Fandom [Closed] Tower of God: Alpha Perspective

[Brendanfp]

Haewon Blitz Zahard

​

One of the five great floating ships of the Workshop—the Archimedes.

Eh, she didn’t see what the big whoop was about. Haewon had seen a few floating castle class ships during her training as a Princess. Sure they were all massive, and the Archimedes was by far the largest ship she had ever seen, but was size all there was to it? Surely not.

Regardless, she wasn’t here for the Archimedes, she was here for the Workshop Battle. The only thought that had been on the Princess’s mind lately was getting stronger. To witness everything that tower had to offer, that was the dream Yewon always repeated with starry eyes, and Haewon was going to fulfill that dream in her stead. That’s why she needed to be strong because only the strong had the privilege to go wherever they pleased. Meanwhile, the only privilege of the weak would be a swift and untimely end.

Luckily for Haewon, she had been willing to wait on the 22nd floor for an ally who was strong, and her patience was rewarded when she met Ellia Aris Khun.

Ellia or Elly as Haewon had grown accustomed to calling her was the perfect climbing partner. She was cool, calm, and understanding with Haewon despite the Princess’s braggadocious personality. The two played off one another well, and as much as they were different both regulars were skilled in both the wave-controller and spear bearer roles paired with powerful shinsoo qualities. Ellia’s unflinching nature reminded her of a certain lippy white-haired regular who she also had a great deal of respect towards. Haewon was fairly fond of anyone who was able to interact with her as a peer rather than a Princess.

The Princess had her train of thought interrupted as Quiz began to explain the rules to the various contests that would take place, though she tuned out after ‘The Champion’ was explained. Only the formidable would dare enter a contest based around one on one combat, it was a perfect time to gauge her improvement thus far. Haewon could barely contain her energy, she was practically bouncing off the ground. She was so excited in fact she almost didn’t realize that Ellia was addressing her, but she quickly calmed her nerves and turned her attention to her partner.

The princess listened attentively as the Khun woman explained her motivation for climbing the tower up until this point. She was searching for someone, her greatest project, Ajax Cruise. Apparently she had information for him. Haewon had many questions but she didn’t want to interrupt, so she did her best to contain herself. Ellia spoke about her passion as a researcher and inventor, and something about a contest called ‘Tech Savvy’ which Haewon must have tuned out during the announcement. Finally, Ellia finished her thoughts before posing a question to the Princess.

“Strange?! We are the same! You just want to improve, the same as me! Elly, you know what, you and I should have a contest of our own! Just the two of us! I call it ‘Rivalry’! The rules are simple the two of us will compete for the 1st place spot in our respective contest. Winner buys loser dinner, oh, and if we both win then this Ajax person has to buy both of us dinner! Does that sound fun Elly?”

Haewon met Ellia's calm gaze with intensity and passion for the growth of both herself and her partner.

QuirkyAngel

 

[cojemo]

Mateo Nemeroff


Stand up straight, eyes on the enemy. I can't afford to show any weakness. Focus and breath. Breath...and focus.

While not noticeable by most people who had made it this far, the Shinsoo pressure within the last few floors had been increasing at a seemingly exponential rate. Not that it was always rising mind you as some floors seemed to have a lower concentration of the stuff, but for this particular series of climbs Mateo could feel its effects on his body getting worse and worse without being given a chance to rest. He'd felt himself sucking more into his lungs than usual, and even walking to the testing chamber had required some effort. When he first started climbing the tower he'd be slouched over and coughing up a storm under significantly less pressure, but whether it be through his body slowly adapting or sheer force of will he'd become quite good at hiding his discomfort. In his mind this was not by choice, but instead a small necessity needed on his road to getting stronger. He was going to be fighting people stronger than him with the same goal in mind, which meant he had to work twice as hard and push his body past what it could take in order to win.

The challenge he had to complete today wasn't even anything particularly special; Just another team fight with a twist to it. Whatever. He could work on a team when needed to easily enough, and as long as his body held out and his teammates carried their own weight then he was confident enough that things would go smoothly. However, as soon as the challenge had begun one of his teammates had defected to the enemies side and left him with some weird rabbit thing. Mateo let out a sigh as his foes ran their overconfident mouths, rolling his neck and stretching out his arms. Being at a numbers disadvantage wasn't a problem; It was just another way to test himself and prove how much he'd grown. What annoyed him more than anything was the sheer disrespect being shown by his opponents.

It reminded him too much of his old self.

The boys cool and calm demeanor did falter slightly though as he turned his attention over to his now only partner, his face showing both confusion and a hint of disdain at his words. Fucking rabbit, what the hell are you? Closing his eyes briefly and inhaling deeply, Mateo's brain began its analyse of the situation: They were in a heavily forested zone with a lot of trees and plenty of space for maneuverability if it was required. Both his opposition and his partner appeared to be equipped for close quarters combat, while his own skill set was built around attacking from a distance.

His eyes opened, Shinshoo already being manipulated around him. This should be a quick one.

Two large discs of Shinsoo manifested themselves in his hands, spinning at terrifying speeds as he watched the men in front of him begin to rush head first into battle. He wouldn't be able to keep up with them if he fought them head on, but luckily he didn't need to. Tossing the first blade straight at the man furthest in the front, the attack was deftly dodged with a roll to the side, but before he even had time to recover Mateo was already in his face, riding a sphere which was launched directly into the mans chest. Both of them were sent flying backwards, though Mateo with much more grace as the recipient of his attack was sent hurling past his friends and crashing into a tree. As the three remaining thugs turned behind them to see what happened, the second disc was set free, buzzing by on the right and through several trees causing them to topple onto the group. At the same time, the first disc had looped back around and done the same to the timber to the left of them.

"Watch out!"

The trio dove out of the way to avoid the tumbling burch, each with varying levels of success. While two of them seemed to avoid them, one failed to do so, having his leg crushed under a tree and letting out a cry of pain. Alright, now time for clean up. While all of this was happening, Mateo had landed back onto his feet and had been charging up another of his Flurry Cutters, this one much larger than the ones that came before. Several meters in length and whirring above his head with purpose, Mateo threw his arms forward with all his strength and launched it straight towards the jumbled group. The grass whistled as it soared at break-neck speeds, and with one of the enemies still recovering, struck the foe squarely in the chest. A blood curdling scream was heard as the buzzsaw shredded his skin, only for the sound to be cut off a few seconds later as the projectile forced its way through whatever protection he may have had and sliced him clean in half.

"Who's the pretty boy now, asshole!"

Mateo's breathing had become more shallow, his vision more blurry, and he had to resist taking a knee to catch his breath. He'd temporarily downed two enemies and eliminated one, but he wasn't used to unleashing that much power in such quick bursts, especially under such high levels of Shinsoo pressure. It'd taken a lot out of him, and as he grimaced he just hoped his partner could finish up what he started. However, as he was trying to catch his breath he'd failed to recognize that there was still a fourth foe left accounted for. He'd barely managed drop to the ground to avoid the cutter, and after watching his friends viscera get flung through the forest had rushed forward with his sights squarely set on Mateo.

"You fucker, you're gonna die!"

Mateo's vision and hearing cleared itself just in time for him to see a powerful overhead punch coming his way. Barely sidestepping the attack, the fist slammed into the ground with enough force to send rocks and dirt flying in every direction. Mateo stumbled back, tripping over himself and rolling to the ground. This was bad.

"Rabbit, do your job!"

Azure Sky

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Ellia Aris Khun
Floor 30 - The Archimedes
What happened if they both lost?

That was the first question that popped into Ellia’s head as Haewon finished her ‘Rivalry’ proposition. It seemed like a more likely scenario that both of them lose their respective contests than the both of them winning. Still, an unconscious smile formed on Ellia’s face at Haewon’s response, and she pulled her sun hat down slightly to hide her amusement. Trust Haewon to make a game out of a serious moment. The Blitz Princess’s reply was as simple-minded as she should’ve expected, but Ellia couldn’t deny that being called ‘the same’ by a person she considered to be her friend brought pleasure as well.

“Yes...yes it does,” Ellia replied tranquilly to Haewon’s intensity and passion—and not just because the other was of higher social status either. “Though I’ll need to speak with Ajax first.”

About her desires as well as their personal contest.

She hadn’t intended to be a bother to the living ignition weapon or his friends. Depending on how he responded, she could very well continue her observations of him in the shadows. At the very least, she had no intention of interfering with his group. Or data, for that matter.

Ellia steered their stroll so it ended in the registration booth.

“It’s good to be competitive, Princess, but please keep the main goal of climbing the tower in mind. Even if it is highly unlikely, should you find yourself against an opponent you can’t beat, whose strength or level outmatches your own, it’s better to stay outside the Arena. Don’t force yourself too hard.”

Ellia didn’t want to see Haewon die. The Tech-Savvy challenge wasn’t nearly as dangerous as the Champion. Or, at least, that was the contest Ellia assumed Haewon was interested in. Ellia Khun verified herself as an E-rank Regular to the receptionist before taking the pen and elegantly signing her name under the ‘Tech-savvy Might’ contest. The sooner she did so, the sooner she could decide on what to make.

Brendanfp Azure Sky


Selicity Faars
Floor 30 - The Archimedes

Reclined in a body-length, fold-able chair with her legs crossed and a bottle of Purr Gatorade Energy Drink in her hand, Selicity enjoyed her time of peace even as Quiz’s voice warned them of potential death. Seriously. The tower was full of potential death. Did he really think a Regular that made it all the way up to the Archimedes would balk with a weak warning like that?

Well…she could hear some people in the pool discussing it.

Snorting, Selicity remained basked in the warmth of the sun. Fake sun anyway. She’d done enough reading, courtesy of Ajax, to know the sky and the stars of the tower were all artificial constructs made by shinsoo. But so what? Whether fake or real, if it did the same thing, did it matter? The people that wrote books made a such big deal about a lot of things. Wars. Different races. Things that happened in the past. She supposed it was a good thing for future generations that the authors were so thorough, though a part of her wished they would use less words.

Ajax never seemed to run out of reading material to give her.

On top of all tests, physical training, and random activities he insisted were good for them prior to boarding the Archimedes, Selicity had been tempted, multiple times, to throw the books back at the living ignition weapon. She didn’t, though, because she knew he meant well. Besides, reading might’ve been a chore, but everything else had been rather fun. More fun than the Cat Sidhe village anyway. Gladioli’s presence helped. As much as Selcity disliked Evelyn Wicker, she was also grateful to him for guiding her up the tower and introducing her to Ajax.

She wasn’t the sort to hold grudges anyway. How long has it been? 25 years? Even after all that time she hadn’t found hide or hair of her old comrades from the 2nd floor, which spoke volumes about Evelyn’s skill as a guide. Or, lack thereof—at least, in Selcity’s mind. What she didn’t tell Ajax was that the reason she liked Gladioli right away stemmed from the fact that the pink-haired girl’s scent reminded her of Illiam. Neither of them smelled like fish.

Wicker didn’t either, but that particular connection soured her mood, so she avoided it altogether. Illiam, Wicker, and Gladioli were all completely different anyway—despite being Irregulars. It wasn’t hard to learn of the word and make the connection with all the reading Ajax had her do. She’d always known Illiam was a little bit different. It started when Yaga took him away for special training. No. Even before that, she’d felt he was strange—like he’d come from a completely different place. The more she honed her senses, the more certain of it she became. Neither he, Wicker, or Gladioli smelled like anyone else in the tower. And Irregulars, according to the book, were people that came from outside.

Like the king of the tower.

Or that guy Murin hated.

Not that any of that mattered to Selicity. They could’ve come from a trash can and it wouldn’t change the fact that she liked Gladioli and didn’t like Wicker. As for Illiam, it was hard to say how she even felt about him anymore. He’d been her first friend. That in itself made him special. However, it couldn’t be denied that she was probably closer to Ajax and Gladioli now than she ever was to Illiam and Seefi. She wondered if she’d only been clinging to an idealized memory of her old friends from the second floor. They likely changed…just as she had. Not just mentally either.

Would they even recognize her?

Hand splayed out in front of her, Selicity didn’t look away from her fingers until a pocket alerted her with a message from Ajax requesting that they meet and talk about what to do. Gladioli likely got one too...and the human, as far as Selicity had seen, was usually prompt and uptight, but easy-going as well. Like a trained soldier. Perhaps even back already. Slowly, the cat-eared woman sat up and stretched her arms, yawning, before stepping barefoot onto the ground. She finished the Purr Gatorade Energy Drink, which she’d grown rather fond of as of late, then tossed the empty bottle in a nearby trashcan and made her way to the room that she, Ajax, and Gladioli shared. Slowly. Stopping to purchase herself a cone of ice cream first.

Gotta enjoy all the tourist attractions while she could.

It wasn’t like Ajax didn’t do most of the planning for their team anyway. Selicity was fine with all the contests, but the tech one. Whether she fought alone or with others didn’t really matter to her. She liked fighting all the same. Taking the triple decker ice cream cone of vanilla, chocolate, and salmon delight in her hand, Selicity licked at the treat while keeping her eyes, ears, and nose peeled for faces, voices, or scents she recognized. It wouldn’t do to miss Minseo or the Icefish while she was busy eating. They hadn’t made any promises or anything, but she looked forward to playing with the friend she’d made on the 22nd floor all the same.

Whether as allies or opponents, it didn’t really matter to the Cat Sidhe.

“This ice cream tastes great!” Selicity exclaimed, eyes twinkling as she savored the flavors. “Absolutely purrrfect~”

simj26

(mentioned: Rantos Brendanfp The One Eyed Bandit - if you still count Seefi)

 

[Azure Sky]

Von Hare, 31st Floor- Cards Galore​

The rabbit had to admit, he was fairly impressed. He met plenty of people with great physical skill, average to decent Shinsoo control, and overall balanced skill sets, but he never met someone with such talent in making up for his weaknesses through Shinsoo alone. The young man had potential. He just needed to hit the gym more.

"You know, I am quite curious..." Von Hare asked as he crouched near Mateo and stared at him with interest. "Is your skill with Shinsoo just a display of your extreme rebellion against working out? Did someone ask you 'how heavy are the dumbbells that you lift' when you where a teenager? There was no need to be ashamed..." The rabbit took out a carrot as he asked the wierd questions and took a bite. Was he just taking the piss, or was he serious? Hard to tell...

"Wha... Why? How?" The remaining member of Team Blue that tried to attack Mateo could not move. Multiple hands came from his shadow and pinned him to the ground.

"That's what I was wondering myself!" Von Hare jovially pointed towards the would-be thug, as if to show his faux-appreciation at the man's "wit".

"Damn it, you coward. Are you afraid of fighting me yourself?"
"Oh, you wanted to fight me? My bad." Von Hare waved and the hands got back in the thug's shadow, releasing him, as the rabbit walked right in front of the man.
"E-eh?" The man did not realise it the first time but Von Hare was taller than him, more muscular than him, and overall, quite scary.
"So... How do you wish to contest? Weapons! Oh..." Von Hare took a closer look, the man had none. "My bad..." He threw his spear near Mateo.

"Oh, oh... I know, a contest of Shinsoo!" A total of six dark Baangs formed around Von Hare, three on each side.
"You've got to be shitting me...SIX? You damn freak of nature..." The thug could not believe his eyes. Who the hell were these two guys? Both were dangerous... He... He knew, he'd run and die his card orange! That way he'd win and survive. With that in mind he enhanced his legs and burst out in a superhuman sprint towards Mateo and Von Hare's base. But Von Hare was following him and surpassed him by... hopping around. He got bored so he started to hop around the guy as he was doing his maximum level of sprint.

"Ah, ah, I see, I see. A contest of Shinsoo was too much for you. But I see you can enhance yourself just fine, so..." Von Hare put his arm on the man's shoulder, which completely brought him to a halt. "Close quarter combat it is!"

"Gyaaah!"
"You have a point. Ok, ok. I will let you have the first strike. C'mon." Von Hare took his hand off the man's shoulder and t-posed, waiting for the would-be thug to attack.

The thug was sweating, his legs felt weak and arms felt heavy, but then he had a revelation. Why did the rabbit not attack him at all? If he were that strong, surely he would have wiped him out by now. Why mess with him? Was he playing with his pray... or was he stalling? Ah yes, he got it. Mateo was the strong one, and the rabbit was just some sort of trickster. Von Hare surely wanted Mateo to catch his breath so he was stalling. The hands that came from his shadow were surely a short-lived skill that needed a huge cooldown. The rabbit was actually weak! He could win!

"Hehehe... Guh Hahahahahahahaha!" In his moment of pure insanity, the thug enhanced his body with Shinsoo to the max and unleashed a flurry of blows at Von Hare, which went on, and on, and on...

"Heh, this must be a dream." The man's face went from sadistic pleasure to dispair, to crying like a little kid. "Why won't you go down, you damn freakish monster? Are you even real?" The man asked with bloodied and numb hands. His own blood.

"No, I'm Von Hare."
"F*** you! If you're gonna kill me just do it!"
"Well, if you insist..."
"I- I changed my mind, here's my card, you can take it. I quit. You win, I lose."
"That's mighty kind of you." Von Hare took the card and walked towards Mateo, while the man exhaled in relief.
"Oh, by the way," Von Hare turned around which made the man freak out. "Yes?" he asked, trying to keep his cool. "Could you give me back my spear?"

"Eh? But your spear is right th-..." It wasn't. It was not near Mateo. Where? How? Ah...

"Guh!" The man puked blood. "Oh, I see..." he looked at his chest with resignation. "I'm impaled." And with that last line he died. Von Hare used a combination of [Moon Rabbit], [King Fisher], and the arms of his pseudo Ancient to teleport the spear from Mateo's shadow (on which he made sure to leave some [Obsidian Shards] as he crouched near him at a prior time), through the thug's shadow, and quickly afterwards the hands would shove from his back through his chest. Why go through all the trouble? Just to test it out.

>>Ranker's announcement: Team Orange wins. Mateo Nemeroff and Von Hare can advance to the next floor.

Von Hare took the spear out of the man's chest, and took out some cleaning products from his inventory to cleanse it before putting it back there as well. He did all of that as he walked towards Mateo. Once he was finished, he extended his arm towards the man.

"Can you stand?" A rare act of kindness.

cojemo

 

[Rantos]

Illiam Herlaa - 30th floor
Tags: The One Eyed Bandit
Mentioned: Azure Sky QuirkyAngel (vaguely)
Wind whips. Birds sing. Trees dig their roots into the dirt as they make neighbors with the swaying grass. All a part of nature. The best part about it was that nature was always exactly that, just nature. It's simple, it's easy, uncomplicated in form and function even to the onlookers. That is to say, humanity. And though human nature takes strikes similarities in how it's named it takes nothing else. Nary the most important, simple parts of nature. Complicated, ever-changing, chaotic in its needs, human nature dares to define itself as an antithesis. And as he sat among the proper, simple examples of nature, Illiam cursed himself for having thought at all. He cursed Minerva for being the muse to bring these thoughts to mind. He cursed the savage animals, who's simplicity he wanted to emulate again. Yeah, fuck 'em all.

Rustle foliage, follow the wind's sway, and keep reminding Illiam of the clear years. Shades of green that struck all too close to the walking talking bush that followed Illiam up the Tower. He figured it as so. As he chased the chain that pulled him up the Tower, so too did Minerva chase him. The myriad days, uncountable as they passed, were spent following this line. She followed. Her smile chased, he pouting followed, her laugher and anger, and the emotions formed from their union all followed Illiam. Every step up dragged new memories, inspired emotions so clear within his mind. Too clear. though he sought to fill his days with her face so the haze in his mind would become heavier, Minerva shone all too brightly. Bringing to mind the dredging whispers of words all but forgotten. Friendship. Team. She lifted the haze, became that which gave him clarity. Slowly, slowly. And before he knew better, it was Illiam who had started following Minerva.

Many thanks, and a thousand curses Minerva. Their bitter-sweet separation on the floor before was fresh in his mind. It was needed. She had no interest in the 30th floor, but Illiam had all the reason in the world to be here. After all, it wasn't just Minerva that Illiam was chasing. The vague voices of that which still belonged to him dared to pound against his eardrum from within. All-consuming thought. Laying on the overgrown ground, Illiam flicked his hand across an invisible surface. Once to make it visible, twice to navigate, his fingers found the way to an all too short list of names on his pocket. His contacts: Hex. Minerva. Areum. Areum, now that was a name that brought memories of hunger. One of the few from the 2nd floor who kept their name and face. Her name before Illiam was a gift called happenstance. Pressing her name brought to view the few words exchanged between the two.

“It's been a bit. I need to talk to you about the 2nd floor. Important.”

“I’m on the 30th floor.”

"Let's talk now.”

“I’m on the 30th floor.”

-One year ago-

"I'm on the 30th floor. Let's talk now. Where are you. Areum."

Driven by his human nature to move, to lift himself off the ground and look up to the sky. Up there, was nothing more than hardship. And he was being dragged towards it because of his nature. Once more, looking to the sky, he wishes that he could be as the animals. Savage in their grace, existing only to feed their hunger. At the end of the day, it was all about keeping their stomach full and surviving. Beautiful, settling for survival, and nothing more.

Above Illiam, the sun became eclipsed, covering himself, and his surroundings, in the soft shadow of a massive airship, as blue as the sky it swam in. And as he looked up at the Archimedes his mind was similarly eclipsed by a new thought.

"Am I looking for you two, so I can survive?"

 

[Brendanfp]

Mun Minseo

“We register over there,” the regular said plainly as she pointed her finger at the registration booth.

Quiz had only just announced the nature of the Workshop Battle and already there was an influx of regulars making their way to register. Minseo on the other hand still needed time to analyze the options. On either side of her stood two regulars who she was currently climbing alongside. Yeong-Su, the white-haired, ice-cold, wave controller she had been climbing with for a fair bit of time now, and on her other side stood Guinevere.

The spear bearer, Guinevere, had only just joined the pair on the 29th floor, and Minseo didn’t regret her addition. She found it difficult to pin down exactly what kind of person. Guinevere at times made herself small and came off as bashful, however, she had shown herself to be crafty and approached challenges with a level of confidence that Minseo found admirable. The girl was a capable, practical, and an overall valuable asset to the team.

“So what do you guys think of all this? In my opinion, if we are doing this, we do it together, which would only really leave the team battle, however, competing against teams that have five members would leave us at a considerable disadvantage. Our best option would be to find a pair of regulars who already work well together. Thoughts?” she unloaded her stream of consciousness onto her two teammates.

Minseo already knew what Yeong-Su’s opinion on the matter would be, but she was still figuring out the best way to communicate with Guinevere. Would she be upfront with her opinion? Would she just defer to Minseo’s opinion or perhaps suggest her own plan of action? Minseo was curious to know.

Rantos The One Eyed Bandit

 

[cojemo]

Mateo Nemeroff

"I'm fine" His words had a hint of bitterness and venom laced in them. "I was just caught off guard is all."

Mateo made it a point to turn away from the rabbits outstretched paw as he pushed himself to his feet with a grunt of effort and then casually brushing the dirt off of his clothes as if nothing had happened. To a casual observer Mateo's words would seem to ring true as he seemed perfectly fine, but to those with a more observant eye they'd notice his breathing was quite shallow and his teeth were clenched ever so slightly. Now that the adrenaline from the battle had ended his body was really starting to feel the effects of his low resistance to Shinsoo, but he wasn't gonna let that show, especially to the rabbit that had mocked him moments prior.

And about that rabbit...Mateo glanced over at the thug that had been impaled by Von Hare and was staining the grass with his blood. It was hard for him to admit, but he'd never seen such a dominant display of power from someone in all of his time in the tower. Speed, strength, durability, Shinsoo control: Not only did the rabbit seem to be well rounded, he excelled in each specialization. It had taken Mateo his tactical mind and all he had to take out the three thugs, and Von Hare displayed enough power to lead Mateo to believe he could have soloed the group without even trying. What in the world was he? There was no way he could have gotten that strong naturally. Mateo couldn't help but think that if the two had to fight each other, would he be able to eek out a win? He'd like to believe he could just like he'd managed to do for every previous challenge he faced, but...

Mateo's fist clenched tightly.

"Look, I appreciate you cleaning up what I started, but since this challenge is done we are no longer partners, so unless you had something extremely important to share I'm off." Mateo had no intentions of putting up with Von Hare anymore than he needed to. He knew his type all too well: Full of themselves and drunk on power they did jack squat to earn, and on top of that the bunny seemed to have a sadistic side that Mateo wanted no part in. Did he know all of this for certain about Von Hare? Of course not. There were some pretty big assumptions being made, but that didn't deter Mateo from believing those assumptions were correct. Besides, If he was gonna form a group with someone - which was a hard ask for the boy in the first place - he'd prefer if they had their head screwed on straight.

Straightening his shirt and adjusting his hair, Mateo turned his back to the rabbit and began to walk towards the exit of the challenge area. However, after a few steps he paused, seemingly contemplating saying something before looking over his shoulder. "And just so you know, I've probably trained harder in the past five years than you have your entire life, so keep your work out comments to yourself next time." And with that snide remark he turned back and continued on his way.

Azure Sky

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

The heels of Areum's sneakers tapped lightly against the Archimedes's metal gangplank as she made he way on board. Whilst she did hail from one of the Ten Families, this was her first time on board an airship of this magnitude. In her tests, she had been given the opportunity to board a few smaller crafts, mostly to venture to and fro testing areas, but that wasn't really the same.

The air had a different scent this far up into the floor's atmosphere. Gone were the distinct aromas of drift and concrete, replaced by the various smells of industry that kept the Archimedes afloat. In the distance, too, she could pick up on the usual hustle and bustle of life. Excited chatter, the constant marching of footsteps, and the sizzling of countless innocuous food vendors; it seemed that at the end of the day even the Workshop Battle, for all its pomp and circumstance, was just a festival like any other.

Areum paced in tandem with the rest of the departing Regulars, dividing her attention between her Pocket and avoiding any stray arms or elbows. She'd been staring at her messaging app for a while now, trying to remember why exactly it was that she hadn't just told the random messenger that'd accosted her to buzz off. She felt a hint of temptation flow through her fingertips as she eyed the block button, but thought better of it.

Much to her frustration, she remembered exactly who it was that was messaging her. From just their two chance encounters on the 2nd and 20th floor, his face was burned into her memory, and not in a good way. Frankly, she'd been hoping the pattern would keep itself up, and she wouldn't see him again until the 200th, but it seemed luck was not on her side.

That said.

Over the past year, even she had started feeling some degree of sentimentality budding in her chest. It was, perhaps, born of the deary isolation that had come with shacking herself up for such a long time, and none of her previous attempts to quell it had worked out. That is if lurking in chat rooms could even be called an attempt.

Archimedes. Weeping Lily. Now. Pay for my meal and I'll tell you whatever you want.

Her fingers almost moved on their own, sending off a reply to the demanding Regular as if they were urging their owner to speak to anybody, regardless of their relation.

She continued to ruminate to herself as she wandered down the Archimedes's hallstreets. While she may have put off boarding until the last moment, she recognized most of the sights as if she'd been here countless times before. Her gaze wandered from store to store, attraction to attraction, linking each up with the travel blog in which she'd first read about them. Her expression would occasionally shift, her brow lifting in surprise or her shoulders slumping in disappointment, but her pace never broke.

Because of that it wasn't long before she found her goal. The Weeping Lily. Despite the... Dispiriting namesake, it'd been listed as one of the nicer eateries on the micro-city, and the fruit salad had reviewed particularly well too. She looked up at the sign, and huffed to herself in satisfaction.

A bell lightly jingled behind her as she pushed her way into the store. For all of the liveliness outside, it was rather quiet inside the little cafe; a few customers sat at a table at the back to the store, chatting about some banal gossip or another, and an employee smiled at her as she paced towards the counter.

"Aft-" She caught her tongue between her teeth, and cringed. Now that she was talking to this lady, it struck her just how long it'd been since she'd had a proper conversation. Calling herself rustly would've been an understatement. "Sorry. Afternoon. Table for two. I'm expecting someone."

Regardless of her stammered introduction, the employee nodded to her graciously, and directed her towards one of the small tables by the storefront, and Areum followed suit. Once seated, she punched another message into her Pocket and sent it off to Illiam. The longer she sat here alone, the more of an idiot she'd look like.

Already here. Hurry up.

Rantos

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Selicity Faars
Floor 30 - The Weeping Lily Cafe, The Archimedes
Tossing the rest of the ice cream cone in her mouth, golden eyes followed a certain green-haired, ribbon wearing girl as she walked into the Weeping Lily. It wouldn’t have caught Selicity’s attention if she hadn’t recognized her from among the crowd of tourists. It was the Christmas Tree from the second floor. Her clothing style had changed…a little…but there was no doubt about it. It was the girl who had won her fight against Illiam in the most un-dramatic way. The one she’d given fish to. Even after 25 years, Sel could recall all the points she’d lost betting on Illiam because he’d lost in the lamest of ways.

Frowning at the memory, Selicity shrugged before shifting into her cat form and scampering off after the dress-wearing girl. Quietly, of course. Scouts were supposed to quietly observe their target and relay information back to the Light Bearer according to Ajax. Yaga might’ve mentioned it too, but the only thing Sel really recalled of the mean old lady was how Illiam returned every day to their room looking like a beat up ragged doll.

Selicity rolled her eyes. Totally biased teacher now that she thought about it. It made sense now to her now at least. Illiam was an irregular. Therefore he was special and that was probably what all the ‘special’ training was for. Still. That sort of favoritism didn’t endear her to Yaga in the least.

Tailing Aerum Eurasia step by step as inconspicuously as she could, the white cat continued after the first person she’d seen since the second floor test. Not even a door was enough to stop her as she simple phased right through the moment no one was looking. No chime dinged so no employee came. The café certainly smelled nice. Perhaps she’d steal a snack on her way out. Later of course. Blue eyes zero in on her prey who sat alone and the white cat snuck her way over to the small table by the storefront.

She might’ve stayed hidden if Aerum didn’t look so lonely sitting by herself.

Alas, Selicity nudged Aerum’s foot from under the table before leaping onto the sitting girl’s lap and meowing out a greeting. Cats made great company for the lonely and waiting.

Of course, this meant that she’d leave Ajax waiting, but it wasn’t an entirely new thing for Selicity to be late. She could excuse herself by saying she was scouting for potential opponents anyway. Or allies. Whichever worked. She knew Aerum Eurasia to be a Regular after all. A decently strong one considering she survived against that bone princess as well. Regardless, Ajax couldn’t complain about her being late if she brought some juicy information to the meeting table.

The One Eyed Bandit Rantos

(mentioned: Azure Sky )

 

[simj26]

SweetIf there was something she took pride over, it was the ability to find a place to be alone, untouched by the gazes of anyone else. The crew that she had been traveling with wasn't all too bad, all things considered- the two even reminded her of people she once knew from the outside. She sighed as she dabbed a little oil onto her rifle's bolt, and applied a small brush onto it, spreading it across the metal parts evenly. A nobody like her could only depend on one thing, and one thing only- her equipment. Even after so long, she was still just the same rank-and-file soldier that she had been. She never changed, and she didn't want to. Being Gladioli Sweet was the only thing that she could do.

She raised her rifle, pressing the butt against her shoulder, easing it into a comfortable position, then took aim. She inhaled, then stopped moving entirely. Her body went completely still, almost as if she had been frozen in place. Half a minute passed, and she exhaled, dropping her rifle's aim. She could do better. Her hand moved towards the bolt, and with natural, expert motions, pulled back the receiver, then slammed it back within a fraction of a second. She repeated this motion several more times, before she stopped to take a break.

It was all well and good when it was just practice, but Gladioli wondered if she could do the same in the heat of combat. She had to constantly remind herself that battles here were on a different scale than the ones she participated in outside. She hadn't slipped up yet, but she wondered if that time was coming. She sighed again, before a passing idea crossed her mind. Her expression brightened slightly as she pulled out a round from her pocket. She opened the bolt, loaded the round, then closed the bolt. She removed several more rounds from her pocket, then gripped her rifle. She took a deep breath, and aimed down her sights.

Her hand darted downwards to pick up one of the bullets, then to the bolt, ejected the unspent round, slipped in the new round as her hand curved around the bolt, snapped it downwards, then rammed it forwards. She repeated this motion five more times, letting her rounds clatter across the floor noisily, before she lifted her rifle and rested it on the ground next to her. That was...actually easier than she thought. This would come in handy if her clip ran dry, and she had no time to load in a fresh one. She leaned back against the wall behind her and closed her eyes.

Would it even be enough though? She had seen people and things that were beyond her comprehension. The line between monsters and men was blurred here. Were her rifle and quick hands even enough to get her through this without entirely depending on Selicity and Ajax? She drew her knees to her chest, and hugged them. She didn't want to be a burden on them, really. It already hurt her enough that she wasn't telling them the truth about where she came from, and being dead weight to them might just make her heart feel like it would give out.

"What should I do, guys?" she asked no one in particular.

She was the only one left.

She fell silent.

The announcement of the commencement of the registrations blared over her small body, but still, she did not stir. Not until her Pocket alerted her of an incoming message. She peeked out a little to see that it was from Ajax. Sniffling, she rubbed her face with her sleeve, disposing of a little snot and some tears, before she brought the Pocket up to read the message.

Guess she had better go back to the room, then. She stood up, picking her rifle up, and slung it over her shoulder. She swallowed the last of her feelings, pushed a bright smile back to the front, and set off for their meeting venue.

 

[Azure Sky]

Crouching Bird, Hidden Phoenix- Enter Yeon Bulsajo​

Somewhere near the mysterious hooded man, a group of Regulars was especially persistent with a certain man. He was about 185 cm tall, shirtless, dark-skinned, fairly ripped, had a peculiar tattoo on his body, white short hair, and clear, bright grey eyes. His athletic build would have made one believe him to be fairly confident, but really he wasn't. Thus his predicament...


He was crouching, and seemed fearful. One would ask themselves why. Was he threatened? Where the other Regulars bullying him? Not really. Not at that particular moment in time at least. The colourful group of three, led by a swordswoman with heterochromia and peculiar half white, half black hair, were trying to convince him to join their group. The woman mostly.


"And that's why you should join our team." As she finished speaking, she realised the guy was crouching. She was confused. "Oh, did you get overwhelmed by my beauty? I apologize for being so attractive." As usual, Ha Mena Arie was very confident and full of herself.

"That is not it." One of the men in the group, usually not very outspoken, saw fit to correct her. Not very muscular, but a bit taller than Jo, the man gave of a feeling of intensity, despite his tranquil demanour.


"Huh?"
"He is clearly afraid. Of you particularly."
"Nonsense. Tell him it ain't so!" As she addressed Jo another time, the man got up and took a few steps backwards looking at the ground. "E-eh?"
"Ah, you scared him again with your loud, unrefined voice."
"Shut up, Ember."

As Ember and Mena argued, the other man of the group approached Jo. This time the young Yeon looked upwards. A masked man with an owl Shinheuh.


"Man, I agree with you." The masked guy started speaking. "Your instincts are great. Mena is indeed a scary woman."
"Want me to make chiken soup out of you, Talon?"
"It's not my kink, and you're not my type. I am saying that with the highest respect of course."
"Why you little..."
"Now, now miss Mena. Breathe in, breathe out. Let the negative emotions out, let peace within."
"..."

"Returning to the main subject, and putting Mena's lack of lady-like skills aside..." Talon wanted to talk to Jo again, but the young Yeon interrupted him.
"That is not nice of you. And I refuse." This time Jo looked Talon dead in the eye.
"Hmmm? Excuse me?"
"S-she did nothing to deserve y-your badmouthing. A-and I refuse to join your team. You approached me in particular because you heard of my flames did you not? You want a defender, more specifically a meat shield. L-like everyone else before you. I refuse to be a tool for your ambitions. Iam sorry."
"Pfft... Get a load of this guy." As he said that Talon grabbed him by the shoulder. "You sure act high and mighty for a guy that strutters and was cowering in fear just a few moments ago. A tool for our ambitions, you say? You are given a chance to join one of the strongest Regular groups in the Tower and you refuse because you don't want to be a tool? Hah, what a joke. With your skill set, what other choice do you have but to be a tool?"
"L-let go."
"And if I refuse?" Talon was piercing Jo's skin with his fingers.
"P-please, let go. Your actions are p-pointless."
"Really? I reckon they aren't. I can test that regeneration of yours." He scoofed.

"TALON!" A wave of pressure came from behind the masked man. "That cheap-ass, piss-poor intimidation tactic is the stuff of weaklings. Have you no shame?" Mena was getting seriously angry.

"Now, now, dear ultimate warrior. Sometimes these tactics are necessary. Pus they aren't intimidation tactics. Riiigghhht?" Talon shifted his attention back at Jo. "You sure let people push you around. Why always so controlled. Are you afraid you will hurt me Yeon boy? Don't worry, you are as weak physically as you are mentally and spiritually. I am trying to get you out of that state. REACT! Otherwise everyone will treat you the same. You don't want to be treated as a meat shield? Then prove you don't deserve the treatment. SHOW ME!" Talon was piercing deeper.

Yeon Bulsajo said nothing, but clenched his fist. Anger accumulating slowly inside.

simj26

 

[Azure Sky]

Von Hare- Prick Extraordinaire​

"That's nice." Was Von Hare's reaction to Mateo's last comment, on a dismissive tone. As the man was leaving, though, Von Hare shifted back to his non-intimidating appearance and moved right next to Mateo as he was walking.

"Oh no, no, no, no, babe. I am not done. I definetly want something else." With that said Von Hare took out another carrot.
"Hey, Mr. Rabbit. I won tips today. If I continue like this, I will finally pay off my debt and continue climbing again."

"See, I like you. You have guts, and some potential. No need to tell me, I already know that you love me." Von Hare took a bite out of the carrot.

"What happened to you?"
"I... it's nothing."
"Those wounds are not nothing kid. Who was it?"
"Don't worry Mr. Rabbit, it's nothing... It is my own fault..."
"Kid..."
"Please don't look at me like that..."

"But the amount of training means nothing if the results are mediocre at best. That is why I will team up with you. And help you become a proper force."

"Kid, you look depressed."
"Stolen..."
"What?"
"My money was stolen... Heh...Hick."
"Kid, let me help you."
"I am not a weakling that needs your pity! I will be a grand Ranker one day, you damn punny rabbit."
"..."
"Mr. Rabbit, I... I am sorr-"
"The name is Von Hare. And you are a weakling. That is why I am trying to help you. You are weak, but I like you as a person. Accept that and learn to grow from it afterwards, instead of acting like a miserable pansy."
"I... I.. guh!"
"Kid, wait! Don't run away! KID!"

"Bravado means nothing if you want to climb and survive until the end. Look at you. Short of breath from a fight with small fry. Who are you trying to impress?"

"Hey, owner, what happened to Lugh, is he not coming anymore?"
"Ah, didn't ya hear Von Hare? He committed suicide."
"What?"

"Let me help you."

"Hahahaha, that loser killed himself. Damn pathetic maggot. Well, I guess we lost a source of income."
"Shit. Well, no one will miss that piece of trash anyway."
"Hey, why is Lorenz taking so long? He was just supposed to buy beer."
"Gyaaah! Boss help!"
"What?"
"L-look!"
"A rabbit man?"
"In h-his hand..."
"Gah...A- a head. W-ait... Lorenz..."
"On a hot summer night..."
"Hiiiiyaaaa..."
"...Would you offer your heart to the rabbit with the severed head?"

"So that you don't die in vain. Call me arrogant if you must, pumpkin, but I have the skills to back it up." He took another bite from his carrot. "Also, I will only shut up when someone proves me wrong. And I will also stop following you around until you prove me wrong. Thus, until those centuries or millenia pass, nice to meet you, partner."

cojemo

 

[OverconfidentMagi]

A tall woman covered head to toe by a ragged black cloak glided silently through the crowd aboard the Archimedes. Those who took notice of her could only assume she was a woman due to her pronounced chest beneath the black canvas. Not one inch of skin was visible, even her face was completely hidden within the dark hood of her cloak. An observer floated around her, recording the crowd. They stopped in the middle of the crowd for a while, paying others no mind, and then glided silently to the edge of the crowd to stand out of the way, but also where they had a view of every individual passing by. From within the shadow of their hood and the observer, she watched and waited.

Ha Naseon​

"Hey kid," Naseon set his drink down. "What position are you?"

The bright-eyed kid finished off his own drink with a loud slurp before answering. The pair were sitting outside a fast-food stand aboard the Archimedes, the younger of the two boys having complained about being hungry and then ending up buying food and drinks for the both of them. Naseon had judged the food quite harshly - he generally ate very healthy, and this food was very far from that - but Sorri ate all of his own and what Naseon didn't want from his meal.

"Um... it depends on who else I'm fighting with, I suppose. My last team didn't have a Fisherman, so I did that. I think I did pretty okay as a Scout for a few tests, but I don't think I'd want to fill that position all the time. Which is weird cuz that's the position I got for the Testing Floor, and I thought it was really fun then."

"Fisherman and Scout? Not a Wave Controller?" Naseon pushed the kid to what he was really asking about.

"I get that a lot," Sorri said, sounding like he was apologizing for something. "But I'm not that good as a Wave Controller."

Naseon scowled. "Your shinsoo control seems pretty impressive, at least from what I remember."

"It's really no good. I can barely make a baang if I try."

"I don't get it then, how were you moving things with your shinsoo if you can't even make baangs?"

"Welllllllllll... I guess I can tell you, since we're gonna be teammates and all." Sorri shook his cup, but only ice was left. He lifted the cup and then lowered it, but when he lowered it something was left behind: all of the pieces of ice were floating in the air. He set the cup back down on the table.

"You're saying this isn't shinsoo control?" Naseon poked one of the clear shapes, making it spin like a top.

"Sort of, kind of, but not really control. I can use shinsoo to make things I touch lighter. I can't affect it much after that though, so I can't really do Wave Controller stuff even after touching something."

"I think I get it," Naseon said. "Your shinsoo might be strong, but without control or range... yeah, you wouldn't be much use as a Wave Controller. Ah well, it's not a problem, I was just curious." Hearing the truth of the kid's power made Naseon feel a bit relieved. The kid wasn't stronger than him, not physically, not even close, and Naseon was probably even more capable as a Wave Controller than him on top of that... but the kid had the same win condition as Naseon despite that gap: one touch to decide a fight. As allies though, the kid's power would be an incredible boost. He'd already tasted as much before, and he was looking forward to feeling that lightness and speed again. That was the only reason he'd agreed to form a temporary team with the kid in the first place.

"What about you?"

"Hmm?"

"Your position?"

"Fisherman," Naseon said simply. "Scout if I really need to I guess."

"We're the same then," Sorri said with a wide grin that nearly managed to infect Naseon.

"I suppose." Naseon looked away. He could have said they were even more alike, that he was really more interested in trying to be a Wave Controller, that he'd hoped the kid might have some pointers or advice to share. Naseon kept his mouth shut. He had no reason to, it was just his closed-off nature reasserting itself after letting too many words out for this random kid. Or maybe he was just out of practice talking like this and his tongue had gotten tired of it.

"Maybe we can still find some teammates to fill other positions."

"What?"

"Teammates! A. Team."

"I heard you the first time," Naseon barked back at the kid. "The 'team' contest is just to beat up a chunk of metal into a smaller chunk of metal. Why would we need more help to do that?"

"It would be more fun?"

"You're pushing your luck," Naseon growled.

"Cooooooooome oooooooooooooooon~"

Naseon flicked a chunk of ice at the annoying brat's head, knocking his ridiculous hat off. When the kid had pouted and ran off in chase of his wayward headpiece, Naseon allowed himself a smirk - the closest thing to a smile he could muster.

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Ajax Cruise
Floor 30 - The Archimedes
“You’re here, Miss Sweet. Excellent.” Ajax looked away from his pocket, which showed a list of items Evelyn wanted him purchase when he found the time. How, or why, Evelyn knew the items would be on sale at the Archimedes, Ajax simply chalked up to being a guide thing and left it at that. Employees don’t question their employers, least of all one that is paying for their climb.

Waving the pocket back into invisible mode, Ajax gestured for the pink-haired sniper to have a seat anywhere she would like. They’d have to wait for Selicity anyway. He was grateful he could at least count on one of his teammates to be punctual. Gladioli Sweet had a soldier’s decorum and that made things easier for him. She was good at following orders. Kept to protocol. Didn’t complain about being bored or when seafood wasn’t included in the dinner menu.

More importantly, she had a solid grasp of tactics and strategy that Selicity didn’t have being a fellow Lightbearer. As valuable as the Cat Sidhe was to their small team, being the only fisherman and scout, Ajax wasn’t exactly counting on Selicity’s input when it came to plans. Their general strategy for most tests climbing the tower had been a very simple one. Selcity decoys the target, drawing them into sniping range, while Sweet shoots. Sometimes she would add to the main offense when a sniper’s firepower wasn’t enough, like with the Tyrant on the 25th floor, but most of the times it was—especially against normal regulars. The likelihood that it was effective against a Workshop android was low…unless of course a weak spot was hit. Everything had a weak spot. It was Ajax’s job to find the weak spot and shine a light on it.

As time passed and it became clear that Selicity wasn’t coming back anytime soon, Ajax continued. “Selicity’s probably just running a little late. Let’s get started without her.”

She’d probably agree with whatever the two Lightbearers decided anyway. “You’ve heard about the Workshop contests, yes? I’m thinking the team battle will be the most appropriate for us. Rather than betting on the strength of a single unit, we’d have a better chance taking home a prize if we work together to do it quickly. Androids are a bit more durable than your typical living creature, but even they operate on an exploitable system. What do you think?”

He was asking, of course, on her overall thoughts. Whether she thought she could shoot down androids. Whether she thought they should send someone to solo a challenge instead. What she thought the best strategy for taking down androids quickly was. Ajax was a skilled hacker, and used to working with machines, but he wasn’t familiar with some of the things built by the Workshop. It wasn’t like a your basic c-grade lighthouse that all operated fairly the same. He’d need to see what sort of android they were pitted against before coming to any conclusions. How many they would be facing, what the terrain would be like, etc. Since it was the Workshop, there was a good chance that anything they built came with high security and defenses as well. Developing a suitable virus on the spot to break through would take time if none of the ones he already had was good enough. Of course, he had his ignition as a fail-safe and overheating his shinsoo reactor would allow him to bypass any defenses, but like to refrain from using it for something he considered to be just a stepping stone if it could be helped. Besides, there was no telling how they’d be graded for it.

Sel just running up and trying to smash the androids might even be faster.

That, of course, depended on the strength of the android(s). Since it was team battle, he doubted that the Contest designers would make it easy enough for one person to handle alone. “Should we stick with the usual decoy and shoot strategy or come up with something entirely different? Look for more people given the limited time we have or spend the rest of the day improving what we've got?”

With more people on the team they’d have more options, but, alas, good Regulars didn’t grow on trees. Selicity was also surprisingly picky. Since Miss Mun had rejected them on the 22nd floor, he hadn’t heard much about what the other lightbearer and her partner were doing, though he assumed that they would be participating in the workshop battle as well from what she’d said at Sugar Palace. But of course, more people didn't mean the team would operate more cohesively. Forming one last minute was a risk as well. “And, assuming we do register for the team battle, do you have a particular preference for a team name or shall I just randomly generate one for us?”

When he checked the online registration for the Workshop Team Battle it seemed to be a requirement.

simj26

 

[Rantos]

Illiam Herlaa
Tags: The One Eyed Bandit QuirkyAngel
"Got lost. Be there soon. Ish." Hopefully, that message would find Areum well.

Though he was close to the Weeping Lily, he had even knowingly passed it twice now, his message wasn't entirely incorrect. Illiam had gotten lost, still was, lost in thought. If Areum didn't remember the names of his former team he would be stuck. Doubly so if she had no location. What then? Would he simply waste more time climbing the same steps that took him closer to finding them both at the top? He had long since convinced himself they could be found at the top but recently, such a sentiment feels like nothing more than a waste of time.

Well, whatever. Thinking further would be left up to what happens after hearing the girl out. So, after his third pass by the Weeping Lily, Illiam saw fit finally to enter through the chimed doors. They welcomed him, as he welcomed the sight of the cafe and all its sterility. Well lit, though in Illiam's mind there was only one light truly working. And that light was the one that shined down on Areum. The rest of the shop was blanked in the darkness named negligence. His eyes focused on the girl sitting alone, as did his attention. Ignoring the passing food displays, the minimal foot traffic before him, the Regular working the counter asking for his reservation. All of them blocked out in favor of the girl and the chair that sat across from her. The chair that Illiam found himself sitting in. He was ready to speak, or at least that was the impression that his open mouth gave. Yet the lack of words would convince someone otherwise.

"I lost mine. She looked a lot like yours." Illiam finally spoke as he pointed to the animal sitting in Areum's lap. One that had taken Illiam's attention suddenly and wholly. Yes, she looked just like that. Though, different. Maybe. Could be. Years of deeply permeating fog, lifting suddenly. All with a headache to match. Yes, she seemed right, so said his gut. But, his brain spoke hesitation. Though. Maybe.

"I lost two, actually. Both on the first floor. Other than that, I don't know much. Do you have anything? Names, memories, anything of the second floor or beyond. Please." Was it the headache that caused his words to whisper, to whimper as they came out? The rush of memories, that which was real and that which was a dream, impossible to tell apart? Regardless, a rather unbecoming display. Illiam placed his fingers against the menu placed upon the table. Sliding it in Areum's direction.

"Anything you want. My treat."

Yeong-Su Xia
Tags: Brendanfp QuirkyAngel The One Eyed Bandit

"Anything." The flavor of today's tone was cold and curt. As it had been for a while now. The ice-cold Regular rarely spoke more than a word since the two had begun climbing with Guinevere. Though, this transition was gradual, starting long before Guinevere. Day by day Yeong-Su walked further behind Mun. A continuum, one that for as slow as it was, surely could be noticed. The distance only grew as Yeong-Su's focus drew inward towards his pocket. Spending the long nights looking at the low lit screen. His expression sometimes dull, sometimes anxious. Looking, watching, and only occasionally pressing his finger against the pocket screen. Only once, never daring to press it more than that each day.

Today too, he watched the pocket, only seeing where he went by his periphery. Though, this time, watching the pocket forces his face to contort. Painful expressions to match the feelings within. Gritting his teeth, gripping the shirt above his heart in his desperate attempt to keep it from ripping out the seams of his body. A shaky finger daring to set in motion a chain reaction that would ruin him. Completely, willingly entering the chaos, the idea made him sick. But what other options were there. Other than grab his shaking finger, and force the damn thing to move one last inch, there was nothing else to be done. So, he did exactly that.

To Ajax: "Keep in touch."

Or so the message said.

Now seemed like a good time to turn in the towel. But there was still more work to be done. As arduous as it would be. Though the thought alone forced Yeong-Su into a cold sweat. Trying his best to not think too hard, he allowed his feet to carry him, short step after shaky step.

"Mun," Yeong-Su addressed her by name for the first time in a long while. "I think I know where to find a partner. But you do the talking." There had been something pulling Yeong-Su since they got onto the airship. Something had been drawing in Shinsoo, drawing in his interest. Something moving within the ship, changing the ebb of the Shinsoo currents as it did so. If Yeong-Su was to assume, he would guess that at the source could be a Regular. A prospect as terrifying as it was preferred to all others. Though he didn't wait for Mun and Guinevere to follow, he walked slowly. Leaning forward as he did so, fighting against the current of his fears. Yet, pushed forward by the wave of what he felt was right.

 

[cojemo]

Mateo Nemeroff

This rabbit. This fucking rabbit. Team up? With him?? He'd rather be forced to take on the rest of the towers challenges solo than be forced to partner with such a blabbering jackass who disrespected him like that. Like seriously, who was he to call his training mediocre?? Mateo had scratched and clawed to earn every bit of talent and power he had and there were 30 floors of proof beneath him. Despite his naturally weak Shinsoo resistance he'd trounced those who thought themselves better than him in the past, so saying his results were mediocre was just a bunch of bullshit in his eyes. Heck, he could control five Bangs! Not many others could claim such a feat, and so what if Von Hare had six? Mateo had actually earned such an achievement, not been genetically gifted it at birth.

His mind was full of fury as Von Hares words swirled around in his head, and his hand frozen on the examination rooms exit door for what felt like eons. Mateo knew he had a bit of a temper and tried hard to control it, but situations like this made it oh so tempting to just let it all out. He wanted nothing more than to turn around and snap at the holier than thou prick, unloading on him about how none of that skill of his was earned and how Mateo hadn't seen his friends die and climbed this tower as a means of redemption and proving his self worth just so he could let some rabbit with a god complex call him 'mediocre' and...

Mateo bit down on his tongue hard, feeling a sharp pain as he did so and taking in a deep breath to regain his composure. He needed to stay calm and keep his emotions under control. Von hare didn't deserve the energy to be wasted on him anyways.

"I don't think you heard me properly the first time, but we're done here. I'm not going to be your little pet project for your own amusement." Mateo did not turn to face Von hare as he spoke, instead speaking at the door as he gritted his teeth. He wasn't going to put up with this asshole any longer, no matter what he said. If he decided to follow him around like some kind of stalker then fine, but there wasn't a chance he'd willingly let Von Hare be his partner. Pushing the door open, Mateo spoke one last time before exiting. "In other words, fuck off."

The few minutes between Mateo exiting the challenge chambers and returning back to his room were a blur, and once he finally reached his place of residence he quickly locked himself and punched the northern wall.. "That fucker, I'd kick his ass if I could!" Screaming to himself, he placed both hands on the wall and rested his head onto it as well, his breathing heavy as he let his rage out. "Who does he think he is talking to me like that!?!? He doesn't know what I've been through, what I've given to get where I am!"

Just let it all out. Nobody can hear or see you.

It took a couple more strikes to the wall and screams into the soundproofed room, but eventually Mateo's emotions began to calm themselves. This kind of solitude is what he needed sometimes. Closing his eyes, he focused on his breathing, feeling his chest begin to expand at a more customary rate. His thoughts started to become more clear, and when he could finally see straight he let out a sigh of relief. Flopping onto his bed as he decided to climb to the next floor at a later date, Mateo licked his lips suddenly as he began to taste an odd coppery flavour. He brought his fingers up to his mouth and licked them with his tongue.

Blood.

Mateo couldn't help but chuckle.

He was an emotional mess sometimes - there was no denying that - but if there was one thing he hated more than losing it was having others see his weaknesses. He needed to be stronger, not just physically but emotionally too. Sure he could sequester himself from the prying eye like he was doing now, but that wasn't always an option. The whole point of this climb was to prove he was worthy of being the protector everyone said he would be, and part of that was being able to remain calm in the face of hardships. If he couldn't even do that then what hope did he have?

He hated it. He hated it so much.

Azure Sky

 

[Azure Sky]

Von Hare- Prick Extraordinaire, Part 2, Chatterbox Tendencies​

“Righhhttt.” Was again, all that Von Hare had to say to Mateo’s aggressive response. The young man was a though nut to crack, but the rabbit was not having any of his childish bravado.

Von Hare used his combination of abilities to teleport through Mateo’s shadow, and swiftly chilled on the young man’s bed while he watched his amusing displays of frustration and listened to monologues.

“I don’t know partner, you are pretty arrogant yourself.” Von Hare made his presence known and would continue talking once Mateo turned around to face him. “You are a young little snowflake, from a little place in the universe, that trained hard for decades, or centuries, to obtain a mediocre amount of power. But don’t get me wrong. It is quite a compliment, seeing that most Regulars can’t even achieve that.” Von Hare took out another carrot and started eating. “I’ve seen planets fall, and be reborn into anarchy, I’ve seen famine and death on a multi-planetary scale, I travelled through space in different worlds and ecosystems, stumbled, thorn apart physically and emotionally, got up, and dealt with it, because I wanted to survive. I had to survive. I wanted an answer. One to a better world. A better universe. And my moral compass may have suffered because of it. Or maybe it didn’t. Hard to tell after so many centuries.” Von Hare took a short pause and looked around the room, then at Mateo, thinking about the past.

“Then I found this Tower. Opened its gates. Greeted by another weird rabbit man with promises of fulfilled dreams. It was new, and fresh, and I thought I found the answer.” Von Hare smirked and started laughing in a sinister manner, as the Shinsoo around him became volatile and dark. “But this place is no paradise. It’s a death game. Structured, but otherwise not so different from the outside.” All of a sudden he became sad. “I will continue climbing it and hope, though. Because that is all I can do. For now.” He sighed and got up.

As the volatile dark Shinsoo subsided Von Hare was now right in front of Mateo. “Leaving aside the roughly 40 years I have been around in this Tower, in my grand total of 1000 years of existence I met people from all walks of life in different settings, continents, and planets, yet your type is always such a pain to deal with. Which brings me to my main point…” Von Hare inhaled.

“Yes, I made fun of you, insulted your skills, your lack of muscle mass, your weak-ass cardio, and had a poor opinion of your one specialization, making light of your many years of hard work, in which you probably made many sacrifices and so on. So what? You are missing the point. I ain’t doing it to spite you.” Von Hare actually had no malice in his words, nor a sarcastic tone. “There are likely tens of billions of Regulars participating in this messed up climbing game. Each of them having worked hard and sacrificed something, one way or another. So did you, and so did I. You think this is a place that rewards effort? Nobody will ever care about your hard work and effort, the only thing that matters in this place are results. Do you have what it takes to win? Are you going to continue to dance with death each and every time you participate in a different test and hope for the best?”
…
“If you dare act like a smartass and answer 'yes', or other childish bollocks I will slap you…”

Only I am allowed to do that. He thought.

cojemo

 

[Brendanfp]

Haewon Blitz Zahard​

The Princess couldn’t hold back the smile that spread across her face. She was very pleased that Ellia enjoyed her idea.

It wasn’t unusual for the words of others to stir up some emotion deep within her, however, these feelings were often intense and short-lived similar to an explosion, but there was something about Ellia’s thoughts and opinions that caused a different kind of feeling within Haewon. Instead of intense bursts of emotion, Ellia caused the Haewon to feel emotions that burned slow and steady, like the fire of a hearth. It was a bit strange but sometimes that Khun woman reminded her of Yewon.

As Ellia finished entering her name into the Tech-Savvy competition, she handed the pen down to the short red-head, and Haewon began filling her information in for ‘Champion’.

The Khun woman offered the Princess advice about the tournament. She wanted Haewon to stay focused on climbing above all else and practice caution when facing an opponent of overwhelming strength. The Princess took a second to consider the words of her partner. Ellia made some fairly good points, if she came up against a monster regular it would be wise to cut her losses, swallow her pride, and keep her life… That being said, Haewon knew herself better than anyone, and in the heat of combat, all logic went out the window. After a moment of consideration, she decided that she wouldn’t worry Ellia with this information, and in fact, her partner already considered this fact. Haewon lit up.

“I’m glad you liked my idea! I have no doubt that we will both come out on top,” she cheered, “And I promise I won’t let myself get carried away,” she said, not believing a word of it. Then in a moment, Haewon’s joy mellowed as she cast her eyes downward. She opened her arms and suddenly embraced Ellia. “I guess this is where we spilt up… I’m not sure how long the competitions would last but promise me that we’ll meet up soon,” the princess pleaded.

QuirkyAngel

 

[simj26]

The Other HaewonSeriously, how hard was it to find another team in this place? Having had meandered about the place for this long, he was expecting to have seen someone or even something that had the intent of joining up in the events aboard the Archimedes. Did he actually have to expend some energy to eat dirt in the Champion tournament? No matter how he looked at it, that one had a killer of a chance for him to even get up there. What if he met someone like him? Or, Zahard forbid, some Anima with 807 different Shinheuh in their collection? Or worse still, someone like her. Haewon wrung his hands and shuddered at the thought as he paced about the front of the Archimedes' gangplank. As he was now, those possibilities were very dangerous. Everyone he had noted so far had been either in a pre-established team because their teammates didn't flake out on them like his did, or just plain weren't interested in the whole thing. Neither of those met any of his search criteria, leaving him staring at the Archimedes for a while now. If he knew, he was glad that no one could see his mouth hanging open in exasperation.

What was making this worse was the argument that was starting up behind him. He didn't catch most of it- he only just tuned in when one of the two groups happened to bump into him. He supposed being almost invisible to the naked eye as someone of little interest had its cons. He offered himself a little chuckle as he turned his attention towards the little scuffle beginning to start. It seemed to him that the two groups were arguing over the 'ownership' of the young man in the middle, like parents arguing over custody of a child. How very droll. He inferred from this that the topic in question of the argument was probably someone special. Family, perhaps? He was male so he definitely wasn't a Princess, unless Zahard was really getting on in his years, and needed some new prescription glasses.

He shifted slightly, as one of the masked weirdos gripped the young man's shoulder. He heard the name Yeon. Family, right, got it. See, Haewon? Answers come to you when you wait! he mused to himself. He noted that the Yeon kid was starting to lose his temper. Haewon had to give him credit. The kid was doing pretty good at standing his ground for someone who looked like he was about to cry.

Haewon sighed. Damn his bleeding heart. He patted his sleeves down, and started towards the Yeon boy and his friends.

Haewon's hand clapped down lightly on the masked man's arm. "Now, now, let's not get too hasty here. If you'll permit me to cut in," Haewon, rather nonchalantly, withdrew a stiletto from his sleeve with his free hand and stabbed it through the man's arm.

He wrenched the injured arm free of the Yeon's shoulder, as his coat swelled up. His sleeves and his head vomited out a cloud of fog, surrounding the area, shrouding both the Yeon kid and the hooded man as he released the masked man's arm and slipped into his fog, pulling the Yeon boy with him.

Fat lot of good keeping a low profile did him, he thought to himself as he released the boy's arm. Almost like a schoolboy who had successfully dunked a bucket of water over his teacher's head, Haewon backed away slowly from the smoke, observing his handiwork, before noticing that he was going to be in deep trouble. "Maybe I-- you-- we should go," Haewon told the Yeon kid, before he turned, and bolted up the gangplank of Archimedes, fleeing from the scene as quickly as he could. If the boy wanted to keep his nose clean, then he should follow suit. If he didn't, then it was his problem. The Tower did not allow for hesitation. At least, that was what Haewon reasoned to himself in an attempt to keep his conscience clear.

Azure Sky

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

As Areum felt her consciousness drifting away into the tides of idle boredom, a sensation shot up her leg and jerked her back to reality. Her eyes flicked from one end of the cafe to the other, half expecting to see her guest invading her personal space, but she was met with no such unpleasantry. A gentle mewling alerted her to the proper culprit.

Her gaze lowered, lingering on the tiny creature below. For a moment her hand lingered above the feline, half tempted to shoo it away, but her more sentimental self won out and her expression softened, if only a little. Instead, her fingertips lowered and nestled themselves within its fur, slowly stroking and kneading its silky coat in rhythm with the flow of Areum's thoughts.

It wouldn't be long after that her guest would arrive, stumbling through the door like some sort of lost sheep. Just looking at him stirred up all sorts of inky-black memories, bubbling to the surface of her consciousness like an oil slick ebbing its way out across the ocean. Before he'd even said a word, she could already feel her mood starting to sour. With each second he spent with his mouth agape, bereft of speech, her brow grew heavier and glare more prominent.

She listened with an uncharacteristic patience as the discombobulated Regular stammered on, only half understanding the words that left his mouth. Whether it was her dour mood, the cat smothering her temper, or a combination of the two, while Areum felt very little sympathy for the man's distress she neither felt the urge to cut him short. She did, as ever, feel the poison of irritation surging throughout her veins, but if he hadn't been one to have wronged her so rudely in the past, even that might have been absent.

"Yeah, long time no see." She grumbled at Illiam when his tirade finally drew to an end, and let her words hang in the air. Rude as she remembered, it seemed. Her gaze broke from his, she turned to call over an idle waitress, and affirmed an order of fruit salad with yoghurt.

While she waited for her order, Areum let silence hang in the air. In turns, her attention drifted between the cat and Illiam's words. It took her a moment, honestly. While she did pride herself to some degree on her memory, the young man spoke in what were almost riddles. If she hadn't known any better, she might have taken her Pocket in for repairs after this. Vague quantifiers and muddled intentions...

Ugh, it turned her stomach. It was no small wonder that she'd found herself on bad terms with a man of this calibre, or rather, lack thereof.

"Mmm..." Her lips finally parted as the waitress returned with her order, and she began to speak in-between mouthfuls. "Have you ever considered a conversational lesson? It might do you some good." Her voice rang half bored, and half bothered. "Because frankly I don't have much of a clue what you're talking about. I can remember the people of the Second Floor well enough, like those two demi-humans of yours, and..."

The sound of enamel hitting steel lightly clinked within her mouth as she took a particularly firm bite.

"...And that Princess. But, do you really expect me to have kept track of your pets? Why would you even keep a pet as a climber? You're not an Anima are you?" She took a moment to study Illiam's expression for some hint of recognition as she chewed on the bite that followed. "Honestly. Wasting my time with something like this..." Her voice trailed off, and her thoughts went with it. She had half a mind to give him a proper earful, but her meal kept her jaw too occupied to entertain the thought.

"Ah." After a few minutes spent silently picking away at the fruit before her, Areum spoke up again with a start, a stray watermelon seed almost dropping from her lips. "Actually, that reminds me of something surprising. I thought you were supposed to be close with those two. Pretty cold of you to let one as weak as that fox roam about on her own, no?" Now that she was on a trip, delving through all these old memories, she could almost remember them like yesterday. It was honestly a little nostalgic.

"But really, who would've thought that she wouldn't even make it past the Seventh Floor on her own? And to be done in by an Eel, no less. Though I suppose that's old news for you at this point, right?" She leaned back into her seat, and her head rolled to stare out the window. "Moved on to bigger and better things, I suppose..."

Rantos QuirkyAngel

 

[The One Eyed Bandit]

Guinevere's pace ebbed and flowed as she trailed after her most recent pair of teammates. Her focus drifted between the other girl, and the family member that always seemed so eager to trail after her heels. She'd only known them for a brief handful of time, but they seemed nice, or rather interesting, enough.

A weak girl playing at strength, and a strong boy playing at weakness, or something to that effect?

Internally, she shrugged to herself. It was in poor taste to make judgements like that.

"Hmm." Guinevere circled out of Yeong-Su's path, and behind Mun as he forced his way into the crowd. "Is he always like that? I thought he was supposed to hate people, or is it just me?" She spoke with a laugh, and sidled closer to the girl as if to provoke some sort of response. The question was in humour, of course, but not entirely ungenuine. It was obvious enough that she wasn't particularly well-liked, all she needed to do was look at his light and day conversations with Mun as opposed to herself, but anything beyond that was, well, beyond her.

"Just kidding. Let's not leave him alone for too long, hm?" She smiled at the other girl, and then begun after Yeong-Su with a hop. He was easy enough to keep track of, his sour aura acting to the crowd as an icebreaker did to glacial waters.

"Sooooo-" Once she'd caught up with him, she matched the other Regular's pace. "What's got you so dogged? What's the hook in your mouth? The bait? Hm? Huh?" Her voice shone brightly, and her smile sat softly. While she questioned Yeong-Su, her eyes focused on his body as a whole rather than his face. She would've thought that having her alone would've been enough foreign elements for the young man to have to endure on a daily basis, so for him to go out of his way to look for more?

Either he was more spineless than she thought, or she was about to see something interesting.

Brendanfp Rantos

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Ellia Aris Khun
Floor 30 - The Archimedes
Haewon’s sudden embrace surprised Ellia and, for a moment, the blue haired girl stiffened. Only her mother ever hugged her like that. Not even her Teacher at the Workshop ever did and she considered him the second most important person in her life. Her family wasn’t the sort to give out hugs and Ellia never asked for it. Connecting with others had always been something Ellia struggled with and it wasn’t just because the Khun family was full of competition or schemers either. Most people bored her. She didn’t care about the things they did. Didn’t want the things they valued. She could fake it, of course, but deep down, she always felt herself like an observer watching things from a distance.

A marionette that moved so as to not lose the only warmth she knew.

Haewon was different from her. Full of life. Full of desires and passion freely expressed without fear. She was different from Ajax who would do whatever it took to climb to the top but her flames were no less consuming. Slowly, albeit a bit awkwardly, Ellia returned the princess’s embrace.

“I promise.”

Brendanfp

Of course, what Ellia didn’t tell Haewon was that in order to keep her promise with the princess she couldn’t put her best effort into their Rivalry Competition. She had to keep a low profile, especially from the Workshop, if she wanted to continue climbing with the Royal. Letting any of the researchers aboard the Archimedes know she was a former Disciple would only stir trouble for herself and Haewon in the long run. Whatever she designed couldn’t utilize the secrets she learned from the Workshop, couldn’t demonstrate her full technical skills, but Ellia didn’t want to disappoint her teacher with shoddy work either. Winning didn’t matter to her. However, her pride as a creator wouldn’t let her produce anything below average.

Ellia stewed over the thought as she walked alone towards her destination. Finding Ajax’s current residence on the Archimedes wasn’t hard, especially when she knew exactly where she was going. The guide told her. However, knowing where she was going and knowing what she was going to say to him were two different things. Ellia feared rejection. It was easier when she didn’t care. However, Ajax had been her motivator for climbing. Her best project. He’d stroked her curiosity much the same way the secrets and knowledge of the Workshop did.

Therefore, Ellia’s pace was slow—a leisurely stroll to those who couldn’t read minds. Even if she was a wreck inside, she’d been long taught by her mother how to portray confidence. To walk with her back straight and her head held high. To not expose weakness lest her enemies take advantage of her. To observe her surroundings and keep watch for those that would stab her in the back. That was how she noticed the white-haired man who seemed a little lost, scratching his head as stared at his pocket. He didn’t look old, but neither did he look young. No surprise really considering how little age actually meant in the tower. Ellia couldn’t say what drew her eyes to him. A feeling of danger, she supposed? He didn’t seem to be acting aggressively…

Might be the eyepatch; Those always ended up making people look a little tougher.

Regardless, he seemed to be a skilled fighter. Ellia could find no openings. For someone who trained in the house of one of the Great Families for little over 500 years, that was fairly rare. Ranker?

Blue eyes met blue.

Seemed he’d noticed her gaze. Only her training as a daughter of the Khun house kept her from looking away. Even though he wore a business suit, everything from his gait to the way he approached her made him feel like a shark. Or a hunter, perhaps? He removed the cigarette from his lips before speaking. “You’re a Khun, ain’cha? I can tell by the hair and eyes.”

“Is that a problem, Sir?”

Chuckle. “No, I suppose not. Hasn’t been one for a long time now...” He continued to talk while Ellia pondered that statement. “Are you familiar with this ship?”

It had been a while, but Ellia nodded. “I am.”

“Thank God!” The eye-patched man showed her his pocket which displayed a map. “Mind pointing me to this location?”

Ellia only studied the map of the Archimedes for a moment before lifting her index finger and doing so. “It’s the other way, Sir. You’re headed in the opposite direction.”

“Ah, really?” The man grunted. “Why does the Workshop have to be so goddamn complicated? First I gotta buy a ticket to board this ship. Then I gotta buy a ticket to watch the battles. I even have buy a ticket to buy an item from this bloody place!”

“Even the Workshop requires funds to produce its items,” Ellia felt the need to defend the organization she used to be a part of. One that she still considered herself to be a part of. “Have you come to invest in its products?”

“I guess so,” The white haired man rolled his eyes. Well, one eye. “Though, I’m really not cut out for this sort of work. Don’t know what he’s thinking. Should’ve just come himself if he wanted the things here so bad instead of being the lazy ass he is.” He stuck the lung-killing stick back between his lips. “Anyway, thanks a lot, Missy. You’ve been a big help.”

Ellia watched the man lift his hand in a leisurely wave before before departing in the direction she pointed. She still didn’t know his name, nor he hers, but that normalcy in the tower. People died all the time—especially those that climbed. Only those who lasted long enough to establish their place were worth being recognized and remembered. At least, that was how it was in the Khun family. She wondered if Ajax was trying to establish a place for himself. Wondered what Haewon was trying to achieve by pushing herself so hard to improve? Perhaps, if she could learn those reasons, she’d find a reason to push herself as well. Turning, Ellia continued on her way.

 

[QuirkyAngel]

Selicity Faars
Floor 30 - The Weeping Lily Cafe, The Archimedes
Selicity purred as Aerum kneaded her fur. It was nice to know that the other regular liked cats. They could be friends then. While the white feline enjoyed the pleasant feeling of being pampered by the green-haired Eurasia, another person entered the café. She heard the ding of the chime and the approaching footsteps even before she opened her eyes. Caught his vaguely familiar scent even before he stopped at their table and Selicity found herself too surprised to speak. She’d known Aerum Eurasia had been waiting for someone, but she hadn’t expected that someone to be Illiam Herlaa.

He looked the same as in her memory. Well, a bit different, and certainly stronger, but it was definitely Illiam.

He pointed at her…and didn’t recognize her.

Worst fears confirmed. Selicity’s ears drooped, her eyes darkening to reflect her mood. It was no surprise really. Ever since Princess Murin’s Earth’s White Blessing technique was used on her, her physical appearance, and even her cat form, had changed. She looked older now. The powerful, somewhat dangerous, technique may have worn off, but remnants of the effects still lingered on her body. Selicity knew in her head that her old friends were unlikely to recognize her, but a small part of her still hoped some sort of magical friendship power came into play and they could instantly return to the way they once were.

That didn’t seem to be the case.

Illiam looked more listless than she’d ever seen him. Even all the beatings from Yaga wasn’t able to take away the light from his eyes. What happened to him since the second floor? He spoke in fragments. He didn’t sound like he remembered much of anything…and was that a whimper?

Selicity was at a loss for words.

Aerum didn’t seem to be though.

Silently, Selicity listened to everything that was said. Not even she was able to identify the feelings Aerum’s words caused. Seefi was dead. Killed on the 7th floor…by an eel. Some part of her already acknowledged the possibility that one, if not both, of her friends were already dead. It’d been 25 years after all. Twenty-five years of not hearing a thing about them. She’d found one of the ones she set out to look for when she started climbing again and lost the other. There was a throb of pain certainly, a pang of loneliness, but it wasn’t nearly as crushing as she’d thought it would’ve been. Selicity was no longer alone. She still had Ajax, Gladioli, Minseo, Illiam, and even the Iceberg. Still, fury boiled in the Cat Sidhe and her eyes burned red.

Jumping from Aerum’s lap, Selicity morphed in the air and landed in her human form before glaring at the green-haired girl that had been petting her moments prior. She growled. “Seefi wasn’t weak. You take that back!” Crimson eyes flickered briefly to Illiam. “And I am no one’s pet.”

Cats may like to be pampered, but they didn't like to be tied down. Not to any owner.

The One Eyed Bandit Rantos

 

[cojemo]

Mateo Nemeroff

Why me? What did I do to deserve this? Haven't I dealt with enough shit already?

Mateo ran his hands down his face in frustration as he watched his furry stalker begin to ramble on and on about...whatever. Honestly he didn't really care what he had to say; At this point Mateo had decided to just block out and ignore anything Von Hare was going to say to him. It was obvious it didn't matter to the rabbit what Mateo said to him - as indicated by his casual intrusion of privacy - so why should he give a shit either? There was clearly a severe lack of respect being put on display here, and he felt no need to put up with it anymore. It's just a shame it prevented him from getting the alone time in his room he so desperately wanted.

So, to try and keep his mood in check and mind healthy, Mateo turned away from Von Hare about two sentences into his little spiel and grabbed the brush off of his dresser. He breathed in deeply, taking a moment to compose himself and hopefully refocus his mind. Still gritting his teeth slightly and his body tense as he tried to ignore the rabbit, he combed the bits of upturned hair leftover from the challenge earlier and matted down his shirt as much as he could so he could look somewhat presentable. Normally when his emotions ran hot Mateo liked to train and push himself more than usual, but an overbearing rabbit shadowing him who seemed intent on being hos partner that probably wasn't the best idea. That's why, instead, he planned to go into the city and just...walk. Wherever his feet took him, and probably pick up a meal while he was out. That could help take his mind off of things. And if the rabbit decided to follow? Well, fuck him. He could just ignore the furry freak like he was doing now.

"Uh huh, yeah nice story. Very cool." With a heavy layer of bitterness in his words as he finished straightening out his appearance, Mateo still avoided looking at Von Hare as he turned and made his way out of the door, but not before flipping the middle finger behind his back to where his peripheral vision said the rabbit was. It was obvious he was still very angry and not managing his emotions well, but he'd gone past the point of putting any effort into shutting down anything Von Hare. He just wanted some time to himself.

"Now kindly fuck off. I've got more important things to do." And with that, the boy exited his room, going out of the facility and into the city aimlessly.

Azure Sky

 

[Azure Sky]

Von Hare, Prick Extraordinaire- Part 3: Beta-Carotene Crusaders​

This brat...

Von Hare was getting tired of this young man's behaviour. Why was he trying to help him again? Ah, yes, he had potential. But he was also a damn moron. Maybe a bit of pain would wake him up. Crack a bone, rip a limb, gouge an eye...
...
Nah.

Von Hare wasn't that childish. Imagine a 1000 year old creature getting angry at the rebellious phase of a child. Was he going to do what Mateo so kindly asked him and piss off?

No.



Taking his compressed form, Von Hare jumped on Mateo's head as he left.

"Let's be honest, I never asked for your oppinion on the matter. I was stating facts."

cojemo