The Scourge (Mature!! LSU's accepted)

[Mew Trainer Rose]

Aliana - Light
~~~~~~~~~

This was rather a lot to take in. I had been very worried when we were stopped by the police (and who wouldn't be, after having guns pointed at us and being asked to explain some supernatural stuff that I didn't understand myself?), but was surprised that some guy who spoke it a weird - dialect is the best word I can think of - stepped in to help us out, and even more surprised when we were let go with very little trouble, and even got our weapons back. Good thing, my kamas were a birthday present and I doubt my parents would be very happy if I told them they'd be confiscated. But then again, that would be the least of my worries if they found out about this.

But now we were in this surprisingly lavish tent (I could only assume there was some other sort of magic at work here) and hearing a tale out of a video game, right down to the "only you can save mankind" part. I got the part about the creatures called the Scourge, and figured the rip I saw before must have been one of the portals. I had also seen how all of us had various elements, and apparently mine was Light, according to Sean. But I was wondering about these Beasts. Leu mentioned hippogriff, and someone else said they saw a unicorn, so I figured they were mythical creatures, but I had no idea what my Beast was, or how to find out.

Now that the story was told, Sean poured some tea and offered it to whoever wanted some. I accepted a mug and sipped on it slowly, noticing that the fatigue, bruises and small wounds I’d accumulated seemed to ease as I drank it. Handy. It reminded me of that healing thing I did with the light earlier. I guess that was part of my power, and it’d be nice to know how to use it in the future, since I’m sure we were going to need it.

When people started to discuss what they wanted to do next, I said, “I like the idea of training. I’d like to know what I’m capable of, and I don’t even know what my Beast is. How did all of you find out, anyway?”

“I saw it and it spoke to me, of course,” Leu chimed in, and several others nodded in agreement.

I got the feeling that just about everyone, except possibly the guy we just met, had already met their Beasts somehow, and started to feel bad that I hadn’t. Sort of embarrassed, or perhaps inferior, like I wasn’t doing my job right. If being a savior of the world could be considered a job. I took another sip of the tea to hide my face, and a warm, almost comforting feeling washed over me. When I lifted my head I was feeling better, somewhat more confident; now that we had someone to help us with this quest of sorts, I’m sure I’d find out soon enough. With a bit or training, I’d be up to speed in no time.

[Shadow Djinn]

Just a note...projects + writing slump + lots of stuff = very very tired Shadow Djinn. I'll try to post if I can but it'll be probably infrequent for a while. Sorry. =/

[Blademaster]

OOC: Mew-dude, that pic of Denny and Kiashkiklah is teh c00l. I want one of Ivan and Zandios! Please draw one, please......!

[Mew Master]

OOC: Allrighty... you added to list.

Shadow: Dude... I know how you feel. Despite the pace we've been driving at,... there's no real rush here. Take your time, go at it slow, and come up with some good posts ^^

Later!

PS. MTR, you outta be happy.. Here's Aliana and the Avistel!

[Mew Master]

Well, as we continue to wait for nice long and detailed posts... ^^

Here is... Joey and Tyn!

Enjoy!

[Mystic_clown]

Revan
-----------------------------------
Using his feet, Angelo, or rather, Revan, brought the steaming cup of tea to his lips. Having been unable to use your arms for several years requires you to use other limbs to perform certain activities.

He looked up and noticed one of the girls, Aliana, looking a bit sad about something, although she seemed like she was trying to hide it. As the others talked among themselves, Revan put down his cup of tea and walked over to her.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. Aliana appeared a bit startled, but shook her head.

"No, I'm ok."

Revan continued to look at her as he sat beside her.

"Something's troubling you, I know it," he said.

Aliana sighed.

"I just feel a little bad that's all."

"About what?"

"Well," she sighed, "It's just that everyone already as their beast and I don't. I can't help but feel like I'm doing something wrong."

Revan was quiet fora moment before speaking up.

"If it makes you feel better, we-ahem, I haven't found my beast either." Revan said, quickly correcting himself. None of them knew of their condition and he really wasn't prepared to tell them just yet.

Aliana looked like she felt a little better. Revan smiled.

"Don't worry," he said, "We'll find out beasts. If we couldn't, we wouldn't be here."

Aliana smiled.

"Thanks Angelo."

Revan smiled. He didn't bother correcting hre, as doing so would have made things a litte awkward.

NOTE: Noone knows of Angelo's condition, so everyone will probably assume Angelo's, well, Angelo until he reveals it.

[Mew Master]

Denny Roth~Fire
--------------------------------

“I like the idea of training. I’d like to know what I’m capable of, and I don’t even know what my Beast is. How did all of you find out, anyway?” Aliana had said.

“I saw it and it spoke to me, of course,” Good ol’ Leu. Cont on him to make it short and simple.

“Well…” I added. “I saw mine twice.”

Everyone looked at me with a “what the feck” look. “What? I did. The first time was when that thing used acid spit and covered me in it. The second time was before Joey arrived while I was kneeling and trying to get some feeling back in my limbs.”

“The first time you came bursting through that sludge pile like a bat outta hell,” Kiina replied, for some reason I thought there was a Scottish accent there. Don’t know why…

“Give it some time,” Leu said again, smiling at the short-haired brunette.

The group talked a bit more amongst ourselves. Sean seemed to be sitting there silently, listening to our conversation which ranged from what Beasts we had, to some of the abilities we’ve unlocked, and he nodded at a few sentences. He’d pour us more tea, which didn’t taste that striking to me. Come-on… I drink Vanilla Hazelnut tea for crying out loud. But it did make me feel revitalized in a similar fashion as the smoke did. Or maybe it was just that I missed the smell of smoke from both of my parent’s bad habits. I heard Angelo and Aliana talk, and as I glanced in their direction I noticed he had lost his nervousness and slight stutter in his voice (sorry if he doesn’t really have a stutter… I thought adding it in would add to his uncertainty and shyness. Or at least that one personality…)

Thus far we had an interesting bunch. Kyoshiro was unsure what his Beast was, as he had only heard its voice and not seen its form, if any. Ivan’s Beast was a Chimera, a mix of several creatures and their attributes. Leu’s was a Hippogriff. Funny, I figured he would have got something else… like a coo-coo bird or an angler fish, or something of those natures. Kiina had spoken to a Unicorn. And I had seen a Dragon. In all fairness and clarity it was a Western-style Dragon, (I’m a self-proclaimed Dragon Aficionado, so I’m picky on these things).

I looked at the other three people who seemed (at that time) Beast-less. Aliana had talked with Angelo about not having a Beast of her own, and he was in the same boat. I assumed Joey was, as she was just watching us talk, a storm of confusion on her face.

“Heh,” I said to the three of them. “Don’t worry about it. Like Leu said, it takes time, or a stressful event, or maybe some other trigger. I’m not sure what caused us all to see them, but if most of us collapse from the experience, then you better want to aim for a soft bed.” I smiled. “And you can see the Scourge from outside the portal’s influence. That’s more than enough reason to say you’re one of us.”

I downed my last serving of tea and felt full of energy. I couldn’t sit still, not for much longer. Standing I clenched my fist. “Okay,” I said, with a smirk. “I’m ready to start training. If we’re going to be saving the world we better get started somewhere. With me on this Aliana?” I looked at her. She was the first one to say training would be good, and she looked at me confused with a stunned look on her face.

Shaking her head she took her final sip of tea and started to stand as well. “Sure. I may not know my Beast yet, but I can help out until I do.”

“Anyone else coming with us?” I said, looking the group over.

“Yes, fine idea training is. Better learn your abilities will you.” Sean poured more tea out of the pot. At this point I don’t think he replaced the water inside from when we got to his home, or the tea bags. Well, at this point. Nothing about this old man surprised me... yet.

“Weak Scourge, the skyscraper do they inhabit. Old and forgotten it is, abandoned too. Place for training, perfect it is. Perhaps discarded items are left there, perhaps not. It has been too long, and faded, my memory has.” He sipped his glass of tea. “Warned are you. Many portals exist in the building. The demons are weak yes, helpless and unable to fight back, they are not. Stronger demons, there they may be, unsure I am. Parts of the building are weak, they are. Miracle it is that it stands still. If you train, be not reckless with your spells and abilities will you.”

I nodded.

----------------------------
So… who’s coming with us? And next on the Art list iiiiiiiiiiiiiis…. Kiina and the Unicorn. However I work from 11AM to 9PM today, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to get the pic done in a single day like’ I’ve been doing. Neither will I be able to answer MSN or AIM windows till later tonight. I will get started on the art though… After Kiina is Leu, and then Ivan.. Also, if anyone has any music that they think fits their character and could be their “theme” I am compiling the “Unofficial” Soundtrack. Also, Themes for your Beasts too. Once I get all the submissions I’ll post it and marvelous will the list be… Man I’m in a Yoda-talking mood today O.o

Till tonight...

Later!

[Pichu Luver]

Yay! ^^ No worries dude, take as long as is needed.

Kiina Prattle
*-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-*

‘I wonder what’s in tis smoke. Sure ain’t the usual kind.’ The smoke smelled very nice and was doing a good job of waking Kiina up, instead of the usual drowsiness. The tea was superb too, and Kiina new her tea. If she didn’t have her cuppa in the morning, well she was a might unpleasant for a while.

Both Denny and his friends-Aliana, Kiina thought her name was-suggested training and Kiina didn’t see any problems with that. Sure she was tired from earlier in the day, but the tea had helped a lot and the more training the better.

“I’ll come.” Kiina said as the strange old man finished speaking. Denny and Aliana nodded, and the man smiled knowingly. Truth be told he creeped Kiina out a bit, and not in the usual manner.

She stepped outside the tent as other agreed to go, or not, she couldn’t tell through the fabric. It was amazingly soundproof. Kiina wondered if the man had some talent he wasn’t divulging just yet. Kiina had an amusing thought of a super stitcher as the others who were coming stepped out. She got out her knives and did a check of them. Still fine, thankfully the gooper hadn’t left any lasting damage. She quickly put them together and turned to see who had decided to come along.
-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-

Mhhhh hm no idea what I just posted. Lol, it’s short but we need to know who’s comin so there wasn’t much for me to say . . . Oo’’’ So,

*thwack*

Tag!

[Blademaster]

Well... It's after dark, I'm jacked up on caffeine...

Time to let my dark half out of his cage for a little while... Mwahahahahaha...

Ivan...?

Very well. Let's do this...

-----------------------------------------

Ivan

Ivan stood silently off to the side of Sean's tent, his arms folded over his chest and his eyes closed as he listened to the strange old man and his story, being sure to throw in a comment of his own from time to time. Eventually, the old man spoke of training - attacking and destroying the demons climbing around the broken buildings outside.

This prompted Ivan to open his ice-colored eyes.

"Training?" he echoed, causing a few other people in the room to look at him. "I don't think so. The sooner I kill these demons, the less time I have to be annoyed by the rest of you."

Before anyone could protest, Ivan turned and dashed outside.

'Wow,' Denny thought, 'I think that's the first time he finished a sentence without insulting somebody.'

*******************

Outside the tent, Kiina was inspecting her knives when suddenly the front flap flew open; a black figure dashed out like a bat out of Hell, causing the girl to jump back a bit.

'Whoa!' Kiina thought. 'That guy's fast!'

With the speed of a marathon runner, Ivan charged for the nearest demon (which was perched atop a third-story support beam), his sword drawn. With catlike reflexes perfected by years of daily training, he leapt atop a pile of cinderblocks and up a stack of plywood (conveniently) in the shape of a staircase, leaping up onto the beam behind he demon.

Surprised, the creature spun around and hissed at Ivan, its elongated head and lanky, almost apelike body making it look similar to a Xenomorph from the Alien series. It outstretched its claws, which dripped with a foul-smelling orange goo.

Ivan narrowed his eyes and raised his sword, his body remaining perfectly still for a good, long minute, the wind blowing against his jacket almost drowning out the one thing he finally whispered:

"Die."

The demon's beady eyes narrowed.

Ivan charged, barreling down the thin support beam with his sword over his shoulder. He ran up to the creature, sword over his shoulder. The beast raised its claw to block the blow...

In that split-second, Ivan spun his sword around the demon's arm, thrusting it far behind him before swing it back at the demon, under its raised claw. The beast's glassy eyes widened for a plit-second...

SQUUNCH!

With a sickening noise reminiscent of a live animal being beheaded at a slaughterhouse, Ivan's sword plunged clean through the demon's chest; before it could even squeal in agony at the sensation of its vital organs (if it had any) being torn asunder, Ivan slashed his sword upward, splitting the demon's chest, neck, and head clean in half. The beast uttered a choked gasp before withering and bursting into black dust.

As the beast died, Ivan leapt down the scaffolding and assaulted another creature, severing its twisted, almost plantlike head before it could even raise its claws. As it exploded into dust, Ivan spun around a third demon attracted by all the commotion and plunged his sword through its back and out its chest, slicing the sword free through the creature's side, leaving it standing halfway carved in two for a second before Ivan spun back around and slashed it down the middle, leaving it to fall in three pieces and vaporize as he moved on to the next of the Scourge.

-----------------------------------------

Anybody feel like taking over before Ivan renders these guys extinct by himself?

[Mew Master]

Anybody feel like taking over before Ivan renders these guys extinct by himself?

Eh, there's too many in the building for Ivan to kill them all. I figure he'd probably start getting exhausted by around his 20th kill or so.. *shrugs* But I'll let other ppl post before I do ^^U

[Crystal Tears]

Joey

To think that a moment ago she had thought herself alone. That the water, which had ripped from her tiny body, had only been an extremely odd occurrence; that could somehow be explained by science... Was, according to the man, caused by a beast slain long ago.
It was hard to believe, but since demonic creatures had been literally slashing, clawing, grabbing, ripping, pulling and otherwise finding some sort of way into her world, it really wasn't all that farfetched....

This creature that everyone, save maybe two, had seen... Joey had seen none: no grand creature had come to see her; no feeling of welcomed strength flowed through her tiny frame... No, instead, what ran through her veins was a thick coat of fear underlined with a feeling of despair. This group of misfit children (compared to the rest of the world) was the only thing that stood between the everlasting darkness of a hellish world....

Well things could be worse...

'Yes, things could be much worse... We could be powerless, and without the mighty beasts behind us... In fact, we could be armless, and only have our feet and teeth to fight with.. I don't think any of us...' Joey's thought was interrupted when she glanced at the strange man the group had discovered, and then the dark man who was constantly unhappy. 'Ok well, maybe they won't have a problem with biting into the creatures... But I for one would find it extremely disgusting biting into deep orange, or grey flesh with patches of it rotted skin with bones sticking through tied in with the mixture...
A disturbing image entered her mind: the restrained one had just bitten into a demon similar to the one she had fought. He tore at the flesh with the strength of a lion and chomped down. Turning to her with an insane grin on his face, which grew inhumanly, wider once his crazed eyes had focused on her. Pieces of green flesh huge from his mouth as he spoke: "Heh heh heh... Tastes like Chicken!"

Shaking her head, Joey looked around the room. People were murmuring either to themselves or to each other. With a grumble she stood, wincing slightly as her wound seemed to have failed to heal. She brushed it off, she had come adjusted to the pain now, and it was no more then an annoyance, like a bee sting.
Joey stepped out of the tent then. The rain, which had been coming from the sky, had stopped for the time being, and the crisp blue sky was managing to break through the cloud cover. She felt some relief as she sat down on a concrete slab, the pain stopped, and her fearful soul eased. The sun, though little, was welcomed warmth on her skin.

She watched the dark man walk towards the building. Hell, it didn’t seem that bad; the idea of training that is. Frowning, she quietly followed, until she reached the entrance.

‘Why am I doing this?’ She thought with a annoyed look. ‘I don’t even had a damn weapon and I’m about to go and…

Her thought trailed off as her eyes settles upon something hanging on a bent pole jutting out of the crumbling building. A chunk of cement, apparently crudely ripped from whatever surfaces it had once been connected too hung from the pole by a thick black chain. With a mischievous sparkle in her eye, Joey looked at her surroundings. The banged up and dented side of the building was practically a staircase to the would-be weapon, and proud street girl like her was not one to let such an opportunistic chance pass by.

Though the ‘stairway’ was more like a very worn down and dangerous ladder, Joey still managed to climb it like a monkey. Her limbs found cracks and holes big enough to shove her hands and feet into which propelled her upwards. Her eyes glanced down as the ground, and refused to look up after realizing just how far up she had climbed. Gritting her teeth together the teenager tore her eyes away from the ground and focused on the piece of cement that dangled only inches away from her outstretched hand.

“Come on…” She glared at the piece of rock. “Come on…”

A low growling noise made her blood run cold. Straining her neck, she could just make out a deep orange thing with only two limbs. Both were armed with a single thick, black claw that dug into the side of the building with ease. Sewn onto its face was a clothe mask that left no holes or slits for it’s eyes, instead, wide, and long point ears twitched as she felt her breathing quicken.

“Oh you mother-“

She didn’t get too finished; she used her legs to propel herself off the side of the building to the pole. The creatures long, clubbed tail slammed into the side of the building where she had been hanging moments ago. Her fingers clenched around the pole that groaned at the added weight and slightly bent. Joey glared at the piece of metal.

‘I am not that heavy…’

The low growling noise edged closer, and Joey was forced to grip the chain and then leap. Her slam body curled up and barely managed to fit through a hole in the outer wall. The cement and chain combination flowed, the chunk of heavy rock slammed into the weak wall and sent dust everywhere. Joey’s mind however, was blank.

And then everything came screaming back.

The girl coughed; painfully she lifted herself off the hard floor and looked through the dust. Groaning, her hand outstretched and clung to the piece of metal again, dragging it close as she rose to her feet. Her crimson eyes narrowed as the faceless creature crawling through a larger hole, looking much like a wingless bat. Its ears twitched and its attention was drawn to the girl as she began to spin the makeshift mace.

The thing leapt, its single claws brought outwards as it headed for a collision with the teenaged girl. Joey growled and whipped the cement block behind her before throwing it forward with all her might. The cement block eased through the space between the claws and slammed with brute force into the masked face of the demon.
With a horrible cry the creature fell to the ground, doing an odd sort of black flip as it regained its composure. The mask was now thickly stained with blue-black blood that dripped onto the floor. It wavered a bit, about to strike, but then sent flying to the left as the mace slammed into the chin, sending bone fragments and blood everywhere.

“You know..” Joey snarled, releasing the cement block at the perfect moment so that it careened into the creature’s right leg, rendering it useless. “You’re not so tough…” Another sharp hit to the left leg made it so the creature could only snarl and use its tail. “When we have weapons…”

Spinning the weapon over her head, she smirked. “Go fuck yourself.”

The mace flew forward; oddly, a light seemed to emit from the chunk of man-made rock, before it appeared as a sphere. Jagged spikes were attached to orb, and the chain that propelled it forward shone light the sun before the light faded and revealing a sky blue chain with flecks of silver in it.
The spikes shredded into the creatures head, obviously hitting some sort of nerve, as soon after the head erupted, and the oddly coloured blood smothered the ground before the twitched body faded.

Joey nearly screamed. Her eyes were focused on the chain of the mace, which she swore she had been holding onto until now. The chain floated by her body, and her hands tingled with an odd sensation. Curiously she flung her hand forward, and watched in awe as the mace shot forward with such power that the mace crashed through the wall before retracting.

"Awesome..." She smiled. Turning as suddenly multiple twisted figures surrounded her. With a grin she magically spun the mace above her head, and in a mocking attitude towards their old style friend...

"Bringth it on, bitches."

[Shadow Djinn]

Kyoshiro Watanabi ~ Wind
-

Damn, why do I always get into trouble?

The asian youth gazed at the sky as he paced along the shattered remnants of buildings, rather uncaring of the various demons he noticed skulking about.

His swords had now been sheathed by miraculously appearing covers, hanging by loose chains despondently. Kyoshiro gazed at the demons again, managing a scowl this time.

Kay, so I have to save the world by killing demons. And I don't even know what the bloody hell my 'creature' is. What the hell's with that?

A flurry of French expletives passed as Kyoshiro ended up wandering into one of the ruined buildings, cursing again as he saw Ivan batting away a massive congregation of leathery skinned demons, displaying no visible fatigue. His sword was stained with gleaming ichor, along with the floor around him.

" Oi," the asian youth said casually, unsheathing his swords. Ivan didn't even flinch -- his sword whistled down in a deadly arc once more and split a demon in two.

" Rather weak, aren't they?" Kyoshiro continued, leaning against a wall now. " I 'magine my brother's dog Mittens could take these..."

No response. " But of course, Mittens is rather wimpy. 'Cept dogs don't like to mess with him. I tell ya, never seen a Chiuhaha kick a German Shepard's ass before that one time a German Shepard pissed on the-"

His audible monologue was cut off as a reptillian form sprung at him -- Kyoshiro managed to roll away just in time, gazing at the jet black hellmonger skulking along the walls.

" You want to get that close, you got to buy me dinner first." Kyoshiro scowled, raising his blades. The demon made no response, springing again, only to be cleaved in two by a swift cut from its target.

" So anyway," Kyoshiro continued, glancing at Ivan. " He..."

As if on cue, three more forms sprung from the shadows with a hiss -- once more barely avoided by their victim, who was now muttering something in Icelandic.

" Listen, Scourge," he said impatiently, thrusting his blades through a black form that leapt at him. " If you don't mess with me," he paused now, swinging a blade upward to split another attacker in half. " I won't mess with you. It's not like I want to save the world, y'know. I'm perfectly fine -- OI!"

A burly assailant lunged, gleaming claws thrusting forward, parried with a hissing sound by its opponent. The beast growled with displeasure -- the smaller demons backed off now, the burlier one obviously being some sort of leader...

" Ahoy, sir," Kyoshiro said lazily, getting into a fighting stance. " So you're some kind of pack? Alpha dog and what not?"

The beast's reponse was a throaty howl before pouncing again, this time attempting a swipe with both foreclaws -- once again blocked by the chosen of Wind, who realized the lesser demons had formed a circle about them..

Fine time for fucking wounds to hurt! Kyoshiro scowled as he felt a sharp pang of pain.

How'd that wind thing go again? Canya hear me beasty? Want to save me from dying?

The hellbeast had now resorted to quick swipes and snaps of its jaws -- Kyoshiro found himself nearing the edge of the 'ring', unable to find any safe openings...

C'mon dammit...

The demon now gave another howl of frustration -- foreclaws thrust forward in a lightning quick attack, Kyoshiro's left blade clattering to the ground.

" Oh, damn." Kyoshiro eyed the fallen weapon as his assailant gave a roar of triumph, now lunging and ripping a gash in the unaware's chest.

Kyoshiro fell over, cursing all the while, other sword slipping out of grip...

Pathetic.

Eh? 'Sat you beasty? 'Ello!

So cheerful in a near death situation?

Oi, am I in that plain thingy again?

You're not deserving of my powers. You're...

Pain split his head -- Kyoshiro backed away from the snarling beast with a roar, drifting between the two realms of conciousness and unconciousness...

FIGHT!

Tightening the grasp on his sword, Kyoshiro dashed forward, managing a brief cut on the beast's shoulder, inciting another howl. His assailant turned , lunging and slashing once more -- Kyoshiro felt blood fall from his free hand, but ignoring the throbbing pain as he thrust upward...

The blow ripped through the beast's exposed neck, but undaunted, his enemy pounced again and slashed Kyoshiro's shoulder with a triumphant growl.

Goddamn...

Kyoshiro sank to his knees, breathing heavily as he gazed at his opponent.

Fuck, I don't know how to use these bloody swords...

And suddenly, a lesser demon sprung, propelled by unsatable bloodthirst -- despite cries from its peers. Kyoshiro felt fangs sinking into his back, he was falling now...a cry vibrating in his throat as once more, pain spiked through him...

Get up.

Sorry man. I'm done with this...Dammit, not again.

Kyoshiro's eyes opened, scowling at the winds that were now buffeting him as he gazed around the open plain.

Shadows shrouded the landscape once more, and a throaty growl was heard.

Oh, now you want to help.

Kyoshiro felt his pain receding, gasping as he saw a wound on his arm close up in tingling light.

Very much like the wind, you are.

A shaggy form stepped forth into the sparse light, chuckling in rugged growls.

Changing...quick to adapt...never daunted. Why I chose you, I suppose...

" So, beasty," Kyoshiro said casually. " What are you? Bigfoot or sommat?"

No.

The shadows retreated as light took command once more, the now revealed beast gave a howl.

" Werewolf," Kyoshiro gazed at the rugged form, eyeing the unkempt patches of fur that covered the beast's person. " Fascinating. Really."

" I am Balthus," the beast finally spoke now, ignoring Kyoshiro's despondent comments.

" Nice name." The chosen nodded. " So, why do you want to meet me now?"

" You have so much potential..." the beast shook his head. " But it's hidden. Deep inside. Can't you feel it?"

" Well I do have to take a piss if that's what you mean," Kyoshiro frowned. " But I can hold it."

" Still ignoring your irrelative comments," the werewolve scowled. " Search...deep inside. Feel that powerful, swirling energy inside your heart..."

" Fine, I'll play along." Kyoshiro rolled his eyes, grasping the now retrieved swords, noting mentally that the world was rapidly starting to not make sense.

And then...

Kyoshiro gave another powerful roar as the landscape receded, Balthus chuckling before slowly fading, speaking unaudible words...

His eyes opened, and Ivan was towering over him, a mass of unconcious demons only a slight ways off, now sparring with Kyoshiro's previous opponent.

" Ivan! Old fellow!" Kyoshiro grinned. " Nice of you to take the lackeys out for me while I was haviing a stunning revelation that adds to my heroic character. Now then, as a cliched hero, I should be taking out that ol' beasty with some ultimate attack..."

The asian youth thrust a palm forward -- Ivan sent the beast flying with the flat of his sword, glancing at Kyoshiro haphazardly.

A brief moment of silence passed as Kyoshiro remained in a ridiculous pose, with Ivan scowling at him like he was the most moronic idiot he'd ever seen.

" Well then," Kyoshiro said sheepishly, retracting a limb. " Guess I'm not heroic enough yet. Y'know, where you discover a whole 'nother side and you're all super powerful..."

The beast had risen once more, now speeding towards Kyoshiro to reclaim its denied prey.

" Ah, beasty." Kyoshiro said cheerfully. Before he could unsheath his swords, Ivan stepped forward, weapon hissing forward and cleaving the hellmonger in two with a shnk! Before Kyoshiro could voice his displeasure, a second wave of hissing forms stepped forward, eyes gleaming into the moonlight...

" Well then, Ivan old pal." Kyoshiro grinned. His hands fell on the worn sheaths of his blades, assuming a battle stance as the congregation sped forward.

" Time for some old fashioned bonding eh? Near death situations and what not?"

As always, there was no reply.
-

Sorry, it's rather crappy in terms of wordplay, but it's 3:34 AM and I felt guilty about not posting. Go subpar guilt propelled posts? ^_^;

EDIT: As for soundtrack...Beliver by IKUO would be rather fitting for Kyoshiro. Or One Third (Junjou no Kanjou) by Siam Shade. As for Balthus, I don't really know...something really loud I suppose. Yeaa...

[Drusilla]

Dashing in and out... Hopefully, I'll get to post tonight, but at the moment I'm at the library about to kill this keyboard. I'm not gone quite yet!

[Weasel Overlord]

CRAPNABBIT! *had written out post only to be told that she is not logged in >_<* But anyway...

I'd like Leu's theme tume to be The Groove, by Muse pleurse! It's a B-side, and if anyone wants to hear it, just ask me! ^_^

In case no-one saw my away message too, I can't post (properly) until the 8th. Sorree for any inconvenience! Please don't leave Leu-leu out in my absence! ^_^"

Bye y'all! xx

[Mew Master]

Denny Roth~Fire
-----------------------------

“Training?” Ivan snorted. “I don’t think so.”

With that the guy dashed out of the tent, leaving me a bit surprised.

“Wow,” I said. “I think that’s the first time he finished a sentence without insulting somebody…”

“Quick you must be, not let him be alone. The Scourge are many, and he is but one. Weak though they be, numbers are an advantage in their favor.” Sean stated, looking at me and Aliana. Kiina had already went outside to prepare her twin-bladed sword. Kyoshiro jumped to his feet and ran out after Ivan, and I could hear him scrambling up rubble.

I nodded to Sean and started to head out.

”Wait!” Aliana and I stopped at the tent’s entrance and looked back at Leu. “Don’t forget about me.” He said, standing and re-shouldering his quiver of arrows.

“How could I?” I replied as I pulled the tent flap aside. “We need some comic relief.”

Running out into the rain I realized two things wrong. First off, the young girl who was with us earlier, Joey I think was her name, was gone. Secondly, Ivan AND Kyoshiro were gone too.

“Damn,” I muttered as I stopped by Kiina. “Where’d they go?!”

Kiina put away a rag that she had been using to clean her sword blades. “They just ran in there.” A click and her two separate blades locked together. “What are they thinking?”

“Dunno, but they might be one banana short of a bunch,” Leu replied.

“Where’s Joey?” Aliana looked around, trying to find the young teenager.

“I’m not sure. She was here a moment ago, but then she disappeared.” Kiina didn’t sound like she was happy with the way she let the younger one disappear.

“Let’s go!” I said and started running for the gutted-out skyscraper.

The falling rain gave everything a dark and wet look. Random flashes of lighting showed us smashed figures within the confines. Traveling along the incline was difficult with the slippery slope and the rebar pointing out of it.

“I hear something…” Leu commented and we stopped.

I started to hear it too. It sounded like small rocks falling down the edge of a cliff. We listened, wondering what Scourge could do such a thing. Then I heard another sound, a young girl’s shouting.

“Kiddo!” I shouted and made my way faster up the rubble-ramp.

Using my hands and my feet I made it up two lengths ahead of the others. Damn, I thought. If anything happens to her I’ll… As I reached the top, a flash of lightning showed movement and my head peeked over.

Just as my head appeared over the edge of the ledge something, spherical, big, and very pointy came flying at me. Instinctivly I threw up my barrier around me and closed my eyes.

Death didn’t come… I didn’t think. How the hell should I know what death is like? I opened one eye, and then another. My hear skipped a beat… or three.

Half an inch from the bridge of my nose between my eyes was a very sharp, and very large spike. It rested against the edge of the nose-crest of my glasses, pushing them up slightly. My eyes focused and I saw that the spike wasn’t alone, more spikes jutted out from a spherical object. Focusing even more, I saw that my shield had almost not been put up in time. The boarder between me, and the sphere caught on this things chain, stopping it just short of caving my face in.

“Sorry!!!” I heard shouting from beyond my barrier and further along inside the building.

I moved back a bit and then looked through the red-tinted sphere that surrounded me. There was Joey, hands clasped to her mouth and eyes wide with surprise.

“Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn.” I said as the shivers that were running up and down my body started to stop. “I know I’m annoying Kiddo, but that’s no reason to kill me!”

I dropped my shield and tried to catch my breath, falling to my knees and kneeling.

“Sorry! Sorry!”

“Denny?!” The others came running up after me. “What happened?” I recognized Leu’s voice.

“Oh don’t mind me,” I replied. “Just another near-death experience.” Looking back at them they could see how shaken I was. Odds are I was as pale as a sheet and resembled a hollowed out ghost.

“Um,” Aliana this time. “Is that mace… floating?”

I looked back, and indeed, it was floating. The chain was long, very long and seemed to curl around Joey almost protectively. First thing to pop into my mind was that of a snake or serpent. Pushing myself back up, I dusted off part of my pants before continuing on.

The walls looked black from blood and some Scourge bodies remained.

“Ivan’s been here,” I muttered.

“How can you tell?” Leu replied sarcastically and I rolled my eyes.

Cautiously our group made its way through the lower levels of the condemned building. The smell of mold, dust, concrete, and some various animal wastes caused my nose to scrunch up. If there were more Scourge here, then we would have to be careful. Sean had said that there may be more powerful ones hidden among the weaker things crawling around through the woodwork.

I held my katana handle in my right hand, unsure of how to activate it if the chance came. I neared a doorway and looked through. Inside I could see a rift. It was large, about as wide as I was tall and several demons stood outside, each looking different than the rest.

“Okay,” Joey asked, barely above a whisper. “What’s the plan?”

Plan? Damn! I knew I had forgotten something!

Okay, time to actually assess the situation. Kyoshiro and Ivan were running around the building. Possibly dead, probably still alive. The five of us were together, working as a team, which is what I was hopping Ivan and Kyo were doing. I glanced back inside the room and took a head count.

Four demons. Each looking more like a horror-show reject. There were five of us, and more monstrosities could come through the Rift at anytime. There was also no telling how many more Scourge were in the room. There could be dozens more, maybe no more at all.

“Okay,” I said getting the group together. “We need training to hone our abilities, both physical and magical.” I thought about what to do. “Kiddo,” I looked at Joey. “You’re with Kiina. She’s a bad-ass in a fight and can watch your back when you watch hers. If something does get through she can heal you... I think. Aliana, you can heal too, so stay with me unless anyone else is hurt. Leu-leu, you’ve won a couple of Archery contests, right?”

He shrugged.

“Okay, we’ll need you to give us cover-fire while we’re in there. Watch it though, if what Sean said is true, then the Scourge’s portal has a powerful influence over the area if there are four demons already in there. So they might come charging out at you. I don’t know how many are in there, best to stay cautious. Hmm… we need a distraction…” I thought for a moment. Then an idea lit my face with a smile.

* * *

The Scourge scouted their new home.

“It has been too long since I’ve felt stable ground under my claws.”

“Try to get used to it. We must protect the portal for when the higher ranks arrive. Once they do, we can start to taint the world and make it more suitable for our master’s desires.”

“As long as I get to taste real meat again, I don’t care too much…”

“What?” A weapon attached to a long chain floated and lightly clinked as it seemed to twist and slither. Its spherical head had many spikes that jutted out from the sphere made it look strange. The demon stepped forward, sniffing and glaring at the strange thing. “Is that?”

Flames blasted around the weapon, creating swirling trails of fire. Then the mace flew forward without warning, slamming into the Scourge’s chest, piercing his torso, collapsing his lungs, and crushing his rib cage. His dead body bounced along the ground twice before sliding to a stop against the far wall.

The other demons stood in confusion and shock. Their wide-eyes narrowed and looked at the doorway where the mace had flew from. Arrows flew from the doorway as four humans rushed them two of them with weapons. One with the handle of what must have been a sword, and a younger one rushing in. Their eyes widened in surprise.

--------------------------------

I leave it up to the other players to describe the demons in the room. Use your imaginations… Go nuts ^^. Also, there are other demons in the room, at least one other, but there can be more. I set us up for a fairly nice ambush… and Denny’s not the best strategist in the world neither ^^U

Later!

[Pichu Luver]

Hmmm *rubs hands, creating time.

Kiina Prattle
*-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-*

“Nice hit!” yelled Kiina as she rushed into the room with the others. She saw a quick view of four demons in the room, one already down thanks to Joey’s mace. Two had arrows sticking out of them and were roaring in anger. The third was sitting on a piece of rubble and watched the whole thing with a detached air.

Kiina headed to that one and it leapt up off its rock, opening its arms and revealing torn and tattered wings. It appeared to have spike like plates running down its back that rose up as it hissed at her. Oily feathers were under the plates and its underside was scaled.

Its legs were very long and spindly, appearing to have almost no muscles at all. They ended in three dagger-like claws, a forth reminiscent of a raptors hook. It had no tail and an almost human face except for the huge chipped and cracked beak jutting out of it. Its ears were extremely elongated and had hair that ended in a million little hooks.

It stepped down of its rock and leisurely approached the battle. It legs jutted up backwards behind it and its claws dug deep into the ground. Kiina gulped, this thing sure looked smaller on that rock. She twirled her blades and rushed at it. It jumped up and flapped once right over Kiina and slashed at her with its huge claw. She ducked and swung her blades upwards and into its left wing, slicing it right up to the arms.

It screamed, almost sounding human and crashed to the ground. She took advantage of the situation and slit it right down the back. It thrashed and managed a lucky hit with its right wing that sent Kiina flying. She crashed into a wall and heard it groan in protest. She sat there dazed for a moment and the demented harpie rolled to its feet and jogged at her.

Kiina head was still spinning and if it hadn’t, she probably wouldn’t have laughed but it ran so weird. It bobbed to a great degree as its thin legs took the weight and pushed it back up again. The birdwoman jumped and cocked its hooked claws but a mace crashed into its left side and crushed the wing, snapping bones. An arrow also dug deep into it jaw and she was sent tumbling to the right, screeching horribly.

Kiina shook the stars out of her eyes as she stood and waved thanks to Joey and Leu. Leu saluted and Joey was already busy with their creature. Kiina cautiously approached the harpy this time but she couldn’t seem to get her over long legs under her and lift her to he feet. Kiina took advantage of this and swung at her head. It came tumbling off with very little effort and the body gave one great spasm before falling into dust.

Kiina turned and the others were just finishing their creatures off and she wiped the sweat of her brow. When they were finished, Leu went around getting his arrows and Kiina said, “That harpy like thing was right nasty. Thanks you two.”

Joey smiled and nodded while Leu gave a bow, “All a part of the job, ‘tis was nothing.”

Kiina laughed and Denny joked, “Are you the knight in shining armour now?”

“Of course not, I am a noble elf lending my bow to the fellowship.”

“Oh I don’t know about that Leu,” Kiina said totally deadpan, “Unless you liked being called Fairy Boy.”

“Hey!” he said trying hard not to laugh as the others did around him. It felt good to laugh, even for only a little, it pushed what felt to Kiina like impending doom just a little bit away for a while. When they had done making jokes at each others expense they continued on, looking for more demons.

-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-

Soo, I left it up to you for your monsters. Go create!

Tag!

[Drusilla]

THE CONFUSION! ARGH! Poor Drusie's head feels like it's going to EXPLODE! And no one remembers poor Auril, either... so sad... Fine, I see how it is...

Bwahahahahaha...

A song? Get back with you on that one... I'll have to narrow down the possibilities first.

But now, let's see if I can actually get into the story...

Auril Haven
This is the game of life

"Is this a kind of game to you?" I asked, stepping from the shadows. The four stopped, each with his or her own strange expression at my sudden appearance.

"Don't give credit unless you're sure it's due, as well. I've had my own kills. No, you have not seen me before, yes, I am like you, and no, I don't often talk this much. I merely wish to cut to the chase, quite literally. Walk with care, for while it is tempting to relax and become friends, know that the chances are very good that many of us will die. I will fight by your side, if need be, but I will not have immaturity put the existance of our world at risk."

Silently, I thought, 'Not that I owe the world anything...'

"Save me your arguments," I said, raising a hand. "Our energies are better spent on other things. I am Auril, if you must know, though it makes little difference. I know who you are all ready; how doesn't matter. I have seen you as I have seen my guide, in vision, and there will be time for questions later." With that, I turned on my heel and made my own way through the ruined building. Whether I was followed by those I had spoken to was not a concern of mine at the moment. I didn't trust any of them more than I had to, and I intended to keep it that way.

Auril...

I frowned. What is it, now?

Do not let your power consume you. You wield the ice, you do not need to become it.

Yes, yes, I know... But there is still no need for me to put my life in danger because of them. I can trust no one but myself.

Silence. There is much that you have to learn as well...

I ignored her. She was my guide, my creature or 'beast' as the others called them. She was one of the Furies, the Erinyes, ancient beings... yet I chose to ignore her words. My way had kept me alive and successful. Her ways had gotten her killed.

The old man, Sean he called himself, had come to me before the others. After the incident at the lake, I had gone off on my own, disturbed by the implications of what was happening, not wanting to be bothered by anyone else. He had found me not long afterwards, and told me that there were others, some of whom I had met. Rather than wait for them, I had begun my training alone, enjoying the peace of self-discovery without the prying of company. That was when she appeared to me, in my mind, behind my defenses... something that I didn't appreciate very much.

She was Tisiphone, once known as a goddess of vengance and justice, now dead except for in my mind and soul. If I had to choose someone to share my head with, it would be her... especially when I heard about some of the others. Not my kind of company, but then, no one really was. She told me of herself, who and what she was, and the power that she had... that we had. I was a creature of ice, and I felt it was appropriate, if not welcome.

Ivan intrigued me, at least. The others, I wasn't impressed with very much. However, I did prefer to keep things as simple as possible, and would cooperate for that purpose if nothing else. Sometimes fighting only caused more agony than just going along with it.

Sounds of a different kind of conflict reached my ears, no doubt Ivan and Kyoshiro engaged with some variant of demon, or demons. I carefully climbed a pile of rubble to a hole in the ceiling, glad that I had left my jacket behind with the old man, and lifted myself to the next floor. Ivan was enjoying himself a bit too much, showing off his well-honed skills and toying with the creature he was battling. While he was very good at it, the display was a little over the top for the situation.

As he soared through the air, I rushed in, raising the sword that I had found, and in a great sweep, cleaved the monster's head off. It fell to the floor with a sickening smack moments before it's body did.

My eyes twinkled mischeviously. "Cut the crap, boy, and let's see what you're really capable of."


Um... tag?

[Mystic_clown]

Revan
-----------------------------
Revan blinked in confusion at the mysterious woman before turning back to the dark figures before them. One of them, a demoic looking wolf, burst from the shadows, stright towards the jacketed man, sensing an easy fight. Revan rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the monster's claws. Snarling and snapping its jaws, the monster dove at him again. Revan once again stepped out of the way, the time delivering a kick o its side.

However, Revan wasn't counting on the monster's tail to catch him in the side, sending him to the ground. Getting to his feet more swiftly than his meeker counterpart, he glared at the beast, he was glaring back and snarling, now angered by its prey.

Then, as a case of extremely bad timing, Revan's head exploded. The brunette fell to his knees, his head htrobbing, his heart rate skyrocketting.

Revan could feel himself loosing control. The beast slowly approched, sensing weakness within him.

It stepped back startled however when the stright jacket clad man let out an inhuman howl.

Beast
----------------------------------
Beast, now in control of the body, snarled at the demon in front of him, sounding almost like a rabid dog. The demon barked at him and he responded in kind.

The two dove at eachother. While the demons jaws missed the young man, Beast's didn't. It howled in pain as Beast sunk his teeth into its flesh. Throwing its head around wildly, it htrough the brunette to the floor with a grunt. Beast got to his feet just in time for the demon to get onto him, scratching and biting. Beast responded in kind, kicking out at it and biting it whenever he got the chance. Both demon and man were on the ground, biting, scratching, kicking, barking and screeching like a pair of wild dogs.

[Shadow Djinn]

Kyoshiro Watanabi ~ Wind
-

Even as the girl spoke, Kyoshiro figured she was trouble. Her overall attitude (albeit she had only spoken one sentence so far) and appearance had given the youth a bad vibe.

Retrieving one of his blades (now blemished by rancid sludge) from the carcass of a smaller demon, Kyoshiro glanced at the newcomer once more, who was facing Ivan. They were locked in what one might call a remote battle -- ripping through the demons with a silent but renewed vigor, weapons flashing in the moonlight with each bloody lash.

" Heya," Kyoshiro called, cleaving another hellspawn in two. " Save some for me?"

The call went unanswered, and both fighters continued through the mass of enemies with increasing malice, warranting a scowl from the unnoticed asian youth.

Why do I always get stuck with the dudes with troubled pasts and horrific super silent angry emo personalities and what not?

Deciding to make himself noticed, Kyoshiro dashed forward with a haa!, triumphantly swinging both swords downward -- splitting a demon that had been poised to strike Ivan in two. He received a glare in return, cheerfully absorbed by the Wind Chosen, who was now chipping away at the unsatable mob that flooded towards the three Scourge fighters. The girl was now murmuring inaudible things at Ivan as she fought -- none, Kyoshiro assumed, very nice, as Ivan's assault on the scourge increased in both speed and feriocity. It took the youth all he had to keep up with his frantic attacks, determined to show he was worth noticing.

Idiot.

'Ello Balthus. What're you doing now?

I sense a stronger power. Be wary.

Oh god, I'm scared now. Can you hold me?

Kyoshiro smirked as he ripped through another lesser demon, noticing the battle cries of the attacking force had died down. Their attacks came with less determination -- they seemed to be retreating..

Oh hell.

You see, Chosen? Balthus growled. These demons are not to be underestimated...

Kyoshiro's 'comrades' paused as well as the hellspawn began to draw back, as if pulling to the sides to reveal a greater foe..

Three burly demons tore through their allies with inhumane roars, charging at Kyoshiro, Ivan, and Auril, various appendages raised as the hellmongers collided with the demon-slaying warriors.

Kyoshiro raised his swords to block the first strike of his own opponent, a two-legged demon that rivalled Kyoshiro's height -- and even surpassed it for that matter, violet, leathery skin tightening as a muscular arm drew back for another fearsome blow.

Its mouth drew back in a malicious grin, displaying a rather unpleasant site of fluids that coated its tongue. Kyoshiro eyed the pointed teeth uncertainly, contemplating if it would just impale it on its claw like fingers, or instead choose to gnash his body to pieces.

" So," Kyoshiro commented as he parried a blow from his opponent, backing away. He was near Ivan now, who was grimacing at his own enemy.

" See any good movies lately?" He said as he attempted a quick thrust at the humanoid demon. It punctured the beast's leathery arm, who roared as blood splattered the ground, thrashing about in pain. Instead of seizing the opportunity to attack, Kyoshiro retreated further, glancing at Ivan with a cool gaze -- as if fighting demons was easier then walking a dog.

" I saw that one flick," he noted as his enemy finally recovered, charging again, arms tightening before it attempted a powerful left hook, dodged by the nimble chosen, who retorted with a swipe of his right sword. Blood splattered the building floor once more, this time the demon flinched only barely, and reeled about for another strike.

" Where that guy is in a conspiracy with coworkers to overthrow his boss. See, they work for this big dry cleaning store and it's super popular, and --"

Kyoshiro's enemy let out another howl as it attacked once more, this time the youth simply stepped aside, glancing at the demon witheringly.

" Do you mind? I'm trying to have a conversation."

Apparently it did, for this time the hellmonger's uppercut connected with the boy's chin -- he flipped into the air with an argh! and landed on the ground several feet away.

Rising almost immediately, Kyoshiro grimaced, sheathing a sword.

" All right beasty. You're the REAL super ultra hard boss that unearths the hero's hidden abilities and makes him use a super awesome ultimate attack, am I right? You asked for it then, dammit."

Despite Balthus' powerful mental cry of Stop fooling around you idiot! Kyoshiro summoned a jade sphere in his free palm, dashing forward with a roar before yelling, " HADOKEN!"

The sphere unfurled as it connected with Kyoshiro's target, unleashing a powerful gust of wind that sent the demon twirling into the air despite its protest, air pockets hissing as they lashed at the hellbeast's skin.

Such a cry sent Balthus into a fit of old age curses at his chosen youth as the demon flew back, blood splattering the ground as it connected with the wall.

What? Kyoshiro said to Balthus casually. It's a nice --

You moronic fool! That skill shouldn't have even been ATTEMPTED by the likes of you!

Now that you mention it, my arm's kind of hurting now...

Kyoshiro was serious this time -- he felt a slight throbbing pain, stumbling back a few inches as his enemy rose, this time clearly angry -- as if it weren't any more apparent before.

" Well," Kyoshiro noted as his enemy charged once more. " Damn."

-

Once again, not too strong on wordplay (it's late again, I just finished an essay, I couldn't recall the definition of arduous if I wanted to...). I hope the arrival of the demons are okay with Drusilla and Blademaster, and Kyoshiro's use of Gale Crescendo (though applied oddly and pretty much now screwing him over.)

[Blademaster]

Hee hee hee... 'Enjoying himself?' 'Showing off?' Somebody's giving our buddy Ivan a bit too much credit...

Well, as long as we're all working together here...

'We?' I think not...

Shut up, Ivan. On with the posting!

------------------------------------------------


Ivan

Ivan glanced around himself at the six demons surrounding him and Kyoshiro.

While most of the Scourge so far had looked rather independent of one another, these creatures all looked similar enough to one another to be called a single species. They were each about 4 feet in length, with flat, boneless tails dragging behind two pairs of spindly, almost insectoid legs. The creatures' forearms were long and gangly, ending in sharp, fingerlike claws that scraped along the ground like apes' knuckles. Bony protrusions extended from their shoulders, giving the impression that these creatures had once had wings, and similar spines ran in parallel row down their backs.

But most bizarre were the creatures' heads - they looked like no creature Ivan had ever seen. Their skulls were long and pointed, like birds' beaks, but their lower jaws were split down the middle, giving the demons 3 jaws apiece, each of which was lined with pointed teeth - not on either side, like normal teeth, but right down the middle. Two pairs of round, red eyes - one right behind the other - were nestled in broad, hollow sockets on the sides of their heads, and at the back of their skulls were axe-shaped ears lined with what Ivan could only assume were veins.

"Well, Ivan," Kyoshiro said in his typical cheery monotone, "these guys seem t'have us outnumbered... What's the plan?"

Before Ivan could respond, a feminine cry reached his ears. He turned around...

And there, behind him, a beefy-looking girl with a sword had just sliced one of the monsters' heads clean off. She landed behind the demon's carcass, a smirk on her face as she looked up at Ivan.

"Cut the crap, boy, and let's see what you're really capable of!"

Ivan looked at her strangely. Had she just challenged him?

Well, if she had, he was certainly not going to refuse... He raised his sword...

"Ivan, calm yourself. She is on our side."

'Figures.' Ivan thought grimly, turning to block the blow of another demon. 'None of the rest of this so-called band of warriors has failed to incite my ire yet, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that this-'

Ivan's thoughts were cut off as the demon he was fighting was suddenly split in two by Kyoshiro, who smiled crookedly at Ivan and gave him a thumbs-up.

'Idiot.' Ivan thought.

"Caught ya by surprise, didn't he?" the girl taunted, slicing through another demon's chest. "Better pay more attention if ya don't wanna end up something's dinner!"

Ivan's expression iced over; black sparks began to crackle around his wrists as he charged another demon, slashing through its spine before spinning around and kicking the crippled abomination right out of the building. He turned his attention to another of the insectoid monsters, which flinched and stepped back. A few others followed suit.

'Looks like they've finally decided to give up.' Ivan thought. 'Perhaps these creatures aren't as stupid as I had initially thought.'

As the demons backed away, however, an unearthly howl reached Ivan's ears as three new, larger demons sped forward, one of which was charging straight at him. The beast thrust its clawed forearm at Ivan, who blocked it with his sword, sending a few sparks flying. He and the demon struggled for a moment, eventually pushing each other back a few feet.

Ivan and the demon circled one another, their eyes fixed on each other as they each sized up their opponent.

This new creature was by far the strangest yet. It stood on two short, sturdy legs, it's round, beefy body looking like it was wrapped in a demonic turtle's shell, and its arms were long and slick-looking, seemingly devoid of any bones. They almost resembled a squid's tentacles, in fact, but at their ends were six fingers, each of which was tipped by a grey claw. The creature's head looked like a skull in basic outline, but where its mouth should've been there were instead long flaps of flesh, and its broad, glassy eyes were positioned at either side of its slimy head. A disgusting gurgle escaped its mouth as it scrutinized Ivan, trying to find his weak spot.

Ivan narrowed his eyes, his sword at the ready. He raised his free hand and beckoned the creature...

The demon gurgled a battlecry and charged at Ivan, thrusting its claws at him, each of which he blocked with his sword. The creature advanced on him, continuously striking with one claw after another, keeping Ivan on the defensive.

'So,' Ivan thought as he blocked the creature's attacks, 'it looks like some of these creatures can pose a challenge, after all...'

Not that it mattered - Ivan soon figured out a pattern in the creature's attacks and blocked one with his sword, then dodged the next, quickly freeing his weapon in the process before slashing it up, cutting one of the demon's tentacles clean off. The beast squealed and fell back, yellow ichor spurting from the wound as its severed tentacle wriggled and flopped around the floor like a fish out of water.

"HADOKEN!!!"

Despite Ivan's best attempts to ignore his ignorant 'friend,' he couldn't help but look in Kyoshiro's direction when he heard that bizarre warcry.

A second later, a brilliant green flash issued from the teenager's palm, blowing the demon he'd been fighting a good fifteen feet back, sending it slamming into the wall!

Ivan raised an eyebrow.

'Finally,' he thought, 'that idiot did something of some merit.'

In that brief pause, however, the demon Ivan had been fighting lashed out its remaining tentacle, slamming Ivan in the chest and knocking him back into the opposite wall.

"Umf!" Ivan grunted as his back slammed into the wall and he slid down to a sitting position, his sword still firmly in his hand. The beast Ivan had been fighting made a strange noise that sounded like laughter.

Ivan's mind registered what had just happened; after a brief moment of shock, his mind clouded over, his vision marred by darkness...

The turtle-shelled creature's laughter ceased as Ivan stood up and sheathed his sword, his head lowered. For a brief moment, both were dead-silent...

...

Then, Ivan raised his eyes to the creature.

The demon actually stepped back - Ivan's eyes were pitch-black!

KRA-KOW-OOM!

With a sound like lightening striking, an aura of what looked like black fire suddenly flashed into existence around Ivan's body, his coat billowing behind him as the dark energy stirred up the air around him.

The sound and flash of energy had attracted the attention of Ivan's two 'teammates.' Locked in combat with his own demon as he was, Kyoshiro still managed to smile a crooked smile. He knew what was about to happen; with almost perfect timing, a familiar Prodigy song began to play inside his head:

Smack mah bitch up...!

KA-FWAM!!!

At that exact moment, Ivan attacked - with jet-like speed, he charged at the demon, a shadow-cloaked fist pulled back. With a growl of fury and exertion, Ivan plunged his fist forward, right into the demon's face; at the moment of contact, the black energy surrounding his fist exploded to life, crackling around the demon's head like a livewire. The monstrosity squealed as the shadowy energy sucked away its very lifeforce, the impact of Ivan's fist outside its head and the vacuum-like energy swirling within its head quickly peaking. The beast howled one final, agonized cry...

And then, its glassy eyes filled with yellow ichor and popped, spraying the gruesome substance every which way; a second later, the rest of the fiend's head buckled and compacted, then exploded outward. Yellow ichor and chunks of flesh and bone flew everywhere, spattering against the floor, the other demons, and most of all, Ivan himself. The demon's carcass swayed, and then, it fell backwards with a crash, exploding into black dust a moment later.

Every demon in the room (save for the ones already fighting) went dead silent as Ivan glanced at his ichor-stained fist. He opened his hand, glancing it over front and back, before finally he lowered his hand. The demons watched him in silence...

Then, Ivan turned his attention to them, the dark aura around his body flaring to life once more...

-------------------------------------

Uh-oh, Ivan's in a bad mood...

Well, while I go and hide in a bomb shelter somewhere, somebody else can take over. Tag!

(smacks the nearest person and then runs like Hell)

[Mew Master]

Man, your Beasts are talking to you guys. Mine hardly says anything unless I’m near death O.o!

Denny Roth~Fire
-----------------------------

The distraction worked brilliantly… even if I really didn’t have a weapon to stand… er.. fight with. I held the katana handle in my right hand as we rushed through the doorway, Leu covering our advance with slings of arrows that punctured through various appendages. Kiina, Joey, and Aliana went for our own demons, keeping close enough to each other so that we followed the plan to some degree.

I faced my demon as it cackled at me. Its maw was beak-like, with serrated edges, a long blue tongue dripped saliva. Sprouting from its head were a pair of crustacean eye-stalks, each eye blowing a bright yellow. The rest of it was relatively lean, its arms bulky muscle and tendon, each hand ended with five grey colored claws. Its legs were double joined, similar to a dinosaur, with an extended tarsus-metatarsus. The odd part was (that I thought anyway. This was all odd.) was that it didn’t have a tail for balance.

Snarling with a bit of gurgling in its voice it came at me. I may have been weaponless, but that didn’t mean I was completely defenseless. I rushed it, which from the look on its distorted face, it wasn’t expecting me to. My hands went up and placed themselves on the creature’s chest (which reminded me of sandpaper). Only my fingers touched the thing’s chest and I extended my Ki through them in a self-made Aikido move I had dubbed Shoguryu Tsumi, literally translated as “Guardian Dragon Claw.” The effect was more than I expected. My fingers didn’t bend as I pushed the creature back, however I saw energy form around my hands as I extended. Screeching in a combination of confusion and anger, the monster was blasted back as flames leapt up from between us.

Both of us were surprised. Twin black scar marks where my hands had touched the thing smoldered with smoke. It glared at me and snarled a deep menacing hiss. Running, it came at me again, faster than I thought possible. I threw up my arms to protect myself, unable to think of a way to counter it.

A roar of pain came from the demon, and I looked around my arms. My katana had sprung to life, the red blade of energy piercing through its raised hand. Energy spheres floated around where the hilt had been, rotating around where the blade met the handle. I regained my composure, pulled the katana out. Spinning around, I slashed upwards when the demon came in my sight, the blade leaving a nice arch of red behind it when I swung. The blade sliced clean through the demon, cleaving it in twain. Jedi, I was not.

My breathing was a bit ragged and then I looked at my katana, trying to figure out how I had made it spring to life. Glancing back I checked on everyone else.

Kiina had just decapitated what appeared to be a combination of bird and human. Joey and Aliana had finished with their demons, now reduced to nothing. Kiina wiped her brow.

“That harpy like thing was right nasty. Thanks you two.”

Joey smiled and nodded while Leu bowed, “All a part of the job, ‘tis was nothing.”

Kiina laughed and I felt the urge to be sarcastic, “Are you the knight in shining armor now?”

“Of course not, I am a noble elf lending my bow to the fellowship.”

“Oh dear God,” I said holding my face in my hand. “Not the Lord of the Rings references again…”

“Oh I don’t know about that Leu,” Kiina said totally straight-faced and in monotone, “Unless you liked being called Fairy Boy.”

“Hey!” was Leu’s reply to her last comment. I started laughing.

I stopped before the others did and I looked at the portal. It stood there, almost mocking me with its size. The swirling combinations of purple and black made a strange Goth-meets-70’s psychedelic backdrop. It sent shivers up my spine.

“Let’s keep goin’!” Joey shouted, excited for some reason. And thus we moved on.

The other rooms seemed barren, but I could hear fighting as we continued moving from room to room, searching for more of the Scourge, and where the others had gone. We came to a pile of rubble that used to be a set of stairs, taking the role of leader, or scout (or moving target at this point, I didn’t know), I crawled up it to see what was waiting for us.

My head peeked up and my eyes widened.

“HADOKEN!” Kyoshiro had shouted and a green diamond of energy blasted apart and whipped a demon into the air like a rag-doll in a tornado.

Ivan’s body was crackling with dark energy that snaked like tendrils from his aura. And then there was the Goth-girl…Auril I think, cleaving weaker demons in two.

Then there was the bad news. Kyo collapsed, holding his arm, a twinge of pain and confusion on his voice. Ivan was running head-long into a pack of Scourge, not giving a damn about his own (or others) welfare. And finally Auril was being surrounded by a separate pack of them.

“They’re up here!” I shouted down before trying to scramble up the rubble.

“Wait.. Angelo’s over there!” Aliana shouted behind me “He’s… in trouble?!”

“I don’t know who’s winning or losing.” I hear Lue reply.

The conversation behind me faded out as I joined the others on this higher level.

Rushing for the young Asian man, the demon it raised its massive clawed hand and slashed down. Only to rebound off of something hard and defiant. Revealing from the impact was a glowing red dome surrounding Kyo, as the shockwave circled around the dome and show itself.

“Hey!” I shouted, holding my katana ready at my side. “Why don’t you pick on someone who can fight back?” I raised my left hand and then motioned my fingers for the thing to come at me. “Come on. Bring it!”

-------------------------------------------

MAN! Now this is what I like waking up to in the morning. A cache of posts for me to read ^^.

Also, you may all want to take a look at This

That’s right, I’m going to make a fic about this RPG, as I’ve been asked if I would and I’ve given it some thought. Then I decided… “Why the hell not…” So see the Trailer and leave a comment on what you think, or maybe some ideas as to what I’m going to do for it ^^U.

Later!

[Drusilla]

w00t, Prodigy! I'm going to listen to that song on my way home, now...

*dance*

Auril's song is Blue Monday by Orgy. I was going to pick something more obscure (honestly, anyone else around here ever heard of the InHuman Dolls?), but figured that the overall mood of the song is just right for her... EDIT: Changed my mind again. Song is Her Ghost In The Fog by Cradle of Filth.

I'll edit in a post when I get home, since I don't think I can really do it justice while I'm here at the library.

EDIT: POSTIES! Sorry it took so long... I ended up going up to Houston for a few hours, then came back and watched Metalocalypse with my friend...


Auril Haven
Tell me, how does it feel when your heart grows cold?

I was surrounded on all sides, and the others had their hands full as well. The proverbial boss battle, in the flesh. Definately something new... there was no restart, no last save to fall back on. One go at victory, and this was it. My hands and wrists were aching with fatigue; this was more abuse than they usually saw, gripping a sword literally like my life depended on it. All our lives depended on what seemed like small things, but there was no time to ensure sucess. There was immediate action, or there was failure, and even with action failure was always a definate possibility.

Tisiphone had fallen silent. I was on my own for this, but that was how I preferred it. Perhaps she knew that, or perhaps she just didn't have anything usefull to say. Not that it mattered, though.

Claws raked across my back, and the firey pain nearly made me falter. It certainly made me mad, though. Screaming, I whirled around and with a massive sweep decapitated the creature. Rage flooded my heart, and soon I could hear nothing but the pounding of my own blood in my ears, saw everything yet I would not remember a single detail later. There was nothing but the sword in my hand, carving a path of destruction through my opponents. I paused for nothing, not for breath, not to wipe the sweat and ichor from my face. There was but one purpose, and that was to destroy. I had become nothing but a methodical killing machine, steadily moving through the room and mowing down anything non-human. That I never harmed one of my fellows was probably more due to the fact that they avoided me than that I was able to discern what I fought.

I reached a wall, and finding nothing before me to attack, turned. I was met by wary, but human, eyes, watching my moves. My breath was coming quickly, and fogged in the air, much like it would on a cold day, yet it was much too warm for it. I realised that I had never wielded a blade before today, never fought in armed combat... yet I was rather proficient at it. It was Tisiphone's skill I used, Tisiphone's power that froze my blood and chilled my breath. Whether I liked it or not, I was no longer my own person, free of the will of others.

The battle was not won, though until we were stronger, I doubted very much that it would ever be. Between the lot of us, we had made enough of an impact in the demonic forces that those remaining hung back, unsure of the outcome that might befall them should they press us further. We had a choice of continuing on, or falling back and resting. I for one would not mind the rest, but I could keep on if needed. I left it to the others.


Shortish, but I'm very tired....

[Crystal Tears]

Joey
Before the End

The fight was chaotic, and to tell the truth, Joey had little to no idea what the hell was going on. She was lost in a sea of combat that didn't give any signs of letting up any time soon. Truly all she wanted was to run, fear was beginning to wrap itself tightly around her pounding and heart and her lungs were on fire away. The mace was simple enough to use, but the motions still would tire you out, especially after repeated uses.

She turned, her crimson eyes widening as a humanoid thing crawled through a hole. It's body so thin and frail she wouldn't have been surprised if it snapped right then and there. But it proved Joey horrible wrong, it swung its arm with brutal force into one of the lesser ones, hitting it so hard on contact that its body burst into grey and orange smoke.

"humph..." Joey frowned, seeing the odd demon warily. A white mask, having small slits from eyeholes that only seemed to let darkness pour out of them, covered its face. Dark purple devil tears decorated the right eye while three dots of the same colour were placed above the left. "Come get me then."

Maybe that was a horrible thing to say, for when the words left the girls mouth, the grey skinned demon leapt. It's long fingers outstretched in a mad attempt to be fearsome. Joey countered, bringing her mace up, attempting to slam the demons head. Unfortunately, the demon seemed to bound off of a wall that just wasn't there, its long hand twisted unnaturally and caught the chain, ripping it away with unnatural force.
Joey yelped, the chain broke away from her body with a light pop and slammed heavily into the ground. The demon was pulled down to, but let go into time to make a nice recovery.

"Oh... not good.." Joey cringed, she watched in terror as the mace sparkled and then faded out from existence. With an extremely horrified look on her face, Joey gulped. "Um... Help?"

But it was too late; the demon didn't even bother with going near her. Instead, it slammed its hands into the floor. A shockwave of dark energy shook the floor before settling around Joey and glowing in an eerie ring. The thing then left, getting a quick hit in on Aliana before leaping on the damn window.

"HEY!" Joey called, gaining the attention of Denny, who rushed over and placed his hand on the dark energy. It sparked and seemed to push his hand away. "Help me!"

"How?"

"I don't know just-" The ground below the teenager crumbled, Joey felt her eyes widen in total shock as she fell. Denny disappearing in a blur of grey and black. Her mouth open and a horrified scream escaped her mouth, she expected to slam into the floor below them, but apparently whatever magic had made the hole had cut all the way to the bottom.

Just what was at the bottom anyway?

"fffffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccccccckkkk !"

Joey was cut short by a very abrupt, very cold sensation. Her lungs that felt like they were on fire suddenly were cooled and then felt as ice someone had put ice around her lungs. Her arms flailed madly as she tried to reach the surface. It was water, or god water... She hated water, well... Not really, what was really cool in more occasions... But Joey was one of the few people who had never learned how to swim.

Noo! She cried out in her mind, the words escaping her mouth only as a gurgle. Help me!

The current was growing, or at least that is what Joey assumed. Had she really sunken that far to be carried away by a particularly strong current. Her eyes opened, and then shot as wide as they could go at the being before her.

It was a dragon!

Its wings were tightly kept towards its body and its powerful tail powered it along. The eyes that graced its streamline and slender head blinked, as it just seemed to notice the human child on its nose. They narrowed slightly as Joey cringed, this dragon it was huge.
As sudden as it had swept her away, it stopped. Extending its long, elegant wings in a silhouette fashion, bringing its head close to Joey, it breathing out a massive bubble. The orb seemed to suck Joey into it and float there, even as the dragon perched on a piece of underwater rock, and flapped its shimmering blue wings. It's head hung low and the long tail curled around as it stared at Joey.

You be the child blessed with water yes? It's voice was very calming, and feminine. Answer me human-child, I be not having much time.

"Y-yes..." Joey gulped, looking around her. "Who are you?"

I be Tyn, and not be a Dragon, but Wyvern. Tyn's spoke, her eyes sparkling for a moment. You be finding my speak odd yes?

"Um... Yeah..." The teenager answered in all honesty. "What makes you so different from a dragon?"

Wyvern be smaller then Dragon, Dragon be cruder, not as elegant. The Wyvern looked particularly proud of that fact. I be faster, much faster, then dragon ever be... Though Dragon be having the power, Wyvern be having the grace.

Joey admired the Wyvern, she looked so calm, so at home in the water. It was hard to believe that such and water bound creature could fly from the liquid life giver and join the dragons in the sky. Her body was covered in a gleaming pale blue with a creamy belly, and her wing web was darker, like navy blue but shined turquoise. Joey began to wonder if all beasts were this beautiful, or maybe just the Wyvern...

"Um... A man told me, well a group of chosen's that you died. How?"

Tyn was silent. I be dead by man... My home be drain and I be exposed, a great blast tore into my side. I be bleeding until I meet my fate on the cold, hard, ground.

"That's horrible..." Joey murmured, but suddenly realized the bubble had been gradually filling up with water. "um..."

Little child, I be telling you I be there for you when time be in needing. But I be not teaching you to swim. You be learning that yourself...

Suddenly, Joey was back in the dark pool, her lungs were filling with her own element, and the light from the hole in the floors was fading..

'Damn it...'

~~~
Tag?

[Blademaster]

Ivan

Demon after demon howled as the icy man's fists struck them down, pumping them full of more negative energy than even thay could handle, blowing them to dust. Ivan couldn't count how many his fury had slain: 3, 5, 10, 50, he didn't know or care. His fists and coat had been doused with ichor by this point as his long pent-up anger and hatred finally vented itself, destroying everything in its path.

Eventually, the slaughter had ended; Ivan stood amidst a sea of black powder and demon corpses. The black aura around his body slowly faded away, the black energy filling his eyes vanishing to reveal their icy blue color once more.

Ivan glanced around, realizing his battle had taken him out of the room where Kyoshiro and that swordswoman had been fighting in. Not seeing any other of the Scourge present, Ivan made his way back down a flight of stairs, trying to make his way back down to ground level...

"Fffffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccccccckkkk !!!"
KER-SPLOOSH!

Ivan's ears perked up as a loud, shrill obscenity reached his ears, the source of which sounded to be a voice too young to be rightly saying it.

Rolling his eyes, Ivan dashed down a few more flights of stairs, eventually coming to a room with a large hole in the floor and another in the ceiling. Somewhere far below the hole in the floor, he could hear something splashing about in the river. Thinking it was just one of the Scourge, he at first ignored the noise, trying to think instead.

"He-elp!" a small voice choked out down below.

Ivan's eyes flew open; he raced to the hole and looked down.

Four stories down, flailing about in the water was that small girl who'd shown up at the Dojo after the Scourge there had been killed. Joey, was that her name...?

Ivan looked down at her, quickly realizing that she couldn't swim. She slowly began to sink lower into the water, coughing and sputtering as the churning waters washed over her...

A look of determination crossed Ivan's face; he spread out his arms, then dove head-first into the hole, slicing cleanly through the water a few feet behind Joey. A moment later, he resurfaced, wrapping one arm underneath hers and turning over on his back. Slowly, he made his way back towards the shore, the semi-conscious Joey laying against his chest...

Once back on dry land, Ivan lay the small girl down on her back. She was still hacking and spitting up small amounts of water, gasping deeply for air as the color returned to her face. Eventually, her breathing seemed to slow back to a normal level. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked up...

"I...van...?"

-----------------------------------------

OK, I'm tired. Time for bed.

(slaps somebody)

Tag!

[Drusilla]

I'll leave enough room here for others to fit in their posts

Auril Haven
I still find it so hard to say what I need to say...

I saw her fall, helpless... yet, I didn't know what to do about it. God only knew what awaited Joey at the end of her fall, so it would be foolish for any of us to just jump after her.

It happened so suddenly that I was blinded by the brightness. I was no longer standing in a dark, ruined room, but in the midst of a bleak arctic landscape, the wind roaring around me and pulling my hair from it's ponytail to fly about my face. The cold should have burned, but I found it comfortable, moreso than the room I had just been in. There was nothing but ice and some snow for miles; some mountains rose far into the sky in the distance. The sun was no where to be seen, but the light diffused through the snow-laden clouds, and the white landscape magnified it so that it was enough to make my eyes ache.

Tisiphone stood before me, watching me carefully, like I was some bomb to explode without provocation. I looked back at her, face as empty as my heart. In a way, I had been icy for many years, still and cold, no warmth to be found; I didn't know what it was she looked for in me. I had a temper, yes, but I would lash out and then return to my calm again... At one time, I should have been a firey teenager, but that had been taken away from me.

"Was it? Or did you take that away from yourself?" Tisiphone asked, harshly.

I bristled at the question. "How DARE you. If you're truly a part of my soul, then you were there, you know what happened... I had no fault, no reason for that to happen to me."

"But the choice to distance yourself from everyone was your own. You let your anger do this, no one else. In any case, this is not what I brought you here for. There are many turning points lying ahead in your path, and one is upon you now. Go to Joey, she has need of your help, as you will need hers in the future. The one that chose her was very dear to me, and I would see that friendship rekindled in our chosen."

I snorted. "So, what, I am your puppet now? You would live through me now that you are dead?"

She sighed. "Do you feel the need to fight everyone? This is a necessary step, without which you will fail. You know the consequences of failure here, I believe... I do not need to point them out to you. She is your sister element and needs help, is that not enough reason? If you would open your heart to those around you, you would find that your talents need not be wasted, here or anywhere else in your life. You have gifts, gifts that I have nothing to do with, and yet you push them aside because you're afraid. You're afraid to let anyone near you because you are not willing to let go of the past. Let go, now, or that will be your undoing, Auril. I have need of you. Your companions have need of you. The world has need of you. You must stop being the hurt little girl inside and embrace your destiny, or we will all suffer for it."

She was right, and I knew it, yet... I was loathe to change. I had been safe these past eight years, safe from myself and those around me.

"The risks are well worth it, as I'm sure you will see. You are not the only one battling with inner demons. Later, I think you will find that it's sometimes easier to fight them together," she said carefully. I looked up at her, trying to understand her meaning. She smiled. "Your handsome young man will no doubt prove an... interesting companion."

"What? What are you talking about? No, I have no interest in him..." Did I?

Tisiphone only laughed. "I'm sure that you will see things in time. Go now, and discover your own worth."

With that, she vanished, and I was standing in the darkened room surrounded by the destruction and chaos wrought by battle. While I had been in the vision, the remaining demons in this room had been vanquished, and people were rushing to the lower levels in search of Joey. I gripped my sword, now glittering with frost, and ran for the hole in the floor. I peered down and found a series of floors had fallen away into darkness, though far below I could hear the rush of water. I hesitated, my logical mind trying to put everything into perspective, but I pushed it away, taking a deep breath and stepping off of the edge.

The water wasn't cold when I first touched it, but I felt the temperature dropping rapidly as I rose to the surface. I stuggled to reach it, still holding my longsword in hand, having no where else to put it. I felt a welcome rush of air on my face, and I flung my head back to get my hair, which was now freely falling about me, out of the way of my breathing. I moved towards the shore, where Ivan and Joey lay catching their own breaths. The others were not far off, either, as I could hear their voices echoing in the chamber. I was surprised to find such a cavern under the building, though once I thought about it I realised I shouldn't be surprised by much anymore. Why not a demon-infested skyscraper with a river flowing beneath it in the middle of a large city? Perfectly normal, of course.

I moved onto the shore as gracefully as possible, considering that I was dripping wet and carrying a heavy weapon with me. Once it hit the air, the sword was once again covered with ice and glittered even in the faint light. Ivan and Joey stared at me, both of thier faces saying, 'I can't believe you just did that.' I couldn't help but laugh, and for once it was a warm, caring laugh, the kind that fills the air and almost becomes a presence of it's own. It died down to a mere chuckle, and I smiled at them.

"I'm sorry... but the look on your faces... and this place... the whole situation..." I raised my hands in the air, unsure of what I was trying to say myself. I ended up shaking my head. "Nevermind. I-" I cut myself off. What was I supposed to say? 'Hi, guys, sorry I've been a bitch to you, but I'm supposed to help you with something, mind telling me what?' I scowled at the thought of it. I knew that I was to say something, but... what?

I looked at the two of them, feeling stupid, and I realised what it was Joey needed help with. She was water, yet it looked like Ivan had to rescue her.

Oh, yeah, great idea. I go up to this girl who probably now thinks that I'm both a bitch and totally insane and offer to teach her how to swim, which is no doubt going to offend her. Great, thanks.

Rather than stand there like an idiot, I at least tried to find the words. "Look, I'm just going to try for the truth here. I'm supposed to help you with something, and by the looks of it I think I can guess what. I have been sent by my spirit or creature or whatever, so please don't get all mad at me, I think I've had all the emotional crap I can take for one day. I will help you where I can, though I think that I'll need to learn to control my own powers, as well..." I touched the surface of the water, and ice spread across the surface briefly where my fingers had been. I sighed; this was not going to be easy. "I know that I've been a bitch, but what can I say? I am what I am, and I will try to behave myself from now on."

I looked at her and tried to smile. Being friendly rather than harsh was going to take practice... a lot of practice. I glanced at Ivan, and he met my eyes, trying to be blank, but his expression was slightly thoughtful. I looked down at the ground, unsure of how to react. I turned my back on them, looking out at the water, thinking.

This was so not going to be easy.

[Mew Master]

Denny Roth~Fire
-----------------------------------

With Kyo behind a barrier, the others on their way, we should be able to keep everyone alive at this point. The abomination snarled, then rushed me, its clawed feet digging into the floor. As it raised its arm to slash down, I slid forward. My katana blade slashed through the right side of its chest, causing blood to spray out. I heard it hit the floor and I got ready to parry the next one that came at me.

Joey had joined me after I had rushed into the chaos. She was standing a few feet behind me, and I tried to keep track of everyone in the mass of demons that wanted to kill us. Ivan had disappeared, but the bloody mess around the doorway was evident of which direction he was going. Auril was leaning against a wall, catching her breath I surmised, since she didn’t look injured, just winded. Kyo was grumbling in pain behind my barrier, and I felt a slight ache in my mind as some demons assaulted the dome shield. Then I saw Angelo jump up where I had come from, snarling at the other demons and then lunging at them, mouth open. The others came up as well, trying to stay together.

My left hand raised and I focused my energy into my palm. A sphere of flames formed and then blasted forward, just as another one formed. The Fireballs flew forward and connected with random parts of the demons around the dome barrier. It was true… I was a better shot with my right hand. They screamed in pain clutching their arms or legs, or clawing at their back to put the flames out. Running, I rushed them. Swinging my katana to make clean cuts in only three swings, they disintegrated in a shower of blood and dust.

With the area around Kyoshiro cleared for the moment, I dropped my barrier and ran to his side.

“You okay Kyo?” I asked, kneeling and helping him sit up.

“Yeah. Arm feels like a semi ran over it though…” He held it with his left hand, trying to rub some feeling into it.

“Don’t worry, can you still fight with your other hand right?”

“Yeah, dunno if it’ll be like shooting fish in a barrel or being a lure short of a tackle box. Hey… what’ that thing doing?” Kyo looked past me.

“Eh?” I looked, and instantly noticed something off.

Joey was in the fight of her life. A demon seemed to be doing something un-natural (as un-natural as these things could be). Bounding off invisible walls, and yanking Joey’s mace away from her, but not before being slammed to the floor first. I could feel the floor under us vibrate from the massive melee that was going on.

“Um,” Joey said as her mace disappeared with a crackle of energy. “Help?”

The demon raised its hand and slashed the ground. The thing wasn’t even close to Joey, so what could it be thinking? I could feel my eyes widen as a circle of dark energy surrounded the floor around her feet and cracks began to form inside it.

“HEY!” Almost forgetting about Kyoshiro, I stood and started running for Joey. “Help.. me..” The ground beneath her started to buckle.

“How?!” My hand hit the area of the energy and was pushed away, like a mockery of

“I dunno just-“ And then it gave way under her.

"fffffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccccccc kkkk !"

“KIDDO!”

And she was gone. I looked down, some force field keeping me from seeing how far she fell, or if she was still there. Then I felt my anger rise in my soul, and I glared at the demon that had sent her on a four story fall. He had fresh blood on his hands and I saw Aliana gritting in pain, her upper arm slashed. He grinned at me as the window frame rested in its hands.

“OH Hael no!” I shouted. A Fireball leapt from my hand and hit the window frame above it, causing the frame to fall down, making the demon jump back into the building.

I dashed at the monstrosity, slashing my katana at any demon that tried to stop me. The thing pushed itself back up, shaking its head. Before it could look up at me, the blade of my katana was imbedded between its eyes. I yanked it upwards and slashed the rest of its head in two.

As it dissipated into nothingness I spat in its direction. “Bastard.”

I looked back, the rest of the room was cleared out, Leu sticking a few arrows into a demon’s head, causing the creature to implode. I heard a splash. Water? A pool? Eh?!

Running back to the hole the thing had created I looked down. It was too dark to tell where everything was, and what everything was. Generating a small ball of flame in my hand, I shot it down and watched. Reflected light met my eyes as I watched the fireball fall and then fizzle out. Water. There was some water down there. My eyes darted around the area we were at. A set of stairs off to the side, and part of a collapsed floor which lead down to the next level, which seemed to crash part of that floor in too making a circular path. Ha, fastest way down. I looked around and saw a piece of plywood that was sticking out of the floor through the rubble. It was just big enough for me to stand on and use as a board. Although I’ve never done anything like snowboarding or surfing before, I don’t have any sense of balance.

“Denny? What are you?”

“Joey’s down’ there… at the bottom!”

I ran forward slashing the plywood. Everyone thought I was pretty crazy. Leaving enough so that it was still attached, I jumped at it and planted both feet on the board, causing it to break from the force. It fell down and I started sliding.

“Ooooooooooooh Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiite!!!!”

In all of my life I have tried some crazy shite. Holding a bottle rocket while it was lit. Modifying a CO2 car with a rocket engine and hitting my mom’s truck. And some other stuff I’m not too proud of. But crete-boarding, down a spinning path, down four floors, with little control over my own direction and speed, had to top them all.

The trip was a real adrenaline rush, even if the scenery was grey and in a blur. I boarded, using my katana as an extra way of turning on the tight turns. Sliding past and then down the slides again, one of them more of a drop than a slide, I came towards the end of my building-loge when I noticed that below the first floor was a basement area with a pile of rubble and pointy, rusted, twisted rebar at the end of it. Trying to stop would have been futile, as any decrease in my speed would end up with me impaled upon. I went as fast as I can, and then came to a stop. However, before the stop, I jumped, my forward momentum taking me over the rebar “maiden” and towards a stop. I threw my body around, trying to take myself into an ukemi brake-fall and distribute my body weight across my entire height. The result wasn’t what I was expecting.

Water. Cold. Freezing. Water. I landed hard, with a back-flop, causing my spine and the back of my legs to sting with pain. Then I sank for a little bit from the shock. Thousands of hundreds of needles seemed to be piercing my skin. Kicking my legs I reached the surface, gasping for air. My body started shivering as a response to the sudden cold.

“Who’s bbbright idea w-w-was it to put a fr-fr-freezing pool under a b-building in the mi-mi-middle of spring?” my teeth rattled together as I started to rub some feeling back into my arms and wading towards shore. Unnoticing the steam rising from my body above the water.

Ivan, Joey, and Auril were there. The two elder ones kneeling over the Kiddo’s body. I stepped onto shore, soaking wet, and shivering up a storm.

“What the hell did you do?” Ivan asked, glaring at me.

“N-new sport. I call it cr-crete-boarding.”

“Retard,” he replied, a snort escaping from his nose.

“Would be more fun,” Auril stated. “If you could control it and not end up a shish-kabob.”

“I’m… still in one piece. How’s she doing?” I asked, more concerned for Joey’s health than mine.

The others started coming down the stairs, the much safer way down. We were worried about Joey, I suppose me more than others, it was hard to tell.

Before we could say much I heard clapping. I looked over and sitting on a pile of rubble was Sean, clapping his hands.

“Good, your first training session was. Improved you have, much more to learn you have. Enough, though it is. Late is the day, and you must rest. Strange things shall befall you, both of the Scourge and nature’s own defenses. And for that you must be rested and alert.”

--------------------------------------

Well, I’m soaking wet, it’s late in Game Time, and we need to get some rest. Our fight isn’t over, but neither are the questions.

*blindfolds self and slaps a random person* Tag.,.. yer it!

[Pichu Luver]

Aihee I've been blinded! Argh!

Kiina Prattle
*-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-*

Kiina danced through the room, swinging her swords though the many demons. She could feel the Unicorns presence, but not in words, in emotions. A shot of fear that made her turn when a claw or some other strange appendage was about to get her; anger whenever an open spot revealed itself. And when the demons were all finally gone, satisfaction.

When the fighting began, the green aura had come to cover her, though not as bright as before. The Unicorns presence had come to the fore with it, helping her as they could. To Kiina it felt like there was more then one, that the one she had spoken to was sort of a messenger from all of them. Perhaps that was why she had not given a name, she was representing all the Unicorns that had fought in the last demon uprising. Kiina was thinking this as the last demons were being killed and felt agreement from them.

Kiina nodded and looked around, and that's when she noticed Denny and Joey. Joey seemed to be stuck in some kind of force field. Before Kiina could ask anything, the floor gave way in a circle and she went falling through, yelling a curse all the way down.

Denny was absolutely furious, for good reason. Kiina shouted curses at the demon but before she could even make a step, Denny was on it. He made quick work of the demon and then grabbed a piece of plywood and used it like a very unique toboggan and slid down the stairs. The seemly constantly angry woman jumped down the hole and Kiina looked down the hole at her. Daaaaaaaaamn she thought and shook her head. She heard a splash, as what she supposed was her hitting the bottom.

'Well at least its water down there.' she thought and took off with the rest down the stars. Thankfully they met no demons on the way down, but with so many people running, they crashed into each other at points. For the most part managed to stay upright.

When they got to the bottom, Kiina was breathing heavily and leaned on the wall. Joey, Ivan, the crazy woman and Denny were all there. They all seemed to be alright, (Kiina noting that Denny's sled was not) but Joey was looking a little dizzy and out of it.

Before Kiina could ask anything she heard clapping and gaped. It was the old man, Sean, and he was clapping?

“Good, your first training session was. Improved you have, much more to learn you have. Enough, though it is. Late is the day, and you must rest. Strange things shall befall you, both of the Scourge and nature’s own defences. And for that you must be rested and alert.”

Kiina just blinked at him. "Joey fell down five stories and you clap and call this good. Who are you?"

He smiled condolingly and said, "Time will explain all."

They other asked a few questions but were getting much the same response. Kiina snorted and mumbled to herself about '"bout as clear and useful as a Ascended," and turned to Joey, "you alright?"

She nodded and said "yeah," but winced at the movement in her head.

"Right, well, you all got a place to crash for the night? I got a flat downtown and can take one, maybe two if the second don't mind a pullout couch."

-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-

*nods and looks smart* Er . . . right.

*pokes nearest person with an umbrella*

Tag!

[Drusilla]

Hey guys, just giving a heads up that I may be scarce this week; I fly back to Indiana Tuesday, and classes start Wednesday, so I'll be spending today and tomorrow getting ready to head back. This upcoming weekend I know I won't be around, since I'm going on retreat with my sorority... I will be checking in until then, and if there are enough posts, I will post as well, but other than that... have fun, kids, and I'll catch yall later.

PS- Boo at River's avatar.

[Mew Master]

Not a plot advancement, but a pic instead!

Gentlemen... BEHOLD!

Kiina and the Unicorn! XD

[Drusilla]

Auril Haven
Discard regret, for in this debt, a better world is made

I glanced down at my clothing. I was a mess, and while the water had helped a little bit, I was still covered in ichor and my own blood. The harsh, persistant stinging in my back let me know that I was still bleeding, or perhaps bleeding again, and I wondered how deep the claws had gone. Tentatively, I reached back and touched the wounds; the pain harshened instantly, and my fingers came away warm and wet with fresh blood. I swore under my breath, not knowing how much I had lost all ready. I felt faint with the thought, and half sat, half collapsed to the ground, staring at my hand.

I closed my eyes tight and clenched my fist. I was not going to fall into unconciousness... I wasn't a little girl anymore. I was stronger than this. I could overcome the pain and blood loss. Rather than dwelling on those things that made me weak, I focused on my breathing, blocking everything else out, trying to see if it was bad enough to force me into seeking help. Only when I felt a hand on my shoulder did I open my eyes and hear the voices trying to speak to me. The others were standing around me, and while I heard them speaking, I didn't understand anything. The nausea had swept over me when I opened my eyes, and the blood roared in my ears, though this time not from bloodlust but from sensory overload. I tried to speak, tried to understand, tried to keep my eyes open, but it was too much... It seemed like slow motion, but no matter how I fought my eyes slowly rolled back in my head and I felt my upper body falling to the ground, though the impact never came. I was swallowed by the empty blackness, surrounded by blessed calm.

Auril...

Oh, please, leave me be...

Auril, there is still much to do. Life goes on with or without you, and you have alliances to forge yet.

Hey, it takes two to tango, and I don't think these people will put up with me any more than they have to.

They feel destiny pulling at them, just as you do. They can't deny it, even if they wanted to... and I don't really think that they do. They will come to see things within you that you do not see for yourself, or at least, that you refuse to see.

If I had some kind of physical form, I would have rolled my eyes, but there was nothing but the blackness and our minds.

Whatever, get out of my head and I'll see about waking up.

My eyelids felt heavy, nearly immobile, as I struggled to the surface of the blackness. I gasped for air and exhaled as my eyes opened, and once again my breath was fogging in the air... though, since I was the source of cold, perhaps it was the other way around. I was inside somewhere, and tried to look around at my surroundings, though the movement hurt. I had no idea what time of day it was, how long I'd been out, nor where I was... panic made my heart flutter in my chest. Someone had removed the remains of my shirt and bandaged my wound, and I was on my back, lying on a couch in someone's home. The wound itself didn't hurt, but many of the muscles in my back and neck ached. I took a deep breath, both to calm my nerves and to relax. Wherever I was, it had to be safer than where I had been before.

I was suddenly aware that I was not alone in the room. Fighting the stiffness in my shoulders, I sat up and pushed my long, now matted and tangled, hair out of my face. Ivan stood in the corner, arms folded across his chest, face closed and eyes carefully averted. Obviously, my being half-dressed didn't bother me nearly as much as it bothered him. I still had a bra on, for God's sake... sometimes, men can be such children about things.

"I couldn't sleep, and someone had to keep an eye on you. That's all." His voice was strangled, making his discomfort so painfully obvious that it actually made me feel awkward as well. A throw blanket was at my feet, and I wrapped it around me so he wouldn't have to look at the wall if he didn't want to. Or maybe he did, he seemed to like being difficult more than even I.

Now that I was properly covered more or less, he began to sink back into the brooding anger that was apparently his normal mode of operation. I glanced about for a clock; it was nearly four AM. I wondered if Ivan had been here the entire time, or if others were rotating. Whichever was the case, I felt gratitude towards them...

I looked at my feet. What was happening to me? No matter what they did, I couldn't trust them. I couldn't afford the luxury of trusting any of them, and gratitude would be just another chain to bind me. Just another nail in the coffin. Yet... I hid my face in my hands, letting my hair fall around me so that Ivan couldn't see the tears I held back. There would be questions, no matter what, because if someone had tended my wounds then they had seen the scars that covered my back; white lines of raised flesh that would forever remain in rememberance of what had happened. They were nothing compared to the scars in my heart, though just as permanent.

I was biting my lip, but hadn't realised it until the metallic taste of blood washed over my tounge. A small sob escaped me, and it was the smallest break in my defenses... but I knew that it would not be the first.


Yay for my 1337th post! lol

We can have songs for our creatures, right? Tisiphone's is Winter Born by The Crüxshadows.

[Pichu Luver]

Not a reply, as I have chitter chatted recently. I'll let you guys post a bit more. Just to say to Mew Master, very well done. ^^ I know ponies can be difficult, and your did a great job of it. No rabbits are involved, lol. Kiina looks suberb as well, I tried drawing my own char and, well, I suck at humans. Monsters and creatures all the way! ^^'''.

[Shadow Djinn]

So, I'm a dirty liar when I said my work would clear up soon -- my teachers decided to be festive upon my return to dreary school and celebrate.

Rather poor taste in the methods of celebrating, assigning a project and essay on the first day back's rather harsh.

But regardless, here I am! I'm assuming we're trudging on home now, so...

Kyoshiro Watanabi ~ Wind
-

Despite the throbbing pain in his arm, Kyoshiro could think of over a dozen words to lob at the insane old man that was now trotting away -- none of them pretty.

What a fine waste of time this was.

Kyoshiro scowled, noting his hair, which was now more unkempt then usual, was dirtied by recent events. Fiddling with the ancient swords that hung at his sides, he gave himself a brief recap of the day's events, scowling at most of them.

Went to lake, find out it's all messed up, met antisocial angry man, fight some weird demon, meet a bunch of heroes, find out I'm one of them, met some old werewolf, find out a demonic legion's going to destroy the Earth, made a Street Fighter reference, and now...

He glanced at the starlit sky with apparent thought, considering his next move with great care.

What the hell do I do? I don't know what time it is -- for all I know I could show up at my brother's apartment at 4 AM, and tell him, " Hey, sorry, I was saving the world..."

And then he turned to look at the other chosens once more -- reviewing what he knew of them (which was somewhat lacking) thoughtfully.

Then again, I'd rather not stick around here.

Rising from his seat of rubble, the chosen of Wind spared the Scourge-fighting party a final glance before shrugging, brushing off the small debris that stuck to his pants, and setting off for the dismal place he called home.

-

I know, short post and all. Just wanted to show I wasn't dead. Anyone's free to stop him if the idea of leaving without a bye is horrific to their character, or they just want to interact with him. I'll try to post more in the future, but I can't gurantee anything.

[Mew Master]

Denny Roth~Fire
---------------------------------

If I ever felt like I had just been hit by a train, now was it. My body ached, my brain hurt (or what you could say of a brain that I had), and I was soaking wet. I yawned looking at my cell phone in my pocket, which surprisingly hadn’t been broken in any of the skirmishes that we experienced that day.

“Wow, its midnight already?” I muttered to myself, but loud enough that everyone could hear.

My statement wasn’t answered by the usual “shut up” or other snappy come-back, instead was the sound of a body hitting the floor. I spun around ready in case more of the Scourge had decided to launch a surprise attack, but found Auril lying on the ground. Then I noticed the bloody claw marks across her back. Damn, I thought. They got a last hit in on her. No wonder she was winded earlier… I looked over at everyone else to find any other sort of injury. Joey was mumbling incoherently, probably shock or a mild concussion from hitting the water.

“We’ve got to get them somewhere so her wounds can get cleaned.” Leu said, kneeling over Auril. “You said you’ve got a couch?” he looked at Kiina.

“Yes,” she nodded in return.

“You’ll have room for Joey too?”

“It’ll be a tight fit,” she thought. “But yeah, I can.” The two of them started to pick her up and carry her away. Ivan watched them, then looked at Joey. Just as I was contemplating picking Joey up and following I saw something I never think I’d see. Ivan walked over, picked up Joey and then followed after Kiina and Leu.

“That… was weird…” I muttered.

I looked over the rest of our rag-tag group. Angelo was twitching… again. His whole persona seems to change randomly for no reason. Aliana looked battered, bruised, but other wise okay. I know I looked like a soaked rat. And Kyo… was walking away.

“Hey Kyo!” he stopped and glanced back, somewhat surprised at anyone calling his name. “You need a place to crash for the night?”

He looked at me, nearly dumbfounded. “Um… yeah I do… kinda.”

“Well, if you want… you can crash at mine, same goes for you Angelo,” the restrained man looked at me with a “huh?” look. “Well, I’ve got a futon and surprisingly enough a spare bed. So I can take both of you if you want.”

“Um… Th-thanks,” Angelo replied meekly.

“I… Guess,” Kyoshiro replied, surprised that someone would offer to take him in.

“All right! But first,” I looked at Angelo. “We’ve got to get you out of that thing.”

“Eh,” Aliana said. “Denny, are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Well,” I said walking behind Angelo and trying to undo some of the restraints. “For one, it’s not going to be normal for someone to be walking down the street in a straight jacket. Two, he’s one of us, so the odds of him doing anything to harm us despite whatever mental problems he has is slim. Eh, no offense Angelo.”

“I.. um..” was his reply.

“And lastly, I think it’d be a good idea for him to use his arms as well as his feet if he gets into a fight.”

“Eh,” Aliana stated. “As long as you don’t get yourself hurt… I suppose.

I undid the last buckle on Angelo’s straight jacket and it slid off, revealing a white hospital shirt.

“A-are you sure a-about this?” he asked.

“Sure, I trust you, and I trust Kyo. Come on, we should head for home and get some sleep. It’s gonna be a long day tomorrow.”

The four of us walked back towards my home. Fortunately we came across Aliana’s home first, and made sure she got home safe before the rest of us headed to my home.

My home was a basement apartment, a dungeon really, with its fair share of cracked walls and ceilings.

“Well gentlemen,” I said fumbling for my keys. “Welcome to my humble,” The door was opened and the light turned on.

Used fast-food containers, random papers, and several shirts littered the table, futon, and the floor. The computer in the corner had pop-cans papers and a few pieces of trash scattered around. Surprisingly the kitchen that could be seen was surprisingly clean.

“Trashy abode,” I finished my comment.

I threw my stuff on my bed before working on cleaning the futon off for someone to sleep. Luckily I usually kept a few extra blankets and pillows in case anyone comes over and doesn’t want to go home that night. After handing out the blankets I went and cleaned off the spare bed in the back room. I let the two of them decide where they wanted to sleep as I said goodnight and closed the doors to my room. I pealed off my wet clothes and threw them into my dirty clothes hamper. Changing into some dry clothes I quickly arranged my covers, checked the time my alarm was set to, set it earlier by about an hour. This of course meant that I’d get MAYBE six hours sleep.

Turning off the light I crawled under the covers and curled up, trying to get some warmth back into my body before drifting off into a tired sleep…

--------------------------------------

Well.. sweet dreams gang... or whatever kind of dreams we'll have.. O.o

[Blademaster]

OK, time to go to work...

---------------------------------------

Ivan

Ivan looked down over Joey's sleeping form in his typical quiet manner, his body scarcely moving at all save for the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

As he watched over the small girl's sleeping form, memories of the previous day began to return to him... Memories of his anger focusing into a type of shadow energy that destroyed everything it touched, memories of the strange old man and his story...

But most of all, memories of him diving in after Joey and saving her.

'I saved her because we need her alive in order to defeat the Scourge.' Ivan thought. 'That's all.'

"Ivan..."

Ivan perked his head up and looked towards the door at the mention of his name. He looked up and saw Leu step into the room.

"Hey," he said, "I just sent Kiina to bed - it's almost 4am, ya know. Aren't you tired?"

Ivan looked back at Joey.

"No."

"Well, tired or not, you need sleep." Leu insisted. "I'll keep an eye on the girls for now."

Ivan narrowed his eyes.

"I'm fine."

Leu shrugged.

"Well, so am I." he said, sitting down on a chair opposite the bed from Ivan. "So I'm staying here either way to keep watch. Your choice if you wanna stay here with me or not."

There was a silence between the two for a long moment, before Leu finally asked:

"So, didja see the big game the other day?"

************************

Two minutes later, Ivan stood in the corner of the next room, his arms folded over his chest, his eyes closed, a scowl on his face.

'I have to remember after this ordeal is all over that Denny isn't the only one whose neck I have to wring.' he thought irritably.

A moan from the couch-bed made Ivan look up briefly. It seemed like Auril was awake.

'Terrific.' Ivan thought, glancing away again.

"Ivan...?" she mumbled. "What... are you doing?"

"I couldn't sleep, and someone had to keep an eye on you. That's all."

Another awkward silence ensued; Ivan could tell that Auril was silently taunting him, at least for a few moments, before she finally pulled the blankets over herself and went silent.

Ivan looked around the dimly-lit room for a moment before a sob reached his ears. He turned back to Auril, who held her face in her hands and seemed to be crying.

The dark-clad man stared icily at her for what seemed like hours, before finally, he uttered a soft 'Hm.' and then turned and left the room.

Ivan made his way down the hallway and climbed the stairs leading out to the roof. He walked up to the ledge and looked out over the city.

Ivan sighed the slightest sigh of content - the cold night air, the silent solitude... This was his habitat. He felt at peace here...

Ivan climbed on top of a closed vent and dropped down onto his back, his hands behind his head. His eyelids began to droop as he looked up at the stars, his turbulent mind and heart finally beginning to relax, as he slowly drifted off to sleep...

--------------------------------------------------

Kinda sucky, I know, but... Well... Too bad. My character, my post.

(smacks nearest person with a rake)

Tag!

[Pichu Luver]

Eep! *lets handle thwack forearm*

Cripes dude what are ya tryin to do? Kill me? Oo''

And , Voldemort will not win! Go Harry! *grabs more letter-magnets*

Kiina Prattle
*-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-*

"So how are we going to get these two to your place?" asked Leu as they struggled to get the Auril up the stairs. Apparently when not fighting, coordination was not Kiina's strong suit. Ivan of course was having no problems and was waiting on the landing.

"Simple. Taxi."

"Ah. I was wondering. Ivan there may be able to carry around unconscious people like nothing, but not me." said Leu and Ivan gave them a death glare. They carefully placed the woman on the ground and Kiina got out her cell phone.

"Nor me." said Kiina as she phone a for a cab. The others left through the door and they said their goodbyes. Ivan held the door as they got Auril outside. They quickly stored their weapons and tried to clean themselves up as best they could. Kiina got Auril into her jacket to hide the cut and blood.

When the van pulled up they piled and thankfully the cabby seemed to think that the less he knew the better. They got to Kiina's flat without a problem but the spinning door was a bit of a hassle.

"Thank God for elevators." Kiina praised as they got in. Ivan said nothing and stared at the doors. Leu just nodded.

Kiina punched the top floor and the before long they were outside her doors, Kiina fumbling for her keys.

"Right, so make yourselves at home." She as she opened the door to a very clean place. A long windows stretched along the opposite wall, filling it. A couch and chair faced a TV on the left, with a dining table and kitchen on the right. Past the couch was a door opening to a bedroom, and a hall with four doors.

"Ivan if you wouldn't mind putting Joey in my room, last door on the right." Kiina said nodding her towards the hallway. Kiina and Leu placed Auril in the chair and pulled out the bed couch. They placed her on it as Ivan came out and grabbed chair and walked back to Joey.

"Friendly, isn't he?" said Leu raising an eyebrow as he left.

"Oh yeah, right chatter box." Kiina said, snorting. She wasn't about to admit he scared her quite a bit and just flicked a glance at his retreating back.

Kiina and Leu got the jackets off and the Kiina swore at the amount of blood on Auril's shirt.

"K, gotta do something about this. Erm, Leu if you wouldn't mind?" Kiina made leaving gestures and Leu got the point. He grabbed the jackets went down to the bathroom. When he shut the door Kiina got the shirt off Auril. Kiina turn her on her back and gasped a little; long white scars criss-crossed her back.

"Now what in the world happened to you?" Kiina murmured to herself but turned to the much more pressing matter of the gash.

Kiina remembered what had happened with Denny and tried to see if she could call up the power again. It took a bit but she felt the Unicorns, almost as if they were asking, what is it?

She more or less told them and the aura surrounded her. Her hand turned a dark pine green and she ran it down the long gash. Flowers bloomed on the gash and it healed at a rapid rate. Soon only a reddish-pink band was left, like it was now a couple weeks old, and not hours. Auril stirred and a bit more colour seemed to be in her face. Kiina ripped a sheet and wrapped it around her waist, just to be on the safe side. She had just covered her with a blanket when Leu came out.

"I tried to get the blood out, but . . " he held them out and Kiina could see they were still pink. He blinked at her and Kiina realised she was still glowing green. "Um . . . how is she?"

"Alright now. I eh, healed her a bit." and Kiina felt the glow leaving again, and she thanked the Unicorns. "I'll take those, there's a laundrymat in the basement."

He handed them to her and she left. She met no one, but it was three in the morning. It took a couple washes but most of it came out. When she got back Leu was still watching Auril.

"Heya." she said and gave a giant yawn. He laughed and said,

"You look beat, you should probably get some sleep."

"True, but," she yawned again, "you don't look to good yourself."

He shrugged. "I've pulled all-nighters before. I'll be fine."

Kiina nodded, too tired to argue. She went into the spare bedroom and changed into some PJ's she had there. She heard talking outside and then someone using the door to the roof. She got up again and saw Auril was awake. She grabbed a t-shirt and tossed it to her.

"Sorry. You alright?" she asked sleepily.

Auril just nodded and turned over, grabbing the t-shirt, her back to Kiina. Kiina shrugged and stood thinking for a second. 'I got a sleeping bag in the closet, yeah . . .' She grabbed the sleeping bag in the closet, a couple blankets and a pillow off the bed. Then she went to her office shoved the chair out of the way and made a bed on the floor.

Kiina poked her head in and saw Leu's head was nodding as he watched Joey. "Hey Leu? The spare rooms yours if ya want it."

He yawned and looked from her to Joey. "I'm not sure if she's alright though . ."

Kiina smacked herself in the head and sat on the bed, "Oops, right, shoulda done this sooner." The energy came slower this time, as she was quite tired. Kiina looked over Joey and ran her hand across Joey's head and chest. The flowers bloomed on her head, but only a few were on her chest. Mostly where her lungs were situated. When she was done Joey seemed to be breathing easier. "There. She'll be fine now."

Leu nodded, and went down the hall. Kiina went to her impromptu bed. It was hard but the extra blanket padding helped. She was so tired; she was asleep within five minutes, sparing only a brief thought for Ivan and wondering why he would go to the roof.
-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-

Yeah its long but I need to catch uppers. So,

*grabs rake and sets it up so some one will step on it*

*snicker* Tag!

[Mew Trainer Rose]

Bah, this isn't that great, but I figured I shoudl at leats get something up before I went on vacation, especially since I haven't posted in a while.

Yes, tomorrow I'll be going on vacation for about 10 days. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to get on the internet, so I can't promise I'll post anythign until I get back. So farewell for a little while.

*Steps on the rake and the handle smacks her face.* Ow...who would've have guessed that the cartoons are right for once?

Aliana – Light
~~~~~~~~~~~~

After all the fighting I’d done I still didn’t have any idea what my Beast was, which I was kind of annoyed about. I’d managed to get my arm torn up, and I was glad that I knew I could heal myself, at least. Still, I wasn’t able to take care of that until we’d fought off the monsters, so my shirt was covered with blood by the time I healed the gash.

I looked up in time to see everyone rushing downstairs. Or at least down, one way or another, some of which did not look safe. I didn’t know what was going on. But I figured someone was going to get hurt so I rushed down the stairs after them.

I was the last to get there, and sure enough, someone had gotten hurt. Not from taking a reckless way down, though; Auril had some rather nasty gashes on her back, form a claw by the look of it. I almost automatically tried to gather the healing light in my hand, but after a moment I realized nothing was happening. I tried a couple more times, then Figured I must have used it all up for the moment, or something. Or maybe I was just tired. In any case, all I could do was watch as arrangements were made to take her someplace safe and bandage her up.

Soon enough our battered group headed to our various homes, and I ended up walking with several of them. I waved goodbye when I got to my own building and headed inside, starting to yawn as I trudged up the stairs. Until a moment ago I hadn’t realized how tired I was. I barely took the time to take off the shoes and put down my backpack before I collapsed on my bed, still in my torn and blood-spattered clothing. I drifted off to sleep before I had a chance to think about what had happened today.

[Crystal Tears]

Joey

Why does he call me Kiddo?

Joey can’t even swim

I’m going to runaway

Why was I always alone?

Oh god, he’s drunk again

Why can’t they see them?

I be watching out for you.

So many confusing thoughts in the darkness of unconsciousness, Joey couldn’t help but try to squirm in her chaotic prison. Her own voice, combined with numerous others racked her mind as she struggled to sleep. She would open her eyes and all that was around her was darkness… Pure black that seemed to span for miles, but words, sentences, phrases, even some paragraphs crossed the void. Some were faint, and others bold, as if they wanted to be seen, to be heard.

What sort of place was this?

Joey stood there, on a platform that was as black as the void around her. Cautiously she stepped forward, looking down to see the floor ripping like water, but instead, it would turn silver for a moment before fading to its original black.

“Where am I?” Joey questioned, but only heard her voice echo back to her.

But suddenly flashes of light almost blinded her, floating images of memories circled about her, slowly, she her eyes could scan over each one. But the images were blurred, and on top of them were phrases, just like the floating ones. Her eyes came to rest on a particular one.

Glass

The imagine wasn’t as blurred as others, she could make out a tall figure; his hair was black and was wearing a tan vest over a white t-shirt. Joey frowned, reaching out slowly, her hand touching the imagine.

“Dad.”

Joey was standing in her own memory; this was her family’s living room. A large grey T.V sat against a white wall, opposite the T.V was an odd grey couch that had been torn apart by their old cat Angel. Joey was standing in an open doorway, she was a bit younger then she was now, about 10.

[i] “Dad… Can you come watch now?”

The man never answered, instead she shot a cold glare across the room..

“Oh god.” Joey murmured, and she ran towards her younger self. “Move!”

The glass went right through her. She watched, tears in her eyes as the glass shot right into her younger self’s stomach, it cracked and shattered slightly on impact, and the sharp side caught the ten-year olds leg, spicing it right down, and went as deep as the bone.

“When I don’t fucking answer, you don’t fucking bug me!”

Suddenly Joey was out of there again. Standing in the abyss, but the memories, the blurred images, they were gone. Instead the blackness only showed a question, and an answer.

Why was I always alone?

Because you were and still are; Broken

Joey awoke slowly, her tired eyes narrowed as the sun’s strong, mid-morning rays pierced through the curtains of this place. Joey grumbled, turning over with her eyes still only half open, so she was facing a wall instead of an accursed window. Her mind ran over what she had dreamed about, her leg suddenly ached as if the cut upon its skin was fresh. The girl cringed, grabbed the throbbing limb until the pain subsided. As her eyes now were fully open, she sat up, glancing out towards the window that barred the light.

‘I was, and still am Broken…’ She shot, ignoring the sun as she entered a deep state of thought. ‘Broken… Something that doesn’t work, it needs to be repaired, usually thrown out because of it’s…’ She bit her lip in frustration. ‘Uselessness...’

She slammed her hands down on the bed, before something clicked in her mind.

“Where am I?” She questioned out loud, more to herself then whoever was around her. She reached up with a sigh and ran her hand through her hair.

She paused.

“And just where the hell is my Bandana?”

The only thing that seemed to answer her was a humming noise coming from outside the room. Sliding out of bed, Joey found a surprise. Her dress shirt, jacket, shoes and socks were all missing. Cringing, she spun around in a circle, she suddenly stopped; causing herself to nearly topple as her eyes were set upon her familiar dark denim jacket that hung on a hanger, her shirt was hanging over that, and she could make out her socks and bandana shoved in either pocket.

“Aha!” She exclaimed, like she was some sort of detective. Bounding over the bed (which was more like jump onto it and then clamber over), she dug into her pocket and snatched her bandana and socks.
Hopping on one foot she managed to put on one sock. Bouncing on the other she got the next sock on before she toppled, crying out in a sort of half-hearted yelp as she collapsed on the ground.

As she looked up, she spotted Ivan staring at her from the doorway. Joey smiled, her hair coming in front of one eye as she lowered her head to her shoulders.
He continued to stare before turning, a sour look on his face.

Joey leapt up, rushing to the door she leaned out, glaring at Ivan.

“Well good morning to you too, Sunshine!”

He stopped, shooting her glare that was matched with her own.

“Now now Joey, you don’t want to piss him off before he’s had his coffee.”

Joey turned to see Kiina grinning at her, a coffee mug firmly in her hand. Joey watched curiously as she handed the steaming mug to Ivan, and then turned back to the kitchen.

“Okay, now you can piss him off.”

“He drinks coffee?” Joey questioned. “He doesn’t do anything other then frown; how much energy must that take?”

“Well…” Lue began. “It does take 42 muscles to frown…”

“And he does it all day….” Kiina continued.

“Wow…” Joey grinned at Ivan. “So that’s what keeps you thin.”

Ivan glared at all three of them; his eyes could’ve burned through a cement wall, then again… So could his coffee…. He then paused, taking a small sip before turning from them all.

“So…” Joey pondered, skipping over to the kitchen; she glanced at Auril who was eating something at the dinning table. Then she smiled and looked at Kiina. “What can I devour?”

The woman waved at the counter (well sort of, she was kind of off) as she was focused on helping Leu not burn down her apartment.
Joey bounded over to the fridge and multiple cupboards. It was her heaven, food and drinks everywhere! Her eyes gleamed as she spotted a bag of Aero: caramel chocolate bars on the third top shelf.

Unfortunately, they shelf was very, very high….

Not one to ask for help, Joey frowned. This shelf, though it looked sturdy, was probably the complete opposite. Not really taking that into mind, the small girl stepped onto the second bottom shelf, and then began to climb.
No one seemed to be taking notice of her little stunt, and as her hand reached out to the bag, the instant her fingers clasped the bag, the shelf lurched.

Now on the diagonal, Joey looked up with some fear, the two top shelves had many items on them, and all were sliding forward. In an instant, the girl was slammed with numerous things.

Cinnamon, garlic, salt, cookies, a lot of instant noodles, and a can of chef boyardi... Joey sighed as she still managed to hang from the cupboards.
But the faint sound of something rather heavy sliding made her look up again.

A bag about half a foot tall with a white colouring fell.

As the bag closed in on her face, Joey read the label.

SUGAR.

The shelf left her hands, and the ground came extraordinarily fast. Her back slammed into the ground (as well as a couple of bags of spices…) and the bag of sugar landed directly beside her head.

‘I can beat demons, survive almost drowning, and take one of Ivan’s death glares… But the god damn sugar takes me out….’ She thought, but her hand fumbled around her a bag that she had taken with her. She grinned. ‘But not even sugar can take away my chocolate.’

WHACK

Joey yelped; rising off the floor she grabbed the container that had hit her. She frowned.

“Instant noodles? Is this some sort of racial joke from God?”

When Joey looked up, she noticed that everyone was staring at her. With a grin she waved childishly at Kiina who was so distracted by Joey’s mishap that she didn’t notice the kettle was boiled, Leu was chuckling at the stunt, and Auril had looked up from her meal at the dinning table with an eyebrow raised. Ivan was just looking at Joey with that seemed to be an unimpressed, but amused face… Sort of…

“Joey, if you insist on destroying my kitchen, try to do it when there are no witnesses.” Kiina joked, turning back to her screaming kettle. “Oh, and please clean that up.”

Joey frowned. “How? Even tilted I can’t reach the top shelves.”

“Leu help Joey…” Kiina sighed.

Joey didn’t waste time; she hastily ripped open the bag and tore open the wrapper of a chocolate bar. With a mighty chomp, half of it was gone already.

“Yumph…” Joey smiled, muffled by her sweet-tooth food.

[Drusilla]

Auril Haven
We were walkin' through some youth,
Smilin' through the pain

I slipped back into a fitfull sleep, dreams haunted by shadows in darkness, betrayal, and cold, rainy nights. I could almost feel the water running down my skin to flow over the freezing pavement beneath my body, the orange light from a distant streetlamp reflecting off of the rivulets that washed down from deeper in the alley towards the street... rivulets that were more than just water. Blood, liquid life, flowed freely as well, no longer needed by it's body. The body lie somewhere in the shadows, cold and forgotten except for by me.

My eyes opened and I winced, closing them again to shut out the bright sunlight that filtered through the window. Home was far away, and that night was far behind me... yet it still haunted me both in dream and in the waking world. I lived in fear of reliving not the physical pain, but the emotional. I could never bring myself to face that fear, and cut myself off from the world, living alone with my books, trying to make sense out of the nonsensical.

I heard voices elsewhere, and wandered towards them to find myself in the kitchen. Leu and Kiina were talking, and Kiina was moving about working on breakfast. Breakfast was a novelty in and of itself to me anymore, with late nights and early mornings; sleep was a precious commodity that was not to be wasted or missed. I found a chair and sat, still dazed from the activity of the previous night and a little shaken by the dream. Kiina may have tried to speak to me, though I hardly noticed. I stared blankly ahead, noticing little and registering even less.

A plate of food was placed before me, along with silverware, and I ate, still staring into space. All through high school and now college, I had nothing else in my life but my academics. I was working on a double major in biology and psychobiology with a minor in biochemistry, held a 3.98 GPA, and might even graduate early. Eighteen credit hours a week was the most that the university allowed without additional charge per hour over, and I had held that since my first semester. I hardly ever went home for holidays, preferring to stay on campus and ready myself for upcoming papers...

I laughed softly, looking up. Leu and Kiina looked at me, and I noticed for the first time that Ivan had entered the room. "Do you think that saving the world is an acceptible excuse for turning in a paper a little late? I have one due in a few days, and something tells me I might not be able to make the deadline..."

Joey's voice cut into my musings as she rushed into the room in search of food. Determined to reach her goal by herself, she nearly dismantled a whole section of shelving by herself. I admired her resiliance, but there's a point where one should ask for help. Then again, I was much more guilty of it than she was.

I returned to my food, frowning. Tisiphone was right, I was going to have to come to terms with my past, but how? It wasn't just a coping mechanism, but habit by now, and between the two... I sighed, stood, and took my empty plate towards the sink. Kiina moved towards me, as if she were going to take care of it for me, but I waved her away. I wasn't really wounded anymore, and more than capable of cleaning my own dish. As I was doing so, a thought struck me.

"We shouldn't be out alone, not until we know what these things are really capable of. If they can sense us, then they can also hunt us, and alone..." I shook my head. "It's not a good idea. I can... feel them. They're gathering strength, and unless we stick together, someone may find themselves easily overwhelmed. I can't really explain it, but I can feel 'our' people, and those of us here are safest. Aliana is alone." I didn't bother to look behind me to see what the others thought of it, and began to rinse the plate and silverware. If no one else agreed with me, I would seek Aliana out alone. There would be strength in numbers...

Funny, until yesterday I had found strength alone. But we complimented each other. Some had defensive powers, others, like me, had offensive powers. For every strength, there was a weakness. For every weakness, there was someone who's strength could make up for it. It was a balancing act, delicate but simple.

Perhaps I was learning. I could only hope that I wouldn't regret it...

[Blademaster]

(gasp of horror)

I leave for 16 hours and you people have Ivan accepting drinks from people!? Dear God........

--------------------------------------

Ivan

Despite the fact that he'd only gotten to sleep a few hours earlier, Ivan found himself woken up by the smell of something cooking coming through the vent he'd been sleeping on.

Ivan groaned and sat up - as tired as he was, he was more hungry - he hadn't eaten anything since the fish he'd had the previous day, and he knew he couldn't fall back to sleep with that alluring scent coming from right below him.

A few minutes later, Ivan entered Kiina's kitchen, where she and Leu seemed to be busy cooking breakfast.

Ivan didn't say anything... But a second later, his stomach grumbled.

Loudly.

Kiina and Leu paused, then turned to him. Kiina smiled a crooked smile.

"Well, good morning, you." she said sweetly. "You're hungry, huh? Well, breakfast ain't ready yet; how about some coffee in the meantime?"

Ivan paused - he'd never had coffee, but he knew that it was good at waking people up... And it DID smell good...

Wordlessly, Ivan nodded at Kiina.

"OK, how do you take... it...?"

Kiina drifted off when she realized Ivan had already left.

She sighed and turned back to the stove...

Down the hall, Ivan heard a hushed cry; in a second, his sword was in his hands. he dashed towards the room where the noise had come from...

He stopped dead - a half-dressed Joey sat on the floor, rubbing her head.

Ivan frowned and sheathed his sword, catching Joey's attention. She smiled sheepishly at him, prompting him to scowl and look away.

"Well, good morning to you, too, Sunshine!" Joey snapped.

"Now now Joey, you don’t want to piss him off before he’s had his coffee.”

Ivan looked up at the source of the voice, seeing Kiina walk up to him and hand him a mug of coffee. Reluctantly, he took it and examined it, his appetite getting the better of him once again.

“Okay," Kiina chirped, "now you can piss him off.”

“He drinks coffee?” Joey asked in an almost shocked way. “He doesn’t do anything other then frown; how much energy must that take?”

Ivan glared at her in annoyance

“Well…” Leu said, walking up behind Kiina. “It does take 42 muscles to frown…”

“And he does it all day….” Kiina continued.

“Wow…” Joey grinned at Ivan. “So that’s what keeps you thin.”

Ivan grimaced at the three of them, but mostly his glare was fixed on Joey. He'd just saved her life the day before, and already she was taunting him again.

'I should've just let her drown...' he thought bitterly, taking a sip of his coffee.

His eyes widened slightly behind his glasses; silently, he turned and walked away.

A moment later, when he heard them in the kitchen and knew he was alone, Ivan broke into a sprint and rushed into the bathroom, spitting the coffee into the sink with a cough - that stuff was scalding-hot, and it tasted horrible!

Ivan quickly turned the cold water on and stuck his mouth under the faucet, the icy water numbing the pain in his burnt tongue and washing the bitter taste of the coffee out before he spit it back out.

'Maybe I should reconsider eating any of Kiina's cooking.' he thought in an almost glum way as he dumped the rest of his coffee down the drain.

As he left the bathroom, though, the scent of bacon made him think otherwise...

**************************

A short while later, Ivan returned to the kitchen, where Leu, Kiina, and a chocolate-eating Joey sat at the table. Auril was nowhere in sight.

"Ivan, why don't you eat something?" Leu offered. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, don'tcha know."

Ivan looked over the table longingly. A platter of bacon and eggs sat between a bowl of toasted bagels and a bowl of fruit, and several condiments - butter, salt, pepper, ketchup, and more - lay scattered around the table.

With a sigh, Ivan reached down for the bacon, only to be smacked lightly on the hand by Kiina.

"Yours is right there." she said like a mother to a bad child, pointing to a larger-than-normal plate (Since Ivan himself was larger than normal, he surmised.) loaded with bacon, eggs, a buttered bagel, and a half of an orange.

Ivan frowned, but he strode around to where his plate was set nonetheless. Tentatively, he took a slice of bacon and bit into it...

Kiina smiled and took another bite of her own breakfast.

"So," she asked between bites, "what do you... think... ?"

Kiina trailed off, nudging Leu's shoulder as she glanced back at Ivan.

Leu looked at her, then followed her gaze towards him, as did Joey.

The three of them practically sweatdropped anime-style as they watched Ivan, who sat cross-legged on the floor, spearing his breakfast randomly with his knife and devouring it. Despite the speed at which he ate, he seemed to avoid injury every single time, and within what seemed like a few seconds, the eggs, bacon, bagel, and orange - rind and all - were gone.

Unaware of his 'spectators,' Ivan stood up and put his plate and knife back on the table, then took the napkin he'd ignored up to that point and wiped his mouth with it before tossing it onto the plate...

Only then, he realized he was being watched. He looked up at the three other people at the table staring at him.

He scowled.

"What?" he asked flatly.

------------------------------------------------

(picks rake back up and smacks someone with it)

Tag!

[Mew Master]

Denny Roth~Fire
---------------------------------

It was a strange feeling. Like I was watching a memory, only that I don’t remember anything like this ever happening.

I saw people running around, shouting and screaming. Men and women ran around carrying what they could as the tents around them spontaneously caught fire and collapsed. Before my eyes I saw cuts arc along their bodies and blood spray out of the wounds. I never saw what caused the damage, save for a slight distortion in the air before the blood flowed.

My body floated above the ground as this nomadic seeming village was destroyed. I was vaulted towards a tent and passed through the fabric.

A woman, dressed in furs held a baby in her arms. Its mouth was moving, but I heard nothing. She was beautiful, long black hair and a thin face. Deep loving eyes tried to comfort the screeching infant in her arms.

I watched her lips. Throughout this sight I never heard a thing, I saw all that was going on. That is, until I heard her.

“Hush now small one,” she said in a soothing tone. “Your father shall be here, I know he will.” She held the infant close without smothering it.

The front of the tent flew open as two figures burst in. The light from outside was blinding and I couldn’t make out any of their features.

“He will be here,” the woman said as I found myself voiceless to yell at her to run. “My beloved Kíashkiklah.” And they were upon her.

* * *

An annoying set of buzzing met my ears and I realized at what an odd angle I was laying in. My eyelids were heavy with sleep as I shuffled under my exhaustion. The covers flew off as I sat up and shook my head trying to re-count for what day it was.

Lights were on inside my home, and I vaguely remembered letting someone stay the night. Shuffling over I turned off the alarm and slowly proceeded to get dressed. After at least putting on a shirt and pants I opened the door to my living room and was surprised at the scene.

On the table were several bowls, each of them having a few specs of whatever food was left in them. I did a double take as I saw Angelo sitting on the couch and eating with his feet, even though his arms were free.

“He’s awake!” he shouted cheerfully with a full mouth before gorging himself on whatever it was he was eating.

“Morning,” I heard Kyo say from the kitchen.

“Eh, mornin’,” I replied still watching Angelo as I tried to figure out what the hell he had been eating.

I went to the kitchen and sure enough, Kyoshiro was there, mixing up a pot of hot tea to wake up with.

“You have an interesting selection of tea flavors… Vanilla Hazelnut?”

“Yeah,” I said as I opened my fridge. “It’s really good, my parent’s buy out the store when I’m low.” Carefully I looked over the contents of my fridge. Sure enough, I was missing several bowls of the Turkey and Dumpling soup my parents had made for me weeks before. Angelo was eating me outta what little house and home I had.

“You ready for school?” I asked as I shut the fridge and poured myself a cup of my own tea.

Kyo shrugged. “I’d have to head back to my brother’s place to get some of my books,” he looked himself over. “And a change of clothes.”

“How far is it?”

“Not that far, maybe a mile or two.”

“I’ll give you a lift then.” I said as I blew on my tea before taking a sip.

“All done!” we heard Angelo shout from the living room.

“Dude,” I said. “You just scarffed three days worth of food!”

He leaned back and patted his now full stomach. “Yeah, sorry.” He grinned and almost child-like grin. “But we never got fed enough back at the... you know.”

“Institution?” Kyo finished.

“Yeah, that place.”

“So Angelo,” I said, unsure of whether or not to ask what I was going to. But if he was gonna room with me I had to know what to expect. “What exactly were you in a straight-jacket for?”

“Well,” his head rolled back as he looked at the ceiling. “How do I say this… Hmm.. There’s more than one of me.”

“So… like Multiple Personality Syndrome?”

“Bingo!”

“How.. how many of you are there?”

“Well,” he said putting a finger to his chin. “Including me… Nine. Each different. Oh yeah, and don’t let anyone else know about it… Angelo might get upset.”

“Then who are we talking to now?” Kyo asked.

“I’m Joy.” He smiled at us.

* * *

I had dropped Kyo off at his brother’s house so that he could go to school. Angelo, or Joy at the time, was left at my house because they’d probably be looking for him to put him back in the institute. Odds were that if they found him at my place, I’d get arrested in a heartbeat and kicked outta school. However I had to take that risk with the situation we were in.

The welfare of the others concerned me too. I hadn’t heard from Leu or Kiina, granted Leu had my phone number. And I think Aliana might be doing the same thing I was. We had to keep some resemblance of normal human beings. If nothing else than to make sure everyone doesn’t instantly suspect us when the Scourge attack.

During the trip to and from Kyo’s I keep my eyes open, looking for any more portals through which the Scourge could travel. Mostly I found police cars blaring their sirens and an ambulance or three running through the streets. Then I thought about what Sean had said.

If what I understood was true, then the Scourge can only go a limited distance depending on the strength of the portal they came through. So, we shouldn’t have to worry about them chasing after us unless we were within the portals influence. And from what I remembered of how they looked and felt like, I’d know if I was in that area. Also, normal people couldn’t see them unless they were in the portal’s area. However from the sounds of it, they could be hurt by the Scourge too.

I made it to class okay for the day. I didn’t see Lue or Aliana all day, not that I see them that much anyhow. Throughout the campus I kept watch for anything out of the ordinary, nothing was, so I thought the campus was safe for the moment.

At the time I didn’t know how much that afternoon would give me hell, because I didn’t know that someone was following me…

--------------------

Yes, somoene's tailing Denny. It's a small story arc where I'll introduce another NPC that's gonna end up saving the Group from the cop investigation of many of their Scourge battles. I'll have that up at a later time... Till then, Leu and the Hippogriff are still being worked on. Hope your school sessions aren't boring you to death... Later!