Personification Life IC IX - [Semi Open]

[Torsiedelle]

"Fine." Giovenith gave a polite wave in their direction, a casual greeting without too much engagement, before turning back to her teenage friends. "They're really nice. So, we have the design, bathroom, possible other rooms, table, seating, instruments, am I missing anything?"

"A refrigerator that never runs out of sodas and a cupboard that always has snack food in it?" Marcus chuckled. "I know it sounds impossible, but the whole Insert Key, Instant room thing is impossible. And I'm paranoid. You know those fairy tales where a genie gives you whatever you want but if you don't say or think it just right, you get exactly what you want and no more? So the clubhouse needs to have running water for the pipes, and electricity in the outlets, and be big enough for people and not some tiny dollhouse. And actual bean bag chairs and not sacks filled with hard beans."

He scratched his chin and then added, "And if someone new comes along to join, maybe it can adapt some of their ideas too? Like every person gets to add one touch to the place? Okay, it's a daydream. You guys can laugh if you want."

"It doesn't sound that dumb to me."

Torii was a daydreamer, so she understood that part right enough. "On top of that, air conditioning and lighting, and it should have a flatscreen TV and satellite."

"Hi, Ray.", She muttered just loud enough. "Hi, other people."

She continued eating quietly.

[Giovenith]

"That actually does make sense, now that you mention it," Giovenith considered this in all seriousness, remembering the numerous stories about the fickle nature of wishes. Especially when it came to people their age, who seemed to be a family favorite target for these sorts of 'lessons.' Nothing more enjoyable than watching a bunch of energetic, proud adolescents being schooled in some form or another to some, it seemed.

"Alright," Giovenith turned a new page in her notebook, labeling the top, 'ESSENTIALS'. "I think you have it right Marcus, we probably should go over such a thing just in case. Nothing is too obvious. Let's see, floor, ceiling, walls, pipes..." She scribbled those all down quickly. "Keep shooting pleasure elements too though, yeah, that's good." Torii's suggestions got scribbled in as well.

[The Factory of Spike]

"Certainly." Said Javert, " I don't believe we have been introduced. I am Javert, what is your name?" He noticed the smell of fox, but choose not to comment on it. Javert sat back down in his chair. Was there such a thing as a werefox? Javert had certainly never heard of one. Perhaps this person was something else.

Ray granted a warm smile alongside of his hand, firmly grasping Javert's hand in the gesture. He seemed friendly enough, and as if he would be a good source of conversation. Sitting down in the chair and setting the plate aside for a small amount of time, Ray got to his response once he was seated. "Raymond, Raymond Jansma. Although those who know me generally prefer 'Ray', as do I," he finished off the handshake and patted down his tie. The familiar, if aged, feeling of silk on the dragon tie made it past his fur, although the feeling was still somewhat dulled.

"So Javert, I hope that you don't mind that the reason I showed up here was because I recognized you from the island vacation. I remember your face from the campfire, after that storm business....and dreadful what happened to Swith," he trailed off lightly for a few moments, fondly remembering how she had come to him in death and convinced him to hold strong. Ray shook out of it and got back to the present. "You are a werewolf, if I remember right?"

"Yes, I am. And you..." Javert sniffed the air. "Have something to do with foxes? I'm afraid I don't really know what happened to Swith. She was some sort of goddess, wasn't she? I arrived after whatever happened, happened. What did happen?" Javert hoped he wasn't flooding Ray with too many questions.

[Tiltjuice]

"Nice.", Katya said, and giggled at the rabbit's antics. "That'll do fine. So, let's go pay for our stuff....yes?"

She hoisted up her new clothes and walked to the register to pay.

Why bother? MB signed with his antennears, and began to glow, a sign that he was about to flash-jump.

The clerk covered her eyes against the light. "What's happening?" she demanded in French. "Stop that, please."

Dan nodded, "Of course," as though it was common knowledge, "I conjured the image, I, in turn, control what I want others to see. This fan is no more a fan when I say so, or if I'm being distracted. The more objects I have to... 'veil', I guess you could say, the harder it becomes. One object isn't very hard at all. A perception, though that's even harder."

"Thanks," Dan said after as Dia had opened the door for him. "I use my powers to," he didn't know how to objectify it accurately, "'heal'? Mend? Bring a certain level of peace, comfort, a balm to those that need it, mentally or physically. Haven will be the place for it - when it opens of course."

"I suspect there will be a lot of demand for that." Dia clapped Dan on the back. "What with all the invasions that go on, and the pranks we all play on each other around here. Will you be charging anything?"

The other man was clearly supernatural, but which pantheon he belonged to was unknown to Dia. Who knew what rules he operated under?

"Hello Ogoti and Kei," he called ahead to the pair, as an afterthought. To Dan, he explained. "Friends, and something of family by way of romantic attachments, past and present, to my friends and Siblings. Have you met?"

"G-go there?" Where the mammals roam?

Alva gulped. It was frightening. How well had Neil and Gretta got on with the others? Were they loathed? Alva chittered but yielded to Dora's idea. She couldn't keep hiding forever. This woman was Gretta's friend. She understood the frustrations flitting around the raptor's heart.

"Alright," she bent down and slipped her head under Dora's outstretched hand to help her up. "But doom on us both if they haul out pitchforks and torches. I don't have exploding squirrels on me."

---

"Somewhere there has to be something in want of a good thrashing."

Rache thought of a glorious battlefield bathed in red and bolstered by the screams of dying foes. Hans thought of clean white sheets and a potent romp. Neither thought it would be polite to share their thoughts with Chrys. A mischievous smile flickered to Hans' face instead.

He sipped his beer to moisten a throat which seemed as dry as the Sahara.

Let's go punish something. Blood, Hans. Brutality for justice.

Gods she's so beautiful. Look how the light glitters in her hair.

Are you listening? What the fuck is wrong with you? Don't your hands crave the shiver of blade slicing through bone?

... and her eyes. They're wells filled with sorrow and laughter...

Hans. Pay attention. She likes to fight. Bring her with us...

... fight? Did you see her in Japan? Gods, but she's grace personified. The deftness of her movements, the rise of her breasts as she savored the anticipation of victory...

... yes, she has tig ol' biddies. They jiggle. The fight, Hans. Your purpose...

... is only to worship something so graceful, so kind. Look at her Rache. I could cry, never have I met anyone like her...

Oh fuck this. Fine. Enjoy your beer. I'm checking out.

"What?" Hans said out loud before suffering a spasm that caused him to slip from the stool and crack his jaw on the hard bar top. Eyes widened. He spat out a front tooth which, thanks to being a host, was quickly replaced by a new front tooth. The cultist picked himself up and took his seat again and marveled at the sudden emptiness inside his head. Rache was rattling around inside him still but, mercifully, had sequestered himself away from his emotions.

"Heh," Hans picked the tooth up and pocketed it before wiping the blood that had collected on his lip before regeneration. "Sorry. What were you saying, Chrys?"

At least the pain had killed his arousal.

The leathery skin felt nice, in a strange sort of way. Dora rose.

"Fire can be good in the right circumstances. Though, do you really carry exploding squirrels? That should liven up the party quite a bit. I wouldn't mind seeing that either." She cocked an eyebrow at the raptor as she began to wander down the hall toward the communal dining room. There seemed to be a hubbub already going on.

---

Chrys had slid off her bar stool trying to catch Hans, but was unable to do so before he made contact with the bar.

"What I was saying was, are you all right? Except that...you're...bleeding," she said, her voice beginning to waver slightly, in concert with her knees. She'd been, naturally, oblivious to the inner dialogue between host and daemon, and would have asked about his mischievous grin if she hadn't needed to balance herself on the bar top. A small hand picked up the mixed drink and she chugged a large gulp.

"...Do you need help?" she said, looking down.

[Swith Witherward]

Part One

The little wooden bird in Klaus’ cuckoo clock appeared eight times from behind his little door. Each two-tone treble softly echoed in the bedroom where Minerva lay fast asleep, but they didn’t rouse her. Her eyes darted from side to side under her eyelids and her breathing remained rapid, punctuated by the memories haunting her dreams.



The notes blended with the throaty bark of heavy weaponry discharging lethal rounds. Ash and the stench of vaporized bodies chocked the sinuses and lungs and Minerva coughed and spat out a blackened glob of phlegm before covering her mouth again with her respirator mask.

“Will, SITREP?”

Her second in command crawled over bleached, brittle bones, head low to avoid the constant barrage of fire that was literally boring a new tunnel into the bedrock at their backs. They’d been suppressed behind for nearly an hour after gaining the first subfloor of the old Vafflehelm city hall. Nothing stood between them and their enemy except the armor-encased corpses of their fallen companions and the heavy, bloated bodies of dead plague daemons. Yet the defensive assault against them never let up, never gave them room to breathe, never stopped ringing in their ears and chipping away at their mental fortitude.

“Klaus has taken the east wing upstairs.” Wills’ voice cracked as he shouted over the madness around them. “His forces are making for the shafts as planned. We’ve lost twenty three lads since my last report. Captain, we’re dying here.”

A low growl escaped her and her mouth curled into a sneer beneath her mask. “I’m well aware that we’re being slaughtered, Will. We’ve got to keep them entertained until those shafts are secured.”

“The lads don’t see it that way. If only Charumati-“

The back of Minerva’s hand connected with Will’s temple and rocked his head to the side. “Pass that along to the lads. We can’t afford to lose faith now.” She turned her face away, leaving Will to groan as the cruel sting slowly metamorphosed into an arousing surge of energy that left him hard and sent scintillating waves through the mental tether to the rest of the lads. Pain is pleasure.

A distant explosion shook debris from the ceiling. It was followed by another, and then another, each growing closer to the current battleground. The deadly rounds pinning Minerva and her lads sputtered and then settled to a trickle as their enemy attempted to determine the source of this new noise. The final explosion sundered the far wall. Heavy stone pierced the daemons closest to it, dispelling them from the dimension. The remaining host screamed in terror as the flaming corpse of a Bloodletter hurtled towards them. The burning thing struck the ground and crushed a hundred men before skipping across its path of flight to topple those mutated Marine knuckle-draggers foolish enough to gape at the change in their fortune.

The battle-scarred form of Charumati Thriller emerged through the haze and momentarily became silhouetted by the harsh white light pooling into the room from behind her. No one dared to fire at so handy a target, however; the bitch avatar of Lust had arrived and would soon stretch out a feral claw to claim their souls.

There was no levity in Charumati’s expression, nor mercy in her eyes. Her heady emotional state claimed the memory of her fallen husband as its genesis and the sorrow and despair within her had mutated into a blinding hatred for her brother, Atosh. These were that turncoat’s men. These were his daemons and the last of his Astartes.

Her tiny form descended from the rubble. Skulls crushed under her armored feet. Her helmet was gone as were her weapons but Charumati paid little heed to her compromised state. Her eyes only saw the filth which dared to bring harm to her cultists and to assassinate her mate in cowardly fashion.

“Fuck,” Minerva gave voice to the horror that had momentarily seized friend and foe alike. Her hand clasped onto Will’s mask and she used it to drag him down to the bloodstained floor.

“You sons of whores,” Charumati growled. Her tiny breasts heaved and her body shook. “You sons of whores and depravity. You took him from me.”

Her fists curled into balls. “YOU TOOK HIM FROM OUR CHILDREN!”

It was her cultists who first felt it. The wave of misery assailed their hearts and caused tears to emerge from dusty ducts. Their voices rose as one into an anguished wail and they clutched their chests to ward off the pain. Charumati fed on this reverberated grief; it doubled, then tripled, then became magnified beyond measure by her factions’ despondency. She sculpted it into a blistering pulse that tore flesh from bone and smelted the metal around her. Brains boiled within skulls until the pressure blew the craniums outward in a red and grey spray of cooked tissue. Dust settled. Silence reigned.

“You will all die,” her lips murmured the words as gently as a lover would whisper promised dreams in the dead of night, “I loved him, you see. He was my heart’s song.”

Minerva rose and peered over the now-cooked carcass of the plague daemon which had served as cover only moments before. Charumati had been merciful and spared her lads. She bowed to the avatar, a gesture she seldom did in the thousand years of service to her. “What are your orders, Mistress?”

Charumati closed her eyes. Her face, grime-coated and wet from freshly shed tears, lifted towards the ceiling. She gathered her thoughts and listened to the echos along the tether. “Klaus has reached the shafts.”

Her delicate brow furrowed. She turned her head towards her cultist leader. “He won’t make the lower levels in time, Minerva. It’s up to us to close the portal before more of Atosh’s daemons gain entry to this dimension.”

“A suicidal mission if ever I heard of one,” Minerva quipped. She quickly relieved Will of his extra magazines. “Will, take the injured back to the surface. The rest of you lot, come with me or go with him. I won’t demand your blood spilt over futility.”

Will left with very few men in tow. The rest made their peace with the world and soon fell in line behind Minerva.



The little wooden doors shut fast and the cuckoo came to rest inside his clock. Minerva groaned and turned onto her side, the pillow quickly absorbing the beads of sweat that had blossomed upon her brow.

[The BranRiech]

"Looks like, want to say hello then?" Bran suggested, ushering Rachelle off to grab some food. The girl, not concerned with breaking the horse, whisked him into her pocket to run off to the tables of food, picking whatever looked the weirdest and or the best.

"She seems adventurous today." He grinned, the old sparkle returning to his eyes after watching his eager young daughter, even knowing that she was not even his. That his loving wife had to witness the last moments of the girl's real father, and not even knowing what had become of her other family, or if she had family. "Well, besides that, she's really becoming her own person, that's for sure."

--

"Maybe have to start writing down all these moments of self-realization, you know? Get a scrapbook, or maybe there's one of those things online that can tell me what career that I could get." Toscha joked, returning some manner of humor to the situation. "But seriously, yes. I like doing things my own way, but as long as other people approve of it." The Lamia nodded, confirming his sentiments on being made to do things.

--

Kei, silently taking in all the information, nodded and made a few "Mmm hmm's" at Ogoti's words, and spoke up once he had finished relaying the situation that Kei had wandered into back on the beach. She was really wagering with her life back there if all this was the case, and now, she'd need to gather a team to go in and get Aegis.

"I'd be glad to have Naomi with me, and that Lizard Man, the Krute, correct? If he managed to knock me out of the way, I'd be glad to have him on the team if not for brute strength alone, and I assume he's mortal?"

"Hello, Dia, our newest recruit." Kei grinned, joking at that little tidbit.

[Mincaldenteans]

"I suspect there will be a lot of demand for that." Dia clapped Dan on the back. "What with all the invasions that go on, and the pranks we all play on each other around here. Will you be charging anything?"

The other man was clearly supernatural, but which pantheon he belonged to was unknown to Dia. Who knew what rules he operated under?

"Hello Ogoti and Kei," he called ahead to the pair, as an afterthought. To Dan, he explained. "Friends, and something of family by way of romantic attachments, past and present, to my friends and Siblings. Have you met?"

"Haven't decided on what would be a 'fair' price," Dan replied casually with a shrug, "I might just do it according to the person's needs, haven't fully formed it out yet."

Dan paused, realizing he let a few words from Dia slip by and tilted his head, "Wait. Invasions? What do you mean-" Dan began to ask but was interrupted by the quick intro to the new people Dia told him about. Dan shook his head, "No, I haven't met too many people here." He was going to ask again about invasions, but decided to leave it be for now.

[Torsiedelle]

"What? MB, stop that!", Katya commanded. She was astonished by the rabbit's willingness to steal the items, something she could never do. "Now now, MB, I do have the money with which to pay. I won't stand for such actions, you know. Just allow me to pay for the coat and berets, and your stockings...and some new nylons for me...and socks...and the legwarmers....and maybe some perfume...."

She trailed off, digging through her wallet, and took her eyes off of the rabbit.

[Swith Witherward]

"G-go there?" Where the mammals roam?

Alva gulped. It was frightening. How well had Neil and Gretta got on with the others? Were they loathed? Alva chittered but yielded to Dora's idea. She couldn't keep hiding forever. This woman was Gretta's friend. She understood the frustrations flitting around the raptor's heart.

"Alright," she bent down and slipped her head under Dora's outstretched hand to help her up. "But doom on us both if they haul out pitchforks and torches. I don't have exploding squirrels on me."

---

"Somewhere there has to be something in want of a good thrashing."

Rache thought of a glorious battlefield bathed in red and bolstered by the screams of dying foes. Hans thought of clean white sheets and a potent romp. Neither thought it would be polite to share their thoughts with Chrys. A mischievous smile flickered to Hans' face instead.

He sipped his beer to moisten a throat which seemed as dry as the Sahara.

Let's go punish something. Blood, Hans. Brutality for justice.

Gods she's so beautiful. Look how the light glitters in her hair.

Are you listening? What the fuck is wrong with you? Don't your hands crave the shiver of blade slicing through bone?

... and her eyes. They're wells filled with sorrow and laughter...

Hans. Pay attention. She likes to fight. Bring her with us...

... fight? Did you see her in Japan? Gods, but she's grace personified. The deftness of her movements, the rise of her breasts as she savored the anticipation of victory...

... yes, she has tig ol' biddies. They jiggle. The fight, Hans. Your purpose...

... is only to worship something so graceful, so kind. Look at her Rache. I could cry, never have I met anyone like her...

Oh fuck this. Fine. Enjoy your beer. I'm checking out.

"What?" Hans said out loud before suffering a spasm that caused him to slip from the stool and crack his jaw on the hard bar top. Eyes widened. He spat out a front tooth which, thanks to being a host, was quickly replaced by a new front tooth. The cultist picked himself up and took his seat again and marveled at the sudden emptiness inside his head. Rache was rattling around inside him still but, mercifully, had sequestered himself away from his emotions.

"Heh," Hans picked the tooth up and pocketed it before wiping the blood that had collected on his lip before regeneration. "Sorry. What were you saying, Chrys?"

At least the pain had killed his arousal.

The leathery skin felt nice, in a strange sort of way. Dora rose.

"Fire can be good in the right circumstances. Though, do you really carry exploding squirrels? That should liven up the party quite a bit. I wouldn't mind seeing that either." She cocked an eyebrow at the raptor as she began to wander down the hall toward the communal dining room. There seemed to be a hubbub already going on.

---

Chrys had slid off her bar stool trying to catch Hans, but was unable to do so before he made contact with the bar.

"What I was saying was, are you all right? Except that...you're...bleeding," she said, her voice beginning to waver slightly, in concert with her knees. She'd been, naturally, oblivious to the inner dialogue between host and daemon, and would have asked about his mischievous grin if she hadn't needed to balance herself on the bar top. A small hand picked up the mixed drink and she chugged a large gulp.

"...Do you need help?" she said, looking down.

"Indeed, I also have vanishing chipmunk rockets," Alva curtly nodded. "Those are a pain because I can never remember where I left the box."

She followed Dora towards the dining room and hesitated on the threshold. So many people! The velciraptor's eyes widened and she sniffed the air nervously. "I suppose they won't harm me, will they?" she asked Dora with no small amount of concern in her voice.

--

Hans' tongue tip carefully tested the new tooth's firmness. "Mm, no, I'm fine. Happens now and then," he assured Chrys. He turned to smile at her and noticed her wobbly state.

"Chrys?" He slipped an arm around her waist and gently eased her back onto the stool. "Are you alright?" Any lingering thoughts about romance were blotted out by concern for her well-being. That sense was replaced by one of dread. What if she thought poorly of him for his momentary loss of control? It didn't happen often but Rache's abrupt departure from his mind had caused a momentary loss of motor control.

Was it the blood? He looked at the mirror across from them and saw that his face was clean. Still, was it that it made her queasy? A secondary thought layered itself over this one and he momentarily found himself wondering if she was prone to a frenzy at the sight of it. It wasn't too uncommon among cultists and others under War's domain. Even Hans wasn't spared from a Berserker rage when the conditions were just right.

He flagged down the bartender and requested another drink for his companion, and then rested a hand on her shoulder while she regained herself.

[Erucia]

"Yes, I am. And you..." Javert sniffed the air. "Have something to do with foxes? I'm afraid I don't really know what happened to Swith. She was some sort of goddess, wasn't she? I arrived after whatever happened, happened. What did happen?" Javert hoped he wasn't flooding Ray with too many questions.

"Well....Um," Ray fidgeted with the top button on his white collared shirt, loosening it alongside of his tie in order to give him some more breathing room. Both weren't uncomfortable in themselves, yet the subject was: he wanted to avoid this kind of talk at the moment, so he tried to give the best answer he could and dart away from the topic. "S-Swith was a goddess, yes. I honestly don't know a lot about her: she came to visit me when I was in Heaven, which is a bit of a long story. She was....She was perhaps one of the nicest, most caring, and most diligent people I've ever met. She inspired those around her to act appropriately, and was there to help them when they were down. I suppose that she could be called a great leader-....was, a great leader.

"I honestly don't know incredibly much about her death, even now. All I remember is she died to protect us all, but I could even have that wrong. I suppose I'd rather think of it that way: it keeps it simple for my brain to handle, and it casts it in a believable light," he chuckled lightly at his self-deprecating joke before taking a sigh. A pause occurred, and he took a scratch at underneath his eye to wipe moisture away from his fur. "...Without her, so many things would be different. Even more than just me, far more: others would know more about that."

Another pause occurred, and then he centered back onto topic. "But as for the fox-thingy? Yes, I suppose you could certainly say I have something to do with foxes. Again, it's a really long story: if you want, I can tell the whole thing, but you can get the cliffnotes for now. I was crushed by a falling racehorse, which destroyed my previous body. The raptors, the Von Eldritch's, they built me a new one using the DNA from my old one and fusing it with, if I remember right, anywhere from 10%-15% Grey Fox DNA. Don't ask me how that stuff works, all I remember is waking back up from Heaven in a sludgy tube and having to throw up for the rest of the day. Ugh, the smell of that gunk stayed in my fur for the rest of the day too." He visibly shivered at the memory.

"So yeah, wasn't always partially a fox-abomination thingy. My body's fairly similar to how it used to be, aside from the Fox DNA...And the claws, and canines, and real tail, and-...Well, quite a few things actually," Ray emphasized his points by showing off each particular part: his fingernails were a black tint and unnaturally sharpened towards the tip, four fangs with the same texture and danger as blades sat in his mouth and towards the front of his muzzle, and a slightly bushy grey tail with a white underlining swept around. It poked from a little opening above his belt line and from his dress shirt, measuring around two feet in length.

[Giovenith]

"Maybe have to start writing down all these moments of self-realization, you know? Get a scrapbook, or maybe there's one of those things online that can tell me what career that I could get." Toscha joked, returning some manner of humor to the situation. "But seriously, yes. I like doing things my own way, but as long as other people approve of it." The Lamia nodded, confirming his sentiments on being made to do things.

"To thine own self be true, as long as thine own self is not an ax-murdering maniac or something along the lines. That seems reasonable enough to request against."

So the pony delivered, blunt and straight-forward as a rock. Serious request and serious approach, it was strange how it was exactly these things that conveyed it to be (albeit rather dark) jest.

[Cerillium]

A smile broke Klaus' face. "Yes, the space race was a good step in the right direction. One of these days, you should sit down and compare notes with Minerva. She's a bit communist herself, at heart."

He would have said more but Wren had arrived with Rachelle, Datus and Catherine in tow. The female tech priest smiled at the former conscript. "Here she is, Mr. Nikanor, safe and sound and with a little bit of a sun tan!"

Wren settled Datus and Catherine into the guest room in her father's apartment. Chi offered to watch them along with Eva and Siduer and Sophie. Sydney had gone upstairs, Rachelle was with her father, Tolya was certainly with his mother, and Katya's child hadn't been born yet. Wren briefly wondered if she should have given out condoms for Christmas.*

Barox didn't have a mobile phone so she had no way of contacting him. She opted to go over to Chaos for dessert and maybe a hamburger to get her daily protein requirements. The young tech priest wrapped herself in the scarf Naomi gave her and added her heaviest cloak for good measure. She was on the sidewalk ten minutes later.

A loud scuffling drew her attention to the top of a drift. "Hey, funny demons, or daemons, or whatever you are. It's freezing out here. Want to join me over at Chaos? They're passing out free food and booze for New Year's Eve." She smiled at Blythe and chuckled at the shivering Superbia before trundling off again.

"Looks like, want to say hello then?" Bran suggested, ushering Rachelle off to grab some food. The girl, not concerned with breaking the horse, whisked him into her pocket to run off to the tables of food, picking whatever looked the weirdest and or the best.

"She seems adventurous today." He grinned, the old sparkle returning to his eyes after watching his eager young daughter, even knowing that she was not even his. That his loving wife had to witness the last moments of the girl's real father, and not even knowing what had become of her other family, or if she had family. "Well, besides that, she's really becoming her own person, that's for sure."

--

Kei, silently taking in all the information, nodded and made a few "Mmm hmm's" at Ogoti's words, and spoke up once he had finished relaying the situation that Kei had wandered into back on the beach. She was really wagering with her life back there if all this was the case, and now, she'd need to gather a team to go in and get Aegis.

"I'd be glad to have Naomi with me, and that Lizard Man, the Krute, correct? If he managed to knock me out of the way, I'd be glad to have him on the team if not for brute strength alone, and I assume he's mortal?"

"Hello, Dia, our newest recruit." Kei grinned, joking at that little tidbit.

"Alright then, let me see where on the map is Lucius." He gave it some wording and thought and instantly all the land on the map itself shone brightly with gold. Samuel sighted and looked at Xanthe. "Well this doesn't help much." He continued to give thought, then an idea came to him as he pulled out the Scroll of Knowledge and placed it on the map. "You may ask, how is the scroll going to help us find Lucius? Well not worried about him for the time sorry, but maybe we can possibly complete his and Superbia's little quest, no?"
--
Superbia, not so much of a fan of snow since his trip to the Klondike with Lucius years ago, found him self trying his best to stay warm, which meant tackling Blythe and hugging onto her for warmth.

"That actually does make sense, now that you mention it," Giovenith considered this in all seriousness, remembering the numerous stories about the fickle nature of wishes. Especially when it came to people their age, who seemed to be a family favorite target for these sorts of 'lessons.' Nothing more enjoyable than watching a bunch of energetic, proud adolescents being schooled in some form or another to some, it seemed.

"Alright," Giovenith turned a new page in her notebook, labeling the top, 'ESSENTIALS'. "I think you have it right Marcus, we probably should go over such a thing just in case. Nothing is too obvious. Let's see, floor, ceiling, walls, pipes..." She scribbled those all down quickly. "Keep shooting pleasure elements too though, yeah, that's good." Torii's suggestions got scribbled in as well.

"They do grow up quickly," Klaus agreed. He reflected back to nearly a year ago when an older, teenaged version of Rachelle had shown up. His brow furrowed. "Just do me a favor, Bran. Teach her to continue to respect her elders. Loudmouthed and brash is good for some, but she'd too precious a person to sass adults."

He gave a meaningful look to Bran before excusing himself and leaving.

A note slipped under Sig's door. It was written in his native tongue and offered the promise of free drinks at Chaos if he was bold enough to brave a perfectly good, chilly northern night. He paused at the Thinking Bench to prod the Krute and invite him along and then followed the same path Wren had not too long ago, and paused to look at the Purple Menace and The Once-Red Demon.

"Hey, morons. Blythe's built for these temperatures but you'll catch cold if you keep lurking up there, Superbia." He tipped his officer's cap to both of them and continued his journey to the bar. He arrived shortly after Wren, noticed Chrys and Hans at the bar and gave them their space. A table would suit him just fine especially as Wren had chosen a good one between the bar and dance floor.

She offered a shy smile to him and he offered her a bowl of peanuts to go with her burger.

---

"Take Deuce with you as well. He's impervious to fear," Ogoti advised Kei. "Maybe the lamia and that new fellow, Javert. See if Torii or one of the Froxians will go. You might need some military firepower, after all. The Krute's mortal. As for Dia? Stopping time would be useful."

Ogoti yawned and checked his watch. "I think I'll head over to Chaos for drinks. They're free tonight right up until the countdown. You're more than welcome to join me. We can find Sanjay and bring him with us as well."

His smile brightened as he caught sight of Dora. The raptor threw him for a loop; he'd assumed they'd all vanished with the house. "Dora," he called out to her, "How about a drink with us? I found a tome to go along with that photo of ancient Greece." He sincerely wouldn't have minded if she elected to stay with Katya or Jacob but they didn't seem present and that meant he could at least spend time catching up with her day.


Deuce couldn't help but overhear "drinks" and his heightened hearing had also caught "free". The Astartes rose, placed his dishes in the kitchen and hurried back to his apartment to change into something more durable for walking in snow. He knocked at Volturius and Tipper's door and then hurried away when he didn't get a response.

The bar was starting to liven up by time he arrived.

---

Marcus nodded at Torii's suggestions. "All of those are excellent. Maybe we should add a laptop, too, Giovenith? But where should we put the club itself? We could probably stick the key into a vacant apartment door upstairs, like maybe the 7th floor since I didn't see any names on mailboxes saying anyone lived on that one yet. Or a utility closet in the basement, but that rules out the big windows, plus I don't like walking past that Nifid's door. Maybe a service panel on the roof?"







*(ooc: *chuckles* Nine new lives since the very first thread. I suppose now's a good time to mention Naomi's pregnant.)

[The BranRiech]

"I dunno', Willow . . . I was passing by a store one day, and that axe just looked so . . . What's the phrase? Ah, yes. "Me". I couldn't resist showing it to everyone I met." Toscha grinned sadistically, adding again what humor he could to the situation. He rolled his eyes, not really knowing why anyone would want to be an axe murderer, I mean, they're usually all mean and nasty . . .

--

"Deuce, I'll take him for sure." Kei nodded, remembering the Marine from a while back. The Lamia, and then a newer guy? And Kei didn't know any Froxians besides for her old friends from a while back, so if there were some new ones, then she'd have to introduce herself. Of course, they probably wouldn't be the most social bunch, but they were usually skilled in combat.

"As for drinks, I'd love to, talk over who we're bringing, because I don't know a majority of the newer people here, and I haven't had any Elf's Blood recently, My Liver is probably enjoying a renaissance right now." She joked, rolling her eyes.

--

"What I was thinking, if we don't want certain colors, then how about each of us gets to color a wall in the color of our choice?" Yuna suggested. While they all agreed on a neutral color, then Yuna's suggestion could be the next best thing, or if not, then she'd still agree on the neutral colored walls. "As for anything else, I think I'm good."

[Swith Witherward]

"Alright then, let me see where on the map is Lucius." He gave it some wording and thought and instantly all the land on the map itself shone brightly with gold. Samuel sighted and looked at Xanthe. "Well this doesn't help much." He continued to give thought, then an idea came to him as he pulled out the Scroll of Knowledge and placed it on the map. "You may ask, how is the scroll going to help us find Lucius? Well not worried about him for the time sorry, but maybe we can possibly complete his and Superbia's little quest, no?"
--
Superbia, not so much of a fan of snow since his trip to the Klondike with Lucius years ago, found him self trying his best to stay warm, which meant tackling Blythe and hugging onto her for warmth.

"Complete their quest?" Xanthe arched her brow. Her curiosity was getting the better of her. "I suppose we could do just that. But what was their quest, exactly? And why on earth couldn't that map point us to Lucius?"

--

Blythe wrapped her wings around Superbia. "You don't like the cold? I guess not, since you love warm lava." She playfully poked his side.

Wren's voice cut through the cold. An invitation to Chaos? What could be better than free New Year's Eve drinks? She was about to ask Superbia if he wanted to go warm up there, but then Klaus came by and Blythe snorted.

"He's right," she whispered to Superbia, one eye warily watching Klaus depart. "Let's go get a drink and warm you up."

[Monfrox]

Flint and Cinnamon (what odd names) both finished their meals and looked to each other. "Shall we go?" "Da, I think is good idea." "Right then. Move out." Cinnamon took Flint's plate with her and washed it off rather quickly in the sink. While that was going on, Flint leaned over to whisper into Lilian's ear. "Top floor. Down hall. Last room on right." She stood up and smiled at her as Cinnamon came around. "Let's move." "Da. Was good meal. Спасибо. Пока!" And the two left with rather long strides to retreat to their respective rooms. Hell, the denizens of this building were weird, sure, but they could be saying the same exact thing with how the two Froxians were acting. It was like they were fish out of water, which they very much were. Both trained to either fight or survive from rather young ages; it was almost the only thing they knew how to do. Social interactions were limited to chatting in bars or on the battlefield, both of which were a far cry from the usual slice of life. They would have so much to adjust to.

[Torsiedelle]

"All that sounds good t'me.", Torii nodded. She was perking back up after her sudden quietness, and wanted to keep in her little group. She was disappointed to see Flint leave in the background. The girl was really quiet, it seemed.

"A laptop, maybe I can get one soon. Maybe not. One would be cool. What about a game system? And a DVD for scary movies!"

On the topic of Yuna's, Torii nodded again. "It would certainly be unique, but I'd prefer a pattern. It's up to Gio and Marcus and Myra and others."

[Rocopurr]

"Bye! See you later!", Lilian called out with a little wave. She poured herself another cup of tea and just sat there, humming and drinking. It didn't really occur to Lilian how odd Cinnamon and Flint were, or anyone for that matter. Excluding her mother, Lilian had never really gotten to know anyone before. Sure, people with blue skin or from other planets were unexpected, but besides that there was nothing else for her to expect. As far as Lilian was concerned, the shooting was probably an accident and Flint was just a nice girl.

Lilian stretched and got up. She made her way back to her apartment slowly, still humming a cutesy, little tune. She would hate to keep Flint waiting, but Lilian wanted to just relax in her apartment for a little bit.

[Giovenith]

"We can have a laptop, yes," There it went on the list. "Like I said before, maaaaybe it'd be best to keep the best the walls themselves a neutral color. We could still put up posters and pictures and stuff!" At Marcus' question about where the place should be, she turned to him. "I really wouldn't to have it somewhere in the basement, no, so an unused apartment sounds the best to me. It'd be warm, and clean..."

---

"Well, everypony loves a functional accessory, I suppose." Willow shrugged with a casual smile. "I was always told I was a winter, maybe I can get one with a handle that matches my eyes. I wear black not to stain well, after all." A foreleg swooped across his nicely combed mane with exaggeration. "Wouldn't that just be faaaaaaabulous?"

[Germanic Templars]

"Alright then, let me see where on the map is Lucius." He gave it some wording and thought and instantly all the land on the map itself shone brightly with gold. Samuel sighted and looked at Xanthe. "Well this doesn't help much." He continued to give thought, then an idea came to him as he pulled out the Scroll of Knowledge and placed it on the map. "You may ask, how is the scroll going to help us find Lucius? Well not worried about him for the time sorry, but maybe we can possibly complete his and Superbia's little quest, no?"
--
Superbia, not so much of a fan of snow since his trip to the Klondike with Lucius years ago, found him self trying his best to stay warm, which meant tackling Blythe and hugging onto her for warmth.

"Complete their quest?" Xanthe arched her brow. Her curiosity was getting the better of her. "I suppose we could do just that. But what was their quest, exactly? And why on earth couldn't that map point us to Lucius?"

--

Blythe wrapped her wings around Superbia. "You don't like the cold? I guess not, since you love warm lava." She playfully poked his side.

Wren's voice cut through the cold. An invitation to Chaos? What could be better than free New Year's Eve drinks? She was about to ask Superbia if he wanted to go warm up there, but then Klaus came by and Blythe snorted.

"He's right," she whispered to Superbia, one eye warily watching Klaus depart. "Let's go get a drink and warm you up."

"I can tell you that when they arrived with that Scroll of Knowledge their quest might have been to solve the riddle it gave them, but now that we know what it maybe talking about, we can search for them. One of them is the Book of Life, so I would assume the other two are books as well. Now about that reason why it cannot find Lucius, I cannot explain that so much to the effect that maybe he has a certain mystical barrier that prevents him from being found, maybe it is an important object." He answered to his best. He reached from the sleeve of his cloak and pulled out a small cup, one as if it were fashioned and fit for a poor man of Roman times. He then pulled a jug of wine from inside his cloak and poured it into the cup before stuffing it back into his cloak.

---

"S-s-ss-say..N-no more!" The demon replied, now that the white on him started turning a slight visible light blue color and the red turned a very light, faint purple. He quickly picked her up, threw her over his shoulder and with his demonic speed, made it to the front door of Chaos where he set Blythe down.

[The Factory of Spike]

"Yes, I am. And you..." Javert sniffed the air. "Have something to do with foxes? I'm afraid I don't really know what happened to Swith. She was some sort of goddess, wasn't she? I arrived after whatever happened, happened. What did happen?" Javert hoped he wasn't flooding Ray with too many questions.

"Well....Um," Ray fidgeted with the top button on his white collared shirt, loosening it alongside of his tie in order to give him some more breathing room. Both weren't uncomfortable in themselves, yet the subject was: he wanted to avoid this kind of talk at the moment, so he tried to give the best answer he could and dart away from the topic. "S-Swith was a goddess, yes. I honestly don't know a lot about her: she came to visit me when I was in Heaven, which is a bit of a long story. She was....She was perhaps one of the nicest, most caring, and most diligent people I've ever met. She inspired those around her to act appropriately, and was there to help them when they were down. I suppose that she could be called a great leader-....was, a great leader.

"I honestly don't know incredibly much about her death, even now. All I remember is she died to protect us all, but I could even have that wrong. I suppose I'd rather think of it that way: it keeps it simple for my brain to handle, and it casts it in a believable light," he chuckled lightly at his self-deprecating joke before taking a sigh. A pause occurred, and he took a scratch at underneath his eye to wipe moisture away from his fur. "...Without her, so many things would be different. Even more than just me, far more: others would know more about that."

Another pause occurred, and then he centered back onto topic. "But as for the fox-thingy? Yes, I suppose you could certainly say I have something to do with foxes. Again, it's a really long story: if you want, I can tell the whole thing, but you can get the cliffnotes for now. I was crushed by a falling racehorse, which destroyed my previous body. The raptors, the Von Eldritch's, they built me a new one using the DNA from my old one and fusing it with, if I remember right, anywhere from 10%-15% Grey Fox DNA. Don't ask me how that stuff works, all I remember is waking back up from Heaven in a sludgy tube and having to throw up for the rest of the day. Ugh, the smell of that gunk stayed in my fur for the rest of the day too." He visibly shivered at the memory.

"So yeah, wasn't always partially a fox-abomination thingy. My body's fairly similar to how it used to be, aside from the Fox DNA...And the claws, and canines, and real tail, and-...Well, quite a few things actually," Ray emphasized his points by showing off each particular part: his fingernails were a black tint and unnaturally sharpened towards the tip, four fangs with the same texture and danger as blades sat in his mouth and towards the front of his muzzle, and a slightly bushy grey tail with a white underlining swept around. It poked from a little opening above his belt line and from his dress shirt, measuring around two feet in length.

"I was with the police in Scotland when I was still full human. There was a chase in a forest and I woke up with a bite on my arm. I assume that was my first time being a werewolf. I do seem to be in control most of the time nowadays, but it took practice. On another topic, do you know of any office space for let in the town? I want to start a business. I wish to work as a private detective." Javert wondered what it would feel like to have wolf attributes all month long, in the way Ray was always part fox. It would not be pleasant.

Javert looked around the table for something to drink. Not seeing any alcoholic beverages on the table, he grabbed a teapot and poured himself a cup of tea. He liked tea. It blocked out all other smells. Smells left him distracted, and made him slow to react to his other senses. "Raptors as in dinosaurs, or as in birds? I mean the beings that repaired you. Gods and goddesses exist then?"

[Erucia]

"I was with the police in Scotland when I was still full human. There was a chase in a forest and I woke up with a bite on my arm. I assume that was my first time being a werewolf. I do seem to be in control most of the time nowadays, but it took practice. On another topic, do you know of any office space for let in the town? I want to start a business. I wish to work as a private detective." Javert wondered what it would feel like to have wolf attributes all month long, in the way Ray was always part fox. It would not be pleasant.

Javert looked around the table for something to drink. Not seeing any alcoholic beverages on the table, he grabbed a teapot and poured himself a cup of tea. He liked tea. It blocked out all other smells. Smells left him distracted, and made him slow to react to his other senses. "Raptors as in dinosaurs, or as in birds? I mean the beings that repaired you. Gods and goddesses exist then?"

"Scottish Police? Hmph. I was a P.O. once, a while back: ended my career in the homicide division, back those...Oh, seven years ago? Must be about," Ray reflected on the nostalgia for a few moments, before cutting back to the current question. A quick chin scratch occurred as he answered. "Dinosaurs, sentient dinosaurs." He leaned in slightly, and then gave a simple continuation. "Crazy, crazy dinosaurs. Try and stay out of their way, if you can. Cost me my old body and sent me on a 'fun' little quest to earn back my lover's past as an exchange payment.

"But as for deities, yes: they do indeed exist. Heck, even the Abrahamic God is fully realized. Nice fellow from what I was told, used to be a janitor here apparently. I don't know if I met him personally when I went to Heaven, but there was a gentle old man at the booth. Maybe he was Saint Peter, I don't really know. More on track, the building's still got its fair share. Gio's a Godling, I think: I don't really know the proper terminology, but she's the daughter of a Goddess. You might do well with asking around for that."

He took a brief pause to place a rolled up compilation of spaghetti into his mouth and munched down on it, carefully making sure that his lips were patted down before continuing his lengthy reply. "...Oh, and you said you wanted to be a P.I.? Well...I suppose there was always my old place, but I sold that. I suppose I'm either not a great detective or the need for a rule-abiding former policeman isn't really desired."

Another pause took hold as Ray leaned on his right arm, patting his fingers against his cheek as he remembered the times past. "Of course, if you didn't want to work all on your own, I've got a Private Security Company up and running. We don't really have a dedicated investigative division, and we're honestly in need of jobs. I can't simply sustain a business on my own coffers: perhaps if you were on board, being a werewolf/detective, you might be of some interest?"

Ray internally was holding greater interest in the werewolf, seeing as how the bleak memory of Glistening Silver still sat in his mind. The werewolf had long ago been released into Bielefeld when it was accidentally shipped onto a Democratic Union aircraft and caused the crash landing of said aircraft, yet the distinct lack of mauling and disappearance reports involving the creature had landed the Special Projects and Research Administration of the DU into a bad spot with the Bielefeld government on terms of negotiation: they had been entirely unsuccessful in negotiations as to making a move on tracking the creature, with the 'assurance' that the local police would be entirely apt to deal with the issue. The stalling time had meant that the creature had gone underground, disappearing off the radar and camping out elsewhere, or it had left the country entirely and moved onwards in this strange new world.

[The Factory of Spike]

"I think I'll have to refuse, I don't work to well with others most of the time. Were you a police officer here? Are there magical crimes very often? If so how does the government deal with that? Javert let lose a volley of questions with remarkable speed. "Sorry, I'm rather inquisitive. You wouldn't think dinosaurs could manipulate machinery, at least not machines delicate enough to reanimate a person by adding fox DNA." Well, this place was obviously not anything remotely similar to what he had seen before.

[Erucia]

"I think I'll have to refuse, I don't work to well with others most of the time. Were you a police officer here? Are there magical crimes very often? If so how does the government deal with that? Javert let lose a volley of questions with remarkable speed. "Sorry, I'm rather inquisitive. You wouldn't think dinosaurs could manipulate machinery, at least not machines delicate enough to reanimate a person by adding fox DNA." Well, this place was obviously not anything remotely similar to what he had seen before.

"Erm...", Ray held up for a few moments to try and decipher the barrage of questions, and more particularly in what order to answer them in. "Well...I don't think those raptors are from around here. They're these crazy sciency-types, mad scientists and the like. Mighty cooky, plenty scary, and always planning on the next scheme. They've had some infighting, too. At the least, if I remember right.

"As for the other questions, it's no issue. I have no clue how the government deals with magical crimes and the like, though I assume it goes through the cultist channels. They act in accordance with the government, basically partners in crime. Don't bother asking me too much about the cultists, I've only heard rumors. But they essentially run this entire building, and there's plenty here among their numbers.

"Me? I never was from here, although I suppose I can stomach calling the apartment 'home'. I served in the Wolf City Police Department, back way-when. It's not from this universe: I hail from one outside of this Earth. Different timeline, and a few different continents added on. My real home's in the Democratic Union of Erucia, so if you ever hear me refer to the 'DU', then that's what I mean. Nice country: think of a North American or European nation, you'll get Erucia. Although we did have a few issues with the whole 'Transhumanist vs. Prohumanist' struggles, and the series of riots that came with it. Not like anyone didn't.

"...But I should probably say where the heck I did live more specifically. Wolf City's got a population of 2 million, sits in the state of Orelson in the Midwestern part of the country. Fine city, certainly no New York for crime. But it did have its quirks every now and again, and that's what the WCPD stays around for. Got a fair share of tales: served on the Patrol Desk, Special Traffic, then moved on to being a Traffic/Auto-related detective for a little bit. 'Suppose that murder was a bigger calling."

[The Factory of Spike]

"How did you get to Bierfield after living in another universe?" Javert was listening intently, although he seemed to only be looking at his tea. He liked to focus with one sense at a time. If he looked at a person, he started judging their truthfulness, and not paying attention to their emotions. He didn't need that for pleasant conversation.

[Erucia]

"How did you get to Bierfield after living in another universe?" Javert was listening intently, although he seemed to only be looking at his tea. He liked to focus with one sense at a time. If he looked at a person, he started judging their truthfulness, and not paying attention to their emotions. He didn't need that for pleasant conversation.

"Portals, matter fluctuation-things, etc. Civilian vessel found one off the coastline once, so it was hushed up by the Special Projects Research Administration and converted into a 'military training ground'. In reality, they started sending unmanned vehicles through. The slit's fairly large but only appeared once at certain times, so they went ahead and built around it to take control of it. Don't ask me how, not the tech guy to ask about it.

"By that time I'd been done with the WCPD, and...", he gathered a rather remorseful look on his face before continuing. "...Well, the SPRA picked me up. T'was a long time ago, not really a member of them anymore. Government organization responsible for everything, from official satellite launches to more unofficial operations like-...Erm," Ray suddenly became slightly nervous about the next part, although he had begun to mouth 'WERE' before cutting himself off.

"...B-Basically, they handle unofficial avenues too. Occasionally, anyways: not too many of those issues anymore, so they're more relegated to scientific duties. Though I know they still maintain a paramilitary section for when they're needed." He took another pause to eat, and then continued onwards after a gulp. "So Javert: you didn't share much about your werewolf nature. Now how on Earth do you control yourself? I figured that werewolves generally lacked that capability." Ray was trying to recover from blatantly stumbling on himself verbally, though he wanted to refocus attention on Javert's unique abilities.