MM RITZ CRACKERZ - (test thread)

[Ritzo]

Ritzo didn't like wading through her other test thread.
She kept cringing at all her old post formats.
She's going to post her favorites here.
Then use this thread instead.
Woo.


DO NOT POST.

[Ritzo]

xxxMost used symbols and stuff

↙↘ » ⇘ ☇ ↺ ✔ ➳ ➽

❝ ❞ ❛ ♪ ♫

█▐ ┗ ━ ┓ 」 ░ ║

☣ ♥ ★ ♦ ● ✰ ※ ☂ ☁ ❧ ❤ ❥ ❀ ✿ ✾ ❃ ✄

❶ ❷ ❸

ą α ß Ь c đ ∂ ε є é Ғ ғ ╒ ƒ g Ħ ħ н ι J k ℓ м η ø σ p q я § τ u v ω x y z

[Ritzo]

xxxVery basic CHATROOM RP post format
( IF ANYONE WANTS TO USE THIS - GO AHEAD )



[list][list][list][color=white]xxxx[/color] [size=10]( username username username username [/size]
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[color=white]xxxxxxxxx[/color][size=9]S P A C E D O U T L Y R I C S I N C A P S A N D B O L D[/size]

[list][list][list][imgleft]100x100 ICON HERE[/imgleft][color=white]xxxxxxxxx[/color][size=7]lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics [/size]
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[color=white]xxxxxxxxxxxxx[/color][size=18][b]( ↺ - L Y R I C [size=9]BOLD AND SMALL[/size] ) [/b][/size]
[color=white]xxxx[/color][size=9]██║ ↳[color=white]xxx[/color] INFO[/size]
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[color=white]xxxxx[/color][size=9]██████████ ★║[/size][color=white]xx[/color][size=18]❝[/size][color=white]xx[/color][color=whitexx[/color][size=9]NAME[/size][color=white]xx[/color][size=18]❞[/size][color=white]xx[/color][size=9]║★ ██████████ [/size]
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xxxEXAMPLE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE


xxxx ( ↺ s - smokin' red __ 「 ↳ lookin❜ sharp ! !
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xxxxxxxxxS P A C E D O U T L Y R I C S I N C A P S A N D B O L D


xxxxxxxxxlyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics lyrics
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xxxxxxxxx████████████████████████████║║███████████████████
xxxxxxxxxxxxx( ↺ - L Y R I C BOLD AND SMALL )
xxxx██║ ↳xxx INFO
xxxx██║ ↳xxx INFO


xxxxx██████████ ★║xx❝xxNAMExx❞xx║★ ██████████

xxxtext text text text text
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[Ritzo]

xxxRESERVED FOR STUFF


Her mood was darkening further and with haste. Not only had this woman insulted her, disturbed her and
generally annoyed her, she did not seem to be able to take hints and was perstering her further, acting
high and mighty regardless of the presence she was in. The dog spirit was not there to fight or bicker, she
had neither the motive or energy to do so (though sitting down was steadily resting her tired body) and yet
still the fox persisted, forcing the dog to snarl in retaliation, losing the last of her patience. "This body was a
gift. I thought your kind wise enough not to make assumptions on those higher on the food chain, fox."
The Inugami retorted, discarding the introduction instantly. Her previous attempts at concealing herself
were wasted though the woman seemed not to care.

"And what reason do I have to speak with you?" She asked with genuine curiosity, running a thumb across
her bottom lip, her glare lessening somewhat. So the other woman did not seem to want to fight either, how
convinient. As the Kitsune continued her barrage of questions, the Inugami resisted the urge to laugh and simply
shook her head. "I could simply be on an errand and stopped to take a rest." Only a half lie, but her point was clear
in her tone of voice - she was not in a good mood. At the mention of

[Ritzo]

xxxRP LITERACY CHECK POST THINGS



It was a beautiful thing, watching a fully grown dragon in flight - especially one without wings. No sudden lifts with each flap, no unnesssary energy wasted in attempting to keep flight. Just simply cutting through the air and clouds like a knife through butter. Claws tucked into its sides, the dragon in question silently traversed the midlight sky, its darkened scales camoflagued perfectly against the midnight blues skies. Even if one were to gaze at the night skies, they would mistake the creature for some sort of bird. Heliwen knew this - too often had she heard the local drunkards of Sancta claiming to have seen gigantic birds flying away from their city, promising to catch them one day and eat them for supper. As always, she would agree and laugh along with the rest of them, turning into some sort of compition that would be forgotten thanks to the morning hangover - not that she had ever experienced such a thing. Whether it was the many years of drinking or something to do with the hardy dragons bloody flowing through her veins, Heliwen had never met the discomfort of a hangover. Or maybe she had and humans were simply whiners. Either way, the dragoness drank daily like there was no tomorow, competing against other regular drinkers and earning her tab each week. The tavern owners did not seem to mind, kept the buisness running rather well and being friends with such a buisness owner was a mighty good contact to have in her line of work.

'Reaver' sounded almost like an excecutioners title but piecing the rest of her title together brought her peace of mind. Reaver of the Sun - how fitting for someone of her race even though her species was dwindling in numbers. Even before the fall of humanity, dragons were both worshiped and hunted for their flesh, talons and, possibly most importantly, their scales. Harder than diamonds and with the strength surprassing the finest elvish steel, it was thanks to her hardy scales she won many bar fights that insued in her favorite taverns - most of which she did not start. The few she had started were entirely on purpose. Being a Reaver, it was her job to scout the Lapsus cites, know all there was to know about its people and governers, find where important figures resided and, one of her favorites, finding weakness in buildings and structures. Starting a bar fight was a one way ticket to a night or two in prison, which was a perfect time for her to assess each holding cells strengths and weakness, just in case any of their kind was captured. Not all Folk had the strength of a dragon, so attention to detail was mandatory. Which was probably the reason why such a magestic creature was having trouble keeping its eyes open as it tried to fly its way home.

The light of dawn was begining to etch its way across the landscape and Heliwen knew full well that the previous shroud of darkness was no longer there to hide her. With the familiar forests edge in her view, the Reaver urged her tired body onwards and dived into the treetops at high speeds, a few branches and leaves being knocked from their places. Even in her state, she managed to weave through the trees with apparent ease, slowing herself once she passed a familiar knot on a tree. A sudden change in direction and Heliwen reared back, colliding soundlessly with one of the larger trees. Body pressed against the bark, the dragon's scales gave off a pale shine as the body began to retreat into itself, shrinking and taking the shape of a shapely human. " Getting better .. " The woman chuckled to herself, reaching for the next highest branch and began to climb. It took only a few minutes for Heliwen to near the what one would assume would be the treetops, but after muttering a small incantation, the branches above her slithered and weaved into themselves to reveal a ledge leading onto a path. Hoisting herself up, the dragoness walked on, the branches behind her reverting into their previous form. Heliwen admired all who walked in Latet, but the Dryad's were so interesting, especially with all the protection they gave their fair city.

Flying straight from Sancta to Latet was both unwise and dangerous. Therefore Heliwen had flown the long way around and was now currently walking towards the west checkpoint, the place farthest away from the human settlement in the east. Brushing her strangley lengthy hair over her shoulder, Heliwen was suprised to see almost no-one around, hand placed on her hip as she sighed in annoyance. There were enough there to alert the rest of the city should a threat arise, so if Eliazar decided to wander about, Heliwen really had no right judge him. With that in mind, the dragon brought a smile to her a face and continued onward, checking in with those working at the outpost before moving on towards the central market. It was early morning but there might be one tavern open, right? She doubted it but everyone needs to have hope. Upon reaching the market, Heliwen caught the last moments of Ichi's ruthless punishment on the now injured theif, watching the man run off before deeming it safe to approach them. "Morning, Magister. Ichi." She nodded to each person in turn, flashing them her usual smile. "I won't be staying long .. Been a week since I was last here so I thought I'd hand my report in person. If there's anything you want me to pass onto the other Reavers, now is the time to tell me." She finished with a quick bow, shooting a glance across the market.


-----


".. Killed at least 35 people and wounded more than 130 others.. Death toll stands at 20 people, 115 injured.. Burned people are running about… they are carrying pieces of flesh on stretchers.."

The news report was soon drowned out by a young woman's muffled sobs. The same report had repeated that day at least a dozen times already, each time stinging all the more painfully for the little captive grunt in the steel-cased room. The hum of the machinery and the dim lighting from the screens used to comfort her, it was her safe haven inside her prison - but unless someone jumped onto the screen and shouted 'April Fools!', nothing was going to comfort her right now. After returning to Astro after her runaway act, it took the Atom Organization little more than a day to find and capture her, forcing her to design and help construct the undetectable headquarters she was residing in. If only they knew that her fame of being a 'genius mechanic' was all down to the energetic plasma Pokemon that lived in her headphones. In all honesty, Lola assumed they would kill her once her usefulness had run it course - with or without Rotom.

Face pressed against the large keyboard, Lola barely noticed the music playing through her headphones hung around her neck. She had not turned the player on, but the slow orchestral sounds filtered through the headset, doing little to change her mood. Apparently noticing its failed attempt, the music changed to something a little more cheerful though it only succeeded in intensifying her tears. All those people hurt or worse and she helped that happen. The Atom Organization supplied the explosives and Lola just could not help herself when it came to upgrading them for optimum output as they told her to. Some small part of her told her they were only going to be used to blow up a bank vault door or possibly a monument, but of course she knew their plans. Still she worked her mechanical magic on them and now over twenty people were dead. Stifling her sobs behind her hand, the blonde lifted her head from dashboard and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. What could she have done? Lola was convinced they would kill her off as soon as she seemed to rebel, but should she do just that? That way, no-one would be hurt by her unintended hand. No, she liked living, no matter how scary it was.

A high pitched beep tore her away from her thoughts briefly, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small communication device. The message had been sent to a few grunts, telling them they had been selected to assist with the nights attack on Eclipse City. Lola's eyes widened in shock, reading the message over and over, eyes welling up once again. This was a nightmare. Did they not understand what kind of a person she was? Were they trying to change her? Torture her, more like. Sighing quietly, Lola blinked as the music changed repeatedly as the resident Rotom relayed a message onto her. " Bzzt.. Don't worry-- 'cause every little thing, is gonna' be alright! -- Beggin', beggin' yooooou -- To smile for me, baby!" Regardless of the situation, Lola laughed quietly, wiping her eyes once again. Her little ray of sunshine always knew what to do. Rotom was right, there was no sense in worrying. She could not do anything to stop this, but at the very least, she could not be involved. Feign ignorance of the message? pretend to be sick? Intentionally turn up late? So many ways she could choose, but all of them were somewhat obvious.

Placing the headphones onto her ears and pulling her hat down to cover her eyes, Lola got to her feet and shuffled out into the deserted hallway. Looking down at her watch, the blonde smiled knowing that everyone would be either working or going to lunch, leaving her to wander the halls long enough to avoid everyone before running off to hide in her room. Mumbling a quick song title out loud, her plasma DJ quickly changed the song on the playlist, now playing a piece of calming music. Her eyes still felt the sting of tears, but now she was confident in knowing that no more would come, giving no reason for any other grunts to pick on her if she was unlucky enough to run into any of them. "I'll just stretch my legs for now, then we'll go watch cartoons or something, okay Ashley?" She mumbled again, the volume on the song increasing momentarily to show it understood. Lola was actually proud of her naming skills - not knowing Rotom's gender made Ashley the perfect name. Now all she had to do was make it to her room without bumping into any officers..


-----


It had been months since they attacked. Months since all that those of Castle Mountain had watched as all they worked for was brought to ruins before them. Months after that terrible war was neither won nor lost. All of which would have been too much for any nation to handle, but this was no normal nation. Those that survived picked themselves up and moved on as best they could, now residing (and as some saw it, hiding) within the shrouds of Eldridge Forest, hoping to rebuild what they once had to some extent. Of course, no-one could bring back the lives that had been lost. Speaking of those lost, there was one person in particular that had hold of many of Coraima's thoughts as of late – one of her fellow elemental masters, Sumi of the Ice element. Reconnaissance on anyone or anything was her own speciality and the woman found it difficult to believe that one of such unsubtle element like ice could pull off such a task. Regardless, the ice mistress (and Coraima's close friend) managed to convince her she would be able and was on her way. It was nearing a month since they had last been in contact and the ever present possibility of death plagued the blondes mind daily.

“If she's dead, she simply wasn't strong enough to survive.” The instant those words left her lips, a tight knot in her stomach reminded her of how much a lie that truly was or at least how much she really did not mean it. Hand moving to cover her eyes, Coraima needed feel no tension for letting her emotions get the better of her for a few moments – no others were in the room to witness her moment of weakness. So many had been lost already and many more were sure to be lost if the 'Nothings' were true to their word – could she bear the guilt of failing her duty any more? Suddenly realizing where her thoughts were lingering, the woman cursed herself before lowering her hand, glaring at anything and everything that surrounded her in her poor excuse for an office. She saw herself undeserving of having her own home within the Eldridge Forest fortress and took to sleeping in her office, making do with the sofa in the corner. Because of this, clothes, trinkets, files and what ever else you would expect a lightning elementalist to have in their home was strewn across the room. She had neither the time or motivation to keep the place tidy.

Amber eyes traversing over to the door once a frantic collection of knocks cascaded off the wooden surface, the set of four identical swords that previously lay on her desk lifted themselves up and retreated to the woman's hand before she opened the door to a spiky haired brunette, his striking golden eyes wide and staring right at the taller woman's narrowed eyes. “M-Mistress! Th-There is a--” The boy was silenced as the lightning master's free hand rose, waiting a moment before circling once and the moving to point it his chest, sighing quietly in annoyance. “Before you continue, remember who you are speaking to and start again.” The boy visibly tensed and straightened up, apparently more fearful of the woman in front of him rather than whatever was worrying him moments ago. Eventually plucking up the courage once again, he bowed as his frantic expression was replaced with a look of stoic confidence, settling Coraima's mood once more. Rational behaviour – something she thrived on. He hastily informed the woman of a large crowd gathering in the main hall of the fortress, shouting slander and threats to the elementalists that were currently residing there. That was all Coraima needed to know.

It took mere minutes for the lightning mistress to find the source of the commotion, the loosely dubbed 'angry mob' immediately recognizing and turning on the woman as soon as she came into view. Regardless of how many there were and how threatening they might have appeared, she stood firm and seemingly uninterested as she fixed her swords to her belt, lifting her gaze to crowd once they were suitably in place. The gathering continued shouting their complaints, voicing their lack of faith in their former heroes. One hand placed on her hip, she address the crowd, aloof with confidence. “I would like to remind you all that every last one of you would be dead if it weren't for us. I would have hoped you all humane enough to remember that. We are only human. We are simply gifted. We could abandon those without gifts if we saw fit, but we are still human and look after our own kind. If you wish to continue outcasting and abusing those who are keeping you safe, I hope you are ready to survive on your own.” She stated bluntly, poker face still in play. Many of the crowd were taken back by her answer, a few using to fuel the fire of their rage. More slander, more ridicule but what really pushed Coraima's buttons was when the crowd began putting the blame for the entire war on those with elemental gifts. They blamed the elementalists for the dreadful war? How dare they!? Hands lowering to her sides, her brow furrowed as her anger began to build - she only managed to keep her temper in check for a handful more insults thrown her way.

“Get out of my sight.” She started quietly, head tilting back as she looked down on those in front of her, even those taller than herself. “Be thankful I still remember my place in this world. I protect what I can but if I detect any threats to the people of this city, I will show no mercy. That means any who would distract me from my job with petty complaints!” She bellowed the last sentence with such ferocity, even the men within the group shuddered and began to rethink their actions, even if just by a fraction. And yet, the gathering stood firm, wanting to continue their discussion stroke angry mob, only succeeding to push Coraima's patience to the limit until it finally snapped. The small collection of swords at her belt shuddered before seemingly leaping from her side, hovering silently above their seething master, each pointing at a different member of the crowd. The gathering quietened, their eyes snapping from the threat of the swords to the potentially more dangerous threat of the lightning mistress. Before another word was uttered, the blades shot forward, earning a few screams from the crowd but harming none, stopping dead before the foreheads of their targets. The crowd moved back, as did the swords before they resumed their harmless assault, succeeding in driving the men and women back towards the entrance, doors swinging shut behind them. A painful silence fell upon to hall after that, those previously in the room before the mob arrive staring at the lightning mistress before silently continuing with their duties.

The formerly seething blonde, however, still stood at the center of the hall, chest slowly rising and falling deeply in an effort calm her frayed nerves, eyes fixed upon entrance doors. How quickly they had turned from rage to fear had suddenly dawned upon Coraima how truly terrifying her foul moods could really be. Her amber gaze softened considerably before falling to the floor, another tiny sigh escaping her. "..I'm just like a tyrant." She mused to herself, still not moving from her spot at center stage. Staying still for a mere minute longer, Coraima's hand once again lifted and caused the swords to return to her side, the hint of a smile present on her features. "Well .. Whatever keeps people alive, I suppose."

[Ritzo]

xxxADV. LITERATE POST CHECK


"Bad night at home again, Amaya?"

A pair of deep chocolate eyes snapped open at the sound of the name, blinking rapidly for a few moments before finding the source. A tall brunette male stood beside her in the aisle she was supposedly sorting and tidying up until her thoughts began to wander, which almost always ended up with her eyelids beginning to drift together and her forehead making do with a jumper as a makeshift pillow. The man that had stumbled upon the sleeping beauty was a colleague of hers and a close friend to Amaya, but not to Gina. Gina had been bestowed the handy little ability of changing her genetic code which in turn altered her outer appearance, able to give her new identities as she pleased. Her most useful for keeping a low profile was Amaya Kagami, a part-time worker at a busy clothing store in the city. Feigning that smile that all fell for, the woman brought a hand to her eyes and dragged a small hand mirror from her uniform pocket, proceeding to check her appearance and in turn making the friend laugh. It was quite the large clothing store she had managed to land herself a job in - her talent of dealing with any sort of customer was sought after by many of the newer and older employee's when they just could not be bothered to deal with the complaints. It was both a gift and a curse in some aspects, but it kept her wallet full which in turn helped her real colleagues back in their underground base. Or at least, she hoped they were still there - she hated it when they did not tell her they were going out for the day.

Returning the mirror to her pocket, 'Amaya' sighed quietly and returned to sorting the clothing shelves in that aisle, her 'friend' following her along the way. "Mm.. Another fight. Lasted a good hour or so." The man shook his head, turning once and leaning his back against the shelf she was sorting, hands in his pockets and sighing irritably. Next came the usual session of him bitching about the parents whom had never met (and never would since they did not exist) in Amaya's stead while she continued to smile ever so slightly whilst returning to her job, taking extra care in refolding the jumper she had previously used as a pillow. Although her friendship with the man was somewhat fake, it made the days go by faster when you had someone to talk to and for that, she was thankful. Hence why she kept up the farce but she had to admit, she did enjoy his company. He could turn anything into a conversation, knew how to be polite and most importantly of all, was one-hundred percent homosexual which meant there was no unfortunate sexual tension. Every girl had to have a gay friend in her opinion! She had lied to her friend and also her employer about her life at home, informing them of the heavy divorce her parents were going through and how tough it made looking after her siblings and herself for that matter. They all bought her story and took pity in her, giving her a job and also paying her wages in cash after she voiced her concerns of her 'money grabbing father' stealing her bank card to get at her money. Lies were a wonderful invention.

It was a busy day in the store but being the middle of summer, the jumpers and sweaters were not all that popular making that aisle the best to have a rest and a chat away from customers and more importantly, the supervisors. She was blessed to have been found by Shaun and no other, there was already one warning against her name for sleeping on the job. The two continued to chat as time passed on until 'Amaya' noticed the large clock on the wall, blinking in surprise at the time. "..I've overworked by an hour, Shaun. You distract me to easily!" The culprit turned to stare at the clock as well, the pair breaking out into matching grins before finishing their aisle - no sense leaving a job unfinished. With their work completed, the pair parted ways and Amaya was keen to grab her bag and wages from the staff room but halted in her tracks once Shaun called out after her. "There's a few end of season grabs in the back room if you want to get first dibs!" The 'End of season grabs' was the term employees used for the clothes they were allowed to take once a certain season was over, clothes that were no longer the 'new thing' and were no longer selling. Employees were allowed to take as much as they wanted free of charge though there was always a large charity bucket somewhere near the clothes in question, a subtle hint. Offering her friend a quick wave, she headed towards the room in question.

The fellow Project I accomplices could no longer walk the streets as freely as they once did, often leaving it up to Gina to leave the safety of their hidden home and find what they desired. It mostly meant shopping for food and being the only one (to her knowledge) still with a regular income, she took the job on her own shoulders. Of course she was nervous each time she stepped outside without an ally at her side but she knew it was all necessary and was trained in how to mask it all - those few years in acting school really did come in handy afterall. It was not all down to food shopping though, working in a clothes store had more perks than just a healthy wage. Staff discounts and the free end of season clothes were great for keeping her friends fashionable, warm and happy. Finally reaching the room mention, a tiny smile etched itself across her features at the charity bucket standing in the middle of the room on its own table, drawing Gina over to it and emptying her pockets of loose change. Spinning once, Gina really took in the large selection of clothes on their hangers scattered across the room, taking a paper bag from the table and wandering around the room. Quite a nice selection of scarves; that might keep Balatro quiet for a while. Still a few shirts left over from the spring sale; something the Architect might like. Lots of nice tops and skirts; suitable for both herself and Stopwatch. Gina was actually beginning to enjoy herself until her bag reached full capacity, getting herself another bag would just be greedy.

Somewhat satisfied were her collection, Gina headed along the staff only area and made it onto the busy streets of her town, feeling comforted by the cover the crowds gave her. Both her bags held close to her side, the shape shifter delved into the onslaught of people, following the flow for a good ten minutes before escaping again, managing to scurry down a much quieter road, regardless of how many of her favorite shops lined the street. Mostly candy and tech shops, seeing them brought on a more genuine smile. They had all they needed to survive for a while but that did not mean she could not indulge herself in a few treats every so often, after all she was paying for them herself. But sweets and gadgets were not her reason to visit that particular area. There was a lovely little newspaper shop owned by an old woman she knew quite well, sadly she assumed Gina was dead like the rest of her family. Entering the shop, Gina's Grandmother was sat behind the counter as always, watching the small television on the side before noticing the new arrival, flashing that cheeky grin that was so well known in her family - or was well known at least. She felt her insides clench upon seeing the aged woman, but her outer appearance did not falter as she moved towards the front of the shop, taking her daily soda pop from fridge along the way.

"Ah, Amaya! Your subscription came in today. Sorry it took so long, I gave that company an earful, I tell you!" The woman waved her finger around before returning her gaze to the television screen, leaving Gina to observe the candy shelf. Pocky was a given but she had a craving for something a little sweeter this time. Her hand reached out to grab a packet of sugary wands only to pause once her ears picked up the conference her Grandmother was watching. The moment she recognized the voice, the brunette had subtly shifted towards the counter, leaning over to one side and staring hard at the screen just in time to see the faces of herself and her friends displayed. If there was anything that would have caused her to lose her cool, that would be it. Luckily, she was in the presence that kept her calm, voicing her discomfort with a quick cough. "..Mind if I go out the back way again? My anxiety is playing up.. Little too crowded today." A tiny smile and the Grandmother nodded, lifting the separator on the counter once she paid for her candy and allowed the brunette through, receiving a quick hug before she disappeared through the back door. Caution was always a good thing went you felt anxious. Nervousness led to stress, stress led to mistakes and Gina had no room for error in her position. Taking one of many mobile phones from her bag, she quickly flicked it open and typed a frantic message to someone back home, dismantling the back and snapping the SIM card in half before heading on her way. She had to get back to the others quickly.

"Did you see that conference? Please, for the love of christ, say you didn't leave the base today or so help me, I'll kill you all myself. Your faces are everywhere! I'll be back soon."

-----


Two Days Ago xxxx

Killing that strange mole creature and taking its claws was a great idea, it was pretty tasty too even if it was a little on the small side. The claws, when attatched to a certain womans hands, were fantastic for climbing the cliffs and rocky surfaces of the rightly dubbed Abyss. The Abyss was a dangerous place for a collection of reasons, the three main reasons being as follows; the terrian itself was difficult to traverse, the creatures that lived there were highly territorial and tough but the greatest threat was all down to the single human that did dwell there. The moment anyone or anything stepped into her domain, she knew. The moment anyone or anything moved nearer to her home, she knew. The moment anyone or anything found her, she was already with weapon in hand and ready to bludgeon, maim and destroy the second she laid eyes upon them. This was her area, her home and she would be damned if it change or was disturbed at all. It had taken her years to find her perfect hideout and even longer still to mould it to her liking. When there was a lady like Bella in the vicinity, it was usually best to steer clear as poor little purple snake was about to find out.

Spending a lot of their time underground, one of Bella's companions was quite amazing at detecting those stepping above ground however lightly they may have thought they were being. The moment the snakes slithered its way into her territory, the battle hungry team was already on the move, zoning in on the creature with ease. One trap fall later and the serpent was underground and imobilised due to a petite woman's knee just below its head, holding it to tunnel ground. The creature tried to wriggle free, spitting a purple liquid from its mouth but was unable to hit anything, only really succeding in enraging the woman. A dull 'thunk' was heard as her hatchet passed through the end of the snakes tail, forcing a series on pained screeches from the creature as she worked her way up the body. It stopped struggling around halfway, twitching every so often. She hated poison and anything related to poison with every inch of her being. There was only one other thing she hated more and he had just decided to invade her happy place with his voice.

"Attention current survivors, congratulations on your prolonged resilience and tenacity!" Bella froze, hatchet held above her shoulder before she slowly got to her feet, eyes wide and her knuckles turning white from clenching so tightly. "Your tests have brought forth the means to the next generation of recruits," The woman managed to utter a quiet 'no' though it sounded much more like a growl thanks to months of being somewhat mute. Her head quickly snapped from one side to the other, trying desperately to discover the source of the noise. She could have sworn she had destroyed any mechanical device that was not her own weeks ago but sadly, they seemed to like reappearing. One of her companion that was previously feasting on the snake remains had begun to nuzzle is crocodile-like jaws into one of the walls, wagging its tail as if trying to show her something. Leaning in closer, Bella growled as the sound became louder - the speaker must be behind there! Her prime digging partner was not there and her hatchet would not be able to break the rock, all Bella could do was try and block out the man's voice with her own screaming. After a long period of keeping silent, her yells were not quite as good as they once were, John Wall's voice still audible over her voice but regardless, it felt good to scream again.

Even with the noise she was making in attempt to overpower the man, she still listened, her voice faultering over so often. Three hundred new recruits? They were repeating what happened ten years ago, the thought of it caused the hardy woman to shudder, getting onto her knees and crawling through the tunnel to her left, the small crocodile following shortly after fixing another piece of snake flesh in its teeth. After crawling around half a mile, Bella was finally able to get to her feet again, not bothering to brush the mud from her knees whilst she peered around the dimly lit cavern. It was a large room, lit only by flickering flashlights and a few fire torches, with a few small carved out rooms surrounding the center part and blocked by a metal door - containments for her other companions. At the center of the large room was a large pile consisting mostly of rugged blankets but more important, her equipment on top. The club she had taken from the corpse of an elephant-type creature, her boots carved from the remains of what she heard a scientist call a 'Golem' before being beaten to death, and last but not least, her pride and joy, a little skull wearing creature nuzzled quite happily on the top of the pile, apparently waiting for its 'mother' to return. Quickly moving to the creature and scooping it up awkwardly into her arms, Bella began to circle the room, deep in thought on her next move.

Her team could all just go to the Debris fields and simply wait, jump out and slaughter all they could before leaving, that was much her style of working, but then of course there were the other survivors that had more than likely heard the announcement too. Would they attack them or possibly defend them? Who knew how their minds worked, charging was too risky. Then there was only one other way (other than ignoring everything and continuing on with her life as normal) , lay a trap or fifty. She stopped circling and stood outside one door in particular, allowing her skull wearing friend to cling to her leg as she placed it on the floor before wrenching the door open, a large spined creature shuffling its way out. She had overheard a scientist call it a 'Sandslash' but Bella found nothing sandy about and chose to ignore the name. Huffing once, Bella turned back to her pile of belongings at center stage and began to dress herself accordingly, finding her usual head accessory underneath the collection of blankets. Claws, boots and skull finally in place, she headed down one of the many tunnels, her three chosen companions waddling shortly afterwards. It was going to take them a while to get to the Debris fields, too long in fact. They would simply have to lay in wait as the new recruits made their way towards their real destination - the preparation center. The look on their faces when more lives were stripped away as their supposed safe haven was more dangerous than they thought - the idea brought a rare and estranged smile to her lips.


Present Day xxxx

She was right in her assumptions - at least two of the other original survivors had heard the announcement and had made a beeline for the new recruits. Bella had seen the large tracks made by the only gigantic creature that would have any reason to head in that direction - the large metalic snake (what was it with snakes getting on her nerves recently?) owned one of the other females on the island. She had never bothered to learn her name, under the circumstances of when Bella ever met face to face with another survivor, it was always under violent conditions - not the best time to chat and get to know each other. Following the river surrounded by ruins through section '6G', Bella was startled enough and smart enough to run for cover once a somewhat familiar roar echoed across the area, followed shortly by a fearsome shadow - The Tyrant. Bella and her team had encountered the beast on many occasions when looking for a permanent home, thinking the mountains would be a suitable area but apparently were quite wrong. As the creature finally passed, the woman's group continued on, keeping close to the ruins that littered the area until the fabled 'preperation center' came into view in the distance. Now running out and simply destroying the building or whatever was inside was cruel even by Bella's standards - they had to have the tiniest flicker of hope, just as they had ten years ago. Instead, she ordered her 'Sandslash' to get started on her plans while she continued on towards the Debris fields, club and hatchet in either hand swinging with each step.

Time to give the new recruits a proper welcome.


-----

It was happening again, how long ago was it since they were caught in one of those twisted 'experiments' the conciencless scientists came up with? Not long enough, of course. Bella was only a step away from having her feet taken from the rest of her body as a steel wall shot up in front of her, the plexiglass following shortly afterwards. The pale figurine froze in her tracks, foot slightly elevated and now pressed against the metalic guard that now blocked her path. That was not supposed to happen but in all honesty, she should have expected it. An announcement made directly for the survivors and Bella truly did not believe something would happen should they decided to travel there? It was foolish. Unless, of course, the ex-botanist knew something would transpire and that her reason for going. Perhaps ten years of constant creature attack, frequent experiements and tests of her will had pushed her into seeking one thing and one thing only - company. There was only so much conversation she could get from a stone wall or a growling, disfigured hedgehog. Maybe she yearned for the company of another human, to feel as though she had hope, perhaps for something more to appear from it all - love maybe?

But not really.

There was only so much pride you could get from scaring off creatures much larger than yourself, only so much amusement you could get when you bludgeon the smaller ones, only so many screams and yelps you could hear before you had heard them all before. What she had not heard in a long time, however, were humans. Whether they were talking or screaming for their lives, it was something Bella missed. The sounds they made, not the company they brought. Living underground for extended periods of time made you cautious of noises, the tiniest scratch could mean an invader or a tunnel collapse. Speaking of tunnels, her tunneler friend had popped up beside her, apparently having felt the changes underground and decided to return to her side, it beady eyes squinting slightly at the change of light. What should they do now? If Bella had learnt anything from living on this blasted island for ten years, being boxed in only meant a test was beginning, usually containing angry creatures from the island. Her solid boot kicked off from the metalic wall as she motioned for the hedgehog to go back underground, the noise echoing once before she turned to walk in a sort of diagonal direction, headed towards what she assumed would be near the centre. The sound of humane screams littered the air along with the steady beat of heavy footfalls from both human and creature alike. Bella's spine tingled with excitement even as her group were surrounded by bothersome rats and their larger rat leaders.

The normal would run, the normal would hide. The mentally unstable would scream, the mentally unstable yell. Bella would sing, Bella would fight. "Deep in the ocean, dead and cast away." She began, her voice still scetchy from weeks of silence though her former singing voice piercing through rugged cracks. As the gathering of rats began to circle Bella and her group of mud loving partners, the sand-coloured crocodile snapped its jaws while the skulled rodent brandished its club, Bella hoisting her hatchet to shoulder height while her own club hung at her side. "Where innocence is burned, in flames." Taking that sentence as a que, one of the disfigured purple rats lunged for the human but was almost instantly brought to the ground as her little 'child' slammed its club into the rats body, a sickening crack signalling a broken spine. "A million mile from home, I'm walking ahead." Enraged at the sudden death, the other rats screeched and chittered in unision, a few more charging for the group at the centre. Some were foolish enough to attack Bella's legs with their teeth, receiving a toothache before being either stomped on or beheaded violently. Some went for the two creatures at her side and although they landed many bites and scratches, they were afterall, only rats. Blood littered the ground at their feet but it mostly belonged to the rats, so Bella did not worry.

"I'm frozen to the bones, I am." She continued to sing without a proper tune, now sitting upon one of the corpse of the larger rats, watching as the crocodile and her 'child' either playing with or eatting the rat bodies that had not been able to run away. Not a single toothmark or scratch could be seen on her rocky boots and Bella was glad too, that thing they killed so she could fashion the boots took forever to kill and only did so when it fell in the river. Rocks sink fast and can drown apparently. "A soldier on my own, I don't know the way." She had enough over the years to carve those boots out enough so that they were light but still durable, after many attempts of course. The rock golem creature was a large one and she was able to swim to the bottom of the river and retrieve more of its outter shell for each failed attempt. Some of its remains were still there, its hollowed out middle now a home for some aquatic creatures. "I'm riding up the heights of shame." The crocodile was quite happily feasting upon the many small rats that had died at their hands, Bella narrowed her eyes slightly as she watched it. Had its scales become darker recently? It was growing fatter too. It was a greedy little thing and maybe it was becoming darker from all the dirt and mud they crawled around in. Or perhaps it was getting ready to 'change'? Bella had seen it once or twice before, a creature changing from one thing to another. She had assumed that her sandless 'Sandslash' had changed into what it was - it seemed to like those spineless sand-coloured things they had met once before.

"I'm waiting for.. for .. for .. for .. for .. Nnngghhraaagh!" She had forgotten the lyrics again. Even ten years on that island was not enough time for her to remember that line, every time she tried it drove her that little bit more insane. Standing up sharply enough to cause her rat sofa to topple over, Bella ignored the bleeding wounds on her arms and stormed off, her child tottering off quickly after her while the crocodile fixed one last rat between its jaws before gandering after them. The screams were still heavy in the air along with the roars and shrieks of the island creatures, but still Bella headed towards what she thought might be the center. Familiar screeches of the rats filled her ears, causing Bella to blinking and spin around, trying to pinpoint the source. Had those that had managed to run return? No, there was another like herself fighting them off. Another survivor. Her pace neither slowed or quickened, she simply continued on towards the commotion, eventually catching sight of the one eyed woman fighting another set of rodents with her own companions. Bella felt her chest tighten. Same hair colour, same figure - the two could be passed as siblings. Had one of her siblings been on this island the entire time? She did not remember her sister having only one eye but reason seemed to have fallen from her, feeling convinced that they were in some way related. As she watched from afar, Bella's grip on her weapons loosened slightly, a mixed feeling of pride and caution appearing as the other woman battled the rodents off. She was doing a bit slowly, but gracefully and she was actually able to fend them off. As she killed off the last of the rats and scared off the steel ants with her partners, Bella was about to step forward and interact verbally with the woman but a constant rumbling beneath their feet took her attention elsewhere.

Apparently enraged that they were also trapped within the see through walls and the metal ones, a large herd of stampeding raptor-like creatures could be seen charging at full speed towards the rat corpses and the ones who had killed them. They did not care for whatever they were charging at, they simply wanted to vent out their frustration. Narrowing her eyes, the pale blonde noticed the cracks in the earth in front of them forming a trail along the ground, as though there was something underneath tunneling around. The ground would have already been weaked by whatever ground based attacks those ants were using, making it much easier for her hedgehog companion to do what it did best - make pit falls and collapsable tunnels. Any smart, sane person would have forged a brief alliance with this possible sibling of hers - smart Bella was, sane she was not. Choosing to ignore the herd of rampaging raptors, Bella stomped towards the other woman with a look of pure malice in her shielded eyes. "..Idiot Sarah! You got caught too!" She screamed as her hatchet and skull she wore was thrown to her side, racing forward and jumping for the woman, shoulder ramming square in her stomach and knocking both women to the ground. As their bodies hit the ground, the cracked earth beneath them seemed to give way and quickly collapsed, revealing the tunnel beneath them Bella assumed was there. A short distance away, the giant raptors raged on, seemingly unphased by the disappearance of the two humans. They would have most likely trampled on the humans companions still above ground and continued on their way if not for sudden tunnels collapsing under their feet.

The dinosaurs ran in three jumbled lines, the front line falling victim to the tunnel that fell beneath their feet. In unision, the sound of breaking bones filled the area accompanied by howls of prehistoric pain as their legs broke at the sudden fall, their bodies still moving forward and causing their legs to snap. The groups that were running behind them barged into the leaders, causing more pain to those and then onto themselves, a few falling head over heels and snapping more than just their legs. Those who had not fallen vicitim to the trap had either continued running completely oblivious or uncaring of their herd, or had stopped to see to their fallen kin. Back in the part of the tunnel Bella and Panacea had forceibly been thrown into, Bella was still on top of the other woman, staring hard into the eyes of the other. A few more moments of awkwardness and Bella finally spoke. "You're not Sarah." She stated bluntly, making her ascent out of the cave-in as uncomfortable as possible for Panacea, not even bothering to help her out once she escaped herself. The realization came the moment Bella saw her up close, disgruntlment of her own stupidity befalling her almost instantly. Of course her sister would not be on the island - when had that foolish thing called hope returned? Cocking her head to the side, Bella now moved her stare to the gathering of raptor corpses and mourners. "..I want one." She announced, picking up the skull she had thrown to the ground previously, fixing it back onto her head. Now was probably not the best time to try and subdue one but perhaps after the 'test' was over she would have a try. Speaking of the raptors, those who had survived had suddenly renewed their anger and had spotted the two humans, letting out rage filled roars, beginning their charge again. "..What's gotten them angry?" Bella asked, head turned towards Panacea with a look a innocent bewilderment that shone even through the skull she wore.


-----


Blood red lights littered the streets of Majitreos while bandits and thugs enjoyed the unusually albeit pleasantly cool morning, conversations plentiful about their latest finds in treasure and wenches. The lantern flames licked at the scorched sky, illuminating the vast amounts of dangerous weapons and trinkets aligning many of the cities inhabitants belts - this city was not known for its friendly welcomes and bountiful generosity to strangers and foreigners. Those not of the 'Land of Death' might as well be dead, or at least that is how they were seen to those often seen as the scum of the earth by outsiders. One wrong step, a single foolhardy word and a stranger might as well sign their own death certificate. It was in plain sight for all to see that this was not a place to draw attention to yourself and for that very reason, two travellers saw it as their duty to make themselves known to the city of Majitreos - both to announce their presence and also as a severe warning to all. Their images were known and feared in the vast majority although in some strange cases, respected. One of those mentioned cases was Westhus Himmelstoss, a nutcase in Cave's eyes but a scarily ambitious one too, once perking at his gradually declining interest. The pair were already somewhat pissed off to say the least by the letter they had received a few nights past, demanding their arrival in said town in a tone that really rubbed them the wrong way. One could argue the fact that a letter held no tone and was merely a request, but of course, they would disagree wholeheartedly and aggressively, possibly assuming in ones death or horrible dis figuration. Any reason to start a scrap as they had not been in one it quite some time - two days was far too long!

The skies were barren save for the blazing sun shedding its light across the still sands surrounding capital city of death, making the rapidly approaching black blur all the more unusual. Her vast wingspan cut through the air with ease like a knife through butter, in silent elegance. Eyes of gleaming amber scanned the deserts below and the city ahead, searching for a potential threat or annoyance (either one would receive the same punishment). A dragon was a magnificent beast to say the least but this one in particular did not hold the noble and majestic air about it as many of her kin did. Deeds brought onto her in the past had twisted both her mind and soul, in turn her appearance darkened along with them. This might have bothered the creature in the past, but it seemed her companion and partner had helped her move past such trivial thoughts - he seemed to think she looked 'incredibly badass' anyway and apparently that was a good thing. The relationship of Cave Agenciro and Aegis the dragon was, for lack of a better word, odd. The fought, they slept, they fought some more. Their life was a simple one and they had no real reason to stick with one another other than to fight to their hearts content. That was where their respect for the other spurred from and if they were forced into admitting it, they would have to say they enjoyed the company of each other. The irony of the name he gave to the dragon brought an almost mocking grin to the man's features each time he remembered its meaning. The beast, however, saw it as both and reminder and a challenge - something to strive for. In any language, 'aegis' stood for protection, contrasting highly with the dragons failure to protect her offspring - something Cave was humane enough not to mention or hint at it in anyway.

Getting back to the matter at hand, the battle-hungry duo were honing in on the darkened city, the dragoness lowering herself so she were mere inches from the sands below, whipping the grains up and tossing them to the sides in a powerful gust of wind. Just as the nearest building was within touching distance, the beast reared back and narrowly avoided hitting the stone wall, wings knocking over various pots and whatever else people had foolishly placed on the tops of their homes. An almost childish act of vandalism but whatever kept the dragon happy meant people generally were not torn in half for a short while longer. A short while later and the dragon was hovering over the only space large enough to hold a creature of her size - a courtyard of some faint description. Landing unusually quietly for something of her great weight, the dragon whipped her tailed to the side, instantly breaking a stone bench in half and then a wooden shop stall, snorting flames and malice towards any that dared to be near her. While all this was happening, the man previously riding on the back of the beast had casually slipped off and was currently rolling up an odd coloured cigarette, holding it up to catch one of the dragons flames before fixing it between his teeth. Those that already in the area before their arrival apparently got the message and wandered off, not wanting to face the wrath of an angered dragon, paying no mind to the one eyed man accompanying the monster. Now came the mediocre task of finding the damn meeting place.

Cave held little to no interest to the meeting he was invited to. He was, however, eager to see what it brought on afterwards. A full on war with the rest of the world? Sounded completely insane which came as no surprise to the man, especially since the idea came from a man like Westhus. It was by chance that they had met. Back in they days when Cave was on the run from the many law enforcers in the world, there were very few places a large dragon could hide safely. A hidden cavern inside an Onyx mine worked perfectly though and after a few deals and death threats later (though he doubted the threats held anything over the man), their intrusion was ignored. He owed the man a favor or two and so here he was. At least the brief concept of the letter sounded interesting, the man knew how to grab Cave's attention at least. Why a ruthless killer like Cave felt the need to live up to the favor he less than willingly agreed to all those years ago was beyond him. Regardless of whether he knew why or not, he was already there and might as well go along with it. By some stroke of luck, the mentioned meeting place was just around the corner, annoying the dragon greatly. How on earth was she supposed to fit inside any of these tiny buildings? Eyebrow raised as the smoke from his cigarette began to filter through his teeth, the silver haired man cocked his head back whilst staring at his partner. One huff later and the beast was back in the air again, lingering for a moment before flying off again, deciding to circle the city a few times before settling on the roof of the largest building in the city, lazily folding her wings back and laying down to rest.

Holding up his left hand and cracking his knuckles into the other, the man set off along the street, ignoring the ash from his cigarette that fell onto his bare chest every so often. He felt many pairs of eyes fixed on his back, causing the man to smirk ever so slightly. The two large weapons strapped to his back were heavy, battle-worn and most importantly to the majority, extremely expensive even in their condition. "Try it.. I dare ya'." He silently dared the watchers, spitting the cigarette to the floor before continuing on, pausing briefly at the sight of an out-of-place beauty. Behind what appeared to be a towering stack of books was someone Cave had recently liked bothering in the past month. Leilani Rajani, a pretty little librarian who lived in the capital. Now Cave did not really like anyone but there was something about Leilani's naive outlook on everything that he found so unbelievably hilarious. So much in fact that he only really returned to Majitreos just to see that annoyed little look on her face when ever he spoke to loudly in her library. It was a building with books - the books were not going to get up and run away if he shouted at them. Watching the woman struggle a few feet before noticing him, Cave simply winked (as best he could with one eye) and grinned at her before continuing with his own journey, glancing over his shoulder every few steps. The watchful, greedy eyes of the bandits in the area seemed to have left his back and were seemingly following the woman. How annoying. She would probably die if they attacked her. No-one killed anyone while he was in the area unless it was him doing the killing. "Hurry up. You're laggin' behind." He called out, more as a warning to those around that the woman was his.

Finally reaching the agreed upon location, Cave took his weapons from his back and held them in one hand - the door to the building being to small for him to walk through. Cocking his head to the side, his eye traversed the path he just walked, resting briefly upon Leilani before moving to an area much further behind them. Aegis was apparently not intent on allowing birds share the roof she had claimed and was occupying herself with burning the courageous birds to cinders, causing the man to chuckle. If he was born a dragon, he would probably have done the same thing. Finished with destroying the tiny birds, the dragon turned its massive head towards her partner and his new companion, narrowing her eyes and snorting loudly. Ever the jealous type. Speak of the devil, Leilani finally caught up to the man and stood a few feet away, peering up at the man with a slight hint of expectancy in her eyes. It took a few moments for him to realise that she wanted him to open the door and surprisingly to most, that is what he did, holding it open with his left foot. Somewhat uncharacteristic of him until he slipped the poles of his weapons forward just as the woman stepped closer, causing her to stumble, fall to her knees and watch as her beloved books scattered across the floor. Grin reappearing, Cave ignored whatever objections she might have uttered as he strode across the room, cigarette nearing the end of its life as the last gathering of ash hit the floor. Not even bothering to acknowledge the others residing in the room until he found his spot at the back of the room, the one-eyed warrior dragged his chair closer to the window positioned by the door and sat down, lifting his legs and resting his feet on the window-sill comfortable, eye instantly fixing with the dragon perched so far away. Not that Cave did not expect Aegis to able to defend herself should bandits try anything against her, but he did like to make sure what was his stayed in his limited sight. Finaly satisfied with his seating arrangements, Cave directed his grin towards Leilani and patted his lap. He doubted she would take his offer and sit on his legs, but she always entertained him regardless of what reaction she chose. Besides, he needed all the distractions he could muster with a meeting like this on the way. Anything to keep his mind away from violent tendancies.


-----


Ignoring Westhus' explicit annoyance at his actions, the one-eye warrior shifted in his seat slightly as he took his offer to make himself comfortable, crushing the last remains of his cigarette and flicking it at the window. Cave was never a man who craved attention. He was not the smartest in terms of book smarts, nor was he the best looking man around but through his actions and way of life, he seemed to attract it more than the average person. So when the petite librarian chose to ignore his offer of using him as a seat, he felt no annoyance or anger. Quite the contrary, it just gave him more incentive to pester the woman further. Luckily for Leilani, the dragon rider knew when to stop annoying her but he only had that form of restraint for her. It never really bothered him or crossed his mind that he only acted this way for her, he was too busy enjoying the interaction. Speaking of attention, the next person to follow in after they had arrived was a woman Cave held little to no patience for, the Matron Ava. He only watched her walk across the room for a mere second before looking out the window again, uninterested in her entirely until she spoke to him directly. Her words were mocking and in any other situation, a chair or possibly his spear would have been thrown in her general direction but he resisted, even as she smiled at him that forced him to grunt in annoyance. He felt nothing but hatred for that woman though the fact she had the audacity to go toe-to-toe with him on occasion was enough to amuse him, earning a tiniest amount of respect. His respect was not always a blessing though, it just meant he would take a little longer to kill said person. As the woman continued on, Cave replied not with words, but with his centre finger raised and facing her, smiling in return. Stupid woman. How he would love for Aegis to 'accidentally' sit on her.

After a good ten minutes, only one other arrived – a man Cave had seen on occasion watching his Leilani in her beloved library. His eye watched the man cross the room and sit down, keeping his gaze fixed upon him until someone started to speak, moving his attention outside the window again. There were few things in this life Cave called his own, even fewer were living, breathing beings. It made him protective, almost obsessive over said things and he did all he could to keep them under his watchful eye. So when a man begins eyeing his prize, he would love nothing more than to erase his existence. Sadly, Cave had been asked by Westhus specifically not to attack the man in question, much to his annoyance. That man knew the Dragon rider too well, not that he was a secretive man but it still rubbed him the wrong way. Instead of allowed the mercenary any chance of interacting too much with his Leilani, Cave would always jump in before he got too close, shooting glares and on occasion throwing a book at him when he thought he was not looking. Childish? Undoubtedly, but it gave him peace of mind in a sense.

Speaking of his prize, the little librarian had begun to speak and although she was the main attention, Cave's was elsewhere. He did not come here to exchange fairy tales and study gemstones. He was there with the sole intention of pitching in on the destruction of Ixavia. He cared little for any plans, he just wanted to be leading the charge – as was promised to him by Westhus. He also promised the lands of fire - his homelands - as another prize, but he cared little for that. He felt little connection to his old home, they was not really a place in the world he could call home. The only reason that could have enticed his interest would be the look on a certain old enemies face once he learned of his leadership. The thought actually managed to make him chuckle out loud, ignoring the look of curiosity on the rooms inhabitants and the slight annoyance in Leilani's eyes at the minor interruption. Looking across the room, Cave merely shrugged and returned to dragon watching, tongue running across his teeth as he craved another cigarette. That would only cause more interruptions and prolong the meeting more than it had to, so he attempted to stow the nagging itch for tobacco in the back of his mind by listening to the presentation going on. As Leilani went on to recite part of a children’s story tale, Cave could not help but close his eye and let out an almost contented sigh. He never held much love for reading or stories, that was what people like Leilani were good for, they could read them out so he did not have to. It was odd how unnaturally relaxed he became as she recited texts like this though he was too content to question it.

Shuffling noises behind him brought the man back to his senses, glancing over his shoulder briefly as a set of books were shared amongst them, grinning in full as he was not handed one. Oh, she knew him too well. He was more likely to use the book as a foot rest. The explanation continued with Cave barely listening and as she finished, Westhus began to speak in her stead but that hardly caught his attention at all. There was something that had though, almost directly above him. The building was not the hardiest of constructions, cracks and holes were present not in the walls, but in the ceiling. One crack in particular had a colour within that should not have been – blue? Having only one eye, his vision was somewhat impaired in that sense, but years of training his remaining eye had its uses, spotting odd little details being one of them. Without questioning his instincts (and even if he turned out to be incorrect with his assumptions, he doubted anyone would have been shocked at his sudden outburst of aggression), Cave stood up suddenly, chair clattering to the floor as his hand clutched his favoured trash clearing weapon and thrust it hard into the ceiling. The ceiling groaned under the shock and dust fell from the edges but held firm, as did Cave for a few moments longer. Now glaring fiercely at the ceiling, the man slowly unlodged the spear, eye inspecting the blade as it moved past his cheek and once again returned to his side, turning his head towards the others in the room as they stared at him in confusion and caution. Tossing his spear onto the centre table, the man grinned and sat back down again only this time facing the rest of the group, legs either side of the chair back. “There's someone up there. You gonna get 'em?” He announced, jerking his head towards the ceiling. There was a small amount of blood on the blade of his spear, enough to signal a cut on the culprit above them had been made.