to her breasts and moved his ugly face above hers. Leaning forward, he kissed her, his gigantic mouth swallowing hers, and his long, leathery tongue pushed into a resisting mouth. "Laugh, NIFFF!" Marianna screamed in agony when Kara thrust savagely into her, pain tearing through her belly as he forced his thick cock into her virgin pussy. He was far too big for her and she could feel herself stretching, tearing, her walls pushed aside like a gate being smashed by a battering ram. There came a moment through the pain when she felt him bump up against something inside her and her eyes, squeezed shut from the pain, shot wide." N...voodoo." She moaned, her groan interrupted as he jerked forward and smashed through her hymen. It was one pain among many, but it carried its own torture for her. She felt broken, violated. Deprived of her maidenhood like a common street trollop. He paused then and for a long moment Marianna held out the hope that he would stop. Then he jammed his hips forward another inch, forcing his meat into her millimeter by millimeter in one long, slow thrust. She could feel him spreading her, pushing her aside, forcing his way into her impossibly tiny passage. Then he pulled back and the sucking feeling as his thick cock pulled out of her was just as intense as the first penetration. Thrust after thrust came, each one deeper than the last. Sawing pain accompanied each one. Marianna's pussy was simply too tight to accommodate him without tearing. Then a new pain lit her senses. With his newest thrust he bottomed in her, the head of his cock punching into the knotted gate of her cervix. She felt like she was being punched in the stomach from the inside. She screamed again and looked down between them. To her horror she saw that even with the head of his cock nuzzling at her innermost depths there were still four unending inches of his shaft exposed. He bit her then, his teeth sinking into the tender flesh of her breast deep enough to draw blood. Her head lolled, and her eyes fluttered upwards. She gasped piteously. She could feel the rough bark of the ground rasping at her exposed back, could feel every thrust pushing her ass into the dirt of the forest floor. Furthermore, she had been taken without pretense or foreplay, a brutal, loveless coupling, like a whore. Furthermore, she felt no arousal, no desire, and yet the simple, relentless friction of their coupling took its toll and her pussy began to moisten and lubricate, her juices mixing with her blood and clinging to Kara's cock each time her drew it out of her body. Although in her inexperience she did not know what it meant she felt Kara's pace quicken, felt his cock swell inside of her to even bigger than it was. Without warning, he kissed her, pushing his tongue into her mouth. She shook her head from side to side but could not resist, could not prevent this new violation. Tears streamed from her eyes and she fell limp, her body jerking as he had his way with her. Kara hardly noticed the princesses sudden limpness. He was already too close to finishing what had begun at the beginning of the ambush to notice or even care. As his powerful muscles tensed, and his thick cock expanded, his razor sharp teeth took tender but firm control of Marianna's lower lip, drawing blood as the pleasure welled within his muscular body. His seed spent itself with force and duration uncommon to men, quickly filling up the tiny she-human's innards and leaking around the edges of where their flesh met. It was hotter too then any men, and the smell was quite different. It was almost a putrid sweetness that filled the tiny bit of air surrounding them before being whisked away in the light breeze of the day. The chemicals involved had many of the female Orcs sniffing and suddenly feeling aroused themselves, a few broke off with their mates to do just that. As the princess absorbed not only the scent, but the chemicals through her body it would do much the same, though every human was different in how they reacted. To some it burned, the touch, to some it turned them numb, and others felt the incredible need to continue what had just happened. The Orc Chieftain did not give much time for any of that to happen. After two deeply satisfying breaths he knelt, then stood, and redressed himself. Turning to one of his warriors he snarled a question, "How many dead?"" Only eleven Kara, but many more wounded, these knights had keen bites. At least ten more will die by the nightfall." Karak accepted the losses with a curt nod and grunt, "We will honor the fallen with a feast. Kill the horses," Horse-meat was far more desirable than man-meat. "Cut off the knights heads and place them on stakes at the edge of the forest. These humans are superstitious and will believe we are devils, Irish devils, the very best kind of fear... Hmm... Don't forget the weapons, they make good steel." The warrior nodded, and jogged off to relay orders. Karak the Defiler turned around and his one yellow, and one green eye fixed on the little nymph whom he had enjoyed so fully. "Get up," He said with a snap of his now gleaming white teeth. When she struggled, he gave her another backhanded slap that sent her back to the ground. "When I speak to you, you shall reply with 'yes master' or 'no master' and nothing else, unless I ask it... Now, get up." As she stood and replied, he grasped her arm in a vice grip while pulling one of his sharpest, but smallest blades from the folds of his leather armor. Without a word he drew his sign into her fleshy arm, "This is until you may be properly marked, so that none of my warriors try and take my prize." It was simple sign, three slashes at the same angle, with wavy line across it. Kara was most skilled in this, and accomplished the task in mere seconds, only cutting deep enough to make sure the scar would remain. Then he licked the blood clean from her arm, and his blade. A second chemical was now injected into the princesses body, a healing agent that left horrible scars, but kept the wounded from dying. Wrenching the princesses slight frame forward, he pushes her towards their camp. It was a long march, one that Marianna was forced to make blindfolded for the majority of it, until they were underground, and the secret entrance was closed. As they descended the heat grew until perspiration formed on both the Orcs and the she-human's skin. They were greeted by a victorious howl from their comrades, and soon enough mead was being spread while the horses were cooked. Kara took his prize directly to her new cell. A caged room just outside his own cave. The cage would protect her from unwanted advances just as well as it kept her from escaping. A dirty brown sack was within, bloodstained, but enough to give some dignity. Karak returned two or three hours later, intoxicated, but not yet drunk. He eyed his prisoner, watching, waiting for what her reaction to her new home would be. Marianna squeezed her eyes shut as jet after jet of boiling cum spurted into her pussy, the warmth of the liquid creating an unmistakable sensation as it flooded her womb. Kara held there for one long moment and for that moment Marianna thought that the ordeal was over. But then the potent chemical properties of his drugged cum took hold and a wave of helpless arousal swept over her. She felt like her body was on fire. In an instant her nipples stood to diamond hard little points on her chest, almost aching with the tightness. She gasped and let out a small involuntary moan, trembling beneath him. The long, dragging slide as he pulled his manhood out of her ravaged virginity was a tantalizing agony, and Marianna's disgust and self loathing grew with each new wave of arousal. A continual stream of pinkish white fluid seeped from between her legs and trickled down her thighs. She had no time to dissect and examine these new sensations though. She was slapped so hard that her ears rang, and she tumbled back to wallow in the dirt. Still half dazed she was dragged up by her arm. Her confusion was replaced with agony, and she shrieked as he began to cut her, writhing futilely against his iron grip in a desperate attempt to get free." No, no! Please! No, Master, no! I beg of you!" She babbled, dazed and only half realizing what she was saying, trying to twist away from his knife. The stinging application of his healing saliva was like acid in the wound and her eyes watered. Then she was flung on her face in the dirt, ignored like an object while Kara barked his orders. Nearly senseless from the pain and humiliation, Marianna was bodily manhandled to her feet and half dragged, half carried a seemingly interminable distance through the forest. Whenever she stumbled or fell she was kicked upright again, or simply dragged by her long hair until she screamed out and scrambled to her feet again. By the time they arrived she was bruised, her feet cut and bleeding, her broken lower lip split and swelling prodigiously. She was almost grateful to be flung down in the tiny cage. There exhaustion and the full significance of her ordeal overwhelmed her, and she promptly fainted. She awoke in the dim half light of the cave, her bruises aching and her cuts stinging, but none with the ferocity of Kara's mark carved into her arm. She stared at it and wept. Furthermore, she was marked now. Ruined outside and in. She placed a hand to her belly and felt at the entrance of her tender pussy but jerked her fingers away, too sore even to explore the extent of the damage he had done. She felt riven, as if her topography would never be the same again. When she took stock of her situation things were not much better. She was still naked, dried semen and blood coating her thighs and flaking off as she began to move about. Her hair was tangled, her beauty marred and broken by bruises and bite marks. The only garment available was a ratty burlap sack with holes cut for the arms and head. It barely served to cover her, so short that if she shrugged or lifted her arms at all the hem of the filthy garment rose high enough to reveal the pink, swollen lower lips of her pussy. Even standing hunched it left the lower globes of her ass exposed to the dank air of the cavern. The bars of the cavern were solid, and she was too weak and lost to escape even if she could get through them. As misery overwhelmed her she huddled in the corner and began to quietly sob. She had cried herself out by the time Kara returned, and some of her imperial fire had come back to her. She was still a mess, still broken and beaten, but she stood tall as befitted a princess and glared at him with intense hatred. The memory of having called him master in a moment of weakness galled her like a coal burning through her heart." Release me, beast!" She spat, drawing herself up." Or my father's knights will hunt you down and chop you into bait like the animal you are!" Her words were strong, imperious. But Marianna's self-confidence and self-respect began to erode as he towered over her. Her mind was filled with loathing, but as soon as she caught a whiff of his scent her pussy instantly flooded. Kara threw his head back and gave a powerful hoot of laughter as Marianna tried to command her release. Then she threatened him, and he laughed even harder, slapping his knees as he doubled over until he was able to control his breathing. Wiping a tear from his face, he flicked it into the cage. Taking a rusted iron key from a hook only a few feet from her rough cage, he twisted it into the lock and with a nail-biting screech the cage opened. Popping the key back on its hangar, he stepped into the cell with a slight twitch of his snout. The smell from previous occupants rankled him, but it was quickly overwhelmed by the blood and tantalizing smell that was emitted from between the princesses legs. Setting his posture to mirror this pompous she-woman, he eyed her battered frame and gave a short chuckle." You are in no position to command me, bitch." With a snort, he spit into the rough ground, "Your father will never find you in time. When I am finished with you, you won't even want your own kind anymore. All you will desire is food and water so that you have the strength to serve my every need and whim." His voice was like a low rattle of death, made a gargle by the slowly building saliva as Marianna's scent continued to fill his nose. He spit again, "I'm going to fuck you... Like an animal... And you will like it... Like the animal you will become." Moving slowly Kara brushed away her frail arms and latched his iron grip around her delicate throat. He squeezed slowly until her arms failed her, and then eased up slightly. Leaning over, he licked where he had bitten her flesh; both breasts and her lips. Enjoying the dried blood and fresh as it seeped slowly to the surface. Lowering his shoulder he gave an easy shove and pushed Marianna's light frame up over his shoulder. Straightening, he lifted her off the floor and turned around to walk from the cage into his quarters. Rough furniture covered by thick hides of the much prey he had fought were the primary decorations. Small oil lamps gave off a dim light, along with a few of the more magical stones he had stolen. Kara walked straight through his quarters to the back, and out another door. A small alcove had been cut out of the massive cave, and a pool of ice cold water was in the center. It was crystal clear until Kara deposited Marianna's damaged frame into it with the smallest of shrugs. The dried blood, cum, and dirt began to wash from her body quickly. The Orc chieftain moved to a small furnace where several small boulders were glowing red with heat. He took them with pokers and tossed them into the pool. The hiss of steam was followed by an immediate warming of the water as the stones dropped to the bottom one by one. Kara joined Marianna in the water shortly after, and handed her a coarse cloth while muttering the command, "Clean yourself, and then me." His yellow eye glinted with a silent dare for the small she-human to try something, while the green one watched her naked form with lust. "I willneverobey you, beast!" Marianna shot back. She stood tall, shoulders back in defiance despite the aches in her body. Her form flinched away when he reached out for her and she scrabbled futilely against the massive trunk of his arm as he snatched her by the throat. Her body was shaken like a rag doll as he dragged her onto the tips of her toes and squeezed. She gasped and choked, her bare feet scraping against the floor to find some purchase as she struggled feebly against him. Was this it? Would her defiance cost her her life? The breath choked out of her in a filthy cavern? Her eyelids fluttered, but before she lost consciousness Kara released her and she slumped. She would have fallen had he not swooped in to savage her body with his rough tongue. The stinging, healing remedy of his saliva cut through the haze like needles on her skin, but she could not resist, even when he tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of grain. She was dimly aware that the position would bring her very wet pussy close enough for the scent to be unmistakable, and she moaned feebly in humiliation. She was barely conscious, too dazed to fight him as he carried her from her cell and into the barbaric decadence of his personal chambers. He transferred her to an underhanded grip like a man hoisting an animal and with one rough motion tore the flimsy scrap of rough burlap from her, claiming her only modesty and leaving her once again completely nude and at his mercy. Her head lolled, and she nearly fainted until he unceremoniously dumped her into the icy pool. Instantly she was wide awake, thrashing in a panic before gaining control over herself." By the g-g-gods it's c-c-cold." She gasped, her teeth chattering. She hugged her arms tightly to her chest, partly for warmth but mainly to cover her breasts. Her nipples tightened sharply in the icy water, hardening to pink little nubs on the supple flesh of her breast. By the time the water had warmed enough to be comfortable the sweat, blood, and cum from her earlier ordeal had washed away. The clear water of the pool was not be-fouled by it, and she realized it must have an outlet and an inflowing spring from somewhere. That explained why it was so clear. And so cold. She withdrew to the far side of the small pool, huddling as far from Kara as possible when he lowered himself into the hot water. The rag he tossed her floated in front of her, and she glared at him as she snatched it. It felt wonderful to be able to swab her tenderest part clean, scrubbing away the evidence of her defilement like one would remove a filthy garment. Her spine bristled at his second command, though, and when she was clean she threw the rag in his face." Clean yourself, beast." She spat. Kara's grunt of anger was followed by his rough voice barking loudly in the close quarters, "I am a beast, and I thoughthumanswere supposed to be smarter than mere beasts. I am surprised that you would act so... Stupidly." He advanced on the tiny princess, reaching her before she could scramble from the deep water. Snatching Marianna by the hips he tugged violently and tossed her like a doll back into the water. Once she had submerged, he took a moment to find her head and get a firm grip. He pulled her with a hand on either side of her skull until she was back above the water. Bringing her unblemished face in front of his hideously powerful face, he stared into her eyes with his large miss-matched eyes. "If you don't want to drown. You'll suck my cock." With those simple, quiet, angry words he pushed her head underneath the water and against his semi-rigid cock. It immediately hardened as he felt her thrashing head trying to wrench away from the humongous member. Kara placed one hand against her jaw and the other took hold of her soaked, silken locks of hair. With inhuman strength he squeezed her jaw and began to pry it open until his club sized head slipped between her lips. Then he forced the fresh water, and his extended length to the back of the princesses mouth, and down her throat. Holding with powerful grasp, Kara waited until he could feel her convulsing before pulling her head off of his cock and back to the surface. A growl of disappointment in the loss of pleasure welled through Kara's chest, but it was replaced with a chuckle as the rather insolent face of Marianna's broke the surface." Do you understand me yet, she-human?" He asked dangerously, before waiting briefly for a reply. Marianna gasped and struggled as Kara seized her and thrust her under the water. The bulbous head of his cock pressed against her stubbornly closed lips, and she shook her head desperately, the motion dragging his member across her face. Water flooded into her mouth when he forced her jaw open but was quickly stemmed as his massive cock pressed inside. It was almost too wide to fit into her mouth at all and her eyes shot wide in panic, her fingers scrabbling futilely at his flanks as he held her down. She gagged as it forced its way past her teeth and over her tongue to lodge against the back of her throat. She gagged but couldn't dislodge it. His powerful hands controlled her head like a toy, moving it up and down his shaft. She felt the onrushing panic of drowning as she struggled to breathe but that terror paled as he pressed down hard on the back of her skull and didn't let up. She thrashed in the water as his cock hit the back of her throat and then kept going, cramming its way into her throat and down her gullet. Furthermore, she could feel her neck bulge and stretch with its monstrous intrusion until at last her nose pressed up against Kara's abdomen. Furthermore, she could feel her lips stretching around the base of his shaft, could feel his warm balls floating against her chin. It seemed impossible to her that he could fit his entire enormous cock in her mouth, and yet there it was. Just as she thought she would pass out Kara dragged her to the surface. Her eyes fluttered on the brink of unconsciousness and her tongue lolled lewdly, her senses too messed up to tell where she was." Please...no more......" She begged piteously, still feebly struggling against him but too weak even to pull away. The very site of her previously defiant, angry, and humiliated face turned into a whimpering, begging, childish face gave Kara the thrill he was so named for. Defiler. Bringing Marianna up further out of the water until her tiny ear was next to his mouth, Kara pushed his tongue into the tiny orifice. The strange sensation was followed by lustful rasping words, "I am the Defiler, and you are my slave, she-human. I am your life, your death, and everything in between. You will obey me." Just to reinforce his words Kara sent the princess under the water again, and pushed his cock into her throat again, and lastly again allowed her to nearly drown before bringing her back above the water. This time he did not say anything as she broke the surface. Instead, he allowed her to breath, before kissing her mouth rather gently, and holding her trembling lips against his until he felt her beginning to return the kiss. In fear or otherwise, he did not care why, just that she would return it. Slipping one powerful hand from her face as he felt the time she would rebel was over, for now, he pushed the hand underneath the water and between her legs. He rubbed forcefully between her legs; knowing not to push his sharp claws within her at this moment, she was not nearly ready for that experience.Instead, he focused on working her lust past the boundaries that she would be able to rebel from. His long tongue tasted all the she-human's sweet mouth and then began to work on the skin around her face. Reddening her cheeks and throat with his rough tongue and hot breath. It was not refined the way Kara attacked her, but simply raw and powerful. If he felt her shudder or squirm, he assaulted the place with even more stimulation until the tiny princess beneath him was just a quivering mess. Finally, he felt she was ready, and his middle, massive digit pushed between her velvet lips bringing cool water and rough callouses against her sensitive innards. "Do you understand yet she-human? Do you know who I am?" There wasn't a particular answer Kara was looking for right now, just a sense of how hard training this she-human would really be. A surge of fear welled up in Marianna when he forced her down again, not only fresh terror but remembered terror from moments before. Knowing what to expect made the ordeal so much worse. She felt him pry her jaw open, force his knobbly cock into her mouth, push her head down until it hit the back of her throat. And there was something else...some forbidden twinge as the narcotic pre-cum that he secreted shared itself across her palate. Her body reacted involuntarily to its thick, addictive aphrodisiac taste. She felt him push harder and gagged as his cock shoved its way down her throat. Her throat spasmed and contracted wildly trying to expel the massive invader, but to no avail. Then, just before she could black out, she was breathing again. She took great, gasping breaths and clung to Kara in panic, a drowning girl grasping at anything to stay afloat. When he kissed her she screwed her face away from him, but the motion sent waves of water splashing through the pool and the sound filled her with sudden dread. She reluctantly returned his kiss, her eyes squeezed shut and tears leaking from the corners. He ravaged her mouth without resistance and Marianna's eyes shot wide when she felt his calloused hand creeping up between her naked thighs. The sensation was instant and intense, his rough fingers rubbing over the bruised, sensitive lips of her pussy, dragged down between the cleft of her ass, rumbled over the swelling bud of her clit. She gasped against his mouth and her fingers tightened on his arms involuntarily. She tried to push him away but could not resist him. Furthermore, she couldn't squeeze her knees shut with his hands between her thighs. All she could do was endure his assault. To her unfathomable shame and horror she felt herself becoming even more aroused. The aphrodisiac affects of his cum were still pulsing through her veins but more than that, she was a hot-blooded young waif in the prime of her years. Supple, aching for a touch, repulsed by and helpless to the waves of arousal that crashed over her. She felt so ashamed of her reactions. Like a slut, like a whore. She was trembling and gasping when Kara pulled back." You...are...an...animal..." She hissed into his face. In defiance of her body and his mastery of her, in defiance of her helplessness and his power, she glared up at him with hatred in her eyes and arousal panting in her throat. "MMM," Kara chuckled back as he dipped his mouth a bit lower and ran his coarse tongue along her throat. He could feel the veins throbbing beneath now clean skin from the cave's fresh springs. It had washed away all scent besides the faint smell of she-human, and while he did not especially like the taste of their flesh, he greatly enjoyed the feel of their warm bodies and scent of frailty that accompanied it. His digit, now inside of her, felt the trembling and throbbing of desire that could not be withheld. The same thing occurred every time with every she-human he had taken, and he knew it was because of this filthy word that they flung at him every time. Animal. Yes, he was an animal in almost every sense of the word, but he was a cunning animal that enjoyed all that it meant to be an animal." And you," He said with a chuckle, "Will be the slave of an animal, what does that make you, she-human?" He did not give her much time to respond as he removed his digit from within her, and allowed the razor sharp nails to brush briefly over the center of what pleasure she was feeling nestled just above the slit that was warm and now producing its own liquid. Kara moved his hand to lift her hips to pull her nearly weightless frame up in the water, and pull it against his rock hard body. Sliding the little princess down until the slit between her legs split, but did not capture his throbbing cock. It slid along the outside of her womanhood, the hard bone pressing against the sensitive cleft of her lips before running lengthwise against the button of pleasure atop them. He dragged her over his cock, back and forth, teasing and threatening entrance, but waiting for her to become a more willing participant this time. Kara's iron muscles would not tire with this sort of prize in his grasp, and the rest of his body aided his rather gentle torture to speed up his slave's acceptance of her new position. The long tongue his race was blessed with was made for cleaning the meat off bones, long, dexterous, and rough. However, it worked very well in other ways too. To delight during courting, and now it aided Kara in his quest of desire over the little she-human he now held in his hands. Tracing lines of spittle, goosebumps, and excitement across the sensitive skin around her throat and beneath her ears. One hand easily worked her body up and down, while the other grasped her not-yet-fully-formed breasts and mauled them in an iron grasp. He had heard of humans that... With an evil grin he pinched the very tips of her breasts, and rolled them in his calloused fingers. Yes, they do enjoy it. Little do they realize how much of the animal lives in them too! Marianna shuddered as Kara pulled his finger out of her pussy, the sensitive inner walls pulling and sucking on it as it created a vacuum inside her. An involuntary moan tore itself from her throat and she had to still her hips from thrusting after it, trying to keep it inside her. Her frail form was helpless to resist as he manipulated her, maneuvering her over the massive rod of his cock, so much thicker than his finger. She trembled, feeling like it was an abyss and not a grossly exaggerated manhood that she was dangling over. She felt like to fall even an inch would send her spiraling downward forever and ever until she could never get herself back. Her soft thighs quivered with an anticipation that revolted her, a need that drained her pride, her self-worth with its intensity. She waited with horrified anticipation for the brutal thrust that would send his cock barreling upwards into her guts, the rough shove that would push her down onto it. But the motion never came. The massive head of his cock rested against the juicy entrance of her pussy, nestled in the folds but not penetrating the muscle. Her knees shook, and she found that she suddenly had to support her own weight, her muscles weak and trembling from her rough treatment. She bit her lip and redoubled the strength in her failing muscles, determined not to fall. Too fall would be to..." I...won't be here for long." She panted, half in exhaustion and half in lust." My father's men...won't...stop looking for me. They'll find you, and they'll..." She said in short, choppy breaths, still gasping for air. Karak silenced her in an unexpected way. His massive fingers cupped her breasts, rough callouses dragged across their sensitive curves. His hands fondled upwards to take her tiny pink nipples between his claws. They were already painfully erect, pointing out like arrow tips and so sensitive they tingled even with the passage of the air. He clamped onto them with a devastating intensity, pinching and twisting them cruelly. She screamed and tried to jerk herself backwards by reflex. The motion pushed her off balance and her legs buckled, her feet slipping on the slick shelf of the pool. Could she have stopped herself? Could she have pushed herself up if she hadreallytried? Or was it more than a simple loss of balance that force her hips downward? Such thoughts fled her mind in a single blinding moment. She dropped downwards, and his cock speared into her cunt with the force of a gut punch. It was just an instant, but it felt like an eternity. The second that his bulbous head forced her tiny passage open she came, the first orgasm of her young life. Her body spasmed, and the breath fled from her chest. Her pussy began to clench wildly around his shaft, her muscles squeezing like a twitching vice the whole slide in. His girth was enough to force her walls part, to stretch her in ways that she had never been stretched, had never imagined that she could be stretched without killing her. Then the slide ended, and she remembered in a sudden cogent moment of panic that he was too long to fit entirely inside her. The head bottomed at the entrance to her womb, punching the depths of her pussy as her weight slapped her down onto him. The impact sent another mini orgasm racing through her nervous system like the aftershock of an earthquake. Cloudy fluid, clear against the clear water, oozed from her slit. Several inches of his cock remained in the cool water of the pool contrasting with the molten heat clenching around the rest of his member. Lyrianna threw her head back, her mouth opens like a scream but only gasps of pure agony and pure pleasure issuing out. Her thighs trembled, and her eyes fluttered upwards. She collapsed limply against Kara's broad chest, her tiny mouth sobbing into him, her pussy still clenching like a vice around his cock. The humans would have said it was art and painted many pictures that would make women blush and men grin. Those of proper lineage would only be allowed to glance sideways, and those that stared would be considered to base to be relevant. But Kara was an Orc, and he was the Defiler. Erotic art and beauty held no place in his mind, it was only the control and taking of it that he desired. Still the moment did affect him in many different ways that he was mostly unconscious of. The firm grip had gone in an instant from a vice to a rippling pulse, like the brief moments between a waterfalls rush into the once calm pool of water beneath. The stirrings tickled his spine deliciously as the faded like ripples from the head of his cock over the rest of his body. The gasping that drew lewd sounds of baser pleasures dribbled down through his ears before and after with the echoes around the small cavern, and yet more lust filled his veins. The knowledge of forcing such pleasure onto his slave also sent praise to his pride and intelligence of having changed the thoughts of his captor with very few words. It was the way of the Orc, to speak less, and take much, much more." Soon you will wish they did not come..." He said softly with only the lightest of traces of his guttural native tongue. Turning slowly in the cool water Kara allowed his moving legs and shifting hips to be the only movements that affected his cock. Gently nudging the thick head deep inside the she-humans body, brushing against something that blocked his entire length from entering her. He had dealt with that before, but decided for the moment to allow that last denial to at least survive this day. It would be so much fun to take it later, when she had regained some of her defiance. He knew it would not all come back, but undoubtedly with a fiery she-human that also thought herself still a princess, Marianna's embers of resistance would last much longer than the common she-humans Kara had done much the same to before. Finally, the little body was positioned between his unyielding flesh and the smooth, but even more unmovable walls of the pool. Taking hold of the she-humans hips with both hands, he slid her pelvis upwards slightly, before rocking it back down. There was no thrusting of his own hips, the act of dragging her upwards, and then down shifted his cock around inside of her. The pleasure for Kara was immediately intense, for instead of going in and out as her body was made for, he moved sideways and against the tightly gripping walls of her cunt. Each push, pull, and tug expanded his exploration of her up until recently well guarded womanhood. He could feel the muscles trembling and fighting to accommodate his girth which only made the rigid skin harder, and the experienced muscles harder. Not every Orc simply fucked and finished, for Kara there was a sort of ritual to the entire affair and this was only part of it, just the beginning as he used the princess like he might his own hand. She's doing all the work while he tried to find every inch of pleasure that he could draw from her nubile young body. Her body still trembling and spasming in the aftermath of her orgasm, Marianna was too limp to resist as Kara re positioned her, turning her around so that her ass and lower back was pressed up against the wall of the pool. The pool's stone edge came up to the middle of her spine and she draped her upper body backwards gracefully along the ground in a kind of exhausted daze. Her thin arms reached above he as if grasping for the last shreds of her dignity, resting on the moist stone. Her chest heaved, and her small breasts moved fluidly with the motion. As Kara took her hips and loomed up over her a kind of submissive terror shot through her mind. The force of him thrusting on top of her, the pain, the terror of that first rape, they all came flooding back into her mind when his massive shoulders hoovered into her vision. He started moving his hips, and she moaned in lust and misery. She could feel his cock inside of her shifting around, dragging her walls from side to side. He didn't thrust or hammer into her, he pushed his cock from side to side. Each swing stretched her pussy out farther than it ever had to the left or right. He was still enormous, too big for her, and she felt so full she thought she would burst. She knew the limits of her frame, there wouldalwaysbe pain. He was just too big. But although that pain never abated it was quickly becoming eclipsed by a slippery, seductive pleasure that grasped her nerves like a vice. Karak dragged his cock sideways across the very depths of Marianna's pussy and his head slid forcefully over the knotted entrance of her womb. She jerked in agony and let out a long, low moan of pleasure at the same time. In a desperate attempt to relieve the pressure she swiveled her hips sexily. The motion seemed to break a barrier inside her, and she found she could no longer control her movements. Seemingly of their own volition her hips swiveled and pushed up against Kara's cock again and again, grinding back and forth across his bulbous head." Noooo..." She moaned, her arms pushing against his biceps for purchase. The piteous cry of desperation and fleeing defiance echoed in the chamber for many long seconds. They sent a prickling of pleasure and further cemented the pride of Kara's own namesake into his own ego. The pained, angelic expression that crossed Marianna's features also added to those feelings after a momentary burst of wonderment. The look was alike to the one described in the stories of a long ago time when the Orc's had been so great that even angels were a prey within their grasp. The chieftain did not believe them, but the story tellers were excellent and the image of the she-human's face was one that had been given to him words yet not in pictures until this moment. But of Kara the Defiler would be the one to fuck an angel. The confident thought remained firmly affixed as the 'angel' began to move her own hips. The she-human was not only pleasuring herself, but also hurting herself as she allowed his massive girth, extreme length, and unbreakable rigidity to bump again and again into the place Kara had only moments before decided not to rob her of this night. The decision had been pulled from his grasp before a few times, as the rutting she-humans writhed and wracked their own bodies so powerfully to find that deeply buried pleasure. Forcing themselves onto his cock and into a world of pain that only increased the search for pleasure until the both combined and burst into such a powerful spell they had all passed into oblivious sleep, a few who had never awoken. The experience was one Kara wanted for himself, and his powerful forearms flex, holding the she-human tightly. He allowed her to move side-to-side, but not in and out. Taking that from her would be an experience he could not deprive himself of, not when there was so much more pain to explore once she had recovered a bit of her humanity. As for right now, she was an animal already, and he wanted her to experience that moment as a human.Instead, the Orc controlled the depth of his strokes as the she-human moved from side to side. The incredible tightness was slick, hot, and throbbing in a way that was beginning to draw droplets of his cum from the large balls floating in the cool water. He began to growl steadily in the way of an Orc, it was impossible to tell whether or when he inhaled or exhaled. Just a continuous growl as he moved out of her tight pussy until the head of his cock left her lips and allowed them to close, before driving in like a nail and ending the thrust just before he would have slammed into the entrance of Marianna's womb. There his cock would sit, throbbing, as he twisted her hips from side to side. Though Kara needed only to guide, and protect the princess from impaling herself on his large cock. Finally, as the welling pleasure began to build past any threshold the Orc could muster, his large head loomed suddenly over the tiny she-human's face. "Open," He commanded in the middle of his now loud, and still increasing in volume, growl. Her mouth did as it was told, and Kara's tongue forced its way passed the tiny one that vainly attempted to touch and into her throat. The growl now began to transfer from the Orc and deep into the she-human as his powerful body began to shake in the throes of pleasure. Marianna was nearly senseless when Kara forced his tongue into her mouth, a brutal mockery of the tender intimacy that was a kiss. He savaged her mouth and she shook her head from side to side weakly, too disoriented by the intensity of her sensations to resist him. She felt his tongue invading her throat, forcing it wide and making her sputter, her eyelashes fluttering rapidly. When he grabbed her hips she expected him to start rutting her like a beast, slamming into her again and again the way that they had before. Her pussy spasmed at the thought. Instead, he simply controlled her motions, drawing out her pleasure and forcing her to move against him with torturous ponderousness. She moaned in combined relief and frustration. Her hips were still thrusting helplessly into his, her pelvis grinding against his stiff member when he held her still and drew out almost all the way. The suction of his passage seemed to drag her pussy along with it, sliding roughly across her sensitive walls. Her fingernails scratched at his shoulders, and she moaned, her hips bucking to keep him trapped inside. For an instant he hoovered poised above her, the head of his cock nestled in the folds of her pussy, their fluids leaking down the crack of her ass and dissipating into the clear water of the pool. A sense of emptiness settled in her cunt, and it clenched with the memory of penetration. Then he slammed into her with one last brutal thrust, tearing through her. Her eyes shot wide and her back arced, her head staring above her and her mouth opened. She screamed in agony and passion, his cock tearing through her and slamming into the base of her vagina. At that instant he came, squirting jet after jet of his aphrodisiac semen deep into her depths. The sudden penetration, the dose of aphrodisiac, it was too much for her. The orgasm ripped through Marianna like a hurricane, tearing at her nerves in sweet surrender. She collapsed back onto the floor, her hips still in the pool, jerking occasionally as the aftershocks ran through her. Cum filled her to overflowing, leaking out around Kara's cock to create a cloudy discharge in the pool. She gasped, her hands covering her face, unable to look at the beast that had made her cum twice in as many minutes. That final embarrassment was almost enough to get Kara hard again. He chuckled with a low, rumbling voice that issued from deep in his chest. The pleasure coursing through his icy hot veins continued to tingle all over as he removed himself from the tiny princess. The cool water added a last spike as it weightlessly wrapped itself about his cock the way that Marianna's wet hot pussy had just done not moments before. With a small shudder, he climbed from the pool and gave the she-human a tug to make sure she would not slip back in and drown herself. Leaving her on the bare cave floor he grabbed a large woolly rug and used it to dry himself before tossing it over the quivering she-human's frame in front of him. "Dry yourself she-human, but not your cunt." The cruel, final word rang with a bit of cynicism and a tone that was not to be bickered with. The fact that the little she-human could hardly fight back at this point did not even cross Kara's mind, things were done his way and he would continue to do them that way. As soon as she had finished the Orc snatched one of the two thin wrists and dragged her frightened frame after him. It was clear that if she did not rise and follow, he would simply drag her over the mostly smooth floor. Not caring either way Kara did not go back through the rock hewn house of his own, but rather to a side door cleverly tucked in the cave walls side. It led downwards at a slow angle, and they traveled but a hundred paces before Kara stopped to unbolt a thick oaken door. The room they entered was cold, heated and lit only by two small oil torches by the doorway. There were chains hanging from all manner of bolts dug into the ceiling, and a lonesome bench off to one side. Pulling Marianna's wrist that he had held the entire way, Kara snapped a shackle firmly onto the wrist before letting go, and then repeated the process with the other wrist. Stepping behind the 'princess' he took hold of another chain and pulled it firmly downward. Pulling that chain tightened the two on her wrists which pulled first her wrists above her head, and then her toes off the freezing floor. Karak chuckled softly, "If you survive the night, this will help you serve my cock better." What he was referring to was placed underneath and between Marianna's legs a moment later. It looked like a spear without the sharp head. What was in its place was an imperfectly sloped, mostly smooth, rock that rather resembled Kara's cock. Though perhaps not quite as large. The base of the spear was placed into a hole in the cave floor, which had obviously been made for just this purpose. The Orc then lowered Marianna's chains until if she wished to have the cold stone inside of her, she would be able to place her feet against the floor." Sweet dreams," He growled into the she-human's ear before leaving the room, bolting the door, and leaving. Marianna was too exhausted to spare more than a hateful glare at Kara as the rough towel hit her supine form. She tried herself shakily, pushing herself up to her feet and scrubbing it over her sensitive skin as quickly as she was able with her knees and arms still trembling. She was about to spit a retort when Kara commanded her not to clean herself between her legs but the sting of her bruises and the still sharp pain where he had cut her arm dissuaded her. Her only hope would be to keep herself strong of mind. Needlessly inviting further abuse would only weaken her resolve in the long run. With a sinking sense of despair she realized that it wasn't a matter of whether she would break or not, it was holding out for as long as possible before that point in the hopes that her father's knights would find her. She cleaned her creamy thighs but left the steamy, sticky folds of her pussy to cool in the open air. Backed up semen mixed with her girlish fluids quickly rendered the exercise moot, dripping from her pussy and streaking down the insides of her legs in copious streams. She felt the moisture dripping there and a hot flush of shame crept over her face as Kara dragged her along. She didn't protest when he chained her wrists, she had expected as much, but her eyes widened when he hoisted her up to hang painfully from her wrists. The fake stone phallus was nestled in her folds just as Kara's cock had been, just far enough inside her that she couldn't dislodge it by swiveling her hips. Her only choice was to lower herself onto it or spend the night on her tip toes, her calves were already starting to burn." No... Please...you can't leave me like this..." She begged, panting, her slender form stretched tight, the position of her arms pushing her pert breasts up high on her chest. Only Kara's receding laughter answered her. Lyrianna held herself up on her toes for as long as she could, alternating between pulling with her arms and raising herself onto her toes to preserve what little dignity she had left. Cum and her own fluids dripped from her pussy over the head of the stone cock, lubricating it and making it glisten wetly in the flickering torchlight. When her shoulders and calves burned, and she could hold herself no more she lowered herself with a moan of defeat, her pussy clenching at the gradual intensity of penetration. She rested herself there until her pride reasserted herself and strengthened her aching muscles, pulling herself off the cock once again. Hours passed in torturous slowness, the stone cock sliding in and out of her as pride and exhaustion warred in her tiny frame. In the middle of the night, half delirious from exhaustion, Marianna realized that she was raising and lowering herself much more quickly. She was fucking herself on the stone cock, moaning involuntarily as it slid in and out of her twat. She realized what she was doing and gritted her teeth, tears flowing down her cheeks as she forced herself to remain on point until at last she collapsed once again. When Kara returned for her head lolled in exhaustion, her muscles quivering and her pussy still clenching around the pole. With a bark of laughter, Kara tossed an entire bucketful of the pool's crisp, cool water over the she-human's form upon his entrance to the cell. Her startled awakening shriek only made him laugh louder as he walked in front of her clearly exhausted frame. Spitting a thick mouthful of spittle against her face, he then slapped it with a powerful backhand that would have throned the princess to the floor should she had not been bound in place. As it was, only her head went flying, before bouncing back into a powerful vice grip that he set on her jaw. Growling the words, he asked, "Did you practice like you were supposed to, cunt?" The other hand darted between her legs and found mostly dry fluids, with a low chuckle he continued, "We will find out shortly... Come, time to get some rest." The two statements were not supposed to make any sense, but they would soon enough. The Orc released both cuffs at the same time, and watched with amusement as the exhausted Marianna dropped further onto the rocky spear, digging it further into her abused confines. Then he snatched her with one massive claw on her shoulder, he squeezed so hard that blood began to ooze around his razor sharp claws. Turning carelessly, Kara dragged her from the perch. Strangely the tool did not exit her hole, but the one in the floor. It rattled as he dragged her back up the tunnel, through the pool's cavern, his abode, and onto the main thoroughfare through the cave dwellings. There he set her back down, firmly on a rough splintering bench that also had a stockade nailed to one end. He placed her thin throat, and slimmer wrists into the three holes before locking the contraption firmly. Then he turned to small crowd of warriors." This is the she-human's princess, and she is mine!" The roar of approval swept through the cave, and more Orcs approached from whatever they had been doing. "She defies the Orc's greatness with her foul mouth, and turned up nose, so we will show her how us Orcs will enslave all of humanity!" Another cheer went up, and then hushed as Kara spoke in a lower, deadlier tone. "Use her mouth, and use her cunt. Use her hands, and her skin. Do not kill, and do not fuck her ass." Another warrior called out jokingly, "I only fuck human's in the ass!"" You'll have ta wait Herzog! I haven't gotten that far yet!" The crowd laughed, and during the laughter Kara bent to whisper in Marianna's ear. "Enjoy yourself, slave." The line of Orcs was not short, but the primary distinction between them and Kara was obvious the moment the first two warriors entered Marianna, one in her cunt, and the other her mouth with not but a wad of spittle to ease the entrance. Kara's cock was both thicker, and longer than all the other Orcs. Some were thicker, but no longer, and others were longer, but not thicker. None had the combination that would make them the defiler. The other difference was not as obvious, because it was more subtle. After the first two Orcs had finished within the she-human, their seed was not nearly as potent as the defiler's. Nor did it burn quite as nicely inside or outside when the following two decided to cover her fair skin in their spunk. After a while Marianna would see what he meant about resting, as the line dwindled, and she was left in her thoughts and misery, and whatever sleeps he could find. The entire day it lasted, as hunting and scouting parties returned to find the prize awaiting them, or others as the awoke to leave took their turn. Every hour or so the she-human was drenched in water and rubbed with a rough cloth to clean her somewhat. Though it was probably the copious amounts of wine and mead that were spilled on her tits before they were chewed and sucked, or poured over her face and pussy to be lapped up like dogs, that did a better job cleaning than the water and scrubbing. Finally as the novelty wore off, and very few came to the prize, Kara returned. She was sleeping, and without waking the tiny she-human, Kara shoved his massive cock deep into her messy cunt. He laughed as she startled awake, leering over the stockade, he looked down at her face, "You seem a bit looser, cunt, are you happy that I trained you?" Kara awaited the answer, and wondered if he had pushed her far enough yet to get the answer he was waiting for. The sudden shock of freezing water made Marianna gasp and shriek, writhing helplessly atop the thick stone cock still pushing up into her pussy. She had been half-dozing, half-delirious, her consciousness hoovering over the edge of sleep but unable to tumble over. Her pain and the uncomfortable position were enough to keep her on the edge of wakefulness. She looked up at Kara with bleary, terrified eyes just as he spat in her face, his savage backhand split her lip and whipped her head back like a snapping bowstring. The pain and humiliation brought her jerking back into full wakefulness. As a simple secondary consequence of the humiliating gesture his saliva smeared over the rapidly forming bruise and trickled with a stinging pain into the bleeding cut on her lip, hastening the healing process with its powerful but painful properties. Although Marianna did not realize it yet the stinging licks to her cuts and bruises, the Irish tongues invading her pussy and ass, the globs of spit soon to rain down on her, they all simply prolonged her suffering, increasing the amount of damage her frail and abused form could take without breaking. The slap rocked Brianna off balance and her feet slipped from under her, driving the stone cock deeper into her vagina with the force of a punch. Fresh tears began rolling down her cheeks and she moaned piteously in her trembling, high-pitched voice. When Kara began dragging her down the corridor she could hear the humiliating scraping of the spear dragging behind her, still lodged in her trembling pussy. Perhaps it was the healing saliva, perhaps it was her youth and elasticity, but her pussy was still tight enough to grip like a vice even after all the abuse it had taken. They were halfway down the hall when the long rod finally slipped from her depths to clatter on the floor woodenly. Marianna groaned at the sudden, welcome feeling of emptiness in her tummy. When she was thrown down in the stockade she struggled ineffectually, her slender throat held in place by Kara's iron grip before being locked securely in the unforgiving board. The rough wood of the bench chafed her painfully sensitive nipples and the soft, smooth skin of her stomach." No, please, don't!" She cried in feeble protest when he gave his harsh speech. She cried and moaned, quaked in orgasm and rocked from abusive blows that rained down on her as the day wore on. Eventually the tears would not come, and she hoovered between wakefulness and sleep, half fainting and half sleeping through the day. Although each time a thick Irish cock was shoved into her head jerked up and her eyelids fluttered. While a single blow is rarely enough to shatter a stone the constant, unforgiving motion of lapping waves will eventually wear it down to nothing. If Marianna's will was such a stone the ceaseless, unending rapes were like waves dashing against her, each one carrying a little bit of her self out to sea. Her pussy was soupy with cum, her throat coated with thick Irish semen. It was plastered in her hair and that was perhaps the most shaming of all. Marianna had always been so proud of her beautiful hair. She was almost asleep when Kara returned to her, pushing his massive cock roughly into the gooey confines of her abused cunt. Her eyelids popped open, and she craned her head around to confirm what her pussy was telling her: It was indeed Kara." N... N-nooooo." She moaned, her head hanging limp in defeat as she recognized him." D-don't make me cum anymore. Please. I-I can't cum anymore." She begged, almost blubbering. The cry of defeat was not quite the answer the chieftain had been looking for, but perhaps the lesson had not fully sunk in yet. Then again, perhaps it had but Marianna could simply not function well enough to recognize the fact in her current state. Neither bothered the powerful orc as he took her with a half squat that gave him the greatest ability to plunge inside the she-human and test just how well the training had prepared her. Certainly she was looser, but his length and girth enabled him to be the only one that could have noticed very easily. The plus side was that it was far easier to fuck her tiny body, and he was sure once she had her rest it would be easier to force both pleasure and pain back onto her frame. The only negative was that the ease made it far more likely he might just take the other virginity he had been so carefully saving for another time. Thankfully it only required a bit more self-control to keep from plunging through the slaves cervix and with her now much more docile nature there was no anger or lust that was too great to forget himself. After a few moments Kara grunted, and deposited his sweetly sour load against the she-human-princesses inner walls to mix with what was already present. Perhaps surprisingly, he forced no more pleasure on his newest and greatest toy, but it was not a lack of understanding that held him from doing so. No, in fact it was quite the opposite, the presence of enough cunning to know it mattered little what he did right at that moment, and preparing her for what was next might be more important. Removing the rag-doll like body from its prison, Kara half-carried, half-dragged the limp princess back to the cage she had first occupied upon her arrival. Instead of the typical toss he carried her entirely into the cage, and dropped her. While not soft, it was certainly more pleasant of a drop than being flung against the hard rocks. Locking the cage from the outside, Kara went into his house and retrieved what could be considered food for dogs; half or mostly uncooked scraps of meat along with a piece of mold spotted bread. Finally, a large flask of foul smelling mead, an orcs water that did not get people sick. These he took out to the cage, and after unlocking the gate, took with him into the cage. But as he knelt at the she-humans side he placed the tray to the side and out of Marianna's reach. With a grunt his eyes narrowed to the crevice between her legs that was oozing orc sperm. With a nasty grin he grabbed first the loaf of bread and then the she-human's leg. Spreading it to the side he ran the loaf against her abused lips, coating it in the sticky substance, before flipping it over and doing it again to make sure it was truly covered. The meat he thought disgusting enough, and also could not think of a way to get it covered that would take a short amount of time. Dropping the bread on the floor, he stood, and turned to glance at the princess, "You have drank enough, eating it shouldn't make a difference." Then with a snarling laugh he was gone, locking the cage behind him once again. Leaving the she-human for a full sixteen hours was not part of Kara's plan, but he had to deal with a pack of wars that had roamed into his territory. The ensuing skirmish and traveling had taken him away from his prize for longer than anticipated, and he was in a rather evil mood by the time he had returned. One large laceration stretched down his forearm but was already healing when he approached the she-human's cage. The first think he checked was the food and mead, and the second was the she-humans temperament. If the extra rest had reset her resistance he certainly is a bit angry, but if it had only extended what resistance remained then their fun would just continue longer. With a question, he gauged, "So... My little slave, how do you greet your master?" By the time Kara emptied his seed into her belly Marianna was panting and moaning, her pussy tightening around him involuntarily. She couldfeelthe spurts of cum jetting up into her womb and she gritted her teeth against the all too familiar sensations. Being filled and covered in Irish cum for a full day had kept her on the edge of arousal but when Kara's sperm shot into her eyes widened. That old sensation of intense, undeniable, unwanted arousal rushed over her. All at once she was aware of her nipples scraping against the rough wood of the bench, of the cool air blowing against her cunt lips and the clenching bud of her anus. Of Kara's thick cock, its head pushed painfully up against her cervix, his cum jetting up into her womb. She moaned when he pulled out a moment later, the long slide spreading her as she felt the bulbous head pulling out past her bruised vaginal muscles. A fresh spurt of cum dripped out between her lower lips, sliding over the fucking bench and splattering on the ground. She was nearly senseless as he unchained her and dragged her by her arm along the dark corridor. The copious dollops of cum oozing out of her pussy left a wet and glistening trail behind them as it seeped out of her. When he dropped her unceremoniously she nearly blacked out despite the relative 'gentleness' of the gesture. Her head reeled both from abuse and starvation as he left. She felt like she hadn't eaten in months, and she could barely raise her head to look at him with fear in her eyes as he came back into her cage. Instead, her eyes fixated on what he held in his hands. Food! Involuntarily her mouth began to water. It smelled foul, it looked worse, but it was all Marianna could do to keep herself from jumping on it the moment he set it down in front of her." Eeeek! No!" She squealed when he roughly grabbed her leg and yanked her towards him. Was he planning on raping her again? Forcing her to eat with his cock stuffed up her pussy? Something worse? It was something worse. She moaned in shame as he dragged the moldy bread through her feminine folds, collecting the cum there as it oozed profusely from her pussy. Both a disgusting lesson and proof that she was ruined. The sodden morsel made a lewd slap as he threw it to the stones in front of her. She glared up at him with hate in her eyes until he left. It was torture waiting, but she would not give him the satisfaction of watching her eat with her hands like an animal. The minute he left, though, she fell on the food. He was right about one thing, she thought with despair. Her aversion to the cum coated bread had been shattered by a day full of Irish loads pumped directly down her throat. She forced herself to eat slowly enough that she wouldn't choke. The meat was disgusting, and she tried not to gag as she swallowed it, washing it down with the acrid and bitter Irish ale. It made her head spin, far too powerful for her frail, hungry frame, but it was the only way to wash the disgusting taste of the meat out of her mouth. She supposed she was just lucky that Kara hadn't jacked himself off onto the meat as well, or into the ale. The cum on the bread sent fresh waves of arousal shooting through her, but she forced herself to ignore it. Then, exhausted, battered, and broken, she lay down and passed out. She slept fitfully, waking now and then blearily. Some time during the night she used handfuls of straw to wipe away the now dried and flaky semen from her skin. Her hair was matted with cum, but there wasn't anything that she could do about it, she simply gathered it behind her and tried to ignore it. She was sleeping when Kara returned. She woke in confusion and terror, scrambling to her feet and backing away from him into the corner of the cage. Her eyes still held hatred for him, but her defiance had turned into a hunted, animal fear. A wariness that watched his every move as he advanced on her." Please, let me go. My father is king. He can give you riches, lands...just...please. Let me go home." She said. She tried to stand tall, the way a princess should, but her frail and naked frame just made her seem more pitiful and helpless. One hand covered the small mounds of her breasts, the other hid the pussy that Kara had already plundered and defiled. Despite her best efforts it was already dripping down her thighs, the aphrodisiac affects of his Irish cum taking hold of her as soon as she caught his scent.

Into the Wilds (Supple Nail & The_PG)|rating:2.0

Teach Me, Touch Me (Saphir and Torch)

Teach Me, Touch Me Something happened for the very first time with you My heart melted to the ground, found something true... Kyle Thomas (Safer) (Torch) (( It was about 9:20 on an October morning. Students made their entrance one by one and occasionally in groups into the theater-issue seats of the classroom. The seats wrapped around the arched room providing 5 rows of desks for the class with the podium and overhead projector stationed ground level smack-dab in the middle. This particular class had assembled for Dr. Hawks' Friday morning lecture. According to the syllabus, they would be covering more on the Human Anatomy. Essential knowledge that Kyle needed to soak up as a Biology major. His projected course after graduating from Harvard was to apply to Medical School. He was still undecided on which course to take in the medical field. Thankfully he still had two more years to consider what he wanted to do. In the meantime he just enjoyed being able to study that one of the most prestigious schools in the country. Far too thankful in fact considering the background he came from. His family definitely wasn't the most privileged, and so they lacked the funds to even try and pay for his college education. He studied hard, pulling off a 3.8 from high school and granted a scholarship that allowed him to attend. Meaning that Kyle had to maintain his grades and GPA. The 20-year-old spent more time with his nose in a book or his eyes glued to the screen of his laptops than he did trying to have a social life. Some mistake him for being smug. A bit of a teacher's pet, which he was, but not on purpose. He generally had an interest in his subjects and usually was found in the front row of desks in front of the speaker's podium. It was quite often that Kyle answered the questions asked by the instructor and asked questions of his own earning eye rolls or low groan from those who just wished for class to move on and end earlier than have the instructor take time out to answer Kyle's inquiries. Was he really a suck up? Was he stuck up? Not really. If anything, Kyle was just the opposite. Anyone who got to know him would discover just how much of a goof he really was under his quiet and studious facade. Evidence on how the young man was currently passing the time by drawing doodles of Jiggly puff smacking a Power Ranger with its microphone on top of the page in his notebook. Anyone who saw his notes would probably sneak and didn't believe him to be serious on his studying. His high marks proved otherwise. Sometimes the doodles are there to help him remember the information...other times, he was just bored like now. Note that the class was supposed to have started at 9:15. Dropping his pen, Kyle tapped the screen of his phone, the time displayed 9:25. Which was odd. Dr. Hawks was one of the more punctual of his instructors. The man hated when people would show up late for his lectures, so Kyle wondered what was up that caused the man to be late. Releasing a yawn, the young man shifted in his desk and snuggled into his gray hoodie. Underneath it was just a plain white polo shirt, and he wore some khaki slacks with white classic K-Swiss sneakers. It was Friday morning after all. The guy made himself presentable, but he didn't spend too much time getting ready that morning. Thankfully it was his only and last class of that week also." Maybe class got canceled," a boy seated to Kyle's right spoke up, enthusiastic about the assumption. Although that would be nice if it was in fact true. Kyle didn't have a chance to eat breakfast. A Mcg riddle sounded like it would hit the spot. Yeah, it was greasy and bad for him, but it tasted so good. And an iced mocha coffee to drink..." Well, here's hoping." Kyle snorted and picked up his mobile cellular device. While the wait continued, there was Angry Birds to be played on his iPhone. Thomas Blake, PhD in Physiology and current postdoctoral research fellow at the Madman Laboratory on the campus of Harvard University, was sitting in his computer chair and frowning at the screen in front of him. The data he was frowning at had been collating for weeks, and now there was a snag in his program which was preventing him from verifying his conclusions. A knock on his office door pulled his gaze away from the error messages on the screen, and he glanced over as it opened, Dr. Henry Phelps stepping inside. Dr. Phelps was the department chair of Biology and Applied Sciences, and technically Thomas' boss, although his research was going to be presented to a grant committee for approval." Henry..." Thomas nodded in the man's direction, then peered more closely at the older man. Something was clearly wrong, and it showed in Henry Phelps' face. His brow wrinkled with dark circles under his eyes, Phelps cleared his throat before speaking. "Tom, we've had a....well...." A deep breath found its way into Phelps's lungs before exiting with a long sigh. "George Hawks passed away last night. Massive coronary thrombosis. Poor bastard didn't have a chance." Thomas blinked in surprise. "Dead? Jesus.... I just saw him yesterday at the faculty club." A hand passed over Help's features and rubbed at the tired eyes. "My assistant is helping his wife with all the arrangements, and as soon as the memorial service is scheduled, everyone in the department will be notified. In the meantime..." Phelps paused, and Thomas had a sinking feeling in his gut without really knowing why. "We need volunteers to take over his classes, specifically his level 300 Anatomy and Physiology class." The gaze directed at Thomas told him exactly who his boss wanted to volunteer for the job. Aww......spirit"Uh.... Henry, my research is at a critical stage and if I can't-"Phelps held up a hand and stopped Thomas cold. "I'm well aware of your research schedule. But I should remind you Tom that the grant committee, of which I'm chairman by the way, would see this as a sign of your good faith and willingness to help out a colleague as well as your department." Phelps smiled wanly; he was not above using flattery as well as a little blackmail to keep his corner of the world running as smooth as silk. Thomas was a smart man, and he knew when he'd been beaten. "Sure.... I'd be more than happy to help out." Phelps clapped the younger man on the shoulder warmly. "Good, good. Just see George's graduate assistant, she'll bring you up to speed on the syllabus. Room 221, Peabody Hall." Smiling outwardly but grimacing inside, Thomas nodded. "Not a problem, I'll head over there in a few minutes." Dr. Phelps thanked Thomas again, then made a quick departure, probably to ensure the man couldn't change his mind. Saving his data and switching off his computer terminals, Thomas packed up his laptop and locked up his office before heading across campus to Peabody Hall, and the large lecture room. Tom wasn't fond of "lecturing in the round"; as a matter of fact, he wasn't fond of lecturing at all. All he really wanted to do was research, and other than the private sector, the nation's top universities were his only chance for employment. Still, he supposed it was a small price to pay to get a shot at the grant that would fund his research. Thomas met briefly with Patricia, the graduate assistant assigned to Dr. Hawks, and they went over the syllabus and assigned textbooks for the course before she gave Thomas the lab schedule and a key to Dr. Hawks' office. He was already ten minutes late for the start of class, and Thomas hurriedly familiarized himself with all the material before taking a deep breath and opening the door to the lecture hall. Students filled every available seat, and the low hum and rustle of restless energy filled the room as Thomas strode purposely towards the lectern, turning on his I-Pad and booting up a connection to the projector. The whispers of the students rose as he wrote "Dr. Thomas Blake" in large print, the name projecting onto the screen. Clearing his throat, he nodded to the students, who all had his attention by now. "As some of you may or may not know, Dr. George Hawks passed away unexpectedly last night." He paused for a good twenty seconds, allowing the students to get their gasps and murmurs out of their system. He held up his hands slightly and the whispering died away. "You will each be receiving an email from Dr. Hawks' graduate assistant, Patricia, giving you some information on his memorial service, so I suggest you take a look at it as soon as possible." Almost as one, the students began to glance at their smartphones, all desperate for the immediate gratification of the latest news. "And before anyone asks, no, this does not mean you get an automatic "A" for the semester, so let's put that particular urban legend to rest." A smattering of giggles swept through the hall as Thomas took stock of the class before him, glancing from face to face. "I'm Dr. Blake, and I'll be continuing the course with the current syllabus." Again, Thomas paused, giving the students time to take everything in." I know you all must have a lot of questions. Now, you'll be receiving my contact information from Patricia, along with my office hours. Please save your questions and email them to me, and I'll do my best to answer everything as soon as I can. But for now, we're going to continue where Dr. Hawks' left off last week." As he spoke, he continued his survey of the faces gazing back at him, his eyes connecting briefly with the blue-eyed gaze of a handsome young man in the front row of seats. Tom's natural admiration of the male form flickered for a moment, and then was gone as he continued to make eye contact throughout the room. 10 more minutes had passed as Kyle's attention continued on his game of Angry Birds. His concentration had only been broken by the arrival of one of his best friends he'd made at the school since freshman year. A very attractive girl named Cassidy (probably easily one of the prettiest girls he's seen on campus. Her skin was of a light mocha hue do to the African American and Japanese genetics she had inherited from her parents. That and her beautiful glossy strands of black hair. She was very much model material but had decided to go the medical route for her future career just as Kyle had. Both of them always joked about one another being the hot doctors of everyone's fantasies, but they had a long road ahead of them to fulfill those roles.' You know you're like..." Kyle glanced down at his phone just as the girl plopped herself into the empty desk to his left. He also noted her dress attire. Just a black tank top, SpongeBob pajama pants and yellow flip-flops. Yet her hair still looked flawless. He was beginning to believe bad hair days just didn't exist for her. "25 minutes late. And what's with the get-up? Seriously, SpongeBob?" he had to ask. Her style of dress made her seem like she studied fashion more than Chemistry. The outfit she was currently wearing? Not so much. Immediately, Cassidy raised her right hand to silence the boy while her left shuffled through her tote back for her notebook and pens. "I woke up late, and it didn't help that I had to run back to my dorm to get my books and stuff. Besides, Hawks isn't even here. At least I don't see him anywhere." she glanced around the classroom to double-check. "Ugh, so tired. I should have just skipped... I monowheel like being here."" Join the club, get a T-shirt." Kyle snorted. "And you had to run back to your dorm. Where were you?" he asked. Cassidy gave a shifty glance to the boy before scribbling the pen she now held on the left margin of her paper to make sure it still had ink. "You really want to know the details? Or should I spare to the sexy details~" she smirked." I got a feeling you'll wind up telling me anyway." Kyle deadpanned at the moment. They were best friends and held no secrets between each other. Even the details of their private lives were shared...well, Cassidy's anyway. Kyle was a bit inexperienced in that field. He hadn't dabbled in it at all, actually. And for the last 3 years he had been dodging the girls attempts to hook him up with girls until she figured out he preferred the beef over the fish. A secret that was still kept between them, despite her encouraging Kyle to just accept and embrace his sexuality." Well, I hung out with Derek last night. And I ended up spending the night with him." Cassidy grinned. "I think we might actually become Facebook official soon..."" Well if you already had sex with him, why aren't you guys Facebook official. What the hell does Facebook have to do with determining the status of a relationship? " He replied. He just didn't get the whole big deal on Social Media. Yeah, he had a Facebook but that's just mainly for keeping in touch. Not plastering his business on the World Wide Web." We didn't have sex." Cassidy corrected. "He knows how to eat good pussy though..."" Stop right there." Kyle pleaded with a raised hand. "I haven't handed breakfast yet...but I have contents to vomit if you continue."" Oh, what? You're not comfortable hearing about the vagina?" she sneaked. "I love my vagina. Apparently Derek loves my vagina also. He just hasn't experienced the wonders my vagina has to offer to his penis though. Why do you look so uncomfortable, Kyle? We're studying the human anatomy? You're going to have to face vagina sometime."" Stop saying it so much." Kyle sighed."Vagina vagina vagina vagina vagina..."" I'm done." the boy waved a dismissive hand and shook his head while Cassidy broke into a fit of laughs only for him to follow suit with his own chuckles. The two fell silent as did all the other conversations in the room when the door had opened and a man dressed in a suit entered through it." That's not Hawks..." Kyle whispered to Cassidy." So I've noticed.... Hawkes doesn't have an ass like that..." the girl replied only for Kyle to nudge her. Though it didn't stop him from trying to catch a glance himself. Thomas Blake.... Kyle had seen him around the department many times. Each time he always fought off the urge to just stare at the older male. He just found him so attractive...and hey. What do you know? Seeing Dr. Blake turn around to write his name on the board, Kyle discovered some nice humps hiding behind that suit jacket. Damn Cassidy for always having an eye for those things." No ring on his finger either." Cassidy noted to Kyle quietly. The boy narrowed his eyes at her before glancing back at to their substitute and looking at his hands...they were indeed missing a ring." I think he might have a big dick too."" Cass!" Kyle hushed his friend before facepalming and slowly dragging his hands over his facial features. Now he'd have that thought in his head for the entire lecture. Regardless, the two grew quiet giving the man respect as he began to speak. The news about Hawks caused Kyle to go wide-eyed. Sure, Hawks was a bit of a prick, but Kyle never wished death on the guy. He silently wished condolences to Hawks' family and made a mental note to attend the memorial. "And before anyone asks, no, this does not mean you get an automatic "A" for the semester, so let's put that particular urban legend to rest." "Fuck. My. Life." Cassidy replied rather loud over the class causing even more fits of giggles. "No seriously. I flaked on the last two tests. I think I'm barely passing this class with a C." whispered to Kyle as he placed a hand over his mouth to hold back a laugh. Once the class had settled down again, Kyle gave his undivided attention to Dr. Blake when he started speaking again. Glancing to each student. His eyes met with Kyle's. Longer than anyone else's. The younger man stared back as his eyes scanned down the lecturer's body. He bit down on his lower lip and looked off to the side once Dr. Blake's eyes left the 20-year-old."... Did y'all just have a moment?" asked Cassidy after she leaned over to Kyle. "If you did, then maybe you need to get on that..."" No." Kyle said flatly, continuing to keep his tone hushed. "He's probably not even gay."" I hope not." Cassidy whispered back. " Because If you can't suck his dick to get my grade curved, I'll definitely do it for myself."" Cass!"" Joking~""Of Va..." Kyle sighed rubbing his right temple. Sighing heavily, Thomas closed the door to his office and slumped against it. He'd made it through the first lecture in one piece, but not without a few hiccups. He tended to forget that the lecture hall was in the round and therefore half the students spent the first hour of the class staring at his back until one frustrated scholar complained loudly that "I guess we don't rate back here!!" Sheepishly, Thomas apologized and made a mental note to rotate around the room when he was speaking. Then there was the matter of the handsome kid in the front row, the one with the gorgeous eyes behind the rimless glasses. The very reason why Thomas forgot the rest of the room existed because then he couldn't steal brief glances at the younger man. He tried not to be obvious about it, and let his eyes drift to the cheekily grinning girl beside the dark haired student, and Thomas could swear she knew exactly what he was doing. Not that he was reallydoinganything. He knew the rules about fraternization with students, and he wasn't about to break them. He liked his job, and the potential for a research grant, too much to jeopardize any of that for a piece of ass. But no doubt it would be a fine piece of ass, he thought to himself during a break in the lecture. It wasn't until Tom was ensconced back in the relative safety of his office that he thought of the most important reason why he wouldn't tap the available pool of young man flesh that seemed to be in abundance on campus: Scott, his boyfriend of almost three years. Scott. Frowning, he reflexively pulled out his phone and checked. No messages, no texts. Shrugging to himself, he chalked up the silence to being in a long-term relationship and the hectic nature of both their careers. Scott was a lawyer, working in Boston, and was currently pulling long hours to wrap up a corporate merger in which he was the lead attorney. They were somewhat settled down, having moved in together the previous year, each seemingly glad to have left the dating and casual sex world behind them, and now they could focus on their respective careers. There was no need to send flirty texts back and forth, or even the occasional naughty picture anymore. At least that's what Thomas managed to convince himself, anyway. But the small nagging voice in his head, the one that told him something was wrong, never really went away. In fact, that small voice was getting a bit louder these days. But it wasn't in Tom's nature to rock the boat or make waves. He was settled and happy; he didn't want to make changes in his life. He liked maintaining an even strain, if only on the surface. Absentmindedly, he rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the tension in the corded muscle. One of his favorite perks of his job was access to the faculty gym, pool and sauna. And he made use of them all as often as he could. He could really use a long run and then some resistance work on the machines, followed by a stint in the steam room. But with his new responsibilities, he really should get a better handle on the material. Checking his watch, Thomas figured he could put in a couple of hours at one of the coffee houses close to campus before the swell of students finished with classes for the week overran the quiet. He gathered everything he needed and checked his interoffice mail before setting out for Algiers Coffee House, a low-key place with a Middle Eastern-vibe serving up the strong-flavored java he preferred to the sweet lattes and cappuccinos everyone and their brother seemed to drink these days. With any luck, he could snag a comfortable sofa and get some work done. "You know... I actually learned quite a bit today..." Cassidy spoke, her words muddled by the cherry blow pop in her mouth. Class was over finally, and it left the day completely open for the two students. As they strolled out of the science center, Kyle adjusted the strap of his backpack, half listening as his companion went on. "Like... Professor Hawks was such a bore and old. Dr. Blake kept it interesting...and hot." the girl let out a dreamy sigh, and she removed the sucker from her mouth. She turned to Kyle awaiting a response...but it didn't come. The boy was preoccupied in his own mind. His own thoughts on the good doctor's lecture. Or how their eyes continued to lock with one another's the entire lecture causing the young man to grow red in the cheeks and shift slightly in his seat and attempted to keep his mind on the lesson and not on their substitute's handsome face, broad shoulders and imagining the body that was under the suit....he was doing it again that very moment. At least up until he felt a small wet and sticky clonk as Cassidy tapped his forehead with her blow pop. 'You're not even listening! Seriously..."" I'm sorry." Kyle sighed rubbing his forehead and giving his friend an apologetic smile. "What did you say?""... I'm saying that I'm leaving you in Leila Land. Since I hardly got sleep last night, I'm going to go crash. Call me later. We can do dinner or something."" Right. Will do. See you later, Cass." he waved watching the girl go her separate was and leaving him alone and unsure of what to do next in his day. He didn't exactly feel like heading home, but he was I the mood to have some comfort. That and he was hungry. He decided that he would hit up Algiers Coffee House for a little late morning breakfast and to reread the notes he'd written to keep the material fresh in his mind since it had been preoccupied the whole time. Kyle trekked across campus finally arriving at his destination, taking in the mellow and cozy atmosphere the shad wished for. And best of all, the place was still relatively empty, which was a definite plus. After placing his order at the counter, Kyle strolled over sinking himself into a couch near the back of the dining area. He started rummaging through his backpack and retrieved the notebook from it. He noticed that he only had a few more pages before it would become full...and they weren't even halfway through the semester yet. "Fun times head..." he sighed flipping the book open. Definitely fun if Dr. Blake would be assigned the official fill in instructor for the course. But hell if that happened, he'd never be able to concentrate... Opening the door to the café', Thomas blinked and squinted, getting his eyes to adjust to the darkened interior after the brisk walk in the bright fall sunshine. He ordered a large coffee, black with half a spoonful of sugar, and glanced around the place to find a seat. Spying an empty spot, Thomas weaved through the empty tables to the rear section, a spacious open area with scattered leather chairs, big round ottomans and several comfy sofas. Plopping onto the worn and creased leather of a sofa against the café' wall, he took a sip of his coffee before beginning to unload his satchel. Thomas had booted up his laptop and was searching for a wireless connection when he glanced over the top of the screen, and his eyes fell on the man sitting on the sofa perpendicular to his own. He felt himself suck in a breath when he realized it was the same student who had caught his appreciative eye during class. Their eyes met once again, and Thomas froze for a split-second, his brain offering several possibilities for action; some intriguing, some business-like and some downright rude. In a moment of weakness fueled by the caffeine and the fact that the younger man's cheeks were blushing ever so slightly, a feature Thomas found to be downright adorable along with incredibly sexy, he chooses intriguing. His lips tilted up into a smile, his eyes crinkled, and he gave the student a nod of his head. "Hi...hope you enjoyed the lecture in spite of the bad news." The screen on his laptop blinked as the connection went through and Thomas clicked on his email. "My first time in the classroom in a while, I apologize if I was a little rusty. " He glanced down and the list of emails from his new students filled the screen. Swell...now I get to answer emails all morning. He'd been too bust rereading his notes, not really paying too much attention to the people walking in and out or those who were taking their seats in his general area of the coffee house. Howeversomethingin the back of Kyle's mind, call it instinct or what you will, to glance over to the couch over, and he noted the man taking occupancy on it was indeed the same lecturer from his class. He took in a deep breath attempting not to stare too much. A jolt when down his spine after eye contact had been made once again and his cheeks reddened again from his bashful demeanor. He just decided it was best to just go back to his notes. Until he was spoken to." Uh, hey!" he gave a nod back and adjusted the glasses sitting over his eyes. Since they were now communicating, the doors for looking at the older man were now open. But he couldn't really perv on a staff member. Well, hecouldbut that was totally Cassidy's area. However, for this guy, Kyle just might have to make an exception..." No, no. You looked great!.... I mean, you spoke great!" internally cursing himself for that slip up. It was just bets to pretend it never happened and continue with the conversation at hand. "And yeah... It's terrible about what happened to Hawks. I'll try and attend the memorial service for sure when I find out the date, location and time." Kyle pressed a hand to his stomach and slid it beneath his shirt, causing the bottom to lift slightly revealing a glimpse of his athletic abdomen while rubbing his stomach as it growled. He wondered just how much longer it would be for the chicken sandwich he ordered to be done. He removed his hand, the shirt falling back down while he adjusts himself on the couch." I'm Kyle by the way. I'm in my 3rd year...it was nice to hear you speak and meet you, even under the tragic circumstances." The younger man was babbling about Hawks and how he would attend the memorial service...but all Thomas could see was that hand, with the long, slender fingers, and how that hand slid underneath the shirt and revealed a patch of skin along a firm abdomen. He glanced down for a long second despite himself, then tore his eyes away to glance back at his laptop screen. His fingers itched, wanting to touch that small patch of skin, to glide along the warmth and the softness with the rippled musculature underneath, roaming along and over flesh until they felt the prickly hair surrounding the young man's stiff airship. Shit, shit. Thomas blinked, and brought himself out of his small erotic fantasy, his laptop screen swimming in front of him. He swallowed and glanced back over to the dark haired student, Thomas keeping his gaze firmly on the handsome face and away from the other tantalizing parts of the younger man's body. "Well, that's commendable of you to make time to attend the service. Dr. Hawks enjoyed teaching very much, I'm sure he'd be touched." To Thomas' relief, the hand returned to a safer place and the skin disappeared under the shirt before the student introduced himself properly. Smiling, Thomas nodded and chuckled warmly. "Nice to meet you, Kyle. You'll be hearing and seeing a lot more of me, I'm afraid. I'll be taking over Dr. Hawks' class through the end of the semester."...and I'd like to see a lot more of you....a lot more.... Thomas sipped his coffee, keeping his thoughts to himself and not having the slightest clue why he was so attracted to the younger man. Kyle's cheeks flushed the slightest shade of pink again, and Thomas fought the urge to lean over and brush his lips over that soft, blushed skin. Okay, just stop it. You're going to make a fool out of yourself soon. The kid probably has some hot girlfriend keeping his bed warm. And you have a boyfriend....remember? Thomas did remember, his shoulders straightening somewhat as he heard the student's name being called out at the counter. But the young man just sat on the sofa, gazing back and unmoving as his name was called out again." That's you...isn't it? Kyle?" Thomas nodded his head towards the counter at the front of the coffee shop. Sheepishly, the young man jumped up and headed to pick up his sandwich, and even though he told himself not to, Thomas watched the younger man walk away, firm ass cheeks contoured perfectly in the khaki trousers. "Oh... Oh! Yeah, that's me. I'll be right back." he nodded and walked to the counter to retrieve his order. Train of thought lost again as the boy in his mind drooled over at how attractive this guy was. And he would get to see him every week until December. God rest Dr. Hawks soul, but in that tragedy of death, the opportunity of being able to eye fuck Dr. Blake from now until the end of the semester was presented to Kyle on a silver platter... But wait? This couldn't be healthy for him to just become smitten with his teacher. Especially when there was no way he'd ever be able to...'be' with Dr. Blake in a sexual way. The guy was at least 10 years older than Kyle anyway. He probably wouldn't waste time on someone that much younger. Not to mention, Kyle wasn't all that comfortable with his own orientation. He could dream and fantasize all he wanted but when it came down to openly admitting he wanted a guy? Forget about it." So uh..." the 20-year-old began to speak returning to his seat on the couch with his chicken sandwich and an iced tea. "Can I ask...what got you interested in becoming an instructor here? What exactly do you research?" A little bit of small talk to make the time flow a bit easier. It wasn't as bad to run those green eyes located behind the frames of his glasses down Dr. Blake's body if he had to give his attention to him for conversation rather than just serving in awkward silence. Without the distraction provided by the younger man in the khakis, Thomas managed to sail through several email responses as his sipped his coffee. Unfortunately for his libido, the earlier display of flesh had sent a small electric current running through his tall frame and ending in his groin, which tightened imperceptibly. Tom hoped with Kyle's departure to the counter that his heightened awareness of the younger man would be tempered somewhat. Engrossed in the laptop screen, Thomas only glanced back to the other sofa when he heard Kyle's voice, and found the object of his fascination taking a bite of what appeared to be a chicken sandwich, a clear plastic cup filled with iced tea sweating on the coffee table in front of them. Licking his lips, he cleared his throat before he began. "Well, I'm currently in the middle of a study on using a biogenesis process to reset and restore proper euro-receptor function by stimulating a specific point located at the base of the skull directly affecting the hypothalamus. With a little luck and a nice presentation to the committee, I should receive a grant to fund my research for the next three years." As he was rattling off his research thesis, something nagged at Thomas, but he couldn't quite grasp it. An inflection in Kyle's voice, a twist of a certain word, a dip in a vowel...the young man wasn't a native of the area, that much was clear. The barest hint of a mountain twang fell on Thomas' ears, and he smiled inwardly. "So how do you like it here? You're not from New England, are you?" "Um..." Kyle paused in his eating after a question had been passed to him. He probably came off as a hard at the moment, but it couldn't be helped. So many distractions in the young man's way. The food, the notes, Dr Blake speaking and the nicely packed away meat within the older man's dress pants in his groin. Try as he might Kyle fought to keep his eyes clear of that area, but that battle had been lost. At least he tried to be as discreet about t as he possibly could. And silently prayed that the man didn't shift his position and ruin the angled shot Kyle was obliged to view from." I like it here. I mean, I get to brag that I studied at Harvard. Plus I'm sure it'll look good on the resume for sure." he laughed a bit bending forward to grasp his drink. "But I'm actually from a little further south. Morgantown, West Virginia. Not a huge place, but....well. Home is home, it was cozy enough." he shrugged bringing the rim of the cup to his lips and taking a sip." But uh, yeah...everything here is nice. I try to remain focus though. It's kinda cost me having the typical college parties lifestyle, but I'm on a scholarship, so I can't afford to mess up. But Cassidy keeps things interesting enough.... I believe you saw her in class. She was the one in the pajama pants next to me." And his partner for checking out the professor's sweet ass. But he didn't need to know all that. "... I'm actually from a little further south. Morgantown, West Virginia." This phrase caught Thomas' ear, and he blinked in surprise, raising a brow in the young man's direction. Morgantown was the last place he expected Kyle to say, and it intrigued him immensely." Huh... I guess it really is a small world after all. I graduated from University High School." He replied with a grin, one cheek dimpling for effect. While it wasn't unusual for Harvard to attract students from all over the country, the fact that Kyle came from Tom's hometown was a nice bonus. He glanced down at his laptop as another email popped up on his screen, but he ignored it. "Boston's certainly a big change from Morgantown. I thought I heard a bit of an accent from you. I learned to shed mine quickly if I wanted to be taken seriously." Thomas wasn't kidding about his accent. When he arrived at MIT for his freshman year, being known as a hillbilly didn't exactly win him any friends or gain him any respect from the faculty, despite his academic achievements. "Although when I call my folks I end up dropping my 'r's and using "you all" by the end of the conversation. My boyfriend says he can't stand to listen to me until I start talking normally again." He reached for his coffee to take a sip, and Thomas realized he had just inadvertently outed himself to the student. Not that he was in the closet by any means, all of his colleagues were well aware he was gay and involved in a relationship, academia being one of the few career fields where sexual orientation rarely even raised a question. Thomas had faced far more discrimination for being a hick from the sticks than for being gay. "... You're from Morgantown too? Get out of here..." The response was given in casual tone was a start contrast from the untamed see that threatened to escape from Kyle's lips. Who would have thought that he and Thomas would share the same hometown and have graduated from the same high school....and were now on the same campus. The stars seemed to be aligning, or so it seemed due to the sophomore's hopeful wishing. Right, students and faculty....there had to be boundaries but in the back of his mind, he could hear Cassidy's nagging voice "Boy, get him now! You just have to learn how to creep!". Somehow his best friend was now playing the Satan portion of his conscience, battling the good and rational side that'd gotten Kyle this far in life. And the more he stared at Thomas, he could feel that melting feeling in the pit of his stomach. Kyle swore that men who looked like the professor across from him only existed in places like LA where a lot of the population was beautiful....the stereotype. The man looked like a model straight from the pages of GQ. Man, forget any inappropriate thoughts he had about the man's body moments ago and in class. Kyle would settle for maybe just one date. Maybe Thomas was the type of professor to make an exception to the student/teacher rule? Then what on earth would stop them for taking things possible further..." My boyfriend says he can't stand to listen to me until I start talking normally again." Well, fuck."... You have a boyfriend?" He asked as his words seemed to have become more timid than before. Possibly because all those fantasies he'd been building in his head had just been smashed like a champagne glass thrown against a brick wall. Of course, he had a boyfriend. Boyfriend....it meant he liked men and not women or apparently had a preference for men over women, meaning that...he could have very well found Kyle to be attractive? Not that it mattered anymore. All the sophomore could do was just take another sip of his tea while expelling a sigh from his nostrils." Yeah...uh...working on my accent....and stuff...you really have a boyfriend?" he asked again as if he needed some clarification to officially be checked back into reality and not that dream land of being pinned beneath Thomas in a king-sized bed with only the sounds of their soft grunts and the headboard banging to the wall filling the air along with the scent of sweet carnal sin. "...you really have a boyfriend?" The first time the student asked this question, Thomas politely ignored it, but at the second he could only blink at the stammering boy, whose cheeks were ever so slightly flushed. His instinct was to bristle, but instinctively he knew the question wasn't stated in a homophobic "Gross, you like taking it up the ass from a guy?" way. Thomas' radar was pretty well-developed and if he didn't know better, he'd bet a months' salary that the nervous and damned attractive young man across from him batted for the same team he did. It wasn't something he could definitively put his finger on, and he'd been wrong before, but it was a feeling just from observation of the boy's dress and personality. That and the fact that normally heterosexual young men didn't give him a look like they wanted to see what was underneath his Brooks Brothers suit. Clearing his throat, he took another sip of his coffee and against all his rules and instincts, he decided to have a little harmless fun with the nervous student. Normally he wouldn't, but the boy with the flushed cheeks and the damn fine ass was too adorable to resist." Yes, a boyfriend." Thomas smiled and chuckled warmly. "We've been together about three years now." He glanced down at his laptop, and then back into the young man's clear blue eyes. "What about you, Kyle? Do you have a boyfriend?" "Wow....three years. That's a long time." The junior tried his best not to sound too disappointed in that small tidbit of information. There was an unofficial rule of three then it came to dating. At least that's what he heard from his best friend since he hardly had any dating experience. Three dates to wait until it was deemed appropriate to have sex. Three weeks months to see if the relationship was indeed heading in the direction of serious love. Three years, appropriate to start thinking of marriage. With all that in mind, Kyle assumed that Thomas and his significant other were very serious. That it'd take something drastic to shake the relationship. In other words, Kyle's hot for teacher fantasy would stay just that. A fantasy. Kyle inwardly whimpered and took a sip from his beverage before choking on the liquid after Thomas' question. The young man found himself trapped in his thoughts of how to reply. If he said no, that'd make it seem like he was undesired, right? Wait, why even admit his orientation in the first place. Just because Thomas outed himself didn't mean Kyle had to." I'm...not really into....penis." he stumbled over the last word that had be spoken as borderline verbal vomit. It also did not help that his lying skills were terrible. Great, he'd dug himself in a deeper hole by making an ass of himself. "... Okay, maybe...? I don't know." he sighed himself. The young man's stammered answer gave Thomas all he needed to know, and he decided not to press the issue, no matter how adorably the student's cheeks flushed red. Although Thomas was quite aware of his own sexuality from a young age, he knew not everyone was so blessed (or cursed, depending on how one looked at things). Kyle could very well be at the exploratory stage, and he didn't want to discourage the young man from finding out where his attractions lay." Well... I'm sure you're busy enough with your classes. You've got plenty of time before you want to think about a steady relationship. They take a lot of work..." He paused, as Kyle bit his lip and Thomas suddenly had the urge to take that succulent lower lip into his own mouth and suck on it. Blinking, he shoved the erotic image aside. "Relationships, I mean. They take a lot of work." He glanced down as another email popped up, his inbox growing by the minute. Sighing, he began to type quickly, knowing he had to get busy on replies before he became completely swamped. Glancing over as he clicked and typed, the young man was polishing off his sandwich, and as a pink tongue licked a dab of mayo out of the corner of his mouth, Thomas had to bite back a hiss. Dammit. What's wrong with you? Get your head out of that boy's ass and back to the real world. Thomas typed away, trying to concentrate, but now that his conscience brought up the vision of Kyle's ass he couldn't get it out of his head. It would be a perfectly round ass, with pale, firm cheeks and a tight pink hole just begging to be stretched wide by his co-Good Grief. Thomas glanced at the email he was attempting to write and saw nothing but garbled words. Christ. This wasn't going to work, he needed to clear his head of Kyle and any remaining images of the young man's naked body. Thomas picked up his coffee and sipped it, trying to think of a subject that wouldn't lead to more sensual torture for his imagination." So what do you miss most about Morgantown?" He smiled and hoped the neutral topic would be safer for his libido. "I wish there was a place here in Boston like Ruby's Diner. Can't find good biscuits and gravy anywhere around here, and believe me, I've looked."

Teach Me, Touch Me (Saphir and Torch)|rating:4.0

Can You Hear Me [Trinket + Skyez]

She wondered as she drove down the lane, away from the home she had always known toward an unknown destination, swiping a stray tear from the corner of her eye. The young woman wasn't quite sure where she was going, she only knew that she had to get away, because each of the men who had asked for her hand, had all just been after her fortune. It didn't matter whether the way she looked, greed was the driving force behind their desires. From what she had heard, read, even watched she knew such people could not be trusted, because who knew if they'd wait for an opportune time to annihilate her from the picture for their own purpose. Then, when she denied them, getting called a spoiled rich bitch had not sat well. She had not grown up being spoiled, her father often told her no. In order to get her first pony she had had to be good and always clean up after herself and help out the staff with cleaning, cooking and even sewing. Her father had wished her to be a true lady in every sense of the word, not just one that acted like a snob, and yet was still childish in many ways. Even so, being an heiress left her in a terrible position as far as future prospects were concerned. As she thought about her father, her heart ached, and she didn't even realize that she was miles away from her home by now and would soon be out of the neighborhood which had been her home since the day she had been brought into the world. The lies and deceit, the greed of the people who knew of and about her had driven her away. She had no wish to deal with any of it anymore, but neither did she wish to give in, in any way be it to wed one of those men or to end her life. She'd just have to settle somewhere else and use her mothers maiden name and hope that no one would recognize her or know her in any way at all. It certainly helped that her mother had been a maid with the common last name of Jones. Eleni Jones, no she'd use Ellie, just in case. Slowly she began to feel better and less weary, even though she had no idea where she was going, having withdrawn a hundred thousand dollars so that no one could find her easily later. She'd get in touch with her lawyers of course, they were trustworthy enough, one having been her fathers cousin and his daughter. They wouldn't let anyone know of her whereabouts, unless it was an emergency. Hours passed as she drove, not really paying attention to the scenery, or where she was going, just allowing her hands to guide her, though she paid attention to the laws of the road. She noticed at one point that dusk was approaching, even as she climbed a hill with her vehicle, on an old dirt and gravel path, which lead to the driveway of some old mansion. It hardly looked lived in at all and in the front was a for sale sign and a number. The for sale sign looked several years old, but she had decided to give the number a try anyway. Luckily for her, someone answered, though it had grown late. “Hello Mr. Crenshaw, Real Estate Dealer. How may I help you?” Eleni, “Hello, my name is Ellie Jones, and I was wondering if the mansion on the Hill at Hill dive Road was still available?” The persons voice sounded shocked, “You want to know, about that place?”“Yes, is there something wrong with it?” There was a long pause, before the person on the other end replied, “Oh, no, nothing's wrong with it. It might need a bit of work. Still it's not worth all that much, about ten thousand dollars is all. It may be large, but the way its situated and with the work it will need among other things, no one in the past has even been remotely interested.”“Well I am, and I can pay cash upfront tonight or tomorrow morning.”“Well, Miss. Jones, I can be there in thirty minutes with the deed, if that's okay with you, and then I can also give you the key.” Eleni wondered why the person was so eager, but agreed, even if she did have some sinking suspicion that there were more problems than met the eye. However, she waited in her car, listening to music when the real estate dealer pulled up behind her and came to the window of her car. It was a beer-bellied man, perhaps in his late forties or early fifties.“Hello ma'am,” he wiped his brow with a handkerchief, before pulling out of a briefcase the bill of sales paper and deed.”Hello Mr. Crenshaw.” She looked over the papers, but didn't really read half of it before signing. She was tired, and hopefully there would be a bed inside. Mr. Crenshaw smiled, took the cash she handed him and gave her the deed and a copy of the bill of sales. “Pleasure doing business with you ma'am. I hope you'll have a nice night, but if the house isn't to your liking in its current condition, there's an inn five miles from the town.” Eleni nodded and shook his hand, “Thank you, you have a good night too,” she watched as he left before exiting her car and using the key he had given her to unlock the door. It made a screech as she opened it, making her flinch. “That will certainly need oiling tomorrow.” She grimaced at the cobwebs that hung in the corners and on the ceilings, but those too she decided would have to wait as she explored the house in order to find a bedroom. She was about to go upstairs when she noticed another door, unlocking it and then slowly she opened it. It, too, made that awful screeching sound. She didn't feel like going down into the basement, as it appeared that's where it led, so she shut the door and turned toward the steps that led to the next story of the building. The first room she came to have an old brass bed with what appeared to be an eiderdown mattress. She turned it over to the side that had less dust and laid down on it. It was better than nothing she decided and closed her eyes, she was too tired to clean anything, but she knew that come morning it would be time to make at least the interior sparkle, or at least be less dusty and without cobwebs. She had found her new home, not knowing of the dangers which the house might present itself. As far as she was concerned it was a new castle, isolated from the town that wasn't too far away and miles from the place where she was well known. Another day long nap. It seemed when you had nothing else to do, nowhere else to go, you slept. And thus, that was exactly what Damon had been doing for the past....however many years. He had long ago lost track of time, lost the will to scratch a simple line on the frigid cement, now quite sure even if he tried, his nail would break and bleed without a doubt. He could definitely not afford to lose any more of the precious substance that he already lacked significantly. Then again, why not? Maybe he would crumble and turn to dust just a day sooner. Just a day, even if in the grand scheme of things, it didn't really matter. By now, Damon had settled in one spot of his specially designed cell, lacking the energy to move unless absolutely necessary. Not to mention he needed that energy to catch the stray rat that would scurry by every once in a while. It was the only thing keeping him alive, but sure enough the rodents would learn to stay away from him, that, or the latter of simply dying off due to lack of sustenance to keep themselves alive in the run-down, decrepit, old house they resided in. Damon lay on his thinning side, his pale and bare back pressed up against the cold stone wall furthest from the bars and the door that held him captive. Then of course there was that constant, twenty-four seven, horrible burning in his throat. It had never once dulled, or gone numb. Perhaps, he had simply grown used to it, the disgusting blood of the rats nowhere near the quality, or quantity to quench his thirst, especially not now, when the blood of two full-grown men probably would still leave him hungering. It had been so long, and now, just laying there, his tricolored eyes shut, in a half asleep state, Damon licked dryly at his distended fangs subconsciously. Amber gold, with emerald green around the iris and speckled with a pale blue in various places, his eyes had always been one of his more.striking features. Though now they were rarely seen, always hidden behind sleepy eyelids. His thick, raven black hair, once shiny, was now dust covered and smashed against the ground where he slept. His once strong, toned frame, still remained to an extent, it was slowly but surely thinning out, and growing weaker by the day. And his skin, almost needless to say, it was sickly looking, oh-so-pale and sickly. Then there was noise.... There hadn't been noise in...years. Not besides the creaking of the old house, of course. Damon's eyes lulled open in a daze, doubting his extremely keen senses due the passing time. It couldn't have been. He was delirious, hearing things, better to go back to sleep... Not long after, there was yet, another sound. Two noises couldn't be a coincidence, could they? Perhaps it was windy outside? No. He knew the regular sounds the homemade, and this was not one of them. As he stirred, Damon heard the familiar scurrying sound of his soon-to-be latest rodent meal. He and the animal were both eerily still, and after a few moments of silence, the creature continued its journey running along the base of the wall. Until it reached Damon of course. It paused a sniffed, whiskers tickling his cheek. He was about to tease his hunger with the small meal when a large and very close sounding creak echoed throughout the basement. It brought light down into the dingy old room and caused the tired vampire to flinch, almost scaring off his meal if he were not to jerk his head and Barry his fangs into the briefly squealing rat. Draining its small body in second, Damon held onto the creature as the light was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. And that smell, that amazing smell. Blood. He had not forgotten its alluring scent, and suddenly, it was there, just out of reach. The burning in his throat grew, and throbbed eagerly, yet there seemed to be nothing he could do about it. Almost silently hissing in frustration, Damon flung the rat's body away from him in one surge of energy he would regret using later. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he was yet to find out, the rodent's dead body collided with some old empty paint cans, sending the little pile crashing to the floor, clinking and clanking all the way down. One even stopping right in front of his cell. Damon's muscles ached, and now he lay there anxiously wondering if his noise making would possibly bring that delicious smelling scent back to him, regardless if he could reach it or not. His mind was racing, being one of the few things that hadn't disintegrated with the passing years. Perhaps he could convince this new being to release him, or maybe they would do it out of simple pity. Maybe they would even keep him as a pet, he had no idea. Either way, he had hopes of being free, and more importantly, full once again. Perhaps she should have been more worried about how quickly the salesman had wished to unburden himself of her knew home, since no one had snapped it up years beforehand. However, she was tired, it had been a long day and a long drive, for now at least she had escaped the money hungry suitors and the false friends. No matter how dire things might look, she felt relieved to have a place to stay even if it needed a lot of cleaning, painting and other work to it. Unlike some who had grown up knowing their family was rich, she was not afraid of hard work or trying something new and giving up on it the first or second try. She smiled as she closed her eyes, repeating something her beloved father had said, “If money is handled without care, it too can run out, and then where would we be?” What a smart man he had been she thought, she hoped to be like him and her mother, though she'd died several years ago. As she was about to fall into a deep sleep, she heard a noise which startled her, jolting her fully awake. Sitting up in the bed, she gazed around. What if there was a burglar, though she didn't know what there was in the house at that moment to steal, she'd only just moved in. Taking a deep breath, she slowly exhaled and stood up, lighting a candle she found in a drawer. It looked rather old, but at least its wick still worked, and she carefully moved throughout the building, quietly going down the steps. No windows or doors seemed to be open. She wondered if it had just been her imagination, or maybe something outside, since the house was situated in a forest on a mountain of sorts. Still, until she knew exactly what it had been she'd remain uneasy. It was a new place for her, but also old and possibly falling apart in some places, which she'd have to see about fixing come tomorrow after she'd rested, if she could go to sleep after hearing that sound. She had no way of knowing that something lurked in the basement, a living and yet undead creature of myth and legend. When she turned and was about to return upstairs she recalled the basement door, what if a burglar had managed to get in, by an outdoor route to the basement since she'd not looked around outside as it had already been dark upon her arrival. Placing her hand on the door handle she slowly turned it and peaked into the darkness of the musty smelling cellar. Clicking on the light, still surprised that the electricity still worked, thinking the realtors must have paid for it to keep as some sort of inducement for potential buyers, even though when she'd called the person had been surprised that someone had wanted to buy the place. With the light on, she wasn't sure it covered the whole basement, so she kept the candle lit and walked down the stairs, each one creaking slightly, though the third from the bottom caused the most noise and nearly had her falling forward as it was quite sturdy, and her foot nearly went through the old wood. Grabbing a hold of the rickety railing she righted herself with a slight grumble. The house certainly could use a lot of work ran through her mind as she reached the bottom of the steps. She noticed tiny little spots from paint and it still looked wet. Something was or at least had been in the basement only moments ago. It trailed into a darker part of the basement, using her candle she followed the trail, wondering what was at the other end, not having noticed the dead rats body as her attention had been reverted to the wet droplets of paint. When she came to the wall she blinked, as there appeared to be bars along part of the wall. Had this been an old dungeon she wondered, and as her gaze dropped to the ground, she noticed something. Her eyes rounded wondering if there was a dead body or old skeleton. She began to back away, wondering how the realtor could have failed to mention this about the old building. There was obviously something very wrong about this whole thing, but she stilled after taking just a couple steps back, there was no smell of rotting flesh, but then it was rather musty. Lowering the candle she bent on her knees and blinked at what she saw. If it were a dead body, it didn't look decomposed at all, though very pale, and she had to wonder what she had gotten herself into. Damon dragged his gaze along the much to familiar dark basement walls, he knew them like the back of his hand. After all, what else did he have to do but study his surroundings, especially in search of an exit. How stupid he had been... All the years ago. Stupid and arrogant, thinking he was both invincible and immortal. When it turned out, you wished you weren't either of this thing, specifically when held captive and without social contact for so long. He was sure as hell immortal, as for invincible, clearly not. His current situation proved that, or at least, that he hadn't been as cunning as he'd thought. He remembered it like it had been yesterday. At least just over one hundred years ago, when the house had been recently built. Not that he had kept track of the time. The home, in its prime, was absolutely gorgeous, with the potential to still be had it not been abandoned. If not by sheer size ad grandeur, it had little details that made it all the more magnificent. The spiral staircase, the garden, green house, the paintings that may or may not still be there somewhere, the classic furniture, and best of all, the woman who lived there. A Mr. & Mrs. James and Elizabeth Adams. They were quite wealthy, well known, and respected at their time. Everyone loved the young couple, but what the public hadn't known was that marriage had been on the rocks. It had been arranged, and thus not for love, which wasn't uncommon, but regardless, the public appearance and perfect family facade was to be kept up. Being a good wife, Elizabeth obeyed, though not long after Damon had come into the picture, meeting them at a banquet dinner. And yes, he charmed her, they fell in love, it was classic. The irony came into play when he later found out that her husband James was a vampire hunter, part of some.cult, or group that had been passed down from generation to generation of Adam's sons. Needless to say, the outcome wasn't what he had hoped for. James had caught he and Elizabeth one evening, and via wooden stake just missing his heart, Damon had been dragged to the basement where he lay stunned and 'asleep' for quite some time. Maybe if he played dead, he would assume dead. Not long after, Elizabeth had been accused and convicted of adultery, James went out to war, and through various means the house has been abandoned. Damon snapped out of his daze and daydreaming as the lights flicked on. His tricolored eyes squinted for a minute as they adjusted, and he stared curiously, cautiously, and eagerly, transfixed by the simple fact that someone was even there, especially someone who smelled so delicious. And he did mean, delicious. While pale, tired, and weak, achy muscles and damaged pride were forgotten for the time being as the creaks in the stairs grew closer, even a feminine grumble of frustration was heard. Damon was somewhere between anxious, excited, and on edge, his mind versus his instincts deciding how to react. A battle he wasn't sure who the winner would be, he would simply have to find out, and soon as the woman, he observed, was getting closer. She hadn't noticed him at first, rather the fact that there was wet paint. As she approached, and the closer she got, Damon's throat was all but on fire, burning and aching like he couldn't believe. By now he had sat up partially, back still to the wall, one leg bent, and both arms pressed firmly to the ground, ready Portland stand at a moments notice. But not yet, rather he held his breath, and remained still, his stunning eyes taking on a carnal, and dangerous tint to them. They were full of desire, hunger, yet also a latent sense of weary and loneliness. He had to feed. Head. Yet he doubted his ability to even spring towards the cell bars fast enough and grab her from his disadvantage point. It was unlikely, and he wasn't about to make a costly mistake again. He'd had to play this smart. He couldn't scare her away, her running would not be good, and who knew how long it'd take for someone else to enter the decrepit old mansion. Damon quickly realized he had two options, but he had to wait to see how she reacted to his presence first. Slowly.he stood up, surprised that his legs held after so much time spent on the ground sleeping. Bracing himself against the wall, he sported a torn and tattered pair of old trousers and a broken pocket watch possibly showing his age a bit. Should he.speak? Would that scare her. Furrowing his brows in thought, he chose the latter and remained silent, gaze flicking to the lock, then back to her. Eleni wasn't sure what to do about her current predicament. This was out of her experience, so far out that she wondered if perhaps she were dreaming a dream that had turned into a hellish nightmare. The nightmare had begun the moment she had learned of her fathers death, and she had tried to escape the turmoil it had brought into her life and the false friends and greedy suitors that had gone with the label of heiress. Yet it seemed a nightmare that she was unable to awaken from, she even went so far as to pinch herself, and when it hurt she winced, more from knowing she was awake than from the minor discomfort of having completed the action. There was a dead body in the basement of her new home, one that needed a lot of work, which she had been fine with, but this, this was totally different and not at all good. She began to pace back and forth in front of the cell, trying to think of what she had to do next, but she really didn't want to create a stir and be found when she'd only just begun her new life only a couple of hours ago if that. “This is not good, not good at all,” out of the corner of her eye she saw something, and she paused in mid-step to turn to face the cell with what she had assumed held a dead body in it. However, the body had started to move, taking a step back she watched it rise with widened oval azure eyes. She could not believe what she was seeing. Maybe what she had heard had been a burglar, one that had ended up stuck in the cellar somehow. Her mind yelled at her 'warning, warning, danger, danger!' but she was unable at that moment to make even the smallest of sounds as the being stood up. However, his attire made her think, it was so old, that he couldn't have just ended up there that very night she'd moved into the place. Yet how long had he been there she wondered, her curiosity always having gotten the better of her in the past, but her father had been alive then to get her out of any scrapes, though not without some sort of punishment or admonishment. She'd have to be careful, no matter who he was or how he'd wound up in the cellar behind bars. She watched him silently, noticing the way his gaze flickered from the door and back to her. Eleni, now Ellie as she planned to call herself didn't know if it would be at all wise to open that door at all, not without some sort of explanation and guarantee for her own safety. Just because she had pale blond hair that reached to her thighs when let loose from their bonds didn't mean she was dumb, having made school life difficult, especially since she'd been the only daughter of a wealthy and prominent man of her hometown. Whereas some females would probably have run screaming in terror at finding a stranger anywhere in their house, she wasn't so quick to judge, and she'd sooner get a bat or some other weapon than just run screaming into the night. Crossing her arms over her breasts, she arched a brow questioningly at the man inside the cell. “So, what are you in for?” She didn't find the situation at all funny, but nor did she feel the need to burst into tears, especially while it seemed he was locked behind those bars, and no way was she going to get to close, for all she knew he could be a serial killer. She certainly didn't take it into her head that he could be something else entirely, as she'd never believed the stories or superstitions, since there had never been any real evidence found that could support the theory to her way of thinking. Still she watched the man with a critical eye, waiting for some kind of reply from him, beginning to tap one of her toes against the cellar floor. Ellie wanted answers, and she wanted them right then and there, but her lips slowly began to curl upward, maybe she'd give him a little jolt. “I wonder, maybe you were someone's pet, and they left you behind. I've never had such an... interesting pet, but maybe I could make you an exception. You're already here and since I bought the house, maybe you come with it, and the Realtor did say that everything inside the house now belonged to me.” She was only teasing, trying to take her mind from the situation and turn it into something comic. “If you're a good boy I might even let you out and find you something to eat.” Damon watched her intently with his tricolored eyes as he stood, gaze never faltering, though he was surprised his legs hadn't. It seemed to take her just a few moments to realize he wasn't just some corpse, or sleeping psycho locked in the basement, rather, she seemed quite in shock that he was moving and stirring at all. She must have thought him dead, just like James had, hell he probably looked close to dead, but in reality he was both far and close to death, it was strange to say the least. She was attractive as well, he noticed. Azure eyes, long blond hair, give her some curls and she almost reminded him of Elizabeth. He wondered why she was here at all though, no one had been to this house in such a long time, why now? He didn't understand. Damon watched her go from shocked and surprised to confident and almost arrogant if he had to guess. What was he in for? Was she joking? He simply furrowed his eyebrows again, giving her a questioning, if not curious look. Now the only question he had for himself was should he answer, how to answer, should he even tell the truth? Regardless of her demeanor, and whether he liked it or not, she was his only hope of getting out at the moment, thus he could not screw it up. Not with being so close to that clearly pulsating artery in her neck, or even just her wrist. He was hungry enough to draw blood from a small capillary if he had to. But for now, he had to control himself. He'd had no choice but to for the last 'few' years, and he still didn't, rather he was being taunted, which made him slightly uneasy and on edge. Anyway, he chose silence again, for now. He stared right on back at her as she analyzed him, or whatever she was doing. And that foot of hers, began tapping. He tilted his head slightly in thought. Of course, he knew things changed a lot over time, but how muchhadthey changed. Since when could a woman even speak to a man the way she had, and he didn't doubt, she would speak the same way again. Needless to say he had a lot of figuring out to do.“I wonder, maybe you were someone's pet, and they left you behind. I've never had such an... interesting pet, but maybe I could make you an exception. You're already here and since I bought the house, maybe you come with it, and the Realtor did say that everything inside the house now belonged to me.”“If you're a good boy I might even let you out and find you something to eat.” Damon made a ...less than satisfied face. Her...pet? Her house? He resisted the urge to grow low in his throat at the thought. He belonged to no one, yet if that was what she wanted it seemed he had no fucking choice. At least...until she did 'find him something to eat'. He could wait this out. Play along just well enough until he had regained enough strength, or until she let him out, whichever came first, though both would be more than ideal." If I'm a good boy?..." He repeated, raising a questioning brow, his deep, low rumble of a voice still managed to sound silky smooth and melodic even through a burning throat. The questionalmosthad a dangerous hint to it. Aside from his eyes though, his voice had always been one of his more noticeable non-physical features as well. Slowly, Damon began to step forward, managing to hold his own weight up well enough until he was close enough to the front bars to grasp and lean on them a bit. "What.must I do to be considered a 'good boy'?" He asked, before licking his own lips. She was closer now, even if she hadn't been the one to move, the scent and even the sound of her blood was driving him quite crazy on the inside. Taking an almost silent deep breath, he remained perfectly composed ever-so-faintly tilting his head to the side and blinking at her. Her toes grew cold against the cold stone of the cellar floor as she awaited the answer of the one behind the bars. She'd only been teasing him, though there was something of an appeal to keeping a pet, though she'd never thought of keeping a human being as one before, not yet realizing that this was no mortal man before her, only the bars keeping her out of potential harms way. The wind outside began to howl, rustling through the foliage of the trees nearby, a branch tapping and scraping against a window upstairs. All those sounds causing an eerie shiver to crawl up her spine. It felt as though something or someone had walked over her grave as yet unmarked and unknown a destination. She ignored it, casting aside the shadows which she had once believed lurked in the dark corners. When he, whose name she did not yet know took a step closer, she finally noticed his intriguing eyes. She'd never seen such an array of colors before, but contacts were the norm as of late for those preferring them over glasses or using them just for the fun of changing the color of their irises. Yet they looked real, as she stared into them quite intrigued as how anyone could have such remarkable eyes. Giving her head a little shake, causing some strands of her hair to come lose from being held hostage to the pins she'd failed to take out, and whisper against her cheek and neck, she blinked. This moment was not the time to dwell on how more than nice his eyes were. This stranger could be dangerous, knowing nothing at all about him. In order to try and keep her gaze from endlessly staring at the beauty of his tricolored eyes she turned to her side, the light from the stairwell giving the flimsy material she wore for a nightdress an almost transparent appeal, outline her curvaceous toned physique. She began to rub one of her arms with her hand, filling a draft through the small cracks of the basements walls, wearing a MIDI length, spaghetti strapped nightshirt wasn't the best clothing choice for a cellar. Still she hadn't been thinking about what was best to wear, but rather her safety. When she heard him speak, she turned back toward him, to her ear his voice sounded far to nice for him not to have just ended up trapped in that cell despite how old and ragged he and his apparel appeared upon first impression. Unfortunately she didn't notice the barely concealed threat behind his question. Ellie decided, that since it was her house, and he'd ended up in it somehow, she'd have a little fun with him. She'd never seen a man fully undressed other than in magazines her so-called friends seemed to carry around with them or on certain television shows and movies shown late at night. Not that there hadn't been offers, but she'd never been sure they wanted her and not her fathers money and influence. He didn't know who she was though, at least she didn't believe so. Holding one of her elbows in one of her hands, she lightly placed her fingers and thumb on either side of her chin, using the forefinger to tap at her lips lightly.” Hmmn, that is a good question, in need of some thought,” but she'd already thought it through and placed her feet apart, moving her hands to settle on her hips. Bending forward only about an inch, the deep v of her neckline gapping open to reveal the lush flesh of the beginning swell of her breasts.“You must perform for me an arousing dance and strip those clothes from your body while doing so. If you can please my entertainment palate I will set you free of the cell as my permanent guest. I've never lived on my own before, so having you around will prove useful in more ways than one, and I'll pay you whatever you need... unless I find just having you as a slave more appealing,” though she didn't believe in slavery, it still existed illegally in portions of the country. Damon's gaze flicked to her hair as it fell, sending a wave of her scent fluttering towards him. Every movement she made only tempted his hunger, as a result he decided to hold his breath, in hopes of being able to keep a hold on his instincts. To not scare her away just yet. Though, she didn't seem afraid in the least, then again she also appeared to think him a normal human being. Something that would possibly prove to be a fatal mistake sometime in the near future. He wondered though, how in fact she hadn't thought to question how long he'd been there, or how he'd survived, either way, he was glad. It saved him the trouble of inventing a story, or perhaps he would tell her the truth.she seemed the daring type, so maybe, just maybe she'd be intrigued enough to let him out, let him in fact prove his lack of humanity. Then again, it was all speculation... She spoke again, flashing a thoughtful expression, yet somehow it seemed she already knew the answer to his question, as if it had been premeditated almost. Strangely interested, Damon licked yet again at his sharpened canines awaiting her whatever she was about to 'request' of him. Even more intrigued, she leaned forward, hands on her hips and as his gaze flicked down, simultaneously raising an eyebrow; he wondered whether she was aware of the view she was giving him.“You must perform for me an arousing dance and strip those clothes from your body while doing so. If you can please my entertainment palate I will set you free of the cell as my permanent guest. I've never lived on my own before, so having you around will prove useful in more ways than one, and I'll pay you whatever you need... unless I find just having you as a slave more appealing,” Faintly smirking, but not enough to reveal his distended fangs, Damon's expression took on a more amused and questioning look. This woman was indeed some sort of unique, and definitely not what he was used to." You wish me to dance naked?" He murmured, one eyebrow still quirked and aimed her way. Slowly but surely he stepped back and looked down at himself that back to the currently nameless female." If that's what you want. Miss, but if I may make a suggestion. I am almost already nude." He began, briefly eying his partially torn and tattered pants. Aside from the golden pocket watch, he was shirtless, and barefooted. Not to mention, he was weak from the years of being confined. "And well, there is only so much I could remove, thus this dance of yours couldn't last nearly as long as it should." Damon continued, attempting to persuade her with both his voice and his eyes, never breaking eye contact." But, I would gladly please you however you wish, should you release me from this cell, of course." He finished in a seduction laced tone, bringing his stone-cold hands back to the bars and gripping them firmly." Though, if you still wish me to remove what's left of my clothing...." He tilted his head again, eyebrows lifting slightly in a questioning manner, no sign of opposition to the idea visible. Honestly, if this was what he had to do to be released, Damon was perfectly fine with it. She was attractive.to say the least. Maybe...just maybe, he'd have a little fun himself before sucking her dry. He'd just have to find a way to quell and satisfy his hunger until then, but before any of that could occur, she'd have to let him go, and the way things were heading, she seemed willing to. He could play the role of 'pet' well if that was what she wanted. The thought brought a faintly amused smile to his lips, achy muscles now numb, and long forgotten in the back of his mind. Eleni had never been daring before, sheltered too carefully by her father, protected and constantly followed by the bodyguards her father had hired even while sitting in any of her classes. This was a new life she led, as Ellie Jones to escape all those who had only liked Eleni for the cash her father had left for her to do with as she pleased. She could not live a simple life back home, so instead had to create a new one along with a new identity and somehow would also have to also alter her own personality at least slightly in order for no one to become to suspicious should they ever run into her. People did after all have look-a-likes running about on the Earth, so maybe for once in her life she could live an average life, not realizing the danger she was in at that moment, especially if she were to release the stranger. There was so much she didn't know or even believe in, but her skepticism or complete denial of certain creatures could lead to more problems than she'd ever previously imagined. She listened to the male behind the bars speak, without interrupting him as she wondered if what she'd asked had been such a good idea. Couldn't he get the wrong impression with that about her, but she was curious, something she had often in the past curbed since she had not wished her father to be disappointed in her, but he was no longer of the living, time to fend for herself and learn from her mistakes? Hopefully they wouldn't be her last if she was making such a grand one. However, she could not allow her own doubts and vulnerability to show through, especially not to someone she didn't know at all having just met in such unusual circumstances especially. When he was finished speaking she sighed,“Perhaps you're right. I should bathe you first, get you something to wear that's more suitable and feed you, but all I packed was fruits and somehow uncooked blood pudding instead of regular sausage. I don't know how long you've been down here, but it must have been, hymn how long have you been down here anyway? You must be hungry for something nonetheless” Some things just didn't add up, but being a non-believer of the undead she had to wonder how he'd survived so long by the looks of his attire, but of course appearances could be very deceptive. She'd learned that lesson some time ago, but she was really too exhausted to be thinking entirely clearly. Damon stood, leaning somewhat casually against the bars of his cell, which was odd for the predicament he was in. For some reason or another, he found this female...amusing. Just a moment ago she was quite confident and sure of her self, sure of her actions, and sure of her odd request for him to dance and strip. Yet, when he hinted at something a little.different, she seemed to almost shy away in some form. It was an interesting display of changing emotions, and he found himself watching each emotion; hidden in subtle traits and body language; ...entertaining. Running a pale hand through his pitch black hair, the two contrasted quite drastically as he thought, closing his eyes only briefly. It was one of his manner quirks and mannerisms that he had acquired as a human and never seemed to let go of. Perhaps that were a sign that some of his humanity remained. He wasn't all monster. Perhaps. Then again, it was all speculation.“Perhaps you're right. I should bathe you first, get you something to wear that's more suitable and feed you, but all I packed was fruits and somehow uncooked blood pudding instead of regular sausage. I don't know how long you've been down here, but it must have been, hymn how long have you been down here anyway? You must be hungry for something nonetheless” He processed what she had said, as she spoke and also for a moment after, deciding how to respond and what would be most appropriate for the situation. Some form or variation of the truth might just work, that way, later when she finally did realize her grave mistake of releasing him, it'd be fun to watch her put the pieces of his story together like a puzzle. Damon bit his lip briefly, only to quick hide the sharpened canine back within the confines of his oral cavity, hoping she hadn't noticed." A bath and clothes would be greatly appreciated." He began, going through the rest of her statement in his mind. Fruit and...blood.sausage.what? The vampire gave her a curious, almost confused look, the simple word sending a wave of hunger pulsating through him. Swallowing the desire harshly and with some effort, Damon simply shook his head at her question." I don't think you'd believe me if I told you." He answered avoiding the question on purpose and switching gears to respond to her following remark." Starving..." He finished, running his tongue over his teeth, and tensing briefly as another wave rushed over him." Thank you." Damon added as an afterthought, resisting the urge to crack a sinister smirk while he took two steps back giving her decent room to unlock and swing the door of the cell inward and release him. Ellie didn't know he found her amusing, otherwise she might have felt insulted, who wanted to be laughed at anyway, certainly not her if she had had the slightest inkling of his thoughts about her. Yet she had only wished to put an amusing edge to the whole situation, she hadn't found anything at all amusing as of late. Sure it was funnily strange to find a man locked in her basement behind bars, but had it happened to her, she really wouldn't find it at all hilarious. She also doubted she could have survived for any length of time, one at least needed water, and she didn't see how water could possibly have ended up in the cellar, unless it leaked when it rained. She didn't know whether it did though, she'd have to find out later, once she was more settled in her new abode. She watched him as he ran his hand through his hair. Furthermore, she wondered if he was anemic, they were the only ones she could think of that ever looked quite so pale.“When's the last time you had any iron? You look so pale... either you've been out of the sun a very long time, or you're anemic...” Well whatever the case, he'd be getting out of that prison, ignoring her subconscious mind which warned her against the stranger and the danger that could come with him. She nodded, when she heard him respond to her bathing and clothing question. Still, how was she going to get him out,“One question... do you know where the key to this cell door is? Or do I need to find a skeleton key?” She wasn't sure that the keys the realtor had left with her would work on the door, since she was certain the locks on the place were more than likely up to date. At least she hoped they were, if they weren't, it would probably be very easy for someone to pick the locks.“Well, I don't always believe everything I hear, but my ears are open when you feel like telling me. Now before we can take care of your hunger... I still need to know how I am to get you out of there.” She turned toward the stairwell,“I'll just go get the keys, maybe its on the ring... if not... well I'm going to have to find something to cut you out of there... or call a locksmith, but there's probably none open at this time of the night.”

Can You Hear Me [Trinket + Skyez]|rating:3.0

Pathfinder_ The Youth Gone Wild

The Summer fair... With the arrival of the new, warm season, it was traditional for there to be a fair to celebrate, to let people have a little fun, to let children run free for a day. Talent contests, drinking contests (for adults), kissing booths (for adults or older teens), prizes awarded for the fastest horse and fattest pig, pie eating contests... all the usual merry things. Of course, though plenty of children were running freely through the town, there were still a few that stood out. Specifically, three were completely nude, which drew a few odd looks, but adults ended up shrugging - it was a day to let kids run free, after all, and if that's what they wanted, why interfere? And so it was that, through chance or design, the four young heroes of this story met up, drawn in by the smell of baked goods and honey-glazed fruit. They had the whole day ahead of them, and any number of things they could do. "I tell you, I'm an adult!" Merrick stood at the tavern entrance, hands on his hips. The tavern keeper, however, didn't appear willing to budge. Of course, it really wasn't much of a surprise. After all, he didn't LOOK like an adult. He looked like a little boy of eleven or twelve, with slightly-messy blonde hair and blue eyes that might sparkle normally but were currently narrowed in frustration. "It was a spell, I...oh never mind." He turned and walked away from the tavern. It probably wasn't a good idea for him to start drinking anyway, who knew if his little body could handle it. With his luck, the answer would probably be 'no'. He kicked a stone as he walked and quietly grumbled to himself. It wasn't that he would rather be dead. In fact, Merrick was quite glad to be alive again. Standing in Charisma's line for a century or so hadn't really appealed to him, and he'd much rather be out enjoying life and helping others, but that didn't make him any less irritated that he was a kid again. It was even worse that his comrades had left him behind. Thus, despite the festive atmosphere and the warm weather, Merrick found himself in something of a bad mood that he couldn't quite shake. He was just considering heading back to his rooms at the inn when he heard people talking about a group of children wandering about naked. Well...that was certainly unusual, even for this particular holiday. Merrick turned toward the disturbance and hastened his steps a little. Perhaps he should go and make sure they were alright. Aura was drawn to the fare by the smell of food and the noise. He walked alongside Lenora a fellow elf with his companion lander a large male Bourbon bringing up the rear at some distance. There would be nothing strange about a boy and girl walking together. Except both had no clothes. Aura's tiny hairless penises and tight little boy but where fully exposed for all to see. Lenora felt strangely awkward in this village. She was naked when she woke up, and she felt it was right; and since the boy that was lying next to her was naked as well, she certainly thought it was normal. But these people were all wearing clothes, as if they were hiding something, and Lenora felt suspicious; still, Lenora was hungry, and it soon turned out you had to give people something called "money" if you wanted to take food here - a strange place indeed. Unless, of course, you could win in some game - and Lenora looked around trying to find one she would be good at... {are there any kind of agility contests going on?} The pointy-eared humans were odd. That was the conclusion Nisha had arrived at when she'd seen two of them wake up in a field, entirely bereft of the clothing she was so used to seeing on humans. They'd then wandered into a nearby human village, and Nisha had stalked them all the way there, curious of what they were doing. The odd, pointy-eared humans had looked very out of place, but it didn't seem like the other humans minded their presence. Very odd indeed. Nisha had stalked through the village, hiding herself and sneaking about on her bare feet, occasionally hissing at any human who tried approaching her. She herself probably stood out quite a bit as well, the only covering she had on her lithe form being the carapace made up of the tough material her body produced. There were also many things going on in the village, she noted, much more than what was usually happening. It looked like they had activities, shops, and food stands set up in some kind of celebration. Maybe they didn't mind the odd young lings, or indeed herself, because of this event? She made a mental note of investigating further, right after finding something to eat. Merrick finally saw the children, a boy and a girl, up ahead. Soon, he was jogging to catch up with them, concern on his face. Had they been attacked? He didn't see any signs of injury, just...nudity. Still, he should probably get a little closer to make sure they were alright. Using his small size to his advantage (loathe to admit as he was that being so little was an advantage at all), Merrick eased his way past the people who had stopped to watch the naked children and approached them. "Excuse me? Ah...where are your clothes? Did someone steal them?" Aura was taken by surprise when the older kid asked about it. In truth, he did not know what to say but the truth. " We woke up like this" "Clothes?" Lenora replied a bit more aggressively than she wanted to, "watch your mouth, I did nothing wrong - that I remember, at least. What I want to know is what was this village's sin that they even force kids to repent for it?" She looked around with increasing curiosity and suspicion. Merrick nodded as the boy spoke. So they hadn't been robbed, at least so far as they knew. Still, they should probably find them something to wear, people were staring. He was just about to suggest it when the other girl's anger caught him off-guard, and he took a step back, looking at Lenora. "I...pardon? This village's sin? Everyone wears clothes, it's not a punishment." Now, this statement took Lenora by surprise. But then... it surely didn't sound like the boy was kidding her... "It's weird," she stated plainly, "but if that's how you do things here, I'll try to remember it. I'm not going to do something that stupid, though. Now, do you know where I could get some 'funny' to get some food?" Aura did not care about cloths Right now. He was more concerned about food. "Yes if you could please help us with getting money that would be nice" Indeed, there are games that involve more than just strength or specific aptitudes: there's one lady calling out for hoop-throwing: rigid rope hoops are thrown from 20 feet away (ten feet for kids), and if you get one onto the tent-pole, you win a copper coin. Everyone is allowed three tries, and each successful throw gets you the coin. (Signing up is free, but any given person is only allowed to try it once, so you get your three throws and that's it, barring Illusion magic or a DC 17 Disguise check. If you sign up for it, you have three attempts, each one is a DC 15 Dexterity check - not a ranged attack, just Dexterity.) Similarly, there's an archery contest being run by an old elf, knocking bottles off crates - up against a brick wall, so stray shots aren't going to go wide and maim passers-by. He allows stone-throwing or use of the light crossbow he keeps there. The bolts all have blunted tips, just to be on the safe side. Ten bottles, ten shots. If you get more than five hits, you win a piece of toffee. If you get nine, you also get a slice of "elf biscuit" with fresh jam and cream, and if you get all ten, he awards a gold coin. (Again, signing up is free, but you're only allowed to sign up once. Ten ranged attack rolls, either throwing rocks (which are all over the place), using a sling, or using the crossbow. Each bottle has an AC of 10.) Finally, there is wall-climbing, run by the grumpy local wizard: you have to pay a copper coin to try this one, but you're given a ring of Feather fall as a loaner, and can then try your luck climbing the old guard tower - there are bags at certain heights, and the higher you get, the better the prizes you could receive. (First you have a DC 10 Climb check, then 13, then 16, then 19, then 22, then finally 25. If you fail a check, you fall and the game is over. Each success nets you a bigger prize. It's a DC 20 Sleight of Hand check to keep the ring afterward - or you can try your luck running off with it.) Lenora approached the elf; to her surprise, he was wearing clothes too - but then, he was old, and old people often had strange ideas; she wasn't going to criticize him for that. The strange not-really-a-bow he gave the kids was unfamiliar to her, but after watching for a few minutes, she more or less figured it out - shooting it was even easier than a normal bow, it appeared. Except it really wasn't; the device kicked back, and three of the ten arrows missed their targets... Well, at least the toffee was tasty - Lenora quickly finished her half and held the other to give them to the boy, Aura. After watching the kick from crossbow Aura went and collect some stones. Each time he found one he bent down exposing his preteen bum to everyone. Afterward Aura began to throw stones at the bottles 4 stones missed. When the elf handed him the toffee Aura looked up at him. "Is there no way you can help a hungry boy out" (Rolled an 18 plus my CIA bonus of 4 to give 22 CIA check for begging.) They really were hungry, Merrick realized. It was a pity he wasn't strong enough to create food yet, or he could have at least fed them the next day, but as it was perhaps he could help a little. He rolled up his sleeves. He wasn't very good at any of these tasks, but he would try and see if he could get anything for the hungry boy and girl. Furthermore, he went to the hoop toss first, rolling up his sleeves. Furthermore, he'd have to get very lucky to win this, but he would do his best. Furthermore, he slowly raised the hoop and threw it...and it slipped from his hands and flew into the air. The second he accidentally threw backwards, and he heard a cry as he narrowly missed an elderly woman passing by. Gritting his teeth, he took the hoop in his hands again as the rest of the crowd hurriedly backed away, and threw. This time, the hoop flew straight and true, landing with a flourish around the pole. (5...4...and 20!) A copper was nothing, but it might buy some sweets or something. He took it and went on to the next game. The crossbow competition was another one the slightly-clumsy boy would do poorly at, but he took the crossbow anyway and lined up his shots, eyes narrowed in concentration, firing one shot after another. (Rolls: 14, 12, 11, 20, 12, 9, 5, 5, 19, 4) He hit a little more than he missed. It would have been nice to do better, but he took the toffee and placed it with the copper before heading toward the climbing tower, paying a copper, and removing his armor before making the attempt. (climb 12...14...7) The boy made it to the second stopping point, but failed to make it to the third, drifting to the ground and returning the ring to the wizards before waiting to claim his prize. A Red-Haired girl in a frilly Sky Blue dress, wearing a necklace collar with a silver medallion and embroidery on the collar itself, was walking about the festival. She decided to play the free games. She tried herself at hop throwing first. It seemed to her as a good warm up to archery contest. She threw all the hops. First one barely hit the pole. The second attempt ended with her releasing the hop too late and the hop hitting the ground immediately in front of her, and the last attempt ended with a perfect throw. [15,5,22] That netted her 2 copper coins. She examined them. She didn't know who the figure or coat of arms were on the coins or where they were from, but she always examined her coins. She remembered the seeing coat of arms on a coin once before. Then she went to the archery context. She asked for the crossbow. She had some experience shooting crossbow, but she wasn't particularly experienced or trained at it. It was also a free attempt, so she tried it. Each attempt took her a long while as the kickback was strong, and the rearming the crossbow was a struggle, but eventually she shot all allotted shots. But the hard work eventually paid off-all shots ended hitting. [11, 21, 22, 12, 14, 16, 11, 23, 11, 19] She took the gold coin from the elf. She examined it. She definitively remembered seeing more coins like this one. But she was sure it wasn't the same as the few others she had in her pouch. She could have gone and try the climbing, but she wasn't nearly strong enough, nor was it free. She saw the two naked young elves, it caught her by surprise. Furthermore, she wasn't used of naked people, especially in villages. Furthermore, she often went naked in nature, but never as a human - at least in public. Strangeness didn't stop her from approaching the girl, she did hear them talk about getting food. "Hi I heard, you're taking about food. I don't know what you are good at, so I don't know how to help you, but we can figure out how you can earn money, over some lunch." "Lunch?" Lenora replied, with delight in her voice, "You'll give us food? Thank you!" She pondered for a while, "I don't really remember much about home, but, I seem to remember I was taught to fight... but I don't want to fight anyone here... they're weird people, but they did nothing wrong to me..." "Yes sure. If I had the money, I'd buy you some clothes to wear at least in the civilization. Until we get enough coins, you can wear my dress if it will fit you, but I'd ask you to carry my backpack and stuff. People won't notice a fox isn't wearing clothes." she replied smiling. "As for fighting, I don't think there are any opportunities to earn money on this festival, and there is no need to fight anyone here. Hmm... the first combat related thing I can think of is hunting beasts or animals. If you are good at it, we could earn some money." Lenora backed away from the girl, though it only was a small step, "Dress? Why are you all... listen, I don't remember much, but I'm sure I didn't do anything that bad to deserve it!" She took a short pause, "I guess you don't understand, do you? Clothes are supposed to be a form of atonement. Those who did something wrong wear them to tell people, "I'm ugly, and I don't want you to see me." But I didn't do anything that bad - or at least I don't remember..." she looked shocked and in terror for a moment. "Sorry I meant no offense. I just want to help. I don't know how it is where you came from, but wherever I was in civilization, everyone was supposed to wear clothes. In some places you even get punished for not wearing them. There is unusual lack of reaction here, probably because of the festival. I go naked in nature too. Tho not as a human," she replied. "Not as a human... I heard you said about a fox - so you're a shape-shifter? I don't really remember, but I think I don't mind shape-shifters..." Lenora nodded, relaxing. "And places where you're punished for not wearing clothes... I don't want to go there." "HAI, I'm a magical fox-girl. Have to avoid farms as a fox tho. They always send the hounds on me and chase me away. I don't know why. Never done anything wrong to deserve that," she answered, while also wiggling her nose with her face muscles alone. "Oh and my name is Audi. What's your name?" Aura's begging nets him a little success there. With a sigh - and a glance to make sure other kids aren't watching and getting ideas - he hands a couple of extra pieces of toffee to him. "Don't go telling people I'm being nice though." Merrick actually has some decent success with the climbing: the very first bag just has a copper coin, meaning he's made his money back, but the second has a rather large cream-filled bun. As it turns out, however, money goes pretty far: a copper piece can buy a large piece of fruit or single-serve pie, for instance. Looking art Aura, Lenora couldn't help but feel hurt. Being like that was unbecoming for one of the People... "Give me one of those coins, please," she asked Audi, "I'll return it to you soon... And my name's Lenora." Assuming the fox girl wasn't greedy with the coin, Lenora queued for the climbing competition. She wasn't particularly strong, but she certainly knew how to climb. Paying the first two marks easily, the girl then managed to grab a third bag too - and then, with a wild grin on her face, took a reckless swing and a jump which resulted in her getting just close enough to the fourth to grab it before falling - no, floating - down. {Taking 10 to clear first two; rolls: 19+3=22 vs. 13, 16+3=19 vs. 19} Merrick spent the coin on a pie, taking the pie, the toffee, and the bun and hurrying toward the two naked children and handing one to each of them. "Not really great at this kind of competition," he said with a shrug. "But you can have these, that ought to help." He saw then that they'd been joined by another girl, this one with a fox tail and ears. He'd heard of mistune before but never actually encountered one, but tried to be polite and not stare at her rather exotic features. Aura was careful to hide getting the money from the elf but took no effort in hiding the money once he had it. On getting the pie Aura thanked merit "thanks, but I have the coin now to buy my own. But maybe I should buy some clothes to blend in." Merrick nodded and glanced around. "I thought I saw someone selling cloaks or something similar over this way, but perhaps I was wrong. This way you can use your own coin to buy something to wear and won't have to worry about going hungry." Overall, it was a job well done. "Thanks will you walk with me" Aura walks to find a shop or stall selling cloths. IOC: Audi is in a human form not a mistune form - humans sometimes react weirdly to mistune. She is attractive in addition to having high charisma - so I'm ignoring the exotic mistune part in Paladin's post (it happens :)) "Sure, go ahead I'd go myself, but I can't climb at all. I hope I can learn a spell, so I won't have to climb," Audi said before giving a copper coin, Lenora requested. After the elf girl left to attempt the climbing challenge, she noticed a boy looking at her. She smiled at him and waved "Hi!" (oops, my bad :p) "Of course," Merrick said with a nod. It would be a good idea to keep an eye on things to make sure no one tried to attack someone who was naked and vulnerable until he could get dressed. The fair looked safe enough, but you could find bad people just about anywhere. He turned and waved to the girl he'd noticed earlier. "Good day, enjoying the festival?" "Yes I'm enjoying the festival. Thank you, I'm Audi. Are you from here?" she replied to the boy, smiling. Coming closer she continued: "I even managed to win an in couple of the challenges." She was absent-mindedly plying with a lock of her long red hair, while talking to him. "I'm Merrick," the boy said by way of introduction. "A priest of Sartre, but I'm...well, my adventuring party left me behind. I'm not from here, I'm just sort of waiting around and enjoying the festival while I decide what to do next." He was rather impressed at her skills in winning the various challenges. "That's good. I'm a little clumsy, so I'n not really all that good at most of these, but they're fun anyway. What brings you here?" "I didn't go climbing, I just don't have the strength. Those challenges weren't really anything that special. I just took the time and aimed carefully to hit all the targets. Man crossbows are hard to reload." she replied to his praise, slightly blushed. "I have always been more of a free spirit. Never settling anywhere, wandering. I have finally decided to seek company of people to wander with," was Audi's explanation what brought her here, before inquiring: "Sorry to hear about having been left behind. May I ask the story, or is too sad for you?" They do take a good bit of time," the boy agreed. "But you seem to have done very well." He looked a little uncomfortable at the question, but shrugged. "I'm older than I look. We went traveling together, and I got killed by a dragon, then they brought me back, but there was some sort of error with the spell... I think the druid was drunk or something like that...and I came back as a child. The others just decided I'd be in the way so they moved on without me. It's not fair... I still have my powers and everything too." [IOC] Before I forget to ask, and assume incorrectly: is Nisha in stealth, or is she in plain sight? :)[/IOC] Audi thanked Merrick: "Thank you. I have to admit I didn't expect to hit all 10 targets." After hearing the story she hugged him: "I'm sorry I didn't know. That was heartless of them." She ended hugging him and looked back in his eyes she exclaimed: "Oh I have an idea!" "The elf girl Lenora said she is good at fighting. You should come with us, we could go earn some money. We could go hunt some animals and sell their pelts and stuff. Or something, and you are a priest. I've heard priests are good at healing, so you could go heal us if we get injured. And I know some magical tricks." [IOC] She's in 'casual' stealth, staying out of sight without really hiding and more or less just Taking 10 which puts her at 18 stealth[/IOC] Merrick flushed a bit as the girl suddenly hugged him. Her touch made him feel warm and...no, that was impossible. She was just a kid. Even if he was just a kid too, he shouldn't be feeling...yeah, it was his imagination, had to be. "Well, I could use a little more traveling money if I'm to get home," he said after reluctantly releasing her from the embrace. "And it would feel good to feel that I'm out doing something instead of just waiting for my other friends to come back...sure, I'll come with you." IOC: 18 on stealth counts as stealth to me :P She hadn't hugged anyone in a long time, but she never felt anything like what she felt just then. She half purred while hugging. "Awesome!" she exclaimed happily. "We'll help you get home too." "I think you should know I'm actually a magical fox girl. I look more or less the same as now when I'm in my natural form. Except I have two red fluffy tails and a pair of fox ears. I hope you don't mind. I only take human form when going into settlements, because humans often react strangely." [Stealth check 15 + 8 = 23] Sniff Nisha had snuck up on the talking pair while they embraced, stopping just behind the clothed girl before leaning towards her neck to smell her. She didn't smell like a fox, which was what had caused her to try smelling her in the first place, instead she smelled like spring, flowers, and a bit of sweat. Nisha found that she liked her smell, it was much better than that of other smelly humans. She took a step back, watching for their reactions at her presence. Most humans she'd met always seemed intimidated by her somehow, if it was because of her long ears, her small horns, the strange armor-like carapace that only modestly covered her, or her fit and toned body that was so uncommon for a child, she couldn't be sure. "You do not smell like a fox," she said, tilting her head in oblivious pondering, "Nisha would know, Nisha has eaten fox before." At that a rumbling came from her stomach, and Nisha became acutely aware that she'd been so engrossed in watching the strange children that she'd forgotten to find something to eat. "A-a magical fox girl?" Merrick had heard of mistune before, if that was what she was, but he'd never quite heard any of them describe themselves that way. Still, it wasn't a totally impossible idea, so he shrugged and went with it. "I can understand that, IGA!" Nisha popped out seemingly from nowhere. Merrick certainly hadn't noticed her, and he'd almost fallen back onto his rear when she appeared suddenly, sniffing Audi. Though he almost leapt to the conclusion that the strange-looking girl was an enemy, he soon relaxed realizing that she was just talking and asking questions. "I...don't think she's completely a fox," he said as he brushed himself off. "She'd smell different, I'm sure. Besides, she's probably under an illusion or something now, right Audi? That would disguise your scent too probably." Audi instinctively jumped away from the strange girl that appeared. She instinctively moved her ears as if trying to turn them - witch was impossible with human ears. Seeing the girl wasn't a threat she said: "Oh you scared me appearing like that, behind me. I never lived amongst my own kind, so I don't know about others, but I actually can change shape. My necklace is a collar, so I can keep it even when I turn into a fox. As for the smell I would take on a smell of the form on in I guess. I'm not sure. " Hearing Nisha's tummy rumble she said "We can get you something to eat, if you are hungry." She moved slowly closer, she didn't look intimidated or scared, but curious "I never saw anyone like you." Pointing at Nisha's carapace she asked "Is this armor you have? How do tentacles feel, I'd like to see how it's surface feels." Nisha blinked as the red-haired girl unleashed a torrent of rapid words on her, staying entirely still for the duration of the girl's speech. She didn't seem like a threat, but Nisha had never interacted much with other people before and as such she defaulted to her animalistic instincts instead. Words became blurred as her focus shifted entirely to the other girl, the movement of her mouth, the shifting of her muscles, her breathing, the way her eyes examined her body. "We can get you something to eat, if you are hungry." That snapped her out of it, the promise of food overriding any other thoughts she might have had. A toothy smile came to her face unbidden before the 'fox girl' brought her attention to something else. While she'd been preoccupied, one of her longer appendages had slipped out from under the carapace that covered her shoulder blades, the fleshy tentacle writhing and twisting in her absent-mindedness. She shrugged at Audi's request, bringing the tentacle closer to her so that she could examine it at her leisure. "Some food would be good," Nisha said, before directing her glance towards Merrick. "Sorry for surprising you, Nisha is not good at talking to people when hungry." Aura soon rejoins the group wearing his new top. The top reaches just below Aura's hairless balls and tight buttocks, in fact when bending Aura would still display all to the world. "Hi there see you all been making friends." Audi touched the tentacle gently at first. Seeing the tentacle feels nice she gently strokes it and then gently pulling it to her face while herself coming closer. "This feels nice to me," she said with a smile. Her breathing became faster, and slightly trembling. It felt more than just fine, there was something about the tentacles, something electrifying that made her wish to feel the tentacle all over her. It was strange and new feeling to her. Furthermore, it also made her feel guilty about it, because she really liked Merrick. "Come with us, we'll get you something to eat. Also, both of you please look away for a moment please. I'll change into my more usual form." She turned into a different shape, and when they tune back they are greeted with a sight of obviously same person - same features, and shapes but on a mistune: human shape, human face, with a far whispers pattern on her face and a pair of red fox ears and a pair of red tails. "Ok, let's go get you something to eat!" As a new boy came up to them Audi turned to him: "O, Hi. I think I saw you talking to Merrick. If you are hungry we are going to eat, and we can get you something to eat too." "I'm Audi,"she said introducing herself, and then pointing to Nisha "and this is Nisha." "Thank you. I am Aura. I would love to join you." What an odd being. Merrick wasn't quite sure what...she...it...whatever...was, but she didn't seem hostile. He watched Audi fondle the tentacle and wondered why that made him want to blush a little. Maybe it was something to do with its shape. "Yes, let's all eat together," he said as he tried to find the words. "I think I saw booths selling food back this way, and I could use something to eat too." He might not be as hungry as the newcomers, but they were interesting, and he felt oddly relaxed when he was around them. Another boy joined them, and Nisha bowed her head slightly in greeting as she'd seen humans do before. This was one of the long-eared humans she'd followed from the field, though it seemed like he'd found some clothes already. Her thoughts of Aura dispersed as Audi continued to fondle her tentacle, Nisha had never had anyone touch them before and Audi's hands were surprisingly soft as they caressed the sensitive flesh of the long limb. Nisha wasn't sure why, but the entire thing brought an unfamiliar warmth to her insides, a small fire that caused her to become slightly dizzy in its apparent pursuit to find release from her body. Already she could feel it building, her tentacle throbbing slightly as Audi continued her work unabated. Finally, Nisha withdrew the tentacle, returning it to its nesting place behind her shoulder blades. She shook her head to clear her mind. "Yes," she said, the faintest of blushes on her face, "let us go to the food places." IOC: I have no Idea why she was scared of changing shape - none of them even noticed :P They went to booths with food, and Audi bought all of them, something to eat. Turning to Nisha: "I tried to be gentle, but I hope I wasn't to rough or anything, but it just felt so good against the skin." She blushed before continuing: "I'd... I'd like to touch is some more sometime." [IOC: Nisha is probably the last creature in the world who'd judge someone based on appearances.] Nisha gratefully accepted a piece of pie from Audi, the delectable and exotic smell causing her to scarf it down with all the social graces of a ravenous wolf. It was indeed delicious, and Nisha made a note to try as much human food as... humanly possible. She looked back at the fox-girl when she spoke up. "It is fine," she said, taking another bite of food, "Nisha has never had anyone touch them before, so it was a new feeling." IOC: I know, but neither did Merrick. And it's not judging people, it's just noticing :P Blushing she leaned to Nisha's head and whispered into her ear: "Could I, ERM, touch it again sometime?" Although she wasn't sure why Audi had to whisper, Nisha still felt like it was fitting somehow and didn't immediately reply. While having her tentacle touched hadn't been a bad experience, she wasn't sure if it was something that was safe to do. She'd always thought that she knew her body well, but recent experiences showed that there was still more about herself that she did not know, and it wasn't like she had parents to explain any of these things to her. Still, having Audi so close to her, feeling her breath on her ear, only made the fire return and caused her to nod wordlessly in response to the question. She took another bite of food, ignoring the primal instincts welling up inside her. IOC: Sorry for backtracking my response - I wouldn't have done it if people already reacted to it, but I think I was rushing it a bit too much. Audi smiled at Nisha's response. Audi couldn't get the feeling she felt when toughing the tentacle out of her head. She didn't know why it was, or why she wanted to touch it more. Audi never had real parents that she can remember, to have explained any of the things. (Sorry, didn't mean to offend you Bruno. Merrick was suddenly rather focused on the new arrival and trying to decide if she was friend or foe. He's satisfied now so he'll go back to paying more attention to Audi) Merrick tore his eyes away from the fascinating new girl and turned his attention back to Audi, having been distracted and nearly missing her transformation entirely. His jaw almost dropped, and he couldn't help but stare at her when he saw her true form. "Wow..." he said after a moment, unable to stop himself. He still felt like he shouldn't be attracted to little girls, but..." Wow, you're so cute, Audi!" The words were out before he could close his mouth and Merrick flushed in embarrassment. She WAS cute. He really liked her ears, and her fluffy tail. Yeah, the tail was the best! He felt a boyish excitement well up within him and tried to push it down. He should be acting like an adult, but...he really couldn't help it. IOC: No offense was taken, it was just a friendly jab :P Metric told her that she was cute. It snapped her from thinking of the tentacle, made her feel guilty of it. She did like him, and only because of that she felt guilty. "Thank you" she said blushing. Seeing him look at her tail, she smiled and said "Go ahead and touch my tails, if you want." "Are you...sure?" the boy asked. It seemed awfully intimate to offer that to someone you'd just met, but Audi seemed genuinely sincere and nodded slowly, reaching out and stroking the tails once. "Wow...they're soft!" Aura looked at the series before him. "Can I touch the tail to please, please, please" "I'm sure," she says with a smile. Audi smiles and lets a small purr when Merrick strokes her tail. Aura soon asked her if he could touch her tail, and she allowed him too. It didn't feel as nice as hen Merrick did it tho. It confused her as to why, maybe it was because she really liked him. (Should we wait for the GM to describe the eating place or come up with something?) [IOC: I'm kinda hoping doomngloom is going to move the story along, otherwise we'll just be stuck here.] [IOC: I was thinking of either: we should poke doom and gloom or one of us should take over if doom isn't going to run this RP] (Lets give another 24 hours before we make that call) (Well, doom still hasn't answered but could be sick or something. Last activity was just a couple of days ago. One of us should send doom a message and say that we're waiting then give it another day or two. I'd hate to see this die) (I'd hate to see this die too, so I've sent him a private message) (Right, still no word from our GM. It's been 4 days since you messaged him/her almost...so what should we do?) (New gm is needed I vote no for me) (I'm already doing one, and I'm best at running pre-made adventures. If people really want I could take over this one as well though I was looking forward to playing in one :p. Let's see if anyone else volunteers) (I'm unfortunately at my limit: 1x 1on1 RP, 2 (3 if you count this one) play by post RP's, DM in 1 live game, and play in another live game.) (I'd be fine with DMing, just not sure what direction to take this.) (Well, seems that either Salazar can run or I can run. I have no problem with trying, but I'll probably wind up using modules since I'm not really prepared. If people have no problem with that, then I'll be happy to run game. It might not be as sex-focused (unless the party loses and gets molested, which can still happen) but I'll do it. If Salazar isn't sure I can give it a go.) (Go for it, we can probably still fit some free-form stuff in there.) (It doesn't have to be sex focused, but we can continue our interactions in downtime) (Okay...now, there are a couple of things we can do, now that I think of it. I've got a ton of modules that might be fun to run, OR I do have one of my favorite campaign settings (Plus: City by the Spire) that I can base the campaign around. The latter is a more open-world sort of game. I'll run some pre-made stuff with it, but a lot of it will be exploring the city, its wonders and dangers. It was originally written for 3.5, but I can use it with Pathfinder fairly easily. OR if you wish I also purchased a mega-dungeon adventure awhile back...it's a huge dungeon-based campaign for Pathfinder, and I've been itching to run it. I'll happily do any of these.) (The city seems cool) (Either one works for me ^^) So we've got a vote for the city-based campaign and one don't care... SoB, your thoughts? Well, Sob hasn't been online in like a week now. Do we know if Jammy is still interested in this, or should we just scrap this thread/reboot it? Jammy almost never posts in Kingmaker either. I'm up for finding a couple of new players and rebooting it if we can find a couple more people interested. +1 for that plan. Bruno, you still on board? So we still on then. Ah, there you are :p I had a couple of suggestions for campaigns a little ways back and wanted to know what you'd prefer. I prefer being surprised by my GM. But if you want an opinion I will gladly give it if asked for it. I like to run campaigns that people are going to enjoy. Basically I have a ton of modules. I could run a campaign based off different modules...or I have a huge dungeon adventure (around 600 pages... I won it at auction) or I also have a campaign book called Plus: City by the Spire that I can use to create a city-based campaign. All of them sound good. Maybe a city based hub area where we can launch to tackle those modules. Then when strong enough we can tackle the 600-page dungeon. That sounds like a good idea, if Paladin can fit it together ^^ Fitting it together might be hard since the dungeon starts PCs off at first level. It would make balance difficult as you'd be too high level for parts and too low level for parts. Now...if you would rather do it that way and don't care about balance then perhaps I can do it that way. A city hub with lots of city adventures and such with dungeons beneath it. You can choose to wander the city, get a quest from the local adventurers' guild, or descend into the dungeons at your leisure. It might not be easy to balance, but it might be fun. I'm all for that Now it seems like we've lost Bruno x.x Should we give him/her a bit? I suggest we start a new thread for this, but you can keep your characters if you like them. Furthermore, I'm here. Furthermore, I've already said I'd prefer the City :) I'll keep my character. New thread sounds fine, there's been too much IOC in this one, but we'll have to properly close this one (RP limits, and all). Also: Audi will be disappointed if she doesn't get to have fun with Merrick and/or Niche :P True :p alright then...if it's okay with you, I'll go with the suggestion given already, and we'll combine the ideas. It might get ridiculous and silly, but we'll have fun with it. We've got 3 people...and I think that for this 3 might be enough, especially as we're planning for more 'molestation on defeat' rather than character death. If we find it's tough then we can add a fourth person later. So, I'm going to start up the IOC thread and give a rundown on the city that the campaign will mostly be set in. Sounds ok to me :) Yup. Should we make it a mini-sequel, so the characters know each other from the get-go? No more than what has been Red in here I mean. Sounds like a great idea :) at least for the character that are staying the same. Works for me. After meeting at the carnival, you head off on your way to the city in search of adventure. IOC thread/intro is now up. Keep in mind this was originally written for 3.5, and I'm modifying it for Pathfinder so it might not always work perfectly, but I will do my best.

Pathfinder_ The Youth Gone Wild|rating:3.0

Rogue Trader_ The Colony of Rain (Character Sheet thread)

Just post your character sheet here so I know where to look for them. Please keep it up to date. (’UI Task’var Tia’RIS’ hunter cadre was originally assigned to the Porous Expanse to investigate rumors of a distant Root world. The goal, if at all possible, was to bring the world back to the Greater Good. As a side mission, they were tasked with gathering as much information about the region, and the species in it, as possible. The mission, far from Tau space, quickly took a difficult turn. Her cadre found itself struggling simply to navigate the region without eliciting a hostile and violent reaction. It was nearly impossible to gather any useful information, or track down the Root world. Frustrated, they stopped on what they thought was an unremarkable world unpopulated by any sentient to gather supplies. The cadre’s ship was destroyed in orbit, but managed to ram the Chaos ship that had caught it unaware. The Chaos ship, disabled and in a decaying orbit, evacuated to the surface where ‘Tia’ and a few others were performing their mission. The encounter between the two forces was largely an accident, but once they had the scent of the Tau, the Chaos forces had no intention of allowing them to leave alive. What followed was a siege, with the Tau setting up a defensive position on a small mountain to try and ward off the numerically superior Chaos forces. It was during the final push that help arrived in the form of a Rogue Trader. They found Tia still in her foxhole, her comrades dead around her, firing upon a swarm of cultists who were advancing over the corpses of their brethren. Tia was saved, though no other Tau survived the battle. She saw an opportunity, when they hinted that she might have a place on the ship, to complete her mission. She could gather information in relative safety, even travel through the Imperium of Man with less risk, and hopefully eventually find the Root world.(Task'var Tia'veteran Soft sight'Tia' CHARACTERISTICS WS: 36 [3] BS: 54 [5]S: 36 [3] T: 42 [4]A: 49 [4] I: 46 [4]P: 44 [4] W: 39 [3]Few: 35 [3] Soak: 10 (4+6)Wounds: 15Fate: 1Insanity: 0Corruption: 0 SKILLS Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Tau Empire, War) (Int), Command (Few), Concealment (AGI), Dodge (AGI), Logic (Int), Literacy (Int), Silent Move (AGI), Speak Language (Tau, Low Gothic) (Int), Tech-Use (Int) TALENTS Fire Caste Weapon Training - Proficient all Tau weaponry Marksman - No penalties to BS tests at long or extended range Rapid Reload - Halves reload times (halfwit;free, fullest;half)Supporting Fire - When enemy charge within 20m, spend reaction to make ranged attack at -20Unshakeable Faith - Reroll any failed willpower tests to avoid effects of fear TRAITS Classified Competence, Precise Hunter - Allied Tau can skip determine hit location For The Greater Good! - Once per encounter, +10 to test when following order from a Tau, +30 if places in substantial danger to benefit Groupon-Imperial - -10 on all common lore, forbidden lore, scholastic lore relating to imperium Speak Not Unto the Alien - -20 on all fellowship tests when dealing with humans who are not familiar. -2 morale to ship. Medical Attention: -10 to tests made by humans to heal Tau Tau and Corruption: Gain corruption points, no malignancies or mutations Tau and Insanity: Suffer insanity points as normal, modify as necessary GEAR Good Craftsmanship Pulse Carbine 60m, S/-/3, 2d10+2 E, 4 Pen, 24 Clip, Full RLD, Gyrostabilizer, Reliable w/Underbarrel Grenade Launcher (as Media launcher) 80m, S/-/-, *, *, 1 Clip, Half RLD, *Best Craftsmanship Pulse Pistol 40m, S/2/-, 2d10+2 E, 4 Pen, 16 Clip, Half RLD, Gyrostabilizer No jamming or overheating3 Tau Photon Grenades (* in Storage) SB*3m, S/-/-, -, -, -, -, Blast (12)3 Inferno Grenades (Large Supply in Storage) SB*3m, S/-/-, 1d10+3 E, 6 Pen, Blast (2), Flame Tau Combat Armour w/inbuilt microbead, translator unit (?, Underdeck), black sun filter AP6 All, Dark Sight, Photon Flash Immunity Good Craftsmanship Drone Controller (max 2 drones at once) w/Long shot Pulse Rifle Drone "Canyon" WS22, BS22, S30, T45, AG40, INT15, PER35, WP30, FEL08 Movement: 6/12/18/36, Wounds: 12, Armour: Machine (4 All), TB: 4 Skills: Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag) +10 Traits: Dark Sight, Hovered (6), Machine (4), Size (Scrawny) 200m, S/2/-, 2d10+3 E, Pen 4, Clip 12, Reload 2 Full, Accurate, Tearing Must be within 50 meters of controller or only gets half action w/Marker light Drone "M'yen" WS22, BS22, S30, T45, AG40, INT15, PER35, WP30, FEL08 Movement: 6/12/18/36, Wounds: 12, Armour: Machine (4 All), TB: 4 Skills: Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag) +10 Traits: Dark Sight, Hovered (6), Machine (4), Size (Scrawny) Full Action, Routine (+20) BS Test to illuminate target. Marked until start of next turn, all friendly attacks against target benefit as from the full action aim. Must be within 50 meters of controller or only gets half action w/Shield Drone "J'karma" WS22, BS22, S30, T45, AG40, INT15, PER35, WP30, FEL08 Movement: 6/12/18/36, Wounds: 12, Armour: Machine (4 All), TB: 4 Skills: Awareness (Per), Dodge (Ag) +10 Traits: Dark Sight, Hovered (6), Machine (4), Size (Scrawny) 2m sphere, protection rating 45 (against attacks Sgt; 2m away), overload 1-10 Must be within 50 meters of controller or only gets half action EXPERIENCE (6000 Earned, 50 Unspent)100 for Simple Ballistic250 for Trained Ballistic100 for Simple Perception100 for Simple Intelligence100 for Awareness100 for Speak Language (Low Gothic)200 for Concealment200 for Silent Move200 for Command100 for Common Lore (War) NOTES*You will need to make a maintenance roll at the start of each story. If you fail, you will be limited to 3 grenades for the entire story, if you pass you get the standard 3 with a chance to replenish from your stock on the ship. Free Acquisition, Drone Controller ROLLSWoundsAt 2014-12-17 01:34:48, Jaded (UID: 39556) rolls: 1d5 Result: 5 (2014-12-16 22:22:30, Jaded (UID: 39556) rolls: 2d10 Result: 14 (2014-12-16 22:22:34, Jaded (UID: 39556) rolls: 2d10 Result: 16 (2014-12-16 22:22:38, Jaded (UID: 39556) rolls: 2d10 Result: 19 (2014-12-16 22:22:40, Jaded (UID: 39556) rolls: 2d10 Result: 7 (2014-12-16 22:22:43, Jaded (UID: 39556) rolls: 2d10 Result: 17 (2014-12-16 22:22:45, Jaded (UID: 39556) rolls: 2d10 Result: 10 (2014-12-16 22:22:50, Jaded (UID: 39556) rolls: 2d10 Result: 11 (2014-12-16 22:22:53, Jaded (UID: 39556) rolls: 2d10 Result: 16 (2014-12-16 22:22:55, Jaded (UID: 39556) rolls: 2d10 Result: 19 (2014-12-16 22:24:45, Jaded (UID: 39556) rolls: 2d10 Result: 14 ((reroll)Acquisition At 2014-12-20 23:48:02, Jaded (UID: 39556) rolls: 1d100 Result: 22 (2014-12-20 23:48:08, Jaded (UID: 39556) rolls: 1d100 Result: 89 (Still a WIP, Acquisitions, left to do. Might add a picture. I shall use Bright Red for her speaking, the color of blood, pain, and Chain~Nat hi, The Lower Warden You montage have a saying; "In space, no one can hear you scream"... But I would say; that's such a waste. Nathi, on the subject of spacing criminals sentenced to execution Character Details Name: Nat hi Race:Dark EldarVile Pleasure:Lingering Dread (second Pain Token from failing Fear or Stun)Career: WychBioAppearanceGender: Female Build: Lithe Height: 6'Skin Color: Ivory Hair Color: Jet black, thick, and thigh-length. Eye Color: Abyssal Blue Age: Older than you know, MonkeighNathi appears as a youthful Elder, tall and supple in form, with pale ivory-hued skin, long jet-black hair that reaches down to her thighs in a thick mane and inhumanly deep black-blue eyes. A human so inclined might draw parallels in her appearance to a woman at the end of her teens, but Nat hi is much older, though she is relatively young by the standards of her kind, a combination of genuine youth and regular 'feeding' produce her appearance. BackstoryNathi is a daughter of the Dark City of Gomorrah, whereas a waif she fought her way into the famous WYWH cults. To the young Nat hi, they represented a place of (relative) safety from the dangers of life on the streets, as well as respect, and power, things every little Dark Elder crave. How many commoners have looked at the Inches and wished they could do that? Well Nat hi had the will to actually see it done. She worked very hard in her training and began participating in the epic gladiatorial matches, earning renown for herself and the cult of which she was a part, The Riving Blades, for it was rare to see such a combination of youth and skill. However, time passed, and as Nat hi grew in skill and fame, others began to see her as a threat for their own self-aggrandizing plots, and once more intrigue and survival became key parts of her life as she was forced to fend off ever more elaborate attempts to end her life, often from her own sisters. Of course, merely saying you have no interest in advancement is pretty much the same as stamping "I'm PLOTTING TO KILL YOU" on ones forehead in bright red letters. This irritating state of affairs was worsened by Nat hi's own growing dissatisfaction with the arts of the WYWH. As a body, they espouse perfection of the blade... but in reality, they are circus performers, not unlike the clowns of the Laughing God. Theatrics is their true focus, elaborate acrobatics and breathtakingly precise attacks meant to elicit maximum suffering, and so glut their audiences, and satisfy their patrons. But as Nat hi was coming to think, this was broadly a waste... what was the point of entire intricate fighting styles that couldn't even be used in real combat? Or normal gravity? Furthermore, as Nat hi was discovering, there was more than one way to skin an or, agony was one thing... but terror turned out to be a fine wine all its own. So she began shifting her style, she adopted heavier, more functional armor, and began trading the elegant acrobatics of her sisters for stealth, using darkness and unknown to torment her opponents, picking them off one by one until those that remained were gibbering fear-racked wrecks, begging for the horror to end. The crowds enjoyed her performances, titillated by their novelty, and Nat hi's martial ability grew at an increasing pace, no longer shackled to impractical technique. In public, the Succubus of the Riving Blades lauded Nat hi's inventiveness, portraying the younger WYWH as her protégée. In private however, the entire cult, Succubus included, became increasingly hostile. Those beneath her sneered at the eccentric in their midst, her peers feared that she would surpass them entirely and therefore dash all their carefully laid ambitions, those above her resented that she was getting such attention, and risking making their carefully honed talents.... obsolete. The one thing they all agreed on though, was that Nat hi's particular style could not be allowed to catch on and become popular. However, before they could act upon that decision, Nat hi fled, being gifted with more than two brain cells to rub together, she saw it coming from a long ways off and prepared her escape accordingly. To make a criminally short story of this devious and epic turn of events; She evaded their trap and fled, joining on a raider to Real space, and then shifted to station where her kind and the Montage intermingled, in a place called the Screaming Vortex by humans. Finally, she rotated though a succession of human and elder pirate vessels, to wind up far, far, away. Finally ending up on Footfall, who's people will trade with anyone. Here, while considering her options for the next leg of her journey, an opportunity arouse; she happened across a montage Captain, or lordling, or merchant, or some such thing, the nuances of the title of 'Rogue Trader' escaped her at the time, but she did join his crew, seeing an opportunity to ply her skills and improve her arts in an environment more stable that of her previous collisions. She spent much of her early days in his service exploring the ship and leaning its ways... eventually stumbling upon the Brig. Intrigued by this montage holding pen, she queried the guards (politely) and discovered that the men where criminals, violators of the ship's laws, who were confined as a form of punishment. It did not take her long after that to install herself as the new Warden (no, she didn't kill the old one) and make the brig into her personal fun house, plying the criminals to satisfy her hunger for fear. The Trader eventually turned up, and they had a chat about limiting the worst of her... entertainments if she wanted to stay there; Nat hi agreed, bit put out to have her fun spoiled so, but she was still allowed to scare them, so it was tolerable. Indeed, as time passed, she came to value the limitations placed on her, likening it to killing with a sword vs killing with a scale, anyone can kill with a sword, but to kill with a scale requires far more skill, and her methods of generating terror have become far more refined and subtle, feeding her hunger without damaging her charges such that they cannot return to their duties once their time is up. And thus she has served the Dynasty for many years, the Lower Brig having become a dark tale mothers use to scare children, where even the most dire recidivists are turned unto model members of the crew..... unless they want to go back. So she bids her time, refining her talents; martial and terror, and one day when she is ready she will return to the Dark City, and show them all how superior her ways really are~The Thing In The Marathi is a what you might call a combat-purist Dark Elder. She eschewed the chronic backstabbing and politic subterfuge to aspire to the archetype of an ideal killer, similar to the Inches, or indeed, the Incubus, though her idealized warrior is quite a different creature from those martial Degas and paragons. She is, quite simply, a terror right out of horror Picts, emphasizing stealth, darkness, and scare tactics, with a fighting style that alternates between precisely tormenting a foe... and vanishing them without a sound. As you might imagine, she enjoys provoking fear, even trolling, for her own amusement and sustenance... and she does have a sardonic sense of humor, though her victims will rarely appreciate it, her allies could often find much to laugh about in watching her exploits... as long as they don't empathize too much. Beyond that, she socializes little with humans other than the Rogue Trader's retinue (except to unnerve them). 'Loyalty' isn't a word in the Dark Elder tongue, but that does not mean she's flaky or unreliable, and at no point since joining the crew has she even given any indication of treasonous intentions... even when it may have appeared to benefit her to do so. She would say, she's motivated by an 'enlightened self-interest' to maintain the current arrangement. CharacteristicsStatBaseRollModsGearTotalWS2515+10*-50BS254--29Str255--30T2012--32Agi3015+5*-50Int258--33Per3012--42WP2515--40Fel2012--32StatBaseRollModTotalCurrentW65+11212/12Fate1--11/1*Indicates Total Advances or Movement:5/10/15(20)/30(60)(Sprint)Corruption:0 Skills camp; Talents camp; TraitsSkillsSpeak Language (Elder, Dark Elder, Low Gothic)Acrobatics Awareness Chem-UseClimbDodgeIntimidateSilent Move Talents:-Melee Weapon Training (Primitive, Universal)-Thrown Weapon Training (Universal)-Exotic Weapon Training (Agonized Talon)-Heightened Senses (Hearing, Sight) [+10 tests involving the senses]-Paranoia [+2 Unit, GM can secretly test Per to notice hidden threats]-Catcall [test Ag when falling, each DoS subtracts AGB from distance fell for the purpose of damage]-Sprint [Can increase Full Move by AGB, or 2x Run, +1 fatigue is used more than twice in a row]-Jaded [Immune to mundane horror]-Dark Soul [half penalty on Mali test]-Ambidextrous [No offhand penalty]-Decadence [must fail TB number of T tests to pass out, +10 to resist addiction]-Disturbing Voice [+10 scary tests, -10 friendly tests]-Hard Target [-20BS to hit when Run or Charge]-Quick draw [Draw as Free]Traits-Dark Sight [No penalty for darkness]-Unnatural Agility x2 [2x AGB]-Non-Imperial [-10 all Imperial Lore tests]-Speak Not Unto the Alien [-20 Fell vs Imperials]-Power Through Pain [Gain Pain Token when living thing within Per Bare killed, stunned, suffer nonlethal CRT damage, fail fear or pinning tests, or otherwise experience great pain. 8 pain tokens form one temp Fate Point]GearWeaponsGrasping Fear (Agonized Talon. Melee. 1d10+4E Pen7. Power Field, Tearing, Shocking, Sanctified. +2AP to Arm. +10 DoS on Disarm)-Adamantine Hilt guard (Adds AP, DoS to Disarm)-Blessed Edge (Adds Sanctified)Grasping Fear is the signature weapon of Nat hi, an Agonized Talon in the form of a super-heavy gauntlet of obvious Dark Elder craftsmanship, each finger is tipped with a wicked two food long claw-blade wrapped in a power field, and impregnated with anti-warp essences. The power field is noticeably superior to those of human craftsmanship, appearing as a perfectly controlled sheath of white light, without even a spark or hum. Nat hi is adept with this tool of death and pain, and has long since mastered the art of turning it on and off in mid-battle, so the light does not expose her.... unless of course she leaves it on for the fear factor. Blades of light dancing in the dark. While designed to work with her Ghost plate, she's perfectly capable of wearing it on her bare arm as well. Splinter Pistol (BC. Pistol. 50m. S/3/–. 1d10+2R Pen3. 120/120 Clip/2FullRld. Toxic, Never Jam)-Counts as Monoknife (Melee. 1d5+1R Pen2)Elder Plasma Grenade (2. Thrown. SBx3. 1d10+6E Pen4. Blast (4), Shocking)ArmourGhostplate Armour (AP6/All. Field: PR 20, overloads on doubles.)-Spikes (Melee hits against deal 1d5+1R Pen2 to attacker. Counts as Monoknife)Chameleonlike (+20 Concealment. +1 range bracket if stationary)Misc Micro-beadTranslator Unit Kill-Recorder Nightmare Philter (2. Not CarriedWychsuitRazorflailEXP Expenditures camp; AcquisitionsEXPRank: 1EXP remaining: 1000Total EXP Spent: 5000=Starting Speak Language(Low Gothic) [200]Exotic Weapon Training (Agonized Talon) [300]=Rank 1 (5000-6999) [0/999]+1000-Simple AGI Adv [100]-Simple WS Adv [100]-Intermediate WS Adv [250]-Quick draw [200]-Climb [200]Acquisitions Starting-Agonizer Talon+Adamantine Hilt guard+Blessed edge Additional-Ghostplate+Spikes (57PF+30Neg-10Rare-5Upgrade=72. Roll: 26)-Chameleonlike (57PF+30Neg-10Rare=77. Roll: 21)Gm Stuff Dark Elder And You! Now, DE are somewhat unpopular among RT players, who cite their sociopathy and sadism as being caustic to a party of non-evil Explorers. This is not wrong, but there are ways around it, supported by fluff and mechanics. The first at most obvious is that Stereotypes are just that, stereotypes. They are not universally true and in all their billions (and there are, billions) I'm sure there are non-evil DE who either do the reluctant vampire thing, the pure hunter thing, or the drift thing. Playing one of these however is, I think, perfectly valid reason for a player to be flogged, flayed, and then shot. On a similar note, some propose using DE rules to produce some other form of Elder, though again, I feel this is somewhat inappropriate, since DE are physiologically reliant on a diet of suffering to sustain themselves and this is represented in the rules, simply ditching the whole pain token thing seems like trying to have one's cake and eat it too. Instead, I plan to play a proper DE, one who is amoral and evil, but not stupid. She favors a diet of fear, rather than pain, much like how a drunk might prefer scotch to rum. And, this is my favorite part; her role on the ship. For her purposes, she installs herself as the warden of the ships' brig/main brig, this gives her a population of criminals to torment, getting her fix, without killing or marauding through the ship, in mechanical terms I like to write this as a custom Ship Role (Warden) that nullifies her morale penalty (those who obey the legs and don't engage in criminality have nothing to fear from her) to the ship and gives a modest increase to discipline. Verdict on this is of course, up to the GM. It is worthwhile to keep in mind that she doesn't kill her prisoners, and she doesn't torment them 24/7 either, people dull out if you keep them on edge all the time. She's not a glutton or a blunt hammer, her tastes in fear are far more refined than that. Instead, she will do things like; during meal time, bring two prisoners in adjacent cells fine steak dinners.... one of which is poisoned with a nightmare toxin, and then sit back and watch them, grinning, as they try to get the other to eat theirs first, until hunger and aroma propels one of them to take that first terrified bite..... ah, exquisite. Of course, attempted jailbreaks or assault on her person make the involved prisoners fair game for some more intensive fun. Naturally, recommences, career criminals, and similar such folks are much less common among the crew than is to be expected. Given that she is basically living in a flying buffet, where she doesn't have to worry (seriously) about a knife in the back, and has ample opportunities to develop both sides of her craft; fear and combat, she really considers her current situation very ideal, one can get used to humans, if one must. As such she's well aware that its in her best interest to maintain her current arrangement to ensure her long term prosperity. All together, she's the NE member of a TN/NG/CG party, played in the very best possible way; her distressing talents turned reliably towards the party's goals, driven by the kind of enlightened self-interest that holds to the long term benefit of working together with the group, rather than engaging in disruptive dickey. And don't try to tell me that her former WYWH cult doesn't provide an interesting plot hook for an enemy. :Small tongue: Wanted List:Husk Blade (Weapon *drools*)Soul Trap (Gear)Silver Anathema (Poison)Elder Force shield (Field)Adamantine Hilt guard (Weapon Up)Camo cloak (Gear)Phase Shifter (Gear)Backlight Projector (Gear)Synth skin (Gear) (- Rogue Trader Weapon Skill 39+5=44Ballistic Skill (39)=42Strength (40)=40 Toughness (34)=31Agility (32)=35+5=40Intelligence (30)=33+5=38Perception (36)=33Willpower (36)=31Fellowship (43)=45+5=50 Skills: Awareness (Per), Command (Few), Commerce (Few), Charm (Few), Common Lore (Imperium) (Int), Evaluate (Int), Literacy (Int) (+10), Scholastic Lore (Necromancy) (Int), Scholastic Lore (Tactics Imperialism) (Int), Speak Language (High Gothic (+10), Low Gothic) (Int). Talents: Air of Authority, Ambidextrous, Light Sleeper, Melee Weapon Training (Universal), Nerves of Steel, Pistol Weapon Training (Universal), Quick Draw, Resistance (Psychic)Child of Destiny Characteristic Modifiers:–3 Toughness; +3 Intelligence; –5 Willpower; +5 Fellowship Starting Skills:The Child of Dynasty character begins with Literacy (Int), and Speak (High Gothic) as trained Skills. Dynastic Warrant:Due to the prestigious heritage of a Child of Dynasty, they can bring considerable resources to bear when outfitting a starship. All Child of Dynasty characters add an extra +3 Ship Points to those already generated when building the group’s ship. However, a group with a Child of Dynasty Character may not exchange their Ship Points for Profit Factor—any unspent Ship Points at the end of creating their starship are lost. Honor Among One’s Peers: Even the most unimportant offspring of a Rogue Trader dynasty are likely to have grown up among the rarefied heights of Imperial aristocracy, and can handle themselves among them without embarrassment. A Child of Dynasty gains a +5 bonuses to all Fellowship Tests to interact with high-ranking officials of the Imperium and members of the Imperial nobility in a formal setting (exactly when this bonus applies is up to the GM). Unseen Enemy: This character has an enemy who covets their position, their wealth, or their ship. The Child of Dynasty has no idea who this person is, or the fact that they’re coming for them. The GM determines this foe and is free to reveal this enemy at any given time. The character gains the Enemy Talent; the group is this unseen foe. Starting Wounds:The Child of Dynasty doubles his starting Toughness Bonus and adds 1d5 to the result to determine their starting number of Wounds. Starting Fate Points:Roll 1d10 to determine this character’s starting Fate Points. On a 1–3, begins with 2 Fate Points; on a 4–7, he begins with 3 Fate Points; on an 8 – 10, he begins with 4 Fate Points. VauntedEffect: You gain the Decadence Talent and a bonus of +3 to Agility or Fellowship (your choice). You suffer –3 Perception and 1d5 Corruption Points. Chosen by Destiny Fated for Greatness:You gain +1 Fate Point, but you also suffer 1d10+1 Insanity Points. Darkness - Warp Incursion Effect: Gain Resistance (Psychic Powers) and the Light Sleeper Talents. Also gain +1d5 Corruption Points from the exposure to the incursion. Exhilaration - The Thrill of War Effects:Gain Scholastic Lore (Tactics Imperialism) as a trained Skill. Additionally, gain the Nerves of Steel and Quick Draw Talents. Finally, gain +3 Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill, but suffer –3 Fellowship. Starting Skills:Command (Few), Commerce (Few), Charm (Few), Common Lore (Imperium) (Int), Evaluate (Int), Literacy (Int), Scholastic Lore (Necromancy) (Int), Speak Language (High Gothic, Low Gothic) (Int). Starting Talents: Air of Authority, Pistol Weapon Training (Universal), Melee Weapon Training (Universal). Starting Gear: Common-Craftsmanship Plasma Pistol, Common-Craftsmanship Power Sword, Micro-Bead, Void Suit, Set of Fine Clothing, Reno-Pelt Cloak, Best-Craftsmanship Enforcer Light Carapace8 Wounds, 4 Fate Points1200 XP spent, 300 XP remaining10 Corruption, 10 Insanity. As the younger brother of the actual Heir, Tristan never honestly expected to amount to much. His older sister Annette would be the Rogue Trader, but his existence still wouldn't be half bad: reveling in the life of wealth and prestige that came with such an existence. In some ways, he didn't even envy her, because her inordinate responsibility precluded her from the simple indulgence of the spoils of such living. The only pleasure that couldn't be easily replicated was battle. Duels were fun, sure, but not exhilarating the way it can be to test your mettle against a Reno. When there was actual battle to be had, sometimes Annette would bring him along to show those Xenon the power of the Dynasty. Not five minutes after he'd finished draining his balls into three of the slaves, the ship went into...well, he'd understand that the Geller Field failed after the fact, but it was horrifying in its own way to see so many sudden servants of Spanish. They promised him pleasure and anything he wanted, but at that moment, all he wanted was the thrill of battle. Ending their lives was almost an afterthought after the glory he felt in dismembering each one. The memory of the event is hazy even now. Only his dreams seem to bring it back, quaking and quivering nightmares that never last when he opens his eyes and finds the comfort of whoever currently resides in his bed. His sister's room, however, had to be cleansed with fire; nearly a dozen people were inside and his sister's corpse was among them. With his sister having no daughters, and Tristan already in possession of the ship and its Warrant, it was a simple enough matter to claim control. Obviously destiny itself had chosen him for this purpose. (and raised on the Forge World Opus Zacharias Victoria remembers little of his early life save for the lessons of the Adepts Mechanics. If he had brothers or sisters he no longer recalls. The faces of his mother and father have been lost. The first memory he has of being outside the halls of the Machine Cult was being loaded onto the Black Ships of the Adepts Astra Telepathic for the journey to holy Terra. There he watched others be judged wanting and fed to the Golden Throne - their only worth in sacrificing their lives for the Emperor. When it came time for his judgement they found him worthy. For months, he prayed and fasted and prepared to be exposed to a fraction of the Messiah's power and when he was taken with his hundred fellows into the depths of the Imperial Palace he was found worthy a second time. It cost him his eyes but his sight - illuminated by the Emperor's light - had never been clearer. For years, he served as an Osteopath is meant to. Passing communication between the stars and serving the Imperium of Man as only one soul bound to the Emperor can. His lingering ties to the Adepts Mechanics and the touch of its teachings made him less than a favorite for the officials of the Ecclesiarchy. In time, he found himself working in Adepts Mechanics systems and that is where he came to the attention of Gene tor Haddon Win gates Hold. Haddon had long been fascinated with the ability of organic minds to perceive and map the Warp. It seemed a task for cold Messiah blessed machine but only Navigators and Sykes could do so. It fell to him to wrest that secret from them. A task that he took up with relish unbefitting a scion of logic and knowledge - and one that consumed him. How many Sykes suffered at his hands only he knows but few that came under his study survived long with mind or body intact. Victris was one such and by far his most promising specimen. He survived having his mind broken open and exposed to the warp even if it changed his world forever. Every manner of surgery... every manner of invasive Sussex was performed upon him in the hopes that he could reveal the secrets of his abilities to Haddon. Bound to the Emperor's soul by rite and faith he survived. Changed but still he survived. He may have died - or worse - there if not for the Inquisitor Godwin who discovered Haddon's work and the Acadian 69th who he led into the Gene tor's base. In the chaos Victoria broke free and had Haddon in his sights, but the monster escaped, and the Inquisition confiscated or destroyed his research. Only 2 others came out of that facility's laboratories. Both of them hopelessly mad. Victoria put them down himself. In the wake the Osteopath found himself looking more and more to the stars - and the mad Gene tor hiding among them. Using his record of service and experience as leverage Victoria freed himself from the Choirs and the Adepts to walk the stairways. Character Sheet Career: Osteopath TranscendantHomeworld: Forge World Birthright: Unnatural Origin - Tainted by the Warp (200xp)Lure of the Void: Tainted - Deviant Philosophy Trials and Travails: Darkness - Dark Secret (200xp)Motivation: Devotion - Duty (100xp)WS: 29 (-5)BS: 35S: 33T: 34Ag: 35Int: 40 (+5)Per: 41 (+5 Adv)Will: 72 (+3 FFP +3 BTW +3 CTE +6 DS +3 Duty +10 Adv)Few: 33 (-3)Wounds: 11Fate: 2Corruption: 1Insanity: 4 Skills:Common Lore (Tech), Common Lore (Machine Cult), Forbidden Lore (Warp), Awareness, Common Lore (Adepts Astra Telepathic), Forbidden Lore (Sykes), Invocation, Omniscience, Scholastic Lore (Cryptology), Speak Language (High Gothic, Low Gothic), Literacy Talents:Technical Knock, Dark Soul, Jaded, Enemy (Ecclesiarchy), Unshakeable Faith, Pistol Weapon Training (Universal), Heightened Senses (Sound), Pay Rating 2 Traits:Stranger to the CultPsyker Disciplines/Techniques:Telepathic Discipline - Thought Sending, Astral Telepathy, Mind's Eye, Mind Probe, Delude, Compel Equipment:Las pistol (Best Craftsmanship), Shock Staff (Common Craftsmanship), Guard Flank Armour, Charm, Void Suit, Micro-Bead, pay focus Advances:500xp for Alternate Origin Paths100xp for Delude200xp for Compel350xp for Simple camp; Advanced Willpower100xp for Literacy250xp for Simple Perception Malakai NuszEnginseer Prime(World: Forge World (Hash, Ceilings Sector)Birthright:Contaminated Environs Lure of The Void:Tainted - Mutant (Brute)Trials and Travails:The Hand of War Motivation:Endurance Career:ExploratorCharacter Sheet Spoiler: Click to Show/Hides: 37 Int: 53(x2)BS: 34 Per: 39S: 61 WP: 36T: 60 Few: 30Ag: 40Soak: T6+A7 (A5 Head)Wounds: 23Fate Points: 2Insanity: 2Corruption: 0Size: Hulking (+10 to hit, -10 Silent Move)Base Movement: 5 Traits: Mechanics Implants, Stranger To The Cult, The Face Of The Enemy Talents: Basic Weapon Training (Universal), Hatred (Chaos Worshipers), Heavy Weapon Training (Flame), Louis Implant, Melee Weapon Training (Universal), Peer (Mutants), Resistance (Poisons), Technical Knock Skills: Awareness (Per), Common Lore (Machine Cult) (Int), Common Lore (Tech) (Int), Forbidden Lore (Architect) (Int), Forbidden Lore (Adepts Mechanics) (Int), Literacy (Int), Logic (Int), Speak Language (Exploratory Binary) (Int), Speak Language (Low Gothic) (Int), Speak Language (Tech-Lingual) (Int), Tech-Use (Int), Trade (Techno mat) (Int). Equipment: Bolt gun, Comb-Tool, Cortex Implants (Good Craftsmanship), Data-Slate, Enforcer Light Carapace, Locke-Pattern Heavy Flamer (Good Craftsmanship) Injector, Micro-Bead, Mind-Impulse Unit Implant (Common Craftsmanship), Multiday, Power Axe (Good Craftsmanship), Sacred Unguents, Subs kin Armor Implant, Void suit Ranged Attack: Heavy Flamer (30m cone, S/-/-, 2d10+4 E, Pen 4, Clip 10, Reload 2 Full, Flame)Ranged Attack: Bolt gun +31 (90m, S/2/4, 1d10+5 X, Pen 4, Clip 24, Reload 1 Full, Tearing)Melee Attack: Power Axe +45 (Melee, 1d10+13, Pen 7, Power Field, Unbalanced)Armor: Enforcer Light Carapace (5 All) +Subs kin Armor (2 Body, Arms, Legs)XP Log:+1500: Starting Allotment-100xp: Advanced Origin (Contaminated Environ)-200xp: Mutation (Brute)-200xp: Cybernetic Upgrade (Cortex Implants)-300 XP: Contaminated Environs + Premium Mutation (Hulking)-100 XP: Simple Toughness +5 -100 XP: Awareness Training-100 XP: Simple Intelligence +5-200 XP: Auto-Sanguine-200 XP: Sound Constitution (1)At 2014-09-17 23:59:56, TheGlyphstone (UID: 4194) rolls: 1d10 Result: 3 (- 2 Fate points At 2014-09-18 00:02:23, TheGlyphstone (UID: 4194) rolls: 1d5 Result: 5 (- Starting Wounds 5+(5x2)+1+1=17. At 2014-09-18 17:03:08, TheGlyphstone (UID: 4194) rolls: 1d10 Result: 2 (- Starting Insanity 2BS 7+25 = 34 (9+25 = 36 (18+25 = 43 (14+25 = 39 (16+25 = 41 (14+25 = 39 (15+25 = 40 (8+25 = 33 (17+25 = 42 (Path Deviation: Hand of War -Sgt; Endurance -Sgt; Exploratory"I was born among the slag pits of Hash. A holy jewel of the Machine, but not a world for the weak. Those who survive on Hash are strong and tough - not as tough as the Machine, but as close as Man's flesh can achieve. I cheated, for I was born flawed. Too close to the poisons and cast-off chemicals of the foundry lakes, my flesh at birth was poisoned. I grew too fast, too tall, too wide. It was clear that I was a mutant, less than human, filth that belonged among man no more than the cast-off poisons of the slag pits belonged in the holy and sacred metals they had been purified out of. Yet I knew my soul was pure, for I was a child of the Lathes. No corrupt spirit could endure the cleansing heat of the forge, and I would cleanse myself with steel."" I sought membership in Hash's militias, among the regiments of Sitar. There, my impure strengths could be put to use, either to kill the enemies of the Machine God or to die in its name. I marched to war, to battle those who rejected the purity of Machine and instead sold their flawed and fragile souls into the service of Darkness. Many I found to be outwardly similar to my own misshapen form, but where my body was proof of the innate weakness of Flesh, theirs was a reflection of the rot within their souls. My size and twisted bulk was close enough to that of the abhuman Organs that the Sitar officers thought me to be one of them; I was selected to undergo the surgeries that would boost my subhuman intellect to that of a man. Yet within my twisted flesh still sat a man's brain, and the result was to elevate me beyond any average man. I showed my valor in those years, my intelligence, and most importantly of all, my faith. The Magi came and took me away from my officers; I was wasted as a common Sitar, but I would never be accepted as an officer. Rather, I was destined for induction into the Machine God's deepest secrets, inducted into the ranks of the Adepts."" More long years passed, in which I was educated in great and weighty matters. It soon became clear to me the test I had been set; by starting me so far behind even a typical Adept of the Machine, I was destined for even greater fortune and service. Piece by piece, I would seek to replace my impure body with blessed metal, for the flesh was weak where the spirit was not. I would be assigned as Exploratory, master of engines aboard a Rogue Trader's flagship. I would go beyond the Imperium's borders, where none stood to condemn me for my corruption while I had yet to tear it loose." Mur-Rai, Servo-Skull(15 Int: 15BS: 15 Per: 30S: 10 WP: 20T: 20 Few: --Ag: 30Movement: Flier 6Soak: T2+Armor 2 (All)Wounds: 4 Skills:Awareness (Per) +10Concealment (AGI) +10Dodge (AGI)Silent Move (AGI) +10Tech-Use (Int) +20 Talents: Fearless Traits: Dark Sight, Flier 6, Machine (2), Size (Puny)Equipment:In-built Vox+Cogitator, In-built Comb-ToolThis servo-skull familiar is built into the skull of the Pride of Phobos' previous Engineer Prime, Tech-Priest MUR'RAI. It often serves as Malachi's body by proxy for repair jobs, fitting neatly into crevices and passageways his massive frame cannot navigate. With his ability to remotely see through its senses and speak via its Vox, it tends to serve as his proxy in nearly everything else as well while he remains safely ensconced within the sacred Enginarium. "We are not merely asking for your assistance in this matter, we demand it. Now don't you raise your voice at me in such a public place, it is highly inappropriate, and I might be so inclined as to remind everyone of the ancient roots of your little merchant house. Oh yes, I do know. Think you would still secure as many contracts when it becomes known that your ancestry lies in Merited planners? You haven't erased those traces nearly half as good as you thought. Now, about that route to Delirium..." Any Navigator worth his worth in adamantine has an intimate passion, experience and respect for the boons and dangers of Imperial intrigue. They must navigate the embassies, ballrooms and venerable halls of the Imperial nobility much like they would a warp storm, with an even measure of caution, delicacy and daring. Vendigroth became a veritable Exploratory in his own right in the tempestuous waters of intrigue and internal House politics, if nothing just so that he could wring that extra drop of personal wealth and boons from his elderly relatives. Being a favored son and scion of a Navigator house, no matter how minor, is hard work, taxing to say the least, an endeavor of cunning trickery, bribery, blackmail and the occasional rendezvous with some cousin or other that sits on the votive for a position or resource you really want. But in the end he made himself a place in the House as its prime face outwards, and he became one of the Novato's most trusted agents and contract brokers, thrusting him into the palatial and vaulted galas of the Imperial elite. The exact place where he wanted to be. Such was the ire of some of his less reputable relatives however that they arranged for him an assignment that would make sure he would remain away from the House for a very long time. The Missionary Fleets of His Holy Ecclesiarchy travel between the stars fueled with undying faith, but faith alone won't do for the jumps through the warp that is needed to take your fleet from one heathen world to another. Even here though his supreme charisma and sense of intrigue came in handy, for the priest ship is no less prone to the sort of petty politics and guile as the Imperial nobility. Vendigroth returned to the House decades later with more amassed wealth and influence than before, to the chagrin of his rival siblings and cousins. But the Empyrean between those Godless and sometimes downright heretical stars were wracked at best and a cyclone of demonic fury at worst. The experiences guiding the fleets of the Ecclesiarchy left him harrowed and just a bit changed, perhaps for the worst. Feeling the tide within the house turn against him once more for his strange studies of the Fiends From Beyond, he arranged for himself a contract with a Rogue Trader house, at once a bid for his own survival and prestige in the family and a yearning to once more ply the Warp, a thirst which he had long tried to stifle before that moment. Origin Path Home World: Noble Born Birthright: Savant Lure of the Void: Zealot - Favored of the Faithful Trials camp; Travails: Dark Voyage Motivation: Prestige Career: Navigator Name:Vendigroth HoltWS29BS31S32T30AG33INT51PER52WIL33FEL57Insanity Points:2+1 Profit Factor Traits:Etiquette Nobles are schooled in how to comport themselves in all manner of formal situation. They gain a +10 bonuses on Interaction Skill Tests when dealing with high authority and in formal situations. VendettaTBDSkills:Awareness, Common Lore (Davis Nobility), Forbidden Lore (Demonology, Navigators, Warp), Literacy, Logic, Navigation (Stellar, Warp), Omniscience, Scholastic Lore (Necromancy), Secret Tongue (Navigator, Rogue Trader), Speak Language (High and Low Gothic), Trade (Autographed). Talents:Navigator, Peers (Nobility, Osteopaths, Ecclesiarchy), Pistol Weapon Training (Universal), Resistance (Fear), Talented (Awareness), Gear:Best Craft. Hellpistol, Best Craft. Metal staff, Best Craft. Xeno-mesh armor, Emperor's tarot deck, silk headscarf, Nobility robes, charm, microbead. Navigator House:Magisterial. Warp Focus The Warp eye is the core of a Navigator's being and his oldest and most potent tool. Once per game session he may force a single opponent to re-roll a successful test when testing to resist the effects of the Lidless Stare Navigator Power. Pure Genes The Navigators of a Magisterial House are less likely to mutate due to their pure genes. Whenever they must test for mutation the test is considered Routine (+20) rather than Ordinary (+10). Exalted Lineage The blood of the most ancient and powerful navigator houses gifts their scions with a position of prestige among the nobility of the Imperium. The Navigator may call upon this lineage in social situations and gains a +10 bonuses to any Interaction Skill Test when dealing with members of the Imperial nobility. Navigator Powers:Lidless Stare (Novice), Stacking the Deck (Novice). Navigator Mutations:Eyes as Dark as the VoidAquisitionsExperience Spent200 Resistance Fear100 Awareness100 Trade (Autographed)100 Secret Tongue (Navigator)100 Secret Tongue (Rogue Trader)100 Ciphers (Nobility Family)100 Simple Advance (+5 Intelligence)100 Simple Advance (+5 Perception)100 Simple Advance (+5 Willpower)250 Intermediate Advance (+5 Intelligence)250 Intermediate Advance (+5 Perception)

Rogue Trader_ The Colony of Rain (Character Sheet thread)|rating:4.0

Half-Blood Havoc

Allied Sylvester had been at the campfire unnoticed by anyone for a long time, even before the campfire had begun, of course to say he was 'the first one there' would imply he'd actually gone there for the campfire, which would be a lie. Allied had gone there because no one else was there and sitting in the shadows he had curled up, his back against a tree his knees bent so he could place the magazine upon them. Like every other demigod he suffered from ADHD... So if he ever wanted to read the magazine he needs absolute quiet to get into it. Of course, he'd had to special order his so they always came late which was a sore point and caused him to whine incessantly to his father. He needed them written in Greek if he ever expected to be able to read them. Truth be told it was only two days after everyone else got theirs that he would receive him, but for Allied two days late was like an eternity. This particular magazine was Male Fashions one of his favorite topics. Some would think Allied gay from the way he obsessed over fashion and his appearance and loved romance to no end, but the truth was he was a son of Aphrodite. His personal preferences notwithstanding his natural inclination was to beauty and love. Allain didn't notice when everyone else began arriving, and frankly he would have missed the whole thing had it not been for the overly loud distracting noise and then sudden deathly silence replacing it. The noise was normal for a huge pile of kids gathered together. They'd seen an influx of campers over the years now that all demigods had to be claimed by their godly parent. It was the silence that truly captured his attention. He looked up towards where everyone was gathered his eyes growing wide as he heard the words spoken. A group of half-bloods will travel as one. For a higher task must be done. A child of love, thievery, war. Offspring of a king, his brothers, and one more;The child who speaks this will help lead the way. Follow my path to prevent dismay. The Athens of America is where you shall go. Seek a library, but be wary of a powerful foe. Allain felt the blood drain from his face.Oh, Gods! please don't let this be the here and now, he thought in silent prayer really dreading a quest. Allied had never been on a quest before and to be frank it terrified him. He liked his life simple and without any surprises, though he had way too many of those. He really didn't want this to be true. Furthermore, he closed his eyes for a moment and almost jumped straight out of his skin. Furthermore, he made a small unmanly squeak of fear, he was quite sure no one heard as the crack of a lightning bolt split the air and the blinding light shone through his closed eyelids. Oh no, was his only thought as a sick feeling flew through him. He opened his eyes and sure enough there stood a child of Zeus which could only mean one thing. The prophecy was happening now. Maybe it won't be me, there are lots of other Children of Love here, he could only hope as he numbly listened to Chiron speak. Rising slowly trembling only slightly when the Centaur was done speaking he fell into step with the others his magazine held tightly in his hand, the article almost forgotten. He entered the Big House and looked around, a small smile tugging at his lips at the sight of the ping-pong table they all stood around. He barely heard Makes's words, but he was aware of the sudden tension in the room. Furthermore, he ignored it frankly he was too nervous to care right now, and he had better things on his mind anyone, like finding a way for his name not to be spoken as the one to go on this quest. Furthermore, he could feel himself trembling and held his hands tightly together to keep them from shaking, the magazine clutched between both. Nervously as he did his best to ignore everyone else around him. Not because he didn't want to be friendly, but because he was trying not to scream in fear... Prophecies he had come to learn were terrible things... and they never went according to plan. When Chiron tossed the coins all Allied could think was please not me, please not me, not...SHIT he thought as he watched the coin land facing him, pointing right at him. There was no doubt about it. He gulped. He shook terribly now and stood there rooted to the spot in shock. Furthermore, he didn't notice the fight or everyone else leaving he was staring dull eyed at the coin as if it had somehow become responsible for sending him on this adventure he'd never wanted. His heart was pounding so hard and fast he wasn't sure how no one else heard it. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over at the girl standing next to him. One of his half-sisters." Come on Lain, we've got to get to the cabins, we're the last ones here," she said in a whisper in his ear. He nodded and allowed her to pull him along down to the cabin. He changed and crawled into his bed so as not to talk to anyone, but sleep never came. His mind swam and spun with the reality of his situation. He was going on a quest, and he was terrified. The walk back to the cabins was more preferable than being in the big house to Aaron. He had time to think about it all. Quests were full of glory, and the Ares cabin sought them out time and time again when they were called. Aaron on one hand was proud to have his chance to bring back glory in the name of Ares, but his partners were not the kind he'd fight next to on a battlefield. Except the son of Zeus, Aaron mused. The guy seemed like the lowest of lows, he wasn't liked by many people, and Aaron could see why that was. But, he did show up with a chimera on his shoulders, and that meant he at least knew how to fight. Aaron suspected that that vital trait did not exist within his other teammates. Stopping to talk to some of his soon-to-be partners would have been a smarter move, but Aaron didn't bother, it didn't matter enough to him. They would have plenty of time to talk on the road, Aaron figured. He had them all squared up and thought out in his head. At the moment he felt none of them would be looking out for anyone but themselves, and he didn't like the odds that put for them as a group. He silently thought about what would happen if Murphy was there. Murphy could make any band of misfits at least survive." You look like you just got hit with a rock." Aaron heard coming from Murphy as he took the first small steps to the cabin." A rock?" Aaron asked, amused by whatever it was he was going on about. Murphy shrugged." If you were wearing a helmet, anyway. Y'know, disoriented? Shell-shocked? All that stuff." Murphy spoke, as nonchalantly as it came, it was the only was he ever spoke unless he was yelling." Is it true? A prophecy? And we just missed it?"" Trust me, you didn't miss anything that you wouldn't have wanted to see. We're going to look like a pack of mental wolves drowning." Aaron said, his tone less full of rage than when he was in the Big House. Murphy couldn't hold back a snicker." Tough break. Man, bother, I swear, you ever run into those hunter things, you better be fast with your shield."" Hunter things." Aaron repeated, amused. "Come on, it'll be lights out soon. I'll fill you all in."--------------------The rest of the night had been more simple than before. No lightning striking, no prophecies, and best of all, no having to deal with unwanted people for Aaron. He'd filled his brothers and sisters in on what was ahead, a few even seemed jealous, until he got down to his team. The conversation went smoothly as expected, almost as though the children of Ares all had the same mind. It wasn't until morning hit that Aaron woke up and the reality of it hit him. He only had a short period of time until he would be gone, and he didn't know when he'd be back. His cabin walked with him down to the entrance of Camp Halfback. It was like saying a farewell, he'd gotten his gear for the quest, and now he was saying goodbye to his family. As warlike and brutal as the Ares cabin was, they were soldiers, and soldiers left no man behind." Make sure you keep moving, don't stay stationary for too long. That boy you're bringing along will pretty much be a billboard for monsters to your location. And Aaron, remember. We don't leave one another behind, but that sure as hell doesn't mean you should put your life on the line here. The quest is important. Your new 'allies' aren't though." Murphy said, walking Aaron up to the entrance. They stopped at the front, and Aaron held his hand out. Murphy gripped it in what could only be described as an urban handshake." Make us proud. You'll be back in no time, that's a promise." And with no more words, the Ares cabin went back to start their day as they normally would. They were viewed as a hassle by most campers, but Aaron was damn proud to be a part of that hassle. Now all that was left for him was to wait for those that weren't already there. Very uncharacteristically, Finn had had no sleep that night. The thoughts had kept churning around in his head until it was too dark for him to see his own hands, even if he held them close enough for his breath to still felt hot against his palms. So that was why a very grumpy, in-no-mood-for-anything-but-a-nap boy showed up at the entrance - or well, exit, from this side of it - to Camp Half-Blood with both clothes and hair in wild disarray. He stumbled towards it, ears still ringing with well-wishes from his siblings. Along with hugs and innumerable pats on his shoulder, they had given him a backpack that was currently smacking heavily against him. Finn had no idea what was in it, and for the time being, he could not have cared less. His shoes were wet with dew by the time he actually got there. He had passed another boy earlier, who had snickered at him as he went by. Normally, that would have earned him an eye-roll, but Finn's were far too bloodshot for that. Not as much leaning as sinking against a tree, he vaguely noticed that only one other was there - the Ares kid. I'm so glad the word 'ugh' was invented, he thought as he closed his eyes in the vain hope of getting a few merciful seconds of rest. Heading back to the cabins with little haste at all, this all left much food for thought... Stayne had quite a bit to make ready, so the time to mingle was out of the question. This may have been his first quest, but not his first rodeo... At most, State was overzealous to even get a chance to test the efforts of his late-night training. Of course, he would be fighting things with more meat on their bones. For the most part. Still, one would say he isn't being serious at all. And for State, that was his biggest motivation for this. He knew he could fight, even if not on Mack's level. And the Ares' boy, Aaron was a given. To assume otherwise would be the insult of the millennium. A vital trait he did not expect the others, but that's a chicken that still needed to hatch. He walked with swagger in his step to the Hades cabin, kicking the obsidian doors as he stepped in." Well State... Despite hearing a prophecy, you seem pretty sure of yourself." Vallota finally said." You're right. I've wanted a chance like this." State said, his smirk fading away. "Yeah, I'm no great shakes, but I haven't been gotten lazy with my training either. But it's too late to be scared now." Vallota shook her head with a smile." There'll be enough time for that... When the Hunters catch you!" She teased." Nice try... Good night."~~~~With the amount of heavy from the night before, State slept sounder than a newborn cradled in its mother's arms. This was a good day. And a normal night was perfect to soothe the nerves before a very big day. State took the moment to chat with the rest of his cabin. The little chat went well up until the discussion of his "allies", concerning some caution about his companions. Especially to proceedheavycaution around Mack. In State's mindset, it was soon trust everyone and even sooner to have your hand on your weapon at all times. With all his preparations all good to go, State headed out to the entrance of Camp Half-Blood, his sister and brother walking with him the whole way. When it came down to the Kitty gritty, they were family, and like soldiers, no man gets left behind. Before Ballot could utter more words, State gave his siblings a hug, whispering, "Hear me loud and clear. I'll keep one foot in front of the other. It's going to be rough justice all round. Even by standing here, I'm at risk. But I'll be on my guard. I'll treat this quest... Like I'm fighting for my life. And I will return, 'cause I won't fail you!" With no further words, State flashed a little smile to his siblings as they parted ways. Though the Hades cabin kept to themselves, but they didn't bite... Much. He was the third to arrive. Better than the last, in his mind. Allied silently watched the changing of the night to pre-dawn to dawn through the curtains of his window which he'd pushed slightly out of the way when everyone had finally fallen asleep. Their silent breathing and some soft snoring were pleasant sounds that usually soothed him into sleep. Not tonight however, tonight Allied was too nervous for sleep and just as dawn drew itself out of the pre-dawn mist he rolled out of bed and quickly made the bed. Making sure that every little corner was perfect. That the pillow was at its center and the covers all neatly placed and one corner pulled back at a slight angle ready for him to crawl into the next night. He walked to the small dresser by the bed and opened the drawers taking out a pair of dark almost black artistic fashionable jeans and a light black button down shirt with a white skull on it's back. He put the two pieces of clothing on the bed picked out a few more pieces of clothing. Some t-shirts, a few jeans, some more button down shirts, a hoodie and a few pieces of jewelry that would go well with any outfits. A small silver stud he sometimes took to wearing in his left earlobe. He would keep his small mirror shard necklace of course, he never removed that. He had one small old ring that had belonged to his father and that he deeply enjoyed wearing as it held the rose of his family rest upon its flat surface. Intricate and french and old. A leather bracelet with a few studs and a nice row of stitching, that was more akin to gothic looking than anything else finished off his assembly of oddities. He pulled out his backpack from the bottom drawer. Which wasn't a backpack so much shoulder bag. He packed all the clothing into the bottom adding some personal items to it as well. He added in a few other things that might be handling, money, wallet, makeup, his diary, a few other things and once he was done with the packing and the bag was far too heavy for his tastes he left it sitting on his bed. He showered, because no day is ever a good start without a shower. Once showered and dressed he combed his hair and applied the product that allowed his to tousle the hair into some semblance of artistic disarray. He regarded his reflection in the mirror with a wide smile. He looked ready. Fashionable and clean. Just the way he liked looking. Taking his bag he gave a wide smile to the others of his house as they started to get ready themselves. He got a bunch of hugs and a lot of well-wishes before he stepped out of the cabin and headed alone towards the meeting spot. None of the children of Aphrodite would dare let themselves be seen without first getting ready for the day. So he didn't care that no one else was with him as he walked. He liked the silence. He noticed that a few of the others were already there, and he was half tempted to start speaking. Furthermore, he looked chipper and happy as he walked up. His fear safely hidden behind his otherwise cheerful demeanor." Good morning everyone,"he said cheerfully as he walked up and leaned casually against a tree. A sharp flick of the wrist had the last wrinkles fleeing from the shirt in her hands. With a stern look at it, daring it to be messed in any other way, Alive swiftly folded it into a rectangle and added it to the others on the bed. The cabin was deserted except for her and Nadine, the latter contentedly staring at the wall. Normally, the stress missed the hustle and bustle that used to characterize the Hermes cabin, but today she was glad for the solitude of Hecate’s cabin.“Clothes. Toothbrush. Hairbrush. Towel. Textbook. Wallet.” She ticked off the items on one hand, making sure that all were included in Nadine’s backpack. Seeing the leftover space, she instinctively started adding additional items until the bag was near bursting. Grabbing the two straps, Alive tried to lift it to no avail. The backpack stayed firmly attached to the bed. “Dammit,” She muttered, her head falling forward in defeat. While she appreciated Sam’s pledge to look after Nadine, Sam was just a kid as well. Nadine would be leaving the safety of Camp Half Blood and dealing with… all that out there. Plus the prophecy. And random monsters. And whatever other obstacles the quest threw her way. Alise squeezed the straps in her hands in frustration before slowly releasing her fists. There was nothing she could do. Except make sure Nadine left here reasonably prepared. She opened the bag back up and started to pull the extra items out, pausing to look at the can of peaches in confusion. Really? She’d packed canned fruit? Albeit Nadine was rather fond of them, and it was one of the best ways to keep Nadine from wandering at night but still. Alive sighed at her own thoughtlessness and tossed the can onto another bed. That definitely wasn’t going back into the backpack. When the bag was finally finished, the pair headed off towards the meeting point, Alive guiding Nadine along in a not-so-auspicious start to the quest. When they reached the entrance of Camp Half Blood, four people were already there: Aaron, Finn, State, and Allied. Only the last looked remotely friendly. It was wrong of her to ask Allied to look after Nadine. She’d rather Nadine come back safely. Between those two thoughts, the stress’s mind was made up rather quickly. She steered her charge towards Aphrodite’s child and smiled warmly. “Good morning Allied. Nadine?” Nadine looked away from the amusing scene in the distance, green eyes blinking at the sudden call of her name. In front of her stood a blond male.“You’re really tall.” She stated before a shy smile broke out,“and pretty. I thought Helen was a girl?” Sam woke with a start as she realized that she was late, Sam had never had been good at waking up. So like most days she was running around the empty cabin in her towel as she took a shower, which only made her more late. She had thrown a backpack on her bed and grabbing things around the room well she tried to put her clothes on as well, she put her jeans on, made sure she had her phone with in her pocket. She then quickly put on a bra and Black Sabbath t-shirt, and a hoodie. Furthermore, she then threw something's in her bag, before running out of the door at full speed. Her cabin left in a mess as she had thrown things all over the cabin looking for her clothes and other things. She ran up to the group of teens already waiting, she stopped just before them then bent over with her hands on knees. "Fuck... I'm here, who got the weapons?" She asked, looking up at them. She saw Nadine and Alive, she just waved at them before standing up straight and stretching out a bit. Her hair was still wet as she really didn't dry it off, but she didn't seem to mind as she ran a hand through it and taking all the water with her. The water now a small ball in her hand. "Also when are we leaving?" The night wore on and what rest came to the prince of Gods was slow. Though sleep had taken his body, his mind was tormented by a fit that images that refused to leave him be, no matter how much he tried to push them aside in favor of the blissful blackness that usually accompanied his dreams. Finally, at his mental limits he gave in to whatever the higher-ups had in store for him. A thick fog wrapped about his form and when it parted he stood in a featureless room. There was nothing there, save for him and some figures off in the distance. A heavy sigh left his lips and he walked with a lazy gait toward the figures though he paused once he could make out their features clearly. From where he stood he could see the silhouettes of two women, both of them definitely overdressed, which was betrayed by the visage their silhouettes carried. One of them is very sick, he could tell just by her voice, not to mention her sickly constant coughs. From what Mack could tell, she had no hair either. The other one had a soft voice, one that would be trusted by even the most suspicious sort of person. Her hair was long, and although he could only see the silhouette, just the shape was enough to look healthy. They appeared to have been conversing for some time, with him having made his entrance on the last portion of the conversation." Tell me, darling, how have our recent affairs been?” The healthier of the two spoke, in a smug voice." The trap is set. The battle in Connecticut goes well, but I'm sad to report a courier from Washington came today. Our losses are large-," the other woman replied, panting, her tone is not resentful, but laced with obedience and loyalty." Our forces are expendable," the first woman speaks, cutting the other woman off." We still haven't the slightest idea where to find the threads of fate," The sick woman replied, disappointed." It matters little, I was talking to..." the smug woman stopped speaking, her vision turned to where he had paused to observe them. "He's watching," she said with coldness in her voice. "Which one?" the sickly woman asked." The son of the grand old king," The healthy woman said, bitterly. A like that he was yanked away and thrown back into a deep sleep, the remnants of what he saw doomed to haunt him in the day that followed. By the time he joined the others he was still grumpy and unhappy with whom he was forced to interact with, but he was packed and ready to leave on this quest. The only kid, he thought he could rely on, would be that brat of Ares and possibly the Hermes kid? One was far too “pretty” to be on this kind of thing, the other would probably end up too busy with his eyeliner to focus on the task at hand, and he did not even want to get started on the half-wit.”Looks like the Gang’all here,” he said with a sigh. Heavy breathing could be heard as the five children caught their breath. A box lay on the grassy field next to them, one much larger than usual gear was transported. The eldest was in his late-teens, and the youngest couldn't be a day older than thirteen. The rest were in there mid-teens, however they were all panting the same. There had been a few flowers crushed accidentally when they'd let the box down to catch their breath before, the Demeter cabin surely wouldn't be happy. There were two children sitting against the box, the eldest was leaning against it. And the other two were simply standing, but still clearly exhausted." Oh, gods, what could possibly be so heavy?" The eldest remarked, gesturing for the two sitting to get up." Probably just tons and tons of rocks." The youngest replied, after standing. No one really thought they were rocks, but crates of armor weren't this large or heavy." Rocks ain't this heavy." The eldest replied, wiping set from his brow." We're close, do you wanna just get this done?" Aaron asked, finally having his breath caught again. All he received in reply were a couple sore "Yeah" responses and some regretful nods. He wasn't much more excited himself to be hauling this, using a vehicle or some form of supply transportation would have been much more practical. "Just one more push." Aaron remarked. The five managed to get a grip on the box, and all heaved to have it lifted. They certainly weren't going at record-breaking speeds, but within time they'd finally made it to the forge. Nearly everyone there was from the Hephaestus cabin, as per usual. A few fingers pointed towards the box, and a couple stray excited "Look, they're here!" exclamations could be heard. As they placed the crate down at the forged, the eldest child of Ares was eager to open it to see what they were so excited about, and what he had been helping to lug. Aaron wasn't far behind him, though most people at the forge had even stopped what they were doing to come and see. The Hephaestus cabin already seemed to know what it was. The eldest lifted a panel of off the crate, and all that came in to view were several anvils all lined up." Oh, you must be kiddin' me." The eldest remarked, once again out of breath. He walked off back towards his cabin, Cabin five." You guys can take it from here." Aaron remarked, he'd had just about enough of carrying anvils for the day. "And that means the crate when you're done." Aaron said, before turning to walk away.------------------------------The rest of the day went fairly normal, as it usually would. The Demeter cabin spent their free time in the warm summer weather tending to the strawberry fields, the Hephaestus cabin spent their free time making weapons, the Ares and Athena cabins argued during combat practice earlier, while the Apollo cabin ignored them and practiced their archery. The bonfire and singalong would be in just a few minutes, most people had already gathered there, Aaron included. The fire was already started, and the entirety of the Apollo cabin was already in attendance. They were eager, Aaron gave them that, to lead a singalong every weekday. It wasn't exactly Aaron's cup of tea, but attendance was mandatory to campers that weren't adults, which were most. There were the few that outright refused to join the vibe, Aaron personally only went along with it because it was, admittedly, a great spirit lifter. The mood of the crowd determined how bright the fire burned. If the spirit of the crowd was happy and uplifted, it would sometimes rise up to twenty feet, it could even turn golden. In cases where everyone was upset and unhappy, the flame would turn to not much more than embers, turning into shades of purple. For the time being, it looked like nothing more than an average campfire. Aaron began tapping his fingers against his legs as the minutes went by. Chatter was flowing within the Apollo cabin, and other friends that had met up were talking as well. As for the Ares cabin, they generally showed up just in time, Aaron had only arrived so early because he'd taken a rain-check on late-night weapon making. Too many anvils. The Ares cabin were a fearsome bunch. All of them looked tall and unnecessarily threatening to Finn, and he would probably have sat himself down at the other side of the campfire, if he hadn't been from Hermes', where a bunch of the Ares kids had been through during their first time at Camp Half-Blood. As it was, the children of Hermes were much more scattered than those of the other gods, and Finn had found himself sitting with a couple of others near one of Ares' offspring. He had never been great with names, as he generally preferred to be only just acquainted with the other demigods, but he thought he recognized one guy from the practice grounds. Aaron or Ash or Aardvark or something, probably. Finn nodded at his neighbor and turned to look at the smoldering wood. No wonder it was still 'just' a regular fire - no one besides the entire Apollo cabin seemed too eager this evening. Nothing special had happened in weeks, and if anyone else felt like Finn did at the moment, campfire songs wouldn't do anything to lift his near-constant state of boredom. Would it really be too much to ask for a minor catastrophe? Nothing too crazy, just a rogue Minotaur or cyclops or something. In the bloody crimson eyes of State, he thought the Ares Cabin to be pretty strong and nearly like a family in the aspect that they did everything. Although they looked nearly like giants and were very strong altogether... State was more impressed with them as opposed to being afraid of them at all. He was more or less... jealous of them. But working together wasn't the real problem... In the real problem was his siblings' "preferred activities". The children of Hades were ones to delve into the powers of death, in all her merciless splendor. Over time, this was a little nighttime fun. Calling up the dead and testing their strengths and learning their weaknesses. That is where State was going with this. However, this soon turned to sick joke... One random or the most relaxed of days, one child of Hades would call forth the dead to mess with the rest of their fellow campers. And after having to take the heat for his siblings should it be found out, he grew to finding others to hang out with and having his own nighttime scrap with the dead. Following the scent of burning wood, State walked with vigor onto the campfire, the singalong apparently was soon to be underway. He had been getting buddy with some of the gods, but he had met one guy at the training grounds slightly often. Aaron, he thought his name was. Surprisingly, his lot had arrived on time... For once. Sitting alongside them, he glanced at Aaron for a short moment before his attention was taken by his troublesome bunkmates. "Nadine. Nadine!" There was no answer, not that the stress had really been expecting one. Even after seven months at the camp, Hecate's daughter was a quiet child. Surprisingly obedient for a demigod, but very quiet as well. Too quiet, she'd heard some of the other campers gossip, considering the girl still didn't have any friends. Many of the winter residents got along well with each other: with so few for company and so little to do, the options were pretty much become friends or become a hermit. In retrospect, Alisereallyshouldn't have been surprised that Hecate's daughter had chosen the latter. The girl had been yanked out of a non-life and dropped into one filled with people. The stress couldn't say that she was surprised that Nadine had ended up withdrawing back into herself, though she'd really hoped Nadine would get along well with at leastoneof the summer campers. But of course, no such luck. (Yet, Alive desperately hoped.) Brown eyes scanned the horizon, catching sight of a familiar set of boulders. It was, Alive sincerely hoped, also the end of her journey. In the springtime, she'd often found Nadine sitting on them staring at the sea, seemingly lost in thought. Now that the summer campers had arrived, and occasionally swarmed the beach, the young teenager had taken to sitting in front of the boulder, hidden mostly from sight by the other rocks." Nadine. There you are." When she peeked over the boulder, she found a quiet redhead staring at the ocean, seemingly mesmerized by the blue waves. "Nadine. Let's go back now," Alive urged as she placed a tan hand on the girl's bare shoulder. Nadine turned in her direction, blinked in recognition, and then obediently got to her feet. The walk back was filled with Alive's chatter as she tried to get Hecate's daughter to respond. On some days, the girl would contribute to the conversation; more often than not, the stress had to be content with the girl not zoning out on her. At the very least, Alive could be proud with herself that she even had the breath to speak the entire way now. For someone who had been practically comatose for a few years, Nadine had been ridiculously able-bodied. The younger girl never seemed to be out of breath, even after showing up in the most random places. (And how in the Pan's name had she ended up in front of the labyrinth that one time? Alive had never figured that out.) By the time they got back, it was just about time for the campfire to start. There were probably only five or so minutes before the singing really began, and the place was mostly filled. Alive scanned the campers already sitting around, trying to find a good open spot to put Nadine. Apollo's contingent was out en masse, already practicing a few scales to get their voices limber. Though not cliquey, she could easily imagine them accidentally ignoring her charge given how boisterous they could be and how.not Nadine was. Demeter's girls and boy were also chatting on one side of the campfire, but she'd already put Nadine there ten times to no avail. In fact, Alive noted with a touch of desperation, she'd already sat Nadine at almost every established group around the campfire and none of them had gotten the teenager to open up. Finally, she spied curly black hair. That was. That was. She knew him! Somehow. Not Hephaestus's new one. It was. Finn! He was one of Hermes' kids. The other counselors had gossiped about him being kind of a loner, but maybe someone quiet would get along better with Nadine?" Nadine, you see that boy over there with the curly hair?" The stress pointed a finger at Finn, waiting until she saw Nadine focus on the right camper. "You see how he has a spot open by him? I want you to go sit over there, okay? Right, yes, right at that spot." Alive caught her charge's eyes drifting to the side, and she shook her head, the movement catching Nadine's attention once more. "No, nowhere else but over there. That exact seat right next to the curly haired boy. His name is Finn. Okay?" Nadine looked back at the dark skinned person, looked at the seat Alive wanted her to sit in, and then looked back at Alive. Her caretaker smiled brightly and nodded her head encouragingly, brown ringlets bouncing with the action." Go on then." The hand that had been holding hers released her and then something pushed her the first few steps towards the open seat. "I'll come by to pick you up afterward, okay?" The red-haired child nodded obediently and started walking towards the bench, her focus entirely on the seat Alive had picked out for her.' Curly haired boy. Curly haired boy. Sit by the curly haired boy.' So intent was she on getting to her seat, she didn't realize she had stopped midway. One of the incoming campers frowned at the girl frozen in the middle of the path. "Uh, can you move?" He asked irritably, reach one hand out to shake the kid out of the way, "we're trying to get--" His words came to an abrupt halt when the redhead turned her head to face him. Green eyes, glowing with some inner light, assessed him critically before dismissing him with a casual turn of her head, this time raking her judgmental gaze over all the half bloods assembled by the campfire." A group of half-bloods will travel as one." The voice that spilled from pink lips was like no child's voice. It sounded older, wearier, and more ominous, despite its quiet nature. The boy who had tried to move her stepped back in unease." For a higher task must be done." The people closest to her started to fall quiet as some sixth sense suggested that something was happening." A child of love, thievery, war. Offspring of a king, his brothers, and one more;"Alive looked up from her conversation with one of the campers to check on Nadine and felt herself blanching. The girl was about four steps from the seat she'd told her to sit in but was now staring out over the amphitheater with familiar glowing eyes." The child who speaks this will help lead the way. Follow my path to prevent dismay." The entire area had fallen silent by now, all captivated by the young girl who spoke with an elder's voice. They didn't have to be children of Athena to realize something was amiss." The Athens of America is where you shall go. Seek a library, but be wary of a powerful foe." The last words fell into the silence like stones into a still lake, spreading ripples throughout the air. With one last look at the crowd, the girl pivoted on her heel and started walking. 'Curly haired boy. Sit in the seat by the curly haired boy. Sit by the.' Her mantra came to an abrupt halt as she realized there were two boys with curly hair! Nadine looked at the one closest to her. Dark clothes, dark hair, lots and lots of curls. She turned her gaze to the other one: red clothes, dark hair, fewer curls. Both had an empty seat by them, albeit the one by the red-garbed boy was on the smaller side. She'd be able to fit in it though, and she knew Alive liked putting her in cramped spaces. The darker-clothed boy had a lot of open space next to him, and she could put a lot of space between him and her. She'd rather not be cramped up, but Alive had been very specific about which seat she should take.' Which curly haired boy was it...?' Sam was sitting at the campfire already, she was there before anyone else. She was sitting there with a bottle of water, she had taken the cap off and was playing with the water. Slowly making it rise out of the bottle. Then put it back in and make it rise again, it seemed to keep her busy well she awaited others to drive for the campfire. The first group of Campers to show up were from the Aphrodite cabin, as soon as they sat down they started to check themselves out in smalls mirrors. Sam just laughed lightly at them as she leaned back. After a few minutes Sam started to shoot small jets of water at them, laughing as they quickly did there best to fix there hair or dry themselves after she had gotten them wet. After a minute or two of this she stopped since another cabin and few kids showed up. She just waited for the singing and other things to start, but at least there were the war games after to look forward to. Sam started to smiling just thinking about it After everyone had showed up Including Dionysos and the Centaur, whose name she could never remember for some reason. The singing was about to start when the girl started to tell everyone of who will go on a journey to where it may be, she was wondering who will go. Since it was very hard to tell who would go from what she had said. Darkness fell, and he found himself just as much at home as he had been when the sun was still high in the sky. The forest was alive in more ways than one, such an enchanted place filled with the most interesting and dangerous creatures it was nearly impossible to pass up a chance to hunt within its limits. So complete and total was the darkness that he could not see his nose upon his face and for some reason this only added to the thrill. How long had it been since he hunted? How many moons had it been since he tested himself and proved himself worthy of the blood that coursed through his veins? Too long. The shaft of the spear was warm in his palm, as he gripped the crafted wood tightly before he proceeded to slowly move through the woods. Branches, hung low their leaves moist with the moisture that seemed to cling to the Forest’s air. It added to his current bit of perspiration and cooled his skin in the heat of the moment. What was it to be the son of the king of all the Gods? What was it to know that such power and potential rested within you?SNAP! To his right, a branch snapped and as he spun to face the danger he was met with a pair of red glowing near human eyes.“Gotcha!” A flash of light illuminated the darkness, the Manticore blinded for a moment, as the lightning bolt struck the ground between the pair. It was just enough time for his spear to be brought forth, the tip he used to deflect the tail before it could unless the poisoned spikes. A clawed paw lashed out and raked him across the chest, it tore at his shirt and his wounds burned. With his free hand he grabbed the offending paw, and pushed up with the strength he possessed until the creature was on its hind legs. The struggle continued, and the beast appeared to have gained some strength, for it pushed back and sent the son of Zeus sprawling to the ground. The prophecy was spoken and true to his nature and father, Mack made an entrance. A bolt of lightning struck the ground near the camp fire, the light blinding in its strength as he stood there silhouetted in its light. When it dispersed he stood there, battle worn but with his signature smirk on his face the carcass of a Manticore draped on his shoulders.“Am I too late for the song?” When the full population of demigods arrived, it would be pretty crowded around the campfire. Year after year half-blood population had been at an influx. Especially with all the gods now having to claim their children by the time they were thirteen. New cabins were being built, Satyrs had been finding newbies at a much higher pace, and it was busier more than ever. Of course, nearly zero kids from the Ares cabin ever showed up until the last precious seconds until the singalong started. Many other demigods did the same, though were individuals instead of groups, generally. Though, as all the voices chatting about suddenly hushed, Aaron had a strong feeling that there wasn't going to be a singalong tonight. No one spoke as her eyes glowed an eerie green in the night. Her voice echoed like that of one that some may imagine as a witch. It must have been what the Oracle of Delphi sounded like, because some kids were certainly more shocked than others. Aaron didn't start putting pieces of the puzzle in his head immediately, he had never heard any oracle or prophecy in the past. The idea in general shook him, just thinking that the fates often truly played their hand was something he didn't like to think about. Surely enough, the silence didn't break, as the girl simply walked forward as though nothing had happened. She seriously has no clue?! Aaron mused, though he supposed it wasn't really her fault. She was practically a vessel, at least, as it seemed. The Hermes kids were generally the ones that pulled pranks, and while some were pretty big, they never amounted to a degree of seriousness this large. It seemed as though everyone was still processing what was happening, maybe even a few were speculating what it all meant. Aaron finally stood up, true to his cabin, to get involved in something that would probably be better if he stayed out of. With no violence or rage involved, he was hopeful he'd be able to get out of this one without a scratch. The Ares cabin were no strangers to being shameless and displaying whatever they pleased in front of others. He walked up to the girl that had just moments ago channeled some sort of oracle. "You should... take a seat. You just, uh-" Aaron began, attempting to be as kind as he knew how to be. However, he didn't get to finish his sentence. CRACK! Between the echoing sound of the thunder and the light, general fear and panic took over for a moment to most of the campers that were present, even a few screams. There hadn't been a cloud and the sky, and within the magical barriers of the camp, the weather was whatever the leaders wanted it to be, nobody had ever seen a bolt of lightning anywhere near Camp Half Blood. Some campers had their ears covered, it was a lot louder than a gun shot in Aaron's opinion. Others were simply frozen. There may have been some admirers from the Aphrodite cabin, though Aaron didn't notice. Aaron himself covered his eyes with his arm, holding back a curse at the sudden echo of noise, he panicked, but kept composure. He wasn't sure what was eating at him more, that he was impressed by the manticore draped over him or that he wasn't happy with the sudden lightning out of nowhere." Am I too late for the song?" The son of Zeus asked, making the same kind of appearance he'd had in the past, as very rare as it was. A sigh could be heard from outward of the fire, where a centaur could be seen." I'm afraid the singalong will be canceled for the night." Chiron spoke, who'd remained silent through both happenings. Chiron was a centaur, he was a horse from the lower body down and a human for the upper body. He'd been mentioned in many myths and lived on to this day, though only served as an important figure in Camp Half Blood in his more recent years. More and more children started showing up, and chatter began, it became clear that something had happened, to the kids that were just arriving." That's enough!" Chiron declared, requesting the silence of the campers, which was gladly given." I require the presence of the children of Aphrodite, Hermes, Ares, and Hades that were present to hear Nadine's words. Along with them, I also am in need of the presence of Nadine Ellis and Nadine Hunt. Please, report to the Big House immediately." He inquired, to those that naturally respected him. While there was still someone that didn't owe him any respect whatsoever." Makednos, would you please accompany me to the Big House as my personal guest?" Chiron requested. Sudden bursts of rogue thoughts assaulted Aaron's mind as he realized he was the only child of Ares that was present. He certainly was up to the task of representing the Ares cabin, but to be solo while doing it was always a task taken seriously. The last person he looked to before beginning the short walk to the Big House was the eldest in his cabin, Murphy. The walk was short, but Aaron had plenty to think about. In his time here, he'd never witnessed an oracle speak. Even though he'd accepted that he was half god, and he knew how to ride flying horses, some things were still surreal in this world. He stood around a ping-pong table in the Big House while he waited for everyone else to arrive. A prophecy? Oh, great. Contrary to his sarcastic inner monologue, Finn had to admit to himself that he was actually quite intrigued. It was practically a Dan Brown novel. He eyed her carefully; the now low embers reflecting in his dark eyes. It felt like they were melting out of their sockets. Finn had never spoken two words with this "Makes" before, but with the incredibly flashy entrance he had made, Finn already detested him. After the shock he supposed all of them had gotten when the skinny girl had spoken, it was nice to have something to roll his eyes at, and roll his eyes he did. He could almost hear his mom: "Sputa med DET DAR, Dina logon Kan fast SA!"1, like she had told him so many times when he was younger. He rolled his eyes again for good measure when Chiron told the Hermes cabin and several others to go to the Big House. Furthermore, he rose from the log he had been sitting on, all gangly limbs that still were not quite sure whether they belonged to a boy or a man, and pointedly stuffed his hands in his pockets as he followed with the rest of his cabin mates behind Aardvark. Once they got there, he had to do a double take. He grinned at Caroline, a fellow child of Hermes. "Dude, ping pong tables?" She nodded at him before pressing a finger against her lips and jerking her head towards the centaur. He nodded back at her - of course she was right. They could hardly let something like what had just happened at the campfire pass unnoticed.___________________1"Stop that, or your eyes will get stuck!" "A group of half-bloods will travel as one."" For a higher task must be done."" A child of love, thievery, war. Offspring of a king, his brothers, and one more;""The child who speaks this will help lead the way. Follow my path to prevent dismay."" The Athens of America is where you shall go. Seek a library, but be wary of a powerful foe."" A prophecy, huh? What an odd start to the night." State thought to himself, raising an eye of intrigue at the moment. His crimson eyes rose up, turning to the sky with curiosity. Though State had not truly spoken to Makes before, but could that entrance be any more blinding? He did not have any bad blood for the man. In fact, he was somewhat curious about the man as a whole, despite some telling him that the guy is an asshole. State did some things... So he thought not to judge from the words of other's, but with his own eyes. With the shock from that prophecy, there was much food for thought now... With the call of the children of Hades cabin to the Big House, as well as several others who had the words of Nadine, a little smile played from the edges of the State's face, a curious smile to be exact. Before getting up from the log he had nearly gotten comfortable on, he noticed he wasn't exactly the only present representative of Hades. The second eldest, Ballot were still here, who followed State to the Big House. The rest of the bunch were likely running off. Of course, he and Ballot were the more respectable children. The youngest of the bunch who obviously bailed at the last minute was merely a troublemaker. Though the walk was short, but once more... His mind was blown in a way unexpected. Granted, he was the son of a god, and he knew a thing or two, but there were still so much to know. He joined those already at the ping pong table, taking a moment to move some violet strands that hanged in front of his bunk-mate's face. The silence that had befallen Nadine’s unexpected speech was soon broken. Around her, Alive could faintly hear the campers muttering over what had just occurred. Some sounded worried; others sounded excited. The stress only felt dread. A prophecy from a child of Hecate: it could only portend trouble ahead. Like an exclamation point, a second omen, there was the sudden Crack!of thunder and a flash of light. Through the spots in her vision, Alive could faintly make out a confident figure. A man—tan skin color, confident stance—smirked down at the gaping campers.“Am I too late for the song?” The man taunted to the assembly, seemingly ignorant of the carcass draped over his shoulder or the scene he had just interrupted. A child of Zeus. Offspring of a king, Pan forbid, a child of Zeus right after Nadine’s prophecy. In the brief seconds before his appearance, she had hoped— None of Zeus’s progeny had graced Camp Half-Blood in the last century. But no, as if summoned, one had appeared now. The prophecy was starting now. Over the rushing in her ears, she could hear Chiron requesting the named children—love, thievery, war, the king’s brothers—to reconvene at the Big House. Her charge and the other Nadine, Nadine Hunt, were requested as well. The words were enough to spur her into action. She mumbled her excuses to the camper she’d been speaking with through numb lips before fleeing in the direction of her charge.~~~Her inspection of the two curly haired boys, or more specifically the seats beside them, came to a halt when one of them stood up. His fumbling words were cut off at a sudden crash beside her. Nadine spun in that direction even as she shied away from the inevitable—she froze when no creature loomed over her. No claws reached out to capture her; no one moaned of how sweet her flesh would taste. Instead, a man smirked down at all of them, despite him standing below them all. Somehow, his blasé confidence made her feel tiny, even tinier than she already was. Her hands clenched nervously on her sleeves, wanting to run away, but her legs refused to move.’ Scary.’“Nadine!” She jolted at the sudden call, her shoulders locked down by the sudden weight on them. “Nadine. Are you okay?” The young redhead slowly looked up into familiar brown eyes, feeling her shock trickle out of her. The girl looked okay, Alive mused with a frown. Campers were streaming around her back towards the dorms as they followed Chiron’s instructions. Some gave her and Nadine unusual looks, but the stress ignored them.“I’m fine, Alive.” As if just catching sight of the surrounding movement, Nadine lowered her head to look at all the leaving people.“Is the campfire over already?”“It’s. Being cancelled today, Nadine.” Alive answered with a tight smile. Nadine must have missed both Chiron’s words and her prophecy. “But we’re going to the Big House now. Chiron, do you remember Chiron?” The stress waited until her charge nodded hesitantly, muttering“Pony man?”, before continuing, “Chiron wants to talk with you and some others, okay?”“Okay.” Nadine assented as Alive took her hand and guided her to the ‘Big House.’ Routine had made the trek a familiar one to the stress, so the two had little trouble finding the camp’s headquarters despite it being night. When they arrived, Finn and his siblings were already present. They were covering suspicious smiles so Alive tugged her charge away from them. Another brunette also loitered by the table. Catching sight of Chiron, Alive saw the centaur beckon her—and more specifically, her charge—closer to him. With another painful smile, the stress did as bade, parking the young demigod near the ‘head’ of the ping-pong table. Nadine looked away from the funny shapes the wisps were making now that they’d stop moving. She was standing in front of some large green table with a net strung across it. Around it stood—the curly haired boy! A pleased smile crossed her lips at the familiar sight; she recognized those curls! (After all, she’d spent a long time staring at them trying to remember if he was the one she was supposed to sit by.) Another boy with dark hair and red eyes was standing at the table as well, straightening the hair of a purple-haired girl. Finally, it was the boy who’d tried to speak with her earlier. Why were they here? She was about to turn to ask Alive when a sound caught her attention. Green eyes flashed in the direction of the door in time to see another silhouette arriving. Sam stood up to leave after the prophecy, but waited for a moment to look at every who was at was there. Of course all the cabins were there, and that was a lot of kids. All of them having brothers and sister, Sam was the only one in her cabin. She didn't mind it too much, she had always been alone no matter where she went. Sam sighed and was about to leave when a Crack! Came from behind her, she quickly turned around as a son of Zeus appeared. He asked if he was too late for the sing along, and at that moment Sam knew that the prophecy was actually going to happen. And she was going to be a part of it cause the girl had said "The King's brothers." Her father was the brother to the king, so she was finally going to be able to leave the camp. As Chiron asked for cabins who were part of the prophecy, she didn't hear her cabin be called. She was about to get up and protest. But then her name was called and not her cabin. So she was alright with that, at least she was still part of this. She waited for a few seconds before walking to the big house, she wasn't the last in. But wasn't the first one in either As Sam walked into the big house she saw that a few of the chains were there and around the ping pong table. She saw a few kids she knew, but couldn't remember there names for the life of her. It was probably her A.D.H.D, but nevertheless she went to stand beside Chiron and waited for the meeting to start. Just like old times, Mack drank in the various reactions from his peers. Of course, they were just peers due to the blood that flowed through their veins, weak though it may be. None could ever hope to match him in anything and for that he pitied them. Such a sad and depressed existence they must live, to forever be forced to dwell in his shadow of greatness. A pity but he had no plans to try and make this any better for them.“Of course, Chiron,” he replied with a slight bow of his head before he tossed the dead beast on the ground before the fire and fell into step beside the centaur. “You do know that you can’t punish me like the rest of these bastards, right?” he tones amused. “I come and go as I please and in return I don’t cause you unnecessary grief and my father does not have to get involved. Something I am sure that you would rather not have to deal with, correct?” To say that he took pleasure from lecturing would be an understatement, but it was just part of what made him, Mack. Arrogance and ego were hand in hand with what made up Mack and the person he was, if not for them then who knows he might have been a decent fellow. The soft clops of the hooves from the male beside him drew his attention back to the present and less to the sorry state of those who tagged along. It would seem that each year the other Gods sired more and more pathetic stock. Some of them hardly looked capable to wipe their own asses let alone tend to some attack by a monster. They entered the tent, and he hung back to watch the others as they entered. One by one, they filed into the tent with their various demeanor and presence a confirmation to his thoughts on their uselessness. Heck, one of them had to be toted around by a stress as if she were some incompetent child. Oh, how much he loathed the thought of even listening to either of them speak for there was likely to be nothing that any of them could offer that would be worth him listening to.“I see we have quite the selection this year, Chiron. So many potential heroes and heroines in this one tent alone,” his tone obviously mocking as he smirked. “Can we get on with this whole thing already? I do have better things to do than to hang around this lot of A-team rejects.” Aaron's mouth opened in an outrage, he was fully ready to speak up against this guy. Aaron nearly spoke words in anger, having something about him being as charming as serial killer. He opened his mouth of course, fully ready to speak, but he didn't have the chance to before someone else spoke. Which was probably for the better." I would appreciate it if you gave the mentors of tomorrow more respect, Makes. While your father is a being of great power and discipline, your birth is one not smiled upon by any gods." Chiron said, his honesty more brutal than usual. The marriage of Hera and Zeus was one that was very commonly known as unfaithful, but only from the side of Zeus. The queen of the gods, who had never once been unfaithful, was never happy with children of her husband that didn't belong to her. She'd forced Hercules to murder his entire family even, and despite the ever long length, it was all that was on Chiron's mind for the moment. "I intend no disrespect, Makes, of course, however, we have rules that not even the best of us are allowed to break here. Once you're outside these walls, I have no say in anything you decide to do, but here, I must place forth proper methods." He spoke, with the usual peace of mind and calmness that he always did. Aaron didn't say a thing, only an enraged look remained on his face. He wondered what Murphy might have done. He imagined Murphy running straight at this guy and showing him just what he could do. The amount of trouble Murphy had gotten in was astronomical, but it wasn't always for the wrong cause. It didn't matter though, despite the fire in Aaron's chest, the walk to the Big House was quiet for everyone. With the bleak mixture of something being wrong and needing people to fix it, and the awkward vibe left from Mack's words, no one said much. Aaron didn't say anything when he'd reached the Big House, despite recognizing people and hearing some brief words spoken. None of his brothers or sisters were around during the prophecy, and he truly wished he'd gone with them to combat training. The feeling he had in his chest wasn't bleak, despite that it should have been, he was still enraged by the actions of that son of Zeus. Most of the others had shrugged it off, but Aaron was a child of Ares, anger and grudges came very commonly. And when the child of Zeus spoke once more, Aaron's expression changed, to where he was obviously angry. But again, before he could turn feelings into actions, Chiron spoke once more." Makednos, please!" Chiron replied, as though he was speaking to a child who wouldn't listen. "If there's one rule that all living things, the gods to the titans, must follow, is that we cannot disobey the fates. Time and time again, it has been attempted, and no one has ever once succeeded." Chiron spoke, though in particular, it was meant for Makes, as the rest of the children were familiar with the fates. "This is why I leave the choice to the fates, for who goes and who stays. Makes, Sam Hunt, and Nadine Ellis, your place in the prophecy is unmistakable. And for that, you will go on this journey, as the fates demand it. As for the rest of you, you will be selected at random, the fates will make the right choice. Except for you, Aaron Yanis. You were at the campfire while the rest of your cabin lingered, and for that, I believe the fates have selected you." Chiron spoke, never once having to stop to take a deep breath." Yes, sir." Was all Aaron said in reply, his respect for Chiron was far too deep to say anything back. However, the truth was that the glory of this quest didn't seem glamorous. He'd never been out on a quest before, and he was going to have to be with that son of Zeus. Aaron stepped back, despite all the stirred emotions, mostly consisting of anger. Chiron nodded, and revealed three coins in his hand. Aaron would have thought they were drachma, but the symbol was very different. As a matter of fact, all that was on it was a single arrow. Without asking the remaining children to get into groups or anything, he simply raised his palm, letting the three coins go forward. They should have gone in the same direction, but none of them did. One landed pointing towards Finn Redfield, son of Hermes. Another landed, pointing towards Clementine, a daughter of Aphrodite. And the last one landed, pointing towards State Almost." You'll all leave in the morning. Any questions?" Chiron asked. Finn had to pinch himself to stop the grin that was quickly spreading across his face as Chiron scolded Makes. Not like Finn would ever consider himself a mentor - he was too self-absorbed for that - but it was still lovely to see the centaur exerting his authority to take the son of Zeus down a peg. It likely would not work, but a guy could hope. That vague feeling of schadenfreude lasted just until the spinning coin singled out Finn from the Hermes kids, and he realized that he would have to go on a quest. With Makes. And a couple of other kids. Only Sam and Nadine had been singled out, and he did not particularly care to find out who the others were. It was just a task he had to do, and afterward he did not intend to say another word to them. The Hermes cabin left as they always did, in a close group and everyone chattering to each other. They had bonded because none of them were quite sure where to go and quite liked where they were at the moment. Finn, too, was suddenly aware of how much he appreciated the warm, blue night of Camp Half-Blood now that he had left the big house. His stomach felt like it was full of living, writhing snakes. True, he had wished for a minor disaster, but the uncertainty of what lay ahead was gnawing at him. He threw himself on the bunk bed that had been his for the past four years and stared at the graffiti made by past and unknown bunk mates. He had no idea what he would be doing tomorrow. “I see we have quite the selection this year, Chiron. So many potential heroes and heroines in this one tent alone... Can we get on with this whole thing already? I do have better things to do than to hang around this lot of A-team rejects.” Such words could fan the flames of one's fury. And to hear them would birth a spiritual inferno... Even with Chiron scolding Mack for his judgment. Though this put smiles on their faces... But it would entertain the two present scions of Hades to have the chance to prove this bloke wrong or take him down a peg or two. Preferably, a million. The temptation to say something was beyond strong with the two... Though State and Ballot trained with their dark powers with any free time they had, they were not Mentors, but they weren't A-team rejects either, as Mack so put it, in spite of his ignorance. In spite of Chiron stepping in, Ballot's violet hues soon turned to State... Who seemed to be the only person unmoved by the arrogant link's words. Being talked down to by ANYONE... He hated that with a deep-seated passion. However, State's only response to Mack's condescending words was happy chuckling, soon turning to light laughter. Mack merely rolled his eyes at the centaur, “My birth was more of a blessing on the world than most would care to know, but to not slow down this stupid thing much further I shall hold my tongue.” A small nod of what could be deemed respect was given to the centaur so that the meeting could be concluded. Already he regretted the fact that he had even come to this place and wished he had just returned to his camp for the butchering of his kill. Instead, he had come here, and now he was to be stuck on some mission with this lack luster bunch. Already one of them glared at him with such hate, Mack could practically see it burning in his eyes. The thought amused him greatly and though he could see the words of hate on his tongue, the boy chooses not to. A cock of his head in thought as he regarded the boy made him smirk in amusement. Something for later when the boy became annoying as he knew they surely would become. Another sigh left his lips along with a groan when the coin landed in front of the dimwitted one that had the goat wet nurse. At least the other two did not seem so bad, if the chick would likely annoy him until he bedded her and even then she would likely be one of those clingy types.“We are definitely team super bad,” he said and walked from the cabin. There were preparations to be made, and he was the only one who had any idea how this whole quest shit worked. Already they were at a disadvantage with emo chuckles and the moron. The others were not likely to be any better, and he had no true hope if he were to be honest. It was a long walk back to the Zeus cabin, the bronze doors pushed back by his presence. The large statue of his father greeted him in its usual cold fashion and he as usual ignored it. The king of the Gods had little time to spend with all of his children, even with his most favored son. Off to the far wall, he undressed and climbed into the single hammock that he had set up for himself. Sleep came quickly for the son of Zeus for tomorrow meant that there was fun to be had, at least in terms of him finding something new and shiny to play with in the armory. Another spear perhaps? Or maybe a sword? “You can’t be serious, Chiron.” Alive hissed furiously, arms crossed over her chest. “Nadine can’t go out of the camp on her own.” The centaur sighed and shook his head wearily. “Alive, I’m not the one who decided this. I would let you go if I could, but you know as well as I that the prophecy should not be altered. Seven people were named and, unfortunately, you were not one of them.” The stress clicked her tongue irritably, closing her eyes so she didn’t have to see Chiron’s pitying face. Everything he said was true; the last time someone had tried to mess with a prophecy, the results had not been very pretty. The Fates could be testy like that. She exhaled and opened her eyes, reigning her temper in. “Still. Chiron…” The brunette looked pointedly in Nadine’s direction. The young demigoddess was staring at the wall blankly, humming some indecipherable tune to herself. The stress looked back at the centaur, clearly hoping he’d understood her silent meaning. There was no contesting that Nadine was a bit… slow for a child her age. “She’s going to get killed.” Alive concluded with a plaintive note. Chiron sighed again at his counselor’s words but spread his arms out helplessly. It was out of his hands. “It’s not fair to ask the others to take care of her--”“And it’s fair to send her out there to die?!” He continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted, “but I’m sure none of them will be so heartless as to leave her to die,” except maybe Mack. She didn’t need to know that. “Nadine has improved a lot since you first brought her here seven months ago. I’m sure this will be a good experience for her.”“To get killed?” Alive wondered sourly, leveling a glare on Chiron. However, the centaur wouldn’t budge. With a huff of exasperation, the stress pivoted on one heel and stomped over to Nadine, who had turned to look in her direction. “Let’s go, Nadine.” The demigoddess stared at her curiously before standing up and letting herself be guided out the door.~~~Nadine hummed softly to herself as she looked up at the night sky. The stars were out to play today, and they twinkled merrily at her. Wind tugged at her hair playfully, and she was tempted to follow it but Alive was holding her hand. Her friend seemed unusually unhappy today, stewing in silence rather than talking as normal. She was also stomping her hooves against the ground, eyes fixed straight ahead. Usually, Alive was more interactive. Green eyes blinked curiously at the stress. Why was Alive so upset? Today was a nice day. Tonight was a nice night. The sky was clear (though rain was nice too) and the temperature is not too cold. Alive seemed ignorant to her scrutiny, furious eyes faced forward. Hmm… Nadine opened her mouth to speak, but there was a sudden gust of wind, heavy with the scent of salt. Ocean! She didn’t feel like going back to their cabin yet, no doubt where Alive was taking her. She eyed the path contemplatively before prodding at the Mist. The beach would be pretty at night. Sam had sat in the corner of the room as she listened to Chiron, she watches the stare-down between the child of Zeus and Hades. Of course those two would try to stare each other down, what other two gods could hate each other so much that this passes down to their kids? It could only be those two who could being staring each other down, but she could be wrong. She can only see Mack's face, she couldn't see the other campers face. But she was pretty sure that it was the child of Hades, what was his name again? Well she would probably know it soon enough with them about to leave the camp. She was about to leave since Chiron had dropped the coins, of course he didn't pick up the coins. But that was beside the point, the stress and Nadine had suddenly stormed out of the big house after the stress had a small fight with Chiron, but of course Nadine was more dragged out of the cabin as the stress stormed off. She sighed softly as she walked up to Chiron "I'll go make sure they are ok, but I'm also taking this." She said before grabbing one of the arrow coins and running out the door before he could say or do anything about it. Sam ran towards the two girls "hey! You two, slow down for a second!" She said, before running up to them and putting a hand on Nadine's shoulder. She looked at the two girls. "Alright you two, since you can't come. I'll look after Nadine well on this quest. She'll be by my side the whole time, I'll make sure she doesn't get hurt." She smiled softly at the two, which was a hard thing for her to-do. Furthermore, she would rather not have to look after someone, but she knew no one else would do. So it fell onto her shoulders, the stress could probably tell she would rather be at her cabin or playing the war games. But Sam added one thing before the girl could say anything "if you want to talk more we can go to my cabin or to the beach."

Half-Blood Havoc|rating:3.0

Yee Naaldooshii (The SkinWalker) ~ Inarie & Sparxx

{"Light box_close": "Close", "light box_next": "Next", "light box_previous": "Previous", "light box_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.", "light box_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow", "light box_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow", "light box_full_screen": "Full screen", "light box_thumbnails": "Thumbnails", "light box_download": "Download", "light box_share": "Share", "light box_zoom": "Zoom", "light box_new_window": "New window", "light box_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"} Tap Tap Tap... Tap Tap Tap... Tap Tap Tap... The police baton rapped loudly on the windshield of the old 1953 Chevy pickup"Hey buddy..." called the cop. "You can't sleep here..." Wil struggled to open his eyes. 18 hours drive will take its toll on a guy."HEY!!" The cop yelled. "Let's get this vehicle out of here." Will rubbed his eyes as the early morning sun streamed through. When he realized a cop was banging on his window, he tried to sit up straight, hoping that he had remembered to put his stash away. No such luck. It as on the floor, so as he sat up, he kicked it under the seat, rolling down the window, to speak with the officer." Ummmm.... Sir...." Will said softly. "Can you tell me what city this is pleased? The cop laughed loudly. "Are you on drugs or something??" The cop replied. "This is New York City! The greatest city on planet earth!" Wil looked at him curiously. "New York City?" he whispered. "Wow..." It had been a long drive. 32 hours in total, and he really had no idea where he was going. He just knew that something was calling him here. His vision. The wolf. It was too strong, and he had to come, although he didn't really understand it.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"These things don't always make sense to us at first." Heyday said as she sipped her herbal tea. Wil looked into his cup as if seeking some kind of clue as to the dreams that had come to him. They weren't scary, they didn't haunt him. He couldn't even blame the Peyote he had smoked with the elders, for those dreams were different, more spiritual, more a connection with the ancestors. This was different completely. This was so real. This was about the wolf." Is it me?" He asked his mother." If you can see the wolf... then most likely not. Although we cannot be sure." She replied." What does it mean?" Will asked her solemnly." That is a path you must take Will." she smiled, placing her hand over his. "The answers you seek must be found under your footsteps. I cannot assume anything." Haseya sipped her tea again, then got up from the old metal kitchen table that looked like it had been around since the 1960s. It was still in fairly good shape, although it now had a piece of cardboard from a cereal box wedged under one leg to balance it properly. This was life in Black Rock, New Mexico. Most people had the basics. Modern conveniences like internet and cell phones were a "white man vice" although Heyday had a cell phone as leader of the Navajo nation. She went to the sink to wash out her cup. Will stood up and walked behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He towered over her now, but the love and respect between the two was clear. She closed her eyes, and tried to hide a tear that streamed down her face. Will cried too. Heyday knew this day would come, and had always dreaded it. Reaching up into the hanging cupboard over the sink, she pulled down the lock box. Opening it she took out all the cash, and turning, she couldn't face him, shoving it in his hands." It's only around $8000.00" She said. "It was your college money....but it's important that you use it now."" I love you Heyday..." Will said, kissing her forehead. The tears streamed down his face, and as if on queue, fell onto her face, blending with her own. They stood there holding each other for a short while before she pushed him away." I love you too Will." She said. "Come home safe... and soon...." The blast of the rhythmic, monotone beeping was enough to stir the woman, blankets shuffled and a disgruntled groan given before her hand snaked free of the twisted bedding. Feeling about on the dark oak bed stand before coming to rest on her alarm clock. She held it a moment, fingers searching for the snooze button and silencing the annoying blare of noise. Another grumble given as her hand withdrew back under the blanket, and she shifted to roll away from the clock without even a glance at the time. A soft sigh followed, eyes slowly pulling open as she slid her arms under the pillow and rolled to her side, blinking the blur of sleep away before she looked toward the window. Dim rays of sun filtered in between the folds of her blinds, not bright enough to be late morning, not dark enough to be as early as she'd hoped to be up. She blinked a few times, looked around the room at the silhouettes of unpacked boxes. She'd lived here over three years by now, not that you'd be able to tell. There was even a slight echo still, throughout the building. No photos, decorations, barely any furniture. Not that she couldn't afford it, she just didn't see the point in making a home of a place she only really slept in. It'd feel like glorifying a hotel room. She laid there in bed a few moments longer before throwing back the blankets and sitting up, eyes rubbed and her messy mop of hair brushed back off her face. Slowly she stood and moved out of the room and down the bare walls of the hallway, turning into the bathroom and starting the shower. Pausing by the mirror she looked her self over as she slipped out of her undergarments and tossed them into an overflowing hamper. "Laundry day." She grumbled softly, opening the mirror and grabbing a plastic bottle of ibuprofen to try and get rid of the headache she'd woken up with. Greeted by the same pain ever since she'd stopped allowing shifts. She'd caged the poor wolf, and it was clawing desperately for freedom at this point. The three pills were swallowed with a sip of water, her moving into the shower and washing up. Fifteen minutes later the water turned off with a creak of the facet, and she started on her morning grooming ritual. Hair blown out, make up applied, clothes thrown on, and her cell phone and bag grabbed on her way out the door. Her apartment felt like cage, she left as quickly and as often as she could. Made sure to pack up her laundry to, tossing it in the backseat of the shiny silver Corolla parked in front of her building. She started the car, turned the radio off and glanced to the digital clock on the dash. 8:13 am. That gave her plenty of time to drop of laundry and still make it to work on time. The mirror was adjusted, dual colored eyes peering to check for traffic before she pulled out onto the street and headed for the laundry mat. With laundry left in the capable hands of owners, she headed to Mud spot, the café she'd worked at nearly as long as she'd lived on her own. She parked on the street, feeding the meter a handful of coins she'd pulled from her cupholder, and crossed over to the already packed café, greeting a few patrons by name as she tied on her apron and slipped around the counter." Morning, Afraid!" Her all too happy trainee called as she took an order, waving her hand enthusiastically and bouncing enough to pull a bit of attention to her low cut neckline, blonde ponytail spinning like a wind catcher. "Morning Amber." She called, stifling a small giggle and turning to set up the newly cleaned cups. Busy morning meant more in tips and less time for her imagination to wander. But her wolf seemed to sense something she herself did not. A presence that had it misbehaving more than usual, the headache pulsating despite her attack with pharmaceutical warfare. Surprisingly enough it was fairly easy for him to make it to the rooftop of the building. Will did his best to not disturb anyone or anything, catching the elevator to the 52nd floor and then taking the steps to the rooftop. He needed to meditate. He needed to clear his mind and focus his energies. There were many things to distract him here in the "Big Apple". It was dominant. The life force energies, they were overwhelming. There was a reason why they called it the "city that never sleeps", how could you? The noise, the smells, the lights. It was an attack on the senses. It was enough to give you a migraine. He wondered how many people actually lived in this madness. It was impressive, but it was also insanity at it's worst. Once on the roof, he found a spot overlooking the city, laying his mediation rug out. Back in Black Rock, he might have started a small fire, but thought better of it. He didn't need to set off any alarms, and that might get him into the kind of trouble he really didn't need. Sitting in the lotus position, he slowly braided his hair into two long pony-tails, allowing them to rest over his shoulders and down his chest. Opening his back-pack he took out his smoking satchel, and began to roll a three paper. His stash was 100% Sensimilla. He didn't bother mixing it with tobacco, preferring to smoke it straight. This was his own home-grown sense, and he smoked it as part of his meditation practices. Once it was perfectly rolled, and it was something he took a lot of pride in, he lit up. Slow draw. He let the smoke fill his lungs. The distant sounds of car horns, sirens and city life seemed to fade into nothing. He closed his eyes, letting the warmth of the "high" come over him. For the next few minutes, he continued to draw slowly. The smell of pungent marijuana drifting up into the surrounding sky. It was only early in the morning, but it was a beautiful day. The air was crisp and filled with a million smells, of which his smoke only added to it. The process continued for another several minutes until the joint was finished. His "high" was in full effect, and he sat Stoic, in his meditation position and allowed the visions to come to him. A face.... so beautiful. A sign, a coffee shop. Breathe.... let the eagles eye see all. Let the wind carry your spirit. Reach out to her. Let her know that you are coming, that she doesn't need to be afraid, that the circle is almost complete. Will's fingers twitched. His mind focused on the vision. He knew where she was, he knew where to find her. But what was her name? What was her spirit? A wolf appeared in his vision. Beautiful, majestic. It was the one from his dreams, the one who called to him. A beautiful black and gray coat. Strong and powerful, a hunter, a mother, a protector. But there is torment. What is it? What is this pain? What is this darkness within her? What is this conflict? Wil awoke with a start. His high was gone, and he knew that the animal was trapped somehow, and somehow, he needed to find it, help it, and set it free.... Atari was in the middle of taking an order when the sounds of the coffee shop seemed to fade out. The ambience of voices, ceramic mugs clinking, the express maker... all of it seemed to tune out, replaced by a high frequency pitch that sounded almost like a whistle. The man before her frowned, waved his hand and snapped his fingers at her impatiently. Slowly drawing her attention back the green eyes behind his dark framed glasses." Miss? Hello? Are you writing any of this down?" He chided in irritation, leaning forward onto the counter and tapping his foot. She only blinked, looked about at the other customers. All eyes seemed to be on her. "I'm so sorry, can you please repeat it." She asked, hoping to quell his anger and just survive the transaction. Once she'd jotted it down she handed the pad of paper off to a co-worker and untied her apron as she moved toward the back room. What had that been? Her wolf? Likely so. The beast had been caged far too long, but Atari had no desire to let her free. Not without a hold on her. She'd hurt someone. She moved out the back door and took a deep breath, moving to the metal railing and leaning on it as she fetched a red and white pack from her apron pocket, folding the cloth over the rail and looking out across the street as she slipped a filtered cigarette from the pack, a cheap blue lighter to. One of those gas station specials that were overpriced and under filled. The end placed between her lips, one and shielding the wind while the other sparked the end. Eyes closed, and a slow drag was inhaled, held, and released even slower. Instantly nerves calmed a bit, and she was able to compose herself, and her thoughts. Why all the trouble now. She'd been so quiet... Will stood on the edge of the building looking out at the massive expanse of concrete and steel that lay all around him. It was all artificial. All of it. Nothing was real. The millions of people who were like mindless ants, moving here there and everywhere. It was depressing. The spirit inside him ached, called for the wild, and begged him to call out to it. Unbraiding his hair, he let it flow, its length blowing in the wind. Closing his eyes he opened his arms wide.Lt;Your pain is almost over... I am coming...Sgt; he called out to her, and with that he howled, one wolf calling to another, being at a moon that had not set yet."WHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....." he called. He did it as he had been taught to do it by the ancients, by the ancestors, in the tradition of the wolf. Not a howling from a Hollywood movie."WHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...." It was a clear call to the one, his soul spirit, the one who lived in his dreams." I am coming" he said. Wil left the building, much as he had entered, with no notice. Climbing into his truck he knew exactly where he needed to be and drove straight there, with no hesitation. It was time. She knew he was here, she knew the wolf had come for his mate, and that she could no longer deny her true path, her true calling. It was time. Arriving at the coffee shop, he parked across the street, and eagerly exited the vehicle, running across the street, entering the small establishment. His nostrils flared as he saw her immediately. Quietly, he took a seat in a booth, waiting to be served. She flinched, rubbed her temples and looked off toward the city skyline. Blinking dumbly a few times before she shook her head and turned, taking a last drag from her cigarette before she put it out and headed back inside. She'd heard something, or, at least she thought she did. No one else seemed to have. Perhaps she'd cut her losses and just go home for the day. Sleep in. Yeah, if only. She moved down the hall, tying her apron back in place and fixing her mess of hair before she found herself back behind the counter, smile in place. Time dragged on, minutes ticking by and the morning rush coming to a head before it slowed down and settled around the small street side café. She was busy wiping down counters and cleaning when the man came in. He had the attention of nearly every girl in the room. Jaws were on the floor, but it took a sharp nudge from a co-worker to gain Atari's attention. She blinked, looked to the man and quirked a brow up curiously. He looked a long way from home, but he sat in her section. So he was her customer. Getting her pad and pen off the back shelf she shushed the teasing from her colleagues and moved toward the man. "Hey there, what can I get for you?" She asked, meeting his gaze briefly, trapped in it. The wolf even silenced by the gaze. "A menu please...: Will said softly, "and a moment of your time if possible." If it was presumptuous, he really didn't care. She might think he was crazy, he didn't care. He could no longer ignore the spirits. There would be answers, there would be... revelation. She was beautiful, and he was immediately smitten. Of course much of it had to do with the wolf within, the bond between them, the one that she knew nothing of, but he needed to explore that with her. The coffee house was quiet, and the other staff looked at him as if he was from another planet. It was a bit disconcerting, but he tried to ignore it, looking out the window. A mother was fixing her baby in a stroller. There was everything right with that picture. He missed his mother. He missed Black Rock. The city was impressive, large and seemingly endless, but it was... wrong. There was nothing natural here. Nothing. He sighed. Suddenly a man appeared from nowhere, grabbing a bag from the other side of the woman's stroller. She screamed, and he ran right through her, knocking her on the ground. Will looked in shock, and simply reacted. Jumping from the booth, he bolted outside, seeing the man running down the street, he looked back at the woman who was screaming. Pulling a large knife from a holster strapped over his back, he took aim and hurled the weapon at the criminal, striking the man in the back of the head with the handle, knocking him out instantly. Will ran down the street, jumping on the man's back."YOU SICK FUCK!!!!" he screamed. ""A MOTHER??? A NEW MOTHER????" Sirens blared, and before he knew it, he was surrounded by cops, guns bared, all taking note of the crazed Indian about to seemingly kill a man with a massive knife. Atari frowned a bit as he spoke, passing it off as another out-of-towner looking for a pretty girl to spend a night with. She could have been rude, could have passed him to one of the other swooning waitresses. But instead she swallowed her pride and offered a soft smile. "Menu it is." She called in a mused tone, turning to grab one off the counter, but by the time she had turned back, the man was bolting for the door. She turned to look as the others gathered about the window, watching as the woman stood protectively over her child and wailed like a banshee. Moving to the window she glanced out in time to see the man go down as he was about to cross the road. Unfortunately for the out-of-towner, there was a cruiser nearby that had caught the action. She frowned, unsure why she went to his aid, buy next she knew she was untying her apron and heading out the door. "Excuse me!" She called, hands out in front of her as a show she was unarmed. "This man did nothing wrong, he stopped a woman from being mugged, the one there. Ask her, she'll collaborate this." She called, moving closer and carefully plucking the knife from the man's hand, it dropped on the sidewalk and kicked away. The moment the weapon was out of the equation the guns lowered, one of the officers moving to the woman. "Get your damn hands up." Atari whispered in a hissed tone, lightly nudging him with her foot. Was he mad? They'd kill him on the spot...Oh, the shit she got herself into. The one officer instructed Will to stand, place his hands on the back of his head and interlock his fingers. Him holster in his gun, but keeping his free hand on the handle as he moved closer. After several minutes of confusion, investigation and explanation, and the confiscation of his knife, the mugger was taken unconscious in the back of a police escorted ambulance. Will spent the next few minutes with the woman and her baby, a boy named Samuel. He smiled and played with the now calm child as he sat snug in his stroller. It was a happy end, and although he was a bit miffed at losing his favorite knife. The woman seemed eternally grateful, wanting to give him a reward, for which he politely declined. Turning around, Will looked at Atari and smiled softly." Thank you for your help..." he said. "A lot of people would have ignored the situation... I am glad you jumped in when you did." Wil moved back from the sidewalk and toward the door of the coffee shop where he held the door open for Atari." I did not mean to sound presumptuous earlier... but I would like to speak with you about something for a few minutes if you have the time..." he said softly. Atari was questioned, as well as her co-workers and eyewitnesses off the street. She explained what happened as she'd seen it, and it seemed the stories coincided enough that Will wasn't detain. Sure he lost his knife, but it beat a night in lock up. When all was said and done the police took their man and dispersed the gathered crowd of onlookers. Letting life resume and the staff get back to their tasks. Atari glanced toward the man, watched him with the woman and her child. People congratulated him as they passed by, offering blessings and kind words. When he turned back to her the smile was returned politely, her waving off his words of gratitude. "Anyone would have done the same, I just beat them to it." She mused, passing it off as nothing and moving through the door of the café. His question spurred her to glance toward the clock and frown a bit. "I take my break soon, let me just go get clocked out. Oh, and order anything you want, on the house." She called, moving back around the counter and signing out before she undid her apron and tossed it over the chair. She came back out, made them both a coffee and sat across from him at his chosen table. "So, what did you need to talk about?" It wasn't something that could be approached with casual conversation. It was going to require time, acceptance. Will knew that she knew of the wolf, but he needed to know why she was choosing to deny it. She really was beautiful, but he was going to deal with things as they came. It was presumptuous to assume that they might ever even see each other again, but he was bound to give it his best effort. He smiled and ordered a coffee. Not really needing anything else at the moment. Wil looked out the window, hoping to not be distracted by the city any further. There would be plenty of time to see the sights, but he must fulfill his responsibility. He had no idea what Atari knew and didn't know about her other half, but it was important that she come to embrace it, nurture it, and by all means feed it. Left unchecked, the demon would run riot and innocents could be hurt. He turned his attention to the others in the coffee house which now seemed to be filling up rather quickly. When Atari returned to the table and sat across from him, he sipped his coffee, straight black, no milk or sugar." This may sound like a strange question..." he said softly, looking into her eyes. "...but would you care to share tonight's full moon with me?" Odd things, her eyes. One a dark brown with tiny flecks of gold and green, the other a light blue. She was clearly self-conscious of her eyes, dropped her gaze to the light beige liquid in her ceramic cup. Fingers traced the rim of the cup, brows knitting and drawing as her expression shifted from awkward to suspicious. Eyes slowly lifting to meet his own and her setting the cup down. Her whole body went rigid, leaning back into the leather fabric of booth seat and slowly sliding her hands from the table-top to her lap. She was clearly in thought, mind racing as she tried to read the man. Did he know? Was he just some loony that enjoyed a full moon? The odds were terrifyingly against her, and she felt cornered, her wolf gloating as if his presence was some small victory, a battle won in the war for her freedom." I'm flattered, but I don't normally accept strangers offers for moonlit walks alone. This is New York." She mused, forcing a playful smile and trying to lighten the mood and change the topic. "Besides, I'm not much of a night owl, I work early." She added quickly, brushing her hair back behind her ear and drifting her own gaze to the window. "I understand..." Will said. "I am sorry..." he continued. "My name is Will." Wil held out his hand in order to shake hers. She was nervous, he could tell, but he hoped to help alleviate that as much as he could. He knew that she was trying valiantly to hide the wolf from him, but her scent was strong, even here in the city. She had no reason to trusty him at all. He sipped his coffee and saw a stray dog outside the window, looking for scraps." Look..." he said. "The poor wolf must be hungry... and alone." There was a method to his madness. He wanted her to connect with him, on the most basic primal level. It was important... for her." Wolves must be a part of a greater union. A pack." He smiled. "They look out for one another, care for one another. It is natural." Wil finished his coffee, and looked at her knowingly. He felt her pain, he felt her hunger. He wanted to help her. Furthermore, he needed to help her." I guess you really can't appreciate the full moon in the city." he said. I might have to drive elsewhere." She offered a smile, took his hand and shook it when it was offered across the table to her. The touch was electric, sending a shiver racing up her spine and causing her to tense, momentarily squeezing his hand before she let it go and stuffed it back in her lap. "I-..." She started to speak, fidgeting in her seat and about to announce she should return to work, a pitiful excuse to leave the table, but she was prompted to follow his gaze and did so. The dog was frail, malnourished, and alone. His words spurred horrible images of her own wolf. Starved, caged, and unfairly alone. Sights lingered on the homeless canine a moment longer before she slowly turned back to him, leaning back in and placing her arms on the table. Lip was bitten nervously as she tried to find the right words. "What... what if a wolf... strays from the pack...." She paused, picked her words carefully and again bit her lip. "I mean, what if she can't control... herself...?" She then asked, disregarding the comment about leaving the city to see the moon. Currently, she was curious, but had no intention of setting her wolf free yet. She was a wild thing, needed to be brought to heel by a firm hand, not caged and turned bitter. "The lone wolf never survives. It has no power. It ventures off the path, is hunted, and killed." Will said softly. Wil looked at Atari carefully. She was nervous. Carefully, he reached his hand out, covering her own. She didn't know him. He was a stranger, but somehow he knew that she would trust him. He knew that confronting the wolf within was a scary thing. Furthermore, he knew that she might be able to keep it under control for a while, but how would she handle it if it had to eat? What would happen once her lips tasted fresh blood, fresh flesh?" I have come..." he said in a whisper. "To help you..."" The wolf is only as strong as the pack." he said. "What happens to the one wolf who tries to go it alone?" Slowly he rose from the booth, leaving her to sit there and think about things. He walked to the cashier and paid for his coffee, before returning to the table. Picking up her order pad and pen, he wrote his cell number down on the top sheet. Placing it down in front of her." It will be a magical moon tonight." He said. "I would love to show it to you." With that he turned and left the coffee shop. She was completely baffled, dumbstruck and speechless. But she knew, he knew. He knew what she was, but how? She'd never met him before, no one else knew, not her mother, not her adoption father. And her biological father she'd never met. Bi-colored eyes fixed on him as he stood, her hands withdrawing to her lap as his gentle touch pulled away. She watched him stand and move off, tensing a bit as he returned and wrote down his number. But again, the only response she could muster was a dumb nod and blank expression. Eyes dropping to the pad of paper, reading repeatedly over the ten random numbers that collectively assembled into what she now believed was a lifeline. Her wolf clawed desperately at the surface, wanting nothing more than to bask in his presence. She forced her nerves to calm, ripped the paper off the pad and stuffed it into her pocket before moving back behind the counter. She looked like a zombie; pale, rigid, a lost and confused haze to her eyes. Furthermore, she barely recognized the familiar voice that trailed after her. "Did he give you his number? Please tell me you are going to call this one, that boy was fine!" One of her cashiers called playfully. "Hm? Oh. Yeah, maybe. Hey I'm going to take off for the rest of the day, I'll see you all tomorrow." She half muttered as she fumbled with her apron and headed for the door. The fresh air did her some good, but this was New York, even fresh air wasn't fresh. Looking about she took a moment to collect her thoughts, moving toward the car and sliding into the driver's seat. She sat there debating, phone in one hand, the crinkled up paper in the other. After a few moments she tossed them both in the passenger's seat and started the engine. For once, home didn't seem so bad.... Will relented and got a hotel room. It was small, and it was near midtown which still was a lot more than he wanted to pay. All rooms were "non-smoking" and he didn't feel like there was many places he could go where it would be safe to do so. It was fine for the moment. He didn't need to smoke all the time and usually only when he wanted to meditate. His mind drifted to Atari, thinking about her, wondering if anything he said made sense to her, whether she was ready to greet the wolf within. His phone rang. It was Heyday." Hello beautiful one..." he answered." Hi baby boy..." she replied. "Are you well?"" Yes... I am in a hotel room at the moment... I hope to catch the moon tonight." He said." That will be good for you.... let the moonlight warm your soul" Heyday told him. "Did you meet her?"" Yes Heyday... I did." came the reply."and???" she inquired." Haseya... sometimes I think you're just being pokey..." He laughed." Don't you disrespect me..." she said sternly, and then broke out into a laugh." I spoke with her..." he said. "She fears the wolf. It is strong in her."" Be patient Will..." Heyday replied. "She will see the light soon enough..."" Yes Heyday..." he said. "Now I must rest... I shall speak with you in the morning."" Be well my son..." she replied. "I love you..."" I love you too beautiful one...." he said. Hanging up the phone, he lay across the double bed and turned on the television. After scanning the channels, he settled on a baseball game, before drifting off to sleep. He would want to be up at least an hour before the sun set. He had no idea how long it would take him to get out of the city to see and appreciate the moon. Atari had gone straight home, pacing a while before sitting on her bed and holding her head in her hands, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. When her gaze lifted back to the room and swept over is meager expanse, it became clear, painfully so. Her home was not a home, it was a storage space for useless materialist items she possessed. All of which remained packed away and kept in boxes that lined the walls, a few stacked up and some crammed into a corner. Her apartment felt like a trap because her wolf wasn't the only one that wanted freedom. She was tethered to the city by an iron thread and Will was the one who could break it. She wanted out of the rat race, away from the chaos, and he offered her an out, the least she could do was take him up on his offer. So after a few moments of debate, still convincing herself this was a good idea, she moved to take a shower and got herself ready, a quick text sent to the number he gave her before she grabbed her keys and left." Meet me at the coffee shop before dusk, I'd be happy to go with you tonight." A shit message if she was at all honest with herself, hurried but direct and to the point, it worked. Will's phone buzzed. He was surprised to get a text from Atari. He had thought that she might not contact him at all, that he might need to try and convince her some more. Was she ready? He thought. Was she ready to accept this major part of her life? Was she willing to let it happen? Let the wolf escape from its prison? The process was doubly important for him, for he could not summon his own wolf without her. He could only ever be complete if.... she completed him. He did not fear it. All change was painful, all change required sacrifice. Heyday had admitted as much to him. She had made peace with the spirits, and was willing to let him go, to become the better part of himself. No longer could he be tormented by the beast within. Atari had great power, she was the den mother, and he needed her, but he would not force this upon her. It must come from love, it must be the gift that she wanted to give." See you there..." he texted back. Looking outside his window, the late afternoon sun told him that he should go and meet her. He was nervous, but happier than he could ever remember. Driving his old truck over to the coffee shop, he arrived early, and sat outside, waiting for Atari to come. Atari wasn't sure why she had agreed to this. She pulled into the parking lot and parked beside his pickup truck. The car was shifted into park, her sitting there a moment, both hands on the wheel, gaze locked on the speedometer, the needle resting on 0. Wasn't sure how long she sat idly in the vehicle, but she eventually removed the keys and pushed the door open, her cell phone and other valuables left in the glove box. The warm air outside was heavy and muggy, likely meant rain. A soft sigh was giving, her glancing toward the distant blare of sirens before she shut the door and locked the car. A steadying breath inhaled and held as she moved around the back of his truck to the passenger's side, letting the breath escape through pursed lips. She felt nauseous, stomach knotted and turned over from nerves. She'd let her wolf out, once upon a time, but she'd been impossible to control. What if it happened again? Hell, what if she hurt will? Or worse... Another shaky breath was dramatically exhaled, her pulling the truck door opened, her climbing up into the seat beside him, a sheepish smiled offered. "Hey, thanks for meeting me..." She murmured nervously, rolling the window down and resting against the door. "No... thank you for joining me..." Will said with a smile. Somehow, Will was not put off by Atari's tentativeness. He could tell she was nervous, and quickly tried to relieve any fears that she may have. He knew it was a huge leap of faith for her. That she might feel the need to hold back, that she might not be ready to accept this part of her life, was something he had considered, and the last thing he'd want is to scare her. The process might not even happen tonight, and he was perfectly fine with that." I promise to keep my hands to myself...." He said with a soft chuckle. " If, at any time you're having second thoughts, we can turn around, and I'll bring you back ok?" He drove northwest out of the city, and for the most part he tried to make small talk. It was the difference between Black Rock and NYC. In Black Rock you were expected to be nice, have respect, and be open and trusting, and obviously that was not something that happened easily here. After about a half an hour, the sun disappeared in an explosion of purples and oranges, lighting up the sky. It was going to be a perfect night." Do you smoke?" he asked softly, showing her his rather large gallon bag stuffed with his homegrown weed. She gave a nod, a soft smile. "Alright." She then stated softly, falling silent soon after and leaning against the door of the truck. The roads were, for the most part, clear. Not much traffic, thankfully. She just watched the city pass by her window, eyes sweeping over the skyline as the lights began coming on. The city, to her, was beautiful in its a own way. She grew up here among the towering skyscrapers and loud noises. This was her concrete jungle. As they passed over the bridge and left the main city she glanced down at the water and then back to him, listening respectfully as he spoke, but she said very little. Just fidgeted in her seat, picking at her nails absent-mindedly. She looked up again at his question, glancing toward the bag, eyes wide. "What the hell Will? That shit illegal here, Christ. If you get pulled over?" She turned and leaned back in her seat. "No, I don't smoke that." She groaned softly, rubbing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. Will put the Ziploc bag away, so that it wouldn't cause Atari any further distress. He smiled and pulled out a piece of paper, showing it to her. It was a medical marijuana license, giving him the right to smoke. He wasn't surprised really. In a lot of places around the country, it was still frowned upon, still feared." It helps me take the edge off..." Will said softly. "I use it in my meditation...to help control the beast." He looked at Atari and no matter how beautiful she was, he could feel the fear in her. Her pain was his pain too, she had to know that. He would tell her so eventually, but first things first." Do you have any pain at all?" he asked quietly. The highway grew dark quickly and the lights on the pickup were probably not the best. It wasn't long before they had reached the border with New Jersey, and he then headed south into the woods. The sky magically turning a dark liquid purple, then black. It was utterly breathtaking. After another 30 minutes they reached a secluded lake, well away from the highway." Come on..." Will said. "I packed a picnic for us". She frowned, took the paper gently and looked it over before handing it back to him. "Sorry, didn't mean to snap. I used to partake, when it first started. Shifts were painful, made my whole body ache. So I tried that. It helped, a lot. Then I got busted. Sort of scared me straight." She admitted sheepishly before shrugging and chewing the inside of her cheek nervously. Why had she told him that?! He was a total stranger. Yet the wolf was rather docile and sedated right now. So quite was she that it had Atari slightly concerned. She ignored it though, taking some comfort from the silence. It was peaceful, not fighting to contain the energetic canine that gnawed and chomped at the bit. She leaned back into the headrest, rolling her head to gaze up at the changing horizon through her window. The sky was beautiful. Eyes closed, not asleep, but relaxing. What jarred her back into awareness was the ride that suddenly became bumpy and rattling, tiny rocks and gravel pinging off the metal siding of the pickup as it turned down the dirt road. It was overgrown with plant life and barely worn down. Clearly an unused road to the public. This had her a little wary, subtly shifting closer to the door and praying she hadn't willingly gotten into the vehicle with a real life Michael Meyers. Oh god, they were going to find her chopped up in the woods, weren't they? She tried to hide her nonsensical panic, slowly placing a hand on the handle of the door, just in case. But the narrow, tree lined path soon opened up to a beautiful lake front. The moon shining in a perfect reflection on its surface. "Wow, I honestly didn't expect this..." Will laughed at Atari's reaction. She didn't trust him, that much was clear. He expected as much, knowing that under "normal" circumstances, he would probably be overcautious as well. He grabbed a basket and a blanket from behind the chair and climbed out of the pickup. It might appear romantic, but he was considering that it would probably be anything but romantic." You think I'm crazy, huh? That I'm some kinda weirdo-freak?" He giggled, slamming the door shut. The warm summer night created the perfect atmosphere, and as he lay the blanket on the ground, he hoped that she wouldn't be afraid to give in to the wolf. He would not let anything bad happen to her, but the entire process was up to her. He smiled and returned to the truck to retrieve his stash, returning to the blanket where he began to roll up a 3 paper joint." I hope you don't mind..." Will said. "Please help yourself, there are roast beef, ham and salami sandwiches.... I bought a bottle of wine too, but there's water as well...." "Weirdo-freak? No. Possibly homicidal maniac? Possibly." She fired back, cracking the faintest of smiles and slowly getting out of the truck. She stretched, flexing her back at an angle to pop it back into place. Legs and butt were sore from the drive, so while he set the blanket and basket down, she moved off a way, not far, and stretched her legs. She glanced back as he sat himself down and set right to the business of his weed. Another smirk formed before she shook her head. "It's fine." She called softly, walking back to the blanket and sitting across from him. Legs stretched out and her leaning back on her hands. "I'm good for now, but I won't pass up alcohol long." She mused through a yawn. Oddly comfortable and relaxed out here. Will smoked his spliff slowly, the smoke drifting up into the night sky. It wasn't the normal sickly sweet smell most weed gave off, his homegrown was more earthy, having a trace of peyote running through it. It was quite potent, but Will had smoked it long enough to be able to manage the "high" very well. In his mind he had thought of what to say to her a million times, but all of it sounded like corny old "Indian fables". It might make him sound even more weird than she already thought he was." So do you understand how I found you?" Will asked. In the distance a gray wolf howled at the moon, and he could not help but smile. She watched each inhale and exhale, tilting her head a bit. Definitely not a smell she was accustomed to, but she didn't mind it, and if she did, she didn't complain. Just watch each puff of smoke billow from between his lips. She found herself looking him over again, a coy growl echoing in her head, her beast was clearly intrigued. She shook her head and glanced toward him as he spoke. "No, it still doesn't make sense, honestly. Who told you about me, about... her.?" She asked in a hushed tone, as if the forest may somehow be hiding prying eyes and ears. The howl caused her to shudder, but it stirred her wolf as well, a feral sound drew feral beasts. "He's calling to us." Will said. "Sounds silly, huh?" He sat up and crossed his legs into the lotus position, finishing his joint. He shook out his long hair and began to tell her the history of his people, and how they were connected to the earth in different ways. Furthermore, he told her of his grandfather who stood in front of a herd of stampeding buffalo, and emerged from it unscathed. Furthermore, he told her of his aunt who could see with the eyes of a hawk, for miles around, from high in the sky. Furthermore, he told her of the tribe of the wolf of which there were very few left." You are ma'kitsch" he said. "I am ma'kitsch""Our spirit is with him... we are all one..." he said pointing in the direction of the Wolf. "He wants us to come home..." He looked out over the lake. The moonlight shining, glistening off the top of the crystal clear water." I cannot make this happen alone." Will said. "My spirit is directly connected to yours. In the dawn of time we were lovers, and we became separated through the magics of Older... and now we call to him at every full moon to curse him for our luck."" I am bound to you... for eternity." Will said. "I cannot continue my path without you. My wolf can only be freed by yours." Atari let her gaze wander to the distant howl of the unseen wolf before sitting up straighter as Will, did so. She found all of it a little far-fetched, if she was honest. Then again, she lived two lives; one on feet, one on paws. So who was she to so quickly discredit the abnormal? Instead, she sat quietly, listening politely as he explained about his people and his family. She was envious, in a way. His people encouraged him, and his family and tribe seemed close. This was not the case for Atari, however. She had never even told her mother and father, step-father, that was. She was afraid of what they might say, or do. Likely would have had her committed. What he said next got her attention though. She was ma'kitsch? Unless that was a fancy term for New Yorker, she was not such. She was born here, raised here, and would likely see the end of her days out here. The look of confusion slowly shifted into utter disbelief as he continued on. This was a lot to take in. Lovers? Magic? She sighed, but again gave him the benefit of the doubt and indulged him." How..." She paused, leaned back and frowned again. "How do I help you? And, if it's the answer I am thinking it's going to be, going to need something stronger than wine and water...." She murmured softly, half sarcastic, half-truth. She rubbed her eyes and again leaned back on her hands. "I wish I knew the answer to that." Will said. "All I know for certain is that you hold the key to both of our destinies..." It might have been simple enough for him to say, well we should have sex, or you should bite me, but in all reality, he knew that it was far more complex than that. There were né easy answers, unfortunately. Could they simply mate and that would be all that is needed? It didn't seem feasible. Nor did the bite idea. Somehow the connection would need more." The ancients talk about the perfect balance." He continued. "They speak of a phoenix that rises from the dust to bring life, to forge a new path for our people.""ma'kitsch... is Navajo... for wolf..." he said softly. He looked out at the water, and finding a skipping stone, stood on the edge and skipped it along the surface." Our people... ma'kitsch... we were driven apart centuries ago." He continued. "We were given to the tribes of the earth, our strength was in our ability to find others like us... to multiply... to grow. We are nearly gone now. Most of us have been hunted down... as monsters. The world has driven some into hiding, others have accepted their fate and live alone." Wil picked up a sandwich and began to eat it slowly. He knew that she probably didn't believe any of this, and how could he blame her. He looked down at her." So when was the last time you switched?" He asked. She frowned a little at his words, watching as the stone struck the surface at an almost perfect angle. Rather than sink it hopped and traveled a good distance before loosing momentum and sinking like, well, like a rock. Gaze then drew back to him as he spoke again, seemingly dwelling on some idea in his head. She was about to question it when he grabbed a sandwich and seemed to relax a bit. She was getting an idea of what may be asked of her. Sex had never been something even considered, really. But at the prospect of sleeping with the native born, her wolf perked some, stirred in unseen curiosity. The question drew her gaze though, her blushing a bit at the realization he'd been looking at her. "Ah, a long time... I want to say, a little over three years.... I don't have control of her.... well, yet." She admitted in a sheepish tone. Will pondered Atari's words. "Three years" he thought. The wolf must be dying to come out. He nodded quietly at her mention of not having control of her yet. The torment must have been incredible. He wondered how she had dealt with it. Will had never made the transformation, but it was killing him inside. It was dominating his life now, and it seemed impossible to ignore." So how do you cope with the..." Will asked. "... craving?" He watched as she ate her sandwich. The moonlight in her hair made her "glow" and it would be wrong of him to ignore the idea that he was smitten with her, even though he barely knew her. A lot of it had to do with the wolf, he was sure, but right here, right now she was quite simply.... stunningly breathtaking." Are you ready to learn about the wolf?" he asked, finishing his own sandwich. Atari gave a nod at the spoken thought. Three years indeed. And it hadn't been a cakewalk, it took a certain mastery to keep the gnawing wolf at bay. Practice made perfect though and, in time, she'd successfully caged the wolf. A cruel thing to do, but a requirement for city living. Her apartment lease summed it up best, no dogs allowed. She gave a soft sigh, taking another bite of the sandwich when he asked about the craving. That got a look, a cross between guilty and mortified, but she passed it off with a shrug, not wanting to relive the day she'd found her wolf had snagged her neighbor's cat. "Not easily." She stated between bites, glancing up to catch his gaze upon her. The way he looked at her had her stunned a moment. Her looks had always won her attention from men. But he seemed to stare right at her, not just her looks, but deeper. The gaze was returned, her trapping his eyes in her sights. The silent stare down brought to a head as he spoke, her finishing her sandwich and brushing her hands on her pants before sitting up and giving a nod. Will slowly stood and removed his clothes. He hated wrecking his clothes, and the transformation often did that. Neatly folding them in a pile on the blanket. He began to explain to her the nature of the wolf within him. He told her of the days he had lost, once disappearing for a month. Furthermore, he had no ability to control the wolf once he transformed. It was violent, and not at all pretty he imagined. He felt a shiver go up his spine as he began to realize that while this may not have been something he wanted to do all by himself, he knew that with Atari, she might follow his lead." I will change..." he said. "I'm not sure if I can change back. This is why our spirits are intertwined... this is why I came to seek your help... your...love..." It was an impossible deal he knew. He could not force her to change, and even guarantee her safety, if she didn't change along with him. Once naked he knelt down next to her on the blanket. He looked at her with concern, but understanding. He could not force her to join him, it would be something she needed for herself. He hoped that coming this far, getting to this point she would give in to the wolf within who howled to be free." My transformation may shock you, but please do not interfere, allow the transformation to complete." Curling into a ball with his head between his knees, he closed his eyes, and slowly changed his breathing..... Atari frowned and watched as he stood, it's having been unexpected and for a moment she feared he was leaving. Then he pulled his shirt off. Well then. She blinked innocently up at him, glancing over his defined chest and arms a moment before her eyes again found his own, a quizzical look played upon her moonlit face. One that was quickly hidden as he undid his pants, her hand slapping over her face and her turning away. This may have been normal for him, but not for her. Not many men in the city just took their clothes off and stood in full glory before her. "The hell, Will?" She scolded lightly, more of a nervous laugh than scornful statement. Besides, she wasn't miss innocent, she snuck a peek through her fingers, cheeks alight with a burning blush and her jumping a bit as he spoke again." Change? I-. What do you-Oh...." Suddenly the giddy smile was gone, her hand placing in her lap and her staring at him with a mixed expression of fear and concern. He wanted them to shift? Together and alone in the woods? Was he mad? Fortunately for Will, the choice was not one she had much say in. Three years the wolf lay dormant, waiting for him. His shift would force her own. She just gave a numb nod at his words, watching as he took the odd position and scooting back a bit. Her own body began to react though, responding to his. Started with the wave of warmth, like a sudden and violent fever. Muscles grew sore, contracting and relaxing under the skin in rapid succession. She frowned, fought back, focused on him instead. The next few minutes were, to put it mildly, shocking. Will's body became a tortured, blistered, burned mass of flesh, turning slowly into a Matt of dam fur, much like an ugly duckling at first, but with each passing moment, his muscles rippled and his hands and feet changed. He gasped, screamed, howled and whimpered. The pain was immense. So much stronger than he remembered. It was as if he was Will no longer, now replaced by the form of a large black wolf. He shook, and vomited, the human food too rich for his stomach, and then, as fast as it had begun, the wolf was there and whatever was left of the human Will was, had gone. Laying on the blanket, it took several minutes for him to gain any strength. He watched Atari, and knew that this was her true path, and he knew that this is what she had been hiding for so long. Slowly he crawled to her, letting her complete her transformation. He licked her side fur, as if trying to clean her, then moved to the side of her face, continuing to lick her, continuing to show her the love that he felt deep inside. It was the new beginning for both of them. Sitting up, he heard the call from his brother, and slowly he turned to the full moon, howling a message in reply....Lt;We are coming HOK'EEG; Atari had to look away, covering her ears and trying to block out the horrible sound. Her own followed soon after his started, his cries of pain drown out by her own as her body was twisted and contorted into the prone physiology of the feral form. Skin tore and fell apart as easily as the fabric that once covered it. Material tattered and shredded into unusable pieces that now lay scattered about her limp body. Her fur wasn't quite as dark, or solidly colored as Will's was. Instead, it passed as a deep coffee brown, painted with lighter browns and stained with subtle white markings. Eyes stayed closed, sides heaved from breathless panting, and her kind clouded by the primal drive hidden deep at her core. One that had been locked away and caged for years. At first his affections were met with bared teeth and a low warning growl, but slowly the scent registered in her mind and the aggression was quelled. She just laid still, collected herself and caught her breath, adjusting to the control of her shared form. It was the distant call that perked her back up and prompted her eyes to pull open. Will's returned call shook her to her very core. Head lighter, following his gaze to the distant wilderness. After several moments, Will looked at Atari and wondered how comfortable she was in this skin. It took some getting used to. Even the point of view from this angle of the world made things a bit more difficult. On top of that, vision required a bit of adjustment. Most canines could only see in black and white, but as they were half human they were blessed with being able to see color. Added to that was the enhanced sense of smell and hearing, it was as if they were living in a whole new world. Wil knew how to communicate telepathically, so he needed to see if Atari could hear him.Lt;Are you ok? Can you hear me?Sgt; he asked. Atari, surprisingly, fell easily back into the instinctive, predatory mind set. Eyes adjusted quickly, blurred vision soon flexing and clearing, focusing on the male before her. Ears flicked and twitched as she adjusted to the amplified audio of the forest ambience. But her muscles were stiff and locked up from abandonment and disuse. Her wolf had been cramped up far too long for her comfort. Slowly her gave lifted to the male, looking over his ebony stained pelt before a nod was given. But as she'd warned him, the wolf was like a hyperactive child. She couldn't bring her to focus on one thing long. She was purely instinct driven, burying human intelligence and thought process. Her gaze wandered off him, head lifted and nostrils flared as she processed the heightened scents. Will watched Atari get acclimated to her body. It took a few moments, but surprisingly she was up and seemingly bursting with energy.Lt;Let's run... we can catch up with the pack....Sgt; he spoke to her. It came off as yips and soft barks, but his message was clear. Slowly he took off down into the deep woods, and he didn't bother to even look back to see if she was coming. He just assumed that this was what she had wanted as much as he did. As he ran, he could not believe the power and speed for which he was able to exert. It was so liberating. It was also more comforting knowing that he could be the wolf openly with her without repercussions or judgment. It didn't take long before he came upon a small pack of wolves, and he leapt into them as if a long-lost family member. Furthermore, it took a few moments but they suddenly stopped. He wondered what was happening.Lt;You bring a female to be sacrificed to the Alpha?Sgt;one said to him.Lt;No.... not for him... She is a free wolf... like me.Sgt;Will replied.Lt;All females brought into the pack must mate with the Alpha....Sgt;the one replied.Lt;No.... she will not.... I did not bring her here for him...Sgt;Will responded anxiously, slowly backing away as if to protect Atari. Atari glanced back to him, another nod following as she shook her thick coat out and padded off behind him. Again she grew distracted, but she never strayed from his heels, occasionally nipping at his tail before they broke into a sprint across the clearing and headed into the thick of the woods. The run was nice, refreshing, and stimulating to her ADHD brain. Muscles slowly unknotted and relaxed under her sleek coat, her strides long and graceful as she followed in tow, sniffing and pausing every so often, but never long enough to lose sight of him. When he finally picked up his pace and the others came into sight, Atari was not so welcoming. She hung back, eyeing over the wolves suspiciously and showing little interest in being social. She ignored their meet and greet, unaware of the words exchanged as she sniffed about. What put her off was how quickly Will fled back to her side. His protective show caused the fur along her spine and nape to bristle and stand on end. What had been said? She was suddenly on edge, nudging the brute and headbutting his shoulder before heading away from the group, hoping her companion followed. Will backed down quickly. The pack stood by and seemed ready to chase, but at the last minute, Will spun and chased after Atari. If they were going to chase them down, he knew that he'd have to fight for their lives. It was much to ask Atari, and at no point was she ready to be offered to the Alpha. After several hundred yards, he turned back to see that they had not bothered to follow. He thought about it for a moment, wondering what might have put them off. Did they know? Did they sense their humanity? It was a possibility. As they approached the lake again, he slowed, letting Atari continue on as she had been. Something didn't seem right. The air was... wrong. Somehow he felt sick. Panting, he leaned down and took a drink from the lake. As he gently lapped at the water, he saw his reflection, and somehow he had changed back into his human form. He had lost his wolf at this moment, and it was... gone. Slowly he stood up, a man again, only to be charged by four wolves from the pack, who circled him, snarling, snapping like the savage beasts they were. Atari had gone ahead of him, letting him chase her off, but to her, it was in play, just a game. Any fear she held quickly diminished as he tore off after her. Ears perked, and she bolted on ahead through the timber once more, back into the moonlit clearing and toward the lake. She didn't bother making sure the male was on her heels, she went straight for the water, leaping in and lapping at the cold liquid, unaware of her companions unfortunate shift. By the time she did look back things had quickly gone south. A man stood in a ring of flashing canines and bristling fur. She blinked, lapping the moisture that had collected on her muzzle, drops falling off her chin steadily. The man held familiarity in her brain, a strong urge to protect him overwhelming any sense of reason. She bunny hopped to shallower water, snarling and shaking her coat as her paws touched the muddy bank. Without caution or a plan she charged the collection of predators, circling around them as they did Will. She was grossly outnumbered, but if she could just pull their attention off Will... She glanced between them, targeting the largest male making her move, scissor like canines snagged his flank, and she attempted to drag him back, enrage him and run. Fool proof, right? Will suddenly saw Atari come back, trying to engage the four, much larger wolves. He knew there was no way she could deal with all four, so he was left with no choice. He had to take on as many of them as he could. Furthermore, he screamed, shouting at them, jumping at them, trying to take their eyes off of Atari. It worked for three of them, but one of them was moving slowly towards her, frothing at the mouth. Without so much as a second thought, Will jumped on his back, and with no weapons but his fists, began pounding on the beast. It didn't take long for the other three to attack him. He was down, and they bit him and snapped at him, drawing blood from every possible bite. Will tried to cover up, but it was difficult. They had only one thought in mind. To kill him. Then, just as suddenly as they had attacked, they stopped, and took off into the forest, leaving him battered and bloody. It was a miracle that he was somehow still alive, but he was." Akarii.... go... leave me...." Will whispered. The wolf hadn't seen this coming, and before she could even react, it was over with, the others fled and left her companion bloodied and beaten. Ears flicked back at the strained sound of the man's voice, gaze trailing from the fleeing forms to the bloodied mess of a man. She stared but a moment before proceeding forward toward him, his words pulling a soft growl of defiance, she was not about to leave him here to bleed out. She'd never been one to think clearly in wolf form, but the moment it clicked how badly he was hurt, she was to his side and in her human form once again. Leaning back on her knees trembling hands gently took inventory of his wounds. He was badly hurt and she had no medical training. The deeper of the wounds were covered with her hands, pressure applied as blood seeped between her fingertips. Her only option was to leave him to get help, the truck wasn't too far, but she risked a lot by leaving him. "Come on Will, up." She coaxed gently as she urged him to his feet. Pain. Will had never known this level of pain before. Battered, bloodied and bruised, all he could feel was someone trying to help him. Atari. With blood pouring out of large gashes all over his body, it also appeared as though the lower half of his left LEF had been crushed. His foot had been turned in a direction not normally associated with a human foot. He was conscious, but barely. One may have not considered the power of the pack, the damage a concerted effort of wolves might do to someone, or something. It wasn't pretty. Wil draped his arm over Atari's shoulder and hobbled back toward the truck. His head buzzed, and the world seemed to spin out of control. It was not supposed to go like this. What had happened? Why had they attacked him? Why had they not even bothered with Atari?" Stop..." Will whispered. "Please... I need to..." Blackness. Finally, the truck was in sight! But just as she spotted it, Will muttered a soft objection, his body going slack and the suddenly dead weight almost taking her to the ground. She did her best not to drop him, slowly and gently lowering her abused body to the grass and running back to the truck. Her own clothing had been shredded, so she used the blanket as cover and threw his clothes in the truck. She wasn't used to such an antique vehicle, but she managed to back it up to him, another 20 minute struggle ensuing as she got him into the passenger side seat and headed for the nearest hospital. This would be a joy to explain... "unnnnnnngggggggghhhhhhhhhh" Will moaned softly. The oxygen mask covered his mouth making it easier for him to breathe. The lights were bright, and he could barely focus, only to see a rather large and overweight nurse looking down at him and smiling." Well now..." she said. "You decided to wake up did you?" she asked. Wake up? Hold on... where the hell was he? What was this. There was pain. But he couldn't move. His feet, his hands bound down tight. He could hear the beep of a heart monitor, and the pump of air flowing into his mask. A hospital? What? Where was... Atari?" Easy love." said the nurse. "You've been asleep almost a month now.... you almost died." A month? What? How? Did his mother know where he was? Atari? Was she alive?" I'll call your girlfriend..." the nurse said. "She left a contact number..."

Yee Naaldooshii (The SkinWalker) ~ Inarie & Sparxx|rating:4.0

Teen Titans (IC)

They were barely past the initial introductions when everything started happening all at once. But in the end, it all made sense to Roberta. Here she was, with no full-fledged intentions of becoming a member of the newly forming Teen Titans. She was more interested in getting a detailed tour of the place where her father spent the bulk of his younger years fighting crime in the name of justice. At the very least, she was hoping to attain some special visitor status, as a civilian rather than as a superhero member. From the brief introductory exchanges with the primary characters of these headquarters, she already ascertained the level of comfort with being in the presence of abnormal human beings. Being the daughter of the freakish Poison Ivy, Roberta had to deal with odd glances from onlookers at her greenish dark complexion, not to mention that she had to be careful in avoiding contact to not poison anyone. Ideally, she wanted some involvement with an establishment which celebrated being different, although not in a crime-fighting capacity. Perhaps as a computer maintenance worker and/or landscaping gardener and/or resident instructor/professor and/or forensics lab technician. Anything that's civilian in nature rather than military or super heroic. But hold that thought for now. At the moment, she was thrust into the blur and heat of the moment. First the surprise upon seeing Leif Author welcoming them as if he was the wealthy benefactor behind the Teen Titans revamp, then the blur of the Titans East team teleporting in via Zeta tube technology, and now, on the holographic screen, some destruction occurring in the city, putting civilians in danger. All this time, Roberta, quietly looked to Cyborg for some hints as to what they ought to do. She knew Victor's many faces of strictness, although to the casual observer, it's just one big brooding expression. This particular face had displeasure in it. As if he was demanding, What, what do you think this is?! Some 'warm-up' when people's lives are in danger?! Hey kiddo, leave this to the professionals, we'll save your practice and training for another day in controlled environments!" Oh, okay," Roberta found herself not hesitating to follow what must be the Titans East's leader by her charisma, demeanor, and decisiveness. It was the least she could do, operate the advanced tech of Titans Tower. Her fingers skimmed through the holographic keyboard, and by instinct, she was already hacking into the city network systems controlling traffic lights, overhead bridge controls, subway operations, even diverting dispensable vehicles such as sturdy garbage trucks into formations that would cordon off the hot zone, preventing civilians from entering it while simultaneously providing shields. Her fingers were a blur on the console, which highlighted the fact that, despite the available tech, Victor consciously decided against a neural interface for his daughter. Indeed, there was nothing cybernetic about her at all. And in the back of Roberta's mind -- as she tagged all participants onscreen, red for the PERP, and green for the heroes converging on the scene -- everything seemed so convenient. Lief being here. Having access to the Tower mainframe. Other Team showing up. Then Lief alerting everyone himself to a crime scene occurring. It all seemed so convenient. Maybe it was her father's distrust of Record, his public disapproval of the League's stupid security deal which he thought compromised everything. But everything happening all in a blur... Maybe this was a field test of some sort. Observers gauging each aspiring young hero's abilities. Better to not give everything away, not show cards so early... RoZeta glanced at the faint reflection of the others against the onscreen, more specifically at the mind readers. Was she the only one, besides Victor of course, finding it all suspicious? It's been sometime since the Teen Titans had been in action, sure there were more than enough Heroes to fight off the evil, but a new group of heroes has been brought into this world. They need to be trained, to get use to fighting by themselves and witch each other. So now the T tower has been restored to its former glory. Even now as we speak, the new Heroes are arriving to the tower with their parents or by my themselves. Depending on who they happened to have as parents, though most are there with their families. Storm climbed out of a car which his step-father had driven. Once out of the car, storm turned and picked up his bags for change of clothes, and of course his weapons. Which were in a metal case, the large boy turned to his step-father and smiled at him. "Thank you Night wing." He said, before he looked around. "So, where is everyone else? Including mom and Night star?" He asked which Night wing shrugged softly. "I'm not sure, but come on. I'll show you around the tower, I was the old team leader." He said, taken the boy into the tower. Images of the famous T Tower, now restored, flashed on the large wall screen." Reminiscing, are we?" Roberta chirped in as she entered the living room, interrupting Victor who was watching a news webcast about a newly formed Teen Titans team. Victor was a founding member of the original team as the half-man half-machine Cyborg. He was in his early 40s now, but you couldn't tell due to the strict fitness regime he demanded of himself as a super heroic peacekeeper, and of course, also because half his body was covered in cybernetic parts. Advancements in technology now allowed for seamless human-like augmentations, but he thought why change or hide now what he truly was?" I guess so," Victor replied, but noncommittally. Roberta was his and Pamela's (Poison Ivy) daughter, and he knew that he couldn't conceal the fact he lived a dangerous life as a teenager saving the world from pasties. He did not want Roberta to follow that path. Yes, she has shown some of her mother's powers, but they were mild and unstable -- not enough to fend off a common criminal. But at the same time, half of him wanted Roberta to feel like she belonged. Vic had to suffer as a pariah, had to struggle with his lost humanity. It took him years to finally come to terms with it, and his romance with Pamela had a lot to do with it." Do you think we could pay a visit? I mean, y'know, as a founding member, I'm sure you'd have special tour privileges," Roberta's dark toned face broke into a smile. Victor stared at her, with both artificial and human eyes, for a long time. Roberta was homeschooled, never went to classes with other kids, and to deny her now a chance to be with others who can probably understand her the best, it was breaking his human heart. Night Star and Star fire had arrived, they had flown down from Tamara so Night Star could join the Teen Titans. It was her first day, and she was excited, she could barely sit still. She flew around the tower with lightning speed and giggled softly, she had the same giggle as her mother had. "Let's go Night Star, your brother and father are already here." Night Star gasped as she heard that her brother was in the tower. She zoomed in as quickly as she could and flew down all the halls until she found him. She crashed into him with a hug as she screamed. "Big Brother!!!!!" With joy, she gave him a firm hug. "I missed you so much!" She said loudly. Star fire gave Night Wing a hug and watched her children reminisceBeastBoy and Raven approached the T Tower and saw that there were already some old members there along with their children. Raven and Beast Boy decided to let Emerald go in by herself at first, but then decided to come along as well. Raven gave Star fire a hug which was indeed rare, but time with Beast Boy had changed her a bit. She had been strict to Emerald, but then Beast Boy would come in and mess it all up. Beast Boy found his old pal Cyborg and gave him a fist bump and a bro hug. "What's happening dude? This is your daughter?" He asked as he looked from Cyborg to Roberta. Duela Dent sighed softly as she walked along the rooftops at Jump City. As the daughter of Harley Quinn and the Joker, she always caused mischief wherever she went. She looked up and saw that Voodoo was sitting on top of a telephone pole. She smiled as she climbed up the pole as well and stood behind him on the wire. "Hey Voodoo, ya see the news? The Teen Titans are coming back. But with the kids." She chuckled softly. Voodoo walked through town, his purple outfit masking him against the night sky, for the sun hadn't risen yet. He climbed up a telephone pole and began to tightrope across the wires, casing sparks to fly as he stepped. He sat on the wire and looked at the streets below. Furthermore, he saw he was sitting above a newspaper stand, and smiled at Duel mischievously." Just a little bad luck is all..." he said as he waved his hand, causing a wind to blow a newspaper up to him. On the front page in big letters said, "TEEN TITANS REFORMING". Voodoo turned to look at the Titan Tower, and as if on cue, the lights flickered on. He frowned slightly." Bad luck, indeed..." he said to himself as he dropped from the wire and motioned for Duel to join him. Sent from my Z796C using Tapetal Draco arrived at the tower with a blue dragon by her side. Draco never went anywhere without Blue claw to translate for her. Draco walked inside the tower after Blue claw transformed into a human. Draco saw Storm and his sister and said, "Ava'born. SIA nominal UI Draco. D'nag ekes tariff wax." Blue claw knew they would be puzzled by her speech and said, "She only speaks in Dragon Tongue, so I translate for her. She said 'hello, my name is Draco, nice to meet you.' I'm Blue claw, her translator and father." Draco looked a little worried that she'd be rejected by the others, she had always been afraid of being rejected by other people due to her appearance. Draco drew her wings around her as if she was hugging a security blanket to make the scary things go away. Herself Author couldn't help but smile with pleasure when he woke up that particular morning. The previous night, he had met with the Justice League - a first for Record, if you ignored all the times Lex had gone up against Superman and the rest of the League - and agreed on a security contact that would give Record the permissions necessary to install its security systems all over the Metropolis area, with funding from the heroes paying all the bills. He finally had control of not only Metropolis' lawful, but also its lawless. He had already sent anonymous messages out to all Metropolis' most notorious kingpins and dons, asking for a cut of all profit in return for the ability to go "under the radar" and continue their crime without being caught. A couple unlucky souls would still get caught, but to keep the fear of Record fresh in their minds. To top it all off, he had even shaken hands with Superman, the former archenemy of Record, who was deemed so dangerous by Lex that company policy demanded that no employee ever, under any circumstances, provide aid to him. It was a huge moment in the company history. If the public still didn't believe in his slogan ("Turning over a new Leif," in reference to his nickname) then he was going to eat his tie with a side of eggs for breakfast today. That is why, when he saw the front page of the Daily Planet, he was disappointed to discover that his otherwise guaranteed front page shot of him and Superman shaking hands had been stolen, of all things, by the return of the Teen Titans to Jump City. Leif could feel his left eye twitch with annoyance - a tic of sorts, that always went off when he found himself in need of some more thought. Fortunately, his meeting with the Justice League had still made the press, but every newspaper was focused on the juicier news - how the children of the original Teen Titans were banding together, moving to Titans Tower once again, and watching over Jump City in memory of their parents. How good will these new heroes be? Will they sit around and eat pizza like the old Titans? What do they look like in their underwear? Which one is the public's favorite? It made Leif sick. All that work for the front page, the prime real-estate of the newspaper, and it had been snatched away. Fortunately, though, he had already made plans for the return of the Titans. For the year in which he had been president of Record, Leif had been busy laying the foundations of a criminal empire of epic proportions. Up until now, it had remained dormant and silent, but now it would begin to rise, starting in Jump City. And who knows - maybe one lucky criminal would wipe out those accursed Titans. And so that was how Leif found himself the company helicopter in the skies above Jump City, about an hour and a half later, on his way to greet the new Titans. He had already sent his greeting message to the Tower's main computer, as well as all the former Titans - "Welcome back to Jump City, Titans! I hope you don't mind if I come to visit and offer you some things to help you settle in, courtesy of Record!" He had his excuses planned, of course. He was now a friend to the Justice League, so he would feel morally obliged to offer them his company's services as a housewarming gift. Maybe some improvements to the Tower's security - it had been a long time since the Titans were last active, after all - or maybe some renovations to make their rooms ever so slightly more homey. Or he could offer access to surveillance cameras around the city to aid the Titans in their protection. It would also help his criminal underlings if he understood each Titan's weakness from firsthand experience, of course, but they didn't need to hear that part. The helicopter slowly lowered down above Titans Tower, alighting on the top of the building. Leif hopped out and sniffed the air. California always smelled interesting at this time of year, especially the seaside. Like sea salt and fresh citrus. It didn't appear as though the Titans themselves had entered the tower yet, but instead were gathered outside, in the process of arriving. They no doubt had witnessed his arrival. But Leif was patient. It was a useful skill to have, both as a businessman and as a super villain. He simply sat near the edge of the roof, watching the heroes converge at the base of the tower with an odd smirk painted on his face... Storm heard Night Star yell out big brother, yet before he had the chance to ready him self for the incoming tackle and hug, his younger sister came into view. Night Star tackle hugged Storm, sending the larger boy to the ground with his sister on top of him. Yet he gave the girl a rather tight hug, before saying. "I missed you too sister! How have you been?" He asked, before pushing him self and his sister to their feet. Storm kept his arms around his sister as a starve girl and man walked into the tower. Storm blinked softly at the good words that the girl spoke, before the man spoke English and told the small group of teens and heroes who they were and such. Storm pulled back from his sister and smiled "one second Night Star." He told his sister before he turned to Draco and Blue Claw, he put his hand out and smiled. "Hello there, I am Storm and this girl here is my younger sister Night Star. It is nice to meet you as well Draco." He kept his hand out, not knowing if the girl or man would take it. Though the sound of a helicopter had broken the piece that had surrendered the group, Storm looked a bit confused by the sound of this helicopter. "Who do you think that could be?" He asked no one in particular. "Nothing much, Gar face," Victor replied to Beast Boy, returning the bro-fist, wondering why he still went with that name. Wasn't he Eastman now? Anyway, Cyborg had landed at the front entrance, with his daughter riding piggyback. The aerial trip took an hour, but it was good for Roberta to get a feel of the geography and atmosphere of Jump City. "And yes, this is my daughter, Roberta." The teenager waved shyly at the group with a smile, keeping to her father's side. "Hello, pleased to meet you, Mr. Logan." She would proceed to bow to the others present and just arrived, to Raven, Night wing, Star fire, Storm, and Night Star. She knew how the four original Teen Titans looked like, and two youths, she thought, must be siblings, children of Star fire. The Tamara skin complexion gave that away. Then Draco and her translator arrived, they seemed the least normal-looking; thus, the ones she probably would get along with best. "Hello, where are you from?" Asked Roberta, when the sound of a helicopter interrupted their gathering. From the sound of the helicopter alone, and confirmed with live satellite data, Cyborg already knew who it belonged to." No. What is he doing here? Son of a..." He forgot he was in the midst of younger ones. "Uh, son of Lex Luthor." And Cyborg was pissed that the Justice League of which he was a member had decided to accept a business deal with Record. What was Superman thinking? As the resident computer and network expert, he should have the final say on any third party surveillance involvement. Star fire gave a sigh as the chopper from Record came into view. She knew that this wasn't going to be good. Emerald looked confused at her parents but sat on the couch in a quiet place, away from all the attention. NightStar looked up at her parents as well and stood by her brother as always. She, too, was confused as to what was going on. She clung to her brother's arm. Although she was strong, she liked to be protected by her brother because she knew that he would protect her no matter what. Duela smiled and then looked up as she saw the Record chopper landing on the Titan Tower. "Hm... Looks like they're getting a visitor already. How strange..." She looked down at Voodoo and shrugged. She stayed put, wanting to see what was going down. Voodoo watched the Record helicopter land on top of the Titans Tower. He had completely forgotten that Record had formed a union with the Justice League. The last thing that Voodoo and Duel needed was both the Titans and Record in Jump City. He shook his head, and turned to Duel." I'm going to go pay them a visit myself." he said, and without waiting for her response, snapped his mechanical fingers and turned invisible. Then he turned to face Titans Tower, and took off into the sky. Sent from my Z796C using Tapetal Leif immediately noticed that he was being noticed by those below. Well, why wouldn't he? He had arrived via helicopter, for Joel's sake, and had technically been the first to enter the Tower itself. He waved down to an uncomfortable-looking Star fire, a rather pissed Victor Stone, a Garfield Logan who was as blank-faced as ever, and the confused five children who had joined them. Furthermore, he smiled cheerfully at them, and waved from his spot at the top of Titans Tower. "Hello down there! Thought I'd pay you a visit! Why don't you come on inside?" Leif strolled away from the edge of the roof and down into the main room of the Tower. The place really is quite nice, he thought to himself as he pulled a pair of reading glasses from his pocket. Despite having been unused for almost twenty years, the tower looked like it hadn't aged a day. The U-shaped couch at the center of the room was spotless and dust-free, the fridges were already stocked with pizza and microwavable foods, and the selection of video game consoles were all hooked up to the window (which doubled as a monitor) and ready to play. The only truly new addition was the Zeta-Beam teleportation gateway on an empty side of the room, presumably to connect the Tower to its sister in Steel City and the Watchtower Satellite. He wiped off the lenses of the glasses - they were rather dirty from rubbing against lint - before pushing them onto his face. He then pulled out a book, sat down on the couch, and began to read while he waited for the Titans, both new and old, to join him. Furthermore, he occasionally glanced up from his reading, enjoying the breathtaking view of Jump City that the massive window on the other side of the room. While simultaneously keeping tabs on the invisible Voodoo, from the corner of his eye, using specialized filters built into the reading glasses that allowed him to see his invisible observer. Leif had read up on Jump City's teenage villain population prior to arriving. He knew what Voodoo had to offer to his underground web of crime, and had expected him to come and investigate the arrival of the Record chopper. After his visit, he would probably get one of his most reliable messengers to give the teenage sorcerer an offer from Scion, Leif's super-villain pseudonym. Whatever he desired (within reason), in exchange for his loyalty and services towards Scion. Being a super villain without anyone knowing was so much fun. Leif was surprised that Lex hadn't tried it - it was so much better for one's reputation. Clearly Superman had the right idea when he chose to hide his true identity from the public... Draco took Storm's hand and shook it, and so did Blue claw. Draco saw Roberta and heard her ask where she was from. Draco replied, "is air ti duct." Draco wished that someone would teach her English or understood her speech so that she didn't have to depend on Blue claw for everything. Blue claw translated for her by saying, "She said 'I do not know.' I'm Blue claw." Draco looked up at the helicopter in confusion, she had never seen one before. It was the nature of those on the east coast of the world to wake up and get started on projects sooner that those on the west coast, so it was no surprise to anyone that the Teen Titans of eastern America, known as "Titans East," had by this point said all parted with their protégés and began settling into their tower, which rose from the water on the coast of Steel City in order to cater to its frequent Atlanta occupants. However, there was still the matter of becoming acquainted with their peers in Jump City. For as distant as their towers were, they would be working together rather often. The interior of the East Tower was nearly identical to that of its western sister, with the only real difference being that its Titans had already made themselves more comfortable in their new home by making it a lot messier. Well, one Titan in particular. At this particular time, the four of them were standing in front of their Tower's Zeta-Beam teleported, waiting for the link that would allow them to visit their western counterparts. It would definitely be an interesting get-together, considering their differences. While the Titans of the west were all children of their Tower's original occupants, save for a dragon-girl and her translator, the four Titans of the east were more like successors to previous heroes. Only three had parents that were not ordinary; only two had parents that could be defined as "super;" and only a single Titan had parents who worked with the Justice League. This particular Titan - Monday Drake, known in the field as "Mistune" - stood in front of her peers. As soon had she had arrived, it was obvious that she was the best choice when it came to being the leader. Though she held herself in a habitual slouch to evade attention, her green eyes had that analytical glint in them as she had sized up her companions when they had arrived. The others were less thoughtful, and they were excited, or determined, or both." Alright, Titans," she said, her hands behind her back like a drill instructor. "You know the drill. When the teleported opens, that's the sign that our brother and sisters in the west are all moved in. Who can tell me what our goal is?" All three Titans' hands were raised, albeit lazily and without much enthusiasm. They all knew the plan, though they phrased it differently, and just wanted to get on with the party that marked the Teen Titans' return. That was one of the biggest problems with Monday - she was the cleverest, granted, but she was also pretty damn boring a lot of the time too." Okay, good," Monday said, giving them a small smile. She knew they wanted to get on with it, but the slight sadist inside of her was enjoying this immensely. "So, let me hear what each of you plan to do." She raised her right hand and pointed at the Titan on the left side of the line. This Titan was another girl, approximately Monday's age, with chin-length blonde hair, a splash of freckles, and a mischievous smirk. She was Umbra Odessa, A.K.A. Jumpstart, and the source of the aforementioned messiness of the Tower. Ambra's smirk evolved into a broad smile as she lowered her hand to her neck, fiddling with the goggles that hung from it. "Wreck the Californians at video games, enjoy a nice party... In general, have a good time. And simultaneously strengthen the bonds between us." She had added that last part after she noted the odd look Monday had been giving her. Umbra was treading lightly around her - after all, she was the daughter of Stephanie Brown, one of the most violent and unpredictable people to take on the domino mask of Robin. Next in line was a boy, approximately a year older than Monday, with unkempt long red hair, a scarred face, and a dangerous look in his hazel eyes. A candy-red ring glinted on the middle finger of his right hand. This was Flan Devlin, better known by his pseudonym Creed. Flan closed his eyes and sighed in boredom and exasperation before speaking. "Learn more about them, let them learn about us." Flan had the urge to addend why they should stay the hell out of my way, but decided against it. He'd need all the rage he could muster for his role in Titans East. Monday gave him an almost worried look, before she turned to face the third and final Titan in the line. Perhaps "saving the best for last" wasn't accurate, but "saving the biggest for last" certainly was. The last Titan was the most imposing of the four, with his giant chest and powerful limbs. Contrasting this ferociously huge body was his much smaller head; most specifically his comically large forehead, swirling black tattoos, and tiny pale-blue eyes. This was the muscle of their group, Sophos, though his Atlanta friends had given him the nickname Scoop head after comparing his features to the shark of the same name." Eat!" Scoop bellowed, nearly deafening Flan with the noise. "Drink!" Umbra attempted to cover her ears and her mouth at the same time in an attempt to both save her eardrums and hide her laughter. "And BE MERRY!" Monday blinked, stunned, at Scoop head as he shuffled back into his spot in the line. Flan had his head lowered, and was glaring daggers at Scoop - nearly literally, it seemed, as his ring was glowing crimson, and electricity arced dangerously between his fingertips. Umbra had failed miserably at containing her laughter and had fallen to the floor, tears streaming from her face as she attempted to recollect her train of thought before she passed out from lack of oxygen. This was going to be a long first day. Roberta's quirked brow had relented a bit, still glancing between Blue claw and Draco. It was unusual to have the dragon be the translator. Usually it was the one closest to being human who would decipher the other. She seemed shy, and having the dragon around everywhere she went would definitely pose a challenge in some respects. But wait, wasn't there a telepath on the former Teen Titans team? Looking around in the room, he found Raven, and judging from her interactions with Gar and Emerald, Roberta figured they were a family. That meant that Emerald possibly, nay, more likely, inherited Raven's gift of telepathy. Oh... maybe both mother and daughter could read thoughts right now, including hers. But one didn't need to be a clairvoyant to detect that there was something up when they entered the living room and found a young man with a book and glasses seated comfortably in one of the sofas. And he seemed like he was waiting for them. He had an aura of confidence and intelligence. And he looked very accomplished, and likely wealthy for it. Maybe he was the benefactor behind funding the renaissance of this place? The teenager kept silent, looking up at her father for guidance. Cyborg, however, never made the motion to speak, standing there stoically; it was not in his place to speak on behalf of the up-and-coming new Teen Titans. Victor expected Night wing and Raven and Star fire to remain silent as well. But with loudmouth Beast Boy, not so much. Herself "Leif" LuthorScionLeif looked behind him, smiling cheerfully at the new arrivals. "Hey!" He hopped to his feet and smiled cheerfully at the young Titans. "I'm Herself Author - you can just call me Leif, really - and I'm here on behalf of Record to welcome you to your new home!" Leif then turned to face the old Titans. He had his eyes on Raven specifically, who was giving him a rather odd look as she attempted to telepathically read his true motivation for visiting the Tower, but was meeting the mental barrier that he had built through intense training. As he had during his meeting at the Watchtower prior, he could blame it on his genetic model's paranoid nature when it came to Leif's well-being if Raven confronted him on the subject. She would have access to his emotions, of course, but he was too calm to give anything about his plans away. And why would he be anything but calm during this particular business venture? His visit to Titans Tower was just as much out of good faith as it was of malevolent intention. They could be faithful allies just as easily as they could be a setback, really. It all depended on how they'd react to Leif's plans. Monday DrakeKitsune"We're live!" The shout came from Umbra, who had been monitoring the Titans West security footage since they had finished their most recent drill. This had been her second notification of activity in the Tower (the first had been a well-dressed fellow with a book that Mistune recognized immediately as Leif Author, Lex Luthor's less lunatic and more likeable clone), but this one was indeed the new Titans, accompanied by their parents and chaperones. Monday couldn't help but give an apprehensive sigh. As experienced as Titans East's members were, the majority of them had their abilities bestowed upon them rather recently, while Titans West's members had all wielded their powers for their entire lives. She couldn't help but see them as superiors. She especially wanted to meet Roberta (she had heard that she was very clever for her age) and Emerald (more out of curiosity - Beast Boy could never explain where the extra mass for his transformations came from and went, but maybe his daughter had more of a firm grip on how his powers worked)." Alright," Monday said. "Everybody, line up." The three other Titans joined her in front of the Zeta-Beam. Scoop had his arms crossed, and his mouth twisted into an impatient frown. Umbra was running in place, ready to explode through the Zeta-Beam as soon as Titans West established their side of the link. Flan's posture and expression were glum, and those details alone screamed how much he wanted to get to work as a hero already. Granted, they were different, but Monday was sure she could get them to band together somehow. She just had to establish a common goal between them all that wasn't just proving themselves to the League... Voodoo floated around the room, invisible to everyone. Unknown to him, Lief knew very well that he was there, and possibly Raven as well. He floated around, inspecting the new Titans. There was the daughter of Victor, who was probably skilled in tech like her father. The son and daughter of Star fire and Robin. Most likely natural leaders and fighters. Then there was another girl and a dragon - he had no idea who they were. Finally, there was the daughter of Raven and Beast Boy. She was... pretty hot, actually. But if she was anything like her parents, she'd be just as dangerous as she was attractive. He turned his attention to Lief for a moment. "What are your intentions..." he thought to himself, and tried to read his mind, but found a surprisingly strong mental barrier. Almost as strong as Superman's was said to be. Suddenly, the transporter he was floating next to began to flash and beep. Intrigued, he floated over to the couch that Lief had just stood from and made himself comfortable. He wanted a front row seat - things were starting to get interesting. Sent from my Z796C using Tapetal The long hibernation of the great Titans had hung like a blanket over the city. The streets were barren and anyone that would dare be on the street shuffled expediently in silent terror.... but the time had come once more. The lights of that beacon flickered back to life and with it a sense of liberation, protection, and joy was reignited within the denizens of Jump City. The city buzzed with excitement at the revival of the Titan towers. Commemorative events pumped life throughout the city, the high hum of crowds, the shrieks and laughter of children, the pulse of music, the people enjoyed what seemed like the end of an oppression. With all these festivities came a price, the denizens were practically baiting catastrophe. Maybe they had forgotten, for the time being, what had made them all stay locked away for so long, but it was more likely a blatant statement." Come try something, Villains!" they said with their cheers and celebration "The Titans will put you in your place,"Of course they expected that villains wouldn't be foolish enough to outright challenge a team of supers, but they didn't take into account Chaos takes no sides and fears nothing.... Crowds gathered around and stared intently at a massive news screen high above the city." Jump city is bursting with excitement and questions about the new heroes to take the roles of the 'Teen Titans'! " The blonde news reporter read off perkily, she sat stark straight in her seat"The new face of Record, Herself Author, is reported to have made an appearance at the tower to welcome the newcomers. With the brilliant young successor already having formed an alliance with the Justice League, the citizens of Jump city can sleep soundly knowing they have not only a new 'Leif' but a canopy of protection." She sat back and let her body relax a bit." I'm Alice McCarthy and this ha-...." the channel went blank... no bars, no tones, just snow.... A hushed silence fell over the crowd of people as if everyone suddenly held their breath._________________________________________________________________________So shiny Sean had been perched atop a building top admiring the milky white stone he had found. The morning light threw mesmerizing shades of red, orange and yellow all around; the stone held a beautiful halo about it and glinted when he turned it in his hand. Sean was entranced when a sudden noise caused him to jolt in panic. The sudden jump accidentally dislodged the stone from his hand and forced a raspy gasp from the creatures mouth. With no hesitation, Sean dove off the building in pursuit. He was so close... He could almost reach... If he could just go a little-A hard crash was heard for blocks around as the creature landed on top of a car. A lady shrieked in horror and her purse dog yapped incessantly at the sight before seeing the man responsible stand with little to no injury to himself. The woman clutched her white leather bag close to her as she shuffled carefully toward him." Oh my goodness! Are you alright sir!?" she said with urgency, she had stopped her advance completely. Her dog continued to yap noisily at the strange man. Sean stood straight and looked at the woman. Her shirt was a bright pink, her pants black and her heels matched her pure white purse, and it's a noisy inhabitant. Sean grumbled in his throat at the woman before frowning and furrowing his brow in something akin to disgust or anger. The woman definitely noticed his demeanor and turned quickly to leave, but her dog slipped from its place in her purse and ran straight towards the man. Sean's face contorted into something like horror before a powerful force blew him upward into the air; the remnants of the car exploded from the sudden pulse. The woman screamed in terror as she ran away from the scene. The dog's yapping ceased instantly. Sean held tightly to his prized stone as his vertical ascent slowed to a stop. He kicked hard behind himself and was propelled forward at an alarming speed. He crashed hard into the side of a nearby building before slowly scaling its height. Furthermore, he had nearly reached the top when a sound blared in his ears." Jump city is bursting with excitement and questions about the new heroes to take the roles of the 'Teen Titans'!" The sound pierced his ears and made his head spin. He let out an agonized garbled yelp before trying to cover his head with his arms. The rock slipped once more from his grasp.... Sean slowly slid down the tower as the sound overwhelmed him. He shook his head in agony before letting his arm wildly swing out to strike at the tower. A pulsing yellow ball of light flew from his hand and created a large explosion on contact with the tower. Steel beams groaned and creaked before folding as the heat had made them unable to hold their own weight. The tower tumbled down, cleaving into a nearby building before crumbling and falling to the ground in a heap of metal. A soft sigh fell from Sean lips; the needles were gone. He let his arms fall to his sides and recollected his rock once more before walking aimlessly away from the site of destruction. So shiny Storm looked "Leif", it was clear that the boy was none too happy to see the man who now runs Record. But he was set to at least hear the man out before he did anything rash. "What can we do for you?" He asked, putting down his two cases that held nothing but weapons. He then put a hand out towards Leif. "Hello sir, I am Storm. How can we help you?" He asked, when Leif took his hand, storm would squeeze down on the hand rather hard. But not as hard as he could, for fear he would break the man's bone. Herself “Leif” LuthorScionLeif rose from the couch to meet Storm and shake his hand. He had heard plenty about the child of Death stroke, and could already tell that he would be especially difficult to deal with. Especially considering Death stroke’s very serious nature when it came to people harming his loved ones. Storm gave his hand a rather painful squeeze, but Leif simply ignored it. He was turning over a new Leif here, not burning down the whole damn forest. Leif lowered his hand, his face still radiating friendliness. “I've come to offer Record’s services, of course! You're new to town, so I feel like it's my responsibility as one of the Justice League's latest allies to help however I can.” He turned towards the glass wall overlooking Jump City, gesturing towards it. “We've already taken the liberty of updating some of the software on the base’s computer. Standard stuff - ability to magnify images on the window, a GPS map that's constantly updating so you're never behind on the geographic, encrypted radio, Zeta-Beam coordinate programming, et cetera.” The scariest part was that Leif was being serious. He knew that Storm, being suspicious of him, would immediately run a virus check on all the software. But it would be clean, and never before used in the base. As fun as destroying the Titans would be, making them his oblivious little pawns would be even more fun. So why not cater to both possible outcomes? If they became too much of a problem, he could pull out all his gifts and blame it on interference from another one of his possible henchmen - the Gizmo lookalike, aptly nicknamed “Mini-Me.” The beeping from the Zeta-Beam caught Leif's attention. Time for a little demonstration!“Exhibit A! Your brothers and sisters in Steel City wish to arrive, but require the Zeta-Beam link to be online! It's currently offline!” Leif turned towards the window and raised his hands. “Computer login: Herself Author. ID: Mt-001.” Reacting to his voice, a holographic screen popped into existence in front of the window, slightly transparent. With a few more hand gestures, he activated the Zeta-Beam link. Then the tornado arrived. Ambra AdessiJumpstartIf anyone had ever suited the phrase "hitting the ground running," it was Umbra. As soon as the link was established, she was charging towards the portal. The computer had barely enough time to scan her before she passed through the Zeta-Beam that took her to Jump City, California, leaving behind an echo from the computer - "Jumpstart; T-223." The second she materialized in West Tower, Umbra made a beeline for their fridge. She couldn't help it - her incredible speed came when incredible metabolism to boot. She snatched a whole pizza box up and zipped towards one side of the room, sitting down on one of the chairs and finally stopping for the first time since she had arrived. Approximately one second ago. She pulled a slice of pizza out and took a huge bite. She turned to the Titans and saluted them, attempting to talk with them despite her mouthful of food. "Yo. Jumpstart here. Good pizza." Her eastern allies by this point had arrived in her wake - T-221, T-222, and T-224. Scoop head, Mistune, and Creed. Or, as she had nicknamed them, Numskull, Robin Junior (RJ for short), and the Grouch. Each one more annoyed at her rushing ahead than the last." Slowpokes," Umbra muttered, taking a bite of her pizza despite her mouth already being full. Scoop immediately collapsed into the soft embrace of the couch, relaxing after standing around for so long. Creed leaned against the wall and twisted his red Power Ring. The body language made it clear that he didn't want to be spoken to. Mistune, on the other hand, immediately started mingling with her western counterparts. She seemed especially interested in Cyborg's kid, Rosetta Stone (cute name), and Raven and Beast Boy's kid, Emerald, and... Was that Leif Author? Yep. Definitely Leif Author. NATO burrito. Jumpstart simply continued to sit there and eat her pizza. She'd get to playing video games in a bit - nobody in her Tower could beat her, save maybe for Monday once she had a plan. And none of them were any fun to play with. Flan and Scoop would break the controllers if they lost too much, and Monday was always too busy tinkering or practicing playing her. Umbra hoped that one of the West Titans had the time to play her and would be able to match her, or at least didn't crush their controller or short-circuit it when they lost one time too many. Leif raised one hand for attention, taking his glasses off and staring through the slightly transparent holographic display and out the window beyond. "Uh, Titans? Looks like you'll have to cut your housewarming short..." The giant window offered a beautiful view. The entirety of Jump City was spread out before them, making it easy to spot the building slowly tumbling down. Monday Drake swore under her breath and stepped towards its glass. “Computer login: Mistune. ID: T-221.” With a quick hand gesture, she magnified the image using the holographic technology, giving them a good look at the one responsible - a dark-skinned humanoid with rather reddish hair, clutching what appeared to be a small stone." Alright," Monday said as she turned towards the other Titans. "Looks like it's time to set the stage. West, you go after the PERP. East and I will try to evacuate the area and make sure no civilians get harmed before joining you." She turned towards Roberta. "I know you don't have much field experience, but if you're as good with computers as I've heard, then you could watch through the computer, maybe see if you can identify the PERP. It would help immensely if we knew what we were up against." Finally, she faced the original five Teen Titans. "... Although your backup would be very helpful, I must politely request that you leave this fight to us unless this enemy proves too powerful. It'll prove to be a nice warm-up." Leif lowered his arms behind his back, his expression serious. "I'll get Record staff on-site immediately, to help secure the perimeter. Make sure nobody wanders in to get photos at the risk of their lives." Umbra had to admit, this guy was awfully helpful... Finally! Some time to run freely! "Yo, RJ!" Umbra shouted as she shot to her feet, a half-moon grin threatening to tear her face in two. "Mind if I run ahead and get started?" Monday was silent for a few seconds as she readjusted her casual wear. It shimmered slightly as the light refraction system deactivated, revealing it to be her Mistune jumpsuit. Her eyes, however, were distant as she considered Umbra's request."... Alright, Jump." Mistune turned, giving Umbra a serious look as she raised her cowl-like hood over her face. "But maintain contact, for the love of--"Umbra's brain registered Mistune's request, but before she could even finish the sentence the speedster had dashed through the Zeta-Beam taking her to East Tower. Barely a second later, Umbra burst back out, goggles covering her eyes, her Jumpstart costume on and ready to roll. She charged towards the computer, faster than a lightning bolt; then, with a pop like a plane breaking the sound barrier, she was LITERALLY a lightning bolt, as she dove into the power lines of Jump City, riding underground wires across the bay and towards the site of the chaos. Knowing her allies, Scoop would travel across the bay's waters by swimming, Creed would fly with his power ring, and Mistune would use a glider. Regardless, Jumpstart would be the first one there. This was going to be fun. Especially if she could finish evacuating the citizens quickly, and could start fighting the big bad a bit sooner... The words popped into Jump's head, remembered from an old cartoon about the Teen Titans that she had seen a long, long time ago. And, even though nobody would hear her, all alone in the electricity line and too far underneath earth and saltwater to get a communications signal, she said them anyway, her body filled with euphoria and nostalgia at the sound reverberating through her head." Titans, go!" Sonny KentSolSonny woke up in a pile of rubble that had once been her hotel. She usually didn't wake up like this. She certainly didn't fall asleep in rubble, and most of the buildings she slept in were intact when she woke up. But this one was completely collapsed. Great. Just great. Knowing how much daddy trusted her, she'd be stuck in the Watchtower for life after this incident. That's the last thing she wanted, so it was either get lost or clear her name. This was going to be another one of those mornings, wasn't it? Fortunately, her hotel room had been on the top floor of the hotel. It only took a few super-powered kicks to get free.Also, fortunately, it looked like the other inhabitants had evacuated by the time the building toppled, as a quick x-ray scan confirmed that she was the only one left in the building. Thank god they were safe. She'd berate them for not carrying HER out later, when she was done here. Unfortunately, though she was incredibly durable even by superhero standards, she had still sustained some injuries. Her body was bruised all over, the most serious of which was a lovely shiner on her right eye. And it felt like one of her ribs might have been broken. Yep. Definitely one of THOSE mornings. A broken rib, a black eye, and a collapsed hotel, and she hadn’t even had her morning coffee yet. She couldn't even have her morning coffee, either, because the coffee machine had been crushed by rubble. Joy. It didn't take long for her to find the man responsible. He looked a bit younger than her, muscular enough but with no visible evidence of blood veins. In his hand was a shiny, egg-like stone. Maybe a pearl? Regardless, he was the only other person nearby, and was too busy staring at his rock to notice the surrounding destruction. Maybe it had been unintentional? Sonny would have to figure out what was making him tick and clear her name before she was even accused, or else forfeit her “outdoors” privileges.”Hey!” she shouted at the veinless youth, in an attempt to get his attention. “Nice stone, uh... I was kinda trying to sleep here, but now my hotel is wrecked! Do you know how this happened, or...?” Voodoo teleported off the couch just before the large Atlanta flopped onto it. He sighed softly to himself, and turned to the window to see what the commotion was about. A building crumbled downtown, and Voodoo smirked. He watched Jumpstart zoom out of the room and get to work. She was pretty attractive as well - why did the good guys get all the good looks? He turned his attention back to the rubble, and his smile grew wider." I can cause more carnage than that..." he thought to himself. He used his magic to pinpoint the location of Jumpstart - she was inside a power line, and travelling fast. Thankfully, teleportation was faster. He teleported to downtown and blasted the power line Jumpstart was in with magic, severing the connection and causing a nearby transformer to explode, sending Jumpstart crashing out of the wire and onto the streets. He smiled as he walked up to her." Hello." he said, and gave a slight bow. "I am Voodoo, son of Jinx and enemy of the New Titans." Sent from my Z796C using Tapetal

Teen Titans (IC)|rating:4.0

ToS Exhibition_ PhoenixRivers vs TheTerran (Take 2)

Buff times? Spoiler Hide {table=head]|A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L 1|||||||||||| 2| 3|||C|C|||||C|C|| 4|||C|C|||||C|C|| 5|||||||||||| 6| 7| 8|||||||||||| 9|||C|C|||||C|C|| 10|||C|C|C|C|C|C|C|C|| 11||||||||||C 12||||||||||C|| 13| 14|||C| 15|||C||||||||| 16|||C|C|C|C|C|C|C|C|| 17|||C|C|||||C|C|| 18| 19|||||||||||| 20| 21|||||||||||| 22|||C|C|||||C|C|| 23|||C|C|||||C|C|| 24| 25|||||||||||[/table] Not picky, what do you want? I don't know... All-day +3 Rounds? Sounds good. Are you taking top or bottom?edit: buffs:Spoiler Hide All day: +11 AC (Inertial Armor, ML 15, Overchanneled, Talented to negate damage to self. (15pp) Vigor (+20 HP) to cover: (4pp) Dispelling buffer, ML 15, Overchanneled. 3d8 damage to self (11pp) Round 1: Schism Round 2 (schism): Touch sight (80ft) (9pp) Round 2: Greater Invisibility Round 3 (schism): Vigor, +50 hp Augmented to (10pp) Round 3: Synchronicity (3pp) I'll take top... Starting Locale Spoiler Hide C2 Buffs Spoiler Hide All-Days Spoiler Hide Superior Resistance Rounds Spoiler Hide 1 - Manifest Schism 2 - Schism (Activate Prayer Beads) 2 - Standard: Cast Arcane Sight, Greater from Scroll 3 - Schism (Planar Embrace) 3 - Standard: Eyes of the Oracle 3 - Swift: Spell Caster's Bane Starting Location:Spoiler Hide e23 Other assorted OO stuff:Spoiler Hide [/roll]3d8[/roll] for above Unit:(1d20+3)[21] Other assorted OO stuff (2):Spoiler Hide (3d8)[11] Ah Forgot Unit. Initiative - (1d20+2)[18](edit)I'm actually specking out a Cleric / Prion, just to see if it's better...and honestly...it's looking better, just for the shear versatility...the worst part is losing level 6 cleric...level 7 Ardent is kind of "Meh" anyway...(and honestly, level 6 prion isn't that great now that Temporal Acceleration is banned. My Round 1:Spoiler Hide Cast: Greater Blink Schism: Force screen +7 AC (13pp) Go ahead.edit: There are plenty of good high level powers without Temp AFCEL. :) My Round 1Spoiler Hide Schism - Ready an Action to Celestial Conduit on Los Standard - Cast True Seeing Move Action - Fly to B13. Oracle Ready - Ready an action to Counterspell a spell w/ Greater Dispel. End my Turn. Let me know if you have any extra sensory perceptions, and their range... Edit: Care listing a few? Cause me in my limited experience isn't seeing much... Extrasensory ability:Touch sight (80 feet range)Yours? My Round 2:Spoiler Hide Me: Spell caster's Bane Schism: Energy Adaptation (7 pp) Move to C18 Anticipatory Strike, for one. Dispelling Buffer is another. I have True Seeing... Greater Arcane Sight... And Anticipatory Strike is level 5Though Dispelling buffer is nice, it's also not a "general" so you'll either have to burn a feat to get it, or burn a feat to get schism... You pinpoint me in B13, before your turn...if that changes your actions, then go ahead and change them.(edit)So which discipline is your guy? Telepath or Geneticist? TelepathKineticist, sorry, looking at wrong sheet. I also now have spell caster's bane active. I am visible in C18, though I am blinking in and out rapidly. Furthermore, I'm invisible, but you can see through that. Your turn. Oh, I guess Spell caster's Bane is extra-sensory, I have that as well... So True Seeing / Greater Arcane Sight / Spell Caster's Bane / Spell-Battle Ring (as in, what you cast on yourself, I realized this was a bit vague)I think that covers it... So I should know everything that you've got around you... Also... I'm assuming spell caster's bane will pick up even Schism'd powers, right? Spells/Powers active:Inertial Armor (ML 15)Force Screen (ML 10)Vigor (ML 10)Energy Adaptation (ML 10)Greater Blink (CL 13)Dispelling Buffer (ML 15)Schism (ML 15)Touch sight (ML 10)Greater Invisibility (CL 13)Spell caster's bane does get schism'd powers. My Turn 2. Schism - Manifest Celestial Conduit Damage - (7d6)[25] Will Negates DC27 I'll stop there before continuing because I'm expecting an Anticipatory Strike forthcoming. Ignore the damage... I'll have to reroll it. Will:(1d20+10)[20] Celestial Conduit DamagePositiveEnergy - (11d6)[39]Will Negates DC27Blink Miss (if needed)(1d2)[2]1=Miss(edit) if no Anticipatory Strike, I'll continue My Round 2 (cont)Swift Action: Activate Dispelling Cord Standard Action: Targeted Dispel Psionic (10pp)Anything with an ML/CL of 27 or less is dispelled...(Enter Anticipatory Strike) Contingent spell activates (Spell craft DC 24 to identify):17 globes of light appear around me, circling. Resolving Dispel:Spoiler Hide Effulgent Education absorbs 1 globe winks out, all my buffs remain. A new buff appears: Effulgent Education (CL 17). Continue? Blink miss, as you can see INVS, is 20%. As you passed a 50%, we'll skip it this time, but don't cheat yourself :) My Round 2OOSpoiler Hide Eyes of Oracle - Ready to Counterspell anything with Greater Dispel Magic if it targets or in any way may hurt me. Your go. That's a nice spell btw, I'd never seen it before just now... I guess I should take some time and actually look over level 8–9 spells... My Round 3:Your rings and such will first pick up my schism's spell. Dispel Psionic, at ML 10. Also, one of the knots on my belt unknots.OO:Spoiler Hide It's targeted, augmented to 10pp. If this is successful:Spoiler Hide It's targeted on you, and the check result will automatically dispel anything with CL 27 or lower. Readied Action Triggered to Counterspell with Greater Dispel Magic (Assuming I can) You normally could, yes. However, counterspells target the spell caster. That makes my education able to absorb it. Another globe winks out. Spell's still coming at you. Any other reactions? Nope. The follow-up action, from me:Ego Whip, fully augmented and overchanneled to ML 15. Expend Psionic focus to negate damage to myself. Charisma Damage:(4d4)[11], Will DC 25 for half. If you fail this save, you are also dazed for 1 round. I'll use my Ring of Spell battle to turn the Ego-Whip back at you. Sigh. Well, Spell battle changes the target, so another globe winks out. Your turn. Assuming you haven't moved (as I cannot see invisible junk anymore...) Celestial Conduit through the last place I saw you inhabit.OO Spoiler Hide (11pp) PositiveEnergyDamage - (11d6)[38]Reflex Halves DC27I'll move to D15 and break Los. Other Actions:Spoiler Hide Swift Action: Cast Spell Caster's Bane Standard Action: Cast Lesser Globe of Invulnerability And I'm done. To the Celestial Conduit:Anticipatory strike.OO:Spoiler Hide Schism uses Still Silent True Strike. I use Still spell Ray of Dizziness Move Silently: (1d20+7)[10]to A17 A ray beams out from the square I occupied. If(1d20+29)[49]hits your touch AC: (Nat 20)Spoiler Hide then you are limited to a single move or standard action each round. Further, you are entitled to a listen check. After that, you may continue your turn, and modify any actions you wish. ... A Nat 20... Listen - (1d20+12)[20] There was movement to the south after the spell was cast (for those who can spell craft, it was away of Dizziness). You can't pinpoint exactly where. I should have Anticipatory Struck your Anticipatory Strike Can I revise my Celestial Conduit? Or am I stuck with it? Originally Posted by veteran I should have Anticipatory Struck your Anticipatory Strike Can I revise my Celestial Conduit? Or am I stuck with it? Yes, you can revise your celestial conduit. Cast See Invisibility. Your go. Actually, you're stunned, aren't you? Stunned, not quite. An Strike doesn't stun. I just lose this round. However, now that my turn has passed, I can An Strike again, should I choose to. Lovely...so it's back to me...do I see you now that I have See Invisibility up?(edit)And come to think of it, I don't even have Schism anymore... Anywho, assuming I can't see you.OO Spoiler Hide Cast Lesser Globe of Invulnerability If I can see you with See Invisibility up, that will probably change. You can, I'm in A17. Celestial Conduit.OO Spoiler Hide Overchanneled Damage - (3d8)[16] (19pp) Positive Energy Damage - (19d6)[69]Reflex Halves DC 35 Reflex:(1d20+10)[18]Edit: Take 69 damage.OO:Spoiler Hide Base hp: 80 + 50 temp Damage taken: 39+69, or 108. Remaining HP: 22 Miss Chance:(1d5)[3]5 misses. For Greater Blink. Back to you. As I can only take Standard or Moves... OO:Spoiler Hide Schism: Ready action: Counterspell Energy stun Augmented to 13pp My action: Manifest a power: Psi craft DC 17:Spoiler Hide Energy Stun Need a Reflex save, DC 26. If that fails, I also need a Will save, DC 26. Damage:(11d6)[36]electricity. Psi craft - (1d20+7)[11]Reflex - (1d20+5)[12]Will - (1d20+19)[26](edit)And I died'm definitely thinking that the 7th level of Ardent isn't worth the Ardent... I'm about done with the Prion Version, which I think I will like much more...(edit2)Two Questions:1. Could I have dispelled the effects of the Dizzying Ray?2. Can Dispel Psionic be used for counterspelling? Originally Posted by veteran [roll0] [roll1] [roll2] (edit) And I die I'm definitely thinking that the 7th level of Ardent isn't worth the Ardent... I'm about done with the Prion Version, which I think I will like much more... (edit2) Two Questions: 1. Could I have dispelled the effects of the Dizzying Ray? 2. Can Dispel Psionic be used for counterspelling? 1. Yes.2. No (actually, had you survived, that may have caused me a problem, as my schism was going to attempt to do that). This one's a Prion/Wizard. It's powerful, and effective. A lack of perfect level 6 powers hurts. If you're interested, I can check your next build vs my wilder. I would like that very much should have it done by tomorrow (edit)Casting Cleric spells off of INT just feels weird Originally Posted by veteran I would like that very much I should have it done by tomorrow (edit) Casting Cleric spells off of INT just feels weird Archivist does it better. :p Very true...and w/o a "wasted" feat... I might have to look into that... Meh... I'll go ahead and finish the build "as is", but look into Archivist... I've been very tempted here lately just to make a straight-up Cleric Counterspell/DispellerThough I don't know how it would fair Originally Posted by veteran Very true...and w/o a "wasted" feat... I might have to look into that... Meh... I'll go ahead and finish the build "as is", but look into Archivist... I've been very tempted here lately just to make a straight-up Cleric Counterspell/Dispelled Though I don't know how it would fair You'll need to spend the feat to get inquisition domain, instead of spend it on int to casting. However, you benefit from an expanded spell list. Blew...never noticed that the bonus spells for an Archivist were based off of Wis and not Int Originally Posted by veteran Blew...never noticed that the bonus spells for an Archivist were based off of Wis and not Int Bonus spells are overrated anyway. It's max spell level and spell DC that's really important. Alright, I've got this guy ready to go, just let me know when you're ready (edit)And just curious...how's "Against the Dragon" going? I've skimmed through some of it, seems like it would be fun Originally Posted by veteran Alright, I've got this guy ready to go, just let me know when you're ready (edit) And just curious...how's "Against the Dragon" going? I've skimmed through some of it, seems like it would be fun I'm ready when you are. Against the Dragon's good. They've encountered the dragon in combat a couple of times now. All PC-on-dragon conflict has resulted in one side or the other fleeing quickly. The Dragon's iced one party member (who was raised), and more recently, brought another from 195 hp to 2 hp in one round. It's got elemental monoliths cavorting around its lair, and is defending it scarily well. The PC's have managed to dispel a dragon buff, destroy some lair defenses, but are in the process of pulling out (I think) to regroup and replan the assault. I'll post up in the morning, but what kind of buff time do you need to test out your wilder? Also. I'm kinda upset I didn't see this "Against the Dragon"...it's very entertaining, and I would have very much liked to have been a part of it...but it makes for good reading as well Originally Posted by veteran I'll post up in the morning, but what kind of buff time do you need to test out your wilder? Also. I'm kinda upset I didn't see this "Against the Dragon"...it's very entertaining, and I would have very much liked to have been a part of it...but it makes for good reading as well I'm good with minimal buffs. 2 Rounds should be sufficient. Too bad I just filled the final spot on my next project, or I'd invite you in. A campaign I'm running, titled "The Black Flight" Originally Posted by Phoenix Rivers I'm good with minimal buffs. 2 Rounds should be sufficient. Too bad I just filled the final spot on my next project, or I'd invite you in. A campaign I'm running, titled "The Black Flight" Awe...well next time you start up a project, let me knower if you have someone drop and need an alternate Anywho.2 Buff Rounds it is...(Does that include all-days?) I'll take top again. Starting:Spoiler Hide D2 Sure, if you want them. Buffs:Spoiler Hide All day: Dispelling buffer (10pp) Round 1: Schism (6pp) Round 2 (schism): Activate Pearl of Power Round 2 (me): Activate Vigor (ML 16) Wild Surge (+4) Torn (20pp) - 105 temporary HP 20% daze chance. (1d100)[32] 1–20 dazes Starting in:Spoiler Hide H23 Induced trigger: if an ability I do not activate would affect me. Unit:(1d20+2)[8] Buffs (All-Day Included, but can be removed if necessary)Spoiler Hide All-Day +11 AC Inertial Armor (15pp) Overchannelled and Talented. Dispelling Buffer (11pp) Round 1 - Schism Round 2 Schism - Activate Beads of Karma Round 2 - Conviction Round 2 - Spell caster's Bane Initiative - (1d20+3)[12] Sorry, All days are fine. In addition, I'll inform you of campaign updates. No problem Looks like I'm up first... My Round 1Spoiler Hide Schism: Vigor +55HP (11pp) Main: Cast Sheltered Vitality Move to E7. Extra Sensory Perceptions? I have Touch sight / Spell caster's Bane / Ring of Spell-Battle, not that any matter atm. My Round 2:Spoiler Hide Self: Manifest Touch sight, ML 16. Augment to 12pp after torn Schism: Activate Haste SLA Move: to K12 Touch sight 100', with LOVE down the entire right side of the board, and the bottom and middle open areas. If you can see bottom and middle, your touch sight picks me up in E7. My touch sight should pick you up as well though...(I would assume) E7's the top open area. Row 17 down is the bottom. Row 11-15 is the middle. Row 9 and up is the top. Out of a sense of fairness, I'm in K12. That said? One of my characters can defeat every detection method that exists in the game, at a range of 10 feet or higher. Do you have to have Love for touch sight to work? I had assumed it was like Hindsight... Nope. Doesn't say it ignores Love, and it describes itself asemanatingfrom you. So if you have 100ft touch sight, you'd be able to tell that I was in E7, right? Nope, there are pillars between us. I gave you my location out of fair play. Ah, so if there's something between us, then Touch sight doesn't work. Gotcha. Ignore where I am, and I'll ignore where you are, and I'll continue on with what I was going to dome Round 2Spoiler Hide Schism - Force Screen (9pp) +6 AC Standard - Cast Divine Agility Move to B10 Your go.(edit)And the character that can do that, would it be fluffy? My turn:Spoiler Hide Schism: Synchronicity for 0 pp. Action: Targeted Dispel Me: Synchronicity for 0 pp. Action: Targeted Dispel Move: south to B13 I now have viewed of the entire left side of the board. Edit: No, Fluffy frankly doesn't give a damn if you can see him. He's been hit with every status effect under the sun, and every type of damage. Without a dispel, he's immune to pretty much everything. You see me in B10. Does this change your actions? I enter LOS at L13 and continue over to B13. From there, it's your go. The no-detected guy relies on hiding in ethereal fog. Which of your characters is that? And how do you get ethereal fog? My Round 3OO (Assuming you don't have something that can detect Schism manifestations). Spoiler Hide Schism - Dispel Psionic Targeted at PR. (10pp) Anything ML 25 or less on you is now the target of a dispel. I'll see the reaction before continuing with my turn. That's the ninja. And you get ethereal fog by casting a fog spell while ethereal, lol.OO:Spoiler Hide Induced spell activates, affected by timeless body Dispel effect resolved. Continue. That was almost too easy... I'll manifest Disintegrate, Psionic at you (because I can!) Ranged Touch Attack - (1d20+13)[31]Damage - (22d6)[89]Fort Save DC25On Fort Save take Damage - (5d6)[21]Your Go.(edit)Wouldn't an all encompassing Transdimensional spell take care of that though? The disintegrate hits solidly... and does nothing. When you do that, I have ready actions to take (specifically, synchronicity actions). First, from the schism: Targeted dispel psionic (augmented to +20 dispel). If you don't do anything:Spoiler Hide Dispel checks (10 rolled, tell me if more are needed: (1d20+24)[33] Dispel CL 22 (1d20+24)[40] Dispel CL 29 (1d20+24)[26] Dispel CL 15 (1d20+24)[40] Dispel CL 29 (1d20+24)[25] Dispel CL 14 (1d20+24)[29] Dispel CL 18 (1d20+24)[42] Dispel CL 31 (1d20+24)[42] Dispel CL 31 (1d20+24)[27] Dispel CL 16 (1d20+24)[32] Dispel CL 21 Edit: Transdimensional spells are rather rare. Spell-Battle Ring deflects it back at you. OO:Spoiler Hide still immune to all effects Resolved. Second ready action: Targeted Dispel. If nothing is done to stop this:Spoiler Hide 10 checks: (1d20+24)[42] Dispel CL 31 (1d20+24)[38] Dispel CL 27 (1d20+24)[42] Dispel CL 31 (1d20+24)[31] Dispel CL 20 (1d20+24)[26] Dispel CL 15 (1d20+24)[41] Dispel CL 30 (1d20+24)[30] Dispel CL 19 (1d20+24)[32] Dispel CL 21 (1d20+24)[30] Dispel CL 19 (1d20+24)[35] Dispel CL 24 Grrr... Alright, Fine... I'm dispelled (I've got a contingent Effulgent Education on this guy, but I really want to win w/o it! So I didn't set a trigger for this match just to see how he does w/o it.) lol. I'm not so charitable. One of my Induced powers has already triggered. Let me know if your turn is over (my readied actions were on your turn). I know...but I'm wanting to see how valuable it really is...so we continue on. And I guess it's your normal turn now. Schism:Celestial Conduit:(11d6)[35]damage Reflex DC 32 half Me:Celestial Conduit:(21d6)[70]damage Reflex DC 42 half Your turn from there.OO:Spoiler Hide enervation chance [roll]1d100 - 1-20 enervates. Still under effect of timeless body, immune to pp loss and stun. OO2:Spoiler Hide (1d100)[66] for enervation odds EDIT: Very valuable. It stops all targeted effects, including dispels and counters. Disjunction will eat it, but otherwise, it's a long burn through 17 orbs. In Response to the first one, I'll Anticipatory Strike it! I'll move north to B8, the east and out of Los/Love.OO Spoiler Hide Ending in E9. Then I'll Manifest a Power (Psi craft DC19) Spoiler Hide Dimension Door, Psionic Other OO:Spoiler Hide Teleporting to D24 Back to you. Edit: yeah, but stuff like Celestial Conduit and energy Stun are not targeted Very well:Spoiler Hide 2nd power not activated. Instead, Synchronicity for 2pp (any action, any trigger) Moving North to B1, getting a good view of the north section of the board.EDIT: Yes, but that's what defensive buffs and Interrupt actions (like the one you just made) are for. And you see nothing.(edit)I lose a turn, so you're up again. Turn over. Second turn (as you Unstriped):Double move south to B24. This should get a solid visibility over 95% of the board. Turn not over. I'm in D24, looking quite dumb (edit) since my turn is over, can I anticipatory strike again? Originally Posted by veteran I'm in D24, looking quite dumb (edit) since my turn is over, can I anticipatory strike again? Yes, you can. Schism action: Death Urged 29 Will Save.OO:Spoiler Hide Augmented, 6pp cost) Anticipatory Strike Manifest Celestial Conduit Damage - (19d6)[68]Reflex Halves DC34OOSpoiler Hide (19pp) Talented, so psi focus gone Move east and north, breaking LoSOOSpoiler Hide End in E21. OO:Spoiler Hide 2nd Timeless Triggers I'm unscratched by the conduit. Turn over. You're anStrikeable again. Next turn. Move: East to K24, then north to K21 (I will stop as soon as I establish LOS) You see me in E21. Which means I stop in E24. I manifest Synchronicity So does my Schism Spoiler Hide both 0pp. My action: Ego Whip Schism action: Death Urge Done. Immediately after my turn ends:Death Urge, on you:OO:Spoiler Hide no augment, 6pp Will, DC 29 Will save. So "after your turn ends" means it's on my turn?so could I technically Anticipatory strike, take a turn, then come out of the strike and take my normal turn? You could, yes. However, that would mean you lose the turn after this one, and can't An Strike until after THAT turn. Anticipatory Strike! I'll move west, blocking Love from your junk!OO:Spoiler Hide Manifest Schism. And that ends the A.S. Then I'll cast Sheltered Vitality. Then Schism will Manifest Dimension Door to D2. You hear a spell being cast. Spell craft DC19. And it's back to you. Your movement makes me inclined to use my SECOND synchronicity. :)Ego Whip:(5d4)[12]Charisma damage. Will save for half: DC 35OO:Spoiler Hide ML +2 on the wild surge (1d100)[43] 1–10 dazes And I die...even on the half, I'm dead... Looks like the contingent spell I need (Edit) Care for another go? I'm switching stuff around, ever so slightly, and I plan on using my orbs this time! ... among other things...consequently, how many timeless bodies do you have?(edit2) still working on my archivist, or I'd throw him into the fray... Originally Posted by veteran And I die...even on the half, I'm dead... Looks like the contingent spell I need (Edit) Care for another go? I'm switching stuff around, ever so slightly, and I plan on using my orbs this time! ... among other things... consequently, how many timeless bodies do you have? It's ok. I had to pull everything out for that, and take a long shot. I have 1 timeless body tattoo, attached to an inducer (makes it contingent) and a capacitor (expends instead of a tattoo, and slowly recharges). If I'd had a few more gold, I'd have put a transducer on it too, which would let me recharge it. I'm going to experiment with cheaper base powers, see if I can make something icky. Your character is Tier 1. I beat it by being canny about ready actions and using something you didn't. Without that, I'd have likely lost. So not want to go again? Honestly, I'm pleasantly surprised how well Dimension Door works in a bind And what book do these "inducers" and "capacitors" reside? This guy actually has a lot of Immediate Action Powers...but the junk you were throwing just didn't let me get to use them (edit)This guy is Tier 1? Really?!?(edit2)After looking at some of these powers...they are a tad redundant...going to see if I can't fix that in my Archivist build... Originally Posted by veteran So not want to go again? Honestly, I'm pleasantly surprised how well Dimension Door works in a bind, And what book do these "inducers" and "capacitors" reside? This guy actually has a lot of Immediate Action Powers...but the junk you were throwing just didn't let me get to use them (edit) This guy is Tier 1? Really?!? (edit2) After looking at some of these powers...they are a tad redundant...going to see if I can't fix that in my Archivist build... Sure, if you don't mind me switching which character you face. I don't care, I'll face fluffy if that's who you want to throw at me... Originally Posted by veteran I don't care, I'll face fluffy if that's who you want to throw at me... God, I'm not cruel! I was thinking a lower tier. Originally Posted by Phoenix Rivers God, I'm not cruel! I was thinking a lower tier. LOKI've already faced fluffy once...and got my face beat in by an Earth Elemental... Originally Posted by veteran LOL I've already faced fluffy once...and got my face beat in by an Earth Elemental... If it makes you feel better, I use air when I really want people to bleed. In all fairness, the guy you beat down was probably a tier 3 on a good day Originally Posted by veteran In all fairness, the guy you beat down was probably a tier 3 on a good day Yeah, but fluffy's mostly defense. His offense is much weaker than his D. thinking about it...really the only way to beat him would be to dispel his crap...which I'm sure isn't easy... Originally Posted by veteran thinking about it...really the only way to beat him would be to dispel his crap...which I'm sure isn't easy... I can think of one other way, but I've got plans for that. See, but you can actually see his weaknesses... I don't have the privilege to see the sheet (edit)Anywho, who's going to victimize my guy next? Originally Posted by veteran See, but you can actually see his weaknesses... I don't have the privilege to see the sheet If you want the sheet, I'll PM it to you. He looks pathetic on the sheet. I've actually seen the sheet...once upon a time... And I'm ready whenever you are, though I'm going to be logging here shortly Unit:(1d20+6)[23]2 buff rounds, again? This isn't the ninja, is it? ...maybe.lol Crap... I don't even know if I can effect the Ethereal Plane...at all...(edit) Will have to "examine" my options...if there are any... Originally Posted by veteran Crap... I don't even know if I can effect the Ethereal Plane...at all... (edit) Will have to "examine" my options...if there are any... Want a hint? Positive energy affects the ethereal plane normally, with no miss chance (same as force). Celestial conduit. Originally Posted by Phoenix Rivers Want a hint? Positive energy affects the ethereal plane normally, with no miss chance (same as force). Celestial conduit. Really? It'States? I thought it wasonlyforce that effected ethereal...RMM... Originally Posted by veteran Really? It's that easy? I thought it was only force that effected ethereal...RMM... Oh wait, I was thinking incorporeal. You're right. For ethereal, you need to force effects and gaze attacks. Yeah, that's what I was afraid of... Originally Posted by veteran Yeah, that's what I was afraid of... You're a the urge. There's several good arcane options, and, well, there's likely a prion option or two. Originally Posted by Phoenix Rivers You're a the urge. There's several good arcane options, and, well, there's likely a prion option or two. I'm a divine theurgeYou have to come out of the fog to attack, right? Another question: You manifested Synchronicity for 0pp in our previous match with the Wilder, how does that work since Synchronicity says it's 1pp to manifest... Originally Posted by veteran I'm a divine the urge Spiritual Weapon, among others. Originally Posted by veteran Another question: You manifested Synchronicity for 0pp in our previous match with the Wilder, how does that work since Synchronicity says it's 1pp to manifest... Torn of power preservation. All powers cost 1 pp less. Originally Posted by XPH Torn of Power Preservation: This item is a band inlaid with precious metal, worn around the neck or upper arm. The wearer of a torn of power preservation manifests all powers by paying power points equal to the standard cost minus 1 (minimum of 1). Wow! Gonna look up that torch, and Spiritual Weapon sucks, because it's keyed off of Wis, and my Wis six, as I cast off INT but don't worry, I've found some stuff thatshouldworkAnywho... Yes, 2 rounds of buffs + all-day should be guiding - (1d20+3)[16] Starting Location:Spoiler Hide B23 Buffs:Spoiler Hide All Day: Assassin's Stance Round 1: Activate Cloak. Round 2: Cast obscuring mist. Hide: (1d20+20)[38] Originally Posted by Phoenix Rivers Torn of power preservation. All powers cost 1 pp less. That item was reprinted in the MIC, giving it a daily limit of uses. Also, even if you were using the XPH version, it specifies a minimum PP cost of 1. CM iseverywhereStarting Spoiler Hide H2 Buffs:Spoiler Hide All-Day Inertial Armor 11 AC Overchannel (15pp) talented Dispelling buffer (11pp) Round 1 - Schism Round 2 Schism - Beads of Karma Round 2 - Danger Sense (8pp) gaining uncanny dodge Round 2 - Spell caster's Bane My action:Spoiler Hide Double Move to C18 Hide:(1d20+15)[27] (pillar is cover if needed) You're up. Does the Schism have to go before the rest of me? (Just for clarification)My Action:Spoiler Hide Schism - Vigor (11pp) 55hp Cast Divine Agility. Move to H8. You're up. No, I just usually do it that way to get the weaker power out of the way, and to suck out responses before I drop the big hit. My Action:Spoiler Hide Double move to B13 Hide:(1d20+15)[22] You're up. My Actions:Spoiler Hide Schism - Touch sight 90ft (11pp) Standard - Manifest True Seeing (9pp) You're up... I have Touch sight 90ft if it matters...but I can't see down either side at the moment. (also true seeing) Touch sight doesn't matter. True seeing may, eventually. My Action:Spoiler Hide Move to B10 Cast Obscuring mist. Hide:(1d20+15)[23] Assuming you're in the north section (north of row 10):Spoiler Hide If you can see the vicinity of A6 - D8:Spoiler Hide Your true seeing detects a thick fog in that area. If this is not true, and you are further south, let me know. I can see it, can I assume that it's some kind of "ethereal" fog?Also, if you're in that fog that I can see. Spoiler Hide I'm in H8 Yes. The fog does not extend to the material plane. Yes, I am in the fog, somewhere (I only showed you the sections that you could see). No, I don't have LOS to your location. Not sure if you're done with your turn or not... I'll assume you are. My Actions (if your turn is over, read the spoiler):Spoiler Hide Move West to B8, which I assume you can see, if not, please disregard again. Could you tell me where the center of the mist is? My turn isn't over. The only reason I know where the center is, is because I created it. How do you intend to get that information, when your visibility within it is 5 feet? If you don't see ethereal, you can't see through it beyond 5 feet. If you do see ethereal, you cannot. Oh, right...duh... So I see ethereal, so I cannot see beyond 5ft...and touch sight doesn't work because you're ethereal... Actions (cont)Spoiler Hide Schism - Manifest Force Screen +6 (9pp) Cast Sheltered Vitality Your Go. Well, my next action will put us 5 feet from each other, as I intended to move north to the edge of the fog. I'll need a spot check. Spoiler Hide Move: north to B9 Hide: (1d20+20)[31] Edit: (turn not over) Spot - (1d20)[14] You don't see anything. (my hide check was around 31)Remainder of turn (OO):Spoiler Hide Move: Ghost Strike Swift: Belt of battle, standard action Cast Scorching Ray Touch attack:(1d20+16)[28]If Hit:(4d6)[8]fire damage Touch attack:(1d20+16)[31]If Hit:(4d6)[9]fire damage Touch attack:(1d20+16)[34]If Hit:(4d6)[16]fire damage If you don't have something that allows you to retain DEX, these are flat-footed touch attacks. In that case, the first one deals an additional(6d6)[28]damage.OO:Spoiler Hide: [/roll]1d20[/roll] (-20 penalty for hiding after attack) OO2:Spoiler Hide (1d20)[20] fix the broken I retain my DEX (Go Danger Sense Go!) Does that "bonus" damage still apply? Originally Posted by veteran I retain my DEX (Go Danger Sense Go!) Does that "bonus" damage still apply? No, uncanny dodge protects you from sudden strike and sneak attack. Sweet. Spot - (1d20)[5]Assuming that Fails. I cast Zone of Revelation (SPC) targeted on my square. Everything within 70ft of me is now revealed. And once you're back in the Material plane, my touch sight will pick you up (or should), then I'll target you with a Death Urge. Will Save DC25.OO Spoiler Hide 11pp Will:(1d20+19)[35]Next? Back to you. Well, now.... I'm in B9. I take a 5-foot step to B10, and cast a spell. Spellcraft DC 17:Spoiler Hide Scorching Ray If that is successful:Spoiler Hide Touch attack: (1d20+14)[34] for (6d6)[27] damage Touch attack: (1d20+14)[33] for (6d6)[25] damage Touch attack: (1d20+14)[17] for (6d6)[15] damage If that is successful (2):Spoiler Hide CRT Threat on attack 1: (1d20+14)[30] for (6d6)[22] additional damage Spell craft - (1d20+25)[27]AutopassImmediate Action:Manifest a power Psi Craft DC21Spoiler Hide Mind over Energy [Fire] (11pp) (edit)If you can see me:Spoiler Hide I'm unscathed Then it's your turn. Assuming my Touch sight still pinpoints you. I'll target you with Psionic Dispel. CL/ML 25 and lower are dispelled assuming you do nothing. Then, Spoiler Hide Celestial Conduit Positive Energy Damage - (19d6)[67]DC34 Reflex halvesOOSpoiler Hide Overchanneled Damage - (3d8)[5] Your go. That'll drop me. :) That was the first time I've wonanythingin the ToS...and I had to use a Tier 1 to beat down a Tier 3 (edit)Though honestly, I wasn't expecting him to drop that easily...and I still had cheats to speak, with Zone of Revelation...but that's becoming a mainstay) Originally Posted by veteran That was the first time I've won anything in the ToS...and I had to use a Tier 1 to beat down a Tier 3 (edit)Though honestly, I wasn't expecting him to drop that easily...and I still had to cheat so to speak, with Zone of Revelation...but that's becoming a mainstay) Want to try a stronger character? I've got Spartacus. I'm not sure what that is, but sure... I'm still struggling with spells (and a direction) for my Archivist/Prion, so I'll take on another one with this guy. Originally Posted by veteran I'm not sure what that is, but sure... I'm still struggling with spells (and a direction) for my Archivist/Prion, so I'll take on another one with this guy. Spartacus was my first real attempt at building a Earmarked. He's fun. He's not the guy that deals 130 fire damage in one punch, is he? Originally Posted by veteran He's not the guy that deals 130 fire damage in one punch, is he? No. To my knowledge, he doesn't deal fire damage at all. He's also not the guy that zaps someone for 400 damage, will save for half. My earmarked is respectable. Kinda. Maybe I'm thinking of one of Fanatic's characters... Anywho.all-days and 2 buff rounds again? Sure:Buffs:Spoiler Hide Oil of GMW x2 on my weapons. Stance: Thicket of Blades Round 1: Activate Touch sight tattoo Round 2: Activate Expansion Tattoo Round 2: Contingent Divine Agility Triggered (Trigger: I become larger than a horse) Round 2 (Swift): Activate Animal Devotion (Ape) Location (bottom):Spoiler Hide E22-G24 Unit:(1d20+8)[19] Starting Location:Spoiler Hide D2 Unit - (1d20+3)[15]Buffs Spoiler Hide All-Day Inertial Armor 11 AC (15pp) Overchanneled Talented Dispelling Buffer (11pp) Round 1 - Schism (7pp) Round 2 Schism - Bead of Karma Round 2 - Force Screen +8 (17pp) Round 2- Spell caster's Bane My action:Spoiler Hide Belt of battle: 1 charge for move action. Move to A15-B17 (squeezing) Move to A8-C10 (squeezing) Move to E1-G3 I'm going to have Los to pretty much the entire north side of the board, with touch sight. Heading up the left side of the map, moving in and ending up at E1-G3. What do I see? OO:Spoiler Hide Maneuvers: (1d5)[2] (1d4)[2] Me, standing in D2.(edit)Ah crap... I remember this guy...he's the "Mage Slayer" And now you're in the mage slaying aura. No cast defensive for you. Go ahead. Schism - Target you with a Psionic Dispel anything with a CL of 25 or less is dispelled.OO Spoiler Hide (10pp) and I'll pause to see if you shrink or anything... Resolving Dispel:Spoiler Hide Timeless body activates Resolved, no visible change. Next? Nothing changes? Alright, Casting a spell (Spell craft DC16)Spoiler Hide Shield of Faith Take your AOO. Sure: First: Suppress any form of freedom of movement or similar on you. Touch attack:(1d20+31)[50]If hit, opposed grapple:(1d20+46)[61](you are 3 size categories smaller for this)If success:(2d6+20)[28]damage, we're grappling, and you need to make a Fort save, DC 23 Fort - (1d20+10)[19]Yeah, that grapple is nasty... Here's my opposing grapple...(for fun)Grapple - (1d20+4)[8] You're slowed, as the spell, for 3 rounds, and grappled. I think I'm probably dead...unless I can still take Immediate actions while slowed... Originally Posted by veteran I think I'm probably dead...unless I can still take Immediate actions while slowed... Nope. But you can schism. That's what needs to save you in this type of situation. Yeah, but it's your turn now, as I've already schism'hence, I'm probably dead. Ah, perhaps. Grapple check to damage:(1d20+46)[65](autosuccess)Damage:(2d6+33)[41]Grapple check to damage:(1d20+46)[62](autosuccess)Damage:(2d6+33)[43]Grapple check to damage:(1d20+41)[50](autosuccess)Damage:(2d6+33)[41]Grapple check to damage:(1d20+36)[44](autosuccess)Damage:(2d6+33)[40]After that, I'll be done. And so am Timeless body really messes with me... Originally Posted by veteran And so am I Timeless body really messes with me... Yeah, it's good for those times I need 1 round. My mistake, your build is tier 2. It's lacking in defenses.(1) you're a divine/prion. Get a Delay Death spell up in there! So, what kind of defenses do I need to make it tier1? And I havesomedefenses...(edit)And what would Delay Death do? I'd still go Unconscious at -1... Originally Posted by veteran So, what kind of defenses do I need to make it tier1? (1) be immune to being killed by damage.(2) have an effect to handle death effects. That should cover you, for the most part. Just for the record, you can take swifts, frees, and immediate while slowed. It's in the Rules Compendium somewhere. Originally Posted by Phoenix Rivers (1) be immune to being killed by damage. Delay Death does this...but still makes me go unconscious if I go below -1 (2) have an effect to handle death effects. I have death Ward and Sheltered Vitality...not that it would have mattered in this match... That should cover you, for the most part. Action economy doesn't work so well when your grappled and can't cast defensively... Originally Posted by Claudius Maximus Just for the record, you can take swifts, frees, and immediate while slowed. It's in the Rules Compendium somewhere. Hah...so I could have survived!for at least another turn... Originally Posted by veteran Delay Death does this...but still makes me go unconscious if I go below -1 Beast land Ferocity takes care of that. It would if it weren't banned. Yep it's banned which makes Delay Death almost worthless... Originally Posted by veteran yep it's banned which makes Delay Death almost worthless... Shape soul meld: Rage claws. Originally Posted by Phoenix Rivers Shape soul meld: Rage claws. Not sure if that would help either, as Rage claws specifically states -1 to -9 (edit)But so does beast land...so how exactly does that work anyway? Originally Posted by veteran Not sure if that would help either, as Rage claws specifically states -1 to -9 (edit) But so does beast land... so how exactly does that work anyway? Well, there's always Heroics > Die hard. Under the assumption the Beast land Ferocity worked though, Rage claws should work as well... I just don't understand why it would... Originally Posted by veteran Under the assumption the Beast land Ferocity worked though, Rage claws should work as well... I just don't understand why it would... I think that it's because there's no rule that says you go unconscious at -10. Furthermore, I'm honestly surprised they didn't just ban delay death...or rage claws (when the banned beast land ferocity)... Originally Posted by veteran I'm honestly surprised they didn't just ban delay death...or rage claws (when the banned beast land ferocity)... BF can be gotten as a potion, practically free. I'd like to have another go at your Mage slayer same character and everything If you gave your character a way to protect vs HP damage, you pretty much win, lol. I haven't, it's the exact same character, haven't changed a thing... Hm, fair enough. Same buffs. Same starting location. Init:(1d20+8)[21] Unit - (1d20+3)[16]Starting Location:Spoiler Hide I2 Buffs:Spoiler Hide Round 1 - Schism (7pp) Round 2 - Schism - Beads of Karma Round 2 - Synchronicity (3pp) Round 2 - Spell caster's Bane Repeat my round 1 action. End in E1-G3, unless I see you earlier. Coming up the left side, then cutting to the middle as I clear E8 When I first see you, you trigger a readied action (while I still have some cover so no Amos)I ping you with a Dispel CL 25 and fewer goes bye bye. (I'm beginning to like Synchronicity)You see a Lesser Tie fling in I2. Then I would assume it's my turn? Resolving Dispel:Spoiler Hide Trigger Timeless Still big. Continue my turn. Then yours after I reach position. Bah, I screwed it up...OO Spoiler Hide Schism - Manifest Synchronicity (3pp) You are up. Well, that's interesting.OO:Spoiler Hide Shift spell strike to +5 saves Trip attack:(1d20+32)[35]If hit, opposed STR check:(1d20+15)[28]+8 more for being huge. STR - (1d20-1)[7]Come on Nat 20! Failing the STR Check Triggers a Ready Action:I disappearOOSpoiler Hide Dimension Door (7pp) via Schism to I24 Ok, I'll wait where I'm at. :) Your turn. ...alright Actions:Spoiler Hide schism - Synchronicity (3pp) Standard - Vigor (17pp) Your go. My action:Ready action:Spoiler Hide Attack action (of Tempest Mark) anything I can See Move to E7-G9 Go ahead. OO:Spoiler Hide Synchronicity manifests Freedom of Movement when I don't see him (7pp) My Actions:Spoiler Hide Move to E22. Schism - Ready an action to Dispel on sight. Normal - Ready an Action to cast Divine Agility on sight. Your go. My action:Spoiler Hide Move to A10-C12. Ready action: Attack action (of Tempest Mark) any hostile I can See Your turn. I have visibility up and down the west side of the board, if that's relevant. You don't see me. My Actions:Spoiler Hide Schism - Synchronicity (Dimension Door) (1pp) Normal - Ready an Action to Dispel Psionic on Los as long as I have cover. Your go. My Action:Spoiler Hide Move to D13-F15 Shout loudly. Maintain Ready action You know, even if all my spell buffs expire, I've still got a crazy long reach, and the grapple mods to hold you down automatically. The waiting game doesn't hurt me. I'm in D13-F15. I just shouted loudly. It's your go. Who said I was waiting? I'm just trying not to give you a straight shot at me w/o having to turn a cornerOOSpoiler Hide Upon hearing the shout, I use my Synchronicity to Dimension Door to K11.(7pp) My Actions:Spoiler Hide Schism - Synchronicity - Dimension Door Standard - Synchronicity - Dispel Psionic 5ft step to K12. You see me step into K12. (I should have cover though). Still Triggers my ready action. I attack. Attack With Armor spikes. If this is not interrupted:Spoiler Hide Attack: (1d20+24)[37] If Hit: (2d6+7)[14] and a Fort Save (DC 23) If threat: (1d20+26)[43] If CRT: (2d6+7)[13] Attack Again with gauntlet. If this is not interrupted:Spoiler Hide Attack: (1d20+24)[31] If Hit: (1d6+15)[21] and a Fort Save (DC 23) If threat: (1d20+26)[38] If CRT: (1d6+15)[17] Attack Again with Spiked Chain. If this is not interrupted:Spoiler Hide Attack: (1d20+30)[45] If Hit: (3d6+20)[34] and a Fort Save (DC 23), AND a reflex save (DC 31) If threat: (1d20+32)[52] If CRT: (3d6+20)[38] Your attack triggers my Synchronicity. Dispel Psionic Targeted at you. CL/ML 25OOSpoiler Hide Dispel Psionic (10pp) Your dispel inspires an immediate action. Attack:(1d20+34)[50]If this hits, you automatically lose the spell/power/effect/attack (no other negative effects, such as damage). Mark of the Lash FTW. One Immediate Action deserves another Anticipatory Strike!OO:Spoiler Hide Anticipatory Strike (9pp) Schism - Synchronicity (3pp) Standard Action: Target you with another Dispel Psionic CL/ML 25OO:Spoiler Hide 10pp AS turn not yet done...depends on if you shrink or not It's your turn. During your turn, immediate actions have the same timing as swifts, and count as a swift. Swift actions cannot interrupt. So I couldn't do it right after your immediate action, but before the readied attack?(I'm not trying to interrupt the attack that caused my first dispel to fail. Simply trying to pull off another before you attack me.) Originally Posted by veteran So I couldn't do it right after your immediate action, but before the readied attack? (I'm not trying to interrupt the attack that caused my first dispel to fail. Simply trying to pull off another before you attack me.) Originally Posted by SRD, Immediate actions Using an immediate action on your turn is the same as using a swift action, and counts as your swift action for that turn. Originally Posted by SRD, Swift actions You can take a swift action any time you would normally be allowed to take a free action. There are few exceptions on free actions. They generally may only be taken on your turn, and not in response to other actions. Speech is the exception to that. That said, I did find more text while pulling text: Originally Posted by SRD, Immediate However, unlike a swift action, an immediate action can be performed at any time — even if it's not your turn. This also implies that it can be done at any time on your turn. So, I'll concede that you can get a second dispel off. Let me resolve that. Spoiler Hide Timeless body triggers again. I don't shrink. I move north and out of Los.OO:Spoiler Hide Move to J8. Hide - (1d20+7)[11] What are the results of the Readied action attacks? Or does your movement interrupt them? My movement is from the AS turn, so they're interrupted. Ah. Fair enough. (My turn, before your "next turn")Move to A8-C10. (Turn not done, awaiting Los info) You see me attempting to Hide in J8. Standard Action: Attack. 35 feet away, so I still have range on my non reach weapons, excellent. Attack with armor spikes:(1d20+19)[24]If hit:(2d6+7)[17]and a DC 23 Fort Save. If threat:(1d20+19)[28]If CRT:(2d6+7)[13]Next attack with gauntlet:(1d20+19)[27]If hit:(1d6+15)[21]and a DC 23 Fort Save. If threat:(1d20+19)[36]If CRT:(1d6+15)[18]Next attack with Spiked chain:(1d20+25)[42]If hit:(3d6+20)[31]and a DC 23 Fort Save, and a DC 31 Reflex Save If threat:(1d20+25)[34]If CRT:(3d6+20)[33] Trigger Activated... I disappear...OO Spoiler Hide Dimension Door (7pp) I24 Was that cast from you or your schism? From my Schism... I'm not going to give you an AOO Very well. Your next turn is skipped... But you can An strike again... Then, you're shooting through those PP mighty quick... I'll bet you're at 50% or below. My turn... Let's see, I can see about 95% of north, and none of south... That makes it easy. Start by moving south to A15-B17. Any Los? I24With Cover I believe. Cover's fine.OO:Spoiler Hide Belt of battle: 1 charge, extra move E23-G25. Anything in response? As you move, and while I still have cover. I'll Anticipatory StrikeOO:Spoiler Hide 9pp (AS) Overchannel Celestial Conduit (19pp) DMG - (3d8)[20] Positive Energy Damage - (19d6)[80]DC34 Ref Halves. Waiting to see results before I finish. Reflex:(1d20+7)[24]Edit: 80 damage taken. Next? Move East and North to break Los.OO:Spoiler Hide K23 Schism - Ready an Action to Dimension Door when he attacks me Continuing my turn:Movement path altered, ending in I19-K21. I should have LOS. Standard Action Attack:Attack with armor spikes:(1d20+19)[39]**Threat**If hit:(2d6+7)[13]and a DC 23 Fort Save. If threat:(1d20+19)[22]If CRT:(2d6+7)[14]Next attack with gauntlet:(1d20+19)[38]If hit:(1d6+15)[16]and a DC 23 Fort Save. If threat:(1d20+19)[37]If CRT:(1d6+15)[17]Next attack with Spiked chain:(1d20+25)[32]If hit:(3d6+20)[26]and a DC 23 Fort Save, and a DC 31 Reflex Save If threat:(1d20+25)[32]If CRT:(3d6+20)[36] Your attack triggers my readied action. I disappear.OO:Spoiler Hide Dimension Door (7pp) B15 Immediate:Attack:(1d20+34)[40]If this hits, whatever spell or power you used is negated. (PP still expended) Is there anyway you can know that from the Schism? Originally Posted by veteran Is there anyway you can know that from the Schism? If it's a still/silent spell? No. If it's a power that has a display? Yes. Lovely... Fort - (1d20+10)[30]Fort - (1d20+10)[23]Fort - (1d20+10)[22]Reflex - (1d20+10)[21]And I skip my turn...so it's you again. Ye be slowed. Full Attack:Attack with Spiked chain:(1d20+31)[36]If hit:(3d6+33)[44]and a DC 23 Fort Save If threat:(1d20+31)[46]If CRT:(3d6+33)[44]Attack 2 with Spiked chain:(1d20+31)[44]If hit:(3d6+33)[40]and a DC 23 Fort Save If threat:(1d20+31)[35]If CRT:(3d6+33)[46]Attack 3 with Spiked chain:(1d20+26)[40]If hit:(3d6+33)[44]and a DC 23 Fort Save If threat:(1d20+31)[32]If CRT:(3d6+33)[39]Attack 4 with Spiked chain:(1d20+21)[24]If hit:(3d6+33)[51]and a DC 23 Fort Save If threat:(1d20+31)[32]If CRT:(3d6+33)[40]The first hit forces a reflex DC 31. Anticipatory Strike to the attack? You may, yes. Kk...OO Spoiler Hide Schism - Manifest Death Urge (11pp) Need a will save DC25 (1d20+4)[8]+5 more if it's a spell/power/SLA.EDIT: OO Spoiler Hide Delay the effect 1 round. Alrighty... Failed on an Augmented Death Urge... Standard Action: Manifest another power. Spoiler Hide Overchanneled Celestial Conduit Damage - (3d8)[10] Positive Energy Damage - (19d6)[58]- DC34 Ref Halves. Assuming you're under death urge, you're more interested in hurting yourself than hurting me...and if you've somehow managed to negate it...those attacks kill me...so I might as well go for broke. AOO on the power (I seem to be unaffected by the Death urge):Attack with Spiked chain:(1d20+31)[51]**CRT Threat**If hit:(3d6+33)[41]and a DC 23 Fort Save If threat:(1d20+31)[38]If CRT:(3d6+33)[43]DC 10+Damage dealt or lose the power. And with the CRT, I fall over dead. A note: That last Conduit used the last of my pp... I literally had 0 (edit)Ireallythought I had you there! I can only delay will saves 1 round at a time, and only 2 rounds total. This guy's basically an anti-caster... and if that conduit hit, I'd have been dead. Hrmm... So maybe I should have gone with an Energy Stun instead of the Death Urge, just to attempt to stun you... Originally Posted by veteran RMM... So maybe I should have gone with an Energy Stun instead of the Death Urge, just to attempt to stun you... Would dropped me, AND stunned me. I had about 50 HP left.EDIT: Well, maybe not stunned. That's a will save, I could have delayed it. I was worried about that stupid Immediate attack thing...and I was running low on pp, so I had to go with what economized my pp the best, i.e. death urge. Originally Posted by veteran I was worried about that stupid Immediate attack thing...and I was running low on pp, so I had to go with what economized my pp the best, i.e. death urge. What spells did you have for offense? I only have powers for offense with this guy...the cleric side is just for defense...as I'm running off of INT, and the Academic Priest feat only changes what the caster stat is, it doesn't change what the saving throws go off of, so all my cleric spells still have a saving throw based on Wis...which is 10... Originally Posted by veteran I only have powers for offense with this guy...the cleric side is just for defense...as I'm running off of INT, and the Academic Priest feat only changes what the caster stat is, it doesn't change what the saving throws go off of, so all my cleric spells still have a saving throw based on Wis...which is 10... Pick no save, just suck? That's why I like wiz/prion. There's easier synergy, and better offensive choices. A bit of overlap, but hey, no big. Still, giving yourself delay death would eat me alive. Yes, but I don't have a feat slot available for Shape Soul meld (rage claws)And I'll poke around and see if I can find some (just suck) spells, I imagine they'll probably mostly be rays... Originally Posted by veteran yes, but I don't have a feat slot available for Shape Soul meld (rage claws) Immunity to damage is strong. I'd say as strong as a couple CL, if you have practiced spell caster. I don't, but I can drop Talented...to make it work... Originally Posted by veteran I don't, but I can drop Talented...to make it work... If you have vigor (power, not the spell), it's a safe drop. Especially if Delay Death + Rage claws makes you less than picky about damage. Yep... Hey...would you like to take on Fluffy Jr.? Not with my earmarked, and I don't think you'd like my others. I know how to dismantle fluffy, and most of my characters have the tools. Heck, even fluffy can dismantle fluffy. You can try any of them... I don't care... I just want to try him out...(and Disjunction would hurt, yes)(edit)The character isn't built around the trick, the trick would just be to help him "win" the qualifier... Unit:(1d20+8)[19]Buffs:Spoiler Hide All day: Dispelling Buffer (ML 13) (11pp) Danger Sense (Uncanny Dodge) (ML 13) (8pp) Round 1: Spell caster's Bane (Swift) Manifest Schism (7 pp) Round 2: Cast Dimension Jumper (Swift) Cast Fly Schism: Ready Action to manifest Dimension Door, Psionic, if my opponent enters my LOS and doesn't move further. (this includes both ending movement and appearing within LOS) Immediate: Nerve skitter Starting Location (Bottom):Spoiler Hide E23 Initiative - (1d20+2)[12]Buffs:Spoiler Hide All Days: Energy immunity (Fire) Energy Immunity (Acid) Greater Resistance Dispelling Buffer (11pp) Danger Sense (8pp) (Uncanny Dodge) Round 1 - Schism (7pp) Round 2 - Karma Beads (Schism) - Sheltered Vitality Starting Location:Spoiler Hide H2 My Round 1:Spoiler Hide Manifest Touch sight (5pp) Fly: to H17 Schism: Ready Action: Use Dimension Jumper - If I detect my opponent Senses possessed: Touch sight, Spell caster's Bane Edit: Your turn. My Round 1Spoiler Hide Schism - Cast Stilled Favor of the Martyr using Rod of Silent Spell Cast Death Ward Your Turn. Round 2:Spoiler Hide Cast: Arcane Sight Schism: Ready action: Psionic Dimension door, upon gaining LOS. Go ahead. Sight modes:TouchsightSpellcaster's Bane Arcane Sight Round 2Spoiler Hide Cast Fly. Schism - Manifest Inconsistent Location (11pp) Click my tongue (I'm a Troll!) Move to K11 Done.(I have visibility down the east side) My Turn:Spoiler Hide Cast: Greater Invisibility Move: to L19 Schism: Ready action: use Dimension jumper if I detect casting or manifesting. (Spell caster's bane does work on powers due to Transparency. Your turn. I have visibility down the east side as well. What are your vision modes? Sight modes:Touch sight (K7 south, K6 is not covered)Spell caster's Bane Arcane Sight Normal and Dark vision only atm. You see a Troll in K11. Schism Manifests True Seeing(9pp)Now do I see ya?(Turn not over) OO:Spoiler Hide Ready action triggered (Power manifesting detected): Dimension Jump to F18 Nope. :) Alright. Move to K18. Do I see you yet?(Still not done) Yup, in F18. I finish my move to G18. You're up. OO:Spoiler Hide Schism: Still/Silent True Strike Move: Dimensional Jump, 30 feet away to B22 Cast: Still Spell Ray of dizziness (Silent spell via rod) For starters, I'll vanish, and appear in B22. After that, a beam shoots from my forehead. Ranged touch:(1d20+29)[40]If this hits, you are affected per a ray of dizziness. There is nothing that can be spell crafted (without some special detection), as any spell cast was still and silent.EDIT: Oh, and what auras are my arcane sight picking up on you?? (I automaker any school check for spells of level 6 and lower) Question:would a contingency trigger regardless of whether I could detect that spell or not? Abjuration (x3)Necromancy (x2)Transmutation (x2)PsychoportationPsychokinesisTelepathy(I think that covers them all) Originally Posted by veteran Question: would a contingency trigger regardless of whether I could detect that spell or not? What's the exact wording of the contingency? Originally Posted by Phoenix Rivers What's the exact wording of the contingency? "When I'm targeted by a spell from an opponent" is the wording on it at the moment...though I'm not sure exactly how happy I am with that as it wouldn't trigger on a bounced Dispel (edit)See my above post for stuff for Arcane Sight. The problem is? Rays are not targeted spells. They must be aimed. I recommend altering your wording to "If I would be affected by a spell that I did not cast"It still won't cover Turned spells, but it'll cover AOE's and Rays, and will trigger regardless of whether you know about the casting. Alright, will change the wording going forward...but for now...the ray hits. Actually...since a Ray isn't targeted the contingent wouldn't have helped anyway...Are you done? Yup. Go right ahead.EDIT: Ray of dizziness is a mind-affecting compulsion. If you have anything for that, you could be free. I don't think Plot from X is enough, because I don't have ongoing control, but mind blank or the like should be. I knew I was forgetting something..." Ray Deflection"Assuming this behaves like "slow" and I can take swift actions, I do the following, and assuming the Schism isn't effected by it. (Yes, this is a lot of assuming)Swift Action: Teleport to B21. Schism - Cast Divine Power. Standard Action: Attack w/ Claw Attack - (1d20+20)[31]Damage - (1d6+9)[15]If everything is good...it's your go. Swift actions are fine. Immediate action: Anticipatory Strike. Cast a spell defensively (DC 20 to ID):Spoiler Hide Wall of Stone (Autosucceed cast defensive check)A wall of rock grows out of the floor between us, from floor to ceiling. It covers the intersection between A21 and A22, and B21 and B22.OO:Spoiler Hide An strike: 9pp Remaining actions: Move to E24. Schism: Ready action: Dimension Jumper if attacked. Also, Note: Trolls are large. You take up a 10x10 square. Otherwise, go ahead. OO:Spoiler Hide Swift Action: Teleport back to F19/G20 I'm in F19/G20. Do I see anything? (assuming that the wall of stone doesn't go all the way across the map) I'm in E24. How'd you get there? Walking, or another teleport? Teleport will move F24/G25. Schism casts Ring of Blades. Blades begin circling about me. You take Damage - (1d6+10)[13] Sure. 13 damage it is. My turn skipped for an strike. Beginning of my turn. (Round 6)You take another Damage - (1d6+10)[13]Standard Action:Troll Attack Attack - (1d20+20)[27]Damage - (1d6+9)[10]Assuming that goes through. Schism Manifests SynchronicityOOSpoiler Hide 3pp Take another 13. The attack triggers schism's ready action, though, and I... Disappear, appearing in J22. With that new information... I'll revise my Schism. Schism Manifests Celestial Conduit.OO:Spoiler Hide (13pp) Overchanneled Damage - (3d8)[20] and negated. Positive Energy Damage - (13d6)[42]DC28 Reflex Halves Reflex:(1d20+7)[24]Failed. That your turn? Cause now I actually get to go, lol. Yep, you're up now. Step 1: OO:Spoiler Hide Dimension Jump up 30 feet. Vigor below is augmented to 13pp for 65 temp HP Schism: Synchronicity - Dimension door, psionic (1pp) Display suppressed, auto-success. I disappear and appear 30 feet in the air, in J22. Step 2: Manifest a power (DC 16)Spoiler Hide Vigor You're up. I just noticed that J22 is right on top of a column...care to change your location? Originally Posted by veteran I just noticed that J22 is right on top of a column...care to change your location? Err, that was supposed to be J21. Alright, question: if you have two effects that both say "At the beginning of your turn", how do you handle which goes "off" first? Originally Posted by veteran Alright, question: if you have two effects that both say "At the beginning of your turn", how do you handle which goes "off" first? Players generally choose the order that their simultaneous effects apply. (For example, if you have Fire resistance 10, and Fire Vulnerability, you can choose to apply the fire resistance first vs a 14 damage scorching ray (yielding 6 fire damage) rather than vulnerability (yielding 11 damage). I assume you refer to your teleportation ability and your Ring of Blades? Yep. That's what I'm alluding to. So. My Round. Swift Action: Teleport to I20/H21 30ft up. RoBDamage - (1d6+10)[14]Then Attack Attack - (1d20+20)[36]Damage - (1d6+9)[15]Then Manifest Celestial Conduit Damage - (11d6)[37]Ref Save Halves DC26 The teleport triggers my synchronicity. I vanish.OO:Spoiler Hide Display suppressed dimension door from the schism. Destination: F8 Concentration check DC 19, autosuccess Continue your turn. *Grumble*Fine...turn revision.OO Spoiler Hide Fly to K10/L11 I can see up and down the east side, as well as across the middle. Anything? Nope. That your turn? Just about. Question: If my schism manifests Schism, does it renew the Schism? I can't see why it wouldn't. Stacking rules are pretty clear on it. The effects overlap, they do not stack. So the primary effect would hold sway until it ended, then the next one would take over. Alright, the only other question would be, would the new schism keep the "stat copy" of the original, or would it copy the troll stats? Originally Posted by veteran Alright, the only other question would be, would the new schism keep the "stat copy" of the original, or would it copy the troll stats? That's a good question. As it's been ruled a completely separate entity, I believe that the new schism would be based off the old schism... And would have ML calculated based on that, rather than off your current form. Alright, I just had to get that out of the way, because it appears that this match will be a longer one...and I'll probably have to renew Schism at some point... Actually...never mind... Trollshape is 1 Round/Level, I thought it was 1 Minute/Levels was it ever decided what happens when you leave troll shape? Well, Fluffy casts it again. How does fluffy cast it? Multiple contingencies? Originally Posted by veteran How does fluffy cast it? Multiple contingencies? Mm hmm. :)Level 20 extended Troll shape. 40 rounds each. Yeah... I didn't do that... Oh, You're up. And knowing what happens after troll shape would be very helpful, as we're about to find out here fairly soon... What do you mean? When the spell ends, you revert. What specific things are you wondering about?OO/My turn:Spoiler Hide Ready action: Cloud mind if I have Love to something. Move to B8. Schism Ready action: Use dimension jumper movement if I would be affected by any harmful action. You're up.LOVE up and down the west side. There was a debate in the ToS thread with whether you would keep your spells or not, I was just wondering if it was ever decided which way that was to go...OO:Spoiler Hide Swift Teleport into K6. I can now seemostof the north, barring a few places at the very top. Do I see you? I'm in B8. Do I see you? If so, where, and how did you arrive? Oh, and I do have a readied action (contingent on seeing you).EDIT: The consensus is that the duration of the loss is equal to the duration of the effect. The original abilities are restored to you. What's used is used, what's not is kept. That makes sense. And I "appeared" in K6, 30ft up. Let me know if this triggers your readied action.(edit)If I target myself with a dispel, will it get rid of this "dizzy" effect? And if so, can I target only that effect, or would it hit everything? Originally Posted by veteran That makes sense. And I "appeared" in K6, 30ft up. Let me know if this triggers your readied action. (edit) If I target myself with a dispel, will it get rid of this "dizzy" effect? And if so, can I target only that effect, or would it hit everything? In K6 only? You're not a troll? And if you target yourself with a targeted dispel, Bad Things happen. As in, you lose every spell you cast on yourself. Automatically. Then, you roll for the spells that you didn't cast. Source: Originally Posted by Dispel Psionic, Targeted You automatically succeed on your dispel check against any power that you manifested yourself. Originally Posted by Dispel Magic, Targeted You automatically succeed on your dispel check against any spell that you cast yourself. Yep... K6 only...the troll things wore off as I think we're in Round 9... I was wrong...miscounted... I'm still a TrollK6/L7. Sorry(edit2)But that dizzy thingcouldbe dispelled? Well, there's a targeted effect coming at you. Will Save, please, DC 19. No Display, but its mind affecting Telepathy. See my edit. Does it change things that I'm still a Troll? Originally Posted by veteran See my edit. Does it change things that I'm still a Troll? Nope. I had the action readied, not synched. I was going to take it when I thought you were a troll to begin with. Will Save - (1d20+13)[31]I guess I'll see what happens before I continue... Originally Posted by veteran [roll0] I guess I'll see what happens before I continue... As I said, this is targeted spell/power. As we already went over one of your contingencies... ? Assuming nothing happens. I'll manifest Celestial Conduit(13d6)[47]- Reflex Halves DC28 Originally Posted by Phoenix Rivers As I said, this is a targeted spell/power. As we already went over one of your contingencies... ? Oh, right >So the Effulgent Education pops up with 17 spheres and one disappears...then I do the above thing. Which triggers my other readied action. I vanish.OO:Spoiler Hide to B14 OO:Spoiler Hide I will fly to A8/B9. Your go. Note: I have vision to the west side of the map, so if you're down the west side, you can open up the spoiler to see where I am. I'm at B14. I cast a spell (Spell craft DC 16):Spoiler Hide Obscuring Mist and a thick fog rolls out towards you to B10, and 20 feet up. (centered at A14-B15)(I can still see you via touch sight). Remainder of action:Spoiler Hide Me: Move south to A17, ground level Schism: Ready action to dimension hop if a hostile action is made that would affect me. Let's see how well you teleport around if you can't see your destination. Your turn. OO:Spoiler Hide Manifest Touch sight(9pp) I have a 80ft touch sight active now. Where might you be? A17, ground level. I'm going to make you work for it. :) If that Cloud Mind had hit you successfully, even touch sight wouldn't let you see me. I'll fly to A12/B13 and end my turn (30ft up)As my turn ends, your touch sight senses me shrink down to just being in A12. Hmm. Then let's test something, Mr just shrank. Manifest Energy Stun. Reflex save, DC 23. Electricity damage:(5d6)[17]OO:Spoiler Hide Augmenting to 7pp Let's test if you can be hurt now. OO:Spoiler Hide Immediate Action: Energy Adaptation. (11pp) Reflex - (1d20+9)[10] Move South and east, breaking LOS at C18.OO:Spoiler Hide End at K18. Schism: Ready to dimension jump if a hostile ability would affect me. You're up. Detection Modes: Arcane Sight, True Seeing, Touch sight, Spell caster's Bane.(Any auras I can see (Auto identify schools for up to level 6 spells), automatically see true forms, invisible creatures, ethereal, and through illusions, automatically detect everything's location, and automatically detect the casting or manifesting of any power within Los) Lovely...though you can't see me in the cloud...right? And how long does that Dizzy Ray last? My Round 11OO:Spoiler Hide Schism manifests Schism (7pp) Fly to L13. I now have visibility down the east side...if you're there...look at spoiler Spoiler Hide I'm in L13 30ft up. Your go. My Round 12:Dizzy ray lasts for 13 rounds from the time I cast it. And I'm in K18. Move west, breaking LOS again:OO:Spoiler Hide to E17. Schism Readies an action to Dimension door, psionic if I detect anyone. And I time hop. Your turn. Alright, I got shot on Round 4, so Round 17 is when I'm free of the dizzy... My Round 12Spoiler Hide Schism - Manifest Vigor (11pp) 55hp Standard: Cast Battle Magic Perception Your go. OO:Spoiler Hide Hopped: 2/13 You're up. My Round 13Spoiler Hide Move south to L24. I now have Los to the southern part of the map. Where are you at? Nowhere that you see. Your go then. My round:OO:Spoiler Hide Hopped 3/13 You're up. My Round 14Spoiler Hide Move to A23 I now have vision to the west side of the map...anything? Nope. No detections. Your turn... My turn:Spoiler Hide Hopped 4/13 I suppose I should let the cat out of the bag now. I waited until I left your LOS, and thus you couldn't determine where I was (I can be anywhere that you couldn't see when I disappeared), and after thoroughly hiding, I Time Hopped. You have at least 10 more rounds of actions, where I simply don't exist. ......... What? I know the weakness of your contingent Education.1 round/level. Lovely... AlrightOOSpoiler Hide Fly to E22. Subsequent Rounds. Cast Conviction and Spell Resistance. Ready an Action to Remanifest Schism when I see him. Alright. FF to you coming out of the time hop. I'm in E22, 30ft up. Update on modes of detection. BmP, True Seeing, Touch sight. I appear in E17... then vanish again.OO:Spoiler Hide Triggered Dimension door (7pp). Destination: D2 What? 13 rounds isn't enough to suck out that Education, and I want to be able to target you. When you appear, you trigger my readied action. I Manifest Schism. And you disappear again... And who said that 13 rounds wasn't enough?(Honestly, it's 17 rounds total, and I'm not entirely sure when it was activated)...(edit)and I have BMP, so whatever you manifest/cast within my Love, I know it Well, when I disappeared, I did. You can make a psi craft check, if you like. DC 19:Spoiler Hide Dimension Door, Psionic I have a +27 Mod on Spell craft and Psi craft. My Actions:Spoiler Hide Move to B13. I have vision to West side, bottom and middle. Anything? (turn not over) When you say "west side" and "bottom", are you including the far south area partially blocked off by the wall of stone?(It's along the border of A21-A22, as well as B21-B22's border.... Basically running from the west wall to the pillar.) ...no...not that far "bottom" Ok, no, you have no LOS. OO:Spoiler Hide Schism - Ready an Action to cast Stilled Obscuring Mist on sight and within touch sight (80ft). Standard Schism (1pp) Celestial Conduit. Your up. OO:Spoiler Hide Time Hop (1/13) You're up. And now, wherever I am, I HAVE time hopped. Take 13 rounds. To quote Sandlot: "You're killing me Smalls!" Hey, I had a tactic going into this. I'm about ready to actually go into the specifics. You've been burning PP like it's water with those Dimension Hops (Yes, I have both that power, and the spell I've been using, Dimension Jumper), Celestial conduits, and more. Meanwhile, I've been staying mostly away from you, using very, very little PP. Then I suck out your Rounds/level buffs (or MORE PP), and keep mine, as they jump through time with me. How many PP can you have left, after all this? I'm still over 50%. By quite a bit. Do you have enough in the spells side to drop me? I've got a little under half of my PP left...FYI, I haven't dimension hopped at all don't even have access to Dimension Hop... Though I'd like access to Dimensional Jumper!(edit)FYI, you probably should look into remanifesting Schism if you haven't yet. As the timer is probably about to run out on it. Yeah, I'm aware of its impending expiration. Word... Alright. I'll fly to B6 and wait... For how long? As long as it takes So, until you detect me, then? Sounds good to me... Until I detect you. Then I need a listen check. Spoiler Hide MS: (1d20+7)[24] So you're hiding? From Touch sight? Ok... Listen - (1d20)[6] We don't have Love, so I can't see you, and you can't see me. However, the ears have chance of hearing what spell and eye cannot. Listen does not require Love. But you don't hear me when I appear. Alright, so I'm still hanging out until I detect you... Action:Spoiler Hide Manifest Schism 7pp Psionic DD (Move action) 13pp Suppress both. Destination: C18. Another round passes. (that's 2 more total, since the 13 rounds I told you to take)Action 2:Spoiler Hide Power Resistance (9pp) - SR 25 Schism: Synchronicity: 3pp After that, LOS is established as I step out to B18. You're welcome to stop waiting now.

ToS Exhibition_ PhoenixRivers vs TheTerran (Take 2)|rating:2.0

Taming a Dragon (Patient & Grumpy)

Throughout the course of his life, Soda had been raised and brought up by a middle class human family and raised as a good friend to their daughter Celia. When they were children, neither of them really noticed the difference in their features other than the fact that Soda's eyes were a much more brilliant blue than other children and his pupils were black slits rather than a black orb like a normal child. Other than that, he was considered a normal child in Celia's eyes. He ate normal food, liked his meat a bit more bloody than most, but still normal. However, as the years went on and maturity set in, their relationship began to change. Soda would take long trips away from the house and wouldn't be back for days at a time. Celia's parents simply informed her that Soda was a young man now, and he could leave if he chose to. They knew the truth behind Soda. What he was and why he was with this family. Long ago, humans used to tame and keep Dragon's as Guardians of their families. The Dragons weren't pets but members of the family. Loyal to the core and willing to die to protect their family. Soda was a dragon from this ancient line. He was an Ice dragon. Black scales darker than night itself but ice blue eyes and his tongue was also blue. In human form his tongue was pink like the other humans but in dragon form his tongue was blue. In human form at the age of twenty, he stood at six foot one and weighed in at about one hundred seventy pounds. Due to an active lifestyle and a boisterous childhood, he was much more defined then other males. Taunt muscle under smooth skin. His hair was shoulder-length and midnight black, usually kept tight in a ponytail. After he turned fifteen he became rather popular with the ladies of the village, both of the same age and even some of the younger adults. He would frequently go to the Tavern and drink with the females and often times lay with them as well. Celia's father informed her it was because he was a young man and that's what they did. However, in truth it was because as a Dragon his aggression levels were rising with age. He needed to stay active and busy. Usually this was with combat and wars, but now it was him flying around in the mountains and hunting or in human form in the village rutting. He still cared for Celia, loved her, actually. However, he wouldn't pull her into his crazy lifestyle simply because of his feelings for her. Celia, was 5'5" at best and had light brunette hair that flowed off of her head and cupped her fair skinned face beautifully. The freckles mixed with her hazel eyes made her absolutely beautiful in Soda's eyes, and he wasn't able to treat her like the village harlots that he was constantly around. One morning he woke up, and he'd promised Celia that he'd go for a walk with her as they used to when they were children. He'd wear himself out the night before so that he would be able to be around Celia and be as normal as possible. Dressing in a plain white tunic and some black leather breaches he dawned his boots and met with her in front of the stables. Seeing her standing there petting one of the mares he smiled as he walked over to her." Good morning Celia." Celia was genuinely concerned for Soda. Ever the worrisome type, she knew the kind of women he slept with. Raunchy, slutty... some of them even being prostitutes. It was always a sort of given that she and him were to end up together eventually. As children, they were inseparable. So naturally, adults just expected them to court and elope. However, his constant frolicking with women day after day... it killed most of her interest. She still liked him as a friend, and there were emotional feelings that lingered. She did love him. But so did many other women. The young woman, dressed in a simple green dress and a leather bodice, had gone out early to feed the horses. Admittedly, she was slacking off and just petting the horses. She was to walk with Soda for the first time in a long time, and she had done a little work to appeal a bit more, braiding her hair with a black ribbon through it. "Oh," She said with a smile, turning to face him, "Good morning." Soda smiled at her as she seemed a bit surprised. He noticed the ribbon, she was dressing up. He had a feeling it was for him and while his Dragon bloodline made it so that any and all diseases and problems humans had, he was immune to, he knew that with him being with all these other women, she'd lost a lot of interest in him which was his goal in the first place. Furthermore, he had a certain part of his anatomy that was VERY different from a human male, and he didn't want to put her through this or even scare her if she did see him. The whores of the village were usually too drunk or focused too much on the money to care what he looked like. Looking her over he smiled again and nodded." You look beautiful Celia, as always. So. Where were you wanting to walk to?" He asked as he looked at her. He was told by her parents that she didn't know what he was which was good. However, he had a feeling she knew he was different. Even those who were a little broken in the mind knew that he was different and Celia was very smart for her age so she had to have guessed he wasn't like a normal human male. However, this did not mean that Soda would willingly talk about it either. Celia smiled at the complement and moved closer to him, her leather boots falling heavier in the wood paneling that lined the walkway. Her hazel met his blue eye and a flutter jumped in her stomach. "I was hoping we could walk down to the river." The river, a good distance away, used to be her way of saying she wanted to tell him a secret when they were little, and when they moved into rational instead of imaginative thoughts, it meant something was bothering her. Usually about Soda. Many rumors had spread about them amongst the other children, about how they were seemingly courting so young. Of course, it was easy to spread rumors about the two most attractive people from the group." I... I hope you remember the path, Soda," Celia said softly, "It's a wonderful springtime. The river should be quite beautiful." This was true. In a more heavily wooded area, but their particular spot had a small gap in trees where light shines through and sparkled on the water. Many times, they would picnic under the great oak, and in the winter, when the leaves all left the trees, they would sometimes play in the snow and cross the frozen river on dares. In a way, Celia missed the days when Soda was still an innocent boy, not this sex-crazed beast he's turned into. But she never blamed him, always assuming it had the same case as to why his eyes were the way they were. Soda looked at her as she stepped forward and as she mentioned where she wanted to go he felt his chest tighten in a slight worry. She'd cornered him a few times about him frolicking with the ladies of the village or how he was always gone. He wanted desperately to tell her that it wasn't something he could control, and it wasn't something he wanted to do. However, when he'd learned the small condition that Dragon's had when they were with a human family, he refused to do it. When Dragon's took on a human family to protect, they also took on a member of the family, usually a female, and they had them as their mate. One to bring about the next generation of Guardian's but also to sate that need and urge going and destroy things. Soda sated his with hunting and other females simply because Celia was too sweet a girl to be put into that kind of commitment and knowing him if he did put her into this, the sexual acts would be quite frequent since he was still growing and hadn't learned how to harness his aggressive instincts just yet." I remember. How could I forget?" He asked as she smiled, and he used to offer her his hand but after the first time when he did, and she had refused, he didn't offer anymore. Granted he knew her feelings were hurt, but he simply avoided the topic because it had stung his feelings as well. Still, he made the decision to lay with others and not her without asking her. Granted he didn't think she'd understand, or she would, but she'd be afraid of him. Either way it wasn't something he wanted. As they walked through the forest his eyes scanned around to make sure they were safe. Yes the forest was beautiful this time of year, but there were also thieves that populated these woods at times. The woods surrounded the village and offered ample places for an ambush. Koda's dragon form was about the size of an over-sized horse at this age but when he got older, he'd be about fifteen feet tall at full height. He wasn't a huge dragon, but he wasn't small either. He wasn't covered in hard scales that protruded as spikes either. Furthermore, he was covered in smooth plated scales, harder than steel but smooth to the touch. Since he was so sleek and midnight black, he blended well with the night sky and when he flew he was silent. His race always fought better at night and usually nights were cooler so it helped make his attacks that much more potent. When they got to their little spot in the forest he leaned against a tree and smiled as he crossed his feet at the ankles and put his hands in his pockets." What did you want to talk about Celia? What's bothering you?" "It's you," She said suddenly glaring, "I can't take it anymore, Soda. You break my heart over and over running with these women, not just because... well I know you're better than that. So let me propose something, that might help you decide." As she said it, a tear ran down her cheek. "I have a feeling what you'll say, but... you have to make a choice. A different woman every night, or only me most nights. I would be lying if I said I didn't love you. I have a carriage prepared. And... if you make the decision to sleep with strange women, I'm leaving. Forever. I need someone who's comfortable telling me things." She took both his hands in her own and brought them up to her heart, which was beating very quickly. "I hate... how you won't tell me what's going on. I hate how you never tell me anything! Soda, I'm here for you! Whatever bothers you or... other things, just tell me. I'm not just a pretty face, Soda. Just... tell me what's going on! Please! With your eyes and the... sudden detachment from our family! You want to fuck a woman senseless, fuck me senseless!!!" She was shouting now, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I don't want to leave, but if that's what it takes for you to get a fucking reality check, I will!" Soda stood there in shock for a long moment and as his hands were on her chest he could feel her heart rate climbing each time her voice lifted in levels. However, as she screamed about fucking her senseless he heard someone chuckle and his pupils shrunk to slits as five men, all carrying swords or daggers came out from the trees and were holding their cocks through their pants. Glaring Soda thought quickly as he really didn't want her to see him but at the same time, he'd be damned if these fuckers touched her. Moving her behind him, he watched as a bigger male came up and was tossing a dagger in his hand." I'll fuck you senseless lass. We all will." He said as he walked up and when Soda stood in his way the man chuckled as he shot a hand forward and stabbed Soda in the gut, well he tried, but Soda's scales formed in that spot and saved him as the man's dagger snapped like a twig on a rock. As he backed up and stared in shock Soda sighed, and soon black scales covered his body and a massive dragon took his place. His wing covered Celia's view as his tail and jaws made quick work of the men as they screamed and tried to run. Sharp slaps with his tail snapped necks and sliced skin like wet parchment. When the bloodshed had stopped Soda glanced back at his wing as it was still covering her from seeing the carnage he'd dealt. Turning his massive chest toward her, he moved his wing and folded both behind him still blocking her view from the chaos that had just happened. Looking down on her with his ice blue eyes he leaned his head down so she could see his eyes were the same. A sharp pinch would be felt in her brain as he connected his mind to hers so he could speak to her.' Now you see why I hide things? Do you get it now? I'm not human Celia. I'm your Guardian. Remember the stories your parents would tell about Dragon's and how they protected certain families as Guardians? They told you this to get you prepared for when something like this happened.' Sitting up he then let his cock come from the sheath it was under and showed her just what she'd be taking.' This is what you'd be dealing with Celia. It doesn't change if I'm in human form. Think you're ready for that?' His tone was a bit sharp as he himself didn't think she was mainly because he assumed her to be a virgin and something like this would be one hell of a shocker as their first cock. Celia was terrified of the men threatening rape. Deep down, she had a cunning with a blade most women in town would not even have the hopes of replicating. But five men in a dress, she couldn't handle. A scream left her lips as Soda was stabbed, and when the dragon grew in his place she fell backwards on her rump, just in time for her view of the carnage being blocked. Those ice blue eyes told her everything, even before he spoke." A dragon..." She whispered, "Oh, Soda... you should have told me sooner..." She stood up with a smile. "Yes, and I also remember the stories of the guardian taking one of the family members as a mate." She put a hand on his maw and kissed his snout, before witnessing the gigantic cock find its way into her view. She gasped, but said nothing that indicated fear. "It'll take getting used to. I'm sure I can manage though." Walked around him, to his side, feeling his scales with her delicate hands. "I... I told you I wasn't just a pretty face. Now... come out of that form. I want to hug you." Soda looked at her and watched her as she walked around him, craning a strong neck as he did. When she stopped at his side he looked at her when she told him to come out of this form to hug her. Smiling inwardly he closed his eyes as a billow of steam and smoke spooled around him and the dragon shrank out of view and was replaced with the usual Soda. His clothing still intact minus the slight tear at this stomach from the blade. Turning towards her, he wrapped his arms around her sides and pulled her soft form into his strong chest. How he'd missed giving her hugs. Feeling her pert breasts pressed to his reminded him that she was an adult now, or close to it and her body had undergone changes just like his had. Sure her breasts weren't as big as some of the women he'd seen, but they were much more perky and well shaped. Sighing as he hugged her he pulled back and rubbed his head a bit." Your parents asked me not to tell you unless I had to. Taking on a dragon as a mate is a lot of patience and responsibility, and they didn't want to put you into that kind of situation unless you were ready and willing. Dragons can be a bit...feisty...at times and are prone to aggression rather quickly. We're animals deep down, and we need to stay active, or we tend to get violent. Which was why I was gone so much or out in town... I needed to vent some aggression." Celia stroked his cheek and smiled. "I understand that but... please don't sleep around anymore. Or at least not as much. You know I'm patient." She put her hands at his hips and kissed his nose. "We should be getting back. Who knows. They might have friends." She left his embrace and started back down the path, holding his hand like they used to. But this time it was different. Better. Things felt right for once." So..." She said, "Have you taken measurements? Of your uh... your penis? I'd like to know what I'm going up against. Maybe we can find some sort of lubricant? I would very much like to make it work, Soda." As they walked Soda kept a sharp eye and ear on their surroundings just in case they did in fact have some friends around the area. Nothing but woodland creatures so far, but he still kept himself very aware. As she spoke up about measurements he blushed a bit. This wasn't awkward in the least. However, he did know the measurement. One night, a drunken night, a whore had measured his cock and found him to be roughly eleven in a half inches long and about two inches thick. He'd easily stretch any pussy, ass or mouth to the brim and really test the depth as well." Eleven in a half long and two inches wide. The herbalist in town sells lubrication for that. I keep several bottles on hand for obvious reasons." He said as he looked at their hands since he couldn't really meet her eyes. He knew she'd be shocked and if not shocked, fear would take over. As a human female, a virgin female, that size was not something you expected or wanted for your first time. It didn't matter where it went either. Given his size and what he was, when he came...it was hefty as well. Some females had tried oral and when he came it filled their mouths, throats, and even came out of their nose due to the sheer amount. Cumming in their pussy or ass tended to make their stomachs bulge a bit from how much was inside. Either way, she was in for a rough first time even if he was careful with her. She tried not to gasp, but a small one left her lips anyway. "Well I... that's pretty big... I... I'm not going to back down." She squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek. "I think it'll be good for you to settle down with me. Have a child sometime. Vent that aggression on other things." She paused in her speech for a moment in thought. "I... never thanked you for saving me. I would most certainly not have a virginity to give you if they had been allowed to continue. I might have ended up dead. So... thank you..." Soda gripped her hand as she mentioned being raped and killed. Soda stopped moving as he pulled her smaller frame right into his arms. Looking down at her his eyes were literally glowing as the thought of her getting hurt obviously didn't sit well with him." No one will touch you while I'm alive." He said in a growl that was borderline animal then human. However, a few deep breaths made him calm down a bit more as he kept his mouth shut since his fangs were starting to show, and he could feel his scales creeping up around his face and neck. Sighing heavily he walked back to her parents home with her and her mother was standing there and tapped her cheek. Koda lifted his hand and felt scales still on his cheeks. A few more deep breaths made that little issue go away as Celia's mother smiled and looked at her daughter." So you know why he avoided you so much now?" Celia looked at her mother with a sheepish smile, still clutching Soda's hand. Gianna, her mother, often times had a very particular way to scrutinize and scold her daughter's actions. Her way involved having Celia see what she did wrong. "H-hello mother," She sighed, "I... yes. And I don't care. I think you should have told me. I could have handled this. Mother, I... you know what, I won't fight it. Just..." She sighed and squeezed Soda's hand. "Just say what you were going to say." Gianna smiled a bit and shook her head as she looked at her daughter." Just remember...he's still maturing. So whatever you go through in the next month or so, it's only going to get harder as he gets older. The older they get, the more aggressive they get. The bigger they get, the more violent they can become. Just keep that in the back of your mind." What she didn't say but Kodak new was that if his aggression and his violent tendencies became too much for the mate to handle, the family would kill the dragon to prevent it from going on a rampage. This little piece of information was hidden from the mate by both the dragon and the family to save them from feeling as though they HAD to fight through the overwhelming odds of taming a dragon. When Celia's mother left them alone Soda watched the elderly woman as she nodded to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He knew that while she loved him like one of her own, she wouldn't hesitate to kill him if he posed a threat to the village and to her daughter. Which he was fine with. Each family was given a sword that was able to cut through Dragon scales as it was made from a Dragon's claw. Walking into the house he went to his own room and sat on his bed as Celia was in the room with him. Her being in his room wasn't anything new, she'd been in their multiple times. However, given that she wanted to be his mate, he'd need to tap into his actual savings left by his Dragon parent and buy his own home so that they could have some privacy." We need to start deciding what house you want to get. My actual mother left me some finances that your parents have held onto for me till I needed it. If you are serious about wanting to be my mate, we can't stay here... I doubt your parents want to hear our activities, and it'd be nice to have our own home." Celia gave Soda's hand another squeeze whilst she listened to her mother, nodding to show she was paying attention. When the silver-haired elder stopped, she nodded with a heavy breath. "Mother, I can more than handle the boon that being his mate will set upon me," She looked at him then and smiled, "Remember when we used to wrestle, Soda? We'd go out behind the stable so mother and father wouldn't find us. And remember how I would sometimes win?" She stifled a chuckled and shook her head and sighed. "Ah never mind. The point is, mother, that I can hold my own. I know Soda. He would never hurt me. I hope." Her fingers uncurled from his as they entered the home." I'll be just a minute," She promised, "I must retrieve something." Celia hurried to her own room and eyed her bed. She fell to her knees and crawled over to the right side of the bed, reaching under it. Her hands felt the cold leather of the object she was looking for and pulled the item in question out. Holding it behind her back, she hurried to Soda's room and entered. A smile spread across her face as he mentioned 'activities' and she shook her head. "Soda, don't be coy with me," She said softly, "You and I are both mature adults. Not very becoming of us to talk about sex like bewildered children, wouldn't you agree?" Still holding her object behind her back, she drew closer to him. "I understand the housing and privacy issue. Perhaps we should go for a small cabin near the woods. Close to nature like I always liked it. But I must speak with you about something." Celia brought the item in front of her. A scabbard with the hilt of a sword sticking out if the top. "Times are different." She placed a firm grasp around the hilt and drew the blade slowly out, allowing the sunlight filling in through the window to reflect against the tempered steel of the blade. "There are those who would see you dead for what you are. My father taught me how to wield a blade. At first, I had no idea why, but now I know." She sighed as the blade fully removed from the scabbard, revealing a masterfully crafted broadsword, sharpened to a fine blade with a black stripe riding down the center. "This is my grandfather's blade from the war. My father gave it to me when I was a little girl. I will protect you from those you cannot protect me from. Soda, I love you, but do not think me defenseless. And for Gods' sake, don't make stupid decisions on my behalf. Now." She sat down on the bed next to him after placing the sword back in the leather scabbard, "Shall we discuss things of a more intimate fashion?" Soda looked at the hidden object behind her and as the blade came out he smiled a bit. Good to see it was taken care of. All Dragon's carried the memories of their parents in their minds, and they would recognize key things. The blade was something very prominent in his mind as his mother had seen it multiple times. It was a dangerous weapon in the hands of a skilled fighter. Given how Celia wielded it so easily despite its size and weight, he could tell that she'd been practicing with it for quite some time. When she spoke of not worrying about her and how she would protect him from those he couldn't protect her from. He had a moment where his mind dared someone to try and get around him, but he simply nodded and smiled to her. At least he knew she had a weapon that she was familiar with and by the looks of it, was more than capable to use which would certainly scare a would be attacker. When she mentioned for him not to hide things from her, he nodded again." I promise Celia and I love you as well. Very much." He said as he smiled and slid his hand over hers when she sat down. Now, did that mean that he would inform her of the little hidden pact between Dragons and the families of their mates? No. That was one secret he'd take to his grave. As she sat down beside him and mentioned the more intimate nature things he chuckled and shook his head." For now. We can worry about a home. That isn't something we need to rush into Celia. On top of that, as strong as you are, this is something to be taken slowly otherwise it will hurt you...quite a bit in fact." He said as he leaned in and gave her a short but sweet kiss on her lips. That was the first time he'd done that and while he wanted to hold it much longer than he did, they needed to go and look for a nice home. He did make a mental note of just how soft her lips were and how good it felt to kiss her. He'd certainly have to see how it felt later to kiss her a bit longer." Now. Who shall we go and speak to? There are three men in the village who are in charge of the housing and purchasing the homes. I believe Sir Thomas is probably the most trusted man. I've heard that the other two charge much more than is needed, and the homes are in poor condition." They also needed to head to the market and purchase some essentials for the house as well, once they bought it of course, so they knew how much room they had. Celia nodded with a smile. "Perfectly understandable, I didn't want to rush either. Whatever you're comfortable with love. I... would say I should use a device to more prepare myself for your size, but I want you to have me raw. I'm unbroken, and I don't touch myself often. So..." She was cut off by a kiss to the lips and her eyes widened at the feeling. A small spark of electricity shot down her spine as he left her lips. A smile spread across her lips as she kissed his cheek during his retreat." Well yes, I have heard the same thing," She agreed, "Perhaps we should pay him a visit sometime."_________________​After a week or two of chasing parchments, deeds, and titles, Soda and Celia moved out of her parent's home and into their own place. A little larger than she would have liked, but it was decent enough. It had a kitchen, a dining room, a master bedroom and two smaller rooms in the same hallway, both big enough to be bedrooms. Celia could only assume that Sir Thomas had expected Celia to bear at least two children for Soda. The other houses they were shown weren't in very suitable for Celia's sudden burst of pickiness. One was too large for her, being of at least five bedrooms. Another was in the heart of the large town, which Celia didn't like due to its proximity to the local whorehouse, along with the hustle and bustle of it being close to the market district. The last one before the one they were shown was being sold by a third party, and they were charging too much. On top of that, it smelled of rotting meat and death. She inquired about the smell and apparently someone had been murdered and viciously torn apart in the house. Constabulary reports said that not every piece of the victim were found, as well as the lack of confirmation that it was simply one individual murdered. So they had decided that house wasn't the best place to start a family. After they had purchased the stone and wooden house close to the very river they visited as children, they spent their remaining funds on furniture. A nice silken bed for their bedroom as well as an upgrade to the kitchen. Celia had also lobbied for the construction of a small stable for her own horse, though the project had not yet been confirmed. In addition, they had a small plumbing system built for luxury. All in all, the abode was pleasing to Celia, and she felt comfortable in it. Her one caveat was that one of the extra rooms was changed to a sitting room where she could read, knit, or other things. Velia sat in the now-complete sitting room with Soda, who had just walked in and sat down. Since that first kiss, it's only been short, awkward kisses and the holding of hands as the extent of their intimacy. "So, Soda-Love," She smiled, setting her book down, "I know what being your mate implies. That we're supposed to have children." Celia sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. "One. I'll give you one heir. Preferably a girl." She stood up and sat in his lap, feeling her heart jump a little, "When are you going to lay with me?" She asked, "I've been waiting for you to make a move and you refuse. You must be getting pent-up. I do have to commend you; the women in town have not boasted about what a great lay you are in some time. I do note your disappearances to vent, but I appreciate you respecting my wishes to remain faithful to me." Celia leaned back and rested her head against his shoulder, lightly kissing his cheek. "But what's to be faithful to if you have not broken me of my virginity? I am your mate. Don't be afraid. After the first time it shouldn't hurt as much. And I promise every night I will sate your sexual desires, if you'll have me." During their little time span of getting their home, the home that had a human torn to pieces got his attention rather quickly. He hadn't killed anyone in the town. The only people he killed were bandits and thieves who were outside the town. So that little mystery really got him concerned and while he played it off as just avoiding the house, when he did go and 'vent' that was what he did. He searched the house for clues and followed his keen nose for traces of blood and meat. He'd found part of the human, bones really. Deep in the forest by a cave but the cave had been empty for some time. He couldn't catch the smell of the attacker though. He also had Celia's stable house on his mind. Furthermore, he was getting a few carpenters and craftsmen to build her a good strong stable where her horse could be comfortable and warm in the colder months. Purchasing a good stock of hay as well, he made sure to add a spot into the stable design where he could store the hay and keep it dry in the rain and snow. With all this on his mind as well as his lack of sexual activities, Soda was going out to vent more often then usual. Granted he wasn't gone days at a time, usually an hour or two at most. So as he walked into the sitting room and the topic of sex came up, his hand tightened on her thigh just a tad as he looked at her when she kissed his cheek." I'm just afraid of hurting you is all. However, I purchased more of the lubricant as well as a herbal salve that will help loosen the muscles. We can break in the new bed tonight...as well as other things." He said as he smiled at her and turned her chin to give her a real kiss. Locking his lips to hers he held one arm around her waist while the other held her cheek softly in his hand before moving down and giving her a small slice of pleasure as talented fingers teased her right nipple through her cotton dress. His lips molded to hers like hot steel and his tongue slid along hers. Slick and hot, strong and wrestling for dominance. When he did pull away he smiled at her and reached into his bag pulling out a powder mix, that when mixed with water made a cream like substance." Be sure to shave your nether region. I want to show you something, so you have to be smooth." He said as he, as a dragon, actually had no body hair mainly because when in dragon form he had not body hair either, just the light mane on his head and down his neck. "Don't be silly, love," Melina said softly, "You'll always worry about tags until we fix the problem-" She was once again cut off by a kiss, this time it was impassioned. It made her heart skip a beat and her stomach twist in knots. Her hand slowly moved up to cover Soda's much larger hand, moaning slightly. That moan intensified when his hand touched her hardening nipples, at the same time submitting to his powerful tongue wrestling with hers. She whimpered when he left her lips, following it up with a quick peck before moving away to nod slowly. Her mouth dropped when he asked her to shave a little, but she did not protest." O-okay, Love," She nodded, running a hand along his cheek with a smile, "If that's your desire, who am I to say no?" Celia only trimmed herself to a very short length so she didn't show when she decided to wear tight-fitting pants instead of a dress, which she did when she did her routine exercises to keep herself fit and limber. Often times it involved filling buckets with water and putting them on a wooden pole taken from a broom and lifting it in reps to work herself out. Other times she would do stretches to the point where she was fairly flexible. "So this... herbal salve?" She said in a little bit of a short breath, "I assume you've used it with other lovers?" Her eyes met his and she smirked a little. "And you never responded to my suggestion about children. Is that something you even want of me? Because I would very much like to have a child with you. When we're ready, of course." Soda sighed a bit when she mentioned other lovers, and he just gave a quick nod." Yes. Some of the other women were complaining about the size so they used this to help accommodate me." He said and when she brought up the children topic he chuckled a bit and looked at her flat stomach, sliding his hand down from her breast to her stomach and stroking it softly." I wouldn't mind a child. A female would be under watchful eyes just so you know. If you think of how protective I am over you, can you imagine how I would be over a daughter?" He asked as he smiled and hugged her to his chest. Her moans that she had made while kissing were very pleasing to the ear and one of the main reasons he'd stopped was because if she kept up with those moans, he wouldn't have been able to wait for tonight. Over the rest of the evening he talked with Celia about their future, how to handle certain moods that he may be in and what to look for if he starts showing signs of possible aggression. The scales forming along his jaw and neck was a good sign that he was getting to the breaking point. That night, after they had eaten and washed up, Soda was in their bedroom lying on the bed with the covers pulled up to his hips. He was nude, as he was usually when he slept. She was in the bathing chamber cleaning up and Soda was waiting for her. He had both vials of herbal salve on the night stand to his right as he tried to mentally prepare himself for taking things slowly with her. "I don't care." She said simply, "In fact, it only makes me want a girl more. Knowing that her big, strong father was looking out for her..." She grunted a little bit in the restrictive hug, still chuckling a little. Later that night, Celia began to critique herself on the minutia in the mirror. The length of her lashes, the fullness of her lips. The curve if her face and the size of her ears. Fretting over things that would be handed down to her child. Then her eyes fell to her bust, something taut could look very androgynous in the right clothing, but very full in other clothes. Her chest was lighter than most other women, but her mother always told her that her light breasts would keep their shape longer and be perky well into her late thirties. With a sigh, she eyed the small pile of pubic hair that she had caused to fall out with a special salve. Celia quickly disposed of it and sighed at the pile of cotton skirts and dress on the floor. She stood in her skivvies, a simple pair of silk undergarments and a matching night-shirt that left a small gap between her stomach and crotch, showing plenty of skin. The door to the bathing chamber opened up, and she smiled at Soda who had his lower half conveniently covered up with the weddings. She meandered over and laid down next to him. "So... I have a few questions before we... begin," She said, "First off, I forgot to ask earlier, but would our child be a dragon like you, or a human? Secondly, is your member in a... a sheath like in your dragon form? And finally, you're going to have to help me with the salve. I don't really have a clue how to use it." Soda smiled a bit when she came out of the bathing chamber and even in her undergarments he could see that she'd cleaned her crotch of any and all hair which was a blessing to him. Personally, since he didn't have any, he hated the idea of pubic hair. When she slid into the bedding next to him and hit him with three questions back to back he laughed a bit and looked at her for a moment." The child would be a dragon like me. Our genes take over in terms of species but when it comes to looks, the mother of the child is the one who handles that area. No, as a human my cock is plain as day and outside my body. The only reason it's sheathed as a Dragon is that my scales protect it. Lastly, I was planning on helping you love. I figured you wouldn't know what to do." He said with a smile as he pulled her into his arms and rolled her so that she was on her back before he planted another breathtaking kiss to her lips. While he kissed her he ran his hand along her stomach and up under her top piece so that his bare hand could roll over her bare breasts. Teasing the tightening nipple with rough calloused hands. While he did this he let her feel the hardening member of his cock rubbing along her thigh and she'd also be able to feel the dips and grooves in his cock. His cock, wile oddly shaped and having strange ridges in it. The member itself for a human pussy, caused mind-blowing pleasure as it was able to rub and caress areas a human cock simply couldn't. After getting her good and aroused with deep kisses and soft strokes with his hands he removed her top and then slowly slid her bottoms off. Smiling as he saw the smooth lips of her pussy he kissed his way down her neck and chest, stopping to lick and suckle both nipples, before kissing and nipping his way down her stomach until his lips wrapped her clit and his tongue played with the hyper sensitive nub. "Thank the gods..." She breathed out in relief, "For a moment, I was... ah screw it, who cares anyhow." She fell into the kiss, moaning again as her arms trailed around his bare chest, feeling the muscles and groaned in desire. The shirt came off with ease and her small breasts were exposed fully, a draft of chilly air finding its way across her chest, causing the nipples to harden faster in Soda's skilled hands. The ridging of his cock sent a rush to her brain, imagining the wonders of what it would feel like. When Soda removed her briefs, he would find an utterly hairless set of lips, very obviously ripe and virgin. Not even a stubble of hair could be found upon her ethers, smooth as the day she was born. The fact that she was virgin meant that an extra pain of deflowering would be added to the mix of pain. Melina contemplated asking him to break her hymen with his finger so she would be spared that, but she refrained. He deserved his mate wholly untouched, a perfect virgin, unsullied by sex or copious masturbation. Her anatomy was very evident that she had not one sexual desire that strayed from being pleasured by whatever Soda did to her. Koda found her sensitive city, and yelped in surprise, not expecting it to be so reactive. "Oh, sorry love," she apologized, "I didn't know... you just surprised me. It feels good, please don't stop..." A soft gasp left her lips as she cared her hands in his hair. "You're... amazing..." Soda slid his ice blue eyes up her body to where she was apologizing to him and smiled a bit against her clit before he started to lick a little faster and suckle harder. He did slide a single finger inside of her, but he stopped before breaking her hymen. He just wanted to show her what it felt like to have something inside of her. While he licked and fingered her, he reached over with his free hand and grabbed one of the vials. This vial would allow her muscles to relax, and it would ease the pain that would come from her hymen breaking as well as the pain of her walls being stretched. It would also ease the sore feeling she'd have in the morrow. Putting this salve on his fingers he rubbed her pussy lips with it and even rubbed along her inner walls with it. The salve sank into her skin and pores, slipping into her muscles and caused a relaxed feeling to wash over her. He coated her walls and her lips with this salve then sat up and used the other vial to coat his cock. Yes she was more than wet enough but for now, he just wanted to break her hymen and get her accustomed to his cock. The rest of the pleasure would come later on tonight. He was just getting the brunt of the pain out of the way for now. Pushing the head of his cock against the soft smooth lips of her sex he leaned down and kissed her lips softly as he slowly began pushing inside. His thick cock spread her walls wide, but he took careful time to slowly inch bit by bit inside. When he got to her hymen he laced his fingers with hers and kissed her lips." Take a deep breath and let it out slowly." When she did as he said as her breath was leaving he pushed in and broke the hymen. With the hymen gone his cock sank in all the way, and he stayed where he was, gyrating his hips so that the ribbed grooves in his cock would still bring pleasure, but her walls could adjust to his size and shape. Melina did feel a relaxing sensation, almost as if a weight was being lifted. The finger inside her body caused waves of pleasure to roll throughout her body, even as the muscles hugged the finger. But she could feel the grip loosen on his finger until it was only just tight enough for her to get pleasure from it. She spread her legs when he made the move at last and playfully kissed his nose. "I love you, Soda." And with that, he pushed in. Almost at once, she felt a massive pressure enter her. It causes her to gasp in pain, wincing as her muscles tried their best to choke his cock with all the might the salve allowed them. Her gorgeous hazel eyes never left his, however, even as her veil was pierced. A yelp left her mouth, a little louder than she would have liked, as a sharp pain stabbed through her. Her irises rolled up to the top of her lids as she shuddered in pain, feeling every ridge pass over her muscular but velvety walls. What Soda hadn't known going into this was that the women from her lineage were specially known for the wonderful feel of their insides. Celia was no exception to this, as the lining of her pussy would feel to Soda like the finest of silks, smooth and without friction, but never lacking in grip. Shortly, she felt him stop pushing, finally all the way in. "O-ow," She finally said with a chuckle, "Y-you weren't kidding... this... this fucking hurts..." The pressure of his cock inside her felt like he was going to pop her open and rip her all the way up her stomach, a few drops of blood seeped out due to the intact virginity that had just been split. However, Melina was glad that Soda had been slow on his entrance and eased in, most definitely aiding in the pain. Lastly, the gyrating loosened her up even more, but she knew it would take a little while for it to stop hurting. Slowly, but surely, however, her muscles got the idea and started to relax at an agonizingly slow pace. At long last, several minutes had passed, and the pain had more or less subsided completely, and she felt stuffed still, but she had a different fullness wash over her. Pleasure. "Y-you can start now love." Soda smiled as she finally said he could start moving, and he did. While he still kept things slow and fairly simple for her. Moving his hips so that only the head was inside he pushed back in slowly. Letting her feel the friction. He'd noticed pretty early on that her inner walls were probably the softest walls he'd ever felt and one's he could easily become addicted to feeling. Leaning his head down he kissed her lips deeply, rolling his tongue along hers as his hands were planted on either side of her for support. His hips moved so that his cock slid in and out of her tight walls and as her legs hooked along either side of him he felt himself slip a little deeper within her which triggered his need. Shoving his hips forward now, he was thrusting into her with enough force that her breasts swayed with each thrust and their skin slapped with each connection. Pulling away from her lips he moaned into her neck as he kissed the soft skin and ran his teeth along it. His right hand moved from the bed to her breast where he teased her nipple with soft squeezes and rolled it between his fingers. Soon though, his knees and abs took up most of the support as he hooked her leg in his left hand and when he angled her leg up a bit more, he showed her that he could sink in deeper so that the tip of his cock was damn near pressing into her cervix he was so deep. Given that he was in fact a Dragon, Dragon's liked to play in every hole a female had to offer so as his hand gripped her ass cheek, his middle finger moved. Her juices were pouring down her slit and coating her anus as the juice leaked down and when he knew it was coated enough, he used her arousal as lubricant and slowly and easily slid his middle finger along her anus before slowly pressing inside of it. The tight embrace of her anus was a welcomed feeling as he moaned, and his thrusting got a bit harder. Her eyes closed as he began moving, feeling the fullness move with him. Melina balled up the weddings in her fists as pleasure rippled through her. There was still an underlying pain inside of her, that she knew would linger for the entirety of their passionate lovemaking, but she would get used to it being there, and eventually it would go away. Of course, humans as small as her barely had the capacity to accommodate something so large. Initially, she was afraid she'd tear."Oh, Soda..." She moaned, reaching up to cup her hands around the back of his neck, "It's... amazing..." A sigh left her mouth as he pressed his lips to hers, his powerful movements sending wave after wave of euphoria through her body. As he picked up speed and her breasts began moving on her chest, she cried out as he struck a sensitive spot with in her, only furthering it by the ridges rubbing against the spot. She shivered in delight as he began to stimulate her breasts, the nipples sanding out like arrows for him. Koda began bashing closer and closer to the entrance to her womb, causing her back to arch and another rippling scream of ecstasy to leave her mouth. Her hands rode down his back, raking her nails along his skin." Oi!" She cried as a finger intruded on her ass, "Soda, you dirty reptile, you!" She tried to scoot a little back to accept him better, but she could barely move. Moans of pleasure continued to parade from her mouth as he thrust into her. "Don't be afraid to cum inside my sweet..." Soda chuckled as she mentioned him being a dirty reptile. Oh, if only she knew, but that was for later. Smiling he pulled back so that he could look at her and winked as he drove in deep with his cock, and ground his hips against hers."Oh, I planned on cumming inside love. Every time." He said in a deep growl as he pulled back, almost all the way out and drove in hard enough to scoot her back so that his finger sank further into her ass. Smiling at the sound she made he began thrusting hard and fast, working his own pleasure but at the same time, he wanted her to cum. He'd noticed that little scream she made when he'd hit that sweet spot and was now working his thrusts so that he was constantly rubbing that specific area. His finger in her rear was moving at a different pace then his cock so if his cock was pulling out, his finger was pushing in. The tight walls of both her pussy and her anus were mind-blowing for Soda, and he was on the verge of release already. His brain was swimming in arousal and need, but he held off and waited for that release to come from his mate. He wouldn't feel like he pleased her if he came before me. Lifting her hips a bit he moved them up so that he was hitting at a new angle and driving into her was easier as this position forced her muscles to focus on supporting her backside which made her pussy ease up enough that he could not only slide in easier, but he could pump faster as well." Cum for me love... I want to feel your release." He said in a deep growl right next to her ear as his fingers pinched her nipple a little firmly. Melina moaned loudly as the intensity increased, continuing to rake her hands down his back. She was lost in pleasure, huffing and puffing as her climax drew in. The new angle struck her different, in a new, wonderful spot. This new spot caused her to scream again, most likely alerting passersby to their passionate lovemaking." Ooooh... fuck!" She moaned, "Fuck, I love you..." She clung to him tightly, forgetting about the world and her troubles, living at that moment of ecstasy as her finish culminated to a powerful wind up. "I'm cumming..." She moaned as an explosive orgasm rocketed through her body. "Shit!" She whimpered as she went limp in his arms, body gripped with soreness. Soda smiled as she clung to him for dear life as her orgasm rippled through her body like a shock wave. Moaning as he felt her body gripping him he locked his hips to hers and came hard, gripping a handful of her hair as he did and growled her name. His cum came in heavy thick loads, spraying deep within her womb and filling her quickly, the sheer amount of cum he was able to produce caused her stomach to expand a small amount, just showing that she was good and full of his load. Pulling himself up a bit he looked down a as his cock twitched and pulsed inside of her and smiled. Cupping her cheek softly as he kissed her lips." That was amazing love. Are you alright?" He asked as she looked to have a look that said she was pretty sore at the moment. Pleasure and an orgasm had a way of drowning any negative feelings, but after it was over, those feelings came back. Slowly pulling himself out of her resulted in a wash of his cum oozing out of her soaked folds. Smiling at the sight of his release leaving her slit, it let him know that he'd been up inside of her good and deep. His cock glistened with his and her release which just added to the feeling. Panting, Celia nodded. "Better than expected..." She mumbled, gently pushing as much fluid as she could out of her womb. The woman tried to sit up, but ended up not being able to. "Gods, I feel so weak and sore right now..." Groaning, she rolled over to her side of the bed and scooted as best she could up to the pillow. "Will you... will you cuddle with me, love?" She asked with a sweet tone in her voice, "I desperately need you to hold me in your big, strong arms, Soda. Help your betrothed out?" A grin spread across her face as the last dribbles of thick slime oozed its way out of her body. A fine layer of sweat covered her skin, glistening in the waning orange sunlight that filtered through the window. Celia turned her head to look out it, and saw a beautiful scene of the sun gently setting over the tops of other houses and trees. She let out a chuckle and shook her head. "It's beautiful, Soda." She said, "The sun. I will cherish this moment for the rest of my life. I love you, dearest." Soda smiled as she asked him to cuddle with her. Sliding up behind her, he slipped an arm under her head so she could lie on his bicep like a pillow, cushioning her neck against the muscle of his arm. He slipped his other arm over her hip and stomach as his chest pressed to her back and his hips pressed to her ass. Kissing the side of her cheek he smiled against the soft damp skin." I had planned on snuggling with you my love. Not to worry." He said as he too looked out of the window and at the way the sun made the grass all but shine. Nodding his head to her comment about how beautiful it was he stroked her stomach." It is. Very beautiful. You'll have plenty more moments like this one Celia. This I promise." He said with a chuckle as he knew tomorrow would be a good day for her as well since the builders were coming to the house to start constructing her stable house. As he held her he constantly ran his hand along her bare stomach and smiled whenever she would giggle or squirm if he touched a sensitive area. That night he prepared a hot bath for her, using some heated coals to heat the water then lifted her out of the bed and carried her like a Princess to the bath. He set her on the hard edge of the tub and let her slowly slip herself in when she'd gotten used to the water temperature." This will help your muscles relax and not be so sore." He said as he also dripped some oil into the water. The oils were designed to seep into her skin making it nice and soft as well as sinking into the muscles to help heal them from any exertion they may have had. Melina immediately snuggled into him as he placed his arm around her, digging her cheek into his arm. She listened to him intently, but her eyes fell heavy, and soon she fell into a power nap, softly snoring as he held onto her. Never before had she figured their intimacy would escalate as rapidly as it did, though they had been courting on and off for the past year or so. When she awoke with as slight snort, she was being carried with one arm under her knees and the other under her neck. She looked up and saw Soda's face, bring a smile to her own. "Hey..." She mumbled, rising a hand up to cup his cheek. It was immediately apparent he had drawn her a bath when he set her on the side of the tub. With a nod, she slid in, immediately feeling her aching muscles loosen a bit. "Ahhhh...." She moaned, "Much better..." Melina let the warm waters caress her smooth skin. "Soda." She said suddenly, "Do you wish for me to go on contraceptives or just let what happens, happen?" Soda looked at her as she asked about contraceptives and slipped into the water behind her, letting her rest her back against his chest and sit snuggled between his legs. Wrapping his arms around her stomach he kissed her cheek softly." I'll leave that up to you love. You're the one who's going to be carrying the infant not me. If you think you're ready for that, then just let things happen. If you would like to wait and just get used to us being together and learning how to control my aggression without the increased emotions due to a baby...then I'd suggest the contraceptives. In the end, it's really up to you. If you want my opinion... I'd say to wait till you've learned to control the aggressive behaviors I have and have learned to counter them properly. Having a baby while trying to learn all of this will put a lot of stress on you." Any pregnant female was always a bit more emotional than usual due to the rapid change in their bodies make up and the hormones. Having a child while trying to tame a dragon would be a nightmare for both the dragon and the tamer simply because of all the emotions that would be flying around during the entire process. That and after a certain month of being pregnant, sex had to stop to avoid hurting the mother or the baby. That would be a trying time for Soda as he'd have to resort to hunting and killing to cool his aggressive tendencies.

Taming a Dragon (Patient & Grumpy)|rating:3.0

A Kings Slave (Daring x Grace)

Aisha stood in the line quietly waiting her turn. Her mind was still reeling over how much her life had changed in the course of the last few weeks. She had gone from being the beloved, if not a little spoiled, only child of a loving couple to a slave being sold at market. Her parents were dead, her home destroyed, and nothing would ever be the same for her again. She was not one for tears or pity though, so she studied the buyers. Aisha was determined to make the best of this new life. Picking up on the conversation between her seller and a finely dressed man, Aisha realized that the buyer was looking for pretty girls to work inside the palace. This was exactly what she was looking for. She stood straighter, combed her fingers through her hair, and let her top slip down a little. As the two men walked closer to the line of girls Aisha prepared herself mentally, what she was about to do would either be her saving grace or her doom. “Excuse me sir, I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation and I wondered why you would settle for merely pretty little girls when you could have the most beautiful and talented girl here?” She batted her eyelashes and smiled, holding her breath. The seller looked pissed, but the buyer grinned and walked closer to her. “Tell me dear where can I find this woman?” “Why sir I thought it quite obvious. Indeed, I amextremelygifted I swear.” Aisha leaned closer to the disgusting man who was nearly devouring her with his eyes. Finally, he chuckled, “Quite confident, this one.”. Turning to the seller he said, “I’ll take her and any two others you have that can handle hard work.”. Very quickly the three girls were traveling to the palace. Once there they were washed and groomed and given new clothing to wear. The clothing was fairly concealing, not something Aisha was pleased about. She had always been rather happy with her body and saw no need to hide it. Not much she could do about this as a slave though. She soon found that her play in the city had paid off. The other two girls were sent to be washerwomen, one of the worst jobs in a home much less a palace. Aisha on the other hand was to be a drink server. It would be her job to make sure there was no shortage of drink for anyone staying in the castle. All rooms must have their own supply, so she would be required to walk to and fro quite a lot. Aisha enjoyed movement though so she was quite happy about this employment. She had just entered the kitchen when she was shoved a tray filled with goblets and pointed in the direction of the great hall. Apparently, she had arrived just in time. The king would be entering to dine soon, and some guests had already made their way in. Aisha began wondering about the room offering drinks and calculating. She noticed everything, surveying each person in the room. Trying to figure out how to play her cards in a way that would most benefit her. Her gaze was sharp and cunning as it cut around the room. Boring... That was what the day had held so far in Handel's stead. His steward had been sent to bring in more women for the castle. Though as he sat in his room being prepped for supper, his steward walked in to announce that the hall was ready for his entrance. A sigh leaving the male as he stood and straightened his overcoat. "I trust you bought another drink server for the castle?" The male questioned as he turned to the steward. The last one hadn't enjoyed her stead at the castle. Being one of the easier jobs, she still count handle her slavery. The girl had fled, only to be captured and executed for disobedience. Handel having little say in the matter as it was done before he had even heard of the incident. He was there for the execution ABD he decided not to interrupt. It had been the anniversary of his father's death, and he wanted little stress that day." Yes Sire. I also bought two girls to fill the empty positions for washing as you requested. The nobles are awaiting you in the great hall my Lord." The steward replied in earnest as Handel nodded. "Very well Jace. Let's not keep them waiting." The response coming before he slipped through the door and out into the long hallway. This was to be followed with two guards at his sides. It was not a long walk before everyone stood, acknowledging his entrance as he took a seat at the head of the table. He wasn't a cruel king and most knew that. Though some didn't agree with his methods. "Let the supper commence!" He sounded through the hall as the chefs brought out the meals. Handel's eyes staring at the goblet that was empty before his seat at the long table. "Fetch me the server. I need my wine." The place went quite as the king appeared and a glint of mischief flashed in Aisha’s eyes. He was a tall very good-looking young man. The young part shocked her, for some reason she had always pictured kings as grumpy old men. This man may look a little grump, but as far as she could tell he didn’t seem much older than herself. Suddenly all her plans for rising seemed more likely. Once he had seated himself and allowed the food to begin being brought out Aisha turned back to her job, plotting the entire time. Someone snatched her arm roughly nearly causing her to drop her tray. She turned and realized glumly it was the man who had bought her. She tried to put on a pleasing smile as she asked, “Yes m’lord?”. “The king needs his goblet filled.”, came his gruff response as he yanked her tray away and shoved I pitcher into her. “Oh course. Right away.”, she responded through gritted teeth. Aisha had confidence of ten women and the only time she’d been scared of anything was when she had watched her parents being murdered before her. If she could survive that she could handle anything, including a king. She sauntered straight up to him, wishing again that she had access to her own clothes. She leaned in and began pouring his wine. As she did so she chuckled haughtily, “Quite boring, these tedious engagements are they not sire?”. Backing away she curtsied very prettily and continued like she had the right to speak to a king even though she was a slave....very bold of her. “My name is Aisha and I was never much for boring dinners of necessity.” Handel's steward Jace had gotten the girl as he had requested. The girl had looks, definitely befitting that of a server. Though she spoke while doing as she was supposed to do. Echoing the thought he held about the supper. He never did like sharing supper with the nobles, but it was a tradition. His eyes narrowing toward her as she curtsied. Then she spoke again. A very confident one. His eyes narrowing further though he made no sign of discipline yet. "Yes. Though I don't believe you are really a part of this gathering." His words coming off a little aggressive towards her outreach of conversation. Though he was intrigued by her. The beauty was one thing, but her confidence with no hesitation was what hit him. A thought flying in his mind that he let pass. His eyes turning back to his meal as he started to cut into his steak as if she never spoke. Though his thoughts still circled. His steward was off making sure that the other women were doing their jobs. Leaving nobody but her, the nobles, and himself in the hall. Enjoying his meal ABD ignoring the slave woman. Though it was a moment later that he spoke again. "Are you going to go do your duties or continue watching me eat." The words coming off as an order to leave rather than a question. Aisha heard the anger behind his words and it really tiffed her. She’d never gotten this type of reaction from a man before. Her eyes furrowed a little at the slight. When he turned from her to eat that did it. Her temper flared. The king was currently telling her to leave and she would leave alright. Just not before taking her revenge for his inattention to her. She calculated her next move quickly and before the rational part of her brain could convince her of how truly stupid it was, she acted. Pulling on the most tempting smile she could, she practically purred, “Actually sire, I believe myself to be one of the most important parts of this entire gathering.”. She took a step towards his table, reached out to pick up an empty goblet, and filled it to the brim. “I’m the one with the wine.” With that she downed the entire cup and sat it back on the table. She curtsied again to the king, turned, and began to twitch away. That was enough for him. The girl had much more than just confidence. There was arrogance there too. Drinking wine the wine was definitely not her job. As she began to walk away, he stood. He couldn't let her leave without discipline. His hand latching onto her wrist tightly as he turned her around. This was only done, so the other hand could land a backhand loud enough for the nobles at his side of the castle to look. "You watch your actions' woman!" He growled out. His steward coming in just as the spectacle unfolded. Handel just waving him off as he released the woman and sat back down. "You are to see me after supper. Until then, continue your duties and leave me in peace." He spoke before giving a smile to the nobles to signify everything was alright. Continuing to eat and finishing his meal. It happened so fast that Aisha barely registered it all at first. She had been walking away quite pleased with herself when suddenly she was jerked around. There was a loud crack and then pain seared across her face and she released a small scream of surprise and hurt. Her free hand came to her face and she stared in horror realizing the king had just struck her. It didn’t seem to bother him in the least, as soon as he had said his piece he sat down and continued as if nothing had happened. She had greatly underestimated this man. A grave mistake on her part. Aisha dropped her hand even though her face still stung. She managed to dip the sexiest curtsy she could, since everyone was staring at her. As she stood and turned to leave, her words dripping with venom, she replied, “Of course sire.”. If he was going to pretend nothing had happened so would she. The rest of the dinner she fulfilled her duty better than any other woman could have after such a scene. She was just the right amount of quite and flirty. She used her eyes and her body to do what her mouth wasn’t allowed. Aisha was the epitome of a calm, collected beauty, and she took pride in the glances most men in the room were giving her. As the last guests retired the other servants scurried out. They all knew what was coming and didn’t want to be anywhere near, in case they also came under fire. Aisha couldn’t help but look at them with disgust as they ran. Cowards. Aisha set her sights on the king and walked proudly up to him. She looked him in the eyes and asked, “You wished to see me?”. His eyes never really left the servant girl the rest of the meal. The guests giving glaring eyes at her incredible display of grace. Not saying a word but her body moving for her. He wasn't mad, but he wasn't to be mocked by a servant. His discipline displayed ABD now it was done. Jace walked closer than he had before after coming in on the display. A protective shield from it happening again though Handel already knew it wouldn't. The end came soon enough as the servants started to clean up the dishes. His eyes turning to Aisha as she came as told at the end after everyone had left. "You wished to see me?" Her voice spoke calmly. The tone as if she had forgotten all about the incident beforehand. Except the way she confidently stood and looked him in the eyes. Definitely more than a servant girl." Yes I did." He spoke before waving off the four guards and his steward. Once they were gone he spoke once more. "From here on you will have two tasks throughout the day. You will resume your drink serving and do so quietly. Every night after tonight after supper you will see me. Do you understand?" He spoke. Leaving no hint or evidence to what the second task actually meant for her. His eyes glaring into hers. Aisha’s eyes didn’t waver from the kings. She would not be intimidated by him, especially after he laid hands on her. If she acted scared or contrite he’d feel as if he had won and that wouldn’t do. She did listen quietly as he spoke though, which was a feat in itself. Aisha has quite a few things she wouldn’t mind saying to him, but she really didn’t relish the thought of him smacking her again. When he finished and asked if she understood, she thought she did. She assumed he would require a report of her day or something of the kind. He probably wanted to lord his power over her and show her that she couldn’t do anything without him knowing. Aisha’s eyes flashed with anger, and she had to bite her tongue before speaking. She took a step closer to him just to prove that she wouldn’t be intimidated. “I believe I understand. Where would you have me come to you each evening to give my days report, here?” The girl was even braver than he thought. Only helping him with the answer. "Days Report? No. You will find out what you'll be doing tomorrow night. Throne room is where you are to go after supper." Handel spoke back before standing from his chair finally. His eyes looking into hers once more before he started to walk away. He really expected Aisha to just wait? This man was really getting under her skin. Calm. Her mind tried to tell her heart. She couldn’t let her anger get the best of her right now. When he turned to go without another word, her resolve slipped just slightly. She had meant to let him walk away without speaking, but she let a single sentence pass her lips, “Fulfilling your commands will be my greatest pleasure, sire.”. The words, though compliant and seemingly harmless, were etched with hatred. Handel heard the comment and made no move to respond. Exiting the great hall to be joined by those that had left them for their discussion. "Make sure she is in the throne room tomorrow after supper." He told Jace before he had his guards escort him back to his room. The nastiness of this girl would be quite fun to break. He had never had one challenge his authority. It honestly made him intrigued. A little excited even. Action among all this boring everyday nuisances. The guards stayed outside as the king entered his chambers to prepare himself for sleep. His robes and clothing being shed to adorn something more comfortable. His body carrying itself to the bed before falling into sleep. Not ready for tomorrow to start as it would be just as boring as today. No reply. That was a little interesting. Half of Aisha expected him to turn back around and smack her again or worse since they were alone. She let out a sigh of relief once the king was out of the room. She didn’t have long to be relieved though. Jace, the man who had purchased her, flew into the room straight for her. He grabbed her arm and shook her seething. “How dare you upset the king, you insolent little girl! I should’ve left you at that market! I have half a mind to take you back in the morning.”, Jace roared.“You wouldn’t dare! The king wants me here doing the job you gave me, he told me himself. You are not thinking of going against him are you?”, spit Aisha back at him. “Why you little bitch!”, answered Jace raising his hand as if to hit her, but stopping mid-swing. An odd smile came across his face, he lowered his hand, and even released her completely. “What exactly did the king say to you child?” Aisha hesitated at this odd turn of events. “H-he said that I would do my serving duties tomorrow and then meet him in the throne room after dinner for a new assignment specifically from him.” Jace’s smile grew even bigger and his eyes glittered devilishly. He laughed a loud throaty chuckle, “Come dear thing, let me show you to your room.”. He turned and began to lead the way out. Aisha was completely unsettled, what was wrong with this guy? Why had her response effected him so? Did he know what the king had in mind for her to do? It must be some terribly hard or disgusting job if it made Jace this happy. Whatever it was she would take her punishment proudly. Aisha followed him to the slave quarters. She would be sharing a room would three other woman. Wonderful. As if being a slave wasn’t back enough they expected her to share a room with commoners. She sighed and settled into bed. The next day seemed to fly by, Aisha barely stopped moving all day. Jace made sure she was never idle, always having another task for her. By the time dinner arrived she was beginning to feel a little uneasy about what her punishment would be, but she never let her calm mask slip. Handel woke and went around for his morning duties. Making decisions on the encroachment from the west on whether his kingdom would join the other to help fend off the enemy and gain an ally or not. That wasn't all either. He had many things to be dined every day. His life one big cluster of business, stress, and boredom. Though most of his days involved sitting and discussing with his counsel, most days he wished he was left alone. Soon the end of the day was upon them. The supper had started, and the king sat in his usual spot at the head of the table. Handel's eyes watching as Aisha moved and did her serving without speaking. Showing that she had received the message from the night before. As he watched, a grin formed on the young man's face. The night was to be different. Fun lining the end of the day as well as a release of stress. Supper took longer than the day before but right as it ended Handel got up ABD steadily made his way to the throne room. Was only a meeting space. The real fun would begin elsewhere and would be better if he was right about the reaction. His Steward knew he plans. It was evident by the smile he had when he had waked the king up this morning. It wasn't long before she would join him in the room. Thankfully Aisha had always been a bit of a busybody, so even after the hellish day Jace had put her through she was only slightly worn down. She had just walked into the kitchen to put down the jug of wine she had been using at dinner when she heard her name. Turning, she noticed Jace leaned against the door frame grinning savagely at her. Without missing a beat she walked straight up to him. “Yes m’lord?” “Shouldn’t you be on your way to the throne room? Wouldn’t want to keep the king waiting.” “I was just on my way, so if you’d step aside I could continue.” Anger flashed in his eyes at her indignant tone of voice. Aisha didn’t care, she hated this man and he hated her. Their relationship couldn’t get much worse. “Oh I think you can manage to squeeze past me, I rather like this spot.” So that’s how he was going to play this? She smiled and turned to walk away. “Fine I’ll go the long way and when the king asks me why I was so long I’ll give him your name.” Jace grabbed her by her wrist and began pulling her through the door behind him. “Let’s go you ungrateful slave. I’ll deliver you to the king myself.” His fingers were biting into her skin painfully, and she knew she’d have a bruise the next day, but she didn’t make a sound. He dragged her like this all the way to King Channels feet where he then forcefully threw her down on the ground and smiled. “Your slave, majesty.” Jace gave a flourishing bow and Aisha thought he looked like a wriggling dog before his master. Aisha didn’t move from her spot on the floor, waiting to see what the kings' reaction would be. Handel didn't have to wait long until Jace busted in with Aisha. The girl obviously had angered Jace in some way. "Thank you Jace. Now please leave us to your duties." He spoke before he took the girl under her shoulder and lifted her to her feet. His eyes staring at her with a different sense. Intrigue wad some and filled with something else entirely. Something that could be easily seen in moments." Follow me. Things will be easy if you listen." He spoke as he exited through doors behind the Throne itself. They led to a bunch of stairs into a room with different deviant things. Numerous torturous items and shackles. The room looking like a dungeon until Handel spoke. "Undress yourself." Aisha was more than a little upset that Jace got a thank you after his awful behavior with her. As soon as he left though the king helped Aisha to stand which seemed like a somewhat good sign to her. Her curiosity peaked as the king turned his back to her and left the room, commanding her to follow. Aisha decided she’d listen, at least for the moment. They walked down a long flight of stairs and upon reaching the bottom Aisha froze stiff. The room before her was not somewhere she wanted to be. There were whips and shackles throughout the room. Other untold devices were strewn across tables and the room had an intimidating air to it. She should’ve been terrified, but instead she was angry. Angry at herself though for following him here, for wanting to come work at the palace, and most of all for not controlling her tongue. Aisha could handle pain if that’s what the king intended, she just wished she had avoided it. The kings command hit her like a bucket of cold water. She stared at him. “I most certainly will not undress. Punish me if you like sire, but I will not do that.” The king grinned, the response exactly as he thought. Turning around quickly as his hand latched onto her wrist almost as hard as the Steward's had earlier. "Punishment? This wasn't intended for punishment, but we can arrange new plans for now." His tone quite calm for the disobedience he had just experienced. His other hand gripped her shirt tightly. His arms pulling her closer. "That mouth is going to make your situation worse if you don't control it." He spoke again before he let go of her shirt and dragged her by her arm to a wooden pillar. The pillar had cross shackles that reached above her head as he pulled her wrist up to latch it in the shackle. His hand then grabbing the other and doing the same. Then turned away, moving to a nearby closet to grab some rope. Tying the girls legs against the pillar. "Now let's start over. Time for you to undress." As soon as the king’s hand closed around her wrist Aisha instantly began to try to twist out of it, but he was too strong for her. As he pulled her towards him by her shirt she sneered at him, “You will unhand me this instant! I will not be treated as such!”. He did release her shirt, but only to grab her arm instead. She struggled against him as he dragged her through the room. “My mouth isn’t the problem, you are!”, she shot at him as he shackled her wrists up over her head. He turned to go grab something else and as he did, she tried to kick out at him, but instead managed to slip and yank herself against the chains causing pain in her wrists. She grimaced, but didn’t cry out. She wouldn’t do that, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. As he came back and tired her legs she angrily shot daggers at him with her eyes. The next thing she knew he was tearing the clothes from her body. She didn’t scream, but she did let out a small gasp of shock. Fury burned inside of her as she snarled, “You are a horrid man. You disgust me.”. Then unbelievably she spit on him. Handel closed his eyes as the spit flew at him. A grin appearing as he wiped it away. "You are only making this harder." He spoke as he pulled out a tiny knife and cut a bit of left over rope and used a hand to force her mouth open just enough to slip the rope in before tying it behind her head. "Now you forfeit the right to speak." He sneered before he moved back and grabbed a small whip off one of the tables." You know... This used to be where my father sent Prisoners to be tortured. I think I'm giving it a new purpose." He spooks again. His hand flicking outward as the whip flew an inch away from snapping her skin. The second hit on her right thigh. The third hitting her mid-section. "You know. I'm going to enjoy this." Aisha watched with wide eyes as the king went to grab something off a table. As he turned to face her she barely had time to register what it was before it snapped in the air next to her. So he was going to torture her after all. Immediately following the first test strike the lashed out again. It sliced across her thigh leaving behind a stinging pain. Aisha bit into the rope in her mouth, but she didn’t scream or groan. Again the whip came for her, this time laying into stomach. This was worse, and she bit even harder, closing her eyes for the briefest of moments. Her body trembled slightly, and then she met the king’s eyes. In them, she could read excitement. Aisha realized she had begun to slip down a little upon the attack, and so she steeled herself, standing as proudly as she could. Even with as mortified and degraded as she felt on the inside she would never let that show, she would never be thought weak. Aisha looked right at the king, smiled as best she could, and began to laugh around the rope in her mouth. She nodded to the king, a challenge. He would find soon enough that she wouldn’t break easily. The response from the girl only excited him further. The whip striking once more. This time against her inner thigh. Close to her mound. Though that was the last strike from the whip. It wouldn't be enough to break the girl. Handel decided to do something more degrading. Taking the rope away and undoing the shackles. He would enjoy the fight. Keeping hold of her wrists while he proceeded to pull her to a nearby table. Aisha knew what to expect from the whip now, and she bit down before it ever touch her. Prepared as she was she barely showed any outward sign that something had happened. She must have been angering the king, because he laid the whip down and started to undo the bonds that held her. She immediately began searching the room with her eyes, trying to come up with something, anything that could help her. The king gripped her harshly by the wrists pulling her to a table. He bent her over it and began to take off his trousers. Aisha panicked for the briefest of moments knowing what was about to happen to her. No. She couldn’t just let him get away with this. Her legs were no longer secured, and so she kicked out, connecting with some part of the king. She didn’t know what she hit, but it caused him to release his hold on her slightly. That was all she needed, once she had a wrist free she reached for the knife he had used earlier to cut the rope. She swung it around, missing him but causing him to step back and let her go completely. Aisha reached up and untied the rope so that she could speak. “I told you I would not be treated as such!” Anger reverberated through her. “You have tried to humiliate me, tried to break me. I will not allow that to happen. I think that you are the one who should be punished. This is not how you treat a woman!” Aisha took a step towards him and her hand struck out, mirroring the attack he had made to her just the night before. Handel hadn't expected such a response. A kick may be but he hadn't moved out of the way. It's connecting with his shin causing him to loosen. Well, before he knew it he had to back away to dodge the knife that would have cut his throat. She was angry and now he was the victim. She had the knife and she was in control. Her hand coming up to backhand him. The last out just missing as he backed away again. Though now he was against a pillar." Easy now... You don't want to do this." He spoke. His voice filled with fear now. This had not gone as planned. She could kill him, but that would only get her killed. She was smart, he knew that well with how well she hides her pain. This meant more would happen, and he couldn't begin to imagine what. Aisha smiled menacingly at the slight edge of fear in the kings voice. “You are in no position to tell me what I want to desire.”, she practically hissed. Looking down at naked body she could see red welts lining her body where the whip had struck her. She turned her gaze back to the king, “I’d like your shirt, seeing as how you ruined my clothes.”. As he took it off and Aisha got a better view of him she was surprised her heart hammered just a bit. He was more perfect without his clothes. No. Aisha couldn’t be thinking things like that. This was a bad man. He needed to learn how to treat a woman. She needed to teach him how. She pulled the shirt over her head and it just barley covered all the important things. Then she began to pace in front of the king. “Now what to do with you. I can’t kill you because Jace would know it was me, and then I’d be killed. I can’t tie you up and try to leave, I would just be hunted down and also killed. That only leaves one option. We are going to have to come up with a mutually beneficial agreement.” She stopped as her eyes landed on a hard, thick riding crop. Picking it up she looked back to the king. “I’m going to teach you the correct way to treat me, and I’m going to punish you for how you’ve handled me thus far. After that we are going to walk out of this room together, and I will never be brought down to this room without my consent again.” There was an evil glint in her eyes as she said, “Raise your hands.”. She manacled him in the way he had done to her. “This for instance is something you do not do to me.” With that she drew back the riding crop and laid in harshly into the top left of his chest. There was a loud crack, different from the whip made. Something about that and the look on the kings face sent a tingle through Aisha and her heart beat faster in her chest. The king did as he was told. The shirt slipping off as he held it out. His chest bearing no scars or blemishes. Befitting of a kid who rose to loyalty. He was actually quite fit for someone who had to sit around all day. Somewhere in his routine he had found a way to stay in shape like his father. Though now it seemed she was going to get payback. His eyes glancing down to his chest. What he assumed to be the same as what he had done to her. This was correct as she shackled him to the pillar and the riding crop smacked against his chest. A sharp pain coursing through as the Red mark slapped itself on him. Gritting His teeth he only stared back. Words would not help him at this point. He was smart enough to know that. Instead, he just stood there and accepted it for now. Aisha couldn’t understand the emotions burning through her. It was strange, but she almost enjoyed the way the king had gritted his teeth and watching the mark form on the chest. More. Aisha wanted more. She shivered, sat the crop down as her eyes found something more interesting. It was some type of metal device with weights hanging from it, that looked like it be clamped to something. There were two and Aisha picked them up curiously. “I wonder where these would have gone on me.” After a moment of quite thought knowledge touched her eyes and she grinned. “I know where.” She walked forward, grinning sadistically as they bit painfully into the kings nipples. “You would never try doing this to me would you?” Aisha rested her hands on his biceps and sunk her nails into the muscle. She laughed. At his silence though, she moved her hands slowly up to his throat and squeezed lightly as she brushed her lips delicately across his. “I believe I asked you a question.” Handel's eyes widened as she grabbed the clasps from a nearby table. His eyes following her movement before she moved on front of him, and they bit into his nipples. More gritting of teeth before she told him to answer. He knew better than to lie. However, he was going to. He wanted to get her back for this. His head shaking bit not speaking still. It was his turn to show he wasn't going to give her satisfaction. Instead of angering Aisha the kings' refusal to speak amused her. So he was going to take a page from her book, was he? She pressed her body up against him and reached down with one hand to grasp his manhood. She squeezed slightly, but not too painfully...yet. Then Aisha brought her mouth to his left ear. She whispered thickly, “Are you sure I can’t convince you to answer?”. As she finished speaking she bit his ear lobe. She pulled her face back and smiled her most alluring smile while tightening her grip on him further. “Tell me you’ve learned your lesson, and then we can begin to make a deal for the future. If it helps, I will relent that I don’t find myself as completely disgusted by you as I originally thought.” The king watched as she pressed into him. Their faces almost touching as she spoke. He teeth catching on his ear as she squeezed his length tighter. Though this excited him rather than angered him. Still feeling the clasps on his nipples he decided to answer when she finished. "I've learned my lesson." He spoke. His voice held no fear after the previous display and no pain either. Actually rather calm. Aisha let a gleeful smile transform her face to pure radiance. “That’s what I had hoped you would say! I do so love to make deals where both parties gain something. In my old life everyone assumed me selfish, and I confess I am somewhat, but I don’t mind giving a little once I’ve attained my desires.” She leaned in and pressed her lips to the kings, biting his lower lip as she pulled away. Giving him a very strong squeeze, that bordered on painful she purred, “So how about I tell you what I’m desiring right now, and then you tell me what you desire?”. With that she withdrew her hand and using both of her hands she ripped the devices from his nipples, laughing happily. She threw them away not caring where they would land. “I’m desirous of you sure. If I let you loose play nice and fulfill my desires and allow me to fulfill yours?” Her hands hovered over the restraints on his wrists, just waiting for his submission. Handel honestly didn't want to play on equal footing with the slave woman, but the girl was smart. Smart and beautiful. Something uncommon. Making him contemplate just what had made the girl become a slave. What her upbringing actually was. However, that would be saved for another time. Right now she still had the reins and being tortured wasn't his thing. His eyes watching her hands as they hovered over the shackles. "You're not joking?" He questioned. His mind very cautious of his situation. “I can understand your trepidation, but if I unchain you, just think about it. Wouldn’t I be in more danger than you? I’ve given no reason for you to distrust me. I’m always completely honest and open. You on the other hand struck me for speaking truthfully and then deceived me to lead me here where you planned on having your way with me against my wishes.” Aisha let her hands fall and she stepped back. She looked the king up and down, thinking.“Although I have every reason to hate you, I find myself wanting to like you. Upon further reflection though, I see it would be unwise for me to trust you so easily. How can I know that if I take off your restraints you will honor our deal? How can I be sure that you will not treat me as your slave the first chance you get? If I release you I’m giving up quite a lot. What will you give in return?” This made Handel think for a moment. She wasn't lying. Had she really done anything to lose trust? She had been honest, and he had the motive she spoke of. His eyes looking into hers as he came up with a deal for her. One that would hopefully be of some liking. This girl wasn't like other girls. She had brains. She was smart and that was rare to find. His father had waited years before he found his mother. Did he not have to wait to find one himself? It was too early to go off of. That meant he would have to wait longer and see. As a king Handel held the whole kingdom and had final say. He had a lot he could do. "From hence forth you will no longer be a slave. However, I ask that you stay in the castle." He spoke after a long silence. The words were quite soft compared to earlier. His eyes now turning to the shackles above his head. Aisha stared intently at the king after he spoke. His words seemed honest, she wanted to trust him. There wasn’t much in the world that she wanted more than her freedom back. The stipulation of staying in the palace suited her just fine also since she had no home to return to. She simply smiled a small teasing smile, not wanting to give away how much she really wanted what he was offering. If people knew your emotions it gave them power over you and that was not something Aisha took kindly to. She sauntered back up to the king put her hands on his chest. She lifted on her tip toes and whispered in his ear, “I think we have a deal. Now tell me sire, what are your desires?”. She sunk her teeth into his ear hard enough to leave marks. Her hand slid up his body to the manacles and she freed him. She stayed pressed against him, risking everything. All she could do was hope that he would keep his word. The king watched her after his words. Searching for some hint of her answer. That was until she moved back against him and whispered into his ear. Biting into it after she was finished. A grin coming to his lips as she stayed pressed into him after he was freed from the shackles. Though he was still hesitant to move. Not because of her. Because know he had thoughts of the future. Mostly because of his past. His hands lower to rest on her hips." The real question is... What would I not want to do?" He questioned with a grin before his hands moved further up her sides. Resting just beneath her breasts. Aisha let out a small giggle as the king grabbed her. She reached for the hem of the shirt she had on and pulled it up over her head. It fell to the floor, and she smiled up seductively. “I think this is going to be a very beneficial partnership.” Without even realizing what she was doing she wrapped her arms around the Kong’s neck and jumped, wrapping her legs around his waist. He had no choice, but to catch her by cupping her ass. She licked up from his chin to his ear and weaved her fingers through his hair. The feeling of so much bare skin touching bare skin was electrifying. “Teach me, my king.”, she begged breathlessly. His eyes watched the shirt as it fled from her body. Her skin completely bare as it was moments before. Though what happened next surprised him. Her arms wrapped around him as she jumped. Her legs wrapping around him as he caught her. His hands tight against her ass as she spoke. His breathing speeding up from sudden excitement as he grinned. His head leaning into hers as their lips connected with fiery desire. His fingers gripping tighter against her cheeks as he let his mind go, and his desire take over. Turning them around so that her back was propped against the wall. His lips finally parting hers as he could feel the tip of his member against her entrance. Aisha leaned her head back and laughed giddily as the king slammed her body against the wall. When he parted her lips she could taste his desire, she was nearly drowning in her own. There was a slight sensation against her pussy and she gasped. Her body began to tremble in anticipation, she wanted him all. “Yes, more.”, she moaned against his lips. She was so turned on, every nerve in her body buzzing. She tried to rub her body against him to bring them closer. Teasing was not nice, she wanted the full experience. Then, unconsciously she bit his lower lip and tasted blood. “Oops. My apologies sire.”, she giggled.

A Kings Slave (Daring x Grace)|rating:4.0

~Draighionn Academy~ Approved Characters

(~Briefing Academy~ Approved Characters ~*~Headmaster~*~Name:Arden MarthelionAge:290Human Height:6'2"Human Weight:210Appearance:Arden is a physically intimidating figure due to his height and muscular body. In his human shape he has dark hair about shoulder-length and a well groomed short beard.(claim:Ben Barnes Hybrid Form Height:8'Hybrid Form Weight:480 pounds Hybrid Form Appearance:In his hybrid form he is half tiger half man and is massive and size, with razor sharp claws and fangs. Animal Form Height:4' at the shoulders, 3 meters (10') in length. Animal Form Weight:640 pounds Animal Form Appearance:IN his tiger form Arden is larger than most normal tigers. Personality:Arden is a bit reserved by nature after centuries of having to hide what he is. He is genuinely friendly towards those he meets and enjoys helping people realize their potential. He is a shrewd businessman, and an excellent judge of character upon meeting people. History:Arden spent much of his youth living among the humans unable to be his true self. He was still able to enjoy a normal life, just unable to change into his alternate forms, for fear of discovery. His parents were both Were as he is, and insisted he be homeschooled to ensure he did not accidentally change upon reaching puberty. After he was old enough to control his changes, he attended a public High School, and enjoyed a normal late teen life. He played on the football team as a lineman due to his size and was actually scouted but upon graduation he knew full well where he wanted to go to college. Arden attended Briefing Academy eager to be in a place where he could be in all of his shapes as he chose and to learn to use them. After graduation, he traveled the world working as a businessman and amassing his own fortune. After several years he began to lecture on how to succeed by channeling your inner power, and became known for his lectures. When the news came of the Headmaster of Briefing Academy stepping down he applied for the position wanting to help the younger generation of Were. Upon being selected by the council of Were, he moved back to the Island permanently disappearing from society as a whole. While at the Academy he came across his future mate. Since then, he has continued to serve as Headmaster of the University. Favorite Food:Steak Tartar Favorite Drink:Natural Spring Water Sexual likes:Arden is dominant by nature and that translates into his sexual likes. He is a commanding presence and prefers to be in control, he enjoys a rough sex as well as sensual and gentle, including some use of toys or bindings. Sexual dislikes:More, Scat, More, Water Works. ~*~Headmistress~*~Name:Sasha Winter haven MarthelionAge:Actual age 68 Physical age 23Human Height:5'9Human Weight:140Appearance:(claim:Dayana CrunkHuman Abilities:Sasha is a sorceress, so she can cast spells, control elements and can change her appearance at will. She mainly does this with her hair, changing it to whatever she feels like when she wants to. She is one of the most powerful sorceresses found to date. Personality:Sasha can be a royal bitch if you cross her wrong, but she can be very kind and loving too. She has many layers about her, and she is a force to reckon with. She does not like people talking back to her especially students, does not like authority and has been known to challenge it. Rarely though has there been an authority to come up against her and actually make her do what they want of her. History:Sasha had been a wild and rambunctious child, born to the Winter haven's, they had wondered what sort of hell spawn they'd brought into this world once she was old enough to move. She showed she was a force to reckon with as a child and as she grew it became worse. Unsure what to do with their daughter, they sent her off to a boarding school. It was when she'd turned eighteen and ran away from the boarding school that she'd run straight into Arden Marthe lion. They'd met at a bar she'd snuck into, and he could tell instantly she was different from everyone else. Not only because she could charm men into doing what she wanted simply by using her powers, but because she was by far the most beautiful creature he'd ever laid eyes on. Knowing she was a danger to the supernatural though, he took her from the bar, against her will, and during their fight, she'd cut him, making him transform before her out of anger. She was shocked, to say the least, but found herself intrigued and as she spent more time with him, they began to find an attraction to each other that they'd never expected. The first time they had sex, it was raw, passion-filled, and it changed both of their lives. For the moment it was over, she felt a searing pain on her thigh that when she looked down, showed a scar like tattoo that looked like a tigers claw. Confused, she asked him what it was, and he had replied, in shock, it was a mating mark of his people. This signified her as his mate, the woman he would be married to until death separated them. This was the beginning of how they learned humans could supplement their need to find mates, but it had to be special women like Sasha, women with abilities and even men with abilities could be found for females who'd not located their own mates. Sometimes it even was found to be a male for a male, or a female for a female. Which surprised everyone indeed, but love knew no boundaries it seemed. Once her husband was asked to become the headmaster of Briefing Academy, Sasha could only follow her husband and in turn was made headmistress of the academy as well. They now work side by side to help the next generation find their love as well as gain a control on their abilities so that the supernatural world could remain a mystery. Favorite Food:Chinese, Indian Favorite Drink:Tea, coffee, Pepsi Sexual likes:Rough, being tied up, passionate, being dominated in bed, being bitten on neck (not so hard it hurts, a little pain is good, but a lot is not)Sexual dislikes:Anal, scat, more, gore, golden showers, bloodletting, knife play, licking panties. Name:Allyn Carthage:200Human Height:6'1"Human Weight:220Appearance:Allyn is a large muscular man with a full beard and short light brown hair on the sides and longer hair on top.(claim:Stan BjornesHybrid Form Height:7' 8"Hybrid Form Weight:350 pounds Hybrid Form Appearance:In his hybrid form he is half wolf half man and is massive and size, with razor sharp claws and teeth. Animal Form Height:3' 6" at the shoulders, 2 meters (6') in length. Animal Form Weight:300 pounds Animal Form Appearance:In his wolf form Kelly is larger than most normal wolves with brown and some white fur. Personality:Kelly is aggressive by nature and very outspoken about what he believes, and not afraid to fight for it either. He does not take disrespect or attitude well, and it often leads to confrontations. While aggressive he is also intelligent and does not let others bait him into being foolish. History:Kelly is the son of his packs Alpha and as such has been trained since he was young to one day lead the pack. He has been trained in combat and diplomacy though the latter is not his strong suit. Kelly grew up feeling the weight of his father's expectations and has always done his best to represent his father and his pack. As such it has led him into quite a few fights over the years to protect his family and pack honor. He has come to the academy at the request of his father hoping some further education and a firm hand from the Headmaster who is a friend from the past will help Kelly to become a more suitable leader. While at the same time find him a strong and worthy mate capable of ushering in the next generation of Cannot's. Favorite Food:Meat any kind rare Favorite Drink:Diet Coke Sexual likes:Kelly is dominant plainly put. He wants a woman who can stand up to him, yet a same time also knows when to yield. He enjoys rough sex, and being in command. Sexual dislikes:More, Scat, More, Water Works. Played By: Levi Name:Anouchka MorozovAge:100Human Height:5'6Human Weight:14 stone Appearance:Silver hair that reflects her animal form and bright green eyes. Slim but voluptuous she is also deceptively strong(( (claim:nine Hybrid Form Height:6'5Hybrid Form Weight:300 pounds Hybrid Form Appearance:in her hybrid form she is mostly leopard but can stand on two legs, she has more dexterity with her paws then when there full claws, and she retains a rather remind appearance Animal Form Height:57cm and 90cm in length Animal Form Weight:30 kilos Personality:Anouchka is incredibly shy, she rarely speaks even to her own family. Incredibly nervous around anyone who's not from her own part, she is awfully distrustful of men. It will take a very determined and not easily scared of mate to convince Mini's family to hand her over. History:Anouchka is one of the few successfully baby girls born to her part. Unfortunately her shifter genes came through a little strongly leaving her with silver hair and animal green eyes. She has never left the safety of her family before. Due to her family animal form she has always lived in rural mostly deserted places, high in the snowy mountains of Russia. Due to the fact that she is a well desired female shifter her family and part guard her rigorously. She is taught not to frat anise with outsiders. When the leopards here of the Academy dedicating themselves to the revival of all shifter communities, they reluctantly agree to allow Niño to attend under the condition that the head and headmistress keep a strict eye on her! Favorite Food:Rabbit Favorite Drink:ice water Sexual likes:Niño is a virgin but when she finds her mate they will discover she is very submissive and will only say no to a few things Sexual dislikes:more, Gore've guessed with the hybrid info, so please let me know if anything needs changing :) also hope the hybrid pic is acceptable! Played By: QuozaxName: Bracken Forester Age: 48Human Height: 6' 3”Human Weight: 210 lbs Appearance: (claim: Dwayne (the Rock) Johnson Hybrid Form Height: 7' 0”Hybrid Form Weight: 275 lbs Hybrid Form Appearance: (Form Height: 3 foot tall at shoulder Animal Form Weight: 200 lbs Animal Form Appearance: (Abilities: Bracken is an avid hunter (bows and guns) and fisherman. He loves the outdoors and prefers to be outside than inside. He loves to cook and is very strong as he works out every day. Bracken cannot do magic. For some reason, he never could, so he has to rely on his strength and ingenuity. He is an excellent swimmer, and has had a job as a lifeguard before. At the college, he is the physical education instructor. (aka coach)Personality: Bracken loves to smile, and would rather try to talk himself out of any situation than fight. He tries to see the other point of view. He is rather kind and gentle, and would never try out for the alpha position. Furthermore, he has a secret submissive side to him that he's willing to explore, and tends to lean in that direction when (or as an equal) when in bed. But he can be dominating if the situation is right. History: Bracken was born apart from most of the other werewolves. His mother was a werewolf who died giving birth to him. His father was not a warm, loving man. He was a little distant. But this caused Bracken to reach out more, and try to make friends. At the age of 13, when his werewolf side started to show, his father took him to a group of werewolves to take care of him. He felt accepted for the first time in his life, but his father left on that day, and he's never seen him since. Bracken has never bitten or killed any person in his life. He hasn't even been in a fight with another wolf or werewolf, as he's afraid to really hurt them. He started working out vigorously when he was 17 and never looked back which gives him his buff look. Favorite Food: chicken, especially homemade fried chicken he makes himself. Favorite Drink: Unsweetened iced tea. (or strawberry daiquiri for an alcoholic drink) Sexual likes: Bracken is bisexual. Dominate or submissive play, bestiality, author / human sex, and light to medium bondage. Sexual dislikes: scat, more and gore. Extreme pain. Name: Hostage: 126Human Height: 5'5"Human Weight: 150 lb. Appearance: Auburn hair, fair skin and features, always looks like he knows something you don't, wears loose fitting clothing that doesn't hinder his movement and adapts to his shifting as well as a sack with various trinkets and a small pipe. In hybrid form he becomes lithe and a bit taller to aid in acrobatics and movement. While in fox form he is slightly larger than the size of a normal fox. Face claim: (GoldfingerHybrid Form Height: 5'10"Hybrid Form Weight: 165 lb. Hybrid Form Appearance: Form Height: 2"4'Animal Form Weight: 25 lb. Animal Form Appearance: Abilities: Arcane abilities and magic without any focus on one particular school valuing versatility and adapting to his situation in combat. Such as able to do a variety of fairly small things, create a small like 50ft rainstorm, shoot some small balls of lightning or fire, create small 5ft. Cube illusions, and create some magical armor to help deflect some attacks. Including some minor harmless tricks like changing the color of things or moving small objects. I'm basing most of this from like a 5th level organist from the pathfinder set if you know about it. Personality: Keeps to himself but if you show an interest he will stick near you, be warned he enjoys playing tricks and causing a small amount of chaos. If he goes off you will usually find him reading or sleeping out in nature with a conjured rain above him, as he enjoys the sound. Warning to those who betray him or his allies as he is not one to forgive easily or allow those who cross him to live unscathed. History: (Mistune) Last of his family, his father sacrificed himself to allow his three children to escape, his mother dead at Haunt's birth. The three siblings, the eldest his sister Elite, the middle brother Area, and then Haunt went their separate ways for nearly a lifetime. During which each focused on a discipline to fight their father's killers. The sister focused on light and healing magic finding others with a similar story and sheltering them while they gained power. The brother on dark magic and curses instead searching for any and all power to help him succeed his goal. Haunt decided to learn all forms of magic at his own pace and leisure, not really caring about vengeance or power but more enjoying learning and relaxation. This changed as he went to visit his sibling as they do every decade or so and found that his brother had betrayed them and slain their sister, his brother explained that he had a way to ensure their vengeance and offered Haunt a chance to join him, Haunt moved to accept and embrace his brother but instead chose to strike at him, wounding his brother gravely in the process, but he escaped. Since then Haunt has been hunting him sometimes alone sometimes with others, but he has recently lost hope and the trail during the last few decades or so and has once again been going where the wind takes him, waiting for his brother to reveal himself or try to attack him. Favorite Food: Italian Ice Favorite Drink: Cold Water Sexual likes: Mm, Power, intelligence, Kindness, romance, being chased, tricked, or trapped. Sexual dislikes: vaginas, abuse, scat water play etc., disloyalty or betrayal, disrespect. Played by:PeripherieName:Sofina Ann Barrett, often called "FI"Age:19 (Soon to be 20)Human Height:5'6"Human Weight:130Appearance:(( claim:Odette AnnableHuman Abilities:FI has psychic powers that involve learning (photographic memory, beyond normal speed-reading, and absorbing information just from being near books/computer databases), minor dissuasion (meaning she can get others to forget, not see, or not care about little facts or things they see), and one time she used telekinesis, but it is by far a consistently repeatable or usable ability. All her abilities are mentally and physically draining. Personality:Even with a great deal of family pressure, FI was a sweet-nature girl who never thought ill of her normalizable classmates. She had friends, enjoyed chowing down at a local Indian or Mexican restaurant, and wished she could enjoy quiet nights flipping through a trashy romance novel just to enjoy it - not to speed through an encyclopedia to win a medal for the local quiz master competition. She had a few boyfriends in high school, but things never became serious as she always had to put her father's goals for her first. Furthermore, she had to be perfect! After everything fell apart she was at first relieved to no long have to live up to her parents' dream, but she soon felt lost and unchallenged. All she ever dreamed of was going to school and becoming something great. History:Sofina parents detested failure. Her upbringing centered on learning, obeying, and honing her abilities the moment she learned to sit up on her own as an infant. She was skilled at everything she did (and she had to be) including using her physic powers to speed pass all human peers in everything - sports, school, grades, even local pageants and contests. All without anyone knowing about her abilities or thinking it odd how one girl could do so much. Her father, an epic lawyer and leader of an elite psychic community, was a master of persuasion who coaxed his daughter to take on every advanced class, special honor society, and illustrious award. And as much as Sofina wanted a break, wanted an out she could never hope to dissuade her father from his ultimate goal of pushing her to surpass even his own achievements. (No, her dissuasion powers amounted to getting her teachers to not realize she was chewing gum or to help her teenage friends sneak into an R or X movie unseen.) So cramming for a summer AP course while also practicing for field hockey and being captain of her swim team - something had to give. And so when it came to her final AP test - it was just so easy to read the answer key that sat on the test auditor's iPad. The only problem is that in her attempt to read the depth of its memory chip she also started to lift the damn thing off the table. Levitation?!? A most impressive telekinetic skill - if only it wasn't happening for the first time during a videotaped exam! The tablet clattered to the floor, and she excused herself to the restroom. So frazzled by her new powers (and horrible timing) she wasn't able to cloud the proctor's mind as she scooped it up to put it back. And even her father's epic wit and will couldn't stop the testing board from accusing her of cheating and disqualifying all her recent test scores. Not to mention the greedy media attention over the wayward daughter of such a prominent man. All her university applications came back denied, and she was left with no options for high education beyond expensive and less than prestigious online schools. It didn't matter how many classes and degrees she amassed from 17 when she graduated to now at 19, her father never approved. The Barrett Heiress - working at a book store and still living at home. It was shameful. Until he heard of an academy that was looking for their kind - and wasn't asking too many questions. She would get another chance, and he would be free of his biggest regret for a while. (And if she refused? Well... at 20, at school or not, she was out of their house.) Her parents put in just enough time to help her pack her bags and she was told to come back distinguished ... or not at all. Favorite Food:Any dish you have to use bread as a tool to eat with. (Even those snack packs with cheese and a pretzel stick.) Favorite Drink:Chai tea Sexual likes:Petting, massages, making out, foreplay and being cared for. She yearns to find someone to be head over heels in love/loyalty with. Never before acquainted with it, she would probably come to very much like someone to be possessively protective of her. Sexual dislikes:Pain and dominance without feeling Played By: AnnieSatinName: Isabel “ISSN” McGowan Age: 20Human Height: 5’0Human Weight: 114Appearance: Golden brown hair, green eyes with golden flecks, she has a petite lithe frame Face claim: (Miranda Kerr Human Abilities: Telekinesis, some mind reading ability but only with those she is bonded to Personality: ISSN is covered in tattoos. Sleeves on both arms and a small star by her left eye. She uses the ink to try and hide, people see them and generally assume she is tough and mean. In actuality ISSN is tender-hearted, she was kind and soft-spoken. She is shy and closed off because of needing to hide her abilities. ISSN has trouble trusting people. History: Born in Edinburgh, Scotland to a single mother ISSN never met her father and only knows him as “That married son of a bitch” (a name her 1st grade teacher thought was very funny) She didn’t know she was different, she thought everyone could make their dolls dance, turn the pages of their books, and draw with just their mind. It wasn’t until she started school that the kids began to tease her. Quickly she withdrew into herself, she hardly spoke, hid in her books, and avoided any social situations. Spending too much time drawing ISSN’s talent as an artist grew, and she became very talented. She started working as a tattoo shop free handing designs. When she was 19 her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer after too many years smoking. ISSN heard about the school and quickly applied. Now her mother’s treatments are paid for and ISSN is nervously waiting to see. Will she fit in to this new place? This place full of people like he? Or will she still continue to feel like the round peg in the square hole. Favorite Food: Tacos or chocolate Favorite Drink: Coffee ! Sexual likes: She is a virgin and very submissive she doesn’t have any experiences with sex and would like to find someone to show her the ropes. Sexual dislikes:Gore, more, scat, beastly and women Played by: Player Winston Davis Church Basic Information Name Winston Davis Church Nickname: Church Olympian Race: Fire Elemental Status: Single Sexual Orientation: heterosexual Eyes: Brown Hair: Black if not bald Height: 5'10 Complexion: Dark Brown Other:Advantages:· Create, Absorb, Generate and Manipulate Fire of various intensities.o Burn/melt objects such as ice or metal, as well as living things.o Cause burning pains and actual burns in others.o Firestorm Creation· Fire Attacks· Fireproof Skin and/or Thermal Resistance both something you really would need.· Flame Solidification Psychokinetic Constructs, including weapons, walls, armor or allies/servants.· Fly by projecting fire under them, Jet Propulsion and/or by Psychokinetic Flight.· Regeneration through Fire· Energy Channelling – Enhanced Speed, Strength, Endurance by channeling absorbed energy. Personality *The Good* Smooth, Charming. Smiles often generally seen he as hot head*The Bad* Temper makes him dangerous. Family or Household Members: All deceased Father: Jerald - Pilot Retired, Mother:Jean - Interior Decorator Siblings: Jaden - Brother, Joann - Sister Spouse or Significant other: None Children: None Other: Nonliving Situation: Underground home on the outskirts of the city Transportation: Black Hummer is his favorite, but he has several vehicles Extra: Martial Arts: Hopkins, Kung Fu, Boxing, First Aid, Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, Construction, Physics, Chemistry, Piano, Computers, Geology, Glass making. Likes: Music, Movies, Women, Guns, Rock Climbing, Glass blowing, magic, Wide open Spaces, Sex, fireworks Dislikes: Being out of control, people raining on his parade. Connections:Celebrity Model: Sean Patrick Thomas(Played by: FireflightsName:Kai Ma Language:Physically, Kai is only 21. Actually she is 48. Human Height:5'5Human Weight:110Appearance:(claim:Nam Guy Dihybrid Form Height:6'2Hybrid Form Weight:250lbsHybrid Form Appearance:(Form Height:5' high, Length 20'Animal Form Weight:1000lbsAnimal Form Appearance:(is a calm and reserved woman. She does not trust easily and can be quick to judge. She can be moody, and short worded. However, if you can break through her defenses and gain her trust, even earn her love, she will be the greatest love you will ever have in your life. History:Xia is a Siberian Wartier who was actually born in Asia, where her father migrated to, to get away from the other families or clans. He however after finding his mate died just after the conception of his only child Xia. In China, they did not recognize her mother as married, so instead of her father's name of Chekhov, she has her mother's last name. Her mother didn't know how to truly care for a wartier child and when Xia began changing, while not afraid, had no idea how to teach her daughter to fight. So when she heard about the new school for were animals opening up, she knew she had to send Xia there for her health. However, her grandparents, unknowing their grandchild was actually a supernatural being, forbade her mother from sending her away to some boarding school which was what she'd told them she was doing. The conflict between them soon involved Xia's uncle who'd had a thing for the young woman. He thought if he killed the entire family, he could take Xia for himself. So while she was away from the house, going to the market for her mother, her uncle invaded the house and destroyed all of her living family. Xia had already unknown to her uncle or grandparents, been enrolled and accepted to the school, so when she returned home to find her mother dead and her grandparents as well, finding her uncle covered in their blood she could sense what he'd done. In her anger and anguish, she transformed into her animal form and ripped his throat out. It had been the only time she had ever attacked a person and now, she was fearful she was a monster. Knowing the only place for her was the school, she'd used her grandparent's money that was in the home, and chartered a bus to take her to the airport before she flew out to Ireland where she had been told the school was. She'd quickly joined the ranks of students she'd heard was going there, asking to join in their combined travel and offered to pay her way. Everything she owned was in her bags, so she had nothing to return to back home in China. She arrived at the school, hearing their reason for opening it up, she felt her stomach twist in ways she'd never been able to comprehend. She was a killer, a murderer, who could ever wish to love her or allow her into their lives to find a mate? Well in her mind that was simple...no one. She set her mind to completing her schooling then she would simply gain employment at the school itself and never leave, what choice did she have otherwise? Favorite Food:Anything Chinese Favorite Drink:Water, Chai Tea, Milk Sexual likes:Being a virgin, she is unsure, but it will fall in line with the players on's/off'asexual dislikes:Unsure, but will fall in line with the player's on's/off's Played by: PeripherieName:Troy Acreage:150Human Height:6 ft 7 inhuman Weight:225 lbs Appearance:(( (claim:Brock O'HurnHybrid Form Height:6 ft 9 in Hybrid Form Weight:260 lb Hybrid Form Appearance:Although he only grows slightly taller, Troy's arms, legs, and chest expand and his muscles enlarge. He has a fine layer of fur over his body, but he retains the snake tattoo that he has on his human form. His claws sharpen and can be used for fighting. But yet he is still able to do most tasks normally (except typing on phones and computers which his large paws/claws make a clumsy task). His voice deeps to a still understandable growl. Animal Form Height:4 ft Animal Form Weight:415 lbs Animal Form Appearance:Allowing him to blend in as a true lion his eyes turn from their normal blue to the yellow/gold that most adult lions have. Personality:As a male lion, Troy is a natural loner. He is passionate as he can be distant. He longs to find his true pride of place with his future mate. Until then, he has thrown himself into both music and martial arts. When not in class he can be found in the Academy Gardens playing his guitar or at the gym practicing various kayas. History:Just like true lion prides, his family kicked he and his two brothers out on their own at a very young age. They traveled together for a while, but both his brothers quickly left him behind as they found their mates and started their own prides. Troy became a traveling musician, going all over the world hoping to find his one true love. He became heavily disillusioned for a time, finding solace in martial arts and meditation before he came across an online where messaged board that had an advertisement for Briefing. What did he have to lose? Having not been very successful on his own, he would either find his mate through their methods or find other academic disciplines to devote his attentions to. Starting his second year at Briefing he has settled in this new environment surrounded with others like himself, but still remains reserved and different - hoping to find the one he searches for. Favorite Food:Steak or wild game, cooked blue. He also loves eating almost any food imaginable, especially in large quantities. Favorite Drink:Flavored seltzer water and interesting craft beers. Sexual likes:He leans toward the dominant role in all things but does like to switch things up in the bedroom. Holding on during sex is a big thing for him, whether that be holding his partner up, holding their throat or arms, holding them down. It’s a possessive instinct rather than one of power or control though. Sexual dislikes:Not pleasuring the one he is with, causingunwantedpain or marks, scat, gore (Thompson Age:21Human Height:4’11”Human Weight:103 lbs Face claim:Emily Rudd Human Abilities:Aura Healing-Clara is able to see the aura that surrounds living things, and as such, she is able to manipulate it in a way that allows her to speed up how fast a person heals. Minor cuts, bruises and scrapes heal almost instantly but wounds that are more serious take more time to heal. Life-threatening wounds are still life-threatening but if she can make it in time before the person in question loses too much blood, she may be able to start healing process enough where the person can be taken elsewhere for proper treatment. She can very faintly feel a person's emotions should she touch her own aura to theirs, but she is unable to manipulate that emotion. Should she use this power too much in a given day, she becomes physically exhausted and if she overworks herself too much, she is liable to passing out. Personality:Clara is always looking for the hint of good in even the worst of people and events, searching for ways to make things better. She is always trying to take care of the people around her but in doing so Clara sometimes forgets to take care of herself as well. Normally, Clara comes across as a little shy, emanating a calm and reserved aura. But given the right circumstances and Clara's inner flame can shine through. Clara listens to her heart and her actions are ruled by her desire to lend a hand rather than what she would get out of the situation by helping. Her caring nature knows no bounds, and she holds a place for everyone in her heart. When given the task of helping someone, she comes out of her shell and gives them a shoulder to lean on, an ear to talk to, and a voice to comfort them. Clara is also open-minded and tries to look for the good things in life rather than focusing on the bad. When she puts her mind to it, Clara can be a little ball of energy, especially surrounded by those she cares for. She is also not one for giving up until she's given it her all and even then she's very hard-pressed to quit. But life is a double-edged sword. At times her caring nature leads her to trouble with people who do not want to be helped and may show violence in resisting. There is also a possibility of someone exploiting her kind nature to manipulate her. History:Clara was born to two loving parents. She never wanted for anything and grew up in a kind and caring household. When she was ten years old her mother gave birth to a baby boy. Clara was excited, when she had heard that there was going to be another baby in the house, Clara vowed that she was going to be the best big sister she could be. Clara discovered her power when her brother had fallen down and skinned his knee. As Clara knelt next to her crying brother, she felt compelled to reach out. As she reached out with her hand, her aura itself reached out, and she watched with awe as the skin on his knee knit back together before her very eyes. When her parents found out, they made her promise to never show anyone what she could do. They themselves were not frightened by her ability, but they were frightened of what other people's reactions would be. And so Clara lived with a secret. When she reached her teenage years, she discovered that her power had a limitation. Her father was diagnosed with Dementia and Clara discovered that while she could heal physical wounds, the wounds you couldn’t see where unreachable by her power. And so she could only watch as her father grew worse and worse. Now with her mother being the sole income provider, they struggled for years between her father's care and paying the bills. When she was offered the invitation to attend Briefing Academy, she was skeptical at first and almost declined their offer but when they said they would pay for her father's care and the bills, Clara couldn’t refuse. If she couldn’t cure her father with her ability, then she was going to do everything within her power to help. Favorite Food:Chicken noodle soup, especially the home-made variety Favorite Drink:Tea and coffee Sexual likes:Not an expert at all when it comes to sex, Clara has had a lover or two in the past to help her realize what she prefers. Clara leans more towards the submissive side, naturally responding to orders and finding herself wanting to be tied up. But rougher things aside, she wouldn’t mind a touch of romance and sweetness at times. She prefers her partners with a touch of possessiveness but nothing too over-top. Sexual dislikes:Name calling of the negative variety (Whore, slut, etc.), more, scat (Or anything else that belongs in the toilet), humiliation. Played by Levi Name:Limiting Gomez Age:19Human Height:5'5 when she takes of her heels 5'9 with them on! Human Weight:who's asking?! Appearance:(claim:Jessica Alba Human Abilities:Necromancer- Has the ability to raise/ re anime and communicate with the deceased, currently at low level so the oldest corpse around 10 years deceased. This will grow as she grows older. Can also lay the undead to rest. Personality:Limiting or Liable is a feisty young woman. She doesn't take any stick, she is loyal to those who earn her trust. However, she has a short temper and will defend herself. She usually carries a small knife in a strap at her thigh, and will use it if she feels threatened. When relaxing Liable loves to sing, while she has never been on stage she can always be heard singing to herself. History:Born and raised in Mexico. Liable's family has passed down the secret of their power through the generations. No one really knows who will carry the magic gene within them, so each newborn child is given a simple test. A small dead animal is placed in the baby's hand, if the corpse responds. That child carries the gene. Her mother and father had been delighted when they discovered Libby had the power, unfortunately they decide to wait to tell Liable herself until she was older.....older turned into five as one night when an emotional little girl sat crying about her dead cat, the dead cat visited the house that night! As she grew older Liable became disillusioned with her powers, she had no way of learning how to control it as all that had been left to her family was an old and unreadable book, and the teenagers at her school constantly mocked her when she declared proudly about letting people speak to their loved ones. One day Liable snapped, that night the feisty young woman raised a much loved teacher from the dead, and ordered it to seek out and scare all the teenagers that had mocked her. Unfortunately for Liable she had missed a key part of being able to control the corpse. It went mad and almost killed one of the group, being under 18 at the time Liable had been sent to just until she was old enough to go to prison, she had been sentenced in a very biased trial to three years. So when the Academy offered to pay her bail if she would attend their school and wear an ankle monitor on for six months. She snapped up the chance. School was better than prison right? Favorite Food:Churros, Taco's, Nacho's the hotter the better Favorite Drink:Ice tea Sexual likes:Switch between DOM and sub, will give as good as she gets. Enjoys pain in moderation Sexual dislikes:scat, gore, more, sharing her male. ("(lbs.(Burrell(is a magus; magi; sorcerer; mage; wizard—however one wishes to identify him. He has access to rituals, symbols, actions, gestures and language to exploit supernatural forces to varying degrees, with only their skill, personal power-level, imagination/knowledge, and/or morality to define the borders. He can sense magic within 200 meters of himself, and he can sense the presence of others either human or paranormal—whatever disturbs the norm. While he specializes in multiple crafts, he is a master of none. Offensive Arts Basic Elemental Manipulation – Fire; Water; Air; Earth; Light; and Darkness. He can lob fireballs and light a campfire; collect water molecules in a single area to form water to drink or to douse a kitchen fire—he can also condense the water molecules to form ice to freeze a normal person and briefly halt an above-average person; air to levitate himself, objects, or to deflect projectiles or beings; earth to create a pothole beneath someone’s feet or to sprout flowers beneath his feet; light to light the way in darkness; and darkness to hide in the shadows. Mesmer – His voice changes timbre and seems to vibrate with an eldritch power. The listener is unaware that they are listening to this voice as he conveys to them a single command. He cannot command others to do what they physically cannot do, say for example, fly if they are incapable of flight. It is one of his primary trickster abilities that has gotten him in trouble in the past. This same voice is what he uses to conjure spells. Defensive Arts Magic Barrier – Orphan can create a shield, wall, or a field formed from energy, elements, shaped from the environment, or formed by manipulating smaller items to form a greater whole. He normally creates these barriers by drawing a magic circle on the floor beforehand. Magic circles allow him to not expend his own energy; otherwise, if he must instantly erect a barrier, he is forced to use his own stamina and that can be very draining. Ward Weaver – Orphan’s body is covered in wards and magic circles that allow him to use these basic abilities with little effort. He can apply wards to others by drawing them some on paper, but he would have to draw it in the user’s blood. Tattoos are permanent and much easier but not everyone likes those. His wards are: bewitchment, possession, and toxins. He can draw wards on the floor or wall to reinforce them or to prevent someone from leaving or entering. Invisibility – It requires a lot of energy to maintain, and so he will remain invisible for a short period just to quickly traverse a room or slip away. False Face – He can change his face to fool someone into believing he is someone else. It is only his face that changes and nothing else. If he speaks or if the fooled discover his hoax, the spells wear off.(does not trust others. He is very rebellious if he feels like someone is trying to flex their control over him, and when he gets in that mood, he becomes steadfast in his ways. He is independent. Furthermore, he has lived on his own for many years and so relies on no one. Orphan can be arrogant, but he is also confident in his abilities, they have gotten him out of trouble with both sides of the law (the human and the paranormal). He is naughty and a trickster, and will purposefully irritate others if they show him that they’re bothered. The magus likes to read, and so can be found frequently in the library studying ways he can expand his abilities and experimenting with potions in secret. They’re prototypes, and he will find guinea pigs to test them on. Orphan can be expected to always be up to some sort of naughty business or adventure. He doesn’t disclose his plots to just anyone though.(grew up as exactly that—an orphan. He was abandoned on the step of Saint Mary’s Orphanage in Brooklyn, New York. As a nameless child, the nuns at the orphanage had named him Jude, but Orphan refused his name, having long accepted what he truly was. The only person who he deemed had the right to name him was his mother and she either didn’t exist or didn’t want him. Orphan was the awkward child. Even the other children could sense that he was different, and so he had spent a lot of time alone. He got to see several children get adopted, and new children brought into the orphanage, children who started to pick on him for being such a loner. He would never forget the day he first discovered his powers. It was a snow day and Orphan had been out in the yard building mini fortresses of ice. A group of bullies attempted to take the fortress from him, and Orphan had frozen the kid where he stood. His powers had not only frightened the other children but himself, and he used them to escape the orphanage. The magus thus spent the rest of his life on the streets. He got involved in games, his nickname at the time being Magic. He was involved with the gangs because they didn’t see him as not only being different but valuable. They made him feel important and gave him a purpose. He stole, drug-dealer, and vandalized. He got many of his gang mates out of trouble and prison until the unusual escapes reached the ears of a certain magical organization that he didn’t even know existed. The Syndicate specialized in magical law enforcement and had appeared out of nowhere to capture Orphan and kidnap him (at least that is what he calls it) from his friends. Detained and whisked away into the night, Orphan never saw New York again. Hell, he didn’t know where he was taken to. Orphan was placed on trial before The Syndicate’s Director who meticulously listed off every crime he had committed. While he hadn’t shown it on his face, Orphan feared what would happen to him. Like him, they were wizards of some sort. Who knew what they could do? The Director sympathized with him, learning that the man had no family who could have properly raised him in the world. He was sentenced to attend what Orphan believes is reform school. As stupid as he thought the sentence was (and would have rather gone to prison), Orphan didn’t want to risk what the alternative punishment would be. He now attends Briefing Academy in the bum-fuck middle of nowhere.(Cuisine(Tea(( (

~Draighionn Academy~ Approved Characters|rating:3.0

Proving Her Worth (closed)

"Fuck fuck FUCK!" Tommy McBride cursed as he tore apart his shitty little Southside apartment. "Where the fuck did it go?" he muttered, pulling up sofa cushions and rifling through drawers. The nineteen-year-old guy's place was a mess, normally, and now even more so. He had come home that night to find his place had been broken into, and ransacked. And now he couldn't find all the cocaine he'd been fronted by Malcolm Gregory, the notorious Southside gang ruler. This was not good. Five thousand dollars, gone. He was so fucked. He started to panic; he wasn't calmed by the abundance of coke that he'd already put up his nose at the party earlier that night, or the several drinks. There was only one thing he could do. He had to get some help from his big sister. She was a cop now, after all. Surely she could help him out, right? He sent her a text." Hey can u come by my place? I need your help. Bad." The only upside to being a cop was that Heather McBride saw was that she looked damn good in her uniform. Other than that, the job stunk. OK, so she watched too many episodes of Law & Order, Cops and had a few too many stereotypes of what a cop does all day from the influences of movies and TV. Too bad none of that was true. No, Heather joined the police academy fresh out of high school and to the amazement of her friends and family, she actually passed. But the truth was, she barely squeaked through passing and graduating with the rest of her class and then being assigned to the local police department. That was a joke in itself. Heather was stuck behind a desk at the front, answering calls and getting coffee for the chief (at least she was until she was told it wasn’t part of her assigned job duties). Heather would have gone on feeling sorry for herself but as she was scrolling Facebook, a text notification popped up and saw that it was from her little brother, Tommy." Hey can u come by my place? I need your help. Bad."“OK, Off in 15 mins…better not be about $$ again!!”***Thirty minutes later and still in uniform, Heather found herself at her brother’s small apartment door and knocked. Of course, she had said this better not be about money but of course, she knew it probably was. But oh well, at least her brother understood her. Tommy was a hot mess by the time his sister Heather got there. Pacing around his destroyed apartment. He quickly ran to the door when he heard the knock, looked through the peephole, and saw his big sister standing there. He threw open the door." Oh my God, thank God you are here, I'm in a bad spot, Heather," he said, and went on to explain, in an extremely round-about fashion, how he came to have all that cocaine and how he was totally fucked because it was all gone, stolen." Look, I've got two grand from what I already sold, but I still need another three. Tell me you can help me out. I swear I will make it up to you!" Heather {"light box_close": "Close", "light box_next": "Next", "light box_previous": "Previous", "light box_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.", "light box_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow", "light box_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow", "light box_full_screen": "Full screen", "light box_thumbnails": "Thumbnails", "light box_download": "Download", "light box_share": "Share", "light box_zoom": "Zoom", "light box_new_window": "New window", "light box_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"} As she was waiting for the door to open, Heather realized she had forgotten her sidearm in her desk at work...again!" Shit!" She hissed under her breath and sighed hard. If it wasn't one thing, then it was another. The door then swung open and Tommy rushed on about needing money.again! Looking into his apartment, Heather saw the mess and sighed hard." Fuck Tommy, again?!" Heather exclaimed as she walked into his apartment and he closed the door behind her. Turning to face her little brother, she tossed her purse down, "You told me you were going to quit all that shit with drugs and selling it! I don't even have 3K to give to you again... I might have a little over two thousand but.shit." she said, "What about mom and dad?" She said, wondering about their parents who had literally thrown their children out when they were old enough to live on their own. "I burned that bridge a while ago..." Tommy muttered, hanging his head. He scratched at his three-day beard, and looked up at his sister in her tight-fitting police uniform." Can't you, like, get me into witness protection or something?" he asked suddenly. "You're a cop, you can do that, right?" He was starting to sound desperate. Fear of what Malcolm would do to him when he was caught was getting to him. "Jesus, they're gonna fucking kill me, Heather!" "OK, OK, calm the fuck down.sheesh!" Heather thought for a moment, "I can't do the witness protection thing Tommy. I mean, I'm a cop but really." But all she did all day was push paperwork." Well...how about if I go and talk to them? I mean, see if they'll take an IOU?! Maybe they'll go for it when they realize a cop is on to them, especially if I'm in uniform. Would they lay off you then?!" She didn't really know what to do except, like always, try her best to bail her brother out of his usual damn problems with drugs. "I mean, seriously, let me talk to them!" "Oh fuck no, Heather, if you show up there and tell them you're a cop, they'll fucking kill you!" Tommy said. He started pacing. He sniffed." Wait, wait. What if... What if you went in undercover? Can you do that? Find something to bust them for? Send them all to jail, and then they can't fuck with me anymore!" Tommy's face lit up as he turned to his sister. "You can totally do it! They... They're even having a party tomorrow night, and I can get you in if you come with me. There's just one thing..." Tommy blushed." The girls have to show up in lingerie." Heather was excited by the proposal from her brother about going undercover. As he talked, she thought about going undercover would give her a great push in the force and then perhaps, she could finally make a difference!" The girls have to show up in lingerie." She heard Tommy say." Great! I'll--"Wait." Wait. What?! Lingerie?! Are you kidding me?" She saw the expression on her brother's face and suddenly smiled, "I'll do it!" If there was one thing Heather didn't mind and that was showing off her body. "I mean, like you said, I'll go undercover and get the goods on these guys which means I'll bust them. They'll get arrested, and they'll leave you alone!" She jumped up from the couch and hugged her brother, smashing him against her huge chest, "So, can you get me in tomorrow?" In his inebriated state, with the booze, the weed, and the coke flowing through his system, Tommy's body reacted quite naturally to the feeling of his sister's huge tits being smashed into his chest... by quickly getting a hard-on! He nodded. "Yeah I can get you in..." he said. "Meet me here at nine?"*****It had been a very good month for Malcolm Gregory. All of his various operations and schemes were pulling in damn good money. The sports-betting rings, the protection rackets, and especially the drugs were all doing quite well. Which meant they'd be celebrating tonight. The bar was all set up, the dancing poles for the girls were installed, music system ready to thump, lights, everything. His closest, most trusted men showed up early in the evening to talk business while their girls got high and started dancing, strutting their hot bodies in their tiny, lacy outfits for them. More of his lower-level minions started showing up a bit after nine, and that's when the party really got thumping... The next night, Heather took extra care to her appearance and made sure she looked good. Dressed in a lacy black bra and matching panties was the skimpiest thing she owned right now because, she sort of forgot to go out earlier tonight and instead, had taken a nap. As she applied the last of her lipstick, she grabbed a long coat and put it on before heading over to her brother's place. She wanted to help him and would do what she could, but she also wanted to go ahead in her job and this would be the only way. When she arrived at Tommy's apartment at 8:30, she knocked and waited for him to open the door. While she waited, her coat opened up and revealed what she was wearing, but she didn't care. She was just too excited to get this night going and proving her worth to the police department. Tommy had spent his day trying, and failing miserably, to track down whoever had broken into his apartment and ransacked the place and stolen his stash of coke. No luck on that front at all... at least, no one was really willing to tell him anything. He was getting ready for the party when he heard the knock on the door. Holy shit, is she actually early for once? He wondered as he headed to the door, looked through the peephole, and saw his sister on the other side... In some seriously skimpy lingerie! His dick stiffened once again in his pants as he opened the door for her." Hey, I'm almost ready," he said, walking back inside. He wasn't wearing a shirt, showing off his athletically cut upper body. He snatched up a white dress shirt and pulled it on as he faced his sister, her long coat still open, her tits practically falling out, barely contained by the lacy halter top she was wearing." Need a little courage?" he asked his sister with a smirk, holding up a half-full bottle of vodka. He took a pull of it before setting it down on the dresser. "I know I do," he said, gulping it down, and then suddenly he picked up a short straw and snorted a line of coke off the top of the dresser! It was his personal stash, of course, and he didn't have a lot left for himself. "Want some?" "Need a little courage?" Heather just stared at the lines of coke and felt a little conflicted. She had done it before, several times in fact, but had to stop when she joined the academy. It was tempting and well, she did have a small case of butterflies too. Grabbing the bottle of vodka, she took a quick shot and felt it burn as it went down." Oh hell, yeah, I do." She said and took the straw from her brother and repeated what he did, taking a line and feeling it shoot up her nose and burning slightly. "Gotta get into character I guess, right?" She said, feeling a little more relaxed after that drink. Removing her coat, she pointed at her breasts, "Is this OK?" she asked as she did a little twirl to show her brother her outfit. Tommy didn't think she would actually go for the coke, but then she took a shot and dove right in, taking a line right up her nose. And then she was showing off her lingerie to him a moment later, twirling around in her lacy black outfit. He felt the blood rush to his dick once more, a strange sensation to be sure seeing how his erection was being caused by his busty, sexy sister!"Yeah, it's fucking great," Tommy replied, shaking his head a bit. "C'mon, let's go..."*****It was only a couple blocks from Tommy's apartment to the run-down ghetto neighborhood where the gang had its safe house, so the two of them walked there. Little did either of them know, but they were being watched the whole way, and Malcolm Gregory was well aware of their impending arrival. Already he had plans for Tommy; the kid owed him money, and needed to be taught a lesson. He was quickly concocting plans for his little big-titties girlfriend as well... The feeling of the drug gave Heather a nice little buzzing feeling. Here she felt more relaxed and walked with her brother, her arm threaded in his. Both didn't talk as they made their way to the party, which she could hear the music and see the people gathering as soon as the house was in sight." Wow, there are a lot of people here tonight." she said, gripping her brother's arm tighter, "This is going to be great Tommy! I am going to be famous on the force after this and no one will bother you again, right?" Making their way into the house, the music was extremely loud but tolerable. People were dancing, the women were dressed like Heather, except some a little more risqué than her. There was drinking and people doing drugs in the open. She had wanted to ask Tommy how the hell he had gotten mixed up with them in the first place. Leaning over toward his ear, she asked him loud enough for him to hear (hopefully), "How do we play this out?" Before Tommy could even respond, the music was suddenly shut off."Well, well, Tommy McBride, you do got some fucking balls showing up here!" came Malcolm's booming, commanding voice from the front of the room. Malcolm made for an intimidating figure, to be sure. Every bit of six and a half feet tall, and a good two-hundred fifty pounds of solid muscle rippled beneath dark African skin, much of which was covered in tattoos. He wore baggy jeans and a white wife beater. His head was shaved, and a scowl played across his face. Tommy was suddenly grabbed by either arm and pulled away from Heather by two big black thugs, as Malcolm approached." Muthafucka owes me some fucking money!" Malcolm declared, before his eyes finally fell on Heather, and then back to Tommy. "You bring to white trash bitch up in here too? What's the matter wit you?" And with that, the punch came, clear across Tommy's cheek, knocking him down to the floor with a single blow. Heather suddenly felt all eyes on her and her brother. Before she or Tommy could say anything, Tommy was grabbed and Heather held in a surprised cry as she watched her brother get punched across the face. She started for him, seeing if perhaps she could get to her brother before another punch was laid onto him but no luck because that's when the man, Malcolm grabbed Heather's arm with his big hand. At this point, Heather forgot all about her defensive training from the Academy and could only scream when Malcolm's hand squeezed her arm hard and yanking her to him. She is quick fighting because she felt it him clamp down on her harder in a bruising manner." Stop!" Heather said as she looked up at Malcolm who was holding her tight against his body, "Don't hurt him please! He was robbed! He said so! Furthermore, he wouldn't be stupid enough to steal from you!" Malcolm glared at her for a moment before watching Tommy get dragged away, deeper into the house, away from the main party. He looked over his shoulder and nodded at the DJ, who fired the music back up, and it was almost like nothing had happened as the party went right back to normal." And who the fuck are you to him?" Malcolm demanded, dragging her along by her arm towards the back of the house. He stopped in a hallway and shoved her against the wall. Suddenly, his forearm was pressed against her throat, even as his body was pressed against her as well, and one of his hands came up to cup a firm, luscious tit, and squeeze aggressively." Better start talking, bitch." "I'm with Tommy!" Heather managed to gasp and at the same time tried to push the bigger man away, "he invited me along!!" She winced when he grabbed her hard. He kneaded at her breast as he considered he answers." Listen, don't hurt Tommy OK? I swear he was robbed! Look! We'll get you your money!" She had wanted to tell him she was a cop but didn't want them to hurt her brother anymore fearing they would do so if they did know about her. Thankfully the coke she did earlier didn't make the pain as painful as it should have been. "I've heard that story too damn many times," Malcolm growled, "from too many people who dipping into what they supposed be selling." He let go of her tit and watched as she sniffed a bit, a tell-tale sign that she, too, had enjoyed some of that exact same product. He scowled at her once more. "That's good coke ain't it?" he said with a smirk. He stepped back and looked her up and down, appreciating her more now that he was taking the time to drink her body in with his greedy eyes. Blood rushed to fill his loins as he eye fucked her. And then, just as quickly as he had softened, he was back on top of her, slamming her into the wall by her throat!" Where's my money bitch?" This time Heather let out a scream of frustration and pushed at Malcolm with more force than before, "fuck you asshole! I'm not your bitch! I'm a fucking cop, and you have 5 minutes to let me and Tommy go before the other cops show up!!" Had that been a mistake to blurt that out because Heather didn't have backup, hell, she never told anyone on the force what she would be doing tonight! But Malcolm didn't know that, so he had to let them go...right?" I said let us the fuck go!" She brought up her knee into his groin...hard!!! Malcolm grunted and doubled over in pain, his whole body in momentary agony as he looked up at the busty, lingerie-clad white girl who claimed to be a cop and just kneed him in the balls. And then he started laughing as he stood up straight." Ain't no cops around here, you dumb little cunt," he growled. He would know, after all. He had eyes all over the hood. And that's when the back of his hand flew up and viciously caught her across her face. A moment later, he had a grip in her hair and was practically dragging her down the hallway..." Let me show you what's going to happen to Tommy if you don't play nice..." The hit came hard and Heather cried out as she was slammed against the wall. She could feel the pain on the side of her and some copper taste in her mouth from the cut of the inside of her mouth against her teeth. She recovered somewhat but was still caught off guard when he grabbed her by the hair, and she had to shuffle to keep from falling as he dragged her through the halls. In the background, the music from the party continued to blast through the house. Heather tried to fight back but only succeeded in getting her head bashed against the wall as they continued to walk somewhere. Malcolm pushed open a door, revealing a darkened staircase going to the basement. He continued to drag her along, down the stairs now, and wasn't gentle as he threw her down the last few steps. There was a single light on in the basement, and it was shining on Tommy. He was tied to a chair, moaning and bloody already. A pair of thugs stood off to the sides, their faces obscured by bandanas. Malcolm grabbed Heather and pulled her to her feet. Strong fingers found a grip on her face, forcing her to look at her brother." If he can't get me my money, maybe you can..." he said to her. One of the thugs brandished a thick leather belt and whipped it across the back of Tommy's shoulders... Having no choice but to watch as her brother was whipped with the belt, Heather cried out and tried to struggle with the man who was holding her. Another lash at Tommy's back and Heather screamed, "OK! OK! STOP! Please--just stop!!!" Surprisingly, the whipping stopped and Heather stopped struggling also. "What do you want? We don't have the money, I swear, but, if you need something else.anything! I can get it for you!" In all truths, she didn't realize what she was promising or who her brother got her involved in, "Just don't hurt him anymore!" "Now we're talking," Malcolm replied, and the thugs snickered. "Now, I seriously doubt you can get us anything we really need. But I'm sure we can find a way for you to work off this debt," he said, leering at her lingerie-clad body for a moment." But first things first," he said, pulling a big fat rolled-up joint from his pocket. "You tried to tell me you're a cop. You seem too dumb to be a cop, but I got to know for sure." He lit up the joint and took a puff, got it smoking. It smelled strong, and in truth was laced with crack cocaine. Malcolm had a strong tolerance for the stuff. As he handed her the joint, he was pulling out his phone, and pointing it at her, clearly recording her... With her eyes wide, Heather looked at the joint and then at Tommy. She knew what she had to do but if she were ever caught doing drugs, her career at the department was over. Then again, if she didn't do it, who knows what they would do to Tommy and of course, to herself. Aware she was being recorded, Heather took the joint and with a deep breath, she took a hit of it. She figured it was just pot. She had done it before. Besides, the effects of the small amount of coke she had done earlier had totally worn off, so at least this would take some of the pain away from her being hit earlier. She started to hand it back to Malcolm, but he didn't take it, obviously wanting her to take another few hits so she did. The room was quiet except of course, the music's beat thudding from upstairs as the party was going pretty hard. After her third hit, Heather started to feel the hits kick in.only this time, from what she last remembered, it was stronger than before. She felt different and in a good way that she started to relax. Her fourth hit of the joint made her cough and that's when a few of the guys laughed at her. Malcolm laughed. "Smoke it down," he told her, watching intently as he filmed her. The light was just barely good enough to be able to identify her and what she was doing, and wearing, in the shot." Then you're coming with me. Once you earn us that five grand your boy Tommy owes me, we'll let him go," he said, snickering. The other thugs were egging her on. "Toke that shit, white girl!"" You gave her one of the special ones, right boss?" Malcolm nodded. "Fuck yeah, she's going to be all wound up real quick..." Special ones?? Thoguht Heather as she took another hit and quickly, almost too quickly, she felt the room move. Her body became totally relax, and she realized that she had enough. She tried to give the joint back, but they didn't reach for it. She was told to take a couple more hits which she did without argument. Heather hadn't noticed she had swayed to the point that she was leaning against Malcolm, and he was saying something to his friends. She saw her brother and smiled at him as she dropped the joint." Let him go now." She said, not realizing her own voice had a slight slur to it and that just seemed to make the other men laugh at her. "Oh no, not yet. Like I said, we'll let him go once you earn us enough to pay off his debt," Malcolm said. He guided her away from Tommy, back up the stairs and to the party. He paraded her around like a trophy. Showing off her firm, tight body and big titties. Always keeping her on his arm, his fingers tracing over the lacy bits of her barely-there outfit.Finally, he came to his chair, a big leather recliner situated in front of a stripper's pole. He took his seat and left her standing there, and nodded towards the pole, and then towards his lap." Time for you to show me what you're capable of." Heather barely realized she was walking around the party, all the time, hanging onto Malcolm's arm intentionally, both for support and well, he wasn't going to let her go. She had wanted to protest and ask about her brother, but the words just wouldn't come out. The thought was there, but that was about it. Her body responded to Malcolm's touching and groping, her nipples hardening up and literally poking through her halter top. She could feel herself getting extremely wet between the legs.... When Malcolm pointed to the pole, Heather should have hesitated but didn't. She should have, but the music was pumping in her ears and the drugs were pumping through her system, making her go to the stripper pole as if on autopilot. Even though Heather seemed to be a sort of klutz while working, there was one thing she could and that was dance. So, moving with the music, she showed Malcolm what she could do and all she could hear was the wolf whistles and shouts for her to 'shake her ass'. And that's exactly what Heather did, and soon, she found herself grinding against Malcolm's lap, giving him a dance and making sure she paid him back just right. "Fuck yeah!" Malcolm said, his cock growing quite large and stiff in his pants as Heather ground herself against his lap. "Little white girl's got some moves!" he said with a smirk. One of his thugs had video recording on his phone. Perfect, Malcolm thought. He had this little white girl right where he wanted her." Now show me what that little white bitch mouth can do," he growled at her, pushing his crotch firmly up against hers... Her buzz was starting to taper off just a bit, but still, having her give Malcolm an extremely hot lap dance. With her hands on his shoulders and her breasts practically in his face, smothering him. Heather heard him ask her what her mouth could do, and she only smiled, "Let Tommy go first, and I'll show you exactly what my mouth can do." She could feel his hardening cock press against her pussy, which seemed to throb with anticipation and want of being filled up. Malcolm's mood when from one of enjoyment to disdain in a heartbeat at her demand he let Tommy go." You don't get to dictate terms to me, bitch," he growled at her, and then roughly pushed her off his lap and onto the floor! He stood up before her, towering over her, his cock making an obscene tent of his pants." I'll let that little boyfriend of yours go as soon as I got my money. You're still proving your worth to me, got it?" he said to her, bending down to grasp a handful of her dark hair and roughly pull her up to her knees before him. A moment later, his huge dick was out of his pants and waving in front of her pretty face." Suck it like the little white whore you are." Heather just looked up at Malcolm, her eyes wide with surprise at what he was asking of her. She wanted to hesitate but knew that it would mean her brother's life would be endangered. Then again, the way the drugs were making her feel, she had a lost a lot of inhibitions. Seeing his big cock in front of her, she licked her lips and reached up with a free hand as she slowly moved to start licking it. Guessing she was moving a little too slow, Malcolm grip on her hair tightened, and he yanked her head forward, literally shoving his cock into her mouth! Heather choked back on it and tried to pull away but was unsuccessful. She was sure not even half of his dick fit into her mouth, but that didn't stop him from trying to shove more of it down her throat! Malcolm was laughing as his grip on Heather's hair tightened." This is what we do to little white bitches around here," he said, and the crowd that had gathered around cheered in approval...*****Downstairs, the beating continued." Who the fuck is she?" the thugs demanded. So much pain wracked Tommy's body. Everywhere he was bruised, battered, bloody. They were going to kill him. The coward capitulated." My sister..." he hissed. No longer in the chair, just a heap of bloody flesh on the concrete floor." What does she do?"" She's a cop..." he gasped... No matter how much Heather tried to pull or push away from him, it wouldn't work. He had a good grip on her and besides, with the surrounding crowd, even if she did get away from Malcolm, there was no doubt that the crowd would just throw her back at him. Heather's throat and mouth were raw and by now, she was taking more than half of his big black cock into her mouth and down her throat. There was saliva glistening down her chin, her chest and of course, Malcolm's cock! Malcolm just laughed as he continued to assault her face, her mouth, and her throat, his huge cock gagging her with every downward motion of his mighty hands on her head, until finally he pulled her up and off his cock. Still gripping her by her hair, he stood up, and as he did, he raised her up with him, turning her as he stood her up, showing her off as she gasped for breath before the crowd of hoods, gangstas, and their bitches. Even the girls called out for more. Malcolm then raised her up even higher, till just her toes were barely touching the floor beneath her. And then he ripped off her top, shredding it and throwing it to the crowd... Heather was completely exhausted by the time Malcolm pulled her up and she was leaning against him as he turned her around to face the crowd. When he pulled off her top, her breasts popped out after barely being contained by her top. Now that they were free, they seemed bigger, and her nipples were hard and pointy from the constant mauling received from Malcolm's hands. She had no idea what was going to come next, but she had a feeling it wasn't going to be good. With the crowd cheering them on, she wanted to fight, but there was no fight left in her because she knew it would be pointless. She was in for the long ride, but it was all necessary to make sure they didn't kill her or Tommy. Malcolm grunted as he showed off his prize to the hungry crowd of drug-addled thugs, and then threw her harshly to the floor! He was on top of her in an instant, ripping her panties off her, shredding the tiny garment in his strong hands, leaving her completely naked on the floor. His hands found her hips and hoisted her ass up into the air. Her little pink pussy glistened before him, and the head of his huge dick pressed firmly against her folds. And once he found that wetness, his grip tightened, and he brutally forced his full length into her, a process that took a good couple of minutes of terrible, painful violation before he had his monster buried in her to the hilt! Heather fell painfully to her hands and knees. Before she could even think of scrambling away from Malcolm, she felt him grab her and rip the rest of her clothing off. She screamed, and the crowd yelled with her, mocking her. In full panic mode, Heather could feel the tip of his cock brush against her pussy lips and cried out, "NO! NO!!" Like that helped anything. Another painful scream left her throat when he pushed his big cock into her tight pussy. The pain was unbearable, but there was nothing she could do about it. Her nails clawed at the floor and tears streamed down her face. She even raised her ass and pushed her chest to the floor to help ease the pain, and it helped a little. She was sure Malcolm thought it was because she was liking it. Under other circumstances, sure, but like this? Being raped at the party with people cheering him on, wasn't one of those times. Yet, through the pain, there was a little pleasure her buzzed mind started to feel. Especially when he pulled out and thrust back in again. "Please stop!!" She cried out among deaf ears. Malcolm heard her cries for mercy, but he was deaf to them. He cared not one bit for her feelings, of course. He had her mounted and was rutting into her, a beast in heat. There was nothing better than violating a haughty white cunt. He started spanking her ass, hard, the slaps resounding through the room, and his thugs cheered him on." I know you little white bitches like it hard and rough," he growled at her, before he started pi stoning his huge dick in and out of her, drilling her into the floor... Sooner than she expected, Heather's pussy was stretched out and taking Malcolm's full length like a pro. It was almost grasping at it as he slapped her ass, over and over, a red spot developing on her creamy white ass. She stopped fighting and only held on to push back against him as her knees burned against the hardwood floor. She felt another someone grab her hair and pull her head back, so the crowd could see the agony mixed with pleasure on her face. Her cries filled the room, only overshadowed by the sound of the music. It was some thug that had grabbed her hair and pulled her head back. Malcolm was grunting in animal pleasure as he pumped into her, and she moved her ass back against him, but when she looked up, she would see another big black dick right in her face! The guy holding her hair had whipped his cock out, and was pressing it right against her lips, cheek, nose, rubbing it on her face." Open up, slut," the thug demanded... How the hell did she get involved in all this? How did she get in this situation?! That's what ran through her head as she was being fucked hard by a huge black dick and another was shoved in her face. She tried to refuse, but the grip on her hair wouldn't make her. As she screamed in pain, the other cock was shoved deep into her mouth and down her throat! She made a gagging sound which only caused the crowd to yell and cheer. Most of the others had disappeared or vanished off to the dark corners of the room to fuck their own women. But Heather was stuck as the center of attention as two cocks were working both her holes... The thugs were relentless, drilling her from behind and in front, using her poor little body like a worthless fuck doll. There was no relief, save for the random moment when both dicks pulled out to their tips... But then they would both drive harshly into her once again. Malcolm's cock drove furiously into her, and then suddenly he was grasping her hips and had buried his full, foot-long length terribly deep inside her, and she could feel it spasming, throbbing, and ultimately spewing his seed into the deepest depths of her cunt. And even as he did that, the other thug's dick was pulsating in her mouth as well, and a moment later he was pulling out and blasting her face with gobs and gobs of thick creamy Jim... Heather felt her pussy being filled with Malcolm's cum as she let out a muffled cry as she came! Her pussy milking his cock as her mouth continue to be fucked and then, before she knew it, her face was being splattered with cum from the other guy! The warm thickness covered her face and her hair and afterward, she collapsed on the floor in a drugged out stupor and orgasm high as her body succumbed to the exhaustion that hit her after being fucked like a dog. "Give me a rock," Malcolm grunted to his thug as he stood there, his cock still buried deep in Heather's cunt. He wasn't about to pull out. He could feel himself re-stiffening quickly. The thug, who had just sprayed Heather's face with his own cum, staggered back a bit before reaching into a pocket and producing a ziplock baggie full of what could only be crack cocaine rocks. He opened it and handed one to Malcolm. Malcolm grunted, savoring the feel of this white bitch's spasming cunt, before he started playing with her ass cheeks, spreading them to expose her little brown asshole... He fingered her then, roughly. He spat on her ass to lubricate it a bit, and his thick finger worked the spit in and out, lubing her up, before spreading her asshole wide and pushing the crack-rock right up hers hitter! Heather didn't fight what was being done to her ass. She was too exhausted and her pussy was still quivering from having cum so hard. She was breathing deeply as she lay against the cool floor. Feeling Malcolm's finger being shoved into her ass made her cry out as she wiped some of the other guy's cum off her face and she tried to get up on all fours. Another slap came against her ass and she could feel his huge cock still inside her. As she slowly got up on her knees, a quick rush slammed through her body making her gasp out loud! What the fuck?! Malcolm just laughed, slapping her ass again, keeping his huge cock buried in her cunt. "You'll thank me later," he chuckled, grabbing her hip with one hand tightly to keep her from getting away. He knew the coke was rapidly dissolving in her ass and getting absorbed directly into her bloodstream. It would make for quite the high for her. Then, he whistled, as if calling a dog. And a moment later, a huge pit bull trotted up to him from the back of the house. "Good boy," Malcolm said, and then suddenly brought one hand up, balled his fist, and cracked Heather hard on the side of the head, viciously knocking her back down to the floor. He let go of her hip and his hands moved to the dog, rubbing his head and ears before removing a thick black leather collar from around the beast's throat. He reached down and grabbed Heather by her hair, yanking her roughly up, arching her back and neck harshly, and then fastened the surrounding collar own neck. What she was about to find out, was that it was a shock collar. Malcolm pulled his massive cock out of her pussy, finally, leaving her cunt gaping wide as he stood over her. He pulled out the remote for the collar, and pressed down the button to deliver the first shock. And the second, and the third, and the fourth... Heather thoughts were blurred. She felt the huge cock come out of her aching pussy before she was slammed against the floor once more. There was no pain because of the drugs entering her body, she didn't really feel much any more except hearing her heart beating fast in her ears. She didn't notice a collar being secured around her neck and hadn't noticed the first shock that came from it until it was too late. She screamed in pain! In the distance there was laughter. Then another shock, this time, there was no scream, just a hard gasp as the beating got louder in her ears. Another shock and she squeezed her eyes shut and had her ass in the air. She was sure she blacked out a few times only to be awoken by the hard shock currents of the collar waking her back up. By now, her body was completely covered in sweat and cum; with those around her laughing each time she was shocked. Malcolm was remorseless, and the thugs laughed wildly with every shock that was delivered, watching the busty white girl writhe about in pain on the floor, her body tensing up terribly with every blast of electricity that hit her. This went on until she was able to do little more than drool on the floor in a heap. And of course, all of it was caught on camera.Finally, Malcolm relented. He bent over and grasped her by the collar, and hoisted her up, onto her knees, and then he picked the small woman up and threw her over his shoulder to carry her off! Back downstairs into the basement they went. He dropped her unceremoniously onto the floor at Tommy's feet. He was a mess of blood in the chair; obviously the torture hadn't stopped." We got a little problem," Malcolm explained. "I don't like being lied to." He grasped Heather by her hair and yanked her head up to look at him. "Now if this guy, Tommy, really is your boyfriend, I'm sure you'll have no problem sucking his dick." Tommy looked down at her, barely able to open his eyes. A bandana was tied around his head, gagging him and keeping him from speaking. He just barely was able to shake his head at her... What Heather saw before her was an unrecognizable man in a chair. She could only tell he was different because of his skin color and the fact that something was wrapped around his mouth. Heather was totally drained of all energy and fight as she was tossed to the floor in front of her brother. She heard what Malcolm had said but none if it really registered with her. All she could do was grimace and nod as the drugs continued to run its course through her body. She was moving as if in a daze, like just waking up in the mornings, while she watched someone unbuckle Tommy's pants in front of her and yank his pants down. Heather didn't even wait for anyone to say anything or to prod her on as she basically lunged forward for her brother's cock which she started to suck on almost immediately, her mouth slobbering away, making his cock shine in the dim light. With the blood rushing in her ears and leaving a pounding noise barely drowned out the roar of the men around her as she continued to suck her brother's cock unknowingly. Tommy's cock responded exactly as it should, stiffening, thickening, elongating, until it filled Heather's hot little mouth and Tommy was groaning with the only pleasure he'd had in hours. His eyes were both bloody and swollen, and he could hardly even see the woman kneeling before him, worshiping his cock with her mouth, but he knew, in the haze of his beaten mind, that it was his sister. And that turned him on immensely, in spite of how terrible it was that he had led her to this awful fate... Heather was working her brother's cock like a pro! There was cheering from the surrounding others.some were calling her names and once in a while, she would raise her eyes and look at her brother, her eyes locking with his, even though she was lost in her drugged up self to not know it was Tommy. She felt someone's hand on the back of her head and push her down further until she was able to take Tommy's entire cock into her mouth and down her throat! Tommy just groaned as Malcolm grasped his sister's head and forced her face down on his cock. He was shaking his head, but he knew there was nothing he could do. He was still bound, after all. Furthermore, he felt awful, both for leading his sister to such a fucked up fate, and for deep down enjoying it. It didn't take long for him to lose it. She was really, perfect at sucking dick. He knew they had drugged her, that was obvious from the look in her eyes. But even that far out of her mind, she sucked his cock like a woman possessed. God, what had they given her. He felt his orgasm coming on, hard and quick. He gasped and groaned and spat around the gag in his mouth. His balls clenched up, and his cock throbbed and pulsed. Malcolm had started forcing his sister's head up and down on his dick, and from the way she gagged, he knew it was hitting the back of her throat. Drool rolled down her chin and across her cheeks, until finally she was forced down fully on him, choking on him, and he started to spurt his cum down her throat... Trying to pull her head away from Tommy, Heather was only pushed back down on it by the back of her head. She couldn't breathe but in her state, she didn't fight it. Finally, she was cut a little slack and able to take a deep breath before being shoved back down onto his cock, all while sucking on her brother's cock. Before she tries to fight again for air, she felt the cock she was sucking on start to erupt in her throat and she made something of a choking and moaning sound as the Jim shot out!! She was held there a little long until Malcolm was sure Tommy was done cumming and that's when he finally let go of Heather. Heather spit out Tommy's cock, some of his cum dripped out from her mouth as she coughed and took deep breaths as she tried to recover. Collapsing onto the floor brought a big cheer out from the other men around her. The surrounding thugs snickered and laughed as Heather collapsed to the floor in a haze. Malcolm stood over her. The big black man bent over and grabbed her by her neck, and in an instant she found herself lifted onto her knees, choking in his mighty grasp. He dragged her across the concrete floor, away from her brother, as she spit and gasped for air." Dumb fucking cop cunt," he growled at her. One of his thugs had told him everything that Tommy had spilled earlier. "Think you can come in here and bust us?" he said, before throwing her down on a filthy mattress in the dark back corner of the basement. He rolled her onto her back, and put her in position on the mattress, so that her head was hanging off it. He slapped her viciously across the face, and then his cock was out, and he was forcing it into her mouth and down her throat! Trying to push at Malcolm's thighs, or at least push away from him was pointless as his huge cock was jammed down her throat. The crack cocaine was still strong in her system and she wasn't sure if her fighting was helping or hurting. Malcolm had first fucked Heather in her pussy with his huge cock, and now he was fucking her mouth and like before, she couldn't stop it. All she could do was let it happen. Malcolm was ruthless as he fucked her face. He gave it to her with such force that it shook her whole body, her tits bouncing as she lay on her back. With one hand he was holding her down by her throat, as his hips pi stoned his cock in and out of her throat. And with the other, he reached forward, leaning over her naked body as he fucked her face, and forced her legs apart so he could slap her pussy. His fingers came down hard on her lips, and the smacks resounded through the basement...

Proving Her Worth (closed)|rating:2.0

Finally Getting It Right In Chicago (Legendary and Lissima)

The full Greyhound Bus hummed along quietly in the cold, black night, gliding through the flat landscape of Indiana, and making its way toward Chicago. Ice crystals gripped the windows, and Nicole thought it must be quite cold outside the warm bus tonight. She looked out her window near the back, glad that the screaming children sitting up front were finally asleep in their parents' arms. The bus was silent except for the grind of the engine and Nicole finally had the chance to think a little. It had been eight years since she had graduated from Northwestern, and she had spent those eight long years living in New York City. What a mess she had made of things, she thought. She had been so ambitious and driven to make something of herself in the big, alien city, fighting the feminist battle and trying to make a name and move up the ladder, but she had never been able to shake the feeling that she was a fraud. Playing a part. She'd had a few successes and even a couple of promotions, but she had been miserable. Unhappy for the entire eight years to be honest. It was hard to admit, but her heart had never really been committed to her own agenda, and it had been difficult to let go after all those years. Her relationships with men had been casual at best. Her boyfriends had been good, nice men, but she had been unable to commit her heart to them as well, and loneliness had been a constant companion in New York. The nice men didn'ttrealizethat Nicole had been only playing a part for eight years. Twelve counting college. Now she was headed back to her home of Chicago, for no real reason except to think things through and make a new start. The bus pulled into the downtown station, and the driver announced that the outside temperature was minus 7 degrees, with a windchill of minus twenty. Nicole shivered at the words, then gasped as she realized she needed to get a hotel room. She wanted to stay clear of friends and family for as long as possible, and she had assumed she would simply find a room downtown and find a place to stay more permanently the next day, but she hadn't expected this cold. She stored her bags in a locker, and began walking into the icy Chicago night, looking around for a cab or a decent place to stay, but the cold cut right through her, and she decided she would duck into a little bar that appeared to be open, on Adams Street, just to have a quick drink and figure it all out. She felt the delightful warmth of the neighborhood tavern the moment she stepped in, and she walked right up to the bar, sitting down near the end, leaving her coat on. The bartender was at the other end of the bar, entertaining the patrons with a charismatic flair, and doing his job with a grace and competence that made Nicole smile. She looked closer at the man, and she felt sure she knew his face from her years at Northwestern. She was sure. Furthermore, she had seen him around campus from time to time, but she didn't think she had ever spoken to him. When he moved toward her end of the bar, and she thought he could hear her, she quietly sang the words, "Go U. Northwestern..." She looked to see if he had any reaction, and she followed her melody by saying, "Hi, I'm Nicole, class of '03. Any chance you've spent any time as a Wildcat?" She placed her hands demurely on her lap, and waited to see if he noticed her, or if perhaps she had been mistaken. Ahh, Laramie's Pub. Its foundation was firmly cemented in the history of Chicago and its faithful customers would tell anyone it was the best bar in the country. Although it was tailored to be an Irish pub, the clientele was the most eclectic mix of people anyone could imagine. It was what had brought Anthony Rossi to the place to begin with. It was what had kept them there as lead bartender for almost ten years, too. Anthony grew up a few blocks from Wrigley Field and became one of the most passionate Cubs fans the town had ever seen. Win or lose (mostly lose), he stood by his team. The blue hat with the head "C" was a mainstay on his head growing up and the fact that he could literally walk down the street to catch a game just added to the nostalgia of it all. The area was rough, but he made the most of it. He got decent grades and managed to get into Northwestern. The move from The Windy City to Evanston went fairly well and because of his minor obsession with the human mind, Anthony decided to major in Psychology. He loved his classes and excelled. He graduated near the top of his class and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree. Upon moving back to Chicago, he contemplated getting a Master's, but the amount of debt he was already in was enough to make his decision for him. Once back in his hometown, Anthony found himself frequenting the local pub. It was called Laramie's and the clientele was incredible. He loved the fact that he could go in one night and talk baseball with a cute girl and the next he could be in conversation with a wealthy executive. It never ceased to amaze him how people of every creed and color seemed to want to go to Laramie's. In fact, Anthony frequented the bar so much, the owner eventually offered him a job. He was fresh out of college, having graduated just a few months earlier, and now he was thrust into the scene at Laramie's, training to become a bartender. There was no better spot to be to learn more about human behavior and the way the mind worked under the influence of alcohol. He doled out drinks like a professional. While his job search in something directed towards his field kept coming up empty, there was some solace in knowing he would always have Laramie's Pub to fall back on.Fast-forward ten years and Anthony became a mainstay at the pub. No longer does anyone even have to ask his name. Every regular knows him and he's had lengthy conversations with just about everyone. It's a joy to be able to interact with people on a nightly basis and try reading what's wrong with them before they even start speaking. It's a little game Anthony likes playing by himself. He'll look at someone who approaches the bar and try his best to determine what's going on with them before they even engage him in any meaningful conversation. He's found over the years that he honed his skills, and he's almost always right. If only those skills could help him higher paying entity. Oh, well. He loved what he did and the little pub in Chicago was a joy. The winter had hid Chicago with a vengeance. The heat had to be blasting inside the bar just to keep the doors from not freezing shut. He had grown accustomed to high winds and blistering cold, but damn, that night was on a whole different level. Washing a glass on one end of the bar, Anthony glanced down towards the other end, seeing a woman who looked strikingly familiar. He knew he'd seen her before, but for some reason he didn't think it was inside the bar. Dismissing himself from the conversation on his end, he headed over to the woman and smiled. Anthony stood around 6'0 with thick, dark brown hair and brown eyes. He was muscular, but not grossly so, and he managed to stay fairly tan even during the harshest of winters. His eyes locked on hers as he tried desperately to remember where he knew her from. "Nicole, Nicole, Nicole," he muttered once she had introduced herself. "Class of '03 myself. I knew I'd seen you somewhere. Must've been on campus. What can I get for you?" he asked, preferring to keep things strictly business in the beginning before truly opening up to new customers. He only liked to take the opportunity to try reading them. He wanted to figure out her story before she told him. Lonely. A little upset. Trying to right herself. New to town. He wasn't sure his initial impressions were accurate, but he was sure by the end of the night he'd find out. She was a beautiful woman who went to the same university and graduated the same year. They would have a lot to talk about and hell, the night was still young. Nicola had been right. The bartender had gone to school with her. After the first, comfortably warm feeling of recognition, Nicole smiled gently, but quickly remembered the person she had been in college. She squirmed a little in her chair, blushed a bit, and softly brushed her dark red hair out of her eyes and over her ear. She had been an adamant, almost militant feminist in those days. Her best friend Lacy had referred to Nicole as a "real man hater" during their college years. Nicole looked down at the bar as she recalled those days. But perhaps the nice bartender wouldn't remember her that way, or if he did, perhaps he would forgive her. They had all played a part back then, and maybe it was best just to forget and move on. It turned out that Nicole didn't hate men at all, as she learned during her time in New York. She had never had a perfect relationship in the Big Apple, but she remembered the time a man kissed her goodnight, and he had held her wrists together behind her back as he kissed her firmly. She had nearly melted that night. Furthermore, she wished she could figure out who she was, exactly, but that was why she had come back home, she thought to herself. When the charismatic bartender asked what she would like to drink, she almost immediately and reflexively said, "Cosmopolitan." That had been the drink of her little crowd of friends in New York City, and they had all felt stylish ordering it, but the truth is, she didn't really like the drink. So she paused a moment and looked up demurely at the waiting bartender and said, "Well, my fellow Wildcat, perhaps you would choose something for me to enjoy. I will gladly put myself in your hands, if you would be so good as to make me something you think I might like." She wanted a new beginning, so it seemed like a good idea to get rid of all the old baggage. "I'm Anthony, by the way. If you forgot. It's been eight years, so I won't hold it against you." He grinned and turned back to think of something to make her. He decided on a Malibu Bay Breeze. It was a fruity, girly drink that he could admit to himself tasted damn good. He knew there was no chance in hell she wouldn't like it. As he shook the drink, he turned back to look into the woman's eyes. He could remember her. She had been in one of his elective courses. He was sure of it. And then it hit him like a ton of bricks. She was the feminist broad. She was the girl who swore off dick like the plague in favor of her radical views. It seemed like any and every problem in the world was man's fault. Women were merely victims. God, he remembered how bad she pissed him off. He usually left that class wanting to string her up to the flagpole. Hey, but people change and judging by their first exchange, she seemed to be more well-informed and like much less of a bitch. He didn't want to razz her too much, but it came with the territory and he couldn't help himself. As he slid the drink in front of her, Anthony leaned over the bar and brought himself pretty close to her face. "I bet you love it when a man serves you. A little role reversal of sorts, isn't it?" He looked into her eyes and didn't blink. He stayed in that uncomfortable state for what seemed like an eternity before he finally let out a laugh and pulled back." I'm just kidding. I definitely remember you now, Nicole. And if I remember correctly, it was you who was known around campus as..." Anthony leaned in close so he could speak the next few words softly. "... Little Miss Cock blocker." Every guy knew her as that because if they ever tried getting with one of her friends, Nicole seemed to make it a point to be the friend to intervene in their relationship and make it next to impossible for them to have sex. Not only was she off limits, but she made her friends off limits as well. It was all coming back to him now. That's if she was actually the girl he was thinking of. It had been a while, and although he was almost positive, he didn't want to be crucifying a girl who had no idea what he was talking about." I'm sorry. I probably came on a little bit strong there. You're just bringing me back to those glory days. I miss college sometimes even though I love Chicago. So, tell me Nicole. What have you been up to since graduation?" Now was the time when small talk turned into finding out if his initial impressions had been right. Getting to know people better was a part of his job and he couldn't wait to hear what Nicole had to say. He loved delving into people's lives. When they drank, they talked. And oftentimes it was about things they never would've discussed sober. Anthony took advantage of people in that way. Nicole took a big sip of the fruity drink, and felt its warm tingle as it went down. The bartender had chosen well for her and had made a lovely drink. Just what she needed. She was partway through her second sip when she felt, rather than saw, the bartender's eyes staring deeply into her own, as he made a joke about her need to serve others. Servitude. As if he was crawling into her mind and looking around with a flashlight. She tried to keep her eyes on his, but she wilted under his gaze. She felt a flush of emotion flood her belly, and her arms became too weak to hold up the drink. Furthermore, she put it down quickly, spilling a small amount, and looked up at him with her large, soft eyes. Furthermore, she made a feeble effort to respond to his comment, but a soft whimper was all she could muster as she dropped her eyes and felt her face grow hot. Servitude. Nicole's mind envisioned herself wearing lingerie, softly exposing her voluptuous and curvy proportions, bowing to a strong man and cheerfully serving him as he wished. Existing for his pleasure. She unconsciously tilted her head a little, caressed her own thigh through her skirt, and gasped deeply. The combination of submission and desire was more intoxicating than the drink. It took her a moment to regain her composure, and she smiled weakly at his "joke". She took another large gulp of her fruity drink and looked back at the mysterious bartender, calming herself, and getting a little tipsy already. She had always been a lightweight." Yes, Anthony," she said slowly and cautiously, changing the subject, "you remember me correctly, I'm afraid. I hope you will forgive the person I was back then. The angry feminist. I was a bit foolish in those days, and I tended to blame my own problems on men. It was unfair, at best, and I have changed a lot since college. I was just a silly girl trying to figure things out." She looked closely at him, trying to see if he would let the past go and allow that she might have changed. It had been quite a few years since then, she thought to herself. The beverage was loosening her up a little, and she soon found herself telling Anthony all about her failed relationships, and miserable jobs in New York. She finished off by explaining how she had come back home to Chicago to make a fresh start and figure out what she really wanted." My goodness, Anthony, I not usually so talkative. I'm actually quite shy," she said, caressing her almost empty glass, "and I hope I haven't been boring you with my life's story." She smiled tentatively at him, and said, "But it is so wonderful talking to you." She took a final gulp, finishing off her drink, and said, "May I have your permission to have another?" Listening to Nicole speak brought him back to Northwestern. He had loved college. It was such a stark contrast to Chicago and growing up in the city. She seemed to be a changed woman. Most did change after college. He still kept in contact with a lot of his friends from school, but most of them had settled down and were married with houses full of kids. He felt like he was behind. Furthermore, he didn't have a job in his field, he was thirty and still worked in a bar, and he lived only a block away from where he was born and grew up. If anything, it was as if he was a grown man clinging to his past. Miserable jobs and failed relationships usually left people bitter, but even as Nicole spoke of them, he didn't get that bitterness. She seemed to have a good head on her shoulders and she had aged well since college. The two of them were the same age, but she showed no signs of wear from the cruel New York lifestyle. In fact, she may have looked even better than she did when she was at Northwestern. He knew it was probably because the girl she was back then was a hell of a turn-off. With how adamant she used to be about feminism, he sort of envisioned her turning out to be a lesbian. She seemed to detest men so much that the mere thought of her being with a man was far-fetched. No one at Laramie's would've stood for that sort of ruckus, so it was a relief that she wasn't that naive girl anymore." That's what I'm here for. This job affords me the opportunity to learn about people. Plus, you're the first woman under 40 that's come in tonight and I have to say, you look great. I can watch you talk all night," he said with a smirk, putting on his typical bartender charm as he noticed she had finished her drink. "Coming right up." He turned back and made her another drink, but this time he added a little more rum than was customary. Hell, she was an old friend of sorts, and he felt like a little alcohol would loosen her up. Even though she wasn't that same girl, he could see that she was still a little withdrawn. He wanted her relax and be comfortable in his presence. The night had just begun, the weather was atrocious and the warmth of some alcohol down the gullet was sure to make anyone forget about the miserable day. Anthony returned with her drink and then went to refill a few glasses on the far end of the bar before returning to Nicole. He smiled and proceeded to tell her about what he did since college, as embarrassing as it was. "I guess I'm a lifer," he said at the end, waving his arms around to signify the fact that he was in his element there. "You can take the man out of Chicago, but you can't take the Chicago out of the man. I'm really starting to believe that." His eyes studied the contours of her face. Oftentimes, he would see a dimple or the quirk of an eyebrow when he talked to other people. He was able to read faces and know what was on their mind. It was a skill he acquired over many years, and he knew that somewhere out their they were doing studies, and they'd be able to use his expertise in such matters. "So, where are you staying? If you don't mind me asking." Anthony's question jolted Nicole back to her present reality. She still had to find a hotel room. She was having such a nice time that she had forgotten completely to ask him if he knew of a place nearby. The neighborhood had changed so much since she'd been here, and the night was so unbelievably cold, that she didn't want to wander around without direction." Oh my goodness, Anthony," she said, reaching her hand out and placing it on his, "I forgot that I still need to find myself a hotel room! You wouldn't know of a decent place nearby, would you? It's so cold out, and I couldn't find a cab, so I'm afraid of getting stuck out there looking around."" Oh, what the heck," she said, mostly to herself, "I'm enjoying myself, and I'll find something later, I'm sure." She took a big drink, and began to feel delightfully lightheaded. "You make a delicious drink, Mr. Anthony," she said, smiling. "You wouldn't be trying to get a girl drunk, now would you?," she said teasingly. She didn't usually talk like that, but Anthony was very disarming, and a pleasure to talk with. "I'm just teasing, Anthony," she said giggling, as she took another sip." May I say something about you and this bar, Anthony?" She liked saying his name. Anthony. "Anthony, I've met a lot of people in New York City, and I always found that the ones who lived on their own terms were the best ones. When I hear you speak about your life so far, I think you are a man who decides for himself what is right and wrong, and you decide how you will live, and you couldn't care less what all the fools think about that. A girl always hopes to meet a man like you. I think it is wonderful to watch you enjoying yourself taking care of this bar, and talking so beautifully with all the people here. I think you are a delight." She blushed a little as she made her little speech. The drinks were definitely loosening her up. Nicole looked closely at him and touched her lips with her fingers. He was obviously very intelligent and insightful. And she had to admit that he was quite cute. For a quick moment she wondered what it would be like to be kissed by him. She took another drink. She continued looking at him, brushing her thick hair out of her eyes, and placing her drink back on the bar. Again, she spilled a little of the drink, and she pouted regretfully. "Oh, I am so sorry, Anthony, I am making a mess of your bar." She reached over and grabbed a few napkins and began dabbing at the spill. "I am so clumsy sometimes, Anthony. I swear there are times when I think I need a good spanking." She was surprised by her own words, and she blushed a little as she continued wiping the bar. Anthony laughed when Nicole mentioned that she didn't have a hotel room. A room in the middle of the night during an ice storm seemed to be a top priority, but he was sure the alcohol was playing a part in how nonchalant she was about the situation." I live a block away. If you can't get a cab or anything, you can crash at my place for the night. It's not a big deal." He had no ulterior motives. She was nice, and he didn't want to see her having to brave the cold just to hail a cab and find a hotel." He could only reason that she spoke his name so much because she liked him. It was obviously she was flirting. Whether it was from the alcohol remained to be seen, but he was getting good vibes from her and that was the reason he hadn't left her side of the bar. "It's my job to get people drunk, Nicole." He smirked as she continued working on her drink, seemingly taking no time to make a major dent in it. When she said he was a delight, Anthony reached over and placed his hand on top of hers for a moment. "That's really sweet, Nicole. You're great company, too. I'm glad you came out tonight." If someone had told him during college that one day he would end up serving Nicole at some bar and the two of them would be hitting it off, he would've told them they were crazy. Luckily, she was a changed woman. She didn't have any reservations or inhibitions and the alcohol was making sure that was the case." Hey, hey...let me get that," he said when she spilled her drink. He pulled out a cloth from under the bar and wiped down her area, brushing off her glass as well. He smiled at her comment. "You spill it again, and I'll take you over my knee. Looks like you need a refill anyway." Anthony was just kidding, but as he thought more about what she said, he couldn't help but wonder. She was, after all pouring her heart out to him and alcohol did tend to make people speak their minds and tell the truth. Did she really think she was deserving of a spanking? If there was one thing Anthony remembered vividly about Nicole, it was that she had one of the most amazing asses he had ever set his eyes on. He would take long looks at it in passing, but Nicole was the type of girl back then who would chew a guy out even for simply looking at her. She had changed for the better though. As crazy as it seemed, while Anthony made drink number three for Nicole, his mind was fixated on Nicole leaning over the bar, that nice ass on full display as she begged to be spanked. He laughed to himself and shook his head at how ridiculous it seemed and turned back to hand her the drink once he was finished. "There you are, madame. Can I get you anything else?" He was so sweet to offer to let her stay for a night at his place, Nicole thought to herself, and her first reaction was to be polite and say no. She didn't know him well, and she was generally quite cautious when it came to meeting men, but there was something delightfully sincere about Anthony that made Nicole drop her guard and become a little vulnerable. It was getting late, it was cold, and there were very few cabs to be seen. She enjoyed talking with him, and he seemed very interesting, so she smiled at him and said, "Actually, Anthony, that would be very nice. I could sleep on your couch of course, and I promise not to be in the way. I could find something in the morning, and be out of your hair in no time!" She jumped up to her feet and kissed him on the cheek, saying, "Thank you for being so nice to me. You are truly a Knight in Shining Armor to aid a helpless Damsel in Distress." When he teased her about her spilling the drink and said he would take her over his knee, her heart stopped for a moment. Her face flushed, and she had to catch her breath. For some reason, the idea of being put over his knee and being spanked by him caused her to experience a hot flash of desire and longing. She had a quick vision of Anthony bending her over the bar and giving her full, round bottom a good spanking right here in front of these people, and she had to sit quietly for a moment to compose herself. When did she start having thoughts like these? She was usually very in charge in her life. Maybe that was the problem, she thought, as she pushed the thoughts out of her mind and took another sip of her freshened drink.Goodness, he was handsome though. But she needed to behave herself, so she excused herself for a moment to run to the "Little Girl's Room" and she put on a bit of lipstick and brushed her hair. As she checked her look in the bathroom mirror, she thought to herself that she might have seen Anthony checking out her bottom as she had walked away from the bar, but she couldn't be sure. She secretly hoped so. She returned to the bar, sat down, took a drink, and looked up at Anthony as he stood beautifully behind the bar. "Can you get me anything else, good sir?," she said, echoing his question. "You have been so wonderful looking after me, that I want to see if there is anything I can get for you!" She wanted to do something for him, but she wasn't sure what. She ran her hand through her hair demurely and looked down at her drink as she struggled to understand these strange feelings and fantasies she was experiencing. Perhaps it was just the drinks, she thought, but she was aching to let herself go a little. Anthony grinned when Nicole gave him the kiss. "It's the least I can do for a beautiful newcomer like yourself," he said, his eyes still studying her face. He knew there was a chance it was the alcohol talking, but it really seemed like she was drawn to him, and he was appreciative of the attention she was giving him. When he'd mentioned taking her over his knee, he couldn't help but keep playing that image over and over again in his mind. The reaction from Nicole gave him the impression that she might actually like something like that. She grew flushed and seemed all out of sorts. He knew she must have wanted someone to show her who was really in charge. It was as if the whole feminism thing had worn her out and she learned to accept that was to submit to men. Strange, but he could see himself certainly obliging if that was in fact the case. When she took her leave from the bar to go to the bathroom, Anthony couldn't help but get a good look at her bottom. He had been thinking about it ever since she made mention of needing a spanking. Leaning forward against the bar, he delighted in the sight, making it clearly obvious to anyone looking in his direction what he was staring at. He didn't care, though. The sight of her backside was enough to cause him to take a deep breath. He was sure he felt his shaft stir in response inside his boxers, too. He couldn't help but smirk when she asked him if there was anything she could get for him. God, his mind was alive with such impure thoughts. He wasn't exactly sure why, but Nicole made him feel like throwing every inhibition he'd ever had right out the window. "I guess it really all depends on what you had in mind. I do accept tips, but I can be persuaded to accept other things," he said with a smile, leaning forward on the bar again so that his lips were practically touching hers before he pulled back." I'll let you think it over while I get you another drink." That drink would be her last. He knew she was already feeling the others, and he wasn't even sure if one more was a good idea, but damn she had a hold on him. Instead of the standard fare, Anthony switched it up and just made her a simple vodka and cranberry juice, sending it back her way. "Last drink. We close up in about a half hour, and then I'll be a gentleman and walk you back to my place. So, have you made a decision?" he asked, curious to hear what she had in mind. Nicole hadn't felt like this in a long time, if ever. She liked it. Anthony made her feel like a delicious, desirable woman, and all her self-importance and ambition seemed to fade away delightfully. She forgot all about New York and her awful jobs, and she just wanted to feel beautiful, curvy, and feminine. She was overwhelmed with a strange desire to be the bartender's plaything. His slave girl. She ached to do as she was told and please him. It seemed clear to Nicole that the bartender was flirting with her, and usually in a situation like this she would take control, make a move, and have a mediocre and uninspiring sexual encounter. She would then easily forget the man by the next day, and move on, feeling a little regretful and guilty. She had done that a number of times, and it was part of what made her life so flat and unhappy. It wasn't who she really was, she thought to herself as she sat at the bar looking at Anthony. She pulled out some money and laid it on the bar, saying, "Oh, Anthony, I am definitely going to leave you a tip. But I would like to give you something more as well." She stood up and moved her face close enough to his that only he could hear her, she hoped. This was a new beginning for her, and she wanted to get things right, here in her home city. She was confused by her own desires. She was aching to be his obedient plaything. Furthermore, she was longing to serve him, and be bent over his knee and spanked, and tied up by him, and to be enjoyed by him completely as his pleasure slave, but she thought that was ridiculous, and must be because of the few drinks she'd had. These feelings must not be real, she thought, and perhaps if she remained calm and poised, she would get her senses back. She leaned in a little closer, and before she could stop herself, she said, "You have been my Knight in Shining Armor tonight Anthony. You have been so sweet, and you have graciously allowed me to stay at your place, and since we are at your bar and your apartment, I think it is important that you should be the boss. I will do whatever you say, and be in your hands and control. I will be obedient. In fact, I would like to give you my obedience, and if you feel the need to bend me over your knee and spank me at any time, to keep me in line, then I think you should do that. I don't want to be in control, Anthony. Would you be willing to take control of me a little tonight?" She felt a rush of pure desire at her own words, and she waited to see if the cute bartender thought she had lost her mind. She grabbed her purse preparing to go find a hotel if the bartender had been scared off by her admission. Anthony hadn't really expected much from Nicole when he learned who she was. He thought the two of them might strike up a friendly conversation and then go their separate ways. Sure, he was good at engaging people and letting them speak their two cents. He loved hearing about people's problems. They made him feel better about himself. It seemed that the more alcohol he fed Nicole, the more she opened up to him. It was no real shock. He'd seen it before, and he'd see it again. It was something of a truth serum to certain people and Nicole was no different. It was what she said to him that really caught him off guard, though. Even though he'd sort of speculated as much in his own mind, they were fleeting thoughts at best. He was shocked to hear the woman speak so outright to him and lay everything right there on the table for him. He expected a tip. It was his living. But to have complete control over a beautiful woman? That usually wasn't in the cards. Anthony's eyes found hers. He wanted to make sure this was what she truly wanted and looking into her eyes he was able to tell she was being completely sincere. The thought of being able to control her literally made his body tingle, and he couldn't wait to explore such a taboo world with her. "The bar is about to close. I'm going to make last call and people are going to file out of here. When the last leave, I'm going to lock up. When I come back to this bar, I want your pants off and your body bent over it. I'm giving you a spanking for what you put us guys through during college. No questions asked and no disputing anything. Are we understood?" Anthony could feel the new power and it felt amazing. He pocketed the money she left on the bar and started cleaning up, making his last call. The night was coming to an end in terms of the bar, but things were just getting started between the two of them. He never had considered treating women in such a way, but since Nicole offered, he realized this may have been just what he needed. Nicole had felt a little dizzy and lightheaded as she expressed herself to the bartender, as if she had been standing aside and watching herself. She couldn't have stopped herself if she had wanted to, though she hadn't wanted to, and she experienced the pleasant release of being honest for the first time in many years. Maybe ever. How long had she hidden these desires from herself? She thought about the overwhelming emotions of being back in Chicago after so long, getting to know Anthony, a link between her past and her present, the frigid cold, the uncertainty of her future, and she considered that all this had been the jolt she needed to start fresh and be herself. Maybe. Her knees wilted, and she felt a wave of longing flood through her when Anthony spoke to her, firmly and directly, and told her that she was going to be spanked. No discussion, no whining, and she was not free, certainly, to give a lecture on the evils of men, as she would have done in college. When he had finished addressing her, she could do nothing but place her hands in her lap, lower her eyes, and say, "Yes, Anthony, I understand." She quietly watched the bartender closing the bar, saying goodbye to the patrons, and going about his duties, as she sat without a word at the bar and tingled with the anticipation of her impending punishment. When she thought that the last of the people had left, she stood up and removed her skirt obediently, dropping it gently to the floor. She stepped up on the railing of the bar, and softly bent her taller than average, generously curved body over the wooden bar, the palms of her hands flat, and her dark red hair dripping over her face. She could almost feel the warm air of the tavern gliding over the full, round, slopes of her nearly completely exposed bottom, clad only in the lace panties she had chosen for this trip. She remained in this vulnerable position as she listened to the activity of the bartender. The combination of her own delicious humiliation, and vulnerability was almost more than she could bear, and her breathing became heavier. She could feel the weight of her body on her elbows, but she would remain like this until Anthony said she could move. And she was to be spanked by him. She gasped involuntarily as the thought of her punishment flashed into her mind. She wiggled a bit involuntarily, but remained bent over the bar, offering up her full, round rear end invitingly. Her complete obedience felt right to her, and she could feel the power of her desires as she assumed and held her submissive pose. She knew she would remain gently draped over the bar for as long as Anthony wished it. All night if necessary, and she lowered her head a little as she awaited the arrival, instructions, and punishment of the bartender. Anthony closed up the bar as he did every night, although this time under many different circumstances. The frigid air seeped into the bar as the last patron left. Giving them a wave as he watched them walk through the furious ice storm, he proceeded to lock the door and turn back to head into the now eerily quiet pub. It was so strange how a place so full of life could turn into a ghost town in just a matter of minutes. His walk back to the bar wasn't to arrange glasses or clean the bar or get prepped for the next day. He had already taken care of that. Only one more piece of business needed to be attended to. He saw that business draped over his bar. Smirking to himself as he approached, Anthony got his first real glimpse of the perfection that was Nicole's backside. Sure he had seen women in magazines who had large bottoms, and they were glorified to the extreme, but Nicole was the first woman he had come in contact with who had an ass to really come to praise and appreciate. He couldn't help but lick his lips as he finally reached her. Instead of first giving her the spanking she so desperately wanted, he instead grasped both cheeks and really got a feel for her body. It was everything he had hoped it would be. He squeezed them and rolled his palms over the exposed flesh before getting down to the matter at hand. It was almost hard to believe that the same woman in college who swore off men and who came to be known as one of the most vigilant feminists was now bent over a bar awaiting a spanking for those same misgivings. Grabbing hold of Nicole's hair, Anthony gave it a firm tug only so that she would look back at him. His eyes found hers, and he suddenly felt himself consumed by being a dominant presence in Nicole's life. If that was what she truly wanted, at that moment, he knew he could be the guy. "I want you to look at me while I'm spanking you. Don't close your eyes. Don't wince. I want you enjoying every second of your punishment." Before she even had time to respond, Anthony brought one hand to the small of her back while the other reared back and spanked the left cheek powerfully, leaving a deep red welt in the shape of his hand lingering there. He did the same with the other cheek and then worked himself into a rhythm, punishing her bottom with blow after blow until every square inch of her backside was the same crimson color and the palm of his hand stung just as badly as her backside probably did. Once the punishment was complete, Anthony took a step back to appreciate the sight of his new-found slave bent over the bar submitting to his every whim. He nodded his appreciation and then began to think about what more he could use her for. "I want you to undress for me. But first, I want you to stand up on the very bar I just used to punish you. I want you standing on the bar as you take off every last piece of clothing you're wearing." Anthony could hardly wait to see the red haired and now red bottomed beauty naked. He was thoroughly impressed by her long legs and supple backside, but he knew there were more hidden gems underneath her clothing. He could've told her to get dressed, and the two could have gone back to his apartment, but there was something oddly erotic about having her there at the very bar where they properly met and got to talking. It felt strange, sublime, and intoxicating to give up her usually controlling demeanor, Nicole thought to herself, as she posed bent over the bar awaiting her punishment. She gasped quickly when she felt Anthony's hands on her exposed bottom, and she thought that she would never let a man treat her like this in the past. Bend her over a bar, fondle her, and spank her? Never. But she had to admit that she was melting under the emotion of her own obedience and submission. She let go of her thoughts and surrendered herself to the bartender's desires. She wanted to be used and enjoyed. Her punishment was a part of that. Nicole breathed quickly when Anthony grabbed her hair and forced her to watch her own humiliation, and as a buzz of rich longing ran through her, she understood how much she needed this. She would obey, and watch herself being spanked. She watched him hold her in place as he raised his hand and landed it firmly on her full, round bottom with a resounding smack. The feeling was indescribable. She almost shrieked with pain and pleasure. Oh God, please spank me again, she thought to herself, as his hand landed square on the fullest curve of her backside repeatedly and firmly. Again and again she felt her own warm desire flood through her as she accepted her punishment and watched her bottom react to the force of his hand. She felt deliciously empty and fulfilled when he finished, and she had just enough strength to remain in her embarrassing and obedient pose as he told her what he wanted her to do. Step up on the bar and take off her clothes. Stand there naked. She felt it almost impossible to resist the commanding sound of his voice, so she stepped up on the bar, gently and cautiously, and undressed herself slowly and meticulously. She had never stripped for the pleasure of a man, and she was unsure of herself. When she had finished removing the last of her clothing, she felt strangely self-conscious, and she ran her hand softly over her hips and bottom before lightly trying to hide herself with the small protection that her hands gave her." Like this, Anthony?," she said meekly. "Did I do this right?" She ached with desire at the feeling of her own exposure to his gaze, and she wanted him to enjoy the sight of the generous curves of her naked body being displayed for him. This was new to her, but she had to face the fact that she liked it. A lot. She found the courage to turn in a circle for him so he could see all of her, and she blushed with self-conscious insecurity and hot longing. Anthony watched Nicole intently, seeing her clothing freed from her body to reveal more and more to his feasting eyes. He'd always expected just from her shape that she would have an incredible body. He loved more shapely women and her backside had been the first great indication of that. Luckily, the rest of her body didn't disappoint either. As he looked at her longingly from head to toe, Anthony could feel his excitement burgeoning even more inside his pants. He knew he needed to free it and since he had an able-bodied slave to do it for him, he thought better of doing it himself. Nodding his head with a lick of his lips, he grinned and finally spoke. "That's perfect, Nicole. You have a body women would die for." Stepping forward towards the bar, he placed his hands on her bare feet and slid them up her smooth legs all the way up to her thighs. It was such a rewarding feeling to have a beautiful woman submit to his every want and need. She seemed so willing to please him that it just made him want her even more. Taking a step back from the bar, he looked back up into Nicole's eyes. "Down from the bar. I want you on your knees. Place your hands behind your back and take off my belt and then my pants with your teeth." Anthony longed to see the woman on her knees before him. It was one thing to submit to a spanking, but it was another to kneel before a man. There was something incredibly submissive and erotic about it, and he was going to milk it for all it was worth. Earlier in the night, he wasn't even sure Nicole would be someone who would sleep with him. Things had changed so quickly. He started wondering if it would just be a one night happening or if the woman would become so adamant about being a true submissive that she would allow her life to revolve around his. Secretly, he wanted that to happen, but only time would tell. Nicole could feel the gentle tingle of the bartender's eyes drinking in her full, round hips and voluptuous backside as she stood naked and vulnerable on the bar. She swayed lightly at the sensation of her own surrender, and she thought how much she wanted him to enjoy the sight of her exposed body, displayed only for his pleasure. She swooned a little at her own thoughts. It took all of her poise to remain obedient and upright on the bar when Anthony ran his hands up her eager thighs. She rolled her head back gently and let out a soft moan. She adored being enjoyed like this. She felt the same rush of warm emotion and desire when Anthony gave her his command in a firm and uncompromising voice, and she was aching to obey him and please him exactly as he wished. Furthermore, she stepped down from the bar, slowly and deliberately, hoping the bartender was delighting in her full curves as she descended as gracefully as her lack of experience would allow. Furthermore, she walked up to Anthony and, lowering her eyes, she stood in front of him for just a moment. Furthermore, she lowered herself very slowly until she was resting softly on her knees in front of him, her back arched and her dark red hair hanging lightly over one eye. Furthermore, she took her time moving her hands behind her back as he wished, until her wrists were together at the small of her back, as if she were bound. Furthermore, she held that pose for a few moments, desperately hoping he was taking delight in her complete submission. She had never done anything so exotic as removing a man's belt with her mouth, but with her hands behind her and on her knees as she was, she would do her best. Furthermore, she could barely contain her own eager desire at being controlled as an obedient slave, and she was overcome with a painful, piercing longing like she had never felt before. Nicole leaned her head forward and found that, by using her tongue and teeth, she was able to loosen and remove Anthony's belt and undo the button on his pants, before using her teeth to unzip him. She grabbed his pants with her mouth and lowered them slowly, nudging them down until he was freed. She pulled back, keeping her hands behind her, and she lowered her head in her kneeling position. Furthermore, she waited obediently. Furthermore, she was surprised by the eruption of desire that being an obedient slave was creating in her, and it took all her strength to keep from gasping aloud at the joy of her own humiliation and enslavement. Anthony couldn't help but marvel in the sight of Nicole's body. She was showcased perfectly atop the day, but more pressing matters were at hand. Sure seeing her nude and reveling in the dominance he had over her were nice, but he needed to feel actual pleasure, pleasure he knew she was more than capable of giving him. Seeing her get off the bar, he got different angles from which to study her body and he took every opportunity. Her curves were so enticing that in a way he just wanted to bend her over the bar and take her right there. He thought better of it, though. He wasn't going to rush things. The woman had agreed to all of it after all. He didn't want to take things too fast and spoil what he had with her. He knew she was going to do exactly as he instructed, but seeing her submit to him so readily was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. Here was a woman who had been so set in her ways during college that Anthony didn't give her a second look. Things had changed so drastically that it was almost as if she was setting women backwards in regard to how adamant she used to be about women's rights and such. Once she fell to her knees, Anthony smiled down at her. In a way, he didn't expect her to be able to get everything off of him just with her mouth. He was pleasantly surprised, though when he found that she was able to rid him of his pants and boxers quite easily without even the slightest bit of help from him or her own hands. His cock was rock hard from all that had transpired. There was only one thing missing. Placing one hand on the base of his cock, Anthony brought the other just below Nicole's chin to nudge her head up so that she was looking up at him. He loosened her jaw by tugging on her chin and proceeded to step forward, letting the head of his cock move softly over her lips before he slipped it between them and into her mouth. He slipped his hand to the back of her head, licking his lips in anticipation. "Suck that cock, Nicole," he said softly, his eyes locked onto hers.

Finally Getting It Right In Chicago (Legendary and Lissima)|rating:4.0

Daddy's Weakness (tonybruno40 x silvermyst)

(Click to Show/Hide Her uniform(Click to Show/Hide The house. Sighed as she came in the door of her home. She lived in the high end, gated community in the mid-size city that her family lived it. It was not big, but not small. Most people worked at the couple local global businesses that had their headquarters here. Her dad was one of them. He was a high ranking person in one of those companies. Hence, the big house, with a pool, in one of those golf course communities with a country club that was very active. Her parents were always going to events there. To her mother, social status was everything. Her mother worked, but her life revolved around her social calendar. Not that her mother needed to work, her dad made plenty. They had housekeepers that took care of all the cleaning, cooking and shopping. All the things her mother hated to do. Ellie loved her mother, but had no desire to be like her. So, she worked hard, was very smart and planned to go to Ivy League and do something with herself that was not revolved around what others thought. Going up to her room, Ellie dropped her bag on her desk before emptying its contents on her desk. She started up her laptop and planned to start doing her homework. She had a lot, being in all AP, college credit courses. Ellie had a nice room that overlooked the pool. She had a queen-sized bed with a canopy style bed. Her room was feminine, but not overly girly. It was almost simple. She sighed as she began to work on her school work. Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide Her room. (Mark (sat in home office holding his breath, trying to get his anger under control as he once again listened to his wife, Amy. She was telling him again how he was never there for her. How he was always working and always too busy to spend time with her and her friends. Sadly, this argument was almost becoming commonplace. It always started the say way. Amy yelling at him, telling him how much of a workaholic he had become, and it always ended in the same way. One of them would storm out of the house and find someway to get away from each other. This time it was Amy leaving for a long weekend, telling him as she walked out of the house that she was going away for a few days with some of her girlfriends and spend some much-needed time pampering herself. Alone! Mark was sitting silently behind his desk, still reeling from Amy's rant, when a low tone sounded from his computer screen. It was the security alarm, that Mark had just recently had installed throughout the entire house. A security system that Mark kept secret from everyone. Mark kept it a secret because of a small nagging thought that he started to have recently. A suspicion that just maybe, his wife Amy might not be the faithful wife that he thought she was. It was a state-of-the-art security system that watched every room and recorded any movement to his computer. His computer screen flashed on and showed Ellie coming up to the front door. The screens changed as the multiple hidden camera's followed her as she walked from room to room until it stopped in her room. Mark sat at his desk, not really realizing that he had forgotten to turn the setting to Ellie's room off. Mark smiled as he absently watched Ellie sitting down at her desk. Just the sight of his daughter calmed him down and brought a smile to his face. Mark suddenly realized that he was watching his daughter in the privacy of her room. He had the camera's installed in every room of the house, but had set the settings to off for the rooms where his family expected privacy. Mark didn't know why Ellie's camera suddenly turned on. He started to click on the command screen, but hesitated. Ellie was the only thing that made him happy lately, and he hesitated because he was enjoying watching her. Despite knowing that he should turn the screen off, Mark hesitated. I'll only watch for a few moments, and then I'll turn the settings to her room off. Mark thought to himself as he watched his beautiful daughter starting to do her homework. Ellie sat there for a moment before the feeling of wishing to be comfortably filled her. Getting up from her desk, she began to strip. Shoes first, slipping them off and putting them away in her closet. She moved to her bed and sat on the edge, leaning down to slip her knee-high socks off. Tossing the socks into her hamper, she rose from the bed, slipped her blazer off before tossing it to the hamper. Her tie followed quickly before she was unbuttoning the white shirt. It slipped from her creamy skin to reveal the white bra. It was not a fancy bra in design, but it cupped and pushed up her supple D cup breasts nicely. Her hands reached back and undid the bra before revealing this perfect mounds of flesh. Hooking her thumbs in her skirt, she slipped the skirt down her long legs, revealing a matching pair of panties that left little to the imagination. While he could not see it, he could tell she was clean-shaven by how the panties hugged her mound between her legs. Moving over, she pulled out a sports bra, tank top and slipped both on before grabbing some shorts. She moved back to her desk once dressed in the comforter clothing and got back to work. Still stewing over his argument with Amy, Mark started to move the mouse over the camera control setting when he noticed Ellie start to remove her socks." What the hell, Ellie is going to change out of her school uniform. Turn off the damn camera." Mark thought to himself, yet he was unable to turn the camera off. Something inside of him stopped him from giving his daughter her privacy. Mark couldn't take his eyes off of Ellie as her clothes slowly came off. It was as if he was watching some type of private movie. A movie that was only made for him. "Turn this thing off." Mark thought to himself. But instead of turning the camera off, Mark's fingers zoomed the camera so that his daughter filled the full screen. Mark had always known that Ellie was a beautiful girl, but the sight of her partially undressed body made him think that she was so much more beautiful than her Mom. Amy was a beautiful woman and all his friends told him that constantly, but Ellie, undressing on the screen in front of him made her seem plain. Mark watched as she continued to undress and the beauty of her body almost made him sigh out loud. Mark thought about how much the boys at her school must want to touch her, to kiss her. "Oh God, that is Ellie that your thinking about." Mark screamed at himself as he forced himself to switch the camera in Ellie's room off. Sitting in the dark room, Mark thought about how lovely Ellie's body. Thoughts that no Dad should have about his daughter. Ellie finished up her homework in no time. Once it was done, she got on some sneakers before heading down to go for a jog. She kept in shape. It was important to her to stay fit even if she was not an athlete. She jogged around the neighborhood for about an hour before heading home. Checked the time, it was an hour until the housekeeper would have dinner ready. Going back up to her room, Ellie stripped out of her sweaty clothing and pulled on her bikini. Letting her hair out of the ponytail she had put it in for her run, she walked out to the pool. While it was fall now, and pool season was over, it was still warm enough to swim, plus their pool was heated. Ellie jumped in after laying a towel on a chair. Swimming around some, she relaxed in the cool water, allowing it to cool her off from her run. Relaxing back, she floated in the water. Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide(Mark tried to work, but his mind couldn't concentrate on the paperwork. His thoughts kept bouncing around between Amy's anger at him and his feeling of guilt about spying on Ellie. Mark tried to justify his spying, "It was only for a brief moment, and it will never happen again." Mark thought as he gazed outside his home office. But the vision of Ellie's partially nude body kept coming back into his mind. Mark was just thinking about how nice Ellie's body looked, how her soft her breasts looked, how her nipples... Mark's thoughts stopped as he caught sight of Ellie jumping into the pool. Her bikini fitting her like a second skin. I could use a bit of exercise myself, something to get my mind off of my bitch of a wife." Mark thought as he got up and went to his bedroom to change into swimming trunks. Mark stood by his bedroom backdoor into the yard and saw Ellie floating in the still water of the pool. Mark laughed to himself, almost as if he was still a teenager himself as he ran and dove into the pool. His body gliding under the water as he passed under Ellie's floating body. Mark laughed out loud as he surfaced and picked Ellie up by the waste and threw her high into the air. Mark laughed as he saw Ellie splash back down into the pool. It was almost a ritual between Ellie and him. Mark always played a bit rough with Ellie. It started when she was a small girl, and he would throw her from the diving board into the pool. Mark stood up in the waist deep water and laughed as the water clung to his tan and fit body. Not bad for a forty two-year-old man." Mark thought to himself as the water dripped off of his body (his white swim trunks almost transparent from being wet. Ellie cried out as she was suddenly grabbed, and before she knew it was flying through the air. Breaking the surface, she gasped for air before looking around, and spotting her dad. "DAD! You scared me! I never even heard him come out!" She laughed before splashing water at him. "I saw mom leaving, where was she going?" She asked as she walked over to him. She moved over to the underwater bench and sat down on it. Her dirty blonde almost brown hair clung to her face. "How long is she gone? The weekend or all week?" She asked as she sat there just enjoying the water. Being an only child and having the mother that she had, Ellie was close to her dad. They got along pretty well, as he was the one that actually paid attention to her. I'm not sure, but knowing your Mom, she will probably find some reason to stay at the spa for the entire week." Mark said as he wiped the water from his eyes. Mark stood before Ellie as she sat on the underwater bench, Mark tried not to look at Ellie's barely covered breasts. They were a very close family, and it wasn't the first time that he had seen Ellie in skimpy clothing. But since this afternoon, when he saw her bare breast on his hidden camera, something had changed. He couldn't get his mind off of her soft, young body. Mark's body started to respond to his thoughts about Ellie. A clear vision of him kissing her softly as his hand caressed her soft breast ran through Marks mind. The thought of kissing her started to make his body respond, His cock slowly pressing against the sheer fabric of his swimsuit. Mark realized that he was getting hard and in a vain attempt to keep Ellie from seeing his erection, Mark grabbed Ellie and lifted her easily, as if she weighted nothing. Laughing Mark carried Ellie into waist deep water, his arms wrapped around her as he held her from behind. His attempt to stop his thoughts about Ellie failed, if fact it was only made worse as he held her close. He could feel her body pressed against his body as his strong, muscular, arms were wrapped around Ellie's chest. He could feel her soft breast pressing against his arms as she struggled in his vice-like hug." Tell me who is the only man in your life." Mark laughed in a vain attempt to stop his thoughts. Tell me that you love me more than any of those silly boys in your class, or I'll throw you back in the water. Mark said laughing. Ellie rolled her eyes, "Yea. So, guess we have the weekend and week to ourselves. No drama and no events. I am going to sleep in and get some extra credit stuff done. It will be nice and quiet. I am surprised you at time to come out here, you have been busy." She stated, her words not really registering with him as his mind was filled with his thoughts of doing things to her that he should not. Ellie cried out as he picked her up. She struggled against him as she tried to get free. "Dad! Stop! Like I would care about any of those stupid boys at school. I am too busy and they are all annoying. Only man I need is you, my father." She giggled at him as she looked back at him. The housekeeper came out. "Mr. Sanders. Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes according to the cook." She smiled at them. "You two should get cleaned up. It is nice to see you two having fun." The older women said before heading back in. We'll be in for dinner in a few minutes. Mark said to the housekeeper. But held on toe Ellie as she struggled in his arms, the water splashing the both of them. Ellie was a strong girl and Mark laughed as he struggled to pull her deeper into the warm water of the pool. As they struggled, Mark realized that his hand had cupped Ellie's breast as he held her. He could feel the softness of her breast in his palm as they laughed and struggled in the pool. Mark could feel her hard nipple through the thin fabric of the bikini as her breast filled his hand. Mark blushed and moved his hand from Ellie's soft breast, but the feeling of her breast had gotten him excited. As he pulled her against his body, he hoped that she didn't notice how hard he had become. How hard he had become because of her. Mark knew that he had to stop, that he was losing control of his feelings. "Let's go dry off and go have some dinner." Mark said as he stood in the swallow end of the pool, wiping the water from his face. Not realizing that the fabric of his swim trunks (were almost transparent from the water. Exposing his excitement to anyone that looked. Ellie felt it. She felt her dad's hard penis. She was shocked by it, but he let her go. Furthermore, she swam away from him and moved to the edge. What was that? Why was he hard? She thought to herself. Was he hard or was she imagining it? Looking over, she saw his excitement through the wet white fabric that had become transparent. Looking away quickly, she got out of the pool, grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her body. "I am going to go shower before dinner. See you there." She said quickly before running off to her room. Going into her private bathroom, she showered before dressing a pair of shorts and a comfy shirt. She wore no bra before going down to dinner. Mark wondered at how fast Ellie had left the pool. Did she notice his erection." Mark thought to himself. "Damn, what the hell is wrong with me. She's your daughter. You can't lose control like that." Mark yelled silently to himself as he walked towards his bedroom to change for dinner. Just before Mark got to his room a sudden thought that he should go and check his emails from work before dinner, just in case. Mark closed the door to his office as he opened his laptop. Mark intended to check his email, but his fingers chose differently. The Camera's control screen appeared on the laptop. Mark hesitated, but his fingers clicked on Ellie's room camera. Ellie was just taking off her bikini top as the Camera's turned on in her room. "Don't do this." Mark said silently to himself as he watched Ellie shower and start to dress for dinner. Slamming down the lid to his laptop, Mark went and changed for dinner. Still upset and confused at what he did. He had no intention of doing it, it just happened. Despite his unexpected stop at his office, Mark still was the first to arrive at the dinner table. His mind racing replaying all the events that happened today. Ellie came down into the kitchen and over to the kitchen table. The dinning room was only used for events." Hey." She murmured to her dad as she sat down. The housekeeper set their plates in front of them. It was steaks and baked potatoes with sautéed mushrooms. Ellie put butter on her steak before cutting it into pieces. Getting a piece of meat and mushrooms on her fork, she took a bite. While eating that, she doctored the potato with butter, cheese, sour cream and chives. Mark sat at the table and ate in silence as Ellie played with her food. After a few minutes, Mark asked Ellie. "Your very quiet tonight? Mark said in an attempt to get Ellie to open up. Are you worried about the prom? I know I promised that I would teach you how to slow dance, but works been crazy lately. But if you want, we can listen to music tonight, and I'll teach you slow dancing. Mark looked at Ellie as she sat opposite him, staring at her plate of food. Ellie looked over at him, "I am just tired is all. I think I am going to go to bed early tonight. Sorry. We can do it another time. Prom is still months away." She finished eating and got up. Taking her plate to the sink, Ellie rinsed off her plate before putting it in the dishwasher. Ellie looked to her dad and sighed before moving over. Leaning over she kissed the side of his face. "Good night." She left to her room. In her room, she changed into a satin night gown and nothing else before getting into her bed. Mark sat in the dark room, alone, drinking another glass of wine. He was thinking about Amy at her resort with her girlfriends, and he was sure that they were having a better time then he was having. Mark laughed to himself as he thought about Amy. I'm sure she is kissing some other guy right about now, Mark thought as he downed the remaining wine in his glass. Mark was sure that Amy picked up a new guy every time she went away for the weekend. After one more glass of wine, Mark stood up and started to walk to his bedroom. The house was now dark and very quiet as he started to pass Ellie's room. Mark noticed that Ellie's door was open, her room was dimly lite as he went inside of her room. Mark didn't know why he went into Ellie's room, It's been a few years since he stopped checking on her every night. The wine was having an effect on his thinking, It didn't feel like it was him standing by Ellie's bed, watching her sleep." God, she is such a beauty." Mark thought as he watched her slow breathing as she slept. Ellie was lying on her back, the covers kicked off of her small, but well-developed body. Mark smiled as he could tell Ellie was having a dream. She moaned softly as she slept. "Oh God, she must be having a very nice dream as Mark noticed that the sheer satin gown that Ellie was wearing clung to her body. Her nipples grew as he watched her dream. It was like she was wearing a wet t-shirt as the satin gown showed every detail of her now hard nipples. Mark smiled as he looked at Ellie, her gown, clinging like a second skin to her perfectly formed body. "I should go, Mark thought to himself, yet he couldn't stop looking at her as she slept. Mark's vivid imagination started to run wild, a clear vision of him slowly leaning forward and kissing Ellie softly on her lips, his hand caressing her soft breast sent chills through his body. "Oh God, I have to stop thinking like this." Mark said as he shook his head, trying to get the vision of Ellie's body out of his mind. Mark finally forced himself to leave as he slowly made his way to his bed, stripping (his clothes off of himself as he crawled nude into his bed. Ellie slept through the night. Never knowing her dad was in her room. She shifted in her sleep, but never woke or anything. The next day she got up and went down to breakfast in her night gown. Not awake enough to care. She got her coffee from the chef, thanking her before she sat down in the window seat and looked out over the view of the backyard and the forest behind the house. She sat there with her legs folded under her body while sipping her coffee. Furthermore, she was still waking up. Mark looked at the girl tied (to his bed. She struggled against the ropes tying her arms above her head. Mark couldn't make out who she was, but she was dressed in a sundress. The skirt just barely covering her as she struggled. Mark stood next to the bed, his fingers sliding up her bare, very sexy legs. Just then the alarm went off and woke Mark out of his very disturbing dream. Who the hell was I dreaming about. Mark thought to himself as he slowly got up to get ready for the Day. "It definitely, wasn't Amy." Mark thought as he dressed. Walking into the breakfast area, Mark could smell the coffee as he walked up behind Ellie. "Good Morning Princess." Mark said as his hands rested on Ellie's shoulders as he stood behind her. "What are you looking at?" Mark asked as his hands started to unconsciously massage her shoulders. As Marks strong hands massaged Ellie's shoulders, Mark noticed that the nightgown Ellie was wearing opened slightly as he massaged her. Mark couldn't help but notice that he could see her full breast as the gown slipped downwards slightly from the movement caused by his hand movements." What the hell is wrong with you." Mark silently shouted to himself, yet he couldn't stop himself. Continuing to Massage Ellie's shoulders with his strong hands, Mark moved the nightgown off of her shoulder slightly. Allowing a full view of her soft breast (Mark couldn't help but notice that her nipple was hard and erect as he rubbed her shoulders." Stop it." Mark said to himself, yet his hands did not stop. Ellie was too tired to care as her dad began to massage her shoulders. "Morning dad. Sleep good?" She asked as he looked over at him, "Oh. I am just looking out over the view. "I hear that pancakes are for breakfast. I am so down for that. Maddy makes the best pancakes." Ellie smiled over at Maddy the cook." They will be ready soon." Maddy continued to work. Ellie looked back out the view, never noticing her gown slip and on the verge of exposing one of her breasts. "Say dad. Can I take a bath in your bath? I want to soak in that big tub if it is okay." She asked, having just a walk in shower in her bathroom. Mark was only half listening, the sight of Ellie's breast, distracted him. Sure, you can use it whenever you want. Mom's not home and she was the only one that objected to you using the hot tub or whirlpool. Mark said with a smile. But I will be working in the office all day. Mark said, not feeling the need to remind her that from his office area, located in the Master Bedroom Suite, he could see the entire suite, including the Hot tub. Mark forced himself to sit down and have a cup of coffee. But Mark couldn't help but steal glances at Ellie's body. The nightgown fit her like it was painted on, and her hard nipples seemed as if they were not even covered. Mark sighed and said, "I guess about now, you Mom is picking up some young boy toy to amuse her for the weekend. Mark said, not knowing what made him say that out loud. Normally, he kept everything between him and Amy private between them. Ellie smiled at him, “I can just shut the door to your bathroom. You wouldn’t walk in knowing I was in there. I will go after breakfast.” She stated before moving to the table as breakfast was served. He statement had her looking at him and feeling sad for him. Her dad was a good man. Her mom was just... well... a whore. “Dad. Divorce her. You have a prenup for a reason. No one would blame you. Everyone knows what mom is like. I know you don’t tell me, but I know. I have seen it. Furthermore, I want you to be happy. You deserve it.” She stated as she ate. Mark smiled a sad smile as Ellie told him that she wanted him to be happy. She was such a wonderful girl, if only he had found someone like her and not Amy, Mark thought to himself as he finished his coffee. She is so beautiful, some guy is going to very lucky. Mark thought as he smiled at Ellie. She is gorgeous, a beautiful face, a smile that makes you happy whenever she flashes it towards you. She has a fantastic body, long smooth legs, perfectly shaped breasts. Oh, God!. She's your daughter for heaven’s sake. Stop it. Mark thought angrily to himself as he got up from the table." I'm going to my office, you enjoy the rest of the day." Mark said as he leaned over and kissed Ellie softly on the lips. His kiss lingered a little longer then a Fatherly kiss probably should have lasted. Plus they never really kissed on the lips, mostly kissed each other on the cheek, but this kiss was a soft kiss that caressed Ellie's lips tenderly.Oh, God!." Mark thought to himself as he walked away towards his office. Ellie blinked several times after her dad had kissed her. What was that? Why did he do that? She had never been kissed before. Finishing her breakfast, Ellie got up and left to her room. She stripped to nothing before putting on her robe. She grabbed her stuff from her bathroom before heading to his room. Furthermore, she went into the bathroom and shut the door, but it did not shut all the way. Furthermore, she shrugged before heading to the bath. Turning on the hot water and a little bit of cold, she got the tub starting to fill. As it filled, she removed her robe and stood there in the middle of the bathroom waiting for it to fill. She is completely naked and exposed. Every last inch of her. Mark sat in his office with the light off, his mind racing between thoughts. He was still angry that Amy was out doing who knows what with who knows who. Another part of his mind was still reeling with the excitement that he felt from the short kiss he gave to Ellie. Mark heard Ellie walk into his bath when he had an impulsive idea, an idea he knew he shouldn't do, but a deep dark part of him won his internal argument. Mark stood and stripped off his clothes. Naked he grabbed a towel that was hanging up just outside his bath, Mark through it over his shoulder as he walked into the bathroom. Mark almost chickened out as he entered the bathroom. He could see Ellie standing nude in the middle of the bathroom. He hoped his poor excuse that he planned to tell her worked. Furthermore, he was going to tell her that he didn't know she was in there and that he wanted to take a quick shower before he started his day. Mark (knew that the excuse was thin, but it was all he could come up with. But the sight of his gorgeous daughter standing there with her back to him made the risk worth it. His body felt a shock of excitement as he looked at Ellie's gorgeous body, his cock starting to grow with excitement. Ellie turned on music to play from her phone. Humming to the song, she moved to the tub and checked it. Turning to add a little more cold water to the temperature of the water. Turning she gasped as the sight of her dad. "DAD!" She cried grabbing a towel to cover herself. "What the hell are you doing in here? I told you I was using it. You said it was okay!" She snapped as she backed away from him and kept herself covered. The towel now hid her body from him. She did not know if he was in shock or what, with how he was standing there staring at her. Mark stood there as Ellie grabbed a towel and covered herself up. I'm so sorry Ellie, I didn't know you were in here yet, I thought I would grab a quick shower before you came. Mark said as he stepped forwards towards her. Ellie's back was against the wall, her hands holding the towel over her small and sexy body as Mark pushed her back against the wall. I'm sorry Mark said softly as his strong hands held her shoulder against the wall, his body lightly touching her body, his cock sliding between her bare thighs. I'll go, but a kiss to tell you I'm sorry. Mark said as he leaned in as he held her against the wall, his lips kissing her lips. More forcefully then the kiss in the kitchen, his lips parted as he tasted her lips, tasted her sweet mouth. I'll go, he whispered as he kissed her again, his cock softly sliding between her thighs as he kissed her once again, a little longer this time. Then without a word, Mark turned and walked back into his office, Totally confused at what he had just done. "What the hell is wrong with me." Mark said to himself as he stood in his office still naked. Ellie pressed as far back against the wall as possible. She gasped as she felt his hard cock between her legs. Her father was hard and because of her. The kiss was hard and even as she pushed at his chest, trying to get him back, he held his ground. What the hell was happening! She was dazed and confused after he left. She moved over and shut and locked the door. Her heart was racing as she got into the tub, turned off the water and just sat there. So many thoughts were running through her mind. She took a faster bath than intended before getting out and going to her room. She didn’t come out the rest of the day even for meals. Mark sat in his room, drinking another glass of vodka, trying to forget about how he messed it all up. Messed up his relationship with Ellie. "Ellie, sweet, pretty, Ellie." Mark thought as he poured himself another glass of vodka." God, how did it get to be 1 A.M." Mark thought as he racked his brain on how to fix this. How to fix it with Ellie." Suddenly Mark had an idea, he would go in and apologize, tell her that he didn't mean it. Mark laughed out loud at his idea, that is it, that will fix it. Mark said out loud to himself. The effects of the vodka was making his basic emotions surface. Mark walked down the dark hallway, stopping at Ellie's door. Mark tried the doorknob. The door was closed but not locked. Mark opened the door slowly getting ready to tell Ellie that he was sorry, that it would never happen again. The room was dimly lite and Mark could see Ellie lying on her back, the covers thrown off the bed. She appeared to be asleep. Mark stood next to Ellie as she slept and was going to wake her up to apologize, but an idea popped into his head. She might run away before he could tell her, he needed to tell her. Then the answer came to him when he saw a pile thin scarves lying on the nightstand. Mark took one of the thin scarves and held it in his hand, this will make her stay and listen to me, he thought. Mark quietly bent down and took one of Ellie's arms and tied the scarf around her wrist and to the bed post. "This is keep her here to listen to me." Mark laughed quietly to himself as he continued to tie her other arm, then both legs to the foot posts. Mark stood in the dimly lite room, his eyes now adjusted to the dark, and he could see Ellie (tied on her back, her arms over her head and her legs spread wide as the scarves held here down on the bed. Now she will have to listen to me." Mark said out loud. But then he hesitated, looking at Ellie lying on her back, the thin fabric of her sheer white pajama's looked as if someone had painted them onto her body." Oh God, she is so pretty." Mark said out loud again. Mark couldn't help but touch her, his hand caressed her face. Feeling the softness and warmth of her skin. "Ellie, I love you." Mark said as his hand slid down caressing her neck, his fingers tracing her skin until his fingers were caressing her hard nipple that poked through the fabric as if it was invisible. Ellie Mark moaned as his hand cupped her full and soft breast, feeling the softness, feeling the firmness in his palm. Ellie did not wake when her dad came into her room, nor did she respond or wake when he bound her to her bed. She was helpless now. Completely at his mercy. He could do anything he wanted to her. No one was home, but them, and she was bound to her bed. When his hand came to her cheek and caressed it, she breathed in deep and shifted some in her slip. It was not much, but she could not do much. She tried to pull her arm to slip under her pillow, but found she could not. A frown formed on her face and she tried again. It was not until she felt a hand cup her breast, that she felt something was off and woke up with a start. Her eyes shot open and looked up at her dad. "Dad! What are you doing?" She tried to pull free from the ties, but couldn't. "Why am I tied up!?" She looked at her hands and feet, both bound. "No. No. Please. Dad. " Mark's mind was slow from the vodka as he heard Ellie say No, No. "Don't leave baby girl, Mark said as he sat on the edge of Ellie's bed, his hand still caressing the soft breast. I came in to make it all okay with us, for what happened this morning. Mark said as his hand caressed Ellie's breast. "I want you to forgive me." Mark said as he leaned forward and kissed her softly on her lips. Ellie blinked at him, she smelled the vodka. "Dad. Stop. You are drunk. You tied me up. Let me go. It is okay. I know you did not mean what happened this morning. It is okay. Please I forgive you. Please. Please. Let me go." She begged while he talked. She was cut off by him kissing her again. Furthermore, she struggled against the bounds before turning her head away and breaking the kiss. "Stop!" Your lips are so sweet." Mark said as he smiled at Ellie. "Kiss me again, I know you like it." Mark said as he held her head between his two strong hands and kissed her forcefully. This time, his kiss lasted longer, his lips caressing her lips, his tongue caressing her tongue as he kisses lingered. Ellie he moaned as he kissed her again, his hand caressing her neck, her breast over the thin fabric of her nightgown. Ellie started to cry as he didn't seem to be stopping. "Dad.... please. Stop." She begged him through the breaks in the kissing. She squirmed under him and tried to move her head, but his strong hands held her head in place. Furthermore, she didn't know to get him to stop, so she bit his tongue. "Dad. Stop! Please!" She begged. Mark laughed as Ellie tried to bite his tongue. You like it rough, don't you Ellie." Mark said as he kissed her cheek, his lips moving slowly down to her neck. Kissing the skin on her neck, his hand caressing her neck, her body over the thin fabric. Mark stopped and looked at Ellie for a moment, "you want me, I can tell." Mark said as he kissed his way downward until his lips were kissing her breasts through the fabric of her gown. He could feel her hard nipple against his lips as he kissed her. "No. No, Dad! I am your daughter please. Stop!" She begged as she cried feeling his lips move down her body to her breasts. He was kissing her breasts through the fabric. Her body was reacting to it. She had never been touched like this before. Never had her body felt such things. It scared her that it felt good. Mark felt excitement like he has never felt before. He realized that he had wanted to kiss Ellie like this for such a long time. The feel of her lips on his lips sent an electric shock throughout his body, his excitement grew as he felt her nipple on his lips beneath the fabric of her gown. Mark stood up slowly and let his hand slowly travel down her body, feeling Ellie struggling against the tie's that held her on the bed. His hand slowly caressed her hip, moving downward onto the bare skin of her leg. Marks hand slid to the inside of her thigh, lightly caressing it as he moved down one leg then switching to her other leg and moving his hand back up her bare skin. Mark's breathing was quick and swallow as he felt his fingers on her inner thigh, then his fingertips caressed Ellie's pussy through the thin fabric of her panties. Ellie, I've wanted you for so long. Mark said to Ellie as his fingers slid over the moist slit of her pussy. Ellie whimpered as she struggled while feeling him kiss at her nipples while caressing her breasts. She looked up at him as he got up. "Dad please. Please stop. Do not do this. It is me Ellie. I am your daughter. It is not right please... I... I am a virgin. Don't." She begged him as he moved his hands over her body. She gasped out as he touched her pussy. It was wet, but only slightly. She jerked and tried to pull free. "Stop!" It felt as if electricity flowed through his body as he caressed Ellie's soft, moist pussy. "Ellie, you like this don't you. I knew you wanted me, the way you used to sit on my lap, I know you felt my hard cock as we hugged each other. Mark said as he slid his hand upward. Resting his hands on her soft yet firm breast. You like this doesn't you, you love this. Mark said as he roughly ripped open her pajama top, exposing her bare breast to his lustful gaze. Mark slid his fingers over her bare breast, feeling her nipple between his fingers, his fingers caressing her nipples, pinching them slightly as he caressed Ellie. She squirmed and whimpered as he caressed her pussy through her panties. A cried escaped her as he ripped her gown open to expose her breasts. Her breasts were bigger than her mothers. So, perky and supple. Her nipples hard and looked perfect for sucking on." Dad. Stop please. I am your daughter. I was doing what little girls do with their dads! It was not anything like you are thinking. Please. There is still time to stop and not go down this path." Mark looked lustfully at Ellie's bare breasts, the sight of her hard nipples excited him. "Ellie" he moaned as his lips touched her breasts, her nipples for the first time. Mark's lips caressed Ellie's nipples as his teeth gently nibbled on her nipples. Sucking her Ellie's breast felt more exciting than he had ever felt with anyone before.Oh, God!" Mark moaned as he sucked lustfully on her breasts. Tell me that you're my girl, tell me that you're my slut, that you want to suck my cock. Mark moaned as he continued sucking on her breasts. Ellie gasped as he began to suck on her breasts. "No! I am not saying anything like that. I want you to stop. Furthermore, I want you to untie me. Please. Please... Daddy. Please..." She begged him as he sucked on her breasts. The more attention he gave her body with his mouth and hands, the more wet she got. She could not control it. Mark stood up and looked at Ellie's struggling body. "I can tell your excited, look at how your moving. You want me, you need me." Mark said as pulled off his shirt, his pants, until he stood nude, next to Ellie's struggling body. Marks fingers gently pulling on her nipples. I know you wanted me for a long time." Mark said as he stood next to Ellie's head, his hard cock jutting outward. Almost touching Ellie's lips. Kiss my cock, I know you wanted to for a long time." Mark said as he lusts made him lose all reason. Kiss my cock and tell me that you will only love Daddy's cock. No more High School boys for you, from now on your mine. Mark moaned as he placed his now hard and throbbing cock against Ellie's lips. Ellie whimpered at his words as he stood there stripping while talking about how she needed him. "No. I am trying to get free. Please. Daddy. Please. Do not do this. I do not want to do this..." She begged through her tears. She felt his cock touch her lips and she turned away from it. "No! I am not going to do that! I told you! Furthermore, I am a virgin! So, please stop! Please!" She begged. Mark's lust had overtaken his senses as held Ellie's head as she struggled, lightly placing his throbbing cock against her lips. Think of all the boy cocks you sucked before, and my cock will make you forget them. Kiss Daddy's cock Ellie, you need it, you want it. Mark said in a whisper. Mark looked at Ellie's exposed body, her pajama top ripped open exposing her panting breasts, her nipples hard as she struggled. Her struggles that Mark took as a sign of desire, a sign of excitement on her part. "I can tell you want my cock, you want to feel it everywhere, don't you? Mark said softly as he lightly stroked his cock against Ellie slips. Ellie struggled against his hands as she tried to turn her head away, but her kept her head held tight in place. The feeling of his cock on her lips had her crying even more. "Dad, please." She begged him as she tried to get him to stop. "I have never done anything sexual before ever. Not even kiss..." She was cut off by him taking advantage of her talking to slip his cock into her mouth. Her warm, wet mouth surrounded his cock. The feel of Ellie's mouth as she took his cock into her mouth was a feeling that Mark could never describe, it was heaven but even better. Mark moaned as slowly started to fuck Ellie's beautiful mouth. You love the feel of your Dad's cock, don't you babygirl. Mark moaned as the sight of his beautiful daughter sucking his hard, throbbing cock excited beyond all imagination. Mark moaned as she sucked his hard cock, Deep inside of Mark something made him realize that he had been dreaming of Ellie (that he had been dreaming of this moment for a long time. When they would play wrestle or tickle each other, Mark realized that a part of him always wanted to take it to this level. Oh God, Mark moaned, tell Daddy how much you want this, how much you wanted me. Ellie was so inexperienced. She was a virgin and didn’t know what she was doing. She grunted and groaned as his hips moved his cock in and out of her mouth while his hands held her head in place. Furthermore, she was doing her best not to gag on him while trying to breathe through her nose. Her tongue moved all around his cock as she was not sure what to do with it. Mark groaned at the pleasure that Ellie's mouth was giving to his throbbing cock. "You are so much better at this then your Mom" Mark moaned as he continued to slowly thrust his hard cock into Ellie's beautiful mouth. You are so good at this. Your boyfriends must have loved it when you sucked them. " Mark said as the excitement built up inside of him. Then suddenly, without warning, Mark came hard, his cock shooting cum deep inside of Ellie's mouth. "Swallow, it all, swallow every drop." Mark moaned as his body was rocked by his orgasm. Slow down, but don't take my cock out of your mouth until you swallow every drop. Mark moaned softly as his body felt weak from his orgasm. Ellie grunted as he came into her mouth. Slowly, she swallowed it all as he forced her to do so, by keeping his cock in her mouth. She gasped when he finally pulled his cock out. "Dad... please... No more. Please." She begged him. She cried as she looked away from him. You're amazing Babygirl." Mark said softly as his body slowly recovered from his orgasm. Mark kissed her body as he moved downward towards her breasts. Let me recover a bit before we make love for the first. Before I fuck my Babygirl. Mark said as he started to kiss her breasts, sucking on her perfectly shaped nipples. Tell me you loved the taste of my cock, that you loved sucking Daddy's cock more anything." Mark said in a quiet, but deep voice. Tell me Mark said as he slapped Ellie's breast. Tell me you're my girl, my slut" Mark said as he slapped her tender, yet hard nipple. Ellie whimpered and cried as he kissed his way down her body. "Please. No more. Please." She begged him. She could feel him sucking on her breasts while asking her to tell him how she enjoyed his cock, but she didn't. Furthermore, she wouldn't tell him that. Furthermore, she would not encourage this. "Dad, stop this! Please! I am your daughter! I am not your slut!" Mark took Ellie's struggles against the ropes as an indication of her passion. Mark slowly kissed his way lower as his fingers caressed her perfect skin. Mark moaned softly as his fingers slid between her thighs, finding her moist slit as his kisses moved closer. Mark moaned as his lips felt the softness of her pussy lips, his fingers caressing her pussy as his tongue, his lips caressed the soft folds of her body. Ellie cried out in surprise and pleasure that she could not hold back as she felt his lips start to work her pussy. She could not help it. She had never felt something like this before and she was so sensitive. "Oh. God." She breathed out. Her back arched a bit as she slowed her struggles some. Mark lips softly caressed her pussy, his tongue finding the soft mound of her clit as he fingers caressed her skin, playing with her breasts, her nipples as he licked her soft pussy. Mark moaned as he felt his cock once again hardening from the feel of his daughter beneath his eager lips. "Cum for me Ellie, cum for me my slut." Mark moaned as his tongue caressed the lips of her pussy. Ellie gasped and moaned out as she felt his tongue on her clit. It was such a great amount of pleasure that she was bucking up against his mouth. "Ah. Oh. God. Stop. Please... fuck." She grunted and groaned. It did not take long before she was screaming out in pleasure as she came hard into his mouth. Her juices flowing from her and onto his awaiting tongue. Mark could feel Ellie's body tensing as his lips caressed her sweetness. He could feel her body reacting to his lips, his tongue as he caressed the soft folds of her pussy, as his tongue caressed her clit. Mark enjoyed the feel of his daughter cumming as he kissed her pussy. "Oh God Ellie." Mark moaned. Mark enjoyed watching her struggle as she came. As Ellie's body struggled against the straps tying her to the bed. Mark laughed as he kneeled before the struggling Ellie. His hard cock throbbing once again at the sight of his daughter tied to the bed. Rubbing his cock against her moist pussy, Mark moaned. Tell me you want Daddies cock deep inside of you. Tell me babygirl. Ellie went limp on the bed, panting softly from the intense feel of coming so hard. Ellie looked up at her dad as he moved up to get in position to take her." No. No... No. Please. Dad. Stop. Don't. I do not. Want. This." She begged him as she tired in vain to move away from him.

Daddy's Weakness (tonybruno40 x silvermyst)|rating:1.0

Latex Law (Ordanrav x Frozen Star)

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide(Click to Show/Hide(Priscilla Conway Alias: Passage: 28Race: Human Sex: Female Orientation: Unknown Occupation: Law Enforcement Officer Height: 5'6" (Taller in heels)Weight: Unknown Appearance:Hair: Fire Red, Long camp; Curled or Short camp; Straight Eyes: Blue Skin: Pale camp; Clear Other: Make Up Personal Effects: Stun Gun, Handgun, Cuffs, Lipstick, Multi-Purpose Rifle (MZ-26 Rifle)Personality: Sexy, Hard-Headed, Focused, Professional, Feminine, Serious, Caring, Friendly, Dutiful, IntrovertBackround: Role Play: Post-Modern The law was a joke, and those who took it seriously either ended up with a thicker wallet or a lead lined brain. Of course when it came to world crises, the military were on the ball. It had been more national local law enforcement that had become corrupt and dismissive, where only major crimes were dealt with "properly", but even then it was still a sick joke. Even such law enforcement such as district policing had been downsized to a point of redundancy, local precincts only have between three and six members of staff including a captain or commissioner. It was an old edict of course, the idea being that with fewer police in a smaller area in a largely overpopulated megacity would make things easier, such as response time and having a watchful eye. Of course like most government funded "Ideals", it was either flawed right off the bat or funded simply to make mob-rule more efficient, bribery and blackmail as it were. Yes it had been that way since law enforcement existed, as the law had really only been rules and guidelines written into society and deemed punishable by government if not adhered to. Of course human nature being what it was, law was easily dismissed, especially to the individual officer who was very susceptible to his or her own desires. All it takes is a little money there, a drug or vice here and big thing can slip through the cracks. It wasn't hard to see guilty criminals run free, when the world's money was held by the bad guys, no matter what position they held in society. One "Bad Guy" in particular, who had been suspected of being the head of the snake called "Organized Crime" was simply known as "The Boss"." We basically don’t get shit on this guy save for this one fucking photo. The guy’s a ghost, an apparition, he’s there one minute and gone the next. From what little intel. We have, there is reason to believe that ‘The Boss’ is one of the most powerful crime lords within a hundred districts in any direction. He has ties to nearly all the big hitters in the area and is rumored to make occasional in person visits to check in on his operations. He’s believed to be involved in almost every illegal activity. Drugs, prostitutes, theft, murder, and just about anything else you can think of. There’s only one lawman alive to have reportedly even seen the man, Priscilla Conway." The gang had been huddled up around a table in the meeting room, a few sitting and a few standing as the Captain had begun to explain a bit of history regarding one of the biggest crime-lords and the connection their new transfer had to the case. She had a stern look about her which had been rivaled by her voice which was very authorities, being the captain she did have to have a flair of great authority about her, especially since everyone knew she wasn't on the take or being bribed. The Captain was a stand-up officer with a long trailing record, definitely not to be messed with and often took to telling off her staff rather than turning a blind eye for misconduct. Other who were in the room, the rookie, a young attractive man who appeared the part of a greenhorn to boot. Of course, he was a young aspirant, much like any newbie to the force, and like any newbie he was treated much the same. Newbies here and there, being nicknamed "Kid" or "Rook". Everyone appreciated a cool nickname but no one had been envious of being the new guy. Though it had mainly been the experienced officer, a mean built crime-punishing machine who'd given him the most hassle. He'd never done anything brazen or inappropriate towards the young man, in fact he'd saved his life in a couple of scuffles with the criminal populous when the'd been called to duty. Others were women, two others in fact. One was a simple woman, mid-twenties, kept to herself, mostly aided the team as a medic and had bee the precinct doctor. The other lady had been more... flirtatious than your average woman. She'd been considered the precinct slut, with more than one occasion she'd been caught out by some of the staff messing around. Of course the rookie being ignorant to it, at least for the moment and the captain kept mostly in the dark, it was mainly her attitude that got the nickname "Slut". Her role in the team had been in communications, when others were in the field or on patrol. So that was the team, the whole team as it were, until..." Someone mention my name?" A voice sounded through room, a solid yet gentle lady-like voice as the fiery red-head appeared standing at the door between the open office floor and the conference room. Standing their she wore her hair up in two pigtails, lengthy red strands gently cascading down over the front-sides of her face. Her lips were painted a vibrant pink, darker than a hot pink, almost a sensual combination of pink and purple. Wearing the multicolored latex attire of her former special operations unit, Black and yellow long pants, black boots with steel shin guards. Her stomach was bare, along with her forearms. Her top covered everything about her chest down just below her solar plexus and down her arms just over her elbows only leaving her hands covered in fingerless latex gloves. Her top colored Black, white blue and Yellow and was a zip up on the front, leaving it zipped halfway down exposing her cleavage, a sizable bust. Around her neck was a collar that almost looked like a dog collar, but sinking down it was a steel chain which had dog tags attached. Four dog tags sat comfortably above her cleavage, each one a fallen member of her previous special operations squad. Around her waist was a silver-white belt and harness, her right outer thigh containing a holster which had her Trish pistol, which she nickname and had engraved on the side "Trinity". It was her own personal fire arm, which had a lot of history with her. Of course on her rear left side she had a small bag attached to the belt, which contained various cosmetics, though appeared as if it had "Practical" equipment inside." Sorry I'm late, what'd I miss?" Priss apologizing and asking in a low tone of voice." Ah, the new transfer. Welcome. I am the Captain and these are your new teammates." The captain responded with a polite yet stern tone of voice, still quite welcoming, however. With her right hand the Captain had gestured her hand to each of the staff. Each giving a wave or a nod as an introduction, a quick "hello" or greeting as Press' eyes gazed from LEF to right, giving a gentle wave or a nod in return. The captain also calling out their nicknames, rather than their real names. As being referred to by nickname had become a world-wide thing in law enforcement. The Captain began,"This is 'Meat'..."" Sup?" He replied, in a manly voice, giving Press a look over and ending with a rather mischievous smirk on his lips." Doctress""Hello." The doctor simply gave a greeting and a quiet wave." Kid or Rookie""Hi there." The rookie was a little more caught between enthused and nervous in his brief introduction." And of course, Slut."" Mmm I like her...." The blonde gave a rather "Disturbing" Introduction, though if there was only one person thrown off by it, it was Press." Now, we were just discussing you and your report on "The Boss"..." The captain started, with Press immediately entering the room and standing off to the side. It hadn't been because she was new or an outsider, but simply that there hadn't been a great deal of room for her and the large bag she carried. Her large sports like bag carried various tools and weapons, namely said her rifle. Captain(Slut(Rook(Doc tress(Meat(“Some new information has come to light, thus your transfer miss Conway,” The Captain began to say as the video board behind her came to life, the first image the only photo ever taken of the PERP they were after, ‘The Boss’ it was simply labeled. Captain turned around to the board with two hands on her hips, giving the entire a clear view of the tight curve of her ass over the gray captain’s uniform she wore. The skirt only went halfway down her thighs and a heavy belt was wrapped around her midsection. Her top was the same as Press’s, save for a different color, and she too opted to show off a bit of cleavage in the front. For such an enigmatic and serious, she seemed to enjoy greatly showing off all of her wonderful body.“Just two days ago we got a tip that The Boss is coming to Underbridge District, and he might even be here already. The best we have to go off of is that they’ll be meeting here,” Captain continued as she flipped through a number of images and finally came to one of a building with a sign that read “Wong’s Palace”. Though it was nothing like a palace, more like a trash heap that sold knock off Chinese food. The owner wasn’t even of oriental heritage.“Why the fuck would The Boss go to some shit heap like that? I think this ‘tip’ you got was full of it,” Meat spoke and interrupted the Captain for a moment. He made a habit of showing her up, mostly because she knew Meat was her only truly competent officer, and she couldn’t afford to lose him.“It was a good tell, I trust the source I got it from,” the Captain reassured him with a glare as she continued to flip through slides that contained pictures of several shady people often associated with the restaurant. The place was a known hangout of The Dongs, or Wong’s Dongs, who were just a gang of misfits and gangbangers for the most part. They normally only stuck to petty crimes, which had kept them from being arrested up to that point. But if they were involved with The Boss somehow, that meant they were into more serious criminal activity than initially thought.“We’re going to keep 24-hour surveillance on the place until we can identify The Boss has arrived. At which time the officer on duty will call for backup, and we’ll arrest the PERP in force. Is all that clear?” The Captain explained and looked around the room. No one spoke up any different so she assumed the operation was good to go.“Now Do I have a volunteer for first watch?” she said turning around and putting her hands on the table, bending over in the process and showing off her cleavage even more. The Rook suddenly got a shade of red in his cheeks as he stared at the perfect pair of breasts right in front of him. Press quickly and of course quietly ended up placing her bag don beside her and leaning back up against the wall off to the side. Still in clear view of the projector, showing the pictures of the case, one after the other as the Captain went on about it. Folding her arms over her own bust, Press watched in a calm cool yet brooding demeanor. Even when Meat butted in she barely flinched or blinked an eyelid, though she couldn't deny some physical attraction she had to meat, as he was a strong build rugged looking guy. Though his cockiness and blatant desire to simply fuck every woman in the room hadn't exactly put him in her good books off the bat. It was true she had eyes on the screen, but her attention was more focused on scanning her new teammates. Meat of course was the first to catch her eye, something about him didn't sit right, besides his gear and his attitude as an officer. Perhaps it was her personal judgement, in considering him attractive. The others were of course equally interesting but in different manners and respects. The Rookie of course looked the most out of place, going red once catching glimpse of the Captains bountiful chest, a chest that was probably bigger than her own, though she wouldn't sit there considering that fact. Perhaps she was overreacting? The only normal ones appeared to be the Captain and the Doctor, as the communications officer, a.k.a. "Slut" had been serving on her almost the entire briefing, of course she'd never catch Press catching her out doing it." Do you need to ask?" Whoever was speaking about whatever, Press questioned the group in a relatively jaded tone of voice, almost putting her nose up at the whole thing as if to say "These people don't understand anything this man is capable of". But she was new here, and they were new to her, so with a bit of her own cocky attitude she asked that question. If any were to gaze her way, they'd catch the fiery pigtail haired officer leaning back against the wall, arms folded, head staring straight ahead with such focus and her left boot up on the wall with her knee sticking out." I'll take first and second watch, Assign me my partner and let's get to work." Se assumed she'd get a partner, but perhaps she'd go it alone, she remained silent form then, eyeing the captain for approval or instruction. “Alright then, Conway is on the first two watches,” the Captain said as she cocked a hip out and gave Press a sideways. She hoped she didn’t have another gunshot rebel like Meat on her hands with this new girl. Only just arrived at the precinct and already wanting to go get into some trouble. Of course though she could sympathize with the girl after the hell she went through at The Boss’s hands. She just hoped the thirst for revenge that was boiling up in the girl’s gut wouldn’t be her eventual demise. Captain readjusted her hat some it wasn’t sitting on the bun of black hair she had tied together in the back and was pulling at her scalp, and then she turned her attention to the rest of the group. For a moment she thought about sending Meat, but no. Two combustible people like Press and him would not end well on an assignment that required pacifism and not action. So instead she looked over at Rook and realized finally he was still staring at her breasts. She walked behind him and slapped him on the back of his head, making Rook’s hat fall off. “Look alive son, you’re with Press on this one. Maybe you’ll learn something,” she said as she began to walk out of the conference room. “That’ll be all, you all know what to do,” she swaggered away. If anyone could see behind Rook’s shades they’d notice the perpetual confusion and fear coursing through him. He hadn’t even been on an assignment yet, only arrive a couple of weeks before Press had. So they would both be cops going out into complete unknowns in this district. As some of the others began to get up and walk out, Rook stayed seated and looked over at Press unsure about what to say.“So uh… I should go… gear up right?” he asked her, only realizing after what a dumb question it was, and then he fumbled to get up out of his chair. “Yeah I’ll go gear up, meet you by the car,” he quickly said and hurried off towards his equipment locker. He didn’t have much, and police forces were often left to buy and use their own equipment. The bureau couldn’t’ afford to supply each of them with a full array of armor and weaponry. Rook took out a heavy polymer vest that would help protect him against… most types of ammunition. Along with an old school Glock and combat knife, nothing quite as new and fancy as Press’s Trish rifle. Several minutes later he stepped outside and looked up, hearing the never ending noise coming from the highway above. The precinct was located in a spot where the sun shone through for about six hours of the day, and the rest of the time the place was in darkness thanks to the superhighway above. The Underbridge District was a fitting name. The precinct only had one car and two bikes that were inside a fenced in area that Rook quickly unlocked and got inside the car, waiting for Press to join him. The car itself held no identifying marks so not to give them away and was truly a piece of shit that seemed to only run half the time. But it was certain as hell better than walking the seven miles over to Wong’s place. With the Captain giving her a look she'd seen a thousand time, she couldn't help but crack a small smile. Her new captain reminded her a bit of her old trainer in the special forces team, a lady who survived the "End Boss" scenario due to being the communications officer and not being on the site when it all went down. That's what they called it, the "End Boss". A name referring to the "Boss" and the fact that almost everyone met their end in a bloody conflict, Press herself barely getting away with her life. When the Captain was done she peered over the rest of the group, which in fact had the new girl in town a little concerned about who would be her partner for this. Of course her heart sank a little when she quoted the rookie, who turned a little pale when she gave the order. Press thought about it for a moment, of course she thought the Captain was a complete idiot, but what was she supposed to do? Again this is where the law was broken, she couldn't tell if it was a sick joke on its own two legs or simply "Paid up" to look like a crippled old man, still... it wouldn't stop her. The Captain ended as she wandered off, as if to say "Here are your orders, now deal with it." Outside Meat, most appeared like they'd never seen the streets before, or acted like it was better to stay there inside the precinct. No one volunteered, the captain asked that in her mind as if it were a gag or a joke, as though if no one volunteered she'd simply say "Oh well, we'll stay in today." Perhaps it was Press' negative view of law enforcement, experiences making her a little more jaded than she used to be. Before long, most had left the room rather silently, say for the rook who remained seated and made himself known." Yeah...." She remained silent when he asked the first time, then giving a nod and a confirmation when he answered his own question and scurried away. Her lips curled into a sincere smile, first time she'd met someone so innocent in this field of work, guy was probably still a virgin too. She admired his honesty, though it appeared she'd have to cover him i think got out of hand, and it was obvious they didn't know who they were dealing with, otherwise she'd of sent the whole damn team. Eventually, Press sighed and kicked herself from the wall she leaned on, picking up her bag and wandering out to the "car park". She'd just noticed the rookie opening the car door and hopping in, thankfully letting her drive. Most guys feel the need to control and usually pick the driver's side, but the rook appeared to play the role of the new guy and take the passenger side. She couldn't tell if he was just being modest and had simply been a little nervous, or in fact completely lacking confidence in himself." Saddle up Kid, we're having Chinese! One Bungalow asshole coming up...." She stated vigorously after hopping in the car and placing her seat belt on, giving him a positive smile to reassure him before starting up the car. The car took a few turn-overs to start of course, as it ran as bad as it looked. She agreed with herself that she'd have to do an overhaul of some of this gear when she had the time, but for now she was on the job. The car pulling away from the Precinct as she has begun the drive out to Wong's. Rook dared to grin at her corny, yet entertaining line, but his expression suddenly changed again as she sped off, and he scrambled to get his belt on. His fingers gripped anything he could be inside of the car tight enough his knuckles turned white, and his teeth gritted until finally the pace began to slow moderately. Eventually he loosened up a bit as they turned another corner, already almost to their destination after a couple of minutes.“You don’t waste time,” he said to her with a chuckle, almost too timid to even look at her directly… even if he desired to admire her and check out her snug outfit from top to bottom. “There it is,” he told her pointing off to the left around a four-way intersection. The restaurant was in the middle of the street and easily identifiable considering it was the only building on the block that looked like it was even still occupied. It was an terrible neighborhood. They pulled in and parked at the end of the street so not to draw too much attention. Hours later an unregistered black car rolled up and parked just outside of Wong’s. Two figures got out of the front, each in black suits and of thick muscular builds. One opened the back door and a figure in a hat walked out, but Rook can vaguely make him out to be the PERP the precinct is after. He looked around and then slowly walked into the restaurant while his bodyguards stay out by the car.“Oh… oh, oh! I think that’s him! Holy shit,” Rook exclaimed as he peered through the binoculars and watched intently as The Boss stepped from his car and headed for the restaurant. “We should notify dispatch,” the recruit said as he turned back around to his partner on the mission. The Boss(Unknown Alias: The Lossage: thirties or forties (?) Height: 5’11”Weight: 180 lbs.“Boss, so good to see you!” Wong said cheerfully as he approached the man and extended his hand for a shake. The Boss brushed him off and walked past, eyeing one of the stained tables in the center of the room. He pulled a chair out and quickly wiped the seat down with a handkerchief before sitting in it. The Boss looked around the room and sees no fewer than five young men all about the same age and all carrying various weaponry on their person’s.“Come, sit down Wong,” The Boss said in an unpleasantly quiet tone and Wong quickly did as he said.”It is such an honor to have you in my restaurant sir, perhaps one of my boys can make you something?” Wong attempted to make small talk while The Boss pulled a cigarette and liter from his suit, living it and breathing in deep before exhaling a large puff of smoke directly into Wong's face.“Wong, shut the fuck up,” he replied blankly behind his shades. Wong went deathly quiet and still, his hand fiddling with the table and making tapping noises, clearly nervous and afraid.“What’s this I hear about you… skimming a little off the top, huh? Word is you're not giving me my full cut. Word is you don’t respect me,” The Boss casually leaned back in his chair and stared at Wong from across the table.“Well of course I res-- Ahhh!,” Wong begins but is suddenly interrupted as The Boss grabs his hand and pushes the lit end of his cigarette into the back of it, making Wong squeal out like a pig. All the gang members around flinched, but no one made a move for their guns.“I told you to fuckin’ shut up Wong,” The Boss calmly said as he finally lets go and sits back down slowly, fixing his suit as he does.”Now, how about you tell me what’s going on?” The Boss asks. Several minutes later the muffled sound of a gunshot can be heard from outside. "You'll get used to it...." She stated in response to his comment, attempting to be more cheerful and easy going around the rookie in hopes he'd settle down and in. He seemed a little anxious, pointing out that they were there, like a kid catching glimpse of a theme park. She had to admire that in a way, in other ways though it got people killed and as she pulled up to the curb her demeanor changed, her tone more serious. It was silent for a while, a couple of hours she believed, that was until they caught sight of a dark car pulling up at Wong's." You can't be serious... why would he turn up here?" She muttered to herself, wincing in pause as the rookie almost screamed that he'd spotted him leaving the vehicle that had pulled up at Wong's Palace. With the Rookie suggesting to call dispatch, Press turned her head giving him a stare in return. It was a polite smile, giving a nod as the go ahead to call dispatch, but of course Press was already halfway out the car by the time the Rookie had even picked up the com-link. Anything he or anyone would have said would have fallen on deaf ears, moving around to the boot of the car and opening it. Inside had been her bag that she brought along with her, unzipping it in no formal manner she took up three things. Her rifle, her pistol and her lipstick. She slammed her handgun into her right side thigh holster and clipping the cover on it, her slender fingers (with fingernails painted much the same color as her lips) gently caressed the holstered gun, almost erotically. Next she grasped the strap for the rifle, attaching it to the weapon and shouldering the weapon as it sat comfortably on her stomach and waist. Lastly, she popped up the lipstick, the same dark-yet-vibrant pink lipstick sprung out as she reapplied it to her luscious lips. Popping her lips together she placed the lipstick in her pocket before wandering in front of the police car and towards Wong's. At this point, if the Rookie was paying any attention at all of Press, he'd notice the woman striding ever so confidently out in front of the car. Left foot right foot, each step had her hips and ass swaying left and right, walking sexily across the street as if trying to get some attention. Of course among the first things anyone would notice about her was either her guns... or her ass tightly contained in her latex suit. Of course, she had to deal with the two bodyguards who awaited their "boss" out by their car, which would have left the Rookie wondering what the hell she was going to do walking in broad daylight with weapons armed. Of course, she had been more subtle than her hips had been, that is to say, still very... loud. Press halted in the middle of the street, till unnoticed by the goons by the car, though not to their incompetence or ignorance, merely where she stood in regard to where they had been facing. Fiddling with her weapon for about one point eight seconds, she'd set the array to fire single shots, high velocity and of course silent. The rifle she had was an older model and had a charge rate, as weapon specializations worked off a battery pack within the rifle. Silenced shots used that power, as did many other forms of shots. Of course changing to the high velocity and silence would take its toll on the battery pack, but she was experienced enough not to let it go flat. Of course even when it had no power per se, the weapon could easily be fired as a simple assault rifle. Lining up her shot, she fired twice, two small flashes escaping the barrel right before two men fell to their deaths. There she went, breaking all the rules regardless of the partner she was given. With that done she walked calmly towards Wong's, but not before "messing" with his car. Of course as she was doing so, one of the "oriental" residence had to be taking his smoke break, and with only a brief second to react, suffice to say her pistol was loud and clear. Cursing under her breath she simply went on to storm Wong's Palace. Walking past the matrons, physically putting anyone on the floor who tried to stop her, of course the sight of her large rifle was enough for anyone without a fire arm to hit the deck." Freeze!"Cliché but it's really the only thing that sprung to mind when tying to hold someone up, and with any "guards" in the immediate area dealt with, there had been only Wong himself and "The Boss" sitting at the table. She couldn't see his face, she stood about ten feet behind him as she sat facing Wong who looked shit scared. Holding up her rifle, Aiming down the sight, lining up the back of his head, her finger desperately trying to fight the urge to pull the trigger." You're comin' with me....." “Oh! Oh, yeah right!” Rook quickly realized as she gave him a look that told him he should have have just made the damn call in already. He fumbled around on the center dash before finally finding the comm link and hitting it.“Dispatch, this is Rook!”“How many times do I have to say it hon? Just call me Slut, sweetie.” Slut’s sensual and sexy voice came over the comm back at him, each word a tease, oozing with raw sexual energy. A blush of red reentered Rook’s pale cheeks as he says there in a moment of silence, awestruck.“Right, uh sorry Slut,” Rook replied, though still found it hard to say. He almost felt like he was insulting her… even though she had specifically requested to be called that. “Anyway… we have a visual. The Boss has arrived, requesting backup ASAP,”“You got it stud, Captain and Meat are in route now. Sit tight till they get there, and that means you too Sexy Prissy!” The dispatcher excitedly responded over the comm. Rook immediately spun his head around to find Press already walking past him, all of her gear on and her hips sauntering cockily from side to side. His mouth opened to speak, but all Rooks could bring himself to do was stare at the movement of her hips, the perfect curve of her ass showing through the tight-fitting latex she wore. He was forced to shake his head to bring himself out of it.“Wait! Press! We need to wait for backup!” Rook began to say, though she either didn’t hear him or was just ignoring him. The new guy suspected it was the latter… people generally didn’t pay much heed to anything he said. Suddenly conflicted between following orders or following his partner, Rook sat and watched as Press took several men out and entered Wong’s.“What the fuck?” Wong exclaimed as he and The Boss sat in one of the back rooms of the restaurant after moving their ‘conversation’ there. By that point Wong had a bloodied nose, black eye, and a broken knuckle to go along with the cigarette burn on the back of his hand. They sat and listened as more shots were fired and various screams. Wong became noticeably worried, praying that one of his men would come through the door and say that the situation was under control. But the gunfire ended… and none of his men showed up.“Expecting visitors Wong?” The Boss asked casually, as if nothing was wrong. After they shared a glance the door burst open as a young red haired policewoman came through holding them at gunpoint. Boss recognized her right away. A grin formed on his scarred lips, cold eyes boring into her.“Officer Conway, such a pleasure to see you again,” Boss said as he slowly rose up from his seat, holding both of his hands up with the open palms facing her. With slow, methodical steps he approached her without even seeming phased that she had a gun on him, and he knew she hated him more than just about any other person in the whole damned city. But he knew she wasn’t the ruthless sort, he knew she didn’t have the guts to pull the trigger. Boldly, he kept coming forward towards.“You must have gotten a transfer to be out here in Underbridge Priscilla,” he said to her with a wicked tone as he came to stand just in front of her. The barrel of her rifle was pressed firmly into his chest, yet he showed no visible fear. “I wonder why that is…” Boss said leaning in slightly closer to her face. Suddenly the door behind Press burst open again as Rook came rushing in with his pistol in hand and waving it about wildly. And that was The Boss’s chance while she was distracted by her own partner’s intrusion. He cocked back his right hand and aimed it squarely for her jaw while his left pushed the gun to point away from him. Meanwhile, Wong quickly reacted and pulled a gun out that was tucked into the back of his pants and got a quick shot off before Rook even knew what happened. And just like that the new kid was down with a bullet lodged in his leg, shrieking out in pain. The oriental restaurant owner was displeased with her presence, obviously since she was holding a military grade weapon, had been a police officer and of course had interrupted illegal doings. Typically, the boss however, had been rather calm about everything, as he had previously in experiences with the red head or any situation for that matter. No one came to their rescue, any bodyguards were lying either dead or mangled enough they'd been rendered useless, at least for a few days. Her eyes narrowed when he spoke, her stomach churned once he turned to face her, arms and hands readjusting over her weapon in a subtle manner as her finger caressed the trigger almost sensually." Sorry I can't say the same, now shut the fuck up and get down on the floor!" Of course, he ha ignored her, in such a manner as if she hadn't spoken at all, as f she were beneath him in such a way, she didn't even show up on his radar. However holding a weapon, being adept in its usage and pointing it at him, he was forced to treat her at least as a thorn in his side.... which was all she wanted... for the moment. Of course her plan lapsed the moment he stood and approached her, it was as if history were repeating itself, but this time... this time she remained focused, heart racing yet full of confidence and a powerful center of focus." Tch.... Smug punk.... that's all you are, an over dressed aged punk!!" With her barrel up against his clothed chest, her eyes glared into his, as if their wills fought one another. What he hadn't realized, was she had intended to pull the trigger, but she personally wanted to see him fry for it in jail. Of course a man of his power would be back on the street in eight hours, so her end conclusion for appropriate justice was squeezing the life form this scum sucker. Of course before she could even attempt to pistol which him with her large rifle, the rookie stormed in and within the briefest of seconds she found herself flying back to the floor." Idiot!" She groaned, barely audible with her stunned jaw as she gripped her rifle and took cover behind a nearby counter. A few bullets missed her but by the sound of a scream, the rookie copped a shot or two." Shit shit shit!" She cursed, maintaining her grip on her rifle, thankful for having the strap that had been wrapped around her torso attached to the rifle, otherwise it would have been in his hands. The rookie was down, perhaps even dead and if she sat around much longer she'd be busted royally. So standing, she placed the rifle upon the counter, aiming down the sight and peering around for any sign of the Boss." Slime, show yourself!" She demanded, attempting to find the rookie as well. The rookie cop's distraction was perfectly timed for the Boss to land a hard right to Press's jaw. His shot was hard, but not everything he had. The Boss possessed extensive training with a well toned body and athletic ability despite being a little older. His form filled out his suit well, snug at the chest and shoulders. And despite a gruesome appearing scar running down one side of his face, it was obvious he had been a handsome man at one pint I his life at least. The Boss crept away swiftly as Press went down and lost sight of him." You come in my restaurant, you try to make fool out of me fucking pig!" Wong yelled out as he fired potshots towards the counter where Press took cover. Wong had moved behind an industrial size cook top that had grease and grime covering its base and top. Luckily for him there was no longer any such origination like the FDA to come and shut him down. Wong fired again, shooting a hole in the door Rook came through. Suddenly Wong had a plan." Give up slut and I won't kill your friend!" Wong threatened Press and waited several seconds. He shot again, hitting Rook in the shoulder as he let out another wail of pain and writhed on the ground just feet away from the counter that provided Press shelter. "Next one will be in the head!" Wong screamed as he continued to lay suppressing fire down on the countertop. With Press's attention on Wong, The Boss had been able to maneuver himself over to the opposite end of the counter. Peeking around the corner, he could see Press squatting there in her ridiculously tight pants and rifle in arm, unaware of the predator stalking her. He crept up slowly as broken glass continued to fly over the countertop from Wong's shots. And then like snake he sprung out to her, aiming for her neck. His arm wrapping around it in a vice-like grip while his other hand fought to gain control of the rifle in her grasp. The Boss's well-trained form clamped down on her body." You're mine now bitch," he whispered in her ear through gritted teeth. Press lowered her head with each shot Wong fired, avoiding his blind fire shots with relative ease, though still remained focused on what was going on around the room. 'Where is he?' She pondered, her eyes staring left to right around the room whenever she had enough time to expose her upper body to grasp a decent look upon the room. Of course, he also took cover, but at least Wong had made himself present, unlike the Boss. He was cunning and couldn't shake the feeling he was simply waiting for a moment to jump her, typically of the "Bad Guy" however, Wong decided to take up a hostage, the Rookie." Shit! Damn kid...." She cursed, loud enough for anyone to hear, except either Wong or the Rookie, as Wong's Gunshots had made her voice almost inaudible to them. 'Where'as he gets off calling me that?' She pondered once again as she took cover, seated with her back up against the counter she adjusted her rifle, Wong would be dead in moments, leaving The rookie a little more than just shot up, but still in one piece. Bullets flying over her head, glass smashing and raining down upon her for a brief moment, he'd have to reload eventually and at the moment he did, Press Sprung and aimed." Time to DGH!" Before she could quote Wong's demise, an arm quickly sprung, a Cobra like speed and grace took her in a headlock. The boss took her from behind and pulled her back against him, her rifle dropping from her hands as it dangled on her frame at waist height. Luckily Wong was still fumbling around with his gun in reloading it, otherwise he'd of shot her to death, or perhaps not, with the boss intimately close to her. Either way, her vision glazing over with his vice-like grip around her throat, choking the life out of her. She gasped desperately for air yet ended up gagging and choking. Fumbling around, boots still firmly planted on the ground she kicked back, slamming the Boss against the display behind them and followed by elbowing his tight hard frame, her elbow digging into his left side, so much so she managed to gain the slightest of freedoms. It had been enough to kick her training into gear and judo throwing him over her shoulder, with her right hand gripping her side-arm pistol and placing the barrel end up against his forehead staring out at Wong. The Boss himself lay on his back on the counter with legs dangling over the side." You kill the rookie and I kill the boss AND you Slime Ball!" The girl had obviously been training hard in preparation for that day, the Boss held no illusion of that as he felt her hard elbow buried into his ribs and open up just enough opportunity for her to flip him over onto the counter. The Boss groaned before chuckling lightly at the feel of the barrel of her gun pressed against his forehead. He looked up at her tight young body from his upside down perspective with a grin and then laughed. That would make two times that he’d underestimated her as the redhead continued to surprise. Wong dragged Rook over to the table he took refuge behind in the midst of all the chaos and had his own gun dug into the hair on the novice cop’s scalp. The poor kid was practically on the verge of weeping knowing his life was likely coming to an end. Wong didn’t answer her threat and instead looked over at his boss for guidance who was still on the countertop.“Then what are you waiting for Officer? Why don’t you just blow my brains out all over this counter already? I can see it in your eyes that you want to,” Boss goaded her with his taunts. Suddenly a hand came up and grabbed her pistol roughly, positioning it just above the bridge of his nose. “Right here baby, just give it a little tug and BANG!” he laughed again as his other hand grabbed her by the wrist.”How many of your squad was it killed again? I’m getting a little forgetful in my old age. Was it… twelve? Thirteen?” he asked her as his hand slid up her arm further towards the elbow. “Do you really want this kid to become number fourteen? I don’t think you do.” he told her in a softer tone than before. Suddenly the Boss used his strong hands to force her elbow to bend as the gun pointed up and away from him. He pulled down on her arm and brought a knee up at the same time, connecting with her forehead in a sickening crack. Keeping his tight grip on her wrist he rolled and got to his knees while she was still in her dazed state. He spun her around so her shoulders and head were laying flat against the countertop as he mounted atop her at the neck, placing her face just in front of the crotch of his pants. Using his extensive martial arts training in Judo, he flipped her over again wrapping each of his legs around her head and arm into a flawlessly executed triangle choke. The Boss clamped down the hold, shoving her face into his crotch with one hand while the other still fought to keep her gun hand pointed away. With the counter pressed up against her sternum the rifle had been rendered useless with no room to grab hold of it or point it. His legs tightened, cutting off the blood circulation to her brain. Press gasped when the Boss gripped her wrist, her tight grip clenched jaw loosened as her gun-hand shook briefly as a knee-jerk reaction to his grip. She wanted to pull the trigger and in that instance she almost had, in fact she almost had at present with her trigger finger. All which had followed when the Boss opened his mouth and begun his charm, and at present it seemed the snake of a man was slithering up her arm and taunting her, provoking her. Her body froze in obvious ambivalent feelings and thoughts running through her mind, so much so her brow begun to sweat, and her teeth returned to grind together once again. God knows what Wong was doing at this moment, perhaps circling around perhaps, but either way her focus was no longer divided but simply on the Boss and the situation he forced upon her." Shut the fuck up!" She remained relatively in control of her bodily functions, however the boss had been wearing her tolerance down quite quickly, her gun hand shaking almost vigorously against his head and face, her trigger finger pulling away and gently squeezing. Press knew the point where the gun would discharge the shot and with each grip she inched a little closer, and for Press herself everything seemed to turn into a dark haze of fury. The next thing she knew she had copped a solid knee to the forehead, groaning with her facial expression turning into utter distraught. Within that brief flash of stinging pain, the blackness of closed eyes showered a short spray of what appeared to be stars. Her body weight shifted backwards with the strike and with her eyes opening to find an extremely blurred visual of The boss following up his counter-attack." Fuck..." She belched out before the boss cunningly pulled her back around against the counter top and mounted her, with muffled screams of angry protest the Boss seemed to be in control now. Flipping her again wrapping each of his legs around her head and arm into a flawlessly executed triangle choke. The Boss clamped down the hold, shoving her face into his crotch with one hand while the other still fought to keep her gun hand pointed away. With the counter pressed up against her sternum the rifle had been rendered useless with no room to grab hold of it or point it. His legs tightened, cutting off the blood circulation to her brain. Her rifle useless due to the closeness they had and her pistol of course restrained by the Boss, the arm flailing around in a desperate attempt to shoot him off of her. A few single fire shots exploded out of the fire arm, striking wall and table alike, Press gagging and choking for air. The rifle wasn't helping with the butt grinding roughly against her torso, her left hand remained free for the most part ion which wasn't helping in striking against in at such close range."... You...." Her hand dipped into one of the small satchels on her belt posterior side, taking out a small metal item. What it had been was a girly multi-tool for makeovers and what not with a certain tool that resembled a knife but was closer to being a nail file. Press fumbled with the item, extending the "blade" out and shoving it as deep a could in his right back-side thigh, making sure she twisted it to cause as much pain as possible into forcing him to let her go free. Hopefully it worked, as any moment longer she'd simply pass out and go limp from his perfectly executed strangle hold. “That’s right… let it go,“ The Boss said softly, trying to coax Press into becoming his next victim. The lock was cinched tight, leaving the policewoman no room to get free of the hold. The Boss’s legs tightened, threatening to dislocate her shoulder, which he could have if he wished to. She certainly struggled through, though that wasn’t much of a surprise. He was impressed by the fight she had in her lithe, sexy frame. But suddenly his face cringed in pain, and he held back a gasp of surprise.“Gas! You bitch!” The Boss groaned out as something dug into the back of his leg. It wasn’t a knife, it didn’t go deep enough to be a knife, but it hurt like a son of a bitch regardless. “Wong, get your fucking ass over here!” he yelled out again as Wong was still standing over the severely injured Rook laid out on the floor, mumbling and on the verge of pissing himself. Wong quickly moved over to the counter and got behind Press grabbing her free hand and pulling it away, pinning it behind her back. The crazy officer had finally been secured. Moments passed as she continued to writhe and struggle for naught as he held her in the hold long enough to make sure she had gone out. He couldn’t eve remember someone holding on to consciousness as long as she had like that. Eventually he finally let go of it as she slumped onto the counter, her face nestled in the crook of his pants. He reached behind his leg where the wound was and pressed his hand to it, grimacing as he did. When he pulled his hand back out blood was covering his palm and fingers.“You’re going to pay for that,” he said to her as a hand roughly grabbed her red hair and pulled her to the side, with her upper body still bent over the counter. The Boss got up and began to dust himself off, fixing his disheveled suit and turning towards Wong.“Get out, I’ve got some unfinished business.” He commanded Wong.“But backup is probably on the---,” Wong contested but saw the firm gaze in the Boss’s eyes and didn’t need to be told twice. Moments later Wong ran out the back of the building and into the street. That left the two policemen alone with the Boss in the room. He figured he had about twenty minutes or so before more pigs arrived so he had to make it fast.“Wake up bitch,” The Boss said again as he slapped the side of Press’s cheek to get her awake for the good times ahead. He had taken a few minutes to move her over on the counter slightly to get her in a better thrusting position. She was faced down on the counter, the weight of her upper body keeping her on it while her legs went down to the ground and her ass sticking out. Both of her hands and feet had been cuffed together to keep her docile, her hands locked behind her back. Her belt had been unlatched and tossed aside, with her pants unzipped and pulled down to her knees.“I got a surprise for you,” The Boss said as he spat into his own hand and brought it down, stroking the erect cock that stuck out of his unzipped formal pants and getting it wet. His hand came up and slapped her pussy lips roughly, pushing his fingers against it hard and then sliding his hand up to grope her pale white ass. With a resounding thud he slapped it with every bit of force he possessed, leaving an immediate red mark. He kept his other hand securely around the back of her neck to keep her face shoved down onto the countertop, and to keep her from trying anything. Once her counter-attack failed she would need to follow up with something more sustainable, but with the Boss' call for the Oriental Restaurant owner to aid him, grasping her one free hand and locking it, her fight was over. The make-shift knife in her hand was held tightly, but even so the lock placed upon her had rendered it completely useless now, with the pig-tailed police officer writhing in distress. Her body made small non-threatening movements to gain any sort of freedom, though it was obvious the Boss (with the added help of Wong) were too much of a match for her. Press gagged with a strong course sound in her throat at first, but as her bodily movements slowed, her harsh gagging voice dimmed into a light desperate moan, her face turning red as her parted eyes rolled back before her tense bod suddenly fell limp in their grasp. The Boss commenting, Wong most likely backing off now as the small weapon she had dropped to the floor and went unnoticed, especially now that the threat to them now laid over a counter unconscious." Wake up Bitch!" Her head was throbbing of course, her throat aching and her body numb. The voice she heard was obviously the Boss', though it didn't sound like it, to her the sound came from a man who was yelling underwater or behind a thick wall. The words came, but he couldn't understand what he was saying, not at first at least, but either way she'd awoken with his command it seemed. Press grunting with the sting of the slap aiding to rouse her from her forced slumber, her head jarring to the side in a quick snap as the sound echoed throughout the room. The Rookie remained pretty badly hurt, most likely bleeding to death now and could die at any moment, but of course the Rookie was the least of her problems. With her vision soon returning she noticed the Boss move around before he adjusted her position on the counter, her view now directed at the bar itself, the bottles skewing her view in the mirror. She couldn't really catch a good angle on herself, but she caught the Boss clearly enough as he stood behind her. She laid upon the counter, her weight shifted mainly over her stomach as her feet comfortably sat on the floor with no real weight on them." Don't you Dare.... I am a Police officer...!!" She protested his actions of course, but only words voice from her luscious painted lips would even have a chance at stopping him. Of course words have this way of falling upon deaf ears when your enemy lays bent over a counter and at your mercy. She yelled, cut off from further complaining (at least for the moment) as he tore down her pants to her knees." Ah! Stop this! You sick bastard!" Priss had of course been wearing her undergarments, a bra unseen for the moment but a pair of panties she'd of rather no one see. It was a pair of white cotton panties with red and pink love hearts covering them, though they hadn't stopped the Boss from slapping her pussy lips. A sting that forced the red head to grunt, at this point there had been no pleasure in touching her, only pain. And with the view in the mirror, she caught him moistening his hard member which left the thought "He's going to rape me and make sure it's pleasurable for him and painful for me..." His fingers pressed against her tight slit which had her facial expression in a deep painful cringe as more thoughts came to mind; 'Sick bastard, rape me and slit my throat I'll bet.... wouldn't be the first I've heard of it.... just rather not experience it...'" Hnnn!" A sound escaped her enclosed hips, a sound of pain and frustration, her hands and feet pulling against the cuffs in desperation, though could barely move, especially with his hand over the back of her neck holding her in place. The spanking slap soon followed, the first spank stinging like hell of course and would progressively get worse from there on out. Press barely made a squeaking sound though, the first of many to come that would eventually break her defenses. Cursing under her breath as his hand shoved her vision down, unable to look up, her cheek tightly pressed up against the counter top as her vision caught nothing but the wood below. As she was getting to know the counter, The boss was getting to know Press... intimately....

Latex Law (Ordanrav x Frozen Star)|rating:2.0

Under Sovereign's Sky - OOC

Under Sovereign's Sky - Houthis thread is for all chatter, plotting, etc., for players of Under Sovereign's Sky. Game Links Interest/Wanted Thread (IOC (Sheets (Character Thread (Reference This section should serve as an outline for the setting in more detail. Although it won't be comprehensive, I'm hoping to address major points, and if any questions arise, I can clarify this section, or add to it, as required. PreambleThe year is 440 A.P. The world is harsh and barren, most of it too extreme to support much recognizable life. Societies have formed from the small temperate zones, and then, civilizations. Over all of these, Sovereign reigns from above. Sovereign Report, year 440, 9th of End March, Corvus City Factory at Corvus City reports service offline. Source of interruption unknown. Drone workers compromised. Justice advised to dispatch human intervention. Sovereign uplink re-establishment first priority. Sovereign arbitration withheld, pending resolution of the situation. Outcome appears increasingly negative. The tenuous strand of life that remains in the cities of the desert is thanks to the factories, and their untiring robotic workforce, the drones. It is only when the best have already failed that a bounty is set, not for a person, but on a task. Save the city, save yourself. This isn't just what it seems, however. It is not merely a malfunction, but a design. This mystery, can change people, forge a team out of individuals. It might even lead to places nobody thought possible. Across the desert, out into the world, and to Sovereign, perhaps, but who knows? As a brief introduction, this is a campaign setting that I've created, and I'll be Going a story through, if there is enough interest. It does have sci-fi elements, though there is a lot of variety in this setting, ranging from fairly harsh, and almost post-apocalyptic settlements, to apparently idyllic cities. The story will depend greatly on the characters, and players involved. I'm quite happy to answer questions, so feel free to PM me, or post here with questions. I'll attempt to provide some background on the setting, and then a bit of information on the system I'll be using. SettingThe setting is an extremely large desert world, populated by a variety of cities. The planet does have water bodies, though its oceans, and small seas cover little of the surface, comparatively. The technological level of these cities is known to be extremely diverse. At some point in the past, at least 440 years prior to the current date, many nations had emerged and were challenging each other in increasingly dangerous wars. The population at this time is known to have been much greater than it is now. From this conflict, several superpowers emerged, all of which entered an arms race. In some way, these parties all set above them, figuratively, and literally, the orbiting Sovereign. Sovereign is a network of orbiting satellites. This automated network became the ultimate force. At the time, drone warfare was the standard, with warfare claiming fewer lives than ever, Sovereign essentially co-opted the entire system. Sovereign was capable of linking with, and controlling, any deployed drone, and deploying weapons and drones of its own. Between that time, and now, the world has changed greatly. Now, societies are organized using Sovereign as a tool. Cities are self-sufficient, usually isolated from the outside, so that most citizens never leave the place of their birth. Less advanced settlements eke out more meager existences. Inside cities, policing is done by a special class of citizen. All societies which make use of Sovereign, have Justices, which use a law system common among them. Sovereign provides the force for judgements made by Justices, and monitors these societies constantly. Settlements outside of Sovereign's operating zone, which do not use it, are organized in their own ways. These societies continue to exist because of their dislike of Sovereign, either because they dislike the concept, or the necessity of using its system of law. The third kind of settlement which exists is one that actively opposes Sovereign. Sovereign's original purpose is still in effect, as it effectively eliminates any drones, or autonomous robots that it does not control. With the relatively low population in any individual settlement, this rule, the only one enforced outside of Sovereign's cities, ensures that life is very difficult for those not inside those cities. Without drones, even agricultural, and industrial ones, which those cities have, thanks to Sovereign, resources are very limited. Some settlements make use of old technology to shield themselves from Sovereign. These settlements promise a moderately comfortable living, without Sovereign's law. These settlements exist because Sovereign's coverage of the planet is not complete. Furthermore, in zones which have effectively escaped Sovereign, war has emerged once more. Korvus City This is the opening city for the characters, and one under the control of Sovereign. The city makes extensive use of drones, though its overall level of technology is low for cities, it nonetheless maintains a high standard of living for its citizens. The city has approximated 300,000 people, all of whom live in its three massive towers. The city itself is fairly idyllic inside, being sealed off from the harsh desert outside, the interior is comfortable, clean, and orderly thanks to the city's twelve Justices, and the fairly small police force of about a 200. Most jobs are in the service industry, wealth is more or less evenly distributed. Art and music are common professions, while more labor intensive jobs maintaining the city's infrastructure, engineers, doctors, computer technicians, are among the most wealthy of its citizens. The majority of the population remains inside the city for their entire life, except for rare times during the year when an outdoor stroll might be reasonable. Corvus City is, however, quite some distance away from its main source of resources, the drone-run factory some ten miles from the city produces food, mines for ore, and produces textiles, all to be shipped back to the city. The most dangerous job in Corvus city is left up to Runners. Essentially soldiers, they escort engineers, or technicians, even sometimes mechanics, to and from the factory when a problem arises with the drones, or the machinery. Given the prevalence of desert creatures small and large, this job pays extremely well, but is rarely done for long by a consistent group. Although in some places the means for producing new tools and even drones exist, Corvus city is relegated to trading for replacements or reusing, and refurbishing old technology. Modifications to one's body are common, though more extreme replacements, like eyes, or limbs are very expensive. The records of the city only detail the surrounding terrain as far as a hundred miles in all directions. The nearest known settlement is a small camp on the edge of the nearest low mountain range to the north. The nearest city is supposedly somewhere beyond that, but travel is rare, and when traders do arrive, the cost for information is usually much higher than that of the goods. WorldWorldThe history of the world includes very little concentration on looking outward, though the pre-sovereign civilizations were clearly capable of putting satellites in orbit. The planet has no real name aside from "earth" or "the world." The main desert, located along a wide swath of the planet with the equator at its center. This desert is called Corps. The largest ocean body is the Long Sea. The Long Sea's widest point sits above the equator, making the easiest crossing in the south. The desert is punctuated by small rocky hills, as well as larger rocky mountain ranges. Most larger mountain ranges tend to be focuses to the north and south of the desert proper. Most of the temperate zones are located between the poles and the mountains. The poles are cold, though the lack of moisture makes snow a rarity, and these cold regions are essentially wastelands of ice and stone. Most of the large lakes and rivers are trapped in, and run inside the mountain ranges. The planet is extremely rich in metals but scarce of many other elements. The failure of the systems which kept cities and settlements safe from the desert in pre-sovereign times has left much of those cities to be reclaimed by the desert. In many places, cities have a buried older ground-level section surrounding them. Many power-generation stations also disappeared over time, as their collection arrays were covered by sand, and fell into disrepair. The extent to which the planet had be made habitable by pre-sovereign civilizations is unknown, but assumed to be much greater than now exists. A few remnants of pre-sovereign war still exist in the form of obvious landmarks. The two most obvious of these are the burnt plain, and the glass lake. The burnt plain is a swath of formerly temperate land which remains harsh an uninhabitable, more so even than the desert. Its land is hard stone, and punctuated by black stone spikes which all curve toward the mountains, and which all appear to be burnt, especially against the lighter stone of the mountains. The glass lake is massive crater in the desert, the inside of which is covered in a rough bowl of glass. Water tends to gather inside of it, and it is nearly full year round. Although created sometime before Sovereign, the lake remains uncovered, thanks to its relatively high elevation, though it now has a sandy lake-bed, the glass is still visible. General Information Reference General InformationEnergyEnergyClean energy technologies were the standard early on in the history of technological development. Although some fuels were used their variety and availability made their abandonment necessary and other forms of power generation arose. Fission reactors were the standard before more advanced means of collecting solar energy, and of more effective means of transmitting collected energy. In the current state, many settlements outside of Sovereign's control use fission reactors once more. Cities tend to rely on their original means of energy generation, though a few have augmented this since, depending on their ability to fabricate new collection panels for sunlight. The scarcity of material for fission reactors tends to promote some local combat among settlements using this method, and quite often, a loss of power means death, as power is the minimum requirement for running the systems used to grow hydroponic crops. CitiesCitiesCities are usually the most advanced remaining parts of pre-Sovereign world. Usually built upward, they can range from a few thousand to a few million inhabitants. Cites are usually run, and ordered by Justices. These are the eyes of the law, serving to provide evidence and judgements to Sovereign. Policing is done by Sovereign, despite the existence of a police force under the Justices, Sovereign serves both to punish criminals, and to protect the rights of civilians. On those instances when Justices have attempted to exert more authority over the population than allowed for, they are punished as swiftly, and usually more harshly, than common criminals. Justices communicate with Sovereign with a specialized form of terminal, which is implanted along their forearm. These terminals are limited in number, cities can become lawless, and have, due to a complete loss of working terminals. TransportationTransportationMost vehicles are ground-based, relying on wheeled or hovering movement to cross the sands, and other terrains. There are new vehicles, though most remain restored relics of pre-Sovereign years. Vehicles range from single-occupant cars, usually hovering, to mass-transport buses, and industrial vehicles. As hovering requires more power, these vehicles have fallen mostly out of use. Most vehicles are readopted for onboard power collection, to allow them to extend their normal range greatly, and with daylight rests, indefinitely. Lighter than air ships still exist, some of which are still in the sky, assumed to be kept on course automatically. No cities remain with an intact dock for one of these vessels. The most common use for hovering, are nomadic settlements. Looking something like moving islands, these settlements are seen very rarely, but tend to be considered as the highest achievement of technology among settlements, as these settlements generate their own power, and manage to sustain themselves without any of the infrastructure which remains for the cities. Clothing, Armor, and Protection Clothing, Armor, and Protection Clothing within cities is generally fashionable, and follows individual tastes. Made from natural textiles created in factories, this clothing is not useful for survival, but comes in almost any variety of color and texture. Armor can be physically hard, provide a more advanced more of energy field, or function to enhance individual abilities. Armor of the latter varieties is well-maintained though it becomes rarer as its complexity increases. Armor factories still exist in some places, which provide local cities with greatly enhanced protection. Furthermore, some types of armor are designed to greatly extend survival in extreme environments, and are invaluable to those travelling long distances. RuinsRuinsMost of the planet's cities are in ruins, and great deal of what was formerly part of current cities is lost to the desert. Avenging is profitable, though dangerous. Scavengers provide for a lot of the more advanced technology available, and are usually rich, if still living. Ruins are generally defined as being structures which are no longer operational, a distinct from cities, which, even abandoned, might remain functional. As such, most ruins are just structures, in some cases, inhabited ones. Broken Sword - One of the more famous ruins, and one of the very few inhabited. The remains of an extremely tall tower which was once the central structure of a city. The technology long since looted, or destroyed by exposure. The tower is broken, the top-most three-quarters lying flat against the ground. The break is diagonal, which allowed the tower to remain intact, for the most part, in two sections, the upright tower, and the rest of the structure which lies at its base, pointing outward. Although inhabited, it functions more as a trading post than a permanent settlement. The structure provides shelter from the desert, and the long section along the ground acts as a kind of bazaar, housing hundreds of trading stalls. Years of exposure to the elements in the compromised tower has left the technology built into it non-functional, and it has since been stripped for parts. Broken Sword still has part of a functional factory, which produces textiles only, and much of the structure is covered by tent-like shades, keeping out the sun, and wind. The post at Broken Sword is not well known, except to trading caravans who travel the desert widely, despite the fame of the ruin itself. The trading colony is relatively young, but attracts people nonetheless, as it has no particular policies against trading with marauders, or other criminals, and has gained a reputation among those who know of it, for a sort of ordered lawlessness. There aren't any laws or courts, but traders tend to keep their own protection, and serious fights generally end up clearing the way for more competition. The Guns - Definitely the most famous of all ruins, The Guns are inhabited by a relatively insular community. The Guns are a set of seven massive artillery pieces, set up inside a tent city. The base is cut into the top of a rock outcropping the desert, and is one of the few truly new pieces of architecture known of. Only one of the guns remains unfinished, with the other six forming a battery with an unknown theoretical range. The guns are new construction as well. Although both the camp, and the guns are new, the location is nonetheless a ruin, because it houses a dome, which once served as an observatory. A group called the Iron March, settled there, abandoning long years of semi-nomadic raiding. The reason for The Guns being set up, or why that particular spot was chosen is a mystery, but it has become the subject of increasing speculation as the final gun reaches completion. Commerce, Currency Commerce, Currency Commerce is conducted mostly through bartering. Within cities, offices exist to convert goods into city-currency. Currency is not useful outside the cities, and so, valuable stones are a common form of item to use outside a city. Stones are useful for many forms of technology though there is some risk that one's stones might not be as valuable in other places if one travels widely. In general stones are cut to "C" which is currency size, and one C is generally translated as 100 credits in cities which use that currency standard. C is a variable size for different gems, but all are cut to "C." Local Stellar Bodies Local Stellar Bodies The planet orbits a yellow dwarf star, and has two moons. These moons are Versa and Era. Versa is by far the largest in the sky, though they are relatively the same size, Versa is closer to the planet, while Era is further away. Versa has a relatively slow orbit, while Era is much quicker. Versa orbits the planet fully once every sixty days, while Era takes only ten. The closest visible planet is Near a planet which is visible for four days at a time, four times a year. Being in the same orbital path, Near appears almost the same size as Era in the sky when it is closest, but it is considerably further away. Near has a blue tint, unlike the moons which are white. ModificationsModificationsModifications to one's body are difficult to come by, but generally enhance personal abilities greatly. These modifications can be anywhere from minor, as an eye, or major, as a limb. Wrist terminals are considered modifications, but this one is common. Other modifications are less so, and tend to be frowned upon in city life. Modifications are of limited quantity and need to be re-used. Only a very few cities have new modifications, but even these are very rare, and produce new units slowly. Their cost is extreme, and happening across one can be a great find. Thanks to more extensive modifications, some modified persons receive extraordinary lifespan and resilience while their parts continue to operate. The active replacement of organs, and limbs has made the few wishing to attempt it social pariahs even in places where modifications are otherwise accepted. Neural Interface Modification Directly connecting the mind with computers, and other devices is an uncommon, but well understood process. These connections, attached to brain stem by surgery, can enable incredible feats of computational mastery, enhancing both the modified person, and their ability to interact with computers. However, this system requires an overload switch, to ensure that the human mind is not traumatized by connection. As an extension of Neural Interface Modification, a poorly-understood, and somewhat experimental pre-Sovereign technology has re-emerged in the form of complete Neural Adaptation. This is a form of Neural interface which radically alters the user. Requiring extensive modification and surgery to the brain, as well as the spinal cord, and arms, the NAS (Neural Adaptation System) allows the user to operate powerful magnetic field generators. These generators can act as a shield against attack, and is radically more efficient than any kind of armor in that field. Further, they can allow the user to move and manipulate metal, and function as a directed energy weapon. This modification is so dangerous, and expensive, that it is only known to have been attempted three times. In one case, it resulted in death. The second resulted in extreme madness, and the necessary destruction of the subject. The third was a success, but the subject's identity is unknown. Less radical forms of the medication do exist, requiring less complete modification, and providing a lesser degree of utility in the end result. It is known that at least two prominent warlords, and one marauder have undergone this less invasive procedure. Common Knowledge Common Knowledge Reference This section is to address some of the points of common knowledge that characters may, or may not be familiar with, depending on their areas of interest. All of these are well-known, some of them facts, some rumors, but in any case they do not require any particular specialization to be familiar with. PlacesPlacesAerlan City - Rumored to be the largest of the moving settlements. German City does not travel like the others. It is rumored to move quite widely, but never travels through the desert, instead relegating itself to the ocean. German City travels between bridge-like ports which allow it to remain away from the shore, and allow it to retreat to safety whenever it needs to. As such, it is one of the few settlements which is safe from raiders, while maintaining a large degree of internal freedom. It is unknown how German City maintains resources. Newman Republic - A large area created in a desert basin between an almost complete encircling ring of low rocky hills, the Newman Republic is the closest place to Corvus City that can't be monitored by Sovereign. The inhabitants of the Republic maintain a local democratic government, and maintain a standard of living through the use of repurposed, and rebuilt drones from elsewhere. Inside the Republic, however, infighting is common, and the freedom to use drones has left them a powerhouse in the region, defensively, as the drones cannot leave the protection of the basin (how this basin is protected is unknown) without being taken over once more by Sovereign, the Republic is safe from invasion, but projects very little force outside its borders. Vetten Carrier - A large mobile settlement, the Vetted Carrier operates in the desert. The closest thing to a battleship operating in the area around the Newman Republic and Corvus City. Its dealings are usually heavily one-sided, and it maintains both a vehicle and mounted-weapon armament which is uniquely powerful in the region. Active opponents of pirates and marauders, the officials of the Vetted Carrier are closer to a paramilitary organization, and although the Carrier has a civilian population, it is also an extremely well-armed civilian population. The Vetted Carrier is known to have a fleet of inactive combat drones at its disposal. Inactive, they are technically under Sovereign's control, however, the Carrier has been known to use them when inside the borders of a zone outside of Sovereign's control, to great effect. Market City - Not so much a city as a factory, Market City's above-ground city is mostly destroyed and overtaken by desert. The underground factory still remains, however. Market City was abandoned at some point, but a group of travelers took up residence during one of the planet's more fearsome storms. Finding the factory still intact, and the drones inactive, the travelers re-established the link with Sovereign, by appointing Justices, and started a more permanent settlement. Thanks to a variety of factors, Market City became the second most prominent example of repurposing factory technology, aside from the RIG corporation. By dividing up the factory in living, and working quarters, and limiting the drones in movement and material, they began to create a series of small shops, all based on their own production. Although the drones couldn't be reprogrammed to produce unique items, by controlling what drones had access to what materials, many store owners managed to produce goods which were of different function or design than the drones were intended to produce. Market City, has, therefore, become a hub for trade, and production. Wholly underground, only the lifts to and from the surface were maintained, and above-ground only a relatively small vehicle depot shows where Market city is. Many trade caravans leave from, and make stops at, Market City. PeoplePeopleDaniel Ryan - Industrialist and well-known arms merchant, Daniel Ryan is well-known for his absolute moralist attitude. One of the richest men in the world, Daniel Ryan's name is well known in almost all circles, and the "RIG" stamp on all the products of the Ryan Industrial Group are easy to find anywhere. Although his origins are unknown, what is known is that his wealth and success rely on his personal ownership of a drone-operated factory, and apparently, his control thereof. How Sovereign, which oversees all drone production in factories, factors into this is unknown, though his ability to modify designs speaks of a considerable wealth of technological information either of his own, or of his corporation. Jean Are - Well known pirate and marauder, Jean is a butcher and a widely-travelling criminal. Well known to attack even in cities and against enemies who can operate drones. Renowned for swiftness of attack, and retreat, never caught, and supposedly never wounded, Jean Are is someone to avoid. Several bounties are issued for her capture, in several cities, though given the difficulty of cashing in a bounty even if she were caught, she will likely die before she is put on trial. Jean flies a small high-speed hovering ship, the Nomad. The Nomad is supposedly outfitted with a pair of heavy cannons, and some manner of stealth system. Wells - A dangerous and enigmatic sniper, familiar name unknown. Wells is known as a contract-killer, and a deadly and efficient one at that. Known as a sniper thanks to his usual MO. He is known for walking great distances across the desert on foot, to avoid his transportation being seen, and firing at extreme range, with patience to match the precise nature of his shots. Considered to be within the law, or at least on the side of right, if only barely, in many places, his usual quarry are criminals, and bandits, though almost any time someone is killed at range, it is attributed to Wells, if the real killer can't be found. Wells appearance is unknown, he wears a heavy survival suit to survive alone in the desert, and never brings his transportation into cities. LawLawMany settlements follow varying and often simple legal systems. This section is meant to overview only the law of Sovereign. Sovereign's law is the only one which can be comprehensively studied since it never changes. Although many consider this to be a fault, in that the law is never modified to suit changing circumstances, it does afford an order and predictability to cities within which this code is used. Sovereign's legal code is predicated upon only criminal law. Civil matters like contracts, and legal complaints from citizen to citizen are handled criminally, such that only an official may charge a citizen. Only contracts made in presence of, and recorded by, a Justice are legally valid, breaking a contract that has been made this way is an offense. All others are considered void. However, in most instances, transactions proceed on trust, or with an immediate exchange of goods, and very little intervention is required. Public offers within cities, as those on bounty notices, are regularly recorded, and may be considered an open contract, binding only the offered if they fail to pay. Most crimes are covered, assault, murder, theft, kidnapping, destruction of property, fraud, etc. Under Sovereign's laws, the legal age of majority is 16, under this age, all citizens are considered to be under the care of their parents, who are held responsible for their actions, however, before this age, they cannot legally own property and do not have the freedom of movement, so their parents may commit what otherwise would be considered minor crimes, in their parenting. There are two sections to a criminal proceeding under Sovereign. First, a crime must have taken place. This requires that a reasonable burden of proof be met by the Justice asked to investigate. If the Justice cannot find proof to reasonably establish that a crime has taken place, the evaluation of guilt will not proceed. The second part, if a crime has taken place, is to establish guilt. Evidence is weighed, by Sovereign, against the possible suspects, and if the likelihood of guilt is over the threshold for doubt, then guilt is established. No judgements are made by a Justice in these matters, they are responsible only for gathering evidence, and taking statements. Punishments are of three kinds. First, are fines. These can be seizure of property or monetary. Fines may be waged against future earnings if they cannot be paid in full. Second, is exile. This punishment follows from a finding of guilt in the matter of a crime which renders the person effectively anti-social in Sovereign's judgement, crimes like rape, grievous assault, and severe destruction of property fall into this category. Exile removes the guilty party from all Sovereign controlled societies. The final punishment is death. This punishment follows from murder, and is carried out by Sovereign's drones. Certain crimes can be incented in progress by police, or defended against by the victim. These are, murder, rape, kidnapping, and grievous assault. However, using a weapon, unauthorized, within a city is a charge in itself, and can become a legal mess if reported. Surveillance within cities, for the benefit of Sovereign's ability to administer law and order usually has very broad coverage. Every doorway is monitored by cameras in both directions, and all public areas have full coverage. The role of Justices is still quite important. The only punishment for a crime above the level of minor assault, carried out by Justice, is death. However, Justices are therefore allowed far more leniency in their administration of the powers for which they cannot be punished. Corruption is common, however, since they can only, at best, take private property, even corrupt Justices are considered to be bearable. Justices serve the dual role of assisting in Sovereign's administration of justice, and maintaining local rules, usually, cities will have some specific local regulations, enforced by the power of the Justice for search and seizure. Police are granted the ability to carry out Justices' orders as long as they too, do not overstep the restrictions placed upon Justices. SovereignSovereignAlthough very little concrete information remains about what Sovereign actually is, it remains the object of much concern on the planet's surface. Thanks to its continued operation in administering law and order, as well as control of drone technology the world over, it is still known to be operational, though how its capabilities have decreased, if at all, since its commissioning, is unknown. Occassionally cults arise which worship Sovereign, though these are usually targeted by marauders, as they often accompany an unjustified faith in Sovereign to provide for their personal security. Sovereign's actions are rarely ever felt outside the cities which use its administration, however, it does, in fact, intervene under certain circumstance. What the threshold for intervention is, is unknown, however, in the few occasions where armies, even those without drones, have left the safety of protected zones, and moved to attack other settlements, the reprisal was severe. It is assumed that Sovereign still maintains a ban on warfare, though its failure to intervene in marauder and pirate attacks indicates that there is a definition by which it gauges warfare, as opposed to mere criminality. There is often an assumed connection between Sovereign and those pieces of pre-Sovereign technology which remain in operation. Airships usually fall under this category, as they occasionally change course without warning, and may suddenly take up a new flight-path which can remain unaltered for years. Claims that Sovereign might have developed consciousness as an emergent property of multiple networked AI cores is unsubstantiated, but a common theory among those who believe Sovereign to be an oppressor. LegendsThe Tannhäuser Gate legendary location, never referenced in any maps, but made popular by a variety of stories about people who have travelled there. In the legends it is described as being a kind of structure composed of a pair of massive towers, larger than any city. It is described as being in eternal darkness, with only stars visible, in a pitch-black sky. It is spoken of as being a place found only at night, and only unintentionally, as though one can only stumble upon it. Although a few explorers have gone looking for it intentionally, if any ever found it and returned, their stories have not been recorded. Environment and Animal Life Reference Environment and Animal Life Geography and Weather Geography and Weather Although most of the planet is a desert wasteland punctuated by rocky hills and some mountain ranges, there do exist some smaller temperate, and even forested zones. The desert is prone to long periods of very little activity, punctuated by powerful sandstorms. The storms come during the storm season, which usually lasts about half the year. During particularly powerful sandstorms, the danger of travelling is so extreme that even well-equipped travelers will avoid leaving the safety of a settlement, even with shelter, a vehicle at rest can be buried under sand and disappear quite easily. The oceans and seas, though relatively small compared with the landmass, are quite calm. Rivers and streams are usually subterranean, and feed from higher, cooler mountain ranges in temperate zones, to the low-elevation of the oceans and seas. The planet has a moderate level of volcanic activity, though most of the volcanic regions are uninhabited some temperate regions with standing cities have controlled their local volcanic activity with engineered run-off, and geothermal energy generation. Animal Life Animal Life Most large forms of life occupy the small temperate zones, and these zone function as ecosystems. Very few apex predators exist, however those which do are often still extremely dangerous. Most information on these species was lost, and what remains is mostly accumulated by experience, and common knowledge. The most dangerous creatures in the temperate zones are Allosaurs, and Felix. Allosaurs are dominant reptiles with massive crushing jaws, covered entirely in hard armor plates, they inhabit rivers and streams, and lakes, attacking anything which enters the water, although their legs can propel them quite a distance out of the water, their bulk makes pursuit inviable, and if they don't initially succeed in attack, they will usually relent. Felix are a flying, and running bird. Mostly keeping to gliding at low-altitude, the Felix are group-hunting predators with large hook-like claws which simultaneously cut and grab, allowing them to carry off, and kill, smaller prey simultaneously, while they generally attack vital spots on larger prey, such as the neck, or legs, searching for major arteries. They have adapted to avoid humans for the most part, but not all of them are accustomed to human presence, and so may remain dangerous. The desert regions are inhabited mostly by insects. Although not particularly dangerous to humans in general, they may be poisonous, or too numerous to deal with if directly disturbed. Further, their hives create certain problems for travel, as although their hives remain relatively immune from the desert, they collapse quite easily if overburdened from above, if not avoided, they can sink an entire vehicle. The dominant desert insect is the Landlords. These social insects account for most insect life. Being fiercely territorial, and extremely adept builders, their hives can rise above the sands to considerable height, and dig deep enough to access subterranean lakes and rivers. Their intelligence as a group is considerable, allowing them to mimic nearby structures, and even form three-dimensional maps, with which to direct commands to the swarm. Queens are numerous, and although there is always an Empress of a hive, these are replaceable by any one of the queens. The Landlord is seen as useful to travelers for two reasons. First, they have a propensity for finding buried ruins. Landlords have been known to build into ruins, filling the open halls with ramps, and buildings of their own, and making use of the stability inside to house their queens. Thankfully, most Landlords tend not to invade the ruins too deeply, preferring to build upward, instead of downward, as sandstorms sometimes leave hives with only the tips of their tallest spires as their new exits. The second benefit of Landlords are their water-seeking habits. Because their hives require a great deal of water, both for construction and breeding, the quickest way to know where to bore for water is by finding a Landlord hive. More than a few settlements were created this way, in unlikely locations, because they had previously undiscovered subterranean lakes, indicated by Landlord presence. Though only rarely encroaching on human activity, Landlords are dealt with as a pest when they do, the easiest way to deal with them is burial flooding. Unless a Landlord hive is situated over a ruin, sufficient water can flood its tunnels and destroy its foundations, destroying the hive from the bottom up, by sinking it into its subterranean water source. The largest creature on the planet, and the dominant sea creature are Barony. These massive creatures have multiple forms of defense, and massive jaws. Close in size to an airship, these creatures are built from the competitive environment of the ocean. Most animals in the ocean are hunters. Although ocean-floor plants do provide a great deal of nutrition, they are hunted, as remaining alive requires power or speed. Bottom feeding fish are quick, small, and tend to keep moving. The Barony passively ingest everything they come across by "breathing" ocean water, through wide-gapped jaws, and "exhaling" through a dense set of hard ribs, which trap anything large enough to provide the Barony food. Having a set of three pairs of side-fins, and a double dorsal fin, with a massive shark-like tail, the Barony is mostly a smooth blue colored fish. Though actually a fish, it does tend to swim close to the surface, as it allows marine birds to clean its back, and to expose, and therefore defeat, smaller (but still quite large) predatory fish which sometimes attack its dorsal fins. Barron are found in almost every large body of water on the planet, but can only migrate in rivers and lakes in their infancy, adults are far too large. Computers and Personal Technology Reference Computers and Personal TechnologyHolographics provide the standard displays for all computers. Emitters for these displays are extremely efficient, small, and are capable of acting in response to touch, even though they are insubstantial, their emitters are both projectors, and receivers. Personal versions of computers are usually implanted, in the wrist or forearm, and called 'terminals.' Computing is very powerful, for those with the knowledge to use it, however, most actual data from the pre-Sovereign era, and even early Sovereign years is gone. Cities are run by their own local super-computers, which are in turn governed by Sovereign. Artificial intelligence is uncommon, but not unknown. Although lacking personalities, and emotions, artificial intelligences are powerful tools for computers capable of running them. Usually, hardware is the limiting factor in artificial intelligence capability, but a small computer, the size of an apple, configured properly, could run an AI many times more powerful in function than a city super-computer. Malfunctions in AI systems are common, and require a great deal of programming and hardware expertise to maintain beyond their normal operational life. Computers are an ever-present reality. Within cities, they do the heavy-lifting of local organization, providing the network for commerce, and communication. Although the actual interface has changed very little in a very long time, even since pre-sovereign times, the underlying architecture was radically different from earlier computers by the year 0 A.P. Computers are built up from the nanometer scale, providing for extreme miniaturization of powerful computers. However, for the storage and computation necessary for larger tasks, like co-ordinating power systems in a city, larger machines usually no larger than a small room located somewhere near the center of a city. Storage hardware comes in the form of clear crystals. These crystals are grown, quite commonly inside of cities, as their creation is automated, and requires no drones. They serve as a form of holographic storage, where data is written in three dimensions inside the crystal. Crystals are extremely hard, and very resilient when it comes to disruptions of data, and their contents may be recovered even when broken. The difference between personal (wrist terminal, or portable terminal) and full size terminals tend to differ from so-called full-size terminals only in their ability to read crystals. Full-size terminals have the cradle which can read crystals. Although a wrist terminal’s projector/receiver can identify one layer of data on a crystal, a reader is required for its ability to read on all the levels required for the data storage, and also has the system required to write new data onto a crystal. Crystals cannot be erased, though if they have remaining storage they can continue to be written on. Computers are usually accessed on their own terminal displays, or if they have none, by connecting to it with a personal terminal. Computers do not require physical connection to communicate, though physical connections are often faster, and preferable when hacking or modifying programming, as a wireless connection can be terminated by either computer, and this is often the first automated defense against tampering.AI computers are intelligent to the extent that they can learn and adapt to new non-pre-programmed circumstances, without outside input. However, AIs are not sentient, not being able to feel, or even possess self-awareness. Given their rarity, the theory that sentience might develop as an emergent property of multiple AI’s working together, has not been tested. Medical Reference Medical Reference Drugs, Medication Drugs and Medication The practice of medical science varies widely among the different groups that inhabit the world. However, most advanced is the medicine of the cities. Inside a city, much of the infrastructure to maintain medical practice still exists, even if much of the knowledge surroundings its function has been lost. Since most of these machines rely on information that is no longer available, diagnostic and treatment technology is not found outside of cities, except when it has been stolen, or removed from one. Advanced synthesizers take basic chemical elements, and convert them into medications for use in medicine. These medications are very rarely associated with side effects or dependency, except in the cases of extremely severe afflictions which are not easily treated or even understood. The illicit drug trade persists almost everywhere, with less advanced versions of medical synthesizers used to create inelegant, but powerful, chemicals for recreational, or habitual, use. Within cities, operating a personal synthesizer, and trading in drugs is illegal. However, in general, these crimes go mostly unpunished. Trading Caravans will often supply drugs of more significant potency than can be produced in a personal synthesizer, and although sometimes charged, more often this trade is ignored, for the sake of avoiding the possible loss of business that can come from seeming overly strict toward traders. Disease, Treatment Disease and Treatment Most diseases are easily treated, and cured, inside a city. Most of the difficulty in medical terms comes from being unable to access a city's medical care, or from novel diseases. Some diseases have arisen since the pre-sovereign era, for which no treatments are known. Furthermore, the interdependency of medical treatment on the technology still existing from pre-sovereign years means that very little progress can be made with these systems in the treatment of new diseases. Most new forms of virus or bacteria are treated with powerful pre-sovereign medications and pose little problem in general for citizens of cities, while quarantines are usually used outside the cities to prevent epidemics if possible. The worst of the novel diseases are parasitic in nature. Although the likelihood of contracting this type of illness is low, no treatments exist inside the cities, and usually the only course of treatment must be remedies created by doctors in settlements outside the cities. Grey Plague Grey Plague great deal of fear and superstition remains about a particular illness called the gray plague. A novel disease, to which no reference remains from pre-sovereign times. The gray plague is so named because of the effect its contraction has on human pigment. Skin, eyes, and the roots of hair, turn gray over a period of no more than ten days. After this has happened, death follows in one or two days as a result of a sudden shut-down of the central nervous system. Aside from the discoloration of pigment, no other symptoms precede death, leading to its categorization as a kind of walking death. The first known case was inside a city, but the spread was extremely rapid, leading to complete depopulation in under two months. Orné City has since be repopulated. It was discovered that victims do not spread the disease when deceased, and the method of its transmission remains unknown. It is the only remaining disease for which the fatality rate is 100%. Two or three outbreaks have occurred since the Orné City Plague, but usually end in bloodshed, not an epidemic, with a quarantine and fairly rapid movement to eradicate the infected. The other outbreaks all occurred outside the cities. Lost Medicine Lost Medicine Although the treatment capabilities for most diseases remain intact in the cities, more or less depending on the city in question, much of the medical knowledge and more radical treatments have been lost. It is known that in pre-sovereign times it was possible to regrow lost limbs, clone and transplant replacement tissue, and blood, radically alter a person's appearance, and to manipulate humans and other animals at the genetic level. All of these capabilities remain lost to current medicine, and the facilities devoted to them inside of cities have been re-purposed, as they could no longer be used for their intended function. Unlike other forms of medicine, these did not seem to have the same level of automation, and therefore, the loss of knowledge in their use has resulted in a complete inability to make use of them in any form. Military Technology Military Technology Active Camouflage/Adaptive Camouflage Adaptive Camouflage form of camouflage designed in the pre-sovereign era, it uses 'tiles' of a square, or hexagonal pattern, to adapt a suit of camouflage to the wearer's surroundings. It takes about a second for the tiles to adjust, and although each tile can only maintain a fairly low-resolution copy of whatever the suit's sensors 'see' (using a camera network of only about six visual sensors) they do so physically, by reorienting the material of the tiles to match color and texture. This system requires an on-board power supply, but the usage is not significant. The tiles can act as photo-voltaic cells, so that the suit can be adapted to have no active power generation unit, but rely on stored energy instead (the only energy expenditure is to change the tiles from one pattern to another, they require no active power input to maintain their texture). Although quite rare in itself because of the difficulty of keeping them in working order, depending on how large the tiles are (maybe quite small for more complicated, and effective adaptation, or quite large for more general systems (pattern rarely changed, when changing environments), the systems are quite modular. This means that tiles of different sizes and shapes can be plugged into any standard system. Very few settlements manufacture tiles, or other parts of these systems with any regularity. Usually, an order is sent in custom a business that provides on-demand fabrication. Active Camouflage Active Camouflage was another pre-sovereign era camouflage development, but has survived the years with much less frequency. As a unified system, a suit of active camouflage armor requires an active power source, and is designed for maximum coverage and stealth. Having large, smooth surfaces, the armor using active camouflage has a few modular pieces, torso, arms, legs, and faceplate. The function of the armor is provided visually deceptive camouflage to even direct observation. A distributed sensor network, with each sensor being the size of the head of a pin, takes a constant full-coverage visual scan of the environment, and the armor recreates it in crystal clear resolution on the surfaces of the armor. The effect is to make the wearer functionally invisible to the naked eye. Active Camouflage has a variety of applications, but the bulk required inside the armor to maintain its systems is great enough that Active Camouflage cannot be worn in addition to heavy armor. Further, Active Camouflage armor is usually fitted, to minimize the surface area which is required to be camouflaged. Each suit is profoundly expensive as a result of its rarity, and the requirements to maintain them. Active Camouflage is normally used in either stealth warfare, or in infiltration. Some cities maintain secret police forces that use this armor, as flexible 'SWAT' and covert action teams. Being technologically complex, AC armor is vulnerable to disruption. An energy weapon hit will usually overload an entire system, while a physical hit, if it fails to damage the armor enough to cause failure, will usually cause a temporary pattern disruption. In direct sunlight, or in well-lit areas, the suit will often appear to bend the light that passes through it, resulting in odd shadows, and a visible distortion in the field. The most effective application is low-light conditions. Moving also causes a noticeable distortion effect, though not profound, it can betray the location of an operative that is using Active Camouflage. While remaining stationary, and avoiding direct, or high intensity light, the suit provides a near-flawless camouflage effect. Active Camouflage suits are often combined with Stealth Suit functions. Stealth Suit stealth suit is an armor package designed to be worn under another form of armor. It has the function of disguising the wearer in a variety of ways. Made from a synthetic fiber, the body-suit is woven with a variety of passive measures to avoid detection. This includes an extremely reduced heat signature, eliminating scent (to avoid animal tracking), dampening sounds made by heartbeat, and providing some insulation against cold or hot temperatures to avoid sweating, or shivering. Along with the body-suit is the mask. A stealth-mask is made of body-suit material, with an added face-mask, which eliminates a significant amount of breathing noise. A solid glass-like eye covering, provides for a full range of vision, but is not shiny or reflective on the outside. Battlefield Sensors and Optics Sensors and Optics come in a wide variety. Each one is used to its own effect. Sensors and Optics are fairly common, but as military-grade hardware, their quality is proportional to their price. Visual Sensor - (Similar to a camera, visual sensors detect light and translate these signals into images. At their worst, they provide human-level vision. At their best, visual sensors can be used to record images many thousands of times more detailed that the human eye can detect, providing for incredible zoom optics. Rifle scopes are usually a visual sensor network that works along a narrowband to provide a higher-than-normal zoom level. Expanded Spectrum Light Sensor - Any light sensor that detects more than what is in the human range of sight. Includes night-vision by light amplification, thermal vision, and UV vision, among others. Usually a sensor will specialize, but some optics systems do exist to maximize all types of vision, in a select-mode device usually worn as a set of darkened glasses with an attached processing hub wired into armor to accommodate the various modes. Sonic Sensor - Any sensor designed to record sound, or translate a sonic signal into a visual one. Sensors can be designed to isolate breathing sounds, heartbeat sounds, and a variety of animal calls. This is by far the most common sensor, since it is the one which enables verbal communication by wireless relays, as in the case of locally linked headsets. Weaponry ReferenceWeaponryPersonal WeaponsPersonal weapons are generally of two types. The first are rail guns, which fire solid iron projectiles. Given the miniaturization of the rail-gun systems in these weapons, most weapons are of this type. These weapons make very little noise in their action, but their supersonic projectiles still make these weapons quite loud when fired. These weapons come in many varieties, from pistols, to high-powered rifles, and even including shotguns. The second type is directed energy weapons, in both lethal and non-lethal varieties. Lethal weapons include laser rifles, and particle beam weapons. By far more destructive are particle beam weapons, but these consume far more power. Laser rifles tend to be less lethal than projectile weapons, as many types of armor and the short time of contact between beam and target mean that although they retain effectiveness across their range, their use is usually a trade-off of accuracy and efficiency over power. As rail-gun weapons produce little to no noise, aside from the small sonic boom of the projectile, subsonic weapons, effectively silent, do exist. These weapons are also generally smaller, and less effective against any kind of armored target, but are popular as personal defense weapons. Pistols tend to be quite heavy, and considerable when conventionally powered, however, as the reduction in size in subsonic pistols makes them preferable for personal non-military use, they also carry and fire less, and smaller, ammunition. Heavy WeaponsHeavy weapons come in many varieties. Generally, heavy weapons are launchers, as in grenade or missile launchers. These weapons are rare, and ammunition is even scarcer, but these are generally the most fearsome weapons, as both grenades and missiles are generally very powerful. Some larger rail-gun and energy weapons still exist, usually for vehicle mounts. These weapons have fallen out of common use. However, fast-tracking and fast-firing rail-gun cannons can be devastating when kept functional. Large energy weapons are mostly infeasible, as they require far more energy collection than can be provided in a reasonable length of time, they are considered one-shot weapons, usually used for effect. Drones are the war machines, and workers, of the pre-sovereign world. Armed with a variety of weaponry, Drones are extremely dangerous. Although heavily regulated by Sovereign, drones outside the coverage zone are still in operation. Drones operate as powerful single-units, or as packs of smaller more mobile units. Drones are semi-autonomous, although they take direction, they retain a great deal of on-board capability. Both ground, hovering, and flying drones exist, however the most common remain ground drones, used for work to maintain cities. Close Combat Weapons Close Combat Weapons Although Close Combat weapons tend to be underused in conventional combat, their effectiveness is actually considerable, in the right hands. Many marauders use melee weapons in an effort to bolster their ability to armor themselves against attack. Heavily armored marauders may be very difficult to take down at range with small arms fire, and at close range, may be quite capable of killing as surely and effectively with a blade as with a gun. Bladed weapons do come in two varieties. All blades, and most basic tools are made from advanced carbon fiber, which requires less factory space for drones to make, as opposed to large scale smelting. The result are low-weight, high-strength blades which almost never need sharpening. Basic bladed weapons may be a completely carbon-fiber, or have a heavier metallic core for additional weight, in either case these blades cut flesh as quickly and smoothly as scalpels. The second variety of blades are AF blades, or active-frequency blades. These blades require an integral power source, and may be attached to a power-pack on the user. Unpowered, these blades are conventionally useful. When powered, however, the AF system allows the blades to cut through almost anything. By adjusting a high-frequency pulse in the blade, automatically, the blade will essentially melt, at the atomic level, whatever it comes in contact with, creating clean, smooth, and highly precise cuts through solid stone, metal, or even heavy armor. However, the blades take a moment to adjust to the surface they are cutting, and so, are less useful in quick combat than as tools. I am hacking your IOC with my brain meats. Beware! Hi folks. Shall we plot some wickedness? Pew pew I save the day with my giant nearly phallic rifle! -swans in to IOC thread, pulling in the new IOC couch-I brought pressies! Ya, guys, see this futon here? Ya, this one? It's mine. You can sit on it though, because I'm such a nice guy like that.*lounges on futon* Pooh...yay...furniture? Alright then. -wanders in, adjusting the cushions on the IOC couch before lounging-Yep. Got a friend being approved at the moment who loves the RP, could he still join even if we've started a little, maybe be suddenly assigned, or found out of the city? *Decides to lounge on Broken Collar* no room on the couch, mind if I use you? Use me how you like ;)Are we just waiting on some more characters sheets now? Quote from: Broken Collar on 15-04-2012, 00:15:41Got a friend being approved at the moment who loves the RP, could he still join even if we've started a little, maybe be suddenly assigned, or found out of the city? Yeah, that isn't a problem. I can figure a way to work new characters in, once I've seen the sheet, or been given a concept. I'll still be accepting new characters even after we've started. Quote from: Broken Collar on 15-04-2012, 01:29:19Are we're just waiting on some more characters sheets now? Nope, I've got all the sheets I was expecting. We're not waiting on anything really. I'm planing to start the in-character in the next day or so. Could you explain how the threads will be split up etc.? I am still relatively new to group games, and in an opened ended and exploratory game like this I'm unsure how it would work. Woo in character soon *bounces lightly on her Broken Collar cushion* -grumbles playfully and shifts under you-Excited are we? I don't blame you... This should be epic...-spins pistol around my finger by the trigger guard-Quote from: Broken Collar on 15-04-2012, 01:39:33could you explain how the threads will be split up etc.? I am still relatively new to group games, and in an opened ended and exploratory game like this I'm unsure how it would work. Sure. The way I was thinking of doing it would be a single-IC thread. I'll be playing all the NPCs, and determining how the actions turn out. Everyone posts, on an informal rotation (basically keeping to the same people, in the same order, but taking into account when the group is split up, so you really only need to be in-order with the people in the same area). I'd probably aim to divide the game into chapters. Since the story will follow a single team, it doesn't really need multiple location threads, but chapters, will let the game be divided for ease of use, referencing past material, if you need to, for example. Now, I've put the game in NC: Human, so anything explicit has to fall under that category for inclusion in main thread. Anything beyond that, can be linked to, but done in a thread in the appropriate section. Should you feel the need? Anything that isn't Med by me, however, isn't canon with the game. So, if you want to do something in another thread that you also want to be canon, I'll be the one Going it. Though for one-on-one sexy runtimes, that'll just consist of me saying 'yeah, there aren't any world errors there, feel free to reference this in the game.' Also, If anybody would like to run a single-character, or a pair, through an independent adventure, for whatever reason, I'd be happy to do that as well, and make in canon. Besides, since any such single-character adventures, could be brought in to join the main story at some point. Hope that answers your question. Alright, so if there's only one thread do we add a descriptor at the top of post. Like... Da'Veto, walking up behind Mesa, looking out across the desert at edge of camp, out of earshot of the rest of the party... Then actual post. Sounds like a good idea. ’D Help, help he's planning on kidnapping me! Alright, so, as promised. One IC thread.IC Thread (So are we free to post? Yes, very much so. ’D Sweet ;Can I pressure the Justice is still waiting by the door, enough to include The'veto's reaction to him and something like 'This the right place?' Quote from: Broken Collar on 15-04-2012, 22:35:18Sweet ;Can I pressure the Justice is still waiting by the door, enough to include The'veto's reaction to him and something like 'This the right place?' It says in my post that he's waiting by the door they'll have to come through to enter the Desert-Gate area. So, yeah. Oh, I meant to mention. In case anyone was curious. 1 C is equivalent to about 100 dollars. Carrying physical currency, in form of gems cut to C, is carrying a lot of money. Inside a city, however, you pay by 'credit' which is not, as its name might suggest, borrowing money, but rather, just a way of referring to C in its electronic form, which can be broken down into fractions. So, for a meal for one person you might .1 C, to .2 C. Hey guys, My post is written, but I am waiting till all the characters have arrived as The'vet his watching them enter before making his move. Fits with his nature. Just keeping you in the loop. Hey guys, I know there's not much chat on here but meh.-lounges on IOC couch-Sorry for double post. *lounges on broken collar* all of my other games seem to have stopped... I'm the only one who posted in them since Sunday :(I'll give elf guy a little while longer to post before going on. I sent him a PM to make sure he knows about the IOC/IC etc. -pokes you in the sides-Hey... Am I a seat now?-grumbles playfully-I feel bad because my post rate has died as of late... Lost my writing mojo because I've been waiting weeks for a reply in one RP and that is holding up my thought process on the others. Grrrrr..... *hugs broken collar* I hope that isn't what happened here, one of the RP's was averaging 10 or so posts a day, then after my last post on Sunday... nothing. Will I have been waiting almost three weeks now for a reply.-cuddles After against my chest-Told you this couch was a good idea ;D :(*snuggles* have you tried sending them a message? Yeah, and they said it was writers blocks, that was two weeks ago.-snuggles closer, shifting to make us more comfortable-Coffee? Tea? Hot Chocolate? My friend is getting approved currently, he says he might apply for this RP if he's successful. Hot Chocolate! ^_^ I hope he gets a speedy approval *cuddles, and wiggles a little* Writing my post now... Won't really help you guys at all, since well, *insert evil antagonizing laughter here*But hey, something new to read, right? -slips into the IOC kitchen returning with a soothingly arm rich hot chocolate, topped with mini marshmallows, whipped cream and coco dust, offering it to you before sliding back behind you-Good enough? Technically The'Veto has been waiting outside the door this whole time. So I might put in the first part of my post, his reactions to the current characters and then enter when elf guy posts. Sure I wasn't gonna post again till every one is done and were moving on, *sips chocolate* MMM *snuggles* -smiles-Glad you like it. -takes some cream on my finger and wipes it on the end of your nose with a smile-Will do some work to it then post up if elf guy hasn't posted when I go to bed. So, uh, where'shot chocolate dude? Totally going to throw a spanner in your works, if you catch my drift. *tries to lick the cream off of her nose* eh... can't reach *chuckle* -smiles and leans in to kiss the cream off your nose with a small laugh-Better? *giggles* yup! -smiles and cuddles into you gently-If your lucky I'll take you back to mine... ;) Ash, I have to be lucky? -smiles and kisses your neck quickly before swooping you up into my arms-Nope... ;)-carries you off to PM- Guess this is mine now...*relocates to couch*Damn, this is a really comfy piece of furniture! Quote from: Broken Collar on 17-04-2012, 22:24:36Will do some work to it then post up if elf guy hasn't posted when I go to bed. Alright, well, I think its best if we just go ahead. So if you can post to move The'Veto inside with everyone else, I'll start moving us along. Sorry I was away for a few days and lost track of things. I can post later today. WB Elf Guy. And sorry about my posts, I'm used to Chat/I'm RP, not the Forum stuff, may take me a bit of time to adjust. So, we have a new player. Isambard will be playing a character who ended up trapped in the factory by the raiders. ’D Should be interesting... ;DOH, hey! A futon! *jumps on futon* Hey Sam, and welcome to the g-- HEY! GET OFF MY FUTON!! Nah, just kidding. It's all yours. Nice post, by the way. I'm pretty excited that there's someone else in the factory; this may make for an interesting situation! Welcome! Glad to have you aboard! Hey everyone. I'm out of town this week, but I'll still be attempting to post whenever possible. I just thought I should let you know that if I'm missing for a few days, or even the rest of the week, its just bad travel-internet access bad luck. Furthermore, I will be back to normal in a week, though. ’D Conversation seems to have died...-lounges on IOC couch-Since Ppb won't be on for a bit, how about we discuss the RP so far? How does everyone feel it's going?' Well, I'm enjoying it! But I do have one of the more active parts to play at the moment. That said, I'm pretty sure my relief and/or gratitude will be positively boundless once everyone else arrives and saves my sorry ass. ’D I feel quite to the contrary Sam. I have a feeling they're going to kickmysorry ass. -twirls pistol round finger and checks clip with a smirk-Yep... That's pretty much how it's going down... We still outnumber 2-1, and Korean's no pushover. I won't be going down without a fight. And maybe the rest of the factory as well. >:) Well... Its 2:1 if you consider the techs as part of our numbers... Take them out of the combat equation and it's more like 4:1.... Account for the hold-ups and tactical blunders that often accompany scientists, and soon it is easily 10: 1 odds.... I'd still put my money on The'Veto though... I wouldn't. ’D Just a quick curiosity... Is there any point in my asking what it is that's hiding down in the basement, before Cad stumbles across it? If he stumbles across it, anyway. The way I'm imagining the basement level (like the flat pack part of Ikea, only bigger) would make it pretty easy for him to walk right by it and not realize. I'd be happy to tell you, but I think it'd be better if we let Peace decide who needs to know. Educated guesses are always welcome though. Yeah, that's fair enough. Figured I'd ask! :P Anyone else bored....-throws ball into paper basket while lounging on IOC couch-Come on Ppb.... The'Veto needs to shoot things... Like bandit scum ;D So I'm back. ’D Awesome!-pushes up a chair behind Ppb-Can't wait! ’D So, I've got a one-on-one request for solo stories in this universe up if anyone is interested. The Request (from: Broken Collar on 03-05-2012, 17:09:10Awesome!-pushes up a chair behind Ppb-Can't wait! ’D Waiting should no longer be required, so no worries.’D Hmm... I was waiting for people TP post before I relied on but no one seems to be doing that... Same here. haha, Same here... And then I said fuck it and posted ;D Yeah that's difficult when I tried to start a conversation with Mesa... :/ Mew? Has there been much interest in the solo-Sovereign? I was thinking of maybe starting a character there. I'm seeing what my RP load is likely to be first, though... don't want to get too bogged down. There has been some, but I'm only running one at the moment, so feel free. So the posting seems to have stopped...if you're waiting on someone, I suggest not doing so. We'll all sink together if nobody moves. :P That is a fair point :P I'll get to work on Cad's next incremental adventure :) Now I'm just waiting on you, Peace. :p I'm moving this weekend, but I should have enough downtime to respond promptly. Yeah, I know, and I'll try not to wait much longer on that, but in trying to keep the timeline straight, I'm being a bit economical with GM posts. If we have lost anyone, which I may need to check on if there isn't any further movement, I'll just go back to recruiting while continuing on with whoever we've got, and kill off our missing characters in story. They'd make nice casualties when they run into the raiders, give my guys the illusion of hope and all that. Alright well, the next GM post will be coming very shortly. I'll send out a PM regarding the lack of posting to anyone who hasn't posted since my last GM post. I hope we haven't lost anyone, but I'd also like to get back on track with the story! :P Looks like we might, but I'm going to hold off on killing off any missing characters because some of the people who are missing haven't been online and posting elsewhere in the meantime, so it may just be terrible luck that our entire team is all experiencing RL issues at the moment. I'll re-open recruiting anyway, and try to get a second team on the way, in the meantime its just Cad and Rico. Cad might want to commune with his inner Rambo at some point. XD ... Oh, goddammit. haha, Can't post today, so I'll post tomorrow. FYI Do I spy new character sheets? :) Indeed. ’D We've got two new players, so the next GM post starting them off will be coming soon. Awesome! Cad was feeling lonely. By way of reminder. I've posted the start for both new characters. Writing a new post now :) I'm not one of the aforementioned two, but hello to number three? ;) Glad to be here and looking forward to some fun times! Poor Cad...that elevator didn't look fun. Something like the 13th Floor, only with guns. Also, welcome! ... hello? Gluten Tag It's gone all quiet on the IC-front :(The suspense is killing me! :P LOL, I know how you feel :) Hummmmmmmmmmmm................ I'll just meditate for now. Sorry about that, everyone, I'm just waiting on a correction, and then we'll go on. ’D it's all good *MWh* Quote from: Apple of Eris on 19-06-2012, 08:21:14it's all good *MWh*What she said! Except, uh... I'm not going to kiss you. Sorry.... I totally would! Glad to see people still alive! I was starting to wonder about why every game I join goes dead... Ah man, the suspense is killing me. Again! I didn't do it!

Under Sovereign's Sky - OOC|rating:3.0

A slave of my bully (frostsider and Infinity Forever)

Marcus smiled as he watched the young man who was the target of his bullying ever since the freshman joined his school. Marcus had been tormenting him for so long that it became a normal thing. So much so that no student even batted an eyelash their way. They did not report any of the abuse and none seemed to care. The young man in question was the smartest kid on campus. Sure he was the type to build things that no one else could. Being a prodigy made him an instant target of Marcus. The young man dwarfed his victim by quite a bit. Marcus stood at six two and was a wall of meat and muscle. He could easily out muscle his bullied victim and enjoyed it so. Today marked a special day. It was recently that Marcus learned what his target was working on. Nanite tech that would revolutionize this era. Marcus being the jealous type knew he had to do something about it. It was simple. There was an injector that looked like it had a gun with a needle as the barrel. Inside the tube was the silver liquid the Nanites were in. Marcus had found out that once injected he could use the PDA trigger that his target had made and could change the look, the needs, and even the gender of his target. He could almost make a new person. Sure the old person mind would still be intact but that person would be unable to resist the tech inside. Any command inputted had an effect on the subject. So Marcus decided to make his move. He drugged his targets drink and waited while the young man passed out. Then he injected him with a dose of the Nanites and stole the PDA that controlled them. Marcus left a note saying he had stolen the items and if his victim wanted them back he would need to sit next to Marcus and give him lunch for a week. In addition, Marcus knew it would rain tomorrow and that meant he would be wearing a sweater or coat. That meant everything would line up for him. Add that the rain would probably be loud and everyone would be sitting with their friends meant none would be in the back to see what he had planned. Marcus ran a hand through his blond hair as his blue eyes looked for his target to show up and do as instructed. Sitting in the back of the bus Marcus knew Carl would have no choice but to come to the back. Of course, he would force the young man to sit next to the window so he could shield his target from view of the others. Carl sighed softly at the note, realizing the mistake he made by not securing the tech and allowing someone like Marcus to even learn of it in the first place. He just hoped that Marcus had no clue how to work it or what it really was, and just that it was special to him. He slowly walked onto the bus as it hit his stop with the homemade lunch in hand, having just made twice as much because he wasn't about to starve himself in the process. Noticing where Marcus was sitting, adjusting his jacket slightly, he approached him, and squeezed into the seat against the window, handing Marcus the second lunch. "Okay, so hand it over..." Marcus smiled as Carl walked up with two lunch boxes, and he knew he had what he wanted but not entirely. He let Carl squeeze in before slowly sitting next to him and smiled as the rain began to pour drowning out sound as the bus began to move slowly. "Alright. But truth be told you already have it still." He said before reaching into his pocket and clicking the button and activating the Nanites. He had spread inputted in the necessary commands of what to change Carl into it, and he smiled knowing that Carl was about to be no more.(Carl looked over to Marcus confused, before feeling something very wrong with his body as the nanites worked to completely rewrite his body down to his DNA. "W-what do you mean I still have it? W-what did you do?" Marcus smiled. "Oh? Just injected you with your own creation. They are busy changing you. I've inputted a few commands that they will carry you. Your days of being the smartest are over." He said as he had indeed. He had not only inputted the things required to alter Carl into an Asian hottie but a few things to start changing his body in other ways. For one his memory of the Nanites would be erased as well as his creation of them and how they work. In addition, his nipples and ads would be sensitive. Add sensitive nipples and you had a firecracker. Last but not the least normal clothes would not feel right. Only more revealing clothes would. Carl gasped in realization before forgetting all about the nanites looking down at his changing body to see his jacket was now far too tight in the chest area at least. A hand darted between his legs only to confirm that he was now a, but wasn't aware that she was also Asian or anything else regarding her actual looks. "Y-you bastard....m-my cock....y-you made me a woman, w-why?" Marcus smiled as he knew that she was feeling her cock shrivel. Then two very loud sounds were heard as her once proud balls fell off and fell to the floor as her puss developed. "Its simple. You're going to serve me. You'll be my little wench and enjoy being bred by the superior man in your life. But what to call you." He said smirking. Her eyes widened as she heard him mention being bred and being a little wench. "Y-you can't be serious...you can't do this to me..." She wanted to cry but resisted doing so as she didn't want to call attention to them, looking down between her legs to the bus floor for where her balls went having felt and heard them fall to the floor. Marcus smiled. "I just did. What are you going to do about it?" He asked as he puffed up his muscles and slowly looked her over. He knew that right now Carl was in panic mode. "Maybe Cora. That would definitely look the part of the fact that you're an Asian." He said before looking her in the eye. "Or perhaps you want to touch yourself?" He asked. She quickly pulled her hands from her pants and nearly darted to the floor in a feeble attempt to search for the balls that fell, but they must have just melted away into nothing when they hit the floor, like water turning to vapor when it's hot. Letting out a whimper subconsciously she slowly slipped back into the seat but hunched over trying to hide in her jacket and holding her backpack tightly to cover any changes, not wanting to even look at Marcus, hoping ignoring him would cause him to go away and change her back. He smiled as the next wave of effects began to happen. It was time for her to begin feeling odd in her current clothes. Like it was just too much on her. In addition, the knowledge of blithe Nanites began to fade from her memory as if she just assumed Marcus had just done so on the changes. She gulped at least remembering that she didn't always look like this but wasn't sure how she changed as the whole idea of the nanites slipped from her memory. She shifted uncomfortably in the male clothes she sat in but had nothing to change into. Furthermore, she grunted slightly in annoyance as the male clothes just hung weird, not to mention the lack of a bra with her breasts was a little uncomfortable. "H-how much m-more are you going to c-change me... I... I don't know how you're doing this...b-but I know you're behind it..." Marcus smiled. "As much as I want to." Be said as he pulled the PDA as he looked to her. "You know you look uncomfortable in those clothes. I mean is it not because you hate the way they cover you?" He asked her knowing he was enjoying himself. He slowly upped the sneisktvity of her nipples twofold before looking at her as he put the PDA knowing she would not suspect it was the mechanism as her memory would prevent her from knowing. She glanced over at him, curious when he mentioned the hating of the way the clothes covered her, thinking on it for a moment before realizing he was right. She noticed that for some reason she wanted to wear more revealing, or sexy clothing, as some part of her mind definitely changed her preference in clothing. Furthermore, she then gasped feeling the sensitivity of her nipples as they brushed against her shirt. "W-what are you doing to m-me?" Marcus grinned. "Just opening your eyes to the new you." He said knowing he could easily change or modify anything of her body. Right now though he just wanted to see what she would do in her current state. "I mean you don't seem that mad about it. Still it doesn't feel good to wear a shirt under that hoodie. Why don't you take your shirt off and unzip the hoodie a little." He suggested. She blushed at his suggestion, as she would have to take off the jacket before she could take off anything under it, like her shirt. "B-but others will see...w-why can't you j-just change me back? W-what did I ever do to you?" Marcus shook his head. "You can lay down a little and do it. But if you're better than you should be able to take that shirt off without taking your jacket off. Otherwise you'll never get it off. Don't you want to?" He asked smirking before grinning. "You did nothing but exist. Now you'll serve me well." She looked at him confused, unsure how she was supposed to take her shirt off without taking the jacket off. She sighed as she pulled in her arms tugging them through both sleeves, unsure if this was even going to work. Furthermore, she then attempted to pull the shirt over her head through the head hole of the jacket, squirming in the seat as she tried. Furthermore, she gulped hearing the part about serving him, hoping it was a joke. Marcus could see her stomach getting more and more exposed as she struggled to work them shirt over her head. When her eyes were covered he pulled the PDA out and inserted another input. That she would love showing cleavage and maybe risk nipple slips as it would turn her on. He was making her go through some humiliation as he was going to mold her slowly. "Hamm you have a very hot body now Cora." He said using his name for her. She could feel the cool air hitting her exposed belly as the jacket rode up as she tried to take her shirt off, feeling the strange urge to show off cleavage despite not even wearing a bra to help keep her breasts up. She couldn't help but blush when he complimented her body, but wasn't sure if Cora was right, it sounded a little weird. "W-wait this isn't right, I s-shouldn't have a h-hot body..." Marcus laughed as at last he put his PDA away as she managed to get the shirt off. He slowly leaned back as he took the shirt and put it with her bag. "Does that help?" He asked wondering if she will unzip a little or if she would try to fight the urges of wanting to show more of her breasts off. She slowly pushed her arms back through the sleeves and slowly unzipped the front a little even though the bulk of the jacket was already too big for her having been a men's jacket so it didn't give the same effect as if she were wearing a tight hoodie or anything like that. She turned to him a little confused when he asked. "N-no it doesn't help, it would be better if you undid this..." Marcus smirked. "Oh please. I'll tell you what. If you want me to change you back than you'll have to do something for me. But than again maybe I don't want to change you back." He said as he smiled before slowly smiling. "It's going to be a long drive. Maybe you should take a nap or something." He said smirking. She tilted her head wondering why he said it would be a long drive, they were just on the bus, right? She then wondered what she'd have to do for him, sighing softly. "W-what would I have to do? Also, a nap seems...a little weird since we're on a bus..." Well it's an hour drive. But if you don't want to nap. Why not use those lips. If you give me a blowjob with those lips I made than I will change you back. But you must do a good job. If you need help than close your eyes ABD just image it's a nice lollipop." He said as he was bulging it. He knew it would give him the chance to end any shot she would want to change back. She shot Marcus a glare suggesting the blowjob for her to change back, sighing heavily as she glanced around, glad no one was looking back at them before slowly turning for a better angle and bending over. "Fine, but we don't talk about this..." She slowly reached the front of his pants, slowly freeing his cock from his pants and moved her mouth close, before slowly pulling it into her mouth. Marcus smirked as she gave him what he wanted. As soon as she was busy with his cock in her mouth he pulled the PDA out and slowly inputted another command. He knew to her, it would like he was trying to stay busy, so others wouldn't notice. But in reality he was molding her. The input was simple. That she would be unable to ask for him to change her back. And every time she thought about it, she would imagine him and his taste in her mouth. In addition, that she would get hooked to the taste of his cum so she would want it. He inputted this message sealing her fate so he could get a better handle on her. He moaned softly as he slowly reached around and felt her butt up. She wondered why she suddenly seemed to want to taste him more as she tried to think of the other thing, but instead just thought of his taste. She felt confused, unsure why her thought process changed like that. Furthermore, she slowly moved her mouth up and down, nearly gasping as she felt his hand on her butt all of a sudden. Oh, what fun. She was making him feel wonderful right now, but now he wanted to make her feel helpless. He put his finger to his PDA and adding that she liked gagging and being manhandled. That she would enjoy him being rough to her. He inputted this and smiled as he set his PDA down on his bag and gripped her hair as he forced her down to where her lips touched his ads and his cock pressing the back of her throat and even going down it a little. She gasped feeling him push her head all the way down on his cock trying not to gag on it, forcing herself to breathe through her nose so as not to completely suffocate. She glared back up at him briefly before feeling that she was strangely enjoying this, not really sure why but blushed slightly as she licked at his shaft. Marcus moaned before slowly gripping that hair. "You better do better than that or you won't be able to empty my balls in your stomach." He said smirking as he knows that if he does this there won't be any going back. "Or do you like the taste and feel of my cock in your mouth?" Marcus asked as he teases her a little before winking as he can feel her trying not to gag on his thick meat. She moaned slightly into his cock unsure why she was getting aroused at tasting his cock as she began to bob her head up and down along it, keeping her lips tightly around his shaft and licking at what was in her mouth. He moaned as she continued to bob up and down, and he slipped his hand into her pants from behind to feel her up and see if his power over her was making her soaked. She did not seem to hate his taste and he smirked. He wondered if he could shatter her resolve. "If you hate my taste tap my thigh. If you love my taste play with my balls." She moaned softly into his cock as she slowly moved her hand to cup his balls gently playing with them between her fingers, feeling pretty wet between her legs, unsure what that meant as she wasn't familiar with the female anatomy due to having been male previously. Marcus smiled as she cupped his balls and he found himself slowly playing with her pussy. "You know getting wet proves your enjoying this and getting turned on. I think your enjoying being female. But I wonder what you will say now that you have had a taste. After all if I change you back you will never have this cock in your mouth again. You won't enjoy my taste or have me fuck your mouth anymore." Marcus said as he slipped a finger into her newly developed pussy. She continued to suck on his cock as she bobbed her head up and down on him looking up as she pulled off just briefly. She tried to ask him how much more she'd have to do to change back but found she couldn't even bring herself to ask and instead just continued with licking at his cock before taking it back into her mouth. Furthermore, she was freaking out internally as she realized something was definitely wrong that she couldn't even ask him, what had he done to her, apart from apparently making it impossible for her to ask for that in particular. Marcus laughed as she looked like she wanted to ask him something which he knew what exactly that was. She wanted him to change her back but could not. "You look like you want to say something. What is it you want? Spit it out." He said knowing that she wanted to be changed back. "Or perhaps my cock has changed your mind? Perhaps you have fallen to the lust for it? You do seem very focused on it now." He said as he spanked her, but thankfully the rain made it, so others could not hear from the roar of the rain. She gasped and writhed, wondering if he was messing with her or not. She wondered if he knew she wanted to say something but whatever he did stop her from doing so, and instead just went back to pleasuring him, she wanted to resist but couldn't seem to. He smirked. "You're not helping your case. You're not denying that you love my cock little naughty Carl. I bet secretly you're enjoying that I am bigger than you ever were." He said grabbing her hair and forcing her down onto him again knowing she would get really turned on from gagging from him. "To prove it I'll give you a chance. If you want me to turn you back than ask right now. But if you want to remain a girl I want you to make yourself gag repeatedly on my cock and make me cum down your gullet." He said moaning. She immediately tried to pull back, but an invisible force seemed to hold her there, realizing he did something to make her enjoy this and thus make it impossible for her to actually get what she wanted. She looked up at him a couple of tears forming as she came to that realization, certain that he knew she wasn't going to be able to. He smiled. "Why the tears? You have the power. I have done nothing to you. This is all your free will." He said as he slowly reached down and began to undo her sweater a little more and then cupped her breast and enjoying the feel of it. "Go on and tell me you want to stop. That you don't love that cock. Or are you a little cock slut after all?" He asked as his cock was so big in her mouth. She slowly pulled up, since he hadn't programmed that into her at least, though obviously forgotten anything about the nanomachines and thus not actually sure how he was able to control her in some manner. "I.... I don't love cock... I w-wish I had mine back..." So she was getting clever it seems. "But you did not say you don't love sucking mine. So lets be real. You do love sucking my cock. Something about mine is more important than getting turned back." He said knowing he was trapping her in despair before slowly palming her breasts with his hands and teasing her while his thumbs teased her nipples. She slowly shook her head in response since that didn't involve her to actually say anything but let out a soft moan as she felt his hands teasing her nipples and breasts. "Mph s-stop...t-this isn't r-right..." Marcus smiled as she moaned and told him to stop before slowly leaning and taking one of her nipples into his mouth. "Hamm feels right. Tastes pretty good too." He said as he was still quite hard before slowly reaching down and pulling her pants down, so her pussy was in display. He had made her bare down there, so her pussy was truly a thing of beauty. "Hamm I have good tastes. Even you can admit that you right now are a type of girl you would dream about being with." He said laughing. She blushes seeing her bare crotch realizing what he was talking about. "Y-yes I would, which is w-why this f-feels so wrong." She moaned and gasped as he continued to gently play with her, wondering about his end-game. He smirked. "I think it is the best. Now than I am going to be honest. You could simply go back to sucking my cock for the rest of your life and enjoy my cum filling your stomach a lot, or you can bring that pussy over here and let me test it to see just how good it feels." He said knowing she would probably pick sucking his cock if she was not able to resist. After all the mere mention was probably enough to get her think about it. She whimpered softly as her head slowly lowered back to his cock taking it back into her mouth as she began to suck on it and lick at the many skin. She began to bob her head up and down again, gently moaning into his cock, cursing to herself in her head at what she was doing. He smirked as she got back to sucking his cock before bobbing up and down so that he was starting to get closer to cumming. He pulled his tablet out and then slowly inputted one more command. This was simple. That her pussy would begin to ache for his cock and that she would want to show her pussy off as if to tempt him to fuck her. She moaned softly unsure why she felt different, lifting a leg a little to try and show her pussy to him as she continued to suck on his cock, her head bobbing up and down even faster. She felt tempted just to pull off his cock and flash her pussy at him but couldn't figure out why, and instead of just being tempted she pulled her mouth off and did just that, sitting with her back to the window and spreading her legs while lifting her hips just slightly. He smiled. "You didn't let me finish. Are you ok?" He asked as he noticed she was flashing him, and he looked back at the driver before slowly reaching out and touching her. "Do you want me to use this?" He asked smirking as he knew he was going to enjoy forcing more changes upon him. She gently a bit down on her bottom lip, unsure what she was doing as she was very confused looking back at him unsure why she was flashing her crotch to him but couldn't seem to stop herself either. "I.... I don't know w-what I'm d-doing...." Marcus laughed as his hand began to tease her. His fingers working her clit as he looked into her eyes. "I don't think you understand. Your doing exactly what you want. You can play it off like you don't but in truth you're awakening to your inner slut. That you've always wanted to be a girl." He said laughing before nodding. "Why don't you face the window and stick your butt towards me. I'll get a good look that way." She blushes deeply as she quickly turned onto her knees in the seat facing the window with her butt facing him. "L-like this?" He smiled as he nodded. "Yes just like that. Your doing well." He said before pushing in and dragging his tongue up her slit while he pulled the PDA out again and inputted another stipulation. That being groped and having her tits or ass played with feels better than when she jerked off as a boy. He inputted this and then put the PDA back in his pocket while his hands grabbed her cheeks to spread them so he could get in deeper. She gasped arching her back, nearly screaming out as she felt him grab her ass, realizing it felt better than anything she had previously experienced which nearly made her heard by the entire bus. She wiggled her hips and began to moan quite loudly, unintentionally so but unable to resist herself as if this continued she'd definitely be getting louder and someone would definitely hear her. He grinned as Marcus slowly nodded as he grabbed her shirt that she had worn and offered it to her. "If you want me to play with your butt more than I suggest you try your best to silence yourself." He said smirking as he knew he was teasing her. She had reacted well enough, and now he was going to enjoy using her for his pleasure. She looked at the shirt, assuming he meant for her to basically shove it in her mouth to muffle herself, which she proceeded to do, shoving as much of the cloth as she could into her mouth which made her much quieter. Marcus smiled as she did so. She was so easy to manipulate as he grabbed her butt again and proceeded to go in and slowly look at her pussy. "Hmm mm you have such a nice body. Don't you agree?" He said as he moved one hand back to his PDA and began typing in that she gets turned on from the idea of being thought of as an Asian stripper. The more in depth she gets into character the more turned on she gets. He than submitted it and put it into his pocket. "Hamm so what name should we give you? Your days as that geeky kid are over." She moaned and mumbled into the cloth, blushing as she gently nodded, unsure why this turned her on so much as she could feel her own juices on her thighs. She glanced back at him for a moment before looking back out the window, unsure what he had planned for her, realizing something felt different but couldn't figure out what that was. Marcus smiled as she nodded, and he spanked her before slowly moving one of his fingers to her slit and pushing into her. "Hamm perhaps candy. Or maybe Jade. Or destiny even. All of those sound like stripper names. Can you imagine the faces of others when I tell them you're my stripper girlfriend who's older than I?" He asked laughing. She arched her back writhing heavily, as he pushed his finger into her, realizing how sensitive she had become moaning into the cloth unable to really answer him. Marcus laughed as she moaned into the cloth as the bus hit a bump, and he had to hold her so she did not run out the window. "That would have been bad. Of course, I wonder what it would feel like if you were to sit on my cock and bounce from the. I bet you would love it." He said as he grinned. "It would be like my hips slapping your butt each time as you twerk on that dick." She blushed, and gulped realizing that he could easily, but mysteriously to her, make her do just that, and was a little surprised to find she wasn't immediately doing what he said like just about everything before. She wondered if what he was saying was some sort of magic words or something, but this seemed to prove otherwise. He smiled. "What is wrong? Have you not figured it out yet? You're awaking to your true self. Sure I may have changed you, but it is you has been wanting this. You who likes the idea of being a stripper and is getting all wet and bothered from the thought." He said spanking her and slowly pulling her back onto his lap so that she was now sitting on him while his tablet was moved to his backpack with his free hand. She blushed deeply looking back at him a little nervous and apprehensive. She wondered what he was going to end up doing to her, doubting he had any long-term plans and would probably toss her aside as she was. Furthermore, she gasped heavily into the cloth from the spanking having slight difficulty keeping herself on her knees on the seat since it was starting to get a little slippery. He cupped her breast before he smiled knowing that she could feel his bulge through his pants against her bare bottom. He kept her in place before whispering into her ear. "You know you could give me a lap dance. I know that will turn you on right?" He asked teasing her as he kneads her breasts through her top. She blushed deeply as she slowly ground her hips into his lap as she just began to gyrate atop him, doing her best to give him a lap dance he would enjoy. Marcus reached around and cupped one of her breasts as she curated her hips and she could feel him growing in his pants. That bulge pressing against her pussy. "Hamm your perfect at this. Seems as though your body is much more honest. I think all along you wanted to be my stripper over being turned back." She continued her lap dance but clearly didn't have any experience so it could easily be a little painful for him if she pressed down in the wrong spot at all, or not very arousing due to having no experience. He smiled as she was proving to have no experience. "You're going to have to learn how to give lap dances properly if you're going to be a very good stripper." He said as he slowly placed his hand on her ass cheek knowing it would feel perfect. She gasped softly unsure how she was expected to learn unless he sent her to classes and paid for them or something like that. He spanked her. "Your curious on how to learn how to strip and give lap dances. There are videos online that you could watch. Or you can go take classes from actual strippers. Excite you?" He asked. She wondered how he seemed to read her mind, thinking he wasn't the least bit human since she hadn't said anything in regard to learning, and thus he clearly read her mind which wasn't something any ordinary person could do. "Oh god...w-what are you? You can read my mind?" He smirked. "I'm not a mind reader. I just could tell with how eager you're trying to give me one. You have potential but you need to learn." He said as he slowly undid his pants and his cock sprung out and spanked her ass before he looked to see how she would react to feeling him against her. She gasped loudly feeling something slap against her ass, before realizing it was his cock, causing her to blush deeply as she realized how far they were going. She wanted to scream and whimper as a very small part of her knew this was wrong, but a growing part of her wanted him, to please him, and serve him. Marcus smirked. "I think your beginning to enjoy being played with like this. Don't you?" He asked as slowly he began to rub his cock against her ass and teasing her. "W hats a good stripper name?" He asked her teasing her with going full stripper slut for him. She blushed deeply trying to futilely ignore what he was saying as he began to rub his cock against her. She arched her back moaning deeply as she felt his cock, her mind feeling kind of blank as she couldn't think of any name especially since she didn't know of any stripper names having never actually been to a strip club or anything. He smirked as she did not answer and yet her moan told him everything. She was actually enjoying things as they were. He spanked her again. "You're not answering me. Bad girls get punished. You're not enjoying being my personal stripper?" Marcus asked pushing the envelope a little and making her think hard on how to respond. Not answering was not good enough and that was all there was to it. She gasped feeling him spank her as he did, looking back at him, trying to stay quiet. "I... I don't enjoy it...t-this is all s-so wrong..." She was trying to fight it all, knowing something was wrong with the whole situation but having had the reason wiped from her mind. Marcus nearly laughed when she said that this wrong. "Yet I bet your ever so wet right now. Want to make a bet? If your not wet right now than I'll turn you back but if you are wet than that means you're a liar and you're not getting changed back. Deal?" He asked as his hands gripped her ass knowing her body was turned on and then each touch of her butt would only make her more wet. She gasped and let out a slight moan, already being quite wet from his touch and teasing earlier that there was no way she could win this. "T-that's no f-fair..." Marcus smiled. "Not fair? Are you saying your wet before I even begin your test? I thought you weren't enjoying yourself. Seems as though you're a bigger slut than you thought." He said as he gripped her fleshy bottom. He had good taste since giving her an apple bottom Asian booty. She blushed deeply sure that he already knew the answer to that realizing he was teasing her. She gasped a little feeling his grip on her bottom causing her to arch her back just slightly. "F-fine you win...okay... I... I'm dripping wet because your t-touch feels amazing my body is aching for you..." Marcus smirked. "I see. Your body is aching for me. I guess your finally being honest." He said as he lined up his cock with her pussy entrance and looked to her. "Well if it truly aches for me why don't you show me what you want to do. I know you can feel it at your entrance. Do you want to throw away your former self for a taste?" He asked. She looked to him a little confused, before assuming what he meant with taste was to have it in her mouth as she slowly turned to do just that as her body was seemingly taking over anyway, wanting his cock so badly now. She began to lick at his cock, licking up and down the length of his member. Marcus moaned as she moved and took him into her mouth. She was really turning into a naughty little slut. He slowly pulled out his PDA and began adding another two things. Making her enjoy having her hair pulled while sex and her really like talking dirty like a stripper trying to make a little extra. Gets extra off because its Marcus she talks to. These two things he knew would further mold her. "I believe I meant popping your cherry, but you seem to really like sucking cock." She moaned as she slowly began to bob her head up and down upon his cock, unsure why she was enjoying this so much, getting even more turned on by the fact that at any moment someone could see what she was doing. She slowly pulled off his cock and licked along his chin before whispering into his ear. "You want my dirty pussy, don't you? You want to thrust your big hard cock deep into me, shoot your load inside me, and make me all yours, don't you?" He smiled. "How did you know?" He asked as he pulled HDR to straddle him as he was face to face with her. His hands gripped her bare ass and than he kissed her before lining up his cock. "Why don't you twerk on that. Go ahead ABD sit on it and let me feel your insides." He said softly into her ear in turn. She moaned softly leaning into him as she slowly twerked on his command against his cock, as she slowly proceeded to sit on his cock. "MMM like this baby?" Marcus moaned as he gripped and played with her bottom once more as he began to bounce her a little. "Yes. I think Jade is a good stripper name for you." He said moaning as he felt her tightness squeezing him. She continued to moan as he gripped her ass, feeling him slowly bounce her up and down, gently clenching around him as she did, pressing her chest forward towards his face. "MMM, yes baby." Marcus smirked before gripping her ass while he bounced her, and he took her nipple into his mouth knowing she was falling to his power. "My pet will wear what I ask and do as I ask. I know you like dressing all sexy for me." She moaned heavily as she continued to bounce upon his lap her eyes closing slightly as she arched her back throwing her head back slightly and thrusting her chest against his mouth. "Mammoth y-yes b-baby...oh g-god...." His fingers sunk into her ass, and he could feel his cock slam into her insides. "Good to hear." He said before glancing up towards the front of the bus. "I'll show you off to the rest of the school as my mature girlfriend. You'll do all sorts of tricks for me." He said as he was slamming into her womb. "Now jade why don't you tell me what turns you on." She moaned softly as he continued to slam into her, arching her back slightly. "Mummy y-your c-cock for one, in my dirty little pussy, you're pulling my hair when we have sex, and talking dirty, especially to you my stud, as just seeing you so hard just makes me soaking wet." Marcus watched with satisfaction as she began to list the things off to him. His hand moved to grip her hair as he bounced her on his cock. "Good girl jade. Hamm such a nasty girl you are. Nothing like your old self. It seems you have discovered who you truly are. Wouldn't you agree?" She continued to moan and bounce atop his lap, gently clenching her muscles around his member. "Mammoth y-yes m-master," despite the fact that she didn't really recall who she was before due to the programming that he had done. He gripped her ass tighter before he felt his balls tighten. "Hamm baby I'm cumming inside of you." He said as his cock exploded into her filling her with his seed. He knew that cream pies would etch into her. Once he was done he gasped and looked into her eyes. "Hamm I love this about you jade. No longer the nerd who mams things but a naughty Asian stripper who cares more about my cock than her own mind." She looked back at him, moaning from his cum inside her, with a look of confusion when he mentioned a nerd before unsure what he was talking about. "Nerd? When was I that?" Marcus smiled as he spanked her. "Your right jade. You were never a nerd...well You are because you like to cosplay nerdy things with a sexy take on it. It adds spice to the bedroom. Something you enjoy a lot. Don't you remember?" He asked. She slowly nodded, letting out a soft moan as he spanked her. "Oh yes, like cosplaying some sexy video game character, or comic book character. Like that one time, I dressed up as Switchblade, which left very little to the imagination as her suit does." Marcus smiled and nodded. "See You were a need but only as a sexy cosplayer." He said as he spanked her ass. "It's your biggest hobby these days." She gently gasped in shock but also slight arousal as he spanked her ass. "Y-yes, and you've been so contribute to my hobby as well, helping buy materials to make the outfits, or even simple things like bandages when I accidentally prick my fingers when sewing the costumes." He nodded. "Yes that's true. Maybe that's why you make them sexier. For.my pleasure." He said as he slowly sighs in relief. "Speaking of which you promised a new outfit. You said you would not stop till I was throbbing for your pussy when you showed me. When will you be done with that one?" He asked.

A slave of my bully (frostsider and Infinity Forever)|rating:1.0

Succubus (For Fiendish_Babe & The Gladiator)

(OCC: This is my first ever post here, I hope I'm doing it right. LOL)Severe’s icy blue eyes shifted uneasily from the floor to the cold, discerning eyes of her Master. She could feel his eyes on her olive skin, feel them devour her flesh. She hugged her own lean, muscular arms around her slender frame. The wispy sheer fabric of the gown she wore did little to hide her endowments. It was these that his menacing, cold eyes feasted on as he gazed down at her.“You have failed, yet again, Severe.” he said coolly as his hand rose, lifting the curls of her mahogany hair from her slightly hunched shoulders. His fingers laced through her hair, suddenly tightening, yanking her head back. She stared up into his face, her breath coming n ragged gasps that spilled from her in a whimper. “You disappoint me, Child!” His other hand came to her throat, searing against her delicate skin. She cried out, the sound quickly cut off my his grip. “Please, Master.” she croaked, as tears spilled down her cheeks. “One last chance…please.” She trembled as he held her in place, his hand cupping the back of her skull. He looked down at her, his eyes narrowed, thoughtful. “I could end your miserable existence, take you now and display to you what true torment is.” He fed off the fear in her icy eyes. “But, perhaps you can still be of use to me.” He released her, the hand in her hair relaxing, as well as the one at her throat. She pulled in a long deep breath, falling to her knees. She pressed her face to the cold stone, her curls bouncing as she knelt, sobbing softly. “Thank you.” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Thank you.” After a long moment, still kneeling, she asked “What is your command?” The visions that came into her mind were of a handsome young man. She watched him, sitting in a coffee shop, mug in hand. Her heart thumped painfully in her chest as she spied him. “This one?” she asked softly, meeting her Master’s eyes.”Yes.” he stated. “You are to seduce him, he has certain attributes that I find very appealing.” A cool, toothy grin appeared on his face. Each tooth was filed into sharp points. “His life force, his energy…you are to obtain these things for me.” His grin widened further. “Do not disappoint me again, Severe’s. There are no more chances for you.” Kyle Benson was unique among his family. They were all a family of psychics, all with varying talents. But Kyle was the only one in his family to not have the gift as it were. He was also the youngest. As the youngest of 8, he was the baby, and treated as such, so with 5 mothers instead of 1 and 4 fathers, he lived a rather protected life. Not only did they protect him from the magic he had no talent for and therefore needed to be protected from, but moreover they protected him from...well, everything. Kyle sighed as he stared at the screen of his laptop as he sipped his iced chai tea. He might have had blood of ancient kings running in his views if his grandmother was to be believed. But he still had to do coursework, and he wasn't enjoying the shift from goofing off in high school to coursework at a college. Not like his coursework at his private high school had been easy by any means, but there he had people breathing down his neck to do his work. He still had his siblings and parents to push him, but now he had a lot more responsibility, and in some ways it sucked. He blew out a long sigh lifting a hand to scratch at his slightly patchy beard that was growing in, and he absently made a mental note to shave later, it had been a couple of days, and stubble met his fingers as he scratched his jaw, his hazel eyes skimming over the screen rereading his paper. Furthermore, he was a lean young man, with the body of a runner, which he was. Furthermore, he could never lift weights like his older brothers, but had run cross country and track during high school. It was either that or his health not father would make him go to the gym constantly, and he preferred the challenge of the cross-country team, to running at the gym. He sighed again and wished that something more interesting would happen. Severe materialized in the back alley, behind the coffee shop. Her thick mahogany hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, the ends curling up. She wore the barista’s uniform, black form fitting slacks and a white polo tee shirt with the words Sip And Dip embroidered above her left breast. The same logo was sported on the pocket of the surrounding apron thin waist. Quietly, she opened the small door that was the back entrance to the shop. She was very nervous, although she didn’t show it. This was her last chance to prove herself to her Master. If she could not, if she failed him, she would pay with her very existence. She had failed him with the young man before this one. She had, unfortunately, killed him. It was something that did happen, she was, after all succubus. Mating with her prey could not only harm them, but kill them. She knew what he was drinking, even without seeing it. She was already inside his head. Furthermore, she knew everything there was to know about him. This was the fun part, the hunt, the preparation for the time when she could feed from his life force. She only hoped she would not go to far with this young man, at least not before her Master had his chance to take what he wanted from him. She made him another iced chai tea. Then, slowly she made her way to his table. “Studying hard?” she asked him, her voice a myriad of accents, no one hinting on her true origin. He was even more handsome in person, long lean muscle, the body of a runner. She placed the tea on the table, taking the empty glass from the table. He had finished off the last drink. Kyle looked up, after flipping his screen down, so she couldn't see his work. He should know better than to be trying to hack his older brother's email in public, he had a sort of guilty expression, "Yeah, its hard work." he stammered out his hazel eyes coming up to meet hers, surprised at her beauty. He didn't recognize her, which surprised him, he came here often. "Hey, are you new?" he asked taking the tea she'd offered and taking a long drink. His mind already multitasking. HI's family was divided into psychics in magic users. This brother he was trying to hack, he suspected of practicing some form of black magic. He didn't really know about magic, but his older sister had asked him to do it. They didn't think their brother was really evil, just that he might have fallen in with the wrong group. He thought all this never even realizing the seemingly young woman in front of him was privy to all the thoughts running through his head. She could read his irritation with being dragged into this matter of magic, when he obviously had no talent for that, or for the psychic gifts of the other half of his family. Although he did have stronger than normal natural barriers to certain parts of his mind, like a psychic would, he seemed to have no obvious control over them, or so it would seem to a scan. He tried to be psychic, thought hard about it until he gave himself a headache, yet... it never seemed to do any good. He was still, unrelentingly normal. Yes, he was an enchanting young man and why not? Hazel eyes, studying and intent on her face. Handsome rugged features, with a wisp of innocence. He was very desirable, not a bulked up jock that could crush a walnut in his fist; but long, lean muscle. Severe felt the pull of her own attraction to him, not something that was very common for one such as she. She should not develop an emotional attachment and usually wouldn't. But she could feel desire for this boy, a draw to him." New?" she looked up at the sign, as though she didn't quite comprehend exactly what he was asking her. New? No...she was not new, she appeared only 25 or 26, but her looks were very deceiving, she was more than 800 years his senior. Then the reference struck home. "Yes. I am new, here, at this coffee shop." she smiled broadly, pleased with herself for giving an appropriate answer. "I just started today. I was practicing making a few of the specialty coffee's and I don't care for tea." She curled a lock of her wavy dark hair overhear ear. "Do you attend the college?" She asked him, tilting her head to the side. He was a bit confused by her hesitation in responding to his seemingly simple question, but he smiled as she affirmed that she yes indeed was new. "I like tea more than coffee." Kyle said, answering her comment about his drink choice." Kyle." he said sticking out his hand, having no idea why he was introducing himself to someone working in a coffee shop. Severe smiled as she slipped her hand through his. Her fingers, long and slender, were well cared for, manicured and polished. Her skin was soft, as if it had been protected from the harshness of the world by white gloves her entire life. "A pleasure to meet you, Kyle." she said warmly, her icy blue eyes taking hold of his hazel ones. "I am Severe." She held onto his hand for a moment, the warmth of his touch radiating throughout her entire body. She was cool to the touch, but not shockingly so. With the contact still made, skin to skin was best, she gave him a vision. It was just a glimpse. But it was enough, she hoped, to cause desire to stir within him. Part of her gift was the vivid nature of her visions. It was a talent she had honed for centuries and now, had only, just begun to perfect. Projecting the vision from her mind into his, he was given fantasy of her on her knees before him. Her shock of deep brown curls bobbing slowly and rhythmically in his lap. His own head was thrown back over a chair, his hips moving in time to her motion. A moan escaping his lips. Kyle felt the softness of her hand in his. HI sown were soft for a man's, yet did have some callouses on his palms from various outdoor projects he'd worked on. He had always been attracted to hands, and she was very pretty, and he found her attractive. However, he was not prone to random fantasies, but he suddenly had a copper of a fantasy about her. His breathing actually picked up speed. He wasn't completely inexperienced, although he had never had oral sex like that, but chalked it up to the ports he'd watched. It is amazing how the human mind can explain anything away. He suddenly realized that he was still holding her hand, much longer than a normal handshake would have lasted. And he pulled it away. Resisting the urge to bring it to his nose, and smell more closely the soft perfume that he could smell on her, sure that his hand now smelled like her. He found that his checks were red as he slowly looked away from her eyes, although it was a struggle, her blue eyes were the type that he could fall into. She heard the acceleration of his breathing, she could feel the pounding of his pulse through his warm, soft hand. "I'm on a break, do you mind if I join you?" she asked him softly as his hand pulled away from hers. Seneri wished only to please her Master. He had created her, taught her everything she knew. She loved him, as strange as that might have sounded. He was her life, everything she knew, she believed, she felt was wrapped up in him. She would follow him to the death, fight for him, do whatever she had to do to please him. When she had killed the young man, when she had drained him completely of his life force, before her Master could have him, she had fallen from grace. For nearly 500 years she had shared his bed, now she was cast aside like rubbish. Her life held no meaning without the feel of his admiration. The warm sun caressed her own bronze skin. The feeling of warmth was intoxicating. The rays from the sun, licking her skin, was much like the warmth that flooded her when she fed from the life force of a human. She was normally cool, chilled in fact. It was akin to the feeling one would get when they were getting sick. That chill to the bone, where nothing can truly warm you...not boiling coffee or a deep stack of quilts. But the life force, the warmth could chase the cool away, at least for a while. Her eyes stayed locked with his. Holding him locked deep within the abyss of her blue eyes. He lifted his hand to prop up his chin, just as he thought he could smell her light luring scent on it, and almost blushed that he cared about something so... random. He almost felt dazed looking into her eyes, so much so that he startled at her question, "Uh... yeah, you can sit with me." he said waving his hand at the two other chairs at the table, his backpack on the 4th chair. This giving her a choice to either sit across from him or beside him at the little square table. He folded his hands atop his laptop which was closed now and fumbled for something to say. "So you like coffee?" he managed to come up with, sounding lame even to his own ears. She nodded graciously to him, "Thank you." Her voice was soft and melodious. She took the chair closest to him, turning her body to face him. "Coffee? No, I hate the stuff." she said with a laugh. It was a light, crisp giggle that seemed to emanate from her very soul. A soft throaty sound, fully of happiness and joy. She closed her eyes, turning her attractive features to the sky. The warmth covered her skin in a luxurious blanket of heat. She loved the feeling, relished in heat from the warm glow of the sun. "I suppose that's a good thing, though. My boss doesn't have to worry about me eating up the profits by sampling the goods." She could tell he was nervous, but she was unsure if it was her presence or something he was hiding. What was it that her Master was so interested in? This young man seemed like any other, nothing spectacular, except for his eyes, perhaps. His huge hazel orbs glinted with kindness and laughter. She could make out the flecks of other colors, highlighting the beauty of his eyes even further. But a good set of eyes was not extraordinary. No, there was something else, something more that her Master wanted from Kyle. Bringing her head back up, she opened her eyes once more, smiling at him once more. She focused on him, intently. "So, like I asked before, do you go to the college?" Kyle smiled down at his hands before looking back at her, getting lost in her eyes again. He felt her knee brush against his as she scooted closer to the table. "Sorry." he mumbled moving hi leg to give her more room. He just then seemed to notice her question. "Yeah, I do go to the college. it's not a bad school." he said, "My family didn't want me going out of town, some bull crap about wanting to protect their little brother." he said smiling with self deprecating humor. "How about you, do you go to the university?" he asked making the small talk, his fingertips drumming nervously on the top of his closed laptop. Severe shook her head. "No." she stated casually, "I was never very good at school. The only school I ever attended was the school of hard knocks." There were quite a few college students at the coffee shop. All walks of life surrounded them, rich and poor, men and women, young and old. She did love the mortal realm, there was so much diversity. Not everything was black and white, like in her own darker realm." Protecting?" she asked with a sly smile. "Why would a strapping guy like you need protecting? Looks to me like you could take care of anything that came your way." She leaned forward, her cool hand resting lightly on his bicep, giving it a gentle, playful squeeze. She was playing flirty, although she did find him very appealing. Seneri had known thousands of lovers in her time. Each one as different as the next, but they all had one thing in common, they had been taken in by her. But this was her way, this was what she did, this is the reason why she had been created. Her Master had taken the best parts of all his former creations, and she was the fruition of all his designs. Sliding her hand down his lean, muscular arm, she pulled her hand away slowly, folding it atop her other one. He laughed and blushed, "I don't know what they'd protect me from... I guess beautiful older women like you?" he quipped. Trying to lighten the mood, and divert her attention from that subject. He was not about to tell this stranger about his family's... quarks. He almost shivered at her cool touch, her touch raising goosebumps on his skin. Furthermore, he was surprised she touched him, and somehow he wished she hadn't stopped touching him. Furthermore, he found he wanted her to touch him. HI's mind flashed back to the fantasy he'd generated about her, or so he thought he had created. He blushed and watched her again, watched how she moved. "Well, it looks like they are failing admirably." She said with a laugh. Her voice was still soft as she spoke. "You must have women fawning all over you." she said. She carefully pushed the curls of her soft brown hair back over her ear as she looked at him." Besides, I can't possibly be that much older than you." she said, acting a bit offended, even though she wasn't. She winked at Kyle. "What are you 24 or 25?" he laughed at her comments. "No, I don't have women all over me, I have 5 mothers and 4 fathers." he said with a laugh... Ok 2 parents, and 7 siblings." he laughed. He blushed at her compliment of sorts about his age, "No, no not to suggest you look old, you just... you look like a woman not a girl, that's why I thought you were older... I mean I'm only 18." he said, "Girls my age mostly... look like girls... not as ... developed as you." he said his eyes flicking to her full breasts and then back to her face blushing and looking away shyly. "Aren't you the lucky one? I don't have any siblings." She felt his gaze move for a second to her breasts. His face flushed a rosy pink color. She smiled at him, moving her hand to rest on top of his, lightly touching him. He was so warm, he seemed to radiate heat, it was a very intoxicating feeling. She pushed another vision into his mind. This time something more sensual. Their bodies intertwined, his face pressed against her breast, listening to the rhythmic sound of her breathing, the steady rise and fall of her chest. Her fingertips were running lightly across his shoulders and his neck. Then her hand moving to caress his cheek, tilting her face toward his, stealing a soft kiss. Severe nodded at his comment about her development. "Yes. I blossomed early." she said with a small laugh. He felt her hand on his and didn't move it. Didn't dare. He liked her touching him, liked it a lot, but was a little frightened by that fact. He had another vision, this one more sensual, and blushed a deep red, and started to pull his hand away, some kind of warning system kicking in. Some part of his unconscious mind connected the images with the touch. Although consciously he just thought he was embarrassed. "You are...well ...uh developed." he said and flushed even brighter his free hand covering his mouth. Had he actually just said that? He wondered if she had noticed, would she call him out for his rudeness. He mentally kicked himself. He could feel her cool hand touching his. And unbidden his own mind wondered what it would be like to feel her touch him, feel her hand on his check as his earlier thought had suggested, or going back to the first irrational fantasy about her, how her hand would feel... elsewhere. God, what was wrong with him. It was like his hormones were on overload and all firing at once. How could he be so at ease around her like this, yet so nervous. She checked her watch, "Damn." she muttered under her breath. Her eyes met his for a moment. "I've got to get back to work." she stretched again, reveling in the warmth of the sun. She squeezed his hand, smiling at him. "I don't normally do this, but would you like to hang out later?" she asked him. He was taken off guard by her sudden and rather forward request. "Uh... yeah, ok." he said yes before he could even think about it, could change his mind. Before he could talk himself out of it. A beautiful woman had asked him out. As she walked off he felt like he was on cloud 9, and he didn't even know why. He opened his computer and went back to work, looking up every once in a while checking to see if she was around. Absently he realized he didn't even have her phone number or anything, was she just going to find him. Silently he cursed himself for ten kinds of an idiot. And he hoped that she would come back. He silently told himself he would wait the rest of the afternoon if he had to. What was up with him. Since when did he care so much about a date? Was it even a date? Still he couldn't get those fantasies out of his mind. Severe watched him for a while, from a distance. She was now unseen by those around her, occupying a table near the door, she was shielding herself from all the other patrons of the coffee shop. Kyle would bend to his computer, working intently for a few moments, then lift his head, scanning the area, looking around for her. Wasn't that the first rule of being flirty? Of being the one thing he wanted but couldn't have? She watched him for a while, studying his features, his mannerisms. He was hiding something, perhaps looking at something that he shouldn't be. He was careful to hide his screen when he thought anyone was close enough to read what he was doing. But, from her vantage point all she could see what appeared to be an email account. She slid a napkin out of her pocket, the café' logo on one side, blank on the other. With a wave of her hand over the blank side, the words Severe and the scrawl of an address and phone number. She knew that she hadn't given him these things, but it was all to leave him wanting more. Rising slowly, she waited until she was out of the direct line of sight of any mortals to reappear. She glided to his table, resting her hand lightly on his shoulder and placing the napkin on his keyboard. "I thought you might need this." she whispered softly in his ear, her breath warms around the lobe. "I will be there after six." Rising slowly, her breasts brushing against his back, she turned and reentered the coffee shop. Kyle jumped at Severe's return shivering at her touch and the feelings of her breath on his ear. He gulped, and could only odd rapidly in thanks too stunned and surprised by her and the feelings she stirred in him to be able to say anything. He carefully folded the napkin and put it in his pocket and after a few minutes closed his computer. Furthermore, he couldn't figure a way into the account yet. It would take more time. He would have to tell Byron, his older brother that he had failed so far. His brother wouldn't be angry, just disappointed. He debated whether to tell his siblings of his date that night. But, with what was probably an unwise decision he decided not to, not wanting their interference. He sure didn't want a chaperone. It wasn't like she had asked him to have wild unprotected sex, she had asked him to "Hang out." which could have many different meanings depending on circumstance. Driving home Kyle took a shower, reshaped his face, putting on some aftershave and picked out a nicer clean shirt. Just a plain black t-shirt with the logo of the magic shop his family ran, selling trinkets and various tarot cards and the like, stuff to mask the real magic and psychic work that was done there. At about 5:30, Kyle climbed into his brother's Truck he had borrowed and began to drive to Severe's address. Unsure where it was, he drove slowly taking directions from his cell phone's navigator. Her Master would be pleased. She had not only gotten the young man to agree to a date with her, but she had also gotten him to agree to be alone with her. This was not always an easy task. But was becoming easier with each passing decade. The apartment had been made ready just that afternoon, just as always. A lease had been signed under an assumed name, fake ID...no paper trail so to speak of. Decortaing the loft had been easy enough, one could do nearly anything with magic. She had created everything with just a few incantations. Now, as she stood in the middle of the large space, examining her handy work, she was pleased with herself. She made herself ready, light make-up accenting her beautiful features. Her light icy blue eyes were brilliant and shining behind her dark black lashes. Her curly mahogany hair was flowing over her slender shoulders. She wore a light blue shirt, nearly the same shade as her eyes. Black slacks and boots, with a silver chain slung low around her sharply hips. He would be here soon, and she could actually feel herself growing excited. Walking to the window, she gazed out, the city below ebbing and flowing like the sea. Soon she would make her Master proud and happy. Kyle drove into the parking lot and walked to the door, buzzing her apartment asking to be let in. He then walked up the stairs to the apartment and stood at the door, wiping his sweating palms on his pants. Why was he so nervous. What did she want with him, he was younger than her, just a college student? He should have asked questioned like did it have to do with his family, yet he didn't because he was blinded by a pretty face utterly flattered by her interest. Slowly, she cross to the door. The black boots she wore making a soft rapping on the hardwood floor. Turning the brass knob, the door swung inward, framing Kyle in the doorway for a moment. "Hi." she said softly, her eyes moving over him. He was more handsome in the soft light of the hall than she remembered. Stepping to the side, she swept her arm wide. "Please, come in." she said as she smiled at him. He entered quickly, his eyes taking her in, but trying not to stare at her too long, not wanting to offend her. She was very beautiful, even more than he remembered. The light and shadow of the dim room seemed to play over her luminescent skin, making her almost seem to glow. He folded his hands together nervously, not sure what to do with them. "Uh... hi." was all he could think to say, looking around the room. "Nice apartment." he added, struggling to get a conversation started. "Thank you." she said as she closed and quietly locked the door behind him. She wondered if he would notice, if it would frighten him. "I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of making us some dinner." Taking his hand, she leads him to the dining table. It was a small café table, with two wrought iron chairs on either side. Two plates filled with spaghetti and meatballs, along with salad and breadsticks filled the small table. She laid her head on his shoulder, giving his hand a squeeze. "My grandmother's recipe." She said, her voice soft and sweet. She released his hand, taking the chair to the right. Furthermore, she held her hand out to the empty chair, smiling up at him. "Please, sit." Kyle was looking around the room and did not see her lock the door, even if he had, he might not have been too surprised this wasn't the best neighborhood in town. He again enjoyed her touch, finding himself remembering the fantasies of earlier as they came unbidden to him again, just her light touch causing him to blush. He squeezed her hand and sat down at the table. "Wow, you didn't need to go to all this trouble just for me." Kyle said, "I'm not that special." he said shyly. "Oh, it's no trouble at all, Kyle." she said with a glance at the food. She had made it from scratch, the magic helped. Reaching across the table, she took his hand, letting her power once again flow into him. The vision of her bent over the table, his hard cock sliding into her quivering pussy. So vivid was the fantasy she gave him, she was sure he could feel the moisture of her excited sex sliding over his hard shaft. "And you're very special." she said as her hand moved slowly away from his. A pitcher of ice tea with lemon slices sat on the table. "Tea?" she asked as she poured him a glass. Her glass was filled, already with water. She put the pitcher down again, lifting her fork. "I'm not nearly the good my grand ma-ma was, you see. But I love to try." He found himself having another vision as she touched him this time of her bent over the table. This time it aroused his mental suspicion. Was he finally picking up the talent for empathy that many in his family showed? He actually pulled his hand back this time embarrassed and a bit frightened by this prospect, not sure how to handle it. Was she having such thoughts about him? Why was he having such visions when he had little experience, he had to have some kind of wicked vivid imagination to have such detail of an intimate act he'd really never experienced. Was this precognition maybe? Were these things to happen to him? He seemed quite uncomfortable and shifted in his chair. The image had left him hard and needy, for how could it not, although not quite as hard as the image of her pleasing him with her mouth. He noted that it only seemed to happen when he touched her, yet not every time he touched her. He started to make connections, was there something supernatural about her? Is that why he felt so drawn to touch her?" he sighed softly and shaking his head cleared it of thoughts. He graciously accepted the glass of tea, sipping it. Before he picked up his fork to begin eating. Still shaken by everything, all these thoughts, the implications. She could feel the tension sliding off of him now. "Are you okay?" she asked him, wiping her mouth with a napkin. Perhaps she had gone to far. She took a sip of her water, cocking her head to the side, a look of concern on her face. "It tastes alright doesn't it?" Putting her napkin back into her lap, she took his hand again, this time only giving him compassion and comfort in that touch. She was good at being whatever her intended target needed her to be. She could be sweet, kind, innocent. Furthermore, she could be dark, daring and assertive...whatever fantasy her prey had, she could be that. In Kyle, she saw a young man that wanted to be on his own, but still sought a safe harbor. Kyle blushed and shook his head, "No, no, I'm fine." he said trying to put his confident easygoing face back on. Kyle had always been someone who pretended to be strong and independent even when he wasn't and hid that other side to him save from those he felt safest. In his confusion some of his emotions had shown on his face and he worked to shut them away again." No, no, it's very good." he assured her, and indeed it was, although until that moment he hadn't really taken the time to taste it, eating out of habit, lost in his thoughts. Severe nodded, returning her attention to the food. They ate in silence for a few moments. She was plotting her next few steps, what she would do. She still couldn't figure why this particular young man was of such interest to her Master. He seemed quite ordinary. Why would this one be so special?" So." Severe said, her voice soft and melodic as she spoke. Her eyes met his, holding them for a moment. "Tell me more about yourself, Kyle. What are you studying? Do you have a job?" she took a bite of the salad, the flavors mingling together in her mouth. He seemed to consider, "Well what would you like to know?" he inquired. He shrugged, "I AME studying business and social psychology... but I'm better at the business aspect." he said, "Which meant he still didn't understand people as well as he should being a psych major, "I also love computers..." he said shrugging. "What about you what are you interested in? "I love to read, I love art." she said matter-of-factly and these things were the truth about herself. She had always loved fine art, loved sculptures, loved old museums. Truth was, it was one of the things in her life that brought her unadulterated joy. She could sit for hours and absorb herself in art. It gave her pleasure to see a Renoir or a Picasso, to feel the message the artist was attempting to convey with a few brush strokes. Reading was another passion of hers. She craved knowledge, sucked it up like a sponge in water." I just had a hard time sitting in one place as a child...what's it called, ADHD? Anyway, I was fidgety. And my family moved quite a bit, so I never did very well in school." she told him, eating and drinking with this young man, conversing with him as if he were an old friend. "What of your family?" she asked with interest. He listened, "I'm passionate about music." he responded to her description of her love for art." I know what you mean about the ADHD thing, I mean I don't have it, but with having 7 siblings, 8 of us all together, well... when you get us together, It's hard to stay usually focused." His thoughts illustrated because they could never agree on whether something dealt with magic or the powers of the mind, they could never agree which was better. And, Kyle was at the bottom, the one family member without psionic or magical talents." This spaghetti is good!" he complimented her after taking a large bite, not changing the subject per SAE but just wanting to compliment this wonderful woman, who had taken the time to make him this lovely meal. She smiled as she watched him enjoy the food. It was always nice to see a man with a healthy appetite. "Thank you." she said as she finished the last bite of her food. "Your family sounds huge! You're the baby, aren't you?"" I don't have any siblings." she told him stacking her empty dishes. She looked at him across the table, struck again by his beautiful eyes. He was very handsome, easy to talk to, sweet and seemed to be kind. Part of her found him very attractive. He nodded, "Yeah I'm the youngest." he said stacking his dishes too for her as he stood up. "I can't even imagine how....boring and quiet it would have been with no siblings." he said smiling at her. He felt comfortable around her, and was surprised at that, gone for the moment were his disturbing thoughts of earlier. Taking the dirty dishes from him, she slipped around the corner and deposited them into the dishwasher. A low bar separated the two rooms as she spoke. "It was very quiet, but I had my mother and my father, for a while. He passed when I was young." Her eyes took a wistful gaze, as if she were seeing through time, seeing through the years to a time when her father was still alive. It was a practiced look, she had never been young, had never had a true father. The only father she had ever known was her Master. Seneri washed her hands, drying them on a dishtowel. "Would you care for some dessert?" she asked him. "Or some more to drink?" She enjoyed being in the mortal realm. She loved being with actual people with emotions, life and vitality. For a moment, she considered what it would be like to be mortal, to have real emotions, not the made up happy/smile, sad/frown, mad/glower emotions that she had practiced for centuries. What would it feel like to be in love? To be touched and feel more than just desired? She had never had that, never known what real love was. Severe was owned, she knew that, accepted that fact. Her Master had created her for the sole purpose of obtaining the life force of those that he wanted. She was nothing more than a vase, a vessel that was placed upon a pedestal, looked beautiful and was empty inside. He stepped into the kitchen and awkwardly laid his hand on her arm offering silent comfort when she mentioned her father passing. He didn't know what made him do it, but it felt right. When she spoke he shrugged, "If you have dessert made of course I'll take some, but I don't want to trouble you if you haven't." he assured her letting his hand slip back to his side. Slightly embarrassed at his action. "Brownies A'La Mode." she said with a smile. She removed a pan of brownies from the oven, still warm. Large walnut scattered over the top. "Do you want to grab the ice cream?" she asked, pointing toward the freezer. Retrieving two plates from the cabinet, she cut two large brownies from the pan. The aroma wafted through the small kitchen as she placed them on the plate. She looked at him, waiting for the ice cream. He quickly did as she asked his mouth watering at the sight and scent of the brownies. He got it out and handed the ice cream over. "You went all out..." he said, "I don't deserve all this..." he said curious as to why a complete stranger would go so far out of her way to make everything so special for him. She hadn't asked and yet earlier that day it seemed that he had been thinking that he hadn't had spaghetti in a while, and it sounded good, and the brownies with ice cream was one of his favorite desserts. "Are you psychic or something?" he said with a laugh, "You just made my favorite, is anyone honestly that lucky?" he asked. Of course, he wouldn't really be surprised to learn she was indeed psychic, after all he did live with quite a few of them. She gave him a nervous laugh. No, she wasn't psychic, but she was supernatural. She knew everything about him. It was not reading his mind that had given her the knowledge of his favorite things, it was more an intuition. "No, of course not. Are you?" she laughed again as she carried the plates back to the table. She gave him another gentle smile. She wanted him to feel at ease, feel a connection with her so that he would be more likely to couple with her. Over the centuries this task had grown easier. Having sex on the first date was no longer a taboo, but more or less the norm of the day. Taking her chair once more, she smiled at him. He gave her a funny look at her question and then laughed blowing it off, "No sadly I'm not, Sometimes I think things would be easier if I was." did that sound normal enough? He went and sat down across from her, "Well even if you aren't psychic, then you have to be really damned lucky, to guess all my favorites." he said with a laugh... "Do you know my shoe size too?" he teased, trying to interject a note of playfulness back into this date, which to him was a bit overwhelming, so unexpected was it.

Succubus (For Fiendish_Babe & The Gladiator)|rating:3.0

Regression from the Mean [( James Moriarty & Moirae )]

(hell, she didn't want to be here -- not one little bit. The thought sunk further and further into Chloe Williams' head as she watched the city of Boston draw closer and closer with the descent of the plane. It had been three years since sixteen-year-old Chloe had been home, had last smelled the salty air of the bay, felt the eastern wind whip against her cheek, or known what it felt like to be home. She hadn't anticipated on coming back so soon, not for at least another year and a half until she graduated from the boarding school in Switzerland that had become "home." Life, however, seemed intent on making sure she didn't have a real cluewhatwas suppose to be going on. Who ever would have known that her mother would unexpectedly fall into her grave? She'd probably pissed off someone bad enough -- her mother had had a way of doing that with just a flick of her eyes. Even the day Chloe had left for Switzerland, tears in her eyes and her face scrunched up with disbelief and dismay they had left with heated words between them and then cold silence. Chloe hadn't looked back that day when boarding the plane, not even when her father had called out to her. Father. Pale green eyes rolled heavenward as she turned off her iPod, slipped it back into the pocket of her jeans; for a moment she paused when her fingers felt the price tag still attached to the hem. With a quick glance around her, she subtly pulled it free, slipped it into her pocket. Oops. Father sure wouldn't like that. Soft, ruby red lips pulled into a small smirk. She was quite sure her father wasn't going to like a lot of things. Hair that had once been a rich golden brown was now a dark, flame red; a small diamond flashed from her left nostril; right above her left ass cheek was a tattoo of a lipstick imprint and the small of her back held a crescent shaped moon, identical to the one her friend, Belinda, had also gotten. She didn't even want to think about the marijuana she had secreted away in tampons in her carry on -- one item security never thought to check twice -- or that she had boarded the flight from Switzerland still high on the powdered cocaine she and Belinda shared prior. Not that she thought her father would actually care. Her mother had made it clear three years ago that their -- her parents -- careers' were too important to have a teenager sulking about. Chloe hadn't thought she was sulking -- she couldn't even think of a time Shead-- but in her heart she knew that wasn't the reason. They had wanted her gone. Her mother she could almost understand; their relationship had never been that stellar, even as a little girl when she thought she should have been gobbling up all the attention her mother used to give her. But... she had been Daddy's little girl. All the free time she ever had she wanted to be spent with her dad, even if it meant going fishing or doing something else that was equally revolting. It hadn't mattered, then. They could have gone camping in the winter and Chloe would have gone along happily, delighted. In fact, up until the day they dropped her off at the gate, she hadn't thought anything could tear her and her dad apart. She confessed everything to him, told him all her secrets and dreams; he'd been there since day one of violin lessons and even when her playing had started as nothing but ear grating noises he'd been there listening and encouraging her, and she had thought the world of him. The sun had literally risen and fallen with her father... until that one day and the years that followed. It'd only been this year she had finally realized it hadn't meant anything to him. How could it have when he'd sent her away without so much of an apology and hadn't bothered to reach out to her? It'd taken two years for her to start acting out all the bottled up emotions... but somehow it was feeling worth it. Outwardly she knew to dress without being suspicious, and admittedly she liked the mask -- how she could look like such a good girl and yet be so bad underneath. If it hadn't been for Belinda none of the other students would believe Chloe wasn't as straight laced as the teachers, administration, and even her family though her to be. Not that she gave them a reason to. Her illicit activities were kept quiet, her grades didn't drop, and although she hadn't signed up again for the school's orchestra, she still kept up on her violin lessons. Music was, after all, one thing that hadn't abandoned her. The music had stayed regardless of anything else that happened; when her father had never called or wrote to her, when neither of her parents called her back for any of the holidays, the music was there for her. Well, ... the music, drugs, and sex. Chloe almost laughed out loud at the last part, saved by the voice of the flight attendant announcing they would be landing in just a few minutes. Sex? Really? With a mental shake of her head, she let out a slow sigh. No, no sex -- close, but not yet. She rather thought over this Christmas she would be ready, had even been hinting at it for her boyfriend's sake, but maybe... maybe that would just have to be once she got back to Switzerland and once again left Boston behind her. And with any hope, she'd be back in Switzerland by the end of the week. Tomorrow was her mother's funereal and then... then she'd have to figure out a way to keep her sanity until she was dropped back off at the international boarding gate. Surely it wasn't going to be that hard. Fifteen minutes later Chloe was one of the few that came out first from the docked plane, barely glanced at the smiling flight attendant welcoming them to the United States. Making her way through customs Chloe looked liked a bored socialite in the designer jeans, the pair of heeled, knee-high boots adding a few inches to her otherwise short frame and extended the length of shapely legs, and a bold red cashmere sweater showing beneath the open fold of her hip length jacket. A pair of designer frames set nestled on the crown of her head and a diamond tennis bracelet sat warm around her left wrist. It amused her a little to know that even the lingerie she wore underneath had been stolen -- all except the small gold locket she kept safely out of sight underneath her sweater. She didn't know why... but even three years later she didn't have the heart to take it off; it hadn't come off her neck since she was six, only the pictures inside having changed. The customs agent was given a small smile as she took back her stamped passport and then turned, rolling her carry on case behind her. She hadn't brought much because she wasn't intending to stay for very long, and well, there were plenty of stores in the Boston area that were ripe and waiting for her five-finger discount. A few seconds later the smile that had been tugging on her lips disappeared as she reached the greeting gate and saw a familiar face there, waiting for her. Damnit. She paused, held back a couple steps and let a small crowd of people go ahead of her. She wasn't ready for this! Swallowing hard, Chloe's eyes glanced around, and she fell into step with a group of students heading toward the other side of the gate. She didn't look over once to where she knew she had seen him -- she just kept walking. She needed just a few minutes. A few minutes to breathe, to readjust to the fact that she was here... and maybe a few minutes to bring herself down. The sign for the bathroom flashed before her, and before she could think twice, Chloe ducked inside and found the first available stall. Remaining standing she eased her pants down to her knees and widened her stance enough to slip one finger into her sex, swallowing a little at the discomfort as she withdrew the small clear baggy of fine, white powder. Holding it between her teeth, she eased the tight jeans back up, snapped them, and carefully wiped off the small bag. Around her in the bathroom the noises were bustling, people going in and out, one baby crying, some woman crying out in Italian about her good for nothing son-in-law, all nothing but a dim in her head as she took out her compact mirror and sucked in a deep breath. In just a few minutes this was all going to be okay... just a few minutes. Chloe reappeared five minutes later and this time headed straight for where she had last seen her father. Time to get this show on the road. (stood there shifting from foot to foot in the small crowd waiting outside the security gate for flight 1120, international. Logan was always crowded and annoying in the late afternoon, and he suspected he was probably in for a long wait. Chloe would have to go through customs and that would make an annoyingly long delay even longer. And then they'd have to retrieve her luggage in the busy, cramped baggage claim area. Gabriel Williams sighed to himself. He actually didn't mind the wait -- his stomach was in tight knots and his hands were shaking slightly from the tense conflict that was taking place in his mind. In many ways this was the worst day of his life. His wife had just died, suddenly and unexpectedly, and now his estranged daughter was returning home for the first time in years, and he had no idea how to deal with that. He needed this time to figure out how he had managed to find himself suddenly so lost and without any idea how to pick up the pieces of his past. His wife, Amanda, had slowly become an incredibly difficult person to relate to on any level. When he married her, she was a rising star -- Harvard Law Review, top of her class, destined for the quick track to partner in a prestigious firm -- everything was going her way. She had promised him before they got married that children were high on her list of priorities and that she could handle having a career at the same time. The first year of their marriage was blissful and exciting. They traveled all around the world, went to his academic conferences and her legal ones and lived a life of carefree joy in the fast lane. When he had gently reminded her about children, she put him off only briefly and soon after, they were pregnant with Chloe. For the entire pregnancy and even the first few years after Chloe's birth, everything seemed to be going well. His position at Harvard had easily accommodated a schedule involving the various trips and hand-offs needed to make childcare work. She had made junior partner in record time and was starting to handle some of the firm's highest-profile cases. Gabriel had started asking about the possibility of a second child around the time that Chloe was 2, but this time, Amanda put him off much more firmly, asking him to please just wait until her life with one kid and an insane workload had settled in. This seemed reasonable, and so he didn't push it. But when year after year passed and Amanda's intention to put him off indefinitely became evident, Gabriel grew more and more hurt and Amanda grew more and more critical and withdrawn. He had never liked the idea of having an only child -- in fact, he had told her up front that this was a worse situation in his mind than having no children at all. No children he could deal with, and two children was the ideal. But having an only child was a deeply troubling idea to him. He had been an only child and his experience had been one of loneliness and envy -- loneliness at all the time spent completely isolated as his busy parents went about their lives more or less oblivious to his presence; envy at the other children in his neighborhood who had brothers and sisters to rely on, to be loyal to, and to trust. There was no doubt in his mind that his current tendency towards quiet, independent and somewhat antisocial behavior, as well as his nearly compulsive tendency to be in complete control of his surroundings, stemmed from the character of his childhood. Amanda's withdrawal into herself was not just because of the issue of children. She had been diagnosed with mild anxiety disorder when she was young, and the problems she experienced from her attacks were only exacerbated by the long hours she worked. Her behavior at home grew erratic and harsh. She had started taking on criminal cases that were well-publicized and frightening in their scope and details. Gabriel began to fear for the safety of his family. The stress grew over time until it had infected every aspect of their lives. Their conversations grew stilted and awkward. The very idea of a family outing together was so uncomfortable that it quickly faded from their minds entirely. For much of Chloe's early life, Amanda was just not around, and when she was, it seemed she saw nothing right in Chloe. It is difficult to tease apart cause and effect in these complex situations, but it certainly was a mutually reinforcing feedback loop, in which his closeness with Chloe caused Amanda to lash out at her more and more, and this caused Chloe to seek comfort from him more and more, which led to their closeness growing yet further. By the time Chloe was 12, Amanda had already started pressuring him to send her off to boarding school. To say that this suggestion broke his heart would be a breathtaking understatement -- for over a year, this was the single most intense point of contention between them, a spark that could ignite an explosive argument at any time. He slept on the couch more often than in his own bed, and many of those nights he fought back hot tears that he would never let his wife or daughter see. And he never let Chloe see the tension in the marriage -- religiously, he woke before dawn from the couch and hid upstairs in his library until the rest of the family was awake. Nothing in the world could have moved him to bring his daughter any pain. By the time she turned 13, he had started to worry more and more that the dangers of Amanda's job were putting his family at risk. The death threats arriving at the firm were getting more detailed and credible and there were several occasions where Amanda thought she was being followed and had gone to the police station for safety. Gabriel found himself trapped -- he couldn't tell Chloe what was going on because it would frighten her, and all he wanted was for her to have a normal, carefree childhood. But yet he couldn't deny that the best thing for her would be to go away to boarding school where she would be safe. This weighed on him so heavily that he eventually gave in to Amanda's suggestion and agreed to send Chloe to boarding school. Something in him withered and shriveled the day he saw her onto her flight to Switzerland. The spark that had kept him going had dimmed almost to the point of being extinguished entirely. For months and months he had written to her, at first just simple notes and eventually long missives that explained in heart-rending detail the situation that had led him to send her away and his feelings about it. Every week he would hand his wife another letter, and every day he would check the mail, waiting for her reply. It never came. Not the first month. Not the second month. Not the first year. His heart shattered, and figuring that the act of sending her off itself had irreparably damaged their relationship, he finally gave up. He shook his head, dispelling the wisps of his reverie. Little wet pools had gathered in the corners of his eyes and he quickly blinked and brought his knuckles up and rubbed. He had no idea how to talk to her anymore. What was he going to say when she walked up? "How is school?" He shook his head. How do you talk to someone who doesn't care about you anymore?he asked himself. Absently, he traced around his wedding ring with his thumb. It was a simple white gold band with a pattern lightly engraved in its side. Inside was the inscription, "Dream a little dream of me." He smiled at this -- music was his connection to his feelings. He remembered dancing with his wife at their wedding to the jazz ensemble. Furthermore, he remembered singing kids songs to Chloe in the bathtub when she was still tiny. Furthermore, he wondered whether Chloe still played her violin. The gut-wrenching realization that all of that was now gone, was merely part of his past, almost knocked him over. It took all of his resolve to just stand there, quietly, expressionless. Just then, there was some movement at the security gate. A throng of weary travelers was approaching. He craned his head to see, nervous flutters bouncing around his stomach. He thought he spotted her, but then she seemed to veer off and was gone. Frowning, he kept looking. After a few minutes, he started to worry that he had somehow misremembered the gate information, or that something had happened to her. He had almost taken out his phone to start looking up the flight status when he saw her walking straight for him in the thinning crowd. She looked so different -- adult and striking, taller, the bones in her face more pronounced, dressed in a fashionable, chic outfit. Something about the way she moved, too -- she seemed wired. He figured it was just nerves -- certainly his nerves were making him twitchy. He made a valiant effort at a smile. For a long moment Chloe merely stared at him. It was almost as if he hadn't changed at all since she'd last seen him, except that he looked to have lost a few pounds here and there. Maybe she was imagining it. Surely considering she'd changed in the past three years so had her. Except, why wasn't he saying anything? Chloe's jaw locked before she let out an impatient sigh. Three years and not one word?! Her eyes snapped then, and she was straightening her shoulders, was comforted for a brief moment by the small rush that swept through her. Well, if Daddy didn't want to play nice, she guessed she really did have to, either." Wow, Gabriel,three years, and you can't think of a single word to say to your daughter? Glad to see at least that hasn't changed. In the future, maybe something like, 'Hi!' or even, 'Hello,' might be advised instead of standing there like a mime who failed mime school," Chloe sarcastically drawled, and then pertly slid the designer sunglasses down to cover her eyes -- more, the hurt she didn't want him to see. Purposely she hadn't called him Dad or Daddy, hadn't been able to wrap her tongue around either word. "Let's go, then. I only have this carry one with me and I would rather not continue to stand here feeling wonderfully awkward. The flight was horrible, the food sucked, and when I go back to school after this pity party is over, could you at least get me on an overnight flight? Then I can at least sleep and not mess up my schedule. Thanks for asking and much appreciated." Before giving him a chance to respond Chloe walked around him and headed for the exit beyond the security gate. There was a moment she felt a little panic when she saw a security guard glance her way, but it was gone when she realized it wasn't suspicion in his eyes. Once outside she let Gabriel take the lead out of necessity, following him to this car without saying a word. She had already said all she really had to -- at least for the time being -- and there wasn't anything else she could imagine she had to add. There wasn't even a murmur when she put her suitcase in the back seat, refusing his offer of help, and promptly slid into the passenger seat. The silence from Chloe lingered through the entire drive home, though she rarely sat still, swinging her feet or tapping her fingers on her knee or thigh. Not once did she look away from the window. Chloe told herself it was because she didn't want to at her dad --Gabriel-- but she knew part of the reason was because she'd missed Boston. Fenway Park and the Green Monster -- the games she and Gabriel had attended. The bay where they had gone boating and sailing, watched the dazzling firework display on the fourth of July together. The summer open markets that scoured through on the weekends. Chloe hated that missing Boston meant she also missed him. By the time they were finally pulling into the driveway of the family's two-story white colonial, located in the "safe," pricey suburb of her beloved city, Chloe already felt the need to take a few minutes to herself. She never would have guessed that a single car ride -- especially with how silent it had been -- would have been so draining. Chloe barely waited for Gabriel to shift the car into park before she was opening the car door and stepping out. Her overnight case was immediately withdrawn and only then did she break her silence. Shielded eyes swept to Gabriel's form, briefly flickered to the house -- she had to ignore the tightening of her stomach, how sick the mere image of the place made her feel -- and then returned to him." Do I still have my old room or did you and Amanda turn it into a yoga room or something else entirely insane and cliché?" she asked, her shoulders slightly tensing. Chloe was different from how he remembered her in almost every way: her hair, her body, the trendy hip-chic look and jewelry and piercings, but most of all her attitude. He still didn't know what to say to her, and this meant that he would be resolutely silent, but more than anything the way she spoke and acted guaranteed that he would say nothing, alone with his own thoughts while he continued to wonder what had happened to her. She seemed so angry, so dismissive -- almost as though she thought that he had wronged her in some unforgivable way. He considered whether sending her away to boarding school deserved quite this level of response -- surely the dozens and dozens of letters he had sent would have softened the blow at least a little bit. As much as he wanted to grab her, shake her, yell at her for the way she was acting, cry out how much he had missed her, beg to understand why she had never written back, all he could really do was go through the motions of taking her home. He had spent three years locking down his emotions, tying them up, rendering them powerless and helpless just so he could get through his days and sleep at least some nights -- Chloe's sincere but less-than-convincing tantrum was nowhere near breaking through the elaborate and self-conscious numbness he had so carefully cultivated. Her silence on the ride home gave Gabriel more time to think, which he found oddly welcome. She was still very twitchy, and he could see that her fingers were trembling. There was tension in her shoulders and neck. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, fancying that he could notice her remembering things they had done together every time an important landmark swept by. Despite the unrelenting tension of the situation, this made him smile. They had spent so many years bonding, doing things together almost every day, that he felt sure that somehow, their return home together would shake things loose for both of them and let them recover something of what they had lost. They were finally home. The car swept gently into the wide driveway of Gabriel's large, traditional Tudor, an immaculately maintained and impressively large house, even in this neighborhood. Chloe practically leaped from the car as soon as it stopped moving and yanked her carry on out of the back seat." Do I still have my old room or did you and Amanda turn it into a yoga room or something else entirely insane and cliché?" Impatient for his response, she rolled her eyes with an exaggerated sigh and stormed through the front door and disappeared. He got out of the car, closed his door and walked around the back of the car to where both the passenger door and rear passenger door were left open. Looking after her with a long sigh, he closed both doors and rubbed at his temples in a gesture meant to relieve his tension. He had known that this was going to be a difficult day, but it already seemed far worse than he had expected, and this was just the first of seven days she would be home. With a click at the end of his key fob and the enthusiastic "tweet" of his car in response, he took a deep breath and stepped in the front door, closing it softy behind him. "Everything arrived okay?" The corners of Chloe's mouth quirked as she held the cordless house phone against her ear and let her eyes idly scan over her bedroom. It hadn't changed since she left, though she noticed the sheets were freshly changed. Still all of her old trophies and photos, posters, and even the few dolls and stuffed animals she had left, were just where she had left them. Except for being cleaned the room hadn't been touched. At first, she hadn't been sure what to think because seeing this threw her back into time, or at least it wanted to. Taking a few minutes with her compact and the powder it held for her had helped that. Immensely." Yeah, it all got here just fine. My week home will certainly be a sweeter one. Thanks, babe." Belinda's laugh carried through the phone and into Chloe's ear; it made her smile more. She missed her best friend already." You can thank me when you get back here and hook up that wicked herb Miguel got you last month. Remember Miguel...?" Chloe's eyes rolled heavenward as she snorted and then lightly laughed. "How can I forget? Tall, dark, dangerous, and sexy. Precisely my type! And, oh yes, with more connections than I can dream of. I think I was supposed to call him..." Their conversation carried on for at least another twenty minutes before Belinda begged off, needing to get back into bed before any of the teachers or headmaster caught her. Chloe knew that meant Belinda intended to sneak off further to enjoy a bowl before bed, but she understood. As axed as their school could be in regard they had figured out it was because they were largely unaware of what their students did in secret, what ways they had found to get around the rules and, most importantly, those who watched them. As those in their third year they had been accommodated with the fourth year students and that meant even more freedom. At the end of the call, however, she frowned a little and swept her attention back to the room. This wasn't home anymore and this didn't at all look like a room she wanted any part of. Springing from the bed, Chloe began taking down every single poster and picture, tossing them onto the bed, before going to the nearby shelves. Trophies and plaques, the dolls and figurines -- anything that reminded her of everything she left behind -- went sweeping into the laundry basket. When it was filled she set it out into the hallway and detoured down to the kitchen for a garbage bag. If she saw Gabriel she didn't pause or give any explanation, merely grabbed the black garbage bag, paused long enough to browse the contents of the fridge, and then returned upstairs with the bag and an apple in hand. The contents of the laundry basket were dumped in before she kicked the basket back into the room and then went in, closed the door. It took an hour to remove every trace of her childhood from the room, tearing off the wall paper sprinkled with pink polka dots and white stripes, the frill on the edge of the bed, and the white lace curtains that fluttered from the slightly open windows. She would have pulled up the carpet, too, but she rather liked the cream color, and she wasn't about to go moving all the furniture. Chloe had made two more trips downstairs; once for another garbage bag and the last carting down the two filled bags, the one with her trophies and plaques cankering as it came down the stairs and out the front door. She came back downstairs a fourth and final time twenty minutes after that, changed into a pair of black leggings that molded to her legs like a second skin, a pale blue cowl neck tunic paired with a wide, black belt around her waist, and the heeled, knee-high boots from before. Her peacoat was buttoned already, hiding just how much cleavage the tunic really revealed for when she tracked down Gabriel." Gabriel," she began, walking up with a casual lift of her brows. She could barely look at him and kept her eyes averted for the most part, fingers curled around the strap of her designer bag. "I'm going shopping. I'm sure you've got my number if you need to reach me and I promise to be back before all the big bad creatures of the night come out to get me." Here was voice was a combination of amusement and mocking, and Chloe's eyes gleamed before she was turning, tugging on her fur lined leather gloves and heading for the front door. "But in case they do get me, don't wait up," she called back. "It probably just means I'm actually having a good time here." Instincts from the past take a little while to reawaken. The habits of parenthood -- exerting influence and control, playing the emotional games, setting boundaries, opening the heart for both pain and happiness -- these had been dormant in Gabriel for the years that Chloe had been away. And in fact, to a large extent, her being away had stretched the relationship of parent and child to the limit -- parenthood required leverage, for more reasons than just the obvious. Even more than just this, the strain between him and his wife during those intervening years had worn away at the remaining emotional resilience he had, leaving him numb and slow of feeling. But gradually, like a reptile being warmed by an angry fire, his thoughts and feelings began to unwind and curl around him, feeding off of his growing surprise and indignation. If three years of being away had turned his daughter into this, if she really thought she wanted to play hardball, then she would learn the hard way that he could bring an opposite, and far more than equal, force to the table. His responsibility for her wasn't at an end, yet, and regardless of whether they would ever be close like they were long ago, he was damned if he was going to sit idly by while she turned into... whatever it was she was turning into now. As he sat thinking about this, he heard clanking and knocking coming from upstairs. Not long after, he saw Chloe taking a large bag up to her room, returning shortly thereafter with what appeared to be things from her room stuffed in it. He quickly went from bristling to furious; he was actually surprised at just how upset he was -- his hands were shaking, and his heart was thudding loudly in his chest. He snatched the phone from the cradle and pulled out his wallet. A few moments later, he had canceled Chloe's emergency Visa card he had given her when she had first left for boarding school. She had used it as a regular line of free money for the past year and a half or so, and he had never said a word, not even as she racked up thousands of dollars of expenses in traveling who-knows-where and buying clothes for god-knows-what. Months and months of credit abuse, and yet she couldn't even write one letter back. That was now over. He also called his accountant to make sure that her Trust from her mom was still sealed and required his authorization to withdraw from, and that her personal accounts as far as were known were empty. His accountant also said that unless she had been incredibly sneaky abroad, she would have been unable to open a bank account or credit account in Europe without his permission at her age, and on her educational travel visa. Satisfied for the moment, he watched as she put the bags of old items outside." Gabriel, I'm going shopping.... I promise to be back before all the big bad creatures of the night come out to get me. But in case they do get me, don't wait up, it probably just means I'm actually having a good time here." He stood in front of the door, blocking her intended exit. Gabriel was not a violent man, but hooks physical one. And at almost six feet and with an athlete's build, he was also fairly imposing. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a firm, almost painful halting squeeze. "Let's get a few things straight," he said, looking into her eyes which darted back and forth, avoiding his." First off, I'm not Gabriel, I'm Dad. And I don't know how you managed to lose all of your manners and your respect in three years, but while you're in my house, you'll be finding life very difficult until you locate them again. I should have realized something was wrong when you never wrote back to all the letters I sent..." Her face suddenly wrinkled in confusion, and she opened her mouth, but he continued, raising his voice to silence her." But that was then, those mistakes are in the past, and now is. So, while you're here, you'll be living under my rules. Your curfew is 9pm. I have canceled your so-calledemergencycredit card we gave you, Igave you, and anything you'll need you'll have to go through me, including transportation -- unless that is, you think any of your other friends that you never contacted for all these years are going to show up out of the blue to drive you around. And finally, your mom's funeral is tomorrow at 4pm sharp, and you'll be there, and by god you'll behave to the rest of your family, or so help me, your money and your curfew will be the least of the indignation you'll suffer before you return to school, ifyou return to school." He smiled grimly then -- a chilly, distant smile that bubbled up through a chaotic pathway of good and bad feelings and memories that he could scarcely have articulated even if he'd had the presence of mind to try. He patted that same shoulder twice. "Have fun shopping. See you by 9." After a brief pause, he made his way towards the back of the house to the door to the basement. There was a lot of new work to be done. "God. You're just like her! Just like Amanda! I am so fucking sorry I had come back here and ruin your little life! You should have left me dumped in Switzerland!" Chloe managed to furiously spout, screaming at his back, before sweeping through the front door and closing it with a resounding bang! Where the hell did he get off going at her like that?! Letters?! Oh yeah, just like Amanda. Tell himself whatever he had to make things right for him. It didn't matter if what he told himself was the truth or not. Chloe's eyes were still narrowed as she fumed and headed down the sidewalk, the cold barely felt -- after being stashed away in Switzerland, this felt like a spring breeze. It took her ten minutes to find her way to the bus stop, having made a few wrong turns in her heated state, and in less than hour, Chloe managed to lose enough of the tension and anger -- at least, on the inside. On the outside she was a chameleon, the playful light in her eyes showing nothing of what lurked behind. The mask she'd developed had grown only thicker after the exchange with Gabriel and Chloe used it to make the situation out to her advantage. She had no doubt that Gabriel had canceled her credit card and that she'd find the rest of her funds frozen, but that didn't mean she'd be left with no means. Even the seedier streets of the city provoked no fear in Chloe, but she kept her business to the higher end of Boston. She was after money, after all, not a turf war. Setting up initial shop in a pricey café in the financial district that bordered just on the livelihood of downtown, she soon found the first of several marks. Between burned out accountants and traders, stressed out lawyers, assistants, and higher management, Chloe deposited of half of her stash of powder in exchange for a thick amount of cash that now warmed her wallet. She'd gotten quite a bit more than it would have sold for, but with the European accent she could easily slip into, the way she was dressed, and the innate ability to sell a man that elusive bridge, Chloe could only purer at the success. She'd bet the entire haul that Gabriel wouldn't have expected her learning that in school, and she could only imagine his disapproval, with a lingering smile, as she stepped out of one store, a few bags in hand. He, like she had, was simply going to have to learn to live with disappointment. It was 8:59 PM when Chloe closed the front door behind her. There'd been some consideration in not making it by Gabriel's curfew, but frankly, she was too worn out to go another round with him or do much more than sleep. Pure stubbornness had kept her out till now, jet lag having set in a couple of hours ago. Glancing at the foyer, Chloe said nothing as she made her way upstairs to put her bags into her room. They were met set inside the door, her coat and gloves tossed onto the bed, before she was turning to make her way back downstairs. In her hand she had the canceled credit card which she lightly taped against her fingers. She'd been debating what to do with it all day, and now... part of her simply didn't care. She just wanted to go home -- back to Switzerland. The stop she made was quick, just lingering outside Gabriel's office long enough to flick the card underneath his door, before she rose and headed back for her room to go to sleep. If she happened to hear him nearby on the way, Chloe did manage to call out in a distracted and faraway tone, "Was back here by nine. Going to bed now," but said nothing else. When he was sure she was gone, Gabriel opened his front door and looked out. Everything was the same, still: the quiet yard near the end of this sleepy suburban street, the graceful sweep of the cobblestone circular driveway, the manicured lawn and row of small evergreens. He breathed in the chilly air and exhaled shakily. Somehow, with Amanda gone and Chloe back, it seemed quieter than ever. Just thinking about them at the same time made his head hurt. Amanda -- the love of his life and the best thing that had ever happened to him -- descended into her own misery and ejected him from her life when that choice came. He couldn't help but think that if he had only taken morecontrolof their relationship, that if he had pushed backharderand fought more ruthlessly, he could have saved their marriage. There was no doubting that battling Amanda would have been a bruising, difficult and protracted campaign, but seeing how the alternative turned out, he could hardly imagine that it could have beenworsethan what actually happened. And now she was gone and there was no chance to rewind, try again, apologize... anything. He realized he felt guilty -- he could have done more, but didn't. And now the situation appeared poised to go the very same way with his daughter. There was one point where he would have said she was the most important person in his life. At this moment, though, things seemed pretty hopeless -- Chloe was back, but was a different person from the one he remembered, off somewhere in the city now, doing heaven knows what. And just like her mother, she was emotional, fiery, bullheaded and crafty. It would be exhausting to find out what had sent her veering so far off course from the beautiful, loving and interested young woman who had left his arms for Switzerland. It would be so easy to just let her breeze through this short week and fly back to Europe and let her life follow its destructive course. And yet... he was still her father, he still loved her, and it began to dawn on him that he was being given a second chance -- a chance to take charge when life presented him with the opportunity. Suddenly it all made sense to him: he wasnotgoing to let the same thing happen to his Chloe that had happened to Amanda. He didn't care if it meant he had to turn both their lives upside-down. He wasn't going to let go until what remained of his family was together again -- until he could turn the clock back and get his daughter back. He stepped out into the yard and picked up one of the bags that Chloe had left. Hitting the garage door opener, he carried the bag into the 2-car garage and opened the rear door, then turned right into the finished basement hallway. At the end of the hallway was one of the 3 main rooms in the basement. The large, carpeted space had an enormous game room, a bathroom and his study at the end of the hall. The 15-foot square room had a few bookshelves stacked with books and his leather chair, a computer desk and a large futon that was currently set up as a large couch. There was also an enormous walk-in closet, and this is where Gabriel put the first bag of stuff. Repeating the process, he brought the second bag and began to unpack them. Lovingly, carefully, he removed each item, separating them into groups. Here was the pile of papers, foldable, fables. Here was the pile of small fragile things. Here was the pile of larger ones. A few of the trinkets he found had been broken. One of them was a small porcelain cup that he had bought her for her tenth birthday when she had discovered tea and wanted to drink with him out of her own little tea service. Tears sprung up in the corners of his eyes as he rotated the pieces of the lovely, hand detailed broken cup in his hands. Carefully gathering all the pieces together, he stood and went into the game room where his tools were. Digging around a bit in one of his drawers, he found some superglue and sat at his work table. With elaborate care, he laid a thin layer of glue along the edges of the broken pieces. With meticulous detail, he set the pieces together precisely at the matching edges and lightly taped them together to set. After about 10 minutes, he painstakingly dabbed at the edges with a Q-tip lightly doused with thinner. When he was satisfied with the result, he left it to set. He worked tirelessly over the next several hours, and when he was finished, all of Chloe's past was arranged in the closet, looking like a shrine overflowing with memorabilia. Her posters were spread on the ground and some were tacked to the walls. Her trophies and stuffed animals were set on makeshift shelves that he hastily set up with planks of wood and cinder block. Nearly everything from her room was represented there. With a deep sigh, he stood and rubbed the back of his stiff, achy neck. Looking at his cellphone, he nearly jumped -- it was already 9:30pm. He realized that he was starving, but more important, he braced himself to discover that Chloe was out after curfew and for the fight that would ensue. But when he returned upstairs, he found that she was home. He heard her moving around upstairs and went into his office to check his messages. Seeing the credit card, he nodded to himself and picked it up, tossing it onto his desk. There were no messages -- this was good, it meant he could just relax the rest of the evening and worry about work tomorrow. He was relieved -- he really wasn't up for more fighting or more hassling with co-workers. Padding into the kitchen, he boiled some water and fixed himself a plate of couscous with garlic, butter and a light sprinkling of cheese and then collapsed onto the couch in the family room with his light dinner. Turning on the TV, he found his mind dwelling on the past, and he punched in Jacob's Ladder on Demand and fell asleep to the disturbing and heart-wrenching imagery of a dad slowly losing his family. As Chloe's eyes slowly opened, a hazy focus on a wall that drew her back in time, she found herself slowly reaching a hand out. The corners of her mouth began to tug down into a small frown as her fingers didn't immediately feel the softness of the teddy bear that'd occupied her room for as long as she could remember. The frown deepened as her hand swept further under the blanket, then out above her head as her eyes opened wider. "Ted" was gone. Just like the posters and everything else. It all came flashing back as she slowly rolled onto her back and stared over the barren room. What had she done? Her eyes closed as she shrank into the bed, forced herself to face the memories of yesterday. She'd been awful to him. After waiting three years to see him, desperate for the sound of his voice, the feel of his arms around her, and she'd been... horrible. He hadn't helped, a small part of her reasoned as she sat up on the bed and shoved a hand through her tousled hair. She hadn't exactly been welcomed back with open arms. But had he deserved all of that...? It was a question she faced as she found herself slipping on her robe and going for the stairs before she could stop herself. The rush stopped the moment she flung open their front door and saw that the trash bags were gone. Ted was really gone. Everything was gone. It was, she supposed, a sharp reminder that everything had changed. There was no going back. Still, she stood there for a few minutes, blinking back misty tears she hadn't expected, before stepping back and closing the door. She returned upstairs without a murmur, her brow knitted. Wasn't that what she wanted anyway? A fresh start? Swallowing the lump in her throat, Chloe escaped into the bathroom and prepared to douse her thoughts away under the shower's hot spray. Thirty minutes later Chloe emerged once more from her room, her hair swathed up in a towel, dressed in a loose fitting pair of black yoga pants and a simple, thin strapped black tank. Her skin glowed from the shower, the vanilla scent of her lotion lingering on the smooth porcelain. Making her way downstairs a second time, she detoured toward the living room now she that she picked up on the sound of the television. The sight that greeted her was a small surprise. Her father lay slumped over on the couch, the On Demand commercial looping through their current selections. There was a plate on the coffee table, the remote on the floor beside it beneath where Gabriel's hand dangled. She wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or shake her head... and more, she was a little surprised how her first reaction wasn't negative toward him. Biting down on her lower lip, she quietly stepped away and turned down the hallway for the kitchen. She wasn't sure just where this thought was coming from, but right now she was just going to roll with it. This afternoon at the funereal was going to be enough of a hassle; this morning they could consider a truce, perhaps. She returned to the living room a few minutes later once starting a pot of coffee and reviewing breakfast options. The towel around her shoulders, she idly fingers combed her hair as she stood before the couch and glanced back down at Gabriel. Using the water collected from her hair, she flicked a few drops at him and then gently nudged him with her knee. "Gabriel... Dad... Wake up." Another flicker of water drops. "Up, up. I've got some coffee started. Don't you know better than to fall asleep watching television? I'm sure there are studies somewhere to back me up. I'm making some scramble eggs and toast if you want any." It all came out in one breath once she saw at least some movement from him or a sign he was awake, and before giving him a chance to respond, she was turning to head back into the kitchen. For some reason her heart was pounding, and she felt the flutter of nerves -- and couldn't fathom why. She hated the instinctive awkwardness, and made herself turn into the kitchen and go straight for the eggs before she could give into the panic and flee back upstairs and the comforts there. Gabriel blinked. Little, cool droplets of water splashed on his arm and his face, and he started, a little confused by his surroundings. A beautiful, somehow familiar woman was standing there, freshly showered and saying something about breakfast. Amanda?he thought, the fog of his deep sleep slowly departing. Suddenly things started snapping into place. He was in the living room -- he had fallen asleep during the movie. It was morning. He shook his head to clear it of the remnants of a strangely disturbing dream whose details were already fading too quickly to recapture. "Yes, oh, scrambled eggs sounds great. Do you know... wait, of course you know where everything is? I... yes, please, I'll be ah, up in a minute, give you a hand." As Chloe turned and walked back into the kitchen, Gabriel rubbed his eyes and stretched. He wasn't sure what had happened to cause such a rapid improvement in their interactions, but there was no reason to look a gift horse in the mouth. Better to just accept it and try to keep things moving in the right direction. He picked his cellphone up from the coffee table and saw that it was already 9am. They would have to leave for the funeral by 3 or so in order to get there in time and set a few things up. That left a good bit of time for them to spend together, and he wondered to himself whether he could avoid having things reach the level of overt conflict they had been at yesterday. He very much hoped so -- he wasn't sure he could hold it together for the funeral if he was also fighting tooth and nail with Chloe. He got up and walked into the kitchen where Chloe was getting things together. The smell of the brewing coffee made him smile -- he had always loved that smell. It reminded him of lazy Sunday mornings, everyone slowly waking up and making their way down for brunch. It reminded him of family -- his mother, who had been a passionate coffee-lover; his wife, who had been such an avid fan of the stuff that she would import foreign beans whole and grind them herself; and now his daughter, almost a woman, cooking and brewing away in the familiar kitchen of her childhood. He couldn't help but smile. At that moment, everything seemed hauntingly normal, as though Amanda might drift down the stairs at any moment and take her position at the dining room table, newspaper and stacks of briefs in hand. Before he could catch himself, a tear streamed down from each eye, and he quickly ducked his head and rubbed his cheeks." I'm going to run up and take a really quick shower," he said, voice cracking slightly -- an awkwardness he hoped Chloe would interpret as being caused by being so recently awakened. He turned and hurried up the stairs into the master bathroom. In a few minutes, the room was full of steam and Gabriel was standing in the hot, splashing water, both hands on the wall of the shower. The scalding, clean, fresh streams from the shower head swirling down the drain mixed with the salty, unbidden streams from his eyes. Moments later, he was once again dressed and relatively composed, feeling refreshed if a little red-eyed. Not wanting to miss out on coffee and Chloe's cooking, which smelled just wonderful wafting through the house, he hurried downstairs. Incredible as it was for the modern world, cookingwasincluded in the boarding school curriculum, and privately it was one class Chloe enjoyed the most. Well, it was somewhat private; her teacher certainly knew, as did her roommate and best friend, the happy and eager taste tester for Chloe's project. In her quietest moments Chloe would sometimes daydream about cooking, creating meals, and sometimes design menu ideas -- or rather, who she was cooking for. Never had this scene been one of those daydreams. It was such a simple thing to go from throwing eggs together to bringing out a pan and bowl for French Toast and getting the turkey bacon from the freezer. Was it wrong she never daydreamed of making her dad breakfast? The thought tugged on her lips as she cracked open eggs into the bowl, mixed in a splash of milk and a generous amount of cinnamon. Before leaving for Switzerland she hadn't been allowed -- by Amanda -- to cook in the kitchen, not unless she was "helping," which meant fetching things, watching, and listening to Amanda talk on the phone. Cooking with Gabriel had been different, of course, and as she slid a tab of butter onto the griddle, her frown deepened. Sunday mornings had been their things for a while, the calm quiet before Amanda graced them with her presence. This would be their first breakfast together since their last Sunday together, and with how much she honestly missed Gabriel, wasn't it wrong she hadn't dreamed of this? There were tears in her eyes before she could stop them. As the butter began to crack and sizzle on the warming pan, Chloe sagged a little and tried to blink away the tears. When that didn't work she quickly brushed them away and drew in a deep breath. There was no sense in crying now. What happened couldn't be undone, the choices already made. And, as Amanda told her those years ago, after breaking the news of boarding school, only the weak cried, and she wasn't allowed to be weak. The weak never survived, after all. Marshaling herself together, Chloe exhaled and turned her attention back to breakfast. She would get through this week -- she would survive and could (try to) do so without waging war with Gabriel. Surely it couldn't be impossible maintaining a wary peace between them. In a week she'd be home and this would be another distant, faded memory. And, more importantly, she would make it another year until she was eighteen and could simply walk away... and never look back. She was dishing out the first pieces of perfectly golden French Toast when Gabriel into the kitchen. Glancing over, she offered a small smile before looking back at her task. The coffee pot was full, one of Gabriel's cups set beside it." I decided we deserved a nicer breakfast for today," she said, and quickly cleared her throat when her voice proved thick with lingering emotions. "If I remember right French Toast is one of your favorites." Or theirs as she would have once said. As the next pieces started browning she wiped her fingers on the nearby hand towel and fought to keep her gaze off him. It was a fight she managed to win for the most part, at least until she threw the turkey bacon in and couldn't resist. It was hard not looking at something or someone you knew you still loved a little too much." If you want to be useful there are oranges to be squeezed and a table to set," she said, injected a lighter tone in her voice. French Toast -- to Gabriel, the sound and smell of making this meal was far more significant than just a favorite breakfast food. It represented stolen time -- time that he and Chloe used to take before his wife was awake. Time that framed their unique friendship, the bond that had grown so strong, so fast. And when Amanda had grown more withdrawn and sharp as the years went by, this time spent together signified an escape from everything that threatened them. And even though things were so different now in so many ways, somehow with this smell drifting around the house and with his daughter back, within arm's reach, he couldn't help but feel hopeful. His reverie was so deep, lost in that warm, rich smell, that he almost didn't register that Chloe was talking to him." Oh yes, I love French Toast," he said, smiling and leaning over the stove to smell the cooking bread, eggs and bacon. Looking sideways down at her, he added, "As I recall it, you rather liked it, too." He stood admiring the sight, sound and smell of Chloe's handiwork and then nodded at her suggestion. "Yes, ma'am!" he said with a grin, collecting the oranges and cutting them in halves to squeeze into a carafe and setting it on the table. He grabbed the napkin holder and a couple of sets of silverware and set the table for two. He smiled at this -- it had already been several days since anyone had been over to the house, and quite a lot longer still since he had had a breakfast companion. It wasn't long before the table was completely set, glasses of juice had been poured, and the food was finishing up. After helping her bring plates from the stove to the table, he sat down opposite her and watched her, smiling. Despite the rocky start they had had, he couldn't help but feel happy. Taking his first bite, he found himself impressed -- it just tasted delicious. "This is really wonderful, Chloe," he said, eating with relish. He realized only then just how hungry he had been -- it had been at least two days since he had eaten a real meal, and up until that moment, his stomach had been in almost constant knots. Dedicating himself completely to the task of eating, he hardly noticed that he had wolfed down his food with hardly a word until he looked up from his empty plate at Chloe in mild embarrassment. "I guess I was hungry," Gabriel offered with a self-conscious smile. He got up and poured them both more coffee and sat back down to watch his daughter." The funeral isn't for a while. I don't think I want to stay locked in the house all day. So we should try to think of something we can do before. I'm not sure what you might find nice. We could get some fresh air and walk around the Commons, or, we could stay in and chat and get ready for what I'm sure will be a pretty tiring evening. Or anything in between." He wasn't sure exactly how far their current truce went, though he suspected that things would go better if he tried to keep things moving, tried to keep them light. He was just glad that they had managed to quickly put the overt hostilities behind them. Furthermore, he was hopeful that the rest of the day would go smoothly, leaving them yet more chances to reach a little bit more of a mutual understanding of their feelings.

Regression from the Mean [( James Moriarty & Moirae )]|rating:4.0

Into the Darklands - IC

But is a small city located on Taylor's Inner Sea coast, about 40 miles downriver from the capital city of Oppara. Despite its modest permanent population of about six thousand, But manages to maintain a bustling feel. But's famous Glory's Flame lighthouse and its proximity to the capitals of Absalom and Oppara are major factors that provide the city numerous and varied travelers. It's even said that on its busiest days, the citizens of But find themselves outnumbered by its visitors. While the large majority of But's guests are welcomed with open arms, there are a some that would sooner be called invaders. Among the invaders are bandits, goblins, and other monsters, but perhaps the most hated are draw. While all other sort of evil cause primarily financial damage and are easily dissuaded with proper protection, draw are much more vile. Even a well-trained caravan guard often falls prey to the treacherous draw. And more importantly, the draw are not concerned with gold, but with the capture of those who dwell above. It is one such incursion that motivated a furious call to arms. Within a day, posters, criers, and rumors all across town turned the subject of their focus to a recent draw kidnapping. And while most taken below by the draw had no hope of ever returning from their miserable existences, this bounty's offer or was of the opinion that enough coin could solve any issue. The bounties posted included no unnecessary detail. It was immediately clear that this was a serious campaign against the draw that needed to be completed as soon as possible. To ensure its expeditious completion the bounty indicated a sixty thousand gold bounty and dates and locations for several upcoming information sessions that aimed to get potential bounty hunters up to speed on the specifics of the job. The location of the soonest session was at the Red Hawk Inn, and it was taking place at noon the day immediately after the posters first appeared. That day, The Red Hawk's Innkeeper, a large half-orc with a keen eye for adventuring types, was on his toes. He quickly guided any suitable looking individuals he spotted along to a side room that seemed to usually serve as some sort of semi-private party room. That day it was occupied only by a mess of clustered tables covered in all sorts of documents and a single fully-plated guard armed with an exotic looking pole arm. With such short notice only a small group had amassed to the meeting point. A group of merely four waited, as per the guards instructions, for the bounty giver to arrive. Only a few minutes after noon he emerged into the room through a secondary entrance. Without hesitation, the heavyset man, an obvious aristocrat, poured into his introduction." My name is Fabian Means. Only two days ago, while returning from the Château Touraine, my wife and I were beset upon by a group of heinous draw. I do not remember much of the tragic event, I am uninjured, and my purse is not lightened, and yet I am heavily burdened by the events of that evening. My dearest wife, Beta Means, was taken from me. The unforgivable curs sized her and undoubtedly dragged her into the dark lands below to do with her as they please. Much as they have done with countless other innocents in the past. Regardless of how that motivates you, there are also six thousand platinum pieces waiting for whoever returns to me my dear Beta along with the heads of any who have laid their filthy hands on her." The incident occurred the night before the last. While the trails should still be quite fresh, that does mean I don't have many leads for you to follow. In fact, I have only one real lead for you. There was another couple who had been walking the same path that I had just the day before. They were similarly attacked. The bastards took his wife too, but he put up more of a fight than I had been able to. He resisted long enough to get a good look at the scum and the setup of their ambush."(picked a piece of paper out from the mess sprawled on a nearby table. He unfolded the single page, revealing a sketched drawing of a draw. Even considering his obvious heritage the draw had long ears. They tapered gently and pointed straight to the sky. He had a strikingly square jaw and chin, as well as sharp cheek bones, and his sunken white eyes were void of any iris or pupil. While presenting the sketch, Fabian pointed to a map spread out on a table between him and the rest of the room. He indicated a particular wooded path that passes from But to a nearby winery. The path isn't very long, a 20-minute walk at a moderate pace, but the particular bend pointed out juts somewhat out of the way into a rather dense grove. "And there's where they caught us, apparently. My recollection of the event is hazy at best, but the one who had that sketch put together says that's the spot." He refolded the sketch and handed it to whomever was the quickest to grab it. "He says they headed in this direction with his wife." He added, gesturing a line that bisects the curve in the road and heads out its convex side." Unfortunately, that's all I have for you to start with. I would suggest that you'd all be best to figure this thing out together. I don't care to what person or persons I pay this out to in the end, but I'd wager it's not going t be any of you if you all try to handle it alone." There was a quiet pause before Fabian, with a small eruption, added "Now, I have more leads to investigate, so, if there aren't any questions, get to it." He shooed his audience away and turned to leave in the other direction, pausing only briefly to allow questions to catch him. (Ever mead(#msg15653932)HP:current/max AC:15 Saves:Fort +8, Ref +6 Will +5 Resistances/Immunities:Immune to Sleep, +2 vs. charm. Senses:Low Light Vision Notes:"Well, Arty," Ionic Ever mead favored the androgynous animal with a warm smile, "Seems we finally get to work together on your mission. Have you met Wren?" The golden haired beauty flashed the swashbuckler a smile, pink lips forming a kissable cupid's bow. "Funny story, when I first met Wren I thought she was a simple tailor... Well, a tailor who can enchant a dress is hardly simple, but we hit it off while standing in line to make a bid on some highly enchantable silks. It was only a few weeks later when we got together for drinks and chowder and some bully boys under the influence of an on put their hands where they didn't belong that I discovered how devastating she is with that rapier." The elf girl regarded their employer with a soothing smile. "Thank you for this opportunity, Goodman Means. We won't let you down." (to the post with your character's sheet)HP:51/51AC:22 Saves:Fort +5 Ref +12 Will +8 Resistances/Immunities:+2 to disbelieve illusion; +2 vs enchantment Senses:dark vision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +15 Notes:N/Well, this was a fine mess. Mark mulled it over as he downed the last of the alchemist's kindness he'd taken this morning, lurking in the darkest available corner of the side room. (Mental note: three doses left.) Had he just been fooling himself this whole time, telling himself he was out of the adventuring game? That he was an information broker now? It just had to be the tavern he happened to be haunting that pretty little Artemis Fallbrook had to saunter into. And, okay, yeah, sure, he could have walked, when he realized this wasn't going to be the kind of job where he just reported back his findings, when it was clear that Arty was gonnadosomething about what they'd uncovered. He could have let the necromancer try to take down the draw slaver ring on his own with no backup because he wasn't patient enough to hire the muscle. (... No. No, he couldn't have.) He could have stopped it there, once the job was done. Didn't have to let a pretty face talk him into grabbing a drink together in celebration. It didn't take a genius to figure out how the night was going to go from there, if both of them were riding the high, if neither of them had their wits or inhibitions. (Not that Artemis reallyneededthe alcohol for that, judging by how he'd woken Mark up the next morning.) He really hadn't gotten that far away at all, for it all to crumble away so quickly. One step along that slippery slope, then another, then... He'd all but snarled at the half-orc recruiter for mistaking him for an adventurer – except. Except he heard what the job was. He knew who would take the job, whether he had backup or not. Fuck. He wanted to tell himself this would be the end of it. That once this job was over, he was out, whatever the fallout was. But that? Even in his head, that had the bitter sound of a lie. He'd always thought it would be a dame that would do him in. Should have had his guard up for boys as pretty as Arty, too. Too late now. From where he stood, he figured, he'd get a better chance of giving anyone who walked in a once-over before they could take the measure of him, and looking over both the broads that were at least interested enough to hear the man out, his lips twisted wryly. Well, no surprise he was going to be the ugly duckling of their little group. He'd known he wouldn't be short of eye candy with Arty around, but he didn't expect everyone who got roped into this to bethisgood looking. It was a little ridiculous, honestly. It would have been a little suspicious, even, honestly, but it wasn't like Mark himself fit the profile." I have questions," Mark very nearly growled, having organized his thoughts as he listened to the man's sob story." First, what means were used to subdue you? Second, tell us more about your wife. Describe her. What she was wearing, as well. Get us a sketch as well, if you can. It might be important to be able to recognize the person we're searching for." Suspicious, even, that they had a sketch of the perpetrator, but not the person they were to retrieve. "Third, was there anything on your wife of value? Fourth, you and your wife were alone? Fifth, who knew of your itinerary? Do you travel between But and your Château with any regularity, and if so, how regularly? Sixth, do you have any enemies, and what do they have to gain by you having your attention diverted right now? Seventh, doesshehave enemies, and would anyone benefit from having her out of the picture?" Would Fabian himself benefit from having her out of the picture? "Eighth, worst case scenario, would you still want her body brought back, even if she does not survive the hospitality of the dark elves?"Nonsense Motive result 12 (on Fabian. Of, natural 2. Not off to a great start, lads. Also, does he look injured in a way that matches his story? (Ever mead(#msg15653932)HP:current/max AC:15 Saves:Fort +8, Ref +6 Will +5 Resistances/Immunities:Immune to Sleep, +2 vs. charm. Senses:Low Light Vision Notes:Ionic Ever mead gave a quiet nod and listened. She wouldn't have thought to ask these questions, but the logic behind every one of them was clear to her, so she listened. ("Arty" Fallbrook(#msg15652157)HP:40 / 40AC:22TAC:14FFAC:18CMD:19Fort+4Ref:+6Will+6 Resistances / Immunities:Acid, Cold, Electricity 5 Senses:Dark vision 60 ft, Perception +10 Spells Remaining:1st:8 / 82nd:7 / 73rd:5 / 5Honestly, was there any question that Arty would join the hunt? Setting aside for a moment that helping people was what he did - that his entire reason for roaming the world was to right wrongs, fight injustice and help people rebel against oppression in all its forms - anybody who knew anything about him would know that he would be on the slightest whiff of Draw activity in a heartbeat. They'd taken everything from him, after all, his life, his family, his friends, his freedom...they'd tried to destroy everything good and pure about him and had chased him to the overworld into exile and danger. Of course, not all Draw were bad people; there were plenty of lower class Draw who simply struggled for a meager existence at the fringes of society, beneath the heels of their Noble masters. There were half-breeds and descendants and those simply unlucky enough to be born into a poor family that were pushed around and crushed into the dirt just as surely as any outsider or nonzero, who were not inherently evil but simply made cruel and savage by circumstance. The only way to survive in such a vicious land as the Underdark as a lower-caste was to become just as savage and brutal yourself. He didn't blame them. No, he blamed the people - the monsters- at the top. Those were the people he wanted - no, needed - to topple. Those were the people who needed to feel his wrath, and those were the people he wouldn't stop until he toppled. The people pushing down on the throats of those beneath them, the people who held whip and chain and collar against a populace with no Safe word. He tried to be cheerful and friendly and optimistic, and he tried to see the best in people despite everything he'd been through; after all, if you let the darkness in, that was when they won. When the corrupted who you were and turned you bitter against the world, when they managed to harden your heart and strip the wonder from your eyes, that was just another victory he refused to give them. But for the Draw who took pleasure in torture and oppression and murder and tyranny? He held nothing but contempt and vicious wrath. He knew some might call it toxic, some might consider it unhealthy or dangerous to hold on to such vengeance in his heart...but they hadn't seen what he had. They hadn't lived what he had. If vengeance was what drove him to topple them from their thrones, then vengeance he would use. So of course, upon learning of the Draw threat to the local area and the presence of asecondslavers ring, obviously Arty made a beeline for the meeting. He'd already broken up one, after all, and he couldn't leave the area without making sure that there wasn't another one causing trouble. It might just be cutting off the symptoms of the disease, but until he got stronger that was all he could do. And if he saved even one person by attacking the ends of the tendrils of this sprawling beast, then the effort was worth it. So he attended the meeting and listened closely, face intent and focused as he took in all the details possible. It sounded like a Draw MO - except the leaving of the husband alive, which was odd, but he supposed that an escape was possible if the Draw already had their prize - and he was eager to get to the scene of the crime in order to properly investigate. What was good, however, was that he recognized several of the bounty hunters in attendance! For one, there was Ionic and Wren, a pair of women he'd met individually in his travels and had fought alongside several times. He'd worried that he'd have to deal with this alone, but having those two backing him up? That was a welcome piece of news indeed. As the meeting wound down to a close, he pushed himself out of his chair and met the pair of women in the center of the floor, practically throwing himself into a hug as he wrapped his arms around Ionic's shoulders." Nia!" He declared with a grin, squeezing the even woman tightly."' S so good t' see ya again! How long's it been?" It must have been six months, at least. The last time he'd seen her, they'd helped topple a tyrannical Lord over in the River Kingdoms and install a republic in its place. They'd had to split up soon afterward to pursue different paths, but apparently fate had smiled on them and decided to reunite them sooner rather than later. He pressed a long-overdue kiss to her lips, pressing his soft pillow mouth against hers in a friendly, loving kiss that he'd wanted to do for months now. They'd never gotten overly frisky with each other, much to Arty's great regret, but they'd shared more than a few heavy takeout sessions, something that Arty had greatly missed during his lonely nights in the wilderness. He relished her lips for a few long moments, even going so far as to nibble at her lower one teasingly. His hand slipped into her hair, feeling her silken locks running through his fingers again and let out a hum of satisfaction as he did so. Alas, he couldn't spend all day enjoying her affection, so he reluctantly pulled away with a small smile." I managed t' hunt down that slaver ring we heard about. Just finished dealin' with 'em, actually! What a coincidence t' find ya here so soon." He gave a bright, brilliant, beaming smile, before turning his attention to Wren, another young woman he'd had the pleasure of getting to know soon after he'd escaped from the FAE who'd held him captive. It had been years since he'd seen her...but he still recognized that achingly beautiful face. He disentangled himself from Ionic and pulled the swashbuckler into a hug as well." And Kenny! It's so good t' see ya well. Still huntin' down a handsome hunk who c'n out fence ya?" He gave her a wink as he stepped away." I Was a bit worried I'd be doin' this on my own, but havin' you two here...it does my heart good. Y' have no idea how much I missed you two." He turned towards Fabian, opening his mouth to speak; there were several questions left to answer, several things that at least needed to be said. If anybody else knew the route, for example, when and where the attack was, any details about the ambush, whether he was injured past what he'd already divulged, if anything other than his wife had been taken, that sort of thing. Basic details for building a story and later reference. He'd learned that kind of suspicion in his latest escapade, when it turned out that a local noble had been behind the targeted abduction of his citizens by feeding information on dissidents to a local Draw crime lord. He'd paid good coin for that consultation, and it had been worth every penny...not least of all because it ended up in an exceptionally fun night with a man who was both grim and rugged and gritty sexy as hell who needed to unwind. Sure, he was scarred and grizzled and not what some people might consider handsome...but that was why Arty liked him. He had that weathered, experienced look to him. The look that said he'd seen the world, he'd experienced it first hand, he was worldly and wise and knew his shit. And there was nothing sexier than competence. Plus, his voice! Hearing it moaning his name, hearing it growling for him to take it like the little slut he was...the memory alone sent happy shudders down his spine. If he was being truthful, he craved Mark's hands on his body again soon, and it had only been maybe eight hours since they'd been grabbing at him last! What had he been thinking about again? Oh, right! The fact that Mark had taught him some important questions to ask, and that it never hurt to be suspicious of even the person making the request. Lies could get convoluted, after all, and it was important that you got everybody to commit to as many details as possible so you could catch them out with it later. Mark might not be a diplomatic sort, but his tongue was just as clever as an emissary's in more ways than one. So caught up in his memories of Mark from the previous few weeks was he that when he heard that familiar gravelly voice echoing across the room, he almost thought he imagined it. He blinked, looking around sharply, looking for that familiar looming, lurking form with his grave expression, his scarred face, his dour look and his oh so achingly rugged, well-worn armor. Sure enough...there he was. He'd seemingly appeared from nowhere, melting out of the side of the room and emerging from the milling crowd to give Fabian his customary third degree interrogation. Oh, the way he held himself when dealing with a suspect, the way his voice rumbled from his lungs with such confidence and authority... Arty could almost hear an echo of all the things he'd ordered him to do last night, and his knees went admittedly a little weak. He grinned, turning back to Ionic and Wren, clapping his hands happily." Oh! I know him! He looks scary, but believe me, he knows his stuff!" He laughed softly." He helped me destroy that slavers ring! Then I took him out for a drink and got him to destroy my ring, too." He gave them both a salacious, filthy wink, accompanied by an almost evilly mischievous chuckle." I'll be right back!"he declared, before bounding off in a happy skip to skirt the edge of the room. He came up to where Mark was standing like a blurring red hurricane - from the front rather than from behind; he'd learned his lesson the first time! - and launched himself into the older man's arms, throwing his hands around Mark's broad, powerful shoulders. Bending his knees, Arty lifted his lower legs up so that he was left dangling from Mark's body as he buried his face in the crook of Mark's shoulders." Daddy!" He declared with a loud, teasing laugh." You're taking the job too? That's awesome!" He grinned to himself, lifting his head up to press his lips against Mark's scarred cheek. He knew the older man was sensitive about it, which was why Arty made damn sure to show it just as much affection as the rest of him whenever he had the chance!" I was just thinking 'bout how much I'd love t' spend some more quality time wit' y'." He let out the statement in a whispering almost-purr directly into Mark's ear." Sounds like the' Gods heard my fervent fantasia', eh?" He paused for a moment, then realized with a belated flush of embarrassment that he'd just interrupted Mark's interrogation. He turned his head to look at Fabian as casually and matter-of-factly as he could, then back at Mark." Oh! Right! Sorry, Daddy. Don't mind me." He gave Mark a teasing, flirtatious smile, then lifted his legs up to hook around Mark's waist. Once he was securely fastened, he dropped his body low and ducked beneath Mark's arm, his hands shifting and scrambling for purchase as he pulled his lower body around his Daddy's waist as if he were climbing a pillar of rock, or a climbing frame or something. After a few moments of scrambling, chaotic repositioning, his legs ended up locked around the front of Mark's waist, his body pressed up against his back and his face resting happily over his shoulder. One hand lay draped over his chest, the other idly playing with the edge of Mark's bandana." Right! What're you waitin' for? Work your magic, babe." He gave Mark a grin, then fixed Fabian with his best intimidating glare. Granted, it likely didn't do much given that he was now being given a piggyback, but...well, it was better than nothing, right? (Art (Optional))Name[/b Wren DeMarco] (#msg15652195)HP: 60/60 AC: 223 Saves: Fort +7, Ref +9 Will +4 Resistances/Immunities: Include if any Senses: immunity to sleep and resistant to charm effects O)+2).special senses (low light vision and dark vision (60’).) Notes: NoNWren had stepped off of the gang-plank literately just an hour before. Now, she was sitting in aback room of a bar, listening to this man who lost his wife and, apparently, not man enough to do the job himself. Not that she was complaining; such men are why she has a job and income in days of boredom and mischief. On the other hand, she did see a couple of faces that she recognisedfrom past jobs, so she would at least have someone to talk to between the fun stuff. When the lecture about the fore mentioned job was done, she was about to ask a question when someone spoke up from a quasi-dark corner... weird, if you asked her, but as no one was asking her, she kept it to herself. Instead, once he was done asking, she looked back, "Is the city guard getting involved? That sounded like a lawyer.: She chuckled and rose to approach her friends. "We're alread6 net, and I'm not a seamstress; there was as NYC blood in those stitches as thread." She grinned and gave her a hug, "How's life been treating you, Hun?" Wren returned to hug forty, going so far as to give him a light kiss before she let limbo, "You be good, or I'll have to spank you, and if you stain my leggings, I'll cover you with perfume and tie you to a lamp post with a sign that says, '2 hoppers for a good time'" Fabian stopped in his tracks, flashed an impatient grimace, and finally turned to face Mark's sudden interrogation. It seemed he made an effort to avert his gaze from the flirtatious reunions blooming around him and instead made focused eye contact with Mark as he absorbed his questions. After hearing the last of the questions he cleared his throat before providing his response." I don't have a very good recollection of the night as a whole. My wife and I were quite inebriated on our way back from the Château Touraine." He paused, began to say something, and then instead said, "It's a winery, after all. I only remember a general feeling of being attacked. I didn't come out of it with any stab or cut wounds. But I am quite bruised up. I really only remember fearing for my Beta's safety." I have a portrait of my wife being brought as soon as possible. Unfortunately, I have quite the case of phantasma. I can tell you she has long blonde hair, a small nose, slightly sunken eyes, and complexion similar to mine, but I've only memorized those facts. I just could not guide an artist to recreate her faithfully." Fabian slightly shifted his otherwise steady stance. "I would appreciate status updates in any case. If you do get anywhere, you'd be best to return anyhow. You can ask Talk, the half-orc out front, if you need to reach me." My wife and I were alone. We had some jewelry and clothes that were not inexpensive, but nothing in particular. Not even my wife and I knew specifically our itinerary that night. It was the first time we had visited the Château in years. As a politician, it's simply not possible for my wife and I to not have at least some enemies, but I would know if this was one of them. The town guard has been doing their best, but it's not their duty to pursued row, only to keep them away." Sabian took a small breather before answering Mark's final question. It would be a very impressive performance if he truly did not love his wife. "We don't need to think about that." His stern gaze finally broke and panned to the floor. "But yes. If that's how it must be. Is there anything else?"Bookmark doesn't notice any odd mannerisms or any other sort of tells from Fabian. Upon a closer look he does seem to have a decent bruise on his forehead somewhat hidden behind his hair, but he doesn't look very beat up. Though, he isn't showing much skin. (Ever mead(#msg15653932)HP:current/max AC:15 Saves:Fort +8, Ref +6 Will +5 Resistances/Immunities:Immune to Sleep, +2 vs. charm. Senses:Low Light Vision Notes:Ionic marred happily into Arty's lips. Arty was one of her favorite girlfriends, so soft and sweet and energetic and playful and deliciously wicked. The golden haired girl's fingers tangled in the redhead's silky tresses. She gave a little moan, then let the kiss break. "Mmm... I've missed you so much, Arty. I'm really glad you broke that slave ring. Furthermore, I really had to help that girl get back to the Glenwood. She was just 77. A kid like that would never make it alone! And her parents helped me get some spells for my book." She paid full attention to Fabian when he spoke again. “Thank you for your thorough answers, sir. When can we expect the portrait? We may have to come back to town for it.” (to the post with your character's sheet)HP:51/51AC:22 Saves:Fort +5 Ref +12 Will +8 Resistances/Immunities:+2 to disbelieve illusion; +2 vs enchantment Senses:dark vision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +15 Notes:N/Smirk's train of thought was thoroughly derailed as the basilar he'd woken up launched himself at the half-elf like a bolt from a crossbow. In hindsight, while lurking in the corner had given him a good spot to observe everyone from, he had, quite literally, backed himself into a corner. And while his reflexes were fast enough that he had at least a fifty shot of getting clear in time, that was only true if he'd made a snap decision. The fact that he needed even a moment to decide whether to let himself be clomped or not sealed his fate – Artemis was clearly utterly devoid of such equivocations. And just in case that weren't enough, the necromancer was no less shy about... well, just about anything else. The onslaught of affection was something Mark wasn't accustomed to, save when he paid for soft company with the coin he earned, and even then, he never asked for or received any such gestures to the scarred side of his face. The attention made his ears go pink, so much so he felt sure they'd glow in the dark, despite his best efforts to school his expression. How had theyevermanaged to get anything done in the first place again? (Well, other than each other...) Still, he couldn'tquivering himself to discourage Artemis, and the necromancer did have enough sense, surprisingly, to settle down... somewhat. Despite the awareness of just how close Artemis' lips were to his ear, he attempted to regain his focus, taking a steadying breath as he committed to memory Fabian's answers. The truth of the matter was that, in a world such as theirs, it would be an easy thing to acquire a little magic that could make a kidnapper look like a draw slaver, and by the time anyone caught onto the fact that things weren't as they seemed, well, the trail would be cold as the Crown of the World. It was entirely possible that this was exactly what it seemed to be... but Mark would have rather looked like a fool for at least vetting what might seem like a far-fetched notion than fail to even ask the questions that might get him to the truth of the matter." A question for the group, first – I'm unfamiliar with the skill sets of the ladies, but if either of you are good with animals or divination magic, I'd like to know – if so, I'd like to request a personal item of the Lady Means." For a bloodhound or for crying. He turned his attention back to Fabian, once that was addressed. "Additionally, I would ask you if there is anything about your wife other than her connection to you that would make her... valuable. A little talent for magic, for instance, or a storied bloodline. Even if it wasn't anything more than a story passed through the family that no one really believed." ("Arty" Fallbrook(#msg15652157)HP:40 / 40AC:22TAC:14FFAC:18CMD:19Fort+4Ref:+6Will+6 Resistances / Immunities:Acid, Cold, Electricity 5 Senses:Dark vision 60 ft, Perception +10 Spells Remaining:1st:8 / 82nd:7 / 73rd:5 / 5Mirk's questions were, of course, perfectly reasonable, but he knew the dour sourpuss well enough by now to know that no amount of reasonable answers would reduce his suspicion. He was an investigator, after all, a detective extraordinaire! What kind of lead chasing, cynical-thinking hard-boiled detective would he be if he took everybody at face value? It was a tough way to live, obviously, but then that was often the problem with having experience. It made you tougher, stronger, faster, smarter...but too often, those experiences weren't exactly pleasant. Every physical boon you got often came with an emotional scar. Mark had never talked about it, but it was clear that he was - for example - extremely self-conscious about his scar. Now, Arty thought it added character. It added depth. It added experience and a rugged edge to the life story that was his weathered visage. But clearly, Mark didn't view it that way. He saw it as an embarrassment, or perhaps a reminder of something he would very much rather forget. That was a little silly in Arty's mind, of course - anything you had a scar from was clearly something that had failed to kill you, which was something to be proud of - but he wasn't so arrogant as to say that everybody should see things the way he did. So all he could do was make sure that Mark knew that Arty found him attractive in Pareto the scar and notdespiteit. Hence, the kiss. But that didn't mean that Arty wasn't focused on what was going on at that moment. His exuberance at meeting old friends aside, theydidhave a more pressing matter to attend to, and one that did not deserve to be treated like an afterthought or a joke. Granted, he was currently latched onto Mark's back like a monkey, but that did not mean that he was in any way happy about why they were there. Mark needed affection - that much was obvious - but even from Arty's position on his back, he was giving it a great deal of thought. In his experience, Draw kidnappings only ever really had three motivations; money, revenge or power. It was that simple. Draw either captured surface-dwellers to sell them as slaves, for use in rituals or deals to get themselves more power, or because they'd been wronged somehow. The last one didn't seem likely - if Fabian was to be believed, they had no contact with Draw or other unsavory characters - which left money or power. The obvious answer was simply that she was a target of opportunity, but he had to admit that Mark's suspicion seemed reasonable at least. There were surely easier targets than a traveling noble, and if they were going to capture a Lady, why not kill the Lord and cover their tracks? Arrogance? Possibly, Draw were as a society very self-confident. But maybe...it could be something more. He hummed to himself and looked at Fabian. His friends' questions could be answered a little later, once they were on the road properly and had a chance to step outside away from prying ears. They could catch up over a campfire or something. Right now, it was questioning time. Though he had to admit, the image of being punished by a certain sexy half-elf was definitely not far from his mind as he did so!" Did the' attackers say anythin' t' ya, before they left?" A long shot, but you never knew with Draw; arrogance came hand in hand with narcissism, and he'd known a fair few Draw who liked to gloat and posture in victory a little too much." Have there been any other victims lately? If so, 're they anybody y'r missus knows? Member there are similarities in appearance or occupation?" It was tricky, thinking of questions that might connect the dots. Honestly, it might just be that the only way they could get answers would be to actually find the slavers and ask them themselves, before putting them to death for their crimes. He pulled a contemplative expression, then turned his head to look at Mark." If worst comes t' worst, I ain't bad wit' animals. I'm sure I c'n get a trained dog t' sniff out a trail, at the' very least." He hoped so, anyway. He wasn't about to stop a rampaging bear, but...well, maybe he could get a dog to follow a scent, though perhaps a spell or two would be necessary to give himself a fighting chance. Yes, he kind of wanted to show off to Mark, but that was beside the point! After all, he'd already let him clamber all over him, so clearly he had a soft spot for him. Arty already knew he had a hard spot too, of course, but they'd talk aboutthatlater. For now, they needed to get as much info as possible, and then...then they'd set out to hunt down those bastard slavers and make them pay. Arty wanted to reform Draw society as Plan A, but if that didn't work...well, he'd kill them all one at a time if he had to. That much, he could promise with absolute certainty. Peering back up and now over to Ionic, Fabian answered, "The portrait should be a couple of days. The courier could probably have it in late tomorrow," It seemed that Fabian shook himself out some bad thoughts as he continued in an unusually snappy manner, "but I didn't tell him I was going to pay him less otherwise." The nobleman looked again to Mark. "My wife has no magical talent or magical bloodline of any sort, nor anything else of the sort I can think of. She is of noble blood, but blood no more important than mine. Between myself and her family, there would be quite a ransom to be asked, but I don't think we'll be so lucky." He continued to follow the questions down to the shorter one he silently thought sounded a little strange. Though that might be a good omen when it came to adventurers, he thought. "The attackers didn't say much of anything. There was a thing or two in undercommon, but I wouldn't be able to tell you what any of it meant." Fabian seemed to actually appreciate the last question he was asked. "Draw take victims far too regularly around here. I'm not sure about any similarities my Beta may have with the other victims, but when you return to see the portrait I'll make sure to double-check that idea for you. I wouldn't be surprised if some sick slaver is trying to complete some sort of collection." Fabian gazed around the room, at this point he was expecting another question. (Ever mead(#msg15653932)HP:50/50AC:15 Saves:Fort +8, Ref +6 Will +5 Resistances/Immunities:Immune to Sleep, +2 vs. charm. Senses:Low Light Vision Notes:Ionic looked around too. She was ready to jump right in, but whenever one of her friends brought up a question she found it relevant, so she waited to hear if there were anymore. (+5 Ref +12 Will +8 Resistances/Immunities:+2 to disbelieve illusion; +2 vs enchantment Senses:dark vision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +15 Extracts Remaining:1st: 5/52nd: 4/4If Fabian was going to anticipate more questions, Mark was if not happy to supply them, then at least willing to oblige. "I'd ask if you happened to have caught the name of the other victim or her husband, but I think that should cover the preliminary inquiry. Unless my colleagues would like to supply any further inquiries?" Mirk waited until any others had gotten their questions in, even waited until Fabian wasn't two steps from the door before speaking up again." Ah – Sir? One last thing I'd almost forgotten..." Mark hadn't forgotten, not for a second. Was he being a little dramatic, holding onto that question for last? Well, yes. Yes, he was." You said you had only one real lead for us, the other couple you mentioned, correct? However... I believe the last thing you said as you were wrapping up, before we started asking questions, was that you hadmoreleads to investigate?"Should I use the same Sense Motive from earlier for this, or should I roll a second time? Name: Wren DeMarco (#msg15652195)HP:60/60AC:23 Saves:Fort +7, Ref +9 Will +4 Resistances/Immunities:Immunity to sleep and +2 vs. Enchantment effects Senses:low light vision and dark vision (60’)Notes:Nothing at the moment! Wren had been listening to the questions and answers as she got reacquainted with old friends, waiting for a pause in the back and forth to ask her own question, only one question to begin with. As the employer started to leave, she and Mere asked a question almost at the same moment, "What was your wife wearing, exactly? Be as precise as you can," She angled her head slightly as she continued. "There must be a reason for the Draw to pick her out... and a reason why you aren't dead." she looked questioningly at him for a few moments, "The Draw aren't known for leaving witnesses to tell anyone that they're in the area. It's very unusual for them to be so sloppy... in fact, were you injured at all?" (Ever mead(#msg15653932)HP:current/max AC:15 Saves:Fort +8, Ref +6 Will +5 Resistances/Immunities:Immune to Sleep, +2 vs. charm. Senses:Low Light Vision Notes:Ionic bit her lower lip thoughtfully, "I've got all this. Fabian was very well into his cups and he was hit repeatedly with a blunt instrument. Fabian is still bruised but not possessed of major or lasting injuries." Sabian fell and was left for dead. He and his wife were the only potential victims on the road at that time." Sabian contacted another man who'd lost a loved one to draw in that region. That man had better memories of the events and had an artist make a sketch of the draw." Though we could contact these other victims, Fabian has given us the location of the attack. I believe he hopes we will go there and follow the tracks of his attackers--ranger style." When he says he has other leads, he means that he intends to keep hiring adventurer's 'til he gets his wife back, so we'd best get started if we want to be the ones to receive that truly delightful sum and not the other 'leads' he is pursuing." Name: Wren DeMarco (#msg15652195)HP:60/60AC:23 Saves:Fort +7, Ref +9 Will +4 Resistances/Immunities:Immunity to sleep and +2 vs. Enchantment effects Senses:low light vision and dark vision (60’)Notes:Nothing at the moment!wren closed her eyes for a moment and reopened them a few seconds later, "Ionic, Darling, I appreciate the recap; I'm trying to draw out information that the good fellow may not realize that he has. By learning details such as what his wife was carrying, or wearing, we may be able to establish a motive, a pattern of behavior, perhaps even why they are selecting the women that they are taking." Wren gave Ionic a warm smile, "The Draw aren't taking every woman who walks that path or the city would be in more of an uproar, you would be hearing it on the streets and there would be more of an effort to find them... so, why her, why this other fellow's wife, but not the ones who aren't being taken ? It may also give us some hope that they aren't merely a band of raiders looking for some loot... That reminds me, Good Sir, did they take anything, coin and the like you had with you? "I'm sorry to say, but I don't have a very good memory of what happened. Between the alcohol and a good blow to the head," Fabian pulled his somewhat unkempt hair from his forehead revealing a sizable bruise, "I just don't have a very good recollection of the situation." He pondered for a brief moment as he released his hair. "My wife was wearing a long green dress and a good amount of mostly golden jewelry. A necklace depicting Radar's golden key and some bangles and whatnot." Fabian turned his focus to Wren in particular. "As well as the bruise on my forehead I have some welts here and there. I don't think I was cut anywhere, and I also don't think anything was taken from me. If I'm not misremembering, it almost seemed as if they were in a hurry." Sabian then turned to address Ionic and Mark's comments and questions. "While I do plan on getting as many bodies I can try to solve this, you're all the first ones to show serious interest in getting to the bottom of it. If you're truly concerned about losing the sum to some other group, I would have no issue with you showing up to study those who come to future sessions." Fabian turned specifically toward Mark and gave him a stern look. "The leads I have to look into on my own would be no help to you. These require both my influence and my affluence to pursue. I assure you I'm not withholding from you anything you'd need to know." Fabian released a small huff and eased his intense gaze. "Speaking of those things, I would like to get to them. I think it would be best for you to find whatever you can and come with more questions when you come to see the portrait." Nonsense Motive result 24 (( Ever mead(#msg15653932)HP:current/max AC:15 Saves:Fort +8, Ref +6 Will +5 Resistances/Immunities:Immune to Sleep, +2 vs. charm. Senses:Low Light Vision Notes:Ionic a moment longer, then nodded. "All right then, let's get going. I'd like to start looking for the tracks before they get any older. Even for my eyes, it's easier to track by day, so let's get started. If you're not ready to head out immediately, I'll meet you at the city gate in two hours." (+5 Ref +12 Will +8 Resistances/Immunities:+2 to disbelieve illusion; +2 vs enchantment Senses:dark vision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +15 Extracts Remaining:1st: 5/52nd: 4/4Mirk's eyes narrowed, the line of his lips tightening faintly. "... I don't think you're lying to me, sir, but Nothing you're withholding information you think we'd probably want to know." And Mark had just made a point of broadcasting that to those he'd be working with. Did he think whatever Fabian was holding back would break the case wide open? No. But Mark would rather be the judge of that for himself than let Fabian make that decision on his own. He could only hope that Arty and the ladies would be willing to back him up, though at the very least, he didn't think the case would be insurmountable without whatever Fabian was holding back.Natural 20 on the Diplomacy roll for a result of 30 (attempting to convince him to spill. As Mark pushed for answers Fabian's expression slowly shifted towards one of discomfort. He listened intently to what Mark had to say. He stood in silence briefly as he seemed to consider Mark's accusation. Furthermore, he opened his mouth to speak but paused again before he had said anything. Furthermore, he looked toward the fully-plated figure who had so far stood quietly beside him. For the first time since Fabian entered the room the armored figure spoke. His voice was somewhat caught within his full helmet. "Mister Means is finished with the session. He thanks you for your attendance." The plated character released a hand from his weapon and quickly ushered Fabian from the room, shutting the door behind them on their way out. Quote from: Muse on 20-01-2021, 21:57:47(Ever mead (#msg15653932)HP: current/max AC: 15 Saves: Fort +8, Ref +6 Will +5 Resistances/Immunities: Immune to Sleep, +2 vs. charm. Senses: Low Light Vision Notes: Ionic a moment longer, then nodded. "All right then, let's get going. I'd like to start looking for the tracks before they get any older. Even for my eyes, it's easier to track by day, so let's get started. If you're not ready to head out immediately, I'll meet you at the city gate in two hours." (+5 Ref +12 Will +8 Resistances/Immunities:+2 to disbelieve illusion; +2 vs enchantment Senses:dark vision 60 ft., low-light vision; Perception +15 Extracts Remaining:1st: 5/52nd: 4/4It didn't surprise Mark that their employer withheld the information – if no one withheld information, well, he wouldn't have much of a job, would he? The question he raised was like an itch Mark couldn't quite reach... but that wasn't entirely a bad thing – it would keep him from forgetting about it. Hopefully it wasn't anything key – at least, their employer didn't seem to think it would be key, but whatever it was, Mark had a feeling it meant there would be a nasty surprise for them somewhere down the road. If he was a little disappointed by anything, it was that Arty hadn't bothered to pipe up to coax more out of Fabian... but, well, maybe it hadn't been fair to expect that of him. It wasn't like they'd known one another that long. And while Mark wasn't generally inclined to be charitable... he could, at least, picture Arty believing Mark had it well enough in hand that he felt stepping in wouldn't make a difference." I can be ready within ten minutes. If anyone would like me to prepare anything for them, speak now. I have formulae that can extend your reach, that can grant invisibility, that cant perceive the invisible, that can toughen the flesh, that can disguise your form with that of another humanoid..." Mark explained the full breadth of his options as he drew out his formula book and began to prepare. When he was done, he headed together with the others for the city gate. ("Arty" Fallbrook(#msg15652157)HP:40 / 40AC:22TAC:14FFAC:18CMD:19Fort+4Ref:+6Will+6 Resistances / Immunities:Acid, Cold, Electricity 5 Senses:Dark vision 60 ft, Perception +10 Spells Remaining:1st:8 / 82nd:7 / 73rd:5 / 5Beyond that initial burst of questions, honestly, Arty was rather tapped out. He wasn't particularly experienced with interrogating people who he wasn'allowed to bewitch, seduce or torture - none of the above would generally be looked upon favorably given that the target of the suspicion was their employer! - and honestly, he didn't imagine that it would make sense for Fabian to be involved in the way Mark was apparently considering. It was his wife, for one thing! Yes, people got rid of troublesome spouses all the time, but his distress seemed genuine and going out of his way to hire several groups of adventurers to find her and bring her back home was not the action of a man looking to cover his tracks. It would have been cleverer to hire a band of mercenaries who you could be reasonably certain would fail for some reason or another, rather than throwing it to pot luck in the hopes that every group that was interested would end up being incompetent. Or hell, if he was behind it, kill her himself, claim that draw raiders had done it and haul her corpse back to town for a funeral. Easy as that. For the moment, until more evidence came to light...he didn't think it ridiculous or naive to - preliminarily - take Fabian at his word. He gave Mark a sidelong look as Fabian left, then nudged him in the side with his knee." Coulda been nicer,"he murmured softly." Even if y're suspicious've him, now he knows y're suspicious, yeah? If he did have somethin' t' do with it, now he's going to be extra careful. Or try'n murder y' in your sleep." His lips pulled into a frown, before he shook his head - red hair flowing behind him - and nestled in tighter to Mark's back, clamping down with his legs and arms around Mark's body." I don't have any specific requests,"he mused softly,"Though tougher skin could help if we run into pasties. D'ya have anything that can handle poisons? Draw are vicious bastards 'n if they hit ya with anythin', chances are it's poisoned." He wasn't one to swear very often - ever, really - but Draw? Draw in particular got his hackles up something fierce." Ionia's right, though. We should get movin' soon. My eyes're perfectly happy in the' dark, but I reckon you lot are probably better at trackin' than I am." He blushed softly with a smile, then turned his head and kissed Mark's cheek." So don't take too long, ok Daddy~? If y' play nice wit' my friends, I'll make sure t' thank y' properly." He gave Mark a broad, sparkling grin, tinged with just a little bit of mischief. They both knew what his "thanks" was going to be like, after all. Personally, Arty couldn't wait. It had been less than a day since they last connected, and already Arty knew he wanted a repeat. But Daddy would have to work to earn it! Arty wasn'ttthateasy of a slut, after all. Ok, that was a lie, he was. But he couldn't let peopleknowthat, now, could he? That would just be absurd! A boy had to havesomemystique, now, didn't he? (Ever mead(#msg15653932)HP:current/max AC:15 Saves:Fort +8, Ref +6 Will +5 Resistances/Immunities:Immune to Sleep, +2 vs. charm. Senses:Low Light Vision Notes:"Toughening my flesh would be very much appreciated," Ionic replied. "I don't have anything direct to offer you in return, but I have a combat spell that can make our whole group briefly much faster. It's called Haste. I'll use my best judgement on when we need it, Mark, but if you think I'm missing the opportune moment, call out to me by name and tell me, "Licorice."

Into the Darklands - IC|rating:3.0

Flower on the Grave (Kyrsa & DotA)

(found herself dreaming about boys again. It was innocent enough, just generic males from the magazines her mother kept around the farmhouse, mixed with some of the older guys from her school. Sweet little nothing's like a hand-holding walk through the park, or eating a picnic lunch under an old, gnarled oak, stealing away the occasional kiss. Mostly nondescript, athletic, muscular, handsomeboys. And a few girls thrown in here and there, because why not? She was an adventurous girl, and had a few types of lovely ladies she wouldn’t mind warming the sheets with. Not that she had any experience with that sort of stuff. Haley hardly had the chance to experiment. Partially due to lack of willing subjects. Partially because of the state of the world. But she didn’t ever like to think about that. The world was a big place, full of terrifying demons and nasty ghouls of people. Innocence was bliss, as they said, and in Haley’s case, that was all too true. Dreams were so much more pleasant, because anything could happen, and it was nice to believe the world could have its fair share of beauty. There was one pervasive boy, who invaded her dreams constantly. James. The boy who had arrived at the farm… well she really didn’t know when. Or care. He was there and from her perspective, he really shouldn’t ever leave. What did she know? She was just the cheerleader, so moral wouldn’t drop to an all-time low. James. James, James, James. He was exactly the kind of boy she was interested all too much in. So it was inevitable that he was sometimes the one pampering her like the beautiful princess she deserved to be pampered as. That he was the one gracing her lips with soft kisses and her face gentle caresses. He was the boy sitting with her on the red-and-white plaid blanket with the woven basket full of food. He was the one holding her hand in the park. Furthermore, he was the one protecting her from the evils of the real world. Or so her dreams would have her believe. Really, they were merely friends. That was her sad reality. She knew him well enough as the few minutes each day they had free to chat would allow. There was hardly a driving force for either of them to hook up. They were busy with duties, and there wasn’t time for love on the farm. Not when they were young and healthy. But Haley could’ve sworn that Mark, her 20-year-old brother, assigned James work that would specifically put her out of his reach for as long as possible. He was so overprotective of her, it was painful! And it certainly wasn’t fair. How could he do that to her? Take the only boy even close to her age and set him as far away from her as possible, only to torture her more by putting him in the downstairs foyer on the pullout mattress with another person in the same bed, and then yet another person on the floor? Haley wished she could just make all the world’s problems disappear. To have them go *poof* and then she would be alone with James and… Gunshots. She heard them and immediately sprung up from her queen-sized bed. The crackle was often heard in the distance, putting down a monster that got to close to the property line. But this one was way too close. Then more sounded off, like loud claps of explosive thunder, jolting the skittish brunette with every shot. She rushed to the window and saw teems of the hellish monsters stumbling around like a swarm of locusts in the distance. People scrambled around in the yard, grabbing weapons for defense. But it was hopeless. She already knew. Mark and she had already devised an escape plan if this happened. Canned goods, a lever-action .308, a few boxes of spare ammo, a first-aid kit, and a jumbo sleeping bag. Stored in a closet downstairs next to the back door, stuffed in a cupboard. With a sniffle of sorrow, she began to pack a small backpack full of things she thought were important: A locket from Mother, a silver watch, and survival knife from Daddy. Then she rushed downstairs and out to the front yard, instead of meeting with Mark at the backdoor to escape. Good thing she always slept dressed. That wasn’t important to her though. She had to warn James. She had to! At least to get him with her, if not for her sake, maybe to torture Mark a little. It made her chuckle a little, thinking about how she could torment her sibling like that. Then again, how could she do that to James? Mark would always be at his throat for even thinking about looking at Haley. She already envisioned their little party venturing forth with dirty looks and sneaking away to make love in dark corners. Hormones sure had their way with Haley’s thought process… Mark had James out in the field, tending to the corn crops, which was northeast of the bulk of the herd. There was a good chance he was alive, so Haley hopped on the four-wheeler and drove the ATV as quickly as possible towards the boy she was so worried about. When she saw him fending off a shambles or two, she gasped loudly at his predicament, cutting the engine to coast towards him. “Hey!” She shouted, “Hey, James! Meet me at the house, back door inside the kitchen! We have a safe way out!” With that, she turned the ATV around and sped back towards the house, covering the not-so-far-as-she-thought distance back to the house where walkers were already spilling into the fences. People were getting frightened. Rightfully so, however it was not doing morale any good. Haley rushed back into the house, shouting at anyone she saw to meet her by the back door if they wanted to live, and fetched the supplies from the cupboard, waiting for James and Mark to come. Little did she know was that Mark would never get there. He was with two other men, a middle-aged one, and a father ex-communicated and divorced from his ex and son. Haley wasn’t aware that their side of the fence was getting overrun, and all the men were going down. Walkers swarmed the other two men, and one sunk its teeth into Mark’s leg. Falling over in agony, the walker continued to ravage his leg. He would die without his sister ever knowing his fate. Perhaps others would escape, but Mark would not be one of those people. Three people, other than James, showed within fifteen minutes, a little anxious to get out of the doomed farm. A blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman going by the name of Jenna, who looked to be in her early-thirties, wearing a dirty white tank-top and khakis. A bald man called Samuel in his fifties wearing similar to the woman, only with a loose sleeveless-jacket, baseball cap, and green camo patterns on the pants and jacket. Lastly, a 29-year-old farm hand named John, with curly orange hair and gray eyes, wearing overalls and a plaid red shirt, wielding a pitchfork. Haley herself was dressed in a pair of tight-fitting jeans, leather boots, an olive button-down, and a white tank-top underneath. All their clothes were varying degrees of dirtiness, Haley’s being the cleanliest.“Are we going to get going soon?” Samuel whined, “I’m too old for this shit.” John sighed and looked from Samuel to Haley, shrugging.“No, we have to wait for Mark and James!” Haley said back.“And any others who might be still alive,” John added.‘This is stupid,” Jenna huffed, “We’re all going to die here because some teenage brat wanted to wait for some boys that are probably dead.”“Not true! We’ll make it, I swear! All of us, including James and Mark!” Haley retorted, a noticeable whine in her voice. Little did she know that what she said was already only half true. And it would continue to narrow… (wiped sweat from his brow before it could get into his eyes. He glanced towards the farmhouse and took a moment to roll his neck to relieve the ache. The corn was almost ready. Another couple of weeks and it would be ready for harvest, or so Mark told him. He'd been shown how to check the crops for pests, and he had spent the better part of the day in the field walking up and down the rows of corn with a hand pump pesticide sprayer. It was hard work, and he was pretty sure that Mark had given it to him for that exact reason. The man didn't like him much. The only reason he could come up with was Haley. Not that he'd done a single thing to make Mark hate him. He barely had time to talk to her, let alone do anything else. Not that he didn't think about it of course, he was a young man after all, and she was a pretty girl just about his age. Okay, so maybe he could see why Mark didn't like him. He spent his fair share of time thinking about her. What else was he supposed to do? No radio. No television. He'd read everything in the damn house at this point. He'd caught a glimpse of her once, half dressed when she didn't quite close the bathroom door all the way. That had been a good day. The only one he'd had in a long time it seemed. He was still thinking about that when his thoughts were interrupted by the loud crack of gunfire. He jerked in response and turned towards the sound. When he heard more shots, those seemingly from the direction of the house he dropped the sprayer and ran for the edge of the field, the corn too tall for him to see much of anything. He ran through the last of the corn and skidded to a halt, dirt kicked up around him. He couldn't see much, but even if he'd been able to his attention was focused on the two Walkers who turned towards him at the sound.“How the fuck did you get past the sentry?” he growled as he took the Bowie knife he always carried from the sheath clipped to his belt. He missed with his first strike at the sound of more gunfire, and he felt one of them grab the back of his shirt. The smell of them was almost overwhelming. None of them stayed very clean, but the smell of decaying flesh was strong enough he would have sworn he could taste it. He managed to stumble back just as someone called his name. He risked a quick glance, wide-eyed as he caught only half of what Haley said, and then he focused on the threat. It didn't matter what was going on back at the farm if he let one of the Walkers bite him. He managed to skip away from one of them and drive the knife into the skull of the other. Down one. The second one followed a minute later and he half collapsed against the nearby fence and stared at them for a long moment. He had to move. He wasn't safe. It sounded like a lot more of them had gotten through. He pushed away from the fence and vaulted over, then he ran. He was out of breath by the time he could see the barn, and it was complete chaos. More than one person was down, and he skirted around the Walkers as he ran for the house. They were fucked. They had to get out of there, there were too many of them. He almost tripped over a body and stopped only long enough to kick the walker who was feasting on it in the head and pick up the rifle. He didn't look back. Haley had said something about the back door, so that's where he headed. He expected to see a lot of people there, ready to run, and he was more than a little dismayed when he found only four. He skidded to a halt, the rifle in one had and the knife in another.“We need to go. Now. They're almost to the house,” he choked out between gasps for breath. “No one else is coming...” Haley was still arguing with the other people, all of whom wanted to get lost, with varying degrees of desire for that goal. She was firm in her want to wait for others though. She turned around when she heard a voice and smiled when she saw James. Relieved to see him at least, she relaxed a little. Until he gave her the news that nobody else was coming. First she shook her head, then sighed, trusting Jame's word. Why shouldn't she? He seemed more experienced with this sort of stuff anyway. "Then... then let's go. Follow me." She said softly, slinging the extra pack over her shoulder, taking the gun in her hands. With a deep breath, she then passed the gun to James. "You take this, please. I'm no good with guns." Then she turned to go, opening the back door. The other people started to file out after Haley, following her movements. The girl didn't say much else, letting her actions do the speaking, hoping the others would follow. Her legs picked up speed, carrying her quickly to a wooden fence, which she stopped to climb over. Next, she pointed towards a treeline and began running to it. She had no idea whether the others kept up at that point. Samuel fell behind considerably, his age giving him a stunt to mobility. John and Jenna were right behind her the whole way, trusting that Haley knew what she was doing. Her thoughts were on Mark, and his fate. What happened to him, if he made it out alive or not. She hadn't seen him go down, which was fortunate, because it would've traumatized her. He was not only her older brother, but also her protector. When their dad died, Mark had to console Haley for weeks before she would do anything productive. And still, that productivity was greatly decreased. Nothing could get her out of that rut, except for Mark who never gave up on her. Haley knew he would make it out alive. He had to. So that he could protect her, and so she could torment him about every little thing. Especially about James. If she got in good with him, she could torture Mark on a whole new level. They got to the treeline soon, and Haley stopped them to look back at the house. Walkers were swarming it, though they had not started to come their way. It seemed they stagnated around the house and yard. "Let's wait for Mark." Haley said, "He knows this is where we meet up. Just a little bit, please? I know he made it out!" Samuel had made it to the group, but he looked ready to pass out. The other two, Jenna and John seemed displeased, but caved. They could see they were no immediate danger for the time being. Jenna sat down and sighed, putting her face in her hands. John said he needed to take a leak and went into the forest to do so. Not knowing a walker was silently approaching him. James didn't seem to notice her hesitation. He took the gun she offered him and checked to make sure it was loaded, and the safety was on before he tucked it into the waist band of his jeans. He kept the rifle that he'd snatched up in his hands and took up the rear of the group. Furthermore, he was likely the fastest of them, which meant it was better for him to be at the back of the group so he didn't accidentally leave any of his companions behind. He vaulted the fence when they came to it and waited to help Samuel over. Furthermore, he kept one eye behind them and was the first to notice the horde overtaking the house. Furthermore, he glanced at Haley as he joined them at the treeline, barely winded. Furthermore, he knew that it was pointless, to wait. If Mark had survived he would have already been waiting for them. He never would have left Haley to flee on her own. She wasn't prepared for what was out there. She'd only seen bits and pieces of the world, while he'd watched it all change before he found the farm. He nodded, there was no harm in waiting a few minutes. He could be wrong, after all, but he didn't think he was. Haley was alone now, just like the rest of them. He wished he could change that, wished he could go back and look for Mark, but the gunshots had gone silent, and he'd only get himself killed if he went back now. James squatted down and watched the walkers, his face completely devoid of emotion. It wasn't that he didn't feel it. He just couldn't allow himself to show it. Not until they were somewhere safe, at least for the night. He didn't bother to glance at John as he headed further into the woods, his gaze was for Haley. He looked up at her and sighed.“Haley, we can't wait,” whatever he had been about to say was cut off by a man's scream. Before he realized that it had to be John he shot to his feet and crashed through the woods. Branches snapped as he pushed through them, but he knew what he would find. With a curse he gripped the rifle with both hands and smashed the butt of it into the head of the zombie who had taken a chunk out of John's shoulder. Two more hard strikes and the thing went still, the scent of decayed flesh strong as he turned back to John. If it had been in a hand, or foot he might have been able to cut it off and save the man, as it was, he was already dead.“Shit, Fuck,” John cursed as he tried to stop the flow of blood from his shoulder, his eyes wild with fear.”John….” James voice was quiet, but it cut through the other man's voice like a knife.“No. I'll be fine. I will...” John said, a plea in his voice that James couldn't afford to listen to. Somewhere deep down, Haley knew Mark was dead, or at least not going to be able to meet them there. He would want her to go on, to find a new safe spot to settle down. She knew he would also prefer she didn't pursue Mark, but now that was likely going to happen. She was already starting to build tears, and she needed a shoulder to lean on. Mark was usually that shoulder, but he wasn't going to be in her life anymore, and the list of people she could do that with was getting shorter and shorter. Haley looked down at him when James started talking to her. Haley's gaze shot up when she heard the scream, and stupidly followed James to where it came from. Slower as she was, she managed to catch up with him to see John in his predicament. And the way James solved his problem. Cowering, she screamed loudly and very high-pitched, seeing his wound and the amount of blood. It was true, she had never seen anyone bitten. She had to learn that the dead only stayed that way when you destroyed the brain, but she did not fully believe that bites were deadly. She rushed to the farmhand's side and began to fuss over him. Anxiously fretting without actually accomplishing anything. With a sudden thought, she took her shirt and unbuttoned it, leaving her only in the tank-top beneath. She wadded the shirt up and put it to John's neck. "M-maybe it'll be alright?" Haley whimpered. Then the shrubbery rustled and a very distressed Jenna, splattered with blood, ran out, a blood soaked knife in her hand. "They got Sam. Four of them jumped us. Went for the old bastard first. He's gone. Had to put him down myself." She stopped talking when she saw John wounded as well. "Shit... do you need a knife to end it?" She asked. Jenna was cut from a different cloth. She said she was from Texas, trying to get away. Seen a lot of shit, and knew how to handle herself. It was easy to see that she worked out and maintained an athletic figure. She knew the bites were fatal, and she knew it was better to end the suffering instead of letting the sickness take its course. Of course, now being the oldest survivor, she resented in the fact that she had to babysit teenagers. Jenna had said she was a high school teacher of biology in a past life, but it never really held water, since that never was a needed trait." No! He could make it!" Haley cried, putting pressure on John's wound to stop the bleeding. "Haley, people don't live through bites." Jenna said softly, "They never do. We should just end his pain." The blonde held out her knife to James, offering for him to do the deed. "End it, James. It's better that way." James flinched when Haley screamed behind him. He cursed under his breath and turned to shut her up before she brought the horde from the farmhouse down on them, but she slipped past him before he could stop her. He closed his eyes for a moment as she tried to staunch the flow of blood. Furthermore, he wasn't a coward, but he had no idea how to make her understand that John was completely fucked. There was nothing they could do for the man. He was about to tell her so when Jenna joined them, splattered with blood.“Fuck,” he decided to assume that Jenna had killed the other four. If not they would be on them soon enough after Haley's scream. Leave it to the girl from the South to leave any attempt for diplomacy in the dust. He cursed again and ran his fingers through his hair as he glared at Jenna. He wasn't even really mad at her. She was doing exactly what needed to be done, but he didn't have to like reality. He took the knife from her and flipped it in his hand so that the blade ran the length of his forearm instead of holding it where John could see it. He could tell that John knew he was a dead man. Furthermore, he'd let it happen, as long as James didn't make it worse than it had to be. Furthermore, he'd killed plenty of zombies, and one or two men, but he'd never had to kill someone he knew. Furthermore, he hoped he never did again.“Haley,” he said her name gently and motioned for her to come to him as he approached. “Go help Jenna. Make sure all the supplies are ready to go. We need to leave here as soon as that's done,” he told her – gave her a job to focus on. Something besides what was about to happen. He wouldn't do it while she watched. There was no point in that, it wouldn't teach her anything she didn't already know, and it could easily make her fear him. If he was going to keep her alive she couldn't fear him. He shot a glance at John and made a motion towards a thicker copse of trees where they could go to end it. “Come on, John. Let's go talk. I won't do anything until after we've both said our peace,” he told the man. "I..." Haley stammered, shaking her head, "I can't... I can't accept that." John sighed and put a hand on Haley's knee, eyes looking at her with a genuine softness. John was a lifelong friend. Older than her, yes, but he had grown up in the little downtown area of their little Podunk shopping center and his mother owned the only gas station in town. He had been working on their farm since he was 16, so they had long enough time to be friends. Just friends though. "Haley. There are some things we can't stop. People die. And now it's my time. I had a good run. It's my own fault too. Go. Let me go in peace." John seemed to know he was done for. No use fighting it. It'll only be harder if he did. Haley nodded and began to walk away, Jenna following. John looked at James with a smile after Jenna and Haley were out of earshot. "She's a nice girl, James. And it's easy to see that she likes you." He laughed and started coughing. "James... end it. I don't want to be a bigger burden than I already am at this point. Jenna walked silently with Haley, both females not knowing what to say. "Sometimes." Jenna started, "Sometimes these things happen because... well we can't control things. Haley, this world isn't safe anymore. You know that." Haley nodded slowly. "The bites are lethal. If it's on an arm or leg, we can cut it off, and maybe they survive. But John he's... doomed. There's no easy way to say it, I'm sorry. He's dead already. We'd just be making him suffer." Haley sighed. "I know. It's not fair though." Jenna nodded and shrugged, "Life isn't fair, Haley. It's the world we live in, now. Hey there are some berry bushes nearby. Why don't we take your mind off of this by picking some"After a short period of time, Jenna and Haley returned to where John was, with the supplies? Jenna was carrying the supplies and Haley had a few berries they had picked. They looked around for the two men, knowing they should really only be looking for one. "James?" Jenna called, "James, where are you?" James watched Haley and Jenna walk away while he fingered the knife absently. He didn't want to do what had to be done, but it was his job now. Jenna could have done it, but not Haley, and call it sexist, but he thought a man should be the one to take on that burden. It was one thing he could protect Haley from, because God knew he couldn't protect her from most of the other harsh realities of their situation. He glanced at John, and the worry on his face was momentarily replaced with thoughtfulness. He glanced back the way Haley and come and shook his head ruefully. “Figures I'd find a girl who was interested after the world ended.”“Come on, let's get away from here. I don't want them to have to… well, you know,” he said with a small shrug. He helped John through the trees, just far enough that his body wouldn't be seen when the women came back. At the last he let John walk ahead of him as if he were going to follow, but instead he carefully and quickly drove the blade in and upwards through the base of his skull. It was over in seconds, and he hoped there had been no pain. He stared at the body for what felt like a long time before he knelt and cleaned the blade on John's shirt. He checked his pockets to make sure he hadn't been carrying anything useful, and then he headed back. His timing was good, because he heard Jenna calling his name. He jogged the rest of the way and nodded at the glance Jenna gave him to tell her it was done. “We need to get moving. We've made enough sound do draw them from the house, I want to be somewhere secure by the time night falls.”“There's an old gas station south of here. We should be able to reach it on foot. Not the most secure place, but if we're quiet it should do for the night,” Jenna said, ready to take the lead when James nodded his agreement. Maybe he wasn't just a kid after all. Haley exhaled in relief when she saw James come forward in one piece. Frankly, she was just a tad bit nervous he wouldn't, though those fears were irrational. She knew James could handle himself better than any of the rest of them. It was just so surreal that they had lost so many people in less than an hour, Haley was frankly very worried that James would join them. But he didn't, and she was highly grateful that he didn't. The only thing she'd have to worry about now is sticking together and making sure that none of them got bit. It would be difficult, but Haley had will to live. A lot of will to live, actually. There was the slight chance that she and James could get closer, and she was at least eager for that opportunity. Although, she had no idea that John had given James an in. She looked between Jenna and James, grimacing while they discussed plans. Nodded when the gas station was referred to, she spoke up. "I know where that is. It has a back door that's always unlocked, because the bolt is broken. But it has roof access. We could go on the roof." Jenna turned to look at her and smiled. While Haley's advice or insight was probably not going to be the most helpful in general, she knew the area like the back of her hand and she wasn't afraid to sleep outside of it called for that. Jenna began walking in the direction they needed to be going, and Haley followed closely, not wanting to be left behind." Um... there's also a gun store near the gas station. I don't know if it'll have anything anymore, but we could look right?" Jenna shrugged dismissively. "We might, if we have time." It seemed as though Haley was beginning to lose credibility very fast, and was being put into the stupid girl category. Like her actions and statements were being taken with a grain of salt. And that wasn't going to sit well. James fell in behind the two women, but he paid only scant attention to the discussion. Haley wasn't used to this, to being out in the world since everything went to shit. She'd lived a relatively peaceful life even since the outbreak, which meant that he had to watch her closely. It was his job to take care of her now, even if it was self-imposed. Jenna could fend for herself, but Haley had a lot to learn. The most difficult of which was when to let go. With her brother dead she was alone, just like him.“The gun stores a good idea, we'll have to wait and see how dangerous it looks. It can't hurt to see if there's any extra ammo lying around as long as there aren't too many of the dead loitering about,” he cut in before Jenna could completely quash Haley's idea. Was there likely to be anything left? No, it was a safe bet that it had been cleaned out within the first week. It was a thought on the right track though, and she needed to start thinking about survival. He'd have to talk to Jenna as soon as he could. If she was too hard on the girl she'd never learn, and she'd be a burden to both of them until she or they died. That wasn't a situation that he wanted to be in. It made surviving far more difficult. It took hours, but by late afternoon they finally came across the gas station. A quick look from the woods showed a handful of dead shambling around the place, but the latter looked intact. If they were careful it wouldn't take long to clear them out. “Haley, stay here and watch the packs,” he said as he took out the handgun and held it out to her.”Only use it if you have to. Here,” he pulled her around so that her back was against his chest, his arms around hers as he showed her how to use the gun and aim. “Don't shoot while panicked, you'll miss every time. Take aim, take a breath, then shoot. Got it?” Haley smiled when she heard James' approval. That's all she really cared about at this point. Jenna was just a woman they were with. Not that she didn't like Jenna. The woman was smart and relatively friendly. But she could tell when that time of the month came around because Jenna was not a friendly person then. Haley wondered if that's what was happening. Of course, if that were the case, the Texan would be at their throats about the gun store already. She put it out of her mind, because frankly it didn't matter. At least not to her. What was more important was that she kept her eyes open for threats and made sure she was careful where she stepped. Those few hours were long and quiet, since nobody seemed to want to start talking. Jenna managed to romp ahead a bit, scouting she said. Which meant Haley took the chance to fall back to James just a little bit. There was no room for resenting her company, so she promised herself that she'd try to make an effort to keep talking to Jenna. However, the woman seemed more interested in her own survival rather than the group's. Haley could've sworn the woman looking for where she would try to make a dash. But she never did. Curious. Haley tentatively took the gun and held it a bit like one would hold a dirty diaper until James came around to help her. The girl might have been from the country, but she had no experience with handguns. Only the rifle that was packed with the kit. However, the small brunette relished in how close he got to her, and it was probably obvious to see that she was blushing. Jenna saw them and sighed in annoyance. "Hey when you two lovebirds finish cuddling, we have some shambles to kill?" Haley ignored her and made sure that her buttocks was firm into James. A coy act, but she was trying to drop hints at this point. "Got it," She replied, letting out a breath, "Please be careful." He glanced up towards Jenna with a quelling look. Haley needed to be able to handle a gun. If something happened to him, she was on her own. He had no doubt that Jenna would leave her behind if she became too much of a burden. He couldn't even blame her for that. The world was down to base survival now, every man for himself. He'd been like that before he found the farm, but he'd been around people long enough to remember that some things were worth the risk, and being with people was one of them. He stayed where he was and was rewarded when Haley pressed back against him, her tight little ass cradled against his groin. That was all it took for his cock to stir, and he stepped back reluctantly. There wasn't time for that, for any of it if he was being honest. He needed to stay focused on survival, even if he wished that he had the safety to explore more of what she so coyly offered. James was a young man after all, with all the hormones that entailed.“You too,” he said with a smile for Haley before he turned towards the gas station.”Let's get this over with, I want to take a look inside before we bunk down on the roof for the night,” he said. He didn't wait for Jenna to take the lead, but headed towards the building with his knife in his hand. There were enough zombies to be a problem, with Jenna's help they worked their way around the building. There were a few close scrapes, and Jenna had to save his ass once, but he had to cover her back more than once so he figured they were even. It only took about ten minutes before he slipped into the building with a glance back at Haley on the edge of the woods. Jenna stayed by the door and motioned for Haley to join her the moment James slipped inside.“Come on, let's get you up top where we don't have to watch you while we do this.” Haley sighed and nodded when he moved away from her. She gave a little wave when he began to walk off, and when he was sufficient distance away, she raised the pistol and pointed it directly ahead. The stance was a little wonky, evident that she had never held a pistol before. It didn't matter, as it was clear the entire time. No zombies jumped her, and she was very careful to watch for anything that could attack. Nothing ever did, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something or someone was watching her. Not like Jenna or James would watch her, but someone with malicious intent. Haley looked a number of times, spinning around to see... nothing. Just plants. A squirrel once. It just wouldn't go away though. That feeling of being watched. It was creepy to her. So she was quite relieved when Jenna waved her over. The brunette wasted no time traversing the distance between her and the building. She paid no mind to her surroundings, other than her goal and the path to get there. Foolish, but she was eager to be with other people again. However, she felt like she was being corralled like a little girl, and she didn't like it. With a huff of annoyance, she entered the building and waited for Jenna to come in after. When she did, the older woman pointed to the ladder that went up to the roof. Haley sighed and nodded, moving to the metal ladder. The girl ascended quickly and was on the roof in a matter of moments. When Haley was on the roof, Jenna looked at James and shrugged. "Let's get this over with." Jenna sighed, "When we've got the place secure... well you can have the girl alone. I'm going to stay down here. She's kind of annoying." After the climb, she sprawled out on the top of the roof and looked up at the sky, watching the tufts of grain clouds float slowly along. It looked like it was going to rain, the clouds big and foreboding. Haley felt that sense of being watched again and sat up, looking off to the treeline. She thought she saw a dark shadow in the shrubbery, and when she leaned in to try and see it better, it reeled back into the brush, disturbing the leaves and a few birds. Haley gasped, but then slowly eased up, realizing it could just be an animal that got scared by something. Something felt wrong about that explanation. She just couldn't put her finger on what. James squashed the desire to defend Haley. It would do no good, not with Jenna. She was the kind of person who took things at face value and didn't look any deeper. It wasn't like he minded the time alone with her, not that anything would come of it. He wouldn't push her, assuming she really was interested at all. The girl had just lost her family, the brother who had sheltered her and kept the horror of the post outbreak world from her. James couldn't do that. There was no safety, the farm had proven that well enough. They made quick work inside, there were only three zombies, one of which wasn't even ambulatory. He helped Jenna barricade the doors and windows and make a safe place for her to sleep by pushing some of the shelving units together so that she could sleep between them. She'd be out of sight and the barrier would give her precious seconds if something happened. He also found a can of peaches in sweet syrup and a set of hair ties that had fallen behind one of the shelving units. He'd take a better look around in the morning before they left, make sure there wasn't anything else he had missed.“Call if something happens,” he said to Jenna. Furthermore, he got a grunt in response before he left her there and climbed the latter to the roof.“Here,” he said when he made it to the top. Furthermore, he tossed the pack of hair ties to her before he sank down beside her and took out his knife to pry open the can of peaches. “Jenna is going to stay downstairs, I can leave you up here alone if you want...” Haley smiled when she saw him come up onto the roof. Her unease was increasing exponentially the longer she was alone. It all faded away when she saw him. "Jenna's not... not coming up?" She asked softly. With a sigh of relief, she settled down a bit. Her position was of being seated on the floor of the roof with her back against the inactive air conditioning unit. Her eyes inspected the hair tied with a slight confusion, but she didn't say much. "Please stay." She said a little louder, "I need your company. Er... I mean... I need company. Furthermore, I don't like being alone." She smiled nervously, feeling like she might have come on a little strong with that slip. She didn't know why she was acting that way. Who would care? Jenna? She's already made it perfectly clear that she's annoyed with Haley as a general rule." You uh... you cleared the store? That's... good..." She chuckled weakly, and slightly awkwardly. "I... I'm glad that Jenna won't be... bothering us. I don't think she likes me that much... you like me though, right?" She smiled a little wider, still unsure of how hard she should push. He shook his head. He thought it was foolish for Jenna to stay down in the store, it was much safer on the roof, but he wasn't going to complain about getting to spend a bit of time alone with Haley. Furthermore, he finally got the can of peaches opens with a smile of triumph that turned thoughtful as he listened to her fumble with her words. It was kind of cute if he was being honest. Even when she backtracked he knew what she had meant, or at least he hoped he did.“Yeah, the store is clear. Jenna's settled in, and we'll search it more thoroughly tomorrow,” he said as he speared one of the peach quarters with his knife and took a bite. He wanted to test them out to make sure they were still good before he gave them to Haley.“Of course I like you,” he said with a crooked smile as he speared another quarter and held it out towards her. The piece dripped with the sweet syrup it had been stored in.“Don't worry about Jenna. You haven't had to be out here like us. She shouldn't expect you to understand everything right away, you haven't had to learn the hard way. You'll catch on and settle in, and she'll get over herself,” he told her with a slight shrug. Haley smiled wide when he confirmed that he liked her. Whether there were connotations of attraction behind that or not, she couldn't tell. Hopefully the former. He held out a piece of peach to her, and she leaned in to bite it off the knife. It fell into her mouth and she drew back, chewing and smiling like an idiot. She swallowed after a while and turned to look at him with a smile. Her eyes met his, and there was a brief moment where her heart stopped, and her breath came up short. Realizing she had been staring, she straightened up and looked away before sighing and looking down at her lap." I guess," She responded, "I'm a liability though..." Her voice was somber and low, her disappointment with herself quite apparent. "I... I don't know how much of a help I can be for anything. My skills really revolved around the farm... and school stuff that hardly matters anymore. I... I know that whole... repopulate the world thing, but..." Haley chuckles nervously, a blush spreading across her face. "N-never mind... Forget I said that!" Her head turned back to him, her lips slightly pursed. "Uh..." She was beautiful when she smiled. He watched her take a bite of the peach and his mind went down a very inappropriate path as he wondered what her mouth would feel like against his. He shifted and looked away just after she did, but his lips quirked into a smile as he considered the fact that they were alone for the night, no one around to interrupt them. No one around to tell them what they should not do. It was a heady feeling, that freedom, though it came at far too steep a cost. He opened his mouth to argue because he definitely didn't agree that she was useless, but her comment about repopulating the world made the words stick in his throat. He coughed and was forced to clear his throat as he watched her face turn red. She was adorable when she was flustered. The thought wouldn't go away now that she'd said it though. When she looked back at him, he smiled and reached forward to brush a strand of hair from her face. “That wouldn't be so bad, would it?” he asked thoughtfully. He leaned forward then and kissed her, little more than a brush of his lips to see what she would do. Her eyes widened a bit when he reached to remove a stray lock of hair that had weaseled itself into her face, and then even more so when he said what he did. "YWHA?" She stammered before he did the unthinkable. If they weren't fully widened by then, they were now. Her hands trembled as their lips came into contact with one another. She loved every second he spent near her, and now this? This was pure bliss. Haley was in heaven. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she pushed back against him, harder so that it wasn't just brushing against each other anymore. Her head turned slightly so that there were no obstructions or things to bump into. A moan escaped her lips, and that cause her to pull away quickly, looking quite red in the face. "I... I... sorry, I think... I think I might've over stepped my bounds..." Her lip trembled, but she didn't move, waiting to see what he would do. James had kissed a girl before everything had ended, more than once, but he still felt a thrill when she leaned into his kiss and tilted her head. She tasted like peaches and sugar, her lips so soft and sweet. The world ceased to exist for a moment as he lived within that kiss, stole her breath and returned his own. Her moan made his body react, his jeans suddenly tight and far to restrictive even as she pulled away and left him aching for more. His breathing was uneven as he watched her, his eyes slightly glazed with desire as she stammered out a completely unnecessary apology. His lips quirked into an amused smile as he shook his head to deny her words. “No. You most definitely did not overstep.” He reached out and wrapped one hand around the back of her neck as he pulled her towards him. He kissed her again, this time with far more passion and lack of control as his tongue traced her bottom lip and his other hand rose to cradle the side of her face, his thumb gentle as he caressed her cheek. Furthermore, he should have stopped there, and he knew it, but he didn't want to. Furthermore, he wanted to see how far she would let him go. "O-oh... good," She whispered so silently it would've been hard to hear. Not that it mattered anyway. His lips were upon hers again. One of her hands lifted to lightly touch the one touching her cheek, the other moving to rest on his knee. Another moan left her lips, and she grew a little confident, pushing back against his kiss. She didn't add tongue, but she certainly made a move to let him know it was okay. James would find that she would let him go as far as he wanted to, even if that meant that they would both end up naked on the roof. Haley didn't care. James made it seem like nothing was wrong with the world. That everything would be okay if she just stuck with him. The world itself seemed to melt away as he kissed her, because in her eyes, nothing else mattered. Just him and her. James groaned when she leaned into him, her hand on his knee a tease of where he really wanted her hand, but he wasn't experienced enough to know how to ask for that. He hadn't gone farther than second base with a girl, and he was fast approaching that with Haley. He slid his hand from her cheek down her body to her hip as he deepened the kiss and risked slipping his tongue into her mouth to taste her. Furthermore, he stroked her hip with his hand and only broke the kiss when he was forced to take a breath. He traced her bottom lip with his thumb as he pulled her closer, so close that all she would have to do is swing a leg over his lap to straddle him. He looked into her eyes and felt a momentary flash of hesitation. Furthermore, he didn't want to take advantage of her. She'd lost her brother, her home. He didn't want her to think that the only reason she was with him was for sex. “Tell me to stop, Haley...” Haley pushed back into the kiss with more confidence, meeting him at ever connection, not even flinching when he dared to add tongue. She started panting softly when he broke the kiss, needing more of him than she had ever even thought before. Things were picking up speed, and she didn't want it to stop. When he told her to tell him to stop... she couldn't. She didn't want to, and frankly she didn't want to be that big of a tease either. Haley paused a moment, thinking of what she should say. It had to be perfect, because she wanted him to know that she was his." I can't, James," She said softly, "I couldn't tell you even if I wanted to. I... need you..." Her words came out shaky, stammering them out like a fool with a speech impediment. Her hand on his knee drifted to one of his, and her fingers gently wrapped around his. Haley then guided his hand to her breast, and placed it against her. "I ache inside..." She managed, "Please... don't stop..." Her hesitation made him groan. If she did not tell him to stop he knew he wouldn’t. He wanted her too much, wanted things that were probably completely inappropriate with a girl who had lost her entire family and her home. Inappropriate when the world had died around them, but then when would it ever be appropriate again? Shouldn’t they take whatever they could get? His breath caught when she spoke, when she spoke. He closed his fingers around hers and studied her eyes, looked for any sign that she had hesitations she wasn’t willing to speak. He found none, and any attempt to think fled the moment she placed his hand on her breast. Furthermore, he squeezed gently, instinctively as he leaned back in for another kiss. This time it wasn’t hesitant, it was full of desire and need. He was well beyond thought as his body made its demands almost painfully clear, his cock hard beneath his jeans. His hands moved down from her breast to tug her shirt up until his hands could slip beneath it. Across her abdomen and up along her sides as he groaned against her lips. So soft. He didn’t even realize that he was pushing her down onto the roof of the gas station until he found himself over her. Haley allowed herself to be pushed down on her back, moving so that it would be easier for him to lay her down. She groaned softly, feeling his hands on her bare skin, shivering in his wake. Her back arched slightly, hands exploring his back. Her arms fell to her sides, lifting the top further than he had it until it came up over her head. The top was tossed lazily towards where there stuff was, not really caring where it landed. She was more focused on him, and the heat of the moment. Underneath the top, cupping her breasts, was a dull like colored bra, speckled with polka dots. One of the straps had fallen down her shoulder, the cup coming off her body slightly to show some of the curve of her breast. Haley was shapely enough, lithe with a flat belly and moderate bosom. The jeans she wore still covered her lower half, but still it was easy to see that she had a nice body. Haley only hoped James thought so. Her reactions only served to destroy any lingering caution. As with most young men his cock was more than happy to take over. The fact that he cared about her did give him pause, not because he wanted her any less but because he was afraid of hurting her. Even then, with the encouragement of her hands on his back and her willingness to take off her shirt any chance to stop fled. His breath caught as he looked down at her. She was beautiful. Stunning. He didn’t have words that fit. Instead, he groaned and shifted down her body to kiss along the upper edge of her bra, along the swell of each breast, while his hands curved around her waist. He loved the way her skin felt beneath his lips, but he wanted more. When he couldn’t stand to wait any longer he straightened, kneeling over her as he removed his shirt and tossed it on top of hers. When he lowered himself over her once more one of his hands slipped behind her back to fumble with the clasp that kept her bra in place. His lips captured hers again, and he settled his weight between her thighs, jeans still in place though she couldn’t miss the hard length of his cock as it strained against the confines of his jeans. There was some part of her that told her this was wrong. That she shouldn't have been allowing her teenage hormones to drive her to this point where she would willingly give her virginity up in a desperate attempt to fill the void. Yet at the same time, she felt like that void needed that particular filling to plug the hole. Replace one loved one with another, as it was. Sure that sounded horrible, like it was just forgetting someone and replacing them. But at the same time, she wasn't ever one to dwell on things that caused emotional pain. It was bad for her persona, and it was bad in general. She hardly noticed he had removed his top. She was so ready for him that any motion towards that goal felt like a baby step, and she wanted things to go faster. When she felt him fiddling with the clasp of her bra, she lifted her back enough so that it would be much easier, all the while digging her body into his erection so he knew she felt it, and was ready for him. If he wasn't so awkwardly placed just out of her grasp, she would've already been tugging at his zipper to free his erection from its prison. Oh, well. All in due time. He groaned against her lips when she arched her back. It only took one more twist of his fingers for her bra to loosen. The way she ground herself against him was sinful, deliciously so. Any question he might have had in regard to her willingness seemed to melt away as he shifted against her, his hips moving in a way that made it evident what he wanted. Thought became a distant thing as he moved back down her body to nuzzle between her breasts. He tugged the straps of her bra down until the cups fell open, and he was able to pull the bra off of her petite form completely. He tossed it aside without a second thought as his breath caught. Furthermore, he looked down at her as if she were the most beautiful thing in the world. A piece of artwork that had no equal. With a groan that was little more than a sigh he took one of her nipples between his lips and flicked his tongue across the peak while his other hand fondled her other breast. He could have stayed there and enjoyed her breasts for hours, but his cock had other thoughts. He sat back reluctantly so that he could unfasten his jeans. Furthermore, he didn’t even bother removing them completely, just pushed them down far enough to free his cock. Furthermore, he palmed his hard length and stroked it a couple of times to ease the ache from its confinement before he released it to work on her jeans. Haley gasped softly when the bra fell away, exposing her small bust. Her eyes followed the bra as it sailed away, before looking back only to see him coming it to embrace her nipple, causing her to gasp louder at the feeling of his wet tongue against her nipple and his hand on the other. She whimpered softly when he stopped, hoping he would come back for more. Instead, what she got was much different. In a good way. When she saw his hardened member, she gasped softly at it. Timidly, her hand moved forward as his came to her jeans. Her light fingers grasped it at the base, her lips pursed in curiosity. "It's... big..." Haley commented, beginning to stroke slowly. Her other hand moved to help him remove her jeans, tugging them down after the button was undone, revealing her fairly simple white panties. It was easy to see that they were beginning to dampen in the crotch, a good sign. "I... I don't... I don't know what to do... where to go from here..." She whispered. He didn't bother to stifle the groan that left his lips at the first touch of her hand. He paused, his hands on her jeans as she wrapped her hand around the base of his cock. It twitched in her grasp, and he smiled, pleased by her comment. When she started to stroke his cock a moment later he almost cursed, his mind struggled to think through the pleasure. He likely wouldn't have ever gotten her jeans off without her help, but eventually he pulled them off and tossed them aside. He looked down at her while she slowly worked her hand up and down the length of his hard cock and the sight of her there in nothing but her damp panties were enough to make a bead of moisture appear on the head of his cock. It took a long moment for her words to register. The thought of her being a virgin was another turn on for him. He had no intention of telling her how little experience he had. He knew what to do, their bodies would take over.“Just relax, I'll take care of it,” he told her as one of his hands slipped between her thighs. Furthermore, he started to gently rub her sex through her damp panties as he leaned down to kiss her again. "Okay..." She huffed, ending in a sharp gasp as his hand and fingers found their way between her legs. She moaned as he stroked along her damp sex, causing her to briefly pause in stroking to savor his touch. Haley leaned in to the kiss and met him in the middle, once again moaning through it. Something took over in her mind, and she grabbed his wrist touching her sex, lifting it to push his hand under the fabric of her underwear so that he could feel her virginal womanhood directly, no barrier, nothing in the way. He would find the folds to be wet, and neatly trimmed of hair. Nothing too bushy or messy, though it was obvious she didn't completely wax." Sorry..." She muttered, "I..." She stopped herself, realizing it probably wasn't the end of the world. Furthermore, she moved closer, kissing him deeper. "Just... take me... I can't wait any longer..." Her moan brought an answering groan from deep within his chest, the sound muffled against her lips. His breath caught when she took his hand and he froze for a moment, obviously surprised. His body recovered well before his mind caught up, and his fingers started to stroke her slick sex. His middle finger delved between the lips and stroked up across her clit. His eyes were dark with need when's he stumbled over her words. He was too aroused by that point to stop even though his better judgment told him that it might be too much too quickly for her. With her permission and the press of her lips he gripped her panties and pulled them down. His broke the kiss so that he could look down and trace her body with his gaze. Another groan built in his chest at the sight of her, legs splayed slightly, the thought of how wet she was for him was enough to make him shudder, his cock hard as he gently pulled it from her grasp. He shifted over here then and rose to his knees between her legs as he gripped his cock. He stroked it for a moment before he leaned over her and pressed the head of his cock against her sex. Furthermore, he moaned when the head slipped inside of her and came up against the proof of her virginity. Furthermore, he didn't give either of them time to think, time to change their minds. Instead, he thrust sharply at the exact moment he captured her lips with his. Haley threw her head back and yelled in sharp pain as he pushed past her virginity without much thought. The mix of pain and pleasure was almost too much, and she briefly went limp in his arms. "It hurts..." She whimpered softly, "It hurts a lot..." She straightened up a bit and looked him in the eye before gently kissing him again to let him know it was okay. The pain started to fade, and she bucked her hips a bit, creating a short stroke inside her body. A moan emerged from her lips and she broke the kiss." K-keep going... it doesn't hurt much anymore..." She smiled as best she could at him, though her face was slightly twisted in pleasure. James stilled when she cried out in pain. He forced himself to let her body adjust when all his body wanted was to move. It felt amazing, being inside of her. He could only assume that it would feel better once he could actively make love to her. His cock throbbed, and he groaned when she bucked her hips. His hips flexed in reaction, and he pressed his cock more firmly inside of her, no space left between their bodies. His arms trembled on either side of her, but he luckily didn't have long to wait. The moment she gave permission he started to move. Every thrust made head coil inside of him. He was already close to coming, but he didn't want it to end. Not when she was just starting to enjoy it. Instead, he varied his thrusts to keep himself from losing the last of his control. He had never experienced pleasure like he felt as he made love to her. Fucked was too harsh a word. There was too much gentleness and protectiveness in him to even think such a word in regard to what was happening between them. His breathing was ragged as another groan was pulled from his lips. He silenced the sound by kissing her again, and then he trailed his lips along her chin and down her neck where he nipped lightly at her tender flesh. Haley groaned softly with every push, every shove, every stroke, every thrust. She could feel every inch, and she was loving it all the more. There was nothing and there was everything at the same time. Her first time having sex, and it was causing these pourings of emotions and feelings to run through her. She could feel the heat between them, and it was spectacular. There was nothing like it, and she loved it that way. The way James was handling her, it made her feel wanted. Like she belonged there. At the same time, there was a pressure in her loins. Something building. It was a bit like a tingling sensation that she couldn't quite place. Then he hit a soft spot inside her, and she screamed out in pleasure, only to be stifled by his lips. Haley kissed back until he started to move down her neck, and she arched her back, squeezing her eyes shut. "Oh God!" She moaned, "Yes! It feels so good, James! Don't stop!" Beneath them, Jenna could hear everything. With a roll of the eyes, she knew she was the third wheel. The odd one out. In her mind, Haley was a lost cause, like a child that needed to be coddled and protected. James would do well on his own. Through a more thorough search, Jenna found a Glock-18 under the cash register, and a box of ammo. Taking only what she needed, making sure to leave James and Haley plenty, Jenna silently exited the gas station and began to run, leaving the two lovers alone for... well, however long they survived. It was far better than James had thought it would be. The pleasure was more intense, she was more responsive than he could have imagined, and it drove him to force more whimpers and cries of pleasure from her lips. Even through the haze of pleasure and need he knew that they could only make so much noise before they brought any of the dead in the area to them, and fucked over Jenna, who would be down there alone if that happened. That knowledge brought his lips back to hers as he stifled the sounds both of them made. He held back as long as he could, but it felt too good for him to last long after her demand that he not stop. With a groan that was pulled from deep within his chest he thrust into her one last time, his cock buried fully inside of her as he felt his balls tighten. He shuddered on top of her as his cock twitched inside of her. His pleasure was so intense and all-consuming that it bordered on painful. He swallowed the sounds that tried to follow as he collapsed on top of her, his lips against the side of her neck, his breath heated against her skin. Eventually he forced himself up on shaky arms to look down at her and search her eyes. He needed to know that she had enjoyed it as much as he had, that she didn't regret what they had done. Haley couldn't keep her moans of pleasure contained. Every thrust, every stroke, every motion drew sounds from her lips, and she couldn't help it. James was turning her into a moaning bitch, and fast. Her eyes were lazy, and her eyelids drooped low like a pothead doped out. Her body was absolutely glistening with sweat, her cheeks were flustered, and her mouth was in a perpetual state of hanging open. If she even tried to speak, it would just come out as an unintelligible moan, with no hint of speech behind them. She happily accepted his lips back on hers, and that muffled her moans enough to hear the slapping sound of their hips coming together in passionate lovemaking. When James thrust for the final time, she groaned loudly, her lips falling away from his. The walls of her womanhood tightened around James, milking his own orgasm as he began. Haley wasn't fully aware enough to realize what a terrible mistake they had just made, and in her incoherent state, she couldn't comprehend that he was depositing a healthy amount of his seed directly into her fertile womb. Haley only looked him in the eyes for a brief moment before her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she went limp underneath him, fainting in pure ecstasy. Only a single, short-lived, softly uttered moan left her lips after, and then she was out cold. James felt a moment of pure panic when Haley’s eyes rolled back and she passed out. He stared down at her for a long moment, until he was certain that she was still breathing and didn’t look like she was in pain. He wasn’t sure if he should feel pride in the fact that he’d basically just fucked her unconscious, but in his youth it was hard for him not to. In the end he didn’t really try. When he finally rolled off of her prone form he cleaned up as best he could with part of a bottle of water and then pulled on his clothes and straightened them. With one last look around the building to make sure they hadn’t drawn any undue attention he unpacked the blanket from the bag she’d been carrying and curled up next to her to share the blanket. He tucked her in against his body, her back to his chest, his arm over her side to hold her close. It only took a few minutes for him to fall asleep. He didn’t wake until sunlight woke him the following morning and he groaned. He could have used a few more hours of sleep, but that wasn’t going to happen. Haley went straight from faint into sleep, beginning to dream. When James curled up next to her, she slowly drifted towards him, putting an arm around him until she curled up tightly against him, snuggling him like a teddy bear. When he awoke, she was still fast asleep. It was only a few moments later when she began to shift and caught a beam of sunlight to her face did she wake up, gasping. Haley rocketed up and looked around before looking down at James open eyes and she exhaled softly. Haley rocked a bit before standing up and lifting her hands above her head to yawn. Haley was still stark naked, her slight teenage curves silhouetted in the sunlight. She had her back to him, facing the sun. Haley then turned around to face him, but he wouldn't be to see much more than her shape. "We shouldn't stay here long," She told him, "As much as I'd like to." She smiled as she bent over to collect her clothes. They were dirty, but it was all she had. Haley bit the bullet and got back into them, but she decided against the bra. It was a lot more beat up than she had realized, with a few scrapes and tears in the fabric. "What should we do?" She asked, "I'm not... I'm not really prepared for this. And I don't know where we're going..." James liked the way she had curled close to him in sleep. It made him feel protective. As if something precious had been placed into his keeping. He likely would have felt the same way even without sex in the mix, but it was guaranteed once she’d given herself to him with such abandon. He would have been content to lay there with her in his arms if the need for them to keep moving hadn’t been so insistent. If they stopped moving they would die, that was the bitter truth. He watched her come awake and sighed at the loss of her at his side when she stood up, but he was mesmerized by the silhouette of her nude body. As with all good things, the view couldn’t last. It was with real reluctance that he reached for his jeans and followed Haley’s lead in getting dressed. Jenna wouldn’t wait forever, and he didn’t want to get caught out in the open when they stopped that evening. Best to take full advantage of the daylight, when they could see the dead coming.“We keep moving. Eventually, we will either find another settlement that will let use work for our keep, or we’ll find a defensible position to stay. We have time. More importantly, we need to make sure we have plenty of clean water and food. Jenna might have a better idea of where to head. You’ll learn, just like I did…” he added with a rueful smile before he headed to the ladder. He slid down them quickly and looked around before he motioned for Haley to join him. "Okay," Haley nodded, "I guess I just need the time and experience." She stood over the hatch, waiting for the okay to come down. She took the rungs slowly, timidly finding each step with her foot until she finally could feel the solid ground beneath her feet. With a soft breath of air, she turned to James and simply smiled at him. Then she turned and looked around for Jenna, but failed to find her. "Where's Jenna? She was here last night, right at the ladder... Did she... did she get bitten? No, can't be. I don't see any blood. I think... Jenna! Jenna!" Haley started to call. But she was met with silence. "She's gone... I think she left. Oh god, she's all alone! She'll get torn apart! Why did she leave, I...? I... were we being too loud? Oh..." Haley blushed and bashfully looked away from James, the memories of the previous night still fresh in her mind. "Uh... maybe we should... look for her? She couldn't have gone far..."

Flower on the Grave (Kyrsa & DotA)|rating:3.0

Ninja High-School_ An erotic 'Naruto' spin-off

Yes, I know... it's quite a daring thread, isn't it? I'm going to try my best to make this one work, because I got high hopes for it. Anyway, I know you guys don't want to hear me ramble, so allow me to explain this thread:As you might have guessed, this thread is based on the 'Naruto' anime series. The setting is a place simply called, 'Leaf Village', in the Ninja Academy. Now, before anyone joins the thread, I STRONGLY SUGGEST you watch a few episodes of 'Naruto' before joining, or it could cause some confusion. If you already watch 'Naruto', then good on you! You'll fit right in! Anyway, sounds simple enough right? Good, here are just a few rules, EASY RULES, to follow:- All characters must be at LEAST 18+- Sorry, can't use actual characters FROM 'Naruto'. Be original.- Can't go around raping and killing all willy-nilly. Pretty basic rule there.- No guy-on-guy action, I simply don't swing that way.- Luckily, the names don't HAVE to be Japanese just to make this work.- Here's an easy rule that everyone can follow. Have plenty of sex.- Place character descriptions in the same format as my character description. It just makes things easier.- The level of your ninja should be Lenin, trying to achieve chain.- Since Lenin go in teams of 3. Be sure to join the team of the character before you, (if you want, but I'd appreciate it if you did). For example, if I make a team, join that team, (if you can, totally up to you) until it is full of 3 characters. That way, we don't feel 'void' if you know what I mean. Simple right? Alright then. Remember, if you have questions about this thread, feel free to PM me. By the way, I strongly recommend drawing your character, then attaching them to your character description post. You don't HAVE to, but I just think it could be more fun if we did, but like I said, you don't have to if you don't want to. Jones ZakamaruName: Jones ZakamaruAge: 18Style(s): Ninjutsu, Zaibatsu, Kick-Boxing Village: Steel Village Trainer: Kai KusashiWeapons: Lunar, Shrike, BodyJutsu(s): Rapid Beat no Juts, Shrike Gun no Juts, Stamina no JustuBloodline Ability: Reinforce Other Ability(s): Impact Cannon, Copy Gun Combo Goal: - Jones become a ninja for the sole purpose for meeting hot ninja chicks. Height: 6'0fWeight: 200pPersonality: Loud mouthed, cool, calm, collected, and... loudmouthed. BOOM!!! My fist shattered the rock into a million pieces. Ha, these inanimate objects were of no challenge to me. I had already skipped two Churning exams in hopes of getting more experience for it. Now, I was full of confidence, and ready to kick some ass! And get some ass for that matter. Training was now over for me, and THIS year, the title of Churning was as good as mine! However, before I could do that, I had to do one thing... go to the washroom before I piss my pants with excitement.IOC: I'll post a pic soon. Name: Kin taro BIMARU (Nickname: Kin taro the On, most call him 'ONI' for short.) Age: 18Style(s): Strength Orientated TaijutsuVillage: Steel Village Trainer: Kai KusashiWeapons: BodyJutsu(s): Body of Iron, Fists of Steel Bloodline Ability: Large Size, Great Strength Other Abilities: None Goal: Become a great Ninja... So that maybe one of the babes in the Hyung clan might notice him. Height: 7f 4inWeight: 275 pounds Personality: Laid-back, Casual, Shy and nervous around girls. As Kin taro is walking to the outdoor training area, he bumps into Jones, "Finished preparing for the Chain Exam, slacker?" His comment which to a stranger would have been rude, Jones knew him only to be joking. They usually bantered at one another at any given opportunity, having been in the same team ever since passing the Lenin Test together when they were younger, they had been friends and rivals ever since. "Where you headed now?" He asked innocently with a cocky smile, obviously knowing full well where Jones was headed, as his muscular bulk was currently blocking the bathroom door.(IOC: I've taken quite a few liberties with this post if there is anything you are uncomfortable with let me know, and I'll edit it.) IOC: thanks for joining Raven steel. So, an all-strength, and power ninja, huh? Sounds very interesting... kind of like Rock Lee but MUCH more built.IC: SMACK!!! My face went face-first into a brick wall... no, not a brick wall, my friend INTRO! Aft! This guy... this guy right here really... yanks my chain... that chain-yanking oaf! "Step aside On! I'm a man on a mission, an urgent mission," I said. He still didn't budge, "oh, I see. Playing, 'stop the short guy from taking a piss' are we? Well, two can play at that game!", with those words, I quickly stepped in, and did a technical body throw. Using his arm, and waist for leverage, I quickly tossed him mid-way into the air... but knowing Kin taro, he probably had a counter-move coming up. Frankly, I'd be disappointed if he didn't.IOC: Here's a pic of Jones Takamatsu. Kin taro allowed himself to be thrown using the momentum from the throw to propel himself against the wall bounce off and throw himself at Jones in a tackle, but stopped short and landed just behind him. "We shouldn't get into it in here, if one of the instructors catch us sparring indoors again after last time we'll both be stuck with bathroom clean up until we're Junín's." He said with a smile, "Besides, I got to go too."(IOC: Since I suck at drawing, plus I don't have equipment to load drawings I do onto my computer I'll just give a quick description of Kin taro's appearance. Long shaggy black hair down to his shoulders, bangs long enough to cover his eyes, unless kept back by his tiger-striped headband he wears in combat. He wears a black sleeveless leather jacket, urban combat (gray and black) military pants, and combat boots. He also has a slight physical deformity, his canine teeth are somewhat long resulting in a somewhat fanged look. P.S. Some anime fans may understand the 'joke' about this character.) Jones As I expected, he did some fancy trick, and landed right behind me. However, before I could attack again, he warns me of our Junín teacher's punishment if he catches us. I nod my head in agreement, "okay then On, good excuse to avoid getting your ass whooped by yours truly. Now step aside big guy, nature calls". I quickly went about my business, washed up, then stepped outside. Awaiting the arrival of our third member...IOC: I'll see if I can draw your character when I find the time Raven. Anyone else interested in joining? One more position in the Steel Village team. Any ladies? Ooc: Hello!!!! Anyone still out there? Anyone else remotely interested?*BUMP* IOC: HA! I refuse to let my thread die in such a crude manner. And I KNOW, that me and Raven steel aren't the only Naruto watchers here, there has got to be more. I CAN FEEL IT IN MY BONES hey, I'm not into Naruto as much as some other anime, but I think I know enough to survive and I'm a hardcore per...you guys still looking for other players??? Let me know asap, cool??)) IOC: I'm still interested I was just waiting to see if anyone else was going to join before posting again. Name: Xiaomi OramashuAge: 18Style(s): Ninjutsu, Henry, Matalan Henry ((style developed by a friend of mine))Village: Steel Village Trainer: Kai KusashiWeapons: Katina, Shrike, BodyJutsu(s): Flying Blade no Juts, Fury Blow no JutsuBloodline Ability: Speed of Ancients Other Ability(s): Fire Sword Goal: Xiaomi is training to take over the family dojo and continue the family style. Height: 5'4fWeight: 120lbsPersonality: Thoughtful, outspoken, very opinionated.--------Xiaomi stood and watched as the two boys goofed off. Not that she expected anything less from boys...." Typical." These were her teammates? Big, strong Neanderthal, and short, cocky smart ass. Great. As they went into the bathroom, she debated going to speak to someone about switching teams. "But Hisashi-san is the best trainer.....*sigh*.....guess I'll tough it out and hope...." As they stepped out, she gathered her nerve and went up to them.((IOC- I will post description....and put pic up as soon as I get my scanner working. Xiaomi is average height, w/ an athletic build, long brown hair that curls naturally, blue eyes, and a fair complexion, though she is tanned most of the year’s he keeps her hair up constantly. She wears black loose fitting pants, red tank top, and a loose black button up shirt that looks 10 years old and well-worn, and black combat boots. Post pic soon!)) Jones: GREAT! New joiner. There is a God: Our third member was a... Xiaomi... of all the luck. Xiaomi and I weren't exactly on, how you say, speaking terms right now. But I was glad she arrived on time at least. We never dated or anything, and she was pretty hot. It was a... family thing. My family, and her family were rivals since the beginning, and it has only been recently that our families signed a peace treaty together. However, both sides are still a bit unstable, so it was kind of, 'instinctive' to not like her. However... if we are to be a team, I had to 'adjust' to this problem, and accept it to move on. I toughed out a grin and spoke, "frigate... Xiaomi-chan". Kin taro looked up from slouching to exit the bathroom to see who Jones was talking to, then blanched as he saw Xiaomi, "Ah, Xiaomi-san it, um, it's nice to see you here, what are you doing around here? You wouldn't be, are you...." He was stuttering like he always did around women, so he turned to Jones again, "Is she the third member of our team?" He was half hoping half dreading the answer, an attractive girl like Xiaomi would be nice to have around, but also day in and day out he'd be making an ass of himself trying to act normal around her. "Hi.... Hitomi Dramas.... I'm the third memo......" She got a closer look at the shorter on. It wasn't! It couldn't be Takamatsu! She was expected to work on a team with him? Granted, their families were at peace now, (and secretly she had always thought he was kinda cute), but her father still expected her to treat the Takamatsu like the "dirt they are". The big one seemed to be nervous, he was stuttering and asking Jones a question, but Xiaomi couldn't seem to get her brain to function." Well..... I.... I guess we're in the same team, Takamatsu........ Nice to see you again, I suppose. And Jones.*smile*... I'm glad our families aren't fighting anymore."God, she felt stupid! Acting like an 8-year-old with a crush! But he was gaining like he had put the feud behind him.....maybe she should too..... ((IOC- Just finished pic....yay!!! Let me know what ya think..............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)) Jones: I think it's great. Small note though, if you can, be sure to add the village emblem on your character. In Naruto, the characters wear blue bandanas with a steel emblem of their village on it. In this case, my character wears it around his collar. The most general spot, would be around the forehead.IC: "Yes Kin taro... I suppose she is. C'mon, we'll talk later, Hisashi-san is waiting". With those cold words I walked off. My feelings towards her were mixed with hate and attraction... in other words, bordering on neutral. Kin taro was still 'attempting' to flirt with her. Damn... I would hate to see Ontario mixed up in this mess. Even though, seeing as how we're a team now, he'll know eventually, sooner or later. What would I tell him when that time comes? That members of her clan and family murdered members of my clan and family, and vice versa? Would he understand that answer?... would I understand that answer? Kin taro"Huh, oh right." Kin taro nodded, he could tell that things were awkward between the two and decided now was not the time to ask why. So he just folded his hands behind his head and started following Jones. Then looked back over his shoulder at Xiaomi, "Uh, come on we don't want to be late I hear some of these Jounin's can be pretty peculiar when you piss'em off." Kin taro"Huh, oh right." Kin taro nodded, he could tell that things were awkward between the two and decided now was not the time to ask why. So he just folded his hands behind his head and started following Jones. Then looked back over his shoulder at Xiaomi, "Uh, come on we don't want to be late I hear some of these Jounin's can be pretty peculiar when you piss'em off."IOC: How do you guy's attach BMP's I made a sad attempt at drawing my character in a paint program, but I don't know how to post it in the attachments section. Ooc: easy. Just scroll down to wear it says 'Browse', in the 'Attach File' section when you about to post. Click on Browse, then the rest is downhill from there. Xiaomi stared after Jones as he walked away. Apparently he wasn't as removed from the issue as she thought. Hiding her frustration behind a smile, she caught up with Kin taro, deciding that she would be friends with at least one member of her team. "Yeah, I know....my dad used to have a fit at me when I was late for training....." she said in response to his comment about being late for teachers. Laughing and smiling for real, she looked up at him and decided he seemed like a nice guy.....it was too bad he would be caught up in Takamatsu's petty family hatred....personally, she didn't know why everyone just couldn't get along.....--------((IOC- Xiaomi's pic is actually for another project I'm working on...so I cant add stuff that wouldn't make sense for that....I did know about the bands, but just don't have time to personalize pic that much...sorry again)) Jones was... happy the two were getting along so well. Despite the naturalness between me and Xiaomi, I was happy for it.TH WAP!!! An oversized Lunar landed in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. I looked up at the culprits... it was the jerks from Sonoma, the Leaf Village. Three of me, each one equally ugly and oversized as the next. They were known as, 'the Nightmare Ninjas', because they liked to pick on ninjas that were... well... smaller than them, and basically scare the living hell out of them using pure intimidation and threats. "Well, well, well. Look who we have here. Some fag ninja all by himself", said the big red one. The other two laughed in an idiotic fashion. "What do you want Kool-Aid?", I asked. "Oh my! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to uh... interrupt your walk. You see, we are uh. Practicing. Just thrown at the dirt at the ground, you know? I guess uh... we mistook you for dirt", then the three laughed again. I simply smiled. KintaroKintaro smiled as Xiaomi joked and talked with him, 'At least she didn't make fun of my stuttering like an idiot.' He thought to himself, he hoped that friendship was not far off for any of them, but it seemed that there was something that was an unspoken negative feeling between his two teammates, but they both seemed to be willing to at least avoid being openly hostile to each other. He was about to say something more to Xiaomi when he heard Jones talking to someone up ahead, and the conversation sounded none too friendly. Furthermore, he picked up his pace slightly and walked outside behind Jones. "Aww, you out here making friends without me, I'd be hurt if they weren't quite such ugly friends." Kin taro smiled casually but inside was uneasy, 'These guys may be asses, but they have a bad rep for a reason.' Xiaomi looked up as she heard Jones talking to someone. Keeping up with Kin taro, she surveyed the three hooligans. "Well..... I would call you the big, the dumb, and the ugly......but I would hate to insult your betters." flashing them a charming grin, she looked over at Jones and winked. "Come on....we don't have time for these idiots." she took up a defensive pose. "You guys going to help me put these guys down, or do I have to do it by myself?" Projecting a confidant facade, Xiaomi hoped the bullies would back down without a fight. She was pretty sure they could take the bullies, but was worried about a reason....these guys were good, and while she had complete faith in her techniques, she was outweighed by at least 80 pounds by the smallest one, and a good foot shorter. *please let them back off* she thought..... Jones held the both of my comrades back, "now, now, let's not rush into this... minor problem. It would seem we have a misunderstanding here. I apologize if my... presence has concerned you guys. If you don't mind, my friends and I would like to get a move on". I tried to move around the trio, but once again they blocked my path. They smiled, and spoke to me, "listen bub, tell you what... we'll uh... let you go, seeing as how you chicken out so easily, and begged for mercy with such uh... elegance", the other two behind him snickered. "However, I'm afraid we're going to have to beat someone up, maybe one of your uh... friends over there. You see it's uh... a daily thing. So who's going to be then punk? You, or one of your friends there?". I smiled, then casually took of my sunglasses, and gave it a little wipe with my tie. "You drive a hard-bargain Kool-Aid. You know... I'd love to mingle with ya, but unfortunately, there's no hot chicks here for me to impress so...". Just then, a hot blonde ninja walked by. Quickly, I pointed in her direction, "OH LOOK! THERE'S ONE!".THWACK! Already, my fist had struck out, already had it thrust into his face. Almost in slow motion, a trail of blood from his nose, and remains of a tooth were floating through the air, his face still had an imprint of my fist, as his body spiraled and flew backwards into a wall. KintaroKintaro shook his head, "It's always about the ladies with you isn't it, Jones? Well don't forget we've got one other pretty woman to impress here." He said then looked back to Xiaomi, "I guess we each pick a partner and dance then, huh." He smiled and turned around walking casually up to the largest of the remaining two, tilting his head from side to side a distinct crack sounding with each motion." Now you can leave here in one of two ways, 1: A smile and two feet, or 2: Toothless and airborne. Take your pick." Kin taro said with a light smile The other fighter smiled and seemed to turn to leave but continued the turn into a spinning kick aimed at Kin taro's stomach, and connected with bruising force, Kin taro didn't even flinch. "You choose.... Poorly." His smile disappeared, and he moved in a flash grabbing the attackers foot and performing a spin of his own, whirled low and tripped his other foot out from under him, and sent him spinning to the ground.(IOC: This is what I assumed the combat system would be done, if you had something else in mind, or I did something wrong let me know, and I'll change it.) IOC: no, no. Your combat style is fine. Besides Zaibatsu (melee), Ninjutsu (ninja techniques), and Geniuses (illusionary), there are many other styles too. For example, the infamous Hyung clan style. So... it works man. NO HOT NINJA CHICKS????? JUST WHO DID TAKAMATSU THINK HE WAS!!!"you know.... Jones.... You're right...... I HATE the term "hot ninja chick"...... I am a MARTIAL ARTIST!!!!" Venting her fury on the ninja in front of her, Hit omit rushed in for a body slam, letting her opponent take a defensive stance before dropping into a crouch at the last second, swinging her leg out and knocking his feet out from under him in a sideswipe. Springing up, she caught her fist under his chin as he fell, throwing him back up into the air. *No hot ninja chicks.........grrrrrrrr* she thought.......she and Takamatsu needed to talk.......... Jones The leader of the three, slowly got to his knees, still shaking from his ordeal. With some little strength he had left, he stood up, and took out a Lunar. "Y-You... you little bastard. Now I'm REALLY pissed. I'm going to KILL YOU, YA PIECE OF SHIT!!!", then he lifted his head, and glared in my direction. Only I wasn't there... I was talking to the hot blonde ninja, and on the verge of getting a phone number.*anime style sweat drops the bully's forehead*"LISTEN TO ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!", he yelled. I turned around and looked at him, "... sorry, what?". Suddenly, with a loud scream, he ran at me, his lunar in hand. I must say... he's pretty fast for a fat guy. With one fell swoop, he thrust his weapon forwards. His Lunar shattered upon impact with my shins. "W-What the... he broke it... what the hell is he?...", he thought to himself, his eyes with obvious confusion and panic. Yes, an average shin would have been in the hospital by now, but MY shins were meant for impact. With one hand, I redirected his direction of falling, making him tumble into another wall. Suddenly, a puff of smoke appeared, and KAI HISASHI stepped out. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!?!?!", he sternly said.*gulp* As his opponent was picking himself up disorientated from the ground, Kin taro dropped into his fighting stance, legs shoulder width apart and his arms hanging low and slightly out to the front. Not intimidated at all the other ninja rushed Kin taro in a rage, throwing a quick three hit combination, two punches to the gut and an uppercut to the chin, but as the final punch failed to even cause Kin taro's head to twitch, he realized too late all he accomplished was getting himself in range of Kin taro's attacks once more. As his opponents fist is barely felt making contact with his chin, Kin taro smiled once again and was about to counterattack when*OOMPH* "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!?!?!" Kintaro's smile disappeared, "Uh oh." As the ninja flew back up from the force of Xiaomi's attack, she hailed him with short jabs to his ribs and stomach. Dancing back, she watched him fall to the ground groaning. She took up a defensive pose as he slowly got to his feet. "Had enough yet?" she asked laughing. The cloud of smoke and the sudden appearance of Kai Hisashi distracted her.*WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?*As she struggled for an answer, the bully saw his opportunity and bull rushed her. Making her decision in less than a second, she jumped out of the way and kicked/pushed him with her foot in the center of his back, sending him flying. Looking over at the teacher and her teammates, she shrugged slightly and grinned, knowing she was probably in BIG trouble. Jones"SORRY HISASHI-SENSEI! I-I SWEAR it's NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!", I nervously said. His stern face glared down at us, the three of us all shuddered in the corner together, our knees quaked with fear. Suddenly his face of death, changed to a laugh, "HAHAHAHAHAHAH! I know exactly what happened aka! I understand the situation, but your procedure was most amateur... do you expect to pass the churning exam with this kind of sloppiness?". Furthermore, I scratched my head, "he, he, sorry sensei it will n-", "DAMN RIGHT IT WON'T!!! Furthermore, I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU GUYS MONKEYING AROUND LIKE THIS AGAIN!!! YOU HEAR ME!!!", he yelled. The three of us backed up to the corner again, "yes sir, won't happen again sir," I said, shaking in my shoes. Kin taro was looking as small and sheepish as he could, no easy task for someone of his size, but he managed with considerable effectiveness. "Yes sir, we were far too cocky in our actions towards our opponents, we will be much more cautious in the future." He then added under his breath to his compatriots next to him, "Even though we were kicking their asses." "WHAT WAS THAT INTRO!!!???", Hisashi yelled. An obvious vein protruded from his forehead. His eyes like fire, glared at him. Kin taro's eyes just about came out of his head, "Uh, um nothing, uh, so what are we training in today." Xiaomi tried to keep a straight face as Hisashi-san yelled at the boys. Standing up as straight and tall as possible, she met the trainer's eyes." I don't know about the boys, Hisashi-san, but I am confident in my actions, and given the chance, I wouldn't do a thing differently. I have pride in my skills, sloppy or not." Holding her head up high, she braced herself for her expulsion, knowing that the disrespect of her words merited nothing less. Still, she wasn't one to take abuse lying down. Her mother called her strong-willed....her father called her stubborn and mule-headed...and if she was expelled for speaking her mind, she figured they would understand. Jones"THAT INCLUDES YOUUUUUU!!!!!!", Hisashi screamed. Xiaomi's hair was blown back as if she was in the middle of a hurricane. The power of Hisashi's voice was enough to almost make her pass-out." Ahem... anyway. I have come to inform you guys that the churning exams will begin in 24 hours. I have already applied all of you. All you have to do is be outside the classroom at that time. So I suggest you guys relax," he said. Jones was confused by this, if the exam was to begin tomorrow, shouldn't they be training hard? "Uh, Hisashi-sensei","Yes Jones, what is it?"" Shouldn't we be training today then?"" No Takamatsu, that's a bad idea. Just relax for today, it's for the best."" Ah... I understand sensei". He nodded calmly, then walked away. Our Junín teacher was simply the best. He was in his late 20s, yet he was probably the powerful Junín in our village. Every time he walked away from us, it was like watching a cowboy ride out into the sunset.... truly inspiring. Suddenly he turned around slowly, and looked at us again, "AND DON'T YOU SCREW THIS ONE UP, YA DAMN KIDS!!!!", then walked away... *sigh* truly inspiring. "24 hours until the churning exam, the thing we've been all training for all these years, and we're supposed to relax?!" Kin taro fairly screamed the last part. "Um sorry, but well what do you guys want to do now, I know we're supposed to relax, but that doesn't mean we need to sleep for a day." Xiaomi patted her hair down and glared after Hisashi-san as he walked away. "Sloppy...huh." Looking over to Kin taro and Jones she smiled. "If you guys want to I know a great little spot down by the lake where we can hang out and whatever. It's a bit hard to get to, so almost no one goes down there. I've got some instant ramen out there too.... I know it's not as good as real ramen, but what do ya do? Anyway, what do you guys think?" Personally, she hoped they would come. It would be fun....and might get interesting. Besides, she still had to "talk" to Jones about "hot ninja chicks". Jones Hmm... judging by the look on Xiaomi's face, she wanted to give my a 'talk', about 'hot ninja chicks'. Something that I didn't want to hear right now. And also seeing as how Kin taro has a thing for her... I think I knew what I had to do." Well guys, the instant ramen sounds nice and all, but I- OH MY GOD, IT'S THE HOMAGE!!!", I yelled, pointing behind them. They quickly turned around, and I ran away. What better way to relax then to let those two have some alone time, while I snoop around for some ladies. "I'LL SEE YOU LATER GUYS!!!", I shouted as I ran away. Leaving only a trail of wind and dust behind me. "Hamm? That was strange, usually he only ditches me when he wants to go after a girl, not when there's one right in front of him..... Eep!" He realized he said that all out loud, "Um, I, I would be interested in seeing the place you mentioned Xiaomi, it will be a good chance to talk and learn about one another, because if we're going to get through the exam together we should have a bit of friendly trust and knowledge about each other, right?" He hoped he didn't come off sounding like an idiot, but he was sure he failed. Xiaomi looked at him and smiled "EEP?..... You're cute...and right. Let's go"Walking down toward the lake, Xiaomi started talking about her childhood and explaining the feud between her and Jones' families. "There's a lot of hatred and blood between the two of us.... That's probably why he doesn't want to be around me much." Leading the way, Xiaomi and Kin taro came out in a secluded cove, surrounded by tall trees and heavy brush. Kicking off her shoes, she pulled off her clothes down to her underwear and bra, then ran into the water and dived laughing. "Come on in Kin taro- Chan!" Kin taro(I was thinking that as this portion would be mostly just me and Rain, that we would just post our actions between each other until you have something that will impact the situation. Or did you want us to stick to the turn based method we've been using?) Kintaro listened carefully as his new friend told him her history, especially the part about her family history and the conflict with Jones's family. "I see that would explain his strange behavior." He said as if thinking out loud. As they arrived at her secret swimming area, and she unabashedly stripped to her undies, rushed into the water and invited a bright red and strangely shivering Kin taro. 'Alright, just take off your clothes and get in the water, you don't want her to think your afraid, just don't go in over your head.' He thought to himself while removing his clothes, then jogging into the water up to his waist, splashing at his companion. Jones: no, no, continue as you were. I'll just go with the flow.IC: The best place to pick up chicks was the lake. There's always some bathing beauty there, just waiting for a guy like me. Great view too, with sparkling water, tall grass, a nice breeze, a half-naked Xiaomi, some trees, some-... HALF-NAKED HIT OMI!!! My eyes went white, and my jaw hit the floor at the sight. "WHY THE HELL IS SHE HERE!!!", I thought to myself. I quickly went behind a tree, hiding from any line of sight. Damn... now I couldn't get her body out of my mind. Xiaomi laughed and splashed back at him. For a moment she thought she saw someone farther down on the beach, but when she looked again, there was no one there. Weird.... I could have sworn.... Nah, she thought. Diving under the surface, she swam underwater to where Kin taro was standing. She circled him like a shark before grabbing his ankles. She tried to pull his feet out from under him, tugging a few times before she had to come up for air. KintaroKintaro stumbled about as Xiaomi's attempts to dislodge his feet from the ground, and as she surfaced to regain her breath after her attempts she would notice him laughing lightly, but there was a shaky undertone to the laughter, he was scared, afraid of something. Kintaro was now totally off balance having been unable to steady himself after her 'attack' and was now hopping backwards trying to regain his footing, but also unknowingly heading deeper into the water. As he reached the point were the water went off the bank and got drastic deeper all at once he realized his feet could no longer touch, and in that instant his face changed from one of forced laughter and slight fear, to utter terror. Then he dropped under the surface, and there was no flailing splashing attempt at staying above the surface he just dropped like a stone, and wasn't coming back up. Xiaomi laughed as she came up, but the look on Kin taro's face stopped her. "Kin taro....are you okay?" she asked as he was stumbling around, trying to get his footing...... Until he went under. "INTRO!!!" Acting quickly, she moved to where he went under, diving and looking around frantically for him. Jones Dammit! Damn that big oaf! Now I had to go save the guy. Taking off my shoes, I quickly dove into the water. Fortunately the water was clear enough for me to see. Kin taro was at the bottom, motionless and holding his breath with whatever lung power he had. I saw Xiaomi coming fast, so I had to hurry. Grabbing Kin taro's collar, I jumped out of the lake with a boom. An underwater shockwave pushed Xiaomi back, buying me time. After going ten feet in the air, I set Kin taro on the ground. Good news was he was on dry land, bad news... I didn't know CPR. Introit quickly became apparent that CPR was not necessary, as Kin taro coughed and sputtered and started to flail about as if still trying to escape the water. Then realized he was once again safe on shore, looking around and seeing Jones he immediately looked sheepish, Jones knew he couldn't swim and would undoubtedly have a few choice words to describe his actions, despite his reasons. "Um, hey where's Xiaomi?" Xiaomi was swimming toward where she thought Kin taro was when the shockwave in the water hit her. It threw her through the water, Knocking the air out of her. Acting instinctively, she gasped, inhaling water as she clawed her way to the surface. She came up about twenty feet out, gagging and coughing. Gasping for air, she started swimming for shore, stopping when she could touch ground. Going down on her hands and knees, she coughed the rest of the water out of her lungs. Looking up at Kin taro and Jones with red, bleary eyes, she smiled slightly. "Are you okay Kin taro?" Crawling up the beach, she got up to Kin taro and collapsed on the beach beside him. "Hey.... Jones.... I thought you would be out looking for 'hot' ninja chicks....not here looking out for Kin taro and my lame ass..... Can you believe I tried to breathe underwater?" Covering her face with her arm she started laughing at herself. Jones"Well... I was just passing through and-HEY LOOK! IT'S THE HOMAGE!", I yelled. They both turned to the direction I was pointing too. WOOS! Like that I was gone... well... not gone. Right on top of them in fact. I was viewing everything from a tree branch. Looks like I was going to keep an eye out for those two lovebirds... *PSOH* lovebirds... what a word. "If I fall for that just one more time.... Hey, Xiaomi? Sorry for worrying you because of a bone-headed move by me. Are you alright you aren't exactly sounding like a pinnacle of health yourself." He said rolling onto his side to look at her. Then had to immediately shift the other way when he realized that she was still in just her underwear, her very wet and clinging underwear. ’S,s,s,s’s,so, Sorry, I I I, didn't mean to, I mean I didn't look at your bra and panties, I mean your still just in your underwear, Xiaomi." "Whey..... You know, I'm beginning to think Jones doesn't like our company. I...." She stopped abruptly when Kin taro rolled over. Looking down pointedly at his own "swimsuit" she laughed. "Well so are you! Hey.... Do you not want to see me in my undies anymore? I'll fix it." Standing and laughing, she walked over to where her clothes lay on the beach, but instead of putting them on, she quickly stripped off her bra and underwear as well. Wading back out into the water, she floated on her back, watching to see Kin taro's reaction. Jones"AGHHHHHHH!!!!!!", I screamed. I hit the floor, forming a man-shaped crater in the dirt. I would seem that I have lost my balance when Xiaomi had removed her undergarments. Furthermore, I fell quite a distance, but thanks to my ninja-conditioning, I was okay. Furthermore, I lifted my head off the ground, spitting out grass and dirt. Furthermore, I also landed a good distance away from the two when I fell, so they wouldn't notice anything. Getting to my feet, I looked at the two again. Kin taro looked to be safe, and Xiaomi was once again swimming... naked.......ROCKET NOSE BLEED! I flew another few feet back from the propulsion of the jetting blood.IOC: You might recognize this from the time when Naruto did Harem no Juts on the pervert ninja. "We, Well, it's not, not that I don't like seeing you like that I just don't want to appear to be, you know, inappropriate in my actions toward you." As he finished speaking stood up and turned back to Xiaomi whom he had assumed had time to dress herself, only to be shocked beyond all reason at the sight of her naked beauty making its way towards the water,"Hit, tattoo, He, Hit..." he had almost managed to form a word when she turned about and laid back in the water exposing her front to him. Overwhelmed to a point he had never before experienced, Kin taro did the only thing he could, he fainted, just fell backwards unconscious in the exact same position he had been in while standing. But it was apparent that not all of him was out, part of him was still very conscious, it was also the only part of him still standing upright.(IOC: Flying Corkscrew nosebleed, I remember, classic man classic.) Xiaomi silently laughed at his attempts to speak, but when she turned around, and he fainted, she got scared. "Kin taro?" Quickly swimming to shore, she ran over to him and checked his breathing and pulse, sneaking glances at his....shorts. Once she realized he just fainted, she breathed a sigh of relief and started laughing. Going back out to the water, she began swimming leisurely, keeping an eye on Kin taro and waiting for him to wake up. Jones All I could do now was stare. Was this right? I mean, after all, she was my half-cousin. The bleeding had ceased, and I had two pieces of tissue in each nostril... all the better reason to hide from sight. As I watched her swim around in her b-day suit, an all too familiar feeling stirred in my pants. Not good. Kin taro started to rouse after a few minutes and slowly made his way to his feet, still well aware of the fact she was naked and swimming. "You certainly have an interesting way of showing your comfortable around a person. I'm not complaining mind you, but a little warning might be appreciated in the future." He said his hands making a concentrated effort to hide his bodies 'appreciation' of her comfortably.(IOC: Hey um I got some kinda bad news, I've got some work coming up with the military and may not be able to post much for the next month, probably only on weekends, so if you guys want to go ahead without me, I'll catch up when I can. Sorry about this but I really need the work.) Kazoo: the MILITARY... wow... Iowa. Well, be back soon buddy. Till then... reliance, can you make a Junín character for temporary purposes.IC:Name: Kai KusashiAge: 26Team: Steel Village Style: Ninjutsu, 3-Sword style, UNKNOWN, UNKNOWN, KNOWN***NO FURTHER INFORMATION***"986... 987... 988... 989", I counted. Doing fingertip push-ups with 2 sacks of heavy sand on your back was no easy task. Sweat poured down my forehead, my black shirt getting damper by the second. Damn... I definitely needed a shower after this. "989... *ACK*990... *gasp*991.", just then a shadow appeared before me... he, she was stealthy as always. "Hisashi... you jerk," she said... that voice of hers made my heart melt.IOC: are you willing to play that female Junín? Yeah....will post tomorrow....versa busy right now....)) Name: Kane TaetsuoAge: 25Team: Steel Village Style: Henry, Medieval Scottish Sword style, Unknown Somewhat of an oddity, she combines Traditional Karate styles with Medieval sword fighting styles.* * * *I had been watching him since push-up 832. The fact that he could do so many with two sandbags on his back was, well.....impressive. Moving silently I dropped in front of him. "Hisashi... you jerk. Aren't you supposed to be training Lenin somewhere right now?" I let my eyes travel across him quickly. He was sweating like a dog, but it made his black shirt stick to his muscles....so I wasn't complaining. Smiling, I tightened the belt on my pants and pulled my tank father down my stomach, wishing it was more baggy. Something about being around guys like Kai always makes me self-conscientious.* * * ** * * *Xiaomi swam to the shallow water and laughed. "Hey Kin taro....just a warning.... I'm Naked." Giving him a wink she walked up to her clothes and pulled on her shirt. "are you hungry? I am." She walked over to a hollow tree and pulled out some packs of Rocky, tossing them to him. "Have some....and feel free to make yourself......'comfortable'."((IOC- man....the military...wow....post as often as you can....and have fun!!!)) Kai and Jones Kai"I gave them *gasp*, the day off," I said, my nose inches from the ground. "992!", I managed to mutter, as I raised myself again, this time with my face at her neck level. I gave her a quick kiss, before going back down. "993... 994... 995... exactly why are you here Kane? I already said I'd buy you dinner today", I was on the last five... just five more. I felt my muscles about to pop out of the skin, but I pushed myself onwards, "c'mon... c'mon... just... 5 more...". Furthermore, I tried to push myself with my own words. JonesWell... show was over, because her shirt was back on. I watched her with obvious lust in my eyes... that was hidden behind my sunglasses. I quickly shook off that fantasy... what was I doing! She was a member of that-that murderous family. I shouldn't be thinking about her this way! AT ALL! I.... with much confusion in my head, I sped off. This thread closed or can another Ninja join? Ooc: YES! By all means, join. Just post your character in the format that I preset. OH, and remember, a quick pic of your character is always welcome... but it is optional. Kane keeled down, so my face would be level with his. "Oh....so you are buying me dinner? Cause the last time you said that I ended up paying....." Laughing, I looked over his straining muscles. I would pay for dinner and a lot more to spend an evening with him. "Or are you saying I can't come see you without an excuse?" Sitting cross-legged in front of him, I waited till he finished his pushups. "Come on Kai....five more" Kai"haha, I see... 996... 997... 998... 999...", this time I gave her a look, and smile as I approached the floor. I shifted my body a bit as I prepared to make my move. "1000!", I shouted as I pounced on her while doing the last push-up. I pinned her hands on the ground, then began kissing her, "I was thinking maybe we start our date early". I began to kiss lower. Mistune KimikoName: Mistune Kamikaze: 18Style(s): Ninjutsu, Zaibatsu, Kendo Village: Hidden Wind Village Trainer: Unknown Weapons: Kodak Sense, Lessen, KatanaJutsu(s): Kane no Yield, Kamaitachi no JutsuBloodline Ability: White Eyes Other Ability(s): Unknown Goal: - Kimono wants to recover her memory and find her purpose Height: 5’4fWeight: 104pPersonality: Quiet, reserved, and often seen staring out into space as if distracted. Standing behind the sun so that it framed her shadowed form like a fiery glow, the female Ninja moved one hand behind her back and unclasped the huge metal fan strapped there. Bringing it to the side of her body she flicked it open with a sound of metal sliding on metal as the small plates of the fan clicked open. Looking down at the pair of figures on the beach she seemed to nod to herself and prepared for what was to come. "Do you know me...?" she whispered to the wind. Ooc: Thanks for joining Maverick. Kamaitachi eh? Hmm... SOMEBODY has been watching 'One Piece' then. As soon as Raven steel gets back from the military, you'll be REALLY able to converse with the two on the beach. Also, I hope two more will join in, so you can also have a team of three. AkaneSmiling seductively, I pulled my hands free from his grasp and wiggled out from under him, pushing up against him at every opportunity. "You just have one thing on your mind, don't you?" I said as I stood up. "Well, if you want it, you have to catch it!" I darted off, looking for a place to hide, hoping he would run past, and I could tackle him from behind. IOC: is it that obvious? He-he. Kazoo: Haha, you're right. I guess I am pointing out the obvious.IC: I see... so she wanted me to find her now, huh? Well then, easier said then done. Chances were that she was probably using a Henge, or decoy. THERE! *SLASH*, the tree was split in two, but behind it was a... decoy. What was an image of her was really a short stumpy log in reality. "FAKE SHARING AN NO JUST SU!!", I yelled, while doing a series of hand gestures. I could now temporarily, "see" things more 'clearly', for ten seconds... found her. Like the wind, I dashed towards her. As I ducked into a hollow I saw him take down the tree where I was "hiding". Well, where my image was hiding. When I heard him yell "FAKE SHARING AN NO JUST SU!", I knew I was in trouble. Acting quickly, I jumped and rolled to the right, hoping he wouldn't see me, until I saw him dart toward me. Executing a quick dodge and roll, I thought I had escaped, until I felt a hand on my ankle. Damn. Holding completely still, I thought quickly for what I could do next. KintaroKintaro tried both not to stare or faint as Sitcom's nude form made its way from the water and covered herself partially with her shirt. He then caught the rocky and was daring to even consider trying to strip off his own shorts to accept Xiaomi's offer to make himself more 'comfortable', he had just hooked his thumbs into the waist straps when Mistune appeared."WOAH, um uh, hello who are you? Do I what?" He had once again reverted to his usual blundering self around women, all Xiaomi's progress gone. Kai"Gotcha!', I said, in a voice of victory. She smiled at me, and I smiled back. Pinning down her hands I kissed her again. I kept her hands pinned, as I my head went down to her stomach. Using only my teeth, I began to raise her tank-top... I guess you could say I was undressing her with my teeth. I felt like a pirate about to hit buried treasure. Ooc: where did everyone go?!?!? *BUMP* Kane((IOC- very sorry!!! My comp caught a virus and I had to do a restore to get my internet working......but am now portable again!!!)) As he smiled at me and started pulling my shirt up, I pressed my hips up hard against him. "Sure you don't just want to skip dinner?" I said in what breath I could manage. Here I was, a trained ninja, finding it hard to draw a breath. Pulling my hands free, I slowly worked his shirt up over his head, taking the time to run my hands over his body.....god he had a marvelous body. Kazoo: oh, sorry to hear about that.IC: As I licked, and kissed her breasts, I began to remove my own clothes at the same time. Starting with my pants, since I felt like my cock was about to rip right through my pants. After that was done, I assisted in removing her clothes. As soon as her pants were half-way down I began touching, and caressing her thighs, and thigh-area. Not forgetting to rub her wet mound, through her panties. Question was, where the hell was I going with this? IOC: Alright I think I've finally managed to get my picture up and going so let me know if it works, and please be gentle with criticisms, I know I suck, thank you.) IOC: lol, a Japanese Brock Lesser build. Good stuff man! (I'm back and now for good, so please tell me that everyone else hasn't lost interest in this thread.) IOC: good point, just WHERE the HELL is EVERYBODY!?!?!? If this thread doesn't pick up soon, I'm going to have to move on to plan B... not sure what plan B is yet, but... it's a good plan.

Ninja High-School_ An erotic 'Naruto' spin-off|rating:2.0

_Field of Dreams_ -- A _Fear The Walking Dead_ Story & Game

"Field of Dreams" A story from the universe of "Fear The Walking Dead" IOC Link Closed​February 1st, Year 1 (The actual year is irrelevant.) The University of Oregon Ducks Men's Baseball team was having a Spring Exhibition game against the league rivals, the Spokane Indians, when the Walking Dead Pandemic exploded right there ink Park during the top of the 4th inning. People began attacking andeatingon other people like rabid, mindless animals. Security reacted swiftly, of course, but it was too little, too late; the cannibalistic madness had spread far and wide through the stands, the concessions areas, the breezeways, the parking lot, and even out onto the field. The Dead Rising, as it would come to be called, spread across the Campus and then out into the sister cities of Eugene and Springfield. Both City Police Forces were mobilized in full riot gear, but they were overwhelmed not only by the Dead but by the Living, who began rioting and looting all about the sister-cities. In the city, 8 people found themselves safely locked inside a concession stand's store room. There, they have food, water, and other drinks, including beer, woohoo!Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt;​Amy, what you need to do now: See the PM I will send you for instructions on how to create and introduce 4 Player Characters (PCs). (I will initially write the other 4, but you will be able to assume them if you have the right leadership. Write an introduction post for them here. Yolanda Sanchez: 24 years old; National Guard, Infantry; bilingual (Spanish, then English). Concession Stand worker. Petite, average; not strong but not unfit either. Warrior, worker material. Yolanda was one of the first people to see a Dead attack another person. She had taken a break to pee, and upon reaching the ladies' room, heard someone in one of the stalls having what she thought was a bed reaction to drugs or a seizure. When she tried to help, the woman grabbed her ankle and jerked her so hard she fell to her feet. She screamed in fear and pulled away just before the woman sunk her teeth into her flesh. As she crab-crawled away from the stall, the woman crawled out and attacked another woman who had just come out of a stall; blood spewed all over both women, the wall, the stall, the floor. Yolanda screamed again, got to her feet, and ran back to her work location to explain what she'd seen to... Connie Taylor: 39 years old; married. Concession Stand Supervisor. Average fitness; average intelligence; average charisma. Leadership and Worker/Supervisor material. Connie used the Stand's radio to call security to report an assault, then hurried toward the restroom, only to find other women rushing out screaming. Suddenly, one of what would come to be called the Dead came shuffling out; it was already covered in blood as it snatched a woman's arm, pulled her close, and a bit into her neck. Connie immediately returned to the Concession Stand and ordered its metal louvers rolled down with a total of 6 workers inside. But outside the Stand... Robert Crater: 20 years old; unmarried. Spokane Indians catcher. Very fit. Leadership and Warrior material. The cleats of Robert's game shoes were ticking across the concrete floor like a confused tap dancer as he bobbed and weaved the Living and Dead. He wasn't even sure how he'd gotten here to Concession Area; he was from Spokane, and PK Park was unfamiliar to him. Suddenly, he realized there were Dead in both direction and there was nowhere to go exceptintothe nearby Concession Standing leap over the counter. He did just that, diving over the counter and landing head and shoulders first on the pavement. He got help to his feet from someone nearby and heard a woman call out for the metal louvers to be pulled down. But as they were dropping... Vicki Evans: 28 years old; married (but husband was killed by a Dead in PK Park). Homemaker; fan at the game that first day. Fit; long distance runner. Worker material. Vicki had been in the stands with her husband, Peter, when some guy -- then another guy and another and then a woman -- began attacking people in all directions. Her husband was cop, and he didn't hesitate to spring into action, trying to interrupt one of the attacks. But as she watched in horror, theassailantbit into his face, ripping away part of his cheek and chin flesh. A second Dead then a bit into his neck and nearly ripped Peter's head off. She screamed and was about to run to his aid, but the crowd was surging for the exits, and she got caught up in it. Vicki went with the flow and ended up in front of the Concession Stand, trapped. She had seen a man leap through the front of the stand and ran there, calling for help. He grasped her by the hands and pulled her forcefully inside. Leigh Parker flinched in fright as Yolanda beat on the locked concession stand door, crying out to Connie to open the door. The Supervisor called security and ran off to do whatever she thought she was going to be able to do, only to fly back into the stand, ordering the place locked down. Things happened quickly, with more people entering the stand, some of them by literally leaping in through the window. It was crazy. A ball player she would learn was named Robert Crater came through the window, as did a soccer mom-type named Vicki Evans." Alexa" Manicure up beating on the louver as it was coming down. Leigh knew the Muslim "Guest Greeter" well: they'd met last fall in orientation for their stadium jobs, only to then realize that they were taking the same elective art class. They'd quickly become friends and found they were involved in many of the same social activist organizations. Leigh opened the door, despite Connie telling her not to do so. "We can't leave her out there! We can't!" Before Leigh could pull the door shut, two more people flew in behind Alexa. One was a man named "Harry" Richardson, a tall, heavy set older man with the look of a former football player. He held the door open for another guy, an equally tall man, Kendall Howard, who looked more like a former basketball player. The doors and louvers were finally shut for good, and the 8 of them just stood there in silence -- for the most part -- staring at each other with shocked or questioning expressions. Connie, the Supervisor, sat on the floor, then told the others, "Take a seat, y'all. We ain't going anywhere." Outside the stand, people -- the Living and the Dead -- pounded upon the metals barricades for nearly two hours. They all just sat there, mostly in silence. At one point, Leigh's stomach rolled over, empty. She reassured Connie that she would be quiet and stood to feed everyone who had the stomach for food. The noise beyond the metal doors and shutters changed over the hours that followed. The screams and calls of the Living had waned and eventually ceased. So did the gunfire from the Armed Security and the City Police who had responded to the multitude of 9-1-1 calls. By the time dark arrived, the only thing the group heard beyond the Concession Stand were eerie, guttural, animalistic growls. Connie checked her watch: 11:30pm. The noise outside had lessened as the Dead continued to depart from the stadium, heading out into the city looking for prey. 4 of the 8 in the Concession Stand had fallen asleep on the floor, using smocks and packages of napkins and other such relatively soft things as pillows and mattresses." Get some sleep," Connie told the remaining 3. "We're not going anywhere tonight."Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt;​February 2nd:Connie was awake when, one by one, the others awoke, too. The Dead were still outside, but in far lesser numbers by the sound of it. The Concessions Supervisor lifted a finger to her lips, whispering, "They react to sound." Just about everyone in the Stand had cell phones, and most of them had contacted family or friends the night before. Some had found comfort in learning that others for whom they cared were safe; others were unable to make contact; and still others found out that they'd lost someone close to them. She flashed her cell phone and pointed to the Bluetooth headphones now hanging around her neck and told them, "Listen, I've been listening to the news. This thing -- they're calling it the Dead Rising -- it's happening everywhere! They say the whole city is overrun by these things. There's nowhere for us to go."" Whaddaya mean, there's nowhere to go?" one of the others asked. "If there's nowhere to go--""We stay here," Connie said firmly. She gestured her hands about her. "We have food, we have water. Hell, we got beer."" You mean we're going to stay inhere? In the concession stand?"" No, we stay in the stadium," Connie corrected. "Like I said, I've been listening to the news, and I've learned a few things about these things. First, like I said, they react to sound. So, if we're quiet, they'll move away from us eventually. Second, they eat the Living. That'SUS! That's kind of a gimme by now I think, but I thought I would mention it again because if we are quiet, they'll leave the stadium, and then we can lock the gates, and we're safe." When Connie hesitated, someone asked expectantly, "And third?" Well, that's the interesting news," Connie told them. "Yes, most of them are moving away, out of the stadium. But the stadium is somewhat of a labyrinth in certain places, and there are a lot of doors and many of those are closed and from what I'm hearing on the news, these things -- these Dead-- don't operate door handles very well."" Meaning?"" Meaning that there are a lot of the Deadstuckhere," Connie said with a shrug of her shoulders, "and the only way to get rid of them is to kill them."" You want us to kill all these people?" someone asked with shock." They aren't people anymore," Connie said. "They're monsters. They're cannibals. They'll kill and eat each and every one of us if we don't kill them first. There is no choice, at least not until they figure out some way to make this all better." Yolanda Sanchez, who is in the National Guard Infantry, quickly announced, "I gotnoproblem killing these fuckers." Others chimed in with similar responses, to which Connie said, "So, we'll wait a bit longer, then go hunting the Dead."Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt;​IOC: Amy, you can take control of all 8 characters now. "Well, kill them later or kill them now," Harry said softly, "I have to pee. Notlater. Now. What's your plan for that?"" We clear the hall," Kendall told the former Army Infantryman without hesitation. He looked between the others saying, "Hey, I have to go, too, so I've been thinking about this while you were talking." Connie, knowing where the Security Guard was going, added, "At the end of the hall are a set of doors. We can close those to keep those things out, those Dead. But, there's going to be Dead inside the hallway, too."" How do we kill them?" one of the others asked." You have to kill their brain," Connie said. She explained that on the radio they'd said that it appeared the only way to kill a Dead was to pierce its skull, either with a bullet or a sharp object. "Kill the brain, kill the Dead."" How we going to do that?" Kendall pulled his pistol from his holster and flashed it, but Connie reminded them, "Noise draws them." Harry stood, looked around, and found what he'd expected to find: a big knife. He snatched it up and asked, "Got any more of these?" Connie stood as well and found 3 more of them. Looking around at the rest of the group, she asked hesitantly, "Who thinks they have it in them to put one of these into a person's skull?" She saw the looks in their eyes, then clarified as she held the eight-inch-long steel blade up to her temple, point first. "You have to get close andsinkthis thing into their skull."" Eye socket," the 18-year-old Leigh offered as she stood up and gestured for one of the blades. Her martial arts training had led to other little tidbits about self-defense and killing, and she explained herself, "If you sink that into someone's temple, you might not be able to withdraw it again. It'll stick. It's hard to get it through the skull, but it'll be hard to get it out, too. Also, it might break. Those are good knifes, but a head it is hard. It's supposed to be. Go into the eye, and you'll penetrate the brain." Some of them looked about to the others; there was a combination of questioning whether Leigh was right and horror that they were even talking about this. Harry said, "Gimme one of those." Kendall holstered his pistol and said, "Me, too." Connie handed out the knives, then said, "Honestly guys, I'm not entirely sure that I can do it." Yolanda stood and waggled a hand for a knife. "Gimme. I can." Robert stood as well, saying, "I would rather have my bat, but, I can do this, I think."" Are wereallydoing thisjustso he--" someone started, nodding a head toward Harry, "--can go to the bathroom?" Connie said, "No, not just that. But, we need to begin this."" Begin what?"" Clearing the dead from the stadium," Connie explained. "We're going to be stuck here for a long time, I think. We have enough food and water in here for quite a while, but do you really want to live with seven other people on less than a hundred square feet of concrete with no blankets, beds, chairs, whateverwhile listening to that?" She pointed an extended finger at the window coverings, where the Dead had begun responding to the conversation that had risen from a whisper to regular volume. Connie went on, we have to begin getting rid of those things and finding stuff we need." Vicki -- whose husband had been killed by a Dead right in front of here the previous afternoon -- began sobbing. She said in a whisper, "I just want to go home."" And you will," Connie told her, "but not today. Today, we're going to reclaim a hallway and the bathroom and store room that comes off of it. And then we're going to figure out what to do next after that, and then after that, and then after that until finally, you are back home." They spoke about the plan some more, and Yolanda, Kendall, Harry, and Robert burst out into the hallway with their knives in hand:Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt;​How I see this unfolding: If it appeared that they could get the doors shut and begin clearing the Dead, they would stick to the task; if it appeared they would be overwhelmed, they would continue onward. Regarding the combatants: Robert, the 20-year-old baseball player, has the killer instinct, though, that was always applicable to beating others on the playing field, not actually killing people. I am confident that he can do this, though, a seriously traumatic killing might affect him a bit. Yolanda is National Guard and spent 2 years in Syria as Security for a refugee camp. She's never killed anyone, but she's been trained in hand-to-hand with knives, she's been shot at by enemy combatants, and she's nearly been killed by a mortar shell that struck near her. She should be good with this I think. Harry definitely has the killer instinct. He was a high school and college linebacker who took down his share of players to get at the ball, and he has taken lives in combat as an Army sniper. He's got this! And Kendall was a Marine before he was a cop, and he saw combat as well. As a Marine MP, he has used his hand-to-hand to subdue suspects, and even though he's never told anyone this before, he has killed a man with his own knife after taking it from him during a struggle. He's got this, too. If it looks like someone's going to be killed, they'll pull back to the concession stand. Hit Bonuses without descriptions: Harold "Harry" Richardson, +6: Kendall Howard, +6: armed with a 9mm pistol. Robert Crater, +5: Yolanda Sanchez, +4: Leigh Parker, +3: Alexandra "Alexa" Amani, +1: Connie Taylor, N/A: Harold throws open the door and looks outside: The west-east running hallway is 30 feet long, 10 feet wide, with the Concession Stand door dead center on the south side. The east (right) end of hallway leads out into the concourse and has heavy, double fire doors, the ones Connie wants to close and lock. They open out into the concourse and will likely need to be barricaded as well as locked. (Connie has the key, enabling her to access the Stand when she comes to work.) To the west (left) on the same side of the hall is the double doors to the store room. They open into the hallway. To the west (left) on the opposite side of the hallway are the 2 restrooms. They have doors, too, but these are only shut during non-crowd hours; currently they are open and privacy to the bathroom is provided by a switchback maze entrance, which I'm sure you understand. Harold immediately sees 6 Dead to the right, 4 to the left; there is the possibility of more in the restrooms. FOR YOU: Decide to attack or withdraw. If attacking, do so per the rules I PM'd you, the Hit Bonuses above, and the online d20 roller. Note: Switching the "modifiers" on the website to fit each of the PC's Hit Bonus is a pain in the ass and simply not worth the effort. Don't do it: simply add the Hit Bonuses in your head.) To get the hallway doors closed, you must kill the 6 dead to the right in less than 10 attacks total. If you reach 10 attacks, roll d20/2-5 for additional Dead that reach the hallway, Dead which must also be killed to close the doors. You may disengage and retreat at any time, rolling a d20>5 for each PC. (Failure to roll Sgt;5 results in another attack roll, after which you can then again roll for retreat.) You may post the rolls and results, or you may simply write the action in dramatic form. It might be too much effort to post all the numbers, and really it doesn't matter to the story. Just kill or be killed, then tell your story; I don't need a blow-by-blow. If at any point, you feel you need to stop to allow me to respond, do so. If you finish off all the Dead in the hallway, roll 1d20/2-5 for additional Dead in the bathrooms. Once the hallway doors are cleared and barricaded and the hall and bathrooms are cleared, this space is yours! Write it up, post it, take a rest! Hit Bonuses: Harry, +6: Kendall, +6: -- armed with a 9mm pistol, also. Robert, +5: Yolanda, +4: Leigh, +3: "Alexa", +1: Connie, N/A: Harry pauses to look right, then left. Have the Dead noticed them yet? d20=7; yes! One after another, the Dead slowly turn to face him, as if they are of one mind. Or I'd that just his imagination? His stomach rolls over-anxiously at the true realization of what they are about to do: killDeadcreatures who just yesterday were their friends, family, neighbors, and others, withothersstill meaning other Human Beings! Worse yet, the Dead are going to try to kill them -- andeatthem. He looks back to Kendall -- whose 9mm is still holstered because of the fear that the noise will attract more dead -- and points to the left. He says,"You and Robert! Yolanda, your with me!" He surges out at the nearest Dead and -- without hesitation -- stabs the big butcher knife right at the Dead's left eye, sinking it almost to the hilt. The Dead's eerie, guttural, animalistic growling ceases, the creature freezes, and it drops to its knees. Harry jerks the knife out and watched as the Dead simply falls backward to the concrete floor, dead once more. He hesitates a moment, but another Dead is reaching out for him with grasping hands. He strikes again, sending another Dead to the ground. Behind him, Kendall and Robert each do as they'd been instructed: 2 more Dead get big blades through their eyes, go silent, then collapse to the floor. Beside Harry, the only female in the hallway jabbed her knife at her target's eye socket. The blade doesn't fully sink into the Dead's skull, and the creature's hands flail before it, grasping for Yolanda. But she gives the handle a second shove; it penetrates, and down the Dead goes. Harry, Kendall, and Robert are again on the attack as the remaining Dead close in: the first two men again send Dead to the concrete, but the last misses his target's vision hole, instead sinking the knife's top into the creature's check bone. The knife doesn't immediately come out, and when it finally does It's only because Robert had the thought of pulling it hard to the side, snapping off the top. The broken blade still penetrates the Dead's eye socket on the second stab, though, killing it. By now, the adrenaline is flowing like water over Niagara Falls. The growling of the Dead is now mixed with the excited sounds of the Living fighters. Things take an ugly turn, though, as Yolanda's next attack is a failure, as are both Kendall and Robert's in the other direction. Yolanda is overwhelmed by the attacking Dead, who has grasped her and toppled her to the ground. Harry is right there, though, striking once, then again, with the second attack sinking his blade up into the back of the Dead's brain. But tragedy has befallen Kendall: two Dead had ganged up on him, and fight as he tried, one of them ripped into his forearm with its teeth, tearing out a chunk of meat. Robert came to Kendall's aid, though, killing one of his attackers, then the second. But by then, the damage is done: he's been bitten. The 4 off them slam the hallway doors shut. The dead are slamming against it, so they find something in the store room to blush it Two more Dead emerge from a bathroom, and Harry and Robert attack them. Both Dead Are killed. Yolanda, over her panic at almost being dead herself, hurries to Kendall, who is crying out in pain. "C'mon, let's get you to the Stand, too clean and bandage this. With the fight over, the bathrooms and storage rooms are cleared, and the Living begin to inventory.(IOC: I think this is right. .................​ Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 16 | Rolls: 16 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 19 | Rolls: 19 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 19 | Rolls: 19 Rolled 1 D20: 19 | Rolls: 19 Rolled 1 D20: 4 | Rolls: 4 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 6 | Rolls: 6 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 8 | Rolls: 8 Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 2 | Rolls: 2 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 17 | Rolls: 17 Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 20 | Rolls: 20 Rolled 1 D20: 14 | Rolls: 14 Rolled 1 D20: 12 | Rolls: 12 Hit Bonuses: Harry, +7: (now carrying Kendall's 9mm Beretta.) Kendall, +7: -- INFECTED (Feb 2nd) Robert, +6: Yolanda, +5: Leigh, +3: "Alexa", +1: Connie, N/A: IOC: That post was great! Note: I increased Hit Bonuses for all 4, even the infected Kendall. Vicki comes to Kendall's side immediately, calling for a First Aid kit. It turns out that she had once been a Nurse, before being married. She cleans the wound and bandages it, asking others, "What does this mean? Does it mean he's infected? Is he going to become--?" She doesn't finish her inquiry; she can't even speak the words. The others' expressions answer Vicki's question, though. Connie suggests inventorying the stockroom as a way to get their minds off Kendall. It will take hours, but in the end, they will learn they have enough food, water, and beer to last them quite sometime.(IOC: I am on my phone and don't want to do a long list on it. I will do it when I get home.) Kendall is starting to show symptoms after just a handful of hours: fever, body aches, exhaustion; disorientation, pale skin, sweats, and eventually death after just 5 hours are on their way. What do you do now? Hit Bonuses: Harry, +7 (now carrying Kendall's 9mm Beretta.) Kendall, +7 -- INFECTED (Feb 2nd) Robert, +6 Yolanda, +5 Leigh, +3 "Alexa", +1 Connie, N/A Vicki, N/A -- We forgot her; I gave her an N/A Bonus Vicki Evans had been a homemaker for the past 4 years of her 28 years, but before that she'd been an Emergency Room Trauma Nurse. She hears Kendall's screams from outside the Concession Stand and knows in an instant that someone has been bitten. When they lead the still standing but obviously shocked former college basketball player back to the Stand, his tall, strong, masculine nature is gone; his face is filled with pain, anguish, and fear. She calls for a First Aid kit, clean cloth rags, and hot water. Cutting away his shirt's sleeve, Vicki grimaces. The wound reminds her of some of the dog bites she's seen in the past, and she can't believe that a Human Being has done this."Painkillers," Kendall begs even as he is still being cleaned and bandaged. Someone finds Tylenol in the First Aid Kit, but he only responds, "Really?"" My purse," Yolanda says, pointing to where it is hanging from a hook on the back wall near the coats. "Unlabeled medicine bottle in the inside pocket." Leigh finds the bottle, spills out a couple of tablets, then gives the Latina a questioning look: they are opioids in a non-original bottle, the sure sign of either an addict or a pusher. Yolanda says softly, "Later, right now, just give me two of them." Yolanda gives the pair of tablets to Kendall with a beer, which he was also growling to be served. Soon, he is sitting back in a corner, finishing his beer while trying not to look at those who are trying not to look at him. Everyone knows Kendall's infected and that there's nothing they can do for him short of making him more comfortable on his way to a horrific death. Connie suggests inventorying the stockrooms as a way to get their minds off their dying comrade. Yolanda asked, "And the refer and freezer, too?"" They're not on this hall," Connie tells the relatively new Concession Stand worker. "They're on the next hall over." She looks to Harry, who has taken somewhat of a leadership role, and asks, "Do we want to take another hallway?" She points to the second Concession Stand door, adding, "There walk-in refrigerator and freezer are on that hallway."" Not right now," Harry says, looking at Kendall. "I think this one hallway and what it gets us was enough for one day, considering the loss. Right now, I think we need to see what we have that will make us more comfortable: bedding material, more clothes -- I heard some of you were cold last night -- and weapons."" You got a gun," someone points out." Yeah, and we already saw what happens when you make noise around those things," Harry reminded them. "We need things like spears, so we canskewerthem from a safe distance."" Do they have to be skewered?" someone asked. "Or is bashing their heads enough?" When he asked why that mattered, the inquisitor said, "Because there's two or three or ten cases of wooden bats in the storeroom left over from Bat Day." Vicki and Yolanda stayed with Kendall, and the others headed for the Supply Room to take inventory. When Connie stood inside the Supply Room and looked around herself, it seemed to empty. PK Park had a max capacity of 4,000 fans. Yesterday's game had only been a pre-season exhibition, but College Baseball had become a major thing in Eugene now that the Football team -- so unstoppable for so many years -- had taken a massive dive in recent seasons Because of this, yesterday's attendance had been expected to be close to 3,000, and it most certainly had been. Management had enlisted some of theBrainiacsin the U of O's math and sciences departments to come up with an algorithm that would guess-timatehow many hot dogs and beers and ice cream cones, etc., would be sold on any one game day, taking into account the day of the week and date of the month, the current weather expectations, the current economic situation, the date relative to the majority of paydays amongst the middle class, the current performance records of both the home team and visitors, and much more. For yesterday's game, that number had turned out to be close to 2,000 sales of food items, beverage items, and other items, generally referred to as treats. Connie had looked at the register totals and found that they'd sold between 1,300 and 1,700 items in each category, which had been pretty close to expectations. However, because some of the items weren'tperishables, the Stadium had bought them in higher quantities than was necessary for just this game. When she got done crunching the numbers, she found that there was almost exactly 1,000 servings each of food, beverage, and other, aka treats." There's 8 of us," Connie told the others as they stood in the Supply Room. She hadn't wanted to mention that Kendall wouldn't count after tomorrow or so, so she left the number of consumers at the current number. "If my math is correct ... that's a lot of food and drink."" Perishables?" Harry asked." Yeah, there's that," Connie agreed. The bread and milk will be the first to go back. If we can secure the hallway with the fridge and freezer, we can move some of the perishables from here to there, and they'll last a lot longer."" We still have power," someone pointed out, adding, "that might not remain so, though." Harry spoke up again, "The park has a generator. I know, 'cause last year we had that blackout during the game with U-Dub, and they fired up the diesel to light the station for early fan exit. I would imagine it turns on automatically in the case of a power outage, but we need to find out. And the only way to do that, of course--"Robert chimed in, "Is to clear a path from here to there. Anyone know where it is?" Connie had an Employee's handbook map of the stadium, and after they'd looked it over, Robert pointed out the obvious: "We'd pretty much have to clear outlook those fuckers."" Isn't someone going to come save us?" someone asked. "I mean, there's the national guard and the army and the marines and the frickin' Boy Scouts. Someone'gonna come, right?" The expressions all around lent a negative answer to the question. Connie said, "I think we're on our own, at least for now. So, we might as well begin thinking long term."" Instead of killing them all, can't we just lure them outside," Alexa asked. "I mean, you said they're attracted to sound, right? So, I'm thinking there's probably about a thousand cars out there in the parking lot with car alarms." The others looked at each other, and the unspoken consensus was that the pretty Iranian was a genius. Connie proposed they find a way to get someone to the parking lot to begin setting off car alarms in lots all around the stadium. They hadn't made a decision before returning to the Concession Stand, though, and when Kendall heard what they were planning on doing, he said quickly, "I'll do it." When some of the others argued against it, he pointed out, "I'm fucking dead already. I might as well try to save the rest of you while I'm in the process of kicking the bucket." There was more discussion, argument, and even tears until it was finally decided that Kendall would instead run about the stadium to lure the Dead away from the Concession Stand, after which Robert, Harry, and Yolanda would slip out to the parking lot, then return again after accomplishing their goal.IOC: Okay, set it up, Tim. To Harry, there seemed to be a lot of food in the Supply Room, what the group would soon begin calling the Pantry. And when Connie said there werethousandsof servings, it sounded to him like a heavenly situation. But then she began speaking about perishables, and someone else asked about losing power now that the world outside the stadium's walls was dying a slow, vicious death. He spoke about the generator. He had more than enough skill to keep it running if they could only get to it. Robert spoke about clearing the path to it, and Alexa spoke of simply luring them away. "Smart girl," he told the 24-year-old. Turning to the Concession Stand's supervisor, he said, "Let's look at that map, Connie." They only had one hard copy of the very detailed map of the stadium, but they had a whole box of paper versions of the... Online Fan Maps Harry turned the Fan Map to orient it correctly: if you were to look from home plate to dead center field, you'd be looking due southeast. The Concession Stand was located directly below Box Seat Section 3. Almost all the various store rooms --except the walk-in fridge and freezer -- had two doors, for fire safety. They planned a route, but -- of course -- they couldn't know what they might find in the way of Dead along the way: Concession Stand to Pantry front entrance: Zero Dead. Pantry back entrance to a supposedly secured Employee Only hallway: d20-15. Hallway to Main Office back entrance, for which Kendall has a key: d20-10. Main Office front entrance to a secured, fenced, side walkway: d20-14. Gate at the other end to the parking lot: Holy Crap! Let's just see if you get that far. IOC:As per your very astute observations, Amy -- regarding the relative location of the parking lot to the Concession Stand -- I have rewritten below the plan in the previous post to be more realistic. (It was early when I wrote it and I had had no coffee. I'm surprised I could see the laptop keys.) Harry's thoughts and conversation in the post above is still good and is copied below. There are 2 significant changes: One bit of text in bolded red. And everything that follows that red text. To Harry, there seemed to be a lot of food in the Supply Room, what the group would soon begin calling the Pantry. And when Connie said there werethousandsof servings, it sounded to him like a heavenly situation. But then she began speaking about perishables, and someone else asked about losing power now that the world outside the stadium's walls was dying a slow, vicious death. He spoke about the generator. He had more than enough skill to keep it running if they could only get to it. Robert spoke about clearing the path to it, and Alexa spoke of simply luring them away. "Smart girl," he told the 24-year-old. Turning to the Concession Stand's supervisor, he said, "Let's look at that map, Connie." They only had one hard copy of the very detailed map of the stadium, but they had a whole box of paper versions of the... Online Fan Maps Harry turned the Fan Map to orient it correctly: if you were to look from home plate to dead center field, you'd be looking due southeast, and just beyond the left and center field wall were the cars about which Alexa had spoken." Okay, we're here," he began, pointing to the Box Seat Section 3, under which the Concession Stand was located. "What we have to do is get from here to the Pantry, out the Pantry's back door to this Employee Only hallway, which shouldn't have many people in it (d20-15), then to the Main Office's back entrance""I have a key for that," Kendall said; he had been working as Park Security, of course." There's going to be people in the Main Office," Connie said (d20-10). Harry acknowledged that, then continued to describe a route that would take them down another hall, then a fenced in path, then an exit to the picnic area--"Not a chance!" Connie said. She turned on the monitor that was typically in used to allow those fans in the Concession line to keep up on what was happening on the field. She tapped a button on the remote control and the West Picnic Area appeared; it wasfloodedwith the Dead. "No one's going that way and coming back."" I have a much better idea," Robert cut in. When they all looked to him, he was smiling wide. "Get me to the roof."" Why the hell would you want to go to the roof?" Robert showed hiscohortone of the souvenir baseballs he'd picked up in the Pantry, saying, "Find me a bat, and I can put as many of these as you can get me into the parking lot from up there." Smiles and verbal acknowledgments to the new plan abounded, and Harry and Connie went back to studying the map for a route: Concession Stand to the Pantry: Zero Dead. Pantry's back door to the Employee Only Hallway: d20-15. EOH to a stairway for Employees and Box Holders Only: d20-9. Upper Concourse to yet another Employees Only Hallway: d20-5. EOH to Roof access: d20-15. (Sometimes, media personnel are allowed to film from a secured roof walkway.) Once they concluded who would go, Connie said, "Everyone come with me." She took them to the Pantry and handed them each push brooms. Someone asked, "What the hell?" Connie unscrewed the handle from the broom in her hands, then used a very sharp butcher knife to begin sharpening the end. Everyone understood.IOC: The sharpened broom handles increase the Warriors' Hit Bonuses by 2 and the others by 1. You get to choose who goes on this mission: you only need Robert and someone to carry a bucket of balls, but you can have as many protections as you want, obviously. "Get me to the roof." Robert's suggestion surprises everyone. It also delights them as only a baseball player would have thought of it." So, who's going to be part of the Assault Team?" someone asks while the group is sharpening their broom stick spears. The questioner shrugs, saying, "We have to call it something. Might as well call it that?" From the doorway of the Pantry, a voice no one expects to speak these words says, "I'm in. I'll be part of the Assault Team." It's Kendall. Immediately, the infected man is confronted with arguments saying he shouldn't. But Kendall counters, "I'm going to die, and those fuckers killed me. Let me help you beat them back. Don't worry, I'm not going out there to commit suicide. But, it's not like they can infect me twice. I feel fine. I'm going, and you can't stop me." Kendall doesn't look fine, of course; he has a chuck of meat missing from his forearm, and he's showing the pain and exhaustion from the sickness building within him. But Harry hands out a broomstick and a butcher knife, saying, "Make it sharp, buddy." Once they are ready, the Assault team moves to the Pantry's second door, listens -- hearing Dead on the other side -- and surge out in order (with adjusted Hit Bonuses: Harry, +9 Yolanda, +7 Robert, +8 Leigh, +4 Kendall, +7 -- Unchanged because he is INFECTED, but he also has his Beretta back from Harry, just in case. Remaining to guard the Pantry's back door after the others leave: Alexa, +2 Connie, +1 Vicki, +1 What happens: The group is happily surprised to find only 1 Dead in the Employee Only Hallway. Harry levels his broomstick spear at the Dead's head as it turns for him and strikes. The spear goes deep into the Dead's head, and he falls, dead again. The head for the door to the stairway to the Suites. After listening for Dead and hearing none, they open the door and find only dead; two of the creatures have bullet holes in their foreheads and their brains are sprayed all over the walls and steps. Quietly, they ascend the stairs to the Upper Concourse, again listening at a closed door. Here, Harry looks back with a concerned expression. "We got a problem." Kendall pushes his way to the top of the stairs, grasping the handle and telling Harry quietly, "I got this!" Harry tries to talk Kendall out of it, but the man tells him, "I'm the best man to lead this shit show." Harry hesitates, but then releases his hold on the door handle. Kendall looks to the others, smiles weakly, and -- looking between the two females -- says with humor, "One of y'all is going to have a kid one of these days because of my incredible heroism here today. Since it wasn't me that put that child in ya -- which I'll admit, I did fantasize about, with both of you -- I'll be expecting you to name that child after me. Kendall's good for a boy or girl, after all." Before anyone can say anything about Kendall's obvious feeling that he's not going to live through this, he throws the door open and surges toward the first of what will turn out to be 13 Dead![/i] [*]Right off the bat, it appears as if Kendall's courage will be for naught: he completely misses the Dead's head when he stabs his spear at it, and both that Dead and another close on him, getting their hands on him. [*]But the other Living surge into the concourse and stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, and stab, Dead are dropping like flies. [*]Kendall is screaming out a battle cry as he hurries forward, killing yet another Dead. Then, tragedy, one of the creatures surprises him, grabbing hold of him and biting deep into his neck. Blood sprays all about, from Kendall and then from the Dead, who is quickly killed by one of the others. [*]The battle continues, and while one of the Assault Team members is taken to the ground, the Dead doing the attacking gets a broom stick through its temple. [*]And then, except heavy breaths of exertion and fearful excitement, the battle is over. [*]Harry ensures that everyone is okay. He goes to Kendall, who is very much dead. He orders the others to go to the next target door, kneels down over the man who would have become a good friend to him if things had gone differently, then inconspicuously puts his spear into the man's temple. Furthermore, he sees a coat discarded nearby and lays it over Kendall's head, then joins the others. "We'll mourn him properly later. Right now, let's keep on keepin' on. [*]They listen for Dead as they had previously, but there is only total silence. They open the door, enter the hallway, find the stairs to the roof, and get there to find no Dead there either. [*]"Play ball," Harry says to Robert. [*]They find good footing near the edge of the roof, and Robert bats one ball after another out into the parking lot. [*]As expected, the balls strike cars and alarms begin sounding. [*]"Is it working?" someone asks. [*]"It is," Harry says. [*]They all sit down on the edge of the roof with their feet hanging over. No one knew this, but -- anticipating success -- Leigh had filled a backpack with individual bags of chips and bottles of beer. [*]They sit down to 2 beers each and watch the Dead funneling out of two openings in the outfield fence that had been opened by some person during the previous day's mayhem. [*]Some of the alarms are ceasing, so Robert bats another dozen balls out over the ball field. [*]Harry says, "We should go down and see if some of them are stuck and can't get out. PK Park can be a bit of a maze sometimes, even for a person who isn't a mindless cannibal. [*]"I'll stay up here until they're all gone," Robert says, to which Yolanda says, "I'll stay with him." [*]The others finish their beers and head back. [*]Reaching Kendall, they lift him and take him with them to the Pantry, where they will decide what to do with him. Rolled 1 D20: 4 | Rolls: 4 Rolled 1 D20: 15 | Rolls: 15 Rolled 1 D20: 6 | Rolls: 6 Rolled 1 D20: 18 | Rolls: 18 Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 17 | Rolls: 17 Rolled 1 D20: 19 | Rolls: 19 Rolled 1 D20: 16 | Rolls: 16 Rolled 1 D20: 20 | Rolls: 20 Rolled 1 D20: 19 | Rolls: 19 Rolled 1 D20: 18 | Rolls: 18 Rolled 1 D20: 16 | Rolls: 16 Rolled 1 D20: 9 | Rolls: 9 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 19 | Rolls: 19 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 6 | Rolls: 6 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 20 | Rolls: 20 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 Rolled 1 D20: 9 | Rolls: 9 Rolled 1 D20: 15 | Rolls: 15 Rolled 1 D20: 2 | Rolls: 2 Emotions are expectedly high when the 5 Living return to the Pantry Hallway (as we will call it now). The loss of Kendall is tragic and heart felt; all 4 of the female Livings were familiar with him from their work at PK Park, and -- truth be told -- there had likely been a lot of sexual fantasies amongst the three that had included the tall hunk of a man." What do we do with him?" was the first question asked, of course." The freezer," Harry says, having already thought about it on the way down from the upper levels. "We have to retake the hallway on the other side of the Concession Stand. We can put Kendall in there until we can provide him with a proper burial." He looks to the others -- particularly Connie -- for a response.Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt;​Meanwhile, up on the roof, Robert continues to occasionallywhacka baseball out over the ball field into the parking lot, setting off car alarms. It is amazing just how many Dead there are in the stadium after more than 24 hours. "They eat people, so, wouldn't they have gone out into the city already to look for dinner?" The sun was falling behind them when the last of the two 5 gallon buckets of balls became empty. While they'd been hitting balls and talking about the world -- pre- and post-Dead Rising -- the 20-year-old Robert had been giving the 4 years older Yolanda inconspicuous glances. She was a frickin' doll, and despite the current world situation -- the currentendof the world situation -- he couldn't help but fantasize about getting naked with her. As they stood to leave, he risked it, asking, "Yolanda, would you like to have dinner with me?" Immediately, Robert realized how stupid that sounded; he blushed and laughed nervously, clarifying, "What I mean is ... tonight sometime, or tomorrow, or whenever, would you be interested in finding a quieter, more private location to sit with me and eat some food? Maybe have a beer and talk about life, away from the others?" TimTimTyner said: Emotions are expectedly high when the 5 Living return to the Pantry Hallway (as we will call it now). The loss of Kendall is tragic and heart felt; all 4 of the female Livings were familiar with him from their work at PK Park, and -- truth be told -- there had likely been a lot of sexual fantasies amongst the three that had included the tall hunk of a man. "What do we do with him?" was the first question asked, of course. "The freezer," Harry says, speaking of taking control of the other hallway on which is the only suitable place to keep a dead body "I agree," Connie says. She was thinking more about the food in the refrigerator and freezer and food she wanted to put in them than she was about putting Kendall in either of them. Still, she said, "We owe this to him. He sacrificed himself for us." Just as they had with the other hallway, they planned on rushing out, splitting up left and right, and killing anything already Dead. They didn't know how many creatures were out there, and they didn't want to unnecessarily risk anyone. So, they surged out one after another in this order and attacked: Harry, +9 Yolanda, +7 Robert, +8 Leigh, +4 Alexa, +2 Connie, +1 Vicki, +1 Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt;​ Up on the roof, Robert made his proposal for dinner to Yolanda. She found his shyness cute, but it was his handsome face and great bod' that caused her to move right up to him and engage him in a long, wet, passionate kiss with hands grasping hungrily at one another. "I want to fuck you so bad," Yolanda told Robert firmly when their mouths finally separated. Then, she backed away, adding, "But not while I'm covered in blood and brains." She set one of the empty buckets inside the other, picked up the pair, smiled to the ball player, and headed for the roof access door. Click to expand... IOC: Small little error: Robert and Alexa can't be in the Assault Team; they're on the roof. No biggie; I knew what you were doing.) Harry peeks through the second door and sees -- 1d20 -8 = -2 ...a Living person! He looks left and right in disbelief, but he's seeing correctly -- d20 = 12: just an average looking woman standing in an otherwise empty hallway.(IOC: Amy, 12 is a midrange female number: Zero is incredible Male, 20 is an incredible woman. Create a new character who is kind of average in most ways.)" Are you okay?" Harry asks. "Are you injured? Are you bit?" Even add she is responding, Harry is hurrying to the closed doors to ensure they are secure. Someone is already peppering her with questions." Connie, the fridge and freezer appear to be yours," Harry tells the Supervisor. Her looks to the others, saying, "Let's get our friend." "Connie, the fridge and freezer appear to be yours,"Harry said." Let's get our friend." They gathered Kendall from the Pantry Hallway, carried him through the Concession Stand, and cleared a shelf in the Freezer to serve as his temporary resting place. They covered him with a promotional banner from the Pantry, said some words over him, paused for a moment of silence, then went to work transferring food from the pantry to the Fridge to preserve them longer. Connie employed the others in performing a full inventory of the Concession Stand, the Pantry, the Fridge, and the Freezer. As expected, there were approximately 1,000 servings of Food, Beverage, and other Treats, including:Food Items:Inventory as of Feb 2 = 1,000 Hot Dogs Sausages Chicken Corn Dog Pizza Burger Vegan Burger Grilled Cheese Sandwiches BBQ Chicken Sandwich Chicken Tenders Tacos Burrito Chili w/ cheese Rice Beans Nachos (Chip/Cheese/Salsa) Curly Fries Onion Rings Drink Items:Inventory as of Feb 2 = 1,000 Bottled Water Juice Red Bull Milk, pints Coffee Cocoa Black Tea Hot Chocolate Draft Beer Wine Hard Cider Treat Items:Inventory as of Feb 2 = 1,000 Pretzel Chips Candy Peanuts Deep Fried Snicker’s Bar or Twinkle Churros Popcorn Ice Cream Bars Ice Cream, Pints Popsicle Frozen Lemonade Strawberry Smoothies "We're going to eat like kings in the beginning," Connie told the others, "because some of this needs to be eaten before it goes bad. But later, if things out there don't get better--""If someone doesn't come to save us, you mean," someone interrupted." Yeah, if this shit remains shitty, and we end up stuck here," Connie agreed, "then we're going to run out of food, water, beer, etc."" Why can't we garden what we need?" Vicki asked. When the others looked to her, she explained, "My husband and I--"She hesitated, drawing a deep anxious breath; the day before, she'd watched the Dead kill and rip her husband apart before she was swept up in the crowd running for the Lower Concourse, after which she was drugged into the Concession Stand by none other than the now gone Kendall." We have a half of an acre where we grew almost all of our food," Vicki went on. "We were just inside the City Limits, so we weren't allowed to have any large animals, but we had chickens, duck, and rabbits. Between our veggie garden, berry vines, fruit trees, and small animals, we nearly fed ourselves year round. We could grow food right out there on the field."" No, it's artificial turf," someone interjected, asking, "Isn't it?"" No, it's not," Harry chimed in. "It's a special kind of grass, realgrass. But really, that's not what important. What's important is what's underneath it: dirt, realdirt. It's not going to be the best in the world, the most fertile, but we can dig up the grass to put in vegetable plots that we can augment with compost and--""Wait second!" Robert cut in. "You guys are talking like we're going to be here forever. I'not! I'm going to get my ass back to Spokane as fast and as soon as I can. Furthermore, I'm not staying here to raise goats and pick berries or whatever it is that you're talking about doing here. Furthermore, I thought we were going to kill these fuckers and get the hell out of here."" And nowhere?" Harry asked. "You were on the roof. You saw what was out there: a hundred, thousandsof those things. Hell, there's so many of them that they'restillstrolling out of the left field gate toward the parking lot, and its been hours."" Listen," Connie interrupted. "We're just talking aboutoptionshere. We have to think short term and long term at the same time. Shortterm, we kill the Dead and secure the stadium, so that we are safe. And we have to get control over the Emergency Diesel Generator Room, in case the power goes out, which I'm sure it will do at some point." Longterm, we think about what it's going to take to keep us alive if we are never able to leave here. We grow our own food. We raise animals. There was an article in the Eugene Register-Guard just a couple of days ago about some of the urban farmers and ranchers who don't live far from this very campus. If we can get their stock animals, we can breed them and raise them and have milk and meat and eggs." She looked to Robert. "I know you want to go home, and I understand that. Iwant to go home. Gallant to go home. And no one's going to stop you if you want to leave, right?" Connie addressed that question toward Harry, as he'd stepped up to be very much a leader in the group. Harry shook his head, agreeing with Connie, and she continued, "Right now, though, we have work to do, and that work includes getting out to the gates on the fields and closing them, thentaking back the rest of the stadium." She looked to the newest member of their little group, smiled, and said, "But first, Patti, why don't you tell us more about yourself."(IOC: Putting up another post in a moment for the new girl, but don't let that keep you from posting if you have something to add, perhaps a plan for getting to the gates and clearing the rest of the Dead?) "I think we need to look at our original plan," Harry said after the new member of their community had introduced herself. (IOC: yeah, I know: not posted yet.) "The one where we went to the Main Office." When asked why, he spoke of needing access to the Security Office, which had a door to the Main Office. "If we could use all the cameras, we could clear this place faster. Not only that, but we might find more Living people, like Patti."IOC: If you want to do this, roll d20-5 for the Main Office Hallway and d20-8 for the Main Office itself. You also need to roll a 50/50 for each of the two doors to the Main Office being open. If either of them are open, another d20 Dead will come through each, one after another. They can be stopped if they are quickly assaulted, though, so reduce the number appropriately. Introducing Patti Martell -- former Navy Electrician's Mate. Patricia "Patti" Martell was a bit hesitant to talk about herself before the whole group. She'd always been on the introverted, shy side. But she mustered the courage." I was in the Navy, an Electrician Mate," she began. "6 years of that after I dropped out of my 2nd year of college. Been working for a company that just started installing solar panels. Still in training, but, I guess that's over." The 5'4", 120 pound, blue eyed faux-blonde told them she was 36 years old and from Italian extraction. She didn't mention that she didn't see that it was a lesbian as it wasn't their business. Shedidtell them that she was an avid runner." Probably why I survived this," she told them. "I just kept running and dodging. I almost made it to the exit." "I think we need to look at our original plan ... The one where we went to the Main Office." They discussed the value of having access to the Security Office's video surveillance, and the decision was made to take control of it. It was late in the day, and many of the team were exhausted, but there was fear that all of their hard work -- as well as the loss of Kendall -- would go to waste if they didn't act now. Harry, +9took charge, saying, "Only those who feel up to this, come with me." Immediately, Yolanda, +7,Robert, +8, and Leigh, +4said they were in. The other three --Alexa, +2,Connie, +1, and Vicki, +1-- as well as the new member, Pattie, -2, didn't speak up immediately, and just as one of the was about to, Harry said firmly, "That'll be enough. The three of you, you watch the hallways and doors, in case any of those things get behind us." Harry knew that none of the Dead would; they'd cleared out the portions of the stadium into which they'd already ventured, and the doors were heavily secured, both by original design and addition barricades the Team had put up. But he knew they didn't want to go out with the Assault Squad again, and he himself didn't want to risk anyone who was tired or might hesitate." Let's do this," he said, leading the other four to as far as the Main Office Hallway. They listened and heard the low growling of the Dead. Harry used Kendall's key to the door, opened it, and surveyed: 7 Dead." We got this, just watch your back!" he said as he entered and stabbed his broom stick spear toward the nearest Dead's eyeball, sinking it deep into the creature's skull. As he pulled the weapon out and the Dead collapsed, he called to the others, "Keep it together, be smart, and watch each other's backs!" The hallway was just wide enough for three of them to work side by side: Harry, Yolanda, and Robert, with Leigh backing them up from just a few feet back. Yolanda's first strike only glanced off a Dead's skull, but Robert killed her target. Harry and Yolanda killed two more easily, then it was Robert's turn to miss his target; Leigh saw this and called out, "I got him!" and sunk her spear into the Dead's face, sending it downward. It took another 4 strikes to kill the last two, and once the growling noises had ended, the four took a moment. Harry said critically, "That fucking sucked! We have to be better than that, or one of us is going to be in the freezer next to Kendall." They concluded their breather and talked about strategy. "We don't know whether the office is secure, so first thing we do when we enter, is look for the doors. If they are open, we fight our way to them and get them closed. They're heavy fire doors just like the ones at each end of this hallway, per Connie. Get'em closed, kill the dead in the room, look for hiders, and it's over. Yolanda, you're with me. Robert and Leigh. Work together, watch each other's backs. Ready?" They moved to the next door, listened, and heardnothingat all. Harry didn't trust it, though, and opened the door slowly with his foot positioned to block it from opening more than a couple of inches if one of the Dead rushed it. Again, nothing. He whispered to the others what would become his maxim, "Watch your backs." Harry threw the door open and stepped inside, and he immediately cried out in a combination of pain and shock -- as he was clubbed on the head! He backed up and pointed his spear, but stopped at the sight of yet another Living, a woman in her 20s or 30s maybe, wielding a pair of Oregon Ducks souvenir mini-bats.(IOC: The d20-8 for people inside was -7, so I deemed that good for a lack of Dead, the closed doors, and the presence of a Living; and I rolled a d20=18 for the Living, thus a qualified female warrior. Did I do that right?) The woman looked as shocked as Harry did, stepping back but keeping her weapons at the ready in a martial arts sort of stance. The first person to speak was Yolanda, who recognized the woman and called out, "Keisha! It's alright! You're alright! It's me, Yolanda!" Things calmed down quickly, and the new face exploded in joy as Keisha surged forth and threw her arms around the familiar Park employee. She jumped into a ramble of how when everything went to shit she found herself trapped in here with three Dead; they were all on the floor of the office now, their heads beaten open by the blood-covered bats she had pulled from a box. "They're all over outside," Keisha said, pointing one of the bats towards the security windows of the Main Office. "I had nowhere to go. I slept here last night." As the others did per Harry's instructions and searched the office and the Security Office for hiding Dead, Keisha said, "The strangest fucking thing happened. Someone was hitting baseballs off the roof into the parking--" "Me," Robert said. "That was me. Us, actually." They talked about the hitting practice and how it cleared out the dead. (Rolling d20=17.) Keisha informed them, "I've been watching the video monitors. Nothing more to do, really. You were really clearing those things out of here, but I got some bad news. They're back." No one really knew how many Dead there might have been left in the stadium, but it turned out that out of the original 3,000 fans at the game -- not including the couple of hundred players and workers -- most had escaped without harm. There had originally been about 272 dead in the Park, and most of them had headed for the noisy car alarms. But when the last one went silent, many of the Dead had turned around and come back into the ball field. (IOC: Some quick math, 17/20 is 8.5%, 8.5% of 3,200 is 272 Dead. They've already killed a bunch, so let's call it 250 Dead left. They were attracted to the parking lot, but a further d20=1, yuck!, means that most of them are returning.) Harry looked to the cameras and found over 200 Dead milling about the field. The good news was that most of them were remaining on the field while only a few of them had found the handicap ramps and began ascending into the stands or the ground level tunnels. "We have to shut them out of the stadium itself," Harry said. "Keep them on the field." "I have a question," Yolanda said. "Why are they coming back? I mean, they're attracted to people and to sound, right? So ... where are the people who are making sound." The others agreed: there had to be other living people in the stadium somewhere. Harry went to the Security Room again, found the General Address speaker microphone, and made an announcement that came out over speakers in all corners of the stadium, inside and out: "If you can hear my voice, and you are inside PK Park," he began, "rest assured that someone is coming to help you. If you are safe inside a room where the Dead cannot get to you, remain there and remain quiet! The Dead are attracted to sound. Hide yourself, keep still, and we will find you. If you do not feel safe where you are, try to find a place where you can be, but be quick and be quiet. "If you think you can do so without attracting the Dead," he went on after a moment, "find a way to indicate to us where you are hiding. We can see most of the stadium on security cameras in the Main Office. If you can see a camera -- look high on the walls or poles -- hang a flag, a cloth, a piece of clothing. We will see it, we will find you, and we will bring you to safety." "What about the phones?" Yolanda asked. She flashed her own cell phone, pointing out, "I still have service. Shit, everyone carries a cell phone these days." They gathered some phone numbers, and -- giving credit where credit is due -- Harry gestured Yolanda to the microphone. "If you have a cell phone or if you are in a space inside PK Park with a landline, call one of the following numbers and tell us where you are. If you get a busy signal, try again. It only means that we are speaking to another person who needs help. Do not stop calling until you have talked to one of us. Here are the numbers; write them down if you can, or punch them into your phone." Harry stepped up again, saying, "We will be taking calls from any of you who call us, and we will be repeating the numbers occasionally off and on for the rest of the day. Do not give up! We will find you." Yolanda began giving out the phone numbers: her, Harry's, and Leigh's cell phones, as well as the Main Office's private line; the public line went directly to a menu of options, and they wanted to avoid making people whose lives were in danger sit through that and possibly make a bad selection. Even before Yolanda had finished with the list of numbers, the calls began coming in: 12 people were trapped inside the stadium, from fans and employees to media members and players from both teams. They were trapped in locker room restroom stalls or the other concession stands or little nooks and crannies they'd gotten into but which the less capable Dead couldn't; one guy was laid out atop an overhead I-beam while the Dead below him flailed without success to reach him. They even began getting calls from people in cars in the parking lot that had gotten trapped in the panic: 12 more! And these people weren't happy with the fact that someone had been raining baseballs down onto the lot, drawing the Dead their way! Then, a big surprise, they began getting calls from homes and businesses in the area that were within reach of PK Park's loud intercom, something that in the past local residents who weren't baseball fans had often complained about. They received and recorded another 19 of those calls, some of which were from the nearby Autumn football stadium, where Spring Practice had been taking place. 13 callers made the cell connection from there, being told to hang tight until a plan could be formulated for their rescue. Harry got onto the intercom again, saying, "A lot of you have called in, and I promise, we're going to try to get to each and every one of you. If you have already called in, we are making a plan to come and get you. There are 9 of us here to help you, and we are going to stay in touch with you by phone and by intercom until we have reached and rescued each of you." Some of the callers called again, desperate. Harry told the others to calm the people down and remind them that every second wasted in panic on the phones was a second in which the Squad wasn't saving them. Soon, the calls ceased, but Alexa -- who had heard the announcements and come to see what was what -- volunteered to set up a Phone Bank. "I did this once when a girl in my neighborhood was lost," she explained, "And again for an anti-fascist rally phone tree. I know what to do." Soon enough, Alexa had it all under control: she had the names, genders, ages, and locations of everyone who had called in; she'd shifted them all to the Park's landline, with her own cell number as a backup; she'd made arrangements to call each of the more vulnerable ones every hour, so that they could turn their phones off and save their batteries; and, most importantly, she'd gotten across to all of them that they were going to be fine, that they would be saved. Rolled 1 D20: 12 | Rolls: 12 Rolled 1 D20: 14 | Rolls: 14 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 14 | Rolls: 14 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 9 | Rolls: 9 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 17 | Rolls: 17 Rolled 1 D20: 4 | Rolls: 4 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 8 | Rolls: 8 Rolled 1 D20: 3 | Rolls: 3 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 18 | Rolls: 18 Rolled 1 D20: 17 | Rolls: 17 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 12 | Rolls: 12 Rolled 1 D20: 8 | Rolls: 8 Rolled 1 D20: 4 | Rolls: 4 Rolled 1 D20: 12 | Rolls: 12 Rolled 1 D20: 2 | Rolls: 2 Rolled 1 D20: 17 | Rolls: 17 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 The others began working out a plan: They put Connie at the monitors in the Security Office to watch over the park. They broke open the gun cabinet, and while they found a dozen shotguns, they were -- per recent reforms in policing -- all designed for non-lethal bean bag rounds. Still, everyone threw one over their shoulder, with Harry telling them, "Aim for the eyeballs. You just might kill one. At the very least, you'll knock it back and away long enough to get on." The first mission was to get to the left and center field gates and close them. Robert said, "But what about getting the dead back outside again. Go to the cars, set off some alarms, save the people in the parking lot, then close the gates." Harry vetoed that, saying, "There are hundreds, possibly thousands of those things out there in the City. Last thing we want to do is attract them to the park's field." It was decided they would use the Security Radios to communicate, that they would call those in the parking lot to the gates, get the gates closed, and kill any Dead that got in the way. Harry reminded them, "Priorities: People in the lot, gates, get back. We're not going out there for a Dead hunt." (Rolling for the power to still be on: d20=12, still on.) "Let's go!" With Connie guiding the way using the monitors (HPB+2 each PC), they made their way out into the Lower Concourse and toward the gates. Rolled 1 D20: 3 | Rolls: 3 Rolled 1 D20: 4 | Rolls: 4 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 6 | Rolls: 6 Rolled 1 D20: 20 | Rolls: 20 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 20 | Rolls: 20 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 14 | Rolls: 14 Rolled 1 D20: 6 | Rolls: 6 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 4 | Rolls: 4 Rolled 1 D20: 12 | Rolls: 12 Rolled 1 D20: 3 | Rolls: 3 Rolled 1 D20: 4 | Rolls: 4 Rolled 1 D20: 18 | Rolls: 18 Rolled 1 D20: 17 | Rolls: 17 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 It was scary at first, but each time one of the Living failed to immediately kill a Dead, the person at their side took up the slack. Soon enough, they were out at the left field gate. Leigh had set up a conference call with the people in or near the parking lot, and when Harry told her to do so, she told them all to run for the gate if it looked clear. It didn't go without loss, though: only 9 of the 12 in the lot made it. But those 9 and their rescuers easily got the gate shut without anyone being bitten (d20=20), and soon they were making their way back to the main office. Some of the rescued hadn't had food or water for more than a day, and most of them needed to clean up; some had peed or pooped in their cars or even their clothing. They were all taken to the Concession Stand for nourishment and the bathrooms for hygiene, and where necessary, souvenir shirts or clothing from the Main Office's lost and found were distributed. Meanwhile, Harry led the Squad to look for the most vulnerable of those inside the park. Rolled 1 D20: 16 | Rolls: 16 Rolled 1 D20: 17 | Rolls: 17 Rolled 1 D20: 15 | Rolls: 15 Rolled 1 D20: 12 | Rolls: 12 Rolled 1 D20: 20 | Rolls: 20 Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 6 | Rolls: 6 Rolled 1 D20: 16 | Rolls: 16 Rolled 1 D20: 8 | Rolls: 8 Rolled 1 D20: 6 | Rolls: 6 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 3 | Rolls: 3 Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 2 | Rolls: 2 Rolled 1 D20: 19 | Rolls: 19 Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 14 | Rolls: 14 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 18 | Rolls: 18 Rolled 1 D20: 8 | Rolls: 8 Rolled 1 D20: 2 | Rolls: 2 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 Things were going fairly well, with the Squad working together to cover each other's backs, per Harry repeated instructions. But they had setbacks, too: one of those they were rescuing got anxious and exposed herself too early and was ripped apart before the Squad could kill the Dead attacking her; and one of the rescued from the parking lot who'd insisted on helping was bitten as well. On the way back, knowing his fate, he rushed a pair of Dead with the broom stick spear he'd been given, and despite killing three, he himself was lost, too. They called it a day just after midnight, telling the others still awaiting rescue that they would be back out to get them after sunup. Yolanda reluctantly spoke into the intercom, "We are exhausted, and we fear we won't be able to save you until we get food, water, and rest. But we haven't forgotten you, and we are not abandoning you. Just be still and silent one more night, and we will come for you tomorrow." Harry was satisfied with the day, overall anyway. He'd seen 5 Living killed today, one of which had been a child, perhaps 9 years old. It was tragic, but this was their new life. Once everyone was cleaned up and fed, he and Connie gathered them all together in the Main Office, where there were 2 couches and a dozen chairs with pads that they cut loose from their metal frames to use as mattress pads until a better solution was found. He took a look around and did a mental survey of who was who and what each of them had to offer the Community: Harry, +10 -- warrior, leader Robert, +9 -- warrior Keisha, +9 -- warrior, leader Yolanda, +8 -- warrior, Leigh, +5 -- warrior, Alexa, +3 -- warrior, Connie, +2 -- leader, organizer Vicki, +2 -- Patti, -2 9 from the parking lot: Includes one mother and her 2 kids Includes one father, his two kids, two neighbor kids, and a stray kid 8 from the Stadium's interior Includes 2 middle-aged married folk Includes 2 young males Includes 2 teen brothers Includes 1 solo female and 1 solo male Total: 26"The couches and pads aren't enough for everyone," Harry said apologetically, "but we have a Lost and Found with clothing and even stadium blankets, and there is a whole box of souvenir stadium blankets over there." He pointed to a box -- half full, actually, with about 20 blankets -- and went on to say, "It's late, and everyone is exhausted. Find a place to sleep. You're all safe here." Harry called the Warriors to him and set a night watch of 3 people who would watch over the various rooms and hallways. "We'll switch off at 3am, then again at 6am."(IOC: I didn't have time to go back and look for all the details about who can do what. Can you add them in your next post? I have an appointment.) Yolanda and Robert;Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt;​After everyone began settling down, Yolanda caught Robert's eye and headed for the Main Office's back door. When she saw him follow her into the hallway, she nodded him to follow with a gentle jerk of her head, then headed for and entered the Pantry. Once he was inside with her, and she'd closed the door, she proceeded tomaulhim like the piece of meat she needed right now. Within minutes, she was collapsed down upon his body, itself collapsed back upon the floor, his bare buttocks likely getting scraped up by the dirty concrete. They lay there in each other's arms until their breathing and heartbeats had begun to return to normal, never having realized that Connie -- passing by in the hallway -- had been concerned by the crying sounds beyond the door, opened it, spied them, then closed the door and departed without a word." This stays between us,"Yolanda told Robert as she sat up vertically, his still hard cock still deep inside her as she stripped her top off, then her bikini top, revealing her youthfully firm "C" cup breasts. She began rocking upon Robert again, telling him, "You're going to have a lot of fun knowing me, so long as you keep the word of that fun to your fucking self." He only nodded energetically as Yolanda began driving him once again toward orgasms for the both of them.Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt; Lt;Sgt;​The next morning:After a big breakfast served buffet style in the Pantry Hallway, Harry and Connie assembled the entirety of the new Community in the Main Office again for another get-to-know-one-another-better session. They were hoping to find another medical professional aside from Vicki, who had, of course, been an emergency room nurse years earlier, perhaps even an actual doctor. (d20=10, d20=14) Who they got was another female nurse, Jimmie, who had 4 years experience with Midwifes of Oregon and another 4 with Infant Medical Services; she was going to be a boon with the children in the Community. Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 14 | Rolls: 14They found experience in labor-intensive services and even some more military experience, amongst both the males and females." We have more people to save," Harry and Connie told the others. Using the security cameras to watch for Dead (increased HP's by 4 as you PMD me), teaming up pairs of people to watch over one another, annotating chances, they went out into the Stadium and cleared one section after another:Rolled 1 D20: 20 | Rolls: 20 Rolled 1 D20: 14 | Rolls: 14 Rolled 1 D20: 14 | Rolls: 14 Rolled 1 D20: 20 | Rolls: 20 Rolled 1 D20: 6 | Rolls: 6 Rolled 1 D20: 12 | Rolls: 12 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 9 | Rolls: 9 Rolled 1 D20: 4 | Rolls: 4 Rolled 1 D20: 20 | Rolls: 20 Rolled 1 D20: 2 | Rolls: 2 Rolled 1 D20: 19 | Rolls: 19 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 14 | Rolls: 14 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 4 | Rolls: 4 Rolled 1 D20: 6 | Rolls: 6 Rolled 1 D20: 18 | Rolls: 18 Rolled 1 D20: 14 | Rolls: 14 Rolled 1 D20: 19 | Rolls: 19 Rolled 1 D20: 3 | Rolls: 3 Rolled 1 D20: 14 | Rolls: 14 Rolled 1 D20: 6 | Rolls: 6 Rolled 1 D20: 2 | Rolls: 2 Rolled 1 D20: 17 | Rolls: 17 Rolled 1 D20: 4 | Rolls: 4 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 Rolled 1 D20: 14 | Rolls: 14 Rolled 1 D20: 3 | Rolls: 3 Rolled 1 D20: 4 | Rolls: 4 Rolled 1 D20: 2 | Rolls: 2 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 Rolled 1 D20: 14 | Rolls: 14 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 Rolled 1 D20: 15 | Rolls: 15 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 2 | Rolls: 2 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 Rolled 1 D20: 4 | Rolls: 4 Rolled 1 D20: 3 | Rolls: 3 Rolled 1 D20: 15 | Rolls: 15There were a few times when things got hairy, but putting a skilled Warrior together with those for whom this was the firsthuntpaid off, and no one got hurt. They were out only 2 hours before Harry said it was time to pack it in: "We're tired, we're hungry, we're dehydrated, and we saved a lot of people today (d20=17)."12 people had reported themselves trapped inside the stadium the day before, and after yesterday's trek out into the Lower Concourse and today's venture into it and the Upper, they had rescued each one of them. There were still more in the parking lot, but they would have to wait until this afternoon; Connie got onto the intercom -- which reached the parking lot with the flip of the correct switch -- and told these people to hang tight. "We're coming for you!" The calls from outside the stadium continued to poor in, though. There had been 19 separate callers the day before and today there were 10 more (d20=10). Yolanda kept at the landline all morning, speaking to people and putting together a map of their locations. Some of the callers didn't want to leave their homes; they only wanted to speak to someone else alive out in this mad, mad world. Some didn't even want to reveal their addresses, saying that they'd seen looters and that there were some house fires caused by rioters and vandals. Yolanda reassured them that no one was demanding that anyone do or say anything or go anywhere. "We only want to make sure that you are safe and secure. Please, do not venture outside unless you have to. And if you want to come to PK Park, wait for us to come to you. Trust me, we will get you through this safely." When afternoon came, the Squad went back out into the stadium again, intent on finally clearing the rest of it. The majority of the Dead had left the stadium to look forfoodthat first day; the home run baseball trick from the roof and lured most of the rest of them outside; then, after getting the gates closed and killing Dead inside, the park was down to maybe 50 dead or fewer, save for some stragglers that might not be in camera view. The Squad headed out again, and tragedy did strike once to one of the new stadium residents:Rolled 1 D20: 15 | Rolls: 15 Rolled 1 D20: 17 | Rolls: 17 Rolled 1 D20: 16 | Rolls: 16 Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 8 | Rolls: 8 Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 Rolled 1 D20: 3 | Rolls: 3 Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 16 | Rolls: 16 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 Rolled 1 D20: 16 | Rolls: 16 Rolled 1 D20: 9 | Rolls: 9 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 2 | Rolls: 2 Rolled 1 D20: 3 | Rolls: 3 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 15 | Rolls: 15 Rolled 1 D20: 16 | Rolls: 16 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 3 | Rolls: 3 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 9 | Rolls: 9 Rolled 1 D20: 9 | Rolls: 9 Rolled 1 D20: 20 | Rolls: 20 Rolled 1 D20: 20 | Rolls: 20 Rolled 1 D20: 20 | Rolls: 20 Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 8 | Rolls: 8 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 20 | Rolls: 20 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 20 | Rolls: 20 Rolled 1 D20: 18 | Rolls: 18The victim was (d20=5) one of two young men who'd been friends and had come to the game together, surviving only to now have one of them mauled. The Dead was killed, too, not that that was any relief to the second man or the Squad in general. Out of sight of the others, Harry killed the potential-Dead in the man by pushing a screwdriver into his ear. The mercy killing was barely even detectable except for a bit of blood in his ear that had leaked out after Harry had cleaned up the rest of the mess.[IOC: For the purpose of establishing hierarchy, I removed "leader" from everyone but Harry (Warriors), Connie (Domestics), and Leigh (Techs aka science shit).] The Community (at current): Harry, +10 -- Warrior Leader Robert, +9 -- warrior, builder Keisha, +9 -- warrior Yolanda, +8 -- warrior, Leigh, +5 -- warrior, Tech Leader Alexa, +3 -- Communications, warrior, Connie, +2 -- Domestic Leader Vicki, +2 -- Creator, Laborer Patti, -2 -- Electrician/Technician, Creator, Laborer 9 from the parking lot: Includes one mother and her 2 kids Includes one father, his two kids, two neighbor kids, and a stray kid 8 from the Stadium's interior Includes 2 middle-aged married folk Includes 1 young males (another was killed) Includes 2 teen brothers Includes 1 solo female and 1 solo male 12 more from the stadium Total: 37 (26-1+12) "No one leaves the secured zone without an escort," Harry said to the group as dessert was being distributed in the Main Office. Connie had powered up and chilled down one of the rolling ice cream carts that normally trolled the Concourses before and during games, and frozen treats -- as well as hot pies and such -- were being passed about. Harry continued, "We thought we got the rest of the Dead that are inside the stadium today, but Yolanda and her Monitoring Crew continue to occasionally find one or two of them wandering about." So, until we know we have cleaned this place out," he continued, gesturing to the newly named Dead Squanto rise, "no one goes outside the secured zone without one of these people with them, period! This office, the Concession Stand, the Pantry, Fridge, Freezer, restrooms, and the hallways between them are currently the Secured Zone. We will expand that in the coming days, one day at a time, until we have secured the entire stadium, the field, essentially everything inside the outer fences."" What if we don't want to stay here?" someone asked. "What if all we want to do is go home?"" You can go home," Harry said. "No one is keeping you here. At least, we-- the people in this room -- are not keeping you here. If you think you can venture out into that--"Harry pointed at the monitor on the wall; it typically showed a live ballgame, a replay of a previous one, or a promotional PK Park or U of O video but was now showing a view of the ball field with the 100 or so Dead still clawing at the stands or fence lines or simply milling about the ball field, looking for someone to kill and eat. Rolled 1 D20: 9 | Rolls: 9 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 9 | Rolls: 9 Rolled 1 D20: 19 | Rolls: 19 Rolled 1 D20: 18 | Rolls: 18 Rolled 1 D20: 12 | Rolls: 12Harry continued, "--and survive to make it home, you are welcome to do so." There was a light murmur amongst the group, but Harry generally understood it to be an acknowledgment that no one was in a hurry to take on the Dead. He went on, "Have patience. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that gallant to go home to our families, our friends, our neighborhoods."" I still haven't talked to my wife," someone said. "I don't even know if she's still alive." Harry spoke about how Yolanda and others had organized a Phone Tree, and that one by one, they were trying to put the people here in touch with their loved ones out there. "Again, have patience. And don't be pessimistic: just because your friends and family are not answering their phones doesn't mean they are dead. Several of us don't even have our cell phones. We left them in our cars in the parking lot or at home or lost them in the mayhem that first day, and I'm sure that some --most-- of the people you are trying to contact who are not picking up simply don't have their phones with them." The group went on about communications for a while, then someone asked, "So, who's actually in control here? I mean, Harry, and you Connie, you seem to have taken charge without asking anyone if you should be or whether--"Harry cut in as some of the other voices sounded in, both for and against the current situation or -- in some cases -- criticizing the speaker. "Wait, wait! Hold on, people. I'not in control; I'm not in charge. Neither is Connie. The reason we are standing here before you as we reappearing be in charge is simply because someone needed to." There was some more argument and debate, and -- after calming everyone down -- Harry went on, "The United States of America is a democracy, the State of Oregon is a democracy, even the University of Oregon is a democracy, of sorts. We Harwell be a democracy as well, but, I think it's a bit too early to be forming a government, don't you think?" Harry hesitated to see what the response would be, then continued, "But, wewillcreate a government if y'all think that it is necessary. How about we wait, though, until we have cleared the stadium, and we are safe, and we actually know who's going to be here in the end." There was so more discussion and debate, but the decision to put this topic aside for another day was made. Harry went on with his announcements: They had control of the Generator Room now, so if power went out, at least they would have power for the lights, heat, fridge, freezer, cameras, etc. The hallways were open for sleeping if anyone wanted a little a more little more space. "There is no heat in the hallways, and it's going to get down to 40 tonight, so I advise everyone to remain either here in the Office or the Pantry, where heat is available." Tomorrow, they would continue clearing the building, as well as rescuing people from the parking lot if possible. "We aren't promising anything to the people outside the Campus yet, though." Connie had more to say as well... Robert was getting pretty familiar with the path to the roof; he'd been spending most of his waking hours up here, looking down upon campus and city and reporting down to the Security Office. He wasn't allowed to gotopsidewithout an escort from what was now being called the Squad, and hewantedto invite Yolanda for obvious reasons. That didn't happen, though, so he invited one of the new guys (d20=18) who was probably more qualified to be a Squad member than anyone in the stadium. Kenny Evanston was 6'6", 230# of brawny brawn, ruggedly handsome outdoorsman, which alone would have been enough to impress Robert, but the man had also come equipped with an AR-15 style rifle with two glissando 9mm pistol, also with two clips. Harry and the others had given the man a hard look when he came rushing into the gate yesterday for obvious reasons, and they might have been concerned that all that weaponry was going to be a problem; firearms hadn't been allowed on the university campus -- which included PK Park -- forobviousreasons. But Kenny had had an escort with him that lessened the concerns: his own two kids and his two neighbor kids, who'd he'd brought to the game, as well as astray kid he'd found wandering the parking lot in fear. After he and the Little Rascal shad gotten into the Park, Kenny and Harry had had a conversation about the former's firearms. Kenny -- who was what some would calla gun nut-- had initially been unwilling to give up either his rifle or handgun. All his life, he'd owned gun: cap guns, BB guns, and .22 caliber squirrel rifles as a child; larger caliber deer rifles, shot guns, and handguns as a teen; and as an adult, he'd gotten the collectingbugand started buying such exotics as high power sniper rifles, large magazine assault style rifles, and even Uzis, MAC-10s, TEC-9s, and other legally purchased machine guns that, in some cases, he'd converted to high speed, short burst auto, or even full automatic weapons. Kenny was a realist, though, and he understood why Harry was concerned about him keeping his AR-15 and Beretta. He still wasn't willing to give them up, though, so they made a quiet compromise out of the sight and hearing of others: Kenny could keep his 9mm on his side, so long as a round wasn't chambered; and his rifle would remain locked up in the Security Office except when he was on patrol, as the newest member of the Squad. That was what he was doing now with Robert on the roof, standing watch. Sitting here, the pair of them were looking out upon the city as it continued its decline into mayhem. There were fires burning in every direction, their causes unknown. Entire neighborhoods had gone dark, electrical power interrupted, but the city grid was still up, for now. The one thing that seemed consistent throughout Eugene to the west and Springfield to the east, though, was gunfire. Robert asked, "Who do ya suppose is shooting who?"" Everyone's shooting everyone," the pessimistic Kenny answered. He'd never been an apocalyptic prepper type, despite the gun collection that might have indicated the opposite. But he had no doubts that anyone was capable of shooting anyone else, either in defense of themselves and what they had or in offensive to take what others had for themselves. He added, "I'm just glad we're in here." Kenny hadn't told Harry or the others about thearsenalof weapons in his home's basement, but coming up here and hearing the single shots and auto fire of weapons -- from the National Guard, the Police, civilians -- he thought maybe he should. After the people with guns got done killing the Dead and realized just how tragic their new lives were, some of them -- the ones less benevolent than the Park Community -- would come use their guns here in an attempt to take what they wanted and could no longer get at the local grocery and big box stores. The only problem, of course, was that Kenny's home was (d20/2=6) on the outskirts Offenburg, 6 miles to the north of PK Park. That meant getting out of the stadium, into a car, down the surface streets to I-105, then to the interchange with I-5, then up and off the freeway at the Coburg exit and again on surface streets to his home, allwithout running into the Dead or the Living, neither of which Kenny wanted to deal with at this point in this mayhem. It could be done, and Kenny thought it was necessary if the Community was going to remain safe here in the Park. But he doubted that many of the others felt the same. At least, not yet. But Kenny was confident: they would, eventually. Connie did indeed have something to say to the assembled group. "I'm looking for volunteers to help with cooking and food preparation. We have a considerable amount of fresh and otherwise perishable foods that won't last long in their current condition, however, there are ways to cook them, bake them, dehydrate them, etcetera, that will put them in a form that can then be either left out in the pantry or put away in the fridge or freezer, making them last longer."" I'm a restaurant cook, I can help," a woman called out, while a man pointed to his wife and himself and said, "We preserve fruits and veggies every year, have for years. We have some ideas we can share with you."" There's also cleaning up," Connie went on. "I know no one wants to think about such things right now, but this is a large group living in tight quarters, at least until we take back more space. If we don't keep the kitchen and bathrooms and this office and everywhere else clean on a daily basis, it's going to start smelling like the locker rooms full of sweaty uniforms and sweaty ball players." Tomorrow morning, we'll start taking everyone's names," she went on in her supervisor tone, "and I'll put up lists of things that need to be done."" What if we don't want to work?" someone said with a snide tone. The person pointed at the monitor with the image of the Dead milling about, asking, "Ya going to kick out, into that?"" No, of course not," Connie said. She looked over the community as she clarified, "But just as in any work place, and just as in any home, each and every worker and each and every family member must contribute in some way. If you contribute as a worker, your business prospers andyougetpaid; if you contribute as a family member, the rest of your family prospers and, maybe, you get an allowance if you're a kid or ...other benefits if you are a spouse. I'm sure I don't have to explain that." There were giggles from the younger ones who understood and smiles from some of the older ones who did, too. Connie went on, "Listen, I'm only saying that there are a lot of you and a lot of work, and we all need to contribute." She dangled the keys to the various food storage compartments, smiled, and said, "And for those of you kids who work hard, there is ice cream, candy, and other treats. And for those of you adults who work hard, there is beer and wine."" What about cigarettes?" someone asked. "I smoke a pack a day."" Not any more you don't," Connie said firmly. That got her a couple of hard glares, so she continued, "First off, PK Park is a non-smoking facility. I know, I know, it's the end of the world; who's going to enforce smoking rules. Hey, if you got cigarettes, go outside and smoke them." Without turning around, she pointed a finger up at the Dead in the monitor. "You're not smoking in the Secured area. You can go to the roof, I guess. But'the most senior employee of this Park who is stillalivein this Park, and you willnotbe smoking inside the building. That's State Law, and that's my law." Some of the smokers had words to say about that, but they were quickly drowned out by the non-smokers and rule followers. Someone asked with humor in their voice, "What about weed? It's legal, ya know."" On the roof," Connie said without hesitation. Then she chuckled and added, "Just don't get so high -- figuratively speaking -- that you misstep and fall off."" What about medicine?" a meek voice asked from a corner. When Connie and others looked her way, the woman lifted a small, zip up bag, explaining, "I only have enough Insulin for maybe two days. And I don't have-not my heart and cholesterol medications. I wasn't expectingnotto go home after the game, obviously." Connie looked to Harry with a knowing glance; they'd spoken about this already because Connie, too, was a diabetic, even though she wasn't currently on a daily insulin regimen. She looked back to the group. "I want everyone who takes medications to come to me--""I'Aldo it,"Jimmie Green, the recently arrived nurse cut Connie off. She stood, saying to the Concessions Supervisor, then to the Community, "Connie, you have too much on your plate, and you need to start delegating more. Besides, Vickiand I have medical backgrounds, so we'll get our heads together and work on this. As soon as we break up here tonight, I'll start a list of who needs what. I want everyone to come to me who has medication, dietary, or exercise needs that concern them, and I promise, we will work on this together." They spoke more about related topics, and finally they dimmed the lights in the office, killed the monitor with the never ending appearance of wandering Dead, and everyone began settling down for the night. The next morning, they got to work on the priorities. Kimmie Green organized the list of medications in priority of need. They had to find insulin within 2 days and other heart-related medications within 2 days after that. Making matters worse, most (d20=16 x .05 = 80%) of the people who needed them lived elsewhere than the neighborhoods near PK Park; to find the drugs they needed, they would have to raid homes, businesses, and pharmacies, with the nearest of the pharmacies being half a mile away as the crow flies and three times that distance by road. Connie organized the Kitchen Staff to begin cooking regular meals and preserving the perishable foods. Some of the children joined the effort after they realized that the items being made included candies, pies, and other fun treats that could be preserved longer term. Harry's task today was to organize and lead the Squads in ridding the stadium of the Dead. He organized 4 teams, with one of the original residents leading 3 newcomers, all of whom had volunteered: Harry, +10 -- Warrior Leader Robert, +9 -- warrior, builder Keisha, +9 -- warrior Yolanda, +8 -- warrior, Two teams worked together on clearing the upper concourse first. It was learned by watching the security feeds that occasionally the Dead stumbled down staircases from the Upper Concourse to the Lower Concourse. So clearing the Lower first made little sense: Rolled 1 D20: 16 | Rolls: 16 Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 6 | Rolls: 6 Rolled 1 D20: 16 | Rolls: 16 Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 2 | Rolls: 2 Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 19 | Rolls: 19 Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 16 | Rolls: 16 Rolled 1 D20: 6 | Rolls: 6 Rolled 1 D20: 3 | Rolls: 3 Rolled 1 D20: 18 | Rolls: 18 Rolled 1 D20: 17 | Rolls: 17 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 8 | Rolls: 8 Rolled 1 D20: 19 | Rolls: 19 Rolled 1 D20: 3 | Rolls: 3 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 12 | Rolls: 12 Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 17 | Rolls: 17 Rolled 1 D20: 8 | Rolls: 8 Rolled 1 D20: 3 | Rolls: 3 Rolled 1 D20: 14 | Rolls: 14 Rolled 1 D20: 8 | Rolls: 8 Rolled 1 D20: 16 | Rolls: 16 Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 Rolled 1 D20: 16 | Rolls: 16 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 Rolled 1 D20: 9 | Rolls: 9 Rolled 1 D20: 15 | Rolls: 15 Rolled 1 D20: 12 | Rolls: 12 Rolled 1 D20: 4 | Rolls: 4 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 19 | Rolls: 19 Rolled 1 D20: 4 | Rolls: 4 Rolled 1 D20: 16 | Rolls: 16There were a couple of close calls, and 3 of the new residents had minor injuries and were sent back under escort by the more experienced Warriors. But after less than an hour of serious clean uplifting, followed by another two hours of organized wandering to ensure they'd check every nook and cranny, the Squads had left every Dead above the Lower Level of PK Park. Kiesha thought it was important to pay the Dead respect, so -- with some of them providing cover -- most of the Squad spent another hour or so bringing all the Dead, as well as their victims who hadn'tturned, out to the middle of the concourse. They covered them -- their faces at the least -- with jackets and such, and Keisha spoke some words over them." Connie wanted us to check the concession stands up here," Yolanda said once they were done, "and the Suites. There should be more food, alcohol." Robert chimed in, "Why can't we live up here?" The others looked at him and he chuckled. "What, have none of you ever been in one of these Suites?" He gestured them to follow, and a moment later they were all standing inside one of the 8 Suites. He swept his arms like a game show model and asked, "See? See? What did I tell you?" The rooms were lavish, with the only thingnotin them that you would find in an expensive hotel room being a big king-sized bed. There was a wet bar, a kitchenette, 12-seat dining table, four couches, twice as many cushions armchairs, and more." I'd say we found homes for everyone," Harry agreed. "I'll suggest it to Connie, but I'm sure she's going to say go for it."" Why does thatconcessionlady get to decide?" one of the new people -- who'd played little part in the battle-- asked with a dismissive tone. "I'm moving up here whether she or you want me to or--"He wasn't able to finish his statement, though, as Harry -- who was 9 inches taller and 70 pounds heavier -- grasped the man by the arm with a pain-causing grip and began hauling him out of the room. The man was groaning out in pain and struggling vainly to get loose as Harry moved him down the concourse to the railing of the stairs. He pushed him onto the rail, causing him to almost go over it to the Lower Concourse below." What the hell?" the man screamed out once he'd gotten his feet back on the concrete and Harry had spun him around to face him." I'm sick and tired of the lack of respect," Harry growled at the man. He looked back at the others, particularly the new people who hadn't been here when Connie and Harry and the other originals had cleared the now-Secure Area without them. "We lost a good man making it possible for you fuckers to be here. Kendall gave his life to protect us, and we have risked out lives to save your asses, and you're going to show us some respect, or I'm going to feed you to the Dead, got it?"" Yeah, yeah, I'sorry, man," the guy apologized desperately. He looked like he wanted to say more but didn't. When Harry pushed him away back toward the others, he simply stepped away and again said softly, "Sorry." Harry looked to the Squad and growled, "If any of you don't want to be here, just say so. We'll set you up with a backpack or bag full of food and water, and you can get the fuck out. Otherwise, you'll do what you're told by those of us who have been here from the start. Got it?" There was silence from some and nods from others. Then, they got back to work, heading down to the Lower Concourse to once again start killing the dead. This level was much wider and much more open than the Upper Level, so the entire Squad worked together as one: they started at one end in skirmish line and just stabbed, cut, and clubbed every Dead that came at them:Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 12 | Rolls: 12 Rolled 1 D20: 8 | Rolls: 8 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 15 | Rolls: 15 Rolled 1 D20: 3 | Rolls: 3 Rolled 1 D20: 17 | Rolls: 17 Rolled 1 D20: 17 | Rolls: 17 Rolled 1 D20: 3 | Rolls: 3 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 16 | Rolls: 16 Rolled 1 D20: 12 | Rolls: 12 Rolled 1 D20: 19 | Rolls: 19 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 Rolled 1 D20: 2 | Rolls: 2 Rolled 1 D20: 14 | Rolls: 14 Rolled 1 D20: 17 | Rolls: 17 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 4 | Rolls: 4 Rolled 1 D20: 17 | Rolls: 17 Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 8 | Rolls: 8 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13 Rolled 1 D20: 19 | Rolls: 19 Rolled 1 D20: 9 | Rolls: 9 Rolled 1 D20: 5 | Rolls: 5 Rolled 1 D20: 4 | Rolls: 4 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 10 | Rolls: 10 Rolled 1 D20: 6 | Rolls: 6 Rolled 1 D20: 19 | Rolls: 19 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 6 | Rolls: 6 Rolled 1 D20: 1 | Rolls: 1 Rolled 1 D20: 18 | Rolls: 18Again, 2 of the newcomers were injured, but again no one got bit. And one by one, all the gates leading into the Lower Concourse were closed, and the Squad turned back to search extensively for stragglers, finding only 1 and killing it, too. And then, with a lot of work and only 5 minor injuries, PK Park's interior -- the building, not the field -- was secure. Jimmie GreenandVicki Evan shad gathered all the First Aid kits from the Pantry and the accessible rooms and hallways and assembled them together to do an inventory of them. They had just finished when they heard fast moving feet coming their way down the Pantry hallway. They looked at each other with fear: was it the Dead coming to kill and eat them? But then they heard cries of pain coming from one of those approaching, and when people burst through the door of the Main Office, they were all Living. In the end, the pair of Nurses tended to 5 people -- 4 men and 1 woman -- who were injured in the fight against the Dead. There were no bites, thank goodness: there was a twisted ankle, a sprained wrist, a concussion (from a fall), and then cuts and abrasions from the tussles. All of the injured were cleaned up, bandaged as necessary, given painkillers and/or antibiotics (as necessary), and told to rest. (d20=1 for trauma; the other rolls were mid to high. D=14 for male; 1-4,5-8,9-12,13-16 male; 17-20 female in case you were wondering how I came up with that). The only real concern the pair of Nurses had been that one of the men, Jacob, was demonstrating serious shock from the incident. Only time would tell if he was going to survive the terror he'd suffered and seen. (He wouldn't, but there was no knowing that now, of course.) When the Squads finally returned from the clearing of the concourses, Connie went to Harry privately. She told him she understood that they were working hard and taking great risks at making the building safe. "But, behave make a trip out into the city. We need insulin and..." She pulled out a sheet of paper, unfolded it, and handed it to Harry. On it were listed more than 20 medications that were taken by the lot of the residents. She told him with a serious tone, "And here's the rub. Some of these people, they are taking meds for every thing from heart disease to kidney failure to whatever, and they don't even know what their prescribed drugs are. I mean, how are we supposed to get them what they need if they don't even remember what their taking?" (d20=17 regarding mental prognoses; disregard.)" Okay, listen, I have an idea," Harry told her reassuringly. "Lane County Mental Health Services is just down the road, on MLK. I used to take my brother there before he died a few years back. It has a pharmacy. I can't guarantee that it's going to have everything we need 'cause it's mental health, not physical. I don't know if there's going to be a difference until we get there. And I don't even know whether it's still going to be intact after all the shit we've seen. But, we'll try for it, tomorrow. Okay?" Connie thanked him, saying, "I wouldn't send you out there if it wasn't important. You know that." Robert came up and shared his idea about everyone moving up to the Suites, and Connie thought it was a wonderful idea. "I think it's less likely that we will be surprised by the Dead if we're up there, so yeah, I'm all for it." They called everyone to attention, had them get anything they'd arrived with, and headed upstairs. They spread out relatively evenly between 6 of the 8 Suites, leaving the other 2 vacant for future use. When someone complained that the boss people were going to get their own suites while all the others had to share, Connie quickly said, "We're going to use one of them as the Infirmary, and the other one is for the kids. We need a place for them, for playing, a library -- when we get some books, that is -- a school, and more." There was so more nagging, but it went quiet eventually as everyone did the best they could to get comfortable. Harry, Robert, Kenny, and some of the new people who lived more locally spent the morning on the most northern, outside edge of the roof, looking to the west down Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd. They couldn't see the Lane County Mental Health Services building from here because of the sometimes-century old trees growing between LCMHS and PK Park. But they could see the mayhem that had resulted from the Day of the Dead Rising: people had desperately run for their cars or simply run away on foot; a traffic jam had occurred -- to the east, as well -- and the Dead rampaged through all of it, biting and killing and eating their way westward for as far as the eye could see. Even now, there were dozens of Dead milling aimlessly about the road, sidewalks, and lawns; Harry could see almost 100 Dead just from here...(5d20):Rolled 1 D20: 2 | Rolls: 2 Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 11 | Rolls: 11 Rolled 1 D20: 3 | Rolls: 3 Rolled 1 D20: 7 | Rolls: 7 Rolled 1 D20: 17 | Rolls: 17 Rolled 1 D20: 4 | Rolls: 4 Rolled 1 D20: 19 | Rolls: 19 Rolled 1 D20: 15 | Rolls: 15 Rolled 1 D20: 13 | Rolls: 13How many might there be that he couldn't even see?" It's a risk, but we have to do it," Harry told the others." Why?" one of the new asked. "I don't need any meds. Do any of you?" When no one spoke up a personal need, the new resident asked, "Then why are we doing this? Why are we risking our lives for some weak asked--""Shut the fuck up!" Robert snapped. He pointed to the access point, demanding, "Get the fuck off my roof." The new rest' hesitated but then did as told when Harry gave a look that he agreed. One more of the new folk departed, but the other two said they were more than willing to help. "We're all one community now, right? One for all, all for one, like the Musketeers." They spoke more about how to get to Health Services. It was known that the Dead were attracted to sound, so it was decided that firearms would only be used as a last extreme. That was something they could do to improve their odds. It was also known that the Dead were attracted to movement, but there wasn't much that could be done about that. Or was there? Robert asked, "What if we went at night, tonight, after dark?" The debate that followed was heated: going out at night meant fewer Dead seeing the Squad but also meant it would be harder to see the Dead coming, and while the former was a pro for Harry and Robert and some of the others, the latter was a serious con for the others. Harry and Connie gathered the adults of the Community in the Fridge Hallway and told them, "We're going out tonight. I'm looking for volunteers. Volunteers! None goes out there who isn'ttone a hundred percent confident in themselves and in those you see around you who step up, too. This is not a game. This is dangerous. There is a good chance some of us won't return." There was some more discussion, and Harry said, "There is no shame in not volunteering. There is no shame in not going out there tonight or any night or any day. I'm heading for the Main Office to collect weapons. We'll go out at dark. Anyone who wants to be part of this, part of helping the Community, come to the Office at six. We leave at seven." He thanked everyone for coming and left. By five, people had begun arriving: Robert, Keisha, and Yolanda were first; Kenny arrived as expected, but Jimmie -- offering herMedicservices; and over the next hour or so, (d20/2=2, crap!) of the new folk arrived and volunteered.(IOC: Would any of the other original residents? Your call, Amy, but here's the list below.) Harry, +10 -- Warrior Leader Robert, +9 -- warrior, builder Keisha, +9 -- warrior Yolanda, +8 -- warrior, Kenny Evanston, +6 (+12 w/firearms) Leigh, +5 -- warrior, Tech Leader Alexa, +3 -- Communications, warrior, Connie, +2 -- Domestic Leader Vicki, +2 -- Creator, Laborer Patti, -2 -- Electrician/Technician, Creator, Laborer 9 from the parking lot: Includes one mother and her 2 kids Includes one father, his two kids, two neighbor kids, and a stray kid 8 from the Stadium's interior Includes 2 middle-aged married folk Includes 1 young males Includes 2 teen brothers Includes 1 solo female and 1 solo male 12 more from the stadium Connie wasn't too excited to learn that only 2 of the new people had volunteered to go with Harry's Squad to raid the pharmacy. But then, shedidn't want to go and wasn'going, so who was she to be critical. She did, however, go and have a casual, non-pressuring talk with Gregor Lazaro and his wife, Julia, about how important these prescription drugs could be, now and in the future. It didn't take much to get the army veteran to agree to go, and as soon as he had, another of the new folk had volunteered as well.100 Dead... That was what they were facing (between PK Park to LCMHS). Harry, Connie, and the others who had taken more of commandable in the community sat down and talked together again about the plan. After that but before they left, they again sat down with everyone involved, which included some who would remain behind. Alexa had tested the Security radios and trained everyone on how to use them. They had more than enough of them to go around; some had to have blood cleaned from them after being found on dead, mutilated Security Personnel who had been killed by the Dead or had become Dead and had to be killed by the Squad.2 people who weren'going were instead stationed up on the roof to watch the Squad's progression. There was doubt that they would be of much good because the Squad's plan was to get into the trees on the north side of MLK Jr Blvd as quickly as possible. (Some thought it would be better to stay out in the open where they could see the Dead coming, but that would be up to Harry once they got out there. The plan was simple: get to the pharmacy, get the drugs and first aid kits and whatever else seemed valuable to the Community, and get back. It was generally agreed that so long as it was safe to continue onward, they would, and they would do so without the firearms; but the moment it looked like they were going to be overwhelmed, guns were authorized, but the group would backtrack, because all guns would do is attract more dead. Warriors, entering the fight: Harry, +10 (+12 w/firearms) -- Warrior Leader; 9mm, 2 clips Robert, +9 -- warrior, builder Keisha, +9 -- warrior Yolanda, +8, (+10 w/gun) -- warrior (Military), 9mm, 2 clips Kenny Evanston, +6 (+12 w/firearms), AR-15, 2 clips Leigh, +5 -- warrior, Tech Leader Gregor Lazaro, +7 (his wife is in PK Park, too) NPC 3, +4 NPC 2, +4 NPC 1, +4 Going, but more in reserve: Alexa, +3 -- Communications, warrior, Jimmie Green, -3 -- Medic Remaining behind; listed here to keep all names in one place: Connie, +2 -- Domestic Leader Vicki, +2 -- Creator, Laborer Patti, -2 -- Electrician/Technician, Creator, Laborer 9 from the parking lot: 1 mother and her 2 kids 8 from the Stadium's interior Julia Lazaro 1 young males 2 teen brothers 1 solo female and 1 solo male 12 more from the stadium

_Field of Dreams_ -- A _Fear The Walking Dead_ Story & Game|rating:3.0

Caldwell's Academy of Magical Talents and Draconic Academy

Caldwell’s Academy of Magical Talents and Diatonic Training Lady Violetta was ready to accept her students into Caldwell’s, and she hoped that her new fellow teacher was ready as well. Lady Violetta has told the new teacher when the new students were expected to arrive. Since it was close to the time of arrival, she went downstairs to the main entrance and out the great doors. The sun was shining brightly down on the soft spongy grass and nothing else was on the Fall. She hoped that the students would fall down slowly and not on top of each other. No broken bones or anyone hurt badly. This was her second year of being a headmistress and her first year was quite disastrous. She ended up sending students home after several mishaps with students who did not follow directions. A few did not make it home for specific reasons that were not told to the students. Lady Violetta stood at the top of the Academy steps watching the sky for the students to fall after they had touched the picture that a student finds somewhere somehow and on that picture would be a silver tag saying “Welcome to Caldwell’s Academy of Magical Talents and Diatonic Training. Please Touch to Enter.” This was the traditional kind of tag except that Lady Violetta was expanding her Academy to include Diatonic Training. Drake wandered around, looking for something to do. He'd been wandering around town, looking for something to do until it was time for him to head off to this new 'magic' school. The way his parents talked about it, it was amazing and made of gold. Before he knew it he was turning into antique shop, paintings on display in the window. He browsed a bit, wandering around as he looked. After a while, he found a lively castle, pink and blue with tiny trees all around. Strangely enough though, the plaque was the same name as his school and inviting him totouchthe painting. Eh, why not? It wasn't like one more hand touching this painting couldn't be all that bad. Tentatively, he reached his hand out, his finger barely brushing the painting before he was suddenly falling through the sky. Once he'd landed -hopefully without breaking anything-he said, "I'll never touch another painting as long as I live, I'm so sorry!" Lady Violetta's musical laughter floated down to the young man as a young lady walked down towards him. She had a long braid that hung over her left shoulder, legendary eyes and a long dress with a cloak on." Welcome! You have arrived at Caldwell's Academy of Magical Talents and Diatonic Training. My name is Lady Violetta. I shall be the main teacher here and the headmistress of the Academy. May I have your name and which Academy you would like to attend? Also, are you hurt in any way? If so I can heal you easily." Alvin was rushing around setting up last minute preparations when she felt the magical barriers of the sub realm they existed in being pulled, She felt the student entering into the protective barrier that was Caldwell's Academy. "Oh no" she would say to herself looking out the great window of the spire, where she had chosen to set up one of her many classes she would teach. She knew she would not have time to run down the stairs, and she really didn't want to reveal what she was just yet." Omeni Distros" she would say softly, using vocal spells had always been easier for her, though in her Diatonic form magic would flow through her like any other being of magic, She would disappear from the classroom she had been working in and appear beside the Head Mistress." Greetings" she would say with a warm smile, and a soft lilting voice, Any that had not dealt with a dragon of her typing before would find her voice to be soft sweet almost angelic but somewhat alien as well, as it did not relate to any of the known accents of earth." I am Alvin, Lady of the wind" she would say which is what Dragons would call their teachers. Nathan falls softly off his Dragon into the courtyard, he strokes it Scala side softly, before speaking in Dragon tongue as a whisper, he then heads toward the main office building, expecting to be welcomed either on the way, or in the office, his dragon flies off, waiting inside the dragon pen at home, for his master to call him and pick him up. Kyle walked slowly through the corridors of the foster home. Normally he would be asleep at this late hour, but due to the excitement of being accepted into the school of magic and dragon training he was unable to sleep. He tried to step lightly to keep his footsteps from echoing too much on he bare wooden floor but without much success. As he rounded the corner his eyes were drawn to a painting of a castle surrounded by a gold frame. " I don't remember seeing that before" he said to himself as he scratched his head and approached the painting to get a better view. As he drew closer he noticed a banner at the bottom that read" Welcome to Caldwell’s Academy of Magical Talents and Diatonic Training. Please Touch to Enter.” a puzzled look came across his face to reach for the painting then finding himself falling through the sky. He closed his eyes bracing himself for certain death. After a few moments he slow peeked open his eyes to find himself hovering several inches off the ground, beads of sweat dripping from his brow to form a puddle underneath him "I see that we have two more students, Lady Alvin. I am Lady Violetta, the headmistress and the teacher of Basic Magic. Lady Alvin is the teacher of the Diatonic Academy. May we have your names and which Academy you would like to be in, please?" Lady Violetta spoke warmly as she looked at the two newest arrivals. " I...I'm Kyle.Kyle Bowen" he said shakily as he righted himself and wiped the sweat from his forehead then extended his hand, withdrawing it quickly unsure whether he should shake her hand or bow to her and realized he had a lot to learn. "Um I'm here for the dragons academy" he added after a long pause giving him a moment to take in his new surroundings. Even though the academy had a more surreal appearance to it, it had a very close resemblance to the painting through which he had just traveled. The castle. Or academy as it was called was a large stone fortress, large banners waving lazily from each of the tall points on each rooftop. " It is a pleasure to meet you" he said deciding to bow, but doing it rather awkwardly Arabella darted out of the poor excuse for a house, the sound of glass breaking echoing behind her. She raced down the cracked sidewalk and off down the road. Only when it felt like each breath she took felt like knifes stabbing her lungs and her side was about to burst did the girl stop running. She rubbed at the tears pooling in her eyes and looked around at her surroundings. Her eyes alighted on a picture hanging outside a shop, and she stepped closer to investigate. What a beautiful painting. She thought as she absentminded reached out one small hand and softly touched the painting. The sound of rushing wind surrounded her, and she squeezed her eyes shut when it felt like she was falling. Her body was tense in preparation for impact of the ground but when none came, and she felt herself softly settling on the ground she cautiously peeked her eyes open. As she took in her surroundings they flew open wide as she stared around in surprise and wonder. Am I dreaming? She thought dazedly to herself.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Willow was perched on Saffron's back, calmly gliding through the air." Shall we land soon Willow?" His rumbling voice echoed through her mind and she nodded." Yes, I suppose we should; the new students should be arriving soon." Her dragon nodded and tilted his wings to angle them towards the ground. They circled the castle for a few moments before the dragon landed in the courtyard. Willow slid down off of his back and stroked his nose as she spied new students falling from the sky. She chuckled, remembering when she had first come to the Academy: She had been scared out of her wits. Warm splashes of light spilled across River's face, and she slowly opened one eye to peer at whoever moved the leaves of the bush she had been napping under. Her father's, Mikael, face came into view, his kind blue eyes twinkling with excitement and a big lopsided smile on his face. "River, we're taking you there today! We got an email from that lady, she has the Painting in her shop." He said brightly, extending a hand to help River up. River clapped her own hand against his forearm and he hauled her up easily with his muscular arms. She was smiling now, too. "Really?! YES! Let's go!" River exclaimed, thrusting an arm into the air as she leaped over plants and under branches in her jungle-like backyard. Only twenty minutes had passed as River slung her tote-bag over her shoulder, ready for her trip to the Academy. She wasn't fussed with looking pretty, so she didn't pack many variations of clothing, but she did have her favorite bandana tied across her head to keep her unruly hair in place. And, for once she actually wore shoes, instead of going barefoot like usual. She meant to give a good first impression, or at the very least a passable impression, on her new Headmistress. She braided her long tress of hair and tied it with a simple hairband. For some reason, that particular spot of hair at the back of her head, near the nape of her neck, would grow back overnight, no matter how short she cut it. And always to her calves, where it would stop growing. It was strange, and made her look like she had an especially long mullet coming from the back of her head. She looked up as her other father, Hayden, walked into the room, dressed like he was prepared for a hike. "Are you ready, Hun?" He asked, sounding somewhat sad, as he looked at his daughter with somber brown eyes. River didn't appear to notice Hayden's sadness, she was too excited to pay much attention on anything except for the Academy, for she said, "Oh my glob! Yes, I am!" and gave him double peace signs as she grinned widely. Her father gave her a sad smile, putting an arm around River's shoulder as they walked out of the room and down to the car where Mikael was already waiting. She rambled on and on excitedly about the Academy, what she would do at it, how much fun she would have, what kind of friends she would make, as they drove her into the city to where the Painting would be. The shop that they arrived at looked like a very plain, normal bookstore from where River stood in the doorway. She was little disappointed, until the lady they were supposed to meet came out of the backroom at the far end of the room, accompanied by the rattle of the many beads hanging in the doorway. The lady wore a flowing kimono, butterflies embroidered in violet atop the pristine white silk. She had long black hair flowing down her body, and amber colored eyes. In one hand she held a long smoking pipe, which she was puffing purple tinted smoke out of, the other hand was gesturing them to follow her into the back room. Hayden and Mikael looked at each other over their daughter's head apprehensively, but River's face was alight with wonderment. She nearly leapt across the room in her haste, but was pulled back by two strong pairs of hands and forced to walk behind her fathers as they followed the strange lady. Finally, the silence was broken when they pushed aside the beads and stood to face a gigantic circular room with pedestals lining the walls, each holding a different priceless artifact. At the far side of the room, directly across from the beaded doorway, was a pedestal that held the Painting. The lady in the kimono stopped next to it, smiling back at her guests as she let out puff of smoke in the shape of a dragon. "My dear gentlemen, please allow your daughter to touch upon the painting when you have said your goodbyes. She will be transported Caldwell'stoutly." The lady spoke in a sultry voice, her amber eyes seeming to stare into her guest's minds. Hayden and Mikael turned to River, and they huddled into a group hug. Mikael was excited, Hayden somber, as they let River go. "Learn to be a magical girl over there, okay River?!" Mikael squeaked out, and wiped the tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Hayden furrowed his brow, putting a hand on River's shoulder. "You can always come back if you need to. Don't be afraid to come home, we love you." Hayden said, pulling her in to a tight hug. "I will, I promise!" She said into his chest, smiling. She felt tears forming in her eyes, but she quickly blank them away. When Hayden let her go, Mikael bent to place a kiss on her forehead as he wept openly. She walked across the room, the journey seeming to take an eternity, as she stole glances back at her fathers. She nearly bumped into the lady in the kimono, who stood staring at River pensively. "I sense you have affinities for the earth and air, witching. Be sure to focus on your weaknesses, lest you find yourself in a precarious way." The lady said, smiling down at River. Somehow, River didn't seem to think that smile was supposed to be comforting. She cautiously placed her hand upon the painting, not knowing what to expect. The world seemed to turn upside down as she was sucked through the Painting and popped into existence in midair. She was falling, she realized with a start. "OH MY GLOB! THIS. IS. AWESOME!" River shouted in exhilaration as she whirled through the sky. She barely looked down in time to see the tree she would land in. All of a sudden, a gust of wind propelled her away from the oncoming tree, and set her down in the grass gently." That was the best lobbing thing ever." River breathed out, her hair poking out wildly from under her bandana and her green eyes wide. As more students were sucked into the protective barrier Alvin's wind magic would activate protecting them from any possible injuries during the fall. When the boy approached she would look over him her eyes reading his every move, she would wait until he had finished speaking before herself answering "I am Lady of the Wind Alvin, Head of the Dragon Academy, It is a pleasure to have you hear Kyle" she would say with a soft smile and when he bowed she would also bow. "If you would head to the dragon common room It would be appreciated" she would add pointing down the hall to a big door with a scarlet Dragon insignia on it. Nathan smiled softly, bowing toward the two Head Teachers, before a stream of a deep voice floated through his head"Bored Already.?" The voice murmurs, Nathan would laugh lightly, before responding"Humph. Almost." He then passes the two teachers respectively, heading to his dorm"You'd best make your way to my new Dorm." He murmurs to his dragon, he begins to open the door, a squeal escaping as he tosses his suitcase beneath one of the beds ". Urgh. Roommates." He says out loud, sitting onto his now claimed bed, staring up the ceiling, his shoes already off. Lady Violetta saw another pair of students land on the grass, and she walked over to them to make sure that they were ok." Welcome! You have arrived at Caldwell's Academy of Magical Talents and Diatonic Training. My name is Lady Violetta. I shall be the main teacher here and the headmistress of the Basic Academy. Over there is LadyAlvina of the Diatonic Academy. May I have your name and which Academy you would like to attend? Also, are you hurt in any way? If so I can heal you easily." she spoke in a musical voice. Lady Violetta was hoping that they were in the Basic Magic, She did want about 6 new students. Alvin would chuckle as she heard the dragon speak to the child that entered the dorms, she was able to hear it as she was well versed in mind speech, having had to use it herself for many years she would send to both the boy and his dragon"Mind your language when you are around others that you know nothing about, this is your first lesson"her minds voice would be as soft as her physical voice however it portrayed that she would not tolerate any students or dragons being rude, she did acknowledge that it was fair to use mind speech however she found it distasteful to talk in such a manner then she would add specifically to the boys' dragon"top of the school is a dragon den you may rest there until it is time for our assembly" Drake was a little speechless. He missed his chance to say anything to the woman who had talked to him. So instead he played with his hands, twisting them and pulling at them. He would like to have told the woman he was just in the basic course, but then other people fell from the sky. That was okay, he could be overlooked for a while. He stood and dusted off his pants, trying to regain his composure. "Um, Lady Violetta? I'm in the Basic School." He said it quietly, but hopefully he wouldn't be overlapped by the other students talking to her. Lady Violetta turned to the young man who spoke to her." Wonderful! I didn't catch your name, sorry. Stay close by so we can go inside together. Let me call all the Caldwell's Basic Magic students, and we shall get organized. Students of Basic Magic! Please stand next to me and this young man. We shall shortly go inside to begin our orientation." She glances about watching students scamper about and gather their belongings. Soon all was organized, and she looked at her small group of students." Three students this semester. I am glad to have each of you. Let's go inside and start orientation." she spoke warmly as she leads the students to the Orientation Lecture. Academy Floor Plan on the Basic Side [+] Glorious was very excited to finally start his magical training, he knew that he would undoubtedly learn many interesting things in this place, if he could actually find the place of course. He was having quite a bit of trouble finding the location that he needed to go, he had been wandering all around the town but was unable to locate the shop that he was supposed to arrive at, he was getting exhausted of searching. He felt a bit tired and hoped that he would be able to find the place relatively soon, he was starting to become somewhat irritated because of his lack of direction, he was never very good at finding things. After a couple more minutes of searching he finally stumbled upon a store, which he figured was the place he needed to go to, it was very lackluster and also very disappointing in a way, he had been hoping to find something a bit more interesting. Glorious decided that he might as well browse the store and see if there was anything interesting there. He found a painting of what seemed to be a castle which was inviting him to touch it in order to travel to Caldwell's, and decided to do what he was told and touched the painting. He was suddenly falling from the sky and was now fearing for his life, he had no idea how he was going to survive this fall, and if he did, he could tell that it was not going to be pleasant. Furthermore, he fell on his rear and was still a bit speechless to say anything about what had just happened. Another person fell behind Lady Violetta, and she turned to see another student who had landed." Hello there and welcome to Caldwell's Academy of Magical Talent and Diatonic Academy. I am Lady Violetta, the head mistress of The Basic Magic. May I have your name and which Academy you would prefer to go to?" she asked with a simple smile. Glorious was startled a bit when he realized that someone was speaking to him, he was somewhat embarrassed that the first time he spoke to the Headmistress was when he was sitting on his bottom after falling, he hoped that she didn't think less of him for falling in such an ungraceful manner, but nevertheless, he decides to answer he questions. "Oh, my name's Glorious Pippins, and I'm here for the basic academy." he says to her in a somewhat quiet tone. "Welcome, Glorious. Please follow me and we shall start our orientation. This end of the Academy is the Basic Academy." Lady Violetta spoke as she moved towards the great big doors."These are that we are entering is called The Main Entrance Area. All the doors open as you walk towards them but will not allow pets through unless they are on a leash. You see, this castle is sentient which means that it can sense various things and feel things. Each area is closed off in case of a pet getting loose. To your left is the Student Lounge and Dining Room. To the right is the Basic Research Lab and across from there is the Lecture Hall. Please find yourself a seat in the front row." Lady Violetta spoke as she walked to her desk in front. On Lady Violetta's desk were two sets of boxes.“Again, welcome to Caldwell’s Academy of Magical Talent. Everyone find a desk to sit at? You are few students who are strong enough to make it through the Picture. You have a magic core that can make you great Wizards and even Mages in the future. Your Magic Core will be your main tool in this Academy. There are other tools that you will learn to use as well. You will become interesting people who will travel this new world and explore the other land masses. A few will stay home and be part of The Academy Island. I will need a Governor and an Archives Specialist to help me with my job. There will be more jobs as more students show up. Any questions so far?” Lady Violetta asked. Kyle followed the headmistresses instructions and went inside finding the dorm rooms fairly easily. He pushed open the heavy wooden door and looked around and seeing another student already lounging on one of the beds. " Hi I'm Kyle" he said tossing his suitcase, which he wasn't sure how it got Herr since he didn't have it with him when he entered the picture, and began lugging through the clothes and placing them in the drawers at the foot of his bed. " I hope they don't make us wear tacky uniforms" he added as he stuffed his shirts into a drawer and used his body to shut the overstuffed drawer River (Featuring Lady Violetta, Drake, Arabella, and Glorious Pippins)River stood quickly when she saw a woman dressed very much how she imagined a witch would dress. She frantically brushed the dirt and grass off of her bottom, making sure she looked presentable. When Lady Violetta asked them if they were alright, River let out a small burst of laughter. "That was so cool! It was like an invisible roller coaster!" She exclaimed, then realized she didn't answer the Headmistress appropriately, and she smiled apologetically, "I'm River Cade, of the Basic Academy uh... Ma'am." She stressed the "Ma'am" somewhat awkwardly, not knowing if she should call her Lady, or Headmistress, or just something respectful, such as "Ma'am". River took a moment as the Headmistress turned to greet another student so that she could look around at her surroundings. She noticed that the boy the Headmistress was speaking to was kind of cute, and seemed to be somewhere near River's own age. River whistled innocently, tearing her eyes away from his face, hoping that he was too distracted by the Headmistress to notice her gaze on him. Next to River was a girl with long hair in two braids.' She seems sorta out of it.' River thought, placing a hand on her chin." Students of Basic Magic! Please stand next to me and this young man. We shall shortly go inside to begin our orientation." River was pulled out of her thoughts as she scrambled to get in line by the Headmistress, and found herself placed next to the cute boy. She tried to look everywhere but at him, attempting to make herself look less conspicuous by whistling in a light tune and rocking back and forth on her feet. She looked up to see a new arrival falling from the sky, and thought he looked rather comical as he landed on his rump. River let out a small, unintentional snort in the middle of her whistling. She did like his name however, Aloyious Pippins. Her mind went directly to her favorite hobbit, in one of her favorite movies of all time when she heard his last name. She grinned widely at him." Please follow me and we shall start our orientation. This end of the Academy is the Basic Academy." And they were moving, following along behind the Headmistress as she guided them through huge, oaken double doors. River listened as closely as she could to the explanation that Lady Violetta was giving, but she found herself gazing in awe at one thing or another." You see, this castle is sentient which means that it can sense various things and feel things."" Woah! This place can feel us?!" She didn't really care much for buildings, but even she had to admit that this place was freaking amazing. She shuffled into the Lecture Hall, her eyes on everywhere but where she was walking. There were desks lined in rows, and the ceiling was highly vaulted, making River a little more at ease. Buildings usually made her feel claustrophobic. She sat at a desk in the front row, leaning back in the chair, causing the front legs to lift off the ground, and rocked smoothly as she listened to the Headmistress." Any questions so far?” River was now sitting straight up in her chair, her mind going a thousand miles a minute. River's hand shot up and stayed in the air as she spoke. "What do you mean, this new world? We're not on earth anymore? We're going to be explorers? Is the Magic Core in our bodies?" She couldn't seem to stop herself from asking a tirade of questions, and looked embarrassed when she realized other people would probably want to ask some themselves. Drake listened with only half an ear to the headmistress. He scanned the building and tried to memorize the layout. Suddenly the girl next to him was sitting and they were supposed to be asking questions. To be honest, he didn't have many. Even if he did, the one he wanted to know had been asked anyway. There wasn't a point to speaking up. That was okay, he was used to not speaking a lot anyway. So he pulled out a small mechanical pencil and a piece of paper and started to draw. He drew a dragon head, a magic wand, an eye, anything to keep his hands busy. Sitting still wasn't his forte, and he needed to keep his hands busy. So he drew, which was the least disruptive thing he could do at the moment. “Yes this is a new world. Actually the galaxy called Milky Way is your galaxy and the galaxy that this planet is in has yet to be named. In fact, the planet has not been named. The only thing that has been named is this island. I named it Sanctuary because so many people are tormented when they are different from anyone else. I’ll show you the Galaxy and the vortex that brings the two galaxies together.” Lady Violetta spoke as she took her wand out of her equipment belt. She drew with the wand:“As you can see, this is your Milky Way Galaxy and here is the sun. The sparkly area is my galaxy. Twice a year for about a month, a black hole which I call a vortex, opens up and connects the two galaxies. I hope everyone understands this.”“About being explorers. Yes, if you qualify, you can become one of my explorers. Or if you prefer to go back home and not come back, then you do so. Each time you go home, you have the choice to come back to Sanctuary or stay home. The Magic Core is what enabled you to travel through the picture. Not everyone has a strong enough core to be able to travel through the picture. That means each one of you is a very special person indeed. Any other questions before I go on?” Lady Violetta put her wand back into the Equipment Belt. Glorious takes a seat right behind a bespectacled boy with somewhat greenish looking hair, and prepares to hear what the headmistress had to say. Glorious listened to Lady Violetta intently, all of this was a lot to take in all at once for him, although, it was all incredibly interesting to him as well. He especially liked the idea of being able to traverse the lands in search of all the secrets in the world. It was almost guaranteed to be an amazing adventure, although, the thought of being named a Governor also sounded and getting the chance to be helpful in ways other than being a guinea pig seemed somewhat interesting to him as well, albeit not very much when compared to being an explorer. Perhaps if he worked hard enough, he could one day become very adept in using magic, he could certainly think of many different ways magic could prove to be very useful to him. Also, the fact that he was one of the few who were able to get through the core made him feel very good about himself, he had always thought of himself as being a bit of a bore and never thought there was anything particularly unique about himself. But he supposed that he couldn't be that special, if several others were able to do the same, but he chose to stay content with being at the very least a bit special. As he continued to listen to Lady Violetta he found himself very unsettled because of how far the school seemed from Earth. But he thought that it was not all that much of trouble as long as he was safe from peril. He didn't really have any questions, and if he did, he wouldn't really have enough courage to ask, this school seemed so unfamiliar to him. Lady Violetta looked about the room and decided that no one else wanted to speak so she went on with her lecture." I will pass out these small boxes. They hold an equipment belt and robes so that you can to protect yourselves while in lab class. The robes are of the magical sort and will stay clean. The equipment belt is issued to each of you. Each belt will have two pouches and two slender tubes. One pouch will be used for your own snacks and the other one will be for snacks for your pet. One sleeve will be used for your wand and the other one will be a guide stick for your pet. Both you and your pet will be frequently hungry. You may eat in all classes except labs. The pets will be in your room during labs so that they will not get into the way. It might be dangerous for all of us if one happens to become scared for some reason.” Lady Violetta spoke as she passed out the boxes. Equipment Belt [+] River was flabbergasted at the amount of information, at how far away from home she was, but she wasn't afraid, or nervous - she was ecstatic. Adventure had her name written all over it, and she already felt cramped up and somewhat claustrophobic from being in the building for just this introductory lecture. She was starting to get somewhat fidgety, so to stop herself from tapping her feet against the ground, she sat cross-legged in her chair. Her knees bobbed instead, but she didn't seem to notice. When the equipment belt was shown to all of them, River mused for a second at it. "Ma'am," She said with a raised hand, "Will our wands all bedifferentfrom each other? And what do you mean, pets? Aretheymagical too, like us?" She looked around at the other students, wondering what kind of Magic Core they had. At the mention of food however, her own stomach rumbled audibly. "I could eat a whole dragon." She grinned at the boys next to her bashfully, a rosy color rising on the apples of her cheeks as she ruffled the back of her hair. Lady Violetta enjoyed students who had questions and loved to answering then." No, River. At this time everyone will get a basic educational wand to learn how to use the wands. Next semester, you will have a second wand to use and that wand will pick you. It is a very interesting process to see the wands choose who they will assist. Those wands will be of different woods and fillings. They are also sentient. Now the pets will be chosen not just by yourself, but the pet will need a say in the matter as well. Pets are of the magical sort, but there will be canines, felines, avian and reptilian. There will several examples of each species in the groups and each group has more than one type of .... Let me tell you what is in the feline group as an example. The felines are Fire cats and Shadow cats. There is a Gold Lion which is very difficult to raise. Each one of these has special needs so you must choose not only on the type of creature that you prefer but also how much time you want to give to the pet. Some pets can be left alone more easily than others and some like the Gold Lion needs a lot of attention." she explained patiently. River's imagination ran wild as the Headmistress named the three felines, her interest particularly catching on the Gold Lion. She fantasized running through an expansive forest, light dappling the forest in shades of lush green and soothing yellow. By her side was a brilliantly golden maned lion, loping with ease over thick tree roots as large as her body, wind pulled at her hair underneath the sky blue bandana keeping it in place. She shook her head lightly, chasing away her imagination so she could pay attention to the Headmistress. Her stomach rumbled ominously for the second time, and she wondered if anyone else was feeling peckish. She tried to ignore it. Something occurred to her as she stared at Lady Violetta. "Um, ma'am? Are you and Lady Alvin the only teachers here? What's the difference between the students in the Basic Academy and the Diatonic Academy? Are our Magic Cores different?" Drake didn't really have anything to add. All of his questions were answered or currently being answered. He doodled a lonely looking face, but quickly changed it so no one would see. He was used to this. Just... existing to no real end. He was special, but no one cared. He got attention only when he spoke up, but he knew attention was just a fleeting thing, so he kept his mouth shut and examined the equipment belt. Maybe he'd find something that he'd enjoy, or maybe he'd just decorate the belt. Either way, at least it wasn't going to be routine. “Your next two lessons should be fun ones. Each of you will receive a Personal Laptop System or PLTs. Your Personal Laptop System or PLTs will be a valuable tool. You will have an independent study to fulfill called Mythical Creatures. And you will pick out your very own baby pet to study and care for. Before anyone asks-NO. No you cannot use it to talk to anyone on Earth because it will not reach that far. We are in a different Solar System than the Milky Way.”*Hands out boxes with gloved hands*“DO not pick up these boxes until you are told. They are super sensitive to touch. In fact, believe it or not, these LTPs are sentient. That means that it can think and feel on its own. I want to have you to be the first ones to touch them barehanded and imprint your aura on your own laptop. After your initial Implantation, the PLTs will only work for you. Now that each of you have a box, you may open the box carefully and do not drop it. The case is opened from the front like so. When it is open, you will see the screen, the keyboard, and some new features. Keep the protective sheets on the areas when they are not being use will make your PLTs working at its peak. For the moment, please remove the two handprint sheets then place your hands on those two pads like the picture that was on there. Leave your hands on the pads so that the PLTs will register your unique Aura. After that is properly done, your PLTs will only allow you to enter information on it. You will know that it is done because it will begin to ask you a series of questions starting with your name, age, gender, likes and dislikes. After you have filled out those questions, you may open the folder up called Mythical Creatureology. You will find all the pets that you may have along with a short description. Desired Name:Student / Citizen Rank:Age:Gender:Talents: (your first 3 magic types which you are born with)Skills you have acquired:Certificates you have acquired:Chosen Career:Possible Careers to choose from in the future:Governor Archives Specialist Exploration Team-crew, medic, cook, 1st and 2nd mate, cabin boy, captain, navigator, cartographer Ranking system:a) Newbie) Level 1c) Level 2d) Level 3 PLTs [+] *NOTE: You do not have to actually fill out the form unless you want to do so. Just mentioned that you filled it out.* *Assuming that everyone is done, and I want to get to town*"Let's finish up so that you may choose your rooms. Now find the folder that is called Mythical Creatures. Here you will look through the pet list to find a pet that interests you. After lunch, we will go to town, and you will be getting a pet of your own. I also have a list of items for you to purchase through your student account. You will go into town for your new pet. I have a book located in the PLTs for you to scan through to see what you may have. Please choose wisely for you will need to be able to handle the pet for the rest of its life. They are sentient creatures. They will be either your friend or foe. You will have fun with them; have a lot of frustration, and work. Physical and paper workwise. In this book is an example of each creature and what is known about them. There are recommended tips to use. Each week you will turn in your paper work to me. However, we do not use paper here for normal work. Each of you a now have the specialized laptop. Your homework will be on that laptop as well as your book will be in the case. While we are at lunch you may look at these pets. Please log off your PLTs and close them for it is time to go on the tour. I will give you a short tour. Later on you can visit the game floor, but it is closed for the first two days of orientation.“Each block of rooms is enclosed for a reason. The reason is for the protection of young pets that will be with you frequently throughout the day. This is the main Community Area. As we leave from the Lecture Room, you will see the Research lab. In this room you will find scales, measuring tapes and testing equipment. This is where you will be for your independent study for Mythical Creatures Class. Of course, I shall be around to assist you and answer any questions that you may have. I can offer various suggestions and tests to determine various things. But you must think of the idea. The reason is to make each of you think. This world will one day be expanding, and you will be the ones who will be the explorers to new lands. Next room is the dining room. As you can see there are many tables, and may move them around except for my table. Food will appear on your table after I ring the bell. Most of you will use this area. It is the Student Lounge. It has various chairs, sofas and tables. On that buffet will be various foods that you may eat when you are hungry. You will be frequently hungry for magic will take a lot out of as well as the stress of what you are going through. Your pets will take a lot of care as well. You will not be pushed to do much the first 3 days besides moving in, getting to know each other, finding your way around town, and learning about your chosen pet. This door is an automated sliding door. As you can see, it is blocked off from the third area. This is my office and the infirmary. That spot on the floor is where you ‘float up to’ wherever you are going. The Castle is sentient and will recognize each of you after this introduction ride. It will allow you to get on certain floors but not others such as my floor. Follow my example and join me on the bedroom floor, please. ”Lady Violetta stepped up to the railings, placed her hands on the banisters before speaking:“Lady Violetta to the Students Bedroom Floor, please.” She rose up in a neat spiral until the students could not see her any longer.“Step to one side, please as you arrive.” Lady Violetta spoke as each student arrived. Once everyone was on the bedroom floor, she spoke to the group." You may have any room from 1 to 6 that you like. Your room is sentient as well and will recognize your Aura after you place your two hands on the handprints on the chosen door. You may go inside and see what I have done for you. All rooms are the same. Everything is in pale blue but after lunch, we shall go into town and pick out new things. You will have a list to fulfill and a specialized cart. The cart will have a special device that you will use to claim a cart. Again the process is the same as your PLTs. As you place the items in the cart, just scan them. It will highlight the items as you scan them. The aisles will be placed by each item on the list. If you want an item that is not on the list just type it in the search bar. Anything that is related to the item will show up. On this trip, I am allowing you to have extra items and everything is money free. After this you will be given an allowance to use for your own things. You don’t even have to return the cart for it will teleport itself back to your room when you press the return button. You have 10 minutes to choose your room and place your belongings in there. As soon as possible, meet me in the dining room where we shall eat at a long table." Lady Violetta instructed then stepped aside to allow the students to find the desired room. Glorious was a bit overwhelmed by all the information that was being given to them. He now felt more excited than ever! Especially after hearing of the Golden Lion, while it was true that it would be exceedingly difficult to raise; he was sure that if he just gave it enough attention all of his hard work would pay off in the end. He watched as she explained how they would be able to choose their own rooms, while it didn't really matter all that much, he felt as if he was obligated to choose room number 1. It had always been a lucky number for him, and he would always choose it if he got the chance; he was always sort of superstitious. He still had his PLT in his hand and with the new information that they were in fact, sentient, he really didn't want to make it angry on his first day, that would be a total disaster. He awkwardly put his hands on the door's hand prints; being careful to not let the PLT fall off and the door opened. Drake followed behind the others. Gee, for a magic school he'd thought that by now he is able to talk to the other students and at least get to know them before being swept up into a sandstorm of information. Oh well, there was no fixing that, they needed their gear to learn and stuff first. Still, he was kind of excited about the drawing pad that was on their computer thingie. Drake put his computer thingie on the floor and his hands on door number two's handprint things. When it swung open, Drake re-shouldered his belongings and headed inside. He mostly just chucked the bags in his bed, considering that they had about ten minutes before they had to be back downstairs to go into town. Maybe he'd pick up a new sketch pad, his was looking a little ratty. Lady Rosewood was walking about and saw Glorious chose room 1 and noted it in her PLTs. Drake choose room 2 and was noted in her PLTs." Remember to bring your PLTs if you wish to get any freebies. The store owners will give you extra things if you remember your PLTs. PLTs is your passport to this world of magic. Be sure to get a bookbag that will suit your needs. It is better to get a bigger one than you think that you need. I'll see you two at the stairway in... 7 minutes." Lady Violetta smiled warmly at her students. River took the PLTs offered by Lady Violetta, turning it this way and that in her hands before setting it down on her desk." So weird!" She said, poking the box with a finger, wondering how a laptop could feel. When she remembered that the Castle was sentient as well, it didn't surprise her that they could make laptops the same way. The fact that it was her own, and would only work for her, interested her greatly - and gave her a tiny bit of satisfaction. When told to, she flipped it open and removed the protective sheets covering the hand print panels, then gingerly placed her hands on them, trying not to hurt the PLTs. It whirred to life, the panels underneath her hands glowing vibrant green.' Is that the color of my Aura?' River thought curiously, leaning her head down to peer at the panel from the side. All of a sudden, it began asking her questions. She filled each out succinctly, pausing to think about what her magic types would be. She remembered the woman in the shop back on earth telling her she had "affinities for earth and air", but the woman didn't mention the other one. As if to answer her, the PLTs filled out the last magic type on its own: plant. River blinked her eyes in surprise, then leaned close to the PLT and whispered,"How did you know that?" When the PLTs didn't respond, River pouted her lips." Helloooooooooooooooo?" She said in a drawn out whisper, poking the screen tentatively. When the Headmistress told them that they'd soon be able to decide on their pets, River perked up, closing up her PLTs and sliding it securely into the tote-bag slung over her shoulder. She skipped along behind everyone, peering into each area curiously to map out the school in her head. Finally, they arrived at the lift machine that would take them up to the other portions of the Castle. Waiting for her turn, she stepped on it and found herself unable to resist doing a Superman pose, her arm outstretched above her as the other hand gripped the banister."River, AWA YYY!!!" She called out. When the lift didn't move, she gave the banister a pat and said,"Ahem. I mean, River Cade to the student bedroom floor." The lift started promptly, lifting her away." Ohhhh my global! This is lobbing amazing!" She laughed giddily, stepping off of the lift when she arrived and gave Lady Violetta a smile." This place is pretty great - OOO rooms." She stopped mid-sentence and ran over to room number 3, pressing her hands against the hand-print modules. They registered her Aura, glowing vibrantly green just as the PLTs had done, and the door slid open to admit her. She gave the door an affectionate pat and walked in, looking around the room. Inside, there was a closet with several shelves and space to hang clothing, and a large window on the far side of the room, directly across from the door. She grinned, imagining adding her own touches to the blank slate, and unpacked everything from her tote-bag into the closet, except for the PLTs. She retreated from her room and went to stand next to Lady Violetta, waiting for them to head to town. "All ready to go, River? I hope you have your PLTs. And if you want your PLTs to speak to you, you have to name it something special. It sensed your Auras that you are born with. While it is not programmed to talk, it will send you messages. Read the manual that is in the folder called 'Your PLTs and what it can do for you'. You can change your room color and much more. The longer that you are here, the more secrets your PLTs will tell you." Lady Violetta advised to River. Drake, startled and surprised by River's sudden appearance remembered his PLT. Drake hurried back to his room and gabbed it, stuffing it into his bag. "Sorry! I'm kinda scatterbrained!" he yelled, trying to apologize to the machine. While it couldn't respond exactly, he still knew it could think. He couldn't imagine having to be locked up in a box and taken care of by someone like him. Being forgotten was just a situation that made the person or people involved feel like they didn't deserve anything. He hurried back downstairs, his PLT in a bag he'd rapidly emptied and slung over his shoulder. "Sorry. I can be a real idiot sometimes…" he said to Lady Violetta. Glorious did not have much need to unpack his things; seeing as he actually had a small amount of things with him at the moment. Or one thing to be precise. All he had with him at the moment was a purple toothbrush that was safely inside his pocket. He never really had much stuff as the shop his parents managed only made them enough money to get by each month; they seemed rather content with it though. He had been glad to hear that the robes he would be given were able to stay clean without being washed; he had a very limited wardrobe as well; as all of his clothing was usually bought several times larger than his actual size, as to not spend an unnecessary amount money on stuff that he would outgrow in a few years time. Furthermore, he had observed the room, everything seemed homely he could get used to sleeping here, but now was not really the time to observe everything; he really wanted to get that golden lion. Furthermore, he heard the headmistress explain the monster manual in the PLT; he would have to check that out later. Figuring that there wasn't much he needed to do right now he decided to stand next to Lady Violetta with the others, 'they sure are a colorful lot...' he thinks to himself quietly as he observed Drake and River. All students report to the new Post! I have unsubscribed to this thread! Caldwell’s Academy of Magical Talents and Abilities Plus Diatonic Academy Have you ever had a dream of actually enrolling in a school of Magic? Or perhaps even wanted to ride a real live dragon? Here you can do both! Caldwell’s Academy is now enrolling for the new school year. You will receive the best education that can be had on the planet. There are many perks such as receiving a pet or dragon as well as many other free items. Feel free to fill out the following form and enroll in one of the best Academies available. Each person may have up to two students.CNAME:Age:Gender:Personality:Picture or a good description :Which Academy preferred-Basic or Diatonic:Type of Dragon preferred:Bio:List of Characters in Caldwell's Academy of Magical Talents (Basic Magic): Name: Lady Violetta Rose deforest, Headmistress of Caldwell’s Academy of Magical Talents [+] Age: 27 Gender: female Picture or a good description: Hair: Long ebony black and has a deep purple hue in it. It ends in the small of her back. She wears in a variety of ways. Eyes: Lavender with tiny sparkles Skin Color: Warm tan Height: 5 foot 5 inches Weight: 125 pounds Personality: To Be Revealed Students: Arabella Wren by XxLyraxX [+] 16FemaleEnglish || 4'8 || 90 IBS"I am very shy and kind. I can never say a bad thing about anyone. I love helping people and I will do everything I can to make them smile. Furthermore, I have never had a boyfriend or love interest before in my life, so I am very innocent about a lot of things. Furthermore, I don't judge people and can always see the good in people. If someone confides in me or tells me a secret I will take it to my grave, so I guess you can say I can be very reliable. I am also honest. Even if it's something bad, I will not lie to someone, even though I will hate myself for hurting them with the truth. I can be really oblivious about a lot of things, especially when it comes to love/flirting. I guess you could also say I trust way too easily. Furthermore, I also get embarrassed and flustered way too easily. Furthermore, I can be very insecure about myself and my body and I tend to second-guess myself a lot. Furthermore, I can become upset very easily and am very sensitive. Furthermore, I can also be very clumsy and tend to trip over my own feet a lot." BasicBio:(working on) Name: Drake Maybe by Rain Dash [+] Age: 15Gender: Male Personality: Drake prefers silence and quiet to loud noises and making a ruckus. He sketches out drawings and can never be found far from his sketch pad. He is often off in space and can be only brought back down to earth if someone reminds him about work or something important that he may have missed. Furthermore, he's very nimble, despite the fact that he appears to stumble from time to time. Which Academy preferred-Basic or Diatonic: Basic Bio: Drake was raised by a pair of well-off artists, which rubbed off on him. Soon he developed an interest in magic and magic runes. As he had a natural affinity for it, he soon enrolled and became engrossed in his studies at Caldwell. Name: River Cade by Aphelion [+] Name: River Cabbage: 15Gender: Female Academy: Basic (Magical)Personality: River is a spunky, irrefutably cheerful girl. Not much gets her down, but she does have a strong sense of justice. When she sees wrong-doings, she becomes angry and subsequently tries to fix them with all of her might. She enjoys playing innocent pranks on people, but loves playing them on her friends. Her idea of a good time is running around outside, in the sun, with all of her friends. Appearance: Her hair is a spiced pumpkin in color with streaks of platinum blonde through it, short and unnameable, with a singular long tress trailing down to her calves. Her eyes, slightly slanted in her heart-shaped face, are the color of a fresh spring leaf. She has a button nose and small lips, which are usually grinning. Her body build is lean and muscled, and her skin is tan from being outdoors for most of her life. Bio:River is the adopted child of Hayden and Mikael Cade. Her fathers were very outdoorsy fellows, encouraging River to soak in the fresh air rather than to be cooped up. They saw her latent magical abilities come out as she grew up, often accidentally making plants grow at an alarming rate, or falling out of a tree to miraculously hover above the ground uninjured. Her magical mishaps became more frequent as she got older, forcing her fathers to find people who could help their daughter with her “little issue”. That was how they enrolled her into Caldwell's. More to come as we progress. Habits:-She has a voracious appetite, eating anything edible around her. -She will frequently nap outdoors, in the grass or up a tree most often. -"Movie'and see Tonya again", which means "It's time to toss the dice", is her catchphrase. She will often say it before she takes on a challenge, such as tests. Name: Glorious Pippins by thanatosDefiant [+] Name: Glorious Pippins Age: 15Gender: Male Personality: He is a very self-conscious young man who is constantly in doubt of his own abilities and worth, unable to find a subject that he is truly talented in. He tends to joke around quite a bit, and will occasionally make somewhat sarcastic remarks playfully. However, he will also do this in order to openly show his disdain for something or someone, typically in regard to things that he hates. He is also very prone to worrying about anybody he considers a friend, and will consistently attempt to look out for their well-being and will typically do this in a manner that it's somewhat annoying because, he tends to worry a bit too much, to the point where it seems as if he does not trust the person he is advising to take care of him or herself. Glorious is also very willing to stand up for his ideals, and can also be very courageous if given the correct set of circumstances. Picture or a good description: Glorious is a somewhat plump young man with somewhat chubby cheeks, and also has short somewhat tame black hair with somewhat small bangs that go quite a bit above his eyebrow. He is not all that tall, but not very short either, instead he is actually somewhat average for his age in this regard and is only about 5'8 feet in height. He has light brown eyes and also has olive skin. Which Academy preferred-Basic or Diatonic: Basic Bio: Glorious grew up as the son to a pair of store owners who specialized in selling items for practical jokes and also in manufacturing them as well. Because of this, they tended to try them out on Glorious and use him as a type of guinea pig, who was used to test the effectiveness of these items, he has gotten very used to this treatment and is generally very eager to help them with their tests. With time, he developed a very avid interest in magic, because of all the potential that he sees for it, and also because he believes that it will be a pleasure to use in general, causing him to apply for the academy. He does not really have any talent for magic, but is very enthusiastic to learn the ins and outs of it. Wiki Site [+] I would like to reserve a female for each Academy ^^ so, for the dragon riders, would they be able to speak telepathically with their dragons? Like in Eragon? Yes all students will be able to bond and speak telepathically to their dragon or pet. Alright, thank you. ^^ English || 4'8 || 90 Isabella Wren16Female"I am very shy and kind. I can never say a bad thing about anyone. I love helping people and I will do everything I can to make them smile. Furthermore, I have never had a boyfriend or love interest before in my life, so I am very innocent about a lot of things. Furthermore, I don't judge people and can always see the good in people. If someone confides in me or tells me a secret I will take it to my grave, so I guess you can say I can be very reliable. I am also honest. Even if it's something bad, I will not lie to someone, even though I will hate myself for hurting them with the truth. I can be really oblivious about a lot of things, especially when it comes to love/flirting. I guess you could also say I trust way too easily. Furthermore, I also get embarrassed and flustered way too easily. Furthermore, I can be very insecure about myself and my body and I tend to second-guess myself a lot. Furthermore, I can become upset very easily and am very sensitive. Furthermore, I can also be very clumsy and tend to trip over my own feet a lot." BasicBio:(working on)English || 4'9 || 92 Swallow Finch16FemaleVery shy and timid. She is hardly very wary to strangers or people she does not know. However, she is very protective over people she cares about and will protect them with her life. She puts others well-being before her own and rarely is concerned with her own safety, more so worrying about others. She is startled and embarrassed quiet easily and is able to become flustered and blush very quickly. DraconicIceBio:(working on)SephironMaleHe is very protective of his rider. Can I get some more details on the school and the setting? I've already got a CS in the works, I just need a bit more info. Reserved Spot Diatonic Teacher CNAME: Nathan Grant Age: 16Gender: Male Personality: Somewhat Calm 24/7Picture or a good description:Appearance Which Academy preferred-Basic or Diatonic: DraconicType of Dragon preferred:Appearance (Dragon)Bio: Nathan is a very calm, quiet kid, He likes to speak to his Dragon more than he likes to be social, he is always got an emotionless face, and he has been great at his grades and reports, Some believe if Nathan is pushed to his edge, and snaps, He is incredibly strong, He doesn't respond to these comments, and he always keeps his Dragon with him. (I'm SO sorry, This is the best I have atm, I am really not on the ball today) CNAME:Alvin ((a name she chose her real name cannot be said in human tongue))Age:Unknown Gender:Female Personality:she is kind, caring and loving, she tries to show her inner strength at all times, which often leads to her being hurt. She is kind of shy when it comes to meeting new people and often won't show them her true form until she trusts them completely. Picture or a good description :Which Academy preferred-Basic or Diatonic:DraconicType of Dragon preferred:Bio:Alvin's story is a long one, it begins long before men recorded history, she was born into a time of dragons, and it was their magic that gave shape to the other races of earth. It was centuries before the Dragon wars occurred that she had grown to power, and she fought in the wars being one of the few dragons who possessed the natural ability for healing fire. She was young and reckless, however as the years wore by, and she loved and lost, her heart became fragile, she tries to protect others from the treachery of love, however she still hopes that one day she will find her hearts desire. She is able to shape-shift between her Diatonic and human forms at will however she rarely if ever goes into her true form for fear of being ridiculed or hunted for being a cold fire dragon, one of the very last. Thetruenovice, bladder will be the Diatonic teacher, and I am the headmaster and teacher of the Main Caldwell's (Lady Violetta). I am working on a picture which a prospective student will touch to enter. I have many things planned for my Academy and I have a Wiki site for it if you wish to view it. Anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.bladder, we need to get together and discuss a few things. I will accept 1 or 2 teachers for the academic side. Name: Drake Manage: 15Gender: Male Personality: Drake prefers silence and quiet to loud noises and making a ruckus. He sketches out drawings and can never be found far from his sketch pad. He is often off in space and can be only brought back down to earth if someone reminds him about work or something important that he may have missed. Furthermore, he's very nimble, despite the fact that he appears to stumble from time to time. Picture or a good description:Which Academy preferred-Basic or Diatonic: Basic Bio: Drake was raised by a pair of well-off artists, which rubbed off on him. Soon he developed an interest in magic and magic runes. As he had a natural affinity for it, he soon enrolled and became engrossed in his studies at Caldwell. Arabella Wren, Drake Maybe, you are accepted into Caldwell's Academy of Magical Talent.bladder will accept all Diatonic students. I would like to see 2 or three more students for the main Academy before starting the IC. Name: Kyle cozenage: 16Gender: male Personality: Kyle is shy and very defensive because of his past. He is an astute student but learns from actually doing something rather than reading about it in a book Picture :Which Academy preferred-Basic or Diatonic: draconicType of Dragon preferred: ice dragon (ill add a picture later)Bio: Kyle was orphaned at a young age and has been bounced from place to place always looking for somewhere where he could fit in and call home. Kyle has always had a passion for dragons and would listen keenly whenever a story was told containing anything mythical. I'd like to reserve a spot for a student in the basic academy, if that's alright :] Aphelion, that is fine. Am I accepted? Blaider will be accepting the diatonic students but your CS looks good to me. I'll PM him and see what he is up to as far as this RP. I would like this RP to be really active as in everyone posting daily or at least checking in daily. If bladder does not happen to get on by 4 Eastern Time (GMT-5), I will start accepting students for that school as well. The Caldwell's Academy of Magical Talents and Diatonic Training is now open for any students who wish to 'Fall' into the grounds! I now have accepted all students for both Normal Magic and Diatonic Training! It is now 4PM where I am at. I'm still working on my drawing of my character :3 Just checking in to tell you I'm still interested. I'll have her info posted today. Fine! You can always add her pic later if you want to. Bladder is a Aisling, and so far from what I can see All are approved for Diatonic, I have a few issues atm with a couple of them, however they are not issues that I will need to deal with atm I will however ask that if I question you at any given point throughout the RP you answer truthfully or adjust things that I can see are going to be an issue, But so far let's get this started. I will be putting up a list of classes for the Diatonic students, however as this is the first day please treat it as orientation... Bladder is a Aisling, and so far from what I can see All are approved for Diatonic, I have a few issues atm with a couple of them, however they are not issues that I will need to deal with atm I will however ask that if I question you at any given point throughout the RP you answer truthfully or adjust things that I can see are going to be an issue, But so far let's get this started. I will be putting up a list of classes for the Diatonic students, however as this is the first day please treat it as orientation... I am sorry to call you a when you are a she but since I was not sure of your gender I went with the. I will listen to you and will adjust what I see needs to be adjusted. Also, students, you enter this world by touching the picture. The picture will transport you from Earth to Caldwell's. Here's my character. Sorry it took so long, I was busy today. :/ I will post tomorrow though, if I'm accepted! ^^ *off to bed with me* River Cade [+] Name: River Cabbage: 15Gender: Female Academy: Basic (Magical)Personality: River is a spunky, irrefutably cheerful girl. Not much gets her down, but she does have a strong sense of justice. When she sees wrong-doings, she becomes angry and subsequently tries to fix them with all of her might. She enjoys playing innocent pranks on people, but loves playing them on her friends. Her idea of a good time is running around outside, in the sun, with all of her friends. Appearance: Her hair is a spiced pumpkin in color with streaks of platinum blonde through it, short and unnameable, with a singular long tress trailing down to her calves. Her eyes, slightly slanted in her heart-shaped face, are the color of a fresh spring leaf. She has a button nose and small lips, which are usually grinning. Her body build is lean and muscled, and her skin is tan from being outdoors for most of her life. Bio:River is the adopted child of Hayden and Mikael Cade. Her fathers were very outdoorsy fellows, encouraging River to soak in the fresh air rather than to be cooped up. They saw her latent magical abilities come out as she grew up, often accidentally making plants grow at an alarming rate, or falling out of a tree to miraculously hover above the ground uninjured. Her magical mishaps became more frequent as she got older, forcing her fathers to find people who could help their daughter with her “little issue”. That was how they enrolled her into Caldwell's. More to come as we progress. Habits:-She has a voracious appetite, eating anything edible around her. -She will frequently nap outdoors, in the grass or up a tree most often. -"Movie'and see Tonya again", which means "It's time to toss the dice", is her catchphrase. She will often say it before she takes on a challenge, such as tests. River is accepted and you may post. Aisling the picture isn't working for me, it just takes me to a photobucket page Which picture are you talking about? If it is the one in the first post, it is the same as the one in my signature, only bigger. Excuse me, are you still accepting? Glorious Pippins [+] Name: Glorious Pippins Age: 15Gender: Male Personality: He is a very self-conscious young man who is constantly in doubt of his own abilities and worth, unable to find a subject that he is truly talented in. He tends to joke around quite a bit, and will occasionally make somewhat sarcastic remarks playfully. However, he will also do this in order to openly show his disdain for something or someone, typically in regard to things that he hates. He is also very prone to worrying about anybody he considers a friend, and will consistently attempt to look out for their well-being and will typically do this in a manner that it's somewhat annoying because, he tends to worry a bit too much, to the point where it seems as if he does not trust the person he is advising to take care of him or herself. Glorious is also very willing to stand up for his ideals, and can also be very courageous if given the correct set of circumstances. Picture or a good description: Glorious is a somewhat plump young man with somewhat chubby cheeks, and also has short somewhat tame black hair with somewhat small bangs that go quite a bit above his eyebrow. He is not all that tall, but not very short either, instead he is actually somewhat average for his age in this regard and is only about 5'8 feet in height. He has light brown eyes and also has olive skin. Which Academy preferred-Basic or Diatonic: Basic Bio: Glorious grew up as the son to a pair of store owners who specialized in selling items for practical jokes and also in manufacturing them as well. Because of this, they tended to try them out on Glorious and use him as a type of guinea pig, who was used to test the effectiveness of these items, he has gotten very used to this treatment and is generally very eager to help them with their tests. With time, he developed a very avid interest in magic, because of all the potential that he sees for it, and also because he believes that it will be a pleasure to use in general, causing him to apply for the academy. He does not really have any talent for magic, but is very enthusiastic to learn the ins and outs of it. Sorry for my longish post. The TL;DR version is that River's fathers are sad that she is leaving, and she is too excited and young to realize their feelings. She arrived at Caldwell's during the last paragraph if you would like to read just that :3Do the students of the Magical side of the Academy get a familiar? I'd also like to know if you are still accepting. My charter is still in the works, but if you would like a basic Idea I will explain a bit. She would be a diatonic student. She's a very lost girl who partly believes that she wasn't meant to be human. Her entire life is based around trying to find out what she was really meant to be, or how to fix the feeling she has in her heart. A feeling that is quite hard to describe. It is maybe two parts loneliness and one part loathing. She has a knack for at least one thing though. Making friends. Sometimes she thinks that's her only talent. Blue moon I would love to see this character please complete the CS for me, and Aphelion I loved your post was not TLDR for me (decided to change picture because she looked two old. She might look like that when she's. I don't know…20.19)Name:Myrtle Spade Age:15Gender:Female Personality: Myrtle often finds herself in her own world. She stares off into the distance, and creates scenarios of what she really is. Myrtle likes to believe that she was born into the wrong species. Something about being human just seems to small. At least that's how she would explain it. In reality her longing for a different species is really just her longing for an explanation for why she feels like she's doing everything wrong. Even when she is being praised for a job well done the words don't seem right to her. In her heart something tells her that she is wrong. Myrtle is very friendly even still. People often gravitate towards her. Myrtle loves this and cannot get enough friends. A good reason why this might be is because myrtle doesn't judge people. She accepts any and all. It doesn't matter how they dress act or talk she doesn't mind. Basic or Diatonic:DraconicType of Dragon preferred: (Not actual size. Much smaller XD)Bio:Myrtle was born into a very rich family as an only child. Growing up her parents indulged anything Myrtle wanted to pursue. This made her a bit of a Jack of all trades. At home Myrtle used to feel completely happy, but when she left for school that changed. The other kids didn't like the way Myrtle dyed her hair. They didn't like her name. They thought the costumes she dressed up in every day were silly. Style didn't know what to do the bullying was relentless. Thankfully in middle school she met a small group of people who didn't quite get her, but thought she was the greatest. They said that her ability to be who she it was inspirational. Myrtle bloomed into the social butterfly that she is today during those years. Though there were still very bad days. One of the worst was May 13. Myrtle had come home tears streaming down her face. Little paper planes were stuck in her hair and splashes of red stained her nice dress. Myrtle didn't reach her own door. She threw down her backpack and ran into the woods. She climbed the highest cliff she could find, and stood at the very top. After losing all her energy from climbing and crying Myrtle fell asleep atop that cliff. When she opened her eyes before her was a beautiful iridescent dragon. She had known that there were some in the world, but never had she thought she would meet one. It spoke to her in the voice of a wise old cosmic being. "Why do you cry so" She asked? Myrtle was star struck and only uttered "they…the…they tease me". Myrtle wiped away a few tears and her long white hair dripped into her face. The dragon with her large talons carefully moved it away from Myrtle's eyes before setting down her foot, and saying "Shh little one, you do not look so weak to me, no, I know why you cry, You are lost aren't you, Lost in here". The dragon pointed to Myrtles head. Myrtle nodded more tears falling from her crystal eyes. "No, no darling, No more tears, It's okay to be lost, Would you like to know something" The dragon questioned. Myrtle nodded her head looking up to the beautiful old one. " I am lost too". Myrtle's eyes widened "your lost too" She asked bewildered "but your so old". The dragon let out a great laugh "yes, that is true, but sometimes it takes a very long time to find what you are searching for". Myrtle smiled a bit. The dragon's last question was the one Myrtle had been hoping to hear "Would you like to search with me?" . From then on Myrtle was searching. Searching for who she was. Searching how to be happy, and searching how to become one with the comes. She doesn't get teased like she did before, but the scars of it stay with her. Myrtle later learned that her dragons name was Andromeda, and that she was a type of dragon that had been long-lost. What Andromeda was in fact searching for was her family. She is sure that there are more of her kind out there. She just has to find them. thanatosDefiant, yes we are still accepting, and you are accepted to the Basic Academy. Aphelion, your post was fine. I liked your post and accept all posts that are longer than 3 sentences on a regular basis. All Basic Students will get to have their own room and a pet from the selection from the pet store as well as equipment that I have made up for this RP. If anyone is interested, I have a wiki site that has a good share of my information already on it. It is located at: I have updated my first post to include all of my students (Basic Magic). Be sure to let me know if I did not put your CS up. Thank you for joining! Aisling can you allow characters for diatonic schools or not? I'm working on a post tonight! Just checking in to let you know I'm still active :3 bluemoon277, let bladder have a day to accept you. I am a frequent poster and since I have done this RP several times and have saved my lectures, it is easy for me to post my lessons. Not all people are like me. Aisling since you are saying that each student has their own room, do you want me to edit my last post since I made it more as a shared room rather than individual? I speak for the Basic Academy. Lady Alvin/ bladder will decide what goes on in The Diatonic Academy. Lady Violetta will always call Alvin Lady Alvin. Her students will call her what she tells them to. Sorry for not posting anything today, I'll be posting tomorrow :] That is fine, Aphelion. Thanks for checking in! :) Hawaiian, I say that you are now accepted to the Diatonic Academy. I hope that a few students show up tonight. Name:Mervin the Magnificent Age:16Gender:Personality: Quaint, Quirky, but not quarrelsome, trying to be polite and pleasant to anyone he meets. Picture or a good description : Mervin enjoys dark shades, though never wears straight black. His favorite looks always incorporate a cane, sometimes a long coat and vest, and often a hat of some sort, but not always. Which Academy preferred- Diatonic:Type of Dragon preferred:was thinking I'd go for more of a shadow dragon with onyx scales, an idea reinforced by the many ice dragons. Bio: Many believe Mervin wasn't born, so much as he just appeared on the streets of town one day, performing minor acts of street-magic to entertain the masses and gather enough money to eat and sleep at an inn. While he has some skill with prestidigitation [read: the illusion 'magic' put on showcase today, making balls and coins disappear and reappear, pulling silk scarves from sleeves, ad nauseam], his true talent as a magical prodigy lie in a field rarely understood, as so few mages are born with this gift-he's an artificer, able to weave ambient magical energy into items and constructs by will. In truth, he was born, though he doesn't remember his hometown anymore. A mishap with his magic saw him teleporting into town, but as it was an untrained, fledgling working, it left him with amnesia. The lost memories don't bother him, however, as he is perfectly happy in his day-to-day life. Hearing of a nearby school for the magically gifted, and noting that it had a sub-school for those who would be bonded with dragons, Mervin sent in an application right away, hoping that with training, he might become a much better -and thus more well-fed- magician. If anyone has a kind of pet that they want to have, and it is not listed in: which is where you will get to read a bout the pets, you may submit a pet with this form: Name of Creature:Created or found in:Amount of attention needed:Species:Habitat:Food:Life span:How it bears young: (Live birth, Egg)How long young stays with mother:Notes:You may make up a pet of your dreams if you would like. The pets we are using at the moment will be pure pets such as felines or canines. The ones that are of more than 1 species (such as a Griffin) will be available at a later time maybe in your 4th semester. I am online and hope to meet my students in the Lecture Hall soon! This so lonely here.............................. I'll be posting again tonight, Aisling :] I don't want to skip other people, but I'll keep role-playing if nobody else is around ^^! I didn't have anything to say, so I didn't post. Still in this though, no worries. Just make some kind of comment to show that you have read the lecture would help me gauge as to when to start the next part. I'd like to get this orientation part done and go to the village to choose our pets. Will it be all right to just give the rest of lecture and get it over with? Just up to where we go and choose the bedrooms? Today has been really super swamped, sorry Aisling. I will be posting tomorrow morning/early afternoon. As far as having the lecture finish up, I don't mind. If you'd like to finish it, I'll read it and respond. ^^ Hello there, thanatosDefiant! Hello! (^^) Ariel, sorry I didn't see your post. You are accepted. Anything new here? How Many of you are really interested in this RP and have the time to post daily? I can't really post daily, unless you'd like much shorter posts (which I can do!). Every other day posting is typical for me, I've just been really busy these last few days. I do apologize, I'm going to write one up now. I have time, but I'm a little bored. We are just doing orientation, and we really haven't had time to interact with the others. Just Lady Violetta. I'm still interested, but haven't been accepted. Bluemoon, are you in Diatonic Academy? I need to ask to see what is going on there.... I am not overly interested in long detail posts because this is for fun type of thing and to see what kind of mishaps there might be. Furthermore, I try to be patient, but I am fast poster and this is my only hobby which I spend an hour at least and usually more. It is ok to post every other day if I know that you are interested in the RP. I just feel like it is dying and don't want it to die..... For me, it's sort of a natural thing to create a longish post. I don't feel right unless I go through the motions. My recommendation for the RP is to merge the schools together under Lady Violetta, as the role player for Alvin isn't around. But if you don't want to do that, I could make a teacher for the Diatonic School? If you wanted help, that is. I'm in the drag conic academia and not much has happened. XD I do understand, and I sent her a PM. If she does not respond by Friday night, I will have a new teacher for the Diatonic Academy. I'll be back on tomorrow to see if there is any news of Alvin. Let me know Aisling because that was the reason I quit posting, not much information about the diatonic school. It only seemed to focus on the magic academy I will post the results here tonight. If anyone wants to join the same kind of school on another site, feel free to PM me, and I'll give you the info. Are you moving the RP to another forum? This is now your new Diatonic Teacher:Name: Thomas Skywalker Age: 29Gender: Male Personality: Very quiet, reserved, very loyal friend, Picture:Which Academy preferred Diatonic: Teacher Type of Dragon preferred: Sky Dragon Bio:Thomas was raised on the reservation even though he was only a half-breed. His mother, White Dove married a Thomas Clearwater, but he left when Thomas was a few months old. He never came back, and White Dove never married again. She died from a fever when Thomas was 8. Thomas tried to make her well, but he didn’t know what to do, and she refused the Tribe’s Medicine Man because she brought shame to the tribe. The Tribe raised Thomas who refused to leave his home to live with someone else. Everyone raised him and allowed him to live on his own. After he graduated from the local school, he went to college and did well enough to become an accountant for the Tribe’s Casino. He felt like an outsider in some ways for he enjoyed white man’s museums and would go into white man’s town to view new exhibits. Even though his peers teased him about being only half an Indian, he always shrugged and did what he wanted to. Only once did he ever fight. It was a fight over his mother’s heritage. He once punched the other tribe member and knocked him out cold. He went to the Chief and told him what happened. Nothing ever came out of it and no one ever teased him or said negative things about his mother All Diatonic Students will be with Lady Violetta and Thomas Skywalker. I would like to give all Diatonic students some time to catch up and read over the IC before I post the Entrance of Thomas. Aphelion, I have a second school set up on another forum which is an option for anyone who wants to join Lady Violetta there. If you want to stay here, I am redoing the Academy and this is the redo thread: choice is yours to make. I hope that everyone rejoins the one here. Or even join on both forums! Please repost your CS on the new thread. I hope to see you there soon! All students report to the new Post! Could I possibly join ? Of course, you can. Please post your CS on the new IOC . How many people are still interested in this RP? If I don't get 4 people signed up for the new one then I will cancel the RP.

Caldwell's Academy of Magical Talents and Draconic Academy|rating:3.0

The Wolf and the Snake_ A Harry Potter Roleplay (With Voice)

Michael placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned forward whispering in her ear. "Perhaps you need some incentive to keep trying? If you don't improve even a little by Halloween... I'll have some punishment for you. However, if you improve by Halloween I'll have a surprise for you as a reward." He said with a slight smirk on his face. He then urged her to keep trying. "No more forcing your wand you'll just get bad results." He then drilled Aria for the next several hours until lunchtime. His stomach rumbled wildly, and he realized he hadn't eaten yet. "Okay... time to break for lunch!" He said loudly before dashing off to the Great Hall. He sat down and began stuffing his face. His brothers Gothic and Max sat down next to him. Gothic looked at Michael questioningly. "Where have you been? You haven't been seen all morning." Michael kept stuffing his face speaking between bites, "I've been around." Was all he said then went back to eating. Gothic looked at him for a minute then shook his head. Aria flinched slightly when Michael placed his hands on her shoulders, shivering as his breath reached her neck as he whispered. How the hell was she supposed to concentrate with him this close to her? Her heart beat raced as he spoke into her ear, feeling her cheeks heat up she bit her lip again. What did he mean by punishment and surprise? What could he possibly do to her for punishment? But as she thought of the chances she cringed but then as she thought of the possible surprises she came up blank. What could he possibly do for her? He didn't really know anything personal about her. But before she could come up with anything Michael started drilling her, doing some spells she was familiar with and some she had never even heard of. By the time they stopped it was lunchtime and Aria was mentally exhausted, She gave a small nod when he said it was lunchtime, but while he sprinted towards the lunch hall she just walked the halls aimlessly. After eating as much as he possibly could which turned out to be ten helpings before the plates cleaned themselves. Michael made his way around the castle whistling to himself. While he was walking he bumped into Professor Dumbledore. "Oh hello, Professor. Sorry I wasn't paying attention." Professor Dumbledore spared a fond smile for Michael as he shook his head. "Quite alright, Michael. I'm actually glad we bumped into each other. How about every Tuesday and Thursday after dinner for our extra lessons together? Sound good?" Michael nodded excitedly. "Absolutely, Professor. I'll see you Tuesday at 6 on the dot." Dumbledore nodded and left leaving Michael to figure out what to do with the rest of his day. Aria tucked her wand back in the waist band of her skirt, wishing she had worn shorts under them so she could have avoided Michael seeing her underwear. She blushed brightly at just the thought of that, she was still quite angry but what was she going to do. She couldn't use magic on him because one she wasn't good at it and two she would get in some major trouble. Aria made a turn every time she saw someone else in the halls, she wasn't in the mood to attempt to talk to anyone. It wasn't worth the humiliation and besides she had, had her fair share of interaction today with Michael. She had to admit he was attractive but as soon as the thought entered her head she pushed it out. No he was just a tutor and nothing else besides he was just an immature boy that was probably bored and wanted something to do. He would probably get bored with her eventually. Michael decided to go visit the Astronomy Tower as it always provided a nice view. He made his way to the southern section of the castle and made his way up the spiral stairs of the Astronomy Tower. Once there he climbed onto the ballistas and sat down his feet hanging off the side as he looked out into the distance. He thought about his first day of his second year at Hogwarts anyhow it had gone so far. He smiled to himself thinking about his interactions with Aria. "I'm sure she's mad time for the little bit with lifting her skirt with my first example... but I'm not too sorry about it. She has nice legs, and I'm betting what I couldn't see is nice too." He blinked and jumped nearly falling off the Astronomy Tower as he heard laughter behind him. A pair of hands grabbed him by the waist steadying him. "As if you would know what to do with it if you HAD access to it." A deeper voice but still similar to his said. "Jesus... don't do that... you could have killed me. Making me jump like that, Damien..." Michael said turning to the owner of the voice. An older boy that had similar features to his but had dirty, blonde hair and eyes the color of sapphires. "Hahaha you know I'd never let you fall, Mikey." Michael rolled his eyes. "Don't call me that..." Damien laughed again. "WWW Mikey doesn't like his big brother's nickname for him? I'd get down from there if I were you... you aren't even supposed to be up here it's off limits except for classes." Michael looked at his older brother a frown on his face. "I've been hanging up here ever since the start of my first year. It's been my refuge from just about anything that has bothered me. Professor Dumbledore even caught me up here once, and he seemed to have no problem with me being up here." He turned facing Damien completely his legs now hanging towards the floor as he hopped down standing a few feet from the older boy. "But if it will keep you from having a stroke. Here happy, your Perfectness?" Damien took a swat at him catching him on the bum. "Cheeky little runt!" Michael smirked at Damien and left the Astronomy Tower. "I love you, big brother." Aria heard a familiar meow causing her to smile and turn around to see Nix trotting towards her. "Now how did you manage to make it out of your cage" Aria said as she picked up the white female cat she had owned since last year. Nix purred settling herself into Aria's arms. "Glad your comfortable" Aria said sarcastically to the spoiled cat. Sighing she slid down against a wall to a sitting position. Aria would have brought Nix back to her cage in the Slytherin dorms, but she wanted to avoid going there as much as possible. Leaning her head against the wall she let her thoughts run wild. How long would it take for her to finally be able to use her wand correctly? Would she ever even be able to? Her mind went back to what Michael said about punishment or a surprise. What could he possibly be thinking? As she thought about the punishment she thought of the worst scenarios but he really couldn't do anything to her that hadn't already been done right? Aria had already been beaten and humiliated in so many ways that she didn't think she could be anymore. But anything is possible. As the brunette contemplated her day her eyes drooped, usually she would have forced herself awake, but she was so tired that she didn't even care anymore. Michael walked down the castle corridors just trying to find something to do. He was walking down a corridor on the 4th floor when he stumbled over someone. "Hey! What's the big idea sitting in the middle of a corridor where anyone could trip over you?" He shouted but then realized who it was. "Aria. Why is it I'm always tripping over you?" He asked clearly amused by this. He helped the girl up petting her cat gently between the ears. "Well? You shouldn't sleep in the corridors you know. It's bad for your health and others." He said jokingly. Aria was woken up by a foot to her side, luckily Nix jumped out of her hands before anyone could fall on the cat. She glared at the person who had practically tackled her, but her blue orbs softened when she saw Michael. "Technically was against a wall not in the middle" Aria stated with a small smirk, feeling strangely comfortable around Michael, actually being able to speak rather than stumble over her words. "I don't know, it's not like Into be in your way" Aria states, shrugging her shoulders before she lets Michael help her up, instantly stepping a couple steps back when she's back up right. "I didn't intend to fall asleep, it just kind of happened" Aria said softly as she went to rub her side but stopped short and put her hand back down. She didn't want to look like a complete wuss. Aria looked down at her cat, who was currently being petted in her favorite spot. Giving a short small smile Aria looked back to Michael, but not making eye contact. "Where are all your followers and friends?" Aria asked softly, genuinely curious how he managed to ever be alone. After all he was almost as well known as Harry Potter. Michael let out a snort as he leaned down and rubbed his face into the cat's soft white fur. "Please... it's only the first day. I try to keep to myself on the first day... it's a good time to evaluate where I'm at. My "followers" are off doing their own thing." He said with a soft smirk. "I have a cat at home almost just like her only he's a long-haired black tabby rather than pure white." He said softly his golden eyes seeking out her blue ones. "So... since we are here... ready for round two?" He said smiling softly taking his wand out. Upon her agreement he started drilling her again on casting the spells but not forcing the magic and rather allowing it to flow naturally. He worked her until dinnertime then stretching and patting his stomach told her the lesson was over for the day. "I'll give you some more lessons next time we have free time together. Probably this Saturday as I have no idea what my or your schedule will look like." He said and headed for the Great Hall for dinner. Key word 'try' she thought internally smirking. Aria laughed quietly as Michael rubbed his face into the fur, and raised an eyebrow when he said he had a cat like her. He didn't really seem like the type to have a cat, but people were always full of surprises. Aria sighed and pulled her wand out as well, regardless of the frustration the drilling caused she needed the practice if she was ever going to get through this year. Throughout the practice Aria slowly stopped trying to control her wand, allowing her magic to flow a bit more freely. Although her spells were still clumsy and slow they were at least starting to get better. Aria nodded as Michael suggested Saturday, if her schedule was anything like last year she would have no time for anything but classes and homework during the week days. After Michael headed towards the dining hall Aria decided to take Nix back to the dorms. Michael again stuffed his face causing Gothic to raise his eyebrow in disapproval and question. "You've eaten an awful lot today... usually you only eat THIS much when you've used at least a significant amount of magic. Do I need to get one of your friends or mine to start keeping an eye on you?" Michael's face grew pink with anger. "What I do during my free time is none of your business. I'm not going to get caught so you should keep your nose out of my business." He said fiercely causing Gothic to raise his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. You know I just worry when you've used a lot of magic... after last year's string of duels you were involved in.... you haven't been dueling have you?" Gothic asked worriedly. Michael sighed knowing Gothic meant no harm. He was just worried about him, his little brother, "No, Gothic I haven't been dueling. I've been keeping my promise." Gothic's eyes widened. "To that Slytherin girl? Can you trust her?" Michael stared Gothic in the eyes his own golden ones meeting Gothic's emerald green eyes. "Yes I'm sure I can trust her. She's probably wondering if she can trust me though." He said before going back to eating. After dinner, he went up to the Gryffindor common room and played a few games of wizard chess with some of the older students thoroughly stomping all of them. Gothic came around encouraging him and Max to go to bed as classes started tomorrow. Michael did as told only because he wanted to be fresh for his first day of classes. Aria sat Nix back in her cage being sure to lock the lock this time "No escaping this time" Aria whispered before sneaking back out of the Slytherin dorms, yes it was really close to curfew, but she skipped lunch, and she needed something to eat. So she started going towards the dining hall hoping she could grab something without getting in trouble. The girl sprinted as fast as she could to the dining hall, desperately trying to keep her steps silent, she didn't need any prefects reporting her. Aria slipped into the dining hall grabbing a sandwich she sneaks back out, hoping to get back to her dorm without breaking curfew too much. But sadly she was seen and stopped by none other than Shape. "What are you doing out after curfew" his monotone voice rang out causing Aria to look down at her shoes, he never notices me in class, but now he notices me, really? "I um, I missed dinner" Aria answered quietly, silently cursing herself for not just waiting to eat until tomorrow morning before classes. "Since this is your first offense I will let you go, but you shouldn't be out late at night, you could see something you aren't meant to" Shape warned before giving her a push towards the Slytherin common room. "But-" Aria looked back and Shape was gone, so she shrugged hurrying back to her room. What had he meant by that? See something she isn't meant to? What kind of secrets does her know? Is something bad going to happen this year? Aria's thoughts swirled as she lay awake in bed, waiting for morning. The next morning Michael woke again before anyone else in his dorm. He got up and showered quickly before dressing for the day and fixing his hair the way he liked it. By the time he finished with his hair the other boys were starting to wake up. He hurried out of the dormitory with his bag heading out of the common room and to the Great Hall for breakfast, He ate a substantial meal knowing he'd need his strength today. He looked up and saw an owl coming his way. "Must be my copy of the Daily Prophet." He took the newspaper from the owl and paid it then broke the bundle open. The first thing he saw was the headline. "Break-in at Gringo's" He read the article shocked by this news. But he was relieved to find that nothing had been stolen as the vault broken into had been emptied earlier on that day. He was still troubled though and read through the rest of paper but, aside from the headline article nothing of note had happened. He looked up when he heard Professor McGonagall coming around with Gryffindor students' schedules. Furthermore, he received his and grinned. "Awesome Defense and Charms up first today. Then Transfiguration and Herbology tomorrow, Potions on Wednesdays, Astronomy on Thursdays at midnight and History of Magic on Friday. Ugh I could do without History..." He noticed that his first 5 classes he actually had twice a week alternating days starting next week. He grinned happily and got up heading immediately for the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Furthermore, he hoped sincerely that Professor Quarrel would be a good teacher. Aria woke up, turning to look at her clock she cussed under her breath. She was going to be late, and she still had to get her schedule so she didn't even know which class she was going to be late to. The brunette showered quickly before throwing her hair up into a messy bun, she got dressed into her uniform before sprinting to the now practically empty dining hall. Aria grabbed her schedule off of the Slytherin table silently thanking Shape for leaving it there for her. Reading it over quickly she groaned at the class she had today. Today would be Defense Against the Dark Arts, tomorrow is Astrology at midnight, Wednesday is Transfiguration and Potions, Herbology and History of Magic on Thursdays and Charms on Friday. "Ugh can't I just skip Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms?" she mumbled crossly to herself but regardless of her distaste for the subject she started sprinting towards Mr. Quarrel's classroom. Finally arriving in the classroom Aria attempted to catch her breath, and prayed that Quarrel hadn't noticed her slip in. This was so unlike her, first sneaking out after curfew, then waking up late. Why was she so tired anyway all she did yesterday was... oh. All the magic practice most of taken more out of her than she thought. Finally catching her breath Aria looked around and Quarrel had stopped talking, and he was staring at her. Of course, she wouldn't have good enough luck not to be noticed. "Um hi" was all Aria could manage to squeak out, her cheeks heating up with a light pink color dusting them. "You're l-ate M-s. Harper" Quarrel stuttered out, disappointment clear in his voice, even with the stuttering. Aria looked down at the floor "I know I'm sorry sir" Aria tried hoping Quarrel would just move on and take the attention off her. "D-on't let i-t ha-p-p-en again" Quarrel said before continuing with whatever her was saying before, Aria let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding, that was close, she really didn't need to be getting detention on the first day of her second year. Michael looked up when Professor Quarrel stopped his lecture on how to treat werewolf bites. He saw Aria standing in the door huffing and puffing, and he smirked her way. Someone obviously slept in and had to run to get her schedule then rush here to keep from being too late. He thought to himself. He shook his head at her explanation and again when Quarrel told her not to let it happen again. Furthermore, he went back to taking notes as Quarrel began the lecture again. At the end of class he pulled her aside in the corridor. "You really need to get a grip on timeliness if you don't want to spend most of your second year in detention." Aria jotted down notes for the rest of class, way to make a good first impression Aria. Blowing some hair out of her face she grabbed her stuff when Quarrel dismissed the class. Aria stumbled slightly as Michael pulled her aside, she glared already in a bad mood. "It's not like I woke up late on purpose" Aria shot back as she pushed some of her fly away hairs back into place. Aria looked around at people passing, and she noticed some people were starting to stare at the both of them. "Go to your next class or else you'll be the one in detention" Aria smirked before brushing past Michael, maybe him talking to her wasn't affecting him badly, but it would affect her. People would get jealous or make assumptions and just end up getting her into trouble in the long run. Walking towards the library Aria tried to avoid everyone's eyes, she hated the attention it made her uncomfortable. Picking up the pace she decided she would get her homework done early so she could maybe find some books on some energy potions or something that would help her with her lack of energy. Michael shook his head and followed her smirking as he went. "My next class isn't until after lunch." He decided he would help her with her homework while he was with her. While she was looking up something for potions, Michael began looking into the process of becoming an Animals. He found that while difficult it wasn't beyond his level of ability. It would probably take him a year or two, but he somehow knew he'd be successful. He decided to run it by Professor Dumbledore when he had his first lesson. "Of course it is" Aria replied rolling her eyes as she walked into the library with Michael by her side. "You know you can go hang out with your friends, you don't have to stay with me" Aria mumbled as she finished up her homework and looked for a book on Potions. Potions are always one of her favorite classes, it was magic without her having to use her wand. Plus she was pretty good at potions, good enough that she could do many potions that hadn't even been taught yet. Finally finding the book she was looking for she pulled it out sitting back down, running her fingers over the cover before opening the book. Flipping through the pages she finally found the potion recipe she was looking for, but she frowned at the ingredients, she would have to somehow convince Shape to get her them. Michael was immersed in the possibilities that becoming an Animals brought. Apparently the size of the animal depended on how much power the Animals had and the animal they turned into depended on their personality. He imagined his Animals form would be fairly big, but he didn't know what he would turn into as he didn't know what animal he shared the most personality traits with. He sighed as he closed the book and added it to the pile he'd be checking out. Aria set the potions book aside, making a mental note to check it out later. Looking over at Michael she took a glance at what he was reading, raising her eyebrows as she saw the word Animals. Becoming an Animals was some pretty intense magic that required immense patience, something she had very little of. But Michael was so advanced in magic that when she really thought about it, she wouldn't be surprised if Michael managed the task. Aria looked away when he closed the book Aria picked up her stuff as she stood up, as it was lunchtime and she really needed to eat today since she barely had anything yesterday. "I'm going to go to lunch so... I'll see you around" Aria said rocking back on her heels as she spoke before walking over to check her book out. After she checked out the potions class she started to head towards the dining hall, a few people from various houses pasted her and gave her weird looks, or glares. To which she just ignored, pretty much used to all the negative reactions from people every time she over stepped some sort of unspoken boundary. Michael gathered his books and checked them out as well. He followed after Aria though at a much slower pace. He was hungry, but his mind was on all the difficult magic he planned to learn over his next 6 years at Hogwarts. When he sat down at the Gryffindor table he was immediately bombarded by his little brother who had an amazing day already. He thought Professor McGonagall and Professor Flit wick were amazing and couldn't wait to get into the other classes. Then he started yammering on and on about Harry Potter. Michael sighed as he knew Max probably hadn't even so much as talked to the boy and Michael HATED gossip. He eventually told Max he had a headache and just wanted to eat. Max looked a bit of hurt but didn't push it. "Okay..." Was all he said and started eating himself. After lunch Michael made his way to the Charms classroom. He was the first one there and Professor Flit wick was delighted to see him. "Ah Michael, my boy! So good to see you! I was just talking to Professor McGonagall about your fantastic 120% you received on your end of term exam last year. But from what I hear you aren't a slouch in Transfiguration either. Always a pleasure to see such a bright young student come through these halls." Michael blushed with embarrassment but thanked Professor Flit wick and nodded before taking his seat. Aria walked to the Slytherin table, picking a spot as far away from the others as she possibly could. "You're that Aria chick right?" a male voice sounded in her ear causing Aria's head to snap up and almost headbutt with a light brown haired boy, huh, I most of not sat far enough away from everyone. "Yes I'm her" Aria answered grabbing a strawberry from the fruit bowl that sat in front of her. It had been weird lately, Aria had started to get more and more confident while talking to people, although the whole ordeal still made her terribly uncomfortable. "I've seen you hanging around that Gryffindor boy, Michael Crowley" the boy said, without any particular emotions in his voice, which made Aria curious. He didn't sound angry about it, what was he trying to pull with her? "I don't really think that's any of your business" Aria replied with a slight sharpness to her voice, warning the boy to drop the subject. Usually Aria was pretty good at keeping a calm demeanor, but she was having a bad day today. "Right sorry for prying" the boy backed off the subject quickly, to Aria's complete amazement. Was this kid really in Slytherin? Aria turned her body so she could look at the boy, messy light brown hair, brown eyes and tan skin. He was basically your typical heart throb, although Aria was surprised she had never seen him around before. "I'm Steven by the way, Steven West" Steven told her, holding out his hand for her to shake and she accepted. Was this guy actually be genuine with her? Was this a result of her hanging around Michael?" Are you just being nice to be because you saw me around Crowley" Aria used Michael's last name to make sure this boy wouldn't think they were close, she couldn't have other people know she needed a tutor. Steven laughed lightly and shook his head, grinning at Aria, causing her to furrow her eyebrows in confusion. "No... actually I've wanted to talk to you for a long time" Steven said feigning shyness, Aria searched his eyes for any sign of lying, but she couldn't tell. "Well you'll be disappointed to know that I'm not that interesting" Aria with a shrug her shoulders not buying the fact that this guy just suddenly decided today was the day to talk to her." We'll see about that" Steven mumbled quietly to himself, but Aria didn't hear him she just continued to eat the fruit that was in front of her. "So what classes do you have today?" Steven asked Aria, trying to make conversation. "Actually I only had Defense Against the Dark Arts today, I don't have any more classes until tomorrow" Aria answered as she picked up a piece of watermelon. "Lucky I wish I didn't have any more classes today, I have potions next" Steven groaned causing Aria to laugh a bit at the boys' distaste for potions. "Oh come on potions isn't that bad" Aria replied shaking her head at the whining boy, potions was one of her favorite classes. Really she liked any class that didn't involve her using her wand. "I suck at potions! I always end up missing something or adding too much of something, plus I swear Shape has it out for me!" Steven continued while Aria just laughed at him, sure Shape was intimidating, but he wasn't too bad. Michael grinned as he got back into the swing of things. Professor Flit wick immediately had them learning a new spell. "Today we will be learning how to lift and move objects. The incantation is Loco motor. Now off you go then." Michael looked at the crate near his desk and pointed his wand at it. "Loco motor Crate!" The crate lifted into the air and moved with his wand. "Very good, Michael! 10 points to Gryffindor!" Professor Flit wick said. Some of the Ravenclaw's looked at him with jealousy. "Why wasn't he placed in Ravenclaw like his older brother if he's so intelligent?" While some Slytherin's glared at him with resentment. "Perfect Crowley the great, big show-off!" Michael ignored the resentful mutters from the Slytherin's but turned to the Ravenclaw's. "Because of what I value. I value bravery over knowledge, but they are a close thing. I was almost put in Ravenclaw." He got up after class and stretched heading towards the seventh floor and the Gryffindor Common Room. Aria smiled to herself as she walked back to the Slytherin common room, Steven had talked to her until he had to leave for his class. Sure she was still being cautious but finally being able to talk to someone in her own house was a big step for her. "Pure-blood" she called, before walking through to the common room, letting out a breath of relief when she didn't see anyone in it. Sure Steven was being nice to her, but that didn't mean any of the other Slytherin's would be even remotely pleasant to her. Especially if they had seen her with Michael, sure she was an outsider in the Slytherin house, but they still got mad at her if she talked with the Gryffindor's. Not that she had broken that rule many times, considering none of the houses ever wanted to talk to her. Aria went up to her shared room and took off her robe and her green tie but kept the rest of her uniform on. Since she didn't have any more classes she wasn't required to wear the whole uniform which was a relief because she hated having to wear that over sized robe and that green tie. Michael sat down in one of the cushy armchairs in the common room beating up on anyone who would play chess with him. He got to the point where he was even gambling on the games. Not money of course but favors. His being open-ended if he lost while his opponents if they lost had to help him with whatever he wished (such as advanced magic). He laughed as he amassed such a huge debt from the older boys he knew he'd likely be the most well learned second year before end of the first term. He owed a few favors here and there but overall he came out the winner. The 6th year prefect came over finally and broke it up. "Okay that's quite enough, Crowley I should put you in a month's detention. You are too young to be gambling, and you know it." Michael pouted adorably at the older boy and got a snort. "I'll let you off with a warning this time. But only because you don't give me trouble often and a lot of the people you beat needed a lesson in humility." Michael smiled sweetly and pranced up to his dorm to get ready for dinner. At dinner, he ate a lot and wondered what he'd use the favors to learn. Aria went back down to the common room, taking a glance at the clock she ran back up to her room grabbing the potions book before making her way to the potions' classroom. Classes would be over for Shape, but he should still be in his classroom for a while. Knocking softly on the open door to get Shape's attention Aria stepped into the classroom a bit. Shape looked up, gesturing for Aria to come in more he set aside whatever he had been doing before her interruption. "Sorry to bother you sir I was just wondering if I could get some ingredients" Aria said softly, hoping he was feeling generous today. "Do you have the recipe?" Shape asked in his usual monotone voice, at least he didn't seem to be angry about her interrupting his work. "I do" Aria said opening her book to the potion she wanted to make, showing him the page. Shape looked over the page quickly before standing up pacing once before speaking again. "Those ingredients are pretty hard to come by I don't know if it's worth my while to get them for a second year" Shape trailed off "But I'll tell you what, if you can get perfect marks in my class for two weeks straight I'll give you the ingredients" Shape said causing Aria to break out into a grin. "Deal! Thank you sir!" Aria said before shutting her book and running out into the hall. Dinner was close, but she would have to occupy herself for a bit more time before it would be dinner time. Michael lounged in the common room until dinner time. He had to make good on one of the favors in that time, but he didn't care much. If he owed a favor he'd make good on it no questions asked. Dinnertime came, and he made his way down to the Great Hall. He sat down and began eating voraciously as always. His cousin Ron tried to keep up with him, but while Ron was a big eater, Michael was in a league of his own when it came to eating. Harry watched somewhat fascinated. "How on earth do you eat so much? I've watched you at every meal since the start of term feast, and you never eat less than six helpings of everything." Michael looked at Harry and smiled, "Let's just say I have a very high metabolism." He said mysteriously causing Ron to roll his eyes and Harry to be even more curious. Aria made her way into the dinning hall, she was about to find an empty place by herself, but then she saw Steven wave her over to where he was sitting. Involuntarily Aria smiled, this was a new experience, actually having someone want to sit with her. "Hey stranger" Steven said playfully as Aria sat down, Aria let out a small laugh shaking her head at the brunette boy she had met just earlier today, yet he was acting like they were best-friends. "Hey Steven, how was potions?" Aria asked smirking as she grabbed a roll from a basket that was being passed down the table. Steven let out a short groan causing Aria to laugh at him. "It's not funny! I suck at potions" he exclaimed, Aria held back another fit of giggles composing herself. "Wait aren't you one of the top students in potions?" Steven asked suddenly, Aria froze for a second before nodding slowly. "You could totally tutor me!" Steven said "I don't know I'm really busy and..." Aria started but Steven cut her off with puppy eyes. "Please?" he asked staring Aria down before she sighed looking away "Fine" Aria finally gave up. "Great how's Saturday?" Steven asked which Aria shook her head "I'm busy on Saturdays" Aria said vaguely, thankfully Steven didn't push. "Sunday then?" Steven asked and Aria shrugged "That should be okay" Aria answered nervously hoping nothing would pop up at last second. "Yay!" Steven clapped his hands, and Aria smiled this kid was such a goof. Michael got up and stretched after dinner and headed out into the entrance hall. He sighed as he looked around. "It's good to be back. Not that I don't mind being home but here it's so much more exciting." With that he slowly made his way up the staircase just enjoying the sights around the castle. He was on his way down the fifth floor eastern corridor when he was suddenly ambushed by two boys. They knocked Michael down and quickly made sure he was quite helpless. "So the great Michael Crowley thinks he can walk wherever he pleasesnand go unscathed does he?" One of the boys asked rhetorically. "I don't know about that I think he needs a few marks to teach him a lesson." Michael struggled trying to break free, but they held him down easily. Michael looked into one of their faces right before passing out as the pain began. He woke up hours later in a bed in the Hospital Wing where he felt sore all over. "I'm going to head back to the dorms, I have an early class tomorrow" Steven said to which Aria nodded waving a goodbye to him. She should head back soon too, sure she didn't have any classes until midnight tomorrow, but she needed to do some extra studying since she hasn't been for a few days. Although the last few days had been pretty hectic, first acquiring the help of Michael, breaking curfew, being late to class, meeting Steven. Aria just wasn't used to having so many things happen to her at once, but she almost liked the fact that her life was starting to change, instead of just going through the motions of every day. Finally deciding it was time to head back Aria stood up, stretching her arms above her head for a second before walking out of the dining hall. As Aria walked towards the Slytherin dorms she heard some noises, causing Aria to frown and stop in her tracks. No Aria people always get killed when they go towards mysterious noises, haven't you ever heard of 'curiosity killed the cat?' Aria's logical part was practically screaming at her to just go back to the Slytherin common room.​​​​​​​But for the first time in a long time Aria ignored the logical part of her brain, she walked towards the noises but just as she was about to turn the corner the noises stopped, and it was completely silent. Confused she turned the corner anyway and gasped at the sight, it was Michael but not as she had seen him briefly in the dining hall, no. He was beaten and bruised, unconscious. He looked like she did most of the time after taking a beaten from some people from Slytherin. "Nurse!" Aria yelled as loud as she could, she wanted to run and find someone, but she didn't want to leave him here, and she wasn't strong enough to carry him either. "Help!" Aria yelled again and this time she heard running footsteps. It was the nurse and Dumbledore, they looked at the scene for a moment before the nurse took Michael and started toward the hospital wing. Dumbledore stayed back and looked at Aria curiously "What happened?" After Aria had explained to Dumbledore that she didn't she had just heard noises he had nodded and told her that Michael would be fine and that she should go back to her dorm. But she couldn't, she felt horrible even though she hadn't done anything what if this was her fault. What if this happened because people had seen him talking to her. So Aria ran towards the Gryffindor dorm, hoping she could catch someone that knew him, or at least knew his friends and brothers. She ran down the halls and finally saw a familiar dark brown haired boy "Potter!" she exclaimed running towards him when his head snapped in her direction. "Who are y-" Harry started, but Aria cut him off "Not important, Crowley's hurt and I don't know who to tell, can you tell his brothers and his friends for me please?" Aria asked breathlessly and Harry nodded. "Sure by-" Aria cut him off again not really wanting to stick around, not that she didn't like Potter she just didn't want him to get hurt too. "Thanks kid" Aria said with a smile before she made her way back to the Slytherin dorms, of course she wanted to visit Michael and make sure he was alright, but she wasn't even that close to him, it would probably be awkward. When Michael felt some of the places he was sore in he began to cry. A hand grabbed his, and he jumped turning his head to see his older brother Damien. "It's okay Mikey, I'm here. No one else is going to hurt you." At that moment Gothic and Max popped up from the doorway. "You two should be in bed." Damien said sternly. "Well excuse us, but we couldn't sleep without seeing him..." Max began crying with Michael when he saw him that way. "Oh Max... don't do that." Michael pulled Max into the bed with him holding him close. "You are very lucky to have such loving and concerned siblings." Michael looked up from Max in surprise. "P-professor Dumbledore." Gothic and Max guilty started inching away. "It is alright boys you are not in trouble. I find it touching that you'd risk detention to see your hospitalized brother. Now Michael I have to ask., Do you remember what happened?" With what memories he had he began to tear up again. He told Professor Dumbledore what he knew had happened and what he suspected to of happened after he fell unconscious. Aria felt horrible as she laid in bed unable to sleep, this was all her fault. She didn't know who had beaten Michael up, but it was just too much of coincidence that he got beat up shortly after he started talking to her. He probably hated her now, he probably thought she set the whole thing up. She would just have to stay away from him from now on, just avoid him. She would just have to go back to the normality of practicing by herself, and use what little she had already been taught by Michael. As the guilt swirled in Aria's stomach she felt tears spring to her eyes, but she forced them back down, she refused to cry even in the shadows of the dark room. Aria didn't have any right to cry right now, she caused this, and would have to deal with the consequences of letting herself start to get close to someone. Everyone close to her either got hurt or died, it just wasn't worth the pain to try and make friends. Not that most people wanted to but the few that did she would usually push away, but she made the mistake of not pushing Michael away. Dumbledore assured him that when found the culprits would wish they'd never laid a hand on Michael He also assured Michael that he was still available the next evening if he felt up to that cup of tea. He thanked Dumbledore and laid his head back thinking. It's my own fault... if I wasn't such a show-off people wouldn't be so jealous of me... He sighed and curled himself around Max before falling asleep. Damien and Gothic both fell asleep on empty beds, and they were all woken up by Madam Godfrey bustling around. "Up my dear I need to inspect everything to see if you've healed properly." Michael blushed before removing the pajamas and allowed Madam Godfrey to check him thoroughly. "Well my dear you are free to go. Try not to let someone do that to you again." Michael nodded getting dressed and then him and his brothers made their way down to breakfast. Michael looked around making sure no one was around any corners causing Damien to pull Michael close and keeping him there. "It's okay, Mikey. No one will dare try anything with me and Gothic with you." He nodded, and then he was placed in Gothic's protective grip. Gothic steered Michael to the Gryffindor table and explained to his friends what happened. They all looked sickened and promised to help watch out for Michael. Michael ate breakfast feeling safer already. Aria hadn't slept last night so when she looked in the mirror after getting dressed she had big purple bags under eyes and her skin was paler than usual. Letting out a breath Aria left the dorms but didn't go to breakfast, instead she went to 'her spot' the secluded area she had done magic with Michael, but she didn't take out her wand to practice anything, she just sat down and leaned against one of the trees. Aria couldn't wrap her head around why anyone would want to hurt Michael, sure sometimes he was a show-off but was that really any reason to beat him up? So it had to have something to do with him talking to her or her talking to him, or was she missing a piece of the puzzle? Did Michael have something to hide? Aria pushed away the thought, why would a boy like Michael have anything to hide. He's to perfect to have anything bad about him. When Michael got up from the table Gothic gave a meaningful look to two of his older friends that were in their sixth year. They stood up and followed after Michael as he made his way down the corridors. Michael made his way to his secret place thinking to himself that he'd sit there until he had to go to Transfiguration. When he got there he saw that Aria was already there though. He smiled and walked over to her. The sixth years frowned at this but shrugged figuring it was none of their business. They were just there to make sure he didn't get attacked again. "Hey." Michael said the smile still on his face. Aria jumped when she heard Michael's voice, of all places why did he have to come here? Aria didn't have the heart to just ignore him, but she had promised herself she would avoid him. Aria looked in his direction and saw two of his brothers standing there, probably being his bodyguards for the time being. "Hi" Aria said shortly turning her attention back to the ground in front of her. "Did you heal up alright" Aria asked not being able to help herself, of course she was still concerned for this boy even though she didn't want to get him into any more trouble she couldn't just stop caring. Aria played with the ends of her robes trying to make up an excuse so that she wouldn't have to stay, but at the same time she didn't want to leave. Michael's smile looked slightly broken as he looked at Aria when she asked her question. "Yes... I've healed okay." He said softly his voice breaking a bit. He saw that for some reason Aria didn't want to be near him, and it hurt him slightly. "Hey I've got time before Transfiguration I can give you a little more practice if you'd like?" He left the offer an open question as he looked at her. Gothic's friends looked at each other in surprise. The look that passed between them clearly said So this is why Gothic's little brother has been disappearing so often and for so long. They smirked knowingly as their minds were made up on the conclusion they'd come to. Michael Crowley sat in his compartment on the Hogwarts Express already in his school robes, They were nearing Hogsmeade Station and there was a rumor going around that Harry Potter was on the train. If so then he knew why Professor Dumbledore had started training him. He'd said it was to protect someone special that would be arriving this year, but he hadn't said whom. "The only person even remotely "special" that has gotten on the train this year if it is him... is Harry Potter. I'm being trained to protect Harry Potter." He muttered to himself. Next to him his sort of friend, Katie Bell, a fellow Gryffindor second year turned his way. "What was that Michael?" Michael jumped a bit. "H-huh? Oh nothing, Katie. Just talking to myself." Katie giggled and went back to talking with the only other boy in the compartment. Cormac McLaren, a really arrogant and idiotic second year who happened to be one of his dorm mates. He looked out the window again ignoring them again.(@Voiceyour turn don't bother pinging me once you post I get a notification anytime you post on one of my threads) Aria sat alone in a compartment not yet in her robes, hoping to hold on to the last few minutes of being away from the Slytherin world. When she had been placed into Slytherin last year she had been completely baffled and quite honestly a bit pissed to say the least. How could the sorting hat put someone as shy and quiet as her into Slytherin. Slytherin was a house for snotty brats that think they know everything, not some half-blood that gets nervous when she's around more than 5 people. Sighing quietly to herself Aria pushed the negative thoughts away trying to focus on what she would need to do this year and how she needed to improve. Aria has always had great potential with her magic she was just never able to control it, not to mention her father's wand seems to hate her guts. As the train started to become closer to its destination Aria bit her lip grabbing her robes out of her bag she walked out of her compartment to go somewhere she could change. Usually she was able to hide her Slytherin status pretty well, people usually found out sooner or later and ended up hating her for it.(I figured, I get notifications too, but for some reason I didn't notice it on my screen for a while.) The train pulled into the station and Michael left the compartment grabbing his trunk and Hades his Great Horned Owl's cage and made his way off the train. He left his stuff with Mr. Filch and got into a carriage. He was soon joined by Katie, Cormac, and 3 other Gryffindor's from his year. Furthermore, he looked out the window not paying attention to the conversation the others were having until Katie jabbed him in the side with a finger. Furthermore, he jumped a foot in the air banging his head on the carriage's roof. Furthermore, he rubbed his head casting a resentful look at Katie who was smirking knowingly. "What?" She turned to the others first. "I told you guys he wasn't paying any attention. We asked if it was true that your younger brother is starting this year and that your older brother Damien is the new Ravenclaw prefect?" Michael glared at her momentarily. "So you scare the bloody hell out of me? For that bit of trivial knowledge? Yes to both of them. Max is starting his first year this year. Whether he'll follow me Mum or The I don't know. It's always a toss up. To be honest... I think we'll have an interesting year when the quintuplets arrive." He turned away. "Besides if you want to gossip there's been rumors going around that Harry Potter was on the train." He said offhandedly before lapsing back into silence. He hated gossip, but that would get them to leave him alone which was what he wanted right now. Furthermore, he made his way into the Great Hall through the crowd after getting out of the carriage. Furthermore, he sat down and waited patiently with everyone else for the first years to show up. After Aria changed she returned quickly to grab her stuff, everyone was already getting off the train, and she really didn't want to get left behind. The brunette didn't even make an effort to hide her Slytherin colors as she hurried off the train, her cat Nix purring softly as he rubbed against her hand before she left him with the rest of her stuff. Aria jumped into a carriage that contained other Slytherin's, she kept her eyes caste down and tried to just blend in. "So I heard Harry Potter is coming to Hogwarts this year" one of the boys on the carriage said, disgust clear in his voice. Aria knew all about Harry Potter and how he survived, but the news wasn't all that interesting, he would probably be in Gryffindor and Gryffindor's avoid Slytherin's, so there wouldn't even be the slightest of a chance for her to get to know him. Not that she really minded, Aria had gotten used to keeping to herself last year. She was an outsider in Slytherin and every other house hated her because she was sorted into Slytherin. But that's how life goes, things don't always go the way you want the two and Aria had accepted that a long time ago when her dad died. But one thing for sure, she needed to get her magic under control and figure out how to make her father's wand to listen to her because she couldn't afford to get a new one. Besides Aria is pretty stubborn despite her reserved nature and this was not something she would just give up on. Michael watched as the first years made their way in. His little brother was looking nervous but was far calmer than all the other first years. He noticed Ron his cousin on his mom's side. He was looking distinctly green and Michael rolled his eyes. Furthermore, he noticed the dark haired boy with glasses standing next to him but didn't know who he was just yet. Furthermore, he was white as a sheet. Furthermore, he listened as McGonagall began calling names and in short time Max was called. His name drew some stares from the students above first year as everyone above first year knew the Crowley family well as it's 3 oldest members were making such waves with their excellent class scores and Damien being made prefect. The Sorting Hat shouted Gryffindor and he and his second older brother Nitric whom was a 4th year this year clapped hardest for their younger brother. Soon they got to the P's and suddenly he heard it. "Harry Potter." Michael looked at the group of first years as everyone in the hall began whispering. The Sorting Hat took a long time but finally shouted "Gryffindor!" causing everyone at the Gryffindor table cheer loudly. "We got Potter, we got Potter! Aria sat at the very end of the Slytherin table, leaning her head on her hand. Everyone else was struggling to see the first years and what house had been chosen for them, but Aria really didn't care. All she had really heard was a boy named Draco Malfoy had gotten Slytherin which she knew was going to happen. The Malfoy's were always put into Slytherin, his parents were death eaters. But as Aria heard the name Harry Potter, sure she wasn't surprised when the sorting hat picked Gryffindor for him, but it was still slightly disappointing to her. "Who needs a Potter anyway" a boy next to her sneered, causing Aria to role her icy blue eyes at the comment. It was obvious that all the houses had wanted the Potter boy, he was after all, a legend. The rest of the kids were placed, and then the food appeared at each table, the first years looked at it wide-eyed and completely awed. Aria silently laughed at the baffled kids, shaking her head as she timidly grabbed a role and started to walk out of the dining hall. No she wasn't exactly allowed to go out of the dining hall, but she couldn't stay in the crowd any longer, and with all the commotion her disappearance wouldn't be noticed even a little. Taking a small bite of her role she tried to be as stealthy as possible, weaving through the bodies that stood to talk to their friends. She kept her head down and hoped to Dumbledore that she wouldn't be seen. Michael smirked over at his cousins from the Weasley family, as the twins Fred and George teased Ron about his face when he first went up for sorting. He also kept an uncomfortably close eye on Harry Potter. Knowing full well that Dumbledore would want him to make sure nothing happened to the boy. The whole time he did this he was stuffing his face with food. Where this food went nobody knew as he never gained much weight staying in near perfect shape if not a little skinny. He ate a total of 6 helpings before he was full. His older brothers and younger brother ate a lot as well but, not nearly as much as him. When Dumbledore had said his piece for the Start of Term Feast he frowned wondering to himself. Why would we face a painful death if we entered the 3rd floor corridor? He put these thoughts aside and stood up heading out of the hall where he bumped into a girl from Slytherin. "Hey watch where you are standing!" He snarled crossly. He then got a better look at the girl. "Oh you're that Aria girl, right? The one that doesn't fit into her house? I remember you from last year I was shocked when such a timid little mouse got put into Slytherin." He smiled softly letting her know he had no intentions of being mean. Aria dodged some flying hands that were being thrown up by someone for whatever reason, sidestepping she picked up the pace finally making it into the hall. But as she got out someone bumped into her practically knocking her onto her bum, but she braced herself against the wall wincing as she rubbed the spot he had run into. Casting her eyes to the floor she mumbled a small apology, knowing full well that it wasn't her fault but decided it was just easier to apologize and take responsibility. But as she looked up expecting to see someone walking away she saw a boy from Gryffindor, she knew him he was the kid everyone loved, Michael. The boy eyed her curiously and she shrunk back flat against the wall, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze. Was he going to beat her up? But no she was surprised again when the boy spoke out again, calling her by her name. Her eyes widened completely awe struck that this boy even knew of her. She simply nodded at his words not trusting her voice. Afraid she might stutter of anger the boy if her words came out wrong. Michael smiled at her catching her off guard yet again, what did this boy want with her? "And you're Michael, perfect at everything and loved by everyone" Aria finally spoke quietly casting her gaze to her shoes again feeling as if this was some sort of trick to hurt her. Michael blushed with embarrassment as Aria said this. "I wouldn't say that." He said laughing softly. "I am pretty awesome though." He grinned a bit arrogantly as he looked at her some more. "I've never understood why you are so shy. You are gorgeous and while you can't control it well.... I can tell you have some pretty potent magic in you. Part of your reason for not being able to control it... is your wand. I've heard you complaining about it last year in Transfiguration. Can you tell me why your wand gives you such trouble? I may be able to give you some advice." He said kindly still smiling at her. The other students were passing them by and a prefect stopped nearby telling them to get a move on as it was nearly curfew for those below 5th year. Aria cheeks held a light dusting pink as a result of her blush, he had to want something from her, no one has ever openly complimented her let alone talk to her. But as the blushing preteen looked up she saw him grin and although the grin was a bit arrogant it was still genuine. But her eyes widened as he mentioned her difficulty with magic, she thought no one knew! "It's not the wand it's me" Aria argued her voice soft, she truly did believe that, yes the wand was fighting her, but she had convinced herself that it was her fault. That maybe she just wasn't good enough to hold her father's wand. Aria frowned at the fact that he had heard her, she thought she had been being quiet when she had complained about her wand last year. But it was true she had mumbled some curses under her breath when she had been having trouble turning a rat into a cup. Aria sighed at the question biting her lip. "It's not actually my wand it's a hand-me-down" Aria finally answered, avoiding the topic of her dad. She didn't want to admit her weakness but at this point she had to get help, she would start failing her classes if she didn't get some help. One of the prefects came and told them it was almost curfew, and she started to turn to walk away "don't tell anyone about you talking to me, it'll ruin your reputation" Aria mumbled not wanting him to get picked on just because of a small conversation.​​​​ Michael laughed aloud at this, looking at Aria with genuine amusement on his face "Aria believe it or not I'm not worried about what people say about who I talk with. Honestly I think YOU might only get more popular if you are seen talking to me. As to the wand... you don't think you are worthy of it, don't you? If so your troubles will only end when you let that feeling go and realize you are worthy of the wand. Maybe even more than worthy. You think I didn't have trouble with my wand at first?" He smiled at Aria holding his wand out. The rowan wand was definitely not by any means new. "This was passed down to me directly from my great-great- great-great-great grandfather. He was the last one to use this wand before me and he was the original owner. It's over 300 years old, and it had its kinks at first. I, too, thought that I wasn't worthy of it... I mean this was the wand of the very first Minister of Magic. Furthermore, I didn't think I could possibly live up to that. But then... around Halloween last year I realized that I didn't have to. I just had to live up to my own full potential and that itself would make me worthy of it. I haven't had any issues with it since." He said looking the girl in the eyes his golden ones that looked so much like a dragon's never blinking. "I can help you if you'd like." He offered softly his voice full of genuine kindness. Aria heard the laugh and turned back to face the boy frowning at him laughing, what could he possibly be laughing at she didn't say anything even remotely funny. "You're not?" Aria raised an eyebrow, looking at him with disbelieving eyes. "I highly doubt I will ever get more popular, I'm not great with people" Aria said rubbing the back of her neck, embarrassed. "No I didn't think you had trouble" Aria stated, not being able to believe that this boy had, had any trouble with anything in his entire life. Aria stared at the ancient wand, it was nicely crafted, and she could feel the power that radiated out of it. She finally meet his golden eyes with her own blue ones. He was being serious about this, but why? Aria didn't understand but regardless she nodded at his offer, she knew she needed the help, and she would quite literally be getting help from one of the best. He smiled and nodded just as an older Gryffindor boy that looked similar to him but older grabbed him by his robe. "Let's go lover boy before you get us both in trouble." Michael let out a protest immediately struggling in the older boy's grip. "Gothic, you ass! Let me go and it is not love! I was just offering to help her with controlling her wand!" His voice faded out of Aria's hearing as they disappeared from view. Michael finally got out of his older brother's grip and straightened his robe glaring. "I was finishing the conversation up." Gothic looked at him seriously. "You were taking far too long. I heard the 6th year Prefect threatening to come over and give you detention if you didn't get a move on. It's almost curfew, and you can't afford to get in trouble." Michael rolled his eyes. "Whatever." Gothic shook his head despairingly. "Oh dear god the preteen attitude save me!" Michael grumbled "Shut up, you bloody asshole." then sped up and made his way to the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Capet Dragons!" He said angrily and went into the common room. He was immediately met by Katie who looked at him despairingly as well. "WHY were you talking to that snake? Please tell me it was to tell her off about something." Michael glared at Katie. "I hardly think that's any of your business, and I'd appreciate it if you would keep out of my affairs." He snapped crossly. Katie looked hurt but nodded in assent. "I'm sorry.... didn't mean to push any buttons or anything." Aria jumped as Michael's brother grabbed him by his robe, Aria quickly let herself fade into the shadows and headed towards the Slytherin common room. "Pure-blood" Aria stated clearly when she reached the passageway to the room, the passage opened with a creak and closed behind her. She was about to hurry up the stairs to her room, but someone grabbed and pulled her back. "Why were you talking to a Gryffindor?" a girl sneered, causing Aria to avert her gaze. "I was just apologizing for running into him" Aria's voice was pleading, she just wanted to go to her room without any trouble for once. "That was a pretty long apology" the girl Aria now recognized as a fifth year named Jessica. Aria didn't say anything and this seemed to frustrate Jessica, causing her to be thrown on the ground, but luckily Jessica left it at that. Aria sighed, picking herself up and trudged to her room. She should have known her housemates wouldn't take kindly to her talking to the 'enemy'. Pulling her hair into a ponytail Aria changed quickly before climbing into bed, suddenly exhausted. Michael laid in his bed later that night thinking to himself. She really is pretty. But she's a Slytherin... no one gets put in Slytherin without a reason for it. But she's so shy and quiet... there's no way she belongs in Slytherin. He ran through these thoughts over and over before exhausted he fell asleep. He woke up the next morning and got ready for the day. It was Sunday so he didn't have any classes he, but he thought he would try to find Aria so that they could get started on her getting control of her wand. He thought to himself. Really the only way I could make her gain control was by making her want to defend herself. Or at least that's what he told himself. His plan was to embarrass her and hope she understood. It was a typical stupid preteen boy's plan not only to help someone but to also get his jolly's. He left his dormitory and made his way out of the common room before walking around the castle in search of Aria. Aria's eyes fluttered open as she stirred from her light sleep, her eyes adjusting to the dark room quickly since her blue hues were used to this lighting. Aria always woke up before dawn, making sure to get out of the Slytherin dorms before anyone else could wake up. It was easier just to avoid them rather than endure their constant taunting. As the brown haired girl quietly stepped into her shared bathroom with her robes she looked at the green color of her tie and her scarf, feeling disgusted by the color she had begun to see everywhere. Aria showered quickly, putting her wet hair up into a loose braid and quickly getting dressed into her uniform. She threw her scarf back into her trunk and pulled the robe up high so it would cover the pop of green she had to wear every day around her neck. Yes the tie was a requirement, but the scarf was just a suggestion, considering Hogwarts gets very cold, very quickly when winter nears. But it was only the beginning of the year and besides it was better than being glared at constantly. Aria walked quietly down the halls of Hogwarts, thinking about yesterday and how she met that boy. Why did he want to help her? Would he get something out of it? Was it a bet? Negative continuously swirled around her head. Aria headed out towards a relatively secluded area, not wanting to bother Michael, he probably changed his mind anyway. Pulling her wand out she could feel the object rejecting her, sighing she gripped the wand tighter casting a few basic spells out forcing the wand to listen to her. This would usually be her routine, wake up early practice using her wand and controlling her magic. Yes students weren't supposed to use magic outside the classroom, but she would never be able to keep up with everyone else if she didn't push the boundaries a bit. Aria didn't know how long she had been out casting spells until the sun started to rise, and her posture slumped slightly from using her magic so much and fighting her wand to listen to her. Aria stared at the white wand, why won't you listen to me? Michael found Aria practicing with her wand in a rather sealed area of the castle. He smirked and snuck up behind her and grabbed her shoulder forcibly as if he was an authority figure. He grinned at her reaction letting out a small laugh as he said. "Calm down, it's just me. Though if I was a prefect I'd have to report you... unless you managed to bribe me." He said jokingly. He had watched her force her wand to perform a few spells he had come over. "You know part of your problem is you are FORCING your wand to do spells rather than willing the wand to cooperate with you. If you will the wand to work with you and cooperate you'll find the spells will work a lot better." As an example he swished and flicked his wand. "Wingardium Levies." He said and Aria's robes and skirt lifted themselves momentarily giving Michael a look at her underwear. Michael smirked to himself before looking at her the regular friendly smile back on his face, "See? Nothing to it. I let the wand do the work. All I do is feed it the magic needed to do said spells." He then turned to look out a nearby window. "Imagine it like symbiosis... if you know what that is anyway. "Two creatures working in harmony. One creature feeding off the other. While at the same time it helps the creature it feeds off of." Aria furrowed her eyebrows in concentration, sure this extra magic practicing was taking its tole on her, but it's not like she had any other choice, she didn't want to fail her classes. As Aria caste another spell though she felt a rough hand grab her shoulder and she involuntarily squeaked whipping around with wide eyes. But when she looked at the person who had startled her she relaxed slightly, I thought he had been a prefect or worse Jessica. She raised her eyebrows at his words and wondered if her meant to put such a dirty meaning behind them. But by the smirk on his face she could tell he did, and she scrunched her nose up at the fact. Aria frowned as Michael spoke again telling her what she already knew, yes she knew forcing her wand to do spells wasn't the best way to go about things, but she had tried for so long to will her wand to listen without any progress. Aria watched Michael as the caste the basic spell with ease, but her face turned bright pick when she saw her robes and skirt life up. Aria held them back down glaring at the boy, but she didn't say anything, deciding that keeping quiet was the best option right now. Besides Michael could report her for doing unsupervised magic at any time. "Of course I know what a symbiotic relationship is, I'm not as daft as you may think I am" Aria said quietly, but still had a slight edge to her voice from his little spell earlier. The brunette pointed her wand at a fallen leaf swishing her wand before saying "Wingardium Levies" causing the leaf to lift about an inch off the ground before falling back down. Not very impressive considering the spell had been learned at the beginning of last year, and she was still struggling with it. Michael looked at her his gaze patient. "You say you know it... but I don't think you really grasp the concept. You are still forcing your magic into your wand when you go to do your spells... you need to let your wand take the magic by choice. May I?" He held his hand out for her wand. When she handed it to him, he flicked it and pointed at the leaf. "Intended." Instead of forcing his magic into her wand he let the wand take the magic from him and while not as powerful as with his own wand the spell instantly turned to leaf to ash. "You see? Forcing a relationship will only result in bad results... I know you don't think your wand will ever accept you, but that's the problem. BELIEVE that it will accept you and just watch. It won't happen immediately but the wand will come to accept you." He said handing her wand back to her. He looked her in the eyes a mischievous look still in them but other than that they were kind and understanding. Aria handed her wand over hesitantly, sure at times the wand made her angry, but it was still a reminder of her dad. Aria watched the leaf burst into a flame before turning into complete ash, Aria glared at the ground hating the fact that it was so easy for him to cast spells. When Michael handed her wand back she forced her eyes to soften and put her face back to a mask of calm. "Action" her voice rang out as she pointed her wand at another leaf, and although slowly the leaf eventually ended up in her hand. Still not happy with herself she let the leaf fall, doubly frustrated now. Sure it was progress but not nearly enough, that leaf should have come to her about ten times faster. Aria kept her face calm but on the inside her blood was boiling, partly because she hated that this boy was so easily perfect at everything and also because she was disappointed in her own abilities.

The Wolf and the Snake_ A Harry Potter Roleplay (With Voice)|rating:3.0

Desperate Times (Kasen03 and Cindy1)

Darkness was enveloping the castle of In mark, the night heavy with fear and worry. Princess Destiny sat by her dying father's bed, barely registering the words Uncle Merrick uttered. A marriage arrangement? He had arranged a marriage for her? She didn't trust her Uncle any further than she could throw him. She stood and crossed the room, beckoning her Uncle to follow." Uncle Merrick, this is hardly the proper time to be arranging marriages for me. I won't leave my father's side, I vow to you that. And it is my duty to ascend to the throne in his stead." Destiny's Uncle is already starting to dress in regal looking clothing. "Tut, Princess. You know it would be good for the realm to forge ties with those in foreign lands... and that's what you are doing. Besides, the Prince of Lancaster is a noble gentleman, and the union would bring our realms closer together." Of course the Prince of Lancaster is an ugly spot of a man, with foul temper and looks to match. Plus being married off puts her outside the chain of succession. Good thing is. You can't be married without your consent. Showing proper respect, your Uncle bows and leaves. On the way outside, he stops by the chancellor. Having some quiet conspiral words with him, leaving Princess Destiny with her father.-- -- --Mark pushes himself up. His entire body is throbbing, and he has one wicked headache. For some reason, he's laying in the middle of some high grass. Wet.dewy grass.that hasn't been trimmed. Mark looks around and takes in himself. He seems to be lying beside this old barely used dirt road (or in their terms, a major highway) The morning sun is shining overhead, although there is still a chill. "That must have been some party." his first thought is he's woken up after being ditched in the countryside from partying. He still has his coat - a long black trench. And is wearing black jeans and a dress shirt over a stretchy cotton T. On his feet are a pair of leather loafers. He walks over to the road and looks back and forth, before deciding one direction and heading off. Destiny hurried back to her father's side, wrapping her hand around his. "Oh, Father, I know what the healer said, but please...please... Father....you must get well and come back to me," she whispered desperately, quiet tears slipping down her cheeks. Time moved on as the moon rose high in the sky. In the sick room, Destiny had laid her head down beside her fathers, her fingers entwined with his. The Chancellor and her uncle leave Destiny crying on the sick-bed of her father. Several hours later, one of the maids. Not the normal one who takes care of her, but she very well could have gone to bed, comes to the side of Destiny. "It's time ye are taken to bed, m'lady" her hands reaching under her to help lift her to her feet.-- -- --Mark heads down the road. This must be the cleanest road ever. No litter. No trash. No power lines. Just bizarre. He stuffs his hands into his pocket, rummaging. Mm. Wallet.keys.there it is. Pulling out some earbuds he puts the iPod on play and listens to music as he walks. Reaching down to rub his slightly rotund belly." I'm going to kill them for making me walk." thinking to himself as 'OK Go' starts to play. To whoever dumped him in the fields. Destiny barely opened her eyes as she felt the hand touching her. "But Father...he needs me....." she said sadly, not wanting to leave his side for a second. She was too emotionally drained to put up much of a protest. Once she released his hand, she reached up to push it through her fire red hair before bending down to kiss his cheek. "I will see you in the morning, Papa," she whispered before allowing the maid to take her to her rooms.~~~~~~~~The road was barely inhabited, just a small building here and there, once in a while a cottage rose from the ground in front of fields and barns. All the roofs were thatched, not a shingle or piece of metal to be seen. The flickering light in the few lit cottage windows indicated candlelight, not electric. Little does Princess Destiny know.that will be the last words she utters to her father. The maid starts to lead her through the empty halls. The middle of the night and only every other sconce is lit. But as they go to the stairs that lead to the royal bedchambers, the maid keeps ushering Destiny forward. Glancing at her. Her eyes are teary and she whispers. "I'm sorry, m'lady." her grip tightening. Turning the corner to pull her into one of the studies, inside her uncle and two large burly men are waiting. "Your Prince cannot wait forever. And you cannot stop my destiny. "-- -- --Okay. Now this is definitely strange. Stepping off the dirt path, Mark approaches one of the buildings. No power lines, and they look like something out of a medieval reenactment. "Okay.this is pretty fucked up." he starts thinking to himself.pulling out the earbuds and stuffing his iPod away. Hiding in a copse of trees, he thinks. Okay. Gotta think. This is just some dream.but if I just waltz up to someone.they may think I'm like a witch or something. He moves to the next cottage. Unwittingly moving towards the small hamlet which is at the end of the road. The next building is like the first. He keeps spying.trying to see some movement.someone he could perhaps approach. "What?" Destiny cried out in alarm, suddenly awake. "He is not my prince, and I will not wed him! But you are right, I won't stop your destiny. Your destiny to rot away in Father's dungeon!", she added, breaking free of the maid's grip and racing toward the wall where a sword hung. Standing on her tip toes, she grabbed the weapon and pulled it down.~~~~~~~Up behind the cottage, a figure moved through the darkness. Eighteen-year-old Melania Farmer was carrying two buckets of water toward the farm, knowing how important it was for the cows and horses to have plenty. Her blonde hair hung in a thick braid down her back and she was dressed in a simple, plain brown chemise. Destiny's Uncle steps back, and the two ruffians step forward. They draw their own swords. That in itself a capital offense.no one brandishes weapons against royalty. "Princess. Be reasonable. This doesn't need to end this way. It would be a shame if.ruffians stole into the castle at night. Set upon you.and your younger brother and your ill father. Killing everyone" his eyes are very evil. Your uncle seemingly has no scruples about getting what he wants. Both the ruffians know about your sword lessons.although a pampered princess should be no match to battle hardened rogues. Their short swords glinting in the lantern-light.-- -- --Gulping, Mark steals through the bushes until he goes around to see the blond carrying some water out to some sickly looking (for his eyes. Cows in his age beefed up by drugs and such) livestock. Closing his eyes for a silent prayer. He calls out. "Hey. You. Come here. Please..." ready to run if she calls out. Destiny holds her sword at the ready, her eyes glinting dangerously. "I think I am being very reasonable. I will wed for love and no other reason. Father understood and he agreed. You, Uncle Merrick, have no claim whatsoever to be making marriage arrangements for you. And dare you make one more threat against Stewart, I shall cut off your head myself.~~~~~Melania jumped, very nearly dropping the buckets of water. She glanced around, not expecting anyone to be out here this late at night. She set the buckets down and looked for anything that could be used as a weapon, settling on a thick tree branch. Holding it menacingly, she approached the stranger, "Yes, m'lord?" she finally said with a thick accent. The Evil Uncle grins." Enough of this. I had to put up with your melodramatics with your father on the throne.but those days are at an end. Seize her!" The two ruffians spread wide, so Destiny won't be able to cover both of them and start advancing, swords drawn. One of then snarls with a wicked grin. Their eyes sharp.everyone waiting for the other to make the first lunge.-- -- --Stefan calls out. "I'm not armed." his voice having a much different accent. "Please. I just need some help. And some information." he steps out of the bushes. Dressed in his strange clothing. "I'm.from . A far-off land." he thinks that's a given.everything is entirely strange here. "Please.can you tell me where I am. I am waylaid. Lost. " He looks into the peasant's eyes. Opening to belay his sincerity. Destiny clutched her sword and eyed the two men. No, she couldn't take them with them apart like that. She turned and raced from the room, heading for the hidden tunnels. Her first stop would be Stewart's room, she would send him to where he would go should there be an attack. She banged on the catch to open the door, slipping through and closing it before it was all the way open.~~~~~~Melania's eyes rounded when she noticed his attire. Never had she seen such clothing. She wasn't certain whether to run back to the cottage and barricade the doors, or simply answer his question. "I do not know how you could be lost, m'lord, but you are in England." The bandits followed, pushing themselves into the secret passage. It's cramped, but it hampers them as much as it hampers her. Unfortunately by the time she gets into Stewart's room, they catch up, and as Destiny is trying to lift Steward from his slumber, they set upon her, grabbing her roughly from behind.a hand quick ling clamping down over her mouth. Stewart looks up in horror of her sister being dragged back towards the passage. Her arms pinned and rough hands manhandling her.-- -- --Stefan stands his ground.not making any offensive gestures. "I do not know how I came to be here. But I am from a far off land. Please.don't be scared. " He bites his lip. Now what? He can't exactly ask how to get back home. Heck it's across the ocean.and if the clothing and her dress is anything. About 400 years hence. He suddenly has an idea. Fishing in his pocket for a nickel. A shiny silver looking nickel.he pulls it out. "Would.this be of value? Perhaps I could barter to you.here." he sets it on the ground and backs up. The silver glinting in the moon Destiny bit the hand that was covering her mouth and kicked back at the same time, all the while squirming madly. Free once more, she raced back to Stewart. "Stewart. Run! Go where we talked about, my darling brother." She listened for a moment to make certain he heard and was going to obey, and then she turned suddenly, heading for an exit from the castle.~~~~~Melania stepped forward and gazed at the silver gleaming in the moonlight. "This very pretty, m'lord, but...no merchant would accept it for anything that I would need." She lifted her head and gazed at him for a moment. He seemed a bit odd, and he was dressed funny, but somehow...she knew he wouldn't hurt her. And he was attractive. "How may I be of assistance, m' lord?" Now the bandits had double trouble. This was supposed to go smooth. Stewart nods, eyes wide and runs out the door. The bandits split up, but as one tries to follow Destiny, she closes the door on his fingers.slowing him down as he pasta open it again.giving Destiny a head start. Ducking down through the back tunnels, she opens the secret exit leading down into the dungeons.knowing there is a secret back exit to the castle.to be used in case of siege. Only the royal family knows how to open it. Or even of it's existence....-- -- --Stefan looks crestfallen at it. He was hoping he'd at least have some worth in the small amount of change in his pocket.he could barter it for some local currency. "I. Don't know. I'm really lost. I don't have any clothing that won't get me stared at.and I have no food." he looks up. "I doubt I can ever return home. But I don't know where to go." Destiny heard the bandit's howl of rage when the door closed on his fingers. She couldn't resist smirking as she hurried toward the secret door. Glancing over her shoulder to make certain he wasn't closing in, she opened the door and stepped out into the cool night air, closing the door behind her. She took a deep breath, prayed Stewart made it out alive and to the healers. Then Destiny headed in to the forest.~~~~~~Melania studied him for a moment, and moved closer. "You look like you might be my late brother's size, m'lord. You might try some of his clothing." She considered the rest, about food and a place to go. "Tell me, m'lord, doth though know anything about farming?" The darkness of the forest offers some cover, although Princess is only dressed in a thin evening gown. Hardly appropriate clothing for outside. Inside the castle the sounds of the guards being raised is heard. With the situation spiraling out of control her uncle must be trying to play alternate cards to secure his hand.-- -- --Mark blushes. "No.not really. I work for the government in an office. I'm just a paper pusher." he blushes.realizing that doesn't make any sense. "You could say. I'm a scribe.yeah. That would be it." He looks into her eyes." If you could help me. I could somehow find a way to repay you. But I don't think I'd do any good at farming. I don't know the first thing about it.and I'm not in good shape. I'd not want to disappoint you" Destiny fled through the jungle until she felt she was far enough to be safe for the night. She shivered beneath the thin fabric, and glanced down at herself. Destiny began walking toward the road and any cottage she could find. Surely none would deny their princess clothing.~~~~~~"Oh, then you know how to keep records of money and such?" Melania asked hopefully. She had not been educated in numbers since her father felt she would be married and not need to know such a thing. (were you imagining they'd meet up at the cottage?) By the time she gets to the forest, some people are being dispatched from the castle by horseback. Apparently the escape of one or both of the airs to the throne hasn't gone unnoticed. The branches and underbrush pull at Princess Destiny's clothing and footwear, and by the time she makes her way to the road, the bottom of her gown is little frayed.-- -- --He nods." Yeah.exactly." realizing that not everyone.in fact people who can read are rare..." I know numbers. I can read and write. Actually.it would probably surprise you what I could do." he gives a little smile. "Perhaps you could help me.with some clothing.and point me towards a town. And when I get settled. I'll come back and repay you. You could keep that" he nods to the nickel" as a token of my trust." he gives a hopeful smile. (They might or might not. If we want to go with Melania being a love interest, no.)IC: Destiny's tears streaked down her cheeks as she kept to the edge of the road. She knew the men would search the roads, and she wanted to be able to hide quickly. Worry ate at her for Stewart's well-being. She daintily held up the hem of her nightgown from the road as she walked.~~~~~~Melania's heart fell. "Oh, but..." She tried not to show her tears of frustration, she had no idea if she was making money or in danger of losing the farm. "If...if you just follow the road in the direction you were going, you will walk right in to Camille." (thinks it's flexible. Although it may be fun to have them meet up.both of them aimless)At least she has warning.and at the sound of horses, Destiny can hide at the side of the bushes. Men.looking like the brigands her uncle hired. Ride past.presumably carrying messages to the outlying villages. Who knows what story her uncle had concocted. But it can't be good. There isn't any way Destiny will be able to outrun the news if it's on horseback.and she's on foot.and no way to know about Stewart's fate.who's going in the opposite direction towards the healers.-- -- --Mark can see the tears welling up, and his first feelings is to step close and raise a comforting hand to her cheek. "Ooh.please.don't be sad. I just. I don't know what I could do around here.and in a village. I could work for the town clerk or maybe the church." his hand is so soft.he's never worked a day before on the farm.and is so very clean. He reaches to her chin, arching it up. "I'm Mark. " He gives a smile. "I just want little help. I'd not impose more. Maybe some clothing and food and directions. And one day I'd be able to repay you." (That could work...they could slowly develop feelings. Oh...is his name Mark or Stefan?) Destiny clutched her nightgown to her, breathing heavily. If he had offered a reward, and most likely he had, she could not go anywhere for clothing. She looked up at the night sky. "Send me a sign, Mother. What should I do? Where can I go?"~~~~"It's just..." Melania began, turning her face slightly toward his palm. "You see, I don't know how to do numbers, and I don't know if the farm is making money or if I'm losing money. And I was hoping, when you said you did numbers, that you could keep the records for me. But I know I don't have as much to offer on my humble farm as the village has, so please, don't feel obligated to stay." (heh, heh. I keep forgetting. :) I prefer Stefan.let's stick with Stefan)Up in the sky. The stars twinkling through the tree cover. Suddenly. As if a portent from above.there is the briefest shooting star. It arcs from the castle then outwards.away from the nearby roads.away from the nearby villages.just going off into what is the wilderness.eventually heading towards the next barony. And the town of Camille-- -- --Stefan quirks his head." What.about your parents?" he feels her face turn into his palm, and he caresses her cheek softly. "It's not too hard. I could teach you some numbers.enough to keep track of the farm. I'd be honored to have your hospitality. But honestly. This would just help me figure out what I'm going to do. I do need to eventually get home." he looks into her eyes. "You would have me stay?" (I prefer it too)Destiny wiped away her tear as she watched the shooting star. How many memories did she have of sitting on the balcony with her mother, watching the stars. "Thank you, Mother. I love you," she whispered to the sky, then set off, shivering as she may be, toward the small village of Camille.~~~~~~"My parents and brother went to a market in another village," Melania began slowly. "I stayed to care for the animals." She smiled slightly and shrugged, "This what I enjoy doing. The village was raided by bandits...everyone..." her voice caught. "Everyone in the village that day was killed." She sniffled and nodded, "I would like for you to stay. Even if it is just long enough to teach me numbers. I know it is an important part of running the farm and if I don't have a husband to do it, I need to know how." The going cross-country isn't going to be easy. And with no proper footwear.no clothing. No food. Princess Destiny is going to need to figure out someway to fulfil her mother's wishes. Although she is passing through farmsteads on the outskirts of the castle grounds.-- -- --Stefan nods softly, "I can stay.and I'll teach you and help out what I can." he smiles.he's in his early 30s. But there is no doubt this 18-year-old is attractive. "I thought. Shouldn't you be wed by now? I mean.it's not mine to pry.but I thought people married.well.young?" he starts to help her with the buckets of water. Intending to help her with the chores as much as he can manage.although it's obvious he's not much of a physical sort of guy...out of breath by the time they get to the barn. Destiny started across a field and spotted some tomatoes. Ooh, those would be perfect, she thought. She helped herself to two to sustain her for a while. It was the first time the princess had to be self-sufficient, and she wanted to make her father proud.~~~~"Thank you, m'lord," she said appreciatively. Melania blushed slightly, although it couldn't be seen in the moonlight. "I was sixteen when my family went on that fateful trip, just around the age that a father begins to look for a match, or a young lady meets up with friends and is courted. But I spent all of my time here, making a go of the farm. And of course, I didn't have Papa or Wills." The Princess has now been reduced to stealing vegetables on her flight. As she leaves the farmstead she spies some clothing.perhaps taken off by a peasant who was too hot working in the barn. It's just a simple long over-dress.grubby from doing the chores.but better suited to the trip.and little less conspicuous then a silk night gown.-- -- --Stefan helps Melinda with the chores in the barn, and then follows her back towards the cottage. "I'm sorry. I know that means it's going to be such a hard life for you. And I don't doubt.without a man around. The tax man would probably tell you what he was taking. Everyone trying to take advantage of you." her earlier fears spoken aloud. He smiles and reaches to touch her cheek." Don't worry. I'll make sure you're set up here.especially if you help me. I'd be in your debt." he steps into the cottage.it's dark by his standards.only lit by candles and the fire. It's also small by his standards.although for a single woman.it would be huge. Destiny changed in to the simple dress, grateful for the warmth it provided. She left her nightgown behind, certain they could use the fine fabric for something, and then headed on to Camille.~~~~~~"I enjoy working the farm," Melania admitted. "I like being busy and feeling I have accomplished something. The tax man, he tells me what he is taking, but I do not know if this a fair amount or not. I always fear being overcharged when I go to Camille for supplies." She turned to face him, "It is I who thank you for your help and I who find myself in your debt." What Destiny doesn't realize is. Her dress is as easy a mark as any to track where she's been.and roughly which way she's been going. With her tomatoes and the new peasant garb worn, the night stretches before Princess Destiny. And the rough wilderness heading towards the next realm... 3 days walk-- -- --Stefan removes his heavy overcoat and then unbuttons his dress shirt, revealing the charcoal gray one underneath. The cottage is very cozy.and keeps in the warmth well. "Well.it will take me some time. To get to know the markets. I think tomorrow we can start with taking an assessment. Writing down everything you have.and maybe doing some projections. Plus.if I'm going to stay here bit.we may need to look at planting more. I'd like to eat sometimes." he smiles.looking around the cottage (feel free to describe)"Where am I to sleep?" Destiny stared at the thick copse of trees before her and took a deep breath before a yawn tore through her. She would have to find somewhere safe to stop to sleep, but she wanted to be under the cover of the forest first.~~~~~~"While you are doing your....assessment?" Melania said haltingly, "I can give you a tour. I have a large assortment of crops, I do not think you have to worry about having enough to eat," she smiled. The cottage was cozy, warm and home like. Each room had a fireplace to keep it warm. Homemade tapestries hung on one wall of the main room, and the padded benches had several quilts arranged on them. In one corner was a ladder that led to the bedrooms up the stairs. "You can sleep in Wills' room, that way the clothes will be right there. Oh, and the privy is out back." The forests do give some security.and even as the night's wind starts to pick up the trees and bushes give shelter to Destiny. After hours of walking, she comes across the perfect hollow in the roots of a large tree. A natural den to rest for the night.-- -- --Stefan nods. "That's like an outhouse.right?" he purses his lips." You know.if I'm going to be here for bit.maybe. I could do some things. You know.improvements." He smiles a mysterious smile. How to make running water. And heated water.well.he has some ideas.even with the medieval tools and resources. He follows the directions to the unused bedroom.it's cooler then the rest of the house, but that's okay. Stefan prefers it cool... "I'm going to turn in now.if you don't mind." he gives Melania a final smile.reaching to her hands." Thank you.you probably saved my life." Destiny bent down and curled up in the hollow, her arms wrapped around her upper body to both ward off fear and any cold air that might bite through the dress. She lowered her head and after only moments, fell asleep.~~~~Melania glanced at him, "An outhouse? I suppose...." she replied, not really knowing what he was talking about. He seemed like he could be trusted, but he was....odd, or at least the things he said were. "Improvements are good, I am certain there are a lot of things that could be fixed up around here. Good night then, and if you need anything, I will be right down this hall," she said, pointing to the large bedroom at the end. (sleeping through the night)-- --- --Stefan nods. Watching Melania turn to leave. He ducks into the room.there is only a heavy cloth for a 'door'. He strips down by the candlelight, and then crawls into the bed.coughing little at all the dust that's built up there. Still.it's no worse than camping, and the bed is comfy enough. He lays down, looking out the tiny window at the moon outside. Listening to Melania in the other room.his mind racing.awake after she's gone to bed.only finally drifting off when fatigue takes him. Sleeping~~~~~Melania changed in to her night shirt and crawled in to bed. She could just barely hear the movements Stefan was making as he too went to bed. Her fingers curled around the sheet, she clutched it to her as she said her prayers and spoke of her wishes, then she fell in to a dream filled sleep. The sunlight streaming through the trees isn't what wakes up Destiny. It's more the sensation that there is something inches from her face. And as her eyes open, suddenly a leather clad hand clamps down over her mouth, and a weight presses down on her. A figure, with a long brown cloak drawn over its face, presses down and murders." Shhhh. They are in the woods looking for you."-- -- --Stefan doesn't get to sleep until late.and in the morning.well.he's not the hearty peasant folk. As the normal waking outcomes and goes.he's sound asleep.and snoring.in his bed. Destiny's eyes sprung open, filled with fear as she looked up at the cloaked figure. She didn't scream or try to call out, but she did try to speak and to squirm away from him.~~~~~~Melania was in the kitchen making breakfast. She had already gathered the eggs and milked the cows, and it was time to eat. The kitchen filled with the smell of bacon frying, biscuits baking, eggs cooking and pot of oatmeal bubbling. She looked toward the upstairs, wondering where he was. She hadn't dreamed he was here, had she? ’M'lord?" she called out loudly. The hand redoubles its effort, and the knee across her chest presses down. "I said HUSH.do you want to give us BOTH away." the figure sounds cross. Then faintly the sound of horses and metal armor can be heard. As the sounds get closer, the figure presses more overtop of the princess.using its cloak to further blend under the tree roots.-- -- --Stefan stirs. It's been quite the dream he had.but then as his eyes flutter open, he groans. He hears the calling from downstairs, but right now just groans.blowing at some of the dust on the pillow and brushing some off himself. He really needs to get these sheets aired out (since they wearing storage for 4 years) At the second calling, he sits up, pulling on his T-shirt and jeans (commando) and then walks out."hey. I'm here." Destiny held her breath as she listened to the horses and the metal. She stilled her body, not wanting to get who she hoped to be her rescuer, captured or worse. Her hands curled into small balls as she held herself stiffened.~~~~"Good morning m'lord," Melania greeted. "I know Lords are used to a more luxurious life, but you will find, m'lord, that life begins early on a farm," she said, turning to flip over the eggs and the bacon. "I wanted to make certain you did not miss breakfast, as next meal will not be until tonight." It seems like an eternity.but the horses and the folk move on.and the figure pulls itself off of Destiny. It stands and looks around, then back down at the Princess.finally pulling back it' stood. Long flowing brown hair falls down from the feminine features as the 'rescuer' looks down with disdain. "You know. /your highness/. You really have a lot to learn about woodcraft."-- -- --Stefan blushes." You know. I'm not a lord. I'm just.well. Me. You can call me Stefan." he blushes."And you don't need to wait on me hand and foot.in fact.back home I used to be quite the cook.although." he blushes." I think I'd be little. Out of place in your kitchen. Until I get used to it." He sits down at the small table and smiles."it smells great." just looking up to stare.watch.his savior. Destiny looked up at her rescuer, whom she had though she could trust, but something felt off to her now. "Woodcraft? What would I have to learn about woodcraft?"~~~~~~"Oh, I could not, m'lord. It would not be proper, oh, not at all," Melania stammered. "As for breakfast, I was making breakfast anyway....it's no imposition at all." She turned to fix a plate for him, her smile growing by the moment. "Thank you, m'lord. I do hope you enjoy it." Melania carried over the plate and set it in front of him, a heap of scrambled eggs, 5 thick slices of bacon, a bowl of the oatmeal. The rescuer looked down." You left a trail a mile wide. Any ranger could have followed it." she looks down. "You're safe for the time-being...why did you set out through the forest. The roadways are much faster. And why is there a price on your head. How in the world could the leading heir to the throne be charged with high-treason?"-- -- --Stefan was never much a fan of oatmeal before.but this stuff is very tasty.and with the eggs and bacon.quite the dinner. He finds himself looking up. No TV.no Radio means that all the attention is on the other as they eat. "This is very good.and please. Call me Stefan. Not m'lord. What would people think?" he blushes.and then pushes his shoulders back. "Ooh.yes. You must all bow before your lord" putting on a funny haughty voice to tease.(time for me to go :() "High treason?" Destiny squeaked, turning sad eyes toward her rescuer. "My father is dying...oh God, I will not be able to be with him when he goes," she cried. "My Uncle, he wants to marry me off to some far off Prince so that he can take the throne. Father and I had an agreement that I would only marry for love and I refused to marry this Prince." She tried to sit up to look at her rescuer. "Tell me of any news of Stewart, my little brother. Did he get to safety?"~~~~~~Melania set the plate of biscuits and a crock of butter in the center of the table before fixing her own plate. She took her seat and gazed at him, shaking her head. "People would think I had no respect for a man who is not a member of my family," she finally said. "Then I shall call you Lord Stefan."(night) The rogue looks down. "I know not the fate of your brother. I will have others find out. But myself I will tend to making sure you get out alive." she gives a coy grin. "Here. Your men would have caught me and tried me for thievery. And I'm going to save you." She gives a grin then reaches to help Destiny to her feet. "We should go while it's light"== == ==Stefan nearly chokes on that. Then cracks a smile. "You know.if you keep that up.it will all go straight to my head." he continues munching on the food. "Besides. I'm a guest of the family.or something. I guess. Our situation isn't terribly common. Is it?" He gives a soft smile. "You know.it's going to take some time.to take inventory. Then to maybe figure on some improvements. I hope you don't tire of my company." In his head he starts trying to think about what he'll need.starting with writing implements... "If they have turned so quickly to my Uncle's side, they are not my men any longer," Destiny said, accepting the woman's hand and rose to her feet. "I fear for the country with my Uncle on the throne," she admitted." Thank you."~~~~~Melania smiled, "No, our situation is not truly quite common." She tilted her head slightly, "I don't believe I could tire of your company, Lord Stefan," she said, her eyes glittering at him. The rogue turns and then starts to head into the woods. "Well. Com'in your majesty?" wit habit of mocking in her tone. This isn't going to be good. Through the forest, the rogue sets a quick pace, heading down the first stream they find.walking along the side of the water.crossing occasionally. Before finally stopping about midday. She indicates where Destiny can rest while she goes around, harvesting some various plants and mushrooms for a lunch, and then using a leather waterski to offer water from the streambed. "I'm sorry, your Majesty.but until we get someplace civilized. We'll be living off the land."== == ==Stefan can tell she's flirting.and in a way it's very flattering. He gives her a warm smile back and nods. "I'm going to go out and get some things... Melania. I feel bad that I can't really help too much with the chores. Maybe I can do some simple stuff. Firewood. Fetching water from time to time." he frowns at his overweight. And the fact that his back gets sore easily. And his 'bum' ankle. (of course after living in this age.he'll quickly get in shape)Finishing the dinner, he heads up to his room, dressing in a combination of the old world clothing with some of his own fashions.namely his own underwear and jeans (for comfort-sake) but with a simple brown pull-over tunic Destiny didn't sit down, instead, watching the woman. "I do not mind at all, that is fine. Please, though, call me Destiny. Is there anything I can help with.... I'm sorry, what is your name?"~~~~~"Please, Lord Stefan, do not feel bad about that. You will be doing my records and teaching me numbers, that is more than enough," Melania insisted before he went upstairs. Melania waited for him to come back down the stairs, and she handed him a coin purse. "This should be enough to get what you need. The silver coins are worth less than the gold," she informed him. The rogue merely gives a smile. "You do not need to know my name." she then laughs a merry little laugh. "You can call me Red-fox. That's what I know by in my wanted posters." She takes out a sharp dagger and uses it to prepare the various roots, leaves, grasses and mushrooms, making a sort of salad, then wrapping it up in thin piece of slightly stale flatbread. "Here. Eat." she says. Sitting down to do the same.== == ==Stefan blushes." Oh. I'm not yet ready to go shopping.besides. There is plenty I can use around here. You'll see." he smiles and leaves the money purse on the table. He first stops by the fireplace, poking through it until he finds a piece of burnt wood. "You'll see me about today. I'll try to stay out of your way." He heads outside.knowing his energy won't last too long. Going to the woodpile, he finds what he's looking for.some of the cut pieces of cedar. He goes to start peeling the bark away. Setting the flattest cleanest squares to the side. - paper...of sorts. And the burnt wood a charcoal pencil. It will do until he can get better supplies. And if his memory serves. Real paper and ink is darn expensive in this time. He then sets out, exploring the extends of the farm. (leaving you to describe the length and breathe of the land) Destiny accepted the sandwich and perched on a fallen log, making every effort to eat slowly. "Red-fox, then," she smiled. She crossed her ankles primly as she bit into the concoction. "This is really very good." She glanced over at Red-fox. "Tell me, what are you wanted for? Father never really spoke to me of such things."~~~~~It was Melania's turn to flush a bright red, having totally misunderstood what he had meant. She placed the coin purse back in her pocket, "The farm is rather large, I hardly doubt you would get in my way. As Stefan walked, the farm was small by modern standards, but was still widespread. In the furthest pasture were the cows, grazing happily, in the slightly closer, the horses. The crops were just starting to poke their heads from beneath the ground, happily drinking in the warm sun. Chickens, goats and sheep roamed freely, the chickens occasionally plucking at Stefan's shoes. "Let's just sometimes say the men who work for you. Collect your taxes. Enforce your laws. Take little extra for themselves. I make sure the poor and needy are taken care of. And myself of course." she grins proudly, and then gives Destiny a look. "Don't try to be friendly with me. I'm not your friend, your highness. But I do know what will happen if you are captured. The question is. When you get to the next realm.what then? Will you go to the Baron Hector for assistance? Perhaps some brave knight to come and dispose your uncle?"== == ==Using the one piece of bark as a slate, he starts making an inventory. Or rather several inventories - on one he inventories all implements - tools and otherwise. And on the other the livestock. At least those he can identify from a look. The crops he's going to need her help with. He starts thinking back to all those farm sim-type games. The ones that are all over the internet. Thinking, he decides on some questions to ask Melania over dinner. Taking out the ear-buds to his iPod, he slips them into his ear and continues listening to music as his next slate he starts drawing a rough overview of the farm and surrounding land. So that was how the tax collector was maintaining such a luxurious lifestyle. Destiny had suspected as much, but before she could open her mouth to say she had suspected it, or would reform the system, Red-fox told her not to befriend her. "I suppose I shall have to listen and find out what vile lies about me have reached Baron Hector's ear first."~~~~~Melania washed the breakfast dishes, putting each in the rack to dry. She watched Lord Stefan out the window, her head tilted to one side as she wondered what he was doing. Particularly when he put those little things in his ears. She only stopped watching when she caught herself reaching for a plate that didn't exist, and she carried the bucket of water to the door, tossing the contents outside. Then Melania headed out in to the fields to check on the crops. Red-fox nods and purses her lips. "That's true. On horseback the messengers would be there before midday. We do need to get you out of your kingdom. Find someplace to hide you." She stands up." Come on.that's enough rest. We need to keep moving." and then starts off along the riverbank again.== == ==Stefan walks around the farm. Drawing the farmhouse, then the little road that leads to the small road.two wagon wheels only really. Leading presumably to the closest town. Then around the back to the small barn.drawing in the areas which are used by the animals. And a rough idea of the crops. Of course managing by hand, it's far from the acres and acres that a farm is back in Stefan's time, but by midday he's finding himself pausing by the pond. Fed by a river. Taking off his shirt and shoes and sitting on the edge resting. Destiny rose to her feet, "I agree, there is much road to be covered in a short amount of time." She tucked her hair behind her ears and prepared to move.~~~~~~~After the morning chores were done, Melania walked the property, making certain nothing need repair. She walked over to the orchard and picked a low hanging apple, rubbing it on her sleeve as she walked down toward the lake. Red fox sets a quick pace, making her way through the forest. Following the stream, they run along the back of a peasant's lot, and then the streams turns to the darker woods, going deep into the depths of the forest. She doesn't speak while they walk, if anything trying to always remain ahead. One up on the princess. Her face a scolding mask of disdain.== == ==Stefan isn't the most attractive person. He has bit of ruggedness to him - his hair unkempt and his goatee giving definition to his face. He is overweight, and now shirtless that's little more obvious - although he seems to accept himself and isn't self-conscious of his body as he rests at the side of the pond. Taking out one of the boards, he starts making a checklist... Inventory - supplies, livestock, tools, belongings Liabilities - ? Taxman? Fixed assets - house - barn - well - pond Improvements? - Solar still: hot water, irrigation?, Rain siphon, . He starts to wrack his head.what makes modern times different. Well.powered tools. Hmm.he could build a greenhouse - if he got enough glass. Concrete could be possible too. Crushed limestone, clay and water mixed. That could help out with pathways.and strengthen buildings. He continues his mental musing on the board as Melania approaches Destiny had difficulty, from time to time, keeping up, but she never lagged too far behind. She wasn't at all certain why Red-fox looked down on her so, but she had to deal with it, she knew.~~~~~Melania slowed her pace, regretting not bringing two apples, but she hadn't known Lord Stefan would be at the river. She watched him silently, the hair the wind had blown loose fluttering about her face. Her heart leapt slightly, her head tilted to one side. Her smile grew, and she started walking down the hillside. The journey through the underbrush is suddenly interrupted. Without warning, the bushes to the side bursts with an animalistic noise, and a mangy boar - standing 2 1/2 feet at the shoulders, charges towards Destiny!== == ==Stefan had hit bit of a block - trying to figure out any improvements which would be possible with 15th century technology. His skills in Excel. Useless. His expertise in Xbox. About the same. Driving? Useless. It does force him to think of things in a different light. The greenhouse. Glass. He thinks to how glass is made in this century.and realizes that he could probably help teach them.or learn himself.how to forge panes of glass.and not the little cubes that are done here. Seeing Melania approach, his mind is cleared of the thoughts. Her hair swirls around her head like a Harlequin romance, and she approaches, holding an apple. One apple. Hmm. Strange." Hey there." he smiles, pushing himself up to standing as she approaches. "I've just been brainstorming. Thinking of some ideas." he decides to hold off explaining some of them for the time being.

Desperate Times (Kasen03 and Cindy1)|rating:3.0

Destiny of Life's Circumstances -Closed

It had been sometime since she accepted the hand of cards she’d been given. She wasn’t the type of girl that came to London with her aristocratic family for the season. No she lived in the undesirable side with her gambling and alcoholic father who demanded dinner be on the table waiting for him. What he failed to do was provide her with the funds to purchase meat from the market. Or the funds that would keep a roof over their heads, or candles for light. So every night as her father slept passed out from drinking she would go through his pockets and hide what she found. If he ever noticed, he never said. There wasn’t hope she would ever escape her life and station. It wasn’t even as if she had hoped to, The more she was left alone to read and enjoy the day of her labors the happier she was. The way she looked at it, her father was merely another hurdle life threw at her. When he came home with a boutique box with a fancy gown. She knew that something was up. He proclaimed innocence and offense at the notion that he would need a reason to buy his beloved daughter a gift. The last gift he ever got her was a ribbon for her hair, when she was six. So now almost 13 years later he bought her a gown that was probably as expensive as their shacks rent. Charlotte Ives stood in front of the broken worn mirror checking out the getup that her father told her to put on. It was one of the most beautiful dresses she had ever seen. It fit her 5’6 frame perfectly with the corset that snuggled her torso into a v. Apparently a carriage would be arriving to take them into the heart of the city. Suspicion was overwhelming, he was up to something it echoed through every fiber of her bones. But it would soon all reveal itself. In the meantime she might as well take the once in a lifetime opportunity to be engulfed into culture. The carriage pulled in front of the Royal Opera House and the footman opened her door offering him her hand. Her father followed in his new suit that he forgot to groom his shaggy gray hair and rugged beard. He stunk of cheap rum, and she reminded herself it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Though still she waited for the other shoe to drop. Entering the lobby a well-dressed man with beady eyes and hollow cheeks approached them. “This is the girl?” he asked her father as his eyes went up and down her peeling off layer by layer of her clothes.”My daughter Charlotte, good cook and cleaner.” Her father responded as if her red locks, green eyes, and angelic face wasn’t enough. “Well, let's see how she blends,” the man announced, offering his arm. Charlotte looked at her father, and the man and back again. She scoffed and headed toward the stairs. Her father caught her and grabbed her arm roughly. He scolded her in a harsh whisper advising that she was to be nice to the man. “Why?” she asked him defiantly. “What is your plan? Are you planning on marrying me off? Selling me into servitude? “Do Not Ruin this for me, I owe, and it will all be erased for you. You have no other prospects, and you are simply a burden.” Charlotte glared at the man who she had acted as a maid and caretaker for most of her life. People had started to stare with hushed whispers. “Let me tell you how this is going to go.” She advised in a hushed whisper. “You will let go of my arm, you will advise that man this is not going to happen. I am going to enjoy the opera. Then I will go back to the shack that you call a house, that I keep clean for you. You will take back this dress or sell it and pay this person you owe. I do not owe you anything, if anything you owe me for the years you have failed as a father and provider.” Her father’s jaw dropped open, and he let her arm go. Taking the opportunity she made the way to her seat. Sitting there she took a deep breath clamping her hands together to stop them from shaking. In the morning she would have to look into either being a governess or a maid. She was not going to be sold to pay for her fathers debts. The lights dimmed as people finished taking their seats and the production began. When it was over she didn’t bother to look for her father, or the beady eyed man. It was a long walk back to her side of the town. But although a bit cool, it was still a beautiful evening. "Yes, yes, your debts will be taken care of," he repeated for at least the fourth time. The man across from him stank of the cheapest alcohol. Lord Lemuel Carleton wondered how someone who drank such swill could amass a debt such as the one this man had, but men were capable of denying themselves many things for their vices. Carleton had learned that early in life. That the trading chip in this exchange was a young woman was no surprise, either. It hadn't been the first time a man had been willing to trade one of his own to get himself from deep, dire circumstances. Ralph Ives had begun to explain his situation. Carleton had stopped him. His was not to question or moralize. He knew if he refused, Ives would simply move to another, likely less... sortable person to attempt to sell his child. The agreed trade was the opera. When Carleton had suggested it, I've's eyes grew wide. He was sure a person like this wretch assumed he could do the job in a pub or back alley. Calculations for the opera began clicking away behind the man's eyes almost immediately. It was a surety that there was no garb in his life suitable for a night at the opera. Carleton didn't care. If this was going to happen, he would meet the girl before he agreed fully, and it would be in a localehefound suitable. Carnevon dressed and, per usual, arrived at the opera house an hour and twenty minutes before the curtain rose. There were regulars that he met before each performance, drinks to be consumed. It was a ritual he enjoyed, even if many of those he met with were dreadful bores. He smelled Ives before he saw him. He was dressed well, if cheaply, and would have done well to have spent the pennies it would have cost to visit a barber. Carleton shook his hand and was introduced to the man's daughter. Where the father was a wreck, the daughter was anything but. Charlotte Ives glowed. The gown had to have put her father deeper into the hole he was trading her to scramble from, but as with the rest, that was not Carleton's concern. He courteously offered his arm which the girl took with a withering glare both to him and to her cowering father. The performance was fine, if lackluster. The lead Tenor tended to be a tad flat in his upper range, and the lead Soprano couldn't act her way out of a wet bag. However, she was pretty, and the head of the company apparently thought that made up for this flaw. Carleton suspected there was a more... physical aspect to his keeping her around. Nonetheless, it was overall a reasonably distracting evening. After the performance, Carleton invited Ives to a smoke - even though he would have rather just sent the man on his way - leaving Charlotte in the box alone. It was apparent the moment they stepped into the room that Ives did not belong, and a few looks were shot their way, but Carleton passed a small bag of coin to the wretch." Here is your debt, paid. Whether it is truly paid now is up to you. If you end up floating in the Thames because you were a fool is none of my business. Our transaction is at an end." With that, he turned and left Ives standing with the balance of the money they'd bargained for in his hand. Carleton was fairly certain Ives would feed his vice rather than pay his debt. If he found this stupid, stupid man dead in an alley some day soon, he would feel no remorse for him. When he returned to where they had left young Charlotte, she was gone. There was no panic. There was only one place she could be. Well, there was only one place she could be headed toward. It was unlikely she had gotten a cab, so she was undoubtedly on foot. It only took a little driving before they came upon the young woman, determinedly walking toward the place she had called home for all her short life. Pulling up beside her, Carleton opened the door and said, "Miss Charlotte, I suggest you come with me. If you'll look toward yonder alleyway, you will see a rather unwelcome welcome waiting for you." In the alleyway just ahead, there was an unsavory looking gentleman casually leaning against the brick, pretending to be uninterested in the goings-on a little way up the street." Doubtless, he intends to rob you, and barring anything worth taking, he may decide there are more... personal things to rob you of." Charlotte's peaceful walk was soon interrupted by the beady eyed man that had seemingly purchased her from her father." Miss Charlotte, I suggest you come with me. If you'll look toward yonder alleyway, you will see a rather unwelcome welcome waiting for you." Looking down the street she saw the man looming with dubious intentions." Doubtless, he intends to rob you, and barring anything worth taking, he may decide there are more... personal things to rob you of." The man seethed.“So I see” she responded. “Let me make something abundantly clear to you, whatever transpired between you and my father, that was between you. I am not a part of it, I am not for sale, I will not go anywhere with you. Your sir may try to scare me of the robbing of my virtue, or any other such drastic plots you may come up with. But in the end I would rather take my chances with a street urchin, then enter your carriage with a man that thinks he has the right to purchase a woman.” She looked down the street again and then back to him. “Furthermore, if you attempt to take me by force I will fight you to my last breath. So as you see, you should probably go get your money back before he drinks or gambles it away.” With that she turned lifting her dress so she may walk without soiling it and began to walk away. Lord Carleton was rather surprised, but impressed, by young Charlotte's response to the observation of her impending danger." Very well," he told her. "I leave it to you to defend your virtue and, possibly, your life. The money I gave your father is irrelevant. The crown will make more. I suspect he will be dead with forty-eight hours, whether he pays his debt or pours it down whatever shithole he decides to waste it on. It's the kind of person he is." Farewell, and I bid you good luck with yon young man. Payment or no, if you need help at any point, I can be found." With that, he closed the carriage door and gave two raps on it with his hand, and the driver began to pull away. Charlotte watched as the man accepted her wicked tongue. She'd half expected to be hauled into the carriage against her will regardless. Though this still left her in a precarious situation. It had not escaped her that he said her father would probably be dead in 48 hours. That was something she couldn't prevent."wait" she found herself saying. "If I enter this carriage will you take me to my home"She practically bit her tongue with swallowing her pride and having to ask. With the words she had spoken he was within every right to refuse her. The carriage was preparing to turn the corner when Carleton heard:"Wait." It was a sound that should have escaped him, what with the sounds of hooves and steel-rimmed wheels on cobble, but it came to him clearly, as if there was no other sound in the vicinity. He called to the driver to stop and the carriage halted. He waited for young Miss Ives to cross the intersection where she stopped within arm's reach." If I enter, will you take me home?" she asked with suspicion in her voice. Opening the door once again, Carleton assured her: "My dear, you will be taken wherever you care to go. If you wish an audience with the queen, it may take a bit longer to arrange, but it will be done." Carnevon knew the general direction wherein the girl lived. Looking off into that area of the city, he detected an orange glow. Pointing toward said glow, he said, "I believe, Miss Ives, you live off toward yon light, am I correct? It would appear we may be traveling into some commotion." Thankfully he had heard her and the carriage stopped. Taking a deep breath she looked again to the dubious man leaning on the corner of the alley, watching her." My dear, you will be taken wherever you care to go. If you wish an audience with the queen, it may take a bit longer to arrange, but it will be done." She wanted to ask why, when she had made it clear he'd spent his money in earnest. But now was not the time. Entering the carriage he closed the door and said"I believe, Miss Ives, you live off toward yon light, am I correct? It would appear we may be traveling into some commotion." "Yes it's that way, and unfortunately Lord Carleton there is generally commotion of some sort that way. It is not what I suppose a man like you is used to. But it is how the other half lives. I will only be there as long as it takes me to get a posting. Then my father will have nothing but his own failings to deal with." The way she said it was rather matter of fact. There was little emotion involved. Years of caring and managing his household had hardened her to a degree. She was to be self-sufficient and live life on her terms. Even if the era did not support such endeavors." Other than the vagabond, and drunks trying to make their way home it should be rather safe in the carriage." Walking may have been a different story, especially in this dress, for that she was grateful that he had been a man of his word. She thought back on his statement about making an audience with the queen if she wished it. That made her lips curl up slightly as she looked out the window. The young woman finally boarded the carriage, and they were soon off again. The closer they came to the glow Carleton had seen, the livelier the surrounding activity became. People seemed drawn to it as moths to a flame. Soon the heat could be felt and the sounds of a fire brigade doing their utmost to extinguish said blaze were evident. Turning a corner, the subject of all the excitement was evident. A small dwelling was in flames. While the firemen did their duty to extinguish the roaring h one man stood off to the side. However, instead of being inconsolably distraught, he seemed to be dancing." Miss, I believe that is your father doing a jig in the gutter there," Carleton observed. Indeed, the elder Ives appeared to be rejoicing in the demise of the place he and his daughter called home. "No!!" Charlotte cried out seeing their shack on fire. "Stop Please" As the carriage rolled to a stop she jumped out. "What have you done you fool" she screamed at her drunk beaming dancing father? "Insurance" he said smirking. "You idiot we rent the shack, not own it, there is no insurance on it." She collapsed to a pile, the last memories she had of her mother were in that shack. It was all gone now. Tears flooded her face for a few moments and then stopped getting up on her feet she glared at her father with a fire of hatred. "You have taken everything from me, as of this moment you are dead to me." Looking for the nearest fireman she said "This man admitted to setting the fire for a fraudulent insurance payment, he doesn't even own the property." Walking over to the carriage she brushed off her dress and wiped her eyes. "Lord Carleton, I realize I have no right to ask any favors of you. You will be in full right to deny me after the way I spoke to you. First, thank you for honoring your word and bringing me home. I was wondering if I may stay in your servants quarter for a night or two while I secure a position as a governess or some such profession." Carleton said nothing as Charlotte raced from the carriage and to her drunkenly capering father. No doubt not a coin was left of the money the fool elder Ives had received. Carleton was certain that once the man had looked into the bag containing the money intended to get him out of debt, all thought of why he possessed such riches suddenly left the poor sot's mind. After Charlotte had railed at her father for what he'd done, then stormed away, Carleton heard the man pleading that he now had money to get them a place in a better part of town. Carleton was confident representatives of the people Ives owed were within earshot. Once they heard of his fortune, they would demand payment, and when he came up short, as he doubtless would, sooner rather than later, no doubt, that would be the end of him. Charlotte came back, boarded the carriage once more and brooded for some time. When finally she spoke, it was with far less harsh words than had been on her lips previously. After she had finished, Carleton assured her:"Certainly you may stay in my home. I am afraid, however, there are no servants' quarters unoccupied. There is a bedroom adjacent to mine that is free. You may remain there for as long as necessary." The idea of being adjacent to him wasn't exactly an ideal concept. However, beggars couldn't be choosers, and thanks to her father she had no roof, and literally not a possession in the world other than what she wore upon her person. Without Carleton's assistance she would be sleeping in the streets tonight. First her father sells her off, and the next time he would what? Whore her out?. It had been a long and trying evening. She thanked Carleton for his kindness and rested her head against the window of the carriage as it took them to his home. She was drained mentally, physically and emotionally. At this point she realized that her well-being rested on the kindness of this Lord. Why he was being so chivalrous she didn't understand. He had just spent a fortune to purchase her. Of which she made perfectly clear was not an option. When the carriage pulled into his estate she looked at its grandeur. Hopefully when she found herself a position it would be in a place such as this. For now, she would have to find a way to be a guest in this manor. She clearly didn't fit in to such splendor, and in a way it made her feel quite uncomfortable. Such as she would assume fitting a square peg into a round hole may feel. Taking the coachmen's hand she exited the carriage and awaited Lord Carleton to lead her in. Carleton watched the girl. Her weariness practically radiated off her. When she rested her head against the side of the carriage, he felt the turmoil inside her. In the span of one evening, her life had been upended. Granted, it hadn't been much of a life, but she had been trying to make the most of it. When they pulled up to his home, she raised her head and looked out the window at the place. He sensed the unsuitability she felt. It would pass. She had nowhere to turn. While Carleton hadn't necessarily cared to purchase guardianship over the girl, her father had been quite desperate to make their bargain. Now that he'd actually met young Charlotte, Carleton felt she deserved to be raised from the squalor she'd known her short life. She allowed herself to be helped from the carriage, then waited for Carleton to join her. Whether she'd been taught such things, the girl at least had manners. Leading her inside, Carleton said, "Here is your home, for as long as you care to make it such." With those words, his face changed, the look going from nearing elderly to something only a little older than young Miss Ives' father, his eyes becoming brighter, his hair lighter, the features rather less craggy. Charlottes eyes wandered the foyer, taking in the shining marble inlaid floors, the exquisite molding, and over all cool but welcoming feel. She wanted to take everything in and remember it. For once, she left she'd probably never see such luxury again. In actuality, she knew nothing about Lord Carleton, other than he held some position of status. In her station in life there wasn't much need to know anything, but he was her better. For that reason, and his over all kindness despite her behavior she felt a debt to him." Here is your home, for as long as you care to make it such." With the sound of his voice she turned from her awe and looked at him. He looked different from what she remembered at the Opera House. Perhaps her eyes were playing tricks on her, or perhaps she simply hadn't taken a good look at him as she was quite overwhelmed with rage at her father. Though still an older gentleman, he no longer held the beady eyes she remembered, and no longer expiated the aura of crotchety, perverted old man. His features were somewhat pleasant to take in." I do appreciate your kindness Lord Carleton, I shan't trespass on your hospitality any longer than possible. If possible Sir, May I get a piece of bread, some water and a bath, if it's not any trouble that is. I do not wish to have you wake your staff if they slumber. I can do without quite easily." As she said that her stomach grumbled, in the rush to get to the Opera there hadn't been time to eat the meager meal she had prepared. She took a look at her dress again. It was all she owned. Perhaps she could borrow a dress from one of the maids so she could take it into town and sell the gown her father had bought. With that she could purchase material to make a couple of lower class outfits to tide her over until she found employment. Carleton nodded to a girl." Draw Miss Ives a bath, please, Emilie, and find her something suitable to wear after." To a young man, he said, "Get her something to eat, Gerard. If there is anything left from this evening's meal, that should do fine." The servants curtsied and bowed in their turn, then bustled off to do as they were bid. Carnevon then held out a hand and gave a warm smile. "Now, miss Charlotte, if I may show you to your room while you wait..." Charlotte listened as he gave the orders to his staff to fulfill her requests. She smiled politely and thanked him. Taking his hand lightly she allowed him to lead the way up to her room. Looking at the portraits that aligned the walls on the way up she inquired "Are those your ancestors?" Taking a slower pace she stopped to appreciate the artwork. "It must be nice to be able to trace ones lineage back and have the stories that go along with them." Her thoughts went back to the few last things she had once had to remember her mother. In one night her father had gone from merely being a weight upon her shoulders, to a human trafficker, arson, and now dead in her eyes. That was not the way it was supposed to be, but unfortunately common practice from the bowels of hell in which she'd been taken from. Following him further up he opened the door to her quarters. Her room was about the size of the shack she had shared with her father. "This is too much my Lord" she said overwhelmed at the elegance of the room. "I could just as easily sleep in front of the hearth and be fine." When Charlotte commented on the portraits in the hallway and along the staircase, Carleton hoped she didn't notice the uncannily strong resemblance he bore to several of the newer frames. He wasn't prepared for such explanations just then... wasn't certain AF the girl's reaction to the truth. A short way down the upstairs hallway, they stopped at a doorway. Opening the door, he turned up the gas, lighting the room for young Miss Ives to see. At her reaction, Carleton scoffed, "You'll do no such thing. If I was going to leave you to sleep like a gutter rat, I'd have left you with your father." Now, make yourself comfortable, get cleaned up - I suspect Emilie takes a bath prepared by now - and come see me in the study across from the staircase when you are ready." With that, he gave a nod in lieu of a bow, then withdrew. Charlotte had hoped to take her bath eat a quiet meal and collapse into a wondrous dream land. Yet he wished to converse. She could not deny the request of her host. Giving the slightest curtsy as he gave his bow, she withdrew into the room and closed the heavy door. Emilie nodded as she entered the bathing room after emptying her last bucket of steaming water into the porcelain tub. There was robe and nightdress of elegance hung on the door for her. They were conservatively befitting for a lady of station and nobility. "Shall I assist you Madame?" Emilie was asking. "No, thank you, Emilie, I can manage. But thank you for preparing this so quickly for me." "My Pleasure my lady, please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you." Charlotte paused for a moment. "Actually, I am in need of a servants dress to wear tomorrow." Emilie looked at her like she had another head growing from her body before responding "I shall see what I can find Madame" "thank you so much"Emilie nodded did a slight curtsy and left her room." Sewer Rat" stuck in her brain from some of the last words Lord Carleton had spoken to her. Taking off her clothes she slipped into the hot water and the steam take her to a peaceful place. It relaxed her muscles and took her to a peaceful retreat from the days events. The truth was no amount of fancy clothes, large rooms, or fancy bathing tubs were going to change that. Charlotte was comfortable in her station in life. She was never overly ambitious to dream of elevating above her station. The cards had been dealt for her, but it didn't mean she wouldn't soak in every new experience. But she wasn't going to allow herself to be sucked into it. A tray had been brought in quietly while she bathed and set on a small table under a silver dome. When she finally pulled herself from the now cool bath, she toweled off with the most luxurious threaded towel she had ever touched. Running a comb through her long wet hair, she placed it upon her head and pinned it in. The night dress was slipped over her luscious form, a wondrous cotton blend that provided her a curtain to hide her precious gifts. The robe was a light pink satin which gave her an element of feminine elegance. Slipping on the slippers she sat down and ate the bountiful meal that was left for her. In her own right she was a decent cook. But this went beyond anything she'd ever imagined. Her taste buds were in a heavenly mode of grandeur. Feeling as if she were to burst if she ate another drop. She wiped her mouth and rose from the chair. Oh, how that bed was calling her. Testing it would have been the end to her last burst of energy which made her move out of her room and locate the study in which Lord Carleton waited for her. Entering it she was taken aback by the large amount of accumulated books which lined the shelves. She could spend days in here and never come up for air. "Thank you, Lord, for allowing me the bath, meal and fresh clothes." Carleton waited in the study, finishing some paperwork that had been left for him to review when time allowed. Feeling the air in the room change, he looked up from his work to find Miss Ives, washed and looking much more relaxed." I hope you enjoyed yourself. After the evening you've had, you deserve a bright ending to it" "I hope you enjoyed yourself. After the evening you've had, you deserve a bright ending to it ""I did thank you. The bath was sublime, and the food was exquisite. Was there something particular you wished to discuss?, or perhaps you could help me understand the particulars of the arrangement you had agreed to with my father. I suppose what I'm wondering if I can be so impertinent to ask, is why of all things would you agree on a street rat?" Carleton frowned." Ah yes, the 'agreement' between your father and me. He said you would be curious to know what a man such as I expected, entering such a contract. He told me you were a bright, precocious child. Well, his actual words, I believe were to the effect of 'too smart for her own good.'" The reason I agreed to his proposal, knowing the kind of man he is, is when he described you, you did not seem to have succumbed to the life many of those of your born station seem to gravitate - that is, thievery or prostitution." So consider this your chance to move above the circumstances of your birth. However, do not think it gives you any right to treat others with less than the respect they deserve. Just because a person waits on you grants you no rights to abuse them. We all serve some purpose, or can, given the chance of either blood or opportunity." "Forgive me Lord Carleton if I'm suspicious of that 'reason', as not being the whole truth. People rarely just do things out of the kindness of their heart without expecting something in return. Rest assured however, while I reside here and look for employment I shall behave with the utmost respect to everyone. I understand the dedication and sacrifice that goes into caring for another beings needs. If anything I hope to lend a hand if you'll allow it." The least she could do is work for her meals. Charlotte has left out a response to his comment about moving above the circumstances of her birth. She knew who she was and found a special self reward in achieving things on her own. Her father had tried to make her feel as though she was beholden to him for his providing for her. That was not going to happen again. Yes if need be she would scrub floors, but it would be for a paycheck. It would be her choice." With your permission Sir I would like to retire for the evening. It has been quite the day." Carleton let Charlotte speak. She obviously did not like the idea of having been purchased. It hadn't been his intention to do so, but her father had insisted. Until a few days prior, he had never heard of Charlotte Ives, nor her father. And why should he have? IF the elder Ives had not sought him, their circles would never have intersected. Now he had met the young woman, he was loath to release her back to a life of uncertainty. When she mentioned sleep, he said, "Oh, I apologize. I sometimes forget that other people use nighttime to rest. A skin condition causes me to do much of my carousing at night. I can bear very little sunlight. By all means, retire. The matters between us can wait until morning. Just down the hallway, Carleton could hear two of the staff fucking. It didn't matter which ones. All his staff fucked one another, male and female, male and male, female and female. Sometimes in larger combinations. The energy they expended in such activity energized him. Charms and spells he'd cast around the house assured that anyone dwelling within his walls would have such urges and would act upon them. He gained the most strength when he took part, but just the residual was sufficient. It kept him from having to indulge his more primal need, which was far more destructive, both to those around him and to his own sense of self. As it was apparent he wasn't going to offer any other explanation when he said ""Oh, I apologize. I sometimes forget that other people use nighttime to rest. A skin condition causes me to do much of my carousing at night. I can bear very little sunlight. By all means, retire. The matters between us can wait until morning." Charlotte nodded taking that as her being excused to get some rest. With a slight curtsy she thanked him again and went back to her room.Oh, how that giant bed was calling her. Once under the covers and with the blanket pulled up she was out in a matter of moments.____________________________________________________________________________________With morning brought a new day. The reluctance of crawling out of bed was her utmost problem at the moment. When she first woke it took a moment for her brain to catch up. The thought of, 'I need to get breakfast started, I need to go to the market' etc. followed by wait where am I, then the memory of what had happened, caused her to groan. It also brought a new perspective to her situation. Lord Carleton, despite the money he shelled out for her, had been nothing but a gentleman. There hadn't been any inappropriate behavior on his part. He could have taken full advantage of having her in his residence, yet instead he maintained the same gentleman behavior. Perhaps she was looking at this wrong. She was a good person, and had been slaving since her mother died to take care of her father. Charlotte stayed true to her mothers wishes and attended school, taken care to keep the house clean and cook for her father. She ensured the bills were paid, even though it required taking money from him while he slept to do so. Perhaps she should listen to what he had to say instead of being so mule-headed. When would she ever have an opportunity like this again? A day dress had been laid out for her with what she required to wear beneath it. Emilie knocked lightly and entered. "Oh good Miss you're up, would you like me to help you get dressed and do your hair?" Charlotte looked at the contraptions that went beneath it and nodded. "Yes please and thank you, Emilie" she said with a soft smile. Once she was dressed and her hair was styled to perfection Emilie let her know that breakfast was ready. Thanking her once again she took a moment to gather her composure and made her way down to the breakfast room. When Charlotte's footsteps could no longer be heard, Carleton rose and followed the sounds of sexual activity to their source. What he found was a pair of young women locked in mutual pleasure, while a pair of young men did the same. His charms and spells were working, as usual. Standing in the doorway, he felt the thick, hot waves of erotic intensity crackling through the air and into him. For some minutes, he merely stood there, drinking in the power people in the throes of such pleasure could generate. His cock grew stiff at the sight, sound, odor and energy produced by the activity before him. Casually he disrobed until he was as nude as the others. Stepping up behind the girl whose ass was exposed to him, he pushed his erection into her hot, juicing cunt. As he fucked her, the rejuvenating energy he'd received at the door intensified tenfold. The circuit of power the women produced circulated through each of their bodies and into him. When he was satisfied from this coupling, he turned to the pair of men, whose energy was no less incredible. Taking advantage of the hole presented him, he shoved his cock - still slathered with lubrication from the girl's drenching quit - into the young man, who received him with a muffled grunt. As he had with the women, Carleton fucked, the men's power flowing into him as they pleased one another. When he'd had his fill, he pulled away. Cleaning himself with a cloth from the basin in the corner, he strode out, leaving his clothing where it lay. A bit farther down the corridor, he glanced into another room and found the cook, a woman older than the previous quartet, laid in her bed, fingers of one hand madly caressing between her legs while the other mauled an ample breast. Carnevon stepped in, ducked his head between the woman's legs and took over for her fingers. The energy that flowed from her bloomed tenfold when her climax struck. Sated for now, he retired for the night, basking in the sustenance he'd received. The servants knew of the charms and spells Carleton had cast. They accepted and reveled in the freedom, even if the spells implied such freedom was false. Hedonists they were, and they served his purposes perfectly. Greatly, the magics Carleton had employed were to aid in his being able to harness the powers they created for his own purposes. Eventually, morning came, as it always did. He dressed and awaited Miss Ives' arrival in a room that let in natural light from outside, but was furnished such that he could avoid it. When Charlotte finally stepped in, he rose to greet her, stopping at the edge of a particularly bright patch of sunlight." Good morning, my dear. I trust you are well rested? Emilie took good care of you?" "Good morning, my dear. I trust you are well rested? Emilie took good care of you?"“Good Morning Lord Carleton, yes I slept wonderfully well, and Emilie has done an excellent job. I hope you are doing well, Sir?.” She gave a slight curtsy and took her seat. They presented her foods to place on her plate. “I have never had so many options over what to eat. It’s quite overwhelming, actually. This whole experience has been confusing to me. What are your hopes if I were to stay Lord Carleton, your plans that is. Do you hope to put me out in society and marry me off?” Her tone was genuinely inquisitive over what his plans were.“If I’m going to consider this opportunity you placed in front of me. I would like to know the truth about what your plans or hopes are. In return, I shan't jump to any rash conclusions until I've had time to properly consider the alternatives.” Charlotte was in utter heaven with the meal in front of her. Though she didn’t quite take into consideration the corset that was on her. “Oh I think I quite over did it. Please excuse me.” She started to rise and instead began to swoon into a faint. "My plans?" Carleton sat back in his seat. "At present, I have none for you. The next few days, I'd like you to settle in and get used to your new surroundings. You've expressed an interest in some manner of employment. That is entirely up to you. I expect no repayment for anything. That I am able to give you the chance to rise from where you began is sufficient." If you would like to continue your education, that is an option for you. Emilie is fluent in French and German, with a smattering of Dutch. Gerard, who you met last evening, speaks Welsh, Cornish and both Scottish and Irish Gaelic. He also has some use of Newtonian mathematics. Everyone within these walls is more than they appear." As he spoke, Charlotte was partaking of the breakfast that sat in front of her. She seemed famished. Afterward, she regretted having eaten quite as much as she had and excused herself. However, her collapse brought Carleton from his seat and to her with a speed that would have seemed otherworldly if she had witnessed it. Carnevon called for the member of his household who possessed medical knowledge and together, they got Charlotte to her room, where her restrictive clothing was removed, and she was placed on the bed. Carleton sat by her side until she woke. Charlotte woke slowly with a long-drawn-out groan. "Oh no" she exclaimed at her embarrassment. Her head looked over at what appeared to her to be a concerned Lord Carleton. "I'm so sorry for any inconvenience I caused." How foolish she felt for not grasping the fundamentals of wearing a corset. "Those things are a nuisance" she declared pointing to the corset that was laid over a chair." In reference to your earlier statement, I would very much like to continue my education. One day I'd like to travel, and knowing more languages would be beneficial. Perhaps I could even get fluent enough to be a tutor or translator. I'd also like to know more of the free thoughts and learn whatever I can." She thought for a moment. "I know you said that you didn't wish for repayment, but what if I read to you nightly? Whether it be poetry or a novel or even philosophy"She was also looking at him as a source of knowledge as well. He was apparently a successful businessman of some sort. Charlotte wasn't quite sure what his business was, but unlike a lot of Lords that inherited their titles, they also squandered the fortunes. It had been apparent by some of the photos that he looked strikingly similar to his relatives. What other assumption could she come to?“Perhaps I can rest today, and start my studies tomorrow? Will you be teaching me anything?” She questioned. The girl had ambition, that was certain. She wasn't content to be someone's wife or mistress. She wanted to be useful. That was good. Too many who found themselves in such a situation would simply assume they were set for life, and would be content to lounge back and let the world cater to them. Charlotte wanted to learn. She wanted to help, even if it meant menial labor that her born station in life said was all she was good for. Well, that and popping out children she had no means to support. She saw herself in what she viewed as an opportunity, and Carleton intended to give it to her." Free thinking? I hope you will learn that there is so much more to the world than your limited experience and learning has taught. I hope you will extend your thinking beyond the limits of what this society deems proper and will realize that such thought only seeks to control you." You will possibly see things in this house that your currently shuttered view of the world will see as indecent. I ask only that you open your mind and look past what you currently know and think is proper. The world is bigger than you realize, and as long as no one is being harmed, all is well." As far as my teaching you: absolutely I shall. I hope to teach you much. Both from books and possibly more... empirical means, shall we say..." But for now, rest. Roam the house. Get to know the people around you, for they will be more than mere servants to you, I hope." "I simply don't know how to thank you enough Lord Carleton, and have nothing but shame for my initial reaction. I shall try not to fight you on your wishes in the future. I am quite sure my fathers ideas of what your 'guardianship' would consist of, was not this. For that I am so grateful. My mother taught me to read and write. Anytime she could get her hands on a book that she deemed would teach me to think for myself, I was presented with it. I understand that my thoughts and actions go against what society deems acceptable. I'm of the opinion that what people do in their private lives is their business. Judge not yet thee be judged, is one of the very few things I ever found useful from the bible. I find that most of it is contradictions and left to open interpretation." Charlotte pulled up her blanked a little before sitting up. "There is the issue of clothing. Must I wear a corset?, do I have an allowance to purchase clothes from the shops? Or would you prefer to have them made to your specifications?"" I am excited about furthering the limited education I have, and thank you again for the opportunity to do so. If I may get a schedule of who and when so I may ensure that I am not misusing any ones time. I truly do not wish to be a burden." It was a rarity to find an aristocrat that believed that a person of her station could better themselves or should have the right to do so. Yet here he was taking her under his wing and offering her the chance to better herself. It seemed as if every moment she spent with him, her opinion only bettered." I'm not much of a people person my lord, I have always found women of my age to be silly and ignorant with unrealistic fantasies. Much actually like the one I'm living right now." she let out a light laugh. "I've never been one to harbor the unrealistic notion that I would 'marry up', or be swept away by a prince or a duke. After seeing what marriage was like for my mother, that wasn't something I wanted either. She would tell me stories how they met and fell in love. But if that is what love looks like, I want no part of it." Carleton laughed." You will find that much that happens here goes against what this society deems 'proper.'" As far as corsetry: while you are in the house, such conventions are unnecessary. However, when venturing out into the world beyond these walls, I am afraid the conventions of society must be followed, so as not to raise suspicion as to the goings-on here. Do you understand?" In answer to her question regarding shopping or custom dresses, he said: "It will be a little of both, I believe. For some affairs, custom seamstress' work would be preferable to something purchased from a shop."" And I will fix a schedule for your education in a day or so. Some of that education will undoubtedly be ...unusual, but I hope you will approach everything presented to you with an open mind, no matter how or potentially taboo." You will have to interact with others beyond these walls on occasion, and just as with the people who maintain this household, I expect you to comport yourself in a courteous and pleasing manner. Admittedly, many of the people who sit in my rank in society were born into their stations, so they often tend toward being vapid fools, of the opinion that anyone who isn't them is somehow less than human. There is no need to set them straight, for their opinion is so set that no amount of debate, however sound, will change their minds. For now, rest, explore, get to know the people who will become your friends and more. I will start on the schedule for your further education." With that, he leaned over, placed a kiss on Charlotte's forehead, right between her eyes, mumbled a short phrase in a language he was certain the girl didn't know, because it had died long before even her grandparents were born. He then turned and left the room, giving a brief glance back at the thrumming vital young woman before disappearing around the door frame. "As far as corsetry: while you are in the house, such conventions are unnecessary. However, when venturing out into the world beyond these walls, I am afraid the conventions of society must be followed, so as not to raise suspicion as to the goings-on here. Do you understand?" "Yes me Lord, I understand. I shall do my best to maintain an open mind within the walls, and societies expectations outside of them." She listened intently to his requests on behavior and attitude and nodded in agreement of understanding. Although she wasn't quite certain what he meant by goings-on within the household that may not seem proper. Book smart she was, but life smart, well she had lived a rather sheltered life, only exiting the dwelling she had resided with her father for the market and other such trivial tasks. It was part of her assumption that on occasion he would wish for her to accompany him to events like the opera and things of that nature. She would simply have to remind herself not to eat while wearing that blasted corset. The statement of her education have parts within it that could be partially taboo, had her perplexed. What on earth could he mean by that? Yet she chose not to question him and simply nodded. Her order for the day was to rest and explore. So that is what she would do. His kiss between her eyes was cool, yet sent an electric wave down her body to part she herself hadn't even explored yet. She watched him leave and laid back down for another nap. A couple of hours later she rose and placed a day dress on that had been laid out for her while she slept. Never had she rested so much in her life. Gathering her wits and fixing her hair she made her way back downstairs for lunch. Seeing him she smiled and gave a curtsy taking her place at the table with assistance from the servant who pulled out her chair. "Thank you" she told him as she took her seat. The table had ham, fruits, bread, cheese and other delicious things she had ever rarely seen or tasted." I am quite sure if you keep feeding me as such I shan't fit into my clothes" she teased taking a bite of fruit. "Perhaps if you're free later you could give me a tour?" Carleton felt young Charlotte as she wandered the halls, but primarily only on the way back to her bed, where she once more slept. A few hours later, he felt her rise. While she slept, he had chosen a light dress for her and laid it out conspicuously. It would show off her form nicely. He knew she would not walk the halls nude. Not yet, in any event, perhaps sometime, but she hadn't been here long. Sometimes it took time for the magics to take hold. Carnevon met her at the table, where she waited while a meal was laid out for her. It was a prodigious feast, the size of which she commented, including the toll eating so much would eventually take." Then, I trust you will eat as much as will satisfy. You will be welcome here no matter what size you become." She then asked if he would give her a tour of the house." There are places here I hoped you would discover on your own. Self-discovery is so much more satisfying than a dry tour, but I will indulge you. Now, eat. Come see me in the study when you are finished." Charlottes eyes were much bigger than her stomach. She had never been used to eating so much. Her previous life contained merely what was available, and reserving what could be saved for another meal. She never knew when or if her father would have funds to steal for their survival, so budgeting and being light on portions was a necessary part of life. Her fingers moved as she pondered the amount of times she had actually tasted some of the foods in front of her. One hand, two or three times. The thought hadn't occurred to her that eating this way may make her gain weight. It had never been an issue in the past, but she'd never had the opportunity to be less active, and fulfilled. "Is the leftover food given as charity?" Charlotte asked thinking it would be a shame if what they or the staff didn't eat was simply thrown away. "Perhaps there's some charity work I could do on your behalf to tenants?"" I always found that listening to people explain things they are most proud of is more indulging. Also concepts won't be lost." Careful not to over eat, she paced herself and ate what was on her plate without overfilling it. Taking a moment to revel in the satisfaction of an exemplary meal, she waited before rising and finding Lord Carleton in his study. "So many books" she exclaimed as her eyes beheld the rows of books once more. Carleton smiled at Marie's question as to where leftover food may go. The girl was so curious about others. It was a selflessness he hadn't seen in the world for a very long time." There is only one of you, my dear. Once you start helping one, many other hands will shoot out. How long do you think it will take before the outstretched hands outnumber the aid you wish to place in them?" He hated dampening the girl's enthusiasm. However, what she was proposing was an enormous undertaking." If, however..." he continued, "you are quite insistent in trying something of such a sort, you have my permission to do so. Only..." he sighed, "you must be careful. There are those who take altruism as an opportunity to be dishonest. I cannot define what I mean, but with offered riches - of any kind - often comes those who would attempt to exploit them for nefarious purposes." He then caressed her cheek and left the girl to finish her meal. He was in his study once more when she found him again. She marveled:"So many books."" Indeed," he said, rising and stepping to her. "Some are very old. Some are in languages you will need to learn if you intend to read them. There is history and fancy, political argument and philosophy. Chances are, anything you wish to learn, real or imagined, is possible in these books." Some are in languages you will need to learn, and a few are in languages no human has known for centuries." "I do understand your meaning Lord Carleton, although many strive to live the best lives their stations allow. Others are only out for what they can get, or steal. I do know some families that struggle to put food on the table, whether its due to their husband being injured an unable to work, or run off, or died. There were many times my father ate and I did not. It's unfortunate, but there are many that endure the same. There are families that could live a week off simply what we had for breakfast. I will speak with the kitchen, and take the leftovers at the end of each week. Divvy it up into packages, and pass it out to those I know worthy and in need. I have no desire to enable people such as my father in their ways. For safety I shall take a guard with me." When he caressed her cheek before leaving for his study, she felt that electricity again. It was an odd comfort and jolt she'd never experienced before. When he told her of the different languages required she smiles wildly. "I would very much like to learn whatever languages are required, so I can study and learn from these pages. I've tried to teach myself other languages. But without someone that speaks them, and knows how they are to sound, I'm afraid I simply muddled the effort." she let out a light laugh. It was curious that he said 'no humans has known for centuries'. It was a confounding statement, yet she didn't wish to inquire just yet as to what he meant. Her imagination would certainly make her come to creative conclusions all on her own. Are there any tasks I can do for you? I always felt I'd make a fair secretary or assistant." The girl was eager to be of use, that was certain. She was constantly thinking of ways to "do" rather than have others do for her." A noble idea," he said, in regard to her plan to help feed those living as she had only recently. "We must be careful, though, that we don't end up with the needy camping at our gate, waiting for their next aid." At her suggestion of an assistant, he told her: "Perhaps, when you've had a bit more education, we can see if there is some way you can help in the daily running of things." "Perhaps ever two to three weeks so they don't know when or if another will be coming?" When he told her perhaps when she had a bit more education she may be able to take on a position such as a secretary or assistant, she nodded in agreement." If you could find me a task that would be wonderful." it will break up all the studying I will be doing. She grinned widely." Shall we go on a tour?" "I think you will help everyone around here at some point, not just me," Carleton told her. "It will be good for you to know what it takes to run a household like this. Tomorrow, I think you will be in the stables with Gordon. You can help with the horses and maintain the tack and carriage." I had hoped you would do some exploring on your own, then ask me about anything you had questions on, but as you're adamant for me to guide you, come along." They started with a tour of the first floor. The study she knew. He showed her the parlor and all the other rooms that the public was intended to see, took her out into the back garden where he led her through the small hedge maze and to the stables and carriage house. There he introduced Charlotte to Gordon, telling the man, "Tomorrow, she is going to be helping you for a while." Gordon said little, but nodded. Back inside the house, Carleton asked, "Up or down?" Charlotte smiled. "I would be glad to learn the ins and outs of what it takes to run a household like this. Thank you for the opportunity to do so. I've always liked horses, just have little experience. Given where I've come from I suppose that's natural." She would have felt odd wandering someone's home that she was a guest in. To her, it would be the same as prying. On top of that she wanted the opportunity to spend some time with her host. Perhaps she'd learn more about him. "I do appreciate the tour, it gives us the opportunity to become better acquainted." She was in a world of her own when he took her into the garden. Never had she seen anything so magnificent in her life. They didn't explore much of it, just simply took her through to the stables and carriage house. But what she did see left her breathless. The aroma of the mixtures of plants and flowers was intoxicating. So far this was her favorite place. Charlotte imagined sitting for hours and reading a book here. "Just stunning" she exclaimed softly as they made their way through." Pleasure to meet you Gordon" she responded to his nod as they left." My mother used to say it's best to learn from the bottom up, so down." she said with a soft smile. Carleton nodded, then guided Charlotte to a nondescript doorway. Opening the door revealed a staircase. It was utilitarian, but clean. The room at the bottom was not as ornately fitted as the ones upstairs, but it was obvious it was regularly used. Activity could be heard off to one side, accompanied by the odor of cooking food. Charlotte was brought to the kitchen, where the small crew was busy preparing the next meal for the household. Carleton introduced her to some of the employees here, as it was possible, but after a few minutes, it was necessary to get out of the way. Next, he showed her the bedrooms, illustrating that, while not sumptuous, his employees enjoyed more than just a cot in a dusty corner. One bedroom door was closed, and Carleton could feel the energy flowing from behind it. Apparently someone was fucking. The sensation infused him with a warm power, courtesy of the magics he employed to curb his baser instincts. Charlotte wasn't sure what to expect when they walked down the staircase. But it was clean and seemed to be exactly the way it should be. He took her to the kitchen and introduced her to some of the employees. She greeted them kindly, thanking them for the wonderful meals they provided. She took note of who was in charge so she could arrange the meal project she had in mind. They quickly made their way out, to allow them to continue with their tasks. Not wanting to disturb or be a nuisance. The quarters for the staff were very nice. Much better than what she had assumed they would be, given the stories of people that had served before. Charlotte got on her toes and kissed Cartoons cheek. "Thank you for being such a gracious host." she said softly as the energy from her lips touching his skin flowed through her like a wildfire. She blushed a little as they made their way upstairs and move upward on the tour. "The paintings" Charlotte exclaimed. "There is such a likeness between you and your ancestors. You must have strong genes my Lord." Admiring the carvings and the architecture she talked freely with him about how delicate, precise and beautiful they were." The passion in her words for the manor could not be mistaken. She was absolutely mesmerized by its detail and beauty. It was also apparent that her comfort level with Carleton was growing exponentially. She enjoyed listening to him open up about his home. He had a way with words that registered with her on a deep level. For as forceful and defiant as she'd been when she first arrived, Charlotte was becoming more and more relaxed and cheerful as time passed. Carleton suspected some of that was due to his magics, but he hoped more than a little was because she was becoming more at ease with her new situation. There was more to see in the lower floors, but for the moment, he held off showing her. If she'd stumbled across them on her own, he'd have answered any questions she might have. As it was, he would now decide what to show. Above stairs once more, Charlotte kissed him. Energy flowed. He'd have grabbed her and drunk more of that had he not felt she wasn't ready for it." This home has been in my family for generations. Many of the furnishings came when they moved from the Continent. When they arrived, such items were all they had, but rather than sell them for the money they could have gotten, they earned in other ways." Charlotte appeared enthralled. She loved the luxury and status each piece represented, as well as the skill of the craftspeople who had created them. Upstairs, he showed her all the bedrooms, and pointed out, if she hadn't noticed already, that each bath had its own running water. The third floor was the ballroom. It wasn't enormous, but was capable of hosting events consisting of a couple dozen attendees. Here, Carleton opened a set of doors and stepped out into the day's partial light." Here is perhaps my favorite view of the city," he told her, gazing out over the buildings into the distance. "Regrettably, I can only spend a minute or two this time of day." Charlotte revealed in everything he had to show her. She listened with exuberant curiosity. It was all new to her, though she did find it a bit odd the ballroom was on the third floor. Obviously whoever had designed it had never worn a corset or shoes with wedges that required balance before. She pondered over the design in her mind and thought it would have been better if placed on the first floor with a balcony overlooking it perhaps on the second floor. She kept her thoughts to herself on this. There was probably a reason she hadn't considered. Architecture, although an interest was not something she knew a great deal about."why can you only spend a minute or two at this time of day?" she questioned then placed her hand over her mouth. "I apologize, that was rude of me. I do tend to question things without applying proper etiquette. I shouldn't have inquired on something that could have been of a personal nature. Anyway, I'm sure the night view under the stars and moon is much better and less noise ridden." Smiling softly she let a moment pause before speaking again "Thank you so much for the well guided tour, I much prefer learning from someone than coming to my own discoveries and conclusions. I should probably let you get back to your tasks." She lingered for a few moments, not really sure why she was hesitating in leaving his company. Carleton smiled at Charlotte's question, then her embarrassment at having asked." Don't be afraid to ask questions. If not for questions, one can never enlighten himself on the things he doesn't know, or remember. If you recall, I mentioned a skin condition that forces me to limit my time in the sun. And you are correct, the city is beautiful at night, but there's a vibrancy to the daytime, with all the people working, living, fucking... Although I cannot see them, I can feel their energy. It's evident in the smoke from the chimneys, the noise in the streets. All that is muted at night." There is more of the house to see, more things to discover, but I prefer you find those on your own." And while I would love to spend more time with you, at the moment, you are correct, I must attend to a few matters. Perhaps later we can meet again. In the meantime, explore. Don't be afraid to open closed doors. Nothing here will harm you, and there's nothing to be embarrassed about." He leaned over and kissed Charlotte's forehead. "For now, though, I must go. Have a good day, my dear." With that, he retreated. Charlotte said nothing, but was a bit taken back by his using the word "fucking", as if it was just thing that was of the norm. It certainly was not in her world, nor would it ever be. Of course, she was aware that some partook in the act out of wedlock. That would never be her. He also had mentioned the ability to feel peoples energy. She wondered what that must feel like. The kiss on her forehead drew her from her train of thought. She gave him a soft smile and a light curtsy and wished him well. Having already explained her feelings on exploring, she simply ignored his request to do so. She had never been fond of repeating herself. Her curiosity of went want on behind closed doors wasn't one that would lead her to open them. Carnevon, was an interesting character though. She was curious to get to know him more. Carleton knew Charlotte would not explore the house. She had already expressed a disinterest in doing so. It would mean when she learned of certain things, it might be more of a shock to her, but there was nothing to be done. One cannot be instilled with a sense of curiosity. He left her to her own devices - he did have business to attend to, as well as the need for some rest. While the magics coursing through the house helped sustain him, it did not mean he did not need to sleep, though his sleep was unlike that of the others in his house.

Destiny of Life's Circumstances -Closed|rating:4.0

Chronicles of Crusader {Dramen and Darwishi}

His feet aching and his breath heavy, Charles Conrad Jr wiped the sweat from his brow. His employer had been right about his needing to lose weight in order to be a better security guard. But then again Chuck, as he was called, had never made a practice of letting what others said bother him. Well at least not to the point of changing anything that is. Besides when your boss was one of the top guys in Rage Against Powered Entities or R.A.P.E., he really didn't have much leverage. What was he going to do fire Chuck? Then he would just go to the real cops and start talking. That is unless they killed him. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to lose a pound or two. After all then he might be able to get his hands on some of the defeated meta-bitches that came through the organization. The sound of a broom told him that the floor keeper, as the R.A.P.E. janitor called himself was nearby. When the short fairly built janitor rounded the corner he sneered at Chuck. Chuck rolled his eyes, "You know we don't have to talk right Bobby? You just do your job and I'll do mine. We both know we don't like each other. At least we can agree to hate heroines more than we hate each other right?" Chuck walked on passed and called back, "They get their new shipment in yet?"--Robert Calhoun, or Bobby said, "Not yet Chuck. Don't worry you, nor I will be seeing anything from this shipment anyway." He waited a beat then added softer, "Not that your fat ass would know what to do anyway." He meanwhile walked on sweeping the floors. They were already clean enough, but he wasn't sweeping to clean. He was sweeping to sneak his way closer to where he knew the action was about to be. Voices announced that he was close. A deep authoritative voice said, "This shipment of girls should be here by now. I need to break these meta-bitches and get them turned out in a few days." That was the local boss, Veto. His lackeys began to plead for patience as they had heard the truck was about to arrive. It should have all five recently defeated metal. They should be already defeated and bound with the only thing left being the breaking. That was the best part to watch as far as Bobby was concerned. A heavy sigh now from Veto, "I fucking swear if that bitch Crusader has interfered, yet again I will prick each and every skin cell from her dead body with my bare hands by the time I'm finished with her." A smile came to Bobby's face in spite of himself. Crusader had stopped several shipments lately or even stopped heroines from being defeated at all. She was quite simply a meta-bitch powerhouse and a meddlesome one at that. The entire R.A.P.E. organization across the world had been hit by her. She alone was making a dent in their profits. That was thereby getting her placed atop the R.A.P.E. wanted pyramid. It had also cut into bonuses which meant small fries like him and even Chuck had gotten severe pay cuts. She was a bitch that needed to be taught a lesson. A hot one with a smoking body... but a meta-bitch is a meta-bitch as Veto could be heard saying on occasion. Then the big door began to open, and he made sure he had a good seat to get a good look at the metal that were coming in already taken down. This was the fun part. Rage Against Powered Entities is adisgustingname for an organization. They trade humans, though, turn super heroines into sex slaves, they run drug trades, weapons deals, and produce their own drugs. Reports say they have hypnotists on staff, and not the kind that help you to quit smoking either. They have cash coming out of their ears from their "investors" and from the sales they do. They have contacts all over the globe, and for anyone to take them on...especially a super heroine, almost certainly spells early retirement if not a straight out death-sentence. Crusader isn't a normal super heroine. She started this twelve years ago, when she was sixteen and a good bit less powerful than she is now. Every year her power would double, though that did stop when she was nineteen, it still meant she was exponentially less strong when she'd started this business than she is now. She'd gone to school for a journalism degree, figuring that an investigative reporter could globe trot fairly easily and not have to report in to work every morning. At least, not in the traditional sense. It also allowed her to get an ear to the pulse of all criminal activity. She hadn't known it at the time, but R.A.P.E. had been in business even before she started. At the time with her barely- B-cups, and gangly teen form in spandex. Now, at 28 she's filled out, 38 D's, wide hips, a huge butt and a full figure. The downside is never having time to pick up a guy or date him. She does manage to get to a bar every now and again, use her charms and looks to find a bed-fellow for a night, but that hasn't happened in...damn, nearly a year. She should go out and have a night to herself. However tonight that's just not it. Dressed in her black body-sheathe with the blue crosses on it, her hair braided behind her, she's managed to do some good. As the men on the truck have it pull all the way in, shutting the doors behind it, they open the back of the truck and find...nothing. Not even the rope that had held the heroines. The 5'7" heroine hops out of the cab, shucking off the coveralls that covered her form up until now and leaves her in her spandex...she just settles her hands on her hips. "Not quite what you were expecting, was it?" She has that shit-eating grin on her face, and before the man closest to her can react, she's got her palm planted against his chest and sends him flying across the room." Man, this is different from your normal facilities. Is this, oh wow, I guess I just stumbled across one of your main-operations didn't I?" She gasps, grins and then breaks into high speeds. She flings men left and right, using enough force to toss them and knock them out, not enough to do any serious damage, and then zips to the next guy. Furthermore, she finds a pressure valve on one of the tanks and stops long enough to get their attention again. "You think it's a bad idea if I do this?" she grins, pinching the pipe shut with a simple squeeze of her hand, and the pressure skyrockets... Which sends most of the men scurrying like crazy. She'stoyingwith them, but she's also doing a hell of a lot of damage just by being here. She's pretty sure this will set them back quite a lot. Furthermore, she'd spent a long time trying to find it, and now...now it's just getting ripped apart, piece by piece.(Powers Alias:Crusader Height:5'7"Age/D.O.A.:28/December 6, 1984 (Date of Arrival)Weight:155 lbs. Build:Athletic Eyes:Blue Hair:Long, dirty-blonde Legal Status:World Renowned Super heroine. Most governments recognize her as a peace-keeping force. She's known not to take sides in war-type conflicts. Unless it looks like a stalemate, and she'll help to resolve it without violence. Marital status:Single Background:Faith Summers was originally born Factor of Delta Prime. A planet of a peaceful race that lives under a giant blue star which supports the ecology of several nearby planets. Delta Prime had a race of people that were governed by their wits rather than physical power or charm. In human terms they all had an average IQ of 185, well into a genius level for a human. They lived up to 300 years (similar days and nights to that of Earth). They are a relatively small race of six or seven billion to inhabit their planet while the Glauconites inhabited a world two planets away. Due to the harsh climates and the cultures on Mouton, not to mention the sheer size. The people of Mouton became a warrior race. They use, most often, sheer numbers to invade and take over planets. Mouton is a planet that's about the size of our Jupiter. And while the people of Delta Prime thought they were safe from the Bostonians, they were sorely mistaken. To make a long story short, Mouton invaded the much smaller Delta Prime (and all the other planets in that solar system) and took them over. The Deltas were used as slaves to craft better weapons for the Kilotons. But just before they invaded, the king and queen of Delta Prime (judged by their supreme knowledge, not an election process, or even bloodlines) made to escape with their newborn daughter. However, they were forced to turn back to protect their daughter's escape path before she could make it into hyperdrive. The trip took several decades to make, but a fair amount of the time was spent in suspended animation. Factor was conditioned to UV radiation to make sure that she would be well-adjusted and fit in with the other children of Earth. Finally, after 47 years of travel, the ship hit the Earth atmosphere along with the Kryptonite fragments from the Bostonian Asteroid Belt, and plummeted to Earth. Found in Montana, a couple quickly took Factor in and hid the spaceship. They raised her as their own, but renamed her to a much more Earthly name of Faith. There was nothing peculiar (save for the alien ship) about Faith. Not even as she turned one year old (after the landing in 1984). But as she crossed the two-year birthday they noticed something a little strange. Her strength and her speed seemed to double. Not a big deal at first, but as Faith got older it seemed like every time the Earth made a trip around the sun, Faith's body would double in power. In her teens she started to exhibit powers of flight. By sixteen, she'd decided to become a super heroine and help out the world. Her mom fashioned a few costumes before Faith settled on her current costume. Made from spandex mostly, but the heels of reinforced steel (at first) and then stronger and stronger alloys to stand up to the intense forces she'd be lifting. At first, it was just her hometown in Montana, but then it was the state, then the Northwest United States, then just the western half. Finally, the entire nation, continent, and then the entire world soon followed. Due to the nature of a Delta, Faith was destined to age up normally until at the peak of her body development. Which apparently occurred somewhere around twenty-five. She's filled out quite well and seems that she's going to look like she's in her late teens for the next few decades. A Delta didn't even reach a midlife crisis until 150, but with the addition of the UV radiation, and the adaptation of Faith's body. She could very well live for a thousand years....that is if she doesn't die of unnatural causes first. Abilities:Tenfold (1024 times) strength, speed, and reflexes of the strongest and fastest men in the world. Strength:1024 times the strongest man in the world. (She can bench 500 tons. And squat about double that. 747 jumbo jet=400 tons)Speed:1024 times the fastest man in the world. (23,552 mph. Approx. Mach 31. Sound moves at 761.2 mph. She can travel (at full speed) around the equator of the Earth in about 1 hr 3 minutes.) Reflexes:1024 times the fastest man in the world. (.000125 seconds, normal human is .2 seconds. Fastest man's is probably .13 seconds)Field of Impenetrability:Her body's way of keeping up with her speed and strength is to emit a slight aura of impenetrability. Thanks to this field it keeps her costume intact as well as her skin even if getting tossed into a jet engine. This field also extends over her hair and some of her shoes, though the heels often have to be made of a super strong material to help withstand her own kicks. This field also helps when she goes supersonic so that she doesn't create a vacuum that could ruin the Earth's atmosphere. Flight:Faith has the ability to fly at the same speeds in which she can run. Essentially it takes out the danger of running into something full bore, and means she can fly around the equator of the Earth in a little over an hour. Brain Activity:Faith can think on a multitude of levels at the same time. Making any average multitasker look pale in comparison. She can either think on 1024 levels of conscious thought at one time, or she can think at about 1024 times the speed of a genius from the 21st Century. There is a compromise, splitting speed and levels, although the speed is primarily used for reacting to things while she's traveling at super-speeds. This also makes it insanely tough to read her thoughts, as she might have over a thousand surface thoughts at any one time. Or they pass so quickly it's hard to keep up. CrusaderNOTE: This is what she looked like when she was first starting out. The costume has remained the same, but her body type is more like the above pictures.(~parish/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/crusadersmall.jpg)Description:She wears a full body, black, catsuit (made from spandex, save for the mask which is made of spider-silk). Across her chest is a large blue cross. The horizontal bar reaching across her chest and the vertical part leading from the neck down to the crotch of the suit. The suit also bears the blue cross on either shoulder, the horizontal bar reaching across her biceps and triceps, the vertical reaching halfway to her shoulder. Her black boots also have a similar cross, blue and around the front, ending just before the foot of the knee-high boot. Both of her gloves are black with the same cross anthem as well. Both of her gloves are black with the same cross on them as well. She has a cowl that covers the top of her head and her face sans the eyes and her jaw/mouth. To give a better idea of what it looks like, think of Batman's or Batgirl's mask without the ears coming from the top. Weaknesses:Cocky:She's incredibly cocky...even to a fault. Since she's the most powerful person on the planet she goes into quips and almost never pays attention to what's behind her. It's well warranted, but it's still a character flaw that could get her into some trouble... Need to Breathe:Whether this come in the form of drowning, throwing her out into space, or poisonous gas attacks, eventually she's got to breathe. Poison:Has to be inhaled (gas), ingested (foods, pills, liquids), or soaked through her skin (ointments, lotions, or creams). This includes teargas and mace. Psychic Attack:She has no mental shielding versus telepathy. Though reading her mind would be a headache since she thinks so much faster than everyone else. Electricity:Electricity will have a lesser effect on her than it does your typical human being. But it still packs far more of a punch than say...a baseball bat. This includes anything from tasers and taser-guns to power lines and car batteries. It really comes down to how much of a shock you want to give her. Magic:Crusader is immune to a lot of things, but magic isn't one of them. Depending on what it is that hits her it could cause anything from a slight bruise to a welt, to even a blister. Fire tends to burn, ice freeze, physical attacks hurt more, and so on and so forth. Magical electricity does not feel good... Drugs:Yet, Crusader doesn't know (nor does anyone else) that she has an aversion to Earthly drugs. The one exception to this rule is alcohol, for whatever reason she almost seems immune to its effects leaving her able to drink a bar full of men under the table. However for everything else, from cigarettes (to a lesser extent), to weed, to cocaine, to rookies she has a five to ten times worse reaction than a normal human. Even opening a bottle of chloroform near her will make her dizzy. Kloutonite:Kryptonite is actually rocks from an asteroid belt near her home planet of Delta Prime. Her spaceship passed through the belt and brought a great many asteroids with it into hyper-space. These crystals turned to meteorites in the Earth's atmosphere and slammed into the ground. Some breaking apart and landing on the surface of the earth, and various other pieces embedding themselves in the Earth's crust. Depending on how deep each piece is within the crust determines how much ultraviolet radiation it's received over the years. Some have seen none at all and appear black as obsidian. Others are bright purple like amethyst, and the rest reflect the colors in the rainbow due to how much Ultraviolet radiation they've absorbed. Below is a list of the colors and the different effects they have on Crusader.NOTE:Kryptonite is not terribly difficult for someone to get their hands on. Pawn shops and street vendors often replace the jewels in the jewelry they get with the 'fake' stones. Often they don't realize how much money the Kryptonite is worth on the black market. Or they don't realize what they have is Kryptonite. The other way to get your hands on it is to buy it off the black market. Often this is the best way to guarantee quality and that you're getting what you paid for. Though there are a few dealers that are just crazy enough to deal out something that looks similar but isn't Kryptonite at all! Violet-Has received the most radiation and is the most lethal to Crusader. It not only removes her powers, but quickly weakens her to the point of death. Which will occur after only ten short minutes of exposure. Indigo-Sometimes confused for violet Kryptonite as it has similar effects, but it will never kill Crusader. It will only weaken her until she cannot lift her own fingers. Blue-Effects the cells in her brain and the synapses as they fire and communicate with one another. If exposed to it, Crusader can only watch what she does but not interact with her body. This is a supreme way to hypnotize Crusader. Green-Disrupts the radiation absorbed by Crusader's hormones, estrogen levels, adrenal levels, endorphins, etc. She often feels slightly euphoric when exposed to it. Yellow-Messes with her nerve endings. It makes Crusader's skin extremely receptive to nerve signals which normally are severely dulled by the UV radiation. Whether it be pain or pleasure, her sense of touch is extremely sensitive. Orange-Effects Crusader's unique bodily processes to create more glucose. The common side effects are nausea, hyperactivity, and/or recklessness. Red-Red Kryptonite can cause any number of effects on Crusader. Ranging from blindness to extreme emotion swings. Due to the possibility of sending her into a "berserker" mode it's often considered too dangerous even by villains and is discarded into the depths of space as soon as it's discovered. Black-Has received no radiation though is particularly dangerous to Crusader. It absorbs the radiation closest to it, that in Crusader's cells. It removes all of her powers without letting her know that her powers have been removed. This is particularly dangerous if she's expecting that a knife won't stab her, but the Kryptonite is worn in a ring, or in the hilt of said knife. The truck arrived and the boys all got into position. Bobby watched from the floor and around a corner waiting to get a look at the new meat. Great meat it was, but it was not dead meat. Crusader, THE Crusader herself was the one who stepped off the truck. Her body was amazing in that black and blue spandex suit. The only thing more amazing than her looks were her movements. The grin and the motion were magical. The ferocity with which she struck and spun along with the pure strength was more than amazing. It was like the hand of god. Quickly he moved upward to a catwalk position. Several were down already when she crimped the pipe, and it began to do even more damage. Chaos began to ensue and everyone was running away. Everyone that is except for Veto. Veto walked calmly directly up to the powerhouse heroine. He leveled a gun at her chest and pulled the trigger. Bobby watched from his elevated spot to see what happened. A creak nearby caught his attention and he saw that Chubby Chucky was watching as well from above on another catwalk near a chemicals line. He only then noticed he was also above the vats. Veto meanwhile was cursing everything holy as he continued to shoot bullets at Crusader from point-blank range. She has her hands on her hips as Veto comes up to her with a gun in his hand. Then heshootsher. Though her reaction isn't of pain, she's not even knocked back. In those moments she may as well be the toughest metal on Earth for all the good it's doing him shooting her in the chest. Shegigglesat him. "Mmm, that tickles." She waits for him to run through his clip and tilts her head at him. "Are you done yet?" She reaches forward, her movement even faster than those bullets. So fast, that on a high-speed camera she'd make the bullets look slow. She grabs his shirt then aims to fling him clear across the room." You're bright." She quips sarcastically before turning into a blur of movement to take out the rest of the guards. She'd missed the fatso on the catwalk, but she'd get back around to him in a few seconds. It wouldn't bethatbig of a deal. Plus the fatso looked like he had a hard time walking, much less fighting or running. Probably made it hard to aim the gun he has...for all the gun would do him in the first place. At some point the truck winds up on it's side, undoubtedly due to Crusader. When she feels like the warehouse is generally clean she stops in the middle, fists on her hips. "Anyone else want to play?" Bobby was so amazed by her fighting greatness that Veto's airborne form was on him before he knew it. His body was thrown backwards into and over the back rail of the catwalk. As he fell he saw veto's body fall across a pipe that had been broken by the sheer force of the violent attack from Crusader. It wasn't a pretty sight. In fact the only thing worse than that was the open chemical vat that he was falling head first into. He wasn't sure what to think as he fell except he hoped the fall killed him.--Chuck saw the look in her eyes as Crusader looked his way and he didn't like it. He knew that look, knew it well. She was underestimating him. Thinking he was too fat and ugly to accomplish anything against her. He called out, "Hey bitch! Yeah, that's just slut I'm talking to you. Don't be too surprised when I beat your ass one day. After all superpowers don't stop a slut from being a slut. And even a fatso can have his day." He saw what had happened when Veto had shot her, but he leveled his pistol at her anyway. There were three remaining large guys all rushing her from behind at the same time. He thought maybe if he distracted her enough it would lead to them getting the upper hand." See if you can dodge these whore!" He began firing as the three large burly guys closed in at speed. "Oh that's a new one from an R.A.P.E. guard no less." She rolls her beautiful brown eyes behind that domino mask. She rests her hands on her hips as Chuck shoots off the bullets that bounce off of her chestjustlike they did with Veto. Her eyes do go wide as she sees a guy tumbling over the railing though. Just as she's about to take off, a guy jumps onto her back. It doesn't prevent her from flying, but if she goes from zero to something as slow as Mach 1 right now, he'd get his arms ripped off. "Let go!" She flies backward, slamming him into a wall, then flies to try and catch Bobby. The split second though, that it takes to slam the other guy and get him to let go...that's the difference in her getting to Bobby on time." No!" He splashes into the chemicals and she flies overhead. "Dammit!" She turns, facing Chuck then flies right at him. Pissed, she slams a fist into him...a lot lighter than she'd wanted to. He'd still go flying across the warehouse, towards another set of vats. As she flies after him, to catch him and sling him around, she's met with a well-timed flash bang exploding in her face. "Hugh!" She crashes into, and through several crates then gets up and tries for her rescue of Chuck, but it's way too late, by the time she looks up, he's already creating a splash in the vat. She grits her teeth, grabbing the first crate she sees and flings it into a group of guards. She finishes off the few she finds left, tying them up with their own cuffs and zip ties, then depositing them outside. Furthermore, she suspects whoever is running the place will probably make it explode, rather than allow it to fall into the hands of Crusader and the cops. Furthermore, she waits outside for the authorities to arrive, grimacing at the loss of life in there. Furthermore, she needs to go home and get laid, it'd take her mind off of it. Though from what she's heard she might be too busy to do all of that. Which is really about par for the course. Chuck cursed his wasted and worthless co-workers. Gods they couldn't even ambush her while he distracted her. Then he saw her flying away and... "Oh shit!" Did Bobby really just fall into that giant chemical vat? And Veto... well that takes care of him, he thought. His knee pain wouldn't let him take that quick step that he had planned to be his genius escape as he saw her flying towards him now. Whether ducking and flattening himself onto the deck was looked at as genius by others he didn't know, but it was planned to work. It mattered not, however. Her fist struck him like a tree trunk jabbed into his body end first. The incredible speed she flew with and the power of her punch were only trumped in his mind by the sickening thought that he figured she didn't even use her full strength to punch him. Thoughts were a funny thing when you were flying out of control across a large warehouse. It wasn't his life he saw flashing before his eyes or anything like that. It was only one thing he felt. Rage. Pure hatred and rage towards this Meta-bitch who had probably just killed him. Pain exploded as he crushed into a pipe and then fell. He was too dazed to know what was happening next until he fell into some liquid. All the rage in the world didn't matter now. He knew he was drowning in something... and would surely soon die. Bobby's overriding thought was the sheer shock that he was having thoughts at all. At first, he had known that he was dead. But then he wasn't. Something had happened to stop the liquid from coursing through his body and throat and veins. It seemed suddenly that his body was somehow transporting the chemicals out of his body as soon as they arrived into it. Soon he was able to open his eyes thanks to the chemical being transported away from them. He smiled and though he didn't know how long it had been now... he knew he not only was not dead... he was more alive than ever. Chuck was drowning... his gulps of chemicals were burning his insides, and it felt like he would burn alive before they liquid killed him. Suddenly he felt the vat swing after he heard an explosion from somewhere nearby. Before he realized it the chemical vat overturned and poured its contents and him out onto the floor. He coughed loudly and stood on shaky legs. He went from astonishment at being alive to embarrassment. Furthermore, he was... what the hell? His dick was hard, but it was at least twice the size it had been his entire adult life. He didn't know why, but it must have something to do with the shit she threw him into... which no doubt was also why he smelled so badly. Right now he heard sirens and just wanted to escape. Escape he did as did Bobby some distance away... they were the only two to escape to freedom. After the police and their paddy wagons show up she darts into the sky and starts flying back towards home in Empire City. Her blonde hair whips in the wind, her black tights shiny and reflecting the pale moonlight off of her generous curves. She keeps and ear on her communicator, one that tells her of activity in the area that may require her attention. Whether that's an attempted rape, mugging, or some crazy rampaging monster, she gets it on her comm. She's almost back, about halfway between Imperial City and Empire City when she gets a call about a wooded area and a few girls going missing. "No rest for the weary." She sighs and heads that way. As she lands at the local town's sheriff's station, she gets debriefed on what's going on. Then she's in the woods, walking this time as she moves through the woods as the trees bend and bow overhead. The crisp fall air strokes her cheeks as she moves along. There are a lot of roots around here and enough moonlight to not need a flashlight. She's headed out towards a cave, her brown eyes focusing up ahead as she sees some kind of glow coming from it. Her heels crunch over the roots and dead leaves on the ground until she gets to the cave. About ten feet tall, and almost looking as if it had been recently dug by something man-made. She enters, following the greenish glow as it gets brighter and brighter. The roots get heavy on the ground again, and she can see a pit up ahead where the glow seems to be coming from. Furthermore, she can hear the whimpering of several women and college-aged girls. Then, as she turns the corner into the cavernous room, she sees them hanging up on the wall. All of them are gagged with roots, held up with more. She slips slightly, catching her balance then kneels down. Even before she touches her fingers to the ground she can feel the goofy wetness on her knee. Then one of the roots...well it feels too mushy to be a root, and it moves. "What in the hell?" The tree like tentacles all extended back to a large stump like ball of a near solid bulbous head filled with gasses and liquids of all terrible kinds. What seemed like tree limps or tree roots here and there across a wide area were actually all tied into the same creature. It was created for horror and more importantly to fulfill the task which it was presented. Quite simply its job was to entrap or otherwise detail any female that wandered nearby and fill her with so much gas and sickening liquid that she quickly became little more than a limp mindless sex noodle for the creatures creators. They of course were the higher members of the Global sector of R.A.P.E. No one knew of this connection yet however. Just that the horrid being been terrorizing females whenever they crossed its path. Now the most tasteful and powerful feeling female it had ever seen was gracing its extended tentacles. It was so profoundly taken aback that as soon as she stopped and touched it, it had to attack. Quickly its tentacles wrapped around her thighs and crawled upwards towards her nether regions. While this was happening two tentacles hung behind her head and released gasses that would make a normal female weak and slightly turned on. It could barely wait to see the effect the attack would have on the strong female. "What the--?" Crusader reaches down andripsthe tentacles off of her legs. She quickly stands up, turning to get out of there and regroup when two more tentacles spray her in the face with some kind of drugs. She coughs, reaches up, and rips them from the ceiling. "Yeah, that's not going to work." She grins, spins back around and moves towards the bulbous head of the thing. She attacks it with one mighty punch, but it hardly does anything. Her brows furrow under that domino mask, and she takes another swing at it. She feels her skin light up with sexual desire, her head suddenly feeling cloudy. She drops to her knees, and then falls onto her side. "H-how is this happening?" She moans her body feeling sweatband so horny. "This...can't happen to melee." She moans feeling the cum-like substance soak into the side of her suit and coat her hair and face... The creature was sentient enough to know that having such a super powerful being on the ground and beginning to be coated in its juices was an opportunity not to pass up. One tentacle it shrank down thin enough to snake down into her costumed. Once it tried to force down her throat while one tried to work its way through her costume into her large ass. Still several others hung overhead like shower heads raining a cum like substance down on her body, coating her in it. She immediately shuts her lips tight as the one tentacle starts to probe around her mouth, poking and prodding to gain its entry. As another snakes its way into her suit she squirms and writhes, trying to get her hands on it. Yet as it slips between her large ass globes then pushes up into her ass she yelps, allowing the one at her mouth entry as well. "HARRUMPH!" Her brows furrow as she cries out, being soviolatedby the monster. The next thing that happens is so disgusting she'll wish she could forget it. Several large tentacles from above start shooting out large, thick ropes of cum all across her body. As soon as the warm, gooey liquid passes through her fingers and the smell hits her nostrils...she knows exactly what it is. She gags hard both because of the throat-penetrating tentacle and because of the disgusting cum raining down on her from above. I have to get out of this! She finds, in a moment of desperation, that she onlyfeelsweak. Rather than actuallybeingweak. Her teeth chomp down on the tentacle in her mouth, severing it completely. She gags and spits it back up, then reaches for the one in her suit, where it enters at the only place it can, next to her cheek. She wraps her fingers around it and yanks on it hard, yanking the thing out of her suit. Furthermore, she then picks herself up, albeit on shaky legs and with a foggy mind." Alright you son of a bitch monster." She jumps into the pit where the main body of it seems to be and starts punching it as hard as she can, even as more tentacles come up to try and stop her, first by trying (and failing) to restrain her powerful arms, then by rubbing her in all the right places. She'd leave here hornier than a virgin, catholic school girl, but as long as she kills this thing she doesn't really care. Furthermore, she'll fly home...and hope that she doesn't run across anything else. In the end the tentacled monster's squish of death could be heard from miles around. It was sentient but could not speak of course. If it could its last words would have been, "It was all worth it..."--It seemed like eons since Chuck pulled his way out of the chemicals. Another time and another life had passed away since then. He was different now. Dare he think it as he looked at himself in the mirror, reincarnated? He was sure different that much was sure. The man in the mirror told the story. The girth and ugliness was definitely still there. Gone however was the crooked stance from bad knees and the pained expression from pain. He stood tall and proud on strong legs. Somehow his transformation had allowed his leg strength to surely double. Just for kicks he extended his new and improved organ, his most proud part of the transformation, his cock. Somehow he now was doubled in size and could shoot gooey cum out any moment he wanted to, and it was powerful enough to plow through steel walls. Thankfully as he continued to work with his new abilities he figured out how to lessen the flow and manipulate it even. He needed to get some practice on some dumb chick somewhere. A look-up to his face he saw the unfortunate part of the change. His skin had turned from the pasty white it was to a sick looking greenish color with dark green veins visible through his new skin. Ah, he would get used to it eventually. It did remind him of the meddlesome super that did this to him though. He would work to hone and tone his skills and as soon as he found Crusader again... it would be her ass that got the bad end of the exchange. He worked a belch up and released the horrible smelling fumes that had already taken out one delivery man. Furthermore, he had collapsed on the spot when the gas hit him. A fairly hot chick that was running for some office of service in the city had become the next test subject. She was rendered helpless by his cock up her ass as she turned away. He had simply walked with her impaled on his organ back into the house and annihilated her body and mind. She would be needless to say not be continuing to run for office. All in all he was very proud of his new self except for his new skin. Now he only needed to find Crusader. Bobby was still in the vat of chemicals after everyone else had left. Soaking in his amazing new abilities... just wait until the Crusader got a load of him... After the monster's defeat, Crusader gets the girls down that had been tied up in the cave. She rushed them back to town, made sure they got back safely to the hospital, then took off before anyone could see her cum-drenched form. It'disgusting. The cum got into her mouth, sprayed all over her body, and now that she's flying back to one of her secure locations...it'drying. She shoots through the night sky so fast that no one can see her, heading back into the main city and setting up in her penthouse. She takes her suit off, throwing it into the washer, the boots set to the side for cleaning a little later. Her now-nude form steps into the blazing-hot shower. She brings her tooth brush and toothpaste in with her, first doing that before rinsing her hair out, scrubbing the shampoo through her long, blonde hair, and then doing it three or four more times. Finally, she pulls a rag over her body, scrubbing so hard that she'd normally turn pink...if she were a normal girl.Finally, she exits, feeling a little bit better. She quickly brushes her hair and throws on a pair of yoga pants and a pink tank top. She flips on the TV and freezes. Furthermore, she can see her favorite candidate running for mayor impaled on a man's cock. Green skin and veins, she'd apparently been out on a run around the block, clad in only a sports bra and running shorts when he'd taken out her security and shoved himself up her very fine ass. Vera Kali is a Hawaiian native with bronzed skin and hair so black that it shimmers violet in the right lights. She has deep dark pools of brown or black that can stare straight into someone's eyes and make them want to cry for their mother. Her ass is tight and firm, even a little big for her heritage, her breasts are perky and firm for her age, large as well. She's about 5'8" and she used to put on a bodysuit and run around kicking ass alongside Crusader. She'd given it up when they'd decided that someone needed to take office that both had the brains and the looks to get elected. Night Panther had dressed up in a sturdy material, but it fit like spandex to her form. She'd uses her enhanced senses and agility plus no modest amount of martial arts skills to take on the low lives of Empire city. And now, her alter ego is being walked down a sidewalk with a cock so deep in her ass that she can't fight her way out. His thick, slimy arms wrap around her body, his fat nearly engulfing her entirely as her face contorts in pain. The guy taking the video is either with him, or one stupid guy. It's from a handy-cam, not a professional news camera. The news just got a hold of it and is running with it like they always do. No one knows she's Night Panther, but if this guy is going to her home. And it appears he is, it would only be a matter of time before he found out. Crusader breaks out of her reverie and darts to her closet full of spare costumes. She throws another bodysuit over her firm form, and then darts out the window. She's at Vera's house in no time flat but when she gets there all is quiet and dark. Furthermore, she slips in through a back window to the master bedroom. The stench of B.O. hits her, and she shakes her head, throwing a hand over her mouth and nose. Her sharp stilettosclickagainst the hardwood floors as she makes her way through the house, keeping her eyes out for anything peculiar. She's starting to wonder if they even came back here. Besides the B.O. she's not hearing the sounds of sex or of a fight...just, nothing at all. But if they're not here, why does stinks bad? Her hips are in full swing as she continues to move from the bedroom out into the hallway that overlooks the living room below. She's alert, eyes scanning, and as she turns on a light she can feel out it makes her suit shimmer, highlighting all her wondrous curves injustice right way. The way her suitraspseach time she places one foot in front of the other. And then it hits her. She'd left in such a hurry she forgot to get herself off, that gas still lingers in her system, clouding her mind slightly. Finally, she stops in the hallway, spreading her feet shoulder-width apart, and placing her hands on her shapely hips." I know you're in here! Show yourself, you fiend!" With each step Chuck took he seemed to impale the sexy mayor candidate that much more onto his cock. He held her hair with one hand as he walked and didn't even care to notice the fool taking video footage of the attack. He was on a mission. Furthermore, he had gained the information of where she lived and was now walking there. Once there he simply burst into the door and took the sexy dark haired beauty to a bedroom. His cum oozed from her lips and down her chin, onto her chest and cleavage as he tossed her onto the bed. She rolled weakly onto her back and he took a long look. Her body was accentuated beautifully by the spandex in her jogging clothing but something else was more beautiful and interesting. It seemed that her skin while still tanned and perfect had taken on a slightly green hue. Curious and more than hot for the would-be mayor elect, he slid her top up and over her ample breasts then off over her head. She was weak as she moaned resistance and her large breasts lolled to the side perfectly. He ran a finger along her rib cage and gripped her pants with both hands. Her nice pussy was then revealed shaved clean except for a very nicely trimmed v of short hair. The same green hue was just barely visible all over. He flipped her over again onto her stomach and glared at that hot ass. What a great choice he had chosen for his first test subject of any value. He mounted her with zero hesitation and instantly began to fill her again with his cum while raping her for all he was worth. The moans that came from her were less aggressive in their hostility than when he had first entered but still there was something there of resistance. Curious he pulled her by the hair and belched loudly into her face. A green fog swam across the air current to her nose and was inhaled with her next breath at his next plunge. It didn’t take long and the effect was clear. Her moans were changing to sweet and hungry longings for more. Her body was pumping back into his cock, and she was releasing her own white cum to mix with the mess of his gooey greenish variety that he had chosen. On and on he plunged loving the arch of her back and the sound of her screams. Soon though he heard something from outside. Quickly and cursing the police or whoever dared interrupt him he looked around for a closet or bathroom. A door off to the right side of the room was open and appeared to be a closet. He lifted the defeated official from her own bed which was now covered in his ooze and hers as well and took her to the closet. He moved her inside and flipped on the light. Furthermore, he needed to find something to bind her hands and gag her with. What he found shocked him to his core though. There were pantyhose of many kinds in a pile to one side. But what there also was been a gathering of costumes. Not just any costumes either. He looked back down to his captive and quickly bound her wrists even tighter than he had planned to before. After a gag of her pan pantyhose he stood and marveled at who he had actually defeated. Vera Kali mayoral candidate was also Night Panther. Another sound from now inside the house grabbed his attention again. Damn if he wouldn’t kill the son of a bitch that dared break up his show of strength. He slid from the room and waited in a dark hallowed closet in the hall. From here he would be able to hide and get the jump on… His thoughts stopped still at the sight of her. Clad in her on black and blue crossed costume he ached for her curves and was drawn to her plumb round bubble butt. As he lived and breathed it was Crusader herself. She had apparently somehow found out about the attack and no doubt knowing who the woman actually was run to make the save. Oh, but little did she know what she was actually about to get. He sleeked his way from to hallow and quietly snuck up behind her. She took on the perfect pose that was even accentuated by the lights in a beautiful way. Thankful now more than ever for the apparent healing of his bad knees he got to within feet of her and sprang his cock forward. Bulging and green veined it found a target quite easily as he nailed Crusader up her sweet ass. The feel of his large green oozing member would be the first she felt or heard of him. And what a surprise he knew that would be. Just content to see what she did he watched her body language as he filled her body through her sexy suit – readying a cloud of gassy belch in case he needed it. Her eyes narrow. Someone that big had to have a thunderous foot fall, something that would alert her thesecondthat he made a move for her. She places her hands on the railing in front of her, bending slightly as she looks over the room below her. She'll land one blow to his fatty jaw and then it'd be over. What's disturbing to her though is that she doesn't hear anything from Vera, it's like she's unconscious or possibly even dead. She rids the second option from her mind when her nose catches a whiff of something. The B. O! She hears the creak of boards behind her, and she spins, or rather she tries. The dick slams into one butt cheek, then slides between them. "No, RUNNING!" The fat bastard's cock slams up into her ass, lifting her off the ground as his massively thick hands grab onto her tits. She starts to take off when the freakburpsin her face. She gags, coughing hard and stops trying to fly, as his thick, fatty folds press into her back, her toes barely able to reach the ground. Her ass clenches around him, hard enough to rip a normal man's cock off, however his super dick manages to weather it with no problem. Then...then she can feel him pumping inside of her, pulling her ass off of his cock until just his head is inside of her before violently thrusting forward again and spewing thick, chunky, green loads into her system. "UGH! Get off of me you bastard!" His hands sink from her breasts to her lovely hips, her hands clutching the railing as he lets her feet touch the ground, he rocks his hips backwards and then shoves forward again. Crusader can feel her mind start to fog over, feel like it's full of cotton balls. "NRRRNNNGH, stop, stop!" Oh god, she's so horny and it's getting worse. So much worse as her sex gets wet and the royal blue at her crotch turns dark. "Mnnnnghh, oooohnnnngh." Heaven help her, she'senjoyinggetting ass raped! Chuck watches as the incredibly strong body of Crusader slowly relaxes. His mind fogging gas that she inhaled was working. He was unsure if the great Crusader could be effected by such attacks. As he let her feet touch the ground and heard such a soft but obvious moan escape moments later it was clear the gas was doing not only what he had expected but even more. His fingers sunk into her hips, and he increased the pace of his reaming of the world's greatest heroine. His other hand planted onto and again massaged her breast. Using it he pulled her back to him and allowed more gas to belch out as he whispered into and licked her ear, "I know that feels good to you doesn't it?" He then made a stronger move. With the hand on her hips he grabbed her arm from the rail and jerked it behind her back. Spinning he lasted her small frame against the wall covered almost completely by his nasty fat rolls. He allowed her to struggle as he pinned her to the wall with his girth and raped her ass even harder. She's ripped up from the railing and unlike with the tentacles, the gas isn't making herfeelweak, it's just making her weaker. Her incredibly hips roll back into his cock as he grabs and holds onto her breast with his chubby hands. The hand alone isn't enough to cover her breast, or it wouldn't be, but the several-hundred pound man's fat is making up for the difference. Pressed to him now she can feel his sweat slicking the back of her costume, and suddenly he shifts and slams her body into the wall. His folds almost liquefy filling in every crevasse and every ridge, flowing around her lithe frame and molding to her body. She can feel his fat, stinky, and sweaty body touching everyinchof her back, sides, and neck, covering her legs with his own and that cock...still shoved up her ass." Let me go you...ggaaaakk." She gags and gag shard, nearly losing her lunch due to the stench. She jerks her head away as he licks her ear, suckling upon her lobe and his quintuple chin molding along her neck, coating her hair. His hips move back and forth hard, slamming her into the reinforced wall with each one, her ass jiggles with each thrust, and each thrust brings with it more and more ropes of thick, slimy cum. "Go to hello--kkkkk." She gags, and this time feels somethingcrawlingup her throat. It's like the most disgusting thing she's ever tasted, combined with mold, and what she imagines larvae would taste like...basically bug guts. She tries to hold it down, knowing full well that as soon as it hits her tongue she's going..."*WREEEEEEEEEEEEEETCH*" She feels the chunks slide over her tongue, and out of her mouth, hitting the wall and sliding down her breasts. As she sees it, she can see a thick, milky andfuzzyolive greenliquidsliding down the wall. It haschunksand it tastes like... hi scum. She gags as another load comes up, this time holding her lips shut so tight that it comes out of her nose before it makes her puke again. As he fills her up and continues the process he'd be able to see her brown eyes become a glowing green, the whites of her eyes turning that milky/moldy color. The veins in her neck also start turning green. She twitches and turns into his cum fountain as he continues to completely and utterly rape his helpless victim. The most powerful person on the planet... Crusader. Scratch that...second most powerful person on the planet. The feeling of his sweaty fat rolls engulfing Crusader is more than he can even describe. She is wakened and cannot move. Crusader is completely at his mercy. His cum flows freely through her system filling her totally with his chunky green cum. He was even surprised to see not only her eyes glowing green but also her veins could be seen through her skin beginning to get green as well. This was even better than he thought he could do. It made him surge harder and pump more goop into her. The fumes that weakened her and turned her on he now let seep from his pores and even his sweaty skin was now turning her on he would think. He reached one hand around and began to rub some of the entire combined glop all over her face and even tried to force it into her mouth if possible. His cock now rammed into her as his fatty rolls sloshed around her body. She was in effect suspended in his bubble of ass raping and sweaty girth swallowing power. Still more he pumped into her thinking that it was time for more nasty stinky sweat to secrete from his pores and carry her even more to being his helpless sex toy. She flushes as his sweat starts to secrete some of the same aphrodisiacs from before. But instead of a pink hue hitting her cheeks it's green. Even her lips are turning green, her creamy skin? Green. He gathers the cum that's pooling between her and the wall, coming out of her mouth, and then he shoves it back in. She squirms and writhes as he pinches her nose and his hands form a seal over her mouth. As her forces more up into her mouth and forces her to hold it there. She coughs and gags, but he holds her still making her feel the chunks moving through her mouth, hitting her teeth and making it feel like she hasn't brushed inheres. As his sweat slicks her spandex sheathed body she can feel the fog hazing over her mind more and more, making her think of little more than the rape, than sex. She can't breathe with the way he's holding his cum in her mouth, getting to that lukewarm state as she tries to swallow, but he keeps her too full for that. With the cum all over her face, and now being brushed into her hair she can only gag in protest, although her body is beginning to outwardly say something entirely different. Her hips roll back into his cock, her crotchachesandburns. Her tits, pressed painfully against the wall become perky, and her nipples hard. And through all of that rubbing his cum all over her face, his thumb hooks her domino mask and peels it off! She writhes helplessly, Chuck will undoubtedly recognize the hottest girl from his high-school class. Fayth Powers. He's stalked her ever since graduation which means he knows exactly where she lives! The emotion and the power that surged into him from knowing he had defeated the world's most powerful heroine was almost so great that he didn't notice that he had removed her domino mask. At first, he thought to instantly rub his hands through her hair and further coat her in his cum and sweat. Then however he saw who she was. It was hard to be sure because of the green effect but when he looked closer he was certain. "Faith Powers?!? I'm raping and fucking the brains out of Faith Powers?!? OH my GOD!!!" He was in action even faster the instant he knew. Quickly he turned her body around so that he could face her but also squished her against the wall again with his fat. Then he plunged his cock into her pussy. All of his life he had wanted and stalked Faith Powers. Now he had her. The fact that he defeated Crusader suddenly took a back seat to defeating Faith. Fast and hard he pumped his cock into her pussy and kissed her lip to lip. While he kissed her he let loose the juiciest nasty burp that he could manage. It allowed the gas to pump directly into her mouth and down her throat. He pulled back and loved the gazed blank stare in her glowing green eyes. "Finally I have surpassed you as the greatest super on the planet. The fact that you want my fat cock right now confirms it. Let me hear your moans!!" As he says her name she can only moan a weak protest. She bats her hands against him as he pulls her around, a brief respite from being encapsulated by his jiggling fatness before he slams back into her. This time using her tight, nigh-virgin pussy. "AUUUUGH!" He rips into her forcing her legs apart and up to straddle his waist, his fat drooping over her muscular thighs as she cries out in pain as he rapes her again and again. As he pulls away from the wall this time his fat molds over her back, completely encasing her hot body in his only her head visible and from her ankles down on her boots. He bounces her on his cock, her inner walls spasming and clamping down on him. She's trying to breathe when he clamps his lips over her own. This time she can feel it rumble from inside of him. Her brows furrow as she smells thentasteshis disgusting burp. It's shoved not into her lungs but into her stomach. Her belly grows from all the air shoved into it, and as he releases her lips her belly returns to normal but nothing releases through her mouth. "Innings." she groans, pains shooting through her abdomen, but then it goes away, at least for now. Her eyes become glazed over and her head lulls forward as her lips part. "Unnnnngh." She moans, mewling as he continues to fuck her hot, tightlittle pussy. Really, if she didn't want this, then why does she wear such a tight spandex suit? Fact is, Crusaderdeservesthis for being such a hot little tease! His fat now holding her completely engulfed within itself it was almost like he had become a creature instead of an overweight man. He heaved her off of and back down onto his cock with a masterful rhythm. Each time he slammed perfectly against her g spot and brought wave after wave of pleasure down upon her awesome body. He loved the lull as her head weakly moved from side to side. She really was his. At least for now for a little while she was totally defeated, and he could force her to do whatever he wanted. And what he really wanted was for her to admit she wanted this. He pumped into her for several minutes enjoying her facial expressions and her moans of pleasure. Sensing time for a change he heaved her up and literally splashed down onto her. She was flattened onto the floor and smothered by his girth. For a solid minute he stayed there before he stood to his knees. He then raised off of her and pulled her hard upward to a standing position. Once she was there he stood back and watched again. "Ah, ah, AAAAA!" She cries out as he continues to pump into her body. Finally, he jumps down on her, and it feels like her tits just got smoothed into A-cups. She yelps in pain as he fucks her there for a minute and finally lifts and sets her standing. She stumbles away a couple of steps and slowly the color returns to her face. Furthermore, she glares up at him, her eyes draining of green, but not returning to their natural brown color. Instead, they take on more of a dark blue. She raises her head. "You bastard!" She sprints at him, but stops as she gets right up on him."INNINGS!" It's like someone invisible just punched her in the gut as she doubles over, her cheek pressed up against his considerable belly, just below her chin, his cock hangs free. She furrows her brows, managing to shove herself back up, standing straight again. She grits her teeth in pain, but manages her heroic, fists on hips pose. "You're going to..."*PRRRRRBBBBBBBBBBTTTTT* Crusader's mouth opens in horror as the gas that he'd burped down her throat escapes out her other end. Green slime shoots out of her big ass and down her shapely legs. She furrows her brows as another releases and another. The smell is even worse than what he'd burped down, or cummed up her ass. Her fists fall off of her hips and her mouth hangs open as she slouches forward. Another rips through her body, and she's held over, her arms now over her stomach as another fart rips through her lissome frame, his thick cock hanging and brushing the tip of her slightly up-turned nose. She drops to her knees, the member of malemeathanging in front of her face." Please...please stop this." He glared at the defeated Crusader, "Stop this? You want it stopped now?" He reached down and grabbed a handful of hair and forced her to look up to his disgusting face, "You started this sweet cheeks. Don't you remember? You created me. You started this, and now you want me to stop it?" A sick smile came to his sickly green face, "I will tell you how to stop it. I'll even let you stop it yourself Crusader." He grinned as more farts came from her and more slimy goo oozed down her thighs. He teased the end of her nose with his large super cock. "You want it stopped? Take me cock down your throat. Suck me off until I say to stop, or you pass out. Do your best sucking and best job you can, and it might flush all the other goo out. But you have to suck me off great and willingly." He smiled another smile and belched again letting the oozing gas fill the air beneath her nose, "You probably want to and deserve a big cock like this now anyway don't you, Crusader?" He released her hair and let her choose knowing he could force her to and would if she refused. Also, he knew it would make her want his cock even after she recovered from this. At least he thought it would. She furrows her brows as he mentions her creating him. She had no she...it's that guy...that fell in the vat! Her eyes get wide at the realization but after the ass rape and vaginal rape, she can scarcely think of anything to say. He wasn't thatfatbefore was he? When he says her name though, it snaps her out of her reverie. It's like her name is bad word. Something your parents tell you not to say as a kid. Her suit is covered in his thick, green slime and as she sits back on her heels, her knees pressed into the ground, she looks straight ahead at that cock. Would hereallystop if she just sucked him off? It's so tempting. Her eyes glaze over again as he rubs the head of it across her bottom lip. Her lips part instinctively, and she moves her head forward so that her lips circle his shaft. Furthermore, her tongue licks over the disgusting member, and she gags, coughs and pulls back. She wants a cock so bad, but his...is disgusting Ottoman levels. Even with as horny as she is, she still doesn't want to suck him off. "N-no. I'll névé--rrrggggglkkk!" Her grabs her once-blonde tresses...now more green...and shoves his cock deep into her throat. Her gloved hands bat against his hips as her nose is crushed against his pelvis. "Harrumph!" She tries to bite down, but it doesn't work. He just keeps humping her face, turning her to the wall and thrusts into her head hard enough to slam it into the wall. He pulls back and does it again and again, his fat practically suffocating her. As he yells down at her, telling her that shelikesit, she gets wet. "Triumph! Harrumph!" She lets her hands fall away, the belch forcing her to put a hand between her legs to start fingering herself. She pushes a chunk of his slime up against her suit, and fingers herself faster and faster until finally she tenses up andcreamsherself. Of course, by that time he starts shooting his chunky and fuzzy loads down her throat, shooting her stomach so full that it starts shooting out of her nose and mouth. She wishes she could just pass out already, but her stamina is too great. He could fuck her fordaysand she still wouldn't pass out. "MMMNNNRRMMPH!" She's pissed, but she can't do a damn thing about what he's doing to her...nor can she stop having so many multiple orgasms! Why did she find rape so disgusting before? She honestly can't remember. She's in this tight little suit, shewantedit to happen. Even if she didn't, she definitelydeservesto have this happen to her. She's such atheist the bad guys! After what felt like competing time frames of seconds and forever Chuck pulled his sloppy cock from Crusader's mouth. He led her to the floor, "Why don't we find a way to get this pesky costume off of you, huh?" After moments of searching for how to lower the costume or remove it Chuck found the way. He would almost swear she directed him to the correct place as if she wanted him to remove it. With care to glare at her incredible body he removed the costume and tossed it to the side. Once free from it, he lifted her and held her by only her hair for a long moment looking into her eyes. "We need to give you another dose of green." He spun her around and plunged his cock into her ass. Deeply he shoved himself as she was impaled upon him just like Night Panther had been. He walked with her as he held her and raped her by using her breasts as leverage and as another way to arouse her. On he filled her until he began to see green everywhere. What came from her mouth dripped down her chest and between her tits. He used his hands to smear the messy goop all over her nude body as he filled her like a fountain and walked towards the closet where Night Panther was still hopefully defeated. He could think of all kinds of fun to be had on this day. There's a wet, sucking*SLOOP*sound as he pulls himself out of her mouth and throat. At best, she looks dazed after the brutal face fucking, at worst she kind of looks like she might pass out. He shoves her to the floor next, pinning her long, coltish legs beneath his immense weight. Her hands press up into his chest, but they seem to just get absorbed by the immense fatty flesh. "Stop it, stop!" She cries out, feeling like a helplessgirlrather than the strongestwomanon the planet. After he feels up her front for a zipper, he flips her over and finds it along her back. He unzips it, and peels the costume off of her shoulders, down her toned biceps, her back and over her huge rump. He unzips her boots and tosses them to the side, peeling the suit all the way off of her toes, leaving Crusader completely in the nude. The natural creamy color has nearly returned to her skin, rather than the green color that had stretched across her body before. She could feel her strength coming back. Then he mentions the green, his whitefish green cum. "No, no!" She starts to crawl away, but he snags an ankle and drags her back to him. He falls on top of hercrushingher lithe body to the floor as his fat rolls around her, completely engulfing her this time and making it impossible to breathe. She can feel his cum again, shooting up into her stomach and then up her throat. She gags under him, the stench of his body more than she can take, but as the chunky cum tries to force its way out, instead his fat forces it's way into her mouth. After what seems like hours, and really just seconds, he pulls her up, grabbing her by her large tits and walking her over to a closet. Of course by this point he's coated her in his thick, chunky cum and more and more pours out of her mouth and nose by the second. When he opens the door to find his other defeated girl. He finds instead nothing. Night Panther has made her return, although she's not about to tell him that. Her shiny dark blue spandex is highlighted by the thigh-high black boots, the black sash around her curvy hips, and the black domino mask with cat ears attached to the top of her head. She'd felt good about her escape up until she saw her best friend Crusader get impaled by that cock. She'd gotten raped and humiliated and Panther just watched. As he burped and cummed and crushed her with his body, Panther could only feel the heat rise in her crotch. The svelte heroine had to retreat. She comes back as Chuck opens the door and finds her not there. She drops from the ceiling, grabbing his stringy black hair and as she yanks on it, it just slides through her fingers...too greasy to hold onto. "No..." She gasps. He shoves Faith off of his cock, and he turns to the panicked Asian beauty."Oh, yes." He grins and burps loud, long, and hard right in the beauty's face. Her face contorts in disgust as he grabs her arms and her black hair whips up in the wind created by his rancid breath. He shoves his tongue down her throat. She struggles in his strong grip, and then he grabs a hold of the costume andshredsit off of her fine frame. The now-nude heroine gasps as she's tossed into door frame and falls across Faith's nude body. As he takes Faith back up by the hair she groans in defeat. Sexy...hot, raped defeat. "AAAAA!!!" A primal yell bellowed from Chuck as he tossed one nude heroine across the room to the other one. He felt like right now he could defeat enough of them to create his own harem. Still though he was no fool. Though he only recently gained physical abilities he had always been smart. No one just cared to take the time to notice. He walked over to Night Panther and Crusader and pulled Night Panther up and off of Crusader by the hair." Now it's time for everyone to take notice!" he spat through clinched teeth. Reaching down he lifted Crusader and Night Panther up and carried them over to the bed. First he tossed the weakened Crusader down on her back and spread her legs. Then he gave Night Panther a nice belch of gas and tossed her on top of Crusader where now they were lying tit to tit nude. He smiled widely as he stood over their writhing bodies. This was going to be fun... He crawled up and lowered his girth on top of both of them. His now seeming supernatural fat rolls shaped and moved to nearly enclose both hot heroines as if they were part of his own body. He held them tightly together with his fat alone and then picked a hole. Night Panther was first up, and he plunged his cock deep into her ass. He moved fast back and forth raping her and also moving her body erotically against Crusader's in the process. More sweat from his nasty body oozed out and coated the two heroines carrying the same kind of fumes his burps did. He pushed his seed deep into Night Panther's system until she puked up directly into and onto Crusader. With Night Panther sufficiently greened he pulled out and inserted himself into Crusader's hot plump ass. In the same way he filled her as he raped her. Adding more gas he whispered to the two defeated heroines, "You two always did want to fuck each other, didn't you? Why skirt the issue ladies? I will never tell what sluts you really are!" His evil laugh punctuated his victory as he watched Crusader lose her load of greenish white cum all overnight Panther. Crusaders tossed back and onto the bed, her tits jiggling as she comes to a stop. Then Vera is tossed on top of her and they're pressed breast-to-breast with one another. Both dazed and tired, though, they can scarcely think of moving, much less escape by the time the fat and obscenely obese man covers them with his fatty rolls. Crusader feels the tanned, Asian vixen's body begin to rock on her own then she looks green, and pukes the cum all over her face. Crusader gags and spits some out as it gets into her mouth. It takes a few minutes, but she feels that cock enter her, and before long she's shooting cum up into Vera's face. Several minutes of this and he finally relents telling them to make love, and she ravishes her friend's mouth, grabbing her ass and making out with her. Before long she gets into a 69 position with her and eats her former-lover out. She cums first and hard, nearly passing out after about an hour of fucking one another's brains out. Vera's out, Crusader's new blue eyes are half shut for a few seconds before they finally roll up into her head. Out like a light. The scene was more than a gift. It was something he never thought he would have been able to do, and it was something he would never forget. After they both had passed out he took them apart and gave each one special attention. He rubbed his fat squishy nasty body all over each of them. Surrounding their hot trim bodies with his green seed. Once he finally had his fill he left them there together nude and wrapped together intertwined limbs and everything. He then went back to his house to plan what he could do next. Looking back to Crusader he had a good idea that he could do most anything he wanted. The rape had been hard on her. She'd tried to ignore it, go out on patrols after the fact, but for a week straight she had nothing happen but get raped time and again, by normal gangers. Turned out she had some kind of addiction to getting raped, she'd quit being Crusader in favor of doing something more productive with her life. It's not like she'd been particularly useful in apprehending criminals anyway. Not when all of them would get a chance to cop a feel or bend her over the hood of a car. It started out as a short break from the super heroine world. One that Vera had suggested she take, and one that Crusader did take. Faith Powers hung up the tights with every intention of getting back into them in a few weeks and kicking ass once more. She started seeing a therapist to get over her grief. There are those for women that have been victims of rape. She only had to leave out that she was a super heroine at the time. Instead, she'd said she was a private security guard and ex-cop. The trauma would work out just as well for her and explain her situation to the therapist without giving up her secret identity. Granted by the third session her therapist had figured it out. There was no keeping it a secret, but the woman said she'd never tell, and so far hasn't. It's nice to know that there are some honest people in this world. At any rate, Dr. Mannheim had suggested she start writing about it. Working through the rape by recalling ever other instance of when she'd helped someone. That's more or less how she became an author. Cataloging the life-and-times of Crusader able to gain specific insight to herself, although she'd written it under the name Laura Weller to keep all eyes off of her and on the book itself. It's been nearly four years, three years, ten months, and eight days to be exact. She's written thirteen books, all bestsellers, only two of which were Chronicles of Crusader books. The third had been a fiction book, and now she's on her fourteenth. She's gotten herself a place in the mountains near the sea, that overlook a clear blue ocean. She had intended to return to the life of Crusader, but for over a year after she quit the crime rates dropped, the villain activity dropped, it was like without a powerful girl to oppose them they just didn't care to do it anymore. So she writes now, alone in her home, not wanting to leave for much of anything. She does, of course, to get a hair cut. Watch a movie, go to a bar or just to go to the grocery store. She keeps tabs on her city every now and again. Turns out Vera is a perfect mayor and is about to get another term out of the deal. She's kept abreast of the activities and what's going on, but really? Without Crusader the world is still spinning. Other cities all over the world have their own heroines that have stepped up to the plate and are doing an outstanding job. It's not that what she did didn't matter, but it's what she's not doing that seems to matter more now. Fayth is actually satisfied with her life, now roaming through the grocery store for food items so she can cook over the next week. She'd left behind the habit of keeping tabs on the underworld. The small town she's in now doesn't really have much of one anyway. It's not until she comes across a woman in the store that's talking with someone else about something...familiar." They say Blue Wraith just fell to him." It's almost in a hushed tone between the two women. Though as Faith approaches she sees them huddling over a tablet, looking at the images in horror. A Japanese girl clad in blue tights and unmasked hangs over a man's shoulder as she's carried off. They show scenes of the fight where the girl had been defeated. Fact is, there were too many of them. By Faith's count, well over three hundred men, all wearing gang colors, but none that she recognizes. The girl could have objects pass through her, and had excellent hand-to-hand skills." And Red Vixen too?" The other woman gasps as another clip pops up, eerily familiar in the U.S. with her red-clad friend tossed over another man's shoulder. And again, the same gang colors of over a few hundred men in a city. Carrying assault rifles and generally taking out the police and the armies as if they were nothing. They're all led by men that have powers. Powers she recognizes. Her blue eyes narrow as she looks at the screen, sifting through the men to see if she can find a leader." Oh, hey." One of the women smiles as she sees Faith standing there. "I hope he never comes here, don't you?"" Y-yeah." She pauses. "How many heroines has he captured?" The ladies look at one another then at Faith like she's been living under a rock. "You mean...you don't know?"" Know what?" Her eyes slowly get wider. "Mercy is all that's left." The first lady nudges her. "He doesn't have Crusader.""Yeah, but really? I know you're a fan Lucy, but she's not showing up again. It's been what? Four years? She's probably dead." Lucy nods a little. "Yeah, I know Mindy, I just have to hold out hope that one of those two can--"The feed on the tablet cuts in with the ravishing, long-legged brunette of Mercy being carried over another man's shoulder, similar to the scenes of Red Vixen and Blue Wraith before her. "Oh no. Mercy too." Fayth blinks. "Wait, what's going on? I've... I live up on the hill, we don't get TV service up there." And again both women look at her like a cow looks at an oncoming train. "I don't think she knows, Mindy."" I know."" Standing right here." Faith sighs." Sorry. It's just all over the place. There's this guy, or at least, they think it's a guy that's in charge of all of this. Allof the heroines have been captured now." Mindy sighs. "Well except for Lucy's crush, but we're not holding our breath for Crusader." She shrugs her shoulders." Rumor is that he's got a hide-out in Crusader's hometown where he auctions the heroines off each night, more renting them out to the highest bidder so they can do whatever they want. Often..." Lucy pales a bit at this. "Often they get raped, videotaped, and then it's posted on the web." She shudders. "No one can stop the feed, and now, well you saw it. He's taking over the world one city at a time. Each time he does his army grow."" All of them?" Faith pales a little bit. She hadn't realized...what of Vera? Did she try to do something too? Probably. She swallows hard. "What about Night Panther?"" Yeah, Mayor Vera has been captured."" I uh...have to go." Faith grabs the last few items, checks out, and then drives home. Once there she eats, showers, and pulls open a closet that she never thought she'd need again. She pulls out the bodysuit and gives it a once over. She then puts her feet in, and gets it on, pushing a domino mask into place and wraps her hair up into a ponytail. After looking herself over in the mirror she sighs. Time to put an end to this. She makes her way out of her remote home, onto the deck then charges into the sky. The first of several sonic booms to herald her departure from the Hawaiian island. Lucy and Mindy both standing in shock and awe as they witness Crusader leaving from "just up on the hill" when they put two and two together. They'd been talking to Crusader! And now Crusader is on her way to her hometown to see what she can do about rescuing the heroines and putting this guy in his place! "...and then we wrapped her up to. We are bringing them all back to the base for processing sir." A man reached his gloved hand out from his sitting position and hovered it over the button that would end the transmission, "That will be fine. See that nothing," he bared his teeth knowing they would show just under the bottom of his cowl like mask, "Unexpected happens Korean. I do like having you as my first lieutenant. Losing you would be unfortunate."" I understand sir."" I thought you would." He pressed the button and the transmission ended. It was standard procedure now. Heroines defeated, processed to be a slave and then sold on the black market. The ones recently captured would sell well over in the far East. Funny then that the heroines captured by his teams in the far East sold better here states side. It all was more like a business now. Not like when he first started. Then it was fun. There was a rush of excitement with each heroine defeated. Now there was no one to stand against him, and he had become a type of Black Market Executive. It all made him think back to when it had begun. He had a name once. Years ago, a lifetime ago even. There was nothing of that shell of a man left in him now. He dared not even utter nor think the name his former self had gone by. Now he was different. He was above the rest of humanity. The next step in evolution as it were. Just he was the head of it and at once knew he always would be. But back then he wasn't as certain. He only had some measure of confidence in these new-found abilities and loads of potential. A young heroine named Crimson Fire was hot and full of false bravado when she became the first to confront him. She had no idea what she was getting into. He even had little idea what she was getting into or what he was capable of. She came at him, and he simply decided to test his new abilities by stretching out his hands towards her attack. Instantly he felt the surge of power as every power exertion from her flowed freely into him through his black gloves. They appeared not too extraordinary as the main part of them was hidden beneath his black cloak. Under there they were a unique and rare version of aluminum lined on the inside. This metal was designed by him to act as a conduit that would allow meta-powers and energy to flow freely from those around him into him. Crimson Fire never stood a chance. Within minutes of her attack she knelt at his feet begging for mercy. She did not receive it. His powers mixed with the gloves made him a veritable black hole for powers of heroines. Thus, his new name and the name he would go by from then up through now: Abyss. His business through for the night he rose to get some rest. He only needed an hour per night. Abyss sighed as he closed his eyes for his brief sleep. Would anyone come along to make things interesting again? Of course ruling the world eventually would surely be enough to keep him occupied and excited. There are several pops that make the men's ears seem like they're changing altitude, only it's coming from above, then they steadily get louder and louder, until the pops are more like thunder. There are thirty-one in all, each coming as Crusader rapidly breaks through each level of the sound barrier, and each one resulting in a louder and stronger "boom". She's in Hawaii as she breaks them, and somewhat over the Pacific. The newscaster had said where Red Vixen and Mercy both went down. Red was closer so she goes there first. Korrin, with the red-clad ass of Red Vixen over his shoulder and hundreds of men around him. She smirks a little bit. It looks like they're getting ready to position her and take off her mask, probably while groping her. Or at least, that'll be their plan. She swoops down, going far slower as she aims to pluck Red off of the man's shoulder and zip off again. Minding the g-forces so that she doesn't kill Red in the process. Crusader will then drop her off on a rooftop in a nearby, unoccupied city, before returning to mow through men and make her way to Korean. She's being mindful not toilette men she's fighting... knocking them away, breaking a few bones, but not turning them into the red mist that she very well could. If Abyss wanted a challenge, he's about to be sorry what he wishes for. Crusader's back...and kicking ass! Korean was the first to hear it and connect the noise to the fact that they had a problem. He held tighter to Red Vixen as he heaved her back onto his shoulder. His attention went towards the sky and he did a double take. Surely not. He looked a third time though and it was. Now she was beginning to mow down the outside lines of his men. He spoke loudly into his mike. "Look alive men! Believe it or not we have company. Its Crusader. She's back and that's not good. You each have powers we have been given by Abyss himself. Show her what you're made of." He took a step away and launched himself into the air to land several meters away. He watched as three men he knew to have some measure of strength enhancement attacked all at the same time. One kicked high while one kicked low and the third charged for her midsection. He didn't like their chances. Three men charge her with "strength enhancements" something that's never even come close to her ability to put someone down for the count. Hell they were probably not enough to take out Red Vixen on their own, they had to bring a wholearmyfor her red-clad friend, and only then could they win. She smirks taking one by the foot and swinging him into his two friends as if it were nothing more than a gnat annoying her. She backhands another group of men, sending them into even more. Furthermore, she walks forward through them, backhands and punches flying as she gets closer and closer to Korean. Furthermore, she didn'tthereto take out his men, other than to make sure they don't go and do something stupid. She grins as she looks up at the man on the rooftop. Batting away men still as if they were nothing standing in her way. Once she's done she'll leap up and fly right up to the rooftop with Korean and land on the ledge. "You're all that's left between me and rescuing her." She grins and takes a sauntering step closer. "Tell me where he is, and I might let you live to tell about it." Korean nodded in admiration of her abilities. "I knew you would have no problem with those lackeys Crusader. I am surprised to see you, however. Word on the street was you were tired of getting your hot ass raped and retired. There is something you don't understand about your little offer. See I could tell you everything I know about Abyss. That's his name by the way. The thing is though that I would be signing my own death warrant. If I don't deliver what I am supposed to deliver, I'm dead anyway. I might as well try and take you down too. Though you might want to consider just giving up." He flew into the air then hung there before dropping back down to the roof again. "You see clearly that I have powers. Not that they are superior to yours mind you, but you should know that I wasn't born with these powers." He paused a beat for effectiveness. "Abyss GAVE them to me. You see even if you take me down and get to him, you will definitely lose. Because the more powerful you are, the more powerful he will become. So your tremendous powers only make you easier to defeat. Crusader," he smiled, "You can't win." "Louis, you can fly. Scary." She grins and then darts at him, traveling faster than the human eye can even see. So fast, in fact, that all he might see of her is an after image before she's punching him in the face, ribs, stomach, solar plexus, and all over. The first strike comes almost at the same time as the rest of them. She's not holding back all that much, rather testing with each punch to see how much he may or may not be able to take. She plans on beating him to within an inch of his life, keeping him just enough alive for him to know how much a person can live through. Furthermore, she'll then kneel over him." I have my own secrets." Her lips purse. "The reality is, hecan't win against me. You want to tell me where he is now? Or will I just have to get it from one of your lackeys?" She asks kindly, though if he refuses she'll take Red Vixen and get out of there. Leaving her in another town to get treated while she moves off to go rescue Mercy. She may be able to find something then, but ultimately, she suspects...she'll be going to her old hometown and invite him out to battle her. Korean coughed up blood as he laughed a wincing pain filled smile. "You're going to have to get that from someone else pretty. I," again blood came into his mouth as he coughed, "I will not betray Abyss. Anything you could do to me is far less than what he would do. You want to know where he is?" More blood came to his mouth and he thought that he really was very injured, "Go to the town with the pretty raven haired Mayor. Call him out. For you, he will show up. And he will crush you." One last smile and sickening laugh, "That Mayor," he paused again, "What a great piece of ass she is." He laughed and spewed blood as she finished him off. She knocks him out then darts off into the sky as the authorities...or whatever is left of them come in to clean everything up. She does stop by and rescue Mercy on her way into Raven City, but it's a short stay, taking out the men easily and the lieutenant just as easily as she had Korean. Furthermore, she darts back, grabs him, and grabs the second lieutenant for her to defeat tonight and carries them into the middle of the street. "Show yourself Abyss!" She cries out and any "armies" that come near her will get their clocks cleaned just like all the rest. She waits for him to show himself. The punk would pay for all of this. She's not sure if his gloves only work on metahumans, but she's hoping they do. She's an alien, which would mean that they probably won't work on her. Or hell maybe she's got enough power to overload them. That'd be nice. Either way she waits for this guy, extremely pissed off at how the world has gone to shit right under her nose and she didn't even realize it. That's alright though, she's about to show the world, and especially the underworld, why they shouldn't mess with her. By the time the call came word of her return had already traveled through Abyss' informant channels, and he was expecting her. Rather his armies were. It had been so long since she saw action that he wanted to see what she had left. As the scene unfolded he watched from out of sight. Sometimes one or two went at her and other times up to a dozen attacked at once. Knowing that his services would be needed he slowly began to ascend the back alley staircase that would take him to the street some 100 meters behind her. When he arrived at street level his gloves were fully powered. He was confident but not cocky as he knew she would surely be surprised by his abilities. Oh, she surely had heard of some of what he can do. But what she didn't know was that the gloves along with his natural talents would work on anyone. More importantly they would work on anyone from anywhere." Very attractive fighting style Crusader. I do wonder how you found my location. Was it some lackey of mine that spilled the beans or perhaps your former green cummed co-rape victim the Mayor?" "Guess you'll never know." She turns and faces the man. He might be over three hundred feet away, but that distance is sosmallfor her. She can travel the entire world around the widest point and still make it in just over an hour. She takes a single step toward him, then without warning there's a blur of motion and she'srightbehind him. Furthermore, she grabs for his hands, more specifically the back of his wrists and points his palms outward. "The question really should be...should I just rip your hands off or just the gloves?" She smirks, figuring that he's just some genius that made the gloves, not that he has actual powers.Otherwise, she wouldn't press her breasts into his back, let him feel her curves, or even grab his arms around where there's skin showing. However, she does lean in to whisper directly into his ear. "How does it feel to have disclose and yet know you'll never have me?" Abyss laughed out loud at the blur of motion then positioning of Crusader. How easy she made it for him. For a second he didn't reach to her exposed arm with his other hand. "How does it feel to have you this close and now I'll never have you? Well let me ask you a question first Crusader." In a much slower but still quick speed burst his free hand reached back and clasped around her forearm. He didn't turn around until she was shocked or weakened enough to release her hold on his other hand. When he turned he leaned in to whisper as he grabbed her other forearm, "How does it feel t have your powers drained and know you are fucked," he paused a beat, "And about to get fucked?"

Chronicles of Crusader {Dramen and Darwishi}|rating:2.0

Days of Adventuring (IC, Closed)

Character Name: Given Runner. Primary Skill: Defending. Roll: 7+1=8 (+2 on defense) (You've always been good at defending. It's tough to hurt you.) Secondary Skill: Hurting people on purpose. Roll: 8-1=7 (+1 on attacking) (However, you seem to find it remarkably easy to hurt others)Third Skill: Flight Roll: 7-1=6 (Can fly) (And then you can fly away from the scene of the crime after hurting them)Job: Personal Trainer. Chosen Weapon: Kite shield. Roll: 8 (+1 to flight) (Your kite shield is still a kite. You can FUCKING FLY)Chosen Armour: Studded leather armor. Roll: 4 (You now have clothing. It doesn't help you much.) Character Name: Saint Alia Christina of Windhoek Primary Skill: Charm9+1=10 (I'd tell you how cool this was if I weren't busy mapping.) (+2 on charming sentient beings, -1 on intimidating)Secondary Skill: Tentacles!5-1=4 (Though you were once a master at tentacles, recent events have sapped your power and left you with only one sticking out of your back.) Third Skill: Flying7-1=6 (Again, YOU CAN FUCKING FLY)Job: Goddess Chosen Weapon: Rapier10 (It's a good sword, but every three turns you go without wounding or killing someone and giving the sword blood, you lose -1 Charm while you still have the sword. Putting away the sword restores your power. +2 on attacking)Chosen Armour: A sexy toga2 (You don't have clothing. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does decrease your defense. (-1 on natural defense). Character Name: Mia de LunaPrimary Skill: (There will be a plus 1 to whatever you choose here).: kicking people7+1=8 (You have flaming kicks. Literally. When you kick people, you can set them on fire. +1 to kicking)Secondary Skill: (There will be a minus 1 to whatever you choose here.): Seduction10-1=9 (What can we say? You're great at making people want to tap that. +2 on seduction)Third Skill: (There will be a minus 1 to whatever you choose here).: foraging 9-1= 8 (Good at finding random shit in weird places. +1 on foraging)Job: football (not American) player Chosen Weapon: blackjack1 (You forgot your blackjack at home. You also forgot your right hand)Chosen Armour: uniform with sharp cleats7 (Average armor, +1 to defense)Character Name: Jack PatronePrimary Skill: Flipping people like burgers10+1= 11 (You are astounding at grabbing someone and flipping them in the air. However, you have heavy psychological damage as a result of your career path and never succeeding at college. Your inability to impress or please your father, who died broken and disappointed, consistently leaves you with nightmares. You hate yourself and are a bitter, shattered wreck. +2 to flipping people, -2 to self-esteem)Secondary Skill: Burning people with magic death grease8-1=7 (+1 on magic grease missile attacks)Third Skill: magic death grease missiles (This is the same fucking thing as above)Job: McDonald's employee Chosen Weapon: big, sharp metal spatula7 (This is a cool spatula. +1 to attack)Chosen Armour: chain mail apron, leather shirt, tie, pants, shoes.2 (You are naked)Character Name: Brit-Bot Primary Skill: King Fu8+1 (You trained with the masters of kung fu in Chinatown, mastering your skills and arts. Nice. +2 to using kung fu)Secondary Skill: Making Acidic Tea5 (Sadly, you can only make average tea. Tastes decent)Third Skill: Shooting Exploding Scones4 (You can't shoot exploding scones. Sorry.) Job: Robot-Butler/Robot-MercenaryChosen Weapon: Titanium Tray (full of tea and scones)5 (You have tea and scones)Chosen Armour: Butler Uniform9 (OK, I fudged this roll because I started to feel bad for you. This gives you a +2 on defense and +1 on charm, to make up for everything else.) Character Name: Sir Winthrop Middleton the Younger Primary Skill: Steampunk/clockwork mechanisms. He makes them, and runs them. They often explode.8+1=9 (You are the renowned expert in your field, helped because most other people die very fast. You can build shit easily. +2 on that)Secondary Skill: Whacking unpleasant creatures with his walking stick.10-1=9 (+2 on hitting people with your stick)Third Skill: Part-time corpse reanimation Ala the good doctor of Frankenstein lore.3-1=2 (I fudged this because a necrophiliac Winthrop is funny. +2 on undead being able to charm you)Job: God-Emperor of the Reanimated Desiccated Imperium of Making-Golar, now on sabbatical to find inspiration for his creations. Chosen Weapon: His Walking Stick nicknamed "Whacky" - heavy ironwood contraption with gold trim and a heavy iron hound's head at the tip, the crest of the Middleton family. It also has genuine pump shotgun action, because booms occasionally come out of the end when Winthrop leans on it.7 (THIS IS YOUR BROOMSTICK. +1 on shooting people with it)Chosen Armour: A Silken Waistcoat over a strange exomoon that belches flames and smoke at random intervals and serves no apparent function.10 (The exomoon gives you a +2 on defense. It is also permanently attached to your body and is sentient. Also, made of an undead corpse, so it can charm you. It calls itself Sally). Character Name: Castle tron, Lord of Sands Primary Skill: Sith lightning6+1=7 (Can fire lightning from hands, +1 lightning damage)Secondary Skill: Flight4-1=3 (Once, you could fly. Alas, no more.) Third Skill: Telepathic communication10-1=9 (You can telepathically communicate. Unfortunately, this means that occasionally you accidentally transmit your own thoughts)Job: COP! Chosen Weapon: The Holy Briefcase of Destiny10 (A feared weapon. Anything can fit into this briefcase, which links into a separate dimension, including people and things. This can also be used as a wormhole. Many stories have been told of the Castle tron and his Briefcase). Chosen Armour: A Hawaiian t-shirt, cargo shorts, a straw hat, clown shoes, and a clown nose.7 (You are a clown. This gives a -1 on sanity to whoever talks to you, and a -1 on your own sanity, insofar as it exists). Character Name: Dame-Cardinal William Victoria Beatrice LilliaPrimary Skill: Healing8+1=9 (Skilled healer. +2 on healing rolls)Secondary Skill: Tentacle mastery8-1=7 (Has a dozen tentacles to attack and 'attack' with. +1 on tentacle use)Third Skill: Catholic conversions10-1=9 (You are very good at finding new followers. +2 on converting)Job: Knight of the Sovereign Order of the Cardinal-Knights (Cardinal Beatrice Lillian founded it)Chosen Weapon: Fire longsword8 (A long sword, on fucking fire. +1 on attacking, +1 on fire attacks)Chosen Armour: Sexy Kevlar knight armour8 (+1 on seducing, +1 on defense)Character Name: Damien P. Seward Sr. Primary Skill: Anne de combat7+1 (+1 on cane attacks, +1 on speaking French)Secondary Skill: Seduction8-1=7 (+1 on seduction)Third Skill: Making money3-1=2 (You are a hobo)Job: President of Seward Industries (bankrupt, must get loan from the priestesses)Chosen Weapon: Cane/sword7 (All you have left. +1 on attacking)Chosen Armour: Fine suit4 (Now merely tatters, since you cannot afford a tailor). Welcome to Windhoek. Before the End, this city had been a small city in a godforsaken country called Namibia, a country that was so bad off that even South Africans went "we don't want you anymore, go away". However, after the End, Windhoek began to rise up as a new civilization and a center of a developing world. Though all men died, the remaining women learned to reproduce asexually. A Pope and a Queen worked together to create a new, peaceful world. Then The Others came and fucked shit up. First, those of Hector converted and became intimate with the townsfolk, turning them to their own vicious cult. Winthrop, the Father of the Golems, left Namibia with his servants and went to other parts of the continent to practice his art. One of his inventions, the Brit-Bot, managed to escape and found itself in Windhoek, having mysteriously learned kung fu. Castletron and the cops of Windhoek found that they had lost this battle, retreating back into other dimensions and having wacky and crazy adventures. Damien Seward decided to go travelling to see the world. When he returned, he had lost all his money, but became much more charming and capable of speaking French. Seward and Franklin and some other travelers who fell into this world reintroduced the male gene into the human species in Windhoek, who now almost entirely worshiped Hector and his prophetess Alia, regarded as a ruler of the city. And now, a few new travelers found themselves falling into the universe, landing next to Alia in her throne room. (New characters like India's and Condom's) while the Brit-Bot was serving her tea. Let's see what else..." Elliot?" NASA barked into Castle tron's monitors. She had known Castle tron for some time now, many centuries in fact, and was aware his name was not actually Elliot. However, it was an easy name to use, and he seemed to dislike his old one. "We need to talk, now."" Sir?" Jeff asked Winthrop, a pot of tea in his hand. "I have brought you your tea, sir. Sir, the boys and I were thinking...it's been nearly a century now since we've been to Windhoek. You want to go back, check how things are like there? A vacation would be neat for us all, I feel." "Mere," Damien Seward Sr. said, as he sat down in his manor. It had been a good decade or two (After his 95th birthday he stopped counting) since he was in his Windhoek estate. Luckily he had his grandson to run the house while he was away. It was going well until he realized that, in the havoc of his travels abroad, he had sapped the company's funds entirely. Not even his hidden vault in Switzerland had money. Nevertheless, he had set up some trading outposts around Africa, so the reintroduction of capitalism would (he hoped) give him his fortune once more. Until then, he needed to adjust to the new life in Windhoek. For instance, a very theocratic government was in charge, and he didn't like that. Nevertheless, he would need to buckle down and wait until the cash flew into his pockets. Sometimes literally." Maybe if I didn't rename Europe 'Seward', I could've kept a couple billion," he mused, as he sipped some coffee. He shrugged, tossing the full mug out the window, watching with amusement as it burnt a passerby's skin off. Grabbing his cane, Damien Sr. stood. "Time to whip these onwards into shape," he yelled, throwing on his tattered suit jacket. Action: Go see Alia at the palace. And suddenly Mia found herself falling into the throne room. She had been flying over the country when she was attacked by tentacles.Lt;description of tentacle attack removed by the Department of Decency, Portal to the Multiverse Chapter;During the attack, she lost her right hand. She would have mentally sworn, but the tentacles had kept her too busy, and now that the tentacles were done with her, she fell, crashing through the ceiling of the palace and into the throne room proper. Standing up, she looked around." Where am I?" she asked the first person she met. Nude East Ireland wrote:"Mere," Damien Seward Sr. said, as he sat down in his manor. It had been a good decade or two (After his 95th birthday he stopped counting) since he was in his Windhoek estate. Luckily he had his grandson to run the house while he was away. It was going well until he realized that, in the havoc of his travels abroad, he had sapped the company's funds entirely. Not even his hidden vault in Switzerland had money. Nevertheless, he had set up some trading outposts around Africa, so the reintroduction of capitalism would (he hoped) give him his fortune once more. Until then, he needed to adjust to the new life in Windhoek. For instance, a very theocratic government was in charge, and he didn't like that. Nevertheless, he would need to buckle down and wait until the cash flew into his pockets. Sometimes literally." Maybe if I didn't rename Europe 'Seward', I could've kept a couple billion," he mused, as he sipped some coffee. He shrugged, tossing the full mug out the window, watching with amusement as it burnt a passerby's skin off. Grabbing his cane, Damien Sr. stood. "Time to whip these onwards into shape," he yelled, throwing on his tattered suit jacket. Action: Go see Alia at the palace. Roll: 3Before he could, however, a man in a suit and glasses came up to him with a notebook. "Damien Seward, yes?" he asked. He gave the man a note with a bill. A very large bill. "This is the taxes you owe us regarding the property you own in Windhoek, such as the bar you bought a century prior. You have not paid for it at all since." Individuality-less wrote:And suddenly Mia found herself falling into the throne room. She had been flying over the country when she was attacked by tentacles. Lt;description of tentacle attack removed by the Department of Decency, Portal to the Multiverse Chapter;During the attack, she lost her right hand. She would have mentally sworn, but the tentacles had kept her too busy, and now that the tentacles were done with her, she fell, crashing through the ceiling of the palace and into the throne room proper. Standing up, she looked around. "Where am I?" she asked the first person she met. Roll: 6She happened to crash on top of Beatrice, by the way, landing directly on her boobs when she fell. Stuttering, Beatrice explained Alia was now in Windhoek. There was a whisper on the web of the universe, like the wind brushing up against the sand. In a tidal wave of sediment, the black sands of a volcanic island, appeared a Being. I took the shape of an old man, of my old self, briefcase in hand, and tipped my hat at NASA." Yes?" asked "Elliot Dogwood", Castle tron, the clown, the detective, the wizard, Lord of the Sands, Dad, me, "I'm really quite busy at the moment. Can I help you with something? Wait - hang on." I twitched and, somewhere, there was an explosion. Dreadfully sorry about that." I'm hungry." Action: Go to McDonald's. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Nude East Ireland wrote:"Mere," Damien Seward Sr. said, as he sat down in his manor. It had been a good decade or two (After his 95th birthday he stopped counting) since he was in his Windhoek estate. Luckily he had his grandson to run the house while he was away. It was going well until he realized that, in the havoc of his travels abroad, he had sapped the company's funds entirely. Not even his hidden vault in Switzerland had money. Nevertheless, he had set up some trading outposts around Africa, so the reintroduction of capitalism would (he hoped) give him his fortune once more. Until then, he needed to adjust to the new life in Windhoek. For instance, a very theocratic government was in charge, and he didn't like that. Nevertheless, he would need to buckle down and wait until the cash flew into his pockets. Sometimes literally." Maybe if I didn't rename Europe 'Seward', I could've kept a couple billion," he mused, as he sipped some coffee. He shrugged, tossing the full mug out the window, watching with amusement as it burnt a passerby's skin off. Grabbing his cane, Damien Sr. stood. "Time to whip these onwards into shape," he yelled, throwing on his tattered suit jacket. Action: Go see Alia at the palace. Roll: 3Before he could, however, a man in a suit and glasses came up to him with a notebook. "Damien Seward, yes?" he asked. He gave the man a note with a bill. A very large bill. "This is the taxes you owe us regarding the property you own in Windhoek, such as the bar you bought a century prior. You have not paid for it at all since."" Connerie," Damien Sr. muttered. He sighed. "I repopulated this city with my own balls. Literally. You're a man, correct? You were probably swimming in these babies right here -" he grabbed his crotch area and gave it a good scratch. "If anything, you owe me money." Hopefully that would turn the man away. Castle tron wrote:There was a whisper on the web of the universe, like the wind brushing up against the sand. In a tidal wave of sediment, the black sands of a volcanic island, appeared a Being. I took the shape of an old man, of my old self, briefcase in hand, and tipped my hat at NASA." Yes?" asked "Elliot Dogwood", Castle tron, the clown, the detective, the wizard, Lord of the Sands, Dad, me, "I'm really quite busy at the moment. Can I help you with something? Wait - hang on." I twitched and, somewhere, there was an explosion. Dreadfully sorry about that." I'm hungry." Action: Go to McDonald's. Roll: 9A McDonald's spontaneously grew inside Castle tron's body. Naha sighed. "Elliot, this is urgent. We're in Windhoek now, where it all began. Do you want to stay here, or should we leave?" Nude East Ireland wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 3Before he could, however, a man in a suit and glasses came up to him with a notebook. "Damien Seward, yes?" he asked. He gave the man a note with a bill. A very large bill. "This is the taxes you owe us regarding the property you own in Windhoek, such as the bar you bought a century prior. You have not paid for it at all since."" Connerie," Damien Sr. muttered. He sighed. "I repopulated this city with my own balls. Literally. You're a man, correct? You were probably swimming in these babies right here -" he grabbed his crotch area and gave it a good scratch. "If anything, you owe me money." Hopefully that would turn the man away. The man stared, felt his brain begin melting, and slowly walked off, traumatized. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Castle tron wrote:There was a whisper on the web of the universe, like the wind brushing up against the sand. In a tidal wave of sediment, the black sands of a volcanic island, appeared a Being. I took the shape of an old man, of my old self, briefcase in hand, and tipped my hat at NASA." Yes?" asked "Elliot Dogwood", Castle tron, the clown, the detective, the wizard, Lord of the Sands, Dad, me, "I'm really quite busy at the moment. Can I help you with something? Wait - hang on." I twitched and, somewhere, there was an explosion. Dreadfully sorry about that." I'm hungry." Action: Go to McDonald's. Roll: 9A McDonald's spontaneously grew inside Castle tron's body. Naha sighed. "Elliot, this is urgent. We're in Windhoek now, where it all began. Do you want to stay here, or should we leave?"" Naha," I said, "Listen to me. Do you know what I am? I am the Thing In the Nothing. I am the Watcher of All Worlds. Furthermore, I Am He Who Is a Thousand. Furthermore, I Live in the Past and Present. Furthermore, I Bridge the Universe. I'm fucking starving. I just cured leukemia in seven worlds and invented it in another, I need food, woman." He approached the cashier and smiled, a speck of sand falling from his lips. Action: Order a Big Mac with no pickles. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Nude East Ireland wrote:"Converge," Damien Sr. muttered. He sighed. "I repopulated this city with my own balls. Literally. You're a man, correct? You were probably swimming in these babies right here -" he grabbed his crotch area and gave it a good scratch. "If anything, you owe me money." Hopefully that would turn the man away. The man stared, felt his brain begin melting, and slowly walked off, traumatized." Thank Hector," he muttered, before finally leaving his property. Action: Continue to the palace to see Alia. Castle tron wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 9A McDonald's spontaneously grew inside Castle tron's body. Naha sighed. "Elliot, this is urgent. We're in Windhoek now, where it all began. Do you want to stay here, or should we leave?"" Naha," I said, "Listen to me. Do you know what I am? I am the Thing In the Nothing. I am the Watcher of All Worlds. Furthermore, I Am He Who Is a Thousand. Furthermore, I Live in the Past and Present. Furthermore, I Bridge the Universe. Furthermore, I'm fucking starving. Furthermore, I just cured leukemia in seven worlds and invented it in another, I need food, woman." He approached the cashier and smiled, a speck of sand falling from his lips. Action: Order a Big Mac with no pickles. Roll: 4The cashier, surprised at his relocation, was going to give it with no pickles, but NASA added some out of annoyance." You know what that doctor said, your diet requires you to have occasional pickles." she scolded him. "You may be all that, but you, Elliot, are still a dumbass. Remember that world where your host body accidentally fell out of the castle and started to knock on that Chariot we saw flying through the Universe? Probably gave the rider a bit of a shock. We're lucky he didn't end up crashing into the sun out of surprise. And it happened because you just had to go up onto the roof to try and fix the TV connection even after I told you that was stupid." NASA sighed." In any case, eat up your food." Night kill the Emperor wrote:Castle tron wrote:"NASA," I said, "Listen to me. Do you know what I am? I am the Thing In the Nothing. I am the Watcher of All Worlds. Furthermore, I Am He Who Is a Thousand. Furthermore, I Live in the Past and Present. Furthermore, I Bridge the Universe. Furthermore, I'm fucking starving. Furthermore, I just cured leukemia in seven worlds and invented it in another, I need food, woman." He approached the cashier and smiled, a speck of sand falling from his lips. Action: Order a Big Mac with no pickles. Roll: 4The cashier, surprised at his relocation, was going to give it with no pickles, but NASA added some out of annoyance." You know what that doctor said, your diet requires you to have occasional pickles." she scolded him. "You may be all that, but you, Elliot, are still a dumbass. Remember that world where your host body accidentally fell out of the castle and started to knock on that Chariot we saw flying through the Universe? Probably gave the rider a bit of a shock. We're lucky he didn't end up crashing into the sun out of surprise. And it happened because you just had to go up onto the roof to try and fix the TV connection even after I told you that was stupid." NASA sighed." In any case, eat up your food."" To be fair," I grumbled, "he couldn't crash into the Sun, seeing that health Sun." She just didn't get it. Why I keep her around is beyond me, but then, it isn't. Nothing is beyond me. I kept around her around because I need a Watson and Fred was busy stabbing werewolves, like an idiot. Never had any ambition, Fred. On the other hand, my Moriarty was busy repopulating the human popular- oh fuck, Damien." We left Damien Seward alone with women," I realised, "for decades. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.Oh, shit. Naha, we need to stop him before he fucks the world into chaos! Well, more!" Action: Find Damien Seward. Nude East Ireland wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:The man stared, felt his brain begin melting, and slowly walked off, traumatized." Thank Hector," he muttered, before finally leaving his property. Action: Continue to the palace to see Alia. Roll: 4You are distracted by a penny on the ground. Your life savings. Castletron wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 4The cashier, surprised at his relocation, was going to give it with no pickles, but NASA added some out of annoyance." You know what that doctor said, your diet requires you to have occasional pickles." she scolded him. "You may be all that, but you, Elliot, are still a dumbass. Remember that world where your host body accidentally fell out of the castle and started to knock on that Chariot we saw flying through the Universe? Probably gave the rider a bit of a shock. We're lucky he didn't end up crashing into the sun out of surprise. And it happened because you just had to go up onto the roof to try and fix the TV connection even after I told you that was stupid." NASA sighed." In any case, eat up your food."" To be fair," I grumbled, "he couldn't crash into the Sun, seeing that he was the Sun." She just didn't get it. Why I keep her around is beyond me, but then, it isn't. Nothing is beyond me. I kept around her around because I need a Watson and Fred was busy stabbing werewolves, like an idiot. Never had any ambition, Fred. On the other hand, my Moriarty was busy repopulating the human popular- oh fuck, Damien." We left Damien Seward alone with women," I realised, "for decades. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. NASA, we need to stop him before he fucks the world into chaos! Well, more!" Action: Find Damien Seward. Roll: 8Naha following, you run toward Damien Seward, finding him in tattered clothes and kissing a penny. The penny, notably, has Alia's face as the heads, and her ass as the tails. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Nude East Ireland wrote:"Thank Hector," he muttered, before finally leaving his property. Action: Continue to the palace to see Alia. Roll: 4You are distracted by a penny on the ground. Your life savings. Castletron wrote:"To be fair," I grumbled, "he couldn't crash into the Sun, seeing that he was the Sun." She just didn't get it. Why I keep her around is beyond me, but then, it isn't. Nothing is beyond me. I kept around her around because I need a Watson and Fred was busy stabbing werewolves, like an idiot. Never had any ambition, Fred. On the other hand, my Moriarty was busy repopulating the human popular- oh fuck, Damien." We left Damien Seward alone with women," I realised, "for decades. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. NASA, we need to stop him before he fucks the world into chaos! Well, more!" Action: Find Damien Seward. Roll: 8Naha following, you run toward Damien Seward, finding him in tattered clothes and kissing a penny. The penny, notably, has Alia's face as the heads, and her ass as the tails."Oh, shit!" I shouted, "Damien! Damien!Oh, shit!" Time for damage control. I hate myself sometimes. Action: Use lightning powers on Damien's sensitive parts in an attempt to render him sterile. Castle tron wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 4You are distracted by a penny on the ground. Your life savings. Roll: 8Naha following, you run toward Damien Seward, finding him in tattered clothes and kissing a penny. The penny, notably, has Alia's face as the heads, and her ass as the tails."Oh, shit!" I shouted, "Damien! Damien! Oh, shit!" Time for damage control. I hate myself sometimes. Action: Use lightning powers on Damien's sensitive parts in an attempt to render him infertile. Roll: 1You fire lightning, but you miscalculated. Damien's genitals grow larger, and suddenly you see something white in your vision-NASA looks you over. "Well..." she says quietly, seeing you covered in the liquid. And also, somehow pregnant. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Individuality-less wrote:And suddenly Mia found herself falling into the throne room. She had been flying over the country when she was attacked by tentacles. Lt;description of tentacle attack removed by the Department of Decency, Portal to the Multiverse Chapter;During the attack, she lost her right hand. She would have mentally sworn, but the tentacles had kept her too busy, and now that the tentacles were done with her, she fell, crashing through the ceiling of the palace and into the throne room proper. Standing up, she looked around. "Where am I?" she asked the first person she met. Roll: 6She happened to crash on top of Beatrice, by the way, landing directly on her boobs when she fell. Stuttering, Beatrice explained Alia was now in Windhoek. Well. That was oneverycomfortable landing." Windhoek? That explains the tentacles," Mia muttered. She then went on to try and seduce Beatrice. What can Mia say? The tentacles weren't enough for her needs. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Castle tron wrote:"Oh shit!" I shouted, "Damien! Damien! Oh, shit!" Time for damage control. I hate myself sometimes. Action: Use lightning powers on Damien's sensitive parts in an attempt to render him infertile. Roll: 1You fire lightning, but you miscalculated. Damien's genitals grow larger, and suddenly you see something white in your vision-Lt;Censored;NASA looks you over. "Well..." she says quietly, seeing you covered in the liquid. And also, somehow pregnant."... Naha. NASA, if this...things alive, shoot me in the face. I don't want to live." Action: Force the zygote out. Immediately. "Mere," Damien Sr. mutters. Action: Retreat into the manor. Castle tron wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 1You fire lightning, but you miscalculated. Damien's genitals grow larger, and suddenly you see something white in your vision-Lt;Censored;NASA looks you over. "Well..." she says quietly, seeing you covered in the liquid. And also, somehow pregnant."... Naha. NASA, if this... thing is alive, shoot me in the face. I don't want to live." Action: Force the zygote out. Immediately. Roll: 6You barf it out, revealing a weird and gross insectlike parasite. It runs away, disappearing into the crowd. Naha stared. "That is the sixth-oddest thing I have seen in our travelling." Nude East Ireland wrote:"Mere," Damien Sr. mutters. Action: Retreat into the manor. Roll: 6You retreat into the manor. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Castle tron wrote:"... Naha. NASA, if this... thing is alive, shoot me in the face. I don't want to live." Action: Force the zygote out. Immediately. Roll: 6You barf it out, revealing a weird and gross insectlike parasite. It runs away, disappearing into the crowd. Naha stared. "That is the sixth-oddest thing I have seen in our travelling."" Well, at least we'll always have Paris." I've never been to Paris, but then, I no longer adhere to normal conceptions of time, so it was a good guess. That slimy Seward bastard thought he could be away from me, though, which he can't. Because I'm persistent, like sand in your shorts. Your ass is mine, Seward. Action: Follow Damien, screaming about his ass and how I own it. Castle tron wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 6You barf it out, revealing a weird and gross insectlike parasite. It runs away, disappearing into the crowd. Naha stared. "That is the sixth-oddest thing I have seen in our travelling."" Well, at least we'll always have Paris." I've never been to Paris, but then, I no longer adhere to normal conceptions of time, so it was a good guess. That slimy Seward bastard thought he could be away from me, though, which he can't. Because I'm persistent, like sand in your shorts. Your ass is mine, Seward. Action: Follow Damien, screaming about his ass and how I own it. Roll: 10You enter Damien's manor, grabbing him by the shoulders, turning him and shoving him against the wall." Your ass is mine, Seward." you whisper into his ear, rubbing said ass. "I own it." With a phone, NASA records. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Castle tron wrote:"Well, at least we'll always have Paris." I've never been to Paris, but then, I no longer adhere to normal conceptions of time, so it was a good guess. That slimy Seward bastard thought he could be away from me, though, which he can't. Because I'm persistent, like sand in your shorts. Your ass is mine, Seward. Action: Follow Damien, screaming about his ass and how I own it. Roll: 10You enter Damien's manor, grabbing him by the shoulders, turning him and shoving him against the wall." Your ass is mine, Seward." you whisper into his ear, rubbing said ass. "I own it." With a phone, NASA records." I... uhh..." Action: Damien Sr. beats Castle tron with his cane. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Castle tron wrote:"Well, at least we'll always have Paris." I've never been to Paris, but then, I no longer adhere to normal conceptions of time, so it was a good guess. That slimy Seward bastard thought he could be away from me, though, which he can't. Because I'm persistent, like sand in your shorts. Your ass is mine, Seward. Action: Follow Damien, screaming about his ass and how I own it. Roll: 10You enter Damien's manor, grabbing him by the shoulders, turning him and shoving him against the wall." Your ass is mine, Seward." you whisper into his ear, rubbing said ass. "I own it." With a phone, NASA records. I blinked." Do you ever get the feeling that a horny Indian man is dictating your actions?" I asked, recoiling, "Anyhow, yeah. I have to kill you now, for the good of Mani-NAHA!" Action: Smash NASA's phone. Jack suddenly found himself falling through what-the-fuck into where-the-fuck onto who-the-fuck at when-the-fuck for who knows why-the-fuck and all he could think was, "How the fuck?" When he landed, wherever he landed, he mustered himself to his feet, cursing the world and blaming this on the extra large orders he'd gotten the day before. He heard a voice ask "Where am I?" followed by a response, something about Windhoek. Since he had no idea where this was, either because of amnesia from the fall or because he's an ignorant fast-food employee, he asked, "What is Windhoek?" Nude East Ireland wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 10You enter Damien's manor, grabbing him by the shoulders, turning him and shoving him against the wall." Your ass is mine, Seward." you whisper into his ear, rubbing said ass. "I own it." With a phone, NASA records." I... uhh..." Action: Damien Sr. beats Castle tron with his cane. Roll: 7You are able to hit Castle tron quite hard, giving him a -1 on all rolls for two turns. Castletron wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 10You enter Damien's manor, grabbing him by the shoulders, turning him and shoving him against the wall." Your ass is mine, Seward." you whisper into his ear, rubbing said ass. "I own it." With a phone, NASA records. I blinked." Do you ever get the feeling that a horny Indian man is dictating your actions?" I asked, recoiling, "Anyhow, yeah. I have to kill you now, for the good of Mani- NAHA!" Action: Smash NASA's phone. Roll: 1-1=0You fire lightning at NASA's phone, but instead overcharge it. Now, that video is on every computer in the universe, which has caused some massive surprises in many parts of the world. Also, NASA's phone can open wormholes. Jeff glanced at his phone and the new video that appeared. He lost all faith in the universe and sighed, turning to Winthrop. "Sir..." he said, showing the video of Damien Seward being seduced by Elliot. "Look at this." Moving with the speed of a 100-something-year-old, Damien Sr. enters his armory and grabs the nearest Antigod Rifle, and aimed it at Castle tron. Action: Shoot the godhood out of Castle tron. Nude East Ireland wrote:Moving with the speed of a 100-something-year-old, Damien Sr. enters his armory and grabs the nearest Antigod Rifle, and aimed it at Castle tron. Action: Shoot the godhood out of Castle tron. Roll: 3It falls apart in your hands. You've been gone for some time, you haven't kept up on repairs. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Nude East Ireland wrote:"I... uhh..." Action: Damien Sr. beats Castle tron with his cane. Roll: 7You are able to hit Castle tron quite hard, giving him a -1 on all rolls for two turns. Castletron wrote:I blinked." Do you ever get the feeling that a horny Indian man is dictating your actions?" I asked, recoiling, "Anyhow, yeah. I have to kill you now, for the good of Mani- NAHA!" Action: Smash NASA's phone. Roll: 1-1=0You fire lightning at NASA's phone, but instead overcharge it. Now, that video is on every computer in the universe, which has caused some massive surprises in many parts of the world. Also, NASA's phone can open wormholes. Jeff glanced at his phone and the new video that appeared. He lost all faith in the universe and sighed, turning to Winthrop. "Sir..." he said, showing the video of Damien Seward being seduced by Elliot. "Look at this." Naha, if you weren't such a bitch sometimes, I might fuck you."... I just broadcast that thought aloud, didn't I?" Action: Crawl into briefcase pocket universe and cry. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Nude East Ireland wrote:Moving with the speed of a 100-something-year-old, Damien Sr. enters his armory and grabs the nearest Antigod Rifle, and aimed it at Castle tron. Action: Shoot the godhood out of Castle tron. Roll: 3It falls apart in your hands. You've been gone for some time, you haven't kept up on repairs." Ugh, son of a bitch." Damien Sr. stands up, and sighs. Action: Go to the palace. Dame-Cardinal Beatrice was certainly surprised when travelers suddenly appeared in the throne room. Her first reflex was to reach for her sword and prepare her tentacles, but she was pleasantly distracted by one of them landing on her considerable bosom. The knight heard the stranger ask where she was, so she did her best to answer that." Well, madam, you're in the city of Windhoek, capital of the empire ruled by Her Grace, Saint Alia Christina of Windhoek," The Dame-Cardinal began, before going into a more proper explanation of the city that I can't be bothered to write. Beatrice then noticed that the stranger was missing a hand. Being a decent woman (As decent as someone in this universe can get, at least) the knight tried fixing that.ACTION: Grow Mia a replacement hand. Continue wrote:Jack suddenly found himself falling through what-the-fuck into where-the-fuck onto who-the-fuck at when-the-fuck for who knows why-the-fuck and all he could think was, "How the fuck?" When he landed, wherever he landed, he mustered himself to his feet, cursing the world and blaming this on the extra large orders he'd gotten the day before. He heard a voice ask "Where am I?" followed by a response, something about Windhoek. Since he had no idea where this was, either because of amnesia from the fall or because he's an ignorant fast-food employee, he asked, "What is Windhoek?" Beatrice ended up answering for Mia anyway, so... Constaniana wrote:Dame-Cardinal Beatrice was certainly surprised when travelers suddenly appeared in the throne room. Her first reflex was to reach for her sword and prepare her tentacles, but she was pleasantly distracted by one of them landing on her considerable bosom. The knight heard the stranger ask where she was, so she did her best to answer that. "Well, madam, you're in the city of Windhoek, capital of the empire ruled by Her Grace, Saint Alia Christina of Windhoek," The Dame-Cardinal began, before going into a more proper explanation of the city that I can't be bothered to write. Beatrice then noticed that the stranger was missing a hand. Being a decent woman (As decent as someone in this universe can get, at least) the knight tried fixing that.ACTION: Grow Mia a replacement hand. Roll: 7+2=9Mia now has a replacement hand, and +1 bonus on all rolls with it. Individuality-ness wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 6She happened to crash on top of Beatrice, by the way, landing directly on her boobs when she fell. Stuttering, Beatrice explained Alia was now in Windhoek. Well. That was one very comfortable landing. "Windhoek? That explains the tentacles," Mia muttered. She then went on to try and seduce Beatrice. What can Mia say? The tentacles weren't enough for her needs. Roll: 6+2=8In thanks, you grab Beatrice's head and begin pulling it down toward yours, kissing her deeply. Castle tron wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 7You are able to hit Castle tron quite hard, giving him a -1 on all rolls for two turns. Roll: 1-1=0You fire lightning at NASA's phone, but instead overcharge it. Now, that video is on every computer in the universe, which has caused some massive surprises in many parts of the world. Also, NASA's phone can open wormholes. Jeff glanced at his phone and the new video that appeared. He lost all faith in the universe and sighed, turning to Winthrop. "Sir..." he said, showing the video of Damien Seward being seduced by Elliot. "Look at this." Naha, if you weren't such a bitch sometimes, I might fuck you."... I just broadcast that thought aloud, didn't I?" Action: Crawl into briefcase pocket universe and cry. Roll: 9You succeed in doing so. Unfortunately, you realize you forgot how to get out. Nude East Ireland wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 3It falls apart in your hands. You've been gone for some time, you haven't kept up on repairs." Ugh, son of a bitch." Damien Sr. stands up, and sighs. Action: Go to the palace. Roll: 8You proceed to go to the castle, but are stopped just outside the doors by two knights. "Who are you?" one asked, her eyes burrowing as she looked at him suspiciously. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Castle tron wrote:NASA, if you weren't such a bitch sometimes, I might fuck you."... I just broadcast that thought aloud, didn't I?" Action: Crawl into briefcase pocket universe and cry. Roll: 9You succeed in doing so. Unfortunately, you realize you forgot how to get out. Son of a bitch."NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" I whined - fuck you, I was in trouble, "Use your fancy new wormhole phone to get me out!" Action: Ask NASA for help and hope to God the Beasts don't smell me. Jack felt left out. So to try and fix the problem he walked up to Mia and Beatrice, stupid grin and all, and proceeded to try to fuck up Mia's seducing with juvenile pranks or whatever. Yay, psychological damage! Castle tron wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 9You succeed in doing so. Unfortunately, you realize you forgot how to get out. Son of a bitch."NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" I whined - fuck you, I was in trouble, "Use your fancy new wormhole phone to get me out!" Action: Ask NASA for help and hope to God the Beasts don't smell me. Roll: 4Naha thinks about it. She also thinks about the treatment she has regularly received over the centuries. Picking up the briefcase, she whistles away and heads to a hotel, wondering how to abuse this power. She could relax and let her hair down, have a night on the town. She glanced off, seeing a bank robbery. On second thought, there were some more pressing concerns at the moment. Setting the briefcase down, she went off to stop the crime. In the meantime, the insectlike spawn from earlier grabbed the case with one leg and dragged it away. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Nude East Ireland wrote:"Ugh, son of a bitch." Damien Sr. stands up, and sighs. Action: Go to the palace. Roll: 8You proceed to go to the castle, but are stopped just outside the doors by two knights. "Who are you?" one asked, her eyes burrowing as she looked at him suspiciously." Bonjour, mademoiselle," he greeted, "I am Damien Seward Sr., the president of Seward Industries, the progenitor of the human males, and the owner of the big fucking mansion on Khan Street." He waited a moment. "I'm here to see the ruler of Windhoek." Beatrice was a reserved and dignified knight. However, this in no way stopped her from enjoying a hot make-out session. The brunette Dame-Cardinal was about to return Mia's affections when she sensed a naked fool approaching. Averting her eyes from the sight, she backhanded him with one of her tentacles instead. Nude East Ireland wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 8You proceed to go to the castle, but are stopped just outside the doors by two knights. "Who are you?" one asked, her eyes burrowing as she looked at him suspiciously." Bonjour, mademoiselle," he greeted, "I am Damien Seward Sr., the president of Seward Industries, the progenitor of the human males, and the owner of the big fucking mansion on Khan Street." He waited a moment. "I'm here to see the ruler of Windhoek." The doors opened for him to walk in. Continue wrote:Jack felt left out. So to try and fix the problem he walked up to Mia and Beatrice, stupid grin and all, and proceeded to try to fuck up Mia's seducing with juvenile pranks or whatever. Yay, psychological damage! Roll: 3You tried to put a whoopee cushion under them, but instead the cushion explodes in your hands. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Continue wrote:Jack felt left out. So to try and fix the problem he walked up to Mia and Beatrice, stupid grin and all, and proceeded to try to fuck up Mia's seducing with juvenile pranks or whatever. Yay, psychological damage! Roll: 3You tried to put a whoopee cushion under them, but instead the cushion explodes in your hands. Jack yelps in shock from the whoopee cushion. Thankfully, they rarely do more than sting, so he rubbed the red mark it left, and grumbled about shitty Chinese manufacturing. He walked away from them, and through what he imagines being the front door. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Nude East Ireland wrote:"Bonjour, mademoiselle," he greeted, "I am Damien Seward Sr., the president of Seward Industries, the progenitor of the human males, and the owner of the big fucking mansion on Khan Street." He waited a moment. "I'm here to see the ruler of Windhoek." The doors opened for him to walk in. Damien Sr. entered the palace, and smiled. "Bring the ruler of the city to me at once!" he said, using his seductive skills on the women soldiers. The insectlike creature glanced at the briefcase happily. It tapped on it four times, to scare the fuck out of Castle tron. Continue wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 3You tried to put a whoopee cushion under them, but instead the cushion explodes in your hands. Jack yelps in shock from the whoopee cushion. Thankfully, they rarely do more than sting, so he rubbed the red mark it left, and grumbled about shitty Chinese manufacturing. He walked away from them, and through what he imagines being the front door. Roll: 6Jack walks toward the front door, running right into Damien Seward. Winthrop watches the video, watches it again, and then throws his head back and laughs uproariously. A rib in his barrel chest actually pops at the strain, but no matter, Sally would make sure it got fixed soon enough, and the synthesized endorphins her undead metal morass pumped into his arteries took care of the pain handily. Damn that was funny. He hadn't laughed that hard in.... ages. The dapper gentleman looked at Jeff. Both of them were effectively immortal, and had been through a lot together; forging the Imperium hasn't been easy, but now massive spire-cities populated by sentient golems bound only by the Three Laws of Eddletonics teemed across the face of the desert. His visage fell as he thought of the vile humans that still organically polluted the pristine world. Golem-kind was the way forward; the time of men was ending, and now was the age of the mechanical, of metal and steel and steam. As amusing as the free biological were, soon he would need to secure the birthright of his children. The organizes could grow scared, angry, jealous, and threaten his progeny. Best to strike first. He turned to Jeff, his fused monocle turning in his head. He hadn't aged a day since he first stepped onto this plane; old Britain, his native land, was lost to him forever now, for he was a fusion of man and machine." What say we fire up the airship and go visit Windhoek eh?" Sally whispered in his ear with a couch from no discernible mouth, and he caressed her fondly then snapped his fingers." Right, we lost it in Kenya to those blasted mutant wildebeests. To work then!" Action: Make giant steam punk airship of dooooooomm. Nude East Ireland wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 8You proceed to go to the castle, but are stopped just outside the doors by two knights. "Who are you?" one asked, her eyes burrowing as she looked at him suspiciously." Bonjour, mademoiselle," he greeted, "I am Damien Seward Sr., the president of Seward Industries, the progenitor of the human males, and the owner of the big fucking mansion on Khan Street." He waited a moment. "I'm here to see the ruler of Windhoek." Alia was taken outside while sitting on a golden throne to see Damien. G-Tech Corporation wrote:Winthrop watches the video, watches it again, and then throws his head back and laughs uproariously. A rib in his barrel chest actually pops at the strain, but no matter, Sally would make sure it got fixed soon enough, and the synthesized endorphins her undead metal morass pumped into his arteries took care of the pain handily. Damn that was funny. He hadn't laughed that hard in.... ages. The dapper gentleman looked at Jeff. Both of them were effectively immortal, and had been through a lot together; forging the Imperium hasn't been easy, but now massive spire-cities populated by sentient golems bound only by the Three Laws of Eddletonics teemed across the face of the desert. His visage fell as he thought of the vile humans that still organically polluted the pristine world. Golem-kind was the way forward; the time of men was ending, and now was the age of the mechanical, of metal and steel and steam. As amusing as the free biological were, soon he would need to secure the birthright of his children. The organizes could grow scared, angry, jealous, and threaten his progeny. Best to strike first. He turned to Jeff, his fused monocle turning in his head. He hadn't aged a day since he first stepped onto this plane; old Britain, his native land, was lost to him forever now, for he was a fusion of man and machine." What say we fire up the airship and go visit Windhoek eh?" Sally whispered in his ear with a couch from no discernible mouth, and he caressed her fondly then snapped his fingers." Right, we lost it in Kenya to those blasted mutant wildebeests. To work then!" Action: Make giant steam punk airship of dooooooomm. Roll: 5+2=7Working with your golems, you manage to build a giant airship of doom. And it's steampunk too! Night kill the Emperor wrote:The insectlike creature glanced at the briefcase happily. It tapped on it four times, to scare the fuck out of Castle tron."YOU BASTARD!" Castle tron screeched. Action: Push on the fabric of reality, fueled by rage, in an attempt to escape. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Nude East Ireland wrote:"Bonjour, mademoiselle," he greeted, "I am Damien Seward Sr., the president of Seward Industries, the progenitor of the human males, and the owner of the big fucking mansion on Khan Street." He waited a moment. "I'm here to see the ruler of Windhoek." Alia was taken outside while sitting on a golden throne to see Damien. Damien Sr. smiled, and approached Alia." Hello, madame. I am Damien Seward Sr., the president of Seward Industries. I believe that someone as beautiful as yourself needs a break for the rest of her life. You've done lots of hard work. I'm an old man, and I think I can help you take a vacation." Action: Seduce Alia and become King of Windhoek. Winthrop soldered the last bolt into place, then Sally retracted the welding mask and subsumed it back into her body. He patted her fondly, then nodded to the horde of golems that would come with him. Together they clambered aboard the massive black heavier-than-air vessel, and steam soon began to vent from many ports for no know reason. Sinister bomb racks and cog-fired Gatling guns hung from the zeppelin in a profusion that gladdened the mad Englishman's heart, and as the ship lifted off he waved out of the pilot deck at some smaller blimps that patrolled the Resurrected Dedicated Empire's border rather jovially. Sally whispered in his ear and a tendril of necrotic flesh wrapped tenderly around his hand, then Winthrop threw the massive lever that sent steam to the rear propellers. The mighty construct stirred, and slowly began the journey from the desert wastes to Windhoek. Action: Fly airship to Windhoek in style! Alia had been relaxing on her throne room, enjoying the luxuries of her life as a Goddess of the people of Windhoek and drinking Brit-Bot's tea, when all of a sudden a bunch of misfits crashed into her throne room, an event that vaguely reminded her of when she met a bunch of misfits in a sand castle. Regardless, instead of doing anything, the prophetess of Mentor (Because that's how you spell it, Night) simply sat back and continued relaxing, sipping her tea as she watched with some amusement how Beatrice, her loyal knight, dealt with the handicapped woman and the naked man with her bosom and tentacles. However, then one of her guards informed them that Damien Seward was looking for her. Her guards, mostly women by the way, then carried her golden throne out to meet him, before setting it on the ground. She listened to his offer and, while she felt flattered, she didn't think she needed a vacation, and she had to look out for the children of Mentor, by which she meant the people of Windhoek. Action: Reject his offer. Castle tron wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:The insectlike creature glanced at the briefcase happily. It tapped on it four times, to scare the fuck out of Castle tron."YOU BASTARD!" Castle tron screeched. Action: Push on the fabric of reality, fueled by rage, in an attempt to escape. Roll: 8The briefcase blasted out of reality, landing back at where NASA had left it. When she walked back, Elliot popped back out of it. "Welcome back." she said. Nude East Ireland wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Alia was taken outside while sitting on a golden throne to see Damien. Damien Sr. smiled, and approached Alia." Hello, madame. I am Damien Seward Sr., the president of Seward Industries. I believe that someone as beautiful as yourself needs a break for the rest of her life. You've done lots of hard work. I'm an old man, and I think I can help you take a vacation." Action: Seduce Alia and become King of Windhoek. Roll: 3+2=5Offer fails. Zarkenis Ultimo wrote:Alia had been relaxing on her throne room, enjoying the luxuries of her life as a Goddess of the people of Windhoek and drinking Brit-Bot's tea, when all of a sudden a bunch of misfits crashed into her throne room, an event that vaguely reminded her of when she met a bunch of misfits in a sand castle. Regardless, instead of doing anything, the prophetess of Mentor (Because that's how you spell it, Night) simply sat back and continued relaxing, sipping her tea as she watched with some amusement how Beatrice, her loyal knight, dealt with the handicapped woman and the naked man with her bosom and tentacles. However, then one of her guards informed them that Damien Seward was looking for her. Her guards, mostly women by the way, then carried her golden throne out to meet him, before setting it on the ground. She listened to his offer and, while she felt flattered, she didn't think she needed a vacation, and she had to look out for the children of Mentor, by which she meant the people of Windhoek. Action: Reject his offer. Offer has already failed, so... G-Tech Corporation wrote:Winthrop soldered the last bolt into place, then Sally retracted the welding mask and subsumed it back into her body. He patted her fondly, then nodded to the horde of golems that would come with him. Together they clambered aboard the massive black heavier-than-air vessel, and steam soon began to vent from many ports for no know reason. Sinister bomb racks and cog-fired Gatling guns hung from the zeppelin in a profusion that gladdened the mad Englishman's heart, and as the ship lifted off he waved out of the pilot deck at some smaller blimps that patrolled the Resurrected Dedicated Empire's border rather jovially. Sally whispered in his ear and a tendril of necrotic flesh wrapped tenderly around his hand, then Winthrop threw the massive lever that sent steam to the rear propellers. The mighty construct stirred, and slowly began the journey from the desert wastes to Windhoek. Action: Fly airship to Windhoek in style! Roll: 5Well, the airship flies to Windhoek...and is now right above the city..." Oh, the humanity!" a reporter yelled out, seeing the airship go up in flames and begin crashing down toward Windhoek. Specifically, Alia's castle. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Castle tron wrote:"YOU BASTARD!" Castle tron screeched. Action: Push on the fabric of reality, fueled by rage, in an attempt to escape. Roll: 8The briefcase blasted out of reality, landing back at where NASA had left it. When she walked back, Elliot popped back out of it. "Welcome back." she said." I hate you," I grumbled. I really didn't, but she was not the best partner. Really, I missed Fred. He and I fought frequently, but at least he listened when he should have. And the Librarian! God, I missed that old coot." Listen, NASA," I said, "If Seward is here, if Seward has mated, then God knows what's become of this world. We need to investigate." Action: Investigate, like a proper detective. "Fine," Damien Sr. replied. "Have it your way." Action: Seduce every female guard in the palace. After gracefully rejecting Damien's offer (The one about him becoming king, mind you), Alia glanced at a conveniently placed TV, and noticed the flaming airship that was about to crash into her castle. So she did the sensible thing. Action: Pray for Mentor to stop the crash. Glad that the naked man had left, Beatrice decided to finish what she had started.ACTION: Make out with Mia. Constantine wrote:Glad that the naked man had left, Beatrice decided to finish what she had started. ACTION: Make out with Mia. And Mia decided to complete making out, because the writer has no new ideas at the moment. Winthrop laughs maniacally even as the flames slowly fill the room about him and Jeff. The golem seems unperturbed about the whole situation, and trudges back through a door on the sloping decks as his master waves him away. Soon a rear segment of the ship breaks off and sputters its way back towards the Imperium, a life-raft of a zeppelin bearing Jeff and the automaton crew even as the main part of the giant vessel spirals down towards.... ooohhhh.... shiny.... a castle! Sally chuckles in his ear even as the Younger Middleton races about the cockpit pushing various buttons and levers. The payload of the massive blimp is released; nearly a hundred incendiary bombs fall sporadically from the descending behemoth, and Gatling guns galore spout random death and fiery lead over the palace and nearby parts of the city as the devices whir in their mountings like madcap dervishes. The palace rushes up, and at long last Winthrop braces for impact. Action: Fire all he weapons and crash, preferably with appropriate levels of boom. Nude East Ireland wrote:"Fine," Damien Sr. replied. "Have it your way." Action: Seduce every female guard in the palace. Brit-Bot suddenly decided that Damien was an unwanted guest, and that he was pestering too much. So, he took the matter upon his own hands. Action: Politely escort Damien away from the palace with the help of a flying kick, Bruce Lee-style Atrium wrote:Nude East Ireland wrote:"Fine," Damien Sr. replied. "Have it your way." Action: Seduce every female guard in the palace. Brit-Bot suddenly decided that Damien was an unwanted guest, and that he was pestering too much. So, he took the matter upon his own hands. Action: Politely escort Damien away from the palace with the help of a flying kick, Bruce Lee-style"Back up, Terminator. I'm goddamn Damien Seward!" the old man screamed. Action: Attack Brit-Bot with cane. Constantine wrote:Glad that the naked man had left, Beatrice decided to finish what she had started. ACTION: Make out with Mia. Roll: 8The make-out goes very well. You will now find it much easier to make Mia do things.(+1 on charm rolls on Mia) Castle tron wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 8The briefcase blasted out of reality, landing back at where NASA had left it. When she walked back, Elliot popped back out of it. "Welcome back." she said." I hate you," I grumbled. I really didn't, but she was not the best partner. Really, I missed Fred. He and I fought frequently, but at least he listened when he should have. And the Librarian! God, I missed that old coot." Listen, NASA," I said, "If Seward is here, if Seward has mated, then God knows what's become of this world. We need to investigate." Action: Investigate, like a proper detective. Roll: 4You forget what you're looking for. You get hungry for some food. Darkens Ultimo wrote:After gracefully rejecting Damien's offer (The one about him becoming king, mind you), Alia glanced at a conveniently placed TV, and noticed the flaming airship that was about to crash into her castle. So she did the sensible thing. Action: Pray for Mentor to stop the crash. Roll: 7Hentor agrees. Somewhat. The airship moves back a kilometer, instead smashing into the hut of some poor farmer."MY MARIJUANA PATCH!" the farmer yelled. G-Tech Corporation wrote:Winthrop laughs maniacally even as the flames slowly fill the room about him and Jeff. The golem seems unperturbed about the whole situation, and trudges back through a door on the sloping decks as his master waves him away. Soon a rear segment of the ship breaks off and sputters its way back towards the Imperium, a life-raft of a zeppelin bearing Jeff and the automaton crew even as the main part of the giant vessel spirals down towards.... ooohhhh.... shiny.... a castle! Sally chuckles in his ear even as the Younger Middleton races about the cockpit pushing various buttons and levers. The payload of the massive blimp is released; nearly a hundred incendiary bombs fall sporadically from the descending behemoth, and Gatling guns galore spout random death and fiery lead over the palace and nearby parts of the city as the devices whir in their mountings like madcap dervishes. The palace rushes up, and at long last Winthrop braces for impact. Action: Fire all he weapons and crash, preferably with appropriate levels of boom. Roll: Eh, fuck it, we already killed that poor bastard farmer's marijuana patch. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Castle tron wrote:"I hate you," I grumbled. I really didn't, but she was not the best partner. Really, I missed Fred. He and I fought frequently, but at least he listened when he should have. And the Librarian! God, I missed that old coot." Listen, NASA," I said, "If Seward is here, if Seward has mated, then God knows what's become of this world. We need to investigate." Action: Investigate, like a proper detective. Roll: 4You forget what you're looking for. You get hungry for some food. Turning his attention away from actually posting and wandering away like the old man he is, Castle tron's author reasserted himself. Hi." I'm hungry again," Castle tron grumbled, "This stomach is bullshit. How do you maneuver with these things, NASA? Human bodies are crap. I could give you guys some improvements, if you want. For instance, cellular respiration? Outdated bullshit." Action: Make mitochondria more efficient. Atrium wrote:Nude East Ireland wrote:"Fine," Damien Sr. replied. "Have it your way." Action: Seduce every female guard in the palace. Brit-Bot suddenly decided that Damien was an unwanted guest, and that he was pestering too much. So, he took the matter upon his own hands. Action: Politely escort Damien away from the palace with the help of a flying kick, Bruce Lee-style Roll: 7+2=9You hit Damien, severely injuring him. Damien takes a -2 penalties to all rolls until healed. Nude East Ireland wrote:Atrium wrote:Brit-Bot suddenly decided that Damien was an unwanted guest, and that he was pestering too much. So, he took the matter upon his own hands. Action: Politely escort Damien away from the palace with the help of a flying kick, Bruce Lee-style"Back up, Terminator. I'm goddamn Damien Seward!" the old man screamed. Action: Attack Brit-Bot with cane. Roll: 4+1-2=3You fail spectacularly, and break your cane instead of hurting Brit-Bot. Nationstatelandsville wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 4You forget what you're looking for. You get hungry for some food. Turning his attention away from actually posting and wandering away like the old man he is, Castle tron's author reasserted himself. Hi." I'm hungry again," Castle tron grumbled, "This stomach is bullshit. How do you maneuver with these things, NASA? Human bodies are crap. I could give you guys some improvements, if you want. For instance, cellular respiration? Outdated bullshit." Action: Make mitochondria more efficient. Roll: 3You fail. In fact, you fail so hard you end up making everyone in Windhoek have less efficient mitochondria. The effect? Now the entire city is absolutely starved. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Nationstatelandsville wrote:Turning his attention away from actually posting and wandering away like the old man he is, Castle tron's author reasserted himself. Hi." I'm hungry again," Castle tron grumbled, "This stomach is bullshit. How do you maneuver with these things, NASA? Human bodies are crap. I could give you guys some improvements, if you want. For instance, cellular respiration? Outdated bullshit." Action: Make mitochondria more efficient. Roll: 3You fail. In fact, you fail so hard you end up making everyone in Windhoek have less efficient mitochondria. The effect? Now the entire city is absolutely starved. I sneaked up behind that obnoxious teenager. That motherfucker is ruining everything. Anglican rule myself! I shed my author long ago, I'll never take him back! Action: Kill Nat. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Constantine wrote:Glad that the naked man had left, Beatrice decided to finish what she had started. ACTION: Make out with Mia. Roll: 8The make-out goes very well. You will now find it much easier to make Mia do things.(+1 on charm rolls on Mia)Mia turned to Beatrice. "Suddenly I feel hungry. You want something to eat?" She wouldn't have known that Castle tron gave them much less efficient mitochondria, so yeah. Action: forage around the room for food. Brit-Bot noticed that, while the old man had been somewhat placated by his swift kick, he was still in the mansion grounds. So, he aimed to correct this. Action: Kick the shit out of Damien to make him exit the palace, Chung style. Castle tron wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 3You fail. In fact, you fail so hard you end up making everyone in Windhoek have less efficient mitochondria. The effect? Now the entire city is absolutely starved. I sneaked up behind that obnoxious teenager. That motherfucker is ruining everything. Only I can rule myself! I shed my author long ago, I'll never take him back! Action: Kill Nat.Roll: 10You aim and fire at the teenager. Unfortunately, you miscalculate. He is, after all, your author. A paradox is created. As a result, you feel blinding pain...and then realize you are now trapped in the body of Jon Mandeville, losing your former abilities until you can figure out how to change back, which will be a multistep process, because I'm a dick. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Castle tron wrote:I sneaked up behind that obnoxious teenager. That motherfucker is ruining everything. Only I can rule myself! I shed my author long ago, I'll never take him back! Action: Kill Nat.Roll: 10You aim and fire at the teenager. Unfortunately, you miscalculate. He is, after all, your author. A paradox is created. As a result, you feel blinding pain...and then realize you are now trapped in the body of Jon Mandeville, losing your former abilities until you can figure out how to change back, which will be a multistep process, because I'm a dick. Fuck." Fuck," my mouth said. Get the hell out of my head, Very-"SPEAK NOT THE BLACK NAME." You're white as hell, because'm white as hell. Seriously, metafiction? How out of touch can you be?" Fuck you, I'm in charge now." No, look - you're the one with the quotation marks." Fuck you, we have to work together on this one." Fuck you." Fuck you." Fuck you." Fuck you." Fuck you. Action: Fuck you. Also, kick Castle tron out. Nationstatelandsville wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 10You aim and fire at the teenager. Unfortunately, you miscalculate. He is, after all, your author. A paradox is created. As a result, you feel blinding pain...and then realize you are now trapped in the body of Jon Mandeville, losing your former abilities until you can figure out how to change back, which will be a multistep process, because I'm a dick. Fuck." Fuck," my mouth said. Get the hell out of my head, Very-"SPEAK NOT THE BLACK NAME." You're white as hell, because I'm white as hell. Seriously, metafiction? How out of touch can you be?" Fuck you, I'm in charge now." No, look - you're the one with the quotation marks." Fuck you, we have to work together on this one." Fuck you." Fuck you." Fuck you." Fuck you." Fuck you. Action: Fuck you. Also, kick Castle tron out. Roll: 6. First, you miss me, but you do end up in a very awkward position with End involving umbrellas. Long story. Second, Castle tron tries to leave, but is stuck. However, you get a clue as to how to get him out. It appears that you must find Winthrop and convince him to agree to help knock Castle tron out of your body and send you back to your own dimension. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Nationstatelandsville wrote:Fuck." Fuck," my mouth said. Get the hell out of my head, Very-"SPEAK NOT THE BLACK NAME." You're white as hell, because I'm white as hell. Seriously, metafiction? How out of touch can you be?" Fuck you, I'm in charge now." No, look - you're the one with the quotation marks." Fuck you, we have to work together on this one." Fuck you." Fuck you." Fuck you." Fuck you." Fuck you. Action: Fuck you. Also, kick Castle tron out. Roll: 6. First, you miss me, but you do end up in a very awkward position with End involving umbrellas. Long story. Second, Castle tron tries to leave, but is stuck. However, you get a clue as to how to get him out. It appears that you must find Winthrop and convince him to agree to help knock Castle tron out of your body and send you back to your own dimension. Goddamn it and goddamn you. Action: Murder End. Nationstatelandsville wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 6. First, you miss me, but you do end up in a very awkward position with End involving umbrellas. Long story. Second, Castle tron tries to leave, but is stuck. However, you get a clue as to how to get him out. It appears that you must find Winthrop and convince him to agree to help knock Castle tron out of your body and send you back to your own dimension. Goddamn it and goddamn you. Action: Murder End. Roll: 6You stand above End with a knife, when suddenly Amish Jesus appears before you." Jon..." Amish Jesus says quietly. "Are you sure about this? I mean, I totally get where you're coming from, and I'm Amish Jesus, but come on bro. That's a Texan, it has suffered enough." Night kill the Emperor wrote:Nationstatelandsville wrote:Goddamn it and goddamn you. Action: Murder End. Roll: 6You stand above End with a knife, when suddenly Amish Jesus appears before you." Jon..." Amish Jesus says quietly. "Are you sure about this? I mean, I totally get where you're coming from, and I'm Amish Jesus, but come on bro. That's a Texan, it has suffered enough." I'm an atheist." Weird. So am I." I created you, dumb-ass." Oh. Right." Action: Murder Amish Jesus. Nationstatelandsville wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 6You stand above End with a knife, when suddenly Amish Jesus appears before you." Jon..." Amish Jesus says quietly. "Are you sure about this? I mean, I totally get where you're coming from, and I'm Amish Jesus, but come on bro. That's a Texan, it has suffered enough." I'm an atheist." Weird. So am I." I created you, dumb-ass." Oh. Right." Action: Murder Amish Jesus. Roll: 9You successfully stab Amish Jesus to death. He turns into a bottle of wine and a piece of bread. And leaves behind a swell beard as well. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Nationstatelandsville wrote:I'm an atheist." Weird. So am I." I created you, dumb-ass." Oh. Right." Action: Murder Amish Jesus. Roll: 9You successfully stab Amish Jesus to death. He turns into a bottle of wine and a piece of bread. And leaves behind a swell beard as well. I am beard-god." Beards are stupid." Fuck you. I AM ASHTON, LORD OF THE BEARDS! Action: Dawn beard. Nationstatelandsville wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 9You successfully stab Amish Jesus to death. He turns into a bottle of wine and a piece of bread. And leaves behind a swell beard as well. I am beard-god." Beards are stupid." Fuck you. I AM ASHTON, LORD OF THE BEARDS! Action: Dawn beard. Roll: 6Somehow, by putting on the beard, you separate yourself back into Nat and Castle tron, forgot everything about this incident and also lose the ability to travel out of the fourth wall. "Fucking shit," Damien Sr. muttered. Action: Go home. Atrium wrote:Brit-Bot noticed that, while the old man had been somewhat placated by his swift kick, he was still in the mansion grounds. So, he aimed to correct this. Action: Kick the shit out of Damien to make him exit the palace, Chung style. Roll: 1+2=3You miss and hit yourself with your own foot. You're now injured as well. -1 on all future rolls until healed. Nude East Ireland wrote:"Fucking shit," Damien Sr. muttered. Action: Go home. Roll: 3You get lost, ending up standing next to a surprised Castle tron and NASA, who seem to be wondering what happened in the last five minutes. Individuality-less wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 8The make-out goes very well. You will now find it much easier to make Mia do things.(+1 on charm rolls on Mia)Mia turned to Beatrice. "Suddenly I feel hungry. You want something to eat?" She wouldn't have known that Castle tron gave them much less efficient mitochondria, so yeah. Action: forage around the room for food. Roll: 7You find a large pizza from Pizza Hut. It was among the first organizations to get back on its feet after the end, thriving. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Nationstatelandsville wrote:I am beard-god." Beards are stupid." Fuck you. I AM ASHTON, LORD OF THE BEARDS! Action: Dawn beard. Roll: 6Somehow, by putting on the beard, you separate yourself back into Nat and Castle tron, forgot everything about this incident and also lose the ability to travel out of the fourth wall." You son of a bitch," I grumbled. I quite enjoyed being able to cross the void beyond the mind, the empty space that circles time. To see where others stumbled blind, to seek a truth they never find... Right, well, back to work then." Naha!" I exclaimed, "It seems I may have caused a minor global disaster. Worry not, however! I have a plan!" Action: Make up for loss of mitochondria efficiency by installing chloroplasts. Individuality-less wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 8The make-out goes very well. You will now find it much easier to make Mia do things.(+1 on charm rolls on Mia)Mia turned to Beatrice. "Suddenly I feel hungry. You want something to eat?" She wouldn't have known that Castle tron gave them much less efficient mitochondria, so yeah. Action: forage around the room for food. Considering the high amount of calories a knight needed to eat every day, Beatrice quickly became aware of her sudden starvation." Yes, food sounds rather good right now," Beatrice replied to Mia, glancing around for a few moments. Thankfully, Mia was quick to find eatables.ACTION: Politely ask Mia to share the pizza. Brit-Bot noticed that his foot was clanking too much. And that he was also leaking oil from it. And electrical sparks. It really didn't make it happy. Action: Frantically search for a mechanic in the mansion grounds. Given awakens / moves to the rest of the party! Continuity, AWAY! Action: Catch the fuck-up, yeah? After having saved the city (She thought) with her devotion and Mentor's favor, Alia felt rather hungry. Due to the tension or something, she supposed. Shrugging, she went back to her throne room to look for the pizza she had War-Bot bring earlier. Castle tron found himself falling into a dimensional hole until his author returns on Sunday. Constaniana wrote:Individuality-less wrote:Mia turned to Beatrice. "Suddenly I feel hungry. You want something to eat?" She wouldn't have known that Castle tron gave them much less efficient mitochondria, so yeah. Action: forage around the room for food. Considering the high amount of calories a knight needed to eat every day, Beatrice quickly became aware of her sudden starvation." Yes, food sounds rather good right now," Beatrice replied to Mia, glancing around for a few moments. Thankfully, Mia was quick to find eatables. ACTION: Politely ask Mia to share the pizza. Roll: 7You manage to get Mia to share the pizza with you, half-and-half. Huzzah for compromise. Atrium wrote:Brit-Bot noticed that his foot was clanking too much. And that he was also leaking oil from it. And electrical sparks. It really didn't make it happy. Action: Frantically search for a mechanic in the mansion grounds. Roll: 8In your quest, you go far beyond mansion grounds...and find yourself running directly into your original creator whom you had once run away from, Sir Winthrop, on the farm where he had crashed. The Invites Extraho wrote:Given awakens / moves to the rest of the party! Continuity, AWAY! Action: Catch the fuck-up, yeah? Roll: 4You're confused! Like a Pokémon, you proceed to punch yourself in the face. Darkens Ultimo wrote:After having saved the city (She thought) with her devotion and Mentor's favor, Alia felt rather hungry. Due to the tension or something, she supposed. Shrugging, she went back to her throne room to look for the pizza she had War-Bot bring earlier. Roll: 10Before Mia or Beatrice could start eating the pizza, something bizarre happened. The pizza leaped out of the box and jumped onto Alia's breasts. It made a purring noise as it sat there. Of course, I'm sure the priestess is no stranger to hot juicy substances on her chest, even if they appear to be sentient." Mine!" the pizza growled. Night kill the Emperor wrote:Darkens Ultimo wrote:After having saved the city (She thought) with her devotion and Mentor's favor, Alia felt rather hungry. Due to the tension or something, she supposed. Shrugging, she went back to her throne room to look for the pizza she had War-Bot bring earlier. Roll: 10Before Mia or Beatrice could start eating the pizza, something bizarre happened. The pizza leaped out of the box and jumped onto Alia's breasts. It made a purring noise as it sat there. Of course, I'm sure the priestess is no stranger to hot juicy substances on her chest, even if they appear to be sentient." Mine!" the pizza growled. Whut? Anyways, Mia was not thrilled. "Hey!" Action: take the pizza back to share with Beatrice. After receiving the not unpleasant surprise of having the pizza jump onto her naked breasts, smearing them with hot sauce, Alia looked down at it." No, you're mine." She corrected. Action: Eat pizza. Winthrop leaps from the burning wreckage, dramatically rejoining the story. Action: Summon demonic servant from beyond reality. Given frowns! Action: Frown so hard reality fixes it-bwahahaha, what am I saying. Frown so hard you summon Crowley! Being a loyal and dutiful knight, Beatrice saw that her queen was in need of assistance. The cardinal produced a fancy handkerchief from some pocket of hers and attempted to clean up Animation: Wipe the sauce from Alia's breasts. Individuality-less wrote:Night kill the Emperor wrote:Roll: 10Before Mia or Beatrice could start eating the pizza, something bizarre happened. The pizza leaped out of the box and jumped onto Alia's breasts. It made a purring noise as it sat there. Of course, I'm sure the priestess is no stranger to hot juicy substances on her chest, even if they appear to be sentient." Mine!" the pizza growled. Whut? Anyways, Mia was not thrilled. "Hey!" Action: take the pizza back to share with Beatrice. Roll: 7You proceed to rip the pizza away from Alia, holding it in your own hands. Zarkenis Ultimo wrote:After receiving the not unpleasant surprise of having the pizza jump onto her naked breasts, smearing them with hot sauce, Alia looked down at it." No, you're mine." She corrected. Action: Eat pizza. Roll: 4You try to eat the pizza, but you miss since Mia just took it from you. Constaniana wrote:Being a loyal and dutiful knight, Beatrice saw that her queen was in need of assistance. The cardinal produced a fancy handkerchief from some pocket of hers and attempted to clean up Animation: Wipe the sauce from Alia's breasts. Roll: 7You wipe the hot sauce off with a handkerchief, perhaps rubbing a bit longer than needed. Pizza Roll: 9You suddenly latch onto Mia's breasts instead, holding on much more tightly, your thoughts beginning to sync with hers. "You shall obey me!" you bark with Mia's mouth. G-Tech Corporation wrote:Winthrop leaps from the burning wreckage, dramatically rejoining the story. Action: Summon demonic servant from beyond reality. Roll: 3You summon Justin Bieber. Apologise. The Invites Extraho wrote:Given frowns! Action: Frown so hard reality fixes it-bwahahaha, what am I saying. Frown so hard you summon Crowley! Roll: 8A British wizard appears next to you, looking quite confused. "OK..." Crowley says, pausing. "Who the fuck are you?" Alia enjoyed as her faithful servant cleaned her, though she would have preferred that she didn't do it with a handkerchief, and then turned her attention to the pizza. She was still hungry, dammit. She had just saved the city.ACTION: Eat the pizza with little regard for where it is. Given laughed, nudging Crowley. "Figured you'd like to see this." he said simply. Given: Watch the ensuing hi jinks. Beatrice looked at the antics of the pizza with a bit of confusion, deciding she didn't want to bother eating any pizza now.ACTION: Find some tasty ice cream instead.

Days of Adventuring (IC, Closed)|rating:4.0

Bad Moon Rising (LadyNox & RL)

The car was old, but it certainly didn't look that way with an unnatural shine to the black paint and accents. It rumbled to a stop around the back of a decrepit motel, one of many she was familiar with staying at for a night or even a week, if it was a particularly bad case. Morgan had gotten used to doing things on her own for a long time since her father died, and since her partner decided at a young age to leave the business, so to speak. But you could never leave this kind of life - their father's had always said the same thing, but things became confusing and disorganized when they died. She was evidence of that, rolling into the town after spending some time tracking him down in order to bring him back with her. Once the car was parked out back, she reached to her side and looked at her phone. Great, nearly 12:30 in the morning, on a Thursday no less, she thought with a disgruntled expression. There was a very high chance she would find him asleep. Lightly sleeping, of course, as she doubted that habit could be trained out of him with several semesters of college or whatever the hell he'd gone off to do and ignore his duties over. The huntress huffed slightly as she pocketed her phone and ensured she had everything she needed, then slid her slender, athletic build out of the car with a soft closing of the door. Her hands maneuvered down toward the low waist of her dark, dusty blue jeans and her thumb scraped over the back of her gun. Just to double-check, she told herself. As she stepped toward the back window of the myriad of connected motel rooms, the young woman thought back to the day before which had just passed. She drove into Manning, Colorado, to eradicate a pesky nest of vampires that she'd heard about. In fact, her most recent partner, the only one she worked with besides her father and AWOL friend, had gone in a few days before her and ended up getting killed. Although the vampires in the nest were also dead, and there were no signs of a having escaped. In this line of work she tried not to get overly attached. It was just another unfortunate reason why she had to wrangle him back into the business, unless he was content with people dying left right and center. Morgan paused by the window of the motel, shifting the faded black leather jacket on her shoulders as she did so. Her combat boots didn't make a sound on the gravelly pavement thanks to years of training, and an equally dark tank top helped her blend when she was on this kind of midnight reconnaissance work. Pulling the switch-blade out of her back pocket, the huntress jammed it into the side of the window and fiddled a bit around the lock until it gave way along with a few chips of the old repainted wood. In no time at all she had it open, and hoisted herself up to climb inside. Landing with a soft thud, she shut the window behind her and tossed her jacket on the nearest chair she could find. She breathed a sigh of relief to see that no one was there. Morgan headed toward the small, ill lit bathroom just to her right. A dim light flickered above the mirror as she ran the tap, pooling some lukewarm water into her hands and splashing it over the contours of her usually fair skinned face. Riding with the top down and the sun out had given her skin a slight golden kiss. Eventually, the huntress looked up and locked eyes with her reflection: a long slightly pointed nose, elegant neck, semi full lips that were flushed from her climb to the window, and angular dark brows. It was a good little façade she had going on, especially when it helped provide her with cash now and then. Men always presumed she was bluffing when she hustled them at pool, and they were usually too dumbstruck to not fork over the cash when they lost. Thick lashes bat over her pale brown eyes, which seemed an earthy tone of green sometimes. Morgan ran a hand through her chestnut waves, tousling them so they fell a bit more naturally across her shoulders and down her back, ending at the bottom of her shoulder-blades. Exhaling one more time as she started to get comfortable, she exited the bathroom and sought out a mini fridge. One of the few cold beers remaining would do, and she flopped down on the queen-sized bed with a rejuvenated attitude. Her hands roamed the sheets until she found the remote and flicked on the old TV." Oh, Pay-Per-Vu, you naughty boy," she said to herself with a grin, and rolled her eyes, even though he wasn't exactly there to tease about the disappointingly non-risqué channel the TV was left at. “Are you sure that you’re ok?” Theresa asked him with that normally, over expressive look on her face. “How exactly did you get a cut like that while changing the oil in your friend’s car?” came her second question quickly thereafter, dismissive of whatever answer Jonathan might have provided in response to the first. John sat in the passenger seat of his co-worker, Theresa’s SUV. He had been favoring setting weight on his left shoulder rather than his right. When John has arrived at work earlier that evening, around 6:00PM or so at the small Colorado town dive aptly named the “The Bar”, it was obvious right off the bat to the staff that he had been in a fight the previous night. He moved a bit more sluggishly, there was a small bruise visible just above the collar of his dark-colored shirt, but most obviously there was a set of bandages wrapping his upper right arm and a portion of his chest. The bulge of the fabric could be seen beneath his bartending shirt. But just like John, always the sort of quiet guy to lie obviously and say that some tools had fallen on him while working on ‘Bob’ or ‘David’ or some other generic white blooded American name person’s car. Nobody pried too deeply. He had always struck everyone as a good guy, handsome beside that as well. Plus he was new in town, and anyone who actively sought out a place to work at like The Bar in a go-nowhere town like this obviously had some baggage along with them. It had stopped there for everyone except Theresa of course, the cute younger bartender who worked with John that night. The one who wanted nothing but to go out with the tall, good-looking new guy. Obviously she was getting a bit annoyed that her advances weren’t working.“Well… have you ever changed the oil in a car” Jonathan asked with a slight smile as she drove him back to his motel. “No” she replied, not yet having caught on to where he was going with this. “It’s dangerous work, better men than me have died trying” the pair laughing lightly at the joke as the SUV pulled up into the parking lot.”So are you going to invite me in?” Theresa asked with a hinting smile and bat of her eye-lashes. John just smiled, thanked her for the ride and stepped out much to her disappointment. The man was in his mid-twenties, strong looking for someone his height, with shortcut black hair. His eyes were a soft green, appearing to most who looked close enough like he was sad about something, though what was beyond anyone that John had met ever since he left the family business. A dark shirt clung slightly to his chest, revealing a bit of his muscular upper frame, while a pair of worn jeans covered his lower body. Fishing for the key’s to the motel room, John worked his arm in a slight circle and shoved away a bit of the pain. The wound of course had actually come from a nasty group of vamps that made their nest in town. John had only caught wind of them a week ago, and although he had sworn off hunting for this long, he knew that innocent people were going to get killed if he didn’t do something. So he did. He found the nest, killed them while taking only a few battle scars in the process. His only regret in the matter of course was that if he had been just a bit faster, a bit less soft at the work, maybe he would have saved whoever that hunter was that got himself killed before Jonathan arrived. Slipping the key into the slot, and loudly turning the latch, Jonathan suddenly felt a twinge of surprise and fear work up his spine. He could hear the TV on inside, a fine detail that most people wouldn’t even think about had they not been born and bread in motel rooms moving from place to place. Well he didn’t have his gun on him, but not for lack of a weapon. Assuming of course that it was some vamp he missed John pulled a smaller switch-blade he had gotten from his dad from the back of his jean line. Then, tensing every muscle in preparation for a fight, he threw open the door. As the door threw open from John's sudden advance into the room, he would find that Morgan had hardly even moved from that spot on the bed where she first sat down a little while ago. She was far too busy drinking the now lukewarm beer and splaying her arms across the pillows that propped up her back. With her legs crossed at the ankle, she let out a deep sigh of contentment - obviously very exaggerated since she'd just put her drink down, and saw John entering. It's not like years apart, especially the years in this business, would make her jumpy when someone shoved their door open and looked ready to pounce on whoever was inside. She merely cocked her eyebrow at him and turned to peer in his direction slowly, nonchalantly. It was never Morgan's way to plead or get her feathers visibly in a ruffle when there was something that needed convincing. Instead, she preferred to treat everything with as little an air of seriousness as possible. That helped make life a bit easier to deal with, she thought, and who wouldn't want to take the edge off? With a slight huff Morgan sat up on the bed, as if she were too lazy to bother getting up and greeting him like she thought of. She was a tough gal, but those tender moments had been beaten to the back of her mind a long, long time ago." Oh, hey to you too." Her voice feigned disinterest despite this being the first words they would share in about five years. Now in their mid-twenties, he was aspiring to... something, and she was still her same old self. Part of her had considered the more drastic option he would choose in refusing to help her, for whatever reason. Morgan eventually pulled her legs back and swung them over the bed so that she finally stood up to face John, then continued, "By the way, you only get five crappy channels. And this beer sucks," added Morgan, somewhat desperate to keep the topic off of why she was there to get him, now that she was actually faced with a confrontation." Also, there was a rather nasty group of vampires just outside the town. Nest was eradicated when I got there, though." She couldn't avoid the subject for the whole time they stared at each other, Morgan reasoned with herself. Maybe to hear about something so close to his new 'home' would jump start a guilt trip that could get him into helping. John was mostly in shock during the abrupt reunion, standing in the doorway with his knife clenched tightly between slender fingers. “Uh… Hey Morgan” he finally followed up with after she had stated her little bit of information, complaining briefly about the cheap beer the motel had stocked in the fridge. He forced a smile out, all too aware how the tension of the room over what hadn’t yet been said was growing with each passing second. He turned his knife about again before slipping it in back in the waist seem of his jeans. How she had found him was the first question that came to his mind. However, John discarded the thought, reminding himself that she was, and probably would always be a hunter. The man had been out of the game for a while, and probably unbeknownst to him had been leaving a trail for her to follow.“I heard that nest had been cleared already” he explained, deciding not to offer the fact that specifically he had been the one to kill the monsters. The last thing he needed was to give the pretty chestnut haired woman more ammunition to try and convince him to come back to hunting. “A hunter came through last night and… told me about it” he lied poorly. Crossing past the foot of the bed John took a seat in one of the shitty motel chairs sitting at the small corner table, turning the seat so that he could face her. “How have you been?” he asked with one of his boyish smiles, trying to approach this now like just some sort of casual nostalgic meetup between the old friends. Morgan still had an incredulous look on her face as John started to speak. Some nonsense about another hunter who passed through and told him all about it - now that was hilarious. She couldn't recall the last time hunters so much as exchanged gossip like school girls, let alone when John didn't dress or act like one of them. It' snot as if they had secret ID cards or a special handshake. He was out of the loop for a while and didn't strike her as a hunter anymore, at least from the looks of him. That and he could still lie terribly to others, while also doing a pretty bad job of convincing himself it was a damn fine tall tale. She had to stifle a small chuckle at his expense."Oh, really? I bet you two swapped girlfriend stories and painted each other's toenails, too," Morgan responded, letting him know loud and clear that she thought his explanation was full of shit. Perhaps she needed a little more tact when coming at someone who wasn't really in the business now, especially when she wanted to recruit him, but that just wasn't how Morgan operated. She was generally a laid back lady, and at the same time, could easily put someone in their place without feeling bad about it. Then she decided to answer his question, and pulled it back around to her original point." Chopping heads off, staking vampires, performing exorcisms - the usual. Except, my partner got himself killed trying to take on that vamp nest. I was there earlier tonight," she informed John, bypassing a smooth transition into her question. "Now there are nootherhunters around who I can tolerate," Morgan told him flatly. John had always considered himself to be pretty quick on the uptake, and at this point Morgan was practically screaming the point of this conversation. "So what Morgan, you want me to just strap up with you and go clear a nest?" He asked bridging on a sarcastic tone. It was probably inevitable that they would have come to this, but it probably was not too much to hope for that when the girl and boy hunter duo finally met up again maybe it would be under lighter circumstances. If asked in the future what he had expected, John would probably have reminisced that Morgan and his meetup again would have beer involved (check), it would probably take place in private (check), and one would probably have a lethal weapon within arms reach (double check)." In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not exactly in the best shape to go out on a hunt" bringing up a single finger and drawing back the sleeve of his shirt to reveal the set of Scotty bandage work he had done the previous night. "I mean common Morgan, suddenly we're talking about a suicide mission like our fathers, who we made fun of for talking about suicide missions!" His hand raised up and ran through his hair, one of Jonathan's common signs of frustration no matter the problem. Before, when Morgan and him had been hunting with their fathers John had longer hair, hence how he developed the nervous habit. At some point over the last 5 years he had decided to cut it, the mannerism seeming to be a bit more difficult to get rid of." What was your partner doing alone on a hunt" he asked suddenly with a more serious, oddly fatherly tone to it. They two had an unusual dichotomy in that John was always a lot more like Morgan's father, and Morgan was always much more like him. He could even remember the two old men joking that at some point the boy and girl had been swapped in the hospital room, despite the fact that they were a year apart. Morgan's father was always more serious, asking questions such as that, preferring the research and investigation to the action and con of it all. She was none too pleased with his attitude toward going back out on the field. Morgan openly glared at John as he sat down opposite of her and began to talk about how out of shape he was, even going so far as to show her some kind of wound he'd gotten. She bit her tongue for a moment and pondered over how he could have gotten the hell beaten out of him so badly, and then she supposed he was the one who went out to deal with the vampires - even if her partner had ended up there first, and wasn't quite so equipped or experienced. She shook her head and looked him over one more time while speaking, "You were always terrible at the first aid stuff, honestly. Even band-aids give you trouble." Morgan shifted forward on the bed and placed the beer between her legs, holding it tightly with her denim clad thighs. Putting it on the floor would have been another good option but considering he faced her, she didn't fancy his huge feet knocking the drink over. She chided him as she reached out to pull up his sleeve again, and undo the bandages. "No one's talking about a suicide mission. I'm just saying you need to get back out here with me," she responded briskly, not enjoying the level of resistance he put up. "Are you taking an LSAT in a bar now?" added Morgan a bit more viciously, hinting that she knew full well where he had been - and if he wasn't making a better life for himself, he was wasting it. She opted to ignore his comment about her partner for a while, rather peevish that he would even question how that happened. But eventually she relented. "He decided to leave half a day before me, insisting we needed to kill the vampires. I said I need to deal with something else first," she pointed at him, "and that they could wait half a day. But he went off in huff and wouldn't answer my calls. So now he's dead. And you need to grab some fresh bandages," concluded Morgan, making the other hunter's death (his own fault, she thought) trivial in the scheme of things. Initially reluctant, John decided that Morgan was at least correct about his horrible first aid skills. Holding back the urge to sigh, as she was in truth doing him a favor, John stood from his chair and moved over to the edge of the bed as she began to sit up. His sleeve rolled up slowly over the muscular arm, revealing that whatever pain was caused by the wound was causing the once hunter to perspire a good deal. With a few quick experienced pulls the bandage fell away. It could have been a great deal worse, John had at least done an adequate job of the cleaning of the wound, but the stitches had obviously been improved using floss and some probably a sewing needle. More than likely the man had cleaned it with a handle of Jack as well. He winces a few times as she corrected any errors, small spikes of pain running through his skin and causing his hair to stand on end beneath her touch. But within a few moments she had finished and told him to fetch some new bandages. Regardless of Morgan's reasoning of how he should be spending his life, or whatever argument she might have used about trying to get him back into hunting, John had already made piece with the fact that he was out of the business. But now, in light of the knowledge that her partner had been the one killed, John couldn't help but think what might have happened had she gone at the nest alone? Physically speaking John was the stronger of the pair, which wasn't unusual in the least of a male vs. female hunter. He was a head taller than her and easily had an extra fifty pounds. Remembering his battle against the monsters just a night prior, there was one instance in particular where John had only won out not getting his neck bit in half because of his strength. What might have happened to Morgan if she was in the same situation? Which of course rose the larger question, what would happen to Morgan if he didn't go along? She was good at hunting, their father's had been two of the best, but all things considered neither could be considered true 'veterans'. If she died on a solo hunt, because the man she considered a suitable partner had (for lack of a better term) chickened-out, was that his fault? His deep thought process had been written all over his face, brow furrowed, soft green eyes appearing almost humorously serious while the man worked the question over in his head. He had been quiet for a very long time. The quiet however was eventually broken, not by Morgan or John, but by a swift knock on the motel door. John's eyes perked up at the door in surprise, every muscle instantly on edge. Hunter's were trained from a very young age to be wary of anyone who came calling, hence why they moved around so much. The voice which followed was familiar to John, but would not be to Morgan. Theresa, his co-worker from the bar who wanted to get with him, called from the other side. "Hey... John. Are you in there... MMM... Can we talk for a second?" Her voice broke more than once in the statement, the smell of fear practically wafting through the small crack beneath the door. Morgan eyed the wounds on his arm with some speculation. Not because she thought he may have been bitten by a vampire and narrowly escaped with his life, but because she wondered how long he would have lasted if he was just a little more out of practice. She sighed inwardly as she shifted on the bed to accommodate his weight, and placed her hand up his arm carefully. The other went to work prodding at the cut with a renewed sense of anger at the man - how could he have been stupid enough to take it on by himself? Her former partner did the same thing, but the difference was that daft bastard only had to wait a few hours for her to meet up with him. John on the other hand, wasn't obligated. The tending of his arm was soon finished and Morgan looked over to her old friend with an incredulous expression. Part of her wanted to chide him for what he did to himself and the other wanted to give him a good, strong hug for not backing down. These sorts of conflicting thoughts running through her head could only be blamed on their fathers, who instilled very different doctrines in their offspring. One was about the legwork and reading before a hunt, trying to be as efficient as possible while maintaining compassion for the poor people caught in the crossfire. The other, her father, was clearly the bigger influence on Morgan: a man who saw only in black and white, with a gun handy. Her lips parted as if to speak and break the silence between them, but she was interrupted by a meek voice at the door. Morgan cocked her head in the direction of the entrance where John had come barrelling in not ten minutes prior. The voice, female and young, sounded positively drenched in fear. Slowly Morgan sat up and looked toward John with a quizzical expression. Something was definitely not right. Then she spoke quietly, her voice like a whisper, "Do you do background checks on these people?" she hissed as she chided him for making too many friends, or perhaps a preemptive scolding in the event he hadn't set up a devil's trap on the door. The huntress' hand reached down and pulled her gun loose, hoisting it up as she took a few steps back toward the window she'd broken into, across from the front door. She wasn't going to take any chances." Are you sure you killed all the vampires in that nest?" Morgan added, still whispering sharply, as she flicked her eyes toward John. It had been easy enough for her to find out where he worked, who he became acquainted with, hell, even what he ate for lunch regularly. The number of vampires in a nest was usually hard to discern for sure, and if she could discover all of this information about John in the last twelve hours she'd been in town, she bet one of those blood suckers could too. The truth was that John wasn't sure if he had killed all the vampires. He had killed all the vampires that he found inside the actual building, but was it possible that there were a few away. Ones that had come back and found all of their haven members dead and gone. Had John really grown so sloppy in his absence from hunting for the past 5 years that he would miss something like that? At the moment that seemed like the logical explanation. In itself that was pretty fucked up, considering for most people the logical explanation would be that perhaps Theresa just got attacked by her car, or mugged, or something much more normal and human. The pain in his arm was forgotten, instinctively (while simultaneously revealing to Morgan that he had not forgotten everything) John reached underneath the coffee table barely less than an arms reach from the bed and retrieved his own pistol. He stood from the bed while checking to make sure safety was off and his ammo count was enough. Not that it would do anything other than just slow a vamp down. "Don't suppose you have any deadpan's blood on you?" John asked almost in a humorous manner while moving sideways towards the door. He, rather convincingly, pretended ignorance while speaking out. "Theresa, that you?! What's wrong?" There was only a slight whimpering from the other side of the door before Theresa insisted that John open the door again and let her inside. "Alright just hold on a second". His eyes moved back to Morgan, flashing her one of those glances that communicated he was being serious while reaching forward for the door latch. All of his senses were on edge, he was squeezing his gun handle so hard he was fairly certain the small ridges on the hilt were going to leave marks once he was finished. Morgan watched silently as John reached under the table and withdrew a handgun that he'd likely taped there. Even if he had gotten pretty rusty when he went out to supposedly eradicate that nest of vampires, at least he wasn't completely useless when they needed to do some final clean up. However, part of the huntress felt a bit sour that they had been disturbed by his co-worker from the bar, although not to the point where she was going to outwardly ignore the girl's distressful and mousy call to John. However annoying that it may be, in her perspective. Being raised to fight tooth and nail as she did, Morgan wasn't really used to the attitude 'normal' women embodied... or at least, she could never recall a moment when she was that scared." I do... in the car," she murmured right back at her former partner. While she had planned to go into that nest gun-first and kill some vampires, she hadn't anticipated that they would all be dead, along with her reckless partner four. Turning her attention back to the door as Theresa responded with a whimper and practically pleaded to be let in, they knew they were in for some trouble. Morgan raised her gun toward the door and the moment John's hand went to the knob to open it and discover what they were facing, it was shoved open by a much more powerful force than anything that waif of a woman could produce." Did you really think you could leave me there like that, Morgan?" spat a darkly clad hunter, dressed similarly to the style John and Morgan opted for. Devon's hand was tightened on Theresa's right shoulder, close to the spot where it connected to her neck, and from the whiteness flooding that area of her skin, it looked like he wasn't being delicate about it. The man was tall, though a little shorter than John, with a slightly smaller build. His hair was cut short, a few inches long at the most, and dull brown in color. His eyes were so dark brown that they almost appeared black - quite the contrast with his deathly pale skin. As he spoke, the ends of his newly acquired fangs could be seen as he clenched his jaw. He shoved Theresa forward to enter the room with her, not yet willing to give up a live hostage when he could use her as leverage. After all, if he just threw her at them now, they'd finish him off without a word. But he wanted to draw this out since John knew Theresa. Rather than take that first juicy bite from her adrenaline filled neck, he would play with his food. Make the hunters nervous. Of course, even if he got an apology out of Morgan he planned to kill them all anyway." Hopefully you'll be quicker on the uptake this time, John," added Devon spitefully. This was who Morgan had left him to die over. His grip tightened on Theresa's shoulder as he pulled her back into him, daring them to shoot as it would definitely pass through her first. Tears streamed down Theresa’s face in long waves, the whimper and cries of the woman filling the motel room as she shook from head to toe beneath the powerful grip of her captor. She certainly was not being quiet, which posed the additional problem of someone else coming to try and help without having any idea of what Devon really was, and what he was capable of doing. When the vamp busted through the door instinctively John’s hand’s raised, training the barrel of his gun on the blood suckers head, staring at the pair of hunters over the hostage’s shoulder.‘Thankfully this asshole like’s to monologue’ John thought to himself. As Devon berated Morgan, it gave John the appropriate amount of time to do what he needed. The fact was that there was no good solution out of this. Without a third hunter ready to sneak up behind the vampire with a knife covered in dead man’s blood, there wasn’t much they could do about him. To pile more shit on they had to help Theresa. John envisioned himself standing at the firing range with his dad, pressure of Morgan’s always-superior performance looming over him. He had always been a bit slower in learning these sorts of aspects of hunting. She was a natural when it came to a gun. Had investigation not been a necessary element as well, at least in those first few years John would have been a pretty sub-par hunter.“Hey ugly” John broke the hunter’s silence by calling out to the man, drawing his attention away from Theresa and Morgan. Those cold black eye’s, filled with hate and anger turned towards John again, pulling Theresa closer against him. “What the fuck do you-“Two gunshots echoed through the small motel room. John relied on the chance that Devon wouldn’t be able to tear Theresa’s throat out before he could subdue the man, at least temporarily, with two shots through the head. Both of the vamps cold dark eye’s exploded in the once hunter’s skill, blood bursting out and covering the side of Theresa’s head. The waitress screamed, Devon pushed her away from him instinctively while he wrenched back in pain. The supernatural strength of the vampire sent Theresa forward with a deadly amount of force. John dropped his weapon, a decision he might end up regretting, in order to have two free hands to catch the woman before both fell into and shattered the coffee table John had just been sitting at. Devon was a bit of a talker. Or rather, an over-sharer, as she liked to call it. On several of their hunting trips in the last few months he would just begin to belt out his life story, and it got Morgan squirming. Sure, she had emotions and was a human being, but for the love of god, he had a mouth on him. She always had to sit and endure his stories, nodding sympathetically while secretly being thankful that her old partner never did this. And when he did, it was when their fathers had died, and by then she was so used to him that it didn't bother her. Sighing inwardly, Morgan raised her gun toward Devon while he went on his emotional little tangent about being left behind." If I recall correctly, I told you to wait for you. Not my fault you decided to be foolhardy and get yourself killed," came the huntress' brisk reply. She felt bad for Theresa for being caught up in it, but it should have been John's responsibility to make as few attachments as possible - even if she was good to look at, that was no excuse. She was ready to align her gun with Theresa's side and shoot through her (or at least graze her just a little) with the bullet she'd infused with dead man's blood. A nice big vial of it was in her car, just like she'd told John, but she made a couple of these bad boys in lieu of her mission to eradicate the nest. Now she didn't want them to go to waste, especially if the solution was as simple as taking a bit out of Theresa's side... Before she could act though John caught Devon's attention, and both of Devon's eyes were gone. The vampire howled and writhed in pain, throwing Theresa away from him by force of habit rather than any real tact, which opened up the floor for John to get him. With that opening provided by John's quick thinking, Morgan shot through the now clear space absent the young woman, and the dead man's blood which filled the bullet was propelled into his chest cavity, and seeped through his lifeless, vengeful form. As the bullet crumpled, so did Devon, and then a moment later the vampire was nothing but a nuisance on the floor." That could have gone better..." murmured Morgan, putting her gun back on her waist as she turned to face John and Theresa. "I need to get rid of him. Help me take him to the car," said began to say, instinctively not bothering to mention how much smoother the process would go if John helped. She'd been at this a while on her own since he left though, and there was no point changing that yet. As she walked toward the door, Morgan looked back to Theresa. "There are a few beers in the fridge if you want a drink, but you can't stay too long." Her pale brown eyes moved to John then, wordlessly asking him to give her a talking to so they wouldn't hear about her telling this insane story to the town. The entire scene had taken barely half a minute to unfold before Devon’s body was lying lifeless on the floor in front of them. Theresa was shaking inside of John’s arms. She would have screamed if her face hadn’t been muffled by the man’s chest. Like a frightened animal she set her hands on the ground and rose quickly, glancing about as though expecting Devon to suddenly come at her again from one of several directions. “We… What… What’s g…” whatever she had been trying to say Theresa never had the chance, breaking down once again and sobbing into her hands. John nodded during Morgan’s exit, lifting himself up from the floor with some effort. The impact his co-worker had made hurt a bit more than he was willing to give credit. Likely his back and chest would have a series of bruises tomorrow morning, but nothing that couldn’t be concealed by a shirt. While moving towards the fridge John slipped his pistol in the waist line of his pants just beneath his lower back, retrieving a beer for the whimpering girl. Back when the two were partners, John had always been the better when it came to consoling the grieving. Which happened quite often every time the pair impersonated federal officials or detectives to speak with a spouse or family member. But that wasn’t to say that it came easily to him.“Here you go Theresa” she snatched the alcohol from his hand, popping off the cap in a very vivid display of trying to drink away what had just happened. “Are you alright?” Theresa didn’t respond, but based on the way she was moving nothing seemed to be broken. “Alright, look the best thing you can do now is just go home and forget about this” his voice was soft, caring but not fake in doing so. He better than most could sympathize what it was like to get caught up in the crossfire of hunters.“We… What’s going on John?” she asked, tears covering her cheeks and running the ‘too-much’ mascara she wore all over her skin. “Trust me Theresa, you don’t want to know”. Visually the girl seemed to accept the answer. The alternative in her mind was probably that if she stayed ignorant it would all just go awake like some terrible nightmare. John’s hands reached out and wrapped around her thin waist, slowly lifting the girl to her feet before bringing her forward and back out the door. Once free of the room, the dark haired waitress put her taillights between John and Morgan so quickly, it was hard to believe she had been so timid at any point.“Someone probably called the cops on those gunshots” he suggested to Morgan as Theresa’s car disappeared. Morgan didn't spare Theresa any sympathetic looks as she tried to get up a little too quickly, and suffered for it with her almost delirious state of hysterics. She had never been very good with the emotional part of their job, but John made up for the areas she lacked in - and vice versa. Sure, she bet she would wonder if she was crazy or not, but the huntress had a harm time relating when she, unlike John, always made sure to tie up loose ends. While mistakes were made in the past, it had never been something as monumental as having a former hunter come back to bother the two of them, and even go so far as to involve a regular woman like the waitress. Devon was always a little melodramatic, though. As her once-upon-a-time partner was busy talking to the young woman who had been assaulted by a vampire, Morgan was on the other hand rather busy with moving the body. Sure, it was hard to do anything about the smears of blood on the cheap motel carpet by the door, but who would it match? No one living that they could find - hunters had a great way of making themselves invisible. They embodied ten different people at a time if need be, and that made clean-ups like this all the easier. Of course, it wasn't as easy on a physical level, and despite her slender but athletic build, Morgan still grunted and swore under her breath as she pulled Devon's lifeless, undead body (quite ironic) to the trunk of her car 'round the back. Eventually however she returned and smacked her hands together, trying to rid them of that newly dead vampire smell. Morgan walked over to John by the door. As she had walked over she heard Theresa's car take off like a bat out of hell, and the skid marks were pretty obvious. But all they could do was hope she would be smart enough to keep her mouth shut in the event she narrowed down her car from those tire tracks. Morgan hoped it wouldn't come to that, though. Inclining her head toward John, she replied to him nonchalantly with hands on her hips. "Yeah, the cops will be here soon. You should probably hurry up and wipe down your prints, then hop in the car," she said as with a shrug of her shoulders. It didn't seem like he had much of a choice here, any ways. Either stay and get interrogated and likely sent to jail for a crime the police wouldn't be able to solve, or hop in the car and get over himself. The ball was in John's court now.

Bad Moon Rising (LadyNox & RL)|rating:4.0

The Hobbit (IC)

Ruby stared at the ranger that had tripped and showed the mark of a killer. She pointed at it." It seems we have... A murderer in our ranks..." She looked at Emmett and the two elves in her company. It was clear that this creature was there to kill one of the people in her home. And that didn't sit well in young Ruby's stomach. She glanced around the room, nervously wondering who would do something. Shiva looked at Age and smiled. She nodded, and put the glass up against the wall again. She was also interested in the conversation. Algar turned to face the ranger as he fell over his leg." Oops, sorry..." When he saw the mark, he quickly stood and hit his head on the ceiling again. He stepped back and drew a dagger, pointing it at the ranger. He looked around to see if everyone was ok. The ranger stared up at the group of people as he slowly got to his feet, keeping low cause of the roof. He then put his hands up, everywhere he went it was the same. Copper looked from Ruby down the line to the Wizard who was now on his feet, the ranger kept his hands up as he started to talk. "I'm no murderer, born have I killed anything more than a deer in my life... Well there were also the orcs, but that is something else." His voice was clam and steady, no break in his voice for any reason. "Now look me in the eyes and tell me that I have killed, I was no more a murderer then this Hobbit here when I enter this house. Yet one mark and you think the worst without hearing what I have to say."------Emmett got to his feet when he saw the rangers marking him, yet the young wizard stayed quite as he listens to him talk. He then placed a hand on Altar shoulder, he looked into the elves' eyes with his own. His seemed full of knowledge and wisdom, even though he was quite young. "I think we should hear him out, after all. Most wars are started with a misunderstanding or jumping to conclusions." He said, before stepping towards Copper with a soft smile. "Now then, why don't you bring your arms down and tell us your story." Altar nodded and Copper's statement, and went to return to his seat. He banged his head against the ceiling again, and sat down at the table to listen to the rangers' story. Shiva leaned intently against the wall with her glass." Things just got interesting..." she said to Age. Ruby stared at Copper and nodded." Alright.... Please make this quick? I am very tired... And it's growing late. I have not eaten yet." She looked at the wizard and the rest of the company. Everyone seemed to agree, they needed to hear the story. Alice looked at Altar and nodded. She laughed again as he hit his head once again. It was indeed difficult to stand upright in a Hobbit's home. Copper sighed softly as he sat on his sat on his knees, looking at the group before he started his story. "While you see. I was ranger, like my father before me, and his before him. Hell my family was one of the first rangers, anyway before I left I was up to be the leader, something no other in my family has done before. But it seems others had different plans for me, the day before I was to be sworn in, our old caption was murdered with my knife. Only a few could get at it, but they were seen around the time the man was killed. So who gets blame?.. And instead of going eye for an eye, they gave me a mark and threw me out. I've been walking middle earth for some time, trying to find something else... I do have a dwarf friend, but like normal he is pretty late." Age watched the scene unfolding inside the house, the Ranger seemed to be telling the origins of his tattoo. The ranger looked familiar, where had Age seen him? Was he? Yes, he was that Ranger from the gate. It was a shame what he had to do, but the other Orcs had pointed him out as a threat, and where planning to kill him. The only way to save the Ranger was to get him exiled, hopefully one day he'll be able to make it up too him. Then Age heard footsteps coming quickly towards them." Get down, someone's coming!" Age said too Shiva as a dwarf rounded the corner.-----Domain ran around the corner, looking everywhere for his good luck charm. As he passed by the Hobbit's window, he saw the man standing inside. He dashed up to the door and pushed it open, coming up next to Copper." Good gold, man! Don't leave me like that. If I lose you it's going to get really boring around here." He then noticed that Copper was kneeling and how the others where watching him." Oh, they saw the mark, didn't they?" Domain then stepped forward and declared in a slightly louder than needed voice;"I, Domain Granite-Foot, vouch for this man's character. I swear upon my good name and the name of my family that he is of solid character, and strong values. If any would like to challenge that, they'll have to take it up with my Darwin iron." Domain then smiled broadly. "But I doubt it would come to that. You all look like reasonable people." The night fell quickly and so did the morning come. Ruby had fallen asleep on the stairs, listening to stories and tales that the company had been telling. She woke up to the sound of birds and the light in her eye from the sun coming through her window. She yawned as she sat up and gave a stretch. It was only then that she noticed that her home was quiet. She stood up and looked around her home, she noticed that a contract was laying on the table, where the space as Burglar was blank. Ruby spent the next few hours pacing, she then turned to the paper, signed it and started to pack. She dug through her fathers old trunk and found a sword. Her father had called it Sting back in his days of adventure, only because he had stabbed a giant spider, and it said that the sword had stung the creature. She smiled as she ran up her stairs, putting on a pair of tan pants, a shirt with a vest and her fathers old jacket, the same one he had worn on his adventure. She tied Sting around her waist, and put a bag over her shoulders, she took the contract she had signed and ran through her front door. Furthermore, she ran through The Shire as quick as she could. When she reached the entrance, one of her oldest friends asked." Where are you going Ruby Bagging?"" I'm going on an adventure!" She yelled over her shoulder. She ran for a while until she caught sight of the company." Wait!" She yelled as she ran towards the company that rode on horses." I signed it." She panted softly as she handed the contract up to Emmett. Shiva watched the company from the shadows. She saw that the hobbit was joining them, and smiled. This was the perfect opportunity to kill them. She ducked behind a bush next to her, and motioned for the other orcs to join her. They just had to wait for them to get closer... Algar smiled and looked at Ruby." It is an honor to have you join us, Miss Bagging. I look forwards to adventuring with you." He turned to the others. "Shall we head out?" Emmett smiled as he took the piece of paper and put it into his long sleeve, it is seemingly disappearing. "Now that we have you on board, why don't we see what these elves have in store for us." He laughed softly and rubbed the small girls head, he then turned and started walking again. He smiled softly to him self as he did, Now he was sure he would unlock the power that he had with in him. The young wizard couldn't wait to see what kind of things he could do once he had his full powers.-----Copper walked in front of the group, looking around. He suddenly stopped and looked towards the bushes, his eyes narrowed as he took his bow off of his back. Knocking an arrow into the string he pulled his arm back and stopped his breathing, he had caught the unforgettable stink of an Orc. He may be the only one who really knows what they smell, but nevertheless he stood there for a second before he let the arrow fly. Copper didn't think he would hit anything, but suddenly a loud cry of pain rose from the shrubbery. The cry was that of a dying Orc, Copper eyes went a bit wide. "That's not good." He said as he put his bow back on his back, before going for his sword. Age watched from a tree as the party approached the Orc ambush. Truly, the commander was an idiot. He positioned himself on the north side of the rode, and a wind was coming from that direction. The ranger would certainly be familiar of Orc stink. I only they actually washed up everyone in a while, it wouldn't be so recognizable. Oh well, at least they would be almost at the ambush point by the time there stink gave them away, still, he should probably make sure Shiva was safe. And therefore not here. As the hobbit approached the group Age dropped from the tree, landing beside Shiva." I'll need you to come with me. Now. And consider it an order." Age said, his eyes fixed on the approaching Hobbit. A faint glow seemed to be coming from its sword sheath, which means the ambush would have been broken even without the wind. He could already hear the Orc commander coming up behind him, and turned to face the brute." Who are you and what are you doing here?" The Orc said, hefting his oversized club onto his shoulder. He actually decided to talk first, maybe he wasn't entirely stupid." I am Age the Shadow point, your superior. And I have need of this warrior, so if you'll step aside I'll be on my way with her." The commander looked at the tiny Orc, confusion on his face." You? You are Age? This must be a joke, how could a runt like you be my superior?"" Are you challenging my authority?" Age said, crossing his arms. He selected one of his knives with the covered hand." Why yes, I am, now get away from..." The commander started before a knife appeared in his forehead." Challenge accepted." Age said, walking over and pulling the knife out before the commander toppled over. He then glanced back at Shiva." Come now, we'll need to move quickly if my plans are to be kept. And the rest of you," Age said, turning towards the rest of the Orcs, "you might as well attack now they know you're here." As he spoke a cry of pain erupted from an Orc behind a bush." I suggest you go for the elves, they were your original targets after all." The rest of the Orcs where already charging the company, which would give Age and Shiva plenty of time to move. It wouldn't be too hard to steal some horses from nearby, maybe even find a war, if the commander rode in on one. If there's more than two he'll sick the rest of the company, it should serve as a good test of their mettle. If they're going to suit his plans they'll need to be tough.------Domain was riding behind Copper, wondering whether he was going to win his bet or not. Then, the Hobbit came running around the corner and Domain gave a small celebration." Hey! I won my bet! Toss me my gold." He called up the line, just as Copper shot an arrow into a bush. That cry was definitely not an animal, and not from any race he'd be kind too meet. He grabbed the massive battleaxe from its sheath on the side of his pony, lifting the shield from its holder on the other side with his other hand. He then hopped off the pony and readied himself as a horde of Orcs came through the bushes. Alice was going to go for her bow, but her sword was closer. She grabbed it from its sheath and drew it. She readied it in front of her and glanced at the Hobbit. Ruby drew Sting and held it in front of her with both hands. She was clearly doing it wrong, but she would learn. The sword was glowing blue as it told her that the Orcs were near. Ruby gulped nervously and readied herself for a fight. Shiva saw Ruby's sword begin to glow and cursed under her breath. She analyzed the party, and noticed the male elf was missing his pinkie finger on his left hand." You..." she said under her breath. She drew her Kurt and charged out of the bush. Algar heard a Bush rustle and drew one of his spears just in time to block Shiva's attack. His eyes widened as he recognized her." You..." he said." Dug!" she shouted in Irish as she pushed him off and tackled him. She tried to stab his head, but Altar moved it slightly to the right, and Shiva's Kurt stuck into the ground. Altar scowled." That's not very nice." he said. He turned to Alice. "Um, cousin... a little help?" An orc changed out of the bush behind Shiva and ran towards Ruby. As it was running, he tripped and impaled himself on Ruby's sword, killing himself. Alice saw that Shiva had attacked her cousin, she sliced into another orc before running and body slamming Shiva off. She took her knife from behind her and stabbed it into her hand and into the ground. Ruby let out a yell when the Orc fell on top of her, and she fell to the ground. Her sword went right through the creature without a problem, now getting him off was going to be the hard part. Ruby used almost all of her non-existent strength and pushed the dead orc off of her, pulling Sting from his lifeless body. Another orc came up to Ruby swinging his knife around like a madman. She dodged and ducked like a pro and even got a few scrapes on the orc, she was proud of herself. Copper easily dodged and cut through the Orcs like it was his job, which once it really was. The young man even used his dagger when he got hos sword stuck in an orc and needed to protect him self, some of the other orcs started to come to scared of the old ranger as he cut through them like they were butter.---------Emmett stood back as he brought his staff up and pointed it at a group of orcs, his eyes started to glow again as he spoke some words. The staff then turned white and ice shot from it, impaling the orcs. Emmett looked around, as the if it was not sure what the hell just happened. It seemed he did not mean to-do that. Age let out a sigh as he watched Shiva fight the elf. She had a chance when it was two elves against the battalion of orcs, but now they had a tripled their forces. The orcs never really stood a chance. Age walked back towards the Orcs camp, and was happy to find an entire pack of wars. He released all but two from their holdings, and sent them off in the direction of the battle. He'd use the other two for himself and Shiva. Furthermore, he then ran back to the battle, alongside the wars, and stopped just on the outside edge of the road. Once the wars had entered the fight Age slunk out from the sidelines and too Shiva. He pulled the knife out of her hand and held it out to show her." You have no chance of killing them now. When it was the two you did, but even your battalion would be no handle against their forces now. The only option we have now is retreat. There are still two wars back at the camp, we ride out on them." He then dragged her up onto her feet and led her to the wars.-----Domain charged the orcs, swinging his massive axe through the enemy. As he finished off a particularly annoying Orc he heard a familiar howl coming from the trees." A war pack is coming! Every get ready." As the beasts dashed through the bushes Domain smashed his ace through the top of one of their skulls. When a second one leaped at him, he slammed it out of the air with the side of his shield. Oh, he had not had this much fun in a long time. This little adventure was already looking to be a fun time. It has been about 20 years since the Battle of the Five Armies has ended. Bilbo went back to his home in the Shire and settled down with a new wife. He had a child, a young girl by the name of Ruby. Now 22 years old, Ruby lives alone in her home in the Shire. She lives comfortably in the same house her father grew up in. Ruby often liked to sit in front of the fire and read her fathers old journal of his adventure. When she was younger and being told stories of her fathers journey, she longed for the same thing. While other Hobbit children were growing up to become good women and men, she wanted to be a burglar just like her father had. But she soon realized that her place was in the Shire, to take care of her house and newly bought chickens and cows. Ruby walked out from her small house, her usual red dress and green corset on over it. She sighed as she sat on the bench and watched as her neighbors passed by, occasionally waving as she continued to read her fathers journal in her front lawn. Altar stood on the outskirts of the Shire. In his bandaged left hand he held a walking stick, and in the other he held a slip of paper and an envelope. He read what was on the paper to himself - the directions to Bilbo Baggins's house. His cousin Pergolas had told him that his daughter lived there now, and that they should seek her for help against the Orcs. He sighed, put the paper in his pocket, and turned to his cousin Alice. He put up his hood and motioned for her to follow him as he walked into the Shire.--------------Shiva stood on a tree branch not too far from where the two elves stood. She had tracked them by smelling the elf's blood, for she had an acute sense of smell. She smiled as they entered the Shire and climbed down the tree. Once on the ground, she returned to her regiment's camp. Her commander stood as she entered the camp. Shiva bowed to him in greeting." They've entered the Shire, Commander." she said. The Orc smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You've done well, Shiva. Your father would be proud." Shiva cringed at the mention of her father. The Commander frowned, and turned to the other Orcs." They've taken refuge in the Shire!" he shouted. "We move at once!" Copper looked around as he entered the Shire, his white hair falling into his face as he did. "Maybe I should stop in the Shire for a bit, they could at least give me a hair cut and some ale. I got the gold after all." He said, walking pass two small hobbits who just stared at him as he passed them. They heard him talking to him self, so they thought he was crazy. Yet the ex ranger did not care, the weapons that hung off him could easily kill the half humans. Only one stroke from his blade could bring one of their heads off easily.----------------------Emmett looked down at the paper that his father had given him. "Alright red door, while away from the others. With a green corset on the door, with in lives the daughter of Bilbo... Ugh Dad you couldn't just take me with you somewhere could you?" He let out a loud sigh, walking towards this door. He saw Ruby and waved softly at her, he then walked to her. "Hello miss, do you happen to be miss Ruby Bagging?" Ruby heard a voice come from in front of her and looked up from her fathers journal." Yes, but who's asking may I ask?" She looked at the man in front of her. He was obviously a wizard, and wizards usually carried luck, but there was something off about this one.---Alice followed Altar into the Shire, passing a few Hobbits along the way. When they came upon the girl who looked to be Ruby Bagging, she noticed a young wizard with her. She looked at her cousin and continued on her way to the home and the little Hobbit girl. Age stood atop a branch, much higher in the tree than any orc should be able too. The surrounding leaves offered amazing camouflage with his green and gray cloak. As he stood above the Orc camp, he shook his head in disappointment. Attacking The Shire, it would be a massacre. Attacking that elf is one thing, but the hobbits are all innocent of anything more mundane than drinking too much ale. No, he had to keep the orcs outside The Shire, but how. Looking across the camp, he found the commander in the middle of the clearing, no trees nearby." If I throw a knife from here, they'll know where it came from." Age said to himself as he pulled out a pale bone knife, tying a note to the end. He wrote down some instructions, looked back at the commander, then smiled. Holding the knife by the blade he tossed it upwards in a wide arc, so that it fell almost directly down on the commander. In particular his sword hand. Oh, that guy really knows how to scream. It was justified though. One moment you're issuing a command to invade a defenseless community's the next a bone knifes in your hand. No warning, no glare, not even the sound of it flying through the air. Just suddenly hand in knife. Age hadn't bothered to clean it either since the last he used it so it would likely get infected. The worse part by far was likely the note." Don't enter The Shire, set up a perimeter, let them come to you. The Shadow point." Some people have ignored those notes before. Some people have turned up with their insides not so true to their name. Copper looked up as he heard a scream, he took his sword as he could tell the scream came from an orc. "That's that good... I better keep my eyes open for them. Till then lets see if I can find a pub." The ranger said, walking past a group who all looked at a small hobbit girl. "Hmmm. Maybe they know where a pub is." He said to him self, then walked up to the group, waiting to ask where the pub is.------------Emmett nodded to the girl. "Well I'm Emmett your father may have known mine, Gandalf the White Wizard or the Grey, well I'm his son. He told me to come here and find you to go one some grand adventure with you. Here is a lender from my father to you or your dad.`` Ruby stood up once she heard that this was Gandalf the Grey's son. "You, are Gandalf the Grey's son...?" She said in utter disbelief. When he brought up the idea of adventure she shook her head. "Oh no, I am not going on an adventure. I'm nothing like my father. He may have saved Middle Earth, but I am not like him. I prefer the comfort of my home." She stood and began to walk to her door when she heard a scream. She stopped and looked back. It was odd to hear screaming coming from the Shire. She grew somewhat frightened for a moment, before opening her door to her small home.---Alice was walking next to Altar when she heard the screams. She immediately turned back and headed towards the noise. Screams in and outside the Shire were unusual. The Hobbits were a friendly creature and wouldn't harm a fly. So investigating the scream was number one on her list. Altar walked with Alice towards the hobbit house. He was about to SY something when he heard the unmistakable shriek of an Orc. He turned back to Alice, who had already run off. Furthermore, he smiled as he drew up his hood, this was the first exciting thing that had happened on their journey. Furthermore, he drew one of his spears and ran after Alice.------Shiva ran to the commander and put a hand over his mouth, stifling most of his screams. She then took the dagger and ripped it out of the orcs hand. The Orc screamed in pain again, so Shiva slammed his head against the nearest tree, knocking him unconscious and shutting him up. 'He'll thank me later,' Shiva thought to herself as she looked at the dagger. She noticed the note, and looked up towards the branches. She couldn't see anything from where she was. Furthermore, she muttered something to herself in Irish, and shimmied up the nearest tree. Furthermore, she looked around and spotted several figures heading towards their camp. Furthermore, she muttered to herself again, and dropped from the tree and into a bush, waiting for the travelers to get closer. Age watched the scene as it unfolded. Those elves were heading towards the orcs, but he needed them to stay away from the Orcs, maybe if he could get them to go to the Hobbit. Pulling out another bone knife, he wrote another note and threw the knife. It landed in a fence post three meters in front of the pair of elves." Sorry about the scream, that last Orc was a bit quicker than the rest. Return to the Hobbit, your business is with her. The Orcs are mine. The Dark Watcher." Pseudonyms are so useful at times. Now, to make sure the orcs stayed out. Looking down from his tree, Age looked at the female Orc. Shiva had always impressed him, disputed being half blood she fought as hard, sometimes harder, than any other Orc. It would be for the best she stayed alive. Pulling out a third dagger, he wrote another note. He then tossed the dagger directly upwards, then shifted to the other side of the tree. Jumping trees would cause noise, so he'd have to settle for putting the trunk in between. The knife landed directly in front of Shiva." I've bought you more time to prepare, they now think you're dead. Use the time wisely." Alice picked up the knife and read the note. She showed it to Altar and gave a shrug, she turned back and headed to the Hobbit and the wizard. She stopped and put her hood down. Her long white hair to her waist, and her facial features were similar to her brother. She smiled." Hello. I am Alice. Sister of Pergolas, this is my cousin Altar. We are here on behalf of the elves at Riven dell. Do you happen to be Ruby Bagging, daughter of Bilbo Baggins?"---Ruby looked up at the elves and wizard in front of her. She let out a groan and walked into her house." Come in I guess. Would you like some tea?" She walked into her kitchen. Everything in the home was little to everyone else but big enough for Ruby. Everything was just so and in the same place her father had left it. The journal she had been reading was now set on top of the fireplace. Altar shrugged with Alice and walked back towards the Hobbit house. When she mentioned tea, he smiled." Tea does sound nice..." he said to nobody in particular as he entered the house. He tried to stand, but instantly banged his head on the roof. Elves are tall beings, and he was tall for an elf, so he had to slouch considerably to fit in the house.-----Shiva watched as the figures walked away from the bushes, and slumped up against the bush with a sigh. Suddenly, a knife landed between her legs. She took the knife and read the note. She nodded to herself, put away the note, and walked over to some other orcs." You four - come with me." she said, smiling devilishly. "We're going to sneak into the Shire and pay our friends there a little visit..." Emmett walked into the small house, bending over as he did. "This is lovely home, I can see why my father liked this place. Even if it's kinda small, and I would love some tea." The young wizard said, looking around a bit before he found him self a spot to sit, thus he did so. He then looked around at the small house, eyeing up all the different things that were in it, as well as thinking how he would be able to go on some grand adventure with the young hobbit girl. Those thoughts were quickly dashed when he realized that there were two elves with them. "So, why are two elves like your selves here in the shire? I know It's not much a walk from here to your land, but it would still be nice to know."------------Copper sighed and followed the small group into the house, it seems he went unnoticed. But if there was even some free tea, he might as well get some. So he went in, hitting his head on the top of the home. "Damn. That really hurt." He said to him self, before waving to the small group already in the house. "Hello." Ruby watched as the many different creatures piled into her home. She tried to tell them to leave, but they just let themselves in. She gave up and went to the kitchen to fetch some tea. Moments later she came back out at the table and set down a small platter with cups and different types of cheeses on it. She let out a sigh and motioned to it." Please help yourselves..." Ruby noticed another man walk in and bump his head. "Are the ceilings really that low for you?" Ruby waved her hands in frustration." That's beside the point, why are you all in my house? If you want to speak to my father, I'm afraid you are too late." She said looking up at the wizard and the rest of the group that had made their way into her home.----Alice smiled at the wizard. "The same reason why you're here. For the daughter of Bilbo Baggins." She heard Altar bump his head and stifled a laugh. Alice moved to the small table and ducked her head so she wouldn't do the same as Altar, she picked up a small cup of tea and looked at it. The thing was tiny in her hands. But Hobbits were tiny anyway. Altar nodded at Alice's statement. He picked up a cup of tea as well - the whole cup could fit in his hand. He turned to Ruby." We've heard tales of your father's heroic deeds from our cousin, Pergolas, and were hoping you had followed the same path he did. You see, there are still lots of orcs causing trouble all over Middle Earth. We were wondering... maybe you could help us?" He took a sip of his tea.-----Shiva stood outside the hobbit house with a glass pressed up against the wall and her ear, to hear the conversation better. She smiled at the elves statement about orcs causing trouble. One of the orcs tapped on her shoulder. She rolled her eyes and turned to him." What?" she whispered angrily." Why can't we just go in and kill them now?" the orc asked." Do you want to start a war?" Shiva retorted. The orc shrugged. "That sounds kinda fun..." Shiva sighed and turned her attention back to the conversation inside. Age watched as the two elves left. He then returned his attention to the Orcs as Shiva gathered a small group of Orcs and entered the Shire. Age dropped from the tree and tailed them, keeping out of sight of both Orcs and Hobbits. When they arrived at the Hobbits house Age climbed a tree in the garden, giving him a view of the room where the guests were gathering. The Orcs were all gathered next to the wall, and Shiva was using a glass to eavesdrop on the party. The branches in between Age and the Orcs were thick enough he could talk, and they wouldn't see him. Now was a good time to instruct them." You see, this is why she is the leader." Age said, dropping his voice an octave lower than it really is." Attacking elves is usually ok, but attacking the Shire is another matter. While killing elves is expected of us, attacking an innocent population that we've never assaulted? That would get us attacked by both Elves and Humans. And as strong as we are, we are still recovering from previous wars. No, it is better to leave the Hobbits alone. We can always attack the Elves once they leave, and they will leave. The longer they stay, the better we'll be prepared." Azge looked back at the window, and then he recognized the wizard Emmett." It's time for you four to leave, make sure you aren't seen. Your commander is likely waking up so make sure he stays where he is." Age then had a thought and tossed a bone knife outwards towards the orcs." Give this too him, it should serve as a fitting reminder to stay in his place." Emmett nodded to the female elf as she told him why she was there with her cousin, he then picked up the small tea cup and slowly drank from it. "Thank you for the tea, but like I said I'm here for you. My father told me to seek you out, like I said he said that I have to go on an adventure, as well as I should find you as you'll play a big role in it. So I have come to get you, that is if you want to come on this adventure that we are met to take." The young wizard said, before he went to place the small cup on the table beside, but he overreached his arm and dropped the cup to the ground with a crash. "Oops. Sorry."-------------------Copper sat away from the group and by a window, the small cup of tea in his hand. "Hamm... Something doesn't feel right... And what was with that scream earlier, that was for sure an Orc... But they have never come this far, or not least not this far without being stopped." The ranger said to him self out loud, so he seemed very crazy. But is clear that he was deep in thought trying to figure why an orc would be so far from Mordor. Ruby shook her head as soon as the wizard mentioned a journey." No. No way. My father was the savior. I could never do that." She sighed as the cup fell to the floor and the tea spilled on the floor. She sighed and grabbed a rag, she got on her hands and knees and started to dab at the tea that seeped into the rug." Ugh, that's going to stain now." She mumbled softly to herself. She knew that this was going to be a long night.---Alice watched as the wizard explained what was going on." Well since we are all in the same boat, it would be better for all of us to just travel together." She smiled and turned to her cousin." My brother would be pleased to meet the daughter of Bilbo Baggins. And the son of Gandalf the Grey no doubt." She laughed and gave a smile to the others in the room. She kept glancing over at Copper and a small blush would creep past her cheeks before she would look away again. Shiva caught the knife and handed it to an orc." You three go back to base and make sure the commander stays where he is." She handed the knife to an orc. "Give him this - he'll stay where he is." The orcs saluted, and they sneaked off. Shiva turned back to Age and smiled." Thanks." she said. She put the glass up to the wall again, the conversation had just gotten interesting - the man called Copper had something about orcs.-----Altar turned to Copper. "Yes, it is quite strange." he said. "They've even been to the elvish forests. One of them cut my -" He showed them his bandaged hand, but in doing so, he accidentally knocked over another cup of tea. "Oops... sorry, miss Ruby... let me help." He stood and banged his head on the ceiling again, cursed in elvish, and began to clean up his mess. Emmett nodded to the else elves, but he still needed to ask them a few things before he agreed. "I do agree with your point. But why are you here to get miss Bagging? I know I have no right to ask, but dad always told me to get as much information as I can get. Also, where do you plan on going once you have been able to get miss Bagging to come with you? If she ever agrees to come with, if she is like her father. We may have some problems, or at least from what I have heard about Her family." The Wizard said, before he moved a hand down towards the spilled tea and said a few words. His eyes glowed a soft yellow as the tea started slowly rise up and form a ball over his hand. Soon all of it was over his hand and he brought the ball into a cup. Filling his cup and reheating it, he then smiled. "This is just a small about of what I know, to bad the biggest thing I can do is a fireball." He said.--------Copper nodded and finished his tea, he placed it down on a table and then stood. Being careful of the roof. It seems he was used to small spaces, though he only hands one arm covered up fully. "It's been a pleasure to meet you, and thank you for the tea. But I'm pretty I have come to the wrong place, I hope you can forgive me." He said, then went to leave. But he tripped on the leg of Altar, which sent the ranger only a few feet forward and onto the ground. But he also slides a bit, causing his sleeve to ride. There laying in full law of everyone was the mark of a killer and a trader, Copper had no time to pull his sleeve down, born did he say anything. He just stared at the group, awaiting what they would do or say. Age watched through the window carefully, making sure to soak in every detail." Two elves, a wizard, and a ranger, all gathered in a hobbit's hole. Whoever this hobbit is she is quite interesting. What would make all these different people gather in one place?" Age spoke aloud, intending for Shiva to hear. It might be interesting to hear her point of view. It would also show him a bit of how she thinks. Then Age watched as the human fell down, and his arm revealed." Oh, well that's interesting. Looks like that human ranger is a murderer. Things are about to get very tense in there. Make sure you don't miss a thing, I'll want to know what they said latter." Age continue to say aloud.

The Hobbit (IC)|rating:3.0

The Lanista's Daughter (OOC)

IOC Thread (IC *Chapter One: Introductions** (( Join (( [Select][URL= (decided to start up the IOC thread and the Character thread will be up soon as well. The RP will start Friday, so more people can join in before we start rolling into this. All plotting and ideas should also be posted here. Have fun guys. Common Words and MeaningsCubiculum: A bedroom. Culina: Kitchen Atrium: In the most ancient times of Rome the atrium was the area where much of family life went on. The atrium was rather like a central courtyard in the house with a rectangular opening in the roof above it (the compendium) providing air and light. A rectangular basin in the ground (alluvium) corresponded to the opening above in order to collect rain water. All major living areas of Roman homes had direct access to the atrium. Impluvium: A rectangular section dug into the ground of the atrium into which rain water was collected as and when it fell in from the compendium. Triclinium: The dining roomPiscina: Pool/fountain in the center of the peristyle/garden. Posticum: Back entrance to the house. Tablinum: In Rome's earliest days the tabling was the patter' private study. A sort of drawing room or lounge. Oecus: A hall which could be used for receptions and meetings with friends.* Villas would even have their own roman baths. In their simplest form there would be two rooms: the first would be used as changing room and as Terrarium (Luke warm water bath). The second was the Calcium (Hot water bath). The rooms would have few if any windows in order to preserve the heat of the water. The bath might therefore be excavated in a basement area where it would be easiest to conserve heat.*The richest houses would take an extra bath called a Frigidaire (an indoor cold bath) and a Notation (an open air swimming pool).(*Slides in quietly and pours the wine for the Mistress and Master of the house then slides out again to go wipe down a couple of sweaty gladiators* *wanders in* I'm a big'of gladiator, row! *Glances over at the slave*Well to get things started, if a bit vaguely. Lucious would welcome time with a slave, train or fight with any of the gladiators, or he can have his dog randomly attack people. >_> Dogs? Mmm... yum. We are in the extreme section too. Goody! I would presume as a slave the usual duties apply, so I can always throw in random posts of Aura cleaning, working, cooking, running errands. Other than that she'll enjoy watching the gladiators training if she gets any off-time and will of course be highly excited by doing so, so first off there's the scope of a romance maybe with one of them. The daughter of the house, having been forbidden to marry by father might take solace in sex with a female slave so that her purity is maintained, so that's a possible sub-plot. As to what kind of Master of the house we have, he may or may not order his slaves to satisfy his house guests, so that's a third thing Aura could be doing. On less sexual lines she could be entrusted with taking messages, perhaps to the aristae of other gladiator schools or to weapons smiths or to the Colosseum itself (we are actually in Rome itself aren't we?) to accept fight dates or 'book in' gladiators to events. Quote from: Angry on 04-10-2010, 20:03:06 The RP will start Friday, so more people can join in before we start rolling into this. That's like forever away D8Anyway, my Hibernian gent, being a new if rising star Gladiator, probably just spends his time training and on occasion fighting. So if anyone wants to be training buddies that's cool, rest will probably be sneaking a conversation with the slaves or maybe being forced to entertain guests or some such. Quote from: Prim arch on 04-10-2010, 21:46:17That's like forever away D8Its not forever away silly. Plus it gives me time to come up with a kick ass post and get some ideas of how the Villa is going to look and all. Out of curiosity who is going to be he house champion? That would be up to either the Anita or me, depending on how much trust he has in me, at least until you spill some blood on the sand. Urbanzorro's character is listed as House Champion. Well then I withdraw my question ;D I love it when a plan comes together. Angzyn, I'm forever finding pictures of buildings and floor pans for my RP's. If you need a hand, please let me know. I presume the house/villa is in one complex with the school/gladiators quarters? Would it also be part of the vineyard? Quote from: Hainan on 05-10-2010, 01:44:04I love it when a plan comes together. Angzyn, I'm forever finding pictures of buildings and floor pans for my RP's. If you need a hand, please let me know. I presume the house/villa is in one complex with the school/gladiators quarters? Would it also be part of the vineyard? Yes please and thank you Go Hainan, can't wait to see what you have stashed away. Skies... Angry... is the place the game is set in the countryside or, as I suspect, in the bustling heart of Rome? If it's the countryside I would expect the villa to include the vineyard buildings but if it's a townhouse with the gladiator school attached it would be less sprawling I'd think. So please let me know what mental picture you had, and I'll go and starting looking. I was going to post this in the players wanted thread, but I think it's being too cluttered up there... Quote from: Keith on 05-10-2010, 02:17:53I'm betting you'll be fine sore Hainan. PI's what I think you meant! Also, regarding your character... um... Flavor... um... a bit of a personal question but... "girth 5"" are you saying 5"diameter? Which is terrifying, if not downright impossible or 5"circumference which is titchy! *stifles a giggle* To be fair, I didn't see the new guy until after that post. I think he mistook his penis for a coke can or something. He, well mathematically the average human penis is roughly a 4-inch circumference. Keep in mind that the equation for size is measured at three points along the organ, added together and then averaged. I can change it to make it an easier understood number if that helps. Figured it would cause some confusion. Quote from: Hainan on 05-10-2010, 05:34:16Okies... Angry... is the place the game is set in the countryside or, as I suspect, in the bustling heart of Rome? If it's the countryside I would expect the villa to include the vineyard buildings but if it's a townhouse with the gladiator school attached it would be less sprawling I'd think. So please let me know what mental picture you had, and I'll go and starting looking. I'm thinking somewhere in the countryside, with vast vineyards and living spaces. Right outside the city limits making it easy to travel back and forth. Like this? (your time to go through the various pages as it treats the entrance rooms, family/dining rooms. Gardens, baths, latrines... all in detail keying them in with red overlays to the master plan. Certainly looks nice and rural. It needs an additional area attaching for the gladiator school and maybe the wine making house for which I thought this might be useful: (such a great graphic but if we assume the main house from the webpage above is the 'owners house' at the top of this sketch then the Anita itself can be down one side of the outer court area - say the right-hand side since there is another modest house there for the head trainer, then barracks, training spaces, smithies for weapon making maybe, store houses and so on. On the left side could be the wine making and storing facilities with what could possibly a small temple or shrine and the whole thing is safely walled with a defensive gatehouse. I'll keep looking, but these two pages caught my eye. Heheh, Flavor... very good. I tend to think in terms of diameter across the horizontal which is usually the broadest thickness and to me 2" is BIG! Quite a mouthful in fact. If you want to go with those I may be able to photoshop that rather indistinct B/W sketch and tart it up a bit and label the buildings so they are more appropriate to our purpose, even though I know they're not terribly clear. Then I can find some interior shots from TV dramas and reconstructions at places like Herculaneum. But if it's not what you were expecting I can keep looking. I found loads of stuff after just 20 minutes or so.Also, that site shows no roofs so you need to mentally cover the main buildings with terracotta tiled roofs like this: (good site for interior and detail shots, click on 'portfolio' at the bottom: (No problem, sorry for the confusion. And Keith, quit starring at my junk man. ’D Quote from: Flavor on 05-10-2010, 06:03:21No problem, sorry for the confusion. And Keith, quit starring at my junk man. ’D*hugs* Don't apologize silly! It was just me not understanding and saying the way I usually think of measuring thickness, is all. Now I know what you mean by 5" girth I can see where you're coming from. Er... That didn't come out sounding quite right did it?*blush* Quote from: Hainan on 05-10-2010, 06:09:03*hugs* Don't apologize silly! It was just me not understanding and saying the way I usually think of measuring thickness, is all. Now I know what you mean by 5" girth I can see where you're coming from. Er... That didn't come out sounding quite right did it?*blush* Give it time...and maybe you might? *laughs* (( two catch my eye. Oh, and I'm working on a little chart for the wording of each room for everyone to use. Okay... yes, the Latin names of the different rooms of the house would be cool. This is a good site for the technical parts of a home. It seems quite an academic study. (this nice place in Austria, click on 'villa' and then 'virtual tour' it gives some very nice interiors useful for mood shots of rooms or whatever. (a nice gatehouse set in a perimeter wall that's useful and an open shed which is a blacksmiths' workshop, quite handy images. (a video: (there's really too much out there, I'm getting overwhelmed with stuff :(I think you need a basic ground plan and then just an interior shot or two for each 'space' in the game that will constitute a separate thread, be it gardens, gladiator barracks, temple, masters bedroom, slave quarters, atrium or whatever and find a heading image or two for that thread. Otherwise, I can go on churning out images until the IOC thread will explode. If you tell me what threads you think you'll need I can try finding said heading images for them. If we don't limit ourselves that way there are too many good images to look through, and I'm currently just looking at sites that cover actual Roman villa remains and reconstructions. I've not started looking at stills from TV dramas and films yet. It... How did I not see this Quote from: Hainan on 05-10-2010, 06:55:37I think you need a basic ground plan and then just an interior shot or two for each 'space' in the game that will constitute a separate thread, be it gardens, gladiator barracks, temple, masters bedroom, slave quarters, atrium or whatever and find a heading image or two for that thread. Otherwise, I can go on churning out images until the IOC thread will explode.**Points to my poor little paint program layout in the first post.**Can you work with that....also fell free to take it and add things on lol. Quote from: Poison on 05-10-2010, 06:57:53it... How did I not see this Lt;_Lt;Stealth mode was on. ’D Quote from: Flavor on 05-10-2010, 05:40:55Heh, well mathematically the average human penis is roughly a 4-inch circumference. Keep in mind that the equation for size is measured at three points along the organ, added together and then averaged. I can change it to make it an easier understood number if that helps. Figured it would cause some confusion. This is going to be an intellectual group I can tell ;3Quote from: Flavor on 05-10-2010, 07:02:59Stealth mode was on. That ALWAYS gets me >8ALSO; if anyone would like to do any subplots with me; I'm always open for them Quote from: Poison on 05-10-2010, 07:03:32subplotsMmm... Is your girl bi? :P Quote from: Angry on 05-10-2010, 07:02:16**Points to my poor little paint program layout in the first post.**Can you work with that....also fell free to take it and add things on lol. Whoa. Wow. That's... excellent! What more do we need? That looks much more like a town house though, having a narrow street frontage on the left and a deep plot extending back from the road. It's not laid out like a country villa which tended to have plots wider than they were deep with an imposing frontage, so perhaps we could plant the setting inside Rome (where to be honest I do think the gladiator schools would be, one set a few miles out beyond the city's edge would be somewhat cut off from the hustle and bustle of Colosseum life - somewhat like having a New York finance house but not on Wall St but out in Hoboken...). So that shows a basement floor as well as the ground-level floor, yes? What is the Horus? A form of courtyard? And what is the function of the balcony at the right-hand end and the open space beyond? Is it your plan to have the basement level as the gladiator school? If so may I suggest it has its own doorway to the street since the only way out I can see is up the steps into the store room and then out via the atrium which would somewhat impinge on private family life. The steps at the far end that come out beyond the Horus might lead to another door? Where do the slaves sleep? I'm taking it those marked bedrooms are all for family and guests. I'm delighted to work with this plan, it's great, I just have a few questions. Quote from: Flavor on 05-10-2010, 06:03:21No problem, sorry for the confusion. And Keith, quit starring at my junk man. They, I thought it WS a coke, and I was thirsty. :P Nowhere'SA good subplot if ever I saw one. Quote from: Keith on 05-10-2010, 14:10:15Hey, I thought it WS a coke, and I was thirsty. :P*laughs* Yeah...but I'm not so sure if you'd like the beverage in it... XD I pulled off that joke while still being comfortable with my sexuality. I win. :O Quote from: Keith on 05-10-2010, 14:35:01I pulled off that joke while still being comfortable with my sexuality. I win. Well played sir, well played! XD Flavor's call. Are you still in or you going to fold? I thought this could be a useful illustration:(shows the vestibular (center right) and atrium well with the alluvium and some principal rooms -o ecus and tabling (nearest). This sketch shows a variant with an upper story, so instead of the curriculum being beyond the atrium, they are above it, with the piecing and peristyle beyond shown as a walled and colonnaded courtyard. The room in the front corner is a shop, probably not to do with the household at all but in the same structure. I've seen similar layouts at Herculaneum. This one looks like it might sell wine or oils and could be a part of the Celsius property. I don't know Hainan, it's all Greek to me. Ok....so a Greek and a Roman are arguing over whose civilization was the best. The Greek says "we invented philosophy, democracy, conquered the known world" to which the Roman responds "Well we conquered what parts of the world we wanted, and held them for much longer, not to mention that we built upon your own findings in philosophy to learn even more about the human condition" finding himself slightly on the disadvantage the Greek says "Well we invented sexual exploration" and the Roman responds "Well....we introduced it to women" Quoted dunno Hainan, it's all Greek to me. Gah!*slaps Keith with a wet haddock*Say after me:"Aura in Celina labor at""Lucius Marius in via do emit"Simple!@ Urban - *chortle* Lol history joke ;D. Also, can't wait to start the RP! And is anyone interested in a subplot(s) w/Orbit? Quote from: Hainan on 05-10-2010, 16:46:06 Gas!*slaps Keith with a wet haddock*Say after me:"Aura in Celina labor at""Lucius Marius in via do emit"Simple!@ Urban - *chortle*A: ;DB: It's still Greek to me. For all your Roman cultural needs! (phrasebook for Lucius Marius though if he carries on winding Aura up like this he may not be around long enough to use any! *throws more food scraps at him* lol Quote from: Urbanzorro on 05-10-2010, 16:47:11is anyone interested in a subplot(s) w/Orbit? Maybe he's unwell, or injured, and the Master gets one of the slaves to take... um... care of him. Or maybe Aura hires him as a hitman to terminate Lucius' annoying existence?EDIT: Boohoo! I love this stuff! (particularly liked:"Labor Capote." = I have a headache and"Oh Pollux!" Damn, going to have fun in this game *giggles* @Haibane Lol him being injured could be interesting....would also give room for other gladiators to rise up and possibly create rivalries....though I don't know if that's wanted or unwanted? As far as sub-plots go, I'm open. I'm sure most of my fellow Gladiators will hate Antonius what with him being an ex-Soldier/Praetorian and all that. Especially with his claim to fame being fighting against the Celts. But if you can think of something, I'm game to listen! Good idea. I wonder if the Anita would try to suppress rivalries among the gladiators so that they spend their time focussing on honing their arena skills, or if he actually encourages rivalries so they are just angrier when it comes time for the games. You could run several sub-plots with rivalries there. Also, what about injuries and deaths during fighting? Might some players be willing to suffer death of their gladiators or have them sold off and take up a new char? I'd be willing to consider it given that it helps move the story though I would hope that it wouldn't be an era many many MOE....you're dead because I say so! Type thing.;) Quote from: Hainan on 05-10-2010, 17:08:41Good idea. I wonder if the Anita would try to suppress rivalries among the gladiators so that they spend their time focussing on honing their arena skills, or if he actually encourages rivalries so they are just angrier when it comes time for the games. You could run several sub-plots with rivalries there. Also, what about injuries and deaths during fighting? Might some players be willing to suffer death of their gladiators or have them sold off and take up a new char? The Anita may not, but if Lucius thought that any of them would be better motivated if he made them hate each other he would damn well do it. >_> Yeah, rivalries can help the fighters in the arena as well. Seeing one of them one up another could spur them to much more vicious combats. While I'd prefer to not die, I can understand that it could happen. Really up to the creator of this story on how she would like to handle that. They practice with wooden weapons mostly. Heavy bruises and broken bones are the only real accidents that could occur. If there was a death in training the gladiator in question would be punished harshly by Lucius, and probably the Anita as well as it would mean that he has to buy another slave, and wasted his money on the first he bought. Would be good for strife, but it would have to be purposeful, something like crippling or breaking the neck or throat. Growl and all that other nasty stuff!umm... I mean hi, hi! Hello psycho, we last met on a train in the Tokyo suburbs if I recall correctly? So, it seems we could have some very interesting testosterone-fuelled rivalries going on there. Perhaps if Aura has a favorite to that would stoke the anger up more? Someone who is not Aura's favorite could rape her and brag about it to her lover boy. I'd be okay with that. *Pops in and joins the talk....but has to leave to wash dishes***Still kind of working on a sub-plot for my girl. Just noting has popped up yet. We'll talk later about the house plan and images if you wish to. I added some comments way up their /\ Quote from: Keith on 05-10-2010, 17:21:42The Anita may not, but if Lucius thought that any of them would be better motivated if he made them hate each other he would damn well do it. Sgt;_Sgt;We can always throw in some NPCs that can fall in battle and die. I don't want to see anyone having to lose their in the start of the game. Perhaps the Anita's daughter has eyes for someone he doesn't like? (just spit balling obviously) Quote from: Urbanzorro on 05-10-2010, 18:05:47 Perhaps the Anita's daughter has eyes for someone he doesn't like? (just spit balling obviously)Of course, after all she has some dislike for her father. Who would not if they are more or less destined not to marry and have a family of their own, *winks* Quote from: Angry on 05-10-2010, 18:03:30We can always throw in some NPCs that can fall in battle and die. I don't want to see anyone having to lose their in the start of the game. Ah, good point. Quote from: Keith on 05-10-2010, 18:23:50Ah, good point. I don't think anyone should have to die unless later on they plan on leaving the RP.....then they can kill off there character to give some closer to the rest of the group.Orin they decide later on that they want to play a different character to breath some life into the RP. Quote from: Hainan on 05-10-2010, 12:53:27Mmm... Is your girl bi? She's what ever her superiors want her to be. She'll probably be though; if only to keep Obvious from making her father upset or from getting caught with the gladiators doing things she's shouldn't Taiwan: >_But more like:"Is anyone up for volunteering to have their character die (or as a slave, be sold) and then take up a new char?" So an entirely voluntary thing. It certainly could be a crucial plot point though if people don't wish to it's absolutely fine. Or a gladiator could be quite badly injured (or someone else could be ill) and stay for a long while in the medical house to be nursed back to health - also an interesting plot possibility. Could we have an 'external threat' plot device where a rival / business associate / disgruntled former slave / etc. does some dirty business at the villa? Arson, or theft or vandalism or something more subtle and white-collar like undermining the Anita's power or authority in the community? This Bad Guy would be an NPC, and it would take the game to having an outside connection with the politics and such in the city. Quote from: Hainan on 05-10-2010, 19:37:06My suggestion wasn't in the nature of "some gladiators need to die, who shall we pick?" But more like:"Is anyone up for volunteering to have their character die (or as a slave, be sold) and then take up a new char?" So an entirely voluntary thing. It certainly could be a crucial plot point though if people don't wish to it's absolutely fine. Or a gladiator could be quite badly injured (or someone else could be ill) and stay for a long while in the medical house to be nursed back to health - also an interesting plot possibility. Could we have an 'external threat' plot device where a rival / business associate / disgruntled former slave / etc. does some dirty business at the villa? Arson, or theft or vandalism or something more subtle and white-collar like undermining the Anita's power or authority in the community? This Bad Guy would be an NPC, and it would take the game to having an outside connection with the politics and such in the city. Could steal the Spartacus idea, a Gladiator is temporarily (or presently) injured and is used for more devious purposes. Arson is a lot more destructive then, compared to now. If someone wee to do such it would likely destroy much of the house, would be a large event. Would also be a reason to potentially bring the battle off the sand and into the streets. I was thinking the arson would be an outhouse or a farm building on the vineyard - somewhere on the estate, not the main house (which would be quite well guarded probably). It's a fairly big step though - we probably need a few pages to get our characters comfortably into their roles before we start throwing the dung at the fans. Ahh, I see what you mean. If it happened at the Anita's vineyard then it would give him more motivation to get more profit out of his gladiators so he could make up for the losses. *rubs chin* No, I wasn't thinking that subtly, I was just thinking that a petty arsonist might think it is a safer target to burn down a few grape storage sheds than someone's house (which lets face it could easily become murder) and I wasn't thinking this NPC Bad Guy wants that, he just wants to send Celsius a message to back off on some deal he's muscling in on or some leverage he's putting on a member of the senate or something. There could be a couple of sides to some political skulduggery going on and Celsius has supported one side and the arsonist (or whatever crime he commits - maybe vandalism) is working for the other side. Or to bring the plot more back in with a link to the gladiator school, the backlash could be from some arena fight fixing that's been going on. We could get quite involved in the power politics of the senate with this plot but it's a biggie and would quite taint the whole game, so I'm a bit reluctant to make the suggestions unless our dear GM wants that. How about you let the GM (Me) take all the ideas into thought and when I see it fit to throw something into the loop to twist the story I'll do so. I don't want random players going around burning everything or throwing the whole RP for a loop. The bad guy will be and NPC more likely a rival owner of another school with some links to the politics. He will introduce in the first post by me but anything "Live Changing" will not happen until a good 7–10 pages into the role-play which could equal weeks or even a few months. Quote from: Hainan on 05-10-2010, 20:24:38No, I wasn't thinking that subtly, I was just thinking that a petty arsonist might think it is a safer target to burn down a few grape storage sheds than someone's house (which lets face it could easily become murder) and I wasn't thinking this NPC Bad Guy wants that, he just wants to send Celsius a message to back off on some deal he's muscling in on or some leverage he's putting on a member of the senate or something. At the start of the RP I was thinking about having word speed threw out the house that someone has been stealing wine from the storage sheds. Something just to drive that something is up. But still leaving it as "It might be some poor basted just stealing wine." Quote from: Hainan on 05-10-2010, 20:24:38There could be a couple of sides to some political skulduggery going on and Celsius has supported one side and the arsonist (or whatever crime he commits - maybe vandalism) is working for the other side. Or to bring the plot more back in with a link to the gladiator school, the backlash could be from some arena fight fixing that's been going on. We could get quite involved in the power politics of the senate with this plot but it's a biggie and would quite taint the whole game, so I'm a bit reluctant to make the suggestions unless our dear GM wants that. The world of politics will slowly start to show its face as the RP grows. Maybe sealing some ideas from Spartacus' ideas where the world of Gladiators and politics start to merge. The Gladiators bring in more money, the head of the house starts to get greedy and of need of more power.Also, I have decided to let players have more than one character if they want. No worries, we're just bandying about ideas is all. I'm glad we can play multiple characters. ILve been wondering what we could do with the lack of some. Still trying to pimp out the game to others, see if we can get more voices in on the game and all. Is our Master of the House player still here? Not heard from him... We need a Mistress still as well :(He may not realize the board has been made. *grin* Stealth Mode was in the 'On' position. ’D If it turns out that his spot needs to be filled I'd be willing to slip into the role of Anita as well. If not ::) Then I didn't say this. *Slides to a running stop*I'm here, no worries. Cool beans, I may be interested in playing the Anita's son. Could probably fill up all the required roles quite quickly if people are taking on second characters. If we do that I'd be willing to do a second character However I would like to see some younger looking Gladiators **Been watching Spartacus all day** OMG those men and all that sexiness!!! I suppose I *could* play the wife, but I'm up to my ears in RP's already, plus other stuff, so I'm mostly comfortable playing just one character, but I'll do it if no-one else does. I did write to one lady who is a rather superb dome if she'd be interested but no reply yet. Of course the wife could be meek as well, or not lean either way and just be an efficient woman of the house. If I've read my history right noble ladies were quite the schemers and plotters and also tended to run the household, leaving hubby to go bash barbarians or bash other senators. Very accurate conclusion Hainan, while Roman women didn't possess many rights under Roman law as compared to their husbands they did have quite a bit of power which when wielded right could really put the hurt on someone (or help someone quite a bit) Quote from: Hainan on 05-10-2010, 17:54:11Hello psycho, we last met on a train in the Tokyo suburbs if I recall correctly? Yes we did! And it was a very fun train ride indeed! Sadly was a bit busier IRL then, but thankfully not as much now! Hope was a good impression on the train! And not psycho...just misunderstood ^^ Second character is up for your approval ;D I look good hon. That son looks nice and twisted, a real sicko. I'm loving this family already. 8-) Lol what can I say.....my characters either come out somewhat honorable....or totally *edit*sociopathic*edit* ;) This group is really coming together. I say maybe two more Gladiators, and we will be good to go. Ready when you are ;) We could make a start and any more slaves or gladiators could be new purchases. Likewise, Son #2 could be away doing business and return as and when. Quote from: Hainan on 06-10-2010, 21:11:17We could make a start and any more slaves or gladiators could be new purchases. Likewise, Son #2 could be away doing business and return as and when. I like this idea. Or given that how little game-time usually passes for a few pages of posts, the unallocated roles could just be away or resting. I sometimes find that once a game begins people tend to click on them at the tops of the forums as they are curious and some like what they see and ask to join. *chuckles* I'm sure we can hold off for another day. We just got ourselves a Domino of the house and one other Gladiator inbound. Maybe in that day we'll get the second son or some slave boys. ’D If someone could find me an image for the second son I'd be willing to play him. I just can't seem to find anything decent. *is pretty good at finding images of guys* What are you looking for? Basically a male, preferably in his 20s, with weapon or not, period garb. Any use? (Depends. Are people hoping for a sinister or kind Son? If more sinister then he's perfect. If wanted to be a bit more kind and lenient, then he's a bit too intense. (could google image search for "James Purely Rome"Also "BBC costume drama Rome" might get you some other usable faces.EDIT: And.... haha, look who this is, from away back - the 1970s BBC drama "I, Claudius" (( a young and somewhat naive looking Derek Jacobi (( John Hurt whose portrayal of Caligula was truly psychotic. (also pansexual. If that's what you're looking for. Quote from: Keith on 06-10-2010, 21:53:26Basically a male, preferably in his 20s, with weapon or not, period garb. Well, period garb included is not a strong suit for me. Tend to only find actors or some rather scary looking Larders. So I'll send you as cloth-less looking men as I can find you.(:o My heterosexuality is being threatened. Honestly I like this image, although I'm still curious what sort of Son would be wanted.(We have one son who sounds like a nasty piece of work so how about a morally upstanding one? A by the book kind of guy? Quote from: Hainan on 06-10-2010, 22:26:31We have one son who sounds like a nasty piece of work so how about a morally upstanding one? A by the book kind of guy? My thoughts exactly. Quote from: Keith on 06-10-2010, 22:22:35 :o My heterosexuality is being threatened. Honestly I like this image, although I'm still curious what sort of Son would be wanted.(we have one that looks like he might end up giving Nero a run for his money...or rather Rome's money. So how about someone a bit more reserved? It's your boy after all. ;) Not sure what Roman's would consider morally upstanding. ??? Same as you would in the US senate today I should think. And I realize that's hardly a great answer... James Purely... go on, you know it makes sense (and my knees weak) UK. That would help if I knew your opinion on the US senate, but politics can be problematic. And yes, James Purely. :P I'm assuming the senate is as full of crooks, liars, embezzlers and opportunists as our own Parliament. So yeah, lovely people. Just not sociopaths. I think the game would benefit from some balance against the other son but seriously, he's your character, play him as you wish.EDIT: I just had one of those weird continuity thoughts I occasionally get - if the sons are in their 20s, how old are the parents characters? The images for both look extremely young. They'd both be in their 40s (or let's say at least about 15 years older than their children) which for Romans is getting on a fair bit, so they should look, well, not ancient but pretty old. This is always one of those problems with RP's where adult children and their parents are all characters and everyone likes to play young good-looking people. Point taken. If the oldest is 25, then that would put the mother at 12 when born. So either you then up the oldest a few years or age the mother a few as even for Romans that's not proper child-bearing years. *shrug* Well I can put a few more years on Marcus, though I think the children should probably be a bit closer in age, as the childbearing years would've been far fewer than we now consider them to be. Also, you can consider Marcus's picture a guide, finding the right age and appearance together is, for me, nigh impossible. Marcus is well enough in age, 16 is young enough to actually become married in that time as well as have a firstborn. If I recall correctly women were usually considered ready for marriage around 14-16 as well. If the oldest son gets a bit younger than age won't be too difficult to justify. ’D Yeah speaking of age I'm trying to imagine how old I want to make my slave girl; because her image looks pretty old. Oh, I think having children at age 13 to 14 was fine back then. I did say 15 so that we could say 13 plus a bit for decency given that these were intelligent children of prosperous families with a secure background and lifestyle such that (unlike say the wives of soldiers) there wasn't so strong a need to procreate the moment the female becomes able to. It could be the case that the mother was betrothed at birth to the son of another noble family but had to wait until even her 20s to have children if said son was away stomping on Gauls or Britons for a few years. We could make the sons younger - 16 was definitely an age at which Roman noblemen were in command of regiments or big businesses, nothing like in later times or today. So if the two sons were, say, 16 and 18, the mother could be as young as about 31. A 16-year-old boy is *not* a child in Roman times, but a man with often a man's responsibilities. I take Peace's point that an image should only ever be a guide to personality and so on and isn't intended as a camera lens... plus these rich families did live a life of total ease, being pampered with the equivalent of a modern health spa practically 24/7 so they could keep looking good longer... But really I didn't intend to stir up a big debate, and I'm sorry if I've caused some head-scratching, I was just enjoying looking at the face that Lady Reign is using for her character and thought "Mm, young". Quote from: Hainan on 06-10-2010, 23:35:00Oh I think having children at age 13 to 14 was fine back then. I did say 15 so that we could say 13 plus a bit for decency given that these were intelligent children of prosperous families with a secure background and lifestyle such that (unlike say the wives of soldiers) there wasn't so strong a need to procreate the moment the female becomes able to. It could be the case that the mother was betrothed at birth to the son of another noble family but had to wait until even her 20s to have children if said son was away stomping on Gauls or Britons for a few years. We could make the sons younger - 16 was definitely an age at which Roman noblemen were in command of regiments or big businesses, nothing like in later times or today. So if the two sons were, say, 16 and 18, the mother could be as young as about 31. A 16-year-old boy is *not* a child in Roman times, but a man with often a man's responsibilities. I take Peace's point that an image should only ever be a guide to personality and so on and isn't intended as a camera lens... plus these rich families did live a life of total ease, being pampered with the equivalent of a modern health spa practically 24/7 so they could keep looking good longer... But really I didn't intend to stir up a big debate, and I'm sorry if I've caused some head-scratching, I was just enjoying looking at the face that Bobby is using for her character and thought "Mm, young".13-14 would mean the eldest son would be no more than 24. I would be willing to have a son in his teens if she would want to lower the age of the mother. But in the end I'm not sure if it matters all that much unless the majority of our group is striving for perfect realism, regarding the looks compared to age department. I should point out that he is the son of a different mother (the eldest, and I've already passed it off with he GM) ;) Ooh, well that will increase the rivalry between the two, won't it? Hur. I wonder who inherited in Roman law? Probably still the eldest son I should imagine. Would depend on the one the father favored, or why he married twice. Yeah, if all the sons were the father's the 'standard' was to give it to the eldest UNLESS the previous wife had done something to anger/dishonor the father or the father was convinced to choose a different son (which usually happened given that most fathers wanted mommy nookie) Well, if he was married before, perhaps he got married young, and before he left with the legions? I'd suggest she died while he was away, which would explain the son, I don't really think it would have been an issue of dishonor, of course, the inheritance status will be a contentious issue I guess. He'll probably have a will, even if he doesn't disclose his heir. At which point I should shamelessly point out that where there's a will, there's a way. Put up the second son, acceptable? No image showed up. The bio seems cool to me though. Seems like a good foil to my son character ;D I like him. Because nothing really stands out, and he has no exaggerated extremes of personality one way or the other I think he could be a subtle character, one who would probably grow quite well with time. Flavor: Fixed the image, he might be a tad older looking then early twenties, but I liked his seriousness. Urbanzorro: Yes, should be interesting to see how they grate against each other. Haibane: Glad you like him! I did leave a good bit of room for him to grow, while leaving a solid base. :) Character sheets and house plans (Would you prefer for us to post our characters, or would you rather handle it? Post your characters so you can edit them as needed. You want them posted there? Yea makes it easy for everyone just to click the link and read up on all the characters without having to play hide and seek in the join thread. Ooh. Domino has arrived. Wrong place Keith lol *points the way* Over here! (;D My bad. :-\ It's Okay *HUGS* Quote from: Lady Reign on 07-10-2010, 04:18:57Ooh. Domino has arrived. Greetings, Domino. ’D Mmm... Mistress. Shame she's straight. :-\Quote from: Keith on 07-10-2010, 03:09:36Haibane: I did leave a good bit of room for him to grow, while leaving a solid base. :)You... understand my sense of humor already, don't you? ^-^ You guys and your well played jokes ::) Hello Flavor ^^ I look forward to my character admiring yours. And yes Hainan, she's "straight". He. Quote from: Lady Reign on 07-10-2010, 13:05:51Hello Flavor ^^ I look forward to my character admiring yours. And yes Hainan, she's "straight". He.*is looking forward to being admired* >:) Worth a link in the plans page? (Quote from: Hainan on 07-10-2010, 14:32:57Worth a link in the plans page? (that's just awesome! Worth a link anywhere really! This is what I've been messing about with the last couple of evenings. I hope our lovely GM will put this in the Characters and Plans thread.It's an album in my Photobucket account I've called 'Ancient Rome'. In it there are six other albums (clickable list is on the left): 'Interiors', 'Buildings', 'People', 'Objects and Equipment', 'Military' and 'Scenes and Settings'. I have tried to make most pictures very small at 400x300 pixels so they don't dominate people's posts and where I couldn't squash them to this size I have kept to a maximum height of 300px and made them a bit wider so that if you put 2 images side by side on a page it should still look tidy. I don't think I have missed anything but if there's any grossly oversized pics, let me know and I can resize them. The idea is that our GM could select one or two to put in the heading post of each thread to illustrate the location. After that anyone can use any of them to insert in posts to add mood, or clarity or just for some extra fun. So if your character is out in the street talking to another character and he/she passes a shop you could use one of the street scenes and then one of the domestic views such as the wine cupboard, meal, herbs or workshop interior. I'll add more as the mood takes me, or I come across some good ones and if anyone specifically needs something, tell me, and I'll hunt it down. We don't have anything for example to illustrate the gladiator school interior or their sleeping chambers or practice area yet, so I'm on the lookout for things that would suit those. As you can see its possible to cheat quite easily as I've used a couple of modern street scenes from old Italian towns which mostly work. Here's the link: (Hainan, I can only admire the amount of thought you are putting behind this RP. Quote from: Flavor on 07-10-2010, 14:31:35*is looking forward to being admired* Sgt;:)Careful what you wish for, dear. Quote from: Lady Reign on 07-10-2010, 17:58:46Careful what you wish for, dear. Bah, if I were careful then there'd be no fun. I like leaping before I look... >:) If you do that, you might end up like that Gaul on Spartacus, crucified after having his cock chopped off. D: Quote from: Lady Reign on 07-10-2010, 18:58:20If you do that, you might end up like that Gaul on Spartacus, crucified after having his cock chopped off. D:Point taken. But can't hurt to enjoy oneself before the fall. Really should watch this show, sounds like a lot of fun...minus the chopping bit. ’D It's probably bad that my favorite part was when the Anita's wife tricked the Gladiator into fucking the woman responsible for his wives death. >_> Whaaaaaaat? I don't think I've gotten to that part yet! :o Whoops. Yeah.it's near the end of the season lol >:[Way to irk the Domino... *runs and hides...in her closet* ;D Sorry Reign, I didn't realize you hadn't seen it all yet Sorry I have not been around as much as I should have :(this trip of mine I'm leaving for Sunday has kind of taken up all my time with cleaning and packing and planning. Good news is the starting post is almost done and will be up tomorrow morning before 10am California time. Looking forward to it Angry. Quote from: Keith on 07-10-2010, 21:18:16Looking forward to it Angry. Likewise! Gayness! Quote from: Lady Reign on 07-10-2010, 19:15:16Whaaaaaaat? I don't think I've gotten to that part yet! Turns out Crisis is Keyser Söze, and Bruce Willis has been a ghost all along. I'm sorry but Crisis is not hot. Not in the least. >_> I'm sat here trying to work out what's going on in your avatar Lady Reign. I can see it's a girl with a skirt that is much too short... and a stuffed toy I think... I just can't work out what animal the stuffed toy is and... um... what she's doing with it. I am in the process of adding a Gladiators' album to my Ancient Rome PB album so now we have lots of pics of a school and training and armor and such. Plus more generic NPC people - nobles, officers, merchants, officials, senators and whatnot. Quote from: Hainan on 07-10-2010, 22:59:47I'm sat here trying to work out what's going on in your avatar Lady Reign. I can see it's a girl with a skirt that is much too short... and a stuffed toy I think... I just can't work out what animal the stuffed toy is and... um... what she's doing with it. I don't know really. The animal looks like a mole rat and the woman in the picture is actually 25 years old just very petite. I love petite women. ^^ That is why it is there for now. I change it time to time. Quote from: Hainan on 07-10-2010, 22:59:47Plus more generic NPC people - nobles, officers, merchants, officials, senators and whatnot. If in your searching you find even anyone resembling my image I'd gladly accept it. :P Wouldn't mind replacing the Celt pic with a real person PB. Quote from: Lady Reign on 07-10-2010, 23:03:46I don't know really. The animal looks like a mole rat and the woman in the picture is actually 25 years old just very petite. I love petite women. ^^ That is why it is there for now. I change it time to time. I love petite women too. >_>Also, she's not wearing a skirt. I'd venture a guess and say she is just wearing a shirt and panties. Yeah, short skirt was a joke really... it clearly isn't - or if it is, it's been hiked well up! I'll have the pics up in a minute Prim arch, though I wouldn't say any looked particularly Celtic... then again, when a man is stripped naked and given a loin cloth and sandals and his head is shaved, his ethnicity gets harder to determine. Very true. I think the stuffed animal is a cat o_o Quote from: Lady Reign on 07-10-2010, 23:23:41I think the stuffed animal is a cat o_oi think you might be right... I see a pointy ear... Furthermore, I think? Quote from: Poison on 07-10-2010, 23:37:56I think you might be right... I see a pointy ear... I think? Could be a mouse.... Quote from: Prim arch on 07-10-2010, 23:38:47Could be a mouse....EEK! A MOUSE! D8-jumps on a stool and lifts my skirt slightly- *jumps on the stool too and puts her face up under the skirt*I still can't work it out. There's what looks like a pale gray head with beady black eyes and whiskers... the darker gray parts with an obvious tail, but I just can't see the whole animal. Is she holding it by an ear or a paw? Um... sorry to our esteemed GM! I think we need a Lady Reign Avatar Discussion Thread *goes sheepish* Quote from: Hainan on 07-10-2010, 23:53:08I still can't work it out. There's what looks like a pale gray head with beady black eyes and whiskers... the darker gray parts with an obvious tail, but I just can't see the whole animal. Is she holding it by an ear or a paw? I think it's the ear, in which case I'm sticking with mouse. Aha. It is a kitty cat. Mystery solved. Case closed. (#/dtwec1) Quote from: Hainan on 07-10-2010, 23:53:08*jumps on the stool too and puts her face up under the skirt*Hey baby hide here often?-eyebrow waggle-Well hot damn 8DGot it right X3 A cat...just as I thought. I thought you were sticking with the mouse >_>? Quote from: Prim arch on 08-10-2010, 00:03:05A cat...just as I thought. You, sir, should be in the senate! As the Romans said "When the storm strikes a fence, it blows flat but when the storm strikes the hedgerow, it bends, is buffeted but stands straight again." Or as Hainan says when her head is up a girl's skirt "MFF FFMM Memphis" I feel left out...*sticks her head up Flavor's skirt and feels better afterward*Wait a moment... Quote from: Lady Reign on 07-10-2010, 23:59:07Ah ha. It is a kitty cat. Mystery solved. Case closed. (#/dtwec1)Nope. Still can't see it. It's just... mm...panties. Mmmm...*nuzzles, all thoughts of cats or mice forgotten* What?! Don't forget about kitties! They are so cute and adorable!*eyes panties*Oh...hey now, what have we here... *tosses his cat off his lap and leans in for a better look* Quote from: Lady Reign on 08-10-2010, 00:29:09I feel left out... *sticks her head up Flavor's skirt and feels better afterward*Wait a moment... It's a kilt. Feel free to do that anytime! I know. I choose the avatar because she was a petite and had a great pantie shot. This picture will be the downfall of me. And Flavor, dear, are yousureits a skirt?{loledit} *kilt Hey, guys, if we spam the IOC long enough, Angry will get the message and give us a game thread to play in. Oh, yeah on other news, Rome pics all uploaded now with pretty titles and all that. I can go browsing for gladiators though if anyone wants. I thought your Celt though Prim arch was one of the best pics we had. Quote from: Hainan on 08-10-2010, 00:31:17*nuzzles, all thoughts of cats or mice forgotten**squeals and giggles delightedly*Flavor is it traditional or new aged under that kilt of yours? Quote from: Hainan on 08-10-2010, 00:42:13Oh, yeah on other news, Rome pics all uploaded now with pretty titles and all that. I can go browsing for gladiators though if anyone wants. I thought your Celt though Prim arch was one of the best pics we had. Thank you ^.^ I'm actually very happy with it in general, but when I see most people using real person based PB's, I just feel like I should too, to aid in making mental imagery better if nothing else. Quote from: Prim arch on 08-10-2010, 00:51:42Thank you ^.^ I'm actually very happy with it in general, but when I see most people using real person based PB's, I just feel like I should too, to aid in making mental imagery better if nothing else. I did that too in my RP Burden City. Everyone started using photos, and so I just switched to follow suit. Though, who can complain when you use an Emmy Possum picture. Quote from: Poison on 08-10-2010, 00:42:38*squeals and giggles delightedly*Flavor is it traditional or new aged under that kilt of yours? As Lady Reign, or come find out yourself. And, yes, it is a kilt. If you'd like a second inspection... *blushes terribly and hides her face in a pillow* I'll take that blush on Lady Reigns's face as 'traditional' Oh, Hainan...added a picture of my guys face. Umm...just picture him with black hair & green eyes though. Couldn't find the one I wanted with black hair and too lazy to go to my PC and use the old Porno shop to fix it atm. Growl, he's a scary man! Best not say no...or do, he might like that more ^^ *Eyes everyone....the wonders off to work on post*** I still think she needs more convincing! I'm loath to bring this up, but unfortunately I must. On a small and rather delicate issue I do have problems with cross-gender play. If the new applicant is accepted I will limit my interactions with that character considerably. I just thought I'd put that out there. I know it's a bit unusual but there it is, it's a problem for me which always persists, so I thought it's best to let you all know. My sincere apologies if this causes any upset or inconvenience. We do still need male slaves as well, I note. Quote from: Hainan on 08-10-2010, 01:30:37We do still need male slaves as well, I note.Yeah, I noticed that too; I'm going to go and change my second female application and make one for a man instead Apologies, but owing to recent issues I'm going to exit this role-play. Sorry, since I just submitted my character and everything, but I wouldn't want to bother anyone and feel like I was lessening anyone's experience or anything bad like that... Better to quite before it starts, I suppose... Sorry, again, but... There we go... Bye all. Quote from: Poison on 08-10-2010, 01:36:35 Yeah I noticed that too; I'm going to go and change my second female application and make one for a man instead Not Delete D: Say it ain't so! Quote from: Prim arch on 08-10-2010, 01:47:19Not Delete D: Say it ain't so!AAAAAAAWE~! OK~ maybe not X3 Well, later tonight I will roll up a male slave, so don't worry about changing Poison :)Just...be gentle D; I hear rumors that Flavor was thinking of making one >_> Quote from: Poison on 08-10-2010, 01:49:54AAAAAAAWE~! OK~ maybe not X3Yay!now to get me some of that sweet Delete slave ass...maybe some of that Aura too.... I saw that! Sorry everyone. I really dented the mood there, didn't I? Sorry Angry and sorry too to Angel Eros. Delete is going to have quite a fun time I can tell already She'll dole out her 'favors' based on who ever can give her the best news and rumors. And may the gods help you if it's made up]-cuddles up close to Hainan and snuggles-Why do I have the feeling that either my Son, or the other, will be getting fairly close to her in case she finds something relevant. I do not approve of the slaves being used without permission >_>! This is going to be a fun RP! ’D Quote from: Lady Reign on 08-10-2010, 02:28:21I do not approve of the slaves being used without permission Sgt;_Sgt;! I think the Sons are a bit too old to think they need permission. They are but I can still protest! I'm sure they'd find that adorable. :P Quote from: Lady Reign on 08-10-2010, 02:33:37They are, but I can still protest! I can see it now:"If you don't eat all your supper there'll be no slave orgies for you!" Quote from: Prim arch on 08-10-2010, 02:36:20I can see it now: "If you don't eat all your supper there'll be no slave orgies for you!" I agree wholeheartedly. Quote from: Lady Reign on 08-10-2010, 02:28:21I do not approve of the slaves being used without permission Sgt;_Sgt;! But it's so much easier to make your hair be the envy of everyone else if she's been laid! Oh well, Amaranth does like her hair styled nicely ... Quote from: Prim arch on 08-10-2010, 02:36:20I can see it now: "If you don't eat all your supper there'll be no slave orgies for you!"*eats his supper quickly*All done! ... >_>Alright...is supper!*squirms on the table but seems to be tied to it* Wait, dinner? I was already playing. Quote from: Hainan on 08-10-2010, 02:53:59Hang on... Aura is supper!*squirms on the table but seems to be tied to it**licks his lips before diving in for a delicious meal* Quote from: Lady Reign on 08-10-2010, 02:43:30Oh well, Amaranth does like her hair styled nicely ...AAAA!victory orgy! Quick! Every one past the Alas!-picks up Aura and runs off→3 fufufufu~ Where is the man of the house when you need him! Quote from: Prim arch on 07-10-2010, 23:13:47If in your searching you find even anyone resembling my image I'd gladly accept it. :P Wouldn't mind replacing the Celt pic with a real person PB. Got you one.(O_O ... *speechless* *can't... stop... laughing*XD Well he was a bargain! Or... wait... did I do wrong? Oh, no! My bad. I'm sorry... This is a no-smoking gladiator school! However, under that helmet, when he looks up...(There's a guy I wouldn't want to play leap frog with. Quote from: Hainan on 08-10-2010, 03:02:43Got you one.(just got the hardest erection I have ever had in my life... Quote from: Keith on 08-10-2010, 03:06:26There's a guy I wouldn't want to play leap frog with. Top or bottom? Maybe I should go post that in Eden's Effing Awesome thread? Or is there an Effing Stupid thread on the site anywhere? Well that's just freaking perfect. No, no, It'll be fine. I can photoshop the cigarette out. Quote from: Hainan on 08-10-2010, 03:09:29 Top or bottom?does it matter?*cringes* Now I have that cool art image and a cool PB in my character page 8D SO I LIED (I know your will forgive me!! :o It's her end I'm not sued what to do first. Woo-hoo. We had game. Also (( Quote from: Keith on 08-10-2010, 03:15:00 :o It's her end I'm not sued what to do first. Start from the beginning; and when you get to the end. Stop. Quote from: Hainan on 08-10-2010, 03:16:18Whoo-hoo. We had game. Also (laughs at your four winds! Actually when I get to the end I like to do it again. Quote from: Hainan on 08-10-2010, 03:16:18Whoo-hoo. We had game. Also (( do I think this is what Kealey's character looks like under all that armor >. Quote from: Keith on 08-10-2010, 03:15:00 :o It's her end I'm not sued what to do first. Have you not played Rome: Total War? It's pretty straightforward. You go off and attack the Gauls, and we'll see you in 400 turns. Though the slave girls might be a bit tired out by then. Quote from: Hainan on 08-10-2010, 03:21:23Though the slave girls might be a bit tired out by then. It's a good thing we have slave women 400 turns may still be a much for them. :P Quote from: Hainan on 08-10-2010, 03:21:23Have you are not played Rome: Total War? It's pretty straightforward. You go off and attack the Gauls, and we'll see you in 400 turns. Though the slave girls might be a bit tired out by then. Especially if that fat barbarian who just may be my Celt's brother gets his ham like hands on them! That belly is a fuel area for the sex machine of Hibernia! Seriously I could totally make him my carries brother for the shits and giggles of it all. ’D LOL, you guys crease me up! Seriously, you could have so much fun using him as an RP character. Okay, last one for tonight. I'm bored with Google images giving me 2000 pictures of Schwarzenegger as Conan ::)Art: (( people just... shouldn't. Oh, good God. Please don't tell me the fat dude is in the RP >.Oh, and:Rule one: HAVE FUN Rule Two: I work, so please limit your post to two a day so no one gets left behind *Points at self***Rule Three: Did I say HAVE FUN!!! Quote from: Hainan link=topic=84591.msg3741571#msg3741571 date=1286501266Cosplay:[URL= people just... shouldn't. They guy on the left looks like my ex O.o look at his little smiley face X3 Is everything going in the one thread? It could get awful confusing. All of you with your posting! Made me lose the IC Thread OMG.*goes digging in Flavor's kilt* Quote from: Lady Reign on 08-10-2010, 03:41:56All of you with your posting! Made me lose the IC Thread OMG.*goes digging in Flavor's kilt*First page, first post.... I'm going to tag that for Delete after I get back from hanging out with some friends. Unless the mistress of the house posts; then Delete is in the kitchen getting things ready. I want to see what the Dominos is doing first before I post. Great more time to party 8D Enjoy it while you can >:) So we've established that Pan is Obvious' personal slave, yes? I'll have Aura as the youngest at the bottom of the social pile then, doing some general chores for now. I would assume the men of the house would each have a male slave and the women a female... for bathing, dressing and such. It would make sense for Delete to be Amara's attending slave. I agree. Definitely. I don't mind Aura being a general dogsbody, it means she can scoot about more and do variousmenthings. Added my poor little slave BOI to the character thing...so, guess someone can claim him as their personal slave if they wish. Will make it easier to start off with him and not feel a bit lost...slaves need to be told what to do to start off! ’D I'm just working on Antonius' post before I craft my slave up. Mmm Antonius >_> Quote from: Lady Reign on 08-10-2010, 04:45:45Mmm Antonius Sgt;_Sgt;*grins* That's a definite plus to get him up and running then. Quote from: Flavor on 08-10-2010, 04:44:52I'm just working on Antonius' post before I craft my slave up. Making a second character? Is he going to be as cute as Antonius? Lol Quote from: Angry on 08-10-2010, 04:51:06Making a second character? Is he going to be as cute as Antonius? lol Yeah, figured we needed another slave boy around. Hopefully he'll be a looker as well. Have a few options for a picture on my computer waiting until the post is done. SEXY SEXY SEXY MAN!!!!! (would so rape him if he was a character in this RP >.> Mmm... My word. So yummy. In fact the sixth picture down, if you crop it, so the jeans are cut away (ERM, ahem) that would make a good period pic since the wall behind looks like crude bricks or wattle and daub type stuff. I mean, modern hair and tattoos aside a nude is a nude so could be used for most period RP's. Quote from: Angry on 08-10-2010, 04:58:19SEXY SEXY MAN!!!!! (would so rape him if he was a character in this RP Sgt;.Sgt;this would be the one time Pan would try and fight her ;DFFFFFFFFFFFFFDFalanor stop having such sexy mesquite from: Flavor on 08-10-2010, 06:19:26And a slave is born. (#new) :D Enjoy! I refer you to my modified post]Quote from: Poison on 08-10-2010, 06:23:02I refer you to my modified post]Lt;Wait...you want the fat dude in the loin cloth? >:) Quote from: Flavor on 08-10-2010, 06:26:44Wait...you want the fat dude in the loin cloth? Sgt;:)NOOOoooo of course not D8But Delete can only take so many men at once >3 Quote from: Hainan on 08-10-2010, 05:12:46Mmm... My word. So yummy. In fact the sixth picture down, if you crop it, so the jeans are cut away (ERM, ahem) that would make a good period pic since the wall behind looks like crude bricks or wattle and daub type stuff. I mean, modern hair and tattoos aside a nude is a nude so could be used for most period RP's.(Quote from: Poison on 08-10-2010, 06:31:54of course not D8 But Delete can only take so many men at once Sgt;3I'm sure she wouldn't mind another... Quote from: Angry on 08-10-2010, 04:58:19SEXY SEXY MAN!!!!! (would so rape him if he was a character in this RP Sgt;.Sgt;Looks like you are going to need to rape someone now *whistles innocently* Quote from: Angry on 08-10-2010, 06:34:00(yes. I'll be in my office. oh, man I'm loving reading everyone's posts Also; does the house of Celsius take part in The Saturnalia? Which happens around December, which was pretty much role reversal in that: "Masters served meals to their slaves who were permitted the unaccustomed luxury of leisure. Slaves were even allowed to gamble" I would doubt it, but that's up to the GM and/or Dominos. Could make a fun side thread, which may or may not be part of our stories "canon" for lack of a better way of describing it. Are those the correct terms? Dominos and Domino? Latin for Master and Mistress I take it? What are the terms for Young Master or Son Master and Young Mistress/Daughter Mistress? Keith, I hadn't specified where Aura is, I merely left my post open-ended but along the lines of 'doing more work' so I doubt she would be on the balcony since there is no task for her there - the Young Mistress has Pan with her and someone needs to prepare breakfast unless we're assuming a couple more NPC slaves are around. I was therefore assuming Aura is in or about thecuriaculina somewhere, or taking dishes to the trillium in preparation for breakfast.EDIT: DOH! A curia is like a courthouse I think, or a magistrates' office. I meant kitchen. It definitely would be interesting to see how everyone acted; Delete would probably take advantage of it XD;;and I looked it up on a translator; it says for young master: tenner Vince and tenner era for young mistress; though when I typed in just master and mistress the Domino/Dominos came up too; so maybe it's just a matter of putting tenner in front of it? Quote from: Prim arch on 08-10-2010, 15:24:58Could make a fun side thread, which may or may not be part of our stories "canon" for lack of a better way of describing it. Once the role play is a good 5–6 pages in I'll see about doing it. It seems like it would be a great sub story! Although it would be a short one lasting only one night. Ah, sorry, I misunderstood what you wrote then. I'll change it. Thanks, Keith. He's family so he can tell her where to go, so in that respect I have little problem with family members god-moving Aura about the place quite heavily almost NPC style, and in fact unless it contradicts with what someone else is doing to/with her at the time, this post is my blanket permission to take Aura to any location or scene you want her (family members only). It was just that I saw no logical reason for her to be in that particular place then because anything Obvious needs, Pan would supply. Hmm, well 'films' and 'cilia' are son and daughter with 'prime' and 'seconds' for first and second, so I might try Films Dominos Primaries, Films Dominos Seconds and Cilia Domino... though, yeah, a bit of a mouthful. -[As this is the dubbed version anyway I may just have Aura speak English. Ooh, that so? I may have him drag Area off to the baths after he greets his Sister then. ’D Sure. I'll just get her chores finished then. Aura hasn't started on putting together any of the things for breakfast right? Other than for starting up the ovens? I just wanted to make sure before I started up for Delete and then realized "oh shit" missed something whoops never mind Haha, how weird. I just posted and then thought, "Oh, Delete would be doing all this, or at least be in charge and Aura would be assisting," and I was just this minute going to post here and say to you, feel free to do a Delete post about breakfast, and then I'll edit my one so that Aura mentions Delete and I can make it obvious the Namibian isn't alone. XD and just as I edit my previous post too Will do I'll probably have her like; making some of the dough while Aura went and finished up with the water; and have her cutting up the fruit and setting it out for Aura to put on the platters and prepare. Okay, why don't you write as you like taking my post into account, and then I'll go back and edit mine to dovetail with yours. You could even have Delete scold Aura for daydreaming while she has her head stuck out the door clocking Cassius' ass, and I'll insert a response. Poor Cassius, he's just a piece of meat to Area. *sniffle*Although the same could be said the other way around potentially, so. _> ;D I posted >_> She told Aura to tell Delete to make her a warm milk bath *Aura volunteers to be hooked up to the pumps in the cowshed* Quote from: Keith on 08-10-2010, 17:00:54That's a lot of milk. OIT only seems fitting since that's a lot of woman ;D Quote from: Hainan on 08-10-2010, 17:02:11God, my mind is in the gutter! I read that as "warm cum bath" Jeez... :-[:-\Round up the Gladiators!!! Yes Mistress *runs off to siphon off a bath-full of cum orally* Quote from: Hainan on 08-10-2010, 17:09:36Yes Mistress *runs off to siphon off a bath-full of cum orally*That's alright dear; I'll do this for you. >3Or with you~ you know ;Which ever works *beats them both to the punch, passing them both by. Nobility be damned!* *tries to do the math on the size of the bath versus the number of Gladiators...* Oh dear... oh god ;_;I hit the backspace and I lost half of my post... and it was a good chunk ;_;*sobs in a corner to grow some emo mushrooms* Use Firefox and Lazarus my love! You didn't try to do the CTRL+Z method? It's a lifesaver. Also, hey Flavor ^^ Sorry I disappeared on you last night. T_T I do use Firefox But for some reason that feature doesn't seem to want to work on this site for me ;_; Quote from: Poison on 08-10-2010, 17:19:45oh god ;_; I hit the backspace and I lost half of my post... and it was a good chunk ;_; *sobs in a corner to grow some emo mushrooms*Ctrl-Z Undo function! Well when I backspaced it changed the page; I wish I would have just deleted everything XD;;; Ahhh, yes...terrible backspace... Well, revisions aren't always a bad thing... That's what I don't like about this site. My old RP site, when you did that, the post was still there luckily! We used a different system though, not SMF. Yeah, it's one of the reasons I work in word first. That and the hints where my creative side and my logical side don't meet well and grammar goes out the window... Yes like your "harpies" which should have been "harpy's". Possessive, not plural Not to worry about the vanishing, I got quiet as well with the mad dash of posting I got done, Lady R. Ooh! Lady that reminds me; did you see my message I sent you? Poison, I use Firefox and Lazarus on E. There is a new beta of Lazarus around that they linked me to when my older copy of Lazarus stopped working when Firefox was updated once. What happens when you try to use it on Illiquid? Do you get lock-ups? I still Message, message... I'll go check. >_> Lazarus? Quote from: Hainan on 08-10-2010, 17:49:45Poisin, I use Firefox and Lazarus on E. There is a new beta of Lazarus around that they linked me to when my older copy of Lazarus stopped working when Firefox was updated once. What happens when you try to use it on Illiquid? Do you get lock-ups? I don't know what half of that sentence is >_>but I've just decided I'll hit preview when ever I type in a new paragraph; because that seems to save what ever I wrote if I hit the backspace, and it sends me to a different page on accident. Lazarus is an add-on for Firefox, prevents posts from biting the big one due to timing out, backspacing, etc. *Hands in the air for victory*POSTED 8D Hmm much reading to do! Then posts! Also the internet is out at my house, so my posting will be sporadic until about Tuesday or Wednesday please bear with me ;D Remember not to get too far ahead of our GM. ;) It's awkward not being in games that I don't GM, Co-GM, or aren't run by Dark Deception. >_> I know X3Two posts a day, but this was just my intro post for Delete So I was excited to get it up after the hassle I had to go through to write it -_--kicks the site, and it's silliness-is THE best add-on ever created for a browser. It has saved me so much anguish! I'm sure without it, I'd have a head of gray hairs by now. There's a version now for Google Chrome as well. Chrome! Quote from: Hainan on 08-10-2010, 18:58:20Payment please. On your knees. Mouth. I don't use Firefox for posting, sadly my mouth will stay where it is. um... -gets onto knees and looks up at-Now what? 83 *lifts skirt, gets a fistful of Poison's hair and drags her head under, pressing tight**drops skirt, smiles and continues chatting with the others* It brings a tear to my eye. D8*squeals*Oh god it's warm and dark, and I think I hear people laughing at me ;_;*nuzzles anyway* O_O ... *is speechless again* *sits back and enjoys* *covers Flavor's eyes* You're too innocent for this! I'm jealous, but I can do that to Area later, so. *sits back and sips at caffeinated beverages* >////*can't stop giggling but whatever* Quote from: Lady Reign on 08-10-2010, 19:15:17*covers Flavor's eyes* You're too innocent for this! Oh, yes... I forgot that.*peeks over her hands* Oh, oh Mettle.... I heads a rumor. Quote from: Prim arch on 08-10-2010, 19:27:23Oh oh Mettle.... I heads a rumor. Lt;.Lt;IOC Mel: Are you sure you heard a rumor?-crosses arms-Cause if you're just making something I'll find out. >[Mm gossip. I must know this rumor! I definitely heard a rumor. Quote from: Keith on 08-10-2010, 19:30:52 Does it involves an oil fight between two bicurious supermodels? Well if it's that then I've already heard it.-goes back to her business--smirks-After all we need to make sure it's WORTH hearing before handing out rewards willy-nilly like. Well.... I heard that.... Anderson Cooper recently revealed that he was offended by the trailer for Vince Vaughn's new comedy. Oh yes, it's true. Seriously? I know, shocking and scandalizing rumor. Something to do with the way they use the term "gay" or something, negative connotations and all that, pfft; that's not a rumor~! It's totally a rumor! I found it on the latest celeb hot goes website! Tell you what. Get me something juicier~ and I may reward you later!>_>for now I'm going to go take a nap before work I know where to find something juicer. >_> I wonder if it's 2 posts per person or two posts per character? Well I would say per character because that is how I run my game, but that's only a guess. I have no clue otherwise. Quote from: Angry on 08-10-2010, 21:06:33LOL I know.... Just wishing I was off so I could pull together a lovely post for you all. Likewise, I'm itching to get both my boys going. ’D ... into Amara's skirt >_> I mean, no! I would never let her betray her adorable husband. Quote from: Lady Reign on 08-10-2010, 21:23:01... into Amara's skirt Sgt;_Sgt; I mean, no! I would never let her betray her adorable husband. Lt;_Lt;! Err...uh... Right, Domino. ’D Is my character the only virgin in the game right now? I think so >_> *hides the slaves beneath her skirt* Quote from: Lady Reign on 08-10-2010, 21:23:01... into Amara's skirt Sgt;_Sgt; I mean, no! I would never let her betray her adorable husband. Lt;_Lt;! If you change your mind, my door is always open...and if not you can get the key quite easily. ’D Quote from: Angry on 08-10-2010, 22:18:02Is my character the only virgin in the game right now?Thanks to Pans hard work X3Quote from: Lady Reign on 08-10-2010, 19:49:30I know where to find something juicer. Sgt;_Sgt;Hey baby ;See you in your room ;D You have to be quiet, or I have to go get Mr. Reign's permission first Hey it might be easier to get his permission if we were loud! *bursts with laughter because she knows its most likely true* Shoot I win X3 Quote from: Poison on 08-10-2010, 23:11:50Thank's to Pans hard work X3I wounder how she will feel when my character looses it color better yet who she will lose it to and what her mother and father will think >._> Her eyes will be so red from crying AAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL night! And Delete will be cranky from having to listen to it.BRB lovely ladies~ off to work X3 Quote from: Lady Reign on 08-10-2010, 23:35:10 Depends on the person Sgt;_Sgt;95% Slave or Glad. 5% brother or Father... Yeah, there's a good chance she's going to be upset XD Hopefully my Celt will be there to make her feel better. 8D Quote from: Lady Reign on 08-10-2010, 23:35:10 Depends on the person Sgt;_Sgt;(:-* :-* OH DEAR GOD NOT HIM AGAIN. I will DISOWN her. Quote from: Hainan on 08-10-2010, 23:49:14(:-* :-*50 lashes for even thinking that.... I double it to 100. Jeez...there went my lunch... Quote from: Flavor on 09-10-2010, 00:01:51Jeeze...there went my lunch...HAHA know what your Glad. Can take it and make mother angry lol Gasp! What treachery! Your married so :p I'm Roman >_> As am I :) Hot oil wrestling match, winner takes Gladiator? TDI love what I've come back complete: -sneaks off with him while no one is looking-Quote from: Angry on 08-10-2010, 23:43:3895% Slave or Glad. 5% brother or Father...5% ;D Quote from: Lady Reign on 09-10-2010, 00:13:19Hot oil wrestling match WITH Gladiator? Fixed! You're all impossible >_> No, I think that's quite possible... ;D Quote from: Lady Reign on 09-10-2010, 00:13:19Hot oil wrestling match, winner takes Gladiator? Bring it. :p The Slaves should be allowed in on this... If only to help hose off the defeated... And help with their diminished egos. LMAO. Wow, this RP is going to get interesting. One can only hope If the family is going to have a chit-chat they could come do it over break maybe? Don't worry Hainan, the young master Cassius needs his morning bath, and he'll take the Nubian with him if he can 'stumble' onto her. ’D Poor Aura~ so overworked ::) I know. She's working such sweat... :P Someone's got to give the other slaves something to keep them occupied. *nods* OFF WORK UNTIL THE 17TH!!!!! Staring Nov 16 I am not off of work for 8 years >_> IOC Pan: -hides behind her mistress→8ooc Male: -winks at-YAY FOR ANGRY 8DOH NOES FOR LADY D8 ... as if millions of voices suddenly cried out, and suddenly vanished. Quote from: Prim arch on 09-10-2010, 01:38:38Someone's got to give the other slaves something to keep them occupied. *nods*I notice all the boy slaves are hiding in their beds! Quote from: Hainan on 09-10-2010, 02:02:04I notice all the boy slaves are hiding in their beds! Atra and Male might have to go and wake them up ;D Quote from: Hainan on 09-10-2010, 02:02:04I notice all the boy slaves are hiding in their beds!_> Quote from: Lady Reign on 09-10-2010, 02:08:45I am pretty sure with my vast knowledge of words that arouse is not the right word. Sgt;_Sgt;You send Logitech after Led and yeah, it's the right word. ’D Well, after they've roused them they can arouse them, what's one tiny letter between real men? *brings out some popcorn and snuggles up to Hainan to watch* *taps tribal staff on the ground*Arise chicken, arise....err... Arise slave, arise!*hopes someone got the reference* *just kind of stares at Chain* Arise cheeked, arise! Pfft; weirdos Meat wad gets the ponies see? XDMeatwad makes the money G. Drivin' in my car, livin' like a star. We are Aqua team Hunger Force! 8DPrefer Metalocalypse myself though. Both are good. O.o Quote from: Prim arch on 09-10-2010, 03:30:30Prefer Metalocalypse myself though.*clings and administers lover to* OKAY EVERYONE!!! UPDATE TIME!!!! Links to all the role-play's topics can be found on the first post on the first page of all topics.Also, I took the time to make a Role-play SIG Tag for all of you that want it!!! I can't get that thing to work for the life of me. Quote from: Flavor on 09-10-2010, 03:55:59I can't get that thing to work for the life of me. I just fixed it.....forgot that I had to host the image in WIKI Ahhh, yeah...the wiki. ’D I have no idea where my post is linking to my Photobucket account but if you find it Angry, would you please put that in post #1 so at least I can find it again. Thanks. You could just repost your photobucket album link >_>; The link can be found on the first post of the characters thread hon ^.^ under People, Places and Things.... I think that's what I titled it. OMG! So it is! I didn't even notice that was a link due to the different font. Thanks. Sorry >.YAY got my post up!! Yaaaaaay 8 Dposts X3 Got one for Ludolph and Antonius up. Stealing grapes Ludolph really? All you had to do was ask nicely, and you know... give Delete a hug Mainly because I can't get over how awesome the ref pic is of him>_>:) Quote from: Flavor on 09-10-2010, 08:04:40He is a handsome Germanic devil, isn't he? Sgt;:)Very much so...*Husband is German so >.>* Quote from: Angry on 09-10-2010, 08:16:10Very much so...*Husband is German so Sgt;.Sgt;*Small world. *is German as well* Quote from: Angry on 09-10-2010, 08:16:10Very much so...seconded X3 Okay Just want to give everyone a heads-up. I will not be on tomorrow because I'm flying home for a week. So with trying to get to San Diego, fighting to get threw the airport, plain rides, two hour layovers...plus a one and a half year old little girl. Yea, I might look in from Time to Time using my cell phone but besides that you will not see me. HOWEVER, I will be on AIM all day thanks to my phone so feel free to add me and chit-chat. I will be looking for something to do between flights so it would so help kill the free time. Quote from: Angry on 09-10-2010, 23:41:28Okay Just want to give everyone a heads-up. I will not be on tomorrow because I'm flying home for a week. So with trying to get to San Diego, fighting to get threw the airport, plain rides, two hour layovers...plus a one and a half year old little girl. Yea, I might look in from Time to Time using my cell phone but besides that you will not see me. HOWEVER, I will be on AIM all day thanks to my phone so feel free to add me and chit-chat. I will be looking for something to do between flights so it would so help kill the free time. Do you want us to continue to move the RP along, or put it on hold? I will only be gone for one day so keep it going hon ^.^ I will post later on tonight and move my character out of play (most likely to her bedroom) until Monday. Quote from: Angry on 09-10-2010, 23:54:16I will only be gone for one day so keep it going hon ^.^ I will post later on tonight and move my character out of play (most likely to her bedroom) until Monday.*thinks about moving Antonius into her bedroom* Quote from: Flavor on 09-10-2010, 23:55:23*thinks about moving Antonius into her bedroom’D: Quote Running her hands down her Chilton, Amaranth looked about for Delete. Where was that girl now and why was she not at her Domino's side to await her demands? Let's just say Delete is there preparing her bath? I need to wait for Aura's post telling her that Amara wanted the milk bath And no need to move Antonius there~ send him to the kitchen I bet he's starving *insert evil smile* Quote from: Poison on 10-10-2010, 00:37:51Let's just say Delete is there preparing her bath? I need to wait for Aura's post telling her that Amara wanted the milk bath Do what you need to do girlie. Furthermore, I can always adapt my next post to fit. No worries at all funny. Ok cool X3Cause you know~ when you've got a mistress with a body like that! Melete would have to be CRAZY to ever miss any chance/opportunity to help her bathe >3 Quote He extended his left hand, moving it to her leg, and letting it travel upwards on her thigh underneath her clothing, he held it there for a moment before removing it. X DI hope you plan on losing a slave at an early age; because you're going to give Pan a heart attack! LOL Marcus is just testing the strength of his slave. >_> Or something ... But I love how both wife and husband are drooling after slaves and not each other. Quote from: Poison on 10-10-2010, 20:33:33X D I hope you plan on losing a slave at an early age; because you're going to give Pan a heart attack! I'm sure she'll just need a bit of mouth tosomethingmouth resuscitation, and she'll be fine... Quote from: Flavor on 10-10-2010, 20:42:21I'm sure she'll just need a bit of mouth to something mouth resuscitation, and she'll be fine... Naughty. Quote from: Lady Reign on 10-10-2010, 20:45:22Naughty. Would you want me any other way? >:) Do you come well done with extra tomato, perhaps? :o Quote from: Lady Reign on 10-10-2010, 20:50:45Do you come well done with extra tomato, perhaps? Oi could, if that is the Domino's request... *grin* Law; You guys crack me up Quote from: Flavor on 10-10-2010, 20:51:28I could, if that is the Domino's request... *grin*I do like to "Have it my way". The commercial promised me. I'm pretty sure Burger King isn't Roman though D; Quote from: Lady Reign on 10-10-2010, 21:17:14I do like to "Have it my way". The commercial promised me. Then have it your way you shall... Sorry everyone, I haven't posted for a couple of days. I've been quite busy with a few things and unfortunately the games I'm Going take priority if I get any free time. And two of those are stalling because I can't devote the time to them :(I don't know when I'll post here. Sorry. It may be best if we park Aura aside for now, and we don't do any scenes with her and I pick her up later on. Quote from: Hainan on 10-10-2010, 22:53:49It may be best if we park Aura aside for now, and we don't do any scenes with her and I pick her up later on.-pets and loves on thoroughly-Quote from: Hainan on 10-10-2010, 22:53:49Sorry everyone, I haven't posted for a couple of days. I've been quite busy with a few things and unfortunately the games I'm Going take priority if I get any free time. And two of those are stalling because I can't devote the time to them :(I don't know when I'll post here. Sorry. It may be best if we park Aura aside for now, and we don't do any scenes with her and I pick her up later on. Don't worry, she will be flogged accordingly! Player:bdgbName:Garamond - A name which no one has thought to ask him. With the language barrier betwixt himself and nearly everyone else, he is referred to buy his “Nickname” and has grown to answer to his “Nickname” Nickname:Dane Age:Nineteen Race:Danish, possibly Germanic? Gender:Male Height:6’5”Weight:238 lbs Hair Color:Blonde Eye Color:Blue Weapons:Trident, Spear, Ladies and Shield Clothing:Loin cloth, sandals Items:None, save what is given him. Job:Gladiator Virgin:No Sexuality:HeteroCup/Dick Size:8.5 inches Personality:Quiet. Recognizes he’s young and living among wolves. Always watching. Always listening. Always trying to learn in order to increase his survivability. Favorite Food:Stew Favorite Drink:Mead Likes:Running. Fighting. Whoring. Women that dance. Dislikes:Bragging, intolerance, weakness. Background:Garamond was a young danish raider that had been rampaging along the coasts of southern Europe since he was fourteen. He grew quickly, and his size was sought out by a number of warlords so he could man an oar on their ship as well as swing a sword in their shield line. Despite starting out young, Garamond learned quickly that by keeping his mouth shut, and his eyes open, there were plenty of opportunities to learn. Garamond eventually grew into his limbs and size and became a valuable member of his raiding party. It was during his seventeenth year when leading a raiding party back to their boat in order to report to his warlord about what could be salvaged from the still-burning village that they were ambushed by a significant number of roman soldiers. The Romans were patrolling far outside their lands of control, but the Romans also felt that they controlled whatever land they stepped foot on. Faramund had laid waste to a number of roman soldiers while trying to fight his way back to the boat but in the end, the numbers were overwhelming and Garamond was captured. It took a year of being traded off from one merchant to another...to another but in the end, he ended up being sold to the gladiatorial school that he is currently part of. You wouldn't happen to have a picture of Garamond would you? Quote from: Poison on 11-10-2010, 00:42:38You wouldn't happen to have a picture of Garamond would you? Lemme see what I can find. Unless you have one that you'd like to use. ’D I have one... *giggles* Quote from: Hainan on 11-10-2010, 00:47:57I have one... *giggles*If it's the one in your avatar...perfect. There's nothing that says, "Ferocious" like pink stockings and garters. I don't have any no >///w///Although....-looks at Hainan with a smile-What do you have ;3 Quote from: BDB on 11-10-2010, 00:50:17If it's the one in your avatar...perfect. There's nothing that says, "Ferocious" like pink stockings and garters. I couldn't agree more. Hainan is terribly intimidating with that avatar of hers! Quote from: Lady Reign on 11-10-2010, 00:51:22I couldn't agree more. Hainan is terribly intimidating with that avatar of hers! I'd be willing to take one for the team if it meant all the ladies also wear stockings and garters. I'm a real renaissance man like that... Poison, m'dear. You tease me horribly with Delete being in a warm milk bath bathing Amara. That scene... It's so... yum. Quote from: Poison on 11-10-2010, 00:50:31I don't have any no Sgt;///w///Lt;Although.... -looks at Hainan with a smile-What do you have ;3(Everyone knows the pic I have... but you don't want to see it BDB, I'm not sure your heart is strong enough to withstand the shock. My avatar? Intimidating? Really, you are all such silly things. It's a girls cute bum in French knickers with stockings and a corset. What could be intimidating about that? Quote from: Hainan on 11-10-2010, 01:00:17Everyone knows the pic I have... but you don't want to see it BDB, I'm not sure your heart is strong enough to withstand the shock. My avatar? Intimidating? Really, you are all such silly things. It's a girls cute bum in French knickers with stockings and a corset. What could be intimidating about that? Well I know I'd certainly surrender before it, no point fighting that. 3 Quote from: Prim arch on 11-10-2010, 01:02:26Well I know I'd certainly surrender before it, no point fighting that. 3/signed fifth god... Can't... stop... laughing The years have been hard on poor Garamond if that's what he looks like at 19Quote from: Lady Reign on 11-10-2010, 00:54:56Poisin, m'dear. You tease me horribly with Delete being in a warm milk bath bathing Amara. That scene... It's so... yum. I aim to please ;3p.s >[I dislike these smiley faces ;_; Quote from: Prim arch on 11-10-2010, 01:02:26Well I know I'd certainly surrender before it, no point fighting that. 3See...to me, it looks like its begging for a good paddling... ;D Oh? Canoeing? Sounds rather jolly. Quote from: Prim arch on 11-10-2010, 01:02:26Well I know I'd certainly surrender before it, no point fighting that. 3While you surrender in front, I am going to get my toys and surrender to her from behind. Quote from: Hainan on 11-10-2010, 01:08:07Oh? Canoeing? Sounds rather jolly. Yes...jolly...(Humph, well, your canoe won't get very far WTH that silly little thing! I *love* being DP'd - boys or girls. Never done it IRL, but one of my fantasies is to have a girl (or guy) kneel in front licking while another tongues my bottom. And I mean right in there. I honestly can't think of anything more likely to get me screaming the place down. Quote from: Hainan on 11-10-2010, 01:10:50Humph, well, your canoe won't get very far WTH that silly little thing! I *love* being DP'd - boys or girls. Never done it IRL, but one of my fantasies is to have a girl (or guy) kneel in front licking while another tongues my bottom. And I mean right in there. I honestly can't think of anything more likely to get me screaming the place down. Added to the "To-Do List" I could weep. I do love screamers! Flavor that image made sit just a little straighter in my chair >_>;; Anyway, so... Danes eh? Here's a few: (( (( too many pies maybe...) (( I don't know about you guys; but I'd snuggle the last one all night long X3 I don't know. I'm not one for dogs. >_> You aren't a dog person? Awe~ But look at him! In his wee little hat X3I've also just realized there's nothing else I can really say that couldn't be taken in an awful way So I'm going to stop because I don't love dogsTHATmuch (( (one I like because it shows some personality) (the right - a face always helps)I could go on... there are loads of reenactor pics out there. Trouble is the Romans never got that far north. After Virus' legions were destroyed in the Thunberg Forest the Romans drew the northern line of their empire along the Rhine and so Germans, Gauls and Britons were the only tribes they subdued and most 'Dane' and 'Viking' artwork or reenactor pictures are from the dark ages with chain mail and such which looks too modern. Quote from: Prim arch on 11-10-2010, 01:02:26Well I know I'd certainly surrender before it, no point fighting that. 3I would be doing something...but it probably wouldn't be surrendering he-he #/d151foc (#/d151foc)#/d23a6so (#/d23a6so)#/d111bnn (#/d111bnn)#/d1e3lux (#/d1e3lux)#/d12yngb (#/d12yngb)#/d2heb5u (#/d2heb5u)#/d28r187 (#/d28r187)>_> Quote#/d12yngb (#/d12yngb)he he he. I am amused. Lady Reign... I was looking at Karin from Sega's "Viking" game, but he just seemed a little too "larger than life". He was about as close as I got to a selection though as everything else was either too "Thor, God of Thunder" or ...well..."strange and creepy." I like that Sega viking X3 Quote from: Prim arch on 11-10-2010, 01:46:18heh heh, heh. I am amused.Oh, snap. That was from my personal FAP collection....kidding. Everyone seems to go for these huge man-mountain images.#/d28r187 (#/d28r187)That to me is an interesting character. He looks intelligent, he looks wise and he looks cunning. He looks fast as well. I think he'd be like the Germanic equivalent of a ninja. Enough of the seven-foot tall thugs, let's have some sneaky small guys! I like it because it looks like he is trying to see through a woman's clothing. That is an awful hard stare, don'tTCA think? Quote from: Lady Reign on 11-10-2010, 02:08:31I like it because it looks like he is trying to see through a woman's clothing. That is an awful hard stare, don'tTCA think? I stared at a woman that hard last week...she was a college lecturer who was going on and on and on and on. I hoped that if I thought hard enough at her, she'd give us a break...and she did! So I of course spent the rest of the day jesting about my massive telepathic abilities and great power comes great responsibility and all that. Good times. But yes, he seems like a good'n. Quote from: Prim arch on 11-10-2010, 02:10:57I stared at a woman that hard last week...she was a college lecturer who was going on and on and on and on. I hoped that if I thought hard enough at her, she'd give us a break...and she did! So I of course spent the rest of the day jesting about my massive telepathic abilities and great power comes great responsibility and all that. LOL. Quote from: Lady Reign on 11-10-2010, 02:08:31I like it because it looks like he is trying to see through a woman's clothing. That is an awful hard stare, don'tTCA think?>[I keep staring and staring but still no tits. Quote from: Poison on 11-10-2010, 02:19:16>[I keep staring and staring but still no tits. Try using a mirror. ;) Quote from: Lady Reign on 11-10-2010, 02:19:45Try using a mirror. ;)I would; but I think they might frown on doing that at work Nah, they would just stare. Like I would. I am not allowed to touch, but I would definitely look There should be a sequel, "The Men Who Stares at Tits". Actually I am sure that is some sort of porn. I love that movie Quote from: Prim arch on 11-10-2010, 02:10:57I stared at a woman that hard last week...she was a college lecturer who was going on and on and on and on. I hoped that if I thought hard enough at her, she'd give us a break...and she did! So I of course spent the rest of the day jesting about my massive telepathic abilities and great power comes great responsibility and all that. Good times. But yes, he seems like a good'n. Next time send her psychic waves that she needs to strip off. Quote from: Lady Reign on 11-10-2010, 02:30:50What was that movie title? "The Men Who Stare at Goats"? There should be a sequel, "The Men Who Stares at Tits". Actually I am sure that is some sort of porn. Oh Gawd, don't. The number of conversations I've had with men who talk to my chest. Give me a break I apologise for being slow with Lucius, some things going on this weekend. I need a hand for when I post as Lucius though, and I've been having a hard time following it. From what I can tell some Gladiators are talking, but I'm not sure if they are new, or if they are loud enough to be heard by him while he watches the (not new) Gladiators train. Please excuse my ineptitude, but my timetable is short just now, and Lucius wouldn't let them get too mouthy without comment, so. :-\ Quote from: Hainan on 11-10-2010, 02:49:10Oh Gawd, don't. The number of conversations I've had with men who talk to my chest. Give me a break know the feeling all too well. I almost at one point stopped wearing low cut shirts and push-up bras. It's annoying when you don't want to be noticed. -flops on top of Lady-=w= *squishes Poison between her boobs* Oh my god they ate another person again! Someone get her out! Quick! Quote from: Keith on 11-10-2010, 02:50:06I apologise for being slow with Lucius, some things going on this weekend. I need a hand for when I post as Lucius though, and I've been having a hard time following it. From what I can tell some Gladiators are talking, but I'm not sure if they are new, or if they are loud enough to be heard by him while he watches the (not new) Gladiators train. Please excuse my ineptitude, but my timetable is short just now, and Lucius wouldn't let them get too mouthy without comment, so. :-\The way it's looking is that the ones talking aren't new. They are just going on about how wussy Roman's are. ;) I think the only two new gladiators are standing there waiting to get theusualrundown on how shit works under Lucius' command. I know Antonius is. ’D Um....question...are there spears in the training yard by any chance?..near perhaps where the slaves are standing? Gladiators do use spears, so yes, there would probably be training staves. Not sure where they would be. Thanks for the help Fall'. -clings to a breast and whines-But I don't want to leave D; Voodoo...nice.... Quote from: Keith on 11-10-2010, 03:34:49 Gladiators do use spears, so yes, there would probably be training staves. Not sure where they would be. Thanks for the help Fall'. I like that point there. My understanding is there are no real metal weapons in the school but all the gladiators use wooden weapons for training. Am I correct? That is correct Hainan, but as anyone who's played baseball can attend wood can be just as deadly if abused. It merely limits chance and frequency of injury. Quote from: Keith on 11-10-2010, 03:34:49 Thanks for the help Fall'. No prob! Quote from: Keith on 11-10-2010, 03:57:31That is correct Hainan, but as anyone who's played baseball can attend wood can be just as deadly if abused. It merely limits chance and frequency of injury. Yeah, you can sure bash a skull in with a bat. So snap a spear nicely and you can run someone through with it. How long are the slave chains, and where are they attached? Quote from: Bobby on 11-10-2010, 04:54:30how long are the slave chains, and where are they attached? I think that one would be up to you. Though I imagine if the people transporting her had any idea how much of a risk she was; they'd keep her chained up tight. Lol.true.BUT.admit... I have a brilliant idea! *Goes with it anyway because her idea RANKS...plus she got the go ahead* Dwell awesome ideas ARE awesome Made me chuckle a bit to myself...wish I could find a video of it online lol Quote from: Bobby on 11-10-2010, 04:54:30how long are the slave chains, and where are they attached? Why does Antonius get the feeling he's about to gets hived/thanked? NO NOT ANTONIUS D8-protects him with the bodies of others-Quote from: Flavor on 11-10-2010, 05:20:52Why does Antonius get the feeling he's about to gets hived/thanked? Just be careful about what you get thanked with ;) Quote from: Poison on 11-10-2010, 05:23:28NO NOT ANTONIUS D8 -protects him with the bodies of others-Ash... I feel thelustlove... Quote from: Kealey Mensa Chain on 11-10-2010, 05:25:36Just be careful about what you get thanked with ;)Err...well...she keeps asking about spears...so I'm praying that. ’D Although if he got injured.... then one of the slave girls would have to tend to his wounds >3and since I'm RP'ING 2 of the 3hmmmm~*evil plotting* She keeps talking about chains too... Quote from: Poison on 11-10-2010, 05:29:44Although if he got injured.... then one of the slave girls would have to tend to his wounds Sgt;3and since I'm RP'ING 2 of the 3hmmmm~ *evil plotting*Savanna now I'm feeling the shank is going to happen... ;D Quote from: Flavor on 11-10-2010, 05:26:55Awh... I feel the lust love... Err...well...she keeps asking about spears...so I'm praying that. Dwell...it is ancient Rome...so, often times it wasn't a spear. Besides, think about all the slivers you would get...not even counting if she got one with a spear tip on it. I think you would be better off with the 'fleshy' equivalent. I mean...do you really want to be known as the Roman who was killed by being anally raped with a spear by a woman & then got an infection in his ass? haha, Quote from: Kealey Mensa Chain on 11-10-2010, 05:31:07Well...it is ancient Rome...so, often times it wasn't a spear. Besides, think about all the slivers you would get...not even counting if she got one with a spear tip on it. I think you would be better off with the 'fleshy' equivalent. I mean...do you really want to be known as the Roman who was killed by being anally raped with a spear by a woman camp; then got an infection in his ass? haha Brings a whole new view on pegging a guy... :o Quote from: Flavor on 11-10-2010, 05:33:01Brings a whole new view on pegging a guy... :oi lol'd Quote from: Poison on 11-10-2010, 05:36:23I lol'glad to entertain! And it looks as if Antonius isn't about to be pegged...sorry Goliath. Some women just don't like to be called whore...;D Are you sure? Cause you know... me and mine could still protect him... If you want >_> Made it safely....will be back no tomorrow while everyone is at work. -snugs all over Angry- Quote from: Poison on 11-10-2010, 07:43:26Are you sure? Cause you know... me and mine could still protect him... Lt;_Lt;If you want Sgt;_Sgt;I wouldn't say no to a good protectin'. Quote from: Angry on 11-10-2010, 07:53:04Made it safely....will be back no tomorrow while everyone is at work. Yay! Glad you and the young' made it safely! Lookin' forward to your response! Well with that statement let me refer you to this picture(And this is what I wake up to first thing in the morning... I knew this was going to be a good day Well I'm back on the internet! Now to do some reading! Me too! Gas! So many long posts.... will try to catch up and include all the references to everything people did/said to Aura... I'm glad you liked it Lady darling I hope you're proud of yourself Keith!-waggles finger at- Oh shit! I was supposed to have Aura bathing the Master! Bugger! I'm so sorry... No worries, it happens. Ha! Just finished reading what has happened so far now to make a post for Orbit!!!........ And finally wake up Vitus exciiiiiting -cuddles Bobby- Shew! * snugs!* I was worried lol. I'm still here, seems like things slowed down though. I was trying to wait to post again for Delete But I think I should just go and do it now I -can't- post until someone else does. Stuck! Ah well, I'm sure it's just people are busy. Hm. Well, Lucius could take her inside and test her skills, that would give her something to do. He'd want to check, since so far the Anita has no Gladiator. If not, well, it'll pick up hopefully. True. Unless we should wait for the Anita? I don't know. I'm game if you want to! Furthermore, I hope it picks up soon X3 Well, hm. Furthermore, I'm fine with waiting, but it seems like most of the family is otherwise occupied. The Anita is talking with Panic and looking over the other slaves, but I'm not sure what his plans are. *Just got a gander at your post count* Nice. ANYWAY, like I said, if you post, I'll answer. :) I can't find a coin at the moment, I'll decide later then. Also, 667? :P *Snickers at both comments* ::) In all honesty I think I should leave the game. I just cannot find the time to fit a post for this one into my schedule, and I'm still working away with the free time I have to restart two other of the games I'm Going *sigh* *cuddles Hainan* I'm alive too...just a bit of a crazy time...joining the Air Force so sorting out a lot of things. Once I get that all figured out and know when I will have to go and how long I will be gone...well, needless to say I won't be able to post then! *Cries a bit as it seems this wonderful RP isn't going to work?* Going home tomorrow! YAY,*clings to Angry* The RP is being restarted seeing that it has died. I plan on fixing the plot and everything so it came move more smoothly. To those that know they can post and wish to rejoin your more than welcome. Sorry for the >.PMs are being sent by Poison and me soon. IF YOU WANT TO REJOIN (

The Lanista's Daughter (OOC)|rating:3.0

The Indentured Servant (FlightlessBird and Jarod1)

Kaitlyn Price stepped out of the open limo door. She was dressed in an all-white pantsuit. The way that she conducted herself told everyone who saw her, that she was the type of woman that was in charge. She made her way up to a pair of glass doors which we’re guarded by a pair of security guards who both greeted her as she approached opening the door for her. She gave them a little nod and stepped into the building, removing her sunglasses and sliding them into her purse which was as white as her dress.((“Welcome to Indenture Corp. Mrs Price,” a young clean-shaven man who worked at the main desk said, rising and coming around to greet her. Perhaps man was the wrong adjective to describe him as he seemed more like a boy to her, as she wondered if he even needed to shave. “Shall I let Director Creswell know that you are here for a surprise inspection?” Kaitlyn shook her head once, her medium length blond moving with her. “That won’t be necessary,” she replied. As the founder of Indenture Corp. she wasn’t here today have one of her facility managers blow smoke up her ass and give her a tour of the building and drone on about numbers to her. Kaitlyn Price was here today because she had come to the realization that with her husband Xander always away in the nation’s capital serving as a Senator, her eldest son Nathaniel married and on his honeymoon, and her daughter going to classes at the local college that she needed some companionship around the house. “I’m here because I would like to speak with a few of the candidates, today I'm here to shop.” Moving forward she plugged a small thumb drive into the receptionist’s computer accessing the files she wanted to be brought up. If she had been anyone else Kaitlyn would not have been allowed to do what she just had, however being the CEO and founder of Indenture Corp had its perks and nobody that worked for her would ever question her. She brought up the profiles of 5 men who had caught her attention during her extensive search of the database, all of them very good-looking all with dark hair, all of them here at this facility. “Have them brought one to a time to conference room two,” Kaitlyn said downloading the profiles onto a tablet and giving it to the young man. If he had felt that there was something irregular about the situation, he handled it well and didn’t ask questions. He would do well she thought. Kaitlyn retrieved her thumb drive and crossed the room to a door which could only be opened with a chipped card. Or course as CEO, Kaitlyn had such a card, pressing it up against the reader a green light flashed and the sound of the locking mechanism disengaging could be heard. Pushing through the door she made her way down to conference room two. Before the door closed behind her, Kaitlyn could hear the receptionist making the arrangements to have the merchandise brought up to her. Indenture Corp had originally been born of a need to put the stagnant members of the overcrowded prison system and those wretchedly poor and on the streets to productive use to society as laborers. Nearly half a decade later it was now common to find an indentured servant or two in the homes of those that could afford it. Initially met with backlash and controversy comparing Indentured Servitude to Slavery the benefits with which it brought soon began to mute the protests until now their arguments we’re barely acknowledged or if they’re, their voice was treated as fringe. Even the concerns that they’re making it easy for criminals to escape back onto the streets had been silenced as Indenture Corp made use of tracking chips that we’re implanted at the base of the neck making it nearly impossible for someone to escape for two long, and even if they did escape for a short time the punishment was always severe. Kaitlyn took a seat at the round conference table waiting for the first of her candidates to arrive for interview. Although she already had a rough idea of what each of her candidates was made of from the profiles, it was her experience that profiles didn’t tell the total story. When they arrived, she questioned each of them differently asking them why they had chosen Indentured Servitude in addition to asking about what skills each of them. She asked them about family ties and things that we’re important to them. Her final interview of the day would be with a man named Zacharias. Like the others, he was led into the room by a pair of armed guard. “Sit,” she said to the man with dark chocolate brown hair and pencil length goatee which framed his chin and mouth. The guards stepped out of the room, although they would remain close by should they be need. Kaitlyn Price however didn’t think she would, as she was very good at getting people to do what she wanted them to. Plus, she didn’t think the man on the other side of the table would be stupid enough to jeopardize his position by attacking her here. He would immediately be sent back to prison and no longer be eligible to have his sentence reduced. He would have to be a fool or crazy to attack her, and his psychological profile did not indicate insanity. (had been two years since he had seen Isabella. Two years. They were afforded the small liberty of sending letters to one another once a month, but beyond that Zacharias hadn't had any further contact with her. That was, perhaps, the worst of it. He could abide the incarceration, the maltreatment, the subjugation of the guards. But not seeing her was like no pain he had ever experienced. It was perpetual doubt, anxiety and the fiercest of longings. Isabella was three years his junior. She was his sister and the pair of them had had a relationship like no other. They were not the most relational of individuals. They did not enjoy the company of others as a rule. In truth, they had only ever had a heart for one another. They could be reclusive with others; detached and distant. Their likeness, however, ended there. Isabella was not so inflexible as Zacharias. Though she had a great deal of pride, she was more easily swayed by emotion than her older brother. More easily manipulated, perhaps. She was stubborn and willful, like him, but those traits had manifested themselves differently in her. She had been rebellious in her teenage years. Had dabbled with any boy brave enough to pursue her; it was well known that Zacharias had not taken well to Isabella dating. Rumors had spread through their small town, like a forest fire, of what he had done to the boys who had tampered with her heart. Her first boyfriend, Alex, who had cheated on her with another local girl, had found himself duct taped to a tree in the middle of the woods one night. They hadn't been able to prove that he had done it, because Alex wouldn't dare breathe a word, but everyone had known. So they kept their distance from her, to Isabella's frustration. Zach and her had had many a screaming match over the men she chose to affiliate herself with. Zacharias knew them, more often than not. And so he knew, without a shadow of doubt, that they were no fucking good for her. But fear of him could only keep certain men at bay for so long. Isabella was a beauty, and her flirtatious but often hard-hearted spirit made her quite the alluring challenge to the men in town who liked the adrenaline rush of pursuing Zacharias Flint's little sister.(was the only person in the world who had seen her cry. The only person she could trust, entirely and truly. And he had been separated from her. So he was stood here. Escorted in by armed guard. Staring across the room at a woman he didn't know, who wanted to buy his services from him. At the beginning of his sentence, he wouldn't have considered it. Not for the fucking world. He wouldn't sell any more of his freedom than he already had. They could lock him up, but they couldn't make him serve. But it had been two years... and Isabella's letters were getting shorter. He could feel everything she was feeling in each word. I need to get out of here. As soon as he could. And if that meant sacrificing what was left of his pride, so that he could bargain for their early release, then he would do it. Sit. That was all she said. But it was enough to let Zacharias know just how fucking hard this was going to be for him. He had never enjoyed taking orders from anyone. It made him that much more defiant, and yet he knew that defiance wouldn't do him any good. It never had. And today of all days he had to show some subservience, if he hoped to see Isabella anytime soon. He stepped closer, his blue eyes sharpened by his inner resistance. Zacharias' stare didn't waver as he sank down into the seat opposite her. The man that stood before her was very handsome, as had been all the men that she had asked to see today. He had the look of someone that worked out a lot as she could see from the way his clothes which consisted of simple uniform of t-shirt and sweatpants, given to each inmate when they arrived at an Indenture Corp facility, covered his muscular frame. She took note of the fact that his intense eyes never left hers as he complied with her command. It was a sign of defiance that seemed to cling to him like a suit of armor. He was an alpha personality to be sure, and by keeping his eyes locked on her, it was a sign that despite his acceptance of her command to sit that he didn’t like it one bit. Such defiant and strong personality could both be something interesting and fun to explore especially considering she would hold all the power, or it could problematic if he was too stubborn. "Hello Zacharias, my name is Kaitlyn Price," she said as means of introduction, a smile on her face, which while older, in her mid-40's was still beautiful. Reaching for a clear plastic bottle which contained water she pushed it across the clear glass table to him, and then took a drink from her own bottle." Tell me about yourself," Kaitlyn said still smiling the command subtle but unmistakably present in her tone. She had presented this test to each of the men she had spoken with today and gotten varying responses from each. One of them, the second candidate had actually told her to piss off. It went without saying, that the interview had been very short and that the man stood no chance of being selected as her companion. Daniel the third candidate had simply asked her what she wanted to know, at present he was her leading candidate, although Zacharias could change all of that depending on his behavior. Of the five candidates that she had interviewed today he was certainly the best looking of the batch, she had already known this from the profile picture she had seen, still photo could deceive. Yet another had pointed out that she had his profile so why ask. Kaitlyn had simply smiled at him and told him that it was not his place to ask why. The answer to the test of course was to first see if the person would submit to simple commands, second it was to learn more about the person besides what the author of the profile had provided. Plus, it was her experience that to know someone there was no substitute for basic conversation as she often learned as much from body language as she did from what was said. It was the same here as it was when she was negotiating a business deal with a new client. She was very curious to see how this man, whom per the profile was not accustomed to following commands would take to her telling him what to do. If he could master his instincts, he would be a very entertaining plaything for her. If he could not however, he would simply be a waste of her time. Tell me about yourself. Zacharias did not like taking orders from anyone. Perhaps almost as much as he did not like speaking about himself. In his position, sharing anything about oneself only brought trouble. Particularly with the other inmates. But this was not an inmate. Being kept in a men's prison, it had been a solid two years since he had seen a flesh and blood woman. There were always some dirty magazines circulating between the cells, but Zacharias didn't care much for porn. It couldn't touch the sides of the real thing. Despite being a good twenty years his senior, this woman was beautiful. If they'd been on the outside, and she'd taken an interest in him, he certainly wouldn't have said no. Provided that, of course, he was the one taking the lead. He didn't give a shit about her age. If she expected him to do her bidding, she would be wrong. Yet they were not on the outside, and if Zacharias hoped to get what he wanted he would have to learn how to take orders, for the first time in his life. He sat opposite her, watching her mouth move around his name. Thinking about how much he'd like to stand and walk out before this went any further. Before this escalated towards the contract he hoped to sign, and dreaded all at once. He leaned back in his seat as he thought about her question, with his arms crossing the breadth of his chest. He knew that this was a test, and he had to wonder what the other men she'd seen today had said. Nothing of great worth, he imagined. There were very few inmates who had brain enough to do much more than physically function. He found himself in a strange situation; knowing he needed to impress her, to persuade her, but feeling sick to his stomach at the prospect of doing so. For quite some time, he was silent. Just watching her with his stark blue eyes." Does it matter?" Zacharias finally spoke. He tilted his head to the side, just slightly. "I'll do whatever it takes to get out of here. That's all that's important, isn't it?" It was completely reckless. But he was hedging a guess about this woman. He knew her type. Power hungry. And as much as he might hate it, that was something he could play to. If she wanted an obedient pet, he'd be one. One with sincere, but bridled, defiance. And this woman, if she was anything like what he expected, would fucking love it. There was a battle being waged within Zacharias, Kaitlyn could see on the features of his face as well as in his body language. His personality and dominant personality battling with the facts that he needed to behave himself to get what he wanted. She could almost read his thought processes as he was asking himself if it was really worth suffering the indignity of submitting to her. She could also tell that the man was very intelligent a definite change from the other inmates that she had spoken with today. According to the files she knew that he had been in the system for a couple of years now, and she knew that he had a sister. The real question was just how badly he wanted to get out of his sentence. Being part of the indentured servant program offered a modicum of freedom to those who had been incarcerated. They're able to see the real world as well having an opportunity to knock years off their sentence. She waited for what seemed like a long time wondering if he was going to offer her any kind of answer, or if he was going to let his silence be his answer. If that was to be the case she was going to be very disappointed as she had high hopes for him. However, if he refused to give her an answer, she would be forced to conclude the interview and send him back into the system as she would not put up with someone who was so willfully disobedient. At last, he did speak, and his answer made her raise one of her eyebrows. His response while seeming to be completely reckless was also one that she knew was very calculated. She let out a short laugh and setting her elbows on the table in front of her touched the tips of her fingers together in front of her. "You're a cheeky one aren't you," Kaitlyn replied still smile. The look made her seem dangerous as opposed to friendly. "As to your question, does it matter. I suppose the answer is yes and no." She let that hang in the air between them for about 30 seconds. With Zacharias, she would be fighting a battle of wills. He would test his limits with her looking to see just how much he could get away with. The only way to really combat a person like that was to give them next to no leeway in the early stages and eventually as they became more compliant to slowly give them more latitude. "If you would like to get out of here, then I need to know more about you and why I shouldn't simply select one of the other candidates that I've seen today." Kaitlin leaned closer to him, with her fingertips poised against each other. She looked like a fox eyeing up a piece of meat, and Zacharias knew that that's exactly what he was at this moment. And it was exactly what he had to become if he hoped to get out of this place and see his sister. Her thoughts were taking her down a lonely and desolate road; he'd felt it between the lines of her last letter. She was falling apart. She needed hope. Furthermore, she needed him. So Zacharias mimicked Kaitlin's posture, but for the pressing together of her fingers. He leaned in with his forearms against the surface of the table and let his own fingers rest slack against it. He'd always been astute. Good at working out people's intentions. He'd spent a great deal of time gambling at clubs that had always been bound to get him into trouble, and for the first time in his life it looked like that experience might actually be of use to him. In the silence that followed her words, Zacharias stared at her brazenly, deciphering every flicker of feeling and thought that might cross her features. Zacharias wasn't cheeky. He was defiant, and giving her exactly what he believed she wanted. Somebody who could give her the perfect balance of defiance and submission. Because a woman like this wouldn't care about subjugating someone who was weak-willed. There was no challenge in that. So Zacharias would give her a challenge. He took a leap of faith, relying on his own intuition, and fucking hoped for all he was worth. "I have a sister. I want to see her," he said, leaning closer still with a flex of his shoulder blades so that they were no more than a couple of inches apart. "So I'll do what I'm told," It almost fucking crushed him to say it. "I'll whatever'm told," His fingers curled in towards his palms. "To get out of here." It was a reckless move. It could go either way. If he was wrong about her, about what she wanted from him, then he'd fucked up his chances royally. Because if she was looking for some simpering sub, he'd just proven that she wouldn't find it in him. He would not do as she asked with a smile. But with obvious pain. He wouldn't hide how it went against his nature to obey. "But you can choose one of the other candidates if you want," he said, and slowly leaned back in his seat, erecting a distance between them again. "Because if you don't choose me, someone else will." In time. But it could be months before someone else chose him. He knew that he was a prime candidate for it, but needed to get out as soon as he could. He couldn't wait any longer. Despite that small measure of desperation, Zacharias stared at her patiently with his arms crossing his chest. Everything about him seemed to be a challenge to her and her authority. From his posture right down to his reluctance to answer her question right off. If Kaitlyn had been looking for a totally obedient sub Zacharias would have failed in every measure to impress her. Lucky for him however, if what he said was true, and he was desperate to get out for his sister, Kaitlyn was not looking for a beaten down dog. A beaten down dog would bore her within the first week and the investment would be a waste. No Zacharias was perfect for what she was looking for. He was rough around the edges and though he might not like it, she believed him when he told her that he would do as he was told. He would challenge her and entertain her and if he behaved himself well enough she would reward him with the freedom from time to time to see his sister, whom she could see was very important to the young man sitting across from her. She had already made her decision before he had made his closing argument that she could choose someone else if she wanted to, that someone else would be interested in his services at some point. How very right he was in that statement. A man like him would be chosen very quickly, and she was not about to let that happen. Despite the fact that she had already made her choice, she was not yet done questioning him. "Your file indicates that you agreed to join Indenture Corp because you're facing a very long jail sentence," Kaitlyn said sitting back. "The file does not however indicate the nature of your crime. What did you do to end up in jail, and was it worth it?" As part of the Indentured servant law it had been decided by the politicians that including the nature of a felons' crime was something that violated rights, which they had until such time as their contract was purchased. The way politicians thought was often a source of irritation for her, and yet she had married one. She had loved Xander well enough in the beginning, but what had kept them together was that he was in a position to help her advance her own agenda which included becoming a very powerful woman of business. The fact that they had two children together was just a by product. She was under no real illusion that Xander felt any different from her, as the fire in their relationship had gone out a very long time ago. Even when he was home from the senate the only time that they truly spent together was for photo ops to show that they had a very healthy relationship and to quell the rumors in the press that they're anything but a happy couple. A few years ago accusations had arisen that Xander was having a torrid affair with members of his staff. Kaitlyn soon learned the truth of her husbands' infidelity. She had been furious at the time as any woman would be when finding out that a spouse had been unfaithful. However despite her feeling of anger, Kaitlyn would help to cover up his indiscretions. The vote for the Indentured Servant law was making its way through chambers of government and a scandal of that nature would have succeeded in the very least at slowing down the bill if not outright killing it. Because of how badly she needed the law to pass, she had had put aside her feeling and the pair had worked out their differences. Of course Kaitlyn did not simply take such treatment laying down. She had created a file on her husband that documented all of his indiscretions and shady deals that she could use if he ever tried to fuck her over. It was her version of the nuclear option as she was sure that he had developed a file on her as well, after all he was not a stupid man. The file does not however indicate the nature of your crime. What did you do to end up in jail, and was it worth it? Zacharias had thought that he'd prepared himself for every eventuality. Every possible question she might ask. Every power move. But this... this he hadn't been expecting. It wasn't a complicated question, in a sense, and yet it was far from simple. Zacharias had always assumed that his crime was in his file, which she knows held between her hands. And it was quite possible, still, that Twain his file. That this was a game she was playing, to determine whether he was prone to deceptiveness. Ordinarily, he was not. Zacharias was a forthright man. What you see is what you get. But under these particular circumstances, he knew better than to give her the truth if she did not already know it. There was a semi-loophole in the Indentured Service system. No criminal with a history of violent crimes would ever be allowed to participate in the program. It just wouldn't sit well with the public to have violent offenders free to wander in public, given their master's permission. But the beauty of Zacharias' crime was that it hadn't exactly been violent. So he had been allowed on the program, despite the fact that many buyers would not be willing to purchase his contract if they were made aware of what he was in for... So perhaps she doesn't know. After all, she was still here. Still giving him a chance, as most people wouldn't if they knew what Zacharias was capable of. What he'attempted. "Drug smuggling," he heard himself say, in a calm and level voice. He didn't steal his eyes from hers. He wouldn't dare. This woman wasn't someone he would risk underestimating, because he had a feeling that he'd wind up getting bitten if he did. Was it worth it? Fuck no. His real crime hadn't borne any fruits to him or his sister. They'd been separate because of it, and their father was still living, doing whatever the fuck he liked without consequences. Zacharias couldn't say that to Kaitlin. Not without revealing too much. So, again, he lied. "I suppose I'll find out real soon." His tone deepened when he spoke these words, with the faintest glimmer in his eyes; a reflection from the lights overhead. It was like they're playing a game of poker, neither of them fully knew what card the other was holding. When he answered, Kaitlin had been watching for any tell that he was not being forthright with her. Normally she could tell when people we're lying, she had learned all the tricks, and it had served her well in her business endeavor's. Drug smuggling was usually the crime of someone who was desperate for a quick score. In recent years, the punishment for crimes related to drug trafficking had become more severe as politicians had relented to the public's frustration with the revolving door. The same public that didn't want to invest more in housing criminals. Kaitlyn couldn't really complain however as it had resulted in her own financial enrichment as the total amount she had invested in the beginning of the company had been more than recovered and even partially subsidized." Your file says that you are 2 years into serving a twelve-year sentence," she stated beginning the negotiating process. "Realistically how many years are you looking to shave off your sentence." Her opening play was to discover Zacharias' expectation before giving him a counteroffer. It was a strategy that she usually used in her negotiations. First find out what the other party wanted, then counter with an offer that generally was a low ball and then work back to the number that was generally the number she actually wanted to start with. In this case, she stood at a distinct advantage from a negotiating standpoint. If they couldn't come to an agreement she could always make the play of sending him back into the system. The question was just how important getting out was. Once the contract was signed she was free to use the man as she saw fit at least as within the confines of the law it. She smiled pleasantly as she could think of many things that she wanted to do with him. She wondered if he fully understood what he was getting himself into when it came to signing his life over to her. Yes, he would be getting out of jail early, but he would also be turning himself over to her every whim. She answered her own question and was almost positive that the answer was yes. If he didn’t know completely he undoubtedly had a good idea, as he was more thoughtful than any of the other men that she visited with today. She had the advantage, by a long shot. Kaitlyn held all the cards, and he was sure to keep that in mind when she began to negotiation process. If, indeed, it could be called a negotiation. More like beating around the bush until they landed where she wanted them to land. He wasn't under any illusion that he had any of the power here. That was the point. He was handing over whatever lick of power he'd had left in this place, for the sake of getting out. So it better be fucking worth it. Which meant he'd need a deal that granted him a significantly reduced sentence. By more than a few years, because he wasn't sure how much longer Isabella could last without him." All of it," he said, with a deceptively cool stare. He didn't expect her to agree. There wasn't a fucking chance. But if she was going to low ball, as she surely was, then he would highly ball. "I want all of it off. If you give me the opportunity to prove myself, you'll find that I'm more than worth it." It was a daringly cocky thing to say, but Zacharias wasn't a modest man. He knew the effect he had on women, so he knew what she wanted him for. That was his sole advantage over her. If desire had her in its grips, then that was one card Coldplay. It's come to this then. Prostituting your body. For Isabella... yes. He'd do anything to get to his sister. Which included fucking this woman, and doing whatever she might like him to do to her in the bedroom. It wouldn't be easy, by any means, to bend to her whims. But he'd do it, and with a fucking smile on his face if she asked is of him. For the first time since they had begun talking Kaitlyn frowned at him when he spoke telling her that he wanted it all off. She could appreciate his cockiness up to a point, but now he was simply being disrespectful. If he thought that such a show of arrogance would impress her, he was sadly wrong. Quite the contrary in fact. It wasn't enough to make her change her mind on him, but it was enough to remind her that she was going to need to use a firm grip with him. If he didn't at the very least respect her, then he would think that he could walk all over her." How about we add five years to your sentence then," Kaitlyn replied dryly wanting to wipe away whatever sense of satisfaction he might have had from trying to make her look like a fool. Legally she knew she couldn't do such a thing, but she wasn't sure if he knew that or not. He was very intelligent so the chances we're high that he had done his homework before entering into the program. Still if even a part of him considered her counteroffer to be true then she would be satisfied. "Of course if you really aren't serious I can choose someone else, perhaps someone the sense to not mock me." 'How about we add five years to your sentence then.' There was a flicker of movement in the hollow of his left cheek. A testament to what those words did to him. This was a game of poker. Of gambling and bluff. And Kaitlyn was making his position crystal clear. He wasn't working with a full deck, as she was, and his hand was about as useless as they came. With barely banked frustration sharpening the hue of his irises, Zacharias leaned closer, crossing the distance between them with his burly forearms. His palms rested flat against the surface of the table, either side of her elbows." All of it," Zacharias echoed himself, but with more strength in his voice than before. Indomitable resolve. "With a waiver written into the contract determining that if I don't give you what you want, you're at liberty to add time back on." It was dangerous. He didn't know this woman. Not really. She could be petty and full of spite. He was relying on his own ability to please her and follow orders, and diving into the dark in the hope that she would keep her word and not fuck him over for it. "If I please you, I get all of it off. If I don't, then that changes things." He wouldn't dare mock her. Zacharias had always had a way of getting himself into trouble. He struggled to follow the rules. But for once in his life, he'd play the game of someone else's making. Because he didn't have a choice anymore. He was bold, and creative. It was the latter that kept Kaitlyn interested when he again repeated his insane request that his entire sentence be dissolved. He was playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse. In all honesty he didn't have many cards to play, but the cards he did have he was playing to the very best of his ability. For him this was high stakes poker, and he was going all in. Kaitlyn knew that there was an element of desperation in his situation but the offer that he had presented was unprecedented one something that she could work with. He was giving her all the cards especially with the ability to add time should she deem that he isn't giving her what she wants. He was putting a lot of faith in her that she wouldn't abuse that power." Alright you can have your entire sentence eliminated, in exchange for 10 years of service to me," she said quietly. She wondered if he would take the deal, or if he would continue to negotiate with her. She wondered if he knew exactly how much of a corner he was backing himself into. He was a bright man so it was likely that he had an idea, which indicated that he was indeed desperate." While you are in my service, you will be expected to do as I tell you, though I am sure you already guessed that," she continued. "You will stay at the estate at all times unless you are sent out or given leave in which you will be expected to return within the time given to you." She paused thinking about what else she needed to tell him. "If you even think of running away, know that you will have a tracking device and will not be able to hide for long." The only thing that would make tracking him impossible would be if he went underground where the earth itself would hide the signal. "Is that understood?" Zacharias wasn't stupid. He knew how dangerous the game he was playing could be for him. But desperation did funny things to a man. In his current circumstances, he had nothing. No family. No identity. No liberty. If he took this deal, however shit the terms were, at least he had chance something better than that. A chance he would take. He'd dive into the dark for that chance, and risk coming out worse off, because he couldn't abide another moment of isolation. Spending every fucking moment thinking about his sister. When she would next write him. What she was feeling. How she was coping. If his own letters were being tampered with. Idleness had given birth to paranoia; something he'd never felt before in his life. Zacharias was not the sort of man who coped well with incarceration. When unoccupied, his thoughts would wreak havoc on his mind. He was losing himself in this place, losing his sister, and this woman was the only chance he'd ever have of being found again. So he'd take the deal, and pray to God he didn't wind up in a hell worse than this.' In exchange for 10 years of service to me.' If that threw him off, Zacharias didn't let it show. He knew her type. Kaitlyn was a woman terribly aware of the cards she held, and how damned empty Zach's deck was. He knew, with a sinking sensation in his gut, that this was the best deal he was going to get. So he didn't shoot her down. Only stared into her eyes with silent conviction.' Is that understood?'" I'm aware of what's expected of me," Zach said in a clipped voice, barely keeping himself from cutting her off in his frustration with her spiel of conditions. "I won't run." Zach lowered his eyes, momentarily, to Kaitlyn's hands. And thought about how he might feel when she touched him with them. His eyes rose again, and he quirked a single, daring brow. "Do we have a deal then?" The contract was drawn up by one of the company lawyers. Although much of the contract was standard their we're numerous detail that needed to be added as each case was unique as not all clients wanted the same things. As the lawyer worked on the contract he droned on explaining the fine details of the contract to both of them and asking for clarification on various portions of the deal that would provide Zacharias a level of freedom and also seal his fate to her for at least the next ten years. Kaitlyn only spoke a few times but otherwise let the lawyer do his work. Sitting back the lawyer took the better part of an hour to fully draft the contract. "Once signed, the contract is mutually binding," the lawyer said his tone professional and pompous matching his suit and slicked back hair. As the owner of the contract you are not allowed to order your servant to do anything that would violate the law of the land. "If found guilty of the crime, the contract will be null in void, and you will face all the consequences of the law." Kaitlyn did not speak, just nodded wishing that the lawyer was not so thorough in his job. Not that she was intending to use him to break the law, but she would prefer to leave some gray area for Zacharias to have to consider. Sliding the contract over to both her and Zacharias to read, the lawyer giving them some time it over and make sure that it was satisfactory to both parties. It took some time to draft up the contract, and Zach felt impatience creeping up on him. For the first twenty minutes, he sat quite still, leaning back in his seat with his arms crossing his chest. He stared across the table, coolly, at the woman he would have to listen to for the next ten years. His mistress, or his master, or whatever the fuck she might like him to call her. He was taking this time to let it dawn on him. Let it really sink in that he was stepping from one cell into another. All he could hope was that this one wouldn't be quite so shit. That she would allow him to visit his sister. Did he trust? Not even a little. But this wasn't about trust. This was about mutual interest. It was a gamble. The biggest gamble of his life, because his free will and independence was on the line. Zach lowered his eyes to the contract as time dwindled on. When they hit the thirty-minute mark he leaned forwards in his seat and began to drum his fingers on the tabletop. His knee bobbed under the table as his impatience mounted. He knew that this didn't mean freedom. Not even close. But it was an illusion of it that he was desperate to taste after two years of confinement. If he did what this woman liked, as much as it would degrade his sense of self to do so, that could mean being free to leave the house, free to eat what he liked, free to have hobbies and a life. No, it wasn't freedom. But it was a hell of a lot better than what he had now.' If found guilty of the crime, the contract will be null in void, and you will face all the consequences of the law.' Once more, Zach regarded Kaitlyn from beneath his fair brows. Wondering, not for the first time, what her intentions were with him. He had a few guesses, but it wasn't easy to get a read on a woman like her. I'll find out soon enough. When the contract was pushed his way, Zacharias didn't even turn the first page. He picked up the pen, put it to the line... and signed. Someone might have called him reckless or stupid. But he wasn't either of those things. He didn't read the contract because he knew, with a grim certainty, that this was the best deal he was going to get. And that, ultimately, he didn't really have a damned choice. Once signed, he used his fingertips to swivel the contract towards Kaitlyn. "When do we leave?" He said, as he extended the pen towards her with long, well-worked fingers. At last the lawyer finished the writing the contract and going over all the legal speak. Despite marrying one and having often used the loopholes in the law to her own personal gain, Kaitlyn price had very little love for lawyers. As a woman of business she found that she preferred straight talk. Since it was Zacharias signing his life away he was give the contract first. From what she observed, he barely even read the contract. Maybe it was because he figured that it was his only option, or maybe it was because he didn't want to talk himself out of it. At any rate it was the first real show of defeat that he had shown during the interview. Once he had signed the contract, he slides it across the table to her. She was far more meticulous than he when it came to reading the contract through. In the end she saw nothing that she wanted to change. Everything that had been discussed beforehand was down in writing. When she was satisfied with the she took up her pen and signed the contract as well her name just below his and then dated it sliding it back over to the lawyer to file away in the company record." We will leave as soon as you collect your personal belongings from processing," Kaitlyn said rising to her feet moving around the table. The door opened and one of the receptionists entered. "I hope everything was too your liking Mrs. Price?" Kaitlyn nodded in answer to the question. "Start processing Zacharias out and have him brought to my car, I'll be there once I finish with the rest of my visit."" Of course Mrs. Price," the receptionist said with a bow before turning to Zacharias. "If you'll follow me, we will get you checked out of our custody and transferred over to Mrs. Price." The whole process was so formal. So impersonal that he had to wonder if he'd been right in his initial assumption that this woman wanted his services for something of such an intimate nature. It was his understanding that the program was nothing more than a legalized route to sexual enslavement. He had been thoroughly aware of that when he'd entered into the scheme. But this woman didn't lay a hand on him, though she was surely entitled to once her name was scribbled on that dotted line. She scarcely passed him a glance. He couldn't see any flicker of desire or passion in her. Either she was an exceptional Thespian, or she had something else in store for him. The latter prospect was the more perturbing by far. He'd come to terms with the idea of serving someone sexually. He expected it. But if she had other intentions, he wouldn't knowwhatto expect. He'd be groping in the dark, trying to find his way. Zacharias watched her closely as she stood and moved around the table. He felt very much like a bull bought to bred cattle. With an owner who had next to know interest in him, besides what she might be able to profit from him. He supposed that was, at least, a fair bit better than a bull bred for slaughter. This was his way out... and he'd take it, however unsure he was of the nature of his escape route, or what waited for him on the other side. He acknowledged what she'd said with a nod, and began to stand. He did as he was told in the coming minutes as he went through processing. His mind wasn't on the small bag of things being pushed into his hands. It was on what was ahead of him. Time passed at an eerily brisk pace. A part of him wanted to postpone it, and another part of him wanted to push it that much faster, in the hopes that he would soon be allowed to see his sister. They led him out of the prison. Bag in his arms. Out of the prison. The air felt different somehow, though he knew it couldn't be. His heart beat a little slower, and harder, in his chest. Knocking his rib cage with every pump and clench. They led him to the car. The door was opened for him. For a moment, he stood quite still, before the man who had opened the door for him cleared his throat. Zacharias lifted his eyes from the open door to the man's face. It was stiff with disapproval, impatient. Disgusted. A muscle flickered to life in Zach's jaw and, with resilience, he stepped into his second prison. The door slammed behind him. Natalie Price was home from college. In many ways Natalie was the spitting image of her mother though about 20 years her junior. Natalie had not been close with either of her parents in years as neither was around much. She had been raised by staff and tutors primarily with her parents only being around from time to time. She didn't exactly hate her parents, but she didn't love them either. Still there were worse situations to grow up in. She always had food, a roof over her head and her parents almost always spent a lot of money on her. For her 10th birthday she had been given a horse and a teacher who had taught her to ride. When she was 16 she had been given the car of her choice, and then when it was time to go to college she was given a free ride to the school of her choice.(( out of her care she was greeted by Matthew one of the servants that took care of the massive mansion that the price family called home. At least it was the primary residence. Being as rich as they're her parents had purchased vacation homes around the world that they would on occasion visit. "Welcome home dear girl," Matthew said as she walked in the door her school bag slung over her shoulder." Good afternoon Matthew," Natalie replied her heels clicking on the wood floor of the main entrance hall. Matthew had been with the family a very long time and had seen her grow from a little girl. Although she had never been his primary responsibility he had often given her treats or council when her parents weren't around. "Is mother around?" Her father would be where he almost always was, the nation's capitol, and thus she didn't bother to ask about him." No, I believe she said that she had some business to attend to at work," Matthew replied. Natalie nodded her thanks and headed for the stairs. Of course, she isn't home she thought to herself. Why should she be? It's not like you haven't been gone for 6 months. It was some time before Kaitlyn Price joined him, which gave him ample opportunity to contemplate what might lay ahead of him. Though he certainly had a fair few guesses, the truth remained that he didn't know. He couldn'know, until she began to issue her orders. He understood the nature of the Indentured Servant program, which meant that he knew all too well how ambiguous many of the terms were. As testified by his disinterest in reading the contract, and her contrarily meticulous interest in it. If Kaitlyn wanted to fuck him over, she could do so well within the confines of the law. He felt certain that that was why she'd perused the contract so carefully. Not to protect herself, but to discern just how much wriggle room the law allowed her. But Zacharias, he didn't have any cause to his feeling on hopefulness that the contract he'd signed might somehow protect him. He knew better. When he heard the car door open, Zach didn't look towards the noise. He had his elbow resting on the window's ledge, his mouth resting over his closed fist, and his face inclined towards the window. He didn't speak a word. It wasn't his place to. Nor did he simper like some compliant housemaid. He had expected her to take her seat and spend the journey advising him on some behavioral requirements. How to address her, his day-to-day expectations. It would have been a relief to be taken from this place of knowingness, but that didn't happen. The silence between them was terse on his part. There was an obvious stiffness in his body; a testament to how poorly he considered his circumstances. Her silence, on the other hand, seemed altogether at ease to him. Perhaps it was all for show, but it aggravated him nevertheless that she treated his servanthood with such nonchalance. He supposed that he shouldn't have expected anything else from a woman of her breeding. The journey felt long to him, perhaps because the silence confined him to his thoughts. Not a pleasant place to be for the foreseeable future and longer still, if this woman had anything to say about it. When the car came to a halt, Zacharias reached for the door and pushed it open. He was not accustomed to asking permission of any kind, and breaking his independence would not be an easy task. He stepped out into the crisp air... and stared up at the house. If he was stunned by the grandeur of it, he didn't allow it to show. His countenance remained unmoved, though he felt a lurch of contempt at the sight of all the pomp and brilliance of it. "I suppose this is your husband's house," he said, his voice markedly curt. He didn't look to Kaitlyn's face, only continued to peer up at the house as he spoke. The ride from the facility in which Zacharias had been held to the family's primary residence was one that Kaitlyn Price kept silent for a reason. It was a mind game designed to make him squirm and get into his own head. Undoubtedly he had been expecting his new owner to immediately start putting him in his place. That would do no good as she needed him to imagine the worst that she could do to him, that way when she was more lenient with him, it would be a relief, and he would be grateful that she had stayed her hand. Not that she was intending to torture the poor boy..... a punishment from time to time if he didn't behave brought a smile to her lips. The price family residence was located about 30 minutes outside the city. The property on which the massive house stood ran for nearly a mile in all directions. Zacharias first act was something she was going to have to break him of. It was a habit that this one time she let pass as she had not made it clear to him beforehand and would not punish his ignorance of her expectations. Instead, she stepped out of the care behind him and watched as he surveyed his new gilded cage. A frown appeared on her face and her body stiffened with irritation at his comment about the house belonging to her husband Xander. The door she could overlook happily enough. However, she would not tolerate him disrespecting her in the way he just had. Assuming that she was the benefactor her husband. "No, this house is mine understood," she said coming up alongside and whispering dangerously in his ear. "Best you don't forget that." She smiled and stepped away from Zacharias as Matthew approached from the main entrance. He was starting to get a healthy amount of gray in his hair, but he had been loyal to the family for a very long time. "Welcome back madam," the butler said with a nod. "I wanted to let you know that Natalie returned home from Princeton a few hours ago."Thank you, Matthew," Kaitlyn replied curtly. "I'm assuming that everything that I asked you to prepare for me is ready?" Matthew nodded, but said little else on the matter. On principle Matthew had never been a huge supporter of the business that Kaitlyn owned. The idea of indentured servitude was one that repulsed him. It was step back to the dark ages and was only a step away from legalised slavery. The only reason that Matthew stayed was because of Natalie. The girl was sweet and caring somehow despite the kind of parents that she had. Though now that she was away at school for half the year his incentive to stay was now more one of comfort and complacency. He had been here too long to think about starting over.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________On the second floor of the house on the side of the house that overlooked the house was a bedroom that belonged to Natalie since she was very young. It had seen her through nearly every phase of her life so far. From her days as an innocent child, to her days as a rebellious teenager and everything in between. Only the furniture in the room had changed. In the middle of the room was a queen-sized four-poster bed. Against the wall a stained oak desk with the latest computer. Sitting on the floor at the foot of her bed was bag with the things she had brought home from school. When her mothers' car had rolled up the drive she had heard it and made her way down to see her. Despite not being close with her parents they're still family. She was dressed in white sleeveless shirt and white pants and stopped at the door as listening in to the conversation outside. Matthew it seemed had beaten her here. Down next to the car was a young man that she had never seen before. He was very handsome was the first thought that came to her mind. Who was he, and what connection did he have to her mother? Was the thought that followed. Stepping outside and coming down the concrete stairs to made her grand entrance. It had to be grand otherwise she would never get her mothers' attention. It was the reason she had been such a rebellious teenager. Any attention even bad attention was better than the alternative in her mind. "Hello mother, so glad you could make time in schedule to come home and see your daughter." she said her tone pleasant enough though she knew her mother would be able to read the undertones. Kaitlyn didn't miss a beat, however. The pair of them had done this dance many times in recent years. "I am sorry dear that I didn't drop everything on my schedule just for you," she replied with a mock curtsy. "This may come as a great shock to you dear, but my business is what has provided the lifestyle that we enjoy." Natalie smiled simperingly and started clapping. "Of course... how could I forget?" she retorted. "You only remind me every time you can make time out of your busy schedule to see me." It had really bothered her that her mother hadn't been here to welcome her home. She had known that she was coming weeks in advance. "Thank you mother, I should just fall on my knees and kiss your ring. You know it wouldn't have killed you to prioritize me once in a while" The snarky tone was gone from her voice all sarcasm absent, with the last words. "I haven't been home since Christmas and you couldn't be bothered to be here when I got here."" Natelie...." she said with a pause. "I'm sorry, I had some business to attend to." Admittedly the business could have waited. "I'll make it up to you, I promise." 'Best you don't forget that.' She whispered it into his ear. So close that he could feel her breath shivering along the pulse point in his neck. It was a threat, and not an empty one, though he couldn't be certain how exactly she hoped to enforce it. She was a great deal weaker than him, which meant she was relying on his own self-interest. Banking on him being smart enough to keep a leash on his temper. Because if he didn't, she'd bring the full weight of the law down on his head and he'd be right back where he started, but with a few more years added to his sentence. Or worse, perhaps. He'd seen the way this woman interacted with the staff at the prison. Whoever she was, she had influence. And he had a spine-tingling suspicion that she was capable of far more than merely lengthening his sentence if he were to disobey. Or, more temptingly, lay a hand on her. Zach had never coped well with goads, dares or threats. And this, this was fucking all three. She might as well have dangled some bait in front of him. He wanted to show her insolence the likes of which she'd never seen before. Bite her fucking head off for thinking she could threaten him. Had she been anyone else, he would have already taken steps to scare the shit out of her, so she'd think twice before opening her mouth again. But she wasn't just anyone. She was Kaitlyn Price. There was a flicker of movement in the camber of his cheek as her breath trickled along his skin. His finger's twitched towards his palms, and his eyes swept closed, lids falling slow and heavy like a curtain. He heard a creak in his skull, from how tightly he clenched his teeth together. She didn't speak again, and neither did he. Only waited until he could no longer feel the warmth of her presence at his back. His gut was tight, gripping in on itself with aggressive adrenaline... but he swallowed it down. Like bile. The girl gave him something else to focus on. It brought him some tiny measure of relief to know that he wouldn't be alone in the house with Kaitlyn, though he thought that relief might be unfounded. He somehow doubted her daughter would give a shit about what her mother got up to with him. Beyond the relief, there was a grim sort of dread. He knew what was coming. Knew the subjugation and degradation that was ahead of him. Bowing down to that and letting it happen was going to be hard enough, without having eyes on him, torturing his pride. He didn't want anyone to see. Not even these strangers. He listened to the bickering if only to keep himself from getting lost in his dismal thoughts. And watched the girl. The type of girl he would have flirted with shamelessly, had it not been for his circumstances. The back and forth between them began to sizzle his temper. He couldn't remain in this place of unknowing for much longer, and he'd already been holding his tongue for hours on the one thing he truly needed answers on. "When will I be able to see my sister?" He asked, impetuously, cutting off Kaitlyn's final word. He turned to face her as he said this, with an expression of impatient expectation, turning his back on the girl. Kaitlyn Price did not turn to look at Zacharias, though her attention did shift from Natalie to him. Natalie to this point would not know who Zach was, although she did know what her mothers business was. "That will depend dear on you," Kaitlyn replied leaving him in the dark. If he was a smart boy like she thought he was, he would understand that seeing his sister was contingent on how well he behaved. Kaitlyn was planning to fill him more in on his role as soon as she got him settled in. She would lay down the ground rules and establish his place. Of course, she had forgotten that Natalie was coming home today though she wouldn't tell her that. Natalie caught her first good look of Zach shifting her gaze from her mother to him. Her first impression of him was purely from physical standpoint. He was very good-looking. His body was well-defined and toned, his features mature and stern. She wondered who he might be to her mother. It was well known that her mother and father were not exactly faithful to each other. They had somehow managed to convince enough people that it was there private business and in public had tried to show that they're indeed a happy family. Even Natalie got dragged into things for PR, she played along because she didn't want to get on the wrong side of her parents. "Who's your friend?" she asked." He's not a friend dear," Kaitlyn replied deciding not to beat around the bush. She wanted her daughter to go occupy herself so that she could start training her new plaything. "He's part of the program your father and I worked to create. Natalie rolled her eyes deciding to prod the bear a bite, deciding to keep her mother from what she really wanted. "You mean he's your slave." Her mother hated it when she used that term. Not because it wasn't true, but because it hit too close to the mark, and she wanted to present herself as being above such barbaric practice." He is not a slave he is an indentured servant," Kaitlyn said. Natalie turned around shaking her mothers response off. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," she replied turning around and going back up to house satisfied that she had annoyed her mother enough. She might have to help herself to some time with the man. That would be sure to piss her mom off. Kaitlyn Price did not like to share even with family and if her daughter helped herself to her mothers plaything she would be furious." Come," Kaitlyn said to Zacharias without looking at him, her tone was filled with irritation and annoyance that only her daughter could drag out of her. The girl seemed to take pleasure out of pressing her buttons. Listening to them bicker had his impatience mounting. He wanted to see his sister. That was all he fucking wanted. That was the only damned reason he'd signed up for this bull shit. So that he could get to her, before she did something stupid. His sister had never coped well with loneliness, and she'd always depended on him to haul her ass out of the depressions she sometimes fell into. Without someone around to keep her from sinking... he didn't want to think of what she might do. From her letters he'd discerned that it was more than her mental well-being at stake. She'd made a mess of her situation at the prison, and things were only getting worse. He didn't know the details, and he didn't need to, because he knew his sister. Knew that she could be as hotheaded as him at times, with less self-control to boot. Self-control. He was going to need a hell of a fucking lot of it in this place. Just listening to Kaitlyn argue with her daughter made him want to spoon his eardrums out. He couldn't take this. Not when his time was running out. You mean he's your slave. Zach looked up without lifting his face, so that his sharp eyes were peering at her from underneath his eyebrows. First honest thing said all day. At least the girl had some wits about her, though he did have to wonder if she was just saying it to piss her mother off, as she seemed to enjoy doing. No, he sincerely doubted this spawn-of-the-devil-herself girl was going to be of any help to him. Yeah, she was hot. And he would have fucked her before he'd been put away, but he'd already decided that there wasn't a good bone in her body. How could there be, when her mum was this sadistic, collar and whip bitch? Come. His lips twisted into a grimace, and he hesitated for a moment... before following her. "I ain't a fucking dog," he muttered, more to himself than to her, as he walked a couple of steps behind her.

The Indentured Servant (FlightlessBird and Jarod1)|rating:3.0

Becoming a good girl (Wolfblackthorne and Emmyplays)

Evangeline sighed as she opened the door and trudged into the small foyer of her two bedroom home after a long day of dealing with patients at the dental clinic in town. She slumped down onto the bench by the wall by the door. Tiredness flowed through her entire body. Her mind was frayed from dealing with uncooperative patients with bad breath and unclean teeth. Her patience was worn thin from dealing with unruly people, pushy doctors, and endless paperwork.“I need a vacation,” she said to herself, tugging off her shoes from aching feet. She took a few moments to rub her sore heels. She winced, feeling a sharp throb run up her ankle. Furthermore, she exhaled, hearing her phone ring from inside her purse. Picking up her purse, she lifted the phone up to her face to see who it was. It wasn’t one she recognized so she let it go to voicemail. Her phone dinged, signaling a message had been left. Curious, she hit play.“Hello Miss Smythe. This is Principal Hotchkiss from Sleepy Hill high school,” said a nasally male voice on her phone. “ Regret to inform you your daughter has been expelled for a week for smoking pot on school property. Could you please come pick her up?” Evangeline fumed, hitting the wall with the ball of her fist. “ Just great! Just when this day couldn’t get any worse!” She screamed, roughly pulling on her shoes and getting up to leave. Thoughts of what she would do to her daughter ran through her head as she got in the car. She pulled out hastily and drove as fast as she could toward the school without breaking the speed limit. Her hair billowed in the air as she pulled into the school pick up zone. Evangeline could see her daughter waiting on the sidewalk.“Get in!” She said sharply as she pulled up. Her eyes bored through her daughter with a deathly glare. When her child got in, Evangeline would give her a piece of her mind. (sat idly on the sidewalk, still a little bit high, but mostly bummed that the goody principal Hotchkiss took the weed she hadn’t smoked yet. She’d tried to finish off her joint before he got to her, already knowing she was caught. It wasn’t the first time, wouldn’t be the last, she figured. Even when they expelled her for a week, she looked at it more like a vacation. So when her mother pulled up and was fuming, Kara couldn’t hide a small laugh at the situation. She stood, her blonde hair blowing with the wind. She wore a skimpy, tight white tank top and a jean skirt, her tanned skin kissed by the sun. Furthermore, she wore no bra. Easier to score some weed off horny dealers if she showed a little, after all, so her nipples were ever so slightly visible. She swung the door open and plopped down, her backpack in her lap as she closed the car door, ready for yet another Evangeline lecture. She could probably recite it for her mother if she forgot any of it. “It’s just weed, relax” she said with an eye roll. “It’s legal in some states, you know? It isn’t my fault this shithole town is so behind the times.” Not to say she hadn’t done harder stuff... she’d just been caught with weed. “Just take me home, fuck.” “Don’t you dare use foul language right now, young lady!” Evangeline snapped at Kara’s attitude. “Just what were you thinking? I thought I raised you better.” Her foot pressed on the gas as she kept her eyes on the road, shooting her daughter death stares every so often. Do you realize this goes on your permanent record, Kara?” Evangeline was seething, gripping the wheel with white-knuckle tightness. She could see her words were not having any effect piercing her daughter’s delinquent frame of mind. “No big deal? How do you expect to go to college or get a good job if you’re getting high? Answer me! I bet it was that boy Joey, wasn’t it? You have been seeing that little grease monkey haven’t you?” She accused, remembering on several occasions how she had expressed her distaste for the male teenager. She turned sharply left, venting some of her anger on the road as they cruised toward their home.“When we get home, there are some serious changes that are going to happen. Do you understand, Kara?” The car glided to a hard stop once Evangeline had gotten to the house. Her perfectly manicured lawn stretched out before fresh white shutters. Evangeline was so angry, even still dressed in her blue work scrubs she seemed ready to explode. She stalked toward the front door and went in, waiting methodically for her daughter to follow her inside.“Go to your room. Do not come out until I call you for dinner. You are grounded until I decide otherwise. ” Evangeline commanded in a sharp quiet tone. She shut and locked the front door, going straight to the kitchen. Kara just stared out the window as her mother drove them closer to home. Talking about her future, about Joey, her dealer who her mother thought was some boy she liked. Smiling, she figured she would egg her mother on “mm hmm, me and Joey. I let him finger me under the bleachers for a score.” She didn’t care about what her future held, she was in it for the here and now. She’d figure the rest out as she went. Hearing she was grounded was no surprise, but her mother was foolish if she thought it meant anything. “Fucking bitch” she whispered somewhat softly as she walked to the stairs and made her way up to her room. She slammed her door shut, putting in her air pods and listening to loud music. She figured she would eat dinner, come back to her room for a bit and then sneak out the window. There had to be a party going on somewhere. (Evangeline ignored whatever her daughter had whispered, likely an obscenity, and went into the kitchen to make dinner. She head the door to Kara’s room slam, but this did not phase her. Evangeline was simmering with anger. Her concentration was on getting pots out onto the stove as she decided on spaghetti for dinner. Quickly, she got out, and broke the noodles, placing them in a pot before adding water. Going to the refrigerator, she got out the hamburger meat. How could she?she thought. Her daughter was being so reckless. Evangeline forced out a breath, cutting open the hamburger meat and putting it into a skillet to cook. Then she took out a cake pan and started on a yellow cake. Today was Kara’s birthday. Angry as she was, a mother never forgot their child’s birthday. After baking for an hour, she managed to get the spaghetti ready in time with cake. She plated two plates with spaghetti, placing them on the spotless glass kitchen table. Evangeline pulled out the cake and frosted it, quickly adding a candle with the number eighteen. Once finished, she wants to Kara’s room and knocked on the door.“Dinner is ready.” Kara could smell the food as it was being prepared. She was coming down from her high finally, but was still mad. It was her birthday and she couldn’t even do what she wanted, couldn’t even smoke a little bit of harmless weed. Of course, that didn’t mean she was done. As her mother cooked, Kara went to her secret stash in the vent of her bedroom, pulling out her lighter and rolling herself a joint. She figured the smell of dinner would mask it as she didn’t even bother to open the window, not wanting nosy neighbors ratting her out. She was halfway through when she heard the knock about dinner being ready, nearly dropping her joint on her pants but moving in time for it to fall to the carpet. Burning a small hole in the floor. “Shit” she hissed as she rubbed at it with her foot, only making the mark bigger. She stubbed out the joint and tossed it in the trash, then sprayed a mist of her body spray to try and mask it more before heading to the door. She put on her best fake smile as she opened the door. “Smells great, Mom” she said as she tried to quickly walk past and slip her door closed. Evangeline could smell the smoke on her daughter when she opened the door. She said nothing about it, instead deciding to let Kara think she hadn’t noticed. Evangeline would see to it that the girl would get punishment for it later. But how she wondered? Her daughter used to be so sweet when she was little. Kara had been wanting to learn. Had even used manners. But then that was before her father left. Evangeline had done her best to raise Kara and work, but it seemed something had gone wrong. For now, she would try her best to get through dinner.“Come eat. I made spaghetti.” She said simply before turning back and heading to the kitchen. Evangeline would get two glasses and fill them both with cold water. She set one glass by each plate before sitting down at the table with her hands temples over her food. Her daughter’s behavior was bad. It needed correction. If only she could turn back time. That thought struck a cord within Evangeline. Slowly a plan began to form in her head as she rose to get silverware while waiting for Kara to come out of her room. The two layer cake topped with sickening sweet layers of pink frosting lay on the counter for later. While Kara could make the reasonable assumption that her mother knew full well that she had been smoking in her room, she did at least smile at the prospect of getting away with it. She wondered if maybe Evangeline was wearing down finally, giving up on all the lectures and attempts at correcting Kara's behavior. "Spaghetti, my favorite" she said as she walked down and saw the plates laid out. Even a cake with her favorite flavor off to the side. Kara was starving as she dug into the food. She could sense the frustration in her mother, but given the long day and her current high, she didn't want to jump into another scolding, which was all that conversation would likely be. Instead, she decided to break some news to her mother. What better time than her 18th birthday?" I started apartment shopping last night, figured I should tell you" she said as she chewed, her poor manners shining through. "I'm just looking for some roommates online, maybe downtown" she said with a shrug. "Rent will be cheap, I can probably just get a job at the club as a waitress... or something." The 'club' was surely the strip club downtown, and the 'or something' was a fairly obvious hint that she would perhaps be stripping for strangers on stage. She figured she had the body for it and knew strippers made good money, after all. Every word that came out of Kara’s mouth repulsed Her mother on the inside. On the outside she kept a relaxed posture as she ate and listened to her daughters bad decision-making. Evangeline would nod between forkfuls of spaghetti. It certainly was news to her that Kara was planning on moving out. Moving out so she could ruin her life permanently, she thought bitterly.“ Oh? A job? What about school? You do know waitresses make very little besides tips don’t you?” Evangeline asked, hoping Kara might reconsider. Honestly she doubted her daughter could make it by herself for very long. Evangeline finished her food and got up to take her plate to the sink. “Do you want more or shall I bring over the cake?” Evangeline felt horrible knowing her daughter was growing up to be such an uneducated person. She’d end up a stripper or worse. Evangeline knew she needed to do something to correct her path. Kara smirked at the comment about school and how little waitresses made. "Well, I wouldn't be a waitress for long, just until I know enough to get on stage I guess." Her high state was removing a filter she may normally have in telling her mother that she was planning to take up stripping. "Once I get older I'm sure I can go back to school or just get into managing the club. It will all work out. There are these two guys looking for a roommate downtown, and they seem pretty cool." Rooming with random guys. Stripping. Drugs. Probably not the future her mother planned for her - but it was Kara's life, and she'd live it how she wanted. "Strippers make perfect money anyway, I'm sure I can save up most of it." She was never good at saving money, but it sounded good at least. She pushed her cleaned plate away and wiped the corners of her mouth. "Cake, please. It looks great Mom" she said as she downed the rest of her water. "Maybe some milk with it?" “Of course.” Evangeline said quietly. Inside she was shaking and fuming with anger at the audacity of her teenage daughter. Birthday or not, she knew something needed to be done. It could not wait. Evangeline went to the refrigerator and poured a big glass of milk and brought it over to Kara. Then she went over to the cake and cut a very large piece of the cake and put it on a clean white plate. Bringing it over and setting it in front of Kara. Evangeline went back and got the remaining cake and set that in the middle of the table. Getting a lighter, she lit the candle, trying hard to smile and be happy even though she knew her daughter would somehow not be grateful. “Happy eighteenth birthday, Kara. Make a wish.” Her mother encouraged. As her mother was busy getting Kara a nice slice of cake and some milk, Kara was busy staring at her phone. She was texting with some friends as word was spreading she’d been kicked from school for a week. But it was still her birthday and Kara wanted to go out, hearing Justin’s parents were out of town and knowing that he’d have plenty of ‘party favors.’ He always had good stuff. When she was told to make a wish, she gave a sarcastic laugh. “Wish I could go party” she said with an eye roll, blowing out the candle and placing it aside. She was halfway done before she even remembered to thank her mother for the cake. Her mind was just focused on waiting for Evangeline to go to bed so she could sneak out her bedroom window, like she’d done countless times. Evangeline sighed, deeply unappreciated as her daughter was too busy on her phone to even say “thank you”. She sat there, watching Kara eat until she was done. Her mother felt a twinge of returning anger at her teenagers wish. Not to mention the eye roll. Evangeline got up and started to take plates to the sink. “Since you’re done you can go to your room. I am aware it’s your birthday, but you’re still grounded young lady.” Evangeline stood there, watching and waiting for her unruly daughter to comply and go to her room. She did clean for a little while but only to keep up appearances. Once Kara was in her room, Evangeline went quietly and quickly to the basement to get what she needed to enact her plan to reshape her daughter. Tonight would be the last time anyone would see the old Kara, her mother silently vowed. Kara hesitated before going upstairs, her jaw clenched as she was told she was grounded. She was 18, how was she grounded? She let out a frustrated groan and turned on her heel, stomping emphatically up the stairs and back to her room, the familiar sound of the door slamming able to be heard through the house. “My Mom is being such a bitch” she texted Stephanie, one of her friends. “I’m ‘grounded’ because I smoked weed on my fucking birthday.” Of course, she’d done a lot more to get to that point. Sneaking out, sometimes not even coming home until the middle of the next day, or whenever she’d wake up. No texts or calls, just coming and going as she pleased. Now that she was 18 she figured she could do whatever she wanted. She was technically an adult, after all. “I’m so out of here tonight. I’m just going to call the guys and tell them I’m moving in early. Once she’s in bed I’m out.” She put her headphones on and rolled over with her back to the door. She figured her mother would be cleaning for a couple of hours and then start her bedtime routine, so Kara decided to take a little nap before what would probably be a long night of partying. Evangeline closed the basement door tightly before letting out a rage filled scream. How could Kara treat her like she had? Didn’t her daughter love her anymore? It was clear Kara did not respect her or was not grateful for the things Evangeline had done. She had tried her best to be a good mother. Hadn’t that been enough? Obviously Kara’s attitude proved it wasn’t. Evangeline loved her daughter but her attitude and way of rebellion had to end that night. Drastic measures needed to be done. Evangeline did not believe in hurting a child but sometimes tough love was necessary. Kara would probably hate her, but she had to try. Evangeline was at her wits end. Kara HAD to change. Evangeline sat down in an old rocking chair, looking around the basement. It was brightly lit from the overhead fluorescent lights she had installed last year after a bad lightning storm had shorted out all the lights in the house. It had been costly, but Evangeline had worked double shifts to pay for it. Light gleamed off small metal tanks in the corner. She needed to stop Kara from being so rebellious. Part of doing that would require taking her daughter out of her environment and researching her how to be. If Kara did not care for her schooling then Evangeline would teach her herself. But first she had to prevent Kara from having any more parties. Evangeline slipped one of the small nitrous canisters up out of the corner. Looking at it, she saw the reflection of her face in the metal. She saw a glimpse of the old crib behind her. Yes, she thought. Kara would be easier to teach if she was smaller. At least in mind if not in body. Evangeline connected a rubber hose with a mask on the end of the tank then slipped on some latex gloves to not leave prints. She took a coil of rope from a cardboard box and carried them upstairs to Kara’s room. Looping the rope in the nook of her elbow, Evangeline slowly turned the knob of the door and discovered Kara laying away from the door on her bed. Evangeline crept closer, noticing she had her headphones on. Carefully, Evangeline turned on the gas then moved to the bed until she was practically standing over her daughter. She watched the girl lay there obliviously for a moment before moving quickly and placing the black rubber mask over Kara’s mouth and nose. With a full stomach and a long day behind her, it didn’t take long for Kara to fade off to sleep. With the addition of the headphones, a bomb likely could have gone off next door, and she would have just stirred. No, it wasn’t until she felt something clasping over her face that her eyes shot open. She felt it snug against her mouth and nose, inhaling something strange. It smelled like a chemical and was cold on her sinuses, barely able to make out the silhouette of her mother. She began to fight, of course. Squirming and clawing at Evangeline’s arms. But the stuff was fast acting, and she was already feeling her strength fade. Her fingers losing feeling and not cooperating with what she wanted to do, then her arms getting heavy. Her squirming settling as it felt like her entire body was going numb. “Hmm mm mph!” She tried to scream into the mask, unsure what or why her mother was doing... well, whatever she was doing. Kara figured she’d wake up in some kind of boarding school as her eyes were fighting to stay open, half lidded as her movements stopped completely save for the rising and falling of her chest. Her eyes were feeling almost impossible to even keep open, every blink a struggle to come out of before she just gave in and closed her eyes. That’s it. Just go to sleep,” Evangeline whispered to her unconscious daughter as her struggles ceased, and she succumbed to the gas. Evangeline let Kara breath in the gas for a few more seconds before turning it off and removing the mask. It only took a few seconds to tie Kara’s wrists together with the rope. Now came the hard part. Carefully, Evangeline pulled Kara up to a sitting position then bent down to let her body slump over Evangeline’s shoulder. With a groan, she lifted Kara up and carried her daughter out of the room and downstairs to the basement. Sweat beaded on Evangeline ‘s forehead by the time she put her daughter down into the crib. She was careful to lay Kara on her back. With that done, her mother removed Kara’s panties and replaced them with an adult size diaper that had at one time been bought for another member of the family. Evangeline untied Kara’s wrist so that she could take off the girl’s top and slip on a frilly pink and white dress that Evangeline had bought Kara as a present, but Kara had never worn. With Kara dressed and sleeping, Evangeline went upstairs to get Kara’s headphones to use for the next part of her plan. Going into her bedroom and using her laptop, Evangeline recorded some new things for Kara to listen to. It took a good two hours but once done, Evangeline took the laptop downstairs and set the computer on a table by the crib Kara slept in. Slipping on the headphones to her child’s ears, Evangeline went upstairs to shower and go to bed. Kara was groggy when her eyes started to sliver open. She could feel the soft mattress underneath her, but it didn't feel like anything she'd slept on before. She was wearing something... bulky, crinkling when she moved. Furthermore, she went to rub her eyes, but her wrists... were tied together behind her back? Her eyes shot open at that realization, but instantly wanted to close them back. She was so confused as she looked around. She was laying in some kind of oversized crib and, as she struggled to squirm about, realized the crinkling feeling was some kind of fucking diaper. Worse, it felt warm, like while she'd been passed out she perhaps wet it. She grunted as she squirmed some, feeling the frilly dress. She remembered it, remembered telling her mother she'd never wear such a ridiculous thing, even laughed in Evangeline's face. Had her mother done this?! She couldn't remember much, but flashes were coming back. The mask. The smell of that chemical." M... Mom?!" she called out, rubbing her head on the mattress as she tried to work the headphones off her ears, but they were tight to her head. She was stuck. "Mom! Get me the FUCK out of here, NOW!" Evangeline came quickly into the basement. She had been awake for a few hours researching behavior modification and conditioning on her phone. It was still early yet. Evangeline smiles seeing her baby girl was awake. She went over to the crib and bent down to take the headphones off, so Kara could hear her. Evangeline had left the recording running all night while Kara slept but for now she tapped a key to pause the loop. She smiled down happily at the squirming teenager.“Ah! Mommy’s little girl is awake. I hope you had sweet dreams. , ” Evangeline said, reaching down and feeling under the dress. The diaper was big and puffy from obvious wetness. “Oh goodness! Someone had to go last night. Here let mommy take care of you.” With that, Evangeline put on a pair of rubber gloves and got a fresh diaper from a box nearby. Carefully she lowered the gate on the crib and started to tear off the strips at the side of the diaper, all the while smiling warmly despite Kara’s anger. Kara’s mother came down... but things didn’t get better. She seemed to have snapped, being in some weird ass world where Kara was... what? A baby? Had she lost her mind? Kara struggled as the diaper was unsnapped and pulled off, her cheeks flushed red as they’d obviously been wet. “Mom! MOM!” Kara shouted, glaring at her mother’s obnoxious smile, kicking at her, but it was hard to do anything with her wrists tied.“Have you lost your fucking mind?” she asked as she felt the cool air against her suddenly exposed and damp crotch, the dress pulled up and bunched around her stomach and chest. “I swear to god you’re in so much fucking trouble. This is... is like... kidnapping and... and fucking let me go!” she squealed, squirming but unable to even sit up as her shaven mound was exposed. “No.no. Baby. Calm down. Be a good girl and let mommy change your diaper. You’re safe here at home. No one kidnapped you. , ” Evangeline answered, catching the kicking foot in one gloved hand and setting it down while pulling the wet diaper away. She disappeared a moment then came back with a warm wet towel and wiped her daughter’s pussy clean. Then she carefully slid on the new diaper and fastened the Velcro straps. “ There. All clean. Doesn't that feel better?” Evangeline put up the gate, ignoring the tantrum Kara was throwing at the moment. “Seems like my baby girl is cranky. I know! You must be hungry. Mommy will go make something for you that is nice and yummy.” Evangeline left the basement, leaving Kara in the crib alone. About fifteen minutes later, Evangeline returned with a bright pink plastic cup that had a straw coming out of the top. The cup was one of those kind that was designed to keep drinks cold. Evangeline still had that smile on her face as she came to the crib. “Look what Mommy has sweaty. Mommy made you a smoothie.” Evangeline lowered the cup until the straw was at Kara’s lips. “Go ahead. Drink. It’s sweet just like cake.” It would taste just like birthday cake was what it was. Evangeline waited for Kara to comply. She had taken the cake from last night and blended it with some milk and banana. Plus something from her medicine cabinet to help Kara calm down.“Go on. You’ll like it. I promise,” Evangeline coaxed. Kara glared at her mother as the cloth rubbed over her pussy and then the fresh diaper was secured in place. As the gate went up and her mother disappeared, she tried squirming to get a better idea of where she was. What she saw, though, gave her very little comfort. It was like a little girl’s room, a closet with what looked like frilly dresses, a dresser with a drawer open to show more outfits and a seemingly fully stocked drawer of diapers like the one she wore now. This was absurd. When Evangeline came back, Kara felt her heart pounding. This didn’t seem like some kind of simple scare tactic. She’d really sent her mother off the deep end from the look of it. She saw her mom come back with the sippy cup and straw, pursing her lips initially. But it had been a while since she’d eaten anything, and she was incredibly dehydrated, eventually giving in and sipping on it. She could taste the sweetness, angrily staring at her mother as she sucked down the fruity, sweet concoction.“Mom, give me my phone” she said as she slurped down the last few bits of the drink. “Untie me, give me my phone.” After a few minutes she started to feel a little bit dizzy, her eyelids getting heavy as she tried to shake the feeling away. Evangeline could see by the glassy look in her daughter’s eyes that the drug was taking affect. It would make her a bit drowsy but wouldn’t knock her out. No, Evangeline wanted Kara calm and compliant so she could begin retracting her how to be. She took the supply cup and placed it somewhere out of sight. Evangeline took the wet diaper out and threw it and her gloves in the kitchen trash upstairs.“No baby. You don’t need a phone. Phones are for good girls. Grown up girls. You have been bad but don’t worry, Mommy will help you become good,” Evangeline said, coming back into the room. She gently raised Kara’s head up so she could look into Evangeline’s eyes, cradling her close to her body.“Just be good and listen to Mommy. You can do that. Can’t you Elizabeth?” Elizabeth was Kara’s middle name, but Evangeline thought a new personality deserved to be called something new. She caressed her fingers through Kara’s hair in a gentle loving manner. Kara was trying to blink the drowsiness away as her mother said only good girls...grown up girls... could have phones. Calling herself Mommy again and again, cradling her head, all things Kara would have liked when she was a baby, but now they were just infuriating her. But her arms felt too heavy to struggle even if they weren't tied together, and her legs too tired to do much more than squirm some. It felt like it took all of her energy to even try to roll away." C...crazy... b-bitch" she stammered out, feeling her mother's warm body against her cheek, so close she could feel Evangeline's heart beating. The hand running through her hair was obnoxiously soothing even in this insane situation, Kara trying to keep herself awake as Evangeline talked about being good and listening to 'Mommy.' She needed out... now. "My friends... come for me..." she said in her drowsy state. Of course, it was unlikely - they were friends of convenience, no deep bonds between any of them, and besides, no one expected her at school for another week anyway. Evangeline kept stroking her daughter’s hair softly, ignoring her weak defiance’s. With her other hand she pulled down the front of her shirt and exposed her right breast. Even at her age they were still quite round and perky enough. Without hesitating, Evangeline brought Kara’s lips to her nipple, holding her head firmly against her chest. Switching hands carefully, Evangeline slipped the headphones over her daughter’s ears then pressed play. Son Kara would hear the twinkling of a lullaby in her ears soon accompanied by her mother’s voice. “Good girls do as Mommy says. Good girls are obedient. Good girls know Mommy knows best. Good girls do as they’re told...” Evangeline held Kara close to her chest, smiling warmly down into her daughter’s eyes, hoping this would work. “ You are my good little girl. You need your Mommy to take care of you. You love mommy,” the voice continued. Kara wanted to fight, but her body was incredibly weak as her mother stroked her hair and held her head close to her mother’s chest. Her eyes briefly widened as she saw the breast come free, just inches from her face. She tried pulling back just as the headphones went on. She didn’t know what was happening, it was like her body was on autopilot as the familiar words seeped into her head. Her lips parted and sealed over the nipple, her tongue pressing against the nub as she kept listening, unable to fight it. The suction increased, and she began to suckle on her mother’s breast, like her mind was locked out from her body’s actions as she laid there, nursing from her mother in the basement bedroom. Her eyes beginning to close as her entire body relaxed, feeling the melodic words taking further hold as she was too weak to put up a fight or get the headphones off of her. “That’s it Elizabeth. Relax. Let mommy take care of you. Be my good girl.” Her mother cribbed, holding her head to her chest. Evangeline could see the struggle in Kara’s eyes. The recording was having an effect on her as Evangeline hoped it would.“Being a good girl makes you feel good. Every time you hear the words “Good girl” you feel pleasure,” the headphones told her. “ Every time you hear the words “ad girl” you feel guilt, shame, regret. You want to be Mommy’s good girl. You love mommy.” Evangeline watched on quietly, enjoying the sensation of her daughter’s lips suckling her breast. It had been several years since she had breastfed, but now it felt wonderful as ever. “That’s right baby. Just relax and listen for your mommy.” Kara knew she didn’t want to do this, but the thought of stopping filled her with anxiety. She didn’t agree with what was being fed through the speakers, but somehow it was imprinting into her mind. She sucked harder and moaned softly at the feeling it was giving her, the warmth of her mother’s embrace and satisfaction. Her mind beating against an unbreakable wall that her body seemed trapped behind. She found herself dreading the idea of disappointing her mother, something she used to almost get a rush from doing. Now she could sense that it would pain her to do so as she looked into her mother’s eyes, her lips still tightly sealed around the woman’s breast. “That’s a good girl. Relax. Just let go. Don’t resist. Good girls know obedience is pleasure,” Her mother I voice told her through the speakers. “Just let out all that anger and disobedience out. Let love for your mommy in.” Evangeline could feel a shiver run through her body as Kara suckled her tear. Leaning in closer, she kissed the top of her daughter’s forehead. Her fingers caressed the back of her head gently. Evangeline liked this very much. Having her baby girl close to her while taming the rebellion inside her made Evangeline feel hope for their relationship.“Just be a good girl and do as mommy says. Relax. Don’t resist. You don’t want to. Obeying feels better.” The voice that was her mother told her. Kara was slipping deeper into the trance it seemed, listening to the soft voice in the speakers and coaxed by her mother’s breathing, the gentle kisses and the relaxing heat of being held so close. Her mind was being quieted bit by bit, her soft little moans with each suckle able to be heard in the room. Her hand reached up and cradled her mother’s breast as she continued sucking. Her eyes closed, and her breathing became heavier. Furthermore, her sucking stopped, but every so often she would stir and begin to suck more. It was a deeper sleep than she ever remembered having before. Once she was completely out, her mouth popped free of the breast. Evangeline felt Kara’s hand fall away limply. She held her daughter for a few moments more, cherishing the closeness, then gently laid her back down inside the crib. Carefully, she laid Kara’s head on the pillow, leaning down to kiss the top of her daughter’s head before turning to leave the basement. Evangeline was hungry. Besides, it would help Kara more to continue to listen while she slept. Quietly, Evangeline went upstairs to the kitchen to make something to eat. In her ears poured the voice of her mother while Kara slept, molding her thoughts in dreams. “ Good girls don’t rebel. Good girls are pretty. Good girls respect their mother. Good girls use manners...” When Kara awoke, she was alone in the basement, back in the crib with the headphones still playing. Her mind felt mushy, that was the best way to describe it. She’d had some very strange dreams, vivid visions of nursing from her mother while being oddly aroused. And, sure enough, her pussy was actually quite swollen and aching in the diaper... mixed with a strong need to go to the bathroom. She got up to her knees and tried to work the gate of the crib, but it seemed near impossible from the inside. Plus she felt a pain at the thought of her mother coming down to see that she’d let herself out.“Mom... Mommy?” she called out, cheeks reddening at how she’d said Mommy instead of Mom. She wasn’t quite sure where that came from. Evangeline just happened to be headed back to check on her daughter when she heard Kara’s voice. She had enjoyed a nice homemade lunch of chicken salad sandwiches and some slices of apple for lunch. After lunch, she had changed into a white blouse and cargo pants. The blouse was short-sleeved and revealed her arms. She came through the door, looking surprised and happy that Kara was awake. Evangeline had expected her to sleep, but it was fine that she was up now. “ There’s my baby. Did you enjoy your nap?” She asked, taking off the headphones. Gently, she caressed Kara’s cheek seeing a worried look in her daughter’s eyes. “What’s wrong Elizabeth? Does baby have to go?” Kara saw her mother, and it seemed to make her anxiety go down. Seeing Evangeline also appeared to make her mouth water, strangely, feeling the headphones finally lifted away as her cheek was caressed. She nodded at the question of having to go, wincing a bit as she was referred to simply as baby and by her middle name. She’d never liked her middle name, but she didn’t fuss, which was rare for her.“Yes Mom-Mommy... I need to go so bad, please” she said as she found herself reaching for her mother to be helped from the crib. “Good girl for saying please!” Evangeline said, delighted at the progress. She quickly lowered the gate and lifted Kara up out of the crib and let the girl stand on her two feet. She took her daughter by the hand and led her upstairs out of the basement to the bathroom. Evangeline was no fool and was not about to let her daughter out of her sight. Especially since she had just started doing good. Going down the hallway, she let Kara into the bathroom and quickly pulled off the diaper and helped her on the seat.“Mommy will wait right outside baby. Go ahead and go.” Evangeline closed the bathroom door behind her. Kara was glad to at least be out of the basement, walking along in the diaper and dress as they went towards the bathroom. She saw the door to her old bedroom was closed with a padlock on it, making her clench her teeth slightly as she was ushered into the bathroom and the diaper was pulled away. She was still fairly groggy as she sat there and relieved herself in the toilet at least before wiping and standing up. Furthermore, she saw herself in the mirror and blushed at how girly the dress was she was in before opening the door and walking out. “I’m all done. Th-Thank you” She stammered out, not wanting to upset her mother again. Evangeline was happy to see her daughter was being docile and mannered. “ Feeling better now? Are you hungry, Elizabeth? “ She asked, slipping the diaper back on her daughter. “How is my baby feeling?” Evangeline reached over and took her hand to lead her back down the hallway towards the kitchen. Evangeline wondered just how much Kara had changed in one day. How much her mind had absorbed of her new conditioning.“Did my baby have good dreams?” She asked, curious to hear her answer. Kara scowled as the diaper was placed back on her. She and her mother both knew she didn’t need it, the material crinkling as she was walked back towards the kitchen as she was asked about her dreams. “They were... fine” she said, blushing a tiny bit at the memories of nursing from Evangeline’s breast. “I really don’t need this diaper, you know?” The mention of food made her stomach rumble some. She hadn’t eaten a real meal in some time, and she could definitely use something to get her strength back. “Maybe a sandwich? I’m starving.” Good girl. Mommy knows best.” She replied when Kara complained about the diaper. She walked with her daughter into the kitchen. “Sit down, and I will make you some chicken salad sandwiches with some apples, okay sweetie?” She flashed a big motherly smile before going to the refrigerator and pulled out a Tupperware container and brought it over to the counter.“Mommy is glad you slept well, Elizabeth. “ She said, getting out the bread and then searching for a butter knife. “After lunch you can come with me to the store. Mommy needs to get a few things. How does that sound?” Evangeline decided she would let Kara wear panties while they were out and about. No need for unwanted stares or questions. Evangeline spread the chicken salad on two sandwiches then cut up and entire apple into eight slices on a plate and carried them over to Kara. Kara sighed as her mother talked about leaving the diaper on. She was tempted to rip it off, but she didn’t know where her phone was and couldn’t get to her other things anyhow. Not yet, at least. She saw the food coming over, crinkling her nose some at the chicken salad as it was never her favorite, but it was something, and she was starving. The store... that could be her chance. She could see someone she knew perhaps and borrow their phone, maybe get some money, get a ride. Something. “The store sounds great. Mommy. I’d love to go” she said as she forced out a fake smile, taking a bite of apple. “Wonderful!” Evangeline seemed very happy about this. She smiled, watching Kara for a moment, waiting for her to start eating. “You finish all that and Mommy will give you a treat.” She reached over and caressed her daughter’s cheek fondly. “Mommy will be right back. I have to put on something more appropriate for going out. Be a good girl and eat.” Evangeline left the kitchen and headed back to her room quickly and quietly. In truth, she did not need to change, but she was testing to see what Kara would do. It was a test to see if her daughter would behave or if she would try something. Evangeline did not waste time however and did put her hair up and change into a lavender dress. Once done, she would put on a bit of lipstick. It was a neutral color that barely showed but was there. Evangeline left the room then to see how Kara was doing. More importantly if Kara was betraying her trust. Kara watched her mother exit the room, her heart pounding as this felt like her chance... perhaps her only chance. She waited a moment, just to make sure it wasn’t some kind of test, but she could hear the closet and drawers down the hallway, knowing for sure her mother was all the way back in her bedroom. Kara eased her chair back, careful not to make a sound. She wanted to go get her phone, but that would take her too close to Evangeline’s room. No, she had to get out of the house... diaper and all. Surely she could explain herself and get the cops involved, something. The evidence had to be overwhelming. She saw the front door and made her way there, but as she tugged on the doorknob, it was locked from the inside somehow. That seemed new. She fidgeted with the doorknob, the metal jiggling loudly as she was becoming frantic, but she couldn’t find a way to unlock it. She moved to the window, but there were locks there as well, Kara nearly breaking her fingernail as she tried to break the lock open. “Fuck!” she hissed. She could see Mrs Higgins, a neighbor woman about Evangeline’s age, outside mowing her lawn. It seemed Kara’s last hope. She banged on the window, knowing her mother would hear, but she needed to just get someone’s attention. “Mrs Higgins! Hey! Help!” she shouted... but with the mower running, the woman never even so much as looked Kara’s way. “Bad girl! Very bad girl! What do you think you are doing?” Evangeline glared at the disobedience her daughter was showing right then. She had hoped that Kara was showing some progress, but now it seemed that was not the case. Evangeline came up behind her daughter, wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her away from the door. “ Here I thought you could go out, but I guess you need another nap.” She threatened, turning Kara around to face her.“You know you need to be a good girl. Looks like you need more training. Don’t worry, Mommy knows what do with bad girls.” Evangeline grabbed Kara’s by the wrist and tugged her back toward the basement. Evangeline was disappointed in Kara but mostly in herself. She had thought the change would be complete and easy. She had been wrong. You Kara screamed as her mother stormed into the room and grabbed her around the waist. She tried flailing and breaking free, but Evangeline was far stronger than Kara was. She was told she needed a nap. And more ‘training.’“No! No... let... me... GO!” She screamed, but they were steadily heading back towards the basement. Kara realized she should have waited, should have let Evangeline take her outside the house, but the opening was too much for her to pass up. And now she was paying for it, and was none too pleased about it.“You psycho bitch!” She hissed, trying to slap at her mother, to do anything to break free of the vice grip as they re-entered the makeshift baby’s room. Kara was frantically squirming and twisting. “No! I’m not going back in there! I mean it!” Evangeline dragged her daughter quite literally into the basement kicking and screaming. She held tight, dodging most but not all of Kara’s flailing attempts. One hand struck her hard in the face. The sound of the slap as it connected right below her mother’s cheekbone seemed to echo throughout the room. Evangeline seemed for the moment stunned, more by the sheer act than pain. Evangeline’s face went from shock to pure anger unless time than it took to draw the next breath. In a fit of rage, she pulled hard on Kara’s arm, drawing her close, only to lift her daughter up and into the crib in a feat made possible only through rage. Before Kara could scramble up and out, Evangeline turned the knob of a nearby canister and brought a familiar black rubber mask toward her daughter’s face.“That is no way to treat your mother, Elizabeth!” Her mother said in the cold, sharp but even tone only an angry parent could. “Perhaps after your nap you’ll realize what you’ve done.” When Kara connected with her mother's face, there was an obvious pause between the two of them. Kara, realizing she'd struck her mother, initially felt remorse... but then remembered her situation. But before she could take advantage of the pause, Evangeline shocked Kara by picking her up and depositing her back into the fucking crib. Kara was trying to scramble back up to her feet, but it was awkward in the confines of the crib. Just as she got her knees under her, she saw the mask, forcing her to fall back and scream. "No! Don't you dare!" she squealed, but Evangeline was just too strong and had too much leverage. Kara fought, but the mask was already emitting some of the gas out, Kara feeling herself inhale it as she tried to twist away. She was feeling that numbness course through her limbs as she kept trying to fight, but she was obviously weakening. She felt the mask go over and into place as her body went limp in the crib, her eyes closing as she couldn't fight it any longer, taking a 'nap' once again. Evangeline watched as Kara succumbed to the anesthesia. She waited until her daughter’s eyes were closed before removing the mask and turning off the gas. Placing the headphones back onto Kara’s head, Evangeline started the second of two recordings she had made. This one would reaffirm the need to be an obedient and docile girl, wholly subservient to her mother. Evangeline rubbed her cheek where Kara’s hand had connected before leaving her daughter to sleep awhile. Evangeline knee she had about an hour so she left and headed out to the store to get a few things for her daughter’s continued training. An hour later, Evangeline would return home and go to the basement with several bags. Taking out a school girl outfit, she began to redress her slumbering daughter in it, leaving only her daughter’s vagina unclothed. Taking out our a small remote controlled dildo, she slipped it inside her daughter then slipped on some latex panties. Evangeline went to set up the remote while she waited for Kara to awaken. The other things would be surprises for later. Kara eventually began to wake back up. She groaned as she began to sit up, her hands fumbling up to push the headphones off of her head, though she felt cloudy in her mind, like something had been altered that she couldn't quite put her finger on. As she sat up, she felt the skirt shift and then her body jolted. Her pussy was obviously stuffed, stretched around a dildo that was trapped inside her by the latex panties. She wanted to pull them down and take the dildo out, but something in her wouldn't let her do it. It wasn't that she couldn't - the panties were tight, yes, but she could have pried them down. But as she went to pull them down, she seemed to know it would disappoint her mother to come down and see that Kara had disobeyed. It made her almost sick to her stomach as she imagined the let-down look on Evangeline's face, which was enough to keep her from acting on the urge to tug the dildo out of her. So she sat there, taking in the slutty little outfit she wore. She didn't try to get out of the crib, just waiting for her mother to return. “Oh good. You’re awake. How are you feeling, Elizabeth?” Evangeline asked her daughter as she took off the headphones. Evangeline smiles expectantly. Is my good girl ready to behave?” Evangeline waited to see if the verbal trigger implanted during Kara’s imposed sleep had taken hold. If it had her daughter would feel an increasing wave of pleasure every time the two words were uttered.“Mommy has some chores for you,” Evangeline explained, lowering the gate so that Kara could get down. Evangeline kept her left hand near the tank of gas in case Kara decided to throw another tantrum. Evangeline would not tolerate any more disobedience. She watched her daughter carefully to see how she might react. As her mother called her a good girl, Kara felt a warmth between her legs. Her pussy gripping tighter around the dildo lodged deep inside her, making her gasp at the sensation while the gate was lowered. Freedom... in a sense. She saw her mother linger near the gas canister and there was a small voice in the back of Kara’s head telling her to run. But it was overpowered and overruled by the sensation between her legs and this newfound desire to make her mother happy. She slid down from the crib and stood in the slutty little outfit, hands obediently clasped together in front of her whereas they should have either been clawing those shorts down or attacking her mother. Instead, she smiled and nodded. “Yes, Mommy... I’d love to do some chores. If it pleased you.” Hearing herself she couldn’t even believe what she’d said, but the lucid part of her mind seemed to be trapped. “Wonderful!” Her mother was ecstatic at Kara’s response. Perhaps she had actually made a breakthrough with Kara and wouldn’t have to sedate her daughter anymore. Still, Evangeline remained vigilant just in case Kara rebelled. She stepped away from the canister and pulled out white ankle socks and shoes that would match Kara’s uniform. “Put these on first,” Evangeline instructed her daughter. This was a small test to see if this latest bout of obedience was a ruse.“Good girl,” Evangeline said once the task was done. “Follow me, Elizabeth.” Evangeline led her daughter out of the basement to the broom closet. Opening the closet door she gestured to the cleaning supplies and handed Kara a pair of brand new Playtex rubber gloves.” Put these on and go mop the kitchen floor.” You will get a reward if it is done well.” Elizabeth put on the ankle socks and shoes, then followed her mother dutifully. Each step she could feel the dildo shift inside of her, soft little moans escaping her every few steps when it would hit just the right spot at just the right angle. She glanced at the front door when they walked through the house and had a slight urge to run for it... but she resisted as she felt a pang of guilt in her stomach at what that would cause her mother to both feel and do to her. So she walked to the closet and took the rubber gloves, putting them on and heading to the kitchen. "Yes Mommy, I'll do it well, I promise." She mopped the floor until it sparkled, then even a little more as she got on her hands and knees to make sure it was perfect. The thought of her mother telling her she'd done well sent waves of pleasure through her as she crawled about in the little costume. When she was done, she slid the gloves off and waited for her mother to see if she'd done well. Evangeline had just finished a new recording for Kara to listen to when she walked out of her room to the kitchen and found Kara standing there waiting. Evangeline moved past her daughter, stopping right at the edge where the carpet ended and kitchen floor began. Looking over the floor, Evangeline could almost see her reflection. It simply sparkled. This pleases her very much. A big satisfied smile formed as she turned to her daughter. “You did a wonderful job on the floor, Elizabeth. So good, I am going to give you a reward,” Evangeline told her daughter, taking out the small control remote from her pocket. Evangeline took a moment to look at the control. The vibration setting was currently at a one, the lowest setting. Carefully, she turned the dial-up to a two. “Mommy is pleased so you get to feel pleasure. Good girl,” Evangeline said, feeling a thrill go through her at the control she now had over her rebellious offspring. She stood still, watching to see any effect the increase might have on her daughter. Kara watched nervously as Evangeline inspected her work on the floors, feeling a sense of relief when her mother said it was a wonderful job. She stared at the remote when told she'd get a reward, the curiosity written all over her face. When the dildo came to life inside of her, Kara nearly lost her balance, her hands finding the counter as she felt it increase in speed. A low, soft moan escaped her lips as she was sexually pleased right there in front of her mother. Once she adjusted a bit to the sensations, she forced herself to stand back up and smile. It wasn't fast enough to make her cum, but would surely not be forgotten about and keep her on the edge."Thank you, Mommy... it feels s-s-so good" she moaned, her hands balled into fists to stop herself from shoving her hands down her panties and feverishly rubbing her clit to an orgasm. "Is there anything else you need from me?" “Yes. Elizabeth, put the gloves back on. Go dust all the furniture in the TV room,” Evangeline told her. She turned the dial on the small remote back down to one, so Kara could concentrate on her task. “When you have done that you may have another reward.” She was relishing her control thus far. Evangeline smiles, seeing the look on her daughter’s face. With enough reinforcements she hoped to wipe away the rebellious part of her daughter leaving a nice, obedient girl in its place. Again, Evangeline waited and watched to see if Kara would obey her instructions. When told, Kara put the gloves back on and made her way towards the living room. Her walk was a bit more awkward with the toy now a constant, dull buzz inside the panties. She was promised another reward as she made it to the living room and began to dust. However, her mind wandered as her pussy continued to be teased and edged towards an orgasm. As she was dusting the coffee table, she couldn't help herself, gazing towards the door and wondering if she could manage it. She placed the duster down and took off the gloves, sitting back into the couch. She spread her legs and let her hand wander down between her legs, feeling the jolt as her hand snaked into the panties and found her needy, throbbing clit. She was hesitant at first, but once she began to feel the pleasure, her motions increased in intensity. Furthermore, she began to moan softly as she thrust a finger inside herself, finding the toy buried deep and rubbing it while her thumb rubbed circles on her clit. Furthermore, she was totally lost at the moment as she lewdly masturbated there on the couch in the living room. Evangeline went to her room to do a bit of tidying up herself, confident the new instructions would take hold and keep her daughter in line. She decided to start with the clutter of paperwork on her desk. It was mostly made up of old bills, appointment notices, and mail. Evangeline hummed softly to herself, pulling over the small trash can over, and began to go through the pile. She looked over each thing before throwing it away just in case. There was a noise just as she was discarding an old store circular. Evangeline went silent and listened carefully. The sound was very faint, but it came from somewhere in the house. Evangeline got up from her chair and went to her bedroom door to listen. There was that faint sound again. Evangeline took a few steps into the hall. From there it sounded louder. Curious, Evangeline decided to investigate and followed the sound. It led her all the way into the TV room. By now she was close enough to discern the moaning sound was coming from the couch. Evangeline approached from behind and was startled to see her daughter masturbating instead of cleaning.“Elizabeth! What do you think you’re doing?” Evangeline said, standing over the couch with her hands on her hips.

Becoming a good girl (Wolfblackthorne and Emmyplays)|rating:2.0

Angel's Bounty

Amora glanced down, watching the demon-- the one she presumed to be full demon-- easily dispatch the remaining attackers and go for the one holding her ankle. She felt the grip released, and watched as he and his comrades that weren't terribly injured run for their lives. Cowardly ones, aren't they?she thought to herself, looking down at Raisin as he spoke. He sounded like a gentleman, much more of a gentleman than Jack had been, to her and especially to Malaria. As soon as Malaria was done speaking, Amora mentally slapped her forehead. Stupid! She was half demon the whole time, and you didn't even notice! Of course, she had little time to think about what blood ran through her veins as Jack was rowdy and foolish when it came to distinguishing enemy and friend-- though shedidjump out of nowhere like the other half demon did just a moment ago. Maybe that was something half demons did out of instinct... Amora spread her wings, letting go of the tree, and landed gently on the forest floor. She looked warily at the newcomer, then walked over to an unconscious Jack and one of the bounty hunters who decided to surrender to them as he was no match. She squatted down a few feet away so he wouldn't be able to grab her, and said quietly. "What purpose did you have in attacking us? Why are you here?" "Not been around here long, eh?" the man said, still clutching his nose with one hand. "These woods're under suspicion of harboring bandits. Been searching 'em for days now, didn't turn up nothin' 'til you lot showed up. Sorry for the trouble 'an all, miss, but the one we're lookin' for wouldn't exactly give us a chance to say 'hello', an' your friends don't look much like villagers t' me." He spared a glance towards his two comrades, still clutching their wounded ankles, and heaved a long and regretful sigh." Name's Richard. Can't speak for the cowards who ran off, but I won't touch ye. Ain't nobody I trust who'd pay an angel's bounty anyway." Raijiin watched the man as he spoke. He heard the sincerity in Richard's voice and believed him. " I believe this one... I think he means no harm now that he knows we aren't the bandits he's after... may I help him?" the half demon asked the angel. Raisin pulled out his flute again, this time it was normal size as he prepared to play it. "Bandits..." Arms cursed to herself; she shouldn't have lingered here at all, she was in more trouble than she thought. All that time she spent running from them, and she only managed to run into their den! She stood upright, and grabbed her dagger that she dropped when Malaria dropped in. Glancing back to the half demon, she gave a prompt nod and walked over to Jack, who still lay there. "Jack" she muttered quietly, shaking his shoulder gently, hoping to rouse him. Surprisingly Jack stirred at Arms' gentle shaking. Normally he would just wake when the back of his skull had reformed, but now he woke with a hole in his head that left the gray, wrinkly brain visible behind a fair bit of blood and bone fragments. Oh well, maybe some fresh air would do his brain well. He stood up without much comment and looked around at the defeated bandits and the newcomer who had introduced himself as Richard. Jack felt a twinge of regret for the bandits. They had not been such bad guys they deserved to be seriously wounded. They had attacked with cudgels so it felt unfair to bring better weapons against them.’t'ell wit' it." Jack said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I've got me steed t'find. Point' me in the 'section o' the village 'n I'll be goin'." And without waiting for anyone to comply with his wish he started walking down a forest path that would lead him just a fair bit to the west of his goal. "Let him go and good riddance to him. He had terrible manners and no respect." She said to Arms not caring if Jack heard her or not. She had been surprised when she saw how much he had gotten hurt, he seemed to have a hole in his head. Could he really not die? She thought she had misheard that or that he was exaggerating. A strange talent. Well she would be more than happy to stay with Arise specially if the rude naked guy was gone. "If this man is truthful we should move away from this area as well. I feel like I want to protect you, Arms. If these guys are after bandits we could let them go, and I hope they find who they are looking for." Richard watched in amazement as the angel kneeled before her downed companion and casually raised him from the dead. He wasn't even aware that Jack had died in the first place, but there he was, standing around with a piece of his skull missing like he had just woken from a light nap. Truthfully, the bounty hunter expected a bit more ceremony from it all - priests loved to make a great deal out of resurrection, claiming that it was reserved only for those few faithful souls who still had some important divine purpose to fulfill, and that it took days of prayer and meticulous rituals to accomplish. Arms had Jack on his feet in seconds with scarcely more than a touch, and he definitely didn't look like he had some grand mission tethering him to the mortal plane. In fact, he had already left to wander off without so much as a "thank-you", muttering something about a steed despite the fact that nobody seemed to be following or speaking to him. For a moment, Richard considered asking the angel if she could heal wounds as easily as she could restore life, if not for his own sake then for that of his two comrades. Still, even though it looked like neither of them would be able to walk back to town on their own, he was more than a little apprehensive to make requests of someone that they had all attacked mere moments ago. It was only after Arms and her strange allies had finished speaking amongst themselves that he rose to his feet and attempted to get their attention." Ah... miss, if it ain't too much trouble, my two cohorts o'er there don't look like they can walk back to town, much less hunt fer bandits. Is there anythin' ye could do for 'em?"" I can heal your friends." the slender, long-haired man replied. "However, it will be painful. Prepare yourselves." Without any further explanation, he raised a flute to his lips, closed his eyes, and began to play. The music itself started out pleasantly enough - a slow, soothing tune of little complexity, but it was quickly forgotten within the sensation that followed. Richard's face began to rapidly heat up around the area of his injury, and a quick glance at the other two bounty hunters revealed that they were experiencing the same feeling as well. Panic soon set in as the pain intensified further, reaching a state not unlike white-hot steel, and it was all that Richard could do to stifle his own screaming once the bones in his nose began to mend themselves. It felt like hours had passed before the music stopped, although in reality Raisin had only been playing for slightly over a minute. When he was done, Richard was on his knees with both hands clutching his face." T-thank you," he stuttered, trying unsuccessfully to hide the fear in his voice. With some effort, he managed to stand up by himself and walk over to his two companions to help them onto their feet. Both were visibly shaken from the ordeal, but they also had the strength to move on their own, and Richard didn't need to ask either about where they intended to go next. He gave them a sympathetic nod and turned his attention back towards the angel and her two friends who had yet to depart." We're going back t' town as well. Yer welcome to follow us, but the villagers might not like the company of afiendlinglike her," he said, pointing at Malaria. "Can't say I'd blame them either. That kind's trouble, whether they mean t' be or not. I'm surprised she's travelin' with others at all, but... it ain't my place t' ask. I'll be at the inn if ye need me. Farewell, angel." With a bow as polite as he could muster, Richard picked up his things and began a brisk jog down the same path Jack was using. It wasn't exactly the right direction, but the least he could do for the poor man was set him straight and give him something to wear before he reached New Covington. She visibly bristled at the word Failing, bringing her teeth. Her eyes glowed slightly in anger, but she forced herself not to grab for her said and just watched them go, still seething. She took several deep breaths to try and calm herself and glanced over at Arms. Seeing the angel in all her glory calmed her again. She couldn't help the slight awe she felt when she looked at the angel. She may be half demon, but she had never really been a part of that world and mostly wandered the human realm. Though many turned her away because of her appearance but because some only saw her fie attributes she had gotten by and even met some really kind people. She might still be a little cynical and quick to anger but seeing a real angel was like being bathed in a warm light. She didn't know what to say, only hoping Arms would allow her to stay with her and maybe with time, they could be friends. "Jack!" she called after him, letting out a sigh. He really needed to get some clothes before appearing in a populated area. She quickly muttered her spell, allowing her wings to melt back into her shoulder blades. She turned to the two half demons. "Are you two really part demon, and if so, why should I trust you?" she asked, not to be rude, but she couldn't help be wary. Demons were the very bane of an angel's existence, polar opposites. She shook her head. "Never mind, let's just head into that town they were talking about." Arms let out a loud sigh as she slipped further into the hot water and rested on the smooth rocks beneath. She always did enjoy relaxing, and now that she could, she would enjoy it to the fullest extent. Her feathery, white wings seemed to blend in with the steam, though someone would notice if they were walking by. As if anyone would come around here at this time of day. The angel thought, opening one eyelid to glance over at the sun slowly sinking into the horizon. She began cupping water in her hands and spilling it onto her wings. Like a bird in a birdbath, one would think, but angels liked to keep themselves looking nice. She glanced down at her lithe form under the water and smiled. Angels were always pretty, even one living on Earth. Snap! Aris froze, sitting up. She looked around worriedly, hoping it was a small animal or something. Nope. Her face turned red as she saw the human peeking at her behind a tree. Grabbing a rock from beneath the water, she flung it at him, shouting loudly, "Pervert! GetoutgetoutgetOUT!" Sure, they weren't in any place in particular, she was just flustered. Grabbing her dress handing off a nearby tree branch, she made an attempt to cover herself while she patted the ground. "Where is that... aha!" she muttered to herself, picking up a small dagger and glancing over where the human was seen. Aris jumped him, pointing the dagger at his chest and spouted angrily, "Speak, unless you don't want a tongue to speak with anymore." Behind the branches and behind the bushes a man was hiding. It was hardly surprising Arms saw him as his pinkish skin was almost visible against the dominant greens and browns of the forest. He was naked, muscular, and he displayed no talent for stealth. Reasonably she threw rocks at him, which he made no attempt evade, and she tried to cover herself up while he stayed in the same position, seemingly taking as much enjoyment from watching her scramble for her clothes as he did from her bathing. Whoever he was, he was a terrible, shameless voyeur, who did not comprehend the idea of retreat. Aris in turn displayed the idea of advance and lunged at him with her dagger, which he made no attempt to evade either. She jumped through the bushes, screaming a "hiya ah" like a ninja - a confused ninja - and stopped the dagger just short of his chest, not wanting to strike a killing blow. The dead man who had been peeping on her could not have cared less about that. After all, he was dead. Hidden slightly by the foliage his condition as dead had been questionable. The noose that hung around his neck was much harder to spot than the rest of him, and his feet which dangled above the ground was behind a juniper bush so he might just have seemed uncommonly tall. His facial expression was still, but did contain a few hints of a creepy peeper, with his eyes bulging out and his tongue hanging limply from his open mouth, remnants of drool glistening perversely on his chin. Being naked didn't help either. He was a real creep; If he wasn't dead he would deserve to be hanged. His name had been Jack when he was alive, and he had been hanged for peeping on the baker's and the fishmonger's wives bathing. When they caught him they hung him from the tree next to the one he had been peeping from, claiming it was justice, but in reality the dead man, Jack, now just ruined it for everyone else coming to bathe in the lake. Everyone in the city knew the dead man was hanging near their pond and no one wanted to go near it now. Which explained why Arms had it all to herself. Unless you counted Jack, who was dead. Under other circumstances that would be the end of the story. Arms would move on and find someone living to help with her problems, and there would be no reason to even mention the dead man. Even an angel could not revive the dead, and so he was of no help to anyone. Fortunately for Arms and especially fortunately for Jack, Jack had never needed help coming back to life and as Arms removed her dagger from his chest the dead man sprang back to life, kicking his legs in the air, and making strangled throaty growls befitting of a man in a noose. His face turned red as a bead and his eyes started bulging again. His hands desperately clawed at the rope trying to free himself, but his body weight worked against him, keeping the noose taught, and as suddenly as he had come back to life Jack died again, croaking wordlessly for help. Jack was as bad a dead man as he was a peeper because four minutes later he returned to life again, kicking and croaking and dying all over and there was no telling how long this process of rebirth and strangulation would have continued if not for Arms. Arms grew very pale when's he realized what she was looking at. A corpse. The angel really didn't like dead things; odd, considering she was constantly surrounded by spirits when up in Heaven, but this wasn't Heaven. People were brutally murdered here, and the man before her was another example. She wasn't sure what to make of it. The blade lowered, and she stared, mortified. The body started wriggling, clawing, gasping, and Arms shrieked. Corpses didn't come back to life, but this one just did. Then, as abruptly as he lived, the life was sucked out of him, and he turned pale. Arms breathed, blinking at Jack with confusion clear on her face. What was he doing here, and what was he hung for? Most importantly of all, how did he keep coming back to life? He began to struggle again, and, though he startled her again, she couldn't stand to see anyone in that much pain over and over and over again, so, putting the knife on the rope by his neck, which was the only thing she could reach without dropping her gown from her chest, she sliced through it. She stared at him, gasping for breath on the ground, unsure what to do now. It was love at first sight. The first time Jack saw Arms he madly in love with her. It was not just the wings, though they played a part. He had never seen a woman with wings and that alone was enough for him to love her. But it was also that she had saved him while naked. She was angel, so Jack knew she was as good and pure as anything could be, so she not only saved his life but also allowed the first thing he saw as he returned to life her naked body, and that was kindness no one else would do. Or rather, she did keep herself covered, and that made Jack feel shame. He was not worthy of her full kindness; she was a favoured soul of good Agra; she was above him. She was good and pure, and he was not, and she knew it. Jack could not help giving her a sheepish, infatuated smile, but at the same time he felt terrible about himself for making her waste time on him, who was beneath her. Then again, she was naked, and so was he. Had he died naked? Maybe she had undressed him. Jack recoiled in horror; how could he think that way about a woman who was so pure? Aris just looked frightened, but Jack paid that no heed. Death was trivial to him, he had died a hundred times. The pain that came with death was the major deterrent to die, but the experience itself was just blackness and occasionally some random images, which he assumed was just his inner tubes beginning to work again without waking him up entirely, like drunken dreams from a half-living brain. Jack assumed death was just a black sudden passage of time, and he had never seen an afterlife. This was the first time he woke to see an angel. It should have been a grander shock, but Jack hardly even considered that he was permanently dead and gone to a heaven he did not believe in. As much faith as Jack had in the Three he had more faith in his own immortality. Waking up to see an angel did not mean he had crossed over to the other side, and she did not fool Jack for a second. He would never die. He had no idea why she was here or why she helped him. Furthermore, he wanted to say something clever and charming to make her like him, like his old friend, the Lad, would do. The Lad was a true charmer, and he would have made an angel fall in love with him with a wink and a clever line. Jack looked about frantically for some apples so he could offer he a glass of scrumpy; that was what the Lad would do. Jack thought hard and said the most charming thing that came to mind:"Oi, ye're well fit." She was not impressed and Jack's heart sank. He loved this angel and did not want her to fly away before he had a chance to show her how he felt. His mind was not working, and maybe it was because he had still not healed fully. He put his fingers to his neck and felt deep marks left by the noose. He had to make her stay, not fly. Maybe if she saw his marks go away she would be intrigued how he did it. She was his first angel, and he wanted to know her. Another thought popped into his head and he thought that might be what it took to make her stay just a little longer." D'ye want'see me 'feint? I ain't know 'ow long I've been hung but me 'feint'd be 'angry 'n I could use 'ELP with 'I'm? I... Furthermore, I died on a Middle... d'ye KNO' when we're now? An'... D'ye want t'see 'I'm?" She hadn't fled yet despite looking frightened so he put a hand out for her to shake." I'm Jack Jenkins, see, I ain't dead-like." Saying his name seemed to make him regain some measure of self-confidence because he jerked his thumb towards himself and continued the introduction with clear pride: "Oi'm 'mortal!" curled up in a tree not too far away, lounged a very bored Malaria. She reached out idly and grabbed a fruit from the tree, easily keeping her balance in the high branches. She took a bite, the juice dribbling down her chin. Suddenly echoing was the sound of a woman yelling. In surprise, she dropped the fruit she had been eating. Had she heard right, she thought it had been something about a pervert. She knew there was a hot spring not too far away and knew it was coming from that direction. If she wasn't so bored she probably wouldn't be so interested, but lately she hadn't had anything to keep her busy. She needed a new toy, and a nasty pervert would make a fun toy. She stood nimbly and launched herself into the trees using her arms and tail to help her navigate through the trees toward the spring. Furthermore, she moved fast and silently, barely making more noise than a breeze might as she flew through the branches. Faster than a blink she was there and halted her progress by grabbing a branch and swinging around once. Once she was settled she looked around and the first thing to catch her eyes made her gasp out loud. She was usually so silent but the sight of the angel was so unusual and so beautiful that she couldn't control herself. An angel? Here? She couldn't believe it. They were extremely rare to see and certainly unusual for one to be out here alone. The angel was so beautiful that Malaria had all but forgotten why she had come this way in the first place and was just hanging there up in the tree with her mouth hanging open as she stared at the angel. The sound of a male voice shook her out of her stupor and she finally saw the man. She immediately grew angry. Here he was talking like a gentleman but at the same time standing there in front of such a pure creature completely naked, and he was obviously staring at the angel who was trying to cover herself. In a fit of uncontrolled rage she grabbed one of her said (not sure how to spell this) and jumped, catlike, to the ground in between the two, putting herself in front of the angel to block her from the eyes of the man. Not able to stop her anger at the seeming injustice she had witnessed, she struck like a viper at his neck, aiming to slice his throat. Arms stared at the man before her, unsure what to think of him. Human men weren't supposed to come back from the dead, they were not supposed to be immortal, and yet this man was. He grinned at her, and she took a small step back. Jack may have just been smiling at the fact that such a beauty was unclothed in front of him in the middle of nowhere, giving him an opportunity to do whatever he wished. However, it seemed that he did not have that in mind. He spoke in such an odd dialect that Arms had to pause for a moment to figure out what he had said. "He has an elephant?" she muttered to herself, as he held out a hand for her to shake. She kept her hands on her gown held tightly to her chest, still wary of this 'Jack' character, when a figure suddenly jumped between them. She was not human, judging from the fawn-colored tail waving in the angel's face while the newcomer pointed a weapon at Jack." Hold on! Don't!" she said quickly, taking the distraction as a chance to get dressed. After slipping her cream-colored gown over her head, she took Malaria's arm and pulled the SAI away from Jack's throat. "He wasn't trying to hurt me, relax!" Malaria paused lowering the SAI. She took a moment to look him up and down smirking slightly. He wasn't bad looking but something about him ticked her off at the moment. She turned her head and looked at the angel. Again the ephemeral beauty nearly took her breath away. She had no inkling whatsoever to swing "that" way, but she could recognize perfection when she saw it. She was relieved to notice that the angel had put something on, even if it was pretty skimpy in her opinion. Malaria didn't really have much, but she did have one cape. She looked back and forth again and decided that the naked man needed the covering just a little bit more, not out of concern for him or for her own sake, but for the angel's. Nudity didn't really bother her and his body was nice to look at, but she didn't think a pure being like the angel would appreciate it. She finally put her SAI back in her boot, keeping an eye on Jack in case he decided to try anything funny and pulled off her cape. She handed it to him perfunctorily. Standing to block the angels view and provide protection until he was dressed at least." I'm Malaria by the way, Malaria Te' Reese." Being hanged was almost a simple affair. Jack's neck might have snapped when he first dropped, but his broken neck had healed and when he died next it was from strangulation. Healing from that happened fact as there was so little tissue to regenerate. Beheading was a much longer process. But Jack's neck healed before his brain; black spots slowly turned to working gray matter as he chatted with Arms, and it was a curious sensation, being able to feel your thoughts become more coherent, and it was damn shameful being able to realize what you had just said." Well fit?" He knew he did not know how to behave, but calling an angel "well fit" was odd, even for him. As he looked at the seemingly young angel in front of him he was starting to wonder why he had said it in the first place. A few black spots ago she had seemed more... angelic. She was too short, for one thing, and looked too young. She also had wings, which was an odd feature, and it further confused Jack that he was not all that attracted to them. He would be attracted to wings on other women, he thought. Perhaps she was too holy to love, or perhaps he was too vile to love someone so holy. Angels were supposed to be the chosen favorites of Agra, so Jack should love her as any follower of the Three should. But Jack was a poor disciple, so... It was too much thought for him, and he gave a mental as well as a visible shrug and decided to just screw the angel if the opportunity to came up and not give it too much thought until then. Show her Pounds, get a stiff drink and then punch the people who hanged him before skipping town on the back of his elephant. If she wanted to join him for all of this then it would be lovely, if not... he shrugged again, not caring to think that many hours ahead. Then out of nowhere a crazy woman appeared. Jack took an instinctive step backwards and just had time to think it was turning out to be one ofthosedays before she tried to murder him. Why was everyone trying to goddamn murder him? He jerked back convulsively and brought his arms up to shield his precious neck. As shields went, his arms were rather unfit, and she cut them deep gashes followed by his cry of pain, which experience had taught him to turn into a manly roar. Then before Jack died, Arms yelled something unimportant and the attacking woman stopped for an equally unimportant reason and said her unimportant name and Jack responded with by charging straight at her while cursing violently, female angel present or no." Fockin' 'allot, ye 'armed me arms!" She would probably stab him. He did not have any weapon, and he was only able to make half-fists because she had cut his arms. But he could bleed on her profusely, and he had two working elbows to bash in her ribs. He rushed forward in a suicidal tackle, and he was going to break her nose with his forehead if he could just wrestle her to the ground. Close combat, trap her, and strike her as much and as fast as he could before she stabbed him to death. Jack would later nobly spin the tale that he to protect Arms from a lunatic madwoman, and Jack would genuinely believe it, but as he attacked he only did it because she had hurt him and Jack wanted to break her nose in return. Arms stood there rather shocked at how quickly Jack lunged at the newcomer. He seemed rather jumpy when it came to someone injuring him, even though it appeared he could heal himself very quickly. "Hey! Knock it off!" she cried, jumping in between Jack and Malaria, putting her hands out in front of her to catch Jack when he got too close to her. The sound of people talking in the distance worried Arms. She had no intention of being seen by any more humans, but these two made far too much noise. "Hush! I need to leave, now!" she whispered promptly, glancing warily around her. The last time she had been seen, things had not ended well. Malaria was so surprised when he jumped and got his arms hurt. She usually only hurt what she aimed for. This man must be a real idiot. As soon as the angel jumped in between, Malaria jumped back so as not to accidentally injure her but kept close in case the man tried to hurt the angel. Then she heard the sounds of people approaching. "If you're worried, I will get you out of here and protect you, you don't need to worry about this idiot." She said to Arms. "Rock ye, ye dumb cow," Jack shouted at the woman. "Ye come in, knives goin' snicker-snack and tryin' t'murder me, and ye speak o' protectin' 'er? What sort o' person does that? Yer a craze rock 'n I should twist yer 'EAD t'the left 'til it goes snap." Jack should have fallen in love with the newcomer, because she was a woman, but he only glared at her with hateful eyes, and blood still trickling down his wounded arms. Even if a stab to the neck would not kill him, any would still hurt, and he had no reason to believe this other woman had known he could never die." Yer a locking' killer, ain't ye, cow? Ye'd murder me, ye'll murder the girl, 'n I'm ain't gone let ye. Angel, yer a sweet thing 'n I 'vice ye t'fly 'was from people like 'er an' me. We ain't good fer ye, but I 'spent she might be the worst. If'n yer goin' with 'er, I'm goin' with ye until she leaves. Still got me 'feint in the town. I want it back. Come with me t'git it, an' I'll be... how ye SAE, I'll be yer booty guard from then on 'til yer safe?" Arms let out a sigh, smiling gently. These two wouldn't get along even if their lives depended on it, and from the circumstances the young angel was in, that would very well be the case. "Look you two, I appreciate it, but you don't know what you're getting yourselves into." she said simply, having no need nor desire to explain what danger they might have to go through if they wished to protect her. She took a few steps back, still smiling like nothing would happen to her if she went on her own. That was an obvious lie. She shut her eyes, folding her hands, and murmured "Lecture alarm." A light engulfed her wings, and the angel braced herself. Hiding her wings was always uncomfortable, if not painful, but she had little choice if she was going into town. She didn't need to be seen as a heavenly being by anyone she didn't want to. Slowly, her wings began to meld into her back. Dark lines began to form on her shoulder blades, drawing an unknown pattern where the wings were just a moment ago. The light faded, her wings were replaced by wing-shaped tattoos on her back. Aris smiled at the others, "No need to follow me. I'll be fine." Angels shouldn't lie, but there was little point in having anyone else in danger. She just scoffed and smirked at the man but was surprised when the girl hid her wings. "Why did you not have them hidden before now?" She couldn't help asking. She stayed close in case anything might threaten the angel, and basically ignored that the naked man was there at all. Furthermore, she had originally thought to play with him a bit, especially hearing that tidbit about him being unable to die. Furthermore, she itched to text it out but after hearing him talk more she was starting to lose interest. He was so crass and quick to anger, even if he was immortal he didn't seem to have any skills to speak of. He would most likely only be in the way, though they could always use him as a human shield and if he really didn't die, no need to feel guilty about it, not that she would in his case. She couldn't help wondering why was so angry all the time. She was generally either cheerful or cool. Being quick to anger only made you weak and easy to defeat. Anna sat perched on the branch of a massive oak tree, leaning against its thick trunk as she stared off into the dense forest surrounding her. Her talons dug deep into the bark underneath them and were ripped free one at a time, only to slowly come to rest and dig back in as part of a repeating, subconscious process. She hated being anxious; it tended to bring out her animalistic side and get her thinking about the blowing of the wind, and trees, and catching squirrels... useless things that clouded her thoughts just when she needed them most. What she was supposed to be thinking about was how to get her gang out of the mess they had found themselves in. The bounty hunters on her trail were becoming more persistent by the day, and had begun to realize that they couldn't fool her with fake caravans. Last time they had used a real one as bait, and ZIF barely had enough time to warn her and the others off before they all ended up dead. Now the Black Pinions were lying low, but that wouldn't save them from anything. The forest was no longer a safe place to hide, and there was nowhere they could run where a talking harpy wouldn't draw attention. What Anna needed was a way out, and she hated the only one that came to mind. A few weeks back, Liam had caught someone wandering through their territory alone. He was well-dressed, but his pockets were empty, and he was carrying nothing but a sword with which to defend himself. A quick interrogation at knife-point revealed that he was not lost but rather searching for the very bandits who had captured him, with the intent to deliver a message. The man was apparently a trusted servant of some influential lord, who wished to hire the Pinions to perform some crucial-yet-unspecified task that he could not allow the public to learn of. In exchange, he was prepared to eliminate all official records of their existence along with the price on their heads, as well as pay them a considerable sum of money for their trouble. All they had to do was meet with another one of the lord's men to receive instructions, complete those instructions to the best of their ability, and keep silent about the whole ordeal to whomever else they had dealings with. Naturally, they instead kept his sword and left him to find his way back home without an answer. Still, the hunters seemed to disappear for while afterward, and now they were back in greater force than they ever had been. The timing was too convenient to ignore; whoever wanted Anna's help wasn't afraid to force her hand even if it meant the death of her and everyone she knew." Zif!" she barked, turning her head to glare in the direction of their makeshift camp. The ground at the foot of camp's modest fire pit buckled and shifted, revealing itself as a lanky henchman in a weathered cloak which blended perfectly with the surrounding dirt - whether by cunning or coincidence. Lifting a wide-brimmed hat from his duplicitous features, Randall Hiram staggered to his feet, blinking furiously as he scanned the treeline for the source of the command. He was a man of angles both literal and metaphorical; sharp of elbow, long of limb, dressed in fine-cut leathers... and possessed of a remarkable talent for dishonesty. Convenient, then, that dishonesty was his only trade." Ladyship." Having located his erstwhile leader on the lower branches of a stately oak, he took a mock-bow which swept the dusty cloak from his shoulders. A narrow reed protruded from the corner of his mouth which vibrated as he spoke, having apparently materialized from nothingness. Vanna narrowed her eyes at the sententious bandit. "I'm not a ship."" Neither a lady," ZIF grumbled into the brim of his hat. The angular black feather in its band quivered as if in acknowledgement of its owner." S'time for you to mingle with the common folk again." Anna replied, scowling at the comment. "You're going back to civilization."" Anten's Still?" he scoffed. "Now that's high praise fer a run-down shanty've trumped-up-""Kyneswarden," she corrected him, smiling cruelly. "Where the guards have sticks shoved so far up their asses they'll pinch ye for failin' t'greet yer neighbor." The reed tumbled from ZIF's mouth; his knife-edged eyebrows receded into the hat. His expression was a confounding mix of surprise, fear, intrigue, and avarice. At length, it settled on an impenetrable half-smile which he wore like a finely tailored glove." Ambrosia fer the hearing, boss." Avarice appeared to be winning." Remember that sorry little boot lick who came lookin' for us some time ago?"" Aye. Reedy bloke strung tighter'n a bow, silver spoon lodged firmly in the posterior? I sealed a few lender's notes with that ring've his. Real officious-looking. Worked until some cad figured it for lowborn wick wax with a bit've berry pigment."" I think his boss is puttin' the pressure on us, an' if so, he should still have some dupe waiting t' meet us there. Find out what he wants."" Skullduggery, like as not. That, or the handful've silvers I lifted from his account with that bit of wit... 'alongside the hand what did the lifting." Hiram winced, flexing his cold-numbed fingers in their gloves. "Hoping it's skulduggery."" Skullduggery a'coin," the acrimonious harpy reminded him. "No use in it else wise."" S'much goes unsaid. No freedom fer bandits; no banditry fer free. No less than the cornerstone've good economics. Didn't quite figure us for the hiring sort, truth be told." Sighing, Anna turned back to stare into the empty woods again." Be careful, ZIF. I wouldn't ask if it weren't our best shot."*****The sound of heavy boots stomping upon dried leaves and fallen twigs permeated the outskirts of the village known as New Covington. Although they were only six men strong, the group stormed through the lightly forested area like an army, maintaining a tight formation and a constant watch on all sides in anticipation of some unseen threat. Any pretense of subtlety that they may have once possessed was long gone, discarded along with their patience after countless days of hunting without any meaningful progress. Every trap they set had failed, every plan spoiled, and every search turned up nothing but dust and useless rumors. Their latest attempt, which had taken the form of a complete frontal assault against an enemy which did not exist, was accomplishing little more than terrifying the local peasantry into thinking their idyllic town was being occupied by a band of raiders. In truth, the men were bounty hunters, and their interest in New Covington was minimal at best. No major trade routes passed through the village, and it was not the sort of lawless slum that could so easily harbor bandits either, not that any of them expected to find the infamous Black Pinions hiding in a town even amongst their own kind. Rather, the reason that six like-minded servants of the law found themselves lodging in such a peaceful place was because it straddled the border of a great forest, which itself was suspiciously close to the site of several recent attacks on wealthy caravans. It was not the first time any of them had attempted to comb the trees in search of their quarry, nor was it the first time that they had returned with nothing but blisters and sores for their trouble, and at long last their pride had worn down to match the miserable state of their footwear." Right!" one of the men shouted without warning, coming to a halt in the middle of a small clearing. The others followed suit, more out of confusion than anything, and turned to look back at him questioningly. Whatever he was doing was not something they had agreed upon." Every one of ye's thinkin' it, so I'm just' going to say it aloud." he fumed, stomping his foot down to further exaggerate his point. "She ain't here. None of 'em are! This is a-""Andre-" another member of the group began, quickly being cut off by his comrade's tantrum." No! This is a waste of time. Ain't no winged harlots hiding in this damned forest, an' I'm sick've pretendin' otherwise. Your dolts can spend the next week here fer all I care; I'm goin' back t' the inn!"" Silence!" hissed a third, pointing his sword at the man whom he had tried and failed to ignore. "Stay or leave, idiot, but hold your tongue before I rip it out. The same goes for the rest of you; I'm not here to watch you all make fools of yourselves." His threat was well-received, and in the ensuing quiet he took a moment to kneel down, close his eyes, and listen intently. After a while, he was certain of what he heard, and with a low whisper he shared it amongst his comrades." I can hear talking to the south. Get the nets ready." Raisin walked through the forest path quietly humming to himself. A warm breeze blew through the trees making his long hair flow behind him. He'd been walking for quite some time now. The dirt and brambles of the path crunched softly under his leather boots. A flute swayed gently strapped to his back. Hearing something up ahead he moved off the path behind the trees. The half-breeds violet eyes looked up into the thick foliage above as he jumped up landing nimbly on a branch. He jumped from branch to branch until he could see a group talking. Seeing white wings he kept his distance, one of them was an angel. Surely, she'd know he's part demon but probably would assume he's a full demon. Raisin is a half demon, his mother was human, and his father was an incubus. He did not have a demon's ill intentions and was actually quite kind... though he could be provoked otherwise. Stretching out on the branch right above them, he watched still humming quietly to himself. The amazing thing was how fast the situation had escalated, and Jack had a feeling he was either missing something or the day had just spontaneously decided to be crazy, and that was why Jack was in a net. Getting trapped in the net had happened quickly. A bunch of men had quite simply walked through the foliage, and Jack had just assumed they were here to bathe in the spring, or peep, or both. They had not spoken any threats or made any demands, they just simply tossed a net over Jack, who explained calmly and rationally to them that it was the red-eyed lass they were after. Then he was not sure about the exact sequence of events, but something had frightened Arms, and either that had made him attack one of the assailants, or him attacking was what had made Arms frightened. No, before he had attacked he had come with them quietly. He was less offended at them taking him prisoner than he was thankful they used simple devices like nets, rather than try to stab his throat the second they saw him. And then Arms had protested and Jack had broken the nose of the man who tossed the net on him, and here Jack was, being beaten into submission by at least four men with cudgels. He would have removed the net, but they hit him on his arms, which would normally only hurt for a second before he healed the blunt-force trauma, but Malaria had left him with great, bloody gashes and those wounds had yet to heal." Angel... smite... them..." he grunted in between hits with the cudgels. The attackers seemed to go to great lengths not to use lethal force. It would have been a great deal quicker to just stab them all, but they were gentle assailants, and when Jack eventually stopped trying to get back up from being hit, and they stopped hitting him, which was when Jack decided to get back up after all and tackled another attacker to the ground. The pummeling of him restarted, while Jack broke another nose. He planned on pretending to be knocked unconscious, only to get back up for a second time, when one of the men hit him very hard at the back of the neck with a light cracking sound, and knocked Jack unconscious. "Oh no..." the angel murmured when she noticed the bounty hunters emerge from the shrubs. She took a few steps back, quickly searching for a way out, when Jack decided to resort to violence... again. "Jack, stop it!" she cried when he elbowed a man in the nose, causing it to bleed. The men took to beating him with clubs, something that Arms couldn't stand. Even if he couldn't die, it would still hurt, Arms assumed." Stop it! Leave him alone!" she shouted, pounding on one of their backs with her puny fists. She wasn't a fighter, but she didn't want to see anyone hurt. The bounty hunter turned, giving her a sharp glare that made her retreat a few steps. She could see behind the man that Jack was trying to get up, still caught in the net.*Thunk!*"Jack!" Arms shrieked when he fell to the ground, putting her hands to her mouth. He wasn't dead, and even if he was, he would return, but she was still scared. The bounty hunters had their sights set on her, many of them looked dumbfounded. That was odd to Arms, until she glanced back at her wings. Her concentration was lost when Jack was knocked out, causing the spell to be broken and her wings to unfurl. Arms' eyes grew very wide when she realized, and turned back to the bounty hunters, a few of which were stalking towards her with nets. Though her wings were still wet from the hot springs, she shot up into the air, grabbing hold of the first branch she could. She heaved her torso onto it, looking back down at the frustrated men below, trying to jump and grab at her dangling legs. She stared down at poor Jack, unconscious from all this, when she saw someone standing next to him. The color of her face drained, she swallowed. It was a demon. She was in between a rock and a hard place now. Suddenly, she felt a rough hand grab her tiny ankle, yanking her down so only her arms and head were above the branch. Arms shrieked, kicking at the hand below. She didn't want to get caught, she wasn't going to get caught if she could help it. Raisin didn't usually step in to situations that he wasn't directly involved in... but being the gentlemen he is, decided to help the angel. "My what a fright she's going to get seeing me..." he thought to himself. Leaping down from the branches he landed standing over the unconscious corpse laying on the forest floor. The half demon pulled his flute out and blew gently as the flute lengthened as a blade slid out from both ends making an effective weapon. Whirling the bladed flute staff around Raisin quickly subdued two of the attackers. In graceful movements he had severed Achilles tendons and moved behind the last man. This one had a hold on the angel's ankle. Raisin held a blade to the back of the men head, "Release the girl or perish..." he stated calmly as the man held her. The man turned to look at him and saw Raisin's violet gaze burning into his own eyes. 'Whey... What are you?" asked the man. "Me? Why I am simply just a passing gentleman defending a helpless maiden... now as I said... release her" Raisin replied calmly with a smile. The man hesitated then relinquished his grip on the angel's ankle before running off. Looking down the demon human hybrid cut the net from the corpse... he'd wake up soon enough and Raisin would hear that dreadful drawl of his again. He looked up to the angel offering his hand. "My lady I assure you I mean you no harm... I know you can tell what blood flows through me... I must inform you, however, that I am only a half demon." Everything happened so fast that she didn't have any time to act, all she could do was keep the attackers at bay around her but couldn't help feeling slightly satisfied when she glimpsed the naked guy getting pummeled. She saw the angel in trouble and tried to hurry to her side, but another person jumped in, and she had a moment to feel relief before she had to turn back to continue fighting one of the attackers. Just a few blocks and swipes of her said, and he must have been able to see he was outmatched and ran off. These bandits weren't very brave or very skilled. Still to have surprised her was strange, she should have been able to sense them. "I'm glad for another ally, well a reliable ally and another half demon. Sorry angel, I am sure being near our kind is unpleasant to you." To all servants of the law, be they vigilantes or guardsmen, a subject's guilt is something which must often be assumed before proof of their crimes can be found. Even those searching for a mark who has long passed the point of a fair trial must be prepared to judge others whom they find along the way, and if necessary, arrest them in the interests of preserving order. This is usually a simple affair, as the innocent rarely have cause to resist, while the guilty tend to be willing to commit further crimes in defense of their freedom. The fact that most people do not behave suspiciously enough to deserve questioning also serves to greatly limit the amount of work that a lawman is obligated to perform. Unfortunately, naked men wandering the woods with non-human companions are far too suspicious to be exempt from such questioning, and for a band of six tired and frustrated bounty hunters, apologizing is far easier than chasing down what could be three deserving criminals just to beat confessions out of them. Therefore, they had skipped the niceties and introduced themselves by ambushing Jack with nets. He seemed cooperative at first, until he managed to close enough distance to strike one of his captors hard in the face and break his nose. Thinking that they had been tricked, the other five men immediately set upon him with cudgels while the girl he was with - that is, the relatively normal one - ineffectually tried to stop their beating with one of her own. Jack's resistance stopped well before Arms did, but as the men turned to deal with her, he rose to his feet again and tackled another one of them to the ground, forcing them to knock him unconscious simply to keep him from causing any further trouble. That was about the time that sanity fled the scene, and half the men were quick to follow. The first indication was that the girl had sprouted wings. They were pure white, and as she lacked taloned feet and remained in full possession of her arms, there was little mistaking her for the harpy that the six bounty hunters were searching for. Still, the sight was enough reason for two of them to grab nets and attempt to corner her while the other two who weren't already nursing their injuries stared on in confusion. When the angel took flight, the quicker of the pair grabbed hold of her ankles while his partner moved to keep her friend with the tail from interfering." What are you idiots doing?!" another one shouted, still lying prone from Jack's tackle. He started to pick himself up, but froze at the sight of a new combatant literally falling out of the sky to land in front of him. Without so much as an introduction, the newcomer produced a bladed staff seemingly from nowhere and cut straight through the hard leather boots of the two men still standing. When he stopped, it was only to hold his weapon against the skull of the one clinging to Arms's legs. Against two people wielding blades and with only simple truncheons to their name, the bounty hunters were thoroughly outmatched. Both men whose lives were immediately in danger took off without hesitation, and the one who first "captured" Jack stumbled after them as best he could. The two with their feet cut open were in no state to run anywhere, which left the man on the floor next to Jack himself. He watched in disgust as his comrades deserted him, but made no effort to stand up and join them. When the angel descended to check on her unconscious friend, he raised his arms over his head to show that he was unarmed." I...we surrender." he said, glancing at his two downed allies. "Don't know what business an angel has here, but its none to 've mine."

Angel's Bounty|rating:4.0

The Cursed Engagment Ring (RobBase086 and DaRkEsT_DeSiRe)

The devil scorned by his succubus who was not getting him enough souls "DISA why are you not getting me enough souls like you are promised to do so? You have the perfect body and beauty that no man can ever resist!" As he looks at her with dismay now and unhappy with her results that she has done since working for him. "You should be punished for failing DISA! I will make sure you will pay for this and have you cursed in a very rare jewel forever until someone has awakened you for you to take over their body and use to steal souls for me!" --Should I play this DISA?-- Darkest_Desire said: --Should I play this DISA?-- Click to expand... Yes you should and then the girlfriend as well. DISA stared her eyes wide. "What?!?" she growled and stepped away shaking her head. "I think not... I have done everything for you! Why do you torment me further?" she demanded from him as she looked down at herself. She was, one of the most beautiful women she had seen in her lifetime. Her body full and ripe and ready for any man that came along or didn't. She grinned at his words. She was very...beautiful..." I am getting tired of you ordering me around damn it!" she growled. Darkest_Desire said: DISA stared her eyes wide. "What?!?" she growled and stepped away shaking her head. "I think not... I have done everything for you! Why do you torment me further?" she demanded from him as she looked down at herself. She was, one of the most beautiful women she had seen in her lifetime. Her body full and ripe and ready for any man that came along or didn't. She grinned at his words. She was very...beautiful..." I am getting tired of you ordering me around damn it!" she growled. Click to expand... As Demonic listened to her as she claimed she was the most beautiful succubus that he had. "DISA the problem is you have not brought me enough souls! I need souls to rule this world once again!" As he watched her walk around and try to talk her way out of the punishment that Demonic was going to place DISA into a prison until an innocent soul shall free her. "You will have to wait until an innocent soul that you can possess frees you DISA!" As he smiled since he was the ruler of the dark depth of hell. "Well you made your pact with me ages ago DISA and I expect you to keep your word about the pact that you made with me!" "Damn you" she growled and shook her head. She would not be placed in a prison until some innocent girl slipped the ring on her finger. That could take eternity. She narrowed her eyes and bared the fangs she had been given. Hatred bubbled in her chest and flamed her eyes. This male was too confident, and she knew she had no power against him. He would place her in the prison no matter what she said or did. Darkest_Desire said: "Damn you" she growled and shook her head. She would not be placed in a prison until some innocent girl slipped the ring on her finger. That could take eternity. She narrowed her eyes and bared the fangs she had been given. Hatred bubbled in her chest and flamed her eyes. This male was too confident, and she knew she had no power against him. He would place her in the prison no matter what she said or did. Click to expand... As it was done and DISA was placed into a beautiful and rare red stone that no one has ever seen before which shall give this poor innocent soul powers each time she took a soul to where DISA would help this innocent soul and guide her on how to use her powers to get her way with men. "It shall be done DISA!" As time passes DISA sits and waits for an innocent soul to use and reclaim where she belongs. Rob who has been dating his girlfriend for quite some time now is sitting at home watching TV. His girlfriend who he has been dating for several years now shows up. Rob had promised her that he would take her shopping but did not really want to keep his word to her though. Rob is 5'4, short black hair, brown eyes, and weighs 172 pounds. He looks Greek or Italian but is Spanish from his mom side of the family. He hears a knock on the door. Marie stood on the other side of the door. She had knocked, but lately she had knocked and entered like she did now. She smiled as she opened the door and called to her boyfriend. "Rob?" she called to him as she moved her hair over her shoulders. She had found herself way before she had been going out with him. The day he had asked her she had felt faint. Marie also was 5'4' and was very thin. Weighing in at 100 pounds. Some said she was too thin, but her doctor said she was perfect. Her body was curved just right and everything seemed to be perfect. Her innocent gaze fell upon her boyfriend and she smiled happily. "You promised Rob!" she told him. Darkest_Desire said: Marie stood on the other side of the door. She had knocked, but lately she had knocked and entered like she did now. She smiled as she opened the door and called to her boyfriend. "Rob?" she called to him as she moved her hair over her shoulders. She had found herself way before she had been going out with him. The day he had asked her she had felt faint. Marie also was 5'4' and was very thin. Weighing in at 100 pounds. Some said she was too thin, but her doctor said she was perfect. Her body was curved just right and everything seemed to be perfect. Her innocent gaze fell upon her boyfriend and she smiled happily. "You promised Rob!" she told him. Click to expand... "Ok Marie I will take you to the mall now." As he smiled, and he knew that it would make her very happy to hear that. He then grabbed his keys to get ready to take Marie to the mall. He then leaned in and gave her a soft kiss onto her lips. That is about as far as Marie would let him go, but he put his arms around her and smiled now. "How are you doing my love?" As he then asked. "Shall we head out baby doll?" He knew she would be ready to go to the mall and do a little spending of money because she loved doing that. Marie smiled happily and watched as he pushed himself up and grabbed his keys. She loved being in his arms, and she leaned her head back lightly as he kissed her lips. She blushed lightly and stared up at him. Furthermore, she was a shy girl when it came to her sexuality and his kisses always made her melt, even if they were a quick peck. Furthermore, she smiled softly and nodded her head slowly. "Of course I'm ready." she giggled softly and snuggled into him for a minute before she leaned back. Her long Burnett hair curled down her back in soft waves. It had taken her so long to get the curls to stay, and she loved the way he looked at her when she made herself look pretty. He made her knees weak, and she blushed just thinking about him. "Lets go." she told him happily leaning out of his grasp and grabbing his hand as she pulled him from the apartment. Darkest_Desire said: Marie smiled happily and watched as he pushed himself up and grabbed his keys. She loved being in his arms, and she leaned her head back lightly as he kissed her lips. She blushed lightly and stared up at him. Furthermore, she was a shy girl when it came to her sexuality and his kisses always made her melt, even if they were a quick peck. Furthermore, she smiled softly and nodded her head slowly. "Of course I'm ready." she giggled softly and snuggled into him for a minute before she leaned back. Her long Burnett hair curled down her back in soft waves. It had taken her so long to get the curls to stay, and she loved the way he looked at her when she made herself look pretty. He made her knees weak, and she blushed just thinking about him. "Lets go." she told him happily leaning out of his grasp and grabbing his hand as she pulled him from the apartment. Click to expand... Rob knew that saying that he was going to take Marie shopping would definitely make her very happy about it. He loved Marie in his arms even though it was a little bit more than just when they kissed and hugged. "You always look beautiful when you blush baby!" As he smiled looking into her beautiful brown eyes. Rob would have rather preferred to kiss her deeply and more passionately but was not sure if Marie would go for it or not. Rob then locked the door, and he said, "Let's go baby doll shopping then." Holding her in his arms as he escorted her out to his car now. As a gentleman he opened her passenger side door of his car and watched as she climbed inside. Once she climbed into the car he then shut the door and walked around to the driver side to get into the car now. He placed his seat belt on and then started the car up moving it into reverse. He then grabbed Marie's hand to hold while he drove to the mall now. "We are going my love do not worry!" As he smiled now at her and driving her to the largest mall that is in the area because there is so much more to look at than the other mall in the area. Marie loved him. Dearly her heart fluttered every single time her looked at her, she sighed every time he spoke her name. She smiled softly at his comment of her being pretty when she blushed. It wasn't her fault. He made her flustered like this, but she was glad he liked it like that. She licked her bottom lip as she stared up at him. She wished to give him a kiss that would show him how much her heart loved him but, she found herself to shy to even move. Furthermore, she was glad for him. Once they were in the car, she pushed her body as close as her seat belt would allow it and curled her fingers in his as she snuggled against him. "I am glad you agreed to come shopping with me Hun." she whispered softly as she lowered her lashes over her eyes to til her head and stare up at him. Darkest_Desire said: Marie loved him. Dearly her heart fluttered every single time her looked at her, she sighed every time he spoke her name. She smiled softly at his comment of her being pretty when she blushed. It wasn't her fault. He made her flustered like this, but she was glad he liked it like that. She licked her bottom lip as she stared up at him. She wished to give him a kiss that would show him how much her heart loved him but, she found herself to shy to even move. Furthermore, she was glad for him. Once they were in the car, she pushed her body as close as her seat belt would allow it and curled her fingers in his as she snuggled against him. "I am glad you agreed to come shopping with me Hun." she whispered softly as she lowered her lashes over her eyes to til her head and stare up at him. Click to expand... Rob then stopped at an intersection and asked Marie, "Come here a moment!" As she leaned forward to hear what he had to say he kissed her deeply and passionately. He slides his tongue into her mouth a little to meet with her tongue. He did not want to give her too much because he knew that he might be coming on a bit strong with her. That was not the thing he wanted her to feel was that he just wanted sex like any typical guy. Rob knew that Marie was the woman of his dreams and that he would wait until they were married to make love to her and give her a night that she will never forget about. Marie had this hot body that he knew other men loved to look at, but she was the kind of girl that did not flaunt it like other women would. I guess that is just how her parents raised her though and I loved it about her. She was a very beautiful woman to be with and loved talking to her as well. As they got closer to the mall Rob knew she was very happy about it. "So what kind of clothes are you going to be looking at baby? I was just wondering about that?" As he knew Valentine's Day was only a week away and would love to see her surprise him with some sexy lingerie from Wicked Temptations store. Plus, they also had a website which was www.Wickedtemptations.con to go shopping at as well at the comfort of your own home. Marie was one of those girls who was saving herself for the right man. For the man that she would love for all time, for the man that would marry her and take her on her wedding night. She blushed lightly when he kissed her and found herself liking his kiss. She had wanted a kiss like that for so long. Her eyes closed, and she accepted the kiss eagerly only disappointed and thankful at the same time when he ended the heat early. She stared up at him as he drove and smiled lightly. She came back to reality and shook her head. "Oh.um...well. I can't tell you... It is a secret." she giggled lightly as they neared the mall. Their thoughts were almost the same it seemed. Darkest_Desire said: Marie was one of those girls who was saving herself for the right man. For the man that she would love for all time, for the man that would marry her and take her on her wedding night. She blushed lightly when he kissed her and found herself liking his kiss. She had wanted a kiss like that for so long. Her eyes closed, and she accepted the kiss eagerly only disappointed and thankful at the same time when he ended the heat early. She stared up at him as he drove and smiled lightly. She came back to reality and shook her head. "Oh.um...well. I can't tell you... It is a secret." she giggled lightly as they neared the mall. Their thoughts were almost the same it seemed. Click to expand... Rob loved their deep passionate kiss and would have loved to have kissed her more and held her in his arms as well. He would have loved to have explored every curve on her body with his hands and caress her with a lot of love that he had for her. "May I have another kiss like that kitten?" He called her that because she was as cute as a kitten and soft and gentle like one. He loved her beautiful smile and her eyes as well. That is what drew Rob to Marie was due to her beautiful eyes and smile. It was not due to her body or anything like that like other guys would do with women but with Marie it was different though."Oh, you can tell me baby! Come on now!" As Rob was the kind of person who loved surprises but loved to find out what it was that she was going to do for him or if it was something that he would love. He smiled as he heard her giggle. They pull into the mall parking lot, and he gets out to open the door for her. "Marie I was thinking about taking you to our favorite restaurant called Salutes tonight for dinner. What do you think about that love?" As he had a plan inside his head for her, but he had to plan it in a way that she was busy trying on clothes or lingerie so that he could go purchase an engagement ring for her to propose at dinner that night. Marie smiled lightly if he wanted to kiss her...hell he could kiss her. She smiled and gently placed her lips against him in a passionate kiss that made her toes curl in her shoes. She sighed softly and did as he had before letting her tongue explore his in a frenzy. Marie was so happy with rob. He always took care of her, and she smiled softly as she watched him open the door for her. She slipped our of his car and clung to him shaking her head. "I promise you that you will know soon. " She told him and knew what she was going to get could really jeopardize their relationship before...it was actually time, but...she couldn't help it...she wanted to please him and this really was the way she wanted to please him in. She turned to him. "I think that sounds great." she smiled. She would have to buy an outfit to go to dinner in as well. Darkest_Desire said: Marie smiled lightly if he wanted to kiss her...hell he could kiss her. She smiled and gently placed her lips against him in a passionate kiss that made her toes curl in her shoes. She sighed softly and did as he had before letting her tongue explore his in a frenzy. Marie was so happy with rob. He always took care of her, and she smiled softly as she watched him open the door for her. She slipped our of his car and clung to him shaking her head. "I promise you that you will know soon. " She told him and knew what she was going to get could really jeopardize their relationship before...it was actually time, but...she couldn't help it...she wanted to please him and this really was the way she wanted to please him in. She turned to him. "I think that sounds great." she smiled. She would have to buy an outfit to go to dinner in as well. Click to expand... Rob loved her kisses because it made him feel good all over including down there if Marie only knew the kind of reaction that he got when she kissed him that passionate. He could hear her sigh and loved it that he had pleased her with the passionate kiss. He loved the feel of her tongue exploring his mouth and meeting with his tongue. Furthermore, he then sucked onto her tongue and lower lip now as the kiss ended. Rob was so happy with Marie! He always wanted to spoil the woman that he loved, and it was the way that he was brought up by his parents as well to treat a woman with a lot of love and respect. As Rob opened the door and then held his arm out to walk her into the entrance of the mall. "I am so excited about it baby doll and I cannot wait either to find out about it!" Whatever she had planned for him, he knew that he would love whatever she intends to do for him." Well it is one of the best Italian restaurant, and they make everything homemade too!" As he smiled at her and then opened the mall door up for her. "Where shall we go to first baby?" She smiled softly. "Sounds very romantic." she tilted her head slightly blushing softly. She thanked him for opening the door for her and stepped through turned slightly to look at him. She wanted to go pick out an outfit for dinner, she wanted him to help her but knew he probably wouldn't want to watch her trying on all sorts of dresses. Furthermore, she smiled nervously. "Well, I was hoping you would help me pick out an outfit for dinner first." she put on her sweet face in a begging manner as her fingers curled with his, and she edged closer. She hadn't used her begging face much, she hates to use it, but she really wanted him to help her pick out a dress. She tilted her head. "Will you help me?" she asked him as he entered the mall beside her. She couldn't help but edge closer as a group of women neared them. She suddenly grew protective, and she made it clear to the others that she was 'his' girlfriend. Darkest_Desire said: She smiled softly. "Sounds very romantic." she tilted her head slightly blushing softly. She thanked him for opening the door for her and stepped through turned slightly to look at him. She wanted to go pick out an outfit for dinner, she wanted him to help her but knew he probably wouldn't want to watch her trying on all sorts of dresses. Furthermore, she smiled nervously. "Well, I was hoping you would help me pick out an outfit for dinner first." she put on her sweet face in a begging manner as her fingers curled with his, and she edged closer. She hadn't used her begging face much, she hates to use it, but she really wanted him to help her pick out a dress. She tilted her head. "Will you help me?" she asked him as he entered the mall beside her. She couldn't help but edge closer as a group of women neared them. She suddenly grew protective, and she made it clear to the others that she was 'his' girlfriend. Click to expand... "Well anything for my beautiful Marie!" He smiled as he saw her blushing again which he thought was very beautiful. "You are welcome for me opening the door for you love!' He liked looking at her nice sexy butt that she had on her and as she turned he just smiled at her. "Yes my sweet I can help you select a beautiful dress for tonight. I do not mind that at all! You know I have two sisters that I grew up with and one of them is 20 years old, and I am getting ready to turn 37 here in about a month. So I have no problem helping you to pick out a dress at all." As he smiled at her hoping that it would make her very happy to hear that. He noticed that she was using her pouty begging face because she had the most beautiful lips to kiss, and they were nice and pouty when she wanted her way. "Of course I will help you pick something out sweetness. Do not worry ok." As he looked at her, and he felt her get close to him as a group of ladies walked up. He loved the feel of her body pressed against his. They then walked to the first store to pick out her evening dress for tonight. Marie was so glad he would accompany her when she picked out a dress. Her favorite color was a dark green, an emerald color, but she wanted to choose a color that her love liked. She entered the shop and found herself flushing, it just happened to be one of the most expensive places to get an evening gown. She turned to him and tilted her head. Furthermore, she didn't want him spending too much on her. She couldn't pay him back, and she hated to be in debt to people, especially the ones she loved. She looked up at him and breathed in. "I think I saw a very nice shop a little ways down the mall Hun, why don't we go there?" she asked as she grew nervous as one of the men near them edged closer. He smiled greeting and expectedly as he lowered his head slightly. "Can I help you two in finding a selection?" he asked them. Marie wanted to refuse his question and walk away, but she wasn't going to be rude to a perfect stranger. Darkest_Desire said: Marie was so glad he would accompany her when she picked out a dress. Her favorite color was a dark green, an emerald color, but she wanted to choose a color that her love liked. She entered the shop and found herself flushing, it just happened to be one of the most expensive places to get an evening gown. She turned to him and tilted her head. Furthermore, she didn't want him spending too much on her. She couldn't pay him back, and she hated to be in debt to people, especially the ones she loved. She looked up at him and breathed in. "I think I saw a very nice shop a little ways down the mall Hun, why don't we go there?" she asked as she grew nervous as one of the men near them edged closer. He smiled greeting and expectedly as he lowered his head slightly. "Can I help you two in finding a selection?" he asked them. Marie wanted to refuse his question and walk away, but she wasn't going to be rude to a perfect stranger. Click to expand... He was happy to be able to spend as much time as he could with Marie because she was so special to him, and she made him very happy to be with. No other woman has every made Rob so happy as Marie has because she was more of the give and take person in the relationship where it was not just focused around her but around both of them, and he loved to receive attention from her as well. He knew that this was the best shop in the mall, and he did not mind because he wanted to spoil the woman that he loved and make sure she was very happy too." This is just fine baby! We can shop here for something that will make you look like the most beautiful woman in the world!" As he looked around and then decided that they would look around. "Why don't we look around Marie? Possibly we might find something very extravagant here that we will both love." Smiling as the salesman walks up to ask if he could help them out. "Thank you sir, but we are just looking around and if we need your help we shall let you know." Smiling at the guy to let him know that we have things taken care of right now. The male only nodded and smiled as he turned away and moved to another group that were looking around and asking if they needed any help in finding what they needed. Marie bit her bottom lip not wanting him to get mad so she smiled softly and agreed with him. Marie was younger than him by about seven years. Yes she was 30 years old. Yes she was still a virgin and yes she would wait until she was married to the man of her dreams before she gave herself to him. But, lately, it had been so hard. Feeling and emotions seemed to swamp her recently as she dated him. He was so kind and caring and always buying stuff for her. She wondered why he bought her so much stuff and when she asked for a reason he would always say, 'I need a reason to give the one I love a gift?' that had only made her smiled and kiss him. He was so adorable to her. She clung to him as they began to search for a gown for her. She was so in love with this man it was unbelievable. Furthermore, she snuggled against him and sighed softly as she looked around her. Most of the gowns were black, and she knew that black made women look slim and sexy so she looked into them. She pulled one out into the open and held it up. "How about this one?" she asked him. The dress was short, ranging around her thighs, it was also strapless and curved like an hour glass that would show off any women figure. She blushed noticing how revealing it was. She stepped back suddenly placing it back." M-Maybe...not that one." she nervously gripped his arm. Darkest_Desire said: The male only nodded and smiled as he turned away and moved to another group that were looking around and asking if they needed any help in finding what they needed. Marie bit her bottom lip not wanting him to get mad so she smiled softly and agreed with him. Marie was younger than him by about seven years. Yes she was 30 years old. Yes she was still a virgin and yes she would wait until she was married to the man of her dreams before she gave herself to him. But, lately, it had been so hard. Feeling and emotions seemed to swamp her recently as she dated him. He was so kind and caring and always buying stuff for her. She wondered why he bought her so much stuff and when she asked for a reason he would always say, 'I need a reason to give the one I love a gift?' that had only made her smiled and kiss him. He was so adorable to her. She clung to him as they began to search for a gown for her. She was so in love with this man it was unbelievable. Furthermore, she snuggled against him and sighed softly as she looked around her. Most of the gowns were black, and she knew that black made women look slim and sexy so she looked into them. She pulled one out into the open and held it up. "How about this one?" she asked him. The dress was short, ranging around her thighs, it was also strapless and curved like an hour glass that would show off any women figure. She blushed noticing how revealing it was. She stepped back suddenly placing it back." M-Maybe...not that one." she nervously gripped his arm. Click to expand... Rob noticed the guy quickly running to the other group of people coming into the store. He knew how retail was and more than likely the sales associate had to make a weekly quota on sales and if he did not then he had to explain either to the store manager or district manager as to why he did not make his quota for the week. To Rob age did not matter because he always loved women that were younger than him for some reason or another. It is shocking to find a woman who is 30 years old and still a virgin waiting til she was married to have sex with the man that she loved, but he respected that and never put no pressure at all on her to sleep with him or have sex at all. Rob knew that Marie meant a lot to him, and he loved to spoil her and the smile she would always have on her face when he would get her something special. He loved her soft kisses that she would always give to him when she was thankful for what he would do for her and all. She was his kitten and loved it when she would cuddle with him so close in his arms. "I love it Marie and I think you would look very beautiful in it! I think you should try it on and see what you think of it." As he smiled looking at her hoping that she will at least give it a try to see if she would like it or not. Rob knew that she was in love with him and did not want any other man so it would not be a problem at all if she showed off her body a little to other men because all they can do is look but do not touch!" Well ok if you do not want that then that will be fine lover." He tells her hoping that she will find the perfect evening dress for the night to wear out for dinner with him. She smiled thankful that he would let her chose a different dress. She hated showing too much skin to every man out there. Furthermore, she would only show herself to the one she loved. To Rob. She slipped her hand beside the other gown and gasped when she found the perfect gown. It was about the same length as the other, but there was one strap that went from the left breast over the right shoulder and hooked in the back. It was not the same color of black but a sapphire blue and near the bottom there was a slit that reached almost to the hip. She pulled it out and smiled up at him. "Oh this one... I want to try this one on." It was so beautiful to her, and she couldn't help but get excited when he told her to try it on. She turned happily and went to the dressing rooms where she undressed and slipped into it. When she finished she looked at herself in the mirror. She blushed immensely. The gown made her look strikingly sexy yet, elegantly hidden. This was it. She stepped out of the dressing room placing a hand on her well curved hip and smiled. The dressed hugged her breasts nicely causing them to perk up near the top, it made her stomach look completely flat and her bottom round a full. The slit left a little to see which caused some men heads to turn and stare at her. She smiled shyly. "How do I look?" she asked him. Darkest_Desire said: She smiled thankful that he would let her chose a different dress. She hated showing too much skin to every man out there. She would only show herself to the one she loved. To Rob. She slipped her hand beside the other gown and gasped when she found the perfect gown. It was about the same length as the other, but there was one strap that went from the left breast over the right shoulder and hooked in the back. It was not the same color of black but a sapphire blue and near the bottom there was a slit that reached almost to the hip. She pulled it out and smiled up at him. "Oh this one... I want to try this one on." It was so beautiful to her, and she couldn't help but get excited when he told her to try it on. She turned happily and went to the dressing rooms where she undressed and slipped into it. When she finished she looked at herself in the mirror. She blushed immensely. The gown made her look strikingly sexy yet, elegantly hidden. This was it. She stepped out of the dressing room placing a hand on her well curved hip and smiled. The dressed hugged her breasts nicely causing them to perk up near the top, it made her stomach look completely flat and her bottom round a full. The slit left a little to see which caused some men heads to turn and stare at her. She smiled shyly. "How do I look?" she asked him. Click to expand... "You are welcome baby because I want you to feel happy and comfortable in what you are going to wear." As he smiled and noticed that she was happy that she could pick out some other dress to wear instead or select to try on. Rob looked at the different style of dresses that were there and liked them all and thought that Marie would look great in any of them if she wanted to try them on. "Well go ahead sexy and try it on because you look like you would look great in it!" As he noticed the twinkle in her eyes on finding that dress that she was going to try on in the fitting room now. Rob waited patiently for her to come out in the dress that she found. As Rob waited patiently and looked all around at the people that were walking into the store to take a look at the dresses that they had there. He hoped that Marie would love the dress that she had selected to try on. He was trying to think of a way to get to the jewelry store to select a nice engagement ring but how could he with Marie right there with him. Furthermore, he did not want the surprise to be ruined because she was there with him. As Rob saw Marie walk out in the dress, and he heard her ask him how she looked. "You look absolutely gorgeous Hun!" Blowing a kiss to her and winking at her as well while she was standing there with it on. "Really?" she looked down at herself and blushed seeing how lush she truly looked. She looked up shyly and smiled and grabbed the tag. Her face flushed and she looked up at him. "We can't get this one." she shook her head quickly. It was almost three hundred dollars. She was slightly disappointed that the dress was so much. She couldn't even pay for it herself since she didn't have a job at the moment. "It is to expensive" she told him before he could even ask why. She lowered her head slightly and sighed softly. This shop was beyond expensive. She smiled lightly tilting her head as he neared her with slow expertise that teased her senses. She couldn't help but lick her dry lips as he settled a hand on her shoulder. Furthermore, she stared up into his eyes, and she noted many eyes that were on them now. Her pulse quickened, and he looked as if he was going to kiss her. Darkest_Desire said: "Really?" she looked down at herself and blushed seeing how lush she truly looked. She looked up shyly and smiled and grabbed the tag. Her face flushed and she looked up at him. "We can't get this one." she shook her head quickly. It was almost three hundred dollars. She was slightly disappointed that the dress was so much. She couldn't even pay for it herself since she didn't have a job at the moment. "It is to expensive" she told him before he could even ask why. She lowered her head slightly and sighed softly. This shop was beyond expensive. She smiled lightly tilting her head as he neared her with slow expertise that teased her senses. She couldn't help but lick her dry lips as he settled a hand on her shoulder. Furthermore, she stared up into his eyes, and she noted many eyes that were on them now. Her pulse quickened, and he looked as if he was going to kiss her. Click to expand... "Yes you look very beautiful in that dress! I love it baby!" As he knew that she would blush knowing how sexy she looked in that dress that she is wearing now. He smiled at her when she looked up at him. He saw that her eyes grew large when she looked at the price tag. "Why can we not get this dress love?" As he wondered what the problem was with getting that dress. He knew that tonight was going to be a very special night for her and him as well because it will be the night that he asks Marie to marry him. As he walked up to her and then place his fingers underneath her chin and then looked deeply into her eyes now. "I have seen dresses around her more expensive than this one my sweet and I can afford to get it for you. Do not worry about it ok because tonight is going to be a very special night for the both of us!" As he smiled at her. He then leaned in and kissed her deeply and passionately in front of everyone at the store now. "I love you Marie!" she stared up at him with adoring as he placed his fingers under her chin to look at him. He was so kind, so caring, so...gentle. His kiss drugged her and made her melt against him. She sighed softly and closed her eyes giving into him. He really knew when to win her over. As he pulled his lips from her, she was out of breath as she responded. "Okay..." she would let him buy the dress... She smiled up at him as she snuggled into him like a kitten did its master. "I love you too." she whispered. After her little display of love was over she had returned to the dressing room and changed to return to him quickly. She had snuck up on him and kissed his cheek taking a step back and smiling. "Ready." she told him as she tilted her head to the side trying to figure out an excuse to go off alone to get his present. Darkest_Desire said: she stared up at him with adoring as he placed his fingers under her chin to look at him. He was so kind, so caring, so...gentle. His kiss drugged her and made her melt against him. She sighed softly and closed her eyes giving into him. He really knew when to win her over. As he pulled his lips from her, she was out of breath as she responded. "Okay..." she would let him buy the dress... She smiled up at him as she snuggled into him like a kitten did its master. "I love you too." she whispered. After her little display of love was over she had returned to the dressing room and changed to return to him quickly. She had snuck up on him and kissed his cheek taking a step back and smiling. "Ready." she told him as she tilted her head to the side trying to figure out an excuse to go off alone to get his present. Click to expand... As she moved her head due to his fingers moving it up to where he could look into her beautiful eyes he then kissed her sweet lips softly now and then deeply and passionately. As he was happy to hear that she will let him buy the dress for her. "I am glad that you will let me get the dress for you my love." He smiled and knew that she was like Buddy in his hands now that she agreed to let him purchase the dress for her to wear later on that night. "I love you baby!" He told her as he looked into her beautiful eyes. He watched her as she returned inside the dressing room to get back into the clothing that she had worn into the store. Furthermore, he did not realize that she had snuck up behind him and softly kissed him onto his cheeks. Furthermore, he then turned and smiled at her and was happy to see that she was out of the fitting room that quick. "I am glad that you are ready sweets." As he was trying to figure out a way to go to the jewelry store to buy her engagement ring for her to propose that night at dinner now. As he began to pay for the dress she turned to him and smiled deciding to tell the truth. "Hun... I am going to go and get you your Valentine's gift and I don't want you to see it so can you meet me near the photo booth?" she asked him as she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. She loved being able to do that. She wanted to make him happy on Valentine's Day. Very happy. She giggled as she stared up at him. "And no peeking until Valentine's Day." she told him tapping her finger on his nose softly. She loved him so much she couldn't deny it at all. "I love you too Hun. Darkest_Desire said: As he began to pay for the dress she turned to him and smiled deciding to tell the truth. "Hun... I am going to go and get you your Valentine's gift and I don't want you to see it so can you meet me near the photo booth?" she asked him as she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. She loved being able to do that. She wanted to make him happy on Valentine's Day. Very happy. She giggled as she stared up at him. "And no peeking until Valentine's Day." she told him tapping her finger on his nose softly. She loved him so much she couldn't deny it at all. "I love you too Hun. Click to expand... He was paying the sales associate for the dress, and he heard Marie tell him that she is going to get his Valentine's Day gift for him. "Ok baby do what you have to do for my surprise ok because I have to pick up something nice for you as well!" He smiled at her and then agrees to meet her at the photo booth. He loved the feel of her hand being on his arm. He knew what he was going to get her for that night will make her very happy to where she would more than likely get sentimental that night. "I will not be peeking I promise!" As Rob did have a bad habit of peeking though, but he knew he would find out what her surprise for him is soon. "Do not have too much fun looking for my gift love! I love you now!" She was so excited. She kisses his lips softly as she smiled and promised not to have too much fun. Furthermore, she turned and ran off, running from the expensive shop and down the mall. Furthermore, she when passed about two clothing shops a restaurant and a book store as she finally made it to the shop she had been looking for. Furthermore, she bit her lip as she looked around her. Furthermore, she didn't know what to pick everything was so.....sexy and....she bit her lip harder as she entered the store. Immediately someone was by her side. She jumped hearing a women voice." Can I help you pick something out?" this female winked at her and Marie blushed." I...uh...well... I wanted....to uh...." she stuttered along as she looked around. "I wanted to get something that....my boyfriend would like." she finally finished as she watched the woman's smile widened greatly. She nodded and grabbed her wrist as she pulled her along." What kind of man is he." the woman asked. Marie tilted her head as she pulled her along. "He...uh.well...kind...sweet....caring...and.-" the woman cut her off." No Hun...what does he like you to do for him?" she chuckled lightly. Marie didn't know what she meant..."um....he likes me to.....blush?" she didn't know...the woman laughed and shook her head. "I know something perfect for him.----Marie walked out of the shop holding three bags, one large one medium and the last a small bag. She blushed as she walked down the mall until she reached the photobooth and hid the bags in a different bag, so her boyfriend wouldn't know what store she had been in. Darkest_Desire said: She was so excited. She kisses his lips softly as she smiled and promised not to have too much fun. She turned and ran off, running from the expensive shop and down the mall. Furthermore, she when passed about two clothing shops a restaurant and a book store as she finally made it to the shop she had been looking for. Furthermore, she bit her lip as she looked around her. Furthermore, she didn't know what to pick everything was so.....sexy and....she bit her lip harder as she entered the store. Immediately someone was by her side. She jumped hearing a women voice. "Can I help you pick something out?" this female winked at her and Marie blushed. "I...uh...well... I wanted....to uh...." she stuttered along as she looked around. "I wanted to get something that....my boyfriend would like." she finally finished as she watched the woman's smile widened greatly. She nodded and grabbed her wrist as she pulled her along. "What kind of man is he." the woman asked. Marie tilted her head as she pulled her along. "He...uh.well...kind...sweet....caring...and.-" the woman cut her off. "No Hun...what does he like you to do for him?" she chuckled lightly. Marie didn't know what she meant..."um....he likes me to.....blush?" she didn't know... the woman laughed and shook her head. "I know something perfect for him. ---- Marie walked out of the shop holding three bags, one large one medium and the last a small bag. She blushed as she walked down the mall until she reached the photobooth and hid the bags in a different bag, so her boyfriend wouldn't know what store she had been in. Click to expand... He was so excited to make a trip around the mall looking for the special ring for Marie that she would love. As he walked into a jewelry store and looked at each case a female sales associate walked up to him. She smiled and then asked. "May I help you sir?" As he looked at her and was a little nervous and then told her what he was looking for. "Yes I would like to propose to my girlfriend, and I am looking for something special for her that she will love. She smiled and then told me. "I think I have something very special that she will love." As she then walks over and shows some rare rings that are very old. "These rings are very old and seem like they are classic rings to wear." As he looked around and noticed that there was this rare red stone on a band. "This one looks unique to me." As she looked at it and then mentioned that it was a rare ring that was found in a dig. "Yes it is very rare that was found." As he looked at it and figured that it would be perfect for her. "I will take it then!" She actually loved it and then mentioned to him. "I have a feeling that she will love it!" Marie bit her lip as she waited by the photobooth she found herself staring at the couples that walked by, a few kissed and laughed. A couple seemed to be in deep love as they didn't notice anyone else as they walked by. She sighed softly and leaned against the photobooth as she thought of the man she loved. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the forsooth as she pictured them together forever. She smiled gently and couldn't help but shed a tear of happiness." I love you so much rob..." she whispered softly. Darkest_Desire said: Marie bit her lip as she waited by the photobooth she found herself staring at the couples that walked by, a few kissed and laughed. A couple seemed to be in deep love as they didn't notice anyone else as they walked by. She sighed softly and leaned against the photobooth as she thought of the man she loved. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back against the forsooth as she pictured them together forever. She smiled gently and couldn't help but shed a tear of happiness. "I love you so much rob..." she whispered softly. Click to expand... Rob sneaks up behind Marie and replies to her soft whisper. "I love you so much Marie too!" As he smiled and then gave her a big hug and kiss now. "I missed you baby!" As he then holds her hand and asks her. "Shall we go home to get ready for dinner sexy?" As he walked out with her holding her close to him as they walked out to the car. "I have a feeling that tonight will be a very special night for us Marie!" As he is excited, nervous, and filled with mixed emotions because he has never proposed to a woman before and Marie will be the first. He then walked her out to his car and opens the passenger side door now for her to climb in, and they headed home now to get ready for tonight. Marie's eyes opened, and she smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. She kissed him back and cuddled into him. She hadn't known he was there. Furthermore, she blushed and nodded slowly as she let him guide her from the mall and thanked him for opening the car door for her. Furthermore, she slipped in but not before kissing his cheek gently. "Thank shun." she whispered softly as she put her seatbelt on and then pushed the bags in the back seat. She knew tonight was going to be special... She planned to give him his gift before Valentine's Day. Furthermore, she blushed and lowered her head as she nervously held her hands together and bite her tongue to keep quiet. Darkest_Desire said: Marie's eyes opened, and she smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. She kissed him back and cuddled into him. She hadn't known he was there. Furthermore, she blushed and nodded slowly as she let him guide her from the mall and thanked him for opening the car door for her. Furthermore, she slipped in but not before kissing his cheek gently. "Thank shun." she whispered softly as she put her seatbelt on and then pushed the bags in the back seat. She knew tonight was going to be special... She planned to give him his gift before Valentine's Day. Furthermore, she blushed and lowered her head as she nervously held her hands together and bite her tongue to keep quiet. Click to expand... He felt Marie wrap her arms around him as he wrapped his arms around her as well. Feeling her soft lips kiss his and felt her cuddle up next to him. He loved it that she did not know that he was there. He saw her beautiful blush that he loved to see her have on her beautiful face. "Thank you baby for the kiss on the cheek." As he smiled at her now and then shut the door now. "Your welcome my sweet!" He walked around and noticed that she was placing the bags in the back seat now. He knew tonight was going to be very special and that more than likely Marie will start to cry tears of joy when he proposes to her. Slowly Marie began to look up at him as he started the car and began to drive off. She was mesmerized by him. He was the most...handsome man she had ever seen. And she had seen many. He was just different, and she loved him for that. She smiled softly and leaned in closer to him. She couldn't wait to give him his gift. Furthermore, she bit her lip as she pictured what his reaction would be to it. Or the reaction she thought her would give her. Surprise? Maybe... She shrugged slightly and looked down at her nervous hands as they fiddled with each other. Darkest_Desire said: Slowly Marie began to look up at him as he started the car and began to drive off. She was mesmerized by him. He was the most...handsome man she had ever seen. And she had seen many. He was just different, and she loved him for that. She smiled softly and leaned in closer to him. She couldn't wait to give him his gift. Furthermore, she bit her lip as she pictured what his reaction would be to it. Or the reaction she thought her would give her. Surprise? Maybe... She shrugged slightly and looked down at her nervous hands as they fiddled with each other. Click to expand... He was excited and nervous about later tonight because it was the night that he was going to propose to Marie to marry him. As he then started the car and noticed that her hand was trembling. "Are you ok baby? You look like you are nervous about something." As he then reached for her hand and began to hold her hand now. He smiled and is looking forward to surprising her later on that night. He then asked her to look at him as he softly and then passionately kissed her onto her sweet lips now. "I love you Marie!" Marie heard his voice and felt his hand gently take hers. She smiled softly and shook her head. "I don't know... I am just a little excited I guess." she told him as she looked up at him at his command. She melted into his kiss and gave everything in it for him. She stared up at him with love filled eyes. "I love you to rob..."'more than you know...' she finished in thought. As they arrived at home, Marie could barely even hold in everything. She told him she was going to take a shower and get ready. Being a girl it took forever to find out her perfect look. She grabbed her bags and departed into the house. Darkest_Desire said: Marie heard his voice and felt his hand gently take hers. She smiled softly and shook her head. "I don't know... I am just a little excited I guess." she told him as she looked up at him at his command. She melted into his kiss and gave everything in it for him. She stared up at him with love filled eyes. "I love you to rob..." 'More than you know...' she finished in thought. As they arrived at home, Marie could barely even hold in everything. She told him she was going to take a shower and get ready. Being a girl it took forever to find out her perfect look. She grabbed her bags and departed into the house. Click to expand... He smiled as he took her hand and gently caressed hers. He smiled as well and saw that she shook her head. "I understand that you are a little nervous baby. Do not worry you will be fine ok." As he smiled to calm her down and felt her passionate kiss back in return and loved it. Then when they arrived home he watched as she went on up stairs to get ready. He did not mind that she took some time to get ready because it is only natural for a woman to do that. "I will be down here waiting for you my love. Do not worry about it. Take your time ok." As he waited downstairs now.

The Cursed Engagment Ring (RobBase086 and DaRkEsT_DeSiRe)|rating:2.0

Falling To Pieces (Andronica & Darkcide)

The City People often joked and said that if Hell were a literal place, it'd be that city. They weren't that far off, however. Easily the murder capital of the country, the population was just shy of four million. Murder wasn't the only crime that they led in, but violence was ingrained into the very foundation of the city. Gabriel's father had been the son of Miguel Sosa, a prolific drug trafficker who had fed off the lifeblood of the city. He wasn't the only one, but he'd been by far one of the worst. The never ending gang wars were seemingly the worst of it, but even the petty crimes that plagued the city were far more frequent than in any other major city. The wage gap was a substantial factor to be sure, but the city was also situated on a coast, with major docks that all manner of criminal syndicates used to bring in their wares. Yet, as bad as the crime was, much of it was restricted to the poorer neighborhoods. The wealthier areas, or the parts of the city that attracted tourists were given higher priority and were far safer to live in. The kind of wealth that was necessary to live in one of those areas was considerably more than the average citizen made. The police force wasn't wholly corrupt, so much as incompetent. The commanders were focused on politics, all of them wanted to make rank and were encouraged to fix the stats. Aggravated assaults became assaults, and rank and file officers were more focused on cracking heads as opposed to making good quality arrests. Any crime lord worth their salt had a cop or two on their payroll, or they went higher up and bribed politicians. In the poorer neighborhoods, there would be any number of drug crews going to war over corners and leaving collateral damage behind in their wake. Uptown, more organized outfits pulled in millions, even billions in revenue every single year, and made themselves untouchable. When he was young, he remembered how the city spent an entire winter gripped in fear at a series of random, brutal murders carried out against female cops by a deranged killer. Ever since he could remember, crime had run rampant in the city. Yet he'd made a pledge at the age of ten to wage war against an entire epidemic. Gangsters, rapists, robbers, all of them were living with targets on their backs, and the tabloids had taken to calling him Raquel. Naming him after the Angel of Justice, and Vengeance. It was a fitting name. Gabriel Washington He'd legally had his name changed years ago, but Gabriel had been born Manuel Sosa. His father had turned his back on the family business, instead enlisting in the military and coming back home a war hero. He would go on and become a successful, principled lawyer. For all his father's conviction, he turned a blind eye to the activities of his own family. It'd been Christmas, and against his better judgment, he took his family to have dinner with his parents. Gabriel had been ten, and he really didn't know that side of the family. He remembered being shocked at the mansion they drove to. It was just outside city limits, and it'd been a large gathering. The perfect place for an ambush, which is what happened. A hit had been placed on the family, and vicarious came and killed off every last person in attendance, outside of Gabriel, who hid in the closet and watched his family get wiped off the face of the earth. He'd ceased being a child on that day. The years after that were a blur, but his legal guardian was his father's former commanding officer and mentor. Colonel Wallace Rails. His father had named him his godfather, and he'd recognized the anger that resided within his young charge. After his family's murder, he gained a substantial fortune, and the Colonel ensured Gabriel stayed busy. In one form or another, he was constantly training, and pushing himself. He'd started him in boxing, and eventually Gabriel studied several different fighting systems. He would dominate in martial arts tournaments, but it wasn't enough. So they spent real money on getting him instruction from true practitioners. He would study Muay Thai under former champions, he'd learn Krav Maga from Israeli commandos, and Silt from longstanding Indonesian schools. Initially the old man just thought it was something to keep Gabriel occupied, and to teach him disciplined. He never imagined the boy was serious about seeking justice until he began seeking out criminals. There'd been several heated fights before he realized there was no steering him from the path. That was when they got serious. If it was meant to hurt, disable or kill, Gabriel learned it, and eventually an older cousin of his who was an accomplished Ricardo from Columbia was brought on, and he schooled the boy further. Once he was old enough, he enlisted. Between the time he'd enlisted, and the time it took to return home, he'd put in twelve years, and he returned with superhuman abilities. To that day, Gabriel wouldn't discuss how he'd gotten them, or even what he'd done in the military, other than his missions were classified. PowersSuperpowered humans were considered a new phenomenon, even if that wasn't wholly accurate. The world governments had known for some time, with powered individuals being the product of an unstable chemical compound. A scientist during WWII who defected from the Nazi party and was granted asylum in the United States was responsible for the compound. He'd been a geneticist who performed clinical trials on numerous subjects, before finally yielding success. Patient Zero's physical attributes were heightened beyond normal human capabilities, though they were left disfigured, and their mind snapped as a result of the tests. Still, the experiment was a resounding success, and the compound was synthesized from their DNA. In most subjects it would lead to an excruciating death, but it was found to react positively to certain subjects. They couldn't find any rhyme or reason, but it was believed to react to a latent gene. The subjects that didn't die were granted seemingly random unnatural gifts. Initially they'd been able to contain and account for all the subjects. The Cold War era changed everything, and espionage would be the cause of the biggest security breach in American history. The public of course was never made aware, but the powered individuals were able to intermingle with the general populace, and now half a century later, the number of powered individuals rose greatly. The secret would inevitably get out, and the world would change as a result. The Vigilante His gear needed to fulfill several vital functions. It needed to offer protection, it needed to be functional, his identity would have to be concealed, and he would need to be able to intimidate his prey. It'd taken a great deal of work, and various connections to get everything he needed. Rails, and Gabriel were eventually joined by a quartermaster with numerous black market connections who had a personal stake in his crusade. Two years later, and they were a well oiled machine. The armor consisted of hardened Kevlar plates connected by an experimental kinetic absorbing gel overlapping a titanium fiber reweave. He wore a black bodysuit under it with tactical pants, and the footwear he utilized were styled after motorcycle boots with kinetic dampening technology built in. He utilized hand wraps, with gloves worn over them that were made of similar material. The knuckles were reinforced with lead. The suit as a whole was very lightweight, but it offered a fair amount of durability. Against slashing attacks, blunt force trauma and low caliber weapons, he'd be mostly fine. The material was also fire-resistant, he'd covered all of his bases. The whole purpose of designing the suit the way he did was to allow maximum maneuverability. The mask effectively concealed his identity, but it also allowed for self-contained breathing based off of charges for a limited amount of time, he'd built in a voice modifier, a communication unit and plexiglass lenses that were capable of night vision, the infrared spectrum and the electromagnetic field spectrum. The most dangerous thing about him however were his abilities he'd gained while in the armed forces. Gabriel's strength was sufficient to where he could routinely press two tons. He actually had to pull his punches against normal humans, or run the risk of killing them outright. If he pushed himself, he could clear a mile in just shy of a minute, and dodge gunfire at point-blank range. He was even capable of seeing bullets in flight, and his reaction speed had been clocked recently at 40 kph. His stamina was similarly enhanced, and he could exert himself at peak ability for hours. The bones and muscles in his body were made harder, and more dense. In his line of work, the enhanced healing was the most useful ability, and given a day or two's time, his body would completely repair breaks and fractures. Illness was no longer a concern, and toxins and chemicals would be flushed out of his system rapidly. His senses were all heightened as well. Even his intelligence and mental facilities were heightened. Some powered individuals could press tanks, others were capable of projecting energy beams from their eyes, he'd even encountered ones who moved at truly superhuman speeds. As impressive and striking as those abilities were, Gabriel was the perfect storm of gifts, and he'd proved himself more than capable of taking down opponents with superior powers. That Night The rain always served to make the nights seem darker. There were some nights where one could at best only see a few feet ahead of them. If there was one thing that he had to commend the city on, it was on their sewage systems. Floods weren't a concern. As much as people hated driving in the unholy mess, he got a certain thrill out of hunting on nights like that. His suit was regulated well, it held up easily under the water, and he felt no true discomfort. It'd been tested in numerous conditions. Whether it was the Arctic or the Sahara, he would be comfortable in the suit. It put his opponents at a disadvantage, along with their lowered visibility. Formidable as Gabriel was, he wasn't invincible. He'd limped home countless nights, nursing all sorts of injuries. Shattered bones, bullet wounds, punctured lungs, and concussions. The amount of damage he could fight through would kill a normal person, but he wasn't remotely unstoppable. He just didn't stay down for long. He'd been noticing an increased in powered criminals, the majority of which were abusing some kind of synthetic designer drug. It temporarily gave the user abilities, but it was highly unstable. The night before he'd fought a musclebound freak who wound up overdosing, their heart gave out midway through the fight. The drug was severely dangerous, yet the idiots still persisted in using it. Gabriel had been investigating the epidemic, wanting to cut off the source at the head. That meant rattling cages and shaking down trees. That night alone, he'd stopped 4 muggings, two attempted rapes, a gang shootout and an arms deal. Drops in a bucket to be sure, but it saved lives. Gabriel patrolled every night without fail, and considered the eventful night to be a bit of a break. Just the week prior, he'd taken down a massive gun running operation. A large gang of outlaw bikers, led by a powered individual who was nearly impervious to pain. To take him down, he'd needed to drown the man to the point of unconsciousness. Several criminal organizations had fallen to his efforts, they just required a lot more work, and a lot more effort on his part. On the East Side, in an area known as the Bowery, there was a Gentleman's club known as Pandora's. He was very familiar with the establishment, a lot of Russian Mafia types frequented the spot, and he'd put away the former owner Nikolai. Perhaps it'd been fate that brought him there that night, but he'd been making his way across rooftops when he heard the distinct cocking of a 9MM. The click caught his ears, and he was able to pinpoint the exact location. Moments later, Gabriel was surveying the scene down in the alley from above. A group of heavies were cornering a woman. He couldn't understand what they were saying, the language sounded vaguely Eastern European. There were seven of them. All of them were armed. All of them took care of themselves. He could make out the distribution of their weight, and how steady their heartbeats were, aside from one of them. His was louder, heavier. It sounded like a tribal drum. These men had killed before, that much was certain. Two of them stank of sex, and the coppery scent of blood caught his nose as well. One of the men grasped the woman by the jawline, while waving the Glock in her face. One of his cohorts busied himself by beginning to unzip his pants. The man holding the gun sounded perturbed for lack of a better word. He was talking incessantly, the words coming out in an angry snarl. There was no time like the present. Gabriel took a crowbar in hand and silently fell off of the rooftop, guiding his descent down with the silence of a leaf being blown from a tree, at least until he crashed down violently upon one of the men. The suit did its job and absorbed the impact, even if the criminal would spend the rest of the year in traction. The makeshift weapon was brought upon the front of another's knee, effectively splintering it and sending him to the ground with an anguished cry. First priority was getting the woman clear, there wasn't a lot of room to move around in the alleyway." Go. Now." The vigilante placed himself between the men and the woman, and caught another criminal to the side of the head with an elbow strike. To his distress however, these criminals didn't react like what he would have expected. Usually he would have brought himself a few moments. Normal people weren't conditioned to violence in that way, and they needed to collect themselves before responding. But these men weren't normal, and were immediately upon him. He learned a few things quickly in that skirmish. The men were trained, they knew how to fight. Even if they were initially outmatched. None of them lost the will to fight. And the drug he'd been trying to stop, made it to their hands. One was already on the stuff, two others pulled the blue pills from their pockets and quickly a bit into them. The one with the jackhammer of a heart at close range had bulging, sickly blue veins, but when Gabriel ducked underneath a punch, he put his fist easily through a brick wall. Rapid fire strikes to the kneecaps hurt, but they didn't take him off of his feet. The air near him split, and he managed to just twist out of the way as another thug lunged with what appeared to be a dagger from his wrist. Upon closer inspection, it became apparent the weapon was made out of bone. The strike had been well aimed, and for someone who didn't naturally have powers, the man was adapting very quickly. The vigilante quickly produced a canister from a pouch on his vest. Removing the pin, he hurled it right into the strongman's face. It was a recent composition. Made for such opponents. Acute neurotoxins, with corrosive chemicals and bear mace. Hearing the glass shatter, and a loud, pained roar bellow out, he turned his attention to his immediate attacker. (since Nikolai was killed - she wasn't sure who managed that feat - the club was run a bit haphazardly, unlike the well oiled machine of sex and drugs the old man had been running prior to his untimely but much deserved death. It wasn't common knowledge that the old man was knocked off, either, but she had a way with getting into places she shouldn't, and her senses were pretty keen. Just a touch on a man's forearm at the bar the other night gave her a tip off to Pandora's... Or Pandora'box, the nickname some of the guys threw around for the club. She managed to catch one when they were bar hopping down the strip. Apparently, it was the "best pussy of his whole fucking life". She was lucky she managed to excuse herself before he could show her one of the yachts his dad purchased for him. Better for that douche bag, because Carina was using all her willpower not to punch him right in that pretty pouty mouth of his. He didn't seem to notice her absence as the night wore on and probably went to bother some vapid pick of the litter from the dance floor. However, Aaron, or whatever his name was, was also dumb enough to let her touch him. That simple brush up against his arm and that obviously fake flirtatious giggle had him enraptured so much that she swiped his wallet. She pocketed his member card for Pandora's and chucked the leftovers in the dumpster outside. All Carina had to do was wait for the next Saturday to roll around so she could disappear in the crowd of pheromones and expensive hard liqueur to the sound of pulsating house beats. Pandoras - 2:13amIt wasn't quite what she expected when she walked in. Lots of young new money guys in the latest fashion flanked by older wealthier men who thought they had class, and all of them were united by their lust for the freshly trafficked girls dancing away their lives in fluorescent cages, pimped out to the highest bidder. She'd busted places like this before but nothing on the scale of Nikolai's front. It was imposing with its ties to the Russians, rather than local gangs, but Carina was determined. After all, she managed to stay under their radar for well over fifteen years. A dozen different names and identities of the ghosts she wore were racked up in a small lockbox so she could continue hunting them, while still trying not to be prey herself. Thinking back on what they did to her and her mother - and what it brought out of her - still made Carina ill. But the rage helped fuel her, at least. Walking in from the back was easy when she blended into the place. In a cropped black leather jacket with gold embroidery covering a tight black dress that made her cleavage pop, sporting luscious red lips and a fresh manicure, she was the epitome of exotic and campy. Carina's warm hazel eyes were entrancing and rich chocolate brown hair so dark that it absorbed the flashing neon lights. Most of the guys who turned to look at her probably thought she was one of Pandora's girls scoping out a new client to pick her up. For a couple of hours Carina hung around the outskirts and the bar. She observed, she winked, she did her best to hover around the periphery without actually having to dive into the fray... yet. In her short time at the club, she saw five girls being walked out by their buyers, and slowly began to navigate toward the back of the club closest to the stage where she hoped she could get access. She nursed a whiskey at the bar for a while before she turned subtly in her chair as she worked out the best time to make her move--"Put down the drink, pičo," said a tall and imposing man beside her in a thick accent. He wore a black t-shirt with slacks, and his hair was cut short nearly to the scalp. Calm despite the disturbance, Carina let the slur roll off her back. Her dark lips pursed as she slowly set the drink back onto its coaster. His large paw of a hand was immediately around her slim upper arm, encircling it with ease as he 'helped' her out of her chair. A metallic flash at his waist caught her eye and she saw he had a gun. There really was no choice but to follow him. It wasn't a fight she could finish in here. He led her out the back as if they were strolling to one of the posh rooms upstairs for a quick fuck. Taking a hard right, he ejected her from the building where a few other men were waiting out under the awning to keep dry from the rain. At once under the harsh lamp light she recognized her escort. He looked kind of sickly despite being so fit. Did they remember her, or was she just catching shit for using that asshole's member card?" You think you could fly away from us, little bird?"" I don't know what you're talking about. You have the wrong person!" she hissed insistently, trying to wriggle free from his grasp. His hand found the back of her neck and marched her into the alley under the pelting rain. The way his fingers dug into her neck made her head hurt, and she was nauseous almost immediately at the impossible strength behind his grip, til his contact on her skin sent a jolt through her body. His heart was pounding so hard she could feel it against her skin. He was on that shit! Outside were six other men waiting for her. All of them looked well groomed and wore similar outfits. They all had guns, too, and the air was thick with malice." Drago will be happy to see you again. Especially after what you did to his face." The tall man snarled. His companions gasped and chuckled at the revelation since it had become a bit of a story among the group, hushed when Drag wasn't around, about how his face got fucked up. One of them grabbed his cock lewdly. "You think he'll care if she's in one piece?" he piped up to their leader, jutting his chin at Carina as he approached." He wants her alive... but he didn't say anything about breaking her pretty face and fucking her raw first." A sinister gleam shone in the big man's black shark eyes. He took her jaw in his hand and roughly turned her face side to side, smearing her dark red lipstick as he went with a gleeful laugh." You can't steal from Drag and get away with it, you dumb cunt!" he growled at her and pulled out his gun to point it at her, hoping for the satisfaction of a cry or plea. He spoke so closely she could feel the heat of his breath on her face while the words flowed about Drag this and Drag that, and the fucking black spot she left on his rep. How they were going to make her pay. His remarks elicited more cheers and threats from the other men as the shit running through their veins made that small, primal lizard part of their brains go haywire. Stupid scavengers circling a kill, pushing her back against the rough wall of the dead end alley. Her hands came up to tug at his strong hand as he pressed into her jaw, bruising her skin quickly. She managed to slap his hand away with some effort and used the leverage to fling herself several feet away. Drag's minion wound up like he was going to put a bullet in her head --Someone came crashing down on one of the outliers, and seconds later another one cried out and fell over. It all happened so fast that the leader of the group could only look over his shoulder to see what was happening and found two of his men down. Then, the masked man was in front of her like a barricade that cut off each of those snarling faces from her sight. His abrupt words sounded like he was speaking underwater as he tried to process what the hell was happening. Normally, the invite to run wasn't even necessary. Carina had always been careful, but apparently the little ripples she was causing turned into a wave, since they finally caught up to her." Fuck it," she sighed, seeing the havoc escalate as her would-be savior's body count instead kept getting back up. Scattered on the ground nearby was the crowbar. Carina made a break for it while the others were busy recovering and throwing punches, or worse, at the strange man. With their attention sufficiently glued to him at that moment, she wound up the heft crowbar and took it to the side of one of the criminal's heads with a sickening crunch. He sputtered blood and blinked rapidly a few times. Evidently, the drug didn't make them invincible, and the previous blow left him a bit vulnerable to Carina's attack. Up ahead in the alley she heard glass shatter and a tell-tale hiss, followed by an enraged scream from the big man who brought her out. Carina kept back and lunged for one of the other guys on the periphery of the fight. She jammed the crowbar into his side causing a cry to erupt as he clutched his kidney. He'd be lucky if all he did tomorrow was piss blood. When he whirled around with his gun pointed at her, shaking from the adrenaline of the drug and the fight, she latched her hand around his wrist. A few seconds of concentration followed as his gaze went blank, and he fell over, holding his head between his hands as something overtook him. Carina breathed hard and felt the onset of a migraine, coupled by the coppery taste of blood in her mouth. She grimaced a bit - it'd been a while since she had to do that, and she was rusty. Carina took a deep breath as she watched the criminal writhe on the ground. It reminded her of Drag that night. The woman hardly had time to collect herself when she felt white-hot pain across her jaw as one of the criminal's balled up fists connected with her face. Her vision became spotty for a few seconds as hot tears stung her eyes. She whipped her head back around to face her attacker who was surprised she was even still standing. Carina wasn't particularly skilled when it came to defending herself since she preferred to keep a low profile, no contact. So she was glad this guy either hadn't juiced up or was weakening from the rapid onset of the side effects. There must have been something so visceral about using his hands instead of his gun, and she was grateful for it. (mask had the effect of disguising his voice, a built-in voice modulator that gave him a cold, robotic tone. So when he barked out orders, there wasn't anything human in the words. That was a part of the image that he needed to give off. He'd once considered utilizing something more theatrical overall for his armor, but it'd been too over the top. Even for him. The finished ensemble served its purpose. It was functional, it concealed his identity, and it looked intimidating as hell. As Gabriel dipped, and parried, he found himself thankful for his extensive training. If he'd just been going up against street heavies, boxing alone would have been sufficient for his purposes. But the multitude of fighting systems paid dividends when it came to allowing him the ability to handle himself against enhanced criminals and ones with military training like the current batch of brain donors he found himself occupied with. The one with the bone daggers was relentless in his assault, successfully keeping Gabriel on the defensive, but unable to land a solid blow. That was until the last powered one displayed his own unique chemical enhancement. There was what sounded like a loud crash, and it felt like a freight train connected with Gabriel's side. He was taking clean off of his feet and rocketed back across the alley into a brick wall with enough force to crack several of the bricks. The vigilante could feel his teeth rattle, and his vision was momentarily blurred. The man hadn't been anywhere near him, but he noticed him holding his hand outright as he tried to correct his sight. The same deafening noise filled the air once more, but this time he couldfeelripples in the air approaching him like crashing waves. The armored man flung himself up into a vertical leap towards the wall, bounding off of it to gain more ground, and twisting like an animal in the air over the next attack. It tore into the wall, and he realized what his assailant was doing. Compressed air in a blast, resulting in a heavy impact. Almost like a sonic cannon on crack. As his boots were lifted towards the air, and he twirled lightly, Gabriel withdrew a lightweight titanium Eskimo stick from a holster at his thigh which he flung at the enhanced criminal, striking him square in the throat with the butt, and taking him down to the ground. Landing with a heavy thud in a three point stance, he resumed his onslaught. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the would-be victim getting involved in the proceedings with a crowbar. At least until one of them connected with a right cross to her face. The woman was a lot tougher than she looked, he could tell it hurt, but she was still upright. Gabriel grabbed the man by his ponytail, tugging back harshly at it and bringing his forearm into the side of his temple. In his rage, he half considered ending him. But instead settled for crippling, lifting the man over his head and bringing his back-down upon his knee. In a panic, one of the gangsters leveled a weapon at the two of them, and Gabriel had no choice but to take the brunt of the blast, so that she wouldn't have to. He was greeted with a wall of shotgun shells. The blast knocked him clean off of his feet, and it felt a cannonball struck him in the chest. It'd been at close range. Without needing to look, he knew the plates held up, even if they wouldn't be in the best condition. His ribs were also cracked. That shot would have torn an unarmored person in two, hell, even if they had on comparable protection, they would not be getting up. As he landed on his back, the vigilante gasped desperately, breathing in jagged shards of glass it felt like. He'd eaten both barrels, he could hear the man going to reload, and knew he didn't want to take another shot. His abilities were formidable, as was his intellect and his resources, above all else though, his willpower was something to be feared. The old man often theorized even that was superhuman in its scope. There was no keeping Gabriel down, the only thing that would stop him was death. Forcing himself back into a roll, a hand clenched at his rib cage, before he dived and slid between the man's legs, both of his feet were brought down into the backs of the shooter's knees, shattering them. While he was on the ground, the juiced up one stumbled around and the gangster with the wrist daggers was upon him, shouting directions at the biggest one. The bone daggers were held at his throat, with the criminal attempting to stab him in the neck, but Gabriel proved stronger, grasping his wrists, and neatly snapping both of them. Utilizing his core strength, he rocketed up, and brought his temple directly into his opponent's nose, breaking it. Gabriel didn't stop there, and he repeated the headbutt several times. The last one standing was the big man who followed the ruckus, and could barely make out the vigilante. The toxins worked quick, and he was going blind, but he would make sure to full and well kill the masked man first. Gabriel was pulled up by his arm, growling out as it was nearly wrenched from the socket. A hard fist connected with his midsection, and he was grateful for the armor, even as the air was knocked out of him. A loud crack could be heard, and he knew that was another rib. The goon had heard it too, and pulled Gabriel in for a bear hug. The grip was like that of an anaconda. Getting up and about wasn't going to be in the cards for tomorrow, he knew that much. Not with all the damage he'd taken to his rib cage that night. But the goon wasn't just looking to break something, he was fully intent on squeezing the life out of the costumed man. Darkness was overtaking Gabriel's vision before he focused, and clenched both fists, bringing them together into the man's ears, he listened with sick satisfaction as his attacker yelped out in pain, though the attack earned another squeeze which made Gabriel cry out. He instantly repeated the attack, before pulling his arm back, chambering and sending his palm directly into the goon's nose. A dim MAK maneuver he learned in Nepal, he very nearly succeeded in driving the man's sinuses through his brain stem and that caused him to loosen his grip. Gabriel was able to fall out, and seized upon the opening. A crushing hook was landed on the man's liver, causing him to double over, he finished the fight with a knife hand chop to the auricular is Magnus just under the jawline. The attack would have killed a normal person, as Gabriel didn't soften the impact in the least. As it was, it succeeded in knocking the big man out, and the victor was left to breathe there hoarsely. Every breath was labored, and he looked back at Carina. What was her story? Why hadn't she fled? He'd observed her, she was powered also. Those men wanted to kill her. There was definitely something there. Her face was committed to memory, and he fell down to a knee, before making his way over to her. Slowly walking, he set a hand on her shoulder, before addressing her through gritted teeth, "... You're safe now. The police will round them up." It wasn't just her face he memorized, her scent, even there in the rain. He'd also placed a tiny tracer on her, one that was smaller than a dime, not easily noticeable and bound with a strong adhesive. "You're a fighter... You know that? You should go, lady." The alleyway became a whirlwind of violence in less than a minute flat. Carina didn't mind too much, although she could have done without taking that blow to the cheek now that a little click was piercing through her ear each time she rolled her jaw. Fortunately for her, however, the masked stranger who'd come swooping down from the sky was taking on all of Drag's men and that supped up junkie leader all on his own with hardly much help required. She managed to put one of the gangsters down with her abilities - it would probably take him half a day to come out of that awful unconsciousness she'd settled him into - but the hit she took had knocked her off balance somewhat. Although the ponytail wearing fuck was immediately pulled away by the masked vigilante, Carina felt her heads swimming a little despite her best efforts to appear okay. She bolted for the fallen crow bar that got chucked out of her hands on impact. After picking it up, and turning back toward the fray expecting more blows to come flying, Carina realized that her savior kept all the attention on him. She was curious, admittedly, and that didn't happen often. Not too many people took that new street drug and ended up with amazing side effects. In exchange for speed or strength there had been a spike in heart attacks, among other unsavory effects. This guy fought like he was riding it high but without any of the negatives. Carina wasn't really a people person, yet she kind of liked his style. So she watched him with her head canted a bit and hands firmly on the crowbar in case someone got too close. Otherwise, she wasn't exactly fit to toss herself into that mess. By the time the goons were all laying on the ground and the only sounds left were heavy breathing and the pitter-patter of rain, the dark haired woman still stood by watching at the ready. It was like she half expected the big man to pull himself up and lunge for her. She had to force her eyes away from him to avoid looking too long at that familiar face she thought was in the past. As he came over with a slow intentional walk, she felt her body go rigid. His hand coming down on her shoulder wasn't firm, but it was enough to make her stop breathing for a few seconds as she had to force back a flicker of... something. Her guard was down, and her emotions were running haywire. It was harder to control it in that situation." Yeah... Thanks," she numbly responded. Carina was half-tempted to ask how he was. Clearly he'd taken more than a few blows which would have knocked out a lesser man, but he didn't strike her as a user. He still felt pain. She made herself scarce soon after that but not without a cursory glance back over her shoulder. Part of her exit was hurried along by the feeling of vulnerability that welled up inside her knowing that she'd been helpless if not for that costumed stranger. What was more, he had the advantage wit that mask on. Carina didn't enjoy being in those types of situations, and hurried back home still holding that crowbar. Just in case.(didn't come out of her apartment for a few days while recuperating. She left the TV on - and that fixed up police scanner she picked up - hoping to hear something in the news about the fight in the alley. So far it was relatively quiet. The blow to the face she took hadn't mangled her up too badly, but there was still an awful bruise on her cheekbone that crawled below her eye. She looked like one of those women who 'feel down the stairs' when their boyfriend got upset. Despite the layer of makeup she tried to put over the bruise, it was quite the shiner. Carina wasn't a pack animal so she didn't really make friends or interact with people purposefully. Yet she had been at a woeful disadvantage in the alley and that bothered her enough to force her out of her comfortable nondescript apartment. She begrudgingly rifled through her wardrobe and pulled on a dark pair of jeans, a low cut gray tank top, and tossed on her favorite leather motor jacket before heading out. As difficult as it was to admit she needed help, she was going to do what was necessary to make sure she could give what she could take. Especially if Drag's ugly head resurfaced and was sniffing her out after all these years. Although it was strange to be outside around people again, the awkwardness she felt was stymied by how close the local gym was. A handful of blocks worth of keeping her head slightly down as she made a bee-line for it would pay off when she finally got inside the gym and could take a breath. She walked forward through the foyer into the gym proper. There were a few sparring rings in active use and a handful of people walking around, chatting and practicing their form, while she tried to look for some inconspicuous corner where she could take out her frustration. But... where to start? (get a lecture from the Old Man. Gabriel often got lectures. He took unnecessary risks, he could do more without a costume, and he was addicted to it. On some level, he knew it was true. The gym that he ran, it was an institution of the neighborhood. He had the money, the renown and the connections to open up more locations. In the long run, the gym would pay dividends. Getting to the kids before they become entrenched in the criminal lifestyle. Teaching them discipline, respect and civic pride. His kids got involved in the neighborhood, they became respectful. Just the other day, a group of middle schoolers that trained there had gotten into a brawl to defend one of their classmates, and they won quite decisively. In the next month or so, the next addition to the space would be done. A soundproof, firing range. They were going to make responsible gun owners of the people in the neighborhood. Just another means of defending themselves from the predators. There was so much that he was capable of doing. But there he was, ribs beat to shit, standing victorious over broken and bloodied bodies. He was going to take enough pain meds to tranquilize an elephant, and he was going to allow his body to repair all the damage that'd been done to it. The vigilante warily watched Carina. She was powered. What she was capable of exactly, he wasn't sure. But he'd been observing her. She definitely had something going on. Who was she? And what was she to the goons? The men he'd battered weren't standard street goons. The accents were Eastern European. Mafia, perhaps. The gangsters in Central America, and Eastern Europe were something different to be sure. Part of his training had him studying under an explosive expert in Ukraine. Sergei. He'd learned everything he could possibly want to under the man, and then left him hogtied for law enforcement to pick up. The man was wanted for selling munitions to several terrorist groups. The thing that had struck Gabriel about that region of the world, and the people there, were just how hard they were. Prisons in America were like day camps for them. They cut the faces and hands off of their victims to avoid police being able to identify them. Many of them were ex-military. Those men were soldiers. He knew it in his bones. She on the other hand didn't look like she'd come from the same place as them. The most logical assumption he had, was that she might have been one of their working girls. He'd heard about some new players that were into trafficking, and strong arming sex workers. They would make the girls hook out of strip clubs. It was steady money, but his gut told him there was more to their story. The woman he had just saved was his in. Whether she knew it or not. The goons almost certainly wouldn't talk, and if they did, it wouldn't be quick, and it wouldn't be easy. Sergei hadn't given him anything when he'd questioned him in the past. A prolonged beating, waterboarding and finally electric shocks in the form of Carrillo were all necessary to get him to talk. He didn't have the time, so he'd need to stick on her. She almost certainly wasn't done with her assailants yet. He'd probably have to place bugs at her home, but if they'd been that dead set on killing her, they wouldn't stop anytime soon. He wordlessly watched her depart, crowbar in hand. The smirk that followed couldn't be helped, but Gabriel tested a theory, and he took one of the men with him. It'd taken drastic measures to get his prey to talk. Peeled fingernails and toenails did the job, after several other more standard means of interrogation. Even still the information he got was nowhere near as much as he wanted. Their operation was large, they trafficked in women, and operated out of the docks. Smuggling in weapons and drugs, and selling them to their clientele. He didn't know much about the woman, only that there was some bad blood there. Leaving the man to be found by the cops, Gabriel returned home, and drugged himself to sleep. It felt like he'd gone to war, and his body was screaming for rest.(his complete surprise, the woman lived close to him. Extremely close. It'd make response time if it was needed, that much easier. Gabriel could place a few discrete bugs in and around her apartment, all to monitor any potential problems that could arise. The incident had shaken up the woman, she remained cooped up in her home for a few days. She knew more about her assailants than he did. They were hunting her down. She knew this. Perhaps staying off the streets was a strategy of sorts. It meant someone wouldn't be able to make and track her. All the while, he went hunting every night as well, pounding the pavement in an effort to get more information. Many of the criminals he'd roughed up were Eastern European. But they weren't the men he was looking for. These were far too skittish, and they didn't have the level of training the ones he fought did. Even with that, they were exceedingly violent. They'd managed to carve out a sizable piece of the pie for themselves through sheer brutality. He got little nuggets of information, and found out that they were functioning as flunkies for the men. For all of his efforts over the last few nights, he was no closer to bringing the criminals to light. Or at least he wasn't, not until the most damned thing happened. He'd been observing a match between two of his younger students from afar. When they'd first come to the gym, they'd been wild, and all profanity. But now everything had a sir after it, and they were excelling in school. Their parents were positively grateful. The owner and operator of the gym had on a pair of black track pants, with a matching red short-sleeved t-shirt. The gym's name and logo were on the front of it in black. A cup of green tea was in hand, when he sawherwalk into his club. For a moment, white-hot panic coursed through his form. He wondered if he'd somehow been made, and she had discovered who was beneath the mask. She had powers, mind reading wasn't out of the realm of possibility. But as she looked around, he realized her intent was something else. It seemed like she was there to potentially use the facility. Heading off one of his trainers, Gabriel left the confines of his office to go out and greet her. His injuries were healed for the most part, outside of tenderness in his ribs, and a very slight, barely noticeable limp. By the next day, he'd be back at 100%. Turning on the charm, and remembering the mask he wore during the daytime, he put on his best smile, and spoke in a soft, deep tone that resonated quite well despite him not making any attempts to fully project, "Hello there, welcome miss! I don't believe I've seen you around, my name is Gabriel. I'm the owner here. Is there something I can potentially assist you with?" If she hadn't made him, this was it. This was his in. It was almost laughable how perfect the circumstances were. His eyes momentarily dropped, and they focused on her healing shiner. "... Oh, are you alright?" Carina would have been content to remain on the periphery while she observed the fights, but fate had another more adventurous option in mind. She liked to stick to herself unless absolutely necessary and going out into public often ran the threat of needing to interact with others. It was always a mixed bag growing up. Despite the charming sultry demeanor she could put on at a club like Pandora's there was always a fear of relapse in Carina that made her grow into an acutely antisocial and lonely woman - but she sort of liked it that way. Fewer entanglements meant less drama and less chance of ever being discovered. Rarely did she stay in a city for more than six months at a time, either. She only went the exact opposite way of them. Stiffening slightly when she heard the soft footsteps come up beside her. An even softer voice followed that had an oddly calming effect on the dark haired woman. She turned slightly at the neck to peer up at the tall man., surprised by how such a calm voice could come from him. With arms folded across her chest a bit defensively, as if to protect herself, she jutted her chin toward some of the sparring young men." Yeah, I was thinking about getting... lessons. How to throw a punch properly." She'd never done this before and had no idea where to begin. As much as Carina hated to be embarrassed or put on the spot, she couldn't exactly do this right without some pointers. Next time one of Drag's men found her they would regret it. She wouldn't let herself be vulnerable like that ever again. His eyes stopping on her somewhat concealed black eye made her hackles raise. Carina's nature was pretty bristly from lack of socializing, and she snapped at his observation." Are you a therapist, too?" Her brow furrowed, and she pointedly looked ahead to avoid meeting his face. Carina also wasn't one for apologies and simply tried to let the irritation slide away as she exhaled. Admitting it was harder, she thought. "I'm fine. Just something I'm going to make sure never happens again." Her voice was quieter this time and more firm." So, can you show me how to do this or do you want to talk about my feelings?" Baby steps. Gabriel had to wonder about the source of her gifts. She didn't strike him as being a user. Which meant she was either born with her abilities, or she was like him, and someone gave them to her. However she got them, they were formidable. In his day to day, he didn't encounter too many powered individuals unless they were attempting to commit some sort of crime. He had theories of how many existed around the world, but it was hard to know until they revealed themselves. Most the individuals he'd seen with abilities had done that poison to gain them, however temporary it was. But this woman was the real deal. The owner of the gym nodded gently in acknowledgement of her reasons for being there. Throwing a punch was definitely something she could benefit from, though to her credit, she was quite capable of taking them as well. Knowing how to defend herself would leave her in a better situation, but only to a degree. The men that were hunting her wouldn't back down just because she could give one a shiner. If he was going to train her, he was really going to have to do it. She was guarded, it was understandable. Gabriel didn't take anything she said to heart, and he dryly snarked back, "I do have a minor in psychology, but no. I will say that fighting teaches you to expand your mind. Even when just learning how to defend yourself, it really is a spiritual journey, and you can apply those lessons in your everyday life." With a soft frown, he added, "But if you need to absolutely put someone down? We do teach that." Gabriel pointed over to one of the spare rooms, "Before you leave, you should check in there. A belief that I have is in this town fists aren't enough. So we do also sell firearms, we have a range and we do classes. If you've already been accosted? I would strongly encourage learning your way around a gun. It could save your life in the future." Tilting his head in a certain direction so she could follow him, Gabriel made his way towards the back of the gym. "... Are you familiar with the concept of shadow-boxing at all ma'am?" The pair would stop in front of a mirror, and he'd point at a reflection of her in it. "Tonight? That is your worst enemy. But you're going to get into your stance, and you are going to attempt to hit yourself. While also making sure to weave out of the way. We will keep this short and sweet, but I would like to see where you are currently. We can work from there then. But you will want to make yourself a smaller target, ensure it is harder to hit you." At the very least, she was definitely in shape. That was half of his job right there already. Snarky as she might have been, Gabriel was going to make sure she left that day with something of substance.

Falling To Pieces (Andronica & Darkcide)|rating:4.0

An Age of Colonization (IC_OPEN)

AN AGE OF COLONIZATION An age of supremacy and honorable battle has begun. The world has discovered a completely new continent, filled with vast riches. Natives guard these treasures, with their very lives. Somehow, at the expense of foreigners, natives have gotten guns. They have a chance for survival. A chance to fight back the conquerors. It was that small chance that they needed. With a big push, they can set an example. They would not take slavery! Nations are forming, glorious revolutions or bloody civil war, what founded yours? And most importantly, are you a native or a foreigner? YOU decide! This is set in an alternate universe, based around the technology of the 1700s. You can set up infamous nations such as the Ottoman Empire or the French Republic. You could have Napoleon rule Germany, Bismarck rule England, whatever you want, the possibilities are endless!YE OLD RULE BOOK1. No god mod. Period.2. I am your all mighty god. My decisions are final. Respect them.3. If you become insanely powerful, I will cause events. This could lead to a coalition against you or an economic disaster.4. Enjoy the RP and have fun.5. Don't one line. If you want to speak to someone diplomatically, use the diplomatic thread. Diplomacy6. In your posts you must include information about how your nation is progressing, stuff about your ruler, diplomacy, war if applicable, economy, etc. Essentially you are actually taking control of these nations, I don't want to see posts like "Francia filled her treasury. We declared war on England"7. Do your research on the technology. There is no such thing as iron-clads. If you make like 20 or so posts talking about how you were researching how to achieve naval supremacy, I'd be cool with PLATING.CONE RULE TO...RULE THEM HAVE FUN! Stardom of Russia 1700The Czar wondered through his palace as he oversaw the nations current economic decisions. He ordered more processing of timber, and more mining of coal. The Russian Stardom was prospering now better than ever. The economy was booming the population was rising, and the ships traveled freely from the ports exporting and importing goods from their allies. On another note the might of the Emperors Army was growing steadily with some of the finest technology in Europe if not the world. The Czar was interested in brining more ties with foreign countries, and from newspapers it was obvious that there were rebels forming in some countries while other countries were just brought up in this magnificent land. Dear esteemed leader of The Hellenic Liberation Front (HLB) I the leader of the Russian Stardom would like to send you my dearest gratitude and condolences on any people you may have lost in your recent uprisings, we would like to support you with imports, and if it explodes into a large scale conflict military support, but we would prefer to avoid violent measures. Also concerning other countries I would like to have trade and or military alliances with, please reply as soon as you can. Mughal Empire The Holy Polish Army Serbian Liberation Movement Kingdom of Great Scandinavian Empire Czar Pyotr 1 The Slavic Federation of Eastern Europe wrote:Stardom of Russia 1700 The Czar wondered through his palace as he oversaw the nations current economic decisions. He ordered more processing of timber, and more mining of coal. The Russian Stardom was prospering now better than ever. The economy was booming the population was rising, and the ships traveled freely from the ports exporting and importing goods from their allies. On another note the might of the Emperors Army was growing steadily with some of the finest technology in Europe if not the world. The Czar was interested in brining more ties with foreign countries, and from newspapers it was obvious that there were rebels forming in some countries while other countries were just brought up in this magnificent land. (Image)Dear esteemed leader of The Hellenic Liberation Front (HLB) I the leader of the Russian Stardom would like to send you my dearest gratitude and condolences on any people you may have lost in your recent uprisings, we would like to support you with imports, and if it explodes into a large scale conflict military support, but we would prefer to avoid violent measures. Also concerning other countries I would like to have trade and or military alliances with, please reply as soon as you can. Mughal Empire The Holy Polish Army Serbian Liberation Movement Kingdom of Great Scandinavian Empire Czar Pyotr 1Dear Honorable Czar Pyotr 1,The Mughal Empire is pleased to hear of talks of trade and alliances. While the Empire asks other nations to support our tariff system, the Empire is willing to promote an exclusive deal with the Russians. While our pockets may be lined from the spice trade, our Gods have not blessed us with the bountiful coal and timber deposits that scatter your lands. I am very eager to discuss a possible trade agreement that may potentially lower our tariff rates in exchange for raw resources. I am positive your Nobles will appreciate discounted spices and tobacco. With high regards, Emperor Abdul Atari------------------------------KarachiA national day of celebration was held in the Mughal capital of Karachi. The dearest Emperor has been blessed to live to the age of 45, an admiral feat for any common citizen. The streets of the capital were lined as processions of soldiers progressed from the Emperor's Palace to Karachi's largest park. In recent times, the Emperor has enjoyed high approval ratings and low instability, as citizens across the Empire have begun to benefit from trade and infrastructure upgrades. Royal feasts were held among nobles, ranging from bustling Mumbai to the back water town of Hyderabad. Talk has been spreading among priests and commoners to partition to the Heavens to inaugurate the dearest Emperor into the caste of the Gods. Pennsylvania, Capital of the American Empire King George Washington sat on his Throne of "Freedom." He sat in a deep thought planning and thinking, planning and thinking. He then got up and walked into his armory. Furthermore, he put on his crown, cloak, and armor and equipped his cutlass, two flintlock pistols, his musket, and his Scepter of Eden. Furthermore, he then had 300,000 men assembled and ordered them to march into and seize Acadia. Furthermore, he then mounted his horse, Justice, and rode into the courtyard of the Palace of Iron "Freedom." His greatest general, William Black, rode in and greeted him, "Hail to your sire, the main army is ready for you to lead and all have assembled, 600,000 infantry, 20,000 cavalry, and 2000 artillery, all ready to march to Mexico." Washington stared at him and nodded, "Yes and in the meantime we can push into Canada and expand the Empire." William bowed his head and then rode away to have the army begin the march. In the meantime Washington wrote letters and tried to set up diplomacy with the rest of the world. Constantinople, Ottoman Empire"We should have expelled them when we took Romania." The sultan gave an enraged look. "All that I give them. Freedom to worship, freedom to speak their own language, and they spit in my face." The sultan's assistant stood nearby." This stops today. Let it be known, for every Turk killed by a Roman, we will kill ten Romans or more." The sultan said to the assistant, no simply nodded. "Order!" The assembly quickly quieted down. None of them wanted the shame of being kicked out of the hall. All of them wanted to influence the others and being removed would be a dent to that; no irreparable, but damaging. It helped to keep things under control. The assembly turned to face the chairman, awaiting him. He picked up a newly arrived script and began to read it out slowly, but clearly.“The emperor has requested a vote on a new law. It would give soldiers from varying areas of the empire a chance the join the Imperial Army or vice versa without the approval of their superior and if the party they are joining would agree. Any soldiers that are accepted by either side from each of the other sides will be compensated in money.” There was heated muttering and several minutes of chatter after this until the black-haired chairman called a vote. Those who voted for it had their hands up and those who had not kept their hands down. It was a close vote, but after a few seconds the counting was finished by a very experienced counter who informed the judge.“Passed with three.” They moved onto the next item of business Mumbai Following global economic trends, and Mumbai's inability to match global export demands, has been deemed a recipient of Empire funds to establish the port city has a prominent trade hub. The Mughal Empire is known far and wide for its adequate road system, and transporting cotton, tobacco, and other luxury items to port is having occasionally been in vain, as port capacity has been reached and product goes to waste. To prevent economic and regional instability, the port of Mumbai will be upgraded to match the demand and commerce flow the capital city Karachi currently experiences. Esteemed leader of the Mughal Empire We would like to finalize our alliance, we have agreed to your requests of coal and timber, we will ship our first load of timber and coal as soon as we receive a response. The Czar exited the office after handing his letter to the postman. He immediately began making plans to get support to the rebels and get them there needed food and supplies. The Czar exited the east wing hall and made his way down the stairs to the trade commissioners hall and discussed the transportation from Russia to Mughal Empire, and came to the conclusion that shipping the cargo from Vladivostok to Karachi would be the safest route. However, they could always use rivers, it would be quicker but risked being intercepted. Constantine Comments looked at his soldiers. Men from all Greece united together once more to fight for freedom, to fight for God, to die for their ancestors.'These men here took you City, killed your Emperor and made you their slaves. Today is the day of payback and tomorrow is the day of Liberty!' That was what he said and 4,000 men charged the village screaming 'FREEDOM OR DEATH'. All Turks were dead, and their houses burnt down. One more strategic position under Greek rule. The revolution would start soon... THE KINGDOM OF Shut Russia From Shush graciously accepts Russia's trade agreement and military alliance offers. Exports of silk shall commence immediately. To Mughal Empire From Shush would like to offer trade of silk, a highly profitable material. ONDAR, Empire of EthiopiaYohannes III was walking around his palace garden, murmuring about the news from the Ottoman Empire. He was very surprised by the fact that the Greek rebels had captured another city in Ottoman Empire. They looked promising, and he admired it. He considered even helping them out by supplying them with food, but he soon realized his country was weak and divided. He decided that the best choice was to modernize to become equal to that of Western countries. Furthermore, he narrowed down the choice to 2 countries - the Stardom of Russia and the American Empire. Furthermore, he quickly wrote letters to them explaining that if they were to help Ethiopia modernize, then they would be given free passage to Ethiopia, given substantial gold reserve, and will be leased the port of Djibouti for 12 years or more. Hoping that at least one would reply, he hastily gave the letter to the postman, and ordered the court to make a Modernization Commission and start researching about European military and economy. To ShuT he Mughal Empire is impressed by our offers of hospitality and trade, and our ports would be blessed to have precious silk flow through the markets. However, in the interest of the Empire, I must request a mutually beneficial trade agreement. Our Empire has flourished under the procurement of spices, herbs, tobacco, and other splendid commodities. If you are eager to make such an agreement, our merchants will be very pleased. The Esteemed Emperor--------------------Mughal shipping fleets have made the tedious trip from the Indian Ocean, past the Horn of Africa, to the Black Sea. While cumbersome, the first load of commodities were delivered too Russian merchants. Mughal cartographers are eager to work with the Russians to discover an easier trade route. Serbian Kenya Aleksandar Petrovich Karadjordje in town of Crash, surrounded other Serbian Kenya and said: "We want our freedom! It is over with Turks taking our children and making them hate their brothers, spitting us in the face, burning down our churches! We want freedom, Serbian state on its own! LIVELY SERBIA! (Long live Serbia!). The first Serbian unrest began waking all parts of Serbian Pascal. Serbia declared independence from Turkey. Knyaz Aleksandar send letter to Greeks and Russian brothers To: Greek Rebels From: United Serbian StatesДраги пријатељи и православна браћо, Била би нам част кад би наше две независне државе биле савезници против турских душмана. Српски кнез, Александар Петровић КарађорђеTo: Russian Empire From: United Serbian StatesДрага браћо по словенској крви и православној вери, У тешким временима, увек сте се нашли нама у помоћи. Стога молимо вас да нам и овај пут помогнете против турског зла. Српски кнез, Александар Петровић КарађорђеRebellion:OCC: letter1: Dear friends and brother in faith, It would be and honor that our two independent states sign a pact of alliance against common Turkish foe Serbian Kenya, Aleksandar Petrovich Karadyordyeletter2:Dear brothers of Slavic blood and Orthodox faith, Many times you were there to help Serbian people, thus we must asked you to aid us again, this time against Turkish evil. Serbian Kenya, Aleksandar Petrovich Karadyordye Constantine Comments was getting ready on his tent. Tomorrow he was going to visit the Czar in Russia but then suddenly a man knocked his door.' Sir, the Serbs started the revolution. They are rebelling against the Ottomans!'' Damn them!' said the Emperor 'Couldn't they wait a little longer?'' Anyways, ready my men, and let it know to every Greek man that from today they are Greek men, the Greek revolution has now official started!' To: The Czar of Russia From: Constantine KomnenosDue to unexpected events I shall not be able to arrive in Moscow. Instead, I propose that you send one of your advisors to Greece. The Greek revolution has started and all the Balkan people are uprising for a new tomorrow, we request that you honor your promise and aid us. It is time that we fight once more us brothers. Constantine Someone arrived in the town square where thousands of Greeks waited for him:'The time has finally come. Armed men and women all over Greece it is time to honor your ancestors. Show these heathens why we praise God standing up, show them the pride of Greece, show them your Spartan spirit! If it is now time to fight for your freedom, for your family, for your EMPIRE!' Ships left ports from the Black Sea and were heading to the Mughal Empire, they would receive there supplies in a few short weeks. However, the Czar had other matters to attend to such as the Serbian's asking for the Russian's aid. The Czar had not yet wanted to anger any countries and wished to resolve them peacefully, the Czar was well aware that if the war did start it would most likely result in the Russian's being the defenders, but this gave the Russian Stardom a great advantage over anyone, due to the Russian harsh winters and their peoples undying love and resistance for their land. To: The Ottoman Empire From: The Russian Stardom the Czar of the Stardom of Russia would like to discuss the issues of recent uprisings in the rebel territory known as "Serbia". We would like to propose that you let them be free, what harm can it do to let them become a sovereign nation as you and me, we would like to resolve this peacefully as we are sure you would like to as well. You can not press people who wish to be free, let their Slavic pride be freed again, and this issue shall be resolved. Along with the letter the Czar sent fine china with a fine carriage with golden engravings and trim, as a gesture of kindness. The Czar attended other matters later as he received a letter from the Greek Rebellion well give you the promised support of supplies and 1,000 infantry, but let it be known that our infantry well only guard your defensive positions, and if they are used as cannon fodder by your oppressors, there will be consequences of them. We are sending an advisor by the name Oleg Kuibyshev to your location, you may discuss your concerns and other requests with him and return him after you are finished.Meanwhile, large numbers of young men ran to the recruitment facilities as there were talks of war, even though no shots had even been fired, but word commonly got messed up and exaggerated around the common populace. Pakistan Province The great and mighty engineers of the Mughal Empire have initiated a massive undertaking. Life in north-eastern section of the Empire is entirely dictated by the annual flooding of the Indus River. The river, both revered and praised by the locals, is known for its sporadic flooding and harsh summers. To combat crop destruction from both drought and flooding, engineers have begun plotting to build a dam along the northern section of the river. The dam would flood a heavily populated Pakistani valley, but the Emperor is decided. The opportunity for year-around crop support and farmer/peasant satisfaction is too enticing to pass up. Constantinople, Ottoman Empire The sultan ordered the first waves of Turkish troops into Romania, quelling all who resisted. More than one million infantry troops, bolstered by 10,000 Crimean cavalry made their way down the Falklands, intent on destroying the source of the rebellion. To add salt to wounds, they were led by janissaries. They split, with one force of 500,000 men heading to Thessalonica and the other going to Serbia. The Turkish army was massive and that was its weakness, knew Alexander, the 200,000 Serbians were ready to fight against Turkish oppression. Four division of Hussars from Austria, four from Russian Empire and three more from Poland, each about 10,000 men strong were riding across the Europe to aid their motherland. Unlike Turks who fought in the medieval style, going on battlefield, Serbian Hussars were masters of "cutting out". They would go behind the army parts that were staying behind, taking them out, exposing them to the horse and gun power. If the enemy army was aware of it and going back to aid them, another division would go for those who were going too fast, taking them down too. They would go around the whole army, playing with it. It wouldn't matter if the enemy army was staying together at the begging, because eventually some village or town would get raid and eventually would split up, and Hussars would go for them. Since Serbia was full of mountains and 200,000 Hands were waiting for Turkish convoys to attack, only made job of Hussars easier. At least that thought Aleksandar Karadjordje. The news of 500,000 big army marching on Serbia, filled Serbs with morale. As they ancestors in 1389 and 1459, they are going to fight them. Every Serb knew they are going to kill and take down as many Ottomans as they can, and when they fall down for the motherland, their bodies are going to make Turks strive. Here's something that I am terrible at enforcing, but it needs to be enforced. You MUST list off where your troop garrisons are, to prevent sudden millions attacking a guy. And then that "surprised" guy attacking back with millions. Men all over Greece had gathered in Athens in order to honor their ancestors. The revolution had started, and it was time to act. Turkish troops were reported to have reached Salonika and God knows what they would do to the Greeks there. Emperor Constantine said:'Today we have liberated Sparta and Athens in the name of Leonidas and Pericles, and soon we shall liberate Salonika, Constantinople, Smyrna and Rebind in the name of all Greeks!' After the speech a Russian man named Oleg Kuibyshev and some soldiers approached Constantine. The man was said to be sent by the Czar himself. They arrived a couple of hours ago from Series port. They entered a nearby house, so that no spy would listen them:'So, has the Czar decided to aid the revolution?'' The Czar is openly aiding the Orthodox revolutions and has sent supplies and men to aid you''I know that, but it is not enough. A huge Turkish army of 100.000s of men are heading our way. We can't beat them alone. In order for the Turks to set us free, in order to see the Empire restored and in order to hear Christian hymns in Hair Sofia again YOU MUST declare war on the Muslims. Outside of this house there are 100ds of men ready to give their blood for God and Empire, please, prove them that their sacrifice shall not be in vain!" After a long conversation the Russian man headed back to Russia. His men however stayed to aid the Greeks in their noble war.Meanwhile, near Athens fortifications are being made. Greek men are place in mountains in hills to ambush and slow down the Turks till Russian aid arrive I will not, and I mean will NOT launch a full scale invasion against the Ottomans! We are not even at war! I will send 9,000 more men and cannons, but once again only for defense. We are still awaiting a reply from the Ottoman Empire. Yelled the Czar to his advisor. The Czar would like to inform all the resistance groups and their citizens that they may flee to the Stardom of Russia and receive Military training and a safe haven, we are not yet forced to declare war and are trying to get a response from the ottomans, so do not yet be rash against us, we have already sent 9,000 more men to Greece with cannons, but they are only there for defense. The supplies from the Mughal empire arrived, and they were loaded up the Russian docks, while Russian ships were loaded with Coal, Timber, and a fine specially crafted Sasha sword with a golden hilt. The Car was sending the ships a different route this time going through rivers crossing through Afghanistan and then arriving in the port of Karachi. The messenger arrived back in Greece along with the Russian soldiers. The Emperor, although displeased, did not react. He commanded his troops and moved north. His plan was to liberate Virus before the Ottomans reach Salonika. From there he would have full control of West Greece. Meanwhile, Greek High Ranked Generals of the Russian army pleaded to the Czar to declare war on the Ottomans. A man knocked the Czar's dorm.' Sir, some of your Generals request that they speak to you' People in the streets of Russia put more and more pressure on the government to support the rebellions and the Czar finally cracked. The Czar let out a long sigh, fine whatever must be done to prevent our orthodox brothers from falling. Mobilize our army, we will send in 500,000 of our soldiers along with 5 Cossack Divisions, and 5 artillery Divisions. This is not the decision I wish to have come to but, I am left with little sway in options I may choose. Dear leader of Greece and Serbia We have finalized our decision and are sending in 500,000 men and a few Cossack and Artillery divisions, and are equip well for the war, we are here to support you as promised. They will drive in approximately one week. OTTOMAN EMPIRE We would like to inform you that we have sent in a large portion of our army and are getting more recruits that are signing up for a fight against your country from around Eastern Europe and Russia. This is your Final chance to let Greece and Serbia be free. To the Russian TsardomFrom the Holy Polish Army Slavic friends, as you know, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth has been occupied by the fiends that call themselves the "Union" of Europe, and we cannot allow the lands that are rightfully Polish (And Lithuanian) to be occupied any longer, the occupation must be brought down through blood and iron, and we ask for your support, we do hope you shall come to our aid. Godspeed! Karachi Talk has spread among Mughal Generals and Admirals that the time of war may soon be upon them. Looking Southward, the island of Ceylon lies just within the grasp of the Empire. Besides the rich trade resources the island would grant, the Emperor is eager to put his limited naval fleets to the test. The Mughal Empire's navy, in comparison to other nations, is relatively weak and pathetic. Emperor Ammar seeks to change that. But for now the rumors of war are widely contained among the military elite, and little word has spread to the common populace or news organizations. However, the majority of the naval fleet has been called to the Port of Mumbai. Rightful Revolution wrote:Karachi Talk has spread among Mughal Generals and Admirals that the time of war may soon be upon them. Looking Southward, the island of Ceylon lies just within the grasp of the Empire. Besides the rich trade resources the island would grant, the Emperor is eager to put his limited naval fleets to the test. The Mughal Empire's navy, in comparison to other nations, is relatively weak and pathetic. Emperor Ammar seeks to change that. But for now the rumors of war are widely contained among the military elite, and little word has spread to the common populace or news organizations. However, the majority of the naval fleet has been called to the Port of Mumbai. To Emperor Marine seek assistance from our Muslim neighbor. As this is being written, Christians are revolting in the Ottoman provinces and Russia has declared war. Will you assist us? To the Russian TsarHipocritical fool. If you truly cared about others you would not have annexed Ukraine and Siberia. Consider this an official declaration of war. My Crimean hordes already ravage your land as we speak. The news of the rebellion in Serbia and Greece was interesting. It was not often that such an opportunity to weaken their neighbors came by, but there were reports that Poland was unsettled and that Russia might take such an opportunity to weaken the Union of Europe. If it happened, Poland would gladly secede if not outright rebel and with the Spanish and Italian borders unsecured, God knew that it would fall apart. Unless of course, they had a genius or a miracle, but both were rare and oft regarded as curses. A decision was made to increase Imperial army numbers in Poland, Hungary and Austria. The Pyrenean's had objected as had the Hamburgers, but all else had seemed happy except the Alsatians who supported the Hamburgers. The Alps were a good barrier against Italy so they had felt indispensable and impervious as always, but luckily, they had not demanded anything. It was done, and hopefully, it would keep the Union functioning. Gdańsk Several hundred protesters, of both Polish and Lithuanian decent, gathered from around the city in its center, waving the Royal Banner of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, chanting out"Wolsey Polska!", or"Free Poland!", and shouting curses at passing Imperial soldiers, but otherwise, this protest was peaceful, these were the civilian supporters of theŚwięta Polska Polskiego, SWP, or the Holy Polish Army, they stood in cities center, chanting and calling for a free Poland, and some even yelled out for Russia to support a free Poland, some even began chanting lines like"Smear do Unit!", or"Death to the Union!"and"Policy i Within, Jackie she!", or"Poles and Lithuanians, unite!", and even"Bog Che, Wolsey Polska!", or"God wants a free Poland!", followed by the raising of Catholic, Orthodox and even Protestant crosses. Karachi Emperor Abdul was infuriated. He had already defenestrated his economic advisor out the nearest window, after new economic reports revealed a trade DECLINE. "A DECLINE!" he bellowed, "What do you mean a decline!" "W-well Emperor... these revolutions in Europe are disrupting trade... One of our trade ships to Russia was reprimanded after trying to cross through to the Black Sea..." His trade advisor mumbled, obviously intimidated. "Gas, get me some paper!" Dear Neglectful Leaders of Europe, Do you not see the harm that is being constructed on your people and trade! By the Heavens, if you cannot control a measly ethnic group, how can you be expected to rule at all? As the Esteemed Emperor of the Mughal Empire, I hereby request all these scuffles come to an end, and we return to trading our knowledge, culture, and expensive merchandise. Your Worried Emperor, Amari Abdul Petrovsegratsk wrote:Gdańsk Several hundred protesters, of both Polish and Lithuanian decent, gathered from around the city in its center, waving the Royal Banner of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, chanting out "Wolsey Polska!", or "Free Poland!", and shouting curses at passing Imperial soldiers, but otherwise, this protest was peaceful, these were the civilian supporters of the Sweet Polska Polskiego, SWP, or the Holy Polish Army, they stood in cities center, chanting and calling for a free Poland, and some even yelled out for Russia to support a free Poland, some even began chanting lines like "Smear do Unit!", or "Death to the Union!" and "Policy i Within, Jackie she!", or "Poles and Lithuanians, unite!", and even "Bog Che, Wolsey Polska!", or "God wants a free Poland!", followed by the raising of Catholic, Orthodox and even Protestant crosses. The imperial troops were experienced and seasoned, and knew that firing on a dissatisfied crowd would likely just bring the horde onto them; they had seen more demonstrations, protests and marches that they cared to talk about. However, they were still on edge; the masses were volatile, and when a single shot could send them into a riot or even open revolt, it was hard not to be nervous. Their leader called for some backup. Meanwhile, a search began for the masses' leader. Armenian wrote:Petrovsegratsk wrote:Gdańsk Several hundred protesters, of both Polish and Lithuanian decent, gathered from around the city in its center, waving the Royal Banner of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, chanting out "Wolsey Polska!", or "Free Poland!", and shouting curses at passing Imperial soldiers, but otherwise, this protest was peaceful, these were the civilian supporters of the Sweet Polska Polskiego, SWP, or the Holy Polish Army, they stood in cities center, chanting and calling for a free Poland, and some even yelled out for Russia to support a free Poland, some even began chanting lines like "Smear do Unit!", or "Death to the Union!" and "Policy i Within, Jackie she!", or "Poles and Lithuanians, unite!", and even "Bog Che, Wolsey Polska!", or "God wants a free Poland!", followed by the raising of Catholic, Orthodox and even Protestant crosses. The imperial troops were experienced and seasoned, and knew that firing on a dissatisfied crowd would likely just bring the horde onto them; they had seen more demonstrations, protests and marches that they cared to talk about. However, they were still on edge; the masses were volatile, and when a single shot could send them into a riot or even open revolt, it was hard not to be nervous. Their leader called for some backup. Meanwhile, a search began for the masses' leader. A man climbed up upon a cart laying in the street and addressed the crowd, and soon began to speak." Moi Brody Policy, Jeremy pod panowaniem cudzoziemców, story CCA wykorzystać name Jaime ZA ICH Zoe, shadow imperialistyczne! Music she spoken, do Catania niepodległości, a Jesus nice data one do NAS, music she bestowal! Walk Imperium, o won Polska! Bog NAS prowadzi, Beau to jest ten, story błogosławi Sweet Armin policies do walk tech imperially drain, ale must bunt, DLA Boga i DLA Polska!" He soon began waving a Royal Banner, as the crowd soon waved theirs and cheered"DLA Polska!", or"For Poland!"" My fellow Poles, we are under rule of foreigners, who wish to exploit our lands for their evil, Imperialistic means! We must come together, to demand independence, and if they do not give it to us, we must revolt! Fight the Imperials, for a free Poland! God shall guide us, for it is he that blesses the Holy Polish Army to fight against these Imperial bastards, we must revolt, for God and for Poland!" Petrovsegratsk wrote:Armenian wrote:The imperial troops were experienced and seasoned, and knew that firing on a dissatisfied crowd would likely just bring the horde onto them; they had seen more demonstrations, protests and marches that they cared to talk about. However, they were still on edge; the masses were volatile, and when a single shot could send them into a riot or even open revolt, it was hard not to be nervous. Their leader called for some backup. Meanwhile, a search began for the masses' leader. A man climbed up upon a cart laying in the street and addressed the crowd, and soon began to speak. "Moi Brody Policy, Jeremy pod panowaniem cudzoziemców, story CCA wykorzystać name Jaime ZA ICH Zoe, shadow imperialistyczne! Music she spoken, do Catania niepodległości, a Jesus nice data one do NAS, music she bestowal! Walk Imperium, o won Polska! Bog NAS prowadzi, Beau to jest ten, story błogosławi Sweet Armin policies do walk tech imperially drain, ale must bunt, DLA Boga i DLA Polska!" He soon began waving a Royal Banner, as the crowd soon waved theirs and cheered "DLA Polska!", or "For Poland!"" My fellow Poles, we are under rule of foreigners, who wish to exploit our lands for their evil, Imperialistic means! We must come together, to demand independence, and if they do not give it to us, we must revolt! Fight the Imperials, for a free Poland! God shall guide us, for it is he that blesses the Holy Polish Army to fight against these Imperial bastards, we must revolt, for God and for Poland!" The Imperial troops knew that something had to be done. They began to build barricades in a cordon around the area, and they called for the city to be surrounded. The revolt could not get out. They secured the armories and began to disable all the weapons in the vicinity except their own. They would have to eliminate these people. Meanwhile, one of their own agents, posing as a native, stepped onto a cart to speak as well." You would have us all die? They have millions of men! We cannot possibly hope to do anything just by pointlessly killing! Besides, have you forgotten that we rule ourselves? Our own people rule us, and they impart their decisions in Zurich for our own good. How do you know they will not let us peacefully secede? We will die, and all our children shall be slaves if you do this!" The Emperor has ordered 100,000 troops alongside 5,000 Indian war elephants to assemble in the port of Mumbai, currently the location of all the major naval fleets of the Mughal Empire. The citizens of Mumbai are having a field day with speculation, but are pleasantly surprised with their arrival, due to 100,000 troops with money to spare in the marketplace. With the situation on Poland a powder keg, 500,000 of the Imperial Army were to be deployed there in total to keep things under control. They also kept trying to open negotiations to bring it under control before it could blaze into open rebellion. Not all the states in the Union of Europe were willing, but hopefully, not enough Polish were wanting of independence to bring it out. They knew that there were loyalists as well, and they would help as well. Armenian wrote:Petrovsegratsk wrote:A man climbed up upon a cart laying in the street and addressed the crowd, and soon began to speak. "Moi Brody Policy, Jeremy pod panowaniem cudzoziemców, story CCA wykorzystać name Jaime ZA ICH Zoe, shadow imperialistyczne! Music she spoken, do Catania niepodległości, a Jesus nice data one do NAS, music she bestowal! Walk Imperium, o won Polska! Bog NAS prowadzi, Beau to jest ten, story błogosławi Sweet Armin policies do walk tech imperially drain, ale must bunt, DLA Boga i DLA Polska!" He soon began waving a Royal Banner, as the crowd soon waved theirs and cheered "DLA Polska!", or "For Poland!"" My fellow Poles, we are under rule of foreigners, who wish to exploit our lands for their evil, Imperialistic means! We must come together, to demand independence, and if they do not give it to us, we must revolt! Fight the Imperials, for a free Poland! God shall guide us, for it is he that blesses the Holy Polish Army to fight against these Imperial bastards, we must revolt, for God and for Poland!" The Imperial troops knew that something had to be done. They began to build barricades in a cordon around the area, and they called for the city to be surrounded. The revolt could not get out. They secured the armories and began to disable all the weapons in the vicinity except their own. They would have to eliminate these people. Meanwhile, one of their own agents, posing as a native, stepped onto a cart to speak as well. "You would have us all die? They have millions of men! We cannot possibly hope to do anything just by pointlessly killing! Besides, have you forgotten that we rule ourselves? Our own people rule us, and they impart their decisions in Zurich for our own good. How do you know they will not let us peacefully secede? We will die, and all our children shall be slaves if you do this!"" Zdrajcą! Łotr! On jest niewolnikiem, marionette do związkowców! Donnie JAK road! Cabin go!" With that said, the mob turned violent against the agent, throwing rocks at him and pulling him off the cart, soon beating him with sticks and rock and their own bear hands, screaming out"MARLOWE POLSKA!", they soon turned against the Imperial soldiers, fighting them with guns, torches, rocks, sticks, sickles, hammers and anything else they could find. WarsawUnlike the revolt in Gdańsk, protesters in Warsaw didn't start out peaceful, and began openly attacking the Unionists in large numbers, killing of isolated patrols, and then escaping before being caught, the entire city soon fell in revolt, as Poles and Lithuanians fought against the Union soldiers. Killing them without remorse, while also trying to not harm any citizens of the city, the Union flag was openly burned and the Royal Banner of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was flown across the city. In Gdańsk, the Imperial Army quickly moved. The local Polish Local Army was supposed to be loyal to the Union, and although they might not rebel, they would not fight their people either. They were transferred away.375,000 Imperial troops in Gdansk375,000 Imperial troops in Warsaw Open fighting began. Cordons were formed around Gdańsk and Warsaw; if it didn't spread, it would be contained. The goal was to starve them out, and so barricades were built. In the Polish Local Army, volunteers were accepted to replace the fallen. It was an outright rebellion. Mumbai Mughal troops have begun loading onto navy transports, as the harbor becomes more crowded with military vessels sailing the waterways. The government insists the activity is merely for security purposes, but large quantities of wheat, bread, and other common food items have been bought and shipped to Mumbai. In attempt to fool the populace concerning the troop movement of the War Elephants, a large military-styled parade was held as the elephants paraded down streets to the pre-determined holding area. Most commoners, as expected, were rather oblivious to this tactic. Armenian wrote:In Gdańsk, the Imperial Army quickly moved. The local Polish Local Army was supposed to be loyal to the Union, and although they might not rebel, they would not fight their people either. They were transferred away. 375,000 Imperial troops in Gdansk375,000 Imperial troops in Warsaw Open fighting began. Cordons were formed around Gdańsk and Warsaw; if it didn't spread, it would be contained. The goal was to starve them out, and so barricades were built. In the Polish Local Army, volunteers were accepted to replace the fallen. It was an outright rebellion. Violence spread threw out the two cities, as they erupted into chaos, the Poles refused to kill their own people, but shed not a single tear over a dead Unionist, the Lithuanians however, were a bit more flexible, and cared not for dead Poles, so long as the deceased supported the Union that is, word of the uprisings soon began to spread despite the Union's attempts to quarantine the cities, Poles and Lithuanians arrived at the edges of the cities, begging to be let out, while others caught to remove the blockades through violence, they spoke their minds as they would"Nice moves Alaska NAS! Nice Jeremy zwierzętami! To jest NASA anemia, a Jesus Atos ma BYC Presley, must to BYC thank you, code najeźdźcy!"they screamed, as they fought, violence with violence, doing their best not to burn down their own cities. KrakówThe 3rd city to fall to the revolution, the Holy Polish Army believed that these 3 cities, containing a large group of the Polish people, could be used to regain Poland, violence spread throughout the city quickly and swiftly, as Unionists soon found themselves overrun, but no simply by Poles with pitchforks, but also by Winged Hussars, pushing forward their pikes for their cause, waving the Royal Banner, as the Unionists became victims of the cavalry charges sweeping the street. Petrovsegratsk wrote:Armenian wrote:In Gdańsk, the Imperial Army quickly moved. The local Polish Local Army was supposed to be loyal to the Union, and although they might not rebel, they would not fight their people either. They were transferred away. 375,000 Imperial troops in Gdansk375,000 Imperial troops in Warsaw Open fighting began. Cordons were formed around Gdańsk and Warsaw; if it didn't spread, it would be contained. The goal was to starve them out, and so barricades were built. In the Polish Local Army, volunteers were accepted to replace the fallen. It was an outright rebellion. Violence spread threw out the two cities, as they erupted into chaos, the Poles refused to kill their own people, but shed not a single tear over a dead Unionist, the Lithuanians however, were a bit more flexible, and cared not for dead Poles, so long as the deceased supported the Union that is, word of the uprisings soon began to spread despite the Union's attempts to quarantine the cities, Poles and Lithuanians arrived at the edges of the cities, begging to be let out, while others caught to remove the blockades through violence, they spoke their minds as they would "Nice moves Alaska NAS! Nice Jeremy zwierzętami! To jest NASA anemia, a Jesus Atos ma BYC Presley, must to BYC thank you, code najeźdźcy!" they screamed, as they fought, violence with violence, doing their best not to burn down their own cities. KrakówThe 3rd city to fall to the revolution, the Holy Polish Army believed that these 3 cities, containing a large group of the Polish people, could be used to regain Poland, violence spread throughout the city quickly and swiftly, as Unionists soon found themselves overrun, but no simply by Poles with pitchforks, but also by Winged Hussars, pushing forward their pikes for their cause, waving the Royal Banner, as the unmounted Unionists became victims of the cavalry charges sweeping the street.(How did you get Hussars? All military here belongs either to the Imperial Army or the Polish Local Army which was transferred away except for volunteers. Also, never said I wasn't mounted)The Imperial army withdrew, ready to let the newly formed state form, then fall. Revolutions where not an overwhelming majority of the people supported it never worked, and they could storm back in. Poland was not particularly oppressed considered to standards all around the world, and so they would be able to retake it after the initial fervor died down. They withdrew to the cordon around Warsaw, ready to take the city and defend it. Rightful Revolution wrote:Mumbai Mughal troops have begun loading onto navy transports, as the harbor becomes more crowded with military vessels sailing the waterways. The government insists the activity is merely for security purposes, but large quantities of wheat, bread, and other common food items have been bought and shipped to Mumbai. In attempt to fool the populace concerning the troop movement of the War Elephants, a large military-styled parade was held as the elephants paraded down streets to the pre-determined holding area. Most commoners, as expected, were rather oblivious to this tactic.(Image)IOC: LOL Mauritania Indiana wrote:Rightful Revolution wrote:Mumbai Mughal troops have begun loading onto navy transports, as the harbor becomes more crowded with military vessels sailing the waterways. The government insists the activity is merely for security purposes, but large quantities of wheat, bread, and other common food items have been bought and shipped to Mumbai. In attempt to fool the populace concerning the troop movement of the War Elephants, a large military-styled parade was held as the elephants paraded down streets to the pre-determined holding area. Most commoners, as expected, were rather oblivious to this tactic.(Image)IOC: LOL Armenian wrote:Petrovsegratsk wrote:Violence spread threw out the two cities, as they erupted into chaos, the Poles refused to kill their own people, but shed not a single tear over a dead Unionist, the Lithuanians however, were a bit more flexible, and cared not for dead Poles, so long as the deceased supported the Union that is, word of the uprisings soon began to spread despite the Union's attempts to quarantine the cities, Poles and Lithuanians arrived at the edges of the cities, begging to be let out, while others caught to remove the blockades through violence, they spoke their minds as they would "Nice moves Alaska NAS! Nice Jeremy zwierzętami! To jest NASA anemia, a Jesus Atos ma BYC Presley, must to BYC thank you, code najeźdźcy!" they screamed, as they fought, violence with violence, doing their best not to burn down their own cities. KrakówThe 3rd city to fall to the revolution, the Holy Polish Army believed that these 3 cities, containing a large group of the Polish people, could be used to regain Poland, violence spread throughout the city quickly and swiftly, as Unionists soon found themselves overrun, but no simply by Poles with pitchforks, but also by Winged Hussars, pushing forward their pikes for their cause, waving the Royal Banner, as the unmounted Unionists became victims of the cavalry charges sweeping the street.(How did you get Hussars? All military here belongs either to the Imperial Army or the Polish Local Army which was transferred away except for volunteers. Also, never said I wasn't mounted)The Imperial army withdrew, ready to let the newly formed state form, then fall. Revolutions where not an overwhelming majority of the people supported it never worked, and they could storm back in. Poland was not particularly oppressed considered to standards all around the world, and so they would be able to retake it after the initial fervor died down. They withdrew to the cordon around Warsaw, ready to take the city and defend it. Already had Hussars, they're basically just guys on horses, nothing special, sorry about the mounted part, I'll edit that, exactly where did your men withdraw from, Kraków, Gdańsk or both? Petrovsegratsk wrote:Armenian wrote:(How did you get Hussars? All military here belongs either to the Imperial Army or the Polish Local Army which was transferred away except for volunteers. Also, never said I wasn't mounted)The Imperial army withdrew, ready to let the newly formed state form, then fall. Revolutions where not an overwhelming majority of the people supported it never worked, and they could storm back in. Poland was not particularly oppressed considered to standards all around the world, and so they would be able to retake it after the initial fervor died down. They withdrew to the cordon around Warsaw, ready to take the city and defend it. Already had Hussars, they're basically just guys on horses, nothing special, sorry about the mounted part, I'll edit that, exactly where did your men withdraw from, Kraków, Gdańsk or both?IOC: Both, they plan to use Warsaw as a base to subdue Poland. I Krakow camp; Gdańsk With the Unionists withdrawing from the cities, the Holy Polish Army was able to capture the two cities, and soon, the Royal Banner was flying above the cities, as crowds cheered in the streets, as Jan III Babinski entered Krakow, where a majority of supporters lived, he and his generals signed a Declaration of Independence for the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and making both Krakow and Gdańsk as de facto temporary capitals, until Warsaw the liberation of Warsaw took place. From the Holy Polish Army and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth To the "Union" of Europe Unionists, we the people of Poland and Lithuania stand united under a single banner, our banner, not yours, as a free nation, we have declared our inference, and demand our land be returned to us, and your recognition of an independent Polish and Lithuanian state, should you refuse, it will be open war, there will be no negotiations until the Poles and Lithuanians are free. With the revolts in the Falklands crushed, the Ottomans became the sole state south of the Danube River. While many expected the sultan to institute harsh measures against the rebels, he was in fact quite lenient, wishing a similar situation to never occur again. With peace declared, work began on consolidating all Ottoman assets, in Asia Minor and in the foreign provinces of the empire. Ships have departed from Mumbai, consisting of two major fleets, totaling 50,000 troops. Fleet Heart of India has departed for the Red Sea to establish and secure a trading post along the tip of Yemen, containing 5,000 soldiers. The fleet Mughal Imperium has departed for Ceylon, containing 40,000 soldiers, including 500 war elephants. The fleet will make landfall along the northern shores of Ceylon. Petrovsegratsk wrote:Krakow camp; Gdańsk With the Unionists withdrawing from the cities, the Holy Polish Army was able to capture the two cities, and soon, the Royal Banner was flying above the cities, as crowds cheered in the streets, as Jan III Babinski entered Krakow, where a majority of supporters lived, he and his generals signed a Declaration of Independence for the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and making both Krakow and Gdańsk as de facto temporary capitals, until Warsaw the liberation of Warsaw took place.(Image)(Image)From the Holy Polish Army and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth To the "Union" of Europe Unionists, we the people of Poland and Lithuania stand united under a single banner, our banner, not yours, as a free nation, we have declared our inference, and demand our land be returned to us, and your recognition of an independent Polish and Lithuanian state, should you refuse, it will be open war, there will be no negotiations until the Poles and Lithuanians are free.(Image)To Jan III of Poland, We come prepared to make concessions, but we will not have all our land ripped away from us. We will give you independence, but only if you recognize the Union of Europe as permanent ally and friend. We will conduct various plebiscites, votes and other functions to determine your territory. Should these terms be refused, we will not recognize, and you will have abandoned peace for war. From the Union of European diplomacy went on, more imperial troops as well as local troops moved into the area, ready to launch a mass assault. The troops of the Bohemian areas were the most common, although Transylvanian and Prussian troops were common as well, they both being strong factions in favor of the Union of Europe. Washington D. C, Kingdom of the United States King William looked at his map. He had control of all of America, spanning ocean to ocean. However, William wanted to reinstall and reform his Kingdom. So he had his campaigns in Canada and Mexico halted until he could arrange his army. He had 2.5 million men and then decided to conscript 3 million more. Vigorous months would be spent arming and gathering this force. William also began to lower the taxes on the lower class and began to tax the middle and upper classes more. William also sent out trade agreements to major powers and began to build a series of military bases and forts in the Appalachian Mountains. William had the Navy create a steady and think patrol line guarding the Atlantic. William also began to push for an abolitionists' movement to free all Mexican and Native American slaves, granting them citizenship and rights under the Imperial Bill of Rights. However, Africans remained enslaved in the South, the bastion of Slavery in the Kingdom. William also ordered that British Military and Economic systems be adopted to improve the growth and stability of the Kingdom. And William and his general's began to write a new doctrine to form the Kingdom into a Semi-Absolute Monarchy. William had been reading the works of Catherine the Great and wanted to enlighten his Empire. For now William began his work, but he feared he would be too late as he had heard of discontent in the original Thirteen colonies. Virtually all the Imperial Army that could be spared was now in or near Poland, and with the slight swelling of recruits from the opening of their ranks to the various local armies, slightly less than a million were in or adjacent to the affected regions. Along with them, around 250,000 Prussian troops were present, Prussia being small but very affected by the situation and so forced to pitch in near to everything, 100,000 Hamburgers' troops as they considered themselves one of the policemen factions of the Union, 500,000 Czech troops, since they were in control of much land near and within the revolt and were also quite strong with their local army, and there was also 50,000 loyal Polish & Lithuanian (about half-half) Local Army men who had volunteered joined by 100,000 Transylvanian soldiers. The Transylvanian group included 25,000 Danubian, but they were included with the Transylvanian due to the closeness of the Danubian Plains dwellers to the Transylvanian's.

An Age of Colonization (IC_OPEN)|rating:3.0

Seeing too much (playfullchick76 & Copperlily)

Emily Moon had always been a city girl, preferring civilization to the country, and preferred to fly, not drive around the country. But one of her friends was getting married, and since she had been invited, she flew to the closest city, and hired a car to take her the rest of the way. The country was beautiful, she had to admit as she drove, stopping only for gas and food. After a while, she stopped at a rest stop to use the restroom there. Stepping out of her car, she looked around, but couldn't see anyone else here, but just to be sure, she parked the car behind the restroom block, out of sight of the road. Using the restroom, she was zipping up the back of her skirt when she heard the sound of an approaching car, or cars, no, they were motorcycles, she realized, and they were stopping here, outside the restroom block. She didn't know any bikers, but she had heard things about them, enough to not want them to know that she was here. Finishing washing her hands, she slipped closer to the doorway, to watch and listen. Habitat brought his bike to a halt, along with four others. He didn't like coming out this far, but business was business, and highway rest stops late at night were lightly patrolled by the cops. They were a good place to make exchanges. The tractor trailer they were looking for was parked there. There was just one small problem. They weren't supposed to be there. They were supposed to be 100 miles east, on an entirely different interstate. Someone was trying to get out of their deal. He...didn't much care for that. He nodded to the motorcycle carrying two riders, one of who dismounted - they'd drive the truck back to the garage. As for the driver... The man was sleeping in the cab when they forced it open with a pry bar, and dragged him out. Habitat took the first kick, connecting with the man's ribs. Then he stepped back, letting the rest of his men take a turn. After a minute or so, he raised his hand, stopping them from killing him. He looked down at the man, tossing him a prepaid phone." Tell Abrams that we'll consider our agreement fulfilled. I'm sure he can pick you up in...a day or two." His driver climbed into the cab and started to ease it out of the parking lot, while he headed back to his bike, leaving the man bleeding on the pavement. He frowned as he headed back, seeing a crack of light escaping from the women's restroom. Walking toward it, he nudged the door open, looking Emily up and down."...and what's this?" Emily knew to be silent, and she was curious as well. She had seen the parked tractor trailer and thought nothing of it. Its driver had clearly been on the road for a while, and needed some sleep. She couldn't have imagined that she would watch its driver dragged out and beaten in front of her by the bikers that had just arrived. If they were willing do that to someone who was just sleeping in their cab, what would they do to her. She knew she should have closed the door, but... she had to try to see faces, to call the authorities once the bikers had gone. Focusing on the leader, she was surprised that no one out there could hear her heart, as it seemed to pounding loud enough for everyone to hear. Losing sight of him, she sighed as it had to be over. Reaching into her bag for her cell phone, she stepped back just as the door was nudged open, showing... him there.' I. I didn't see anything, I swear, I won't tell anyone," she said to him without thinking, convinced that he knew that she had seen and heard it all. There was no way out, other than through the door, that he was blocking, leaving her trapped in the restroom with him. The man blocked her exit from the bathroom, his expression faintly amused as he tilted his head to the side." Which one is it? That you didn't see anything, or that you won't tell anyone? They're mutually exclusive." He sighed softly. "Miss, I'm very sorry for what's about to happen to you. It's just business - I'm sure you're a lovely girl, but I have responsibilities. You're going to have to come with me. But you have an option. You can be a good girl, and come peacefully. But sometimes, for someone's self-image, they need to tell themselves they fought. That they did everything they could. If you need to do that..." He nodded." I won't hold it against you. It won't change things, but pride is an important thing." In her mind, she was leaping past him, escaping, but...in front of her, he was blocking the doorway. He would easily catch her if she tried to run, even though she had promised him she wouldn't tell anyone. She could tell that he wouldn't let her go, she had seen and heard too much, but he was right, she needed to feel that she had tried to free herself from him, and fight to get past him. Letting go of her cellphone, she frantically reached in to find her mace, anything, but her fingers couldn't seem to find them. Where was it, she asked herself, her heart pounding as she knew what she had to do if she couldn't find it in her bag." You're not taking me. I won't tell anyone, but... you're not having me", she almost cried, coming at him and swinging her bag at him to try to get enough room to slip past him. If she was fast, she could unlock her car, get in, and outrace them if they tried to chase her down. He sighed as her phone clattered to the ground and fumbled for something in her purse. He took a step back, leaning slightly to avoid the swinging purse. Furthermore, he respected that she needed this...but he had told her this wouldn't change anything, and he meant it. As she tried to get past him, he pivoted, using one of his legs to unbalance her as he shifted his weight, striking her twice in quick succession. The first hit the wrist of the arm holding the purse. There was a sudden pain there, her nerves going numb - it would make holding the purse harder, even if it wasn't intended to break her wrist. The second struck her chest, slamming her against the tiled wall of the restroom. His hand slid up, until it settled against her jaw, applying a slight pressure to her throat." Are you done?" Part of her knew that she wouldn't get past him, but he was right, her pride wouldn't let her just give in, and she wanted to let him know that she would fight to be free. His hits came so fast, they almost felt as one. Crying out as her wrist was hit, her fingers went numb, shocking her as he was quick, and accurate. Her purse fell to the floor as she couldn't hold it. The second hit to her chest hurt her, and sent her against the wall of the restroom. Gasping and shaking against the wall, she couldn't move as he was there, up close, with his hand against her jaw, almost cutting off her air. He could do it too, she realized, easily, and there was nothing she could do about it. Forcing herself to speak, she coughed and winced as that had hurt. "Yes, yes I'm done," she said, as she knees now that she had no choice but to go with him, and hope that he wouldn't kill her for what she had seen and heard. He told her he wouldn't hold it against her, and he didn't - as she gasped for breath, recovering from the rather swift assault, he nodded." Good girl." He picked up her purse, looking through it idly, throwing away the mace, as well as anything that wasn't identifying. Those - her credit cards, her ID, etc. went into an interior jacket pocket. Once he was finished, her leg go of her jaw, though he kept himself between her and the door. He looked her over once, seeming to make a decision in his head." Take off your underwear please, and hand it to me." She couldn't believe that her life had changed in a matter of minutes, going from a free woman with no worries, to one who worried that she might not even live to see tomorrow. She was still gasping for breath, and trying to catch it as he held her throat. Furthermore, she didn't dare try to fight back now as he went through her purse, tossing out her mace, tissues, make up, but not her ID and credit cards. Furthermore, she could only watch on helplessly as they were slipped into his jacket. He still prevented her from making a break for the doorway, even though she was still sore and catching her breath. She was still hoping that her would let her go, but then, he shocked her by asking for her underwear, so calmly, as if he wanted a glass of water from her. Her first instinct was to refuse, but she had felt how hard he could hit, and she didn't want to feel that again, so she nervously slipped her hands under her skirt to slide her high cut panties down her hips and thighs, down to her feet. Nervously stepping out of them, as he continued to watch her, she gave them to him. He watched her quietly, enjoying how she moved, and made a decision as she did so. She was pretty - but she was also timid, fresh - as far as women in his world went - and seemed to understand her situation. There was only so much he could do for her - there were expectations after all - but in the array of fates before her, there were better ones, and worse ones. Looking at her underwear thoughtfully for a moment, his eyes turned back to her, balling her panties up in a fist. "Open." When she did as she was told, he stuffed them into her mouth. Despite the degrading nature of the act, and the way he had to steady her jaw as he forced the cloth into her mouth, he seemed almost...tender as he did it. Careful. "I can't have you calling for help, now can I?" He took her by the wrist and opened the door, leading her outside and whistling to the man about to get into the trick." Jimmy, your helmet." A motorcycle helmet was handed off - dark, with a tinted visor, and he handed it to her as he led her to his motorcycle, mounting it and nodding to the place behind him. "Put the helmet on and get on." She had no idea why he wanted her panties, but she knew that some men had a thing for that, and it was humiliating for her to have to give up her panties like this, but she didn't do anything else, not after seeing how fast and how hard he could hit her. Looking shocked as he told her to open her mouth, she did as he asked, but she almost pulled back as he held her jaw, forcing her own panties into her mouth. Whimpering in front of him as he made her accept them, she realized that he also wasn't being as rough as he could be. What did he want from her, she wanted to ask him, but couldn't with the panties in her mouth? Doing her best not to think about it, she shook her head at his question, one that he didn't expect her to answer, and walked with him as he held onto her wrist, following her as he led her out to his motorcycle. Taking the helmet from him, she saw the way it would cover her head completely, and realized that with the helmet on, and the visor up, no one would see that she was gagged. She did her best not to let him know how worried she was as she put the helmet on, and got onto the back of his motorcycle. Her hands found holds, and her feet were secure as well. She couldn't even ask him where he was taking her, and took one last glance at her car. He relished the shocked look on her face, and the soft whimper - that wouldn't be the last of those he hoped to hear from her. He smiled slightly, nodding. "Good girl. You seem bright - it will be better if you come to understand your place quickly." Once she was on, the visor down to disguise her, she looked like any other woman on the back of her boyfriend's motorcycle. Before he started the engine, he spoke to her again, his voice coming through small speakers in the helmet. "Hold on. Like I said, you seem like a smart girl. If you cause any trouble for me on the ride in, it's the last thing you do, one way or another." He put a hand on her thigh, half reassuring, half possessive. "I'd hate for that to happen." At that - and feeling her arms wrap around him - he signaled to the rest of the riders, and they peeled away back onto the interstate, heading for the city. It was a 45-minute ride, the traffic light at night, before they turned off into a warehouse district that was rapidly gentrifying, pulling into a weathered but well-maintained garage that was attached to something that looked like a nightclub. He parked the bike, and helped her off, before removing her helmet. "Follow me." Turning - obviously assuming that she would follow, and headed up a metal staircase, that lead to an office with wide windows, that overlooked both the garage on one side, and the flickering lights of the nightclub below on the other. It was a nicely decorated space - modern, tasteful. He sat down on a couch that waited in one corner, nodding to a chair. "Sit. Feel free to remove your gag - but keep them off." Would she ever see her car again, or her freedom, she asked herself as she sat on the back of his motorcycle? She could see, but not hear very well, or say a thing, but then she heard his voice inside the helmet by her ears, telling her to hold on, and to be smart. No, she didn't want to die tonight, she wanted to live, enough to be his. Girlfriend, out for a ride with her boyfriend. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she held on tight as he rode off with her. She could only hold on as the bike picked up speed, travelling down the interstate, past countless other vehicles, until he turned off the interstate, and to what looked like warehouses, but not many seemed to have produce, or trucks parked outside. Taking it all in as he rode, leading the way into the warehouse district, and stopping the bike into what looked like a garage, where they could work on their motorcycles. Getting off, she saw what could only be a. Nightclub. A garage and nightclub linked, this was where they lived, or worked, she wasn't sure. Nervously following him further into the garage part, she gasped past her gag as he took off her helmet, but kept the gag in her mouth. Going up the staircase as well, she followed him into an office, his office. She had no idea what he wanted from her now, he had no reason to let her live, or bring her here, but he had, and she didn't know why exactly, or why he would take the risk. Taking her panties out of her mouth, she sighed as she breathed freely, and sat down on the chair he had told her to sit on." So what now, what can you want from me now. I told you I won't tell anyone, and I won't, so...what do you want me to do," she asked him, unsure, but she had to know. He shut the door to the office and locked it, to ensure they had privacy. She would meet the rest of them later - if she was smart enough to take him up on his offer - but for now, he wanted her alone. He nodded once when she sat, obediently, and sat down across from her, his expression patient, almost thoughtful." It's easy to say that now." He smiled, a little sympathetically. "It's much harder when the police are asking you questions. Telling you they can protect you, but only if you cooperate. Or threatening you with jail, using terms like 'obstruction of justice'. The fact of the matter is, you saw something you shouldn't. I'm sorry for that, but I can't risk letting you go. Even if you gave them something you thought was innocuous, the right detective could piece things together and...significantly disrupt my operation. Potentially cost me millions of dollars." He sighed, leaning back. "You seem like a lovely girl, and you've behaved well so far, so I'm going to give you the chance to choose your fate. The first is a bullet. Quick, painless - I can promise you that much. I'll even go so far as to stage it like a car accident, so your family can tell themselves you died in a tragic accident." He held his hand up to silence any objection she might be voicing." The second choice is...well...one of my businesses is running girls. You could become one of them. Not here of course - again, too risky. But I have contacts. I'd have you sent to London, or Tokyo, perhaps. People like American girls. It's not an easy life, but it's a life, and a girl like you - young, fresh-faced, clean...you'll command a high price, which means most of your clients will treat you well. Like a girlfriend - just one who is particularly enthusiastic about giving blowjobs. And again, I will find a way to have your family believe...otherwise. Your life may be changing, but I see no reason to sully your memory." He paused for a moment. "The final choice is you may serve me, here. As my personal plaything. A pet. I may share you with others, but you will belong to me. But the requirements I have to keep you silent will be...exotic. Extensive. You will live a life in bondage, but you will be cared for. Cherished even." He stood, going over to a counter and pouring a drink, offering it to her. "Do you have questions? If not, I will leave you alone to decide." Emily truly was telling him the truth, she wouldn't tell anyone, but... to her dismay, he didn't believe her, or he couldn't afford to take the chance. She didn't know what operation he was running, and she didn't want to know. The less she knew, the better, but again, he didn't believe her, or didn't want to chance that she would be made to talk. Shaking her head as she realized there was no getting out of this, she could only try to calm herself, and listen. She shook at the first option, she didn't want to die, not even with her family believing she had died in an accident. The second choice...no, she didn't want that either. This was her country, and she didn't want to vanish overseas, never to see home again. She had never been to Tokyo or London, and while she did want to see them, she didn't want to see it as a... forced escort for men, even if they would be good to her. The third choice...meant that she wouldn't be given to others, and she wouldn't be sent overseas. She didn't know quite what he would do, what his requirements would be, but...it was a choice she could live with. Looking at him to find him offering her a drink, she took it, and drank from it. She did need some time to think clearly about the third choice, being his pet and personal plaything. When he did come back, she had her answer. "I can live with the third option," she told him, having finished her drink, and still sitting where he had left her. The truth was, he did believe her - it just didn't matter. What she knew wasn't relevant - it was what someone could do with the little bit that she did know. He wouldn't tell her this, but not knowing much is what saved her. Keeping her close, as a pet, was a risk. She could be stolen. Someone could find a way to get to her. It was just more effort and risk to do that then the knowledge she had was worth. Had she known more, she'd be dead. Or bound up in a cargo plane, sold off and headed for a new life where no one cared. He nodded in approval when he returned, and she gave him her answer. "Smart girl. That's what I hoped you would say." He took her glass, setting it on a side table, and returning to his seat. He nodded to her. "Stand up, and undress. I want to see my new pet." His voice didn't suggest she had an option, but it wasn't unkind either. "Then tell me about yourself - especially your sexual history. Orientation. Likes and dislikes." Emily had made her choice, and as soon as he heard it, he told her that she was a smart girl. She was making the only choice she could, as she didn't want to be killed, or shipped off to a foreign country as an escort, a good time girl. She didn't want to be shipped too far from home, and here, she would be as close to home as she could get. Letting him take her glass, she nervously stood up and slipped out of her shirt first, followed by her skirt. He wanted to see more, and she knew it, so she unhooked her bra and let it fall to the couch, followed by her panties as she slid them down her hips and thighs, to step out of them. Standing naked before him, he could see her C cup breasts, and her trimmed pubic hair. She didn't dare leave anything out, as he wanted to know more about herself, to know what he was getting. 'Umm, I'm... 22. I flew here for a friends wedding, which. I don't think I'm going to be able to catch. Furthermore, I've had a few boyfriends, and...while I'm straight, I have been intimate with one girl. Furthermore, I enjoy being taken from behind, with my hair being pulled and held back, I love wearing panties and fishnets, I enjoy good food, and... one boyfriend did collar me, it. I didn't mind it," she told him, telling him things that very few knew about her. He watched as she undressed, his gaze thoughtful, appraising, but not leering. He smiled, rising as she finished. She was a pretty girl - nice breasts, a slim figure, neatly groomed. She was lovely - a perfect acquisition that had fallen into his lap, as she slowly rattled off the summary of Emily Moon. He held up a hand, interrupting her for a moment. "The wedding, when is it?" Once she answered, he motioned for her to continue, occasionally interspersed with questions. "The girl - how did that come about? Did you enjoy it?" They ran some girls out of the club, and he had to admit, the image was...tempting. He raised an eyebrow at the comment that she enjoyed being taken from behind, and having her hair pulled." Interesting." Panties and fishnets - that too was an interesting. Nor that she didn't mind a collar." Thank you for being so honest...a few follow-up question. Has anyone ever taken your rear end? Anything you particularly dislike? And some more practical questions - any allergies? Medical conditions I should know about?" Emily knew that she was pretty, and desirable, and from the way he was looking her over, he was thinking the same as well, even asking her when the wedding was, likely to find out when she would be missed." The wedding, it's in three days time. I had been giving myself plenty of time to get there, and see them," she told him, and continued on. "It was her 18th birthday, and I was spending the night at her parents house, we...it just sort of happened, and I did enjoy it," she told him, as he wouldn't stop until he learned the truth.' No, no ones ever taken my rear end, I...he seemed to sense that, and took my pussy instead. I haunt tried everything yet, so, I don't know everything that I like and dislike. I don't have any allergies, or medical conditions," she added. She didn't hold back on anything, answering all of his questions, even as she didn't know everything about what her life as his pet would be like. He nodded, stepping a little closer, his fingers brushing down her back, to settle thoughtfully on the curve of her rear." Time to see them. Were you staying with them, or at a hotel?" He continued to idly roam his touch over her body, nodding at the explanation. "And if I told you would be with girls again?" Nodding, apparently satisfied at her explanations, he stepped back. "Good girl. Do you have any questions for me? This is your chance - once we're done here, that opportunity may not come again." This was a conversation that she had never thought she would be having with anyone, but she was, and she had to have it if she wanted to live. He wanted to know as much about her as he could, and she could only tell him the truth, the full truth, leaving nothing out." I... I was saying with them at a hotel, some of them, that were coming in from another state," she told him, and wondered how long it would be until they reported her missing. Not soon enough, she knew, and once she was reported missing, she would look different, and be unable to escape her fate as his pet. Doing her best not to shake as he caressed her body, she had to think about whether she would want to be with another girl, and feel comfortable doing that. "I... I would be okay with it, and put on a good show for you," she said, shaking her head as she couldn't think of any more questions to ask him. He stepped closer, behind her, cupping her breasts, the movement almost clinical. As if he were weighing, or evaluating her. The touch grows slightly more intimate for a moment, gently squeezing." A girl who likes being fucked from behind, and promises to put on a good show..." He stroked her rear, before smacking it lightly. "You're almost too good to be true, for some little thing I dragged out of a rest stop." Her captor sat, considering the naked woman in front of him. "Your life is about to change, little pet, but I'm not an unreasonable man. And I did tell you that I would look for a way for you to leave your old life behind that would spare your dignity. And it seems like it's right in front of me. You can go to the wedding, if you wish. See your friends. Of course, tell them nothing. Except about your very exciting new job abroad. Which will explain your sudden absence from their lives." He smiled slightly. "And, of course, a very apologetic request for the bride to be to add a plus one - myself. We met a few weeks ago, at a company orientation, and hit it off." Looking her up and down. "But my generosity has a price. Three days, means I will do three things to you. You will learn what they are later - but this gamble is yours." Of course, she was his pet - he could do whatever he pleased to her. But he wanted her to feel like she had agreed to this. That choices she made had led her to where she was, rather than just a few twists of fate. She was making the only choice she could, but...it would take her away from everyone she knew, from the life that she had, and loved, but she didn't have a choice, as she had already seen too much, and she didn't doubt that he had a long reach. There would be no running from him, not far enough at least. Trembling against him as his hands found her breasts, and cupped them, she didn't dare move as he just cupped them, not squeezing hard, as most men would have. Biting her lip as he gently squeezed them, she had an image of him fucking her from behind, and cupping her breasts, and pulling her hair while he came inside her. Jumping slightly as he spanked her, she could only nod her head, as he wanted her, perhaps he had wanted her as his pet from the start, and had given her the other choices just to give her an illusion of choice. She didn't dare dress herself, or move as he sat down in front of her, and surprised her by saying the last thing she thought he would say. He would let her go to the wedding, not just to go to the wedding, but to spread the story that she had a high paying job overseas, and wouldn't be back for a while, and not only that, that he would be going with her. Either he didn't trust her, or he wanted to remind her of what she was now, even when she was far from this place, around her friends, people she had always confided in. His story was believable, which made her realize that even away from here with him, she would always be far from help, and could never leave him. It was a gamble, but she didn't know if he would just let her walk away, or say no. She couldn't say no to him. "Okay, I agree," she said, even though she didn't know what three things he would do to her. The idea apparently settled in his mind, he nodded to her." Can you dance? If so, show me...if not, we'll have one of the girls teach you, maybe." While she answered, he looked her over, his expression still thoughtful. "I suppose I forgot to ask - are you on birth control of some kind? It goes without saying but...well...the whole point of a pet, among other things, is not bothering with a condom." Once she answered, he nodded. "Now...tell me about these friends I'll be meeting." She could dance, but perhaps not in the way that he wanted her to. "I can dance, but...usually in a club, if that's the way you want me to dance," she told him, telling herself that she could learn, if he had the right girl train her, which he would. Going over what she had agreed to in her mind as he looked her over, as if coming up with something new, she nodded her head quickly at his question. "Yes, I'm on birth control, for quite a while now," she told him, resigning herself to giving herself to him and letting him cum freely inside her. You can do this, she told herself, then again as she had made the best choice she could. She knew he would have her killed if she tried anything, and even at the wedding, he would be close." My friends, well, there are four close ones. Maddy, Cheryl, Rose and Angela. Maddy is the one that's getting married, I've known her since I was eight, she works at a car rental agency. Cheryl works at a Law firm, I've known her for about as long, she has a wicked sense of humor. Rose is an artist, and sells her art to collectors, she makes a good income from her sales, and Angela, she's a pilot for an oil company, she does pretty well for herself, she told him, wondering how she can act normal around them, and not have them suspect that anything is off. "Dance however you think you can - this is after all a club. I want to see you move. You're not going to be in trouble for not knowing how to do anything you don't know how to. After all, you weren't *actually* made to order." He nodded in approval. "We'll make sure to keep you on it. That can be arranged." Listening to her explanations, she nodded. "Interesting. Maddy is obviously partnered, what with being the bride to be. What about the other three?" She had been to clubs before, but she had no idea how He wanted her to dance until he told her. At least he wasn't particular about how exactly she would dance, she told herself, and was just glad that he wasn't going to punish her. So, as he watched her closely, she began to dance to a tune that only she could hear, one that she had heard in clubs before, a dance for when she was with someone, or trying to entice someone to dance with her." Thank you," she said quickly as he let her know that he would keep her on birth control, all so he could continue to freely cum inside her whenever he wanted." The other three, Cheryl will most likely be there with her boyfriend. I haunt met him yet, but Rose and Angela are single," she told him, thinking about them even as she danced, showing off her bodies flexibility and curves. Her freedom had been effectively taken from her, and there was nothing she could do about it, not even at her friends wedding. He nods, watching her move with obvious pleasure. A smile crosses his face, and he motions her to his chair, the gesture making it clear she should kneel. He strokes her hair, his touch almost gently." Then let's deepen our wager little one. A three-day wedding - three friends of yours. Every night we're there, you are going to be fucked by me - in payment for letting you go. Every night, you can bring one of them to me instead." He didn't expect her to actually succeed in that all three nights - indeed, he was alright with her deciding not to at all. But he wanted her to have the illusion of choice. To watch one of her friends fuck him because he told her to bring him a new toy, or to tell herself as *she* was raped that she was doing this to protect her friends. To invest in her new status. No one but the two of them would know, and she couldn't tell anyone the truth. That would be the hardest part of it all, that she would have to act normal, smile, and be with her... boyfriend there. Recognizing the gesture for what it was, she realized how aroused he was, and walked to him. Kneeling in front of him, she couldn't look away from him as he ran his fingers through her hair, almost tenderly, and looked down at her. Listening closely, she couldn't believe what she was hearing, but.her mind was figuring out how to do it. She was sure that Rose and Angela might say yes, but not Cheryl. She didn't think she could get him all three, but how could she tell him that." I'. I.agree to that," she replied, as she doubted that Cheryl would agree to sleep with him, and out of the other two, only Rose would likely say yes She would be taken by him at least two of those nights, or two, she realized, and had no idea what he would do to her in bed, or have her do for him. He smiled, still stroking her hair. He nodded at her agreement - in truth, he would be astonished if she managed to get herself out of all three nights. And she was his pet now - those three nights were trivial, even if she did manage to do so, she still had a lifetime of being his plaything before her. But these first few days, he wanted her as complicit in her treatment as possible." Good girl." He looked down on her, cupping her chin and tilting her head up." Were you checking into the hotel tonight?" Could she really do it, convince one of her friends to have sex with him? She could never forget what she was to him now, his Playboy, his sex slave and pet, whatever he wanted her to be on any given day, or night. She still didn't know if she could do it, and she would only know if she was there, with one of her friends in front of her. If she couldn't bring herself to, then...she would be giving herself to him every night, submitting to protect her friends, who she would miss after this. Forcing herself to smile up at him, to put his mind at ease, she let him tilt her chin up, waiting on his next words. The hotel, yes, she had almost forgotten about it, it was tonight, and the wedding was taking place in the hotel, so they wouldn't have to go far." Yes... sir, I had planned to tonight. It's only an hour or two away from here," she said, answering him, and aware that even in the room she had booked, he would be the one in charge. He smiled softly at her, stroking her chin." Well then, we had better get going..." He nodded to her clothing. "Get dressed. Toss your panties in the trash." Once she had dressed, he leads her back downstairs and into the garage, where her car was waiting. "Get your bag out of your car and then join me." He pressed a button on a set of keys in his pockets, an electric blue Nissan sport scar chirping in response. He paused to confer with several other men in the garage, apparently making arrangements for his unexpected absence. Furthermore, he had control over her now, total control, something she could never forget now, and he always would, even at her friends wedding. She would have to act as if she was here with her new boyfriend, smile, be friendly, and not let on about the deal she had agreed to. Glancing at the time, she saw that he was right, she didn't have much time. Looking to her clothes, she put her top and skirt back on. Holding onto her panties, she hesitated, and missed them as she threw them into the trash. She would likely never wear panties again, not unless he gave her permission to, she realized, and followed him downstairs. Once her car was unlocked, she lifted her bag out of the back that contained her clothes for three days, and walked to where he was unlocking a blue Nissan. She tried to look as calm and relaxed as she could, but she had nothing on underneath her skirt, and felt naked underneath it. She could hear him talking to his men, but couldn't make out more than a few words." I'm ready sir," she said, as she would never see her friends again after the wedding. He nodded to her, holding his hand out for the bag. Placing it into the trunk of the car - his own would be dropped off by someone later - he shut the trunk, opening the passenger door for her. He had her enter the hotel into the GPS system, and sped off into the night, the car's engine rumbling as it sped off. She had been right about it being a little under two hours away, and the freeway was empty this time of night. Once they were on the road, and would not reach their destination for a while, he reached over, unbuckling her seatbelt." When you're lucky enough to be allowed to ride in the front of the car, pet, your mouth is to be occupied unless I tell you otherwise. Understood?" She didn't know what to think as she handed him her bag, and watched him take charge of it. Watching him place it in the trunk, she got into the passenger seat, but didn't feel free as she put on her seat belt, and sat still, her mind racing and going in all directions as she put in the hotels address into the GPS. Sitting still as he drove off with her, she tried to think of this as just some bad dream, but it was all real. She truly had seen what she had seen, and there was no escaping this. Looking down at his hand as he undid her seat belt, she froze and blushed as she realized what he wanted from her. He wanted her to suckle on his cock while he drove. She didn't know what else to do but lower herself down, like a good little... pet did, and undid his pants, freeing his cock for her. Parting her soft lips, she slid them along the head of his cock, and lower still. Suckling on him as he drove, she tried not to shake too much, or show her fear as she suckled harder on his cock. She could feel every throb and pulse from it against her lips and tongue as she suckled on him, bobbing her head up and down in front of him, and hoping that this was what he wanted. He smiled as she obeyed, stroking her hair gently as she put herself to work, her head starting to bob quietly. She was obeying - that was his primary concern - and she was also showing a bit of technique, not just doing what she was told by rote. That was a promising sign - technique could be worked on, but genuinely he didn't want to have to hurt her more than was strictly necessary. It would be better for her if she did as she was told, and if acceptance built quickly." Good girl." The hand stroking her hair moved to rest on her rear end, petting her idly as they sped town the highway. He glanced at the estimated arrival time, then down at the young woman's head bobbing up and down in his lap. "If your jaw gets tired little one, just tell me." She had done this before, but never for someone who was driving the car. She knew that no one but him would see her doing this, and she forced herself to focus on suckling on him, and not making him cum too fast, as a lot of men liked it to last. Pushing back any shame that she felt, her lips slid back and forth along his cock, with his fingers running through her hair. This reminded her that she was his slave, his pet, and after what she had said yes to, there was no escaping this. She didn't want him to hurt her, or punish her for refusing, so she obeyed him, moaning softly as she suckled on him, and teased his cock with her tongue as well, anything to keep him calm and happy. Whimpering as he called her a good girl, she bobbed her head up and down, tasting his precut after a while. When her jaw started to ache, she pulled back just enough to let him know, unsure if he would let her rest her jaw, or if he would insist on her bringing him to his climax first. He had to give the girl credit - she was good at this. He once again marveled at just how perfect the girl who had fallen into his lap was, idly stroking her hair as the drive continued, and she rather diligently applied herself, her head bobbing up and down. Finally, she lifted her head, meekly informing him that her jaw had started to ache. He nodded, reading over and patting her rear end." Good girl. Go ahead and put me away, and wipe your face. We're almost there anyway." He wanted to teach her that his use for her didn't always have to end in his orgasm - he would take his pleasure from her as he wished. With his thick cock in her mouth, she couldn't forget what she was now, and what had happened to her. She also couldn't forget that she had made the only choice she could have, and now, she would always be his. Keeping her soft lips wrapped around his cock, she realized that he trusted her to do this, perhaps the only person that he did trust to, which told her a lot." My jaw is sore sir", she meekly told him, expecting him to ask her to continue once she felt better, but to her surprise, he told her to tuck him away, and wipe her face. Pulling back, she put his cock back into his pants, and managed to zip him back up. Using a tissue to wipe her face, she fixed her make up as well, as she didn't want any of her friends to know what she had done. She was still surprised that he hadn't told her to bring him to his climax, and she didn't feel quite so scared around him as she settled back into her seat, and buckled up again. The closer she got, the closer she hoped that she could look natural, as if she hadn't been enslaved mere hours ago. He didn't chide her for the initiative of fixing her makeup - he wanted her to look composed. Her life as his pet would be, inherently, humiliating enough. There was no need to seek out extra opportunities to pile on that humiliation. He wanted her obedient, and in time, content." Good girl." Turning off the highway, it was another five minutes or so until they reached the hotel. He pulled up to the valet, pausing for just a moment before getting out." Ready pet?" Once she indicated she was, he stepped out and went around, opening her door, and then the trunk for their bags, before tossing the keys to the valet. He gave the man a serious expression that suggested he would notice any scrapes or dents, and then held the door for her as they entered - playing the part of the indulgent, attentive boyfriend already. She was used to fixing her make up, but not after orally pleasuring a man, but she didn't want anyone who saw her at the hotel to comment on it, or notice, so she wanted to look as normal as possible. She didn't know enough about him to be completely confident, but she was learning even now, and he didn't want her to be sore. He clearly wanted her to be as comfortable as she could be, even as his slave girl and pet. Sitting still as he pulled off the highway, and she saw the hotel right in front of them, she did her best to stop hear heart from pounding too fast, and quickly nodded her head to let him know that she was ready. She was as ready as she could be, she knew, and was surprised again as he stopped the car and walked around to her side, opening the door for her as a gentleman would. Smiling up at him, she took his hand in hers, and let him help her to her feet, and walked her into the lobby of the hotel. Inside, she wanted to cry for help, but she couldn't. Instead, she calmly walked up to the counter, and gave them her name. The reservation was in her name, and no one looked surprised to find her here with a man, looking like her new boyfriend. Thanking them, she let him take the key cards, and walked with him to the bank of elevators. Even now, it was busy enough, with the two of them blending in with the crowd. He squeezed her hand, somewhere between possessively and reassuringly, and waited to one side of her, doing a remarkable job of appearing to be a boyfriend or partner simply waiting for her to check in. When she was done, he nodded at her, his smile gentle, and accompanied her to the elevators - and then, rather without incident, to their now shared room. Once the door was shut, he nodded." You did very well pet. Now...do you need anything to eat? Do you want to see if your friends have checked in yet? Or would you like to call it a night?" If anyone could have read her mind, they would have known what was truly going on, but only the two of them knew the truth, and it took all of her self-control to keep it together, to act as if she was here with her new man, here to see one of her best friends getting married. He was acting like any other boyfriend would have done, holding her hand, and staying by her side, as any attentive boyfriend would have, but once they were in their room, she was sure he would want her to undress, and to let him take her. Quickly sitting down on the closest bed, she closed her eyes, and pictured her friends. She didn't think she could get any of them to submit to him, so that meant that every night, it would be her that would be pinned to the bed and taken hard, which wasn't something she had thought would happen when she had started out on her drive." I think I could use something to eat, it's been...quite a day. I think I just want to eat, shower, and rest, if that's... okay with you," she replied, marvelling at how he could be so calm. She nodded. "You've been a good girl, so you can have some respite tonight. Go ahead and order yourself something from room service, and then go ahead and get in the shower. I'll take care of seeing that it's delivered." He wanted to show her that he could be reasonable - so that when he demanded things of her, which he would be doing soon, she would understand that too wasn't idle. She was just glad that he was treating her well, and actually relaxed once she realized he would give her a choice. Perhaps he wouldn't force himself on her tonight, or perhaps he would, but he would be gentle with her, letting her sleep through the night, before morning came." Thank you, I could use that, I had no idea if you would say yes or not," she replied, glad that he was being reasonable, at least here. Picking up the phone, she ordered herself a meal and a drink, then got up to take a shower. As she undressed and stood under the water, she wondered if he would come in, and take what was now his, even if it was just playing with her under the warm water that was flowing over her body. She didn't want to know what he was capable of, and she knew she would do what was asked of her even here, and certainly after, once they were back at his clubhouse. She remained unmolested while she was in the shower, his decision extending to giving her her peace while she did so. Furthermore, she heard the knock on the door that was presumably room service as she was drying off, and the sound of him laying her meal out. When she exited the shower, he nodded." Enjoy. Once you're dry, don't bother getting redressed." That was all he had demanded so far - a single step. While she was showering, she expected him to join her in the shower, to let her know that she had no privacy, or say in her life, but to her surprise, he didn't. He let her shower on her own. As she stood under the water, washing her hair, she heard the knock on the door, and if she listened carefully, she could hear him laying out what could only be her dinner. Stepping out, with the towel in her hands to dry herself off, she stopped as she saw him there, staring at her, and admiring her, she assumed. Waiting for him to... do whatever he was going to do, she felt confused as he simply told her to not get redressed. He clearly wanted her naked tonight in their room. It could have been worse, she decided, wrapping one towel around her head, and using the other to dry the rest of her. Drying off her hair, she brushed it back, and after telling herself that she had to do this, she walked from the bathroom to see her dinner. She was naked for him in the hotel room, something she rarely did when in hotel rooms, but she could never forget what she was to him, and let him admire her. She sat in one of the chairs near the bed, putting his feet up, watching her as she dried herself, his gaze appreciative, but not leering. He nodded to the bed, and the waiting tray of food." Eat up little one. You've obviously had a long day. We'll sleep together tonight, but no more than that - you can start your task in the morning, alongside the preparations for the wedding." She still had a few days until the wedding, but she had planned for those days to be fun and carefree with her friends, catching up. Now though, she couldn't forget what she was now, and she would be spending most of her time after the wedding with him, as his companion, slave girl, toy, whatever he wanted her to be. Sitting down in the bed, and close to the tray, and to him, to let him take in her naked form, that she had always been proud of, she began to eat from it, eating in front of him. She was just glad he was allowing her to eat freely, as she didn't know if he would let her eat a lot once all this was over, and she was back with him. She just wanted to ensure that her friend had the perfect wedding, that still meant a lot to her. Furthermore, she wanted to see her friend smiling, and to see her go on into her new life. There would be questions about her 'boyfriend', and she would answer them as if he truly was her boyfriend." Thank you for this," she said as she ate, enjoying her dinner. She expected him to want to play with her even while she was eating, and to feel more naked than she did, but for some reason, she didn't. He looked at her, but didn't leer as other men would have. She was just glad that he was trying to make her feel comfortable. He kept an eye on her, enjoying the view as she sat on the bed, eating from the tray in front of her. Like everything with approaching her, this was measured - there would come a time when, by necessity, he would control her food intake. He wanted her to understand that it was a necessity - by deliberately and visibly not controlling it now. A few extra servings of french fries wouldn't do any major damage in the long run. He nodded once when she thanked him, though he wasn't sure if she meant the meal or the allowance for her to attend the wedding." You're welcome." Motioning toward the food, he continued. "Once you're finished, put the tray outside and come to bed. I want you to enjoy this weekend as much as you can. I won't lie, your life afterward won't be easy, or particularly...dignified...so make this all count." He stood, stretching, and began unbuttoning his shirt. "To that end...tonight you're under no obligation to do anything other than sleep in the same bed." He had already seen her naked enough times already, but she felt even more naked here. She just hoped that none of her friends came to the door, or called her. At least he was allowing her to eat, she told herself as she ate, and did her best to focus on the wedding, the last of the days that she would be free to make her own choices. She tried to make dinner last, but she was hungry, and before she knew it, she had eaten as much as she could. Picking up the tray, she walked with it to the door, and slowly opened it up. Waiting to check that the corridor was clear, she set it on the floor in front of the door, and closed it, just glad no one had seen her naked. Walking back to the bed, she sat down with him, and was just glad that she didn't have to have sex with him tonight. Tomorrow night though, she would, unless she could convince one of her three close friends to bed him." Thank you, this just...isn't how I saw this trip going," she said, for her own benefit, and got under the covers. He watched her drag her feet eating a bit, and then her surreptitious little attempt to put the tray out unseen, before swiftly closing the door again. He chuckled, the sound good-natured, and slid into bed, watching her do the same before turning out the light, plunging the room into darkness." I know pet...but life rarely works out the way we intend. But I meant it - make the most of this weekend, enjoy it. A sort of...farewell party to those plans." He put a reassuring hand on her thigh, but nothing more than that." Worry about the rest as it comes." Her plans, she had had such big plans for her life, but now, they were all gone, replaced by the plans that he had for her, and there was nothing she could do about it. He would be seeing her naked a lot more from now on, and she could only accept it. The weekend, so this weekend would be the last time she would be carefree, doing what she wanted to because she loved it. She couldn't tell anyone about it either, which made her feel more helpless. Nodding her head as he caressed her thigh, she tried to fall asleep as fast as she could, as tomorrow would bring more of this. He supposed somewhere in his mind he should feel some degree of remorse for what he had done - and would do - to the girl. But when it came down to it, he didn't. People met with misfortune all the time. Many of them met with much more unpleasant ends - she would live a life. A demeaning one, to be sure, and one she would never have known was possible, let alone desired, but she would live. And it was a comfort to have her sleeping beside him. Letting her sleep, he rose and showered, dressing before stirring her slightly on the shoulder. "If you want breakfast, they're serving it for another hour or so." She couldn't forget what she was now, not even here, but she was trying to. This was where she had come to see her friend get married, but now, her life would go down a different path, a path with her as his pet, companion, his property, her body on show to him and his visitors, but at least she would be safe from harm from others. Sleeping soundly through the night, she woke up as he shook her shoulder, which had always woken her up. She looked around, then heard his voice, and realized that it was still going on. He hadn't been rough with her, and she was grateful to him for that, even asking her if she was hungry. Sitting up, she let him take in her naked form, which she had always loved. "Breakfast sounds good, did you want me to order for us," she asked him, looking to the hotel phone by the bed. He enjoyed the sight of her, and nodded." If you want room service. If you'd like to be around people, you have time to pop in the shower and go down to the restaurant if you'd prefer. This is your weekend...for the most part." She knew that it was her weekend, but it wasn't completely her weekend. Once it was over, she would be his, whatever he wanted her to be, and wearing whatever he wanted her to wear. She didn't think she could be around other people, and picked up the phone to order room service. She knew how much he wanted to see her like this, naked, and.... his. She made no move to go into the bathroom, and let him take in her naked form. Furthermore, she had always been proud of her body, and now, it belonged to him. Furthermore, she wanted him in a good mood this weekend, and that meant. Being available. He was surprised when she chose to order in - and more surprised when she elected to remain naked. He rather blatantly admired her body, idly running his hand over her back." If you don't want to be in public, I'm half tempted to start your training now..." He shook his head. "But I gave you three days. The nights are mine, but the days are still yours - you have plenty of time for me to force myself on you. For the moment, if you want anything, you can ask, but otherwise... I'm just going to appreciate the view." He smiled. "Speaking of which... I've decided to deepen our wager. Give you a fighting chance." He went to his pants, pulling out a coin. "At the end of the wedding, you get to flip this coin. Heads, you go free - with a Duffel of cash as a reminder that this little adventure remains our secret." He paused. "Now...how do you earn coin flips? It's simple...little Maddy isn't married yet. She's got two nights left. Any night Maddy joins one of your friends...you get a flip. Any night I cum in Maddy's ass...you get another one. So the best case, four swings at the bat for your freedom." If you can bring yourself to do that. She didn't want to give him any reason to come down harder on her, and she could never forget that once this weekend was over, and her friend was married, she would be taken away, to live a very different life, one where he had complete control of her life, and the final say in everything she did, ate, and went, and wore. Letting him caress her back, she knew how much he would like that, and let him." No, I do, I know I have to be out there, and... I want to spend time with my friends, give the happy bride the best weekend that I can, that we can," she told him, glad that he was letting her do this, as he didn't have to be. She couldn't believe that he would take the chance of him losing the coin flip, after what he had done so far, and what she had seen, but... what if he was serious, and she could earn her freedom with a coin toss. She believed that he would, and then she heard what she had to do to earn those precious coin tosses, get Maddy to join one of her friends here, and she could get a free night. Could she truly do that though, and would Maddy say yes? She had been a lot of fun to be around, but. Would she go that far, cheat on her husband to be? No one would suspect or find out the truth, but... would Maddy say yes." I... I don't know if she would say yes. She might... a night at least of... fun... before committing to one man. I can ask her in a way that she won't be too shocked about me asking," she said, deciding to spend the day with them, as four friends should. He smiled, looking up as there was a knock on the door with breakfast arriving." Go fetch it pet. You can wear a robe, unless you want to get used to people seeing you naked." He moved back into the bed, out of line of sight, waiting for her to return. "It's your choice as to if, or how, you want to approach her. Or any of your friends. You can let on like nothing is going on, and bear the consequences of that when you come back to our room. Or not. That choice is yours." He stood up, kissing her on the forehead. "And I mean that. It may be one of the last ones you have." In her mind, she was going over what she could possibly say that could get Maddy, or one of her friends to join the two of them. She didn't want them to reject it outright, but she had to try. Turning her head to the door as she heard the knock as well, she shook her head as she didn't want the staff here to see her naked, and quickly put on her robe, to walk to the door and collect their breakfast. Thanking the man, she closed the door and pushed the trolley in to where he was hiding. It smelled very good to her, and she did her best to focus on that, on the last few days that she would actually have a say in what she did, and in what happened to her. Taking the robe off, she sat down with him and began to enjoy her breakfast, to feel free, until she wouldn't be, when he would decide what she wore, ate, and did. If she couldn't, then she would get no coin tosses, and her body would be his to take even in here.

Seeing too much (playfullchick76 & Copperlily)|rating:2.0

By Any Other Name - Freeform Superhero AU - Character Sheets

(ANY OTHER NAME An AU Superhero SettingLinksCharacter Sheets (#msg16254175)IOC (#msg16254986)Image Dump (#msg16267481)World Information (#msg16255275)IC: Global (#msg16257368)IC: Adult Scenes (NSFW) (#msg16267635)Character Sheets Only GM approved characters can be posted here. Character Sheet Code: [Select][b]Image:[/b][float left][IMG height=300 padding=10]PICTURE URL HERE[/IMG][/float left][b]Name:[/b] CHARACTER HERO NAME[b]Alias:[/b] REAL NAME OR OTHER NAMES KNOWN BY[b]Face claim:[/b] IF APPLICABLE[b]Home:[/b] CITY/DIMENSION YOUR CHARACTER IS FROM[b]Powers:[/b] DESCRIBE YOUR POWERS[b]Skills:[/b] LIST YOUR SKILLS[b]Gear:[/b] LIST ANY SPECIAL GEAR/EQUIPMENT/VEHICLES YOUR CHARACTER HAS[b]History:[/b] YOUR ORIGIN STORY AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING THESE DAYS[b]Relationships:[/b] FAMILY, FRIENDS, LOVERS, CONTACTS[b]Personality:[/b] WHAT IS YOUR CHARACTER LIKE?[b]Sexuality:[/b] YOUR PREFERRED PARTNERS[b]Character On's/Offs:[/b] WHAT GETS YOUR CHARACTER GOING AND WHAT DOESN'T[b]Notes:[/b] ANYTHING NOT COVERED ABOVE (Fr angelica CastletonAlias:Nemesis Home:LyonessePowers:Technical Savant Near-invulnerability (in battle suit)Skills:Master marksman Skilled HtHTacticianDisguiseMedicinePilotGear:Various and sundry firearms and melee weapons'Justinian' battle suit and associated heavy weapons History:A former Engineer-Commander in His Britannic Majesty's aero flotilla, Lady Castleton took on the role of Nemesis after her dear elder sister and her family were killed as a side effect of one of the Moriarty Consortium's criminal schemes. Drawing on her own genius and substantial family wealth, she has armed herself with a number of weapons of her own devising, including an ingenious suit of self-propelled armor, and has been waging a private war against the gangs that plague the realm. Her military training combined with her advanced arsenal has made her the terror of the underworld, and the despair of the more legitimate policing forces of her home. Her Law of War, you see, allows no room for taking prisoners... Now, her field of activity has broadened as she's discovered other realms are infested by the same sort of human (and not-so-very) vermin. Relationships:While officially persona non gratuity her Government, Fran still has a few people in the military who will speak to her, in private and off the record. Otherwise, she's something of a loner. Personality:Chilly and polite, absolutely merciless in combat Sexuality:While she hasn't really had any time for dalliance of late, she used to have something of an eye for the ladies. Especially those in uniform. Character On's/Offs:Besides revenge and mayhem, she enjoys long hot soaks, formal dinners by candlelight, and large canopy beds. Dislikes include whiners, the lazy, discussing politics, moralizing, and people with no stamina. Notes:The Justinian suit:(( of Olympus, Damon DisHome:Dark Dimension/Realm of Hades Height: 6'Weight:220 lbs/100 kg Hair/Eye Color:Silver white hair/Sea green eyesPowersHybrid Olympian/Saltine Physiology* Immortal* Increased: Strength, Speed, Stamina, Durability, Agility and Reflexes:Not in the league of his father but about average for an Olympian* Regenerative Healing Factor:he can heal and grow back limbs/eyes* All speak:Due to the All speak (also called All-Tongue), Olympians can communicate in all languages, dialects, and various alien languages. Sorcery-doesn't have the eons of practice, but has learned the following spells** Mystic Force Beams** Mystical Force Fields** Hellfire/Flames of Saltine** Inter-Dimensional Teleportation Rarely used to go through dimensions, usually to Olympus or Dark Dimension to visit family** Healing Nowhere near his mom's ability to create life, he is proficient enough to heal Skills Mythological Lore:Damon has a very good grasp of the various pantheons out there and all the major gods. Occult Lore:As a practicing sorcerer he is very proficient in the occult Martial Artist:He's learned from Nike and the ghosts of some of the greatest heroes of legend on how to fight with the martial arts of Ancient Greece and the Saltine, his weapon of choice is his bidet. Demonologist:Damon has studied the various accounts of demons and is related to some of them. Runesmith:Damon is a transcriber and translator of runes, especially ancient, magical runes. WeaknessesDriving:never driven a car Technology:has little understanding of this, but will learn fast if exposed to somethingGearAdamantine Bidet: (from his dad of his original weapon forged by the cyclopes* Nigh Indestructible:made from golden adamantine, it is unbreakable* Mystic Channel:Often channels the flames of the Saltine through it* Summons:its is bound to him, and he can summon it and uncommon it at will History:Hades got sick and tired of Zeus and Poseidon having all the heroes fall under their family lines. He decided to have a child and raise him in the old ways. It had been a while since any of them had made someone new and his child would have the best teacher in his family. He wanted to keep this kind of secret so he found Clear in the dark dimension. It's hard to say if there are any feelings between his parents. Damon would like to thing that he wasn't so ...calculated. He grew up in the Dark Dimension with his mother learning sorcery from his mother, Hecate, Umar and Dorm amu. Hades had asked two goddesses that grew up in his realm, Nike and Hecate, to look after the boy as well and instill the classic Olympian values in his son. He gave Nike his original bidet to grant to Damon when he came of age. Nike nurtured that protective side of Damon and told him the stories of the heroes he was related to. Relationships:* FAMILY Olympian gods [Hades-father, Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, More, ESTIA--aunts/uncles, Hercules, Hecate, Nike, Ares-cousins, many others], Saltine [Clear-Mother, Umar-Grandmother, Dorm amu-Great Uncle, Satanism, Cousin]* FRIENDS New to the scene, looking to make friends* LOVERSHekate his Olympian tutor and cousin (hey, don't judge, they're Greek gods)* CONTACTS None to speak of Personality:Sexuality:Heterosexuals: Romance| Foreplay | Passion | Being Teased | Tension | Giving Massages | Costumed Sex | Being Outside/Different Locations| Oral| A little Pain| Sexual tension| Anal| Spanking| Biting| Scratching Offs:Violent Sex | Dry Sex | Humiliation | Bondage | Sensory Deprivation | Animals | Toilet | Being Humiliated | Any secretions other than sweat and cum Spells being researched:Damon uses his downtime to maintain the training his family have started. Beyond the warrior aspects of his training Hecate and the Albanian side of his family are training him in their spells. Dorm amu's reasons are murky, Damon thinks It's to provide his son Satanism with a worthy rival so he doesn't rest on his laurels.(( (Projection:Banishment:Conjuration:Elemental Control:Energy Absorption:Telekineses:Telepathy:Transformations:Weather Control: Image:(( (America Alias:Captain Mary Rogers USMC (United States Mystic Corps); the American MarvelFaceclaim:Riley Radome:Victoria, D.C./Dimension of Gaia Powers:The goddesses and their abilities given to Mary when she transforms are’S - Shakti (Resilience)H - Hecate (Power)A - Arabia (Wisdom)Z - Elena (Hope)A - Artemis (Swiftness)M - Maze (Compassion)When Mary Calls upon the name of the goddess Shazam, she is imbued with the following abilities:Super strengthFlightInvulnerabilityHyperspeedLightning manipulation Strength of mind and will While she possesses a great deal of mystical knowledge, Mary is only able to cast the simplest of magic spells. Skills:Highly trained hand-to-hand combatant Military strategist Vast occult and mystic knowledge Artist (Painter, sketch and sculptor)Gear:Weapon: Starlight Shield (Mystically forged for the goddess Shazam. It is indestructible and can be thrown as a ranged weapon always returning to the wielder’s hand.) History:In 1937, the house Zambezi of Prussia seized power and began a campaign to bring all humankind under her cruel sway. Through dark, destructive rituals, she imbued the women of Prussia with powerful, mystical energy. These Gottlieb Übermensch (divine superwomen) moved across France, Spain, and Africa, bringing them all under the cruel yoke of Prussian rule. The house Zambezi made no secret that she planned to move on to Avalon, Russia and the United States. President Eleanor Roosevelt met with her council of mystics and charged them to come up with an answer to Prussia’s Gottlieb Übermensch, without destroying the land as the Prussian sorceress had. They set to work in secret to find a ritual that would give American soldiers powers to defeat Prussia and their dread leader. One of the mightiest American mystics, Aura Erskine discovered in some ancient texts, a way to summon a champion who possessed the powers of the ancient goddesses; the mystic being known only as Shazam! The ritual would require the entire mystic council, and their apprentices, to gather enough mystic energy to summon Shazam. Mary Rogers, Aura Erskine’s apprentice, was among the selected apprentices even though her own mystic abilities were somewhat disappointing compared to other students her age. Aura always encouraged her, seeing Mary’s true and steadfast heart even when others did not. Aura even gave Mary the task of keeping the book containing the ritual safe. On the night of the ritual, everything was in place. Aura directed the other mystics in what they had to do and they, in turn, instructed their apprentices. Aura had kept the details of the ritual secret in order to prevent the temptation of others to use the ritual to summon Shazam for their own dreams of power. With everything in place, the ritual began and as the mystic energy flowed into the circle, a portal formed and the goddess Shazam appeared wearing an ornate robe and carrying a spear in one hand and a shield in the other. However, before she could fully manifest on the Earthly plane, one of the apprentices who had been corrupted by the house Zambezi, cast a dispel charm causing the mystic energy to backlash and explode destroying the circle and the ancient text. Many of the sorceresses were killed or injured, including Aura Erskine. Mary was stunned, but found her astral form had been pulled from her body and she now faced the goddess.“The ritual was not finished, and therefore I cannot remain on your world. You, Mary Rogers, are pure of heart and strong in your love of freedom. I will give to you, my power to fight the darkness and evil that plagues your world.” The goddess looked at Mary and commanded her. “Say my name so that my power, given to me by my sisters, will flow through you.” Mary, not knowing what else to do, did as she was ordered.“Shazam!” Instantly, Mary was struck by lightning and re-joined with her body. Only, she had been transformed in clothes and stature as Shazam’s champion on Earth.“You have been granted the resilience of Shakti, the power of Hecate, the wisdom of Arabia, the hope of Elena, the swiftness of Artemis and the compassion of Maze. I shall grant you the gift of my Shield of Starlight to protect you and defend freedom from all enemies.” With that, Shazam faded back into her own realm. As Mary lifted the shield, she spotted the traitorous apprentice, scrambling to make her escape. In a flash of motion, Mary closed the distance between herself and the evil wretch and slammed her into a column. As Mary moved towards the apprentice, the traitor produced a small crystal.“Hal house Zambezi!” she cried out and smashed the crystal. Dark tendrils of horrifying energy wrapped the apprentice in their grasp, closing in on her and melting her flesh. The woman screamed in pure terror before she was reduced to a pool of red and black liquid that the tendrils absorbed. Within seconds, the tendrils disappeared leaving no trace of them or of the traitor except for the broken shards of the crystal. Over the following years, Mary used her abilities along with other superpowered heroines to battle the hordes of the house Zambezi. The press dubbed her the “American Marvel”, a nickname she took to heart, but she preferred to go by Mary America. In the final year of the war, Mary finally came face to face with the house Zambezi at the final allied attack on her bunker in Berlins. The house Zambezi had come into the possession of the Casket of Never Ending Winters and was planning on releasing an unending age of ice upon the world as her revenge for her defeat. In order to open the casket, she had to sacrifice herself to the gods of winter. Before Mary could stop her, she plunged a knife of pure night into her heart and her soul energy was drawn into the casket and the lid began to open. Even with her strength, Mary couldn’t keep the casket lid from opening. She only saw one option available to her. She grabbed the casket and flew as fast as she could into space. The casket continued to open, freezing her in a block of ice until she impacted the moon where the casket enveloped the entire moon in a mile thick coating of ice. The world was at peace, free from house Zambezi’s tyranny but at the cost of a great hero.2021The Selena lunar crying probe, monitored by NASA (National Ether and Space Administration), spotted an anomaly on the moon. The sunlight glinted off something buried deep in the ice and when they zoomed in they realized that it was the Starlight Shield. They had found the final resting place of the American Marvel. NASA contacted the Justice Avengers who quickly mounted a recovery mission. They found the shield as well as Mary’s body as well. What shocked everyone was that tests revealed that she was still alive. They freed her from the ice and resuscitated her explaining that she had been in suspended animation. Over the past several months, she has been trying to come to grips with her new life 70 years after she was frozen. It’s been a difficult transition learning about the modern world and the catastrophic events that reshaped many worlds including her own. One thing that has not changed though is her devotion to the cause of freedom and justice. Relationships:None to speak of other than her direct superiors in the USMC. Personality:Perky, bubbly, honest and optimistic Mary is also determined and brave. She will defend, to the death if need be, the ideals of freedom and the American dream. She is also kind and considerate, sometimes to the point of being naive and perhaps too trusting. This has earned her a reputation as a “Girl Scout”. Sexuality:Bisexual, preferring women Character On's/Offs:Mary has not had a great deal of romantic or sexual experience to figure out what she does and doesn’t like, although she has realized that she prefers women to men as they tend to kiss better. Notes:Mary may be a “Girl Scout”, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s a prude. Image:(by Reikan33 (Izuku Strange Alias:The Sorceress Almighty, Crisis (childhood nickname)Face claim:Chrysalis “Crisis” Red-Skies (OC)Home:New Gotham, Earth 918 Powers:Onus Pro Omnibus - Izuku’s body is constantly stockpiling massive arcane energies, allowing her to cast extremely powerful spells… At a price. She can currently only control 10% of this power without it going wild, causing massive damage to herself and her surroundings. Skills:Sorcery, arcane energy manipulation, various martial arts (including Judo and fencing). Used to be a talented surgeon before the accident damaged the nerves in her hands. Gear:Cloak of Levitation (grants flight), Sling Ring (opens teleports), Sword of Daybreak (negates evil magic), Midgard Gauntlets (minimizes damage caused by Onus Pro Omnibus at higher outputs, resembles leather gloves)History:When Izuku was fifteen, her father was shot by a cop who saw the two of them walking down the street and thought he was armed. He survived thanks to talented surgeons in a nearby hospital, inspiring Izuku to study medicine. She graduated top of her class in medical school and went on to become a brilliant surgeon. Her skills were well sought after until a car accident caused irreparable damage to her hands. Trusting no other surgeon with the task of fully repairing her hands, she ultimately found herself traveling halfway across the world in search of an arcane solution. Namely, a hermit known as the “Ancient Magi” who was said to be able to cure any ailment. This hermit, as it turned out, was the world’s most powerful wizard, bearing the title of Sorcerer Almighty. Ancient Magi was also looking for a successor, having been fatally wounded in battle some years ago and his body now barely held together by his own magic. But Ancient Magi had another secret few knew about, even among his own acolytes and allies: That his predecessors long had not only passed down the title of Sorcerer Almighty, but also the power of Onus Pro Omnibus. This ability bestowed upon its user the accumulated arcane power and knowledge of all its previous users, as well as the ability to permanently transfer this power to another. Ancient Magi would have overlooked Izuku if she hadn’t attempted to save her soon-to-be rival Bakugo Wong from an Eldritch terror despite her lack of powers and potential further damage to her hands. Even then, Izuku required months of training and study to condition her body and mind to be able to withstand even possessing Onus Pro Omnibus without immediately exploding. At first, Izuku couldn’t cast more than the simplest of spells without Onus Pro Omnibus going wild and causing damage to herself and her surroundings, but by the time the Ancient Magi finally died she could use 10% of its power with minimal risk. She didn’t fully earn the title of Sorceress Almighty until defeating Shigarakaluu, Ancient Magi’s arch nemesis who used the power of Ones Pro UNO to steal and redistribute powers and magic as he saw fit. Relationships:Chooses Strange (father), Into Redskins-Strange (mother), Ancient Magi (mentor/predecessor, deceased), Bakugo Wong (rival/ally), Shigarakaluu (nemesis)Personality:Dr. Izuku Strange is among the best at what she does, and she knows it. This can make her haughty and overconfident at times. However, she can also be a perfectionist, and at times her fear of failure will hold her back. Selfishness is also a bad habit she’s been working to overcome. She also has a strong sense of justice and may put herself in harm’s way to keep others out of danger. She is an intellectual and admires strong, confident people. Sexuality:Asexual, panromanticCharacter On's/Offs:❤️ Transformation, bondage, pet play; 💢Beastiality, scat, incest Notes:An amalgam of Marvel’s Doctor Stephen Strange, My Hero Academia’s Izuku “DEU” Midoriyama, and my own OC, Chrysalis “Crisis” Red-Skies. (WagnerFaceclaim:N/Home:The Atlantis Empire Powers:Atlanta Physiology: Due to his heritage, Garth has an extremely enhanced physicality comparable to any Atlanta warrior. He is significantly stronger in the water, or shortly after leaving it, and grows weaker on land or when in dry, hot environments. Garth can survive on land indefinitely just as he can underwater. He has the following traits:Superhuman Strength camp; Durability: Garth is incredibly strong and can become stronger still when submerged in water. He is extremely resistant to cold temperatures and pressure, but in general he is highly resistant to almost all conventional harm. Superhuman Speed, Reflexes camp; Agility: Garth is capable of moving fast enough to dodge bullets effortlessly. In the water he can out-speed almost anything including planes and boats. His agility is in excess of Olympic athletes. While he cannot fly he can leap miles if propelled from water or hundreds of feet on land. Superhuman Stamina and Healing: Garth regenerates very fast, particularly if he has access to water. With water, he can continue to function for days on end if he needs to. Enhanced Senses: His ability to see in the murky depths of the ocean allows him exceptional night vision while on land. Tempest has excellent close range vision, and he can see particularly well in low light. His hearing is several times more acute than an ordinary human's. His sense of hearing is particularly acute, although, because the rate sound travels on dry land is different from beneath the water, his hearing is directly linked to his vision. He also has a powerful sense of smell. Marine Telepathy: Garth has a form of telepathy which works particularly well on other aquatic life, including other Atlantes. Unlike the King of Atlantis, Garth cannot compel any marine life to obey him. He can only communicate with them. Atlantean Magic: Has an extensive understanding of various different types of magic, especially Atlanta magic. He was taught by some of the best Atlanta sorcerers around. Optic Blast!: He is able to project purple beams of mystical energy from his eyes. Mystical Detection: He is able to sense mystical energies including changes in the fields around him and use post-cognition to understand the what and the why of the things he senses. Pyrokinesis camp; Cytokinesis: Aquavit has the ability to generate massive amounts of heat energy from his left hand and massive amounts of cold energy from his right hand. Hydrokinesis: Grants absolute control of any body of water, though the larger the amount, the more effort and energy it requires. Also, able to create water from the surrounding air. Mutant Abilities: Due to his Meta-Mutant gene, Garth has abilities that go beyond that of the average Atlanta. His mutation caused a drastic chance in his physical appearance from other Atlantes, giving him dark blue scales, fin-like ears, and a prehensile tail. Teleportation: He is able to teleport himself, his clothes, and other additional mass (including other people) over long distances including into other dimensions. He does this by displacing himself into another dimension, travelling through it, then returning to his own dimension at a certain distance from his point of departure. He can teleport to locations within eye-sight with ease. If he pushes himself and enhances this ability with Atlanta Magic, he can go anywhere in the world or even into other dimensions. Prehensile Tail: He has a long, prehensile tail that can grab objects and is stronger than either one of his two arms. Camouflage: He is able to blend into the shadows. Wall-Crawling: His hands and feet can cling to objects and surfaces. Weaknesses:Dehydration: Garth needs water to survive. Needs to periodically return to water, or he will weaken and if he goes a day without water, he will be no stronger than a man. If he is trapped in an environment without water, he will rapidly wan in strength and potentially die. Heat/Dryness: Hot, arid environments dehydrate Garth even faster, sapping him of his strength. Colour Blindness: He is partially color-blind, almost unable to distinguish between black, green, and blue Skills:LIST YOUR SKILLS Combat Skills: Adept at hand-to-hand combat and weapon-based warfare. Occultism: Has an extensive understanding of various different types of magic, especially Atlanta magic. Stealth: Has learned to take advantage of his mutant abilities to be covert and hide in the shadows Gear:Sometimes wears Atlanta Armour and wield Atlanta Weapons. History:Garth's father was an Atlanta Sorcerer who was thousands of years old due to his demonic bloodline. Craving power for himself and seeking to take over Atlantis as the new king, he raised an army and attempted to overthrow the King of Atlantis at the time with the help of dark and forbidden magic. The attempt failed and as a result, he was banished into another dimension. He could escape this dimension for brief periods of time with his teleportation ability, but he would always find himself back in his interdimensional prison. His only hope of escaping for real was by impregnating women as his children were linked to his dimension. Garth's mother was a Princess of Atlantis, daughter to the former King of Atlantis, and a descendant of Poised on himself. Garth's father chose the Princess as his bride as she possessed unusual characteristics. The Princess, in turn, had fallen in love with the demonic sorcerer and supported his efforts. It was at this time that a prophecy was revealed that a child of the demonic sorcerer would be born and help him escape the interdimensional prison. Once the princess realized that she was pregnant, she realized what this meant and ran away to the surface world. The princess had the ability to disguise herself using Atlanta magic and for a time, she was able to blend into the surface world. She seduced a wealth human man named Christian Wagner and convinced him that the child she was pregnant with was his. They married shortly after. Her disguise, however, failed while she was giving birth to Garth. Enraged by the deception, Christian tried to kill his wife and 'son', but the princess fought back and killed him instead. A large mob learned of Garth's existence and of the princess's crimes. While being chased by the large mob. Garth's mother threw him over the falls. Garth was able to survive thanks to his father's intervention. The sorcerer decided to entrust his son to one of his surface allies, a fortune-teller who worked at a circus. Garth grew up in the circus as an acrobat where the audience believed he was wearing a costume of some sort. He was happy, but he always felt as though something was missing and sometimes felt as though the ocean was calling out to him. Following an unfortunate incident involving the deaths of several performers, Garth's adoptive parent, the fortune-teller went missing. The circus was then bought out by a horrible new owner who wanted Garth to be placed in the circus' freak show. The new owner even drugged him to prevent escape. Fortunately, Garth was able to escape with the help of the other circus performers. Feeling the call of the ocean once more, he left the surface world. While surviving by himself in the surface world, Garth came across another Atlanta. As it turned out, this Atlanta was his cousin from his mother's side of the family. The two developed a close friendship as they went on several adventures together. They became very much like mentor and apprentice during their time together. While Garth was quite useful and knew a few simple magic tricks thanks to his adoptive parent, it was his cousin who taught him how to fight. Thanks to his cousin's help, Garth was able to reenter Atlantis. He enrolled in the Atlanta school of sorcery during his teenage years and developed his knowledge of magic there. He supported his cousin's claim to the throne and helped him become the new King of Atlantis. Relationships:Atlantis:King of Atlantis - His cousin from his mother's sideAtlantean Sorcerers - Met at the Atlanta School of Sorcery; includes classmates and teachers Circus:Fortune Teller who raised him Other circus performers were like family to him Grew up at the circus with Dick Grayson Personality:A lighthearted and carefree prankster, Garth is quite mischievous, playful, and always up for a bit of fun. Due to his youthful energy and his tendency of crack jokes, he can come across as very immature and dim-witted. Despite his fondness for pulling pranks, he does try his best to be kind and friendly with other people. He prefers to make friends rather than enemies and finds it uncomfortable to be alone for long periods of time. He often displays an optimistic and adventurous attitude even in the most dire of circumstances, but will be serious if the situation calls for it. Sexuality:Heterosexual Character On's/Offs:Click here for my O/O's (Image:(Hernandez, Dianna Prince, Wonder WomanFaceclaim:Home:Themascaria/East LAPowers:- Amazon/Demigoddess: Born of the Queen of the Amazons and Zeus, she has gained numerous powers from her heritage.-Superhuman Strength:She has enormous reserves of strength with only folk like Superman being able to match/surpass her levels-Superhuman Agility:Capable of levels of agility, including dodging high speed attacks.-Superhuman Durability:She has enough durability to have taken blows from such beings as Doomsday and Superman with minimal damage.-Superhuman Speed:She is able to match the Flash at his average speeds.-Flight:She is capable of flight capable of the speeds of a jet airliner-Pheromone Control :Due to exposure to a mutagen after her ‘Hernandez’ personality was created, she developed a mutation. She can control and sense Pheromones with a greater degree of reliability. Using this control she can:- sense a person’s feelings towards another. Lust, hate etc.- induce greater healing.- inspire lust and other feeling in others. Towards her or another.- induce states of intoxication, euphoria and nausea. Skills:-Tactician:She is a capable combatant and able leader-Linguist :She is a capable linguist. She has demonstrated Greek, Spanish, German, French, Japanese and Hebrew among many others.-Historian camp; Antiquities:She is an accomplished historian and has a specialty in Greek artifacts. Gear:- Lasso of Truth:An unbreakable rope enchanted to compel the truth from anyone bound by it.- Bracelets of Submission :Capable of defecting blows, bullets and others ranged attacks.- Golden Tiara:Capable of changing into a boomerang like weapon, sharp enough to cut Superman- Themysciran Shield:Forged by the God of Smiths, able to take blows from Superman without visible dents or damage.- Sword:A sword forged by Hephaestus, said to be sharp enough to cut the electrons off an atom. History:Born on the island of the Amazons, Diana grew up hungering for more. Man’s world was forbidden, spoken of in hushed tones. So naturally, she lusted to see, explore and experience it. Eventually man found the hidden island, and she followed WW1 pilot/spy Steve Trevor into it. She watched the young pilot, she was surprised to learn that she loved, die saving countless thousands from a terrible gas attack. Losing Steve nearly killed her, but she moved on, lingering in the shadows. Hiding, watching, waiting for something to draw her out into the open. Eventually she was drawn out into the public eye. For years, she saved women, spoke up for freedom for everyone and fought battles for truth, justice and so on. Then she vanished one night in East LA. The night she encountered Tomas Hernandez. Tomas, a gang leader from LA used her own lasso against her; aided by an Olympian rival, Hecate, he created a new persona for her. Diana Hernandez, gang member and his sister. Slowly over several years, Diana and Tomas grew in standing within the gang. Till the night the Gang boss killed Tomas in front of her. She snapped, killing dozens of her gang at the loss of her ‘brother’ in a fury before vanishing into the night. She followed her brother’s dying orders and found her costume and gear in his stash, the lasso’s touch breaking her free of her gangster persona but the near decade as Diana Hernandez lingered. Both in outlook and her wildly tattooed body. She speaks with an East LA Hispanic accent, prefers red and blue (her old gang colors) and is more free and open in her statements. She took the name Scandal after a prominent journalist said she was a scandalous image with her tattoos, gangsta chic and habits. Relationships:Personality:Very much still Diana Hernandez in bearing and actions, she is blunt in her words and deeds. Letting people know how she feels about them. Very up front about her sexual likes and dislikes as she is an East LA gangster in behaviors. Likes to drink, smoke and party hard, though she typically behaves within the legal limits these days. In a fight, she is a crude speaker who fights with the focus of an Amazonian warrior. Sexuality:Bisexual Character On's/Offs:same as my o/notes:(( Cargill Alias:ShadowFaceclaim:Francesca Casimir Home:Neo Angeles Powers:Jo has an odd conglomeration of Powers caused by both mutations and science. See Below:Superhuman Stamina: Jo's muscles produce fewer fatigue toxins than those of a normal human. She can exert herself physically at her peak for several hours before the build-up of fatigue toxins in her blood begins to impair her. Superhuman Speed: Jo can run and move at speeds that are beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete. She is able to run at speeds around 100 km/h. (a bit over 60 mph)Superhuman Agility and Reflexes: Agility, balance, bodily coordination, and reflexes are enhanced to levels beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human athlete. Selective Phasing/Intangibility: Jo can make all or part of her body intangible, thus being able to pass through solid objects as if she were no more than light or air. Phased/Intangible Extension: Through practice, Jo has learned to phase other objects along with herself without harm to them...thus the magical bag of holding. Telepathic Resistance: While she is phased, Jo is harder to read telepathically. Most mind tricks don't work without a sustained effort. Skills:Okay...this could take a while. Excellent Thief: Comes with the territory. Stealth: She has it. Hand to Hand Combat: Mere trained and street savvy, Jo can throw down with the best of them. Polyglot: Due to her travels, Jo speaks flawless French, Russian, Italian, Spanish, and English. Defensive Driver: She knows how to maneuver any vehicle to get away from YOU. Cooking: She ate MRE's, right? She had to learn to cook in self-defense. Gear:A girl has to have toys, right?? Customized Lock picking Kit: Obviously, a thief needs good lock picks. Magical Bag of Holding: It is NOT magic, but once something is in there, you'll never see it again. Safe Cracking Kit: Sometimes, one has to get in there. That is what this is for. Black catsuit: It's the gig, ain't it? Weighted Night Stick: Solid wood and polymer construction for helping people take a little nap.2 Camp;K 9mm handguns: Rarely carries them, still deadly with them, though.pictures(upon a time, Jo was a cute little girl who was brought up in a military family by an abusive father, a cowed mother, and a big brother who seemed to be well on his way to being exactly like dear old dad. Things were "normal" enough that Jo managed to get excellent grades in school throughout junior high and was well on her way toward an outstanding high school career as well...and then her brother was killed. Somehow, her father blamed her for the issue, and she paid for it repeatedly. At 13, her mutation kicked in. At 14, she began receiving these"nutrient shakes"that tasted like crud but helped her body heal from the myriad abuses she was put through. She did not know that these "drinks" were meant for her father. The bastard had foisted them onto her to see what the effects would be. When nothing happened, he tried to take them back. For once, her mother stood up to the man. She told him that he'd not take away something that helped her daughter recover from the stuff he did and that if he tried, she'd turn him into his commanding officer. No one knew that these drinks contained nanites that worked to repair torn muscles and fiddled with her DNA. As soon as Jo turned 18, she took her mother and fled, leaving the broken mess of a man behind. They ended up in Neo Angeles. Quite a bit happened during the intervening years, including: four years in the army to help pay for school, joining a mercenary band to help pay for her mother's sudden illness (a tumor located on her left lung), being trained for infiltration and extraction after the truth about her phasing ability came to light as well as a few random bits of violence and mayhem. She finally left the world of battles, blood, and glory at age 26 and came home to her mother. However, just because she had some money in the bank did not mean bills didn't need to get paid. Thus, her newest identity as a cat burglar. Jo only hits the wealthiest, the elite, and has never killed anyone in her search for the best score. She's been working at this for a year now and is more than competent enough to keep herself in the style to which she's become accustomed. Relationships:She loves her mother, Hiddaya Cargill, and loathes her father enough that she will not ever say his name. The rest will be worked out during the story. Personality:Jo is a hardenedwarriorturnedthiefwho believes the world is out to get her. It is NOT paranoia if it's true, right That being said, Jo is chameleon-likein her ability to fit in with disparate groups of people. She may behave like a roughneck around her former mere band, while butter wouldn't melt in her mouth around people in authority. That flexibility is simply the mask she wears when she has to socialize. In reality, when left to her own devices, Jo is focused, intelligent, temperamental, a strategic thinker, anda planner. She dislikes change, is awful at making up something on the fly, and does not work well with others unless she has to. Sexuality:Demisexual | PanamorousCharacter On's/Offs:Jo isdemisexualand does not engage in sex acts without being deeply attached to the person she is with. Therefor eon and off swill be discussed with whomever she chooses to mingle body parts with. Notes:... Image:(ænn, Last Son of AsgardFaceclaim:n/a bit open to suggestions Home:TBD Powers:•Æsir Physiology: Superstore is of prime Æsir stock, and as such, possesses parahuman agility, durability, reflexes, speed, stamina, and strength, roughly on the level of one of the Warriors Three or Sigh. He recovers from injuries more quickly than humans. Additionally, as the last Æsir, Superstore is capable of All speak, able to understand and communicate in every language he encounters. While Superstore is starting to gray a little, in terms of abilities he does not seem to have diminished in any way from his prime– it is difficult to say what the longevity of a Æsir would be without Dunn's golden apples to sustain his youth perpetually... though if the Fates have their way, the question may be beside the point.•Weather Control: Superstore is unparalleled in his mastery over the weather and over the course of his life has honed this divine gift, and is capable of manipulating the weather both at large scale and, when needed, on a much smaller scale with scalpel-like precision. Roughly anything that Storm of the X-men would be capable of, so, too, would Superstore. As an extension of this power, Superstore is resistant to the deleterious effects of extreme weather, and is especially resistant (even for a Æsir) to lightning, cold, and extreme heat. Superstorm's ability to control the weather is, however, influenced by his emotions, and so should he fall under the influence of a parahuman superpower that influences his emotions or a psychoactive substance that alters his emotions, it is likely to interfere with his ability to influence the weather and may even cause the surrounding weather to rage out of control. Skills:•Agriculture: You can take the boy out of the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the boy.•Climatology camp; Meteorology: Vænn has actively studied both climatology and meteorology so he can better understand his powers.•Experience: Vænn has been active as Superstore since he was a teenager, more than two decades ago. In that time, he's had his share of mistakes and more than his share of close calls and near-death experiences, but he's tried to walk away from each mistake, each brush with death having learned a lesson.•First Aid: Vænn isn't a doctor or even an EMT, but he's tried to make sure that he knows enough to keep a fragile mortal alive long enough for someone with the proper experience to take over.•Norse Mythology camp; Runes Gear:•Lifeboat: The rune-engraved lifeboat carved of Yggdrasil wood that carried Vænn to Myriad.•Storm watch: A flying castle enshrouded in clouds formerly belonging to a giant who sought to subjugate humanity. Superstore has now claimed it as his own, renaming it Storm watch as he watches over the world from above. When not needed elsewhere, Superstore hides it above the Bermuda Triangle... unless he's feeling homesick and parks it around Saint Parker beck. History:Four decades ago, the multiverse was plunged into a crisis on countless Earths between the 4th Beyond and the Guardian Gods. Though many have given it other names, among the Æsir of Asgard who had long-lived beneath the shadow of dread it cast, all recognized it for what it was to them: Ragnarök. Though they fought valiantly against the 4th Beyond alongside the other Guardian Gods, long ago the fall of Asgard and the extinction of the Æsir had been meticulously plotted by those known to some as the Horns, and by others as the Moira. The living myths could not escape the gaze of Fate, but one child, not yet a myth was cradled in a ship carved from wooden taken from Yggdrasil and engraved with runes that would protect it from harm and hide it from Fate's watchful eye. The child's ship came to rest on the world that would come to be known as Myriad, on a farm a little ways outside Saint Parker beck, where he was adopted by a loving mortal couple, the Moves, who raised him as best they could. For more than half his life, Vænn has been active in using his powers for the safety and betterment of his adoptive world, and finding himself given the name "Superstore" by the press for his trouble. What distinguishes Superstore most from his peers is how he applies his gifts. While like his peers he does engage in battling super villains and protecting the world from threats, Superstore also makes a point of using his powers to minimize loss of life from natural disasters, taming storms and easing droughts and heatwaves. All is not well, however. Gradually, slowly, at first, but more and more of late Superstore has found even his Asgardian stamina is being put to the test. Eventually, it dawned on him: the unique state of Myriad as a nexus was resulting in global climate change. Though he has started advocating for policies intended to address the crisis, Superstore finds himself trapped: while he serves to mitigate extreme weather events caused by climate change, there are few tangible consequences for the inaction of policymakers, and scientific research on climate change is likely to be skewed by his interference – but he cannot conscience the lives lost should he fail to act. Superstore nurses a growing dread that the day is not far away when he will be pushed beyond the limits of his stamina and not have the strength left to defend the world he loves, either from its super villains or the consequences of its own actions. Relationships:The Moves: Adoptive parents, no other children. Personality:Vænn is an earnest and forthright man driven by a desire to protect and preserve the family, species, and world that adopted him. His status as the Last Son of Asgard makes him keenly aware how fragile a world is, and how swiftly death might come for that which is precious. Protecting a world, preserving a world is hard work, but Vænn possesses a strong (perhaps even unhealthy) work ethic. Because his ability to control the weather is tied to his emotions, Venn (and his alter ego Superstore) makes an intentional effort to keep a calm and level head under pressure. As Superstore, Vænn avoids using lethal force. While he won't begrudge an ally using lethal force in self-defense, he's likely to have friction with anyone particularly bloodthirsty. Superstorm generally believes in leading by example, and that a leader shouldn't ask a subordinate to do anything the leader wouldn't be willing to do themselves, if they had the ability. He is more concerned with saving lives than punishing villains, and, if forced to make a choice, will let a villain escape if it means saving a life. If lives are not in immediate danger, his first instinct is usually to try to reason with his adversaries, rather than hurling thunderbolts first and asking questions later. In these situations, he doesn't shy away from leaning on his reputation to intimidate others into giving up without a fight, or at least second-guessing the thought of starting trouble. Those villains who have a strong grasp on Superstore's personality may wait until an extreme weather event to set their plans into motion, knowing Superstore's attention will be elsewhere. Superstorm makes a point to combat white supremacist organizations when he catches wind of them, especially those that co-opt Norse symbology. Superstorm's judgement becomes cloudy, however, when it comes to the 4th Beyond, his temper growing shorter, becoming more prone to seeing violence, normally not his first resort, as the best way to resolve situations. Sexuality:Kinsey 1 (Primarily heterosexual, incidentally homosexual)Character On's/Offs:On's: anal, cosplay, erotic massage, fem boys/tom girls, foreplay, hotdoggingit annoys me that there isn't a sexier word for this, oral (giving (& receiving), role-play, romance, soft cum facials, hemophilia, squirting, tit fucking, vaginal Offs: anal to oral, anal to vaginal, dubcon, fisting, euro, noncom, pegging, rimming, scat, sounding, snuff, more, watersports Notes:The Horns' gaze did eventually find Vænn, and even now, they plot their designs for the end of the Last Son of Asgard. Vænn is not fully aware that Fate itself is plotting his doom, but he has made the unpleasant discovery that his powers vanish, and he becomes as feeble as a mortal when bound by threads from the loom of fate, and that he can be wounded as easily as any mortal by a certain type of alien metal (in truth, the shears of a Born, or weapons crafted from the melted metal of a Born's shears). (Name: Lana LaufreyAlso Known As: Lana Lokisdottoir, Trickster, various false displace of Birth: Society Hill, South Carolina Occupation: Student/Con Artist/Mastermind Known Associations: The Tinkerer, various fences Age: 19 (with IDs with ages from 15 to 30)Nationality: Dual citizenship (American/Norwegian)Base of Operations: Insulin, New Jersey and various hide-outs/boltholes on the East Coast and Northern Europe Sex: Female Half-giant Height: 6’ 4”. Weight: 300 lbs Hair: Black, waist length Eyes:Green Sexuality: Bisexual Origin and Background: : She didn’t know her father, at least in the beginning, her mother refused to discuss her father and her grandfather simply described him as tall, dark and handsome with very few redeeming qualities beyond that. She suspected there was more than the stereotype by the age of 9 when she broke a local bully’s arm. Who was 15 at the time. She was sent to spend time with her aunt in Norway, while things cooled down, where she learned about her ‘gifts’ a bit more. She was stronger and tougher than most folks, her aunt took her under her guidance and taught her what she knew. Which was social engineering, hacking, planning operations, and grafting; her aunt was a gray hat hacker and small-time con artist. When she returned to the States, she had grown to nearly 6’ and still growing and was running scams pretty much by the time she arrived at her small town high school. Mostly out of boredom and petty vengeance to bullies and such. After graduating, she set about getting as much as she could out of college, by which was meant getting connections to run gifts and make connections in the community. She pulled off several cons before her 18th birthday to get ‘seed money’ to start in the big time. She met up with several individuals as she built her rep in New York City. Furthermore, she avoided ‘masks’ when she could, as one mentor told her (The Tinkerer), and played up the role of a NYU student while she gifted. Furthermore, she discovered runic magic by accident while wandering round the NYU library. Needless to say she was surprised to discover that the magic worked for her. Over time, she experimented around with the runes, trying to use a ritual to divine something about her father’s bloodline. Needless to say she was surprised to learn of her father, the Norse God of Mischief. Powers/Skills/Gadgets: - Asgardian Giant heritage: she carries significant physical abilities due to her father’s Asgardian Jo ton (Giant) heritage, which shares similarities with Asgardians like Thor and others, it grants her the following powers— Superhuman Strength: Lana, without the aid of anything, through her own biology, possesses superhuman strength that is substantially superior to humans. She is capable of lifting 15 tons— Super humanly Dense Tissue: Like Asgardians, Lana's bodily tissues have roughly 1 1/2 to 2 times the density of the same tissues in a human being.— Superhuman Durability: The tissues of Lana's body are super humanly durable. She is able to withstand high caliber bullets, falls from great heights, powerful impact forces, exposure to temperature extremes and powerful energy blasts without being injured.— Regenerative Healing Factor: She is inhumanly durable, at least by human standards, can still obtain injury, also like all Asgardians, her metabolism enables her to rapidly regenerate damaged tissue much faster and more extensively than a human being.— Superhuman Stamina: Loki's Frost Giant metabolism grants her superhuman levels of physical stamina in practically all activities. Furthermore, she can exert herself at peak capacity for about 24 hours before fatigue begins to impair her.— Superhuman Longevity: Though still guise young, her biology and regenerative abilities greatly retard her aging process and most likely a lifespan measured in decades to centuries.- Sorcery & Rune Magic: she has inherited her father’s knack for magic, mostly in illusions, limited transformations and rune magics, but she is very much a beginner compared to her father.— Illusions and Glamours: she has acquired a few spells from a Celtic grimier she stole from Dublin. Furthermore, she can do small illusions to hide (or create) birthmarks, tattoos and small jewelry as well as concealing small tools and weapons. Static illusions up to 10ft square can be made. Due to this being primarily faerie magics mean that certain charms and contact with iron can disrupt them— Limited shape changing: She can change her form for several hours at a time, up to about 8 hours, but it has to be a humanoid form, and she’s limited to about a foot and a half difference, unlike her father whose gifts are more widespread— Rune Magic: Her greatest skill is with rune magics, which requires time and effort, as well as being the one she has the least spells for. She can charm a reflective surface to see a known location and send messages over it, as well as anchor illusions and glamours to someone carrying a focus rune for longer periods of time without the usual issues her illusions have. The runic token typically wears out within a day or when destroyed. She is trying to find more runic spells to utilize.- Skilled Mastermind & Grifter: She is an exceptionally intelligent woman trained in a variety of criminal skills.— Con artist/grifter: she is an expert at misdirection, social engineering and scams, learning from her aunt before her teens as well as possessing the glib charm of her father. She is a natural actor and can quickly adopt an accent or role to pull off a scam.— Pickpocket/Sleight of Hand: she can pickpocket and steal/conceal small items. Furthermore, she is also able to apply this to card game. Furthermore, she is terrifyingly good at three card Monty and dealing any hand she wants in poker.— Hacker: she is a well-trained hacker, capable of penetrating normal computer systems with ease, with few systems such as SHIELD, Stark International and such beyond her abilities without time and preparation. (Usually she can scam access to such places if she can scam a suitable target)— Locksmith/Alarms: she can pick most modern locks, and alarms with preparation and research. Mostly able to boost cars, break into normal homes, top tie around alarms and safes are typically more difficult.- Physical Training:— Trained Martial Artist: she has had training in basic hand to hand and some Krav Maga, which combined with her physical abilities makes for a competent fighter, but she is still largely a beginner when against someone of equal physical ability. She has trained with knives and firearms as well, showing better skill with a blade and knowing how safely use a gun. She is looking for a discrete teacher who can teacher her more.— Trained Parkour enthusiast/Stunt woman: she has had training in Parkour and how to take a fall, using her superior physical abilities. Mostly in learning to take a fall for a scam, though she rarely does so due to her inhuman weight and tendency to break vehicles that hit her.-Natural Polyglot: She speaks English and Norwegian fluently and knows many Northern and Central European conversationally as well as Spanish, Italian, Irish Gaelic. She knows ‘some’ Greek, Arabic and Hebrew, though mostly from study for this or that con. Since her discovery of her Asgardian heritage she suspects it might be a not fully expressed gift since many Air appear capable speaking any language fairly quickly. It typically takes her little time to pick up a language but does require extensive study.- Gear:— Criminal gear: she typically carries a variety of burglar tools concealed about her body and clothing that she bought from the Tinkerer made of a nonferrous smart metal/plastic. These serve as lock picks, glass cutters and a slim-jim for breaking into locations or vehicles. She has a small computer (tablet sized) for on the fly work with decimated hacking computers at her home and other locations. Typically, she will contract for specialists if she can. She has several caches of such gear in NYC, near her home, and a few in other locations in Europe and the East coast. A typical cache has tools, a few burner phones, clothing and 5 to 10 grand in local currency.— Asgardian Daggers (2): a pair of small punch style dagger she found on a robbery from a collector in Europe made of Asgardian steel that is capable of being used with her full strength, not something most terrestrial blades can handle, these are small easily concealed blades she store in rune warded scabbards that protect against most metal detection. Typically, keeps one hidden on her wrist, wait or ankle and the other under her hair on her back. They are her prized possessions, and she has gone to great lengths to get them back. (Staging a fire in the Chicago PD evidence locker once.) Appearance: Tall with deep black hair, intensely green eyes and figure of a supermodel, she favors ‘student chic’ of shirts, jeans and practical shoes unless she is either working a con of playing the club scene where she tends towards green and gold outfits beyond her apparent income level. Personality: Consummate actress, plays the role expected publicly. Privately likes the ‘good things’ in life, can be quite the prankster when crossed. Has a temper but keeps it under control, knows that it is the most likely cause of her getting caught. Curious about how her father might react to her existence, wondering if she’s a demigoddess on the make or, as she secretly fears, an as unmet formed monster like her half siblings. Weaknesses: - Magic: as previously stated her on the fly illusions tend to breakdown quickly unless she anchors them with a rune token of some sort. She can place a rune ward on the illusion to hold it. Paper typically fails within a few hours, Wood lasts a day or two and more expensive options (precious metals, gems, horn or such’ last a week or two but don’t actually burn out. Unsupported glamour fails at the touch of cold iron or the use of folk remedies will let the user see true. Against a more skilled magic user, most of her magic will fail or be easily found.-Code of Honor: she has a series of rules she goes by, numbered by her. She tries to avoid killing, it draws unwanted attention, but will do so in self-defense. She acknowledges and pays back favors. ‘A solid’ is the biggest debt she can owe and is loath to offer one but will acknowledge one.1. Don’t push things2. Never do a job in your home (To date she’s never done a gig in Insulin and hasn’t done a gig in New Jersey since moving there)3. Pay your dues. (IE pay off the locals when you work their turf)4. Keep it professional, avoid grudges (Like Leroy Gibbs, she has many more)- ‘There is always someone better’. She has some issues, the one she hides the most is about her father. She’s a great hacker, and all around thief, but she worries that she’s not good enough to measure up to her father and even more worried he uses her for one of his ‘Big Plays’. Player On's/Offs: See the link in the extras: Image:(Strange Alias:The Hood also “Ollie”, “You Selfish Bastard”, “Ollie You Prick”, “Stupid Mortal”, “Shitbag”, “Mother-Fucker” (Most likely figuratively, but it’s not a zero percent chance of it being literally)Face claim:Brendan Hines Home:New York City / Prime Dimension (It felt prime? Certainly not this one that’s fuckin’ Backwards & Upside Down Town) || Presently - Neo Angeles Powers:Minor Sorcery - Oliver is the son of the Sorcerer Supreme and quite literally grew up in the Sanctum Sanatorium. He was surrounded by magic while growing up and continues to be exposed to it. Because of that, Oliver is capable of casting minor spells, but anything beyond that requires a degree of skill that he doesn’t have, doesn’t wish to develop, or hasn’t made the effort to learn. Invisibility - Oliver’s hooded cloak allows him to turn invisible for as long as he can hold his breath. (2 minutes and 22 seconds) This is magical invisibility which means that this prevents him from being seen by infrared or any manner of technological optics. He can be detected by sonar/radar however should someone be clever enough to try such a thing. This does not make him silent. Footsteps can still be heard if he’s lumbering about like an ox. (He tries to avoid lumbering)Walking on Air - Oliver can do just that because of his boots. It’s not quite flying, but it certainly beats walking. True Sight - Because of the cloak, Oliver can see through all manner of magical, psychic and technological based “illusions”. Enchanted Bullets - If given the time...and if he's actually using his head for once, Oliver can enchant some of the bullets he uses in his pistols to have various unusual effects. Concealment - Oliver has an ancient Babylonian ring made of brass that when worn, he can obscure his face with darkness. When worn it also makes it very difficult for any manner of divination or crying spells to locate him. This also includes “finding him by his thoughts” for any clever psychics out there. It also makes it impossible to Google "Oliver Strange”. Seriously. It’s fucked up but it’s true. Anything that has remotely anything to do with Oliver won’t show up in a Google search because of the ring. He suspects it’s because Google is run by a bunch of evil elder god fucks. It’s possible he’s wrong but…nah…he’s right. Skills:Kung Fu - Oliver knows it! He learned it from Wong and trained for years alongside Qing. He would be considered a black belt...if he had actually tried to complete his training. If demons cared about black belts he would be all set! Pistols - Oliver is getting better at using not just one but both pistols. For the moment; wielding two pistols simultaneously and holding them in menacing ways is still more effective than actually shooting them both at something. Gear:Hooded Cloak - Property of Dormant and the source for most of Ollie’s powers. Of late, Ollie has learned that he can change the color of the cloak simply by concentrating. Since joining the Avengers he usually keeps it as garish shade of yellow. At times, he’s been known to change it to pink in order to impress a group of high school girls… Boots - Property of Dormant and allows Ollie to walk on or run…or skip and Trey la la on the air like you and I would on the ground. They definitely have an arcane and well-worn appearance to them like he stole them from someone cosplayer at a Renaissance Free. Pistols - Oliver “wields” two .45 caliber pistols that he really has no business using. Practice makes perfect however and at times if he’s planning ahead he remembers to enchant them or the bullets he’s intending to use. History: Oliver Strange is the (seemingly) only son of Dr Stephen Strange the Sorcerer Supreme. While the Sorcerer Supreme is indeed...supreme when it comes to sorcery, he leaves a good deal to be desired when it comes to parenting. Oliver never really could compete with the problems of the multiverse let alone the myriad dimensions that his father was responsible for protecting. He'd go weeks or months without any sort of meaningful contact with his father. Wong; ever the devoted servant raised Oliver as best he could. While capable and devoted, Oliver proved to be a significant challenge for the aging Wong. He employed the assistance of the sorceress, Jennifer Kale and his younger cousin, Qing to help watch over Oliver. Oliver and Qing became contemporaries. Friends but also a bit more complex than that. Teammates. Competitors. In time; for a brief moment, even lovers. Opposites in a number of ways, particularly when it came to discipline and focus. In this case; Qing had all of it and Oliver had none of it. She was equal parts frustrated and enamored with Oliver while growing up together. As it turned out, Dr. Strange had made a number of intelligent and seemingly timely investments over the years and had amassed an impressive fortune. This allowed Oliver to live a very easy life; so much so that often, Oliver would go out of his way to make life less easy for himself as well as his three "keepers". In his early twenties; on a weekend where he was feeling particularly bored and particular resentful of his absentee father; Oliver found a particularly well-warded and obfuscated room tucked away in the Sanctum Sanatorium. There, he found an abundance of ancient tomes, occult artifacts and arcane as well as profane objects. Suffice to say; Oliver explored the room thoroughly. Of all the things that he explored and examined, a briefcase (of all things) covered with runes and placed precisely inside some manner of arcane circle was what caught his attention. Within the briefcase he found a seemingly mundane, hooded cloak, boots and a pair of high caliber pistols. It was only a few hours later that Oliver discovered that the items once belonged to the villain known as The Hood; a villain of the era that seemingly Dr. Strange had been able to dispatch. The boots allowed him to walk (or run on air) and the cloak allowed him to become entirely invisible. The pistols? Well...they were not as subtle as he liked but holding both of them at the same time did make him feel like a badass. Oliver had a handful of "adventures" as he grew used to the cloak and the boots when he returned to the Sanctum Sanatorium one evening to find it under assault by a number of demons. As it turned out; removing the items from the warded briefcase and the protective circle had alerted the previous owner and all-around terrible, ancient being; Dormant to their existence. Eager to possess the artifacts once more, Dormant sent some of his very best demons to retrieve them. While unsuccessful at finding the desired items the demons had done an exemplary job of torturing Wong, killing Jennifer Kale and ensuring that Qing was nowhere to be found. Using minor spells as well as the pistols and his new abilities but most importantly, using his intimate knowledge of the Sanctum Sanatorium, Oliver was able to destroy a few of the demons and drive the rest of them away. It was a day after the assault that Wong revealed to him that he was the cause of the assault. More specifically the items he removed from the briefcase were the cause. Oliver did not report Jennifer's death to the police, nor Qing being missing. He really had no idea what to explain to them so after he properly saw to Jennifer's funeral rites, supported by a recovering Wong; the two of them worked together to secure the Sanctum Sanatorium with brand-new wards set to keep Dormant's minions at bay. Oliver is motivated now to stop being so selfish (not so easy to do), find Qing and learn more from her about what happened that night as well as redeem himself for what transpired that night. He uses the boots and cloak (and pistols if necessary) for what he deems to be..."for good”. He can only be out of the Sanctum Sanatorium for a little more than twelve hours before Dormant is able to locate him once more. Oliver has been successful at trading away a few of his father’s artifacts in order to obtain some of his own. A ring made of copper that appears to be enchanted and allows him to obfuscate his location further from Dormant’s crying spells. It’s not entirely effective however and Oliver still finds himself on the run of sorts. It’s getting more and more difficult to leave and return to the Sanctum Sanatorium and while there is a limit to how many demons Dormant can have on this plane at one time; the demons are getting more clever and keen to Oliver’s tricks. Oliver’s tricks ran out one night when he was discovered and altogether surrounded by slavering, yowling, relentless minions of Dormant. Oliver used an artifact that Wong had made clear to him many times to not even look at, let alone touch. Oliver did a good deal more than touch the artifact. In desperation, he activated it. One moment he was, what he suspected to be spit-roasted by two particularly vigorous and vengeful demons and the next…he was clearly in an entirely new dimension. To date; Dormant has not been able to find him…yet. Relationships:Qing – Contemporary, peer…once super-hot girlfriend, now M.I.A. and Oliver is doing everything he can (for Oliver, let’s not go crazy here) to find her. Wong – Wong is the father he never really had. As yet, he’s had no luck finding an analog to Wong in this new world. Dr Stephen Strange - Oliver cannot abide the presence of his father. While his father thinks Oliver is a fuck-up (and he's not wrong), Oliver thinks that his father is a garbage human being and a worse parent. It doesn't help that after 27 years, Oliver still doesn't know who his mother is, and it helps even less that his father refuses to tell him. Some demons here and there – They’re not ALL bad, and he’s fucked a couple. Well…they’re all actually bad, but that can be pretty fun when it comes to sex right? An angel – He fucked one of those too. He’s still not sure if it was a female angel or a male angel. It’s tricky with angels… Personality: Abrasive (but he thinks he’s a tell-it-like-it-is-sort) Confident (some might say cock-sure)Funny (he thinks so) Emotionally unavailable (he and those in his life can agree on this one)Devoted…if you put up with him long enough. Classic under-achiever. (But hungers for approval) Intelligent…(but he’s sure as fuck not going to show you.) Oliver likes being in control and very much dislikes being out of control. Yes. Some might describe his life as a perpetual state of out of control but…well…it’s out of control by HIS doing so…it’s fine. Right? Why does he want to be a hero? Well…he’s most assuredly NOT a hero, but it IS nice to help people and do some good of course! Right? If pressed…is he HAS to be honest then…well… Dormmamu is the worst. Like…seriously. The worst. Maybe being a hero will put him in the company of other heroes and that in turn will make it less likely Dormant will get his giant, shadow hands on Ollie and subject him to an eternity of torment? Also…maybe…maybe once he gets a little more established someone can help him find Qing. Sexuality: Women…but you know…sometimes when you’re in a narcotic induced infernal orgy, things get a bit more…fluid? Notes: Flaws:Mortality: Oliver is a man. A normal, possibly over-confident man. He has no special protection. He’s not super strong or super resilient, and yet he’s super confident enough to think that he won’t wind up super dead. Furthermore, he’s probably super wrong. Hunted by Dormant:Dormant has nothing better to do than hunt Oliver. There are a couple of things stacked against Oliver. First; he’s the son of Dr. Stephen Strange and Dormant hates the fuckin’ guy. This wouldn’t be that big a deal as Dormant has a moderately sized list of mortals that he hates and wants to turn their lives into a living hell. Except there’s the second thing. Oliver has a hooded cloak and a pair of boots that belongs to Dormant, and he wants them back. Dormant has sent a number of demons forth to seek out Oliver and retrieve the magical artifacts as well as Oliver so that he can be delivered to Dormant for an eternity of torture. Which Oliver feels is a total dick-move on Dormant’s part. ExtrasSince arriving “here” in the last year Oliver has done a passable to acceptable job of establishing ties with not just the local black market but also the “occult” black market. If Oliver can’t get you what you’re looking for; chances are he “knows a guy.” (Please note that “guy” might actually mean a woman…or…some genderless being from another dimension that has committed unspeakable atrocities and might have an unfathomable agenda. Oliver can’t be held responsible for the people he knows.) If given access; Oliver can be of use in an antiquities or arcane library. He’s also actually not too bad when it comes to knowledge of a number of ancient occult artifacts that he probably knows how to use and MIGHT help without tearing apart reality and sending everyone to hell. No guarantees though. Oliver is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, Aramaic as well as three demonic dialects, Abyssal, Infernal and Stygian as well as Enchain (angelic)(

By Any Other Name - Freeform Superhero AU - Character Sheets|rating:4.0

Death of a Rogue Trader [IC]

The asteroid of Sullivan's Rest sits apart from the disorderly jumble of Footfall. It is the preserve of the well-bred of the Expanse, such that they are. Travel to and from the asteroid is carefully screened by the had's private security force, to ensure that its guests and residents are not troubled by the lesser denizens of Footfall. For the past year, the Rogue Trader Waldemar von Drama has maintained a suite of rooms at The Old Oak Inn, one of the more modest hotels on the asteroid. Modest being a relative term, of course. He has generously arranged lodgings for you at The Servant's Quarter, the cramped but comfortable dormitory for those servants whose masters wish to keep them out of sight, but close at hand. Whether or not you chose to use them, of course, is your decision. After all, you also have quarters on The Storm breaker, currently being repaired in one of Footfall's shipyards. But you have all been summoned by Lord von Drama for an urgent meeting this morning, and it would be the height of impropriety to make him wait. So you are all ushered in the luxurious conference room of the hotel by the staff. A massive wood table dominates the room, and a well-stocked bar and buffet ensure that you are all provided with refreshments... real fruit, genuine meats, and fresh-baked pastries no less. Uncharacteristically, his lordship is about 20 minutes late, giving you some time to catch up or make small talk with each other.-----Lord Waldemar "Wild Bill" on Drama abruptly enters the room, followed by his new bride, During Morrow-on Drama. He breaks into a broad grin upon seeing Esteban Yoke and shakes his hand vigorously. "Reverend Yoke, glad to see you again," he says. He gives the Path Kane and Petrarch Marathon a crisp salute, and gives Kara and Tiberius respectful nods. He then bids the five of you to sit. The servants quickly pour out seven glasses of the finest Foot fallen champagne before bowing their way out of the room. Once the doors shut, Lord von Drama stands and says, "Before anything, I want to thank you all again for your service to me and my dynasty during these trying times. I assure you that your loyalty will be richly rewarded. Well. A toast to Master Tiberius, by the way, the repair of The Stormbreakercannot have been an easy task. I wish we had time for a shakedown cruise for her, but something's come up. Last night, we received an osteopathic distress call from my brother-in-law's ship. He was out at the edges of the Heathen Stars when his crew mutinied. He reports they destroyed the ship's Cellar field generator, leaving them stranded. We have not been able to re-establish contact with them, and so we are heading out to rescue him as soon as the ship is ready. During, how long will that be?"" We are almost done loading supplies and fuel. The new navigator has also just arrived. Should be ready in 12 hours, unless the Lagos or the Master have any objections," says During." There you have it. We leave in twelve hours. Just enough time for you to do some last-minute shopping or meeting with your contacts here. I hope this voyage will be fairly straight-forward; once we have rescued Jiangxi, I want us to begin planning to restore our fortunes in the expanse. While I have a few ideas, I would also like to hear your thoughts on what endeavors we might accomplish in the expanse. Vast wealth awaits those with the will to take it, let us not be found wanting." Tiberius acknowledges the gesture of good faith, and nods. His red cloak hides most of his features, leaving nothing but his head to be seen. Where Tiberius legs should have been writhed as if instead of two legs, it was one wriggling tangle of filth (which it was). This seems like a good way to test the full capabilities of our newly repaired vessel. Putting insubordinate into line through a conjoined effort. Path sits at a table, dressed in a spotless Naval uniform and resting slightly on a metal cane, deep knotted scars covering the left side of his face. He was quieter in this sort of setting then he'd used to be, but still focused on events around him and offered a faint nod in agreement. "Do we have what we need to restore their Geller field, or will they be sharing ours? I'll see to it with our tech priest if a system needs establishing to tow them home." While waiting for the Lord to arrive, Kara gazes around her, remembering to turn her head as she does. It wasn't strictly necessary for her to do so, but she found that most people preferred her to act as if she still saw with her eyes, and she was happy to oblige. Taking in the others who had been called forth, Kara found it strange that the navigator has been left out, unless he intended to show up with the new warrant bearer or was already plotting their course.-----Kara nods politely back at Lord Drunken, but otherwise makes no movements while she listens to his briefing. As the situation became apparent, Kara decides the best place for her is on the ship, attempting to re-establish contact if at all possible." Do we have any projected numbers on how much of his crew is still loyal?" Yoke smiles back at Waldemar, their time together in the Guard coming back as if it were yesterday. "Aye, likewise, my old friend. I thought I would go mad sitting idle on that world. I look forward to voyaging across the stars in the Emperor's name again." Looking around at the other members of the crew, he makes the sign of the Aquila to them. "And I expect to see you all at prayer tonight. The Warp is not kind to the faithless. Without the light of the Emperor, even the greatest of men can... change." He smiles again, but with no mirth this time." Was there any mentioned reason behind the mutiny? Are they... tainted?" If Tiberius still had eyebrows, they would furrow at Yoke's comments. Tetrarchreturned the salute. His lanky, black-armored frame stands to the left hand of the Lord-Captain. He accepts the stem of champagne and drinks it in one, placing the glass back upon the servitor's tray. He has at least left his white-skilled black helmet clipped to his belt, although as is his habit - ingrained from his earliest days amongst the deadly razor-stones of his home world - he seems ready for war at a moment's notice, all his weapons present and correct, even if they are variously sheathed, holstered, or slung at the moment. His eyes flick from person to person as they speak. He's been on this ship for longer than most of them, except perhaps the Lord-Captain, but over even the short years of the newest member of the bridge crew's arrival, they've bonded as a unit and Petrarch cleaves to that bond. He waits for the answers to the questions the Confessor and the Osteopath Transcendent put forward, nodding as he recognizes the concerns they represent. Then, quietly, he adds, "Our new Navigator. Will they be joining us here in the bridge crew? What do we know of them and their House?" "Yes, exactly," says Lord von Drama, happily. "Building bonds through shared struggle. Men that fight beside each other will soon learn to trust each other."" One of my father's ships is currently in refit. It would be joining us, if the warp drive weren't disassembled in a thousand pieces at the moment. As we speak, the Cellar field device is being pulled from it and loaded onto The Storm breaker. That should cover any eventuality," says During. She turns to Kara and says, "Out past Footfall, the void-scum are loyal to their skins and their bellies. Once a mutiny starts, it spreads like wildfire. How many were cowed into loyalty, or who realized the futility of mutiny? We know very little about the situation. They were on the outskirts of the Heathen Stars, and you would know more about that than I would. As to what caused the mutiny?" she shrugs. "I don't know. I will be having very sharp words with my brother's Seneca. Right before I throw him out the airlock."" The new navigator? House Cassini. I met him when he came aboard. Seems like a nice enough lad, this will be his first assignment as lead Navigator. A bit reclusive. Our dynasty is somewhat out of favor with the Navigator houses, so let's treat him with kid gloves, eh?" says Lord von Drama." My father is lending us a company of his personal guard. They will help us put down the mutiny or die trying," adds During. "That reminds me, though. Hon, you need to raise a company of troops personally loyal to you. Not your family, not the ship, only you. If your friends here haven't started raising one yet, I suggest they begin as quickly as they can."" Always something new to do," sighs Lord von Drunken. "No time for that now. If you have no more questions, you are dismissed. Take care of any remaining business you have in Footfall, make any inquiries you want. From this day forth, the five of you will act in my name. An insult to you is an insult to me. A favor to you is a favor to me. We will reconvene aboard the ship in 12 hours." Spoiler: Kara Hide Midnight's Lair is drifting amongst the Heathen stars, blocking osteopathic communications. When Tarquin von Drama lead the fleet against it, you were left behind, for whatever reason. If you had gone, you would probably know a lot more about the phenomenon, but you would also probably be dead. A bit of a tradeoff. But what you do know is that the closer you are to it, the harder it is to "hear" osteopathic communication. It's like trying to hold a conversation next to a running combine. Petrarch nods gravely. "You honor us, Lord-Captain. I swear on my blades your faith is not ill-placed." It's an old oath, weighted under the shroud of history. Petrarch closes his eyes for a moment, bows his head, and makes the sign of the Aquila over his chest to seal the vow." House Cassini," Petrarch mentally files the information away. "I'll be... polite." Thatdoesn't quite ring true." With your leave, Captain, we should confer." He glances to the others, "If we are heading to a conflict, we should make sure we are prepared. Ammunition, weapons - arms for the crew..." When the conference is done, he stalks after the others and toward the grim lights of Footfall proper. Kara nods at the mention of the Heathen stars, but remains silent for the rest of the meeting. House Cassini? I'll have to see if I can figure out anything before I meet this new navigator. When the meeting finishes, Kara nods to the Lord Captain, and leaves to investigate both house Cassini and the new navigator personally, before heading to her chamber to mediate. Spoiler Hide Sorry, lost the original post, computers been acting up. The dice rolls are in the OC thread, but I'm pretty certain I failed both my roll for the house and for the specific navigator. I have everything prepared. Is there any way I can assist towards the reconfiguration to the ship?asks Tiberius, not really hiding the fact that he wants nothing to do with prayer towards the emperor if anyone wants to sense his motives. Spoiler: IOC Hide Decided against using a font: too much of a hassle It is fairly straightforward for Marathon to catch a taxi-craft from Sullivan's Rest to Footfall proper. Once there, it is a short walk to the cramped bazaar where the weapon-merchants congregate. It takes some time to find a seller with a stock of ammunition for his weapon, but ultimately he finds a small supply of hollow-point "dumdum" bullets and the heavy man stoppers. The seller has a variety of the expanders, but alas, none that fit the precise caliber of his sniper rifle. By the realizes this, however, it is time to catch a shuttle tithe Storm breaker, lest he miss the deadline.--Kara starts trying to find some of her contacts to inquire about House Cassini, but most of them aren't available to chat on short notice. She ends up gossiping with a few socialites, but she doesn't really learn anything useful or accurate. "House Cassini? Aren't they the ones who threw that lovely ball last Founder's day?" After a while, she hails one of the taxi-craft to take her tithe Storm breaker, where she attempts to meditate. Unfortunately, it is somewhat spoiled by the Tech-Priest re-wiring some of the arcane lights in the choir chambers, a process that involves several servo skulls, power tools, and a lot of chanting. "Sorry miss, Lagos Penalty'll have my head if I don't get this done by the time we break orbit. Was just over in the navigator's quarters, fixing some stuff. Gotta weird stuff there, you have ever seen them? The navigator? Didn't say much. Just asked me to keep it down. Keep it down! The Messiah's sacred tasks demand adulation! Rejoicing! For are we not carried through the void by the sacred machine spirits? Keep it down. I say. Still, seemed like a nice enough lad. He and that little slip of an apprentice. Hey, you remember the old ship? The Dragon's Claw? Boy. I sure miss it. I mean, no offense to the machine spirits, but I really liked having some elbow room. You got a nice place here, eh?" the Tech-Priest says. He would have gone on for an hour, had not the ship's Vox interrupted. "All senior officers to the Captain's shuttle pad, the Lord Captain is arriving soon."--Tiberius leaves the hotel in a hurry. The original schedule was that the ship would have another week! The Sacred rite of Awakening the Plasma drives takes at least 48 hours to perform. Still, the Lord Capital had given his order, and so Tiberius is soon running around the Enginarium, trying to set everything right, putting out fires (literally in the case of the unsecured power conduit in section K19) and checking and rechecking the ship's systems. By the time he hears the announcement that the Lord Captain is arriving, most of the lights on the control panel are flashing green for ready. Well, except for the control panel that was broken, but those systems are also probably ready. With Kara unable to find anything about the navigator or his house, she heads uneasily into the choir chamber. When she finds someone in there already, she is happy for the distraction. She spends the next hour listening to him and agreeing about praise to God needing to be done properly, before the call for senior staff interrupts her. She hastily apologizes to the young man as she rushes out the door, quickly heading to greet the Lord Commander. Originally Posted by Django It is fairly straightforward for Marathon to catch a taxi-craft from Sullivan's Rest to Footfall proper. Once there, it is a short walk to the cramped bazaar where the weapon-merchants congregate. It takes some time to find a seller with a stock of ammunition for his weapon, but ultimately he finds a small supply of hollow-point "dumdum" bullets and the heavy man stoppers. The seller has a variety of the expanders, but alas, none that fit the precise caliber of his sniper rifle. By the realizes this, however, it is time to catch a shuttle to the Storm breaker, lest he miss the deadline. Petrarch is bad at haggling, he realizes. He paid far over the odds for these bullets. It was nothing in the sea of coin that the Dynasty's holding included, of course, but he rued that if he still had plenty to learn about wealth if he hoped to have as much of it as he dreamed. He curses the lack of time to put in place an agent to find the Lord-Captain's old command; that really would have to wait. Originally Posted by Django The Vox sounds, "All senior officers to the Captain's shuttle pad, the Lord Captain is arriving soon." Petrarch marches at double speed to the Captain's pad. It would be best if he were there early, so he could case the area for threats. Luckily, his lanky frame and agile footing allowed him to make better progress through the ship than most, and he knew the way well. At least the engine isn't on fire...grumbles Tiberius as he makes his way to the bridge. At the sound of the Vox, Yoke rises stiffly to his feet, his prayers to the Emperor falling from his lips. Knowing the company he is keeping, he understands that it would not be good or seemly for him to be late, especially as he is representing the Imperial Creed on this vessel. Grunting softly as his weary joints ache at the sudden movement, he begins to walk along the corridor towards the shuttle pad, his chain sword propping up his movement as he goes. Eight hours earlier:Yoke leaves the hotel and catches a shuttle to the market of Footfall. There he finds a friendly bookseller, and spends a pleasant time discussing theology before purchasing a brand-new copy of Monte's Orthodoxy and a slightly used copy of the Book of Saint Lucius. The bookseller regales him of his years spreading the word of the Emperor out in the untamed wilds, and Yoke listens politely. Eventually, the bookseller shows Yoke one of his old heirlooms, a Light-Bringer torch from a lost planet in the Expanse. Saying that it would be a shame if the relic wasn't being used to spread the Emperor's divine word, the bookseller eventually agrees to part with the item for a fairly reasonable price. Yoke and the old man part as friends, and Yoke heads back to his quarters on the ship to ponder the Emperor's blessings. Upon hearing the Vox announcement that the Lord Captain is returning to the vessel, the senior officers head to the Captain's personal shuttle bay. Located on the front of the ship's castle, the bay doors are currently open to the void. The officers assemble in the control room of the shuttle bay, patiently awaiting the captain's arrival. Out the doors, they can see the ship stretching out in front of them; the great dome of the ship's observatory, the powerful macro cannon turrets, and of course, the great statue of Saint Elmo, the void-far's guide, that anchors the ship's Cellar field. In one of the ready rooms, servants prepare a red carpet to roll out, while the ship's band prepares their instruments. In the control room, a few officers monitor their consoles. The flight officer is on the Vox, guiding the captain's yacht in. "Course bearing One Five Seven. Prepare for deceleration maneuvers. Excellent handling, Milord." Anyone looking down the hangar can see a small light approaching the ship. The yacht flares brightly for a moment. "Sir, please begin firing the retro-thrusters. Sir, you're coming in too fast! Abort, Abort, Abort!" the officer begins shouting. Everyone can see the yacht heading towards the shuttle bay, just a little off-course, and approaching far too quickly. A proximity alarm begins blaring. "Brace for impact!" someone shouts, and the yacht crashes into the ship's castle. But the void ship is far too massive to be affected by the impact and in the void of space, there is no sound. Nothing to indicate the enormity of what just happened... The flight officer is shouting into the Vox. "My lord, can you hear me? Captain? Respond, please!" the proximity alarm is still going, and you can see the servants outside looking around, shocked. Several of them slip off into the ship, and you can all practically see the bad news beginning to spread. Ten men will be flayed for this outrage, and I don't care which ten they are! Growls Tiberius as he starts towards the ship hoping to find out what happened. Petrarch's gut feels like an ice-cold stone has just been dropped into it. The shock is still on his face as he leaps to his feet, quicker than the others, his voice harsh, "Rescue teams deploy! Void-suits! Bring me my void-suit!" Electrified, he stares at Path, "Path! Let's go!" Spoiler: IOC Hide So I can't pilot or command or do social, so I need to ask friendly void-masters to help! Hopefully Path, and whomever else feels the need, would like to be part of a rescue detail "By the Emperor" Yoke utters, making the sign of the Aquila upon his chest. "No... this cannot be. Lord Cap - Waldemar! My friend!" he calls out, breaking into a run, despite what his body is telling him. "Serf! Bring me my void suit!" he bellows as he runs, desperate to find out what has happened, and exact bloody retribution on those responsible. Kara stares in horror but for a moment before she turns and leaves, grabbing a voids man as she leaves the room." Bring my void suit to the launch bay and sound the alarm. We may have intruders." Spoiler: Astrophil On Drama Hide Above the Hive World Thracian Primaries, The Iron Hawk rests, the ship and its crew recovering from another hard-fought battle against the Irish menace. The captain of the ship had called Astrophil On Drama to his office. "Don't salute," he said, as soon as she entered. "Please, sit down. I have some unpleasant news for you. An osteopathic message, sent at great expense, has just reached Fleet Command. Approximately two hours ago, your uncle was killed in some sort of accident. Out at Footfall. Since you were listed as his next-of-kin, this means that you have just inherited the On Drama Warrant of Trade. Which means that you outrank everyone on this ship. Effective immediately, you have been honorably discharged from the Imperial Navy. My Lady. As luck would have it, the fast courier ship Hermes' Arrow is in system. It has been reassigned to take you to Footfall. It is the fastest ship in the Sector, maybe even the entire Segmentum." The Captain stands up. "I don't know whether to bow or to shake your hand, Lady von Drama. Whichever, it has been an honor to have you aboard the ship." With that, Astrophil is quickly escorted to a waiting shuttle. The shuttle accelerates recklessly towards the waiting sloop, before executing a power glide into a landing bay. Even before the bay doors close, the klaxons warning of an imminent warp jump begin to blare... and then the warp. -- As the highest ranking guest aboard the ship, Astrophil found herself seated at the Captain's right hand. "I am Captain Emmett Black," he says. "Welcome to Hermes' Arrow, Lady. We will get you to Footfall as fast as we can. This ship is... a one of a kind." Next to her, a short man with a soldier's bearing sits. He salutes Astrophil crisply, before examining her closely. And somewhat rudely. "Lady von Drama. You have your grandfather's face," he finally says. "I hope you have his skills as well, the Empire needs more men like him. And women." Spoiler Hide Willpower roll for the warp jump and some sort of social roll for dinner. If you want to talk to these guys. Spoiler Hide I can but try, never expected to be here but I know what my way around a command. Tell me what of you and your connection to the family and bring me up to speed on what it is doing. Path's eyes glint in fury and horror, the Void Master moving to his feet as adrenaline courses, and he forgets his cane and limp as a threat rears itself." I'll get to the gun cutter, prep for rescue if needed!" That said, he starts off, making a pace for the hanger bay where his personal craft sits. To possibly lose the Lord Captain now. Petrarch leads the charge of the others rushing to the void. As they reach the landing bay, they are met by a gaggle of crewmen clasping the bundles of equipment needed. There's a frantic couple of minutes as everyone dons their void-suits - Petrarch too rushing through the litanies of supplication to the machine-spirit as he dons his ancient jump-pack, the crew helping him to clasp it firmly to the strapping of his suit - and then Path is in the pilot seat, and they are ready to go, the engines already warming as the bridge crew pile into the gun cutter. The craft blasts out of the landing bay and nears the area across which the debris is spread. Petrarch clamps his void suit helmet on and tests the Vox, "+Vox test, Vox test confirming. The Emperor blesses this machinery.+"As everyone disembarking is ready, they enter the airlock and Petrarch punches the cycle. They drift out into space, and once clear Petrarch activates his jump-pack and darts toward some promising-looking wreckage... Spoiler: IOC Hide Pilot (personal) Test rather than Agility Test, though it doesn't make much difference: (1d100)[90] versus 68 Awareness or Perception Test (makes no difference): (1d100)[76] versus 34 The Nissan blesses this machinery Says Cyprus as he lets the lower end of his cloak billow forth revealing a long stretch of what appears to be a centipede's torso where legs should have been. He then crawls his way out of the shuttle, making his way to the debris. Spoiler: IOC Hide Probably not going to work, but I'm looking to get under a 24 on acrobatics (agility): (1d100)[55] As Kara dons her void suit, she realizes that she should have been quicker to check her surroundings for the taint of chaos spawn. She briefly grasps symbol at her neck and feels the warp run through her as she takes a look around her. Feeling nothing with her 'sense', Kara resumes putting on the suit with the aid of some of the crew. After a few moments, she has all the clasps in place, and responds to the Vox test with a simple"Vox test in"Once outside, Kara looks around, hoping to find either the Lord-Captain, or the black box of the ship, so that answers may be found and those responsible brought to burning justice quickly. Spoiler: IOC Hide Roll for putting the suit on (1d100)[41] vs 33 (AGI + 10) Roll for Omniscience to check for demons (1d100)[94] vs 46 (per +10) (Using her focus) Roll for Perception for flight recorded box (1d100)[46] vs 36 Throwing caution to the wind, Yoke rushes out of the airlock, his heart pounding as his body reacts adversely to the strain it is being put under. "Was-" he calls out, before checking himself, realizing how foolish it is. Nevertheless, he casts his eyes around wildly, desperate to find anything that could be linked back to the cause of this horrific tragedy. On board The Storm breaker, the five explorers don their void suits and pile into the gun cutter. Path quickly maneuvers the craft to where the wreckage of the luxury yacht is drifting away, it's once clean lines ruined and warped. With the practiced ease of the void born, Path hurls himself into space, paying no heed to the dangers of the void. As a seasoned pilot, he heads for the underside compartment where the flight recorder is stored. Securing that, he drifts back from the wreck to take it in. Yoke follows close behind, and floats near Path. Spoiler: Path camp; Yoke Hide Path and Yoke are veterans both, and have seen the detritus of dozens of battlefields. Looking at the wreckage, they come to the sudden conclusion that the yacht was rent by some explosion before impact. Then Yoke sees the crumpled-in cockpit of the vessel. He knows nobody could have survived that... Spoiler: Yoke Hide Willpower check! Gain one insanity point if you fail Spoiler: Kara Hide Kara opens her etheric senses, looking to sense the unseen. But she is suddenly assailed by the intense feelings of anger, shock and grief boiling from her companions. She closes her astral eyes before she can be overcome. Kara and Tiberius wrestle with their bulky void suits. Unaccustomed to void-work, they struggle with the unfamiliar controls and zero-g. The debris field is rapidly expanding away from the wreck. Still, enough time to do a search for anything else, if they choose. On the other hand, though, Petrarch is used to the power and ease with which the jump-pack operates in a gravity well. Without Hawking's laws of gravity embracing him he miscalculates with his jump-pack badly, overshooting the wreck. Once he regains control, he circles the wreckage a few times. It takes some time, and he doesn't detect anything unusual. TheStormbreakeris maybe 30 kicks away from Footfall. The lights of the great web of asteroids flash in the distance. A few other massive void ships drift in the void, but great lengths of space away. Petrarch is alone in the void. Spoiler: Astrophil von Drama Hide Word of Astrophil's heroics has clearly reached this ship; Captain Black proposes a toast to her, and the assembled diners give a cheer. The man sitting next to her also raises his glass before draining it. "I am Darius von Was," he says. "I only had the honor of meeting old Tarquin once. Several years ago, my, ah, well. I was on a scouting party, searching for some old Reno ruins. Tarquin was gracious enough to let us charter his ship. We were attacked by Reno readers, both on the planet and in space. We feared that Tarquin would abandon us, after all, we had imposed on him somewhat. But he fought off the xenon and rescued us from the planet. I know that the navy often asked Tarquin for help as well, and he was usually happy to oblige, even if it meant an unprofitable venture. Out in the expanse, well, a Rogue Trader has wide latitude to act as they see fit. We couldn't compel him to help us, but he did." Darius lowers his voice and leans in. "I was travelling to Footfall to give a gift to Waldemar von Drama. For his wedding. I never met him before, but I had heard good things about him. You, I know less about, but you seem trustworthy enough. And besides, it may be of some benefit to you. Not here, though. I will bring it to your quarters tomorrow morning." "If you are done whispering," interrupts Captain Black, "would you be so kind as to regale us with the story of your heroic raid? I think all the officers here would enjoy hearing about another great victory of the Navy. And perhaps the grunt here would learn a little about how the Navy fights." Hands clutched around the recorder, Kath exhales, the quiet aftermath of grief and worry settling INS he drifts back towards the cutter, using handholds on the wrecked yacht to guide his movements before launching himself into the void to reach his own craft. As he does, distraction fades, and he winces as his leg stiffens, hitting the 'cutter's hold roughly and taking a tight grip to try and steady himself." Ugh." After a few sharp breaths he tags his Vox, clamping down on the pain in his voice.++There was an explosion before the impact. Internal or external, I don't. Recorder to hand.++ The sight of the shattered cockpit is too much for Yoke to bear, and he roars in grief, railing against the fates that had seen him reunited with his friend, and then had him so cruelly torn away. He activates his chain sword, and brings it smashing down on the hull of the ship in rage and utter helplessness. Originally Posted by Django Petrarch is used to the power and ease with which the jump-pack operates in a gravity well. Without Hawking's laws of gravity embracing him he miscalculates with his jump-pack badly, overshooting the wreck. Once he regains control, he circles the wreckage a few times. It takes some time, and he doesn't detect anything unusual. The Storm breaker is maybe 30 kicks away from Footfall. The lights of the great web of asteroids flash in the distance. A few other massive void ships drift in the void, but great lengths of space away. Petrarch is alone in the void. Silently inside his helmet, Petrarch curses up a storm. He forces it back down and jets back in toward the wreck site. He hails the team on the Vox, "+Nothing on the perimeter or nearby. Damn it!+" Originally Posted by Retinas ++There was an explosion before the impact. Internal or external, I don't. Recorder to hand.++ The Vox crackles as Petrarch responds, "+They - he's not out here, is he? We need to get the cockpit and passenger berths pulled in by the crew.+"The next is barely more than a hiss. "+Someone did this. Someone did this, and they will pay for it dearly.+" Tiberius is silent. His implants may have dulled his emotions, yet he still felt sorrow for his rescuer. Kara sees the priest howl in rage, and approaches. While the chain sword is active she stays out of reach, but she sends a telepathic message to him from a few feet away, hoping to keep the words between the two of them." I am sorry for your loss. You seemed to know the Lord-Captain much better than I did. But now is the time for vengeance, not grief. We must find all those responsible and burn them to cinders first." Spoiler Hide (1d100)[94] vs 79 for short range telepathy. Edit: forgot I didn't need to roll for fettered strength. A voice crackles on over the Vox network. "This is flight command. Do you copy? Uh, is everything alright out there? We're picking up some, uh static over the network. We're scanning now, and the area is clear, nothing on the net. Do you need assistance? Are there any survivors? We are preparing to launch a recovery team. They will be inbound in 10 minutes. We have technicians reviewing the sensor logs and will report once you return. Over." Petrarch, the lanky and slightly unhinged Arch-Militant, votes back to the crew. His voice is strained by grief."+Petrarch. Scan again, damn you, +" he hisses."+And tell that crew if they're here infiveminutes, they get a month's bonus. If they're not - I'll see each of them personally.+" The emphasis on the last is unmistakable - it won't be an encounter anyone would enjoy. If word gets out that the Rogue Trader is dead. Kath slaps his won Vox, taking an action that's both risky, but to his mind, needed.+This situation is not to be discussed outside anyone currently in flight control. If anyone does, I'll see you flogged.+ After Tiberius's moment of silence, he says on the Vox:+I believe we should organize a meeting of the bridge crew. Whoever perpetrated this horrific act is most likely long away, and we do nothing by searching this rubble. I am heading back+ Yoke hisses into the Vox: "+I will find whoever did this, and they... they willallburn for this.+" Originally Posted by Moreover Yoke hisses into the Vox: "+I will find whoever did this, and they... they will all burn for this.+" +Now is the time for reason. We must have a cohesive plan before we boldly charge forward towards our deaths. Revenge will come, but at the moment we can do nothing but strategize.+says Tiberius as he makes his way back into the airlock. "Scanning again, sir. Reviewing the tapes," says the flight officer. "We'll keep a lid on things. But... the news is spreading across the ship. Won't be able to keep this under wraps for too long." Seven minutes and forty-three seconds after Petrarch's ultimatum, a cargo lighter vectors in towards the wreckage. The Vox channel has been mostly silent. A sullen voice breaks in. "Had to load the salvage equipment, commander. And the airlock weren't cycling properly. We'll get his lordship aboard the ship, never fear, so he's can be buried all proper-like." Void-suited figures spill out of the lighter and begin attacking thick cables to the wrecked yacht. "Salvage operations'll take a bit. Got to get everything stowed away." The voice of the flight officer breaks in again. "Scanned the tapes again, sir. Nothing on any spectrum. No energy signatures or projectiles spotted near the ship. Whatever happened, happened aboard the yacht." Petrarch only snarls in reply to the tardy crew - then sets about working, hard, alongside the men. He assists with the salvage as best he can, pushing the limits of his endurance. He doesn't return until the job is done - and he's seen for himself every part of the destroyed vessel. Kara watches as the crew begins the salvage operation, knowing that her own talents lie elsewhere. She keeps an eye on Yoke, mostly to make sure he listens to reason, but otherwise keeps a keen eye out from a distance. Spoiler: Path camp; Tiberius Hide Path and Tiberius climb back into the gun-cutter and install the flight recorder into the vessel's cogitator bank. They spend the next half hour reviewing the data. The yacht's voyage lasted about 15 minutes, from when it left the hangar at Sullivan's Rest. For the most part, there were no anomalous readings; although Waldemar hadn't bothered with the traditional pre-flight checklist that comes as second nature to the experienced Navy pilot. Nor had he and During been wearing void-suits connected to emergency life-support systems, as Naval regulations would have mandated. But what civilian would bother on such a short flight? However, once he tried to fire the ship's retro-thrusters, the vessel registered a sudden explosion, loss of flight control, and a quick decompression followed by the crash into the Storm breaker's hull. Listening to the cockpit recorder, Waldemar and During had spent much of the ride in silence. Then Waldemar had said, "Well, that meeting could have gone better." "They're bankers, hon, they want you to feel off-balance," replied During. "We have the ship now, they can wait for their first repayment. Besides, my father will reward you once we rescue Jiangxi." "I don't want to charge your father... our father for rescuing his son. My new brother." "A favor for a family member, nothing more. Hey! Both hands on the stick. Focus on landing this thing." The flight officer's voice crackles over the comm. "Course bearing One Five Seven. Prepare for deceleration maneuvers. Excellent handling, Milord." The control for the retro-thrusters engages, but they don't fire. Instead, the sudden bang of an explosion rocks the yacht, followed by the shriek of decompression. "****!" someone says, before the sudden crash. The flight recording stops. Spoiler: Kara Hide Meanwhile, Kara floats quietly, watching the crew work. Coming to terms with what just happened, perhaps. Or merely contemplating the void. After about twenty minutes she feels a voice in her head. Lt;what just happened, sister?Sgt; She recognises the mental signature of Talley Bonaventure, one of the more coherent and nosy osteopaths that dwell in the Pit of Voices, the poor substitute for an osteopathic choir that resides on Footfall. Out in the void, Petrarch helps the work-crew attach thick cables to the shattered yacht. The work is strenuous, but Petrarch is used to hard work. Once his body gets used to the strange sensations of zero-g, he barely notices the effort. After almost an hour, the yacht is attached to the recovery lighter and most of the larger pieces of debris are collected from where they had drifted away. One of the floating voids men beckons Petrarch over. Together they examine the crumpled leading edge of the vessel. Although it is badly damaged, they can also see the fissures and rents in the cabin. The warped metal is bent outwards, as if the deadly force had come from within. Kara silently curses at the timing of the message, knowing the rest of the bridge crew are still trying to keep things underwraps but not wanting to leave the message long enough to raise suspicion. Kara decides on a short answer that leaves the choir waiting on her response at a later time would be best, and reaches across the void to respond to the question from Talley. There has been an unknown technical glitch with some of our thrusters. I will appraise Footfall of the situation if we require assistance, but I will allow our Engineers to make that call.>. Without hesitation, Kara taps her Vox while still sending the telepathic response,"Bridge crew switch to private channels." Kara waits for the others to respond and switch channels, tapping her own apparatus as she does." Footfall is asking for a status report. I've told then we had an unknown glitch and that I'll wait for the Engineers report before I send them a formal update, but it means some amount of information is already beyond our control. The sooner we get back in touch, the better." Each looks to Tiberius after they've gone through the flight recording, his lined face bleak. "What could have made the machine spirit turn on him? We should look at the thrusters, find the reason there." An accident, or deliberate sabotage? He frowns before voting Kara back. ++Gossip will always spread. Perhaps an alternative event should be 'leaked'?++ Petrarch works, then returns to the vessel and strips out of his void-suit to reconvene with the others. He's still visibly seething with anger, a raw, barely-directed hatred that threatens to boil over, it seems. "The explosion came from inside," he announces to the group in private, "The hull is all bent out from within." He hisses in frustration, "The Dynasty is under attack, and we do not even know who the assailants are!" His rage tamps down, becomes harder, more sharply-edged as he voices his realization. "We are without a Captain. We have no writ or warrant to remain in the void." His furious gaze sweeps through the room like a lance-beam, "We are without purpose." Originally Posted by Mr Adventurer Petrarch works, then returns to the vessel and strips out of his void-suit to reconvene with the others. He's still visibly seething with anger, a raw, barely-directed hatred that threatens to boil over, it seems. "The explosion came from inside," he announces to the group in private, "The hull is all bent out from within." He hisses in frustration, "The Dynasty is under attack, and we do not even know who the assailants are!" His rage tamps down, becomes harder, more sharply-edged as he voices his realization. "We are without a Captain. We have no writ or warrant to remain in the void." His furious gaze sweeps through the room like a lance-beam, "We are without purpose." After a moment of thought, Tiberius responds:That is not true. The On Drunken family is not all lost. There remains one living member to my knowledge: Astrophil. She is our captain now. After this, Tiberius starts to commune with the tech spirits around him, wondering if they have any idea what might have happened. Spoiler: IOC Hide Tech Use?: (1d100)[53] under 57 Originally Posted by Retinas Each looks to Tiberius after they've gone through the flight recording, his lined face bleak. "What could have made the machine spirit turn on him? We should look at the thrusters, find the reason there." An accident, or deliberate sabotage? He frowns before voting Kara back. ++Gossip will always spread. Perhaps an alternative event should be 'leaked'?++ A good idea. Please excuse me, I am trying to speak to the ones here. After I am done communing, I will check the thrusters. Organize the flight deck into a secure location, and find Astra. If these assassins are after the On Drunken's as a whole, then she is not safe. Says Tiberius. Originally Posted by Celtic bear After a moment of thought, Tiberius responds: That is not true. The On Drunken family is not all lost. There remains one living member to my knowledge: Astrophil. She is our captain now. Petrarch hisses, "You are not the one invested with the power of accession, Tiberius. The Warrantmaygrant what you say, but until Astrophil takes command here, it is assay." Just as quickly as the retort comes, the aggression fades away, his expression mellowing as though he has already forgotten the disagreement. He tilts his head to the side, as though thoughtful, "But she should find the ship in the best order, and the proper respects paid to honor her loss," he coos." The explosion came from inside the ship - we should turn all efforts to that event," he suggests." I must see to the Lord-Captain..." he trails off, and makes his way back toward the bay where the wreckage - and bodies - are being brought in. Spoiler: Kara Hide Lt;An technical glitch, you say? Must have been something, to have someone pay a handsome sum to send a high-priority message to Port Wander. And to do it through us on-station... not that I'm unhappy for the business... well, if you need anything else, we are more than happy to oblige...Sgt; the message fades from your astral senses. The osteopaths of the Pit of Voices has an unsavory reputation in general, and this is certainly not polite behavior for an osteopath to fish for information like this. Spoiler: Tiberius Hide The flight recorder really only has data recorded from the yacht's instruments. By comparing the exact microsecond each system shuts down, he determines that the explosion was triggered by the firing of the starboard retro-thruster and then spread from there. But although the fuel is volatile, it shouldn't be explosive. At least, not in the vacuum of space. The machine spirits of the yacht itself are weak and dying. Tiberius manages to download some of their data and quickly scans it. There is nothing obvious from the yacht's sensors. No proximity alarms and no mechanical malfunctions were detected. Spoiler: Petrarch Hide Aboard the salvage lighter, the crew chief shakes his head. "Damn shame, sir, damn shame. He is a good man... not to worry, we'll get him out of there and take to the ship's morgue. They'll get him sorted. I don't suppose her ladyship's family will want to have her back? Ain't right, they should be buried together." The Vox channel hisses on again. This time, the voice of the ship's second officer Kami Setaroja chimes in. "Commanders. Lord Waldemar's last orders were to have the five of you speak with his name; from a technical and legal standpoint, the five of you are entrusted with the well-being and safety of the ship and the dynasty's assets in the expanse, at least until a new heir takes up the Warrant. What are your orders? Should we stand down the ship?" "The succession is above us all." Kach responds as things grow heated." We learn what we can of this attack, and prepare for the new Warrant Holder. Exploratory, I'll handle the flight deck in the meantime. And this attack came from sabotage, the attackers aren't with us, but there could be other explosives in place." He made his way to the deck, his voice snapping out sharply." I want a full damage report! And an inventory of everything recovered from the wreck! Nothing is to leave this area until it's been verified by me!" The explosion came from the retro thrusters, though this is almost impossible. The fuel is volatile, but it won't detonate without deliberate tampering. If there were any doubts of sabotage, they should now be erased. Says Tiberius. Originally Posted by Django Aboard the salvage lighter, the crew chief shakes his head. "Damn shame, sir, damn shame. He is a good man... not to worry, we'll get him out of there and take to the ship's morgue. They'll get him sorted. I don't suppose her ladyship's family will want to have her back? Ain't right, they should be buried together." "His Lordship will be laid in state alongside the newest addition to the Dynasty, his wife. I am Arch-Militant and will stand honor guard over the bodies, from retrieval to morgue to laying-out," Petrarch replies - but he's gazing out of the lighter's window and his voice is flat, as though he's distracted with trying to see the Captain's spirit, out between the stars. Originally Posted by Django The Vox channel hisses on again. This time, the voice of the ship's second officer Kami Setaroja chimes in. "Commanders. Lord Waldemar's last orders were to have the five of you speak with his name; from a technical and legal standpoint, the five of you are entrusted with the well-being and safety of the ship and the dynasty's assets in the expanse, at least until a new heir takes up the Warrant. What are your orders? Should we stand down the ship?" Petrarch snaps back into furious focus, "+NEGATIVE. The ship lives so long as does the Dynasty. It is to the Lord-Captain's honor we now turn ourselves+"His Vox crackles again as he opens the channel anew to add, seemingly as an afterthought, "+Those who do not do so will be hunted, and slain, and their blood fed to the hull-fasts.+" Originally Posted by Retinas "The succession is above us all." Each responds as things grow heated. "We learn what we can of this attack, and prepare for the new Warrant Holder." "+It is as the Emperor wills it, +" Petrarch agrees over the Vox, his voice emotionless again. Originally Posted by Celtic bear The explosion came from the retro thrusters, though this is almost impossible. The fuel is volatile, but it won't detonate without deliberate tampering. If there were any doubts of sabotage, they should now be erased. Says Tiberius. "+There are no doubts, as there are none of vengeance, +" Petrarch sings over the Vox. The gun cutter and the recovery lighter land in the shuttle-bay. True to Path's orders, the ship's guards have blocked off the entrance... although you do see a man in blue and silver carapace armor arguing with the flight officer. As soon as the doors seal shut and atmosphere is restored, the man storms out to confront the group. He wears the heraldry of House Morrow, and he does not look happy. "I am Captain Zhang. What in the nine bloody lampshells is going on here? Where is During? Who's in command here?" he says. The flight officer discretely votes over the comms as well. "We are back-tracing the yacht's movements. He took it on a few pleasure-jaunts, but as far as I know, it's mostly been moored at a hangar at Sullivan's Rest. We're inspecting the cargo lighters on board the ship for sabotage, we will let you know if we find anything." Spoiler Hide I'd rather not go into detail on it. My troops were the real heroes of it all, I just removed the head of the fungal monstrosity and suffered grievous wounds for doing so. Spoiler: Astrophil von Drama Hide The Captain chuckles a little at that. "Very modest of you, my Lady." "And very discrete..." adds Darius von Was. The conversation turns to other things. After dinner, everyone heads to their staterooms to rest. The next morning, Astrophil heads to the officer's mess for breakfast. As she sits and digests the spartan fare, Darius enters and heads over to her table. "My Lady," he bows. "Your uncle had asked for help with the space-hulk Midnight's Lair. I believe he desired vengeance on whom... or what lives there, given that they killed his father and destroyed your dynasty's fleet in the expanse. Unfortunately, the Emperor's will is not always clear to us. I don't know if you want to take up his quest or not, but here." He hands you a data slate. "This is a summary of what is known about Midnight's Lair. It isn't much. I suspect it to be far more dangerous than anyone knows... so be very careful around it. If you do learn more about it, I would be very grateful if you would share that with me. I intend to take up residence at The Old Oak Inn on Footfall, please feel free to call on me whenever." Astrophil has the rest of the day to herself; it would be a rare luxury for a young officer of the Navy. But now she has no masters, no duties. If she takes the time to peruse the data slate, she finds a great deal of information. --- Later that day, Captain Black visits you. "I'm told we will be at Footfall in two hours. Strange, isn't it? Two days of observed time, and yet my navigator tells me that less than two hours have passed in real space. I wouldn't mention this, but Navy regulations require me to inform you that this ship and its capabilities are extremely classified. The usual cover story is that the warp currents are fickle, but that you were blessed by the Emperor with an unnaturally short voyage. I was told that your dynasty has a ship, The Storm breaker, where your uncle had his accident; we will teleport you there once we reach Footfall space." Spoiler: Midnight's Lair Data slate Hide The first file is simply a some data from a Mechanics probe of some sort, dated 713. M41. The main part of the hulk is noted to be an ovoid asteroid about 300 km at the longest, and about 200 km wide. Around it stretching out about 30 or 40 km is an accretion disk of debris of unknown origin. The probe did not approach very closely, but it did register several faint signals coming from Imperial Navy transponders. The second file is a report by Barça Winter scale from 735. M41. He reported that he entered the outer reaches of the hulk, searching for the source of a distress call from a lost freighter. He reported that "hostile witches attempted to block our progress. With pure faith and honest bolter fire, we drove them off with heavy casualties on both sides. We broke off pursuit when my osteopath reported they were conducting some unholy ritual. We managed to escape before the hulk was drawn back into the warp, although I had to leave my dead and wounded behind. May the Emperor have mercy on their souls." The third file is about 20 terabytes of sensor recording from an unnamed ship. It is dated 789. M41. A quick perusal shows a ramshackle Irish fleet trying to assault the space hulk; whoever resides there appears to have restored functionality to a number of weapon systems from the ships of the space hulk. Several Irish craft flee burning from the battle, while several more crashes into the hulk, badly damaged. This would normally count as a victory for the works, as they might be able to take the hulk through close combat, but there isn't any information on the fate of the Irish raiders in the file. The fourth file is dated 104.814 M41. The vid starts with someone panning around a deserted settlement. It appears that everything portable was stripped away. Then the camera turns around, and you see Tarquin von Drama's face. He says, "Just like the last two colonies. Everything gone. Two hundred thousand colonists and a billion thrones worth of equipment. No signs of a struggle, no mass graves, no debris. Just like everything was packed up and they left." Behind him, a lean warrior in black armor approaches. His helm has a crude white skull painted on it. He reports that the area is secure, and there are no signs of survivors. Tarquin nods grimly at that, turning back to face the camera. "Something needs to be done, or we'll lose the whole Heathen Stars. I'll get my fleet together. Call in a few favors. Tell that rollover Madeira Few I need to borrow his nova cannon. We'll blast the hulk apart and scour the wreckage." The last file is a message that states, "I have never felt anything like this in a hundred years. When we approach the area, it sounds like the buzzing of a thousand insects. Annoying, but not debilitating. The closer we get, though, the louder it is, until it is impossible to send out a message, or receive one. Like standing next to a firing cannon that never stops. I have consulted with the other osteopaths of the fleet, and none of them have experienced such a thing before, either. It has taken our combined effort to boost this signal enough to send this message out to you. Tomorrow we make our next jump towards Midnight's Lair. I won't be able to keep you informed after this, but if we destroy the hulk once we reach it, I will contact you as soon as I can. Marissa of the Long Lakes, Chief Osteopath to the on Drama dynasty. Originally Posted by Django The gun cutter and the recovery lighter land in the shuttle-bay. True to Path's orders, the ship's guards have blocked off the entrance... although you do see a man in blue and silver carapace armor arguing with the flight officer. As soon as the doors seal shut and atmosphere is restored, the man storms out to confront the group. He wears the heraldry of House Morrow, and he does not look happy. "I am Captain Zhang. What in the nine bloody lampshells is going on here? Where is During? Who's in command here?" he says. The flight officer discretely votes over the comms as well. "We are back-tracing the yacht's movements. He took it on a few pleasure-jaunts, but as far as I know, it's mostly been moored at a hangar at Sullivan's Rest. We're inspecting the cargo lighters on board the ship for sabotage, we will let you know if we find anything." Glancing left and right at his compatriots before stepping forward, Tetra ch intercepts the fuming Captain Zhang." Stay your tongue!" he growls through clenched teeth, "Lest you forget your place in the eyes of the Emperor. Youdareinterrupt this most holy of work, as we lay our lost in state?" He steps up close to Captain Zhang - too close, his breath tickling the man-s eye-lashes as he stares unflinching into Zhang's face, "You are in no position to make demands, Captain. Step back, or be in breach of the command of the House von Drama." He tilts his head to one side, as if calculating. "You shame yourself with your behavior, Captain. You shame House Morrow. But what I will not forgive is if you continue, and shame the name of on Drama." Without breaking with the man's gaze, he steps back gracefully, gesturing broadly to the wreckage and explaining in a voice suddenly sing-song, "The Lord-Captain is dead. His beloved is dead. The Warrant remains. We speak in his name." Tiberius remains silent, but his grip tightens around the power axe held in both hands. Yoke resists the urge to trigger his chain sword, muttering litanies to the Emperor under his breath instead. Captain Zhang stops short as Petrarch steps in front of him. And then steps back, involuntarily, as Petrarch berates him. When Petrarch indicates the wrecked yacht, he gasps. He looks at Yoke and Tiberius, looking back at him with cold eyes. He backs up a few more paces. As long as nobody reaches for or moves a weapon, he calms down slightly, turns stiffly on a heel and walks out of the shuttle-bay. Spoiler: Astrophil von Drama Hide Once the alarm sounds indicating entry into real space, the Captain says, "Well, if you have any last goodbyes, say them now. We will be in range to teleport you in moments. Although we could simply teleport you to wherever on your ship, I suppose it would be polite for you to hail them first." He indicates a nearby console. "Send them a message if you wish, and then we can teleport you over." Spoiler Hide Speaking with Darius: I will take the investigation of the Midnight lair with caution and keep you apprised of anything we uncover. Thank you for your service to my family to this point. Speaking with the Captain: No worries captain I am still Navy at heart and for all I know the warp is a mystery best left unexplained lest you look to closely at the wrong thing. Many thanks for this expedient transfer to my new life. I shall retire to the Teleport chamber To Ship: Storm breaker, Prepare to receive incoming Teleport. I am Astrophil On Drama, Heiress to the On Drama Warrant. Tiberius goes around the ship, collecting a detailed report on the ship's engines and other such tech that Astrophil will no doubt ask for. Originally Posted by Django Captain Zhang stops short as Petrarch steps in front of him. And then steps back, involuntarily, as Petrarch berates him. When Petrarch indicates the wrecked yacht, he gasps. He looks at Yoke and Tiberius, looking back at him with cold eyes. He backs up a few more paces. As long as nobody reaches for or moves a weapon, he calms down slightly, turns stiffly on a heel and walks out of the shuttle-bay. Zhang may want to leave, but Petrarch isn't ready for that to happen. Zhang might be the heavier man, and his armor might be thicker and shinier, but Petrarch is the quicker, and bars the troop-captain's way."No, no no, Captain Zhang. This bay was ordered locked down, and so you will now stay here with us until we can decide what happens next. The baywasordered barred, and as we have only just spoken about, everyone here isverysure that you do not wish to countermand the orders of the Bridge." He tilts his head to one side quizzically - it's a disturbing look on a man Petrarch's size, black-armored as he is - and asks innocently, "Or perhaps I misunderstand what you want out of life?" Kara watches the encounter, while pondering who, if anyone, on Footfall she could trust to look into the repair team. She snickers under her breath as Zhang is put in his place by her crew, before deciding to head towards the exit herself so she can check on her own choir. Captain Zhang is once again stopped by Petrarch. "So you speak for the Warrant now," he says. Without taking his eyes of Petrarch, he finds a quiet corner, where he waits, back to the wall, watching. Petrarch then takes up his vigil in front of the wrecked yacht. The work crews give him a wide berth as they begin very carefully cutting away at the ruined craft. Body bags are laid out on stretchers, waiting for their grim cargo. Jath is busy supervising the work crews and inspecting the yacht's wreckage. Crewmen occasionally bring him pieces to inspect. Path has seen countless vessels destroyed by war, accident, and misadventure, but everything he sees here leads him to believe this is sabotage. A pipe burst from within. The bulkheads warped outwards. Now, he's no demolitions expert, and so he can't tell where and what or how it was done, but the conclusion seems inescapable. The yacht had been given to Waldemar von Drama and During Morrow by Lord Morrow on their wedding. Waldemar had often enthused to Path about its handling qualities, the ease of flight, and ample luxuries. Lord Waldemar had been using it in his travels around Footfall. Mostly it had been berthed at the hangars of Sullivan's Rest, where his lordship had been staying while the ship was being refitted. This shuttle bay is the castle-bay, reserved for the Lord Captain & the high officers' use. The cargo and work bays that handle stores, cargo, and transport for the crew are scattered across the ship. Tiberius begins to receive reports from his work crews as they are inspecting the other lighters and vessels for signs of tampering; the crews find the usual signs of sloppy maintenance and hurried work, but nothing fatal. Path's gun cutter, on the other hand, is perfectly squared away according to Mechanics and Navy regulations; the logs are all complete, purity seals are placed on all the main access panels. The only things missing are the pre-flight and post-flight checklists from this last flight, and their absence can be excused under Navy Regulation 403.12.4.5(b): Exceptions to normal time limits on completing flight checklists (emergency launches). Tiberius personally examines the engines of the wrecked yacht. The vessel is certainly salvageable, it would take some time and effort, but the luxury ship could once again be fit for purpose again. Other than the damage caused by the impact, the engines of the vessel are still functional. Spoiler: Yoke Hide Yoke heads to the main chapel to conduct his rituals. As the head priest on the ship, planning the funeral will be his responsibility, but that will be a task for later. As he heads past the high altar, beneath the Aquila itself, he sees a small shrine. A picture of a young woman, scowling at the Pict-recorder, dressed in an immaculate navy uniform. Beside the picture are the three traditional votive offerings of the voids man; a candle to light their way, a knife to defend them, and a small Aquila to protect their soul. Waldemar had asked Yoke to set it up a few days ago, and to include his niece in his prayers; she was serving in a campaign on a distant war-front, and had apparently been badly wounded. Spoiler: Kara Hide In the osteopathic chamber, Kara contemplates the nature of her order's tasks. Out in the void, it is the sacred duty of an osteopath to sense messages from far-out vessels and relay them onward. Ideally, a small scout vessel like this would have at least two osteopaths, while the Dragon's Claw, the ancient flagship of the on Drama dynasty, usually had at least eight stationed on it. Of course, in the expanse, things are never as they should be, and with the loss of so many osteopaths and navigators at the disaster of Midnight's Lair, the on Drama dynasty is somewhat short-staffed. At the moment, She is the only osteopath serving. The osteopaths in the Footfall choir have an unsavory reputation, but if Kara wants a helper, for now, that would be the best place to look. Speaking of which, someone from the ship apparently ordered an osteopathic message to be sent out through that choir, rather than through her, which would be the traditional method. About twenty minutes pass, when the ship's second officer Kami Setaroja urgently votes everyone once again. "I can't believe it, but we're getting this message from an incoming Navy vessel. Here, let me play it for you." The message comes into your personal comm units, "Storm breaker, Prepare to receive incoming Teleport. I am Astrophil On Drama, Heiress to the On Drama Warrant."" How should I respond? Where should we have this claimant teleport to?" asks Setaroja. After much deliberation, Yoke speaks up, his harsh voice breaking the silence." Assemble the arms men, and have her teleport into the shuttle bay. If she is truly the heiress, we should test her mettle, and see what she makes of the wreck." Spoiler: Astrophil Hide "We're receiving co-ordinates on your ship. They are assembling a team to meet you. Best of luck," says the Captain. Astrophil is ushered to the teleported. A few priests and tech-magi anoint you with some sacred unguents, wave some incense around you. There is a lot of chanting, both in binary and High Gothic. A priest whispers, "If something offers you immortality while you are teleporting, turn it down, for the emperor's sake!" And with that, a hole is suddenly torn in reality, and Astrophil is sucked into the warp. In the shuttle-bay of The Storm breaker, a hole suddenly opens up in reality. For a brief moment anyone staring at it sees a small room in another Imperial ship. With a sudden crack, reality re-asserts itself, and Astrophil von Drama is standing in the shuttle-bay. About twenty ships arms men are lining the shuttle-bay, as is the sullen Captain Zhang of the Morrow house guards. Anyone watching sees him gawking in transfixed surprise, before a hard look comes onto his face. Petrarch is standing to rigid attention next to the collected debris of the wrecked shuttle and the white-draped remains. It's not a perfect Imperial Guard pose - he was never formally trained after all - but in his black, white-skull daubed armor his tall form is somewhat imposing nonetheless. As Astrophil steps through the teleport-breach, he salutes sharply, then makes the sign of the Aquila, head bowed." Lady Astrophil," he rasps solemnly, "Welcome tithe Storm breaker." I am Petrarch Marathon, arch-militant. My life is sworn to the Dynasty on Drama and its fortunes - and so, now, I am sworn to you." He keeps his head bowed. He doesn't presume to make introductions on behalf of the rest of the group. Lady Astrophil, I am Tiberius, engine seer prime. In my hands is a full technology report of everything which has transpired. If you wish to contact me about the particulars, you need only ask. Says Tiberius as he slithers forward. Yoke walked up to her and brusquely made the sign of the Aquila, a sign that was obfuscated by the chain sword still in his hand." Aestaban Yoke, Ship's Confessor, Lady. For all of our sakes, I hope you are half the Rogue Trader your uncle was." Kara hastily makes the sign of the Aquila as she introduces herself." Lady Astrophil, I am Kara, Osteopath of The Storm breaker." Kara ends with a deep bow, which she holds until the Lady begins to speak. I greet you all, Storm breaker Command. I will have a detailed session with each of you regarding your area of expertise once we are more settled and That mess behind me is out of the ship. A slight pause." You wish the remains of the Lord-Captain, his wife of House Morrow, and their transport vessel disposed of without ceremony, Lord-Captain?" Petrarch growls. Oh, You may return the Lady Morrow's earthly remains to her people and my Uncle will receive an Honored Burial. However by the look of it there is little of value left in this wreck and I would expect you have done your analysis of it and come to your conclusions. You may pursue your leads on whatever has happened to cause this terrible event. I however have a great deal to catch up on and some leads to look into that do not pertain to this Waves vaguely around series of events. Your wishes are our work, as you well know. Says Tiberius as he looks around to each of the bridge crew. I believe it will take time, however, for everyone to become accustomed to your position as Lord-Captain. Perhaps giving the previous Lord-Captain a burial would boost the morale of the crew. This is but a humble suggestion. Tiberius is pissed that Astrophil is against giving her father a burial, but he is better at hiding his emotions than others.((Crossed out bit was never said. Didn't read close enough)) Originally Posted by Leon Oh, You may return the Lady Morrow's earthly remains to her people and my Uncle will receive an Honored Burial. However by the look of it there is little of value left in this wreck and I would expect you have done your analysis of it and come to your conclusions. You may pursue your leads on whatever has happened to cause this terrible event. I however have a great deal to catch up on and some leads to look into that do not pertain to these Waves vaguely around series of events. Petrarch grins. He has always been a man of action, and it seems as though the new Lord-Captain is the same. It's still stretched across his face as he rights himself from his bow. "Your word is my command, Lord-Captain," he grates." Explorator Tiberius and Void-master Kane have reported," he agrees, "And I await the opportunity to serve with my talents." Black-armored and armed, it's clear his own skills aren't those of the social or analytical kind. At the mention of Lady Morrow's remains, Captain Zhang pushes forward from his spot. "Let me send a dozen of my men as an honor guard. We will ensure her remains are taken back to the family." A long pause. "My Lady. Also, we would know, what are your intentions? Your predecessor had agreed to help rescue his brother-in-law, Lady Morrow's own brother. 500 house guards and much valuable equipment have been loaded on your ship to that end. Although this needs taking care of, I would know your intentions towards that mission, so that Lord Morrow can make other arrangements if necessary. But he would be extremely disappointed if he needed to, if you get me." A few of the other senior officers have also trickled in. Second Officer Setaroja salutes, in a poor imitation of a Navy salute. "Ma'am. We are ready to leave at any time, the damage to the ship is minimal. A few scratches at most. The navigator is aboard and claims to be ready as well. As far as leads go, I know that Lord Morrow and Lady During had been working on such things, perhaps they have some information in their papers in their quarters. Your quarters now." An extremely old man limps forward. He is the dynasty's lawyer-on-retainer, William Padding, Esq. "My lady, I am so glad to see you safe. I had not expected to see you so soon after I sent the message to the Navy... thank the emperor you have returned safely. By the terms of the Warrant, you are the heir-apparent, although there are a few minor legal hoops to jump through. First, the late Waldemar von Drama must be declared dead by a competent court; we can send a message to Port Wander to have that happen. It would certainly help our case if the cause of the accident were determined... and any justice for it dispensed, with extreme prejudice, to tie up loose ends. Second, under the terms of your Warrant, the heir must be certified to have served loyally and honorably in the Navy by Sector, or even Segmentum command. Unlike your uncle, this should be fairly easy as well. But finally, although it is rare, other members of the dynasty who meet that criteria may call for a challenge to your inheritance, triggering a vote by the Family. Although this has not happened for many generations, I do know that several distant, yet influential cousins have been grumbling about the losses sustained by the dynasty here in the Porous expanse. They have been arguing to cut our losses and focus our efforts elsewhere. Although this has been limited to mere grumbling so far, I would certainly be careful about dealing with the other branches of the family." "Captain Zhang, I will have the information forwarded to me and review it. I don't know this "Lord Morrow" or even care that he would be disappointed for not doing something he had in arrangement with my Uncle. " Turning to the Second Officer "Thank-you I will review it along with all everything once I retired to the rooms"Facing the Lawyer she bows slightly "I had not expected to be here so soon He guides our ships well. Issue a request for a Hearing, I have my Discharge papers on me if you would like to make a copy for the records. As for family, well we'll keep our distance and deal with them if they come" Petrarch watches the new Lord-Captain retreat to quarters. It made sense for her to want to take stock, he supposed, but still, he felt strangely dislocated, detached from what should be happening next. Onlookers can see him shake his head violently, like a can-beast with a mouthful of prey, and set himself resolutely once more. He stalks over to Yoke. "Confessor," he growls, "The Lord-Captain wishes her predecessor laid to rest with full honor. Will you make the arrangements? I can corral the crew to your bidding as is necessary." His eyes widen, and he leans in close - uncomfortably so - and whispers, "The Lord-Captain's soul resides with the Emperor, and we report without pause to the Lord-Captain. Are you as overjoyed to be filled with such divine purpose as I am, Esteban?" he stares into the older man's eyes expectantly. Spoiler: IOC Hide Leon, thanks for editing in the speech marks buddy! An hour passes as the crews carefully remove the bodies from the shattered lander. Once the bodies are removed and placed in bags, Captain Zhang swaggers up and orders a few crewmen to help carry During Morrow-on Drama's body back to where the Morrow house guards are stationed. Meanwhile, a junior priest directs a few men to help carry Waldemar von Drama's body over to the main cathedral. Traditionally, scions of the on Drama dynasty are interred in the cathedral of their ship; the loss of the dynasty's flagship The Dragon's Claw has meant that generations of on Drama's resting-places have been lost to the void. Spoiler: Astrophil Hide Astrophil von Drama is escorted to her new quarters. On this cramped ship, the Lord-Captain only has a small seven-room suite for accommodation. Both Waldemar and During have offices there, filled with personal belongings, papers, mementos, and such-like. Mounted on the wall of Waldemar's office is a best-quality mono-sword that has the inscription on one side of the blade, "This wound was brought to you by..." and on the other side of the blade, "the grateful officers of the 5th Army". He also has papers scattered over his desk, mostly bills and ledgers, although there are a few letters from various family members criticizing some of his recent decisions. A number of very large statements come from something called "The Phoenix Consortium". During's office is more organized, there is a large book that appears to have personnel files on most of the senior officers, including copies of naval records. Also, there is an exceptionally fine pair of matched daggers, a bolt pistol, and a best-quality armored body-glove tailored to fit a petite woman. Finally, in the large walk-in closet, there is a featureless box, about 6x3x3 in size. Attached to it is a security-locked data slate. Spoiler: Yoke Hide A few crewmen bring in the body of Waldemar von Drama. Traditionally, he would be interred in a crèche beneath the floor of the chapel; there are a number of graves there already from the ship's prior owners. In addition, the funeral should be held within 48 hours of the death, although that is more of a custom than a law. You have a number of apprentice priests who can handle the details of that, leaving you free to seek vengeance. His lordship's yacht had left from the luxury asteroid of Sullivan's Rest. Spoiler: Petrarch Hide Captain Zhang seems to have recovered from his fear of you, and with apparent permission from Lady von Drama, he takes During's body out. Waldemar's body is brought to the chapel in preparation for the funeral. It will take some time to prepare the ceremony, you could watch in silence if you chose, but the priests can handle the matter for now. Lady von Drama has left you without orders for the moment... Spoiler: Kara Hide Kara is alone in the osteopathic choir chambers. Traditionally, a scout vessel like this might carry a second osteopath, but the dynasty hasn't had the time or inclination to hire one at the moment. There might be a few back at Footfall, but the new Lord-Captain hasn't given any orders about when the ship is to be heading out... if it is at all. Spoiler: Path Hide With the Lord Captain back on board, the normal chain of command has resumed; there is no more confusion as to where authority stems from. True, your position as a naval attaché to the dynasty was approved by Lord Waldemar, and not the newest scion, but it would be extremely suspect for her to remove you... so your duty as an officer to serve remains. However, the Navy Office here at Footfall might be interested in a report as to what has befallen the on Drama dynasty. Spoiler: Tiberius Hide The ship's quartermaster, an extremely old woman who has served on this vessel for at least 50 years, if not more, approaches you. With a basket of fruit in hand. A number of her grandchildren survived the vessel's dark voyage, and she credits you for their safety. She shakes her head as she gives you the gift, fresh picked from the ship's arboretum. "Strange days, Master Tiberius. What is the ship coming to? And the new heir, coming out of nowhere like that. It is your ship as much as anyone's, remember that. I can do some digging for you back at Footfall if you want, to see what really happened. That is where the answers will be, I tell you what." Originally Posted by Django An hour passes as the crews carefully remove the bodies from the shattered lander. Once the bodies are removed and placed in bags, Captain Zhang swaggers up and orders a few crewmen to help carry During Morrow-on Drama's body back to where the Morrow house guards are stationed. Meanwhile, a junior priest directs a few men to help carry Waldemar von Drama's body over to the main cathedral. Traditionally, scions of the on Drama dynasty are interred in the cathedral of their ship; the loss of the dynasty's flagship The Dragon's Claw has meant that generations of on Drama's resting-places have been lost to the void. True to his word, Petrarch oversees the operation with the appropriate amount of solemnity. Where it seems as though a crew man is about to slip, or make a mistake, or act incautiously - Petrarch is suddenly there, breathing their air, clasping their wrist in a steely grip, and staring into their eyes as though through to their stained souls; until the corrective action is taken. It's... not an easy experience. Originally Posted by Django Captain Zhang seems to have recovered from his fear of you, and with apparent permission from Lady von Drama, he takes During's body out. Waldemar's body is brought to the chapel in preparation for the funeral. It will take some time to prepare the ceremony, you could watch in silence if you chose, but the priests can handle the matter for now. Lady von Drama has Captain without orders for the moment... Petrarch observes Zhang with a stilled fervor that would make most men deeply uncomfortable by its intensity. But, if Zhang has the nod of the Lord-Captain, then all that remains for Petrarch is to focus his dislike for the man into a razor-sharp edge. This, he does silently, and with gusto, his mind always roiling without betraying itself in the way he holds his lanky form. If Kara comes nearby, she surely notices the knot in his mind. True to his word, Petrarch sets himself to watching and overseeing the departed Lord-Captain's funerary rites, that they are conducted with the utmost respect. This earns him many a wary or irritated glance from the shipboard priesthood, but several of them know him from services - and know his moods, not to mention his rank - and he is not ejected. Spoiler: IOC Hide Watch over the Lord-Captain! Presuming Petrarch is Chief Bosun, he grants +5 to Crew Rating while aboard. This is what I'm trying to reflect - in his own unhinged way - in my posts. Spoiler: Astrophil Hide Astrophil von Drama is escorted to her new quarters. On this cramped ship, the Lord-Captain only has a small seven-room suite for accommodation. Both Waldemar and During have offices there, filled with personal belongings, papers, mementos, and such-like. Mounted on the wall of Waldemar's office is a best-quality mono-sword that has the inscription on one side of the blade, "This wound was brought to you by..." and on the other side of the blade, "the grateful officers of the 5th Army". He also has papers scattered over his desk, mostly bills and ledgers, although there are a few letters from various family members criticizing some of his recent decisions. A number of very large statements come from something called "The Phoenix Consortium". During's office is more organized, there is a large book that appears to have personnel files on most of the senior officers, including copies of naval records. Also, there is an exceptionally fine pair of matched daggers, a bolt pistol, and a best-quality armored body-glove tailored to fit a petite woman. Finally, in the large walk-in closet, there is a featureless box, about 6x3x3 in size. Attached to it is a security-locked data slate. Astrophil will take the time to gather all the paper work from both offices and work though it, the mementos and such will collect up and placed in a secure box for storage. William Padding, Esq is summoned and questioned about what the Phoenix Consortium is and what was paid/owed to them if he knows. The extra space will take time to get used to us until now Astrophil has never really had or needed a large amount of personal space so will just keep the packed up things of the former occupants in one of the rooms. She will ask for Tiberius to attend her. Tiberius responds to the call almost immediately, bows when he enters the room, and asks:You summoned me, Lord-Captain? "Yes, I have several tasks for you. One is to turn one of these rooms into an Armory/Maintenance room, I prefer to do as much of my own as possible." Leading the Techmagos into the closet where the armored box is. "Cracking this with its contents intact is the other thing I require, I have been reading the documents left behind in these rooms but haven't seen anything yet that mentions a code of access. I can only guess at what it contains but if I'm to get this dynasty back on track I shall require all knowledge of what came before me. Finally, I would like to see if you could adapt this armor" gesturing to the body glove found in the rooms "to fit me or if not possible at least salvage enough to be useful for another set, much as I prefer my battledress a lighter defensive option would be valuable to have" Your wishes are law to me, Lord-Captain, however each one will take time. Is there any particular order you wish these tasks to be carried out, or shall I?asks Tiberius. Your Judgement on order The locked box weighs about 600 pounds or so. It takes 4 crewmen to heft it onto a small lifter, and they drive down the ship, to bring it to Tiberius's labs. While servants begin crating up the late Lord & Lady's personal belongings, William Padding brings a few ledgers to show Astrophil. "Unfortunately, much of the dynasty's assets in the expanse were destroyed by your grandfather's ill-fated attack on Midnight's lair. Two prosperous colonies had been destroyed by the hulk, and a third abandoned. Six fine ships lost, and your dynasty's stock and reputation suffered. While this fine vessel was being repaired, your Grandfather took out a substantial line of credit with the Phoenix Consortium to finance the repairs, and your Uncle was forced to extend the line of credit several times to afford this refit. Ah, unfortunately the rest of your relations in the Ceilings and Scars sectors were unwilling to subsidize the dynasty's affairs in the Porous Expanse any further. As you can see, we have allowed a lien to be placed on both The Stormbreakeritself and any revenues derived from its activities. While the terms are not excessively onerous yet, the escalation option here, and the foreclosure clause here do give the Consortium some leverage. As I understand, your Uncle had been meeting with the Consortium back on Footfall before his, ah, accident..." Going over During's paperwork doesn't find any clues as to the code for the locked box, although you do find an unusual data-chip tucked away in a drawer. It seems... no. It couldn't be nanotech. There's a cog on it, and prayer-seal etched on part of it. It is of a make that you've never seen before, however. During's records on the crew are quite extensive, you have a fair amount of background on the ship's senior officers. There is one list that is titled "potential trouble-makers... watch" that has a few dozen names of junior officers and skilled crewmen on it. And another list that simply says "space". It has three names on it. Spoiler Hide Once the heavy box is brought into Tiberius's labs, he studies the contraption very thoroughly. Which is good, because he almost immediately notices a small antenna tucked away beneath. A quick Faraday cage later, and the box is isolated. That done, Tiberius turns his attention to the data slate. It is locked by a fairly standard two-factor authentication system. Very difficult to crack. However, the data slate running the program was an extremely expensive luxury model that had a crippling security flaw. It takes an hour or so to remember how to get yourself administrative access to the data slate, and then unlock it. The box opens. Inside is... well, you're not sure what. A smaller object, oval-shaped. Smooth, it seems almost translucent... but you can't make out what's inside. There are no obvious controls or displays on the object. It is clearly not of human manufacture. In addition to the strange object, you do find a very clearly human-made transponder, connected to the data slate and the antennae, which you easily disable. "I will take all advisement you have given on this consortium and I would guess my Uncles dealings with them now pass regrettably to me. Astrathiel will take at length with William and then take the time to make notes of the lists in the ledger to find out who the "marked crew" are and make her own judgements. Later will go visit the Lab and see the progress found this chip in the mess of belongings, maybe it goes with the box The strange data chip plugs into the data slate. There is a brief pop-up. "Downloading data" it says.=][= Classification level Delta Interrogator: These four individuals are known to be at large in the Porous Expanse. Remove them. Gomous AOL, the renegade Admiral. Last known location: Defeated in battle by the Navy with Rogue trader support, he and his ship, Claw of Handled deeper into the expanse. If past behavior is any guide, he will be rebuilding his pirate fleet to strike again at the Empire. Biographic information and biometric information is attached. Darius Morgan, oenophile: This noble became dangerously obsessed with the forbidden, and has been funding countless expeditions into the expanse. He was last seen visiting his expedition on W-13721. Biographic information and biometric information attached. Navigational charts appended. Theresa Manafuego, the false Osteopath: The sorceress has disguised herself as an osteopath and led countless ships to their doom. She was spotted in Footfall shortly before the warp storms sealed off the expanse. Her trail may be cold, but she will strike again. Biographic information attached. Franklin Pain, freethinking radical: He has made pacts with the ruinous powers and has corrupted numerous worlds. We almost had him back on Audra II, but he escaped. If you find him, I trust you will put an end to him. Emperor guide you.=][= "Uh, well that is a thing that I never expected to see here. While it is not our mission to expunge these criminals, I believe it would be a service to the expanse if we stopped them. That and someone will most likely pay for their deaths. Offers Tiberius. "Yes, While i won't make it a major task the option to do these missions if the chance occurs will be a service to the good of all. One has to hope that no pointed questions are asked afterward as to why we knew of whom to put down"Thinking for a moment "If this is all that is in the box I would ask of you to keep secure and under Mechanics seal until any such time as it is required again. I will keep a log of the details minus the Sigil and related text." Originally Posted by Leon "Yes, While i won't make it a major task the option to do these missions if the chance occurs will be a service to the good of all. One has to hope that no pointed questions are asked afterward as to why we knew of whom to put down" Thinking for a moment "If this is all that is in the box I would ask of you to keep secure and under Mechanics seal until any such time as it is required again. I will keep a log of the details minus the Sigil and related text." As you command. Replies Tiberius. Spoiler: IOC Hide Tech Use roll to make a good lock box: (1d100)[69] EDIT: Well now we know the forums are dirty. Tiberius quickly works to secure the strange devices. It's probably secure enough. No time to double-check it though, the late Waldemar's funeral is about to start. The service is appropriately dignified, and the crew treats it with the solemnity it deserves, perhaps out of respect for their barely-known captain, or perhaps out of respect for the time off from their labors. After the service, three messages are waiting for the command crew. The first is a short message from the quartermaster; Captain Zhang and the Morrow house guards have left their quarters, and taken their Cellar field with them. Although the crew will be glad to see their backs, and reclaim the space set aside for them, their quarters are in a frightful state and will need some cleaning. The second message is from an Alan Silver geld, Vice President of Accounts Management at the Phoenix Consortium. "So sorry to hear of Lord Waldemar's passing. He had been in such good spirits when he left our offices earlier. A tragedy for all, I fear. Please visit me at your earliest convenience so that I may discuss the terms of the latest forbearance with you; we had reached a mutually agreeable accord with your predecessor, and I see no reason we cannot do the same." The third message is from an unknown source, a simple data file. When played, there are three masked figures standing before an unknown emblem. One of them says, "Today we have struck a blow against the Imperial plunders that infest our home. Waldemar von Drama is guilty of crimes against Porous and justice against him has been served. Know this, Imperial lapdogs, the Sons of Porous are everywhere, and will strike swiftly and suddenly against all the so-called rogue traders that seek to plunder our birthright. Porous will rise with the new dawn." Back on the Bridge and reviewing the messages"Hmm, well that kind of behavior makes me care even less for house morrow and its interests""Accountants... well there are some inherited problems to deal with that you can't just kick off a ship, I will make a note of this and arrange a time that is convention, may-hap when I go to see the Navy offices""Well that's a lead on the circumstances of my Uncles death, find all you can about these so-called "sons of porous" and we will add them to this target list" Both Commander Setaroja and Mr. Padding volunteer to send agents to investigate the new video. A few hours later, the Commander grimly reports that her men were unsuccessful. After she leaves, Mr. Padding wryly comments, "Never send a midshipman to do a man's work, I suppose. A few of the more... reliable old hands started asking around. Nobody had heard of this group before today, a lot of speculation about who they are, but all of it unreliable. The video was released in the Footfall network, and someone thought to send it to us about half an hour after it surfaced. One thing they did hear was that Old Morrow hit the roof and has vowed to wipe out these 'Sons of Porous' in vengeance. Gives him something else to do than worry about us and his son, I suppose. Ah, and one other thing. You haven't spent much time in the expanse, I reckon. A lot of the old Porous hands view 'Porous' as something of a spirit to be appeased or warded off. Mostly harmless superstition, but that this group is trying to appeal to that is troubling... and for them to suddenly come public with this. Was your uncle their target, or merely a target of opportunity?" Mr. Padding shrugs. "Anyway, the Phoenix Consortium is more than happy to meet you at the time and place of your choosing; their offices, the ship, neutral ground on Footfall. Let me know and I will set it up. The Navy doesn't really have a presence in Footfall itself, the Sector commander has more than once said that this place should be pushed into the star and a new station built from the ground up as a loyal Imperial settlement... can't say as I disagree per se, although that seems like a lot of effort when a few vortex torpedoes would work just as well. Sector command is mostly at Fleet Base Métis these days, although there is a command post for Naval intelligence here that may be worth speaking to at some point." "Set up a Meeting with Consortium. Maybe a bar near the Naval Come Post to make things easier" After a few hours, Astrophil receives a message from Mr. Padding, a meeting has been set up in three hours, with Mr. Silver geld, at the Wandering Galleon, an upscale restaurant on the main asteroid of Footfall. Afterward, you have an appointment with a Captain Bière de Silva Rodriguez-Talevoz, the naval liaison assigned to Footfall. His office is a few decks away from the restaurant, near some of the more well-kept docking facilities of Footfall. "Who would you like to bring to the meeting, Lady?"

Death of a Rogue Trader [IC]|rating:4.0

[Pathfinder RPG - Dragonlance_ Dawn of the Gods] OOC thread

At present, the "small group" consists of Lorraine and really no one else. I'm willing to take on further players that are interested; as such, I'm starting this game in the "small groups" section. Post a reply here or send me a PM for more details. I will edit and add to this post in the future to establish character creation methods and the "story so far" for people who would like to join. Lorraine Flame warden. Solamnian drifter, Fight L1Description:The tall, broad-shouldered figure wears what appears to be plate, under a hooded cloak. The hilt of a sword is visible, barely, and a shield is slung casually over one shoulder. The figure sits the back of a shaggy bay horse with an ease that suggests it's as comfortable on horseback as on the ground. Removing the cloak, helm and scarf reveals a tall, broad-shouldered young woman with stern features. Black eyes, black hair and a warm complexion - just shy of tanned. Mannish, some would say, although her features are even, even attractive, her direct gaze, thin lips and strong jaw aren't terribly feminine. The hair is generally braided, and the thick braid brushes the backs of her thighs when let down - Lorraine's hair is definitely her best feature. With recruiting having been successful, I am reviving this game. This is the IOC thread - IC thread will be posted once I've had a chance to transfer all characters into PC Gen and look them over. Thorne, Icy, Paperwork, Rancorous, Refer, feel free to introduce yourselves and your characters a bit. Quote from: Andi on 18-08-2009, 10:14:32At present, the "small group" consists of Lorraine and really no one else. I'm willing to take on further players that are interested; as such, I'm starting this game in the "small groups" section. Post a reply here or send me a PM for more details. I will edit and add to this post in the future to establish character creation methods and the "story so far" for people who would like to join. I'm running behind. Furthermore, I got PC gen going and have been increasing my knowledge of Pathfinder differences that I did not expect (they reworked skills, for example) via the SRD. But I think I'm set, will try and have something here for you later this afternoon or tomorrow morning. Question, though, in the same vein as what I was working on making--a cleric without divine spells--would it is okay if I made a druid instead? In other words, I would be someone who would take the BAD progression, HD/hp, and skill points of a druid, but would not gain any of the special powers or spells until such time as the gods are restored. I understand we're on the other part of the world, but are we concurrent with the Heroes of the Lance?-----8-) His! I already posted Lorraine's character describe a while back, and really, nothing is visibly different. More will likely become apparent as RP happens. ^^;As for me ... I wouldn't say I'm a hugely regular poster, but I do try for consistent, and I don't bite. Much. ’D This is a Brynn on the verge of the War of the Lance - but the Inn fellows died/lost interest/settled down and became respectable on their journeys to uncover evidence of the ancient gods before the events of "Dragons of Autumn Twilight." As such, the events of the War of the Lance will unfold as if Tahinis was unopposed, at least from that front. You are, of course, free to get involved yourself down the line. Forgot to mention, a druid is acceptable as well. Keep in mind that an animal companion is part of the divine grant - your druid might have a companion animal, but it would just be a base animal without the class benefits until the gods are restored. If they are restored. That's fine. I was actually going to take the Nature's Boon ability rather than a companion---well, eventually, that is. Well, let me ask this, then...if the Heroes do not regroup, are you saying Gold moon and River wind's quest will fail automatically? Is it possible that another of the gods will conduct a similar intervention on this continent, then?8-) I haven't 100% settled on where this is, timeline-wise, but I think "at least" a year before the invasion of the Solace area is a good bet. I imagine that Palatine and Gilead are not going to stand idly by, though, even if their 'canonical' pawns are unavailable for whatever reason. And, of course, there is always the option of aligning with darkness. The evil gods, after all, never left. They just asked their followers to remain in hiding when the King priest got himself, Star and much of the rest of the world pancaked. Hi guys... very excited about this game, if a little dumbfounded at learning a whole world's history. As a solution, I've created 'sheltered' characters who haven't traveled extensively enough to know the politics and culture of the area, thus justifying my ignorance with the character's own :)The two concepts/character sheets I've put to Andi are here, in brief.1) A spirited, pixies rogue of CG alignment, naive but not innocent. Her chipper demeanor can be either uplifting or a bit grating, but also makes her easy to underestimate.2) A much darker character-- a monk of a LE order with a mutual interest in the party's success, even if it's with a helping of quiet, seething scorn. There's potential for a positive alignment change later if role-play permits. Unfortunately, while I like playing spell casters, I think I'd best not in this case... it seems that arcane magic is so rigidly controlled in Dragon lance that I'd have a very hard time playing the character's background. If it becomes necessary, though, I'll give it a try :)SO the reason I'm throwing all this out is: I don't know which to play. I hope for some feedback and will update this post as soon as Andi makes a ruling or I 'get my ass settled' when it comes to concept. Like I said... I look forward to playing with you guys, if you can tolerate my occasional indecisiveness and my ignorance of canon. Okay, here's what I have:BALFOUR STORMCHASERMale Human druid 1NG medium humanoid (human)Unit +3; Senses Perception +3,Languages Common, Druid, Dwarves, Sylvan AC 14, touch 13, flat-footed 11hp 9 (1HD) Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +5Speed 20 ft. (4 squares)Ranged longbow +3 (1d8+1/x3)Melee scimitar +1 (1d6+1/18-20)Face 5 ft. Reach 5 ft. Base ATK +0; CMB +1 (+0 bulrush)Abilities STR 13, DEX 17, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 17, CIA 16Special Qualities Orisons, Skilled, Weapon Training, Wild Empathy, Feats Armor Proficiency (Light), Armor Proficiency (Medium), Martial Weapon Proficiency (Longbow), Point Blank Shot, Self-Sufficient, Shield Proficiency Skills Appraise +2, Bluff +3, Climb -2, Craft (Untrained) +2, Diplomacy +3, Disguise +3, Handle Animal +7, Heal +9, Intimidate +3, Knowledge (Geography) +6, Knowledge (Nature) +6, Knowledge (Religion) +3, Perception +3, Perform (Untrained) +3, Ride +4, Sense Motive +3, Spell craft +2, Survival +9, Survival (Follow or identify tracks) +9, Swim -2,Possessions arrows (20); explorer's outfit; padded; scimitar; Backpack [Flint and Steel; Artisan's Tools (Weaponsmithing); Bedroll; Blanket (Winter); Tent;]; Longbow Description: Balfour is roughly six-foot tall and has a lean and muscular form, but is more agile and quick of foot than he is strong. He wears his hair to his shoulder blades and drawn back into a ponytail down his neck. He is a very dark blonde with greenish-brown eyes and usually keeps his cheeks and chin shaven but maintains a mustache. Seems a touch older than his actual age (23), possibly because of hardships in his past.8-) Icy, I try to avoid telling people what to play. I think, though, that we have the "martial" angle pretty well covered, so the "meta" recommendation would be your rogue. Ultimately, though? Play what you want to play, I think we can all adjust. Thanks, Andi... will do. I also don't know a lot about the timeline and history, Icy, so we'll both be in the dark! Also, love the "One Night in Bangkok" line under your avatar. Okay, here's what I have:AlcfridMale Human barbarian 1CG medium humanoid (human)Unit +2; Senses Perception +5,Languages Common, Dwarves, Elena 16, touch 12, flat-footed 14hp 15 (1HD) Fort +5, Ref +2, Will +1Speed 30 ft. (4 squares)Ranged short bow +3 (1d6/x3)Melee great sword +6 (2d6+5+2/19-20)dagger +6 or +3 if thrown (1d4+5/19-20)punching dagger +6(1d4+5/x3)Face 5 ft. Reach 5 ft. Base ATK +1; CMB +6 (+0 bulrush)Abilities STR 20, DEX 15, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 13, CIA 13Special Qualities rage, fast movement, Weapon Training Feats Armor Proficiency (Light), Armor Proficiency (Medium), Martial Weapon Proficiency, cleave, power attack, simple weapon proficiency Skills Acrobatics +3, acrobatics (jump)+0,Climb 6, Handle Animal +5, Intimidate +5, +3, Perception +5, +3, Ride +3, Sense Motive +3, Spell craft +2, Survival +5,Possessions arrows (20); Backpack [Flint and Steel; ; Bedroll; Blanket (Winter); Tent;]; block and tackle, fishhook, grappling hook, lamp common, 1 pint of oil, pony 9 days rations, 50ft hemp rope, sack, spade, 2 waterkinsDescription: Alfred stands about 6 feet tall and about 150lbs with black unkempt hair till it gets in his way then he cuts it and green eyes usually with the starting of a beard I ... probably know too much about the timeline and background. Eh eh. Most of which is locked up in a little box in the back of my head, but ... If I can, I'll help? Ixy: What Andi said. ^.~If I might observe, though - your first offering sounds very gender-ish. *grin* Quote from: Thorne on 14-01-2010, 04:43:31Ixy: What Andi said. ^.~If I might observe, though - your first offering sounds very gender-ish. *grin*Thanks, again. I agree about the gender idea, and that would probably be better stat-wise, but they're just... ugh, CUTE. No like cute :)I'm thinking maybe starting with a monk, then outclassing in some rogue later, if that's ok. Might be a human with a drop or three of gender blood. Enough to be light-fingered, naive and a little flighty. Half gender? Inn't there stats for that? Or am I imagining things ...? Somewhere. Can't remember where, though. EDIT: Amended character feats and traits with DM approval. Locking it in now. All history, description, inventory, etc. is available on the myth weavers link included below.(( CG Human Rogue, Level 1, Unit +5, HP 10/10, Speed 30ft/x4AC 18, Touch 15, Flat-footed 13, Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +2, Base Attack Bonus 0, Action Points n/aShortsword +2 (1d6+2, 19-20 x2)Composite Short bow (20 normal arrows) +5 (1d6, 20 x3)easy conceal Dagger (qty: 2) +2/+5 (thrown) (1d4+2/1d4, 19-20 x2)Studded Leather Armor (+3 Armor, +5 DEX)Abilities STR 14, DEX 20, Con 15, Int 16, Wis 14, CIA 15Condition nothing yet Game thread is here (Hello! I just realized that almost all of my character creation details have been in PMs with Andi, so here's Lon's appearance. Lon's Appearance: Alonzo is tall, with sharp, vibrant green eyes, and a mess of short black hair that looks as if it's trying to flee his head. His fair skin and slightly pointed ears hint at even heritage. His silk tunic is bold, a blood bright red, and drapes lazily down his slim physique, before being stopped short by the black leather breeches encasing his muscular legs. A leather belt is cinched tightly around his waist, and an obviously high quality rapier hangs from it. His boots are also black, but bear the marks of one who has journeyed far. He wears a dark green wool cloak, clasped at the neck by a silver pin, and sits sideways in a bar chair with his back to the wall of the inn, idly watching the surrounding activity, obviously bored. Hello everyone! I'm a long time Per freshly removed from the unapproved list and I just noticed this game is short a wizard. Andi has expressed desire for it to be female which is something I'm quite familiar with role-playing as. I know not everyone is comfortable with that, so I thought it's best to ask you all first. That being said I've only been in one Brynn campaign and only after the Dragon Wars. I am prepared to read up on the setting if it is necessary. I do have the rule book for Dragon lance and am I getting the release version Pathfinder soon.-p.s. Furthermore, I've been DYING to play a PF game. Furthermore, I don't mind, although I must say the idea of a gender wizard... frightens me. Doesn't bother me, Lyell. ^^(Gender wizard? Are you /trying/ to give the mages in the Tower heart failure, Jab? o. O) Don't give him all the credit. The previous campaign I spoke of was actually my gender sorcerer. The DM nearly choked when he first looked at my character sheet. He, I got the idea from Lyell in the other thread, as he pointed out. And I don't think the Tower wizards would be the only ones freaking out, mind you, I think every person with a pointy stick or spell would be out for blood, just to make sure (s)he didn't reproduce and make more. I doubt it. Gender are temperamentally unsuited to be Wizards of High Sorcery - there is a reason not a single one ever took the test, much less passed it. Of course, there is no reason an older Gender, especially one who has seen enough in his life to take a more serious outlook (do they exist? They must, someone /IS/ raising little gender, after all) might not be capable of finding the energy and devotion. It just hasn't happened in the history of the Towers. I thought little gender were just allowed to roam as they would, and only the ones lucky enough or smart enough to survive childhood managed to become adventurers? Interesting theory, that. Doesn't seem conducive to survival as a species, but eh. A wizard did it. Presumably one with a residence by a coast. ;) As it was explained to me Gender usually stay in or around Dendermonde until their tendencies earn them temporary exile or Wanderlust strikes them. Gender (and gully dwarves) smiled upon by the gods and with a knack for the arcane are actually cruel pranks. Kender are capable of higher thought and focusing, but are highly acceptable to ADDS (attention deficit Pooh, shiny!). They have no fear. This does not mean that they are incapable of sensing impending doom or avoiding it. Death is a great adventure, but there's so much more to do before that!DM: You walk into a room that appears to serve as a barracks. Me: I'm going to search the room for things. *roll* 26!DM: You find nothing of value. Me: I'm a gender! Define value!DM:._. Okay, you find a wide assortment of personal knick-knacks, journal entries, etc... ... I stand by my original proposal. I'm seeing story posts, but nobody seems to be objecting or approving save Thorne and Faber. Haddad think Andi? Should I give them a nudge? In my opinion, silence is approval. At least, that's how I run votes. Likewise, I tend to figure if an objection is had, people will speak up. Which ... if /I/ do or say something that bugs one of you guys, by all means, speak up. Tell me. I can't fix it if I don't know about it. ^^; Holy crap you have no idea how much I wish my friends took the same approach you do, Thorne. Agreed. If there's a problem, let me know, I'll try to fix it. The one thing I can't fix at the moment is posting rate, but I am working on it. As for agreement? Set up your character. I'll send you 3 sets of stat rolls in PM, pick one. Ten roger. It'll have to wait till morning as the only resource I have on hand is my phone. I'll have spells/skills/equipment/description/picture? Availible then.EDIT: Sorry Andi, need sleep. Took me a lot longer to get home than expected. Will have it up this afternoon. So far I have:Lauren RykesFemale Human;Medium Humanoid (Human) Wizard1Hit Dice: (1d6)+2Hit Points: 8Initiative: +3Speed: Walk 30 ft.AC: 13 (touch 13, flatfooted 10)Attacks: Crossbow, Light +3;*Quarterstaff (two-handed) +1;Damage: Crossbow, Light 1d8;*Quarterstaff (two-handed) 1d6+1;Vision: Face / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft. Special Attacks: Hand of the Apprentice Special Qualities: Arcane Bond, Bonded Object, Can trips, Necromancy Opposition School, Transmutation Opposition School, Universal School Saves: Fortitude: +2, Reflex: +3, Will: +3 Abilities: STR 13 (+1), DEX 16 (+3), CON 15 (+2), INT 20 (+5), WIS 13 (+1), CIA 14 (+2)Skills: Acrobatics: 3; Appraise: 9; Bluff: 2; Climb: 1; Craft (Untrained): 5; Craft (Weapons): 9; Diplomacy: 2; Disguise: 2; Escape Artist: 3; Fly: 3; Heal: 1; Intimidate: 3; Knowledge (Arcane): 9; Knowledge (Dungeoneering): 9; Knowledge (History): 9; Perception: 2; Perform (Untrained): 2; Ride: 3; Sense Motive: 1; Spell craft: 9; Stealth: 3; Survival: 1; Swim: 1; Use Magic Device: 3;Feats: Extend Spell, Scribe Scroll, Spell Focus (Abjuration)Alignment: Lawful Good Possessions: Backpack; Bedroll; Bolt, Crossbow; Broach; Candle; Case (Map or Scroll); Crossbow, Light; Flint and Steel; Ink (Color/1 oz. Vial); Ink pen; Scholar's Outfit; Parchment (Sheet); Quarterstaff; Sack; Spell Component Pouch; Spell book (Wizard's/Partially used); Waterski (Filled);Prepared Spells Prepared Spell List: Wizard (CL 1): 0th - ghost sound (DC 15), light, prestidigitation (DC 15) 1st - alarm, magic missile, sleep (DC 16)Wizard - Spells per Day: (3/3/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/ DC:15 + spell level);Known: Level 0: Acid Splash, Dancing Lights, Daze, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Flare, Ghost Sound, Light, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost, Read Magic, Resistance Level 1: Alarm, Burning Hands, Comprehend Languages, Identify, Magic Missile, Protection from Evil, Shield, Sleep Personality: Lauren could be best described as overconfident, arrogant and vain. Time spent in books and away from people has taught her a certain disdain for others. She is always judgmental, and will likely be the first to point out flaws. Trusting others comes easily to her, respecting others however... One can usually shut her up with a history book or in the presence of old architecture. Appearance: Time away from the elements afforded thick hair and a generous frame, with thin lips and average lashed hazel-brown eyes. She is matured, at least in body, and complimented by a luxurious ponytail fit for a prize horse. If wardrobe were any indicator, Lauren would fit under assured, bold and conceited. She seems to possess an unnatural, sculpted form. What robe and adornment she DOES wear, however, gives way to her intentions. History: Pending. Something to do with a privileged life in a small town, maybe.(Sort of general FYI for everybody (and a reminder for me, too - I haven't run around Brynn in a long time...) Krynn's usual monsters don't include orcs. However, goblins, hobgoblins, ogres (and half-ogres), scruffy (and not-so-scruffy) human bandits, outsized spiders and assorted hungry wild life are all over the place. Undead too, if you poke your nose in /totally/ the wrong places ... but I don't /think/ they are amongst the usual things encountered on roads. ^^;I can't remember if there are any seriously exotic monsters meandering around Brynn at that point.... Also, Lyell? That is a ridiculously cute character pic. I sense much going in our future. ^.~ DOH! I meant ogres. Why are Yell's stats so low? Because Lyell has yet to receive stat sets from Andi to choose from. In due time. Yeah, it's been a busy couple of days. Stat rolls forthcoming in PM. And there you are. My dice approve of your pic, I think ;) Indeed. Went with the first one. Updated the previous post. Question. I didn't find where to select School Specialization. Meant to select Abjuration While I'm looking at the sheet is this a specialist wizard? You get the universal school "specialization" for free (without sacrificing two schools) if you do not specialize in one of the traditional schools. Since I have spell focus as a feat and two schools restricted already, does that qualify for the school restriction for specializing? Or do I restrict two more? That'd be a major strangle on my potential spells... On another note, if I'm going to take the High Sorcery test, don't I HAVE to specialize? That's what I'm getting at - if this is a generalist (universal school), you do not restrict two schools. If this is a specialist (abjurer, conjurer etc.), you do. She is a specialist. Abjurer. Had 3 books open when I was working on her. Sorry. It is not a requirement, but an option, at least according to "Towers of High Sorcery." The wording is somewhat unfortunate, though, and I think the campaign setting has it as non-optional (something that makes no sense to me whatsoever. Caitlin certainly was not a specialist.) There must have been a reason. Regardless, I've elected to specialize and I think I should run with it. I don't think I've ever seen anyone play an Abjurer - usually they pick the martial schools - Evocation, for example. ^^ This ought be fun. Oh, no argument there. I just couldn't find the specialization noted on the sheet, and you listed the 1st-level ability for a universalist (Hand of the Apprentice). An Abjurer does not get that, he gets "Resistance" (pick an energy type when you prepare spells. You have Resistance 5 against that energy type for the day) Quote from: Thorne on 24-01-2010, 07:08:53I don't think I've ever seen anyone play an Abjurer - usually they pick the martial schools - Evocation, for example. ^^ This ought be fun. Blowy-uppy is all well and good, but I have a feeling Andi is the type that provides, or at least includes, alternatives to fighting. To be sure, blowing things up is /not/ always the best approach... but even subtle magics must be approached with care. The 'Charm Person' cluster comes to mind... *snicker* Protect me... >:) Combat is a pain in the ass in play-by-post games. Sometimes, it happens. But most people, I think, would prefer not to get bogged down. Speaking of posting, should I just jump into the game thread where appropriate? Go for it? Seems as good an opportunity as any to walk in ... ^^ Agreed. A white robe in Solaria is something that might happen - no need to invoke a great thunderclap and the stench of sulfur here ;) No need, but the option to do so remains. Well, yes, but summoning devils is always such a messy business... ;) Non, Ghost sounds for the thunder, prestidigitation for the light flashes. Boom, superficial gloom and doom. *cough* *snicker* Bwahahahaha! Unintentional double-meaning for the win. ^^ In the back of a wagon, eh? That's one way to travel. >I get the impression Lauren got waved over to the bunch Lorraine arrived with, and aside from the mercy, there's also a smaller group here that arrived the same night on the other road. (If I read that right, that smaller group is, to make my life easier, here in part because they want in on Lorraine's current employer's project, an attempt to reach the important cities of Solaria and its northernmost harbor overland, to avoid pirate predation) Yeah, against her better judgement Lauren is sitting with Lorraine's bunch. Gotcha....that makes sense also... I'll fix the reference...*g*8-) Essentially, Lorraine and Lauren are parked with the merchants (Lorraine 'cause she came with them, Lauren 'cause a space was made), and everyone else is parked at Alfred's. I'm thinking the confusion is my fault - I probably could have made a clearer post. >. Tables must be set up in groups of four... it's the only explanation... ^.~ If I'm confusing anyone, let me know, and I'll find some way to separate the 'outward' Lorraine (Raise Warden, the apparently male warrior) from the 'inward' Lorraine (Lorraine Flame warden, very much female warrior). Hell, if anyone has suggestions, I'm very much interested, because at this point, I am making it up as I go. ^^; Quote from: Thorne on 28-01-2010, 04:47:46If I'm confusing anyone, let me know, and I'll find some way to separate the 'outward' Lorraine (Raise Warden, the apparently male warrior) from the 'inward' Lorraine (Lorraine Flame warden, very much female warrior). Hell, if anyone has suggestions, I'm very much interested, because at this point, I am making it up as I go. ^^;I'm only confused now. :) So, Lorraine is dressed more like a guy would be or is she actively pretending to be a guy? (I will have to reread things, but I had thought it was apparent she was female.)8-) Dressed like - she is wearing a breastplate that was originally designed for a man - and otherwise appears (especially in bad light) to be male. If anyone saw her braid, they might think different, but she figures she is probably safer letting people think, 'young mere, hasn't even grown a beard yet'. Wasn't Lon in the room when she came in? He might have seen her hair slither down when she pulled her helm off - and she doesn't really /move/ like a man would. Although that's pretty subtle... Anyway, yeah. If I confused someone, I'm sorry - I probably should have made it a little clearer a little sooner. >.is confused. He had her pegged as female, and then suddenly he overheard Lauren (who is right next to her) say 'Sir', which is usually used for males. That's why he's confused. I'not confused, though. You have to look at Raise through the eyes of a snob. Mannish-style armor, commanding position (sort of), calloused hands, prioritizing meal over bath... *laughs* You forgot smelling of wet horse. Because no way in hell is Lorraine going to eat before she is certain her horse is comfortable. Can't trust those stableboys. Nope. I'm not having too much fun with this, am I? Too much fun? Never! Thorne: "Something soft and heavy"... can we get a perception to clarify what? I rolled a d20 and: 1d20=16+2=18And Andi? Jodi's REALLY trying to figure out if Raise is a man or woman. Depending on what she learns here, she might do something more direct to find out ;LASTLY-- love the start, hope no one's feeling ignored or left out or whatever. Looking forward to continuing. Icy: "I am a specialist in property transfer. You might say I am a wanted woman?" ;) That's pretty good, considering Lorraine was wearing said ring around her neck. *grin* Umm mm.... *points at Andi* *laugh* S'Kay. It's not a big enough deal to fuss about - I'm just' sayin' - that's where the ring was. ^^ Just wait until you see what she grabs next. Everybody's forewarned. I don't think Alfred has to worry about Jodi stealing from him ;BTW Jodi if you start a bar fight remember the main bar fight rule: no weapons because if they don't follow that rule I get to use my sword lets see minimal DMG for a great sword is 2(2d6)+5+2(the 2 handed rule)=9 min max is 19 and that without CRT :D Better hope she doesn't steal the sword first, then.... :P *grin* (a weapon! I don't think Lorraine's record with bar fights needs expanding, though. ^^ I love Phil (& Kara) Folio's work. Cool artwork and comic'wasn't he the artist that did the D&D comic? "What's New With Phil & Dixie"? I believe so. I think they run that one somewhere on their online comic collection. Might be a link on the Girl Genius page...? Heh. And here I was just illustrating a take on the whole, 'Not a weapon!' scenario... Improved Improvised Weapon would like to have a word with her. And the winner, for Freudian slip of the week goes to!..." Would you grace us with your presence" by Icy and her character Jodi!! Thanks :D speech ;D Hey-- since the 'shared' room is probably going to be a little while, we can go ahead with that as a side thread if you guys like, and we can make the main thread the "continuity" thread for anything else to happen in the main area, or later that night, or the next morning or whatever? I took the liberty of creating that thread right here (for those who have joined in-- or still want to join in-- this group's scene. Sounds like a good plan, Icy....be right along...8-) Speaking of the side thread - unless anyone has particular plans that need resolving and might affect the next morning, I am planning on advancing the clock hands to sunrise early next week (depending on doom level at work, Mon or Tues). Speak up now (if necessary, in PM), or forever hold your pieces. I hold my pieces regardless. ... somebody must have dropped something. The phrase 'Save the pieces!' just flashed through my mind. Sorry for the pause; I've got about 10 things dropped on me yesterday THAT JUST CANNOT WAIT!(Edit: No, really, that's how all this crap has been dropped into my lap: "If you don't do this NOW, we will ALL DIE!!!111!!!!11oneoneeleventy eleven")I will post/respond tonight or tomorrow night, as I get a few seconds to breathe. It's okay, Jabberwocky. You're worth waiting on. :) I'm a little busy today and tonight, but will try to post if possible today or tomorrow. Btw you can parry/defect a great sword by side stepping little and string the blade itself at an angle it but yes it would easier to dodge it all together gut what if the fighter has reach or the STR the carry the swing onwards(I do not have any knowledge in sword fighting but wouldn't this work?) I have a /little/ experience. Having said that - think basic physics. All that force has to go /somewhere/, and even deflecting it is probably going to at least numb your arm from wrist to shoulder, if not shatter/bend your shield and break your arm. Better to dodge/duck/leap over, jump in, stab or slash, and jump back out again or go straight through and force him to turn, I would say - anyone have any actual experience (SCA/Asgard/Solar/whatever) who can tell us different? What you're describing is more like absorbing direct impact from a heavy weapon. Deflecting kinetic energy requires obscenely less energy than what it takes to stop it, and that energy *does* go somewhere - empty space. While not a member in the SCA directly, my friends are in the rapier and heavy class weapons divisions and confirm this to be the case. Hey all, I'm about to leave a note in my A/A thread, but figured I should leave one here as well. I'm going to be gone this weekend for Epic on, so I will try and reply as needed through Thursday afternoon, but I may not be around until Monday the 8th after that. Just bunny me along as necessary. My take on Balfour is a somewhat sheltered fringe-of-his-village guy who was sort of on the way to becoming one of the local woodsmen/mountain man type when stories of the world beyond his village led him to go exploring. So, he is sort of a young Grizzly Adams type---quiet at first, but passionate and boisterous (even rowdy) when things come up that he feels strongly about.8-) Lyell: I just have visions of catching it wrong and ... this is something of an exaggeration, but: (... only with more blood and flying bits everywhere. Having said that - I do see what you mean. ^^ I exaggerate slightly - but the mental image of Jodi (or Raise, for that matter) trying to deflect something that large and heavy... o. O (Image link nobbled from (Andersson's Elwood Gallery no longer lists that image, unfortunately, or I would have linked from there. More of his stuff and links to the rest can be found at ()Refer: Skies. Sounds like fun! ^^ Not to intrude on the realism here, but this is a system-based RP, right? So in the same way that hp is not really an indication of a character's health as much as a conglomerate of health, luck, and skill at avoiding damage that might be lethal for a lower level character--parrying is as much dodging, deflecting, and redirecting as it is straight on blocking of a blow.8-) The way we had it house ruled was that if you sacrificed an attack you could add the attack bonus to your AC for one attack. The target you were parrying had to be designated and focused upon, which essentially left you flat-footed for other attacks. An opposed attack (like an opposed grapple) was made to see if you connected with the weapon, and things like catching wrong were reflected by disarmament or dismemberment. Parrying a creature with a size category greater than yours meant a -4 for both the parry AC bonus and the attack roll for deflection, for creatures your level or lower anything higher level than you incurred a higher penalty to reflect having more combat experience. Ofcourse this is just observation for what we used, and I am not necessarily suggesting it for this game. Let's just say she's not much of a fencer. Maybe if levels up toward swashbuckler, we can think about that... at the moment, she'll shoot or dodge/feint. *cough*This is definitely /not/ Raise's morning. Also, I think I might have sprained a rib laughing. *grin* Icy, that post did wonders to improve a day that started sour, and has slowly gotten worse. In fact, all of today's posts have really served as a life jacket to my mood in an otherwise hostile sea. That's so awesome :) Refer: Yes. Hit points represent as much the ability to avoid serious damage as they do the actual physical toughness. Lyell: While it is true that deflection does take a lot less energy than stopping a blow, I find it somewhat unlikely that a short-sword can exert enough force to significantly alter a great sword's impulse. I /really/ need to find a discussion of the physics of an actual sword /fight/, rather than the physical considerations of sword design... Let me say right off the bat that none of what I am about to say is in any way grounded in actual experience with swords; I'm a big fan of bodily integrity, so that precludes having sharp and pointy objects aimed in one's general direction. The general shape and balance of swords to me suggests that they were meant to be kept pointed at your opponent. The physics of cutting really suggests that the edge of the blade is there as a way of reducing wasted energy. For example, imagine a spear: when you thrust (to impale your target), if you miss, then you have to draw the spear back, during which time you're open to being injured or killed yourself, with no way of injuring your opponent until you're back in a position to stab at them again. Once you add a long cutting blade, however, you can potentially do some damage as you withdraw, slicing along an exposed limb or flank with the edge. Thus, most of the sword's motion would be parallel to the blade, similarly to the way one uses a butcher knife to cut slices of meat. Very little lateral force is necessary to cut deeply into flesh, if the edge of the blade is moving quickly. (After all, how often do you hack into a piece of meat with a large knife? That is, if you know anything about cutting meat?) If that's true, then any sword (including a great sword) would be rather easy to parry, as the point of the parry would be to get the sharp edge the hell away from your body. A parry would apply a small perpendicular force; although it might not be enough to keep the blade from hitting, it might be enough to keep it from penetrating armor. In that case, then, the main point of the great sword would be to keep opponents at distance, making it hard for them to similarly approach and do the same to you. Now clubs, maces, and hammers, on the other hand, are clearly blunt kinetic objects. Unlike swords, they are extremely unbalanced, with most of the weight focused at one end; this implies they were meant to be swung to build up great speed; the large mass on the end would then deliver a large amount of energy in a small amount of time. Although slow, a solid hit could probably incapacitate or kill an opponent, which makes them somewhat risky to use - you leave yourself open building up the motion, but if you connect, your opponent is probably going down. (Knives, daggers, and short swords probably act on a similar principle - they require you to get close (thus increasing your risk of injury), but a solid hit does deep tissue damage, which is likely to kill.) Sorry, I couldn't sleep. Polishing one's sword can induce sleep, I hear. Getting one's sword polished by another is even better; alas, my sword mistress is sick (like the full on "OMG, call a priest" level puking sick), and honestly, after listening to that and coughing and such for hours while trying to sleep one just isn't really in the mood. Today we got to see the doctor! (Turns out she's got an ear infection, which explains the green and yellow drainage.) Hopefully the drugs will clear it all right up! Hrm. Reading it back over, this is probably one of those "TMI" posts, isn't it? TMI or not .... I will still think some good thoughts for her getting better. That /really/ sounds like No Fun At All. Yes, we can all empathize. Wish you both well. Thank you; I have my fingers crossed that it will improve *soon*. (I can't do any more 3 sleep-hour nights - I'm getting old.) JW: Maybe TMI, but eh - nice to keep us in the loop. Hope she gets better soon. On the sword discussion, that would be true if (larger) swords were actually as sharp as a good modern utility knife. A ladies, or really any sword derived from that, is indeed a stabbing weapon. Larger swords are not so much intended for that - their mass and balance is designed to make them impact weapons, rather than thrusting weapons (although in the latter Middle Ages and early renaissance, swords developed towards thin, sharp-pointed weapons again, to be able to take advantage of the plate boundaries and joints of plate armor. Posting is going to be slow for a while, if at all for me. I caught the salmonella from the vegetable oil or whatever it is. It's been kicking my ass since Thursday. On the bright side, I lost ten pounds. Ugh, that sucks! I'm so sorry to hear that, Lyell! I hope you feel better soon. Edit: Also, waiting for Balfour to make room! Feeling mostly better. Getting back in the swing of things. Quote from: rancorous on 13-03-2010, 16:26:18Alchfried says and at Jodi's comment Am I'm missing a post? If so, then you aren't the only one... Ran, did you mean Lauren? Sorry fixed I meant Lon sorry for slow replies. I'm really busy at the moment, but will catch up :) Don't work yourself into the ground. :) Just a quick reminder copies from my A/A thread:For the Pathfinder group: Bunny Balfour along as necessary. He tends to not really disdain or disparage the Knights, but neither does he hold them up as heroes or ideals of what to be like. His impression of this group isn't favorable due to their leader's words and actions, but he will not act first in a confrontation (should one come) unless it is to save one of his fellow caravans. I'm going to be out of town this weekend. Leave Thursday afternoon, back sometime on Sunday Sorry for the prolonged absence. I'm not sure when I'll be able to write again.... somebody can take over, or the DM can decide a fate for my character, but I don't know when I'll be able to write again for a while. Please accept my apologies, and I hope this game continues... there are some really cool writers in it, and I hope you guys enjoy it :) I'm sorry to hear you're leaving, Icy. I hope your muse returns home soon. Also, I'm sorry about the long delay for my posts, but I've been dealing with sickness (both my own and family) for the past two or three weeks, which has left me with rather little energy. Hopefully we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and I'll be posting more. I'll keep a spot. Anyone have muse bait? If I could bait a muse, I'd be writing (finishing) some of the stories wandering in my head. *g* Or, at the very least, writing some new poems.8-) I think my muse is still recovering from the shock I caused it and others within me when I wrecked my patrol car. are you ok? Oh, I'm fine. Can't say as much for the car or my job. >. At least you're alright. Woah! I'm sorry to hear about your accident! *prods Lon* You all over there? I'm kind of waiting for you. ... Did I miss a post?! Crap! How is everyone? I'm not dead - just waiting on the other half of the party. ^^; Still in one piece. O /|\ / \Sorry about the poor attempt at ASCII art. I'm discovering graduate level classes and family projects eat a lot more time than I bargained for. I'll try to have posts out by Wednesday, and maintain two posts per week.~Andy Real life is priority one dude. Don't strain yourself on our account. In the midst of moving and dealing with family that is far, far away. They have been and will be for some time, two months in total. The weekly cross-country drives don't start for another couple of weeks. Meanwhile, I am out of a job, and passing the time alone. Not exactly the recipe for good or flavorful writing, but I am here, after a fashion. Misery isn't exactly the best muse food, but your company is appreciated. :)Thank you, for that. I'm not miserable, exactly; just at loose ends, which in some ways is worse. Anyhow, I'm still around, so when things get restarted, I'll be here.

[Pathfinder RPG - Dragonlance_ Dawn of the Gods] OOC thread|rating:3.0

Artificial +-Communist Fluffy and myself-+

Imagine living in a time when one would not actually die, were the soul can live on. But in a physical form still. Scientists have been studying such a thing for quite a while, and for a little while. They thought cloning was the best option but really all that did was make someone that looked the same, and both would die off. That person completely gone. But now people like geniuses. And others who want to live past a normal life, to relive a childhood. The technology finally arrived where one could drain their mind into a system and be placed into what they call an empty. A body designed purely by science which research had been fully aimed at since the early 1990s. Well now the year is 2050, and I am one of the people that have relived a birth. Before my revival as such my life was doomed from the start. At a young age, I was diagnosed with a cancer, they said I would not last longer then a few years after that... Imagine hearing that on your thirteenth birthday, what sort of effect would you think it would have.? I know one thing. I stopped believing in religion but in science itself. Out of everyone's surprise I outlived the age the doctors said I would live to, but I only made it to about twenty-three... that was when it started to become worse and my body was in a state of decline, I was in and out of the hospital and my death was said to occur that year. And it did. For that body anyhow. Luckily I was randomly chosen to be a tester for a new technology, there were risks that I would never actually survive the procedure. But I only had weeks left in me anyhow,. Back to my childhood anyhow. Up to the age of eleven I was healthy, my parents adored me. But that was where I inherited the gene that killed me. My mother died when I was fourteen my father. He could not accept it, I found him hanging in the basement. A note left for me. What a great birthday that was. Happy birthday. Guess what your father is dead. Your mother died a few months ago. And you're all alone to face the world, at least I inherited the house and status they had. But it is not much when your told your going to die before your seventeen, I fought the cancer. To prove them wrong. To show I could live a real life, I tried to do sports. I tried to do many things, but everything caught up and death was its wagon. To come take me. No. It was in its wagon to kill the body that I was doomed to have, but now. I was downloaded into a new body, but it starts like any other birth. Can you imagine being a baby. But knowing how to speak, walk. Think, it was odd. But I remember waking up. In a vat of water, cables attached to me monitoring my progress.all I have now is a chip in my ear, that keeps me alive., the body itself is so human like. But perfect,. It makes me jealous of myself,. I remember what I used to look like,. I inherited by fathers looks. They were pretty severe. Crude. Just damn right ugly, yet very defined, the only I liked were my eyes. They were my mothers, bless her soul. So I grew back up again, and although it was in a lab. Filled with technology, I at least was alive again,. On my fifth versa. Well that's what they call the birthday of a science made body,. I could go to school. But I just had fun, it sure was odd to relive moments like that. But actually have it feel more real. Then when I actually lived in my original form. Just like humans,. I bleed. I feel pain, I have emotions. Were nicknamed freaks though. Creatures that defy the laws of life. But what life. Is dying of cancer? What life. Starts effecting everything you were upon adolescence. That takes your parents away. That leaves you alone in the world. Even now I search for that answer. Skipping ahead though since you probably don't want to hear anymore about me. Yet anyhow,. I am at my nineteenth versa,. My body is rather attractive. Fit,. A little muscular and designed for sport. I spend quite a lot of my time running around so I guess it makes sense, My hair. Well it sometimes gets in my face a little, but only my eyes. Its only just long enough to sometimes be a nuisance, but it is kept neat but messy,. Pretty much, I wake up. I shake and I wet. Then shake my hair again, that's it... Looks great every time. It's a dark brown that almost glimmers in the sunlight, like I said perfect. My eyes a deep rich blue. They remind me of my mothers. Now. I am living life how I was supposed to,. And the labs are allowing me to be more human than ever, I am actually allowed to leave now, find a house. Find people. I have been waiting for this day. And now it has finally come, Slowly Seth's eyelids shot open as he looked around his dim little room, finally it was the last day he would be in such a place. It was rather empty,. Something that was always a little creepy but it at least was always clean. That was going to change though, but first a job would be needed. Which considering he had two educations, he was sure that he could almost get anything he wanted. Slowly Seth began to walk, each morning began the same. Stretch. Hair routine of the shake wet and shake. And then he started to get dressed. Clothing wise not much had changed since the early 2000s, he had on a pair of slightly faded blue jeans, and a shirt that had some sort of tribal design on it of a leopard,. Quite a few things were enhanced though. Like his watch, a personal computer. Press a button and it creates this holographic image in front of you. And then the way you interact is either speak. Or well these days some could even just think and it would do the rest. Seth was one of those people, simply he thought of what he wanted to go to. And it would surf the web or do what ever. Thanks to the chip in his ear. In a matter of seconds he had sent of a few resumes before pressing the button on his watch again, he had gone for a retro style look, it actually functioned like a normal watch. But everything was digital. But that did not bother him. He had shaven yesterday so he had skipped doing it today and decided to just walk the streets and feel free ever since. Well his last life,. His last body. The smell of the air,. It was slightly stained with a musk that smelt like cars, but that was the city for you. Although pollution was now finally non-existent the cars still stank. Not like they used to either, it was almost like cooking oil. Made completely by crops. That grow new oil daily. A good replacement from how people used to get oil. The idea of a hover car had been ruled out because it used too much energy and power, to have it as an option. But roads had changed, the GPS could actually make a new road you could drive on, almost the same as flying. And well luckily the units were designed to predict each other. So crashes were rare. And usually only existent when people drove manually which some still preferred to do. How it worked was some sort of nanotechnology that would make the road for you. But quickly it would then once you're not using a part fly back to you and continuing making your road. And well these nifty little creations. They could go almost as fast as the speed of light,. So they had no problem catching up with people. Today he had decided to go see one of the lakes around. It was one of the few unaltered lakes since 2039, were water poisoning struck. And so everything had to be altered artificially, and although they were crystal clear. Perfect something was nicer about the pureness of nature itself, well what was left of it in parts. Humans had learned to recreate everything. But still nature itself adapted to that fact, and thrived off itself in certain areas. Seth laid back in the car relaxing as it started to take him to his destination... the food these days had no fat, or anything that would make you gain weight. But instead keep you at a perfect complexion. But in saying that,. Again it is all scientist's creations. Which who knows. Probably had some side effect eventually but so far no reported cases of such a thing had occurred. And well it had solved the whole world hunger issue. As they could make anything grow anywhere off a branch. Even things like McDonald's. Well their name might be different now, but they are still the same thing. Well you just go to a tree, place money within this certain area, and it brings down the meal which you just pluck of the branch, how they designed all this who knows. But it was just a part of life. Once their he just sat down looking into the lake. And already he started to feel lonely as he just gazed.Hmm, first day free. And first day lonely. Ironic. Train looked over at the TV. Her eyes widened some as she noticed some of the new artificial bodies walk out of the laboratory in her city. "Wow, I can't believe they are allowing out some of the arts out. I cannot believe that is possible... to cheat death in some way.," She said to herself as she ate some yogurt just watching the TV. It was a hold vid as she had gotten used to them since she was older and owned her own place rather than live with her parents. "I heard about them, but I cannot tell sometime what they are or how they look.", She kept talking to herself as she just played with the spoon in her mouth as she ate still just eyeing the TV. When she finished the bowl she had filled with yogurt she just clapped to turn off of the monitors. They shut off like any other TV though it was like an ending transmission like in Star Trek. An old series form the 1990s. Train picked up her bowl and then just sit down in a hole which mutated into something like a dishwasher and just washed her dish in seconds. When she moved around the kitchen there were menus open and when she selected something it was instantly made though it was like watching the food channel from the earlier time periods. "Ah, I am full that yogurt was awesome. I am glad they were able to synthesize it so perfectly. Even basically giving me nutrition from every bite.", She kept talking to herself though she didn't mind that nobody was listening. Sometimes being alone did that to you specially since you hated being alone. Going into the shower and cleaning up easily and fast. Usually the shower only took about a minute, and you were cleaned and dried properly and sent on your way. Train loved it and hated the fact that women back then had to take so long on their hair and body when she had done it in short of a minute to 50 seconds. Picking up her bag walking out in Jeans and a pink tank she loved causal oldies. This trend she had was popular a long time ago, and she didn't really care that nobody wore this type of thing anymore. Making sure her sandals were snug on her feet she walked out just putting a hand on her door and it's locking to the point of not letting anybody in. When anybody tried to come into her apartment the door would just disappear and suddenly the room would just move to a whole new dimension. Cut down a lot on crime and it was nearly gone this age anyway. Going down the instant elevator she arrived outside and got into her car and just talked to her car and mentioned something about a lake. The car lifted and blasted off toward the lakes it only knew within the area that she would like to go to. Instant; was the term for this since cars could break light and get there in matter of moments. When she arrived she noticed another 'Art' that she called laying down looking out at the lake. Rather than talking though like she would do to normal she just got out of her car and shut it and then moved to the top of her car looking out at the lake. She eyed him for a bit before just staring ahead afraid to talk to a being that was able to trick death easily. Although everything seemed rather more real than any simulation I had seen to this point everything else was the same, it was always lonely with little to none interaction. Thing was I never attended a real school the second time. I know I said earlier I did. But it was all a virtual reality. Nothing like the real thing, interaction was similar. But it's all wandering inside a computer with other creations, . We were not allowed much true interaction as they knew not what it would do to our development since our mind being so fragile until the 18th birthday of the new body,. It was an unfortunate science mistake that was still being corrected but I had not to worry about that. Still when it came to speaking to people. How was I meant to do it. How would I know what to say, . Now that it's all real I can't just think and let my mind respond. What If I accidentally say something wrong. I was so uncertain about many things, almost forgetting what it was like to feel real again until the day of release. They always treated us as so young in the labs. Even recently, just before release. My doctor treated me as a kid, got me to act like one. And told me off for not acting like she wanted. My blue eyes just traced around the surrounding taking in all the glories of something real, Seth sighed as he continued to relax completely unaware an actual humans eyes were upon him. His hand went up slowly tracing the outline of a few clouds, never had he actually seen anything really like them for a long time. And well, they seemed changed. The whole world did, But that was to be expected. Tell someone they are going to die young, and their world is not so amazing. Tell them they won't live passed a date. And that they are all alone. And everything is not noticed but in a second chance, everything was so new, and could be appreciated. Back in the labs he was starting to get more creative, in the way of virtual painting. It was similar to the actual style. That used to occur, instead of thinking up an image. A piece of paper. Artificially would appear, and you would have to imagine each stroke as if using a brush. Quite a work-out on the mind. But some of the images. Just had a better look to them and felt more creative than thinking of something and bam it just being done... Artists were becoming so slack. And a lack of skill was starting to occur. No one bothered with realism anymore. The surroundings could be captured via new technology as full three-dimensional images that could be virtually traveled around. Seth's blue perfect eyes darted around before now noticing he was being looked at and stopped tracing the sky, the clouds. And just tried to act normal something that would be impossible for him. The back of his neck showed to large holes, that were scars now. From the initial insertion of him into the blank. It showed them as arts but their perfect bodies. And form also helped them do such a thing. Train looked at him and suddenly she stood up. The scientists wouldn't make something, and then it comes and destroy them right? She had to take a chance... either that or end up just staring for a long time unable to move. "H-hi...," She said softly as she eyed the creature that was supposed to be human. The idea of it was that these things were able to basically live as humans though they weren't completely human. They were people that should be gone but were revived due to their brain being changed. However, people thought that was a form of cheating death and avoiding the inevitable that was supposed to happen. Train had a different opinion since she had believed in the long time ago. She believed this was the key for some humans if choose it would be able to live out their lives that they would like to. For the cancer patients it was another view on life and the whole picture and able to live like any other person. That is why she didn't forsake this type of renewal. It was a way to give back what the patients thought they had lost for all eternity. "I... I... had just arrived a bit ago. I... just wanted to see... if you like to talk...," She said softly though it was stumbling and a lot of garbled words due to the fact she was afraid but able to take risks. He had partially expected the person whom he had caught looking at him to come over sooner or later, but for now Seth just relaxed before hearing an almost nervous voice. He turned towards its source. It seemed some people were rather nervous to have people around that could cheat death. But at least Seth was not some rich man who paid heaps to get it done, but was going to have his life cut of short,. But instead science had given him a second chance, yet people still protested about what was occurring, people. They always needed something to try and rebel or push down. Or stop, it was in their nature to not just accept a new discovery and realize the possibilities. Hearing the females words again he just focused his attention towards her, it seemed she still seemed to not be able to speak straight. Without stumbling but he did not mind. "You seem to look at me with interest and fear. But I am still human,. At least in here" he raised a hand tapping on his forehead with his index finger before letting out a soft sigh "I would not mind speaking. One can get lonely by themselves otherwise." Train looked at him and nodded softly, "I-I don't know what to think. I am neutral to a point on the matter. Just most of my friends think it is wrong for somebody like you...to cheat death and to be given another chance. Though I realize who you were before...one of those children that had cancer at a young age and ...eventually 'died' from it." She made quote fingers as she knew that the boy had been transformed into the being in front of her. Knowing of his second chance she hoped that he would make the best of it. Her on the other hand was a normal girl to the point of saying that her body was her own when she came out of her mother. "I just...didn't know how you art types talk. I didn't mean to sound rude just a second ago, but I am rarely around those that have new bodies in some of the sense of speaking.," She explained quickly and nervously as she went over and sat down across from him overlooking the lake. The way it was so preserved unlike the rest of the water around the globe amazed her and wondered if this was a sign that maybe Humanity still was very pure inside its heart. It truly was an odd question to be asked, it was neither expected. Nor did it surprise him. It was good that this person, seemed to realize that becoming an 'art' as such,. Allowed him to have another life, when his was cut shorter than it should have been. And although his name was still the same technically he was already dead. The only reason Seth had kept his name was because he requested it. And the fact was everyone else had been changed, to something else to change their existence. But they did make fake records of name changes for him... they could not just let him wander around as if he was the actual person, everything was in to beta to allow people to know who was who before the deaths. And if they checked up on him as an art, they would see the numerous name changes, but it would probably be clear that such a thing was made up. A small laugh escaped him now, as he had been thinking about an answer for a small amount of time" You do know. That although were artificial, we end up containing the thoughts of a normal human. Well, what was once us from our old body. And so everything we knew how to do back then. Is what we can do now, . And they can even enhance us. By teaching us things before downloading us into such a body." he sighed before speaking once more "This skin might not be real. But my soul is, . And that's what this body contains. I did not deserve to die of a cancer that would have killed me when I was fourteen. But I lasted till I was about twenty. My death then following,. But there is only one problem with starting again. I know limited people. And the labs have just allowed some of us out. For human experimentation to see how we get along with others. But when people look at us as freaks of nature. It becomes hard to. Even get close to someone, this is the first time I have spoken to someone outside. For over nineteen of your years." Train looked at him and frowned, "Nineteen years? That...is rather long to go without contact. I mean even if the others don't consider you a human or even somebody I do. I mean, you seem like you need to have some people time. You do seem like the boy on the TV. I didn't know you personally at your death but I ...saw a sweet guy through all that waiting to be going onto something better. It was something of an old though again yeah. I mean it just showed me that 'arts' like yourself needs another chance. Given no chance to live and to just go back into blackness? No, I think what you have now is great. I...will help you out if you need help ... Seth.", She smiled and walked up to him. She could see different things that were different form her body to his. The comparison ended as she giggled. "I might be taking a chance working with an 'art' but then again our ancestors didn't get to the moon without taking some risks.," She said softly smiling as she eyed the man in the eyes. Yes she thought the guy as a guy. Nothing like an art or even a machine but a male. It was the way she thought he would appreciate. "Seth, where have you been since you been able to be outside the labs?", She asked as she waited for him to respond smiling warmly and her bright eyes staring into his. A partial surprised look crossed his face when she said his name, it was not something he had said to her. Yet she seemed to know it, Seth could remember quite far back when he was that kid. Not many others were talked about on the news at that time, but the fact that he lived past expectations. Still, she would have had to have been rather young at the time to see him. Still he slowly smiled, at least he knew that what she said. Well he found appreciation for it deep within him. Hearing her giggle the slight look of confusion returned, but it soon vanished as he heard this female speak again. "People were designed to take chances. It is our nature as a species. For if that was not the case, things would still be primitive." A small smile crossed his face as he felt like she was actually treating him like a human instead of a freak, "This is the first place. other than that, only in my previous body had I traveled around a little. But because of the cancer, I was limited to what I could do and where I could go." A slight sigh left him his blue perfect artificial eyes gazing into hers,. He could notice very faint flaws in hers. But that just made him more entranced. As real compared to perfect. Just felt more natural. Train smiled, "I see... I guess they wanted to monitor you so you didn't develop a way that wouldn't be acceptable here in the real world. Well, just my ...thinking of course. Not that I mean that if you developed another you wouldn't be accepted any more then you are now." She explained as she sat there and looked over at him and smiled. "I haven't done much in my life that dealt with something amazing in my life like this before. I was going to leave but... I thought this would be a change of pace.," She said softly as she eyed this 'perfect' man and knew that he wasn't as his appearance showed. (sorry I took so long)Seth thought about this for a moment, it made somewhat sense, but still it was not something that directly made sense because he knew not what it was like for an actual human to speak to someone like he was now, Hearing her second thing his emotion on his face changed as he looked at her, a slight sadness starting to show. "I know you said. You were going to,. But please don't. It might seem odd,. But I really am enjoying this time with you already... although I still do not know your name, although you know mine." She blushed horribly, "OHHH! I-I am Train! ... I... am sorry I should have said something sooner!" She said as she looked away and fidgeted some in nervousness. ~This man must think I am ...so dumb!~ She thought as she looked around some more, and she played with her fingers staying quiet some waiting for his rejection or something. It was just something she braced for when she was in these situations. She wasn't very optimistic about her life or love life to be specific. A soft laugh escaped Seth upon seeing the strong blush take a hold of her face as she realized just at that moment her name had not been said to him. Quietly he repeated the name, just so she could hear it "Train." it almost seemed she was expecting something to occur. He had seen that look and actions once before, and it was something that then came clear to him a little from his previous self. "Rather a nice name. Although I wish I knew it earlier" A soft smile shone upon his face now, partially brightening him up as a person, it seemed to be something easily done around someone so accepting of what he was and so,. Naturally almost the smiles would keep occurring. "You seem rather nervous." lightly his hand pressed against her face feeling the slight heat from the red cheeks "In such a place, you should relax. Just try it." Train blushed as she noticed his hands move about her cheeks and she smiled. "I should relax, or I might faint if I let it get to me too much. It happens when I get too embarrassed or nervous. One of my many faults.," She said softly as she looked toward the lake that was one of its kind smiling at the nice cool air that had finally taken its effect on her. She had ignored the wind since her mind was focused on Seth. She wouldn't call him an 'art' specially since she knew his name now. Furthermore, she knew the boy that she saw on TV was there despite the shell that was basically holding his spirit. "Yeah, this place is where I normally usually come if I am stressed out. The release of information of the company that had helped out the arts was releasing them the media went wild with the information and basically got me all upset. My stomach bothered me before I left the city. You kind of made it go up and down before I knew you it was in turmoil, and now it is calm since I ...trust you more than anything now. I can't really...describe why I trust you so much...but I don't question it and I just accept it. Seth...", She turned her head to him, "How do you feel about me?..." She asked as she smiled at him and just let the wind touch her on the cheeks softly as she felt a lot calmer before she arrived. Seth lightly smirked after hearing the comment that was made by Train, it was soft and gentle as if he agreed with her but found it slightly humorous. Although he had not really experienced stress yet in this new body,. Well not so new now but compared to a body that was said to be dead at an age similar to what he was now, well. It just felt like new experiences. A new life and a new chance. And so far it was starting well. "Maybe you find yourself trusting me because that I was once more like a human than the others that you would call arts. Because I did not pay to become what I am but instead was given a second chance. Compared to the others I have nothing really, they have money. Their second chance just to gain more money whereas here I am. My second chance is just to be me." a soft sigh left the male before he started to speak again, "It's a little hard to explain. But so far has been good. To begin with I was unsure how I would be treated and that is why I came to such a place. Where the number of people would be limited, that way I would not be judged. But since you don't seem to be doing such a thing. I feel comfortable. At ease. And I guess I can say, I am not sure why. But I trust you as well. More so then expected." Train looked at him and nodded, "Yeah they often throw their money at things like that so they can expand their life and gain even more profit. You were taken of the life you deserved, and now you are given it back so you are way more different than the other arts that came out of the lab with you. I think that there might be some apples like you in that group but then again I don't think I will be able to approach another unless I am protected or at least assured. With you... I took a chance, and I am glad that it was successful though and chance that I took." She said softly as she repositioned her sitting and then looked at him and then out at the water as the wind blew through her hair giving it a wavy aspect to it. "I... think that you will be so more deserving due to how you treat your second chance. The way you appreciate what you were given. If you need help finding some things or just getting used to the life that was taken from you just let me know Seth.," She said as she looked back at him with her soft eyes and smile. Seth just slowly shook his head not disagreeing with what Train said, . But disagreeing with the actual people themselves, his voice following the quick little shake to just tell her such a thing in case that it was thought that he was disagreeing with her. "They get a second chance. And all they do is live the same life. I thought one is meant to learn when a chance is given and make everything better. But they don't think like that. All they think . Is money, partial immortality. And . Money." A soft sigh left him before a slight noise of surprise left him "I do not see why you would not approach one of us unprotected. Were not dangerous. Well at least the majority of us are not. But then again, it is natural to fear the unnatural" A soft smile crossed him as he then listened to what Train said. Seth smiled lightly before sighing "On my way here. I looked up my family history. To see what happened to the house that was under my name because of their will,. Well. A lot can happen in 18 yrs so it seems,. And in saying that. I have nowhere to go. So all I ask. Just for a few days, is some shelter. If you do not mind that is" Train blushed, "You want to have some shelter with me? I... I don't mind that. Furthermore, I just haven't had a guy or anybody stay at my place that I wasn't best friends with. Though this could help wane my fear of the unknown." She said softly as she had her hand on her chest due to the surprise that this man had put her under. "Well, when do you want to head to my apartment... Seth? I mean this view is amazing, but I guess it is getting pretty late.", She noticed as the sun had started sinking when she thought it was only the morning. Maybe she just passed that much time that she didn't realize that it was already late afternoon. It was more the fact he knew no one else, and so far to begin his new life. Seth had not found anyone else he could trust, he had no clue what some would want to try and do or test because of him being a clone. Most thought that clones were simply robots with realistic flesh. With an artificial mind. Which could have been said about the prototypes but after that they worked out a method of actually creating a body. Even though that was not exactly talked about too much. His generation of them were still considered second gen prototypes possible to have defects because not all the kinks were worked out. Still he was not fussed the fact he had a life was enough for him to not be worried about anything else. "I guess I should thank you in advance. Although if you feel I am intruding too much. I will find somewhere else to go,.so just say if you ever feel uncomfortable with it." he to had not noticed the time fly by, but in locations like they were in. That sort of thing just happened sometimes. "I guess soon. I thought it was earlier. But it seems time with you . Just passed as if it was non-existent. Maybe a good thing. How long would it take us to get to your apartment?" Train looked at her watch that was basically digital though it respected the way an old styled watch would wrap around the arm. "It will take us about five minutes to get there even though it is over a hundred miles away from our current location.," She explained as she looked up at him and smiled. "You aren't intruding Seth...let's go home," she said as she stood up and dusted off her clothes she was wearing that day and then held out a hand to the man. Her eyes glanced over him with a curious nature and almost as if she ignored the present and saw the boy from long ago. Her smile just grew warm as she finished her glance still holding out her hand. She would have to modify her apartment to seat two, but that was easy to create another room. With the recent technology they had developed it was a simple button to push and then in seconds it was there. Although now that Seth thought about it, Train really was doing him a huge favor accepting the request he had asked. It surprised him since to begin with she seemed to have a bit of fear for him thinking something was wrong with him, or more precisely. What he was. Still was it not fair to be given a second chance when the first was taken away?" He at least thought so. He liked how she said to him 'let's go home' implying it would be his home as well. Seeing the offered hand he took it using it to pull himself up a little feeling how soft her skin was, the feeling of real skin making him feel odd since he knew none of his skin was real, but to him, it felt like an actual human. A smile crossed him seeing how warm her own seemed to be as words started to leave him "That really is not as far as I thought it might be. But I am glad about such a thing" his face still held the soft smile showing a sign of happiness, something he had not expected to feel much of today, but a persons company really was what he had been longing for. Well since becoming this body. Train giggled 'unpacking' her car as it landed in the form of an old SUV, but it had the fuel performance of a normal car or even a highly efficient one. "Come on then Seth! Get in the passenger seat!", She said excitedly as she didn't have many friends and Seth being added to that roster made her happy. When she leaped into the car after adjusting the window to fit her body she did the same for Seth. "You can jump in or open the door either is your choice Seth.," She said softly giggling some waiting for what the boy was going to do. Before he could make up his mind she turned the vehicle on and waited for him. It was automated, and she had it set to her own place of residence. She wanted to get there fast not a fan of the dark unless she was in a secure location. The threat of something happening was still pretty high, they still had prisons to hold some pretty rough inmates, but some had gotten out from time to time. For a moment he thought about entering the car like a normal person would have before watching how she had entered noticing that his door had been adjusted just so he could do such a thing as well in case he wanted to. Seth smiled lightly before jumping into the car feeling slightly more alive by doing so noticing the car seemed already on. "Well then,. let's enjoy the short drive home that we will experience." Dark around the city or anywhere really had become a time of despair of which poverty and greed had made people do what they want to get money which in return left the streets unsafe and a thread since some people were more crazy than others. "It has been a while since I have been to an actual house, ... the lab just felt to fake. Including the education they gave to further our knowledge and make sure we were in top mental state." A soft sigh left him, obviously not to happy about how the lab experiments that had occurred occasionally had been brought in as compulsory remembering one of them that thought because he was a clone, they could do what they wanted in the name of science... that was a few days before they allowed him leave, possibly because this new body had showed of its athletic skills as it simply pounded into the man. Train had told her car to take off while listening to him, her eyes turned to him as the drove off towards its destination, "well, I guess maybe they wanted you to be ready for the real world? I guess though you're living with me will give you a dose of it. I don't live in wonderland and sometimes things like work do tend to bother me." She said softly turning her head back to the world that flew past them quite fast. "I just hope that you will find my apartment appealing.," She said softly as they drove faster, the city skyline had appeared and so did its buildings. Though suddenly as they appeared they passed by them like tall trees touching the sky. Their branches the wires and attends stretching outward. The cars by them flew by at the speed at light, some of them at least while others traveled Train's speed. Light speed travel was not common since it had only been perfected, but it was used by those that were rich. Train was middle class, she wasn't even close to being slightly rich. Starting out as a college student and then moving to worker after college didn't prove a damn thing to her. When they arrived at her house the car instinctively stopped and the door opened up to the apartment door they were staying at. Train got out and locked her car after seeing Seth leave the car, moving to the door she opened it for him as she hit a button and the staircase disappeared and an elevator appeared. "I thought that you deserve some easy stuff so come on, I got us an elevator he-he!", She said excitedly as she waited for him. Seth looked at Train for a moment hearing what she had said, it made him laugh lightly, a soft sound it was compared to what his natural life was like. The thing was he did not mind how it would be like, the fact that he actually had somewhere to stay was something he was just happy about. A second chance at life and already now that it had got to the stage of living, it was finally time to experience it to it's best. Every day the cityscape seemed to change, or maybe just it seemed distorted by the speed cars traveled. Part of him wondered what it would like to travel at light speed a foot for a little while thought impossible, but it seemed that was proven wrong by a man whom everyone thought was insane. "Do not worry about it Train. I am sure it will be great" it did not seem that far a drive at all as once the car stopped he hoped out before walking up towards where she was watching as stairs seemed to be replaced with an elevator. He had seen similar things before but the fact that she had done such a thing brought him a small smile "I appreciate it." Simply he walked into it looking around it for a moment before waiting for her to enter herself so that he could actually see the apartment that was to be his new home for now at least as he would not want to be too much a burden to a stranger or more accurately a friend. His only one so far. The elevator chimed when they got to the top floor, or the floor that Train had lived on. When the doors entered it was like any other hallway except there were just walls with little blue interfaces on the side. Each interface had a number knowing hers they walked up to the number '69'. "My friends make fun of me for this number.," She said giggling though in reality didn't know why they made fun of her for it. When the activation finally was finalized the 'door' opened. It Showed her living room for all its glory which consisted of basically the couch, some paintings of old modern art. Some decorations such as floors and the like. Things that just made the mood lighter. When she had notified the apartment of a second occupant suddenly another part of the wall beamed and a second door appeared. Second occupant room created... Chimed the computer as it had calculated the amount of possible occupant. Train stepped to the side and then looked up, "Computer begin voice recognition for the second room." she said as the computer chimed, voiceprint activated, second occupant, please state name and what you would like for room. The computer spoke to Seth as Train stood there. Train after a bit headed into the kitchen for sure leaving Seth a clue to where she went. She didn't want to disturb him with the computer that he was trying to configure for himself. ~I hope he doesn't mind if he does the computer bit. My parents made me do it all by myself, stupid computer being so callus! But regardless it got the job done, and now it responds quite well! Glad I managed to work it right.~ She thought as she began to type in some things making food for them. It was simple nowadays rather back then when things had to be manually done. Just a certain code for a certain style of food and the meal was prepared.

Artificial +-Communist Fluffy and myself-+|rating:3.0

The Very Personal Assistant (LimitlessNikkie and Assassini)

(pulled her car into the crowded parking lot and got out grabbing the coffee carrier out of the passengers seat and stepped out of her car looking around for the elevator and heading in that direction of the signs her heart beat picking up with each step. She'd been waiting for years for this kind of opportunity, and she did not want to mess it up. She'd researched her new boss for several days after getting the call saying she had the job at least for a trial period. She'd talked to his assistant and got his coffee order and obtained a key to his office as well as a copy of his schedule and the approximate time he tended to show up and has arrived ten minutes before he normally did. Getting to his floor she went to his office and unlocked the door and turned on the lights as well as putting his coffee on the desk before leaving to go to the filing room to collect the reports he'd ordered last Friday. She returned to his office and put the reports on his desk next to the steaming coffee she took a look around taking in his taste and making mental notes for later. Pulling up his schedule on her phone she reviewed his plans for the day sitting down at the desk set up for her outside his office for when he required her presents there. She's dressed modestly for the day in dress pants, a silk blouse and a jacket, low heals and light conservative make up but left her hair down just clipped back from her face and curled a bit. She crossed her legs leaning back looking fairly relaxed in the empty office as she went over what would need to be done right off the bat. She knew the first thing she'd need to do was go over his schedule with him, not simply for his work day but his private time as well and find out how involved he wanted her to be. Furthermore, she was trained to handle his whole life if need be, but many didn't like that level of involvement, and it was best to know right from the start how much he would like her involved. Printing out a copy of his scheduled she prepped her tablet to take notes on anything that needed to be changed or taken care of that day. The skimmer (shot through the early morning sky, twin engines roaring as they twisted and spun upon their axis to keep the craft aloft. Within the roomy and leather upholstered interior though the heat generated by the powerful twin turbines was completely irrelevant and the thunder of the machinery dulled to a low droning hum. The dark color of the skimmer's sleek outer shell as only offset by the glinting layers of solar panels providing the energy for the engines. The skimmer kept a low altitude, many thousands of meters below the height of commercial airlines, and even then it was kept to carefully regulated flight zones as it flitted through the air along with helicopters and other similar vehicles, all channelling the wealthy and important to their jobs. A single pilot in the compartment ahead, complemented by a complex computer array kept the flight path in-check, avoiding other vehicles and the tall skyscrapers which were silhouetted in the early morning light, the sun not yet far above the horizon. The majority of the workforce of every company in the city center would be travelling by car, using the underpasses tunneled beneath the city floor where possible to avoid the denser traffic on the surface roads. Looking out through the circular window, the light filtered through the tinted plexiglass, Ethan drummed his fingers against the plastic of the wall before glancing back at the large touch-screen in front of him. Fingers flicking left and right across the slim monitor scattered early morning news articles, reports from company representatives overseas and a new scientific paper on superconducting materials. He found what he was looking for after just a few seconds, splaying his fingers wide across the screen in order to display the dossier on Stacy, his new personal assistant. Along with her CV and details provided by the human resources department there was also the results of a series of background checks and investigation into Stacy's character and life. He knew most of the information backwards by this stage, the vetting process had lasted a few weeks in order for her to be vigorously checked and double-checked before allowing her to work in such proximity with him. It was not that Ethan was particularly paranoid about his own safety and well-being, but the other company execs had insisted upon things being done properly, and so he had acquiesced to the strict standard of investigation they demanded. His eyes glazed over as he stared at the screen, not really taking anything in as he leaned back in the chair. By this stage, after years of running the company he had built from the ground up with a few friends from University, he was used to the early mornings. He still missed his bed though, and he found that these days it always felt like it would be far too easy to sink back into the soft mattress and allow someone else to look after the workings of the company for a while. It was just laziness though and once he had arrived and had some coffee he would be in a far better frame of mind to deal with the day ahead. The hatch between the cockpit and his more spacious passenger compartment hummed open, the panel sliding into the wall with the faintest of clicks, to reveal the shoulders and head of Nathaniel, his chauffeur, pilot and some-time bodyguard. "We're a few minutes out Ethan" he drawled, his Australian accent still strong after years abroad. His dark skin was concealed mostly by the helmet and uniform he always insisted on wearing, and his voice came both through the microphone attached to the helmet and through the air, which resulted in a discordant two voices speaking simultaneously. Ethan inclined his head, the slightest gesture of recognition to his friend, and turned his attention back out the window as the skimmer began to descend towards a helipad on top of the skyscraper his offices were housed in. The skimmer arched down through the sky and Ethan could see another, similar model lifting off from the pad as they descended, the take-off and landing of each aircraft timed perfectly by the on-boards computers. While some people still had fears of flying the chances of any kind of crash, thanks to the high level of technology crammed into each skimmer, was practically non-existent. The lights dimmed in the cockpit and the compartment, meaning that suddenly the majority of the illumination came from the bright orange sun which was climbing steadily higher into the sky. A few clouds drifted by overhead, but otherwise it had all the hallmarks of being a perfectly clear and crisp day. Ethan returned to drumming his fingers on the window, it was a beautiful vista, but one he had seen many times by now. The skimmer touched down with the gentlest of hops, both compartments stabilized by internal rotors and stabilizers meant that it felt like landing on silk. Nathaniel leaned back into view and gave a thumbs up and a short wave as the door beside Ethan slid open with another hum and click of machinery and hydraulics. "Cheers mate" Ethan called back over his shoulder as he climbed out of the skimmer, carefully avoiding the whining engine suspended a few feet out and above him, still glowing orange from the power running through it. With his head and shoulders hunched low, an automatic response despite the fact that even his tall height did not put him in any danger of walking into the engine. After a few short scurrying steps he turned, straightening up as he did so and gave Nathaniel a short wave through the tinted black window. He couldn't see the pilot from this side of the window, but he would be in plain sight as the red lights around the helipad flashed green to indicate it was safe to lift off. Without any more ceremony and not even the shortest of glances back Ethan turned towards the stairs down into the building as the skimmer's engines went from the idling whine to a screech and then a roar as the craft took off vertically into the bright blue sky. Strolling down the stairs he passed a few members of the buildings' security, flak jackets over dark uniforms and side-arms holstered by their sides. Ethan recognized a few of them and gave them short nods of acknowledgement each, nothing personal but still polite enough, it never hurt to make friends amongst the lower echelons of the company. His stride was long but easy as he made his way lower towards his office, straightening the charcoal suit he wore and the forest green tie, before pulling out a set of slim glasses which he placed absent-mindedly high on the bridge of his nose. As soon as the frame of the spectacles touched his ear a small heads up display appeared on the lenses, a welcome message appeared as the equipment logged him into his account followed by a few briefly flashing icons indicating messages and reminders for his attention. A few equally absent-minded gestures on his smartphone and the flashing messages stopped. He had to admit he was looking forward to finally not having to go through all his various e-mails, appointments and social engagements himself. He had to give initial 'yes' answers to so many things just to be polite only to cancel later, but lately without an assistant to manage that for him, he had found himself very nearly forgetting the latter part. Half of him was amused at how dependent on another human being he had become since he had first acquired an assistant but other than that he really did not give it much thought, with so much information to sift through these days it was practically impossible to work alone, it was just a price of success as much as it was a perk. He nodded to a few more early risers as he strode through the upper floors, his smile relaxed and polite as he met the eyes of other executives and their assistants. His own office took up practically a whole floor by itself above these, but he liked to show his face briefly before he set to work proper in case anyone had anything urgent to bring up with him. He took the stairs two at a time before finally reaching the large double doors which lead to the antechamber of his own office. The lights were already on and the door unlocked, so it appeared his assistant was not only punctual but early, a good sign. Finding an assistant had proved a tricky business, it was not just about professionalism but about what was simply a good fit for Ethan's life, and so he had been forced to turn down a few candidates for a variety of surprisingly picky reasons. He hoped that Stacy would prove to be the right choice, because by this stage he really just needed someone to give him some coffee in the morning so he did not have to do that himself. Stepping through the doors he spotted her instantly, already seated and waiting patiently behind her own desk. He pushed his glasses up his nose, an automatic and almost nervous habit, while the CPU within them picked up on her face and directed him almost automatically to her social networking profiles. A murmured command sent the windows flying from view, the social networking profiles had been included in his dossier, but he had not really been that interested. That was until now as he approached her with a small half-smile lifting the corners of his lips upwards. He had not quite been prepared for how attractive she was. He knew many stories of men wanting gorgeous personal assistants but until that moment he had never really given it much thought. Even the conservative and smart clothes and make-up she wore did very little to hide the fabulous figure and her brilliant alabaster skin. For a moment he almost felt nervous as he made his way over to her, glancing inside his office to see a mug of something steaming on his desk. Early, with coffee and apparently a straight dime, he liked her already. "Stacy?" he asked, the question more polite than anything else, they both knew that he already knew who she was. "I'm Ethan" he said, stretching his hand out towards her as he stopped beside her desk, "I suppose there are a few things we're going to have to sort out before we can get to work" he said, slipping automatically into a neutral and business-like tone of voice, "Come into my office, and we'll go over it." He waved a hand towards the door to his office and made his way in without checking to see if she was following stretching and yawning broadly as he removed his suit jacket and slung it over the back of his chair. Without sitting down he practically snatched the cup of coffee from the desk and took a long draw of the still boiling liquid, sighing slightly and allowing his eyelids to lull shut just for a second before spinning theatrically on the spot the turn his attention back to her, waving silently to indicate that she should take one of the comfortable chairs in front of his desk if need be. One of the perks of getting to work early was the ability to watch everyone else arrive. The windows provided a wonderful view when it was not blocked by one of the skimmers coming in and dropping someone off before taking off again. No matter how many times she'd flown in one of those things during her internships she'd never gotten used to them. Flying simply made her nervous. Maybe it was because of her mothers fear, to this day she could still hear the aging woman saying if people were meant to fly they would have been born with wings. It was a silly argument, but Stacy couldn't help the feeling that perhaps she should have stayed on the ground every time she was up in the air. Stacy was going over the last month in Ethan's calendar trying to get a feel for what kind man he was. He didn't seem to attend many social events which was probably why the media referred to him as illusive and mysterious at best and a shut in and workaholic when they seemed non too pleased with his behavior. Three times she could see he'd confirmed his appearance to one event or another only to back out at the last minute. No wonder he had such a tattered reputation. It was one thing to refuse attendance, he was of a standing no one could really hurt him but to shame the host by backing out only served to further alienate people. The top of the food chain was a very small pond indeed, it wouldn't serve well in the long run to pee in the pool as it were. Stacy's gaze lifted when she head the whisper of the door opening and for the first time her gaze took in the man himself. Even after all the combing into his life as she'd done she was struck by how young he was, older than she was sure but not so much so. Dark hair gave him a devil may care feel and with a body like his it was no wonder he was considered such a prime catch by every fortune seeking social climber on the market today. She stood smoothing her clothing of wrinkles out of habit more than anything else. There was not a wrinkle to be seen, Stacy dressed impeccably the only youthfulness to her appearance being her hair left to tumble down around her shoulders. It had been a calculated choice, there would be no escaping her age by dressing it up or otherwise. She was young, and while some might disagree she saw it as an asset. She would learn quickly and had the energy to keep up in the fast moving world she wasn't wholly adjusted to." Yes, Stacy Hammond," She said with a smile as she took his hand shaking it firmly giving a pleasant smile in greeting. "A pleasure to meet you." She said easily taking her hand back and unconsciously tucking a lock of honey blond hair behind her ear. For a moment she almost wished he'd been an old man like the type she'd interned under, rough and craggy. They'd never made her nervous, but there was no mistaking the tingling feeling of butterflies taking wing in her belly. She could have pinched herself for her school girl reaction, nervous over a pretty face. Get a hold of yourself State, he's your boss, nothing is ever going to happen there. Better to consider him a eunuch then let your imagination wreak havoc. She told herself as he asked her to come into his office. Nodding she followed him but politely refused to sit down instead standing in front of his desk her back strait, a paper thin tablet balanced in her hand as well as a stylist in the other. It was clear she thought herself prepared to handle any task." I've been going over your scheduled, and it seems your secretary has everything in the office well at hand. You're not overbooked and your time seems to be managed well." Se said flicking past the dossier on her tablet on the secretary who seemed to have been with his quiet a while, "But I did notice that as for social arrangements you've cancelled on quite a few lately." She said giving him a look that was a cross between curious and scolding, "Are you married Mr... Ethan?" She asked stumbling over his last name drawing a blank for a moment, her cheeks taking on a slight flushed appearance at the slight mistake. "Likewise Ms. Hammond" Ethan replied to her courtesy giving her a small smile, nothing overly warm yet though. She was only his PA for a probationary period currently and so there was always the possibility that she would turn out to be a bad fit for the job. There were so many reasons which could cause her to lose the job, anything from inattentiveness to his needs or unprofessional behavior all the way down to the small, seemingly inconsequential, things which could simply cause a relationship like the one which could exist between them to sour. He knew a few other CEOs and head executives, both in the business and academic worlds, and he knew of at least one situation where a personal assistant had lost their job over a tiny detail which their boss simply could not get over, the one which sprung to mind involved the unfortunate PA humming to themselves when working. He liked to think he was not as fickle or as demanding as many of the other employers out there, hoping that the wealth he had accrued had not changed him too much, but he was not about to make friends with Stacy quite yet. At least, not until she had begun to prove herself as a useful and loyal assistant. That said, she was already making fairly decent headway if she was seeking his approval. He knew that she came with an excellent education and references and her obvious professionalism had already impressed him. He had to admit that he had been surprised to discover that his new assistant would be younger even than he was, but he was now feeling that there was good cause to be hopeful about the longevity of their working relationship. He shrugged aimlessly as she politely remained standing, he had expected that in truth. Just as he was not yet willing or able to be completely warm or friendly towards her, she likely would be feeling similarly uncertain. They had just met after all and to expect her to be immediately comfortable around him was simply a ludicrous proposition. He hoped she would thaw over time, would loosen up a little around him. It was simply that he occasionally took a relaxed approach to work, and indeed far more often too much else in life, so he could easily see himself deciding to look for a different assistant if Stacy ended up being completely overly professional and distant towards him. It seemed liked a ridiculous thing to request of any PA, that they be less professional, again highlighting how much he had changed since he had founded the company, but it was still something he found himself hoping for. While she remained standing, back straight as a rod, holding herself in a pose that seemed more befitting of a ballerina than a woman in an office, he slipped round behind his desk and slumped easily into his chair. He might not be entirely comfortable around Stacy yet, or perhaps was simply not letting himself be, but he had a natural confidence in his movements as he leaned backwards in the comfortable leather and took another sip of coffee. It was not entirely arrogance, a more simple aura of command, he knew he was in charge of the situation that inner knowledge carried across to his behavior. It was also partly to do with how people responded to him when he behaved as if he owned the building, if one was convincing enough then others started acting like you did as well. He nodded solemnly as Stacy began to go over the details she would need to work with him, his secretary had been working for him for years now and had much of his schedule well in hand. The company was growing though, and she was finding herself overwhelmed with both the professional and private affairs of his life, which was why he had now finally gone to the trouble of hiring a personal assistant. Stacy would handle essentially everything in his life that he could not, or would not, handle himself, and while this included a fair amount of business it focused less on that side than his secretary did. As she spoke he found his eyes lingering on her body, noting the way she held herself and the confident way she quickly was taking charge of his affairs. He leaned forward again, leaning lightly on the glass and metal table, elbows holding up his weight as he listened. Her voice was pleasant to listen to as well, he had been worried that her youth would mean she would speak in flurries of high-pitched words which would grate on his nerves at this time of the morning. Instead, it was gentle and pleasant to listen to her speak, almost musical and soothing in a way. He blinked in confusion, sitting up a little straighter in his chair as he forced himself out of whatever waking dream he had been falling into. It was one thing to want a personal assistant who was easy-going and fun to be around, but it was another thing entirely to have the image of her body bent over the table in front of him right then and there. The breath he drew in slowly and imperceptibly was slightly shaky as he tried to push off the residual arousal. The feeling had been most unexpected. He waved a hand defensively as she levelled a slightly accusatory frown his way, as if he were trying to fend off her look with his fingers. "Oh, gawd" he murmured, nodding his head to confirm that she was right at least about him cancelling social engagements. "I don't really know what to do there Ms. Hammond" he said, leaning back again in his chair, the feeling of arousal thankfully now replaced with one of frustration and irritation, "I mean, I try to be polite and accept these invites in the first place, but I can't actually GO to the bloody things". He waggled his eyebrows expressively as he spoke, waving a hand as he cursed before swiping his coffee up again, "The PEOPLE which go to some of them..." he did not finish the sentence and merely shuddered. Far too many of the people at some of the parties he was invited to were socialites and drama queens, even the men. Women for whom the phrase 'attention whore' had been coined almost literally. All too many of them were simply looking for the next person to make another sex-tape with, with whom they could be officially 'outraged' when somehow the tape leaked to the press. Of course, this had not stopped him once or twice in the past actually sleeping with one or two of the prettier ones, but they were all vapid and many were simply uninteresting and boring people to be around. They lived for the attention the world foisted on them, and for some reason the world continued to do so gleefully. Ethan was a little different in that respect, he was happy to spread the good word of his company and of some of the ground-breaking products they designed and researched, but otherwise he tried to keep the limelight away from him personally and onto the company itself. No small task. He laughed suddenly and brightly as Stacy stumbled over his name, perhaps she was not quite so overly professional as she might appear, it was a slightly rookie mistake to make. He waved a hand and blew some air through his lips, making a show of fending off any apologies before she could utter them. "Hadfield" he prompted her gently, the small smile from before a little warmer now in a show of being forgiving. "No, Ms. Stacy, no I'm not" he responded to her question, deliberately using her first name as he spoke to her with another small smirk. He had of course been referring to her as 'Ms.' the entire duration of their meeting thus far and took the opportunity to return to the question to her. "How about yourself" he started, suddenly feeling a little less confident and more like he was trying to chat up a pretty girl in a club, "Do you have a boyfriend at home to look after your own domestic life?" He smiled a little at his own joke, finishing off his coffee as he watched her. There was a strange twinge of anticipation in his mind as he looked at her over the brim of his cup. He found himself wanting her to be single, wanting her to be unattached. He couldn't really explain the feelings to himself at that particular moment, couldn't rationalize them beyond simple attraction, but it was how he felt. It was strange, it was almost as if he was a possessive boyfriend, already jealous of her and her time. He shook himself out of the mood again, the coffee starting to wake him up at least allowed him to focus elsewhere. "Oh before we continue, I should give you..." he started, leaning down to rummage through a drawer beside him. He pulled out a small earphone, already synced up to his phone, his virtual lenses and even his computer, which he pushed across the desk towards her. "It's so that I can remain in contact with you easily" he explained, "Completely secure of course, better even than any phone, you'll need to sync it with your computer at some point, but that can wait" he finished, turning his chair to look out across the city, now beginning to properly wake up. A touch of an amused smile would touch Stacy's lips when Ethan exclaimed over his social affairs. He reminded her at that moment of a young man forced to attend his sisters coming out or some such thing. Of an adolescent youth unused to the attention those focused on him because of his name or status. He eyebrow lifted, and she gave him a mild look of inquisitive interest as he calls the events bloody things and mentioned the people attending them as if he was talking about lepers rather than socialites. Stacy had known of course that he'd not grown up with a silver spoon thrust between his finally shaped lips but to think he'd come so far without at least trying to rub elbow and make friends rather surprised her. Stacy wasn't a social climber, she never expected to marry into that realm of living but interning and training in the last few years had provided her with many friends in that world that allowed her to move amongst them with a level of respect and grace. She knew how they talked about Ethan and saw many reasons why he would want to keep distance between himself and them. The population of young woman eager to get close to him, more interested in his net worth then the color of his eyes were enough to scare away even the most jaded of gentleman but as intimidating as this woman could be there were valuable business connections to be made not to mention his public image to be maintained which was of course her first and foremost concern. He laughed when she stumbled over his last name mildly cursing herself for the mistake. He didn't seem upset and waved his hand fending off the apology that had been on the tip of her tongue to make. "Mr. Hadfield" She repeated nodding lightly at his smile glad for his at ease nature that forgave her misstep. He answered her question which of course had been purely professional, but his use of her given name caused her to pause a moment "Dating?" She asked finally needing to know if she would need to keep track of anyone else. Her job in effect was to manage his private life, the details of which he didn't have time for knowing if he was dating would let her know if she needed to make reservations for two rather than one if she needed to put the staff on alert to let her in, things of that nature. He asked her about herself and Stacy looked up a questioning look on her face before he clarified asking if she had a boyfriend. An amused smile touched her lips as she considered it. She'd had a few here and there in the last year but dating required time, time she simply didn't have to waste on another person who forgot her birthday and her favorite color and would paw at her body in the middle of the night without a care to the fact that she had a meeting first thing in the morning. "No, I'm not currently dating, and I have no domestic life to speak of." She said with a smirk of amusement before glancing back down at her tablet checking an email that invited Ethan to some gala. Knowing she wouldn't be able to talk him into it, she sent a polite if canned denial to the invitation right away. If there was one thing she would see an end to during her time here it would be the whisper campaign against him concerning his reservations and no shows at certain events. Before she could move on to anything else Mr. Hadfield pulled something out of his desk sliding it across the surface to her. Slender fingertips picked it up and nodded as he explained the reasoning behind it. "Will I need to wear it all the time or will it alert me?" She asked curiously. She didn't mind wearing it during working hours but while on call which was a great deal of the time she wasn't sure if she liked the idea of having to wear it. It would be nice if it would beep or something when she wasn't wearing it so she could put it on if he needed her. She took note that his coffee was low with a glance and wondered idly if he was the type to drink coffee all day or only in the morning. He last boss had all but bathed in his brew demanding a new cup every twenty minutes, ten if it was tax season, but that was a tax lawyer for you, stressed to the max many living on adrenaline and caffeine. "More coffee?" She inquired easily brushing back her hair as she fit the earpiece into the shell of her ear adjusting it until it fit just right before letting her hair slide forward again obscuring it from view. Ethan shook his head as Stacy pressed the issue about his love life. He couldn’t fault her for being thorough, and he really ought to have been clearer in the first place anyway. “No, not currently anyway” he said, pausing briefly to think before he finally clarified his words, “At the moment I’m not involved with any woman in any way”. Here he paused again and smiled brightly before adding, “No men either” a small, almost childlike, chuckle escaping his lips at the jest. Ethan was fairly upbeat about his apparent recent lack of fortune with his love-life. In truth, it was as much a deliberate choice on his part as it was simple bad luck. He simply was not looking for love or to settle down, he was happy with his single lifestyle and happy to casually date a number of women. None of them ever stuck around for long though, usually because he simply lost interest. His wealth made picking up women a good deal easier than it had been back during his University days when he had been pretty awkward around the opposite sex. It may have been an exaggeration, but all the jokes about attraction to money and power did actually hold some grain of truth at their core. Of course, the type of women this usually attracted only stimulated certain parts of Ethan and never his imagination or his intelligence. So while he might have accrued a certain reputation he also had no-one person he could call his girlfriend, and currently he had no real desire to find one. He liked to believe he was a romantic, liked to think that love was possible for him, but he simply had not been looking for it recently. The little amused smile which crept onto Stacy’s lips as he returned the question brought a similar one to his own. He didn’t even need to hear her speak to know the answer, giving a short, wry chuckle at her words. Of course, she wouldn't be in a relationship, personal assistants never were. The position of a PA of a CEO in companies and firms as successful as Ethan’s, which was currently on the edge of being worth billions, were as highly competitive as they were demanding. They paid exceptionally well, they allowed the PA to make connections throughout all the upper echelons of the business world, and they provided a wealth of experience and knowledge which was worth as much as the money they earned. Armed with this knowledge, the best and brightest of the assistants could likely look forward to having their own PA to fetch their coffee for them one day. It was impossible to deny the benefits of the position. Of course with such extraordinary positives, it was natural that the job came with some rather extreme sacrifices. The first and foremost was always the life of the assistant itself. Friends, family, lovers, all took a back-seat to the whims and needs of their boss. This sort of lifestyle did not lend itself to successful relationships, not lasting ones anyway. It would have to be difficult to be in a relationship where it would be clear that one’s partner was thinking of someone else far more often than they thought of you, and such was the case for the PA. This, along with a few other bits and pieces, was something that Ethan had been filled in on before he had begun his search for his own assistant. It was why even the best of PAs would only last a few years, they would either get burnt out, move on somewhere better, or would finally decide to switch their focus to themselves. They finished the small shared chuckle, and then he gave her the new state-of-the-art ear-piece. "It ought to vibrate (or ring if that's your preference)" he replied, leaning back in his chair again to rub a hand over his face, yawning briefly as he paused in his response. The coffee was working wonders in waking him up, but he still couldn't help but daydream a little of his bed. "It's just another cell phone for you" he continued, sitting forward again and giving his shoulders a little shake, "But it's entirely secure, it's a little less obtrusive, and it's a direct line to me" he concluded. The ear-piece had been another one of his friend's ideas for keeping in touch with his PA. A mobile could be ignored, it could be forgotten or misplaced even. Something like this, which had a rather official air about it, was something which he doubted would ever be away from her person for longer than the time it took to charge. The secure line was also a rather important feature, in the information age where journalists were always trying to get the latest gossip on the wealthy and powerful and would often stoop to less than legal measures it was important to know that any secrets he had would not be overheard by any third party. Not that he really had any skeletons in his closet, but that was no reason to not take precautions. It had actually been very easy to convince Ethan of this idea though, largely because the whole thing had an ever so slightly illicit, secret-agent feel about it, and even now in his mid-twenties Ethan still loved the idea of being a spy. He shook his head at her next question, answering with a quick "No, thanks". He drank coffee sparingly throughout the day, outside his morning cup he would usually only drink more if he was in company or in a meeting. His eyes followed her hand as she tucked the ear-piece into her ear and out of sight, her hair falling down to conceal it. This time though he managed not to stare or even focus too much on that small movement. The earlier feeling of enchantment, likely due to simply being tired and not entirely there, had disappeared now to be replaced by a more cool and professional attitude and outlook. He had not forgotten the obvious attraction he had felt towards Stacy, but now that he was no longer day-dreaming and half-asleep he was able to ignore it as easily as if she was any other member of the workforce. The fact that he did find her attractive might cause problems at a later date, might cause him to grow overly familiar or fond of her, but he hoped to be able to restrain himself." So Stacy" he said, leaning forward again now all businesslike and focused, "I know there are... Problems with my current reputation" he started. Problems was an understatement really and the emphasis he put on the word made it quite clear he was aware of that. In fact part of the reason he only now was getting a PA was because his friends (the other founding members of the company), along with the backing of the board, had practically insisted that he get one. The company was doing well, money was flowing and everyone was happy, but it was not growing as fast as it should. A large part of that was down to Ethan, as the head of the company he was also it's figurehead and official representative and ought to have been constantly out and about attempting to secure more high-profile clients and assets. However, he was difficult to reach, and he had learned he had developed an apparent reputation for being unreliable, all because of his lack of visibility and appearances at the parties, soirées and fundraisers which he was expected to attend. It was not damaging yet, little more than rumors and hearsay according to his friends, but it was the sort of thing that if left unchecked could have potentially unfortunate outcomes. He had worked hard to set up the company along with the few friends he had back after he finished college, but now he found he had an entirely different set of obstacles to overcome, primarily putting on a brave face and a wide smile. "So, it comes down to you-" here he paused, shaking his head before he rephrased, "You need to help me lose the bad rep, for the good of the company" he said. It felt a little awkward almost to be requesting her help, but as the board had said, it appeared he might need it. The information about the earpiece was helpful tough she made no comment about it. It was clear to her, he expected her to keep it on her at all times by say it was like a second cell phone and while it would be something more she would need to adjust to in the end like everything else it was a small thing when compared to the vast opportunity that was her job as a whole. He addressed her directly and approached the problem that was his social reputation and Stacy gave a light smile. It was something of a specialty for her that area of her job. She'd considered for a time being an image consultant, but generally they were not kept on long term where in this job she got to do a lot of the same things, and she would be kept on much longer and gave opportunities for advancement that being an image consultant lacked completely." Yes to say your reputation is not exactly pristine would be kind to say the least." She said finally taking her seat and crossing on leg over the other and shifting her hair over her shoulder. "While the idea may be distasteful for you, you will need to start attending events." She said pausing for a beat before continuing. "Lady Margret, wife of David Thatcher CEO f fortune five hundred company Imagine Inc. is throwing her annual fundraiser this Friday night. It's a fifteen hundred dollar a plate dinner with a silent and open auction with pieces donated by the Summer set Ladies Society. It's a highly publicized event, this year all the proceeds going to Charity: Water a non-profit organization bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing countries." She said describing the event before pausing again shifting just lightly in her seat." It's my suggestion you attend. The charity nature f the event will go a long way to helping improve your name and if you desire I can accompany you, I'm quite familiar with those on the guest list and can get seats though it's certain to be sold out at this point." She said making sure to underline that she could do this while others might not be able to. It was true enough she knew some of the woman of the society and would use them to get seats for them if he consented to attend." There are a few other events open to you as well. A coming out party for a new debutante, a house party, theirs a wedding next month, a few smaller charity events this week, and a plethora of parties and get together, dinner parties and the likes." She said giving him light details on other events going on for the season but neglecting to go into details with the other headlining events of the season, she wanted him to attend them so figured it was best to not overwhelm him with too much at one time. He pouted slightly, a mock look of indignation crossing his face that Stacy did not even attempt to argue his words. He shrugged and chuckled ruefully, nodding in reluctant agreement though, rubbing a hand across his face as he did so. Furthermore, he had not hired her to be a "yes man" who would agree with everything he said, so he supposed that laying some difficult truths out first would most likely be the best thing for their fledging professional relationship. Even though he had struggled to admit to the problem himself and hearing someone he did not know confirm it so out-of-hand was a little frustrating, it was for the best. The truth was though, that outside of the few friends he had made in college he was something of a loner at times and definitely did not enjoy being the center of attention, thus why he limited his social appearances. When he did make them he disguised his frustration behind a layer of bravado and confidence that only money could provide, but in truth he knew that there was only so long he could keep up the charade before things came to a head. So Stacy was now taking charge of his social life for him and things would hopefully quickly be rectified. It might even be fun, he told himself, he might actually be able to enjoy himself if he simply decided to let go of enjoying the indoor life he had. Stacy herself might prove a vibrant and enjoyable companion, and who knew what sort of connections he could make through her and through her knowledge of the social circles of the rich and powerful. It might still feel a little like pulling teeth, but perhaps it was nearing the end of the pain and soon things would start looking better. Stacy was quick to take charge, already looking through his social calendar for appropriate engagements, fundraisers and parties for him to begin to raise his social profile. The first event she described in detail sounded boring, one of the things he was certain he had flicked past on the computer without giving it so much as a second glance. He scoffed slightly when she informed him that she suggested he go, briefly toying with the idea of denying her flat out. For a moment his frown likely would have said everything, stubborn refusal, a near childish insistence that he was right, and she was wrong and a reluctance to start his social 're-awakening' so soon. Why could he not put it off for a month or so? Give himself some time to warm up and maybe get comfortable with the idea of actually going to a party first. The frown would disappear to be replaced by another weary smile and nod though as he powered through each of the petulant emotions with the simple fact that he had already been putting this off for long enough. It was now or never, he would let his new personal assistant do what she did best and let her take charge of things. He sighed and allowed his smile to brighten a little so he did not look quite so defeated. If nothing else, she was definitely eager to please and eager to show off her credentials by proving that she could get them into the highly prestigious event despite already being full. Of course, he had absolutely no need of proof of that, he knew already that her history was impeccable. Of course, he did also assume that one could simply wave his name around and be offered as many seats as he desired, but perhaps that might have been a little naive." All right Stacy" he answered, "I've hired you for a reason and if you think I should go... I'll go", he paused for a moment before he continued, pondering her offer before confirming her other suggestion, "And yeah, please do come with me". He tried to make it sound off-hand and not too eager as he tried to hide the fact that he really did not want to go to anything like this on his own, he hoped that she at least would be able to act as a buffer between anyone trying too hard to occupy his time. The smile on his face was almost starting to brighten up when she launched into a list of other possible examples of fun for the wealthy and famous. The smile slowly drooped off of his face and he was left sitting and staring quietly before he suddenly waved his hands and laughed, a deep laugh of amusement both at himself and the situation in general. "One thing at a time I think!" he exclaimed, "Otherwise I might just have to throw myself out of the nearest window" he finished with another small chuckle, grinning broadly at her. He spun around in his chair to face the window again, thinking briefly and again fighting an internal battle before he answered. "I'll leave it to your discretion, unless I actually have a good reason to not attend something then it will be up to you whether I go" he heaved a sigh as he finished the words, almost feeling like he was setting his head upon the executioners block by providing her with the excuse to micromanage him like that. It could be fun, he insisted to himself again, there was no point in allowing himself to wallow in self-pity or to be morose about it. He had to suck it up and stop behaving quite so much like a spoiled child. In truth, it seemed to be the biggest first world problem he had ever experienced and that thought alone elicited another chuckle from him.' Oh no, I have too many parties to go to, whatever can I do?'his own mind mocked him, leaving him smiling brightly, eyes twinkling with the amusement. He spun around again, hopping to his feet to take as much charge as he could have the situation. "Very well, for the first one!" he started, serious as a general dictating lines of battle, "When am I picking you up?" he asked and then blinked slightly in confusion as another thought hit him. "Oh... And when is it?" he asked, the question a little sheepish as he seemed to be getting ahead of himself already. He assumed she would inform him of everything else he needed to know, how formally to dress, what might be expected of him there, and he naturally assumed that she would have things organized before he could even start to wonder what would be needed of him. It was remarkably freeing in a way to leave things like this up to someone else, like a weight he did not know he had been carrying had been lifted from his mind. Perhaps he had been stressing over this for longer than he thought but now that he had made the decision he felt almost buzzed, ready and charged with energy to take on this new challenge. The challenge of dealing with the social circles of the members of large and important companies. He disguised the emotions but could not quite help the slightly nervous energy which would appear to pick a bit of extra spring in his step as he circled the table back to stand before her.

The Very Personal Assistant (LimitlessNikkie and Assassini)|rating:4.0

Earth and Sky (akumamika & Elf)

"ALIZEPHER! Get digging for goodness’s sake girl!" The shout from the other end of the tunnel made the girl jump and pick up her shovel, a pickaxe strapped firmly in place on her back clunked against her tools that occupied her belt. She flashed an apologetic smile to the supervisor who shook his head and turned to instruct the other diggers. She'd been caught daydreaming again, looking up at the pinpoint of light through the ventilation shaft. This was somewhere along the hundredth time just this month. As Liz began digging further into the wall and pulling away tree roots she figured they must be getting close to a good source of water by now. She was considered too much of a liability in the deeper mines and preferred being on the surface digger's team yet for some reason whenever she requested to go to the surface with the fruit collectors she was turned down flat with no explanation. Heaving a sigh she struck her pick into a hard to move rock when a deep rumbling alerted her and the others." Move out boys we got it, get Boulder to bring up the pipes, come on now move." Liz was pushed back as they sorted out the piping for the water, she could see filtered light coming from the hole she'd just made and wondered again just how far they were from the surface. Looking up one of the Ventilation shafts she could have sworn something large passed over it and her curiosity was peaked. (all appearances the young warlord looks as if he is looking out at sky as the airship travels slowly through it. In actuality though his focus is deep inside his own mind as he is remembering a day some 15 or so years ago when he and his best friend Alizepher had slipped away from the adults during a visit to the ancient dragon/human city on the surface. They had broken so many rules by leaving the stone towers to explore the wilderness outside the city. He had seen such wondrous sights, and they had run and chased each other through the trees. It had been such great fun until she fell into a hole and disappeared. He had run back for help but once he found it could not find his way back to the spot. Even after all these years he still feels guilty for leaving her behind and misses her greatly, but he never for one moment believed that she was dead. All the adults even her parents eventually accepted her death, but to this day he still believes that she is still alive down on the surface or below. Now that he finally has his own vessel and as soon as they have gathered enough supplies he intends to return to Drake land to once again search for his lost friend.(young lord is roused from his thoughts by the call of one of his crew. “Augustine, there is a small lake in sight and as you know we are badly in need of fresh water.” Shaking his head to bring him further back into the present he looks over the side and sees the body of water as indicated. Stepping to the helm he turns the ship to head for the lake and works the controls to begin a slow descent. He issues a command to stoke the boilers so they can get greater speed to reach the lake quicker. As they draw closer to the body of water he sees that there is no good place on the land to tie up the airship so has under fins pulled up so they can land in the water itself. It takes nearly an hour to get the ship ready for a water landing but once that is done though he works the controls and levers to set the ship down gently in the water. Anchors are then dropped to keep it in one place and pipes are fed into the lake. Once all is set the power from the steam engines is converted over to run the pumps and the tanks in the belly of the ship start to slowly fill with the lake water. He had quite purposely put the ship close enough to the shore that they could drop the gangplank and walk to the land. Grabbing up his sword cane and after making sure his revolver is loaded and ready to go Augustine lowers the gangplank. With a bounce in his step he strides down the gangplank to the land. As his foot touches the ground a deep sigh slips from him, and he reaches up to touch a nearby left. “Ah, it’s been ages since I’ve walked on solid ground, been this close to the trees.” Not far from the lake as he is walking and looking at the trees and paying little attention to where he actually steps his foot slips into a deep hole. He is startled but not hurt as he drops to his thigh into the hole. He swings his foot but is unable to touch the bottom with his foot. It takes a bit of an effort and a couple of minutes, but he finally manages to pull his leg free. Kneeling down and looking into the hole he cannot see the bottom for the darkness within. Curious about just how far down this hole goes he lights a candle and drops it in to the hole and watches as the small spot of light descent into the earth. It goes down far enough that all he can see is the spot of light, but it does stop falling very quickly, and he can see that it has stopped moving. Liz huffed, she was kept away from the pipe workers who were busily pumping the water to the main cities. She sat on a pile of soft earth discarded from the tunnels a day previous. She looked up, why she did she'd never know, she just chalked it up to her always wanting to look up. Something light was coming down the ventilation shaft, she held out her hand and quickly caught whatever it was, luckily the burning tip of it was away from her leather gloved fingers. Confusion dawned on her face, a candle, from outside, maybe a surface scout had dropped it or something, but she couldn't believe that, this looked different to the black candles they normally used, since they were made out of crushed coke and charcoal down here. This felt smooth and clean to hold. She moved under the hole and gazed upwards. Someone was up there, perhaps they needed help? After the long run home she brought the candle to the attention of the elder miners and begged and pleaded to go to the surface to find whoever it was that sent the candle down to the underground. They point-blank refused and even scalded her for being so stupid and naive. They confiscated the candle from her and put out the flame. Sulking she returned to what she considered her home, her adoptive parents looking a little sullen as she came in through the door. Their youngest son (Out of three) came bounding up to her and tugged her hands till she followed him into the bathroom so she could wash up for their evening meal. "AZI is in bubble!" He chimed, making her smile and shake her head." When am I not in trouble Callum?" She giggled as he strained to think but gave up and went to the dining room to eat. The meal was held in awkward silence, Liz was afraid to speak in case she upset anyone at the table. One of the older boys, Cliff, was looking slightly shifty, his eyes moving between Alizepher and their parents. The middle boy, Dustin smirked and final broke the silence. "Liz asked to go up top again." The slamming down of cutlery made her jump, she glared daggers at Dustin who had pretty much admitted to eavesdropping but was quickly subdued by her father who looked ready to bust a vein."YOUNG LADY IF WE HAVE TOLD YOU ONCE WE HAVE TOLD YOU A THOUSAND TIMES! DO NOT EVER SPEAK OF GOING TO THE SURFACE, IT IS DANGEROUS!"" But I-""NO, NO YOU WILL LEARN GIRL. GO ON OFF WITH YOU GO!" Not waiting around to be yelled at anymore she rushed to her room one floor below and slammed her door tight shut behind her. Why didn't they like talking about it, hadn't they told her she wasn't from around here? She figured that she must have come from up top, she wasn't like everyone else down here. Once she was certain everyone was asleep she brushed her eyes of sleep and got up, carefully taking her tools and a small sack of supplies before heading back to the pipeline. Without a backwards glance she heaved herself into a ventilation shaft, arms and legs spread like a spider as she used her strength to push herself upwards to the surface. She could smell the air, and water, the plants. For some reason it brought a wide smile to her face and redoubled her efforts to get higher and higher up. It was dark when she finally reached the top of the shaft, pulling herself onto the ground. It was thick with grass and wild flowers, all the new smells made her laugh quietly to herself, and the sound of moving water turned her head. She rolled over and stood to gaze down into the lake, a large object floating in the middle of it. It looked familiar, but she couldn't place it anywhere by memory. As she took a step forward a low growl startled her and forced her to turn around. She paled as she locked eyes with a behemoth of a large cat, it's fangs dropping way below its jaw line, it's fur black as the night sky and it's eyes icy blue as the stars above her. If it wasn't for her sleek size she would probably have been caught by now as she darted through the trees, roots and bushed while it struggled to force its way behind her. She was getting closer to the lake, but a cliff stood between her and it. Turning around she did the only thing that came to mind that could possibly save her life or end it. A loud metallic ringing split the air as the flat side of her spade cracked across the cat's face, snapping one of its fangs clean off its chops. In pain the beast turned and fled leaving her to pick up the broken tooth and smirked to herself. However, the ground gave way beneath her, and she slid down the cliff side onto the pebbly shore of the lake. Augustine explores the wilderness around the lake until nearly sunset at which time he returns to his carrying some fresh fruits he had found and picked. Once back aboard and after making sure all of his crew members are also on board he draws up the gangplank to reduce the chance of any wild animals coming on board during the night as the tanks of water will not be filled until about dawn. Some of the crew had hunted instead of just exploring as he had done so there is fresh meat for the evening meal to go along with the fruit and some vegetables. The young lord had lost his excitement during the day once again remembering the time in his youth where such explorations had cost him his closest friend. So part of his exploring had been to examine the ground, and he was quite surprised to find more of those small, deep, and unusually straight holes throughout the area. They might be naturally occurring, but he doubts it just look too perfect to have happened without help. He even thinks that they maybe some sort of chimney or ventilation shafts. He has heard the legends of the underground people and guesses that they would have need of fresh air. This gives him even greater hope that Alizepher is still alive and possibly living with those below the surface. As Augustine enjoys his dinner of all fresh foods collected during the day his thoughts wander to some way of making contact with people living below the surface. By the time he is eating he is absolutely certain that those small vertical shafts can only mean that there are people below in this area. Why wouldn’t there be people near the lake? They of course would need water just as much as the Sky people do. He makes up his mind to remain here at the lake for a couple of days to search for access to the underground realm in hopes of making contact with the people that live there. He imagines making contact and getting news of his long-lost friend, he also thinks about setting up trade with the under dwellers. Furthermore, he is certain that each culture will have things the other will want and need, so trade could be beneficial to both groups. The fact that whoever gets such trade started on either side is very likely to become very wealthy, is a thought that barely crosses his mind very briefly. He already has all that he really needs so has little interest in increasing his own wealth. No, his main interest is finding his friend and meeting new and interesting people. It is sometime after dinner when the young lord is on the deck of his ship admiring the reflection of the moon and stars on the surface of the lake. The sound of a large predatory beast on the land barely even registers on the young man as this is not uncommon so he does not even look in the direction of the sound. The sound of metal striking something hard is unusual and causes head to snap up and look in that direction. It is however well after dark so the far shoreline where the noise came from is lost in inky blackness. As he is calling for search lamp to be lit and directed that way the sound of something sliding down the cliff side can be clearly heard. What seems like forever to the anxious young man is really only a matter of seconds and the light comes on and through use of mirrors and crystal lenses a powerful beam of white light streaks across the lake. At first the top of the cliff is lit up clearly showing those on the airship the trees there but nothing else. Augustine directs the light be moved down to the shore at the bottom of the cliff. The light sweeps from the left to the right and stops when to everybody’s astonishment a person in strange clothing is shown in the light. After just a moment of shock Augustine shouts to have his personal and quite experimental personal flying machine made ready. Though there is some argument from the crew over whether he should go or if his design will actually work, he orders them to prepare for a guest on board. He simply cannot leave a lone person on the ground at night especially if that person is injured by the fall from above. It is quite simply much too dangerous and there is almost no chance of surviving the night. He climbs aboard his much smaller craft, and it is launched out over the lake. The machine is a smaller version of the balloon that gives his main ship its lift with a wooden framework hanging below. The framework has seating for two or three people fins for steering and propellers for forward motion powered by the pilot turning a wheel with his feet which through use of belts turns other wheels which turn the propellers. He keeps the small craft just a few feet above the water and working his legs quickly drives it straight towards the person on the shore at a fairly rapid speed. Alizepher was barely conscious and was wondering just what the small sparkles were floating above her. Her hands were wrapped tightly around the cat's fang and her shovel. Her years of digging had given her a death grip which barely loosened even in sleep. She could see a shadow hovering over her, blocking out the stars. Something felt familiar, yet she had no time to place it. She blacked out. When dawn rose Ali tossed around on her bed, it felt way too comfortable, and she was going to get in trouble for being late. She felt her bare hand brush over cool, unfamiliar sheets which startled her into a sitting position. She regretted it immediately as the bright light intensified her splitting migrant by tenfold. Furthermore, she let out a pained yelp and fumbled around, ending up on the wooden floor. Furthermore, she felt more frightened than when the beast chased her to the cliffs. To escape the light she crawled under the bed to allow her eyes to adjust. She only just noticed the white gown she was wearing and yelped again. Augustine piloted his little craft to just above the unfortunate person on the shore. He sees this person stir some but not much before falling completely still. In the darkness of the night and based on the clothing the fall victim is wearing he assumes the person to be a young man his own age at best likely though a few years younger. This may be the maiden voyage of the little craft, but he is so concerned with saving the other man that he just reacted as if it would function as planned. He lands it next to unconscious man and anchors it down. The craft really is not designed to accommodate an unconscious passenger but with some effort Augustine is able to secure her to it, as soon as he had gone to pick the person up he realized that she is female rather than male she appeared to be, by having his hand discover and firm round breast under it when he first tried to pick her up instead of the hard chest of a male. The trip back to his ship is much slower due in part to the added weight of the unconscious girl and because Augustine is making sure not to jostle her too much. Once back aboard he carries her to his cabin and has the crew resecure smaller flying machine. In his quarters he gently strips her out of her dirt clothing and puts her in a pristine white sleeping gown made of fine quality cotton then puts her comfortably into his bed, tonight he will sleep in the crew’s quarters with them. Although it had been very tempting to closely examine her when she was unclothed he had not only noted that she is built more like his own people not bulky and heavily muscled as he expects those that have lived underground would likely be after many generations of digging through the Earth. This makes him wonder if he had the experts were wrong about what the under dwellers would be like if they even exist at all or if she is perhaps originally from the skies. After dressing her and placing her in his bed he looks at her face and realizes that after all these years and the fact they both had been so young that he likely would not recognize his lost friend if he saw her. This girl looks very much like what he expects his friend would look like, but it could not possibly be her, this place is much too far away from where she was lost. Augustine and his crew are just finishing a breakfast of fresh fruit and juice after turning off the pumps as the tanks are filled. He is just about to light his pipe to enjoy a leisurely smoke after eating when he hears a feminine yelp come from his cabin followed by a thud on the deck then another yelp. Grabbing a plate of sliced fruits of various types found right here by the lake and a glass of juice he walks into his cabin. Seeing the empty bed he is at first puzzled, but after a moment realizes that if she is indeed from underground she would not be used to so much light. It only takes him a few seconds to realize that the best place for her to go to escape the brilliant sunlight coming in is under his bunk. Without actually getting down on the floor and looking under the bed he sets the plate and glass on the floor just under the edge of it. He then stands and walks to the windows and draws the shutters closed dropping the room into twilight like darkness. Moving back to the bed he then sets on the deck a few feet from it with his legs crossed facing the bunk, but he still does not go any lower to look under it. “Have some breakfast I’m sure you are hungry after your ordeal. Please come out, if I meant you any harm I would have just left you on the shore after your fall down the cliff.” Feeling her heart threatening to bust her rib cage open Ali tried to calm herself down by reeling off the names of all the different kinds of gems she had ever dug up. She felt her lungs ease up, and her blood wasn't so deafening in her ears now. The light clatter of china and glass on the wood beside her made her jump and she watched a pair of smart boots walking around the bed. Determined to stay safe she turned to watch as they strode away and darkened the room. She felt a little more at ease in a light she could easily see in and moved to the opposite side of the figure. Her hand brushed the plate making it clatter again. Looking down at it, she furrowed her eyebrows at the odd colorful slices. She picked one up to examine it, it felt soft and squishy and a sweet smelling juice trickled over her fingers. She popped it into her mouth and chewed, enjoying the fruit's flavor as she pulled herself up to look over the bed at the man who had joined her in the room. Furthermore, she was stunned into silence for several moments, he looked strikingly familiar, yet she knew she'd never seen him underground before. Maybe above ground people just looked similar, he looked a little like she did, she was always the smallest of the miners, even other females were more stocky and considerably shorter than she was. He looked much taller, and he had on a funny looking hat that made him look even taller. Realizing she had been staring she had the grace to blush and look down. "Sorry...what are these by the way?" She picked up another bright colored slice and held it up to him, moving it in her hand curiously rotating it one way then the other, a trait taught by her years of examining gems and ores. Augustine sets on the deck cross-legged patiently waiting for the girl to feel comfortable enough to come out from under his bunk. When she finally pops up on the other side of it he smiles warmly glad that she has decided not to remain huddled in the cramped space beneath it. He merely watches her as she stares at him when she blushes which he can barely see in the dim light and looks down his smile broadens. “There is nothing to be sorry for, if you are from where I think you’re from then I expect I look rather strange to you.” At her question about the fruit though he laughs lightly. “You really don’t know what fruit is? I’m not sure what each one is called, but I know they are quite good and not poisonous. Everything on the plate came from trees surrounding the lake which we gathered yesterday. If you would rather have something else though we do have some breads and some fresh meat as we hunted on the shore also.” He pauses to simply watch way she examines the slice from every possible angle. After a moment the young lord scoots forward until his crossed legs are under the bunk. Now with only the bunk separating them he removes his hat setting on the bed off to the side and rests both of his arms on the bunk. “I’m Augustine, I own this ship. I brought you on board because in your condition you would have likely ended up as some creatures late night snack. The surface is a very dangerous place especially at night. What is your name? Could you please tell me what you were doing out there at night?” With his elbows on his bunk he folds his hands together and places both index fingers against his lips as he watches across the bed and waits for her to reply. Some of her mannerisms are unique but others are so much like that of his lost friend he cannot help himself but to be amazed at how much she looks like his friend. Now that she is awake and moving about the similarities are even more profound, but she cannot possibly be her. Even after such a long time how could she have traveled such a great distance from where she fell into the ground? Satisfied with the look of the fruit she listened to Augustine speak while she ate a few more fruit slices. She pondered his questions and picked through them carefully before answering him. She mimicked his pose to great detail but a playful smile spread across her features. "I was out exploring, see a curious item fell down a ventilation shaft but. I was not really supposed to investigate it. I ended up where I was after being chased by a monster, I was actually very surprised that I broke one of its teeth." She completely bypassed his request for her name, not wanting to show too much since she was still unsure of his intentions. "Where are my tools and clothes by the way? I would feel a little more at ease with them on or at least close by...if it's not too much to ask." A light chuckle slips from Augustine when the girl mimics him with the playful smile on her pretty face. His own smile seems to fade a bit when her answer does not include her name. At her mention a curious object falling through a ventilation shaft he gets a look of mild concern on his face followed by him blushing this time. “Ah my candle. I dropped that in an effort to see how far down the shaft went after I stumbled into it and was stuck for a few minutes with leg up to my thigh. I do hope my little fire didn’t hurt anyone. So you are an under dweller. Most of us sky people think you all are just myths and legends.” At her comment about being chased by a monster and breaking its tooth he smiles looking mildly impressed. “You should be surprised, few who meet a panther after dark live to talk about it much less bring back a souvenir.” He gestures with his right hand towards a desk in the corner of the room behind her, where all of her belongs except her clothing are spread out on the top. “Your tools and the tooth are on my desk. I wanted to examine them, but you are of course welcome to take them back whenever you like. Your clothes on the other hand are being laundered as they were quite dirty. They will be returned to you as soon as they are clean and dry.” He cocks his head and gives her an amused look. “If you won’t share your name, shall I just call you Frog? Short for troglodyte, a cave dweller. I need to call you something. You can call me Lord, Sir, Augustine, or just August. I do like to keep things casual though so I would be happy with August or Augustine.” She shook her head to confirm his candle had done no damage but would ask more about it later. She swelled with pride at the mention of besting a panther with her shovel. However, as he gestured to her tools she quickly removed herself from the floor to inspect each one, even putting her hat back on her head. However, she did look slightly crestfallen when she saw a huge dent on her shovel's blade. "Poor thing, got some good use out of him too." She put it back down and turned to face August again, bristling at being called a Frog. "It's not polite to poke fun at women.hmm. Since I owe you for picking me up I suppose I can give you my name." She paused for a moment to watch his actions carefully before placing herself near the door in case she needed a quick exit, why she felt she would need it she didn't know. "Alizepher.everyone laughs at the name, so I usually answer to Ali or Liz." An amused smile shows on the young lord’s face as he watches the girl move quickly to her belongs. His expression changes to one of hurt though when she bristles and accuses him of poking fun of her. “I was not poking fun at you. You are the only Under Dweller here and without a proper name I just thought it would make sense, and I would have suggested it regardless of your gender. I would much prefer to use your actual name though.” When she moves close to the door he rises turns to continue facing her and sits casually on the bunk. When she finally says her name he comes very close to falling off the bunk in shock. His eyes open wide and his jaw hangs open for several seconds as he simply stares at her. “Ali … Liz … your name is Alizepher? That is an unusual name, but I think it is a great name. I knew an Alizepher a long time ago, she was my best friend. She would probably be about your age now too, but she was lost.” He just sets there looking at Ali for some time with his hands hang limp on his lap. As he is looking at her, he pictures her as the girl that was his friend so long ago and clearly remembers chasing her and seeing her suddenly drop out of sight. When he got to the spot where she had disappeared he peered down the hole but could only an inky blankness and when he desperately called down to her got no response. His eyes start to water threatening to shed tears down his cheeks. “Have you always lived below the surface?” Ali was quite confused by his shock and cocked her head to one side, quite resembling a raven tilting its head back and forth with curiosity, another trait not gained underground. Seeing he made no move of threat she relaxed and pressed her back to the wall, holding her hands in front of her casually. Considering her question she thought back as far as memories would allow. "As far as I know...other people teased me about having fallen from the roof or called me flighty pants, however that was for a slightly different reason I don't really want to go into. I suppose I've been quite different." Ali let her eyes wander the room as she let out a huff of air, making a blonde tendril fly up back onto her head. Looking back at him, she tilted her head again, becoming pensive. "I'm sorry to hear you lost your friend. I'm not sure how that must feel, I didn't really make any solid friendships underground." Pushing herself from the wall she headed for the window and just peeked into the bright light, shielding her eyes for a few moments. "For some reason this looks familiar." Augustine remains deep in shock and makes no attempt to move from his spot on his bunk as he watches Ali. When she cocks her head like a curious raven he cannot prevent the small smile that comes to his lips as it is something his Liz used to do. When she says that she was teased about falling from the roof he begins to truly wonder if she is his lost friend, for he only knows of one Alizepher, and what are the chances another girl with the same name would have fallen into the world of the Under dwellers? She of course does not remember ever living above the surface so he does not say anything. He does kind of quietly chuckle at the name Flighty Head, while he has no idea what reason for her to actually have gotten such a name, it does seem to fit the Ali he knew for she had a tendency to daydream, give in to flights of fantasy. Nobody ever used such a term for her that he knows of but after hearing he thinks it to be an apt name for his friend. It however was never something he would have teased her about as it was one of things that he liked about her. To his ten-year-old self she always seemed to come up with the unique and wonderful ideas. He does manage to thank her for her show of sympathy over his lost friend. When Ali moves to the window and while shielding her eyes peers out leans back on one elbow to a more relaxed position which allows him to keep her in sight. Her comment about what she sees out the window feeling familiar only serves to strengthen his belief that she very well maybe his lost friend. “Tell me, Liz,” he uses the name he had always used for her rather than what she had said he could use, one it is just how he had shortened her name, and he wants to see her reaction to it, “can you remember how old you were at your earliest memories of being underground?” He stands up and walks closer to her but stays well out of her personal space not wanting to spook her. Standing there reasonably close to her and the window he examines her more closely as best he can with her in the loose fitting white sleeping gown. He has to admit to himself if she is his lost childhood friend she has grown into a very lovely young woman, one he would have wanted to court. He briefly wonders if she had not been lost, and they had grown up together if he had noticed what a beautiful woman she has become or just continued to see her as his best friend where gender just was not an issue. Furthermore, he has seen other such friends grow up and remain friends but end up with different life partners never really seeing each other as potential mates. Furthermore, he definitely sees the woman before him now as a potential mate and if she is his friend that would be even better. Letting the curtains fall shut again to relieve her eyes from the exposure to light, but she seemed easier about it than before upon waking up in such a brightly lit room. She chewed on her bottom lip as she often did when thinking really hard. "I must have been fairly young since I don't remember much, and it was so dark for the longest time I couldn't really say much about being a child. Whenever I asked people avoided the question, they'd never tell me why I was the way I was... I guess I was probably uhm.eight I think give or take. Either way I'm twenty now so it's been some time since then." Turning around to face him she jumped a little at how close he was but made no sign she was uncomfortable. "I don't think I've been called Liz for a long time, but I do remember someone shouting my name in the dark. I'm not sure though it could have been a mistake." She studied him a little more closely and smiled again. "So does this ship? Really fly up there?" She pointed upwards forgetting what it was real called but only had a vague memory/dream. When Liz says she was about eight and gives her current age, it does not all fit with the lord’s story. The age is right his Liz was only eight when she fell and he ten, but that was much closer to fifteen years ago as he is now twenty-four with his twenty-fifth birthday coming up in just a few weeks, so his Liz should be twenty-two or three now. Of course, she did suffer a traumatic event and being underground could very well be mistaken about how many years have passed so could also be wrong about her own age. His only response to her story though is to simply say, “interesting.” When she lets down the curtain and turns towards him and jumps he instantly steps back worried that maybe his idea of personal space might be different from hers, and he still does not want to crowd or spook her, she has already had enough of a fright today. Saying that she does remember being called Liz brings a smile to his face, but it quickly vanishes when she says she heard someone calling it in the darkness, and he looks kind of embarrassed as he looks away and down so that his eyes are towards the deck off to her side. I shouted down into the hole my friend fell into calling out Liz until I was almost hoarse, but I never heard an answer. In my panic when I ran to get some adults to help, I could not find the spot where she fell, so no one could rescue her.” Augustine remains silent and keeps his eyes cast down until Liz asks her question about his ship. Her inability to remember the word sky or heavens kind of amuses him, but what really gets him going is that she wants to know if it really flies. This is his first ship, and he has only had it for less than a week so of course he is very enthusiastic about. He beams at her in his renewed excitement. “Of course this ship really flies in the sky. We do not live on the surface it is much too dangerous to remain on the ground for very long. We are the Sky People.” He rushes to his wardrobe and pulls both doors open and steps aside to give her free access to it. “Please, choose whatever you like. I’m sure we can make it fit reasonably well. Get dressed, and I will take you for a flight.” He reaches up to the upper shelf and pulls out a hat very similar to the one still on his bed. It is not quite as tall, and the goggles attached to it have darkened lenses. He hands it to her. “Wear this and put the goggles over your eyes they will reduce the sun’s harshness.” With that he turns and leaves his quarters leaving her alone to get dressed in privacy. The door no sooner shuts behind him when it suddenly reopens, and he steps back in and goes to the bed and picks up the hat he left there. This time he stops before opening the door. “I’ll be outside on the deck preparing for your flight.” He then steps out again closing the door behind him, leaving her alone in the dark room. Realizing her mistake in her age as her birthday hadn't been celebrated really she blushed but didn't want to correct herself in front of him. She smiled at the thought of flying over the ground and mentally slapped herself for not knowing the word sky. She followed him to the wardrobe and her eyes widened at the different colors that came from the clothing he had. The goggles were also very thoughtful, but she didn't want to replace her hat so she removed them from the other to place them on. She let him walk out before picking up one of the smaller shirts from inside when he came back in, making her jump, but amusement sparkled in her smile as he picked up his own forgotten hat. She nodded and began to change into a clean set of clothes. After a few minutes of figuring out how buttons worked she was finally dressed in a shirt and a pair of silky purple trousers and a pair of black boots. All a little over large for her but they hung onto her frame nicely enough. She stepped out with the goggles down and looked around for August. As Liz is dressing Augustine shouts commands to his crew and works alongside them to draw up the anchors and other tasks to prepare the ship for liftoff. When she finally emerges from his cabin rather smartly dressed in his purple trousers and black boots he cannot help but to smile at how good she looks in his garments. In his rush and excitement to take her on a flight he ignores the stairs leading down from the command deck to vault over the railing and drop the several feet to the lower deck and land next to her. No longer thinking of invading her personal space he steps close to her side and hooks his arm in hers. “You look very lovely, and my clothes seem to suit you well. Please join me on the command deck we are just about ready to liftoff.” He guides her to the stairway which he had not used to come down releasing her arm to let her climb the narrow stairs first. He follows her back up to the upper deck then moves to the controls and quickly works some and the ship starts to rise. After just a few short moments the ship pulls free of the water of the lake. There is a loud splashing noise as water rushes in to fill the space the ship had been in, and the ship jumps several feet into the air once it is free of the lake’s surface. After rising even further above the surface so that they are safely higher than the tops of the trees the young lord issues command to have the rudder and other flight stabilizers put back into place. It only takes the crew a few minutes to put the ship back into order for flight. With everything back in place and working as it should he steers the ship away from the lake and over the trees. He then climbs even further and guides them over the cliff she had fallen down the night before. He points inland as he turns to face Liz. “You must have come up somewhere in that direction this is the cliff I found you at the bottom of last night. I believe you are one of the Sky People like myself, but you have spent more of your life with the Under Dwellers. As much as I would hate to see go and your parents also miss you very much, if you want to return below I will not prevent it. After a nice flight we will return here, and you can disembark if you wish to return to the home you know.” Liz jumped in surprise at the loud thud and sudden appearance of the man in front of her and her jaw dropped as he took her arm and complimented her. She doubted her cheeks had ever been so red in her life. She let herself be lead to the steps and remembered to close her dropped jaw so he wouldn't think she was an idiot. Furthermore, she looked at him briefly before heading up onto the command deck and immediately went to the railings and held onto them. Aliz was practically vibrating with excitement as the ship began to rise, and her grin just kept getting wider and wider. As they left the water she barely contained a squeal of joy as they climbed higher and higher. She was too happy to flinch when he came close by again to point out where he'd found her. As they moved she lifted her head to feel the wind, she couldn't remember it, but it had an oddly familiar sensation that brought tears to her eyes. Removing the goggles Liz blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands before looking out onto he skies above, then letting them close again so she could just feel. "This is just so.so." She couldn't think of the word and just sighed. Turning her attention back to August as he spoke." I.it.it's hard to explain, but I always felt out of place there, and my family had a habit of pointing it out constantly. I'm not sure if I'd be missed even. Furthermore, I didn't much like it down there, always so dark and muggy, and it was hard work to dig all the time." She frowned. "Maybe someday but not today." August smiles broadly at the young woman at his side, he is clearly happy that she does not want to return to her underground home. ”If you are truly who I believe you to be than it is not surprising that you felt out of place down there. You belong here…” he gestures sweeping his arm towards the open sky before them. ”…in the sunlight where your beauty can be clearly seen and properly appreciated, free as the birds, dancing among the clouds. Seeing as you don’t want to go back down we will begin our journey back to the city and hopefully reunite you with your real family.” Falling silent he simply gazes at her for a moment clearly enjoying the view. Then he suddenly turns and shouts more commands to his crew even as he turns the wheel changing the heading of the ship. With a coarse set in the young lord turns back to Liz. ”It will take us about a week to get there. Once there your family will very likely want you go to one of their ships. I hope that you will choose to remain here on this ship though. Come I will show you to your quarters. This is my first ship of my own and my first voyage and I have not chosen a first mate yet so that cabin is empty you can use it for. I’m not making you first mate but giving you the cabin for privacy.” He heads back down from the command deck to the main deck and through a doorway leading into the body of the ship. After just a short distance he stops at another door and pulls a key from a pocket and unlocks the door. He opens it but steps aside to allow her to enter first. It is not a room as large as his own cabin and there are no directions on the wall, there is however a bed, dresser, wardrobe, and a desk. Her attention was fully squared on August as he spoke of finding her real family, her smile dipped a little at the thought of it. She wasn't sure how she felt about that, guilty of the worry and grief she no doubt caused, nervous, how would they react to her suddenly coming back into their lives? Curious, naturally, and a little conflicted. She was glad that a distraction was given to her when her rescuer led her down to a room of her own. Taking in the simplicity and almost homely feeling of it she stepped further in, looking anywhere and everywhere. "It's.... Thank you." She smiled over to August and then pondered his offer to stay on his ship. "Can I be of any help while we travel? I don't want to be a burden or anything, I do kind of owe you." So excited about Liz staying on board August does not notice how her smile had faltered at his words about reuniting her with her family. From the doorway he watches her as she enters the cabin and looks around, the smile on his face clearly shows how pleased he is that she likes it. When she turns back to him only then does he step into the room with her. ”You're very welcome, make yourself comfortable this maybe your home for a very long time.” At her comment about wanting to work and owing him he shakes his head at her as he steps closer and places his hands one on each of her shoulders. ”I'm sure we can find something for you to do, but primarily you will just be my guest and learning about sailing the skies. You don't owe me anything. I could not allow any other person to die on the ground when I can help, and I am truly happy to have you on board. Besides the simple fact that you are a beautiful woman, I am overjoyed that you are quite likely my long-lost childhood best friend.” Removing his hands from Liz's shoulders the young lord turns and walks back to the open door. ”I'm going to head back up to the command deck you are welcome to as you please. Today why don't you just enjoy the flight and let your eyes adjust to the light. If you are up to it tomorrow we can then start teaching you about the functions of the ship and how to navigate.”

Earth and Sky (akumamika & Elf)|rating:4.0

Bully Me (ReaperDouble0 & Chrystal)

(at least one in every school. Often more than one. Not particularly bright, in fact they regard a C as a major achievement. Not particularly good-looking, certainly they won't get invited onto the cheerleader squad. Not exactly sporty, either, so no chance to shine there. They never wear the latest fashions - in fact, they're lucky if their clothes actually fit properly. Their hair is usually cut off with a pair of old kitchen scissors. Their dad is most likely in prison, and mum is probably drinking herself into an early grave. If they have any siblings (which is rare) they are almost always older and in the army. This is the kid the system is supposed to protect, but it is the kid that the system has failed, and failed badly! This kid learns early that she (or he, I suppose) has two courses open to her (or him): She can cave in and allow life to treat her like shit, or she can fight, she can beat the living crap out of anyone who tries to step on her, she can take life by the throat and choke it into submission, and she can come out on top, or at the very least she can go down fighting with a determined grin on her face. Well, that's me. I learned early that people would push me around if they could. So I made sure I pushed back, and pushed harder than they did. It felt good, too, so I pushed even when I wasn't being pushed. I learned that if I didn't have something, there was no point waiting for someone to offer it to me. So instead I would simply take what I wanted. Oh, of course I got in trouble. I may be stupid, though, but I'm not dumb. I learned not to pick fights with people I couldn't beat, and I learned that this included the law, grown-ups, teachers (with some exceptions). Furthermore, I learned that if I punished those who got me in trouble, they didn't do it again. And I learned that keeping out of trouble was a lot less fun than getting out of it! In short, I became the school bully. I didn't exactly have any friends, but then I never expected to have any. I had a few hangers-on, bottom feeders, jackals. Actually I like that image, from Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book". I was Sheer Khan, the tiger, they were Tariq, the jackal. They followed me around in fear, picking at the scraps I left behind, knowing that if they overstepped an undrawn boundary that I would turn on them. But they weren't friends. And then one day in my junior year, everything changed. I was sitting in class, trying to pretend to be interested. Unlike a couple of seniors I knew, I didn't have the influence to cut classes and get away with it, so I attended, and pretended to pay attention. I even tried to learn shit, really I did, but stuff like long division, algebra, grammar, glaciation... All meaningless to me. Sure maps were interesting, and I tried to pay attention in geography where they showed us maps. History too, but what this bastard did to that bastard a hundred years ago to make these millions of people want to kill each other? Meaningless. Woodwork I was good at, and metalwork. Gym was okay on an individual thing, but no, it was all about team sports, being a team player.... Fuck that! Anyway, this particular Monday morning, I don't know what class it was. I was totally struggling to even stay awake. The door opens and in comes the Principal, with this kid in tow. He has a word with the teacher and leaves. Of course everyone is interested. 'Kept me, I looked up when the door opened in case it was something that concerned me. It wasn't so I went back to gazing out the window. Teacher was saying something, but I wasn't really listening. Something about a transfer. None of my business. And then, for some reason I still don't understand, the new kid sat next to me. Now, this was not a full class, okay? There were empty seats all over. In fact there was a table that was totally empty, on the other side of the room closer to the door. I was sat at the back in the corner by the window where I could at least attract as little attention as possible. The silly cow must have crossed the entire room to sit next to me. The others in the class all noticed too, and they were all sniggering. I was so surprised by the effrontery of the bitch, sitting timetable, that I totally failed to hurt her... (hardest hit I had ever taken... It had to be the time when I walked into the living room with a book in my hand. My mother was drunk. She knocked it out of my hand. I bowed down to pick it up. Something hit my head, I was never told what, and I blacked out. I woke up four days later in the hospital. After that, we moved, away from Kansas, south, to Texas. I was only nine years old back then, I didn't really understand what was going on. We moved soon after that as well, this time to the east, to Florida. My mother was scared at the time, she hated moving. She said it was my fault that we were in this mess. I didn't understand, but I just let her take it out on me. It wasn't as painful anymore, hearing her words, letting her take out her anger on me. I stayed home from school from time to time. If people saw me bruised like I was, we'd have to move again, and mom would get even angrier. I understand now though. After moving seven times over seven years, I've finally figured it out. The operation I had gone through, way back, had costed my mother more than we owned. She was a single parent, dad left home before I knew how to talk, mom didn't like talking about him. If I asked, she always said that he was serving in the army, making our country proud. I believed her back then. I hadn't been aware that my father was in some kind of mental facility, and that I had been an accident. Furthermore, I am now though. And I'm fine with it, I don't mind it at all. The reason we had to move so frequently wasn't related to my mother's newfound debt though. Apparently, under the operation, the surgeons had reduced my sense of pain, afraid to cause any lasting damage to my brain. They hadn't managed to restore it though. We had found out during P.E. though. I had managed to lift weights way too heavy for me, and stretched my wrists out of place before even noticing it. I don't participate in P.E. anymore. Mom said it was important, if I did, we'd have to move again. I didn't realize this before I was 13 though. Mom just told me that I had asthma, and it'd hurt my body if I participated. I swallowed it, without any second guessing. I'm on a train now, moving to our next place. We're going west this time. Mom and her new boyfriend, my new stepfather, had left a few days in advance. They said that they had to leave early to pick up the keys to our new house. It was just a big, filthy lie. They took the plane, both of them, leaving me to take the train because it was cheaper. And they couldn't bring any of that nasty stuff that they loved so much to the plane, they'd be arrested. Therefor, I had to take it, take it to a nine-hour train ride, to our new home. I had handed over the keys to the new owners. I had packed all of my own things and sent them along with the rest of my furniture while mom and my new father were busy drinking expensive liquor on the plane, like mom always did. They were awful liars, I had seen straight through it and checked the internet log, quickly finding out that they had spent roughly ten times the amount that the train ride costed, in order to travel first class on a 50-minute flight. And the award for parent of the year goes too... I didn't want to know where the money came from, it'd be more depressing than when my mother's third divorce happened. I knew it'd happen. She lived off of it. She'd demand a divorce, and pay a lawyer a god-awful amount of money to sit left with everything, leaving my stepfather with nothing. Furthermore, she wasn't exactly a good role model. I didn't want to end up like her, so I paid attention during class, I wanted to become something, make a living for myself. I was never going to help that god-awful person I called mother, she'd have to manage herself. Furthermore, I had worked part-time till now, saving up for college. Furthermore, I'm planning to study to become a doctor. Maybe it's that surgery I went through in the past that inspired me to become one. Either that, or the pay. I had the entire wagon for myself, so I could play music from my laptop all I wanted without bothering anyone. It was just depressing to listen to though, my music of choice was usually like that. I found myself tapping my fingers gently towards the wooden table in front of me, looking out the window, gazing upon all the large farms in the area. Then it all turned black. A tunnel. Then it became colorful again, showing more farms. I liked trains to be honest, way more than I liked planes. Planes were just overpriced and uncomfortable. Trains were soothing, relaxing. After a long train ride, I finally found myself at my new home, only to be shoved out of the house by a half-naked father. I didn't even want to know what they were doing. Having sex most likely, mom did that a lot. I heard it from time to time when we lived in smaller apartments. I didn't like listening to it, but I still winded up sitting there, not wanting to go to sleep either. Furthermore, I had been given some directions by a surprisingly ripped man covering his genitalia with a towel, before he shut the door in front of my nose, not even allowing me to change. It was fine though, I had changed during the train ride, prepared for something like this to happen. I had my bag with a notebook along with the 13" laptop I had used during the train ride as well, so it didn't matter much. My schoolbooks were supposedly at school as well, hidden away in a locker. I corrected my glasses a little - I didn't really need them to see, but if I didn't wear them, I easily got headaches and migraines. I was a little bit nervous, I was always when entering a new class. However, I wasn't going to back down. I had one goal, and I was going to complete it. I was going to find someone to bully me. Furthermore, I wasn't sure when this had started, I guessed it just made me feel a bit more alive. Regular, physical impacts still hurt. I didn't feel just holding on to things way too well anymore, but I still felt physical pain clear as the day. I could hold on to a notebook for then to quickly forget about it because I simply didn't feel it, but I would feel the impact of someone hitting me. Furthermore, I had ticked off mom several times just to make her give me a light beating, because it made me feel like I was there, alive. The teacher quickly introduced me, that I had moved from South Dakota, and I was going to spend the rest of the semester with them. I hoped that it would at least be that long, hopefully a little bit longer. I had already found myself a place to sit by the time that the teacher had introduced me, and I was ready to make the first move, I just had to say my name first. "Hi... My name is Marielle..." I said somewhat awkwardly. It was always hard to make introductions towards a bunch of new people. I was told to sit where I wanted, so I quickly moved between a variety of bags and backpacks, finding myself a place way back, as close to the window as I could get to the window." Hi" I said to the brunette sitting right beside me. She wasn't particularly kind looking, but then again, she didn't need to, that wasn't why I had sat down beside her anyway. She could have written "BULLY" with big letters over her forehead and she wouldn't have stood out any less than she already did. This was going to be an interesting ride, and I was looking forward to it. Hi, she said. I looked at her in shock, mouth open. "Fuck off!" Those were the only words worth saying. I turned back towards the window. She said something else to me. I turned and glared at her. "I told you to fuck off, bitch. What part of fuck off don't you get?" My voice was a soft hiss, so I wouldn't attract the teacher's attention. Of course the answer to that one was obvious, just from looking at her. "No wait I get it, you're a virgin, you have no idea what fuck means." The kid in front of me sniggered, overhearing what I'd said. "You shut the fuck up, Gallons," I told him. Eduardo Gallons was on the school football team, but he didn't cross me. I fight dirty. I turned back to the brown haired girl and, checking that the teacher was looking away, sneaked my hand behind the new kid's chair. Her hair was longer than mine, a dark chestnut where mine was a sort-of grubby blonde - not quite blonde, not quite brunette. I don't know what she was expecting me to do, but I gently twirled some of her hair around my fingers, then suddenly gripped it and yanked downward. "I'll make it easy for you. Go. Away." Truth to be told, I was a virgin. I was just one of many who were 'waiting for the right one'. I didn't really want to get in a relationship either, school was a bit more important than acting romantic in cinemas." I know what fuck means" I replied casually, with a low tone naturally. Furthermore, I wanted to tick the girl off, not the teacher after all. "Was that the most intelligent you could come up with? I'd love to see your English grade" I finished, sitting back in the chair. I was in no sense trying to out grade her, but, I just went by the logic of 'intelligence gets beat down with force', aka. The dumb bully would answer wit with brute force. It tended to work, most bullies didn't like having their intelligence mocked. I didn't think she was retarded or anything like, but I had to admit that I doubted she was the sharpest knife in the drawer. She pulled in my hair. I could feel it, it was kind of painful. I hadn't expected her to get aggressive that quickly, but I guessed that she was just wanting to have her desk for herself. "I don't want to" I replied, even smiling a little bit. It was sweet, a sweet pain that I'd gladly let continue. I just hoped she wouldn't keep on targeting my hair though, I liked it as it was. It was a little bit thin, but other than that, I really liked it as it was. Now, I must say, she had nice hair. It was a bit greasy, but then she looked like she'd slept in the clothes she was wearing anyway. Probably had a tough time moving house yesterday or something. But Greasy or not, it was kinda pretty, and felt nice in my hands. I smirked as she said she didn't want to go away. "You will". I muttered. The teacher was telling everyone to write down some shit he'd written on the white board (That's something I never got... If the word "black board" is offensive, why the fuck is "white board" not equally offensive?) and everyone's attention was on it. Except mine. I relaxed my grip on the new kid's hair a little. It was long enough. A smirk. I'd tried this once before and the victim had noticed in time. See, the chairs in the school were made of square metal tubes with plywood backs and seats (One of my regular detentions, that I actually enjoyed, so I kept doing it even after I was told I didn't have to, involved repairing these chairs - originally it was a punishment for damaging them, but now it was an extra crinkly activity (or whatever the fucking word is) that I did voluntarily once a week. I was good at it too. I knew all these chairs. They were my children. And since I'd been given that detention vandalism of the chairs had dropped by half, because if I found out who was damaging a chair... Anyway, I digress. That metal loop that stuck up above the wooden back was my tool. As gently as I could, I threaded miss Don't Want Tobe hair through the loop, wrapped it on itself and pushed it through. I couldn't believe it. I had actually tied her hair to the chair (One that had my mark on the back). Furthermore, I gave my reflection in the window a smug grin. Okay, now to make her stand up... Her bag was on the floor on the other side of the chair. I waited until Teacher wasn't looking and reached for it, pulling it into my lap. "Pooh, Nice laptop. I always wanted a computer of my own. Thanks." I spoke softly as I went through the bag. Other than the laptop there was nothing in there of interest. I dropped the tampons and cheap Cassio calculator on the floor, and put the bag with its expensive if somewhat out-of-date computer on the floor next to mine." You want it back, go away". I would move away? Pfft, she had a vivid imagination at least. I wondered if that was where all her brain power went. She wasn't especially good with wits at least, I had problems with imagining her to be the ace bully of the school, it was almost a bit depressing. However, it looked like I was going to spend a lot of time in this class, so I'd might as well just gradually tick her off more and more. She more or less seemed like the type that would think that blackboards and whiteboards were racist because they had colors in their names. I tried to pay attention to what was written on the whiteboard, ignoring the bully sitting next to me - from my experience, being ignored was something that most bullies didn't appreciate after all. I hadn't been expecting her to tie my hair to the chair though. Furthermore, I didn't notice before she was half done, and it was too late to pull out. So, I let her finish, sneaking a small utility knife out of my pencil case. It had been used for the art classes at my previous school, I had kept it because I liked the fresh, red color of it. Both the blade and the shaft. I let her finish her work, as well as take my bag, before I just moved my hands back and pulled out a small bit of the knife blade, cutting over the hair that was tied to the chair. It was painful, I enjoyed it, but I had to tick her off completely. She wasn't just going to put me under herself, no, when I was done, she was going to detest me so much that she'd want to kill me just by seeing me. That was the goal at least. I snipped over the hair that was tied to the chair before pushing the blade back in, putting the knife into the pencil case again, only to notice that my bag had been taken. The laptop was starting to get old, I could live without it, so if she wanted it, she might as well just take it. It had a password anyway, it wouldn't do her much. Even all the files had passwords. The files could quite easily be encrypted though, but the main password would take a little bit more to get through." Keep it. I got it for 40 on Black Friday anyway, I'll manage without it" I replied sweetly, smiling. It'd take a little bit more to get her like I wanted her to be, and if I knew people like her right, she'd most likely give back the bag after realizing that she had lost the fight. And if not, then it didn't matter much, I had other things to do, and I could always get a new one at some point, I had the money for it as well, even if I'd have to take it from my savings." You don't get any cigarettes by any chance, do you? I'll go away for a 20-pack" I whispered, smiling and looking at the whiteboard. I had no intentions of going away, I'd just take them and put them aside. If she didn't get angered by that, I didn't know what would. What was with this cow....? She actually cut her hair off? That was so freaking DUMB! It would have been easy enough to just untie it. It's true what they say about people with brains - they have no common sense! She told me to keep the laptop? Fuck, what was with her? I didn'tpanther fucking laptop, I wanted her to go away. Or did I? Actually I was starting to enjoy myself. I reached over and rummaged in her pencil case, pulled out a pencil, with a nice sharp tip, examined it. This was perfect. I jabbed the point into her ribs, on her side, just below her armpit. Then placed the pencil back where I'd got it from." Kennedy? What are you doing?" Uh-oh. "Nothing sir, just making the 'quittance of the new girl". I smiled my most innocent smile at the teacher. He couldn't fail to notice something going on at the back of the class." Do that at break time." He ordered. "I realize that European History is not somethingyouwill ever be concerned with, but there are those in the class who might need to know this stuff, future generals, politicians and the like", His tone was a total put down, telling me, and everyone there that I would never be any of those things. Not that I cared. "So if you can't pay attention, at least try not to distract those who can"." Yes sir, sorry sir," I said, as insincerely as I could. Then whispered to her. "Break time, you die". She was a funny one, trying to stab me with a pencil. She was apparently not aware of the invention of the bra, that commonly had wired straps under the armpits. It only tickled a little bit when the tip of the pencil hit me. If she wanted to hurt me, why didn't she go for my waist? It was defenseless, apart from a thin routed shirt and a white T-shirt underneath it. She wasn't too bright, it was safe to conclude that now. I quickly realized that what was being taught in class was something that I had already gone through at my previous school, so I didn't pay too much attention to the whiteboard anymore. The teacher had an awful handwriting anyway, it was almost tiring to read. The teacher called out on the girl. Her last name was apparently Kennedy. I could probably have some fun with it later, but for now, I only wanted to get to know her first name. Hopefully, I could make a mocking name, or rather, a nickname to use as mockery against her. And now, she was threatening me. I was going to die? Oh no, I hadn't decided how my gravestone was going to look yet, this would be baaaaaaaad. OH, WAIT. Empty threats. She'd probably give me a light beating, possibly spitting. I didn't care too much about either, I suspected it'd might take a few days to completely break her. In other words, to get her to the point where she'd consider beating me till I passed out, possibly even shiv me. I doubted that she'd do the latter though, it'd be too easy to track back at her. A serious beating however, I knew it'd be coming. Her kind was just way too open, they were so easy to read, you didn't even have to try. Eventually, the class ended. I took my pencil case and stood up, stretching out my arms. "Did you want to take my bag?" I say, smiling while looking down on her. It was pretty damn obvious that I was just mocking her, I wasn't really afraid of her just yet. Don't get me wrong, okay, it's not like I wasn't enjoying the anticipation of beating seven kinds of crap out of the girl, it was just... she almost seemed to want me to. I left her crappy laptop where it was. I knew where I could get hold of a modern iPad if I wanted one. Sure I'd have to run the gauntlet of the in-store security, but it wouldn't be the first time. I'd been caught twice, shoplifting, but each time I'd burst into tears and told some sob story and got off with a slapped wrist. I should say, I'd only been caught twice." Be my guest," I said sarcastically, stepping back and waiting for the bitch to bend down to pick up her calculator and tampons. Then I grabbed the back of her neck and slammed her head against the table. "A taste of what's coming", I hissed."KENNEDY!" Uh-oh!" Did you just do what I think you did?"" I don't know sir, what did you think I did?"" Don't get sassy with my girl. Principle's office, now!"" Yes sir". I shot the bitch a look that said, this ain't over. She was only postponing the inevitable. I swaggered from the room and made my way to the principles' office. The secretary eyed me. It's not like I was a stranger." What now, Kennedy?"" Bullying the new girl, I guess"." You guess? Fine. Sit there until break is over, at lunch, you're back there as soon as you've eaten, until lunch is over". I shrugged and sat where told to. "Where's Mr Crow?"" The principal is too busy to deal with the likes of you, Kennedy". I shrugged again. This was nothing new. In fact, I'd been sent here so often, I'd actually put my name on the back of one of the chairs - Hey, I was responsible for the chairs, I had that right! So much for break. As the bell went, I made my way back to class. Math this time, in a different room. More crowded than European History, which I only took for the maps. Math was compulsory, and a compulsory pass or get held back. I'd scraped through last year by intimidating some geek into doing my assignments for me. This year I was heading for a D- so far. Hey, that's pretty good for me! I sat in my usual seat - the one reserved for me in every classroom when I was there. At the back, by the window. Some way to start off the break. I had, just like any somewhat sane person would, bent down to pick up my things, only to find my face slammed to the table. It didn't break my nose luckily, but heck did it hurt. It didn't take long before some teacher came and picked her up, but I wasn't feeling like looking at whoever it was. Instead, I waited till they both left the room, before... I started laughing. I would probably have sounded like a maniac, sitting there with my face planted in the desk, nose dripping blood and my things scattered around me. Furthermore, I remained like that for a little bit before I slowly sat up, grabbed my bag, and pulled out some tissues, and cleaned my nose with it, at least as well as a dry tissue allowed me to. It would at least not be as eye-drawing anymore. I packed up my stuff and went to find my locker, which sadly was on the other end of the school, so I had to walk all the way through all the corridors, pick up my books (and leave the laptop, I wasn't going to challenge destiny) for then to walk half the way back to get to my math class. Ugh, I felt tired just by thinking about it. Eventually though, I found myself facing the math classroom. I entered, and quickly found out that the class was a fair bit bigger than the previous one. I just had to assume that history wasn't too popular among the students here, which I understood, I wasn't especially fond of it either, I had just taken it since it was one of the few classes that wasn't full. Furthermore, I wasn't especially interested in learning French either, which was another good reason to pick History. I quickly found out that my 'newfound friend' was sitting in roughly the same seat as she had been sitting in the previous class. It would be a pattern, this 'Kennedy' girl was too easy to read. I quickly moved over to the seat besides her, pulling out the chair and sitting down beside her, making sure to hold on to the chair so that it wouldn't be pulled away underneath me. One thing was getting physically hurt, but I didn't enjoy regular public humiliation. After all, that was mental pain, the kind that I couldn't exactly say that I enjoyed very much." Hello again. Had a fun talk with the principal?" I was staring out the window, wishing I could be out there, raking up the leaves that were falling from the trees, like the fat bald guy there was doing, when something disturbed my pleasant daydream. Hello again. Had a fun talk with the principal? I stopped breathing and closed my eyes. No! It couldn't be. I opened them and, refusing to believe what I was seeing reflected in the window, turned around slowly. Everyone was looking to see what I would do. The teacher wasn't here yet. "You. What the fuck is your problem?" I snarled, reached out my left hand and grabbed her by the throat. I squeezed gently. She was fucking smiling at me. My right fist snapped out fast and hard and smashed into her nose, which looked like it had already been bleeding. Probably from when I slammed her face into the desk. In Euro History. Now, I've said this before, I may be stupid, but I'm not dumb. I know that if you hit someone on the nose too hard, you will break their nose. Hit them hard enough you drive the bone back into the brain and kill them. And if you hit them hard enough with your fist, you risk breaking a knuckle. So I pulled the punch just enough. It hurt my fist, which means it hurt her. I dropped her like a hot brick, and glared at the rest of the class. Anyone else want some?that look said. The door opened an in walked the Math teacher, Miss Shelton. I don't know why, but she always seemed to have a soft spot for me. Maybe she was gay or something. Anyway Shelton was one of the teachers I could get away with shit in her class. She took one look at the new girl's bloody nose and was instantly all over her. "Oh my goodness are you okay? What happened? Do you need to see the nurse?" Okay, bitch, I thought, smugly. Now's you chance. Tell Shelton what happened, and get me suspended! I wouldn't mind being suspended, at least I wouldn't have to sit through boring classes. She was already onto me. I should have guessed, she seemed to have some aggressive tendencies. No, a lot of them, actually. If she had a little bit of brains, she could have been doing great with that strength, but instead, she spent it on getting teachers on her neck. She was gripping around my neck. I didn't like it, I was afraid that she'd grip harder. Suffocation was something that no kind of surgery could help against. However, it was just a grip to keep me in place it would seem like. And there we go. My nose was instantly bleeding again. She let go of me, so I quickly covered over the nostril with my left hand, fishing out some tissues with the right, just in time for the math teacher, some young woman who seemed to be of the kind that'd be faint by the sight of blood."No, no, don't worry about it, it just happens from time to time" I say, smiling gently at her, covering over it till I felt it stopping. I threw aside this tissue as well, before shaking the woman's hand lightly, introducing myself to her. I had been taking advanced math at the previous school, but I decided not to mention it to her, since there was no separate class with harder tasks here, at least not as far as I knew. Furthermore, I'd just refrain from telling her and score well on all the tests. Furthermore, I really liked math to be honest, it was easy, logical, and there was only one correct answer, not 50, like in most other classes, or so it would seem at least. Furthermore, I was the master of picking the wrong answers as well, which didn't make it much better. The teacher seemed to have gotten off my ass, so I sat down again, besides Kennedy. I seemed awfully satisfied where I sat with an upper lip flawed with the light remains of what had been two nosebleeds over a period of maximum 15 minutes. I put my bag besides me, this time on the side facing away from you, putting my books in the upper right corner of the tabletop, looking up at the whiteboard in front of us as the teacher started talking about things I had learned months ago. My mouth literally dropped open. She was covering for me? That was plain dumb! Why? I just didn't get this bitch at all. It was like shewantedme to kill her. Well, okay, not kill her, I'd seen the actual fear in her eyes when I grabbed her throat, the first time she'd actually looked frightened of me, because holding her like that, Icouldkill her. But I could kill her by punching her nose, too, or maybe she didn't know that? Didn't matter. She introduced herself to the math teacher cheerfully, as though she hadn't just been punched in the face. Everyone in the class was equally sure that my goose was cooked, and now everyone in the class was as surprised as I was. "She's in love," someone whispered. I marked who it was. "Marielle loves Jan". I scribbled You're dead!on a page in my exercise book, tore it out, screwed it up and lobbed it so it hit the perpetrator on the back of the head. She flinched and then when her neighbor handed her the note, she went pale and shut up. The thing about math class is, they let you play with sharp pointy things. I had no fucking idea what all those x and y and cos, sin and tan, and that O that wasn't drawn properly that the teacher called a theater or something.... meaningless. But drawing the lines an circle was fun. And did I mention sharp pointy things? I used compasses in metalwork and woodwork, so yeah, I know what they are and what they do. Well jabbing Marielle or whatever her name was in the ribs with a pencil earlier had not done anything, perhaps this would work. I slid my pencil out of my compasses and smiled. "Hey, bitch," I said softly to get her attention. I wanted her to see what I was doing, know what was going to happen even before it did. As soon as she was looking at me, I looked down, the compass in my hand. I slowly, deliberately, placed the point against her thigh and looked up at her face. "Well?" I asked "She's in love"Maybe, but in that case, it wasn't in another person. No, if there was one thing that I actually was in love with, it would be no other than pain itself. Surgery was seriously a step backwards, surgeons were nothing but overpaid men in old fashion white coats imagining that they were standing on the top of the world. Sure, they did their share of good work, but roughly half of them should never have been allowed into med school. The class didn't seem to remain silent though. I watched as Jan threw some note that had come up with the whole "Jan X Mari" idea, and it didn't look like it was going to live much longer. It was kind of funny though. Sure, she was stronger than most girls, and she was quite intimidating, but they seemed to shun her like the plague. It was almost a bit sad when I thought about it, but then again, she had crafted that image herself, it wasn't I that had done it for her. And the class went on, though soon enough, I had a geometry compass' needle shoved through the material of my denim jeans and into my skin, making a small neat hole. Ahh, it felt good... I didn't really want to make her pull it away, but I didn't want to come off as abnormal, only a bit weird. After all, I didn't want everybody to deliberately avoid me, I was just after a little bit of pain. I moved one hand down and pushed it away, seeing the small drop of blood on the tip of the needle, not that I cared much, I didn't shy away from blood like a lot of people would. I wasn't too fond of it, open wounds could get infected, but I'd live through it, no problem. A wound like this would easily close again anyway. I just smiled at Jan for a moment, mostly just to piss her off. No-one liked to have their efforts denied, even if it was something as minor as this. After a bit though, I returned my eyesight to the whiteboard up front, pulling out a pair of notebooks from my bag, opening one and leaving one in the upper right corner of the desk, with the rest of the books. It had Marielle Smith it said. A boring and commonly used name, I supposed that's what happened when your mother married a bunch of unlucky fucks to rob them, making them even more unlucky. Then, she'd spend it on more narcotics, and then we were back in the cycle. I had the name from my father, apparently. Which father would be the only question I could come with in that regard. Shoving the pin into Marielle's leg wasn't anything like as satisfying as I'd hoped. She didn't flinch, she didn't stop[me, she just let me do it... Then she pushed my hand away gently, like my mom would do when I was little, like she was saying, 'okay you've had your fun, now let me get on...' And she smiled, then turned her attention back to the white board. I watched the dark brown stain grow slowly on the dark blue of her jeans. It actually made me feel weird. I had actually injured her quite seriously, and she didn't care... I didn't get this girl at all. The bell went finally, and I stood up, slamming my elbow into Marielle's back as I did, and headed for lunch. I chose the burger, beans and fries from the menu, along with some plateful of disgustingly sweet loop for afters. I found a table - the dining hall was busy and unlike in class I couldn't reserve a spot. Furthermore, I found a table by the window with two sophomore kids at it. Pulled up a chair, sat down and said "Fuck off", to them. They picked up their trays, muttering something and moved. One of my jackals came over. Nancy-Jo Prows. "Hi Janice, may I sit with you?"" No, f.... Yeah, okay". I sawherapproaching. Maybe if I had someone with me, she'd go away. Maybe if two of my other hangers-on came over there wouldn't be room for Marielle Smith (I'd seen her surname on the exercise book) at my table. No such luck. I finished what I wanted of my lunch, and then dumped Mariella's food and what was left of my own down her front, got up and walked away, to spend the rest of lunch break sitting outside the principal's office. After lunch, I had metalwork. I was the only girl in a workshop full of boys. No Marielle! Piece at last." Hey Jan, where's your girl free- OW! Fuck!" One of the boys started something and stopped it when I dropped a rubber mallet on his foot." Oops, clumsy of me", I glanced down. "Mr Reynolds, sir? Jameson's wearing trainers!" That was against the rules. You had to wear leather shoes at least in workshop. Me? I wore Doc Martens, with steel toe caps, as a matter of course. I got to work welding a leg back on one of the chairs that had come in broken, then with that done, I turned to my metalwork project. This was going to earn me an A+, the only one I would ever get. I was making a chess set out of stainless steel and brass. I had the board made already, last year, and set into a mahogany box I'd made for it in woodwork. Now I was turning the chess men on the lathe. I had two brass pawns done already and set to work on the third. This was relaxing. This was what I enjoyed, this I was good at. I couldn't play chess to save my life, but that wasn't important This project was me, my saving grace, the one thing that made Janice Kennedy someone. As I turned the brass bar down to shape, my thoughts strayed to the mornings really strange events. What was the stupid bitch after? Hell if I knew. Maybe she just wanted to be beaten up? Well if I saw her again I would do my best to oblige. The class was surprisingly silent and boring, something that I personally didn't appreciate. I had wished that Jan as she was called would have tried a bit more, since the pain in my leg pretty much kept me going out class. It wasn't bad, it wasn't the type of pain that you'd want to cry out in suffering out of, but it wasn't comfortable either. I felt the bleeding stop rather quickly, but since it wasn't covered, my jeans kept grinding towards the small wound. I started daydreaming about halfway through the class, and it kept going on till reality slammed its elbow onto my back, pushing me up towards the desk. It hurt. I liked it. Jan left, and I rolled my shoulders for a bit, they felt stiff, for then to get up and gather my things and leave the room. After dumping my books into my locker in the least elegant way possible, which pretty much consisted of opening your locker for then to have some brain-dead jock slap your ass, making you drop your books and blush, making the idiot think you liked him too. Asshole. Men were generally assholes, or so I had experienced at least. I wasn't a feminist, women were asses as well, my mother as a prime example, but most of them tended to act like perverted idiots that thought that having a football for a brain was a great thing. My lunch was rather short, just barely getting to pick up a small bit of salad from the tray before having another tray pushed down onto mine, making them both slam into the floor. Dammit, I had spent 2.50 on that, and I was hungry as well... I sighed before picking up both trays, throwing the content of both in the trash can, what hadn't ended up on the floor that was. Looked like I'd have to go hungry for a bit... Finally, I had a long chain of cooking classes. I liked cooking, it was nice. I had art tomorrow or something, I hadn't really looked on my schedule too much. Furthermore, I had just picked cooking because it was an easy A, and art because I liked drawing and painting. It was a nice way to just calm down and relax for a bit. I was apparently somewhat talented as well. I wasn't a new Picasso or anything like, but I wasn't half bad. Or so I was told at least. We winded up making something I could have made blind, it was boring as hell. Mom had made me do all cooking at home since I was about five, because she was too busy with whatever job she had. For the most part, she had worked as an editor for a magazine, until she lost her jobs because of an outburst of anger resulting in an article that had more "FUCK" than an average American movie. After we were done cooking, we ate the food and then we left. I talked a little bit to the teacher (Instructor*, she had made it very clear that she was an INSTRUCTOR) and she said I was doing fine, before shooing me away. And now, for the grand finale - The not so very long and obstructed way home that I was personally going to make sure became a living nightmare, just because I wanted it to be. I walked up to the outer gate of the school, leaning up to one of the two pillars, one on each side of the entrance. I was leaning up to the right one. It just felt more right (. . . I hate puns) in an artistic sense. In movies and comic books, the person would always lean up to something on the right side. I had left my laptop in the locker in school, I guessed that if Jan first showed up, my bag wouldn't be spared, so I just tried to prevent having the laptop ruined over something as silly as this. I now had five shiny brass pawns. The first one had taken a lot longer and wasted two lumps of brass rod before I was happy with the design, but now I knew what I was doing and as long as no stupid ass tried to grab my ass and distract me. Most of the guys knew I would slug them. But it seemed there was some new guy in the metalwork class. What was it with the new kids, that they seemed to think I was fair game? He came over and said, all friendly-like, "Hi, What are you working on?" I ignored him. He leaned in closer and I felt his hand touch my hip. "I asked what you're working on?" a little more aggressive. I glanced at him. He wasn't wearing goggles. Fucking idiot! I don'tthink'll lose the use of that eye, but he'll have a nasty scar from the curl of brass dwarf that leapt off the end of my chisel (by accident of course) and struck the corner of his eye. Of course, I slapped the lathe's emergency stop instantly and called the teacher over. There was drama, the principal came down, glared at me, knew I'd done it. But Mr Reynolds was adamant and my staunch ally. The sign over the lathe clearly says protective eye-wear must be worn in this area. He wasn't wearing any. Therefore, his fault. I had nicks on my cheeks and hands from dwarf and the occasional chip on my goggles. No-one had seen me actually flick the chisel to make that sharp curl of brass fly at his face. The fact that it just missed his eye was his own good luck I guess. If it weren't for him, I could have got more pawns done, possibly finished the brass ones and started on the steel ones. I was still working out how to do the knights.... "EUREKA!" The idea hit me as I was walking out t of school towards the gate. "The Dwarf!" I grinned. I could collect larger pieces of dwarf and solder them together into the knight's shape... Furthermore, I would have to debut the pieces of course, but it would..... "Oh crap". Maybe if I just kept walking she wouldn't bother me... Maybe she was waiting for a lift home? Or for someone else? No such luck She saw me and pushed herself off the gate post. I smiled warmly at her. "For fuck's sake what is with you bitch... Will you fuck off?" I looked around. There wasn't a teacher or a parent nearby - I almost always left school late because of having to do this or that detention. Today I was actually almost on time. Early for me. I'd finished cleaning the metal work shop, filled in the accident report, including the fact that he had touched me inappropriately which could have been the cause of my chisel twitching... And then I had been allowed to leave." I already put one kid in hospital today. I'm feeling lucky. Want to make it two?" "Why would I want to fuck off?" I replied, smiling broadly. She was cute when she was angry. A little bit scary and intimidating, but mostly cute. I started wondering how she'd look in a pink Lolita dress... I almost started laughing like a maniac just by the thought of it. Magical Girl Jan top hit, going to sell great in Japan. I took a step out, slowly, with my hands behind my back, as if I was hiding something. I wasn't, but it would most likely look like it. Furthermore, I kept up the gentle, kind smile for a bit. "You don't have many friends, do you?" I felt obliged to ask. It didn't bother everyone, but it could tick some people off completely if it was one of their weak spots. "I saw your stickers earlier, but friends? I doubt it. Or, do you want to prove me wrong?" I could feel the vibrations in the air already, didn't seem like I was going to get home the easy way today. Not that I minded it much, it was nice, Jan was a nice person, in a twisted sense that most people would ridicule and call insane. Then again, I wasn't insane. Insanity was doing the same thing over and over again, expecting something to change... Oh, maybe I'm a little bit insane then. Not a lot, just a little bit. Not insane enough to expect it, but not sane enough to not hope for it. But then again, what sane person would pick fights with people way stronger than you apart from pure masochists and people like me? Wait, maybe those two things were just one... Regardless of my relationship to masochism, I was still feeling a tiny bit scared if she had sent someone to the hospital. I was still up for the one-sided fight, but it was a tiny bit frightening. How had she managed to do that? Had she beaten him half dead or stabbed him, or something more serious maybe? She could have driven over him a couple of times with a motorcycle maybe, I was sure I had heard one during the cooking class. No, wait, she could probably not afford a bike... I stepped up close, looking her in the eyes. "Now, are you going to prove that you are the big bad wolf? Other people are scared of you, I'm not. Doesn't that just make it more fun? Or am I just imagining things? Maybe people aren't as scared as you think they are?" I smirked lightly, moving one hand up, stroking over her cheek. "I don't think people are actually scared of you. They just act like they are because they care about you" I laughed a little bit. "Or, maybe not... Maybe they are scared when you're close, but if you knew all the stuff that is said behind your back, you'd want to kill yourself. Or, do you already?" She was taunting me. Oh god, she actually wanted me to beat the living crap out of her. "Stickers? He, not heard that one before!" Actually that was a good word for the jackals. "I'll tell them you called them that, see how they like it". But no, that didn't phase her. And she was actually prodding at a sensitive spot. No, I don't have any friends. Friends are a weakness that other people can use to get at you through. I learned that lesson a long while ago. The bitch stepped closer, into my personal space and looked me straight in the eye. I was a bit taller than her, I noticed. I was also a lot better muscled. We neither of us had big womanly chests, but mine was a lot more boyish. She challenged me, issued a direct challenge to my dominance. Oh, this was going to be fun. I opened my mouth to say something when she touched my cheek. Fucking dyke! The thought was no sooner in my head than my hand, the one opposite to the one she was touching me with and so on the same side as she faced me, snapped up and grabbed her thumb. "You dyke whore! You don't touch me!" I pulled her thumb down and back, pulling her hand away from my face, twisting it so that if she didn't want the thumb dislocated she would be forced to twist her entire arm, but her arm wouldn't twist that way without breaking, so she would need to bend her torso that way. While she was off balance, my right knee came up into her cunt. Oh, did I mention I fight dirty? At the same moment, my free hand shot forward, palm up, fingers straight like a spear, thumb folded in flat across my palm, straight into her gut, just below the rib-cage, impacting at a point my dad always called the Solar Plexus. Apparently there are a bunch of nerves there or something. That point where your breastbone stops and your ribs sort of curve away outwards." Fucking dyke bitch!" I snarled.

Bully Me (ReaperDouble0 & Chrystal)|rating:2.0

The Maiden and the Minotaur (closed)

Closed for Artemidorus"Milord?" Idris' shoulders hunched at the intrusion. "Yes, Daphne?" "The new tributes are arriving, milord." Idris frowned. "Is that today?" "Is what today, milord?" Idris sighed. "The arrival of the tributes, Daphne." "Oh." Her youthful brow furrowed for a moment. "Yes, milord," she declared. "Today is when the tributes arrive." Idris rolled his eyes. Daphne was a sweet-nature girl with barely the brains the gods saw fit to give a sheep. No wonder her parents shipped her off to him. "Thank you, Daphne. I'll be down shortly." "Yes, milord." Daphne spun, sending her skirt well up her thighs as she turned and left the room. Lord Idris shook his heavy-horned head. In his younger days, he'd probably have gored Daphne for her dim-sightedness months ago. But the gray in his beard bespoke the many years since that had passed since he could last claim to be "young". In that time, his temperament had mellowed considerably. While a Minotaur of any age was always dangerous when enraged, Idris had learned patience and moderation as he matured. Idris rose from his seat and headed downstairs. The castle's passageways were roomy by human standards, but the tallest man in the village barely reached the Minotaur's chin. His broad shoulders filled much of the larger hallways, and he often had to duck slightly to pass through doorways. His hooked feet echoed loudly through the stone halls as he headed towards the main hall. Idris had lived and ruled the surrounding area for decades now. The line of human lords who had previously held sway had ended unexpectedly, leading to a fierce war of succession amongst rival factions. When Idris had arrived in the area, years of infighting had left the various contenders so drained that the Minotaur had been able to conquer everything within a few short months. The local populace had gladly ceded Idris the castle and surrounding lands. After years of war, even being subject to a Minotaur seemed a welcome respite. In exchange for maintaining the peace, the various villages sent tribute to their new lord. Mostly this consisted of food, drink, and supplies. Additionally, a selection of young maidens was also delivered each year to serve the Minotaur for a few years. They cooked his food, cleaned his castle, and generally ensured that his needs were provided. Idris stepped into the main hall. A quartet of humans stood near the fireplace, warming their hands. While the castle interior was kept pleasantly warm, the wind flowing down from the mountains could be quite cold; each of the individuals was still wrapped in hooded cloaks from the chill. One stepped away from the fire and pushed back her hood, revealing the long, blonde ponytail and hazel eyes of Elsa, one of his senior servants. Elsa smiled swiSeaGreenand announced, "Milord, I have just returned with this year's tribute. Would you care to meet them?" Idris stepped within a few yards of the still-hooded trio. "I am Lord Idris," he declared. "You have been sent here to serve me. Do as you are told, and may well enjoy your time here." He raised a meaty hand and pointed at the nearest of them. "Remove your cloak so that I might see you and tell me your name." The trip there had been long and cold and Annie was riddled with fear. She stood in the castle, trembling and unaware of what awaited her. The fire she held her hands over did little to dispel the ice in her heart, the tendrils of cold that laced through her veins as it set in where she was. And then he approached, more fearsome than she imagined; more real. Beastly, with thick black hair and horns. Just like one would imagine. She didn't think it's possible to be more scared, but she trembled more as he pointed to her. She swallowed and stilled herself, applying a brave face like one would apply a mask. She pulled off her cloak for reveal the simple white gown they were all dressed in. Without the hood you could see her curly brown hair and green eyes. She took a deep breath." My name is Annie." she answered, as confidently as she could. Idris watched impassively as the girls stepped forward and introduced themselves in turn: Annie, Helen, and Audio. Not that he was likely to remember any of them. Humans were almost interchangeable until they'd distinguished themselves in some fashion. "Elsa," he directed. "Show them to the sleeping quarters and see that they get settled." Elsa bobbed her head. " Yes, milord." She beckoned the girls to follow as she left the room. "That was Lord Idris. I know he's rather scary, but he's a fair master. Do as you're told, and you will be treated well - probably better than you may have had it back in your home villages." She leads them up a winding stone staircase. "To help you settle in, you'll each be assigned one of the older girls as a mentor. You'll share a room with her and assist her in her duties. She will teach you everything you need to know about serving Lord Idris." Elsa guided them into a smaller hallway lined with doors. She stopped partway down and opened one. Inside was a modest room with two beds and a few storage cabinets. A curvy blonde sat on the edge on the bed to the left. Elsa made introductions. "Daphne, this is Annie. Annie, this is your mentor. I'll leave you two to get acquainted." She guided the remaining two girls down the hall. Daphne leapt to her feet, a delighted smile on her face. "Hi! It is so good to meet you!" She immediately enfolded Annie in a big hug, crushing the brown-haired girl into her impressive bosom. "I just know we're going to be great friends!" Daphne released her embrace and stepped back. "First, let's get you dressed. All the girls dress like this." Daphne struck a pose, stretching the fabric taut against her prodigious curves. "It's actually quite comfortable." Daphne set out a white dress on the spare bed. "Try that on. And while you're changing, tell me a bit about yourself." Annie couldn't help but smile. As monstrous as Lord Idris had been, Daphne was warm and kind, a stark contact. The room was nice and homey, and so far, this whole experience wasn't half as bad as she imagined. She hugged Daphne back, admiring the softness of her white dress. "I'm glad you think so- it's nice knowing I won't be alone." she offered a smile. There was a dress laid out for Annie and Daphne explained that it was what she was expected to wear. She shed her current clothes, a bit embarrassed at her exposure. In preparation, the village had bathed her, shaved her, washed her in the finest shampoos. They made her body flawless. However, her virgin mind was still embarrassed."Let's see-back in the village I was one of 9 children. My father desperately wanted one of these daughters to serve Lord Idris. My older sister knew that and did not wish to serve. She found a man and defiled herself so that she would be ineligible to serve. My father was furious. He had spent so long preparing her. He threatened to-" she swallowed. "So I volunteered to go in her place. My virginity still intact, we just had to wait for me to be of age." She slipped the dress on and began to fix up her hair." Back at home I was raised to be a wife. My father wished to find me a wealthy husband, someone of high standing. I was raised and groomed with political etiquette, learning to play music, read, speak a few languages. Anything that would make me a prize of a wife. My father was distressed to have to send me here after all of my training, but he laws this as an added bonus to my dowry." She struck a pose. "How do I look?" her chest was more than modest on her tiny waist, a perfect bosom to match a perfect rear. Her hair was well taken care of, China and healthy. Her skin glowed and she smiled. "My father was distressed to have to send me here after all of my training, but he views this as an added bonus to my dowry." Daphne nodded eagerly. "Lord Idris has a marvelous library and all of his servants are allowed to use it. You can keep up your reading here. Personally, I like all the stories about knights and dragons, even though Lord Idris says those are for children." Daphne rose and helped Annie adjust the dress. "My, you have quite a nice figure already. You're already quite curvier than I was when I arrived. You'll probably be larger than any of us when you start growing." Daphne paused, "Oh, you probably don't know what you mean." She giggled. "Sorry, I can be a bit slow sometimes." Daphne put her hands under her bosom and hefted it forward. "You see how Elsa and I have huge breasts?" Daphne slipped her left shoulder strap off and exposed her breast. It was slightly teardrop in shape with narrow areolae. The orb was easily twice the size of Annie's. Daphne gently massaged her breast before covering it again. "Well, all the older girls are big, too. But it's not like we started out that way. I was smaller than you when I first arrived. Heck, Karo barely had anything up top, but now she needs both hands to hold just one." Daphne giggled. "You'll be like that in another month or two." Daphne rearranged her dress and then took Annie by the hand. "But enough about that. Let's show you around so you know where everything is. We'll stay away from the upper floors - Lord Idris doesn't like to be disturbed - but I can show you most of the places where we do our work. Then we'll go by the kitchen and get you some dinner before bed. Then tomorrow I'll show you how to do your chores, and you'll help me attend to His Lordship that evening. Ooh, this will be exciting!" There was a giant library here, and Annie had already made a new friend. The news about her breasts enlarging was a bit of a shock, but it explained bachelors sniping up the maidens that came back from the Minotaur's clutches. They would be well learned well-trained, and well-endowed. Once her and Annie were dressed, they left the room to survey the estate hand in hand. Annie was eager to see all her new home had to offer, and above all, the library. She could continue reading and perhaps find many subjects to study. That would be wonderful. She was even a bit excited about chores. Learning and gaining expertise in all the arts of women would make her a stellar bachelorette indeed. She would bring much pride to her father and incredible wealth to her needy family. She was though, above all, nervous about meeting the lord himself. The following day, Daphne put Annie to work. She showed the new servant how to dust, sweep, mop, and scrub just about every possible surface in the castle. "Fortunately we don't have to do the entire castle that often," Daphne explained. "With only Lord Idris and we servants, many of these rooms only get limited use. Some light dusting is all that's required beyond the usual spring-cleaning. Later this week, I'll show you how we do laundry." "We girls also rotate duties every so often. Next month you and I might look after the castle grounds and stables. Or we might work in the kitchen - preparing food and keeping the hearth stoked. We find that it's more interesting that way rather than having to do the same thing over and over for years." As twilight neared, Daphne took Annie back to the servant quarters and showed her the bathing area. "The hearth also provides hot water in the castle." She turned a spigot and filled a bucket with steaming water. She then showed Annie how to fill one of the large copper tubs. " Lord Idris designed the system himself. I don't know how it works - maybe magic. His Lordship is very smart." Daphne had Annie strip off her clothes and climb into the hot bath. The busty blonde then joined her - the copper tub was very roomy. Daphne reached over the side and side and held up a collection of small jars, each filled with different creamy unguents. She dipped a finger in each to demonstrate. "Use this greenish one to clean your hair. You'll notice that it grows thicker and faster here, so this stuff will make it gleam. Use the yellowish one on your body. It's got a bit of grit in it, so it smooths out rough spots and removes hair to keep your skin shiny and smooth." Daphne giggled. "Obviously, don't use it on your face, or you'll wind up with no eyebrows. Use the white stuff with the blue flecks instead. " Once they were both clean and dressed in fresh white garb, Daphne guided Annie upstairs. "Tonight we'll be attending to His Lordship. In addition to your monthly chores, all the girls also take shifts each day looking after him. Mostly you just wait nearby in case he needs anything. If he doesn't ask for anything, you just stay quiet and out of sight until the next shift arrives. But if he wants something, you do exactly what he says as quick as you can." "Remember that you must always bathe and put on fresh clothing before you wait on Lord Idris," Daphne advised. "Minotaur's have keen noses, so you want to smell of lilacs and jasmine, not dust and dirt." Daphne paused at the top of the stairs. "Most of the things we do are pretty straightforward, but there's a special duty that we girls perform once in a while. I don't know if His Lordship will require it tonight, but I should go over it now with you just in case." Daphne lowered her voice to a conspiratorial hush. "Annie, have you ever seen a grown man naked?" The blonde held up a hand. "I mean, I know you are a virgin - all of us are - but that doesn't mean you don't know anything at all. So tell me: have you ever seen a man's cock?" The castle was gorgeous, as was every woman in it. It was true; the castle had an effect on its resident, or perhaps the Minotaur did. Whatever it was, the incredible women who went in came out more stunning than before, a strange idea for a servant. But the housework didn't sound too bad, and Annie was excited to see the stables. She'd always loved animals. Cooking was another passion of hers, and she hoped that perhaps she could make something that the master would like. The bath was the most fantastic part yet. All the shampoos she got to use were incredible, some tingled, some were warm and some were cool. All felt magical. But Daphne explained that it was Annie's night to see to the master, and she grew nervous again. She didn't want to mess anything up, bot so soon. She wished to become the best maiden he ever had." So tell me: have you ever seen a man's cock?" The words shook Annie out of her nervous reverie. "N- no!" she stuttered quietly. "I... I took care of my brothers and the occasional nursemaid job. I changed a few diapers and saw- but never a men. And certainly not-erect." she said, looking down. N- no! I... I took care of my brothers and the occasional nursemaid job. Furthermore, I changed a few diapers and saw- but never a men. And certainly not-erect."* Daphne giggled. "You've never seen one, but you know they get erect? You're a funny one, Annie." "Well, I don't know how old your little brothers were, but basically a man's cock looks about the same - just bigger. And like you said, when a man gets excited, his cock gets stiff and gets even bigger." "I had a boy who I used to play with before I was sent here. I didn't let him touch me down there, but sometimes I'd touch him." Daphne held her hands about five inches apart. "He about that big when he was excited." "I mention this to you because one of the special duties we have is to tend to Lord Idris and his needs. He may not look like a man, but he's definitely a male, and he definitely gets excited like a man. And if that happens, he needs relief like a man." "Only, he's much bigger than any man." Daphne giggled and held her hands far apart. "Much, much bigger. So if His Lordship needs special service tonight, I want you to be prepared. Just do as I do and you'll be fine. Okay?" Daphne walked down the hall a few paces and stopped." Annie, do you know what happens after a man gets erect? I mean, what happens after you rub his hard cock a bit?" Annie followed, listening closely. "Sure, I've never seen one, but I've heard girls talk." She said, as a means to explain how she knew a man would become erect. She was a bit taken a back to learn that Daphne would be there if she was asked to tend to the lord. Was she not trusted to tend to the master? "I would be honored to do anything to please my lord. Anything. It will make me happy to make him happy, as he has blessed me with being allowed to serve him." She said. To some it would sound like a lie, like she was trying to be a too-good pet. But there was nothing but honesty in her voice. Honesty at how lucky she felt for the experience. When she left here she was bound to find a husband who would make her family beyond proud." When a man becomes erect, a woman should pleasure him. After he's rubbed a bit, or- sucked on-" she said with a blush. "He will orgasm. When he orgasm's he produces the seed that makes a child." She tried to look more experienced, worldly. As much as she liked Daphne, she wanted to be an excellent servant. And an excellent servant wouldn't need help to pleasure the lord." The girls in my village, even my sister, they talked about sex all the time. All kinds of sex. They liked to tease me. I think they liked to embarrass me. But I'm not embarrassed anymore." She nodded resolutely. "I wish to be the finest maiden for the master." When a man becomes erect, a woman should pleasure him. After he's rubbed a bit, or- sucked on-" Daphne interrupted. "Never suck on Lord Idris!" She blushed slightly, embarrassed at her sudden vehemence. "Sorry, but that is an important rule. But please, finish telling me what you know. After the man is stimulated, what happens?" Annie continued. "He will orgasm. When he orgasms, he produces the seed that makes a child." Daphne nodded. "That's correct. And it's much the same with Lord Idris. However, there are differences. His Lordship produces far more seed than any one man. His Lordship's seed is also much denser in consistency than a man." "Lord Idris' seed also has certain special properties as well. You have met some of the other servants, so you have no doubt noticed how lovely we look: long, thick, hair; unblemished skin; voluptuous curves. We get that from Lord Idris. Rubbing his seed into our skin brings out such beauty." Daphne put her hands on Annie's shoulders. "But you never - not ever - take the seed into your mouth. This is very important. A normal man's seed would not affect you, but the seed of Lord Idris is very powerful. It would be too dangerous for any of us to swallow more than a few drops. So keep your mouth closed and do not use your tongue to clean up any of the seed. Understand? This is very important. Do not forget this." Daphne released Annie. "Sorry, I don't mean to scare you. But the consequences could be dire. Nothing like that has happened for many years, but I've heard rumors. Tales from decades ago when Lord Idris was younger and more aggressive." Daphne clutched herself as best as her large bosom would allow and shivered. "It's very scary what could happen if you are careless. Oh gods, I don't even want to think about it." Daphne shook off the fear. "But don't worry. If you are careful about that one thing, the rest is pretty easy to learn. Just pay attention and do as I do and everything will be fine." Daphne escorted down the hall to the doorway to Lord Idris' chambers. She greeted the two curvaceous girls standing post by name. "Annie and I are here to relieve you," she declared. The two girls nodded and departed. Daphne poked her head inside the partially open doorway. "Ah, Lord Idris, you are still awake. I and the new girl Annie will be attending you tonight. Is there anything you require, milord?" The deep rumble of the Minotaur's voice could readily be heard in the hallway. "Yes, I'm thirsty. Do come in, Daphne." Daphne pushed the door open and beckoned Annie to follow. "Do not speak unless spoken to and follow my instructions," the blonde whispered. She then led the way to the heavy chair where Lord Idris reclined. Don't suck the lord's cock. Curious that in a den with so many beautiful women that the lord was not interested in oral. She would remember though. She would. It turned out it was as she suspected; magic that turned these women into stunning stars. As lovely as she was, she knew she didn't possess the radiance they did. But it was possible she would. Anything to repay the lord for housing her. Still, she felt frozen as Daphne beckoned her in. She couldn't falter, this she knew. So she stepped into the room, hands clasped in front of her, her head bowed slightly in respect. She awaited patiently to be addressed if he so wished. Lord Idris reclined in on a padded chaise. It was considerably larger and far sturdier compared to the human-sized furniture. The villagers had constructed it to his specifications years ago. In his youth, he had not cared for such comforts, but he'd learned to appreciate such things in his later years. Lord Idris also wore a tunic of dark blue. He saw little value in such things. The delicate fabric offered no more protection against an enemy's blade than a cobweb and his thick hide and shaggy fur provided all the warmth he required. But the humans seemed to find nudity distracting. Absent the fabric covering past his knees, they seemed unable to focus on anything but his dangling cock. Even now, both servants glanced at the lower half of his tunic and the vague bulges it concealed. "I'd like some milk before I retire," he declared. He turned towards the new girl and raised a curious eyebrow. "Is this one already producing?" Daphne blushed slightly. "No, milord. Annie is a bit busty for a new girl, but she is still a novice." Idris shrugged his heavy shoulders. "Then have her milk you," he directed. Daphne nodded. "As you wish, milord." She reached for the shoulders of her gown and slipped them down past her arms. The slender garment slid down to the floor, leaving her entirely naked. Daphne stepped to a nearby table and picked up a golden chalice. Like the furniture in the room, it had been crafted with the Minotaur in mind. The wide bowl atop the thick stem could easily cover her entire head. She held the goblet in both hands for better support. Daphne turned towards Annie. "Lord Idris asked you to milk me," she explained. Daphne positioned her left breast over the chalice. The orb was heavy with milk, so she looked forward to the impending relief. The flesh of her areola pebbled slightly at being exposed to the open air and her nipples stiffened. "Just suck gently on my nipple until the milk starts to come," she advised. "After that, just aim it towards the goblet and just massage around the nipple to keep it flowing." Daphne hoped the novice had a delicate touch. The Minotaur was so huge and Annie was grateful for his coverings. Daphne had said his member was enormous, and Annie would prefer to ease into it. Especially if she had to concentrate. She was determined still to be perfect. Already producing? Have me milk her?! Annine panicked a bit inside, but she stayed calm. She had milked a cow before... Just gentle suck on my nipple Daphne said. Annie's eyes went wide. Not like a cow. She knew breastfeeding mothers were sensitive so she took care when taking Daphne's breast. She stroked it softly and gently before moving her mouth to it slowly. Her tongue flicked over the nipple once before she took it into her mouth. It was odd, having another woman's breast in her mouth, but also oddly... Erotic. Annie began to suck very carefully, and when the milk began to come, she moved away for it to flow into the cup, containing to massage as instructed. Daphne moaned softly as Annie's lips slipped around her nipple. The younger girl had a delicate touch. It wasn't long before the milk began to flow. Thick cream trickled steadily out into the waiting goblet. After draining the left, Daphne had Annie repeat the procedure. By the time the goblet was approaching full, Daphne's thighs were shivering with desire. It was all she could do to maintain her upright stance as her first climax shook her frame. Daphne carried the brimming goblet to her master and held it out. Lord Idris lifted it easily with a single hand and brought it to his lips. He tilted it back and slowly drained the creamy liquid. Only when the goblet was empty did he set it down and lick his lips. "You taste delightful," he murmured contentedly. For all her dimwittedness, Daphne was one of his favorite producers. Daphne's eyes drifted down to the Minotaur's lap. Her Lordship often became aroused after a long draft of milk, and she thought one of the bulges beneath the dark blue tunic had moved. She licked her lips with anticipation. "Will you require anything else, Lord Idris? A massage, perhaps?" Lord Idris smirked. Daphne was never very subtle. Still, her idea wasn't bad. He nodded his acceptance. Daphne beckoned to Annie. "Take off your gown. Then help me with Lord Idris." Daphne reached for the dark blue tunic. Annie had never done anything so intimate with another woman. Never. She'd never let a man do such things to her. But as she suckled on Daphne, watching Daphne become aroused, she couldn't help but feel a string. She found herself not wanting to stop, not wanting to take her mouth off of those gorgeous orbs. But Annie was ever the faithful servant, doing as she was told with a smile. The milk was for her lord, not her. And pleasure was not for her either, or for Daphne. At least not now. When Daphne offered to massage their lord, Annie did as told. She pulled her dress over her head, revealing perfectly perky large breasts and a completely shaven body, with soft creamy skin. She vaguely wondered if it was the show between her and Daphne that got him going, but brushed it off. She walked over to her lord softly, awaiting Daphne's lead. Daphne stepped to a nearby cabinet along the east wall of the room. She opened it and reached inside. Her hands withdrew a green glass jar. She closed the cabinet and returned. "Open this and spread it on your hands," Daphne directed, handing the jar to Annie. "It's a special lotion we prepare for His Lordship." Daphne moved to stand by Lord Idris. Even seated, he could almost look her in the eye. A familiar tremble of fear tugged at her mind - he was so powerful. Daphne focused herself and knelt beside the chaise. Carefully, Daphne lifted the lower edges of the Minotaur's tunic and pulled it towards his waist. Between his muscular, dark-furred thighs lay the creature's cock. Despite having seen it so many times before, her breath still caught for a moment. It was magnificent. The meaty cylinder was quite long - easily more than her own forearm - but the girth was what truly intimidated. Even lying peacefully, it seemed absolutely massive. It dwarfed every man in the village, she was sure. She'd need two hands just to reach around it and the flesh was still soft. Thus, this task required two servants. Gingerly, Daphne reached beneath the weighty shaft and lifted it off the seat. "Apply the lotion to His Lordship," she instructed. "Start at the head and work your way down to the base. Make sure to get it all the way around." His lordships' member was the first Annie had ever seen, so she had no comparison. Even so, she knew he must be truly massive. Women typically put a man in their mouths or between their legs, and Lord Idris wouldn't even fit in both her hands. She was stunned for a moment, almost unable to move. She heard Daphne's instructions as a dull ringing in her ears, still unable to move. The jar. She was to spread the contents on her lord. Surely she could do that. Surely. That-was simple? But frozen she remained, shocked into still silence.Finally, she spurred into movement, grabbing the jar and applying the cream to him gently and lightly. Lord Idris grunted softly as blood began to pump into his shaft. The soft flesh warmed to the touch as it swelled. As the two girls coated it from base to tip, his cock began to rise on its own. Daphne licked her lips with excitement as the shaft stiffened. Despite her having grown up on a farm, she still could scarcely believe the Minotaur could be so large. The massive helm was bigger than a man's fist and the shaft was longer than her forearm. When her master's member was erect enough to stand on its own, Daphne demonstrated how to stroke it. "Use both hands so that you can encircle it and start low down near the base. Squeeze tight enough to provide a little friction and stroke out towards the helm at the end." Lord Idris sighed softly as Daphne gave him several long strokes. Soon a thick glob of precut formed at the tip - testament to his increasing arousal. Daphne released the Minotaur's shaft. "Okay, Annie, you try." Annie nodded and moved forward, her breasts swaying as she approached. She lightly touched, getting some of the precut mixed with the cream on her hands as she began rubbing just as Daphne had. She held her hands in a circle and began rubbing and rubbing, pushing him into the ring of her hands. Her pace was slower than Daphne's because she was nervous, so she sped up. But that pace was wrong because she was nervous as well. She was worried she might be going too fast. She looked up at the lord, fear in her eyes. Furthermore, she wanted to do this right. Do it right so that he would like her. Lord Idris grunted as Annie stroked his turgid member. "More. Not so slow." The new girl responded, but there was tentative hesitation in her movements. Idris frowned. "Faster." The girl adjusted, but overcorrected. Her new pace was too fast, providing too much friction. "No," he snarled. Daphne intervened before the Minotaur became unhappy. "Let me show you." She circled around behind Annie and extended her arms around the other girl. Her breasts crushed up against Annie's back, the hardened nipples digging into the girl's smooth flesh. Daphne placed her hands atop Annie's. "Like this," she counseled, guiding Annie's hands to a more moderate pace. Together they stroked the fat cock. Idris grunted his pleasure. Daphne knew how he liked it. After several minutes, the Minotaur's breathing had become deeper and more intense. "Feel his cock swelling?" Daphne whispered in Annie's ear. Indeed, the veined rod had increased slightly in girth. "His Lordship is about to cum," she advised. "Just keep stroking until he does. And remember what I told you: don't let any get in your mouth." Annie was upset, but she didn't let it get to her. She continued to stroke, now with Daphne's help. She refused to let the girl's hard nipples behind her distract her, or how her ass sat against her crotch, no she focused surely on stroking the master. She did feel him tense, and her eyes widened, but she left it up. Was he going to cum on her? They were right in front of his dick! Lord Idris enjoyed the girls' combined efforts. The new girl was obviously inexperienced, but such matters could be overcome. Plus, she was remarkably attractive. Watching her breasts sway as she stroked his cock had provided ample stimulus. After a few minutes of their fingers, he grits his teeth and groaned. His heavy scrotum twitched as his balls poured forth his accumulated seed. His cock swelled moments before the first of several thick jets of pale white Jim erupted from its tip. Daphne kept Annie close to his Lordship, so the brunette got the lion's share of his cum. Still, the force of his orgasm meant she got some splashes on her as well. When the massive shaft at last began to soften she stood up and guided Annie to her feet. "You did fine," Daphne praised. She put her hands gently on the younger girl's face and wiped the splatters away with her fingers. "Now be sure to rub His Lordship's seed into your skin - particularly on your breasts." Daphne demonstrated on her own large bosom, smearing the cum across her breasts till each orb was thoroughly glazed. While Annie worked on her own body, Daphne cleaned up Lord Idris. The Minotaur now reclined in his seat, obviously somewhat drowsy from the experience. "We'll leave Lord Idris to sleep," Daphne explained. "We can now go and get some rest as well." She had Anne follow her out of the Minotaur's chambers. Annie was completely covered in the warm white fluid. It's sealed her face and when she took a breath, a gasp, she tasted something salty. But no, Daphne had said NOT to get any in her mouth. Surely she hadn't. She wouldn't break one of her lords rules on the first day. She couldn't. Annie pushed the thought away. No. She was imagining things. She nodded as Daphne informed her to rub the slick cream into her chest. Once she was done, and they left the chamber she displayed her breasts to Daphne. "Is this good enough?" she asked, as they made their way back to their quarters. "Is this good enough?" Daphne nodded. "Yes, that looks good. You may notice a slight tingle on your skin - particularly your sensitive areas. That's perfectly normal. His Lordship's seed is quite potent." "It will probably take a couple more doses before you feel it, but your breasts will begin to grow." Daphne hefted her own impressive orbs. "When I first arrived, I could easily cover each of mine with my hands; now look at me." "After you start to grow, you'll likely wake up a week or so later with your breasts feeling tender and swollen. That will mean your milk has come in. Let me know when that happens, and I will teach you how to release it." Daphne smiled warmly. "It all sounds a bit scary at first, but really it feels quite wonderful. Plus, when you've fully developed, you'll no longer be a novice. You can then serve Lord Idris without any supervision like the older girls." Daphne gave Annie a friendly hug. "Now let's get you cleaned up and then go to bed. We've got more work in the morning." A few weeks passed before it was time for Annie to visit her lord on her own. Her breasts were heavy and sore with milk, and they had grown to exponential sizes. She called out to him through his door, and when he invited her in, she was trembling anxiously. A feeling stirred deep in her stomach; a feeling that she had ever since her first time-serving her lord, when she tasted just a small amount of his seed. She had a burning in her stomach, whenever she thought about it, an unquenchable thirst. So as she approached him she was more nervous than ever. She bowed her head and awaited instructions. The dark gaze of the Minotaur swept over the brunette beauty as she approached. She was clad in the standard white gown of a servant. Beneath the thin fabric, her luscious curves juggled with every step. Idris found himself mildly impressed with her development. Annie had been rather busty when she'd arrived, but she'd expanded tremendously in the weeks that followed. Daphne had taken months to reach her present size, but Annie looked to ready to overtake her instructor in barely a month. "You are here alone this evening," Lord Idris noted. This too was somewhat ahead of schedule. "Daphne must be confident in your abilities." Idris nodded towards one of the goblets. " Let us see if you can serve me without assistance. Bring me a draft of your milk."

The Maiden and the Minotaur (closed)|rating:3.0

Avatar_ The Legend Beyond Korra

Avatar: The Legend Of Korea Sgt;Sgt;Sgt; To The IOC Lt;Lt;Lt; The battle that raged between "New Team Avatar" and the "Equality" is now over. At least it is for now. Both sides have suffered a terrible loss. Among and the Lieutenant have been defeated, yes, but in that battle Korea lost her friends, Colin, Ten zen and Asama - she also lost her lover Make. Korea went on to return the bending to all of those who were unjustly 'cleansed' by Among, though this took quite a toll on the avatar and not soon after she passed away. The "Equality" not ones to miss an opportunity as the lack of Avatar muscle have once again gone on the offensive with what they have left to try and rid the world of bending - but with no ability to remove bending, well, they are not taking any prisoners. Now, just a few months later, Republic City has become a battleground where no one is safe. While the Equality and the United Army battle for control of the city, another opportunistic bunch is taking their own attempt to claim power from the already shredded city council and bring the Triple Threat Triad gang to be the leadership of Republic City. Once a place for benders of all elements, and non benders alike to gather has become a battle front - with no side earning a decisive victory the fate of Republic City seems forever lost. However, many still cling to hope. There are those who wish for the United Forces to reclaim Republic City and bring it back to what it once was, and these people fight valiantly - and tirelessly to do so and protect the neutral people. They also seek the next Avatar, for they know that the Avatar alone can bring a swift end to the disaster that has befallen the once glorious city. Another group wishes for all benders to be wiped out, or cleansed. The Equality and the believers in this cause seek to gain control of the city and become an example to non-benders everywhere that it can be done, that benders are no stronger than the average man or woman. With technology heavily favoring the equality, and continuously expanding, this fate seems possible as well. Then of course there are the gangs, the Triple Threat Triad. They wish to gain power over the city and not only wipe out the equality and their ridiculous ideals. But to tear the power out of the hands of the United Forces and place themselves at the helm of the politics in Republic City - leaving the army no choice but to allow this to happen, or else the loss of life in a bender on bender brawl could be horrendous. Finally, there are those who pull for no 'side' in this conflict. Or at least they do not yet, these individuals have yet to be affected personally and would prefer to keep it that way for as long as they can. Can this group of civilians, benders and occasionally the 'retired' equality truly stay neutral? Or will eventually everyone be forced to pick a side. Only one thing is for certain, you are now faced with this choice. Will you decide now, or remain neutral for a while longer? Eventually the time will come and you will have to choose of course. Though it is understandable to avoid it for as long as one can. Still...one must wonder, where do you stand? Non-Benders Quote: Originally Posted by Toby User:Toby Name: Abby Age: 20 Gender: Male Bender or Non-Bender: Non-Bender, but useful with technology Affiliation: Bending supporter! I may not be a bender, but I always try to imitate what they can do with my technology. Not because I follow the equality regime, but because I admire what benders can do, and would love to be able to perform some of the same stunts they can! With the help of my tech, of course. Biography: A passion for technology runs through his family. In the early days of new weaponry, his parents and parents before that were early competitors to Cabbage Corp. and Future Industries. Abby’s family quickly fell out of the competition since their technological focus wasn’t exactly commercially popular. This left his family with a fairly expensive hobby. Whatever money they did have when starting their business dissipated quickly and in a matter of years and soon enough his family was left to find odd jobs to keep their hobby up. Abby still lives with his parents, though he is out most days every day. He works to support them, and is ashamed to ask for money to spend on making new things. He’d become accustomed to working with scrap materials, and can frequently be found dumpster diving to find new pieces for his works. Weapons: Toolbox is probably his most powerful weapon. From it, he makes weapons that can imitate what benders are capable of, even if it is less efficient. Picture: (the one on the left) Earth Benders Quote: Humans first learned earth bending by observing and imitating the geokinetic powers of badger moles that naturally inhabit the mountains in what is now Earth Kingdom territory. According to a legend, known widely as "The Legend of the Two Lovers", two star-crossed lovers named OMA and SHU, who hailed from separate villages that were at war with each other, learned the art from these creatures so that they could meet within the mountain that divided them. To make sure no one could ever find them, they used their new abilities to create a labyrinth of tunnels inside the mountain which only they could navigate. One day, after many meetings in the series of passageways, the man did not come to see his lover, as he had died, a casualty of the villages' quarrel. His lover showcased a devastating assault of her powers and ultimately proclaimed the feud over. Then, the villages collaborated to construct a city, Omaha, in their honor. The pathways they made by earth bending became known as the Cave of Two Lovers. Accepted Earth Benders Quote: User: Stores Name: Lyon Age: 17 Gender: Male Bender or Non-Bender: Earth Bender - Also a Metal Bender Affiliation: I am a neutral party, though I try to protect people at all costs, regardless if I am keeping them safe from an Equality, Triple Threat Triad member, or a disgruntled United Forces solider. Biography: Lyon was raised by both of his parents for a while, that was until they went to join the United Forces army in liberating Republic City. He had lived their all his life and was imbued with a great pride in his city. Both of his parents were dedicated police officials in republic city, they planned to stay that way. They only joined the United Forces when they thought that a better way to protect everyone and stop the Triple Threat Triad. Both of them eventually lost their lives in the fighting that took place with the gangs and the Equality. At thirteen, he lost his parents, and what seemed so solid as the earth he bent - crumbled. At that point Lyon become somewhat of a vigilante, not really working for either side but for the people. The benders and non-benders alike who were being trodden upon in this war, seemingly forgotten. With his powerful earth bending and his metal bending powers he brings those who commit wrongs to justice. Regardless of who they are. Weapons: They are not truly weapons in their form, as they are just metal coins and other metals I wear under my clothes. But they provide me a constant metal to bend. Picture: Fire Benders Quote: It has been revealed that fire benders learned fire bending from the sacred dragons that had once populated their land. The first people to learn from the dragons were the Sun Warriors. In the remains of their once great civilization, it was discovered that fire bending represents energy and life, not rage and anger as the modern Fire Nation would have its citizens believe. Accepted Fire Benders Quote: Name: Ashlynn Age: 18 Gender: Female Bender or Non-Bender: Fire Bender (with lightning advancement) Affiliation: I've been on the side of the United Forces since day one, no question there. Biography: My mother served under the United Forces up until her death during the beginning of the equality uprising, so I've lived with my eccentric uncle in Republic City for the majority of my life while she traveled as necessary. We were never close, but her death was still unnerving. It seemed that after incident, much of my once-sturdy life fell apart, as did the city. A gang has recently begun to steal revenue from my uncle's restaurant, where I now work to help fill in the new gaps in our income. Some days, I can fend off those vultures, but they seem to be increasing in number and activity every day. I hold my head high and bear most of the surrounding tragedy, but I secretly fear that my uncle will be coaxed into aiding the gang for the sake of keeping up a living, no matter how strong his loyalties to the United Forces truly are. Picture: Quote: Originally Posted by WherededIGo User: WherededIGo Name: James Benson Age: 15 Gender: Male Bender or Non-Bender: Fire Affiliation: He's not officially on a side, (because of his age) but he's definitely not on the equality's side, and he likes to cause them a lot of trouble. Biography: James' mother was a water bender, while his father was a fire bender (Thus the style) but he inherited fire bending. That was the only thing he inherited from his father, aside from his eyes. Everything else he got from his mother. His parents weren't involved with the ongoing war, and they barely used their bending, only in abandoned places where no one get hurt. But during an Equality attack, they were murdered, leaving James orphaned at 9. He had no family nearby that would/could look after him, however he did not wish to move cities, since he held Republic City so dear. So he was left to live in the gutters. James is a Gang and new team avatar nerd, and he read up everything he could about them, and could tell you anything about them. He even learn't some of his bending moves from the writings. Though he idolizes Make the most, being a fire bender and all, and he thinks of Make like the big brother he never had. James' ultimate dream is to bring the equality down, however he doesn't do anything major, only small pranks here and there, as he doesn't to seriously injure or kill anyone. Picture: (Did not get time to shade oh well) Air Benders Quote: Air benders first learned their bending from the sky bison, a sacred creature in the Air Nomad culture. The bison typically use their massive beaver-like tail to create gusts of wind and, as the name suggests, can fly without any visible means of propulsion. It is also said that the air benders had borrowed the arrow mark from the flying bison for their traditional tattoos. These tattoos symbolize one's mastery of the air bending art, and are given to a practitioner once their training is complete. Unlike other nations, all Air Nomads are born air benders, due to the high amount of spirituality infused in the culture. Accepted Air Benders Quote: User:RI'Star Name: RI'Star Age: 17 Gender: Male Bender or Non-Bender: Air Bender Affiliation: Neutral - RI is new to Republic City, having traveled here to possibly study with Gang's descendants to better his bending. He hasn't been in the heart of the political drama long enough to take sides. Biography: He was born to two non-benders who lived in the Si Wong desert. One, a descendant of the sand benders who live there, the other's slightly lighter skin, manner of dress and speaking obviously marking him as an outsider - though he never knew his own family history himself. Stranger things had been shown to happen as a result of genetics, to be sure, but RI soon showed a propensity for the element of air. For many years, what he knew of his bending was frowned upon in his family - for they were superstitious folk who were afraid of what it meant, since everyone knew that the descendants of Gang were the only Air benders around - or were they? Somehow, his father's old ancestral line back to the air nomads won out against the far more closely related sand benders of the desert his mother's family resided in. Seeking inspiration and guidance with his gift, he took to "training" (mimicking) the sand benders around him - to no avail. It wasn't until he took up his pass time of dance in his teen years that he found that the secret to the art was constant movement and a circling, light-footed data. But there was only so much he could learn on his own - without a proper teacher. And so he went off to Republic City in order to do whatever it takes to be accepted as an acolyte at Air Temple Island. Pictures: Water Benders Quote: The people of the Water Tribe first learned water bending by observing how the moon pushed and pulled the tides of the ocean. They then learned how to simulate the effect themselves. As such, they have a strong spiritual connection to the Moon (and its counterpart, the Ocean), and any adverse effects on these mediums can affect them too. This makes water benders the only type of benders who did not learn bending from an animal, although since the Moon and Ocean Spirits take the form of animals, they could possibly classify as the animal water bending originated from. Accepted Water Benders Quote: Name: Malaria Aqua ta Age: 22 Gender: Female Bender or Non-Bender: Water Bender Affiliation: United Forces Biography: She lived with her parents until she couldn't stand it anymore and got mad one day when she scared them, almost hurting them badly. She had three brothers (half brothers) and a stepfather, and her mother. She realized later on while growing up that no one really showed her love like they did in other families, and she is kind of screwed up because of it. Furthermore, she doesn't believe in death and will protect others to no end. Furthermore, she has no care for her life (well she does, but, she doesn't commit suicide or nothing) she is kind of emotionless when it comes down to something she doesn't know how to act towards, and it makes her sound shallow. Furthermore, she can be seen as a b*TCH but is really nice and easy to get along with. Furthermore, she hangs out with whoever she pleases and refuses to let anyone hurt them and her friends are now her family. Picture: Alaria's Outfit and hair (which is normally up) Quote: Originally Posted by LaClef-a-Verity User: LaClef-a-Verity Name: Vega Rather Age: 21 Gender: Female Bender or Non-Bender: Water bender Affiliation: She prefers to be on the neutral zone. She knows that the warring sides haven't affected her little bubble of life that she had wrapped around herself just yet. Biography: Vega has lived most her life in the Northern Water Tribe, living a pretty normal life with her younger brother. But when she got older, her mother had decided to teach her blood bending in order to pass the gift down the family line. She has never used it on anyone else and have only practiced on small animals. When she was eighteen, a rogue fire bender infiltrated the seemingly strong fortress, Vega and her brother had to run to their secret hideaway, but not before her brother was scorched. This event channeled her anger to her blood bending and she had taken control over the fire bender. She was about to kill him if it weren't for the horrified cries coming from her younger brother. Vega ran away from her home in search of a new life. She still kept her name, but made sure that it was covered in obscurity. She now works as a singer at one of the bars downtown. Weapons: A Turtle duck-Shelled Knife from her father in the Northern Water Tribe Picture: Vega (art isn't by me, but it's by ray) Role Play Sample: Blood bending Link: Saving Tomorrow, Today Equality Quote: The Equality follow the teachings of Among, who began spreading his ideas after allegedly receiving a vision from the spirits that the Avatar had failed humanity in its duty to bring balance to the world. The main cause of this imbalance is bending, which is used to bully and oppress the world's non-benders and which has been the cause of "every war". The only way to bring equality back to the world is to remove the abilities of the world's benders, who exploit and marginalize the non-bending majority, and then overthrow the "bending elite" in a wide-ranging social revolution. Accordingly, the spirits granted Among the ability to permanently remove a person's bending powers. Through eliminating people's bending ability, their aim is to create a society free from bender/non-bender divisions, where no person has an innate advantage over another. Although Among's final goal remains unclear, he has expressed an eventual plan to export the Equality revolution beyond the borders of Republic City to the rest of the world. Accepted Equality Quote: User: Stores Name: Felix Age: 16 Gender: Male Bender or Non-Bender: I am a non-bending Equality. I use chi-blocking and the unique Equality fighting style, plus Equality technology, to assist me in bringing down any and all benders. Affiliation: I am an Equality. Biography: My parents trained me in the was of chi-blocking and hand-to-hand combat since I was a child. Long before Among had brought the unfair treatment of non-benders to light did my parents prepare me to be able to stand up for myself. When Among came into the spotlight, I alongside my parents, were enthralled. Quickly did my parents join the Equality side and begin to work for Among, and I did soon after. We believed Among a genius and a gift from the spirits. That is, until it was revealed he was a bender. Bending away others bending. Now is time for a true solution to the bending that plagues the world. Kill all the benders. My parents fight valiantly against benders from the Triple Threat Triad and United forces. I too, fight as well as I can. Though my parents forbid me to openly fight on the Equality side. That is why my appearance is that of a common civilian. I only show my true fighting potential when I feel that a bender is too powerful to be left free to roam, or live. Weapons: I tend to favor just using chi-blocking moves, though I am known to throw electrified weapons to ensnare my enemies. I also sometimes use those magnificent gloves. Picture: Sea foam green hair lay in a mess over the pillow, a casually dressed man covered in a thin sheet lay upon the bed in a restless state. Asleep but not truly relaxing, his mind racing and body ever alert. In Republic City it was uncommon for a sleep to be peaceful as it once was - like it used to be. The streets were over run with violence, the three 'sides' of this struggle were using the once symbol of peace as a battlefield. The United Forces, The Equality, and the Triple Threat Triad - all of them were trying to weed out the other two and obtain power. Ironically, they all were doing so to help the people, yet it was they who had endured the most pain and suffering. The fights between the benders were the worst, all of that bending caused a lot of damage. Sadly it was damage that both the Triple Threat Triad and the United Forces deemed a necessary evil. Expected from the gangs, but not so much from the United Forces. Sure they tried to make up for what they had done afterward, but the damage was already done. Letting out a sigh Lyon pulled himself out of bed, sitting on the edge with his feet touching the floor. His eyes glanced out of his room window at the Republic City that had changed into what it was now. Pulling himself to his feet he made his way to a night stand across from the door. Dragging his hand atop of the furniture he grabbed some metal coins and divided them up, dropping some in both his right and left pockets. His less than fancy clothing was what he usually wore, he prefers to be comfortable if he was going to be on the lookout for his and everyone else who was around him. Keeping the people safe is what he liked to do, it was something both his parents had done as members of the metal bending police force. Headed out the door, he was in his usual clothes and had no shoes. Like all earth benders they were stronger when they were connected to the ground, and walking barefoot was nothing knew. It was something all the greatest earth benders did. Turning around he locked the large door behind him, not that it would stop any bender or Equality from getting in if they wanted too. His every day stroll had never changed it was a routine, he checked on the stores near his home as always to ensure they were running under their own influence and not that of a gang, and not to mention they tended to give him things to eat for his voluntary service. It was not why he did such a thing, but it didn't hurt. Casually bringing his arm to his head and making the messy hair a sort of organized messy he made his way to the darker parts of town. Though just two streets he frequented. He was a great bender, but exploring new places to keep safe was not only dangerous - but it was better to not over extend one's self and lose all the progress made. Smiling to the woman across the street who walked her several children almost as routinely as Lyon did, it was a reminder that he was doing something good. Every day could turn into a battle, and it tended to do so. Though on the odd day it was a relief to not have to beat up some thugs who were attacking innocents instead of fighting for the cause they're so annoying proclaimed of. Letting out another sigh, followed by a quick yawn, Lyon approached a woman whom he did not recognize and raised his arm to wave hello, but as he did so the woman quickly threw off her cloak and revealed herself to be none other than an Equality. The woman proceeded to quickly throw those annoying electric wires that wrapped around a person and knocked them out, as she did so Lyon knew what to do. Quickly he earths bent a wall of earth between them, serving as a shield to her attack but causing minimal damage to the street. The woman had the advantage, as out of the two of them she cared not of anything but capturing or killing him. In his left ear he heard a familiar buzzing sound, those electric Tonga. Turning sharply to his left he threw out all the coins in both of his pockets, turning them into round balls that upon contact shifted into wires that constricted the attacking Equality. He quickly fell to the ground but in the corner of his eye he saw that woman coming towards him, and very swiftly. She threw out a string of those strange chi blocking punches, and before he could react he had lost the feeling in his right arm. Quickly bending and pulling the shield he made earlier into boulders he threw them at the woman, and carefully avoided his own person. She was nimble and dodged them effectively, somersaulting a little distance down the street. With only one arm it seemed as if maybe Lyon had finally run out of luck. Shaking his head and that thought out of he bent the boulders back into the ground, repairing the street to what it once was before the battle began. Then it was a staring contest, between him and that chi blocking woman. There they stood on a street of vendors and shops, and Lyon with one arm out of commission. There was only time for a sneaky move, as she was faster than most Equality Lyon had fought before. Though Lyon also chalked up his lack of usual avoidance to just waking up, and not yet eating. But that was an entirely different matter. As Lyon went to throw his left arm out to begin his bending, the woman was already on the move. Though to Lyons surprise a water bender had intervened and froze the Equality lower body to the street. Turning behind him, he had just noticed the United Forces had come to his aid. Taking the Equality Lyon had captured and the woman who had temporarily disabled his right arm. Bending the metal off of the Equality man now in custody, he regained his coins once more but this time they only graced his left pocket where his one capable arm could reach. Leaving the scene quickly he was able to avoid questions, and avoid the need to give thanks. Poking his incapacitated arm he knew it would take time for the feeling to come back. Though that would not stop him. Getting some complementary food from the vendor with earth bender delicacies, he ate at it quickly while grasping it in his good left arm. He still had some rounds to make before he could do what he really wanted, which was to sleep or eat, so it seemed a good idea to go on. Nothing else much to do anyway... besides waste the day away that is. James sat patiently on the top of a nearby building as he watched the equality and the earth bender fight. He swung his legs over the edge, deciding whether he should help the earth bender. He was about to when they were having a stare off, but he noticed the United forces coming, and figured it would be best to avoid them. It wasn't like Gang's time, when 15-year-old benders were appreciated. Nowadays, they were treated more like a nuisance, being stereotyped to have little to no skill and maturity. Well it was true for most 15-year-olds. But not for James. Probably because he had been forced to fend for himself from a youngish age. When the group left he climbed down from the building, using pipes and various growth on the walls, and followed them, hoping to ask the earth bender if he could help him. James had noticed him patrolling the area many times before, helping out the people. James wanted to do that kind of stuff, it seemed almost like being in the gang. James finally caught up with the earth bender when he was eating, but decided he'd watch him for a little longer, behind poles, and rubbish bins and walls. Finishing his food and wiping is hands of crumbs Lyon turned his attention to the sign that was placed outside a store, reading it carefully. Something about signs always got Lyons attention - it was almost a bad habit to have to stop and read the whole thing. Though admittedly, it was mostly to see if there was some new kind of food he could try or a special on foods he liked. Sadly that was not the case, the sign was just a copy of the menu and so nothing about it was new. Continuing his walk down the streets he usually strolled he began to move his right arm more and more. Being able to once again move his arm was great, and he then split up the metal coins into both of his pockets per usual. His amber eyes searching the streets it seemed to have been a nice day. Well, besides the earlier problem with those two Equality trying to take him down. Which was again only difficult because he just woke up, was hungry, and can't earth bend to his will without destroying a neighborhood. Those Equality had a big advantage fighting him in the city. While rubbing the sleep out of his eyes he could overhear an elderly couple speaking of a restaurant run by an older man, being taken advantage of my gang members. Lyon used his earth bending to soften the ground under his already bare feet to ensure his footsteps were dead silent in his approach to hear them more clearly. Of course, re-solidifying the ground behind him as he walked. As he eavesdropped on the conversation he learned that the restaurant was not too far, and that it was indeed a place with food he had yet to eat at. Two reasons to go there. Slowly leaving the elderly couple to go about there ways he made his way back home, sure it was a little earlier than usual, but he had a few maps that together covered the entirety of the city. This way he could get there as fast as possible and avoid any unnecessary routes he knew would attract some trouble. Despite his urge to run or jog, he just continued on with his slow and leisurely walk. Last thing he needed was to draw any attention to himself, especially that of the United Forces, they would only tell him to stay out of there way and to let them deal with the problem. Though that wasn't bad, they would deal with it, but they would do it eventually when nothing of more importance was to be done. At times like these, there was always something else. Down along one of the more ‘pleasant’ streets of the city, the stillness of the air was shattered as a man was sent flying backwards out through the glass front of a local restaurant. He landed in the street, scrambling backwards through the shards as a woman leapt swiftly through the hole in the glass to follow him into the street. Seeing what was soon to be a bender-on-bender battle begin, the few people walking along that street fled. While this particular neighborhood avoided many of the clashes between the United Forces and the Equality, what it was bountiful in was gang activity. The Triple Threat Triad had taken total control of most of these parts, under the noses and out of the way of most of the United Forces. One exception to this string of gang-owned businesses was Ashlynn’s uncle’s restaurant. While it was settled among what was believed to be the more peaceful parts of town, she knew far better than to think it was safe. The only reason these streets were quiet was because of the strict gang control, lead by patrols of common thugs such as the one laying before her. Ashlynn could more than handle making one or two of these lowlifes scramble at a time when they came knocking on their door, but when they began to group was when real problems arose. So, as the man she had forcefully thrown out of her uncle’s restaurant fled, she felt just a tad wary when she spotted the car of his accomplices near to join in. Sighing softly, Ashlynn stretched her arms out as she waited to see the man she had already taken down be pulled unto the car as its driver and other passengers hopped out in an orderly fashion. It took but a moment more for the driver to rush towards her, one of his fists rising as a ball of fire was directed her way. So, this time it was another fire bender-- interesting. Typically, they sent only water benders, knowing well of her abilities by now. Grinning slightly, she dodged the flame easily and swept her left foot before her, flames rising high up from the earth in its stead. The first man had to stop and re-direct himself to avoid this, but another two that had arrived in the car came around the side with small chunks of the street in tow. This time, she acted more swiftly in attacking, knowing full well that dodging all of those flying chunks of earth would prove trying. So, throwing two punches to send flames in their direction then kicking one of her feet up to do the same, she would watch as they systematically dodged her fire bending and drove her into a barrage of rock. Leaping backwards to avoid them best as she could, Ashlynn took a couple of hits to her shoulder and right side despite her agility. Once they paused, she stood firmly before the three of them, who ran forward for an attack again. This time, the fire bender ran towards the middle with the two earth benders flanking his sides. Closing her eyes for a moment to calm herself, Ashlynn would reopen them quickly to see a weak stream of lightning come from the man at the center. Without a second thought, she received the bolt through her fingers and redirected it with more strength towards one of the earth benders, who received the blow straight-on. Then sending a quick stream of flames towards the fire bender, he was also sent down, leaving her dodging another array of rock from the last man standing, an earth bender. Already, Ashlynn felt herself growing tired again. The action never seemed to stop in the city anymore. Just this morning she had gone to aid the United Forces in bringing in more warships to the harbor against the Equality and their chi blockers, whose attacks she had just been recovering from as she had headed home to work at the restaurant. Now, there were bending gang members standing in her way. This exchange of fighting between the three sides had had her actively involved for weeks straight now, and just the wear on her body was enough to tire her out most days. Today was no exception and her movements were beginning to slow down as she faced the earth bender. Cursing under her breath, she prayed that today wouldn’t be one of the few where she would simply have to allow the gang to take away her uncle’s revenue. Opening his door only halfway to prevent people from looking in, Lyon slid in and closed the door behind him. The walk was not too long, but it felt nice to have his feet on the sandy ground of his home. His parents, also earth benders, never tiled or put anything over the sandy floor in the home. It was truly an earth benders home. Letting out a small sigh, still tired from the restless sleep, Lyon made his way over to the large chest in the main room which served as general storage now. There was no lock on the large metal chest, it had to be metal bent open and so it held many valuables. Placing both of his hands in the middle of the large metal chest, he pulled in opposite directions and created a large hole in which he quickly rummaged through family heirlooms and treasures. Grabbing the maps in hand he thought of his parents, the owners of these maps. The maps were from the days when order ruled and the metal bending police force had mapped out the city. Quickly Lyon scanned the maps and put them back in the chest once he learned of his destination, quick so that no one could ever see what kind of things were in the metal chest. Maps in the chest, he now slid his hands over the cold metal and pulled it closed. The memory of the maps still fresh in his head he went over to the sink in the kitchen and grabbed a bowl, then proceeded to fill it with sand. Throughout his childhood he would sand bend little figures out of the sand floor and make them fight each other. Now with the sand in the bowl Lyon went on to sand bend the map in his head into the sand, and bending it once more into a more solid substance. Now he had a map to use and one that was not useful to anyone if they approached him for he could just break the map with his hands or bend it into a mess. Standing to his feet he did not brush himself off, there was no shame in being covered in sand when you were an earth bender. It was his element anyway, though in hindsight it probably would have been a good idea as to not attract any Equality. Still that was a conclusion he would come to later, Lyon was already out the front door and using his map in a bowl to take him to this new destination. Though it was odd, most people said the area was corrupted by gangs but at the same time one of the more peaceful areas. Either way Lyon would know soon enough. Following his sand map he went unbending the blocks that he walked so if someone was watching it could not be traced to his home. It was just a habit to be careful when both of your parents were members of the metal bending police. They always warned of the dangers of being too brash or undisciplined so it was something Lyon, as much a slacker as he looked and was, tried to do. As he neared his final destination he could feel something weird under his feet, it was familiar. It was someone earth bending. Lyon collapsed the map and held the bowl tightly in his arms and ran towards were he felt the earth bending. As he approached the scene he witnessed some girl who could bend lighting. It was an admirable feat, like his metal bending. He hesitated to help almost hypnotized by her lighting bending, something he had not see very often - though he came back to his senses soon enough. She could definitely handle herself, taking out two benders like she did, but there was still one more bender. Glancing over her quickly with his amber eyes he could tell she was not up for anymore fighting, and this earth bender was clearly a gang member based on the fact his friends and vehicle scream Triple Threat Triad. As that earth bender began to move his feet Lyon reacted instinctively to help the girl. Throwing the bowl of sand behind him, he lifted his right leg and took a step forward with it - slamming it into the ground and made the ground between the other earth bender to ruin his stance. You needed to be decisive to bend earth, and it was hard to be decisive if you could not count on the ground beneath you to hold you up. Following up Lyon did an uppercut like punch with his right arm, creating a spire of earth and propelled the earth bender into the air. Though it did not end there. Digging both his hands deep into his pockets he threw all his metal coins towards the man - assuming he could not bend metal seemed a safe assumption on a gang member - and as the metal coins flew through the air and got close to the man falling to the ground Lyon slammed his fists together in front of him and bent the metal coins into steel wires that squeezed the man as he hit the ground with a thud. Brushing his hands together with a grin on his face he was quite proud of the fact that he could beat up a gang member who was clearly abusing his bending on business on the area. At least... Lyon assumed so. He really had only shown up at the end of the fight and assumed the girl the victim. Turning his head to the girl with a grin still on his face he scratched the top of his head with his right hand. "Hey, what exactly happened here?" A silly expression on his face he could only hope she was the victim here. Though... those guys really did look like gang members, so who was she? James had perched up on a rather high light post to see this fight. He could watch this all day it was amazing! Especially when they brought out such skill during the fight. He stared at wonder at them, he could tell they were speaking, but he was too far away to understand what they were saying. Did they know each other? James slid down the light pole, and ran up to the side of a building. He pressed himself against it, trying to remain hidden. Now he could make out what they said slightly, and not get caught. Just as Ashlynn had braced her scuffed right arm forwards in a position as to keep on fighting, the ground trembled beneath her and she lost her stance. Much to her relief, it didn't seem that this jolt came from her opponent, however. If not from him, then from where was her next question. Quickly her gaze locked onto the green-haired guy who had just arrived at the scene. At first, she would watch their fighting hesitantly, unsure of what exactly to expect of this. Was he another gang member? A United Forces soldier off-duty? Should she just retreat for now? She shook her head at herself, denying herself the pleasure of simply escaping the situation. She didn't want to leave these two be, anyway. It was only in her nature to want to know what was going on now that her fight had been interrupted, whether the other man was a friend or foe. Then, shortly after it had begun, them Triple Thread member went down with the metal wires wrapped tightly around his body. It was then that Ashlynn caught the grin on the guy's face, which relaxed her a bit regardless of what may come later. She still didn't know who this was, after all. Still, seeing the silly look on his face and hearing the obvious question, she couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. One of her hands rose to her side, which had a dull pain in it now as she returned his grin with a small smile. Still, as she replied her seemingly calm facial expression couldn't help but falter a bit. A sigh escaped her lips as she let her gaze fall to the ground, as if embarrassed to have to explain her situation. "The Triple Threats have been trying to control my uncle's revenue," she gestured towards his restaurant casually as her gaze lifted back up to look at him directly, a renewed, fierce look in her eyes now. "They were here to 'collect'," she went on the explain, then raised an eyebrow at him slightly, "Now, exactly who are you? Why did you get involved?" It weren't as if Ashlynn weren't grateful for his presence-she was, if not a bit embarrassed to have accepted his help-she just wasn't sure about how to perceive it yet. It wasn't often that a stranger moved in to help her with driving away the gang from the restaurant. Especially not now, with the city in complete chaos. At one time, with team avatar out and about, she might've been less hesitant about seeing an act of kindness like this. If that were what this was. The faint sound of the girls laugh brought ease to Lyon's mind. She seemed to be the victim here, and it was only made much more clear when she began to speak of the Triple Threat Triad trying to take her uncles' revenue. It was not all that uncommon, but it was still not something Lyon liked to hear about. Especially when the United Forces boasted such power and presence in the city. "These guys are always up to no good." Walking over to the gang member that Lyon metal bent into submission, he pulled off the metal with some quick bending and once again placed them methodically into his pockets. Stomping his right foot on the ground and punching both his fists forward he covered the gang members in coffins of earth that carefully held their heads in place. Lyon would leave them like that, eventually the United Forces would get to them and take them away. Or they would play victim to an earth bender and be let go... either way Lyon did not want to stick around to explain his metal bending. "Oh me?" Almost caught off guard by her question, Lyon remembered he had spaced out on introducing himself. "I'm Lyon." Giving a half-hearted, and slightly embarrassed wave, he gave that silly grin. He had not thought that maybe he would run into a little skirmish. Well, he had come to see what was happening... but he had hoped too to just be able to try some food he had not yet eaten. "Ah well..." Pushing his two index fingers together gently, he looked down a little at the ground. A little embarrassed to admit his true intentions. "I came to try food at this place... your uncles place you said." Scratching his head with his right hand he placed his left casually on his hip. "And to check out the rumors of gangs in the area..." He let out a casual chuckle before turning his attention back onto the gang members immobilized on the ground. "Hey can we talk more in private? I don't really want to be here when the United Forces show up." Giving his shoulders a shrug, he knew it was an odd request. It would only add to the confusion of who he was and what he wanted, but hopefully he would come off a little more innocent than say, a gang member. Though something crossed his mind quickly, and he turned his head back to where he had come from, in the little skirmish with the gang members he had dropped his bowl of sand. Not that the map was needed, but might as well keep the bowl. Casually walking over to the bowl, and picking it up in his hands he decided it best to try and lighten the mood with a little joke. "Hey, can I bring my bowl too?" Pointing at it with his free hand like it was a pet, and giving a small chuckle. It was all Lyon could think of to try and be friendly without getting to close to the girl and making her uncomfortable - or worse, make the feel threatened. After all, she was a fire bender. As Ashlynn's gaze followed the earth bender's movements to remove the coins from the men and replace their constraints with earth-style coffins, one of her hips slunk upwards, and she placed her hand firmly upon it. It wasn't as much a show of attitude as it was one of confidence. While she agreed with what he had said about the gang members, she still couldn't help but be a bit wary of this guy's sudden presence. Him being a metal bender only furthered her suspicion. What in Korea's name was he planning now? Her eyebrows dipped forwards slightly, showing her distrust, but her features remained otherwise calm. For now, she would simply wait to figure out who he was before assuming he was trouble or asking more questions. Her voice came out smoothly in reply as her eyes trailed after him, "Seems that way. Gangs never were any help around here." Even when Korea was alive, and active around the city, they had still caused trouble. Not as much as late, but they were still quite a handful. Before this full-scale battle broke out across the city, Ashlynn had helped to protect ordinary citizens from gangs and had some great success. Now, with her hands full working at the restaurant and volunteering for the United Forces, she was feeling weary, and the gang proved to be a hassle. Still, thinking this way and seeing the silly expression cross his face lead Ashlynn to lighten up. If she hadn't seen him been earlier, she would've figured him to be harmless. Then again, he had helped her with his bending, and help wasn't something she was used to getting any of. One corner of her lips quirked up into a grin as he introduced himself and explained his purpose. She wouldn't be softening up enough to lose her sense of alert quite yet, but she did visibly relax her tense muscles and let go of the need to bend anything. There was no immediate threat here, that was plain to her. "Checking out rumors of gangs... got some vigilante justice over here?" she asked almost playfully, not meaning to grasp an answer before she removed her hand from her hip and moved it to instead rub her injured shoulder. Fighting the gang was one thing, but avoiding the United Forces was strange for her to hear. Yet, she knew enough to know that he was no Equality, so she let her caution slip. Just this once. "Sure, come on in," she gestured for him to follow with her free hand, then paused to see him point at something. A bowl? It took her a moment, but again after a blink of surprise, a soft laugh left her lips and she nodded. "Yeah, of course you can take your, uhm... bowl," she replied with a small smile, and was about to turn when she paused and locked her gaze intently on the nook between two buildings on the other side of the street. Was that a shadow? Not to mention, she could've sworn she'd just heard a brush of movement come from that direction. Going with her instincts, she called out, "You, in the shadows, there-- you're free to come, in too." Then turning abruptly, she would walk on casually into the restaurant that rested beneath a few layers of tenants. Inside it was warmly-lit, the walls lined with windows and bordered with fabric wall-paper displaying pieces of the story of Gang and his friends. Customers sat in groups around wooden tables and in pillow lounge-style booths against each wall. They seemed relatively unfazed by the commotion, oddly enough, but that was a sign of a regular around here. All in this part of the city were used to the gangs, and those who frequented this particular restaurant were accustomed to seeing Ashlynn fight them off a few times a week, if not more. One spoke up as she walked on in and passed their table, saying, "Off duty now, Ash? How're the Forces doing?" She would wave them off, replying simply, "Got a break for the night." After checking to see if this Lyon character was following her, she would duck behind a curtain near the rear of the shop and pass the open door to the kitchen to head up a narrow set of stairs. The next level appeared just like the lower, but the tables were now few, and the chairs had been replaced by pillows and mats for the most part, taking on a more casual and secluded feel. In one corner was a cabinet equipped bountifully with medical supplies, which she neared right away to open up and remove ointment and bandages from. "So, you conquer the gang, avoid the United Forces..." she began more casually now, her gaze cast away from him as she bandaged the couple of nicks she had received up. Then turning to face him - and the other person that she assumed had been listening in earlier, if they had come along up, and she wasn't imagining things - she would ask, "What's your part in this?" Leaning back against the closed cabinet now, her gaze would rest calmly on him as she waited for an answer. ((WherededIGo Mule: Just pinging myself as well))James slammed his back into the brick wall, making himself as flat as possible, not daring to breath. She'd seen him? He tried to listen in on them again, nothing else about him, so she wasn't positive that she'd seen him he guessed. He let out a sigh of relief, and peeked back around the wall. But he saw nothing there. They had both moved on, and he hadn't seen. "Drat!" He cursed, rolling his eyes, and scampered off to see if he could find where they went.

Avatar_ The Legend Beyond Korra|rating:3.0

Thing's could always get worse. [Yulen_Neysha]

Matthew wasn't a bad guy. He followed the rules, he worked hard, and he did things as honestly as he could at all times. In his mind, he was just unlucky, never quite giving in to the "nice guys finish last dogma". Unfortunately for him, he would have to come to terms with a simple fact sooner rather than later: he was screwed, so utterly screwed that no amount of optimism could extend his life by even a day. Outstretching his hand forward, he was shirtless, his bare forearm enveloping his line of sight. It was not the arm he remembered a week before, it was thicker, tighter and stronger all without so much as a day of exercise. Of course, that was to be expected." Count yourself lucky young man. I have a cure for you, but to earn it, you'll have to follow some instructions of mine. I'll explain things in greater detail later, but don't be too surprised if you start looking a little different in the coming weeks." these were the first words Doctor Iconic had spoken to him after he had awoken within his laboratory, a recently crushed vial and an unknown substance dried on the floor beside him. Apparently, the Doctor had intentionally left it unlabeled and exposed to the open air. All in the hopes that one unsuspecting young employee would grow curios enough to take a look at the crimson substance. Matthew was now dying, slowly but surely. How? Iconic had explained, but the only thing he had garnered from his babbling was extreme muscle atrophy. He'd dead in a year, though almost ironically, his body would reach its peak fitness without him having to so much as reach a finger. Gripping the hem of his sheets, he threw them from off of his form. Abs...he had abs now as well. This would take some getting used to. One had to wonder why Matthew was so complacent, despite having been committed to an annual date with death. Dragging himself out of bed, he proceeded to his dresser, pulling on what clothing he had left that would still fit. Dr. Iconic had given him a choice: It was either die, or go out and push his body to it's newly perceived limits. If he proved his efforts to be sufficient examples of the virus's capabilities, then he'd get the cute, and could go on living. Thankfully, the Doctor had also suggested the best way to do so. Woman. They were an ample source of exercise, and even better test subjects given that the effects of the virus had yet to be seen within females. It was two birds with one stone, and really, what man would refuse? It certainly beat the hell out of running down a treadmill for the rest of his life. All that seemed to fit him was an oversized t-shirt he had bought. Before this virus had infected him, he was the epitome of the "scientific" image. Lanky wiry, no interest in sports or too much physical activity, though having above average intelligence and interest within niche movies and hobbies. The latter fit the description of a government sanction bio researcher, the rest...well you got the picture. Sliding his shirt on, he sighed, so heavily he almost had to take another breath to continue. His work schedule had been odd, and he had told it would only get stranger. Iconic had advised him to stay away from work for about a week, just to ensure that the virus itself could not be passed on so easily. All of that aside, he had a day to himself, and what better way to spend it than increasing his life span? God that was sick...he chuckled, but it was still a very dark form of humor. Extracting a pair of jeans from his dresser, he had grown no taller, so most of his pants still fit. Government jobs sent men halfway around the country, and he was no different. This city was new to him, it's people, it's sight's it's sounds...everything really. If anything, maybe it would help his new "quest for life" along. His apartment was decently sized, a two bedroom just in case family showed up, and fairly sizable as a result of his pay check. Still, that didn't matter very much at the moment, it was pretty barren anyway. Now, on a Friday morning, he had to go out and look for a woman to seduce. God, he hoped this virus would help him talk the talk as well. Racing out of his apartment, he locked the door before bounding down the stairwell. Life was definitely strange. Kari Sandoval (heard him coming before she saw him coming down the stairs and immediately squished to one side of the stairwell as she saw him bound by, vaguely recognizing the passing stranger as the new tenant. "Hey... watch it new guy!" she finally said, chasing him down with a slight verbal chastisement as he reached the bottom of the stairs, while she took another few steps. "You seem to be in a real hurry for something," she then added, following after him as they both seemed to be heading out. As he glanced back, she simply smiled at him warmly, her full lips crossing her lightly tanned, honey complexioned face, perfectly framed between her similarly color toned hair, cut in a neat bob around her face. She was dressed in a pair of low cut, skinny jeans and a white tank with a lace embroidered top border. Despite nearly being run over, her face warmed up as she kept smirking at him, her dark eyes deftly glancing up and down his body, giving him a quick look over and nodding slightly at the athletically well-built man that finally stopped his bounding down the staircase to see little old her. "Hi... I'm Kari... I live on third floor," she said, extending a hand to him. She usually wasn't so forward, but he was a cute guy she realized. What she didn't realize was how subtly the pheromones he was using helped accentuate his positives, exaggerating what she found attractive and magnetic to him. Go. Do. You have something you have to do now, not something you want to do. His mind was ablaze with thought, and seemed to be particularly more purposed than it usually was. Before he had come here, Matthew could have best been described as a young man with his head in the clouds. What went on inside his head was a mystery to family and friends alike, though thankfully, his work assured that he would maintain a semblance of sanity while away from them. That aside he tried not to worry them, and as such took more than enough time to explain himself when it seemed absolutely necessary. His race downstairs had its first casualty, a young woman as it turned out. Small world. Her greeting was almost unnerving. Matthew was not entirely used to being greeted by females, much less such attractive ones. Stopping dead in his tracks, he smiled brightly in response, outstretching a hand to grasp her own. " Matthew Silverman. I, ah... I live on the fifth floor. Pleased to meet you Kari, sorry for almost running you over back there, I was kind of in a hurry." he replied calmly. Not anymore it seemed. Matthew had to wonder if any of his more recent bodily traits had affected Kari's address. It was likely...very likely, but whatever the case, it was good for him. He had a woman, his first actually and after a short glance or two...perhaps dying wouldn't be so bad? Shaking her hand, his smile turned to a grin. " Again, I'm sorry, were you headed somewhere?" he asked. Shaking his hand, he felt her soft fingers warm up in his brief grasp before they let go, and her full lips opened up again into a bright, yet slightly sultry, white toothed smile that contrasted sharply with her honey colored complexion. And when he asked his seeming nonchalant question, her cheeks flustered a bit, reddening as she practically stood inches from the man who demeanor wise would've never really piqued her interest in such a short time, but the changes made to him were already working their subtle magic on her, stoking her passions in fire when normally a bare hint existed before. She was getting flustered, literally feeling flattered that this cute guy was showing an interest in her that she just smiled coyly, unable to pinpoint why but knowing something funny was going on. She ultimately, rationally, deduced she was smitten with him and nothing more. Thus, there was nothing to do but ask the cute guy she was struck by out on an impromptu date." I don't usually do this," she said with earnest bashfulness and humility. "But I was just going to get a cup of coffee and read my book but... I think it'd be more enjoyable if you joined me... I mean... if you want to." She flashed him a humble smile again, giving him that angled flirtatious stare some girls gave. The pheromones were working. That much was clear. The staircase itself was clean and devoid of the usual graffiti and garbage one would find within a typical apartment stairwell. It was in part due to the "upstanding" nature of the building itself, but it was fairly new as well. As such, the pair stood alone within a very clean enclosed space, making it very easy to determine one scent or sight from another. Matthew could smell her. She wasn't wearing perfume, but he could smell the feminine scent all woman carried. Luckily for him, it was not overpowering, strong and subtle yes, but it did not rob him of lucidity. Not yet anyway. Her suggestion didn't surprise him very much, but ultimately, he was so thankful for it a contained grin spread across his lips once more. This was all too easy...he knew that there was more to saving his life than this, but he couldn't believe what she had just said. Matthew Silverman had just gotten a date without so much as suggesting one. Having released her hand, he pretended to be in thought. That was normal after all...no honest man simply agreed to this sort of thing right? God, he hoped not. Whatever the case, he came to a decision within a moment or so. " I'd love too actually. I was headed out myself, but I hadn't decided where. Where are you planning to hit that little place down the street? I saw it when I drove up here last week, and it looked pretty cozy." he replied, his voice warm and naturally welcoming. Whatever the case, he was on his way, and with a rather cute catch to boot. Kari had a natural appeal, a good mixture of elegance and her own natural appeal. She smiled warmly again as he mentioned the place down the street, her eyes lighting up a bit. "Yeah... actually..." she said, not originally intending to go there, but figuring since it was closer by, it would offer her time to get to know him more quickly. And... she almost never entertained these thoughts, especially after just meeting a guy, maybe if they really hit it off, it'd be a short distance back to their apartment, either one. "Yeah... that should work," she said with a smile, as she nodded for him to follow her out the door. The place was only a half a block away and part of a small locally owned chain called the Coffee Bean. When they first headed out, Kari walked a half step ahead of him, but by the time they arrived there, she was walking a half step behind him, her body unconsciously desiring the sensation of his pheromones wafting and drifting over her body as she only slightly trailed him before they entered the coffee shop, and he graciously opened the door for her. The place was half filled this morning with young twenty something's, as the cute female barista behind the counter smiled as the two new customers ambled on in." Good morning. Welcome to the Coffee Bean," she said crisply, taking Kari's order then turning to Matthew, and immediately blinked rapidly a few times, before her feint, customer service smile curled up at the corners of her mouth ever so slightly as she took Matthew's order as well. And with every breath the barista took, the more interested she became in the cute enough guy that just walked in. As soon as their coffees were made, Kari, a rather bashful look on her face, took Matthew to the corner table, far from earshot of anyone else in the secluded corner when as soon as they sat down, she turned to him, a bare hint of jealousy in her tone of voice. "I swear that barista was eye fucking you," she said, showing how she was still blissfully unaware of the pheromones he was releasing and proving they were working, at least in a mild sense, in attracting the female gender. Fair enough. For whatever reason, a feeling of complete and utter satisfaction was brewing inside Matthew. He couldn't exactly put his finger onto what was causing it, but he had an idea it was because of where he was going and who he was going with. Matthew Silverman did not embark on spontaneous dates with beautiful woman. It was simply unheard of. Now, he faced a problem that even the new facets of his body couldn't solve: how he would choose to handle it. The Coffee bean was supposedly a family diner of sorts, but given that most families had a pre-established eatery (usually a larger, or more well known chain), the locally owned chain made its money as a popular date spot for college students and beyond. All of this was primarily an assumption, but it wasn't a difficult one to make. After all, the interior seemed as though it was stiffed by an age cap or something. Not a man or woman that appeared to be over thirty seemed to be present. The walk there was actually a little refreshing. Matthew view of the outside world had been heavily altered by his new life's purpose. It was good to see that he could enjoy the simpler things in life, but even nicer that Kari seemed more than content to follow behind him. Based on what he knew about natural human aroma's and pheromones, she was growing rather fond of his scent, or rather, the scent of males in general. If this kept up, he'd live past a year yet." Uh yeah, I'll have a coffee, two sugar." He responded to the barista as he usually would. No muscle eating virus could change one's mindset in a week. Matthew himself didn't notice her abnormally sweet smile, or the soft tone of voice she produced while speaking to them. He even missed the facial expressions that came as a result of his new-found female magnetism. Following behind Kari, he sat down with his cup, sipping the bitter-sweet liquid with a smile. " Eye fucking? Ha, I doubt it. Sure she was friendly, but customer service only goes so far these days." he laughed, leaning back against the soft red fabric of their booth. " It doesn't matter much anyway, we're here together, aren't we? I think that should be enough to keep most men and woman away right?" he continued, a sly grin spreading over his face." So Kari....do you usually go on these coffee dates with another person? Or am I throwing you off a little bit? Whatever the case, it's pretty neighborly of you to invite me along..." He knew that wasn't the reason why she had invited him along, but he had to make this as natural seeming as he could. His question left her grasping for answers, or rather more appropriately, ones that made sense to her as much as him. The thought of gut feelings and female intuition didn't make sense, but that is how she could best explain it. So she just made something up, hopefully to impress this awesome new guy that she still barely knew. "You know..." she said, her eyes drifting up to the ceiling as she took a long moment dwelling on his question before finally her line of sight drifted back down to him. "I guess it was just being neighborly. I'm going to admit, you're a cute guy, got me giving you a second glance and it just... it seemed like the natural thing to do, ask a handsome guy like you out, you know... I mean... it's just coffee right?" Kari said tantalizingly, and showing her interest in him more with a warm, perhaps inviting smile as she sipped her brew." Sometimes you just gotta try something new," she said. "I've been here a while, but this is the first time I've seen you. Are you new to this place, or to the town? Go to school here or something?" she asked, finding herself rapidly asking her one question after another, hoping to strike up an interesting conversation with him and find out more about the mysterious stranger who caught her eye. Damn this place had some good coffee. It was nothing like the Maxwell house that he usually forced down during his years of schooling. It was actually sweet, a peppered after-taste elating his taste buds and sharpening his mood. Her response surprised Matthew. Obviously she was" under the influence" at the moment, but her answer seemed to be somewhat more natural than he would have imagined given the circumstance. Still, her true natural was just as endearing as he would have imagined it. " Fair enough. That makes sense, but to be fair, I probably would have approached you myself at one point or another. You're not exactly easy to ignore." he replied. Had he really said that? This virus must have been giving him some sort of low grade fever. Matthew took another long swig from his cup. Having always been something of a caffeine junkie, a quick cup of coffee was usually on his list of things to do. This is where the trouble would start. He was glad that she was being so responsive, but making himself out to be a freak or serial killer might hurt his chances with her. As such, omitting his situation and job title was prudent planning on his part." I'm not surprised. I just moved in here a few weeks ago." he replied, smiling warmly as he leaned forward to address her. " Nah, I've long since finished with school, I came here looking for work, and thankfully I found it pretty quick. To save your ear from the verbal beating it would receive, I'm a scientist...a researcher if I can say that." he replied. Kari smiled back at him bashfully, her cheeks reddening a bit as he complimented her. "Oh, thank you," she practically gushed in response before hearing about his occupation as she continued sipping her drink. "Wow," she said, putting her mug down. "That's sounds intense. I couldn't do research like that," she said sheepishly, not sure how to follow up such an interesting career. "I work at the Gap...," she said, rolling her eyes a bit. "Retail associate. If you want, I can totally get you a pair of hundred dollar jeans for eighty bucks," she added jokingly with a sharp laugh before reaching across and touching him lightly on the arm, secretly becoming more and more intoxicated by his presence with every passing second." So..." she then said, polishing off her coffee. "I'm assuming your single and so am I so... I was wondering, what do you have planned for the rest of your day? Unpacking or something?" she asked, throwing out the obvious bait that she was willing to do... something else, preferably back at the apartment. She then paused a moment, confirming that was in fact what she wanted. She had never felt this way about a person so suddenly before, but for some reason, she felt she was clicking with him on all cylinders and as the moments passed, and even though the conversation... when she looked back on it, nothing really stood out, he just seemed, almost felt, like a cool guy she wanted to be around. Well, at least she hadn't pressed aboutwhathe researched exactly. His heart had settled into a rapid pace for the time being. Matthew felt as though he was treading on thin ice, while in actuality, he was not. Over thinking situations just so happened to be his specialty. A chuckle escaped him. It was not forced, just a simple laugh that anyone would expel. He hoped he sounded sincere, because in truth, he was. Disregarding the slender hand that outstretched to touch his own, he kept eye contact with her. She was comfortable with him." How'd you guess?" he retorted. Matthew's mind had perceived it as funny before he had said it, but looking at himself now...it didn't exactly make sense anymore. A sly grin etched over his face as his features seemed to soften and increase in density. Matthew had an idea of what she wanted from him (which was coincidentally exactly what he wanted from her) but once again, coming out and saying" Hey, do you mind my fucking you for science and impregnating you while I'm at it?" didn't seem like a potent way to seal the deal. Even he could figure that out." Nope, I'm all packed out. Like I said, I planned on heading out today and doing something, though now that I have, I don't really have anything else to do outside, at least for today." he answered. " If you had something specific you wanted to do, I'd love to join you. But if not, we could both simply head home and relax a bit. I'd suggest my place but...that might not sound too appealing from a guy you've just met." he continued. She nodded in agreement, showing that she was still in control of her faculties, pheromones or not. "Well we can go to my place, my roommate is gone until tomorrow so we can hang out there, watch a movie or something. Maybe order some pizza?" she said with an earnest smile as she set her coffee cup down and looked at him with a smirk. "I mean... if you want." Matthew could have uttered something cheesy in his head, but sex wasn't common place for him (yet) so a simple" Yes!" seemed to suffice so far as satisfaction went. Draining the last few gulps of coffee from his cup, he felt better than ever, not just because of the amazing brew he had enjoyed, but because he was about to go home with Kari. " Sounds like a plan. Of course, I want to, what kind of man would I be if I turned down a free pizza?" he joked. With that, he stood, slipping out of the booth with a sweet smile on his face. " Until tomorrow....boy that's a lot of time. We may was well get going then right?" "Yeah," she said, her eyes and face lighting up upon him accepting the invitation. She rose up from her seat and then, showing the change in their relationship already, extended her hand to his as he took it, clasping his fingers around her fingers, holding her hand as they walked out of the coffee diner like a couple should." Have a good day... see you tomorrow!" the same grinning barista from before said, adding the second statement in a bit of customer service joking. Kari smiled, ignoring the coffee shop worker as she instead walked side by side with Matthew, bouncing from one subject to another as she talked about her job, mostly how it pertained to folding clothes and finding ways to tell guests how things looked good on them when they clearly didn't just so she could avoid their ire. As they re-entered their apartment, she was already heading up the stairs when he asked about the elevator, only to have her confirm his suspicions that it was slow and clunky. Heading up to the third floor, she unlocked her door and bid him to follow her in." Well this is my place," she said, turning around with a playful twirl as she stretched her arms out to the side with a sweeping gesture. "This is my... our living room and dining room," she said as she pointed out the rather small open area that comprised half of her far smaller apartment. "Other side of the Bannister is the kitchen, and down the hall are my room on the right and the bathroom and my rookies room on the left," she said before turning around and gesturing towards the sofa. "And this is where the magic happens," she said with a playful grin and waggle of her thin eyebrows at the sofa planted in front of a decent sized LCD television as next to it, along the wall, was a shelf with DVD movies filled up. "You can pick the movie, I'll order the pizza and just know... I'll be judging your choice," she added with a feigned warning. One or two breaths was all that he seemed to need, and he was good to go. Being around such an alluring woman wasn't as mentally perturbing as he had thought....if things remained this way, he would have been perfectly content. Clasping Kari's hands and intertwining his fingers with her own, the pair exited the coffee shop with the familiar glow of a couple. Contrary to popular belief, they had just met about an hour and a half ago. Dying seemed to be all pleasure and no pain so far. Matthew tried to offer details about his work in response to Kari's, but unfortunately, he danced around the subjects of his work the entire time, explaining the primary facets of any bio researchers job. It was enough to get them back to the apartment complex though, and would hopefully suffice long past this event. Kari was anything but typical, but she seemed like the average girl to him. Nothing about her broke any sort of norm, save her beauty and the playful allure she carried. It really benefited him more than anyone else...doing this with a regular woman made it seem all the more "real" to him. The elevator seemed like a piece of trash, so after a short trip upstairs, he was greeted by apartment, placed smack-dab in the middle of the third floor. Overall, it was smaller than his own, undoubtedly to facilitate cohabitation. It was cozy though, and no less enticing to observe than a six figure condo as far as he was concerned. Matthew caught sight of the tower of DVD's long before she had pointed it out. The various multicolored spines and titles seemed to be a real eye catch. Turning back to her as he progressed forward, he responded jovially. " Guess this'll be a pretty short evening then, huh?" Without so much another word, his eyes sifted through the carefully stacked dad's, trying to find one that they would both enjoy. He had no idea of her likes and dislikes, but the mere fact that she had so many films made choosing quite easy. As far as he knew, All quiet on the Western Front was never released on a DVD, or any sort of media disk. It was ancient, but still carried weight to this day, and from what he remembered of it would prove to be a decent watch. Sliding the case from the shelf, he chuckled. No cover picture....unsurprising. Whatever the case, he made his way over to the television, and the more importantly, the DVD player under it. Collecting one remote at a time, he turned the flat screen on before doing the same to the DVD player, popping in the disk and pausing it immediately. Now...would he actually end up eating any of that pizza today? She finished ordering the pizzas and then plopped herself onto the couch, seeing he had already figured out how to use the increasingly complicated television and DVD player. "Wow, you must be a researcher, deciphering that without help. You're the first," she said in honest joviality before sliding a few inches closer until she was sitting beside him. "And what's this talk of a slow night," she asked, before picking up the DVD box." All Quiet on the Western Front..." she said shaking her head. "Oh man, this must be one of my rookies movies. She likes historical stuff like this." She turned her eyes on him with a sarcastically withering glare. "She is a geek though, and so are you I guess," she said with a smirk before scooting up close enough to him, she could lean against his body, feeling the firm, unyielding musculature underneath his clothes, before uttering a longing sigh. "Never seen this movie though, maybe it's good." They had barely gotten through the black and white films infamous boot camp sequence, with Kari showing at least a mild interest in the film, often shaking her head at how nonsensically patriotic the main character seemed to be, and what an asshole the drill instructor analogue was when the pizzas finally arrived. "Be right back," she said, squeezing his arm as he paused the film, even though she didn't ask him to. Returning a few minutes later, she laid a large pizza box on the coffee table in front of them before heading straight to the kitchen. He saw on the top cover of the box it said 'Supreme No Olives" scrawled on it." Want anything to drink. We got... water... orange juice... ohhhh Hello Yellow. Iced tea. The bottled stuff," she said, shouting out to him from the kitchen before snatching up a pair of large glass mugs and dropping some ice cubes in each, before pouring the drinks in and heading back to continue the movie. It wasn't too hard. Matthew was the type of man to take pleasure in deciphering puzzles. Especially those of the technological variety. Of course, this only furthered the idea that he wasn't what he seemed, but hopefully he would just seem different, rather than an impossible combination of external and internal traits. Remaining seated within the couch, he eventually leaned back into the soft material, relaxing as the situation had grown increasingly....natural. " I won't last long here if I prove to be too much of a bore right?" he replied, a grin to his face. Hopefully he could meet her someday and discuss her opinions on the themes, acting, historical accuracy and maybe even.....nope. That was the old Matthew talking. There was no time to be thinking about pleasure, or at least the kind of pleasure that was devoid of sex. " I think you'll enjoy it, if you can get past how obscenely old it is." he replied. Without so much as a second thought, his male instinct kicked in, draping an arm across her hips and pulling her inwards slightly. This movie brought back such old memories. It never made absolute sense to him, as it defied what he defined to be logic at the time, but he still enjoyed the realism that it portrayed. Plus, watching a man lie with a dead body in a trench for a few hours was always somewhat thought-provoking. Kari was probably hating this. She certainly didn't seem like the type to derive much pleasure from this sort of film. At any rate, the pizza's had arrived, granting the two of them reprieve. Kari from the film, and Matthew from his own thoughts. What had to most sugar in it? He usually needed sugar or caffeine to do anything for a decent amount of time. Looking down at himself for a moment, he made a snap decision. " Water's fine! Thanks by the way!" he called back, reaching to his right to grab the remote. The moment Kari returned, he unpaused the movie, gunfire echoing from the battlefield as they had made real headway through the story. In the meantime, he flipped the pizza box open, dragging a topping laden slice and taking his first bite. He chewed in silence for a little while, but swallowed very quickly as he needed his mouth again. " Jeez, you really like your pizza, don't you? It's like you dumped an entire pantry onto a single pizza. Not that I mind though...but god." he chuckled, taking another bite before a burst of flavor shot through the flesh of his tongue. "I like my pizzas to be an entire meal," she said, before pointing out each of the food groups. "We got... meat and grains and dairy and vegetables and.... yeah tomato sauce covers fruit," she added sagely as she started with big bites on the first slice of pizza, only to find by the time she picked up a second slice, she was practically nibbling.“My little tummy is full,” Kari finally groaned, trying to polish off the second slice of pizza, as she continued to watch the film, finding it at least mildly interesting despite the black and white source material, and the fact it was so aged as he realized, it wasn’t just the amount of food that was slowing her pace of eating down. She was actually getting seriously bummed about the ending of the flick. Finally, as the credits rolled, she put down the pizza crust on her plate and turned to her new friend and leaned in on him. “Oh my gosh... that was so sad. It’s like they all died at the end. The old guy that was all friendly and even the main guy,” she said softly, shaking her head, while also nuzzling him on the chest, perhaps unintentionally. “That was sad but... it was a good movie I think. Not quite my cup of tea... but it’s a real cuddle type of flick,” she then added, smirking a bit as she curled up even closer to him and sighed. Normally she’d feel kinda bad or weird about making the moves on a guy after watching such a sad film, but... she was feeling less restricted now. “MMM I know what I want to do, but what do you want to do now?” she asked, sliding a finger up the middle of his chest and tracing it down, finding herself surprised that she was hitting on a guy so soon after watching such a depressing movie. Maybe she just wanted a pick me up. This was the first time he had done something like this with a woman. It was a little mind-numbing, but he had adjusted to it superbly, at least by his own standards. "Makes sense as long as you're paying for it."he chuckled, watching her scarf down her first slice in a little over a minute or so. As expected, she wasn't a big eater, and the rest of the pizza would likely fall into his jurisdiction. Not that he minded....contrary to his comments, he actually enjoyed the pizza, an array of tastes elating his senses past the boundaries of a typical slice of pizza. The movie droned on, passing through his favorite and most hated portions. The scene involving the French woman always baffled him. If only it was so easy now....but he had to wonder how much the fact that they were soldiers had to do with it. Whatever the case, they were nearing the end and with that, he couldn't waste any more time. He was in was he not? There was no point in not doing what he intended to." War and what not. It really sucks overall, but at least he tried right? It was pretty futile, but trying in a situation like that must have seemed even harder than giving up all together." he replied, running a hand through his hair as he wearily recited his thoughts towards the ending. Loosening his grip on her waist he laughed lightly. "Glad you stuck through it." he truly was. After all, many would have become vehement at the simple thought of watching such an old movie. There we go. He was surprised he didn't have to grope her or something, but it certainly looked a bit better this way. However much he was enjoying himself, he still had an endgame for their time together, and this seemed to be it. Leaning forward slightly, he turned his head to peck her lips, his hand leaving her waist entirely, gliding up her stomach to her chest area. "If I'm on the money, the same thing you do...that is if I'm right of course."he replied, a playful ring to his voice as the same hand began cupping one of her breasts. She smirked at his response, all the more amusing to her, especially after the peck on her lips he almost coyly gave her. But she didn't respond to his final comment, right before his hand slid over her breast, his fingers splaying outward, trying to envelop her almost perfectly round mound of flesh, feeling the thin fabric of the cup of her bra through her top, and feeling the firm, yet supple and soft flesh underneath yielding to the pressure of his fingertips as he then heard a soft moan escape her lips, a moan that was begging for a reason to escape ever since she first took a whiff of his body and drank up his athletic form. In the back of her mind, she was haunted by the all too rational nagging that this was all too soon, and perhaps she needed the clarity that only separation would bring, but that was not to be. Kari rationalized her fears away in an instant, intoxicated by his presence, warmed up by the coffee, conversation and movie and now as they kissed again, she was enthralled with the mysterious stranger and neighbor that walked into her life mere hours ago. They both wanted this from the moment they locked eyes, and now she figured, he had passed the tests, all the dating in between was just delaying the inevitable. What they both really wanted from each other. She closed her eyes, moaning softly again as he massaged her tit firmly, yet gently, as she drew open his lips with her full, mocha colored mouth, slipping her tongue in, and brushing the tip of his tongue with her own, before gently massaging its tip, while her lips sandwiched his before pulling apart and opening up again. Finally, her hands rose from her sides, as she deftly started to pull off her tank, breaking up the kiss only to pull off her white top and toss it aside, revealing Kari's honey complexioned body, the smooth tones of her flesh looking and even more alluring in the dim lighting of the apartment when as soon as her top was off, revealing the tightly fitted bra underneath that contained her breasts, which looked even larger now, her arms slid over onto his sides, and she leaned in forward, kissing him even more deeply now in the developing embrace. It was happening. Matthew focused, now mattered more than ever. It was unfortunate to admit...but his life actually depended on sex. What a world, what a world. Reciprocating a rather heated kiss with Kari, he was quite surprised at the subtle spike in severity that occurred part way through it. Kari did not carry herself very promiscuously, but he was quite surprised that she was undressing so soon. The human body was chemically driven...but seeing her do so while as pressed against a man she hardly knew aroused him. Especially given that he was that man. Having her would certainly be interesting...if he could think about in long enough before being rendered a lust addled mess. His tongue lashed against her own, dancing against the flesh that had so jovially teased his own, lathering it with attention as he sought to bring her past the point of no return. The point in which the morals that she had so clearly shirked off would never return. Once there....well, he had a feeling they would both be enjoying themselves. Her mouth had clasped back against his, and her body had so cleanly plastered itself against his form. Her curves were very evident, and her massive bust even more so, the heated flesh escaping contact with his equally well sculpted chest. Not even he could escape arousal, especially now that they were essentially conjoined. Whatever the case, he drew out their kiss, a slight exchange of saliva exchanging between the two of them as blood began throbbing into his length. If he didn't have to impregnate her...he would have gotten used to this kind of treatment quite quickly. Now that her body had so sensually laid itself out against his own, he dug his arm's out of the side of the couch in which they had been near buried, one sliding over her hips to grasp at her still clothed rear end, while the other remained motionless. It was a little unrealistic to believe he could actually arouse her this way, but he was sure as hell going to try. After all, he had a little bit of help. They continued kissing, seemingly for several minutes it seemed, though the seconds were ticking by slowly, punctuated by the sound of their lips softly smacking as she rested one hand over his as it laid on her hips before finally, parting their faces, she looked up at him and smiled, a sultry look on her Latina face. "Maybe I can show you my bedroom?" she then said, not only because the bed was the best place for this, but having a roommate stumble in on her having sex with a practical stranger in the sofa next to the front door likely wasn't a good idea. With that said, she gently pushed him away, and picking up her shirt in a clump, she headed down the hallway, leaving the pizza to cool and glancing over her shoulder at him, making sure he'd follow and curious whether his eyes would be focused on the back of her head or her plump round butt or somewhere in between. Flashing him a smile as she gave him a glance over the shoulder, she opened the door to the bedroom, leaning against the doors frame until he followed her in and then swung it shut behind her and turning around, she locked the door before advancing on him. "This is so going to happen right now isn't it?" she said in a roundabout way, the obvious excitement in her voice evident as she reached over and started to tug on his shirt suggestively. "Fair is fair right?" " I don't see why not." calm and cool as ever. Matthew had always wondered if he could have pulled this off, and it seemed as though he truly could...with a sizable amount of help of course. Whatever the case, his mind set had shifted from that of a neutrally friendly stranger to that of a sexually aroused male, a male with a particularly pressing purpose. The end of their kiss signaled movement, and he followed Kari without question, moving as naturally as his sex addled mind would allow. Her bedroom was actually quite nice, but he didn't focus on it very long. There was other scenery to admire. Feeling his shaft pulse full of blood, and the likely never ending desire to impregnate his young host, he smiled. " It is very much so...but that being the case." he turned her words against her to a degree, but he had a feeling it would have occurred one way or another. Placing his hands on her own for a moment, he slid them further downwards, grasping the hem of his shirt before sliding it off of his toned form, wasting no time in undoing the belt of his jeans as well. He stripped naked as quickly as he could, and before long his lust was starting to become unbearable. But he'd wait. Breaking things off now would have killed him. Both the past and present Matthew's. Kari eyed him, while walking rather deliberately around him as he stripped down, seemingly for her. She matched him for a while, article of clothing for article of clothing, as she stripped down to her bra and panties, only to see, smirking the entire time, that he had stripped naked and as the clothes fell away from his body, falling to the floor, her Cheshire grin grew even wider as she saw the sleek and highly toned muscular man standing naked in her room, looking trim and athletic as he stood only feet from her, looking absolutely delicious. Kari however, couldn't help but glance down at his cock, noticing the flesh toned member sticking directly outward, already hard, for her, as the head of his cock was flaring dark, and seemingly curved upward in the air, the girth of the phallus large enough that his member seemed to bob and wag in the air whenever he moved." Is that for me?" Kari asked coolly, as, still wearing her bra and panties, she maneuvered herself closer to him, but without touching him, she sat down on the edge of the bed as he turned to face her and smiled, raising an eyebrow as she nodded for him to draw closer. Her fingers twitched a bit, curling in her lap, as she licked her lips in anticipation of servicing what was easily the most well hung guy, and handsome guy, that had ever had the pleasure of her intimate company. There was always so much to think about for Matthew, but in time, he grew to understand that sometimes, thinking was entirely unnecessary. He stripped himself down until no article of clothing remained over his forms, his body revealed to his young partner in full. He had yet to take a complete survey of himself, but from Kari's eyes, he had an idea of what to expect. Very impressive. He'd have never guessed that dying would prove to be so beneficial for him. Chuckling lightly as she stopped undressing at her unmentionables, he shrugged his shoulders, his now pulsing mast quite eager for any sort of contact with her feminine form." I'd say so. I'd ask about whether your body is for me...but I have no idea what the answer to that question might be. " He replied wryly. Cool, casual. Just sex, that was all this had to be for her. If he could keep that being the case, then they both could enjoy this, despite the realities that awaited them afterward. Approaching her, there was an auspicious air between them, as though what was to occur could only be defined as mind-blowing. " I say you can have it, though how is entirely up to us. Hmm...let's see what's quick and easy and right in front of us?" he asked, as though giving some sort of mock sex quiz.

Thing's could always get worse. [Yulen_Neysha]|rating:3.0

Standing at the Gates of Valhalla

Setting music (click here) (12, 1982 Athens, Greece." My blood runs cold, my memories have just been sold, angel is the centerfold, angel is the centerfold"The peppy rock number echoed out from the tiny radio nestled in the roving jeep, standing out starkly against the dark, quiet night, and making for an even more jarring juxtaposition considering the two stern soldiers traveling across the countryside. "Bah, can't believe the kind of stuff that gets popular nowadays" the dark haired man said. He was a soldier, member of the Greek army, and it was clear by his demeanor that the mix of popular music and having to spend hours escorting his "special cargo" had left him a tad bit grumpy. "Though I imagine that's not something you huskies had to worry about much huh? Do they even have radio back in the Union?" the man asked, casually glancing over to the red-headed woman riding with him. Apparently the woman was a refugee or something like that from the Soviet Union, and the army had agreed to give her asylum and help her pass on to wherever the heck she was supposed to go. He didn't really know much, wasn't really told much to be honest, but he couldn't help but wonder what made this one girl so important that she was being driven out by cover of night to this secret rendezvous. Aside from being a bit of a looker, in a tomboyish way he guessed, he couldn't see anything particularly special about her, then again what did he know? He was just the driver." Anyways we're getting close to the spot" he said, glancing down at the map in his lap. "I'm supposed to drop you off and oversee your pickup to make sure you get out ok. Your pickup is supposedly coming by chopper. However once you get on said chopper...well you're not the government's problem anymore" the man said with a shrug, though drew out his gun and made a show of flipping the safety off "still, if something seems off, give a shout, and I'll..."lend a hand". It's been a long drive here, and it's going to be a long drive back, don't really want that to go to waste right?" he said with a small smirk, in his own way letting the woman know he had her back if anything went south. As he put his pistol away a large flat cliff came into view. The jeep slowed down to a stop a few hundred meters before the edge, giving ample space for the chopper to land down. "And now, we wait." he said, flipping off the radio and instead digging a cassette tape out of the compartment and slotting it in ("There we go, if you're going to be bombarded by American culture, might as well be the good kind eh?" the soldier said, bobbing his head and leaning back in his seat as Sinatra played, soon the sound of the music becoming mixed with the familiar beat of helicopter wings. "Looks like you're rides comin' in, cigar?" the soldier asked, lighting up a cigar of his own before offering one to the woman. (the start of the drive, from the military base where she'd been picked up, the red-haired woman had mostly looked out of the vehicle, drinking in the impressions of Athens, her first real look at a proper, capitalistic city. Now though, as the jeep had left even the outskirts of Athens behind, the countryside was markedly less interesting to her. Still, the woman was not much for conversation it seemed, apart from when the driver asked about the presence of radios back in her home country. "Well of course. How else are you going to listen to the best of Stalin's speeches 24 hours a day?", she dryly responded. It had to be sarcasm, right? Even if the driver had no idea about life in Russia, that had to be a joke, right? Didn't really sound like one though, the tone of the woman was rather earnest in comparison to her outlandish claim. The driver had been told the cargo he was driving was named Tatyana Nikola. That wasn't the case, however. The name of the redhead sitting in the passenger seat was Yelena Rurikovich, a former Smetana agent. A defector. Somebody who was wanted dead or incinerated by the USSR, yet here she was, still in Europe, still very much in reach of the Soviet Union. But she hadn't picked Greece randomly. From all the countries bordering the Iron Curtain, it was the one with the simplest intel gathering mechanisms in place. She knew exactly where to place a doctored file to make sure it'd get picked up easily by Greek intelligence to ensure political asylum. But then, she had planted other leads to her real identity, ones she knew would find its way into other hands eventually. Well-paying hands, preferably. And even if they were the wrong hands, Yelena had a knack for dropping off the radar completely, so she wasn't too worried... her aim was to use her skills to make money, not serve some corrupt Motherland. Perhaps tonight would be the start of earning her first real paycheck? Of course, the driver knew nothing of that and didn't need to. She glanced at his gun briefly, an FN Model 1922. Belgian. Old, but reliable. Cheap, more than anything else though. It'd do. After the driver had demonstrated it and put it aside, Yelena discreetly swiped it away while the man was busy putting in a cassette. As a supposed civilian, she did not carry any weapons with her, so she could use one as a pre-caution... and she didn't trust the man with it to protect her. She'd learned to do that herself. As the helicopter was coming closer to their location, Yelena rose out of her seat, wordlessly refusing the cigar and stepped out of the jeep, her newly acquired weapon hidden in the fortunately rather loose and baggy top she had been given. So this was what they meant by fashion? And what was it with these shoulder pads anyway? Still, for the moment, it proved advantageous enough so she wouldn't complain. And more than any fashion concerns, she was looking forward to seeing who was in that helicopter that was preparing to land now as she walked closer slowly, her short hair rustled by the gusts created by the rotor blades... (sorry for taking so long to post, I had a lot of work dropped on me recently, and I haven't been able to get back into it)(Callihan - ReginleifSamantha Callihan, also known by her Valkyrie named "Regional", though most often just addressed as "Commander" by her subordinates, let out a small, content sigh as the chopper made its way towards the reindeer point. As she rode with her legs carelessly dangling off the side of the chopper, she occupied herself by flipping through thedossierQuoteKGB File #6571-AHReport on Subject codenames 'Anastasia'*****proper Authorization required*****Name: Yelena RurikovichBorn: 12-12-1959, in Perm Height: N/Weight: N/Blood type: N/Gender: identifies as female Special member of Smetana ALFA unit, currently deployed with the 5th Guards Motor Rifle Zimovniki Division in Lusaka as per directive #312/12/001, performing support and reconnaissance duties with KGB agent 'Vladimir' as her handleable to assume any humans appearance and mimic voices by altering her body structure, source of ability unknown First exhibited powers at age 8 according to parents, taken in for further studies at age 10, permission granted by General Secretary Brezhnev Subject deemed an important asset for the Motherland and given extensive special agent training over the next years Fluent in Russian, English, German, French, Chinese, Spanish, Japanese, Turkish, Polish, Dark, Pashto (subject shows a great aptitude for learning new languages, able to master a language that is ethnically related to one she knows in ~3 months and a completely foreign one in ~6 months)Possibly in combination with her powers has shown a hitherto unparalleled resistance to poisons and toxins of all sorts and acquiring immunity and after one dosage Subject is a well-trained and loyal soldier, mentally conditioned for combat, stress-resistant Subject often uses her powers to play tricks on superiors and comrades alike Loyalty and usefulness is unquestionable however, therefore it is advised to overlook these transgressions Should the subject die or be injured to the point of no further combat readiness, permission is granted for more intensive testing in order to find out the source of her abilities. Should the subject defect or try to, she should be detained alive for aforementioned studies. Should not be approached lightly!the intelligence unit had put together on their newest recruit to the team, one "Yelena Rurikovich", a badass spends operative with a pension for shape-shifting and a recently discovered loss of patriotism. The perfect combination to make anyone the hottest free agent on the PF scene. Fortunately due to the Intel team's diligence, they managed to come in and snatch the girl up before anyone else even caught wind of her. Ofcourse Sam had already gone over the woman's information from front to back a dozen times, and she could probably quote it from memory, so she didn't reallyneedto take a copy of it with her to the exchange. However, there was something about this new recruit that had her particularly excited, and it was the reason why she couldn't stop reading over the file again and again. It was like a child who saw a massive, wrapped up present under the Christmas tree, but Christmas was still weeks away, so all she could do was gaze longingly at it, anxiously waiting for when she could tear into it and find out what was really inside. For her Yelena was that present, and the closer the chopper got, the more her heart raced, and her fingers twitched, the air around her starting to crackle with static as she grew closer and closer to "tear open" mode. It was only five minutes later that the cliff side came into view. "oh boy, it's almost show time!" the woman said giddily, glancing over at the pilot "How do I look? Presentable? I ain't sparkin' too much am I?" she asked, the pilot responding with a simple thumbs up, already more than used to the woman's sometimes overly excited behavior. As they closed the distance to the landing zone, Sam casually held the small pile of files out over the edge of the copter, and let the papers flutter out of her hand, cascading down into the ocean where they'd dissolve away. They already had hard copies of the files back at Valhalla, so it was best not to keep sensitive materials just lying around on the field. Soon the helicopter began its decent, and Yelena would be able to see the pale, dusty black haired woman hanging haphazardly out the side of the chopper as it touched down. "Sistra!" Sam bellowed dramatically with a fancy flourish of her arm, her thick Irish accent immediately recognizable. With a small grunt the woman hopped out of the chopper while it was still hovering a good 7 feet off the ground, rolling as she landed to dissipate the shock and pop right up to her feet. Despite being the leader of the Sons, Sam liked to go out and put her boots to the ground, and when she did, she liked to do it with flare." It is a pleasure to finally meet with you face to face Ms. Rurikovich" she said as she approached the woman, reaching forward to take her hand and kiss the back of it in a show of gentlemanly greeting. "I must say for someone who can wear any face they want, you certainly picked a lovely one for our first meeting" Sam said, giving Yelena an innocent little wink. With that said Sam took a quick step back and gave the woman a quick once over, not even bothering to hide her wandering gaze as she took in everything in. She wasn't sure if this was considered the woman's "true" appearance, or perhaps she had specifically crafted it to make herself look more appealing, but either way Sam liked what she saw. The red hair in particular was a nice touch, they were in desperate need for one of those, plus it spoke to her Irish side, a very crafty one this girl was, already trying to play to her tastes." Oh, but where are me manners, Sam Callihan, though you'll be referring to me as either "Regional" or "Commander" while out in the field. Starting today I'm yer new boss. I look forward to having you under our employ" she said, addressing the situation rather casually, especially considering how there was a third party soldier sitting not ten feet away from them. "From here on out yer part of Sons of Odin, more specifically the Valkyries...well, if ya pass the tests that is, but we'll talk more about that in the chopper" she said, stepping aside and motioning for the woman to head on into the helicopter.However, in an instant she seemed to take note of the soldier and caught herself, letting out a hearty chuckle. "Oh whoops, almost slipped me mind, how daft would I have been to forget..." she said, reaching for her holster and drawing her pistol, cocking the slide back and handing it to the woman. "Here's yer first test...when we talk about official matters around outsiders, we don't leave witnesses..." she muttered softly, nodding her head towards the man, wordlessly telling the woman that he'd have to be "taken care of". Of course what the woman didn't know was that the gun she gave her was actually full of blanks. Still it would be a good test of her loyalty to her new boss. (be told, Yelena was as much surprised by the dramatic entrance of the person coming to greet her as she was at the identity of the woman. She of course recognized her face from a KGB file she had been studying a few months back. "I'm surprised the leader of the Valkyries herself came out for this.", she responded. Her English was flawless, a slight American pronunciation, which made sense considering her origins. But Yelena was almost certain if she would hang around this Irish woman for a while, she might just pick up her accent. She took the offered handshake with a smile. "Same here. I've heard quite a lot about your group over the last few years.," Yelena replied. Both of them had reputations that preceded them, though Sam's was more than just her own. It was her entire organization that had a rather fearsome reputation amongst those unfortunate enough to be opposite of them, as a few of Elena former comrades had been. Yelena smiled mysteriously when Sam expressed her approval for her appearance. In time, she would learn that this was indeed something of a default appearance for Yelena if she did not need to immediately switch back to it and was rather close to how she may have looked if she had not had her powers. Some things were improved of course, her jaw was smaller than it was when she had been a child and her teeth were all straightened out as well. And of course, being attractive was almost never a disadvantage. "I dress to impress...", she remarked, turning around once to give her new CO a better impression. She wasn't either terribly proud of the dress (she had been given, but beggars couldn't be choosers. Truth be told, Yelena wasn't much of a fashion fanatic anyway. She wore whatever was best suited for the task at hand, so at least in terms of fashion, she was utterly pragmatic. And when she was given a gun and orders to get rid of the driver, there should've been little hesitation. But Yelena was also a true soldier. Of course, she would check a gun she had just received-She checked the safety, model, slide catch lever and finally, she pulled out the clip. There, she immediately saw that the rounds were blanks. With an eyebrow raised, she looked back at her new commander. What was the deal with that? Did she make a mistake or was this... Then it made sense to her all of a sudden. This was some sort of prank, wasn't it? Come to think of it, the file did mention a somewhat erratic behavior exhibited by the commander of the Sons of Odin. Yelena took a breath before looking back up to the slightly taller woman. "Is he in on it or are you just trying to freak him out?", she asked with a nod back to the driver. She had been confused at first, but now she was actually starting to feel a little guilty, like she just ruined a surprise of some sort simply by virtue of being a good little soldier like she'd been trained to do. (Callihan - ReginleifSamantha smiled as the woman made a little show of presenting herself, spinning around, so the woman could get an all around view. She could already tell this one was going to be a keeper, she liked the cut of her jib. "Well if you're half as good as our intelligence says you are, then you'll impress just fine" Sam said, smirking a bit to herself, already thinking about all the different possibilities, both on the field and off.However, the woman rose a brow when Yelena suddenly checked the gun she gave her, and seemingly recognizing the blanks in the gun. To be honest she hadn't really expected that, it had seemed like a pretty simple procedure, take the gun, bang bang. And when the woman suddenly turned to her Sam groaned and facepalmed "checked the gun...of course she checked the gun..." Sam grumbled, stepping past the woman and calling out to the soldier in the car." Forget it Frank, she checked the gun!""she checked the gun?""she checked the gun...""well that's no fun." the two retorted back and forth, the man taking a deep drag of his cigar before letting out a grunt and hopping out of the jeep. "Well, failed hazing aside, allow me to introduce you to Frank" Sam said, motioning to the man "yeah, we've met" Frank said, his thick Greek accent suddenly vanishing, revealing his actual American one." Frank works for us, part of our Intel team. He's one of our main liaison connections with the Greek army, very important considering where we're posted" Sam explained, being situated on a Greek island, it was of course very important to maintain good relations with the Greek government. "I'll be taking that back by the way" he said, casually reaching into her top and retrieving his gun, flicking the safety back off and sliding it into his holster "TSK TSK TSK, not sure how the soviets do it, but we don't steal from our comrades here Ms. Rurikovich, rest assured you'll have plenty of toys to play with once we get you suited up" Sam said, taking her own gun back and popping the magazine out, replacing it with a full magazine of live rounds and cocking the slide back to eject the blank that was already chambered."come on, I'll explain yer real first test in the chopper" she said, throwing an arm over the woman's shoulders and shepherding her into the helicopter, giving a brief salute to Frank before sliding the door closed behind her, leaving her and Yelena alone, well save for the pilot. "Here ya go" Sam said as she casually tossed a bundle sack the woman's way. Inside she'd find a standard issue, black and gray Sons of Odin uniform fatigues, identical to what Sam herself was already wearing, and a basic survival pack with most field amenities she'd need. "Those are standard issue combat fatigues, nothing fancy, but the vest doubles as both extra storage and light body armor...so that's always nice. As a Valkyrie you'll be free ta customize your equipment, gear, and weaponry to better fit your particular style, but fer yer first mission you'll be going out in those. I'd recommend getting changed now..." Sam said with a smile, leaning back in her seat a bit "don't worry, I won't peak" she said with a chuckle, though made no move to cover her eyes or look away, clearly intending to watch the woman change. (still feeling somewhat sorry for having spoiled the fun of her new boss (considering she enjoyed a good prank as well), Yelena was more amused by the groan of a frustration Sam gave when she checked the gun. When Frank approached, she half-turned towards him. "Consider yourself lucky that we're not in Russia, Frank... when I was given that test the first time, the gun didn't have blanks in it.", the former Smetana joked. Or was she? Considering what most people heard or knew of the Russian special forces, it didn't seem too far-fetched for them to start training their operatives to get used to killing early..." Weapon acquisition on site, standard operating procedure... isn't it?", she replied with an innocent smile when Frank took his gun back and Sam chided her for it. One couldn't be resourceful enough. Though the promise of more 'toys' to play with further down the road made that smile grow a bit wider still. "Looking forward to it. Oh, and just Yelena will do fine...," she added. Though she appreciated not being called 'Agent 22' or some other codename as she had been back home, she figured Sam was the kind of officer that would be fine with a first-name basis. Especially considering how much of a close-knit group the Valkyries appeared to be, from what little she had been able to learn of them. As Sam led her into the chopper, Yelena was about to sit down when she was handed a bundle of clothes. Listening to the Irish woman explain the standard issue she'd been given, she nodded upon being told to get changed now. "At least I get out of this silly outfit.," she said, truly glad at the prospect. Years of essentially living in gear had made her feel a bit uneasy when in civilian clothes, even if it was a for a mission. And as Sam would see now, she had no qualms whatsoever with her watching as the first thing she undid was her skirt. It was only when her skirt hit the floor that she remembered something, and now it was her turn to facepalm. How could she have forgotten? "Ah crap, I forgot... tell Frank that he should open the suitcase I brought along. Inside, there's a metal case. I brought a few souvenirs with me that I need.," she told her new officer. "Oh, but he shouldn't try to open it, or else... kaboom!", she warned her, making an appropriate 'explosion'-gesture with her hands. That actually wasn't true, she simply disliked people going through her stuff. Though there were only a few personal effects in there and mostly her own, customized equipment, she preferred to keep those few things to herself. That, and it amused her to think how carefully Frank would handle that suitcase or how they'd maybe even bring in a bomb expert for it. Yelena had no problems stripping in front of her new boss. Truth be told, she had no problem doing so in front of anybody. When it came to her body, she didn't really feel a sense of shame. Considering she could rid herself of any imperfections (and had done so already), she had lost anybody image problems a long time ago. In a sense, her body was just another set of clothes to her. In fact, she was doing it so naturally that she already had her bra halfway off before remembering that she did need one for this particular outfit. Though once she had the basic fatigues on, it became apparent that they weren't quite as snug as they should've been for a soldier. "Hmm, a bit too large for me...," she noted, especially around the chest and hip area. Though, that wasn't a problem at all for her. Such a minor thing as adding some fat deposits was easily done. Now, if the uniform had been far too tall for her, then Sam might've seen the more unpleasant side effects of her powers, but this suited her just fine. In fact, as over the course of about a minute her cells sprang to work, she wondered if this uniform wasn't intentional, as she hadn't altered her sizes since coming to Greece, but then again, it didn't really matter. As the Irish woman could observe, the clothes began to slowly tighten and soon, sat perfectly snug on Elena curves. "There we go.," she said, patting the now improved parts of her body, satisfied with the result. Of course, now that presented a new problem in that her bra had grown a bit restrictive. So, Yelena unzipped the top and quickly undid her bra, adding it to the pile of discarded clothes, leaving the observant Sam only with the briefest of glances at a pair of pink nipples sitting on two well-formed breasts before the top was closed again. Combat knife, all-purpose Swiss army knife, some rope, protein bar, all essentials a soldier needed, Yelena found provided for her here. Storing it in the vest, she was now fully equipped aside from a weapon. Ready for whatever test her new CO had in mind. "Alright, Yelena Rurikovich, reporting for duty.", she reported as the choppers lifted off, and she sat down opposite to Sam, being carried towards her first test... (Callihan - ReginleifSamantha chuckled as the woman commented on her "silly" civilian attire. "Yeah I've never been one for CVS myself. Too many passing fads, much prefer the military look, more timeless wouldn't ya agree?" she said with a chuckle. As the woman began undressing Sam sat back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other, her eyes scanning up and down the woman's body.However, her personalized strip tease was abruptly cut off as the woman facepalmed and muttered about forgetting something. "Eh!?" she muttered with a raised brow, her brow raising even further as she explained her suitcase was rigged to explode. "You were going to take a suitcase rigged with explosives onto our base? And you're only just now mentioning this because you forgot it..." Sam muttered, obviously the way she said it is sounded a lot more insidious than Yelena probably intended, but there weren't a lot of situations in which smuggling a bomb into a highly secured facility wouldn't be met with suspicion." Frank..." she said, picking up a walk talkie off the wall "do please send along Ms. Rurikoviches to base when you get the time..." she commanded "though make sure to run it by your bases bomb squad before you do, it's hot" she explained "AND I'VE BEEN DRIVING WITH THIS THING FOR HOURS!?" Frank's voice shouted from the walk talkie, audible even from where Yelena was standing, causing Sam to recoil back and swiftly hang up."well that's taken care of at least, please do carry on were you left off" Sam said with a staunch smile. The woman seemed unfazed by changing in front of her, even with Sam's increasingly leering gaze. It did take a bit of the fun out of it not to get the see the girl blushing even a little, but at least it meant she got to get a good, unobstructed view of the woman's figure. It was quite impressive, no doubt specifically modeled and shaped to be that way. Again she had to wonder if this was just what the woman normally made herself look like, or if she was trying to earn brownie points early, either way it was working, especially when she began expanding out her assets to more snugly fit into the uniform. "Well, that'll certainly come in handy" Sam said with a chuckle, knowing the other Valkyries tended to have their own particular tastes as far as proportions went. As woman reported for duty Sam gave a hearty chuckle and leaned forward. "And looking mighty fine while doing so" she said, reaching for the upper wall, which was lined with a few various guns and equipment. "Here" she said, handing the woman a silenced, operator pistol. "As a Valkyrie you'll be riding out onto the battlefield to personally escort men to the afterlife, and to do that you'll need your sword and spear" she said, grabbing what looked to be a slightly modified Aug assault rifle(the standard issue rifle of the Sons of Odin and a carry over from Sam's days in the Irish Republican Army. "They may not be perfectly suited to your style, but they'll do fine for our first outing" she explained, handing the woman the rifle. With that said she reached into her back pocket and pulled out a photograph "here" she said, handing it to Yelena, the photo was the image of woman(a soldier by the look of it, likely taken from a security camera or something of the like. "This is Share Hasan, one of the few female soldiers stationed at a small outpost in Libya. Apparently the commander of that outpost has been calling for increased raids on the countries neighbors to the east, and brewing up all kinds of trouble for the people there. We've recently been contracted to end this man's life, and I'm going to use you to do it" Sam explained. "Using this photograph you're going to assume Ms. Hasan's identity. When we arrive in Libya I'm going to cause a power outage at a local power plant that should kill the power to most of the outpost. Admits the confusion you're going to stroll through base in disguise and put a bullet in the commander's head, leaving the real Ms. Hasan to take the fall for it. Fast, clean, discreet, and best of all if you do well there won't be any tie back to us. Our client gets their dead man, and we don't have to worry about cutting off relations with Libya...for the time being...." Sam said, smiling as she sat back and crossed her legs. "Carry out this task and will officially earn your spot amongst the Valkyries, along with the right to carry the name Slipup, "The Changeable". Until your death or discharge you will be one of us, a maiden of battle who fights not for justice, not for country or ideology, but for the glory of battle and the betterment of your fellow brothers and sisters in arms..." she explained, suddenly leaning forward, catching the woman's chin, and planting a small peck on each of her cheeks, "welcome to the family lass..." Sam said, giving her a playful wink. (had to turn away while undressing to avoid showing her desperately trying to subdue a smile upon hearing Frank freaking out over the radio. Oh, this was already worth any trouble she might for this afterward. Of course, she could always try to play it off as though she had meant it metaphorically, but then again, worth it. They had tried to haze her, she pranked them back in return. Fair game, as far as she was concerned. After she had changed into her new combat uniform, Yelena took the weapons Sam gave her and, like before, checked them thoroughly. She nodded when Sam mentioned they'd do for this first outing. She was certainly able to use them and her checkup left her satisfied with the quality of them. They'd do. Then came the important part, her first mission. Yelena glanced at the picture briefly before turning her full attention to Sam explaining the mission details. Nodding along, it seemed straightforward enough for Yelena. Change into this woman, infiltrate the base, make sure to smile for any surveillance camera or leave witnesses, locate and kill the commander, then exfiltrate it. If that was all it took to earn her new spot amongst the Valkyries, she'd be done with it before sunrise. She had to smile a bit as Sam gave a small spiel about what she was fighting for, for glory and her new comrades. "Yeah, and for-...", Yelena started, about to quip that she was doing it for a nice paycheck before she found herself cut off when Sam leaned forward and gave her two pecks on the cheek. Unexpectedly (but probably pleasing for Sam to see), that was what caused a blush to spread on the face of Yelena. This simple and innocent gesture (though not very usual in the military) was what caught the Russian completely off guard. "Oh, uh... thanks...", was all she got out after that, sheepishly bending forward to pick up the photograph that had slipped her hands when Sam had cupped her chin. Trying to clear her head and focus on the task she had been given (She knew this gesture was perfectly fine amongst the Soviets, especially politicians, but she hadn't at all expected it here), she stared down at the picture, gleaming as much as she could from it. The photograph gave her the basic idea of what Ms. Hasan looked like, but she was used to a bit more intel than that before impersonating a target. Though she figured it was to be expected, she wasn't part of the USSR anymore and there was no KGB to feed her every minute detail of her target, it still gave her a bit of a headache to consider the potential problems that could arise on this operation. During the time that the dossier that Sam had been given by her intel team had been written up and now, Yelena had acquired fluency in Arabic, but she thought she remembered there was a distinct accent being spoken in Libya. Even so, from just a photograph, she had no idea what the woman sounded like, but she figured both of these were moot points if all she had to do was wear her face, enter the base and kill the commander. Though there were some possible complications. "Do we have any intel on Asians location? Might be awkward if I run into her at base...," Yelena observed. Of course, she wouldn't be able to shoot her then if that were to happen, but even knocking her out wouldn't be much of an option if they wanted to use her as their killer. Then again, if she had witnesses that could give her an alibi, it'd also throw a wrench in the plan to use her, although she'd still be hard-pressed to explain herself to a government that would need a scapegoat for an incident that embarrassing." I suppose I'll also have to look for a uniform on-site.", she made a note for herself. If she just strolled in with the fatigues she'd been given by Sam just now, not only would she stand out, but also potentially leave a clue that could be traced back to them. "Also, does our client need a confirmation photo or something as proof?", she inquired. Unless the client got inside information on the Libyan military, there was a big chance this mission would never be mention outside of internal channels due to the sensitive nature of a traitor in their ranks. But, aside from these questions, Yelena had more pressing preparations to take care of now. She had to become Share Hasan, at least physically. From what she could tell from that single photograph, she already matched the height and proportions of the woman fairly well. Not much of a need to change any of that, which was a bit of a relief. All she had to do was change her facial structure, hair and skin and eye color, and she'd be set....(~original)Her hair was the first thing she changed. Though she could easily go through all the changes simultaneously, for a reason that would quickly become apparent to Sam, she didn't. For Sam couldn't alter her hair color just like that, hairs were dead tissue after all. So, she had to regrow it. In front of Sam, Yelena spread her legs and leaned forward a bit and then, clumps of red hair fell to the floor of the helicopter, even the fine hairs of her eyebrows fell out. But Yelena only remained bald for the briefest of moments before already, the darker hairs began to grow from her scalp, slowly but steadily. With her previous hair laying discarded on the floor, Yelena sat back up. Opening her eyes again, they were already changed to the dark brown of Share Hasan... all that remained was her face. Eyes locked onto the picture, Yelena focused, and subtle changes began occurring. Bone marrow from her nose was absorbed back into her body, making her nose stubbier. With a sound similar to gritting teeth (which was also part of what was happening), Elena jaw widened slightly but noticeably, her chin growing rounder, her lips bigger and her mouth wider. Lastly, her eyes were growing slightly rounder than they were before... And while all this was happening, brown blotches began appearing on Elena face. Not just her face, Sam could even spot them on the parts of her arm that were exposed... not all the cells in her body responded to the signals from her brain to change in a uniform speed. These blotches grew in size, growing into one another, merging, until finally, no trace of the fair skin that Sam had found so enticing before remained, replaced by the brown tan of Ms. Hasan, just in time for her hair to reach the same length as Hasan was sporting in the picture, close to what Elena hair had been like before. All in all, this process took about seven minutes and by the end of it, there was a whole different person sitting across Sam, at least from the looks of it. Gone was the red-haired Russian that had entered the helicopter, replaced by a North African woman, wearing the Sons of Odin uniform. "Share Hasan, reporting for duty.," she said, a bit of an ironic echo from before, but with her voice still being the same that Sam had come to know before. (Callihan - Regional"Hasan is a lieutenant at the outpost, meaning she'll probably be in either the comm tower or in the command center with the commander himself. If the black-out doesn't prompt her to go out with the other men to investigate then you'll obviously need to proceed with caution. Mix-matched accounts of her whereabouts would help fuel the idea that this was a conspiracy she was plotting, using some of her other men to help validate her story, so it's fine if you're spotted alone, but if anyone sees both of you together in the same area you'll have to neutralize them. Of course if you do have to incapacitate Ms. Hasan do remember she does have to be alive in order to take the fall for the incident, so do try to show restraint" Sam instructed. "And yeah, we could have gone ahead and made you a decent mock-up of their uniform...but eh, this is yer initiation, we can't hold yer hand for you too much" she said with a chuckle." Definitely wouldn't hurt. We've got enough of a reputation going that most will take our word for it when we say the job's done, but if you've got time to take a few mug shots then go ahead" she said, rummaging around the helicopter and finding a small camera to toss the woman's way "Just make sure no race photos end up on there, we have problems with hi jinks on the base as it is, wouldn't want any centerfold shots of Ms. Hasan to start circulating" she joked. As the woman began her first full transformation Sam sat back and watched in slight awe. She knew about her powers from the reports of course, but she had never imagined what it would actually be like to see someone shift into a completely different person right in front of her eyes. "Ugh, the whole process is a lot grosser than I expected" Sam muttered, grimacing a bit, especially when the woman's jaw noisily adjusted itself. Still painful looking transition aside, one could not argue with the results, as the woman sitting across from her now looked like a picture perfect, pun intended, replica of Ms. Hasan. "Well I'll be damned" Sam said, taking one of her gloves off and running her hand along the woman's face, gently brushing across her altered features, as if testing to see if the woman was actually real and not simply projecting some kind of illusion. "That is some damn fine craftsmanship Ms. Rurikovich...remind me to dig into my old magazine collection when we get back, I think I have some other ladies I wouldn't mind seeing you transform into" the woman teased, giving her a playful pat on the cheek before leaning back again. About an hour or so later the two arrived at their first drop-off point, on a small plateau that overlooked an outpost in the distance. "There's the outpost, get in as close as you can to the base, but don't start your infiltration until you see the signal from that plant" she said, giving the girl a pair of binoculars and guiding her gaze over to a power plant about a mile out from the base. "The signal will be quite apparent when you see it. Once I've killed the lights you'll probably have 10 minutes or so before the back-up generators kick in. If you want to buy yourself some extra time I'd recommend taking those out as well. Get in, kill the target, get out, and once your clear call for Evan, and we'll swing around to pick you up" Sam instructed, giving the girl a tiny push to set her out of the helicopter." Remember, timing, observation, and tight coordination will be key to make sure this mission goes off smoothly. I expect you'll become quite familiar with those binoculars and walkie-talkie as you plan your next move." Sam said as the helicopter began to lift again, her legs casually swung over the side as she looked down at her new apprentice "Before you were kept a secret from the world, but we're not ones for working in secret. The whole world has their eyes on us, that means they have their eyes on you now too. The things the Sons are planning will make us legends to those who live on the battlefield, and I've got big plans for your role in all of it. So go! And let your legend be born to life!" she said with a dramatic wave of her hand "and if you do a good job I might even give you some more of those kisses you seemed to like so much" she teased, blowing the girl a kiss, showing she hadn't forgotten the woman's reaction to the chaste kisses she had given her. (~original)Yelena nodded again in response to Sam's instructions. Mentally, her plan of attack was forming already, though she'd need to adapt it once actually on the field. Sams reaction to witnessing her transformation wasn't entirely unexpected and Yelena didn't hold it against her. "Yeah, sorry, I don't usually have an audience when doing this.," she admitted. Though this was still a relatively minor change and caused her just some discomfort. Major changes were definitely not pretty to look at, and she preferred to do them behind closed doors. Plus, they took more time than just switching out her face. It didn't take long for her to raise an eyebrow though at same cracking that she'd have to have her change into some magazine models back at base. "I'll charge extra for those kinds of favors, I should mention.", she joked back, though in her mind she was wondering just what life with the Sons would be like. Sam had mentioned hi jinks already that may or may not have involved racy photos? During the remainder of their flight to their destination, Sam handed her a map of the base and surroundings to study and just as she was done with it, they had arrived. Taking the walkie-talkie and binoculars, the shapeshifting woman listened to final instructions as she hopped out of the helicopter and Sam gave some final words. Yelena in return gave a rather blank stare, seeming rather unimpressed by the little speech Sam gave. But even she couldn't keep the poker face up when her new CO promised her some kisses as reward. Elena "What!?" was audible even amongst the noise of the helicopter, and it took her a moment to shake her head clear and focus back on the mission. Turning towards the outpost, she surveyed the landscape. There was barely any vegetation to hide her approach, but she had known this kind of terrain from Afghanistan. In fact, Yelena had done a mission not too dissimilar to this one before, so she wasn't completely thrown into the deep water by Sam here. From her dropping off point, Yelena planned a route of approach and, after about 15 minutes, had made her way to within 80 meters to the base perimeter, hidden behind a lone shrub and a couple of rocks. From there, she peered through the binoculars to take inventory of what she had to work with here. There was a lone soldier manning the search light, though he was mainly focusing on the road leading to the outpost and about five guards patrolling. For an outpost this size, Yelena expected about a dozen soldiers on staff, though they did not appear to be expecting any attack. And fortunately for the Russian, in the comm tower, she did indeed spot her first target, Share Hasan. Though only briefly, she gave a few instructions and then returned to the inside of the base. In her head, Yelena was already preparing her strategy. First, enter unseen and locate Hasan, then, take her out of commission. A strangle hold would probably be best for leaving few clues to an attacker on Hasan herself. Then, take her uniform and kill the commander. Ideally, she could take out a guard or two, get some stains on the uniform that would be hard to explain away, maybe even leave a guard as a witness alive. Finally, return to Hasan, dress her in her uniform again and exfiltrate the base. 10 minutes did seem rather tight, though it might suffice. It would depend on how quickly she could get to Hasan. If at all possible though, she'd prefer not to take out those generators on site here. If Hasan was supposed to take the fall, it would appear odd that she would need that extra time if she was already at base. Taking a deep breath, Yelena readied herself. "In place.", was all she briefly spoke into the walkie-talkie, letting her superior know she was waiting for her. Now all that was left was for Sam to give her the starting signal by taking out the power plant... speaking of which, Yelena began to wonder what kind of signal she should expect...

Standing at the Gates of Valhalla|rating:4.0

A Game of Death (IC)

"Welcome to Sword Art Online" shoots across your Nerve Gear. After some colorful lightning effects you are taken to your character customization screen. You make various modifications to your original avatar which looks like your virtual twin. After you select great the screen fades to black suddenly your in a bright town with large stone work buildings behind you a large temple area. Soon more players begin appearing and before long this quite town is a bustling metropolis of nearly ten thousand. Outside the town is vast green fields as far as the eye can see. On the other side of town a sheer drop-off into the clouds below. After hours and house of play players began to attempt to log out. Suddenly a loud bell can be heard, and you find your self in the town square with all the other players. Above the square is a large warning sign that begins to cascade across the earning sky. Some of the signs begin to bleed as it pool it forms a large faceless hooded figure. The monster identifies him self as Kaaba he greets all the players and explains why they can't use the > function. The tells every one he has reprogrammed the Nerve Gear to destroy the brain once an avatar reaches zero hit points. He explains they will not be able to remove the Gear either that will result in death also. He has also warned the outside of his plans even with that the families of two hundred and thirteen players have ignored his warning. Furthermore, he tells all players that he's put a special item into every one's inventory. People begin checking what the item dose. It's a mirror and as every one looks at the item it changes their avatar into their real life appearance. Kaaba tells every one the only way to escape is to meet him on the final floor of the Ruby Palace. He Welcomes everyone to "Sword Art Online". The town square deafeningly silent as every one starts to process what's going on, but that doesn't last long the sounds of outrage and fear begin to fill the square. "Did you hear that?", she asks in disbelieve. She's talking to Zen, the closest stranger to her. "Even if we can't log out right now, it won't take long for people to figure out how to turn these things off." Not that there would be anyone to check in on her to help her to a hospital. Maybe, her sister if she's lucky. She knows that Yumiko has the game. She stands a little over his own height and her build is heavier. Long blonde hair lays splits over her shoulders. Originally Posted by Elbe yon "Did you hear that?", she asks in disbelieve. She's talking to Zen, the closest stranger to her. "Even if we can't log out right now, it won't take long for people to figure out how to turn these things off." Not that there would be anyone to check in on her to help her to a hospital. Maybe, her sister if she's lucky. She knows that Yumiko has the game. Zhao was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of a nearby female player talking. He shook his head slowly to clear away the shock he'd felt at the idea of the game suddenly becoming much more real and dangerous. He was nervous, even scared, but... At the same time he felt a sliver of excitement. The stakes where higher, yes. But it also meant that if he fought now, protected people, it would actually mean something. It would not just be a simulated existence to quench his thirst for glory and justice, it really could mean the continued well-being of innocent people. He was scared. He didn't want to die. But he had been scared too when he got beat up by thugs in Hong Kong, and he'd still jumped in to save their victim without hesitation. A warrior respected danger, and then laughed in its face." I will train!" He declared out loud to himself." I will train, and become strong. I will conquer this mad tyrant, and set us free. His injustice will not be allowed!" Zhao did not care whatsoever what others thought of his declaration. This was his path. He felt that it was what he was meant to do under the circumstances. He hefted his grieve, but then hesitated. Furthermore, he had read some of the introduction notices that appeared when he started the game, but his knowledge of the game was still quite small. He vaguely remembered something about large parts of the game being designed to be nigh on impossible for a lone warrior to conquer... He sat down abruptly with his legs crossed, taking of his lion helm and scratching his hair, confused." What do I do first?" ​He asked idly. Car slumps the ground, tears welling in her eyes as she looks down at her all to recognizable petite hands and feet"But I'm not supposed to be here. I Shouldn't be here. He's going to kill me, I never should have logged in with his stuff." She says mostly to herself, disbelief and panic setting in." What am I going to do now?" She looks pensively upwards at the surrounding group, hopeful that they would fix everything, to make this all go away. The hope only lasted a second, quashed when Zhao, one of the big strong warriors standing around her sat down beside her with a look of confusion." We really are stuck here aren't we?"she asks him defeat echoing in her quivering voice. Zhao looked at the timid looking girl, and tried to smile encouragingly." Perhaps, perhaps not. We cannot leave ourselves, but I suppose we cannot know whether getting us out from the outside is possible or not." He said"All I know is that I cannot sit idly by when a madman captures and threatens innocent people like that. I will fight, and I will hold my blade high, and I will keep doing that until we are free, and he is brought to justice." He stood up again, raising his grieve above his head." He may have trapped us in here, but he has also given us the tools to make our way out! A battle is never lost as long as you do not lose hope!" He smiled at the girl, after which his expression turned somewhat sheepish." My problem is that I... Er, well I was a bit too eager when entering the game, so I didn't read much about how the game actually works. I know how to fight, and I have figure out the skills..." He scratched his head again, then exclaimed"But that is a failing another can cover! I am a warrior. What I need to guide me is a strategist. Sworn brothers to fight by my side, and a sleeping dragon to guide our steps into battle! I must find my own Huge Liang!" The last part of his outburst was yelled out loud, and he looked around eagerly, as if expecting a master strategist to walk out of the crowd at any moment. Looks over the duo and approaches. Taking a seat herself. How weird. "That's one way to think about escaping. Not a bad one either." I'll hold out on outsiders rescuing us." My name is Yumiko. Please call me by that instead of any other name you hear. What's your character name?" A sly smile crosses her face. Talking to Zhao, "You plan to continue playing the game? I mean, healing is pretty fast and getting hurt doesn't make you feel pain. If you take things slow, don't try to fight things too difficult, training could be relativity safe. Something like rock climbing or camping. Safe usually, but potentially dangerous."" I'm a merchant and crafter." Like she's had time to develop those skills... It's all about spirit really! "I can sell you what you need. Make it easier for you to do your thing. What do you say? You interested in me being your primary supplier? You'd be my first regular. I will give you a once in a lifetime discount... To the both of you." Zhao looked at the girl, Yumiko, for a moment." Hmm, not a strategist..." He said. He wasn't disappointed, exactly, but he had secretly held a bit of hope that one would reveal himself. Furthermore, he then broke into a smile again." But merchants and craftsmen are just as important! An army does not function on soldiers alone, for it is not certain a warrior knows how to maintain a spear, or repair an armor."" Besides, even the virtuous Liu BEI had to visit Huge Liang three times before the strategist decided to join him." He said with a casual shrug." I will make as many attempts as necessary to find one. It will be my honor to be your regular. I am Zhao." He continued brightly, bowing slightly with his hands clasped in front of him in the ancient soldier's salute. Already the situation brightens. He thought to himself. It was much easier to hide his own fear and nervousness when another supported him. Oh my god I'm surrounded by idiots, Zen thought as he looks at Zhao trouncing like some wannabe hero. All around him, he could hear all different kinds of responses. There were people shouting in anger and cursing out Kaaba's name (like Zhao). Some people didn't believe him at all and didn't think he could really trap them like that (like Yumiko). Others were sobbing and drowning in sorrow (like Car). Zenkept an entirely deadpan face through it all, even as Zhao shouted again and again and again. He pretended to fiddle with his armor a little bit as he ever so slightly took two steps back and away from the crazy person dressed like a Dynasty Warrior. Zen was.....disappointed to say the least. This was certainly not how he thought his day would end. To avoid sinking into despair, Zen's thoughts wandered to how he got into this mess in the first place...~~~"OHMYGODJUSTSHUTUPITSSAFEIPROMISEBYE"Kevin shouted at the top of his head as he slammed and locked his door. He collapsed on his bed with his spoils of conquest - a VR headset called Nerve Gear and a copy of one of the hottest games to hit the market: Sword Art Online. He had waited a very, very long time to get his hands on this copy of the game. The amount of money and effort he had spent for this single game was almost immoral. There were probably literal villages in Africa with starving children that would have put that money to better use. But Kevin wasn't thinking about crying children in Africa right now. No, he was plugging in the headset and getting ready to set up this game right now. Kevin was never lucky enough to be one of the Beta Testers - hell he lived in New York. He was lucky to get his hands on the gamest all. No, instead he had spent lots of time, money, and effort to learn everything he could from the Beta Testers that would talk. He had to separate the lies and cheats from the real deal, but it wasn't hard to get one or two people to share their experiences. And everything he heard just spurred him on more and more. Most importantly, it allowed him to plan for the "perfect" beginning to the game - or at least as perfect as he could get it. Kevin is a hardcore gamer at heart - and a perfectionist to boot. He wanted to make sure he would start in the absolutely the best way possible. He wasn't going to flounder around like any other idiot joining on the first day. Furthermore, he planned out the quests he would do, the equipment he wanted, the places he would train and fight at. Furthermore, he even purposely ate an huge meal before just so he could game for as long as humanly possible. If only he could stay in forever! Not all wishes should come true...~~~Zen sighed as he was suddenly snapped back to this depressing reality. He looked down at his hands and just silently wept to himself. He had spent so long designing his character - big and tall with broad shoulders and a strong jawline. Furthermore, he was supposed to be a shining knight in armor. It was one thing to trap them here, but now he had to look like his real life self? What was this tomfoolery?!? Hilariously, he was still wearing the same banded mail and heavy shield that he had on before the transformation mirror. He looked like a dorky Asian kid playing at a medieval fair with a knight complex. He looked at Zhao and just shook his head. Furthermore, he really shouldn't judge - at least he was courageous enough to want to get out of here. Stupid, but at least courageous. Zen wanted to reflexively introduce himself but as he opened his mouth he stopped. His...his name was Zen. Looking down at his hands, he felt wrong to call himself "Kevin" in this type of world. Everything seemed so crazy and upside-down. He was going to need to get used to this. Stepping over to the side, he lent out a hand to Car." Uh....didn't we party before? I didn't know you were such a young girl..." Zen said as his voice trailed off. He looked over at Zhao and just sort of shrugged." Well...uh...hi,"he said as he looked at his "salute" oddly. What time machine did this guy step out of...? Virus plopped a hand down on Zhao's shoulder, smiling down at him and the others with an easy grin." If you're looking for a strategist then you've found him. Virus of the Fading Flames, victorious general of a thousand campaigns and bane to GMs and coders everywhere. I'm not about to let my rep get besmirched just because this one's got a bigger god complex than usual." Glancing around his smile lessened slightly as he surveyed the crowd." Not to sound callous or anything, but I figure collective shock is going to start wearing off pretty soon. The starter hills are going to be overloaded to the point of uselessness. We want to be past them before that happens. In a player economy like this, novelty pays dividends. Unique quests, early supply access, or even just sellable info." Car reaches up and took Zen's hand in appreciation, taking a moment to try and place him." Hey! I'm not that young! Also, I recall you being umm...bigger." She remarks defensively, still appreciative on the helping hand. Caro looked around the group that had surrounded her, the tears starting to finally dry in her eyes. If she was going to be stuck here, there were a lot worse options then the surrounding group. They all looked like they might at least be able to hold their own in a fight. Looking over a Yumiko, a shy smiles cracks through her sadness"I guess if I'm stuck here, I can probably spend his Col." She replies kindly. Her levity only lasted a moment though before, Sirius' comment brings reality crashing back down on her again. If she was going to survive this, it was going to be with her sword, not with tears. Trying to stand a little straighter, she instinctively reaches for her scimitar feeling the weight in its scabbard." Does anyone know where to go? My brother was the beta tester, and didn't exactly leave me a map in his room." "Aha, a strategist, already!" Zhao exclaimed, whirling around and bowing to Virus and Zen in turn." Three warriors, a craftswoman and a strategist. Now THIS is starting to look like a group of heroes!" He continued happily. As Virus' second comment sank in he lost some of his good humor, then resolutely put his helmet back on. Flourishing his grieve and setting the butt down onto the ground with a clang, he stood up straight." Then let us embark on our quest! There is no time to lose!" "That's the spirit." She pats Car on the shoulder. A lot of those to go around nowadays. "Spend money. Become strong." Half the people around her standing. The other half sitting. It's best to be standing in these situations, right? She puts her metal knee to the ground and gets a quick rise. "Some information would be nice. I admit. I don't know where to go or a terrible amount. He, terrible describes my know-how perfectly." It'd be nice to have some items to sell too. Even if their just common ones." Should we rush for some easy mobs?" "PST.... Assist...." heavily cloaked player tries to flag the "party" down. He seems to have slunk away from the rest of the 9,786 people in the town square and down an allay way. With good timing too, the crowds emotions start to boil over into our rage and riots start forming. Players start flooding into town shops buying everything they can afford, while other more angered individuals are destroying that aren't immortal objects. He looks around and starts waving more frantically trying to get the groups' attention. Originally Posted by blonde bandit "Does anyone know where to go? My brother was the beta tester, and didn't exactly leave me a map in his room." "My buddy Ken was in the beta, he talked about stuff from time to time, so I know bits and pieces. Of course, they probably changed a bunch of stuff, that's the point of a beta test, and they didn't get past the first dozen or so floors anyway. I do know they kept the level of mobs near the Town of Beginnings weak enough that a Level 1 with the starter weapon could beat it without much trouble, they're meant for practicing combat mechanics more than grinding." Originally Posted by Elbe yon "Some information would be nice. I admit. I don't know where to go or a terrible amount. He, terrible describes my know-how perfectly." "This is going to sound counter-intuitive, but even as a crafter you're going to want to spend some time in the fields and dungeons. Ken talked about important bonus drops that only showed up when a crafter was in the party, and an under-leveled party member is an accident waiting to happen. The ones trying to grind out trash recipes in town with what everyone else brings back will advance safely, but slowly, because they're all trying to sell the same junk." Originally Posted by arise "PST.... Assist...." Virus glances over, back to the crowd, and then to the group." We need to move. Let's see what this guy has to say, then high-tail it past the hills." Pulling up his menu he sent a quick party invite to the surrounding others before heading towards the alleyway. Smiles. "I already increased my gathering ability some. My friend let me follow her and gather from all the mobs we killed""Thanks for the advice." Party request accepted. "I'm looking forward this." The act of crafting is boring anyway. You hit the objects with a hammer a few times and it morphs. Nah, it's all about the mental aspect. She'll follow the group. Zhao looked surprised for a second when the pop-up for a party appeared, but it quickly changed to a grin. Aha, an official notice of alliance. Splendid! He thought, before immediately pushing accept and following Virus. Zen kept a straight face on, even though he was dying of embarrassment on the inside. He just smiled and completely failed to acknowledge anyone else around him as he just looked on. He didn't laugh at the strategist boast, or even react when Zhao kept on bowing to everyone. All these people are so crazy to get themselves killed, Zen thought as he adjusted his armor again. He knew that there wasn't any reason to - his strength stat wasn't any different so it wasn't like the armor didn't fit anymore. But he just felt less comfortable now that he was in his "real" body. He could imagine being a knight in shining armor, but it was much harder to imagine being a knighting his own body. He shuddered at the thought. Zen looked up when he saw the party invite. He let out a soft sigh, hesitated for a moment, and then pressed except. He didn't want to argue with these crazy people - if they wanted to indulge their fantasies, he would do it. I mean what else can I do, he thought as he approached the shady looking man in the cloak. This day can't possibly get any crazier....right? Following dutifully behind his new "strategist", Zen resigned himself to whatever fate would lead him next. Hey, at least the game was fun.....mendokusai.... The hooded player ducks into the ally to avoid further detection now that he has the groups. As you enter the ally you see him standing there ominously." Welcome to Mole's information sales." the voice is an obvious attempt to disuse the players truly squeaky teenage voice. "I overheard your dilemma and thought I could offer my services to help you get an edge on the competition. For a fee of course are any of you interested?" his voice gets more comical with every word he cracks his voice on trying to sound mysterious but sounding more clownish. Zen looked at the hooded player and contemplating laughing out loud. Deciding against that particular course of action, he elected to shrug and look at the others with a completely blank face." He seems reliable,"he said in a totally deadpan voice." Maybe he knows something." Car, smiles as the party invitation pops into her view and quickly accepts. These people don't seem to bad. She follows behind silently as they head off towards the alley. After listening to the hooded players offer, Car looks up at Zen with a look of bewilderment." Really? Because my parents told me definitely not to trust strangers stalking alleyways. Not that they needed to tell me of course..." "Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I'm going to have to ask where you'd have this info considering the game just started. I imagine a lot of people are going to be looking to make a quick buck off of the panic." Kirus watched and listened to the cloaked figure carefully. He could recognize a fellow skeptic in Zen, but Zhao seemed entirely too quick to trust. Spoiler Hide Sense Motive (1d20+15)[35] "Alright is seen you're skeptical. Well as for my sources I have some bodies in the beta. So how about Mole sweeten the pot I will give one of my lovely little bits of quest information and if it turns out to be wrong all you did was waste some time. So I got this quest up in north-west next a forest there's a town. Apparently the blacksmith there has a pretty meet quest to get you a leg up on your competition. There you go that's your freebie. If you want to check back after you verify my info is good I'll be at the swallow tail inn in this town." Spoiler: Sense Motive Results Hide He is telling to truth but embellishing a bit. Zhao simply looked at the... Mole... With a blank expression. He didn't feel like the little man was trustworthy. Anyone who found it necessary to skulk like this seldom where. But instead of saying anything he left the decision to the others, Virus in particular. This was also one of those things where the wise strategist shined. Zhao would give his opinion on this if asked about it. Hms. "He is a green player. It's not like we had any better ideas. Get a bit of distance from the town and do some stuff. If what he's saying is true we've got a nice perk. If not, we did what we were going to do to anyway. Explore a bit farther away from town." Zen looked at Car and slowly blinked his eyes. His blank stairway hard to read - either he couldn't believe that Car thought he was being sincere, or he was sincerely dumb and ignorant. Slowly, he smiled and shook his head, but he didn't respond. Instead, he took a few moments to look at his HUD and all the information that he could gather. It was quite impressive really - the world still felt so immersive even when he could see things like HP bars and party member names. Everything was visible without being in the way. For practice, he swiped his menu and brought up a map of the town. The surrounding area was still unexplored and hazy for him. He wondered how they might even get to the forest in the first place. Looking at Yumiko, he shrugged." Where's this forest anyway? I didn't get to go that far so I don't know the way,"he said as he continued to look at his rather sparse map. "... Well, he said northwest. I don't remember seeing a forest. I mostly explored the town's south side."" You have better directions than go northwest... Mole?" She said with some distaste. "Is that your character's name? It's a bit cheesy to call the information guy Mole." Zen raised an eyebrow when Yumiko called Mole cheesy. Almost for comedic effect, he slowly glanced over at the dude with Chinese armor and a spear who called himself Zhao. Like after the Chinese hero from Dynasty Warriors. Hell, all of them were a little cheesy here - that was the point." It'll be nice to have a map,"he said as he dismissed his own incomplete map from view. Looking out to the market square, he could see people starting to get hysterical." Preferably now rather than later..." "Fine..." he flips though some menus and sends the party the map data for the path he has from his beta contacts. "The village is called Drunk. It currently has one weapon's shop, a tools shop and an Inn. Also along the way "steer" clear of the farms the animals there are unnaturally aggressive" he makes an odd wink like he's trying to hint to something subtly but he's being pretty overt like a guy with a facial tick. He flips his cloak superhero style and vanishes leaving his cloak behind. "Well that was an odd." Caro remarks, a little more at ease after watching her companions reactions to Mole." I take it we are going to take his advice and head to this village?" She asks no one in particular as she checks over her armor and weapon, far more critical of them now that her life depends on them working correctly. She takes a steadying breath." If we're going to do this, guess now is probably the best time to do it." Bluff check to look apathetic! Spoiler: Bluff Hide (d20+5)[17] Zen looked as the strange man waltzed away, before he sighed and pulled up the map. It wasn't close, but it wasn't that far. Maybe they could get there soon enough. At least there'll be plenty of mobs to grind on the way there, he thought as his thoughts drifted. His hand was just slightly shaking as he thought about fighting for his life. He wasn't a fighter or a warrior, and he didn't have any wish to save the world. He chose a tank character because tanks areas to play - not because he wanted to be the first to die! Sighing another time, he dismissed the map and just shrugged." I guess we can go now. Are you ready?" Anatomy's experience in the Beta, however brief (one of the computer club gals had let the others try the game for a 15-minute interval each), had cemented SAO's place in his heart. He could move around without pain. He could walk, run, pirouette, cartwheel, and jump to his heart's content. HE COULD DANCE AGAIN?!? For that alone he had at the time felt something close to undying gratitude and near devotion to Kaaba for creating the Nerve gear. Now? Now he was mostly cast in confusion. Why had Kaaba done this? What was his goal? Doing this for his own sick entertainment? No! Anatomy couldn't believe that, Kaaba was still the man that had allowed him to run again, to DANCE again. There was something going on here, but Anatomy had no idea what it was. Nor was he likely ever to find out. The surrounding commotion seemed to be dying down, or increasing, and Anatomy just did as he would normally do in Japan; follow those who seem to have an idea. And of those near him, this Virus guy seemed like he had the best idea of what to do. As such Anatomy tagged along silently, his small and silent frame trailing behind the group as they left. "I didn't realize I was on a rps ever." She shakes her head." I don't see any reason to not go check out another village. It's a way forward when we're so directionless." Uh. She glances around. "Now... does sound pretty good. As great as this city is I'd rather not be here for the next hours." Aimi and Yew are smart enough to stay out of trouble. They should be fine. Virus nods along, and is gratified when someone else brings up the idea of map data.' They have some prior experience, or they're learning quickly. Either way is good.' As Mole disappeared he fired off a friend request to the info broker. A point of contact would be vital in the future." He's legit, if overstating his case a bit. I don't think many people have realized how much the nerve gear over corrects on micro expressions. If you know what to look for you can practically read people's faces. Anyway, let's get a move out. A new trade location and first crack at a quest is a good start. If it pans out I say we cut him in on a half share for the info, the gesture will give us a leg up on negotiating prices in the future." Zen looked around for a moment." Hmm....well looks like we all agree. Let's go then. And make sure we aren't followed." "Haha, yes! Let our quest begin!" Zhao exclaimed loudly, and pointed in the direction of the town gate with his spear. His own nervousness was repressed for now. He had reliable companions, and an objective to pursue. Things were definitely looking less grim now. As you walk through the city you see all kinds of reactions to this news. Players running muck in town taking what ever they can from stalls NPCs arguing with players overprices of goods. Players getting into brawls over previously distributed loot. But finally you leave the chaos of the city and reach the field. As the sun begins to set the emerald fields of grass turn a stunning golden in the sunlight. Hoards of boars run across the hills, and you can make out barely in the distance a large Miller leading up to the next floor stands as an omen of things to come. Not many players have made it to the field yet, only a few are grinding boars, but a horde of players will soon be out wiping all the resources near town.To the east there's a winding path down that looks like bends towards the south and to the west there's a path near the edge of the level that follows it northward. There is a wandering group of boars near your position sniffing about the ground. Zen gingerly stepped back when Zhao pointed with the spear. He lifted onto the front of his feet and stepped around the pointy stick in the middle of the cramped alley." You know you can put that away when we're in the city right..." Zen asked with an eyebrow raised." Not that it matters I guess since we're leaving..." Smiling, he started walking alongside the others.~~~Dear lord, why is this armor so heavy, Zen thought as he tried his best to match the pace of the others. Apparently, he was the only one wearing a thick set of armor, and it was obviously slowing him down. Although he was the first to start walking, the others were now in front of him and had no need to slow down. As the sun was starting to set, Zen could feel exhaustion creeping in. Why did this damned game need to implement exhaustion too? As if they needed more obstacles... Zen decided to break the serene silence for once." Maybe....we can rest soon?"he said in between gasps of breath." Some of us are carrying a little more stuff than others..." Virus sighed softly." You're going to need to put a lot of points into your strength score if you want to keep going the tank route. Heavy armor is heavy. But yeah, a quick break won't kill us. So, since I'm supposed to be the strategist here, how about we all go over what we know how to do so far? It's early, but there were a few hours before Kaaba went all Tron on us. I'll go first." Clearing his throat Virus continued." Kirus of the Fading Flame. Primary role: Striker - mobility and precision-based damage. Weapon: "He smirked." None. Specialty: Counter-Strikes. Active skills: Tracking, Medic, and Desperation. Aka Rage Mode." Car sits crossed leg on the grass beside the road. If we are going to stop, might as well make the most of it. From her sitting position she looks up at the group." Umm... My name is Car. I guess my specialty would be dueling? My master tells me I'm pretty light on my feet, and my opponents style usually seem to falter against me when we duel. Hmm, let see what else... I tend to be pretty good at getting places I shouldn't and seeing things I probably shouldn't?" Though not sure if those are skills or not..." She adds afterwords quietly. Zen gave a blank stare at Virus, just blinking very slowly as if he didn't understand him. Then looking at Car, he had the same exact blank expression on his face. He didn't let himself betray any emotion until he sank into the grass and smiled in relief. Massaging his legs, he looked around at the others. "Well you guys already see my name is Zen..."he said as he vaguely pointed at the party member tabs on his screen. He figured they also saw the same thing - a list of names of people in their party and their respective HP bars. It was kind of a cool UI really - intuitive and easy to keep track of, but still out of the way and not bothersome. It's amazing how crazy genius can be..., Zen mused silently to himself. Zen's sword was still in its scabbard, so he lifted his shield to show the others. It looked rather plain-with a steel frame fitted over a wooden base and a bulge in the middle to bash opponents with." I use this. I guess I'm the tank now, huh?" Zen sighed as he thought about the implications of that. Why did he have to always be the tank..... And I am Zhao. Although I am trained in the use of various weapons, my chosen arms are the spear and grieve. Surprisingly, quite a few of the movements and skills in this game corresponds well with the techniques I've learned in real life." Zhao said, brandishing his spear once more and smiling." I am confident in my ability to wield my weapons in both offense and defense. My preferred fighting style is to face my enemies upfront, with speed and strength. Single combat is what I excel at, although I am also adept at fighting several enemies at once." Zen raised an eyebrow as he glanced at Zhao from the side. Did he really just say in real life...? Zen thought as he scratched his ear. He thought about the implications of that statement for a while, but he ultimately dismissed it as an exaggeration from a bored teenager. Not that he could confirm or deny it either way. They were all stuck here now - whether they were a warrior or not, there was no more "real life". This is the real life now, Zen thought as he sighed. Looking at his hands, he tried opening and closing them over and over again. He wondered exactly how the system managed to trick his mind so well. It all was just so perfect - every sensation and feeling. And there wasn't even that much pain. At least now I know dying won't hurt, he thought bitterly. Not content to ruminate on such thoughts any longer, Zen audibly sighed and just wistfully looked out into the sunset." You know the beta testers were quick to develop this new tactic,"he said as he ran his hand through the grass he was sitting on." They said that the AI controlling the monsters are capable of rudimentary learning. If you fight them long enough, they would adapt to your common movements. So a common tactic involved switching - you would swap between two or more people. It keeps the AI confused and makes sure no one is too damaged beyond the ability to be healed." Looking around, he saw Anatomy standing around. Whoever that person was, he was completely silent the whole time. Zen seized the opportunity to make everything completely awkward - he didn't want to seem like someone who actually knew what he was doing after all! With a completely deadpan voice and a blank stare, Zen pointed and said"Hey. Who are you." Car listens carefully as Zen explains the idea of switching Never really fought with others before. Hopefully I don't get in there way too much. With the silence seeming to stretch on after Zen's explanation, and the latest introduction unlikely to be coming, Car lazily stands back up with an exaggerated stretch." Umm... So I thought the plan was to get out ahead of everyone else? Seems to me that we should maybe get going again? Before they all catch up?" Zen sighed as he hoisted himself back to his feet." Well the sun's still up so I guess we can still keep moving..."he grumbled as he followed after Car. As the party walks along the road leading north-west you begin to take in the true beauty of this death game. The wind flutters the grass making it look like rolling waves across the ground. You see the occasional tree and large rock formation, but this level is relatively flat. In the distance you spot the tide of players pour out into the fields and start swinging at everything that isn't human, Total chaos. You continue to walk when till it gets fairly close to night. In this twilight sun you can see new monsters beginning to spawn boars make way for wolves and giant luminescent bugs you can't quite make out what kind but the colors shift between greens and yellows. As night draws near the level above seems to vanish leaving what looks like a story sky but no moon to speak of yet. Car spots the tide of players charging out of the city, killing everything in sight.hmm... I haven't actually fought with some of these people... what if we get in each other's way?" So I know everyone is sleepy, but it might be worthwhile to fight some of these low level critters as a group? Hate to stumble over one of you in a fight that could literally mean life or death..." Caro states, drawing her scimitar from its scabbard. Zen begrudgingly stood up and dusted off his armor. Standing around, he kind of gave a half shrug before stepping next to Car." Well do you want to start with those,"he said as he pointed far off at a boar in the distance. It didn't look any particularly menacing - much like the boars that were around the town they started off the game in. With any luck, the critters out here wouldn't be that much stronger and wouldn't kill them. At least, that's what Zen hoped - he really had no way of knowing after all." That might look promising,"Zen continued as he fidgeted with his shield and took out his sword. Looks like it was time for some pre-bed time practice! "A boar's bore four,"Virus quipped"and we have six. How about we track down a small wolf pack?" "Haha, yes! How can we test ourselves or learn to brave danger together if the proving ground is too easy? Wolves are a worthy foe." Zhao exclaimed, clapping Virus on the shoulder. While he was in truth very nervous about fighting something new, he did find the idea of fighting wolves more interesting than boars. He'd fought boars. He knew how they moved. But wolves were something new, and he wished to know their style of battling. Better to find out now, on our own terms, than later on when we might not have a choice...​ He thought to himself. Car stance shifts slightly as she looks around for a group of wolves. A sly grin on her face, her demeanor changes in an instance with combat looming."let's find us some wolves"She replies. "Uh.....okay." Zen said, with a lot less enthusiasm than everyone else. He didn't share their enthusiasm for combat or any of their drive to show off their skills. If this was still a game, he would probably be excited, but this was "Real Life" now. Zen just didn't want to die - and grinding was an easy way to make sure of that." Let's go then - there are probably some wolves over there by the forest's edge,"he said as he pointed at a distance further from the road. A pack of five wolves are scouting the edge of the forest sniffing around for pray. The potential battle field is relatively close to the road with scattered rocks just big enough to hide behind. The night air is cool and refreshing as a breeze rolls across the plain. The sounds of battles in the distance are becoming quite as players are exhausting themselves. "Okay, here's the plan. Those of us with some sneak skill will get a little closer, use those rocks for an ambush. When we make our move the heavies charge in. The ambush should be a focus fire on the closest one, hopefully knock it out before they can respond. Zen, when you hit their line draw ago any way you can, so the others can focus on merging them down one at a time. Don't worry about dragging anything off me though, I use the telegraphing from their attacks to draw them off-guard. Any questions?" "I have a technique that, when performed correctly, allows me to hit my foes from a distance. Should I not start the battle with that when the ambushers are in place? Also, I could make good of a position next to Zen. With the reach of my grieve I can keep them a bit of him so he is not swarmed completely. I am even able to lengthen my reach considerably if I hold the weapon in a certain way. The more damage they take before even reaching us the better, yes?" Zhao asked with eagerness. He wanted to test his abilities on something more challenging than boars. With the plan in place Car readies for Combat. Have to take this seriously now. The muscles in her legs go taut, as she waits on her companions to follow the directed strategy." Sounds good. Let's do this." Caro remarks. "Huh? Oh? Yeah, sure..." Zen said as he looked up and at the wolves. He didn't notice them in the dark night - busy completing the meaning of life and reality in virtual reality game could really distract a person. He heard Zhao's offer to help and just shrugged and nodded along. Furthermore, he wasn't really looking forward to combat like everyone else - it was just something he had to do. How else was he going to get out of this alive? Walking forward slightly, he adjusted his shield and pulled out his sword. Feeling the weight of the weapon in his hand, Zen slowly let out a deep breath. In the old games he used to play, Zen loved playing the part. Role-playing. It was the best part of playing RPGs - the way different characters could just bounce off of each other and form a cohesive whole. Combat was just another stage for different elements to come together and really shine. Now he had his role to play - a suicidal tank in a real life death game. I should be jumping for joy, Zen thought bitterly as he mentally prepared himself for the first real fight of his life." Just make it obvious when you want us to come. I don't move at fast as any of you so you need to give me a heads-up,"Zen commented as he walked up a little farther ahead." Ready?" Zhao walked up to stand next to Zen, keeping a bit of distance between them so he had room to move his grieve. He then flipped it around so it rested against his arms and his armpit with the grieve head pointing upwards behind his back, and the spear butt pointing towards the ground in front of him. He adjusted his stance a bit, widening his legs ever so slightly, before giving a grin and nod towards Zen. Spoiler: IOC Hide Ok, so what Zhao does is he stands side by side with Zen with 5 ft between them. That way any wolves that attack Zen from the front or back will be within Zhao's 10-foot reach. He also goes into his "Reaching blade" stance as a swift action. This makes it so the first attack he makes every turn has an additional ++5 ft range. So anything moving within 15 feet of him and then into 10 foot range as part of a larger move action than a 5-fot step will provoke AOE's from him. His stance is kinda like this, with the grieve head behind him and the butt of the weapon pointing downward in front. This is his way of keeping his spear "Sheathed" for Mitral Current maneuvers, Since it specifically states that a pole arm held in a more or less non-threatening way (Which I'd personally say holding it behind you counts as) counts as having it sheathed for purposes of the discipline. I know this is a lot at once, I just wanted it put out there, so we're all clear on his weapon being sheathed for Mitral current when he does this thing. Don't want to bog down combat with it later on.

A Game of Death (IC)|rating:3.0

20th Century_ Great Wars (IC_Closed)

The year is 1901 and the world had just gotten out of the 19th Century. There will be many wars, though unknowingly. However, only a select few can prevent these disasters. How will you change the fate of mankind?IOC camp; Sign Ups Richmond, Virginia Confederate States of America"Send a delegate to the United States," said President Wilkinson. "I believe it is time to let go of the New Mexico territory and the Missouri territory." He chuckled. "After much influence from us, we can cause trouble there, with not only the Mormons, but with them as well."" Yes, sir," said his advisor. Hamilton, Bermuda (700 miles from Wilmington, SC)MeinkraftMajor George Briton McClellan leaned on his balcony outside his ornate office. Tonight the stars were glistening, free from the foggy mist of Quebec. There was a celebration in the streets, far below him--the 50th anniversary of Meinkraftian independence. Fireworks lit up the sky as shouting and music was heard. It was like this everywhere in Meinkraftia. McClellan went back into his office and sat down. He had some work to do. Off the Coast of CaliforniaTheVioletand it's crew steamed along at a steady 10 knots. They planned to explore the world west of the Aleutians. Though it was a transport mission, the ironclad ship was armed with Twenty-six Dahlgren rifle bore cannons, so it was able to defend itself against pirates, and any other assailants. It steamed into the fog. SIX MILES OUTSIDE LULU, FINLAND. DECEMBER 12th 1901. WAR OF THE FINNS AND SWEDES ---------------------------------------------------"Nopeammin!" A Finnish rebel officer barked at the lazy private "Do you think we can kill the Swedes at this speed soldier?!" The young soldier defiantly looked up at his commander, and went back to hauling the supplies onto the truck, valuable supplies that would help the rebels in Lulu fight the Swedish Royal Forces. The heavy snow of the Scandinavian winter all about the field around the truck. The commander raised his hand, an expression of extreme rage on his face, to administer a sizable smack to his subordinate, just as the hand was reaching its target, the 6.5x55mm bullet of a Swedish Mauser reached it's. KR AK! A hole the size of a thumb appeared in the commanders head. The infantryman stood there in shock...KR AK! A second round fired, this one missing his head by a couple centimeters. Then he ran around and into the truck, ducking as he grabbed the radio and signaled for reinforcements. Meanwhile, in the woods. "Null! I missed that second shot!" April yelled aloud in anger. "Dammit April, now he's calling in more units!" Konrad barked orders at the two MGS and five other riflemen with them. "I want an MG over there, by that ridge! And You! Go in that bush there!" "Now the rest of you riflemen, stay here with me and April." They all gave a nod, meanwhile the MGS ran over to the ridge's, out of the scared Finnish Rebel's sight. Almost a millisecond after that, a squad of 8 Finnish Soldiers rushed from the other side of the forest up to the truck, one asked the scared soldier "Min God? What's wrong with you?" the soldier stuttered back "Th-TH-they k-k-killed my commander. Th-TH-they are in the fores-s-st I think." The squad went around the truck to where they were exposed to the Swedish Riflemen's sights, and in the range of the MGS as well. Konrad held up three fingers, then two, then one BANG BANG ratatatatattatatattat! The Madsen Machine Guns ripped through about three of the Finnish soldiers, then April, Konrad, and the rest of the riflemen charged out of the forest shooting the rest of the disoriented Finnish Troops. In a quick movement they surrounded the truck with the scared private inside it, a rifleman yelled "GET OUT OF THERE OR WE SHOOT!" Then, still trembling, the rebel got out of the truck...screamed "Payday! Payday! Please don't hurt me!" He was on his knees in front of Konrad, he rolled his eyes "I am not going to hurt you... I just need everything you know about the next supply shipments into Lulu." The private, still on his knees trembling, yelled "OH, THANK YOU! KIND GENTLEMAN, MERCIFUL PERSON! OH, OH HOW I PRAISE YOU!"" Oh, oh yes...uh, as I remember, we had some sort of weapons shipment coming in..." April said "A WEAPONS SHIPMENT?! HOW MANY?!" Konrad putting his hand on April's shoulder "Calm down April, let him speak." The private continued "Well, about 1,000 Vertex Rifles..." April, barley able to contain himself said "1000?! THAT COULD CHANGE THE WAR!" Konrad then replied "Your right April, we must attain this shipment... Where are they going, and what time?!" The private, somewhat reluctantly said "... To Juankoski, Two days from now..." Konrad then uttered "This...this is great! WE MUST GO BACK TO BASE NOW! To be continued.... St. Petersburg, North Western Russia Russian Empire Czar Nikolai II opened his palace doors to see what the yelling was about, he saw a Russian Imperial Guard with his rat tail bayonet up to a men throat, The Czar exited his palace and proceeded to throw the guard off of the man and demand to ask what the meaning of this was. The guard stuttered and replied "He dare say that he would overthrow you and"" I will have you and your family killed" interups the man. In one swift motion the Imperial Guard thrust his bayoneted rifle into the men chest and twists it before ripping it out. The man fell to his knees with his hands clenching his wound, he fell and landed on the street as his lifeless body laid still as blood soaked the Russian snow. The Czar ordered the Imperial Guard to follow him into his quarters where they would discuss what he had done. Flensburg wrote: SIX MILES OUTSIDE LULU, FINLAND. DECEMBER 12th 1901. WAR OF THE FINNS AND SWEDES ---------------------------------------------------"Nopeammin!" A Finnish rebel officer barked at the lazy private "Do you think we can kill the Swedes at this speed soldier?!" The young soldier defiantly looked up at his commander, and went back to hauling the supplies onto the truck, valuable supplies that would help the rebels in Lulu fight the Swedish Royal Forces. The heavy snow of the Scandinavian winter all about the field around the truck. The commander raised his hand, an expression of extreme rage on his face, to administer a sizable smack to his subordinate, just as the hand was reaching its target, the 6.5x55mm bullet of a Swedish Mauser reached it's. KR AK! A hole the size of a thumb appeared in the commanders head. The infantryman stood there in shock...KR AK! A second round fired, this one missing his head by a couple centimeters. Then he ran around and into the truck, ducking as he grabbed the radio and signaled for reinforcements. Meanwhile, in the woods. "Null! I missed that second shot!" April yelled aloud in anger. "Dammit April, now he's calling in more units!" Konrad barked orders at the two MGS and five other riflemen with them. "I want an MG over there, by that ridge! And You! Go in that bush there!" "Now the rest of you riflemen, stay here with me and April." They all gave a nod, meanwhile the MGS ran over to the ridge's, out of the scared Finnish Rebel's sight. Almost a millisecond after that, a squad of 8 Finnish Soldiers rushed from the other side of the forest up to the truck, one asked the scared soldier "Min God? What's wrong with you?" the soldier stuttered back "Th-TH-they k-k-killed my commander. Th-TH-they are in the fores-s-st I think." The squad went around the truck to where they were exposed to the Swedish Riflemen's sights, and in the range of the MGS as well. Konrad held up three fingers, then two, then one BANG BANG ratatatatattatatattat! The Madsen Machine Guns ripped through about three of the Finnish soldiers, then April, Konrad, and the rest of the riflemen charged out of the forest shooting the rest of the disoriented Finnish Troops. In a quick movement they surrounded the truck with the scared private inside it, a rifleman yelled "GET OUT OF THERE OR WE SHOOT!" Then, still trembling, the rebel got out of the truck...screamed "Payday! Payday! Please don't hurt me!" He was on his knees in front of Konrad, he rolled his eyes "I am not going to hurt you... I just need everything you know about the next supply shipments into Lulu." The private, still on his knees trembling, yelled "OH, THANK YOU! KIND GENTLEMAN, MERCIFUL PERSON! OH, OH HOW I PRAISE YOU!"" Oh, oh yes...uh, as I remember, we had some sort of weapons shipment coming in..." April said "A WEAPONS SHIPMENT?! HOW MANY?!" Konrad putting his hand on April's shoulder "Calm down April, let him speak." The private continued "Well, about 1,000 Vertex Rifles..." April, barley able to contain himself said "1000?! THAT COULD CHANGE THE WAR!" Konrad then replied "Your right April, we must attain this shipment... Where are they going, and what time?!" The private, somewhat reluctantly said "... To Juankoski, Two days from now..." Konrad then uttered "This...this is great! WE MUST GO BACK TO BASE NOW! To be continued.... I loved the story! But one thing, it is 1901 the Finns were not using trucks. The guard explained to the Czar that the Man he killed was a Finnish rebel spy who was sent by Finland's rebel commander to overthrow the Russian Empire and weaken us so that Finnish rebels could invade. With that being said the Czar ordered 400,000 soldiers to defend the borders of the Russian Empire, from now on no person entered the Russian Empire without the proper documentation. Later that week 400,000 of the Russian Empires toughest soldiers arrived at the Finnish border removing all residents in that are. The Soldiers dug trenches in the cold Russian earth, they set up cannons, MG's and made pillboxes. The Russians cleaned their equipment loaded their rifles and assumed their positions on the border awaiting the supplies from Murmansk. Prime Minister's Offices. Stockholm.10:30pm.--------------------------------------------------------------I issue an order to send 5,000 Valid Infantry and 1,000 Kulspruteskytt to Godthaab in Greenland duet the eminent outbreak of war between the Plebeians and The British. I hold defense and detainment of Greenland the utmost priorities of this mission. I also send along eight months' worth of rations with the troops.-Jamar Hammarskjöld St. Louis, CSA The American delegation met with their Confederate counterparts in June 1901. They are to disuses the terms for the purchase of Missouri and New Mexican Territories. St. Louis still has not recovered from the siege it suffered during the Second Mexican War nearly two decades ago. Derelict buildings and old gutted ruins still dotted the outskirts of the city. Peace was still tentative between the two American Great Powers as four decades of peace proved inadequate to heal the wounds inflected a generation ago.Nevertheless, peace was something both sides desired. Politics aside, the two countries have gown to depend upon one another economically. That was why the deal today was so important: by buying back most of the territory lost in the Second Mexican War, the American government would be able to save face politically and the Confederate government would gain much needed hard cash to modernize its country. Only then can the USA officially recognize the CSA and relations be normalized. The American government’s offer was $15 million dollars; a quarter in gold bullion and the rest in banknotes. $15 million was quite a lot of money, enough to refit an entire squadron of cruisers, but not enough to get the Republicans of Socialists riled up. In all consideration, the American party viewed this as a fair deal, especially considering most of the land is uninhabited woodland and desert. Offical Commune of the United States To: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Greater German Empire From: The Department of Foreign Affairs Greetings to our allies over the Atlantic, we would like to send Secretary of State John Beckman to visit your pristine country. Some of the things we would like to discuss are the geopolitical situation in the world, trade agreements, and the new zeppelin technology. We hope that this visit does not inconvenient your party and that it will strengthen both our countries and the enduring our friendship. Furthermore, Deputy Secretary of Defense Max Perseus and several American generals will to observe the functions of your superb armed forces as attachés to the visiting party. They would like to discuss strategic outlines for engaging the French and the British with their German counterparts. Please respond in your earliest convenience. Confederacies Hill, Sarajevo, Sedna canton, Confederacies BošnjakaEkrim Tabor, the seventy-third ruler of the Confederation of the Bosniaks, the industrial and economic powerhouse of southeastern Europe and the largest banking capital of the world looked out below the balcony of the Confederate Hill, where the first establishment of the pan-Bosniak state began. Sarajevo, commonly known as one of the most advanced cities in the modern world. Electric power was abundant in the thriving city, with bankers and tourists enjoying the vibrant city, with its rich cultural history and the natural beauties that were in the city. Tapir then looked out to the proud Bosniaks below, who awaited his statement for the small albeit powerful nation." People of Bosnia! I am prideful with the fact that I, your leader, Eric Tapir, is leading our wonderful nation to prosperity in the years of the twentieth century, the years that will lead to the development for the new world. Bosnia will remain the peaceful and prosperous nation that we have become in these next, dreary years. But do not fear, fellow Bosniaks. I will maintain the integrity of our nation and the capabilities that we can provide. ZA Bosniak!" Shortly after stating his speech, Tapir was relocated to the inner chambers of the Hill, where the representatives for the cantons met monthly to discuss national and international matters. As he moved over to the podium to address the delegates, there were much talk about the expansion of Bosnian investments in nations like the British Empire, USA, or CSA, as many of the rich industrialists in Bosnia needed resources, which were common in the latter nations." I now address the 1st delegation for the seventy-third term of the Confederation of the Bosniaks. Currently, our main focus is to invest into the much larger but nonetheless less developed nations: the United States of America and the Confederate States of America. Do we all agree to send an economic ambassador to both nations in Richmond and Washington, D.C. to provide Bosniak-American relations." The chamber was silent for a moment, which was followed by the grunts and murmurs of those skeptical of the decision. After a few heated debates, the delegates approved of the economic ambassadors to be sent to the North American nations. Slumber document Naveen strange Confederacies Radar Bosniak, Eric Tapir The Vlad SAD-a i Confederacies Drama, Meriwether Confederation of the Bosniaks would like to give a proposition to the great powers of the North American continent: the United States and the Confederate States of America. For the sum of 30 million dollars, the Confederacy would like to invest in the natural resources of your nation to promote unity and to help the people of America be given a chance at work. The plots of land we have been interested in have not been decided on, as only one country may be able to follow up on this deal if it become lucrative to both of our nations. Eric Tapir, Cijenjeni Radar Confederacies Bosniak Tokyo, Imperial Palace The Empress of Japan stood in front of a massive crowd that cheered, waving small flags. She held up an infant as she addressed the crowd through a fancy new microphone system "Today, I have been blessed with a child, and heir to the Imperial Throne. Her name if Show Ai. She is a strong daughter to one day take the throne. I must rest citizens, but allow a day of celebration for all subjects of the Japanese Empire." she turned and an honor guard of troops followed her inside. The crowd cheered as she left, and the headline of every newspaper in Japan was about the new daughter to the Empress. Inside the Empress listened to various admirals and generals debate strategy. She always sided with the Admirals, because she was once in the navy herself. However, something interested her, their new Airship technology they were working on. She listened intently, finding these flying machines fascinating. She immediately ordered funding diverted from the Army to fund the Airship program, which showed amazing potential for artillery placement, or Maxim machine guns. Furthermore, she authorized covert manufacture of the Maxim Machine gun, under the name Ariana Show, which she could sell to her allies in the United States, Russia, and Germany. King Edward VII sat on his throne looking through the latest events. He got up and went into the House of Parliament. When he opened the doors, everyone went silent and stared at the king. "Good morning my lord." one of them called out. Soon everyone was greeting him. King Edward VII cleared his throat and spoke. "Yes good morning to you all. I came here today to discuss the Royal Navy. Yes the navy is okay, but I want it better how do we suppose to maintain a dominant power if we can't get to our destinations." A few people nodded their heads in agreement. "So I King Edward VII propose that we build new ships of everything starting now." The room fell silent and quick whispers were heard between the members. After minutes of whispering one of them stood and spoke. "My lord after much discussion we have agreed to build a new navy."" Very well then. We need this so we can retain power, this way the German Empires, Japan,the U.S., even our own allies won't dare to challenge us." he turns around and began to leave when stopped and said one last thing." Also send troops to Canada. I want them to surround the Quebec border, but not to attack unless they are attack first." and with that King Edward VII left the House of Parliament and returned to his palace. Later that day ships containing British troops left England and headed toward Canada. Quebec City Telegraph Office, Quebec Quebec governor Chaz Markowitz stood behind the seated Telegraph officer, voicing his message to the United States Government. Dear Mister President, We message you tonight with a request. As you probably have known, our very free nation of Bankrupt has been suffering some strain with British interests. We fear that we are in their way of their colonialist ways, and may be wiped out very soon. We have heard, and seen, your rivalry with England, and would like an Alliance. I'm sure it's in both of our countries' best interests. If the English gain control of Quebec, you will be the only truly free democracy in the world, and you will probably be their next target. So once again, we ask you: Will you become our ally in a world of evil? If you accept, we will send along a small parcel of platinum to speed along relations. Thank You, Chaz MackowitzThis telegraph was sent immediately to Washington DC.10 Nautical Miles off the Eastern Coast of Japan shrill whistle blew as early dawn light shone on the deck of the Violet. The engine had stopped, and a lookout was staring at the land before him through his binoculars. "What does it look like up there?" asked the skipper, Luke Smith. "I see land," replied the lookout, "and it's certainly inhabited." Half the sailors looked up when he said 'inhabited'. "Buildings?" inquired the skipper, skeptically. "Yes, but I cannot make out the flag." replied the lookout. Smith pondered this for a moment before saying "Steam in closer, I want to see who they are." Within the hour, the large ironclad and it's 100-man crew moved slowly toward shore. Toll pikes in Northeastern Quebec The Gatling crewmen sat around a campfire, wrapped in blankets. For once, they and the MPs were free from guard duty, which was now taken up by Infantry Regulars. They patrolled around in their green shell jackets and corduroy pants, with a Robin Hood-style hat on their heads and an orange ascot around their necks. It was admirable to see the regulars in full force, but that was not Bankrupt's true power.... Dear modest leader of MeinkraftWe are informing you that we would like to make an alliance proposal with you for a very important reason, please respond as soon as possible. Czar Nikolai II Russian Empire Fort Tyumenskaya, Alaska Czar Nikolai II sends 600,000 Russian Imperial Soldiers to the eastern and south-eastern borders of Alaska to make sure an invasion will not occur by any nation. Diplomat ski Rotunda, Banja Luka, Sjeverozapad canton, Confederacies Bosniak message also approved in the Confederate Hill in Sarajevo was given to Banja Luka, where the Diplomatic Rotunda was located. The statement was personally given to the Head of State to note the urgency. Slumber document Naveen strange Confederacies Radar Bosniak, Eric Tapir ZA Russo cassava, car Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov II Greetings, Czar Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov II. I am Eric Tapir, the ruler of the Confederation of the Bosniaks. I would like to forge an alliance between our prosperous nations to create unity between our Slavic nations. We would be willing to assist in the creation of infrastructure in your nation-which I hear is lacking-in exchange for the agriculture products your nation generates. Eric Tapir, Cijenjeni Radar Confederacies Bosniak Aiken wrote:Diplomat ski Rotunda, Banja Luka, Sjeverozapad canton, Confederacies Bosniak message also approved in the Confederate Hill in Sarajevo was given to Banja Luka, where the Diplomatic Rotunda was located. The statement was personally given to the Head of State to note the urgency.(Image) Slumber document Naveen strange Confederacies Radar Bosniak, Eric Tapir ZA Russo cassava, car Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov II Greetings, Czar Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov II. I am Eric Tapir, the ruler of the Confederation of the Bosniaks. I would like to forge an alliance between our prosperous nations to create unity between our Slavic nations. We would be willing to assist in the creation of infrastructure in your nation-which I hear is lacking-in exchange for the agriculture products your nation generates. Eric Tapir, Cijenjeni Radar Confederacies BošnjakaGreetings, Eric Tapir, I accept your alliance and trade agreement. We will also supply your armed forces with M91 Rifles and M1895 Nag ant Revolvers If you want.(Free of Charge)Czar Nikolai List. Petersburg, Russian Empire After the Russian response was received, 500 Bosniak technical experts via rail headed to Moscow to meet with the Empire's industrial conduit to improve upon the infrastructure of the nation. An order for the M91 Rifles and M1895 Nag ant Revolvers was also requested by the Confederation, to use the Russian weapons to made their in more advanced, although the Confederate Military was equipped with high-grade weapons. Nevertheless, the demand was still in force. Aiken wrote:After the Russian response was received, 500 Bosniak technical experts via rail headed to Moscow to meet with the Empire's industrial conduit to improve upon the infrastructure of the nation. An order for the M91 Rifles and M1895 Nag ant Revolvers was also requested by the Confederation, to use the Russian weapons to made their in more advanced, although the Confederate Military was equipped with high-grade weapons. Nevertheless, the demand was still in force. The Russian Empire sends large shipments of Russian Firearms to Bosnia, and have sent many agricultural products via rail-road to Sarajevo. Dear pristine leader of Sweden We have captured 15 Finnish Rebels illegal crossing our border, please respond as soon as you can. They will be executed in 5 days if we don't get a reply. Czar Nikolai II Winter Palaces. PetersburgRussian Empire The Slavic Federation of Eastern Europe wrote:Dear modest leader of MeinkraftWe are informing you that we would like to make an alliance proposal with you for a very important reason, please respond as soon as possible. Czar Nikolai II Russian Empire Major McClellan immediately responded with this:Hello, Sir, Our nation needs all the help it can get. What do you have in mind? Maj. George Briton McClellan Along with the letter he sent a silver sphere. Bankrupt wrote:The Slavic Federation of Eastern Europe wrote:Dear modest leader of MeinkraftWe are informing you that we would like to make an alliance proposal with you for a very important reason, please respond as soon as possible. Czar Nikolai II Russian Empire Major McClellan immediately responded with this:Hello, Sir, Our nation needs all the help it can get. What do you have in mind? Maj. George Briton McClellan Along with the letter he sent a silver sphere. If we form an alliance Britain won't touch you, The Russian Empire owns Alaska if they attack you all you have to do is defend while the Russian Empire will attack them from behind via Alaska. (NOTE THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE IS NOT DECLARING WAR ON BRITAIN! We are only saying we will retaliate upon you attacking Quebec) we have troops stationed on the Border of Alaska already. The Slavic Federation of Eastern Europe wrote:Major McClellan immediately responded with this:Hello, Sir, Our nation needs all the help it can get. What do you have in mind? Maj. George Briton McClellan Along with the letter he sent a silver sphere. If we form an alliance Britain won't touch you, The Russian Empire owns Alaska if they attack you all you have to do is defend while the Russian Empire will attack them from behind via Alaska. (NOTE THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE IS NOT DECLARING WAR ON BRITAIN! We are only saying we will retaliate upon you attacking Quebec) we have troops stationed on the Border of Alaska already.[/quote]Are you on good terms with the United States? We would like them to be an ally as well. Bankrupt wrote:The Slavic Federation of Eastern Europe wrote:Major McClellan immediately responded with this:Hello, Sir, Our nation needs all the help it can get. What do you have in mind? Maj. George Briton McClellan Along with the letter he sent a silver sphere. If we form an alliance Britain won't touch you, The Russian Empire owns Alaska if they attack you all you have to do is defend while the Russian Empire will attack them from behind via Alaska. (NOTE THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE IS NOT DECLARING WAR ON BRITAIN! We are only saying we will retaliate upon you attacking Quebec) we have troops stationed on the Border of Alaska already. Are you on good terms with the United States? We would like them to be an ally as well.[/quote]At this time I have had no contact with the USA or CSA. Czar Nikolai II Winter Palaces. PetersburgRussian Empire Нами Бог So, My generals and I have discussed, and we have decided that it is our nations' best interest to ally with you. Thank you for the offer, and may peacetime be ahead. Bankrupt wrote:So, My generals and I have discussed, and we have decided that it is our nations' best interest to ally with you. Thank you for the offer, and may peacetime be ahead. Spasiba Tovarische! A letter and a Sasha Cossack Saber with a Golden Hilt with the engraving С Нами Бог on the hilt, and an engraving across the blade saying 'May god have mercy on you because I won't. If you need anything from Uniforms, Supplies to Military Equipment let us know. Czar Nikolai II 12.18.1901. Port of Stockholm. SwedenAboard The SS Oswald (Deutschland Class)--------------------------"SHOVE IT IN! SHOVE IT IN! THIS SHIP DOES NOT RUN ON AIR!" The leather skinned, tough furnace master yelled at the furnace workers, who were not shoveling the coal into the furnace at the master's desired rate. A few moments later one of the furnace grunts yelled "ITS FULL SIR!" and the furnace master rushed over to the rope, which led to a bell in the ship's bridge. He pulled it. RING RING RING the bell in the bridge was ringing loudly, the Captain's Assistant, Jolene, turned around, her blonde hair spinning and alerted the captain "Captain! We are ready to go!" Then the captain turned around, with his storm gray eyes studied the ocean, in a trance, then Jolene said "Captain? Are we going?" then without a word, he slowly put the ship into speed, the Oswald moved forward with few transport ships behind her, her destination, Helsinki, Finland.-----------------------------12.18.1901. Undisclosed Location and Time------------------------------Jamar Hammarskjöld paced about the room, thinking about the plans, this one battle could end the rebel's once and for all...he thought some more, then he turned around sharply and asked his generals "Are you sure this will work." they replied in unison "Yes sir." Jamar then sat down and reclined in his leather chair, with a glass of Await in his hand, eyeing the invasion plans. "I trust that you have planned this thoroughly, so I shall trust in you, but if this fails, you know what will happen." the generals again replied "Yes sir." then with a sigh of relief, he said "Ok, what about those Finnish Rebels in Russia?" the generals said "They will be executed in five days." Jamar then replied "No, ask the Czar to bring give them to our authorities, we can interrogate them, this meeting is over." The generals got up and left, and Jamar sat in his chair, and took a big gulp from his glass. We will hand the rebels over to your authorities provided you make it to the Russian-Finnish Border, you may pick them up at Bonita. Good Luck on the journey here. Czar Nikolai II Winter Palaces. PetersburgRussian Empire Davey Ska! Davey! SMACK! As the Russian soldier hits a rebel across the face. The rebel yells as the Russian raises his arm, the Russian makes a fist and punches the Rebel hard enough to knock him over. The rebel was laying on the ground, the Russian yelled "Where are the others?" the rebel looks up and spits in the Russians face, the Russian grabbed the rebel by his collar and slammed him against the wall and punched him several times, the rebel fell down, the rebel starts to pull himself up with a bookshelf, but the Russian runs and kicks him in the face knocking him down, The Russian crouches beside him and said "Debuts tea ska". Spits in the rebels face. The Russian gets up and leaves the building saying to the other Soldier. "The sooner we get rid of them the better" Later that night. A Russian soldier stands on guard duty starring over the trench wall into the Finnish Forrest about 20M away. He sees a moving shining object in the woods he pulls out his binoculars to take a look, he takes a step back and almost falls, he sees a group of about 20 Rebels rolling an MG through the Forrest. He runs to his bunker to wake his commander, "Get Up! Get Up!" yells the soldier as he shakes his commander. "What?!?" asks the commander. "There are rebels advancing on our position!" says the soldier. "Platoon to Arms!" yells the commander. The 40–50 soldiers assume their positions on the small outpost of Yevokskaya. "Where are the rebels?"questions the commander. "I-I-I don't know where they went, I swear there were at least 20!"" Go get some rest you né" Ratatatatatatatat! A burst of MG fire rips the commander in two, The MG continues to rip through the wooden sides of the pillboxes. The Russian soldier vaults over a crate, he raises his head slightly up, he peers around looking for the MG, he spots the MG and aims at the Gunners head, SNAP! As the MG suddenly halts. The rest of the rebels charge out of the woods yelling! "FIX BAYONETS!" Yells the Lt. The Russian soldier reaches down to his side unsheathing his bayonet he clicks it onto the barrel of his rifle. The Lt. pulls out his Revolver and starts firing at the horde of the oncoming rebels, BANG! BANG! BANG! The rebels jump into the trench. The Lt. is struggling to reload his revolver. The rebels charge the Lt. and hit him upside the head with their rifles one of the rebels proceeds to beat his face in with the rifle. The Russian soldier emerges from behind his crate and charges the rebels. SHANK! SHANK! SHANK! As he rips the bayonet in and out of the rebels, he stabs another rebel, but he can't get his bayonet out, another rebel charges him and knocks him down, the rebel raises his rifle and thrusts it at the Russian, the Russian barely evades the bayonet as it stabs in the ground beside him, the rebel rips the rifle out of the earth and goes to stab the Russian again, the Russian grabs the barrel of the rifle and pushes up on it and trips the rebel with his leg, the Russian then proceeds to pull out his shovel and smack the rebel upside the head until his body lays motionless in the trench. The Russian looks up as very few of his comrades are still standing. Swedish Finnish-Russian Border Outpost12.19.1901.1:57am. Ratattatatat! The sound awoke Pvt. Kaden from his sleep, as well as the other twenty soldiers stationed there. The Commander of the outpost walks out of his quarters "What the hell was that?" he announced, getting his winter coat on, Kaden then said "It sounded like gunfire..." Pvt. Fjord then enthusiastically commented "Damned right it did! We should go check it out!" The commander sternly stated "Fjord, we all know crossing the border is not allowed unless authorised." Kaden then interjected "Sir, people could be dying out here, we need to go help." The commander stood still and thought, then "OK men, let's move out!" The infantrymen jumped out of their beds, grabbed their weapons and got into uniform. In a matter of minutes they were outside mounted on their snow skis. Traveling through the snowy woods they arrived to see a giant melee between a group of Finns and Russian defenders, the Russians cornered. Kaden and Fjord got of their skis with the rest of the soldiers, whilst the three MGS set up around the battle. Krakrakrakrak the sound of the Madsen's bullets went through the air, tearing apart the Finnish units, then Kaden screamed "For Sweden!" as he and the troops charged in, gunning down the remnants of the Finns. One Finn grabbed Fjord, about to stab him when a Russian bayoneted the Finn in the back, saving Fjords life, then another tried to attack the Russian, and he shot the attacker with his revolver, they gave a mutual nod of respect and went back to battle. The Czar paces around the room thinking of what to do next, He receives a letter from Yevokskaya Outpost containing a list of casualties and what had happened, the Czar slams his fist at the table yelling "We can't allow this to happen!" The general suggests that we send more troops to the Border this time every Fort, Outpost, and Town will have at least one Mg and Cannon. The Czar thinks for a moment and looks at the general and nods his head, The general leaves the room, the czar sits at his desk a writes a letter to the Swedish Government. We hereby hand the prisoners of Yevokskaya over to the Swedish Authorities. We thank you for your support on the recent attack. If you need anything let us know. Also sending a Russian Sasha sword as a symbol of his gratitude. Czar Nikolai II Winter Palaces. PetersburgRussian Empire Five British warships arrived in Canada. Each ship carries 1000 soldiers; their mission to guard the border of Canada and Quebec. Meanwhile, the warships that transported the troops have their own mission. Theirs are to form a line off the coast of Quebec and to make sure no ships get out or in. The British blockade is now in effect. Philadelphia 1901Following the news of the British blockade of Quebec, the American government has officially issued a message of condemnation. It has stated that the blockade was both illegal by international law and on humanitarian grounds. The United States has sent relief convoys across the border to make up for the import shortfalls. The government has also warned that further provocative action by the British Empire will be met with “unilateral action” by the American government. Banning, Gang Province, Southern China Camp Mouth, 19th December, 14:44 o’clock“Load,” shouted Lei Pinyin.”Aim,” he shouted again. The volunteers lowered their weapons.“Fire!” Gunshots rang out, echoing of the gray, concrete walls of Camp Mouth. The volunteers adjusted their green caps, rubbed the sweat off their brow, bowed to Lei and left for the barracks. Blood trickled down the floor, picking up dust and insects as it went. Lei took his fingers, and dipped them in the warm, red liquid. On the walls he wrote three symbols: 安息吧. Rest in peace. Of course, Lei had no intention for them to rest in peace at all. Ten dead men were nothing in comparison to the evil they had brought upon China five years ago. What made it worse was that these men were conspirators; good, honest Chinese citizens, corrupted by the ruthless expansionism of the Japanese. "May Buddha keep your souls from rebirth for an eternity," he whispered under his breath. In the barracks, Taiwan Lionfish wiped his face. A stray noodle got caught in his teeth, and he fought a desperate battle to get stout. Others around him asked what was wrong, but laughed at him as soon as the learned why he was clawing at his own mouth. After what seemed like years, the noodle finally came out, and Taiwan ate it with pride. "All volunteers report to the firing range immediately, session two will begin in five minutes." "Ugh," sighed Taiwan. "More conspirators and Shine and the lot." He hustled outside, picked up his simple gun, loaded it, and cocked it, ready for the slaughter about to ensue.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Beijing, Beijing Municipality, Eastern China Battle Room of the Imperial Palace, 19th December, 17:17 o'clock"But Than ZI, we'll never be able to take Hong Kong back from the British due to how well protected it is. We could throw a million men at stand the red-coats would still prevail. I advise we attack Marie, retake it and then, once their forces have been drawn from Hong Kong, we strike there. It will cost our navy dearly, but we will not allow those western scum to rule over us anymore." Zhao BUI bowed and crossed his legs back onto his silk cushion. Emperor Bushido Manchu stroked his long beard. He had some eyes on him, some eyes deep in thought, and some were staring at the map lain out before them. Hence, that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack. The whole room looked at him like he was insane. Quoting Sun TCU really was sinking to a lower level of strategy, but then again; could the emperor be right. After all, his will could not be questioned, he was the Son of Heaven. "Send 4 000 men to retake Marie. Stop at nothing to gain it back. At the same time, send 20 000 troops to Hong Kong, but be subtle with it please. I don't want an entire army just waiting at the border. Use the warships in Shanghai to intercept and destroy any British fleet attempting to head north to Marie. We shall reclaim what was ours once and for all, and we will show the west what the east is really made of! Zhōngguó ANSI (Long Live China)!" Quebec City, QuebecChaz Markowitz sat in his office, which was cluttered with various newspapers from around the globe. He was an explorer at heart, and not knowing what was going on around him bothered him. The absence of President McClellan left him to be in charge of all the armed forces in Quebec. In this time of tension, his subordinates called him 'General', which irked him to no end. He was no general, just a civilian. But the English were causing great problems, and it was his obligation to deal with them. He got out a pen and began to write:Dear Leader, We have noticed your moves to annoy and pillage the great country of Bankrupt. This is unacceptable. We will not tolerate any more action on your part except a full withdrawal, and cease and desist of arms. If not, we will be forced to defend ourselves. It will be costly for you, in both manpower and government monies. So, do you want to withdraw peacefully? Or do you want to be routed? Please consider. Signed, Chaz MackowitzGovernor of Quebec He signed and sealed the letter, then rang in his messenger, who he handed the letter too wordlessly. He then sent him riding towards British lines. Later that day, the first of the relief convoys arrived. Markowitz was surprised at the United States' generosity, and immediately telegraphed DC himself:Thank you for the much-needed supplies! The generosity you have shown today will not be forgotten! General MackowitzThe Quebec division of the MAF was quickly mobilized, within two days, and they marched into the wilderness of Quebec, hiding, waiting. Meanwhile, an unknown number of troops began to fortify the Political Capital. These were Elites, with modified Mon dragon Rifles, fixed with bayonets. They stood on the battlements surrounding the city, waiting for an aggression. To the British Empire We are informing you that we will attack upon your aggression to Quebec, we strongly suggest that you stand down and remove your forces unless you want the Russian Empire against you. Please make the right choice, is one nation worth the safety of yours? Czar Nikolai II Russian Empire To China The Russian Empire will supply you with M91 Rifles, Nag ant M1895 Revolvers, Uniforms and Equipment. Would you like our support? Czar Nikolai II Russian Empire Slumber document Naveen strange Confederacies Radar Bosniak, Eric Tapir To the British Empire, King Edward VII The Confederation of the Bosniaks condemns the news of a British Blockade surrounding Bankrupt's exits to the seas. This prevents the fair distribution of goods and travel through international waters. The Economic and Industrial Ministry of the Bosniaks has suspended trade with Britain and her subjects for the time being. However, if the blockade is removed, we will consider reestablishing ties. Eric Tapir, Cijenjeni Radar Confederacies Bosniak Slumber document Naveen strange Confederacies Radar Bosniak, Eric Tapir ZA Democrats Republic Bankrupt Bosnia George McClellan The Confederation of the Bosniaks completely understands the position of Bankrupt, and will not stand for the tyranny inflicted by the British imperialists. We have cut trade off from them, and await their response from our ultimatum. We would like to export goods through the blockade in protest of the unfair restrictions. Eric Tapir, Cijenjeni Radar Confederacies Bosniak Imperial Communications to the World To: Czar Nikolai II, Emperor of the Russians From: The Empress of Japan Subject: Your recent weapon offering to Chinaware Czar, the Japanese Empire has many friends in the world. Friends who speak to us from China are mung them. We believed you were one of these friends, as our nations have historically had nothing but goodwill for one and other. However, your recent offering of weapons to China is a great disgrace to the Empire of Japan. We ask you to remove these offers forthwith, or we will have no choice but to consider this act as one taken against the Japanese people. Good day. To: The Leaders of the United States, Quebec, and Britain From: The Empress of Japan Subject: Stopping Ware understand that due to recent actions taken by the British Empire tensions have been raised around the North American continent. The idea that war may be declared about something so petty brings sadness to me and my nation. As to avoid such a wasteful conflict and hopefully make all sides happy I invite each nation to send a delegate to Tokyo, where we shall have unbiased Japanese diplomats help you gain a peaceful arrangement.*Secret Communication, delivered by Cruiser Tone*To: The Viceroy of British East Asia Command From: Field Marshal Assume YukiSubject: The Chinese Barbarians The opinion of the Imperial Japanese Military Command is that after recent events in Hong Kong that the Chinese are unfit to govern themselves. We would like to assist you in replacing the Chinese government with one that shows proper respect to the world powers. The Imperial Japanese Army has several troop divisions, and the Navy has committed two cruiser squadrons to the point of removing the barbarians and imposing civilization, along with such values. To the Japanese Empress We wish to tell you that we have cancelled our weapon arrangement to China, we only offered because once again Britain was colonizing land that was not theirs! there's a difference between capturing a city and colonizing it illegally. Slava Japan! Czar Nikolai Into Britain are NOT against you! All that we are saying is that you must not attack Quebec for the time being, or at least remove the blockade, or you will cause an international incident! It is for your own good to remove the blockade, and you're telling the Japanese navy to harass the Russian Empire can easily cause a war, I would watch what you say, The Russian Empire is not against you, we are only supporting free trade. Czar Nikolai II King Edward sat at his desk listening to his advisors tell him recent events. Nodding King Edward to our paper and a pen and began to write. To: All nations that may concern From: King Edward IV Subject: Back-order nations of the world, As you may already know I have ordered a blockade of Quebec. Nations that have made any type of threat to the British Empire will be treated as an act of war. You have no right to interfere with British matters. So as a final warning to all that concerns, back away and act as if everything is normal. The nation of Quebec is a revolt state and the British crown is only trying to bring it under control. So prepare for war if you keep interfering. Sincerely, King Edward Inking Edward gave the letter to his advisor and told him to make copies and to send them to all the nations. Meanwhile, he wrote another letter. To:Troops station in Quebec From: King Edward IV Subject: Hold the blockade My troops has of now your orders are to hold the blockade and to not let anybody or anything pass Quebec. In or out no matter what goes through or out Quebec. Sincerely, King Edward IV He gave that letter to his other advisor and rush him away. The East Asian Viceroy of Britain read Japan's letter. He took out a letter and began to write. To: Empress of Japan From: East Asia Viceroy of Britain Subject: A deal Dear Empress of Japan, On behalf of King Edward IV, I appreciate your efforts and will gladly take anything you have to offer, to turn these barbarians away. In return, I will convince my lord to let you have Hong Kong and any other Chinese territories. Sincerely, East Asia Viceroy of Britain:@The Slavic Federation of Eastern Europe. Umm, there's a now way Icy you should know that I told Japan to harass, Russia ports. I said that IOC and you shouldn't have included that Icy. We inform Quebec that we are leaving you on your own we wish not to get dragged into a war over this matter. Czar Nikolai Into King Edward IV From Czar Nikolai II We wish to resolve the hostilities between our two nations so they can prosper. I hope you also wish to resolve these issues.@sstxreaper I'm so sorry i completely spaced out the fact that you didn't write that on the IC. Gland industrial Confederacies luck, Dubrovnik, Jugozapadna canton, Confederacies BošnjakaTahir was furious with the news from Britain. They had shown no resistance, even to the Confederation. It was a serious act of defiance that was intolerable by Tapir's standards. He would not allow Britain to jeopardize his deals with Bankrupt. The Confederate Navy of the Bosniaks assembled its most prized merchant vessel:The Oslobodilac, or Liberator. He quickly boarded the ship, along with his aides, to journey to Bankrupt to protest the blockade-by his own hands. He was accompanied by 100 soldiers if the British deemed it boardable. No weapons were boarded, as Tapir did not want a war between the Bosniaks and Britain. The horn blared, and the Oslobodilac took off to the Atlantic, given a highly esteemed farewell by Dubrovnik's citizens. Dec. 19, 1901, 6:00 AM Ciudad del Carmen, Mexican Empire. It was before dawn, and a Mexican armada sat in the bay of Ciudad del Carmen. Admiral Juarez looked over the fleet of battleships, armored cruisers, torpedo boats and submarines from the armada'flagship. He knew his orders well, this was the first major engagement for the Mexican Navy in years. A small corporal walked up to the Admiral and said, a sense of nervousness in his high-pitched voice, "It...is time..." Juarez sighed, turned to the crew of the bridge, and announced, "You know what to do." The ship's horn sounded, telling the other ships to prepare to leave. All the engines started up with a great noise, sending a huge black cloud of smoke into the sky of the small village and military base, shortly blocking the sun. The armada set forward, out the bay and into the ocean, heading east. Admiral Juarez headache grew bigger as he realized the hands of all the seamen and 8,000 troops in his command's life depended on his decisions... To: All Nations Listed From : The Russian Empire The Russian Empire would like to create the United Empires, The Czar invitesJapanSwedenUSACSABosniaFranceBritainMexicoGermanyBraziland maybeQuebecChina Depending on upcoming events. Please all nations on this list reply, it is a treaty that basically makes us neutral or allies with each other, it is too early to start wars. Czar Nikolai II Russian Empire Philadelphia 1901 The government of the United States has affirmed its stance on the blockade of Quebec. The government of the United States has recognized the Republic of Quebec as a sovereign nation since the late 1800s and will to continue to do so regardless of pressures from outside powers. In a further statement, the United States of America has declared any foreign troops that lands on Québécois soil without the consent of Québécois government will be met with deceive action. On a related note, the United States has reviewed the request sent by the Japanese Empire and will be attending the peace summit. The United States hopes for a peaceful solution, but will use force if it or its allies are provoked.… Offical Commune from the United States of Americano: Holy Emperor Bushido Manchu, Guardian of the Middle Kingdom (China)From: The United States of America, Department of Foreign Affairs (For Designated Eyes Only) Greetings to the most benevolent ruler of the Middle Kingdom, we wish you and your vassals eternal prosperity. In light of the recent blemishes that has appeared on face of your Kingdom, the United States is eager to help you rid of your house of the pests. Unfortunately, the United States has not the projection power to deliver you the help that we wish to give. That is why the United States government requests that your holiness allow to establish temporary facilities in selected coastal cities and grant us necessary the rights within operate within those cities. With these facilities, we will be able to grant you the help to need to push out the invaders and cull the pests that dwell within your house. To:Japanese Empire From:The Russian Empire We wish to inform you that we strongly support you no matter what you decide to do with china. The Russian Imperial Army is ready to support you if needed. Also on a different subject, Britain, how closely allied with Britain are you? Also, could you possibly consider my proposal for creating the United Empires? Along with the letter he sent an application for the United Empires. To:Britain From:The Russian Empire Please consider removing you blockade, It is an international incident. We would like to be your ally, but that all depends on your next move with the Bosnian Ship. To:The Bosnian Empire From:The Russian Empire You have our support if Britain attacks your ship. Unfortunately, due to the current blockade, no international messages were received. Christmas Eve, 1901Fort Glass, Overlooking the Port of Quebec General Tom Bowie sat on his stool on the battlements, looking at the blockade as if it were filth. The 12-inch fort batteries could hit a target nearly half a mile out. The ships were just out of range. He had explicit instructions from the Governor to help lead a small fleet with Admiral John Brown. These vessels had just been completed, and were ready for testing. In a short hour, he had boarded the flagship, theTyphoonalong with it's 96 crewmen. Under the cover of night, the six ironclads, each based off of the Typhoon, set off for the blockade. Quebec-New York Border International Affairs Chief Carl Swanson prepared to leave for Philadelphia on official business. He telegraphed ahead before his arrival:To: US Gov't Offices Good Evening, Mister President. I have been sent by our Governor to discuss terms of alliance. I may arrive by 1 Jan, 1902. Thank you. Carl Swanson Executive Chief He entered his carriage and was driven down across the border. Northern Quebec The messenger who carried the Governor's letter (See last post) finally reached British lines. He handed the letter to the most-prestigious looking person, and rode off. To: Czar Nikolai II From: Empress of Japan Subject: Britain Britain and the Japanese Empire simply share a mutual interest in China, and are allied to keep their barbarian ways from spreading to more civilized places like Russia, Japan, or the Raj. Though we do not need your troops now, I will soon be ordering an invasion of Manchuria, and if you wish to help me, I shall supply you with half of the territory that we take. We shall also be sending a delegation forthwith to United Empires meeting. Please expect them on the train within the week. The Empress considered something, she turned to a map for a moment, she knew Britain could help her, but it was a sea based nation, she would need strong ground troops to push past China's coastal cities. Russia was not only the long time ally of Japan, but its best hope for creating an Asia for Asians, as its dream was. The Empire of Nippon had given lip service to many nations in the past, just as it did for Britain now, however it always remembered its friends. To: The Bosnian Empire's official representative From: The Empress of Japan Subject: Britain We would like to pass along the highest assurances that if the British Empire attacks your trading ship that carries your national leader, an immediate state of war will exist between the Empire of Japan, and the Empire of Britain. We wish you to know that your allies stand ready to protect you, at all costs. She told her military to push all timetables forward, and order immediate troops deployed to Hong Kong. Her ships set forth within hours of the order, several transports protected by a squadron of cruisers. The escorts docked in the ports of Hong Kong, while transports peacefully offloaded more marines than planned. Each carried a bolt action rifle, and some even had the Ariana Show 10 Machine guns. Several units with Blazing Sun armbands carried down special crates and canisters, but were very secretive about them and their purpose, though they were simply labeled 'Chlorine' though even that was in Kanji. Other transports had ferried artillery guns and horses, both needed for any frontal assault in the day, these were serviced by Japanese officers and engineers for the horses and artillery respectively. Presidential Podium. Stockholm Sweden.12.20.1901. Hjalmar Hammarskjold walks up to the stage, his eyes focused, as his mind. He goes up to the podium, and the announcer says "And here, is Minister Hammarskjold." the crowd gave a round of applause as he gives a nod of recognition and waves, as they silence he begins to speak. "Citizens of the Kingdom of Sweden, may you know that there is a country, a country determined to destroy an hostile, peaceful nation, one eighth of is size, this nation, is Britannia. Britain aims to destroy the tiny nation of Quebec. The inhumanity and illogical reasons of Britain's attacks are startling to me. The international community needs to condemn Britain's actions, and possibly put sanctions in place. Something must be done about this, and soon. As for the Russian invitation to the United Empires, I accept." Jamar walked off the podium, his audience desperate to ask further questions, but he simply left, no words need be added. King Edward the IV was furious. For the past hour or so his advisors had been telling him that almost every country has been threatening Britain. "Why those..... How's our relationship with Japan?" he asked." Well sir. Japan declares that if we sink the Bosnian ship, she will declare war." he said. "What's so important about that ship anyway?" Edward said." Well sir. She carries the national leader of that nation...." King Edward got even madder. "Arif!!! How's our navy then?"" We're almost done sir. Perhaps if we had maybe a month or two-""We don't have time at all!" Edward said. "Listen and listen carefully, I want every able man from this island, our colonies, everyone one to join the navy and army. I want the navy to be full alert at all times starting now. Tell them to sink any ship that tries to cross the blockade. I want Hong Kong to be extremely fortified. We cant trust those Japs now. You hear me? Now go!!!"" Yes sir." the advisors left and began to carry out the kings orders. Northern Quebec The captain of the platoon had received the letter that the rebel had delivered. He read it and threw the paper away. "Alright men listen up. I want all of you to get ready. Have your guns loaded, bayonets ready! I will deliver this news to the higher up command." The captain got on a horse and rode off to deliver the news. Hong Kong The Viceroy of East Asia read the fastest news. From King Edward himself it stated that he had to prepare for what may be an attack. "Well then... seems like we can't trust these damn Asians after all." He orders every able man to be on full alert, while the nearby warships patrolled the area. Port of Helsinki. Finland. Aboard the SS. Noskald.12.20.1901. Joline stared at the guns, honing in on the city of Helsinki, the rebels have been lacked of weaponry because of the valiant efforts of April and Konrad in the north, and have to use outdated muskets just to defend. This was the pinnacle battle, the one to end the war. BOOM! Finnish artillery was getting dangerously close to the ship, but that would not matter after the Oswald fired her first volley. The second bell rang, signaling the guns were loaded and aimed, he then walked over to the gunner and ordered him to fire the main battery. BOOM BOOM! The 28 cm guns fired, you could see the smoke from the powder charges, then the explosion in the city. The enemy artillery was completely obliterated, and the Oswald resumed firing the smaller cannons on fortifications. Suddenly, an enemy battleship came from the side, Jolene exclaimed "Oh my God! I thought the Finns did not have a navy!" the ship fired. KERPLOOSK! CLUNK! A round had hit the side of the Oswald, knocking Jolene and the captain on the ground, then they got back up, the captain said "Minimal damage, aim the 14x17 guns!" The guns aimed quickly and shot a counter-volley, striking the enemy ship's deck, badly damaging it. AFFRONT! A torpedo struck the side of the ship, BREACH! Jolene could hear the voices below, "BREACH, SEAL THE WATER HOLDERS" The seamen rushed to the water vaults, the ship had 10 vaults, containing the water in an area to keep the ship afloat. CLEAR, WE HAVE IT SECURED CAPTAIN!" "OK! Go and make sure it stays there!" The captain shouted, then furiously demanded the gunner to counterfire two torpedoes, "No more child's play!" FWOOSH! The torpedoes launched, you could see the enemy ship nearly separate in half, the torpedo's blast had hit the center, and hit it hard. The bell rang again, signaling that the main guns were loaded yet again. The captain ordered another volley. Helsinki. Finland. Outside of the Capital House.12.20.1901"You okay April?!" seeing a Finn bullet past April's head. "Yeah! I'm better than ever!" as he jumped up and shot two Finns with his revolver. The Finnish rebels had retreated to their seat of government, the capital house. Konrad could see the Rebel Leaders running out of it, in an attempt to escape, he was about to gun one down when BOOM! A shell from the Oswald hit next to the Capital house, killing most of the defenders and sending the leaders flying, Konrad and the rest of the Swedish troops, seeing this as an opportunity, charged at the remaining disoriented defenders, making quick work of them. Konrad and April ran up to the 3 leaders left, one had a broken pipe through his chest and stuck on a building wall, and Konrad said "FREEZE! YOU BASTARDS! I SAID FREEZE! The rebel leaders put their hands up, pleading that they be released, but then more Swedish troops came to assist in their capture, and April handcuffed them to be brought up to the town square. At the town square, official papers of surrender were on small wooden tables for them to sign, and the makeshift chairs that could be provided at the moment. They sat down while a soldier said "Sign." one of the leaders said "Bu-bu-but I am sure something else could be arranged, we are all friends right?" then the soldier pointed his rifle at the man's head. "SIGN." They got the message and signed the papers. The soldiers cheered and had a jolly night of drinking. The war was now over. Streamer wrote:King Edward the IV was furious. For the past hour or so his advisors had been telling him that almost every country has been threatening Britain. "Why those..... How's our relationship with Japan?" he asked. "Well sir. Japan declares that if we sink the Bosnian ship, she will declare war." he said. "What's so important about that ship anyway?" Edward said. "Well sir. She carries the national leader of that nation...." King Edward got even madder. "Arif!!! How's our navy then?" "We're almost done sir. Perhaps if we had maybe a month or two-" "We don't have time at all!" Edward said. "Listen and listen carefully, I want every able man from this island, our colonies, everyone one to join the navy and army. I want the navy to be full alert at all times starting now. Tell them to sink any ship that tries to cross the blockade. I want Hong Kong to be extremely fortified. We cant trust those Japs now. You hear me? Now go!!!" "Yes sir." the advisors left and began to carry out the kings orders. Northern Quebec The captain of the platoon had received the letter that the rebel had delivered. He read it and threw the paper away. "Alright men listen up. I want all of you to get ready. Have your guns loaded, bayonets ready! I will deliver this news to the higher up command." The captain got on a horse and rode off to deliver the news. Hong Kong The Viceroy of East Asia read the fastest news. From King Edward himself it stated that he had to prepare for what may be an attack. "Well then... seems like we can't trust these damn Asians after all." He orders every able man to be on full alert, while the nearby warships patrolled the area. Prime Minister's Offices. Meeting Room. Hjalmar Hammarskjöld sat in his chair, with his classic glass of Await in his hand, with his military staff in seats at the long ebony table. "What the hell is wrong with those Brits?" looking at the General of the Army the Goa said "I do not know sir." Jamar went on "They blockade, and plan to attack a peaceful nation. Why do they do this, the logic is nowhere!" Jamar slammed his fist on the table. "AGH, I am a little perturbed at their actions...we need to do some planning." The Goa said "I suggest 2,500 troops go from Greenland, to land in the James Bay, where there is no blockade, then march to support Quebec." Jamar exclaimed "What a brilliant idea general! Does anyone disagree?" No one raised their hand. Jamar then said "Well, the plan is approved, send the troops." Oslobodilac, Britannia blockade u Quebec, AtlantikThe Oslobodilac had made it to the British blockade, where Tapir gazed upon the large amount of ships piled around Quebec's maritime borders. It was a shock to see the British stain of imperialism blocking free trade, especially for the Bosniaks. The ship continued it path through the blockade, with many in deck praying for their lives in case of a British attack. A lifeboat was prepared for Tapir, who was hoping to protest peacefully, not create a war between the Confederation and the British Empire. Aiken wrote:Oslobodilac, Britannia blockade u Quebec, AtlantikThe Oslobodilac had made it to the British blockade, where Tapir gazed upon the large amount of ships piled around Quebec's maritime borders. It was a shock to see the British stain of imperialism blocking free trade, especially for the Bosniaks. The ship continued it path through the blockade, with many in deck praying for their lives in case of a British attack. A lifeboat was prepared for Tapir, who was hoping to protest peacefully, not create a war between the Confederation and the British Empire. One of the seamen on deck saw the Bosnian ship coming. He ran and told the captain on his ship. "Sir we have an enemy ship!" The captain who was drinking his coffee, quickly got up and went onto the deck. "Someone give me the binoculars." A sailor came back with one and gave it to the captain. The captain took them and look through them. "Sound the alarm... Warn the other warships as well and be ready to fire the ship." he said. Everyone on the ship and on the other ships began to get ready for combat. The captain order his battleship to get close to the Bosnian ship, while the other ships were on stand by. As they got closer the ship's guns pointed at the Bosnian ship and fires warning shots. The captain got on the loudspeaker and said "Stop now. You're trespassing hostile waters. Either turn back around, prepare to be boarded, or get sunk. Your choice and make it quick. You have two minutes to reply before we sink you." Aboard the Liberal, the Pride of the Patagonian Navy Off the Coast of the Falklands, 21st December, 17:18 o'clock"Señor Félix," cried the lookout. "Islam Salinas are in sight!"" Bravo, Eduardo, Bravo." Eras mo Félix was a tall, powerfully built man. His parents Rafael Félix and Maria José Félix were rich mate tea-traders. They owned a massive estate just outside of Buenos Aires, and an equally large tea plantation in the Andes to the south. As a young boy, all Erasmoever wanted to do was sail the high seas. Eventually, his dream came true, and his parents paid for naval academy which he attended in Barcelona. After studying for over 7 years there, he graduated in 1881 and started his career aboard thePuigcerdá, where he quickly rose the ranks. Sadly, his ship was decommissioned in 1899, and he was out of work for two years until he was asked to captain theLibertad. Since 1901, theLibertadhas performed many duties, namely keeping the colonies in check. Now, in this period of uncertainty, the vessel has been called to war." Ready the turrets and the torpedoes," called out the captain, and everyone scurried to their positions. Torpedoes were new to the world, only designed last year, but tests had shown that they had had devastating effects. The Holy Roman Navy had immediately called for their commission. By early 1901 they had been equipped to nearly every vessel in the navy. The Islands that the English called the Falklands looked empty. Bleak rocks rising from a turbulent ocean. "Lord knows why the Queen wants these," muttered Félix under his breath. He honestly saw no reason. It was a provocation for war that Spain, Portugal and their respective colonies could not win. Britain dominated the world's waters. It would lead to a blood-fest in which the empire would suffer severely. "Orders are orders though. Men, should any British vessel approach, fire at will." The crew nodded their heads in approval. So eager they were to get a taste of battle; coupled up inside they didn't have much stimulation. The plan was simple: attack and conquer the Falklands, destroy any British opposition in the region, and entice Britain into war with the Holy Roman Empire. The Queen had even laid out three goals that they were to achieve out of this: prestige, humiliation of Britain and a re-emergence of the Holy Roman Navy." Viva España," called out Eras mo." Viva España," replied the men in unison as they headed to what was sure to be certain doom.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Royal Palace in Madrid, Capital of the Holy Roman EmpirePalacio Real de Madrid, 21st December, 18:15 o'clock"Preposterous," screamed Maria Christina. "I would never, ever lay hands on my precious child!" The country was in a state of mourning. Alfonso XIII, the would-be Holy Roman Emperor, had just been murdered. There were several suspects, including hi smother and regent, Maria Christina. Though she was the monarch, she could still be questioned. The Holy Roman Empire had been going through a lot of turmoil lately. The Empire was emerging from bankruptcy, and it had lost many of its colonies in the South American Wars for Independence. The few that the Empire had kept a grip on were faulty, with corrupt leaders and a lust for freedom. The murder of Alfonso only made things worse, especially if it was the Queen that had committed it. That would send the whole Empire into ruin." If it was not you, your highness, then do you have any idea who," asked the police chief. The Queen said the first thing to come to her mind." The Portuguese," she uttered. A gasp emerged from the chief, who was Portuguese himself." But your highness, that is a big judgement. What if it is not a Portuguese man or woman, what if it is a Spaniard, or a Black even!?"" Well, I'd like you to inspect every Portuguese resident's household within the Spanish kingdoms. If you do not, well, I can arrange a quick and clean death for you and your family." With a slight stutter, the police chief replied. "Y-Yes your, y-y-your highness."" Good," she said, quite pleased. "Now, off with you; go do your job." With that, the chief left, his lavish blue coat trailing behind him. Maria hurried through the palace to her study. A letter needed to be written, urgently. Comunicado Official del Macro Imperil RomanoComunicado Official do Macro Imperil RomanoOfficialis Litter de Imperio RomanumSender: Maria Christina, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire Recipient: Edward VII Sanctity: High, to be Viewed by Recipient Only To the esteemed Edward VII, Reigning Monarch of the British Empire, I am Maria Christina, as you may know, and I am the Empress of Spain and Portugal and am rightful heir to the throne of Rome. We have been closely watching your recent actions and find them to be confusing and brash. We thus ask the following of you:Lift your blockade of Quebec Allow free trade in the region Do not further meddle with the affairs of Quebec You do not have to recognize the sovereignty of Quebec, merely not disturb the nation on behalf of world peace. Consider this an ultimatum. Our navy is on standby in the territory you call the Falklands, and we are willing to shoot and sink your naval vessels. Our navy is also on standby in the Caribbean, and we are ready to go to war at a moment's notice. Should you drop the blockade and concede, we will not take this to war. Please consider this offer, sincerely Maria Christina, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire To: The United Empires From:The Russian Empire We simply will not stand by if the Bosnian Ship is sunk, it is an unarmed vessel and therefore should be treated as one, If the British Empire decides to attack the vessel, it is an act of war against all of us. To Sweden From Czar Nikolai II We both have been engaging the Finnish rebels in Finland, but now there is a much bigger problem, Britain. What is your point of view on the current state of Britain, Bosnia, and Quebec? To Bosnia From The Russian Empire We are sending 15,000 Troops from our Imperial Army to serve under your generals command, they are all armed with M91 Rifle, Model 1895 Revolvers, Sasha Sabers, and complete Field Uniforms for Summer and Winter along with full gear. Streamer wrote:Aiken wrote:Oslobodilac, Britannia blockade u Quebec, AtlantikThe Oslobodilac had made it to the British blockade, where Tapir gazed upon the large amount of ships piled around Quebec's maritime borders. It was a shock to see the British stain of imperialism blocking free trade, especially for the Bosniaks. The ship continued it path through the blockade, with many in deck praying for their lives in case of a British attack. A lifeboat was prepared for Tapir, who was hoping to protest peacefully, not create a war between the Confederation and the British Empire. One of the seamen on deck saw the Bosnian ship coming. He ran and told the captain on his ship. "Sir we have an enemy ship!" The captain who was drinking his coffee, quickly got up and went onto the deck. "Someone give me the binoculars." A sailor came back with one and gave it to the captain. The captain took them and look through them. "Sound the alarm... Warn the other warships as well and be ready to fire the ship." he said. Everyone on the ship and on the other ships began to get ready for combat. The captain order his battleship to get close to the Bosnian ship, while the other ships were on stand by. As they got closer the ship's guns pointed at the Bosnian ship and fires warning shots. The captain got on the loudspeaker and said "Stop now. You're trespassing hostile waters. Either turn back around, prepare to be boarded, or get sunk. Your choice and make it quick. You have two minutes to reply before we sink you." Oslobodilac, Britannia blockade u Quebec, Atlantic"Analyst, moral orbit!" The ship's captain only knew what English meant, not how to speak it. In Bosnian, he 'declined the request' and continued onward to Quebec. The Oslobodilac began to catch up in speed, with more smoke pluming out of the exhaust pipe in the middle of the ship. The soldiers were packed into the lifeboat, who included Tapir himself, who was afraid of what would happen. The crew members remained vigilant, and keep tuning the boat to make its way past the blockade. More willpower was put in, boosting the ship's speed as it maneuvered in between two British ships." Za Québécois, ZA Bosniak!" the captain spoke as the ship attempted to drive its way through. Aiken wrote:Streamer wrote:One of the seamen on deck saw the Bosnian ship coming. He ran and told the captain on his ship. "Sir we have an enemy ship!" The captain who was drinking his coffee, quickly got up and went onto the deck. "Someone give me the binoculars." A sailor came back with one and gave it to the captain. The captain took them and look through them. "Sound the alarm... Warn the other warships as well and be ready to fire the ship." he said. Everyone on the ship and on the other ships began to get ready for combat. The captain order his battleship to get close to the Bosnian ship, while the other ships were on stand by. As they got closer the ship's guns pointed at the Bosnian ship and fires warning shots. The captain got on the loudspeaker and said "Stop now. You're trespassing hostile waters. Either turn back around, prepare to be boarded, or get sunk. Your choice and make it quick. You have two minutes to reply before we sink you." Oslobodilac, Britannia blockade u Quebec, Atlantic"Analyst, moral orbit!" The ship's captain only knew what English meant, not how to speak it. In Bosnian, he 'declined the request' and continued onward to Quebec. The Oslobodilac began to catch up in speed, with more smoke pluming out of the exhaust pipe in the middle of the ship. The soldiers were packed into the lifeboat, who included Tapir himself, who was afraid of what would happen. The crew members remained vigilant, and keep tuning the boat to make its way past the blockade. More willpower was put in, boosting the ship's speed as it maneuvered in between two British ships." Za Québécois, ZA Bosniak!" the captain spoke as the ship attempted to drive its way through." Sir, they're getting away." cried the seaman. The captain mutter under his breath gave a long sigh and crossed himself. "Sink the ship." was all he said." Aye aye sir." Seconds later 4 shells fired from the battleship went and landed on the Bosnian ship. The other battleships that were waiting followed what the lead ship was doing. Fort Glass"Holy Crap!" Exclaimed the grounds captain. "They're destroying that ship!" He rushed to the general John Brown who solely gave the order to fire into the fray. Within minutes, the massive coastal artillery of Fort Glass was bearing down on the blockade. The general now knew for certain that a Great War had begun. Atlantic Ocean, just North of Quebec"ZA grants not pay VU frozen prop" Yell the Russian Captain as 7 Battleships, 9 Cruisers, 12 Rocket Ships, 15 Assault Ships, and 2 Akola Submarines, cruise south towards the British Fleet, "We will not accept anything less than our demands" yells the captain "the British Fleet is in sight" yells a sailor, "Load the Guns" yells another Sailor. "But Do not fire" yells the captain. "Grab your rifles and load the HMGs" yells a Sailor. "Raise the Flags" yells a higher ranking sailor. "Ursa! Ursa! Ursa!" shouts the Captain. "Ursa! Ursa! Ursa!" yell the sailors. "Wait, they're opening fire!" screams a Sailor! The captain screams at the top of his lungs "Open Fire!" in unison the Russian Battleships and Cruisers fired all 74 of their guns, The Rocket ships fired thousands of rockets at the British fleet along with the Guns of the Assault ships, the Akola submarines lurked the waters below wrecking havoc upon the British Fleet. Oslobodilac, Britannia blockade u Quebec, AtlantikThe Oslobodilac was bashed into pieces by the British firepower, effectively preventing Tapir from successfully escaping on the lifeboat. In fact, it was the first target, which obliterated everyone inside as the explosive shell rocked the metal frame of the boat. The captain did not say anything after witnessing the death of the Confederate leader, and was cut off from fleeing by an incoming projectile, destroying the bridge. The Confederation would not know what would happen now, with the news of a new war unbeknownst to them Alaskan-Canadian Border600,000 Russian Imperial Soldiers push through the British lines of western Canada, they caught the British army off guard as the Russian Forces cut down the British with MGS and Rifles, the 600,000 Soldiers charged on with 200,000 more only a few KMS away. To The Bosnian Empire From The Russian Empire We are sending you 15,000 More Soldiers Armed with the greatest Equipment and rifles, Along with Gear, Ammo, and Guns for your Forces. We are going to support your country in this upcoming war. Czar Nikolai II Russian Empire Diplomat ski Rotunda, Banja Luka, Sjeverozapad canton, Confederacies BošnjakaWord of the Russian reinforcements arrived in Banja Luka, resulting in the realization that Eric Tapir was killed on the Oslobodilac in the British blockade. Protests were set up in Banja Luka, Dubrovnik, Tito grad, and Sarajevo on the anger presented to the British. The rise of military volunteers was increasing, and the industries were booming in wartime capacity. The confederation in Sarajevo was yet to declare war, as the situation was not the time for war. The Russian Empire starts to deploy troops to the borders of Russia. Any forces presumed as enemies will be shot. Bankrupt wrote:Fort Glass"Holy Crap!" Exclaimed the grounds captain. "They're destroying that ship!" He rushed to the general John Brown who solely gave the order to fire into the fray. Within minutes, the massive coastal artillery of Fort Glass was bearing down on the blockade. The general now knew for certain that a Great War had begun. Prime Minister's Office. Stockholm, Sweden. Hjalmar Hammarskjöld's aide ran into Jamar's office, panting, out of breath. "Sir...the Brits...have attacked the Bosnian's..." Jamar, in disbelief stood up and shouted "WHAT?!" the aide then continued "The British are now fighting...the Canadians" Jamar did not waste one moment sitting down and writing an official letter to the Quebec Government and the Swedish troops in Canada.TO: QUEBEC GOVERNMENTFROM: PRIME MINISTER OF SWEDEN-----------------------------------------I have recently heard of the British inability to stop their blockade, therefore I would like to send the 2,500 troops I have stationed in Canada to your aid. Let me know what city they should march to. I will be glad to cooperate with your staff to possibly negotiate with the British, and if not, wage war. Off the shore of Canada The British fleet is crippled and smashed as British sailors float in the water and ships spill oil into the ocean and a black cloud of smoke overhangs the area. "Y Body DLA Y Body" Says the captain as he looks upon the depressing ocean, he looks over the side of the ship and sees mutilated corpses of British sailors barely looking 18, He mutters "V Donna God net purpose" and proceeds to scan the oil slicked water for any survivors. Western Canada The Russian Imperial Soldiers have pushed the British back, they are on the run, "Avoiding!" yells an officer as he shoots out a British soldiers legs leaving him on his knees, the officer then walks up to him whispers "Was Indiana Foolish" in his ear, Bang as the shot of his revolver goes off executing the soldier. "Charge" Yells the officer as he leads his men after the fleeing British troops while shooting them in the back. ORDERS ISSUED TO SWEDISH TROOPSGREENLAND-1,500 Valid Infantry-750 Kulspruteskytt (MGS)-250 10.5cm Feldhaubitze 98/09 (Arty)ORDERS: Stay high ALERT for enemies.---------------------------CANADA (James Bay)-1,500 Valid Infantry-750 Kulspruteskytt-250 10.5cm Feldhaubitze 98/09 (Arty)ORDERS:PREPARE FOR WAR-----------------------------SWEDEN12,000 Valid Infantry5,000 Kulspruteskytt2,000 10.5cm Feldhaubitze 98/09ORDERS: Defend------------------------------------DENMARK12,000 Valid Infantry5,000 Kulspruteskytt2,000 10.5cm Feldhaubitze 98/09ORDERS: STAY HIGH ALERT ENEMIES---------------------------------------NORWAY12,000 Valid Infantry5,000 Kulspruteskytt2,000 10.5cm Feldhaubitze 98/09ORDERS: STAY HIGH ALERT ENEMIES---------------------------------------SKAGERRAK STRAIT2 Deutschland Class Battleships.ORDERS: Defend the strait.----------------------------------------Jamar Hammarskjöld, after writing the orders, sits down to write the last letter to the British Government This is the last opportunity I will give you to avert war, Sweden does not want to go to war, but it must defend its allies. The terms are as light as they will get, do not plead for lighter terms. I wish that you would come to your senses and leave Quebec alone, the price you are going to pay because you are attacking a territory you do not even need is high, so just lay down your arms and give Quebec the east coast of Canada as reparations, and that is all. I am not sure if the Bosnian's will agree with these terms given you destroyed one of their ships and leaders, but I hope that we can all agree on this to avert a major war. Hong Kong Gas flowed through the streets of the once great city of Hong Kong. Japanese troops who were given gas masks walked carefully over the British and Chinese corpses. Occasionally they would find someone with a hasty made gas mask, but they were put down with Ariana rifle fire. The ships left their docks, using the vital time they had due to their surprise attack, laying mines across the narrower parts of the harbor. The Japanese had of course taken casualties, but they were disturbingly low, showing Japan's prowess in surprise attacks, just as they had against Korea, and Singapore. The Admiral was happy at the progress of her troops currently sweeping Hong Kong for those last pockets of British Soldiers. Her chlorine gas attacks had worked perfectly, and she had forever changed warfare. TokyoThe Empress listened to her ministers debate on and on about the ethics of using chlorine gas, most saying it was bestiary for them, but others arguing that it was inviting other nations to begin making Chlorine gas. The Admirals and Generals both requested more gas masks and lots more Chlorine gas. The Empress granted these requests, ordering massive stockpiles of chemical weaponry built up, and gas masks prepared for all frontline troops. On top of this she gave the go ahead for their new airship class, called the Nippon Maru 1. Southern Russia, Russian-Chinese Border The Russian Imperial Army starts deploying gas masks to it's soldiers in case the Japanese Empire needs help in China. Czar Nikolai List. Petersburg Russian Empire Aboard the Liberal, the Pride of the Patagonian Navy Off the Coast of the Falklands, 22nd December, 11:07 o' clock Unaware of recent occurrences up around Quebec, and unaware of the war that was now worldwide against Britain, theLibertadwassteaming ahead towards the Islam Salinas. No British ships had been sighted for several hours and all through the night the waters around the islands had been calm. Using basic orders from the Queen, Eras mo Félix ordered the long stationary ironclad to steam ahead. Within half an hour theLibertadhad landed on the craggy rocks of the Falklands. "Men, ready the guns and leave some behind for the support weapons. Let no one take this ship!"" Si Señor," the all cried in unison. The crew of one hundred and twenty quickly hopped on to the island and begun to shoot at the British occupants on the island. They had strict orders; kill no civilians, only red coats. Surprisingly, there were very few. One Patagonian carried a flag with him, the Empire's flag. He planned to hoist it up instead of the British one, and start the beginning of the end for British naval dominance. "Ha ha," laughed Eras mo. "If this show pathetic their defense is on Islam Salinas, can you imagine the sadness of South Georgia." From the ship, heavy Gatling gun fire rattled through the ramshackle shacks on the island, and it also plowed through any remaining red coats. However, the far more experienced British troops were dealing out heavy casualties on the Patagonian's, and they were even forced to pull back at one point. Under cover of morning darkness, the small British force put up tough yet futile resistance. The crew - now down to about seventy men - re-boarded, and set about scouring the islands for any vessels to sink. They came across several, and fired a torpedo at the two largest. Several ships had red coats on them, so there were a few skirmishes, one in which Eras mo was severely wounded. His left leg was pouring with blood, and he could not work. Luckily he was saved by a well-equipped medic who managed to cut the blood loss, though he would neediest. The crew was now down to about sixty men, though they had over fifty British prisoners and theLibertadhad sustained no damage. Two other, smaller vessels were captured, and the crew split up to command each. Several soldiers remained on the Falklands just in case any one returned to try and take them back. With a weary and tired voice, Eras mo gave his orders. "Set a course for South Georgia, clear these rats from the sea."" Si Señor," replied the crew. TheLibertadchugged along, her two sister ships at either side. King Edward took out a pistol and shot himself in the head. "Oh my god... King Edward why?!?!?!" cried out his followers. The house of Parliament had fallen the day before and in London riots are still going. When news arrived back in England of what had happened, the people declared revolution. Britain's military has been completely destroyed, while the surviving military has been fighting the civil war back home. All in all the mighty British Empire as fallen.

20th Century_ Great Wars (IC_Closed)|rating:2.0

WFRP 2e - City Of The Damned IC

MordheimMordheim, City of the Damned. You all find yourselves just at the outskirts of this once-great city. A sickly gloom of both physical fog-like mist hangs over the whole place, giving you all the churning feeling in your stomachs that this is a place best left undisturbed. However, you've all been hired by Lord Roland to enter this cursed place to bring some of that rumored 'Sandstone' back out to your Trader-contact in order to be paid and possibly invest of some that money in gear, food, etc. You haven't met or seen any other mere-groups yet, but you all have that sense of dread running down your spine.... as if you're being watched ALL the time.-----------You've been briefed, you're all ready to enter through the southern gate. Damned or not, It is time to enter the city of the Damned....(this is your chance to introduce yourselves and establish some banter and what-not. You all already know each other at least a little bit, since you've been travelling to Fordham together.) Hanna hums as she looks at the gate, twirling her axe one-handed almost unconsciously as she says to her companions,"City of the Damned, huh? Kinda unimpressive. I mean... The people who lived here when the meteor hit... I hope they find their ways in the afterlife. But right now? Just kinda looks like some ruined town." Gustav had been uncharacteristically quiet as they approached the city. It had been luck, or perhaps fate, that he had left town on his fool's errand. The lively city he had left behind was now a graveyard." You're a priest, right? You want to say something for them? Couldn't hurt, and might be the only thing they get." Gustav looked around. They seemed alone in a sea of mist." Might want to ask about a blessing for us, too. Bound be all sorts of scavengers lurking around. The wealth of the city lies unclaimed." Spoiler: Their Golden hair Hide Their Golden hair Spoiler: Portrait Hide Character Name Their Golden hair Race Elf Career Kith band Warrior Previous Careers None Personal Details Age 50 Gender Male Eye Light Brown Weight 105 lbs Hair White Height 5'-10" Star Cackelgax the Cockerel Siblings Youngest of 3 Birth land Laurel Forest Main Profile WS BS S T Ag Int WP Few Starting 36 53 37 32 46 36 29 31 Advance +5 +5 0 0 +10 +10* +5 0 Current 36 53 37 32 46 41 29 31 Secondary Profile A W SB TB M Mag IP FP Starting 1 10 3 3 5 0 0 2 Advance 0 +2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Current 1 10 3 3 5 0 0 2 Spoiler: Talents Hide Talents Excellent Vision +10 to perception involving sight and Lip Reading checks Marksman +5% to Ballistic Skill Characteristic Night Vision You can see extremely well in natural darkness at distances up to 30 yards. Savvy +5% to Intelligence Characteristic Specialist Weapon Group (Longbow) Trained in Longbow Weapon Type. Warrior Born +5% to Weapon Skill Characteristic Spoiler: Skills Hide Basic Skills Value Skill Name Char +10% +20% Related Talents 22% Animal Care Int N/A 16% Charm Few Etiquette, Master Orator, Public Speaking, Schemer, Streetwise 16% Charm Animal Few N/A 16% Command Few N/A 46% Concealment Ag Alley Cat, Rover, Tunnel Rat 16% Consume Alcohol T N/A 16% Disguise Few Mimic 19% Drive S N/A 22% Evaluate Int Artistic, Dealmaker 22% Gamble Int Super Numerate 16% Gossip Few Etiquette, Streetwise 16% Haggle Few Dealmaker 19% Intimidate S Menacing 41% Outdoor Survival Int N/A 41% Perception Int Acute Hearing, Excellent Vision, Keen Senses, Super Numerate, Trap finder 23% Ride Ag Trick Riding 19% Row S N/A 37% Scale Sheer Surface S N/A 22% Search Int N/A 46% Silent Move Ag Alley Cat, Rover, Tunnel Rat 19% Swim S N/A Advanced Skills Value Skill Name Char +10% +20% Related Talents 41% Common Knowledge (Elves) Int Seasoned Traveler 46% Dodge Blow Ag N/A 41% Follow Trail Int N/A 41% Heal Int Surgery 41% Speak Language (Eltanin) Int Linguistics, Mimic, Seasoned Traveler 41% Speak Language (Riekspiel) Int Linguistics, Mimic, Seasoned Traveler Spoiler: Combat Info Hide Movement Char Move/Disengage Charge Run 5 10 20 30 Weapons Name Group DMG Range Ammo Reload Qualities Dagger ORD SB-3{0} - - - None Elbow Longbow 3 36/72 15 Half Armour Piercing: -1AP Sword (Hand Weapon) ORD SB{3} - - - None Unarmed ORD SB-4{-1} - - - Special: AP is doubled. See page 131. Armor Name Head R. Arm L. Arm Body R. Leg L. Leg Hit Chance 01-15 16-35 36-55 56-80 81-90 91-00 Leather Jack 0 1 1 1 0 0 Leather Skullcap 1 0 0 0 0 0 Total AP 1 1 1 1 0 0 Spoiler: Mutations and Insanities Hide Mutations None yet, but they're coming Insanities None yet, but they're coming Spoiler: Trappings and Money Hide Money Gold Crowns Silver Shillings 20s=1gc Brass Pennies 12p=1s 7 12 7 Trappings Item Enc Description Location Cost (Hand Weapon) 50 See Weapons Worn Generic Starting Gear Dagger 10 See Weapons Worn Generic Starting Gear Backpack 20 Holds 250 Enc Worn Generic Starting Gear Blanket 10 Comfy Backpack Generic Starting Gear Common Clothing 15 Shirt, breeches, and worn boots. Backpack Generic Starting Gear Cloak 15 It's tattered sure, but no more than yours. Worn Generic Starting Gear Wooden Tankard camp; Cutlery 7 You eat and drink with them. Backpack Generic Starting Gear Elbow 75 See Weapons Worn Kith band Warrior Starting Gear 15 Arrows 2 per Arrow=30 Worn/Backpack Ammo for Bows 10 Free/5 for 1 s Leather Jack 50 Worn See Armor Kith band Warrior Starting Gear Leather Skullcap 10 Worn See Armor 3 GC Snares (5) 10 2 foot line used in trapping small game Backpack 5 s Fish Hook and Line 2 10 feet of line with sharp hook Backpack 3 s Tinderbox 5 Can light six fires before needing to be refilled Backpack 30 s Torch 5 10/30/20 Vision and Duration 1 hour Backpack 5 p Pouch 1 Can Hold 400 coins or 2 ENC Worn 2 s Rations (1 week) 50 Preserved Food Backpack 6 s Encumbrance Max Current 370 365 Spoiler: Experience and Advances Hide Experience Total Gained Spent 0 0 Available Skills Search --- Available Talents Rapid Reload --- Rover --- Advances XP Cost +5% Int Free Current Career Exits Basic Advanced Hunter, Outrider, Vagabond Scout, Veteran Spoiler: Description and Background Hide Spoiler: Summary Hide Youngest child of an even war band captain, Burglar Golden hair, determined to prove his worth to himself and the world despite a disapproving father and two shinning examples of even perfection as older siblings. Spoiler: Description Hide At 5'-10" and 105 pounds Their is short and slender for an elf. His head is topped with long white hair usually bound into a tail that stops between his shoulder blades. He is very well armed carrying a rough looking green halted sword and dagger, and dangerous brown with green hand wrappings elbow. He wears a tattered green cloak over brown leather armor and cap. On his back is a brown backpack. Spoiler: Personality Hide New to the realms of men Their tends to come off as haughty. This is more due to racial profiling than any sense of pride in Their. Their is actually racked with self-doubt which leads him to be social awkward. He doubts his own capabilities as he constantly compares himself to his older siblings and father. According to his father he always falls short of the standard. It was after one such deriding conversation that Their decided to leave the woods and prove his worth to himself and return one day powerful enough to deserve his family legacy of Kith band Captains. Spoiler: Backstory Hide It was only a few months out of the woods before Their discovered the harsh reality of greater world. Elves were not usually welcome in the smaller towns and were looked down on in several of the bigger cities. It became difficult to find his meals let alone a means of employment. So when he heard a rumor in a Oakland tavern that local noble known as Roland was contracting adventurers he knew he found a chance at least a steady supply of meals and possibly much, much more. At first Roland was not thrilled to hire an elf but Their put on an archery display that amazed the noble, and he hired the elf immediately. Their dreams of becoming a renowned warrior known throughout the Empire. These are young elvish fantasies, and he is at least somewhat self-aware of the fact. Their took a deep breath as he stood before the gates of Fordham. This is what the machinations of man will eventually lead to everywhere. The largest cities of man will ultimately follow this city's example and become a deserted place of death and decay. After a few centuries however that decay will lead to new life as the grass and finally the trees reclaim the land from the fleeting futile grasps of man. All these thoughts flirt quickly through Their's mind as he stares into the expanse of the City of the Damned. After hearing a few of his fellow travelers speak he replies quietly consciously putting a sense of awe into his voice. It is so immense and yet still. This is very unnatural. Yes priest do say a prayer for us all. Hathlir has little use for the inventions of man's Deities but out of respect for his companions he keeps up a pretense of faith. Their unlike some even scholars did not believe the human gods were just different names for the same entities the elves worshiped. However, he knew that OSHA and Curious were watching impassively from afar, and he had hopes that his actions in the days ahead would please them. Any ideas on where to begin our search? A slow, creeping mist still holding the coldness of winter, began to roll in over the silent, haunting city in front of you all, a sort of muffled silence spread out everywhere, with every minute the misty fog began to almost congeal and condense, lowering visibility continually. For now, it's just a light mist.... for now. The Guy that have lead you all here, your contact and Sandstone transportation-master for the Noble you all got hired by, turned to you all, uttering in a rather gruff voice. "Well, off you go then. Please, try to return with at least a tiny bit of that Sandstone, alright? The last group DI-.... Never mind. Just go on and keep sight on what route you take so you can return. Should I hear no word from any of you for more than 3 days, then I'll leave and assume you're all dead, as you all agreed to.... and signed acceptance of on the contract." He had said with a slightly scary smile, showing a lack of a full set of teeth in his mouth.----------------------------------It is time to head on in, pick a direction, For now: there's the Southern Gate House, above it is Rupert von Tendon's Amphitheater, to the Right you'll find the poor quarters, and to the left is The Rock, and even from this distance 'The Rock' looks surprisingly intact and 'pure', compared to all other buildings within the city. But, for now, you can all begin with the Southern Gatehouse area, investigate whatever you wish there, and then head some other way that you'd wish. Everything is almost a total silence, even speech feels dull and lacking in tone, the misty fog continually congealing and condensing with every moment ticking by. Hanna nods to the man and says,"MMH. I'm sure the previous group is enjoying a life of relaxation and comfort in Waldorf." She shrugs and walks towards the city. Once inside, she looks around and says,"HRM. You know, I was expecting to be jumped by some hideous mutant as soon as I set foot in this place." She gestures ahead to the Southern Gatehouse and says,"This seems as good a place to start as any. Anyone disagree? And have a better idea?" Their listens quietly to the man noting that they would need to get word back here within 3 days. That doesn't leave a lot of time of dallying about. Hanna I believe that to be a most excellent choice. I will follow your lead. Know that my eyes are watching over you from the shadows. With that Their moved into the mist towards a building using the shadows to mask his movement. Spoiler: mechanics Hide Concealment46 - (1d100)[16] MoveSilently46 - (1d100)[70] Perception41 - (1d100)[80]+10 for Visual Perception "I reckon it doesn't matter where we start, as long as we stay together. Might as well start at the gate house. Bound to be some useful information there, and if it is safe enough we could set up a base there. Not sure if I want to be sleeping out in the mist when it comes time for that." Gustav hefts his club and cautiously makes his way towards the entrance of the gatehouse, hoping to get a sense of what lies within. Spoiler Hide (1d100)[54] v. Perception 35 The Foggy Mist clings ever closer up around you all, causing silhouettes to appear everywhere, with the haunted husks of the buildings eerily staring out at you all. The path towards the guardhouse went without much of an event, besides of the disturbing pulsing growths clinging to the buildings, slowly getting worse and worse the deeper you go. Going from light lumps here and there, to bigger collections of it growing up the sides of the empty buildings. You have the guardhouse in sight now, it being less than 50 meters forward. This building is a fairly intact one, although it looks just as abandoned as every other building around you all. Spoiler Hide I would like to see a +10 Perception Skill Test for you all. If you succeed with 2 or more Degrees (aka. rolls 62 and got a TN of 42) Then roll a +0 Willpower Test. I'll explain why if any of you need to do the roll :3 Hanna peers into the mist, on guard for any possible hostiles, knowing that anything could appear at any moment, and ready if whatever-it-is needs a dose of axe to the face. Spoiler: IOC Hide Per vs. 41: (1d100)[11] Possible WP vs. 30: (1d100)[72] Gustav was never comfortable around guardhouses. Lackeys of the city barons and mercantile guilds, they never appreciated those who would reveal their corruption. Spoiler Hide Rolls here: Hiding in the shadows Their follows the group towards the guardhouse. Keeping an eye on the mysterious mist as he moves quietly along. Spoiler: Rolls Hide perceptionvs61 - (1d100)[51] Willpowervs29 - (1d100)[4] If required The walk-up to the Gatehouse takes only a couple of more minutes in the careful tempo you're all taking.... however, the walk there isn't all that uneventful. You all see what at first looks like a regular Guard standing watch outside the door into the gatehouse... but on closer inspection you all realize that he is VERY much dead, to the point of maggots writhing in the eye sockets and the smell of him making you all reach a near-gag level of disgust. Spoiler: Everyone but Their, read this Hide If that scary corpse wasn't enough, the surrounding mist seem to congeal into leering faces, ghostly hands reaching out as if trying to strangle you all. The surrealist of it is so intense that it's literally damaging to you all. You all gain an Insanity point from the combined event of maggot-eyes and ghostly specters. Their does not, because he only saw the dead Guard and his nasty eye sockets. Reaching the Door to the gatehouse, and the actual full entrance through the missing portcullis to reach further inside into Fordham itself, you see that the door inside the gatehouse appears to be severely damaged and not even locked, barely managing to stay closed as is. The rest of Fordham stretches out in foggy dimness beyond the wide access hole that once had hold that portcullis. None of you hear anything to suggest someone else being nearby, at least not out outside. That was startling back there. Was that a ghost? I've never seen one before. A quick shiver passes over Their before he continues. Let's see if we can gain entrance to the guardhouse and get to a higher point of observation. Maybe from the top we could see something besides this damned fog. Spoiler: mechanics Hide PerceptionVs51 - (1d100)[30] Going to the top of the guardhouse to see what he can see of Fordham. Attempting to get a direction heading for any area that looks promising. Hanna shudders as the ghostly hands manifest, and she looks shaken as she says,"This place... What is wrong with it? What happened here to cause this?" She shivers as she pulls her furs around herself, trying to insulate herself from the ephemeral threats, as she presses on, into the city, eyes open. Spoiler: IOC Hide Per: (1d100)[98] vs. 31. "Gods! Was that? Never mind." Gustav started suddenly, holding his club in front of him, as if to ward off a blow. He shook his head. Let's check out the guard house. Ladies first? No?" With that, he pushes the door open with his club and cautiously peers inside. Trying to ignore the late guard. Even inside the gatehouse, the fog clings just as closely as it does outside. All over the place inside, the half-rotted, half-gnawed, halftone corpses of months-old armored Humanoids can be seen threw over both floor, tables and stairs. Not a single body remained relatively intact or even close to 'fresh'. She stench inside the guardhouse was HORRID. Like Rancid goat milk, old cinnamon and mold-covered chops of meat. But it all had a sort of 'washed-out' oldness to it. Like it's a smell that's been hanging around for years, not mere months. Many a chair is tipped over and heavily damaged, and the dust rests heavily everywhere one can see. There's a few intact-looking dress-closets, cupboards and possible rest-places up the stairs. If there's anything valuable or even useful, this is a good a place as any to start out. Spoiler Hide If any of you wish to search the place for usable/valuable/curious Items, then I'll first need a +20 Willpower Test in order for your character to not begin dry-heaving and needing to leave the gatehouse and lose their lunch due to both the sight of all that death, rot and the horrid smell. And you're unable to force yourself back inside at the mere thought of the smell making you all queasy and sick. Should you succeed, then you can do a +0 Search action. Anyone who wants can Aid whomever that got the highest Search TN Value (and is still remaining inside after the WP test). Only one test is allowed safely, but more can be attempted should the first one fail... however it might not be healthy to stay in there for too long *wink* So whomever have the highest base Search stat rolls the dice, getting +10 to the TN for each character that helps/aids him/her with the task. Their recoils at the horrendous sight before him. Even in his days with the war band he had never seen anything this gruesome. But he decided to press on to see if there were any useful clues or items to help him. He was in a guardhouse surely there were weapons or armor he could make use of as they ventured further into the city. Holding his breath Their began to sift through the carnage for anything of note.WPvs49 - (1d100)[32]Search Roll Hanna swallows as she enters the room, which proves to be a mistake as she gets a big mouthful of the rot-infused air... And immediately gags, bailing right back out as she voids the contents of her stomach on the side of the Gatehouse wall. Looking queasy, she peers into the room, holding her breath, saying,"Um... I'll look for another way around... That smell... I just can't deal with it." Spoiler: IOC Hide WP: (1d100)[94] vs. 50 Gustav barely held his lunch in as he looked around. Gods, what an awful sight. He'd known that the city would be dead, but he'd never imagined this... Still, if the dwarf could stomach it, so could he. Perhaps he could find something useful for his investigation. Records of the final day, reports issued to the guards, that sort of thing. As well as any more useful weapons. But that thought only lasted a moment, as did his moment of calm. He burst out of the guardhouse and proceeded to retch out on the damp street, until he was spent. Spoiler Hide (1d100)[62]v. 57 Spoiler: What you manage to find Hide Semi-detailed Map of Fordham (pre-mushroom cloud, of course :p It's the map found in the IOC) A Bunch of rotting food in the Larder. Small purse with 4 SP in it. A very ragged, but intact, piece of parchment with the name 'The Rock' on it, as well as the words 'repent'. Rest is unreadable. An Intact Waterski (with stale, nasty water inside it) 4 Intact Backpacks, all empty. 2 dusty and unused Torches with a box of matches near them (holding about a dozen matches within it) A slightly rusty set of manacles 1 Rusty Breastplate. It looks very unhealthy to wear. 1 Unworn Full set of Studded Leather Armour. 1 odd vial with a murky-blue liquid inside it. 3 odd-looking charms made out of wood and corded so they can be worn around the neck. Through great effort of will Their was able to make a thorough search of the guardhouse. The horrendous smell permeated the entire building. It seemed to cling to the elf churning his stomach whenever he disturbed any item. He almost lost his control when opening the larder revealed a large amount of spoiled food. His search turned up several items some usable some he left as he deemed worthless in their current state. After completing his search of the guard house he emerged to find Gustav and Hanna still retching outside. Spoiler: Items Taken Hide Semi-detailed Map of Fordham (pre-mushroom cloud, of course :p It's the map found in the IOC) Small purse with 4 SP in it. An Intact Waterski (with stale, nasty water inside it) 4 Intact Backpacks, all empty. (Their will grab as many backpacks as Party members I don't believe Bubba is with us anymore but just in case) 2 dusty and unused Torches with a box of matches near them (holding about a dozen matches within it) A slightly rusty set of manacles 1 Unworn Full set of Studded Leather Armour. (What are the stats on this in AP is better than Leather 1 AP) 1 odd vial with a murky-blue liquid inside it. (Any check required to identify the liquid? Heal or Evaluate?) 3 odd-looking charms made out of wood and corded so they can be worn around the neck. Once he rejoined the two humans in the fresh air Their felt he could breathe normally again. Hanna I see you are not wearing armor. I found this set of leather armor inside the guardhouse would you like to wear it. It seems prudent to have some means of armor in this damned city. I also found these backpacks and wooden charms. Hathlir held out a wooden charm and backpack in each hand for Gustav and Hanna to take if they so chose. I also recovered this map. I think we should move on from this place it has a foul smell. Hathlir said looking down at the pools of vomit near the two humans. Hanna nods and says,"Unworn? Thank you. I... Urgh..." She wipes the last bit of vomit away from her mouth before continuing,"I wouldn't want to desecrate the dead, but if you found it in a closet somewhere, I'll take it." She swallows, and looks at the way forwards, saying,"Onwards, then?" Their looks at Hanna quizzically before responding The armor was not in use when I found it. I could be not possible comment about it ever being used. It likely belonged to someone who is dead now. I know not why that should matter. You may take my armor if you prefer the armor of someone living and I can will wear the armor of the deceased. The elf pauses and looks around a bit before continuing. Yes onwards but towards where? Gustav you have been here before. Any suggestions?the tone with which Their said before implied prior to the city's destruction not simply a previous visit. Hanna shakes her head and says,"I meant that you didn't take it off of a corpse. That would be... Bad. Thank you, though." She looks for somewhere private to don the armor, and, once re-equipped, starts looking for a way deeper into the city. "Ugh. What have I gotten into?" Gustav muttered, as he wiped himself off. Turning, he took the proffered items and stowed them in his pack." A map! Let's see. No point in going to the tenement, I'm sure the landlord threw all my stuff on the street the day I left town. We should head to City Hall. That would be the best place to look for any records of what happened. And the city fathers hopefully left behind some more things we can requisition in the name of our investigation." Excellent idea Gustav we shall follow your lead. Also as you mentioned things left behind I did manage to find this interesting vial. Hathlir produces an odd looking vial containing a murky blue liquid. Any idea what it might be? I have not encountered its like before. He holds it out in his left hand for either human to take and look over. "What's that? Is it booze? Bring it along, I know we'll all feel like a drink later. The main boulevard will take us right to Martel square. City Hall's right there. With that, Gustav picks up his pack and his club, and strides off to the north, pausing for a moment to check to see if the others follow." We should probably stay together, friends, it will be easy to get lost in the damned mist." Spoiler Hide (1d100)[35] v. 35 for blue liquid. Their falls in line behind Gustav. The man seemed to know this place best and didn't really require the map to get where they were going. Gustav since you are already familiar with this place perhaps I may have the map back. In the event that we do get separated I wouldn't want to be lost as well. Hathlir keeps an eye out for their surroundings as they make their way towards the main boulevard. Spoiler Hide Perceptionvs41 - (1d100)[26] +10 for vision. Hanna glances at the vial and says,"I can't say if it's a poison or draft. Either way, we should be careful with it. It could prove useful later." She then looks around for any way though into the city. Spoiler: IOC Hide Perception: (1d100)[66] vs. 31 "If we get separated, let's try to meet back up at the gatehouse. Well, outside of it... I don't want to hang around inside if possible. Here's the map back. And hang on to that vial; I think it's Sister Sally's Soothing Salve. Seen it being hawked by apothecaries here and there. Dunno if it works, but I know some pit fighters swear by it, so who knows?" Pit fighters indeed the elf said with measurable disgust. Well thank you I am not familiar with this Sister Sally though so I think it's best to keep this for an emergency. Lead on Gustav. The road you all took was a winding, narrow street passage leading between houses, past mind-itching growths of..... who knows? It was horrible to watch and none of you wanted to go anywhere near any of it. On the way through the Poor Quarters, while walking down through an alley way, something suddenly flops down from onto of a roof above you all, falling all the way down and slamming into the picketed brick way. The body of the fallen thing hits the bricks with a nasty crunch and the snapping of wood, arrow shafts sticking out from it. From just one glance, it was clear this... thing was not a human. Or elf, dwarf or halfling for that matter. It was all fuzzy with matted fur and rodent-like appearance. Those of you that have heard of the stories and myths, this very much looks like a SHAVEN... those Rat people that mothers tell their kids about in order to keep them in line... But this was one of those things... a REAL one. From the not-so-distant houserooms further out, you can all hear the woods and cries of jubilation, the blasts of some sort of flintlock weaponry. Whatever the hell was going on, it seemed someone else... or something else was fighting more of these rat-things... and they were all getting closer to the lot of you's position in that alley way. Spoiler Hide The noise it coming from the 'far' left, on the other side of a wall of houses that causes the alley way you're all in. There are a few doors, some creaking and open, others still attached and possibly locked... a few was totally missing from their door frame. So it's all up to you all what you want to do: keep going and hope you don't get spotted. Take cover in one or more of the buildings, go back and find another way. Head onwards towards the sound of fighting... or something totally different. It's all up to you lot. Yet, no actual rolls will be needed (unless you try to do something with a chance of failure, such as knowledge tests, perception tests, etc.) "Sigma's balls! What is that?" Gustav cursed as the body collapsed near him. Gustav looked around, and slipped into a nearby house in the direction of the noise." Duck in here, let's wait and see who's fighting who up ahead. If beast men are in the city... this could be trouble." Shaven. My father told me of fights with them. Their pauses. But if there are Shaven, and they are fighting someone else it is possible that there are survivors here in the city. I believe we should try to see what the source of the sound is and aid if there are indeed survivors. Saying so Their ducked through the doorway into the tallest house between the noise and the party. Spoiler: IOC Hide Their will attempt to get as high as possible to get a view on the source of the noise. Not sure if any checks required for this. Hanna pulls back her lips into an almost canine snarl as she sees the Batman and says, "Damnable monster." She frowns as she hears the blasts of gunpowder, and says,"And it sounds like something is fighting it, too." She calls up to Their as she ducks into the closest door she can to the Shaven's path,"What's fighting it?" A peek over the top of the houses shows that..... a freaking HORDE of shaven fighting each other, as if two big war bands had suddenly clashed and was busy killing each other. It would indeed be VERY wise to not get spotted and give the mutant-freaks a good reason to stop slaughtering each other, and instead band together to kill a couple of Human-things, Dwarf-things and Elf-Things. Their can't believe his eyes. The sheer number of Shaven is overwhelming as is the violence of the two parties clashing with one another. He quickly backs away from the edge of the buildings with a sinking feeling in his stomach. He hears Hanna call up to him, and he looks down at her placing a finger over his lips before descending to meet with the other two. There are so many of those things. I can't believe it. They are fighting each other. It's horrible. We need to stay out of sight. A war band of that size would easily destroy the three of us. "Filthy beast men. Here to plunder the ruins, no doubt. Good thing they are falling out over the spoils. If we can retrace our steps and find a different route, we should be safe. As long as there aren't more gangs of them deeper in the city." Hanna looks sick as she says, "Oh gods... What? Why..." She shakes her head and says,"The gods might have forsaken this place, but we can still make a difference here. That said... We should find another way around. I don't believe Ulrich would want me to throw my life away, no matter how glorious my end might be." The pathway back from where you all came from would bring you all much closer to the fighting mob of Shaven. So if you'd all want to go back and find another way that would lead away from the slaves, it would be fairly dangerous. The Alley Way you're already in, leads one way forward that takes you parallel with the big infighting.... or you could all just try and path through the buildings to your right and try to navigate through them. It's not a surefire way that there'll be a way through them, but it would be a relatively safer place to go. However, whatever path you choose is up to the lot of you. "Like most riots, they are going to be too focused on each other to notice us unless we try and wander through them. Let's continue along these alleyways, the fog should keep them from seeing us unless we stumble into their midst. There can't be too many of these beasts." Their laughs quietly when Gustav suggests that there can't be too many of the Shaven. Gustav I didn't get an accurate count but believe me there ARE precisely TOO MANY of those beasts. I think we could be safe in the alleyway, but I still prefer to get distance away from that many foes. I say we start moving down the alley and if we see a door on the opposite side that is open we move through that building. But I think it's best to be moving at any rate. After finishing speaking Their begins to continue down the alleyway keeping an eye out for open doors on the one side and stray shaven on the other side of the alley. Spoiler: IOC Hide Perception51 - (1d100)[64] Hanna nods and says, "As weird as this is, I agree with the elf. Three beast men would be enough to kill the three of us, even with Ulrich's aid. We should try to skirt them and keep moving forwards." With that, she follows Their down the alley, looking for ways forwards and away from the shaven, keeping a wary eye on passages that they might come from. "Aye, I have no desire to fight them all myself. Let them finish each other off,"Gustav whispers. He carefully tries to sneak quietly through the mist, keeping an eye out for potential bolt-holes. The path through the houses is not a very relaxing one, with the thought of a sudden group of Shaven, or some other horror suddenly spotting you keeps gnawing at everyone's mind. Everywhere there are husks of the dead, the smell of decay and rot, as well as what appears to be looted remains of jewelry boxes, closets of Transport-Chests. One could of course search it all more closely over.... but with the way it all looks so ransacked already, this would most likely just end up with it being a big waste of time and quite likely just invite trouble. After some 10 minutes or so of painstakingly slow and methodical travel through the abandoned houses here in the Poor district ends up leading you all out towards the main road and a more open space of view.---------------you're all inside a house that looks like it used to be a gambling den or something alike it. The outside on the main road appears to be completely silent and even the sound of the Shaven Infighting behind you have gotten totally silent as well. As if the Smoke, Mist and general creepy-feeling of the whole city have smothered the very sounds all around you all. If you follow to main road onwards, you'll reach the area with the Clock tower with further following of the road would lead you up towards the City Hall District when you've passed through the 'Wizard's Mansion' as your map tells you. The histories of that place though are seeped with rumors of strange lights, with even the theories running that Warlocks lived there prior to the Destruction of the City, practicing their foreboding arts. But all that is truly and fully known about the place is that it's a rather big mansion that's been visited more than a few times by Witch Hunters and the like, but no solid or 'Witch Hunter Acceptable' Evidence was ever found there, so the building and its occupants was left alone and not-dead. Whatever exists there now is not known, but by the signs of the rest of the city, it might just be a big ruin. A Dead and soulless rubble-filled place. Or it might still stand, who knows? Hanna frowns as she proceeds along the main road, keeping an eye out for the Shaven, or other threats that might appear, her hand on her axe, ready for potential combat. If she reaches the Clock tower, she'll stop, and say,"Hmm... Perhaps if we went up the Clock tower, we'd get a better view of the city? Figure out what's going on, where to avoid, and suchlike?" "Maybe. This damnable mist will cover everything, even if we climb above it. But maybe we can see clear places... I would love to get out of this murk." Gustav follows Hanna to the clock tower, club at the ready. The presence of the beast men has put him on edge; normally they stay far away from civilization. Not to be left behind in this city of mist with packs of Shaven all around Their runs after the two humans. He has his bow in one hand as he catches up to the slower folk. Once he reaches them he slows his pace to match their own. To the clock tower then? Although we may want to swing by that gambling den on the way out of the city. There still may be some coins in that place. The rustle on along towards the Clock tower goes quite uneventful. However, as you reach the tower itself you can all hear the scrabbling noises from within, like as if someone was searching around, or just scuffling through everything inside. Someone is inside, and it's not sounding like they care much about attracting attention.----------------------------If anyone wishes to do so, they can make a stealthy-sneak test at a basic +0 difficulty. It's quite dim in there and will require a Perception Test as well to spot whatever is inside. As the group approached the clock tower, a rustling sound could be heard from within. Their motioned for the others to stop while he crept ahead as quiet as a shadow. Once reaching the doorway his keen eyes pierced the darkness to behold the source of the noise. Spoiler: rolls Hide MoveSilentlyVS46 - (1d100)[16] PerceptionVisVS51 - (1d100)[4] At the sound of scrabbling from inside the clock-tower, Gustav freezes, unwilling to move lest he attract attention. As the elf sneaks forward to listen, Gustav tries to find a place to conceal himself, in case the elf draws unwelcome attention upon the group, and Gustav needs to ambush the enemy... or avoid them. Spoiler Hide (1d100)[44] v. 37 With the elf being all sneaky and unheard or unseen, he manages to get right up to a nearby glassless window and peered in. The Agitator of the group was NOT all that stealthy, but since the scrabbling and scrunching from inside doesn't halt, it would appear that the light stumble over some rubble hadn't caught anyone else's attention, except the Elf who could clearly hear the rather clumsy Agitator. Spoiler: Inside the Clock tower, Mister Elf's eyes only Hide The insides of the clock tower is a relative clean mess, compared to the rest of the city's state, but much of its innards was still dusty, broken and scattered. Just a bit less so than everywhere else. In the middle of a mess of cloth, patchy fur and grubby hands, was the human-looking corpse of what looks like someone whom might have been part of an earlier expedition-team, since his body was only partially in the decomposed state. The 'mess of cloth, patchy fur and grubby hands' was none other than 3 wayward shaven, rummaging through the dead human pockets, clothes, etc. a few gnaws and bites also happened and a bit less Prior-Human-Adventurer was left each time it happened. The 3 Slaves looks relatively unarmed and unarmored, wearing only loose bundles of cloth, hoods and messily-done foot wrappings. Each seemed to carry what looked like a nasty-looking club of some kind, a metal band wrapped around the thicker parts of the 'head' of those clubs. Besides that you manage to spot what looks like some sort of crudely-made (and rather unhygienic) throwing stars. The rest of the bottom parts of this clock tower remains relatively scarce in other items of interest, with only a few skeletons here and there catching your eye, as well as what appears to be a winding staircase that would most likely lead upwards to another floor and from there, hopefully more intact stairs that would lead up to the top of the clock tower itself. Hanna waits outside the clock tower, not wanting to disturb whatever might be inside, waiting for a report on what was inside from the two, braver souls. Their grimaced when the agitator slipped. He got up to the window and shrunk back from the gruesome sight inside. He turned and held up three fingers in the air and then pressed a single one to his lips. Furthermore, he had heard that was how human mothers quieted their children. Furthermore, he then lithely sneaked back from the window to rejoin the others and shared what he found in a soft whisper. Skaven. 3 of them and the corpse of someone they found. Maybe we could surprise them but from everything I read the Shaven are fierce warriors and could very easily tear us apart like the corpse inside. What do you want to do dispatch these three? I think maybe one of us should wait outside by the door to stab anyone trying to escape. Hanna frowns and replies to the elf, "I see. Well... There's only three of us, so I doubt overwhelming force will work. Anyone got any ideas on how to go about this cleverly? That isn't exactly my strong suit..." "You have a bow, can't you elves shoot the eye out of an or from a hundred paces? I should have bought a bow, too, you can teach me how to shoot. I never really been in a real fight before, I mean, I was in a riot or three, but that doesn't really count, does it? Furthermore, I mean, I don't know much about fighting. Hit them till they stop moving, I guess? Do you know much about beast men?" Gustav starts rambling, a little agitated from his mistake and his inexperience. My knowledge of beast men come from tavern tales and the like I wouldn't really trust the information too much. Much your tale of elves being able to shoot Or eyes out from a far distance they are not all factual. I could probably get a first shot on the beast and maybe even take one down if I am very lucky with my shot, but that leaves two more. Spoiler: IOC Hide Not sure what roll you would want for knowledge of beast men. Hanna sighs and hefts her axe, sighing and saying,"Well, then. I suppose we have two options. We can abandon the tower, or take our chances with the Shaven. I'm ok with either." "This damned mist may work in our favor for once, aye? We hide somewhere with a line of sight to the door, and make some light noise. When they hear, they stick their heads out of the door, and Mister Elf shoots them down? They will assume it is more of their rival tribesmen attacking them, and will either scurry around trying to locate us, letting us shoot them down at leisure, or run away, letting us examine the tower. Of course, this all depends on your skills with a bow, Their, do you think you can manage?" Sir do you mean to suggest that I take down all three of the Shaven well you contribute by making noise, which you seem to excel at. I believe I could take down a Shaven or two, but I doubt I could do so without us sustaining some injuries as well. The elf looks over at the agitator agitated. Just as you're all about done planning how to deal with the 3 Shaven inside, you all suddenly hear a massive level of scrabbling and yelping from inside the Clock tower, as well as a few death screams (3 to be exact). So right now, there's no longer 3 shaven inside the clock tower, at least not from how the sounds inside made it sound like. But none of you had seen or heard anyone else approach the tower, so either there must have been 1 or 2 more shaven above, or someone (or something) had managed to sneak inside without anyone else's notice. Well sounds like the situation changed well we were discussing it out here. Hathlir broke away from the other two to once again peer through the window undetected. Spoiler: mechanics Hide MoveSilentlyVS46 - (1d100)[40] PerceptionVS51 - (1d100)[5] Hanna frowns as she hears the three death screams, but stays but as the elf goes to scout, knowing that her presence would only serve to potentially alert whatever it was that seemed to effortlessly slaughter the three Shaven. Gustav"The enemy of our enemy is not necessarily our friend. Be careful, Their," whispered Gustav. Returning up to the Clock tower and peering back inside, the sneaky Elf manages to just make out the shape of 3 dead shaven and a new, 4th one standing over the dead ramen-corpses, holding a tiny sliver of some sort of glowing green crystal-like substance (about the size of a small chip of wood). According to descriptions given before entering Fordham, that would seem to be a tiny piece of Sandstone. As to what had happened, it was clear that one of the Shaven must have found it and infighting issued, with the 4th shaven either being an outsider have had come down from above, higher up in the clock tower to take it's chance to off the others and claim the prize for itself. Their turns back to Hanna and Gustav and holds up a single finger. He then motions for them to move to covering the doorway as he notches an arrow. Their stands up aiming his bow through the glassless window at the Shaven inside. He then lets fly a single arrow. Spoiler: Mechanics Hide Free action to signal to the others. 1/2 action to Ready an Arrow. 1/2 action to Attack AttackVS53 - (1d100)[39] DamageIfHit - (1d10+3)[7] Longbow so -1AP Hanna nods and hums a hymn to Ulrich, then kicks down the door to the clock tower, blinks at the sight before her, then shakes her head, grinning at her good fortune as she swings her axe at the Shaven's skull. Spoiler: IOC Hide 1/2 Action to move to be in melee range. 1/2 Action to attack: (1d100)[69] vs. 46 (1d10+3)[7] Gustav Momentarily surprised by his companion's boldness, Gustav charged in behind Hanna, swinging his club wildly. Spoiler Hide Charge! If in range, half-move/attack if not. (1d100)[30] v. 42 for charge, 32 if not. Damage (1d10)[9] + 3 The arrow goes flying and bores right through the Shaven's left leg, it's scream echoes around the clock tower as it attempts without success to pull it free. Then came the charge from the Ulrich-worshipper and the blow from her send the shaven stumbling right into the final blow to the head from Gustav made that Rat-skull explode in fragments, most of its brains was sent flying out the other side, splattering the wall right near the window opening that Their was aiming through, luckily avoiding any spare splattering of brains upon himself. All in all, that was a really effective killing and the scream of the dying Shaven had been dulled enough by merely it being a bit clock tower in and of itself. The tiny fragment of sandstone was laying there nearby the dead Shaven, glimmering creepily, as if it was liquid, gaseous and solid at the very same time. You all clearly remember the warning you'd been given: Do not touch the Sandstone directly. Hanna grins and claps Gustav on the back, saying,"Well done! I hadn't expected such skill from a Southerner." She then glances at the fragment of Sandstone and shakes her head, scrounging around for a scrap of leather to wrap it in. Gustav Gustav eyed the substance suspiciously. He wasn't certain he believed their patron, but nevertheless was not planning on touching it; after all, the man was in theory paying them. He cautiously moved to search the body of the fallen rat-man. "These guys aren't so tough. As long as we don't run into any of those rat-packs, we should be alright. Filthy savages." Spoiler Hide (1d100)[40] v. Perception 35 to search the body Their gracefully climbed through the glassless window into the clock tower. Mighty blow Gustav. The elf said clapping the man on his back before also stooping down to search the bodies of the ramen. Spoiler: IOC Hide SearchVS22 - (1d100)[87]

WFRP 2e - City Of The Damned IC|rating:3.0

The moans in the night - (Kurioustoohear & RedEve)

(to Rosewood manor had proven to be rather more difficult than Alessia had imagined. She had taken the bus from her hometown of Sawley. She had descended the bus in Allergy, which was the closest bus stop to her destination. There she had eaten a modest lunch at a pub and informed about a way to get to Rosewood manor. The kindly pub owner had arranged for her to hitch a ride with the local mailman. Thus, Alessia was dropped off at the large, palatial manor house along with the day’s mail. All of her belongings – at least those she had deemed fit to take with her – fit into a single old suitcase. She waited for the mailman to deliver his letters at the servants entrance and then hesitated. She thought it's best to announce her arrival at the main entrance, so she rang the bell. A dignified older gentleman of around 55 years old opened the door. He appraised her and then responded with,“Can I help you, young lady?” Alessia recognized the head butler in his mannerisms and easy air of authority. She bowed her head and introduced herself.“Good afternoon sir. My name is miss Clark. Miss Alessia Clark. I applied towards the vacant maid position and was accepted a fortnight ago?” She handed the man the letter she had received confirming her appointment. The butler took a quick glance at it. He of course knew its contents as he had been the one to write it.“Aah yes… Miss Clark. We were excepting you. Please follow me.” Alessia was led into a large atrium, where the butler took an immediate left turn and then disappeared into a doorway. There they took a staircase down to the servants area. The butler led her into a small apartment which was obviously his personal quarters as well as his study. He led her to a desk and pointed out a chair. He pulled one of the ropes to the side of his desk and a bell rang.“My name is Bertram Markham, I am the head butler here. I have summoned Mrs. Roper, she is our housekeeper and will be the one showing you around. Mrs. Roper is in charge of the female staff and I leave the day-to-day matters to her. Before she arrives, I want to go over some basic things. From your letter of recommendation, I gathered that this will be your first position in a big house. It is not like your experiences serving the lawyer and his wife. Even though Lord Bee chum’s staff is relatively modest for a house of this size, he still employs fourteen full-time servants, including yourself. However, there are certain house rules that must be observed. Apart from those staff members who are married, fraternization between the sexes is not deemed acceptable by our employer. The staff shares three meals a day in the communal room and that will be the only time you socialize with members of the opposite sex. Any frivolous activities that break this rule will likely lead to your immediate dismissal. The unwed male members of staff sleep on this floor. Not counting one exception, which is our lords own mechanic, who sleeps in the garage for safety reasons. The female members of staff sleep in the attic above the south wing. Said wing is closed off apart from the staff bedrooms. You will take the staircase at the very back of the wing and not venture on any of the other floors.” Mr. Markham was interrupted by a knock on the door and as he invited the newcomer in, it was revealed to be Mrs. Roper. The housekeeper was a stern-looking lady of around 60 years old. The butler introduced the two women to each other.“Mrs. Roper, might I introduce you to miss Alessia Clark, who is to replace miss Lucy. Miss Clark, meet Mrs. Roper. She will be your direct superior. Her word carries my authority. And my word carries the authority of the lord of the manor himself. So do not disobey either of us. Mrs. Roper, I have covered the most essential rules with miss Clark. I will now leave the rest of the initiation to you.” Mrs. Roper merely nodded and then signaled Alessia to get up. Alessia stood up from her seated position and then followed Mrs. Roper out. The housekeeper led her through a maze of corridors, up a flight of stairs and then all the way to the back of a wing until they arrived at a new flight of stairs. They climbed two floors to arrive in the attic. It had been divided into small cells that each contained a bed, a wardrobe, a small vanity and a nightstand. Each small cell also had a tiny window.“You share the attic with five other women. You are welcome to read, pray and otherwise keep yourself busy in silence at night. Lights are out at ten PM at the latest. As the most junior maid, you will be expected to rise at 5.30 A.M. to assist our cook with the staff’s breakfast. After that, you will report to me for your tasks of the day. I suggest you use your time until dinner – which is served at 7 PM, so please be punctual – to unpack your things and get settled.” Mrs. Roper remained in Alessia’s small cell for a moment and then departed. Alessia looked around her small new home and started to unpack her suitcase. “Oh bloody hell …” he said into the phone as he suppressed a yawn. “Yes, Ma’am … lost track of time changing the ‘divertor’ on the Bentley … I’ll clean myself up and be there …” Putting the receiver back into the cradle, he fell backwards onto his bed where he had been sleeping soundly. “Oh fuck …” he sighed, yawning again. “Everyone dines at seven sharp … no slackers! All the staff …” he mockingly said in his best “Butler Markham” voice. Letting out another sigh, he looked towards the pillow next to him, frowning. “I’m going to miss you, Lucy …” He was the reason for her dismissal, not that she did not know the risks. At first, she resisted his overtures … afraid of the potential consequences. But it did not take long before she grew tired of their Draconian rules … hell, this was the 1960s! A sexual revolution was going on in the world, fueled by the many British rock and roll bands … and natural desires. “All you need is love!” the Beatles crooned … and the people decided they were right. Except here … on this island of ancient norms. He sat up and laughed as he recalled the lecture he was given by Markham, complete with threats to his employment. But Sean was given a wider birth than the other staff members … courtesy of his history with the Bee chum family. His father had served as “Lord Mechanic” before him, and he had been with the family the past eighteen years. And he was the best at what he did. Seniority and skill had its advantages, but only so far … he knew he could push the envelope only so far, but Lord Bee chum would sack him if he went too far. Lucy was worth the risk. Standing, he mentioned to no one, “Maybe I’ll look her up on my next trip to the city,” something he knew he would never do. Sean (dressed for dinner, pulling on a pair of slacks and a buttoned shirt … another “pain in the ass” rule. No one could dress casual … it had to be in ‘presentable attire!’ He argued that he was the damned mechanic, and he usually served up to his elbows in engine grease … but nothing would move Madame Roper to grant an exception. Not that he would show up in greasy overalls … but a tie? Sean put on his favorite … a paisley monstrosity that clashed with … everything! He chucked as he tied it, “A ‘divertor!’ I could have told her a ‘Penis Probe,’ and she wouldn’t have been the wiser!” Taking one last look in the mirror, he let out a deep sigh … he was ‘presentable’ … barely … just the way he liked it! “On to the pony show …” The way to the Manor was at least two kilometers from the garage … a distance that pleased Sean to no end. He was afforded a level of independence that no other staff member enjoyed … Sean would have been fired a long time ago if he had to serve under the jaundiced, watchful eyes of Markham and Roper. He knew that neither one of them cared a bit for him … and that was fine. The feelings were mutual … fueled by personality clashes and the traditional enmity between the Brits and the Irish. Sean looked at his watch ... he was already a few minutes late … the 100 meters to the Main House would make him even more late. But not enough … smiling, he poured himself a shot of scotch and waited a bit more ... knowing that his tardiness would be infuriating … and lead to another humorous lecture! Arriving at the back of the manor, he entered with much fanfare. “Oh my apologies for being late … Lord Bee chum’s favorite Bentley needed my attention!” It wasn’t an acceptable excuse, and that made it all the more pleasing to him. He entered the dining room, and generally greeted the gathered staff! His eyes scanned around the table to the familiar faces … thinking of the missing Lucy … but noticing a new face … a beautifully new face! It is not often an Irishman is struck silent, but this lass had that affect upon him. He smiled when his eyes met hers … and then moved to his place at the table, across from her which suited him just fine! Sean did observe one tradition … he would wait to be introduced to her by Mrs. Roper. He was sure he would be warned about her … to remember what happened to Lucy, and to not pursue their newest staff member. And of course he would listen … they had nothing to worry about! They could count on Sean O’Malley, he would assure them … the very thing they knew they could not do. (had taken Alessia less than half an hour to move the contents of her suitcase into the wardrobe and vanity. She was just about finished with that when a knock came on her door and she answered to a young woman. The girl introduced herself as Mary and started off on a long explanation about nothing and everything at the same time. Like Alessia, she was a maid. She had brought Alessia the maid uniform she would be wearing, upon Mrs. Roper’s instructions. The old housekeeper had apparently appraised the newly hired maid well enough, since Alessia found the outfit to be near perfectly her size. She thanked Mary and the plain-faced but quite friendly and chatty girl kept on tattering away at her. Alessia suspected that the young woman was so happy about her arrival because she had been the most junior maid until her being hired. This meant that a lot of the least enviable tasks would now go from Mary to Alessia. Finally, the young woman took her leave.“I will leave you to yourself for a bit, I have some work to do before dinner, see you in an hour.” After Mary had left, Alessia checked her wristwatch and saw that it was indeed already 6 PM. One more hour before she would be expected at dinner. She stripped out of her dress and into the maid uniform. It was formal and not at all going with the times. At the Andrews house, the couple she had served as a live-in maid prior to her new employment, there was no real formal uniform for her to wear. She was expected to serve them in any white blouse, dark long skirt combo that she pleased. She knew that other masters had allowed their staff even more allowances in their attire. But the uniform she was expected to wear at Rosewood manor was old-fashioned even by country nobility standards. It was the type of attire a maid would have worn prior to the Great War. It even included the Victorian maid hat that had gone out of fashion in most houses several decades earlier. She put the dark outfit and the white hat on and checked herself in the mirror. It meant that she would have to wear her hair up in a bun as opposed to the simple braid she had used at her previous job. At around 6.50 PM, she left her little room and walked back the same way she had come up with Mrs. Roper. Thankfully it was easy to remember. Down two flights of stairs then straight ahead through long corridors to arrive in the servants wing. The communal room, which was also used to eat meals, was one of the first areas she arrived in. Mrs. Roper greet her and pointed out her place at the table.“There is no need to wear the hat for dinner, Miss Clark. It is only compulsory when you present yourself to Lord Bee chum or one of his guests.” Alessia nodded and undid the hat. After that, Mrs. Roper started to introduce her to the other staff members. Mr. Markham had said there were 14 in total, but only 13 were already present. Besides her, there were four more maids. The cook was also a woman. Then there was Mrs. Roper, the old housekeeper. The six men present were Mr. Markham, the head butler, Mr. Gray the not unhandsome under-butler of around 40 years old, two footmen and two groundsmen. The missing man was soon identified as Mr. O’Malley. The way both Markham and Roper spoke of him, it was quite clear that neither had much respect for him. Indeed, if anything the man was merely tolerated. At five minutes past seven, Roper called the man. The old housekeeper mumbled some words of frustration as she put down the phone.“Honestly, that man believes the rules do not apply to him.” Mr. Markham raised his hands in exasperation.“Not much either of us can do to change that, Mrs. Roper. Lord Bee chum seems to accept that a mechanic, especially a supposedly talented one like Mr. O’Malley, also has the soul of a poet.” That remark broke decorum somewhat as around half of the people at the table laughed, and even Mrs. Roper cracked a smile. It was well past 7.15 PM when the mechanic arrived. Alessia appraised him and then averted her eyes when she realized that he was to sit right in front of her. He had the air of a man very pleased with himself, and she could feel his gaze upon her even whilst she had her head turned away. Why did it make her feel so uncomfortable? Mrs. Roper made the formal introduction as she had with everyone else at the table." Mr. O'Malley, this young lady is our new maid, Miss Alessia Clark. Miss Clark, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Sean O'Malley, our resident mechanic. Mr. O'Malley is responsible for Lord Bee chums car collection. He lives and works at Lord Bee chums garage, so you will not see much of him, apart during meals." Mrs. Roper gave Sean a faint smile that could be interpreted as something of a warning. Alessia bowed her head and made eye contact with Sean." Pleased to meet you, Mr. O'Malley." As Mrs. Roper made the expected introductions, her little smile with its veiled warning was not lost on Sean … almost causing him to laugh. He had to give it to the old girl: she was tenacious – she took her duties seriously and never give up … no matter how hopeless the task! His eyes left her and rested upon Alessia with a smile. “Oh Lass … the pleasure is all mine!” He pulled out his chair and sat down opposite her, never taking his eyes from hers. “And please … Alessia … it’s Sean. Mr. O’Malley was my father … God rest his soul!” His father wasn't dead. He then looked around the table, and then back to Mrs. Roper. “After all, were all one big happy staff! Isn’t that right, Mrs. Roper!” He said it with its own subtle message, punctuated with a wink. “So … let’s eat!” Sean did not wait for Mrs. Roper’s reaction … assuming they had already said Grace over the food, and if they had waited for him … He looked around the table at everyone’s plate, and found them all to be empty. “Oh, well look at me … ya waited for me …” He smiled for anyone to see, and then continued. “But it’s getting cold! Let me ask the blessing …” He glanced up at Roper and Markham, neither one too pleased with his behavior in front of Alessia on her first night. Everyone else knew that this was typical Sean. He bowed his head, “Great giver of all good … bless the food …” He peeked up to see every head bowed, even Roper and Markham. “… and don’t let it kill us!” He concluded with a loud “AMEN!” Sean did not have to look to see their reactions, adding, “Now let’s eat …” As the food was passed around and everyone began to eat, small conversations were held around the table. Sean began eating, but his eyes were upon Alessia. When hers finally met his, he used the opportunity to begin a conversation. “So Alessia! Tell us about yourself … where are ya coming to us from?” Sean wanted to know more about her … all about her. She was a rare beauty, with alluring eyes and a certain innocence that intrigued the older man. He could feel the disapproving eyes of Mrs. Roper resting upon him … she knew him and what he was thinking … and she was not wrong … Alessia had been right about the Irishman. The kind of guy who was not without charm, but who was far too pleased with himself. No wonder two stiff individuals like Markham and Roper hated him. She listened to his words with a smile and had to suppress a bit of a laugh when he openly defied Roper. When he inquired as to her background, she was glad to oblige. She had nothing against small talk, and she knew from experience that the other people at the table were likely curious too. The only individuals who had some idea of her background were the butler and the housekeeper.“Well I was born and raised in Sawley. That’s in Derbyshire. My parents owned and ran a small pub. I myself worked for the Andrews family as a live-in maid. Mr. Andrews is the local notary. But I always wanted to work in a big house. For the last year I have applied to open positions, but it wasn’t until I wrote Mr. Markham for the vacant post here that I got accepted anywhere. It is all quite exciting.” Markham gave her a faint smile and a nod, no doubt approving of her modest words and gratitude.“I was quite content to receive your letter, miss Clark. It is very difficult to find good help these days. Especially amongst young women. I find that the youth of our cities has been ruined. Your country upbringing stands you in good stead. I find that small town values fit in more with what is required of the staff in houses like this. Your predecessor, miss Lucy, did not quite understand that.” Mrs. Roper snorted upon the mention of Lucy but then bowed her head deferentially, as if she had lost control and felt immediate regret.“Yes well… no time to dwell on miss Lucy. The young woman made her choices and had to live with them.” Alessia was curious as to why her predecessor had been asked to leave, but she didn’t dare to ask in this company. Perhaps she would get the information out of one of the other maids, once she got them alone. Perhaps Mary, who seemed keen to talk anyway. Sean did not take his eyes off of her as she responded, smiling when she said she was the daughter of a pub owner! Now that sounded promising! Between bites, he winked at her when she said how exciting all of this was for her … and for him. He found her voice to have a natural, sensual quality … and her eyes were so captivating. He could only imagine what lay beneath the ancient uniform she was made to wear … he already determined that he would try. When Markham broke in, Sean looked down and shook his head … and then chuckled. “I wonder if Markham’s ever had a woman …” he thought, “… probably out of ‘duty!’” And Roper with a man? ... no, that was a thought even Sean could not contemplate ... All heads turned towards Mrs. Roper when she made her comment, a look of surprise on the face of all … except Sean. He laughed and looked at Alessia … giving her a knowing wink, before returning to his food. He took a few more bites before asking that he be excused … standing and not waiting for permission. Not from those bloody stiffs! He nodded towards Alessia and exited the dining area … heading towards the water closet. He had to get away so that he could write a note. Furthermore, he found a pen on a desk he passed … and a piece of paper. Furthermore, he thought for a moment … it had to be casual, and not too revealing … finally, he put pen to paper. Alessia, So glad you joined us … come See me if you get bored … I’ll give You the low down on this bloody Place. Séance read it over … not too pleased, but it would have to do. He folded it up a number of times … until it could be held in his hand without being seen. Flushing just for affect, he hurried back to the dining room, wanting to get there before the dinner was done. Dessert was on the table … “Ah, my favorite! Chocolate Mousse!” he declared, always making his presence known. He took his seat, smiling at Alessia. And then he saw Roper and Markham … both with disapproving looks … the cherry on the top of his dessert! Sean O’Malley was clearly a man for the grand gesture. He even made something of a show of his trip to the bathroom. Upon his brief departure, Markham cleared his throat and stared into his now empty plate.“It is quite unfortunate. The fact that lord Bee chum seems to have such a weakness for that Irish scoundrel. I served as under-butler to lord Bee chum’s father during the war. He would have never stood for such behavior.” It was odd and something of a break of decorum for the butler to discuss the behavior of a member of staff in the presence of the rest of his subordinates. The fact that he still did so told Alessia that the butler was more than fed up with the mechanics behavior and chose not to make it any secret. Mrs. Roper finished her own plate and nodded in agreement.“Oh no… he would not do at all. Back when I was just a maid at the Albright estate, we had a stable master not unlike Mr. O’Malley. He was given a lot of freedom, but it all ended rather disastrously in a great scandal. I could of course not go into the details… Let me just say that said fiend never worked at any house, great or small, ever again.” It was lost on Mrs. Roper that she was now old enough to make it likely that most of the people involved in whatever scandal it was she was alluding to were either no longer around or would not care either way what she divulged at the staff dinner table in a different house, so many years later. Their little bout of gossip was interrupted by Sean’s return. Alessia thought he looked rather pleased about something. Though she could not quite guess what it might be. As the mechanic started on his dessert, Alessia cleared her throat and inquired,“Mr. O’Malley… Sean… Might I ask you how you got to be employed by Lord Bee chum?” Mrs. Roper flashed her a surprised and worried look, though she did not speak up. Obviously the old housekeeper was worried by her new maids interest in the mechanic, but Alessia’s question was innocent enough that she could not voice any protests to it. Sean’s face lite up at her question, and her apparent interest in him! Glancing to see the disapproving looks he was sure were there … and they were … he shifted in his seat as he leaned in towards her. “Ah Lass … now that is an interesting story! My father worked for Lord Bee chum since he was a young lad … both men shared an interest in automobiles. Oh, Alessia! … you should see the Lord Bee chum’s fine collection!” He caught Mrs. Roper glare … she could barely contain herself! Sean was enjoying this. “I’ll have to show you sometime … Now when the war came, his service here ended … and he went to fight the Berries. My old man served under Sir Bernard Montgomery at Al Alahan! Wounded twice and won the Victoria’s Cross, he did!” Sean was proud of his fathers’ service … and his look at Markham showed the disrespect he held for those who did not fight to beat the Nazis. “I was a bit too young to fight, so I helped maintain Lord Bee chum’s collection for my Dad … he worked a few years after the war, but he couldn’t do the much anymore … because of his wounds. So I kept on … officially becoming ‘Lord Mechanic’ in ‘forty-eight.” He smiled and returned to his dessert, taking a bite before adding, “I’ve got to show you the Nazi staff car my Dad managed to bring across the Channel … oh, it’s a beauty!” Again he looked at Markham and Roper … knowing that their blood must be boiling! Of course Alessia would be warned to stay away from him … and that was fine with Sean … it always seemed to make him all the more interesting, and that was to his advantage. The end of his story became the end of the dinner, as Markham directed that everyone help to clear the table. This was Sean’s cue to exit … he was a mechanic and not a house servant. As everyone began moving, Sean stood and moved towards the kitchen … timing it so that he arrived at the same time as Alessia. Reaching out and shaking her hand, he smiled, “It really was a pleasure to meet you, Alessia … and welcome!” Neither Roper nor Markham saw … he moved towards the back door, his note now in the hand of Alessia. Alessia listened to Sean’s story. By the time he was done recounting it, she understood him a bit better. The easy charm and confidence was obviously a result of having been a close friend of the lord of the manor from an early age. That is why he could afford behavior that would earn other staff members an immediate discharge. As well as the fact that he found his elevated position so normal. He was clearly proud of his father and especially his father’s service during the war. The way Markham averted his eyes when Sean gazed at him when he spoke of his dad’s war experiences told her that the old butler felt some shame at not having fought the Nazis himself. Though by the time Markham ended the dinner and Sean quickly excused himself, the butler had rebound the confidence to glare at the Irishman. As Alessia helped clear off the table and carried some of the plates and cutlery into the kitchen, she found herself confronted by Sean once again. She smiled at him as he welcomed her once more.“The pleasure was all mine, Sean. I hope to talk some more soon!” When he shook her hand, she felt a small object being pressed into her palm. She quickly slid whatever it was – it felt like bundled up paper – into one of her many pockets. Alessia helped out with the dishes for another half an hour. By then it was well past 8 PM. Mrs. Roper finally excused her. She was once again informed that she would be expected by the cook to help with breakfast at 5.30 AM. After once again confirming that she understood this aspect of her job, she was excused for the night. She headed back into the corridor and stopped herself from running. She was very curious to check the item that Sean had handed her. But she needed to wait until she was safely within her little room. She walked at a brisk pace back towards the end of the wing, then up two flights of stairs. She ducked into her small cell and closed the door behind her. Furthermore, she fished the small note back out of her pocket and read it over three times. After the third time, she knew it by heart. She blushed at the little message, even though its contents were very innocent. Mrs. Roper would of course not approve, but it was worded in a way that did not give her much to go on in terms of proving untoward behavior. Of course, by what she had already seen from Sean, the invitation was likely not limited to some friendly conversation over tea. The mechanic was not the type for that. Try as she might to forget about the little invitation, Alessia failed. She changed into her nightgown and tried to sleep, but by 1 AM she was still tossing and turning. Oh yes, the Irishman had already gotten under her skin. She did not quite understand why. He was not super handsome. And he was quite a bit older than her. Yet whenever she closed her eyes, she only saw his face. At 1.30 AM, she sat up in bed and tried to think of what to do next. Part of her wanted to accept his invitation. She knew that his garage was not that far away from the big house, perhaps 100 m in all. Still, it was a huge risk to take, especially on her first night… Could she really risk her new job over the silly little invitation the caddish Irishman had slipped her? Sean slowly walked through the lush green grass of the back lawn towards the Manor garage, exceedingly pleased with himself. It had been a grand time! Old Markham and Roper cannot be happy with him tonight, not that they ever were. But even more so … with the way he showed an interest in the new maid, and she innocently reciprocated. He was sure that another “Lucy” episode and the loss of another qualified servant was now their greatest fear, and they would take all the necessary precautions. A warning to Alessia to be sure … they would paint him as the greatest cad in the British Isles, and warn her to stay away from him. The thought brought a smile. It is not that Sean wanted to put Alessia under undo scrutiny and pressure … but she was a marvelous woman … and Sean happened to adore marvelous women. It was in his makeup and there was no denying it … especially for rules written in the medieval ages. His thoughts turned more specifically to Alessia … oh her eyes were so alluring! She truly is a beautiful woman, and he would like nothing more than to befriend her and see where things lead. And yes … he was already imagining shagging her … and why not? It was a perfectly natural attraction. Why he seemed to only pursue young women was not really a mystery, at least not to him. Markham once tried to persuade him to find a more “suitable” interest, meaning one closer to his age. He would … if one could be found that looked as sexy as Alessia. Sean laughed to himself. He had played along with the old geezer, and Markham actually left thinking he had turned the Irish brute! Sean knew this because Lucy had overheard him boasting to Roper that they might not have to be concerned with him again … oh, how disappointed he must have been when his trysts with Lucy were discovered! And the old bastard sacked her … Sean undressed and climbed into his bed, thinking of Alessia … wondering how she received his note … whether she would consider coming to him. Well, certainly not the first night! None of his past conquests had ever done that … No, he knew he would have to cultivate a relationship with her. But that was fine … it may lead to something, or it may not. Just being her close confidant would benefit them both … he would continue to defy and annoy while keeping the company of a gorgeous woman, and she would learn how to navigate around them. Still … for all his tempered, noble thoughts … he wanted her; after having just met her … he knew that much. He closed his eyes and imagined what lay under that horrible maid uniform … pleasant thoughts as he drifted off to sleep … Alessia sighed deeply when the thoughts of Sean kept her up to the point where she had to accept she was not going to get much sleep that night. She sat up in the bed and then rose to her feet. From the little window in her attic room, she could actually see Sean’s garage in the distance. From here, it did not look all that far away. Could she not? It was a crazy idea. She remained immobile staring out of her window for another few seconds, then came to a decision. Since she could not get any sleep, she might as well pay her little visit to Sean. If nothing else, he might help her pass the time more quickly. She opted against changing into something other than her nightgown. If someone caught her wandering around the house in anything other than her sleeping attire they might grow suspicious. But if she was wearing her nightgown, she could simply explain that she was on her way to or from the lavatory. Yes, that was her plan. She opened her wardrobe and got out the old pair of tennis shoes she had brought along. She put them on. Then she got her coat off the hanger. She bundled it up to where she could hide it underneath her arm. She would only put it on once she got outside. Alessia opened the door to her little room. She stepped outside, trying to make as little noise as possible. She tiptoed out of the attic area, then descended the stairs. A few minutes later, she was on the first floor. She did not walk back towards the staff area, but instead went further into the south wing. There she found a window she could open and slipped outside through this make-shift exit. She put her dark coat on and then started on the stroll towards the garage. It took her only a couple of minutes, though she had to resist not going into a sprint occasionally. Arriving there, she realized that she might have made a mistake. If the place was indeed filled to the brim with expensive cars, then it was likely closed off tightly at night. So would she have to bang on the door to get Sean’s attention? Doing that might also carry back to the big house, and land her into trouble. She went around the large garage trying door after door. To her surprise, one of the backs did open up. She found herself in a fairly large space, filled with cars and with a high ceiling. The moonlight which shone through the windows at the top of the walls illuminated some of her way. There was a walled off little area on the opposite side with a door and some windows that looked out into the main garage area. Those windows had curtains, which were now closed. She guessed that this would likely be where Sean lived. She walked over there and knocked on the door. Furthermore, she spoke up as loudly as she dared,“Sean… Sean, this is Alessia. I got your little invitation… and well… here I am.” She hoped dearly that she did come across as some silly little girl. Though perhaps she would be anyway to a worldly older man like Sean. Sean was asleep, clad only in a t-shirt and underwear … comfortable for the summer nights in England. A sheet half covered his legs, his breathing regular. When the tumblers in the back door turned, making a slight sound … it was enough to awaken him. He had always been a light sleeper, and he was ever aware of the possibilities of hooligans coming to steal what they might from one of the classic cars parked in the garage. It had only happened once in his eighteen years, but he was determined that it would never happen again. Listening intently, he heard nothing more … although he had the cricket bat he kept under the bed in hand. Satisfied that it must have been his imagination or a part of a now forgotten dream, he replaced the weapon and laid back down to sleep. Soundly dozing again, the gentle knocking on his door caused him to jump upright, a confused look on his face. “Who the bloody hell …” he cursed under his breath, not dreaming of who it might be … his invitation to Alessia forgotten in his now sleep addled mind. Getting up from the bed, he walked to the door … hesitating … until he heard his name being called … a woman’s voice saying “… here I am.” He turned the knob of the door and opened it slowly, not believing that it might be her. When he saw her standing there in an overcoat … her dark hair cascading over the shoulders, a smile lit up his face as he pulled the door completely open.“Alessia! Come in … come in, Lass …” Stepping aside to provide her room, his eyes followed her in, his mind not quite grasping that she had already taken him up on his invitation. “I’m surprised … and very pleased! Let me take your coat …” He took it off her shoulders and saw that she was only dressed in a nightgown … and became suddenly aware of himself only wearing his scant sleeping attire. His eyes scanned her body from his vantage point behind her … the roundness of her ass so beautifully displayed through the thin materials that covered her. He felt his manhood begin to react … and he turned quickly less she sees. Sean was not sure of her reasons for coming, and he did not want to scare her off. “Please, have a seat, Lass … I’m afraid all I have is the bed.” Sean lived alone and had no need for a table or chair for his work as a mechanic. He did have a small refrigerator. “Can I get you something to drink? Some water perhaps … I do have some wine.” Sean was flying … excited that she had come to him already … on her first day! “Oh, this is a daring one,” he thought to himself … and tried not to think of what that might mean, less he finds himself completely hard with no way to hide. Alessia stepped into the small living quarters and handed Sean her coat. Upon seeing his surprise at her arrival, she wondered if her decision to come over that night had been all that wise. If even the forward and fearless Irishman had not truly considered the possibility that she might pay him a visit on her first night, was she not being incredibly reckless in doing so? She felt a small blush color her cheeks when he suggested she sit on the bed. It was true that there was little other option, but it still felt kinda awkward. Still, she got over her initial reservations and moved to the bed and sat on the edge of it. She waved away his offers of a beverage.“Thank you… but I am fine. I actually came down here because of your invitation. You seemed to offer to give me some idea of what this house is like? I don’t think that either Mr. Markham or Mrs. Roper would give me a truly honest appraisal, not the way you would.” She gave him a faint smile as she added the last remark. His forwardness was of course what had attracted her to him in the first place. She briefly ran her hand through her hair to brush some strands behind her ear. She was of course well aware that she was in a gentleman’s – if the word applied to Sean – bedroom after dark. It was behavior almost everyone she knew would have frowned at. Her parents, her former employers, the Andrews and of course her new superiors, Mr. Markham and Mrs. Roper. Not that Alessia was a virgin. Even though the sexual revolution had not quite reached her small town, it was not as if all country youngsters lived as monks and nuns. Alessia was attractive enough to have gotten the attention of quite a few of the boys in her town. With two of them, she had shared the bed. The first one, Peter Brown, had clumsily taken her virginity when she was 17. They had crawled up to the attic of the shack behind her parents' pub to that end, and they had fumbled longer with putting on the condom than with the actual sex. Her second boyfriend had been when she had already been working for the Andrews. Joseph Turner had been the son of an officer and she and him had enjoyed an on-again off-again relationship all through his cadet training and officer school tenure. He had broken it off for good a year ago because he had founded a more suitable girl than the daughter of a pub owner. Alessia was not too bitter about it. Unlike Peter Brown, Joseph had been a good lover who had taught her a lot. “Ah, of course … of course, Alessia …” Sean grabbed a pair of gray jogging pants that were haphazardly resting on his dresser and quickly slid them on. Not that he wanted to discourage an intimate encounter, but he knew his body would react and he wanted some cover. “I’m glad you came … it’s why I invited you!” A half-truth; he was attracted to the newest staff member, by far the most attractive in his eighteen years with the Bee chums. With her sitting on the bed’s edge, Sean climbed past her and took his place at the head of the bed, his back leaning against the headboard. Settling in, he smiled. “Where do I begin?” He tossed her the second pillow. “Here … make yourself comfortable …” Sean moved his arm up over his head, his forearm resting on his head. “Well … as you probably observed, Markham and Roper don’t care much for me … and because of that, you have to be careful. They’ll watch you …” He laughed, “Did they give you a lecture yet? You made a mistake, Lass … by speaking to me.” He knew the lecture was coming … with its threats. “They’ll tell you’ll lose your position … if you have sex with anyone, and they find out about it.” With a twinkle in his eye, he smiled, “So you have to be careful, Love.” Implied was that she would, might consider it … and he wanted to hear her reaction; it would tell him much. Shaking his head, he mused, “They say it is Lord Bee chum’s rules, but I don’t believe it … my father told me enough to know that Bee chum is in no way a bloody prude!” He could tell her more … from his own experiences. The Old Man once left a pair of red Lacey panties in the glove box of the ’57 red Chevy Corvette (… a souvenir he had forgotten to take with him. Sean laughed when he found them, giving the old man credit … still shagging at his age! “They’re their rules … which is why I don’t give a fuck about them.” He reached over to his nightstand and grabbed his cigarettes and matches. Taking one out, he placed it between his lips, but hesitated before lighting … “Would you like one? … or I would you rather I didn’t?” Without waiting for a reply, he replaced the cigarette and tossed it back onto the small table. And then he continued, “Oh … and watch who you talk to … keep it professional with the staff. Don’t tell them you’re here … especially with that chatterbox bitch, Mary.” He looked more intently at Alessia, “She a fucking suck up spy for Roper … she’s the reason Lucy got sacked … the fucking bitch!” He rested his head back against the wall … giving Alessia time to take in the advice he was dispensing. His eyes wondered down her body, covered only by her thin gown … his desire for her growing … wanting her … his eyes returning to hers. Alessia nodded upon his words. She was glad to have come, as he gave her some invaluable information. She had trusted Mary somewhat because of her easy and open nature, but now it appeared this was a front to collect information for Mrs. Roper. She would have to watch what she said in front of the young woman. Likewise, she was very interested in what Sean had to say about Markham and Roper. Of course, it was not unheard of for senior staff to hide behind the supposed words of their Lord even though said words did not conform to reality. This was especially true in all houses where the employers had a very hands-off method of running their house. When left unchecked, any head butler in such a situation could effectively run the house as he pleased. Almost like his own mini-kingdom.“I will make sure to heed my words in front of Mary. And I get now why you do not much care what Markham thinks of you.” She gave him a faint smile and blushed a bit when she thought back to his remark about sex with a member of staff.“Does that often happen then? Sex amongst staff members? At dinner, people seemed to imply that my predecessor got in trouble for that? Do you know anything more about that?” She inclined her head as she waited for her suspicions to be confirmed. In truth, she was already 90% convinced that Sean was the culprit. But it would be nice to hear him admit to as much. Though her knowledge of this also colored her own presence in his small living quarters. A young woman who sought out the company of a man who had the reputation of fornicating with other members of staff would of course earn herself a reputation of her own. Just her mere presence, without any actions, implied certain traits about her personality. She blushed when she considered this reality and her breathing became more pronounced in the process. She wondered if Sean could read her outward signs of excitement in the half-dark. Sean smiled at her … pleased that she did not react prudishly when he brought up the topic of sex amongst the staff … only asking for more information about Lucy. Beyond his own escapades, he did not know if any other engaged in carnal knowledge … because he did not care. His only interest involved his own desires, and they fell fully upon Alessia. Sean did not answer her right away … he weighed how he might respond. She probably already suspected him … but she had accepted his invitation. Was that not enough? As he thought about it … his cock gave its answer … its’ growth expressing his deepest lust ...“Now that is a question …” he said as he slowly sat up and moved towards her. Within arms length, he reached out and brushed a lock of her brown hair behind her ear … sliding closer to her … next to her … their faces inches apart. Sean smiled as he leaned in, speaking in a low voice, “Would it shock you if I said ‘yes?’ … Alessia …” He brushed his lips against hers … gently … whispering, “You are so beautiful …” before pressing in, kissing her with a passion born of experience and lust … his hand holding her head before sliding down to her shoulder … The speed with which Sean acted next caught her by surprise. Hence, why Alessia could not muster a response prior to feeling his lips pressed tightly onto hers. Then she felt his hands on her, first caressing her head, then sliding down to her shoulders. She was somewhat in his embrace and after a few seconds of ziplock, she almost instinctively allowed him entry into her maw by properly parting her teeth. She kissed him back but reluctantly. Furthermore, she wasn’t sure if this is what she really wanted. Though, wasn’t it? She had visited a man with a reputation in the middle of the night. Unless she was an incredibly naïve girl, which was not the case, this was the only possible outcome. Now that she was here, and it was happening, perhaps she should just give herself over to it? She pressed her body closer into Sean’s and kissed him back more eagerly, moaning into their ziplock now. Her breasts rubbed up against his chest, and she felt her nipples harden. She briefly slipped her hands in between their bodies and pushed him off her. She panted and stared into his eyes. Then, silently, her hands went to the buttons at the top of her nightgown. She undid all three of them and then let the gown slip past her shoulders until her naked form was revealed. She took one of Sean’s hands and brought them to her breasts, his calloused palms moving across her right tit as she pushed it into her flesh. Furthermore, she moaned underneath his touch, as if she had been craving it all day long. If there was any doubt left in her mind as to what she was there to do, it quickly departed after that.“Take off your clothes.” She broke the silence with the simple remark, which came out not as a request but as an order that would not agree to take any disobedience. Alessia kicked off her tennis shoes, her only remaining garment, as she waited for Sean to undress. The mechanic was older than I by some years, though she did not doubt that the middle-aged man was hiding a nice body under his nighttime clothes. She suggestively bit her lower lip as he stripped. The softness of her lips against his excited him. Although a man of many years and many women, the effects of that first kiss affected him as though he were a teen. But his experience also taught him to read a woman … to gauge her response, whether she was willing or hesitant. And Alessia was hesitant. Had he misread her desires? She had accepted his invitation (more readily than he had dreamed) … had come to his room dressed in a sheer nightgown … was she youthfully naïve? His doubts and questionings were banished as she more eagerly kissed him … moaning … sliding her body closer to his … Sean body tensed in anticipation when he felt her soft breasts brush against him … and he began to position himself over her but was stopped by her hand pressing back against his abdomen. The moment stopped … he looked into her eyes, confusion evident in his own … his doubts returning … time standing still accompanied by an awkward silence. He was unsure … searching for something to say … Until she began to slowly unbutton her nightgown … his eyes fixated on the flesh she revealed … his cock fully engorged. Sean’s breathed heavily, biting his lower lip as her clothes slide down off her shoulders and to her waist … revealing her two perfect breasts and dark, hard nipples. Soon the thin material was completely discarded … her naked body there for him to behold. “Oh Lass …” he whispered as she took his hand and pressed it against her chest … Sean immediately fondling her soft flesh. Again it seemed that time stood still … his eyes moving from her sensual body to her eyes with a look of lustful appreciation. And then came another unexpected turn: “Take off your clothes!” It was not said as a suggestion or a request … but as a demand. Sean smiled as he moved off the bed in obedience … he would have undressed anyway, but her demanding it … unexpectedly taking charge of the moment … filled him with a hot excitement. Without taking his eyes off of her, he crossed his arms and reached down to the edge of his shirt and pulled it up and over his head in one quick motion … tossing it aside. “If I had a little music … I could make it sexy for ya …” Slipping his hands into the waistband of his jogging pants, he pushed them down his body and let them drop to his ankles, easily stepping out of them. All that was left were his underwear … his hardened shaft pushing hard against the front in her direction. These were soon removed, and he stood there … naked … allowing her to inspect his body, hoping that it filled her with as much desire as hers did him … After she had removed her shoes, Sean moved towards her. He reached down and touched her thighs, gently massaging them … He then slid his hands to the side of each and raised up, causing her legs to bend and separate … his eyes looking down between. “Oh Alessia! You’re full of surprises!” Her pussy was shaven and smooth, something Sean had never seen before … and he loved it! Sean moved closer, kneeling on the edge of the bed … his thighs pressing and touching her inner thighs. Whether oral or vaginal … or anything else she might like … Sean did not care. She had taken the lead … and he would let her decide what happens next. He knew that he would know her in every way possible … this first was her choice …

The moans in the night - (Kurioustoohear & RedEve)|rating:4.0

Babysitting Mia (1x1)

Send me a PM with a character set up like mine if you want to be the first to defile my cyber-pussy. ^.^ Don't worry about my grammar terrorism I have been training myself with pen, paper, and an annoying neighbor boy. Name: Mia Fredrick Gender: Female Age: 10 Description: Mia is three feet nine inches, and she weighs around seventy-seven pounds. She starts every day by brushing her upper back length dark brown hair, and dressing in her unique schoolgirl ensemble, which consists of a thin white collared shirt, a black skirt with a five-inch frill, knee-high white nylon socks, and a pair of slip on dress shoes. She then inspects her flawless creamy white skin in the mirror while striking some slightly bold poses. Personality: Mia is a very responsible and popular person, so she is usually misconceived as snobby or stuck up. She tries to be nice to everyone she meets and never completely cuts ties with anyone for any reason. Mia followed her mother through the mall, briefly saying hello to any of her friends she saw there. They were rushing to buy some new school outfits and Mia had slipped in some 'naughty bits' from the 18+ section. "Your uncle and I are going on a business trip to Dallas and I want your input on a babysitter." Her mother told her. "Anyone, mom," She replied, "It's not like your going to just let the first person I pick babysit me." After a bit more shopping around and a short trip in the sedan they were home and unpacking their new items. Mia toted eight bags on each arm as she walked up to the off-white house, it wasn't big enough to be big, but it definitely wasn't the smallest of the small. It had a simple one floor set up, you enter into the living room which is split from the kitchen/ dining room by a bar lined with stools. Most of the furniture resembled polished oak but was actually glazed steel. She brought her bags to her room, turning into the hallway off of the living room, there were three doors, her room to the right, the restroom to the left and her mothers room at the end. She remembers that she picked this room because of its view of the pool out of one window and the garden out of the other. Furthermore, she carefully put the "naught bits" under her mattress and started folding the rest of the clothes into her dresser. Name: Kyle Thornton Gender: Male Age: 17 Description: Travis is an athletically-built high-school junior who is well-known throughout the neighborhood and community. He's 6'2", about 210 lbs, with shaggy brown hair and bright green eyes. He's a high-school junior, and in the top of his class. Furthermore, he's an excellent student (though, not the top), and makes friends easily. Furthermore, he plays basketball, making him known a little in the local community. His teachers have always liked him, and he has two younger siblings (Jason, 12, and Elizabeth, 10) who have followed him in school. Travis arrived home from school about a half hour ahead of his brother and sister. He enjoyed this peace and quiet, nobody bothering him, or asking him what he's doing, or doing something else. He walked into the house and dumped his backpack into the living room, before grabbing a snack, and checking the phone's voicemail. His mother had told him to expect a call about a babysitting job. There was a message, from a Mrs. Fredrick...call her back to set up...an interview? Well, this made him a tad bit nervous, but he really did want the job, so he called Mrs. Fredrick back. He smiled and set the appointment for later that afternoon. He finished up his homework until his brother and sister got home, and he left toward the Fredrick House, "nice house", he thought, He knocked on the door and intuitively hoped the kid wouldn't be too bratty, and made sure to smile as he heard the door open. Mia stood from her seat in front of the television and walked to the door, when she opened it and saw that there was a high school hunk behind it. He eyes flew wide, and her cheeks turned red before she fled to find her mom. A moment later a woman in her mid-thirties who shared a lot of Mia's features came to the door with Mia ducked behind her. "I'm sorry about that," She said in her business voice, "She's usually a bit more liberal." The woman stepped aside and motioned for Travis to enter and invited him for a seat in the living room and a drink. "Mia! Get out from behind me and sit down!" She demanded of her daughter. "Yes ma'am." Mia said before sheepishly slinking over to the seat furthest from Travis. Travis was surprised by the girl, and stepped back. He adjusted his sweater and smiled at the woman who stood in the door. She snapped at the girl, "Mia, was it?" he thought, as she shyly climbed from behind her mother. "Hmm...she's being so shy" he thought. He sat down on the comfortable couch and accepted a Coke from Mrs. Fredrick. After a sip or two, he gave her his list of "qualifications"; mainly consisting of watching his brother and sister. They spoke about a couple of people they knew in common that had recommended Travis. He was polite and charming, but noticed Mia looked incredibly uncomfortable sitting through this. So Travis, in a momentary break from the small talk, look directly at Mia and asked her, "Did you have any questions to ask me, Mia? After all, I'm to be YOUR babysitter, right?". He smiled, hoping this would put her at ease, or, at least, be active in the process. He WOULD be her babysitter after all. Mia was startled by his direct question, and after her mother excused herself to the restroom, gathered all of her gusto and asked. "D-do you have a, um... G-g-girl-freind?" She asked nervously, her face burning up. He smiled but actually blushed a little at the question. While he had had girlfriends in the past, he's been far to busy lately to think about it. He looked over at Mia and took a good look at her for the first time. "What a pretty girl", he thought, idly wondering how many other people thought the same thing. He cleared his throat a little dramatically (although he did have a catch in his throat, probably) and said in measured tones, "No. No I don't have a girlfriend." He smirked as the full response came to him. "Might I ask if you have a boyfriend? Surely you must." "I, no, I d-don't." She said turning her head a little at the implied complement. "Um... Do you think, maybe..." Before she could finish her thought her mother came back into the room, the smell of disinfectant wafting heavily from her hands. "So is everything settled?" She asked Travis. Mia was slightly agitated but slightly relieved by her mother's arrival, she would have definitely melted in embarrassment if she had finished, and he had said no. "Think... Maybe'...what? He thought. "Maybe" you can let me stay up a half hour later? "Maybe" you won't make me eat veggies? "Maybe...."...maybe I want to be her boyfriend? No, don't be ridiculous. I mean, she's just a kid.... He looked at her again, noting how her hair clashed with her skin. She really is a pretty.... He looked up, as Mrs. Fredrick came back. He let her sit down for a second, and asked him if everything was settled. Does that mean he got the job? He nodded, while still looking at Mia. "Yes, Mrs. Fredrick. I think Mia asked me everything she needed to. Right Mia?" Mia gave a pert nod and returned to staring at her knees. "Then it's settled, you are by far the most qualified babysitter so far." Mia's mother said, "Now, how long would it take for you to get everything you need?" She asked. "Need?" He was taken aback some by the question. "What do you mean by...need?" Was he supposed to bring something? "Never mind, if you get bored there is the desktop and the television, feel free to use the phone, oh and no sugar, you'll never get her to bed." Mia's mother informed him. She fished in her breast pocket causing her to nip. "There is plenty of food, but here's fifty for takeout just in case, I'm sorry I have to leave you in such a hurry." She said handing him the cash before going out of the front door, while giving goodbyes and warnings against misbehavior. Mia sat there in silence staring blankly at the shut door. He stood there, mouth agape, holding a $50 in his hand, looking at the recently shut door. "Um...see ya...nothing to worry about..." he called after the already closed door. He turned his head a little and saw Mia with a similar expression on her face, as he did. He looked down at Mia. "Wow, she's a pretty..." he caught himself thinking that again. Why did he keep thinking that? Well, he didn't know quite what to say, so he said the first thing that came to mind. He leaned down a little and said, "Well Mia? I guess I've got the job." "Nuh-uh..." Mia squeaked her answer. She then darted from the living room and into her room to avoid the awkward silence or his potentially asking her to finish her thought from before her mother interrupted. "Hmm...wonder why she took off like that..." He shrugged and found the TV remotes, and firing it up. Without bothering to look at the channel, he decided that he wanted to make sure Mia was ok. She seemed a little spooked. So, he grabbed his soda, and went down the hallway. He saw the door to the bathroom was open, so one would have to be Mia's room, and one her Mom's...he decided to knock on the door to the right first, maybe because it was closer. He was going to have to tell his Mom what was going on. Furthermore, he pulled out his phone and sent her a text telling him he'd be babysitting, and if she could send someone by with a few things. Furthermore, he received a text back saying someone would drop it by in a bit, and he closed his phone. Furthermore, he tried to channel calmness, because this girl seemed a bit skittish around him. Furthermore, he lightly knocked on the door and called out, "Mia, is everything ok? Do you need anything?" "I'm fine!" She called to the door, and started typing a message to her best friend about how hot her babysitter was on her laptop. "Actually, could you bring me a coke?" She asked. "MMM.sure..." He goes back down the hallway, and tries to figure out where the soda was. Refrigerator? He looks and digs through things, before checking other places for it. It's taking an interminable time, but finally, he manages to pull together a Coke, some ice, a glass. He gets everything situated, and brings it back up to Mia's room. He knocks again. "I have it for you...may I come in?" "No. I'm not allowed to have sweets." She said obviously trying to suppress giggles and hammering home a few sentences on her laptop. "Sorry but you failed the entry test. Can we have a hundred dollars worth of pizza tonight?" She asked. "Ugh...that little..." he couldn't help but smile as he thought to himself. A hundred dollars worth of pizza? "Um, no, we're not getting $100 worth of pizza tonight, and I'll give you two very good reasons. First, I don't have $100. I only had $50, and I'm pretty sure your Mom would be pissed if I bought you that much pizza. And secondly, it would take you damn near a frigging month to eat $100 worth of pizza. Even if I helped! Also, thanks for your Coke." He smirked into the door. He had siblings around Mia's age. "You don't think I know this little game?" he thought. He takes a big sip of her Coke..." Ahhhh" he makes a long, overdramatic noise, which will surely force a reaction. It always does with his sister, Lizzie. "You may enter on account of your math skills." Mia said, not at all phased by his drinking the coke stunt, she really wasn't interested in staying up all night. She continued typing on her computer telling her friends that the hottest guy in the world was about to enter her room and exaggerating how they met. "Huh... I can't believe that didn't work. It always works" he thought to himself. He put down the can he didn't drink out of next to her, and sort of watched her for a second. "She didn't even look up" he thought. He didn't even look at he room, he seemed drawn to her for some reason. But, he came to his senses a little bit, and managed to get out "So...MMM...was there anything else you needed?" He realized too late the engender in the question, and couldn't quite suppress a giggle; before realizing Mia might not get it, so he instinctively took half a step backwards in reaction. Mia took a deep breath and turned so that she was facing Kyle, her face instantly flushed and she took another deep breath. "W-would you... Um," She struggled to get the thought out encouraged by her friends online, she looked at the screen that showed a messenger open, the visible aspect of the conversation carried from pizza to: Mia-Meow- [I c an't ask him out!] Animal- [Why not?] Mia-Meow- [because he's like way older than me!] Animal- [You should still try, maybe he's like my uncle and likes little girls.] She turned back to Kyle, "WILLYOUBEMYBOYFRIEND!?" She said really quick, and held her breath. He sort of looked at her funny, and thought about what she said. "Boy...boyfriend? Really?" he thought to himself. He thought better of it than, and realized she probably just wanted to play a game or something. Ahh. That's cute. He looked again, and thought to himself, "Besides, she's cute enough to be anyone's girlfriend". "Well, sure Mia." he sipped on his soda "Sounds like fun." After taking in a breath and letting out a loud "EEP!" She went back to her laptop to spread the news of her new boyfriend. After she was done she turned back to him. "To make it official can we have out first date over dinner?" She asked excitedly. He smiled and nodded as he watches Mia go back to her laptop, no doubt to spread the big news of her "new boyfriend". He chuckled a little at her question. "A date, over dinner? Tonight? Sure thing. How's pizza sound?" He whips out the $50 bill and starts waving it around a little. "Do you know Tony's?" She asked, thinking that delivery would be a bad first date. "He has his sitting area in a tomato garden, and it's so pretty!" She added. "Tony's?" He wasn't expecting to leave, but it's early enough, and they wouldn't be going far. He imagined Mrs. Fredrick wouldn't mind, so he tucked the bill back in his pocket and stuck his hand out. "Of course I know where Tony's is. I've only been there a million times." He giggled a little. "So, what are you say? Let's go!" He momentarily forgot that this was a "date", so he toned down his excitement a little. "We can walk it no problem. Besides, the walk over could give us a chance to get to know each other." A sly smile appeared on his face, as he studied her expression. Thinking he was a hundred percent into it, she took his hand with a smile and held onto it as if it were her favorite thing in the world. "Let's go, let's go!" She said giddily. He took her hand surely, and they left immediately, having to walk down a couple of back roads to get to Tony's. She really did look so cute, smiling at him...the way she was holding his hand..." I could have worse girlfriends" he thought to himself. He gripped her hand once tightly and hoped he could get her to talk about anything. "So Mia, tell me a little about yourself. What is your school like? How about your friends?" He moved and pulled her hand a little bit closer to him; very peaceful at this moment, with this pretty girl. "I'm two grades ahead of my class which means I get to go to high school next year," Mia said gleefully replying to his question. "My school has five whole floors to it because some rich people pay to have their kids stay there all year around until summer. And my best friend Anti was a foreign exchange student, but she is back in China now. The rest of the kids are pretty friendly, but they don't try to talk to me for some reason." He's impressed by this, and his face expresses it. "So, you're going to be in the high school with me next year, huh?" Thoughts were stirring in his mind that weren't previously regarding this girl. "I mean..." he thought "who's going to care if we're both in high school?" Obviously she wasn't your average 10-year-old. "And don't worry of the rest of the kids, you know. They're probably just jealous of you, 'cause you're so much smarter and prettier than they are." He smiles at her, as they turned down the last street toward Tony's. Travis let go of Mia's hand, feeling her moment of letdown as a result, but he immediately slipped his arm on her shoulder as they slowly continue walking. (As far as stature is concerned this would have him groping under her armpit, let's just say he puts his hand on her shoulder.) Mia smiled brightly as she was asked about which high school she would attend, she commented with a, "Hopefully." And smiled even bigger when washed with the complements. She's a little resistant when he takes his hand away but when it finds its way onto her shoulder she leans her head on his waist affectionately. To any strangers they would look like a young man and his kid, to anyone who knew either of them they'd look like an odd pair of child and sitter. They finally got to Tony's, and she ran off to the arcade in the back, leaving the choice of pizza up to him. (Fixed. Then again, you've called Travis "Kyle", so we're about even) He watched her take off to the arcade, wishing he could do the same thing; but he had to order the food. He realized that he had no idea what she liked, so he decided on something a bit unconventional. "Yes, can I please have a large half-pepperoni, half-Hawaii'IAN, two large drinks and...we might get ice cream after." He pays up from for the food, and was told it would be ready in about 10 minutes. He filled both cups with Coke, and brought one over to Mia, who was looking on at someone playing...something. Furthermore, he touched her shoulder, which startled her, but he marveled at her expression when she recognized him. Beaming smile. Eyes almost twinkling. He started to get some butterflies in his stomach, and couldn't figure out why. "Here ya go. 10 minutes." He smiled back at this girl, unable to turn away for some reason. Mia was watching as a boy younger than herself was dominating at a shooter zombie game, a suspenseful cut scene had just started when she felt someone touch her shoulder. She jerked around ready to face a zombie until she realized it was Kyle. Her ferocious gaze turned into a beaming smile, and she didn't notice the boy leave grumbling. She took the glass he offered her and sniffed the hole in the lid, immediately lowering it to her side. "Can we break a dollar?" She asked Kyle, "I want to try a few of the new games." "Yeah sure." He went back up to the counter and gets $2 worth of change. He walks over and pours the quarters into her hands. "There ya go. Now which one did you want to play first?" He takes a look around, and notices there is no one really in the arcade part of the restaurant. Or really in the place at all. He looks at the clock...late enough for when the kids need to get back home, and early enough to not be in the dinner rush. He sees the boy leave them and turns back to Mia. "Well? You've certainly got your choice, don't you?" Mia blushed and sheepishly took his hand and lead him to a single player motorbike game with a replica bike to make the experience more realistic. She straddled the bike, motioning for him to get on behind her before depositing the required two quarters. He gratefully went with her and wondered where they were going. Mia told him to get behind her. He grinned and did so as she put the quarters in. He looked around for something to hold on to, and the only thing was right in front of him. Mia. He wrapped his around her waist and lower stomach and scorched up right behind her. "To give it a more realistic experience", he lied to himself. His body told him he was lying as he felt his jeans tighten just a little. He felt it, and was in disbelief. He thought about moving back, but thought she might take that badly, so he stayed where he was, staring at her beautiful hair, his hands and arms feeling her warm body. "Try to get me there safe, ok, Mia?" he joked. Mia smiled and replied, "No grantees." As she finished positioning herself, her skirt coming up to rest atop the well shaped ass, and her pink pantie clad mound clearly spread on the hard plastic of the motorbike, she gave a few more bucks of her hip, effectively humping the motorbike and Kyle's soft bulge. The count-down started after she selected a bike that had a warning of maximum rumble, and the bike started shaking as the AI revved their engine, causing a dampness to start spreading on her panties, making them partially transparent and bringing a gasp of pleasure from her. She pulled her hands off of the handle bars for a moment to wrap his arms tighter around her. The counter showed a big green GO! And the sudden rev and buck of the fake bike brought out a small squeal and caused her to take the controls back into her small hands. He felt the rumble of the bike, and also felt, and heard, her reaction. Intrigued, he sighed softly as she adorably wrapped his arms tighter around him. He noticed the flush in her cheeks and felt her breath start to quicken. He took a peek down, and saw her pink panties on clear display to him. In fact, upon closer inspection they looked a little...wet? "No...she's not...but what if she is?" he thought. He nuzzled Mia a little behind the ear as she promised him that she couldn't promise he wouldn't die. He gave Mia another once-over. Those panties...her face...all flushed...he felt himself get harder, unable to control it now, as it pushed into her back. "Well, do your best not to kill me" he said. As the game continued on Mia started to buck at the bike and felt something hard poke her in he lower back, she moved so that her cheeks were just about gripping the protrusion and bucked some more, her breath now coming in short gasps. As the race entered the final lap she was full on panting and bucking as if she were a professional working a client. Amazingly through her lust haze eyes she saw that they came in first with a spectacular time. The bike gave one more buck I perfect contrast to hers. She bit her lip to silent the moan and curled her back towards Kyle as her hips involuntarily jumped against his rod multiple times. He felt Mia almost collapse against him, and he held her close and in place so that she couldn't go anywhere. "She just came!" he thought in surprise, "or at least really close... I didn't know she was old enough to do that..." The bucking against him felt so good, his member wedged between her panties and cheeks. It felt Perfect, and he didn't want to stop, but he knew their food would be ready soon. Her head still glued to his chest he said quietly, "Our food will be ready soon, Mia." He craned his neck down and kissed her on the forehead. He didn't see her as just a little girl anymore. Mia stood shakily with the help of Kyle's shirt sleeve after her orgasm settled down. She was much to embarrassed with herself to speak at the moment so she just nodded to confirm that she heard him. She looked back at the seat where she was riding it, it was shiny with some sort of liquid. Her mind raced with joy as she thought. 'Oh... My... God, I just had my first orgasm!' She took his hand and dragged him to a seat far from the arcade area. She chose a booth so that there really wasn't anything in between them and took a look around. "Y-you know it's not really fair, that I had my first orgasm before my first real kiss." She hinted to him. He patted the seat next to him and opened his arms wide, and she scrambled into his lap. "I didn't know that was your first one." he said, clearly insinuating he knew she did. "So we can't have that, silly. So, we must give you a proper kiss...before the pizza's ready." He smiled and stroked her face with the back of his hand, brushing the hair out of her face. They stared at each other, speaking volumes to each other without words. Slowly, he closed his eyes, tilted his head a little, and land in, pressing his lips to her small, soft, sweet ones. As soon as his warm lips met hers she melted, closing her eyes and relaxing her mouth. Her mind mellowed with the thought that this was a real kiss. She put her arms around Kyle to hold him back, because if it felt to him as it did to her, his arms might not be enough to hold her aloft. Subconsciously her hips started bucking again as she got back into the mood. "Wow, what a great kiss!" he thought. He didn't have a ton of experience with girls, but he has had a couple of girlfriends, so kissing was not new to him. He felt Mia relax in his arms, and he stiffened them a bit so she wouldn't fall. Furthermore, he was incredulous as he felt her hips bucking again. It felt incredible, and he poked his tongue between her lips, instinctively, as she melted into him. He pressed against her on of her bucking passes, holding her there, his bulge mashing against her wet, pink panties. He snaked his tongue inside her mouth, savoring the touch and the taste, hoping they burned the pizza and had to cook another. Mia felt the same hard thing that prodded her back prodding her sensitive mound which caused her to start grinding it, now breathing heavily again she let his tongue probe her mouth and hungrily followed suit. She was too lost in pleasure to think of anything else, but somehow the smell of burnt food made its way into her conscious thought. Mia let out a passionate moan in his mouth, her tongue now lolling round his as she came onto his bulge, her muscles involuntarily contracting and releasing, causing her to grind him more than she was currently physically capable of doing. She broke the kiss and shifted herself, so her weary head rested on his shoulder as she hugged him tighter and whispered, "Thank you, Kyle." He looked at Mia, enraptured. He quickly kissed her on the lips again, and said "No, thank YOU. That was amazing." He heard their number over the loudspeaker, and reluctantly left. He wasn't gone long, drawing a strange look from the cashier, who looked directly at his crotch. A wet spot. He blushed slightly as he took the pie, napkins, plates, condiments and cutlery with him, to the beaming, beautiful Mia. Her face flushed, but not by embarrassment. In some ways he'd hope this meal would last forever. In others, he wished they could be done in two minutes. He scooted next to her, putting his arm around her again. "I didn't know what you wanted," he said quietly. "It's okay, I like trying new things." She said prodding the warm crust of the Hawaiian half of the pizza before moving it to her plate and ladling buttermilk ranch onto it. "So, tell me about the high school she asked, feeling a bit weird for starting a new topic after what had just happened. He watched in awe as she dumped Ranch Dressing on her pizza, and then thought that might be a good idea to try later. He grabbed a piece of the Hawaiian and nibbled on it. Furthermore, he smirked at her attempt to change the subject, but after what happened, it was probably a good idea. "Well, I don't know, it's a lot like your school I guess...except there are more classes to change, more work to do, more teachers to have, more people to deal with, and believe it or not, more drama. Usually boy/girl stuff." He munched a little more and took a sip of soda, all the while slyly glancing over at Mia. "But, playing basketball keeps me busy, so I get to stay out of most of it. The teachers are really smart and helpful though. And now I'm happy you'll be there next year..." 'I am so going to be the most popular girl next year.' She thought as she listened to him talk. "I can hardly wait." She said when he finished and took a bite of her pizza, after carefully masticating it and swallowing she continued speaking, "Maybe I'll talk to the superintendent about another early graduation." He looked over, curiously. "Really? How early?" He now knew why it was called "attraction". Even if he wanted to draw his gaze away from her now, he couldn't, no matter how hard he tried. He tightened his grip around her, holding her closer, before kissing her on the temple, reflexively. He didn't even think about it ahead of time. It just happened. "I don't know," She said softly as she was pulled in. "Possibly the end of the first quarter, or he could make me wait until the end of the second." She explained feeling enraptured by his grip. He made small talk with Mia while they devoured their pizza. He stole a kiss here and there, and eventually ended up with his hand on her knee under the table, stroking her thigh, slowly and softly. She was so soft and felt so delicate, he was a little afraid to do too much else. His mind was felicitating back and forth between "playing the boyfriend game" and "actually being Mia's boyfriend". Right now, they were one and the same anyway, and he ate the last crust of his pizza, noting that Mia left hers in a little pile on the plate. He couldn't help but find it adorable. His mind wandered momentarily as he dragged his fingertips excruciatingly slowly up and down her right thigh. Finally, he had an idea. A good idea, no less. "Hey Mia, you know..." he cleared his throat a little, mentally smacking himself for being bashful in this situation "...dinner is a great date and all, but I figure...if we're going to go on a real date here, that usually means dinner and SOMETHING. So...let me ask you...how do you feel about going to the MiniGolf and Go-Kart place up the street? I'm pretty sure we can swing doing both before heading back...." Mia's eyes lit up when her mind registered the offer over the lovely bliss. "That sounds fun." She said before giving him another kiss. "Oh, but what do we try first?" She asked as she cuddled back with his arm. After some thought she adopted a devilish smile. "I want to try Go-Cart first, but this time you drive, and you have to get me to the finish line alive, sound good?" She explained, putting on an innocent smile before letting him see her face. "Sounds like a plan!" he said. He really still did love go-karts like he did when he was little. After clearing the plates and putting them on the top of the trash can, he held the door for Mia as they walked outside. They walked to the amusement center, hand-in-hand, their fingers interlacing. Kyle did all the propers with the attendant, paying and such, and telling him that he and Mia would be riding together. After a little hemming and hawing, he relented, and Kyle got in the little cockpit, and motioned for Mia to sit on his lap. He placed both hands on the wheel, and his chin on the top of her head. Giving it a little kiss before starting, he felt his body responding to Mia once again. He didn't make a big deal about it, but it was evident. He said... "All right, m'lady...are you ready? I promise I'll get you there safe," he said, punctuating with another kiss on the head. To an outside observer, they just looked like a close brother and sister, until they studied them for a few minutes. Mia smiled brightly, "Ready," She said, as soon as they were going she started working, awkwardly undoing Kyle's button and zipper until she was able to spring his hard shaft of the denim prison that was his pants. It was already hard as she lowered herself, rubbing the top end of the shaft with her soaking panties. She then continued to grind herself up and down his meat, feeling the pleasure of its warmth on her puffy mound as her hands kneaded and stroked the tip. He damn near crashed the thing three times as she undid his zipper. He honestly couldn't believe what was happening. How far would he let this....oh.she's soaking...and this feels so amazing....her small hands so soft and so warm. Hot in fact. It's like her body was hiding a furnace inside or something. He did make contact with the wall on a corner, jolting both of them as she ground on him. He thought, "Well? Two can play at this game." He took his left hand off the wheel, and steered with only his right. He slipped his left hand under her skirt, and slipped a couple of fingers just inside the waistband of her panties. Furthermore, he felt her stiffen a bit, and took the opportunity to suck and kiss and nibble her neck; both sides, even teasing her ear lobes with her tongue. "She's going to try to tease me? I can tease too..." He let his fingers slip further under the waistband of her virtually (at this point) translucent panties, and very gently tickled her little button, barely touching it...all the while, managing to barely avoid the other drivers. Mia let out a loud gasp and tensed up as he started playing with her, after the initial shock she started moving her hands again. She worked his cock kneading the tip and stroking the shaft as she leaned back against him, the back of her head on his shoulder and her hips bucking into his hand. She got and idea from when he started to tease her, and took a nip of the bottom of his ear lobe, gently sucking it from between her teeth. "I wonder if I'm driving her as crazy as she's driving me!" he thought, as he desperately fought the urge to kiss her, knowing she was staring up at him. So badly, he wanted to taste her lips again, but he also wanted to survive the experience. As she leaned back though, he was sure she didn't count on the fact that his hand was no longer constrained by the waistband in her current position. He slid two fingers over her slick mound, running them by the fingertips up and down her outer lips...feeling her moisture just continue to build. She nibbled his earlobe again in the middle of a turn, and he let out something between a growl and a moan. He allowed one fingertip to slip past her inner lips...this part of her was even warmer. Not only that, but this is the farthest he had ever been with any girl. "Play it cool" he thought to himself, as his fingertip worked in to the first knuckle, and he ever so slowly pushed it in and out of her, as his thumb rested on her button, making a circular motion with constant pressure, never letting his thumb lose contact with her. Mia knew she was losing this battle of sexual pleasure, but kept fighting and rubbing his shaft. When she felt his finger slip past her tight vulva she let out a mix between a moan and a squeal and immediately started to climax. She fell onto his lap, with his cock locked between her grasping thighs as her muscles contracted and released many times over. After her body calmed she relaxed, laying back against his chest and falling into a dream lie state of bliss. He felt her muscles contracting against him...it was the best thing he had ever felt! He took a quick glance down at her, knowing they only had about a half-lap to go around the track. She looked, for lack of a better word, amazing. He hair stuck to her forehead, where she had actually started to sweat a little. Her face was bright red, completely flushed. Her breathing was deep and quick, but relaxed. As for Kyle, he was a little achy in his balls, as he noticed her small hands still seemingly superglued to his shaft. He had helped her cum twice now. That's one hell of a date for anyone, never mind a seemingly innocent little 10-year-old! He tried to nudge her awake and took it slower into the next corner, but not too slow, he didn't want to get hit. He whispered to her, "We're almost back, Mia... I think we should..." He never finished the sentence, but he took his hand out of her panties very quickly. When he yanked his hand from her panties Mia sat up and primped her clothing a bit, she would never be able to get rid of the blushing quick enough, but maybe she could claim it was because she was afraid when they hit the wall. She quickly sat her bum on top of his boner and used her hands to maneuver it back under the denim before zipping and buttoning it. As they approached the last corner her heart was racing faster than the cars had, and as they slowed to a stop she relaxed and crawled out of the car. She silently took his hand and dragged him away from the Go-Cart, "Can we go home now Kyle?" She asked sweetly. Home sounded amazing right now. Forget minigolf. "Yeah, absolutely, Mia. Tell ya what, since this has been such a fun date, I will give you a piggyback all the way home!" He leaned down and whispered so no one would hear the next part. "Besides, I thought you might want to close your eyes for a couple of minutes after the, uh...ride." He smiled evilly. Mia nodded, her blush deepening as she climbed onto the offered back, wrapped her arms around his chest, and laid her head on his shoulder, soon she was nodding in and out of consciousness until she finally fell asleep completely. He securely held her legs around his back by her slender thighs, feeling as if she weighed almost nothing on his back. He heard her breathing slow, and felt her head melting into his shoulder. Furthermore, he felt as nervous churning in his stomach, like when he had to hit two big free throws at the end of a game. "Butterflies?", he thought. Finally, they reached the Fredrick house, with Mia still asleep on his back. He noticed something on the front steps, and it was his backpack. There was also a note attached that read: Here's your stupid clothes. Why aren't you here? Text me tonight, or I'm going to tell Mom you weren't here. - Lizzie "Ugh" he thought. "I could live without this right now." He slung the back over his other shoulder, fished around his pockets for the key and let himself in. He promptly but carefully laid Mia on the couch, and draped one of the blankets over her, while he went into the kitchen for something to drink. Furthermore, he found soda, juice, milk, beer...he's had all of those before...vodka? "Hmm. Well, maybe after she's asleep". He reached into the fridge and pulled out a Dr. Pepper this time, just to switch it up a little. He quickly texted his sister to let her know where they had gone too, and then opened his soda. Mia started to wake up as she heard Kyle shuffling around the house, she felt a little down because she hadn't made him cum once in the three times she had tried. It made her feel like a tease, and she doesn't like breaking her word. She stood groggily and approached her boyfriend. "Kyle... Do I turn you on?" She asked. "What a question!" he said without thinking. "Don't you know how sexy you look? Didn't you feel how hard you made me? You made me like that. It usually doesn't just happen." He instinctively reached for her and pulled her into a very close hug, and she buried her head in his chest. Then, she looked up again...with those eyes...that look... "She's irresistible", he thought. "I shouldn't be feeling this way about a kid... I mean...what would people say? 'Hey everyone? Big School Basketball Star has a 10-year-old girlfriend!'...yeah, that will go over..." He stroked her hair...so soft, and it smelled amazing. Being near her made his stomach do flips. Touching her felt like electricity shooting through his body. He looked into her eyes as she gave him that coquettish little look she had given him so many times today. "That look". He wanted to kiss her and touch her and make her have as much pleasure as she could handle. He wanted to kiss her. Furthermore, he REALLY wanted to kiss her... Furthermore, he quickly leaned down and kissed her. Just a quick second to taste her lips, and that was the last thing gentle about this kiss. His tongue thrust into her mouth, and she met it quickly. They twisted together in their little dance, as their breaths got faster and louder, trading cute little moans back and forth. A growl started to come low in his throat. It was as if their lips were fused together with superglue. He'd never kissed, or been kissed, like this before in his life. It was always a little timid, a little shy before. This was not that. This was something else. This was almost animal. Mia kissed back just as hungrily as it had started, her passion and lust overriding her other senses. She had begun the night with a babysitter and went on a date with her boyfriend. Now it was time to take the next step, all the videos she had watched brought her to this as she once again began to unbutton his pants. She quickly broke the kiss to whisper one sentence into his ear, "I want you to be my first." Everything was moving so fast, but Kyle didn't care. He untucked her shirt while she messed with his jeans, and melted when she asked him to be his first. He couldn't believe it, but he also knew he had no choice anymore. Furthermore, he had a moment of honesty with her. "Ok... I will. And I want you to be my first too." Kyle's words gave her strength as she finished unbuttoning his jeans and pulled them down in one fluid motion, revealing the tented underwear underneath. She quickly pulled down that last obstacle before kissing the head, causing it to twitch, she then began licking it like ice cream as countless videos had shown her, relishing the fleshy, salty taste of his throbbing member. After she deemed it ready she took the head into her mouth and treated it like a lollipop, licking it all over with her tongue as she sucked on it. Slowly but surely she started taking more of him into her mouth until no more could fit, and then stuck he tongues out and swallowed. She had gotten about an inch into her throat before gagging. She quickly pulled it out of her mouth and coughed before standing and hugging Kyle around the waist. "I want to do it in my room." She said before letting go and running off down a hall. Kyle closed his eyes, lolled his head back, and moaned as Mia began. This was amazing! He then was stunned that she so abruptly stopped and took of toward her room. He stepped out of his boxers and whipped his shirt off as he chased after that sexy little body tearing off toward her room. Furthermore, he grabbed her from behind, restraining her enough so that she couldn't get away. "I'm not letting you go" he smirked, as he pressed into her back. Mia giggled as she felt his prick poke her in the back. She wriggled around so that she could get a grip on his waist, and used it to haul herself up so that she was eye level with him. "You have to do more than that to restrain a horny little monkey like me!" She told him before giving him a peck on the lips and kicking off her shoes. She then wrapped her feet around his shaft and started gently moving the nylon covered crevice she formed. "You're defiling the feet of a child. You naughty Jedi-pedophile." She whispered in his ear. He watched this horny little girl in awe, as she gave him a foot job with her socks on. Still supporting her with one hand, he quickly took her socks off one by one, kissing her toes before lifting her back to eye level. He tugged at her skirt a little, desperately wanting to touch her skin. "To be fair, Ms. Mia, you're technically defiling a minor too, you little prepubescent Pedro..." He kissed her softly, trying to get a little break for both of them, as they're both revved up. Mia wriggled out of his grasp and bolted into her room, where she jumped on the bed, moving the laptop the bedside table. She pulled her skirt off and stuck her booty in the air. Waving it at the door, the slightly transparent panties wedged deep in her crevice, and practically leaking her juices. He moved quickly to surprise her a bit. He ran behind her and jumped on the bed, hooking the waistband of her panties, and pushing them down to her knees, and finished the deal, taking the drenched panties off as she lifted her legs. Still on all fours, Kyle had an idea. As if her were changing oil on a car, he slid on his back underneath her, as the juices glistened off of her. He grabbed her hips and lifted his face to her special spot, plunging his tongue deep inside, nose tickling her button. Mia moaned as his tongue explored her depths, made extra sensitive by anticipation. She took his cock into her mouth and swallowed the full length, fighting past the gag reflex and bobbing her head. She pulled off just in time to let out a loud lewd moan as his tongue gave her another orgasm. Furthermore, she laid on him as her muscles clenched and released through it, her juices splattering his face. He mashed his face into her, drinking up everything she could give him. He moaned a low moan, which reverberated inside her as she sucked him off. Furthermore, he could feel the pressure building up, and wanted to warn Mia, but he was busy with his own tasty treat. His HPS responded to her mouth, pushing up as she pushed her head down. He grabbed her hips tightly as he got incredibly close to the tipping point, his tongue flicking and sucking and licking all over Mia's lower lips, wanting to bring her off again. Mia rolled off of Kyle blushing furiously. "I-I don't want to wait any longer Kyle." She said as her leg spread slowly. "P-please take me." She begged him, squirming slightly. Kyle didn't need to be asked twice, and he scooted Mia up a bit, so her legs would rest near his shoulders. Just as he positioned himself at her entrance, and slid the tip in about halfway, he stopped and looked at her with concern. "Are you sure? I heard the first time hurts..." "I can endure for you." She told him as she reached down and spread the puffy wet mound that hid her lips. It stung a little but felt good otherwise. Kyle tried to remember what people had told him about this, as he stared at this girl, so willing to have him, and, by the way she felt, NEEDED him. Was it slow, or one big push? He seemed to remember the second one was more prevalent, so he speared himself into her, busting right through the barrier. He saw the tears well up in her eyes, as he felt terrible, like he made a mistake. Furthermore, he was determined to just stay there, like that, until Mia said it was ok to continue. Mia let out a squeak as her hole was stretched open by the ruthless deep thrust. She bit her lip and gripped the bedspread to keep from crying as her hymen was torn. The pain started to fade just as quickly as it had come and when she was sure she could speak normally she leaned in and kissed Kyle before telling him to continue. Kyle fought every instinct he had to just ram himself into her as fast as he possibly could. Instead, he very slowly (almost teasingly so) pulled himself out all the way, before easing back in. The bottom line was, he wanted her to enjoy her first time, and not think of it as a mistake. He very slowly picked up speed, almost to the point where Mia seemed frustrated. A little faster, then a little faster, moving easily in and out of Mia, even as he felt her stretch, and her muscles contract around him. He leaned down and kissed her. She looked so beautiful. Mia started whimpering as he slowly dragged his cock out of her pussy, then just as slowly put it back in, she felt herself tighten around him as his pace picked up and finally all the pain faded. It didn't take long for her heart rate to go through the roof, her breathing to quicken, or the pleasure to completely turn her thoughts to useless snippets about how great it felt. She grabbed onto his broad shoulders and pulled herself up until she was hugging him around the neck. Her eyes flew wide as fear brought her out of the world of pleasure. "M-mom!?" She exclaimed. And indeed her mother was standing in the door to her bedroom. Kyle's head whipped around, but his body didn't stop. All Mrs. Fredrick saw was Kyle pounding away into his little girl, until he finally blew inside her. Kyle rationalized that if he were going to jail, he may as well finish with this girl, this girl he suddenly cared about so much. He didn't say a word. He just sat there, inside Mia, slack-jawed. Mia's orgasm was not halted by her mom's sudden appearance, and she screamed as she came. As she let go and fell to the bed she could feel something warm being pumped into a part that she never really felt before. "Mom, calm-" "DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" She yelled at her daughter, the anger building at the sigh of her. "GET OFF OF HER YOU PERVERTED FREAK!" The woman shrieked at Kyle. "MOM!" Mia yelled back as she felt the stuff leaking from her hole. "CALM DOWN!" Anti's mother's expression changed to one of confusion as she backed out of the room. Anti could hear her mom speaking to someone, she assumed it was her uncle. "Kyle you stay here, I'll try to explain." She told Kyle before kissing him and pulling on her skirt and top. She limped quickly out of the room and spoke to her uncle and mom. "You remember how you always follow my feelings." She told them, "Well I feel something with Kyle that I don't feel with anyone else. And I know this has to mean that he's the one." "You are too young to understand." Her mother said. "No, mom, I know all bout sex, pleasure, pregnancy, marriage, all of it." She replied. "Damn internet." Her uncle grunted. "Damn right damn internet." Anti said. "Now please, don't hate Kyle, he only did it because I asked. Oh and mom, you were the last person in the world who should be calling someone a sick freak for this." Anti could almost hear her mother's blush as she failed to come up with a reply. Anti then excused herself and returned to her room. Kyle waited nervously in Mia's room, terrified that he was about to go to jail. He thought of all the people he'd miss, and no one would visit him; because he'd be labeled. He prayed that Mia could figure out a way to talk her mother out of killing him or sending him to jail. Furthermore, he sat down on Mia's bed, rocking back and forth slightly. "Kyle," Mia said, looking at the blood and sperm on his flaccid cock. "I don't think they are going to do anything." She said. Then she smiled. "My mom was a cradle robber you know. My dad was only twelve when she got knocked up by him." She sat beside him and softly rubbed her hand up and down his back. You would think this would ease Kyle's mind a bit, but it really didn't. He reached around Mia's waist and pulled her close to him; still not making eye contact, and looking at the floor. He was caught, he was screwed, and what had started as a fun little game had turned into something that had gotten completely out of control. Furthermore, he cuddled against Mia a bit, still not looking up. Thankfully, this girl seemed to really care about him, and right now, she was the only one who could understand the position he was in. "Even if that's true, Mia, and nothing's going to happen... I'm sort of still in an incredibly awkward spot right now. I mean, I am naked in her daughter's room, with her right next to me. No excuse will be good enough." He turned to look at her, his eyes moistened a bit, maybe due to fear more than anything else. "And what about you? I mean...what if what we did is going to affect you badly somehow... I don't want to hurt you." Mia thought about the conditions, the only negative way it could affect her is if she was punished by her mom, or became pregnant, which wasn't possible as she had not yet started ovulating. She took Kyle's cheeks into her palms and turned his face to meet her eyes. "Nothing will happen," She assured him, "Even if something does happen, I promise I won't let it get in between us." Kyle stared into her eyes, trusting and believing her, and ignoring his own reservations that were strongly pulling at his mind. He kept his eyes locked on Mia, until he closed them in time to gently press his lips against hers. Mia kissed back, softly at first, then her thirst took, and she began breathing heavily again. She blushed and broke the kiss. "I think you should announce your intentions of becoming my boyfriend to my mom and uncle." She told him, "Before we continue we should have their blessings." Kyle nodded. She was right. Suddenly, he became more aware of his surroundings, whereas Mia was the only thing he focused on just a few minutes before. He sort of giggled at her. "I suppose I should get dressed first then, huh?" He reached over for his clothes. Mia took a clean pair of hot pink panties from her top drawer and slipped them on under her skirt before tidying up her room while Kyle got dressed. When he was finished she hooked her arm in his and willed him all of her love as courage while he composed himself for the talk. He was unsteady on his feet as she nearly had to hold him up as they walked down the long hallway to the living room. Finally, arm in arm, Kyle and Mia stood next to each other, looking at Mrs. Fredrick. Kyle was frozen, his eyes definitely containing a "deer in the headlights" quality. He pulled Mia a little closer, without even thinking. This gesture did not go unnoticed. Mia's mom glanced at her brother, and looked at Mia and Kyle, "First off, I would like to apologize," She told Kyle. "As Mia pointed out, I have no room calling you a sick freak for falling in love with someone so much younger than you." Her eyes avoided Kyle sat all costs as she spoke, "Secondly, I would like to express my utter disappointment at Mia, what ever reasoning that brought you to this was flame-" "How?" Mia interrupted her mother. "I knew more than you did when you and dad first hooked up." She said in a defensive tone. There was a long silence before Mia's uncle grunted and signaled for Kyle to spin around so he could look at him. "Got a job, boy?" He asked, sounding angry. Kyle looked up at Mia's uncle, and fought the urge to smile, hoping he didn't notice it. "Umm...well... I've picked up the occasional babysitting job..."

Babysitting Mia (1x1)|rating:1.0

Night Job (marauder13 & Regina Minx)

Nigel slowed he normally sedate pace to make the most of the streetlight to count out his change." Good, enough for a bottle of the life-saving Dew." He picked up his pace to return to the leisurely pace he used outside the University campus. He was not in any rush to get the store. The night air was cool, the sky clear of clouds, allowing the moon to shine brightly. He liked the moon, as he felt they were similar in quality. Given the chance, they both shone well enough, but both could be easily out classed by others. He was good enough to get high grades, but never high enough to top any of the classes. Of course, not being one of the cool students also hampered him socially. Living in Springville killed any chances of having a social life. Even what passed as the local theater was so behind the curve that Nigel had seen everything showing there a few years earlier. It would have been great if they had some cult classics, but that did not fit Springville's image." Like this place wants an image." He had heard rumors of a nightclub, or two, operating in the town, but he had never been able to find out any more than that. The first year of University clearly helped set in his mind what the rest of his University life was going to be like; study, get good grades, get a job and then have a life. Now in his second year, he was settled in for the long haul. A block from the store, Nigel caught his reflection in one of the windows of the shops he was passing. Even in the streetlights, it was hard to tell if his hair was auburn or light brown. He kept it short enough to be neat, but with some length that he could do a few different things with it. Hazel orbs scanned the remainder of his appearance. Lightly tanned skin from being a late to rise and late to bed kind of person covered a face that was plain average. Nothing really stood out to catch the eye of any women who looked at him. He kept himself clean-shaven, but constantly wondered what he would look like with a beard." Maybe one day. Maybe that will be enough to catch someone's eye?" In keeping with the average appearance of his face, the rest of him fit that bill too. Average height, not skinny nor fat and a style suggesting that he didn't really care about his appearance as long as he didn't get arrested or laughed at. A plain dark t-shirt, black jeans and a pair of runners that were the most comfortable shoes he had in ages." Maybe if I dressed a little differently, someone might look a little longer? Hell, if someone could talk a little longer than 'That's nice'." He shook his head. "Time to stop whining over the fact that damn near everyone else has hooked up at least once, or has a long term partner, and I haven't had either. Once I have my job, and earning some decent money, things will change." Nigel sauntered across the road to the convenience store that was his ultimate fall back if he needed something late at night. He had been to the place often enough to be recognized by the regular, sole staff member that worked nights, but not often enough to be a regular, or even have his name known. Still, she was nice enough compared to other places. The buzzer alerted everyone within of his arrival. He spotted the young woman behind the counter, Stephanie?, looking like she was ready for another night of boredom. He paused for a moment, breaking his gaze before he started to stare.' Maybe if I talk to her... I can improve my skills when I talk to other women. Nah... someone looking like her must be hit on a lot, and even trying to be social may be viewed as another attempt got her into bed.' Nigel sighed, and made his way to the cold drinks section. He opened the door and reached in for the Mountain Dew he was after.' Oh, stop being stupid, Nigel. Just be polite and talk to the woman. It won't hurt to try.'" What do you mean you haven't got any? Try and look with your eyes open, you stupid bitch." The voice filled the shop, gravel in nature and full of anger. Nigel approached the counter cautiously, seeing a man who fitted the stereotype image of a truck driver leaning on the counter with both of his hands flat on the surface, staring daggers at the red head on the other side." One of my friends was in earlier today and got a packet and there were lots of them still there. So, stop being a lazy bitch, and get me one!"" There's no need to be angry with her, it's not like it's-"The man spun to face Nigel. Nigel paused and took a small step backward." A fucking college kid. Why don't you keep you mouth shut, and mind your own fucking business." Nigel swallowed loudly. "I would if you weren't shouting."" Save being smart for the classroom, kid." The man took two steps closer to where Nigel stood, the young man's feet were rooted to the floor. "Better still, why don't you just get lost and leave me in peace."" I will, once I have paid for this." The bottle was raised a little. It soon flew from his hands and bounced on the floor due to the massive hand that knocked it from his grasp." No. Leave now, before something bad happens to you." (night began the way so many others had, for what seemed like decades. Stephanie woke up in her bathtub and checked the time, both on her alarm clock and on the wristwatch with its glowing dials that rested on top of the toilet tank. When she had satisfied herself that the time was, actually 5:35 in the evening, she took out the farmer's almanac that rested beside the watch and flipped to the back. The dim red glow of the clock was more than enough for her to scan the pages of the schedule in the back, and she made her reference check. Then, and only then, did she get out of the tub and open the bathroom door, entering her one-room apartment and facing the brand-new night. The clothes she was to wear were laid across the foot of her neatly made, unused bed. Jeans, thick wool socks, green shirt, black jacket. Sturdy work shoes on the floor beneath it. Stephanie dressed in the dark, and when she was finished she clipped the name tag to the front of her shirt. All without turning on a light, she brushed her hair, trusting it to fall into place, and went through her makeup bag one item at a time. She used a minimalist touch, gloss on her lip, a little color on her cheeks, a line or two beneath each eye. It had the oiled efficiency of long-practice. By 5:45, she had walked out the front door, and her pale green eyes confronted light more intense than a clock for the first time since that morning as she stood beneath the foyer light of her apartment block. Stephanie looked like a woman in her twenties with hair so red you couldn't call it anything other than red. She was not auburn-haired, or ginger, or some strawberry blonde. Stephanie was a red-head, with pale, clear skin and bright eyes, with pink full lips and a baby-round face that dimpled out when she smiled, which was seldom. She was tall, built lean like a runner. In a college town, she didn't stand out as much as she would elsewhere, which is why she always preferred to live there. There was no bus running this late. Not in Brownsville. But it was only a ten-minute walk, and she could stay off the main strip so she didn't get someone pulling her over and trying to offer her a lift. Sometimes those offers were genuine. Sometimes they were preambles to people, usually men, trying to hit her up. And sometimes they were...the other kind. Stephanie had long since adapted to the knowledge that she would always attract attention from men. She didn't want to, but there was no way short of a burka to avoid it, and wearing something like that would attract attention of a different kind, especially in Utah. So Stephanie cloaked herself in an armor of barely-disguised boredom, stayed off the main streets, and flew under the radar. Tonight, her flight took her to the gas station and convenience store where she did her overnights in Purgatory. She gave the afternoon clerk, a stoned college kid with gauges in his ear and an unlikely head of hair, a nod before going into the back to clock in. HERRING. STEPHANIE. That's what the computer said when she punched in her ID. Then it was all the way back out front, a paperback book tucked into her back pocket and assumed her normal pose of leaning against the counter." You can clear out, Sam," she told the kid." Cool," Sam said. He cleared out. That left her alone in the store. Business was brisk for a few hours as the working class got off and gassed up before heading home or heading out. But after about 8 it started to drag, and the book came out of her pocket more and more often. She restocked things when they needed restocking, put the food in the garbage when the time was right to toss out the day's hot food offerings, and retrieved cigarettes and porno mags when so requested. Then came 10 and business slowed to an absolute crawl. Long experience had taught Stephanie that she would handle one or two customers an hour until 2. After that, it was not unheard of for her to be undisturbed until 5. But a paycheck was a paycheck. She showed up to work on time, never called out sick, and never gave the boss a reason to complain." Pack of American Spirits," said the trucker. Automatically, Stephanie moved to the cigarette rack hanging over the counter. She went down the rows of Surgeon Generals warnings." Sorry," she said. "I don't think we have any right now."" What do you mean you haven't got any? Try and look with your eyes open, you stupid bitch." The vulgarity took her out of the routine. Made her focus on the man. He had just been a request-shaped point of awareness before. Now he was taken in, in all his overweight, sweating, Confederate flag on his hat, unshaven glory. Stephanie smiled just wide enough so that she didn't show her teeth. "I'm sorry but the slot's empty," she explained. As if "I don't think we have any right now" didn't carry the meaning through." One of my friends was in earlier today and got a packet and there were lots of them still there. So, stop being a lazy bitch, and get me one!" Before Stephanie could respond with another empty, bland apology, the second awareness point of the store inserted himself in the situation. Stephanie took a look at her would-be rescuer. Average height. Brownish hair. Lanky. A bit of a mess. Eyes a bit wide with an "I've been studying for the past six days straight" wildness. Sugary drink in his hand. Didn't smell like he smoked or did drugs or had a girlfriend. Bathed regularly, too. Did wiring or electronics." There's no need to be angry with her, it's not like it's-"That was sweet. He didn't have to get involved. Chivalry wasn't something you saw much. She hadn't enjoyed it when it had been more common, but now that it was gone, it was nice to see. But if Mountain Dew was expecting American Spirit to back down because someone else with a penis had told him off, he had another think coming." A fucking college kid. Why don't you keep your mouth shut, and mind your own fucking business." And it escalated from there. By the time American Spirit had smacked the soda out of Mountain Dew's hand, Stephanie had decided to act. Needing a job was one thing. Standing around while a kid got his teeth kicked in was another. Oh, maybe he would scuttle out with his pride in tatters. But for trying to help... Stephanie thought he deserved better than that. She did something she almost never did. She put her hands on someone else. Onto American Spirit's shoulders came one dainty, white hand. The man let out a surprised yelp and tried to turn away, but the hand kept him there." Sir," she said in her customer service voice. "Management reserves the right to refuse service to anyone. And I am refusing to serve you. I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Will you go on your own? Please say yes." The last sentence carried with it some weight, some promise that was unspoken but very much there. Nigel couldn't feel what was happening on that point of contact, with Stephanie's hand on American Spirit's shoulder, but he could, and it convinced him not to refuse Stephanie's use of proprietor's rights."yes," the man said in a strange, choked sound." Right," Stephanie said, moving her hand. She locked a door. Twenty seconds later, the parking lot was filled with the sound of tires squealing. Just before the truck pulled away, a beer can sail through the night air, exploding with an impact of suds and pale yellow liquid on the doors through which he had retreated, and a loud noise as the carbonation rushed out all in one. Stephanie looked at the mess on her window, and then back at Nigel." That was nice," she said, not in her Customer Service voice. Natively, she had a vague Southern accent thing going. "I mean, you almost got folded in half and slid under the door. Let me guess. You're secretly a kung fu master, and would have disabled him with the secret dim MAK technique?" Nigel was in the midst of processing his options, which were all variants of 'How far will I get before I get pounded into a mush' when he saw something unexpected happen. Stephanie, who was a lithe as Nigel was, reached out with a hand and placed it on the angry man's shoulder. The growling and snarling of moments before morphed into a surprised yelp. For all of Nigel's brain screaming to him to run, he found himself unable to move a muscle." Sir. Management reserves the right to refuse service to anyone. And I am refusing to serve you. I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Will you go on your own? Please say yes." She spoke to him just like she spoke to every other customer, including himself, but the large man was standing still, and was he sweating a little now?" Yes." He sounded like a child scolded by their parent or teacher." Right." No sooner had her hand been lifted, the other customer was moving out the door as fast as his feet could carry his bulk. Nigel continued to watch the man, just in case something new happened that required him to take some evasive action. In what felt like no time at all, tires squealed outside and something, a beer can perhaps, hit the window. After that, was a quiet that Nigel had no idea of how to deal with.' Why the hell did I do that? She's had more experience with that sort of thing than I ever will have.'" That was nice. I mean, you almost got folded in half and slid under the door. Let me guess. You're secretly a kung fu master, and would have disabled him with the secret dim MAK technique?" Hearing her voice sounding differently to any time he had before snapped him out of his thoughts. It sounded more like her, more natural, than the one she used when dealing with customers. It seemed to fit her better. It is night have had something to do with the more relaxed vibe he was getting from her. Maybe it was fallout from his near brush with grievous bodily harm." More stupid than nice. I think my brain stepped out for a moment, and things just happened. But, yeah, I wish I was an Akash Brother." He had a long blink, kicking himself for the RPG reference. He was thought of as a nerd by his equally nerdy fellow students, but it was not something that he wanted to advertise, particularly in Brownsville. "No, I think that I have spent too many late nights doing assignments and required reading. 'Sides, I don't like seeing people getting bullied. It seems that you don't need much help with troublesome customers." He looked around, and found the bottle on the floor, the foam within declaring its intent to drown anyone who opened it in the near future. He walked over, leaned down and picked it up. Furthermore, he took a deep breath and moved to the counter, placing the bottle down carefully, as if it could pop the cap if moved without absolute care." Well, so much for enjoying this when I got back. After Mister Trucker, I think it will be another twenty-four hours before it will be safe to drink." Ummm, thanks. For not letting him make a mess of me. I'll promise to think a little more, and not try to be the brave knight riding to your rescue... which I wasn't."' Smooth Nigel. Way to win the ladies, buddy.'" Here." He put the change on the counter and reached for the bottle. "I'll leave you in peace to try and enjoy the rest of your shift." Stephanie could hear the excited flutter of Nigel's heart as he started to engage with her in something other than their previous commercial exchanges. She recognised him now that she was looking at his face. Only as a customer, though. He'd been coming in for the past six months or so, but not before then. A freshman at the University, then. Eighteen or nineteen years old. She thought back. She had never smelled booze on him, or weed, or anything else. A serious student then. She had a pretty good memory in addition to everything else. If he had been a drinker or a user, she might have let the exchange go at that. But since he wasn't, and since he had, after all, tried to do a white knight thing, she felt inclined to continue the interaction." I don't get that reference, but it is clear from context what you mean," she said. Maybe Akash Brother was from one of those superhero movies that she saw advertised on magazine covers and with branded merchandise they cycled through now and then. It didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, but now she was curious. "I grew up with four older brothers, so I'm used to wrestling and biting people bigger than me," she said." The thing you have to remember about guys like that is that if you challenge their bullying there's about a fifty-fifty chance they'll escalate the aggression, even if you're a girl. Better than that if you're a guy. You have to be prepared to take it to the next level. Submission will keep the abuse at the same level as long as you give the appropriate placation." The conversation moved to the counter, with Nigel offering to pay for his drink and depart. Stephanie gave him a crooked smile and took the Mountain Dew and walked it back to the cooler, putting it behind others in the rack and taking a fresh bottle from the front before returning to her register. She didn't take his money, though, pushing it back across the counter at him." My treat," she said. She leaned down. Because the cashier's station was on a platform, this put them eye to eye, but it also meant that, if Nigel wanted, he could sneak a peak where her position now caused her shirt to give a glimpse of cleavage." I'd like to suggest that maybe you don't go outside for about ten minutes. He might be thinking about doing something stupid like giving you shit in the parking lot or driving six inches behind your ankle in an intimidation display. Why not give him a chance to cool down and slink away?" So what should I call you, because if you don't tell me your name I'm just going to have to go with Percival, but you don't look much like a Percy to me." Stephanie cemented her place in the halls of decent human beings with the way she responded to his reference to the Akash Brotherhood. Hell, just not rolling her eyes was enough, and the rest, well that was just bonus. He listened to her advice, nodding at the right times, and not giving off the look of 'Yeah, whatever you say.' He saw how she dealt with the fellow, and he was smart enough to know she had a good idea of what she was talking about. Nigel was a little taken aback when Stephanie took the bottle and put it back in the cooler, bringing him a new one that wouldn't explode on opening. He smiled a little, not quite believing his luck on that front. Then she pushed his money back toward him." My treat." A warm smile crossed his face, followed by a thankful nod. With that nod, he became aware of her cleavage. A real, in the flesh cleavage that was not openly displayed for all the world to see. He wanted to look, God knew he wanted to look, but he also knew that he would not just look, he would stare. She probably had numerous men and maybe a few women too, take brazen looks, but that was not the kind of person he was. If he felt he could look, without being too obvious, he would have. But Stephanie had that girl next door look that only models seemed to pull off, which had him wondering why she was working night shift in a small store in somewhere like Brownsville. For all he knew, she was a night owl, and just liked the work, and it fitted her personality and lifestyle. It wasn't something for him to ponder, because he was just another customer, and a woman like her was bound to have someone in her life already, and he wasn't really considered a catch." I'd like to suggest that maybe you don't go outside for about ten minutes. He might be thinking about doing something stupid like giving you shit in the parking lot or driving six inches behind your ankle in an intimidation display. Why not give him a chance to cool down and slink away?" So what should I call you, because if you don't tell me your name I'm just going to have to go with Percival, but you don't look much like a Percy to me." His expression froze for a moment, then he burst out laughing. He clapped a hand over his mouth as his face went a little redder." Sorry. That was the other name my parents were going to give me. Thankfully they didn't." He sniffed a little and brought himself under control. "But instead of that, they named me Nigel. Better, in my opinion, but it could have been worse." And hang around? I can do that, if it's not a problem for you. I guess you don't get much chance to talk with people while working? Something close to a real conversation, I mean, rather than stuff like you dealt with just before. So, you are a student too?" "Nigel, you say?" Stephanie said. She said his name with the same attitude of someone tasting a new dish at a restaurant. Letting it linger in the mouth for a bit. And then she nodded, finding it quite palatable. "There's some dispute over where the name comes from. Some people say it's from the Latinnigellusmeaning black or dark. Others say it's from the Gaelic name Ni all, which means champion. Imagine if both were true. That would make you a Dark Knight. Which is pretty cool, if you ask me. Are you secretly Batman, Nigel? I promise I won't tell anyone." She had a laugh on her lips, but it was a friendly laugh, not a cruel or mocking one. Stephanie was a little giddy and probably was talking more than she should. She had such little chance for an actual conversation with someone that when she did have one, she tended to overshare. Overspeak. Ramble. She smiled at him when he suggested that him hanging out might be a bit of a problem. She swept her hands from side to side to show him the Kingdom of the Gas Station, and how empty it was. "I have no pressing work just now needing to get done. If the manager could get away with a trained monkey that could make change and get cigarettes, you would be talking to Bobo right now, not Stephanie." No, the only thing you're keeping me from is my main man Chrétien." Before Nigel could conclude that Stephanie was indeed taken, she revealed who Chrétien was by sliding the book out of her back pocket and putting it on the counter in front of him. It was a very old paperback, with the slightly musty smell of aging pages, yellowed on the spine and with clear plastic tape holding the cover together. It was also in French, the title Le Chevalier de la Charretteand depicted a knight in horseback on the cover, with a white shield and a red cross emblazoned on it. Stephanie shook her head when Nigel asked her if she was a student. "No. I tried once upon a time. But higher education and I just didn't work out. You're a student, I can tell. You have that 'did I forget to turn in an assignment' look of panic just behind your eyes." She winked at him. It was time to pretend to know slightly less than she did. "You don't look like you're on your way to law school on a trust fund, though. So pre-med?" Nigel stood quietly as Stephanie spoke about the possible origins of his name, intrigued by her knowledge of the subject, and somewhat surprised too. Then again, people had all manner of interesting trivia stashed away so you could never be sure what people knew. He did blush a little at the reference to him being Batman. As cool as it would be, it was too much hassle for his liking." I have no pressing work just now needing to get done. If the manager could get away with a trained monkey that could make change and get cigarettes, you would be talking to Bobo right now, not Stephanie." He nodded at that. If the owner could have gotten some low maintenance vending machine, Stephanie would be somewhere else, doing something else." No, the only thing you're keeping me from is my main man Chrétien." Even the way she said his name, Nigel heard the accent over the 'e'. She had some linguistic skill from the sounds of it, and given the main man's name, she would have a fair amount of practice with those skills. Again, it was not a surprise that someone as good-looking as Stephanie had someone already. Not that he was really looking, but he was ever hopeful of stumbling across that special someone.' Just not tonight.' No sooner than the thought finished crossing his mind, Stephanie fished out a well-loved paperback. He knew enough of the French language to recognize it, but that was it. There was a slight wave of relief that mean she was still unattached (that was his spin on things, as hope ever springs eternal). Where there was a chance, however minuscule..." No. I tried once upon a time. But higher education and I just didn't work out. You're a student, I can tell. You have that 'did I forget to turn in an assignment' look of panic just behind your eyes. Furthermore, you don't look like you're on your way to law school on a trust fund, though. So pre-med?"" Pre-med? The sight of blood is enough to make me want to leave the room. No, I'm electrical engineering. Managed to land enough of a scholarship to get me through, as long as I am fine with not having a social life. The look you got has nothing to do with assignments, it's more to do with..."'talking to you.' decided to hide somewhere in his throat. Honesty was a good thing when dealing with other people, but there was such a thing as too much honesty. Embarrassment was a good motivator in making sure about what he said to others." I spend most of my days divining the dark arts of Binary Logic, PCB design and testing and a whole host of other stuff that only hard core nerds care about outside of those who work in the industry. No offense, somehow you do seem to be someone who would know the differences between PNP and NPN transistors, and how is the best way to use one." Nigel chuckled, "And going by the way your eyes started to glaze over during the little bit of tech talk, I won't torture you with anymore." I guess working nights like this makes life a little more challenging when not working? But then, we're talking Brownsville here. There isn't a night-life here to be disrupted by working this kind of hours."' Ummm... why the fuck did I just say that? She'll think that I am trying to hit on her. Which I'm not. I'm not, right?' "Pre-med? The sight of blood is enough to make me want to leave the room... Stephanie was still smiling as Nigel confirmed what she had already suspected; that he worked in computers or electronics. The touch about him being ghastly afraid of the sight of blood was funny. She had to force herself not to laugh. Nigel might take it the wrong way, and there was no sane way to explain why she would be so amused by the thought. She didn't have to try so long, though, as Nigel started to go into the specifics of his work. Stephanie didn't follow, and part of her wondered if Nigel was doing a little ego-flexing. Some men didn't like to feel less intelligent than women, and it would be a shame if Nigel was one such. No, she decided. She saw the slightly embarrassed flush and tasted his heart start to quicken just before he changed the subject. He was passionate about his field of study, just like she was about her obsession of the moment. From there, she took a guess that he didn't socialize with others often, and his mouth had gotten away from him before his brain could decide that the ins of electronic engineering weren't things others were often interested in." I guess working nights like this makes life a little more challenging when not working? But then, we're talking Brownsville here. There isn't a night-life here to be disrupted by working this kind of hours."" Well," Stephanie said. "I'm kind of a special case. Even if there was a nightlife around here, that's not really my scene. I'm more of a 'stay at home with a book no one has ever heard of' type of girl. I mean, there's a reason I'm single. Several, actually." She had to make a decision now. Say something that if Nigel possessed a modicum of social awareness, would tell him she wasn't interested. That would be the safer option. The problem was that she was interested. Talking about her lack of a love life made her depressed. How often did a nice boy demonstrate his actual niceness in a way that she could appreciate and do something about? She wasn't a monk. No vow of celibacy was in play here. She was just...well. She'd already called herself a special case. So what the fuck. Why not. Why not try getting back on the old dating horse." I would like to not be single, though, but my chances are kind of limited ordinarily. So that is leading me to be a little forward just now." Nigel, how would you like to go on a date with me? I assure you if you're taken or not interested, there will be no hard feelings. I will go under the counter and curl up into a ball and die of embarrassment until you leave, but there will be no hard feelings." That Stephanie hadn't told him to leave her in peace after his little ramble about his field of studies was a win, even if she showed no interest at all. Nigel was used to it, and it was water off a duck's back for him. Even a lot of his fellow students weren't as interested as he was, and would prefer to talk about other subjects, like women. Women are really the only other subject he was interested in outside his formal studies, but his skills in that area were sorely lacking, not from a lack of trying. No, he was focused on the academic, and anything social that occurred was a bonus." Well, I'm kind of a special case. Even if there was a nightlife around here, that's not really my scene. I'm more of a 'stay at home with a book no one has ever heard of' type of girl. I mean, there's a reason I'm single. Several, actually." Nigel nodded sagely. He had heard lots of variations of what he expected to follow. He was not surprised that she was not interested in him, as she would have, as his mother so eloquently put it, the pick of the litter, and him being most likely the runt of said litter, he knew he would not be picked. But, points in her favor, she delivered one of the least painful or embarrassing of rejections. He wasn't even trying to ask her out, but then she probably had numerous men, and probably a few women, asking her out. So, if sounded close to being a date request, she moved to cut it off before it went too far. Besides, he had enough on his plate without adding a girlfriend to the mix." I would like to not be single, though, but my chances are kind of limited ordinarily. So that is leading me to be a little forward just now." Nigel, how would you like to go on a date with me? I assure you if you're taken or not interested, there will be no hard feelings. I will go under the counter and curl up into a ball and die of embarrassment until you leave, but there will be no hard feelings." Nigel froze as his brain processed what was passed to him by his ears. Several validations were taking place to ensure that he was not dreaming, hallucinating or undergoing any other kind of wishful thinking, while other parts were trying to get as much visual data as possible to ensure that it was not some prank or cruel tease. When everything passed as being true, authentic and not the onset of madness, he stared at her and blinked a couple of times while his jaw progressively got looser." Ummm... I just want to check something. You... you just asked to go out on a date with me?" Nothing in Stephanie's expression changed as her head nodded in what he thought of as a clear, polite and sincere reply to his question. Even then, he took two long blinks as he processed what had happened. One of the best looking women he had seen in a long time, in the flesh, who declared she was single for many reasons, wanted to do on a date with him. Stephanie was a catch, and he was something that would be tossed back into the water with some unpleasant words." Well, I am kind of like you, as in unattached, so that is not going to be a reason for saying no." He opened his mouth, and his brain worked out what he had just said. The race was on for what happened first; his face going bright red, or his hands trying to cover as much of his face as possible." I-I... have had a brain malfunction and possible reboot." He shook his head, dropped his hands and looked up at the ceiling. He let out a long, almost hissing breath before he returned his look to Stephanie." If, and I do stress IF, you are serious about that, then... I see no reason not to accept. I can't during the day, because I have classes, but apart from that, I can make some time free to go on a... date with you." I gather you have been here longer than I have, and have a better idea of what options there are. Furthermore, I'm fine with going anywhere, really." The look on Nigel's face drew another of those light, self-conscious laughs from Stephanie. And as was her custom, she rushed to explain the reason for her humor and assure him that it was not him she was laughing at. "Sorry," she said. "It's just..." she shook her head. Her loose red hair cascaded around her face with the sudden motion, like a scarlet waterfall. "Here we are, fifty-four years after the start of second-wave feminism. And it's a sharp-left turn if the woman asks the guy out on the date. I was just saying that the more things change, the more things really don't change." But then he agreed, and punted the ball back to her to pick an activity. "Well, like I said earlier, I'm not much for a night out. But a night in isn't right for a first date. You and I have both passed, I like to think, the 'this person is not an asshole' test. But we still have to pass the 'is this person a serial killer who wants to wear my skin' test. And failing that test in someone else's home is...troublesome." Stephanie had to pause and see if she'd said too much. A morbid sense of humor went with the territory some days, but it wasn't everyone's cup of tea." I listen to a lot of true-crime podcasts," she said. It was true as far as it went. The fact that they were loaded onto an antique iPod seemed almost beside the point. She had been very proud of herself when she had learned to 'sync' what she wanted to listen to from her little laptop to her little Walkman." So something nice and public. Are you over 21? If so I know a little wine bar. If not, what would you say to dinner and then a nice long walk?" She looked Nigel up and down and considered the limits of a student's budget. Then the limits of her own budget. "I'm a very light eater," she said. "Probably just something off the appetizer menu will do it for me. We can pick a very nice restaurant. I'd love to see what you look like all cleaned up, and I've been told I look great in a dress and heels." The laughter that filled the quiet was the least offensive thing he had ever heard. It brought a smile to his face as she brought it under control." Sorry. It's just... Here we are, fifty-four years after the start of second-wave feminism. And it's a sharp-left turn if the woman asks the guy out on the date. I was just saying that the more things change, the more things really don't change.""Oh, it's not that a woman is asking a man. It is more a case of a," Nigel's face darkened a little more, "a good-looking woman asking me out for a date. I never thought that a woman would ask me out. Ever. Let alone..."" Well, like I said earlier, I'm not much for a night out. But a night in isn't right for a first date. You and I have both passed, I like to think, the 'this person is not an asshole' test. But we still have to pass the 'is this person a serial killer who wants to wear my skin' test. And failing that test in someone else's home is...troublesome." Nigel smiled broadly, and let slip a small chuckle. "I promise you I have not axe murdered anyone in recent years. Mainly because I don't have the upper body strength for it."" I listen to a lot of true-crime podcasts."" I hear that they are quite popular. Not something I would personally listen to, but I do understand the attraction to them. It can be rather fascinating to learn how the police managed to catch them, and what techniques and technologies were used."" So something nice and public. Are you over 21? If so I know a little wine bar. If not, what would you say to dinner and then a nice long walk? I'm a very light eater. Probably just something off the appetizer menu will do it for me. We can pick a very nice restaurant. I'd love to see what you look like all cleaned up, and I've been told I look great in a dress and heels."" Early next year, I will be. So, it looks like dinner and a nice walk. Since we're being cautious of serial killers, I would recommend that we stick to somewhere reasonably well lit. Hamm, I don't have many of the restaurants about, but I am happy to find out what there is to choose from. Do you have any favorites, or types of food you avoid? I have yet to find something that has me going 'never eating that again'. Being on a budget makes one open to all kinds of menus." I'd love to see what you look like all cleaned up, and I've been told I look great in a dress and heels. Those words replaying in his mind had him blushing hard again. Firstly, at someone outside his family commenting on how good he would look was new for him. There were few women who interacted with him on the lowest levels of social conventions, and most were academic. He had plenty of female classmates, and even worked on projects with more than a few. But there was no further interest beyond that, and the necessary 'getting to know someone' to permit a good working relationship. And her looking good in a dress? She heard?!" I may be going way too far here, but just looking at you now, I know you'll look great in a dress and heels." He took a moment to get his wits, pulse and body in general under control. When his face no longer felt like it was burning, he reached out for the bottle of 'Dew on the counter." As much as I seriously would like to hang around and walk to you, I do have work that I need to get done. I gather that you'll be working again tomorrow night? I can pop by with some ideas of where we can go, and then organize a time. Does that sound good to you?" "Oh it's not that a woman is asking a man. It is more a case of a," Nigel's face darkened a little more, "a good-looking woman asking me out for a date. I never thought that a woman would ask me out. Ever. Let alone..." Stephanie's head tilted to one side, and the friendly smile left her lips. There was something very old, very insightful, in the bright eyes in the young woman's face. The laughter that filled the quiet was the least offensive thing he had ever heard. It brought a smile to his face as she brought it under control." I won't have you self-denigrating yourself, Nigel," Stephanie said. If anything, she was even more Southern now that she was being serious. "You put yourself between me and a man who...had problems. You couldn't have known you wouldn't get hurt doing that. To quote the man, 'so shines a good deed in a weary world.'" Do you think, after seeing the contents of your character, I'm going to look down my nose at you because you don't fit society's standards of handsomeness? Because I don't give a damn, Nigel. You're a good man, and it's what's on the inside that counts." The phrase broke her out of her serious mood, and she put a hand in front of her mouth, keeping the smile in check. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get all serious. I think it's such a shame when people don't appreciate their worth."" I hear that they are quite popular. Not something I would personally listen to, but I do understand the attraction to them. It can be rather fascinating to learn how the police managed to catch them, and what techniques and technologies were used.""Oh, no doubt. But there's also sometimes the benefits of hindsight, and you can appreciate how badly sometimes police and prosecutors mess it all up. For every brilliant forensic investigation or cold case that gets solved, there's some inexplicable fuck up like... I don't know. Letting dozens of people walk all over the crime scene. Letting the extended family pray over the body of a murder victim before calling the medical examiner. Just things that you wouldn't believe actually happened and make it so frustrating in retrospect. I'll tell you my favorite story of police fuckers sometime if you're interested."" Do you have any favorites, or types of food you avoid? I have yet to find something that has me going 'never eating that again'. Being on a budget makes one open to all kinds of menus." Smiling at the ongoing negotiations, Stephanie leaned into the counter again. This time she was playing with her own collar, blocking the earlier slip of letting him see cleavage if he wanted. But it brought them back to eye level, and Stephanie leaned in closer." I'm pretty simple. A place where I could get a good burger. If we want to go Dutch, maybe a steakhouse?" Stephanie had not grown up in a time and place where she'd had a chance to sample the fare of the world, and her tastes, not to mention dietary restrictions, were quite basic." I gather that you'll be working again tomorrow night? I can pop by with some ideas of where we can go, and then organize a time. Does that sound good to you?"" Sure does!" Stephanie announced. She pressed a button on the cash register and spit out a tab of blank receipt paper, then scribbled her name and phone number on it. "This is a landline," she said, almost apologetically. "So no texts and if you call when I'm not in, you may have to leave a message I won't get for many hours. I know it's an anachronism, but I won't carry a cell phone. That's how they get you." She said it with a straight face but a sparkle in her eye." I mean, we could just call each other and confirm plans on the phone...but then I wouldn't get to see you again tomorrow night." "I won't have you self-denigrating yourself, Nigel. You put yourself between me and a man who...had problems. You couldn't have known you wouldn't get hurt doing that. To quote the man, 'so shines a good deed in a weary world.'" Do you think, after seeing the contents of your character, I'm going to look down my nose at you because you don't fit society's standards of handsomeness? Because I don't give a damn, Nigel. You're a good man, and it's what's on the inside that counts." All Nigel would do at that point was just stood there and listen. He felt like he was being lectured by one of his grandmothers. Stephanie's voice seemed to carry that same weight of the ages as she told him what she thought of him, and his thought processes. Hearing it coming from someone like her... well as good-looking as her, did make a difference. Not to mention the fact that she was interested in him, as a person, also carried a lot of weight. He felt himself straighten a little by the end, which made him feel a little better about himself. He caught the smile as her hand came up to cover it. It was a nice smile, and he really wanted her to keep her hand away so he could enjoy it more. Somehow, he thought that she never got the chance to smile enough and if he was a source of smiles for her, he would be happy." I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get all serious. Furthermore, I think it's such a shame when people don't appreciate their worth."" Oh, don't apologize for that. It was... it was nice to hear that from someone who is not a relative." He listened as she spoke about the True Crimes stuff she was interested in, nodding when appropriate. While it was not something that appealed to him, he was going to return the favor of not looking bored, and trying to show a degree of interest in order to be polite.' Maybe it would be worth hearing more about. Spread your wings a little more than just sticking to technical books and videos. Even if you don't like it, then maybe it'll spark an interest in something else.' More was exchanged about the pending date, all nerves seemingly gone while focused on the negotiations. Having something concrete to put his attention on always made Nigel more at ease. So much so, he was not caught by surprise when Stephanie wrote down her phone number for him. He took in hand, folded it, so the writing was protected and placed it in his pocket." So, you're a conspiracy theorist too? I'd hate to burst your bubble, but landlines are just as easy to 'follow' as cell phones. Sure, they are in fixed locations, but anything on a landline can be intercepted and processed just like a cell. But it doesn't bother me that you've got a landline and may not be able to reply straight away. I'm used to dealing with fellow students on group projects." Nigel laughed a little. "So having someone take time to respond is something I can deal with." Hey, just because I may call you don't mean I won't come by and see you face to face. Why wouldn't I want to spend time with you?" Nigel felt the heat on his cheeks, and waited for it to pass before he spoke again. He wanted to spend time with her, looking at her. Admiring her. Being utterly amazed that she wanted to spend time with him. Parts of him wondered what the reasons for her being single were. Was she high maintenance? A real bitch? Had some personal habits that were gross and drove partners off?' Or maybe she's at a point in her life where it is hard to make those kinds of connections? Maybe she is looking for someone nice?'" I really do need to get going. But I will be back tomorrow night to talk about things some more. Thanks for everything." He wanted to say more, that was clear on his face. Nigel took the bottle and headed for the front door. He paused to wave goodbye, then took a look outside to make sure that Mr Anger Issues was not still out there, and made his way back to his apartment. He poured a glass of the Dew he bought, then sat at his study desk. Furthermore, he fished out the small piece of paper, and took his time reading it." This must be a prank or something. I know I am not dreaming it. How the hell would a gorgeous woman like her want to date someone like me? She can't be that hard up, can she?" He stared at it as he sipped his drink, his mind running in all directions at once." Ok, let's play this as it appears. A woman has asked me out on a date. She has given some ideas of what she would like to do. So... where's the harm in going out? Even if it is a prank, surely there will be enough happening to make it worth my while. She would be someone easy to avoid later if needed." But if it's real... Fuck. She is way better than anyone my imagination has come up with. Way better than most of the women that I have seen about the University."OK, Universe. For once, I am going to trust you on this one. Maybe all the crap I have been through was prepayment for meeting someone like Stephanie. Even if it doesn't work out in the long run, it will be nice to have a girlfriend for once." He recorded her number in his cell phone, and reluctantly got back to his studies, dreading and excited about the next night's meeting with Stephanie. A few hours after Nigel left, Stephanie had her audit clipboard and was walking to each of the gas pumps in turn, reconciling what the mechanical counter said had been sold against what the computers thought. It was something that had to be done every shift, part of regulations on the sale of gasoline, but she noticed on the log sheet that some days she was the only person that bothered. If the state ever took a look, they might be in some trouble, but that was a concern above her head and pay grade. When she had learned how to do the job, the owner of the station had told her to audit the pumps once a shift, so she did, all these years later. She wondered what had happened to Tanker. He had been a good boss. Sold the place and went back to India, she thought. And she realized that had been almost twenty years ago, and felt a momentary pang of disorientation and loneliness at how long it had been since she had thought about Tanker. A truck pulled into the parking lot and cruised to a stop outside the circle of light offered under the pump awnings. She did not notice until she heard the door slam closed, breaking her out of her reverie. She was surprised, but only a little, to see that it was her old friend Confederate Ball Cap." Oh good," Stephanie said, smiling her bright, sharp smile at him. "I was really hoping you'd come back..." Her shift was over at four-thirty, and she walked back home along the same route she'd taken there. As she walked, Stephanie realized that remembering the owner that had taught her to audit the pumps had made her realize how routine her life had become. The same dirty path too and from the all-night station. Same time of day. Same early morning delivery cars and vans out. Same her. Everything was just the same as it was the night before and the night before and the night before ever since she'd come to Springville. It was easy to coast on autopilot and let the slow thief of time steal away the years. Only he couldn't. Not with her. Twenty days or twenty years, it was all the same to her. Stephanie didn't know if that was heartening or depressing. She was still trying to decide when she opened her door and saw the blinking red light of the answering machine. With the hours she kept, a message at five in the morning wasn't likely to be a telemarketer or a wrong number. But it might be..." Oh, hi, it's me," said Nigel's voice on the antique machine. Stephanie smiled in the dark at the sound of Nigel's awkward stammering. "I guess you really gave me your real number after all. I mean, if it had just been an automatic voice I'd be wondering, but that was you, wasn't it? Saying you're not here and to leave a message." As if realizing that he was rambling, Nigel cleared his throat. Stephanie could almost hear the blush in his voice. "So there's a restaurant in town called Churchill's? It looks like you can get either a steak or a burger there. And it looks nice enough? Let me know what you think tomorrow night...or I guess tonight..." Stephanie listened to the message all the way to the end, then pressed rewind. The tape squealed as it reversed itself in the player, and she listened to it a second time as she undressed in the kitchen. For reasons, she hoped never to have to tell Nigel about, she had to put her jeans and green top in the trash and drop it in the apartment complex's communal trash can rather than in the laundry bin. That meant her socks and shoes too, and her underwear just to be safe. She had really liked those shoes, but you couldn't be too careful these days. Not when Luminal was a thing. Lucky she hadn't been wearing the little black dress. She took it out of the plastic bag and hung it on the hook on her wardrobe door to let it air out. Pair it with some stockings and some nicer shoes than the sneakers she normally wore. Do her hair up. The part of Stephanie that had absorbed the values she'd grown up with was squirming at the thought of dressing nice and being pleasing for her date. And for the first time in a long time, she smiled at the thought of the sweet, kind boy she had a date with this weekend." See you tonight, Mr. Nigel," she said as she sat down and curled up with her book until it was time to turn in. They had just cleared the tip of Nigel's nose as it was waved in front of his face." Earth to Nigel. Please come back." Nigel shook his head and turned to face the source of the voice. The heavy spectacles made the pair of deep brown eyes look as large as saucers, and much darker contrasted against the literal white skin of Peter's face." We do need your input on this part of the project, Nigel."" But before that, where were you?" Nigel turned to the Latino sitting opposite to Peter and blinked a couple of times. "Sorry, I was thinking about my date."" Your date?" The Latino's brows shot skyward. "You've got a date?!"" Nigel, spending time with your hand is not a date, no matter how good it feels."" Shut up, Pete."" Alex, do you think that there is a woman wanting to go out with him?" Peter slowly turned at look at Nigel, and leaned forward a little. "You're not pranking us, are you?"" What? No." Nigel looked flustered, a little unhappy with himself for letting something get in the way of his course work. Something personal. "And yes, I have a date with a real woman who I am not related to, and is very close to my age too. And before you ask, no she is not blind, nor is she ugly."" Sorry to harp on about it, but you really have a date? You're not being pranked by some co-ed is you?"" No, I am not." He sounded more confident than he felt after being asked that question. He knew Stephanie was not a fellow student, but that did not stop her from being a heartless bitch and setting him up for some big embarrassment. As his thoughts returned to their exchange, something quiet was telling him she was not lying about the nature of the date - to have a nice time with someone. "No, I believe that she is being honest."" Wow," Alex almost breathed. "I've given up trying."" I've never tried. I know how girls see me." Peter was more bitter than surprised. "So, what's she like? Where did you meet her? Where are you going? Are you going to try and fuck her?" Nigel gave Peter a death glare, which Peter totally ignored, smiling in anticipation of the answers. "We're here to make sure that the PCB layout is correct for the project. Now, that is what I am going to focus on while we are here. What about you two?"" Fine," Peter huffed. "But I want to know everything about what's going down. This may be the closest I will ever get to being with a woman, so don't rob me of it."~||~The rest of the day passed like any other day, except with the occasional look of anticipation from Peter for his questions to be answered. Nigel was sitting at his desk, examining the PCB layout one more time before he submitted it to be printed. When he looked up from it, Peter's last question echoed in his mind again.' Are you going to try and fuck her?'" Would I fuck Stephanie? Oh, hell yeah. Is there a chance?" He sighed a little. "Not much. But, then again, I never thought I would be going on a date with a woman who looked like her. Maybe, one day, it may happen. But, let's get through the first date before thinking about anything beyond that." He took a look at the time. 9:17 shone from the cell phone sitting in the charging dock. He chewed the inside of his bottom lip a little, then launched himself from the chair. He gathered his wallet, keys and cell phone and stopped himself from running out the door and all the way to the store." Calm yourself, Nice. I don't think she'll be anywhere else at this time of night. At least, I do know that she works on this night. I don't have to buy anything while I am there to justify being there. She knows I'll be there because of her. Hell, I told her I would drop around." The walk was a difficult one for him. Nigel's heart was racing, his mind was all over the place, imagining what the conversation would be like, what she would look like on their date. He wasn't sure how he felt about visualizing her in lingerie. He definitely wanted to see her in such, and in even less, but he was not sure if that was a polite thing for him to be doing, particularly since he had not even gone on a date with her yet." Calm down. One step at a time." He nodded to himself, the mantra going over and over in his head even as he entered the store. He got two steps in before he realized he could not see Stephanie anywhere. There was no one else in the shop, and he was anxious that something might be wrong. He turned to look out the front door, then took another couple of steps in. Nigel took a deep breath, then let it out in an audible sigh when Stephanie appeared from the back room." Ummm... Hi." He pasted a smile on his face, and gave her a quick wave. "It's good to see you again. Did you sleep well?" The following evening, after waking up in the tub and going through her ritual of preparing for work, Stephanie made a special note to check her answering machine for anything left for her during the day. A moment of excitement as she saw the red light blinking on the answering machine on its place beside the couch in the living room. She pressed the playback button, the tension growing like a palpable weight on her shoulders for the few seconds it took the machine to go to the start of the tape... Only to be relieved in an annoyed huff as a slightly robotic voice started informing her that Generic Dealer had been trying to reach her about her car's extended warranty. She stabbed the delete button as if it had personally offended her, and left the apartment in a mood. Not made any better by the fact that she forgot her purse and had to use the hidden key to let herself back into the apartment. Stephanie was unable to figure out why she was so annoyed. Nigel and she would meet at the gas station as planned. If he had called her again it might have been a little...what was the word? Clingy? Desperate? Obnoxious? Something like that. So he had done the best thing by not nagging her. So why was she annoyed? If she wanted to hear his voice, she could have called him, or just played back his original message. Her annoyance had nothing to do with him...so why was she resentful and sulky now?" You had better sweat out this negative energy, Step hie-bean," she told herself as she trundled to work. "If you go all passive-aggressive on him when he comes in, he might just decide you're some needy clingy thing." After walking several minutes in silence, Stephanie realized why she was out of sorts. The asshole. Confederate Hat Guy. Guilt washed over her like a sudden rain, making her stumble and come to a halt on the side of the road. It wasn't the first time she'd struggled with this particular emotion. Wouldn't be the last. It wasn't a good feeling, but on the other hand, she was spared so many other bad feelings...sickness, age, injury...maybe guilt was the trade-off. Getting all the bad stuff at once instead of spread out in increments through the days and years. Or maybe she was just trying to justify herself inside her own head. She hurried along, pulling her surplus military jacket around herself like the hug she wanted right then. Stephanie wouldn't get that hug for several hours. She had been performing the routine activities of her shift automatically before Nigel walked in, and did a double-take at the sight of her new friend. Had she been expecting him to stand her up? She had. She only realized this for a fact when she saw him and felt herself grinning like a maniac." Hey you!" she said. She went straight to him, noting that they were about the same height...in heels she would be taller than I...and went in for a hug. Nottoofamiliar. Nottooclingy. Enough to justify under what she said next ("Sorry! I'm a hugger.") and enough to give her that little moment of human contact she needed to be right in her head." Sleep was great," she said. "Praise be to the man who invented blackout curtains. Honestly, I don't think I've seen a sunrise in years. I wouldn't know what to do with natural light if you gift wrapped it." Stephanie went to her usual spot behind the elevated counter and leaned down. The blouse she was wearing tonight didn't allow for secret glimpses, but it was light-colored enough to silhouette her slim body if the light caught it in the right direction. "Does Churchill's work for you? I found a little extra money in the couch cushions last night so could actually treat you, if the price point makes it weird. I'm not trying to assume anything, but I've lived in Springville long enough to know how broke college kids work." Aside from that, though. How about you? How were classes today?" "Hey you!" Nigel smiled at her reply, but the smile stalled a little as she approached. Her smile was a little unsettling at first, but Nigel pushed that aside. All further contemplation of his reaction to her smile vanished as he was wrapped up in her arms. He froze, completely unsure of what he was meant to do.' Return the hug, idiot!' His arms started to move to go around her torso when she broke it off. Nigel swore to himself over his missed opportunity, but kept it deeply in his mind." Sorry! I'm a hugger." That had him smiling, genuinely, a shaking his head a little over his initial reactions to seeing her." Sleep was great. Praise be to the man who invented blackout curtains. Honestly, I don't think I've seen a sunrise in years. I wouldn't know what to do with natural light if you gift wrapped it."" I'm glad you got a good sleep. Makes dealing with the waking hours a lot easier, from my experience." Nigel allowed himself the chance to give Stephanie a good look over as she returned to her place behind the counter. He took a deep breath and let it out as he enjoyed the shape of her body. While he did have his limits of what he felt was a... good body shape, he was not someone who put the woman's looks over her personality and intelligence. Stephanie had both of the latter, and the former was just added bonus." Does Churchill's work for you? I found a little extra money in the couch cushions last night so could actually treat you, if the price point makes it weird. I'm not trying to assume anything, but I've lived in Springville long enough to know how broke college kids work. "Aside from that, though. How about you? How were classes today?"" Churchhill's works very well for me." Nigel felt his jaw drop a little as Stephanie made her offer. "That's very generous of you, Stephanie, but I can go there and not break the bank. For a first date, I'd prefer to pay my own way." Classes were normal, nothing exciting happened. Spent some time working on a group project that's due at the end of the term, and got up to a little study. It's all rather unexciting engineering stuff, and I doubt that you'd find any of it interesting, given how you reacted the last time I went into detail. Everyone has their own interests, and I know that mine are not widely shared." Nigel took a moment to look Stephanie in the eye. There was something about them that was alluring, that teased him to keep looking at them. He was worried about weirding her out, but the small flicker of confidence waxed rather than waned. He finally blinked and broke the contact." Don't take this wrong, but I get the feeling that you're a little older than I am. You have that, I don't know, more worldly feel about you, if you know what I mean? Anyway, why are you interested in dating a college aged... person like me? I guess that there are a lot of us about, but... I guess I am surprised that you're wanting to go out with someone who's a little lacking in social skills and such." Looking back, Nigel wasn't sure what prompted it, but the words leapt out of his mouth without any warning, nor review." I'm sorry, Stephanie. This is a big scary first for me. You're the first woman that has ever shown any interest in me outside academic reasons, and that you are gorgeous just makes it feel more like a dream than reality. Hell, there is a small part of me waiting for the nasty prank to reveal itself. Yet I am excited more than I have ever felt about anything when I think of going out on a simple date with you. I want you to enjoy yourself, and not regret going out with me. I never expected any of this to happen, I just wanted to do what was the right thing." He took a very deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and let it out in a rush." I'm not doing myself any favors here rambling on like I am. Most people I know have gone on dates by now, and are a lot more at ease at the thought than I am." Nigel snorted a laugh. "I need to stop trying to analyze everything for a change. So, what would be better for you, Friday night, or Saturday night?" "Don't take this wrong, but I get the feeling that you're a little older than I am... There it was. The first hurdle of this budding relationship. The first white lie she'd have to tell him to keep it all together. Stephanie was now in a position where she had to rethink her earlier position about guilt being just a once-in-a-while thing. It would be a necessary price of admission for any kind of normal relationship beyond the casual or work-related. She hated the thought of lying to Nigel...not because she was habitually honest or virtuous, but because she knew how much deception could strain a relationship if, when, it was discovered. She would hate to lose a good thing because of it, but she didn't see any way around it, either." I'm twenty-four," she said. I've been twenty-four for such a long time.... "But like the man said, it's not the years, it's the mileage. Furthermore, I had to be a responsible caretaker before I hit puberty, and I was kicked out of the house at the age of fifteen. If you want to call that worldly, I suppose that's as kind a way to say it as any." I'm not trying to bring down the room....ahh. Hold on." Stephanie turned away and went to the glass window separating her from the parking lot. Someone had come up to the cashier's slot and passed through some money, evidently for a pump purchase. Stephanie counted out the money and change and slid them back through the slot with a smile and a perfunctory 'Thank you!' before coming back to the counter and Nigel." Sorry about that. I appreciate that an age gap can be an awkward thing in a relationship. I sort of guessed last night that you were...probably eighteen, nineteen at the most. But I made my decision because you stood up for me, and it made me look at you with a different set of eyes. The 'this man has shown me his character' set. Then we started to talk, and I liked talking with you and decided...let's do it again. Maybe I rushed it a bit. But there's that worldliness again. Something told me that if I didn't ask you out, you wouldn't. And maybe you wouldn't happen to come back here for six months, transfer schools, get hit by a car, abducted by aliens. Who knows. So I decided to strike while the proverbial iron was hot." Stephanie reacher out and put a hand on the counter, crossing the unspoken halfway division that separated 'his half' from 'her half.' The hand was out there as an unspoken invitation to Nigel if he wanted to do anything with it." As far as your perceived lack of social skills. You're doing just fine if you ask me. I mean, yeah, I don't think I'm throwing an insult grenade if I say you're not slick, but do you think I'm the kind of woman that wants slick? Give me honest, good, and sweet any day of the week." So are we still feeling Friday night? Seven-thirty? Meet at the restaurant?" Nigel did his best to hide the wince at the reply to the observation about Stephanie's age." I'm twenty-four. But like the man said, it's not the years, it's the mileage. I had to be a responsible caretaker before I hit puberty, and I was kicked out of the house at the age of fifteen. If you want to call that worldly, I suppose that's as kind a way to say it as any." I'm not trying to bring down the room....ahh. Hold on."' That was not the best thing to say, Nigel, especially so soon into what could be a relationship.'" Sorry about that. I appreciate that an age gap can be an awkward thing in a relationship. I sort of guessed last night that you were...probably eighteen, nineteen at the most. But I made my decision because you stood up for me, and it made me look at you with a different set of eyes. The 'this man has shown me his character' set. Then we started to talk, and I liked talking with you and decided...let's do it again. Maybe I rushed it a bit. But there's that worldliness again. Something told me that if I didn't ask you out, you wouldn't. And maybe you wouldn't happen to come back here for six months, transfer schools, get hit by a car, abducted by aliens. Who knows. So I decided to strike while the proverbial iron was hot." Nigel looked on, a little detached, as Stephanie reached out over the counter. He was wondering about the significance of it, until the rarely used social circuits in his brain kicked in. He looked intently at the offered hand, moving through uncharted territory about what to do. His teeth caught his top lip as he worked through the dilemma before him; put his hand on or in hers, or possibly insult her by leaving it there alone." As far as your perceived lack of social skills. You're doing just fine if you ask me. I mean, yeah, I don't think I'm throwing an insult grenade if I say you're not slick, but do you think I'm the kind of woman that wants slick? Give me honest, good, and sweet any day of the week." So are we still feeling Friday night? Seven-thirty? Meet at the restaurant?" His hand moved tentatively forward, the occasional twitch declaring to Stephanie that he was prepared to pull it back in a panicked instance. But he pressed forward, and brought his hand to rest against hers. Nigel had little idea of what to expect, apart from feeling skin and flesh of someone else. But it felt... nice." Hey, you could be a hundred and twenty-four for all I care," Nigel laughed, easing a little of his own tension in the process. "All of this is new to me, so I am sure that I will be rather rough at most of this stuff." He held up his other hand. "I know you have already covered this, but you are a good-looking woman, and you are also very nice to talk to as well. You have probably had many chances to be social with someone like this. You are the kind of person that I would think I would never stand a chance with. But you're taking a chance with me, and I want to make sure that you have the best time you can." I am good for Friday, seven-thirty to meet you there. I am really looking forward to it. My first real date." Nigel gave her hand a light squeeze before he pulled it back. "I have to go back and do some more study, so I can not feel guilty having time away from the books. I know, I need to have some nice time, but I still feel that I should be studying, rather than partying." Nigel shook his head a little. "Seriously, thank you for asking me out. I am really, really looking forward to it. I'll see you then." Nigel took a couple of awkward steps backward, not wanting to break his gaze from Stephanie for some reason. He gave her a little wave, turned and walked out. As he headed home, his imagination was going in overdrive. He imagined how she would look, from casual wear similar to what she wore at work, to a nice dress, to a provocative outfit and even a little black dress that covered the essentials, and left little to the imagination after that." I don't care what she wears, because I know she'll be stunning in it."~||~Friday afternoon arrived a hell of a lot quicker than Nigel thought it would. He dashed to stand before the mirror once more, checking his outfit for at least the twelfth time. He found a good button-up shirt in a color that at least didn't disagree with him, coupled with a pair of trousers that were his best; ones he wore on special occasions.' They don't get much more special than your first ever date.' The shoes were the only dress shoes he owned. It was difficult to go wrong with black. The belt was something that he wasn't sure about, but it did the main job of holding his shirt in and trousers up. He ran his hands over the top of his trouser legs, making certain that they were sitting properly. He looked in the other direction, towards his hair. Furthermore, he had washed it with a lot more attention that he normally did, along with the styling of it. Not that it needed him to do much, as it had not changed in forever and fell into place without any effort on his part." Hey, at least I haven't had any zits appear to draw attention." He straightened himself up, pulled back his shoulders a little and took a good hard look at himself." I'm not the best looking example of the male of the species, but Stephanie has made it clear that she is more interested in me, rather than how I look. Well, there is nothing more that I can do, and if I leave now, I will get there in time and not look like I ran." He gathered the essentials, putting them in their usual places and headed out the door. For her part, Stephanie woke in her usual manner at the usual time, but rather than going through the routine of emerging from the lightless bathroom and making her way to work, she hit the light switch and fired up the shower. She was probably 'clean enough' for purposes of socializing with the world at large, but part of dating was making a bit of an effort to impress your partner. Neither was Stephanie unaware of how social currency worked. If Nigel was seen with a woman on his arms, he would gain or lose standing based on her conventional attractiveness. Stephanie realized that 'conventionally attractive' was at the very least a box she ticked. So if she put in effort to look her best, that would give Nigel a little something. He might never know it, the social credit might not ever be cashed, but then again it just might. So the shower. Washed her hair and body, shave her legs and elsewhere, condition, rinse, lotion up. Perfume, a dab behind the ears, at the hollow of her throat, a spray across her breasts. Stephanie realized that with the slow and almost meditative approach she was taking to this, it was almost sensual, the act of preparation. Touching herself, watching herself in the mirror, every move with the purpose of making herself more appealing to a man's senses. She enjoyed it, and her smile grew as she progressed. Her skin glowed from the sheen of her lotion, and by the time she was finished with the makeup on her cheeks, lips, and around her eyes, she had undergone that subtle transformation of using the makeup to disguise the fact that she was wearing makeup." Not bad," she told herself. Her lips were the color of fresh peaches, her cheeks had a healthy glow to them, and the smoky strokes of black and gray under her eyes darkened them to a shade of green like the shadow-covered leaves of the undergrowth.Every woman should own a little black dress, the saying went. Stephanie did, although she could not remember the last time she'd worn it. Part of the mystique of that garment, though, was that it was both timeless and elegant. She had laid it out across her bed before going to sleep, and slipped into it now. It was a little tight around the waist, but that was part of the cinching lift the garment gave her. By the time she had put on the stockings and low black pumps, Stephanie had no more time to linger, but sill she went into the bathroom again and looked into the mirror." Ready for a night on the town, young lady?" she asked herself. She gave herself an answering turn, noting with pleasure how the dress had just enough looseness in the skirt to float after her. Ride up. Show the suggestive lines of her garter straps. OK, maybe the garter belt was overdoing it. Would Nigel even know that once upon a time women hadn't had elastic hose and had to keep their silk stockings up with little clasps and things? Well, he'd learn if he played his cards right. Her delighted smile turned wicked as she imagined his sweet face looking at her old-fashioned underwear like it was a complex engineering problem." Putting the cart ahead of the horse there," she said. "What makes you think we'll even get to the 'what kind of underwear are you wearing' stage?"" Doesn't hurt to imagine," she said. She took her slim black purse and left, her heels giving a solid click on the stairwell as she descended from her apartment landing. Churchills was a steakhouse that went in for the rustic chic look. Exposed brickwork, distressed wood flowing, anachronistic Edison lighting fixtures. Stephanie arrived at 7:25 and was informed that the rest of her party had not yet arrived. She accepted the offer from the black-tie wearing maître d' and was taken to the corner booth for two. Before she had even finished sitting down, the upturned water glass before her and the empty spot across from her were turned rightsize up, filled with water, and the menus and wine list deposited. Now it was just a question of waiting. God. What if Nigel stood her up? Nothing about the young man had given Stephanie the impression that he was the sort...he would have at least called. But had she checked her messages? With a cool flush of panic, Stephanie realized she hadn't. She had spent so much time in the bathroom making herself up that she had just breezed through the living room, not noticing the messages. J. Edgar Hoover could have been sitting next to her phone and machine, and she wouldn't have noticed. In that worry, Stephanie learned, much to her surprise, that you were never too old to have an existential panic attack in fear of coming rejection. Nigel had stopped himself from breaking into a jog several times on the walk to Churchill's. The nervous energy threatened to undo all the hard work he put in to make sure he didn't look all hot and sweaty before he got there, while allowing himself plenty of time to get there using a gentle walking pace. All the way, his mind was painting pictures of how Stephanie would look. No matter how hard he tried, all he could see her in was some expensive gown that would be fitting at a five-star restaurant." Stop over thinking things, Nigel," he whispered to himself. "I'll see how she's dressed soon enough." He rounded the final corner before reaching his destination. He glanced at his watch -7:28pm. Furthermore, he looked back at where the entrance would be, and he saw no one waiting outside. His heart raced a little with that realization.' Has she stood me up? No, maybe she's running late.' Once more the urge to run almost took over, but he stopped it before he was able to break his pace. When he finally saw the door, he took a deep breath and one last look around outside." Well, I guess I can wait inside for her. I can get her seat for her when she arrives." Nigel hesitantly made his way through the door, nervous about what to do when he spoke to the host, maître d' or greeter that was stationed inside. Those thoughts and worries vanished as he gave the inside the most thorough, and swift, sweep of his gaze. He felt his heart drop between his knees when he saw Stephanie already seated. His jaw went slack for the few moments it took for his brain to reset itself." Sir?" Nigel blinked a few times as he snapped his head to look at the source of the voice. The maître d' had an inquisitive expression on his face. Nigel failed to stop the embarrassed expression appearing as he vaguely pointed in the direction of Stephanie." Sorry. I... my date is already here, and..."" In that case, please follow me." Nigel followed the man as he moved through the various tables and other obstacles between him and Stephanie. He had the good grace to stand back a little while Nigel got himself seated. Once Nigel was finished positioning himself, the man turned a left without a word, guessing that the young man wanted a little alone time with his date. Nigel found himself gazing at Stephanie's face, his attention drawn equally between her eyes and her lips. The color of her eyes was amazing, and he was certain that the makeup she wore helped to make them even more appealing. The color of her lips was also the main draw for that part of her face, because the color was different to how they looked naturally. They also look a lot more sensual that before, but he was not sure if that was a function of the location or not. Nigel let a short burst of air escape his lungs before he finally spoke. "Wow... you look... wow." Nigel blinked a little and allowed himself to slump back into the booth a little. "Sorry. I am just so nervous about this. I want to make sure that I don't mess things up, and you enjoy our time together. Furthermore, I guess relaxing would be a good thing to do right now, huh?" He took a moment to look at her again, taking in more than just her face. The dress, what he could see of it, was great, and it was something that made her look great." Maybe I should have brought a gun." His eyes widened as he heard the words come through his ears. A slow moving hand arrived to cover his mouth." I said that out loud, didn't I? I mean, I think I need something to protect myself from everyone who will try and steal you from me." He chuckled. "But then again, after how you dealt with that angry man at the store, you'd be very able to tell someone who you wanted to spend your time with. I mean, looking at you right now, you're... stunning. Way better than someone like me deserves." He shook his head. "I need to stop thinking like that. You have made it clear that you want to spend time with me, and I need to be a grown man and accept that." I promise, I will get better at this. Are you interested in anything to drink, or shall we start looking at what delights they have on offer?" The initial exchange of pleasantries went well enough. Stephanie saw that her dress and work on her face had absolutely made an impression on Nigel. She decided that she liked seeing him flustered with how good she looked. She wished he was a bit more confident in himself, but being absolutely besotted with her was a nice consolation prize. Furthermore, she put on a coy smile on her face as he obviously gave her a toe-to-head look over, as much as he could from the seat opposite her, anyway, and deliberately recrossed her legs. The smile lasted until he mentioned bringing a gun. It was such an unexpected remark that even Stephanie's self-satisfaction and normal ability to keep up a poker face (let's hear it for the composure of the overnight retail clerk) weren't up to the task of keeping her expression neutral in the immediate aftermath of the comment. Her face went on a walking tour of the Mountains of Confusion and into the Valley of Shock. By the time Nigel stumbled his way through the explanation, Stephanie had regained her composure and even managed to grin at the endearing verbal clumsiness." Well," she said in the space after so that the awkward moment didn't linger any longer than it had to. "As much as I resent the notion that I'm a thing that could be stolen away from you, I choose to take it as a compliment that I'm so supernaturally good-looking that I'd compel them like a queen ant's pheromones or something to make with the caveman abduction. I did put a little work into my outfit tonight, so thanks for noticing." With long practiced ease, Stephanie picked up her water glass, set the rim against her lips, and tilted it back. To all appearances, it looked like she took a ladylike sip, but in actuality, she had kept her lips closed without making it look like she was keeping her lips closed. It took more practice than you would think to pretend to drink, but at least she would not need to pretend to eat at a steakhouse." You know, I don't remember if we ever settled on how the check would be handled," she commented. "I can pay for myself. I'm rolling in that Big Gas Station money..." A respectful time after they had picked up the menus, the waiter appeared, and Nigel saw beneath his professional mask his eyes drift over Stephanie's neckline. "Would you like to split an order of Oysters Rockefeller to start with?" she asked. She ordered a glass of red wine, presenting her ID on demand, and the waiter turned to Nigel with an expectant raise of his eyebrow. Once the drinks and appetizer situation was sorted, Stephanie put down her menu and smiled at Nigel, earlier awkwardness easing away from her memory. "So how goes the life of the engineering student? Any fun projects or assignments going on?" Seeing Stephanie's reaction to his thinking aloud had him imaging the worst; she's calling an end to their date, and mentioning never wanting to see him ever again. He knew that she wanted to go out with him, and if he just stopped being an idiot, then they would have a decent time.' For fuck's sake, Nigel. Calm down. Enjoy the night and stop worrying about her wanting to call it off, or something else similarly stupid happening.'" Well. As much as I resent the notion that I'm a thing that could be stolen away from you, I choose to take it as a compliment that I'm so supernaturally good-looking that I'd compel them like a queen ant's pheromones or something to make with the caveman abduction. I did put a little work into my outfit tonight, so thanks for noticing." Nigel laughed a little, cutting if off before it went on too long." Well, the work you put into it is amazing. You look great, far better than I imagined." He sighed. "As you may have guessed, I don't have a lot of confidence when dealing with situations like this, and I keep hearing an unhelpful voice telling me that this is a prank, or something bad will happen. I am still carrying social wounds from High School and earlier. But, I am going to do better."" You know, I don't remember if we ever settled on how the check would be handled. I can pay for myself. I'm rolling in that Big Gas Station money..."" I thought we talked about it and would pay our own way. You made an offer to pay for me, which was a nice offer, but I can afford it this time." He took a look over the menu, surprised at the number of options he liked, and spent a good amount of time and effort deciding on what he actually wanted. He wasn't too caught up on how it may look while eating, or what it would say about him, but what appealed to him there and then. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye, seeing the waiter standing by their table, waiting to take their order. Furthermore, he did notice the waiter gazing at Stephanie's neckline with what appeared to be a practiced eye. Furthermore, he felt a twinge of jealousy, but stomped on it pretty quickly.' We're here on a first date, so it's not like she's mine in any sense of the word. Besides, if she finds it offensive, I'm sure Stephanie will do something about it.'" Would you like to split an order of Oysters Rockefeller to start with?"" I've never had oysters before, but why not." Stephanie placed an order for some wine, showing her ID as she did. The waiter gave him a look, almost daring him to order alcohol too. Nigel just returned the look with a neutral expression. "Just a plain coke, thanks."" So how goes the life of the engineering student? Any fun projects or assignments going on?" Stephanie's smile burned away some of his anxiety. It was her idea, she asked him, so there was something about him that interested her. There was a lot about her that interested him, a surprising amount beyond her good looks. There was a person there that he wanted to know a little better, and if they ended up good friends, then he saw that as a win. Anything beyond that... well, he would wait and see, while hoping like crazy." Until tonight, life was fair boring for this engineering student. Days full of classes and lab work, and nights full of study and revision in readiness for the exams. As for assignments, I have yet to find one that was fun, or even close to enjoyable. Right now, I am doing a lot of computer related electronics subjects. Boring things like CPU and microcode design, memory function and a lot more that even makes my brain go fuzzy thinking about." Unlike a lot of my fellow students, I don't spend too much time socializing. I'm not that good at it, and there isn't much that seems to catch the eye of other folks, unless they're nerds like myself." I guess a lot of folks don't think much of you for your work choice? Furthermore, I know there are many jobs out there that need to be done, and they also serve a purpose, but people think that those working there are losers or the like." He titled his head to one side. "When you were a kid, what kind of job did you want? Or what kind of life really appealed to you?" "When you were a kid, what kind of job did you want? Or what kind of life really appealed to you?" Stephanie did not answer right away, but she did not break eye contact either. It was a delicate balance, stalling for time before the tension of awkward silence got too acute and Nigel was compelled to try and fill it. But she needed a moment to consider how to answer, all the same. It was not as simple a question as it seemed on the surface, and Stephanie had to pick her words carefully. Still. What had the man said? When in doubt, be honest? It confused the hell out of your enemies if nothing else." That's a tricky one," she said. Stephanie leaned into her Southern accent as if emphasizing her regional origins. "What you have to understand is that I grew up in the backcountry. A real land that time forgot. A place that hasn't changed all that much in a couple of hundred years. Not just the place, but the people too. And their ideas of what boys and girls did when they grew up, what was appropriate and what...what wasn't. Have you ever seen that old movie, Child Bride of the Ozarks? I don't recommend it, but...there are some true things in it." Anyway, I guess it's more in the spirit of what you asked to say I wanted to be a treasure hunter. Like..." Edward Challenger she'd almost said. No chance Nigel would get that reference. She scrambled for a moment to find a more modern analog. "...like Indiana Jones. I wanted to find lost gold and historical treasures and mysterious relics, steal them from a Nazi or two and put them in a museum. I even knew where I was going to start. Where I grew up there was a legend that the pirate Captain Kidd buried his treasure under an old oak tree, and signed a pact with the Devil to guard it and everything. And it was waiting there, decades later, just hoping for some scrawny redheaded kid to come dig it up." Of course, that's just kid's dream stuff. No...where I was, there was never any question about what I'd do. I'd get married and have kids. Just as soon as I was old enough." She wrinkled her nose. "Let's just say that the idea never appealed to me, and there was a reason I left home at fifteen, yeah?" The oysters came then. A dozen on the half-shell, with the meat scooped out, breaded, fried, and garnished with a butter parsley sauce. A pair of delicate forks were on the platter with them, along with the sauces and lemon wedges. Stephanie plucked an oyster from the tray and held it over the tiny appetizer plate. "If an oyster is cooked well, it will be delicate and buttery. Almost dissolve on the tongue. If they're cooked badly they'll be rubbery and tough. I have no hesitation to send these back if they're not good, so let's not pretend we can't make a scene." She lifted the oyster meat to her mouth and wrapped her lips around the fork while meeting Nigel's eyes. She had no idea how sensual he would find the sight of a woman eating, but this was about the shared experience more than anything else, and she wanted him to know that a delicacy like Oysters Rockefeller brought her epicurean pleasure, and smiled genuinely as the taste lit her tongue." And what do you do when you're not...doing CPU and microdesign? What do you do for fun or to distress yourself? You know I'm a literature nerd. How about you? Online gaming? Movies? Sculpting? Underwater basket weaving?"

Night Job (marauder13 & Regina Minx)|rating:4.0

Corrupted Virtual Worlds (MVO and Evalon)

Jake was super pumped, he had been waiting for his chance to get access to the local GameStop System. GameStop came out a few years ago mixing the most advanced Direct Nepal Interfaces, content generation and Artificial Intelligence, it uses these components to create fully realized virtual worlds that one can go into and live out their fantasies. Now most midsized cities have at least one GameStop subsidiary for people to experience. He had to save for a few months, but now Jake was not only able to scrape up the $1,000 needed for a day trip but get on the waiting list. He worked with his friend to create the world that they would delve into, enamored with various superhero and action shows that come out of Japan the two decided something with an Ultraman flare. Two heroes protecting Japan from giant monsters and more. Art, character designs, and all the details were painstakingly crafted before submitting it to GameStop when they made it on the waiting list and today's the day. Butterfly in the stomach seemed to fit Jake to a T as he waited in the lobby of GameStop for his friend (he was early...as usual), he seemed to vibrate as he sat on the rather pedestrian chair sipping a cup of water. Jake was 22, fresh out of college and still looking for his dream job (something out of food services would suffice), brown hair parted to the right with features that were mostly average for a guy. He wasn't going to adorn any fashion magazines with his short 5'6" frame, but that was fine with him. His leg continued to bounce as he watched the TV, they kept talking about this storm that was rolling through the area, but the maps made it look like it was just going to miss them. (was running a little late, as seemed usual for him. The bus was behind schedule and the traffic was pretty extreme. Finally, though the bus stopped near his stop, to which he decided it would be quicker to walk than wait for the bus to make it a few more blocks. Black clouds littered the horizon. Looked like a storm was heading this way. Storms were nice, they offered a comforting change. No time to ponder on that, though. He had somewhere to be. Jake was waiting on him for their journey into the virtual world. Sora had been waiting on this for some time and that time was finally here. Sora entered the building and spotting his friend. Sort waved and moved over and took a seat next to him, "Hey, hope I'm not too late. Had to walk the last couple blocks." He leaned back, letting his feet rest for a minute. His eyes watched to the TV, "Anything interesting?" Jake was still bouncing his leg up and down as Sort came in. "Hey," he said when his friend walked in, "No worries, right on time." He responded and followed it up with a comment on the TV. "Not really, it looks like it'll be a big storm but should miss us. Man it would have sucked if it knocked out the power here." He adds as his friend rests, sadly for Sort the rest is short-lived as a minute or two after he came in and sat down the receptionist called out, "Jake and Sort? They are ready for you now." Almost as if on cue the metal door that lead into the inner building opened up and a man in his mid 30s wearing talkies and a polo waited for them to come towards him. He had a tablet computer that he looked at, mostly to make sure that all the proper paperwork had been submitted, and the simulation was ready to go. Jake practically bounded over to the man whose name he couldn't quite make out on the ID badge he wore on his belt. The man looked up seeing both of them there and began, "Good, looks like things are in order. Ready to jack in?" While waiting for a response he leads the two through the building, much of it is just hallways with an occasional metal door held closed with a hefty electromagnet at the top corner and a badge reader along the side. But eventually they'd get to a series of windows, just beyond the windows sits a row of beds. Each one looks like a hospital bed with a bank of monitors off to the side on a swing arm. Wires trace up from the wall to the bed, the bulk of them going into something that looks like a bike helmet." Yup, all set." Jake replied. Once Sort was also read the man lead them into the glass room they just walked past. An electronic display held each of their names dictating the bed assignments. Once each were settled into the bed the man went over how the helmet works, sending the computer signals directly too their brains while overriding various functions so that they don't hurt themselves or see double images. He talked about how most of the computer interface elements are controlled by thought and that the administrator will be able to communicate with them through a scenario specific interface device. For the Tokyo Defense Force plot they've created it will be a wrist/arm computer they'll have, sending a message starting off with Admin will route it directly too them." See you inside," Jake says too Sort as they both have their helmet fitted over their head and lay back upon the bed. It's slightly disorienting at first as the system overrides their normal senses and motor functions, their vision goes black for a moment before each are presented with their choice of classes. Sort and Jake built in multiple types of heroes for them to play:the fast and deadly scout/ninja class that's good for quickly moving around the city striking for major damage the intelligence/support class useful to gather info on the enemies attacks, weak points or location if they may be hiding the crowd control class able lay down covering fire and adept at protecting civilians with their portable shields the tank class these are high defense who are designed to go toe to toe with the biggest threats around Jake decided to try the Tank first off, they had both asked that they could change out classes when not in a mission. After choosing once again their vision goes blank as they are moved into the simulation. At almost the same time as Jake and Sort were being logged into the simulation the storm that was just a few miles away let loose a massive lightning strike. Normally this wouldn't have been a big deal, but it hit a power substation and city wide network junction point. This carried an electrical charge throughout the entire city, everything from toasters to refrigerators to computers were either fried or began to develop little quirks. The man who ushered them into their simulation was sitting alone in the control room when this occurred, since most of the activity is controlled by the computer there was little for him to do but monitor vitals and make sure the environmental look ok, so his usual routine is to watch movies or connect to his home computer remotely to play some games. This power surge caused a brief blip on his monitoring screens, but that blip caused the computer to rewrite the present scenario, importing a massive amount of new data from the tech's home PC. The PG rated system was flooded with this guy's porn collection as it recompiled the environment to make sense of what it was seeing. Instead of entering a world where they had to defend Tokyo from giant monsters as their buff Sendai styled heroes they now had to contend against a cadre of villains as Magical Girls. The classes were kept the same although all the painstaking work that went into designing them was now quite different. Jake awoke in the simulation in a bed, that wasn't either out of the ordinary but the bedroom he was in made him pause. It was full of pastel colors, mostly greens, by the bed was a shelf full of stuffed animals...if he had to put a word to it the room seemed girly as opposed to what he had imagined a hero's room would look like. He quickly found that his virtual body moved like it normally would and got out of bed. Stretching he groaned, but the voice didn't match the one he was use too, it was higher in pitch and as he stumbled around to the door he was greeted with a full length mirror that showed his new body. What stared back at him was almost incomprehensible, this virtual Jake stood at about 5'4" but was much stockier than his normal body, not fat but sturdily build...like a tank, comes to mind. His skin was pale, and his now fine hair was green and seemed to flow down stopping just above his butt. His face had softer curves that seemed to be in a vague shape of his own face, sort of...but the largest difference that seemed to stare him in the face was the pair of heavy breasts that hung from his chest. Jake was in a woman's body!"AGGHHH!" He would cry out as he tries to process what's happening. Sort wasted no time in jacking in. He only half-listened to the instructions. He didn't like reading the game manual before jumping in and this was no different. The only thing he kept in mind was how to address the powers-that-be while in game. Precurse what you are saying with "Administer..." and you tap into their hotline. Sounded pretty straightforward. The extra little catch was the time difference. Once you were jacked in time flowed differently. It could vary from scenario to scenario and person to person but the general average for most was thirty minutes outside the system was one day inside the system. If tuned right you could get it less or more depending on preference. Sort wasn't sure how their scenario would work though or how it would work when communicating with the outside world. Once in the system Sort pulled up the character list. He already knew what character he wanted to try first. It was the one he spent the most time designing. He had an affinity for the more sneaky character, the kind that are deceptive about their abilities always hiding who they are so the enemy gets caught off guard. He even designed a history for the character. It was going to be great. Sora selected the ninja and quickly confirmed his selection. The history of his character quickly scrolled over his vision. He designed him to be like a Japanese Batman, a rich playboy who was secretly a fighter of evil. Yeah, a little cliché, but when you get to live out a fantasy might as well go for the top of the list. It was going to be great. Fighting evil and scoring babes. What was not to love? After confirming his selection for the final time everything went black. He presumed it was loading. It was like he was in a dream-state. During that time he could have sworn he felt a surge. It was hard to explain. Like a sudden push of information. He assumed that was a good sign. It meant the system was starting up. Then he was free from the darkness. He opened his eyes to the sight of... not what he was expecting. It looked like a living room, maybe. Regal and up-kept. Very nice but also a touch of femininity. A sudden surge of giddy excite rushed over him. Was he in a relationship with someone and this was not justhisplace, buttheirplace? This was going to be the best experience ever! That was his thought until he got up to move. Or started to move. A shifting on his chest caught his attention. And now that he thought about his, his chest did feel heavy. His eyes drifted down and... he was shocked. Purely and completely shocked. What he was sawed not some tight-fitting clothes or a well-toned, muscled chest. No, what he saw was a white top strained to its limits by two very generous mounds. Quickly he raised up two hands, two very dainty hands, to cup the obstructions just to confirm they were a part of him.Oh, god. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Suddenly a new surge of sensations washed over him. Heavy weight against his scalp, a breeze between his legs, various straps crossing over his body, and the breasts, the large mounds pulling down on his chest. He glanced across the room and could see his reflection in the mirror... New Sort(was a girl! No, no, no. Not just any girl but from the image (s)he could see he looked like a maid! A cricket maid! That meant this wasn't even his(er) house. (S)He worked for the person who, presumably, owned the place! This was not the playboy-Batman (s)he had in mind. It was far, far, far from it! (S)He had to get out of this and get things straightened out. (S)He happened to remembered how to contact the higher-ups..." Administrator!" (S)He called out in his(er) now feminine, slightly-high pitched voice. "Administrator! Something is wrong!" The watch on his(er) wrist showed a connecting symbol but didn't do anything. Maybe it was still syncing with the system, and they'd soon realize there was a problem? That was the best bet... Before (s)he could think on it though a scream echoed through the house. Crap, was the monster scenario still active? Did that mean someone was in trouble? Not that (s)he really cared about cyber-people being in danger, but maybe the reason (s)he couldn't get in contact with the higher-ups is because the scenario tutorial hadn't completed or something. A lot of games do stuff like that, lock you out of features until you pass a certain point. If that was the case (s)he would need to get to a checkpoint before unlocking the ability to 'ask for help' or something. Sora finished getting out of his(er) seat and rushed toward the sound of the voice. His(er) new assets were jiggly and bouncing around as (s)he hurried down the hall. (S)he was actually quite surprised at how fast (s)he moved. This body packed a surprising amount of agility and finesse. Given her appearance she looked like she'd be clumsy and uncoordinated but (s)he was pleasantly surprised to find that (s)he felt stronger than (s)he ever had. It was like she was trying to hide it underneath her appearance... Sora burst into the room he thought the scream came from, "Is something wrong?" Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide(was trying hard not to hyperventilate as he looked at himself in the mirror. How could this have happened, the image in the mirror mimicked his actions as she moved her arm around. Her first act was to heft up her large nude breasts, as soon as she felt that they were real she dropped them. They bounced and jiggled as they fell, she had to suppress a moan as pleasure radiating into her new body...it seemed to go straight to her new bulgeless crotch. Suddenly the door flew open and Sort saw this naked woman standing there in front of her. Even though she just woke up Jake still looks freshly showered, her hair was perfect and if she just wore some cloths Jake could easily be ready for an out for a night on the town. Seeing Sort, although not realizing who she was, sent Jake through his normal reaction upon seeing a hot woman although in this case she didn't get an erection but felt something in the pit of her stomach. It traces around to her breasts and then once again right down to her crotch. After standing there for almost a minute Jake's new rather cute voice asks, "Who...who are you? Do you...what's going on?" Sort stood jaw agape at the naked woman standing before him. Easily the hottest woman (s)he had ever seen naked, in person, before, though (s)he could count the number of naked women (s)he'd seen in person on one hand, so perhaps that wasn't giving her enough credit. Even if she had clothes on she would still rank a twelve out of ten. Ifthiswas the lady of the house then maybe (s)he didn't need to rush to getting in contact with the higher-ups so quickly... They both stood there in silence for what felt like an hour. Sort looked over the woman. She looked fresh as a daisy. Absolutely splendid. Sort could feel his(er) stomach churn as his(er) eyes traced the lovely figure. (S)he tried to keep his(er) composure through it all, they best (s)he could. What would the programming do if (s)he deviated from course? Best not to find out... but then, why would it also put a nude beauty in the tutorial? Maybe it was to test his(er) composure in a foreign situation to help tune the scenario? The silence was broken by the woman asking a series of question, "I'm-" Just who was (s)he? The biography from before game was obviously out the window. Just who was (s)he now? Best to avoid that answer, in case not knowing the answer sent up some kind of red flag in the scenario and forced a failure condition maybe even triggering a restart, "I heard screaming. Is everything alright, Miss?" (S)he decided to try and play the part to the best of his(er) ability. (S)he folded her arms over the apron of his(er) uniform. Jake was still quite confused as Sort the maid answered her, "What...everything all right...why, I don't..." Jake had a hard time stammering out an adequate answer Sort's question. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to try and calm herself, her expansive chest slowly raised and lowered with each breath they didn't seem to stop jiggling even as she begins a second breath. "Ok, let me try this again. Why am I in this body, who are you, and where am I? This doesn't look like scenario we designed." Jake finally said, she wasn't as concerned about any fail safes that might have been put in place. Eventually the AI would update the scenario so that Jake and Sort knows what's happening. Jake is playing the role that Sort has asked for, she is the young right entrepreneur who's vast fortune and holding helps fund her never ending struggled against the forces that plague Tokyo. With the help of her trusted maid she devised their super powered gadgets and transformation crystals. Locked inside of Sort's pendant holds the matrix that turns her from maid to her ninja bodyguard, and Jake has a necklace on the dresser behind her that turns her into a powerful knight. Unfortunately it doesn't list any scenario completion goals, they seem to be locked in here for the time being. Suddenly it clicked... and it clicked hard. Sort couldn't keep his composure. The face that probably rarely ever laughed broke into all smiles and a girlish giggle escaped Sort's lips. She put her back against the wall and kept the giggles going for a minute before regaining her composure. Her breasts jostled as she laughed uncontrollably." Oh my god, really? That'you?" Sort could feel her stomach spasm from the laughs as she felt it, barely keeping from buckling over. "Oh, that's priceless." A tear trickled down her face that she quickly swatted away with the back of her hand. He no longer felt a need to stay in-character now that he had a very good assumption on who was in the body across from him. She let her composure settle, "Pardon, Miss, but I think you forgot your clothes. Would you like some help picking out your attire for the day? Or would you rather stand naked and ogle yourself, Jake?" At first Jake just looked at this maid with a stern look that tried to convey how irked she is, this just made her look cuter as her arms tucked under her jiggly bosom. The only way it could be cuter is if she stomped her foot as she tried to find out what was so funny. "What...what's so funny?" She pouted until Sort was able to regain her composure, her jaw drops as Sort called him Jake. It's when it clicked as well that this maid in front of her is Sort. Part of her wanted to cover up her body and die of embarrassment while the other just wanted to throttle her friend for putting her through this instead of just staring at her voluptuous body. In the end Jake attacked, with some scary naturally fluid movement Jake's plump body slid over too Sort and grabbed the collar of her maid uniform. It seems like who every Jake is in this computer simulation knows judo or something. Even though Jake himself is as far away as athletic his virtual body just seems to know how she wants to move and does it with more efficiency than she could ever have managed on her own. Dipping her hip she moves to throw her ninja maid friend out of her room. Sort was so caught up at the moment that she hadn't been expecting the suddenly lunge from Jake. Perhaps she should have been given the circumstances. Maybe if she had been less occupied she would have been able to evade the movement, but the moment of surprise was too great, and suddenly she felt a hand around her collar." I'm sorry Miss, did I upset you?" Perhaps Sort should have been a little more concerned given the fact that her character was designed to stay on the edge of a battle, dipping in and striking at opportunity, and not exactly going toe-to-toe. Jake's angry face was too cute though and Sort just couldn't bring himself to let up." Would a kiss make you feel better?" Sort smacked his lips together to produce a kiss sound. Childish? Yes. But it was fun. The throw from the room however, Sort seemed ready for. The moment she was tossed her body reacted by hunkering down and looking for traction with her feet, coming to a fast sliding stop with her hands pressed against the floor and the back of her left foot pressed against the wall just like some anime show." Woah, that was cool." She felt like a springboard, like if she gave the command she's launch forward like a predatory on the hunt. Instead, though, she stood up and dusted herself off, "Seriously though, is thatreallyyou in there?" Jake's hips squirmed as Sort make fake kissing gestures, her body was at odds with her mind right now. The maid was so cute and if this wasn't a simulation (and Sort wasn't he maid) she would have said yes, instead that combine with watching her sexy body shake as she went flying along the ground...not to mention the jiggling set into motion on her own body. Still the move that Sort and herself pulled off made Jake think that maybe this won't quite be too bad, especially if they are badasses. Huffing her arms went to try and cover up some of her body as she answered, "Yes, it's me. Although I don't know what happened? Do you?" She asked shifting her hands around and looked to see what she could wear. Fortunately there was a silken robe close by that she could slip on, this did keep her from being naked, but the soft silken cloth against her skin did little to calm down the new sensations building in her body. That was when Jake noticed a blinking wrist communicator laying on the nightstand, "What's this?" Jake says, picking it up. The first message was from the AI explaining the scenario. A wicked grid comes across her lips as she turns to Sort. "Well well well...it looks like you ARE my maid, forced to do whatever I want." She walked closer showing message to her friend. Sort shrugged her shoulders, "No clue. Character select looked correct. When I woke up though... yeah, obviously something went wacky." Sort held up her wristwatch and showed the connecting symbol on the front, "I tried to get in contact with the administrator, but my message is still trying to connect. When I heard your scream I figured I was in the tutorial mode and rushed in. To, well, you know the rest. And, seriously, you don't have to put a robe on. I'm fine with the view." Sort teased as she put her hands on his hips." Pah-lease, youwishyou could control me." Sort snuffed at the comment as she read the message. Well, it does look like this was modeled after the history she wrote, albeit she was in the wrong position. "So, I'm your diligent maid, and you're my beautiful, voluptuous mistress. Not how I expected to spend my day, but you know what? It could have been worse. I could have been a squirrel." Sora kept reading the message to get a little history. Inventor, gadget, magical girls. "Well, looks like we are still fighting for Tokyo, Mistress. Just not like we originally planned." Sora began to look around the room. "I wonder if you have some type of secret Bat cave around here?" She pushed the glasses up her face a bit as she poked around the various nook and crannies. Another ping of pleasure flowed through his body as Sort talked about continuing to be naked in from her friend. "Oh yeah, well if you have to obey me then...um..." She responds after Sort reads the message, then she gets a devilish idea. "Strip, you saw mine so now I should be able to see yours as well." She sat back to make sure that she can see all of Sort's good bits. The way her body affected Jake's clothed who knows what naked will do to her. "Very nice. At least we got some nice bodies out of what ever happened." She googled feeling her nipples get hard underneath her the silken robe. Once that was out of the way Jake decided to try another command, "Well if you are my maid and servant I should be able to command you to take me to our hidden lair." She gambled that the AI would provide the information needed to complete the task. If not, then it will be an afternoon of pulling books out of shelves to find the hidden passage. She made sure to grab the pendant before following her nude maid around. Sort was in the middle of tapping on floorboards when the command was issued. She began to open up her mouth to say, 'In your dreams,' but what came out was not what she had been expecting. Instead, what escaped her lips was, "As you wish, Mistress." No, wait, what? She hadn't said that... The programming, however, was in full swing. Unbeknownst to Sort the form she was in was not intended for a player. When the corruption entered the system the character she had chosen to play was thrown into the scenario in the way to make it best fit, which meant fusing her with an already-programmed NPC. The NPC programming to obey player commands was still in effect. In essence, whatever another play said she would have to do. Her hands began pulling at the strings and ties of her outfits, removing with delicate precision each article of clothing. She began with the ties holding the bow in place behind her back and soon all the straps were undone. The dress fell to the floor revealing her lacy, pink bra and panties with a cute bear-head on them. Also, in plain sight, was the small daggers kept hidden under her dress in case of 'emergencies'. She carefully picked up the dress and folded it before putting it on the bed. The next thing to come off was the stockings, as she rolled them off and dropped them on the bed next to her dress. She leaned forward and put her hands behind her back, unclasping the bra and setting her generous bosom free. The bra was placed neatly with the rest of her clothes. Then the last piece came off, her panties. She slowly slid them down her legs and off her foot, before putting it with the rest of her clothes. With the job complete, "Does this please you, Mistress?" Sort was screaming on the inside. Yeah, it was kind of hot, but he didn't want to be the one stripping down. Once Jake commented on how she looked Sort was once again in control, "Okay, that's messed up. Looks like I really do have to do what you say... I wonder... Strip!" Sort waited to see if any reaction happened... but nothing. Looks like she was the only one controllable... "No dice." With her uniform off she could get a better view of her body. Smooth skin, large breasts, she was definitely in a spectacular body. Sort poked at her bosom and the foreignness of it. They were surprisingly perky for their size. No doubt anime physics. Then the next command came in before she could explore too much. Her hands folded in front of her, and she lightly bowed, "Of course Mistress, right this way." Once again she was no longer in control. Sort walked out of the room and down the hall. The place was practically a maze, but she knew exactly where she was going, even if Sort didn't. One last turn, and they were in the house sauna. It was a large sauna which looked more like a swimming pool with steam coming off of it. Once Jake was in the room she closed the door and walked over to the shower nozzles used to wash off once out of the sauna. Sort took the nozzle third from the left, twisted it around three times, pulled it off, and connected it to a small indention just above her foot. When she did that a hissing sound erupted and the water from the sauna began to drain as something emerged from the center. It was a doorway leading to, she presumed, was the secret lair. Once again Sort took the mainly posture of crossing her arms over her stomach, "As you wished mistress, there is the entrance to your lair. Can I be of further assistance?" This was better than Jake could have even thought, Sort had to do whatever she said and beyond that she had a knockout body. It was different from her own in many ways, whereas Jake's was built for stability and power Sort's was quite slim and favored agility. Jake's own breasts jiggled easily and hung low without a bra, but Soras were quite firm and perky...was this all part of the class structure they put into place? Her eyes quickly dipped down to Sort's ass as she walked on, each step caused it to sway from left to right and then back again. Here eyes got quite wide when they found the sauna/hot springs. "Wow... I have a huge mansion don't I. This sauna is fantastic." She half forgot why they were here as she shrugged her shoulders causing the robe to fall to the floor. Her leg was about ready to dip into the water when Sort twisted the nozzle and opened the secret passageway." Woah, I guess we do have a secret base. Let's head down shall we?" Jake said too Sort beginning to run down the stairs, but had to stop halfway down. The way her chest shook caused her to stop before she was off balance, reaching up she grasped both of her boobs with her hands to hold them close to her chest before heading down once again. This was different but by the time she reaches the bottom it would be hard to say better, the shaking caused pleasure to grow in her chest but gripping them like this caused the pleasure to grow faster. Her once again nude loins glistened with arousal as she dropped her breasts once again upon seeing their lair. It looked like something out of a female batman's cave, it was brightly lit full of green and pink colors. A huge computer dominated one side while weapon racks full of gadgets seemed to line another wall. They have two crotch rocket motorcycles gassed up and ready to go as soon as they are needed. Sort was back in control, "That worked. So I seem to be programmed to be your helper. I know the in-and-outs even if... I don't know the in-and-outs..." Sort tried not to think too hard on it as she followed Jake down the staircase. Sora was more careful. Her earlier fling showed her the value of proper support and now that she lacked clothes it was up to her to offer the support. She kept one hand across her chest and the other on the railing as she ventured further down into the lair. She didn't know what to expect. Anything could be down there, but she knew it was going to be awesome. Once they were at the bottom she confirmed it was, in fact, awesome. Weapons littered the room and in one corner a myriad of maid uniforms lined the wall. All in the same style, posed in the same way. Upon closer inspection it looked to be the weapons each one housed was a little different, depending on the situation. It seemed this maid was well armed for anything and everything. Deception was her spice of life, for sure. Before she could look over all the different varieties a siren began to sound and a red light flashed over the room, "I didn't do it!" Sort put her hands up and stepped back, sending her bosom bouncing. The siren was an indicator that their first object had come in, or in the scenario sense, the scanner had picked up a crime-in-progress and it needed their attention. A large screen at the center of the room was lit up listing off all the details of the bank robbery in progress. Jake froze as well when the alarms began to ring, she looked around to find out what could be wrong and saw the large screen about the same time as Sort did.[Robbery in progress... Honey Bandits attack 2nd National Tokyo bank...] Then below it a variety of windows open up, one is a map that shows them the fastest way to get to the bank, another is external footage of the bank with a large bee themed van (or delivery truck) our in front, and lastly showed some data on the Honey Bandits. Bee themed gang, all men except their leader a Queen Bee. They have insect drones called stingers that are used to deliver all sorts of drugs, otherwise a majority of their weapons are standard fair (as far as the computer knows). There are at least 15 bandits in there, possibly the Queen Bee herself." Well it looks like we have our first adventure, ready to suit up?" Jake asks her buxom friend, the pendant and choker that are in their possession will allow them to don what ever customized uniform they want, teleporting it from the lair onto their bodies. Looking over Jake is really hoping that the maid uniforms aren't for her but doesn't see anything that stands out too her. Grasping the pendant she thinks about transforming, suddenly she's enveloped with blinding light floating just off the ground. She's not able to see her cloths materialize around her, but she can certainly feel it and after a few seconds she lands back on the ground, legs wide in a fighting stance holding something that looks about baton sized with a ball at one end (with a shield engraved) and a spear tip on the other...her shield and spear." Of course...this is what I get..." Jake replies as she looks down at her armor. Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide("Woah, how did you do that?" Sort asked as she looked, awe-struck at her friend who was now clad in a very revealing outfit that looked about as battle-worthy as being naked, but she wasn't going to complain. Sora looked in the palm of her hand and saw the pendant from earlier. She didn't recall picking it up but no doubt while in programming mode her body had picked it out of her clothes. In a flash of light, after having hold of the pendant and thinking about how her friend had just transformed, she felt herself enveloped in a warm light. She felt herself float up off the ground. Slowly she twirled for a several moment in the air as her body stretch out and posed, all of its own accord, before the light vanished, and she fell to the ground. Sora's Uniform(mask now covered her mouth and her hair, once pink, was now brown. Her outfit didn't seem to offer any more coverage than that of her Mistress, but it certainly did feel light-weight. It felt like a second skin. She felt like she wasn't wearing anything, and in truth she practically was. There was no doubt she'd be plenty agile in this outfit. On her back was a small tango concealed in its case and above it was a fauna shrike. She also instinctually knew that several other small daggers were stashed in her leggings and a several more, smaller shrikes were hidden within her gloves. Who knew what else was hidden." Well, I think I'm suited up..." Sort didn't have a problem talking through the black fabric of the mask, despite that she thought she would have. Jake's jaw dropped again as she watches Sort change, she was the epitome of a sexy ninja. Her own armor began to tent by the nipple as she continued to be turned on from not only her own. Are all women like this? She thinks trying hard not to reach up to grope her chest causing her to bit her lower lip. With their transformations done the two magical girls are ready to head out, letting her lip slip out from between her teeth as she responds. "Yup, I think I'm ready." Jake walks over to the motorcycles. "I never got my license let alone drive a motorcycle, I hope that won't be an issue." With that Sort is left to a view of Jake lifting her leg up and swinging it over the bike, from her vantage point she can clearly see right between Jake's thighs and see her little cloth covered crotch, the fabric trying hard not to wedgie itself between her moist lips. Looking down at the crotch rocket it quickly dawns on Jake what she needs to do to turn it on. The rumble of the engine fills the lair as she can feel the vibrations move throughout her body, another tingle of pleasure whips through her body as she looks back at Sort waiting for her friend to be ready before heading out. Sort is absorbed in the sight of Jake straddling the motorcycle. She could feel her body reacting in ways that she couldn't begin to explain. She tried to push the thoughts from her head as she got her mind in the game. They had a mission to do! Sora went over to what she assumed was her motorcycle and assumed a similar position to Jake. Her body was hunched over the front with her hands gripping firmly at the handle bars. Her large butt was on display and her breasts were straining against their thin confines. Out of instinct her thumb crossed over the edge of the handlebar, springing the cycle to life and sending a shiver of vibrations up and through her body in the most delightful way. There was no way this was practical! Driving this thing would be rapture. She'd be surprised if she could walk straight when they stopped... Once both cycles were on a screen lit up in front of them and a voice echoed from the walls, "Preparing exit trajectory. Optimal route is being uploaded to your GPS screen. Launching in 3, 2,... 1." The front gate sprung open as the two bikes were launched outward. Small screens on the front visor of the motorcycles lit up with a holographic map, showing in great detail each turn they should make to get to their course in the fasted possible way. The cycle practically drove itself along the roads, swerving in and out of traffic as it made its way to the bank. The air brushed past Sort's exposed skin sending tingles up and down her body in conjunction with the vibrations. Part of him wanted off the cycle as soon as possible, and the other half never wanted to get off. Jake was in a similar boat as Sort the vibrations of the motorcycle was sending her mind into quite the tizzy. Fortunately the entire trip seemed to be one long autopilot cruise as they whipped through the city streets. By the time they reached the bank Jake's legs felt like rubber, putting down the kickstand she sat up and pulled her helmet off. Almost on instinct she whipped her head back and forth to get her hair to settle down behind her, her loins throbbed and seemed to beg for her to turn the bike back on. Her nipples were so hard that they were well visible from behind her armor. Another deep breath or two and Jake swings his leg up and gets off. Grabbing the baton her hands seem to unconsciously slid up and down the shaft while looking to Sort." Ok so how do we do this? Just charge in there?" She asked. Sort swung off the motorcycle with agile ease. Her legs were wobbly from the resonating pleasure from the vibrations, and she did have to lean against the side of the building for several moments. Where they had parked no one was around. The autopilot chose the most secluded spot. The police hadn't even shown up yet but the sirens could be heard in the far distance. If they were going to act they needed to act fast. Sora cut his attention toward Jake when she asked about their plan, "We could catch them by surprise..." Sort mulled the thought. If they didn't go fast the police could make the situation more difficult. Her form wasn't made for front-door tactics, but she was itching for some action..." Okay, you go first. I'll try and sneak in behind you." That seemed like the best plan. Maybe she could get in unnoticed and launch a surprise attach. Jake nodded as Sort said she was going to sneak in, it sounded like decent plan since she didn't feel stealthy in this body. "Ok, I'll go in and make some noise. You try and catch them from behind." She said to her friend, not even thinking that it might be considered a command for her programming to follow. Hopefully it won't cause a disaster. Running for the entrance Jake puts her shoulder into the door throwing it open as she enters, putting her right foot forward she enters a power stance as she surveys the Honey Bandit gang. "STOP right there, Honey Bandits." Jake uses her best heroine voice that she can muster. A part of her wished that they would just give up, especially since they googled her still jiggling body settled from her dramatic entrance. She almost thought that her huge breasts might actually shake out of her armored bra. One arm was on her wide hip with the other holding her spear baton back against her forearm ready to strike. Sort's eyes gleamed over briefly when the command was issued. She knew the feeling. She knew she had to obey, no matter what. As Jake ran off Sort murmured, "Yes, mistress," which is Jake had been around she'd have known something was wrong, but it was too late. While Jake ran in the front Sort sneaked around back toward the service entrance. Using her acquired skills she managed to sneak in unnoticed, though she was only partly in control. She was looking for someone to 'catch from behind.' Like the ninja she was she slipped through the corridors unnoticed until she was looking into the main room, with Jake on the other side confronting the first bandit. Off to the side were several more going about stripping the place clean. The bandit that had his attention on Jake was wearing a bee costume with a very prominent stinger out the front. It was almost comical, really. He had black shades on and his arms crossed as he addresses Jake, "Ah, so you finally show. You should go ahead and give up. You won't beat us back this time." He seemed confident. Overly confident. Sora took out her dagger. One quick strike from behind and that would be one less bandit. Sort leaped from the shadows and took off running. One of the other bandits caught sight of her and called out, "Behind you, Buzz!" Quickly the first bandit turned around when Sort was an inch from striking. 'He, too late. I've got you!' Sort thought, except suddenly her feet froze in place. She couldn't move, and she could feel the familiar presence sweep over her. She dropped the dagger to the floor and crossed her arms like a maid waiting to be ordered, "I'm sorry mistress, I failed to catch him from behind." Jake was ready to give her own witty retort when Sort attempted to sneak around behind one of the gang members only to be spotted and drop her knife. Apparently there is little interpretation available in these orders. "Crap!" Jake says as she charges, boobs swinging into battle. With Sort just standing there a few of the bee themed opponents cautiously walked up to her, she could hear them talking to themselves. "Is this a trick?" "You go first." "It's got to be a trap..." Eventually though one would move up to Sort and kick the knife away while another would go up behind her, reach around and grasp her breasts groping them while the others move in. Jake would quickly realize that he can project shields from her baton when pressing the end with a ball and shield engraving forth while the spear tip was useful for making strikes. Still with this many gang members here would she be able to last by herself. Looking over Sort she finally yells, "Sort! Stop just standing there..." Sort watched as the others circled around her. She knew she could run and escape, but she found herself grounded in place waiting for an order. All she could do was smile as they circled around her. The knife being knocked away wasn't concerning. She was near-literally a walking arsenal. She just needed to be told she was free. One of the criminals began to grope her and a soft moan escaped her lips, and even then she couldn't move. His hands were digging into her exposed flesh. She could feel the fingers pulling at the thin fabric of her top." Sora! Stop just standing there..." Sort felt the program let loose of her control, but it was a little too late. "I'm trying..." Her voice sounded flustered. She tried to reach for a weapon, any weapon, but the groping was causing her to be weak in her knees. She had thought the motorcycle was bad. No. This was ten times worse. Or better, actually. The leader of the pack stood between Jake and the others, "Where do you think you're going?" He kept his arms cross, "You can't avoid the bee's stinger!" His thrust his groin forward and the tip of the stinger twitched. "We've already got your partner. You should just give it up." "Man these tits are great, like water balloons." The guy behind Sort says as his hands continue to knee. Another steps up and rubs your mound, "She's wet too, all of these times it seems like this bitch just needed someone to grope her." The gang member says. "Now then let's get you out of these cloths." The one in front of the maid ninja reaches up to pull off her cloths so that they can get hands on with all of her goods. Jake wasn't able to make it too Sort's side as the leader of this pack slides between her and her friend. "I'm going to help my friend..." Jake starts to reply, then an idea hits her, thrusting the ball end of her baton forward she yells, "PROJECTILE SHIELD!!!" And a large yellow shield pushes out towards the leader and straight on to Sort and the gang. It was sort of a success, the men were knocked back away their grips loosened, but the force of the impact hit Sort too. "Sorry..." She yelled back hoping that it was enough for her to get up and fight. The groping was sending shivers up and down Sort's body. His body was reacting strongly. What kind of simulation was this? Since when do the baddies feel up the heroines? This felt more like some hentai than a super-hero game. But it felt too good to resist. The hands dug in deeper, and then she felt one of the hands beginning pulling the fabric away from her smooth skin and another massaging her groin. More moans escaped her puckered lips.*WAM*Sort felt herself get knocked flat on the ground. Her assets were sent jiggling. For a long moment she was confused by what just happened. The men that had been handling her were reeling too, now on the ground and not holding her. She had a chance to spring away! She jumped up and tumbled forward, her legs were weak. Great, just great. She managed to get on her feet and pull a dagger from her waist band. Her bosom was still hanging free and bouncing around. She didn't really have time to cover herself back up. The leader of the group was still standing between them. For Sort that meant two to one side and one to another. That was just three of them and more were coming into the room. They were getting surrounded." Please tell me you have a plan for this, because my brain is not on straight at the moment..." Sort said, holding a dagger in each hand, looking from person to person. Jake was glad to see her partner stand up, even if her eyes did instantly follow her jiggling nude chest. She tried to keep focused upon the leader who calls for more men, who run out of the vault. "Crap, not anymore." Jake replies as the additional bee themed gang runs in." She thinks for a bit trying not to drop her guard too much. Fortunately many of the men also stared at Sort's nude chest as they filed in. "Um... I guess we just fight until they are all down." Jake replies. The three groggy guys still on the floor try to extract themselves but one or two of them apparently got stung by their own stingers, it was laced with a sedative, apparently. That gives Sort some breathing room and Jake is hoping that she has some ninja skills that can help them out of this." Get those super sluts." The leader orders. Fight them. That would make sense. Sort began to passively wonder if they had health and resource bars in this simulation. Sort held a knife in each hand waiting, hoping for a chance to strike. A couple of the men began to surround her. It made it difficult to make any moves, and with how outnumber they were already this wasn't looking in their favor. Think, think, think. Sort tried to scan her memory for what she could do. As she was thinking she discovered she could access her 'ability menu', which was more accurately a list of her arsenal. Chaos and misdirection was her specialty, and she had just the thing for this." Get those super sluts."" Think fast!" Sort called out as she pulled out a small pack from the loose binding that once held her bosom in place. She threw the pack to the ground and a loud hiss erupted. A classic anime-style smoke bomb. The henchman began coughing, but thankfully Sort's face-mask offered protection. With the place covered in smoke it was really difficult to see where anyone was, but it would offer Sort and Jake a chance to regroup and maybe Sort could even take down the leader in the confusion! Sora began running through the smoke. The leader should be in this area... Sora saw a silhouette in the smoke and make the split-second decision it was the leader. She went in for the tackle. Her hands grabbed at two very large and soft mounds of flesh... Turns out she had tackled the wrong person... Jake had just begun to fight off the vast majority of the gang, it was her job as a tank after all. Worried more about defense rather than attack she struck only when she could get a good counterattack in, otherwise she spent most of her time blocking and parrying. She was glad to hear Sort speak out apparently ready with something to help them fight off the 15 some odd villains. Her huge tits continued to shake and jiggle with each move, their groping grabs and attacks didn't help either, her nipples were hard underneath her armored bikini top. Then the smoke bomb went off, unlike Sort she didn't have a mask and was surprised by this turn of events. Coughing Jake tried to see through the smoke and capitalize on this, meanwhile the leader (also coughing) reached in his pocket and pulled out a quartet of bee drones. They would be able to see in this smoke cloud and with a few taps on the controller he instructs them to seek out the heroines and inject them with a paralytic in their stingers."OF!" Jake yelled as Sort tackled her by accident, it was quickly followed by moan as Sort gropes her a bit, her friends own large breasts pushed into her back as the two fell to the ground. "What the what did you do that for?" She asked her friend trying to get up as her friend remains on top of her, fortunately her pump body provided a nice cushion for her friend. Sort heard the voice and knew immediately what had happened, "Oops." She was currently entangled and trying to straighten herself out of the situation she had unfavorably found herself in, "I thought you weren't, well, you. The smoke makes it hard to see." The voice came out rather clear through the cloth covering her mouth. As she was trying to get herself up, she felt something sting her on her exposed, wiggling butt, "Ouch! Did you do that?" Her butt felt... tingly. Really tingly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something fluttering in the mist and, with her agile reflexes, snatched it out of the air. She brought it close to her face to examine it, "Oh, look. I think they have pets. I think this thing stung me. You should keep an eye out."Meanwhile, the tingling was beginning to spread up and down her body. Sort apologized for tackling her friend and began to pull herself off, it alone turned Jake on more as her friend grabs her chest while she gets up onto her hands and knees. She was kneeling over her when she snatched the robotic bee. "Ok *MMM*, I'll be careful." Jake pulled herself out from under Sort too concerned about getting up to notice a bee catch her in her shoulder. Yelping she swatted the robotic bee destroying it, her arm tingled a bit, but her tank features were keeping her relatively safe. One alone wouldn't be enough to bring her down, but their moans and conversation lead the gang members straight to them. They moved in around the two heroines, limiting their mobility as they moved in to grab a hold of their arms and poke them with their own stingers." Hey, stop it." Jake said her huge chest shaking back and forth as she tried to elbow herself some room. Even in the smoke the gang members were somehow able to nab the clasps of her bra armor leaving her overly large chest swinging around in the open. Her pale nude body is a prime target for the gang members or those two remaining bees. Sort's less fortified build was more susceptible to the poison. One sting would have been enough to take her down, given enough time. Once she was on her feet, she was unsteady. Her agility was vastly diminished by the toxic running through her veins. The stings from the surrounding members as the encircled them was over the top. In a quick motion Sort found herself on her knees, unable to move her legs as the toxic continued to move through her, "I... don't think I can fight." Sort hoped Jake had some superpower she was hiding, otherwise it was beginning to look like their first simulation was a complete flop. The soldiers, beginning to realize Sort wasn't a threat, focused their attention on Jake as they closed the surrounding circle. The smoke was beginning to clear, and the odds were not looking in their favor. The short answer is no... Jake doesn't have anything super special move as she's stripped and fondled. "No...get off..." She was able to generally fight off the men, they were easy to see in the clearing room and easier to fight off. Their number through, that was proving to be a different problem. Occasionally one would grab her arm and hold her still for a bit, but she'd break free and continue to fight. Still it did stop her huge tits from shaking for a bit and that's what proved to be her downfall. The two robotic bees that were still out there were able to land on those huge bee stings jiggling on her chest and in unison they both drive their stingers into her nipples. The tender nubs felt a pinch before the paralytic began to flow through her udder sized breasts."UUUGGGGHHHHH!!!!" She moaned as that pinch went straight to her pussy, she too dropped to her knees as her arms felt heavy, and her body failed to respond to her will. She flopped over onto Sort, her tits resting on her friends face. Their leader walked over, "Excellent. Bring the van around and tie these two sluts up. We'll take them and the money back too our Queen with us." Sort laid on the ground, paralyzed from head-to-toe. The poison from the bee was strong. About all she had control of were her eyes. She could still feel things, she could still feel, and she felt every pinch, grab, and fondle. The henchmen blindfolded the duo before carrying them off to the van and loading up. They were very hands-on. Fingers roamed up and down the both of them. Sort would almost of rather have passed out completely to avoid the cognition of the unwanted attention. The worse part was she could feel her body heating up, wanting more than she was getting. The feelings were intense beyond words. This was NOT how she had imagined spending her VR vacation... Jake was in the same boat as her friend, paralyzed but able to feel everything. She moaned heavily as she was trussed up, bringing her arms behind her back before tying them caused her huge breasts to push forward and seem even larger before her legs were mounded together. She can feel her new pussy moisten as they are moved into the van. Once in the van both heroines are placed back to back, the first thing Jake can think of is how soft Sort's ass feels. That drags her back to being tackled by her friend during the fight, perhaps when they get out of this Jake will need to see how far the maid in her will go. The Honey Bee's laughed and taunted their sexy bodies while they finished stripping them during the ride. From the sounds of it once they get to where ever they are going both of them are going to get railed pretty hard. The ride seemed quite short though, and it wasn't long before the van was stopping, and the doors were opening. Sora and Jake were both picked up and slung over a shoulder of a good, each wasted no time to slap those nice asses. The smell of honey was in the air as both could see that their hideout looked like it could actually be a Bee Hive. Golden honeycomb lined the walls, fortunately it didn't seem like the floors were bathed in sticky honey. Both were placed in front of a large throne, an elegant looking woman sat up on the chair flanked by two golden haired women... A Queen Bee and her guards.queen(Sort found herself on the ground, looking at the Queen Bee and her Honey Guards. The queen stroked at her septum as the worker bees surrounded the area. Even once they regained their strength, there was no way they'd be able to find their way out. There was far too many of them. The queen stood up from her throne and began to pace forward, her guards right behind her. "So these two are the ones who have been foiling my plans within the city," With each step her septum tapped the ground, "They don't look so tough now." She leaned forward and cupped Jake's face in her hand, "They look quite cute, in-fact." Her fingers traced from Jake's chin to her cheek, "Too cute to waste. I could use a couple more guards to watch over me." She stood back up, a plan already formed in her mind, "Nectar and Sweet," she motioned toward her guards, "Give them the royal treatment." The two girls buzzed up into the air for a moment before landing back down, all smiles, "Of course, mistress!"" And boys," She looked toward the guards, "You do whatever you need to do to ensure they don't resist," With that, the queen once more took her seat as her people began their work. Nectar went to one and Sweet to the other. Both lowered their top to reveal their bare breast. It looked like honey was dripping from the bee-girl's nipples. Each one shoved a nipple into Jake and Sort's face, "You two drink up, and before long you'll be one of us~" Jake was down next to Sort as the Queen walked around the two of them, just by looking at the Queen and her guards she could feel her pussy gush with need. She thought that Sort was one of the hottest women in the simulation but the three here in front of them were equally hot if not more so. Her head almost instinctual pushed her check into that hand that cupped her face, she was barely able to hold back her moan as her eyes shot daggers (lustful daggers) back at the Queen. She struggled with at her bonds for a bit, her huge tits shook. "We'll never join you." She spat back, "Once we get free...*ugh* we'll take you down." She tried to boast as their bonds refused to budge. They might loosen in time but with the gang members who brought them in quickly moved over the heroines and held them down while Nectar and Sweet went to them, their own expansive chests dripping with honey as they push their endowments into their faces. Jake didn't want to suck at first, but the sweet honey milk flowed down her throat as Sweet began to massage her breast to force her fluid out, Jake couldn't help but begin sucking after a few mouthfuls. The transformations would take time, it's based mostly on their chosen class's statistics, which means Sort would probably change first if they don't get out of here. A hard cock pushes against Sort and Jake's ass as the gang member behind them move lower to try and get some fun in while they do their job. Sort couldn't find will to resist. Something about the whole situation was arousing to her and, it was just a simulation, right? What was so wrong with having a little fun? She latched on to the nipple and sucked down the honey. The warm fluid filled her mouth and slipped down her throat. It was the most godly taste she'd ever had. When it hit her stomach, it was like her stomach spun in circles. The changes were already beginning for Sort. Her bosom, already generous, was beginning to blossom outward, gaining in weight and size. The honey was forming inside her. Her hair began to shimmer and shift to a matching orange tint. But it wasn't happening instantly. It was taking time, but there was no doubt it was happening. The taste of the honey made her hunger more, and she began to suck more greedily, wanting more. The man behind Jake put his firm hands on Jake's shoulders, "I'm first," No one questioned him. He was the Alpha Worker. He was built, he was strong, and he was hung. His hands moved down to Jake's hips as he began to re-position himself for his first thrust. Like Sort, Jake was slowly losing his desire to resist as the honey flowed past her plump lips but unlike the ninja maid Jake wasn't changing as quickly, in fact Sort's breasts would almost be the size of her own before they'd begin to grow. Even with the slower physical changes though the Alpha behind her was speeding along the mental changes, she was so wet that his first thrust would meet little resistance as he began to pound into her. That first thrust also snapped Jake's eyes wide open as what she would have thought would have been pain and nerves was actually pleasure and contentment. Her wide hips and contradictory pussy eagerly excepted her first cock then seemed to demand more as she wiggled enticingly to get the man to fuck her in earnest. Sora would find herself quickly in a different position, the workers wanted to access those growing tits so they helped the Nectar maneuver the changing woman down onto her back. That honey tit never left her hot mouth as they moved, suddenly Sort would find her head in the Honey Guard's lap as a pair of lips seemed to attach themselves to her own nipples, sucking away as fingers pushed into her new assets. Meanwhile, down at her own loins she'd feel another worker run his wet tongue up and down her slit, lapping at her wetness before taking the tip of his tongue and began rooting around for her hidden clit. Not that Sort would necessarily know, but these workers were well-trained as failing to please the Queen never left them with a second chance to try. She'd quickly realize that being eaten out is a fairly decent compromise for not getting a hard cock in her slit. The Alpha behind Jake wasted no time in sampling the pleasantries before him. His hands dug into Jake's plump ass, "You may just become my favorite." He grabbed onto Jake's hips and gave a deep thrust. His penetration was deep and quick. It was like he had been sucked in by Jake's eager pussy, "Looks like you are eager for it. Youwantthis, don't you?" He grinned, pulled back, and thrust in once again. This time, after he pulled out, he stopped. He leaned in and whispered into Jake's ear, "Maybe I should go play with your friend, and leave you all alone. Unless, perhaps, you can convince me how much you want it." Sora drank down the warm fluid as quick as she could suck it into her mouth. She was craving it, it was like an addiction. Her body churned with a warm change, desiring the change that was being forced upon her. She was flipped over and put into position without an ounce of effort. She felt the two mouth latch onto her nipples, and she wanted to resist. Not because her body didn't want it, but she didn't want to share. The honey was hers. When the lips began to suck, she could feel the honey churning inside her... but it wasn't leaving. It was moving, speeding up the changes. Then the tongue came, the tongue that caused ripples of pleasure throughout her honey-filled body. She was in heaven. Jake didn't just moan when the Alpha pulled out of her tight pussy she whimpered, her lips still attacked to Sweet's nipple drinking down as much honey as she could. That meant that all she could do to entice the Alpha is wiggled her hips at him and whimper like a whore and hope that he decides to pound her hoping wet pussy. The honey though continued to do its job, her already large breasts were expanding while they were being turned into honey sacks. It wouldn't be long before her nipples would be touching the floor and then soon the rest of her tits would be too. Jake though was finding it quite hard to complain about any of this. Who knew that being a woman could feel this good. That tongue brought Sort to almost unheard of heights as it turned her quivering mound into a hot swampy wetland between her thighs. Occasionally the lips would remove itself from her pussy and find her clit, teasing and sucking on that hard nub before returning to her needy folds. The lips on her breasts quickly added pairs of hands into the mix, they kept kneading her growing boobs in an attempt to keep the honey working on her body. It was akin to kneading dough than anything else, still it did its job the honey she continued to suck down was finding it's way to her boobs and ass. It looks like the two heroines of Justice were losing this battle.

Corrupted Virtual Worlds (MVO and Evalon)|rating:3.0

Faulty Wiring (Serter and deliliah)

Dreams... Fragments... A man and a woman sharing an evening together. It's not even really like a memory, almost like a picture. Then men in suits breaking in the door... again its like a still image. A declaration of owed money, and she is taken out. There is a flood f images most that don't make sense, sometimes she's naked, sometimes in a cell... The woman was sitting in a dark cell hearing discussions of radical treatments. If these dreams she understood much of the use of chemicals they were talking about... she was a scientist herself with four PhD in various biology and chemistry fields. And what was said... it horrified her... And then there were four men holding her down... Locking her arms, legs and waist, and neck down so she was completely immobile. She struggled, but nothing gave, not the restraints, not the concern of the men in white coats and black aprons in the room. She felt the restraints so vividly, digging into her. As she thrashed about. She screamed and yelled obscenities... and then they gagged her... Not that she was going to make it any easier... an electronic buzzing started, and a voice echoed across the room “we can't afford to keep bringing you subjects doctor, this one better take...” The tone was cold, and as frightening as it was to her, the men in the room, seemed even more terrified. A device was placed over her face, literally made to hold her eyes open... She couldn't blink... She bit at the gag, pulled... then came the spray in her eyes... Her eyes were paralyzed... She could feel, she could see, but they were relaxed, dilated... and looking only straight ahead... she saw a needle coming down at her... and then it touched her eye... then pierced it... Candi was sitting up in bed breathing heavily... She looked over and saw her husband, and felt relief that she had not woken him up... It was a weird dream that has woken her up for the last four nights. She slowly got out of bed, walked to the kitchen and had a glass of water. She went to the bathroom, and looked at herself in the mirror. The woman from her dream contrasted to her so much. 'The lady doctor/prisoner' had red hair while Candy had blond. The lady had had these thin boring lips, while Candy had full and sexy lips that were made to make men fantasize about her. It made her smile. That lady had a boringly thin body small breasts, whereas Candy had a thin body, but has a magnificent ass, and fantastic tits. She giggled at the thought, 'tits,' it made her aroused, she loved showing off her tits. She laid back down, open a drawer and took out her headphones and listened. They helped her to relax, it was 2am... she had to wake her husband at 6, so she set her own alarm. And closed her eyes...her eyes opened, she was relaxed and happy. It was 5:30. She got up and went to the bathroom, she started doing her makeup, put her hair into pigtails, which would hold over until her husband was done and gone to work. Soon, it was 5:58, she shut off her husband's alarm clock, she didn't understand why he insisted on using it, she always wakes hm up, for as long as she could remember, never failing... But he insisted. But she was a good wife, loving, cherishing and obedient... Plus she wasn't smart enough to really disagree. She just knew she should serve...6:00 she lifted off his blankets... he already had morning wood... she was going to wake him up with a blow job as she had the previous morning, but something changed. And she crawled over him... She took a hold of his manhood, and lowered herself onto it... And started moving up and down hoping he would enjoy the sight as he woke up... {"light box_close": "Close", "light box_next": "Next", "light box_previous": "Previous", "light box_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.", "light box_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow", "light box_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow", "light box_full_screen": "Full screen", "light box_thumbnails": "Thumbnails", "light box_download": "Download", "light box_share": "Share", "light box_zoom": "Zoom", "light box_new_window": "New window", "light box_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"} The subtle shifting of the bed, the feeling of his covers being pulled away, the touch of warm soft skin against his hips and then pressure of small hands, sharp manicured nails sinking into his stomach, the sensations bled through from his conscious mind into his dreaming one. The sensations on something warm and tight, sheathing over his cock, drawing a groan of pleasure from him as his mind was pulled from his dreams back to reality. His eyes fluttered open and his head, facing the wall of bay windows overlooking the city, turned to face the lovely girl bouncing up and down in his lap. A small smile crept over his lip as the events of the past few days returned to him, his smile becoming wider, turning into a wicked grin as his hips began to rock and thrust beneath her, moving on their own agency, barely being moved by his conscious mind as he ran his right hand slowly up her perfect skin, over her breast, and capturing her permanently perky nipple between thumb and forefingers, a small platinum wedding band around his ring finger shining in the ray of cascading sunlight pushing through the drawn blinds. Twisting softly and tugging gently as his hips bucked beneath her, and he smiled at her heavily makeup caked face. "Mmm...good morning baby" he mumbled, still half awake though waking rapidly as he gave her nipple a twist, eliciting a squeal of pleasure from her and sending her motions, rhythmic and sensual, into something more urgent and lustful. He had meant to call her by her name but in the fog of morning, his brain couldn't quite recall what he had named her, so baby would have to do until he remembered. His left hand, resting on the soft mattress until now, slid down to her knee and then began to crawl up her thigh. His rough, calloused hand caressed her thigh as it slid up to her hip and around, gripping a firm handful of her asses and tugging as he gave his hips a sudden jerk up and forward, eliciting another head thrown back scream from his plaything. It had been what? 3 days, no, four, today was the fourth day since he had taken delivery of her and still he couldn't help but grope at these wonderful, if enhanced, breasts, his fingers digging into her perky breast as his thumb and finger rolled her nipple all while she bounced up and down on him, her kinky little pigtails bouncing along with her other breast. The money he had spent on her was, in his humble opinion, well spent, he could have any woman he wanted really, but this was different in some kind of wrong, but oh so erotic way. After her, he knew he could never go back to women, not that she was anything so science fiction as a robot, we weren't that far just yet, but she was something close. Lacking all will of her own, living to obey and serve, she was his $250,000,000 living fuck toy. That's how much he had paid to the shell company who had made him the offer and had delivered her, who they were a shell for was anybodies guess. He knew with his resources he could have found out, but he also knew anyone who could do THIS to her, could probably do terrible things to him and money was no good if you didn't have a brain. James Escheator was a name that maybe not everyone would know of the tops of their heads, not like celebrities that everyone gossiped over, but 8 years ago when he had been on the cover of every tech magazine for the sale of his robotics company for 39 billion dollars, well he had been the talk of the town for a few weeks there, before some celebrity had a nip slip or got sent back to rehab and his brief time in the spotlight had passed. James had been happy to slip into obscurity, pursuing small projects here and there, to invest money in to and to keep himself busy, but he mostly kept to himself, and now that he had this living, breathing, sex machine whose only goal in life was to do whatever he asked, he doubted he'd be getting out of his penthouse much in the coming weeks, not as long as he wore the platinum band around his finger, the one that matched the band on her own hand. As it had been explained to him, whoever wore the matching ring to hers, she obeyed, lovingly, obediently, unquestioningly, and would until the wearer of the ring took the ring off, someone else put it on, or the highly unlikely chance or so they had told him, she blew a...metaphorical fuse which was possible as she was their first success...but they assured him that was....unlikely.... James licked his lower lip, eyeing and- candle!, yes that was what he had named her, he stared lewdly at candle's pleasure filled face and as she bounced up and down atop him, his cock throbbed inside her, and he couldn't last much longer, James for all his brains wasn't much of a looker, he wasn't in super great shape and while he wasn't fat, he wasn't going to run the New York City Marathon. He felt his toes curling against the soles of his feet as she bounced away, his hand on her hips migrating up to her other breast, squeezing both of her big, fake, wonderful tits as he bucked his hips below her as he panted softly, his hips bucking up to meet hers as her tight cunt swallowed him again and again and again. She felt the muscles in her pussy tighten around his cock as she bounced up and down. She heard his voice, "Good morning sweetie... but hopefully it'll be a great morning in just a couple of minutes." followed by a giggle... She continued to bounce up and down. It was important that he really enjoyed himself. She wanted him to cum s desperately because she was his wife, and it was her duty to be the best lover for him... She wanted to feel him fill her up, and see that look on his face when he was cumming. Furthermore, she leaned down and put her hands on his shoulders for support and started speeding up the thrusting moves, up and down, faster and faster. Have I ever told you how much I love the way you stretch me out?" She felt his hips bucking a bit, and felt he was coming close. She increased her own moans, letting him know how close she was to cumming. "Cum in me James... I need you..." She let out a long moan... Though truthfully she would never cum until he did. James moaned in reply to her words, the truth was he didn't stretch her out, he wasn't small, but he didn't have anything to brag about, she was just programmed to be satisfying in any and every way imaginable, whoever had mindfucked her had done a great job filling her with hot 1 liner of encouragement that helped drive him to orgasm. James bucked his hips beneath hers, biting his lower lip, eyes closed as the bed groaned lightly as she rode him with increasing urgency. His back was arching, the back of his head pressing into the soft mattress as urged him to cum in her. There is something about those words, when a woman asks you to cum in her, in that soft, enticing, whispery voice, there is no refusal, your body betrays you no matter how skilled a lover you are, and jams was far from Olympic quality, So when candle whispered for him to cum in her, he did, hard. With a deep groan, James thrust his hips up as he tugged her hips down, she was already mid-bounce anyway so as she slammed down onto his cock and he came, the pair of them came together. There was some special trick to that he hadn't quite figured out yet, somehow, whenever he came, so would she. As he groaned beneath his brainwashed fuckboy, his balls emptying inside of her as she squealed pleasantly onto of him, jams let out a soft gasp and then his entire body went slack, collapsing to the mattress and panting softly as he came down from his intense, if quick, orgasm. "Thankyou baby" he panted, feeling his toys writhing onto of him, riding out the end of her own climax. She looked at her husband with adoration, he was the most wonderful man on the planet, she wasn't sure how she got so lucky to be married to him. Even now he looked at her with new eyes. They had been married for months and still the way that he looked at her, it was lie they had been dating for a week... but then she felt it, he was coming... And then she felt hers, she couldn't stop herself if she wanted, she started cumming too. She let out a little shriek. Her orgasms were always so intense. Her abdomen tensed and so did her pussy, and she had convulsions she struggled to control. But she tried her best to milk his cock... until he was done. She had to. It was her duty... When she was sure he was done, she rolled to his side, and fell over... Breathing deeply trying to control her breathing, and end her own orgasm... "I swear to god you are the most amazing lover in the world, how did I ever get so lucky?" She giggled and then kissed him on the cheek... "Love you so much, James..." and she did, he was so much more than she deserved. She knew she would do anything for him. And she laid back again for a moment... Why are you not serving? She gasped as she realized she was relaxing too much for her husband, he deserved more... "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laying down like this..." She again rolled out of bed... "I know you have to go to the meeting for eight. Would you like me to make you breakfast? Or start your shower? Get some clothes for you?" James laid there on his enormous bed, panting with sweat glistening on his chest and forehead as candle rolled off of him, her still convulsing pussy sliding off of his cock with a wet sucking sound as she rolled off of him and collapsed to the bed at his side. The pair laid there for brief moments before candle suddenly sat up and started to move for the side of the bed, rambling off his tasks for the day and asking what he needed. Her dutiful servitude brought a smile to his face as he turned his head and watched the shapely woman. Seemingly sculpted with a knife to be every physical desire a man could want, quite literally sculpted, and he licked his lips considering taking a later meeting and having her again after his breakfast for a more thorough and lengthy bit of fun. "Start my shower" he told her, watching her scamper off naked and jiggling softly. He would never have allowed her in the kitchen anyway, now that he himself spent much time there, he had a live-in cook who would prepare all his meals, as well as any late night snacks he had, which his soft stomach attested too. Lucas, his cook, would be preparing breakfast soon, it occurred to jams he had yet to let candle out of the living quarters of his home. James rented out half of the top floor of a massive high rise in downtown L.A., the view of the city, when it wasn't smoggy, was wonderful, especially on rainy days. His home, more of a complex really, included his bedroom, his living room which accounted for nearly 6,000 square feet with several televisions mounted on various walls and a sunken area in the center with couches and chairs, it was more for guests when he threw elaborate parties, but the space was nice. The complex had an entire kitchen much like what you would find in a restaurant plus walk-in freezer and pantry, 5 full bathrooms, 2 with hot tubs, living quarters for his live-in chef which comprised 3 smaller rooms, a bedroom, a den, and a bathroom of his own that was still the size of a lavish apartment all on its own, as well as the large amount of balcony space overlooking the city. In the 4 days since the 2 paramilitary men in black suits showed up with a glassy eyed woman and a box with a platinum ring in it, he had barely left his bedroom, and when he did candle always offered to perform her varied tasks though he always let her start his shower, then he would eat breakfast served to them by Lucas, and he would send her back to the bedroom, telling her to stay there and keep herself amused while he was away. He had really no idea what, if anything, went through her mind when he wasn't there, he assumed it sounded something like white noise, but he didn't really know, as a joke on the second day he had left for lunch and when she asked if she could come with he told her no and that she could just play with herself until he got back. He had not thought about the literal was she accepted every order and when he returned she was quite exhausted and dehydrated as well as very sore, he had been careful with his commands since. James pulled himself out of bed after a minute and walked into the bathroom, finding candle waiting patiently in the bathroom as steam billowed out of the large standing shower, a smile plastered on her face as she eagerly awaited her next order. James sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head, starting to realize already that the girls constant need to satisfy was, while at first, adorable and sexy, quickly becoming a nuisance when expressed outside the bedroom. He didn't really want to shower with her and while he could have told her to just wait in the bedroom he waved a dismissive hand at her as he started to undress. "Go see if Lucas needs any help, he should be in the kitchen". He saw a blank look on her face that seemed to read 'error' and he realized his mistake, he hadn't actually introduced her to Lucas yet, the men before had been very clear that outside of satisfying her husband, her mental processes were limited. "Go into the kitchen, you'll find a man in there preparing breakfast, his name is Lucas, whatever he asks you to do, do it". As she started to leave he spun around and added quickly "get dressed first" adding "for fuck's sake" under his breath after she left as he climbed into the wonderfully hot shower. He told her to go and start the shower. She smiled excitedly, the way he told her, she enjoyed being told what to do. "Okay my love." she blew him a kiss and walked off to the adjoining bathroom. She stopped in the bathroom door and looked back at him, she saw him looking at her lustfully, and it made her smile... he was wonderful... So kind, and loving and generous... She opened the door, and reached in and turned on the water and held her arm in it until it warmed up to a nice hot temperature. She wondered what her husband would have her do? Go put together his outfit for the day? She was knowledgeable on fashion, every good wife should be... Maybe help him wash, get those hard to reach areas? Or would he have her just stand there and hold a towel like he did yesterday?he walked in. he seemed pleased. He looked like he was about to step in, and told her to help Lucas... he might be in the kitchen. She was confused, who was Lucas, and what was he doing in the kitchen? Then James clarified. "Oh, okay!" She started walking out, ad heard his last words about putting on clothes for fuck's sake. She went to the closet and started thinking what would be good clothes to fuck in? Maybe lingerie? Yup definitely lingerie... A few minutes later she emerged from the closet wearing a pink see-thru négligée... it practically screamed 'fuck me' she hoped her husband would again... She made her way to the kitchen... she looked around, and clearly there was no one here. She looked around, all it was a small refrigerator and microwave with a small drawer of kitchen utensils. But then her eyes widened as she realized he might have meant the big kitchen. She walked down the hall and through the swinging metal doors and saw a man. He seemed to know exactly who she was, but froze as he looked at that she was wearing, "good morning Mrs. Escheator." She paused, "Mrs. Escheator..." there was confusion until she realized he was addressing her as the wife... Her name was 'Candy Escheator...' of course it was, strange how that seemed so alien a moment ago. "My husband told me to come down and help you..." He seemed surprised, and almost annoyed, but not entirely. He had her wash some salad and cut an onion. He seemed blown away when she cut an onion and diced it up in seconds as i she were a professional cook. He asked her where she learned it, she giggled, "I'm a good wife, good wives know how to cook for their husbands." He laughed and took a step back and touched his finger to a frying pan. "Fuck me!" Candi jumped up, "Well first, let's take care of that..." She took his hand, then his finger and took the first aid it and helped put a burn treatment on it, then a bandage... "Now..." She pushed him back onto the chair... He asked her what she was doing, and she smiled, "Fucking you." He asked about her husband, "It's what he sent me down here for. He wants me to fuck you." he was still nervous, "Don't you think I'm pretty?" he nodded silently, "Do you like my tits?" He again nodded, and she used her hands to pull his hands up to her breasts, and then her hands moved to his pants. He seemed to ask questions, and she dismissed them just as easily, but she could feel him getting hard as her hands played inside his pants... she pulled it out. And lifted herself up, and then lowered herself down on it... she bounced up and down. Lucas got over his nervousness and started facing back. She was not quiet either. She was loud, and was performing, she knew there were cameras in the kitchen, and if her husband watched later, she wanted him to see that she was doing her best for him... Lucas did not last long, and she felt him cumming... She came too, but it was a shadow of the one she had with her husband... She looked down at Lucas and smiled, "That was fun..." then she saw something and looked up, her husband was in the doorway, she was confused by his facial expression. "Hi my love, I did perfect. First I got dressed for fucks like you told me too... and then I found Lucas. He asked me to wash a salad, and I did it, then I cut an onion, and he was impressed... then he burnt himself and sad 'fuck me,' so I bandaged him up and fucked him... Did I do good?" She looked up at hm with hopeful eyes, she was an obedient housewife who lived to make her husband happy, she hoped he wouldn't be mad that she bandaged him before fucking him, since he didn't tell her to... She just wanted him to say something to encourage her. Then she felt something between her legs and looked down at Lucas, "wow! You got soft really fast..." James took a long shower, one of the greatest pleasures in his life was taking long, hot showers, as a child he had often drained the meager water tank in his parents house and often got yelled at for doing it by his brothers or father. The shower he stood in was large, 10 feet by 8 feet, with multiple shower heads so all he had to do was stand there and steaming water cascaded over him from all sides. About 5 minutes into his shower he heard a faint sound that he thought might have been a person yelling, but he didn't hear it again and shrugged it off, returning to just standing beneath the multiple streams of water, rolling his neck side to side to loosen knots and massaging bunched muscles in his back from the past few wild days with candle. His mind returned to the initial deal he had made for her, a clandestine meeting with a representative of some company who was seeking funding for a series of projects, asking for large sums in exchange for potential products in the following months. The representative had been dodgy on what jams had considered key details, but the basic idea was laid out. In exchange for his money, he would receive the first 'prototype' of a new type of 'full service automaton' which to his ears sounded like fancy words for 'sex robot'. The representative assured him it was nothing so crude but similar, though sex wasn't it's only function, just the main selling point, it would be the first in a new wave of high class servant, and he would be able to say he owned one first. Standing in the shower, jams grinned to himself, he sure had been shocked when the 2 men showed up with a very 'real' girl with them, dressed like a porn star and with nothing ever passable as consciousness in her eyes as she walked in with the men, for a moment jams had thought she WAS a robot from the way she moved, but there was no way, he had been about to call his own personal security and have them walked out when one man set the box with the ring down on the counter and explained what it did, how it worked, how 'she' worked, though they never referred to her as she, they called her 'the prototype' adding as level of inhumanity to her that unsettled jams. 4 days later, jams wasn't unsettled anymore, in truth something deep down inside him was getting off on the idea that this girl was less than human, a twisted part of his psyche that enjoyed knowing this girl was his servant, no, his slave, and she loved him for it. James had pondered where she had come from at first, but had decided that information was probably best left alone. James could hear the moans from halfway through the house as he walked towards the kitchen, he knew immediately what it was, though he didn't know how, glancing at the ring still on his finger he couldn't understand what had happened and as he stormed through the house and burst into the kitchen to see candle riding in Lucas's lap, her head thrown back just as jams entered with the both of them cumming and all he could do was glare. Once candle noticed him, and she began to rattle off the situation as it had transpired with all the bright-eyed excitement of a child explaining to their parent that had done something good, jams realized his mistake but still couldn't restrain his anger, how stupid was this girl really? He didn't care at that moment that she took commands literally, that her mental processing was...off, all he cared about was that, in a very childish sort of rage, Lucas had fucked 'his' toy."candle go back into the bedroom" he told her, his tone cold, as she began to obey she started to speak, to say something. "Shut up!" he barked at her, and she did, but he could see she was hurt as she complied, walking past him and out of the kitchen. James eyes returned to Lucas and a 10-minute rant began ending in jams angrily telling Lucas he was fired and nearly throwing the young man into the private elevator when the little shit had the balls to try and make excuses. James struck Lucas in the mouth with a punch that he was almost sure broke one of the kids teeth, but also definitely broke at least one of his fingers as well. After the elevator doors closed, and he was satisfied the little prick bastard was gone, jams returned to the bedroom. Storming back into his bedroom jams found candle standing in the middle of the room waiting for him, she looked worried, but she didn't speak, she couldn't still due to his prior command, and he decided he liked it that way for now. "Stay here until I come back" he looked her up and down once then winced as his finger throbbed. Glancing down, jams saw his ring finger was definitely broken, his finger swelling around the platinum ring. Heading into the bathroom, he soaped up his hand as gently as he could, wincing every time he so much as nudged his ring finger, but he managed to slowly work the ring off of his still swelling finger with only a few tears filling the corners with his eyes. James headed back to the bedroom and looked at candle who stood there watching him, his hand was throbbing now, he couldn't ignore it, wincing with every beat of his heart as it pulsed pain from his finger and with a huff of annoyance he headed back for the door. James was down the elevator and headed out towards the front of the building, his driver waiting for him to take him to a business lunch, meanwhile in the public bathroom on the buildings first floor, Lucas washed the blood out of his mouth and glared hatefully in the mirror, angry Mr. Escheator wouldn't listen to him, it was HIS weird robot wife who came on to him, what was he supposed to do? She said he had told her too... James had been home when the men had arrived to deliver the woman, he knew all about her, what she was, that she was some poor-brainwashed girl who was being abused, Lucas was going to go to the papers, the news, anybody, he was going to ruin Mr. Escheator, but first he wanted to go back upstairs and tell him so, he wasn't going to miss an opportunity to demand compensation, maybe for a couple million dollars he wouldn't tell everyone and their mother that James Escheator owned a kidnapped and mentally abused girl that he kept locked up in his penthouse. His key card still worked, so security must not have gotten around to wiping his clearance yet, as the doors to the penthouse opened, Lucas stepped into the entry hall and looked around. "Mr. Escheator!" he called out, trying to put the most steel into his voice he could as he walked into the house, no reply. Lucas walked through the penthouse from room to room calling for jams, but no answer came, had he already left? Well if so a little minor theft might make Lucas feel a little better, that prick wouldn't notice after all. "Mr. Escheator!!!" he called again as he entered the living room, still no answer. Finally, Lucas entered the bedroom and froze, seeing Mrs. Esc ha- candle standing there, her eyes were locked on him but she neither move nor spoke. Lucas watched her, but she just watched him back, Mr. Escheator must have told her to 'stay' or something, Lucas walked past her and towards the bathroom seeing the door closed. "Mr. Escheator?" Lucas asked, knocking on the door, when no answer came he opened the door and looked inside, nobody there. Lucas was just closing the bathroom door when something glinted and caught his eyes...the platinum ring. It lay on the marble sink, Lucas watched it with curious eyes, why had Mr. Escheator left it? He glanced over his shoulder at candle, her eyes were aimed towards him, but her head still hadn't moved, no part of her had. Slowly Lucas walked into the bathroom and stared at the ring, he had been here when the men had arrived, had stayed in his room, but he had listened, heard them explain the girl, and the ring... Picking up the platinum ring off the sink, Lucas walked back into the bedroom and slowly came to stand in front of candle. She stared back at him and a small wicked smile crept across the young men lips. Slowly, Lucas slid the ring on his finger then held up his hand before candle's eyes so she could see it. "Candie..." he spoke "you may speak now, tell me, who is your husband?". He waited for her answer, wondering if it was really so easy. She looked at him, he almost seemed upset. He told her to go back to the bedroom. She looked down at Lucas as she grabbed his shoulders and pushed herself back onto her feet. And then walked around him and towards her husband who was blocking the door. "Do you-" she was cut off as he silenced her. Her head dropped as she realized he was mad at her. She suddenly felt devastated. This was the man she loved more than anything. The man she was devoted to, loved, cherished, and obeyed... And he was mad at her for doing what he asked her to do... She felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she stayed silent. She heard a scuffle. She wanted to go and make sure James was okay, but she didn't want to upset him more by disobeying him. A minute later he came into the bedroom, clearly in pain. She turned to help him, she was trained in basic first aid after all like a good wife should... But he told her to stay there... So as a good wife, she did. But then it hit her... a strange dysphoria... her body was barely moving... her mind seemed to fade.... to . Nothing... She was aware... her body wouldn't move... Candace was conscious. She hadn't been for a while it seemed, but she couldn't move her body. Whatever chemical cocktail and that strange implant they but in her head seemed to make her a prisoner in her own body. It was weird, analytically speaking, she acted as if she had been lobotomized, but her mind was functioning pretty well... She had women from the procedure, and she had been like this. for two or three days, until they lifted her up and brought her to a high rise in the middle of the night... They put a ring on her finger, and then... she was here... She met that man, and they UT a ring o his finger, and she started to black out until just a few minutes ago. A door opened, she struggled so hard, and moved her chin just slightly... her eyes moved normally though... that was the man... he stormed out of the room. Was this a chance to escape? She wasn't sure... She tried to step forward, but couldn't move her feet... It was so frustrating. He focused on simple muscle movements... She could feel her finger twitch. An accomplishment. A few minutes passed, and the door opened, another man walked in... She didn't know him. She was cared for a moment, what if he tried to rape her? But then she was suddenly aware of the sensations between her legs... She had sex recently... and in fact she was pretty sure she felt semen running down her thigh... ewe gross... he was gone, into the bathroom. He came out a moment later. Dammit why couldn't she make her legs move? He had this creepy as fuck smile on his face and he put the ring on his finger... 'Wait is that the trigger?' she thought to herself. But her eyes started fluttering. 'No. No wait... I just need a . Little more time...' It felt like Candace was falling asleep... Candi's eyes stopped fluttering... She looked at her husband... and heard his question. She leaned in and kissed him, "You of course, my love." Lucas stood stunned, not that he hadn't expected any other answer, the instructions by those men had been very clear, whoever wore the ring, she would obey, but there was still a reeling sense of amazement it had worked, really, truly worked. There are moments in life where you know something is true, yet it is so profoundly...wrong that your brain doesn't accept it immediately, a death, winning the lottery, a girl suddenly obeying you because you were wearing a shiny metal ring. Lucas grinned widely, wide like a child, and he had to restrain himself from actually jumping and clapping, laughing out loud and cheering, this was incredible!. Lucas couldn't wipe the smile from his face, it was stuck like it had been glued on, he tried to think clearly but all that kept returning to his mind was that she obeyed him!. "Ok..." he said, speaking to himself out loud, his eyes going to the floor, then moving about as he thought quickly. His brain kept returning, as it had over the past half hour, to the 10 minutes in the kitchen, he had been so worried and confused he hadn't really given much back, he wanted to correct that mistake and now that jams would be gone for a few hours, and he had this beautiful fuckboy standing in front of him his very male brain could not think of any plan or action better than satisfying his need to feel her again as well as get some bit of petty revenge on jams. Lucas turned in a full circle, eyeing every part of the room, somehow so overwhelmed with excitement and adrenaline fueled panic he couldn't find the massive bed for a moment before finding it right where it had always been. He wanted to fuck her in Mr. Escheator's bed, it was petty and unimaginative for revenge but at the moment he just desperately wanted to cum in her again, cum all over her, do anything he could to both enjoy himself and spoil Mr. Escheator's toy in the most childish way possible. Lucas stepped past candle and slapped her ass as he passed heading for the bed, not looking back to her, he spoke aloud "come to bed lover, I need you". Her smile grew wider because of the way he looked at her. She wanted to please the most important person in her life, and that smile said she was pleasing him. He started with an 'ok' but seemed confused for a moment. He looked around. She watched him curiously... He was looking for something, she was about to ask him what she could do to help, but then he seemed to find it... his purpose. She giggled when he slapped her ass. She wanted to encourage him. And he was on the bed so quickly. He invited her to bed. She faked a frown. "But I'm supposed to say that to you." She giggled again as she walked closer to him. She felt herself getting wet, very wet as she looked at her husband a lust for him building up that could only be matched by her love ad devotion to him. She walked to the bed, slowly, swinging her hips to tease him a bit, an exaggerated walk that only screamed how much she wanted him to fuck her. She looked at him on the bed, and slowly crawled up on to the bed, making sure he could see cleavage that her lingerie ha made as she crawled to him. Furthermore, she stopped when she reached his crotch. And her hand slowly moved to touch it, and she leaned down and licked the underside of it. "Have I ever told you how amazing your cock is?" "I can't believe this, it's so surreal but so fucking hot!" Lucas thought to himself as he went to the bed and laid back on it, perching himself on his elbows behind him as he watched her come to him, hips swaying. "No but you really should" he responded, leaning his head back, letting his eyes fall closed, and the wide grin spread across his face as he laid back on the bed, his hand moving down to rest on the back of her head as he felt the button on his pants pop undone, her delicate and dexterous fingers working towards his cock. His hand came to rest on the top and back of her blond head as he felt and hear his zipper of his jeans coming down. A groan escaped his lips at the feeling of her soft hand fishing inside his boxers, and then a soft gasp and low moan, slowly rising from within his chest as the sensation of hot breathe, wet lips, and an amazing tongue sliding over his cock, enveloping him followed as he groaned, running his fingers through her hair as he grinned, listening to the wet sounds and soft mewling moans coming from her as she served him, her 'husband' on Mr. Escheators bed, "what a wonderful bit of payback" Lucas thought to himself as his hips bucked softly, and his free hand groped at the soft bedsheets beneath him.

Faulty Wiring (Serter and deliliah)|rating:2.0

The Tributes (lunar wolf & MsBloom)

'Serena rushed home after picking some flowers for her mother only to stop when she spotted men from the village standing outside her home. Watching as her father spoke to them Allison felt her stomach drop when she heard what they were talking about "it is only right that your child goes to the dragons this time every other family has given up their child for the dragon's protection and your family can no longer claim not to send a tribute. We will be back on her 18th birthday to claim her and send her up to the dragons so be ready" Serena watched as they left, and her father turned to her his eyes sad. Dropping the flowers she raced into his arms and cried. Her father knew she had heard their words, and he knew that she was scared. "Calm little one your mother and I will help you so that you can hide your true self from the dragons we will make sure you can act human so no one ever suspects anything." Serena nodded her head and then went inside with him so that she could start learning everything she needed to survive.' Serena stretched as the carriage rocked on its journey up the mountain to the dragon kingdom and frowned at the daydream she had just had as it was more memory than anything. The people had decided that she would be the one to go even though her family line would end with her as her father and mother had both passed away without having any more children even begging them hadn't worked two years ago so she hadn't bothered to argue when they had come for her. Serena shifted so she could try and sleep better after shaking the remnants of the dream away, but it seemed like the people hauling her up there enjoyed keeping her awake even though they knew she needed the rest. Serena knew if she didn't sleep soon that she would not be able to do her duties once she arrived at the castle. Not that she knew what they were. It seemed like no one knew what a tribute would do in a castle filled with dragons. Serena was a slim girl and had always been that way the hair which she always kept dirty was a unique midnight blue in color which matched the scales she had when in her dragon form. Unlike other dragons, her mother was a vampire so along with eating food once or twice a week she had to feed off living animals in order to survive because of this her eyes had a pink color rather than a normal blue, brown, or green like everyone else. Alexander looked over the files sitting on his desk each was a dossier on the tributes coming from each of the eight cities surrounding their mountains. With a groan, he got up and walked to his brother's office at the other end of the castle. There wasn't a day he wished he was the king as it stood until his brother had an heir he was the crown prince. Walking through the black marble halls Alexander looked at the various painting each of them showed a dragon and then the king who shifted to that dragon. When he reached his brothers' office he stood and looked at their late father and then sighed, and then he turned and knocked on his brother's door. At a towering 6 foot 6, Alexander was the second-tallest dragon in the kingdom and unlike most other dragons he kept his hair long and tied back, and when he married he would cut it off Millennia ago, before Humans begun to settle around the mountains surrounding the kingdom of Dragon shifters, an archaic dragon lay down near the foot of the mountain. He was mortally wounded, after dueling the ancestral root of the Dragon kings, and died there. Soon after a rare if not entirely unique fungus took root in the corpse. Drawing nourishment from the rotting flesh it grew until one day a young noble from Can-Wyhl the Southernmost of the settlements that had grown into vast cities under the protection of the Dragon kings spilled his seed in self-molestation on top of what he believed to be nothing more than a large slab of rock. To his surprise the seed was immediately sucked into the smooth surface and the ground began to change in color. Nine months later he rode past the same spot with his newly-wed wife only to find an egg-like growth protruding from the very ground. As the two stopped to examine this strange shape it cracked and inside was an infant child of indeterminable gender. They took the child home and raised it as their daughter. Now eighteen years later the time has come for a new generation of tributes to be sent to the Dragon kings and Made has been selected by the high council of Can-Wyhl. It had been a long arduous journey. Even if the carriage that took her to the kingdom of Dragons was comfortable enough the mountain roads were not, less and less so the higher up they got but then as they reached the pass that marked the entrance to the kingdom of those protecting their homes the road changed and became a carefully laid black marble road. The ride was now smoother, no more discomforting than any road in Can-Wyhl. The destination however was one that filled her with both dread and anticipation. No one truly knew what happened to the tributes after they were dropped off at the gates at the end of the mountain pass. No other Human had been allowed beyond that point. There were all sorts of rumors going around though about the tributes becoming the main course of a hedonistic feast, or forced into sexual slavery for the amusement and procreation of the Dragon shifters, why else would the Dragon kings demand only virgin girls as tributes. There were also rumors that they were kept as maids and others that said they were treated like princesses and given a life more luxurious than they could ever have had in the cities. Made was unsure what to think, specially in the light of what her father had told her the night before, about how she had come into the world and her mixed blood. It had explained quite a bit, especially how she could lay a hand on any living thing and using mycelium being able to draw nourishment from it. It also explained the way her skin shimmered as if covered with tiny soft scales, because it was. When the carriages arrive at the mountain pass their passengers are required to get off and walk through the pass. Once they are through the pass a new carriage will be waiting for them to take them to the summit and their new lives. Serena looks at the pass when her carriage arrives and sighs before getting out of the carriage and slowly walking to the pass. Between the ride there and the lack of sleep she was exhausted, but she knew that she had to remain awake. Serena looked back at the carriage that had brought her and frowned as they hurried away. "Thanks for nothing" Serena then turned and walked through the pass. Once she was through she spotted the carriage designated for her home and headed to it climbing up and settling on the seat. With a small squeak when it started to move Serena watched as her surroundings changed from rocky inclines to lush green mountains and crystal clear rivers. When she finally arrived at the castle Serena got off the carriage and stood in line with the others while waiting for the remaining tributes. After heading the permission to enter Alexander entered his brother's office "well the tributes should all be here by night fall if that" Alexander then set all the files on the girls down on his brother's desk and looked at him waiting to see if he was even going to show at the choosing ceremony or if he would have to pick for his brother. Alexander knew his brother had a lot on his plate being the king of the dragons, but he also knew that having a tribute could help lessen the amount of work he had to do It was close to noon whence stepped off her father's carriage all dressed in a pure white dress wrapped in Ivy as was the custom of Can-Whyl on special and festive occasions. Between her breasts she three red roses, with the thorns removed, had been attached. She was basically dressed for a traditional wedding, but there was no wedding, no groom, at least not in the traditional sense. As she walked through the outer gate she felt more alone than she had ever before. Abandoned might be a more proper word and a part of her wanted to just turn around and run away. What if the worst of the rumors about the tribute were true? What if they were kept in cages and raped every day until they became with child and then after they had birthed that child had to see it claimed by its father just before being killed and prepared as the main course for the child's name-giving ceremony. The thought brought tears to her eyes and she cursed her life, cursed the day she had been born, no hatched out of the very ground. She took comfort in something her mother had said that morning while helping her dress." Remember that you are special. You are not like the other girls. Maybe the nobles of the mountain kingdom will recognize this and treat you accordingly." She also took comfort in something her father had said the night before when telling her about how she had come into the world. He had researched the hill upon which she had been found and according to old legends found by his oldest and wisest advisor that hill was all that was left of the great primordial dragon Languor who had been killed by his younger brother, the first king of the mountain kingdom. If this legend held any truth then she, Made Burwell, was directly related to the Dragon shifters' royal family, and if perhaps she did not actually have a claim to the throne she was at least to be considered nobility. At the same time her father had warned her about making any such claims for fear that it would mean the king might consider her a threat to his rule and have her killed on the spot to ensure that her lineage died out. Having passed through the inner gate Made stepped into a second carriage and was taken to the castle where she was the sixth tribute to arrive, which meant that two other girls were still to arrive before any of them were allowed to go a further. Serena looked at the other girl who arrived not long after her and nodded While most villages had traditions hers did not, and she looked like she had just come from the field. Serena then looked at the others and wished she had known that everyone would be dressed up as brides. If she had, she would have worn her mothers' wedding dress. Serena spotted the other two carriages and relaxed a little knowing soon that everything would be over, and she could live the life that someone else dictated to her. After the other carriages dropped of their tributes an older woman walked forward and looked them all over "welcome to the dragon kingdom tributes. It is well known that many of you have heard the rumors about what happens to a tribute when they arrive but let me clear a few things up. Firstly we do not kill our tributes and eat them at all, Second we do not imprison you and force you to have a child and then kill and eat you, Third, you will not be turned into a breeding machine for a dragons liking. If you are not picked by His Royal Majesty the King or His Royal Highness the Crown Prince you will be sent to either the kitchens to work the laundry room or you will become a maid. In these positions, you will be paid a fair wage for the work and on your days off you will be free to roam the village." the woman then walked up and down the line before speaking once more motioning to the maids behind her "these maids will take you to a room where you will be bathed and scrubbed clean from head to toe and then dressed in the traditional garb for the choosing Ceremony" As she arrived at the castle one girl stood out among the others. She was dressed in plain clothes rather than in the best clothes their parents had been able to find for them, most of them dressed in some form of bridal dresses as if they had been sent off to marry some foreign prince. This was possibly due to the fact that one of them would be chosen to be the king's consort, whatever that would actually mean. Marriage? At least that was the general interpretation among the cities. Xadé relaxed more and more the older woman dismissed rumor after rumor about what awaited the tributes in this new life. It did after all make more sense for the Dragon shifters to make use of them as maids, cooks or servants in general, or they would have asked for tributes more often than once per generation, once every 18th year. It was still strange though that they had specified that the tributes all had to be female. This was another thing that had begun to worry Made as she stood waiting for the final two tributes. To look at with her clothes on she was of course as feminine as all the other tributes. It was what would be discovered when she undressed and prepared for the choosing ceremony that worried her. Once she was done going over everything they needed to know the head maid sent the girls off to be cleaned and dressed for the ceremony. Once they had headed off she sent word to the king and crown prince that the girls were being prepared and that they should be ready soon. With a sigh, the woman looked to the sky and prayed that this year they would pick someone. Serena wasn't pleased to be stripped out of her clothes and then forced into a bath. Since her hair color was such a strange color she had gone out of her way to let the dirt build-up and make her hair black but now all that hard work was gone. It took several cleanings to get the dirt up from her scalp and to make her hair shine. Once they were done Serena was dressed in a pale blue strapless gown and gold bands were placed around her upper arms and ankles. Once the maids were done she was escorted to the main chamber where the ceremony would be held As she was being led to the washroom Made grew increasingly nervous about what was to be revealed to the maid in charge of cleaning her up and dressing her for the ceremony. How would she react, how would the older woman react and more significantly how would the king react to the dual nature of her sex. She of course had all the female parts, but she also had male parts and as the maid, a young dark skinned woman in her mid-thirties who had introduced herself as the previous tribute from Can-Wyhl, started to untangle the Ivy wrapped around her body, a task usually meant for the groom as part of the wedding night, she closed her eyes and simply waited for the gasp of surprise or the cry of outrage with all of what might follow. Would the Dragon court see it as an attempt at deceit, a betrayal by the high council of Can-Wyhl. It was neither because other than herself, her maid, her siblings and her parents no one knew about it. Perhaps her father and mother had discussed using it as a way to get her out of becoming a tribute, but that would have meant revealing her secret to the entire town which might have resulted in the entire family, her mother, father and two younger sisters and brethren, to be exiled. Within mere moments however a seventh person would learn about the secret. Duncan looked up at his brother as he announced the arrival of this generation of tributes. Had it already been another 18 years. He nodded as Alexander dropped the files sent by each city in regard to their tribute." I will look through these," he said and picked one at random, opening it and then waving his hand towards his brother. He wanted to be alone. Like his brother he too kept his hair long but not for the same reason. To him, it set him apart from his subjects, made him stand out among them as he walked the streets of the city below the castle, which he had not left for a few weeks now, but the main reason for it was that it made him look good. The maid who was tending to her spotted her extra pieces and shooed the other maids out before they could see “this is not good if the king or prince choose you need to be very careful if they find out you tell them the truth I am assuming that this is a birth defect” the maid shook her head and then guided her to the bath and started to scrub her clean. While she cleaned the female she tried to figure out how to handle this. Knowing the others would gossip“ should you be picked to serve the royals you will have the choice to pick a maid I ask that you pick me I will keep your secret as long as I can” Alexander nodded his head and then bowed and headed out reminding his brother that the ceremony starts in 30 minutes. Alexander did not envy his brother or the work he had to do as the king. Alexander headed back down the hall and headed to the throne room so that he would be settled and ready when the others arrived Made breathed something of a sigh of relief when the maid at least made an effort to keep her secret and she nodded when the woman assumed it was a birth defect rather than a fully functional penis, if perhaps a bit on the small side. Its functionality would become obvious as the maid scrubbed her down, not that it was necessary as such since She had been bathed by her own hand maid before getting dressed up, just a bit of road dust. When Adele, as the maid's name was, reached the pubic area with her sponge Made's penis grew hard, as it always did even with her own hand maid back home, and the young virgin blushed and bit her lip, embarrassed at the involuntary reaction. Usually her own maid would help her out in that situation but never because Made asked her to, and she was certainly not going to ask this new maid for such help. It would simply have to settle on its own. She nodded at Adele's advice and instead began wondering what exactly it might mean if she got picked as the king's consort or to serve the royals. The latter did imply that it would be more than the king. She wanted to ask but at the same time she was afraid what the answer might be. She had heard rumors though that the king and his brother were both quite handsome men." I'll be there brother," Duncan said." No need to worry." He then dropped the file back onto his desk and walked over to the window from which the city beneath the castle could be seen spreading out across the hillsides and beyond it the lush valley enclosed by the mountains. It was time for him to pick a consort as he had declined to do so 18 years ago and also 36 years ago when he had just been crowned and first took his father's place on the throne. His mother had already been on his case about it for almost a full year and, not that he had any evidence, he had a feeling his brother was up to something. Alexander was after all next in line for the throne as it stood. Adele looked at her "ok so all the dirt is off of you thankfully you were rather clean, to begin with." Adele then helped her into the dress she would be wearing as well as the cuffs on her ankles and upper arms these would be removed when she went to her assigned job or if she was taken to one of the rooms of the royals. With a smile, Adele then changed up her hair and then escorted her out of the bathing room and to the throne room. Adele stooped at the door and wished her lucked and that she would see her soon. Alexander sat on the second throne in the room which was on the second tier of the three-tiered stand. In the throne room, the three thrones were each made up of different metals or stones and had different accents, the one on the main for was for the second in line and was a copper throne with Ruby accents the second throne was silver with emeralds and the king's throne was obsidian with Sapphires. When his brother finally had a child of age Alexander would be pleased to move to the bottom throne or even better off of them altogether. The dress was simple but soft and very comfortable, the cuffs around her wrists and ankles were not. They also signalled imprisonment, something the older woman had promised would not be the case. Made nodded when Adele explained that they were only temporary, but she still failed to see any other interpretation of them than that she was a prisoner, at least until after the ceremony where one of them might get picked to become the king's consort." We are of course not free to leave the valley. That is the premise or being a tribute," Adele continued explaining." But we are also not slaves, or prisoners. We are free to move around the city on our own accord and those not chosen to serve the royals are free to consort with whomever they so wish to consort with. Marrying one of the lesser nobles even gets you out of maid service so that you can focus on raising a family." Xadé nodded but was still not pleased with the cuffs. With a few minutes left before the start of the ceremony Duncan buttoned up his shirt and put his deep purple jacket over it but did not button it. He then picked up the thin band of skillfully crafted Titanium that marked his status as king and placed it on his head before making his way to the throne room where Alexander had already taken his place on his throne. Duncan gave his brother a nod and took his on the king's throne." Let's get this ceremony started then," he said and leaned back, crossing his left leg over his right. Alexander nodded back at his brother and then spoke “mother is on the rampage again last I saw she was swearing that if we don’t give her some grand babies, and soon she was going to hold us” Alexander looked at the females as they were escorted in to the room. Alexander also watched the guards as well knowing full well that some of them didn’t have mates and as soon as they could, they would take one of the new tributes if they didn’t refuse them and fast. Turning his attention back to the tributes Alexander couldn’t help but chuckle at the antics of the last girl to come in “there you go brother a nice and feisty one that you can tame” Serena was the last in line and a guard had to hold her in place as she kept trying to take off and hide. Because of the bath her hair now shined and was showing its true midnight blue color in full. Serena squeaked when she was shoved in to the room and mother guard grabbed her and settled her in line with the others. Made was one of the first girls to be led into the throne room and placed in front of the three thrones, of which only two were occupied. The king she supposed would be the one on the highest throne and the other man would be ... his brother? The two did look very much like brothers after all. She took in their images and then quickly averted her eyes to look at the floor as." That's just mother being mother," Duncan said rather relaxed as he watched the eight girls being paraded through the throne room. He agreed with his brother that the last one to enter was a lively one that might need some taming before she could be of any use at all to them. She was also quite beautiful with her oddly colored hair and shimmering skin. There was something strange about her appearance in general, but that was also the case with the dark-skinned girl who had been led in second in line. One by one he dismissed the other six until only Serena and Made stood before him and his brother." Which one do you fancy brother? Maybe we should pick one each and see if we can't both make mother's wishes come true before summer arrives." He of course knew that there was no way Alexander would make a choice before he had made his." Speak your name and what city you are from," he told the girl with the midnight blue hair. "I think she may mean it this time brother she was holding a rather large knife when she said it" Alexander then looked the two over but motioned for his brother to go first "I would be an insult to go before you do brother" Alexander was curious as to why one of them was having to be held into place as he was under the impression that all tributes were willing to be here. Alexander picked the files up and looked at the status of them all in all said they were willing, but it made him wonder given her actions. Serena looked at him but refused to speak if he wanted to know her name or city he could look it up in the files that he had on her. Serena then looked at the other female and wondered how she could be so calm while standing in front of two men who would likely make their lives' hell. Serena was fairly certain they had been picked simply because of how different they were from the others "Of course brother," Duncan said and nodded pensively. Both the remaining girls were intriguing in their own ways. They both had a shimmer about them that had made them stand out and the wild one's hair was just about the most beautiful thing he had seen, and so unusual. It was perhaps that and the challenge of taming such a feisty and seemingly unwilling tribute that tipped the scales in her favor, despite her reluctance to speak when asked. He could after all simply look it up in the files later, or wait until she calmed down and accepted her fate, and her role as his consort. While Made might appear calm she was not. She was nervous about her secret and upset about the cuffs, but her mother had taught her to always remain composed under any circumstances." My name is Made of Can-Wyhl, daughter of ..." She was then stopped by a dismissive wave of the king's hand and reminded by the guard that it was not to her the king had spoken." Very well then brother. I will take the feisty one." Duncan nodded at the guard hold Serena and then removed himself from the throne and without waiting for his brother to formalize his choice began walking back to his private quarters. Alexander nodded his head and wish him luck before he stood and walked down the two steps and looked her over “follow me” with that Alexander headed out of the throne room. While his brother went in one direction he went in another heading to his private quarters. In time his consort might get a room of her own, but that would depend on her behavior and if he was willing to have her moved out of his rooms. When they arrived at his room Alexander opened the door and ushered her in. On his desk was a silver box that he walked over too and opened. Inside was a silver and emerald choker that once in place could only be removed by him. Alexander picked it up and then walked over to her and snapped it in place around her neck. “ This will allow me to track your movements at all times no matter where you go. You can try to remove it if you want, but you won’t be able too” Alexander the removed the cuffs from her arms and legs before walking around her and stripping the dress from her body. He then went to his bedroom door and handed the clothes and cuffs to a maid and ordered all the clothes she would need for that summer. Alexander then turned around and got a good look at her and then raised an eyebrow when he spotted her secondary appendage “care to explain that” Serena fought the guard who was forcing her to follow after the king only to Yelp with the guard picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. While she had been tossed over his shoulder she had not hit hard his shoulder hard enough to be harmed. Serena looked around and did her best to memorize the way there so that she could bolt when the time was right, and he had let his guard down. When they arrived at the kings personal chambers the guard spoke “where would you like me to place her your majesty?” While the guard waited for his orders Serena looked around the room and spotted an obsidian box sitting on what looked like a desk. There was something about the box that had her nervous and struggling even more to get free Still a prisoner then, Made thought to herself when the choker was placed around her neck and its purpose explained to her. The cuffs were removed though as Adele had promised they would be, but then the tall prince began to remove her clothes. Luckily he needed to unbutton the dress in the back and for that reason did not notice her penis until he turned around to look at her. At his mention of it and request for an explanation she covered it with both her hands rather self-consciously and stared at the floor." I ..." she began hesitantly." I was ... born this way ... Sir," she explained and then just waited for his further reaction to it. Duncan nodded at the floor in front of his desk and then as he dismissed the guard also told him to wait outside until further instructions were given. This was of course because he realized that this girl might just try to run, or do something even more stupid, like try to hurt him before she ran. Once the guard was out of the office Duncan stood in front of the girl whose name he still did not know." It is my understanding that the tributes sent from the cities we protect are to come willingly. You however do not seem to be here willingly." He placed a hand on the obsidian box on his desk and looked at it briefly before turning his attention back to the girl." This will of course not change the fact that you have been offered as a tribute by your city, and it will not change the fact that you will never leave my kingdom. I am however curious about your unwillingness to be here." He then took a seat in one of the chairs used by his advisors and indicated with an open hand for her to take a seat in the other." Please," he said with a smile." Indulge me." (so sorry I got caught up with school work)Alexander leaned against his door and stared at her "and why was this left out of the information we made it clear to all the cities that we née all the information of the tributes so that we can take care of them" this information had not been in her file and neither had the other girls hair color so he knew he would be looking into some things come the next morning. Alexander was annoyed, but he wasn't going to let his emotions get the best of him. Serena looked at him but refused to sit. "I doubt that any of the tributes are willing and if they are, I am betting you were not told everything about them or their intentions." Serena moved so she was further from him as it would give her a chance to move if he moved towards her. Serena's unease came in part because she hadn't expected to be alone in the room with him, and she was closing in on the day when she would need to feed and if she was going to be stuck and unable to leave she would be fucked. "B.because .... N.no one k.knows outside m.my fa. Family"Made was getting quite nervous when she saw the prince's reaction. It was clear from his voice and general attitude that he was displeased with her secret. She was mostly nervous that this would mean that the prince would not only reject her but worse, have her killed or imprisoned. Duncan nodded pensively." I see," he said and watched the girl take a few steps away from him rather than sit down." It is supposed to be a great honor for the tributes to serve, but perhaps that has been forgotten over generations. It is also very much a fair deal considering we have saved each of the eight cities from invaders on numerous occasions." Having not taken a consort since he was crowned the girl's words took him slightly by surprise."However, I sense there is more to it than what you are telling me," he added and nodded suggestively." Your hair for instance, and the shimmer of your skin, those are not entirely human, are they?" Alexander grabbed one of his shirts out of his dresser which was right next to the door and tossed it to her "cover-up before you freeze to death" Alexander could tell she was getting cold as her lips were turning a little blue. Given his high and build his shirt would act as a robe, and it had been one of his winter shirts he had tossed to her. Alexander was annoyed but not with her but with her village. In his mind, nothing like this should have been kept a secret people didn't control how they were born so he would be stupid to blame the person. Serena shifted away from him, even more, when he mentioned her hair and skin. Serena had done her best to avoid being taken let alone having them bathe her. "Worry about your people rather than my hair and skin" Serena figured if he was too busy to worry about her, she would be able to shift and get out of the castle before someone figured out she wasn't human at all. Serena knew if she fled she would have to travel for some time before it would be safe for her to live and hopefully have a family of her own Made caught the large shirt and pulled it over her head letting it drop her body to cover her breasts and genitals and even a little bit more than that. In fact, it almost reached her knees." Thank you," she mumbled but didn't dare look up at the tall man towering in front of her. The prince was at least a full foot taller than she was and broad enough for her to completely hide behind him had she wished to." I apologize most sincerely for the oversight of my parents in failing to inform the high council of my condition and I understand if you wish to exchange me for another consort."" What about my people?" Duncan asked curiously as the feisty young girl suggested he should worry more about them than the oddness of her hair and skin. He touched the fingertips of his left hand against the fingertips of his right and looked at her. It was quite obvious she was trying to somehow distract him but so far he couldn't figure out what she hoped to gain by it, except of course the obvious, a chance to escape somehow." How about you worrying about me losing my patience with you instead of trying to distract me?" he then said before she had a chance to respond to his question." I would rather not have to resort to force in order to tame you," he added as his eyes narrowed and a small puff of smoke escaped from his nostrils. "There is no need, but I do have a few things we need to go over as I doubt your parents would have held that information back when it came to the paperwork that they and you filled out" Alexander held up her file and waited to see if she had answered the questions or if someone else had on her behalf. The fact that one of the tributes wasn't willing had him more than a little concerned that other cities were doing the same thing."you should take care of them rather than worry about a mere human" Serena wasn't going to let him learn or suspect that she was something different, but she didn't like how he was looking at her or that he was so damn dominating. Serena knew that the others would be treated well, but she suspected that, that was not going to be the case for her as she was going to fight being his play thing as much as she could. Made remembered the man from the high council who had visited their home a year ago, almost to the day, and spent hours in conversation with her parents, but he had not spoken to her, neither had her parents except to inform her that she had been chosen as their city's tribute. It was the way things were done her mother had told her and with tears running down her face explained that it was a great honor, not just for Made herself but also for her family who would be greatly compensated for their sacrifice. She had no idea what the file might say about her except her age and name. It would probably also mention her education but probably nothing about how she had come into the world or how she had been conceived. When she thought about it, she couldn't decide whether it was more plausible that her mother had pleaded with the representative from the high council to choose another tribute because of Made's dual genitals or if she had kept quiet about it to protect a daughter that was not actually her own."Oh, but you ... You are no mere human are you?" Duncan said and stood up. While he was nowhere as tall as his brother he still rose well above six feet off the ground in his humanoid form. He approached the stubborn girl while pointing out that he had never before seen a mere human with hair as blue as her hair was, or with skin as shifting in color as her skin was." No girl. You are anything but a mere human." His voice deeper now than moments ago, more demanding, perhaps even threatening. Carefully planning each step he moved closer to the girl, closing off her paths to the door. If it had to come to it, he would let her attack him so he could defeat her and even if it was not his wish to do so, claim her by force." You may think that you have been chosen to be a mere distraction, a plaything for me to relieve myself with, a toy to amuse me," he said and burrowed his gaze into her, having effectively cornered her." Nothing could be further from the truth. For the last 36 years since my coronation I have refrained from choosing a consort because none of the tributes have interested me the way you do." He paused and folded his arms behind his back." While it is perhaps far too soon to speak words such as love I see in you someone that is more than any of the above. Someone I could make my queen. Someone I would want to bear my offspring." He smiled at the girl with the strange hair and skin, and feisty attitude, and without another word returned to the chair, gesturing at the other chair." Now please do sit down and tell me your name, and I will not force anything upon you that you do not wish. Save of course servitude to my kingdom." Alexander motioned for her to sit in the second chair by his desk “let’s go over what was sent up and see if anything is missing” Alexander had a feeling that quite a bit was either missing or incorrect. Alexander sighed and then ran his fingers through his hair tangling at the bottom, and then he walked over to his desk and sat down pulling her file out and opening it up so they could go over everything in the file. Serena shook her head and felt her teeth shift. While she wanted to hiss at him, she didn’t “I am nothing special, and I have no interest in possibly being a queen or a mother” Serena knew that having kids would be dangerous as her parents had been hunted and eventually killed for having her. While dragons were allergic to the dragon Lilly a bright purple flower that grew on the outskirts of her home city and vampires were allergic to silver Serena had neither of those allergies because of her blood. Serena knew if she introduced that to the Royal bloodline that others would hunt for her to also force her to have off spring. Made sat down on the edge of the chair she was offered, her legs modestly together and hands in her lap. Had it not been for the constant reminder of the choker around her neck she might have felt a bit more relaxed at how seemingly calm the prince had been to find out about her dual genitalia, but this was also counteracted by his wish to go over the file with her. It felt almost like an interrogation, as if he wanted to find some detail for which he could punish her, or use as an excuse to send he back to serving as a maid." So be it then," Duncan said and stood back up. He approached the uncooperative tribute once again, this time with a fire burning in his eyes and hints of smoke escaping his nostrils." Do you wish to see your home destroyed?" he asked in a hissing voice." The city that sent you burned to ashes?" He then struck the girl across the face so hard it sent her tumbling against the wall." You are rightfully mine, regardless of whether you comply or whether you were forced to become your city's tribute." He now stood close enough to the girl that she would have to bend her neck as far back as she could to look at his face." And I will have you. You WILL bear me children. Whether you wish to do so as a prisoner locked away in the dungeons below the castle or live as a queen is entirely up to you." He opened his hands and his nails were now more like sharp claws as he tore off her dress and left it in shreds on the floor between them. Alexander gently took her hand in his “you need not fear once I make up my mind I don’t change it but the fact that your medical condition wasn’t mentioned and the fact that the other tribute didn’t seem to be here willingly has me worried that more tributes are not here willingly.” Alexander knew there was going to be hell to pay for some of the cities come morning. Serena tasted blood when he hit her and when he shredded her dress Serena shift to a standing position and hissed at him, the fangs on full display. As she was angry enough she shoved him away from her using her full strength which would easily send him flying. “Unless you wish to lose your hands I advise that you not touch me again” Serena wasn’t in the mood to deal with his shit. Made was calmed by the words of the prince, but she was still nervous about what it all would mean. Would it mean her parents would be punished, maybe interrogated, even tortured until they revealed the truth about her." Nothing special you say?" Duncan said as the girl hissed at him and showed her fangs. His more aggressive actions had forced her hand and she had revealed herself to be at least part vampire. As king of the mountain kingdom he was of course aware that such creatures walked among the humans. There was more to her though. He was sure of it, and it intrigued him to no end. Rather than continuing to provoke the girl he sat down at his desk and started going through the files of the tributes. He discarded the one his brother had chosen and started reading out the names on the other seven files aloud. He didn't look at the girl though but opened each file and browsed through the information about each of the other seven tributes. One stood out, an orphan whose family had made the ultimate sacrifice for their city since it would mean the end of their bloodline to send their only daughter as tribute. The details on how this girl's parents had died were vague at best and pure lies at the very worst. He now looked at the girl again." Tell me Serena, how did your parents really die? Were they hunted for being vampires perhaps and you have chosen as tribute to make sure you would not continue their bloodline?" “What is bothering you I can see it on your face?” Alexander would look in to everything before acting, but he had to find out the whole truth before he could act. Serena hissed once more “my parents paid the ultimate price for their love and I will not have their memories dragged through the mud” Serena didn’t care what he thought, but she would not blame her parents for their love as it had resulted in her. Often her parents had told her stores of their home kingdoms. Her father had been the grand general of the dragon army and her mother the crown princess of the vampires. After they married their love had resulted in her, and she had known that she was well-loved by them There was a tone of genuine concern in his question and Made looked up at him." There are many secrets I am certain my family would never share with an outsider for fear of becoming outcasts, maybe even exiled." She swallowed nervously and twisted her hands in her lap." I have doubts that what you find in that file will be far from the truth." Duncan nodded several times in response to the girl's outburst. He had no intention of dragging her parents memories through the mud, and he told her as much. It was perhaps true that as protectors of the eight cities his family, his people and the army of dragons he commanded had often fought the vampires. His grandfather had even led a full scale attack on their kingdom, far to the East and for a long time after they had been thought to be extinct and for the last few centuries there had been peace." They were killed because of you, were they not, for having you, for loving you," he added and raised an eyebrow." Until they were your family lived isolated from the rest of your community as a way to best keep their secret. It is sad really. Love is such a grand and rare thing in this world, true love that is, the kind of love that ..." He trailed off for a little while. Alexander nodded his head and then held out the sheet where she would spot some glaring errors regarding her likes dislikes and personality. While her parents had told the council member the truth the male had changed what they had told him to suit what he wanted. Serena looked at him “they were killed for loving each other the people who killed them never knew about me” Serena was glad for that, but she still had no desire to be there at all "But ..." Made began as she glanced through the file." This is all wrong. Mother would never say I can cook and sow, nor would Father because I can't," she said and bit her bottom lip. She was shocked not only with the mistakes made in her file but more so with the blatant lies." Listen Serena," Duncan said and tossed the file on the table in front of him." I understand much better now your reluctance to be here, especially having been forced to become a tribute, but I promise you that I am not a bad person, and you will have a more decent life here than you'd have among the Humans. Here your mixed heritage will be accepted in ways the Humans would never accept you. We, my people and I are mostly of mixed descent as well, of Human and Dragon. We, too, were outcasts long ago, until our ancestral King Sedan saved the eight cities from an invasion of slavers from across the seas. That is when the agreement was made." He paused and motioned once again at the chair." Each generation one adult virgin of each city would volunteer to serve his kingdom. It was in a sense a way for him to forge an alliance and also a way to increase the numbers of his people. According to our historians there were only a mere hundred of our kind in those days. Today, thanks to tributes we are in the thousands. My mother was a tribute generations ago and while she was chosen the same way you were she loved my father dearly. Maybe not at first but she grew to love him." Duncan paused again and clapped his hands calling for a servant whom he ordered to bring them some wine and fruit." I will not release you. I cannot. What I can do is to allow you to live in my private quarters with no demands on you other than a brief conversation here and there and that you do not try to escape until you have lived her at least a full year. You will of course have your own room and bed to sleep in." Alexander nodded his head and then dug out a blank form and handed it to her “fill it out I need to see the differences this will give me grounds to dig more in to the other tributes” Alexander was fuming but for the time being he had to keep calm. While he wanted to do more than go over her file at the time Alexander knew this was important, and it would help him when he went to his brother about changing how often the humans were sent to them. If the cities were picking rather than letting the tribute choose he knew that soon they would try to run and escape causing more problems than they needed at the moment. Alexander then looked her over and smiled lightly as he was looking forward to later that night.“can I trust you not to tell a soul about me” Serena figured that since he was trusting her she should return the trust with a secret of her own even if it did go against everything her parents had taught her. Serena had seen the photos of the generals and had seen her father among them, and she felt that of all the dragons she could trust him. Serena moved to the large open space of the room and waited to hear his answer before she would show him her deepest secret. Serena stood still and after several seconds where she had once stood was a large midnight blue dragon. Serena looked at him and waited if he moved to hurt her she would crash through the window and take off leaving his kingdom. With his dark her scales were she would blend in with the night sky to the point that she would vanish from site. Made took the blank form, asked for a pen and was given one. She first put down all the easy information name, name of her parents, the names and genders of her siblings, date and place of birth. That was really when she started having trouble with the truth. She had after all not actually been born from her mother's womb. She had, according to her father been hatched from an egg like fungal growth. Furthermore, she saw no reason for him to deceive her on such an important matter, nor why he would make up such an elaborate story to do it. Furthermore, she skipped over it for the time being and continued to list her skills and education. Under other important information she put down her birth defect, her fully functioning penis. She then returned to the question of the time and place of birth. The actual date and location of course was no problem, but then she hesitated and biting her lip she pointed to the form and asked what exactly they meant by birth. Of course, she was well aware that this question in itself suggested there was something odd about the way she had come into the world." Your presence here as a tribute is of course already known to myself, my brother, the matron and a few others but that is also about as much as is known about you outside my quarters. If it is your wish for it to remain that way then it is my prerogative as king to keep it that way for as long as I wish to do so." He smiled and was pleased that he had got through to the girl enough for her to trust his intentions towards her to not be malicious. Should it turn out that she was unwilling to lay with him and bear his children in another 18 years then he would simply choose another consort willing to submit to such duties. Duncan didn't know what he had expected her secret to be but he most certainly had not expected her to be one of his kin. He sat there for a long time staring at the beautifully midnight blue dragon in front of him, half with disbelief and half with excitement and curiosity. He nodded as if to confirm his promise to not tell a soul about her and then stood up approaching her slowly. Furthermore, he was tempted to take on his own dragon aspect as well but refrained from doing so." My my. I must say that is one big secret," he said and reached out his hand to touch her scales." Now you really have to tell me about your parents Serena," he added as his hand gently caressed the scales on her neck. Alexander looked at her "just leave that blank it's no big deal" Alexander had seen the changes in her answers and after taking the forms from her, he put it in her file and then ruffled her hair lightly before grabbing more and sending a guard to get the other tributes to fill them out so he could see if the others forms were falsified as well. Alexander was more than a little pissed but until he was certain that all the forms had been falsified there was very little he could do. Alexander stood up and walked over to his balcony doors and opened them letting the warm summer airflow into the room and clear out the stale smell that permeated his chambers. "Sorry about this but I need to be certain that only your forms were incorrect and not everyone else's as well"While she didn't move away from his touch she did growl when he mentioned her parents. Serena stayed in her dragon form for a while and let him look that form over since she figured if something was wrong with how her wings or anything else had formed he would say something. While her father had told her she was a perfect representation of how a dragon should look he had died before she had grown into her adult form. Serena watched him closely while he touched her neck, but she made no moves yet to take off, but she was tempted and the desire was clear in her eyes. Made nodded as he told her to leave it blank and actually took some pleasure in the way he ruffled her hair. He was nothing like she had imagined the king and the prince would be. She was of course still for all intents and purposes a prisoner but one that would have all the freedom she could ask for within the premise of being tribute to the dragon shifters." What will happen to Can-Wyhl now? What will happen to my family?" she asked and looked up at the prince as he stood by the balcony doors with a light breeze blowing through his hair." You are beautiful," Duncan said as he retracted his hand." So perfect in every aspect, even if perhaps your wings are a bit on the small side," he added as he stepped back and walked around her to look at her from every angle. His own dragon form was of course much larger than hers was, but that was only natural. It was quite easy for him to imagine the children the two could have together, but he didn't mention it. He had made her a promise, and he intended to keep it." You are thinking of escape are you not?" he then said and smiled." Why would you? What is there for you out there, on the other side of those mountains? Your parents were hunted and killed by the Humans you grew up among. Now I am of course only speculating, but perhaps it is for the best that you were sent here to live among your kin, as free as I can possibly allow." Alexander looked over at her "I honestly can not tell you that as I have to speak with my brother as he is the king, but I will let him know that your family wasn't involved in this as I am assuming they would not lie on something like this" Alexander ran a hand through his hair if this was the case with all the villages there was going to be hell for them in the near future, but Alexander would stress that this once they do not blame the families of their tributes as that would be a sure-fire way to cause them problems in the long run. Serena watched him while he moved around, but she ignored his comments about her wings being small as she was still young by their standards. Most dragons were considered fully grown and an adult when they turned 200 which meant she had 182 years to go before she was seen as an adult in their eyes. Serena looked at him and then spoke "I know full well your people won't accept me either at least out there I have a better chance of being happy" Made nodded. Of course such a decision would be left to the king rather than to the prince. She relaxed a little though when the prince assured her that he would speak on behalf of her family." Is there something else you wish me to do?" she then asked, not sure what to expect him to possibly request of her. Duncan looked at her. She was beautiful indeed, and she did make a good point. If his people found out about her being part vampire they would be very skeptical about accepting her as one of their own. There was nothing that said they would ever have to find out though." Tell me Serena. Does your vampire half demand human blood, or could you get by on live stock?" Serena looked at him and hissed when he mentioned human blood. She had grown up on livestock blood and the taste of human blood sickened her to no end. Needing to be on her own for a bit Serena took off out of his room opening the balcony door and jumped taking flight. Since she needed to feed she headed to where she could smell a heard of cows. Serena never fed off the real young or old as they had a harder time recovering from her bites compared to the middle-aged cows. Alexander chuckled a bit “for now relax your so tense you look ready to pass out” Alexander then sent word to his brother office asking to speak to him when he was available. This would give him a chance to tend to his other work before seeing him as he would need to gather the other forms as well. Duncan took her reaction to mean that she not only could get by on cattle but that it was also what she preferred. That was good because it meant that her vampire half could be hidden from his people, and she could be presented as one of them, a Dragon shifter having grown up among Humans. He was prepared to maintain such a lie in the face of his people as a measure to keep her secret between the two of them. He watched her open the doors to the balcony and take off. Furthermore, he was not worried though. The girl had a lot to think about, and he was somehow confident that she would return. To follow her now, or have his guards hunt her down would not work in his favor, but to trust her and show her some of the freedom she could have would. Relax? How could she relax when she had no idea what was going to happen to her. Was he going to use her to stir up trouble among the cities and then reject her because of her penis? Perhaps he thought it meant she was not capable of conceiving, and perhaps he was right. She herself had no idea either way, but she bled monthly and that was according to her mother a sign that she was fertile. The prince didn't seem to show much interest in her physically, or maybe he simply wanted to wait until the evening to have her. She nodded in response though and took a few deep breaths to calm herself down as much as possible while at the same time she felt mycelial tendrils extend from her fingertips into the wood of the chair she was sitting in. She hoped he didn't notice this other oddity about her. It might cause him to bring back the subject of her question regarding what it meant to be born, and then she would have to tell him the story her father had told her about her conception and birth. When Serena reached the field with the cows standing around and Grazing she shifted in midair and landed lightly on her feet. Serena gazed around at the cows present and when she found one she moved carefully to its side before she leaned down and sank her fangs into the cow feeding as she needed to. While she had been expecting to be followed, Serena watched the area she was in while waiting to see what would happen. After she fed Serena headed off to a nearby cave that she had spotted and after shifting she settled in to take a nap. Alexander looked at her lightly "do not fear once a consort is picked we do not reject them as that is cruel to the tribute if we are not interested in the one we pick, they remain with us as a secretary, and we pick a new one to attend to other duties, but it is rare that that happens I think the last time it happened was five hundred years ago and that was only because the original tribute was barn" Alexander looked at the clock and smiled knowing dinner would be brought to them soon While Serena was gone Duncan sat down at his desk to think. He knew he had gotten through to the tribute, but it worried him that she had not volunteered but rather forced, and that it had been at the cost of her parents' lives. He was not worried that she would not return even if of course she could if she wanted to simply fly away and try for a different life than the one he had offered her. Even when she had not returned a couple of hours later he was worried that she had escaped. He simply figured that she needed time to think and to process his offer. Xadé nodded when the prince assured her that she would not be rejected due to her anatomical duality, but she was feeling restless. If he did not intend to deflower her at that moment then she wished for him to give her some other task or show her around the private quarters she assumed she would be sharing with him. The physical interaction with wood through her mycelial tendrils did not have the calming effect it usually did, nor was there any sort of nourishment to be drawn from the old and chemically prepared wood. Instead, it was rather making her feel a bit nauseous. Alexander looked over when there was a knock on the door and with a smile he went and opens the door knowing it was their dinner. Alexander let the servant in and watched as they placed the food on the dinning room table that was in his room. Given the fact that he could like the others of his race shift in to a rather large dragon the rooms were large to accommodate that part of their form. Once the table was set and the servant had left he motioned for her to join him so they could eat. While he waited Serena slept. Had she thought anything over no she was too worn out and needed to sleep? What she didn’t know is that one of the patrols had spotted her and while the others moved in to apprehend her another was headed to the king to inform him that they had found and intruder. It was a while ago since Made had eaten, and she was reminded of the fact when the servants brought them dinner. She was not a big eater but she took some fruit and cheese. He was nothing like she had imagined, and yet she couldn't figure out what he was going to do with her. He had said that there had been tributes who were rejected for being barren and if she was honest she was not sure whether she was fertile due to her so-called birth defect. What then? She hesitated a few moments while nibbling on the cheese before raising the question. He had of course suggested that she would still be treated well but would anyone else accept her as she was? Duncan sat at his desk going over the files of the tributes contemplating what to do to resolve the issue of the cities having begun to force young girls to become tributes when the captain of his personal guard knocked on the door and informed him that they had spotted an unknown dragon trespassing on their lands. He looked up from his papers and nodded." Leave her to me," he said and asked for the location of this unknown dragon, which of course was not unknown to him, something he might have given away by referring to the dragon as her. He dismissed the captain of the guards and walked onto his balcony, took his dragon form and set off to find Serena in the cave where she slept. Even though he had been dismissed the captain followed him as he didn't feel comfortable letting the king go off by himself to deal with an unknown dragon in their lands. While they flew the male tried to figure out how the king knew the dragon and why he felt that he had to get involved personally. As it was the guards were scrambling as someone had been stupid and had waked the dragon up, and they were currently suffering because of those actions."you should eat more than that" Alexander didn't want her getting ill because she didn't get enough food and nutrients in to her system Made smiled at Alexander when he urged her to eat more." It has been a while since I ate," she admitted and picked up a piece of roasted meat with her fork and as she brought it to her mouth she noticed the tendrils extending from her fingers as if that was the most natural way for her to draw nourishment from the juicy piece of meat. She quickly a bit into the meat and started to chew in the hope that he wouldn't have noticed yet another one of her abnormalities. Duncan might not have risen to king through prowess in battle or any other exceptional feat, other than having been born as the first son of the former king, but he was no fool and had done most of his military training in the intelligence corps, and it was not lost on him that he was being followed. He therefore set down on a peak above the indicated cave where Serena slept and waited for the captain of the guards." While I do appreciate your loyalty and your concern for my safety," he said and fully extended his wings." I do not appreciate being followed. I cannot tell you how or why but the dragoon you found is mine to deal with, and I must do so alone." There was nothing in his words to indicate that the unknown dragon was one of the tributes, but there was perhaps a hint in the tone of his voice." I ask you to simply trust me, and if you don't, you may remain here, unseen and ready to intervene should I call for your aid." "I do trust you, sire, with my life but the guards who stayed behind to watch over the dragon are rather stupid at times. I ordered them not to wake her, but there is no saying that they listened" the male jumped when Serena roared and then sighed and shook his head "and the idiots woke her up" with a growl the male looked at his king and waited for his orders wondering how he knew this dragon and what all was going on but for the time being he would wait and listen.

The Tributes (lunar wolf & MsBloom)|rating:3.0

What would you think_ (Alexisstar X Demivemon22)

Skylar sat back in her seat eyeing the clock. She was getting let out early, along with the rest of the cheer leading squad and the football players. "Come on... come on..." she muttered under her breath, as she started tapping her foot impatiently. The second she heard coach Smiths voice on the overcome she stood up along with her brother and a couple cheerleaders and football players. They all rushed out of the room. Still needing to change into uniforms, she ran across the campus to the locker rooms, changing she slipped of her clothes and into her cheer uniform. Tieing her hair up with a cheer bow, she slipped on some sparkly white sneakers. Grabbing her back she took off to the bus ramp. She groaned, the girls already left... "Damn it." she growled running up to coach Smith." Hey, coach can I go with the guys? Stacey was supposed to hold the bus for me." He nodded her on, and she climbed up the steps. Looking around for a seat, and her big brother. Damon was sitting outside waiting on the rest of his team just practicing a few routines. "don't over. Exert your arm Damon. This is a big game so be at your best." coach Smith said. He nodded and watched all the cheerleaders get on the bus one by one all eying him and ogling. "It's what girls do best. I guess." he muttered then realized his little sis hadn't slipped inside the bus. "On the bus boys. Hut two. Move it now!" Damon cited on to the bus taking a spot in the very back. There was extra space, and he felt like taking a nap if lucky enough. He noticed his little sis hop on the bus and watched his teammates eye her. "Hands off boys she's mine." he shouts and waves her to come back. She giggled, flipping her platinum blond hair out o her face. She started to make her way to the back of the bus, her hips swaying alongside her tail. Furthermore, she smirked at one of the guys who was watching her hips sway boldly. Furthermore, she sat down beside him her tail resting on his lap. "Hey big broth!" She giggled, giving him an innocent peck on the cheek. Her ears perked up, watching Mr. Smith gets on. "The girl didn't wait for me." which shocked her... she was the leader... Damon saw his sis tasing those boys. It was quite amusing. He blushed a bit after her kiss and started stroking her tail involuntarily. "It's ok we don't get to spend lunchtime together in school anyway. Who needs them." he chuckled still petting her tail. He took his helmet off and let his semi long brown hair drape down. His dark brown eyes and sparkling smile pointing her way. She raised and eyebrow at him, seeing him blush. She giggled, realizing she had most like flustered him slightly. "Yep, she reached into her bag laying beside them. Grabbing her phone she laid down across his lap, "So Stacy got token off stunting because coach Janet noticed she had gained some weight. Since Skylar was the leader, coach had put her on stunting. "So... big broth..." she giggled, and started texting. (my apologies what is stunting?)Damon looked down at her relaxed self. “Well make yourself at home why don't you.” he stared down at her and started brushing her hair back. It felt natural to him to do so. “So... You got a promotion?“ he looked confused but kept a smile on to hide it ((Totally fine, haha. Stunting as in you know how in some cheers there is a girl(s) that get like thrown in the air? She is the girl being thrown in the air))"He-he..." she giggled, "In a way..." it wasn't her favorite thing to do... more chances for her to get hurt... injuries such as broken bone and concussions were more common in stunting girls. She smiled up at him, putting her phone down beside her. "I can't believe this might be the last game foe the season... you guys better do you best so we can go to the championship... and have fun blah blah blah" she giggled, and winked playfully. ~I never did look at the cheerleaders. Lol~Damon looked down and smiled. "Well I'm just gone assume that's a good thing." he patted her on the head. "Hey look ill do my best to keep us alive out there." he assured her. "Sure am glad its one of the last ones though and what do you. Mean buy fun?" he was slightly confused but took it as a joke. The bus wasn't too far from the school now it just is a few minutes longer now. She giggled, "Nothing big broth..." smiling she was still laid across his lap. "I'm just freaking out, we didn't get to practice all week... they might drop me..." she pulled a fake half smile. She just had this weird feeling about it. Shrugging it off she giggled "Radar..."((Haha, nice... I was thinking the girls drop her? They take her to the hospital because she gets a concussion? ) ~sounds good to me. I mean I wish no harm on you lol. XD~The bus arrived and the players moved out. "It will be fine. There good at what they do. I mean if they never dropped what's her face what makes you think they will drop you scary cat." Damon hopped of the bus and headed to the field "meet you out their sis. Got ago." "OK. Bye trout face!"she called out to him before walking angrily over to where the cheer leaders were. "Stacey. Rebeca. Ashley. Front. Now." She barked out, eyeing them. Her voice filled with authority. "Why did you guys not hold the bus for me?" She asked, in which all the girls but Stacey replied "Stacy told the driver you weren't coming. ." She narrowed her eyes at Stacey before leading the girls to field. They had to walk across the field before the game started to get to their area. Damon sat on the side line waiting for the game to start and getting a last minute lecture from his coach. "Alrigh boys this is it. Y'all have been a great team these past four years, but this has got to be a win. Make me proud out there and don't screw it up!" "Aye coach!" they all yelled hearing the starting whistle they all took there positions on the field. The coin tossed in his favor. The opposing team kicked the ball of and Damon picked it up first staying behind his teammates keeping him cover. He got pretty far down the line but was speared by one of the opposing teams linemen. She watched her brother intently, not realizing the girls had already lifted her up. Stacey wasn't anywhere near... good. She got this weird feeling Stacey hated her... she took a deep breath. She only had to do one stunt. Right... She stood up being lifted into the air by the girls under her. She completed the cheer and was thrown into the air and time felt as if it slowed down and crept slowly. Furthermore, she felt arms wrap around her, and she loosened up, knowing they had caught her. Furthermore, she stood, pumped knowing she pulled it off. What really got her panicking is when Rose whispered in her ear "One more to go. Then cheers the rest of the way..." She frowned, they picked her up again and held her in the air. Stacey ran up, she would be the one to catch her when she did a backflip backwards off of the hands supporting her up. She flipped and once again, time slowed, and she looked back, feeling Stacey's arms around her, she loosened but the second her arms disappeared from her body she screamed. Her head hitting the group as the girls went silent. Their first drop, they stood there shocked as their leader black out. Damon got back up ready for the next play. They positioned themselves, and he looked back seeing his sis landing he jumps. "Good job he mumbled. They hiked the ball and passed it to Damon. He rushed forward almost to the touchdown when. He looked back though and saw the girls huddled around his sister though he locked eyes with his teammate and passed the ball back to him. He gave up the touchdown, but the got it anyway. Furthermore, he rushed off the field and over to the girls. "What the hell happened! Who dropped her?!" he rushed to her side hearing the ambulance in the distance. "Stacey..." The girl all gasped in unison. Stacey stood there, a content smirk planted across her face. Kylar groaned her eyes slightly glazed. She had blacked out, but her piercing blue eyes were still open. She was laying sprawled out on the ground, the paramedics rushed over to her quickly. One of the male paramedics asked him if he was her brother, saying he could come with if he wanted. Damon glanced over slowly giving her the darkest look. "You little bitch!" he was stopped shortly after by the paramedics. "Yes I'm her brother." Damon hopped on the ambulance not making his coach too happy but honestly he didn't care. He stared Stacey down as they closed the door and held onto his little sisters hand. "Its gone be ok Skylar. I'm here just hang in there. She shot him an evil look "I have no clue what you're talking about, babe." She growled waving bye to them. Her eyes were still glazed over, and she asked "What happen." Her speech slurred, "Did I lake the aunt?" She whimpered out. She groaned ever more pain shooting through her body, and she blacked out again. Her hand going slightly limp again. Damon looked down at her. "Yea. That bitch Stacey dropped you." he started to panic as the doctors rushed over. "Stay with us Skylar!" they ran her vitals and gave her a shock. Damon sat to the side slightly tearing up. She groaned, "Ugh. What happened." She was still slurring, and it got worse, as she grunted she squeezed his hand "W-why. Why aren't Chu at the game..." she groaned out. A seeing pain shooting through her body, it made her feel like her body was in flames. She whimpered "Big broth... it hurts." She blacked out again. "Its gone be ok sis. Its gone be alright." he held her hand and rushed alongside the doctors into the hospital. They told him that he would have to wait in the lobby until they had her in a sustained condition. He snarled and punched at the walls ((Coma or no coma? Up to you.)) ~IDK. I think the coma might get redundant, but you could try it. Just don't have her in it for too long or at least time skip it. ((NVM on the coma for now haha))She was brought into the hospital, her brother leaving her side. She whimpered feeling him let go of her hand. Tearing up, she whimpered out. They took her into the ER quickly, she stayed semi aware if the surrounding surroundings. Soon the medicine kicked in, and she drifted off into a medicine induced sleep. The doctor walked out to her brother, "You can come see her..." Damon paced back and forth struggling to keep himself under control. The doctors came out and tried to calm him down only as bait to see her. He cooled off slowly walking down the hall and to her room. They open her door and told him she had just fallen asleep so to let her rest. It didn't matter to him. All he wanted to know was she was in good hands and ok. He sat down beside her bed and placed his hand on top of hers. She looked peaceful and happy so he wasn't going to ruin that for her. He sat back in the chair and leaned his head back. Now that he knew she was ok he could rest soundly. Just then his phone buzzed. It was halftime and his team was losing 30 to 14. "Well fuck. Coach must be pissed." he chuckled in relief. She was asleep and dreaming about the game. In her dream she was still at the game, in fact she had just walked across the field... she went through her first stunt, great... but then the next... when all of a sudden she hit the ground... She whimpered in her dream, her heart beat going faster as she woke up from the nightmare. She looked up, to see her big broth. "What are you doing in my-" she looked around to realize she was in a hospital room. "Hardhat happened...?" Damon squeezed her hand figuring her nightmare was really string her up. "Hey there sleepy head. You fell. That bitch Stacey dropped you." he growled and clinched his fist. "You feel ok at all?" She groaned "Sure..." She tried to think back to what had happened... she couldn't remember anything after getting there. "W-why aren't you at the game?" She asked, when a doctor came in. "You can take her home tomorrow morning. There isn't a chance of her slipping into a coma, but we would still like to keep her overnight. You may stay if you would like..." he nodded his head at him before leaving the room. Damon looked surprised. "Do you honestly think I would put a silly game over my little sisters well-being? How crude do you think I am?" he chuckled. And listed to the doctor as he told him the good news. "Thank you so much sir!" he replied as the man left. "Welp looks like its just you, me and hospital food tonight. Kind of a weird change of pace but hey what the hell." Damon leaned over and hugged her gently then gave her a big kiss on the cheek. He whispered into her ear. "I really do love you sis. I don't know what I'd do without you." he teared up choking on his words. "I can't believe you left the game for me." she smiled, giggling a little "You know, you could always go and get us food... he-he" she winked playfully at him. She teared up slightly, hugging him back tightly. "I-I... I love you two big broth...thank you..." she sniffled, blinking back tears. "Oh it's no biggie the coach is pretty pissed though. We're losing." he laughed. "Sure. I don't mind going out. Any ideas on what you want to eat?" he poked at her hospital gown. "You have never looked more innocent than you do right now. Good thing I'm here and not some other guy." he smirked. "He-he, probably because you aren't there." She giggled, smiling at him. She scooted over, and patted the bed beside her for him to come sit with her. "Eh, I couldn't care less... how about you chose..." she wiggled around in her night gown. Winking at him, she raised an eyebrow "Why is that big broth?" Damon hoped up on the bed and wrapped his arms around her. "Hey I guess we could get Chinese. I'm just too comfy to get up and get it. I think ill order it in instead." he grips her tighter just happy she's ok and is blushing a bit because of how long it's been since he even laid with a girl in bed. He had some exes spend the night but nothing else. It felt nice to. Relax with one again. Even if it was his sister it didn't seem weird to him because it's the way they have been for so long in there life. "Because if somebody else had been here... They might have taken advantage of you. Unlike me, I know better." he giggles for some odd reason he can't place his finger on. She made a face "How about no, I don't want Chinese..." she giggled flashing him a bright smile. She wiggled around to get comfortable in his arms, and unintentionally ground her butt into his crotch. Furthermore, she didn't notice and tickled him with the tail. Raising an eyebrow at him, she said "How would they take advantage of me..." smiling slightly Damon sighed. "Well then. What is it you want to eat. Its gone get to late here pretty soon so you need to make UO your mind" he wrapped his arm up around her tightly. He slightly jerked back feeling her butt find up against his crotch. It made him feel funny and not in a creepy way. He giggled a bit when she tickled him with her tail slightly. He stopped laughing long enough to explain. "Well. You know. you're a very attractive girl and in a hospital gown also. Its very luring. Any guy would flip his lid and try and seduce you probably or force themselves on or in you." he stopped and paused. "Look lets just find something to eat sis."- he tried changing the subject quickly getting a little embarrassed and scared because of the thought of some guy taking that kind of advantage over his little sister. She raised and eyebrow at him. "Uh... could you just get me Baha breeze from Taco Bell..." she squirmed around. She whimpered hiding her face in the pillow beside her. She kinda was turned on by the mention of guys seducing her of forcing them self onto/into him. As her mind rolled through the 'into' me part she squirmed around trying to hide the fact. Her heart monitor betrayed her as it quickened. Damon agreed. "Yea I haven't had one of those in a little while. There should be one down the street from here." Damon started noticing her heart monitor going up in pace and her face start blushing continuously. He pulled her head up from the pillow looking at her with his eyebrows raised. "Uh sis. Are you ok?" he wasn't sure. Whether or not to be scared or confused "Uh... y-yeah...its just... uh... n-never mind..." she whimpered, squirming around a little. "So... uhm... yeah. Uh..." she bit her lip, she hid her face in his neck, giggling he gave him a playful bite on the neck "Drawer!" Giggling smiled against his neck, her warm breath fanning out along his neck. Damon let bout a slight moan after she bit him. Hesitantly he spoke "uh. Yea. Rawr." he got slightly turned on and couldn't help it one bit. Her breath coated his neck so loosely, and he felt his heart rate speed up. He tilted her head back slowly tuning at her hair and raised his teeth against her neck slightly fighting down with only the slightest of pressure She giggled, "Raaaaaawwwwr...!" She growled, she moaned softly biting her lip. "Hardhat..." she squirmed around the heart pace fastening. Ugh, when he left she was going to hump a pillow or something. She tugged at his hair, smiling she bit at his neck again with more pressure than the last time. Damon couldn't speed. His words escaped him. He felt her nip at his nick again and moaned out louder still gripping her and pulling her in closer. He wasn't to shy about his member being noticeable now because he wasn't thinking or realizing that it was pressed against her thighs. She moaned softly, she didn't know WHT came over her as she started kissing down his neck to his collar bone "Mmm..." she whimpered out, her tail swaying happily. She felt his hard member between her thighs and all the positions he could do her in, before she could make herself not think about them. "MMM...." Damon sunk back letting her clips trespass along his body. He listed her slightly up onto his lap resting herb firmly on his now throwing bulge. He started to rock his hips back and forth feeling his bodies heart rate explode. "mmm. oh, god sis." he let out softly blushing afterward. She moaned, grinding her hips into him. "Mm. Big broth..." she leaned down, her nose pressed against his. She started to kiss him, softly at first, but then progressed into a rougher kiss. She smiled, flipping over on her back "Mm... If this goes any farther the nurses will most likely come in... I don't know how to get the monitor off either..." she smiled panting softly Damon kissed his sister, but it felt different I t was the best kiss he had ever had. He grossed feeling his member being squeezed but treated oh so right. Damon tried catching his breath as she lifted off of him. "Yea. Yea of course. This is total wrong. We just shouldn't be doing this stuff here of SLL places." he looked down at his pants and his eyes widened. His whole crotch area was covered in her wet cunts juices. "god-damn sis. you're a horny little bitch aren't ya?" he laughed slightly. And ran his fingers down to her slit and started petting her clit She whimpered hiding her face in the crook of his neck. She was really horny right now, but she knew she shouldn't the nurses would tell everyone... it would get everywhere and her big broth would get in trouble. She humped his covered crotch one last time, and flipped over. Furthermore, she looked down at his crotch to, she bit her lip. "Y-Yeah... you make m-me r-really h-horny..." she purred out to him. Damon let his fingers pet and play with her for a few more minutes. He looked at her intensively. "What is it sis? Im not mad at you if that's what your thinking. I just can't believe you soaked me that quickly." he chuckled "we don't have to do this here or at all if it makes you uncomfortable." he smiles at her and lays her head on his chest. "Well we kinda lost track of time. it's too late to get food out. Better get some rest for tomorrow.'' he smiles and kisses her in a more passionately manor keeping there lips locked and running his hand up behind her head and through her hair for more support. She smiled "Just not here..." she giggled, it happened to be about 7:48 pm already. She snuggled into him "Could you at least go and get me some water from the cafeteria? " She asked him raising an eyebrow. She nibbled on her bottom lip, her tail swaying around in the air. She kissed him back roughly. Furthermore, she was going to hump her pillow once he left to get the water, if he did. Damon agreed. ''of course I can ill just be back in a minute. Now remember not to do anything naughty without me.'' he winked and kissed her once more and let his tongue slide inside her mouth almost forcing her to do the same. '' I'll be back in a minute sis'' he says once more snickering his way out the door She raised an eyebrow, kissing him back. She felt his tongue slip into her mouth, suck on it roughly she growled. She giggled, smiling brightly at him. "No promises..." she winked at him, "better be ..." she fumbled under her breath. Once he was out the door she bundles the pillow underneath her, she bucked her hips moaning softly. She continued humping her pillow, with her eyes closed. Damon was enjoying playing with his little sister for some odd reason. "Oh look who's demanding stuff all of a sudden. You better be lucky I love you dork." he sticks his somewhat swollen tongue out at her. He left the room and quickly ran downstairs to the hospital lobby. He grabbed a nice cold bottle of water from the machine and hurried back upstairs when he started hearing strange sounds coming from the rooms on her floor. She smiled, "You'd better, and B-T-W I'm dork-malicious!" She smiled, watching him leave the room. She humped her pillow with all the strength in her small body. Her moans got louder, as she got closer and closer to orgasming, not thinking it would only take him a little to get the water. Damon wandered closer hearing slight moans now realizing it was coming from his room. He opened the door and found his little sister straddling her pillow for dear life. He sat there watching wondering if she would notice. It was so hard not to let his dick just bust though his pants but still he watched waiting on her reaction She whimpered out, loudly. Her eyes closed as her hips were still rocking... but sloppier thrust. "MMH... Damon..." she moaned a came. She heard the door and her eyes shot open, along with her mouth. "Uh... hey big broth..." she smiled slightly, wondering how much he had watched... "Uh... how m-much of that did you s-see...?" Damon was getting more and more intrigued by the minute. He started to run his hand up and down his visible hard shaft showing on his crotch. He smiled when she shouted his name and started laughing when she finally noticed he was there."well let's just say I've now seen how much of little nymph my little sis is" he smirked and looked at her intensely She groaned, "Perv..." hiding her face in the other pillows beside her. Scooting over so there was room for him to sit now. "Uh... cool... you did it to me, so in other words it is your fault...!" Sh giggled, looking up to him rubbing the bulge in the crotch of his pants. Whimpering she closed her eyes, growing horny again as the seconds passed thinking of him... and his-she snapped her mind back to what was happening now... "thank you deary. I can't deny that about myself at all." he took his hands off his crotch and sat up on the bed with her. "Well this wasn't my original intention but hey I'm starting like my horny little sister." he smirked and knew she was still raging with more horny energy. He ran his hand up the sheets and to her pillow between her legs "damn you drenched it! Such a nice slutty sissy." he growled She giggled, pulling her face from the pillow. "Any day, big broth." She watched his hand move away from his crotch, smiling at him brightly, she chirped out "Uh... good... still your fault!" She winked playfully, "Mm... IMA slutty little sis." she whimpered humping her pillow again. Her tail waving around in the air. Damon looks down at his sister and can't help but want release. She looks so innocent and easy to corrupt but why did he wants to fuck his sister? It was a weird thought but he didn't care. "We'll, it looks like your taking care of your problem now do you think you could help broth with his problem?" he moved his crotch closer to her face leaning up next to her head She moaned softly. Raising an eyebrow at him, when he walked over to the bedside. Her hips stopped bucking, and he eyes widened at his request. "U-uh... s-sure big Dorothy..." she mumbled out slightly, shocked. "Hardhat did you want me to help you with...." she asked, her ears perked up. Damon leaned her head up against his crotch while standing up in front of her. "I want you to please me. Make me soak something down, and I don't mean your pillow." he motioned towards the clasp to his belt." I want you to pull these off with only your mouth." he grinned evil She smiled up at him, biting her lip seductively. She had sharper teeth then most girls, from feminism they had been like that since birth. "Mmm... ok..." she grinned, flashing her sharp teeth. She took the clasp in e mouth, flicking the long piece over, and the belt undone. Damon moaned feeling her face so close to his dick. He placed his hand on her head tugging her hair back and forth keeping her head bobbing on his bulge. "Such a dirty slut. Doesn't sissy want her milk?" he kept still waiting for her to remove the rest as instructed. She groaned, her hand snaking down to between her thighs. Rubbing herself, she was dripping wet. She purred, "L-lock the door..." biting the button of his pants, slipping it undone. She tugged his pants down with her teeth. Furthermore, she reaches into her hospital gown pulling the heart monitor off of her chest. Growling she stood up. Damon felt so empowered right now ordering his little sis to be his obedient slut. He looked down at the soaking puddle on the bed and listens to her request. He reached back and locked the door and reached straight in a 180 degree motion to meet her soaking pussy hole with his fingers. Furthermore, he could tell she was yearning for his cock the way she ripped her monitor off. "Come on you can do better than this slut. Impress me for a change." he had lost most of his senses now and was stuck only on one thing and that was using his slut anyway he wanted to She pushed him against the wall, pinning his arms above his head. She kissed from his collar bone up to his lips, batting and nibbling on his bottom lip. She growled, "Mmm. I like being the little slut... sometimes..." she winked her hips grinding into his a kissed him roughly. Damon hit the wall hard and smiled. He returned her kiss and moans the he was a bit on his lip. He forced an even deeper kiss onto her both winding there tongues in around each others. "That's what I want hear from my sweet little sissy. He jerked her head back and sunk his teeth into her neck. He let go after s bit but jerked her head away by her hair and stared her in the eyes saying "now then. Why song you get that slut little mouth of yours down there and show me how good of a slut you are. She growled, and bit her lip roughly. She kneeled down, her hand between her thighs rubbing her wet womanhood. "MMM..." She purred out as she started to pull down his boxers with her teeth. She eyed his hardened member, she looked up at him. Furthermore, she started to run her tongue along the tip, just teasing him and not taking all of him in her mouth. Damon's head jerked back in pleasure. He let his hands slide down the back of her head and gently tug back and forth on her hair slowly grazing her ears to tease. "MMM. Ff fuck! Where did you learn to do all this sis? My god you're a good little slut!" She whimpered out, as she started to take some of his member into her mouth. She smiled slightly, running her tongue along the sides of his shaft. Furthermore, she sucked hungrily, feeling him grazing her ears. "Mm... good. I'm a slutty little kitty." Damon stared down at her beady eyes each time they came into view. The way she was teasing him and her rhythm combined he would reach his climax soon. He kept his hands placed against the side of her head caressing her ears. He knew over the years of experience that was her relaxation button of sorts. "That's a good girl. Keep it up, and I'm almost there." he petted her head making her take in a bit more of him. She took him as much as her small mouth could. Which, in her case, was only 3/4 of his length. She moaned softly, her being so turned on. Her hard nipples poking through the light fabric f the hospital gown. Purring softly as he petted and played with her ears. "Mm... yes mast-big broth..." she whimpered quickly correcting herself. She gagged softly when he had her take more of him into her mouth. Still purring happily, as it didn't really have any effect on her, she loved it when he was controlling. Damon was set. His body couldn't take much more pleasure, and he knew at any minute he could cum. In her moaning around his cock he heard the word 'master' muffled. It turned him on immensely. He knew that her neo trait would kick in sooner or later. Nikos are a free spirited race but are prone to want a guardian they can cling too. Someone who is there superior. The ones who don't get tamed and made into better slaves. The thought of having his sister as a slave got him going. He grabbed the back of her head with both of his hands and griped tightly letting her know he was in control. "Time for me to have some fun." he smirked and started thrusting his hips viciously nailing his cock down her throat and back out again. He felt himself getting closer and closer with every second her tiny mouth swallowed his thick cock. He finished by blaming his cock balls deep into her throat and filling her with his hot sticky seed. Furthermore, he clasped her nose and held his cock in place. "Sshhhh! Drink your masers milk slut!" She pulled away to take a breath, when she got back she felt his strong hand weave through her platinum blond hair... She smiled her lips tightening around his cock. Furthermore, she let out a muffled moan, right before he started thrusting his hips forcing his big cock deeper into her small mouth. Furthermore, she panted, feeling his cock throb in her throat, she got even more turned on. Furthermore, she felt him exploded, and she hungrily swallows down every drop of her masters milk. Damon's legs gave, and he pulled her head off his cock. He stumbled over and fell on the bed. He felt amazing and existed at the same time. "God you are great sis. I kinda like the new you. I get to be your loving brother, and you get to be my personal slut. MMM..." just the thought of his tied up little sister gave his cock a life tap and made it shoot strait up. "Come here sissy I feel like being generous." he eyed her soaking wet gown another puddle below her. He knew she needed some attention too. She giggled, panting softly. She smiled, watching him stumble over to the bed. Furthermore, she winked, "Good, mas-big broth...!" Her eyes widened a slip up again. She bit her lip, wondering if he caught her mistake. She smirked seeing his cock grow again. There was a pool between her legs on the floor, and her gown was wet. Her hard nipples poking through the flimsy material of the gown. She nodded, standing up and walking over. She bit her lip, staring into his eyes. Damon grabbed her arm and jerked her onto of him and positioned his cock in between her slit. He reached up and gripped her beautiful mounds and pulled her forward gently nipping at the left nipple then sucking and squeezing on both of them. "Slut calls me one name and one name only got it!" he bit down on the tip of her nipple and started rocking his hips back and forth coating his cock in her sweet juices. She panted, "Y-yes m-mas-master...." she bit her lip, a soft moan escaping her lips. "Mmmmhmmm..." she rocked her hips above his, her moans getting louder. She growled, leaning in to him, kissing him roughly, batting and nibbling on his bottom lip. Damon applauded. "that's a good slut. Now remember that name because I own your ass." he kept thrusting back and forth teasing her clit and feeling her immense juices soak his cock. "Hmmm. Which hole should I take to play with slut?" he relished this opportunity to take his sisters holes for the first time. She whimpered, licking her lips. Groaning softly, when his hard cock came in contact with her clit. "W-which ever you would like M-master..." she whimpered softer "Please don't hurt me tho... I'm a virgin..." biting her lip she let her glance fall. "Hmmm." he thought for a moment then turned her body around so that her ass was facing him. He tilted her back a bit, so the head of his cock was right at the entrance to her tiny hole. "I think we will start with this. I'll let you be in control for a moment so you can get the feel for my cock." he smiled and put his hands up behind his head and watched. (Which hole XD) Whoops meet to say ass lol She whispered biting her lip. She let out a half growl half purr when she started her decent on his cock She groaned felling the head of his cock pop into her. She continues to go further and further on him, soon she stopped and looked up at him. Damon watched eagerly as her ass devoured his cock. He brought his hands up to her waistband held them there squeezing her cheeks and spreading them. He wanted to see his cock disappear into her tiny hole. "that's right oh god. That's a good slut. Take all that cock up your fucking hole!" he started to smack her ass repeatedly. "Giddy up slut. Bounce on this fucking cock don't you dare just sit there!" She purred, and started to bounce up and down on his cock. Panting, as she was going at seemingly slow pace. "Y-you're... s-so big... "she whimpered out. The pain of his cock in her tight ass was still lingering. ~I can't access your predawn~Damon rocked his hips up and down with her movements. She only managed to take four inches of his cock and he was displeased. "You call yourself a slut! Come here bitch~ he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her off his cock. He shoved her face down to his balls and rubbed them against her. He brought her head up and right back down relentlessly shoving his eight inch COC straight down her throat and then blaming her head up and down on it again and again. "You want lube. Your gone have to work for its slut!" ((My what?)) She pulled away, purring softly. Yeah, she liked it when guys were rough... but he was crossing over the line slightly. She whimpered her ears flattened against her head, tears in her bright blue eyes. She scooted back, whimpering loudly. ~your Rh. I can't access it for some reason to see what you like and don't like. ~~I can't get to it either for Some odd reason~~ ~sorry if I went a little over the line would you like me to redo my post ~~Haha, no. It's perfect, I would let you do that to me Just I'm going to make her sensitive >Good luck~~ ~oh would you now~"how fucking dare you pull away from me. I'm trying to give you an easier fuck. Your damn fucking lucky though. My cocks prey well lubed. Now get your fucking ass back on this dick right now!" he snapped She started crying and threw a pillow at him. "S-stop... S-stop it big broth..." she whimpered out. She got out of bed hiding in the corner furthest away from him, still crying. Damon got up of the bed and walked over to her sulking in the corner "get your fucking ass up now!" ~he yanked her arm up and slapped her hard on the tits. He tossed her up against the bed and lifted her legs up sliding her up onto the bed. He stretched them back hooking them behind her head giving him now full access to fuck her tight holes. "Each second you struggle your wasting that lubes effect. He placed his massive cock up to her asshole and quickly slammed it in with no remorse. Inch by inch he descended inside of her feeling her stretch around him. He squirted a small load inside of her from just the defense pleasure alone" that's its slut feel this cock!" She shoved him out, and away from her. A small smirk played across her lips, she ran her nails across the button on the side of the bed. One push and 5 nurses would come rushing in. "Bitch. Try me. I fucking DARE you." Narrowing her eyes, she groaned her body betraying her as she got wetter. Her hips bucking back at him. ~you do. Realize that he's already started fucking her. What's the point in a dare¿¿ lol ~~She pushed him out and away from her? Lol~~ Oops lol XD Bowie. Haha, it's ok... :3~~~ ~are you drooling? XD ~Damon was shoved back and he's the wall. "Oh so that's how It's gone then Hun? I can tell by the driving cum from your pussy you liked it. I don't need you though." he starts stroking his cock and moaning "I'm so close as it is. Furthermore, I. Furthermore, I feel like I'm gone cum!" ~~Yes!~~She whimpered softly, "Please? Just don't be so rough right now.?" She looked up, sadly. Hearing him, she growled. Running her fingers across her wet pussy. Rubbing fast, as her back arched off the bed. She plunged a finger into herself. Damon stepped forward clenching his cock so it would hold back on the pleasure. He leaned up against her and slowly shoved himself back inside. When he saw his opportunity he grabbed her as and started pounding himself into her ass. "You fucking dare tell me to stop SND threaten me! Your ass is mine slut!" She screamed and started crying. Trying to push him away from her. "S-stop it... Stop it big broth...! You're hurting me.!" She whimpered, after all of this was over she was going to hate him. Damon reaches down into his sisters purse. He knew she kept a few toys on her at all times. He grabbed her little thick black butt plug she never uses and got ready. Furthermore, he started pounding her ass haired. "Im.gone cum!" he moaned giving her little warning. He shot his hot load strait up her ass and filled her to the brim. He pulled his cock out swiftly and shoved her toy up her ass. "That gone stay there as punishment. Your gone house my cum until I say so." he slapped her in the face with his slimy cum covered cock. She growled, her eyes flaring with anger. "Get. The. Fuck. Out. I HATE you...!" She pulled the blanket up over her body. "Please... master... please stop..." she whimpered squirming around slightly, but not trying to remove TGE butt plug. Damon got some clothes on quickly. "Hehehe. It's ok hostility is normal. I'm not heartless though. Let's get some sleep and talk more in the morning. Come on I know you want to cuddle." he laid next to her stretching his arm out. She whimpered, snuggling into him. Her face buried in his shoulder. She sniffled, "W-why were you so rough big broth?" She nibbled on his neck slightly, he body still in slight pain. He sighs and moans as she nips. "Im sorry. You tease me all the time and I let it go... I guess I wanted to make you pay." he smirks She nodded, sighing against his neck. Her warm breath fanning out along his neck. She looked up, "If you ever try to do that to me, so rough. I will rip off your dick a shove it up your ass..." her eyes narrowed, a small smile played across her lips. He smirked. Even the disobedience was kinda funny. "You think, huh? I know you liked it. So why complain? Makes you seem to pick. Then maybe you won't get any cock at all and ill have you each as I fuck another slut." She looked up again, whimpering slightly. "Just shut up... and go to bed." Flipping over so her back was to him. She was crying softly, the only way to tell was the way her body shook softly, and the light sniffles every once in a while. He knew he crossed a line. She might be a great slut, but she was still his sister. He petted her ears and leaned up against her back. "I love you... I'm sorry. I won't be as rough next time. I'll try to keep it under control." "O-ok..." she flipped over, nuzzling his neck, "You might want to unlock the door before you go to bed..." she pulled away so she could watch him, she laid in the dead center of the bed. "I UV you big broth" Damon got up and walked over to the doorway and unlocked it. "It's probably best if we don't sleep in the same bed just in case somebody heard something last night. I'll just take the floor." he balled his flannel button up into a pillow and laid down. "I love you too sis." he lifted to meet her with a long wet kiss. "Now let's get some sleep." he smiled as he stroked her tail one last time before laying back down. She purred softly, her bright blue eyes seemed to glow in the dark. "But, I want you up here with me..." She whimpered, flipping over so her back was to him. Soon she drifted off to sleep, soft purring sounds coming from her. Some time during the night, a dream started to take over. What ever she was dreaming about had her humping the pillow between her legs. Damon slept peacefully throughout the night. He woke up to his sisters printing. He lifted half sleep to notice she was limping her pillow. Furthermore, he got slightly turned on but didn't know if she was awake. Furthermore, he didn't care really but called her name. (you don't use her name much so I forgot lol) but got no response. He lifted himself up to the side of her bed and pulled up her nightgown to see the back of her soaking wet pussy. ((I think it was Skylar XD))Her hips started bucking harder, an animalistic moan escapes her lips. She groaned, leaning in, still purring, but now she was purring out his name "MMH... Damon... feels so good..." she panted her hips thrusting with one more sloppy thrust before she came. Her cum dripping down her legs, onto the pillow. Damon ran his hand up underneath her nightgown and up her sides. He softly gripped her breast and tugged her back towards him. He removed his pants slightly just enough to stroke himself. "that's a good girl cum for me." he whispered his face now up against her ass. He spread her cheeks and ran his tongue over her asshole and down to her pussy lapping up any juices he could get hold of. ((Doesn't she have a butt plug in? )She groaned, her muscles still spasming from the orgasm. Her eyes fluttering open, she didn't feel much different, but gasped feeling his tongue lapping at her pussy. Moaning loudly, she weaved her fingers through his hair. She flipped over, so his head was right between her legs. Se still held his head, pulling him into her. /true forgot but I never said he stuck his tongue inside of her. b/Damon swallowed every bit of what he could get. He kept streaking and teasing himself just playing around. When she woke up he lifted his head up only to have it shoved back down into her soaking pussy. He dug his tongue inside of her and gripped her ass cheeks firmly as he moaned into her. ((Never said you did either love ;D))She gasped, feeling his tongue poking into her womanhood. "Mmm... your tongue-feels Perfect Damon. Her back arched of the bed, "MMH... fuck yeses..." she growled out, her hips bucking involuntary. He spread her lips and stroked her clit up and down with his tongue. He kept his eyes peering up at her tentatively. "You taste so good." he mound and stuck his tongue up inside of her. He ran his hands up to her breasts and squeezed them gently tuning and twisting her nipples. She grunted letting go of her face, as pleasure suddenly wracked over her small body. All of her muscles spasming, her walls trying to clamp onto his tongue. Writhing around, panting rapidly. "Fuccckkk, yesssssasss....!" He knew she was going crazy. He wanted so badly to fuck her but not now that would be more special. Right now he wanted to drain her dry before sunrise. He clamped down slightly pinching her clit with his teeth then licked it as he held it in place. He continued working her tits but only with one hand. The other worked its way down to her butt plug and started pressing onto it stimulating her ass his cum keeping nice and fresh inside of her. She groaned, her hips bucking with more force. Her body still spasming slightly. She groaned, feeling him flick his tongue against her clit. She was extremely sensitive down there after an orgasm. Writhing away slightly. He continued pressing the butt plug up into her. "Awe. Are you spent sis?" he chuckled as he bent his head down and sucked on her clit roughly glaring his eyes up at her. She pushed his head away "Mm. Ok. Big broth, shortstop. " Whimpering when he continued to roughly suck on her clit. Still pushing his head away, trying to close her legs. It was going to be morning soon so Damon cooperated with her request. "All right. I can tell your all dried up. Anymore is just torture. " He lifted showing her his rock hard exposed cock spewing pre-cum. "Now. How do you plan on helping me with this?" Giggling, she got a wicked gleam in her eyes. A smirk playing across her lips, "Mm, I don't plan on helping with anything." She flipped over, and threw the sheets back over her body. Snuggling into her pillow. She muttered "Paybacks a bitch big broth." Damon zipped up and hurried back to his chair. The resident nurse was coming soon. He would get her back later. He tucked his dick down in his pants so it wouldn't show much. He shot her a dirty look. "it's ok sissy. Don't worry." She fell asleep, and around 1 am she woke up from a nightmare. Getting up, she laid on the ground with him, snuggling into his arms. "Big broth...." she whimpered out sleepily. Snuggling into his chest, her right leg placed in between his legs. Damon slept pretty well he was used to the floor as a child and was knocked out cold through ought the night. He felt a warm presence wrap around him which snapped him out of his dream world. Sleepily he spoke "y-yea sissy?" he wrapped her leg around him, so her leg would stop ruling his morning wood bulge. Trying TP snuggle deeper into his chest, whimpering out. "I-I had a nightmare..." biting her lip, a soft giggle escaping her mouth, when he repositioned her leg, and she felt the bulge in his pants Awe" he pulls her in close grasping her tightly. "What happened sis? Was it that bad" he tried desperately to keep a strait face as she pressed up against him. She growled, defensively, pulling away slightly. She pushed him against the wall, him sitting on the ground. Sitting on his lap, she kissed up his collar bone to his lips, running her fingers through his hair. She didn't know what came one her, she couldn't help it... Damon got caught off guard and hit the wall hard. He would have been more inclined to get up and shake it off, but she moved to fast and made his body relax when her soft lips posed onward up his body towards his own. "Sis? It's going to be Tim to go soon. Be a good girl" it took everything he had for him to say that to her being slightly turned on by the dominant side of hers. A growling sound came from deep in her throat. "No." She was pressed against his bulge in his pants, a soft moan escaping her lips into his mouth, her kissing more passionate now. Damon grunted and moaned. She wasn't obeying him but it still felt good. He held their kiss swirling his tongue with hers. His waist grinding against her causing him to continue to moan for her. She smiled slightly, getting up. She laid back down on the bed, and patted beside her for him to lay with her. Damon was confused on how she was acting "seriously we are gone get caught!" he thought to himself, but his body had a mind of its own. He raised up and crawled up beside her. A smile playing evil across her lip, as she snuggled into him, her head resting on your chest. "I just wanted you up here with me big broth..." she whispered into his ear. Confused and horny he wasn't sure if this was a game or not. Trying to brush it off he snuggled up to her. "It's ok just try to be a little strait forward next time." he laughed. Smiling warmly back at him, she snuggled trying to get deeper in his embrace. "Ok. Hehe... master..." she giggled slightly. Damon held her close making her feel SAF and secure. He questioned her comment "master" he figured she was just playing hard to get. He would tame her soon enough. The nurses came in and held her out of bed. I signed some papers, and they gave you back your clothes. "Time to go sis. What do you want do today?"// gone SA it Saturday I guess lol She went into the bathroom, changing into some AAAAA short shorts and a black under-armor long sleeve. Once she was dressed she Walker out, swaying her hips for her big broth. She pranced back over to her amazing big broth, wrapping her arms around his mid-section, smiling up at him. Damon gulped, and his eyes followed her ass from side to side not even paying attention till she hugged him. "Uhh yea. Um. Let see" he tried to regain self awareness "It's after 3. So you want get home? I kinda wanted to pick up some drinks. Was thinking about having a party at the house this week. "Okay!" She licked her lips, her eyes tracing down his body. "Mmm." She walked out with him to his car, sitting down in the passenger seat. It was around a two-hour drive, and she intended to make him suffer the whole way home. Once they were on the interstate, she reached into her purse, and with the few twos she kept in there she pulled out a purple rabbit vibrator. Setting it on her lap, she tugged at her nipples through her shirt, gasping out softly. She tugged down her shorts, feeling his eyes flicker from her and the road, as she also tugged down the panties two. Soon she had her head tipped back, mouth wide open, eyes closed. The vibrator on full blast, all the way in her. She had hit two orgasms already, and wanted to see how many she could have like this. She smiled wickedly, keeping the vibrated stuffed in her, and pulled her panties and shorts up. Furthermore, she sat back up, and then it hit her, she cried out in the bliss of an intense orgasm. Furthermore, she looked over at him, smiling grinding her hips downwards onto her little toy. Furthermore, she hoped she could stay like this the whole trip. Damon walked out to his car and heard a humorous chuckle coming from her. He hopped in the car and started for the highway. It wasn't till about 20 mins into there long drive back home that he realized what his sister was doing. He kept his hands on the steering wheel and averted his eyes from the road every so often only to see more and more. His dick began bulging from his pants very quickly, but he knew this was a tease. The little bit was going to toy with him for as long as she could ABD he would have to put up with it.... For now. He kept driving and glancing back now his pant were stating to hurt. Especially on bumps and holes. He sped the rest of the way now about 40 mins from their house. She eyed the growing bulge in his jeans, leaning over licking her lips she whispered seductively in his ear, "I could help you with that, only of you wanted help, or course." She winked playfully, rubbing the bulge roughly through the fabric. Demon was sweating and panting. All he wanted to do was pull out his cock and start jerking it right then and there. He felt this was a trap but wasn't gone pass up a good thing. "Do. . Do whatever you think will help pet." he groaned louder stepping on the gases as she rubbed him harder. She came again, pleasure wracked over her body. All of her muscles tensing for a couple of moments. She purred finally pulling his zipper Dow, and pulling out his hard cock. She planted soft kisses on the tip, before slowly putting the head in her mouth licking and sucking like she was eating a lollipop. Furthermore, she got more and more of him into her mouth, gagging every once in a while. Her head bobbed up and down on his cock, moans coming from her mouth and vibrating against his cock. He thought she was bluffing and was caught off guard when she pulled his cock out. The gases pedal couldn't move much more. Thank god there went any cars on the road at the moment. His head was stolen and her teasing wasn't helping. When she went down his eyes role back luckily he broke slowly which made her slam down to his base. "Ohh god yes! Don't stop sissy. Don't stop sucking masters cock!" he felt amazed at hoe this was going it would be a bit before he came, but he started driving back at normal speed once he hit traffic She wrapped one of her small hands around the length of his cock, rubbing up and down with her mouth movements. She purred on his member, the vibrate still in her and on. She started to deep throat him slightly, gagging as he hit the back of her throat. He tugged on her hair back and forth with every shock being set through him. He final got to stop at a railroad pass and reached behind her with one hand to pump the vibrator in and out of her faster while his slammed her face down on his cock pressing her nose up against his balls. "that's right slut. Almost there." he wanted to tease her to make her think it would be easy to get it out of him. She let out a high-pitched sequel as she came again, squirting all over the seat of his car. She purred, milking his cock with her throat. Furthermore, she knew she would love to please her master. Damon felt amazed at how good she was doing sucking his cock. She managed to milk his pre-cum free, but his balls were still filled with much more. He pulled the vibrator out of her pussy and slowly ran it up her clit pressing down and ruling it in. Then proceeded to run it up her ass to her hole and slowly drilled it into her asshole. The sensation of the warm pulsing rod pushing into her ass was too much for her, her whole body wracked with the intense waves of her orgasm. Breathing hard she pulled away from his cock, dizzy. Damon pulled his pants up slightly and sped off~. Ok we don't want spend too much time fucking around. You went half bad sucking me off by the way slut. ~he winks in her general direction~ "Y-yay... Thank you master." She purred happily, her ears flattening against her head. With more whimpers coming from her, the vibrator had slipped down, and was pushed against her clit. "I-I'M go-gone-gonna cummed again!!!" She was panting and squirming in her seats. Finally, she came with such intense pleasure, she passed out against his shoulder, sighing contently. Damon pulled up outside their house and nudged his sister it didn't work so he reached around and pressed the vibrator back into her ass and turned it on again~ wake up! If you really want to throw a party we got clean up and get shit ready for everybody. I don't want anybody toughing my personal stuff. She groaned, opening her eyes. "Stooppppp..." She jerked away, extremely sensitive now. "Carry me in big broth?" She whimpered. He slipped her pants back up leaving the vibrator up inside of her and got out lifting he rout of the car and into his arms. Alright come on. Giving him a kiss on the cheek, she gave him a weak smile. "T-thank you big broth. I'm sorry I was so disobedient at the hospital...." She dozed off to sleep in his arms... He blushed and led her into the house and downstairs to her bedroom. "it's ok sis. I'm not too upset you always make up for stuff like that." he chuckled as he laid her down on her bed. She looked up tiredly, "Button, I wanna sleep in your bed!" She whimpered, hugging her pillow to her body. Furthermore, she was dizzy and shaking slightly from all the orgasms she had achieved in the car. He sighed. Ok ill take you back up to my room then. ~he traveled up two flights of stairs to his room and laid her down on his bed as he started to pant~ "whew I should do that to work out" he laughed and started back out the door. Sleep tight ok. She squirmed around, seeming to remember she had the vibrator inside of her. She let out a barely audible whimper, writhing around uncomfortably under the sheets. "B-big b-BR-brother...'" Damon turned around with a puzzled look. "What is it sis? He walked back over to the sidecar the bed trying to calm her down. "T-The V-vi-vibrator...." She half moaned half whimpered as she writhed uncomfortably around under the bed spread. Damon reached down under the sheets and turned the vibrator off after pulling it out of her pussy. "Im surprised this was still on." he snickered. "It drained you for all you got didn't it sis?" he looked down at his helpless sister and sat the vibrator down on her nightstand. She hid her face in the pillows. Blushing a bright crimson across her pale cheeks. She giggled, looking up. She was wide-eyed and alert, smiling brightly. Furthermore, she kept giggling, like something switched in her. "Oh now you're a giggling school girl?" he laughed. You sound loopy and drunk and we haven't even got that far yet." he started walking out the door downstairs just to finish tidying the house up to make it look better. She stood up, her legs like jelly, and she collapsed on the ground giggling; the after-affects of so many orgasms. She stood again, steadying herself slowly. Furthermore, she walked slowly, stripping her clothes as she walked, leaving a trail of clothes ; a pink lacy bra, a black and pink thong, a long sleeve tee, and some shorts. Furthermore, she left the bathroom door open behind her as she turned on the shower. Damon finished cleaning up downstairs And went around the house making sure all of his valuables were locked up. He didn't want to get stolen from and knew that shit happens at house parties. He walked up past his room to see his sister was at least out of bed and cleaning herself up. "You ok in there?" he peeked his head inside. She squealed happily, covering herself with her arms. She blushed again, stepping into the shower. Damon laughed. "You having mood swings sis? All right ill leave you alone. If you need me ill be in my room. She stuck her head out of the shower, smiling her 'famous' cheesy smile towards him. "Orr, you could join me!" She leaned out a little bit, in a hope to coax him in. She purposely used the sight of her fits with droplets of cool water dripping down them, making her nipples hard. Damon turned around intrigued. He walked back over to the doorway wanting to come up with some way to tease her horribly. "Well I would but I'm to spent to take the clothes off. Ill talk to ya after I'm rested." he turned back slightly his cock fully erect and noticeable. She frowned slightly, but quickly smiled again. She stepped out of the shower, right in front of him. Furthermore, she tugged off his shirt, then undoing his belt. Furthermore, she started to slip his pants down, eager and inpatient. When all he was left in was boxers, she purred at the sight of the TNT in his boxers. She practically ripped off his boxers, after she had admired them for a while. Her mouth almost instantly slipped onto his cock, sucking and licking. She let out a moan, giving away that she was touching herself two. Damon knew she would be to tempted to take what she wanted if it was right in front of her. He did get a little startled at how fast she striped him but when her mouth slipped over the head of his cock he didn't really worry anymore. "mmm. You gone clean big bros cock of? You of all people know how dirty it is." he sat there for a minute admiring her until he got frisky himself and grabbed her and lifted her up putting her in the upright sixty-nine. He locked her legs around his head and started licking hungrily at her soaking wet pussy while he thrust his cock in and out of her mouth while she sucked him off. She let out a helpless whimper, jerking her pussy away from his tongue. "I'm too sensitive!!!" She pulled her mouth of his cock. "ok, ok. Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. Here let me make it better." he lowers her to the ground in the middle of the doorway and kneels down to meet her ass. He slowly starts licking her asshole and massaging around it forcing his tongue in deeper every second. She squirms and writes trying to get away. She let out a high-pitched whimper. Trying to get away. It hurt, but fell good. He pulled his head away from her ass. "Awe dos sissy not like big bro eating out her asshole?" he grinned and licked his lips. She whimpered out, not even being able to push herself to say anything. She just growled and bit his thigh, hard. Damon kind of liked the biting. It wasn't new to him. All of his exes liked that stuff he just never got bit by them. "Ooooo! Feisty. Don't hurt big broth though." he put his hand on the back of her head lightly gripping her hair. She whimpered pulling away, she pouted sadly. She pulled away with one tug, landing on the floor. Furthermore, she got up, not saying anything. Furthermore, she got back in the shower. Now he was really confused. He followed her in and stepped into the shower with her. "Sis? What is wrong? You've never done this before so what's up?" She gave him a helpless shrug, her glance was cast down at the floor. She sighed, shutting off the water, and getting out. Furthermore, she reached over to grab a towel, wrapping it loosely around her body. Tight in some areas yet loose in other, just perfect to where her boobs spilled over the top slightly. She walked out, and laid back down in his bed, not even bothering to get under the covers. As she hugs the pillow to her body she started to fall asleep. Damon threw some clothes on after he dried off. He wanted to say something but didn't know what words to use anymore. He just cleaned up the bathroom and grabbed his phone seeing a few missed text messages. "Hey dude I got a couple girls coming with their friends" Damon kinda thought that be nice to chill and get groped on. He went downstairs and got some glasses and drinks out waiting for them to show up. She woke up about twenty minutes later, she just got up, got dressed, and went back to bed. She was sprawled across the bed asleep, in short pajama shorts and one of her bras. Half-hearted attempt, but eh she couldn't care less. Damon's friend arrived and brought a few lovely ladies with him. The one that eyed Damon as she walked through the door was a tall blond with light blue eyes and a nice pair of tits. Damon got hard thinking about it since his sister had cock blocked him a moment ago. They took there seats as Damon when to go get some drinks for the four of them. She, being the air head she is, yawned, getting up and walking downstairs, to find herself in the midst of about 5 boys; teenage boys. She looked down to try an understanding what they were staring at to find herself staring at her boobs, the way the bra slid up a little showed off just the right amount of cleavage. Furthermore, she blushed brightly, turning crimson with embarrassment. "HHH... Damon.!!!" Damon walked back in holding some sodas and snacks for his new guests and nearly dropped everything when he walked back in and immediately covered his sister up. "Why aren't you upstairs? I told you I was having company." he turned and glared at his guests who diverted their eyes. She whimpered helplessly "Imam horny, and I came down to find you..." her voice drifted off, and she bursts into tears, mumbling out how it was her fault and many apologies. Damon thanked god know one heard what she had just said. He hugged her tighter to console and conceal her. "It's not your fault sis. Let's take you back upstairs." She nodded her head, looking up into his eyes. She walked upstairs with him, both of them ending up in her room with him... "I-I'm sorry..." Damon wasn't mad at her. He knew she was just wanting to have some fun, but he was still upset at what she had done to him before. He kind of wanted to stay downstairs and see where it would go with the girls downstairs. Furthermore, he knew one would die to have sex with him but he didn't know what to do. Furthermore, he pondered this thought while holding onto his sister tightly and quietly. She whimpered, "You can go back downstairs..." She diverted her eyes from his, "I know you want her...." She pushed away, smiling and clearing at him, "Also, I could just have that guy with a beanie up here with me if you don't want to be here with me, Justin whatshisname...." Damon shrugged. "You could" they star to hear music downstairs and everything got quiet between them. "You also know if I stayed up here with you, it would look really weird to our friends. She growled, "Get out, and send Justin up." She practically shot daggers out of her eyes at him, hiding the pain in her eyes behind it. You honestly think I'd send someone up to fuck you? You have to be stupid as hell to think that. " He says as he walks out her door but turns peeking his head back in. "Dose it really bother you that I want to do something with her? I mean are we in a relationship here? I'd like to know." "Get. OUT." She growled through clenched teeth, tears brimming her eyes. She was so close to tears, and she was horny. It didn't mix well... Damon didn't know what to do but doing what she said high tow seemed like the best way to go. He closed her door and walked downstairs emotions flailing through his head. Should he try and sleep with the girls from school? He didn't know them and he was graduating soon so no pressure. He chuckled. Furthermore, he got downstairs and decided to do what needed to be done. "Guys you got ago. My sis is really not feeling well and i don't think we can be quiet enough." Justin and his friends all got frustrated. The guys actually in their minds were killing Damon. "Why don't you go to Justin house?" they all looked at him and gradually nodded as Justin was put on spot. "All right lets go." he said as they all weed there way out demons house. He shut the door falling with his back to it and slid to the ground with a thud. -Are the girls all still there?- ~no he kicked them out~ She sighed, collapsing to the ground in tears. "I hate him." She whimpered out to no one in particular... She pulled her knees up to her chest Damon slowly made hi sway up the stairs to his room. He knocked on the door and in a soft voice "can I come in?" he sighed. She let out a soft growl, "No." as she started crying again. "You're a dick. Go away." Damon opened the door and stepped in. "Look everyone is gone. You don't have to worry anymore." he walked over to her and tried to hold her. She attempted to bite his arm, and get away. Her eyes narrowed and teeth barred. She looked pissed, her tail swaying slightly. Look Skylar. It's ok. I know I pissed you off and hurt you. I came to make up for it. Furthermore, I didn't want to ruin us any more than we had. She was silent for a moment, before she stood up, and walked over to him. She wrapped him in her arm, hugging him tight to her body* Damon was relived that she came to him. He hugged her as well brushing her hair back. As he brushed he hair back she sighed, squirming a little in an attempt to hide her wetness dripping down the insides of her thighs. She was craving his huge cock in her, but she knew he didn't want it, or more importantly; her. Damon went to grab the phone and noticed a couple drops on the floor. He knew she wasn't crying anymore and chuckled as he started to call in some Chinese food. He sat on her bed spreading his legs a bit to tease her. She sat down beside him, blushing as she relieved what he was doing; and inadvertently why. She let out a whimper, squirming a little to get comfortable, feeling weird, in just a pair of panties and a bra, and her panties were drenched from her juices... Damon laid back on her bed and turned the TV on. He would milk this for all it was worth. He loved being a tease and her scent drifting through the air men the was doing a good job. She whined and whimpered, riding her pussy down against her leg, to cause any kind of pleasure. She needed him so bad, she got up, and laid down on him Damon snickered and gave in. He grabbed her ass and pulled her onto his lap setting her on his hard bulge. She let out a happy sequel, grinding her pussy down onto his tent in his shorts. "I want Moore!!!" She whined impatiently. Damon felt her wetness seeping through his shorts. He snickered and unbuckled his belt. "If your can get me out of these without using your hands. I'll see what I can do." he just wanted to amuse himself by watching her try. She helplessly attempted to get his shorts off of him, with no avail. "MMM please Damon... I want it... readably bad!" She started whimpering. He loved watching her bag it turned him on a lot. He gave in though wanting himself. Furthermore, he pulled his cock out for her running it across her face to tease her some more. "There you go sis. Are you happy now?" he grinned. She tried with all her might to catch his huge cock with her desperately awaiting cock. Her whimper pf defeat surfaced as she sat back, on the brink of tears of intense frustration. He slid his head past her lips rubbing it around them then grabbed the back of her hair roughly and slid her face down his shaft to his balls. "There sissy getting enough of what she wanted?" She moaned softly on his cock. "Uh huh." Her tongue swirling around the nice thick cock in her mouth as much as she could while tears pricked at her eyes slightly. He moaned pulling her up and wiping his cock over her face. "You are ok there sis?" She moaned happily, trying to get his cock in her mouth again "Uh huh!!!" He nodded and slammed his cock back down her throat. He started grinding inside her throat and grabbed her hair like pigtails pulling her in deeper. She whimpered on his cock, trying to pull away. Her ears were flattened tightly back against her head. "Nuuhuhhh"

What would you think_ (Alexisstar X Demivemon22)|rating:2.0