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.
Have you ever seen death? Have you ever stared at him straight in the eye while fighting for a grip at your life? In many instances Rayne felt his cold grip tightened on her neck and in the same instance she felt his approval at the offerings she gave. In the midst of the moonless aria cloaked in black as the shadows surrounding the grounds, she weaved through it as a ghost gliding through the connecting shadows. The deep blueness of her eyes stared at the neon colored lights flashing from every direction as she rounded the next alley.
The wind was chilly, breathing in the northern air with a frosty upfront it did nothing to cover. Smoke heavily scented with the smell of yesterday’s trash filled the cooling breeze of the night. No one was around, looking around her she was alone in the barely lit alley way she turned towards another route, her mind already pulled out a mentally drawn map into the open for only her eyes to see. She knew the place like the back of her hand having travelled the same route for years since she came to the island.
Turning to another, she stopped at a half walled dead end, she paused, beneath it was a pile of crudely tossed garbage, cans leaned on the side their metallic glint caught her eye as the cat that climbed out of it. It’s eyes glinted yellow shining in the perpetual darkness of the lonesome alley. Turning her head towards it the blank faced child, managed to utter a twitch of her lips in some form of a smile. Animals calmed her... A calmed Rayne meant less deaths but for tonight blood would stain her hands feeding the dark heart inside that flesh and bone of hers. She had no choice, looking up her body moved nimbly towards the wall, sprinting in speed as she gathered the right momentum to grasp hold of the top part of the wall as she propelled her petite frame over it and landing soundlessly as a cat would on the ground underneath.
Parkour had its uses... pulling out a mental image of the paper she burnt awhile back as a precaution. Her photographic memory already made use of the image, imprinting it and storing it for later use. “Denver Sanchez, age 39
Business Associate for Fantasia and for some reason he had to mess with Mitya,” she knew it wasn’t really her job Mitya’s pets could handle this one so why did the man call for her assistance? She didn’t know... perhaps knowing that this was the same man who swindled her family home before shit broke the fan... Oh yes, this was to be personal endeavor. She chuckled soundlessly, reminding herself fully well her sole reason for this. Oh well, she glanced at the back alley door that led to one of this districts shadier business... another brothel house apparently. Not as well-known as Amour but still... a job was a job. The Valentine Heiress has yet to fail a hunt...
@mercury
okay... now I question my sanity. but the drama me wants!
THERE'S A LAKE AND AT THE BOTTOM YOU'LL FIND ALL MY FRIENDS ( they don't swim because they're all dead )
Mercury had spent the past half-hour being idly amused by the fact that he, a man who was most often called upon to put a silent stopper on life, was currently supposed to be preventing that very thing. At least he was good at doing what he was told - though, perhaps too good for a healthy young man who should have had much better things to do. Not that he had any particular care for should-haves; he was, in the least, a creature of simple taste, and as far as he was concerned, an upstanding gentleman if ever there were any, and such dignified individuals were expected not to dwell on things that were not so. He knew himself well enough that there was no doubt in his mind on whether there was anything he'd rather be doing.
Wispy clouds sulked moodily across the full-moon's face, dappling the night with shimmering lights. The street looked like a river bed, streaked with moonbeams and stained midnight blue beneath a heavy sky. Mercury had his gaze trained upwards, eyes glancing from star to star as they traced the familiar pattern of the Pisces constellation, as he used the pad of his thumb to press into the engraved simulacrum on the dog tag that hung hidden beneath the lapel of his jacket. His quarry - a man he'd known for the grand total of four hours now, whose name he just barely remembered - waited nervously by the young fighter's side. He was glancing around feverishly, as if he were expecting someone to burst out of nowhere and claim his sorry life. Mercury felt little sympathy for him. After all, Mercury knew better than most people that there were certain people who were just not worth double-crossing, not for all the money in the world.
He was broken from his silent reverie by Mr. Sanchez, who cleared his throat, then jabbed a thumb towards the dingy door that stood illuminated by a lone halogen lamp at the foot of a long alley. Mercury made a noise of distaste in his throat - as a general rule, he tried to avoid brothels. In his mind, they were all festering cesspooles of human despair and debauched depravity.
"In here, Napir," grunted Denver, a crude smile twitching on his mouth, as if he wanted to smirk. "You ever been in this place? It'll blow your mind."
The last part was uttered with a conspicuous glance upwards at Mercury's ears, which twitched involuntarily. Mercury mimicked his previous sound, humming with repulsion at the mere thought of being surrounded by all the filth that he was certain filled that brothel from wall to wall. Mr. Sanchez gave a half-hearted shrug as the amusement faded from his face - he may not have been the sharpest of the proverbial tools, but even he wasn't stupid enough to annoy his handler too much. It was bad enough that Mercury was expected to follow the detestable man into that hovel, without having to actually talk to anyone.
Mr. Sanchez knocked briskly on the door; once, long ago, Mercury imagined that the door had been painted a bright and raunchy red. But now it was a sorry shade of brown, with cracked and peeling paint that chipped away with every rap of Denver's knuckles. Mercury's nostrils flared with disgust as the door creaked open to reveal the well-weathered face of a man who looked to be at least double Mercury's age, if not more. The throb of sleazy music drifted out from the darkness beyond, accompanied by the smell of old sweat, alcohol, and other filthier things that Mercury was not even vaguely interested in imagining. They were ushered in silently, and the moment he'd stepped over the threshold, he wished he hadn't.
A pair of hands wrapped around his shoulders almost as soon as the door clicked shut behind them; drenched in lightlessness and stupor, Mercury froze up immediately at the invasion of his privacy, his ears flattening and his tail lashing like a whip around his ankles. "Ooh, what a sweet little something we have here... I love a good deflowering..."
"Don't... don't touch me," he managed to splutter inelegantly, knocking the offending hands off before their owner could finish speaking. "I'd rather be, literally, anywhere else right now. Including dead. Which, incidentally, will be the destination of the next person to grab me."
Mr. Sanchez guffawed as the lights flickered on to illuminate the room in a dim red glow, revealing the culprit of Mercury's indecent handling to be a middle-aged woman with dark hair and skin, and far too much jewelry. "Just pretend he's not here, Pollyanna. He's an uptight little asshole."
Mercury furrowed his brow, but said nothing. His expression was adequate enough to indicate that Denver's suggestion was a wise one, and that was enough for both Pollyanna and the old man who'd answered the door, who had been eyeing the young fighter off curiously since their arrival.
"I hope you're not expecting to stand in on my business here," rumbled Denver roughly, giving Mercury a severe look that the boy imagined was supposed to be intimidating. Mercury himself responded with a look so cold and hateful that it could have frozen fire and a silkily hissed "You couldn't pay me to, Mr. Sanchez."
"“Mr. Sanchez, you’re in luck, we do have your request after all,” "
[attr="class","shadow"]
Rule of the thumb in the game... keep an eye on your surroundings. She found out long ago the best way to sneak undetected is to remain inconspicuous as possible. Be as normal and not as even appear as eye catching as inhumanely allowed in the real realm. Years of experience and dabbling in the art taught her this importance lesson. Clouds moved lazily across the blanket of grey above her, moving at a snail pace in covering the now dimly glowing moon. Scattered stars twinkled to their hearts content as one raced through the listless skies.
Shooting star went by a wish could be said but none came out from the child youthful mind. It remained blank derived of the humanity she forced back in order to allow the cold hearted monster within her room to fester and take hold of the long forgotten heart gathering dust somewhere in that twisted cavity she called a mind space. Long ago that heart was a freshly beating organ for now it rested as a shriveled up corpse dried up its being toyed by the imaginary cats roaming in her head. That’s a random morbid way to describe the most basic of human necessities Rayne on the other hand didn’t need such trivial things.
Not in the world she lived in alright, in the dead of the night if you listen closely there’s a faint distant ringing of bells from the old distant church sitting on top the hill overlooking the only cemetery in Selene it rang for the new member that’s about to join the congregation of the decease long forgotten resting on its ground. The land was a close eight miles from Crescent if you take the shortcut along the twisted alley way towards the unused road stretching for a long few miles.
Barely anymore ventured into that road, her mind began to drift from her objected it whimsically danced through the fantasies floating in the endless heap called the mind. Closing her eyes then opening to peer through the concrete establishments window faintly illuminated by a soft light a sign of the current patrons having their monies worth. The scent of alcohol reached even to this point, unmasked by the chilling touches of the cooling crisp gust of night’s air. Uggh...
Rayne reached to cover her mouth, just what she hated, smells associating itself with the child’s individual she took pleasure in reading up his habits non look the more thrilling than figuring out the sick man’s twisted fantasies the pale head’s form began to switch as the light dimmed from the skies, overshadowing the area she stood at as her feet soundlessly began their approach. Step by step, the form her body took at the whispers of words taking power the illusion stitched itself upon her prone figure. Interwoven into reality at the touch of an ability to bound to break the delicate stature of what we perceive as reality. The gift of a fighter she was so forcefully beaten to hone right until it became her reality. This was it, a smirk faded into those cherry colored lips of a now full bodied brunette of eighteen years that stood in the place of the young fair headed young heiress. Through the swept of damped night she came by the door, only to be stopped by one of the guards posed to protect the castle. “Stop it there miss, are—“ The tall burly man in a suit began,
Raising a hand soft hand to produce a fan from her pockets she cocked her head and offered a faint demurred smile. The outfit, a rather stunning red colored mini version of a hanbok with see through sleeves could easily portray this façade’s supposed job. “I’m new here, Madam Mysteri said I can start any time.” Silly her, she prepared before time. Producing the needed doctored papers she handed it to the guard who examined it with a critical eye. Once satisfied the bouncer moved back to open the door. “Ahh, show name Azerith right? Madam did mention about a new gal, sorry we gotta be careful these days, Amour might start snooping here yah know,” The man waved off in a jovial tone. Rayne only replied with a smile as she nodded getting into the chosen role. “Ah, yeah no worries I’m running a bit late for my shift, I’ll talk to you later.” She winked, sending an amuse smile over to the man as she entered almost instantaneously the scent of alcohol, choked the air masked heavily with the dizzying stench of a dozen different perfumes. Alcohol putrefied the air as the child steeled her senses to handle the overwhelming stench around her.
Think of a happy place...Rayne began chanting the mantra over and over again as a warding tag of sorts against the annoyance she was drafted in. Part one, second part of one... her eyes scanned over the scantily dressed prostitutes, colored light systematically operated to shine at such a way that followed the escorts overshadowed the disco light spinning up at the ceiling. Various seats were occupied by patrons and scantily clad prostitutes and escorts entertaining their costumers it made the feeling all the worse for her but she kept a level of professionalism. “You’re late dear, not good on your first day.” A voice broke through her reverie. Turning her head, she found an older woman dressed in a kimono with the sleeves pulled down to reveal part of her cleavage she too held a hand fan covering the lower part of her face as she continued to examine the child with a critical eye. “Never mind, I’ll let it go just this once, “The woman waved with a flick of the hand fan her red lipstick covered lips set upon to move. “Hmm, so cute, still have your ears eh? You’ll fetch quite a tip.” She chuckled.
Rayne only managed to pull her lips into a quick smile. “Hai, oh well innocence isn’t all the rage these days.” She followed in the small chuckle. To her however this had to be done, there was in no way she would let them take her ears however, but through her perceptive eyes, she caught the faint dim on the older woman’s gaze. Seems the drug was still in effect, it would remained unnoticeable unless a person is an expert in eyeing different poison... She mused internally, the woman beckoned for her to follow as she did. Sleazy music played the walled speakers hidden somewhere along the walls. She barely took notice of it, except to secretly reached into her sleeve where a small vial of clear liquid rested. In missions Rayne held a tended to stray from using such underhanded methods but for now, she had to rush. A date with ‘daddy’ in the carnival mustn’t be kept waiting. She chuckled knowing in a few hours she needed to rush off to meet a Mitya for a small escapade of dysfunctional chaos. Her hand toyed with the vial as they passed through the seating, in which she secretly let it slip from her hands unnoticed by the people around her it soundlessly rolled under one of the lounge seats.
First phase done, the woman began to talk but she muted out the rest of the words aside from the task she was to do at hand. “I have some customers for you considering you’re the only trainee we have that still have their ears, so you’ll be entertaining them. Just follow Pollyanna’s instructions and you’ll be fine.” She nodded mutely as her mind reeled back to the mental plan she had in her mind. They walked towards one of the privately rented rooms, the intoxicating stench of that perfume became annoyingly strong in this area as they stopped by crudely painted door, paint was already chipping in certain parts. Once upon a time that door was well maintained now... it stood as a remembrance of a grand past... “This is the room, Mr. Sanchez specially requested a virgin seems hes getting one.” Spoke Madam, closing her fan in a flick of a wrist as she turned the knob to open the door. The first thing... that caught the child’s attention was the man standing by the side of her target. Shit... little tubby hired insurance. Oh well, not a problem... as soon as those thoughts came they vanished... past is a fickle being, it’s a true fickle being as she mentally thanked the gods for her mastering the eye of the blank façade for she knew...
She would be exploding right now... her eyes specifically trained on the man for a moment until the madam ushered for her to enter. “Mr. Sanchez, you’re in luck, we do have your request after all,” Madam gestured for the young girl who in turned gracefully smiled. Appearing calm on the outside while her mind... was just as chaotic as the mix feelings surging in her. She thought she buried it, let the bastards rot but slowly she realized the haunch she had oh so long ago... proved to be correct. She meant, it’s rather hard to not notice a bastard who barely changed and bore one hell of a resemblance to their father... the eyes were there... somewhere fate was laughing her ass off at the girl’s plight right now. With a bow the madam turned her heels and left the room.
THERE'S A LAKE AND AT THE BOTTOM YOU'LL FIND ALL MY FRIENDS ( they don't swim because they're all dead )
"You expecting trouble, Denver?" purred Pollyanna with a wide grin as she hazarded another glance at Mercury. There were two other girls in the room with them, both of whom were pretty, but shared that same wasted, hollowed-out look that most of the girls in this place did. They were both smiling salaciously at the rigid-postured Mercury, patting at the seat between them invitingly. He met their flirting with cold indifference, his ice-blue eyes narrowed into a concentrated glare as he examined each of the occupants of the room with suspicion. Any one of them could be the one he was supposed to be defending Mr. Sanchez from, though, he doubted either of those winsome girls were high-class assassins.
"You can never be too sure," joked Mr. Sanchez in response with a tight laugh that betrayed his nervousness. And so he should have been; there were particularly vicious rumours surrounding the one they called Mitya, rumours that made Mercury wince. Which was to say nothing of the underlings that skulked about on his orders. Pollyanna laughed heartily at Denver's response, and Mercury was sure he was the only one who saw the trepidation on the other man's face as another woman entered the room. This one was tall, and much older than the other girls, so Mercury figured that she was, perhaps, the Madam of the brothel - an assumption that was quickly proven right as the other three girls, Pollyanna included, jumped to attention. Mr. Sanchez descended on the woman instantly, full of demands.
The change in atmosphere was almost imperceptible; Mr. Sanchez was having a hushed conversation with the older woman, rifling through a clip of well-worn bills, while Pollyanna skirted the room with a predator's eye; the old man had since left the room for other business, while the other two prostitutes clamoured in the corner, throwing submissive glances at their madam. Mr. Sanchez obviously knew the older woman, by the way they had greeted one another, so Mercury relaxed slightly. No one in the room was an immediate danger. Yet. But still, the hairs on the back of his neck were prickling uncomfortably, making him wary. Something was different. There was danger nearby.
"That's a tall order, Denver," hummed the older woman out loud, suddenly, dropping her professionalism for just a moment to let her personal irritation be known. "I don't know what kind of establishment you think I'm running here, but I don't think I've seen a girl like that in this place for a long time."
Mr. Sanchez made a noise of dissatisfaction. "I can get what I need at Armour, Yoko. Don't make me take my business elsewhere..."
And it was enough. With an irritated hum, the older woman turned to leave with an impatient "Fine, fine. There's a new girl starting today. She'll be young enough, but I don't know what I can do about your other requirement..."
And then she was out the door again, shutting it behind her with a click. Mercury wrinkled his nose. He really didn't want to know what Mr. Sanchez's other request was. His face remained all but impassive as he waited in silence for Madam Yoko's return, looking around the room a second time. There wasn't an awful lot of room for movement, but that suited Mercury just fine. He was much better at close-quartered combat, and certainly, the closer one was to their opponent, the easier it was to force-feed them poison.
It was only a moment longer until the older woman returned, now with another girl in tow. She was dressed all in red, looking only just barely eighteen, and, most notably, still had her ears. Ah, thought Mercury with disgust. That's what the pig wanted. A young virgin. How... despicable.
He didn't have much time to examine this new girl; there was a sudden, sharp pain between Mercury's eyes, like a nail being hammered into his skull, that took him by surprise. His jaw clenched involuntarily as his hands jumped to cover his face and press fingertips against the dome of his forehead as if the pressure would will the mysterious ache away. With his shoulders slumped forward and his eyes squeezed shut for the moment it took for the pain to pass - which was not particularly long - he let out a low groan of hurt. His movement was noticeable, and his pain inexplicable. But it had to be the girl... because it was when he'd made eye contact with her that it'd happened. He glared out from between his fingers at her. The hell was that all about?
"Mr. Sanchez..." he began in an even tone, slowly straightening up once more to retain his usual posture, though he was kneading his forehead with one of his knuckles still. "I think it's time we left. I believe you had another appointment to attend..."
He flashed a look of warning at his quarry, who didn't seem to notice. "What the hell are you talking about, Napir? I've already told you what my plans for the night are, and I fully intend to stick to them."
An irritated eyeroll on behalf of Mercury. "Yes, but, you did tell me to let you know if I heard from your associate. Which I have. So, unless you want to be momentously late, it's time to leave."
"You're not making any sense, boy. Maybe you're as distracted by this delightfully lovely young lady as I am?" Denver winked at the new girl, his grin wide and vulgar. Mercury hissed quietly, keeping his eyes adverted from the girl.
"I can assure you, that is not the case. The hell do you think you're paying me for, Sanchez? To be a pain in your ass, or to make sure you don't get killed by people who might be assassins?"
He saw the penny drop, finally, as Denver glanced between him and the girl in red, before he scrambled backwards toward his bodyguard. Unfortunately, this also meant the would-be killer now knew that Mercury knew what she was. Troublesome.
"I did say...I’ll come back to collect something that’s mine."
[attr="class","shadow"]
They left her,
They truly left her... Rayne promised a long time ago. She swore a vendetta upon it the moment the last vestige of innocence was cruelly ripped from her frame. The day her light began to lock itself in the depths of abyss she created within her soul to save it from further breaking. She wouldn’t lie to say that it’s cracking day by day as she immersed her soul in this never ending survival game.. the more her light wished to remain locked within the safety of the underworld. In its tiny kingdom the light small garden where it can relieve the happy memories this revenant casted out as an invaluable waste of brain space,
Others cherished those brief passes of happiness but to Rayne she tossed them out as irrelevant and a complete distraction to her goal. If they wanted a demon to bring the new age of terror for the Valentine clan, then so be in. Pushing back every care she had for the world she will be the one who truly... makes people suffer. They’ll feel the same hatred that forever clouded her heart that it froze and shriveled into a mass of dried matter.
But the past seems to want to remind her of something... a figure of it appeared to torment her of their misdeeds upon her. Tossing her to the wolves... they were alive they never returned. They casted her out for being weak... and now...
Who’s the weak one now...within her mind, the dark haired female eyed the boy with an disinterest look, hiding behind the glamour of an alluring smile that elegance that glowed within her every move as if a cat gracefully walking with an air matching that of a long forgotten princess. Her movements were poised allow the façade mystery that exhumes out of her soft petite frame. She smiled, as delicate as would see in the face of an angel descending from heaven. Though this play might have to come short...as time wasn’t on her side for this endeavor. Least she wanted to forget another rendezvous with dear sin...
As much as she wished... to keep this bastard to be her toy...for what the fucker did to a poor, fragile girl all those years ago. Karma wants it payment....and it seem to be asking a huge fucking bill in the form of a life. “Gobanwa, Denver-sama I’ll be your escort for the night, you can do to me as you wish...” She bowed, using a soft innocent tone in her voice, as her ears twitched demurely almost creating the illusion of submissiveness as those chestnut colored eyes drifted towards Mercury in a split second she met his gaze, but instead of the softness she displayed towards the man they turned into glaciers matching the coldness he held if not surpassing it to a degree only matched by pure undulated hatred amassed from years of pain and psyche breaking ordeals. She was a broken toy...and now this revenant was going...to bring him to the pain they caused.
And then... something must have happened, as she broke her eye contact the man, his jaw clenched, a proverbial eyebrow raised in interest. God...isnt this wonderful? Her two siblings are back....she felt almost as giddy as a child again... her twisted mind already wishing she could show them her version of adoration.
Her thoughts paused, hearing the next thing that came from his lips Rayne knew... fun and games were over. The ticking clock stroke another minute as silence befell the room. Oh how she was going to enjoy this part... the one time she can fully appreciate her need for retribution. “Aww...” And adorable pout spread from her face as her eyes shifted towards her ‘client’ “Am I not attractive for you then Mr. Denver? After all you did try to molest me as a young child.” She chuckled, but the tone faded into a darker undertone shadows began to dance around the door as if daring the fat bastard and her ‘dear’ brother to make a run for it. After all she was starting right infront of the room...
Then again her appearance, was quite a deceiving one... but once she can definitely fixed as she closed her eyes, immediately the shadows below her feet shifted around her form until her appearance dimmed into a mass of moving darkness that quickly fled, leaving the child back in her real appearance. It seemed so silly breaking the spell so early but at the same time... she does have a schedule to keep... golden strands the same shade growing upon mercury’s head trickled on her back as she met the man’s glare with the same blue orbs he held. Her trenchcoat flapped lightly in the unseen wind circling around the room.
“Y-You...” The fat man stammered as he hid behind the older blond his frame shook as his eyes nearly bulged from their sockets, the look he sported made the young bloody princess chuckle in delight. “Why oh why did you have to get on Papa Dimitri’s badside I’ll never know,” She continued to grin like a small child that’s about to enjoy a fun game of tag.
“Though....This isn’t about that Mitya’s ire... oh no dear,”
She smiled, the malice cut deep enough to send shivers down the backs of the civilians. “I did say...I’ll come back to collect something that’s mine.”
@mercury
Well shit... I think merc better...start running. owo;;;;
