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 Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:17 pm
I've decided to archive my posts as they get entered into the Shinigami Library. That way I have a comprehensive and complete guide of Josephs interactions in the clan. This will actually include all other characters I RP as.
I will do what I can to correct spelling, punctuation and grammar and all that. If you notice I'm missing anything, please let me know.
Thanks.
~Joe.
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Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:25 pm
Clap, Clap, Clap.
The sound of a heavily hurried footsteps made their way across the hard concrete of the sidewalk. A young girl with shoulder length, dirty colored hair quickly peeled in and out of the crowd that shared her walking (or rather, running) space. It was impossible for the public to tell if she was running to something or from something (or someone). What was obvious is that she was in a damn hurry, whichever it was.
The girl, who was wearing a poofy, orange vest (which looks a lot like a life preserver), which covered a black t-shirt with the text "SUNDAY NIGHT CRUISE", accompanied by black sweat pants and lightweight thigh-high, leather boots, took a quick exit from the public eye. Taking a left turn, she found herself in a dark alley way, between 2 tall buildings, at least 10 stories high (at least).
Her pace slowed, eventually to a halt as she leaned against her knees in order to catch her breath. Standing up again, she turned back to make sure she hadn't been followed. When she was certain she shook her assailant, she sprinted to the opposite end of the alleyway. As she approached the exit and was on the verge of peering out, a shadowy cloaked figure approached silently from behind.
A hand quickly came around and wrapped around her mouth. Before she could put up a fight, the figure proved itself to be friendly. "Calm down, Cass. It's me."
"Oh, J. Thank goodness it--"
Although she was excited to find him again, he quickly interrupted their reunion. "Shhh. Quiet.
I'm not sure if we got rid of them or not."
"Sorry... What should we do?"
"I'm gonna go back and make sure no one followed us. I need to get a few things anyways."
"What about--"
"You? Don't worry. I want you to go three blocks to the north and take a left turn. Go four more blocks and take a right turn. You'll find a library. The Shinigami Library."
"You mean...?"
"Yes. The clan. There's friends within their ranks. Go there, I will meet you shortly."
"But--"
"Run!"
Sensing his urgency, Cassandra asked no further questions and ran off, full tilt. The cloaked male turned around to find 2 other males, each wielding a weapon. The leader of the two spoke to him, "So, you thought you and your little girlfriend could get away from us? Tsk tsk. You underestimate us."
"As do you," he replied.
The second man then opened his mouth, saying, "You're coming with us!" He seemed quite nervous. Must have been a rookie enforcer.
The male smirked in response. "Am I?" He reached behind his back and grasped the hilt of his blade, which lay hidden under his long cape. The steel made a crisp 'shing' sound as he quickly yanked it from its sheath. "You know the drill, boys," he taunted.
---------------------
Cassandra ran for 7 whole blocks. She was worried dearly for her lover’s safety, but could not bring herself to stop. She wasn't scared of the organisation that was after them. No, not some low-life, underground gang with a pointless vendetta. She could wipe them all out if her mate would let her. Her fear laid in the mysteries of the library she was running towards. Somehow, she found comfort in mindlessly running. Like highway hypnosis, she stopped in front of a large gothic looking building with no recollection of getting here.
Knowing this was the right place, she quickly made her way up the stairs. She quickly entered the library and closed the door behind her. With her head leaned forward against the heavy door, she slammed her clenched fist against the wood. She turned herself around, facing the contents of the building she just entered. Leaning against the door, all she could do was let out a heavy sigh.
Now what?
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Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:28 pm
Cassandra leaned against the front entrance, slowing her breathe as much as she could. She was listening. Someone was coming from outside. Also, there were many voices that could be heard all around. She knew she wasn't alone in the building. Ironically, the last thing she wanted to have happen was the very thing she came here for in the first place.
To seek Lady Kaori.
She shook her head quickly, as if to get it out of the clouds. She had bigger fish to fry then worry about her damn anxiety issues. Although she knew exactly what it was she needed to do, she couldn't help but think of one thing. Hide, damn you.
She quickly made her way to the nearest row of bookshelves, off to the very far corner of the building. Her footsteps were silent, despite the large boots she wore on her feet. She brought herself right to the very corner of the library, hiding by the end of a book case. The only way it would be possible to find her is one was to come right to the corner and find her (or unless there was a security camera of some sort just above her).
With her back pressed against the side of the book shelf, she slowly slid down until she was seated on the floor. At least here she couldn't be seen. She was so involved in her own affairs she didn't even hear any of the commotion that was going around her. There was only one thing on her mind.
"Oh Joseph. Be careful."
(just getting this in here. If anyone has tried to interact with me and this contradicts that, let me know and I will correct it.)
EDIT: (Adding Joseph to this post as well.)
Going back, 4 blocks east and 3 blocks south, into the small alleyway where all this began. Silence. No one would have ever known a great battle just took place. Although, no one would have known, even when the battle was taking place. The semi-cloaked lad looked both ways. First, to the eastern end of the alley. Clear. Then the west. Clear.
He lifted his blade from the ground and wiped up the blood off with an old sweater he found nearby. Throwing it onto the bodies that lay quietly in the dumpster behind him, he slowly closed the lid. Did he kill them? Not quite. But let's just say if someone didn't find them by the sundown, there wouldn't be anyone to find.
Gazing at the blade he wiped down, he admired the workmanship of it. It truly was a good weapon to be using. Different than what he was accustomed to, but that was way too bulky to be carrying around in broad daylight. He would return to his dwelling in the night to pick up the weapon. Spinning the blade momentarily in his hands, he angled it slightly when it was behind him, so that the blade would fit perfectly in the sheath it once came from.
Back in its resting place, he set his next course in his mind. One would think it should be the same location he sent his mate to a moment earlier. Not quite. He had other plans he needed to take care of before he could find his way back to her. It could even be a couple of days before he got back. That's why he directed her to Kaori. The tigress once gave her hospitality to him. Perhaps she would do the same for her.
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Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:32 pm
"So, you came," a mysterious female voice greeted the lad. Joseph was not one to move slowly, he was already at his destination, despite the short amount of time it took him to get here. He stood on a local department store rooftop. It was a place not typically visited by the public and high enough off the ground that solicitors could not interfere. A golden haired woman greeted him, wind blowing through her thick curled locks as she gazed upon the civilization below.
"You called for me, Master." Joseph bowed his head ever-so-slightly. "I came as requested."
The woman turned her head to look at her student. Her pointed ears suggested she was elven but her fair toned skin proved she was not of the 'dark elf' genus that had been recently made known to the world. A welcoming smile was presented to the boy. "Excellent choice, Joseph. You still know your place in this world."
"Of course."
Her smiling expression didn't waste time in changing. "I came to say goodbye to you."
"Goodbye?" His voice portrayed a combination of confusion and sadness.
"Yes. You are planning on rejoining the clan -- are you not?"
Joseph never mentioned anything to her about this. Being somewhat of a mind-reader himself, he didn't have to ask how she found out. He simply nodded silently.
"Then my task is complete. I have trained you as best I can. Where you go now is for you decide."
Joseph waited in silence for a moment. Finally, he found the right words to say. "Thank you, Master."
"Formalities are no longer necessary. From now on, you are welcome to address me by name."
"Yes..." he paused a moment. Referring to the same person as 'master' for 2 years, it was hard to address her any other way. "Thank you, Master Naru." Close enough.
She simply chuckled. "Do not leave heavy hearted, my dear. You will do just fine." He once again silently nodded in agreement and she would return the nod. "You take care of Cassandra, now. You two need each other." Naru lifted her hand, giving a small 'good-bye' wave. In the blink of an eye, she was gone.
"I hate it when she does that," he muttered under his breath. His musing was almost a contradiction, as he was notorious for the same disappearing act.
Joseph looked up at the clouds that were passing by. He had once again broken the chain that tied him to a student-master relation. Getting lost in a small reminiscence, he shook his head and remembered his lover and the odd situation they were currently in. Attempting to remember what direction the library was in, he would try to make contact with her...
-----------------------
Cassandra!
The internal insecure thoughts of the girl were cut unexpectedly short by a voice in her head.
"Joe...?"
Yes, it's me! Can you hear me?
Realising she probably should not speak to him aloud, or she may alert the people in the same room as her, she responded in her own thoughts as well. Yes, I can hear you just fine.
Have you made contact with either Master Guyy or Lady Kaori?
Erm... well... about that...
Cassandra...
Fearing that he would get mad, she closed her eyes and braced herself (almost as if she was expecting an axe to fall on her).
Are you in the library?
Huh..? Oh! Yes I am!
Find them. Now!
She swallowed heavily, making a noticeable 'gulp' sound. She nodded to herself and decided it was time to get to business. She reached into a small pouch that was located on her lower back (covered by the large vest she wore). A slim pair of red lenses shades were pulled out of this pouch. She slowly slipped her glasses over her eyes and tapped against the lens. A menu appeared on the glass. She tapped it a few more times to navigate through this menu until she found the option she was looking for.
Heat vision. Looking around the room, she attempted to uncover how many people she would be dealing with. In the room, she found 2 clusters. "Five heat signals in the middle of the room...
And... Four heading into..." she gazed as a second group entered a small box that began a decent to the underground. "An elevator?" She didn't think it was standard for a library to have an elevator to its basement. She gazed lower down and found, "two more heat signals several stories underground?"
Using her middle finger, she slowly pulled the glasses off her face. "Just what kind of place is this?" Forget that, she had a mission.
Main goal: to get into the clan HQ.
Primary objective: locate the head members of the clan.
Sigh. Duty calls.
Cassandra took a deep breath in preparation to approach the group that remained upstairs. She slowly stood herself up (which proved difficult as her legs were both shaking from fear and partially numb from lack of proper circulation caused by being idle too long). Slipping the glasses onto her forehead, she attempted to make herself look like a normal citizen. It was all part of the plan.
Slowly making her way from the seclusion of her bookshelf hiding space, Cassandra searched in her head for something to do. Her time was running out and she didn't have a plan. Coming around the corner, the group of people were in plain view. "Eh... Excuse me."
She paused in mid-sentence. Standing in the middle of an open area, within 30 feet of five complete strangers, her mind suddenly went blank on her. Oh no, she thought to herself, think of something... quick!
"Um... Can someone show me to the bathroom?"
An image of Cassandra slapping herself in the forehead suddenly appeared in her mind.
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Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:34 pm
Thump, thump, thump.
Josephs’ heavy boots made a loud thumping noise as his feet hit the ground. He ran as quickly as he could across town to try and reach the library where he instructed his mate to take refuge in. A bad feeling had come over him that he had a difficult time trying to shake. He had to hurry.
It sure didn`t take him long to get to his destination, nor did he use a lot of energy to get there. Panting lightly, the brown eyed gaze made its way to the library front doors. Home. He slowly made his way up to the front door. Placing one hand gently upon the door knob, it turned when instructed. The problem – the door was not opening.
It appeared to be barricaded by something (or possibly someone). He didn`t bother to waste his time trying to break the door down (his clan mates surely would not appreciate that). Instead, he attempted to ‘feel around’ to locate Cassandra . He could sense a strong energy that resembled her, somewhere inside the library. But how would he get in?
Then he remembered it. Back when he was recruited into the clan, he was shown a series of ‘secret’ doorways that he could use in the event of an emergency. This certainly counted as an emergency. Leaving the front steps of the library, he went off to the side of the building. A smaller building attached to the library is where he stopped. “Recruitment Office” read the text on the door. “This has to be it," he stated to himself.
He opened the door slowly. The sign said ‘Closed’ (with good reason, as no one was present), yet for some reason, the door was left unlocked. Joseph pulled the dark shades that covered his eyes away from his face. His eyes adjusted quickly to the change in lighting, from the bright outdoors to the slightly darker inside of the small building.
He gazed around the room, trying to find something that resembled a secret entrance. He made his way to the back of the room, past the sofa and desk. He then found himself in a room, quite like a kitchen. He looked around, seeing mostly kitchen like qualities (a fridge, stove, sink, etc). It hardly took any time to locate what he was looking for. A large door that said “Staff Only” and a small glass panel right next to it. “Bingo.”
Joseph slowly placed his palm against the glass panel. The panel quickly and accurately scanned the lines and imprints in his skin and determined: Clan member – Joseph Katsuya. The door unlocked and with a bit of a push from the lad, opened up, letting him in. A cool breeze brushed by as the air pressure in the two building fluctuated and adjusted to each other. He was in.
As he made his way over the threshold, his eyes quickly scanned the building. Not much had changed over the years. One foot in front of the other, slowly and silently he ventured further inside. Something told him his love was no longer here. He tried to fight the doubt in the back of his head. He could clearly feel her energy somewhere in the building. He just couldn't fight the feeling that maybe he was wrong.
Hearing some commotion off in the center of the room, he no longer felt it was a good idea to waste time. From the sounds of it, there was a nearby struggle. There was a group of people fighting over something. When the group came into his view, he stopped moving. Before he could scan the faces before him, a gleam below him caught his attention. Turning his attention to the floor, he found a lost possession that he recognized.
Lying on the floor, just inches from his feet, was a small 6 inch dagger that he recognized as a belonging of Cassandra's. Reaching down, he grabbed the small blade. This must be where he was sensing her energy from. So you were here, love. Where are you now? His heart sank as a deadly thought entered into his mind.
He hopped back to his feet and quickly scanned the crowd of people in the room. He didn't recognize a single person. Oh thank God you're not here. Joseph had worried she got her in trouble (yet again). One face did stand out to him, one he found quite familiar. The leader of the Shinigami clan -- Guyy Myurr.
"Master Guyy!" Joseph called out to him. "What's going on here?"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cassandra walked in the opposite direction of the library. He heart was finally starting to slow down a bit. She clenched her shirt around her stomach. Anxiety made her stomach turn and hurt. Why was she so afraid of people, she wondered. Looking back in her head, she wondered why went wrong. She attempted to make contact with the members of the clan but they didn’t notice her. They seemed more occupied with the strange man that everyone was surrounding.
It was some sort of struggle that she had no business in. She naturally, she left. Being almost painfully shy, it took a lot of effort to say that much to them. But her efforts seemed in vain. Now Joseph would scold her. She cringed at the thought of being scolded by him.
She let out a sigh as she walked. With her heat sensory sun glasses still sitting on top of her head, they were still active. A massive heat source was coming from behind her. A faint beep was her only warning. As she realised something was coming, it was too late.
A large explosion caused the ground to shake and dust to fly all around. Cassandra coughed violently as she tried to repel the dust from her lungs. Springing off to the side, she leaned her back against the wall of a nearby building. Luckily, she was in a quiet part of town, where no one was walking on the streets. “What the hell was that?” she asked aloud, still coughing.
She looked into the large puff of smoke and dust and saw a large shadowy figure. A large man, who stood 10 feet tall walked through the cloud. A loud thunk was made on the ground as he dropped the large metal ball next to him. The ball was about 3 feet in diameter with large spikes all around its surface. It was attached to a thick chain that the man held in both hands. He was a big man, probably about 700 lbs.
A smaller man with a mask covering his face walked out from behind him. He was about her height, which was exactly half the height of the first man. His long blonde air flowed and shined in the sunlight. He wore a very fancy tuxedo and dress shoes and had a phatom-of-the-opera styled mask that covered all but his mouth. With a rose held in his left hand, he raised it to his nose to get a wiff of the beautiful smell. He smiled as he looked up to her. “Well, would you get a load of this. Look what we found.”
Cassandra looked back in horror. It didn’t take her long to figure out who it was. “The agency... ” she mumbled to herself.
“Excuse us, miss. But I’m afraid I can’t let you leave here with your life. You’ll just have to come with us.
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Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:36 pm
Joseph gripped the hilt of the dagger he held in his hand. Allowing Guyys words to settle in, he took another brief look around the room. The situation had quite obviously been settled. At least, for the most part. Finally acknowledging Guyys response, he spoke once again.
"An incident, you say. Seems like things are good now, at least." He paused before he asked, hesitant to even bother, "Speaking of guests... you didn't happen to see the girl that belongs to this?
He flashed the blade so that Guyy could see. The small dagger gleamed in the light. "It belongs to... someone close to me. She's about five foot, seven or eight inches, shoulder length blonde hair, slender.
"We got into a bit of trouble on the way here, you see. I instructed her to seek you out here and... well, I'm afraid that she got lost. It's very important that I find her."
--------------------------------
Elsewhere, near the edge of town, the woman Joseph just finished describing to his senior was in a bit of a jam herself.
Cassandra stood in a slightly crouched position, readying for just about anything. She wasn't sure what to expect from her foe, so she waited. Quietly. Observing. The smaller man was clearly the ring leader in this raid. The bigger one seemed to pose the biggest threat. Big, beefy and with a weapon that could probably crush a car if used right. The kind you don't want to meet in a dark alley. The smaller one on the other hand seemed almost harmless. A white mask was his only attire. He would have to have one heck of an amazing ability for him to be of any danger.
It was a standoff. The first to move, the first to die. Tension was building between the 3 of them. A drop of sweat began to run down Cassandra's face. "So," she started, pausing briefly to make sure they were going to listen and not simply attack aimlessly, "You're not going to let this all die down so easily, are you?"
"Simply put, my dear," the masked man said with a smile. Cassandra's eyes focused on him but in a split second, he was gone. A voice from behind finished his sentence, "We won't stop until your body's in a casket."
A wave of shock hit Cassandra. If she hadn't been fast enough to move, she would have had a 3 foot rapier dug right into her back. A quick swivel and back flip allowed her to get out of the way. The small man smiled and withdrew his weapon. Where the hell did he get that from?
The man pressed the blade light against his forehead as his wicked smile bore his teeth. The face of insanity was evident, even though most of his face was invisible. "Smart move, girlie. Now you're trapped." Cassandra, now crouched on one knee, peered behind her. She was now directly between both of her foes. About 50 feet on either side was the difference between life and death. The big man let out a gruelling death chuckle as he lifted the heavy spiked ball off the ground and begun to spin it.
She looked back and to her dismay, the smaller man was holding a second rapier. Or at the very least, half of one. When she looked back, he was holding a blade that was approximately a foot and a half. She watched in horror as the sword slowly extended itself to the same length as the first. He lifted both swords up, so that the two rapiers crossed to make an x-formation. The x covered one of his eyes and a familiar gleam of madness were evident in his other eye. Blood thirst was pouring out of this man. "Times up, my dear."
The big man raised his weapon above his head, gaining a moment of last minute momentum before releasing it in Cassandra's direction. She didn't have to look, as the bulky object made enough noise for the naked ear to pick up on. The spiked ball cut through the air and on cue, Cassandra launched herself to her left. The giant ball cut through the concrete like a hot knife in butter. She landed on her left shoulder, which allowed her to somersault back onto her feet. She quickly reached for her dagger, attached to her belt on her backside. A concealed weapon? Only one problem. The sheath was empty.
She felt around for a brief second only to realise, she was defenceless. Joseph would not be happy about this. By the time she looked up, the smaller man was already in front of her. If she only had 5 more seconds to work with. She would have easily incapacitated him. Or at least knocked him off his footing long enough to get away. Even 3 seconds was long enough for her to dodge and counter attack. She simply did not have enough time to react.
Her eyes instinctively closed. When she realised that it was taking a lot longer for the two blades to contact her skin, she opened her eyes. What she saw was beyond unexpected.
There was another player in the game. A male, about the same height as the smaller man had defended her. The two rapiers were about 5 inches from her head when his hefty scythe had blocked the way and held them there. The 3rd male had his back slightly turned from Cassandra and held his weapon only in his left hand. The smaller enemy was still struggling to push his blades further, in hopes of overpowering the new male and still causing some damage.
The third male simply moved his wrist, which was enough to send the smaller man back, off balance. It was clear he was not going to overpower him. The man jumped back even further and held up both rapiers again. Fury burned in his eyes. Clearly, he was not fond of defeat. Cassandra looked back and realised the bigger man was on the ground, unconscious. Did he..? Her head quickly looked back at the new male. "Are you okay, miss?" he asked, with his head focused on the enemy. She was unable to see his face.
"Err... Oh, yes. I'm fine, thank you."
He turned his head slightly. Most of his face was covered by his white strands that flowed smoothly from his scalp. His visible eye peered down at her and he smiled, seeming thankful. 'That's good. I would hate to see you hurt."
Who is this guy?
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Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:38 pm
Joseph nodded grimly to the leader of the Shinigami. Somehow or another, Cassandra made it to the library, but not to the master of the domain. Something was terribly wrong. Joseph lifted 1 finger signalling to give him a second while he poked around in a pouch attached to his left side. He pulled out a sleek, small device that resembled a cell phone. It had a series of buttons, some of them numbered up to 5 and a few small dials, probably for volume and frequency. A small 2x2 inch screen fashioned the words 'Welcome' as Joseph powered the gadget up.
He slowly handed it to Guyy and began to explain, "I think I should go look for her. I know she was here, I can smell her," not to say she smelled bad. Joseph was familiar with her scent, especially ever since the 'fusion'. He continued, "This is... Some sort of voice transmitter device. Honestly, I have no idea how the damn thing works and my normal tech is missing." He was clearly referring to Cassandra, the missing woman he was about to go search for.
Before letting it go, he twisted one of the dials and pressed the number 1 using his thumb. "Please, if you happen to see her, use this and let me know. Likewise, I'll be contacting you on this-" he pulled out the mate from the pouch and set it to the same frequency as the one he handed the clan leader, "-if I see anything or if I find her."
When Guyy agreed, Joseph nodded in thanks. Without a further word, he darted back to the front door. He was so deep in thought, he almost ran into another gent who had just come into the library. A new recruit, perhaps? He didn't have time to think about it. Joseph opened the heavy doors to the library and ran off in to the streets of Durem...
---------------------------------------------------------------
Cassandra had troubles of her own. Not only was she lost, being attacked by the agency that seeked to destroy her and her way of life, being protected by a strange man that she wasn't sure could be trusted, but also having to deal with the wrath of Joseph for having all of this happen. Today was not a good day.
The man who protected her was standing no more than a foot away from her, a closeness that made her feel somewhat uncomfortable but oddly safe. He was now observing the enemy, looking for some sign of weakness. The enemy too was staring intently back at him, looking for the same openings. Neither one of them moved, so Cassandra didn't think it was possible to read anything from either of them.
What she knew so far is that the enemy could materialise metal seemingly from thin air. Judging on the mask he wore, he was probably an elite soldier, much like Darson or Marcus. The elites seemed to be the ones who had the most elemental powers. Darson had fire and Marcus was a wind seer. This man seemed to control earth-like minerals. But there was something else. The way he suddenly appeared behind her. Usually, she could pick up on extreme speed. Cassandra had a way to slightly heighten her senses, which made the world itself seem to slow down. That must be what it's like for those who achieve inhuman speed.
But something was off. He appeared very suddenly. As for the new man. He bore a scythe that seemed almost impossible to weird and covered half of his face with his white hair. Was he trying to hide something? There also seemed to be a dark aura about him. Not the same type of evil of the enemy. But an almost warm darkness, like Joseph.
Even as the two adversaries began to bout, Cassandra focused on the differences between the two fighters. She watched carefully as her protector wielded his scythe and fought back very gracefully. The enemy attacked with great fury and aggression. She watched as he would disappear and reappear to attack, only to be parried or counterattacked, then he would pull the same trick. Was he instantly transporting himself? That would mean he was capable of deconstructing and reconstructing himself molecularly. The elf Naru had a power similar to this but even she wasn't this fast.
The she began to realise that just as quickly as the enemy would change locations, so would the new fighter. It wasn't possible that bother fighters could do this, could they? Cassandra closed her eyes, Cutting off visual awareness seemed to be helpful when it came to deep calculation. In her mind, she tried her hardest to figure this equation out. After she went through every possibility in her head, she realised that while her eyes were closed, she could hear every move both fighters made. They did seem to move quickly, but not fast enough to seem like movement was instant. Fast enough to appear as a blur to the normal human eye, perhaps. But not to explain his instant movement.
Cassandra opened her eyes to watch and as expected, his movement seemed jittery, like watching a dancer in a dark room with a strobe light. Closing her eyes again, she continued her audio observation. That's when it hit her. "The enemy uses hypnosis!
Suddenly, both patrons were still. Cassandra opened her eyes to find the enemy gazing at her with an intense look. The other man was standing in a very loose stance, staring at the foe. The foe glanced back at the enemy, then back at Cassandra before vanishing. In the same instant, the newcomer was next to Cassandra, kneeling over, he assured her"It's okay, he's gone."
Realising he must have used his power to trick the mind, Cassandra concluded that he retreated. For now. "What happened?"
"Well, you were right. He does use a form of hypnosis. I suspect he fled because you realised his power. Some sort of male-pride this, I think."
"How did you know about his power? Why didn't it affect you?"
"I have my ways."
He stood up and gave a hand out to her, a notion to help her up. She took his hand and allowed him to help her back to her feet. She found it odd that his scythe was nowhere to be found. Did the enemy maybe run off with it?
Her thoughts were interrupted when he spoke. "Sorry for my rudeness, I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Larsaria Vernail. You can simply call me Larsa." he took a moment to bow to her, "At your service."
--------------------------------------------
It wasn't more than 15 minutes after Joseph left that he found himself near the outskirts of Durem. He had a way of travelling quickly, especially once you find a way onto the rooftops. Travel times were nearly cut in half when you didn't have to worry about other people. Joseph had very carefully followed the scent of his partner to this end of town. As he continued, the scent became stronger. He knew she was close by.
Joseph stopped when he thought he heard voices conversing with each other. One of those voices sounded very familiar to him. He ran to the edge of the building he was one, and peered over in to the streets. The first thing he saw was the aftermath of a battle. A large man unconscious on the pavement and a large wrecking ball of a weapon. A man was standing in front of another figure. The man was blocking the identity of the second person, who he believed to be Cassandra. He knew he was correct when she introduced herself to him.
Joseph pulled the transmitter from his pouch. Pressing a few buttons, he held down a trigger and spoke silently into it. “Master Guyy. I’ve located her and a possible enemy. I’m moving in.”
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Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:42 pm
Joseph listened intently as Guyy requested his current location over the voice-transmitter they both held. He looked around, trying to locate some type of locational identifier. Being completely unfamiliar with the area (or the city for that matter), Joseph simply responded, "I'm... In the eastern residential area." God, I hope that’s clear enough...
Joseph would have waited for a response, but he noticed the lad who he thought was an enemy and located him. The young man gazed up at him from the ground, with deep brown piercing eyes. Joseph pressed the 'talk-button', "Sorry Guyy. Gotta run. before turning the volume completely down. The transmitter held a constant signal with its mate, at least until it's powered down. He figured that if he was going to be killed, he would at least give the Master of the Shinigami a heads up (when the power of his device is suddenly lost).
He slipped the small device into the pouch attached to his waist. Cracking his knuckles as a pre-battle preparation, he returned the glare. There was something in the other mans eye that simply screamed 'bring it on'. Joseph was never one to ignore a challenge.
He took a single step onto the ledge that divided him from the roof and a free fall down to earth, paused momentarily, wishing he had his sword. Too late to turn back was his final thought before he took a step off the roof and plummeted toward the ground. He landed with a loud 'clack' of his boots meeting pavement, but quickly stood up, completely unaffected by the sudden force of gravity being stopped by a solid object known as 'pavement'.
"Who are you, stranger! You better not have laid a hand on her!" he approached, defending the valour of his mate.
"Joseph! Cassandra shouted out to him. Simply seeing his face again made her present reality 100 times better once again.
The white haired lad looked over to Cassandra, then back at Joseph. Registering the facial expressions of both man and woman, he made the connection rather quickly. "I have not harmed her. Quite the opposite, as a matter of fact."
Joseph approached at a steady pace. Blind with rage, perhaps from fear of his love being in danger or that she (against her better judgement) did not listen to him and once again got herself in trouble, he had one thing in mind. Slowly, he raised one hand above his head. Cassandra’s face changed from relief, to something of shock. Her face read a plea of 'please-please-don't-do-something-rash', meant that she knew exactly what he was going to do.
He held his hand up, as if griping the hilt of a sword. In a quick motion, he swung his arm down, as if he were cutting down on an object with a blade. As his arm came down in this motion, a bolt of energy shot out from between his hands. Quickly and fluidly, the bolt of dark matter formed the shape of a thin blade. The blade itself extended to cover the 20 foot distance between himself and the man he saw as a threat.
The new lad caught this motion quickly and sidestepped. He also, quite quickly reached out for the blade of energy and grabbed it. The edge of the energy blade reacted to his touch like a whip, wrapping firmly around his grasping hand. Joseph eyes narrowed. Something was not right. With a minor change of though, the end of the rope lifted up and formed a serpent. The snake gazed intensely at the fighter before winding up and striking. The fighter simply lifted his other hand and pressed the print of his middle finger again the serpent. The energy simply dissipated and returned to the source. With a quick chop to the end, so did the remainder of the energy blade.
Joseph was about to make another move when Cassandra intervened. Coming up in-between the two of them, she shouted, "Stop!"
Joseph grimaced but regained his posture and put both hands by his side. The other fighter, who introduced himself as Larsa a moment earlier, raised an eyebrow. Cassandra proceeded to scold Joseph, "What do you think you're doing?"
"Protecting you."
"From what? This man just saved me!"
"its okay miss. I can understand where your friend’s logic is coming. I meant no harm."
"Don't you justify this for him. (That's all I need right about now."
"You know, I gave you explicit instruction to head over to the library and seek out the head there. I told you I would be right behind you and when I got there, you weren't there. And, to top it all off--" Joseph pulled out her dropped dagger from his magic pouch, "I find this by itself, I begin to worry."
Cassandra remained silent. She knew she was in trouble. This was about the 5th time she got herself in trouble when not listening to him and the 3rd time she's lost her dagger. She turned to Larsa giving him an 'I'm-so-sorry' look.
He simply smiled and said "its okay miss. Your mate was only trying to protect you. Besides, you can't truly know a person until you have fought them. I can tell his heart is pure."
Joseph just chuckled, obviously amused by Larsas statement. He was thankful for the man who protected his world, though he'd never admit it. Larsa gave them both a nod of satisfaction. His job was complete. He gave them both a subtle goodbye and slowly disappears into the streets of Durem.
"I'm sure glad that's over."
"As am I." Joseph agreed, though he felt deep down, this really was not over.
No. Their meeting today was simply the beginning....
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Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:46 pm
"So... What happened?"
Joseph began his lecture in the same old way. Starting with a tone that screamed you did it again! and I'm so disappointed in you all at once. Cassandra grimaced at the tone she was given, but knew she somewhat deserved a little bit of heck.
Hesitating for just a moment, she explained "Well... I made it there."
"Yes, that I am aware." he made a gesture with his hands, reminding her about the dropped dagger.
She nodded. "Right. You see, I was gonna try to look for... Guyy, was it?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"I had gotten the courage to approach a group of people. They looked like they were in the middle of a squabble. Then..."
Joseph caught the pause in her story. "And then...?" he urged her to continue,
"I don't know. I guess I... Got scared."
Cassandra looked down at the pavement as they walked. She was a little embarrassed to admit it, but she was legitimately afraid of people. Not of people, as a physical entity, per se. She was more threatened by the part of a human that you can't see. Their mind. As an orphan living on the streets, she was shunned by many people. Because of such, she developed a sort of fear towards others.
Her inner monologue was cut short when she heard a chuckle coming from Joseph. Cassandra shot a puzzled look towards him. Joseph caught her glance, which just caused him to laugh harder. Cassandra was getting a little aggravated by his behaviour.
"Why are you laughing at me?" she asked, frustration evident in her soft voice.
Joseph took a deep breath to re-compose himself. "You're such an interesting girl, you know that?" She didn't respond to that. Not verbally anyways. Her face was a clear enough response. Even though Joseph didn't look directly at her, he was attuned to her mind well enough by now to know how she felt without needing the verbal confirmation.
"Funny. You can't talk to people you don't know. Yet, somehow, you felt compelled to follow me all this way. I was a stranger like them once, you know." He smiled sweetly in her direction.
She looked down at the pavement once again. Cheeks flushed at the reminder of her feelings for him, she knew that she was being a little too insecure about people. She couldn't help it. "Don't worry about it. Although I don't like that you left, things could have been far worse. I'm just happy I found you again."
Cassandra smiled back him, cheeks bright red. Stepping a little closer, she wrapped her arms around him as they walked. Returning the gesture, the two walked together silently, the rest of the way back.
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It was only a matter of minutes before the two found themselves in front of the library again. The building that started this whole mess in the first place. They both stopped momentarily, gazing up at the large sign that read 'Shinigami Library'. One thing that they both noticed was that one of the windows in front had been broken. After a brief commentary about it, they both decided it was time.
Cassandra took a deep breath. Together, they walked up the stairs. It wasn't long before they stood in front of the large wooden doors separating them from the outside and the anxiety Cassandra was fighting to swallow. But this would be their new home. She would find a way to make it work.
Cassandra gave the honour of taking the first step to Joseph. Nodding, he reached for the doorknob. At his skin touched the metal, a series of images flooded into his mind. It happened so quickly, the shock presented itself in the form of a brief and numbing pain. It was like a bolt of lightning just zapped through his brain, leaving behind a phantom impression...
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The vision was of a familiar young lad, with white locks of hair. Larsa. A series of images flooded to the lad. A chance meeting with a defenceless dirty blonde girl. Plotting battle tactics. Using combat skills against powerful foes. A series of thoughts involving the young girl he saved and the displeasure when an orange haired lad intervened.
Finally, the image of him is approaching the building. Climbing the stairs. And walking through the doors of the library. When the images faded to darkness in his mind, one name stuck in his mind. This is what disturbed Joseph the most. The final thought was what brought Larsa to the library in the first place. It was the same thing that he thought the first time he came to the Shinigami. The same thing that brought him there in the first place.
Kaori Yukiko.
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Joseph snapped back to reality. He removed his bare hand from the doorknob. His head shook back and forth uncontrollably, in response to the vision. His left hand found its way to his left temple. "Jojo? Are you okay?" Cassandra asked. Joseph didn't answer right away. The look in his eyes said something was wrong. Way wrong. Silent still, he quickly grabbed the doorknob and turned it.
Cassandra could tell by looking at him, that if he was to speak, the first thing he'd say is something is not right. She followed him through the doors, not really sure what to expect. Cassandra looked around frantically, trying to find what he was looking for. He knew instantly where to look.
She turned her attention to the front desk. She saw a very familiar back. The back of a man with long white collared hair. The same man that saved her not too long ago. Larsa. He was making an inquiry at the front desk. The very thing that Joseph saw a moment earlier.
Larsa turned to the somewhat preoccupied man at the front desk and said "Excuse me, sir. I'm looking for Ms. Kaori Yukiko. Do you know where I can find her?"
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Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:48 pm
Larsa stood at the counter. He frowned slightly when he received a negative response from his random informant. He was upset further when the man he asked regarded her as being 'plenty gorgeous'. He knew such a comment could only be fuelled by mortal hormones, something he hadn't felt for quite a few centuries. Rolling his inward eyes, he knew the 'helper' would be little help to him. Suddenly, a pair of auras became apparent to him. He turned around to find Joseph and Cassandra by the entrance. He smiled to himself, obviously amused. He turned back to the male and said "Thank you, but I must decline. I will return another time.
Joseph and Cassandra both stiffened in their spots as Larsa slowly turned around and headed towards them. Joseph didn't budge, but it was obvious in his posture that he was ready for anything. Cassandra’s stance changed slightly. She shifted one of her legs back and bent her knees slightly. She looked like she was ready to jump ship if it were necessary.
Larsa quietly and calmly walked between them, politely saying 'S'cuse me" as he passed by, devilish grin and all. He slowly pulled the front door open, sensing that both of them did not take their eyes off of him. They clearly had no trust in him. Yet. "Just so you two know, this isn't the last you will see me."
"I sure as hell hope you're wrong."
Larsa chuckled. "Sorry Joe," he addressed him as if they had been best friends since youth. "Our lives are intertwined more than you know. It's inevitable that we meet again. You'll see."
Without giving the chance to respond, he left, closeting the thick heavy door behind him. Joseph grunted in anger. "On my dead body," he spat out at him. Wordlessly, he turned away and began to head further into the library.
Cassandra was dazed. She first watched Joseph walking way, then gazed at the closed door and back to Joseph. "Oh crap" she said to herself. She obviously knew what kind of mood he was in. Not wasting time, she hurried on after him. He trudged through the library, step after grumpy step, by passing and ignoring anyone else who may be in the library. To him, they were just noise.
He followed the familiar path to the back of the library. Stopping in front of a metal door with a little glass panel next to it, grafted into the wall, he searched his memory for a moment to make sure he had the right place. Finally catching up, Cassandra stopped behind him and asked, "Joseph. What are you doing?"
He peeled the black fingerless glove off his right hand, exposing the black lined symbol tattooed onto his hand. It was his family heirloom. The rights to power passed down from generation to generation. The path to damnation.
He pressed his hand against the glass pane. Within a few seconds, the door opened to reveal a small metal box. He carefully slipped the glove back onto its rightful place on his hand as he entered the elevator. Pressing a button that he remembered as 'the-button-that-leads-to-your-room', he looked up at the ever confused Cassandra. "Coming?"
She nodded and quickly followed. The doors closed and the elevator began its decent to what e referred to as 'the hall of dwellings'. The ride was pretty short. Good thing too, as the silence would have killed Cassandra if she had to stand in it any longer. The door opened to a long hallway, with doors on either side. Each door was marked with a name, written in what looked like cheerful handwriting. Joseph walked down to the end of the hall, Cassandra close behind, and stopped in front of a door with his name on it.
He slowly turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. Cassandra gazed curiously over his shoulder into the dark room. Stepping in and flicking the light switch, the room seemed a lot tidier than he remembered it. Someone must have picked up the few clothing items that lie on the floor and put them away. Cassandra crossed the threshold and looked around, thoroughly impressed. She never had a room of her own before. Not one that she had all to herself, anyways.
Her head was filled with so much bliss simply by entering this room, she managed to make her way all the way around the room to see and touch everything at least once, before finding her way onto his bed. The big comfy bed. Her thoughts were interrupted by the cluttered sound of a messy closet. She peered over to Joseph to find him digging into a pile of miscellaneous objects that were hidden away behind the two doors in the wall. She sat up slightly, leaning back on her arms and watched. Eventually, he pulled out a 3-foot katana styled blade.
He pulled the sheath off slightly to examine its integrity. What he revealed was something of a more epic proportion. The blade he pulled out was sharp as the day it was first made for its purpose. The purpose of killing. The metal shone furiously in the false lighting permeating the room from the florescence above. It shone a violent color.
Blood red.
Joseph sheathed the blade again, offering no explanations. He shouldered the sword and headed toward the door once again. Cassandra quickly asked "Hey! Where are you going?"
He turned to her slightly, peering over his shoulder. Determination burning in his half visible eyes. He simply replied 'To take care of some unfinished business." With that, he left down the hall and back to the elevator.
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