ROOT TOWN: LUMINA CLOTH

---

---

---

---

A dull ringing voice pounded into Damian's headache inflicted skull. Who the hell was Merc?

"Merc. You passed out on my bartop again, this ain't an inn, you're not here to buy something? Then get out."

Wait... no that made sense, Merc was his username, the name people had called him by for a year. How the hell did he forget that? How drunk was he? "Gimme... gimme a second..." In an exhausted slur, Damian shook himself awake. His head was pounding with the effects of the alcohol he had consumed. Damn... he knew that the programmers had wanted to make their game as realistic as possible, but did they really have to programme in hangovers of all things? "No Merc, look I appreciate your business and how you keep the less savory company in line, but I can't put up with you sleeping here." The bartender was trying to wake him up... Damian had to admit that he did have a habit of passing out on the bar and causing the owner plenty of problems... if for no other reason than people were terrified to sit next to him. He had a bit of a reputation for being an aggressive drunk.

"Alright alright... look? How 'bout this? Here me out? With a tired slur, Damian gestured in the direction of an empty booth in the corner of the room. Damian was at his favorite bar in one of the darker corners of Lumina Cloth... the company was terrible, your typical pigs and bar flies, dishonest and downright smelly men who crowded in for a quick escape from this broken, virtual hell. But the booze was cheap, the other patrons were afraid of him for his strength and reputation as a mercenary and he knew the owner personally, so he got nice discounts on all of his drinks... and he got away with sleeping on any free surface as long as he didn't cause trouble... that was no excuse for sleeping on the bar though. There's nobody in that booth over there right? Right. So I can just lie down in there and hold my aching head? Right?" The old bartender let out a long sigh. "Right Merc, right... just try not to snore so damn loud ok?! Or I'll toss your ass out on the curve!" Merc smiled and gently reached over and patted the bartenders head. "Thanks buddy... I'll be quiet."

Damian sluggishly picked himself up and started to drag himself across the bar, his gun blade was in gun form and held safely in Damian's side holster... while his great sword made a horrid scraping sound as it dragged across the floor behind him. It was then that he remembered something. Hadn't that Knights of Hyperion girl mentioned something about contacting him today? Or was that today? He couldn't remember. She'd more than likely come looking for him right where he was considering he'd been dumb enough to tell her the address of the bar he essentially lived in... so if it was today, even if he ignored her messages, he was pretty sure a meeting with that kid was inevitable. That being the case... he'd have to make an arrangement with the patrons.

Without hesitation, Damian pulled out his gun blade, "Full_Blitz" and shot a blank into the air above him... causing many patrons to jump and spill drinks and warranting a threatening stare from the bartender, which Damian just took on the chin. "Alright listen here you useless mutts! Today, more than likely, a young lady is gonna come to this bar!" The bar suddenly erupted into a barrage of hollers and whistles, causing Damian to shoot another blank... scaring the living daylights out of every patron around and shutting everyone up. "She's a client. MY client.So if you see a lady in here and she mentions MY name then you send her here!" Damian would point to his destination booth with his great sword. "And you let her wake me up."

Damian's expression suddenly turned darker. "Now... this girl pays me well each and every time... So if I hear that any of you worthless pieces of muck were giving her any trouble? Then I'll personally mount your heads on this bars wall! Do you understand?" A resounding and complete silence took over the bar, pierced only by the occasional "Yes sir..." and nod.

With his work done, Damian held his aching head and slid slowly into the booth, the soft sofa-like seats were the closest thing he had to a bed... and with a hangover as major as his... he was glad to have them

---

---

Gladius walked the streets of Lumina Cloth with as much discretion as she could manage. She hugged her robe tighter to her body, her face hidden underneath the huge hood. She stuck to the walls, keeping out of the way of the bustling crowd. She received a few looks for her oversized robe, but she paid them no mind. After all, she had seen much more ludicrous attires in this virtual world. Her little attempt at a disguise was still something that could be considered normal amongst them.

The root town was beautiful in its own right, though Gladius still preferred the certain air of refinement that Breg Epona offered, but she knew that her destination for that day would not be in the nicer parts of the town. She would be having to enter the shady alleyways of Lumina Cloth and find herself that godforsaken tavern. Even in the real world, Gladius was never a fan of anything that involved sweaty bodies in a small confined space, especially when said establishment was in the part of the town where crime and other truant behavior was afoot at all times. She wasn't worried about her safety, not at all. She knew her capabilities. She knew that in this world, she could protect herself. Instinctively, her hand carressed the hilt of her favoured weapon, Fear Rapier, underneath her cloak. Yes, any of the fools who dared attack her as she traversed the swine infested roads of Lumina Cloth's ghettos would suffer the wrath of her blade, but she wasn't about to go waving her rapier in the air like some kind of flag. That would destroy the importance of her attempt at a disguise, after all.

She didn't want Pheonix to know about what she did to protect their guild.

The pathetic swine to dare threaten their precious guild this time was a fairly averaged level player who went by the name of Chrono. Gladius had a fairly spread out network of players who continually reported news to her, and they had gotten word of another guild's planned sabotage of the Knights of Hyperion's base. Apparently, Chrono's guild deemed themselves as something sort of a rival of the Knights, even though Gladius had never heard of them prior. Nonetheless, they were a threat, no matter how miniscule, and Gladius knew just the man to take care of the job just how she liked it.

She finally rounded the corner to the tavern and saw a large burly man standing guard up front. She knew well enough how to deal with scum like him, but just to be safe, she held the sword beneath her robes with one hand as she approached him. "Hello," was her simple greeting that was responded to by a grunt and a raised brow. "I'd like to enter your establishment."

The man laughed coarsely, a decaying sound that made Gladius flinch. Men like him lost all hope in this world and the same could probably be said in the real one. He eyed her up and down, his lecherous gaze sending goosebumps all over Gladius' body as she shivered in disgust. Pigs. "Well, missy, how do you plan on making me let you enter my establishment?" The way he thrust his hips forward suggestively as he ran a hand over his plump stomach made Gladius want to hurl and her grip on her sword tightened. He made a move to put a hand on her and she instinctively took a quick step back, frown marring her features. His grin grew as he laughed crudely. "My, my. Feisty, aren't we? I like that."

She wanted to spit in his face, but she held herself back. Instead, she produced a few coins from her pockets and showed them to the man, whose eyes glimmered at the sight. "I demand entrance," she stated determinedly.

"Ohoho. A rich, pretty lady, eh?" He moved to snatch the coins from her hand but she was quicker. "A rich, feisty, pretty lady? Now I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun." His hands fell to the whip strapped to his waist as he took a large step forward, effectively destroying the distance Gladius put between them earlier.

His foul stench permeated her nose and she almost barfed, but she gripped her sword tight and prepared to fight. Dammit, she didn't want to ruin her ruse so early. What had Merc said if she were to encounter men like this? Ah, right. She straightened up her posture and gave one of her finest glares towards the man. "I am looking for a man named Merc. Take me to him." The mention of the name balked the man and Gladius internally smiled. The effect Merc had on these people was admirable and she respected him for that.

"Ah, you're that lady he said would be coming. Uh-uh. Come in, come in." He made a gesture for her to enter, whilst looking both mortified and apologetic. She brushed past him as she entered the tavern, nose crinkling in disgust at what she saw. "Don't tell him about our little talk out here, okay? We're fine, right? See, he's right there." He pointed towards a corner where a man who was undoubtedly Merc was seemingly passed out on a table.

She threw one last glance over her shoulder at the man and smirked before throwing her handful of coins at his face. The clinking that the tiny metals made attracted a couple of nearby players to hurry towards it, fighting the burly man for the small amount. Pathetic swines.

With a soft, dark chuckle, she moved towards Merc, throwing off her hood as soon as she was sure they had some privacy. "Merc?" she tried calling out his name, to which she received no response. Typical. She knew just the thing to wake him up. She reached inside her pocket carefully and procured the small cage in which one of the younger members of the guild placed a tiny, biting insect they caught. She put on a glove on her right hand and took the insect from its holding, and placed it on the asleep man's nape. "Don't let the bedbugs bite, Merc."

---

---

---

---

"Oh Damian... you're so impressive, such powerful muscles, impressive weaponry... and everyone knows that you're the best at what you do..." Damian lay in a field of flowers, a beautiful woman hanging off his arm. Oh how peaceful it was, just laying there in utter bliss. "Haha, come on dear, you flatter me... I don't do all that much, only what's necessary you know?" The woman on his arm nuzzled into his side. "Yes but you do that "necessary" stuff better than anyone else... all big and strong like you are." Damian took a moment to grin widely before continuing. "Well when you put it like that I guess I really am kind of awesome aren't I? Heh, I guess I can't deny it any longer, you got me." The woman giggled. "You're right I do have you... Damian..." Suddenly she crawled closer, gently kissing the nape of Damian's neck. "W... whoa.. escalating things a bit quickly aren't we? Not that I mind." The woman began to nibble softly. "Shh... it's alright Damian... you just let me take care of everything." Damian suddenly found himself blushing horribly.

"Merc?"

Damian raised an eyebrow suddenly. "Wait a second... why do I recognize that voice... hey show me your face!" Damian desperately tried to turn around and push the woman away but she seemed to be latched onto his neck. "Wh... WHAT THE?! Let go of me! Gah!" What Damian had taken for playful nibbling quickly turned to aggressive biting as what felt like tiny teeth began to grip tightly onto the nape of his neck. "Ow ow ow! Let go of me you crazy witch!"

"Don't let the bed bugs bite, Merc."

***

"Ahhhh!" *THUD*

Merc's eyes slowly pushed themselves open as he fell out of the booth onto his back, a sickening squishing sound coming from behind him as the name of his neck thudded onto the ground. With a still slightly drunken and a very tired and weary stance, the mercenary pulled himself upright and tried to stand up completely straight only to wobble slightly. "What the hell?" Rubbing his glove against the throbbing nape, Merc pulled a small dying insect, crushed to a gooey mess, from the source of his pain. Suddenly angered, Merc turned around to address the bar. "Alright which one of you useless wastes of human sk-! Huh?" Upon turning the first image to pop into Damian's eyes was that of a girl whom he recognized. It was Gladius, second of command in the Knights of Hyperion and the sole player he had been expecting to show up that day. Gladius had provided him with plenty of work in the past and she always paid extremely well... so in his books it was always a pleasure to see her... and her wallet.

"Well that explains that. You know a quick poke in the head or shaking of the shoulders would've woken me up kiddo, no need to sick... this thing... on me." With a grimace, Damian flicked the insect to the side and wiped his hand off on the table beside him. "I was having a wonderful dream too... there was a girl there, she was reminding me of how great I was while giving me some very nice comfort and affection... oh and then she started sounding like you and it was about that time that the pain started." Merc sneered at Gladius for a quick moment... as if his comparison of her to a pain in his neck wasn't already plain to see.

With a sigh Damian rubbed his still throbbing head and picked up his great sword from the floor, leaning on it for support as he was still fairly hung over. "Right okay... I knew you'd be coming. You obviously want someone dead. We both know how this works by now... tell me the pay and give me a name and he'll be dead in a few hours tops." Merc sighed then, as if discussing murder was a run of the mill affair for him... which, admittedly, it was.

---

---

Gladius sat back and watched with a smirk as her plan unfolded. A small smirk tugged at the corners of her lips when she saw the blissful smile on Merc's face contort into a grimace as she guessed that the insect began to do the job intended for it. When Merc screamed out and actually fell out of the booth, her facade slipped and she let slip a small peal of laughter. She caught herself quickly and her hands flew to her lips to hold off any more that trued to escape. She grinned down at Merc as he shouted, "Alright which one of you useless wastes of human sk-! Huh?" Her eyes made a round over the other patrons of the tavern and saw that they had genuinely feared for their lives at the man's little outburst and she couldn't help but feel a swell of respect for him. He was definitely someone to hold on to.

"Well that explains that. You know a quick poke in the head or shaking of the shoulders would've woken me up kiddo, no need to sick... this thing... on me." She merely smirked in response to his complaining and her eyes followed the insect from where it was flicked to where it landed, creating a green splotch on a man's white robe. She bit back a chuckle and turned her attention back to Merc as he was just finishing rambling about some dream of his. She really couldn't care less if she had disrupted him from a wet dream or whatever. He was sleeping on the job and that was unacceptable. "...oh and then she started sounding like you and it was about that time that the pain started." Her smirk grew at that as she began playing with a nearby spoon, balancing it at the tips of her fingers. "Ah, yes. That's usually how things go."

"Right okay... I knew you'd be coming. You obviously want someone dead. We both know how this works by now... tell me the pay and give me a name and he'll be dead in a few hours tops." The mention of the work made the smirk drop from Gladius' face. She leaned back on the booth and ran an apprehensive eye over Merc's person. She liked that about him, how he was always so precise with his work. It definitely made the job easier, and the target was usually terminated just how she wanted them to be. This time, though, it would be somewhat different.

Gladius leaned forward, her chin resting on the hand propped over the table whilst her other continued balancing the spoon. She made another pass around the tavern, and once she ascertained that no one was listening in, she began to speak the details of the job. "This job may be a bit harder to handle than what I've asked you to deal with before, and I do have some... tweaks, as they say, about how you will dispose of him." She smiled up at the man, knowing that he would probably like what she had to say next. "So, knowing this is your mission should you wish to accept it, you get to name the price. Nothing is too big." She mentally rolled her eyes at herself. She had quite the savings in this world, but that didn't mean that her funds didn't deplete. Still, she was certain that her money was more than enough as she wasn't truly a fan of purchasing items of this world that she did not need much. Her @Home held minimal furniture as she only used it as a safehouse whenever the Guild @Home would become too crowded for her.

"The man's username is Chrono," she continued after another careful pass around the tavern. "He is the leader of an average guild. They're small and fairly weak, and so is he... But they have a plan that migth just be stupid enough to work." She frowned at herself, eyes glazing over as she remembered the plan blueprint that her little ninjas had uncovered for her. Obviously, Chrono had someone with smarts working for him. The question was who. She shook her head. That was something for another time. Now, she had to deal with Chrono. "I believe that Chrono's simple death will not be enough to deter his companions, which is why I want you to make an example of him to his guild members. I do not care how, but make sure that they will not be foolish enough to go through with their plan."

The spoon finally fell from its perch on her fingertip, creating a loud clanging against the wooden table that was quickly muffled by the sounds of roughhousing from across the tavern. She leaned back again, staring at the man opposite her with hard eyes. "Do you accept?"

Phoenix sat back in her chair in the reception room of the guild hall. Having been there almost since sunrise, her neck was beginning to get a little stiff and she was losing her patience with the players that had come to call on the Knights of Hyperion. It had been released that the Knights would be competing in the tournament this month, thus everyone and their mother have decided to show off their talents in hopes to join. The closer the date of the tournament, the more people had shown up seeking entrance to the exclusive guild.

It had never been apparent to Phoenix how many people had the same skill set in EDEN. All of the members of the guild had something that kept them apart from the crowd, but so many of the men and women that practically begged to be initiated were all the same. Nearly like clones, they had the same armor, the same weapons, the same specialties, or at least they had begun to blur together in her mind. One would think that over the past year people would start branching out of the standard classes.

Why am I the one doing this? I thought this was Gladius' job Phoenix wondered. Normally, Gladius would be the first to weed through the groups. Simply put, if her cold demeanor was enough to scare them off, Phoenix didn't think they were cut out for the guild. Usually, she only sees the top picks of the other guild members and she's just remembered what a charmed life that is.

Now that her thoughts had turned to the other members of the guild, she'd started wondering where any of them were. She hadn't seen anyone come in, but it was entirely possible that they had sneaked in. With crackling limbs, she stood from her chair and dismissed the few people that were nearby in a commanding voice, "I will be taking a break. I expect you to not bother me while on my break. I'll thank you to respect the guild hall if you really must wait here."

She all but ran to escape from the responsibilities that filled her mind. The minute she left the hall, her mind felt a little less cluttered. Warming her skin to the sun, she stretched with a satisfied grin.

---

---

---

---

"Oh I'm getting asked this time eh? No demands, quick words, or promises of extra pay without question? Hell, either this job is more serious than I thought... or you're shy because you've finally fallen to my dashing looks and charming attitude." Damian spoke and tried to keep a straight face before bursting out with a hearty laugh. "C'mon kiddo, lighten up a bit! You're always so doom and gloom... like a rain cloud." The mercenary grinned playfully and pat Gladius gently on the head as if consoling a child. "Don't you worry... big brother Merc here is going to take care of this bully and make a nice example for all of his horrible friends alright?... As long as you pay him of course, guess this is why I don't have any real siblings? Not really the brotherly thing to do, asking for money to make the bullies go away."

Merc sighed and motioned for the bartenders attention. "What now Merc?" The older player asked begrudgingly. "Mind getting me two glasses of water? One for the kid and one for my hangover?" The barkeep gave a sharp and begrudging glare, but brought the glasses swiftly regardless, Merc had half of his downed in seconds, the cool refreshing liquid making him feel more relaxed almost instantly. With a yawn, he reclined back into the booth's seat stretching his arms and cracking his knuckles before yawning again and continuing to speak. "Gotta say though kid... you're acting awfully sketchy with the level of regard you're holding this job in... so forgive me if I have one or two questions before we continue."

Merc quickly glanced around the bar and managed to spot someone glancing over idly, listening casually to his conversation. Damian didn't appreciate people sticking their noses into his business... and oh look, the bartender had decided to go out for a break at exactly the right time. In seconds Damian had his gun blade brandished again, his hand rolling against it's side as he slipped a small clip into place, the weapon now fully loaded it took a few mere milliseconds to prime the weapon and fire, the bullets aim was fast and true and it almost instantly shattered the pint glass clutched tightly in the listeners hand... causing the man to squeal in panic and duck under his table. Damian just grunted and shrugged his shoulders without a care, his message had been sent and he didn't feel like raising his voice again... if he caught anyone else listening in, he'd fire again; a process that would continue until the lousy lumps of meat that were his fellow patrons got the message.

"First things first Gladius. If this guild is so weak... why do you need me to do the job? If it was just some average joe's out for some sort of petty rivalry then you and your knights of hyper-power or whatever should be more than able to handle any plans they might have; which brings me to my next question... what exactly is this plan they have? It's obviously something big enough to warrant your attention and your desire to see them disbanded... which leads me into my third question? Why bother making an example in order to disband them? You want the guild out of your way for good right? Why don't you just have me, oh I don't know, kill all of 'em? If they're as weak as you say it wouldn't take me more than a half-hour to an hour extra at most... and that variable is determined only by how fast the idiots can run once they realize they're outmatched. Hell, I wouldn't even charge you extra for the extra blood on my hands." Confident that not a single soul had dared to pay any attention to what he was saying (based on the loud rabble and ruckus in the room), Damian holstered his gun and folded his arms before reclining into the soft, cozy seats of the booth. He gave Gladius a somewhat contemplative look... he would have prefered his questions to be answered, obviously... though it wouldn't be a major problem if they weren't.

Money was money... either way he was going to take the job.

---

---

"Oh I'm getting asked this time eh? No demands, quick words, or promises of extra pay without question? Hell, either this job is more serious than I thought... or you're shy because you've finally fallen to my dashing looks and charming attitude." Gladius couldn't help the scoff that escaped her lips. Falling for Merc's looks and charms? Never in a million years, Her heart was already taken, tucked safely away by someone who was out there in the real world, hopefully awaiting her return with bated breath. The reminder of her lover out there brought forth a somber look on the bluenette's face. "C'mon kiddo, lighten up a bit! You're always so doom and gloom... like a rain cloud." She looked up at Merc then and slapped away his hand, albeit with a small. thankful smile. He was a jerk most of the time and probably only kept her around for her money, but he could be a good person sometimes. Sometimes.

She watched Merc call over the bartender and order them both glasses of water. She was thankful that at least Merc was taking the initiative to be sober for this conversation. She didn't really want to have another one of the insects squished if he got knocked out again by alcohol. Although, when the bartender did set down the glasses in front of them, she examined hers with a careful eye. what in the world was that brown thing stuck to the rim of her glass? She watched how Merc downed his one gulp and shook her head, pushing the glass towards him with the spoon. She turned her attention to the spoon and saw that the same brown goo was stuck to it in some places as well and hurriedly disposed of it, wiping her hands on her cloak. Disgusting.

"Gotta say though kid... you're acting awfully sketchy with the level of regard you're holding this job in... so forgive me if I have one or two questions before we continue." Gladius sighed. Of course Merc would pick up on it. "Good eye, Merc. The thing is-" She paused as she watched Merc pull out her weapon and shoot at someone in the bar. An eavesdropper? She hadn't even noticed them. Dammit, she really was beginning to slip. This wasn't acceptable, but she had to keep it in for now. She ran her eyes around the tavern and released a breath when she saw that Merc had holstered his weapon again. That meant no one else was listening in.

She listened intently to Merc's questions and sighed, rubbing at her temples. Just thinking about everything happening was giving her a headache... At least, that was what she was going with. "First of all, we're the Knights of Hyperion," she corrected with a stern gaze. "And the details of their plan isn't something that I can divulge, especially in a rat hole as this." She emphasized this by gesturing around them, where a small group of guys were cheering on two people participating in an arm-wrestling contest. She scrunched her face in disgust. Men. She shook her head before returning her attention to Merc. "To answer your last question, I can't simply sick you on them all. I can't have Phoenix knowing things like these and the mass murder of an entire guild might become news that would quickly spread around. If that happens, she'd undoubtedly hear of it and that's not something I want." She frowned, knowing that some people were quickly becoming on edge because of the news about the game masters. If an entire guild suddenly got wiped out for no reason... There'd obviously be talk, and Phoenix was a smart girl. She might just put two and two together and... Just thinking about the possibilites brought shivers down Gladius' spine. "The people on that guild... They respect and love Chrono. His death would surely inspire fear amongst them and-" Her hands flew to her temple again as another onslaught of pain hit her. Damn, she couldn't concentrate at all, but she had to finish this thing with Merc. As soon as she was done, she could go and get some much needed rest. "-And fear is a powerful, powerful thing." She finished through gritted teeth.

---

---

---

---

"Ha sick me on 'em? What am I a dog? I'm almost insulted." Damian smiled again and scratched the back of his head. Hearing him speak in such calm and joking tones made a few of the patrons raise an eyebrow. Damian was usually incredibly grumpy around them... yet he seemed much more peppy in the presence of this girl. Within their own minds... they rationalized his behavior quite well, putting it down to how this girl apparently payed him very well for his services. Knowing Merc, it's not surprising at all that he'd act so pleased around this woman. Upon noticing the brown grime on the glass that Gladius had pushed towards him with a sickened expression, Merc simply shrugged. He finished gulping down his own water before using his sleeve to wipe away the grim from the glass, he then wasted no time in taking a big gulp of Gladius'. He wasn't going to complain about more water, every gulp made his throbbing head feel a little bit better.

Speaking of throbbing heads, Merc raised an eyebrow when Gladius rushed her hands to her temples. In a different set of circumstances such a look might have even been mistakable for concern. "Hey... you alright there Kid-" Damian was cut off as soon as he began to speak by Gladius' finishing of her sentence, acting like nothing had just, oh I don't know, bore a hole in her skull... or something similar based on her sudden reaction. Merc let out a long winded sigh before polishing off the second glass of water... he felt his hangover slowly slowly fading away until it was just about gone, thankfully they cured themselves alot quicker in game then in real life. [color=#8A4B08]"Alright Kiddo, you've made your points, I'll kill this supposed Chrono with a swift pull of my trigger." Damian smiled slyly to himself... he loved making classic game references... and in a World filled with gamers, they were almost always appreciated.

Damian stood up and put a large hand on Gladius' head, from his now standing position... he towered over her as she was sat in her seat. "Listen up short stuff, pushing yourself over the edge can be bad for your health... I should know, I do it for a living. Alcohol can help with the stress... but somehow I feel like that's more my style than yours." Merc leaned slightly on the girl, as if trying to make her feel small was funny for him. "I could see it in your eyes you know, when I mentioned these charms of mine... you clearly have something special waiting for you outside of this mess, but I doubt that special something would appreciate it much if you wind up dead." Merc smiled a cheesy grin down at his young employer before getting off of her and picking up his great sword, hoisting it slowly upwards, holding the hilt tightly and letting the blade rest across his shoulder. He made sure his gun blade was securely fixed in it's holster, without any threat of going off or opening into blade form by mistake while still holstered... sheesh, that would be bad.

"Alright kiddo, up and at 'em! I'll walk you out so that none of these filthy sleezeballs get any stupid ideas... after all you got some rest to catch up on and I've got a guild to mercilessly and emotionally destroy... busy day!" Merc began to saunter slowly towards the exit, but quickly looked over his shoulder to glance back at Gladius as he went. "Before we part ways for a little while... I'll do you the honor of enjoying my conversation for one question longer." He raised an eyebrow as another sly smirk spread across his face. "You got any idea where I can find this Chrono guy? A guild name and home would do nicely? Or am I supposed to track him down myself?"

---

---

Gladius arched a brow at the man and was amazed at how quick his transformation from being one of the wastes in this excuse of an establishment into the person she trusted to deal with her enemies swiftly and silently. The water seemed to have helped him, and she briefly wondered if she should have drank at least a little just in hopes to rid herself of her pounding headache. No, she wasn't about to take a chance with whatever this place had to offer. Sure they were in a game, but she wasn't certain she wouldn't contact whatever diseases ran rampant around these men. "Alright Kiddo, you've made your points, I'll kill this supposed Chrono with a swift pull of my trigger." She rolled her eyes at him, wondering if underneath the strong facade he was pulling, he was actually just a huge dork.

The weight of Merc's hand atop her head was nothing she'd be bothered with, but the act itself irritated her. She wasn't a kid, and she demanded respect. She would damn hell get it. She gripped the hand and tried to rip it from its perch, but came up short. Merc easily overpowered her and she mumbled a German curse under her breath, hating feeling small already. "Listen up short stuff, pushing yourself over the edge can be bad for your health... I should know, I do it for a living. Alcohol can help with the stress... but somehow I feel like that's more my style than yours." Gladius merely pouted at him from underneath his hand and crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to acknowledge his words. She knew that all the work she'd been putting was taking its toll on her body, but she wasn't about to stop. Not now, not when they were so close to getting out of this place. She swore to all that was mighty that after she got out, she'd never look at another video game twice again. And just who did Merc think he was? Talking to her like she was some kind of-

"I could see it in your eyes you know, when I mentioned these charms of mine... you clearly have something special waiting for you outside of this mess, but I doubt that special something would appreciate it much if you wind up dead." Her mind halted from its angry tirade. His words cut deep into some of her deepest worries and she frowned, eyes falling to the table in front of her. She would say it was the stress and the headache, but she couldn't deny how her eyes clouded over. She quickly wiped it away, acting as though the short and miniscule breakdown had never happened. She had better control than this, but damn it all. "She is amazing," she whispered under her breath, a small smile playing on her lips.

She shook her head at herself and stood up, gathering herself to face whatever horrors this game would throw next. She fixed her clothes, bringing her hood up again. "Right. We should leave. We all have our missions for today." She followed him out, shirking away from the other patrons. The faster they were out of there, the easier she would breathe. Her attention was returned to Merc when he peeked back over his shoulder and said to her, "Before we part ways for a little while... I'll do you the honor of enjoying my conversation for one question longer." She rolled her eyes but motioned for him to continue nonetheless. "You got any idea where I can find this Chrono guy? A guild name and home would do nicely? Or am I supposed to track him down myself?"

She thought back to the information given to her and shrugged. "All I know is that he's the leader of a guild that calls themselves 'Reapers of Eden'." She chuckled lowly at the name, having found it somewhat unoriginal and foolish. Of course a bunch of amateurs would give themselves such a petty name. "I'm not sure where he lives, but I trust that you won't have much trouble finding him. He's an exuberant man. You might just find him screaming pride about his guild in the middle of a plaza." She smirked, imagining the scenario. It was something so likely to happen and she found that undeniably amusing.

She looked back to the tavern they'd exited and frowned before turning to Merc. "Hey. Can we find another venue to meet next time? That hole in the wall isn't really the most favourable of places." She crinkled her nose as if to accentuate her point.

---

---

---

---

"Fair enough... I guess not everybody can appreciate a fine establishment such as this. I like it here because it's like a personal reflection you know. Rough around the edges, but hey, it gets the job done." With a proud grin, Merc gave a positive double thumbs up gesture, which he turned to point to himself. Despite the fact that the small tavern was filled with disgusting fools, the cutlery and glassware were smudged on a GOOD day and the alcohol paled in comparison to other, fancier establishments... Merc was still practically in charge within the tavern's confines and that gave him some sense of accomplishment and pride... small as it was.

"Hmm... but if you really hate it as much as you oh so obviously do... I was planning on heading to the arena after I finish this little job anyway, thought I might take a little gold and place some bets on a fight or two, just for fun. If it'd suit you better... you could meet me there instead? You "Knights of Hyperspace" are always around the arena anyway right? Just show up in a few hours and I should be there, job done and all." With that said, Merc began to walk slowly out of the small alleyway and out into the brilliant lights of the city that never sleeps. "Don't you do anything crazy kiddo! I know you've got your duty and honor and all that crap... but what good is any of that if you're not at your best? I'd rather have you living than dead... especially with the income your provide me! Ha! Somehow I doubt that special something of yours would appreciate you doing all of this either you know? Ahh whatever, you know. See you when I see you!"

With that, Merc flicked a finger to the air, pointing upwards with a sort of signature "later" kind of farewell. He didn't bother turning around to look at Gladius as he left her and the alley behind.

***

~ Bee Loop Bee Loop ~ You Got Mail ~

--Opening--

"Merc... I got info on that guy you were after. Chrono, leader of the "Reapers of Eden"... guy's just some kid trying to act important by the looks of things, he's been doing pretty well for himself lately, his guilds actually managing to garner some attention by a few select groups... and the prideful bastards loving it. He's liable to believe anything, if you butter him up somewhat this might be your easiest job yet. Don't worry about sending any reply or thank you message, this is the least I can do after you dealt with that damned troll who kept spamming me.

Regards ~ Cybr_Pnk"

"Ahh, nothing like calling in favors... perks of the merc at their finest." With new information in tow courtesy of his contractor from the past, Merc sets off on a quest to find his next mark, Chrono, head of the "Reapers of Eden" and supposed threat to the Knights of Hyperion. With him out of the picture a lofty paycheck is surely close by if Gladius normal fees are anything to go by. Still, as he walks the crowded streets of Lumina Cloth, garnering stare after stare from countless passerby (be it for his reputation or his obnoxiously large weaponry), Damian can't help but feel his thoughts drifting back to the blue haired girl who hired him... and her apparent conviction to returning home to the outside world. With an audible sigh, the mercenary speaks gently to himself under his breath... a forlorn tone in his voice as he does so.

"Must be nice... having a place where you belong."

---

---

Gladius smiled back at the man, silently thanking him for all that he'd done and will do for her. And most of all, she was thankful for the change in venue. She wasn't sure she could have stayed in that rancid place for another minute, and the arena was as good a place to meet. Their only problem was the amount of people present there, but she'd cross that bridge when she gets there. "The arena then. I'll check back on you in a while, but for now, I'll be bowing out." She gave him her own version of a salute before turning in the different direction than him. They both had their lives, and those did not need cross other than for the jobs that benefited them both. That made things easy and simple, just what Gladius needed.

She quickly made her exodus from the alley as well and entered the bustling city. It was safe enough to shed her cloak and she breathed a sigh of relief upon being free of the stuffy fabric. Her scarf was well enough to protect her from the weather and she didn't need another layer. She wondered briefly if she should head home then or take the time to look around the city and maybe find something useful. Or perhaps she should check back on the guild.

Speaking of the guild, she felt a certain looming dread fall upon her at the memory of what she was supposed to do. Phoenix would probably kill her. She knew the woman wasn't overly fond of having to deal with potential newbies. It truly wasn't a task Gladius would forcibly push upon another person. She knew how boring and menial the task was. "Scheiße, she's going to kill me." She sighed in acceptance of her fate and pulled out her menu, scrolling through her contacts to get to Phoenix's name.

"I know. I'm sorry for leaving you to deal with the applicants. I was at home. My head was killing me. Just tell me how I can make up for it."

She hit send and put the ball in Phoenix's court. She'd probably have her sift through all the remaining applicants that Phoenix obviously abandoned. It would probably take up most of her day, leaving her only little time to hone her skills after. Then after that, she'd have to deal with more guild related things. She could already feel her head throbbing madly. Merc's words earlier rang loudly in her ears but she waved them away. She was fine. She could still handle it. She could rest later, when everything was dealt with. For now, she needed to make sure everything was in order for the tournament or whatnot. As for this thunderous pounding in her skull, she'd probably take a page from Merc's book.

Gladius ran her eyes around the city and grinned as she spotted a store that seemed decent enough. She entered it, garnering a few awed looks from the few patrons inside. She paid them no mind, being used to the stares. It was part of the package of being the strongest guild's second-in-command. Besides, she had more pressing issues in mind than the eyes of a few people. She approached the counter with a blank face and said, "Your best and strongest bottle please."

The rather weighty man behind the counter blinked back at her, his hands occupied with tweaking his curly moustache. It was distracting, to say the least. "Bottle?" he asked with wide eyes, as if Gladius had spoken another language. That surely wasn't the case. She'd gotten over getting her languages mixed up in the first few months of the game. Her english came naturally now so it definitely wasn't her fault that this man was looking at her like some kind of fool. Her lips curled down ever so slightly as her eyes hardened. She could already feel the beginnings of another migraine and she didn't have the patience to deal with him. In one swift movement, she'd grabbed hold of his collar and pulled him halfway over the counter, the tip of a sharpened knife pressing ever so slightly beneath his chin. "I'm not going to repeat myself." Her voice was grave, tired, before she let go of the frightened man. She was certian he may have pissed his pants, but that was none of her concern. She picked out a booth that was as secluded as possible and pointed towards it with her knife. Her arched brow and stern gaze didn't relent until the man hurriedly nodded and scampered off to get what she ordered.

With a satisfied smile, she made her way towards the chosen booth, already overhearing the murmurs that have erupted. She knew it was out of character for her to suddenly lose patience like that and she might have just started a chain reaction of rumours, but she couldn't be bothered yet. Her head was killing her and she'd just deal with the reprecussions later, preferably when the world wasn't spinning and she didn't feel like puking her guts out. She reached the booth with a sigh of relief, cluthing at the soft leather of the seat like her life depended on it. The white tablecloth was swimming in her vision as she tried to lower herself down to the seat. Maybe she was pushing her body a bit too hard.

The shaking waiter quickly arrived with a bottle of something labeled in French and a wine glass. He placed them down hurriedly on the table, flinching when the glass almost fell on its side. He caught it in time, thankfully, and didn't suffer the wrath of Gladius' glare. Honestly, she didn't thinks he would have even have had the energy to tell him off if her dropped the glass right then and there. All she needed was for the pain to stop, so she waved him away and began to pour herself a glass. "Zum Leben," she raised her glass to no one, before downing it all in one gulp. She was beginning to feel better already.

---

---

---

---

“Yeah! I’m coming already! Just give me time to realise this isn’t a dream, and then time to get ready… and five minutes more!” Seo cried, spread out, foot hanging off the top bunk, “Huh?” He sat up realising he was just excusing himself on auto and that no one had requested his presence, or not that he’d heard any way, he let out a deep sigh, ducking down his head. “I’m not Seo here, Korpal, remember it.” He shook himself and tore his duvet away, “I wonder what Em and the others are up to?” A quick message would sort out his query but that would cost him dearly, the attention of the guild meant work. “Maybe just Em then…” Seo reflected, pulling a long sleeve over his head. Seo had the message board open in front of him whilst tighten his belt when it flashed.

"If you want to go on an adventure, just let me know~ I need people to go to the forest area~!" It was from Ceilo.

“Drag…” Quests were more of high spirited adventures bag, but Ceilo was a friend, a rare commodity within Eden. Seo hit reply.

“Place + Time. Allow 10 xtra mins. Need to change. Korpal.”

Sent. It was obvious Seo didn’t need extra time but he’d take it regardless. It’d been a fair while, a month or so since he’d Ceilo or Akuma and besides, it wasn’t the guild’s style to turn down assistance or so he kept reminding himself every time some one requested it.
In all truth Seo didn’t mind the Boy Scout stance the guild had, it was refreshing. The difference in opinion came to raising their profile, Seo couldn’t understand it, it’d only agitate guilds and draw the aggressors toward the guild, and it wasn’t as if they were in short supply of players trying to knock them off.
Seo started making his way down the cold stone stairs barefooted, it was already familiar, the guild, and taking up residence was a slice when he’d explained himself, and the pile of rubble that used to constitute his previous residency. His message board flashed and he stuck some virtual bread into his mouth; another message.

"Everyone meet in the guild @home. I have a plan for looking into the tag team I told you all about." It was from Raijin.

“Go figure, but no can do.” Seo breathed, tapping the console.

“Sorry, going on a job. Surprised right? Wish me luck + Keep me posted. Korpal.”

Sent. Seo wondered if he should have requested to be kept in the loop and shugged, “If they need me, they’ll call. Simple.”

He bent down pulling on a boot whilst chewing, the slice protruding. Seo couldn’t help feel wary that Emma was going to appear and yell at him for slacking, but Emma wasn’t, and for once he wasn’t slacking… to an extent.
Rising Seo brushed himself down and motioned towards the door, his hands reached out for the handle and his sword respectively and he found it was yet again another perfect day in Eden. “Suppose I should await further instructions. In the pub.” Seo looked both ways, sure the guild was out to catch him out but especially Emma. “Looks clear!”[/b] Seo grinned, wandering towards the town centre. He clicked his console.

“Hey Akuma! Tell me the 3 musketeers are reforming? It wouldn’t be the same without grumpy! LOL. Drink first? Korpal.”

Sent. Seo knew the message would rile up Akuma but winding up the highly strung power player always gave him a kick. Not a great deal else Seo had planned today and it did feel like he’d received a golden ticket, getting out of guild work, though technically it was guild work. “Ha!”






Regular Posts:1/20
Battle Posts:0/10

((Okayed with WilPen))

---

The sun beat down on the dark man's head. The way his dark cloak shrouded him gave a chill to those that had the ill fortune to cross him. It wasn't as though he meant to come off in such a way, but it was basic instinct to realize that he was dangerous. The smile on his face would trick everyone except the extremely astute. It was only through keen observation would one realize that the smirk had more sinister undertones, but by then it would be too late.

Normally, Benji wouldn't be in such a dark mood. Despite his cold exterior, he usually has a more inviting air about him. However, it was once again drawing closer to the tournament dates and guilds full of pathetic weaklings were beginning to seek him out to pad their team. If he was honest, the members weren't exactly pathetic, they did have to meet certain qualifications to even compete in the arena, but their begging lumped them all together. He hoped to whatever being was watching over him that he'd never be like them.

His thoughts had sucked all his attention from his body that had been wondering through the town. What had begun as an attempt to hide his identity from the beggars had turned into a moody stomp through the courtyard. It was only when a force had come crashing into him did he take full stock of where he had ended up.

Originally, Benji reacted with anger. Whatever little twerp had run into him would pay dearly. This was not the day to mess with him. However, once he caught sight of the familiar blonde hair and glinting armour, the dark cloud that had been hovering over him lightened a little. Sure he was annoyed, but this just got interesting.

"Phoenix," he called with a much happier tone to his voice than had been in his thoughts. He offered her a hand, surprised at how far back she had bounced off of him. "I didn't expect to see you out and about with the line in front of that guild of yours." Despite his alliance with the Knights of Hyperion, he couldn't help the disgust that slipped from his mouth with the word 'guild'.