ѕннн! ιт'ѕ a ѕєcяєт! dnp

[Dangerosa]

Biting on his bottom lip, Kyrian listened closely to Meredith’s words, sparing Cyrus a thankful look when the water bottle was passed his way. While the water did nothing without a tylenol, a little bit of hydration never hurt. Unscrewing the top and taking a sip of water, he realized that what Mer was saying made sense and that he shouldn’t have a reason to worry until the two weeks were up. Until then, he’d just have to go along with the tests and make sure that he found his power in a more controlled environment than something more spontaneous and unplanned. In a way the fear of hurting someone else was worse than the fear of hurting himself with his as of yet unknown powers. The fidgeting with his lip stopped the moment Damon spoke up once more, adding onto what Meredith had said about the tests. He really wished this had been explained to them the day before… Why did all of this detail have to be a secret? Kyrian had enough secrets of his own that he wanted to keep to himself and he didn’t want the other students stumbling onto them. Though he supposed that would depend on how closely the other club members would be watching them. They couldn’t be followed 24/7 —

Or maybe in Damon’s case it would be possible for him to keep an eye on everyone when it was least expected or welcomed. “Stay out of my head!” Squeezing his eyes shut and pressing his fingers to his temples, the boy bit back a groan and just wished he could go someplace that was less noisy, less people. It didn’t matter if Damon could or couldn’t read his thoughts, he didn’t need any other voices in his head. How was he going to know if it was really Damon or some other voice he was never really aware of? Dr. Streeter identified two alters, but he could be wrong. What if there were others that neither of them knew about? He’d read that it was possible for people to have up to one hundred different alters and that statistically the average number people claimed to have was going up! It was scary for him to think about sometimes. Terrifying to think that there was now someone else who could invade his head at any given moment. 'No matter how different the voices sound, they all belong to the same person,' his doctor had said. Now he couldn't even believe that.

In a rather bored tone, Damon said something about him not being able to participate in the fights if he didn't allow the psychic contact to be made — effectively stopping him from having any chance at the best possible reward that was offered at the end of the three years. "Maybe if you'd said something about this before..." He almost wanted to tell Damon that he was sure other schools didn't have a leader with psychic powers and they did just fine. His non acceptance of this rule didn't harm anyone else. But his voice sounded so loud to his ears, echoing inside his head. And part of him did know the older student had a point. He did choose the unknown after all. Of course, he also could have asked for more details, but Damon had left the clubhouse as soon as Zhen had finished speaking yesterday and there really wasn't any time to ask the older student about his powers. And even then, as Cyrus demonstrated, he might not have even received an answer.

Just as he was about to say that he was leaving, another voice reached his ears and abruptly his eyes snapped open and he moved his hands away from his head and looked at the girl who had just spoken up. "The Dark Queen? You haven't changed at all, have you Umiko. Still pretending to be strong when you're nothing but a scared little girl. Do you remember me? Probably not. I thought that Tomi and I were closer, but even after I told him my name he didn't remember a thing." Where was his old friend anyway? Looking around the room, he saw the boy standing at the back and grinned. It was good to be back in control and to see his old friend sporting such a nasty looking bruise. Did his sister do that to him? The first year was positive he could have done better.

Looking back towards the front of the room, he got to his feet and glared at Damon. "And do you ever stop to think that perhaps your power and how invasive it is might be hurting someone?" This club could potentially have everything he liked in it and it would be a shame to just walk out without trying to make Damon see things from his point of view. "Then again you're the leader of this stupid club and walk around with a stick up your a** pretending to be untouchable and that it's your right to do as you please and damn the consequences." His dad would be pissed if he heard him speaking like this, but dad wasn't around to hear it and he didn't have to pull the stupid good boy act anymore. That also reminded him that if he joined this club, he would be able to finally pay Umiko back for what she did to him as a child. She had no idea how hard he'd already had it at the time, he'd make sure she knew now.


Wʜᴏ ᴀᴍ I ﹖ Take a guess tab tab tab Wʜᴏ ɪs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ ﹖ Everyone
tab tab tab Wʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀᴍ I ﹖ Clubhouse
Hᴏᴡ ᴀᴍ I ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ﹖Relieved. tab Sᴛᴀᴛᴜs ﹖ Healthy & energetic

[Dangerosa]

There it was again : she was twisting his words, making them mean one thing when they both knew he had meant the other. A step in her direction and a hand around her arm brought her close to him once more, his murmured words falling close to her ear as he spoke. ”Don’t make me regret bringing you along on this job, b***h. You will leave when I say so. My childhood is none of your ******** business. All I expect from you is that you get the job done with the least amount of bitching possible. Have I made myself clear?” Not waiting for an answer, he pushed her forward, away from the stall that seemed to have captured her attention. There was nothing there but trinkets that would cost ten times as much in this marketplace than they would in any other part of the world. Humans were the worst sort of thieves really. Plastering a smile on their faces, they stole from one’s purse all the while trying to reassure you that they were offering you the best deal in the region. One not wise to their schemes would buy the useless piece of trash only to discover that there was a better version being sold for a better price three stalls down. And that was when they were being honest with you.

”A thief who has a problem with stealing. There’s a first time for everything.” Meredith could lift a purse or a valuable belonging from anyone who happened to cross her path, but when given the opportunity to steal from a temple, a place that would undoubtedly be easy to steal from, she was against it. But perhaps it was because it would be so easy to steal from the Temple that she didn’t want to do it. The thought made a small smile begin to curve the corners of his lips. Like him, Meredith was a creature who craved challenges and excitement. There was no satisfaction in going after something that offered no resistance. The staffs were interesting not only because of the power that would come with collecting all of them, but because their locations and the tests associated with each one are shrouded in mystery. While internally Zephaniah would admit to Meredith being correct in the assumption that there probably wasn't much of value in the temple in the form of tangible goods, he was equally certain that the temple scrolls and the words of the Priests would be of far greater value than the word of any of the dregs Meredith approached in this ******** disgusting place. ”What have the gods ever done for you, b***h, that you would be adverse to such a simple task? They give us life, but then promptly abandon us, watching in sadistic enjoyment as we struggle about our lives, never giving us the answers we want, but speaking to us in riddles resulting in us floundering about in the darkness for a time when a prompt answer could have solved our difficulties and resulted in even less bloodshed.” Even a prompt answer that required a bit of work in order to put into practice was better than silence or riddles where every word, every sentence had to be broken down, analyzed and carefully reviewed before any action was decided upon.

As talk shifted to what would be an appropriate sacrifice, Zeph half tuned her out. A sacrifice was a sacrifice no matter what it's meaning was to the one who presented it. The gods didn't care as long as their priests grew fat and they were able to boast about who had the most followers in the mortal realm. So what did it matter what they offered as long as it wasn't a pile of rocks or sand, the gods should be happy they even got acknowledged. Although... They were a greedy ******** group of bastards. A stall just a little further ahead caught his eye and he quietly pointed it out to one of the other mercenaries he was with. With the stall owner distracted, now would be a perfect opportunity to procure the item. And if the tradesman's business was concluded by the time his men got to the stall, it would be take only seconds to have him distracted again and the item stolen.

Just outside the temple they drew to a halt and Zephaniah leaned against one of the columns at the front of the building, arms crossed and waiting on his men to arrive with a gift for the goddess. "What would you have us offer, b***h? There is nothing in this world I would sacrifice to a goddess who means absolutely nothing to me." All that mattered to him was power, the staffs, ascending higher than the immortals who professed to rule the world. "The gods are nothing and the sooner you give up your childish belief in their power and might, the better you'll be." But now, time for chitchat was over : his men were arriving with the antique he'd ask them to retrieve. With the locket in hand and selecting Meredith and a few others to follow him inside he walked up the temple steps. Why was it that something like this always made him feel uncomfortable? The gods held no power and yet something about these temples always made him want to stay clear of them.

Their footsteps echoed mutely in the large room, empty of all other signs of life with a statue of the goddess staring down at them with cold, judging, dead eyes. The near silence was deafening, the air felt stale. It felt as though someone would jump out of one of the many long shadows in the room and surprise them and so Zephaniah remained on edge as he examined the room, slowly approaching the statue to place his offering at the alter in front of it. Thus far, everything that furnished the temple looked new and knowing what a filthy den of vipers Korrin was, Zephaniah wouldn't be surprised if this temple had been periodically looted throughout the years. However, what could not be removed from the temple without outright destroying it were the pictograms engraved upon the walls. Some symbols were familiar, telling a tale that was well known throughout Jarda. Others were unfamiliar to him, but between the temple scrolls, the Priests and his own intuition, he was certain their meaning would be discovered.

tab tab 𝔏𝔬𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 Devi's temple tab tab tab 𝔚𝔦𝔱𝔥 Meredith tab tab tab 𝔖𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔰 Healthy

[Dangerosa]

Two against one were never good odds, but since when had Loralyn been accepting of that as an excuse for backing down from a fight? It was when the odds weren't in your favour that you learned what you were really capable of, you learned how to fight, strategize, and plan so that no matter what, you would come out the victor. Yes, there were times when a retreat was required, but a retreat only meant withdrawing, training harder and returning to the front even more determined to vanquish your foes. Lora would have thought Sasha was well aware of this. Unfortunately she was wrong. Shrugging off the hand that was meant to comfort, she turned an angry eye towards Remus. As Sasha had said, this was an idiotic idea. No, it wasn't just idiotic, it was asinine! He wasn't simply risking his life and his standing in the court, but also that of Cyrus and Sasha. Two angels he considered to be his friends. Was Remus really willing to put the lives of distinguished angels over the lives of some half-breed?

Unfortunately, it didn't look like her words about Leon being a mistake went over well. She could never remember seeing Remus so angry in all the years she'd known him and her eyes widened just a bit in amazement as she listened to him. Remus was really going to defend that b*****d and contravene the king's orders. The King was wrong and Lora was sure the gods would deal with his sin in time. Right now they were sent to make sure the King's sin didn't taint anyone else. "So we're to wait until he does murder before we hunt him down? You know what their kind is like. Demons care nothing for the world. They take pleasure in killing. Eventually, the Mistake will be just like any other bloodthirsty demon." For some reason she really felt like seeing just how far she could push Remus. With his self-righteous attitude of his, he really had to come down off his high horse if he believed that killing an “innocent” half angel was akin to killing an angel child.

“The fact that he’s a b*****d makes him even more of a mistake, Remus. Or have you forgotten what the term means? I wouldn’t put it past you. I also didn’t say that the King was innocent in all of this. Sasha, did I say that? Cyrus? He’s as much to blame for all of this as it is that’s demon’s fault for daring to get between the Royal family.” But then Lora wondered… had the king known that the woman he was bedding was a demon? He wouldn’t have slept with her had he known that! Lora was nearly certain of this. The King wouldn’t stain his wings with a sin that was this grave with a knowing heart. The woman must have presented herself in a way that fooled the king. On the other hand, it was no secret that the King wanted an heir born from his loins. Remus was only a replacement until one was produced. The fact that he had Leon certainly proved that the king wasn’t incompetent. There was just something wrong with the Queen. Was it a sign from the gods ? “The half-breed hasn’t hurt anyone that you’re aware of. Sometimes in order to keep peace one has to stain their hands with blood. For the greater good. We do this so other angels can live free from fear. But of course this probably goes right over your head.”

She didn’t have time for this! The King expected results and hung over or not, she was going to do her best to make sure the job was completed. So if that meant going along with this idiot scheme she would do it. The moment Leon was in her sights, her sword would taste his blood. Unlike Remus, she was thinking of the future. Their future. A future the half-blood threatened by his existence. Leon, his mother, the demons… They couldn’t exist in a world with angels. Light and darkness couldn’t exist together: eventually one overpowered the other. And in this instance, Light — angels — would prevail. It was the natural order of things. The way the gods intended. “But maybe you’re right, Remus. Maybe he just is an innocent child. It would be wrong to kill him if that is indeed the case. We should hide him in Korrin and he could get lost amongst the untouchables. Even the King wouldn’t bother searching for him then.”

ℒ𝓸𝓬𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 Peacekeeper HQ tab tab 𝓦𝓲𝓽𝓱 Cyrus, Sasha, Remus tab tab
𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓼 Healthy; Hungover tab tab ℱ𝒆𝒆𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 Duplicitous

[Dangerosa]

Some mornings were better than others. Some mornings he found himself instinctively reaching for his bag and the drugs and drug paraphernalia that should have been found within one of the pockets, only to remember that he’d kicked his habit almost two years ago. But the cravings were still there, he knew they wouldn’t ever go away, and neither would the reflexes and motions he found himself falling back on whenever he was stressed. Like he’d been that morning. Waking up from a nightmare was never a pleasurable experience.

His steps felt unsteady and he could hardly keep his eyes open. He felt hot and cold all at once and the door seemed so very far away. His lips were dry and his throat felt parched. All he wanted was some water. There were a few bottles scattered around the floor, but not a drop of water within them. A wave of dizziness passed over him and he stumbled, falling to the ground as a sudden cool draft of air washed over him. Had the door opened? Was there someone standing there? His eyes couldn’t focus and the image was blurred. Either way, he didn’t want it to come into focus. The darkness was comforting.

Sometimes he’d feel a modicum of relief and a reassurance that everything would be okay by finding Anna. He wouldn’t say anything to her about it if she was around. How would she understand? All she could do was hold him and tell him that everything would be okay and that he was safe and that their parents wouldn’t hurt him again. And there were days that reassurance didn’t quite make it through, but he smiled nonetheless and told her he was okay. There were other nights when Anna wasn’t around, and in those moments he looked to the old doll Anna had given him years ago, and a silent promise that she would always be back for him, that she wouldn’t forget about him. Sometimes that worked.

At other times he’d give his right arm to forget. He’d kill for that blessed feeling of a needle in his arm and the cool relief of the drug being pumped through his veins. The silence and memories were killing him and he wanted to scream. Or rather, make someone scream. And he did. The sounds of the man’s screaming and the sight of his blood as it stained the streets was calming. Fun, exciting. The terrified cries reached their crescendo in time with the soundtrack in his mind. The screams and the music were clear in his mind. There was nothing to dilute it, no bouncing among the debris of wasted human life that littered the alleyway. Would this be the morning where someone stopped him? Would he get caught before he finished? Sure that would mean that he lost, but it wouldn't be game over. Maybe it was the chance of being captured, of being caught and stopped while he was in the act, that made the game even more tantalizing, that added bit of suspense as the scene played out as he imagined it would.

Unfortunately, the man wouldn’t get another chance to star in another one of his movies. The game was over and Kyrian was once again the winner, taking slow deep breaths and standing above the body with a bloody knife in one hand, splatters of blood on his clothes, blood dripping from his hands to form a pool on the ground at his feet. He looked to the world as though he had just received an Oscar for his accomplishments, smiling as people stood and gave him a round of applause that was silent to all ears but his own. He bowed, wiping the bloodied blade on the bottom of the man's pants. The applause faded, and all was silence again, save the chirping of some birds heralding the start of the day. Birds had a freedom the blonde envied, swooping low then rising back into the heavens. Part of the world but not truly part of it. Free, ethereal, able to escape the horrors of the world below. Except when someone clipped their wings. Had his parents clipped his wings? Had Anna? He didn't know.

"If you were still alive, if someone hadn't killed you —" Kyrian shook his head, brushing aside the thought, and reached out to fix the man's hair and clothes, using one of his sleeves, the wipe away the blood and clean him up a little. He had to look perfect, not a hair out of place. He might have made a good doll, but the man wasn't given the chance. He looked better dead than alive anyway.

Finishing his work, Kyrian wiped as much blood as he could off his hands and face then picked up his jacket, sliding it back on to hide the bloodstains on his clothes. The one thing he liked about winter was that it was easier to hide the evidence after killing someone. He'd have to wash up and change his clothes, but that could wait. He wanted to feel close to his broken doll for a little while. Kyrian missed it already.

Two hours later he was standing outside the gates of a local high school. It was almost lunch time which meant that the students would be out soon and he was eagerly awaiting the bell that would announce to the wolves that the little sheep were out of the barn and it was time to play. Half gloved hands threaded their fingers through the chain link fence as he stared at the building. He'd been in a school before, one of the run down ones in the poorer section of town, so he knew what they looked like. But never when there were people inside. What was it like when there were people inside? Sometimes he heard the students talking about how bad it was. But how could it be bad? They were learning things! They were talking to people! He wished he had that.... His throat constricted and he swallowed back his envy and anger.

"Do you think they would let me in one day? Just to look around. Maybe sneak into one of the classes." Looking away from the school, he turned to Anna with a smile. While he wasn't sure it had been her when he heard someone approach, he knew that if it hadn't been who he expected he would have just found a reason to kill again. Though a second killing so soon after his first really wasn't something he felt like doing right now. "The Universities are harder to sneak into...." Not that he'd really tried. He just felt it would be harder. If you had to be really smart and have a lot of money to get into them, then they probably made sure that only the people who were supposed to be there were in class. Unfortunately he wasn't really smart or really rich so he couldn't even pretend to get in.

[Dangerosa]

“Maybe if you were more ******** aware of your surroundings instead of wasting time time getting your panties in a knot you’d realize I’m right behind you, b***h.” Ahh, now that was a resounding ‘good morning’ if he had ever heard one. Dealing with Kana was like dealing with a cask of gunpowder and his words could cause a spark in that short circuit of hers that would ignite the barrel and send the world to hell — not like it needed any help getting there. Some would argue that this already was hell. Zephaniah didn’t waste time or energy thinking about that. Not when there were more important things to do. “I expected ******** better from you Kana. ‘King b*****d of the Royal Flush’? Is that all? You disappoint.”

He had had to put up with her for far too long to be bothered by the threats she had uttered. He knew that if she really wanted to cut his balls off, she would have done it instead of talking about it. Although on some occasions when they had these arbitrary check-in appointments, it took a strong constitution not to react to the graphic pictures she painted. “And I’d prefer if you keep my balls and my c**k unharmed. There are so few ******** pleasures in the world and we couldn’t take one away from all the sluts that walk the streets, now could we.” The smile he gave her displayed no mirth, his tone serious as though he were talking about something that was taken as a fact instead of a result of his own inflated ego.

An ego that at times seemed to have no bounds. An unchecked ego and an overabundant sense of pride. Two personality traits he liked to believe he had in spades, especially since he had the power, charisma and influence to merit it. And no one would dare tell him otherwise and expect to see another day. They would soon know first hand just what he was capable of, and his best meant that the offending party wouldn’t ever get a chance to make the same mistake twice.

What he liked to hide from the majority of the world and bury deep within the recesses of his own mind pertained to the activities he had been involved in earlier that morning. The reason he was already out on the streets instead of in the courthouse, listening to an analysis on the Saints or food situation from Vrona and demanding an explanation from Evangeline. While the police station and courthouse were idea places because of the protection and utilities they offered, what they were lacking was food. They were in the middle of the ******** concrete jungle. And not only did he have to make sure that the Royals were taken care of, he often made a point of checking on the orphans. The children who were left orphaned because of their powers, because they were sick. He didn’t have a rod shoved so high up his a** that he would forget about the reason he and Eva started working together. He did what he could for them, when he could.

So when he heard the sound of a tank rumbling through the streets, he’d stopped what he was doing and started the short walk over to the courthouse. Why the ******** did Kana even insist on these pointless things? He’d greatly prefer if she would come when she was called for and stay the ******** out when he didn’t need her. But he couldn’t control her. She was one of the few who didn’t heed his orders. As much as Eva and Chase tried to ignore or challenge him, they did fall into line and do as he asked when it mattered. Anna was obedient so long as he didn’t harm her mutt. And the Alliance? If he wanted to, he could have both the infected and non-infected alike coming to heel. The Saints were the only real threat. The only ones who refused to fall into line and who would strike back. And then there was Kana in a world of her own. Although maybe he gave her too much credit. She was just another rabid b***h with a gun. And they said Toxies were the threat. More accurately it was people like her and that ******** Commander who was, thankfully, a few states over.

“I’m not your b***h, ‘soldier’. When you ******** call I’m not going to ******** come to attention. You’re here on my terms whether you like it or not. The only value you have to me lies in the fact that you get s**t done. Get your head out of your ******** a** and act like the soldier you ******** think you are.” Like he even bought into her delusion. A soldier? For ******** sake, he had no idea where they came up with these things. And unlike with the other rabid dog roaming the streets, he couldn't even blame GENdisease for her condition. He was half tempted to see what would happen if he sent her on a job to take out Commander Hoch. Maybe the two of them would kill each other. The world would be a far better place.

He stayed where he was on the street, arms crossed, keeping a respectful distance between the tank, Kana and himself. No need to piss her off too much. “I have my own errands to run before the end of the day, b***h, and don’t have time to ******** babysit. Find Eva and fix the s**t, or come with me. I’d rather see you focus what limited attention you have on the areas that ******** need the most help.” Near the outskirts mostly. Closer to where his lab was located. He wasn't going to lose all his work because of some ******** brownout. Once that was done he'd see if he could find his favourite plaything at the mall. Maybe he'd scare her into giving him some useful information for once.

tab tab 𝔏𝔬𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 Outside the Courthouse tab tab tab 𝔚𝔦𝔱𝔥 Kana tab
tab tab 𝔖𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔰 Healthy

[Dangerosa]

tab tab tab tab tab tab 「 Lᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ 」Area high school : 「 Wɪᴛʜ 」Anna : 「 Mᴏᴏᴅ 」 Calm :「 Hᴇᴀʟᴛʜ 」100%

The smile she gave him warmed him. The words she spoke made his smile widen, and his eyes grow bright with the thought of going to school for a day. Anna did so much for him, made sure he always had everything he wanted. Kyrian didn’t know how he would ever repay her. Despite what he heard some of the students saying about school, to him it was the ultimate form of freedom. A place where his mind could wander and he could challenge himself with new and exciting things. A way for him to try to understand and learn more about what he’d missed growing up. He could finally say that he'd gone to school. Even if it was just for a day it would mean so much to him! Sometimes he wished for a ‘normal life.’ Whatever that was exactly. He wasn’t entirely sure, but he wanted to experience the most that he could and have what other people his age did. Was it wrong? Selfish? Kyrian didn't know, nor did he care. All he knew was that he was going to make sure he got what he deserved. “Thanks, Anna,” he said, not shying away from her as she ruffled his hair. With anyone else he’d be complaining about it, cutting off their hand and teaching them never to do it again. But then the screams would just make him want to take it further. To follow through and kill them.

For a moment, Kyrian’s eyes lit up with excitement at the thought, once again getting lost to his dark fantasies, images of blood and violence flashing before his eyes. He could see the androgynous individual reaching out towards him. A gesture of invitation rather than one of alarm. He could feel himself drawing the figure closer, the tip of his knife making contact with skin. His hand moving to make a swift cut from right to left, watching as a sense of wonder shone in the other individual's eyes before being extinguished and the body falling limply to the ground. Then he blinked and it was gone. Too soon. But he knew what he was going to do next time he found the right person. Kyrian took a shaky breath and tried to focus his thoughts, he didn't want Anna to know he was thinking of killing again. They were talking about school. About going to school one day. “Do you think I could try a day in both? … Or maybe just the University. I think I would draw less attention that way.” He knew that he probably looked just a bit too old to be in high school and while it might be easier to sneak in, once inside it would be harder to say that he actually belonged there. It was the opposite problem with the university. At least from what he’d read and managed to observe.

He turned back towards the school, cupping his fingers and bringing them to his mouth, blowing air on them and trying to warm them up. He should really try to find better gloves, but these were so comfortable even if they left most of his fingers exposed. He tired to imagine what it would be like inside the building. Warmth, lots of people, maybe he’d make a new friend or two. Although the moment they realized he was infected, they would probably turn away. And he would probably kill them. He wondered if it was just as hard making friends in there as it was out here. Lowering his hands from in front of his face, he glanced at Anna out of the corner of his eye. Anna was much better than he was at meeting new people — most of the time he just wanted to kill them, he imagined himself killing them and the way their blood would gush from their body. The choked sounds they made as they drowned in their own blood, the look of panic and fear in their eyes as they lost, despite him trying to tell them that they'd done their best and that it would be alright. Some toys just broke too quickly. Surely Anna must have met someone. Maybe they hurt her and she just didn't want to tell him about that.

Oh! That reminded him! Stuffing his hands in his pockets to try to keep them warm, he turned to lean on the fence so he could watch his sister closely, looking for any signs of discomfort. If she was injured or bruised, she was probably using her powers to hide it from him, but she wouldn't be able to keep what she was feeling off of her face. At least, Kyrian thought he was good at reading her expression. "Did you get a good deal last night? What did you get? The guy didn't hurt you, right? If he did, can I kill him? Can I kill him anyway?" As far as Kyrian knew, the man Anna had seen last night was one of the good ones. To be honest, he didn't like any of them for her, but he apparently paid good or whatever. Kyrian didn't care about that. He just didn't want anyone hurting Anna or trying to take her away from him. It happened once with disastrous effects and it wasn't going to happen again. Not when he was old enough and strong enough to do something about it. They wouldn't hold him down this time.

[Dangerosa]

The best place to find the materials Kana was requesting was in a location that had previously needed significant amounts of electricity to remain running. Fortunately for him and unfortunately for the alliance, the types of areas he was looking for was outside of his territory. Not that it mattered to him. This little errand would have three objectives : gather the required materials, scavenge for items of clothing for the street kids he had picked up, and see if he could gather any first hand intel on the activities of the Alliance. So far he’d seen a few rats scurry across his field of vision, but none who were too concerning. Still, he would rather play it safe and try to keep a low profile while he worked. And the faster he could be about this, the better it was. There was no need to run the risk of running across Takahashi or one of the other Alliance fools and having to explain his way out of a potential situation.

So far he had dug through the rubble, and with a bit of tinkering, retrieved what looked like a broken relay and a resistor or diode — he could never tell the two apart — that looked like it was in fairly good shape. Kana said nothing about the quality of the items that had to be brought back. Just that she wanted them. He hoped that she would be able to have the pieces back in working order despite the state they were in when they were first given to her. Once he believed he’d retrieved what he could from the rubble, he moved on, continuing to look for what may have at one point been a tech store, and keeping an eye out for anyone who may also be doing the same thing he was. A glance in the windows that were still standing didn't reveal anyone lurking behind him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't alone. Maybe it was simple paranoia. Or maybe it was the fact that this once bustling mall was now all but deserted. What was once an architectural marvel was now in pieces. It was more open concept than the designers had originally planned, and there were also more places for people to lay in wait. The perfect location for an ambush.

Even suspecting that there was someone else in the mall didn’t prepare him for the sudden feeling of the body that pressed against him from behind. Judging from the weight and size of the body, it was a woman… or a teenage male who had yet to fully fill out. Zephaniah only smiled once the knife was placed to his neck. What a fool… this person clearly didn’t know what he was capable of. Even with glove covered hands, there was no way the person would be able to kill him and see another day after getting in contact with the virus that he’d prepared.

And then the person spoke, and Zeph’s smile faded. He recognized that voice. As much as he did want to find her and see her again, he was also content in knowing that Anna would keep an eye on her and make sure nothing happened to her. While this was what he wanted, he also knew that things were now much more difficult. He sighed and a heartbeat later, he was breaking out of her hold, leaning forward, elbowing her and gripping her arm once her hold was loosened, trying not to harm her too much as she was nearly flipped over his shoulder. Her knife arm held in his hand, he twisted slightly and tried not to cause her too much discomfort, though he absolutely hated being taken from behind like that. “Whether you want to or not, you’re not going to ******** hurt me, Merry,” he said, looking down into her eyes, his eyes hard and unfriendly. Releasing her and stepping back, he ran a hand through his hair, pushing it away from his eyes and giving her time to get up. Every time he'd imagined this meeting, it had never been like this. It had been on his own terms, not hers. Someplace where they wouldn't be seen by others in their respective groups. But doing this here, right now, he wasn't ready, he had no idea what to say to her or where to start his apology. And he knew he had to apologize for the way he'd acted the last time he'd seen her. “Don’t you recognize me? Or has it been so long that you’ve forgotten about your old friend?” Just in the event that it was indeed the latter, he pulled back the sleeve of his jacket to show her the friendship bracelet they had made together all those years ago. Every charm that they had found and added to it was still there, he'd taken care of it as best as he could as it was his only reminder of his past and of Meredith. Although there were times when he'd wished it hadn't been such an obvious link to his past. Like Kana said, he was still weak in certain areas. He couldn't break his tie to Meredith even if he wanted to.

tab tab 𝔏𝔬𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 Mall tab tab tab 𝔚𝔦𝔱𝔥 Meredith.... ********! tab
tab tab 𝔖𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔰 Healthy

[Dangerosa]

Part time college classes…. Could Anna really be serious ? It felt like… like it wasn’t possible. Denial and disappointment had been constant companions and sometimes he didn’t like to get his hopes up because should they be crushed, it would send him spinning into a downward spiral that he never wanted to reach the end of. Falling was so much better than reaching rock bottom after all — especially without a parachute. Kyrian knew he could trust his sister to pull through, but there was always a part of him that worried. That thought just maybe he would wake up one day and be back home, surrounded by the four walls of his bedroom, staring into the empty eyes of a doll that would never talk back, that couldn’t help him learn to read or write, and wouldn’t fully stop him from wasting away. Yes, there was hope that he’d be able to escape, but when each day was the same, even that started to be in short supply. Going to school was a dream. Going to college had never really crossed his mind. But now both were a possibility. He was nervous and excited and he couldn’t wait to attend his first class. He had no idea what he would study as it all seemed so interesting, but no matter what it was, he knew he’d enjoy it!

His eyes were alight with the possibilities, his fingers excitedly working the strap on his bag as it took everything in him to refrain from effusively thanking her with a rib crushing hug since he didn’t want her to feel overwhelmed. Still, Anna probably knew him well enough by now to realize he was making an effort to hold back his burst of excitement. Kyrian knew he had a habit of being unrestrained, but he couldn’t help it. Acting restrained bugged him just as much, if not more so than silence. Under certain circumstances it was okay, but now he wanted to jump for joy. It was like suddenly getting a proper reception on an old static filled tv. It was difficult, things had to be set just right, but when the pictures finally came into focus you were ecstatic. Then like the signal going out again, his eyes became serious and he sobered for a moment, his hands stilling, but still clutching the strap. “I’d love it if I could go to part time classes, but I don't want to do it if it means I’ll be spending less time with you…” Or having less time to find his perfect doll. It was only part time though so he didn’t see it causing that much of a problem. And maybe he could find someone from among his classmates… It was getting harder to find people… Maybe it would all work out. It Anna believed he could do it, he wasn’t going to let her down. He never wanted to let her down.

“No matter how good he is to you, I’m still going to worry. You’re my big sister,” Stepping closer, he drew Anna into a tight hug, afraid of the thought of ever losing her. What would he do without her? Where would he be without her? “I don’t want anything to happen to you.” He couldn’t — nor did he want to — watch when she went to work, so if something did happen to her he couldn’t be right there to protect her. Sometimes it felt like they didn’t see each other for days, though he knew that it was only a night. He couldn't be with her all the time. And when he got bored? Found dolls. Made dolls. Did something to keep him busy and the thoughts away. The noise and busy thoughts were a good distraction.

Stepping back a little, he smiled. "I tried to find a doll this morning. But he didn't want to come with me and then he broke so easily. He made a nice doll when he stopped moving though. Sometimes I wonder if I should search some of the funeral homes for embalming fluid... or try to make my own. It's possible, right?" The man did look really nice and sometimes after people lost the game they looked even better when they're asleep than when they were moving around. It would make showing off his dolls a lot easier. And he could have more time to go back to visit them. There were plenty of empty buildings around and he could use one room for his doll creation and the next to show them off. Though he might still have to get rid of them after a while. Hopefully during that time he would figure out what he was doing wrong and what made the dolls break so easily. There had to be some reason. He shrugged. "I don't think I'm going to look for another doll tonight. I might work on some spells or try to figure out what I was doing wrong with all my broken dolls. Do you want to help me search the old libraries? They might have some medical books or spell books in them." Even if magic apparently wasn't considered real before GENdisease hit, there were still plenty of people who believed in it. Enough to write books about it anyway. More importantly, he didn't want Anna with another guy and the libraries were super quiet. It was lonely without someone else.


tab tab 「 Lᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ 」Outside of a high school : 「 Wɪᴛʜ 」Anna : 「 Mᴏᴏᴅ 」 Curious :「 Hᴇᴀʟᴛʜ 」100%

[Dangerosa]

For a moment he thought that Meredith didn’t recognize him and that showing her the bracelet had no effect on her memory. For a moment he regretted it and wished he hadn’t called her by name and he’d treated her like any other person who dared attack him. Alliance territory or not, he wouldn’t have held back, even less so if he could sense the person wasn’t carrying GENdisease. He wouldn’t have had to backtrack and explain that he’d mistaken her for someone else. He could have knocked her out now that he was certain of where she was, and left the mall, found some place else to scavenge for items, or return to Royal territory to try to figure out who was responsible for stealing the items Kana was bitching about. Try to put an end to this himself before Chase did and tried to steal all the ******** credit. But as he continued to stare at her as she sat on the ground, he realized that she had figured it out and not even a second after he noticed that things finally clicked in her mind, did she fling herself into his arms.

Hesitantly, he reached out to wrap his arms around her in an embrace. The gesture felt odd, foreign. It had been almost a decade since he had last been with her and she looked... good. Happy. Even better than he remembered. They were only fifteen when they parted ways. Teenagers. Had they really known what they were doing? Had he taken her too much for granted? “Of course I’m alive…” Did she really think he was going to allow ******** non-infected to kill him? They were lucky if he even gave them the time of day! Still, there was something about this moment that was making him uncomfortable. She couldn’t really be out her foraging on her own, could she? While he knew Anna wasn’t going to be on Mer’s a** 24/7, he didn’t think the Alliance would let it’s members — particularly the non-infected members — out on their own like this. Certainly they knew of the danger a larger number of infected posed to the non-infected, himself included. And of the rogues he'd encountered, infected or not, there were plenty who had had a few screws knocked loose because of the war or disease.

Breaking the embrace after holding her a few seconds longer, he looked around, trying to see if he could spot anyone watching them. He didn’t see anyone, but that didn’t mean there was no one else in the building. “What are you ******** doing here by yourself? If I were anyone else you could have been ******** hurt. Or worse.” Why couldn’t this have been on his own ******** terms? This had him feeling too open, too exposed… Grabbing her arm without warning, he pulled her along until they were someplace he felt more confortable. Where there was more protection and they were less likely to be seen by anyone. “I’m… sorry for pulling you along like that. And I’m sorry for letting you down when you needed me the most. I’ve thought about that day and what you said so many times since then.” Sighing, he shook his head. “You were right.” It was no use really thinking about where they would have been if he would have been had acted when he should have instead of holding back out of fear. There were so many things he blamed himself for. So much that he could have done for her instead of sitting back and watching as everything was taken from her. “I hope you can... forgive me.”

Asking for her forgiveness, or even apologizing for what he'd done felt like a dentist had just pulled a tooth without first freezing the area so that he would avoid the pain. He tried to make his expression as sincere as possible, but he worried that instead of sincerity, she would see a look on his face as though he had swallowed something vile. Zeph looked away from her rather abruptly, needing to look at anything, anyone, but Meredith. In a strange way he almost wished someone would come by and try to pick a fight. That he could manage, dealing with this awkward feeling, was something he would rather avoid. "I guess it's not surprising you ended up with the ******** Alliance. Though I think the leader is a bit misguided." If the Cougar seriously believed that one day the infected and non-infected would live in peace and ******** harmony she needed a good hard knock to the back of the head to get pieces realigned. No matter what way you looked at it, being a toxie meant you'd spent your entire ******** life fighting. Anyone who saw things differently was ******** up and living in a ******** fantasy world.

tab tab 𝔏𝔬𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 Mall tab tab tab 𝔚𝔦𝔱𝔥 Meredith tab
tab tab 𝔖𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔲𝔰 Healthy

[Dangerosa]

Most mornings were the same and today was no different. Wake up early, brush her teeth, change into her running clothes, stretch, then go for a run throughout the city. Today was no different. Six kilometres, about four miles, through the city in a loop that had her starting at the Saints' base and returning just under an hour later. She could probably extend the length of the run without trouble, but she wasn't training for a marathon any time soon. Those days were long over and, with the current state of things, she wondered if there would ever be another city wide marathon again. It would be something to loo forward to and train towards. But she wouldn't let herself get distracted by such ideas. Instead she calmly stretched and cooled down a bit, only to pick up her bow and start to practice. In cold weather like this, she didn't like to practice outside each and every day, and the house next door had laid abandoned so with a bit of hard work it was easy enough to make herself an indoor range. Shorter than she would have liked, granted, but it would do. She would only be shooting a handful of arrows at the target after all and it wouldn't take long. Besides, practice was only good if she was practicing with good form, and able to replicate the exact form again and again. She couldn't tire herself out so early in the day. Who knew when she might have to use her bow later?

Workout and practice done, she went to wash up and get ready to face the day. She wanted to review all the information she had gathered the day before along with Catherine's recommendations, and see if she could find any new leads on what the Toxies were planning and when they were going to strike next. It was as much a guessing game as anything, but she wanted to be prepared. Eden didn't enjoy fighting, Ennis was.... well his fighting skill was debatable, Izzy was cool and badass with her bat, Catherine didn't like fighting much but at least she had a firearm. As for the others? Other than the Seraphim, Taylor questioned just how safe the group would be. There had to be someone who was willing and able to fight the Toxies. Although... Taylor did wonder if she would be able to kill when needed. The thought made her squeamish, but it had to be done. The deadly and dangerous ones had to be killed or they would kill dozens more. It was like the posed bodies she sometimes saw on her run. It was disturbing and she felt sick to her stomach. Definitely the work of a Toxie. Someone who wasn't infected wouldn't ever do something so disturbing. So killing that person would be for the greater good. Right?

Showered and dressed in dark skinny jeans, a black top, knee high brown boots and a brown jacket overtop, Taylor got to work reading reports and then going out to meet with her contacts and try to get some more information. And then there was also the first hand investigating. It was potentially dangerous to stray outside of Saints' territory, but sometimes it was necessary. Oftentimes it was necessary to discover more information. But she would save that for later this afternoon. For the majority of the morning she would remain local and speak to contacts. If she remembered correctly, there was supposed to be a group get together later in the day. She wasn't going to miss that.

tab tab tab tab tab tab ƸÏƷ ~~~~~ ƸÏƷ Time Skip ƸÏƷ ~~~~~ ƸÏƷ

Just after eleven, she was walking back into headquarters, running a hand through her long brown hair to push it out of her eyes, and looked around. Where was everyone? It didn't take too much time before she stumbled upon the small group. Catherine was with Ennis, Izzy and Eden. Ennis was holding... well... plants of some variety. She supposed she could call them that. Not quite flowers though. Although this place was kind of pretty in the spring and summer thanks to the large variety of flowers that had been planted by the home's previous owner. "Good morning, everyone!" She greeted with a smile, her bow held in her free hand. "You weren't thinking of starting without me, were you?" She was almost ashamed to say that some of Judah's easy going nature had rubbed off on her. Although it didn't last long and seconds later, the smile had faded from her face, replaced by a more serious expression. "We have to do something about these Toxies soon. A friend of a friend said there was another victim discovered this morning."


tab tab Lᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ➵ Main Hallway tab // tab Wɪᴛʜ ➵ Catherine, Ennis, Izzy, Eden
tab tab Mᴏᴏᴅ ➵ Serious tab // tab Hᴇᴀʟᴛʜ ➵ 100%

I speak in a bold #dd8899

[Dangerosa]

Four-thirty in the morning the alarm on the night table beside him goes off. The song, a metal cover of Vivaldi’s Winter. As with the original, it started off quietly enough and he enjoyed the gentle crescendo for half a minute before he turned it off and got out of bed. In the pre-dawn hours, the sun was still below the horizon and all was quiet. Still. At times the silence got to him, made him think that there was some horrible crime that was underway in his neighbourhood. Something that he would have to put a stop to. But as far as he knew, it was just silence with nothing nefarious about it. Perhaps an active imagination was a curse. He would have liked to think of it as a blessing.

Luca spent a few minutes freshening up a bit, shaved and washed his face with cold water to fully wake up, then changed into a t-shirt and track pants to go for his usual morning run. A quick stretch and then he was down the stairs, out the door, and into the streets of Neo-Venezia. His run would take him around the neighbourhood and into those surrounding his. Some of the sidewalks were narrow -- an engineering flaw if ever he saw one -- and he had to be careful or he would end up in the chilly waters of the canal. It happened once in the past, when he'd been distracted by his thoughts and startled by a sudden noise, and after that, he made sure to keep his thoughts focused and his eyes and ears opened. It was an hour long run and the only free time he would have that day. He never really got back home on time… not that he had anything to return to. No wife, no girlfriend, no family, no pets. It was quiet and solitary and at times he preferred being at work than behind in his apartment for the simple reason that it was almost too quiet. Sometimes the adrenaline from the day didn’t fully fade away and he was still wired late into the night. It wasn't good or healthy, but... with such a stressful job, could anyone really blame him?

Returning home an hour after he started, he cooled off and then slipped into the shower and washed up, then double checked to make sure he didn’t miss a spot when he'd shaved earlier. He didn’t. Smiling to himself, he turned to start getting dressed. The moment the crisply ironed uniform came out of the closet, it would appear that his whole demeanour changed. The smile faded, the expression on his face became more stern, his eyes serious, his posture straightened slightly. What would he face today? Hopefully it would be nothing major, there would be no big fights, killings, no major injuries. No new missing persons reports would have come in during the night. Lucian might have a lead, something he might be able to chase down or keep in mind while he worked the streets. Luca slowly slipped on his pants and shirt thinking about what the first few hours of work would be like. Sometimes he liked to think it didn’t matter as long as it wasn’t spent sitting at a desk. At others, that was precisely what he wanted to do.

Boots tied on his feet, his long blonde hair tied back in a neat queue, he proceeded to make his way downstairs to the kitchen. While his hair may be a bit too long for the job, the Chief had never yelled at him about it before -- or if he had, Luca had long since forgotten about it, and no body had said anything in recent memory. By now the coffee was done and should be cooled enough for him to enjoy it. Breakfast usually consisted of a slice of toast, jam, fruits and yogourt and this morning was no different. Once it was done and the dishes loaded in the dishwasher, he made his way back outside. It was time for work.

tab tab tab tab

By ten o’clock he was out on patrol maneuvering his boat through the canals that composed Neo-Venezia and keeping an eye out for any trouble. He had almost forgotten that tomorrow was Carnivale. Everyone was busy preparing for the holiday and to Luca, the partying, drinking and costumes only meant that it would be a time where crimes and deviance were at the highest. Costumes provided a mask of anonymity to people and that anonymity emboldened them. Made them think of doing things they wouldn’t otherwise do. Add drinking to the mix and it was a deadly combination. There would be more units out on patrol. The crowd would make it difficult to get a good look at what everyone was doing, but they would be damned if they didn’t try their best. Carnivale wasn’t also known as the “night of sinners” for nothing. It would be one incredibly long night. And with the amount of missing persons reports that were already filling the precinct, they didn't need to have anyone go missing. Dim lights and crowded spaces were the perfect environment in which to kidnap someone. He'd do his best to keep everyone safe. They all would.

So far, the day had been relatively calm, but for some reason, Luca had a suspicion that it wouldn't last. There was always something. He couldn't remember the last time he had made it until the lunch hour without something coming up. And with the briefing they'd had that morning, he wasn't going to hold his breath. The winery owner, a college student, the blacksmith's apprentice and a few others were those he had to keep an eye out for. There had been no bodies yet, but at this point, they all knew the chances of finding them alive were slim. Luca was half expecting to find a floater somewhere along his beat. There were no new leads from those who had worked the previous shifts and while that wasn't news he had been hoping for, it wasn't unexpected.

Nothing in particular was catching his eye or seemed out of place and Luca was just about to take a small break and finish up some paperwork. There was always paperwork to do and no matter how much of a dent he placed in the mountain of work he had to do, there always seemed to be even more the next day. He was looking for a place where he could anchor but that wouldn't feel particularly vulnerable when a familiar face caught his eye -- well as familiar as anyone else was in this city. Carefully manoeuvring the boat closer to the walkway, he pulled up beside him with a short, friendly smile. "Good morning, Kaz. How are you? I hope there's been no trouble at the cemetery recently." While some may not consider the vandalism 'top priority' for the police force, Luca was determined to try to put a stop to it. He didn't have much to go on at the moment, but hopefully that would change soon. He was planning on using part of a night shift to keep an eye on things.

tab tab Location : San Paolo tab tab // tab tab With : Kaz
tab tab Mood : Serious tab tab // tab tab Status : Healthy

[Dangerosa]

News that there were no new incidents of vandalism was at once a relief and strangely disappointing. It was a relief in that in was happy to know that the vandal, whoever he or she was, had taken a break from disturbing the final resting place of the city’s departed. It was disappointing as it meant that there was no opportunity to discover a new lead or see if the perp messed up this time. At the mention of Mal, Luca politely inquired as to the state of the pet, and while he appeared interested in the response, his mind was elsewhere. Missing persons, Carnivale, vandals, murders… and keeping an eye and ear out for anything resembling or sounding like it could be suspicious activity. At least until the offer of a key to San Michelle. ”Grazie, Kaz. That may prove useful soon.” For more reasons than he thought.

His eyes becoming more serious at the mention of the missing mortician, Luca mentally flipped through the pictures that had been passed around at this morning’s briefing. Yngvi hadn’t been mentioned, so there was a possibility that Kaz was right. Luca let him know about this and offered to help look for him as they went towards San Marco. ”Sometimes I do, but at others I have to work. Someone has to make sure that it’s safe for everyone to enjoy themselves.” This year he would be lucky enough to have the night off. At least he hoped so. Things could always change last minute. Asking about Kaz’s own plans for the night Luca listened attentively, offering the occasional comment and a brief smile whenever the conversation called for it.

Sometimes he wondered when he had become like this. A distance that was almost always between himself and whomever he was speaking to. There was a time when he wasn’t like this. A moment in childhood where he hung onto every word someone said and wasn’t looking for another meaning to the sentence, there was no suspicion, just a trust in the face value of words. He was never trying to impute another meaning to them, or figure out how he could use whatever was being said to his advantage. A key and a guide might help him find the vandals if he prepared well enough, and then when that was over, when the vandal or vandals were caught, there would always be another use for the knowledge he’d gained. Legal? Yes. However sometimes, it did tend to border on the fringes of legality. The so called grey areas.

As they arrived in San Marco, Kaz received a text from Yngvi, effectively putting an end to the mystery. It was a bit of a shame really, as Luca had been enjoying the groundskeeper's company. ”Be safe, alright? I'm looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow night." With that, he left to get back to work and hopefully, probably sometime much later that afternoon, grab a bite to eat.

tab tab tab ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Time Skip *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The day of Carnivale had him sleeping in much later than usual. People would be up early trying to set up for the big event and he didn't want to chance getting in the way. He felt as though this year he was lucky enough to be able to have this day to enjoy Carnivale for once in... years, but he had this feeling that it wouldn't last. Still he might as well make the effort. By late afternoon, the party seemed to be in full swing, and even now, it was hard to keep the smile off his face and his steps relaxed as he walked through the city streets, his mask on his face and admiring the decorations and costumes of the others in Neo-Venezia.

In his hand was a small cup of gelato. Black cherry flavoured. It always brought back memories. As his half masked face scanned the crowd, he wondered if he would be able to guess who certain people were beneath their costumes. While he might not know anyone well enough to confidently walk up and hazard a guess, it was always fun to silently play the game and perhaps maybe having some of his silent guesses confirmed when the night was over or he overheard a name being said and was able to match it with a costume. Continuing through the crowd, eventually came upon a woman with long dark hair, eyes that appeared dark in the dim lighting but as he continued to approach, they looked to be a shade of gray. She was wearing a long black and blueberry blue corset dress and didn't look to be with anyone at the moment. "Buonasera," he said politely, with a smile, his blue eyes watching her with an even gaze. Though his smile and ease of approach suggested nothing but calm, his eyes remained slightly guarded. Sometimes it was hard to separate the cop form the civilian. Nothing about her was ringing any bells so he tried to relax. "The dea has surly blessed us tonight with such a gorgeous evening. Have you been enjoying the Carnivale?"


tab tab Location : San Paolo tab tab // tab tab With : Kaz - ??? [fiorella]
tab tab Mood : Serious - Relaxed tab tab // tab tab Status : Healthy

[Dangerosa]

The woman was polite, had a beautiful smile and a soft voice. Like most of the others who were here enjoying the festival, she appeared to be in good spirits, despite loosing sight of the group she had been with earlier that evening. Part of him wondered if she would have liked some help finding the group she had been with, but the words died before they even reached his lips. Her statement did indicate that it probably wasn’t necessary and so instead he found himself offering another small smile at her words. “Perhaps we can spend some time enjoying Carnivale together,” Luca suggested politely. There was a group nearby who were dancing, but he wasn’t particularly in the mood for that right now. Something about being in close quarters with another person he didn’t know and the risk of bumping into the wrong person as they danced made the activity not very attractive at the moment. Perhaps later. “It feels like it has been forever since I was last able to enjoy a night such as this. Even longer with such a lovely companion.”

With a gentle chuckle as he stepped to her side, he offered his arm. “May I?” Old fashioned, yes, but on a night such as this where everyone was dressed in their finery, most reminiscent of a century past, and their faces hidden by masks, it seemed oddly appropriate. All part of the masquerade. A more cynical man would state that the masked appearance of those participating was simply a visible reflection of the masks each person wore on a day to day basis. And Luca wouldn’t fault him for that.

“The Doge always does an excellent job putting these festivals together. It feels as though each year he outdoes himself” He said leading her through the crowd. On all sides there were people laughing and enjoying themselves, the smell of various sorts of cooked meats, and music. Later tonight there would be fireworks and he was greatly looking forward to seeing the show. Whether he was working or part of the crowd, it was always a pleasurable experience and the show was fantastic. And here in Plazza San Marco the view was always the best and the experience the most memorable. Perhaps because of the size of the party and the fact that for one night, regardless of what side of the law everyone stood on, it felt as though Neo-Venezia was one. United. Nothing would matter but that one collective breath as they stopped whatever it was they were doing to take in the dazzling display. This year he had the perfect vantage point in mind and hoped he would be able to get a spot before it got too crowded.

Focusing on his companion once more, he hummed in thought. The longer he looked the more he felt as though there was something familiar about her. But of course he could say the same about most everyone here. "When not attending festivals, where do you like to spend your day?" It wouldn't be much fun or much of anything really, to ask her for her name. Instead he preferred to ask a few questions to try to guess her identity that way. "There's something about you that's familiar — although I guess I could say that about most of the masked people in the plazza — but..." He clicked his tongue lightly in thought. It was probably nothing. "You don't strike me as someone from Sant Erasmo. Perhaps we can make a came of guessing each other's identities." Seemed as gentle a way to break the ice as they walked around and admired all the hard work that went into preparing for this carnivale.


tab tab Location : San Paolo tab tab // tab tab With : ??? [fiorella]
tab tab Mood : Relaxed tab tab // tab tab Status : Healthy

[Dangerosa]

Did he manage to surprise his royal a**-ness? It would appear so as the boy was taking some time to respond to his teasing. Usually a comment such as that would have had Amsden biting at the bait, tossing a quick quip in his direction. Instead, the prince took the time to come out of his defensive nest before responding. Cobra put another marker under his name in his mental score card, a sharklike grin on his face, fangs flashing in the dim light. The taste of victory was sweet and Amsden’s silence was sweeter still. There were times where he wished that this were the norm, but then he would have long since grown bored of this strange friendship he had with the prince. If they could even call it that. Amsden was as much his enemy as his friend and one day when this curse was lifted, he’d repay him for everything.

He was snapped out of his thoughts, his grin instantly disappearing when Amsden finally decided to speak up. Tobias blinked. ”Cowered?” he echoed, uncertain whether or not to laugh or become angry. In the silence that followed before he decided to correct the prince on what hat really happened that day, Zahara decided to chastise him for his behaviour. Levelling a baleful glare in her direction, golden eyes filled with hatred and a hint of warning, Cobra’s lips formed into a thin line as he bit back the words that sprung immediately to mind. He had a few words that he could use to describe both of them, but he had promised himself that he would be on his best behaviour. That promise, however, did nothing to prevent the venom from beginning to drip off his right hand. He made a fist, nails digging into his skin, the smell of blood and venom now in the air. ”Apologiez princess. I did not realize Beauty still required an ezcort.”

Cobra would get no further as a book was tossed onto his chest, where it bounced off and fell into his hands that opened to receive it. Had Amy gotten all worked up over a book? What could be in it that was so terrifying to the baby prince? Ignoring the two royals for a moment, he examined to book trying to determine what about it could be so threatening. Nothing about it screamed danger to his senses, though once he read the small paragraph that described what the novella would be about, Tobais couldn’t stop his hissing laughter from escaping. The woman of Vykra really had too much time on their hands. ”I would think you would be used to being on the bottom with how much you keep losing to me,” Tobias was going to enjoy reading this one. Although he already knew that it was going to be nothing more than mindless drivel to pass the time when he wasn’t needed and was not in the mood to do research.

The sudden change of topic had him snapping the book shut and giving the royals his attention once again. He was reminded of the dinner they were all to be attending later that night, and he wondered if he could have the night off. For the sounds of things, Zahara would be accompanying Amsden to dinner. While she was with him, Cobra wondered if he would be able to get a little bit more information about the others who were attending the dinner. Allies and enemies alike. The Queen would have his head should anything happen to her children and if he failed in this task, his own freedom could be on the line. He would ask as soon as he was able… and after he washed the poison and blood off of his hand and cleaned up a bit. The night was getting a little too chilly for his liking and he was almost certain he would be asked to wear something a little more appropriate for the formal dinner — if he had to attend.

Following behind Zahara and Amsden as they turned to walk back to their rooms, Cobra paused and fought the urge to roll his eyes when he was dismissed. Zahara better not blame him the next time Amsden decided to go off on his own. But perhaps he could avoid it by catching up with them after he cleaned up. ”I will see if the other royalz have arrived,” he said sounding quite bored with the task that he set for himself. ”I know thoze from Ardelia have arrived, but I’m uncertain about the othersss.” If the servants had interrupted him with news about subsequent arrivals while he had been in the library, he couldn’t recall. He’d been a little distracted with his research. ”Iz there anything else you require before I leave?” Once he was certain he wouldn’t be needed again until it was time for dinner, he would make his way back inside to seek out the other participants.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
LOCATION uhrelia, gardens tab tab tab WITH zahara, amsden
MOOD bored tab tab tab tab tab HEALTH 100%
WEAPON daggers

speaking colour is #55aacc

[Dangerosa]

The day had finally arrived, the day he would be introduced to his betrothed. It was a day he had been looking forward to with equal parts dread and curiosity, although he knew that it was really nothing more than political manoeuvring by his father : an arrangement to strengthen his power and amass more by tying each of his sons to another kingdom. While the prince understood the need for marriage and appreciated the benefits it could bring to the kingdom, he didn't quite see the point in all of his brothers being chained by marriage. Not when there were, in his opinion at least, far more important things that could be done. Despite what the King had been able to accomplish for their kingdom, Josh could still see that there was more to be done. There were still those who were unduly suffering in the nearby town and more wealth and power concentrated in the hands of the rich wouldn't do anything to better the situation. Even less so when those who had all the power and prestige were, on the whole, so incredibly corrupt. Constantly attempting to outdo and out manoeuvre each other, vying for positions, and the prince wouldn't be surprised if some of the nobles even had their eye on the throne and had been disappointed when the Queen produced five possible heirs.

From outside his bedroom door, he could here the servants whispering anxiously. He was going to be late and the princesses were to arrive at any minute. As much as he valued punctuality, he also liked to know exactly what he was going to deal with before he entered a specific situation. The princesses were a mystery, an enigma he intended to unravel before it was time for he and his brothers to say their vows. He had managed to obtain the names of the kingdoms the princesses hailed from and done his research about each one, but getting to see each one of them as they descended from their carriages and observe the way they held themselves and interacted with the servants would also provide some valuable insights.

Dressed in all black, his blonde hair styled in such a way that it would fall into his face and obscure his right eye from view, he walked out of his room, making a short gesture with a hand to get the servants to stop fussing over him and give him some space. No, he was not going to keep his hair pushed back and look a little more presentable for the foreign princesses. Nor was he currently making his way towards the throne room as expected. Instead, he would make his way towards one of the rooms that contained a window that overlooked the drawbridge and the courtyard, and would provide him with a view of the arrivals without him being seen.

The first to arrive was a brunette, short, dressed and green and trying just a bit too much as far the prince was concerned. To his eyes there was something a bit forced about her posture, but maybe she was trying to make an effort to be presentable. The next to arrive had hair that was a striking shade of pink. She looked confident, observant, and moved with grace. The princess of the Skye Kingdom perhaps? She did match the description he'd heard about her and overall, Josh did not think that she was a bad choice. The third to arrive was cloaked, a fact which rightly aroused the suspicion of the posted guard, and a frown to form on the face of the prince. How strange... It certainly wasn't as grand as the entrances of the two others. Quiet, subdued, and when the cloak was removed, she appeared to be quite elegant. Instead of disappearing, the frown deepened as he watched her make her way inside. He didn't trust her. He didn't trust any of them. And watching those three arrive had been enough.

Turning away from the window, Joshua made his way out of the room and proceeded towards the throne room, his expression pensive, a hand in his pocket, his brows drawn. By the time he got there, the first three princesses would have surly introduced themselves already. He had no doubt that Cecil would already be there for his younger brother was always en pointe when it came to their father's orders. He wasn't so sure about his other two brothers, but he would be surprised if Quinton wasn't already there. Joshua only wished there was some more subtle way of entering the throne room other than through the front door, but whoever had designed this castle made sure that the King and Queen would be safe from any assassination attempts. A pity in times like this.

In front of him, guards bowed as he approached the open door and walked into the presence of his father, Cecil and the three foreign princesses who had arrived. From the time he crossed the threshold, the frown was off his face, replaced by a carefully constructed neutral expression, his hands were held loosely at his side and he was looking up at his King through the strands of hair in his face. "Your majesty," he said bowing to his father, only to receive — unless he had imagined it — a slight frown of disappointment in return, but it was gone before he could be sure of what he had seen. "Your highnesses," he bowed to the princesses next, and finally gave his brother a slight nod and a short greeting before he took his place at his father's side. He didn't spare the princesses another look, or say anything else, but kept his hands folded behind his back, his back straight, his head facing towards the door the final princess would walk through, and his face carefully composed. This was going to be a long day.


tab tab tab Lᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ :: throne room tab tab Wɪᴛʜ :: father, cecil, princesses
tab tab tab Hᴇᴀʟᴛʜ :: 85% tab tab Mᴏᴏᴅ :: calm