Fandom Soul Eater: F.A.T.E

[Sir Les Paul]

DWMA Conference Rooms, DWMA Main Building, Death City​

September 21st, 2067​

Five, six minutes. That was all the team had left before the MIBVI response team arrived. In reality, there were little they could have done in that time. In fact, for this latter half of the mission, Raphael proved to be the MVP. Adrian kept him defended and even lured more of the cultists back to him for capture. Half or so of the remaining cultists were caught in his trap. They could not be saved, but it meant they also couldn't harm anyone. Not to mention, it gave the DWMA pick of any subjects they wanted for their use. Nadia was stuck without a Demon Weapon as the tranquilizers given to Dani were not the type one bounced back from quickly. Not that Nadia was useless alone, but that her options were much more limited. Especially given Dani now needed protected.

Kris and Mister Prey were gone. As one would expect from mercenaries, once their target was eliminated, they had no reason to stay. The last to see them would have been Sara and Noise when they went to retrieve Rosé, but even that was short-lived. The Bloodsucker trio had done their job and they had no intention on doing more. If Nadia had an issue with it, she could take it up with their employer. Though, that same employer provided their group tens of thousands of dollars of equipment for free. She didn't know it, but the fact none of them bled during the fight made it considerably easier for them. That was in no small part due to the suits provided.

In any case, the MIBVI response team took over operations. Nadia was relieved of command. Not due to a problem, but it was a natural shift in authority. The same way local EMS would willingly and swiftly give over control of a scene to a trauma specialist or mass casualty manager. It was just the way of things. Not that it would have been a problem. MIBVI response teams were generally agents and semi-local volunteers that comprised networks all across the United States (and most of the world, actually) where DWMA Agents worked in concert with first responders and police agencies to combat MIBVI or Madness. Given the nature of their work and how dangerous MIBVI was, these agents in charge were willing to make the hard calls if necessary without hesitation.

This was evident from the fact a large majority of the cultists were slaughtered. The response team decided to minimize the risks and more so, put Raphael to better use than simply holding them in place. A decision that ultimately paid back with plenty of interest given crime reports all across the city were coming in. Now and only now did it become clear that the final act of evil commit by Richard was activating what appeared to be hundreds of sleeper agents. Worse, these crimes were reported all across Los Angeles, not just the local area. The truth of the matter was that the shit show had only just begun.

It was hours before reinforcements arrived. Sunder and Reiko took charge of the situation. The situation wasn't one that required their raw strength anymore. Instead, it required manpower. The original members of the group had been dismissed. By the time the mentors arrived, the Fate Agents were but mostly dead batteries. Raphael was nearly out of mana. Adrian wasn't necessarily the most useful in this situation to begin with, but he was finally tuckering out. Sara and Noise were in a similar boat, except they had greater issues. Seeing some of the heinous acts and worse hearing some of the reports had brought a certain level of uneasiness that took their minds out of the fight. Not every agent was exactly suitable for a satanic blood cult. With Dani awake, Nadia could have continued, but the judgement call was made to send her back due to what had occurred to her in the Rift as it was reported. Just like Dani, she would undergo testing.

That was that. The Fate Agents were on their way back to Death City with at least the assurance that the mission, for their part, was considered a success. They would later learn over two-hundred individuals were detained, and fairly easily as they were considerably weaker while Richard was dead. Tests were being formed, both spiritual and physical, in hopes of figuring out precisely what was going on with them. Everything from blood tests to elite spiritual analysis. It was actually an unfortunate fate for them. To become specimens instead of corpses. Most had families, most were being ripped from their lives, but the fact of the matter was they were no longer safe. At least a corpse could have a funeral to offer some closure. Those left alive always had the lingering chance of hope.

Back at the DWMA, the group underwent intensive interviews. They were given an immediate on-flight interview to absorb as much information as they could before being allowed to sleep briefly, but the first half of the day would in fact be dedicated to draining them of every drop of information they had. As they would learn, Richard Ramirez was a serial killer turned Corrupted Soul from the early eighties. He was a unique situation in that for some reason he never emit a Madness Wavelength like most Corrupted Souls. It was an odd trait only seen a handful of times in history that had no real explanation for it. The obvious concern here was that if this was truly the original Richard Ramirez that somehow a Corrupted Soul had returned. That was not only new, but dangerous beyond belief.

The group would have been given a run down on the original Richard Ramirez. A killer, brutal, unforgiving, a rapist even. He had no real pattern and no real limits. There were interviews and documentaries over the man a plenty. He was a staple in the genre, from series to specials. He even had a fan club during his trial that lasted long after with women fighting over him due to some odd allure he had. That was all while he was human. As this Corrupted Soul, a Kishin Egg as it was being called, he was even more dangerous. Reports said he had various abilities that the group hadn't seen. He could shapeshift, returning to a handsome mortal man, and apparently maintained that otherworldly charisma. It was believed that if he was given more time and allowed to grow, his strength would have grown in proportion to his cult. If that were truly the case, nipping him in the bud was akin to have killing Eros before he made his first golem.

It was a great good at a great risk.

There were no questions about the involvement of the Bloodsuckers or the Morningstars. It was promised: a don't ask, don't tell situation.

That said, more information was mounted with the Paladins. The group had little to tell them which meant the abilities of the Paladins remained mostly a mystery. The decision Nadia made meant the DWMA would end up with no information on the religious zealots and none on the criminal family. Not the worst outcome, but a far cry from ideal. Then again, keeping in the good graces of the Morningstar Syndicate could come back to be useful.

The group was not provided in-depth evaluations as some others were. In part because a good portion of their mission was being labeled classified. Also, in part because there weren't that many immediate issues with their performance. In all honesty, though, the greatest part of it was that the team being led by one Eloise Keegan was coming in soon and their debriefing would be just as intense if not more so. There was plenty to discuss with that group between the Fae and the new information on Eros with his golems. Factually, the DWMA had been on a time crunch. In one week, they uncovered a race thought extinct, allied a sphinx thought to be a tyrant, returned multiple Demon Tools to the Death Vault, found Eros to be more dangerous, that multiple dangerous Meisters were now his golem-puppets and that said golems had only grown more problematic since they first assessed Midori, and now the church had its own elite sector of fighters that not only were quite capable but well received and the potential problem that Corrupted Souls could just return from the dead with new, never-before-seen abilities.

It was a Hell of a week. Nadia and co could handle a pat on the back and a good job instead of a slap on the wrist for once.

That said, she would have undergo the same type of assessments Dani did. She was told such and that she would be doing so at the same time as her old friend Thaddeus. As it turned out, he went through something similar.

They hadn't even made it fucking Friday.

Merciless Medic RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen

 

[Sir Les Paul]

The Partner (Old Collab)
Part One​

August 25th, 2067​

Things didn’t always go as planned.

Time now was 1:50 PM, the meet up was at 2:45. She should’ve been going in all honesty but the tide was too enticing to ignore.

The commotion pulled her like the incoming wave of a tide, others moving to join the side of observers watching three facing each other in a circle.

One wore red protective headgear, the other was blue, while the last had orange. There were no padded hitting spots or padded protective pieces on the rest of their body. It was like a spar, the only thing really protected here at this moment being their heads.

A glance at the phone and no new text. She had plenty of time, and Zosar, for all his messages and Midori’s introduction in group chat, despite having such keen interest in meeting, could wait. There was, after all, plenty of time.

Then the red one closed in. Taekwondo, legs once wide, now moving swiftly to close the gap, she fainted a low kick then brought it up towards the orange sparrer’s head.

He leaned towards the attack, raising his arm up defensively to bar the incoming kick, spreading his arm out further to act as a brace, twisted his torso and struck out with the left hand towards the chest, his right foot coming in to hook the heel of his opponent.

The takedown was instant. Orange took the hit with his arm and knocked the taekwondo user off balance and into the ground in exchange; failing to lr perhaps choosing not to follow up as Red immediately retreated as Blue moved in immediately while orange was occupied.

In his soul there was fury, something stoked further upon seeing the takedown of his teammate.

He struck with a left towards the face, and it landed, but Orange ran with it, he took the jab and followed immediately with a punt to the shin, utilizing wavelength and it shifted Blue's footing slightly and caused the eyes to narrow just a bit- but Orange didn’t stop there, he came in with a sharp punch, Muay-Thai style.


Blue blocked it, moved in with a knee to the right of Orange’s ribs- Orange evaded, crossing into the coming kick that Red aimed right at his legs.

One violet eye shifted- Orange took the hit and was on the ground and Blue followed up with an axe kick that he rolled out of the way instead of blocking with both arms.

Agile, he was on his feet immediately.

“They’re really going after him.” A random voice muttered.

"Can you blame him? I'd be pissed too if two people I thought were my friends, really were pretending this whole time."

"Be quiet!" Someone shushed them.

Actions spoke clearly. Any hit the duo did make was intended hurt.

Yet still, Orange held no immediate animosity like they did. Just a growing sense of frustration.

“You done?”

It was so quiet it was easy to hear.

Only Red stopped, while Blue’s eyes hardened.

“Look I got somewhere I have to be soon, are you done or what?”

Red, glared.

“Alara” Blue spoke up, cutting her off before she could get a word in. There was embarrassment, anger, bitterness all rising to the surface. “Sit out, let me handle this fraud.”

She opened her mouth and he turned his head to look at her as she made a protest, said he should be the one sitting out since this was more personal for her, “Daniel, I swear to Death–”

“Alara” Daniel’s tone was hard, cutting her short again. They stared at each other, contesting wills- then the Weapon wordlessly turned, backing out of the match for Daniel to continue.

“Thanks.”

“Piss off.” She snidely remarked. “I’m only doing this because of Annette.”

Daniel didn’t respond verbally, he merely nodded as he retook his stance.

Orange sighed. "Look Dan, call it quits, this is a waste of time."

“You are not getting out of this like 'our' so called friends did, Jacob” the name said with venom. “Alara got hers with you already, it’s only fair I get mine too since Annette isn't here for me to yell at. Besides, you’re just as guilty as her for tricking us..”

“Whatever.” ‘Jacob’ replied. “Bring it Danny.” Striking a pose.

The reaction was instant. Danny’s attack came in an aggressive flare of his wavelength. He maintained Muay-Thai stance, arms up, legs distance and moved in swiftly, feinting with his right leg, then sharply kicking out, Jacob dodged it. Danny followed with his right arm, striking him in the jaw, but with the head guard the damage might have been lessened.

Immediately Jacob retaliated, feinting left then leaning back with a high kick, It struck the crossed ‘x’ form of Danny’s blocking arms and he grunted, barely shifting back save for a minor hop as he shook both arms off.

“Pathetic.” Though inaudible it was exactly what Jacob heard.

Elly knew though that when that kick had went out, there’d been a weak shift in the flow of wavelength, Jacob had diminished what would have been a brutal effect to something less or equal to Danny’s own earlier attack.

The fight became more aggressive.

A connected hit likely hurt since Danny would add more of his wavelength to make it more painful. Every time this happened, Jacob would do the same in return. It wasn’t some plain duel, it was a heated exchange spoken through fists. While Danny never held back for hits, Jacob would pull back often slightly- not in strikes but in wavelength.

She could tell clearly in his soul, there was something off. Every time he utilized his wavelength there was this sensation she picked up that made it seem almost more than Danny's by comparison. It was likely Jacob had some sort of unique wavelength. But still, watching it, things only grew more intense.

Till finally it reached a crescendo after continuous exchange, Danny lashed out. Heavy strikes with his wavelength that made loud impacting noises as Jacob deflected most, but it was the kick to his head, the roundhouse that would have knocked him clean to the floor which he tripped on, and probably disoriented him, followed with a sweep that brought Jacob to the ground before he could recover quick enough, with the axe kick aimed for his core that made Jacob’s entire attitude shift instantly when he stopped it.

With a jerking twist of his foot in his hands, Danny hit the ground, twisting out of Jacob's attempted lock and grasp. The two rose swiftly, Jacob moving faster and without hesitation he blitzed with an elbow. His soul swelled, not uncontrolled or unstable like might have been with someone driven by raw emotion, it swelled with his anger but the manner in which it did was controlled, as if it were expanding, freed– releasing a burst of spiritual power that while not overwhelmingly massive was shocking in intensity and amount, noticeable to Elly given how quick he did it and then clamped it back down.

An immediate jab sent Danny backwards as he retreated from the elbow, and the following kick to his side knocked him flat to a roll to try and recover.

Jacob followed through, clearly allowing some of his frustration out though. Danny blocked a punch and gave him a returning lick in the jaw, so the light brown male followed up with an elbow. An elbow that sent Danny backwards before he was stopped by a grab and judo flip onto his back.

Jacob flipped on top, pinning Danny, raised his fist up and then with a soundless look of fury let loose with wavelength Elly was certain would have knocked him unconscious– and stopped his fist right in front of Danny’s face.

Exhaling, the two stared at each other in silence and then just when it seemed he might push on to deliver the blow, he looked up to Alara and said, “Hope you both got that out of your system.”

Jacob rose off his opponent, leaving the stunned Daniel to watch, and silently left the room as all eyes watched him move towards the exit.

He glanced at Elly briefly, eyes narrowing as he noticed her in particular out of everyone, but said nothing.

Such a jarring thing really when in that second where he had been about to strike to anyone, Jacob's soul had said he'd deliver the painful blow.

Now it was still, hardly the wellspring of emotion it had been a second ago. The perfect poker face, fracturing for a moment as he eyed her before he was gone out the door.

Elly was a silent spectator, watching the movements of the combatants as a way to kill time before the scheduled meeting. Beyond what shone on the outside, Elly had the privilege of observing what their souls had to say, which showcased some drama hidden beneath the surface. The woman didn’t know any of them, but it was a diversion nonetheless.

Her eyes trailed to the victor on his way out whose gaze turned to her. She gave him a small smirk in response as he passed before pulling out her phone to check the time.

2:19 PM

Elly would have noticed that same familiar strong presence catching up to her quickly as she saw the distant crosswalk that would get her a bit closer to her destination.

And yet he passed her completely as if she weren't even there, barely even looking at her as he jogged by in new clothes, only stopping when they both stopped for the street light, waiting to cross once he had pushed the crosswalk switch.

Taller than her by a decent bit and yet not at all paying her any mind despite the way he had eyed her on his way out. His eyes were on his phone as he typed away.

Elly's phone buzzed.

Should be at the meeting spot in a minute. Since we are just meeting at the bench nearby the park in the Historic district, you guys wanna head anywhere specific? The text read from Zosar in the group chat.

It was then, while still scrolling on his phone, no signs of Zosar typing in the chat any longer, that 'Jacob' made a comment.

"You enjoy the show with that smile you tossed me on my way out?" His tone wasn't hard nor was it sardonic, it was absolutely neutral.

And from his soul, it mirrored that neutrality perfectly.

"You threw a stare my way first," Elly replied coyly. "But yes, it was a nice showing. For as mad as they were, I don't think they registered the difference in strength."

Were he a lesser man, he wouldn't have held back as much. Perhaps not grievously hurt, yet more hurt than flung around. As she glanced at the phone and noted the peculiar happenstance of Jacob typing at the same time as Zosar, she hummed.

"Do you make a habit of angering people at the dojo, Jacob?" Her tone was not so much accusatory as playful.

"It helps to pass time. Have a record pissing people off, why drop it now?" His tone was tired, but the subtle smile on his lips was easy to see. "You always as nosey as you are cute? You know my name I don't know yours. What can I call you, Mizz…"

"Haha, you make a lot of enemies that way," Elly mused before moving onto his question. "Usually. That's my was of passing the time and keeping things interesting. No fighting necessary--usually."

Smirking a bit at that, she wasn't sure where Jacob came from Zosar, or vise verse, but she decided it'd be more fun to play his game. "Lucille, or Lucy if you'd like… So now that we've established that and my habit of prying, what else do you have planned today? Anymore enemies to meet or are you planning for something more enjoyable to yourself?"

He smiled, "I'm meeting some friends." He said simply, and then he sent another text, another buzz too low to hear normally except she could feel. "What about you Lucy?" he leaned just a little way down, "Want to tag along if you don't got anything planned?"

At that, Elly adopted an unsure expression. "Oh, I don't know… Are you sure your friends wouldn't mind?" She asked, waiting a bit before she pulled her phone out to look so it didn't seem obvious.

"Bringing a fine gal like you along? HA! I doubt they'd complain. Unless Elly likes having the attention on her but she doesn't quite strike me as the type from our texts."

On her phone there was a simple, Hi , excited for the big meet up? It wasn't uncommon for him to add an emoji like that in. He did first introduction wise, and didn't seem to care if it gave off any impressions either.

"All the same, you probably shouldn't be bringing girls along to meet another girl," She warned with an amused smile. "I suppose I can drop by for a little bit~"

He snickered, amused at that statement.

Tapping on her phone, she sent a message back. "Very~ Almost there." Though while the text was sent, Elly continued tapping a while longer before she stowed the phone away. "Sorry~. So, where are we headed?"

His eyes glanced at his still held phone.

“Well, right across this street,” he gestured now that the light had changed, already walking ahead. “Then down the path till we reach Allenwood Park. That’s where I’ll be meeting my friends. Tell me a bit about Mizz Lucielle though.” Came the conversational goad. “Aside from spectating matches and going to that dojo, what else you do? Are into? Or like?” his tone of voice relaxed, but each question rattled off in a friendly invitation for her to take the spotlight.

“Ah,” Elly hummed with mild interest. “About me? I’m supposed to be the prying one,” She teased him with a smirk. “Well, lately, more training than anything, but it seems to be paying off at least. Other than that, I do like spending my time reading at the cafe. What about you?” She said, turning the topic back on him “What else do you do, are into, or like?”

"Would it make or break my chances if I said I were into you?" He asked bluntly. Although he could see easily, she was deflecting.

Elly let out an amused giggle at that. “Well, I pitched that one down the middle for you, so I’d be a little disappointed if you didn’t take it~” She teased playfully. “And what else, other than myself apparently?”

"Languages." Was the simple reply. "I love learning about other cultures and new places. Habit you adopt though when you grow around all kinds of very different people and see a lot of different places."

”Yet, you never picked up Japanese–my native language,” Midori chimed in, turning a corner from behind two duo. He was of course meant to be at the meet up, but when saw that Zosar and Elly had their GPS positions pop up so close, he was just too curious not to do a little silent observing of his own.

Granted, he was a bit better at the silent part. Couldn’t quite compete with how well Elly could observe, but really, few could.

The Hoshi held up his phone, expecting both Elly and Zosar to turn around at the sound of his voice. ”Zose, Zose, Zose… buddy… you really oughta remember, I can track all of you,” he told him, though that fact was likely more daunting for his own partner. ”Pissing off the chumps at the Dojo is one thing, but your old mentor? Have some class.” It was a playful jab. Not that it didn’t have a certain dangerous undertone.

”And, Elly, my boy Zosar already has a small harem,” Midori told her, ”and while I’m proud to call him mine, I’d think you deserve all the spotlight.” He smirked, knowing full well that line alone was enough to sever any actual interest there.

And he was spot on.

“I hope, by that, you mean my phone and that you didn’t somehow chip me without my knowledge,” Elly remarked, pausing in her step before turning around to face Midori.

Zosar's eyes glanced down at her. She wasn’t all that surprised by the information, though it did feed into paranoid presumptions she already had. Though, he followed up with a smooth line, likely in no small part due to Zosar’s remarks.

She recoiled in exaggerated fashion, bringing an open palm up to her mouth in dramatic fashion. “What? A harem?” With a tone that practically said ‘scandalous’, she stepped back and chuckled before taking a step closer to Midori. “Very smooth, though you lose some points for it following the confirmation of Big Brother.”

He had to admit, he personally didn’t like the reminder of the chip either, but to say he was about to let the topic continue down this route would be a lie.


“My imaginary harem aside” he said with a clap, getting attention back to him, “There’s a club I used to go to that recently got revamped from what I hear; owner did some expanding on it, tricked it out. You guys down for a bit of clubbin? Place should be open, it’s about” he checked the time, “2:45, we can probably get there in a couple minutes if we take the train over.”

Then nudging Elly with his arm he followed up with, “plus it gives me a chance to get to know the Apple of the eye here a bit more, what do you say? Lest you two got another place in mind?” his prompt an attempt at getting them to make any suggestions of their own.

”I’ll have to make sure to inform them that they’re imaginary next time I run into them,” Midori said, shooting a quick but joking jab at Zosar. One that earned him a chuckling smile.

Midori mulled over the proposition. He and Elly had been burning themselves out on mission after mission recently. A chance to decompress wasn’t something he was opposed to, but clubbing was a high energy activity that he wasn’t so sure if he–or Elly–at this time was down for. The two had hit the grind hard trying to get Midori closer and closer to becoming a Death Scythe.

He sighed slightly. ”I don’t know, Zose,” Midori said, ”we’ve been busting ass working on Resonance techniques.”

His gaze lazily lofted over to Elly. The decision was in her hands, really. He couldn’t tell her no if he wanted to. At least, not about clubbing. Though, it was a tad unfortunate that there wasn’t time for a change of clothes with Zosar’s proposal. Elly never disappointed with her wardrobe.

”What do you think, El’?” Midori asked.


Smiling a bit, Elly looked between the two at the small back and forth regarding the harem. Though, the smile thinned and she looked slyly at Midori. “Apple of the eye, hmm~?” She said with an extended hum.

Though the prospect of clubbing was a bit mismatched given where she had come from. Still, they didn’t have to be off the wall just because they were going to the club, and the current time meant it wouldn’t quite be as bustling as if they went later. “Why not?” She agreed. “We can distract Midori from your harem by talking about where Jacob comes from Zosar.”

With a hand, he motioned for the two to follow. "Is Lucy going to be up for sharing?" Flipping the attention back to her, "hate to do all the talking. Midori I'm sure you've got some lovely stories on your missions together don't you?"

”Sharing stories? I don’t see why not,” Midori chimed in, seeing he was outvoted here. ”Sharing me or attention? Probably not,” he added, offering Elly a sly smirk once he did.

He didn’t stay on that topic long.

”We’ve been focusing on our own teamwork and my soul count. I’m getting closer and closer to a proper Death Scythe,” he told Zosar, a hint of pride in that comment. ”Elly is a team leader, so I don’t get the lion’s share of souls often… we’ve had to take a few missions on my credentials for Monster Hunting or as solo missions to help with my count,” he told him, outright admitting to slightly abusing the privilege of being paired with someone outside of the program.

”It works. I get souls, we get combat experience, and Elly there gets to line her pockets–since you aren’t normally paid for missions,” Midori told Zosar, giving a good reason for both of them being invested in the extra effort.

Honestly that does sound pretty nice. Such were the perks though when your partner was out of the program.

“I dunno… I like to think I’m quite generous when the mood strikes me,” Elly hummed innocently, clasping her hands behind her back.

Letting Midori speak as to their recent activities. It was a pretty good deal, and Elly didn’t feel bad for exploiting the connection for the extra experience. If the higher ups really had an issue with it, she was sure it would be stopped and Midori would have to take the missions himself quite lonely.

“It looks quite nice on my resume too,” She added with a smirk, referring both to the successful missions and helping to advance a Death Scythe.

The station was in fact not that far away from their destination. Within approximately ten minutes the trio were boarding the next train over to a stop that would bring them closer to Zosar's pick.

The Regal Rper EmperorsChosen

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Hisoka☆Hoshi​

"Ghiest"​

Species Human (Meister)
Partner Hana Yamada
Rank Two-Star

Location Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture, Japan
Mission Still Air Rises
Status Focused

​

Tags: Prizzy Kriyze Mqueserasera

September 25th, 2067​

Dancing with the shadows beneath a broken street lamp. It sounded like a name to a vintage punk song from a bygone era. Instead, it was the current status of the mission Hisoka found himself on. He, his partner, and their extended partners Sakumo and Ouka, were tangling with a particularly annoying foe. Some type of living shadow that none of them had a name for. Fast as hell with razor sharp claws, the ability to dive in darkness like a pool of water, and even if hit, they dispersed into wispy vapors only to slink away. They possessed virtually no durability, were incredibly hard to be predict as they were next-to-invisible in the darkness and the only time any spiritual energy flared from them was a fractional second before an attack. And, they had a strong aversion to source of light, making the most effective tool against them just so happen to be the lamp posts outside of Shimizuchozai Pharmacy.

Their original goal was just to investigate. This exact area had an increasing concentration of attacks in an odd pattern in addition to a large resurgence of tuberculosis. Reports said that young women would be approached by these shadows of men, requesting favors of the lascivious kind. At first, it began with widows and single women, but continued to expand. Police had figured it was a band of young men attempting to recreate Yobai, an old Japanese custom that was once common in the area. It wasn't until attacks began occurring that there was a greater cause for alarm. For a while, none of the women were hurt; every report claimed they could decline and the shadow would leave. This changed when these same shadows encountered young men, most often those courting the women the shadows approached, and would attack them. Sometimes causing mere scratches, but as of late, growing worse and even lethal when a police officer attempted to interact with one.

That is when the DWMA stepped in. The initial investigation saw that the survivors of these attacks later became ill and in fact shut down entire hospitals due to outbreaks of tuberculosis. Later, even the women that were approached and safe also fell ill. This pattern resulted in multiple teams being put on the case. A large scale outbreak of tuberculosis could be deadly and impact infrastructure. Worse, these living shadows becoming more and more aggressive as time went on. The team of five, including a young Kitsune named Toshiyuki, were added to the roster of moderately-skilled agents put on the case.

This might have been their first mission orchestrated like this, but it was not their first together in general. Hisoka was rounding on thirty and have proven his loyalty to his clan and the branch many a times. His stage name, Gheist, was earned for good reason. He was particularly talented in Soul Suppression and could even utilize a variety of his skills without leaking an ounce of his wavelength. In that way, Zari--now Sakumo--saw him as vastly superior to Midori. More so, it made this Meister a very effect combatant against Zari. His Soul Suppression was so controlled that it made incredibly difficult for that Soulfire Wavelength to burn anything. More so, no matter much more talented in martial arts Sakumo might have been than this Hisoka, it mattered little when their speeds were so mismatched. A point his former mentor had made in the past.

What it meant was that in the worst-case scenario that Sakumo or Ouka fell out line, Hisoka would have been an appropriate answer to them. He wasn't a three-star, not yet, but he was close enough. Beyond that, why waste a Meister watching them if they didn't have to? Toshiyuki was put on the team to continue to test them. The Orochi were no fans of magical creatures and a Kitsune was right up that ally. It wasn't much different than dealing with a Monster Cat, but it did force a certain level of tolerance on the team. It was also the type of cruel humor East Asia branch was known for.

Yet, despite the imbalances, the group had proven fairly effective with a thus-far one-hundred percent success rate. They had dealt with Kappa drownings, the black market trade of magical creatures being stolen from their homeland, and a few Yakuza; it seemed there was a power struggle going on in the gang and the DWMA often had to answer certain more spiritual issues that arose. Hisoka kept them at arms length. He wasn't as close as Adrian nor as personable as Midori. He was far more professional. He couldn't even hide the fact he didn't fully trust Sakumo or Ouka, either, though for different reasons.

That set the stage for the current dance they were in. Dodge to the left. Dodge to the right. Swing at shadow. Slash all night. That was the way this fight was going. There only four total lampposts in the area and three of them flickered incessantly. The other two, while stable, were pretty far apart, making it difficult for Sakumo and Hisoka to cover each other's backs. The true problem was in the fact that these shadows were fast enough that they required some level of wavelength amplification to dodge consistently. Both Meisters were skilled, both had weapons capable of helping with wavelength regulation, but they couldn't do this all night. There was no knowing of the shadows could.

Arguably, they could have just ran, but there in fact was a problem with that plan. Toshiyuki had done some snooping around and found that one of the girls that had been approached was dating a man who played baseball, and practiced in a nearby field. It only took a little surveillance to find that their practice had been crashed like a party by an angry ex. A single living shadow went after this unlucky boyfriend. That much, Toshiyuki was able to stop with his fire magic. When a group of them started amassing, the rest of the team needed to assemble. The fight was easy in the baseball field where there were plenty of spotlights and the shadows were nowhere near this fast or persistent.

They no way of knowing that when they pursued the fleeing shadows in the darkening evening that they were inadvertently giving these shadows the equivalent of a home-field advantage. The original shadow had holed itself up in the pharmacy, a fact only known as both Hisoka and Sakumo had marked its signature with their Soul Perception. Still, it hardly mattered given their current circumstances. The night had already set in, a dark sky hanging over them, a chill setting in the air that was negated by their physical activity, and no immediate idea of how many shadows were actually around them.

"Have you tried burning one?" Hisoka said, shooting a question with a fair amount of urgency in his tone over to Sakumo. A fair question, too. Hisoka didn't possess a unique wavelength; Sakumo knew that much. Hana, a kodachi, possessed an oscillating wavelength. Not particularly useful in this scenario. It meant neither of them had a unique ace up their sleeve.

He had not yet tried burning one. Though, this did beg the question of where the Hell Toshiyuki was if the situation was so dire they were considering cheap tricks.

GM Note: We will assume the characters are speaking in Japanese, but write in English. Yobai is an actual Japanese custom and happens to be tied to the chosen antagonist. Just roll with the reference; you won't be seeing a scene with it wrote out nor will it play a continued role in the mission.​

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Yutu Tatigat​

"Astor"​

Species Meister (Werewolf)
Location Daedelon Island
Mission An Ancient Quarry


​

Tags: Merciless Medic EmperorsChosen

1125 | January 17th, 2067​

OBJECTIVES​

- Locate and Incinerate Mercenary Bodies (2/5)
- Destroy all Magitech Equipment (2/5)
- Reach the plateau atop Mount Stheno (0/1)
- Signal faction Helicopters to retrieve statues (0/1)
- Defend Helicopters until retrieval is complete (0/1)

Astor was livid. Right up until reaching the foot of Mount Stheno, the three had accomplished quite a bit in a short time, and even had a merry time with the centaurs that evening. Now, all of that had gone to shit. The report given given by the surviving mercenaries failed to describe just how invasive and wide-spread this horned snake was. Or, perhaps, the idiots didn't realize exactly what it was. This snake, if you could call it that, was almost like a living environment. It carved pathways for water from the mountains to pool into and turn into a swamp that it made its nest. Trees, logs, branches, even bits of the water itself. They were, effectively, countless appendages one or maybe even several massive snakes.

Worse, these snakes were constantly trying to trip, capture, or otherwise entangle the three agents. The goal was pretty damn clear, too, given they could see within the pond that the marshy area fed into had the half-eaten corpse of a griffin, which as reported by the mercenaries, was the victim of these very snakes. It was their fault for attracting it into the trap, but nonetheless the beast became a victim here. It was fairly easy to see why. Slashing, stomping, and bludgeoning these snakes didn't seem to cause any lethal damage from within this swamp as their bloody entrails would just be absorbed by the moving fixtures of color-shifting scales that was the massive reptilians mass.

It was as if the very ground beneath them and everything attached to it wanted to pull them into the mouth of the swamp with the carcass of the griffin. Not only was that an obviously poor idea, but they also ran into the issue that the two bodies they needed to burn here were also in said pond. They were marginally more preserved than the griffin due to their body armor, but that in fact was the problem. They needed to destroy that armor. All traces of their presence, or more accurately, the presence of the half-ass mercenaries that came before them, needed to be eliminated.

This was arguably more annoying than cave system made by the ants. That turned out to be far simpler than initially expected, if only because the ants required an absolutely massive cavern. Fighting through them was rough, but upon the realization that they were incredibly sensitive to spiritual energy, it did hasten. A few hours in the caves and the breeding chambers were pretty obvious. The use of the gold became obvious, too. The ant eggs were placed into indentations made in the soft metal and matured until the larvae could chew through it, the process giving them their golden hue which remained for the rest of their natural lifespans.

That was its whole own problem. The group found the statues they needed. Had slaughter plenty of ants and squish some larvae to get to it, but they found it. It just so happened to be riddled with holes from eggs and bite marks from mandibles. The best the group could ultimately do was lug it back to the surface along with some extra hunks of gold and turn it into the centaurs. As it turned out, that was enough. Less than half of the original statue was even there, but it could be reforged. What mattered more to the centaur leader is that the three men honored the deal. It was not their fault that the task was technically impossible.

That night, the centaurs offered them a hut and more food. Given the marathon the group went through underground, food and rest weren't something to object to. Not only that, the centaurs did in fact provide the equipment that was requested, which was destroyed, and proper directions to the foot of the mountain. They also warned of the Cerastes swamp. It was a place carved out by countless children of the Cerastes, the great horned serpent. It was nigh-inescapable, even for the centaurs, essentially a living environment due to the magic of the Cerastes. Their great mother could become one with the very sand itself. They in countless millions could do so on a smaller scale, which proved to be just as deadly.

Warned or not, mission success relied on going into the heart of the swamp those centaurs warned them about, then getting back out only to scale the Mountain after.

The body of water, lake, pond, swamp, marsh--whatever it was called, it half-full of semi-magic snakes with bodies floating on top. The only advantage the group had was in that Jorguün Needles Astor wielded weakened their magic, providing a brief respite from the entire environment shifting around them, but only only briefly and only in the immediate area. Aside from that, retrieving the bodies or burning them would be a feat of pure skill. They were nearing the banks, but still had no plan, and still fought the very land itself. Not that it was easy. Strong and fast though they were, when every surface they came into contact with either tried to capture or trip them, it made for a tumultuous journey.

"Hoshi," Astor said, fairly neutral which was about the best the other two got from him at any point time.

"Are you fast enough to run across water?" he asked, which itself was a fairly valid question. The ability to run across a liquid surface was dependent on plenty of variables, not just speed. Weight, temperature, water composition, and of course, distance. The physics behind it were complex, but next to any Meister that was aware it was possible to run fast enough to traverse water had tested it at least once. Astor knew he could, but he couldn't make far enough here.

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Maria Mayer - DWMA Conference Rooms, DWMA Main Building, Death City​

The meeting with this, well what exactly was he? A man named Thomas, no, and yes, he was a man, but, given the traces of mana that she could feel and sense, he was a sorcerer. Was it another day of people asking her to retell the events of the last few days, end upon end? No, thankfully, or not so thankfully, he was giving the performance review. Not barely a day had passed, and she found herself dragged from the workshop and lab, no, to be more spot on, she only had time to just head towards them with her heavy equipment in tow, but interview after interview, or interrogations more like, were constant and at the front.

Sigh. They would disturb me for this? But that is the programs way, and I am not without fault.

As the girl listened, some of the words made her happy, some not so much, and some, she did have the need to speak counter against, though seemingly she had to mind her words in what was said, dismissing the evaluation or bringing up another team member could be done, then there was cutting her flight training, the physical one at that, the magical they had no real practical means to stop, sensitivity training and a credit hour in an online communications worth one credit hour....

What in the worlds is that...? Of course there was the seemingly horrible crime she committed. Social necessity was but a waste of time. It made her want to bite into her thumb... But not here, not now, though it did hover for a bit, she could state here reasoning, and ask questions, if the man liked it or not was another matter altogether.

"To address these all one by one, I am rather surprised by the Wind Elemental Magic, but as you know, Sorcerer or Witch, we tend to pick a magic that speaks to us, then develop from there. I am not one to ignore the reality before me, and I will go back to this matter of combat. However, I have plans to upgrade my creations across a couple of paths and wish to integrate magitech technology into the next wave. Ultimately, I wish to turn some of them into something akin to drones and get them air mobile... My designs are ever changing to bring life to my next and greatest work... But ah, there is a lot I must consider and do here on this front. In fact, any work or progression on this front has not been met. There just isn't any to mention as for two days now others constantly demand my presence..."

Furrowing her brow, there was the next matter to go about. "I do have things to say for the rest of this however, while I am aware of the aftereffects of this, I never cared much about offending a Fae, my Master taught me well to not trust them and to be warry of them. However, I did not expect them to be so temperamental about being called what they were. And to my credit, I had just before this fought two battles against Golem slaves who wanted me dead and could have very well made that possible. I had not wanted another mission so soon, and excuse or reason, I had little patience in dealing with tricksters for a magic item."

A pause followed as she sighed. "It seems the Fae took it rather personally, I myself am called the Marionette for my features and personality... As an insult. I wear it with pride. If being called a Hag offended a woman that turned down the advances of several men for hundreds if not thousands of years was enough to rattle her, I will keep it in mind for the future. Should it be to pay proper respects as a situation demands, or to upset them into making a mistake. That is the purpose of such insults in our realm of things. I see that such may not be the best course of action now..."

"As to why I omitted some information to my team... I..." As if searching for words, her hands went under the table to grip her hands into clenched fists around the seem of her dress before coming back up to the surface, unclenched and free of fabric. "...I'm not used to dealing with situations like these. I was angry, angry that our leader left much to be desired, the additional expectations placed on me, and the insane actions I had to take to time and time again nearly on my own to stay alive... It all just made my words worth little and less to them. With one even telling me to shut up. I had no plans to let anything serious happen to them, but I made up my mind to let them learn firsthand why the Fae should be dealt with via caution and suspicion. The fact the being we were tasked with retrieving lace from, was using magic, our magic to break and go around the rules and laws of her own people threw us yet into another situation where I was called upon... Though I lost my nerve a bit during this when the great hound taunted us. Fae magic in a manner is absolute and curses aren't something we can easily remove... As to a Monster Hunter... I... will go where the DWMA deems best if it comes to that, but I am here as they had other hopes for me, as did my master."

Unknowingly such petty feelings were likely the most human thing Maria had felt in a good while, and one that was a bit common. Then there were the final bits of what was said, the last for her to respond towards. "I cannot say I am happy about this all, I have always thought social necessities were a waste, something alien to me that only prevented one from more worthy goals. I did not really have any peers or fellows to speak of for a few years, and when I did it was Malice towards me and towards them. I however, I, I will attend this. However, what is a communications class and one credit hour over six months?"

Interactions: Sir Les Paul (Thomas)

 

[Sir Les Paul]

DWMA Conference Rooms, DWMA Main Building, Death City​

September 22nd, 2067​

What their mentors and handlers predicted proved accurate. This one was primed to speak. She listened only formulate a reply, not to soak in the information and learn. It was in fact frustrating to see how this sorceress reacted to what she was told. She was... petulant. She was... entitled. Worst of all, she did not truly fathom the gravity of her error. Had she been raised in the Witch Realm, she would not go far. An attitude like hers could only exist in isolation. She was not suited for her realm or origin and seemingly not for this one, either.

Thomas simply listened until she finally stopped. He was not appeased.

"To answer your question: Communications is the study of how individuals express and trade information. There are multiple models of communication, each which is designed not only to give those that study it a greater understanding of the transfer of information, but also more tools and techniques to overcome issues in communication. A single credit-hour traditionally equates to three hours of guided study per week over fourteen weeks. In your case, it will be three hours of study and testing over the course of twenty-eight total weeks with pauses taken into consideration for missions and other sponsored activities. It is expected you may require one or two years to complete the class in full, depending on activity," Thomas answered. He was flat and dry. Not like a professor giving a boring speech, but so flat in affect that it was almost robotic; almost inhuman. Such rigidity that it felt like a nun ready to crack a student with her whipping stick for even the slightest falter.

"It becomes apparent to me that your answer for many of your actions is that of your raising. You take great pride in being the student of Mirai of the Black Workshop. You seem to not fully grasp the type of damage that has been done to you due to this isolationist upbringing," Thomas explained, "but, worry not. I am not just a plebian scholar. I doubt you know how the organization of the Witch Realm works or why the Black Workshop is even relevant, but I will explain it to you. Entirely separate from the politics of the Witch Realm are the Sects dedicated to the study and advancement of magic. Sorcerers often join these Sects because they do not care about lineage or rank, only the results of their labor. The Black Workshop was once part of the the Magical Research Sect. And, she rightfully accomplished much in her time there... before leaving, separating herself and taking the literal entire workshop to the Mortal Realm," Thomas explained to Maria, giving her insight as to some of the history of her mentor that was never brought up.

"Now, this might not seem entirely relevant, but it is why I am here. I am Thomas Descartes, grandson of René Descartes, and a pupil of Maeve... once, the mentor of your mentor, Mirai. Now, I would not dare compare myself to Mirai; her accomplishments do by far exceed my own. She has had centuries to do so while I have yet to even see my first," Thomas told her, waving these facts in front of her quite boldly, "No, Maria, I do not care to compare myself to her. I see now, in you, that it is but a matter of time that she is usurped from her Workshop. She will become an antiquated part of the past. In fact, I believe she knows that."

"But, why is that?" he told her, dangling the truth right in front of her.

"Because the direction of Magic is changing. The study is changing. You can only learn so much alone in a workshop. The study of magic is growing exponentially because the Witch Realm has learned something from Humans: that an ease of access to information, like your internet, vastly increases the capabilities of study. Mirai is alone. Disconnected. At best, she has a book full of old knowledge. She is already falling behind. She has not given anything of value to the community in nearly a century," Thomas told her, "and, it isn't because she isn't a brilliant. It's because she, like you, cannot communicate."

"For all the excuses you give me about how you don't care about the Fae or what mistakes you make due to a slip of the tongue, you fail your master. Because does want you to be better. She wants you to take her place when she falls from grace. Someone with her drive and passion, but not so isolated from the world. Someone with her capabilities in perhaps a few centuries, but not hitting a plateau because the field has simply moved past her. Should you continue as you are now, Maria... this ignorant? This bull-headed?"

He laughed.

"You will become Maria, inheritor of nothing, awkward sorceresses of a forgotten workshop, builder of toys, and failure of a legacy."

RedArmyShogun

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Scenic View #9: Charon's Respite, Death City​

1023 | September 23nd, 2067​

It wasn’t a well-kept secret that Kisei and Elly needed to have a long talk about their partnership; or, really, their relationship in general. Not to mention, a more serious one about what had occurred in Belgium. Unfortunately, times were getting more chaotic for the DWMA. Missions were abundant and the group only had the weekend off. Elly also only had the weekend to decide on their partnership; a fact that Kisei was aware of.

Alongside the fast pace of the back-to-back missions, Kisei was also given additional tasks instead of the same downtime most of the others had. The excuse being he had such a positive rapport with the specific agents in need of a little management. For example, Kisei was on good terms with Sara. Thus, he was tasked with explaining to her that she would be reassigned partners. The higher-ups felt that she and Eva were becoming so codependent it was affecting their performance and progress.

Then of course, he was to oversee Zosar and Wren for Calm Mind training, but that was another day.

Kisei explained this much to Elly. She seemed willing to accompany him, perhaps to mull over her decision and see how he interacted with others during this downtime. Or, maybe, just to spend a touch of extra time with it. It was always hard to tell with her.

In any case, the place ultimately picked was called Scenic View #9: Charon's Respite. Death City had plenty of these scenic views. They were specifically engineered parts of the city to be visually appealing in one form or another. Vistas, basically. This one was built into the curve of the River Styx, allowing quite the site from the Historical District to the Residential District. It was too small to be considered a park, but one could walk down it and enjoy it. A small grassy hillside view amongst the booming part of the city.

Being a mentor, Kisei had access to the private information of the enlisted agents. Granted, Sara wouldn’t care if he had his number, but Dante might have freaked if he was anything but a DWMA official. Luckily, the secured communications app on their phones would confirm exactly that: Kisei was a mentor, thus a supervisor for the program. He had sent simple texts to both Sara and Dante, although spaced out some time apart. Dropped a pin at the location and told them both to meet. Simple as that. He hoped that he could break the news to Sara gently, then introduce Dante all in one fell swoop. Given they were intended to go on a mission that Monday, the faster they could do any bonding, the better.

Excited was an understatement. She not only got to see someone - a potential friend - but also Midori again???

Well, he went by Kisei now and she didn’t want to deadname him, so she was already repeating the new name in her head so as to not call him Midori by accident as she got to the location. Given how fast she was, it was a given how quickly she arrived at the scenic vista.

When she did arrive, her tail wagged quickly as she looked around, ogling at the view and trying to find where the Hoshi was, unaware of his identity crisis. Considering he was a golem and he was going by a different name now - of which she was aware - she had some speculations. But she didn’t want to sour his mood by bringing it up, she wanted this to be a happy day for everyone involved, and that’s what she set out to do.

It was when she saw him by the railing did her eyes light up. “Oh, oh! Kisei!” Her new name mental chanting worked, no deadname dropping here. She ran up to him - either like an excited dog or a child - hitting the railing next to him as she grabbed for it and leaned over it to see his face, her expression an absolute beaming wonder of joy in seeing him again. “It’s so nice to see you again! I missed you sooo muuuch!” And despite him being a Mentor and technically she should be giving him a bit more respect than this, she was far too comfortable and tried to initiate a hug, her arms wide out as she lunged for him.

This much was expected. Sara was like this naturally, but became even more after the tournament some half-a-year ago at this point. Her affection wasn’t quite the level of touch he normally let slide, but when it came to Sara, it was by far a bigger detriment to douse her mood than it was to stretch his standards. Kisei outstretched his hands and allowed Sara her hug, though he was far more gentle in the embrace than she was.

He chuckled.

”She used to literally run at me,” he said, tilting his head over to Elly with half-lidded eyes before returning back to Sara.

”It’s good to see you again, too,” he told her in a smooth, almost velvet voice. ”Once you’re done, you can tell me how your last mission went,” he went on, somewhat guiding the conversation.

”Oh, I believe it,” Elly replied with a polite smile, patiently standing to the side with her hands clasped behind her back, with only one appearing to briefly wave at Sara before it returned. ”Nice to see you, Sara.”

Sara had nearly forgotten Elly was there, her scent was so confusing as to make her kind of invisible if she wasn’t paying attention. With a squeeze - feeling grateful that Kisei allowed the hug this time - she pulled away, waving her hand at Elly. “Nice to see you too, Elly!”

Looking back up at Kisei, she was practically bouncing on her feet. “Oh oh oh, yeah, it was horrible. Wait, you said when I’m done? Done with what? Meeting someone new, or with that hug?” It seemed her excitement only exacerbated her scatterbrain trait due to being overwhelmed with how happy she was, completely overriding the horrible feeling she should feel about remembering her mission.

”The hug, Sara. Sometimes, they go on for a while; as if you decided to take a nap,,” he said, cocking his head slightly and wearing a sly grin. His tone wasn’t accusatory. Instead, it carried a weight of light jest.

Sara snorted, rolling her eyes as her tone held the same level of jest Kisei had. “Well, quit being so comfortable, and maybe I won’t.” She giggled. “But nah, I didn’t wanna make you uncomfy or anything. I’ve been learning that the hard way.” She chuckled, scratching the back of her neck in a blatant display of awkward nervousness.

“Anyway, yeah, the mission, awful. Paladins, cultists, and Ramirez, oh my.” She said with some sass, as if trying to make the entire mission seem less horrific than it actually was - mostly for her own mental health. “We got to work with the Morningstars which was cool, but my partner and I had a bit of a snafu with the Bloodsucker lady - Rose-ay, I think - because she got hurt saving some people, so I protected her while at the hospital, but all the weird cultist shit was so bad, that if what Raphael said was right, I would have been pretty useless out there, Eva especially. Got me so on edge that I don’t think I can work with Nadia being my leader anymore either.”

Of course, her way of speaking was quick and it was as if she was trying to say it all with limited breath. She took a moment to breathe, chuckling slightly at how agitated she must look because bringing up that mission was just not good for her mental health.

Kisei did a half-grimace and shrugged his shoulders a bit. Only a bit. Not in a dismissive way, but the type of awkward way you might see from someone about to deliver some bad news. Because, well, he was. He inhaled through his teeth and just let the rest fly: ”Well, Sara, that last part is a bit of why we need to have a bit of a chat.”

Now, Kisei knew Sara. He knew damn good and well that if he didn’t give her a prompt explanation… she would fucking panic. Anxiety would eat her alive like a bunch of rednecks at fish fry. Nothing left.

”After some evaluation, the higher-ups don’t think you and Eva are gonna work out as a duo. Ever since you learned that half-resonance technique–which was an impressive feat all things considered–you two have gotten… too close. They think you’re becoming a bit too codependent and specifically, Eva seems too sensitive to her environment,” Kisei explained, becoming pretty flat and neutral in how he tried to explain this. Not to reduce how personable he was, but to give Sara the impression he was being formal and professional.

”In short, Sara, they want you to work with someone else. You’re still fine for the field, but Eva will likely need some more time,” he told her, condensing down the point into a more succinct sentence.

It was something Sara suspected, in all honesty. Her happy - if not somewhat agitated demeanor - dulled. She let out a sigh, and nodded, a smile still on her face but it lacked the joy it held previously. “Yeah… I know.” She shook her head. “I wished I could help her through her problems, but we’re a bunch of bad ingredients put together. Whatever anxieties she felt or whatever thing she went through - whether it was sensing dead people or something else - I would get the brunt of it too, which only furthered my anxiety and made it difficult to work with Nadia. I already figured I wasn’t going to have her much longer, it was just a matter of when. But thank you, I think I would be far better off with a different partner.” Even though she had that anxiety that maybe, if she were a better meister, Eva wouldn’t be taken from her, logic won out. They were a horrible match when it came to sadly common scenarios.

“I would sometimes wonder that, if I were there in that fight, and if Eva suddenly lost herself, I wouldn’t have a weapon, and I might have transformed or something.” Her words were heavy, but they held a sort of airiness, as if she was trying to see the good in this and move on, using her seemingly unlimited optimism to let Kisei know she was alright. “I just hope she gets the help she needs, because I’m not qualified to help her with any of it. I realized that during the last mission.”

”Unfortunately, for a soul like hers, these issues can be incredibly difficult to manage. I’ve never worked with someone that had the type of scarring she does, but the body, mind, and soul are all intimately connected… it only makes sense that with her soul as it is, it would be hard to keep her mind clear,” Kisei responded, doing his best to try and keep the fault directed away from Sara. More so, he was using strict facts. What he told Sara was in line with what Starwulf told her. In fact, it was the same logic behind how the two were able to do their half-resonance.

They both only really had half a soul to work with.

”Your empathy for her might also have contributed… your souls together were very transparent. That normally happens when two souls are overly compatible. As you know, rejection happens when two souls can’t work together. But, leakage from one to the other can happen the opposite is true. You two may have been too similar for your own good,” Kisei suggested, bringing up more of those plasmology facts Sara should have learned in EAT classes. Though, to be fair, many people memorized those to pass a test then dump them overnight.

”Good partnerships are made when you find a happy middle ground. Great ones are made when two greatly different personalities can work together,” he added, acting to remind both Elly and Sara that he was in fact a well-learned individual. Perhaps no Starwulf, but every Hoshi was well-versed in the ways of the soul.

”Sadly, we all can’t be Black☆Star and Tsubaki, can we?” he asked, rhetorically, but laced with some of his dry humor. There was truth to that claim, though. Not many could have that perfect ratio like those of yesteryear. Kidd and the Thompsons, Black☆Star and Tsubaki, Maka and Soul. They were one-in-a-million partners.

Sara did her best to listen and nod along, aware of some facts about the soul but having forgotten about the opposite side of the coin when it came to soul compatibility. All this logic was making too much sense, and Sara was starting to think that drowning Eva in care probably also hampered her ability to grow. Sara was always trying to help people - not really fix them, but sometimes that was the result of her care. She just wanted people to have a support structure and find the knowledge and ambition to help themselves, and the first step to that - in her eyes - was being that annoying friend who you couldn’t get fully mad at because of how considerate she was.

His dry humor was well-received though, it brought a more genuine, amused smile to her face in light of the news given to her. Ears perking up more, she was beginning to anticipate something good when he spoke of ‘two greatly different personalities’. “No, sadly, but we can get close. I feel you’re gonna hint at my new partner now.” She smiled, returning to her jovial tics as she swayed side to side in an attempt to let off the steam of her excitement.

”Hint? No. I don’t tease like that,” Kisei replied, flatly, but again, it was that dry humor. Kisei was perfectly capable of expressing his opinions and feelings through vocalization; the fact he wasn’t doing so now made it pretty obvious for anyone that knew him well enough–which Elly and Sara would qualify–to know this was his attempt at a joke.

”Your partner will be here shortly. You’re supposed to go on a mission Monday, so I decided not to fuck around and waste time you two could be practicing,” Kisei explained, this time being flat, but mostly because he was being serious. Other mentors or people in the program might have tried to give some time or let all this process. Kisei decided to strike while the iron was hot.

Dante’s eye twitches underneath his shades at the text from this Kisei guy to meet at a scenic view. He had an idea of what it regards, he just wasn't expecting the person who would arrange the meeting to be one of them. Out of everyone, it had to be a Hoshi member. It’s clear the higher-ups are already testing him. It would only be a matter of time before something else that grinds his gears causes him to explode. Even so, Dante never had the pleasure of meeting one. He’s only ever heard about them when he was a teen. It’s all he needed. There was no point in learning much about their traditions or lifestyle, simply being able to identify a Hoshi is enough to avoid them.

The memory of Rory suddenly pops up. He instinctively clasps the silver pendant around his neck for a minute then lets out a heavy sigh. There is no point in looking back where he’s going. He just hopes he can keep it civil for a while, observe how a Hoshi is before trying anything. “Let’s just get this over with. I can't keep him waiting.”

Dante, pockets his hand and treks down the trail. He spots three figures nearby conversing. A brunette woman and a wolf girl. He quickly recognizes the third person as Kisei. Meaning Dante had found where needs to be. He casually approaches the trio with his guard up. There is no telling what kind of plans they have laid out for him. Whatever it is, he won’t be ready. Despite his internal thoughts, he figured he should at least make a snazzy entrance the best way he knows how, by opening his mouth.

He claps his hands together loud enough to gather everyone’s attention. “Sorry to keep you waiting, I didn't know we would be meeting in a shitty place.” Dante grinned, but it was more so baring his teeth directed at Kisei. “Let alone be called upon by you.”

”Wasn’t shitty ‘til you showed up, bud,” Kisei responded, quick and cutting. It wasn’t quite as dry as the rest of his humor. No, it matched energy with Dante, probably to an annoying degree. It was the same thing he pulled with Adrian, Zari, and Zosar when he first met them. And, of course, he added a pleasant, polite smile as the cherry on top of his sweet comment.

”Aaaaaanyway,” Kisei then went on, changing tune entirely and transitioning away from Dante without allowing the hot-headed Demon Weapon a word in edgewise. At least, for the moment.

”Sara, this is Dante. He’ll be your new partner. He’s a bit of dick, so he should balance out a sweetheart like you. As long as you can wield him, I doubt you’ll run into the same problem you had with Eva,” he said, quite clearly talking to Sara with little regards to Dante or how aggressive the Demon Weapon would probably react to the jab Kisei took at him. Of course, that was intentional. He was hoping Sara would take over and be a great distraction from the animosity.

Oh, this was going to be fun.

It had been a while since she’s wielded an asshole. The last time she did so, it was Noah, and he was a much worse. It felt like a callback to when she was thirteen, when she met Noah and he did everything he could possible to get the clingy, bubbly werewolf off him to no avail. Now, they’re best friends.

Patterns dictated that if she did something similar, they would become best friends. Just by looking at him and seeing how he acted, he must have been similar to Noah. Tragic past, didn’t want anybody near them, became prickly and an asshole to avoid getting hurt again when they got close with anyone. That was Noah, and that was a painful amount of assholes. Some were assholes because of ignorance or lack of guidance, others were because they’ve been hurt too much and wish not to get hurt again.

She doubted it was the former, though the two sides can bleed into one another sometimes.

With a huge grin, she charged up to Dante, accidentally utilizing some of her wavelength to speed up to him, stopping just short from bumping into him as she stared up at him with an excited wide-eyed expression. “Oh, hi, Dante! It’s so good to meet you! My name’s Sara, your resident parkour-loving, cook of a werewolf meister!” She didn’t even pay any heed to the dicketry expressed earlier. In fact, she figured that if all of that was ignored, they would find being a raging asshole verbally was useless. Whatever Dante had beef concerning the Hoshi - or Kisei in particular - she didn’t care. She just wanted to get to know Dante. She’d get that information later when they were better acquainted.

Dante shoots Kisei a glare, disapproving of his cheeky behavior. He curses under his breath just before he jerks back, startled by Sara’s approach. Her wide eyes brought him discomfort as though she was staring at a shiny object. Suffice to say, it certainly caused his guard to drop even a little. He wasn't expecting an eccentric girl to be his partner. It was somewhat reminiscent of Rory. Even the way she spoke was similar to his old miester. “Uh…hi?” Dante awkwardly takes a step back to avoid each other’s boundaries.

Sara grinned cheerily, tail wagging even faster as he took a step back. She let him have his space, but if she were thirteen, she would have jovially joked about him running away and how no matter how far or how fast he went, she'd catch him.

Oh, that would be funny, seeing the look on his face if she were to say that. But she didn't want to freak him out even more. “Oh oh, so I have a rule for all weapon partners who become my weapon. I have an apartment from when I used to be in EAT, and I have a whole room and stuff all set up for you! And, you'll never go hungry or be bored because I will make sure you're cared for.” Was she being overwhelming? Sure. But, she wanted to make sure that no matter what, she was going to take care of him. “Now, if you don't wanna do that, that's okay, but then I'm gonna miss you and if something happens, then I can't help you or get your help. It's for safety.” She smiled, though there was a flit of fear in her eyes, as if being alone was a terrible thing that she couldn't handle.

Dante laughs at the prospect of living with someone else, especially someone he just met. “That’s a good one.” After watching Sara’s expression, he realizes she was serious. Dante’s smirk fades. “Oh, you’re serious? Yeah, I’m going to say pass. That's never going to happen.”

Sara's grin didn't even falter once, almost as if she were treating this like a game. She giggled, apparently unfazed by his behavior. “Heehee, you're one of the funny assholes, aren't you? I like you. And you just haven't tasted my cooking or seen how it is living with me yet, so how about we try whenever you want for a couple days and see how it goes? We don't have to have you move in immediately anyway.” She was now staring at him with those amber puppy-dog eyes, her tail still a blur and her werewolf ears now laying more to the sides to make herself seem more charming.

It’s baffling, the amount of confidence oozing off of her rejecting his rejection with persistence. Dante had never encountered someone like her, and he’s glad he never did; Sara was beginning to freak Dante out, giving him yandere vibes; yet kept a straight face. He can tell what she was trying to accomplish, manipulating him by using her puppy dog eyes. While it is tempting, Dante knew better than to accept. There is a feeling in the pit of his stomach that if he agreed, he would probably gain something worse in the process. So, he rested his chin under his fist and hummed as if actually contemplating. “Let me think about it. No.” He curtly responded. “I prefer to be alone. I enjoy my solitude. I’m not some pet that needs to be pampered.” He crosses his arms as though standing firm on his decision. “I've been doing fine on my own and I can continue to do so without help.”

Sara seemed like she was buffering as she smelled him getting uncomfortable, only to shrug and calm down. “Okay, whatever makes you comfy.” Just like that, it was dropped. If she were a yandere, she'd have some kind of irritation or frustration, but there was none of that here. Probably because she was thinking about having it happen later anyway, but even that was untrue.

“So, now that we got that figured out, I wanna see what cool form you take. C'mon, transform for me, and let's see if we are compatible, okay? We gotta go on a mission on Monday, and I'd rather not burn too much daylight.” She had a more competitive grin now, fists on her hips as she puffed out her chest. It looked rather comical, given her short stature of 5’1”, almost trying to show off her confidence was just as tall as Dante.

“What?” Dante croaked. “So soon?” There is a moment of concern within Dante. He knew as soon as he appeared, he would be paired up. It’s been long overdue for him to be on the field, and start fresh not as an autonomous weapon, but as a demon weapon. While he agreed to the terms to cooperate, it’s surreal to think he’s one second from being wielded by his new partner. Anger brews inside of him, and the fear of causing someone’s death consumes him. Dante unconsciously takes two steps back, enough for Sara not to breathe nor touch him. He thought his therapy sessions would have resolved at least some part of him, but physical is different than vocal. “I’d rather wait until we’re on a mission. There is no point in me transforming when there is no threat.”

Sara can smell it now. Almost like a shark with blood, but instead of getting aggressive, she laid off a little. Her confident exterior was a ploy to hopefully make him confident about this interaction, but she can smell the damage on him. Anger and fear.

Sighing, she gave him a sad smile, most of her gusto gone. “There's no point in being partners or going on a mission if we don't train this weekend, but I know that's what you're going for. And I think I know why. I had a former partner who was similar. Not to weird you out, but I can smell some emotions and the state of one's soul with my soul perception. We are both in Fate to get better, whether it be an obligation for someone we lost-” her voice broke thinking about her allies she injured during her werewolf transformation and all those people lost during the April Fools event, but she powered on, being real with him. “Or because we see ourselves as legitimate monsters to be corrected and to prove to the world we are much more than our stigmas. Let's prove them all - living and dead - that we will get better. If not for ourselves, then for them. For those who wish us to be better.” While she didn't know who Dante lost, it was easy to tell he lost someone because he acted pretty similar to Noah.

“Here, since you don't want to transform…” She held out her hand. “Handshake-soulshake. Just for a few seconds. Please?”

The light in Sara’s eyes had dimmed as if finally understanding not to push Dante’s limits, but it felt invasive learning Sara can smell emotions. It didn't matter how tough he acted, she could see right through. The melancholy expression made him feel slightly disheartened. It’s not his intention to break anyone when he’s trying his hand at FATE. It astounded him how she can come off as sincere. Recounting her experiences with another weapon, and the loss she endured gave Dante something to resonate with. It’s fascinating to witness a girl who was previously bubbly and held many hardships, and she chose to be open about it with him, a stranger.

As Sara finished her motivational speech, Dante couldn't help but agree with her. He wasn't a worst case like some agents. He has an issue with trust, which is universal for everyone. He can comprehend others at a certain level. To be better is what Dante strives for himself. He probably won't be the same once rehabilitated, but then again no one else is perfect, and that's alright. Dante has learned much about kindness and letting one’s hair down once and awhile doesn't hurt. For the sake of Rory or himself, the male locks eyes with Sara behind his shades as she offers their hand. It only takes one step forward to progress.

Dante takes a deep breath and reaches out with caution. Usually, he would hope not to be compatible, but for the first time he strongly hoped that maybe, just maybe he is. Finally, he holds her hand, and in that split second there is a familiar spark he long awaited. A half smile curves up his lips.

Elated was an understatement. Seeing Dante slowly cave and be inspired to hold her hand, and feel that spark, was a feeling that nearly overwhelmed Sara. The joyful smile returned, eyes misting up as tears formed but they were held back. In fact, it felt like she was wielding Noah again.

Tentatively, cautiously even, her soul reached out to his, her wavelength dancing on the surface of her hand that was touching his as if testing the waters if Dante would accept or not, letting Dante choose whether to take it in or bar her from entry. Her wavelength was energetic, bubbly, warm, optimistic even. She was like a happy sunshine incarnate when she didn't have the rainclouds of depression and anxiety hiding her real self.

Dante’s grip became firm as he felt Sara’s wavelength. Similar to her revelation, Dante felt the same. It was like feeling Rory again after so long. The dread in his heart softens granting Sara access to feel his soul. A cocky, rambunctious type with a kind heart despite the mask he puts up in public. His soul easily reaches for hers, and in turn refuses to let go, afraid to let an opportunity slip away. After a while, he pulls away and clears his throat hiding behind his facade. “Satisfied?” He rubs his hand on his jacket as if wiping away any germ residue.

There really was something beautiful happening here. Sara felt him open up, and then his wavelength came to her. Eyes widening, she felt how he was, and she was correct. What she didn't expect was his clinginess. It was absolutely adorable. When he let go, Sara still felt warm and fuzzy, and she giggled as he tried to put up that façade.

She decided to play into it, sort of. “Yuppers, shades-man.” She giggled, hiding her toothy smile behind a hand. “Satisfied as can be. Well…” She then had that mischievous grin on her face. “Almost satisfied, I wanna see your weapon form. Or you can tell me what it is. Then I will be completely satisfied.” She said definitively, nodding her head as she tried to sound cool. Which probably sounded really comical because she was overdoing it.

Dante glances at Kisei forgetting about his presence. Turning into a weapon felt like a vulnerability he wasn't willing to risk in front of the guy. Dante holds his hips and closes his eyes feigning disappointment. “Good grief, don't you think it's better to be surprised during training? This isn't exactly a good place for me to show off.” He peeks an eye glance at Sara for a reaction hoping she would abide.

Sara giggled, finding the act adorably amusing, already having understood the situation. “Okie!” She turned back around to wave at Kisei and Elly. “Goodbyyye. If you need to let me know of anything, you got my number!” Turning right back around, she charged on, grabbing Dante's sleeve and pulling him along. “C'mon, c'mon, let's get a move on!” Thankfully, she was mindful not to make him fall in front of Kisei, as her tugging was heavily restrained to only pull Dante a little bit, but it would sort of force him to twist around and walk with her if he didn't dodge it.

Dante yelps at the sudden tug of his sleeve. “Ah! What are you-hey! Let go of me, damn it.” He whined while being dragged away with Sara ignoring his cries. There was nothing for him to do except follow. Dante peers over his shoulder, relieved to be away from Kisei. Though he’ll never admit it, he’s glad Sara took the bait. No way in hell is planning to make a fool of himself in front of Kisei.

Kisei waited until the two were out of earshot. Or, more accurately, Dante was out of earshot. Sara with her enhanced hearing could probably still vaguely make out what he was going to say, but didn’t care as much about that. ”Thank Death, that went far smoother than I expected,” Kisei bemoaned, ”I thought I’d have to kick his ass once or twice.”

Merciless Medic Pumpkid EmperorsChosen

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Maria Mayer - DWMA Conference Rooms, DWMA Main Building, Death City​

Maria's expression remained unreadable, fixed, though the tightness in her jaw belayed some sign of emotion, one that bordered across many of them. This time she actually did bite into her thumb, before composing herself fully on the inside as the outside. Still, words did not emerge for some time. Maria's expression became blank, but eyes bored right into Thomas, particularly upon his neck as her right hand flexed open and closed, before meeting his eyes...

"You say things that put me in a position I do not like. It wasn't ever the fault of Mirai that I was kept isolated. That was due to the Virus that almost destroyed the world. I don't recall my mother or my father, just shapes without faces, feelings without words. They were so steeped into the outbreak that they almost became a hotspot, dimly do I recall humans broken and twisted, lured to our house and killed, the same way you may remember your own parents, its not enough to make a picture, you are not even sure if it were true, just a bad dream. I was under the sway of madness, just mine was born of order. Mirai came to me of her own accord, had the guild its way, I would have been utterly alone or executed as a precaution." Rolling on from there, Maria proceeded to remove a wrap of cloth to wipe away the small wound she had made upon her flesh, before continuing to speak.

"Even she says she made mistakes with me, and... in some ways, she did, but when I was scared, alone, unsure of everything, seen by no one unless it was to test me to make sure I would not be a threat, when I had meals or started on the path of magic, she was there. She led me and in her own way comforted me. She is by every right, my mother. If your words did not have a twinge of truth, I do not even know what I would do to you."

"I will always respect her, even should her time be coming towards the end, as she is the Witch of Discovery, and I am well aware of these facts as you put them. I am her successor and she placed within me one goal, to become the bridge between Man and Witch. Technology and Magic. Even though I would much rather stay in my workshop, I do not as I know I cannot meet that ideal if I do. And I will not pretend to know the innerworkings of the Witch Realm, though I will likely need to go there sooner or later, but from what my Master said, understanding them and the injustices some of them commit is time better spent doing anything else..."

Sighing a bit heavily, she then turned her full attention backtowards him and his remarks on her being bullheaded or ignorant, inheritor of nothing. "Because I gripe about something, or dislike it, does not mean I will not do it. The whole journey of Dall Island was offensive to my sensibilities, yet I did what was required. In Europe I had to fight for my life nearly every step of the way, when all I wanted was to be left in my workshop. I could have easily given up and just died there. I am following the dreams of another, but that bullheadedness is why I see it through, I will meet those goals, and for my own sake, to prove we are not lesser, I will exceed them. What title will they give me then? I cannot say I much overly care. I will be the one to get in the final laugh..."

Showing her own determination and what was likely her own sense of creation and order, Maria did not back down, but rather pressed on, to accept one of those titles head on, before concluding. "I really don't like how you all always insist on cutting into the time I have... But very well, I shall do this, if only so that I can surpass my Master... I... I, used to, no I still do, make dolls of my friends or those dear to me, stuffed ones, Mother... no Mirai always said if you wanted to befriend someone give them a gift of your own making. I recently started making two dolls, one for them, and one for myself so I do not forget them when they are gone... I, want to have an interest in humans like those, and those on our side of things, and to be able to speak with others, do not mistake my direct manner or complaints as a refusal to do anything."

"Am I free to go now?"

Interactions: Sir Les Paul (Thomas)

 

[Sir Les Paul]

DWMA Conference Rooms, DWMA Main Building, Death City​

September 22nd, 2067​

"Stay or go, I don't care. My duties were finished the moment I told you of the changes to your curriculum," Thomas answered, "I only extended this discourse out of my own interests. I wanted to see with mine own eyes the pupil of the great Witch of hyperbole. You are as melodramatic as the stories say she was."

Thomas arose from the table and with him followed those floating papers. He smirked, arrogant as any in his position would be. An elder sorcerer from the Witch Realm more acquainted with their culture. More so, from a famous lineage and with refined training. "For the last four centuries, my line has furthered the research of my grandfather. I am taking the next step, oh mistress of trinkets and baubles. I shall show you," he said, though nothing he did was actually preventing her from leaving. At this point, he was doing what most natives of the Witch Realm did: show off.

With a simple tap of his fingertip, Thomas conjured what must have been ten thousand lines of magical calculations. The Witch Script was obvious. The rate at which it expanded across the wooden table and filled the room was ungodly, faster even than what Rand could cast his spells of sound. In a mere moment, the entire room was decorated with complex calculations beyond anything even in the grimoires of Mirai or Rand. It would have been difficult to determine what about it was more impressive: the complexity of the script, the rate at which it was formed, how just how effortless the Sorcerer made it seem.

All of this massive calculations... for what might have been perceived as a simple spell. For, in the center of the room was conjured an illogical and perhaps otherwise impossible object: an actual tesseract:

"One of the possibilities of our research. Something impossible to a Witch even like Maba, but made possible through math and magic: bringing the fourth dimension into ours," Thomas told her, for a moment, just remaining in awe of the accomplishment.

"If you have the audacity to even think you will be the next Witch of Discovery in your lifetime, you must not only compete with this... but with the advancements of humans. While we in the Witch Realm care more about theory, they care about application. You want to merge Magic and Technology, but that Davis already has. You won't be doing something new, you'll have to improve upon what exists just as I have. You will have innovate more than every Witch that came before you. When I ran out of ideas for my thesis in our dimension, I looked towards another," he told her, putting into perspective precisely what the lofty ambitions Maria had meant in the world.

RedArmyShogun

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Katsushiro ☆ Hoshi | Daedelon Island
____________________________________________________________________________________________
​

The Hoshi looked out at the body of water pensively, his hands resting on his hips. Dealing with the ants turned out to be far simpler than his companions had surmised, much to his expectation. That was a nice feeling, being right, then going back to the centaurs and enjoying another good meal. This, however, was a tad different. He wasn't necessarily worried about the legendary snake itself, but the magic of the environment made it a problematic venue to say the least. It was like they were dealing with a damn Fae.

His eyes drifted to the bodies as a hand reached up to rub the back of his neck. "They couldn't have died in more annoying ways if they tried, huh..." Less of a question and more of an out loud thought.

"Been a while, but yeah," Shiro replied, just as neutrally as the question. His head tilted over toward the werewolf. "Are those needles going to hold up at that distance?" He asked in turn. Running fast enough to get across the water and to the bodies was one thing, but if everything around him started changing, or they got separated, that would be an issue in and of itself.

Sir Les Paul Merciless Medic

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Maria Mayer - DWMA Conference Rooms, DWMA Main Building, Death City​

Listening to all that Thomas had to say Maria took a much different reaction to what he had to say and show, it was one of suspicion and one that the conservative reformer seen both the potential and the risk thereof. Then there was what he had to say on the rest of it, about her being the next witch of discovery, or rather his doubts she would, or about Davis already accomplishing what she sat out to do. Or the fact all she would end up doing was improving upon things or making baubles.

Fundamentally the two weren't on the same page, they weren't even in the same book.

"And whoever said I intended to be my Master? Or that I had any qualms with improving upon an existing system, or experimenting and combining the works of others? Whenever did I say I wished to go down into the annuals of our people? For one sent to review me and to know so much, you know nothing of me in those regards at least.

What you speak of and are attempting has the potential of causing a new grand opening of knowledge, or it could unleash forces that would destroy us all, the fact you do not even consider the latter shows much. I do not admire my master because of her past deeds, I admire her for lighting the spark of magic within me. I'll give you that this is interesting however.

You chase notions of power and dare I say perfection. It is our, or no, my job to create things more wonderful than those before. Unlike you I see no need to reinvent the wheel. I feel as if we've had enough of one another's company. I shall do as I wish, as I always have. What that wish or ambition will be, who can say. You've given me something to ponder either way, good day Thomas."

Maria did not currently have the time to embark on some grand idea's or to replace her Master for at least another 100 years, the needs of the present, to repair and to shape her equipment was much more pressing than some theoretical principle, it was still interesting in a manner, she would at least reflect on what she had seen. With that Maria got up and quickly made her way from the room.

Interactions: Sir Les Paul (Thomas)

 

[EmperorsChosen]

1041 | September 23nd, 2067 | Scenic View #9: Charon’s Respite​

​

Elly let out an amused huff at that. She had remained mostly silent the entire time, not intruding in the pair’s introduction and merely spectating. It was interesting to see Sara at work with her own style of persuasion. ”I’m sure you’re a tad disappointed,” She replied simply, a small jest before moving on. ”Sara’s quite perceptive and tactful when she wants to be. Plus she has one of those charismas. I wasn’t too worried she would break him down… Besides, he doesn’t seem any more prickly than a quarter of our peers.”

Kisei glanced over to Elly. Her hair had entirely faded from its red. It was a touch lighter at the ends as it danced in the wind, her roots a darker brown. It made bright blue eyes pop that much more. She was attractive when she wasn’t being absolutely pissy with him. Of course, he missed the red hair, but even pissy and without the sunset-colored hair, she was a treat to see. That much, he couldn’t deny internally and his face might just betray him if he tried to hide it.

”Actually, it’s likely better that it turned out this way,” Kisei told her, deciding to keep the conversation somewhat more serious instead of admitting his opinion of her current wardrobe. ”He has a vendetta with the Hoshi. His first partner was a Hoshino that wanted in the good graces of the Hoshi, so they dumped him when a willing partner came along. Unfortunately, it’s not an uncommon story either. Worse, the Hoshi know this and often use the Star Clan and Hoshino if there isn’t a Hoshi or prodigy available to pair with,” Kisei explained, describing the honestly somewhat abusive behavior of his clan. They were users, but not without merit; they brought plenty to the table.

He then leaned back, pressing up against the railing and away from the water. The wind was blowing, and while it did make Elly’s hair dance so long as she kept it down, it also made waves in the grass upon the hill behind them.

”Sara wears her heart on her sleeve and is stuck in a pretty shitty situation with her transformations. Finding a good partner is hard. She reached a plateau with Noah. They worked fine together, but his lightning affinity almost craves the full power of a soul–which she can’t give him. The bell was never a good match for her. I imagine it would have ended very similarly to Eva. Pairing her with someone so similar only compounded their problems… instead of adding them together, it multiplied them,” Kisei said, explaining his opinion on Sara and her history of weapon partners. His tone had become somewhat sullen, as if he did in fact feel some modicum of sadness for her. Kisei was at times capable of pretty genuine emotion, but this was a little more intimate than his norm.

”She needs to learn the difference between sympathy and empathy. She needs a problem she doesn’t feel as if it is her own. From what I gather, their backgrounds are pretty different and Dante is a far cry from the social butterfly that Sara is… the potential here is real,” Kisei said, his tone shifting from melancholy to a more neutral all the way to somewhat hopeful by the end. Elly might not even need those special eyes of hers to see he did in fact actually want Sara to succeed.

”My, my. How cold of them,” Elly mused, looking out briefly towards the way the river flowed as if in thought, though her face rarely held a truly pensive look. She couldn’t very well give the Hoshi flak for something she probably would’ve done. Getting in their good graces was a good opportunity. Though, perhaps, she would have been more tactful so as to not completely burn other bridges.

”...Yes. I would say that is Sara’s main flaw,” She agreed. That level of altruism was very reminiscent of Elly’s old partner in Ireland, and he didn’t even have the other issues Sara does. That mentality was quite the self-inflicted burden when unrestricted. ”...You’re a bit of a bleeding heart yourself, despite your brooding,” Elly added with a small smirk.

”What can I say,” Kisei replied, a lighthearted twist in his voice, letting loose some of his slightly dulled theatrics, ”I was just made that way.” Now was when he was just a little more difficult to read. Was his vague reference to being a golem in jest, or a sincere insecurity? Who could know.

”Speaking of my… condition,” Kisei went on, using his previous comment as a segue into an entirely new topic, ”there is something I was permitted to share with you–given that you have just this weekend to make a big-girl decision.”

The corners of Elly’s mouth stretched slightly, finding some amusement in the statement before she turned to look at him. “Is that so?” Elly hummed with a mostly neutral face as she took a step closer. “And what might that be?”

It took a fair amount of him to fend off the fire that started to burn any time she neared him as she was, but he did so. Perhaps she was right in that he had a bleeding heart and perhaps it had only grown more so since their encounter in Belgium.
”There are… complaints about some of my more reckless behavior, I suppose. And, of course, questions as to how I would have single-handedly defeated Carys when she so easily toyed with us…” Kisei said, setting up the context of his explanation and painting a scene, one of how absurd and borderline stupid some of his decisions were.

”The answer to it all is a side-effect or sorts from when Kidd saved me,” Kisei explained, ”Eros makes every golem just slightly incomplete. He fills in that last little bit with a part of himself. That means even if you could free a golem, they will surely die as their soul unravels… Lord Kidd fixed that problem by offering a piece of himself where Eros used to be,” Kisei continued, although in truth this wasn’t exactly brand new information.

”And, as you know, Eros can see what we see, hear what we hear, take over our bodies, and cast his magic through us… Lord Kidd can do the same to me,” Kisei admitted, bringing to light one of the bigger secrets he kept about himself and his relationship with the Shinigami. ”He can take over completely, in fact, and transform me into a weaker, incomplete Shinigami…we call it an Avatar. It’s how I defeated Carys and it’s why I was not afraid of Ao,” he told her, further emphasizing just how much Kidd could do through Kisei.

”Why would I be scared when I can become death itself?” he asked her, melodramatic sure, obviously rhetorical, but also a damn-good point.

Elly spectated his features as he explained. It was certainly a topic she wanted to know more about, though her face only shifted slightly. Her small smile dipped somewhat into a straight line, becoming entirely neutral. During the mission she would have been annoyed, or showed her annoyance more easily, questioning him why he didn’t think to advise them of that or at least in a roundabout way before they needed to rely on it. However, here there were no such significant shifts. She looked over to the water again briefly, perhaps mulling over her words.

“And when did you learn of this?” Elly finally asked calmly, her hands still stuffed within the pockets of her overcoat.

”About two weeks after he saved me. At first, we had a type of… telepathic link, though it does require us to be relatively close. Normally within Death City,” Kisei answered her, equally neutral, not sure at all how she would take this information and thus doing his best to be as compliant as normal, thinking that would garner the best results.

”As it turned out, a little bit of Shinigami Magic, then he could do virtually anything Eros could do to me. I can’t lie to him, he reviews memories, and almost-always knows my actual thoughts,” Kisei explained, giving Elly full insight into what it was like for him in this position.

That meant that there was essentially no barrier of information between Kidd and Kisei. Regardless of any moral apprehension, the potential was there. One of the things Elly had been wrestling with was the scarab, but this meant admitting it to Kisei to get ahead of any potential discovery was admitting it to Kidd as well. After a few moments, Elly sighed.

”When we first met, you told me that if you saw a deathtrap, you would pop out of my hands and leave,” Elly stated, still holding an overall neutral tone. She also didn’t let the pause linger for too long before continuing. ”And I had no issues with that. I was of the same mind, after all. But… I don’t believe that. Not entirely.”

Looking at him directly, her face was slightly more serious, albeit still soft and non confrontational. “Particularly, that Ao was not a deathtrap,” She specified. “I don’t know what happened, but something led me to believe, against my better judgment, that I should’ve gone with you. I don’t have any extrinsic evidence, just a feeling, which is unusual enough for me to take it quite gravely. That feeling told me that if you went by yourself, bleeding heart as you are, you wouldn’t be seen again.”

Inhaling and exhaling through her nose, there was a small break between her speech just to pick out the next set of words. “The avatar won’t protect you from every deathtrap, especially from ones you don’t see as one, and they certainly won’t protect me from every deathtrap. Much as I care to mitigate risks, even I’m aware the percentage never reduces to zero.”

”Not every trap is designed with death in mind,” Kisei replied, being just as stoic and serious as Elly. Though, unlike before, he decided to cherry-pick what topics he felt most important to respond to. One stood out to him amongst the others.

”I am incredibly aware of what event and feeling you are referring to,” he answered her plainly, ”in fact, so is Kidd. He reviewed those memories and while it is no more clear to him what happened, he has his own opinion: that I might have left after Ao, even after her wounding me, if I had not had you.”

”Denial, maybe? Perhaps I would refuse to believe what she said. Bargain with her, chase her to the ends of the Earth as if I had some ability to undo the spell Eros has on her. Or, maybe, outright anger. Her words did hurt and maybe I would want to hurt her back… I don’t know,” Kisei explained to her, ”but the point is, Kidd knows me and my soul. What he saw was grief.”

”Without you, without the others even maybe, I might not have reached acceptance as quick as I did. Without you, maybe I would have remained as Midori–a ghost a long-dead Meister. And, maybe, if Lord Kidd didn’t catch things quick enough to stop me, I might have followed Ao right back to Eros…” Kisei told her, outlining more of this hypothetical nightmare scenario.

”Imagine what Eros could do with a piece of a Shinigami soul… I’d sooner die than let him have such a prize,” Kisei explained in a rare moment of self-sacrifice, though it was notably a fair one given how terrifying such a proposition was. ”But, that is not the point,” Kisei said, shifting tones. He was being melodramatic. Serious, but melodramatic. He needed to reel it back in and knew that.

”You are right that the avatar is not a perfect failsafe… but neither is your attempt at calculating every danger,” Kisei said, summarizing his point and trying to cool his words as to not spark an argument. ”Chances are, if you fled, the world would be a lot more dangerous because of it. Sometimes, Elly, the right choice is staying by someone even when it’s stupid as all Hell,” he told her, quite pointedly. His words tied back not only to the decision she had to make, but to the hypothetical situation he had painted as an alternative. Sure, it might have been a bit of a strawman argument, but it was a pretty valid fear tactic.

Elly huffed lightly again, a small, somber smile raising on her lips. “The world… Come now, you know by now how selfish I am,” She replied only partially in jest. “I’m fully aware it isn’t. As I said, the risk is never zero. However, if there’s even a difference of one, I’d prefer to take it when I can. I’d prefer they take it, too,” She answered his argument, fully admitting that there wasn’t such a thing as a perfect shield and also indicating she didn’t worry solely for herself. “Risks are fine. They’re part of the job–my old job too. However, they need to be reasonable and I need to have all the facts that are available. As much as you may or may not want me to, I just can’t run on faith alone.”

Elly looked off a bit. She was aware of how hypocritical it was to lecture him about a secret she felt she should have known in the moment while still holding onto the scarab. Still, what she said was honest. No matter how much she grew to care about someone, she couldn’t put blind faith in their actions or orders. It made sense, considering. Her family basically ate at itself when there was an opportunity for more power. It was hard to trust when several of the people you thought you could trust threw that aside so quickly.

“...Even if I may want to at times,” Elly murmured softly.

Kisei pushed himself off the railing. A simple gesture. He wasn’t using his trademark Hoshi speed or some flamboyant, flashy technique. This might have been a battlefield of some kind, but not one meant for fighting. In this world of magic, spirits, demons, and the unknown, sometimes the most human action could have the most profound effect.

Now he stood face-to-face with Elly, the wind pressing against the collar of his jacket and his hands presently lodged deeply into its pockets. His dark hair leapt with the breeze, much less intensely than that long hair of Elly’s when the wind picked up. It was a closer moment.

”No, Elly… not faith, blind or otherwise,” he told her, his voice light, soft, and harboring no argument.

”I am not confident enough even in my avatar form to have faith… and if I’ve learned anything, it’s that I can’t even trust myself sometimes,” he told her, being brutally honest. There nary an ounce of deception in his voice–or his soul.

”Somewhere well beyond reason and logic is something a whole lot simpler: what we want. Even when we know it’s a terrible idea…” he told her, his nostrils flaring ever so slightly as he slipped out a very light laugh, ”just like when we first became partners… I was absolutely sure it was a terrible idea that would get me in trouble someday.”

”But, I knew what I wanted.”

Elly listened as he spoke before giving a roll of the eyes, albeit greatly exaggerated with a groan to match ”Oh, lord, what happened to all of that talk of Hoshi only need a perfect Plan A, then there’s no need for any others,” She remarked, removing a hand from her pocket to comb her hair to one side, preventing it from hitting her in the face as the wind picked up. ”And you’re saying you were so captivated that your better judgment lost?” She asked him with a hint of sarcasm, not arguing on how bad of an idea it was.

He inhaled for a moment. That was her tactic. Diffuse a moment like that with a touch of sly humor. The only real method he knew to avoid it was actually to march right on through it. He then exhaled after formulating his response.

”No, not against my better judgment,” he told her, now offering her a cocky smirk. An almost smarmy curl on the edge of his left lip and into his cheek.

”My best judgment was that you were worth whatever trouble you would get me into,” he admitted, curious as to how she would worm her way out of that was… as she always did.

That did cause Elly’s lips to upturn and a soft chuckle to escape her. He was right when he said she enjoyed praise, though it was also the bullheadedness that amused her. ”I wonder about that,” She commented, looking at him a bit smugly. ”Whatever trouble? Is that a challenge or a promise?”

”Who knows?” he responded, shrugging along with his facetious question. ”But you’ll never find out if you take that offer for a partner…” he added, turning an obvious fact into a teasing jab. Also, confirming he knew the situation they were in. Or, more so, the choice she had.

Elly rolled her eyes at that again, though still with the small smile on her face as she stepped closer to the railing and leaned her back against it. “You’re doing a marvelous job digging yourself out of that hole you buried yourself in,” She teased him. “See, now you’re stuck, because you have to live up to that or admit your best judgment was wrong—and we all know how much you love doing that.”

Smirking at him with a slight huff, she tilted her head slightly at him. “Worth it even if I tick off Kidd? Or Cyrus? Not that he isn’t most of the time,” She posed with a hum. “Or the Hoshi? I’m sure they’ll either love or hate me.”

When backed into a corner or if one needed more time to strategize, there was a reliable and effective tactic: dodge and distract.

That cocky smirk was almost married to his face and nothing Elly said managed to make it divorce. It was good news to think she was willing to let him bounce back from his misdeeds, but she was treading dangerous waters with her questions. The trick to navigation was to sail right back at her.

”Curious about my Clan, are you?” he retorted, fixating on the exact last thing she said. ”It sounds like someone is interested in meeting my parents. Golem or not, love, they are still alive,” he said, throwing the ball right back into her court. A touchy topic, too, for even if she wanted to meet his family, it wasn’t as if he could meet hers. Not to mention, the deeper implications.

“Just because you interest me with another question, dear, doesn’t mean I don’t want the answer to the originals,” Elly replied slyly. “So on top of answering that question, you can also answer if anyone knows about me.” She hadn’t intended on going that route, though since it was brought up, it did beg the question of how much, if at all, he spoke about her.

”Of course they know about my partner,” Kisei answered swiftly, tilting his head and allowing his smirk to grow into a wide grin. ”What else should they know about you? Or, us?” he asked, very pointedly seeing just what, if anything, she wanted to label herself.

Elly hummed at that and tilted her chin up slightly, as if mulling it over. ”Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps how much trouble I am yet worth it—allegedly,” She suggested for one, tilting her head to the other side. “Perhaps how often you try to dodge questions, or are they familiar?” She teased in turn.

”El’, it’s a clan full of assassin’s; we’re all a little evasive,” Kisei answered, met by a cock of the head and a quick dart of the eyes over to the left.

He sighed, but continued nonetheless, ”if you want the real answer, there are one or two select cousins I’ve shared some with,” he admitted plainly. He then reached his hand forward to give Elly a gentle bonk on the nose with the very tip of his index finger. ”But, if you want to keep playing games, well… the Hoshi are more of a commune than a family. You wouldn’t know your siblings from your cousins and you don’t actually grow up close to your parents–or anyone, for that fact,” he explained to her, which again, was nothing he hadn’t explained previously, but it did closely relate to why he had no one to really tell even if he wanted to.

That was the curse of the Hoshi. A clan so perfectly designed to foster consistently powerful assassins that they had virtually no family ties. It wasn’t exactly a surprise that the Hoshino were such a large off-shoot. Those with softening values wanted to remain close to their homeland and kin, but raise an actual family unit instead of sharing children with caretakers and sending them off to train at absurd ages.

Elly's smirk widened a bit at that. That was part of the insinuation. However, as the encroaching finger tapped her on the nose, her face shifted into a minor pout. Only briefly before she slipped around it and stepped closer and leaned in slightly with her head tilted up to look at him. “Ah, but you have said some things~” She chimed, clearly intending to still play.

Standing back to full height, her expression deteriorated to slightly more serious. “Everything with a purpose…” She trailed off. “I'm not particularly all that interested in the Hoshi, so don't feel pressured. Well, a little, I suppose… not like I can bring you to mine.”

”Is that what bothers you so, El’?” he replied, deciding it was time to be a little risky with his commentary. Elly didn’t often discuss her family, more so the immediate ones that were no longer of this world. It would be a shame, he believed, to pass up this rare opportunity.

”That there’s no one to give their blessing?” he asked, applying just a touch of pressure on an old wound and to a topic she already said she wouldn’t. It would be a lie to say his curiosity was not piqued. This could perhaps backfire on him entirely, leaving him with a soot-covered face from the explosion.

“At the present? No, that is the least of what bothers me,” Elly said, speaking truthfully, turning a bit to look out at the water again. She didn't deny, however, that it was still a wound. “You can visit their gravestones in Ireland, if you're so inclined to ask.” Her voice carried a bit of whimsy but had otherwise dropped her bubbly cadence.

”Then let’s go,” Kisei replied.

Elly's head turned back to him at that. There wasn't much humor or otherwise clear emotion, more that she was gauging if that was a joke or not. “...You're kidding,” She stated almost with a deadpan expression.

”Should I be?” he asked, tilting his head down and deepening his voice ever-so slightly.

Elly stared at him a few moments more. “...For what purpose? To visit their graves?” She questioned in the same tone as before. “I was looking over my shoulder every two minutes while we were in London, now you think it's a good idea to go to Ireland?”

”Elly,” Kisei said, cleaving through the logic she presented about how problematic said visit might be. His voice raised slightly, in some small part due to its deeper nature, in some as he was being more emphatic, and perhaps just the slightest elevation, like raising the volume on a television up just one notch.

”Do you want to visit them?,” he asked her, ”and, I don’t mean is it worth the risk. Anxiety aside, do you want to visit them?”

“Even if I did, that doesn't change the risk,” Elly replied pointedly. “Operations died down after, but I know they're still slinkin’ about there… Not to mention they were buried locally, so they're literally in the area we all bloody grew up…” She added, trailing off reasons it was such a bad idea in her eyes.

”Elly,” Kisei said again, repeating the tone he had the first time. She danced around a proper answer, a simple yes or no. He wasn’t to let it go.

”Do you want to?” he asked plainly. Short, sweet, simple, hoping she would get the insinuation that he, too, wanted a short answer.

Elly frowned a bit at that as she exhaled through her nose. “Yes. What of it?”

”Then I’ll take you,” Kisei answered, as simple and blunt as was when he pried that answer out of her.

”We have disguises that would fool even the most eagle-eyed and ways of masking your soul… more importantly, I can get enough people to go as a group that even your salty uncles won’t dare lift a finger,” Kisei explained, having thought through the exact concerns that Elly might have had and trying to nip them in the bud before she could say no.

“You think an entourage won't draw more attention?” Elly replied, turning her head away again. “I think you just want me to dye my hair again…” She murmured followed by a light huff. “...Besides, I'm less concerned with them jumping me than them knowing about me.”

She continued staring off at the water, letting a silence settle. “...When?”

”How about after our next mission?” Kisei suggested, squeaking out an amused chuckle seeing Elly struggle with how to handle the situation. It seemed, for once ever, her ability to navigate any water might have just hit its limit.

”It’ll take me some time to get it all arranged, besides… we’ll need to make imprints of our faces for the masks we’ll wear. I’ll get it all setup,” he told her, listing off all the small truths made real by the proposition he was making. In truth, it wouldn’t be that hard to pull off. Elly was only ever being overly-cautious with her fear of returning home. In fact, Kisei had long-theorized her fear of being found was at least partially irrational. A remaining trait of her traumatic past.

Kisei decided to turn back to the water, watching out over it. The laughing sun might have been reflected in it, but in truth, this manufactured river was fairly bland. There was only so much the engineers could do to make the River Styx look authentic given it was laid between already-cramped housing and historic areas of the city. In some ways, even, the water was too clear to feel real.

”Sometimes, I wonder, if you wish I was wrong…” Kisei admitted.

Elly mulled that over silently, not giving a real affirmation to it as her expression remained etched in stone. It was only until his last comment that she looked over. “In general or specifically?” She pondered to him.

”Whichever one means you wouldn’t feel like there was pressure to be as worth it as I think you are,” Kisei answered swiftly. His head nodded gently over to her, allowing his eye a brief peak at at her before it rolled back to watching the slow-moving river.

Elly hummed a bit at that. “You still haven't answered how worth it you think I am,” She said, referencing the hypotheticals she mentioned earlier. “Say I tick off Kidd. Would you believe me? Would you vouch for me?” She posed aloud. “Would I still be worth it?”

”Well, that depends, Ellybear…” Kisei answered. He knew this question would return. It was a matter of time. His lips curled, smiling as he had finally come up with an answer. ”If you were begging Kidd to believe you about something, and I thought you were telling the truth… I do what I could, if I could, to help,” he told her.

”But, if you happen to literally break my heart by ramming your fist through my chest, I might just have to say you’re for the streets,” he added, giving her the all-too realistic and admittedly perhaps a touch too recent alternative.

Elly let out an amused scoff at that. “You do realize this is the part where you tell me what I want to hear?” She questioned him with another huff.

”Reaaally?” he responded with no small amount of sarcasm.

”Forgive me, but I thought it was the part where you told me you couldn’t imagine a world without me–y’know, since they offered you a new partner– got on bended knee and finally proposed to become Missus-Death Golem,” he continued, deciding to double down on the jest.

“Oh good God. You are going to be absolutely unbearable now, aren't you?”] Elly remarked with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “Shouldn't you be the one bending the knee? You are the one insisting on seeing my home and meeting my parents.”

”I’m pretty sure the bended knee is a you-thing,” Kisei answered smugly. He decided to live up the moment, run his hand through hair, emphatically flip it upward. ”What can I say, it’s easier for you to do a sure-thing than for me to put you on the spot,” he added, just throwing the ball back into her court for the thousandth time.

“Oh, is it?” Elly remarked back with crossed arms. “A me thing and a sure-thing too, I wonder. Should I buy the ring as well?”

Kisei grinned wide at her comment and could only chuckle at her final question. He raised his brows, pushed himself off the railing and then gave her an overly-emphatic shrug. ”Your words, not mine, love,” he answered, smug as ever.

“Oh, come now. Don't get shy. How do you all even get married if you dodge this much. Death forbid its two Hoshi,” Elly goaded him, though with a bit of a smirk to combat his own.

”Most of the time, we don’t…” Kisei told her. Flat admission, but a big one.

“Get married?” Elly repeated, a bit more curious than smug. It was a bit odd, even considering that the clan was in many ways abnormal. “What do you do then?”

”Customs have changed over time,” Kisei answered, relying on some of his training to avoid revealing too much here. There were, in fact, historical acts the Hoshi did and still do in some cases that many would find unethical.

”The entire clan answers to the elders. Ideas like marriage are trivial. The clan has to look outside to keep genes diverse, but they want as much Hoshi blood to remain in the clan as possible. Children are almost-always planned. The elders know the bloodlines going back generations and they use that knowledge for family planning… except we’re not much of a family. Having a child doesn’t mean being a parent. Not all of us are assassins, either. Some have different roles or learn a very specific trade necessary for living in our homeland. Many are caretakers or do menial jobs. What I gather is that a good majority of the clan is actually filler for generations down the line when their genes will be needed to preserve it,” Kisei explained, going over the complexities of the clan. To a normal person, the way this clan was run would nearly constitute a war crime in and of itself. That was no small part of why it was secret.

”When we do bring in blood from outside of the clan, it’s normally Japanese. It may be true that our training is what mostly makes us strong, but bodies are gifts, too. The eyes we share with the Star Clan won’t appear if the bloodlines are too diluted…” he explained, shifting the subject over to what might be considered a slightly more relevant topic.

”...though they do tend to lessen those restrictions for those with highly-desirable traits,” he added, somewhat emphatically, given how applicable that could actually be.

“A well-oiled machine, it seems,” Elly mused, relating the Hoshi clan to that of complex factory. It was surprising and, at the same time, not at all. She was almost impressed, in a way. That level of control and meticulous direction Elly could respect, as odd as it was. “Though if those are the current customs I am quite curious as to what they once were,” She added, her hands finding their way to clasp behind her back.

“Regardless…” Elly hummed as she stepped forward with a sly smile. “I suppose that means I've already gotten you into some trouble. Or are the eyes justification enough?”

”A well-oiled killing machine–lets not forget that part,” Kisei replied, reminding her that all of the structure and design existed for the express purpose of continuing their top-tier ability to murder indiscriminately.

”There is a story about a Hoshi born with your eyes, if you want to call it that,” Kisei said, shifting topics over to a rarely-shared anecdote from his clan. Or, less of an anecdote, but more of a legend. ”Her father was William Adams. He was a Dutchman on an expedition to what they called the far East. Landed in Japan in 1600. He had your eyes, but he used them for sailing and trading; reading people’s souls and figuring out where to go. They made him a samurai, but he never really fought. He just made a small fortune and sent it back home to his wife and children… except he obviously had more,” Kisei went on, building up the background of the story.

”Fumiko☆Hoshi was her name and she did what many thought was considered impossible. See, in the era she was alive, there was a samurai of incredible talent. Worse, in an era where Demon Weapons were more rare and our understanding of resonance less refined, he wielded two. Some say he was a Utility Meister, other says say he had a Strong Soul like Mifune. He won every duel he had ever been in. He was considered unbeatable, having already killed assassins sent before and fighting off even specialists in fighting samurai, like those that mastered the kusarigama. But, Fumiko… she killed him. The story goes that she won despite his experience and mastery and despite him even being stronger.. Because she should read every move he made, even before he made it. She wore him down and even when he tried to escape–he couldn’t. She could see for miles,” Kisei went on, telling the story in full, talking up this half-dutch Hoshi like the legend she was.

”The samurai was Miyamoto Musashi. Killed in 1623 by a girl nearly half his age,” Kisei told her, finally revealing just who this legendary samurai was. And, boy, was it a doozy. Elly wouldn’t even need a moderate amount of knowledge of Japanese culture to have heard that name before, though it might help. Regardless, he was a legendary warrior often brought up when discussing candidates for the greatest Samurai ever.

“Story… As in you and the clan don’t know how much is fact or fiction?” Elly inquired, leaning back to full height. Though as she listened, he seemed to speak about the Hoshi with certainty, so at the very least they knew she did live at one point. Not only that, but she fought how Elly attempted to do so. She hummed, more interested in that fact than any other of the legend. She wasn’t a historian, but she knew the name of the samurai, and she doubted Kisei would speak about Fumiko with such certainty unless there was some legitimacy in it.

“Do you know what her secret was?” Elly pondered, mulling the story over. “The Hoshi Clan certainly has a regimen, but that’s with things they know of. If she could use Super Soul Perception to that extent at such a young age, I doubt it arose from simply flailing in the dark. Did she really build it to such a level just by constant exposure training?”

”Well, it’s not exactly like I was there, but our clan has a tendency to chronicle everything. Even I’m in there, for uh… obvious reasons,” Kisei said, answering her question about how much of it was fact. Or, perhaps he didn’t. Any written account could be so greatly exaggerated that it might as well be fictitious. Doing that and then keeping them secret, however, served no point. Why boast with no one to hear?

It was somewhat expected to see her perk up and interests shift the moment she learned a girl even younger than her with her ability was so proficient. It was something that Kisei had seen plenty of times. The Hoshi could take nearly any soul or unique wavelength as a babe and raise them to be an incredible combatant if not outright assassin. The skills they developed when compared to those of an equivalent age were simply on a different league. The general population of Meisters and Demon Weapons genuinely underestimated the value of starting early.

He raised one of his hands up to Elly as if to slow her down, flattening it out as a general halt sign. Both of his eyebrows raised for a moment before he tilted his head down to finally acknowledge the questions Elly had asked.

”The human body has a profound ability to adapt to spiritual energy. That may sound obvious, but it’s really not. Most people don’t get exactly why training makes them stronger or faster,” Kisei told Elly, trying to emphasize an important distinction here that she seemed to directly scrutinize.

”I tutored Azariah Vasher, as an example. He also was trained from a young age in both martial arts and some of his basic spiritual skills. Kid absolutely blew at Resonance, but of the entire group of you agents, he was probably the strongest, fastest, and most dangerous alone. Not exactly by a small margin, either; I estimate he probably could have held his own against the likes of Nadia and Gauss even if working together,” Kisei told Elly, trying to give her some perspective on just how big a difference this mattered, even outside the Hoshi. People tended to treat them like some type of mythological beings, but that just wasn’t the case. They were a Clan of people that effectively learned how to metagame the spiritual arts.

”His training from what I gather focused more on martial arts and the spiritual ones, but the fact is, he did train. We start so early because our bodies–literally the cells inside of them–need to adapt to the use of spiritual energy beyond the norm. Most people at the DWMA start between twelve to fourteen when they enter EAT. We start nearly ten years earlier. The body is more pliable, it’s still growing, and it grows already knowing the taste of spiritual energy. You hear some girl who was sixteen or seventeen and probably think she only trained a few years. Fact is, she had been at it over a decade by that point. And, honestly, Death knows what kind of advantages she had due to her Super Soul Perception. She probably learned lessons faster and had greater control over her spiritual energy just by virtue of how much sooner she got to start controlling it and understanding its nature,” Kisei continued, at this point somewhat rambling, but this was a topic that was a huge point of confusion for many and he was trying his damnedest to make it clear how much this actually mattered.

”Another point to be made is that everyone has some type of limit. A plateau of potential, if you will. Think about the top five Meisters in the DWMA. One, they’re not all Hoshi. But, more importantly, there is a stand-out: Herakles. His physical strength is absurd and it’s not something that can be truly replicated. Starwulf, for example, could train the next thirty years trying to just get physically stronger and not match Herakles. Whether it’s a feature of his soul or just some genetic anomaly, his plateau for strength is just higher,” Kisei went on to explain, ”the Hoshi try to make sure the entire clan has a high theoretical plateau via our… family planning. What our training really does, though, is make sure everyone we train has a massive head start getting to that plateau so they can spend more time at their peak. Some even say that getting there early also creates a body with a slightly higher plateau since it adapted early. The point is, constant exposure to guided training–and trust me, the Old Ways are nothing but guided training–isn’t something to undervalue.”

“So the earlier the better and I might not ever be able to get to that point,” Elly summarized succinctly, turning and taking a few steps. Her words were less bitter and more thoughtful. Though she finished the third or so step, she swiveled and began the pace back with a small smirk. “Or I could be better,” She posed with a hum.

“I suppose I could ask Stein when I next train with him, though while insightful, I don't think he has the time to spend on long-term guided training with me,” Elly thought aloud. She always thought about using her sight in that way, though she never could realize it to quite that potential. If she could it would create a massive leap in her ability. She exhaled through her nose, still slowly pacing in front of him as she thought. “...Maybe I should just buy a ring and go live in Japan for the next half-decade.”

A simple point, but she seemed to finally get it. It was one that was often argued with and even more often inflammatory. Many–actually most–simply didn’t like being told they had already missed a potentially-permanent window to maximize their potential. And, while no one could say if early training did in fact push the plateau back, it could not be denied that it provided a more-than-substantial jumpstart. Either that, the point of relief was that Elly accepted this knowledge in grace.

”Now I’m not at liberty to tell you precisely where my homeland is in Japan, but I can tell you that if you were willing to go there, why bother with the DWMA backstory?” he asked, posing what was probably too serious a question for her half-sarcastic remark.

”My homeland might genuinely be more safe than Death City–and if not, it’s damn close and better hidden,” Kisei explained, again, just providing pretty valid facts given her comment.

”I don’t think going around telling people I was part of a group that sold drugs, trafficked and killed people,” Elly replied with a slight shrug. ”And in any case, that is requisite on quite a large amount of ifs: If I would go, if they would take me…” She trailed off as she paused in her pacing to face him. ”And now that you mention it, that is another potential problem with the backstory: Why in Death would they trust me with any real information including but not limited to the location? I don’t expect to be able to hide my past from bloody assassins, and my track record leaves much to be desired in that particular area.”

”I can’t exactly speak for the elders, but I know they’ve bent a few rules to include families with Anti-Magic Wavelengths to try and get them in the bloodline… I imagine your eyes would be the same. It’s less about you and more about your potential children,” Kisei answered, at this point becoming fairly flat and matter-of-fact as this conservation shifted to a lot of hypotheticals of the less flirtatious variety.

”And, if you tried to betray m–the clan, you’d probably be dead before you left the settlement,” Kisei told her, giving her a pretty straight-forward answer. The difference between the Hoshi and her own family was that the Hoshi didn’t fail at killing their defectors. ”There is always the option that I default to a Hoshino, but, uh… that would assume we live in a world where you actually like me and don’t just want Hoshi protection,” Kisei commented, this time with a touch of what almost might feel like accusation.

That was an interesting note, though Elly wondered if they had taken into account things like the scarab. Could they even detect if she had decided to betray them at that point? Somewhat of a redundant point given she doubted Ulysses would be interested in Hoshi intel. Regardless, assassins acting like assassins weren't the main takeaway of what he said. No, Elly was far more interested in the hint of accusation from Kisei.

She smirked at that, stepping a bit closer and clasping her hands behind her back again as she often did when feeling a bit mischievous. “Oh? Is that a hint of insecurity?” Elly hummed as she leaned in to look up at him smugly, and the look remained for a while. Kisei most often remained so stoic that if she saw a hint of something she could tease him a bit with, she was all too eager to take it. “I do wonder what you think goes on in my head at times.”

”I think…” Kisei replied, fairly quickly, but trailing off just as soon as the spark ignited. He tilted his head, looked half-up to the sky, and allowed a slight, but small smirk to creep along his face. He was thinking through exactly how to word what he meant.

”I think there is a delicate dance that goes on in your head. I think you let your fear dip your desires, I think you let your desires send your fear into a twirl, I think that when the tempo gets slow one finds themselves in the others arms, and I think once the tempo gets fast, it all becomes chaotic and erratic… and fear begins to lead,” Kisei told her, describing her mental mechanisms–or at least how he saw them. He even raised his hands to make the crude gestures of a dip and spin with fingers acting as caricatures of the dancers.

”I think the dance will never slow down enough that you let your desires take the lead.”

Elly tilted her head a bit, watching his mannerisms and how his expression shifted. “What a hypothesis~,” She chimed before straightening her posture with an amused huff. One hand appeared from behind, tapping her chin with its index finger as if in mock thought. “Desires, and what might those be? In this world, I mean,” She questioned, her expression turning momentarily thoughtful before returning to bordering on cocky.

Kisei let out a sigh and relaxed his features. Soon enough, his face was a complete deadpan. His head was straight, his eyes pointed, his demeanor calm. He then asked, ”Why don’t you tell me?” His words intentionally left vague and open to interpretation.

Elly softly giggled at that before leaning in and giving him a cheeky grin. ”And where the fun be in that, love?” She asked with a hum as she turned. ”Would you like a hint?”

”Well.. I wouldn’t be opposed,” Kisei responded. His head, bobbing slightly forward on each syllable he released into the air, though they did come out quite smooth for such an emphatic head movement.

Elly hummed at that a bit, drawing out the pause. ”Hint, hint, hint…” She murmured as if pondering on it. ”Actually I think I’ve already given you a few today… but I suppose another would be that your connections aren’t worth a meeting with Ao,” She commented with a light shrug, indicating that she didn’t follow him that day just to make sure she had a line to the Hoshi.

Kisei decided that if she was finally going to give an inch, so would he. Perhaps emboldened by her admission, the Hoshi took the liberty of bridging the gap between the two. He reached out to gently sweep the hair that was in her face, misbehaving as it danced in the wind. He then gave her that same smug smile. ”You know, I am a man… and as a species, we are dull, dim, and maybe a little dumb,” he told her, his tone jovial enough to make it obvious he wasn’t being truly self-hating.

”You may need to be a little more obvious with your affections for us to pick up on it,” he suggested.

Elly tilted her head a bit as she looked up at him. “Oh? More obvious? I thought that was fairly obvious,” She chimed back. “I thought you—

Kisei didn’t bother letting her continue. It seemed she was either playing hard-to-get or was actually, for once, entirely oblivious to his implication. Making it clear and cutting her short, he pressed his lips to hers, doing his best to lean in opposite the side he had just cleared hair from. It was hardly a brief embrace, but it didn’t bridge into the type of heated exchange of their nights.

”That kind of obvious,” Kisei told her after pulling back–just barely–and in a whisper.

At that, Elly let out a light and humored huff. “Fine, fine…” She trailed off with tone hinting of amusement, her hand reaching up to gently tug at his collar as she leaned in to plant a kiss of her own just as softly. “Better?” She asked with a small smirk in a hushed voice after a few moments of the embrace.

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

Sakumo Jiro

From the moment they set foot in Japan Jiro had been looking over his shoulder at every opportunity, like if he'd only pay enough attention he could manifest a sense of security. He was always the cautious one, but even Ouka would've noticed how it kicked into overdrive. His eyes had kept flicking between alleys and windows, and the gentle twitches of his ears and soul betrayed how intently he had been reaching out with his perception throughout the day. It probably came as a bit of comfort then that his heartbeat and nerves seemed to settle as soon as he held her steel frame against their shadowy assailants, ever comfortable in the heat of battle. He was going to have to thank Midori one day, for teaching him to activate and deactivate his wavelength amplification at a moment's notice. It was getting awfully useful to catch a few moments of respite in-between the onslaught of razors-sharp claws.

He wasn't one to usually worry about a battle of attrition, but this fight was beginning to drag on. All the martial arts training in the world couldn't prepare you for an opponent that could disappear and reappear at will, and he didn't have as much experience fighting the supernatural as he did humans. The whistling of claws cutting through air reached him, and he leaned back to narrowly dodge out of the way of the incoming attack. Ouka's Gohei shape spun in his hands as he turned to block and deflect a second attack from his left, and sparks danced through the air as the shadow slipped away as quickly as it had arrived. A deep exhale escaped Jiro's lungs. This was frustrating at best. Infuriating at worst. Worse still, even Hisoka and Hana seemed to be running out of options. They were faster and more experienced with DWMA work than Jiro, but it seemed that for each shadow dispersed a dozen more took its place. Or maybe they didn't die at all. They didn't seem to leave souls behind. With how unceremoniously they flickered away once struck, it was hard to tell.

Jiro slid to as stop directly underneath the streetlight that seemed to keep the monsters at bay. Ouka was firmly tucked beneath his arm, with her bottom end pointed towards the ground with his right hand and her shide fluttering in the wind harmlessly a bit behind his head. He kept his knees bent, ready to move at a moments notice. Where was Toshiyuki when they needed him? Briefly the urge to release his calm seal just to get an edge over the shadows appeared, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. They weren't quite so desperate yet. Hisoka called out to him from the other light source. Jiro shifted his eyes over towards him, then immediately dodged low to avoid another strike and followed up with a counter - only to strike thin air again. "I'll try." He called back.

Though the idea of revving his wavelength when he needed to conserve energy initially irked him, there wasn't a lot of other options to be attempting at the moment. He'd rather not sully their clean success record by pulling back and retreating now. If that was even an option in the darkness. Ouka. He projected through their shared link, and gripped her harder. I'm going to conduct my wavelength through you for this. They were far past the need to ask permission. Ouka was always amicable and facilitating, no doubt due her talents and hard work. Her past wasn't beyond his knowledge, nor anyone else's for that matter, but he didn't want to pry nor open himself up to scrutiny in return, so that's how they remained. Straight-forward and superficial, yet competently efficient in partnership. In fact, Jiro liked it that way.

He rose into a battle ready stance with Ouka held in both hands like a bō staff, and gently raised the metaphorical temperature of his Soulfire wavelength. It was nothing like the uncontrollable inferno it once had been. Now it felt more like standing in front of a raging furnace, shielding him from the chilling air outside. Controlled. Precise. Efficient. A gentle stream of condensation began wafting out of his clothes and nose, signifying its activation. He allowed his wavelength to harmlessly stream into Ouka as well, coating her physical form and causing her shape to emanate steam as well. At that moment, the streetlight above them flickered out, and Jiro could sense the claws coming from behind.

With his amplification and Ouka's regulation fitting together like well-oiled cogs, he pushed himself to his physical extremes. He spun quickly, intercepting the shadow's passing slash with the gohei and then forcefully stepping into its path and pressing back against it. He was aiming for maximal contact time to allow for his wavelength to burn his opponent, and to his surprise it only took a moment before the shadow squirmed in distress, before it abruptly burst into a cloud of smoke that swiftly dissipated into nothingness. He felt its spiritual energy integrate into his Soulfire and burn, but it was a fickle amount. Hardly enough to support life on its own. "Wha-" He managed to utter, before the streetlight above them flickered back to life again and he immediately noticed the consequence of the wavelength he'd just absorbed.

It was positively blinding.

If he wasn't so proficient at fighting blind he'd have been struck down where he stood, as he only barely threw himself out of the way of another attack and rolled to a stop whilst blinking the residual black spots out of his eyes as the stolen wavelength burned away and affected him no more.

That one he burned, it definitely disappeared. He was positive, unlike with all the other ones. It most certainly did not leave a soul behind. "It's just... wavelength." He called out. "They're constructs." He raised Ouka again, with renewed vigor.

Progress.


Sir Les Paul Mqueserasera

 

[EmperorsChosen]

September 24, 2067 | Death City, NV​

Elly yawned as she walked, the heels of her boots clicking lightly against the pavement. She had kept herself quite busy following her return from England. She had to take those damned leadership classes and attend a simulation to prove she wasn’t insane despite her 180 judgment that she still didn’t have a good excuse for. Then there was the matter of the scarab. Luckily, the classes on Fae and direction to attune her Super Soul Perception to their signatures offered her a distraction, but it did all leave her quite tired, and busy as she was, there were still downtimes such as this.

That was until she noted a familiar person, Ark. He seemed to have fancied her at Hawaii due to the drugging and now that she thought on it, he also seemed to avoid dealing with any of those that had tried to kill over him, as well as her. A devilish smile creeped onto her face. This was a fine distraction indeed, and if she recalled right, he had his family name as a worthwhile endeavor for networking. This was what led to her following along with him.

He wasn't even aware she was.

Ark stood outside a restaurant looking around aimlessly. At least until four other signatures filed out in single-file format. These signatures are all magical in nature. Three Witches, one Sorcerer female, the four huddled around Ark and then after some kind of exchange, they began moving further away.

Elly noted the other women file out of the restaurant and quickly determined they were also magic in nature. Curious or so she thought. She contemplated following them and observing, but she was no Hoshi and that was perhaps a bit too odd. Instead, she trailed behind shortly before approaching from behind. “Hi Ark~” She greeted in sing-song voice with a wide smile. “Am I interrupting a date?”

The party collectively froze. Or rather Ark froze and the assembly of females around him stopped as he did. The darker skinned sorceress with gold eyes turned to raise a silver white brow at Elly, silently staring at her.

The other women followed suit doing the same but it was the bright purple haired, hooded female that spoke before Ark had turned to respond.

“And who are you supposed to be?” her tone low, voice soft and light and almost would have been hard to hear. She stared at Elly with the same expression as the darker female, overall blank, but not displeased either.

Ark interjected in immediately. “Lady Luna, that is uh Eloise. She is another FATE agent, we were acquaintances in a Program event and she is the partner of a Kisei Hoshi.” He explained quickly.

Ome of the other females in the group standing in front of the Lady and other sorcerer, raised a brow. “The Flightless Phoenix's friend.”

Lady Luna did not shift her attention back to Ark during his introduction of the Irish female. The darker skinned female did however ask: “Acquaintance? Not a friend?”

Ark opened his mouth--

“Acquaintance indeed…” Elly replied, her lips dipping into a frown, as if disappointed. “Ah, and you were so interested in getting to know me before… Well, I suppose I cannot be too surprised given you’ve surrounded yourself with such beautiful witches and sorceress,” She added on before her expression returned to its more pleasant onset. “Everything else is accurate, however. Eloise, or Elly, Keegan. Though I cannot say I know of a Phoenix.”

Lady Luna nodded at last, acknowledging Elly’s introduction, though with a glance at her shoulder said to Ark. “Allow her to introduce herself next time, child.”

His lips pursed with a silent huff from his nose. “Understood, Lady Luna.”

“What exactly do you mean by this supposed interest my grandson displayed in you, dear?” The Sorceress asked.

“If I may--”

“Hold your tongue?” Lady Luna sniped. “Was she speaking to you?” Lady Luna cut in. Bright purple eyes eyeballing Ark with a hint of displeasure. “Then yes, you may. Lady Senora.”

Senora offered Lady Luna a polite smile of appreciation. Did not glance at her grandson and turned her golden state onto Elly. “You sounded disappointed just now” and Elly might have picked up that even she didn't buy it, seeing this as a mere ribbing between two 'acquaintances’, “do enlighten us. Ifechi does not talk often of his friends like he used to.”

Soul Perception would inform that this particular line did not sit well with Ark even if his expression remained pensive and attempted to be distant.

Soul Perception also informed both the other unnamed women were partially enjoying this. Someone had to.

Elly’s grin grew if only slightly. She could tell that the troupe of magi were playing along, save for Ark, which only made it better. The Irishwoman feigned surprise at that statement. “Really? He doesn’t?” She asked with a soft gasp, her fingers briefly covering her mouth for added effect. “I would presume he’s simply being modest.”

Once again, her expression drooped slightly. Exaggerated enough to weigh on the side of playful rather than actually trying to feign disappointment. “Oh… it was just a mixer for the program that we chatted somewhat at. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to speak too much as he had quite the many eyes on him,” She answered as she twirled a strand of hair, leaving more room for misinterpretation. “Lots of pretty girls, too…”

Ark's eyes were narrowing behind his assembled relatives and their associates. The look he was shooting Elly clearly said: ‘ What are you doing?! Stop!’

Senora’s bright grin, sudden little girlish hop and peppy clap brought his attention away from her to his grandmother.

“That is hilarious!” The sorceress replied with a amused little laugh. “He never said anything about that! All we were told about the incident was that there had been a bad prank played.”

“I wonder why.” Luna questioned with a flick of an eye at Ark. “Don't you find it odd, Petrea, Lenora?”

The two unamed females that had silently been smiling during the exchange, nodded together.

“Quite strange really. I would think it to be something to be more proud of.” One replied.

“Shy in person but not on the field. You really haven't changed at all, have you?” Though perception alone, likely Elly said they were just as eager to prove and tease.

“Elly, haha” the laugh trailed for a second longer. “Yknow it has been a while since we last talked, so frankly I'm glad we ran into you.” Trying to play off the actual annoyance he was feeling and assert control of the conversation.

“I should say we should all be Ifechi, we would have never known your little run in if she hadn't informed us.” Lady Senora replied with a particular smile in Elly's direction.

“Yes,I suppose after everything it slipped my mind--’

“Which was a mistake on your part, but I'm sure Lady Luna and Senora would love to know more about these others. I know I am.” Replied Lenora.

“Well then why don't we start with Elly.” Ark commented, deciding to turn the topic on her if he was stuck in this anyway.

“As much as I was interested in getting to know her, Miss Keegan has other suitors also. A Kisei Hoshi for example. So once I heard about that, well, I didn't want to give the wrong impressions, you understand.”

Lady Luna’s eyes locked on Elly. “Is that so? My nephew showed interest and you were with another I see?”

Once again, Elly’s hand reached up to cover her mouth briefly as the other hid behind her back, glancing back at Ark as if mocking innocence before her attention turned to the gleeful women. She shot him another look as he finally addressed her. “Hm?” She hummed with a slight smirk, eager to hear what he had to say. “Really?” She added before the other magi continued.

It seemed she had unwittingly caused the wagons to circle, not that she wasn’t amused by it. Elly would happily watch the fireworks, though that was until Ark began to play ball himself. “Ah… Is that why? I presumed you already knew about Kisei… Though, that makes sense; why you would avoid me… But…” She trailed off, grasping her chin and looking up in thought. “While that also makes sense for the pink girl, I don’t believe the Chinese sisters are seeing anyone, so I wonder why you would be so shy of them as well…”

Throwing that metaphorical chunk of meat for the sharks to feed on, she clasped her hands behind her back idly. “Not exactly. I believe he was trying to before he grew distracted fighting off all his other suitors,” She finally answered with a smug look.

“And who were these suitors, you keep mentioning, exactly?” Lady Senora probed.

Ark opened his mouth, but the subtle little smile tossed at him by the girls standing on either side of Luna from Petrea and Lenora had him grimace and glare. Just enough time for Elly to respond.

“Oh, two Demon Weapons and a Meister. If I recall right, the sisters were going to share you…”

“Excuse me, Lady Luna, L-Lady Senora, I must clarify, these ‘suitors’ were under the influence of uh…that prank.”

There was a pause, a beat of silence.

Ark’s bronze eyes were staring at Elly with a pinch of irritation that had mixed in a bit of satisfaction.

One of the Witches asked permission to voice a thought and Senora granted it.

“Was he under the effect of that prank when he approached you?”

Elly returned Ark’s look with one of complete, devilish innocence. She chuckled slightly as one of the woman asked her upfront. “Well, I can see some things others can’t, but I can’t say I could clearly say for certain who was or wasn’t,” She stated, not entirely a lie yet not entirely truthful. She could see the strange leylines of magic wafting about, which conveniently did so around those presumed to be ‘pranked’. However, she had been spared no further information on whether the ‘prank’ was magical and if she was onto something. In a way, it was just her own deductive reasoning. “Were you, Ifechi?”

It was here all four mages turned to look at Ark at once.

Lady Luna's expression was it's normal neutral blankness, but Ark knew each Aunt well, and knew the glint in his grangran’s eyes to see she had pieced something together.

In front of two subordinate Witches of two different Houses, the right thing to do here was to lie. At the same time, Elly putting him in this situation at all was beyond simply frustrating. A hand was already going down his face before the four pairs of eyes became five and he sighed as the seconds went without his answer.

“No, I was more distracted by the others' behavior than to have taken anything that would affect me that way. I suppose you could say I was enamored…in the moment by her.”

Luna made a sound as she nodded. A dainty hmph of approval or acceptance of the statement.


“Aww, I am so very flattered~” Elly chimed with a sweet tone. “More enamoring than the sisters, hmm… That is quite the praise…” She trailed off. “If that’s the case, you should take the time to speak with me sometimes… Oh, but look at me. I only intended to say hi and I’ve done more than intrude… My apologies dear.”

A wave of the hand was a clear sign of dismissal from Luna. “It is fine, your interruption has been insightful. Wanda and my other sisters will be interested to know this.”

From Ark's soul there was a clear rise of internal displeasure, and acceptance mixed into one.

“Ark, you may see your friend off if you desire. We may meet with you at your residence. Petra and Lenora will accompany us.”

Not willing to miss this chance, Ark nodded. “Elly?” He gestured for them to walk.

“It was a pleasure meeting you~” Elly chimed with a slight curtsy before following along with Ark, her hands clasping behind her back again. “Your family, then?” She asked as they separated.

“My Aunt and Grandmother. Petrea and Lenora are friends, we used to spar. And you, happened to be walking around, spotted me and wanted to say hi?”

“I did. Heading home from some of my remedial classes, actually,” Elly replied with an innocent smile, her eyes narrowing subtly. “Are you under the impression I have some other, ulterior, motives?”

“Ulterior, no, other motives yes.” He bluntly stated. “Like having some fun at my expense. You just better hope nothing comes of this. I'm not exactly of Wiccan age but forging fruitful bonds is literally what most youthful Wiccan do with their time. I just hope my aunt doesn't try to do any digging.” Said with a sigh.

“Well at least with you I have nothing to worry about, even if you are a bit nosy like just now.” A blunder on his part.

“Perhaps,” Elly replied with a slight shrug. “And what would come of it aside from teasing you?” She genuinely inquired, not being an expert on Wiccan customs. “And what digging would she do? For more information on that bloody incident?”

If she did, that wouldn’t be a bad thing in Elly’s mind. They hadn’t been told much at all about it. Though, at Ark’s last remark, she raised an eyebrow to him. “Well, I’ll admit nosy, but what exactly are you worried about and why would I not apply?”

“You just wouldn't apply.” He said simply as if that made the most sense. “That's why I pointed out you were with your partner, Kisei, it makes life easier for me..somewhat.”

“Ah, I wouldn’t apply because I’m taken?” Elly mused, putting two and two together. “I’m not all that familiar with Wiccan life, but I do believe that some aspects are akin to old feudal noble families in the sense of arranged marriages and the like. Is that what you have to deal with?” She asked curiously before her smirk returned. “Are you afraid they’ll try to marry you off to me?”

“Not all Houses work the same way.” He answered. “As a rule of thumb though you aren't necessarily wrong. Feudalism is somewhat the norm in the Realm.”

And then he chuckled, shaking his head as he thought about how to reply to the marriage comment. “ So…normally in the Realm ‘marriage’” he even used the air quotes, “is just a formal public agreement of alliance between Houses. Love is the lowest factor, at least that was the norm, at best it's companionship that decides it or motive and it's always the last, most of the time. I've basically had a small part of my life in between my time spent traveling between Earth and the Realm, being taught Wiccan politics. Literally? It's just a flex kind of like how some celebrity marriages are. I don't know if you know Marek Rung? Only guy to ever marry a daughter of Maba, as far as we know. Because of how the Wiccan species is, most relationships are hedonistic adventures, they don't bother unless it's worth their time and before the Treaty it was often just for fun or out of boredom. Their concept of love is kind of warped at times and even when it isn't it's got peculiarities,” he explained simply or at least how he understood it. Which wasn't far off. If Elly knew who he was talking about or had heard of him she would know that the only reason Maba's daughter had allowed a descendant of Kilik Rung, a human, with Anti-Magic abilities, to be with her, was only after he bested her in combat. In the Realm it had been a huge uproar. Attraction aside, that still spoke volumes, even if they were a family now, it said something about the perception of relationships in the Realm.

If she recalled, Gav, from what Kisei had told her also came from a very powerful Wiccan House, and he hadn't had the stereotypical regal upbringing of an aristocrat. If she ever got the chance to talk to him, odds are the story would be very different from what one might expect of a Feudal era lifestyle.

“In a lot of ways Marek Rung, and other non-witches that manage to actually keep the attention of esteemed Witches of the Realm in the more recent decades have been causing this kind of dominoes effect. Marek’s being the biggest.”

“I see that little smirk, and no, that's not what concerns me. You're already spoken for anyway so that hardly matters. It's” he sighed, “complicated. Just do yourself a favor, don't try to get on their target list. Make my life a little easier unless you want to hear me complaining about this in the future or want to be courted.” He kept the ‘or worse’ to himself.

Elly hummed as Ark explained the various cultures, giving a curt nod. “Quite interesting. I heard of Marek Rung, but it’s not like I’m an expert,” She admitted, glancing up at him as he commented on her smirk, which only caused it to widen.

Elly averted her gaze and clasped her hands behind her back. “What~? Hm, do I want to hear you complaining…?” She chimed sheepishly before looking back at him, deciding to reassure him before he grew too aggrieved. “I’m not looking to get courted. Genuinely. I just knew you had been avoiding everyone who surrounded you in Hawaii and thought I’d tease you a bit on my way home. Meeting your family was just a coincidence, though I am glad I did.”

That answer specifically did the job. Ark nodded in response, with a bit of a sigh. “Well, they'll feel mutual. Just don't torture me too much.”

“Oh, come now. I’m just making friends~ I think your grandmother would be a wonderful person to have some morning coffee with~” Elly remarked back smugly.


Admittedly, she would. He nodded slowly. “She would, but you get to her and so will my aunts want to know you better. I'll, I suppose talk to her. Just keep your eyes open for surprises.”

“Oh don’t be such a worrywart~” Elly chimed.

Telling him this just made him worry even more.

“Excuse me” said the newest voice. Petrea to be exact. “Elly, if you would be kind, Lady Luna and Lady Senora wished to know the names of the ones you had mentioned before.”

Ark opened his mouth and Petrea, roughly at his chest, elbowed him in the ribs, cutting off his ability to speak momentarily as he grunted.

Elly glanced smugly at Ark as she turned around before turning her attention to Petrea. “Oh, I believe that would be a Daniella Ethalyn, Aki Kiyoko and Feng Long,” She replied with her hands clasped together.

Petrea grinned like a devil freed from hell, glanced at Ark who shot her a look, and then took off with the Earth Mage chasing after her.

“ I'll get you for this later!”

 

[The Regal Rper]

Zosar & Aki | Death City | Encounters

25 Sept, 2067



A crowd had formed at the center of the square. The excitement was what drew her in, but getting through was taking more effort than she thought. Years of invading personal space did come in handy after all. It was hard to grab someone like Aki when her agility out did yours and you also weren't expecting someone to use you like a swinging rope to shunt herself forward in this gathering sea of bodies.

She pushed and shoved and ducked under legs. Tapped shoulders aggressively to distract to slip by.

People had their phones out recording, others were standing on some of the steps in this little town square sort of opening space where the fight was going on. And in the tourist trap hub of Death City where there were street performers known to linger around some of its locations, this could easily have been misconstrued as some irregular street performance.

Zosar's voice rang clearly as he spoke something in Spanish or maybe it was German? Aki had no idea what language it was but it wasn't English and just as she entered her viewing seat after shoving another person in her way that refused to acknowledge her presence--

A loud booming, atmospheric chilling roar, echoed in the square, cars driving by on an adjacent road slowing to catch a glimpse of the source.

Gale, thrice the size of a German shepherd. Almost as big as a full grown lion, sent several projectiles flying with her bestial cry.

As the opposing Meister reacted to defend from her attack, Zosar traded blows, back and forth with a raven long haired female before a hand came up and with a shove from his palm strike at her chest, she went skidding backwards.

The bobcut female Meister laughed as she zipped past her teammate and took a swing at Zosar with the butt side of the spear as he leaped out of the way and Gale came in with a flawless assist that sent the meister quickly retreating.

Shaking bangs off as she threw a hand out to the other female the que was taken immediately, and in a shimmer of light, the raven haired female flew into the extended hand, transformation revealing a second shorter spear of black and blue color.

The pale green haired Bobcut in her crouched stance took position. Licked her lips. And then with a flare of her wavelength, blitzed forward at the same time as Gale, unprompted by Zosar, slammed glowing claws into the ground and sent a snaking path of ice blitzing directly in front of her and her soul bound companion.

The looming crowd cheered, especially as the opposing meister took the unconventional path towards Zosar to evade the ice. The next footfall short of walking into the trap, she shot up into at an angle, resonance empowered with two Weapons in hand, ricochet from that to the sign of a nearby building, bounced from there to a balcony, and then came careening towards Zosar with a burst of speed.

Viewers, one beside Aki, shouted at him to dodge. The game changed rapidly as he pulled out a something- a staff- from nowhere and countered his enemy’s assault. Stopped her dead, with a cracking echo as their weapons connected, found herself facing a swipe from the magical creature in his shadow that sent her skidding.

The distance gave way to pause amongst the clapping, whistling and hollering.

“Having fun Erica?” Zosar called out.

“Absolutely!” Was her immediate reply. And her charge came directly after.

One thrust sent Zosar completely on the defense and Gale was too slow. The exchange wasn't anywhere near as fast as either could move but it was also for the benefit of the crowd watching it wasn't.

Spear blades twirled and strikes evaded, until Aki heard Zosar mutter stalking poised magic creature that was watching the fight sidelines, and Gale’s tail sweeped out in response shards of ice forming along the length and with a lash, sent flying up then coming down above, directly above their opponent.

Her response was a blur of black movement in her punk rock style clothes, she twisted as Zosar broke contact and she leaped, kicked a shard down right behind him stopping his retreat and then immediately created a sparkling cloud around her in moves none of the crowd could follow before she landed and blitzed him immediately.

This time, when they broke apart for the third time, Zosar was the one shunted back. And it was a literal moment after he stood that his jacket and shirt came apart, exposing more skin than was before.

The crowd jeered. Whistles, laughs. His own annoyed expression fueling it.

“Okay, Okay. We done here Erica?” Gesturing to the crop top made out of his shirt and jacket, the shredded line at the center that had the shirt basically falling open. “I got places to be.”

Erica, snickered. “Running out on me, after I took the time to track you down? Bit rude if you ask me. You aren't a flaker too, are you?”

Gale’s growl got Zosar's eye as she settled up beside him poised to move at his order.

A raised hand had her settle. “If I am, so what?”

The snicker faded slightly.

She turned to the crowd offering them a cherry smile. “Who wants to see round two between him and I?”

The chant for a second round made it official.

Erica flicker her short spear and offered Zosar a little smug smile. “Ready?”

It dawned on the Demon Gun that perhaps this wasn’t a spar at all. Her brow furrowed and her lips twisted downward into a frown.

“Nope!” She called out without any tact, zipping in between the meister weapon pair and Zosar and Gale. “He isn’t ready because he said he has places to be, which is me,” She declared with a huff. Namely, the stalker pair were cutting into her Gale time. “And you probably shouldn’t be tracking people down to tear their clothes in the street like some weirdos. You’re weird,” She added, as if it weren’t the equivalent of the pot calling the kettle black.

The grin on Erica's face shaped into a small polite smile. The chant had died down to a murmur.

“Interrupting a duel is against the rules, kid.” Erica said factually. “Besides, I didn't hear you crying about the match. Pretty sure you were watching with the rest of these fine people.”

Gale's throaty growl suggested she was willing to fight.

Zosar however turned to the crowd.

“Sorry folks”” Hand going up. “My appointment here just caught up with me. Round 2 will have to wait another time.”

Sounds of either understanding or minor woes of disappointment rose but there were many clapping at the overall end anyway before the dispersal. Phones recording were pocketed.

Erica’s smile didn't shift but anyone with decent reading skills on people could tell that her mood hadn't just magically improved.

“Rules of what?” Aki pondered with a tilt of her head. She’d been told a lot of rules upon coming to the DWMA, and was chastised for forgetting many. However, out of them all, she didn’t recall hearing a rule that said ‘Don’t interrupt two people fighting in the street.’ That just sounded dumb. “I just pushed my way to the front,” She added further, explaining why she only stepped in now. Aki hardly viewed the fight, and regardless, it was one thing if Zosar and Gale wanted to fight, but it sounded like they didn’t.

“Besides, a duel sounds like two people wanting to fight, not one person wanting to fight and another person who doesn’t. You should be more considerate,” Aki stated pointedly and very hypocritically before gasping and spinning on a heel, completely moving on from the topic of Erica. “Oh! Oh! That’s right! I wanted to show you!”

The crowd was dispersing. Erica didn't much care about them anymore as she was annoyed and slightly confused by Aki’s more contradictory statements.

She sighed. Spinning both partners around and then letting both go as they shifted back into their human states.

“Alright Erica. Let's go, fun’s over.” The male of her duo stated, tossing hair back out of his eyes with a shake.

“Don't need to tell me twice. What a crasher. Hey J or whatever you're going by now! We'll catch up later when the brat’s not around, kay! Baiiii!”

And with a wave and wink, followed by a bow and something muttered as thanks from the Weapon Zosar had been sparring with, the trio left. Disappearing into a round of bodies.

Zosar sighed. Gale snarled, looking out at where the trio had gone.

“Cool it, they're gone.”

The lashing tail made it clear it would take a bit before Gale's head cooled.

“What were you saying again Aki? You said you had something you wanted me to see huh?” Tone sounding a mixture of amused yet also somewhat tired from the experience with Erica and her pair. Though he had agreed to the duel he had expected it to be only one. Before Aki even got a word in he chuckled.

“You saved my butt there. Thanks. I owe you one big time.” Then his mismatched eyes looked down at his threads. The only thing that wasn't a mess were the jeans. He was starting to wish he could have returned the favor as he noticed the actual damage done on his clothes. While the lower half was okay everything else above was ruined and walking around like that was just going to attract attention.

“I'm listening, follow me though I'm gonna find a restroom, fix this up as best I can. What was it you wanted to show me?”

Aki’s eyes drifted a bit as he spoke, running over tatters, visible muscle under the garments, lingering before being brought back by his question and urge to follow. “Huh? Oh!” She hummed, putting her hand in her pocket as she jogged around him and Gale until she was walking backwards ahead of them. “I want you to meet… Bōlàng!” She decreed.

As she pulled her hand out of her pocket, within it was a slightly chubby lizard of some kind, primarily a dim yellow in color but with dark stripes across its back. “I brought him back from Egypt!” She said, presenting him with the palm of both hands.

Zosar smiled. “Bōlàng? Well it's nice to meet you.” Adding a small wave for his hello. All Gale had was a glance at the little thing, and then turned her attention forward.

“Feng said I could keep him if I caught him,” Aki added proudly before setting the small lizard in her jacket pocket, allowing it to lay there with its head poking out.

They coffee shop ahead was the next stop on their walk. Zosar excused himself while Aki waited with Gale. The magical beast however was unresponsive. Her tail would lash and though she remained silent and non aggressive it was clear she was still fuming after the fight.

Despite the greater feline being quite a bit pissy, Aki didn't appear nearly as concerned as any of the other patrons. “Poor Gale… Why were those weirdos annoying you anyway,” She murmured, reaching out to lightly pat at her coat with no self awareness whatsoever. Gale's patience would only be tested until Zosar came back out. Her hand continued to reach out and pat at Gale, albeit more akin to a habitual act. It was clear her attention was drawn to Zosar, and more specifically the exposed skin. The indent of abs below the surface, the pectorals peeking behind. Slowly her focus widened and actually took in the other points of interest rather than the aesthetically pleasing kind.

“I didn't know you had a tattoo,” She mused, as they all began walking, followed by: “Wait, are those burns?”

The deflection was obvious. “Hm? Oh, yeah, I do have a tattoo.” He grinned. Acting as if he had missed the last question.

Aki stared at him a few moments before replying. “It looks really cool. Mama has lots of tattoos. So when'd you get burned?” She asked, not seeing through the deflection but rather letting it fly over her head.

“Last mission I had, well,” backtracking, “we had two so the first one before I took the second one. Got into a fight with some mutated rogue meister pair. One of them was something out of comics, turned into a literal monster version of herself. Word of advice, you guys ever face someone like that, try to kill them as quickly as possible. Her and her partner at the time were basically as strong as some of the Three Stars here. I got a good hit in thanks to Maria and the others.

“She gave me some burns though. Lucky me, I had armor on so I didn't get it as bad. Worst of it would have destroyed my face but I had my arm up so thankfully” he turned the side of his face so she could see the line of dotted scattered marks on the left side of his cheek. Against his lighter complexity they stood out as either minor beauty marks or some odd birthmark scars. In either case the dotted lines were plain.

“Rogue meister pair, hm… We had one of those too,” Aki mused, leaning close and circling a bit to examine the markings before stepping back. “The missions aren't typically like this?” Aki asked with a tilt of her head. She had no goalpost for reference, aside from her mercenary adventures and those had their own ranges of normal and FUBAR.

She gave a brief nod as Gale stood up and began to walk. “Yeah, Sphinx, though we didn't really fight her. She squashed the guy we were supposed to fight, and then Gauss offered to show her places. We fought a bunch of skeletons and mummies though.”

Then there was the matter of the black fire. Aki didn't know much. It apparently happened after they had left the tomb where Gauss had went back in. She wasn't particularly close with Dani either and Nadia was Nadia, so her information was limited. “Yeah…” She trailed off, not really knowing what to add. “And then you have weirdos chasing you in the street here… What was that even about?”

“Erica Klein. She's a Two Star utility Meister now, I never really interacted much with her but she was in the upper circles of DWMA’s EAT branch I used to be in with. She and a former friend of mine apparently were talking about FATE. Started talking about me and apparently it came out that someone in Hawaii saw me, unsurprisingly, but told them about it. Word got around, she was curious I guess. No one's seen much of me a few years. Used to be popular. Used to have a lot of friends. From what I got off her request to duel she just wanted to see what I was made of since I haven't been around much. Guess she liked whatever she came looking for.”

He shrugged, “I’m used to it. It's to be expected with someone like me.”

Aki listened idly to that, softly rubbing the top of the sandfish's head with her index finger. “So they just decided to fight you… just cause?” She repeated, clearly not properly understanding. “Why do you say that? Do people usually try to fight you?”

The exhale from Zosar's nose was somewhat pronounced.

Gale stopped, looking back at Zosar, then Aki. She seemed to wait for a moment and then continued walking a bit.

“I am not on the good side of a lot of people, Aki. I should be glad that doesn't count for every single person with good connections like Gauss though. When I came here, the plan was to get information about various things. One of those was taking information about DWMA'S training methods, the improvements or tech or methods they were using that my own superiors could use to train recruits better. To get information like that you have to know a lot of people, hang out with them. Train with them, become part of their lives to get any kind of inkling on the different approaches DWMA takes for various people. So when it came out I was a spy, a lot of them were pretty mad. To answer your question though, no, people don't usually fight me like the way Erica chose to. It was worse back then. I used to be ignored and just hear stuff talked behind my back.”

Aki listened as Zosar explained, though a lot of it didn’t make sense to her. Perhaps it was just the difference in upbringing, but the groups she hung with were often revolving doors. Everyone had their own purposes and ambitions that didn’t always entirely align. Sometimes they were contradictory entirely, but they came together to accomplish an immediate goal. It’d be one thing if he had been actively working against them, but no one got hurt nor was even really affected. “I don’t understand a lot of how the DWMA works… A lot of stuff is really cool, but then there’s stuff like this that just doesn’t make sense. Who cares if you had another reason to talk to them if you became their friend anyway?” She mused aloud. “And it’s not like you stole their job, or hurt them…”

“Picture it this way”, taking a different angle. “Relationships are all transactional. That's how I see it at least. There are people like me, Feng, Ark, others, you like but it's not all for the exact same reason, think about it. You don't trust a stranger the same way you have a level of faith and trust and concern for Feng, or your friends, or mom. It varies in ways not even you or I are familiar with but the main point is we all care about each other.” Pointing out to give her an idea.

Right now they were all just walking. Even Gale, in her tiger-like form just strolled ahead.

“DWMA has its own culture.” Explaining a bit more for Aki to understand. “One of the pieces of that culture is they don't tolerate rogues or traitors. Last one almost caused an apocalypse with her kid for power. It's only because of Kidd we even get a chance. The last batch of rogues they had, killed someone who occupied Cyrus' current position.” To give her an idea of how big that was. Cyrus, Aki at least knew, was in charge, and was somewhere on the top rings of the ladder.

“Imagine if someone from this program attacked him in public and by a miracle managed to kill or wound him and it went all over the news. Or attacked multiple people in public and they were found out to be tied to FATE. By association, even if we didn't do anything or tried to help, people would look at what happened in those cases, if big enough and doubt us because we would be seen as just as bad. Doesn't matter if we aren't. The larger opinion wins. Perceptions are fickle. They change suddenly based on the person Aki.

“What I did when I came here was, in my eyes, for good reasons. If you believe that. Most don't care though, and they don't have to. No one likes to be deceived. Especially when those people thought they knew you and were your friends. It hurts much more.” His tone softened just a little, still factual. “Which makes the anger that much stronger.” A soft exhale through the nose ended the rant. He was going to pat her on the shoulder, as if to switch topics but then he remembered he couldn't, and so ran a hand through his hair instead.

“ Let's change topics though, unless you like conversations like this, I could show you my tattoo if you're still curious.”

Aki listened to what he had to say, her expression not really showing any indication of what she was thinking. She heard him, but she still didn't really understand it. Or rather, she didn't care to. The whole thing just seemed dumb to her. They were mad because, what? He lied? He didn't tell them everything? Because some other people may give them some flak now because of him? Not that those people made any more sense. To Aki, Zosar was probably the friendliest spy in existence.

“...You're too nice,” Aki stated suddenly, perhaps with a surprising touch of seriousness. “Which just makes them dumber. You really care. If you didn't, then they would be worse off, but they don't see that. And if they're too dumb to see how nice you are, then that's their loss,” She added simply. “You still probably shouldn't let them punch you around just to be nice, Zosar…”

Though with that, the short burst of serious Aki seemed to dissipate as she grew distracted with his offer. “Ooh, yes, yes! I wanna see! I've been wanting to get tattoos like Mama.”

The reply had him smiling. Though with the topic shift by him he didn't tread on that. He nodded a sure. Whistling out to Gale, the Tigress stopped with perked ears and looked back at them.

With a gesture Zosar nodded towards the park ahead. Picking a random spot Gale laid down with a thump. Tail up then curling lightly behind her.

Following suit Zosar sat down not far from her. Giving enough space so that Aki at least would be able to see. Most people in the park either walked a dog or were strolling by. The atmosphere was far simpler than the more serious conversation.

“Alright so my tattoo as I said isn't just any tattoo. It's what my mom gave me on my twelfth birthday.” Muscles rippled, revealing underneath skin as he began pulling the makeshift vest jacket off. Scars that hid under the jacket as a random line or small dot, made their appearances. Some crossed, some were alone. With the jacket fully off the scars from the burns on his left shoulder was now noticeable. What might have been noticeable though was that unlike the burn scars, the few visible lines or random dot on Zosar's back were extremely lighter in complexion compared to the darker burn scar. Overall none of that really mattered in the moment as the meister turned his back to the Weapon.

The tattoo used black, purple, azure blue and gold ink. It was a claw, wrapped in a whirlwind of what has to be wind according to the blue lines, magic circles wrapped in runes sat on each digit, gold in color. Overall it looked like a bestial claw summoning some sort of menacing power with how the wind seemed to be affecting everything around the disembodied hand.

“Having a tattoo bestowed on you by a Witch you are close to has a symbolic meaning. Kind of like the Yakuza in a weird way. For someone like me, it's basically a badge of honor in my mother's House. They always bestowed things like tattoos and jewelry as badges of honor or reminders of failure.”

Aki sat down on the bench, still lightly rubbing the head of the small lizard in her pocket. “What’s different about a witch tattoo versus a normal one?” She asked, trailing her eyes along the various markings before settling on the tattoo itself with an interested hum.

“In the realm, as a magic-less being I would be nothing more than a peasant to the eyes of the most Realm born witches, especially those of the High Court rank or above. With the tattoo, it's like a badge as I said. It's not a common thing most Houses do in the Realm, according to my mom, only a select few make an exception. Mine, Ark, I hear Gav, is somewhat similar. This tattoo, like our soul basically is a symbol of power in reach. What was your mah’s like?”


“Hers are mostly on her arms and hands, clouds, dragons, ‘n demons ‘n stuff. She also has an oni mask on her hand so it looks like she’s wearing a mask if she goes like this.”

Referencing that, Aki practically facepalmed with the palm of her hand covering her lower mouth and her eyes peeking through her fingers. “Maria made me a mask like the one on her hand, so maybe I could get sleeves too like hers… Wait, could Maria give me a tattoo?”

He shook his head.

“Wouldn't count. It only applies to recognized individuals of the High or Royal status. Some esteemed Noble too. She comes from no notable house as far as I understand. I know she has a decent relationship with Rand, or can infer that much so that probably counts for something but normally it has to be from a recognized unit in the Realm for it to hold any weight. Then again nepotism is blind. In general though from how I understand it, when its from a House of powerful people it has bigger weight.” He explained.

“It'd matter to me,” Aki replied simply as she lowered her hand. “I don't want it to be some badge. I want it for me, or do only the fancy witches know how to make tattoos.”

“Well, that's different then.” Again he was going for a friendly gesture, but he couldn't. His hand went down again. “Man that is annoying to keep track of.” He huffed, only to move on. “If you want one for you, that's entirely different from me. You could ask her, but I doubt Maria would know anything about that sort of stuff. She’ll likely research it if you ask to give you something though.”

“Huh?” Aki hummed as she tilted her head, clearly not understanding what he meant. Though, given he quickly moved on, she didn't have much time to dwell on that confusion. “I guess so… Maybe if she researches it she'll start tattooing her dolls to make them look cooler.” A random though, though it seemed perhaps unlikely for Maria. She slumped slightly against the back of the seat before straightening up quickly. “Ooh, does Ark do tattoos??”

“Lets ask.” He sent the message to see. In a few short moments the reply came back.

“Why are you asking? Do you want to join my House? Lol, I’m joking. Never say that joke in the presence of my aunts though.” He read aloud.

“Why not? Can his aunts give tattoos?” Aki pondered aloud.

Reading the following reply, “I won't ask them to do that they will think you are trying to marry into the family by asking them that. Literally. One of them might assume you're hitting on them.”

Zosar snorted. “Alright that's enough of that. We'll figure something out for your tattoo soon enough. You're 23, so you can get one whenever. Just lemme know when you do. The guy I know is a pretty good one.”

“...So… Asking for a tattoo from a witch is like… proposing?” Aki questioned confused.

“Different houses have different views of it. I'm pretty sure Ark was just saying that for his own reasons. It's not a light thing done to put it simply for those of us who have experience with some aspects of Wiccan culture.

“Also you do realize that if I'm the one offering to hook you up with these tattoos, it implies that I would be asking you to marry me? Unless you would prefer Ark’s or Maria's over mine.” The bit of amusement sprinkled in. The assumptions she was making were kind of funny though.

At that Aki just stared at him for a few moments, her face turning briefly red before she covered her face with both hands. “I-Is that how it works? Really??” She asked, somewhat flustered and completely misunderstanding the meaning.

Sitting beside her he leaned back. “If it did work that way, who would you pick?”Grinning like Cheshire from Alice in Wonderland. “Or if none of us fit your interests maybe you have someone else in mind?” Shifting forward to lean slightly towards her with a scandalous cocky snicker and up curled brow.

“Can't tell me in all your life as a Merc you don't have some good stories to tell between you and another. Someone that shaped your type.” Nudging her verbally.

Aki kept her face in her hands, hiding it from view as she turned away. “I-I don’t know!” She remarked in a panic. “I never worried about stuff like that!”

“Really? Never?” Though he didn't sound it, he was slightly surprised. Mercenary lifestyle was sort of wrapped around living in the moment. Everyday was a good day if you were still alive. It's what made him so eager to rush into the dating life, savoring different cultures and experiences wherever he went.

Then again, not all mercenaries had it the way they did as his old crew did.

“Well then, you'll have to start living a bit more from now on then. You're already on the right track.” Was his simple reply. “Bòlāng over there counts. Taking care of him yourself will be a good experience too. Romance and all that other stuff can come later. And don't worry about that whole proposal thing” said with a chuckle. “I was just messing around with you”, and a gesture to pat her on the back, that paused half way.

He frowned.Then sighed.

Kenny had been able to maintain contact with Aki with no harm at all. The Chimeric’s soul by misfortunate luck to his twin was better and stronger than his.

And he hated that on some level as much as he respected Kenny for the effort it must have taken.

Aki lifted her face up from her hands, looking at him with a flustered pout. “I am living!” She declared, lightly punching him in the arm. Obviously she had forgotten about the no-touch rule, resulting in a shock which caused her to recoil slightly. “Ow… I dunno,” Aki whined a bit as she leaned back into the bench. “I don’t really get a lot of that stuff… but even if I don’t, I still understand enough to know that I’m not like Feng or Nadia or Maria,” She remarked, seemingly some aspects of the Hawaii incident having sat with her.

“: Well, of course you aren't.” Rubbing his shoulder idly. “Two of them are taller than you and one is blonde. Besides, you all have your own perks, though the other three I would have to know better to really comment on theirs.” Though joking still serious in the end. “What came to mind for you to say that though?”

“...Right… Taller,” Aki murmured with a bit of narrowing of her eyes. The height wasn’t what she meant, though she did suppose it would be cool to be tall like Nadia. She sighed lightly as she took Bòlāng out of her pocket to hold in her hands. “I dunno… Just weird feelings sometimes since we drank that weird not-tea…” She said slightly deflated. “What are my perks?”

“I'm still learning all of them, honestly, but from what I know so far the thing I like the most, is the way you tackle things you don't understand so…freely. It could use some refining, consideration at times, but your tenacity to approach whatever you set your sights on with interest is something I like about you a lot. If that's one thing you never lose with time, I would be happy. People like you end up doing incredible stuff when you set your mind to it. Second is your willingness to jump into danger for someone because I could tell you were about to if Erica had pressed things just looking at the look in your eye when she was eyeing you. That protective loyalty is a good thing.” Leaving that in its own way, also hot.

“And, I'll admit, you have some beautiful eyes, as well as a pretty great figure. Those are just what I like though on a personal level. Consider that just a compliment.”

Aki seemed to uplift a bit at that, though she still behaved somewhat bashfully. “I thought the jumping around was starting to annoy people…” She admitted softly. The latter was true, though Aki didn’t comment that she would’ve shot the other girl without much care if Aki thought she was trying to hurt him. Regardless, his final comments caused her to look at him with a tilt of her head.

“I know I don’t have Feng’s figure… My eyes?” She repeated. Out of figure, Feng was the one that came to mind for Aki first, and she knew the two of them were complete opposites in that regard. Eyes though, she didn’t expect. “Thanks Zosar,” Aki replied, a bit more upbeat. “I told you you’re nice.”

“Nice ain't got nothing to do with it.” Waving the compliment off. “Feng is hot in her own way, sure figure wise she's rocking it, but like I said, aside from your eyes you've got your own charm.” Blunt as she would be and the tone to match how certain he was. “Really just about learning how to capitalize them when you're ready and find someone you like.” Throwing in some advice. “Now, you mind uh passing me my jacket. I know you like letting your eyes wander,” smirking just a little, “but I'm pretty sure you don't want to be eyeballing me the whole time.”

“Capitalize? How am I supposed to do that?” Aki murmured somewhat poutily. As he asked for his jacket, she pulled her eyes from him to grab it and hold it out. “Wander? Whaddaya mean?” She asked a bit confused. “Shouldn’t I be looking at you if we’re talking?”

“Let's start with the first question.” Taking it and putting it back on. “Experience is the easiest way to learn”, in contrast he often suppressed that desire but wasn't a point he made, “ I could be your wingman but” he waved his hand, “we can't touch. Explaining isn't really easy, it's more something you have to learn through experience. Unless you find some magical way to get rid of our soul’s effect on each other, wingman position is probably my best position.To learn, why don't you talk to Feng, you two are close I'm sure you could educate you. Elly is uhh” he made a face like he was really asking himself if this was a smart thing to do, “Elly is…good also. Just use common sense when you do make an approach before you jump in to do it.”

“And you are supposed to keep eye contact when talking with someone, but that's not what I meant.”

“Experience huh… I guess I can ask Feng,” Aki mused, supposing she would know about that. Elly she wasn’t sure about on account of having not interacted with her much. Though if Zosar said she was good, it was worth asking her what he meant. As for the matter of eye contact. “What did you mean then?”

He scratched a brow studying her for a moment. “...” opening his mouth to speak only to pause. Move a bit closer. “Be honest, because I noticed you did this a few times at Hawaii too. You oogle when you see someone attractive don't you? It's not a big deal I'm just asking.”

Aki tilted her head a bit. “I mean… Sometimes I guess? Am I not supposed to?” She asked curiously. “If something’s nice to look at, I just look I guess…”

An amused ‘eheh’ was the sound Zosar made. “You'll want to be more discreet. Not saying you're not supposed to but I've noticed you've been distracted from staring at my body several times. If you're that obvious about it, you'll invite attention to yourself. Like this.”

There wasn’t really a time to react between when he said it and when he acted. They were sitting across each other on opposite sides of the bench and although he had scooted slightly closer in the talk, the distance he covered in that one second, was fast. Surprisingly fast. Almost as fast as when she had been watching the fight except now it wasn't against an enemy he was close to, it was her. The scent of faint deodorant and fruity soap, faint sweat leaned dangerously close, eye to eye, inches separate as Zosar stopped right in front of Aki, as if catching her by surprise when almost walking into someone and said: “If I were a jerk I'd already have made a move” he whispered, eyes lidded, mismatched colors affixed to hers. Something burned in them as their eyes locked. “Some wouldn't hesitate. Keep that in mind in the future.”

And she realized what was burning in his eyes even without perception. It was carnal.

Aki’s eyes widened slightly as he leaned in, her face growing a bit red as she remained frozen there. She could feel her heart start to beat faster and her chest strain until he eventually pulled away. As the distance between them grew, she exhaled as she came out from her stun. “...O-Okay…” She murmured, still not quite entirely computing what was happening.

Aki had never really thought on matters of romance nor had many advances made on her, so these feelings were foreign to her. She didn’t know how to react, and so for once the girl was disarmed with her head turned down slightly with a pink hue on her cheeks.

“Ahh just like I said” was his remark. “The perks do shine especially well when you're flustered.” He grinned, backing away, as the light in his eyes vanished.

“Well, what do you say we head on down to grab something? I'm sure Gale’s hungry. Ain't that right?”

The creature yawned. Zosar chuckled.

“C'mon Blueberry.” Calling Aki over his shoulder as Gale rose from her prone position. “Let's get some food. Wouldn't want to shortcircuit you so soon just yet.”

Aki pouted at him, surprisingly not brought out of it simply from the mention of food. She hopped up to her feet, letting the small lizard sit in her pocket again. “Does he tease you too, Gale?” Aki murmured, patting her as she walked alongside the feline before pausing as if something clicked. “Wait… What do you mean just yet!”

“You'll learn in time,”Zosar chuckled. Walking ahead, as she eventually followed.

Collabers: EmperorsChosen

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Death City - Davis's Lab
Gauss - Nadia - Dani - Davis​

EmperorsChosen RedArmyShogun Sir Les Paul

---

0806 | September 23rd, 2067​

They were back in the Magitech Labs with Davis. Well, Nadia and Dani were back. Gauss had never been in these specific rooms. While he had visited the labs before, it was mostly for engineering purposes. His father pulled some strings and got him some goods. It was never this health or search sectors. In that way, this was more new to him than it would be either of them.

And, unfortunately, there was only one machine to do all of these assessments. The same one inside a cylindrical tube that had what seemed like a thousand arms with individual sensors on each.

Something Davis hadn’t considered was modesty. A few minutes were wasted with Gauss standing outside while Nadia got herself dressed in the testing garb, they swapped places with Dani and Nadia going outside while Gauss did the same. Granted, it didn’t seem anyone cared about the eyes of the doctor with the magitech arm. Though, that was likely because how little he gave a fuck about some nude bodies radiated off him pretty intensely.

In the end, Nadia had her blood taken first for testing and stepped into the scanning chamber. While the sensors were swirling around her and she was asked to either spike her wavelength or relax it, Gauss was being tended to by an assistant, doing the phlebotomy portion of the task. The catheter was still in his arm when he decided to finally say something.

”I didn’t realize Nadia was so damn nervous about seeing me again that she needed her partner to wingman,” Gauss remarked, being intentionally inflammatory although at least in good humor. The humor being the fact Nadia could hear them, but as long as the machine was running, she couldn’t communicate back.

For her part though Nadia could not speak, she held up a single middle finger in response.

Dani had a flood of thoughts and feelings after she came to and knew that Nadia was now touched by the same thing she was. Gauss, too, produced thoughts, albeit slightly different. With Nadia, Dani firstly felt shitty that she failed to stop her, relief that Nadia had survived, and now overall unsettled as she didn’t know what to make of the abilities. The intel that Gauss, too, had gone through the same event, while she didn’t want him dead, didn’t elicit the same concern in his personal safety. It did scare the hell out of her that these events were popping up more commonly.

Dani was content to mostly stay within her thoughts until Gauss made his remark, rolling her eyes in response. “Har-fuckin’-har,” She replied, arms folded across her chest. “Nadia came here with me when I did this shit… so I’m here. I can hold your fuckin’ hand too, since you’re Motley Crue ain’t here,” She retorted with a huff, though it was difficult to tell how much of that was returned humor given the girl’s perpetual scowl and tone.

”Oh, please do,” Gauss replied, laughing haughtily after releasing that subversion of her own sarcasm. ”I’ve wanted to see what the Maiden would do when he can stab something,” Gauss added, only further teasing Dani. He, too, was aware of her relationship. Of course, Dani was the one that chose such a nasty response, Gauss only gave it back to her warmly.

Dani opened her mouth to retort, her body reacting a bit too quickly for her brain to keep up and process the meaning behind his words. ”He—...What?” Her belligerence was instantly defeated, or at least put on pause as confusion took precedence. She didn’t know what it meant, aside from the literal meaning, but she knew it wasn’t only to be taken literally.

”Children,” Davis said, turning to both of them stiffly. Those eyes of his narrow and cold, not unlike those of Nadia, but far less personal. He was a distant scientist that cared little for what was in front of him and more about the bigger picture. Normally, he withheld his antisocial traits, but when the flesh sacks around him became especially annoying, there was a brief moment–a spark that shot across the synapses of his brain–that made him question whether some people were worth saving from that damned pandemic.

”You will sit in silence or unconscious–I care not which,” he told them and his tone told them all they needed to know about how serious his threat was. Davis could be incredibly kinda, considerate, and thoughtful, but when idiots decided to act like barbarians in his labs, all those positive traits flew right out the fucking window.

Dani cringed a bit as Davis cut in, deflating somewhat like a scolded child. She kept her arms folded, but otherwise seemed repentant. “...S-Sorry…” She murmured in reply, letting a long pause of silence sit as she turned her attention back to Nadia.

Silence fell over Gauss as well. It had admittedly been quite some time since someone chided him like that, and plainly, he didn’t take kindly to it. His left eye twitched and it took some amount of willpower not to make some snarky remark, but given Dani had already bowed down, Gauss could read the room. It was in his best interest to follow suit. ”Yeah… sorry,” he mumbled, not really enthusiastic or honestly even sincere with his words.

Davis didn’t care. What he did care about were results–which he got.

In more ways than one, as it turned out. Davis had tried to create rudimentary sensors for the type of energy emitted when Dani used her scorpion tail. It was far from perfect. It could not measure the amount or the intensity, nor did it give any insight as to what this new source of energy was. All it did was confirm whether or not it was present. Nadia presented a problem in that something had clearly occurred to her and the crystals in her palms supported it, but no amount of energy radiated off of her. It wasn’t until she was asked to perform some menial exercises inside the chamber that finally the sensor picked something up, probably solely due to the increased physical activity.

That was at least some type of data. Given that the new ability Gauss gained was considerably different from what Dani had, it stood to reason that they were a diverse set of abilities. It couldn’t determine if they would always be different or if like souls they could overlap, but it stood to reason that three very different individuals spiritually would have three different abilities physically. This also meant that Nadia might have something that required more coaxing to use or conditions. More study was needed.

Nadia and Gauss swapped places. Gauss resisted the urge to make a comment as they did. While he was all for jokes and teasing, he wasn’t much for pissing off Davis. Now Gauss stood inside the cylindrical chamber on the other side of the wall with a barrier of obsidian-impregnated glass to keep the chamber from being contaminated by other spiritual sources. Machines behind them performed various tests on the blood and tissue samples taken from Nadia and Gauss. Dani also had a sample taken if only because it would save her a follow-up later, as she had still been doing those willingly at a local clinic.

Similarly, Gauss was now going through the ropes. There were eight-hundred some-odd sensors on the machine relevant to a Meister, but thousands more to be considered for Demon Weapons and Witches. It took some time even for the preliminary scans to complete.

”With miss Ethalyn, her tail can manifest subconsciously or at will. With Mister Thales, his arms are much the same way,” Davis said, speaking to Nadia during the silence. Though, by his sterile tone, it was fairly clear this wasn’t some type of preferential treatment. It served a purpose.

”In your previous mission and in a mock threat test, you did not conjure such a power,” he went on, ”and from that, we can determine that either their threshold for a threat is lower than yours or that you may not create something that is an extension of your body. We do not yet know the nature of these abilities. You may have gained a passive effect. There may be some other conditions to utilize it. I am inclined to believe those organic crystals in your palms are connected, but not how.”

For her part, Nadia seemed to take the test well enough, and oddly said nothing mean to Gauss upon their brief passing. She also seemed to be at least attempting to not have such a sour look to her face, which was a bit trying she would admit if pressed. Still, now it was Gauss’s turn in the machine, the question was if she should have fun at his expense, but she doubted Davis would be too happy if she did. Giving a nod to Dani as she addressed what was being said to her.

“I’m sure they do. But I don’t know what it called to me, so I went to find answers. It's a bit odd how this is happening to us and to that freak… All I know is in my reflection, or reflections, one was armed with a rifle and the other a greatsword. Also, by all rights, their desire to exist is what made me win. It may be because of this the powers are not yet known to me. Or it could be as you said. Maybe there is a trigger I have not met, like some sort of bad video game.” With her arms crossed Nadia watched the machine at work with some curiosity.

Davis was hoping that his commentary might draw something out of Nadia that could have been of some analytical use. Something to help diagnose her condition. Alas, she mostly reiterated what she had already said or otherwise written in a report. Davis was a man of science and these odd events that occurred amongst agents seemed like psychology and dreams. Not his field, not his concern.

Silence continued. Davis didn’t make small talk and there was little reason to try and make any given what had occurred last time.

The tone of things changed pretty drastically a good two-thirds of the way through the experiment. The results from the blood tests had been coming, specifically in the order they were taken. Dani, nothing important. Thankfully, not with child. Nadia, again, nothing out of the ordinary. Also, not with child, but far less likely regardless. Then finally Gauss. What Davis found forced him to change the parameters of the test. A lot, actually. A frustrating amount, in fact, but fortunately, not due to any fault of the Meister. That spared him Davis’ fury.

”Mister Thales,” Davis said over the intercom, ”we’ll need to restart your tests from the beginning.” Davis was already recalibrating the machine.

Gauss squinted, similarly to Nadia, the acoustics were so poor that he couldn’t exactly speak back easily. Instead, he shrugged and flung up his hands in gesture, body language being pretty clear: he wanted to know why.

”Well, Mister Thales, it appears you have a recessive Weapon Gene. That means for that accurate results, I nee—”

His wavelength spiked. Erupted, actually. This information hit him like a semi-truck cruising down an interstate. Davis probably didn’t know nor care about the Thales family drama and how it centered around his siblings being Demon Weapons and subsequently joining the DWMA, but it opened up a whole can of worms that even threats from the doctor couldn’t immediately quell.

”The fuck do you mean I have a weapon gene?” Gauss asked, shouted even, loud enough that even through the two layers of thick glass and testing equipment, his voice was pretty damn clear. That, combined with the fury and confusion radiating from his soul, made it real obvious that something triggered him. Davis was a Meister once, too, so he could see just as clearly as Nadia or Dani.

Nadia for her part watched the proceedings with some interest, mostly as she also had little knowledge to the Family and the importance, or rather the disdain for having weapon genetics. Or so she assumed it was that. Or was it the reverse? Either way he wasn’t happy and was only now showing clearly that that wasn’t the case. Whatever nerve Davis had hit was one hell of a big one.

To which Nadia was amused by, though, she had decided to change, the fact of the matter was this was a giant chink in his armor. Still, it would be in poor form to use it against him, as distasteful as if using her own dead family against her. Nadia had not been ordered to act and while the Meister was starting to lash out a bit, Nadia would try a different approach in dealing with him than the physical one. ”Gauss! Calm yourself! That equipment costs more than we make and I doubt you want to ask your father to pay for it. Just let Davis talk.”

Dani mostly sat in silence as the tests went by. Her eyes narrowed briefly as it was determined she wasn’t pregnant and murmured a ‘No shit.’ to herself as the time went by and Davis explained what he noted from them. Nadia’s abilities were a mystery, if she even had any, and Gauss had something similar to hers. She expected it worked the same, feeding off oxygen levels. What she didn’t expect was the outburst that followed.

“Fucking Death… What’s the big deal? All that’d mean is that you’d be a Demon Weapon… but you’re obviously not. That is how that works, right?” Dani posed, not entirely sure why he was reaction to such an extreme.

Davis was an adult. Mature. Level-headed. Sure, he snapped at them before, but as the real adult in this situation, he knew when it was time to give ground. With a few button-taps, the glass cylinder slid open along its circular path. Followed by the door to the testing room where the others resided. Gauss stormed through.

”It is a recessive variant of the gene,” Davis stressed, trying to at least keep some modicum of control over the situation. By speaking first and providing relevant information, he could at least control the flow. Not that he would shut the young man down if he were to vent more, but this type reigning in was often a good tactic in damage control.

”Weapon genes are complicated. They are sex-based and differ between the male and female variants. It’s not actually as simple as just having one or not. They are rooted in magic and are somewhat volatile. There are stand-out families of Demon Weapons, like the Nakatsukaka, with unique genetic traits not present in others. A recessive gene like this only occurs when both parents carry a non-dominant allele… which makes it quite rare given most variants are dominant by nature. For example, Spirit Albarn must have had one non-dominant and one dominant a–” Davis explained, giving a fairly in-depth run down of precisely how this type of situation worked. Dani only scratched the surface of how it worked. Then again, according to Davis, this was a result of two very complicated subjects: genetics and magic. Neither of which were really, truly understood.

Either way, Gauss interrupted him.

”So, you’re saying my father must also have this gene?” Gauss asked. Simply. Quickly. Surgically, even. His soul was rolling in anger and confusion. In fact, Dani could probably relate to him right now more than she cared to admit. Her Murderous Soul would have fit perfectly in his hand.

”Correct. If both matched sets of genes do not carry the allele, it would either not be present in the offspring or dominant,” Davis answered simply. He knew the Meister was still angry, but at least he wasn’t being belligerent.

”In light of this news, doctor, I would like to do this testing some other time,” Gauss said. It wasn’t a request nor was it aggressive. It was the type of neutral political statement one made when they were trying to navigate a tumultuous social situation.

”That may be wise, Mister Thales. It will allow me to focus more on the mystery of your partner. We can reschedule this another time,” Davis answered, honestly finding this outcome better than having the enraged young man in his laboratory. He could be someone else’s problem. Besides, resolving it verbally was an amicable enough end.

There was also truth to the statement that focusing purely on Nadia might be the better route at the moment. Gauss could at least use his abilities. Nadia seemed to gain nothing thus far.

After that conclusion, Gauss began to get dressed, pulling his pants over the testing gowns, and really giving no consideration to modesty. Though, that much was easier putting clothes back on than removing them.

Whatever was going on here, gave Nadia pause as she tried to recall what bit of history the brother had shared with her, with some others too for that matter.

’Didn’t his father partially disown his other sons and daughters for joining the DWMA and for being weapons? How fitting that unknowingly the father himself was the cause of his children being this way… Wouldn’t that mean the mothers also had that gene, knowingly or not? Or am I just overthinking all of this? That meeting was so long ago.’

”Not to run Gauss off so quickly, what is next for me on this agenda? I’m a bit eager to find out what happened to me. A word of parting Gauss, just take the document or test result with you, I doubt your father knows of it. If he does, then by all means, do what you wish.”

Gauss only nodded in acknowledgement before he left. He wasn’t in the right mindset to be discussing such trivialities with Nadia or to even parse her advice. He already knew exactly what he wanted to do: confirm it and learn. Davis probably could have done this, but it was clear the doctor there was more interested in their abilities. That was fair. Gauss could find a specialist elsewhere.

And, with that, Gauss was gone

”I'm neither familiar with the Thales family history nor do I care beyond their roles in manufacturing my equipment,” Davis answered, waiting some time before he finally voiced an opinion. While it was cold, he was at least considerate enough to wait until Gauss had left earshot.

”I get the feeling you don’t actually care about the genetics, so I’ll keep it simple: there are thirty-four known alleles for the Demon Weapon gene. Between those and just plain not having the gene, I shouldn’t have to explain the number of combinations. It is feasible his mother either had the same allele or a dominant one that was just not passed down. In either, it doesn’t matter; both of his parents must have had the allele, including his father, else this situation would be impossible,” Davis told them, giving them an extremely stripped down explanation of Demon Weapon genetics. They had learned in EAT class that geneticists were studying it and how it had affected the human genome, but never just how complex it actually was.

With that said, Davis opened the door to the room and walked out, turning back to both Nadia and Dani. ”It doesn’t appear I’m going to learn anything of value with the rudimentary testing. It’s time we tried some more practical tests,” he told them both, ”so, to a different room we go. No need to get changed yet.”

As promised, he led them to a room similar to one Dani had been in previously. Specifically, the room where she used her tail to melt through multiple inches of reinforced steel in the wall. The room was slightly different with upgrades and modifications, but most notably was that it had a cylindrical scanning chamber similar to the one at the Venus Lounge that Charles had them use.

”Get in, get scanned, then you’re going to get into a suit I’ve designed since last time to get me accurate vital signs during various tests. You will have a very small needle, about a millimeter, in your arm the entire time. It might be slightly uncomfortable, but in my testing, most people got used to it. Just a warning for when you feel the prick,” Davis instructed her, then providing an explanation of what was going on and even some expectations. Despite how cold he was with Gauss, his bedside manner wasn’t absolutely atrocious.
Not really understanding half of what the man said, Nadia gave a shrug of sorts before speaking, ”Pretend you are speaking to someone educated by volunteers in a refugee camp. Still, whats that mean that the Father has random odds of turning a child into a weapon?” She said in passing while following along to where the director had guided her, it seemed yet more tests and machines awaited.

”Da, A needle shouldn’t be too much though I wonder.” Nadia then proceeded to the test chamber waiting for any sign of what to do next. Calm and methodical.

”I’d rather just stop talking about him entirely,” Davis said in response to her request to dumb down what he said. Truth was, it was just a distraction from what mattered: the testing.

The scanning machine truly was identical to the one used in the Venus Lounge. One of the lab assistants came by with a marker that would stamp three dots onto Nadia. Skin-safe ink. These little marks were put on her thighs and her shoulder blades alongside a few other places here and there. They were guide marks. Once she stepped into the machine, lasers shot out to align the scanner and they used the dots as a guide. It only took a minute or two for a full 3D composite of Nadia to pop up on the screen which admittedly was faster than the one in the Venus Lounge, but not by much.

It couldn’t have been fifteen more minutes until she had a full, skin-tight bodysuit printed and assembled by the technicians in the same room. Doctor Davis only did a few small steps in calibrating the sensors. And, oh boy, did it have sensors. Pulse oximetry measured at multiple points, the ability to do blood pressure on the fly, multiple skin sensors, a heart rate monitor that sat both between her breasts and over her left one to get a dual reading, and multiple metallic sensors placed directly on her skin to measure various pulses through the body. And, yes, of course, a needle that indefinitely penetrated her left arm once she wore the suit. That was likely the most tedious part of putting it on. It was inserted via some sterile field and a bubble was made around it before the rest of her sleeve was put on. Partly to avoid infection, but mostly for accuracy.

After that, it was back to an isolated room, though this time more of a hands-on testing chamber than the highly-calibrated one full of sensors like earlier.

”The goal here is to get a baseline since this might take a couple tries,” Davis said over the loudspeaker.

Following that, the floor itself opened up in a spiral pattern. Up from a hole roughly two meters wide came a large metallic pillar about half that and two meters tall. Unfurling from around the core were ten metallic arms with perfectly articulating joints, all attached to a short, cylindrical core. Bright blue lights emanated from the core as well as the joints of the arms when they were stretched wide enough. It had a abdomen-like structure where the bulk of the arms attached, then a main portion where two shorter ones were. Despite that, it most definitely looked more like a squid or octopus than it did some type of spider. Given it moved very fluidly, it would make sense if water came to mind.

”The next generation of my non-lethal combat drones. You can give me a review later. For now, I want you to try and fight it without using your wavelength amplification. Given that your abilities are tied to your breathing, we might as well skip to getting you winded,” Davis said, providing what little instruction there was to the situation and more so some insight as to what the Hell Nadia was actually seeing in front of her.


Following the procedure, Nadia complied with very little being said and only showing a slight twitch of her jaw as the needle was inserted and the host of censors and readers were added, patched and wrapped around her body or between various regions, she exhaled a bit about having to put on the skin tight suit as well. While it was interesting for the defense it provided, she still much preferred having her normal clothing over it. Though, it wasn’t enough to cow her, she still stood tall and without a hint of fluster.

”The needle is new, but the suit and machine were in one like this only a few days ago.” Nadia added in an offhand manner. As the sensors were calibrated and the initial movements were carried out, soon a hole opened in the floor and Nadia was face to…sensor eye with a mechanical drone that couldn’t decide if it was a squid or a spider.

”You want me to fight that thing with just my normal self?” Arching an eyebrow she shook her head and let out a sigh, waving her hand dismissively as if to say ‘Get on with it.’

”Alright, offensive mode it is,” Davis announced. He had thought Nadia would start off trying to attack it, but he was clearly incorrect. No matter.

A few more button presses and one long slider being drug resulted in the drone coming to life. Though, it had to be heavily slowed to make it more feasible given that Nadia was to be a target.

The drone moved far quicker than one might have expected it to at first glance. Its arms moved by expanding and contracting between their plating, and by doing so, it could cover fairly large distances all at once. It wasn’t but a second or two that its arms were in range of Nadia and as one might have expected from a drone designed to be non-lethal, its first incoming attacks were actually attempts to restraint or grapple, swinging its top arms widely at Nadia, somewhat like lassos, with the intent to wrap around and thus capture her.

Be it because of her handicap that was forced upon her, or wishing to seek out any advantage to this unnatural enemy, Nadia did not take the first swing. Though it was possible she could have been fatigued from the previous handful of days, or thrown off her game so to speak with regards to these new powers, she remained calm and launched herself into a counterattack striking out with a stance based upon Sambo, she used shallow and swift kicks on the lower supporting arms and bashed her forearms into the mechanical arms, aiming to get in close and pull off a combination of punches, while not wise to get in close to a constricting enemy, Nadia had little choice and hoped to outperform the mechanical menace.

This dance continued on for some time. The drone adapted to her fighting style, but it never sped up or became impossible to deal with. What Davis actually did was program it to learn from her patterns and adjust its movements and techniques to account for them. In that way, it did not become artificially more difficult, like increasing the health pool or damage of a boss in a video game. It was more organic, like learning from an actual, intelligent opponent.

In a different context, one might have considered it fun. Given that this context was fairly intense cardio after an already-intense week, it probably didn’t come off as such.

In either case, Nadia was unintentionally seeping out some of her wavelength to bolster her body. This was a subconscious effect that most Meisters had unless they trained quite specifically in Suppression. It wasn’t a problem, it just happened to delay the onset of fatigue. But, eventually, Nadia did reach that point. Heartrate at 167. Breaths per minute 28. Adrenaline spiking, perspiration occurring, pupils constricting. It went on for some time before Davis called it off.

After seeing her oxygen levels fluctuate but no sign of that energy Dani had when she made her tail, he didn’t believe this was the route her abilities would manifest. That said, he was a scientific mind and he was nowhere near the amount of failures it would take to make him believe she didn’t gain something. Especially given her hands had those crystals.

”We are going to try a different method of examination,” Davis said via the loudspeaker. Following that, the drone halted its attack, then returned to the hole it originated from, wrapping around a steel pillar in such a way its arms coiled tightly all so that it could once again fall through the floor.

Now, two large but skinny pillars rose from the ground. They did not need the spiral cover as they were integrated seamlessly into the floor. From each of these pillars started erupting small streams of flames, specifically casting an overlapping net with each other until they connected and created what looked like a wall of fire. In reality, it was more like a wall of flaming gas being shot at laminar flow, but that didn’t matter.

”Miss Ethalyn and Mister Thales now possess some inherent resistance to fire, specifically their flames. However, neither are immune to burning. The flames you see in front of you burn at a fairly low temperature given that they, in fact, fire. I want to test your resistance to them without actually causing you harm,” Davis said, explaining the purpose of this next set of equipment.

With the tiring workout out of the way, well, sort of out of the way and the battle not really reaching an end for either combatant, Nadia was at least panting a bit as she stood up to see what was next from the magitech quack. It was a good workout at least, but nothing came of it, though she was aware that her wavelength activated a little throughout the test, it didn’t seem to be significant enough to call off the test at least.

However what was to come next did have Nadia doubletake on the doctor via the window behind her, as the pillars came up from the flooring and started to project flame, he then basically asked her to stick her hands or maybe her body into it, if not between the two projectors, she didn’t much know nor care if he heard what was next. ”Better not be wrong, a little fire never hurt anyone I guess.”

With that said she decided to take the direct way, mustering her courage to walk right through the wall of flame, clenching her right fist just a bit.

The outburst was odd, though Dani wasn't going to start pretending she understood Gauss’s family. She hardly understood Davis's explanation. While she got the gist from his brother, that didn't explain why his dad having a recessive weapon gene was such a problem. Regardless, she had to worry about Nadia right now, mainly because Nadia, of course, didn't worry about herself enough.

“Uh, what?” Dani spoke in exasperation. “It's fire, what do you mean test it without hurting??” She questioned, but of course Nadia just rolled with it. “Don't just shrug and walk through it!”

”Fine! I’ll just walk up to it and do whatever.” Nadia said in response, looking at the curtain of flame, awaiting further instructions. Fortunately, it didn’t take much back and forth before something happened. It wasn’t what anyone might have expected and only indirectly involved fire, but was something. After a few simple tests involving nearing the fire and seeing how close Nadia could get to it without it becoming uncomfortable or painful–which surprisingly was much closer than even she would have guessed due to her new resistance–Nadia felt a new sensation.

”I didn’t mean do that either you idiot!” Dani remarked.

It wasn’t easy to describe. It was not something she saw, heard, smelled, or otherwise could compare to her normal senses–even Soul Perception. Instead, it was a more general awareness. Almost, even, hyperawareness. This might have been a moment where Gauss might have actually been useful if how he felt magnetic fields was anything the same. Unfortunately, he was not present. Regardless, what it was that Nadia felt was the heat. Specifically, the heat from the left pillar shooting fire. Over time, it had in fact conducted plenty of the heat from the burning gas. Nadia may not have felt anything special about that fire, but it did call to her left side.

”...” Pausing to focus on her own senses, she felt a compulsion, or a drawing of her left towards it, the flame pillar on the matching side. Yet nothing was felt by the right, communicating this, she speaks up; ”Hey, Davis, I’m going to stick my left hand towards the fire, my instincts tell me to do it, and this crystal is getting a little warm. The right, I feel nothing out of the ordinary.” With that said, Nadia pauses for a bit, then reaches out with her left hand, just to the edge of the flames , presenting the base of the base of the crystal in her left hand as best as possible and moving forward ever so slightly.

”Your instincts… fuck me…” Dani groaned in exasperation as she ran a frustrated hand through her hair.

As her left hand neared the metallic pillar, it became clearer and clearer that the excess heat within the metal of the pillar was absolutely the source of this sensation she felt. Her resistance to the heat was made most clear during this exercise. It was not an immunity. Her left hand itself was markedly much more resistant than the rest of her body, though, as it should have been blistering at this point but now merely felt as if it were touching a warm plate. Further down, her wrist and forearm were becoming more and more uncomfortable.

That was until that left hand of hers neared the pole within two, maybe three inches. At that point, a brand new sensation occurred alongside a phenomenon none of them likely expected, though at this point, expectations were shifting every other day. What occurred was the very heat from the pole was absorbed into that blue crystal, literally stealing said heat until the pole began to reach room temperature if not slightly below it. As a side effect of this stolen heat, the rest of her arm was no longer uncomfortable as there was no radiant heat to burn it.

Notably, Nadia still couldn’t feel the fire in the same way nor could take anything from it.

In that moment, two simultaneous things happened. That sensation Nadia had began to extend, beginning to reach out further and further into the room to feel different sources of heat. The lights, their covers, the other pole. Just as Infrared could see heat, Nadia could feel it and felt it most clearly with what was already in her field of vision, though intense sources of heat seemed to stand out like a lighthouse amidst the fog.

The second was a feeling that occurred within her. The heat she absorbed seemed to go into her core, settling in her stomach, but radiated through her still. Most notably was that her right hand, the orange crystal, now began to glow faintly. It was connected to this same highway of heat that existed within her. A complex little network that as she was discovering gifted her several new, albeit somewhat confusing, capabilities.

Processing all the happened, Nadia pondered what to do now, it was clear she wasn’t fire proof, but the crystal in her left hand had taken care of the flames from the one pillar, rather, she had not taken any of the flame, of that she was sure, she had simply taken the heat from it. Simply, as if it weren’t a matter that defied many principles of soul and science.

”I’ve absorbed the heat, I can feel the heat of some things around me. Not sure how far out, like infrared, much stronger where I can see, that I can’t see it is like hmm… Your lights behind me I’m sure, intense sources of heat, nifty. The heat is gathering inside of me… I feel something from the right hand… I’m going to see if I can release it…” Unsure of how this all worked, Nadia backed away from the flame pillars and extended her right hand, focusing her attention and thoughts on the concept of releasing the heat through it. She had no idea what this would do, if anything at all, and pointed her hand away from the more expensive equipment.

Just in case.

The heat inside her flowed like warm water through a gentle stream. It was fairly easy to control. It might best be compared to flexing nonexistent muscles, like the peristalsis in a snake that moved its food through its tubular body. Not something one normally controlled, but in this case, Nadia could will it off and on instead of controlling countless little muscles to make the ripple effect.

By the end of it, all the heat she had built up gathered into the little orange crystal in the center of her palm. Not that it was emitting it yet, just that she could feel it. It continued to build, growing and growing like a balloon, and similarly, it felt like a bladder getting more and more full on a mission. If not let loose, it would eventually burst. Nadia was not yet familiar enough with the sensation to know how to do that, so it did eventually burst. Once it did it released a burst of raw and intense heat in front of her. The air visibly danced, like the distorted light above a fire, and air around her immediately raised several degrees, even more so than with the flaming pillars.

Enough to make her once again break out into an immediate sweat.

”Ha?” Feeling the heat build up and just how natural it all felt, it bothered Nadia on a level, she did not yet know what she could do, nor the heights it would take, only that she could feel it, it was like riding a bike. A bike she never once owned.

Bit by bit the crystal on her right gathered more and more of the heat and energy, but she could not figure what to do with it. Frowning a bit the energy did eventually release, and she was happy that her hand was intact, though the heat seemed greater than what she had released before, with sweat starting to form, she flexed her right hand open and close, turning her head to look at Davis and Dani. ”So, what’s next?”

Dani watched after her initial complaints and was pleasantly surprised that the fire didn’t indeed hurt Nadia. With a relieved sigh, the woman seemed to be able to absorb it and release it, though there was still the other crystal. “Okay, so you’re fireproof… I do kinda wonder if you could do that with fire like mine though,” She mused.

Further testing would prove Nadia was in fact not fireproof. Instead, she was in fact very heat-resistant. In fact, both of her hands were capable of holding materials around the range of two-thousand degrees Fahrenheit. Molten rock? No problem. Molten steel? Now, that would burn the fuck out of her. Learning these limits was important. There also existed a limit on just how much heat she could absorb, but that was more of an abstract concept that became difficult to put into words. It was a lot to say the least. Through various measurements, Davis was able to calculate that what she expelled in her right hand was roughly equivalent to what she absorbed through her left. It just happened to feel like more because heat was absorbed over time but expelled all at once.

Without data on Gauss, it was impossible to establish a real trend here, but Nadia was not immune to fire. A good, deep red fire burned at over a thousand degrees. While her hands might be able to touch without pain, that would be short lived as they would in fact begin to combust if she held them there. Not to mention, her wrists and onward were nowhere near as resistant as the rest of her body. Though, it did seem she was more resistant to heat than Dani, meaning without data on Gauss, figuring out what the baseline was proved difficult.

In the end, more tests were done for the sake of comparison on Dani as well. Dani was immune to her own fire, but not other sources of fire. She was somewhat resistant to flames and heat, but nowhere near what Nadia was. Nadia was also effectively immune to Dani’s flames if she was wielding her as a weapon, but not if Dani was alone. All of this became interesting and valuable data that was likely both useful to Nadia and Dani, but also extremely fascinating to Davis.

Davis may have been considered a master of Magitech, but that was not the only hat he wore. The advancement of Magitech required both understanding various forms of engineering and computer sciences in addition to calculation magic and the fundamentals of magic itself. One might be forgiven if they forgot Davis was also a Meister at one point and subsequently very well-acquainted in the spiritual arts. Anything like a magitech syringe that recreated a healing wavelength was his idea. Spiritual sensors? His idea. The healing centers for the soul after rejection or an intense fight? That was him.

Davis was a genius. He pioneered a whole field of science with Magitech that incorporated what was once three entirely separate fields, expanding science into two forces that were once so opposite they were literally considered the thematic opposites of each other. Now, with these new abilities, he was wondering what the new possibilities were. This clearly wasn’t spiritual, though it was clearly somehow connected. There was mana, no magic at play. He wasn’t even sure if mana could be used to recreate these effects as it did with certain wavelengths, whether it was minimal or not.

This was a whole new field to explore. And, right now, Nadia and Dani were his test subjects. But, as all things do, it did come to an end. Even someone like Davis couldn’t just keep infinitely testing these things without compiling the data, drawing inferences, forming hypotheses to later test, and of course, doing the same to Thaddeus for even more data. No, instead, he knew to end this before it went too far. He did wish for this subjects to return willingly upon request.

At present, both Nadia and Dani were inside the test chamber, Dani having joined in quite some time ago as Davis suggested both testing her for comparison’s sake but also to determine how the abilities interacted. Now, it was time for them to really push those boundaries.

”You have described that you can resonate while her tail is out at the detriment of your stamina and potentially stability. We have yet to determine if any of Miss Ethalyn’s abilities are enhanced during resonance or if it merely overlaps. I would like to test that, but first, I believe we should determine if there is any interaction between your abilities. We have thus far been hesitant to try, but I have brought additional medical staff in–just in case,” Davis announced over the speaker, recapping some of what was reported earlier while transitioning to this final stage of testing.

”If you two are ready, let’s begin,” Davis went on, not missing a beat or providing much time to reconsider. ”Miss Ethalyn, kindly transform into your partner’s hand and activate your tail,” Davis instructed.

“Just in case, huh…” Dani trailed off at his words. With a brief sigh and glance over to Nadia, she was quick to transform, shooting into her hand. Shortly thereafter, the blade hissed as fire sprouted from it and the tail manifested from the tip.

”Now, absorb heat from the standing pillar,” Davis instructed, shifting over to Nadia.

”And here I thought you would let us go home.” Nadia said dryly to the next set of orders, taking a few moments to stretch before Dani was in hand, her right in this case, though she pondered switching to her left. Could she absorb while holding her? Radiating heat with Dani in hand would be a bit, a bit what? Shrugging, she kept Dani in her left and walked to the pillar as instructed, outstretching her left as she looked back once more, ”If you want me to switch hands for this let me know.”

The more Nadia had absorbed heat, the more natural of a feeling it became. It was far from second nature quite yet, but it was something more easily controlled and less awkward to manage. Yet, still, just as she might have grown some level of comfort, a new factor was thrown into the mix. Heat flowed into her body as it did normally, storing inside the pit of her stomach, but she became privy to a new sensation. Something indescribably opposite to the feeling of what heat was in her new extrasensory ability. It wasn’t cold, but more akin to a place to put that heat. In a sense, if the places she perceived were excesses of heat, this was a pool that she could pour into.

”...what?” Feeling the sensation from the warmth again, Nadia wondered if there was a practical use of it, something to bolster herself internally or a transference…
Dani was that pool. Her physical form, specifically. Not her soul, not a wavelength. Nothing complex. Just the steel of her sword form. It was the repository for that heat and it happened to be placed perfectly in her hand.

”Going to try something, I’ll communicate it if something goes wrong.” Transferring the essence of the heat and flame, of the energy, towards Dani would be her first test, to see if her reasoning and gut instincts were correct. In doing so, Nadia effectively lightened the load on Dani. At least, for a moment. There had been plenty of time to rest off the fatigue of their previous mission and Dani hadn’t been testing long. In short, she wasn’t exactly lacking oxygen or energy for her tail.

It didn’t take but a few moments for the secondary effect of this transfer to kick in. It could best be compared to pouring gasoline on a fire, though perhaps a bit more controlled. The flames around Dani burned hotter, grew taller, and her tail even seemed to grow a foot or so in addition to its normal length. It was definitely harder to control; for Dani, it would be a lot like trying to stand on stilts. Not impossible, but easy to veer off if she didn’t pay attention. Risks aside, it most definitely granted new heights.

‘Tha’ fuck you mean if something goes wrong?’ Dani grumbled, staring out with narrowed eyes from the sheen of the blade. She watched Nadia carefully, or rather, their connection for hints of what she was doing and felt it hit rather quickly. ‘Whoa-whoa-whoa—Fuck—!’ Dani cursed as the tail sprouted further, waving and flailing around in a way that almost mimicked someone stumbling. Slowly, the waves of the tail calmed, swaying only here and there but in a much more controlled fashion. ‘...Okay… it’s fine. We’re fine—Warn me if you’re gonna do that again…’

’Ha. That would be implying I know what I’m doing with it at all. Though hmm… very interesting. I’ll dial back now, something to try again with future training, though I think that shit would burn me too if I’m not careful.’ Not absorbing further heat with her left hand, Nadia waited for the flame and tail to get back to a normal state, communicating what she had done, provided that Davis wasn’t already aware. ”It seems I can redirect the heat into my partner, maybe there are other things I can do with it all, but, it will only come with training or necessity.”

Davis took note of this occurrence before Nadia had even relayed it. He had infrared and other heat sensors in the room observing events in real time. Once Nadia absorbed heat, it seemed to vanish. It didn’t flow in her or remain in some pool. It must have been stored in some other way or in some other form. It didn’t reappear until she created that cloud of heat. It also didn’t reappear when she channeled it into Dani.

With that in mind, Davis did have the two go through a myriad of more tests, all simple. The results ended up being useful, though it was little that Nadia and Dani couldn’t have determined on their own. Clearly, Dani and her tail grew larger when empowered, but they were also faster, hotter, and specifically, her scorpion sting attack was significantly faster. Unfortunately, all of this testing was taxing. Davis wanted to do far more; he wanted to test the abilities while resonating and even if her flaming venom was more potent while enhanced by Nadia.

The taxation on their bodies, specifically that of Nadia who was less accustomed to the new ability, meant none of that was to happen. At least, not at the moment. Thus, Davis had them return to the observation room and Dani reverted to her human form. It was time for a review of the data and some of his inferences before releasing the two back into the public. Rather sad for him, really, given he was actually somewhat excited for more testing, but likely wouldn’t get to until after their next set of missions.

”It appears that you have a single-phase heat absorption ability. You don’t manifest anything of your own, like miss Ethalyn or Mister Thales. Furthermore, it seems as of now that you can only absorb heat from solid material. You may be able to absorb heat from liquid; you could test this simply by drawing a warm bath. However, you were unable to draw heat from the gas expelled from the pillars. This leads me to believe that your ability either cannot affect gas or it is simply much more effective with increased surface area,” Davis went on, providing the details he had taken from the assessment. Given his nature as a scientist, breaking this information down on a physical level did have advantages over testing it blind or some spiritual concepts shot at them as many mentors would do.

In that regard, there was a stark difference between Nadia and Dani at the moment. Nadia would find herself exhausted. Not just from that golem; no, she had the endurance to fight it for far longer. Instead, what truly drained her was the act of pouring heat into Dani. Absorbing heat and expelling it into the air or into a pillar took some effort, but it didn’t leave her feeling fatigued. Empowering Dani on the other hand was an absolute drain to her battery. They had only done it three times in this round of testing and as it stood, Nadia was more winded than she had likely been in years. On the other hand, Dani felt quite the opposite. The moment heat was poured into her, it was as if she was no longer using any of her energy. It was comparable to going from a light jog to a gentle walk, if not just standing still. She was refreshed, if anything. Given enough energy to perhaps be antsy.

”It doesn’t appear that you’re storing heat inside of your body from thermal imaging. For that,I have two working theories. One, when you absorb heat, it is converted into some type of energy. Whatever that energy is, it would not be spiritual or magical in nature. Two, those crystals may be part of a larger internal structure that both conducts heat and insultates it. Heat imaging can be blocked by many means, such as mylar foil, so it stands to reason those crystals serve a purpose,” he told her, just being blunt that he hadn’t yet come up with clear answers. Both explanations could make sense but they had not the time to test them.

”I would like to perform more tests, but I understand you will need rest for your missions. Due to that, we will continue another day. In the interim, I will allow you to request the fabrication of Magitech vambraces from the workshop below. They should prove lightweight and heat resistant, but also not interfere with your spiritual abilities. I shouldn’t need to explain the need for additional arm protection. Aside from that, I would suggest you avoid the use of Resonance and these abilities simultaneously. It is my understanding that Gauss was able to channel resonance through his flaming arms, so it stands to reason that there is some compatibility between the fire and your souls. That said, it may be an unwise risk to take given the toll it takes on your body. If that toll happens to also be multiplied, you might find yourself unconscious. I would rather that be tested in the presence of medical professionals,” Davis continued. He was a machine, really. Not necessarily trying to give them orders, but slipping instructions in with veil warnings of what could happen. There were a lot of hypotheticals here. A lot of assumptions, too. Vambraces might be useful, but he hadn’t even confirmed if Nadia would want them. He was a doctor providing medication before a patient even complained.

Worn out from the ordeal and taking his orders at face value, Nadia nodded her head in affirmation. ”So a skin tight armored bodysuit and gauntlets, the men in LA never stuck around to give it back. Ah… More things to wear under or over my suit, provided I just don’t take on a new look altogether. But yes, another day sounds good, I need some rest. So are we done here and I can get that needle taken out and what have you?”

”One of the technicians will assist you with the suit. I believe we keep refreshments and fruit on standby; you are welcome to it before you leave,” Davis informed them. It was his best attempt at bedside manner or some type of consideration; it wasn’t really sure which and honestly he didn’t put that much thought into it. His role here was done.

”In regards to any other equipment you have been provided, I cannot attest to it. Use it at your own discretion if you must,” Davis told Nadia, providing her that information specifically. Part of it was the honest truth, but there was a portion of his personal pride as an engineer. A certain assurance that anything he would have designed, in fact, would have been superior.

”Heh.” Amused by his reaction, she gave a shake of her left hand dismissively. ”Don’t worry, I got rid of it, not a fan of accepting one time deal items, plus it chaffs in all the wrong places. And da, I do think something to drink and some sort of fruit would be a good idea.” Releasing Dani, Nadia took a brief instant to stretch, briefly clenching at the rough movements of the needle, the meister exhaled and took a look at the now likely untransformed Dani. ”Dani, come with me once we are done here.”

Dani popped out of sword form as Nadia released her. Strangely, she felt better than when she came into the facility, a side effect of Nadia’s ability she presumed. Though, she could also feel the fatigue her partner had accrued. She found herself agreeing with Davis that such a move was better avoided given how much it drained her. “Yeah, yeah… Thanks Davis,” She said, firstly acknowledging Nadia before nodding to the scientist.

 

[The Regal Rper]

Ark & Feng | Death City | Target Acquired

25 Sept, 2067, 3:35 pm


There had never been that much of an interest in his more personal relationships so long as he hadn't done something that would cause untoward attention to reflect back in the Realm. Even when young it hadn't been so much as who he walked with but who he should be aware of and who to ensure he maintained connections with. Back then he hadn't earned his way in yet, not till he developed the gloves and not till he started making headway as an Agent.


Ark, unlike Maria, unlike Raph, had two lives. The human who was an agent of DWMA and Guild, and the Sorcerer that was an extended representative of House Astraeus.

Elly had done him one good thing out of the storm she had caused, and that was not telling his Aunt Luna or at the very least Petrea and Lenora, that he had been under the effects of the alcohol. By keeping it vague there was no certainty to trace back to Elly to confirm anything. His Aunt Noir had promised him she wouldn't betray his trust in sharing the details of what she alone had been told carelessly. And even if his parents or grandmother knew, they would be just less likely to make it known to anyone else knowing how he felt about the whole fiasco.

The awareness however that there had been in fact something that had happened during his time at Hawaii and he had lied about it to those that had asked when the revelation of the Prank had been made public knowledge, however had eyes right on him after Raphael’s visit following the run in with Elly.

In reality there was nothing he could do, and he knew being upset about Petra and Lenora speaking to others in the Realm about what they heard was nonsensical. Witches gossiped much like humans, Aunt Luna hadn't forbidden them from sharing. It was normal, but in the Realm, gossip not controlled for a High aristocrat was gossip meant to be watched carefully. Image and power in an oligarch society was everything, just as much as image was everything to a politician and failure to maintain those things was ultimately failure to maintain one's place in the Realm as a whole.

This in its own way, was just another of many tests. Much like the common antagonizing one faced in the Realm in general, learning how to stifle or manage the rumors that spread was just another of many tests that he would just have to deal with.

Though a self gratuitous House, Medusa and Shaula maintained their power and freedom solely because of the images they held in Wiccan society both separately and together, despite shrugging aside the banned elder of the Gorgon family like yesterday's trash to preserve their own lives.

Elly had told him not to fret, he was worrying too much. There were times where he was told that over and over by different people, people outside the Wiccan culture. And he had given her a disgruntled I’ll try on the text back.

She didn't understand. No one who hadn't lived in the Realm and learned its customs would. Being in the Guild exposed you to a fraction of Wiccan culture, the competition in the Guild between mages was just a watered down and diluted version of what the Society itself was like. No one who didn't have family that were within the higher parts of that society or were raised with the more rooted Realm principles that persisted even post Treaty would get it.

In all honesty he became miffed with her. He had warned Elly, and she had made it a joke. That was the sort of stuff that dug under his skin, got his blood boiling-- whatever beauty the wine had made him seem was revealing itself to be something of a somewhat thoughtless prankster that failed to listen to advice. Giving the names of the ones that had targeted him during the Hawaii fiasco was just negligent, not because his House would push him to reach out to those, but because he knew his House would look into it, and looking into it, meant others linked to the House would look into it, which created a chain reaction that would lead to an eventual necessity where he would have to act. Aunt Luna dealt in political affairs just as much as Grangran, amd Aunt Noir. She managed delegates that did work in and out of the Realm on some level. She had connections to find certain stuff out and her curiosity had been piqued, he could tell, upon meeting Elly, just as Petrea and Lenora had been interested upon finding more out about the Fiasco.

In the past they had hardly cared, but he had been younger then. If he had never made it into the House none of this would have mattered, but he had, and he knew, always known, that the more he assisted in bringing credit to the House the more attention he accrued to himself by extension. That hadn't always been something he cared about really, it was just part of how things were- Aunt Noir and his mother ensured his Freedom, Grangran and his father provided extended support, aunt Luna gave advice where needed-- but now there had been another shift. And it had been on the trip home with questions all the way back, an omen with how neither his grandmother or his aunt stepped in to tell them to lay off.

Iris, whom he talked with now and then ( Prizzy Kriyze ) had been a prime look into what such a life of intense fixation and control was like and Gav an insight into intense scrutiny and disdain. He had lived trying to guide his boat over waves, one created thanks to his achievements but ever since Elly had shared a bit more than even he had, there had stirred a buzz.

Petrea and Lenora had asked him the whole way, what else he was hiding, and later in the day when going with them to meet other Wiccan friends, they had already been filled in, probing and asking about if he had really been unaffected by the prank as he had said and Elly herself refused to clarify, they asked why he was still in FATE if he was doing better- erroneously assuming that getting over PTSD required a bit of time than actual recovery and through weathering it all they had merely taken his word for it when he had said he was in it by choice for his own sake and insisted that he hadn't been affected by the prank.

The walk was supposed to be clearing his head a bit, but all it had done so far was let it swim. Riding his bike was just asking for trouble, he needed a different kind of distraction. Perhaps he should see if Raph was available? Or he could find Maria?

For her part, Feng had by and large moved on from the events on Hawaiian Island, and from the mission and debriefing. Fortunately with nothing happening to her or Aki to warrant the lengthy debriefing that Gauss and his partners had gotten, she had the time to walk about Death City, mostly browsing for sales, or to just be out and about. In fact she had nothing of note to do, till Wes wanted to hear her playing the violin, and of course if Aki needed anything.

Just so happens where the two now walked would cross paths not too far away, having already apologized to the Mage, Feng saw no reason to avoid him, the events of that day were the work of magic and nothing more. And the mission they had ended without any problems for them for the most part. ”Ah! Ark!” she said calling out to him loudly, waving her right arm as she did so. ”You look a bit lost, something on your mind?”

He rubbed his neck. How to even go about explaining this, probably better to avoid it. Feng like Aki, like Elly or most, wouldn't understand. He smiled lightly and replied: “A lot of things, but stuff that's a bit difficult to understand. How are you doing?” Was the root question on his mind. Though he texted Aki more, he hadn't really talked to either as much since the Hawaii incident and part of that was to let the air clear, the Egypt mission helped reset things even more but with yesterday-- it was good he knew how to at least school in his own emotions.

”That so?” Feng said as she studied him, before bowing her head a little, right clenched fist rising up to be clasped by the open left palm. Bringing them up to head level, or where her head was, she gave it as a sign of greeting. ”Well then, what brings you here? I’m just wandering about and window shopping.”

“Same, er, with the wandering about I mean. Mind if I join you?” The request was polite, at least if she said no he would just move on, find some other distraction to keep his mind occupied. If she said yes however, Ark would follow along, albeit somewhat quiet, clearly still distracted if only partially now mindful of his traveling companion.

”Hmm, sure, I see no reason to tell you no, though I think you’ll find it all very boring, I’m mostly looking at plants, for grocery items, maybe some string instrument related items. Feng offered in short order.

“Instruments?” Latching on to that. “Do you play or are you just looking to get started in playing?”

Pausing to look at him, she was a little surprised by how sudden he was to call that out, though it was amusing. Nodding her head to the affirmative Feng was not afraid to share this fact with anyone. ”In my time with the Triads, Uncle Liu assigned me to guard his daughter, she was a little younger than me and often I would need to go to her social events, and the old man was rather Keen I pick up something not combat oriented. So, I was taught to play string instruments, I have a violin that was a gift from him after he was forcefully removed from leadership. I could extend the same invitation to you that I did to Wes, I don’t mind an audience to hear me play. Heh. I like to think I am some good at it.

To disclose that so freely was honestly nice. Ark smiled. “I would be happy to.”

The Triads though, Zosar hadn't been kidding about what he had mentioned. Having a feeling Feng had probably seen some dirty laundry after they had parted ways when the duo had walked in on the training session between him and Ark.

“The Triads, how long were you with them? If you don't mind me asking.” In a way, a door to out if she chose.


”Ten years. There is no point hiding what I was, after all it's not all that hidden, I did not leave on good terms and I’m more willing or able to talk with criminal elements. I’m from China obviously, but I have no idea where I was born. I just ended up at a Shaolin Temple in Hong Kong and spent a few years there, then Hong Kong, China in general of course and America, France and Holland. Why I work well with Aki, we aren’t normally the stock that makes it into the DWMA, so much as ends up fighting it. Interesting, no?” Motioning for him to follow she was keen to get on with what she was doing before, they could talk and walk.

”What about you, Magic Man? We all got reasons to be here.”

Following suit, Ark considered how to respond. The candidness she displayed was ..honestly not entirely what he had expected.

Then again, Zosar admitting he had been a spy was probably as far from being a spy as possible.

Perhaps his views from hunting and chasing, capturing and fighting mercenaries all around Africa, here, there, everywhere- had made him more cynical. If he really wanted to start fresh, reset, prejudices had to be left behind.

“You know what a battle mage is?” He asked a bit rhetorically, a bit curious about her understanding of the subject. Certain terminology used on earth had different meaning in the Realm, so he was curious if she might at least entertain him on where he was going with this.

Shaking her head side to side at mention of that, she carried on, honestly as always. ”Can’t say I do, the only mages I came across were low league, well minus this one asshole that was a jiangshi… Hmm, uh, type of vampire, and there was this one other mage in Chinatown in LA, Yang Shen, he was an old man that practiced sorcery, Triad though, so doubt you heard of him. That’s about all I know about magic, though I assume it's some sort of mage that learns combat skills.”

“Essentially” he nodded in agreement. “Offensive mages, real ones, are generally those that have abilities that give them physical advantages in some way. Medusa, if you know the history, was such an example. Speed advantages to overcome movement, long ranged attacks, misdirection. In any case, my skills, as you've seen, are good for all kinds of field work. Offense, Defense, Support, so long as I'm able to keep a bird's eye on my comrades I can provide some level of support that can shift the tide.”

“In Africa a year back there was this brutal fight that started in Congo Republic, spread across various major african countries. At the time I was starting to get ahead, DWMA, as you can guess, doesn't really get involved in political affairs, across the Branches that one thing is consistent. It wasn't until things got ugly with rogue witches that DWMA stepped in. To summarize, I basically went from working in magical missions and supernatural cases to fighting people. Mercenaries to be precise. Sort of like you and Aki, not as pretty as you two, not all at least, even less as decent as Zosar.” He trailed off in silence for a moment and tapped the collar. “I slipped up a few times about a year or so after we got involved with the war. The last time, I snapped I lashed out, kept lashing out. Hurt quite a few people that I worked with to put it simply. Nearly killed a few of them too.” And he recalled the manic desire to kill them so clearly in a way it made him frown.

It had been a chilling side of him he had no idea existed. Such rage, such bloodlust fury, the very things his aunts, his mother had praised him for. The shame never left when he recounted it. Reliving that electric moment even speaking it, the gloves he wore glowed for just a second and he didn't realize it. Though he had gotten better at not letting it show in his face or voice.

Noting the edge in his voice, then the glow of his gloves and how he told the story, it was clear without him stating exactly why he was here. It wasn’t for what he did, it was because he was haunted by what he did. Which reminded her of Aki and herself, or rather how different they were from him. Feng never felt bad about a single person she killed, nor did more than say a few prayers and make offerings to the graves of her Triad comrades, though that bit she hadn’t done in awhile, DWMA or not, going to Hong Kong would just invite trouble.

”Huh, well, I sorta do the same, on the whole killing others thing, Berserker trait goes along with my Utility Meister skills. It used to be our policy to have me lead the breakthrough or go into the most defended area, I would just cut loose, kill them all, the enemy of course, then just sit there and calm myself out of my rage. My sworn brothers and sisters would then carry out clearing the rest of what was left.”

“That's where we differ then.” Was his actually relaxed reply. “You managed control, I didn't because I never thought I had to. I always thought I was the one in control. And for that my respect for you is higher than you could possibly imagine.”

Listening to his words, she said nothing for a bit, causing herself to chuckle. ”You know, it's funny, doing that was good enough for the Triads but not the DWMA. Though it would take me some time. Though I’ll say it's pretty hard for me to go all out and work with others, it starts to become hard to know who is friend or foe. As to control as you put it, I spent many years in a temple as a child, and Uncle Liu really helped guide me. He was an honorable man and always wanted me to do the same. That's why I came here. I’ve got further to go before I can go all out. You should not be so hard on yourself. I didn’t kill anyone that didn’t have it coming, smart asses, rival gangs, people that stepped too far out of line.”

An amused huff was his response. “I could say I did the same, my regrets towards harming my fellows aside. And in regards to going all out I get you completely. I rarely get the chance unless it is already planned for me to be at the front. I assume you have some stories that you consider” he paused for a moment thinking of how to phrase this, then just went with, “amusing? I'll admit not everything was dark and grim. You have memories you would like to share, we trade perhaps?”

“Hǎo.” Feng said in short reply, before turning to think on his request, though likely unknown to him, she had said yes, or good in the sense of affirmation in her native tongue. “There are many tails I could share, Ha! I like a good bout, and have fought across many lands, well, not as many as you likely. The early years in the Wai Fang Triad’s, they will always have a special place for me. Shame they became what they are now. Though, I think Aki has more stories like yours. I was a footsoldier that became an enforcer. Then the new boss asked me to do something I could not, I went to that failure of an island program and have been under house arrest ever since, though the DWMA made the terms of the “house” to be rather large.”

“Paean” he realized aloud. “You were there? Huh, surprising.” Though deciding not to dwell too much on it he did hone in on what she said about her old Triad. “I assume new management took over? For the Wai Fang Triad I mean.”

”Yeah, I mostly watched out for myself, I wasn’t there for the full length more of a last minute add in, broke enough necks of those shit heads to be among the first out, nothing about all of that was fun, but I missed some of the worst about it. And hau, a new leader,I can speak of him when ever, we were like a family had honor and rules, but who took over wanted more money and more direct crime. Lead by fear..”

“Sounds pretty awful. And the rest of them just went along with that?” The effeminate voice made a sound of amusement. “Sheep, how pathetic. It is good, I suppose for you my dear, that your, mm, friends are at least not weak of heart-- unlike those pack mules you left behind.” Switching between them both in addressing and truly uncaring how caustic that sounded.

As they turned, Ark felt the release of magic, the telltale sign of Soul Protect being broken. The Witch nearing them, eyed Feng with bright blue eyes of intense interest and as she neared them while undoing Soul Protect her visage shifted. By nature most Witches held normal human features. Some of the more mythical traits manifested uniquely, like in the eyes forming strange shapes or designs or sometimes manifesting more obviously, and some became enhanced by nature of their magic.

The horns that sprouted from this witch's head as she undid her binding seal, and the intensity of color in her eyes, were no real indication to what sort of mythical or even animal beast this Witch related to but at the very least she didn't come off as hostile- even if the withering gaze she shot Feng in brief passing hadn’t totally passed being neutral or friendly.

Her eyes went from Feng to Ark, and Ark, if Feng were paying attention, had noticeably shifted in demeanor. He had straightened his back just a little the second he, the person addressing them, had lost all friendliness in his face and gone neutral so that by the time her eyes had gone to him they were locked in some sort of silent conversation. The only tell being the brief glimpse of curiosity that passed over Ark's face once they made eye contact

The stranger’s gaze would only shift back to Feng once she offered a reply to her remarks. Though Feng should have caught on quickly from that one look alone, this Witch was here for her and by some way knew Ark.

As this new woman, witch, whatever one wished to call her, made her presence known, Feng watched the reactions of Ark, he was clearly not pleased but not about to attack her either. ”Many went along because of loyalty to the group, others as they liked the new drug dealing habits, some as they wanted power at the old man’s expense. Some left, some stayed and were killed for speaking out. I assume you are here for one reason or another, and given Ark hasn’t attacked you, nor you me, you two know one another, yes?”

“Yes, we do. Care to introduce yourself or should I?”

A smug little smile came over the cold curious expression. “At your behest mi Laird.” Pronounced with a touch of curtsy to him that vanished as she shifted to Feng.

“I am Elvina Aquarius.” Her eyes turned to the Chinese meister. “Ark and I have known each other since youth but grew apart over years. I see he has certainly grown significantly taller than I anticipated. We were quite close until he left the Realm for Earth and later moved with his family to” and she sorely mispronounced it here, “Afereeka.”

The small little smile that came over Ark's face was not being hidden at all at the failed enunciation.


Elvina clearly didn't notice. Or if she did, she chose to clearly ignore the humor Ark found in it. “It appears my absence has let me miss a lot. Months away dealing in Realm affairs however will make anyone miss the important details till they return to Realm.[/color]” She stated as she stepped towards Feng. Perhaps only an inch shorter or two. Eyeing the meister with some sort of curiosity.

“And you, I understand, are one of those ruffians I have heard about, from FATE, yes? Lord Death’s project for the” her eyes didn't flick to Ark but the momentary pause saw she was considering her words, “estranged from the whole flock.”

In short reply, with a pinch of annoyance “Both of us are. I assume you haven't heard that I am also in the same program?”

The glance she gave him lasted a second or two long. “I see, my Matriarch and Lady Wanda failed to mentioned that.” Her gaze shifting between Feng and him.

The internal sign was not audible anymore than either of them could read his mind to hear it. Of course they would, the earth mage thought. Unimportant compared to the bigger picture of who he was interacting with.

If the war between African countries and the great advantages he had provided in being there had shined the light towards him, then being taught under Rand had been considered wonderful news and the awareness that both his fellow mages in this group were of notable families of business or links to individuals of skill had been satisfactory but now that the light was being shined on the more human counterparts…

None of it showed in his expression. Ark did smile politely and then said, “Feng do you mind if she joins us? I know you were out doing stuff, so if you prefer to get back to that simply let me know”, giving her a chance to dismiss them if she wanted.

Elvina’s cocked brow and lidding eyes didn't make it seem like she was expecting to be turned away. It seemed quite clear she wanted to join and if she didn't get authority the question became if Ark remained or would leave with her. After all, she had been just running errands before she met Ark and the talk had started. Dismissing them could be easy.

Listening to all that was being said, it seemed Ark and Elvina had a history, having moved past the events in Hawaii, she simply stared at the bear, before bowing her head lightly, introducing herself. ”Feng Long, and indeed I am of the FATE Program. As to her accompanying us, I do not mind, our meeting was by chance and hardly something that needs privacy. Though are you sure you wish to go Window shopping? You two likely have a lot of catching up to do.” Feng said with her street smarts redirecting the issue to the other two, or rather Elvina.

At the same time they both replied, It's fine.”

“Lead the way, Feng.”

”Ha. Well, alright then, there are a couple odd shops I’m going to go by then, though huh, you know, I do think there are some shops around here that cater services towards Witches and Sorcerers, I mean, I have no magic, so I’ve not been in them. Might as well walk by them as well.” Feng said, leading the trio down the old city streets, she had only heard about the shops from the Doll Maker, seemingly it was how she sourced materials from the Witch Realm.

It was called Wicked Street, more by the local youth as a nickname for the various magic based shops that had come to liter the place. Artifiers that dealt in illusion magic with cool moving pictures on paper, like a gif printed into reality for advertising or commercial uses. There were Enchanters working on minor gizmos and gadgets. Alchemists with potion shops. Apothic-Theatres that contained various ingredients for the use of Enchanters.

There was the Hob-Gob-Job store, a manufacturing Magitech based store that actually had ties to DWMA in security development and information gathering tools with the use of Magitech.

Wicked Street had many things, advertised to have everything, and was also Ark's place to shop. The enroute walk with Feng and Elvina was, overall, decent. And through it Elvina had remained dominantly a silent companion.

That was until as Ark stepped away asking the two for a moment of pause while he checked for some things at an Apoth-Theatre.

“So Feng, I'll cut the charade quick as I doubt you are a woman that cares much in the way of games, be blunt with me here.” Her eyes glanced to where Ark had disappeared through glass metal doors into the store, visibly discussing things with a worker there at one of the counters located on the side. A Sorcerer of some type, of which the two were exchanging conversation over some sort of plant item on display.

“I am aware that during the Hawaii event you were one of those affected by the misfortunate incident. Has he approached you about it since?” Blatantly to the point and if Feng noticed anything it was the lack of jealousy. More in fact, blatant curiosity.

Ah, so this is what this is about. Eying over the shops and curiosities Feng was curious about the magic gif like paper, Aki would get a kick out of it, maybe even Wes. Still, the woman had her reasons for asking, judging by things that were happening, he was likely wanted for courtship by the witches of the world, what with his family. Still it was something so ridiculous. ”Ha, if that has you all so worried then there are many other girls that will be talked about. But very well, I will give answer. As soon as control of our senses was returned, taken back, broken, I don’t know, I apologized before we even left Hawaii. He has not sought me out about it, nor I him. I’m not a fan of having my feelings and reason turned against me, we also worked a mission just now professionally.” Feng said in her accented english.

The next bit was likely best left out of earshot; ”He is well spoken and handsome, but I’m just a criminal turned hero, and honestly, given his family and their expectations, I would not pursue something off of a joke nor want to deal with his family or women like you coming around with the politics of your realm. I am a soldier and I prefer to live simply, plus, I’ve no wish to live in that realm of yours if I was forced to do so. I--”

Elvina snorted. And immediately she turned away with some distance. It took maybe two seconds with her back to Feng before she then turned back to face the Meister having taken in a deep breath and exhaled solely.

“My apologies.” Though the smile she couldn't completely erase, made it seem otherwise. “That was just a bit more than I expected you to say. The earlier half, I understand absolutely. What happened to all involved was unfortunate and of course, there would be no expectation of anything serious out of it, however” retracing her steps to Feng, mirth lost on her face, sternness solidified “you lack understanding of the Realm if you believe you would even be invited, let alone forced. Even with the changes non-witches unaffiliated to a House have no say in politics or affairs, let alone any awareness. That is something earned. If you have no interest, fine. Only one Human has that privilege and as I understand it, it had little to do with him marrying the Queen's granddaughter and had everything to do with his actions proving he was worthy of that privilege.”

When she stopped it was just with an inch of space between them. Nearly chest to chest, if not the space between bossoms and as she stopped she sighed. “I rather like your candidness so listen: My advice to you is ask next time you reach such a conclusion, find out the reason someone ‘like me’ is visiting before you voice something that could be taken as an offense. And let me be clear this is no love triangle, I may have just returned recently from months on a mission but he is quite literally free to do as he pleases according to my recent speaking with the Matriarchs.” She left out any taunts in the moment or any genuine irritation at the idea this Meister would have been competition solely because what Feng had said needed correcting. It was a higher precedent to make her see why what she said was wrong. Disrespecting individuals linked to Ark within his rank, wouldn't affect the outsiders, it would him. if she hated anything more, it was blatant ignorance. So she shared her own veracity. “Whether you believe it or not, this is simple curiosity. Showing interest in who he walks with guarantees nothing. My Matriarchs asked me to check in, and I personally haven't seen my dear in a while.”

Haughtily huffing as she distanced herself by a step, giving more space. “I will not share what you just said about not wanting to deal with ‘women like me or his family’” a tightness creeping into her voice, “ to him or to my Matriarchs since you misunderstood my reason for being here. If your preference is to remain his friend, then do that without getting him in hot water. That is all the advice I have to offer you.”

Before she went silent with one final tired sigh, clearly done with her own rant, and having said it, revealed what Feng had said or the words she specifically used to convey her message had miffed the Witch just a little.

Compared to most Witches though, Elvina had been rather polite instead of carving insults into her remarks the entire time she both explained and clarified things.

Ark poked his head out. “One more minute, trying to get something, Feng, you might like this.”

And he was gone, letting the silence take over in full. Perhaps he had missed the brief tension in the silence or maybe Elvina was just that good at acting like nothing had just been said, she remained decently close, her body language relaxed not guarded or reserved and her expression relatively bored and tame, compared to the irritation just a few seconds ago she had displayed, all of which were gone.

”I didn’t mean it like that, and we aren’t that close, though I do apologize for not understanding it, still something to think on. Xie xie” Placing her right clenched fist, into her left open palm, Feng gives a light bow. ”For now friendship would be best, anything beyond that, who can say, time will tell. Though I have a feeling you and yours will have a busy day. Though I’m curious what he’s getting…”

Elvina glanced at her, looked off, then turned and said with a lighter sigh, “It's fine. I get it. I merely inform you for the future. I've lived on this planet enough to have a sense for these things better than some witches our ages.” More of an aloud comment than anything. The apology at least was accepted. “Knowing him he's likely going to show us something that caught his eye. He was always doing that back in the Realm.[/color]”

It took less than a minute for Ark to open the door and come out with something in his hand.

“Alright, take a look at this.” Holding a small rotund container that held some sort of pinkish purple thing within the glass. “This is an alchemical mixture.” He explained. “What it does is if you apply the gel on anything, specifically surfaces like wood, the gel will coat it, reinforce that surface and make it more resistant to damage and ensures it lasts longer. This thing actually gets used in manufacturing some products because of range of use it has. It can be used on glass, wood, even some metals to make it a bit sturdier. Think of it as a polish. I did a little tweak,” he grinned, “so you can even apply it to string instruments. It'll make it so the strings will last longer and for your violin give it a fresh look when you use it. Here” placing it in the plastic bag and handing it to her. “Thought I would get it for you since you mentioned that violin of yours. Know I should have asked but I just thought this was a really cool thing to get.” Promptly patting her amicably on the shoulder.

He didn't say it but he knew something had happened given he couldn't pick up signs of lingering tension, he chose not to bring it up. This little gift unknown to either, was a distraction to keep whatever had happened from deteriorating the little trip they were on. The item was quite expensive and realistically not something Feng would have been able to buy without saving for several months or longer depending on the rate change by the time she tried to get it but like Gauss, Ark had money even if he didn't show it, specifically his own personal savings from before FATE that he had access to unrelated to the family wealth.

Looking at the purple mixture and hearing what it was for and could do she smiled, holding it up to glint in the sun. Though concerned with the price, she knew if she refused it to her culture's customary ways, it would likely make more problems and things were strained enough with the talk she had with Elvina, something she would not be surprised that Ark had picked up on. Their culture was as alien to them, as hers was likely to them.

”In that case, you must simply come to hear me play a few times at the very least. I have other things instrument wise I could use it on, ah on that note, I should give you my number outside of the communicator code to make setting that up easier. Thank you very much, it will be put to good use.” Bowing as she had before, the difference being a normal bow in place of the fist in hand motion, on account of the gift, she did ponder playing for the both of them now, well, if it were so easy…

That had him beaming. “I’d love that.”

“I would too.” Elvina threw her lot in. Smiling just a little at the little scene. “Where to next?”


“That so? Hmm… Guess we can do that then, though I gotta go my own way when its done, training and what have you. So uh follow me back to the old town square and I’ll get the violin and give you an open air performance, unless you rather it be in the Lobby?” Feng said in quick order, willing to entertain the pair.

“An open performance sounds lovely.” Elvina replied. And with no protest from Ark he followed along.

Collabers: RedArmyShogun


Noted: EmperorsChosen

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Elly's Flat​

1923 | September 23nd, 2067 ​

As the sun had long since set, Elly found herself able to recoup back at her flat. Having washed up and changed into her sleepwear, though she had reconciled with Kisei, with it and the information given by him brought another issue. Elly was sure the Fae knew of the scarab, which means that there were ways to detect it, unless that was entirely happenstance. It was hard to tell with Fae, but nonetheless, it presented a problem, and there was always potential that Kisei and her connection could evolve to the point he could take note of it. Her soul hid it for the most part, but she also had never been with a single partner for an incredibly long period to test how much one could adapt to her type of soul.

Which is what brought her to this conversation.

‘Am I interrupting anything?’ Elly pondered through their connection. ’Though given you’ve peeked in during two near-death situations the past week, I hardly think you can decline.’

Immediately upon their connection being made, Elly would find herself extremely aware of the current mind state of Ulysses: he was stoned out of his mind and it wasn’t quite clear on what. Their connection had become so transparent that, just as he could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins, she could feel the cocaine and molly in his.

”Oh, turtle dove, you never do interrupt, but I must admit I was enjoying myself this fine Friday night,” Ulysses answered in a sing-song response.

‘Enjoying yourself I do see,’ Elly hummed in response. It was quite a peculiar feeling, to feel that through their connection, as if second-hand. These scarabs were truly an interesting artifact, one she was sure someone like Davis or Annika would obsess over had they the opportunity. ‘Well, while I don’t mean to be a downer, the topic of what I need to speak to you about is particularly business-oriented… We need to discuss what to do with the scarab,’ Elly stated rather matter-of-factly as she settled onto her bed. ‘Pointedly, that wonderful Fae you were saying couldn’t trap me but very much as I’m quite sure knew of it. I don’t know how, but she did. I’m also growing increasingly concerned how long it will take before Kisei will discover hints of its connection… and if Kisei knows, so will Kidd.’

”Oh, oh… how interesting…” Ulysses responded, not necessarily giving her the due regard she deserved. In his defense, however, she could genuinely feel how far gone this man was.

”This wouldn’t have anything to do with Mido.. er, Kisei, my apologies. Anyway, our mutual friend catching up some feelings?” Ulysses asked, still playful, light hearted, and given Elly could feel the very intentions in his soul, genuine. ”I hear he’s trying to gather up people to take you back home… it’s heart-touching, really.” Now that one had a touch of spite and sarcasm, though only due to the slight tinge of jealousy that painted it.

’I’m less worried about him being offended as how it all will look,’ Elly answered with a slight sigh, trying to navigate the received emotions with caution. ’...The longest partner I have had was my ex. To be honest, I have zero idea at what point Kisei will be able to navigate my soul and catch a whiff of this… or if he ever will be able to. But there is some way, given that Fae knew of it, She reasoned before honing in on the latter bit of information. ’And did you get that intel from the scarab or some other connection?’ She questioned. Given the way it was said, it didn’t sound like he discovered it second-hand from her.

”Yes,” Ulysses answered, not terribly clear what it was an answer to, but it was an answer. A little prying into his mind might have helped, but then again, prying into his mind might not leave one sober.

”Mmmm, it sounds like you need to get out of your own head, darling,” he went on, ”you’re so worked up that you haven’t even stepped back to ask why or figure out how that Fae learned about the scarab.” Whimsical though he may have been, there was a valid point to be found in his comment. She was listing topics off like a machine gun. Ulysses was the master of the slow burn. Stoned though he may have been, he was Stein. A genius. Methodical and thoughtful, even in current circumstances..

’Well, dear, if you have any ideas from that Stein wisdom, by all means,’ Elly trailed off, inviting his hypothesis. Elly was by no means an expert when it came to Fae and even those that were experienced described them as wildcards, albeit with rules they loosely follow. Though, she was also thinking that perhaps she should have chosen to wait until the molly wore off.

”Awe, my little Irish angel, all you had to do was ask,” Ulysses responded with a playful if not mildly smug tone.

”Oh… where to begin, where to begin… mm, I guess I could start by telling you that many Fae don’t like being called The Fae. Some don’t care an’ plenty of them totally get that it's just easier to use one word to cover them all. Buuuuut, those few are actually the minority… the Fae people, too. Like us, they have their own cultures. Close ties to the land and the people. They all had names long before we gave them one. Ever think it’s just a dick move to call them something they didn’t ask for, love?” Ulysses rambled on, only half-cohesive, but still flirting with a valid point.

”Aaaaand, you have no idea how the Green works,” he prattled, ”but it’s not magic and it's not spiritual. The Green is made up of dreams, the subconscious mind… sometimes not even a truly conscious mind, it can be plants and mushrooms, rivers and rocks… point is, it’s mind mumbo jumbo. You were dealing with basically a Green-Witch, yeah? Witches can’t do mind-fuckery, but boy can the Fae… so, yeah, she probably just noticed you had a connection and decided to fuck with you.”

”I woul’ hazard a guess that you’ve become pretty familiar with that…” he trailed off.

’I’ll call them by the name they choose when they faff about with me less if it’s all the same to you,’ Elly replied with a clear distaste present in her tone. Playing Elly’s game and winning was evidently the fastest way onto her shit-list.

‘That is true, I don’t. They’re sending me off for classes and evaluations over the weekend, at least a portion of it is Fae-related. Apparently I might be able to parse them and their signatures with my vision,’ Elly commented with a sigh, though those were optional. She more or less insisted given how much of a pain in the neck they had exhibited themselves to be. ‘So they can pick-up the connection using the Green?’ She pondered. Perhaps if she learned to view it, it would give her an idea of how the scarab’s connection was picked up, though his comments did not fall on deaf ears.

‘Being fucked with the past few days? Yes, quite, though something tells me that isn’t what you’re referring to…’ Elly trailed off with some exasperation.

He laughed at first in response. Internally, but she could feel it. ”No, love, that was exactly what I was referring to.”

’Was it now?’ Elly hummed with some skepticism though didn’t dwell on it. ‘Regardless, that’s a vulnerability of the scarab I don’t believe either of us was aware of, and… Well, I have my concerns that if it becomes known not from us it will turn out quite poorly. Any Stein thoughts on that?’

”Don’t overreact… that’s how you make mistakes. I might have warned you if you bothered to ask me… I suppose anything that can dabble in your mind or soul could figure out the scarab, though that is pretty rare. I might suggest you not wear it during training. Especially for the Green… you see, I can see the Green. Not well, I’m sure my beloved cousin can do it better, but the point is, any Meister than can see it probably can see well enough to figure you out… not many can… my family, others with your eyes, it’s a short list,” Ulysses told her, going over the possibilities. She could somewhat tell she was ruining the vibe of his high, but he pushed through it.

”And since it’s such a short list, you shouldn’t worry…” Ulysses told her, ”besides, if you weren’t so connected to me, I might not have lent my help to dear ole Mido when he asked if anyone would help escort you home.”

Elly parsed over the information given. It was a small list, but there were still a few she could think of that presented problems. One was Frederick, Kidd, and Kisei potentially, which meant she would have to cut back on using the scarab at the very least. Still, she was evidently uneasy, even as he brought the conversation back to her visit home.

’Kisei now, actually… he already contacted you? We just spoke today,’ Elly questioned with some surprise. ’That’s its own source of anxiety…’

”Well, there are only so many people with international influence, love…” Ulysses replied, perhaps smugly, but deservedly so. As a pop star, Ulysses did in fact possess global influence. More so, his anti-violence stance also lent him a lot of credibility worldwide.

”Not to seem more offensive than need be, love, but your family do amount to small fish in a large pond… hire one or two top-tier mercs and there’s nothing they could realistically do to you,” he told her, responding to her claim of anxiety with a point echoed by her partner. Admittedly, Ulysses managed to be slightly more convincing if only because his confidence in the claim bordered on arrogance.

’I was more taken aback by how soon he spoke with someone…’ Elly admitted before letting out a tired sigh. ’He said more or less the same. As I told him, I’m not worried about someone walking up to me with a pistol. I’m still a meister and I was a two-star before I came here…’ She replied with what could constitute as a grumble through the connection. ’My parents were killed in a car accident, after all…

”Why the surprise? Do you not trust a man to do as he says?” Ulysses responded, returning to his sing-songy voice alongside each of the s’s inside that sentence. He hmmm’d internally before adding, ”you should be able to survive any car accident out there–or at least move out the way of a semi…”

’I trust him to do as he says, just not so quickly…’ Elly repeated in a deadpan. She didn’t really think about how quickly he would get to it, but several hours later the same day she did not expect. Nonetheless, her response was followed by a feeling of minor exasperation. ’I don’t expect them to hit me with a car… I was insinuating that they work more subtly. They could cause problems, not necessarily that I’ll be jumped upon stepping foot in Ireland…’

”Awh, turtle-dove, your parents weren’t Meisters like you… an’ neither had your eyes. I’m jus’ saying, sweetheart, the Loch–which might I say was a terrible on-the-nose name for a group of criminals–isn’t what it used to be. You see, soul trade goes hand in hand with human trafficking. The DWMA doesn’t take too kindly to that… in the years since your departure, that little gang has been pruned quite a bit,” Ulysses told her, being fairly genuine in his attempt to make her feel better.

”An’ good ole Mido is already working on ways to get in that won’t even raise an eye from the local branch… so even if a few little plants are still there, they won’t grow any diabolic ambitions,” Ulysses went on, reluctantly sharing some of the planning Kisei had been doing.

’I'd be ecstatic to honestly believe that,’ Elly replied. For all their comforts and consolations that they gave to her, it did little to quell her reservations. They thought she was being too careful for what was to them a small fish. Elly thought they were making everything out to be more simple than it was. ‘The DWMA also failed to notice or turned a blind eye to the many spies, corrupt officials, and many more… I don't believe it's withered away.’

Elly inhaled and exhaled a lengthy sigh. ‘...And how is he going to do that?’ She asked after a pause.

”Aaagh, this topic is so annoying…” Ulysses complained, having a genuine distaste for the type of systemic corruption and counter-intelligence Elly was so worried about. ”I been all-around the world an’ to e’ery branch there is… Ireland is no different than Saudi Arabia, Brazil, or even the good ole U S of A. It will never go away; you jus’ gotta choose, love, if you’re gonna spend every waking minute worryin’ about–or actually living life,” Ulysses relented, so tired of the song and dance Elly had regarding her concerns over the Loch.

”As for Mido an’ his plans, he’s seen behind the curtain a bit. See you’re right, the whole world has spies and corrupt officials, so on and so forth… thing is, all that stuff under the surface just ends up building a facsimile of what’s on top anyway. If you can fool one, you can fool the other–the trick is being aware of who to fool and when,” Ulysses told her, unraveling the criminal underground as if it were little more than a banana to be peeled.

Elly replied with her own groan of exasperation. ’Ugh… you both have to be related,’ She remarked to his comments of living life. ”I'll worry less if I ever reach your cousin's level.’

Then there was the matter of Kisei's plans. ’That divulges much without divulging anything at all… Regardless, I think I've killed your buzz enough. I won't mention the scarab for now. We can speak again about it if I get any new information.’

”Food for thought, love… one puzzle piece may look nothing like the puzzle it goes to. It’s just chaos on cheap cardboard when you look at it out of context,” Ulysses told her, almost exasperated. As it turned out, the shift in tone was more like a yawn. A dull, drawn out reaction to the fact his high was in fact ruined and he had hit the realization that Elly would have left the conversation little better than she began in.

”When I began my journey, I thought it would be simple: travel the world, sing my songs, and preach my message of non-violent solutions. I didn’t expect to be where I am, doing what I do… but it happened. I argued with the leaders of every branch. I have argued with Witches–Council and Hedge alike. I have had discussions with people no agent could without throwing hands, love… and with all these arguments and talks, I eventually got a more accurate picture of the world,” he explained, being less dull but more dry as he explained the situation.

”I could have given up when a thousand voices told me there was no world that could exist without violent recourse… but I didn’t. Instead, I made better arguments. Lo and behold, love, over time, people began to follow suit,” he told her, painting his bardic lifestyle to be one of perpetual politics.

”Why this may matter to you, dovie, is that you say the same things as the choir of people that thought my ideas were rubbish,” he said, quite pointedly, ”and, now I sell out stadiums and bring any talk show I’m on triple their ratings. It’s not the music: it’s the message.”

‘I'm not calling your ideas rubbish, I'm saying the both of you treat things far too nonchalantly, especially given the past few days we've discovered things no one knew of. Intel is only serviceable until it isn't and what you may think you know could easily be invalidated completely in the next moment,’ Elly replied neutrally. ‘Case in point, the woman we encountered that felled Astilla, too, was a small fish all things considered. She's anything but, now… The Gwyl, you claimed they cannot hold a Human captive, to what extent? More than 3 hours? 3 days? Or are they safe from repercussions so long as they allow us to depart before we've passed from starvation or dehydration? Certainly, they don't have to abide by our immediate request to be let go… Regardless…’

Trailing off at that, she exhaled softly. ‘And in any case, I think you're selling your music and face short, claiming it's just the message.’

”Oh, you’re trying to butter-me-up; that’s cute… if a thousand girls before you hadn’t already tried that, I might have fell for it with you,” Ulysses retorted, sarcasm dripping from every word he let slip.

”Though, I must agree; my mother did in fact make a handsome son…”

”We can talk about my form and figure some other time. No, instead, let’s look at what you said, love. You’re talking about the machinations of Eros. That’s different,” Ulysses told her, perking up and becoming quite serious. ”Eros is not the Loch. He is not any of the countless, fairly-standard corrupt politicians or agents. He’s not a mercenary or even a lone wolf. He doesn’t follow conventional rules. You cannot compare organized crime to Eros. He is organized chaos. Terrorism isn’t even his goal, it’s just his tool. War is his goal,” he told her, half-scolding her about what he considered an ignorant comparison.

”As for those Gwyll, there actually are some answers. The Fae have laws set by ther King, Oberon. In terms of captives, there are some laws, though odd and I can’t immediately confirm them… but they seem to be that the Fae cannot capture the same person twice in a fortnight, they may not hold a captive beyond midnight on a Sunday, and they can not hold one so long that they could not–so long as they went in the correct direction–reach a town or city where they could get food or drink. My understanding is that certain more malevolent Fae have spent centuries trying to abuse the rules and Oberon has updated them continuously to contend with them,” Ulysses explained, lightening up his harsher tone from earlier to a more neutral, educational one.

‘What purpose do I have to butter you up at this point, dear?’ Elly remarked in a partly tired tone. ‘Every contradiction is different, but it isn't. It isn't because the point is you all thought one thing, and you were wrong. That machination as you call it was never supposed to live that long. She was supposed to be cannon fodder, even Eros apparently presumed that,’ She replied pointedly.

‘As for the Fae rules, what I'm hearing is that they could still starve and kill a human by allowing them to withdraw while weakened and they happen to take a wrong path, which does naught to dissuade my point,’ Elly added with a slight sigh. ‘You do not know what you do not know, that is my point. Overthought may lead to mistakes, however a lack of consideration will also lead to problems.’

”Perhaps I am not the best teacher… but I will admit, as pleasant as you can be, it does feel like you do not listen to learn or hear, but to reply,” Ulysses told her, his own disappointed and tired tone echoing through.

”I don’t ask for an answer this time. I don’t want one. I’m simply going to share a truth: no one–irrelevant of how wise or thoughtful–is right all the time. Frederick once thought he killed Eros, but clearly he was wrong. Even the best of us are wrong,” Ulysses told her, trying to be quite stern with this point, ”that is not to say it is a poor choice to try and think your actions through, but that there may be a point where… you sacrifice a little something for a return you can’t even be sure of.”

Mmm, he mulled over, sobriety hitting him hard. In fact, he even felt the dull ache of his head penetrate into his skull, but he ignored to continue on. ”I think you need to do a little more research on the Fae and all their kinds… they do have their limitations and their King is diligent in preventing friction between us and them,” he suggested.

‘Oh, I most certainly will, dear. You can be sure of that.’ As requested, Elly didn't give an answer, but merely agreed with his latter suggestion. The Fae were wildcards and Elly did quite detest unknown variables, so it was expected she would do her best to prepare for them. ‘I'll leave you be, now. Remember to drink water, love.’

EmperorsChosen

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

Wes & Feng | Outside of Deathrecords | New Partners, New Chances | September 24th

Interactions: RedArmyShogun

Mentions: EmperorsChosen (Aki)​

---

Wes was sitting on a street bench, a half empty container of Chinese food resting on his lap as a slight breeze blew down the cobblestone street.

He was dressed in his usual outfit, although anyone who got close to the weapon could see signs that it was worn and wrinkled. It was the clothing he had worn on his mission to Egypt, complete with some sand still stuck in its pockets. His hair was pulled back from his face, tied into a loose and messy ponytail. Bloodshot eyes peered out above the forming bags, aimlessly staring out at the street as people came and went.

Anika would no longer be his partner, at least for the time being. The news was broken to the weapon quickly after his return from Egypt, having barely been given time to sleep, let alone unwind from the mission. Complications from the poison in her system, or something along those lines. Wes didn’t hear much after the news broke, the world just fading away as his mind retreated in on itself. Muffled words and sympathies being lost amongst the ceaseless background noise of souls.

He was being reassigned to Feng, the meister he briefly partnered with during their mission. The program had offered to set up a time for them to come in and interact with each other, an offer that Wes was quick to deny. He had already gone through similar back when he was in the EAT program, reassignment after reassignment to a new partner that would eventually end in failure.

It brought back a heavy mixture of emotions that had hung over him ever since, self-doubt mingling with anger and melancholy. Instead, he had offered to reach out to his new partner himself, arranging a meetup outside of Deathrecords. He intended for it to be a brief meeting, introduce himself and then slink back to his apartment.

With the following days being busy and the sudden decision to pair Wes with herself and Aki being reached, the happy-go-lucky Meister didn’t mind it. Wouldn’t be the first time she used two weapons, but she didn’t know much about him, or all that much in how his powers worked. At first she did ponder bringing Aki along with her, but the latter was insistent on staying home and taking care of her Sandfish pilfered from Egypt.

The walk to their designated meet up spot was nothing special, free of any events of note. For her part in Nevada’s mild early fall, Feng wore what she always did, in this case a Chinese styled top and baggy cotton pants, Green on white, it was basically what she had on in Egypt, gloves and boots included.

With a merry hum she was quick to approach and quicker to speak up as she stepped quickly to stand beside the other.[color#6B8E23] “Hope I haven’t kept you long. Chinese huh, what did you get? Also, you feeling alright? No offense but you look like you haven’t slept in days.”[/color]

“Sweet and sour pork.” He answered, grabbing the container and tilting it to show its contents. It was cold at this point, having been sitting for about half an hour since he took his last bite, and would probably end up in his mini-fridge once he got home.

At Feng’s comment about his appearance, the weapon let out a sigh, shaking his head from side to side. He knew he didn’t look the best, although best was objective in this case. He just felt drained, having trouble finding the energy to do much of anything since he got the news. He hadn’t even slept since he got back to his apartment, instead camping out on his couch with a blanket and watching television until his eyes burned.

The only reason he knew that night had given into day was the slowly waking souls of the other residents of the apartment. By that point, he didn’t have the time to sleep, despite what his body was trying to tell him. He had to get to the meeting point so that he could do his introduction and get it over with.

“I’m fine, just…” He trailed off, running his free hand over his face and through his hair before standing and stabbing his plastic fork into the takeout box. “Nevermind.” Turning to face the meister, he took a quick look around before saying. “Not your problem. Let’s just get through this.”


“Ah.” Feng said in regards to the meal, it was likely not worth eating by this point once it cooled down. Not that it was a good meal to start with, but food was food. Gazing at him even as he said what was to come next, Feng seemed a bit bemused. He clearly had more going on, and she had a little idea of what.

“She’ll be fine, and so will you.” Giving a Thumbs up, the martial artist reached forward and patted Wes on his left shoulder before pulling her hand back. “You can tell me anything, I help Aki with her problems, I swore a sisterly oath with her in blood. We are partners, so your problems are my problems. I won’t force you to talk about them, but I am willing to hear you out. Though, maybe I should get you some tea, I find it better than coffee for waking up. Well what did you want to do today otherwise? I know from our time in Egypt your abilities are sound focused, wanting to shop here?”

Wes stared at Feng’s hand as she patted his shoulder, eyes lingering on the spot she touched before turning back to her. ”Uh, thanks.” He didn’t know if he appreciated the gesture or not. On one hand, she was trying to be supportive. Even if she didn’t know his history with his past partners, it was obvious that anyone in his situation would be upset about it.

On the other hand, it didn’t change the fact that if he had just stayed by Annika, been with her when she rushed in, that this situation could have been avoided. Being consoled when it was his fault only made him feel like an even bigger piece of shit.

“Not exactly.” He admitted, closing the box and shoving it awkwardly in his sweatshirt pocket. “Never understood people who swore by records. Knew a guy who claimed that they were the best way to listen to music, but-“ Wes shrugged his shoulders “I couldn’t tell the difference.”

“Rememberd he mentioned this place, said it was one of those niche places that tourists don’t know about.” Although, he guessed that had changed since his days at the academy. There was a steady stream of people coming and going from the store, more than he would have thought for such a ‘niche’ place. “And I didn’t really have anything planned. We’d get through the introductions and that’d be it.” He’d be free to go back to his apartment and she’d be able to do whatever she wanted to do.

“Ha.” Feng said at once, before taking a seat on the same bench. Processing the rest of what he said, eying over the crowd, whoever said that must have been some time ago, or if it was recent, they had a very different idea of crowds. Then again to the Hong Kong native, this place wasn’t all that busy. Even the China Towns she had been in or through over the years were far more compact and busy than this. But since her time in the city, it was clear to her, for Death City at least, this was somewhat busy.

Cupping her right hand beneath her chin, the woman decided to be direct with the ragged looking partner she was given. ”I play a number of string instruments if you care to listen sometime. You are good guy.” She said with her accent being slightly more heavy and the words were not exactly textbook examples of English.

”Well, good enough for this work, but thats fine, just introductions and going our ways.” Lowering her hand, she turned to face him burying her closed right fist into an open left hand, her elbows up to chest level as she gave a bow, an old chinese style of greeting;

”I am Long Feng, I told you of my berserker trait, it is an asset and a problem. I am not one for secrets and I expect brotherhood and camaraderie, I won’t ask you to move in with us, Aki an I, you have a place of your own and people are ones to talk..” She didn’t really need to explain the issues with a man and two women living together as she continued on. ”Before I came here I was a soldier of a Triad Gang, an enforcer. I have spent many years fighting and killing rival gangs or people that our big brothers in China wanted dead. I speak some French and Dutch, and several forms of Chinese.

One day I was tasked with killing someone, that ultimately I was not willing to kill, because to my honor, it was too much and the new boss was an ass. So I turned myself in to the police, who handed me to the DWMA. I was here for the earlier Paean program and have spent last three years under house arrest, till I was tapped for developing the Fate program. Aki, you should talk to her yourself, but we both are, hmm, not the most righteous of people.

I am here to see if there is another path for me, or if I should just retire. I have handled many weapons over the years, though all, hmm… Illegal weapons? Unsanctioned? Mercenary? But all gang members, I used to rely on my berserker trait, would clear buildings and then stay put till I calmed myself.

It may be a bit much for a first meeting, but rather get the surprises out of the way, any questions or is it your turn to share?”

She played instruments? Wes was slightly surprised at this fact, having pegged her for…. Well, he honestly didn’t know what, but a musician certainly wasn’t it. He wondered what kind of strings she was talking about, whether she meant something classical or something more modern, like guitar. He himself had learned how to play bass on a dare, and he liked it enough to take up lessons after the fact. He still had the bass he bought back when he was a teen, alongside the original case it came with.

Except he hadn’t taken that thing out of its case in months. It was one of the few things he had on him when he practically begged the academy to let him back in after the April fools attack. Ever since his acceptance into the program however, it lived underneath his bed in the case, only being brought out to have a sticker slapped onto it before being shoved back under.

“You know, that sounds nice, I-” His words were ripped from his mouth however as she continued her greeting, his eyes widening as she explained her circumstances.

He honestly didn’t know what to say. He knew that the FATE program was meant for people who had issues, but he assumed that most would be like him. Not actual gang members and killers. It suddenly made sense why the duo was so casual about killing. Even if she said that her ‘honor’ kept her from killing someone, she still killed multiple people before that. And according to her, her other partner Aki was cut from a similar cloth.

He didn’t know if he could partner with someone like this. Now that he knew that she was a killer, he was suddenly a lot less interested in taking her up on her previous offer, let alone partner with her. She had finished her introduction, and was waiting for him to respond. [color=#9900ffa] “That’s… I don’t even… I mean-” [/color] Cutting himself short, his head turned from side to side, as if to check if anyone else had heard the woman’s confession. Shoving his feelings down, he shuffled in place, unsure of whether to return her bow or not. Deciding against it, he breathed a sigh and started to speak.

“Wes Kraven.” He started, bringing a hand behind his head and scratching before allowing it to fall back to his side. “You already know that my wavelength has to do with sound, except that’s not everything. Not sure where the wires got crossed, but ever since I was born I’ve been using soul perception.” The purple haired meister said, tapping one of his ears. “Except I can’t turn it off. Had no idea why, but when I was a kid I was always faint, and would just pass out seemingly at random after hearing strange noises.

This was back when the madness outbreak was still fresh, and my parents weren’t sure if I was infected. Eventually they got me checked out, and that’s where we learned about my condition. They got into contact with the academy after that. Was enrolled in the NOT program, although most of my lessons were one on one, rather than in a group setting. Since I couldn’t shut off my perception, my lessons were mostly focused on increasing my reserves as well as making my perception more efficient.

Eventually I enrolled in the EAT program, figured it’d be better to actually do something with all of that training I went through. Was in it for a while but…” He trailed off, hand curling into a fist as a dull ache began to pound in his chest, his face becoming pinched for a moment before falling back into a neutral expression. “I ended up dropping out. Went back home for a while, but eventually ended up traveling cross-country. I was in Vegas when the Twisted Joke attack happened. Felt guilty, like I should have been there, done something. Booked a flight to Death City and tried to get back into the academy. But they wouldn’t let me back in, not right away. Said if I went into the program, showed I was serious, I could rejoin.”

He finished his introduction, a silence hanging in the air for a few seconds before he added. “That’s uh, pretty much it.”

Catching his reaction, Feng knew once he knew the reasons or truth of Aki, it would be even worse. Still, this was the DWMA and Death City, they helped governments kill millions when the outbreak happened. However many she killed would never come close. She had a number of reasons, but Aki? Well, one thing at a time.

”I won’t make excuses for myself, I’ll point out if you don’t want to kill someone or something, you picked the wrong job. This may sound like an excuse, but I had reasons I was in the triad. Never killed anyone that didn’t need it or didn’t deserve it. I did it for my blood oaths and for the people I seen as Family. The last job was to kill a detective. No, it was to send a message, to kill him and his whole family at a birthday party, his. People are too busy to bother listening to our conversation, they always are.”

Reflecting on what he said next and the obvious discomfort that he had in recalling it, if not herself, one thing did stand out. “Ah, Vegas, I don’t care much for cities, my house arrest gave me a free run in the nature preserves around here, training, music, hunting and gardening was about all I could do.” And there was one more thing she found, a bit of sympathy for him.

”You can’t turn it off? That can’t be good, is it visually based like most? Though, ah, huh, funny enough, there is a way to sorta shut it out, I’m surprised no one here mentioned it… We did make use of it after all. And yeah, that wasn’t a good day, I fought my way out of some of it with no partner, I wasn’t getting one till the 12th, but the attack and its losses gave me Aki. Your heart is in the right place at least, though do not feel guilty, you did come back after all and that event, was so far out of anyone’s control to have stopped anything.”

Wes’s head fell slightly at Feng’s comment, his gaze shifting down to the cobblestone road and away from the weapon. He knew she was right, that being in the academy meant having to kill, but he still held onto the fact that he had only killed corrupted souls. People who were too far gone to be saved and would have hurt others if they weren’t stopped.

His gaze snapped back to Feng’s at the mention of the detective and his family, a dull anger quickly building before being smothered as he remembered her words. That was the job she had refused to do, the one that she decided would tarnish her honor. As morbid as it was, it was reassuring in some way to know that she had some line she wouldn’t cross. But she was still a killer, and he doubted that he would ever forget that.

“Yeah, can’t say it was for me either honestly.” He admitted, hands coming to rest on his hips. Between the crowds, the dizzying amount of lights, and the honestly outrageous price of even the basic necessities, he spent more time in his motel room than anywhere else. “Couldn’t even gamble, at least not on the floor. Turns out they keep a lookout for people who can use soul perception, take em’ aside and stop them from even trying.”

Shaking his head, he once again tapped his ear at her question. “Auditory. Why I carry these around.” His hand shifted down to the headphones around his neck, giving them a tap. “Helps me manage when there’s crowds. Course, it only cuts off half of what I’d usually hear, but it’s better than nothing.” He raised his other hand and shook it from side to side, before dropping both of them back by his side.

It was after that that Feng told him that she was present at the attack. The dull ache in his chest worsened, each beat reminding him that he wasn’t there. While others were fighting and dying to protect the city and its people, he was in a motel room doing absolutely nothing. “…I’m sorry.” He offered the red headed meister, his hand tentatively reaching out before falling back to his side.

He couldn’t even imagine what It must have been like to be there, let alone to have to fight with no partner. He only saw the aftermath after he arrived, and although most of the bodies were cleared by that point, the deep scars on the surrounding areas still remained. Even though she was being truthful, Wes still felt like he should have been there to help, even if realistically one out of practice agent wouldn’t have made any difference.

“I know. Maybe I just wanted to think that I’d actually help if I were there. Instead of just lazing around and planning where I was going to waste my next month.”

”Ah that's neat, I was thinking about the Obsidian material in the truck, and you hear it? A lot of things from that mission now make sense.”

At his mention of being sorry, Feng chuckles just a brief bit, staring at him for a while, she holds up one single finger in reply. The index one of course. ”Don’t be sorry, only one person should be sorry for that day, and I mean to see that they pay… Well me and several hundred other people, so I might not get to cash that check. Plus from what I heard in our last mission set, the other teams in our group, from the sounds of it they had it worse and went through the wringer. Still, like I said your heart is in the right place, as Confucius would say “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” It matters not how slowly you go, just that you continue to move. You answered the call to do what was right, it took me longer than it did you. You have nothing to be sorry for, your hands did not pull the trigger that night and people much stronger than I had a lot of trouble stopping it as well… Though, I do wonder who did it."

“Thanks. It actually means… well, a lot.” He was sincere in his thanks, his lips turning up in a slight smile. He had no idea if that was an actual saying, or if she had made it up, but he couldn’t help but feel comforted by it. Sure, he was far from where he wanted to be, but so long as he kept trying maybe he’d end up where he wanted to be one day. He gave a shrug of his shoulders at Feng’s musing on the culprit behind the attack, the smile dropping into a more neutral expression.

Wanting to change the subject, he instead responded to something she had said just before. “And yeah, I can hear a lot. Everyone has their own unique sound, an audible soul signature.” He explained, although he was sure that Feng already knew all of the information he was stating. “Depending on the person, it can be a simple melody, to a full blown concert.”

Like that guy from the Hawaii trip with the overwhelming soul. The only people who had such full and robust sounds were the professors at the academy, and Lord Death himself. Of course, he never had the opportunity to hear the latter’s soul, but it wasn’t hard to imagine its scale.

“Ha, good to hear it. Well, pun aside in regards to you. And that's so? Reminds me, there is a werewolf in one of the other teams that I’ve been told gets distinct smells for each person… Or was it emotion? Both? And huh… I’m not sure I would like that, hopefully the sounds Aki and I produce aren’t a burden. But ah, did you have questions or the like about me?”

“Wait, are you talking about Sara?” He asked, although he was sure he already knew the answer. Or, hopefully he knew. He didn’t want to assume that just because she was a werewolf, that she was the werewolf in question. Still, how many werewolves could there have been in the program?

“And don’t worry, your sounds weren’t bad. They actually kind of complimented each other.” From what she had said before, it sounded like her and Aki had similar origins. While he didn’t exactly know what influenced a person's soul and their signatures, maybe people with similar backgrounds developed souls that melded together.

“Also… if it’s not too much trouble. Maybe one day I can hear you play something?” Despite his apprehension towards her more varied past, he still held onto a spark of interest in the instruments that she mentioned. Back when he still practiced, he felt as though he could relax and just be himself when he played. While he didn’t know if the same applied to her, it was at least worth a shot. “Later, obviously. If you aren’t busy.”

”Ha, that is the name, yes. We…well Hawaii, met her there. And hmm, good, she is my Sworn Sister, it would be most distressing if we were not… Then again, till you told me that I would have not known. Ha.”


It was his next question that she smiled and did the same Chinese style bow and open palm over clenched fist did she answer. ”You are most welcomed, I can give you mine and Aki’s numbers and you can call whenever you like to set that up. I have a green violin that was a gift from Uncle Liu, that I think you’ll like to hear. It would be nice to make some tea, and I am sure Aki won’t mind cooking. And don’t worry about me being busy, I rarely am, outside of DWMA matters or my hobbies.”

“Ahh, yeah. Hawaii.” The trip didn’t exactly bring to mind good memories for the weapon, although he doubted that he was alone in that sentiment. Between being drugged with a magical love potion, making a total ass out of himself to the aforementioned werewolf, and being shot at two separate times, there were more than enough cringy memories to keep him occupied.

“And that’d be great.” Reaching into his pocket, he grabbed his phone, pulling it out and offering it to the woman. “I’m really not that busy most days. Or uh, ever I guess.”

He usually spent most of his free time just sort of existing. Some days he wouldn’t even leave his bedroom, other’s he’d at least make it out into his living room before crashing on the couch and binge watching some trashy soap opera. It wasn’t like he planned on it happening, but some days he woke up and just didn’t feel like actually doing anything.

Holding out her own phone, she used the IR transfer function and pressing a few buttons, the two numbers were transferred to his and his to her’s, she would later put the number into Aki’s phone as well.

”Not busy eh? We’ll have to fix that a little, I’ll invite you to our training. I'm not sure you would want to do all the training I do though, but it's not all training. Sitting around with Reiko for instance, a lot of people are intimidated by her. I train with her then have some tea and dango and talk. I have a few hobbies to keep me busy, some of them Aki joins me for, others she goes off on her own, not healthy for partners to be together all the time and for everything. Still, I won’t be pushy with it, even in the Triads the type of people differed a lot, so I’m not going to go off kicking in your door.”

“Reiko?” he asked, confirming the transfer and stuffing his phone back into his pocket. Maybe it was another agent in the program that she knew. He wouldn’t be shy to admit that outside of a few people, he barely knew anyone else in the program. Still, if she was friendly enough with them to train with them on a regular basis, hopefully he could skip the introduction phase and get away with telling her that he was Feng’s new partner.

“Ah, we’ll see about the training.” Even back when he attended the academy, he wasn’t the best when it came to the subject. And after he got into the program, it certainly didn’t improve. Annika pretty much had to drag him out to train, and that always ended in him doing the bare minimum to get out of it. And from the sound of it, Feng’s training was probably a lot more intense than hers.

He shuffled in place for a second, before nodding his head over his shoulder towards the street. “I should probably get back to my apartment. Get this in the fridge before it goes bad.” He tapped the takeout container in his pocket before holding three fingers up and giving a small wave. “I’ll see you around.”

”She’s one of the mentors, built like a brick house and about as scared. Been fighting for a couple decades, dressed up like a Shinto Priestess with a leotard. Anyways yeah, see yah around! If you don’t often enough I’ll do it or send Aki, ah yeah… You are not tall enough, she won’t climb up you at least.” Waving at him as she got to her own feet and headed in the opposite direction.

Ah, one of the mentors then. She sounded skilled, although her apparent choice in fashion left him more than a little confused. It was a very interesting design to try and picture, only to immediately blank on once he realized he had no idea what a Shinto priestess dressed like. If it was anything like a regular priest though, he had no idea how or why Feng would know that she wore a leotard.

Still, as confusing as that mental image was, her final comment just about topped it. He was unsure if that was meant to be taken as a joke or a threat. Was it some sort of Chinese saying, like she would climb up to annoy him into doing what she wanted? Shrugging his shoulders, he reached up and pulled his headphones over his ears, turning and walking down the road. The introduction went a lot better than he had expected, even if he still had some reservations about his new partner.

 

[Mqueserasera]

OUKA OROCHI​

Tension and heightened alert flowed into Ouka - if she had brows right now she would have frowned. It was not that the scent of battle and all its part and parcel bothered her, rather, this particular brand of tension reminded her of something bad.

Deary her, she felt like a cripple for failing all her lifelong mental training in such a way. Could a mere worked-up meister trouble she who was born to fight for the maddened? Not likely, would have been her answers some year ago, when life had yet to steer down this path. Now sentiments galled her like memories of the sun on a rainy day: Shigure’s ever calming wavelength which had once been the boundless spring of tranquility to draw on even in the most desperate of battles. But there was no more solace in reliving a memory tainted by their ruinous last connection, and when ever again it was invoked unbidden by her current meister’s mood, it was unpleasant.

You have become weak. You have turned out to be a failure. Such were undoubtedly what her father would have said if he could see her now. Well, he was long dead now. A funny sort of melancholy when all those you have aggrieved are not around to be angry anymore.
Well, she had someone else to fail now.

“Oh?”

Jiro’s voice suddenly cut across her wandering mind. “I’m going to conduct my wavelength through you for this.”

“Sure. Do your best!”

She hadn’t meant to be so spirited about it amid their grave situation, but such had been for a while now her reflexive expression upon being forcefully pulled back to the present. Professional partnership or not, no one likes a moody partner, so she did her part.

The subsequent heat that entered her weapon body was not as unpleasant as the mental stress. It was still something heated, to be sure, but lukewarmth and touched only the parts of hers that were made to withstand it.

But the chain of action which followed sufficed to banish all wandering thoughts. When Jiro suddenly went blind, the measure of trust in her for him was put to the test. The threat of unchecked danger. The split second of decision. Was she to end the resonance now? Without a meister she was next to useless, only being able to use her limited self-defense mechanism but a blinded meister was of no use either.

Yet moment passed. Jiro safely rolled away. His blindness proved momentary.

But while he was positive about their progress, Ouka frowned. “New enemies,” she muttered. “Unknown methods. If constructs they really are then there is someone, something out there controlling them. But where? It is perhaps worse than a foe you sometimes can’t see. We are being toyed with.”

She disliked it. Mindless mysterious foes she could countenance. But something both unknown and aiming for them specifically? That she could not stand. It is never pleasant when the hunter realizes she has become the hunted.

Sir Les Paul Prizzy Kriyze

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Eastern District, 4:30, 25 Sept | Aki & Euzelia

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aki found herself to be cheered up slightly after hanging out with Zosar. Gale seemed to be warming up to her, in Aki's deluded mind, and Zosar got her food, though he seemed to take up a new interest in teasing her as compensation. Regardless, it was back home for today, where Aki would likely ask Feng about what Zosar had told her.

“It still sounds too complicated, Bólāng…” Aki murmured as the small lizard sat on her head as she walked.

“May I ask, what is too complicated?” The voice accompanied by the gust of wind that passed over behind her.

At that, Aki noticeably stiffened before spinning around and taking a step back. It was a rather smooth motion, however became more evident as she turned that it lacked innocence. Her dominant hand was not clasped to her chest as if in shock, but rather had shifted to resemble the nozzle of her gun, pointed at the newcomer but held close to her chest. Her gaze, too, was dead and stoic, however only briefly as she determined the person was not an enemy.

“...Oh,” She hummed, as if accidentally bumping into anyone. Her hand shifted back to normal and her eyes returned to their normal glint. “Sorry, you scared me.”

The Meister and Weapon crouching as if they had been about to move on her, stopped. “Do you always react that way?” his tone slightly stern, the Weapon shifting back to a young man with dark hair.

“If someone sneaks up on me, kinda.” Her tone was less accusatory and more nonchalant, as if stating a simple fact. “Force of habit. I wouldn’t shoot unless it looked like you were going to do something.”

The witch on the broom waved her hand dismissively. “It's fine, really, it was my mistake for not making my presence known given we are flying. Now, you said the male with a Volatile Soul was not far. Where is he?”

“She,” the meister of the duo clarified, “is one of them.”

“The other one is on the move. If I recall you said you wanted the meister though. This one is a Weapon.You Aki correct? My name is Atsushi Hoshino, I'm a mentor in FATE, we were at Hawaii during the event.” The Demon Weapon explained.

Aki just stared at them, her eyes tracked from one person to the other as they spoke before settling on the Demon Weapon. “Yup. That’s me,” She confirmed before tilting her head. “Oh! You’re…! …Sorry… I don’t remember you,” She said, going from upbeat to sheepish. The two waved it off, in good nature. Neither had been present for it because they had been supervising members of the program that had brought their own drinks unaffiliated to the wine and were hosting a get together at the hotel outside of the event. Then again, it wasn’t as if she was paying attention to much other than Ark then. “Why’re you looking for Zosar?”

“It's not necessarily your business now is it?” Was the cheeky cool reply. “I am Eulezia by the way.” Capriciously shifting into a rather cheerful tone. “I have business with him,” then she eyed the Weapon, and her aqua eyes glinted in curiosity. “You say she has this rare soul type also?”

Atsushi and his partner glanced at each other. “That would be correct. The Volatile Soul is a rare soul type, held by few in the world. Her, Zosar Raith, and The Chimera, are the only three that have it, though Chimera is a bit of a--”

“Yes yes,” said testily. “I know what you said before.” She hummed. Muttering. Barely audible. “Likely because of the epidemic, how curious-- Alright!” she clapped, and then suddenly did a dip down, zip around, and stop dead in front of Aki, hair a dark shade, the waist cape behind fluttering to a stop as she halted. “Thanks boys, I'll take this one for now. Just hang tight for a bit while I get to know little Aki” She grinned as her eyes turned to her.

That is when she dropped off her broom. Heeled indigo shoes clacking on the ground as she stood. With a toss of her head shoulder length, dark blue or purple hair shifted out of brilliant blue eyes and the Witçh, stepped towards Aki, and gave her a polite bow.

“It is a pleasure to meet you Aki Kiyoko.” Rising from her bow to ross hair back as she stood. “As said before and likely as you can tell, I am a Witch. My business was initially with Zosar Raith, and perhaps later, The Chimera, but since you are the one I ran into, I shall take you and search for the young man later. As I understand it, you two were together, and given your attire, I presume you were out on a date?”

Aki seemed to pout a bit at that response, though it was less aggrieved and more exasperated. However as the woman continued to speak, the expression softened a bit, then shifted to surprise. “H-huh?” She murmured in confusion. “Date? Clothes…?” She repeated in the same confused manner with a slight dusting of pink on her face before she shook out of it.

“W-Wait, are you more weirdos trying to jump Zosar? …or are you friends?” Aki questioned, more or less lost by their antics. She heard Kenny in there a few times as well, so why would they want to jump him too?

Neither of the pair opted to respond, in fact they had already begun distancing themselves as Eulezia listened to the replies, an evil smile growing, revealing dimples on her face.

“Would attacking him be a good way to test his potential?” Ignoring everything else Aki had just said, the taller more defined Witch took a pressing step closer.

And the look in her eyes was a manic energy that might as well have reflected the energy Aki's soul emitted. Though at her follow up question that manic energy yielded to a curious expression of thought as she gave Aki some breathing space.

“HM! Good question. I wouldn't call us friends of his either. Up until recently I had never heard of him. It was through a meeting between my Matriarch and the Matriarch of House Astraeus and Aquarius I heard talks about Lord Ifechi-- Ark’s friends or associates. And any friend of a High Noble must be of some interest so I certainly am interested to see what he's made of.” She chirped with the same tame but ecstatic energy. “Are you saying I should go find and attack him now? Would he be mad?” She clapped and jumped. “Oooh! I must admit since the marriage of Lord Marek, I have been so very curious to meet a Meister that could measure up. You guys, do you think he would put up a good fight if I jumped him? Sent a lightning bolt his way? You said he's friends with that Hoshi boy right? Oooh, that's a great idea Aki, thanks!” Grabbing her hovering broom, and skipping away from Aki as if she were to go do exactly that.

Now the witch was talking about Ark. Did they know Ark? There were a lot of words Aki didn't understand, and though she wasn't put off by the manic smile of the witch, though the words of the witch rambling on seemed to elicit a sort of neutral expression. With one hand, she took the small lizard and let it crawl inside her jacket pocket. However, with the other hand, formed a closed fist with her index and middle finger extended to form a nozzle which leveled at the witch.

“So you're not friends and you want to hurt him,” Aki mused aloud as if she were noting the weather for the day. “Is that right? Oh, I shouldn't have to say this, but if you two try to rush me I'll just shoot.”

Totally ignored, Eulezia skipped merrily towards the duo humming merrily as she did. Notably with every skip she made, her descent down was a bit faster than normal.

“We should go now!”

The unnamed Meister glanced specifically at Aki and then Eulezia. “She's asking you a question you know.”

Eulezia blinked, looked at Aki, noticing the distance and the implied threat. Smiled. “If she didn't bother to get my attention then we can come back to her later. Let's go! I wanna surprise him.”

The meister sighed. “You can't just go attacking an agent, we would have to stop you. Even if you are testing them you need to request a duel, that's how it works so no hostilities arise.”

There was a pause of silence. “I shouldn't even be telling you two, you couldn't stop me anyway.” She huffed, as if the notion were insane, then pouted when both looked at her with no reply. “HM!” Impatiently. “I wouldn't kill him! I would just be playing! You guys are being a bit mean, you know I was just joking right now.”

The duo sighed. Clearly not wanting to deal with this.

Aki just stared onward with the same blank face as when the witch first startled her. There was a brief change as her eyes glanced to the other duo briefly before settling on the witch again. Though while she had the nozzle aimed, there wasn't any kind of resonance within her soul to actually chamber a shot just yet. However, her demeanor was also too calm for a normal bluff. It was as if the event in its entirety was relatively unordinary to her.

It got stranger when Eulezia turned to Aki once more, walking towards her. “Oh! I'm sorry Aki where are my manners.” and in the afternoon light of the sidewalk they engaged at, an outline of colors momentarily fizzled around her body as one, two, three, Eulezia stepped one after the other from behind the last, four, five, six, came closer and said: “You gave me the idea, and he's your friend isn't he? It stands to reason you know him better. How good do you think Zosar is? Is he like you? I haven't even challenged you and you look like you’re ready to get in a tussle. Without a partner it won't be as fun” they said as they stopped a decent distance but formed an arc of bodies around the Chinese Weapon, “but it could be just as entertaining,” a cute little giggle followed from all seven perfect copies out of eight, making an assembly of laughing notes.

“Quit teasing her Eulezia.” Called one of the guys blocked by the bodies.

“I’m talking to her?” She stated plainly. “It was her idea after all, so she deserves to have some input.” The eyes turned to her. “ Don't--”

Her soul spiked, resonating briefly to chamber a shot which fired with a loud crack from her fingertips. It caved through the projection, though would miss the witch in question. Six out of seven stood staring at the gap where one of them had been. “You guys are jerks,” She commented simply. “Zosar's really nice. Even if he fought you and hurt you a bit, he'd still probably feel bad about it,” She explained calmly for someone who just shot a fake body in the middle of the street.

“...but if I killed you, I don't think I'd really feel anything special. So why are you bullying him instead of going after me? I should be seen as a lot worse, right?” Her question was almost genuine, as if trying to understand why he was such a target for doing what she saw as nothing all that bad.

The response wasn't forthright immediately. Euzelia’s Magical Mirror Septuplets turned to look at Aki, blinked and then all began tittering. There was a warble of light, a splash of different colors erupted like the flash of a camera from the six that arced her and then collapsed into one at the seventh who stood farthest away from her nozzle on her right.

“Well, at least I can see you aren't going to turn your boyfriend over for me to do whatever I please. Shame though, I thought it would have been fun.”

“Euzelia!”

“Alright alright, I will play nicer.” She called back to the Meister. If Aki had noticed, the Weapon was gone, back in his partner's hands. Mainly to break the two of them up and then if necessary drag the mage back.

A hand slipped into the mage’s navy blue double breasted purple and gold accented pocket seeing what she had intended wasn't there she frowned, and dipped a hand into another pocket and pulled out a moon silver pocket watch that she clicked open to check the time.

“Perfect. Now, where were we? Oh yes! I was going to say” a heel clicked as she stepped forward, laxed lidded eyes, pleased with herself smile- “ you've made a mistake. I have no intention of attacking your lover or friend out of some desire for revenge. I would looove to see if that so-called ‘powerful spirit' lives up to the hype alone considering the Chimera’s unique case. As I said before I am here out of the curiosity of My Liege though and so my time is short.”

“Now, are you going to make this little detour worth my time or am I going to have to leave you and go find him?” the subtle tilt of her head and simple smile somehow alone threatening whether she knew it or not.

“If so” she piped up before Aki could speak, “tell me, how do you know Lord Claec of Astraeus? The earth mage to be precise.”

Aki looked up at the witch with the same intent stare, however as the witch declared there was a misunderstanding, the Demon Weapon’s eyes widened slightly and seemed to regain that friendly light from before. “Eh?” She hummed, mulling over the witch’s words. “You’re his fan then?”

Aki recalled that a few of the other agents had fanclubs, mostly those from the initial pod. So Zosar had fans too? That information checked out, at least to Aki.

With a curt nod at her own epiphany, Aki’s hand returned to normal and her stance relaxed. “Oh! You should’ve said so!” She stated with an upbeat smile. “Zosar’d probably be fine with it, though you may want to do another day. A bunch of weirdos were being jerks and bugging him earlier so he’s probably tired… Gale wasn’t very happy either…” Musing that aloud, Aki tapped her own chin in thought, both to that and the witch’s request.

“Make it worth your time… Like… what? You wanna hang out? Oh!” At that, Aki zipped forward, clasping the witch’s hands in her own in excitement. “There’s a really fancy game place around here. There’s also a great burger place Zosar and I went to—I’m not hungry, but I’d be willing to go back for the milkshakes by themselves! Oh… who?” Now that the trio had been identified as friend rather than foe, Aki had returned to her typical rambling self, getting ahead of herself before she caught up to what the woman actually asked. “Lord Clay–who? The only person I know who can do stuff with rocks and stuff is Ark.”

“That would be who I am referring to. How do you know him? I was told he was an associate of yours.”

“We're way closer than that,” Aki replied nonchalantly, though in her mind, she of course meant that they were friends and teammates and not simple acquaintances, or at least she thought so. “We just came back from Egypt. Why?”

“Call it curiosity.” She said simply, patting Aki’s hand and then slipping her own out of the Weapon’s grasp as she ended the last gentle pat..

“The last time I talked to Ark was at a party in his honor many months ago. My Liege found curiosity in learning what sort of people the Sorcerer of Astraeus interacted with as of late, and I must say I was just as curious to see what my peer had been up to last..”

“I was a little surprised to find out he had been present during that mess in Hawaii. Though if he has made friends with individuals like you, I suppose he has been making good use of time.” In her own way, a compliment.

Aki tilted her head as the witch patted her hand before slipping from her grasp. “Why is that surprising? Pretty much everyone in the program was there,” She asked curiously before tilting her head to the other side. The witch spoke strangely, but Aki thought there was a compliment in there, which was enough to make the girl perk up and beam at her. “Aw, you are nice! You should visit more. Then we can hang out! I’m sure Ark and Zosar would like to. You could meet my sister too!”

Should she explain why it was surprising someone of his stand would participate in a program that had already started with very mixed negative opinion? Even if it was doing better now in terms of review that didn't change at the very beginning, everyone knew how most within the DWMA felt about the FATE program. Maybe not the exact thoughts of those higher up the chain or more prominent but on the wide scale? Across branches? From her understanding another branch would generally have less faith in the success of a FATE team compared to a regular one and FATE as a whole was only being administered in the main HQ hence why individuals from other branches transferred over. You would have to blind or ignorant to not see it but then again from the talk on the flight over here, most FATE Agents didn't have the foresight to care as much when they had other problems to deal with according to Atsushi and his partner.

Smiling instead at Aki's invitation she took her hand in both of hers. “I would love to visit more if that is an invitation.” Her smile much more tame than the slightly manic one from before.

Especially if it did lead to the intended original goal of seeing just how much potential these powerful souls provided.

“If I recall you said something about milkshakes?”

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Tsuyama City, Okayama Prefecture, Japan​

September 25th, 2067 ​

”The fuck do you mean they’re constructs?” Hisoka retorted immediately. His tone had a mix of confusion and frustration with a touch of disbelief.

Perhaps Sakumo didn’t understand precisely what he was claiming. Perhaps he did and he didn’t know how absurd that claim was. Or, perhaps the most incredulous option of all, perhaps he did know how absurd it was and he said it anyway. Ultimately, it didn’t matter. There was no precedent for a creature consisting of just wavelength with no soul and furthermore there was no creature that could either maintain or control their wavelength so far separated from their body. It wasn’t impossible per se, but the only known instances of such occurring was with Death Scythes–and that was due to their magical nature being a factor.

Obviously, there wasn’t time to question that claim, though. At least, not anymore than he already did. Instead, Hisoka had to think of something on-spot that could help him in this case. He had already tried using a high-frequency oscillation through Hana. While it did make quick work of the shadow, it didn’t stop it from reforming.

’If they aaare made of spiritual energy, Soul Menace or or Adjust would probably let you destabilize them,’ Hana suggested, sharing her bubbly but factual response in their soul space.

’If only I could use either of those, Hana-dear,’ Hisoka offered as a sarcastic reply.

’I bet Jiro-san doesn’t talk to Ouka that way, Hisoka-senpaiii,’ Hana retorted, firing shots at her meister right back. ’While you think on that, I’ll keep adjusting our frequency and see if anything works on them,’ she went on, switching over to a more serious tone for a more serious comment.

That internal exchange and singular verbal comment was all that Hisoka offered for the moment. As it stood, he didn’t have a proper offensive option yet. The shadows would lunge at him from the darkness unless he stood in the absolute middle of a lamppost while it was actually on, he would dodge, he would try to cut it with Hana, and he would fail. It repeated like that ad infinitum as Hana continued to not find a frequency that caused a disruption in them–if one even existed.

Though they weren't so finely in tune that Jiro would be able to read her thoughts, Ouka's emotions still rubbed up against his own enough that privacy was sparse. Her faith wavered, if but momentarily, and perhaps if Jiro possessed more of an ego it'd put a wedge in their partnership. Alas, no, his immediate emotional reaction was understanding. He was fallible. Arrogance would have killed him a long time ago, but he gave his best attempt at giving her comfort, if any. I won't be taken out so easily. Bear with me. And that was it. He wasn't going to mince words, and he certainly didn't believe in words above action. Trust was earned.

Maybe. I'm going to break the toys though. It was a quick decision for Jiro. If they were just wavelength, he could go all out for a moment with minimal energy expenditure as long as he absorbed them quickly enough. He was confident in that much from observing their movements, at least with Ouka in hand. He may well not have lived this long if she wasn't there. Additionally, he had faith that if he thinned their numbers sufficiently, Hisoka would be able to deliver them from danger regardless. He'd seen his speed in action a few times.

The relative peace that the lamplight offered gave him a moment to reach inside his jacket. "I don't know, Hisoka." He stated, matter-of-fact. "I'll take care of these, though. Please back me up." From within his clothes he retrieved a long, single-edged knife with the tell-tale runes of magitech running up the side of its blade from a socket just above the hilt. It looked like a jambiya, except with a portion of the edged side reaching down past his off-hand fingers as protection. I need to be faster. We'll resonate. He uttered, then began pouring his wavelength into Ouka to begin the process.

His breathing was even, calculated, as sparks flew from the furnace in his soul, with Ouka as the bellows urging it ever hotter. His focus, unmarred by madness, was at its peak. Simultaneous conduction, amplification, and resonance. It was the product of months of endless practice, and had he been paired with a less experienced demon weapon it would've been unattainable - but he knew he couldn't keep it up for very long. The trickles of condensation escaping his body and weapons turned to billowing clouds of steam, and he slowly placed the dagger into his mouth before retrieving a rock from the pavement. Guide my hand. This is not the worst we've faced. He spoke, unclear whether it was completely meant for Ouka or perhaps some more abstract listener, but as he did his hand shot up and sent the stone through the light bulb above them.

The light disappeared, and on came the horde. Ten... It was a long time since he learned to navigate by sound alone, so admittedly Jiro had become reliant on his sight - but it wasn't an issue for long. Before the first pair of claws reached him, he retrieved the knife from his mouth and ducked under the danger. Nine... He spun, bringing Ouka's fluttering end through the shadow, which burned and disappeared to nothingness in a puff of smoke. They offered little to no resistance to physical touch, and the lack of tactile response was dissatisfying at best - but with the brief flicker of wavelength entering Jiro the darkness around them did not appear so dark anymore. Eight...

And the shadows did not come in short supply. Jiro deflected an incoming strike with the knife in his off-hand, and looked on with suspicion as another shadow disappeared from the brief contact with his weapon. Seven... The shades did not appear to be all that intelligent, considering their now suicidal charge towards him. Whatever may or may not be controlling them didn't seem to have given them new orders yet, and he was going to have to expand on the opportunity.

He could keep up with them now, but they flocked to him like moths to a flame. He struck, parried, dodged, and shoulder-charged his way through one to get to a more advantageous position - but for every handful attacks he could stop one or two would still slip through, cutting only shallow wounds into him before his wavelength overpowered them. Six... He kept his back to the light, and felt each shadow he absorbed flare his wavelength even further. They were clear to him now, as if they stood in broad daylight. Tortured dark figures, empty and meaningless vessels guided only by the instinct to kill him. He was faster.

Five... Their patterns were obvious, he thought, as he brought Ouka through a row of them. One attempted to dodge by retreating into the shadows, but Jiro's palm struck the spot on the ground it attempted to escape into before it was gone, and erased it. A slash came for his back, but he'd already interposed the Gohei between them, and didn't bother to glance back before striking out at another one. Four... He popped back onto his feet with both weapons outstretched and at the ready, but he couldn't spot any more targets. He must've burned, what, a couple dozen or so? It felt like there were more of them. Did they retreat, or was it an illusion offered by their speed? He scanned the scene, but couldn't detect a hint of them anymore.

"Three..." He trailed off, aloud, as his wavelength and the steam coming off him petered out as his concentration fell just short of the mark. With a heavy exhale, he placed Ouka against the ground and leaned on her staff, chest heaving gently with fatigue. A few red spots adorned his clothes now, but none were particularly concerning. A trickle of blood ran down his hand, and he habitually wiped it on his jacket.

"Good..." He sighed, and nodded to himself. It was a bit of a gamble, he'd have to admit. Ouka's suspicious comments held weight. They had very little information to go on, but he'd rather make a move before letting their unknown opponent outmaneuver them. The battle had brought him further from the street lights, and he spoke through his ear piece while looking back towards them as his light-sensitivity began dwindling. "Hisoka. What next?"

Prizzy Kriyze Mqueserasera

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Nadia Semyonov - Daniella Ethalyn - Death City Outside Davis's Lab - Deaths Hallow
September the 23rd ​

After tests, interviews, debriefings, other interactions, two days worth, and the attempt to find out how her power worked, or what it was, needless to say, Nadia was more than a bit tired and had no wish to linger about the lab… However, for Dani she did so, getting dressed and waiting, Nadia had yet to get the chance to properly speak to Dani, nor she to her.

As Nadia came out, Dani was waiting with arms folded. Whether wary of Davis’s ire again or respectful of what Nadia may be feeling, she nonetheless waited until they were actually out of the inventor’s labs. “...Did they do anything?” She finally asked. “The others, I mean. Mine at least had a tail when it flipped out. I assume they have the ability until we absorb them.”

One had a musket and rode atop a horse and never had to reload it, a bit prideful and arrogant. The other had a greatsword and was a battle maniac, they just fought directly against one another with those weapons. From the test, it seems I just absorb heat, but there must be more to it than that.” Nadia said tersely.

”They didn’t, like… turn into a fire demon thing?” Dani added skeptically. ”And the fuck did you get two?”

“Eh, well yeah, eventually they combined, but I’m a bit fuzzy on the specifics, they fused by the hair, became a centaur, only vaguely looked like me, armed with a greatsword, all demon like, I think it still had or could of had the gun, but beats me. Mostly because thats what it went on to do, ramming me through a few walls, then asked me to join it. I told it to eat shit and asked if that's the best it could do, next thing you know it just gives up and I get these hand decorations. And seemingly based on what I’ve heard from you and about Gauss’s, it is seemingly how most people see me, though I still say it is more of how some of those here see me.”

Dani exhaled through her nose and looked forward as they walked. “Yeah, that’s what Mikey said at least…” She trailed off with a furrowing of her brow. “...Well, regardless of that… Do you not know what stay the fuck away from that means?” She asked, finally questioning her about her disregarding Dani’s warning.

Nadia for her part let out a slight scoff before addressing it. ”It called for me, I had thought it not the best idea for someone else to just get it, or for you to carry it alone. I had hoped to find answers, but I found nothing. How it goes, but now Gauss is here with it too, plus those cultists… This all is getting out of hand.”

“It called for you dumbass, not anyone else… Apparently those things need us to get here. I’m pretty sure they can’t do that with someone else,” Dani hypothesized while chastising her. She turned her head again. “...We turn into those things if we lose. It could’ve happened to me, and it could happen to anyone else. It’s better that they just stay the hell away from it.”

“Huh. So I would be some sort of Centaur. Ah that does remind me, why there were two, why they both were at odds, its because those two are how others see me. Maybe I should try changing something… It was like at our last two missions, the wolf did not trust me and your boyfriend seriously though I would order him to fight to the death for no good reason.”

”That’s my understanding anyway… I dunno, you do carry yourself like a fuckin’ commissar sometimes,” Dani stated, rubbing the back of her neck. “I know you, but that’s different. Everyone else doesn’t have the same connection”

“Hmph, then what should I do? But ah, speaking of things to do, there is something I wish to do, out of my own amusement, I think your maiden would like it as well.” Nadia said in short reply as they got more and more away from the lab, walking as they talked.

”I dunno, mine ranged from bitchy to an animal more or less. Be more chill? Then again, the overall image of us may never change,” Dani replied with a shrug, though turned a raised eyebrow to her at the mention of something amusing. “Adrian? Why? What is it?”

”Heh, I think I will show you that I can be more girly as they say, and teach you a thing or two as well, or we can go somewhere that does this, makeup, nails, really throw him for a loop wouldn’t it?”

”M-Makeup? Where the hell’s this coming from?” Dani questioned with a raised brow. Thinking on it, she never really was interested in makeup or the like and Adrian wasn’t the type to bring it up, but admittedly, arguing that it was something he’d like was a pretty easy way to get Dani to agree to something. ”I mean, I’ve never really worn shit like that so it probably would, but… would that shit even, like… work on me?”

Nadia for her part chuckled a bit and tilted her head to the side just enough to show her amused smile to her partner, continuing as she did so. ”Let us just say having seen how the rest see me, I decided to throw them for a loop. Though, I would also say it is as I nearly lost myself. In fact, I did not win my encounter like you did. So, I might as well have some fun at your expense. Though, da, it should work on you, though let’s not go heavy and make you look like a clown.You have your own charms afterall. Though I’ve not done this in a few years, it was for a formal function, not like that fool’s ball.”

Dani scoffed at that and turned her eyes away. “I didn’t win, Mikey came in and saved my ass. He’s the one who told me how to beat it and stopped it from absorbing me. That’s why I didn’t want you going near the damn thing… or anyone else to…” Dani trailed off, exhaling with a undertone of frustration as she ran a hand through her bangs. “I’m gonna need to talk to Adrian about it too… Just in case, cause I know his stubborn-ass would jump into it like you did…”

Murmuring about that, Dani looked back up to her with a slight roll of the eyes. “I don’t think I have those kinda charms, but if you say so. You and your long-ass legs already make you look like a model, so it’ll probably work.”

With that all being agreed upon, there was little more to do than decide one final issue. “Do we want to hop up on a bed and get painted up a little, or rather hire someone and go to a shop?”

Dani just stared at her with a deadpan. “...Do you seriously trust me to do that shit well?” She asked sarcastically.

”Heh. Fine, a place it is.” Nadia said in short order, looking up a place with good reviews on her phone, and where they would not draw too much attention. ”We’ll be heading North, think I’ll drive us there or we can take the transit line.”

Pausing a bit at that Nadia suddenly remembered something important. “Ah, maybe we should go back to the apartment and I just do it to you, or I get some fingerless gloves, I have those two gems in my hand now after all.”

”Wasn’t the whole point of it is that you wanted to surprise people?” Dani asked not understanding the sudden change. ”...And… you know how to do makeup?”

”Oh, so you don’t want to look nice for him? Still, that you trust me so little. Heh. But hmm, is there something else you rather do then? Nadia said, looking at the other with a sense of mocking amusement plastered on her face.

”I-I didn’t say that…” Dani remarked with a slightly flustered face, folding rather quickly before narrowing her eyes a bit at the look Nadia was giving her. “...Shut up.”

”Well, is there anything else you want to do? Really? We went through the wringer, if you don’t want me to paint you up so to speak or find someone to do it. I’m just unsure how much of this I should explain away or hide after all.”

”N-No… we can do it…” Dani murmured sheepishly as she backtracked. ”I mean… you can hide it, not like mine.”

”Da, well, I guess for both our cases for now, I’ll do it, and don’t be so surprised, it's not as if I never have any formal events to attend. I just don’t like putting on all of that stuff, I am beautiful enough as is. Still, I must admit it amuses me, I won’t go overboard with it.”

“...Makeup amuses you? …Who the fuck are you?” Dani questioned, looking at Nadia in some surprise. “Just… stop if I start looking like a clown or… something.”

”Not the makeup you debil. The fact I get to fuck with you a little bit, that is the amusment. Though hmm… I think something light for you, you’ll get nervous either way. Nadia said with a sense of smugness to her voice and an unusually rare smile. Leading the way back to their apartments, Nadia did pause for a brief instant. ”Ah, yes, your room, mine, borrow Maria’s basement?”

“That makes more sense… fuckin’ amazon…” Dani remarked with a tone of understanding before giving a scowl. “Fuck off… I was never into that stuff and when I tried I botched it so bad Mikey almost pissed himself laughing,” She grumbled with folded arms, followed by a shrug. “Are you gonna use Maria as a doll too?”

”What makes you think I’ve never done such to her? Heh. But fine, my place it is, though I don’t have all that much stuff like this, but hmm, I think some basics will suit you and I’ll teach you how to use them, though, I doubt it is something we’ll do in either case all that often.” Nadia said in simple reply before patting the back of Dani with her right hand.

”I’ll make sure you don’t look ready for the circus.”

“I'm not surprised by that,” Dani remarked matter of factly before looking over the taller woman. “The only way I'd do it at all is if Adrian likes it that much,” Dani stated rather bluntly. She was interested enough in what he would think that she was willing to do it in the first place. “...And if I look ready for the circus, I'll friggin’ kill you.”

”Heh, if only you could. And the only way to find out. Though on that note, Maria is actually rather good at painting nails if you can talk her into it, likely comes from her craftsmanship.”

Continuing the like conversation and discussions sporadically about the alternates they both faced, the time would quickly pass and the conversations halted in places where the public was close, till finally reaching Deaths Hallow and up the stairs to Nadia’s own room, Nadia simply instructed Dani to have a seat in the living room before returning with an ornate box roughly the size of a lunch box, maybe a little smaller, speaking as she did so; ”There is a Mirror in the box so I can show you what I do, unless you rather pretend we are teenagers and sit on the bed, though honestly I rather not, I’m worn out from those damned tests.”

Dani scoffed a bit at that, though it caused her to ponder on the topic of Maria. She put a lot of work into the appearance of her dolls, so it made sense. As they entered Nadia’s room, Dani moved into the living room as instructed and took a seat, her posture a bit tense as she sat with her hands in her lap. “Yeah… Do it however you want,” She stated. She could feel Nadia’s fatigue when they were connected, but it must have been bad if she was actually complaining.

“...Are you sure you… like, remember what to do…?” Dani asked, eyeing the box.

”Hmph, of course I do, who do you take me for?” Opening the box, Nadia seemed to have a collection of powders and slip stick and nail polish, though of a limited range in colors and selections. Blue seemed rather popular with a basic pale looking powder and a slightly more red. If anything it could be said to be a basic kit, though a sort of stencil brush kit was among the nail polish.

“...Someone who doesn't usually fuck with makeup…” Dani replied as she stared at the makeup kit like it was an assortment of dental tools at an appointment.

”Hmph, you say that as if I have nothing feminine to me. And I’m the one that wears a skirt.” With that said, Nadia pondered who to start with, herself or Dani… Dani would be the best likely, as she planned to do very little to her, it seemed the last time she made herself look like a clown. ”Hmm, do you want to be first or I go ahead and do myself first to show you I know what I’m doing?”

“Yeah, you also didn't wear any shorts under until I told you to,” Dani remarked pointedly as she folded her arms. Mulling over the options, she shrugged. “Either, I guess… you're tired enough that I could probably kick your ass if you make me look worse.”

”Hmph. You can try, and yes, I still had no need of them, puritan.” Nadia said off handedly, deciding to attempt parts of both as they went, first starting with the face. ”They key to more at times is less.” Dabbing a makeup brush in a powder with a slightly reddish hue, Nadia started to brush it onto the cheeks of dani and around other areas of her face, ever so slightly, leaving the mirror facing the other as she did so.

“Flash everyone then, go ahead,” Dani remarked pointedly, watching the brush like it were a scalpel. At times when it grew close to her eyes, she shut them accordingly before they hesitantly fluttered back open and drifted between the utensil and the mirror. Somehow, sitting still was more nerve wracking than it had ever been before. “...Well, it’s not like I was expecting you to put on as much as those T.V. thots…”

”Heh, though you are not a natural beauty such as I, you do have charms of your own, makeup has two purposes, one to accent what features you have, two to hide how ugly you are. You may consider yourself the former.” Nadia said a bit pridefully, finishing up where she was and selecting a brush for her own use.

”Pick out a lipstick color you like, not like I have many.”

“There's that humility…” Dani remarked in a deadpan as she eyed the colors. She was right, there weren't many. The Demon Weapon discounted the blue lipsticks and looked for something more akin to her skin tone. “...Uh, I dunno… That one?” She suggested, pointing to a glossy stick that was a faint pink.

Powdering her own face with a pale, almost off white or cream colored powder, Nadia did very little other than accent her broad sections of face, the cheeks, jaw and forehead of note, giving her skin and almost porcelain quality, though not in color thankfully, making her look a bit pale, as she selected the chosen lipstick and set down her own brush.”Well, pucker up a little, I think a lighter smear for you.” She said, waiting for the other to do so before applying it and switching to one for herself, a light blue. Mimicking the actions from before, she was done with herself as well.

”Mind you there is a more detailed way of doing this that can take some time, such as highlights and caking up blemishes and what have you. So nails, or is that good enough for you?”

Dani did as asked, puckering her lips when asked and shutting her eyes as her eyes and lashes were touched up. She looked down at her nails as her hand outstretched, pondering it. “Uh… sure, I guess…” Dani murmured before her eyes turned to the mirror.

”Hmm, the nails may take some time, though I could do something simple. What are your plans for after this anyways? Going to go show Adrian?”

“Yeah, simple's fine…” Dani commented as she looked at herself in the mirror with a puzzled expression. Seeing herself look so different was odd. It was akin to when she met her infernal double, it was her, just looked strangely ‘neat’. “Yeah… Adrian said we're going somewhere nice, so I figure why not…” She explained before looking back to Nadia. “I also wanna talk to him about those rifts… Shit worries me….”

”Hmm…” Pausing for a bit Nadia goes for a pink fingernail paint, and paused at the mention of the rifts, she didn’t much like it either. ”So far five of them have been shown, well, no, a lot more than that. Remember those flaming monsters from Paris? I don’t think they were magic. Though, we’ll do what we must in the days ahead.”

“I didn't think about Paris… Yeah… You might be right…” Dani murmured with a frown as she kept her gaze directed towards the nails. “It's more than that… Don't say anything about this, but while Mikey was telling me about that place, he specifically warned me about Adrian… or the Adrian in there. The both of you are equally as fucking stubborn, so if I can't count on keeping him away from the damn things, the next best thing is telling him everything I know and how to win,” Dani explained solemnly. “I don't know how bad that means the other is, but he didn't seem to know yours, and he saw you. He didn't mention Cyrus or Gauss or Starwulf or Sara, the fuckin’ ninja… so…”

”It is a big world, so maybe we just did not know one another there, after all if not for what happened to your brother, your path would unlikely have crossed any of ours. I would not look into it too much, though, the fact he knew Adrian is another matter. I would not worry about it for now, mostly as there is very little we can do about it.” With that, Nadia took and started with Dani’s right hand, carefully going over each nail. ”I could do this faster, I do have fingernail polish remover after all, my own nails may take some time.”

”Not knew. Knew of,” Dani corrected sternly. “And that’s the thing. If it’s so big, just like our world, why the hell would he have known of the other Adrian? Why not of anyone else?” She added, raising her left hand up to look at the nails. “I am gonna fuckin’ worry. If you lose you they take you over or some shit. I can at least tell him what to do to make sure he doesn’t lose…” Stating that, she let out a sigh and looked at Nadia’s work on the other hand. “You don’t need to rush, it’s fine.”

”Maybe both Adrian’s stayed around you, or his was just that dangerous, who can say. I’m not the one to be asking, I failed mine if not for them valuing living over killing me. So da, I am still here, but I do not consider it a victory. I honestly rather all this just goes away, but I doubt that will happen. Also I would not be so sure, all of our stories the basic theme may be the same, but how they had to be resolved, what we faced and how, were all very different.” Nadia said as she briskly continued with the other hand.

“I dunno… the me there didn’t talk about him like… It sounded more like she stuck to herself,” Dani murmured with uncertainty. “And I don’t think it’s gonna go away… That’s why I need to brief him as much as I can. As for the conditions… they’ve all been different, but what’s the same is that we all rejected them. That’s what Mikey told me to do, and given that’s what we all did, I’m trusting him that that’s it…”

”No. It likely isn’t going away.” Nadia said with a huff.

And no, I mean the whole, we had to reject them or what have you, but the contents of them differed a lot.” Finishing up with Dani, Nadia turns to her own nails, hers would take a bit longer but quick enough as the bulk of it was blue, she also had a bottle of white nail polish.

”Course the content differs, but overall we can’t become them. That’s what I got from it, anyway,” Dani mused, eyeing her own nails in thought before looking back to the mirror momentarily. ”...Well, do I look like a clown?”

”Hmm, that's up to you to answer, if you wish to play the part of a fool.” Printing white stars atop the nail polish, Nadia smiles and placed a single finger up to her lips. ”Don’t worry, I have no plans to wear this long, its not like those bastards will give us a vacation. Do you wish to run off and show Adrian now?”

Dani tilted her head in various angles as she watched her image reflected in the mirror. “...I guess I’ll see what he says,” She stated before looking in a deadpan to Nadia. “...Why would I have a problem with you wearing this… aside from you being more of a girl than me.”

Pulling out her phone to check on the time, she didn’t have to leave just yet, though she should probably get ready. “You gonna be okay on your own?”

”No, I’ll die. The hell do you mean will I be okay on my own? Debil, of course I will, still you can stay as long as you like, I’ve no plans to go anywhere, unless I decided to get some food, I’m not under arrest after all.”

Dani narrowed her eyes at that and grabbed the taller woman’s unpainted hand. “Your soul’s as tired as a grandma in a rest home,” She remarked in a smartassed tone. “Maybe I should call that blue-haired little shit that loves climbin’ you so much to watch you.”

”Eeeeh, trying to out play me are yah? Plus she can’t climb me if I’m laying down.” Waving Dani off as she took a seat. ”Do not be surprised if I try putting on a new face from here on, a smirk of sorts to be friendly, who knows, but yeah, I’ll be fine, I got the phone, I’ll call in delivery.”

”Sure about that?” Dani asked rhetorically as she stood up. The blue-haired gremlin didn’t look like she’d let that stop her. Regardless, Dani made her way over to her. “Woow, a smile, huh?” She remarked with a bit of a smirk of her own and hooked an arm around the woman’s neck in a brief hug. “Good… Lemme know if you need anything.” With that, Dani released her and made her way out to get ready for her date with Adrian.

"Yeah, see you."​

​

EmperorsChosen RedArmyShogun

 

[Meredith]

Chanterelle Dubios & Maria Mayer​

A Chance Encounter

​

Chanterelle had taken to spending a lot of time in the open spaces on campus. She was slated for re-entry into FATE business–how soon, it was hard to tell, but she was on the way–and the elimination of this primary embarrassment led her to head further into the campus where she lived than out into the streets as much as she had been in the last few months. Consequently, she’d been seeing a lot more familiar faces lately, and she was on guard–hoping, perhaps, for the opportunity to ambush one of her classmates.

That’s a somewhat sinister way to describe reading in the courtyard, to be completely fair to the witch, who spent much of her time studying in the sun in any case. Still–the haunting of transitory spaces was very much meant to facilitate social contact.

In this case–glancing up from her book, a now well-worn field guide of invasive species in Nevada–she caught a gleam of blond crossing almost in front of her, diagonally across the plaza. Her eyes narrowed, and she confirmed the person’s identity to herself: long dress, witch-like shoes, short bob. If it wasn’t Maria, well–that was so unlikely as to be irrelevant.

Still, she hesitated. It had been a while since they’d last seen each other, and those circumstances had not been pleasant. But they would again be classmates in some capacity, and it would be best to catch up. Besides, she had some sort of fondness for Maria regardless of their initial mutual suspicions.

By the time she’d had these thoughts, her quarry had almost escaped her sight, having started down the stairs. Chanterelle abandoned her bag and book–still open to her page–taking off at a run to the stairs of the DWMA. At the top, she scanned the flight, catching the girl in her view about a third of the way down. “Hey, Maria!”

”Hmm?” Having been lost in her own thoughts after the meeting with Thomas, who spent more than a bit of his time gaslighting and belittling her, Maria was lost in thought, thinking back to the praise and criticism of her actions over the course of the European deployment. It was to the point that her name being called out just dimly registered, and when she did acknowledge it, a scowl was left upon her face as the dollmaker shifted her gaze to the source of her own name.

”Chanterelle?” Taking the time to compose herself and to blink at the other, as if making sure she were real, the Sorceress stops in her tracks and walks toward the other… How had she not seen her till now? No, she knew that answer, she was mad, still Chanterelle was not the source of these feelings, no sense in taking it out on her.

”It has been some time, I had wondered what happened to you after the meeting with Rand, though the Mage team has more or less been broken up and scattered to assist other teams, I would offer you some tea, provided I had anything of the sort on me, but I suppose a chat would be good enough, or were you busy?”

“No, not busy at all. I was just reading up on one of the benches in the courtyard.” From the top of the stairs, she began walking toward her things, but with no great haste. A bit of a wince– the meeting with Rand was a bit of a sore spot, though she assumed this was true for them both. She looked Maria up and down. The girl looked unhurt, or at least reasonably so: but there was something about the look on her face that made Chanterelle decide that her company was markedly more pleasant than whatever business Maria had had at the DWMA.

She decided to brush this off. There might be time to address it later, but the girl in front of her had little patience for prattle and less for nosiness. “Oh, I, uh–I ended up going in for some tutoring. And therapy. A lot of things, really, but I’m slated to end up back in FATE sometime soon. I never really left, but I have been really busy–”

A pause. She realized she was rambling: speaking quickly, trying to justify herself. She didn’t need to. “I’ll tell you about it, but I mean– I’ve heard you’ve all been out in the field with the teams. Like you said, scattered around. How has that been for you?”

”Hmm, you did give us all a bit of a fright with the Island, it's good to see you doing better.” Maria said, listening to the rest, she did not mind the rambling, she did it often enough herself, still part of it did sour her mood, the questions on how it’s been. Not that she was angry with Chanterelle. Still, there was nothing to hide, well minus the exact details of her missions, the mirror for sure could not be talked about carelessly. “Mm. Yeah, it was rough for a bit, but I’m good.”

”Well, hopefully my next team is better, I’ve not had a chance to speak to Ark or Raph yet to hear how their teams and missions went. For my own part we went to two locations in Europe, a special forest in Belgium I believe it was, and then to the highlands of Wales. The team leader left much to be desired, our weapon mentor had an identity crisis and led us into a chase that killed many DWMA agents, though in fairness to him, the crisis happened after the deaths, I had to fight a golem that was designed purely to kill magic users, and did kill three witches before we came across it… Ah, yes I also while giving some input in regards to our second mission was told to shut up, and now I’m being forced to take a communications class… Though I will not say that was unneeded… Still, the one doing the review,... ah, but enough of that, I’m unsure how much of fighting the Fae I can go into…”

It was a lot to parse. It was.. Unfortunate to hear that Maria had already walked into death out into the field. Chanterelle knew this was a possibility, of course; she might even have called it an expectation–but it boded poorly for her conversation with Raph, and perhaps her own future experience. The mission certainly sounded chaotic, even if she knew that Maria was not fully at liberty to share. Her lips parted almost as if to interrupt, at the killing of witches–but the story continued, and she allowed Maria to finish it.

“It sounds like there was a lot on your plates.” A communications class. This felt somehow reasonable, but she would never say that to Maria, even if the sorcerer seemed to know it herself. “Especially with all the death around. It’s no wonder that tensions would be high, really.” She offered the other girl a smile, a bit of a shrug, a hand extending toward her palm-up in a considering gesture. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve been in one or two of those myself in the last few months. I think… it’s sometimes hard to be good at it when you’re just focused on your own thing.”

”...It was all so pointless. The agents sent were all of lower rankings, lower than even our team, to capture a rogue agent that was a grave threat. And she was chased by monsters that our Mentor was desperate to meet.”

While seemingly alright with the deaths, it soon became clear that was not the case in full. If at all, ”I had wanted to ID the bodies, to take prints or dental records of, but the corpses were somehow mutated into golems of a sort and misshapen to the point I could do nothing more than destroy them. I had wished to provide the families closure, to think that such a thing would bother me..”

Maria then paused, seemingly wanting to say one more thing, but stopped, in place voicing a question of her own. ”You said you’ve been on those as well, I take it yours went better?

“..I’m really sorry, Maria.” Her voice was lower, more hushed. The pair made it to the bench Chanterelle had taken up, and she sat down, moving her things to allow Maria a spot. She was clearly thinking. Her tongue danced across her teeth inside her mouth, nervously. It was not a fear of social repercussions that stopped her: like Maria, it was a question of exactly how much she could share.

“I think–I know–well, I also find it very upsetting when victims can’t be returned to their families.” A pause, stilted. Her voice was more poised than normal: even, but careful. It lowered, and her hand raised, hiding her mouth from the street. She checked briefly, but nobody was as much as looking their way.

“I’ve seen a fair few bodies… anonymized myself. And it doesn’t really get better.” Seen was an understatement. She’d done it herself. That part, however, was definitely confidential–and even if it wasn’t, Chanterelle wasn’t sure she’d discuss corpse-rotting with Maria. It wasn’t the kind of thing you brought up in polite company.

“But uh, yeah. I meant that I’ve been through two communications courses, not a mission, or not yet at least. I found them to be… a little trying, but not bad. A lot of it was about picking good arguments: not bothering in situations that are escalating, but picking them up later when everyone is more composed. I know that that is not always feasible in times of stress, but I found some of it to be good advice… no matter how trying the practice scenarios were.” It was an attempt at reassurement, but it wasn’t untrue, either. Unlike Maria–who was likely being instructed to take the same kind of course because she was ‘too outspoken’–Chanterelle had been pulled through these courses due to a distinct lack of self-advocacy. Still, she assumed that the content would be pretty much the same.

Staring at Chanterelle, Maria’s eyes narrowed at “anonymized”, but she made no point of challenging it or demanding more details. She more or less knew what the DWMA would allow out on the other, or at least her origins, nor would she say anything. Such things were natural and sooner or later would be part of her own world, as it has been for Mirai. Provided the worst assumption was true.

”You have nothing to be sorry for, though it sounds like the reasons we both are going to that class are very different. Ah yes, at least the class wasn’t a waste of time, I cannot speak for you, but with all my other responsibilities, I rather not do the class at all. Though with this and your recovery, they are putting you back in with us? Er… I don’t mean for that to sound bad… Or is it even good? Ah yes, how are the gloves holding up?” she said, for whatever reason trying to direct the conversation elsewhere. Or at least somewhere less fatalistic.

Though true to form the effort left much to be desired.

There was a bit of a laugh, but the witch acquiesced. “You might even like it.” She brushed it off, though, understanding that the sorcerer in front of her didn’t exactly mean to press. “I think so, you know, but I’m not sure how soon. I’ve been cleared for combat, if that’s what you mean.”

Chanterelle looked down to her hands. They sported the same kind of white cotton gloves that had become nearly synonymous with her aesthetic: the kind she wore generally to ward off skin-to-skin contact (though they would not suit this purpose for periods of prolonged contact). “Yeah, they’ve been great.” Her hands moved to rest on top of the small leather shoulder-bag she kept strapped over her undershirt–which peeked from underneath the hem of the shirt–and tapped on its surface. “I’ve been keeping them with me for times I think I need them: you know, when I’m really around other people. Touching them, making food for them, whatever. They’ve held up really well. They wash well, too–even on.”

A tilt of the head. “Have you had any time to work on your other projects? I mean, with everything going on.”

Nodding her head along, she did arc an eyebrow briefly in confusion at washing with them on, then again from all she had seen of Chanterelle, her magic and, in lack of a better word, corruption of things with it, she likely did need to wear them most of the time. Maria pondered to herself, in offering to find help with that, but the latter bit jolted her into the present: there simply was no time to make something better.

”Just enough to do so, though my encounter with the rouge meisters and weapons and the minions of a Fae, and the events of Dall Island, plus learning wind magic and gaining limited flight, has me rethinking the whole line, I will never give up on my darlings, but I must incorporate them into a new style of fighting. Which I’ve had a couple theoretical ideas on.”

Gesturing towards the DWMA Campus, she shook her head a bit with a hint of anger on her doll like face; ”I did not share this, but the Mentor from our mission dared suggest I take up language courses to learn Welsh. Welsh, as if it is so widely spoken or worth my limited time. Too many of the humans think that though we will live well beyond them or even most of their bloodlines, that somehow the rules of 24 hours in a day do not apply to us. Even I need sleep. I can do but so much.”

Her interest peaked at Maria’s other ideas, but she’d come back to that. Her nose wrinkled at the conveyed suggestion. “In a way,” she said loftily, “It would suit your voice.” A bit of a laugh. “But I think you’re right. You have way too much on your plate right now for that.”

A shrug. “But your dolls—I’d be happy to hear about your plans, if you’d be happy to share them.”

”...it would?” Maria said at once at it suiting her voice, well it wasn’t like she would not have time to pick up several languages, that time just was not now. There was a simple nod in response. Still the ideas, or rather the request to know her plans, the Dollmaker pondered the matter, if she should or could share this.

”Well, I had three paths I am considering, one involved increasing the automation of my creations and making them wood and machine constructs, well magitech machines. The second was just no longer bringing the small ones and just building a second of Alicia, ah, she’s the doll around my size that follows me normally, that would be far easier to automate and control, the third option, well, that one is a secret.”

“I think either of those could work, depending on what you want. If you would find it useful to have your hands free, more automation could help you–but if you’re really going to focus on your dolls, controlling them would give you much finer control. But you know that.” There was a long pause. She remembered Alicia from their prior meetings, though the doll did not seem to be with Maria now. “Have you ever considered trying to work with self-healing material, insofar as their bodies? I’ve heard there’s been leaps when it comes to self-bonding fabrics–like the kind that melt, kind of, back into themselves when they’re damaged. Though that might make more work when you’re fixing them up.”

”Well, before the last bit of training Rand gave me, before, well the incident, was in learning the use of Wind magic and spells, which served me well in Europe, so I’m trying to integrate that into my existing style. I am not a true witch afterall, so I do not need to follow a theme, as you must do, however, I would like to keep what I know.” Maria said to the first bit, before nodding her head in agreement with the logic Chanterelle presented.

”Hmm, that would not be a bad idea, but from what I know it requires more mana on my part to do, but ah, what of you? Have you learned anything new or thought up future plans for your own Magic?” She asked with what seemed to be genuine interest.

She nodded emphatically. Chanterelle could remember parts of the later bit of their trip to Dall Island–the events there had been unfortunate, especially considering she had been in her element before everything had gone well to hell–and remembered their deliberation on wind magic to some degree. She knew that mana could be a limiter on sorcery, but it had never felt polite to inquire about that. “I’ve actually been working on… well, it’ll be easier to show you.” Fingertip by fingertip, she pulled one glove off, laying it on the bench beside her. The witch held the hand out of front of her, angling it so that Maria could see better.

A cluster of puffballs emerged from her hand, growing out in two or three major clumps between the seam of her fingers and palm. This took a bit of focus: not just the action, but composing the mushrooms based on memory, not to mention putting in the effort to ensure they were nontoxic. This was much more difficult than it normally would be, seeing as they were attached to her body. They would become corrupted with enough time, whether she liked it or not, so she had to work fast.

She pushed back up from the bench, took four or five steps back from Maria. Glanced behind her, and seeing no-one, clapped her white glove against her opposite hand with a gleeful grin.

The effect was immediate. The mushrooms exploded into a fine, dusty cloud of brown spores, almost completely encapsulating the witch. The sunlight shimmered against the thickness in the air–there was certainly a much greater quantity of dust than would be produced normally by a cluster of that size–further reducing visibility. Within five or ten seconds, the great majority of it had filtered through the air, leaving a thin coating on the ground between them. Chanterelle, however, was covered in it. Her ungloved hand wiped at her face, first around her eyes, then her mouth. A shake of the head, displacing another wave of it from her hair.

These spores would doubtlessly be a lung irritant, if nothing else. They could be toxic, in the same way that she was. But Chanterelle had developed the spread technique from something else: the spores she used to facilitate decay. She was sure she could use this somehow, though not exactly how yet. In a more broad sense, since her (second) time in the hospital, she had been exploring the limitations of her body. The body was in some ways generally shielded from growth and decay, in a nebulous way that she could only assume had something to do with the soul. With a bit of defined effort, however…

Well, the plant could be made as a part of herself again.

This was the way in which she exaggerated the effects of the spores. It was a minor application of biological magic–the kind she’d been urged to experiment with–but of the kind that was more pleasant, less obvious, and lacked the volatility of blood magic. SImply boring through skin with a root was enough to do something, though not always something of great power.

“I’ll admit, it’s a bit of a parlor trick, but I think it might have its uses. And, well– I’ve considered trying to root from my body in other ways, too, but I am still looking for ways that might be more generally useful. I thought about hardened hands, or weapons of some kind–but that’s probably best left to the weapons themselves.” Her palm still up to show it off, the remnants of the mushrooms decayed in her hand. She shook it toward the ground, displacing the rapidly graying liquid from her palm. There were small boring-marks in her hands near their bases of the mushrooms–divets that wept with what was not truly blood itself –but she did not bother hiding these from Maria.

This kind of magic wasn’t exactly something brought up in polite company, either, but the sorceress could hardly make good suggestions without understanding the basis of the ability’s function.

Watching the spell in action and what she knew of Chanterelle, this was, depending on how one looked at it, either a very worrisome ability or a great asset. It could cause grave harm to an enemy and keep the space around herself secure from any melee attacker… Which in this line of work was a surprisingly many things. Though judging by the look of the other, she had not yet realized this, or she was looking into ways to increase the effect of it. Listening to what the witch had to say next, the sorceress nodded along, pondering the last comments on turning them into weapons, or hardened hands… And curiously it dealt with liquid. Just what was it? Sweat?

Chanterelle clearly did not have this problem. “Hmm… I’m curious how well my Penultimate would stand up in warding it off. One thing I thought of would not be useful for you alone, but if paired with say Raph or a flame using weapon, theoretically with that concentration of powder, you could mimic the effects of my Wind Explosion. Though, I am not so sure if that is the best use of it or not, as to a weapon… hmm… Maybe not a weapon so much as a trojan horse or a surprise on an unexpecting foe, though I know not if or how your blood ties into the spell. Can you for instance have those balls linger and detonate under a condition? Such as in proximity to something or upon contact?”

A flamethrower. That wasn’t a bad idea at all, actually. She couldn’t pull it off herself–fire was absolutely beyond her abilities–but her mind fell into theorizing, almost forgetting Maria for a moment. In the highest moments… well.

There were times, in mana-rich environments, that she’d managed to create plants sparking for electricity. The thought that these kinds of spores–or some kinds of spores, in any case–could conduct that electricity or even mana in the same way that her blood could, at least theoretically–
It was somewhat invigorating. But it was an inquiry for a later time.

“You see, I’ve been working on the puffballs generally, so I thought they were a good platform for showing you the… biological stuff. I don’t generally control my creations after they land. I mean, sometimes, but–” her lips pulled into a half-grimace “-generally speaking, the puffballs go off when someone steps on them or when there’s a lot of close motion. Hence the clapping. I don’t often get to stipulate behavioral conditions, but I could set them off myself, and I have before…”

She strode forward and sat back down next to Maria, putting on her other glove. Leaning away from the other girl, she beat her palms against each other, some of the dust from the absolutely covered glove on her other hand scattering as if beaten from a pair of blackboard erasers. “Particularly, I’ve managed to increase the amount of spores produced from a small amount of specimens. Picture that, but ten square feet of them in the undergrowth. If I had some time to prepare for an encounter…” There was a grin. “Absolute chaos.”


”Hmm…” Pausing to collect her thoughts, it was true that the spores, the fungi, all of it strictly speaking were organic beings, extensions in a manner of Chanterelle, even if by nature of magic. It was like the insect Witches that Nadia, Gauss, Dani and others aside fought on that day while they were on Dall Island. The question was how much so, or to what extent… ”Um, I was curious, do they provide any sort of sensory feedback, or can they? I was wondering if you could use them to scout or to tell when someone is getting closer…but ah. If they do that, then you have nothing to worry about in setting them off. I must admit biological magic is well outside of what I know, I use things in my constructs that were once Organic, but, I’m pretty sure no one would call a piece of lumber a living thing.”

“You know, that’s a really good question.” There was a long pause. “It’s true that I felt them burst in my hand. Like a thin membrane of skin, a blister coming to rupture, though it did not cause me pain. I suppose that puffballs–well, they’re meant to puff–so I don’t know if it would be different.” There was a held pause while she thought about it. No, none of her plants had their own nervous systems–nor any ability to perceive the things around them, bar physically. The feelings of vibration through fungal systems–and to a lesser extent, root systems, though these were harder to work with–could in theory help her to find the location of a pursuer, but only in a quiet place, where the ambient sound did not drown it out and she had a familiarity with the root systems involved.

Although Chanterelle had dominion over plants in some ways–at least the manipulation of them–she had little ability to communicate with them. Most plants weren’t intelligent enough to begin to try. She had heard other hedge witches claim that mega-organisms with large amounts of individuals such as the fungal colony in Eastern Oregon might have enough internal communication happening around their length to ‘tap into’, but she could neither confirm this nor determine a use for it if it existed.

The problem with theme-based magic was that it was pretty broad, and that you didn’t really find the hard limits to it until you strove to achieve them.

So when she spoke again, her voice was careful. “Supposing that I was to make something of my flesh–and that it was able to be detached, self-sufficient, but still connected to my own internal mana.. That is, what I mean is it would need to be upkept, which is sometimes difficult in the field…” These statements made her sound like Maria, she thought somewhat dryly, but carried on, “I imagine it might be possible for me to perceive, at the very least, a plant’s moment of destruction. Or its response to other similar bodies being destroyed–some plants tend to tense when others are destroyed around them, you see, as a sort of self-defense mechanism. A simple chemical reaction.”

“Actually–” There was a flash of realization across her face, the forging of a connection through pure word association. “How much do you know about chemistry?”

The question was abrupt, but not unfounded. “Timed charges. I don’t think I could really set them to go off at a certain interval, at least not directly. But if I could produce a substance–an acid or something that would eat through a central membrane connecting two organic chambers in a predictable amount of time–that would react violently with the involved acid upon contact–”

“Maria, do you think I could… make something volatile like that? Explosive, even?”

Well, it seemed this conversation was taking an interesting turn as the blonde mage ran her hand over her face, then resting below the nose and around the left eye as she often did when something interesting was happening within the confines of her mind, or she got too carried away. ”Well, chemistry I’m not an expert at, I use it in my alchemy and metallurgy, so I know more than most. And ah, I didn’t mean the like, if they were sentient or something, but like this video I saw of someone reading electrodes off of mushrooms and using them to make music…though that music was a sign they were in pain… ah.. But hmm, explosives are not that difficult in principle, if it is flammable and can displace air, then it explodes, so anything that burns closely together, or that can turn into a vapor, or some materials are sure to explode. Mana can even be forced into something along pathways, I used to do that with my derelict dolls.

As to Acid, from what I know of that, it’s not so useful for an explosive so much as a, hmm… A collateral? Like, putting nails in a bomb. Acid being splashed around is bad for most things, but in principle that might be more useful in a directional explosive to melt through metal or the like in a concentrated amount, a bit like thermite.” She said, clearly running away with the idea.

“Ah there is another means of making an explosion, or two rather, the other is the displacement of mass with energy, a bit like when a fusion bomb goes off and falls back upon itself, which isn’t useful to us. And the other is compression upon something to the point the force implodes outwards.”

This was going to require a textbook, or maybe several dozen of them. Field manuals, perhaps, from places Chanterelle couldn’t visit herself. She’d had some success with ordering clippings of plants she had never seen before; it wasn’t hard to keep them alive if they arrived that way but magical replication often required ongoing cultivation. Chambered plants. They sounded tropical, perhaps suited to a humid environment–

Maria was still waiting for a response.

“You know, that.. gives me a lot to think about. I haven’t spent a lot of time on the maths or sciences yet–they’re a bit harder to read–but with a specific topic to explore, I am somewhat certain that I can figure something out.” There was a time in which she would have run with the mania of magical innovation, the Pull tugging towards the direction of improvement, of an increased capacity for destruction. Association with the DWMA was double-edged; it both discouraged the indulgence of the Pull and asked of her the improvement of these dangerous capabilities. But there was a silver lining: the development of magic, she’d learned, often benefited from a new perspective.

“This has been really helpful, Maria, thank you. But I don’t mean to keep you–you looked like you were in a hurry when I called you aside.”

Nodding her head at that, Maria simply gave a shrug. ”I’ve been busy constantly since Dall Island, but you are correct, I did have other purposes for being here. Should you need me for anything do give me a call, I also wish you luck with your research.” Grabbing her dress by the sides, she gives a courtesy bow as she was known to do, waiting for any reply, she would quickly head off to finish her business on DWMA grounds.

“Yeah, you too. Call me anytime. And good luck!” She stood from the bench in turn, bowing back to Maria (though, in the jeans and overcoat she was wearing, it had a much lesser effect). From here, she grabbed her things–it was time to go home to change.

Early Evening

September 23, 2067​

Location: DWMA Campus, Centre Plaza​

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Tags: None

Collaborator(s): RedArmyShogun

 

[RedArmyShogun]

September 25th - Death City​

With her makeover starting to wear off, Nadia had decided to spend most of the afternoon listening to her records, before finding herself being dragged out of the apartment via the request that the other accompany her, to catch up on one another’s missions, and truthfully as she needed to get supplies and needed a break.

Thus did Nadia find herself walking alongside Maria as they wandered the old district, Maria going shop to shop for her materials or to finalize orders for her own work, Nadia for her part more than happy to go along with. Taking a break in a nearby nature park, Nadia and Maria were sharing some shortbread cookies, with some hot tea, likely from one of the nearby shops.

“Ah, there you are.” Came the voices of two directly behind the duo as steps approached.

“Scrying you was a much simpler solution so we should consider it lucky you were both together, shouldn't we?”

“I do believe so.” The two in question wore rather formal dresses, shoulder length cloaks of rich purple, skirts slit at the hips down to where the hemlines fell short above knees, blouses that covered the arms. Both had a splash of what might have been freckles but if one were observant in the light the freckles sparkled just a little in the light.

“Nadia and Maria, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Apologies for the interruption.” One with brighter green hair stated as the two split and met together at the front, the brighter one offering a polite little curtsy with a subtle heft of the skirt. “I am Aldarra Basilisk.”

“I am Qualee Basilisk. And I hope we do not impose but do either of you mind if we were to join you for a chat?”

For her part Nadia had sensed the pair some time ago, as had Maria, neither decided to take issue with it, after all just because one had magic did not mean they were aiming to attack them, such days had passed, still the pair were dressed most interestingly in a manner.

The pair of them were likely sisters, Nadia was truthfully a little miffed about the two bothering them like this, but decided in the wake of what happened only days prior, to try being nice. Her blue nails and lipstick being unusual additions alongside her normal black outfit. Starting at the pair, and then at Maria, she gives a simple shrug.

”Eh, I don’t mind unless it's an interview. What about you Maria?”

Nodding her own head and looking as she always did, the young craftsman smiled, or a close proximation to it anyways; ”Um, no, by all means.”

The witch pair smiled and joined the duo with a simple thanks.

Qualee followed shortly with a simple question. “We had desired to meet with you both before your missions, but after we had heard about that dreadful Hawaii incident--”

“--we thought it would be better to simply meet with you after you had returned and had some rest. How were your missions by the way? It had only been recently made known to both of us that you were around. We hope all was well?”

”Heh. I was not affected by that event at all. I had to beat it out of a few of them. As to the mission, well enough, though I cannot just talk about it, what with it being under investigation still. It did not go fully as I wished, but such is life” Nadia said shortly, she sure as hell wasn’t going to tell them about the crystals in her hands, or the fact a serial killer with the power of the devil had been leading a cult and killed hundreds in the course of resolving it.

”Though curious, so lucky to catch us both together, if I didn’t know any better you were following us… No, point of fact Soul Perception told me as much some time ago. So what can we, or I, do for you? And I wouldn’t call it dreadful, more like fucking stupid.”

Maria for her part was too tired to care about the details of her job, nothing minus the mirror could not be mentioned. Though she also had no will to carry out a long discussion with it either,

”Hmm.. Ah, I was in Western Europe for all of my mission, my team faced two Meister pairs, an ambush and some disgruntled Fae. Two of the antics had tried to kill me, if not all three, I had to use my magics in unorthodox ways to turn the tale around, considering one of them was a mage killing specialist that killed three witches that day… I also was not affected by that day, I guess there is no harm in saying so now, but my Master and I theorized that the disruption in Hawaii was caused by the wine served that day, as that was the only thing Nadia, myself and a few unaffected had not had. A weapon Mentor was what saw me as his source of affection, but I would not call it significant, he was soon to regain his senses… I cannot think of much that happened than embarrassment to most there. The violence and infighting got to those there well before any acts could be carried out.”

This is where the conversation may have shifted. Qualee answered Nadia while Aldarra spoke to Maria.

“That is correct, we had been trying to meet with you. My sister and I have not had the time or chance to meet with either one of you for various reasons of our own, though it was my idea we try today.” Which wasn't a total lie, but wasn't a total fact either. “I had been curious to meet you ever since seeing your actions at the Tournament many months ago.” Qualee explained. “I was impressed how you handled our delightful friend, the Earth mage.”

To Maria it was, “A weapon mentor you say?” The darker green haired one snickered. “Well, that certainly is true for most” regarding her comment of embarrassment. “In any case, might I ask what those.may be for?” Eyes directing and an index finger pointing to the documents beside Maria.

“Hmm? Oh these?” Looking at the collection of white or pink slips that she had set beside her with a clip to hold them all together, so that they did not blow off into the wind, Maria decided to grab them, she really should just keep them in her belt pouches. ”These are sales receipts mostly, from me to some stores and from some stores to me, material shipments mostly. I craft various items to sell and test theories on, and its not so simple for me to hop into the witch realm and grab what I want in quantity.”

Nadia for her part nodded in greeting. ”I’m not sure she’s even been in that realm, though still, I always knew you had some battle sense at least.”

“I’m surprised Ark hasn't offered.” Aldarra said.

“You know he doesn't deal in business unless he absolutely must” Qualee lightly nudged. Her eyes turned to Maria. “We may not be able to due our positions, but if you ask Ark to accompany you and his request is granted by his matriarch he would be able to ensure your transition at least through the Realm. He does, after all, go there often- albeit not recently.”

“I understand you make your own creations for combat?” Aldarra asked Maria.


”There is no need, I’ll go when it is required of me. For now, this realm keeps me busy enough and I’ve got barely enough time to do what I must… As to combat, yes I fight with constructs and wind magic. Maria said in short order, as she held out the cookie basket. ”Not sure if you’ll like these or not, but please, have some.”

”These have been some busy days, that is for sure. Though I am curious, is there really nothing you all wanted apart from small talk?” Nadia asked in quick order, sipping from her styrofoam cup of hot tea.

Qualee politely thanked Maria for the offering of cookies and took two passing one to her other who politely shook her head in thanks.

It wasn't until Qualee finished that she spoke to answer Nadia's question. A deliberate act to buy time, and make it seem like she was in no rush. “Small talk was honestly the main part of our reason for coming here. I would rather not distract from our conversations now with insignificant thoughts running around my head. You are after all one of the few Meisters we get to interact with, and our invitation from Lady Noir to that tournament was what truly drew my attention and excitement to converse with the two of you. Most of my time gets spent in research, so moments like this are fleeting.” Assuaging at least any ulterior motives on the surface and at the same time, deflecting the question entirely to mitigate suspicion.

Aldarra continued, nodding in agreement, “Might I ask, what sort of activities do you enjoy, Madame Nadia? You seem like a woman who enjoys the more exciting moments on a free day.”

”What do I enjoy huh? And just smalltalk? Very well. Says Nadia, accepting their words at face value in the here and now, as she thought a little on the question. ”Well, I mostly listen to classical music records or things of that style, I go on walks like this, training, battle and I read some literature.”

“Ooh,” Aldarra purred in “delight at a fellow classical lover. What are you? A Bach, Vivaldi, Bologna, Mozart? You don't quite strike me as a romantic but I could be wrong.”

“And You, Maria, do you have a genre you like? Or perhaps another form of entertainment?”

”Ha, those are acceptable, but I prefer the music of my native land, the works of Glinka, Borodin, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Mussorgsky, and Balakirev. Those composers you named are known to me, as they should be by most, well, those who have some culture in them.”

Listening to the conversation and letting Nadia finish her own response, Maria then speaks up, taking the cookie basket back as she answered in kind. ”Hmm, Classical as well I would say, though as of late I’ve come to enjoy some video game music, though more akin to those, ah. That is another sort of hobby we do. Nadia's partner and our friend, Dani got us into it, or at least where we’ll play with her from time to time, though I have much more to busy myself with. Though I do have tea with Nadia and listen to her records and chat.”

The Basilisk sisters continued in various idle topics or conversation for quite some time. Topics varied from music to other topics of interest that gave the other two s chance to prod at the Wiccan duo themselves and get some answers on any stray questions to come to mind. Banter that normally occurred in minutes stretched into a full half hour and before both Qualee and Aldarra made a point to excuse themselves for other matters they had to attend to as the tea and cookies ran out.

Bidding the Meister and Sorceress adieu as they patter ways the sisters waved goodbye, hoping to have a less sudden appearance next time around they could meet. It was long after the two parties had separated, Nadia and Maria long behind them out of sight, that Aldarra’s smile faded, and Qualee sighed.

“We should have asked them what happened to Ark.”

“And risk getting such suspicion from the Sorcerer? You heard Nadia, not long after our arrival she immediately asked what we were really there for I think not.” Qualee retorted. “The girl may not be from the Realm but that does not mean her mentor and matriarchal figure didn't teach her a thing or two of our culture.”

With a relenting shrug, the older twin gave to the younger, “Possible, certainly. What makes you say that though?”

Qualee smiled and shrugged. “A bunch. Let's hurry back and inform Lady Nyx of our findings.


RedArmyShogun The Regal Rper