▐ ℒιvιиɢ ↓ℕ Ѻʙʟιvιℴи ♛「1ST ARC」

[Salem Wolf]

There was a need to get into the room behind Clyde, inside there was a woman about to become an experiment of the TNT, lose her freewill, and become a puppet. The collar was important to the Oblivion Rebellion so they could reverse engineer the technology, allowing them to help others who have already had collars fitted to them. But Defiance wasn't just going for the collar, despite its significance to the cause, he was going for the person about to be fitted. Every single person fitted for a collar until that point was just as important, but the timing of the mission had been an important key for why this one, of all of them, was selected to be freed. Clyde had made that point to him already, that despite rescuing the one woman they sat idle in the shadows while dozens or even hundreds had been fitted with a collar that took away their ability to think freely. Eventually, like he would with this one, Defiance would free them all. In the meantime there was a TNT Operative that he needed to get past.

The battle continued with a smoke cloud now in the hall, masking Defiance from Clyde's vision while he moved quickly enough to knock out one of the handguns from his hand, knocking him against the wall. The tonfas were light but strong enough to break someone's hand, although he suspected of Clyde being a little above human in this battle, his hard hits not breaking anything but they were doing damage. Retreating into the smoke cloud it was now that Clyde began to unleash a barrage of bullets, which would render anyone full of holes. Defiance had a split-second to make his movements count or else this would be the end of him. Fortunately the barrage of bullets weren't low enough near leg level, that gave Defiance the moment he needed to fall backwards in the smoke cloud until the bullet barrage passed over him. He rolled onto his stomach and pressed a nearly invisible button on the tonfa to release the grapple hook on one end to latch onto the ceiling above and behind Clyde, then he reeled it back in at rapid speed, pushing onto his feet to kick off into the air and head for Clyde with a mighty knee into his chest, hoping to hit him hard enough to disorient him and use his tonfa to release his grip on his other pistol.

If successful Clyde would be vulnerable for a hit to the side of the head to render him unconscious, or if Defiance had missed then this would be where Clyde could retaliate with a powerful enough attack that the battle could keep going. Whichever way it went he knew, fighting with Clyde or bursting into the experimental chamber, that his battle was really only just beginning. Once he had the collar and the experiment it was time to escape. The escape would be just as difficult as the battle with Clyde.

→ Location: TNT HQ [Experimental Department] ↔ Company: Clyde Walker ↔ Outfit: Defiance Outfit ←

[Leigh Warren]

The meal was delicious and so was the company to say the least, Ryan was like eye candy and Lilly currently had him all to herself. In between glances she worried and over thought practically anything and everything, were this going according to plan? Was she acting strange or out of the ordinary? It was her first date and she had no experience in this type of field. Handing out of control gifted? No problem. Superhumans? Been there, done that. There was so much she could do and had done yet here she was practically squirming all because she couldn't stop over thinking everything out of being nervous and anxious. She was so use to adoring and loving someone from afar for so long that when it came to up close and personal she couldn't keep her calm and cool composure. She was hooked on his every word, she was curious of him and wanted to really get to know him. What did he like? What did he hate? Favorite food? Hobbies? This lunch date seemed so out of the blue that Lilly really had no time to properly prepare herself or go make any notes ahead of time to figure out what was normally expected on a first date, back up plans, activities.. there was a lot to look up and take notes about. What were the best places for dates? Excellent restaurants? Well obviously that one didn't matter now as the two were now fluffed.

Lilly had to watch herself and make sure she wasn't fidgeting as they had left the Olive Garden and stood outside where it was lightly raining, sharing an umbrella was quite romantic but Lilly had gathered some courage as she had asked for his umbrella to hold it above both of their heads all the while making sure she didn't poke his eye out with it. Standing so close to him she could feel her heart rate pick up as she felt the urge to shy away tug at her. Calm down.. you're doing great. Got to pay for lunch and enjoy a meal with him.. but now what? Her train of thought was broken when feeling a arm wrap around her shoulders, he was touching her. Glancing down she stared at his hand but did or said nothing to give him the idea she was upset with his sudden action - in fact she was internally screaming happily. [That's his arm! Human contact.. like this? Oh my god, if Leigh could see me now! Yeah, like Leigh would be impressed with a guy slinging an arm over Lilly's shoulder but to her it was a big deal seeing how it was someone she found attractive. Troy had never given her attention like this, perhaps that is why she found herself becoming fonder of her sudden new friend who had no trouble being casual about it. "This was pretty nice, I'm glad you picked up... I hope I won't get you in trouble at work." Oh right! Only Salem and Leigh knew where she was, how could she forget? Oh right.. major attractive guy who showed an interest in her.

"I'm glad I did as well," If only he knew what lengths she went, she had taken extra precautions just to make sure she didn't miss his call in case he did decide to give her a shot. I should be fine, I have my sister watching my back currently." Currently? Fah! More like all the damn time! Even when she didn't want Leigh to keep an eye on her she'd always do it anyway. It just wasn't right being babysat all the damn time. "I can walk you to your car if you like." Lilly gave a short laugh, "Yeah.. about that. I was so caught off guard with the whole phone call that I kind of just ordered a taxi rather than using a car.." Not to mention the paperwork she'd have to get Salem to sign seeing how she'd be using a registered TNT vehicle. So was this it? The end of their little lunch date? Lilly couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed about it. While the two remained under the same umbrella with his arm slung over her shoulders Lilly couldn't help but think for a brief moment that people who passed by them would assume they were a couple which brought her heart to skip a beat again. Idiot! Don't think such thoughts.. jeeze. Did she really want to have her face match her hair? There were times she felt she'd give anything for some god damn pigment. "So... what do you do in your spare time...? Well, aside from hanging out at Lock In with your sisters, I mean..." He was starting a conversation and get to know her, problem was.. there were a lot of secrets she needed to keep.

"Hmm.. what do I do in my spare time?" She repeated his question as she appeared to be deep in thought as she thought about a proper answer. "Honestly, I don't really get a lot of spare time. I tend to work a lot, it's practically my life. B-but that's okay, I enjoy working!" Aw crap, now he'll want to know where she worked and what sort of position she worked within her job. A bigger problem was how proud Lilly was of her job and the company she worked for, it wouldn't hurt to tell him a bit of truth. "I work for the Tactical Neutralization Team, an office job where I'm basically a paper pusher really.. A bit of administrative here and there with a lot of data entry. Reports are my life." Ryan didn't need to know the real her, she could pretend to be a normal human with a normal job. You can bet I had to type up a report of the event that happened at the club last night.." Thinking back on it he had made a remark that caught her attention. "Speaking of which," Tilting her head back she gazed up at him for a moment as she questioned him. "earlier at lunch you made a remark that really caught my attention.. You said something along the lines of it being more scared. Tell me, Ryan~" Lilly added a playful tone of her voice as she didn't wish to scare him off or make him nervous about "interrogating" him a bit. "have you had experiences with gifted before?" Lilly stayed clear of mentioning Superhumans, everyone judged them like they were Gifted and saw them as a threat.. the last thing she needed to hear was a guy she found and interest in bad mouthing Superhumans.

Lilly had gotten so wrapped up in the conversation that she had forgotten about calling a taxi or the fact she thought their date had come to a finish. Simply waltzing under the umbrella and talking was good enough for her as she didn't seem to mind doing just that with him. She had never gotten a chance like this so there was no real surprise that she hadn't noticed them getting further and further away from the restaurant.

Back in the sparring room Leigh was winning herself a five star honeymoon suite with her commander promptly sprawled out over the king sized bed, she had won an all inclusive 'one night stand with a Superhuman/Commander'! Or so she hoped, a part of her did consider him backing out like a coward because he might be too worried getting caught. Perhaps Troy had him whipped more than she thought.. then again, she simply saw this as a 'worst case scenario'. Sure she had pulled a dirty trick in making him believe he had actually hurt where she took full advantage of his kindness and won the sparring match. On the battlefield one must be prepared for anything, surely enough Salem learned that now. Leigh was grinning ear to ear as she watched Salem go over to unlock the door to the sparring room. "By the way, has anyone ever told you that you have a great smile?" Leigh's big grin was quickly wiped off her face as she blinked several times back at him.. was he trying to get her back? Either way, no man had actually given her a compliment like that and she really wasn't happy with the results she was feeling from it. "I'll tell you the location and room number you'll be meeting me at once I book the room, oh," Now we were talking, that information she couldn't wait to get as she really wanted to see if he'd actually agree to winning "request". Curious she watched as he turned around and folded his arms over his chest, damn that pose was attractive.. it really showed off his nice arms.. and chest.. and..Oh god, her mind was wandering.

"My turn to make a request: wear a dress. Preferably without the underwear, you won't need 'em." His remark left her surprised, she hadn't expected him to ask for such a sexy request.. perhaps he wouldn't chicken out after all... God she hoped not. She couldn't allow him to gain the upper hand as he had gotten her to blush just slightly. Your request as been noted," Now she had a devilish smirk, he was straight up putting naughty images and ideas in her head already. As he created a portal she couldn't get over just how cool of a power it'd be to have.. she'd have to get him to teach her how to properly use it or she might end up in a different country.. or worse, space. Watching him leap into it she expected him to surprise her by popping out behind her in which she quickly turned around and waited. "Hah! Nice try Salem.. but you're not getting the drop on me," Her eyes darted all over the room, where the hell would he appear this time? He had yet to appear and it had nearly been a full minute.. how long could he stay in one of those portals? Shoot, she had actual questions about his ability now! "Salem..? Helllo~?" Her voice echoed and still no commander to be seen. Oh HELL no, did he really just up and leave her? "You've gotta be kidding me, did he seriously just ditch me?" Placing her hands on her hip she continued to look around the empty sparring room. "I think that a** just left me!" Speaking of which, she'd have to give a good smack to it.. how dare he leave her behind!

Well, no commander meant she'd do whatever the hell she wanted! Lilly was out on her little lunch date which now she was curious and wondering just how it was going.. and Salem was now no where to be seen so today felt more like a "do whatever you want, just pretend to look busy" kind of day. Troy would be busy doing interviews, what could really go wrong? Scratch that, she didn't want to know. Strolling out of the sparring room Leigh continued to keep her eyes peel just in case Salem really was trying to get back at her though she highly doubted it. Making her way back to her room she stopped in shortly only to pick up a change of clothes along with shampoo, conditioner and some shower gel. Her little spar had got her to work up bit of a sweat but she figured it was more of winning that really made her want to shower. Her plans for tonight caused her to skip all the way down to the bathroom as she hummed happily to herself. A part of her just wanted to sing the whole there about how she was going to get some awesome sex tonight with another Superhuman but that wouldn't be very discrete of her.

Making her way to the female showers she quickly picked her stall and lined up her shower products in order while leaving her clean set of clothes outside of the stall. "Hmm, wonder which type of dress I should pick.. Ahh, who am I kidding? I already know! I haven't gotten to wear it in forever, it'll be great to get back in it.. if only for a little while." It was practically impossible for Leigh to keep her mind from going into the gutter or simply imagining how tonight was going to play out. "Aw man, now tonight can't come soon enough.." Already she had a pun ready to go with that remark but she kept it to herself. Unzipping her skeleton suit she neatly folded it and placed it next to the pile of clothes she'd be changing into, there were many great things about the suit Leigh loved but the fact she only had to wear panties in the suit made it that much faster for her to get rid of all her clothes in a quick timely fashion. Lifting her arms above her head she gave a big stretch while tilting her head back and letting out a satisfying moan. "Mmm, I really don't feel like working today.. My work ethic has gone out the window,"

Turning the two knobs left she fixed the water temperature just the way she liked it - pretty hot. Stepping under the hot water she could feel the water pelt against her hair and bare skin, it was a relaxing feeling which always helped her to relax. Canting her head back skyward she enjoyed feeling the water run down her face, running her fingers through her wet hair she scrunched it up into a bun-like hold as she arched her back forward having her full bare back pelted with hot water. "yeah, think I'll just stay here all day.." Murmuring softly to herself she stood there for a good five minutes solid just letting her back muscles and shoulder blades relax with the help of the hot water. Releasing her hair she knelt down to pick up the shampoo, washing her hair she even found relaxing as she used her nails to gently massage her scalp as soapy suds slid down the curves and indents in her body until it finally reached her feet. As strange as it sounded Leigh wasn't use to showering alone, normally she had Lilly if not Koko to help keep her company if not wash her back and in return she washed theirs.

Facing the shower head Leigh rested her eyes as she gently rubbed her face with her hands after rinsing them of shampoo, steam filled up the room as she exhaled a sigh while running the palms of her hands down her chest in which she casually squished her breasts. "I massage you on a daily bases, you're suppose to get bigger.." Frowning in disappointment Leigh continued with her routine as she hoped for some level of improvement with her bust size. "Perhaps it only works if someone else does it..." Well she was about to find out tonight, hopefully. Removing her hands from her breasts she turn back around to rinse her hair of the shampoo as she still needed to condition her hair as she wanted that silky soft feeling with her hair, maybe he'd notice when it's in his balled up in his fist giving it a bit of a tug here and there- DAMMIT! Her focus had clearly gone to one thing and one thing alone. Obviously it had been far too long since she had gotten any action and now that she knew she was getting some she couldn't stop thinking about it.

Forcing herself to focus she had finished rinsing the shampoo out of her hair and now applied the conditioner, perhaps this is the very reason he had upped and left her. Letting the conditioner sit in her hair she took this opportunity to use the shower gel to lather up her arms and upper torso before working her way down to her legs. With a final rinse she felt ten times better, now all she had to do was kill time until it was time for some after work fun. Turning both shower knobs to the right to fully turn them off she grabbed a clean folded towel to dry herself off. Stepping into a tight pair of jeans and t-shirt she felt casual enough to go out into the public and simply try to blend in while keeping an eye out for any strange activity as well as a certain Gabriel - he proved to be quite difficult to catch as she would have guessed they'd have him by now. No wonder Troy was pissed. Picking up her products and her skeleton suit she headed back to her room where she hung her suit up and placed her shower time items back in the basket she had taken them out of and quickly brushed her hair - she'd let it air dry. Throwing on her favorite denim jacket it was finally time for her to try to do some work today.. but without a commander or Lilly.. it felt very strange.

Leaving through the main doors of HQ the light rain didn't bother Leigh any though it'd make it that much harder for her hair to dry. Instead of signing out a car the TNT owned, Leigh figured it'd be interesting to try out the transit system to the Bronx.

✖Location: Heading out towards the bronx. Manhattan.
✔Company: Ryan. No one.
✖Mood: Curious, happy, nervous. / Relaxed, bored, eager.
✔Wearing: Casual wear.
★Note this colour, when used it means both girls are talking at the same time.

[BIoodbane]

Rion Galford
"Alter"
Mad men define what mad is,
turning witches and saints to ashes

So far, the date had been rather typical in Rion's eyes. He met up with Lilly, grabbed lunch, and now it seemed they didn't have to part ways just yet. This was as good a time as ever to learn more about the young woman, and he had to admit he was a little surprised to hear her mention that she had little spare time... yet she could meet for a date and not worry about getting back to work? He kept a calm smile as Lilly admitted she enjoyed her job, but what he had not expected was her to say just where she worked.

As soon as she had mentioned working for the TNT, Rion responded with a slight raising of his eyebrow and an "Oh?", before quickly adding more once he thought of something the two of them could do. After all, even if she was working for the TNT, that didn't necessarily make her an enemy, especially if she was just someone who did paperwork. Just as there were superhumans like himself trying to make an honest living, there were bound to be people in the TNT who saw the shades of grey in the black and white picture that the media attempted to paint. "I suppose that would be a pretty busy job. Well, if your sister doesn't mind covering for you, what do you think about taking the ferry? The Island's probably not gonna be too busy in the middle of a weekday, and I didn't really make any other plans..." It didn't take long for Lilly to agree with the idea, seeming to be rather pleased with his company. In all honesty, he hoped this conversation wouldn't turn sour, as he did rather enjoy how things were going, but in the back of his mind, he was on full alert as he called a cab to take the two to the ferry station.

This just got a lot more interesting... He thought to himself, wondering how to go about the conversation at this point. If she worked for the TNT, it was very likely she was paying more attention to what he was saying than he first thought, and as soon as she brought up what was said, he mentally smacked himself in the forehead. I had a feeling that would lead to something... but not quite this. He was getting the feeling this was going to be a bit of a drawn out conversation, especially once she asked him that question, which was another reason he felt like taking the conversation elsewhere. The ride to the ferry station gave him some time to not only think of how he'd frame his thoughts, but if he could get her to go with him, he would at least get a chance to see if they were being followed.

As the cab headed toward the ferry station, Rion couldn't help but give a brief chuckle as he thought of the exact wording she used, almost as if she were taking care to use that dreaded word... 'gifted'. Just mentioning that gave him an idea of what to ask her. "Gifted, huh... if you don't mind me asking, is that some kinda PC term your bosses like to throw around?" He asked, seeming to be legitimately curious, as if there was something about the word that didn't quite click with him. Depending on what she would say in response, Rion wondered if maybe there was more to it than that. After all, Zaira did mention that there was much more to the TNT than the face they showed the media... if he was going to get any information, he had to start somewhere, and perhaps Lilly at least had something he could use as a place to start with. In order to do that though, he had to be genuine; he had to get Lilly on his side, or at least to understand what his opinion was on superhumans. Once that was out in the open, then he could try and determine based on her reaction how she felt. If they were on the same page, then maybe the option was open to try and learn more about her line of work.

Once they left the cab, this time with Rion being the one to pay the fare, he began to walk beside her as the two headed towards the ferry. Realizing that there was going to be a little bit of a wait, Rion felt now was a good time to get his thoughts out there.

"So for starters, you don't to worry about beating around the bush with me. Yeah, I've run into superhumans if that's what you're asking, and I'll admit, some of them turned out to be not the most upstanding types, either..." He said as he thought back to some of the people he had stopped from doing some pretty nasty stuff, but then he shrugged his shoulders, thinking of some of the ones he helped escape the clutches of the TNT. "At the end of the day, they come in all kinds. And yes, some of them really are scared of what the TNT is doing; even if it looks like they're doing a good job, I wouldn't be surprised if there were some people in there that don't even care whether the people they're taking off the streets actually did anything wrong." He said, perhaps being a tad more critical than he would have liked, but he felt if she really was just a paper pusher, then she was bound to see something eventually that wouldn't be the most ethical. Maybe it would open her eyes a little bit, and if it did make her just a little more aware, then he was satisfied with what he said. Not wanting to keep the mood too serious, however, he switched gears back to talking about the people who weren't out causing mayhem... perhaps even referring to some of the folks that were trying to stop it.

"But in my opinion, well, it doesn't have to be that way forever. Call me old-fashioned... hell, maybe even a little naive... but I like to think that superheroes still exist, even if it seems they'd almost be better off hiding in this day and age." He explained, before looking up and forward just a bit, mostly scanning for a place to go next but also reflecting on something he once heard.

"My dad used to tell me there was a time when the word 'gifted' meant a person could one day do great things... but now, all I see it used for is putting a lot of good, honest people in a bad light, when it's really only a few that cause the kind of ruckus people keep pointing at." He said, taking extra care not to seem angry, but at the same time firm in his thoughts so she understood what he was asking of her when he looked back down to her, still keeping a calm smile on his face.

"So I understand if that's something they make you use at work, but unless I'm missing something about this word... and hey, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong somehow... I'd prefer if you didn't call them 'Gifted', 'cause it just doesn't mean what it used to anymore. Not to me, or apparently anyone else." He said, before finally feeling like he said enough on the topic not only to satisfy what she was asking of him, but to prove that although he clearly did not think the TNT was right 100% of the time, he seemed aware enough of the overall situation to know there was much more to it than what the news and press conferences seemed to show, and that it was true on both sides of the fence. After a few seconds, he laughed, somewhat a little embarrassed with how long he had spent on the topic.

"S-sorry about that... I, uh, tend to keep an open mind about things... So, uh, now that I've probably put myself on some kinda watch list, what do you think about superhumans?"

Company :: Lilly
Location :: Manhattan
Thoughts :: s**t, I hope she can still take a joke...
Wearing :: Semi-Casual wear

Rising masses
marching to find heretic blood.

xxx

[Leigh Warren]

Lilly and Ryan were finally being given a chance to have a real conversation in which they'd enlighten one another about themselves, perhaps this time there'd be no interruptions. "I suppose that would be a pretty busy job. Well, if your sister doesn't mind covering for you, what do you think about taking the ferry? The Island's probably not gonna be too busy in the middle of a weekday, and I didn't really make any other plans..." Ryan's remark brought Lilly to smile for a brief moment while internally she was panicking, was this really okay? To be so far away? What if she got called in? How the hell was she suppose to get to the destination without using her powers? It'd take her forever to get there! All in all it seemed like a bad idea for her to go, she was suppose to be on duty. Already she could hear Leigh nagging on her if she was to blow a chance like this off, but what if Troy found out? Oh god. No, he didn't have to find out.. As long as everything was low key and nothing big or bad happened she should be fine. Getting into the cab with Ryan she scooted over onto her side where she buckled herself in before placing her hands on her lap.

Her question towards him about gifted humans brought him to chuckle for a brief moment which put a puzzled expression on her face, had she said something funny? "Gifted, huh... if you don't mind me asking, is that some kinda PC term your bosses like to throw around?" "That information would be classified, Mr. Ryan," Lilly knew better, she couldn't simply tell him of details about inside of TNT and what they do or say. Even if Ryan was attractive, Lilly had a good head on her shoulders. Their cab ride wasn't long, actually it felt like it had flown by; Rion paid for the cab in which Lilly thanked him. Heading towardsthe ferry Ryan continued on with the conversation, "So for starters, you don't to worry about beating around the bush with me. Yeah, I've run into superhumans if that's what you're asking, and I'll admit, some of them turned out to be not the most upstanding types, either..." He had come across supers before? That information only brought Lilly to grow all that much more curious of Ryan. His carefree shrug brought her to raise an eyebrow, it seemed he was deep in thought for a moment. "At the end of the day, they come in all kinds. And yes, some of them really are scared of what the TNT is doing; even if it looks like they're doing a good job, I wouldn't be surprised if there were some people in there that don't even care whether the people they're taking off the streets actually did anything wrong."

The conversation between the two was beginning to grow more intense than regular chit chat. Just how many supers has this guy come into contact with..? It's obvious he knows more about the TNT than I thought.. Lilly was growing tense, was there more to this guy than she thought? Perhaps she'd need to do some research on this guy. "But in my opinion, well, it doesn't have to be that way forever. Call me old-fashioned... hell, maybe even a little naive... but I like to think that superheroes still exist, even if it seems they'd almost be better off hiding in this day and age." Ryan's remark brought Lilly to look at him quizzically, was he being serious? She couldn't help but muffle a small laugh as she covered her mouth momentarily before quickly apologizing. "Sorry.. Didn't mean to laugh at you, it's just.. All I pictured was a man in this cape and underwear over his tights," This guy was really something; there was more to him than he was letting on. Lilly couldn't imagine any ordinary man talking like this, did people really talk like this? Superheros? Did he really think life was like a comic book? She couldn't understand him.

"My dad used to tell me there was a time when the word 'gifted' meant a person could one day do great things... but now, all I see it used for is putting a lot of good, honest people in a bad light, when it's really only a few that cause the kind of ruckus people keep pointing at." Just who was this guy? He didn't seem like some ordinary guy.. not the way he has been talking. He spoke as if he had a lot of experience in dealing with superhuman and perhaps even gifted. The look he gave her felt forced, like he didn't want to scare her off with his words and belief. "You are a very interesting fellow, Ryan.." She offered him a small smile, worry began to tug at her though.. would she have to bring him in to the TNT at some point? He made her very suspicious. "So I understand if that's something they make you use at work, but unless I'm missing something about this word... and hey, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong somehow... I'd prefer if you didn't call them 'Gifted', 'cause it just doesn't mean what it used to anymore. Not to me, or apparently anyone else." He was coming off protective, he cared about those they labeled as gifted.

"Doesn't mean what it use to?" Repeating the words she found the most intriguing she folded her arms over her chest as she seemed lost in thought. "S-sorry about that... I, uh, tend to keep an open mind about things... So, uh, now that I've probably put myself on some kinda watch list, what do you think about superhumans?" Well, he wasn't wrong.. everything he had said had caused her to grow suspicious of him. He knew more than he was letting on, he spoke so highly of superhumans and gifted.. though he did admit to there being dangerous ones.. Just who was this guy? She wanted to know more, she wanted to learn about him and know everything he knew. "A watch list? Hey, hey.. I'm just a paper pusher. Do you really think I can do anything?" Grinning with amusement she continued, "Well, I guess I can be dangerous with a stapler." That's right, what could a normal human do? This ferry ride was much more interesting than she thought it'd be, the ride didn't last long enough for the two to get too comfortable on the ferry as their conversation brought the waiting time to fly by. Arriving on Staten Island Lilly couldn't have sworn she had been here once.. but when? The feeling of deja vu overwhelmed her slightly though she brushed it off as she looked around curiously. "What is this place..?" She made it painfully obvious that she wasn't sure where they were or what they were to do here on this island.. besides bring her further away from work.

✖Location:Staten Island.
✔Company: Ryan.
✖Mood: Curious, happy, nervous.
✔Wearing: Casual wear.
★Note this colour, when used it means both girls are talking at the same time.

[Escaflowdra]

Engaging into battle was the daily task of a special operative. The only thing good about the DOGS in a moment of invasion was for them to hold an enemy in place for a good few minutes. With the fact the invasion was impossible meant that most of the foot soldiers on duty weren't capable of their only job. Troy knew they were a lesser faction to worry about, and it was clear by only having sent her and Clyde with nobody else to hault the break in, but Kyoko was surprised by one thing. Having launched herself for Zaira and Stelara, the woman with a pink mane grabbed her wrist coated in hellish flames to literally throw her over and towards the ground. Kyoko's fire propellers kept her rushing, moreso towards the ground with greater force of impact, but Kyoko quickly turned and grabbed at Stelara. "I..." Kyoko coughed as Stelara seemed to kick her away with a greater force of power. "I know you..." She staggered as she touched the wall, the wallpaper of white burning to a charcoal black with her hand resting on it. "Where have I seen you before." With Kyoko's red eyes glaring at the woman with glowing blue eyes, she countered Zaira's magical barrier by digging her heels into the ground and pushing against it.

"You don't have to do this..." The kind clear, sapphire blue eyes reflected the appearance of herself. The pale ivory skin of her... adoptive mother. Her gentle lips parted in a small distaste for Kyoko's decision, and her long flowing red hair. It felt so refreshing to have somebody looking at her like she wasn't some kind of vicious monster. "I want to be strong, do to what you do. You... and Papa. Leigh keeps taunting me," "She's just joking sweetheart--" "No! I know, it's okay. But I want to help." Kyoko looked at the glistening in her mother's eyes, the kind of look that made her stomach flip like pancakes and rethink her decisions, but she was set in stone with this. She looked down at her legs, or what was left of them, covered in a white sheet that showed her thighs but nothing when it came down to where her knees would have been. "I'm tired of feeling like this mom..." Kyoko spoke quietly as she moved the white sheet, showing the horror of her legs, the flesh that was scared with stitches, bandages, tranquilizers to ease the pain and constant pressure. "I'm not scared." "Are you sure?"

Kyoko felt her heels dig in deep into the ground as she fought off Zaira's barrier. "You can't.. BREAK ME!" Kyoko roared as she started to build her own barrier of fire, blasting towards Zaira and hitting Zaira's barrier as just the right angle that she spun out of control, taking Stelara and blasting through the wall into an empty lab room. "Clyde" she turned her head at the sound of a barrage of bullets. Something was happening, and the rapid fire drew Kyoko's curiosity into the fight, but as she looked back at Stelara and Zaira, she had to chose her loyalties. Clyde? Or her objective? She looked at the women who stood up as Zaira began to create another spell, her and Stelara both charging for another brawl. The sound of the struggle rang like echoes down the hall, and Kyoko turned her head. "God damnit..." Why do I have to choose? she asked herself as she looked at the women charging for her, sinking down to dodge them and dashing away from the fight. She propelled down the hall faster until she caught glimpse of the fight between the two. Seeing a masked man on top of Clyde while Kyoko was flying above the ground in a heat of flames, she watched as the man knocked her partner out, her eyes widening with the small drips of blood that came off from the rough hit and went for the masked man, firing powerful fireballs at him. She gathered her partner and herself in a circle of flames as she grabbed him, if somebody could knock out Clyde, it was likely they would take the time to kill him no less. She grabbed him and put him on her back while she reeled back, looking around to find an open pair of doors that the man could have fled to while hearing the footsteps of the other fugitives down the hall. "I'm pulling all this goddamn weight." She pulled out a communicator. "I need some DOGS down to section F of the laboratories quarters. Two female fugitives possibly still on offense. I'm going into experimental lab."

She didn't care that she was carrying her unconscious partner on her back, her hands holding him up while her legs supported her immensely. She ran into the room, looking at where the masked man could have gone as the doctors in the room were shocked, the lights in the room suddenly turning off as the only glow came from Kyoko's flames and the fusion of the collar in a crying girl's neck continuing in a standstill progress. "..... Come out..." Kyoko spoke as she readied herself.

company↘「Unconscious Clyde, Nill, Doctors」
location↘「DOGS Lab」
thinking↘「God DAMNIT」
wearing↘「Mech Suit [invisible] under TNT armor.」

[BIoodbane]

Rion Galford
"Alter"
Mad men define what mad is,
turning witches and saints to ashes

With Lilly's first response, Rion knew that she was still keeping her job in mind the entire time she was with him... which was a little odd for someone who apparently was just a secretary. Professional, sure, but now he couldn't help but wonder if there was indeed more to this "Gifted" thing than the TNT was making it seem. He simply smiled and nodded, replying in a casual manner. "Yeah, I suppose that would be, huh..." He said, trailing off as the cab made its way to the ferry to Staten Island. He was a little surprised to hear her laugh at his mention of superheroes, even explaining why she thought so which caused him to raise an eyebrow. Was she really taking everything he said literally? He couldn't help but stifle a laugh as well, before shaking his head.

"That's... hehe, not what I meant at all. I just mean that there are some people out there who actually want to do whatever they can, with whatever they have, to make the world a better place. For everyone." Rion explained, before giving a sly smile and laughing again. "Besides... Capes and underwear? Come on, that's so cliche..." He added before giving a content sigh. Well, at least she had a sense of humor about things, right? If nothing else, it was making the conversation somewhat interesting, though when she repeated what he said about the meaning of 'gifted', he simply nodded. Was there something about that she wasn't understanding? Once they got onto the ferry, he decided to bring the point home, hopefully in a way that she clearly understood.

"Yeah. Like I said, the superhumans people actually hear about causing trouble are the minority... And the sooner more people realize that, the sooner the ones that want to help as much as the TNT says they do can do so without feeling like they're making themselves a target." He explained... and he could only pray that Lilly wouldn't actually have to ask who he was referring to as far as making targets out of superhumans. Before too long, the fairground-esque skyline of Staten Island was in full view, at which time Rion looked out along the water with a smile on his face. "Hey look, we're almost there!"

Before too long, the ferry had docked at the island's harbor, at which time Rion and Lilly left the boat and proceeded to walk down the boardwalk. At this point, he figured it was about time for him to try and see what she thought about superhumans. After all... she did ask him first.

"Well, I'm sure you've heard enough of my rambling on it... Now it's your turn. What do you think about superhumans? But I want your thoughts, not your supervisor's... okay?" He asked, being straight forward but still willing to listen to whatever she had to say. As the two walked and talked, Rion looked around, as if looking for something specific at first but then walking with Lilly in a general direction that was approaching what appeared to be a cotton candy vendor. Deciding that was the best place to start, Rion began leading the two of them in that direction, ready to listen to whatever Lilly's response would be.

Company :: Lilly
Location :: Staten Island
Thoughts :: Wonder how she's gonna respond...
Wearing :: Semi-Casual wear

Rising masses
marching to find heretic blood.

xxx

[Leigh Warren]

This lunch date had branched off into something a bit more, perhaps a full date? The very thought caused a bit of adrenalin rush with a mix of uneasy butterflies. It was strange.. she adored one man for so many years she never really thought she'd find someone else that may catch her attention or interest for that matter. Ryan was something else to say the least, sure his appearance caught her attention at first but the more she managed to find out about him the more she found herself a bit more interested in him. His voice easily grasped her attention as she took such a liking to hearing it, she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was exactly that she enjoyed the most about it but the fact she was hanging out with someone like him was something she still couldn't believe. Her lack of experience with men and the fact she other thought practically everything didn't help her in acting like her true self. There was a lot she had to hide and the fact she was deeply involved in the TNT but played off as a person that honestly didn't matter much to the company wasn't easy.. There was a lot of rules to follow and secrecy was a big thing, one slip up and you were toast. The fact she knew much more than she lead on was only making her lies that much bigger.

"That's... hehe, not what I meant at all. I just mean that there are some people out there who actually want to do whatever they can, with whatever they have, to make the world a better place. For everyone." Who would have a thought that a man she met at a club turned out to be someone who only wanted to help people and cared a lot about the citizens? Lilly had only assumed people who were interested in one night stands or wanting to have a fun night out went to The Lock In Club. "The thought is a good one but there are too many corrupted people who care only about themselves.. Power is what moves this city." As much as she hated to admit it.. she was right. She hadn't stated exactly what kind of power ruled over the city but one could easily assume people with money or superhuman power, perhaps even both. "Yeah. Like I said, the superhumans people actually hear about causing trouble are the minority... And the sooner more people realize that, the sooner the ones that want to help as much as the TNT says they do can do so without feeling like they're making themselves a target." There he went again, making remarks like that in which only raised her suspicion on him higher.. he spoke as if he had experience.

Looking over at him she took the moment to study him, he appeared to be normal but any superhuman or gifted looked normal until exposing their true self. She wasn't one to talk, she was far from normal and yet here she was analyzing her date, just perfect. Shaking her head slightly she had to remind herself to quit thinking about work (even though she was suppose to be working) as she was currently gaining experience in interacting with the opposite sex. "Hey look, we're almost there!" Snapping back into reality Lilly looked over to see how close they were to the island, just what was on this island anyway? She had agreed to come here without even thinking! She was growing nervous again, what if Troy found out? No! No! No.. he wouldn't, it wasn't like Salem or Leigh would tell on her. Biting her bottom lip she slowly inhaled a deep breath before quietly exhaling. You're stressing yourself out, you're suppose to be having fun!

By the time they docked and walked down the boardwalk Lilly had managed to gain control over her worry as she fixed her attention on the island. He knew where they were going, had he planned this? Or was he just good at winging it?

"Well, I'm sure you've heard enough of my rambling on it... Now it's your turn. What do you think about superhumans? But I want your thoughts, not your supervisor's... okay?" His remark about him rambling only caused her to chuckle, did he honestly think she was tried of hearing him talk? That was one of the best parts. Though his question was quite a deep one, was she really going to answer it honestly? That was the real question. She began to fidget with her single braid as she thought about her response. "What do I really think of superhumans? Well.. I don't think there are that many of them to be honest, they appear to be a dying race." The much she thought to be true, there wasn't that many superhumans she had come into contact as she had mostly gone after gifted. "I find them to be fascinating; a race that can push past so many boundaries that humans can not, being capable of doing amazing things people could only dream of." There was a lot Lilly could reflect back on whether it was her parents, siblings, or herself she had much praise for them. "They're amazing, there are so many different abilities out there that the possibilities seem endless. I wish the whole human race was super." It was then Lilly snapped out of her rant as she covered her mouth as if she had said something awful.

Dammit, I've said too much.. Lilly silently cursed, she could go on about superhumans all day. She hadn't even noticed they had walked up to a cotton candy vendor as she was so caught up in her thoughts about superhumans. "S-sorry, now I'm the one rambling." She joked as she looked at the different colors and flavors of cotton candy, some were in bags and others were on cardboard cones in which she requested one seeing how it appeared to be smaller than the ones lumped in a plastic bag. "I'll take one, please." She was planning on sharing as she wasn't sure how much she'd like or dislike this sweet treat. Watching the vendor swirl the cardboard cone in the candy floss was amusing, it looked like he was rolling it up flawlessly. After paying for the cotton candy Lilly was staring at it like it was something new to her, it looked delicious. Tearing off a small piece she placed it on her tongue in which it instantly melted coating her tongue in a sugary coating. It's delicious! Her face had lit up from the flavor explosion. "You've gotta try this!" Shoving the cotton candy towards his face she had accidentally got his nose covered in it.

"...I'm so sorry!" But at the same time, he looked so silly with the cotton candy on his nose that she couldn't help but laugh before carefully taking the small piece off the top of his nose and ate it. Being a bit embarrassed she tried to hide her rosy face behind the cotton candy as she kept it in front of her face.

✖Location:Staten Island.
✔Company: Ryan.
✖Mood: Embarrassed.
✔Wearing: Casual wear.
★Note this colour, when used it means both girls are talking at the same time.

[Escaflowdra]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxESCAFLOWDRAxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


When you crave something, just how far will you go to get it? It was times like this that convinced Ember that there was no half-human thing about her. Whether it was a form of pride to keep that a secret for the sake of her family heritage, to disconnect her to any relation to the scum of the Earth that decided to ignore these genocidal methods of execution, Ember just did not want to admit that beneath her steel exterior, her rather extreme demeanor of ferocity, there was a heart inside that belonged to a woman. The psychopathic conversation she was having with Chiquita was like a play on words. They threw the words 'love' 'fun' and '********' around like nothing mattered. Like life was just a game and somebody was simply about to lose. It was never a surprise to Ember that people gambled their lives without a care in the world, and in a world like this on the ground compared to her castle in the skies on top a mountain? She knew better that it would only get worse. So what she craved now after coming down from her lost dream in the sky was to set the world on fire with her wrath, but only towards the TNT, and everything like it. It was enticing to see the mercenary on the brink of death in her hands, and she so desperately wanted to get rid of the nuisance that stalked her, left a threatening note to talk about Snow White from the past, only to ignite a once-peaceful area into a scorching battlefield in some attempt to get rid of the last dragon standing. I will never let that happen Ember's mind rushed a million miles an hour as she came closer to getting rid of this enemy.

"No. You won't ******** kill me." The words of the mercenary under her grip ricocheted a whip of adrenaline back into the Dragon's system, as though she wasn't already fueled with enough anger to consume the half cybernetic woman in a pool of fire. As if the mercenary was claiming that she could entail the future and her own possibility of dying. Though, as determined as Ember was, the pace changed too much to her liking. Chiquita's heavy voice spewed out an immense pain behind it, Ember's sideways glance catching the motions of relocating her dislocating arm and using some kind of strength to send a blow to the side of Ember's head in a swift hit. Ember was rather surprised by how the hit didn't do so much damage but inflicted a great deal of disorientation instead, causing her to feel like the world was spinning around her momentarily before she felt an arm lock around her neck. A sharp inhale with a mixed growl, the floor beneath them crumbled and allowed the two women to fall towards, what was that? Ember's feeling of a powerful daze began to weigh on her eyes, making her more relaxed in the heat of the battle. "You win this fight, b***h." She heard in her ear as she fell into the water, her silver eyes turning back to their green color before the heat of the battle was washed away by the cool temperatures of the water she sank into. As she sank into the water her arms struggled as she could feel herself trying to fight the overexertion of her powers, the water taking effect to cool the fire dragoness down, as well as the sleeper hold that had successfully caused Ember to drift into an unavoidable rest. Though it wasn't instant, her hazed eyes closed slowly as she fell to the ground, her hair floating upwards until it settled down along the sand underneath.

Her green eyes looked barely as the light shined in waves by shadows, a shadow growing bigger as it came closer. Ember's lips parted as a few bubbles came from her exhalation, her eyes closing slower as the figure that came closer began to shine brighter, red and black, pale skin. The vision was fuzzy but she felt made out a face, Daxter... she thought as she closed her eyes, McLain... Once she fell to her unconscious state, Ember was lost in her own darkness. It was all black, a shallow space in the remainder of the heart she thought she had left. What little humanity she had left in terms of knowing who she was and the moral justifications she grounded herself to... slipping away. She was on a steady decline with feeling that she was alone, but Ember hardly slept to even feel concerned about being alone in the first place. Was her enemy putting her in a sleeper hold the only way to get her to sleep for a single night? It was almost sad to think that anybody would have to go by a method like that to find the peacefulness of sleep coming back into their lives, but then again she lived in a broken down shed in the middle of nowhere. She hadn't slept on a bed, slept with another comforting presence in the room, nothing along the lines of safe or peaceful. She couldn't even think where she would end up about waking up, but being lost in a dark dream was all she could do.... Until in her dream she envisioned a spark, a fire, something that came to her by some natural instinct just like the ability to breathe. It came to her like life itself, and she could feel it.

"You fought hard," she heard a whisper, not opening her eyes as they were still heavy, but to listen to Daxter..., smelling the room, his apartment filling her nose with his scent. This was his domain, and she was laying on... a bed? She thought quietly, but didn't go further to figure out what was going on but instead listened to what he was saying as she woke up slowly, faking sleep. "I'm really impressed with you, it's not everyday that a woman can do that." Ember wouldn't have had anything to say to something like that. He was impressed for a woman, but she disregarded him mistaking her for something frail like a woman. "I saw that beast of yours, I figure most people would be turned away, scared even, but I," he laughed quietly, "I want to see more." Ember would have widened her eyes, but she was quietly surprised that he acknowledged that outside her feminine appearance she was... a beast. "You're a real monster, Ember, but I like that. You're definitely unique, I doubt there's another like you in the world." Ember swallowed quietly as she wondered, she did tell him she was a dragon right? Why a monster? Were they the same thing to him? Quite the adjective I guess... Dragon and monsters. Were they the same? It almost disappointed her because she didn't want to think so much she was some nightmare-like monster compared to a proud Dragon. Maybe she displayed to be something more dark and twisted than what she thought. He stood up from the bed and approached Ember, putting a hand on her head, stroking her hair, causing her to hold her breath entirely, "I'm resisting my dark urges because I think I like you. Well...don't worry, you're safe here. Safe from me, safe from anyone." His hand lifted from her head as her face started to feel a little hot.

"She's the most unique woman I've ever met...and I can't get my mind off of her. Taco, buddy, I might have a crush." I-I can hear you... she thought to herself as he walked out of the room, and she opened her eyes. W-What... what was that? she thought as she stared at the ceiling fan. She was definitely in his room, she could smell him all over the place. Looking between the ceiling fan down to the comforter that rested on her, tucked in, her mind tracing the dots together that he would have had to have carried her all the way to his place. But where was his place? How long did it take to get there? Her clothes were damp, so he didn't change her or anything. Her mind traced that her whole body was basically vulnerable, her neck, her skin, everything and that she had actually slept safely? Her face grew hotter by the moment to think that would have done something like that, with.... Daxter. This mercenary she just met yesterday. What do I do... she thought as she covered one of her eyes with her arm. H-He's starting to care a lot... And now I'm starting to feel.... she blushed heavily as she flashed back to the fuzzy image before she fell unconscious. It was him, swimming down to save her from drowning. Her lips parted nervously and pulled together, biting down hard at the thought that he had done something like that to save her. She moved the sheets as she heard shuffling, the television on outside and the door shut. Locking it quietly without anybody knowing wiser, she needed to change out of her clothes. She could use her magic, but she was exhausted. So much that she wasn't sure she should even use what magic she could conjure and just focus what she did have on her sustained injuries from the fight that consisted of bruises and cuts.

Looking at the door for a second glance she took off her dampened shirt and replaced it with a dry shirt, buttoning it down until she felt comfortable. Her skin was dry, like her hair, but she didn't mind the rest as she looked towards the door, unlocking it and swallowing nervously while keeping a strong front. Wearing his shirt... walking out after hearing everything... how do I even approach him.... she thought quietly as she walked out and walked up to the couch he was taking a seat on, taking a seat on the other side of it and glancing at him. "I... I borrowed a shirt. I hope... that's okay..." She mustered as she felt the heat still rising on her face. "Thank you," she went straight to it instead of beating around the bush, "How did you even find me?" She looked at Daxter, concerned at what his answer might be, hoping to see why he cared. The words of his crush statement came to mind, that giving her the obvious hint that he was harboring feelings towards her that caused her to flush slightly and look away. Why am I even getting worked up... He's the furthest thing from a serious person I've e-ever met. He... He just looked so determined when he came between the fight. Standing up to protect me like that... Nobody has ever done that for me. She moved her right hand up her left arm, feeling her open cuts and touching the still soft bruises on her skin, the cuts feeling more of a sting but she would do her best to take care of them, including the cuts on her stomach, back, legs. The fight was brutal, she could have been walking out of a warzone, but that was the least of her worries.

company↘「Daxter」
location↘「Daxter's Apartment」
thinking↘「He's really something...」
wearing↘「White Collared Shirt [Borrowed], Skinny Jeans, torn up attire」

[Zelia Darling]

Between their moment of affections and admiring the arrangements of flora outside of the restaurant, there was a brief shift in Zelia's attention. For what seemed like a few seconds, her focus on what occurred in the physical world changed. She began to think as Lucifer's hand gripped hers and she began to focus on the warmth emanating from him. His words began to stick with her and she began to repeat them to herself.

"Here and now. The future. Us..."

On the outside, her smile slowly became a scowl. Her vision trailed away and back toward the flowers. It was hard to think about these things, given their current situation. Zelia worried herself of her future countless time. Even without Lucifer in her life, having the thought of the present and her future left her in a sense of panic. These kind of things gave her anxiety in the regards that she'd be worrying for others. Her involvement as a superhuman with everyday affairs mixed in with TNT placed others in possible danger. Nevermind that the Syndicate Devils were considered a crime organization for their illegal trades. Now she has someone else she would be worried about and it was someone she loved so dearly.

In times like these, thinking of the future and her the present made Zelia a pessimist. She would often expect the worst and never place any type of expectation. She was always on guard. But what would happen with Lucifer around? Perhaps he could keep her grounded and reassure her. Zelia then came back to reality. Her crimson gaze fell upon her fingers interlocking with Lucifer's, and despite her passing thoughts, her smile returned.

"All of those sound... nice. It's a date then!" Zelia gave a cheeky grin. "I think there's an amusement park by the harbor. We can head there right after breakfast, catch that new slasher film, eat at some Olive Garden or buffet... Hell, we could just go down for a cruise in that Camero. I don't mind, anything is good with me. We'll have fun and have no worries. Besides, we'll worry about running into Dax and your other two friends when they call or something. After all, they're the ones looking for help."

Just as she finished, the waitress brought the couple's orders. There was no hesitation in digging in from either. Zelia grew equally ravenous as Lucifer did, scarfing down her food as if she hadn't eaten in weeks. Truth be told, it was a while since she had a proper breakfast that wasn't a one bagel or a piece of jelly-covered toast. That's all she'd have time for when it came to work and volunteering around the Bronx area. Lucifer reminded her that she needed to get groceries, which was also another problem she had when it came to food at home.

"Hmm, I guess all those times of Mama and the gang making things back at the nightclub, I must not think that there's any reason to keep food in the house." Zelia chuckled. "That'll have to change since I'll have another mouth to feed that doesn't eat cat or dog food. I guess we can go grocery shopping after today."

Minutes would pass as the two continued to exchange words, having their moments of cheesy adoration and inappropriate jokes until they finished their breakfast. They'd share a large plate full of strawberry crepes before paying and leaving. Zelia walked close beside Lucifer, linking arms with him as they headed for his vehicle.

"So... where shall we go first?" She asked as she batted her lashes. "Or you could surprise me and just drive. Either way, you're leadin' the way. ~"



✦ ＭＯＯＤ : Slightly anxious - Happy - Full
✦ ＬＯＣＡＴＩＯＮ : Manhattan - iHOP
✦ ＣＯＭＰＡＮＹ : Lucifer
✦ ＯＵＴＦＩＴ : ew real life referencing

[Escaflowdra]

The universe is a intricate, complex thing, but the universe was never my concern. It never has been. You... are my concern. You, a civilian, a creature, a living lifeform fabricated by the lifestream that is my planet's energy. You could very well say that I am like a mother of nature, but that would be such a silly thing. Honestly, I have been depicted in tales that reach far beyond your past. Maybe to the beginning of time. Think about how it feels to start a clock. Watch those gears tick for the first time. Just like you and the beginning of time, you set something in motion that was out of control. This is where I come in. Imagine the first time you came into the world, but you can't can you? Maybe thinking about it is a vision of light? You think about the birth of something and when that birth takes place, what then? Do you know how you changed the lives of others because of your existence? The kind of gears that you set in motion? I'm certainly no time keeper to keep track of the the gears you turned, but when I was born, unlike you, I can clearly recall.

When I was born, I was born out of the only warmth I've ever felt that touched me so deeply. I was the first flame ignited on Earth. I was the first drop of water that puddled the crevices of the surface. My breath was the first breeze of many. When I landed on this planet the gears clicked. The energy molded to a paradise, and the first of many rose. I looked like them, but I was not them. I was different. I've molded into the planet, just watching as you and all those like you created more and more. For thousands of centuries I have gone down in history as a watcher undiscovered. I don't care for the names given to me, the mysteries to reach me. What you have built, all you done, will do, and have been born into is beyond my control as much as it is beyond yours, but I do not wish to control it while you may. It's a fine line between you, a figure living on a second of the universe's time to make a shift, and I... What you may call me God, but I prefer to be... a modest immortal.

But there is a calling for me. An unwelcome guest it seems, slumbering in our lifestream, infecting the blood of our veins. My golden eyes have shifted to this change, as now I see through my right as a glossy blue. Somebody has touched me in a way I must repay, or at least feel the need to. This imbalance of the world started just after the Comet of Blue Fire struck the westside mountains, crumbling many of mine but, on a world scale, affecting everything at once. So... who?

Watching in the shadows, peeling her back away from the concrete of the wall and sliding on smooth steps to see a man fleeing with an angel in arms, she watched them make their way back to the Oblivion Headquarters. Surely soon enough a young woman of blood red hair dashed out, having left her partner in the hands of somebody to take him to the infirmary. A TNT soldier, according to the outfit she was wearing at the patch on her right arm indicating her squad Elite number. She made her way to the red haired woman, her steps silent as ever while she saw the female turn her back to her and pull the communicator off of her belt. "They got away. They took the subject out the lab.... The collar's stability? The ******** should I know! That's their goddamn job I was just trying to save my partner!.... Well ******** off!!!" Kyoko growled loudly as she let her communicator go, stepping on it after it hit the ground with her steel heels smashing it. The female reached out her pale ivory hand to touch Kyoko's back, Kyoko falling to her knees for the moment as though her legs had mysteriously shut down. The woman listened to the anger-filled thoughts of Kyoko. I can't believe it. What was he thinking? Doesn't he know what it means to have a partner. Damnit Clyde... why are you being so cold to me... And damnit Troy. Send more troops if you think that your collars are so damn valuable! You can't expect me to be okay in a two-man operation because what happens if I'm not there for... She was quite an earful. The woman listened a little more as she thought to Troy, the having Kyoko's thoughts redirect to Troy. Just because he's the head of the TNT he shouldn't think he's invincible-- She tugged at the thought until Kyoko thought his full name Troy... Winters. Cold as ice. A man worth looking into. If he his the ears and eyes of this organization. A shame... but I don't think he is the one I'm looking for.

The woman released Kyoko and took her silent steps away until she dissolved into the air, Kyoko regaining full control of herself as she gave a quizzical expression. "Why am I sitting here thinking about my jerk off boss? I need to get to Clyde!" And with that, she dashed off. The woman reformed on a nearby rooftop as the wind whipped her brown hair in the air, her horns curved around the sides of her head while she tilted her chin downward, looking at those pass in the street. She could see the energy inside their bodies, the energy inside Kyoko's body from earlier. Multicolored from an infection of Chroma. "If you slip up... You'll be eaten alive. Maybe even by that partner of yours..." She turned away and closed her eyes, swiftly moving into the shadows.

Time turned swiftly as the three weeks passed....

In the forest outside the Bronx, close the nature that most could escape, her eyes fell on a man sitting by the lake. Her eyes looked and searched through his body, the glossy blue color of that infectious energy coursing through his veins as rapidly as it did with most infected others. Watching as the young man threw a rock into the lake. She watched carefully as the rock went down in the lake, carrying the cosmic and chroma energy emitted from him. She watched as she slowly peeled out from the tree behind him, several feet away so he would not notice, the branches entangled around her, her brown locks leeching on it as if she were always part of the tree itself, carefully observing the rock he was. As expected, the rock shattered and the energy of chroma blasted through the lake in powerful bursts. "Just like that rock your body too should shatter. Is that what you are thinking..." She said, as she didn't bother to read his mind for this simple fact. It was a display of all life as they knew it, those infected by this blue. He would turn to find a woman, pale skin, hair brown perfectly molded into the tree she was simply resting on, her arms showing the small twists of branches holding her up, as well as the horns on her head. "Do not fear me, I am no harm to you. Though clearly you seem to carry something that does. Tell me..." she widened her eyes with a careful gaze, "What do you think you are, and what do you know about your power?" The first victim of Chroma she would hope to communicate with. Secrets are a waste of time... Zack.

[BIoodbane]

Rion Galford
"Alter"
Mad men define what mad is,
turning witches and saints to ashes

As they headed toward the cotton candy vendor, Rion kept a casual smile on his face as Lilly began to reveal her thoughts on superhumans... thoughts he found rather surprising, though at the same time not entirely unexpected. There were many who believed that the superhuman race was dwindling, but Rion would almost be willing to debate that claim. After all, not everyone could do things that made it obvious they were superhuman, and even more did, but chose to use their gifts sparingly in an attempt to be 'normal'... it was those people that he felt he was fighting for under the persona of Alter, though he did feel if he kept his success going then other superhumans may step up and represent the good that people didn't see in the propaganda pushed out these days. When Lilly finished speaking, mentioning how she was the one rambling and reacting as if she said something she shouldn't have, Rion simply smiled and laughed. "Well, I can't say I expected that... at all. But I'm glad you feel that way." He explained, before the two stepped up to the cotton candy vendor. "How's it going, Ivan?"

In response, a man who looked to be in his early thirties turned and smiled widely at Rion. "Hello there, friend!" He said, speaking in a heavy accent before taking the payment from Lilly and beginning to swirl a fluffy cloud of cotton candy for her. Rion watched as Lilly looked almost uncertain about the tasty treat before taking a small piece and letting it dissolve in her mouth. What he hadn't expected, however, was her reaction as her face lit up. Before he could say anything, Rion had found himself with a cloud of fluff in his face, the cloud leaving behind small amount of cotton candy on his face, causing the vendor to give a hearty laugh. "Is good, yes?"

Soon after she apologized, Lilly reached forward and gently took the piece of cotton candy off of Rion's face, before hiding behind the rest of the giant cloud. Catching just a hint of her face as she began to flush, his own face began to turn a light pink as he tried laughing it off. That... she can't possibly have never had it before... can she? He did eventually return to his usual shade of color, but Rion couldn't help but chuckle at the sudden display of emotion and wonder she expressed... in all honesty, he found it somewhat adorable, and he was happy to see that she enjoyed the treat so much.

"Looks like you may have another regular soon..." Rion joked, looking back to Ivan. "See you around!" He added, waving and walking away with Lilly, at which time the vendor waved back with an almost sudden burst of excitement. "Take care, friends!"

As the two walked away, Rion looked over to Lilly, who appeared to really enjoy the cotton candy. "That guy never fails to put a smile on people's faces... So how is it?" He asked her, leading the two in the direction of the Ferris Wheel. He figured a ride on that would be a good way to cap off the date, and then they could head back to the mainland and likely go their separate ways for the day. One thing was for certain, however... as much as he knew the risks, Rion definitely wanted to see her again soon.

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

Three weeks later...

How are they doing it... How can a device cause these people to change so drastically?

Standing over yet another group of Dogs, the third in the past couple weeks, Alter crouched down, flipping one of the unconscious Dogs over and examining the back of their neck. Since getting that little bit of information from Zaira regarding the collars, he had been determined to find out more about what was causing these select individuals to be loyal to the point of destruction to the TNT, when there was little indication of them having that mentality before. In fact, as he removed the helmet of one of the grunts to expose their neck, Alter frowned as he actually recognized the person as someone who he once stopped from causing far more trouble than they were now.

He didn't use his powers... does it block them? Or just push them towards not using them to keep up appearances? More... I need more data!

As he attempted to find anything that could help him gather more information that would be useful to Zaira, Rion's eyes caught something that would be easy to miss, if he didn't have a distinct feeling he had seen it before. The portion of the device that was not covered by the Dog's skin appeared to have a small hole, almost like that of a pin. It was at least disguised somewhat, but the look of the device made him suspicious, as he thought of a project that he was recently doing research on.

They couldn't have replicated it... could they? The hardware wasn't ready for production last I heard, it still needed a lot of testing... The more he wondered on the topic, the more Rion feared what answers he may actually come across, but it did at least give him an idea. A few seconds later he had taken out a small device that looked similar to a data drive but the interface connection was rather different than the common connectors seen in the market. Only one way to find out... He decided, taking a deep breath as he connected the drive to the device, the pin joining the two together, before he began accessing the drive using the systems built into the visor, watching as various items began scrolling down the interior screen.

By this point, he was getting deep into trying to analyze the data, though it didn't take long for something to block his path. It looked like a standard authentication request, causing him to look down slightly as he moved his hands outward, an image of a keyboard now displaying in the visor as his fingers moved through the air in an attempt to bypass the security features. As he had expected, the few keys he would use if he were working were invalid. ... Well at least they were somewhat smart about it... but what if... Rion mused as he continued to try and access the system embedded in the control device. If he could only get in...

Company :: Unconscious Dogs
Location :: Brooklyn
Thoughts :: I'm getting closer, just a little longer maybe...
Wearing :: Alter's Gear

Rising masses
marching to find heretic blood.

xxx

[Salem Wolf]

This day was looking to be full of surprises, from the moment he woke up to deliver his report to the time he fought Leigh in the training room, he never expected he would be the loser in their little game of dare or dare. Truth be told he still expected it all to be one sick joke, a little hazing at the expense of their new commander, but it didn't seem that Lilly was in on the joke, if there was one, and with that in mind Salem tried to keep his hopes low, just in case. He would blow a couple hundred on a nice suit that he may or may not get to wear again, a nice hotel room that he could sleep in without a care in the world if worse came to worse, and room service might cost a little extra but if he was sleeping in a grand room without anyone with him then he would be sure to enjoy it. Still, as the sun shone across the blue skies of New Gradia he knew that there was perhaps the chance that Leigh was serious, and had become attracted to him at first sight. Was there such a thing? Perhaps, or perhaps this was one sick laugh at his expense. It didn't matter at this point as he left the TNT building, he would run with it and see where the day took him. Before he could enjoy a nice evening with the possibility of the craziest sex he'd ever had, he needed to find out where a certain superpowered target was located. Gabriel was on the TNT radar and if Salem was going to keep the guy out of trouble he needed to warn him, for the last time, that their last encounter was the last encounter.

Gabriel was always known to be in a place of sin and debauchery, after all the guy was a scumbag according to Salem, looking for women wherever he could. He surmised that the guy got laid half as often as a sexually active frustrated teenager, with twice the libido, which meant he gave Gabriel just enough credit to as not be a virgin. Imagine his surprise when Gabriel was told to be in a place Salem never expected. At first he laughed it off, figuring he was just using it as some kind of a joke, but as soon as Salem walked through the large double doors he realized that Gabriel wasn't kidding.
"Welcome to St. Gabriel's Church, my child," said the priest as he gave a nod of his head to Salem's arrival.
"I'm...I'm just here for him." Pointing towards the seated Gabriel, Salem approached him while taking in all the finer details. Stained glass windows, polished pews, red carpeted floor, large Jesus Christ crucified to the cross on the opposite side of the building. It had been a long time since Salem had walked into a church, though he was sure that Gabriel would have burst into flames at his attempt to do so. Sitting down next to him, Salem chuckled lightly to himself.
"I'm surprised to see you in a place like this, how does a guy like you end up here?"
"After escaping the club, one thing led to another, and here I am." Beat.
"That is an unsatisfying answer." Salem said in a deadpan tone, giving Gabriel an unamused look.
"Seriously, I escaped the club and found this church not far from where I came from. Being homeless the priest took me in in exchange for volunteering my time. Besides, no one would think about looking for me here, and isn't there some kind of code against shooting up a place of God?" Gabriel asked partially curious, and partially for his own douchey amusement. Salem gave it a second, then nodded, it wasn't likely they would go searching churches for Gabriel, but as for the shooting up a church comment...
"Official policy is to not shoot up any civilian buildings. But since Troy isn't overtly religious I highly doubt there's a separate policy on churches." Salem glanced over to Gabriel before his eyes rested on the front podium, the large image of the crucified Jesus behind it. "Anyway I can't stay I have a big night ahead of me, I just needed to warn you that I can't cover your a** anymore, if you risk your life again trying to get a little tail then I have to bring you in. There's nothing I can do about it, you choose to put your life in danger and I can't protect you anymore. Sorry." Knowing that Gabriel wasn't going to be civil about the warning, a warning he didn't have to give for what was more or less the third and final warning since he started helping Gabriel stay out of trouble, he stood up. Gabriel stood up, looking up to Salem who had a few inches on him, and was built in a more muscular tone. Being in what was essentially a military without ties to a Government, Salem stayed in great shape. Gabriel, meanwhile, was a little more scrawny.
[******** you," Gabriel replied in an an angry but hushed tone, "I didn't choose for Troy to come by and kill my friends and family, I didn't choose for your boss to lead a smear campaign against an entire race of people. A race you belong to in case you forget. I didn't choose to have to hide in a church because no one is willing to try and convince several thousand vocal idiots that the people they're afraid of are different from the ones who have been around for thousands of years." Gabriel inhaled deeply after his long-winded angry sentence. "You're not the kind of hero that Jin made fun of, you're a coward hiding behind your boss."
"Sometimes I have to do bad things so that I can have an opportunity to do good."
"Tell that to Satan!" Gabriel stepped back from Salem and turned his back on him.
"Working for the Prince of Darkness has its perks." Salem replied back straight-faced. Figuring he was no longer welcome, Salem turned his back to Gabriel and went for the door.
"Yeah get out of my church and don't come back!"
"Hope I don't see you around again, I'm not able to let you go next time." He told Gabriel calmly, opening the wide door to the outside, Gabriel chasing after him and shouting as he walked away.
"Try not to suck any d**k on your way through the parking lot!" The priest gave Gabriel a horrified look, turning to him and chuckling lightly. "My friend is a horrible sex addict, I was trying to give him advice on his homoerotic lust for d**k. Erm...yeah I'm just gonna go clean something." Gabriel took off to do exactly as she said, clean something before the priest gave him a lecture about that kind of behavior. Although Gabriel was upset, Salem tried not to let it bother him, after all he was a mere few hours away from having a good night assuming that Leigh didn't stand him up. With little time to prepare he went to get himself ready and wait for her in the hotel room.

The hours later Salem was waiting in the hotel room, he cleaned up nicely with nicely styled hair, a fitted suit with open jacket, white dress shirt and even a tie, having texted Leigh the hotel address and room number just letting time tick away while their big date was getting closer. Minutes continued to pass without incident, every minute past their meet-up time just made Salem more anxious and feeling as though his optimism was being crushed underneath the belief he tried to keep from feeling: that Leigh stood him up. Laying on the bed, Salem had the TV on to bide his time, but a half hour from when they were supposed to meet up Salem was finally at the point where he had given up on their time together. Hearing a knock at the door, he assumed it was room service or something else, approaching the door to find Leigh standing there...wearing a dress as he'd wanted. A smile slowly crept across his face as his night wasn't lost at all, and had only just begun. Letting her in, Salem shut the door behind him, seeing that she'd cleaned up just as nicely as he did when they were trying to look their best. He wondered how far they would be going tonight, if she was going to stay true to her word.

-- Three Weeks Later --

The memory of the night was burned into his mind, after all it wasn't something he could easily forget, not after having to pull money from his savings to pay for the damages that weren't covered by the security deposit, and having to throw away an expensive suit that couldn't be returned let alone worn again. Leigh was not gentle, though he certainly hadn't complained about that. He was a spry person, as a superhuman he was more durable and had higher stamina than the most peaked conditioned humans; he would be lying if he said Leigh didn't wear him out though. Salem smirked as he sat up in bed, the sheet falling down from his chest into his lap, yawning lightly.
'I'm sore,' he thought, running a hand over the bruises left to him by Leigh, the bruises that he would let heal naturally. Holding the sheet he lifted it up to peek at the nude body of Leigh, who ever since that night had stayed over at his place more than a few times, and was surprised by it. He had originally thought Leigh's intentions were a one-night stand, one and done, especially with the interest she took in him, but to his surprise she wanted to do it again, and not just a hotel room and wild sex, but actual dates. She wasn't the most gentle and feminine person out there (not that he complained, he liked her strength and toughness), but he liked learning as much as he could about her during their dates. A faint cough escaped his throat as he stood up from the bed and let the covers fall back over Leigh, the image of her body more than getting him ready for the morning.

Heading into the shower, Salem grabbed a change of clothes and shut it behind him, keeping care to stay quiet so as not to wake her. He knew she would be grumpy in the morning if he disturbed her sleep, especially since she didn't have to work together, or wouldn't have to be in until later (he forgot which), and because they had stayed up late last night.
'Sore,' he repeated, cracking his neck and letting the memories wash over him. He grit his teeth and turned the water cold as could be, hopping in and stifling his yelp as the ice cold water stabbed across his body. It helped calm him down from the memories and visual he had, quickly letting the water warm up until the room filled with steam. Sighing contently, he figured a quick shower was in order before heading to the TNT HQ.

Dating Leigh was exciting, besides being exciting herself he found the situation exciting too, especially since if Troy knew they were dating life would become hellish. So far only one person actually knew they were a couple: Lilly, and not because Leigh had told her but because it was easy for her to figure out. Since Troy rarely saw Salem and Leigh together being that he was so busy, they could hide their relationship status from Lord Satan himself. Chuckling to himself, Salem hopped out of the warm shower and dried himself off using his energy technique. Dressing in business casual clothes, a button-up dark blue dress shirt, black dress pants and shoes, then prepping for the rest of the day. Spitting out his toothpaste he left the apartment quietly to let Leigh sleep in a little longer. Figuring today would be a really good day, he started his way to the street below to walk to work. Though as his day was just getting started, the work-related texts came to his phone, and Salem read one that made his heart stop.

Meet in Conference Room C, no later than 15 minutes from now, urgent. - Troy Winter
'Oh ********]

→ Location: Home [Sidewalk] ↔ Company: N/A ↔ Outfit: Business Casual ←

[Salem Wolf]

Caring for other people just wasn't part of his agenda, aside from the two that got the privilege for the only reason that they were proven to be part of the exception to his belief the human lives on this planet were full of bastards. Unless it was inanimate then there wasn't much use or care in trying to get close, form attachments, because they would in some way or another disappoint you. So then why was he so willing to find Ember and fight on her behalf to keep her from harm? Was there something special about her or just someone he was insanely attracted to? He'd been attracted to women before, usually for their bodies and little else, since little else was taken into consideration when he found them interesting. After all, most interest didn't go much further than their tits; especially when they were targets and the most interesting thing about them is that they had someone who wanted them dead. Daxter could never be mistaken for a flirtatious sort, not in his everyday life, but he was flirty with Ember during their date. Even if that date ended in disaster from his side of things, he still wanted to get another chance with her. All the women he wanted a second chance with could be counted on one hand after a garbage disposal accident; which is to say the second chances were rare. Ember was another beast entirely, maybe it was the hair, he had an attraction to fire which was probably why his power ended up being just that: fire. Or perhaps it was the curvacious body. Perhaps it was because unlike the other millions of people in the city she was interesting enough to talk to. Well, enough cynical thinking because Daxter risked his life for a woman he barely knew, but wanted to get to know better. When she started drowning and his mercenary rival disappeared that was his cue to get her to safety.

An inhale, a splash, darkness illuminated only by a little refraction of the sun above, a touch, pull, a kick, then a breach of the water's surface. Daxter pulled Ember to the dock and made sure she would live before he wasted his effort dragging a dead body back to his place. Once a heartbeat was established and no water was in her lungs, Daxter carefully picked up Ember's body into his arms and carried her as far as he could go without suspicion. The rest of the way to his place had to be taken by taxi cab, and a taxi cab driver that wasn't going to bother asking questions. Who carried an unconscious (wet) body through the city? At worst he was going to get the police called on him, at best the driver would keep his mouth shut and let him get Ember to his place.
'For someone soaking in harbor water you smell...really good.' Daxter thought as Ember was being laid across the back seat of the taxi cab, her head in his lap. He thought about trying to dry her off but wasn't sure if his fire power would hurt her, despite her own fire abilities, and he didn't think her clothes were fire retardant and as exciting as the view would be he didn't think Ember waking up naked would score him very high on the "reasons to date" list. Not that he was assumed to have a list for reasons to date him, since he was kind of a d**k to her earlier. Though he did save her life, so that had to count for something.
"Are you doing anything illegal?" The cab driver asked, Daxter thinking about his responses for a minute, then laughed.
"My dumbass sister and I went to a pool party and she couldn't hold her liquor." Calling Ember his sister would make the driver less suspicious of ill intentions, and a pool party would explain why she was wet. "She's fine, puked a few times after falling into the pool and now I'm stuck with her." Stroking Ember's wet forehead, Daxter heated his palm so as to speed up the evaporation of the water on her body. It wouldn't dry her off completely but it would make her drip a little less.
"Had the same thing happen to me, my little punk sister got drunk at a pool party and almost drowned. Booze and pools don't mix." Daxter laughed, despite not finding it the least bit funny. He didn't tend to feel much towards people like the cab driver, that is to say humans. When it came to humans he was unemotional, he faked a lot of it, and was very good at it; which made Daxter a psychopath. He could live a normal life, fake his way through any conversation, con people into getting what he wanted, but he didn't feel anything towards them. That made him a good killer, he didn't hold human life in any value except, of course, two lives. Superhumans were a little different, but mostly the same in terms of how he felt about them. Some people, like Lucifer, were regarded as the closest thing to a friend he could think possible. Other people, like Ember, were so truly different that whatever he was feeling was not something he was used to. It's why he felt so compelled to help her, instead of leaving her to drown or leave her at the docks. He risked his own safety, his own comfort, to help another human being.
'She would be of no consequence to you, if she were left behind. She's alive, you've done more than necessary. At least she understands what it's like to be...different. Someone who could understand...me.'

Daxter paid the cab driver the fare and pulled Ember into his arms, carrying her up each flight of stairs until he reached the floor where his apartment was at. It took a little effort to grab his keys from his pocket while not dropping her but he managed, shutting the door behind him with his foot and putting her in the bedroom. The only thing he could do was wait for her to wake up, assuming she would wake up and didn't slip into some kind of coma. He watched her for a while, any signs that things were changing, maybe her blood starting to run cold, maybe her breathing becoming shallower, anything that would indicate her condition was getting worse. She remained the same for a while, it hadn't even been very long since she'd passed out but he was getting impatient. His thoughts trailed to her, eyes examining every inch of her until he could take no more notice of her and covered her up, warming up the room with so help dry her naturally, keep her from getting cold assuming she could even feel cold.
"You fought hard," he would tell her, impressed with her talents. One of the many reasons he liked her, those kinds of people, the unstable sociopaths, weren't an enemy to take lightly, as unpredictable as he was if not more so. She faced Chiquita without a problem, sure she didn't win her battle but he didn't win all of his either. He couldn't judge her for what she did or didn't do the one time, everything she'd done up until this point had painted him a pretty picture of what kind of person she was.
'The kind of person I'd like to get to know better.' He touched her, admitted to her he was a dark person, but that she was safe here, and when he grabbed his stuffed animal and brought him out to the couch he confessed to the animal he might've had a crush. 'She's awake.' As quiet as Ember was, Daxter could hear the bed springs moving, he was aware someone was in his bedroom moving, just a handful of instincts coming into play that kept him alive in more than one instance; and with his power of fire he could sense the heat in the room shifting from someone moving about. 'She...I think she heard me say everything.' He assumed she heard everything, she had woken up just after his confession of a crush, so it wasn't hard to assume she heard that at the very least. Everything else was inconsequential, it was all related, so even if she didn't hear everything he knew she heard the most embarrassing parts. 'Now what? I guess we see how this plays out.'

She came out wearing his shirt, which wasn't fair, a little act she probably thought nothing of but it was kind of erotic, wearing his clothes, which in turn made him blush.
'Gah! Why am I blushing?! Blushing! No I'm pooling blood in my face and it's going to burst! It's-It's a goddamn allergic reaction...' He glanced over to Taco, though no words were (obviously) exchanged, Dax 'imaged' his little stuffed animal giving him 'the look', the kind of look that said 'you're stupid as s**t' without saying anything. One of those 'really? You know damn well that's not an allergic reaction unless you're allergic to your own bullshit' looks. That might have been a more sophisticated look than was possible for an inanimate object.
"I... I borrowed a shirt. I hope... that's okay..." She sat on the opposite side of the couch and glanced to him, Dax glancing back at her with a nod.
"Well I can't let you walk around in wet clothes." Daxter had a moment in which he thought a perverted thought, then was surprised at himself for thinking it instead of saying it. 'Maybe I really do like her, usually I don't care.'
"Thank you," she told him immediately, Daxter shifting his body to face in her direction. "How did you even find me?" That was certainly the question of the day, wasn't it? How do you explain to someone that you wanted to talk to them about a failed date and ended up stalking them throughout the city?
"I wanted to talk to you about the our failure of a date last night and I ended up stalking you throughout the city." ... "Er -- !!" Daxter suddenly realized the implications of his words, laughing loudly. "H-Hunted! I hunted you -- !!" ...that was even worse. "Haha! I meant searched...out of concern!" It was probably a good idea to explain. Why was he nervous? "S-So last night was a failed attempt to get to know you, and I thought I could show you the real me." 'The realest me that wouldn't scare you off, anyhow.' "Not the guy trying to analyze you like some target." This was not helping his chances, and he knew it, so Daxter inhaled, exhaled, and just let it out. "I got to your place and noticed a few signs of something out of the ordinary, so I thought I'd try to find you. At least if nothing else so we could talk about our mission, which we need to talk about later. Anyway, it took a little while but I found you at the harbor and you know the rest."

He could have easily lied, he could have made all of this about the mission and trying to talk to her about it, but Daxter went ahead and put on display that he was legitimately a little concerned for her after going to her shack. It was a sweet thing to do, especially because being a d**k about it was easier than just going ahead and admitting that he might've cared enough about her to be somewhat worried. Either way, he was trying to defuse the situation after telling her he was stalking and then hunting her, which wasn't the case. He just felt strangely nervous, a little concerned with ******** things up. He felt so strange, head swimming with a million different thoughts that he couldn't get a moment's peace in there. A lot of what he felt he wasn't sure how to process, he knew OF the emotions, he knew HOW they were SUPPOSED to work, but until now he didn't really understand them. Was this how someone felt when they had a crush?
"Anyway, I brought you back here after your fight, didn't think you'd appreciate me changing you into dry clothes." He was being serious, aside from a few perverted thoughts his jokes were almost nonexistent. It was like he was being a completely different person. "By the way, you alright? Dragon or not that was some match, I wouldn't have been surprised if you slept the day away." Scooting closer, Daxter reached out his hand which brushed against her own hand, he didn't seem to change expression as he ran his fingers up her arm to feel the same cuts and bruises on her skin, a surprisingly gentle touch. He bit the inside of his bottom lip, then looked to Ember. "Are you going to be able to take care of those?" He asked softly, moving away from her a little to give her the space she probably needed, now that he had seen her wounds. "I've got a first aid kit, but I don't think you want to be covered in Hello Kitty bandaids." He grinned devilishly. "Though a tough thing like you covered in pink bandaids would be hilariously cute."

He teased her, showed concern, he wanted to make sure she would be alright otherwise he would really get the first aid kit, and probably put at least one Hello Kitty bandaid on her. They were on clearance when he found them, and pink never bothered him. Daxter exhaled,
"well, regardless, you can't go back home, not if she wants you dead. She'll be back, just a matter of when, you wouldn't be safe in your little...er...shack. So you can stay here for a while, you know, just until you get a new place." How long would someone who lived in a shack take to find a new home? Would she be looking for a new dilapidated building or something actually with a full roof over her head? "Long as I get to cuddle Taco I don't mind sleeping on the couch." Grabbing his stuffed animal he tossed it over to Ember to hold. "For now you need a cuddle buddy more than I do. You must be hungry, tell you what before you answer me about staying here chill out, relax, I'll make us something." Getting up off the couch, Daxter went into the kitchen to prepare a meal for them, since after all that he was getting a little hungry, and since he was only just getting hungry he had to imagine she was starving. Glancing back at Ember on the couch, Daxter grinned.
"I don't usually cook for other people, so this'll be a fun experiment."

-- Three Weeks Later --

The mission was a bust, Troy's meeting had to be rescheduled and by time Daxter could get Ember back into the TNT he was already on the plane heading to his destination. Missing their chance, the team was now under an obligation to try again in some other manner. He wasn't about to give up, since this was as much Ember's contract as it was Gabriel's, though he couldn't care less about who wanted Troy dead, but with Ember wanting Troy dead it was something he felt like he had to do. Daxter continued working on behalf of the team for a new plan, still without any promise of payment, though now he was doing it exclusively for Ember. Three weeks was a long time to be hanging around someone a lot, and Daxter was a little reluctant to want to admit that crush was growing, getting worse, and his parents weren't helping at all.

'Oh my god my little boy finally has a crush!'
'Hun, please, she might be pixelated for all we know.'
'W-What the ******** does that mean 'pixelated'?! You don't think -- Ember is not a crush she's just someone -- you know what I am a grown a** man I don't need this s**t.'
'You will sit your a** down and eat dinner with your parents or so help me.'
'Cut it out, both of you. I want ONE dinner without you two bickering. So when do we get to meet your girlfriend?'
'Girl -- !!? Girlfriend, who -- ?! W-Who said she was my girlfriend?! Mother doesn't even think she exists so she could be a fleshlight for all you know!'
'So she's plastic.'
'Mel, if you don't cut it out. Daxter, can she come this Friday? I'm planning chicken pot pie!'
'I...ah...well I can ask...but she's not my girlfriend, at least as far as you two are concerned!'
'So what's her name, Dax?'
'Ember. Can we...can we just not talk about her? Sheesh.'
'You're blushing, Dax. Huh, I don't remember seeing him blush before.'
'Hnn! I'm so happy you have a girlfriend!'
'OH! MY! GOD! Will you two cut it out!? It's endless teasing! You two are the reason I murder people!'

Daxter grumbled as the conversations with his parents echoed on, truth be told he wasn't even sure if they were dating, he never asked and he wasn't good with these things. Maybe it was time to ask? Grabbing his phone Daxter sent off a text to Ember:

To: Ember
I like you. Do you like me?
[ ] Yes
[ ] Duh
[ ] No
Don't check no. Btw how is your new phone? PS. Want to go out to lunch with me? Like right now? But only if you say you like me.
- Dax

Daxter stuck his phone in his pocket while he gave Ember a little bit of time to utilize her new phone. She wasn't much for technology but he insisted on a phone to keep in touch with her with, especially if their mercenary friend returned to finish the job from the harbor. Sighing, Daxter decided all he had to do was wait for Ember to reply to the text and have lunch with him. Or break his heart into a million pieces.
'I'm definitely kidding. I think I'm kidding. s**t what if she says no...?' Another text to Ember:

To: Ember
LOL the like thing was a joke! Lets grab lunch!
- Dax

Daxter groaned.
"This is why no one wanted to adopt me, they all thought I was retarded. I could still argue that to be the case."

→ Location: Manhattan [Central Park] ↔ Company: N/A ↔ Outfit: Casual Clothes ←

[BIoodbane]

Zack Mayers x
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Can there really be a way to end this curse...?

At the edge of a lake in the Bronx, a young man sat quietly, as if deep in thought. He, like many others, was one of the so-called "Gifted", a being altered by the strange energy that infected the world suddenly. However, as someone who not only had powers, but thanks to training at a young age to control the powers he already had, he was typically better able to hide the changes that were consuming his body better than others... though even he had his moments where the new energy was too unstable to keep hold of. He let a sigh out as he threw a rock across the lake, watching the infused energy surround the rock, building up as it skipped across the water before sinking. He could tell by the way the energy gave the rock an unusual blue glow that this was yet another time where it would be best to avoid confrontation, as his powers were likely to be unstable. He watched the lake closely, waiting until the powerful energy destroyed the rock and surged outward through the lake before standing up, looking to the arm that threw it. While the long gloves he wore did well to cover up most of the clear indication that he had been changed, he could see the energized, crack-like grooves just barely above the top of the glove. It's still spreading... I wonder how much longer I have... And yet, I still need to stop those monsters somehow... He thought bitterly, before looking up at the sky. What would you have done? What lesson would you have had for me this time, Sensei...?

Suddenly, he heard it. A voice, causing him to turn towards a rather unusual figure. There was no doubt that the person was not a typical human... but were they like that which he used to be? Or were they also bearing the curse of this new energy? He remained silent, waiting until the woman in the tree was completely finished with her speech before speaking before responding in a quiet tone.

"I suppose it is obvious, isn't it... I've seen people, both friends and otherwise, be consumed, yes... Some simply fade away, but others... others do not go so quietly." He stated, recalling the Gifted he had seen both die as if from a disease, or lose control and be consumed by the destruction their powers have caused. It was not a matter of 'if' to Zack Mayers, but 'when'... and when the time came, how would he be taken by the curse?

"As for what I am... some call this a disease. Maybe they're correct, but I prefer to call it a curse. Whatever it is, it's slowly taking over. But even knowing that it is something not of my own powers, I couldn't tell you where it came from, only that I am certainly not the only one struggling with it..." He said, looking down at his arm once more before looking back up at the woman. He examined the woman closely at this point, noting the blue eye that contrasted with the gold other. Was she also cursed with this energy? She claimed to bring no harm to him, and yet... he remained uncertain. There were many out there who would try and get close to him, only to turn him in to the authorities, why should he expect any less of this strange woman? He continued to examine her as he spoke, now attempting to use a faint, but growing ability to sense the cursed energy within others, much like how he could sense the regular energy that surrounded him.

"If you are not here to harm me... then what are you here for?"

Company: Horned Woman
Thoughts: Who... or what is she?
Location: Bronx - by a lake.

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