Semideus Rex (IC)

[Rupudska]

Just outside of Jerusalem
June 21, 2018

The distinctive klak-klak-klak of an idling Land Rover Defender was not quite so distinctive stuck in the seemingly perpetual traffic of Jerusalem. The city, which virtually survived off tourism, finance and government work (In that order), was noisy, loud, and crowded as it ever had been since the 1980s. What actually made it worse was the bicycles. The city government had tried to relieve traffic and pollution in one fell swoop by advocating the use of bicycles. Pollution stabilized and fell, but the traffic actually worsened due to the Jerusalem government clearly not understanding how traffic worked.

Violet Cordelia Bickford Swift, however, understood it well. Too well. Painfully well, offensively well, infuriatingly well. She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, then wiped sweat from her brow. The air conditioning had broke again, and while she was used to working in the desert heat (Jerusalem's summer heat was nothing compared to that of Luxor), she disliked the heat while she was in such a glassy box like her deep blue Defender.

Bloody hell, it's like an oven in here... She banged on the dashboard, trying to get the AC working. Sadly, Columbian mechanic techniques did not work on Albian equipment, and it remained broken. In fact, she had probably made it worse. Her ears drooped, pointing downwards. She probably smelled like a horse right about now, considering how much she was sweating. Actually, a horse wouldn't be too bad. She wouldn't need to worry about stoplights.

The light changed abruptly to green. Finally... She unbuttoned her jacket partway. No use melting away before she even got to the conference. She leaned out and checked the roof at the next stop sign. Her precious cargo on the roof was still there. She had brought a lot from Egypt and the Sudan. Some of the artifacts still had that musty smell to them. The smell of adventure...

[Ceannairceach]

Jerusalem, Ottoman Empire,
21st of June, 2018

In a world where Elves reigned, Centaurs roamed and humans ran amok, the sight of an angel still caused a stir in the city of Jerusalem.

High above the traffic-filled streets of Jerusalem flew a black-winged figure, dressed in a matching shade over pale skin and hair. Like carrion circling a dying beast, the black image made an oval around the city, pacing itself in its slow, circular descent. It was quite some time before the first streetwalkers saw what the "angel" really was; Merely a Turul, one of the winged humanoids that dominated Rossiya and other parts of eastern Europe. The interest died down almost immediately, for though such a sight was not precisely common on the deserts of Arabia, it was hardly special.

This particular Turul was a woman, of snowy white skin and stormy gray hair. Her dress was simple, and ended just below the knees. Each wing, that grew from her back and erupted from openings in the back of her dress, was larger than her alone, even when furled. Released, their span was much the size of a small truck. Around her neck she wore a simple white frill with a crimson red necklace, holding a ruby amulet above her small bosom. Notably, she wore no shoes, her calloused feet bare.

As the Turul lowered herself further to the ground, it was clear to those up-to-date on Rossiyan news who the woman was, if only by her distinctive features; She was Zoya Kosmokaya, the woman wanted in relation to a terror plot against the Empire. It was unclear exactly how she was connected to it, precisely; She was rumored to be the ringleader, or the connection between various elements if not that. And yet she was only wanted for "questioning." The only reason she wasn't thrown to the dogs after fleeing her home nation was because of the official Ottoman policy of flipping the bird in response to any and every Rossiyan request. Quite fortunate for her, considering what had happened when she was in Austria-Hungary.

Finally, after nearly an hour of circling, the girl landed on a low skyscraper, huffing in slight exhaustion. Zoya wiped the sweat from her brow, her skin baking in the heat of the Jerusalem sun. It was a mistake on her part to bring her black finery, suitable for the cold Russian weather, to the deserts of the southern Ottoman Empire. But she hadn't precisely planned to have to travel from the capital of the Rossiyan Empire, across Austria-Hungary being hounded by police, to the Ottoman Empire, where she was denied asylum but luckily not send back. She would have to simply deal with her lot; She had when she lost her shoes in Constantinople, and she would here.

After resting for a moment, the woman took flight once more, gliding down to the surface streets. Landing in an alley, she took another moment to cool herself, and began to walk the streets. Fanning herself lightly with her gigantic wings, Zoya manages to stay somewhat comfortable despite the heat. Some complained to her in their foreign tongues, likely about how in the way she was with her horrible wingspan, large even when furled, but she merely pressed on, cocooning herself in black feathers. She had to rest, save her energy, for the last leg of her journey, to Cairo...

[Transoxthraxia]

Jerusalem, The Twenty First of June, 2018.

The heat was sweltering, and Aaliyah was struggling to control her body in the hot, cloudless day. She hated days like this, when she could feel the sun beating down on her unnaturally pale skin. She begun the day mostly covered up, dressed in an all black sweater, leggings, and a long-sleeved shirt over a tank top, but, due to the heat, had lost most of it throughout the day, sweaters, towels, and the like all slowly filling up her backpack, all but her tank top and leggings now safely stashed within the backpack. She was homeless, and jobless, it appeared to those around her. However, her hygiene was immaculate, strangely. She walked, hands by her side, down the narrow streets of one of the holiest cities in the world, constantly thinking about the whispers she heard.

Moon, dark, ascent... She travelled into a marketplace. The stalls were of many different colors and designs. Revenge, dark, return... They were almost as real now as they were then. Perhaps in part due to Aaliyah's Eidetic memory, or perhaps they weren't memories, and were still embedded in her brain. Her hands had clenched into fists, Aaliyah becoming less and less aware of her surroundings, bumping into a few people in the crowded marketplace. Survival, hidden, ascent... Placing her hand on the wall of one of the stalls, she felt the wood, and dragged her hand along it, feeling a splinter lodge itself within her skin, and it snapped her back to reality. The vendor had looked at her like she was crazy. Muttering an apology in Arabic, she hurried along her way.

Leaving the marketplace, she began ascending the ancient stairs that led back to one of the major roads, and she couldn't' help but notice that she had come up looking at a Land Rover. Casually expecting it, she took perhaps a little too long marvelling over the car. During her upbringing, she had rarely seen cars, and now that she was in Jerusalem, cars such as these were worth investigating.

[Kaosu Enterprises]

Jerusalem, 21st of June, 2018

He was finally here, finally in the city of Jerusalem. Some would wonder why he was here, he didn't even really know, he just felt pulled to this area. He sighed as he stepped out of his jet black Land rover, which contrasted his shock-silver hair. He grinned as he looked across the parking lot he was in, his violet eye's pupils turning into slits, with vibrant orange spider-web like colors on the edges of the slits, slightly merging with with the violet colors of the rest of his eye. His finger-nails lengthened into oddly neat and clean claws, jutting out around half an inch as he walked, and walked looking to a female Turul as he did so, his tounge morphing into a snake-like organ and flicking at the air for a moment as he eyed her, grinning, his fangs still showing in human form.

He stared her down as if she were his prey, ready to be pounced upon, he wasn't going to do anything now, but he would remember her scent, he always would. "Luckily for you I don't eat bird, feathers stuck between teeth get annoying."He said in a hollow, dark, and oddly eerie voice, as if speaking from experience, as he walked by her, the shadows morphing as he walked, claws seeming to sharpened as he finally passed the Turul. He loved her wings, they were perfect, beautiful. Even with his shattered personality it would be a crime to harm such a beautiful creature, no matter what they would provide to him, it would be a simple meal, he could find those elsewhere.

Most would find it odd that as he walked scales began to grow on his face, rock-solid, extremely durable green scales. They glinted off the sun. He disappeared in a burst of shadow, appearing on the building that has around 100 feet in front of him, he looked down upon the city as he morphed into a much smaller version of his giant lizard form, he had only grown a foot from his usual size of 6.2 feet tall. His clothes had grown to fit him, due to magic, as he grinned down at the city, his trench coat swaying with his long tail, which was growing bone spikes on all sides of it, including the tip. His claws had lengthened to 2 inches long and were currently digging into the cement beneath him as he looked down upon the city, he wondered if they had seen anything like him, and was about to find out. He began crawling down the side of the building, yes, crawling, crawling like a spider, spiked tail waving behind him as he did so, tounge flicking out for a split second to smell the air, his trench coat manipulated by magic to make room for the scaled dragon-like wings that would soon expand from his back, they were a magnificent green color, the scales were perfect, and they were beautiful, though he couldn't even hope for his wing's to be as beautiful as the Turul's.

He was currently latched onto the building in a crouching form, as he looked down to the immediatly intruiged, and slightly frightened citizens. The chatter died down immediatly as all eyes turned towards him. "What would do if they saw an 18.2 foot tall lizard instead of me?"He muttered to himself, slowly crawling down lower, until he flipped over off the building, landing on his feet, in a acrobatic feat. He simply stared everyone down, there was no more chatter, they just looked...intrigued.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

On the skies of Jerusalem, a figure roamed the skies, wings moving so fast they seemed less like avian wings and more like a helicopter's helix. It zipped through the sky with a speed such that it was little more than a blur in the sky. Such a creature was certain to raise alarm among the citizens and tourists of Jerusalem.

If it wasn't so tiny.

The small bird, whose wings seemed to emit a faint hum, continued flying for a while, enjoying its own melody. Who knows, perhaps that was why birds from that species were called 'hummingbirds'.

Finally, the hummingbird decided to take a rest, and settled down on the rooftop of a nearby building... And then, it turned into a man.

The man was medium height and dark-skinned, his traits obviously giving him away as a person hailing from a distant nation. His torso was relatively covered by a green shirt with some decorations that were traditional from his birthplace, though it was open and there was nothing below. Aside from that, he wore simple jeans and nothing but a pair of sandals on his feet. His clothing wasn't exactly the most striking thing about him, however. Perhaps it was something in his emerald eyes, or how natural his movements seemed, but there was something otherwordly about this man.

Not that the confused expression in his face did much to accentuate that.

"Why has Ehecatl brought me here?" He wondered, scratching his head as he sat on the edge of the rooftop with his legs hanging, alternatively looking at the people, animals and cars below, and at the sunlit sky above, though when he did the latter, he seemed displeased, likely due to his heritage and his ancestor's story. He would have much preferred to be basking in the moonlight, but that was not the situation at hand, and he accepted it. The sun was as much a part of nature as the night, and there was nothing he could or should do about it.

Regardless, he was certain that there had to be a reason for him being here. The winds had been driving him towards this place for a while now, and had stopped once he arrived. Much to the grief of the people there, most likely.

"Is this part of my quest, grandmother?" He asked in his thoughts, addressing his ancestor, though he did not expect a reply.

Either way, after pondering his situation for a while, the man decided that if this was indeed part of his quest, he wouldn't accomplish anything merely by observing from above and not doing anything. With this in mind, he turned into a hummingbird once again and discreetly flew down to an empty back alley, where he turned back into his human form and went out onto the streets, gracefully dodging people as he moved, to no place in particular, but always forward.

[Utceforp]

Jerusalem. Too hot for Martin's tastes, he preferred the colder weather of high altitudes and mountains to deserts. Martin had modified a small, old-fashioned car to suit his unique proportions, complete with tinted windows. He knew Thoth's power made people less likely to go "Oh my god a gorilla!", but he had to make some effort. He took in his surroundings, careful to find every detail. He wasn't looking for anything in particular, he was only here to attend a conference, but it was a good way to pass the time, and any new information was welcomed.

Martin noticed that the woman in the car in front of him had gotten out to check on the things on her roof, further slowing Martin down. He wasn't the type for road rage, so he simply sat there tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. Martin understood every language known to man, so he managed to pick up snippets of conversation. Somebody was complaining about a Turul's wings, another guy was wondering why a girl had purposely given herself a splinter... ...and some guy was blatantly implying that he wanted to eat the Turul. Martin turned and looked for the Turul, which he saw, but he didn't see the wannabe predator anywhere. He would call the police, but he never carried a phone, and a giant gorilla was just as good protection as a police officer. He was still looking.

[Konariona]

Jerusalem
It was hotter than the hive had ever been, mused Nadal as he wandered throughout the buildings, the skyscrapers of the area amusing and amazing him. He strode throughout the city on his travels further south into the deeper parts of the African continent. The hive was safe without him; her aggressors were dead by his hand, and he was looking for a place to settle down for a while.

Jerusalem was certainly not the place. The Ma'kaaran culture tended to like more rural areas, with the hive being the only thing for miles around. It made the area more defensible, and peaceful. As a result, however, many people wandered onto the territory of the hives unawares- and they were slaughtered for trespassing. If the humans were ignorant, than they were at fault, not the Ma'kaara. However, the technologically superior and better armed humans tended to disagree.

In the clicking Ma'kaaran tongue, Nadal asked a street vendor for a fruit. The vendor lifted his eyebrows, obviously untaught in the Ma'kaaran language. Nadal sighed and ordered a fruit in common English, much to the man's delight, and he placed a few coins on the table, and then walked off, consuming his juicy fruit in the hot day, awaiting something interesting to happen.

[AETEN II]

Jerusalem Catacombs
Two Hundred Feet Below the Surface

Ysgolor was a curious specimen. While fearsome in appearance, the servant and 'child' of the Great Old Ones was oddly not salivating at the mouth with the idea of death and destruction, and rather had the attitude of a (un)worldly scholar. For Ysgolor had passed on the idea of terrorizing mortals, instead preferring to explore the ancient and largely forgotten catacombs of Jerusalem. The Necronomicon spoke of great treasures and artifacts hidden in these ancient tunnels, and until Ysgolor received another psychedelic dream from his 'mother' he might as well find something to occupy him.

Well, it would have been purely a leisure mission had mercenaries not been dogging him. Ysgolor may have been 'otherworldly' or 'distant', but he wasn't a fool. He knew when somebody was following him, and he could feel the presence of the goons dogging him. The poor fools thought hiding in the shadows was sufficient when he turned his back, but he could see the odd finger sticking out, the strange human-shaped shadows in a tunnel system devoid of life, and the occasional hushed chatter.

Deciding that getting the jump on the mooks would be a good idea, Ysgolor turned a corner and took off his ring and watch, then turning around to face a mercenary directly.

"BOO!"

And the man's heart stopped. Except it wasn't from suddenly seeing a cephalopod-man, rather the sudden spike of ice that impaled him. Meanwhile for the other two mercs, they were running towards Ysgolor, fleeing the great Shoggoth behind him and not noticing the large spike of ice aimed at them until they had both run themselves through.

Disgusted at their stuipidity for not realizing the Shoggoth was an illusion (it wasn't even splashing the stream of water that ran through the catacombs for fuck's sake), Ysgolor dispelled the ice into vapor and pushed the three corpses to the floor of the catacombs. Muttering 'what a waste of life' under his breath, Ysgolor began to strip the corpses of useful items, taking a couple maps, flashlight, and three pistols with a couple clips of ammunition. Pleased with the net profit (but pitying the fools for wasting themselves), Ysgolor continued to march down the Catacombs before bumping into another mercenary. Not even bothering to place his ring and watch back on, the demigod simply pulled out one of the pistols off the mooks. Of course being a layman when it comes to firearms, the safety was on.

"Please don't make me pull the trigger. I've dealt with the three back there already, killing a fourth today is getting excessive."

[Neo Arcad]

Astrid Helle sighed. It was one thing to have to hunt down a dangerous wizard in catacombs a thousand feet deep. It was another entirely to have to do it with the three most incompetent mooks she'd ever seen in her life. They were locals, probably from some criminal organization in the city, and their armament matched their level of competence and intelligence. The only thing they had going for them was muscle. They seemed like the type of cannon fodder who'd usually just punch their way through a problem. As if this wasn't enough to convince her to let them go on ahead, they were making catcalls from the moment she arrived.

So when they were all dead at the hands of a squid-man, half an hour later, Astrid wasn't exactly distraught. The major problem she had was being held at gunpoint by the eldritch warlock. She hadn't had time to draw her pistol before his was trained on her with an unsteady hand. Still, even an inexperienced shooter could deal a fatal shot at such a close range. "Relax, I'll put down my gun, see?" she said, removing her gun belt and placing it on the ground. When she had done so, she began raising her hands as if to put them above her head, but instead, she cupped them and pointed them at the squiddly fellow's firearm, enveloping it in a beam of chaotic energy. The weapon would basically meltsplode in his hand if he didn't relinquish his grip on it; in any case, Astrid didn't even give him time to think about shooting at her. She struck out at him with a snappy high kick and then a flurry of punches, none of which would be particularly effective in felling the fairly well-built cephalopod, but might serve to throw him off guard for a few moments, so that she could get at her gun.

[AETEN II]

Astrid Helle sighed. It was one thing to have to hunt down a dangerous wizard in catacombs a thousand feet deep. It was another entirely to have to do it with the three most incompetent mooks she'd ever seen in her life. They were locals, probably from some criminal organization in the city, and their armament matched their level of competence and intelligence. The only thing they had going for them was muscle. They seemed like the type of cannon fodder who'd usually just punch their way through a problem. As if this wasn't enough to convince her to let them go on ahead, they were making catcalls from the moment she arrived.

So when they were all dead at the hands of a squid-man, half an hour later, Astrid wasn't exactly distraught. The major problem she had was being held at gunpoint by the eldritch warlock. She hadn't had time to draw her pistol before his was trained on her with an unsteady hand. Still, even an inexperienced shooter could deal a fatal shot at such a close range. "Relax, I'll put down my gun, see?" she said, removing her gun belt and placing it on the ground. When she had done so, she began raising her hands as if to put them above her head, but instead, she cupped them and pointed them at the squiddly fellow's firearm, enveloping it in a beam of chaotic energy. The weapon would basically meltsplode in his hand if he didn't relinquish his grip on it; in any case, Astrid didn't even give him time to think about shooting at her. She struck out at him with a snappy high kick and then a flurry of punches, none of which would be particularly effective in felling the fairly well-built cephalopod, but might serve to throw him off guard for a few moments, so that she could get at her gun.

Ysgolor gagged as the bitch mercenary's flurry of punches completely knocked the wind out of him and left him breathless. By the time he recovered the merc was holding a new gun to his head, much to his annoyance.

"C͜an'̸t́ yo͘u͝ just ͠p̷ut dow̶n̷ t҉h̵e̕ g͠u͟n҉ ̛a͝nd̶ wal̕k ͜away͟,̕ ̡o̢r m̸us̸t͞ w̶e͠ ̸d́o ͘t͘h͢i͝s t͞h҉e͘ ̡har͘d̀ ͞w͏a͏y҉?͜" Ysgolor asked before casting an illusion that hopefully fooled Astrid into thinking that her gun was now a rose.

"Dąw', why ̧thank ͠y̡o̴u. Álb͟e͝įt͢ ͝a͞ b͏i͠t̸ r̵ol͘e r͘ever͡sąl,͜ ͠but ̵I'͜d̶ rat̢h̵e̵r͘ ͠a ҉ro͞se t̢han a̕ ̕g̶ùn͞.̀ A̵nd́ ̶if ̢yo̶u͞ ͠mu̡s͏t͠ pr̶olo҉ńg ̢th̴e͞ ͢f͠ig̸h̡t, ͜I'͜m ̧c̡ȩrt̴aįņ t̕h̢e͢r̛e's ̨a ̸S͏h̕ogģót̕h ̀śom̶ew̢he͜r͏e t͢hat ̧w̡o͝uld ̢e̛n͝j̶oỳ ͢de̡vóuring̀ y̸o͢u ̕for ́e̛t̡e̶rnìt̵y̷.̢" Ysgolor jokingly threatened Astrid while carefully pulling the 'rose' out of her hands and sticking it in her mouth.

"Bęt͜te̕r?͞ I͘ t͢h̷i҉n̵k ̀so̴.̛ N҉o͏w h͏ow͘ ͠b̀out yo҉u ̛sur̡re̛nd͝er͜, b͝a̧c̕ḱ ͡a̛w̶ay̵,͟ the͝n f́le͜e?̡ ̷No̶t ͢o̢nly do͏es̀ it pr̵ol͟ong ͏y̴ou͞r ͝l̡ife҉s͡p̕an, b͠ùt̸ pr͟eve͘n͟t m̨e ̛f͜rom ̶wa͠sti͜n̵g an̡ ͞ot͏h̢e͟r̨wi͢sè ̷pr͏ett̶y li͝f̷e̵. ́T̕he̡ Gr̛ea͜t O̵ld͡ One͏s̕ do de҉ma͠n͘d t́heir sac̛rįf̛i͝ces,͠ b̛u͜t ͜I̴'͢v҉e̶ a̴l̵ready s͢ent ͠thr͟èe todày͟ ̛to M̛other̡'s ̶r̀eal̵m̴. Must҉ y͜o̸u ͝i̧n͏s̨i̸st on join҉ing ̸them?̀" Ysgolor tauntingly questioned Astrid while carefully placing his left foot into the water of the catacombs.

Can't you just put down the gun and walk away, or must we do this the hard way?

Daw', why thank you. Albeit a bit role reversal, but I'd rather a rose than a gun. And if you must prolong the fight, I'm certain there's a Shoggoth somewhere that would enjoy devouring you for eternity.

Better? I think so. Now how bout you surrender, back away, then flee? Not only does it prolong your lifespan, but prevent me from wasting an otherwise pretty life. The Great Old Ones do demand their sacrifices, but I've already sent three today to Mother's realm. Must you insist on joining them?

[Neo Arcad]

Astrid Helle sighed. It was one thing to have to hunt down a dangerous wizard in catacombs a thousand feet deep. It was another entirely to have to do it with the three most incompetent mooks she'd ever seen in her life. They were locals, probably from some criminal organization in the city, and their armament matched their level of competence and intelligence. The only thing they had going for them was muscle. They seemed like the type of cannon fodder who'd usually just punch their way through a problem. As if this wasn't enough to convince her to let them go on ahead, they were making catcalls from the moment she arrived.

So when they were all dead at the hands of a squid-man, half an hour later, Astrid wasn't exactly distraught. The major problem she had was being held at gunpoint by the eldritch warlock. She hadn't had time to draw her pistol before his was trained on her with an unsteady hand. Still, even an inexperienced shooter could deal a fatal shot at such a close range. "Relax, I'll put down my gun, see?" she said, removing her gun belt and placing it on the ground. When she had done so, she began raising her hands as if to put them above her head, but instead, she cupped them and pointed them at the squiddly fellow's firearm, enveloping it in a beam of chaotic energy. The weapon would basically meltsplode in his hand if he didn't relinquish his grip on it; in any case, Astrid didn't even give him time to think about shooting at her. She struck out at him with a snappy high kick and then a flurry of punches, none of which would be particularly effective in felling the fairly well-built cephalopod, but might serve to throw him off guard for a few moments, so that she could get at her gun.

Ysgolor gagged as the bitch mercenary's flurry of punches completely knocked the wind out of him and left him breathless. By the time he recovered the merc was holding a new gun to his head, much to his annoyance.

"C͜an'̸t́ yo͘u͝ just ͠p̷ut dow̶n̷ t҉h̵e̕ g͠u͟n҉ ̛a͝nd̶ wal̕k ͜away͟,̕ ̡o̢r m̸us̸t͞ w̶e͠ ̸d́o ͘t͘h͢i͝s t͞h҉e͘ ̡har͘d̀ ͞w͏a͏y҉?͜" Ysgolor asked before casting an illusion that hopefully fooled Astrid into thinking that her gun was now a rose.

"Dąw', why ̧thank ͠y̡o̴u. Álb͟e͝įt͢ ͝a͞ b͏i͠t̸ r̵ol͘e r͘ever͡sąl,͜ ͠but ̵I'͜d̶ rat̢h̵e̵r͘ ͠a ҉ro͞se t̢han a̕ ̕g̶ùn͞.̀ A̵nd́ ̶if ̢yo̶u͞ ͠mu̡s͏t͠ pr̶olo҉ńg ̢th̴e͞ ͢f͠ig̸h̡t, ͜I'͜m ̧c̡ȩrt̴aįņ t̕h̢e͢r̛e's ̨a ̸S͏h̕ogģót̕h ̀śom̶ew̢he͜r͏e t͢hat ̧w̡o͝uld ̢e̛n͝j̶oỳ ͢de̡vóuring̀ y̸o͢u ̕for ́e̛t̡e̶rnìt̵y̷.̢" Ysgolor jokingly threatened Astrid while carefully pulling the 'rose' out of her hands and sticking it in her mouth.

"Bęt͜te̕r?͞ I͘ t͢h̷i҉n̵k ̀so̴.̛ N҉o͏w h͏ow͘ ͠b̀out yo҉u ̛sur̡re̛nd͝er͜, b͝a̧c̕ḱ ͡a̛w̶ay̵,͟ the͝n f́le͜e?̡ ̷No̶t ͢o̢nly do͏es̀ it pr̵ol͟ong ͏y̴ou͞r ͝l̡ife҉s͡p̕an, b͠ùt̸ pr͟eve͘n͟t m̨e ̛f͜rom ̶wa͠sti͜n̵g an̡ ͞ot͏h̢e͟r̨wi͢sè ̷pr͏ett̶y li͝f̷e̵. ́T̕he̡ Gr̛ea͜t O̵ld͡ One͏s̕ do de҉ma͠n͘d t́heir sac̛rįf̛i͝ces,͠ b̛u͜t ͜I̴'͢v҉e̶ a̴l̵ready s͢ent ͠thr͟èe todày͟ ̛to M̛other̡'s ̶r̀eal̵m̴. Must҉ y͜o̸u ͝i̧n͏s̨i̸st on join҉ing ̸them?̀" Ysgolor tauntingly questioned Astrid while carefully placing his left foot into the water of the catacombs.

Can't you just put down the gun and walk away, or must we do this the hard way?

Daw', why thank you. Albeit a bit role reversal, but I'd rather a rose than a gun. And if you must prolong the fight, I'm certain there's a Shoggoth somewhere that would enjoy devouring you for eternity.

Better? I think so. Now how bout you surrender, back away, then flee? Not only does it prolong your lifespan, but prevent me from wasting an otherwise pretty life. The Great Old Ones do demand their sacrifices, but I've already sent three today to Mother's realm. Must you insist on joining them?

The illusion was entirely convincing to Astrid. Her gun was... gone. She let the rose drop to the floor, not hearing the clatter. She immediately began coming up with options. Here was the chance to take him down, while he was talking about his gods. Astrid once again made a movement like she was going to comply. "I'd love to just walk away..." she began, turning away. "...but I'm not going back empty-handed!" she said, whirling around into another physical attack. Emboldened by her previous success, she moved forwards much more recklessly in her strikes, even stepping into the water. Magic tricks wouldn't stop her from getting that book.

[AETEN II]

Ysgolor gagged as the bitch mercenary's flurry of punches completely knocked the wind out of him and left him breathless. By the time he recovered the merc was holding a new gun to his head, much to his annoyance.

"C͜an'̸t́ yo͘u͝ just ͠p̷ut dow̶n̷ t҉h̵e̕ g͠u͟n҉ ̛a͝nd̶ wal̕k ͜away͟,̕ ̡o̢r m̸us̸t͞ w̶e͠ ̸d́o ͘t͘h͢i͝s t͞h҉e͘ ̡har͘d̀ ͞w͏a͏y҉?͜" Ysgolor asked before casting an illusion that hopefully fooled Astrid into thinking that her gun was now a rose.

"Dąw', why ̧thank ͠y̡o̴u. Álb͟e͝įt͢ ͝a͞ b͏i͠t̸ r̵ol͘e r͘ever͡sąl,͜ ͠but ̵I'͜d̶ rat̢h̵e̵r͘ ͠a ҉ro͞se t̢han a̕ ̕g̶ùn͞.̀ A̵nd́ ̶if ̢yo̶u͞ ͠mu̡s͏t͠ pr̶olo҉ńg ̢th̴e͞ ͢f͠ig̸h̡t, ͜I'͜m ̧c̡ȩrt̴aįņ t̕h̢e͢r̛e's ̨a ̸S͏h̕ogģót̕h ̀śom̶ew̢he͜r͏e t͢hat ̧w̡o͝uld ̢e̛n͝j̶oỳ ͢de̡vóuring̀ y̸o͢u ̕for ́e̛t̡e̶rnìt̵y̷.̢" Ysgolor jokingly threatened Astrid while carefully pulling the 'rose' out of her hands and sticking it in her mouth.

"Bęt͜te̕r?͞ I͘ t͢h̷i҉n̵k ̀so̴.̛ N҉o͏w h͏ow͘ ͠b̀out yo҉u ̛sur̡re̛nd͝er͜, b͝a̧c̕ḱ ͡a̛w̶ay̵,͟ the͝n f́le͜e?̡ ̷No̶t ͢o̢nly do͏es̀ it pr̵ol͟ong ͏y̴ou͞r ͝l̡ife҉s͡p̕an, b͠ùt̸ pr͟eve͘n͟t m̨e ̛f͜rom ̶wa͠sti͜n̵g an̡ ͞ot͏h̢e͟r̨wi͢sè ̷pr͏ett̶y li͝f̷e̵. ́T̕he̡ Gr̛ea͜t O̵ld͡ One͏s̕ do de҉ma͠n͘d t́heir sac̛rįf̛i͝ces,͠ b̛u͜t ͜I̴'͢v҉e̶ a̴l̵ready s͢ent ͠thr͟èe todày͟ ̛to M̛other̡'s ̶r̀eal̵m̴. Must҉ y͜o̸u ͝i̧n͏s̨i̸st on join҉ing ̸them?̀" Ysgolor tauntingly questioned Astrid while carefully placing his left foot into the water of the catacombs.

Can't you just put down the gun and walk away, or must we do this the hard way?

Daw', why thank you. Albeit a bit role reversal, but I'd rather a rose than a gun. And if you must prolong the fight, I'm certain there's a Shoggoth somewhere that would enjoy devouring you for eternity.

Better? I think so. Now how bout you surrender, back away, then flee? Not only does it prolong your lifespan, but prevent me from wasting an otherwise pretty life. The Great Old Ones do demand their sacrifices, but I've already sent three today to Mother's realm. Must you insist on joining them?

The illusion was entirely convincing to Astrid. Her gun was... gone. She let the rose drop to the floor, not hearing the clatter. She immediately began coming up with options. Here was the chance to take him down, while he was talking about his gods. Astrid once again made a movement like she was going to comply. "I'd love to just walk away..." she began, turning away. "...but I'm not going back empty-handed!" she said, whirling around into another physical attack. Emboldened by her previous success, she moved forwards much more recklessly in her strikes, even stepping into the water. Magic tricks wouldn't stop her from getting that book.

Ysgolor yelped as he was assaulted again by Astrid and would have had the snot beat out of him, if he had nostrils in the first place. The uppercut at the series of attacks was simply the finisher that sent Ysgolor stumping to the ground. Grumbling at being soaked by the Merc's attacks, Ysgolor anrgily swept his legs as to trip Astrid before pulling his water-proof sack from the stream running through the catacombs. Sighly happily as he found the seal remained intact and the contents were safe, Ysgolor then tackled Astrid and wrapped the four tentacles that sprouted from the front of his hand around Astrid's neck.

"MU͡S͠T̕ wę co̶ntinue?͏ Or wìll ҉you̸ ̶f̕orce m̛e t̀o ́en͟d ̀y͝o͜ur҉ li̸f҉e?̴ ́S͞ųr̶re͠nde̕r al̢l ̛d̷a͡m̢ned ready҉ ͝a̴ǹd̵ ͟le̶t ͢th̛i̶s ̛p̵a̢theti̵c s͢q̶ua͟bble͡ of y̡óurs be͏ ͢o̧ver!͢"

MUST we continue? Or will you force me to end your life? Surrender all damned ready and let this pathetic squabble of yours be over!

[Agritum]

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Old City, Jerusalem

The Golgotha altair was quite lavishly decorated and good looking, for the place that was supposed to have hosted the horrific agony and death of a good man, hundreds of years before. Some of the tourists there kneeled in front of it, praying, while others instead just looked at the fine craft of it with appreciation.

Then, all of the interest the tourists had in the altair promptly vanished, as a group of Eastern looking men dressed in colourful and somewhat bizarre clothes walked in the chapel. Given by their stern looks and the ornate swords they carried on their sides, there was no doubt that these men were most likely Samurai. Some tourists even took photos, given that the warriors didn't seem troubled by such attention.

At the head of the group stood a charming young woman, dressed in a lavish but martial uniform, with yet another sword holstered onto her side. Next to her was a middle aged, grey-haired man, the only Westerner of the group.

"This is were the man named 'Christ' died, Riordan-sensei?" Yoko asked in English, keeping her hands behind her back and glancing at the altair.

"Indeed, your Highness. Or atleast, this is what tradition says. The church was only built during the Byzantine dominion of Palestine, and there is still a fierce debate on where his actual tomb was. Speaking of which, in my novels, I had never planned for...."

"Riordan-sensei, don't you find the church's architecture to be captivating?" Yoko replied, gently nodding at Mr Riordan. Which was basically a polite way to tell him to shut the fuck up.

"Oh, indeed, your Highness...."

---

Minutes after, the Zipangese delegation left the church and began to 'parade' along the streets, in direction of their next destination, drawing the sights of almost everyone they encountered on their path. It had been a nice thing that the local authorities had permitted them to carry their weapons openly.

"What is our next stop, Riordan-sensei?"
"The Dome of the Rock, your Highness. Unfortunately, it is closed off to anyone who doesn't belong to the Islamic faith, so there won't be much to see."
"I understand, sensei. I'll be content with a nice view of the building from the outside."

And so, the Zipangese delegation proceeded on its way...

[Kaosu Enterprises]

He smirked slightly at all the attention, though it seemed more like a snarl to those who were gazed upon with his cold, oddly intelligent eyes. His control over his feral side could disappear in seconds, and it would be a blood bath, but he would be fed. He walked, everyone parting for him, still staring, barely breathing as he approached a trading post for sweets. "So, how much for all of it?"He asked in an oddly human voice, the trader just stared, mouth hanging open. Soon enough he was walking away with all the sweets he could have, munching on them happily, and oddly in a neat way, having left a trader baffled, and wondering if he would come back tomorrow, he probably would.

He was walking down the street, looking for something interesting to do. He made a mental note of all the things he needed, as he shifted back to human form, though his half-inch long claws and violet-orange cold, intelligent reptilian eyes remained, which made those who saw him transform, and those who saw his eyes avert their gazes, and those who just saw him look curiously at him, wondering. He exhaled heavily as he approached a hotel, a relatively nice one, making a note of the place so he could buy a room for how ever long he was here, he needed to know what had pulled him here.

He walked, and walked, walking until he came to a fountain, a marvelous white fountain, crystal blue water spewing everywhere, a random child throwing a coin in, and the oddly perfect, clean paving of the area around the fountain made it all the more marvelous. He smiled slightly at the sight, the child caught his smile and grinned at him, giving a wave before skittering off to his mother. He was slightly taken by surprise from the action, most were scared of him, or just thought he was a freak. The child's mother moved her mouth in a silent 'Sorry', and he simply shook his head and grinned at her, fangs disappearing, he had thought the action was sweet. Speaking of sweet, he was currently eating a cinnamon roll that he had stored in his magic food container, yes, he actually had one of those, he was a lizard-man that needed 200K plus calories a day, and this was just his third cinnamon roll. He really needed something to eat, that's when the smell of fresh-cooked soup, steak, and other foods filled his nose, he quickly followed the scent coming upon a restaurant.

He walked in, ordering his meal and walking outside to the dining area they had, his trench coat had repaired by now, and he had taken it off so he didn't die from stroke and he could eat, as a lizard this heat was so bad for him he needed to use magic to keep himself cool, he was easily effected by both temperatures(hot and cold), but cold was far less effective than heat. He grinned as he finished his steak, soup, bread, and dessert, and since he wanted to walk to the fountain area, and take a seat at the marble bench a few feet away from it, he took the rest to-go and put it in his enchanted food container, yeah, he actually had one of those.

[Starkindler]

Meanwhile Teruko was trotting down at a sustainable, but fast pace on the sidewalk next to the road which is close to a traffic jam. She was wearing the centaur equivalent of a light tan skirt, with simple lines and enough room to allow her moving. She also wore a white shirt and the matching tan top to her suit. Her long hair was tied tightly into a ponytail, which would grant her an even more business-like look. On her back, she carried a suitcase and a notebook case on a strap, both securely locked to her. She looked at her watch, hastening her steps further as she trotted next to (OOC: [violet]'s) Land Rover.

She was on a business trip to the Ottoman Empire, as a junior engineer to help out the sales team by providing technological data, up-to-date specifications, manufacturing options and use cases to the potential customer looking to outfit an oil exploration project with engines, which means a quite lucrative contract to Teruko's company, and a promotion to the young centaur enabling her to live a comfortable life, and look forward to searching for potential husband (or wife) material.

The meetings had a break currently, as she was going to a restaurant. One of the few in town, which serves centaur-sized meals. As a young filly, she would often complain about speciesism when she was asked out of a restaurant, however, with an adult head, she knew exactly how tedious is to prepare a lunch for her kind, having 10-15x the caloric requirement of the average human, and requiring industrialized equipment just to feed a single woman. Cooking at home as a teen, she would often shrug thinking about her mother doing it for their five-member mythical family.

On her way there, she accidentally bumped to a Turul, fanning herself with her enormous black wings. She had found her feeling familiar, having to wear a business suit in the hot Arabian summer, never mind how good it was at channeling her sweat away, and keeping her cool.
"Please excuse me!" - she said to her in English, her Zipangese accent clearly obvious, bowing slightly as it was good manners back at her home.

[Rupudska]

Violet looked with mild amazement as a centaur walked past her vehicle. Centaurs, while not uncommon, were still unusual to draw attention in Egypt. In Albia, however, they were certainly uncommon. Impressive... Then she was woken from her lack of attention by someone beeping their horn behind her. She quickly pulled her head back into the van and started driving, blushing profusely.

That was embarrassing, and a fairly girlish mistake. I don't blame him in the least, I normally wait even less time than that before I start honking at dawdlers on the road. And may the pantheons forbid anyone using one of those cellular-phone things while driving.

She started driving along, trying not to notice the people around her and failing miserably. The centaur seemed to be going along a similar path as her. Interesting. Perhaps she was going to the same meeting, or one in the general area? Although, she didn't exactly look the type. Her fingernails were a bit long for someone doing much digging (Although, she admitted, centaurs usually did not do the digging anyway).

She turned back to the road as the centaur headed into a restaurant, vegetarian by the looks of it. Of course, centaurs were omnivores, but only in the sense like bears: They preferred plant matter to meat, and would prefer to eat plants.

She looked in the car behind her, which was being driven by... a gorilla?! Now that was odd.

[Kaosu Enterprises]

The teen sighed as he walked, slowly turning into a lizard again. His tounge flicked at the air in front of him, and then he spotted a car, well, he ran face first into a [OOC: Violet's] car as his skin turned into lizard scales and he turned into a 7 foot 2 inch tall lizard-man again. He growled slightly, turning back into his human form, though his beautiful green scales remained, his claws were still 2 inches long, and there were almost metallic, majestic, green-scaled wings sprouting from his back, they were quite huge and as the hit the ground they seemed to cut into it, though just barely.

He huffed heavily as he stared at the sky in front of him, groaning as he got up,
"Ow," he mumbled, rubbing his neck in slight embarrassment, luckily his scales hid his blush as he looked at the window, sighing heavily. He simply glared at the window, looking directly passed the woman driving it. "Stupid ass car getting in the way."He said, crossing his arms, snake-like tounge slithering out once again.

[Rupudska]

Violet nearly jumped when a lizard-man walked right into the path of her car. She gritted her teeth. That IDIOT! Is he so uneducated as to not know where the road crossings are? She resisted the urge to honk and instead gave the foolish pedestrian the middle finger before continuing off. She craned her neck to check the nose. There was no damage visible from inside the Defender. So it was probably little more than a minor dent. It'd probably either buff out or be easily pulled out.

[Konariona]

Nadal had continued walking along the road, waiting for something to happen, or someone to talk to, when he spotted a lizard-man hit a car, blithely hissing at the driver. He motioned for the driver to pull the window down- the woman was obviously frustrated- and said,
"Is that lizard giving you any trouble, madam?"

[Rupudska]

Nadal had continued walking along the road, waiting for something to happen, or someone to talk to, when he spotted a lizard-man hit a car, blithely hissing at the driver. He motioned for the driver to pull the window down- the woman was obviously frustrated- and said,
"Is that lizard giving you any trouble, madam?"

Violet shook her head after about a second of looking at him oddly. What a strange question for him to have asked. Obviously he was giving her trouble, he walked into her car in the middle of the street! Either he was, for some bizarre reason she had no knowledge of, out to get her, or he was simply stupid. Or, worse, perhaps he was one of those psychopaths who hated everyone and felt no remorse about... well, anything. "Nothing I can't handle. Though it'd be nice if you could check my front end for me. I can't see anything lower than the hood's tip from here."

[Konariona]

Violet shook her head after about a second of looking at him oddly. What a strange question for him to have asked. Obviously he was giving her trouble, he walked into her car in the middle of the street! Either he was, for some bizarre reason she had no knowledge of, out to get her, or he was simply stupid. Or, worse, perhaps he was one of those psychopaths who hated everyone and felt no remorse about... well, anything. "Nothing I can't handle. Though it'd be nice if you could check my front end for me. I can't see anything lower than the hood's tip from here."

"Ah, yes," said Nadal, switching into his native tongue without realizing it, "Of course."
The bug-man swung himself down to the ground and made a small pothole.
"You seem to have a small dent on the lower half," he noted, now in English, "It'll be easily enough repaired, I think.."
The Ma'kaaran took matters into his own hands and poked it, like a normal person might do to a plastic wrap. The metal warped back into place.
"It's all fixed, now."

[Neo Arcad]

The illusion was entirely convincing to Astrid. Her gun was... gone. She let the rose drop to the floor, not hearing the clatter. She immediately began coming up with options. Here was the chance to take him down, while he was talking about his gods. Astrid once again made a movement like she was going to comply. "I'd love to just walk away..." she began, turning away. "...but I'm not going back empty-handed!" she said, whirling around into another physical attack. Emboldened by her previous success, she moved forwards much more recklessly in her strikes, even stepping into the water. Magic tricks wouldn't stop her from getting that book.

Ysgolor yelped as he was assaulted again by Astrid and would have had the snot beat out of him, if he had nostrils in the first place. The uppercut at the series of attacks was simply the finisher that sent Ysgolor stumping to the ground. Grumbling at being soaked by the Merc's attacks, Ysgolor anrgily swept his legs as to trip Astrid before pulling his water-proof sack from the stream running through the catacombs. Sighly happily as he found the seal remained intact and the contents were safe, Ysgolor then tackled Astrid and wrapped the four tentacles that sprouted from the front of his hand around Astrid's neck.

"MU͡S͠T̕ wę co̶ntinue?͏ Or wìll ҉you̸ ̶f̕orce m̛e t̀o ́en͟d ̀y͝o͜ur҉ li̸f҉e?̴ ́S͞ųr̶re͠nde̕r al̢l ̛d̷a͡m̢ned ready҉ ͝a̴ǹd̵ ͟le̶t ͢th̛i̶s ̛p̵a̢theti̵c s͢q̶ua͟bble͡ of y̡óurs be͏ ͢o̧ver!͢"

MUST we continue? Or will you force me to end your life? Surrender all damned ready and let this pathetic squabble of yours be over!

Astrid was caught off guard by the wizard's leg sweep, and fell unceremoniously into the cold water of the catacombs. She tried to get up, but her hand slipped out from under her. When she attempted to stand once again, she found his tentacles at her throat. He choked lightly her enough that she could still speak, but hard enough to make her question her mortality, and whether or not the money was worth her life. It wasn't, of course. She grasped at the prehensile, slick limbs, trying to free herself, but she couldn't grip them well enough. Finally, she gave up. "I... surrender. Please..." she choked out.

[AETEN II]

Ysgolor yelped as he was assaulted again by Astrid and would have had the snot beat out of him, if he had nostrils in the first place. The uppercut at the series of attacks was simply the finisher that sent Ysgolor stumping to the ground. Grumbling at being soaked by the Merc's attacks, Ysgolor anrgily swept his legs as to trip Astrid before pulling his water-proof sack from the stream running through the catacombs. Sighly happily as he found the seal remained intact and the contents were safe, Ysgolor then tackled Astrid and wrapped the four tentacles that sprouted from the front of his headd around Astrid's neck.

"MU͡S͠T̕ wę co̶ntinue?͏ Or wìll ҉you̸ ̶f̕orce m̛e t̀o ́en͟d ̀y͝o͜ur҉ li̸f҉e?̴ ́S͞ųr̶re͠nde̕r al̢l ̛d̷a͡m̢ned ready҉ ͝a̴ǹd̵ ͟le̶t ͢th̛i̶s ̛p̵a̢theti̵c s͢q̶ua͟bble͡ of y̡óurs be͏ ͢o̧ver!͢"

MUST we continue? Or will you force me to end your life? Surrender all damned ready and let this pathetic squabble of yours be over!

Astrid was caught off guard by the wizard's leg sweep, and fell unceremoniously into the cold water of the catacombs. She tried to get up, but her hand slipped out from under her. When she attempted to stand once again, she found his tentacles at her throat. He choked lightly her enough that she could still speak, but hard enough to make her question her mortality, and whether or not the money was worth her life. It wasn't, of course. She grasped at the prehensile, slick limbs, trying to free herself, but she couldn't grip them well enough. Finally, she gave up. "I... surrender. Please..." she choked out.

"Finally yo͜u͝ śe̴e ręas͞ǫn. ͏Of ̨c͘ou̧rs̵è ̛I ̕c͠an't͜ ̕simpl̴y҉ r͝el̨i̡nq͞ųisḩ my̶ h̵o̷ld ͢and̵ l͏e̶t̨ you͏ s͞tab m̶e̡ ͡m̸e i͜n̛ ̴th͘e̕ ̕b̷a͏ck,͝ ͡b͡ưţ ͟this şhou̢l̸d ͜be ̢s̛u͢ff́ic͠ient͠."

Ysgolor then gathered water around his hands while maintaining a grip on Astrid's neck with his tentacles. Then gripping the woman's hands, the squid-man froze her hands together to serve as crude handcuffs. Releasing his grasp on Astrid's neck, Ysgolor rolled off her and sat against the wall, not caring that his clothes were getting further soaked.

"Why̕ is yo͜ur e̢m͡p̀lơy͠er eve̡n bo͢t͟h̴e̶r̕i̕ng͏ to p̷u͢ŕs̀ue͞ ͘m҉y͏ cop͢y̛ ̸of̕ t͡h͡e N̨ec̷r̛onom͟icon?̶ He͝ ͘is͏ǹ'̴t̵ ev̶en ̕ca͠p͞ab͠l҉e of ̨re͘adi͞ng͏ it. ͠Unle͜ss̴ ̸h̕e͟ ͢can t̷r͞an̛s͝l̸ate pr̡o͞to-P͝aci͟fi͏c̵an̴,̷ it͜ m͡i̕g̵ht ́as͜ ̸ẃe̵ll͘ b̶e w̨r҉itten i͢n th҉e l͞an͡ǵu͞age ̧o͜f t͏he ̴Gre̴at ̨Old ͢Ones̨.͡"

Ysgolor winced after finishing. Looking down, the demigod groaned at the sight. One of the bastard goons earlier must have had shot him in the gut.

Finally you see reason. Of course I can't simply relinquish my hold and let you stab me me in the back, but this should be sufficient.
Why is your employer even bothering to pursue my copy of the Necronomicon? He isn't even capable of reading it. Unless he can translate proto-Pacifican, it might as well be written in the language of the Great Old Ones.

[Starkindler]

Due to the loud honking coming from the street, she looked at the road briefly finding that car from before followed her down the road. She also noticed that the driver of the car was staring at her, as did several locals and tourists on the street. She noticed them by blushing, and she started to think if the elf lady, dressed in a tan suit and a weird hat was a pervert. However, she then looked at her memories, finding out quickly that while she had been in Jerusalem for a week, she could only see a dozen centaurs around.

She then realized that her species are relatively uncommon here, and that elf probably had seen a centaur the first time in her life. However long that life had been - she thought - as she knew that some elven races do not age past maturity, and live forever if not killed by weapons. While looking there, she noted a lizard man, a bit taller than herself cross the street and get hit by the old car. And then... got himself transformed into a smaller humanoid with wings...

Se looked at the transformation in awe, as she didn't see a shapeshifter before. Of course, she had seen anime, manga, and live-action movies thereof, so she knew what they were, but largely dismissed them due to special effects. Even though there has been news of them, so their existence was known in the world. She then walked towards him, showing concern for him. Shapeshifter or not, he has been just hit by a car.

"Please excuse me, shapeshifter-san. Are you hurt?" - she looked at him, while pulling out an ear-bud from her ears, and searching for any sign of damage on him.

[Kaosu Enterprises]

Due to the loud honking coming from the street, she looked at the road briefly finding that car from before followed her down the road. She also noticed that the driver of the car was staring at her, as did several locals and tourists on the street. She noticed them by blushing, and she started to think if the elf lady, dressed in a tan suit and a weird hat was a pervert. However, she then looked at her memories, finding out quickly that while she had been in Jerusalem for a week, she could only see a dozen centaurs around.

She then realized that her species are relatively uncommon here, and that elf probably had seen a centaur the first time in her life. However long that life had been - she thought - as she knew that some elven races do not age past maturity, and live forever if not killed by weapons. While looking there, she noted a lizard man, a bit taller than herself cross the street and get hit by the old car. And then... got himself transformed into a smaller humanoid with wings...

Se looked at the transformation in awe, as she didn't see a shapeshifter before. Of course, she had seen anime, manga, and live-action movies thereof, so she knew what they were, but largely dismissed them due to special effects. Even though there has been news of them, so their existence was known in the world. She then walked towards him, showing concern for him. Shapeshifter or not, he has been just hit by a car.

"Please excuse me, shapeshifter-san. Are you hurt?" - she looked at him, while pulling out an ear-bud from her ears, and searching for any sign of damage on him.

He simply stared at her, blinking slightly, until he noticed she was being nice. "No, I'm fine. It's just the heat, it's making me dizzy and blurring my sight, I didn't even see the car."He said, reaching into his bag and pulling out some water, drinking it. "Uhm, my name is Syler, Syler Kaosu of the Kaosu clan. I just pretty much ran into a car."He said, his massive wings wrapping around his 7 foot form as he stood, his claws shrinking back into his hands, though his beautiful green scales seemed the color of jade now.

"What is you're name?"He asked, utter curiosity in his cold, intelligent, violet-orange reptilian eyes. His metallic wings had changed to Jade by now, his self-density and self-body manipulation abilities were being affected by the sheer heat, though they usually didn't have this effect on his body, and the jade effect may be permanent, he liked it, it was pretty. He rolled his neck as he waited for his answer.

OOC: Violet should go with the third option