Hello, everyone! after dealing with real life and the other nonsense of living, panny and i have decided to bring back war of change. give a round of applause. we’ve worked through all of the information and hopefully improved coherency and cohesion; however, tell us if we missed something. eventually, we’ll announce an event to celebrate the re-opening, so look out for information on that. -RAIDNE, THE HEAD ADMIN
From the moonless night, screams of terror and fear resound, spreading across the world and infecting the masses; however, those sleepless nights occurred years ago. A new era began with the fires of war, and with no end in sight, the residents of Selene Isle trudge through life, basking in the momentary peace. Despite their prayers for continued monotony and peace, a storm brews, stirred to life by the continued presence of Rapture and Wraith. And as we set our sights on the seemingly peace laden isle, we must ask: how shall this tale end?
As the years passed, the number of true pairs increased; however, they continued to live in the shadows, catering to the whims of the mundane. Seven Moons kept watch over them all, instructing them and assisting them, but for many, the attitudes and ideals of the organization were smoldering, suffocating. With Seven Moons and the mundanes, they could not grasp the freedom, the power dangling before their eyes. In the beginning, rebellion was a dream, a fantasy, a figment—developed by the repressed and carried forward due to the nature of humanity. No one expected the call to sound, and no one expected the call to be answered. However, it happened.
The sun was setting over Selene. The night crowds stripping work uniforms off their eager bodies and slipping into last season's discount clothing, while the richer denizens of the island were rising from their diurnal slumbers-- hair still clinging to the static of expensive down pillows-- as they open their eyes to the setting sun. Aubert had found himself a member of the privileged latter. By some miracle he'd gotten the day off and had celebrated by sleeping off the worst of the dark circles under his eyes. Staring in the mirror, he'd noted that there was still a shadow of his weariness that lingered, but he liked to think it gave him a seedy, world-wise look. Like he was someone who could be trusted with information that would give most people nightmares.
A perfect complexion, considering he was determined to dig himself into a hole of debauchery in the next hour or so.
He dressed himself, deciding on a steel colored suit, with a white button up, a pair of navy wingtip boots, and a thin, tastefully striped metallic blue and silver tie. He even took an extra moment to work out an Eldredge knot, lining the stripes up perfectly on his first attempt. A quick stop at the fridge yielded next to nothing; he'd neglected to go to the market, again, and was left with only a few pearl onions and a can of a bitter energy drink. Not that he minded the substance. Liquids settled in his stomach better than solids anyways and he couldn't risk getting sick-- from fear or from food or from booze-- tonight or all nights.
Even thinking of the hot bile rising up his throat made his ears flatten and the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. He had to take a moment and sat in the center of his small apartment, inhaling and exhaling until the sensation passed. Then he got up, drank half of the can, and slipped is wallet into the hidden pocket he'd sewn on the inside of the suit jacket.
"Can never be too careful," he told the mirror on his way out, making sure to catch any small mistakes in his attire as he did so.
Finding none, he shut the door behind him, exhaling at the reassuring 'click' of the automatic lock, and headed for the elevator. The bus was late, but, for once, Aubert had no schedule to keep. He was free. Free to wallow in the sounds of city at night-- shrieks of tires and of clusters of women jonesing for free drinks and beats so fast they'd have to kick off their heels. The sounds of lights humming to life as the sun became an after glow, lost behind the towering skyscrapers and billboards boasting lower prices, faster films, and better lives. The insects passing above, unseen, and the nighthawks dipping from their stony perches to swallow them whole.
His stop left him on the other side of the street from Blasphemy and he made sure to keep his back to Amour and the redness from rising in his cheeks. The crowd was thin outside the casino but, after all, he'd been sure to arrive as early as possible. Still the neon was lit and he could see a few civilians moving in and out of the many doors, so glanced both ways and then strode across the asphalt until he was standing directly under the enormous glowing sign.
There was a tightness in his chest. His heart riled and terrified of his nightly quest. And yet he could feel something that felt like luck stir in his fingers. Tonight was the night he would infiltrate Synister and take his rightful place among them.
On this night we show the world that the misfits have power
From the confines of his office he sat amused and bewildered as his right arm ran over his neck which held the mark of his recent accomplishment. The five combination of letters and numbers etched into his skin made shivers go throughout his body slowly before he stopped rubbing it and setting his hands onto his desk amongst papers and folders. Athrun had already made an effort to take care of his "business" in the building, making sure everything was alright and good to go unless some asshat or idiot decided to fuck things up like usual. With business being done and no jobs to speak of, Athrun could be as lazy as he wanted with no one breathing down his neck or yapping at him to get x, y or z done which would have only made him not want to do it even more.
Since his adventure last night in the alley ways of this great place he felt it would be proper to take at least a midnight stroll every once in a while just to see what kind of fun he could have before someone ruined it or made his "fun" boner go soft causing him to leave the area to do something else. The usual business attire of a white collar shirt and black pants had been replaced with something a bit more...comfortable in a way. Tonight he would be wearing a black shirt with black pants and shoes, the exact reason for this had yet to be known.
Watching time simply fly by on the computerized clock he had sitting on his desk in an askew like fashion, Athrun would slowly stand from his desk with a yawn and finally after a lot of motivation slipped from behind the desk to walk out but stopped as he remembered something mighty important. To his left had been sitting his friend and trusty companion Mr. Stabby (and someone he forgot to bring last night). Staring intently at this object d' art he would blink a couple of times before grabbing the knife and sliding it into his belt loop and covering it with his shirt feeling complete.
The same routine would commence as he walked to the elevator and pressed the down button continuously thinking it would make it come to him faster," They should make me a teleporter...if those exist then i can be ANYWHERE I WANT," grumbling to himself he would jump into the elevator the moment the doors had fully opened and pressed the ground floor to make his way down so he could once again leave the building and do what he wanted to. There were a couple of men standing by the elevator once Athrun had stepped off, each one giving him a nod before one had whispered something to him which at first made him raise a brow but then after a sudden realization of what the man had told him to do he turned to the right and simply stared at the suited man," tell me to do another job on my....minutes off and i'll fuck your life up got it?," he couldn't believe the nerve of some people. Sure he was the head of maintenance and worked very hard on his job...but he had grunts to fix the small stuff so why tell him when they can go tell the small people what to fix and they will do it....people these days.
After the small confrontation, Athrun would walk faster to hit the outside air and suck it all in before stretching wildly and rolling his shoulders in happiness. The busy nightlife outside of Blasphemy had made him a little curious as to what these common people did for a living. Sure most of them were oblivious to the workings of the underworld and even feared it...but what was it like to be normal? The thought lingered heavily in his mind before he finally shoved it aside and looked dead ahead. Normally nothing would catch his eye unless he had deemed it to be something of interest, but then again this was a man of weird morals. The crimson colored eyes locked onto a specific person...not a target but a person as he stepped forward a bit and stopped in front of the strange man in a suit or what he deemed was strange with nothing but a smile on his face and his hands in his pockets," Hello."
Aubert had been so preoccupied with the feel of Blasphemy's lit entrance that he had neglected to notice the young man approaching him. Aubert swallowed the cry of surprise that rose in his throat; he couldn't risk making a fool of himself this close to the establishment he so wanted to impress.
"What do you want?" he recovered, glancing at the stranger's all black attire with a raised eyebrow.
Crescent Moon was hardly an area for friendly hellos or casual exchanges, and even the few drug deals Aubert had happened upon in his walks around the area had been blunt and silent. But this odd man, seemed legitimately intrigued by Aubert's presence.
"Whatever you're selling, rest assured that I'm not interested in it and no amount of harassment will make me change my mind."
The stranger didn't appear to be any kind of prostitute-- though pin-pointing them was often difficult for Aubert-- and, if he was a dealer of some sort, had chosen a lousy location to proposition him. Blasphemy was a house of pleasure, yes, but in his various tips and tidbits from information brokers he'd discovered a nasty trend of freelance dealers and loan sharks tendered to end up dead if they tried to cross streams with that casino. Would the man's blunder label Aubert as a potential target as well?
Inhaling, he held his breath to the count of four, and then let the breath out through his teeth. The steady thrum of his heart had returned, his thoughts momentarily quieted, and his focus fell on some dark marking poking over the other man's shirt collar. While the likelihood of having one's True Name on unprofessional parts of the body was all but standard on Selene, Aubert thought he glimpsed a set of numbers rather than strict letters. To his knowledge True Names were just words; serial numbers were impossible.
He was perplexed by this observation and did not notice that he had begun to squint at the stranger's neck as to better make out the numbers listed.
tag: @raven ooc: question. does athrun have the facial tattoos his fc has?
Well that wasn't very nice to say. Athrun "was" trying to be nice here and this guy simply asked him what he wanted," Well that was rude of you stranger....can a guy just say hi without WANTING ANYTHING!!!," arms began to flail rather dramatically until he finally stopped and chuckled lightly. The boy had amused him from the get go so he figured a little oddness and weirdness would be fine. So far the nighttime had brought him either a weird situation in the alley involving a weird and sickly little pup and now this guy who had apparently thought he had wanted something from him.
"Whatever you're selling, rest assured that I'm not interested in it and no amount of harassment will make me change my mind."
Now the man assumed that Athrun wanted to sell him something. Did Athrun apparently come outside in his business clothes? Or was it that he had that oh so charming smile that he had displayed for all the little despots of the land here? Either way Athrun wasn't trying to sell this man anything nor did he want to ," You must have me mistaken for someone who wants to die in these neck of the woods. I ain't a business man and i'm not here to sell you a damn thing although the question is....why is someone like you walking towards a building like this?," using his right hand to point to the amazing building of blasphemy that stood directly behind him, he would wait for this man to answer his new query.
Athrun stared at the man for a moment taking in not only what he was wearing, but his eyes and hair as well for future reference. This man did not look like he would or rather could be an assassin nor did he seem to be the type to openly go out and kill people, but then again looks could be deceiving and he wasn't about to make that mistake. His eyes however caught the unknown man looking at him or rather his neck once he traced his eyes and smirked," See something you like? Sorry to say i do not roll that way but is there something you want to see?," a wide smirk would appear on his face as he waited for this man to say something to him.
Grimacing at the stranger's sudden and wild movements, Aubert distanced himself from the thrashing arms, and while he managed to duck an unguided blow to the face, the man's wrist clipped his hairless ears. He let out a small cry and stumbled backwards, fighting to keep his balance. When he had recovered from the shock, Aubert met the stranger in black with a scowl and snapped,
"What in the hell was that for?!"
But the bizarre man had already shifted his metaphorical gears of attention away from the incident and was, instead, inquiring after Aubert's own intentions: both towards blasphemy and the man himself. At the mention of his sexuality, Aubert felt the blood rise in his cheeks and he dropped his eyes quickly, focusing on a lit cigarette butt smoldering on the grubby sidewalk. With effort, though, he managed,
"N-no, I'm not like-- I mean, I'm here because I want to enjoy myself like anyone else," but fearing the implications of "enjoy" he stammered, "But not with you and not in that way."
It had come off more pathetic than he'd intended, but Aubert didn't want to flounder any more than he already had. The best option at this point would be to side-step this weirdo and hurry into the casino. The odd numbers on the man's neck forgotten in his embarrassment, Aubert plowed forward in a show of determination and strength. If he could shirk the stranger, the rest of the night would be a simple scope of Blasphemy for the individuals that ran behind-scenes operations; this he had convinced himself, unaware of how close he was to goals and too blind to consider the possibilities fate had set before him on a platter in the shape of Athrun. The city was alight, alive, with things Aubert didn't know-- this in of itself one of them-- but he continued to dig himself into his proud hole,
On this night we show the world that the misfits have power
"What was what for? Oh!!! you mean the flailing right? Oh don't you worry your pretty little blue head about that alright? Its just a proper introduction from me, now what was your name?"
Athrun didn't even know if the stranger had said his name or not...come to think of it he didn't but he did not care in the slightest so now would be the time for introductions. The bright leering light of the Blasphemy building would shine over him as he smiled at the stranger and took in every word he had said before speaking in a slight monotone voice, but inside Athrun was absolutely thrilled to speak with a new person...more so than he usually was which was amazing to say the least. The conversation was going from North to South rather hilariously as Athrun tiled his head rather comically to the left while staring at the stranger for a moment. The crimson eyes would look over his attire again and memorize it as a just in case.
"Don't be that way buddy, lets have some fun tonight so you can 'enjoy' youself," pausing for a moment he would pout before chucking," What's wrong with having some fun with me eh? You don't like my outfit or something pretty boy," laughing wildly he couldn't even finish the rest of his thought due to how hilarious the conversation was about to go if he did manage to finish it. It was every time that Athrun had stepped away from his desk that he would begin to have fun with the interesting and awfully hilarious people of Selene island, but this one here had made the conversation a little more fun that most would.
Athrun would step out of the strangers way before walking up behind him and planting his arm around him with a smile," Well then since you are heading why don't i just "accompany" you...wouldn't want anything to happen to my new friend in there...Blasphemy can get preeeeeetttty intense if you are not ready for it and you my friend don't look to ready for it. So let's chill for a bit, have a few drinks, and gamble the night away. That is what you came here for right?," giving Aubert a strange look that had been peering into him to find out his true intentions, but it would quickly go away as he smiled and walked in with him.
Aubert's expression twisted into a comical, open-mouthed scowl. Pretty blue head? It took a second for Aubert to process the comment before his irritation returned,
"What makes you think I'd give you my name when our interaction thus far has been you blabbering on about yourself and then striking me during your insane "introduction"," it was a labor in and of itself to keep his voice even, but he didn't want to draw any more attention to the two of them than the stranger had already managed, "And what exactly makes you think I'd even want to be acquainted with you at all, let alone seen with you, after everything I've said to you thus far?"
Voice spiking into a sharp whine, Aubert readjusted his glasses with indignation. The high-strung stranger was impervious to his seething glances, though, and proceeded to, yet again, invite him into a state of comradery. Aubert looked physically ill at the thought of being called a "pretty boy" but had little time to respond-- an emerging theme of the night so far-- before the man in black began to cackle violently. Startled, he flinched and took an instinctive step backwards, weighing his chances of actually getting inside Blasphemy without this lunatic following him. Perhaps it would have been better for him to abandon his quest altogether and flee, but Aubert did not even have the time to come to this conclusion:
The man had darted out from his path only to swoop in from behind him, taking him around the shoulders and half dragging him into the casino. The human contact sent his intestines spinning and spiraling, and Aubert tried to throw off the stranger's strong grasp. Of course with his own frail, undisciplined physique this was next to impossible and Aubert was left helpless in the advances of this unstable maniac.
"Let me go," he half yelped, nearly buckling under the other man's weight and fighting to keep himself calm.
Physical contact of any kind had always left him with the sensation of tiny, invisible insects scuttling from the source of contact, under the pathways of muscle and bone in his skin, and into his inner thoughts. Even now, the man was giving him a quizzical but gouging look, as if he could see inside Aubert's murky thoughts. He felt ill and the acid in his belly leapt into his throat; he swallowed it quickly but the caustic sensation lingered.
"If I promise to continue this charming conversation will you please, for the love of everything, let me go?" his voice tangled between a pathetic plea and sarcastic ire. tag: @raven ooc: pffft. aubert couldn't shake him if he tried. he has zero competency.
On this night we show the world that the misfits have power
"What makes you think I'd give you my name when our interaction thus far has been you blabbering on about yourself and then striking me during your insane "introduction"."
Well that wasn't very nice of this new person in front of him and dissing him in front of his place of work as well. Well if Athrun could pout without making himself look like a pansy he would but of course he wasn't all that right in the mind so he just gave the man an awkward stare and continued to listen to him speak. Why would he want to be acquainted with such a prestigious mad man like Athrun? Well there was the most interesting question of the night as a bright smile brimmed across the crimson eyed teen as he looked back to some of the men standing at the door to blasphemy that only looked to him and walked off," Well my new little friend, this place here is sort of my place of work and if you want to get along just fine and NOT get into any mishaps," he paused as he tilted his head and smiled," You might want to keep me around as an acquaintance of sorts to make sure your night doesn't go awry and you end up somewhere you don't want to be," it was fun giving people a small taste of what could be in a place where he had the power to make something happen without people batting a lash at him.
Athrun had no intentions of letting the man go until he had answered his question, albeit he was doing this deliberately to see how far he could get into the mind of this strange man before either making him snap or making him leave. One minute he was interrogating this man with not only his words and leering stare, but seeing as he had finally gotten what he had wanted he removed his arm slowly before smiling," Alright then seems like you see everything my way. Now let's have a little fun tonight...you know gamble and drink our lives away with the opportunity of you gaining something at the end of this adventure neh?," slowly Athrun would slowly walk towards the entrance before stopping and looking back," So again...why don't you tell me your name so we can have this be a fun and productive evening," waiting for the boy to actually present his name to him, athrun would attempt to make sure that he had some fun...after all what one man couldn't do to have fun another man would.
TAGS: @umber OOC: Sorry for the long wait....Athrun went on a vacation >.>
"W-wait," Aubert was caught between taking a step away from the deranged stranger and closing the gap between them to ensure he'd heard correctly, "Did you just say that you're-- that you work here?"
the young man often considered himself a stoic, emotionally restrained individual who processed information before even hinting at physical reaction. But all of this was, of course, a long standing delusion and every once of eagerness that welled up in him now was stamped into his expression. he looked like a child who'd unearthed a high value note while digging in the sandbox; his minded sounding off too many triumphs to keep track of. Somewhere along the line he managed,
"Oh, uh, i'm Aubert. aubert d'ombre," and held out his hand in with an ardent awkwardness, his tactless approach highlighted by how quickly his stiff anger had melted into subservient energy.
it had not occurred to the spoiled young man that the stranger could have been lying to him or that true favor from the potential Synister would have been won with a more tapered approach, but aubert was not as cerebral or manipulative as he thought and he was shit with other humans even on his "best" days.
"sorry, i had no idea that," he swallowed feeling the weight of his mistake, and then continued, "that you were an employee. you just came off as," he paused trying to think of something clever but the throbbing music and buzzing lights left him helpless, "odd."