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[picture.perfect.failure]
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 Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:52 pm
[Enter from Zvezda Hotel]
Felicia made it past the bouncer and was fortunate enough to find a cigarette machine nearby. Score. Machines are pricey and limited, but an overpriced pack of Newports is better than nothing at all.
She avoided eye contact with dozens of patrons on her way to the bar. The club was a little louder than she preferred, but she was finally fully aware of her atmosphere. In light of this, it was high time she had a hard drink and a long smoke.
"What can I get you little lady?" inquired the seemingly disinterested bartender.
Distracted, she responded, "I'll just take a dirty martini right now, thanks."
Her face illuminated briefly as she lit a menthol cancer stick. Felicia took a deep hit, closing her eyes and filling her lungs. Then she exhaled slowly. Clearly taken with pleasure, a calmer demeanor overcame her and she silently examined the crowd. Now that she took more notice, some of these club goers seemed shady. It was probably best that she kept her distance.
A glass clinked next to her elbow. "Do you want me to start a tab for you?"
"Sure, sure," she nodded and flicked her credit card his direction.
Certain she looked as classy as women out on the corner, Felicia shed her coat and took the cigarette in one hand and her murky martini in the other. She puffed, sipped, and allowed the smoke to billow around her narrow face. It was a sick sense of comfort. Now it's time to people watch.
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:16 pm
An almost involuntary laugh came from Rogue when she thought of Meredith and how she spoke to Alexz.
Rogue knew only a fraction of the power Alexz possessed and beyond a shadow of a doubt, such power could taint the purest of souls...and to know Alexz at all...the inner strength...
Rogue knew whatever physical discipline Alexz lacked in terms of training on a level of the Death Dealers, Alexz far surpassed in her...mental strength. Rogue was quite sure that to cross the psychic elder could mean that one might spend the rest of their days believing they were four years old...even to the strongest of minds. To possess another's mind completely...
Rogue laughed again imagining that facade on Meredith...a small child trapped in the body of a lycan woman.
"I meant that we did not have to go as far as outright torture. Upon asking, she was open and honest...and surprisingly, she knew nothing of this business going on."
She used to be more in control...and yes. She was out of line...an image flashed of her sister, Xandra, when they were children. They were playing outside, and it was always Xandra who took the lead in getting into trouble...Xander had the common sense and tried to protect her from trouble. They had been laughing about something, and Kaei had come upon them in the garden. Those days were so carefree...the unstained fiery youth her sister was faded into the look of pain and regret as Kaei had drained her near death earlier that evening.
She needs my help, Alexz...
"Ceon knew some information on the initial bombing, but not much more. I know he doesn't love what is going on any more than I do. The blood oath binds us both..." Upon the words she could taste his lingering blood in her mouth.
"He can go where we can't...and so can Meredith. So...we can see what they find out, while we keep an eye close on our own ranks. This could be bigger than we really know...and God knows I have enemies."
She smiled at the last bit.
She was one of the bigger targets for most races since...she had killed a great deal from every species as a Death Dealer, and now as an Elder, she was a face to pin blame.
"Have you heard any...useful information since you've returned?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:37 pm
Veroen sighed as he scratched the back of his head. "Not much, but I can tell you that the Lycans I came across were running from someone, or something. They wouldn't tell me more. I killed one to make a point to the other, but the other killed himself before I could get more out of him." Veroen unfolded his arms and with the flick of his fingers, the Voidmaster manifested a Cuban cigar out of thin air, in between his thumb and forefinger. In his other hand, he did the same, and a silver lighter appeared from the Void in his hand. On its exterior it had the phrase, 'Audaces fortuna iuvat' engraved on its side. He put the cigar into the side of his mouth, and lit it with the silver lighter in his other hand.
"Fortune favors the bold..." he read the latin phrase engraved on the side of his lighter aloud, following it with silence. He took a large hit from the cigar, and as he exhaled, he flicked his fingers again, making his lighter disappear into a puff of Void shadow. It was a lighter he had owned for many many years, and he still remembered the first day he arrived in New york, on the Coven rooftop, where he used it for the first time.
After a moment of reminiscing, he turned his head back to Rogue, taking another large hit from the juicy cigar in his mouth. After he exhaled, he spoke in a slightly muffled voice from the cigar in the corner of his mouth as he adjusted the ends of his leather jacket sleeves. "The smell of fear was extensive on the both of them. If they were in their Lycan forms, their tails would have been between their legs, and it wasnt fear from me. They knew something, but would have rather died than divulging that information to me." He paused, taking another large hit of his cigar. "...And they did."
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:50 pm
Xander walked into Las Noches. He had felt something had gone very wrong tonight through his connection to his twin sister, Xandra. He had spent time recollecting himself after helping in the capture of Meredith and Ceon with his older sister, and vampire elder, Kaei.
He made his way to the bar and ordered a glass of bourbon. In standing beside a woman who was seemingly alone, he smiled nonchalantly and spoke while running a hand through his midnight hair, green eyes almost glowing in the darkness of the club...a noted trait of the D'Ancanto family.
"So what is a beautiful woman like yourself doing all alone on a night like tonight?"
He was worried about Xandra, but he was waiting for Rogue's cue, and as of late, there was no word. He looked into Felicia's eyes wondering if he had ever seen her before.
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Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 12:18 am
"I suppose the apology has been accepted, assuming you don't try to do it again, of course, the recovery the first time around was excruciating enough."
Though she did believe Veroen was sincere in his sentiments, she knew how easily the Void could infect his mind and cause him to lose sight of reality in an instant. She did indeed trust him, but she would always be slightly cautious and wary. Just as she had to keep tabs on the dark forces brewing within her, so she would with him. For the time being, she thankfully had no reason to feel concerned or threatened as her faith in his good intentions was affirmed by his unexpected offering, which her hand moved to catch as her mind slowed its velocity. Looking down at the bag in her hand, she couldn't conceal the look of gratitude which came across her face.
"Thank you, truly," Alexz said and she meant it, "I forget sometimes I'm not all brain," she grinned.
She fought the urge to savagely tear through the bag and devour its contents in one hurried gulp, choosing instead to gently pierce a corner with a fang and slowly drink it in. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she savored every last drop, letting it trickle down her throat and warm her body, which was grateful for the much needed nourishment. The physical transformation, though subtle, was definitely noticeable as she opened her eyes, which were no longer wild like those of a lioness, and discarded the empty bag. Licking her lips, which weren't nearly as pale as they were earlier, she allowed a moment for her fangs to retract.
"I must say, you do have good taste, at least when it comes to food," her smirk broke into a laugh as Rogue laughed at the absurdity of her exchange with Veroen's old flame.
Meredith's behavior would be comparable to Alexz confidently challenging Rogue's physical abilities, which were far superior to her own meager and minimal abilities in every way. Her training as a Death Dealer made her a terrifying enemy to have and Alexz knew she would never hold her own in a physical battle against the elder, let alone survive. Rogue fought with an animalistic intensity which, when coupled with the accuracy developed by her training, was truly unbeatable, and she respected her immensely for it. It was as if the two elders were yin and yang, as much as they were different, they were completely complementary.
Returning to the topic at hand, she spoke, "I can't imagine what they would be in fear of. The last group I recall which instilled fear with its terrorist-like abandon was that Brotherhood or something along those lines. But they haven't been active in a very long time," her brow furrowed as she attempted to make any connections to the recent attack.
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Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 12:32 am
Veroen also furrowed his brows at the mention of a Brotherhood of some sort. He silently took yet another drag of his Cigar, letting the smoke pour out of his mouth slowly as he lost himself in thought.
"Hmmm..." He grumbled quietly. Perhaps he needed to do some recon. After all, he was an Assassin and recon was one of his strong suits.
He glanced over at Alexz with his dark crimson eyes.
"So you delved into Meredith's mind..." He said, hesitating. "Did you get anything else besides info on the incident?" Veroen was curious as to how she had been holding up since he had left. Regardless of how much the Void had taken control, he still had a shred of his humanity left, which included his love for Meredith, though he would not likely admit to it.
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Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 12:48 am
Her eyes met his as he asked her about what she discovered in the depths of Meredith's mind. Arching a brow, she took a moment to formulate a response.
"To tell you the truth, much of her mind is clouded by her opinion of herself, sifting through her memories is like looking through a series of projected victories and accomplishments, which I suppose serve as a defense barrier, keeping others from getting close," she continued, "For your purposes though, I didn't exactly delve into that part of her mind."
Switching to telepathic communication, she added, " I can tell you though, yes, you are still deep in her thoughts. But her reaction to your presence was a mix of excitement and anger."
Alexz reported the information matter-of-factly, doing her best to separate her opinion of the huntress, which was rather difficult.
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Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 1:05 am
Veroen was a statue. His eyes did not move from hers, as he heard her voice ring through his head after the initial response.
'Anger...' he repeated to himself in his mind. He could understand why she would be angry with him, he did leave her, after all...again. He was motionless for a moment, expressionless as he took in what Alexz said to him. The question was, would he attempt to win her over again? His eyes flicked darkly as the Void answered him with a loud, and ringing 'NO.' The answer was the first time in a long time that the Void had spoken to him, and it echoed in his mind for a few moments.
Veroen did not object, or make a reaction, save for the initial dark flicker in his eyes. His left eye seethed, as he broke his gaze from Alexz and glanced down at the floor.
Veroen was very deep into the Void, and had many times almost drowned in it. His mind had been a constant warzone, and the battle between him and the two elders in front of him was proof of that. However, Veroen was different than back then. He had a firm grip on himself, but only because of the fact that he allowed the Void to taint him even further than he was before, as contradictory as it might seem.
Veroen slowly took another long drag of his Cigar, and exhaled.
Perhaps he was insane.
He looked back up to Alexz, knowing that she more than likely could feel the sudden conflict of interest within him. He would not pursue anything where Meredith was concerned. His focus would be maintaining the dwindling coven with Alexz and Rogue. With Kyrre and Alasdair gone, the Coven lacked true Void Masters, and Veroen would do what he could to fill that need.
"I see." he muttered.
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Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 1:23 am
Through the well trained emotionless mask of an assassin she caught a glimpse of what he was feeling, which was similar to what she sensed from Meredith earlier.
"You both have very similar feelings towards one another. Desire reigned in by restraint. Longing and rejection," she elaborated, "All I could sense was a major inner conflict, a large divide."
As she went to continue, she sensed the Void suddenly lashing out within him. Her jaw tensed as she began to feel the ripples of the dark energy radiate from her core. Expecting a violent split personality type reaction from Veroen as she had witnessed so many times in the past put her on edge. However, when she saw how calm he remained, she relaxed, continuing to watch him carefully.
"Most of her mind seemed preoccupied with her position as a leader. And Ceon. But then again they were both being detained and she felt concerned for his safety."
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Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 1:38 am
Veroen's insides churned after he heard her speak. Ceon? Had Meredith gone back to Ceon during Veroen's absence? The very thought of them together provoked the Void inside him, and he felt the strong urge to kill Ceon and bathe in his blood.
However, he quelled his internal reaction. He was beginning to realize that his control over the Void was weakened by his feelings for Meredith. The realization was unsettling.
Eager to change the subject, Veroen looked back at Alexz. "So where is Jaden?" Veroen was curious as to how the Alpha was dealing with this situation. He remembered when his sole purpose revolved around killing Jaden, though that purpose was long gone, years ago. If Lycans were involved, surely Jaden would be getting a grip on the situation. Veroen knew how much power Jaden had, and how much of a tight grip he had on the rest of the Lycans of New York. It puzzled him to think that Lycans were involved in the incident at all.
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Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 12:08 pm
Rogue pulled out a cigarette from her pants pocket and lit it with a lighter that was stashed in the other. She took a long drag before answering with what she knew of Jaden. The cool seduction of the void called to her quietly in the back of her mind, and she tried to drown it out.
"Jaden has not been around for some time...though I don't know if he is dead or not. I just know that Ceon relayed that he has fought tooth and nail to become Alpha of the pack here."
She looked at Alexz, noticing the slight color in her cheeks, knowing it would be a few bodies down before the Psychic Elder would be back to any resemblance of herself.
She took a long drag and chuckled, sharing her thoughts with the others. "We are a ridiculous bunch, you know? Down in the catacombs, the old and powerful...we've all seen too much-done too much, and yet here we all are, having a smoke break in a dark and dank room reeking of lycan blood, silver, and other strong chemicals and sedatives as if we're ready to embark on Sunday lunch."
She laughed then without reserve. She probably seemed mad, but at the moment amidst 'family' she didn't care. For whatever reason, it made her feel strangely human, and whatever made her feel tethered to this world, she welcomed it with open arms.
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Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 9:36 pm
Veroen raised an eyebrow at the response of Ceon being Alpha and Jaden being long gone. He shouldn't have been surprised, considering how long he was gone. He took another large hit of his cigar as Rogue continued, and almost choked on the smoke, if it were possible for a Vampire to do so, when he started chuckling at Rogues observation.
"Indeed..." he said as a smile played on his lips.
After a moment he walked forward, examining various things in the room with those dark crimson eyes of his. After a short pause, he spoke.
"So whats our move now? We don't know what this threat is, or if it is a threat at all." Veroen knew the first step to taking care of a problem like this is knowing what exactly the problem is, and unfortunately none of them knew. The good news, however, was that the three of them were finally reunited, and as a 'family'. 'An Assassin Deathdealer and Void Master, a Sanguinarian and Deathdealer Elder, as well as a Psychic Elder with Void abilities....' he thought to himself with a smirk. There was little chance that any could stand against them now.
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Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 9:44 pm
"Jaden could be dead in a ditch for all we know. He hasn't been in New York for a very long time. He's disappeared with all the others," she said with a sigh.
Remembering all the faces which used to frequent the dark city streets made her nostalgic and quite sad. From her former close allies Asmodai, whose Rebel Alliance nearly cost her everything, and Neko, the Tainted elder whom she had been quite close with, to enemies and neutral acquaintances, such as Kinikki, Xandora, Velante, Cady, Kuro, Myythren, Zin, Lydia, Rikku, and so many others whose names were lost on in the edges of her mind. It was remarkable how much the city had changed in the past decade or so and it was also saddening. Alexz wondered when the time would come when she would follow in their footsteps and leave the city and all its complications behind; she hoped it never would.
"And they say we can't be human," she scoffed, "It's amazing how much changes while somehow staying exactly the same," she murmured, thinking back on her colorful past in New York City.
Her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes traveled down to her feet as she stood in contemplation, losing herself momentarily in a stream of memories.
EDIT:
Snapping out of her daze as Veroen asked what their next moves should be she pressed her lips together in thought.
"Well, the most logical option would be pursuing any plausible suspects or groups. The only group I can think to monitor would be the Nightwatch, they're the last vigilante group I remember wreaking havoc."
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Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 9:53 pm
Veroen looked at Alexz as she spoke, and his interest was perked. After taking another drag off of his Cigar, he raised an eyebrow before speaking.
"Nightwatch? Tell me more."
Veroen had not heard of this group, and for obvious reasons. It would seem that the list of things he did not know kept growing, to his discomfort. He remembered when he was a large part of the eyes and ears of the Coven, and when knowing about everything going on in the city was one of his specialties as an Assassin.
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Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 10:17 pm
"The Nightwatch is essentially a group of brainwashed fanatic psychos bent on destroying as many lycans in the city as possible, regardless of any treaties or truces," she said with a frown, "They operate under the orders of an anonymous Founder, who supposedly is very powerful."
Thinking back to the day the Nightwatch set off explosions in multiple areas of the city, including Las Noches, made her gaze darken. The fact that Lord Kensington was involved in the sheer lunacy of it all made a knot twist in her stomach. Just thinking of his involvement was distressing. She lit a cigarette in the hopes that it would calm her, but it didn't.
"They are completely reckless, they will destroy anyone and anything in their path. Rogue and I had a not so friendly run in with them not too long ago," Alexz sighed, "Being reasonably tolerant of the lycans in the city makes us a threat to their whole ideology."
She pinched the bridge of her nose as she exhaled a steady stream of smoke, "Lord Kensington, is among their ranks, I am not sure if you remember him, but it is all very unusual."
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