• This section is for roleplays only.
    ALL interest checks/recruiting threads must go in the Recruit Here section.

    Please remember to credit artists when using works not your own.

Realistic or Modern ∇𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔰 ▸▸▸ {IC}

OOC
Here
Characters
Here

blue UP

[they/them]
Roleplay Type(s)
w6JzWeN.png

CXDjSmn.png
MAY 30TH 2025 17:24 PM
TOWER 9

Two detectives from the Investigation Branch of the Defense Division are called to Tower 9 to investigate a break-in. The perpetrators had infiltrated the innermost area of the tower where the door to the inside of the original tower was located. It is unknown how they were able to get in. The Director of the Tower Sect of the Science Division was able to thwart the attack, but left in the wake were many questions.

Blood covered the platform, and two dead bodies were strewn over the top of it. One body was laid face first in a puddle of blood, and the last body was smashed into the inner wall—head crushed by the hefty metal door that kept trying to close on it. There was a burst of crackling static, and the video repeated, the time stamp sending it back five minutes from where it ended. The cameras focused on a group of three individuals crowded on a platform above an immense drop downwards into the hollow tube of the tower. The metal walls were bleak and slick, a casing to protect the sanctity of the stone tower within. And between them was nothing but space and walkways. Voices echoed easily in the tube, yet the camera recorded no sound. It was obvious through body language what was happening.

The larger of the three figures, later revealed as Jack Hodges, held the door open a crack while one tapped on the screen outside and the other was on the lookout. They hadn’t identified those two people yet, but their nicknames were “Glasses” and “Baby Doll” based on their looks. Glasses held a small device in one hand whose cords ran into the wall next to the screen that commanded the door. Jack held the meager inch that they had gotten loose. Baby Doll looked at the camera and winked underneath her straight line, black bangs. It was like she wasn’t even trying to hide. Lights flickered, and Jack tumbled back, and the door opened completely. He quickly shot up and investigated the door, his body slacking at the sight. Whatever it was, it was off-screen, so the video didn’t show it.

At that moment, Dr. Ares Fel walked into the frame. The head scientist of the Tower Research Division looked the part in his white coat and sharp silhouette. He was easily in his 50s with black hair that was quickly graying. He apparently exchanged words with the three before Baby Doll lunged at him, wielding a small umbrella with frills around the edges. A strange grain filled the air, like monochromatic glitter. A few beats later, it cleared enough to see Baby Doll looming over Dr. Fel. His face was bloodied, and his fingers looked as if they’d been dunked into boiling water. He said something, and Baby Doll turned around. She pulled a knife from inside her dress and hurled it at Glasses. It shot through his neck, and he was dead before he hit the ground. Dr. Fel slowly stood. He then pulled something from his jacket and came behind Baby Doll, slicing her throat. She crumpled to the ground in a pool of quickly forming blood.

Dr. Fel then turned his attention to Jack. At that time, Jack had turned around, holding tightly to a stylized executioner’s sword extended at Dr. Fel. He was yelling something and pointing past the door. Dr. Fel said nothing or moved, so Jack lunged at him. He missed the first swing, but the second one caught Dr. Fel’s coat and ripped clear through it. The doctor was obviously flagging. He even coughed, blood coming from behind his lips despite not looking like he had any internal injuries. Jack came down to cleave the man in half. Dr. Fel said something, and Jack awkwardly dropped the sword and landed on the ground. The older man then coughed again, blood spewing from his mouth. Jack lay on the ground as if he’d been frozen in place. The doctor grabbed him by the collar and pulled him towards the door, positioning his head in the threshold of it. He then hit a button on the screen, and the door slammed on Jack’s head. Then Dr. Fel passed out.
“Jesus Fucking Christ,” Detective Ted Gates said into the monitor. Smoke left his lips as he had taken a drag right before the end of the video. “What’s the status of Dr. Fel?”

Detective Soumya Bedi pulled up her phone and went through the debriefing. “Says here that he’s stable, but it will be a while before he’s released. He had a ton of internal lacerations.”

“Who out of those three did that?”

“None of them. Dr. Fel did it to himself. He swallowed some glass before entering the platform. That’s the trigger to his Aspect.”

“I’ll say it again, Jesus Fucking Christ.”

“I would say his power served him well. His aspect is ‘subjugation,’ and he can command people with just a word. But his insides must be bleeding to do that.”

Detective Gates shivered. “Remind me never to be around the good doctor when he’s angry and a vase is within grabbing reach.” He sighed, looking around the tight control room. “And you’re sure they won’t let us onto the platform to investigate?”

Detective Bedi shook her head. Her dark hair was in a sloppy bun at the nape of her neck. She was in what looked like casual shopping clothes with a sword attached to her hip. Seeing her standing next to him was funny, as he was a tall man, immaculately dressed with crisp green hair. She was also ten years his junior, evident by her youthful skin and the crow’s feet near his eyes. “Apparently, that’s a very restricted area.”

“Those three had an easy time getting in there, then.” Detective Gates took a long drag off his cigarette before putting it out on the bottom of his shoe. He grabbed his partner’s hand and looked at the screen. He blew out the smoke, and it thickened around them until it disappeared. There they stood in the middle of the crime scene. “I mean, I literally just did it.” He smiled.

Detective Bedi rolled her eyes. “I highly doubt they had a picture of this place.” She looked upwards to the darkness and then below to an equal amount of darkness. “Crazy this place doesn’t have handrails.”

“Yeah, that’s the only thing that is crazy about this place,” Detective Gates said deadpan. He looked across the platform and to the door ahead of him, cleaned and resealed. Actually, everything had been cleaned. They’d recovered the bodies and sent them to the morgue and expunged every trace that there had ever been a break-in. His footsteps were so loud over the metal walkway as he approached the door. He looked around for any sign of a struggle. “Any more information on the perps?”

Detective Bedi pulled some black eyeliner out of her pocket. “’Glasses’ and ‘Baby Doll’ are two unknown entities. Though, with the kind of training they had, Baby Doll’s use of an aspect to be precise, the higher-ups think heretics.” She paused. “Jack Hodges was a known entity, though.”

“Yeah. Didn’t they find that the handheld device Glasses used to have the mark of Prometheus on it? And wasn’t that the same sect of heretics responsible for the Night of a Thousand Demons?” He frowned. “Really thought we had nipped them in the bud. Nope, they’re just fucking—” he turned around to see Detective Bedi in his personal space. “Come on, Soumya.”

“Nope, give me your face.”

He leaned down, and she started to write on his face with her eyeliner pencil. “You at least going to tell me what it says?”

“Not at all.” She didn’t offer any amusement as she wrote ‘I <3 BIG BUTTS’ on his forehead. Yet, when she finished, the area around them glowed a bright white before showing multiple silhouettes in different colors. She walked around, inspecting them, thumping some out of existence before she had settled on four. Two were blue, one was red, and the other was a mixture of colors.

“Let me guess,” Detective Gates said. “The two blue are Babydoll and Glasses. The red is Jack. And the multicolored one is Dr. Fel?”

She shook her head. “You got 3 out of the 4. Babydoll and Glasses were calm, hence blue. Jack was angry, hence red, and I am not surprised. I was reading his rap sheet. He just graduated Bellum Academy, and he had a history of getting into stupid fights.”

“Man, the heretics are getting their claws into them fast and trusting them with big missions.”

“Here’s the thing. The tech guys were able to get information from a laptop at his apartment. He’s been in contact with the Prometheus sect for well over a year.”

“Meaning he was talking with them before he graduated.”

“And many messages implied that he received orders through a ‘man on the inside.’ Meaning—”

“Bellum Academy is compromised?” Detective Gates exhaled. “Fuck me. But we’ll let the bigwigs handle that. We’re not on the pay level to start playing the academic staffing game.” He paused. “Wait, if I got the two blue and one red right, that means Dr. Fel had to be the multicolored one.”

Detective Bedi shook her head. “I dismissed Dr. Fel. The multicolored one… I don’t know who that is.”

“It’s not one of the employees that cleaned this all up?”

“No.” She frowned. “The aura on this person is very fresh. Meaning that they were here only moments before we were.” Detective Bedi walked forward, looking over the silhouette well over a head taller than her and had two arms and two legs, but the gender couldn’t be placed in their slick frame. And despite the newness of the aura, their facial features were a jumble. “More so, this many colors in their aura. I’ve only seen that a few times before. And those auras always belonged to—well—”

“Don’t say it.”

“No. I’m not going to say demons or angels.”

Detective Gates exhaled. “Thank God. So, just like—an emotional divine?”

She shook her head. “They are only contained by corpses. A corpse teleported in and out of here, Ted. Right before we got here. That’s not possible—”

“I have a weird feeling we’re going to be saying that a lot in the coming months.” Detective Gates lit another cigarette. “Now, let’s get the fuck out of here.”

At that moment, both of their phones chimed. Detective Bedi was quicker on the draw than her male counterpart. She glanced over the screen, and her usual peachy brown skin turned a shade whiter.

“Soumya?”

“The bodies.” She didn’t look up from her phone. “They’re missing from the morgue.”

Detective Gates pulled up his phone to confirm the same thing. All three of the corpses were gone, along with their belongings. He turned the screen off and saw his forehead in the darkness of his phone. “You would let me walk around with this on my head? I mean I do like big butts. But—”

At that moment, Detective Bedi’s attention turned to him, and a laugh broke up her usual stoic demeanor. It would be the last time Detective Gates would hear her laugh.
 
fQnNRGb.png
BRIEFING: The Theurgy has investigated the property and discovered that a powerful lumen force can be felt even from the outside. It is believed that it is a hive for not only an angel, but quite a few demons that have popped up since the area around the mall has gone downhill. They caution that something seems odd about the mall's insides but could not search for too long.
OBJECTIVE:
PRIMARY: Exorcise the angel that has inhabited the mall.
SECONDARY: Exorcise the demons that have taken residence in the basements and other areas around the mall.
OPTIONAL: Find and rescue the teens that have gone missing. There are 5 of them.​
RESTRICTIONS: Do not destroy or vandalize any of the property.
Paradise Fall Mall was constructed in the early 2000s on the back end of the popularity of malls. It only knew a few years of popularity before the bubble around malls burst, sending them into antiquity. Paradise Fall held on as long as it could, maintaining interest through the upkeep of a more “retro aesthetic.” Yet, more and more shops closed before the only two things in there were a Hot Topic and an Orange Julius, and then the axe came down on them in 2019. Which was for the best, considering that the pandemic was about to happen, and they would have seen them curl in on themselves like a dead spider.

In the next 6 years, the massive real estate that housed the mall failed to sell. It sat near the coast of Gran Vesta, within walking distance of the beach. It was hot property. Yet, the real estate sign was still posted in its windows, with the ever-fading face of “Eva Winthrop, Gran Vesta’s Grand Investment Real Estate.” Vandals tagged the outside, only to find their artwork gone by the next day.

Apparently, Eva Winthrop’s company had a cleaning crew on standby—or at least that’s how it felt. As for the inside? Well, it’s remained practically the same. A few unhoused communities have moved in, only to move out shortly thereafter. When asked why they all declined to answer. Recently, a group of teenagers have been using it as a location for filming.

Well. Until even more recently, they all went missing.

SMIrNC9.png
 
Last edited:
AIwOsQs.gif

Cal Gagnon leaned against his beamer, the black coat of the car seemingly absorbing the sun and radiating heat. There was cool air from the ocean, but it was enough for the man to remove his jacket and lay it on the top of the car. He was dressed in the same fashion as in all his ads: a blue shirt underneath white suspenders with a gray tie and pants. His musculature strained underneath his shirt. Maybe some other Saints of Tower 9 had let themselves flag, but he hadn’t. His brown hair was well trimmed and hung over his dark eyes, wreathed with even darker circles. Maybe he wasn’t sleeping as well as he should have. A yawn escaped his lips, and he stretched out.

The shadow from the mall was slowly creeping towards him. The structure was so pristine that it looked like it should have been shrink-wrapped with a Barbie and put on toy shelves. Its uncanny nature just oozed that something was terribly wrong. How no one had thought to investigate it before now was a mystery. But some uptown yuppie’s kids go missing, and suddenly, it is at the top of the docket to be investigated. Better yet, it seemed a perfect training ground for the new exorcists. Get the new car smell off them by bathing them in neon-colored blood. Speaking of which—he turned around as he heard the crunch of tires across the parking lot. The Theurgy provided transportation for all students at Bellum Academy, but if they wanted to Uber… well they could waste the money. He didn’t care. Instead, he moved his gray jacket to the top of the hood and then sat on it, the car shifting as he did. His huge sword was sheathed and leaned against the wheel. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and leaned back on the car—answering today’s Wordle. He didn’t say anything. It would be better to wait for all the shitheads to show up. Cal didn’t want to repeat himself too many times.

More so, he didn’t know if they even had much chance to meet each other. This was the first day of the new school, and move-in was last week. Their schedules had been jam-packed with getting registration and orientation sorted, so they probably didn’t have a chance to make formal introductions. So, he gave them their peace. Or at least… that’s what he told himself. Instead, he was trying to figure out what word had an “L” in it, but it wasn’t first.

MENTIONS NONE
 
8X7Z4Ub.png

●●●●●
●●●

Honestly, even if he hadn’t been ordered to go, Hiraku still would’ve, if only to satisfy his own curiosity. A retro-American shopping mall, completely void of people? That was practically an abandoned museum for someone who had never been across the sea until just recently! And the presence of angels and demons, the missing teenagers, the suspect nature of Eva Winthrop and her Grand Investment Real Estate…well, that was just icing on the cake.

It was kind of the Theurgy to drive him there though. The Circiutus Scutum was hard to bring to a bus, and even harder to fit inside an Uber. Taxi drivers could figure it out, but they had been priced out of the market, and gig workers simply didn’t want to have to deal with a Japanese punk who inexplicably carries a ship’s wheel with him.

Wheels ground to a halt, the aethestics of the 80s just outside the windows. He hopped out, alongside whoever else he had carpooled with, before reach up to the roof of the truck to untie his weapon. A grunt escaped Hiraku as he pulled the unwieldy thing off, then strapped it to his left arm, the slightest bit of vis flowing into the weapon to rouse it from its inactive state. A count of three later, and it lightened up enough for him to lift his arm once more. His right hand slipped into his fanny pack, a zipper pulled open to retrieve a tube of lubricant for the axle.

Gotta keep it nice and slippery if he wanted a good spin, after all.

Lubricant into the pack, and then an energy gel for that sugary boost he’ll need for the job ahead. Watermelon flavour was nice, but he liked Huma’s over GU’s. Couldn’t beat Honey Stingers though.

“Heyo,” Hiraku called out to the other arrivals, meticulously flattening and then rolling up the plastic garbage in one hand before slipping it into yet another pocket of his fanny pack, “I prepped some Safety Sigils for this; anyone want one?”
 
proxy (1).png
●●●●●
●●●
Nokosi arrived at the mall, the sunlight reflecting off the pristine structure. The weight of the Ayona-dawei on his arm was a familiar comfort, its sharp, claw-like tips gleaming subtly. His presence was calm and unassuming, yet there was a subtle intensity in his gaze, taking in the surroundings with a reserved, analytical eye.

Hiraku's voice broke the silence as he offered Safety Sigils. Nokosi turned his head slightly, his expression thoughtful before he responded, his voice steady and low. "I'll take one," he said, stepping forward. He understood the importance of being prepared, especially when dealing with unknown forces.

He accepted the sigil from Hiraku, nodding in acknowledgment as he placed the sigil carefully within the confines of his gauntlet. The aura around him remained calm, though there was a palpable readiness in the way he carried himself, as if prepared to respond to whatever awaited them inside the mall.

"Let's make sure we come out of this in one piece," he added quietly, his words carrying a weight that belied his young age. Nokosi then fell back into a contemplative silence, mentally preparing himself for the task ahead, his fingers lightly brushing the dragon-like armor of his gauntlet as if seeking reassurance from the cold metal. "Do you know how close the others are, by chance?"
 
Last edited:
1725032451726.png

||
Damara was, to put it mildly, excited for a mission. The incident in the club was still fresh in her mind, as were the scrapes and bruises coloring her limbs. She sat near the window and stared at the landscapes with a smile, despite the strange little feeling brewing inside her. It was weird to be in America, the place she could've grown up in, the yearning of which caused her life to change so dramatically. Really, she got her wish in the end, in a twisted, fucked up way, just like how most wishes tend to come true.

Once they reached the destination she lingered for a few seconds before getting off. Looking at the mall made her wonder if, in some other universe or timeline she could've been the teenager getting lost in there, spray painting obscenities on practically abandoned walls and being swallowed by the overwhelming nothingness within. She pinched herself lightly to get the thoughts out of her head.

She hopped off onto the pavement and fixed her outfit: one thing she did find limiting and possibly pretentious were the uniforms. She customized it to her liking to the best of her ability: cuffed the blazer, rolled up the skirt, even though the dark blue still looked a little silly right next to her bright green tank top and her necklace of neon vomit. To make it look even sillier, today she brought out her bright pink leg warmers and doubled the number of glowsticks on her wrists. She thought she could cope with the leggings, but as she was getting dressed in the morning the feeling of fabric gathering on the back of her knees made her experience a full body cringe so she just cut those suckers down to be practically shorts, reaching the middle of her thighs. Now that she thought about it, that might've been something she wasn't allowed to do and could probably get in trouble for. She glanced up at today's instructor, who stared at his phone with a pensive expression while sitting atop the hood of his car. Squinting, she figured he was probably not the type of guy to really care. She was going to take her chances.

She cheerfully skipped over to the other students gathered in the parking lot, her manriki clanking as she did so, hooked around a belt loop like a very shiny lasso.

"Hi, hi," Damara propped one hand on her hip and used the other to flick down her heart shaped glasses. "Damara, at your service! Dam, ar, ra, and any other ungodly combination of those letters you can come up with is also accepted!"

She looked around the gathering, ogling their weapons especially, everything under her gaze turning pink, only the corners of her peripheral let boring reality bleed through.

"So," she licked her lips. In her opinion, talking about the mission was useless until they're actually inside. Talking about each other is, on the contrary, way more interesting. "How is everyone doing on this fine evening?"

||
 

JYUYVXI.png

●●●●●
●●●


August had waited in stark anticipation for this day, for quite some time. The thought of it had been stewing in his mind all through orientation, boiling and sizzling like a plastic bag about to burst wide open. All of those arduous months of hard labor, training his body, mind, and abilities to their utmost potential, all in order to reshape himself into a steel blade pointed at the world.

He walked over to the parking lot, eyeing three of his fellow students, all assembled together alongside a man all too familiar. August scowled at the sight of him, his nonchalant stance and unfocused eyes. If there was one thing August was grateful for, it was that he'd managed to inherit nearly none of his father's most apparent and visible traits... but for this moment? August mused that it would've been a tiny bit satisfying to see the old man come face to face with something even vaguely akin to his own flesh and blood, if nothing but as a dirty reminder of a stain that couldn't just be wiped away and forgotten.

Settling those thoughts to the side, August put on a wide smile as he joined his fellow students, waving and grinning as amicably as he could muster. First impressions were always the most important, and August had painstakingly prepared himself for such an occasion. He sported a light, checkered plaid and lime shirt that was cloaked at its sides by a warm red jacket that complemented his wavy, pinkish hair quite well. His pants, meanwhile, were a rather boring, flat light beige that blended quietly into the background. All in all, a cozy apparel that would hopefully dull any discomfort or apprehension on the part of his peers- with any hope, future friends and comrades.

"Going great!" he chirped out at Damara's inquest, as he simultaneously reached over to take one of Hiraku's sigils - offering him a cheeky thumbs up in compensation. "I'm August- pleasure to meet you all."

His sea green eyes seemed to glow with a pleasant aura as he turned towards all three of his fellow students, before they finally - and briefly - laid their errant gaze upon Cal, before quickly turning away.
 
JBI8ySt.png

●●●●●
●●●

Manuel couldn’t afford to make any more mistakes. Thinking that getting into the Academy gave him the opportunity to relax was a fool's errand, one that would have him done in, hadn’t he already considered the situation he was in. A new mission meant another opportunity to prove himself, one that he should perform as flawlessly as possible, if he was able; and with as little complications as his previous showcase had left him. He hadn’t taken the transportation provided by the Theurgy, sitting silently and blending into the back seat of the car he was in, thinking deeply about the peers he would be working with on this mission. They must have gone through a similar trial to the one that he did… and yet they didn’t seem as affected by it as he was. Weakness. He thought to himself. Yet before he could spiral any further the car had arrived at his destination.

Adjusting his uniform as he stepped out, Manuel thanked the driver before taking a look around at the other arrivals. Although he was lost in thought, the faces and identities of those around him were not lost on him. Especially for an Aspect so reliant on other divines as his, it was a given that Manuel was paying close attention to their mannerisms and quirks any chance he got. Any little weird behaviors could be the trigger to their aspect, and it was much less personal to observe than to ask. It seemed that they were all gathering around, with their guiding wing for this mission appearing extremely detached and relaxed: as expected of a seasoned divine.

Manuel sighed as he walked over, knowing that he would have to interact with these people for a while. “I wish I could say the same, August. But being here means that something went wrong. And thus the fresh faces get tossed over the deep end, right?” He adjusted the sheathes that hung from his hip before presenting a quick wave to the whole group. “Manuel. It’s… something positive to meet you all.”

Mentions: None​
 
1725182177787.png
●●●●●
●●●
"...On behalf of Bellum Academy, the Theurgy will provide the student body with transportation if need be."

Her phone read 6:21 A.M. Which would explain why the sun wasn't still out.
Lefty's metal feet crunched against the sidewalk beneath it. Good. Because her GPS was reading that she still had half a goddamn city to walk through, and she was in no hurry to continue this walk under the full heat of the summer sun. ' You should walk around the city sometime, Lefty! ' Raphael always told her. ' I think it'd do you some good to explore the world on your own, ' he said. But what was there to even see? All the shops were closed. There was next to nobody around—and the people who WERE amounted to just those rushing to work. This walk was as boring as it got.

"...Once again, you can put in a request for the Theurgy to provide you with transportation."

Oh, but everybody around all still had the the time to give her weird looks as she walked on by.

"...To repeat, if you do not have your own transportation, the Theurgy can..."

The total dipshits.



...Her metal feet crunched against sandy blacktop of Paraside Fall Mall's parking lot.
By now, the sun was out. Which meant that every time her metal hand brushed against her leg, it fucking scalded her. Which, normally, would've made it hard for her to concentrate on the mission ahead. But Lefty wasn't particularly thinking hard about it in the first place. What was there to think about, after all?
She'd walk around the main shopping areas until she found the Angel. Then, she'd blow it away.
She'd walk around the other areas until she found the Demons. Then, she'd blow them away too.
And if she happened to step over the bodies of the idiots who went missing in there? Yeah, sure, she'd pick them up on her way out.

But the Paradise Fall Mall was big. And more importantly to her, it was completely devoid of people. Which meant that all she really had to focus on, going into this, was that one little annoying restriction. Lefty had to wonder what the hell the Academy was thinking...if they hadn't put that restriction in place, she could've probably blown all the Angels and Demons away by herself. Who the hell cared if she blew it all away with them? Nobody went to this trash heap! Nobody would actually care. Hell, she'd probably just be saving them on the demolitions fee for this place. But, no. Lefty's life couldn't be easy like that. Though, as Lefty approached the growing crowd of people from afar...another thought DID finally strike her.

Even if she was given the go-ahead to go blow the whole Mall to bits, there was one other thing she had to worry about not hitting. This Mall wouldn't actually be devoid of people.
Lefty stopped in front of her fellow students—her mask somehow staring at all of them, and yet no single person in particular all at once.

"...ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ...ᴛᴀᴋᴇɴ ᴀ ᴄᴀʀ, ʜᴇʀᴇ?"
Lefty watched in disdain one of their cars peeled out of the parking lot. God-dammit. If she KNEW she could have been driven here, she wouldn't have WALKED all this way! But she didn't know! (Probably because she wasn't really listening to the Orientation. Not enough to catch it the first time it was said. Or...the second time. Or even the third time. She really only had herself to blame, here.) "...ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ...ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇʟʟ...ᴡᴀs ᴍʏ ᴄᴀʀ? ᴅᴀᴍɴ...ᴀᴄᴀᴅᴇᴍʏ. ᴛᴄʜ." Well, her fault or not, it STILL didn't help her mood. And neither did speaking. Each word was its own hurdle to get out—it was hard to even force herself to speak audibly, and it was an even greater strain to make it loud enough to be heard. Not like it was even a pretty voice, either. Her voice was husky and raw...sounding almost distorted through the mask. "..." Though, "...ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇʟʟ...ɪs ᴜᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ sʜɪᴘ ᴡʜᴇᴇʟ?" It was still worth it to ask why the hell one of them was lugging around an entire fucking ship wheel. Really, it was the only thing about this group that had caught her attention so far.
 
ldxI5jv.png
Sometimes, she rose in the night to the smells of her parent's place of employment. The sound of her mother in the background of clinking silverware, her father's fingers lovingly caressing the piano -- both their disciplines keeping her violet eyes glued to her ceiling. She had never been far from them before. While the Fyodorov brothers ignited a warm passion to cleanse the world, to be an illustrious exorcist, she missed Mama and Papa. Nights were cold. The strangers (the students not yet her friends) at the Academy served as little comfort at night as opposed to day, where the sun burned away all her shadows.

That morning, she was informed, alongside other students, that there was a mall needing cleansing. In Vienna, Mischa was considered a savior, a borderline prodigy, but she knew very well she was another head of hair in the crowd of students. They, too, had done great things in their lives before the Academy. Great and terrible things. When the car arrived, she stepped out, a small and unassuming presence in the mixing bowl of personalities. She noticed an older man, an infamous man, sitting on the hood of his car and immersed in his phone. Her eyebrows raised, and she thought to herself, maybe Mr. Ganon is reading some important political article. That was what adults did, right? That was what her parents did. Sit with some beer and deliberate about the state of their countries. It was never anything good.

The violet of her eyes scanned the students, as she had been the last to exit the car. A blue-haired boy passing out safety sigils with a warmth on his face. Another boy accepting one with a hawk-eyed stare and seriousness about him. Whoa, he's so cool, Mischa thought, scratching the back of her neck with a sheepish smile. There was suddenly a distinct voice, a peppy one, and she turned to see a student adorned with neon-colored accessories. Damara. That was a pretty name. She must train a lot, Mischa figured as her eyes traced over the many scrapes and bruises on Damara's body. Another student chimed in on her introduction, a boy named August with a cat-like smile and pastel pink hair. She watched as he took a sigil from the blue-haired student, and then another chimed in. He was less enthusiastic about their upcoming mission and rehearsed some caution. He's so cool too, Mischa thought again, her eyes trailing back to the student with the golden hawk-like stare.

Maybe you and Manuel would get along, she thought. She had yet to unsheathe her scythe, Corvus, as it would not fit in the car. It could easily fold as a black baton at her side, the blade of it concealed. She heard the crunch of footsteps again. Someone appeared, presumably a person their age as they joined their group. Mischa could not hear much besides some distorted mutters through their mask. Ship wheel? She looked at the boy with blue hair again. Oh.

"That's a good question,"
Mischa said in a thick Austrian accent, her small hand coiling tighter around the black baton. She could not help let out a small laugh.
"I'm Mischa by the way," she introduced herself to the group, dipping her head politely. She wondered about the masked girl who arrived, what to call her. But that would come in time.
 

Again and again, Akira turned over the small bag in their hands, pulling out its contents and leaving them strewn across the hot leather seat before inevitably cramming them back in. They counted each piece of parchment, every snack, every piece of lint, all in the hopes that somehow, *somehow* doing so would bring them luck for whatever horrors they would inevitably face in the next twenty-four hours.

One notebook. Twenty slips of paper, each one filled with some sort of calligraphy or rough scrawl-- half in Japanese, half in English. One small pocket knife, sharpened to a fine point (their father would stand for nothing less). One freshly cleaned gun holster, attached securely to their belt. Four pieces of taiyaki in a clear plastic bag to stave off any munchies. One large, metallic thermos filled to the brim with cool water, in case they (or anyone else) happened to get thirsty.

... It wouldn't hurt to check again.



The crunching of rubber against hot concrete signaled the arrival of one final vehicle: a black, box-like car slowly rolling its way into the relatively empty parkin lot, stopping a few yards away from the crowd of teens currently chatting among themselves. Before the car could even come to a full stop, the side passenger door abruptly swung open, revealing a short, dark-haired teen struggling to shove something into their bag as they stumbled their way out of their seat, giving whoever had driven them to the location a quick wave and a grin before scuttering their way over to their classmates.
They certainly weren't the most put-together person, Akira, but they did at least try to put in some effort. Little of their uniform had been altered, and the state of their shoes (which appeared to be a rather expensive brand of work boots) was relatively clean. In fact, the only well-used part of Akira's outfit looked to be the small bag slung over their hip, the fabric of which was fraying in spots where it looked to rub against their thigh, and the gun holster peeking out from beneath the loose cotton of their uniform. If not for those items-- along with the utter mess of a state their hair was in-- they could easily been mistaken for any other straight-lace kid attending the academy.

"A-Ah, everyone's already here?" A soft frown crosses the teen's face as they murmur to themself, sharp eyes scanning over their gaggle of peers with a hint of disappointment. They'd intentionally tried to get out of the door early in the morning, but it seemed that their efforts were all for naught. "Well, nice to meet you all anyways. I'm sure we'll all get along well!"
 
Last edited:
AIwOsQs.gif

Cal glanced over as a mixture of greetings caught his ears, he squinted at the group and counted as they mingled between each other. Some were nervous, knowing precisely what this was, while others seemed excited. He felt sorry for those poor idiots. Slowly, the man pulled himself off the hood of his car and grabbed his sword, throwing it over his shoulder.

“Alright, everyone, shut the fuck up.” He said, fighting back a yawn. “My name is Cal Gagnon; you can just call me—eh—not Mister Gagnon. Gross. I’m not that old. You sure aren’t calling me Cal. Just, sir, works. Short and to the point.”

He still had his cellphone in one hand, flicking the screen off Wordle and onto the mission briefing. “Blah blah blah…” he grumbled. “Okay, here we go. Looks like you’ll be short a new recruit. Gi, or whatever the fuck they’re called, was held up at Ju-V. Something about out-processing paperwork. Hey. Good news, at least the other alumni will have one student to teach if you all die.” He flashed a smile.

“That’s right. You guys are forgoing the usual formula of exorcists and theurgists who have a background in teaching due to… a reason.” He shrugged. “Instead, you’ll get other members of the Saints of Tower 9. Enjoy. I guess. Some of them are… fun.

“Anyway, this mission is about clearing out a supposed Angel that made its home here in the Paradise Fall Mall. Five kids from some yuppie neighborhoods went missing here, and the Theurgy suspects that they were taken by the angel. Your first priority is to exorcise the angel. The second is to exorcise any and all demons. The third is not to cause any property damage. And fourth, if you get the chance, save missing kids. If you ask me. They’re already dead.” He pocketed the cell phone. “I’ve already set up some traditions to keep the mall's structure in place, so you don’t have to worry about that. Just don’t destroy the tokens. I’ll also be here to ‘help’ and ‘instruct,’” he said, putting those in air quotes. “Look, I’m here to ensure the walls aren’t painted red with all your innards. That being said, I won’t hurt myself to save you. Thems the rules. I’m not being an asshole.” He smirked. “Ok. I am an asshole. Just ask my kid.” He pointed to August. “But not about this. Do or die… and all that nonsense. So, I hope you’ve had your naps and your juice boxes because today is going to be a long day.”

MENTIONS LITERALLY EVERYONE, I'M NOT TAGGING IT
 
T. KILLER
Carpenter Brut

H3C0UmG.gif


Cal Gagnon unlocked the doors to the mall from a key ring containing a large amount of color-coded keys. It may not have been obvious right off the bat, but it was apparent that he knew the real estate agent well. He casually lifted the bar that was slid between the doors and set it to the side and opened up the entrance way.

The mall was abandoned, there was no doubt about that. Yet, from the descriptions that Cal had received and relayed to the students, it lacked the polish that it had previously had. As they walked down one of the arteries into the center of the mall, tiles looked to have been pulled up, windows had broken to the empty stores, and a few of the beams above them lacked tiling. Honestly, Cal had found its cleanliness to be the disturbing part of the debrief. This looked more akin to what he thought it would be. No one would want to restore this giant building; they’d knock it down first.

When they reached the atrium of the mall, it was three stories high with large landings encircling the open space. There were escalators between each level, looking like a waterfall made of meticulous mechanical parts. Each one of them had yellow caution tape strung over them and signs stating that they shouldn’t be traversed. An empty fountain sat squarely in the middle of the mall, surrounded by vandalized kiosks. Cal looked around the area, concerned as to why he was seeing or sensing any demons. Angels were better at masking themselves, but this place was supposedly crawling with negative vis.

He sat down on the lip of the fountain and reached into his jacket to grab his phone. It was then that a disgusting chugging noise came from the fountain, as if it was trying to push sludge through its plumping. Cal turned in enough time to see chunks of viscera oozing out of the top and splattering against the base of the fountain. Before he could say anything, the flesh spread out over the ground and up the walls in an instant.


LEFTY, HIRAKU, DAMARA, and AKIRA
AMcKYBH.png
The four of you are still standing in the middle of the mall where you had been. It still looks abandoned, and now covered in flesh. Out of the base of the fountain flop out several forms, all an amalgamation of bones with flesh and sinew sewn over them. These are definitely demons, and newly formed ones too. They hadn’t had time to properly acclimate to the corpses they inhabited, yet. One might think that would make them an easier target, instead the unpredictability of their movements would only make them harder.

MISCHA, NOKOSI, MANUEL, and AUGUST
fpUErAz.png
You’re also standing in the middle of the mall, but it looks to be in pristine condition. The flesh blinking out of existence as quickly as it had blinked in. The mall you witnessed now looks to be freshly built with fully stocked stores, smells of mall food wafting around you, and the sound of chattering somewhere around you—as if people are here but just out of the sight line. Yet, there’s no one in sight. Well—no humans, anyway.

Out of one of the hallways on the side there’s the clatter of feet and an angel stands at the end of it, flanked on either side by pale looking dogs. Its floating eyeball looks over the group only for a moment before there’s a piercing scream and girl is thrown off the top of the third landing to hit the ground below. She’s plummeting fast as you are then beset upon by the three creatures.

 
Last edited:
proxy (1).png
●●●●●
●●●
Nokosi’s eyes widened slightly as the pristine mall morphed into a vibrant echo of what it once must have been, the contrast jarring against the decay they had walked through just moments before. He flexed his fingers within the Ayona-dawei, the sharp claws of his gauntlet glinting under the artificial lights. His instincts screamed that this was wrong, that this place was an illusion of sorts, but there wasn’t much time to think.

The piercing scream from above snapped him into focus. He glanced up, immediately spotting the girl plummeting from the third landing. With a grimace but without hesitation, Nokosi pulled his gauntleted hand back and drove it straight into his own chest. The jagged claws of the Ayona-dawei punctured his skin, a sickening crunch of ribs and flesh tearing apart as his hand plunged through muscle and bone. A sharp, white-hot agony shot through his entire body, "GAAAAAARRGGGGHHHHH!" Blood spurted from the wound, pouring down his torso, staining his uniform in a warm, sticky red that splattered the tiles beneath him.
--
𝕾𝖆𝖓𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓.
--
His fingers scraped against the beating organ within, his heart pulsing around the sharp tips of his claws. The pain was unbearable—his vision blurred for a moment—but he gritted his teeth and pressed his palm flush against the organ.

A surge of energy exploded from the point of contact, rippling through his body like a wild current of power. His chest vibrated with the hum of vis, and the wound began to close up, flesh knitting back together as the agony dulled to a manageable throb. His Aspect roared to life, his entire being resonating with it. Power flooded into the Ayona-dawei, amplifying the weapon’s destructive potential as it glowed with a soft, eerie light.

"August, Mischa, cover the sides!" Nokosi barked, his calm demeanor breaking into decisive action. His eyes flickered toward the angel and its pale dogs, but he couldn't focus on them just yet. His priority was the falling girl. He sprinted across the ground, each step echoing in the suddenly busy-sounding mall. Time seemed to slow as he leaped into the air, arm extended to catch her before she hit the ground.

Nokosi wasted no time. He sprinted across the floor, pain still gnawing at his chest but the power of Sanction drowning it out. His eyes locked onto the girl, who continued her terrifying descent. He was fast. Faster than before and leapt into the air, closing the distance with a burst of speed fueled by the burning vis in his body.

Nokosi took his free arm and wrapped it around her just before she hit the ground. The Resonance coursing through his body that gave of a faint glow cushioned the impact as he landed heavily, knees bending to absorb the force. He gently lowered the girl, setting her down as blood still smeared his uniform. His heart pounded in his chest, the echoes of the ordeal still coursing through him, but the pain was growing distant as he breathed.
e v i e v i Spiderverse Spiderverse myrkwise myrkwise
 
8X7Z4Ub.png

●●●●●
●●●
Solar_Abyss Solar_Abyss lizardanya lizardanya pendog pendog
“Hey hey,” Hiraku mirrored, flashing a peace sign towards Damara, “It’s Hiraku. Evening’s been regular so far, but it’ll be plenty interesting later. Guess that answers your own question about how close the others are too.” He glanced towards the dark-skinned boy who had taken one of the red balls, then gestured towards all the others coming on in, seemingly a purely sequential manner.

August looked like he was doing a bad job of hiding the chip in his shoulder towards the instructor. Manuel had some interesting opinions and phrasing, giving the semi-pessimist vibe. Masked Girl Without Car?

The blue-haired youth raised up the Circuitus Scutum in response, then set it down upon the ground. Not too forcefully, but not too gently either. Just enough so that the weight of it could be appreciated, so that the ease he could maneuver it despite its weight could be understood.

“It spins too. Pretty cool, eh? In terms of size and girth, think mine’s at the top!”

Innuendo intended? Or just competitive spirit and ignorance towards the complexities of the language? No matter. Mischa looked normal but was probably a freak if her giant scythe meant anything, while the last one to join was definitely more of a proper Japanese person than himself. Which was kinda good, kinda bad, but mostly just required Hiraku to ask their name first…if it wasn’t for the fact that Mister Gagnon spoke up in that moment and moved things on.

Oh well, the mission was more interesting than extended introductions anyways, he hoped.



His hopes bore fruit.

Flesh, oozing, crawling, defecating from a fountain before completely surging out to consume the abandoned building. Their instructor, gone in an instant, not even a word of warning sounding before he was spirited away. The Safety Sigils rang inside his head, klaxon cries causing him to turn around, only to see empty space where half the students had been. Whisked away as well, yet their physical locations remained traceable despite the fact. And monsters now, maladapted horrors beyond the ken of human knowledge (if you didn’t watch horror movies or read Berserk) climbed out the pool of blood and bile that had filled that pulsating fountain.

Hiraku could feel his heart pounding. No one to depend on but themselves. No adult supervision. A world of demons and angels, monstrosities all!

“Alright everyone! Let’s make our exorcist debut!”

And with that, he hefted the ship’s wheel back, lifted one leg straight up into the air, and pitched it towards the six-limbed tongue-waggler that had just figured out how to stand up.

Ten spokes churned down the length of its mouth, splitting it into two gory halves before smashing into the rim of the fountain it had come from.

It wasn’t going to stand up again, that’s for sure.
 
Last edited:
JYUYVXI.png

●●●●●
●●●

August let out a faint smirk at the sight of the pulsating, shimmering masses in front of him. Before even becoming fully defined, the pink-haired boy had already thrusted out his hot iron sickles, slashing them across one another with a vicious zeal. He formed a sparkling, nearly sizzling cross of glowing red and amber radiance, before tossing out a tiny flask of oil he had stowed away in his back pocket. Before the vial had even ceased ascending, it burst into a stellar explosion, a fume of grey, orange, and crimson emanating out from where August had rended his blade.

The plume only continued to expand further, solidifying somewhat before settling into a strange globule reminiscent of an ethereal lava lamp. August danced with his sickles, waving them around as if he were hypnotizing the inferno before him, the blaze reflected keenly in his bright eyes.

Without a second thought, the flames were cast upon one of the sickly pale dogs, surrounding it completely in its immolating conflagration. A howl, a whine, and finally- pure, peaceful cinders and ash.

He gestured at the other dog, then at his teammates, with an all-too friendly smile.

"This one's all yours!"

e v i e v i Spiderverse Spiderverse Kameron Esters- Kameron Esters-
 

Damara let out a whistle as she watched Hiraku obliterate an absolutely disgusting creature, watching its flesh splattered against the fountain.

"Ight," she shrugged. "Just like a good old bar fight, then."

She took out her weapon, the chains making an obnoxious squelch upon hitting the fleshy floor. She was still getting used to her manriki, but she picked up a few tricks. The tips glowed a bright, neon green, matching her shirt, which greatly pleased her. She still wasn't sure what all the colors meant, but she guessed this one was linked to something like excitement. Perhaps it was like a video game health bar, and green meant she was good to go? She probably should've listened to the explanation when it was first handed to her, but she was too distracted by the shiny.

She gripped it two handed, spinning one side in the air, and then launched it at the demons at random. The gold shimmered as it wrapped around the torso of the demon with really severe back problems. It wailed as the chains tightened, and jerked sporadically, but Damara used force against enough drunk people in her life to not let her grip falter. She inhaled deeply, and used the force of her entire body to spin, dragging the demon like a really stubborn dog on a leash. After a full spin, the weight started aiding the momentum, and she laughed before crashing the ugly thing into the nearest wall.

She grinned as it flinched, letting out a few moans and gasps. Despite the obvious danger, there was a spring to her step as she walked over and stomped on it a few times for good measure.

"This one's done!" she called to the rest of her classmates, and then continued stomping on it, finding the sound it made when coming in contact with her shoe funny. Her light colored leg warmers were covered in weird brown sludge and gross, fleshy remains by now.

||
 
JBI8ySt.png

●●●●●
●●●

Manuel was the type to carefully examine the situation and environment before deciding on making any moves, his eyes carefully darting between the different points of interest. But before he could fully evaluate anything, his cohorts had already made up their minds. Nokosi, the most outwardly noble among them, had seemed to spend an excessive amount of effort to save the girl's life, performing some kind of self-mutilation to trigger his aspect. From a cursory glance, it was some kind of performance enhancing aspect, which could prove to be extremely useful if Manuel could learn the intricacies of the technique. August on the other hand, seemed to have one more akin towards flame control, although the grand display prior to any assault on the pale looking dogs obscured any info the young man could gain about the trigger. But with August's friendly smile, Manuel couldn't help but oblige and follow-up, rushing towards the other dog and quickly drawing his bladed tonfas from their sheath.

Rather than rely on the little information that he had about aspects of his cohorts, Manuel simply channeled vis through his weapon, aiming to make the blade sharp enough to cut right through the abomination that was barreling toward him. After a quick exchange of deflected blows and guarded attacks, Manuel lunged forward with his right arm wound back, his body twisted to create more impact on his swing. His grip tightened on the handle of his tonfa, the mirror-like blade shining as the extended edge pierced through center of the dog, while the remaining arc of his swing cleanly cutting through the dog's body. All that was left for them to deal with was the angel...

 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top