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The Chariot

Fast as the Wind, Flaming like fire. Death to he who dareth to touch me.

0 · 661 views · located in Sagaro Mall

a character in “Masks of the Soul: Fragment of Truth”, as played by Alasund

Groups

Description

Image

The Chariot
'Shiver, mortal. Feel the first lick of fear crawl up your spine as you see my approach.'







Image

What Kind of Mask is it?:
False

If False, how many Grace Stone fragments does it contain?:
One, right along the nose line.

How do you create/transform with the mask?
To summon: Come, dance with me.
To transform: And leave the midnight skies ablaze.


Brief Description of Transformed State:
Hair goes sandy and blond and the clothing changes to an odd sleeveless shirt and pants with a back of jacket part. Over his back is the sword sheathe which contains a broadsword, and all over his body are small cuts and scars, none bleeding, but they give him a dangerous look, as if he'd walked through hell and come out the other side.

His gaze is darker than normal, a chilling detirmination that will stop at nothing to complete the goal. A fire of belief in every action he makes. And a horrible, twisted pleasure in a fight which provides a challenge for his impressive combat prowess.





Personality:
For all the the Chariot is firey, there is a definite cold aspect to the mask's persona. A freezing flat gaze that chills your bones, as you know he'd kill you as easily as chat you up for a date. A complete casual disregard for everything but what he was told to do by those that he respects above all others.

Beneath this is the fiery loyalty, and the will to get the job done. A belief that no action he makes is without cause, and that no matter what he does, it is necessary. Competance is his second name, and the blazing eyes as he runs you down just enforces the idea that he has no care for anything other than a select few. He doesn't even care how his actions inconvenience anyone.

In battle, a third, more horrible side comes out. If you're weaker than him, a boredom that leaves him casually cruel, though you'll usually survive. If you're stronger, a twisted and unrelenting attack on you until you're forced to kill him, and if you're the same level, than a horrible desire to kill you no matter what. After the challenge is met and beaten.

He dislikes those who bandy words, and is easily muddled in conversation.


Skills/Abilities when wearing mask:
Speed - He can outmatch the fastest of normal runners, to the point where he seems easily unnatural even from a distance.

Pain resistance - He won't feel the injuries. While he's not tougher than the average man to cut, he won't feel it.

Sword Mastery - He knows the weapon in and out. The long Celtic blade is like an extended arm, and he can pick up any sword and weild it with proficiency.


Skills/Abilities of Transformed State:
Burn brightly, and die(Minor) - The sword begins to glow ablaze, and will sear upon impact. This is a steady drain from his resources, though.

Run like the wind, Race me(Minor) - For a brief moment, the Chariot moves fast enough to climb vertically. This means that no one can properly track the moves.

Forever flame(Minor) - When activated, his body becomes as hot as fire, and he becomes entirely resistant to fire for as long as his energy lasts.

Burning Hurricane of Death(Major) - His body becomes like a flame flickering in the wind. Unpredictable, and moving too fast to see. While he can only keep this up for about thirty seconds before collapsing, he rarely encounters an opponent that would survive this. Every time it's used, however, it hurts him with a permenant injury.


Weapons
Caledfwlch

So begins...

The Chariot's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The Chariot Character Portrait: Shannon Ba'rel
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#, as written by Alasund
Shannon Ba'rel ; English Theory Lecture Room - Student Dorms, third floor, second room


As the other students filed out of the lecture, the teacher shook her head at the slumped figure in the back. The nametag, Shannon Ba'rel typed across it in easily readable letters, was lying on the floor next to the desk. She'd seen the boy fiddling with it early on in the class, having taken it off his lapel. She would never understand this boy who could sleep during class and yet match all necessary grades with ease.

'Master Ba'rel, I'm afraid you can't sleep there anymore.' The prim and proper reminder came with just a hint of amusement. She'd done this so many times the two almost had a schedule at the end of each lecture. 'My, Mrs Weatherby, what a loud voice you have.' The still half-asleep voice almost slithered from between the arms, coming from the head whose lips had hardly moved, and whose eyes still stayed firmly shut.

'All the better to wake you up.' With a wry smile, she picked up the last booklet lying around, the one on Shannon's desk, and tapped him on the head with it. 'You can't sit in here, mister.' Languidly, Shannon shifted in a slow manner that was reminiscent of a snake sleepily uncoiling. With a yawned 'On it.' he stretched back, and then stood up. His bag was quickly slipped up and onto his shoulders as he almost staggered out.

Whirling his mind back into gear as he waved goodbye to probably his favourite teacher, he half boredly checked the time on his mobile phone, and immediately came to life. The meeting was just about now, was it? Shannon, too distracted by his phone and his dreams, didn't even notice the rain outside the lecture building until he'd stepped right into it. As he paused to look up once, he smirked at the sky. 'Well, hello there Mr Weather. Thanks for the wake-up, I needed it.' Having paid his respects to the rain, he walked, unworried by getting wet, towards his dorm-room.

It was a very short while later that, to the sounds of his dorm-mates telling him to change his clothes and try using an umbrella next time, he shut the door to his room and dropped his bag onto his bed. A weary sigh escaped his lips as he flicked the computer's powerswitch on, causing the surprisingly high-tech piece to flicker with bluey light. The reflected light danced over the young student's face as he flicked the screen on, sighing and sitting down in the seat.

The comfortable upholstery made him uncomfortable, but lazily he ignored the slight irritation, instead hovering his hand over his mouse as, with a few clicks, he brought up the program he'd received by email shortly after joining Itex. It was a specialised chat program which allowed bypass into one special chatroom, one he'd be using today. Typing in the first password, Shannon Methusela Ba'rel leaned back, staring at the second password a moment blankly.

'Come, dance with me.' The words were akin to loving caresses, each one more valuable than a teardrop. Each a diamond of its own. The mask in his hand, that had materialised, was held with an almost reverence as the sleepy man seemed to wake up. Slowly fitting it to his face, he drew in breath, once, and exhaled. And then, he spoke again. 'And leave the midnight skies ablaze.'

As the words left his lips, it was almost as if the mask sunk into a pool of water, his face accepting the adornment into its very body, as the hair flickered around it, lightening to a pale blond. The other parts changed in a slow and languid fashion akin to the former holder of the body. The Chariot looked at his own hand in something similar to contempt. Reaching forwards with one finger, and pecking out keys one by one, he activated the second password, and the chatroom came into view.

Fitting headset to head, the blond haired warrior flicked it on. 'Chariot, reporting for duty.' The crisp voice lit up into the silence. The nametag had been forgotten.

The setting changes from Academy Square to Liron River Pier

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The Chariot Character Portrait: Hideaki Takao Katsuro Character Portrait: Hermit
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Hideaki Takao Katsuro
â™Ŧ

Liron River Pier's bank - 6:30 PM - November 21st - Raining

It was raining. Each heavy raindrop fell down from the sky to his outstretched hand and broke into hundreds tiny water droplets. Briefly, the young man wondered if it was possible for a person to collect all these beautiful raindrops and keep them for himself because he wanted them. Chuckling at his silly thoughts, he took a deep breath. Watching silently from the river bank as another raindrop fell on his index finger and rolled down his palm, the young man raised his right hand and looked at the water droplet, his eyes shone with mild interest. He kissed his index finger gently, the raindrop broke and the water made his lips wet. The young man’s lips curled into a mysterious smile. The raindrop tasted just like tearsâ€Ļ but without the pain. Sighing, he let his hand drop to his side and the other hand tightened his grip around the dark purple umbrella.

Pushing his headphone up slightly, the young man ran his hand through the messy purple hair, his violet eyes closed for 10 whole seconds, just enjoying the music in general. Humming the lyrics of his favorite song, he brushed a lock of hair off his eyes. “ Take me down to the river bendâ€Ļ Take me down where the fighting endsâ€Ļ Wash the poison from off my skinâ€Ļ Show me how to be whole again” He opened his eyes and looked around. Several people were staring at him but the young man paid them no mind. A giggle caught his attention and he turned back to see a group of girls looking at him, giggling girlishly. The young man gave them a slight wave and a bow, inwardly rolling his eyes when they fell into another fit of helpless giggles. Girlsâ€Ļ Sighing deeply, the young man decided to go home. It was getting late anyway.

He took out his cellphone and stared at the date. Oh, today was November 21st. So, it had been a while since he last called his parents then. He wondered if he should give them a phone call tonight, just enough to ease their worry but not enough to give anything away. His adopted parents would have a heart-attack if they knew their precious son had practically become a mercenary and a gang member. Just imagine, ‘Hideaki Katsuro – Adopted son and the only heir of the Katsuro Company was a gang member’. Oh, that would be a shocking news. The young man – now could be identified as Hideaki Katsuro, chuckled at his own imagination. Pursing his lips, Hideaki considered if he should just call his parents or wait for them to call him. If his guess was correct (more often than not), his parents would just call him tomorrow if he didn’t call them tonight. ‘The joy of having protective parentsâ€Ļ’ Hideaki thought with another heavy sigh.

“â€Ļ'Cause I'm only a crackâ€Ļ In this castle of glassâ€Ļ Hardly anything left for you to seeâ€Ļ For you to see” Hideaki sang loudly again, earning even more looks from the other people. Smirking, the young man thought ‘Maybe I can become a singerâ€Ļ that will certainly earn me more money than working for this Itex organizationâ€Ļ’ Taking another deep breath, Hideaki kicked a small stone on the river bank, finally decided to move his feet. He opened his mouth to continue his song “Bring me home in a blinding dreamâ€Ļ Through the secrets that i have seenâ€Ļ Wash the sorrow from off my skinâ€Ļ And show me how to be whole-” He was rudely interrupted as the alarm mode of his cellphone began to beep annoyingly. “What now?” Hideaki asked, mostly to himself, his eyebrows furrowed disapprovingly when he read the message he had saved days ago. “Oh, come onâ€Ļ It’s today? Again?” Sighing, Hideaki rubbed his eyes tiredly and put the cellphone back to his pocket, the message ‘Itex Meeting’ still shone brightly as the young mercenary speeded up to go back to his own cozy home.


Hideaki's house - 6:45 PM - November 21st - Raining

Hideaki’s house was surprisingly neat and cleaned for a young man living by himself. The house wasn’t big though its structure was nice. The outside walls were painted white. There were several wooden windows and a big wooden door. Fumbling with his keys, Hideaki bit back a curse when he realized he had forgotten to cook dinner. Pizza, thenâ€Ļ He really hated that thing. Opened the door to his house after exactly 30 seconds messing around with his keys, Hideaki walked into the house and turned on the lights. Smiling grimly when he spotted a messy stack of homework and unfinished projects on his table, Hideaki decided he would do it tonight, after he had finished the meeting and the phone call to his parents. He only hoped he would be fresh enough to do the tasks.

Pushing the books aside, Hideaki opened his (also) violet laptop and turned it on. Waiting impatiently for the damned thing to work, Hideaki vowed he would buy another laptop as soon as he collected enough money. Oh, speaking of money, he really should ask how much he would be paid for this mission. The world was having an economic depression after all and he needed to have as much money as possible. Opening the chat system, Hideaki muttered in irritation. He hated Hermit with a passion and he was pretty sure the feeling was mutual. However, was it possible for someone to hate themselves? Because it was certainly possible for him. “When the devil grows oldâ€Ļ” The mask appeared in front of him, its Grace Stone fragment reflected a soft turquoise color under the dimmed light of his room. Taking a deep breath, Hideaki closed his eyes and put the mask on, feeling the cool texture fit his face perfectly.

A ghost of a smile appeared on Hideaki’s lips as he read the second phrase gently “â€Ļhe turns Hermit” His purple hair slowly darkened and became longer until it was pitch black and reached the middle of his back. Tying the soft black hair with a white cloth he had already put on the table, Hermit opened his onyx eyes, sighing contently when he felt the thirst for more and more subdued until it was only a slight throbbing pain in his heart that reminded him who his real person was. His long and pale fingers typed the second password gracefully and his smile widened ever so slightly when he saw who was already there.

“ Chariot, reporting for duty”

Hermit’s lips curled into a pleasant smile as he heard Chariot’s voice. He was defeated again, it seemed. Chariot was always earlier than him. Hermit spoke gently, his voice was kind and gentle, betrayed nothing of his own anger at being defeated by Chariot. His stomach twisted almost painfully while his face still had that pleasant smile. “Hermit, reporting for duty.” Finished the formal part, Hermit’s lips curled into a pleasant smile as he asked Chariot casually “Hey, Chariot, how are you today?” Inside, however, Hermit thought sinisterly, an evil glint in his eyes could send shivers down someone’s spine if they stared at those black orbs for too long. Hermit was worthy of his title, pleasant on the outside but ruthless and evil in the inside ‘Kekeke, how I wish I could chop off his head, take out his gut, paint the walls redâ€Ļ oh yesssss, his meat must be really tastyâ€Ļ I wonder if I can rip off his heart with my bare handâ€Ļ Butâ€Ļ it won’t be goodâ€Ļ I’m a hermit after allâ€ĻKekeke’

The setting changes from Liron River Pier to Throme

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The Chariot Character Portrait: Caine Strauss Character Portrait: Strength Character Portrait: Hanged Man's Trump Character Portrait: Hermit
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#, as written by Alasund
Judgement ; Itex Voice Chat


To all in the chat, a sixth voice finally spoke, though it almost seemed as if it had been there the whole time. "I see that the Tower has deigned to grace us with his presence," the voice chimed, as though congratulating the absentee on his arrival. "But it seems we've no more time to waste."

The flippant tone of the voice suddenly vanished, replaced instead by a colder tone – one which demanded obedience. "Chariot." the voice rang, before being replaced by more chipper tones. "You are in charge of the first group of three – though you'll only have two." It was almost as if he found the Tower's absence, and the subsequent hole it made in the first team, humorous.

"Strength. You're going with him." The order was delivered in the almost carefree manner it had started talking. "Both of you will be headed to Orion Street, in the backstreets, where you'll pick up a package. Chariot shall keep the package tonight, and tomorrow he will receive directions to where it will be delivered."

Not even waiting for acknowledgement from the two ordered, the voice changed targets. "Hanged Man." the chiming voice fleetingly paused on the name, "you will be leading the second group." The voice sounded like a verbal pat on the back – as if this were a gargantuan task finally completed. "Hermit. Moon. You're going with him." No accolades for them, though, just a fleeting pass over as if they weren't worth the effort.

"You three are heading to Liron Pier, where you'll meet a contact. They will recognise you, so you needn't worry about finding them." A little tiredly, the voice paused and thought for a moment, "And be careful..." the trailing sounded drawn, as if to hold the implication he cared for the Lower Itex for a moment, "of the packages. There will be quite a few angered if contents are either lost or broken." the chimed words were almost cruelly said, but before a reply could be given, the voice spoke one last time.

"That is all. Be about your tasks. And do not attract the attention of anyone while doing your tasks." There was no false warmth or happiness in this statement, blank and hard as it was. The second he finished speaking, the signal on the screen showed all present that he'd signed out.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The Chariot Character Portrait: Strength
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Strength cocked one eyebrow, the only indication of emotion on his face as Judgement logged out, just as swiftly as he'd logged in. Though the face was stolid and calm, the mind behind whirled, processing the information, or lack of, that had been given, working plans, tactics, eventualities.

"Chariot, this is Strength." Despite the familiarity in tone, Chariot was as unknown to him as the place they would be sent tonight. As were most of the names he'd heard spoken. Idly, he wondered if Brandon had set something up to automatically record the conversation, as he nearly always did with important communiques, whether it was from work or otherwise. All the better to dissect and disseminate for information, for blackmail material. Amazing the things people let slip sometimes, and just as amazing how little people actually picked up in general conversation. Hence the repeated listenings.

Whilst Orion street wasnt somewhere he'd visited before, it was close by, maybe twenty minutes brisk walk, half a dozen subway stops. Thumbing the mic again, he snapped up a browser based map site, flicked it to the area they were headed. "I can be at Orion street in thirty minutes." he said, taking a deep breath and committing the labrynthine streets around their target to memory. "I'll be on the eastwards approach, just outside the.." A slight pause, one blink to recall. "Coffee shop on the corner. Meet me there."

Whilst Judgement had ostensibly put the Chariot in charge, simple things such as meeting points mattered little. Besides, whilst he wouldnt share the opinion, judging from the twisting sing song lilt of Judgement's voice, alternately harsh and lyrical, and the sheer amazing lack of actual hard information he'd given them, their boss wasnt the most professional of gentlemen. To not even be told what the package was or where or who they would be expected to retrieve it from left him cold. Still, that was none of his concern. This was the objective. It would be completed.

Without another word, he signed off, shutting down the laptop and placing the earpiece and microphone carefully on top of it. For one long moment he simply sat there staring into the black screen, as if the distorted reflection of himself held all the answers, then snapped to attention and strode into the master bedroom.

Two minutes later and he was at the door, leather bomber jacket on over the same shirt and trousers Brandon had come home in. Taking a moment to check pockets, make sure he wasnt carrying any identifying items, Strength clicked off the light and left the apartment.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The Chariot Character Portrait: Strength
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#, as written by Alasund
The Chariot ; Itex Voice Chat - The Backstreets; Orion street corner


The voices washed over the Chariot. The greetings, the orders, and lastly, his teammate being decisive. He smiled. He didn't mind, he preferred allies that could think for themselves. In fact, this one would do splendidly with their initiative, their lack of patience, even, for others to decide the course of action.

'I will be there. Welcome to the Lower Task Force, Strength.' The greeting wasn't even in the script. Hell, the group wasn't even named the 'Lower Task Force', but that didn't matter to Chariot. He was already bored of orders, and wanted action. Flicking the connection off, the computer down, Chariot stood up, recalling the immediate area from Shannon's memory. Dorm room. Wouldn't be good to come out of Shannon's room at all. After all, no grabbing attention, he said.

Grinning, Chariot opened the window, glancing around. The few students out and about had no focus on the window or the dorm, and would hardly notice one man. Besides that, this wasn't even anything but the small rest area, or outdoors study area. Or whatever people called it. Chariot lost all interest in it beyond -- 'Huuuup' -- dropping down into it. It was still raining, of course, but it hardly even bothered the Chariot. It pleased him, if anything.

Cold, chilly, easily makes someone hunch into their shell. A hazard when fighting, due to the various dangers it could cause, from muscle issues to the lack of solid ground to keep balance. It didn't matter to him anyways. He was a champion of battle, and even a hazard wouldn't touch him.

Forcing himself to slow his pace, he entered the small cluster of people with umbrellas that marked the street next to the campus. Pretending to hunch his shoulders and clutch at the jacket, he let the flow of feet carry him as he worked towards his destination. He could've easily doubled his speed, or even tripled it, but 'don't stand out' rang in his mind.

Sure, there wasn't even a full crowd of people pushing and pulling, and often there was a little space. But who remembers the average trundlers over the rushers? And besides, there was no harm in letting Strength get there first. Might even be a boon in the end.

It was a little longer until he arrived at the coffee shop, straightening and looking around for the aura of Strength. That one would never hide in a crowd.... Let alone the sparsity of a rainy day's traffic.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The Chariot Character Portrait: Strength
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Two hundred meters from his house, Strength looked up at the sky and shook his head. Rain still hammered down relentless, the sun invisible behind grey clouds, thick on a sky that was also somehow itself grey. Ducking under the eave of the nearest building, another cut and paste residential block, he glanced both ways down the street, assessing options. Amazingly, despite the city traffic, there were no cabs in sight and the subway was another block away. Despite himself, he shivered in his jacket. Half a mile in this would soak him to the bone.

With no other option, Strength flicked up his collar, turned, and broke into a run. Dodging between the few people still on the streets, attracting more than a few questioning looks, he sprinted for the nearest supermarket, two blocks out of the way, barreling through the doors in a spray of rainwater. Barely two minutes later and he was back outside, unfurling a cheap black umbrella, the days newspaper tucked under his arm.

In a way, the rain was a boon. Whatever it was they were doing tonight was obviously clandestine, and the rain would provide a modicum of cover. After all, who'd be mad enough to be out in this weather. Except people like, well, him, obviously. Allowing himself a thin grin, Strength checked his watch, nodded at the clock in satisfaction, then doubled his pace, examining each person he walked past. Barely one in ten even looked at him, and the ones that did didnt give him a second glance. That was the problem with people these days. No one paid any attention to the world around them.

The rest of the journey was relatively uneventful, though he did make it a point to stop twice and let the traffic, foot and vehicle, flow on. From his vantage point across the road, the little coffee shop, some local joint called, inexplicably, the Muffin Break, was almost empty. The lights turned red and he crossed quickly, dodging between two cars as they slowed. One of them was a cab, its on duty light glowing, and the corners of Strength's eyes crinkled in wry amusement as he pushed open the door.

He'd been right. It was almost empty. Automatically breaking the room into quadrants, he strode towards the counter. The young couple giggling to themselves in the corner hadnt taken their eyes off each other, the businessman in the rumpled suit sitting at the table across rolling his eyes at each cutesy noise they made. The only other customer was a middle aged guy, alone at his table, half eaten sandwich sitting in front of him. Strength met his eyes, and the man gave him a half nod, running one hand across his shaved head.

He knew, in that half second, that the other man had sized him up in one practiced glance, just as Strength had assessed him. Mid 30s, dressed exactly nondescript enough to attract no attention, military, or ex at least, from the way he held himself. To put it bluntly, an operator. Someone who could handle himself. The guy stood, rising lithe and easy, reaching into his jacket, and Strength tensed.

"Guess it's my turn to brave the elements, eh pal."

His voice echoed with wear. Of too much hard liquor and tobacco. Smiling, or at least showing his teeth, the guy pulled a cheap cigarette from inside his jacket and stuck it between his lips. Without another word, or even waiting for a reply, he sauntered past, so close their shoulders brushed against each other, and pushed open the door. Strength watched him go in the mirrors behind the counter, only turning his eyes to the barista behind the counter when the door had closed again completely. Petite, one too many facial piercings just taking the edge off her cuteness, with a badge that proudly stated that her name was Laura and she would love to help him choose the right drink, the girl gave him a smile that almost looked genuine and rolled her eyes at the door.

"I know, right. Awful out there."

She paused, and he nodded his assent that, yes, the constant driving rain was awful. Grinning, this one real, she swept her left arm out towards the pastry counter and kitschy collection of mugs stacked against the back wall. "So, what can I get for you?"

His eyes flicked up to the board behind her head, read nothing on it. Didnt need to. His order wasnt complicated.

"Coffee. Nothing fancy, just black, one sugar." He hesitated, intentionally, followed the line of her arm with his eyes as he span slowly on his heel towards the cakes. The boy in the corner chose that second to say something hilarious, sending his girlfriend into peals of laughter that echoed oddly around the room. Glancing their way, he considered the cakes for another long second then turned square back to Laura.

"And everything in here looks good." The last word was purred, a low rumble that made her smile. And it was true. It all did. "What would you," he made a point to recheck her name badge, "Laura, recommend to me from the selection over there?" She opened her mouth to speak and he held up a hand, interrupting whatever it was she was about to say. "You know what, I love surprises. I'm going to take my seat. I'll have whatever you bring me."

The girl rolled her eyes at him, though she was smirking as she turned to make his coffee, moving with practiced efficiency. He took a seat at the table furthest from the door, back to the wall, and unfurled the paper. Looks like he'd beaten the Chariot here. He'd half expected the guy to be here when he'd arrived, had entertained the fact for half a second that maybe Mr Spec-ops might have been him, at least until the guy had spoken.

Ah well, he thought, flicking his eyes to the clock on the wall. Taking a deep breath, he lounged back in his chair and raised the paper, looking up every few seconds to check the street outside. With nothing to do but wait, might as well check what's going on in the local news.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The Chariot Character Portrait: Strength
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#, as written by Alasund
The Chariot ; The Backstreets; Orion street corner


There was no Strength in the rain. For some reason, this absence, and obvious abscond to the interior of the coffee shop, made Chariot smirk. It seemed even the mighty had fallen to the weather. Pretending to hunch into his coat, he slipped easily under the eaves of the coffee shop door, loitering there a moment as another man passed him. Pulling the flames of his powers out, underneath the clothes, he dried himself off slightly, allowing the flames to be mostly dampened by the soaked clothing and wet atmosphere.

Shaking himself off like a wet dog, Chariot swooped into the shop. The coat sitting on his shoulders, although without arms in the sleeves, hung surprisingly stiffly for what it should have endured, and the hair was perhaps a little too dry, but only the close observer would notice the slightly off details.

Moving quietly, swiftly, up towards the counter, he pretended to completely ignore the current conversation between the server girl and the man whose mere presence seemed to single him out from the entire customer base. 'One cup coffee, black, no sugar, cream.'

The words were like an incision into the flow of casual talk, like a sergeant barking orders, except with less force and volume. 'The ride is tough out there.' The casual remark was as he turned away, moving towards an empty table at the back, glancing once over his shoulder with a slight smirk. He wondered if Strength got the small reference or not. At least he'd recognise the cold voice of the Chariot, for it hardly changed from voice chat to actual conversation.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The Chariot Character Portrait: Strength
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Another voice cut through the background murmur, a voice he recognised. Without even needing to look around, Strength knew. Cursing inwardly for not noticing the Chariot's approach, he spoke without looking back, face calm, voice steady.

"Yeah."

The single word held no inflection, no indication of what was running through his mind. It was almost bait, a lead in, for the Chariot to respond to, to open up first. Despite himself, Strength was intrigued as to what the other man would bring up, what he found important.

Chosing not to sit down, Chariot stayed standing, glancing around the coffee shop. "Not much of a crowd today." The murmer of casual conversation probably irritating, Chariot almost seemed disinterested. Instead he chose to furrough his brow before striding around into his compatriot's field of vision.

"Wonder who the deliveryman with the package is." A flicker of a smile, then, for the crowd, or lack thereof, in the cafe. "Wouldn't be out on the street where delicate things could be ruined..."

Casting an appraising eye over his companion, Strength grunted an assent, raised an eyebrow in question. "Honestly, I expected you to know who we were here to meet." Between the apparent apathy of the Chariot and the fact that neither of them knew concrete detail, still, alarm bells were ringing in his head.

Giving the room another quick glance, Strength leant forward, fixing the Chariot with a steady stare. "Do we have nothing to go on? At all?" A slight pause, one almost followed with criticism, but held back. Either way, it seemed their organisation didnt believe in handing out detailed briefs.

"Judgement is one of the more caprious superiors." The reply was fired back, casually daring the obvious criticism that even Chariot, not a skilled conversant, knew hung behind the comment. "He leaves information willy nilly, but nothing coherant. It's supposed to make the operatives think on their feet."

Frowning as he stared closely at the renewed giggling in the corner, Chariot's eyes thinned to slits. "I hate peaceful missions."

Whatever Strength was going to say was interrupted by the waitress bringing over their drinks. Giving her a nod of thanks, he reached out, taking his own coffee, staring down into the murky liquid as if in deep thought. Purposefully stretching out seconds, he took a sip, set the mug back on the table, every movement slow and controlled, designed to put the Chariot even less at ease.

"I have no strong feelings either way. Whether it's peaceful or not. I just dont like not knowing exactly what I'm doing." He stressed the last few words, waited for the other man to reply, watching the steam from the two cups twining patterns into the air.

Accepting the cup, but immediately discarding it in favour of the constant stare around the room. It was almost as if the Chariot couldn't help but keep a constant surveillance on the entire shop, just in case an enemy burst from somewhere.

"Then you'd prefer several of the other superiors. It's a pity that Judgement is the most common one to give out orders." There was... not very well hidden irritation in this comment, though much less of Strength's distaste for the lack of details. "Package means it's large enough to be noticable."

From his seat, back to the wall, Strength could see the entire room, even with his attention focused on his coffee. The seat had been chosen for this purpose, and he'd also known, in the back of his head, that the Chariot would have to sit with his back to a blind spot. Glad to see that the other man was at least keeping his eyes open, Strength took another long slug of the coffee, set the cup back down with a decisive snap.

"Well, Judgement said something about the backstreets. I came in here as we didnt seem to have a timeframe, and, honestly, to get out of the rain." He stood, pushed his chair back under the table, fished a note out of his pocket and tossed it onto the table, set a spoon on top of it. "Sitting here is accomplishing nothing. The sooner we start searching, the sooner we can find this package."

Again, Strength noticed that he was taking charge, despite the assertations that Chariot was to be the leader of the two. Calm and steady as a mountain, he simply stood and waited for the younger man's response.

Flicking his eyes back to Strength, Chariot turned his lips up in a smile. It certainly wasn't the casual cruel smile, more of a.. somewhat startled, but completely amused smile. He had always found those with initiative despite put in a lower position an amusing type. And certainly one that Itex could use. That she could...

"Indeed." Still not having touched the coffee, he stood with Strength. "The package wouldn't be out in the rain. More likely it'll be in a public meeting place out of the rain. This shop is actually one of the few places that could be described like that around here. But obviously is barren of the contact. So, all that remains is the small local mall down the road, and the covered food court that competes with here." The eyes had flashed cold, as the minutae detail of the map of the area was recalled. He paused long enough to almost imply he was deciding where to go...

Then. "So, which do you suggest?" The smile returned as he stared. Eyes unblinking in a gaze which seemed to expect something.

'The package wouldnt be out in the rain.' So Chariot did know something about this mission he wasnt sharing. Interesting. Strength met his gaze, returning the smile with one of his own as he spread both arms in a half shrug.

"What do I suggest? I seem to remember you being put in charge." The smile widened, fractionary, for a moment, then was gone, replaced by a pure and focused, businesslike calmness. "What do you suggest?" A slight pause, then a semi-sardonic, "Sir"

The smile from Chariot vanished just as fast as the eyes narrowed again. He never was good at expecting changes in conversational flow, and the persistant feeling that Strength was trying to get something from this that he couldn't fathom irked him.

"I suppose I was." The admission ruined the attempt to draw a suggestion, but then, the other had chosen that route quite intentionally it seemed. "On a rainy day, the Mall is likely the least likely place to be spotted in a clandestine meeting, so I suppose that is my suggestion of where to start."

"Well then." Gesturing to the door, Strength kept his face carefully straight. On a rainy day, a mall, the only covered place in the area, would be the least likely place to be seen? Still, it didnt matter, every word, every passing moment brought fresh information forward. Like how the Chariot was still deferring to him, or at least acting at it.

For some reason, Strength couldnt grasp the other man. Couldnt read him. The erratic changes in personality, the twitchiness. None of it was congruent with what he'd been expecting. Filing it away, to be dealt with another time, he nodded once. "Lead the way."

Well, game over. The new recruit was more than what had been expected, certainly. And Chariot hated how the conversation was turned around on him. Oh well, the game was over, the report would be filed back after this was over. Closing his face into the cold reflection of a perpetual icy stare, he nodded and headed towards the door himself. It was time to get this done with. No more reason to loiter, after all.

Striding out into the rain with nary a glance to see if the other was following, the Chariot seemed to ignore the wetness, despite the coat not being much protection against the heavy driving rain. And he never stopped his roving eyes, taking in anyone on the street. Anyone passing by. The very fact that Itex suddenly called a meeting not originally scheduled, and upping activity around the place, meant that something big was happening. And whenever something big happened, there was always danger.

(Written by Alasund De'astion and Harlequin Smile)

The setting changes from Throme to Little Maybelle

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Character Portrait: Axilious Character Portrait: The Chariot Character Portrait: Strength Character Portrait: Elegant Harlequin Character Portrait: Amara Calen
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#, as written by Witless
Karim, Masquerade; Lil' Maybelle


The umbrella wasn't helping at all. Arthur put aside his umbrella once again to dry his glasses; he had no idea where he was. Wandering the streets of Maybelle would only get you something if you were lucky, and that hadn't happened yet. Well, he was finding where suspicious people weren't, narrowing down the search. Maybe Liesel was wrong? Ahaha! A quick response, No, we were sent here for a reason. Quitting halfway would only bring punishment. But they were turned around; where was a sign? The glasses went back on, see-through-able again for now (sure, they weren't needed, but a disguise was a disguise; it needed to be perfect). A nearby street sign proclaimed this Orion Street, and a quick glance showed a coffee shop nearby, with eaves which would at least stop the rain for a little while.

Arthur walked past, as a man in a coat walked up to the door before him. He paused, waiting for something, as Arthur walked by. A voice in the head, Why'd he pause? Take note, pay attention. I will not have you slacking off here! So Arthur slowed down and paid attention. And felt a slight wave of heat... that shouldn't have been there. A quick turn of the head, a whispered "Decoy" followed just as quickly by "End." An onlooker might have seen another "Arthur" for a split second, less, actually. It started to appear in the back of the head before disappearing as quickly as it came, facing the other man, and its information was conveyed to Karim, the other image of Arthur.

The man was dry; his hair at the very least, his coat stiffer than it should have been after walking through however much rain. Coupled with the sudden heat, there was something strange going on here. A coffee shop was a meeting place, and this was no normal customer. Call it investigator's intuition or whatever. Keep track of that man. And don't be seen... ...Yes, yes, 'mother.' No need to remind me twice! Ahahaha! This looks to be an interesting day! Haha! At the end of the eaves, the end of the building, Arthur sat with his briefcase to the side, his umbrella down, his glasses wiped. The watch that wasn't there was fidgeted with, as a message was input to the communicator. "@J2: Orion St Cafe, suspiciously-dry man, keeping lookout, following if needed. Come here and help. P.S. you won't recognize me. Ahahaha! ;)"

Sitting there, an organizer was brought out from his coat and looked at, scribbled-in additions entered from time to time. Suddenly, the cafe door opened once again, and a pair came out, one the dry guy, the other a man with... some presence. Something just felt... strong about him, confident. As they walked off, Arthur finished his dry spell and packed up, opening the umbrella and picking up the briefcase. With safe distance, he headed off in a... similar direction, where he could keep tabs on the duo. Back at the end of the eaves, a piece of note paper was left, left for Jack when he arrived looking for her, the Joker.

The setting changes from Little Maybelle to Throme

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Character Portrait: The Chariot Character Portrait: Deus ex Kaos 'Dek' Character Portrait: Strength
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#, as written by ZenMon
Orion Street - Rooftops


The rain fell onto the rooftops with a soft hiss and the occasional plunk as the raindrops struck a metal surface. It pooled in slight depressions in the surface of the roof, or in the corners where the level of the building wasn't quite perfect. A few sullen looking pigeons huddled together on the nearby lip of the building, doing their best to cram underneath the overhanging gantry of a billboard, but not wanting to disturb the black hooded figure already beneath it. He radiated wrongness to them. The deep hood of the figure turned ever so slightly towards the pigeons, barely acknowledging their presence. They scattered, flying off through the rain in hopes of finding a safer sanctuary from the rain.

Dek watched the pigeons fly off with a small smirk of satisfaction on his face. Rats with wings. But they know better than to stay around someone like me. The tall pale man leaned forward slightly to glance at the street below, several scant drops of rain falling on the back of his hood with faint snapping sounds. Watching. His least favorite task. Too much waiting, observing. Not enough destruction, or fighting. Nothing worth doing any work for. His smirk quickly turned into a grimace. What's taking them so long? Surely they have it by now. Or are they doing something fun without me? Surely they wouldn't. His hand reached into his pocket, taking out his mobile.

For what must've been the tenth time in the past five minutes, Dek read the same message on his phone:
From: Anon.
Orion Cafe. Overwatch, 2 Itex w/ package. Approach after retrieval. Do not be late again, Tower. Punishment will be severe.



Dek snorted derisively before putting the phone back into his pocket. Christ he hated waiting. Again, he peered over the lip of the rooftop to stare at the people below. Almost like insects. So weak, so fragile. Not knowing who or what watches them. Not knowing of the dangers they could be in. A minute more of watching before he withdrew his head back underneath the gantry on the billboard. It wasn't that Dek hated the rain. In fact, he quite enjoyed it when he wasn't being forced to stand by idly. Then it wore on his patience as obstinately as an itch that was just out of reach. One final glance, then he'd go find something more interesting to do. Punishments be damned.

Within moments of looking over the edge of the building, he saw who he was looking for. Heh. Those two. They couldn't blend in if they tried, not with that kind of presence. Dek smiled as he turned into the rain as he placed his hands into his pockets. With those two exuding the presence they did, try as they might to blend in, any Masked would be drawn to them like flies to an open garbage bin. Dek followed the two on the street, keeping close to the edges of the buildings, barely staying visible. He hoped the Masked would follow, that'd make his day much much more interesting. And his day had been mind-crushingly dull so far. Oh what a day what a day this will turn out to be. What a day, what a day...

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Character Portrait: The Chariot Character Portrait: Strength
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#, as written by Alasund
The mall loomed ahead as the two wanderers in the rain approached. Still silent, still unreacting to the rain, Chariot strode ahead. As if sensing that something was going to happen very soon, the rain beat down harder, the small drops of rain hitting hard enough to sting on exposed skin. And yet, that hardly stopped either man from Itex.

Chariot, pausing to look around once as they arrived at the mall entrance, grimaced in distaste while glancing around, his face shielded from his current partner's. Of course he'd been caught on the spot and said the most logical sounding thing that came to mind, and now he would look like a fool to Strength, most likely. Especially with the clusters of people inside the mall. So much for being as deserted as he wanted it to be. Not that it effected the mission in any way..

Shaking his head, he stepped into the covered entrance, before stepping to the side to 'allow' his partner to also get out of the rain, although the entrance was easily wide enough for them to have gone abreast and still have room for more. No, the action was to obscure him while affording him a clear view of both in and outside the shop for people paying undue attention. After a moment finding nothing, a simple 'Let's go.' and the cloaked man was off at a brisk walk again. There was no hesitancy for where to go, or a pause for Chariot to get his bearings.

With one glance back out into the rain sodden street, Strength shrugged his shoulders and followed his partner into the mall, unable to shake the feeling that something was up. Maybe it was losing the jump in the coffee shop, or Chariot's twitchiness, or even the underlying distaste he felt for the way the missions were being handled around here, but then, maybe it wasnt. When it came to his own intuition, Strength trusted himself implicitly, despite knowing full well he'd despise someone else for using 'just a feeling' as a justification.

The mall was far from busy, but far from the ghost town Chariot had suggested it'd be. Aware that Chariot was doing the same, Strength settled into the same, familiar pattern of easy stride, head on a swivel, eyes flicking across each knot of people, each storefront, looking both for their contact, not that he knew what he was looking for, and for the out of place. Anything odd, strange, anything that could become, as he'd once heard it euphemistically described, a situation.

"So." It wasnt really a question, his tone flat and low, demanding response. "We're here. Now what."

Pausing at the base of the stairs to the second floor, Chariot carefully watched a pair go past. 'As soldiers, we're here to await contact.' There was no give in the words of Chariot. Turning to regard the man with him, Chariot's smile, pasted on for the passers by, was wiped away. 'I thought it was understood that trust with information should be earnt.'

Through blind obedience, or if not that, at least measured and patient obedience. 'Anyone with information regarding us should find us fairly easily. Where as the contacts we work with specialise in fading into the background.' As if this explained the entire situation, Chariot turned away again.

For a long second Strength gave no indication or response to the Chariot, just kept the same steady flat gaze on the other man, then nodded with a curt, 'Understood."

Trust for information should be earned? They were, as low level 'soldiers', not privy to information he'd assume was obvious for completion of their objective? Despite his misgivings increasing with every new word, every piece of information given, Strength kept quiet. From the other man's reaction either he wasnt used to being questioned so incessantly, or Strength had pushed simply too far. Showing no emotion beyond stolid readiness, he placed his back at the wall and waited for their contact to show.

Chariot nodded once to himself, satisfied by the other's response, and went back to casually surveying the surrounding people. The escalator above, hardly teeming with people at all, suddenly had a bit of a commotion as someone went barrelling down it, drawing the eyes of the surrounding people. The older man in the business suit merely muttered at everyone in a hostile manner as he barrelled past them.

For those not just watching the stairs, the man that paused right next to Chariot might have been an interesting person to watch. Wide brimmed hat and rather casual clothes masked his figure quite well, though his face was fairly visible. After watching the spectacle for a moment, he nodded at the two Itex people and continued on his way.

Chariot, meanwhile, now had his hands in his pockets while watching proceedings. 'We wait until another potential contact could give us information in some way before we move.' Resisting the urge to look at the written instructions that he'd received in the commotion, he left it in his pocket as he waited.

Before long, as the preacher with the pamphlets moved past, forcing one each on the pair, Chariot put the useless article inside his coat as he motioned for the duo to move to a more isolated place.

The setting changes from Throme to Little Maybelle

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Character Portrait: The Chariot Character Portrait: Deus ex Kaos 'Dek' Character Portrait: Strength Character Portrait: Elegant Harlequin
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#, as written by Witless
Karim and Dek | Maybelle Mall
(post co-written by Witless and spudjohnson)

Darn this blasted rain. Wiping off glasses every so often was beginning to be a large pain. Where was this pair headed on such a rainy night? Hopefully somewhere interesting, or this would be all for nothing. Arthur continued to follow after the two, hoping they wouldn't notice him, clutching his briefcase under his umbrella to keep it safe. The good news was, they were headed under cover: the mall in Lil' Maybelle, it was. Shaking off rain as he ducked through the entrance, Arthur collapsed his para- no, umbrella and wiped off his glasses once more.

Arthur Yes, that's who I am turned around, looking through the crowd and his watchless hand now and again. Now and again, his eyes alighted on the pair. And passed over them again before returning in another pass. Unless they suddenly sped up quickly, she... he wouldn't lose them in the crowd. What were they doing? Waiting at the stairs? Boring. Waiting again... would this night ever get interesting? Jack would respond. Eventually. They'd do something. Hopefully.

It was too far to hear them or see their expressions. Hopefully something would happen that she could see, but until then, seeing was all that would happen. Karim drummed her fingers on her- Snap out of it! Amy was getting cross again because... right. Arthur looked at his watch in impatience and shifted from foot to foot. Ugh... waiting. He had things to do and places to be, but it would have to do. His gaze scanned the crowd again, and he waited...


Dek looked upward at the face of the mall, pausing for a moment before following Strength and Chariot into it. He waited for just a moment, reflecting on nothing before heading into the mall. The automatic doors slit open noiselessly, allowing the noise, smells, and sights from the inside of the mall to crash over him in a gentle wave. The faint smell of various foods combined with the dull hum of a massive crowd. He gave a slight smile, imagining all the different ways he could make these people trample over themselves in terror.

However, lost in his imagination, Dek almost lost sight of Chariot and Strength. For the first time in his memory, a small knot of terror wormed its way into his stomach. Fear of the repercussions from the Itex higher ups if he failed the assignment. That thread of fear vanished in an instant when he saw the two again standing at the foot of a large staircase, seemingly idle. He pouted. More waiting? This is bull. There's nothing to do but wait and wait and WAIT nowadays. I want the masked to come and play! He hummed as he considered how to best attract their attention.

Nothing came to mind for the moment, so Dek decided to lean back against a decorative column and just scan the crowd for anyone acting odd. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as he just stood there and waited. I HATE waiting. He scowled at the crowds, occasionally sticking his foot out to trip someone with a large amount of parcels and laughing as they tried to recover before inevitably falling on their face. Commotion from near where the two last were caught his attention. Some guy barrelled down the staircase, knocking people to their feet in some kind of rush. Dek laughed at the man's attitude, then something caught his eye.

A man seemed to be acting strangely, constantly fidgeting with his glasses, wrist, and clothing. The man was shitfting from foot to foot. Dek almost dismissed the man as a nervous wreck waiting to run to the bathrom when he realized that the man's nonchalance was just a sham. To the passerby, he seemed as normal man, just busting for a piss. When Dek stared at him again, he noticed the man's head movements were calculated, even occasionally lingering on Chariot and Strength. Now there's something you don't normally see. Finally, something to do! To hell if he's Itex or Masked! I'm so BORED. He pulled his hood back slightly, allowing the single glowing red eye to just catch the light enough to shine menacingly. A few people in the crowd noticed the sinister glint and gave him a wide berth. Others who bumped into him had their retorts die in their throats when they saw him before scurrying away. He strode directly towards the strange man, hoping he'd see him so he could glimpse the face he made when he saw Dek.


Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Watch, glasses, shifting feet. Boring, boring, boring waiting. They were still doing nothing, and no one else seemed to be approaching. Arthur shifted his feet again and turned his gaze... right into the glowing red eye of someone approaching. What? Arthur dropped his briefcase in surprise, his mouth dropping open in surprise, shock, and... well, just a little bit of fear, no words coming out. The briefcase fell to the floor with a thud... Yes, it thudded. And hit the floor. Briefcases are supposed to do that, right? Karim? Yes, it must have hit the floor with a thud, even if it was muffled by the crowd. Shaking away the shock, Arthur glanced back at his watchless arm and then everywhere but that man.

So they did come. Liesel was right this time... Where's that Jack when we need him? That man, he wasn't- he's not coming at me, is he? What madness was behind that red- Karim! Right. Behind the illusion, Karim gripped a knife in her suitcase-hand. Itex wouldn't cause trouble, not much anyway with such a large crowd around. Right? All that was needed was to hold out until Jack arrived, escape was possible, or the pair did- He knows. He knew he was on to them. This third knew he- she was watching the pair. How didn't matter, but he knew. Somehow.

Escape rose in importance. She knew two, no, three, of them, and they didn't know her. Yet. And time was running out. It would be best to escape for now and let Jack handle the rest. Karim- no, she was Arthur - Arthur looked up to see what the man was doing, to find some escape if it was at all possible. He wasn't fit to fight this man, at least without backup, even if the other two weren't nearby. The red-eyed man hadn't reached him. Yet.

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Character Portrait: The Chariot Character Portrait: Deus ex Kaos 'Dek' Character Portrait: Strength Character Portrait: Elegant Harlequin
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#, as written by ZenMon
Post co-written by Alasund, Witless, Harlequin, and myself


Dek slithered through the crowd towards the twitchy man, occasionally shoving hard to create a bit of a distraction. First impressions are most important. In no time at all, he had wound his way to the man. As he drew up to the twitcher, Dek drew a knife from his coat and gently pressed it into the man's side. He cleared his throat just enough to get his attention over the obvious point of the knife. He spoke just loud enough for the man to hear clearly, but not loud enough for the surrounding shoppers to hear.

"Good evening, friend-o! I see you're getting a good look around here, it's a lovely day for people watching, isn't it? But I'm sure you aren't REALLY people watching, right? If not, what ARE you doing?"

A knife. A KNIFE! Who in their right mind would just walk up to someone and put a knife to their- Oh, wait. This is the person holding a knife in her- his hand just in case. Still, that's just so terribly rude of him, wouldn't you say? Karim, he's talking to you. Who? What? Oh... right... him. A KNIFE!!! Really! The nerve!

Arthur turned to the red-eyed man, shaking visibly. "Ah! What are you-? Umm... I don't know, you know? Ah! Calm down, there are people watching! Ummm... wouldn't want to cause a commotion, I'm sure? Anywho, my- my boss, you know, he- he set up some... meeting of sorts here? I was to meet hereabouts, you know? But, you see, I'm still here after waiting this long. I was to meet someone, but they've not shown, you know? Hence the watching! This meeting's, well, it's- it's rather important, you see? Umm... you do see, right? Can you- you know, can you be on your way? It's just, umm... well, I've answered your questions, you know? Aha." This was said softly, of course. Others weren't to hear. Important business, you know? ;)

Dek chuckled menacingly while shaking his head. "You just don't get it. Not at all. Not. At. ALL." Dek pressed the knife further into Arthur's side to punctuate his remark, but not enough to pierce the skin. "You see, I've never been the trusting sort. As for causing commotions, well, you mistake me entirely. I quite like causing commotions. You could call it... a hobby. Or my specialty. I've gotten quite good." Dek turned to look at Arthur, fully revealing the massive red eye, and the utterly blank other side of the mask. "Now, you don't mind if I enlist you for some company do you? I'm feeling rather bored while I wait for my friends to finish their meetings. Unless you're wanting to cause some commotion, in which I'd be more than happy to oblige you." Dek just stared, waiting for the inevitable response.

"A-ah!" The knife was poking. Commotions? Company? All Karim was looking for was a way out of this mess... This man was definitely Itex, and he was with that other pair. They were here for some meeting, or so it appeared, and somehow this monster had caught her gaze. Ugh. Why must stealth be so... stealthy? Can't I just... stab him? Just once? No, not yet. Yes, I know. Meanwhile, Arthur cringed back from the knife, gripping his suitcase harder, and began looking around frantically, licking his lips and obviously nervous. "Uh, sir... Uh, sure... Uh... as long as it's... just company, right? You know, no commotions. Terribly, terribly difficult to sort out, you know? Umm... ahah? Could you maybe? Umm..." Arthur trailed off, looking down at the knife to his side, and continued to look around frantically. For an escape. Maybe for information. Was the other pair still just waiting? How boring...


Chariot, beginning to lead the way out of the main thoroughfair, paused as an almost invisible haze spread across the mall. 'Keep an eye out. There's someone in here with us.' He didn't need to say the word 'Masked' to emphasise what he meant. The subtle mental pressure that was little more than a buzzing fly to the mental bastion of the Chariot hovered with the accompanying haze.

Turning back to the direction he was heading, towards a small corner shop that seemed to be rather unfrequented, which sold sports equipment, Chariot tried to blend into the surrounding crowd, even though his partner's aura made that rather difficult..


Axilious almost slouched into the mall. He'd almost lost his way after the annoying braggart of an Itex agent escaped his clutches, and he was far from dry. His flambuoyant clothing almost dribbled all over the floor beneath him as he looked around rather curiously, trying to find either the Joker or another annoyingly riddled code to tell him where she'd gone haring off to this time.

Despite the unusual appearance and sopping clothes, most people passing him seemed to not even take a passing glance at the soaking figure or even at the world around them. Most seemed to be losing a grip on reality, though a few minds broke the haze to realise on some level how inappropriate the man was and that they were doing nothing at all anymore. At least it wouldn't seem like a big deal to them in a while. Shaking himself as if to dislodge the cold placidness, he strode boldly into the mall, an obvious figure to anyone whose minds broke the numbing haze.

Grunting assent at the Chariot's instruction, as if watching the crowds wasnt what they'd both been doing for the last few minutes, Strength followed, a apace behind, still reflexively quartering and scanning the mall as they moved. He glanced towards the easternmost entrance as they passed by, took another few steps then hesitated. Something was wrong. A slow blink, brow furrowing minutely as he realised that, despite looking towards the doors, he hadnt actually seen anything.

"Wait."

The instruction was barked, he was already turning back the way they had come. Confused, Strength paused, tilted his head a fraction to one side at the sight of the sopping wet man, dressed almost as if he'd stepped out of a romance novel, walking into the mall. Out of nowhere the guy seemed to swim out of focus, the air shimmering like a desert mirage and Strength squinted, eyes twitching. It last barely a second and only took a moment longer to realise that no one else was paying the guy any attention either, and from the looks of the him, swaggering forward without a care, barely even looking at anyone he passed, it was obvious he didnt expect them too. Which was odd. Dressed the way he was, he'd have drawn attention in a carnivale parade.

"Something's up." Strength turned to face the Chariot, indicated the anomaly with a nod, watching him move in the mirrored glass of the doors. "That guy, Mr Ren Fair. You know him?"


Dek almost rammed the knife home in the man's side, but a strange sensation prevented him from doing so. Something was "off". A feeling of absurdity hung in the air, making the hairs on the back of his neck begin to tingle and stand on end. He swept his gaze over the crowds, trying to find something to clarify the sense of wrongness. He couldn't see anything wrong at first. The masses were too busy going about their lives to care at all, as if they didn't feel anything at all. They didn't even notice someone just sitting in the crowd with a fog machine on full blast. Hold on. Fog machine? What jerkoff brings a fog machine into a mall? Dek looked back and forth to see if anyone else noticed the fog, but nobody seemed to notice the fog.

Dek's suspicious were roused immediately. He stared at the fog, trying to see what it was hiding. After a short moment, the fog dissappeared and the most bizzare dressed man was just standing in the middle of the crowd. Nobody noticed him at all, bizzarely. "Hey. Bud.", he said to his hostage, poking him with the tip of the blade to get his attention. "Do you see the fog?"

The knife was poking into his side. Arthur's glasses were slipping. He pushed them up, and then noticed a strange quiet around the room, as conversations were momentarily cut off. His gaze slipped around the room, and passed a patch of... haze. Ahaha! Finally made it, did he? Quickly, the haze solidified into Axilious, and Karim almost laughed! ...until she remembered just where she was, and the knife poking into her side...

The start of a smile disappeared as Arthur's eyes glazed over. For a short while, there was nothing, then a pain in his side as the knife pushed farther, and the end of a voice "-see the fog?" Arthur started. "Ah! Uhh... hmm?" As he looked for the fog this other man spoke of, his eyes glazed over once more, and he became motionless. Hahaha! Go after Jacky, and leave me alone! I'm as useless as these other normals, you know? Hahaha!

The setting changes from Little Maybelle to Sagaro Mall

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Axilious Character Portrait: The Chariot Character Portrait: Deus ex Kaos 'Dek' Character Portrait: Strength Character Portrait: Elegant Harlequin
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Chariot, Axilious, Dek, Karim, Strength ; Sagaro Mall

Post written by spudjohnson, Alasund De'astio, Harlequin Smile, and Witless.


"He's not ours." Chariot tensed, his right foot stepping out as he settled back into a battle-ready stance as he turned to check who Strength was referring to. "If he keeps this stasis on the civilians he could cause a situation." But there were also other concerns that could be dealt with quickly using this to their advantage. "Hold him or force him to leave for a moment, I'll retrieve the target." As much as his instincts yearned to fight, and self-control wavered under the chance to bring blade against a proper enemy of some bent, he had a mission to complete. And his last failure Judgement had been sure to burn rather solidly into his memory. Stepping back, Chariot turned to swiftly make his way through the currently unobservative crowd.

"Boring boring boring." Oh yes, how boring this had been so far. As he waved magnaminously to the various subjects around him who were so awestruck by his presence that they had seemed to lose grip on reality, Axilious continued to scan the floor for the almost customary piece of paper left by his erstwhile partner. "How a lord must bow before the demands of his people." The dramatic muttering continued as he finally found something in the crowd that was not quite like the other things. The figure which seemed to be talking almost scandelously closely to a normal civilian against a pole, it didn't matter that both were male, as Axilious had no prejudice to speak of for the peasants sexual relations, squinted in his direction and seemed mostly uneffected by the fog around. "Greetings." Axilious held his left hand carefully, ready to summon his weapon at a moments notice. "Have you perchance seen a rather eccentric lady pass through here?"

Power. Yes. Sweet power. Oh smell its intoxicating aroma. Oh GOD I want to fight them! Fight fight fight! Dek shook his head vigorously in an attempt to dissipate the bloodlust that boiled at his core. It was then that he realized that Renaissance Man was addressing him and his hostage. Dek cocked his head quizzically, then cracked his neck. "Well! Mr. Mist! Where have you come from then, ey? Time portal? Time traveler? Or do you just enjoy looking like a peacock? Nonono, you enjoy the grandeur. Nobility then! Maybe. I don't really care." Dek shifted Arthur slightly to the side so he could address Axilious properly, all the while keeping the knife tip in Arthur's back. For now.

"Now! Strange woman.." The volume of his voice dropped slightly as he feigned trying to remember something. "Strange woman strange woman strange woman strange woman... NOPE! No strange women about here, Just these cattle! My newfound friend and I were just people watching. Nothing too serious, mind. Just observing these ignorant, pathetic, idiotic masses that are so intent on buying new shoes or clothes or whatever else they waste their money on. They never want to do anything more with their lives. Just consume, and consume, and consume. It's like they get some sick high off of it. It's really quite strange. Isn't it, friend-o?" Dek looked at Arthur, hoping for a response. When he saw his eyes glassed over, a petulant tone crept into his voice. "Aww. Look at that. Your little parlor trick seems to have taken out my only friend here. And we were going to have SUCH fun in this crowd. A little slicing, a little dicing, and a LOT of panicking! But, alas, he's gone for now." Dek pushed Arthur roughly towards a concrete support pillar in hopes of knocking the man out. He spread his hands widely, flourishing the knife before hiding it in his coat with a bit of slight-of-hand. "Well, looks like youuuuuuuuuuu're my new play-mate! How do you wanna play, mister? Nice and easy?" Dek held his right hand out to the side, preparing to bring his axe-hammer into existence. "Or will we do this the rough and tumble way?"

"Understood." Already moving before he'd even finished the single word, Strength strode across the plaza towards the oddly dressed man. Whatever it was the guy was doing, it was getting worse. Most of the people in the mall were stumbling around with glazed expressions on their faces, looking at nothing in particular. Damn right it would cause a situation if it carried on. Not often a few dozen people fall into a hypnotic trance in the middle of a public place. The tiniest of smiles crossed his face as he moved towards his target, who seemed more than preoccupied with a pair of guys standing close to at the edge of the plaza.

Obstruct or remove target. That was an objective he appreciated. Obvious. Straightforward.

Easy.

Another step and the smile was gone, replaced only with calm readiness as he ran through an automatic checklist, scanning over the entire situation. Target currently unarmed, seemingly unaware of incoming. Focused on pair of men, standing too close together. Threatening body language from the taller of the pair, pinning the other to the wall, one arm flourishing a blade before concealing it in the jacket he was wearing. Strength narrowed his eyes. The guy who had his back to the wall was the same one that had rushed past as he and the Chariot had been waiting earlier. It could be coincidence, but that was unlikely. Especially as the newcomer, the one who was playing with everyone's minds, had gone straight for them.

He flexed hands, confirmed they were free from possible restraint and prevention of weapon retrieval, both arms relaxed and ready. Approaching at an oblique angle, coming in from slightly behind Axilious so that he had to turn to face him, and wouldnt be able to keep the other two men, and presumably the Chariot, in view whilst looking at Strength, he stopped maybe fifteen feet away from the group and took a breath, projecting his voice so that all of them would hear him.

"Excuse me." A seconds pause to let them register him. "Mall security. Someone mind telling me what's going on here?"

Obvious gambit, and whilst he looked vaguely like a security guard in dark jacket and heavy boots, it was more than obvious to any intelligent onlooker that he really wasnt. But then, that wasnt the point. The point was to break flow. To get the attention on him, so that Chariot could do whatever it was he was going to do. And for that it would do just fine.

A shock of pain shook Arthur out of his daze, and he looked up to see what was happening around him. A pillar was to his side, obviously what he had been pushed into. His assailant was in front, turned to address another person... Karim's eyes widened in recognition as she noticed the Jack standing there confused. And they widened further as she saw one of the pair she had been watching walking toward them. Mind racing, she tried to think of a way to get her identity away to Jack without attracting too much attention. What to do, what to do... there wasn't much time...

Aha! Karim left a flower, a rose, against the pillar as she scrambled back out behind it. That should be enough of a hint, if that Axilious would take the chance to spot it. Message given, Arthur scrambled back to his feet and sputtered out, "Who- who are you... you... who? Get- get away!" And the backward steps turned to a full run, through the still still crowd, toward the area where the second had walked from, where the third was hopefully still waiting. These people were important, and Liesel would be furious if they let them out of their sight! Let Jack take the other two... Arthur didn't turn to see what was going on, but he could hear someone saying something about security. This would have to be done quickly, it would seem.

Axilious smiled almost cruelly as he regarded the one who had just threatened him. "Why would you like to know? I think that if you--" Suddenly cut off by multiple sources of sound, Axilious swirled irritated at the more self-important sounding one, leaving the peasant to scramble away in fear at the awe of the lords. "You attempt to beguile us peasant." Formal, blunt, and putting the villian down with his very demeanour, the audience must even now be booing at the man who dared interrupt the protagonist's witty remark. A very fast glance easily told him that he wasn't regular security, and mall security isn't ever likely to go undercover. Which meant that this was a plot twist, putting a third variable into the already explosive cauldron of antagonist and protagonist. "Explain yourself."

Haughty, the gesture demanding obeisance was calculated just right, the dramaticism adding flair to his movements as the shimmering energy, very distinctively showy calling of his weapon, formed into the double bladed staff that was his hallmark. "I am to be unseen. Let me make it so." The grave pronouncement of the good guy being forced to do evil. The performance was about to start.

"Hmm. So we're going to go there, already? Really? Fine by me!" Dek shrugged his hood back and revealed his masked face. At the same time, he held his right arm out above his head, mentally invoking his weapon into existence. The shadows around Dek all shot towards his hand with such force that they moved the clothing of the people around them. The shadows formed a midnight black sphere above his hand before stretching into the sillouhette of his weapon, then materializing into existence. Dek slowly brought the hammer towards the floor before firmly planting the base of the handle on the floor. The tile beneath the handle cracked slightly under the weight of the hammer-axe and the force of his strength.

"So." Any trace of levity in Dek's voice had evaporated, leaving a cold emptiness that verged on murderous. "Where do you want to begin, whelp?" Rather than waiting for a response from his now-opponent, Dek spun his hammer and unleashed an Arc of Chaos directly at Axilious. Without waiting for the Arc to hit or miss Axilious, Dek gripped the chain surrounding the handle of his weapon and threw it towards the floor. The chain unwound from the haft with a mind of its own. Instead of piling on the floor, it sank into the ground as if it were water. Nothing happened for a short time before chains burst out from the shadows of various objects surrounding Axilious. The chains, hovering in midair, seemed to absorb the light before streaking off towards Axilious. Deep down, Dek hoped that his new friend would dodge the otherworldly chains. It would at least indicate that he'd found some real fun for a time.

The situation escalating fast, Strength took a half step back, raised both his arms, fingers curling in until his fists were clenched tight, ready and willing to summon his own weapons at a moments notice.

"Explain myself?" He raised an eyebrow at Axilious, utterly calm and rational despite the chaos erupting around them all."I think it's you that should be.."

Whatever it was he was going to say was cut off as the other man, the one who'd summoned a giant, and to Strength's eyes, completely impractical axelike thing, swung it outwards, a wave of something that twisted in the air like shimmering heat erupting from its blade, aimed at the other man. The dodge was reactionary, two quick steps back and to the right, even though it wasnt aimed his way. The summoning of the gauntlets was just as instinctual. A moment after he willed, metal wrote itself into existence, curling first across his knuckles then shot backwards, twisting so close to flesh it was like a steel tattoo that covered his entire arms in dull grey up to both elbows.

He kicked forwards, aiming for the taller man, Dek, the one who seemed by far the most threatening. With no strategy in mind save simply ploughing into and through, he was content just to pit himself against the situation and see what came of it. Lips peeled back in a grin that came just from the joy of joining battle, he amended the ever present objective list that was running through his head.

Obstruct or remove targets.

Chariot, not looking back to watch Strength's progress, weaved quickly through the scattered people to disappear into a smaller shop at the back; one of the more specialised shops, this particular one in handbags and other personal accessories. Giving the note in his hand one more glance, Chariot tightened his fingures around the missive and let the words burn as he activated his own powers for a moment. A moment later he had retrieved the target package and had moved to secure it before moving back to mop up the situation if Strength hadn't cleaned it all up by himself. As he exited the shop, he glanced once around, not that carefully but enough to pick up the more casual of persuers, and moved towards the emergency exit at the rear of the mall.

Eenie, meenie, miney, moe, where'd that stupid third guy go? Karim looked through the crowd, searching for the last suspicious guy, the only one not confronting Ax. Where'd he go, where'd he go... Ugh, this endless searching and searching was getting boring. "Ah, let's end this charade..." as Karim reached up and pried off the Arthur mask. "Where oh where has the strange guy gone, oh where oh where could he be?" she singsonged and walked toward the back of the mall, keeping an eye out every which way for him. Suddenly, Karim spotted her target exiting a random shop, something about bags or somesuch. With that, she rang her bell, "Let the race... begin!" Karim took out two knives and began pursuit, hoping a good chase would arise.

Metal besought metal, and air parted for the true showing of power as Axilious brought his double bladed staff into existance, lips firm in a straight line of disapproval. "Axilious, brave knight, who stands against the tide of darkness." The words hummed with power as he stepped right into the wave of energy humming towards him, gritting his teeth against the flicker of energy attempting to twist his very organs against him. "He who guards the nine seals, and holds the highest of praises amongst the lords of the realm." As the chains darted towards Axilious, the stoic knight began to twirl his weapon, using it as a shield against the darkened objects. "Fear the guardian of truth, for the world is his battleground, to enact victory after victory."

As the Litany of Praise continued, Axilious felt the amazing powers buried within him envelope his body in a now visible almost-halo that emerged from the dust blond hair, and slowly seemed to envelope the rest of his body in an unearthly glow. The blade rotations stopped as the last chain was slashed and knocked away, but Axilious did not attack. After all, it would not befit a leading role to be drawn into battle first. "Fight for the judge of the Air and Earth." He proclaimed, taking no note of what the other man had said, but simply letting him move in to attack his assaulter.

Behind his mask, Dek's eyes narrowed to irritated slits. This wasn't who he wanted to play with. Didn't he realize one of his comrades? This must be someone newer, someone who hadn't met Dek already. Emitting a faint sigh, he shifted his stance so that he'd be able to dodge at the last moment. The hammer hung loosely in his arms, ready to move at a moments notice. Despite it's size and probable weight, it felt no lighter than a normal hammer to him, but to his enemies it felt much MUCH heavier. Just before Strength's fists impacted with his face, Dek rolled and evaded the strike. Dek landed on his feet, hammer held with one arm at his side. "Well well, sir. It appears you've made a bit of a mistake. The person you want to maim is up there", he pointed at Axilious, ",not me. I'm on your side, I believe. Unless you've defected. Then you're meat. But it doesn't really matter to me, a fight is a fight." He shifted his weight back slightly, with his weight over his rear foot and ready to spring.