ѕннн! ιт'ѕ a ѕєcяєт! dnp

[Dangerosa]

Last week, his world had changed.

He had been summoned in a letter by Miles Karpov to the Mansion for an unspecified reason. Upon arriving, he had quickly discovered that he was not the only one to have been summoned, but a number of others — some familiar, some unfamiliar — had been summoned as well. By the end of the meeting, he was aware of how thoroughly he and others in Astlin could be watched and monitored at any given time, and he discovered that for whatever reason, they believed that he had the necessary skills and temperament to be a member of a team that would be going on missions for Astlin.

Even now, a full seven days later, he was unsure what to make of it all. As far as most people were concerned, nothing had changed. He was still working in his office, pouring over historical documents and trying to make sense of it all. He was still the same historian that he had been last week with the same amount of responsibilities, concerns and hopes as anyone else in his field. As far as most in Astlin were concerned, things were the same as they always had been. Chimeras went about their daily activities, laughed and interacted with each other.

And yet for him, his grey hues now looked upon the world somewhat skeptically. Or rather more skeptically, than they had before. How many of them knew about the shadow that could potentially be lurking over their shoulder, watching their every move? The wind chimera doubted that many of them ever sensed that unknown presence. He knew he hadn’t.

Whatever they had been trying to demonstrate by showing the group that they’d been aware of everyone’s movements for the past two weeks, to the historian it was all the more reason for him to leave his office early, and start to make his way towards the entrance of Astlin as soon as possible and with a slightly hurried pace so as to not be late.

Most days he was punctual when asked to be at a meeting. But there were days like today where he was engrossed in his research and simply lost track of time. It was a manuscript he had finally gotten his hands on that told the tale of Astlin’s early days. It was listed among the resources of the archives, but had been misplaced only to have turned up late last week, a month after he requested it and at a period in time where he now had additional responsibilities weighing on his mind. Were it not for his assistant who gently reminded him that he had an appointment at noon he would probably still be in his office taking notes and cross referencing it with information that he had from various other sources rather than out on the streets pulling the collar of his jacket up a little closer to his neck to keep out the cool air.

The walk towards the cave entrance was a quiet one, Brandon was lost in his thoughts wondering what exactly the goals of these missions were and what this particular mission would be about. They weren’t given much detail about this mission, though if he had to guess, they would probably be leaving the city or something similar. It was spring, most of the snow had cleared and it was a lot easier to leave the cave. And if he was right about that, what could they possibly be doing?

Before he knew it, he had arrived at the meeting place, noting with relief that he wasn’t the first nor the last one to have arrived. Moving through the crowd he eventually spotted some familiar faces seated against the fence. The Zertuche siblings and their animal chimeras. Walking up to them, Brandon gave them a small smile and a wave. He didn’t know them all too well, he knew that they both ranked quite highly in the tournaments and from what he could remember from his time in school, April’s name was often thrown around as she was one seemed to cause trouble for her teachers in class and Laurent was someone who he’d seen as a rival, both always trying to be at the top of their class. Though he would never admit it to the male, part of him believed that more often than not, his academic scores were higher than the blonde’s.

”Good afternoon,” he said in greeting. His smile widened somewhat as Marrow nuzzled his hand, and he scratched behind her ears. As intrigued as he was by animal chimeras of all kinds, he held a particular interest in the corrupted lion that rested upon Laurent's shoulder. Brandon would love to learn more about it one day. "It's a little busier here than I thought it would be. Maybe whatever these missions are, it's a lot more important than they let on."

That was the worrying thing. Though he'd heard some rumours of Chimeras appearing outside of Astlin, he hadn't looked into it much. Whether or not the missions and the chimeras from outside the cave were related, he didn't know, but clearly there was something going on outside the city that worried the generals. Brandon only hoped that this wasn't the start of history repeating itself.


tab tab ᒪOᑕᗩTIOᑎ entrance to astlin tab tab tab ᗯITᕼ laurent, april tab
tab tab ᔕTᗩTᑌᔕ healthy

[Dangerosa]

This was a nice change of pace. A fun and relaxing conversation after work, a cool refreshing drink, and pleasant company. Most evenings when she returned from working, she usually decided to steal a bit of whatever was in the fridge then go to her room to get some ‘work’ done, perhaps ordering a pizza and a coke from the artisanal pizzeria downtown or finishing the leftovers from the day before. Though she would probably be ordering in again tonight, maybe she could see about eating with someone… although that might mean that the conversation might turn just a bit too personal for her liking. She’d better not. Just a drink and then she was gone.

A light blush coloured her face a few shades lighter than than her hair when Reenie pointed out her mistake. Kyler… that was it. This time, she was going to make sure that she remembered the name of the people in that family. Thankfully she hadn’t made that mistake while talking to Kyler or Litia. That would have been even more embarrassing. As it was, she simply nodded and placed the little mnemonic device at the back of her head to use for later. Jona, Kyler, and Litia — it followed the alphabet. And since she already made the Tyler-Kyler mistake once, she was sure that she wouldn’t slip up and think that the order also went by age. Eventually, she was sure she would have that family all sorted out. She had only bumped into them a few times in the weeks she’d been here and had not always called them by name or heard their names being called out.

Another pice of information she tucked away for later was the fact that Kyler was a single dad. And raising two kids? He must certainly have his hands full. It also made Chloe wonder what had happened to his wife and she knew that later she would be looking into that a bit more. It wasn’t that she was nosy or anything, but her experiences with broken and reconstituted families made her rather cynical. They never did her any good. But maybe that was just because she was bitter about her entire experience.

”He must be a great dad,” she said softly as she took another sip of her drink. ”When I met him, his kids seemed so happy… “ Chloe stopped herself before she could say ‘I wonder what that’s like’ and leaned back in her seat, looking wistfully up at a point in the distance. ”It takes a special kind of man to be able to raise two teenagers on their own. They do tend to enjoy raising hell,”

Smiling wistfully as if in remembrance of her own teenage days, Chloe rocked on the chair slightly before coming back to the present and focusing her artificially red hues on Reenie as she spoke more about the Orchit family. How helpful and dependable they were. How Kyler — as she supposed the children weren’t old enough to legally drive — would give her a ride from time to time.

Chloe giggled seeing the cute face Reenie made when she spoke of getting a lift from Kyler and also realized that, despite the painful physiotherapy that she was still going to, the woman before her seemed to be dealing with her loss rather positively. Since Reeine was still going to physico, Chloe didn’t think that the accident had happened that long ago, and yet she wasn’t in some corner being down on herself. For all she knew, Reenie would go back to her room and sulk and bemoan her current life circumstances, but in public she wasn’t.

Right now, she carried herself with a strength that Chloe admired. The teasing and playfulness and her helpful and warm personality made it easy to forget that this was a woman who faced accessibility challenges each day. The strength was attractive and if they knew each other a bit better, Chloe would feel more at ease in voicing her thoughts about it a little more bluntly. For now, there were other ways to go about it.

”When your physio is done, have you ever thought of going back to the army? Not as a soldier, but maybe to help others like yourself. The number of soldiers who come back injured in some way is staggering and to have someone who is as strong and capable as you are would probably be encouraging.”

Humming slightly, she nodded in agreement, knowing that if her job was dull or disinteresting she probably would have gone back to specializing in a field that had a high possibility of getting her into some serious trouble. Chloe lived for challenges and the petty extortion that she still sometimes dabbled in wasn’t quite cutting it anymore. She knew she had the skills to do some serious hacking, and preferably on a government website. She wasn’t too happy with the current administration right now.

Her attention returned from the realm of politics, codes and servers to her current situation ad BDH the moment Reenie started to fill her in on some of the building’s mysterious past. Her eyes went wide and she soaked in every word the redhead told her, a hand flying to her mouth to muffle a gasp when she heard of the screams and the movement in some of the empty rooms that not even the construction workers would dare touch.

”No way,” she breathed.

This was all too fantastic to be believable, and yet she could have sworn that one night when she was walking through the halls after her return from a club, she had heard some noise coming from one of the vacant rooms, and another time, when she was coming down from the roof, she had heard some noise coming from one of the rooms on the fourth floor. Chloe had never been certain if it was her imagination or the result of her having imbibed one too many, but she heard something from behind those doors.

When asked if she believed in ghosts, Chloe gave a solemn nod. ”I’ve seen too much not to believe in them. There’s something out there even if we don’t see it.” And it wasn’t just the wind rustling through an empty window. It couldn’t be.

”I can’t believe this place is haunted. I wonder if we could hold a séance to talk to them… what do you think? Would you want to contact the dead? Would the landlord know anything about it?”

Brow furrowing slightly, she bit on a perfectly painted red nail as she thought. Could it have been the previous owner who had died? Is that was the screaming was? Or was it one of the hotel residents? There had to be a reason behind why it was shut down and Chloe was determined to find out. In this day and age everything was online and all it would take was a certain amount of digging before she found her answers.

”I’m sorry,” she said with an apologetic smile. ”You probably don’t want to hear me go on a tangent about ghosts and conspiracies; Tommy always told me I always look for conspiracies where there is none. But, do you wanna know a secret?” Chloe paused a heartbeat. ”I’m always right.”

Well maybe that was a stretch. But she was almost always right. Not wanting to seem like a total conspiracy nut though, Chloe laughed it off. ”Had to learn to read people when I was little. Difference between life and death really. So tell me about yourself, Reenie~ What do you like to do on a rainy day?”

tab tab 𝔏𝔬𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 dining room tab tab tab 𝔚𝔦𝔱𝔥 reenie

[Dangerosa]

There was something comforting and relaxing in the simple motion of petting the wolf. For a single moment, he could forget what had brought him here and the crowds moving around him and concentrate on something that just seemed normal. Koa trying to get between his hand and Marrow’s fur only caused his smile to widen, chuckling a little to himself as the corrupted lion tried to steal the attention away from the wolf.

Though this wasn’t something that he got to experience often, it was still nice to be around animal chimera. Especially since he didn’t have one of his own. Honestly, he had a feeling that unless the creature was quite independent he would have a hard time taking care of it as he was often lost in his thoughts or got so focused on a task that he would forget everything around him.

Laurent’s polite greeting surprised him, and Brandon’s hand stopped its movement, his eyes looking away from the animal chimeras to the man who was once his academic rival.

It had been some time since he had last crossed paths with Laurent, but Brandon couldn’t remember him being this polite when they were in school. Maybe as he grew up and moved on with his life he had become less competitive. That was good. They were all going to need to be able to work together on these missions — whatever they were — without their egos getting in the way.

Giving a genuine smile in return, the historian was about to attempt to catch up a little with Laurent when a familiar voice reached his ears.

”If it’s too shocking, I have a small notebook that I can hold in front of my face during the mission,” he teased good-naturedly, patting the jacket pocket where he had a small notebook. This might actually be history in the making and he did not intend to miss one small detail.

Over the years Aki had come to feel like family. They’d helped and supported each other and she was someone he could say was always at his side and encouraging him. And even if they happened to miss each other, she always left a small note for him with words that helped him through his day. As much as he enjoyed his job and loved doing research, there were times when the information he found just didn’t seem to make sense and it was frustrating. The little words of encouragement had always been able to help him overcome those hurdles.

Shaking his head in response to April’s question, Brandon found it just a bit worrying that their group leader was just as much in the dark as they were. All of this just seemed even more mysterious and he hoped that once they arrived at the other cave there would be someone there to clear things up a bit. He was already beginning to feel just a bit nervous as he thought about what this mission could possibly be. The only thing he could really offer the group was his book smarts and accuracy, but he knew that he didn’t rank anywhere near the others. It could prove to be a problem, but… he was determined to pull his weight and not let them down.

”No, I don’t. It’s just me,” he offered a slight shrug of his shoulders and continued. ”I’m ready whenever you are. I’m sure the others will be able to catch up to us if we start to head to the cave.”

At least around Astlin it was still relatively safe. Having been to the ruins that were outside on a few occasions, it didn’t really seem like there were too many threats out there. And if ever there were any, the guards and patrol made sure to keep everyone safe. With the number of groups that looked like they were getting ready to leave and who were already making their way out, there would still be safety in numbers. Perhaps a little more selfishly, Brandon was eager to find out what this mission would entail and so he could have a bit more time to mentally prepare for what was ahead.


tab tab ᒪOᑕᗩTIOᑎ entrance to astlin tab tab tab ᗯITᕼ laurent, april, aki tab
tab tab ᔕTᗩTᑌᔕ healthy

[Dangerosa]

”Darion and I!” Chloe responded brightly when asked who else would be going to the bar to indulge in a good ghost story and a pint or two.

Though she hadn’t said much to Darion since moving in and certainly hadn’t spoken to him about any ghosts, one way or the other, he was going to be riding over to the bar with her and they would be discussing Blessed Dreams Hall’s past.

”He just doesn’t know it yet,” she winked, then polished off her drink and set it down on the table with a contented sigh.

Reaching up, she stretched a little, getting the kinks out of her back that were bothering her from earlier in the day. She’s spent a lot of time bent over a car, trying to fix an engine for one of the customers. Thankfully it was a simple fix once she discovered what it was, but it was time consuming. Sometimes she preferred modern, computerized cars for that very reason — all she had to do was hook it up to a computer, perform a scan and the problem was there in front of her. Except that meant it was easy enough for anyone skilled enough to hack… sometimes, she didn’t quite feel safe in them.

Stretch done, she folded her arms over the back of the chair, resting her cheek on top. The blush on Reenie’s face was nice and she bit back a smile as she watched the way the woman’s lips moved more than listened to what she was saying, though she did get the gist of it. Reenie was quite modest. Maybe wasn’t one for attention. Chloe wouldn’t say that she was shy, but… humble. That was the word. It was super cute to be honest and were it not for the fact that the woman was a former soldier, Chloe would have tried to see if she could make her stutter. Juvenile? Yes, but teasing and flirting oh so very fun and useful.

”Cool, next time I’m working on her I’ll let you know. She’s ridable right now, but she’ll always be my baby, my special project.” She blushed a little and giggled quietly, feeling like she was gushing far too much about Amethyst, her bike, but she could’t help herself.

She would suggest they make a game night out of it, but she had only just met Reenie and despite her being absolutely adorable and fun to talk to, Chloe didn’t want to be pressing. Still… Reenie was one of the few female friends she had. At work it was mostly a sausage fest, and she was still trying to get used to the city, slowly coming out of her shell as she explored the night life. And despite one or two encounters at the club, she really wouldn’t say she had any girl friends to hang out with. And, well, from the sounds of things, she didn’t think Reenie would really mind the company.

Her head rose off her arms slightly, her expression surprised when asked about going out to a bar for dinner. It was true that she hadn’t had anything to eat either, but she’d already prepared herself for a night of solitary dining. But now that an offer was made, Chloe wouldn’t refuse.

A slow smile spreading across her face, Chloe accepted the offer wholeheartedly. ”I’d love to spend more time with you Reenie ~ ♥︎ ! It would be nice to get to know you better.”

Her smile softened as she looked at Reenie, a look of gratefulness in her eyes. It was nice to be invited out and go somewhere with someone from time to time. Especially when that someone was easy on the eyes and easy to talk to. The fact that Darion would be at the bar simply seemed like an afterthought at this point. Yes, it would give her an opportunity to lay some ground work for later, but she wouldn’t jump into ghost questions unless she saw a perfect opening.

She was surprised again, though just a little, when Reenie admitted that she would need a bit of help freshening up. ”You’d really trust me with your make up?” she asked, surprise obvious in her voice. Seconds later, she threw her a feral grin. ”You’re gonna love this, I know it.”

Getting to her feet, she offered to help Reenie with her bags if she needed any, then continued talking about make up and trying to figure out what colours Reenie liked and take a guess at what kind of style she would prefer. Insisting upon taking a small detour to her room, Chloe searched through her things until she found the right shades that would add just a pop of colour to Reenie’s outfit. Luckily she had some that was as of yet unused so Reenie could try them out and if she liked the look, keep them. Though if Reenie had a decent collection of her own, they wouldn't be needed. Chloe just wanted to be on the safe side and grab everything she might need from here so she wouldn't have to be going up and down the stairs.

On the way out of the room, she grabbed some make up for herself and a short dress from the pile of clothes on the couch that she had been going through that morning. Then it was up to the second floor, room 207, where her newest work of art was about to take shape.

Chloe might have perhaps been a little too excited about helping Reenie get ready and with her make up, but... "I had two sisters growing up and we always used to help each other get ready and do each other's make up. It was so much fun and I miss them... It's been so long since I've been able to do someone else's make up."

After a moment more of fussing, inspecting and perfecting lines and contours, Chloe was satisfied with her handiwork. Though she wasn't an expert she had a large measure of confidence in her skills and, thus far, hadn't received too many complaints. She'd tried to keep Reenie's look minimal, but with a nice splash of colour, a nice mix of copper and plum, to bring out the green in her eyes. They were going to a bar after all so she felt like she could dress up the look just a bit.

"I'm done~!" she sang. "Let me know what you think!"

And while Reenie was having a look in the mirror, Chloe would make a quick outfit change and touch up on her make up with a shimmer and a slightly darker lipstick. They were both going to be rocking their looks tonight!

tab tab 𝔏𝔬𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 Room 207 tab tab tab 𝔚𝔦𝔱𝔥 Reenie

[Dangerosa]

Sometimes, it was the simple things in life that were the most pleasurable. Last night had been a welcome reminder of that.

The light of the fire in the hearth casting shadows across the room, along the walls and over the face of the man seated behind him. The young prince watched them, taking note of the handsome cut of the man’s jaw, his medium length dark brown hair with slight waves in it, that was slightly black in the light of the flame. When Theo looked down, Josh smiled and kissed him as the flames curled and swayed, flicking this way and that. They cracked and popped as they burned the dry wood, a gentle soundtrack to the night. And through the air, the gentle smell of pine as it burned, a faint, reassuring fragrance that was at once comforting and familiar.

The fire warmed them as they rested together, gentle whispers and quiet laughter barely audible over the crackle of the lively flames. On the table were empty wine glasses from earlier in the evening, covering them were warm blankets, which although they weren’t the luxurious sort from the palace, were every bit as adequate and far more appropriate for this more intimate setting.

By morning, the hearth was innocuous again : some scorched brickwork with a fancy border of iron carved to look like leafy vines, a cedar mantle and some ash that needed sweeping. As they awoke from their places on the couch to face a windy, wet, spring day, the scene was nothing more than a fond reminder of the time they’d had the night before.

Knowing that he wouldn’t be stepping foot onto the castle grounds until the afternoon if he could help it, Josh idly gave a passing thought to the meeting that would be taking place that very morning, one where noble after noble would stand to give a report on the affairs of the Empire, followed by some commentary, perhaps if one of the nobles wanted to make things more exciting, they would protest something that had been said, the war would be discussed and finally they would end the meeting. No closer to any solution than when they started and no closer to understanding the true roots of the issue. A waste of time.

The clothing he’d brought with him for the day was all rather common. Nothing flashy or ostentatious that would in any way hint at who he was or that displayed Imperial colours. Over it all he wore a traveller’s cloak that would permit him to hide his face with the cowl and to effectively hide the weapon at his side. With the attacks by the Dark Republic and the more recent attack that occurred about a week ago, Joshua knew he had to take a certain level of precaution and blend in as much as he could, and as much as possible, arm himself. No matter what he did to obscure his appearance there might still be those who might be able to see through the act and he would have to be prepared to defend himself.

Ready to face the day, Josh made his way out front door where Theo was already waiting for him. They wouldn't be eating together that morning as Theo had a large order to get done for the war effort and would need all the time he could yet. Josh hoped for a day that would change, but until that day came they would both have to play their parts.

"I'll see you again in a few days," he said, double checking to make sure he had everything he needed. Then his tone softened as a smile formed on his lips. "I really enjoyed last night." His only wish was that their meetings could be a little more frequent.

"It was unexpected, but worth it after the week I've been having," Theo admitted with a sigh. "So keep your guard up in town. I don't want to hear about anything happening to my prince."

Farewells said, they parted ways and Joshua started to make his way through the city, cowl of his cloak raised and headed towards the market to purchase something for breakfast and check up on some of the local vendors to see how they were faring after the attacks. It was always exciting to be going through the marketplace, the the colours, the sounds, the aromas, the atmosphere was like a cool elixir, something that he eagerly drank in. He enjoyed interacting with the stall owners, each one an almost bubbly caricature of friendliness, happiness and hope for the future. There were some who may have suspected who he was after all the frequent visits to their stall and the glimpses he'd allowed of his face, but if they were any wiser, they never made comment of it and continued to answer his questions when he inquired of their wellbeing.

Josh weaved through the crowds, edging through the flow of people, that seemed to be getting more dense by the minute despite the weather. The air was perfumed with produce, the ground was gritty stone and the air a cool and windy spring day. There was no irritating music, just a busker with a guitar. This to him was life, real life, not the sanitized pre-packed soundbites of politics and petty diplomats.

And then suddenly the normalcy was broken by an ear splitting, agonized, scream. For a very brief second it was as though time had stopped, the air stilled, as everyone stopped what they were doing to identify the source and reason of the cry. And then slowly time moved on again, transactions were finished, a quiet buzzing returned as people started speaking once more and asking questions.

Joshua dropped his coins into the hand of the waiting merchant and took the offered fuit, before beginning to make his way towards the growing crowd of people at the mouth of the alley, his curiosity getting the better of him. There were more cries of alarm from those gathered at the alley and he could only suspect that something untoward had happened. The sound of clattering armour rapidly approaching and the shout of authority that went along with it indicated that guards were arriving and, near the back of the crowd, Josh took note of their faces, but tried not to make eye contact with any of them.

"What happened?" he whispered to an elf standing in front of him with a better view of the scene.

"A child's been murdered! It must be the work of the Dark Republic. No one in the Imperial City would dare commit such a heinous crime. He doesn't even show remorse!"

There were several murmurs of agreement from those who had overheard, though Joshua wasn't entirely convinced. Other than creating outrage and alarm in the capitol, what benefit was there to the killing of a child? A distraction certainly, but for what? He cast an eye around, looking for anything suspicious in the crowd as he listened to the exchange between the guards and the accused. Nothing looked out of place so far and there was nothing that was raising any alarm bells.

Managing to slip a little closer to the front to get a better look at what was going on, he raised an eyebrow as he noticed that the guards still hadn't moved to arrest the suspect despite the order being given some time ago. The leader's two subordinates were afraid to even approach the youth, and Josh would have to remember to talk to their supervisor about this. It didn't give anyone much comfort if the guards that were to protect the people were rendered incapable at the sight of a child killer. Although even he had to admit there was something unsettling about the boy. When the guard finally did move to arrest the redhead, Josh felt rather uneasy, tempted to use a spell to help the guards, but not wanting to interfere. If the boy had no qualms about killing a child half his age then what would he do when faced with the guards?


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tab tab Lᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ imperial capital city
tab tab Wɪᴛʜ no one in particular; yuuki, biene, and guards nearby
tab tab Hᴇᴀʟᴛʜ 56 // 56
tab tab OᴏC got a little carried away... I don't always post this much

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buruuberri

The Knave of Spades

Queen of Creeks

[Dangerosa]

The emotionless tone of the redheaded child-murderer sent a chill down the prince’s spine. Regardless of what the dead child had done, Joshua was certain that he didn’t deserve this end. And even if death was to be the punishment meted out, it would only have been after the child had been tried and given an opportunity to plead his cause. He wouldn’t have been butchered in the streets by an outsider.

And perhaps that was what turned awe to anger as he continued to watch the scene unfold from beneath his cloak. The stranger claimed to want to work for the Empire and was out on the streets killing whom he will and threatening to kill the guards. If the guards could get their act together and arrest the foreigner without having to resort to blows that would be ideal, but at the moment, Josh wasn’t opposed to the guards simply killing him as well. There was no telling what this boy would do if he managed to escape arrest and with the nonchalance he had towards killing, particularly when he felt that he had a valid reason to do so, there was little doubt that a river of blood would follow the stranger’s sword if left unchecked. As much as he was reluctant to adopt the philosophy for sacrificing one life for the many, in this instance, it seemed altogether appropriate.

Before the guards could have a second chance to apprehend the boy, a woman entered circle. On this one, the scent of death lingered like a jealous lover and his senses told him to be wary of her. What had originally seemed like a harmless little adventure to determine the cause of the early morning disturbance was turning into something he would rather not get too involved in. At least nothing beyond his chosen role as a curious traveler. He had to admit, however, that the newcomer did ask questions that he was also curious to hear the answer to.

The answer, once given, had him shaking his head in disbelief, but before he could step forward with a response to the boy’s childish claims, he moved towards the guards impossibly fast. If he had wanted to use a spell to help the guards in this fight it would have been too late. As luck would have it, a familiar gnome stepped forward to stop the boy in his tracks.

Smiling as he stepped forward from the crowd and made his presence known, with his eyes still on Nessie, the smile instantly vanished once he eyed the boy from beneath his hood. ”We are all subject to authority of one kind. Whether we be the Emperor or a slave, we all accountable to someone, whether it be in this life or the next. No one but a selfish and cowardly child would believe that they are able to act with impunity.”

That being said, he turned to Fairfax, raising his head a little so the guard could get a better look at his face as he wanted to avoid any potential arguments. ”Fairfax, was it? Concentrate your efforts on apprehending the boy; there's no reason for the woman to be arrested.” At least not yet.

As much as he didn’t want to appear threatening and send the boy into a further rage, Josh also didn’t want the guard who was attempting to put the shackles on the criminal to be harmed, so he stepped closer to him and drew his sword, keeping it pointed down, but his body ready to move at a moment’s notice. The stranger had been fast and Josh didn’t want to be encumbered by having to draw his sword from under his cloak before he could fight or defend the portly guard.

”If you would cooperate with the guards, sir,” he said speaking to the redhead once more. ”Drop your sword and retract your claws, I’m certain I could arrange an audience with a member of the Imperial court for you if you so desired. Perhaps someone will have work for you,”

Was he being honest in his offer? In a certain manner of speaking. The audience might not be exactly how the child had imagined, but he would have every opportunity to state his case, plead his innocence, and state his motive for his actions.


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tab tab 𝔏𝔬𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 capitol streets
tab tab 𝔚𝔦𝔱𝔥 yuuki, guards, morrigan, nessie ;drake and biene nearby
tab tab 𝓗𝔢𝔞𝔩𝔱𝔥 56 // 56

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The Knave of Spades

SoraKBM

Limina Mortem

buruuberri

QueenArasene

Queen of Creeks

[Dangerosa]

The moment he finished speaking, finalizing the terms of the arrangement he and the stranger would enter into, the boy was on the move. [Yuuki] moved faster than his eye could see and carried with him the gnome who continued to hug his leg. It was startling to have the killer appear so close beside him and even though [Yuuki] had put away his weapon, there remained something unsettling about it. Perhaps the fact that whoever he was could extend claws which were just as deadly as a sword. Joshua's grip shifted on his sword and he regarded the redhead warily while he spoke. If that was the condition to ending this peaceably then he would go along with it. At least for now. With that he sheathed his sword and relaxed his stance, though he remained ready to move at a moment's notice should a new threat manifest itself.

"A word of advice, it would be wise to heed the gnome's warning," he stated as he moved towards one of the guards. From the stories he'd heard it never turned out too well for those who found themselves pitted against Nessie. She had a knack for destruction that made Josh wonder just how the army had managed to convince her to join them, and whether they had really succeeded.

As eager as he was to leave this alleyway and away from the crowd, there was still something Josh felt he had to do before they could leave. Lowering his voice so that [Yuuki] would be unable to overhear, he asked the guard he had approached to stay behind to collect information from any in the crowd who may have witnessed something during the initial altercation between [Yuuki] and the child. Preferably someone who had seen the girl who was being so abused that [Yuuki] had seen fit to kill her abuser and knew how to find her. Even if the redhead wasn't going to be detained in any way during their walk to the castle, Josh still wanted to tie up any loose ends, and reassure those gathered that what happened in this alleyway was going to be followed up and looked into. The foreigner wouldn't get off without some form of questioning and punishment.

Once his instructions were given he was sure they would be followed, he started towards [Morrigan]. She had helped to some degree in defusing the situation and Josh believed that it would be wrong to leave without a word of thanks. Though there was something slightly off-putting about her that he couldn't quite put a finger on, he could use this as an opportunity to work towards remedying that.

"Thank you for your help, ma'am. I'm sorry the guards threatened you with an arrest when they had no reason for doing so; I assure you they're not all like that." He gave a pointed look to Fairfax before returning his attention to the woman. "It would nice to have a chance talk to you Ms..." he paused waiting for a name and when she gave it, he smiled. "Morrigan. My name's Joshua. If you'd ever like to meet again, you can leave a method to contact you with the guard and he'll see that it gets to me."

With a kind farewell, he moved to follow the group as they began to make their way towards the castle. Along the way he asked a few questions of [Yuuki], trying to gleam any information he could about where he came from and the type of work he had had in the past. Part of it was curiosity, part of it was to try to determine how the stranger could help Liondale and where he might have picked up his view on power and authority. Not to mention the fact that if he killed so liberally there had to be some record of him in the areas he claimed to have visited. Surprisingly, [Yuuki] was forthcoming with information and answered his questions without too much trouble. Either he was trying to be helpful in order to mitigate whatever consequences he may face as a result of his actions in the alleyway or he truly believed that he had nothing to lose by answering the questions and genuinely felt that he had done no wrong. There was the possibility that it was nothing more than a lie but there seemed to be a ring of truth to his words, no deceit that Josh could detect.

As the castle came in view, Joshua was filled with equal parts relief and dread. He was relieved to be back home and that there were no incidents along the way, but he would have much rather spent more time in the city instead of being back here right now. He'd skipped the morning meeting, brushed off his chores and still wasn't quite in the mood to step into his role as prince, which would inevitably happen the moment he walked through the gates. The formalities, rigidity, the expectations, the politics. Sometimes he wondered if he couldn't just escape for more than a few hours at a time...

"I didn't want to reveal myself in the alleyway as I was in the city on my own time and I believed that it would be possible to reason with you without bringing additional guards to the scene and drawing more attention," he began, speaking to [Yuuki] as they came within sight of some guards stationed near the castle. "But I did promise that I would tell you who I am." Turning to regard [Yuuki] his eyes held laughter, his smile mischievous as he lowered his hood. "As much as you don't seem to care for royalty or government, you should learn to mind your words; you never know when you might be in the presence of a representative of this 'foolish system'."

As soon as the guards noticed his approach, they instantly came to attention, bowing respectfully as he stopped in front of them. "Are the emperor and empress still in the gardens?" Josh wondered how easy it would be to pull his father away from the group of citizens who usually gathered so he could discuss this situation with him. Though he had no intention in letting [Yuuki] cut ahead of those who had patiently waited their turn, he did want to run this by him so he was aware of the situation.

"The empress is in the gardens, but the emperor is still in a meeting, your highness." One of the guards said, casting a look as if for confirmation from one of his companions and receiving a nod in return.

His brow furrowed slightly. "So it's possible Lucan is in still in the meeting as well," he mused mostly to himself and not really expecting an answer. There was nothing that could be done for it now and, if anything good could be said for the delay, they could perhaps use it to their advantage. Expression clearing as he reached a decision, he turned to [Yuuki]. "If you don't mind waiting a few minutes, we can go to one of the waiting rooms. If mother is outside, the meeting might be finishing soon."

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tab tab Lᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ castle gates
tab tab Wɪᴛʜ yuuki, guards, nessie
tab tab Hᴇᴀʟᴛʜ 56 / 56
tab tab OᴏC

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Limina Mortem

The Knave of Spades

buruuberri

QueenArasene

Paradise of Chaos

[Dangerosa]

Even as he gave his attention to one of the passengers who had yet to wake up from the crash and making sure that the injuries that he could see and feel were taken care of and that the individual was still breathing and had a pulse, Kyre still worried about what he was getting himself into. He didn’t like not knowing things, and the female he had helped just moments ago was an unknown. She was a factor that could either help or hinder him in the next few hours that they spent on this planet while waiting for an Alliance transport and he didn’t want to find out, too late, that she might out him to a member of the Alliance military to save her own skin. Kyre wasn’t ignorant to the way she had reacted once Alter identified himself as a member of the military and intended to figure out the reason for it, if only to use it against her if she threatened him and his freedom in any way.

Once he was satisfied that he had done all he could for the purple haired male, Kyre looked around at the other individuals in the pod, for the first time really taking notice of them and their features to see if he recognized any of them. Most seemed to have awoken in the time that he was treating the other two passengers and as they regained consciousness and spoke up, he was able to have an easier time identifying the other passengers.

There was a female passenger who looked to be wearing a uniform of some sort and whose response to the situation they were now in was to ask a question to no one in particular, seemingly unable to believe what had just taken place. She was a little unsteady on her feet, relying on one of the other passengers to help her regain her balance before asking if anyone had any injuries she could help with. But it was her softly spoken words to Alter that had his ears perking up in interest. It seemed the rebels were getting better at coordinating their attacks. This attack wasn’t a spur of the moment decision like he had thought, but something that obvious thought and effort had gone into. Kyre made a note to find a way to ask her about her observations of the battle. The soldiers might be a little more tight-lipped, but maybe this female would be able to provide more details about the battle he had been unable to detect.

Turning to the passenger who had helped to steady the female, Kyre recognized him as the CEO of REA : Oliver Vanlinde. While on the Burnhilda, Kyre hadn’t had much of an opportunity to talk to the Dracorian, but had been looking forward to talking to him about some future business dealings. REA was one that several of his clients had been asking about and would pay highly for any information about how the business was organized and set up. Such a lucrative opportunity could not be passed up, but now Kyre doubted that this was the time or place to bring up business transactions. At most he could request a more formal meeting once they got off this planet, but whatever advantage he may have had on the Burnhilda was now lost.

There was an incredibly tall male that Oliver had spoken to, rather effectively shutting down the male’s suggesting to lead the females out of the escape pod. Other than his height and the mask that was placed over the lower portion of his face, there was nothing remarkable about the male. Except, perhaps, the fact that he felt that this was the time and place to be making passes at the females who had survived the crash. The tall male did, however, help one of the passengers before suggesting that the two of them leave the pod.

It was this other passenger that had Kyre’s expression change almost imperceptibly in the semi-darkness of the pod. The male was Shi and one that Kyre had had dealt with in the past. His was a face that the Neteris wished that he wouldn’t have come across for some time. At one point, Nero had been a valuable and trusted asset. A hacker who was able to get into some of the most secured systems, systems that even his best hackers struggled with. And then Nero had betrayed his trust. The contrat he’d had with his client at the time had been important. Kyre and his crew had been looking forward to a significant payday and then it all went south thanks to a Shi who, rather than explain that he would be unable to complete the assignment because of a conflict and at the very least offer to return a portion of the down payment because the work was not completed, decided to backstab him and break his trust. Not only did Nero run off with half the payment, but he caused a significant number of problems for his company.

Seeing him now, so soon after the incident, Kyre wished the male had died from the crash… but of course the turncoat would survive. And, with the male’s knowledge of him and his business, he may prove to be a threat. Kyre would have to watch him closely and not let him get too close to the Alliance soldiers.

Putting on a smile, Kyre started to make his way over to the Shi, with the pretence of wanting to clear the air between them since they were stuck in this situation. It would be better if Nero was on his side, at least for now, than working against him and becoming a hinderance once they were rescued.

Kyre had only taken two steps when he heard something rolling on the floor of the escape pod. Looking in the direction of the sound, he noticed a small bottle with some liquid in it and he bent down to pick it up. It didn’t look like any of the medical sprays and judging from where the bottle had rolled from, it appeared to have come from the seat of the female who had been picked up and carried out of the escape pod.

Shortly after he realized this, there was a shriek of pain from outside the escape pod that had him immediately straightening and looking towards the sound. The voice was unfamiliar, but female, and likely the voice of the woman who was carried out. Right now, it looked like dealing with Nero would have to wait. Kyre only hoped that Nero wouldn’t do anything foolish while he checked on the females outside.

Bracing himself for the bright light of the sun outside of the escape pod, Kyre hurried out, immediately wanting to retreat inside the pod, but resisting the pull of the darkened vehicle behind him. It was too bright, too vibrant, and nothing like home or any of the environments he was comfortable in. Grinding his teeth together, he tilted his head to the side slightly as he listened for voices or any sound that would indicate where everyone was. Though he had no problem seeing inside of the escape pod, it was when he was in an environment that was as bright as the forest currently was or brighter, that he had far more difficulty with his vision. It was annoying honestly. Everything looked like one giant blur of colour unless given shape by the sounds bouncing off of nearby objects.

Locating the pair of females after a moment of listening, Kyre walked over, clearing his throat to get their attention.

”Excuse me,” he said as he offered the bottle he’d found to the short haired female. ”I believe this is yours. It dropped from your seat when you were carried out. Thought it might be important.”

Now that he was closer he could smell blood from a few small injuries on her person and could better read the pain and discomfort written on her face. There was nothing he could see that would account for the pain in the scream that he’d heard, but he would make sure he knew how badly she was injured then get someone who would be able to help her if he couldn’t.

”I also heard you scream while I was in the escape pod. Alter still had the medkit when I came out, but if I know what kind of injury you have, I can get the medical supplies you need while your smaller cuts are treated.”

Looking away from the two females, Kyre motioned to the other male who was just standing around and not really doing much. ”Do you mind helping us out?” He remembered correctly, the male had said he had the spray on bandage and that could help a little right now.


tab tab ᒪOᑕᗩTIOᑎ Planet ??? tab tab tab ᗯITᕼ Dolunay, Alice, Raven,
tab tab tab tab tab tab tab tab tab tab tab tab tab tab tab Zar tab
tab tab ᖴᕮᕮᒪIᑎG Concerned tab tab tab ᖴOᖇᗰ human

[Dangerosa]

”Should anyone, any ruler, see themselves as above the laws they have enacted, they are not fit to rule. No man, regardless of his station or whether he believes that what he is doing is just, is above the rule of law,” Josh replied calmly, wondering if he was wasting his breath in trying to explain things to the boy who seemed so set in his ways and his opinions of a system he knew nothing about. ”That applies to noble and peasant as much as it applies to the stranger who walks among us.”

As much as [Yuuki] claimed to agree with what had been said, there was an arrogance and pride to his words. Though he admitted to being just as deserving as death as those he had killed, he still did everything in his power to flee from the inevitable consequences of his actions, believing himself to be in the right in this instance, and thus innocent of any charge. And that alone made him dangerous. It would be best if they could end this quietly and peaceably without having to resort to bloodshed or involving any innocent members of the public. At the very least, it was imperative that [Yuuki] be restrained, whether it be shackled and lead someplace secure or, in the worst case scenario, killed. However, Joshua would rather avoid the latter at all costs.

When asked who he was to be able to offer an audience, Josh only smiled. If only he knew. At the moment, he had no interest in revealing who he really was to the killer or the general public. As much as it could help put a definitive end to things, he also didn’t want to draw too much attention to himself or this situation. Personally, when there was always a possibility that, even with the guards stationed at the entrance to the city, a member of the Dark Republic found a way to slip into the capitol, not to mention the local criminal organizations, he didn't want too many to be aware of his identity when he was out without a guard nearby. Perhaps it was paranoia, but he would rather not risk it. More generally, he didn't want there to be any more panic than there already was. The capitol was still cleaning up after an attack and word of a child murderer could be cause for more fear in the city.

”Does it matter who I am if I am able to deliver?” Of course now that [Yuuki] had killed a man and had made threats against the guard, he had to realize that under normal circumstances, and were Josh anyone else, this offer, however misleading, wouldn’t have been on the table. "I will answer your question in due time. For now all you need to know is that I am capable of assisting you.

"As far as my sword is concerned, the moment your sword is sheathed and there is no longer a threat to those who are unarmed, I will sheath my sword as well. There is no need for this to come to blows."

Uncertain whether [Yuuki] would accept what he had said and cooperate, Josh remained guarded as he waited for him to act. He would be lucky if things went as planned and this arrest was made without additional complications. What concerned him most of all was the fact that Nessie was still on the boy’s leg and a simple downward motion with the sword, if the gnome wasn’t fast enough, would result in her being harmed. At the very least, he had to keep [Yuuki]'s attention on him and his weapon rather than the gnome who was hindering his movements.

With Fairfax deferring to him, it did help to lend credence to his claim that he could be able to arrange for [Yuuki] to have an audience with someone in a position of power, but would it be enough? All it would take was for one wrong move for the boy to feel threatened or for him to reason things out to come to the conclusion that an audience might not be possible for things to go south. And if that happened…

Josh’s eyes flickered briefly over to [Morrigan] when she stepped forward to give her opinion and he frowned. Though she voiced what he was thinking, should they act on her suggestion it could also lead to [Yuuki] becoming agitated once more and them clashing blades. Joshua was confident he would be able to adequately defend himself, though [Yuuki]'s speed did worry him. All things considered, he did have to admit that having [Yuuki] earn his audience wasn’t a bad idea.

”If he fails to cooperate and doesn't allow himself to be peaceably detained, I will retract my offer. He will have to earn the privilege of a private audience and the crowd can have a say in whether or not he is ultimately successful.” Locking eyes with [Yuuki] he tried to convey to the boy that trying to argue or fight his way out of this would not end well for him. Murder and threatening murder might get him an audience with an important member of a criminal syndicate but if he wanted to do work for the Imperial castle, it was only under extreme circumstances where murder would lead to legitimate work — or so Josh liked to believe.

”Ma’am if you would release him,” Josh spoke to Nessie, not wanting her to be in harm’s way if [Yuuki] decided to be difficult. If something was going to happen it would be happening now. The guards were in position, [Yuuki] had been given a choice and the ball was in his court. The redhead might not have all the cards or see the full picture right now, but if he made things more difficult than they ought to be, the prince wasn't adverse to tipping his hand enough to give him an idea of who he was truly dealing with.


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tab tab Lᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ capitol streets
tab tab Wɪᴛʜ yuuki, guards, morrigan, nessie; lyons nearby
tab tab Hᴇᴀʟᴛʜ 56 / 56
tab tab OᴏC names in [brackets] are individuals whose first name he doesn't know

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Limina Mortem

The Knave of Spades

buruuberri

QueenArasene

Paradise of Chaos

[Dangerosa]

She had been having a good time at the bar with her friends from work when she saw him.

A familiar face from her past that she didn’t expect to see anytime soon. What he could possibly be doing in Kingston was beyond her, but there was no mistaking the wavy brown hair, so dark it was almost black, those mischievous hazel eyes and the way his smile cut across his face, charming those who were fortunate enough to see it and instantly making her weak in the knees. She remembered other things too. Like the way his hands felt on her skin, the smell of his skin, the feeling of warmth and protection as she lay within him embrace. His laugh sent her heart a flutter, had her shifting nervously in her seat, playing with her hair and trying to avoid looking at him as she crossed her legs tighter and tried to refocus on the conversation that was going on around her.

Some of her coworkers noticed her nervous gestures and asked her about it, gently teasing about her having laid eyes on someone she liked in the crowd and trying to figure out who it was. Chloe played along, coyly teasing, and was relieved when the conversation moved on. Still… her eyes occasionally glanced in the man’s direction, praying that he wouldn’t notice her and she could leave without a confrontation.

She would almost have her wish, but then Fate would intervene and on the way out of the bar he called out to her.

”Chloe?”

His voice, a low baritone with an accent that was just barely detectable, cut clearly through the crowd. Chloe forced her legs to keep moving, pretending not to notice him, that she didn’t hear him, that he hadn’t just spoken her name.

”Chloe, wait up, it’s me,”

At this point her friends urged her to stop, and with reluctance, she turned to see the man she never wanted to see again.

”Brian,” she put on a smile, but even she could tell that it was forced, strained, and not at all natural.

He moved towards her, his stride confident, predatory, and she was his prey. Even though she could see no discernable bumps or shine on his clothes, she knew he was packing. He always was.

”It’s good to see you.”

His only response was a smile as he pulled her closer to him. Chloe didn’t resist, her breath catching in her throat as she saw the look in his eye. It was a look she knew well. No matter how much time had passed, how far away they were, there was no denying it. She was his, no ifs ands or buts about it. And when he spoke again, his voice was warm and gracious, a dry joke at the end, and a sexy curl to his lip.

She licked her lips and tried to protest, but no sound escaped, her throat dry as thoughts quickly an through her head. Were the Nighthawks moving into Kingston? How many others were with him? And most importantly, why was he here?

As his lips touched hers, she melted into it, getting lost in the feeling of familiarity, of being held and protected. And then just as soon as it started, she ended, pushing him away and running out of the bar, leaving her friends behind.

Later she would explain that Brian was a man she didn’t ever want to see again. Everything in her was telling her it was time to pack up and move, she had to leave Kingston, get away from here before she was drawn back in. But there was no way of doing it right now. She didn’t have enough money yet. Not enough for her to be able to spend her days on the road going from motel to motel as she tried to leave her past behind her. Sure she could do odd jobs as she went, but… she was happy here. She had friends, she did like the city. She just wished her past hadn’t followed her.

So a week after that night in the bar, she had cut and bleached her hair, changed her style of dress, swapped out red contacts for blue ones. She would reinvent herself as much as she could and hope that if she ever crossed paths with Brian again it would be enough. It had to be enough. And hopefully he would soon be on his way out of the city and she’d be safe again. Not only that, but that Reenie would be safe.

Dressed in a graffiti floral halter top, a leather jacket and a pair of dark jeans, Chloe was on her way back from work things were slow and she was able to leave early. Which was good 'cause her head really wasn't in it today. She kept thinking about what happened the week before and fearing that at any moment another Nighthawk would walk through the door. One more week had to pass before she could feel totally safe.

Roaring up to BDH on her bike, Chloe noticed that there were a few people outside, working, talking, moving things inside. And in the midst of that another was coming out. Chloe recognized some of them, there was a face or two she wasn't very familiar with, but had decided to give nicknames to all the same. Slowing as she approached her favourite parking spot, she stopped her bike and walked over to get a closer look at the boys as they helped some new guy move in. Pulling off her helmet she noticed that whoever the new guy was, he was kinda cute... but with Rory standing so nearby it really was no contest: Rory won hands down.

"Hey Stellina~" Chloe said as she approached Reenie and her dog. "Did you two enjoy your walk?" She looked down at the pup with a smile, wanting nothing more than to bend down and pet him, but holding back since he was a working dog and she didn't really feel like it was right to do so without an invitation.

"You would not believe how slow it was today! But~ if I get to come home to this lovely sight I think it's all worth it."

Giving Reneie a bright and sunny smile as she said that, she then turned her attention to the moving boys. "Did Abian tell you anything about the new boy moving in?" She gave said new boy a quick once over, noting details of his face, the way he moved and dressed, and filing it away for later. Who knew when it would come in handy.

tab tab 𝔏𝔬𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 outside BDH tab tab tab 𝔚𝔦𝔱𝔥 Renie, Rory, Mika, Abian (?)
tab tab 𝔚𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤 top, jacket, helmet

#CF3E61

[Dangerosa]

Watching the way Reenie and Enzo interacted with each other always brought a smile to Chloe’s face. The two were so incredibly close and she loved seeing them together. She had always been more of a dog person, though was never able to keep one for herself because of her lifestyle, so it was great to know someone with a dog that she could visit from time to time, especially since there were a number of residents who had cats… and they really weren’t her thing. There was just something so calming and relaxing seeing Reenie with Enzo, something encouraging even. Sometimes Chloe wondered if Reenie even knew the effect she had on people: she was a great friend and an inspirational human being, and Chloe hoped that nothing would ever happen that would change this friendship… even if one day she would have to leave Kingston.

Coming out of her thoughts with a giggle, her eyes lighting up mischievously, Chloe’s smile only widened when Reenie asked if she was referring to herself or the guys who were helping the new guy to unpack the moving van. To be honest, Chloe had been referring to her friend, but she would let the topic drop as Reenie seemed to want to quickly move on. Besides, sometimes it was better not to give an answer and leave the other person guessing, especially in situations where flirting was all fun and good but she didn’t want to encourage things to get serious. At the end of the day, as long as they knew that they were just friends and nothing else, that was all that mattered to her.

Humming softly, she turned to look towards the moving group as Reenie spoke. Even though nothing about the new guy seemed to scream threat to her, she still wished she knew a little about him. Like his name so she could do some digging of her own.

”That sounds like a plan,” she replied, returning her attention to Reenie then looking down at Enzo. ”You wanna meet the new guy too, don’t you boy?” Pitching her voice a little higher as she spoke to the dog, she then laughed and started to accompany her friend into the building.

As they moved towards the doors, Chloe mentioned that she was going to go to her room to freshen up a little and get something to eat for lunch before they went to welcome the new guy, and could meet Reenie at her room when she was done just in case she needed help with anything.

”New guys, mean the perfect opportunity to make a good first impression right? Who knows, maybe he’s single~” she teased, laughing a little.

As they parted ways to get their respective tasks completed, Chloe quickly made it to her room and put her motorcycle helmet on a shelf in the closet, then made her way to the kitchen, humming quietly under her breath and running her hand through her short hair. It had only been a week since she’d had it cut and she still wasn’t used to having her hair this short. She missed her long hair and the fun things she could do with it, but until she was certain Brian wouldn’t be sticking around, her hair would remain short and blonde… or blue. Maybe she should go blue next. Reenie’s comment when they’d first met about whether pink was her colour of the month ran through her head and she wondered if her friend was onto something.

Sighing, she opened the door to the fridge, staring at the nearly empty interior. There was a jar of sweet & sour sauce, a water bottle, some half & half, butter, a single lemon, and a small bag with some seasonings. Looking in the freezer wasn’t any better. Just some ice trays with no ice in them. It was then that she remembered that she was supposed to go grocery shopping after work today. She had just been too distracted recently that she had let her supplies run incredibly low. Closing the fridge after pulling out the water bottle, she looked around the kitchen, opening cupboards and discovering pancake mix, some rice, and shredded coconut. She could make cookies out of the pancake mix, but it would take some time and she didn’t have that much time on her hands if she was going to be meeting with Reenie after this. Nor did she have time to cook herself a bowl of rice.

On the plus side, at least she had stuff for dinner tonight, even if it would be rather simple, but she wished she had remembered to make a stop on her way home since she wasn’t in the mood to go back out for a shopping trip now that she was home. Luckily it would appear that she wouldn’t have to: her phone vibrated in her back pocket and when she checked, she was pleased to discover that it was Luca telling her that there was food in the fridge. Quickly texting back that he was a life saver with a string of heart and in love emojis, Chloe forgot all about her make up, left the water bottle on the counter, and hurried to the kitchen.

Once there, she discovered that not only was there food in the fridge, but there were freshly baked pizza cupcakes and freshly brewed coffee.

”Lulu~! Thank you so much for this!” she said hurrying over to him and giving him a hug. ”There’s no food at my place and I forgot to grab groceries on the way home. I thought I was going to starve! ” Maybe a slight exaggeration as she could have always ordered food for later instead of bothering to try to make something edible, but when the fridge was so bare…

Taking a few steps back, she took in his outfit, giving him an appreciative look. Luca was always such an amazing dresser and always wore the most adorable outfits! One day she really had to go shopping with him.

”You look absolutely adorable~! I love that blouse, where’d you get it? Oh —!”

At that moment she noticed that that she and Luca weren’t the only ones in the kitchen. There was a blonde who Chloe had seen a few times, but didn’t really talk to all to much. She was cute, but as far as Chloe knew, she was always in her room, which had earned her the nickname of genie from the bottle blonde. The girl was quiet too, and over all rather non threatening. This was confirmed by the brief research she had done about her fellow resident and there was nothing that had thrown up any red flags.

”Sorry, I hope I’m not interrupting anything. Lulu sent a text about food so…” she shrugged helplessly and gave Charlotte a sheepish smile. ”But! I won’t be here long. Hate to snag and run, but there’s a few cute guys outside and I’m going to see if I can get Reenie a date!” Not really, but it might still be fun. She already knew that neither she nor Reenie would have a chance with Rory.

Laughing softly to herself, she dug through the fridge for one of the packaged lunches, then filled a cup with some coffee, and, trying not to spill her drink, debated whether or not she wanted to try for one of the pizza cupcakes… but decided against it.

”Lulu, do you mind saving one of those for me and Reenie? Thanks a ton, love~! You’re the best~!” Giving him a quick peck on the cheek, she turned to Charlotte. ”It’s good seeing you again~”

Moving out of the kitchen as she took a sip of coffee, she sighed contentedly, making her way up the stairs to Reenie’s room. It was good to have friends like Luca around. One day she would have to give him something nice for all the food he brought her. Maybe when she went shopping tomorrow she would find a cute dress or something for him. Or a box of chocolates, that was probably safer.

tab tab 𝔏𝔬𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 Outside Reenie's room tab tab tab 𝔚𝔦𝔱𝔥 no one

[Dangerosa]

Yuuki's words once he was informed that he would have to wait before his audience with the Emperor caused a look of mild irritation to flash across the prince's face. It was as though Yuuki expected that a kingdom's ruler would instantly appear before him to offer him the possibility of employment without having had prior knowledge of his arrival. And all of that after he had committed the serious offence of murdering a child. Not only that, but if, as Yuuki suspected, this meeting would proceed to a trial, Joshua would have assumed that any criminal asked to wait for a few minutes would be more than happy to do so if the delay resulted in a fair and impartial trial, rather than hurriedly press onward to have one filled with bias.

Taking a deep breath and composing himself before his words came out more sharply than intended, Josh managed to hide all signs of irritation from his face and voice when he calmly reminded Yuuki that he didn't have to offer him an audience with the Emperor. There was nothing that Yuuki had done to deserve the privilege and Joshua was certain he was being far more generous than he should have otherwise been. The killer was given much more freedom than most other criminals in the same position and Yuuki would be wise of him to remember that.

Watching in amusement and in relief as the half-demon surrendered his sword, Joshua turned to lead the group into the castle and towards one of the waiting rooms. Other than his claws and speed, Joshua didn't notice any other weapons on Yuuki's person. If there were, it would make his statement about not carrying weapons into the homes of others a falsehood and Josh had his doubts about the sincerity of the sentiment. Despite that, so long as all parties who were to be involved were made aware of Yuuki's abilities and Nessie remained in a position to stop or slow him down, Joshua was a little more hopeful than he had been in the alleyway that they would be able to arrest the redhead and have him sent to the prisons without risking the lives of too many people.

Josh was silent as they walked through the halls to one of the empty rooms in which visitors often waited before meeting with a member of the crown. As they walked, his eyes fell upon familiar faces of a number of nobles and officials who were often at the morning meeting. Unless they were dismissed early for whatever reason, it was quite possible that in the time that he was speaking to the guards at the front, the meeting had finished and so his father had moved to the gardens. This was soon confirmed when they came across a butler who was in the process of informing his older sister that the Emperor was currently in the outside speaking to the citizens who had gathered.

”It appears you’ll be seeing the Emperor sooner than I thought.” Josh sighed, and almost wished that there had been some sort of delay to better prepare both himself and his father for this meeting.

Slowing, he waited for the butler to leave, Joshua then greeting Eva with a smile. “Afternoon, Eva. Do you mind if we join you? We need to meet with the Emperor as well.” He glanced at Yuuki for a moment before looking at his sister again, trying to convey with his eyes alone that the topic of discussion would have to do with the stranger in their midsts and was of some importance.

Regardless of what Eva did respond they would be continuing down the same halls to reach the gardens. Once there he noticed with interest an unusually large spider and a man who were currently speaking to his parents. If he had an opportunity, Joshua would have been interested in learning where the pair had come from and about that unusual arachnid that accompanied the man, but there were more pressing matters.

”I’ll try to get my father’s attention and make an introduction for you,” Josh spoke to Yuuki, glancing at him only briefly as he continued to watch the scene in front of him with interest and note the number of guards that were present. Though Fairfax and the two with him might not have been completely competent, these probably were. ”Then you can make your case.”

Stepping forward, he caught the eye of the Emperor and silently indicated that they needed to talk as soon as he was done. As much as he didn’t want to rush, he also hoped that Yuuki wouldn’t get cold feet and decide to run… though with Nessie sticking to him like glue, it was doubtful to the prince that the half-demon would get very far. Once his father was available, Joshua would quickly inform him that Yuuki had killed a child in cold blood and was now seeking an audience to attempt to obtain employment — something Joshua had only agreed to arrange if only to prevent him from killing once more and curb the threat of violence. It would be interesting to see how the two parties would interact once they spoke.

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tab tab Lᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ castle gardens
tab tab Wɪᴛʜ nessie, yuuki, guards, thadeus, eira, vicril & aranai, eva(?)
tab tab Hᴇᴀʟᴛʜ 56 / 56
tab tab OᴏC sorry this is so late >.< headaches suck... will edit later if needed

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[Dangerosa]

Having some time to speak to his father privately or semi-privately was something that Joshua did enjoy, even if he didn’t make it a habit to draw his father’s attention. Hearing his father’s laughter brought a wry smile to his face as he couldn’t have created such a tale on his own even if he had wanted to. The laugher was also a reminder of how fortunate he was, if one could even describe it as such, that his father didn’t simply tolerate, but understood to some extent, his proclivity for escaping the castle and exploring what lay beyond these walls whenever he could. It certainly made sharing some of the stories about the individuals and things he had seen in town far easier and more comfortable. And for a moment it was almost easy to forget that there was a war going on and that the life he was born to wasn’t that of a commoner.

Then, in an instant, the bubble burst, and he was brought back to the reality that was his life. A life which, up until the death of his uncle, the late emperor, he had never really thought about or wanted to participate in. Now he was reminded that he had to take a more active role, and that he couldn't just show that he supported the people of the Empire by slipping out and helping where he could, all while trying not to draw too much attention to himself, but he had to be publicly identified as doing something. Maybe not fighting in the war or being an ambassador, but he had to do something identifiable. All with the reminder that he had missed the morning war meeting.

He grimaced, hoping that the summary of the meeting that he had the sense that he was about the hear would not simply be a run down of the recent battles, reparations being behind schedule despite their best efforts, and over all more bad news relating to the war, but then he sobered when his father's next words reached his ears. ”… There is a plague…”

Immediately he wanted to ask how bad it was and what was being done thus far to contain it. The fact that there was a war was bad enough. To have a deadly plague be spreading in the midst of that would seriously tax on the resources of the Empire, not to mention it would have a negative effect on moral as well. Hearing that it was quite possibly the work of the Dark Republic and a pestilence demon that they had managed to somehow subdue and control. But if Lucan was being sent to Hulfirdum, then Joshua had full confidence that his brother's team would be able to locate the demon, hopefully learning enough about it and distracting it long enough that it would be unable to speed the spread of the plague and give healers more time to attempt to find a way to cure those affected. Whether or not the attempt would be successful or Lucanus and the others would be able to successful kill the demon and stop the plague for good was another matter entirely.

By the sound of things, though he would be sent near the epicentre of the disease, his father and the military had something else in mind for him. Intrigued, he would have been interested in continuing the conversation a little while longer and learning what it was about, but by that time they had already reached the visitation room.

Joshua was confident that the Emperor, having heard, albeit briefly, of the crime [Yuuki] had committed in the capitol would reach the same conclusion that he, the guards, and doubtless many of the other bystanders had arrived at : [Yuuki] should be imprisoned. It was only because of the threat that was presented against other members of the public that he was even given an opportunity to make a request for employment, an audience that assured that the redhead would refrain from injuring any others as he attempted to escape and brought him into a situation where he would be surrounded, practically at all times, with a number of competent guards and soldiers who would also be able to help assure that his transfer to a cell was done with as little fighting as possible.

So when [Yuuki] looked at him and smiled after the Emperor's introduction, Joshua remained impassive. He had made no promises that he would not be tried for his crime nor that the audience would only be regarding his potential job prospects. It was, to a certain extent, rather foolish to believe that because he had been given a momentary reprieve in the alleyway and didn't have to face the consequences of his actions immediately, that they wouldn't one day catch up to him. Especially if he considered the fact that he didn't shy away from admitting his criminality, not even now when he was given what was essentially his last chance to explain himself and his actions.

The appearance of a messenger only moments after Yuuki had finished speaking quickly put an end to nascent discussions and allowed the redhead yet another reprieve. A second, or perhaps third, occasion to be informed of the laws of the land and the potential consequences of their violation. Perhaps he was wrong to be thinking this, but he hoped that the negotiation with Eva wouldn't culminate in Yuuki suddenly showing some regret over his actions.

Leaving the room with his father and the messenger, and following through the halls, Joshua was brought up to speed on what had transpired during the morning war meeting, feeling that when the messenger delivered whatever urgent information she had been charged to convey, he would have enough context to make sense of it.

Especially when that news indicated that the situation in the areas surrounding Hulfirdum seemed to be getting worse by the minute. Lips set in a thin line, his eyes a hard and steely amber, he watched as his father paced the room after the messenger had left. It took every bit of control he had not to growl in anger when he was told that the mission he was being assigned to would remain that to retrieve the Aisu Quartz rather than that of freeing the villagers from the hold of the Dark Republic.

Joshua may not have had his older brother’s military training, nor had he had much experience in battle, and the group that he was assigned to him certainly wasn’t large enough to go on an offensive against the eight Dark Republic camps, but the prince didn’t see why a gem would be more important than the lives of their people.

”And what of the villagers being enslaved and killed?” he questioned, his voice taut with an anger he did his best to control.

The emperor’s response only marginally worked in reassuring the prince that something would be arranged in order to free the villagers while they were off on a treasure hunt. Sighing raggedly, he raked a hand through his hair and worked on calming down and reasoning through this without his anger clouding his judgement and resulting in him displaying an even greater lack of control of his shifting abilities. There was a larger picture, he was well aware of that, but seeing it right now was difficult. Joshua just had to remind himself to take it one step at a time, collect the necessary information surrounding the mission and then maybe things would be more clear. Maybe.

”Other than its location being somewhere within the Au’run Mountains and the Dark Republic also being on the mountain searching for it, do we have any other information about the Aisu Quartz and what to expect when we arrive?”

After Thaddeus had answered his questions then departed, Joshua lingered in the room a few minutes more, thinking through everything that he had heard and trying to piece things together. Getting the Quartz before the Dark Republic would be a boon to the Empire, but the chances of that happening with the camps around the mountain and the unknown amount of Republic agents scouring the mountain for the Quartz... Josh was almost grateful for the delay; it would give both he and the other members of the team time to get a better understanding of the situation and a plan of attack. With that in mind, he left the room to track down the messenger and review a few maps of the Au'run Mountains and the legends surrounding the crystals of power. The more information he had, the better he would be able to convey the information about the mission to both Nessie and Eva later that evening, as well as update Lohst on the mission status.



Just after dusk, having felt that he had spent enough time reviewing the information that he was given and the information he could gleam from a few books on the subject, Joshua believed that when he presented everything to his teammates, they would be able to work together on a tentative plan for how they were going to approach the mission, each of their responsibilities and what would be needed to increase the chances of it being a success.

Back in the visitation room, he was curious to see what would become of Yuuki and how the negotiations with Eva had turned out. Shortly after he entered, they were joined by another who seemed to appear out of no where, setting the guards in the room on edge and had them adopting defensive positions while he theatrically drew attention to himself, proposing a game of dice to determine Yuuki's fate. For his part, Yuuki seemed much more interested in this stranger who was offering to risk his freedom in order to secure the half-demon's. Though with the odds of rolling a two rather low and the confidence the man exuded, put him on edge.

Looking to Nessie when she spoke up, hammer in hand, Josh bit back a smile. Though he wouldn't condone someone's feet being hammered to the ground nor would he suggest that the small gnome take any action towards the stranger, he did have to admit that Nessie with her hammer could be just as valid a potential threat as any guard with a sword. As he returned his attention to the stranger once more he said, "I'm doubtful anyone would accept such a wager," his voice rather guarded. And in any case, accepting the gamble not knowing whether or not the dice that were about to be thrown were trick dice didn't sit too well with him personally.


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tab tab Lᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ visitation room
tab tab Wɪᴛʜ thaddeus, eva, nessie, yuuki, lohst, lucifer
tab tab Hᴇᴀʟᴛʜ 56 / 56
tab tab OᴏC let me know if there should be any changes

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Quote:

Koko the Boss

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THE MOOING MULE

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Shattered Crown

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QUEENARASENE

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The Knave of Spades

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Aeronathe

Lohst has the map of the caves, legends tell that the gem is guarded by beasts, maybe a dragon, Dark Republic is constantly searching the mountain and surrounds the mountain (eight camps)
http://www.chba.ca/uploads/Tools for Builders/RenovationContracts2ndEd-Aug10.pdf

[Dangerosa]

Once again, the white haired female’s response was strange, violent, when he attempted to offer his assistance. He paused, noting with interest that for a brief moment in time, her eyes appeared almost reptilian. But the moment had passed by so quickly that he wasn’t even sure of what he saw. Even after he had given the bottle to the short haired female, he continued to study the one beside him, trying to figure out what was familiar about it. He felt that he should know this, but with everything that had happened his mind wasn’t putting the pieces together fast enough for his liking. All he knew was that she was familiar, but not familiar enough for him to have an instant recognition of her race.

He hated such gaps in his knowledge, be they temporary or a result of him not having enough information at his disposal to put a proper picture together. Though Kyre didn’t expect to know everything — nor would he ever make that claim — when he knew that he knew something and it didn’t come to him it was aggravating.

Nodding slowly when she explained that the female who was resting against the tree may have a broken rib or two, he knew that at this point, the only thing that could help with that sort of injury was minimizing the amount of moving that she did and time. Pain killers to numb the pain was also an option, but aside from the scream he had heard earlier, she seemed to be managing.

Kyre opened his mouth to let them know that he would return with the painkillers and some bandages from the medkit, when the silver-haired female marched her way over to the redhead and proceeded to drag him over to demand that he help. Snapping his mouth shut, he bit his cheek in an effort to try to keep the amusement out of his face. When this female knew what she want, she went after it. Granted, this was only to help someone who Kyre assumed was a friend of hers, but all the same, she had thus far proven strong and capable. An unexpected, though refreshing sight under the circumstances.

Catching the scent of the man beside him, Kyre noted with interest that he wasn’t human either. From what he had been able to discern, that meant that a significant number of those in the escape pod were non-humans. That fact caused him to relax marginally, feeling more like he was among kin than potential enemies. Even if he didn’t get along with a blue-scaled individual who would remain nameless.

“It’s her ribs. They may be broken,” Kyre informed the male, who, the longer they stood in close proximity, was beginning to smell like Firling.

Firlings were rather small, yet vicious, creatures that were more of a pest than anything, and were often hunted by young Neteris who were honing their skills, or killed for sport — they bred fast enough for it. Taste horrible though. Amazing to think that there were firling-like beings that existed. He would have to inquire about this male’s species before they parted —

She was sniffing him again.

He sensed, more than saw, her lean towards him, trying to catch his scent. His eyes hardening behind his shades, he gave a few rapid clicks of warning, before she grabbed his wrist and started to pull him along in much the same way that she had done with the redhead.


tab tab ᒪOᑕᗩTIOᑎ here tab tab tab ᗯITᕼ name tab
tab tab ᔕTᗩTᑌᔕ health tab tab tab ᖴOᖇᗰ human/base

I speak in a bold #B24F4F