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 Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 3:54 am
"Oi!" Owle shouted at the materializing woman. "Keep your feet away from where the food goes!"
She started gesturing for the woman to get the hell down fron the table. Floating or not, she didn't like anyone standing over her tabletops. Especially not when they started harrassing the first paying customer the Firebrand had gotten in a long time.
Man, did Owle wish she had a bowl of peanuts near her right now.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 7:51 am
"So, does that mean that... G'AH!!!" he started, before he was startled by the woman who suddenly dropped down in front of them.
Now, as already stated, Rain was already the type who protected people. He had been on guard the moment he sat down with Brown, on account of his guest expecting trouble in the first place. Typically, with the exception of one Bruce Wayne, most multi-billionaires weren't all that skilled at defending themselves against threats, because they could afford people to do that for him. After all, thats practically what he was hiring Rain to do.
Still, with his right hand on the glass of bourbon, he raised it up, smashing the glass against the woman's face as she just hung there. Though it wouldn't end there, as his right hand actually grabbed her face, kinda grinding the shards of glass into it, as he stood, bringing his arm up and around. He would lift her from her point of levitation, stepping to the side, flipping her up and back down towards the ground, slamming her by the back of the head against the floor. After a second of realizing what just happened, he would slip back, eyes wide, as he would realize he did this to a woman.
He placed his left hand on the side of his head, rubbing it, clearly disturbed by this course of action he just took.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 12:58 pm
But there were plenty of exceptions other than Bruce Wayne. Tony Stark, Lex Luthor, or Norman Osborn just to name a few. The fact of the matter was those people rarely transferred over into real life. Then again, for Joseph those figures weren't just characters he read about, they were his childhood idols. Since we've established that Joseph barely grew up, they still had a very special place in his heart.
Once the woman appeared above the table Joseph snapped back in his chair and pressed his toes against the floor under his chair. When Rain seemed surprised Joseph took this as enough of a reason to push. With that annoying sound screeching chair legs against ground Joseph pushed his chair away from the table a full extension of his legs. He went for something at his side, but decided against it when he noticed Rain was taking care of it. As he was still siting he simply crossed his legs and leaned back to enjoy the show.
If rain was successful he'd wait for the awkward silence to settle before speaking.
"Why would I want to train you to fight a way you don't like when you can do that? Quick thinking is practically the reason I'm here talking to you now." He then turned to the woman who may or may not be on the floor right now, "And you, well I don't even know you."
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 3:28 pm
If Rain was successful, Owle's face would take on a kind of surprised and slightly disapproving look.
"Well..."
She sighed. "Great. Now I've got blood on my floor. Miss, you need any first aid?"
She gave Rain a little frowny look, as if to say Really, Rain, that wasn't necessary...
If the woman declined her offer of first aid, she would shrug. Without being asked, she'd prepare a new glass of bourbon for Rain, and, if the bar didn't look about to turn into a battlefield, she'd place it in front of him.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 10:59 pm
See... That was the problem. The magic to... well, magic, was misdirection. And the woman herself, was just one giant bundle of misdirection, with her unexpected appearance and apparent Levitation. To Rain's assault, The moment the glass broke on her face, she'd make a noise like water flash-freezing, all crackling and such like, so that when His hand came to meet the already broken glass, he would, if his own strength provided, crush it against a rock-like surface.
When the man aimed to rend her downward by bodily force, She met his oncoming grapple, with her own hands, and simply pried and pushed him off, before he could even truly get her down. Not that down was a possibility, as the man would find her rather powerfully rooted to the ceiling by threads of what could only be called human-scale spider's silk. Misdirection, you see?
No blood. No body on the floor. Just a slight spring as she settled the threads on which she hung from, before moving to the floor, with a bit of... thread-manuevering. She understands, however, Rain's required hostility, and does not push a fight, but instead pulls her hood back, revealing two main eyes, Sliced by red-markings, though not blood, but more of natures way of marring a creature as warning, and three sets of extra eyes, much like eyebrows, over the mains. She had no hair, but that seemed to only accentuate her exotic beauty.
She would lightly finger her face, as it softened, thank god for her skin, that upon abrasive contact, would harden to it's... chitin state, making the wounds less grievous. Wounds checked for, she would simply smile at Owle, make a bow, and shake her head. "No, I don't think I do need first aid. Thank you anyway." To Rain, she offers a simple grin, as if to say 'Nice show.' and then she addresses Joseph, extending a hand, that though gifted with elognated, beautiful fingers, index and ring white, Pinky, middle, and thumb red, was strong in a sense that she wasn't -just- a woman, but something slightly... amazon.
"Eripse Arrika, Mercenary."
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 1:40 pm
There would still be blood.
As the glass would shatter against the woman's face, and Rain's palm would swing up to meet said face, glass shards would still dig into his skin. Unlike this woman, he was not completely immune to physical damage. Under the assumption that her eyes weren't actually as hard as her skin (or else they wouldn't be sensitive enough to view light and thus have the ability to see), and the glass shards and alcohol had not blinded her, she would still have a handful of blood to worry about.
Though, it was not much of a worry; his momentum would still swing her upper body up, but lacked the force to tear her from her webs, kind of knocking Rain back into his seat as she would recoil back down to her original position, probably swinging a bit. And since liquid follows the laws of gravity, it was doubtful that any blood would get into her eyes at all.
"The hell are you?" he blurted out after his previous exclamation, realizing he did not harm her whatsoever.
He calmed himself a bit, reacing to push the button he observed to be the power switch to the hologram (and hoped it was actually not a self-destruct switch), and gently tossed the item to Brown so it would not be damaged.
"Look. We were having a private discussion here. You can't just... fall in, appear, or whatever you just did... like that. There are more proper ways to introduce yourself, y'know, Ms. Arrika." He looked down at his bloody hand, droplets of the crimson liquid falling onto the table's surface. He tried to clench his hand, and winced at the sharp shooting pain he felt. With a snort, he would decide to deal with that later.
"First impressions are the most important ones. And I think its safe to assume you've made a poor one. Choosing to eavesdrop like that on a business meeting of a tycoon like Brown uninvited generally does not lead to anyone falling in his good graces. Am I right?" he said, glancing at first at the spidery woman, then over to Joseph for confirmation.
"I had scheduled this meeting between me and him. Not between me, him, and anyone else who happened to wander by. ...Where did you even come from, anyways? No, it doesn't matter," said with a brief shake of his head. "I am sorry for attacking you like that. But, generally, if someone appears within arm's reach from thin air without a sight nor sound to announce their arrival, it generally means bad news, and I reacted accordingly. You would be an excellent agent for covert operations, but if I myself were looking to hire, you would not be chosen since you apparently do not know your place."
"Now, good day, madam."
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 4:10 pm
"And what the hell did you do to my ceiling?!" Owle added, unhelpfully, after Rain's tirade.
She was clearly gesturing to the weird as hell threads, which had to be connected to something. Those looked like they left stains. Stains on the ceiling, while manageable when you had wings, were just a pain in the rear no matter how you looked at it.
There was something about Eripse's appearance that made Owle want to kill her. Just the way the woman stood seemed to flaunt an aura of inexplicable beauty around the room.
It made Owle want to vomit.
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2007 7:36 pm
Eripse withheld her hand at Rain's tirade, crossing her arms behind her back. She listened, placidly, acknowledging... Yes, she had to admit, he had... valid points. But there were holes throughout.
"Eavesdropping, in the middle of a common room of a rather calm bar in the middle of the afternoon... Hmm... Yes, I do quite see the problem there... Or, rather, I would if you were in a room, conduct your business as if it was of the utmost secrecy." She thought more on the rest of his tangent, before responding. "Don't apologize for your actions, when they're done with the right intent. I can understand how I may have appeared hostile, so your actions were understandable.... And Secret Ops really isn't my game. I tried that once.... An exchange in a hotel turned out rather bad, and although my mission was a moderate success, I've always find I'm like... a Bull in a china shop." She'd grin, sheepishly, and rub the back of her neck, before getting... Assaulted verbally by Owle.
"Ah.... Give them a few minutes, and their adhesive qualities should wear off... They're much like silk, afterwards." She said, plucking at her own sleeve, before, indeed, the threads would slip from the ceiling, onto the table, harmlessly.
"As to what I am.... That's a more complicated question." The back of her jacket would rustle slightly, before four extra limbs, spindly, yet firm and strong, would extend, curling and grasping the woman rather protectively, jointed thrice, and over her height and a half in length. "Right now, I inhabit the body of a spider, named Marjjir." She looked towards the window, thinking for a moment. "And about three weeks ago, I inhabited the body of a hawk, named Arjek." She'd shrug, rubbing her temple as she browsed her vocabulary. "I believe most on your world would call me a... Metahuman? ... Hardly human. I'm more closely related to what your mythology and bestiaries call a Phoenix."
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 4:13 am
"You were hiding," Owle pointed out to Eripse. "If you happened to be sitting at the next table over in plain sight, your point might be valid. As it is, you were clinging to the ceiling, specifically listening to every word they said."
Looks mighty suspicious...who is she, really?
"Eh...just clean them up, and don't go leaving them littered all over. Those better not leave marks..." She craned her head up toward the ceiling, trying to look past the unnecessary rafters at where the threads had been attached. I should have the rafters removed, that way people can't sneak up on us like that...but they are popular with some patrons...
A Phoenix is a bird. You don't look like a bird. But she neither spoke nor broadcasted the thought. "So, does that mean you're going to go build a nest and burst into flames someplace?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "I tell you, though, if you're inhabiting unwilling bodies, you'd better start running now."
Owle was tired, and didn't really feel like assaulting anyone just right now. If Eripse got out of her sight, she'd leave well enough alone and pretend she didn't know anything about it. But if the woman went on...well...
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 3:20 pm
Eripse would shake her head.
"Never unwilling. Arjek still accompanies me. Been with him for about two millenia... I finally figured he'd want to stretch his wings, as himself. Not that he seemed to complain. It's a willing bond, I promise you. As for a nest? No, not quite. Bursting into flames? ... Well, it depends on how badly I get hurt." Her eyes shifted to the ceilings, too, contemplating if it left marks.
"I don't think it leaves marks.... And I apologize for... "Hiding. Can't really choose where I pop up, with those damn stones. I was playing grab bag, and this was one of my.... Really old locations." A small, nervous chuckle. "I think I set the spot up in a tree, but... Now I guess it's your rafters."
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Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 8:44 pm
Joseph paused for a moment to take in this hubbub from his schooched back position. He crossed his arms, then uncrossed them. He had to be very careful what he said here, after all he had just dominated the conversation for the past while. Thus it was the perfect time to be a hypocrite.
"Y'all talk to much." He said as he pushed onto his feet, "Work this out. I'm gonna get a sandwich."
Somewhere between the free spirited come and go attitude of the Firebrand and a rich man's self blessed sense of entitlement stood Joseph Brown. Without asking if it was ok he was already on his way towards the door Owle came and went out of this whole time, he assumed it was the kitchen. Did he really care this little about everyone else's opinion? Well, yes and no. You see as he was about to cross the threshold of the kitchen he had a moment of clarity. He took two steps backwards, grabbed the nearest bottle of booze off the counter and made his way back into towards the kitchen.
He didn't get to enjoy that bottle OR make the sandwich. As yet another moment of clarity hit him, this time in the form of a cell phone. Giving anyone who was talking at him a "one second" hand sign, he picked it up.
"Hello?"
His face seemed to light up at that.
"Reeeeeallly? No, of course I'm not happy about it. Seriously. Our offices are far enough away, right?"
Pause.
"Good. If that's the case I want a number thirty-six-oh-nine prepped and ready to be delivered at my next call. Kay?"
He held the phone away at arms length for a few moments. Then he resumed his conversation.
"What do you mean "am I going in"? Don't be silly. Of course I am."
With that he hung up and pivoted back towards the place he just left and sauntered back towards them and looked at the spider-pheonix-ninja lady.
"Miss, I'm sure we can talk about any particular talents you could offer, but I'm gonna have to take a rain cheque on that talk." Flawlessly he flicked a business card out from his coat and in her direction, "Just give me a call and we'll set it up."
Maybe. Joseph never trusteed the ones that found him rather than the other way around.
"Now Rain," Joseph was just seemed to happy for someone who just got a business call, "If you want to protect people, and I mean a lot of people, then we should continue this conversation over a drive."
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Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 9:17 pm
Rain looked curiously at Brown.
Then down to the bottle of alcohol in his hand.
Then back at him.
"Sounds good to me, as long as you tell me what happened along the way there. But if you don't have a chauffeur already, I'm going to insist that I drive, pal." he said, smirking, and nodding his head down and to the side, towards the bottle.
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 10:13 am
Eripse knew that there was a time when punches should be thrown, and that there was a time when ears should be opened.
The moment she took the card, she'd shut up and listen, watching the both of them with the bluntness of a hawk, or a lioness on a prarie... Yes, she did infact seem intent to stalk them.
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 12:34 pm
Saying Eripse made Joseph uncomfortable would be an understatement. Unearthly beauty or not, the CEO was never a fan when predatory looking creatures watched him like a hawk. On the other hand Rain's comment just made him smile. He could do the argument that he only had one drink... Sure it was a double and now he had a bottle in his hand... But more importantly he was lazy, and someone else was offering to drive.
Thus he pulled his keys from his pocket, mashed the trunk release button, and tossed the keys towards Rain. With that he made his way towards the door... Wait! One more point of business. He sauntered his way over to Owle, reached inside his coat and then pulled out what could be loosely described as a "wad of bills".
"It was a good seat." He said as he slapped the money into Owle's hand. Even considering he still had the bottle in hand, he probably overpaid.
With that he made his way outside the bar and out of the burning gaze of the spider-ninja-phoenix. Once the door closed behind him he made a dash for the old Volvo, he had popped the trunk for a reason. Placing the bottle on the roof of the car, the went to getting things from his car. Firstly he reached under his shirt and undid a few straps and pulled out what appeared to be a relatively discreet holster for two guns. No need for subtlety where they were going, thus he pulled the two ornate looking revolvers from that rig and placed them into another rig. This one looked like two belts fused together, allowing the sides to hang low on Joseph's sides. He found the guns easier to draw this way.
More than likely Rain would come out when Joseph was fastening that around his hips. If he looked in the trunk he would realise it was a bit more advanced than most Volvos. A good bit of ammunition, what appeared to be a computer system, and a couple of things not easily recognisable.
"Rain, I want you to try something... Don't worry, s'not guns, most of that crap is mine."
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 1:09 pm
Rain looked back and forth and back and forth between Owle and Joseph.
"Err..."
As Joseph was heading out the door, he held one finger on his left finger. "I'll be right with you, I just gotta grab something." He held up his right palm, close to his face, and clenched his teeth around a large shard of glass buried in it. He pulled it free with a winced yank, spitting it onto the table's surface with the other pieces of glass. He repeated this a few times quickly, getting all but the tiniest shards free from his flesh.
He then grabbed one of Joseph's glasses of Bourbon, dumping the contents of the liquid onto his hand, hissing through clenched teeth. He was under a time constraint, and it was the best he could do to disinfect the wound on such short notice.
After a few moments, he would turn and charge up the stairs without saying a word to anyone. After barging into his room and hustling about, he would charge back down the stairs, armed with both his chakrams secured to his belt by leather straps, and a bandage tied around his right hand, but leaving his fingers fully exposed. It must have been tied several layers thick, because there were some telltale signs of it bleeding through a bit under the first layer or two.
He stopped at the bottom, panting lightly, as if recalling something important. He then turned towards Owle and Kalis (and Paul, if he was adjacent to them), and bowed slightly, arms at his sides.
"I'm terribly sorry about the mess. I'll find a way to make it up to you guys when I return, I promise. But I gotta go."
And without waiting for a response, he barrel through the door.
--------------------------
He slowed his run when he approached the car, observing Joseph Brown in his suit-up ritual.
"Try... something? Well, I'm glad its not firearms then; as efficient as they may be, they've always seemed so... impersonal to me. Ah, no offense." he added, as not to insult Brown while in the process of arming himself. "What is it? Keep in mind that we might not have time for me to familiarize myself with new equipment if we're in a hurry."
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