131 replies to this topic

[Wandering Rogue]

RADICULUS

 

 

Radiculus had to be honest with himself here.  There were a lot of words just thrown at him that he wasn't altogether made sense in the order that they'd be arranged.  He thought about correcting her for a second but then she made mention of doing things to his body.  Was she coming onto him?  Kids these days were into sough rough play.  He'd been a party to worse but c'mon.  Radiculus wasn't into little girls anyway.  Especially ones that were cousins.  None of that really mattered though.  She was offering him a chance to go to a party and at the party he could help the family.  Win-Win-Win.  A hat trick of success for the young up and coming unnamed hero Radiculus.

 

"Massive?  Could anything be more massive than these guns?"  He gave the room free passage to the gunshow as he flexed his arms with a look of supreme confidence.  Neither of which actually answered her question.  The answer was pretty obvious though.  Radiculus loved parties.

 

 

 

[KDPtheKing]

DeShaun Campbell


Abandoned Cave
Unknown City, Unknown Country
Time: Unknown


The sight was something unbearable. It was so surreal and yet real all at once. She was killed front of him. No mercy, no reason. Just execution. To see something like that happen was scary. Normally, people who see this freak out and become scared for their lives. But, not DeShaun. His reaction was full of pure rage. Not once but, twice did he watch someone die in front of him. On top of that, he was helpless to prevent it twice.

The look on her face when it happened pleaded with him to help her and struggle as he may, he could do nothing. Tears began running down his cheek. The video of her dying replaying in his mind. The tears were the sorrow that he was trying to hold in. Involuntary tears that leaked out due to his heart and love for the woman who gave him a new purpose in life.

Looking up at the back of them man on the phone, his rage built. He wanted him dead. This was a foreign feeling for DeShaun. He could not talk as he was almost seething with rage. Too often did he resist the urge for revenge and relax but this, this was too much. He didn't even notice that we was not alone. DeShaun's sight was completely focused on the man. His only thought, If I could only break these restraints, you would be a dead man.

It was not until a glimmer of metal hit him with the right angle in the light. Looking around, he saw scapulas on the floor. They were littered everywhere. His first inclination was to pick one up so, he did. He began cutting the ropes on his hands and hopefully, getting free.

[Johnny Paradise]

Max -- China

 

Max responded very well to threats. It was a skill he had picked up on the job. No one liked Jonathan. It wasn't just Max; it was everyone.

 

And so, it wasn't really necessary for the head of the house to threaten him. He was going to say something to that effect, but his breath caught in his throat--she had called him Sir. It was just a formality, sure, but he never used such language. Max was finally getting a bit of respect, and it was fantastic. Just fantastic.

 

"Your ego," Max said to Jonathan. "But I agree with him, Madam. Such a thing is a simple task for the two of us." Max of course meant for himself alone, since Jonathan would likely be of no help (perhaps even a detriment), but he was kind enough to include his master in the equation.

Edited by Johnny Paradise, 29 January 2015 - 11:17 PM.

[Chizzy]

 

[Michael Santos]

 

The fat officer used the end of his pen to pick at his ear. "Son, ze cops are workin' on ze case as we speak. Several other kids have also gone missin' not just your lil' cousin... okay? So please, just save me ze trouble and leave it to ze professionals. We'll get it taken care of as soon as possible. Now go head back home to yer mommy ze streets aren't safe you hear?"

 

How annoying. The chubby officer didn't seem to care about the case at all. Mikey raised an eyebrow as he watched the fat man gobble down a chocolate covered donut. The pig slobbered as he guzzled down a few more. Whatever. Guess he'd just have to do this alone.

 

Today quickly went from better to worse. First the meeting with the strange girl and now Laura had gone missing. Things were turning out great. Admittedly, he wasn't too close with his little cousin, but that didn't really matter to him. Laura's safety was the most important thing at the moment. Mikey left the police department and began asking around for new leads. Eventually he figured he should just check out her school. Maybe she was hanging out with some friends.

 

Luckily, it didn't take him too long to find it.

 

Walking passed the school gates, Mikey was surprised to see just how big the school was. It was much larger than the ones he had attended back in the States. Strangely enough, the front lot seemed pretty empty. There was an unusual lack of activity. Something felt off. In fact, there was something in his gut telling him to turn back. Contemplating for a second, Mikey mustered up the courage to cautiously enter the school building.

Edited by dudeitzmeh, 31 January 2015 - 11:48 PM.

[Diabolical Rhapsody]

 

Marut Zvijer

 

Had he known that the woman would be this accurate in her random declaration, he would have practiced some cool looks. After all, in all the movies he liked, there was always this iconic scene of the hero standing in front of an exploding building and this one right now was one superb explosion. Almost like performed to an orchestra, everything having a beautiful sync and timing.

 

He had hoped to just stand there and bask in the heat of the explosion with a cigarette in his maw if only had the beautiful gypsy next to him wasn't wheezing so uncontrollably. Their powerful secret keeper brought them to a black SUV and shoved their bags inside. Well not for Marut. He didn't have much to begin with. He had only got his backpack which wasn't that big or heavy to begin with and he had taken flight with it in tow. No the only bags in there were the Gypsy's, for whom he was getting genuinely worried now.

 

He gently patted her back as she furiously wheezed and fished in her bag in the backseat. He had hoped she's find her medicine soon but she took out a cellphone much to his surprise and put it on speed-dial. The heavy French voice on the other end sounded like a man's who was woken up from sleep. It immediately turned to shouting as he heard her wheeze. The situation that unfolded was as amusing as it was pitiful.

 

He knew exactly where the inhaler was and this gave Marut the impression that perhaps it was he who packed her luggage. So, he had totally got the wrong first impression. She was no Gypsy, just someone who dressed like one. But she was still beautiful, as much as the other one who sat huddled next to him. His luck was certainly in the gold then. Maybe he should start gambling today. Who knows how much he'll win.

 

All the while, he had also noticed how pissed the fiery redhead was with the music blaring everywhere. Maybe there was more to this randomness that he knew about. He thought that maybe she'll reveal it herself. His thoughts were still on the matter when she spoke again. He had to admit his English at best was dodgy and coupled with a heavy accent that the redhead had, all he could gather were the words: illegal, barricade, underground.

 

He didn't like where it was going. He was supposed to get a new start. No longer living the thug life and yet the bizarre situation demanded that he should stick to his guns, his upbringing will be the one that'll put his through this one. Before he could reply though, the gorgeous gypsy spoke first, seemingly much better off than before. Hers was the English he could understand, well at least enough to know what was the choice and she seemed to be of the mind he was leaning towards. So he decided that it was a good time to speak once she finished.

 

"My English, not good." he spoke with a heavy eastern European accent. He mumbled for a few seconds before deciding to go for something simple.

 

"What she said." he said looking into the rear view mirror which showed the redhead looking at him, as he pointed to the girl sitting next to him all the while having a smile on his face.

[SliceAndDice]

 

Gideon followed a step behind Minerva into the Atlanta hotel, keeping up with her pace quickened by frustration as best he could. He had enough height on her that his strides equaled two or three of hers, but the frequency of her footfalls made up for that in spades. Irritation radiated from her frame in much the same fashion as heat from the sidewalk in the summer. He didn't require clairvoyance to discern the reason behind it; Minerva Fairchild did not enjoy having her time wasted, and there was little reason to believe that this request from the Verditius family proper was anything but that. Gideon had thoughts that there was more to it, however. If his suspicions were accurate, the whole thing was a test sent down from her uncle to see if she was capable of peacefully completing a task and resisting the impulse toward martial force. However, his suppositions were only that. Her uncle rarely contacted him directly, save for the occasional request for a report on his niece's activity, but he doubted his word would be necessary if a scene broke out here. If anything, Gideon considered himself there for the sake of being Minerva's backup and her counsel, more than to spy or judge her.

 

Still, it seemed the entire scenario had been designed specifically to infuriate her, between the unexpected travel, the triviality of the request, and the people constantly gawking and staring at her. Some of them doubtlessly had their attention called to her beauty, but many of them pointed and turned their heads at the saber she wore. Gideon shook his head slightly at the thought. He'd tried to get her to follow his example and enchant her weapon to be less conspicuous, but to no avail. She took far too much pride in the sword, and as a result insisted on leaving it on display. Still, the habit was not without benefits; it made it much easier to watch for potential adversaries or assassins on his part. After all, anybody who knew about magic would know the sword as the mark of a Verditius practitioner, and would certainly not gape at it.

 

"Are Americans always this...invasive?" She asked in rapid French, "If I wasn't more respectful, I'd give this gathering of imbeciles a piece of my mind!"

 

"Believe it or not," He responded in kind, "This is one of the more accepting parts of the country. We could be in Texas."

 

Once the people had begun to disperse, presuming them to be some brand of foreigner and leaving it at that, he watched her visibly relax and release multiple pounds of tension from her shoulders. Now that they weren't the subject of some kind of impromptu audience, she also resumed her Britain tinted English speech.

 

"Some peace at last, Gideon. I wish we could just go home instead of dealing with this irrelevant nonsense."

 

"As do I, milady." He replied in his own variation of the English tongue that was ever so slightly touched by his French heritage, "Unfortunately, this isn't exactly the sort of thing we can simply ignore. Particularly not if you have a desire to see your uncle's suspicions allayed."  

 

As he looked about, his eyes caught the image of their intended target in their corner, walking toward the elevators.

 

"Ah, but I believe we may be in luck. Unless I'm mistaken, there goes Ms Lyons now... what the-?"

 

His exclamation needed little explanation once Minerva saw what he had; walking arm-in-arm with Odette Lyons was Annabelle, the mischievous little minx that he'd had to deal with on multiple occasions. She was a good cook and a nice enough girl, if the truth was to be told, but he earnestly wished she wouldn't be so prankish. Gideon had never realized what a luxury it was to be able to enter any given room of the manor without worrying about walking in on his mistress in a revealing position until Annabel had seen it stripped away from him. But even as he fought to keep his blood from rushing to his cheeks, he noted that Annabel seemed dazed as she walked with Odette. Distracted, even. That wasn't like her, and something had been gnawing at him since they arrived about Odette Lyons; if she was unrelated to the magical world, why was she considered so important? Did she have magic of her own, after all? And if she did, was she using it toward some miscreant end? They would have to discover the answers to these questions, and soon; if knowledge was power, then ignorance was vulnerability.

 

It seemed Minerva had reached a similar conclusion, and even as the elevator doors closed before them she was changing course for the stairs. She called as such behind to him, and he began to move to follow with a nod ascent. As they took the steps several at a time, Gideon stole glances toward the elevators on the floors they passed. He noticed that the only one that wasn't dumping or receiving passengers in each case was the very one Odette and Annabel had all to themselves. His sense of something gone awry only increased, and as a precaution he reached up underneath his suit jacket to run his fingers along the bottom rung of his spear, segmented and stored in a modified gun vest on his back. When they reached the 20th floor, he ran ahead of Minerva to reach the closed stairwell door first. With one hand gripping his weapon, he cracked it open just slightly and looked inside, hoping to see what they were up against before they entered and without being seen...

Edited by Slice, 30 January 2015 - 09:29 AM.

[Juro]

Lee

“Hideout of the Shadow Cabal”
Johannesburg, South Africa
Time: 11:09

Lee wasn't actually quite certain on how he managed to land a job in South Africa. It could have been due to the reputation he had built over the years or just through sheer chance alone. Both, however, seemed quite unlikely. Although efficient, he was no expert in what he did for a living, and as for luck, let's just say that Lady Luck wasn't quite fond of him. It was a good thing though that Lee wasn't the type to think about these sort of dilemmas that much. The little arrangement he got himself into was definitely odd and left several inquiries unanswered, but given the amount that was promised to him by his employer, questioning such a deal was not all that wise. Prying into a secretive organization, especially one called the Shadow Cabal, did not seem like a wise idea.

The only thing Lee was sure of was to simply do what he was paid to do. At present, he just needed to keep his mouth shut and idly stand in silence, regardless of the fact that he despised what was currently taking place in front of him.

“So this here is that lawyer from Cape Town, investigating shit in Johannesburg. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re reaching some dark, dark stuff that I wouldn’t want your pretty little fingers to be touching. Ain’t that right, Lee?”

With both his hands tucked inside the pockets of his coat, Lee silently nodded as Manny began to verbally and physically harass the young female they had abducted.

“C’mon, squeal for me. I like to have some fun, squeal!”

Keeping whatever violent thought he had brewing in his head to himself, Lee simply watched, but with a frown. His hate for his current employer was not known. His usual gloomy and distant disposition possibly just masked his true intentions from most people. Strangely enough, despite being exposed to such behavior on numerous instances, the current predicament he was in made him recall some of his terrible childhood memories more so than usual.

As Lee was preoccupied with dealing with the sudden rush of unwanted thoughts, his hand unconsciously reached for the sidearm he had hidden in his coat. Shooting Manny would probably ease the discomfort he was experiencing. He could stop another woman from ending up like his mother.

The question was, would he?

While contemplating on this idea, Manny continued to indulge with his "fun". His concentration with their female captive made him unaware of Lee, who was slowly approaching him from behind, with firearm in hand.

"Sir." He said in a aloof and nonchalant manner.

Before Manny could respond, he suddenly felt the sensation of cold steel pressed against his school. Lee couldn't tell whether Manny was taking him seriously or not, but that didn't matter.

Only a few seconds passed and Manny was now lying lifeless in a pool of his own blood. A look of relief and surprise appeared on their female captive's face. Lee on the other hand, was obviously pleased what he had done. With his eyes covered by his unkempt black hair, only a sadistic smirk could be seen from Lee's face as he stared at gaping hole that was Manny's body.

Several seconds of deafening silence had passed, and in a single blink of an eye, the scenery Lee had imagined in his mind, suddenly vanished as his consciousness snapped himself back to reality

"It's almost noon. We better get this over with, sir." said Lee as he placed his right hand on top of Manny's shoulder. Although haunted by his past, Lee had already decided long ago that he would never dwell on what has already happened. He was a different person now. He had a name to uphold. This was the only thing he had left.

Edited by Juro, 30 January 2015 - 05:54 AM.

[I-Am-X]

The Abandoned Cave

Unknown City, Unknown Country

Time: Unknown

 

Evangeline Strauss

"Hex"

 

Upon waking up, Eva found herself bound and her mouth tied. Alarmed she tried to recall what in the hell happened but it was no good. Whether she was feeling groggy because of the fact she just woke up or something else was attributed to this, she couldn't recall anything let alone think straight. After sometime, the grogginess faded and her senses returned. She was bound in a cave, one that was completely dark, not counting one lone lantern. Turning her head around, she noticed two other kids, much younger than she is, in this same boat as her. Well, aside from the fact that their mouths weren't bound with tape as she was. Maybe their captor had something against her or something? Who knows but it's really not important at the moment The fact was, how in the hell will she get out of this situation?

 

It was then a scream interrupted her thought process and made her look to the other side of the cave. The source of that scream? One angry black man and in front of him was someone dangling a woman's head in front of him. She wasn't able to make out the figure in front of him, but from the mans screams, that person had to have been important to him. It was truly a revolting scene but there was nothing you can do about it, though. Just then he tossed the head into a bucket and vanished in the darkness of the cave. Noticing a number of scalpels that were all over the floor, she slowly crawled her way over to the closest one her vision allowed. It seemed suspicious that the person would just happen to leave a bunch of them all around but she wasn't in a position to be picky.

 

It was quite the bitch to get it into her hands given the way she was bound and how she can barely see a damned thing. After nearly losing her balence and falling over, she managed to get one of them into her hands, albeit nicking herself on it. With it firmly in her hands, she proceeded to cut through the ropes. Though, as she was doing that she seen one of the kids coming towards her, to which she shook her head to get him to stop or at least be more careful. What is this idiot thinking? Does he want the bastard to notice him that badly? Once she managed to get her hands freed, she removed the tape from her mouth and began working on freeing her legs. As she starts working on her legs, she keeps an eye on the area the figure disappeared to while also searching the ground for additional scalpels. She got the feeling one won't be enough.

[Ilyse]

 

Chapter Two: Fantasy Poetry

 

Better, perhaps, to dress like a whore around the clock and thus achieve a fully integrated personality.

 

-Chris Kraus, Tropor

 

Triad Mansion

Shenzhen, China

Time: 2:20

 

Caixia glanced coolly at Max, ignoring her cousin’s attempts to show off his arms. It seemed that between the two, the butler was the smarter one, or at least more aware of what was going on. She nodded at Max, placing her hopes that the butler won’t screw up. Takeda has shown himself to be trustworthy so far, but Caixia would need more personal information on him before truly making an alliance with the Japanese’s “Marduk Convenant”.

 

“It’s great that you two are both on board with the program. Now then, it would seem your plus one has arrived.”

 

The door opened behind Jonathan and Max, and Nicole walked inside, followed shortly by a beardless Rudy; Nicole had used a barrier to give Rudy a clean face, before she also punched him in the stomach again for disobeying her – and this time, she didn’t give him painkillers.

 

Bowing, Nicole greeted Caixia with incredible amounts of respect.

 

“Mistress Caixia, I have brought the idio- I mean, my student, Rudy, for this audience you asked. What is it you need of him?”

 

Caixia almost giggled at the sight of Rudy’s face, which was showing a poor attempt of disguising his pain, but she still couldn’t help but crack an amused smile. Waving her hand, Caixia dismissed Nicole from the bow.

 

“After fifteen years of showing Rudy the ropes, I relieve you of your duty, Nicole Hsia. You have done well to bring this magi up.”

 

Nicole looked up, somewhat shocked. She couldn’t believe it – the prison she had been stuck in with Rudy was now demolished, and she was finally free from what she assumed would be her eternal baby-sitting duty. Standing up, with back straight, Nicole nearly jumped for joy.

 

“From this point on, Nicole, you will be the middle person in the exchange of information and other materials between me and our group of three here, while they are in Japan. You always wanted to visit Tokyo, yes? Well, you will be staying there for the next six months.”

 

Nicole was somewhat let down about the fact that she still had to be around Rudy, but she was living in Tokyo, and she wasn’t living with Rudy. It was just another half year before she is finally free to return to her life. Nodding, Nicole bowed once more and took a step back, shoving Rudy forward so that he was next to Jonathan and Max. Sitting up straight on the couch once more, Caixia crossed her legs and rested her right elbow on her knee, pressing her right hand against her face to hold it still while she glanced over the three mages one last time.

 

“Yes, I think all three of you will be perfect. Now then, guards, escort these men back to their rooms, and give them five minutes to get whatever they can bring with them to Japan. Their flight leaves in less than two hours.”

 

All three men were suddenly held up by several different men, all wearing dark suits and looking incredibly intimidating, and the magicians couldn’t help but feel somewhat humiliated as they were carried by the back of their collars back to their room. It seemed as if the stay in China was now over, and they shall be heading off to Tokyo.

 

_____________________

 

Twentieth Floor of Grand Hyatt Hotel in Buckhead

Atlanta, Georgia

Time: 14:40

 

Odette giggled as Anabelle ran her fingers up the former’s back. Bringing her face closer to Anabelle’s, as if to kiss her, Odette stopped an inch away from her lips.

 

“That’s quite the offer you just made me, but sorry, darling, you’re going to be going to sleep now.”

 

And it was then that Anabelle began to realize that she couldn’t move anymore. Panic started to build up in her as she collapsed onto the floor, the only part of her body that was still moving being her eyes. Odette knelt down and tore open the side of Anabelle’s dress, revealing the paralyzed girl’s leg and underwear. Odette reached around to Anabelle’s back and removed something that shocked Anabelle: a medallion?

 

“The first night we spent together, I ended up placing this in you without you noticing. It was a lovely evening, and the pillow talk was quite enjoyable, but you really should’ve pushed me back right here – after all, the medallion has everything I needed to retrieve.”

 

Chuckling, Odette lifted Anabelle up so that the latter was against the back wall of the elevator, and giving her a small peck on the cheek, Odette stood up and turned around as the elevator finally reached the twentieth floor of the building, and the door opened up revealing Minerva and Gideon standing there, with weapons ready. Odette made a small whimper and a face that looked like she was pouting, as if she was disappointed, but then she began to laugh again.

 

“I like your clothes, dearie. Not too flashy, and I would just trade my entire wardrobe for it.”

 

And before either magician could react, Odette snapped her fingers and two coins levitated themselves out of her pocket. Odette continued to smile sweetly at the two weapon mages, but not a moment later did the smile drop into a frown.

 

“Knock them out, my darlings.”

 

The coins began to spin in the air, and after they stopped spinning, what remained of the coins was replaced with two spectres, clad in white and both of them with swords in hand – the one on the left was clearly a samurai, the one on the right was clearly a medieval knight.

 

“Oh, yes, say hello to Saigou Takanaga and Tristan de Clermont. Pretty famous figures, and at the perfect level for you two.”

 

Odette casually walked past Minerva and Gideon and closed the doors to her suite behind her, and the way the door locked itself, it was quite obvious that the lock was magical – it would require quite a bit to break into the room now. Anabelle was falling in between reality and dreams, and was quite out of it, but after a few moments, the paralysis wore off, and Anabelle felt her energy returning to her slowly.

 

Of course, the spectres paid no attention to Anabelle, as Saigou began to walk to the side, facing Gideon, and Tristan began walking the other direction, facing Minerva. Both spectres drew their swords, their entire attentions focused on the two Verditius warriors in front of them.

 

____________________

 

Abandoned Cave

Unknown City, Unknown Country

Time: Unknown

 

“What the fuck do you mean you can’t pick up the fucking merchandise until tonight? What kind of incompetent trafficker misses his own fucking deadline? Look, I may not be the most professional worker in this business, but I get bored super quick, so you’re going to have to listen to my deadline: five fucking minutes, you get it?”

 

The man in the darkness threw the phone down onto the ground, causing the screen to crack. Holding his face in his hands, he turned around, shaking his head with incredible frustration. In fact, he was so frustrated that he kept on walking, past the hostages that had clearly been cutting themselves out of their bindings, and the man continued down the pathway, retreating into the darkness to vent out his anger elsewhere.

 

Spoiler

 

All four of the hostages managed to cut themselves out of their binding, and DeShaun saw a dirty blanket that he ended up using to cover the remains of Janice with. It seemed as if there was only one way out of this prison, and it would mean following that man.

 

Perhaps the road would fork out if they followed it, and the darkness might be enough to hide them from the man’s view – after all, he was surprisingly blind to such actions when he was as mad as he was. However, there was the chance that they might have to deal with their kidnapper anyways, and catching him off guard in this room filled with rusty scalpels seems like the perfect place to set up an ambush. It was going to be a vote for action, at this point, but the man was a murderer, and incredibly dangerous – who knows what could happen to them?

 

___________________

 

Gang Hideout

Johannesburg, South Africa

Time: 11:13

 

Manny looked at the hand over his shoulder, stopping his mild molestation of Yvette. Looking up at Lee’s face, Manny’s smile was quickly replaced with a scowl, and the mobster stood up, brushing the dirt off his pants.

 

“Well, can’t argue with you, Lee. You’re absolutely right.”

 

Removing his sidearm from his coat pocket, Manny aimed the barrel towards Yvette’s head, and there was a moment of silence where all three people in the room were certain that the lawyer was going to die. But all of a sudden, Manny turned around and shot Lee in the left shoulder, causing the young man to tumble back and land against the rather old file cabinet behind him.

 

“Sorry, Lee, but I intend to enjoy myself with this one. It’d be an opportunity that I absolutely can’t miss, given that she’s everything I ever wanted to bang. So sorry, buddy, but you -”

 

With a pause, Manny shot Lee in the right shoulder, intent on making sure that his former partner couldn’t do anything with his arms as of now.

 

“So you stay right there while I go balls deep into this lawyer – it’d be like free porn to watch.”

 

Tossing the pistol onto the floor, close to where Lee was now sitting, Manny knelt down once more and licked his lips. He grabbed Yvette and began to drag her roughly across the floor until they were at a wider space, and tossing her onto the floor, Manny towered over the helpless woman.

 

“Now then, you’re going to hate this in the beginning, but by the time I’m done, you’ll be begging for more.”

 

Manny was truly a perfect example of how low human beings can get when they lack a moral compass. Although Lee’s shoulder was wounded, his arms were still useable, although it’s going to hurt like hell to use them. Yvette’s bindings became slightly loose as she was being tossed onto the floor, and maybe she can at least slip her wrists out of the rough ropes and attack Manny before he did anything to her.

 

_____________________

 

Empty School

Paris, France

Time: 16:04

 

Alaina continued to tail Michael as he walked through the empty hallways of the school, observing just how surprisingly “dusty” the school was. It was as if humans hadn’t stepped through these halls in a long time, which was strange, considering school was still in activity barely two hours ago.

 

Michael had felt something of a malevolent presence since he walked in here, an entity that felt like it wanted to tear him apart, waiting for Michael to enter its lair. This was the feeling akin to a prey being hunted by a predator, and Michael felt as if all of his primitive senses awoke all at once.

 

Perhaps it was the illusion that his hearing suddenly improved, but he could hear the silent footsteps, heavy yet quick, that were coming from right in front of him. Michael watched as a hooded man with his hands in his pocket turned a corner from a connecting corridor, and stood still, facing Michael as a sentinel to impede the boy’s progress.

 

Spoiler

 

It was impossible to discern the man’s features, and it seemed like he wasn’t that interested in talking to Michael either.

 

Alaina hid behind a set of lockers, and her eyes widened – that man was there, almost expecting Michael to have come here, but why would a mage want anything to do with a normal boy?

 

Unless…

 

The man shifted his head to the side, and the sounds of his neck popping rang out all over the hallway. He began to take his heavy yet fast steps forward, quickly closing the distance between himself and Michael.

 

Was it a fight or a welcome? It was difficult to tell, and as far as Michael was concerned, help wasn’t coming to make the decision for him.

Edited by Ilyse, 31 January 2015 - 05:50 PM.

[ANIMA]

 

~::Draga Lazarević::~

 

As the building crumbled before her eyes in the series of explosions Draga took out her phone and dialed her chauffeur. The response came almost immediately in Russian:

“Milady, are you safe? Where are you right now?”

“Anton, I’m safe. Go back home without me and tell my mother that I’ve said ‘until next time’. She’ll understand.”

“Mila-“

 

Draga ended the call, cutting off the man’s confused voice. There was no need for her to explain anything to a mere employee. Until next time, spoken in English, was a phrase she and her mother previously agreed upon. It means that the one of them has gotten into a risky situation and isn’t sure if things will further escalate. If she doesn’t get in contact with the manor in the next several hours, Queen Aleksandra will start moving in order to find her by calling on family’s allies in Moscow and by following the tracker put in Draga’s phone.

Hopefully, it won’t come to that.

While they were driving in the SUV Draga was quiet. She was a little unnerved when the song from the speakers in front of the Embassy began playing on radio and could understand Meera’s reaction. Whoever was responsible for the explosion of the Embassy was following their SUV, or that’s how things seemed to Draga.

When they reached barricades and it became evident that Meera wanted them to leave Moscow, a doubt began to form within Draga and she spoke slowly with seemingly emotionless voice, but which still held a hint of threat:

“A moment, please. Maybe this couple has come from the environment where running away even if you don't know who's chasing you is an everyday occurrence, but I have no intention to move any further before knowing what is going on.”

It was impolite to deliberately exclude someone from the conversation which concerns them and the gypsy man said he isn’t good with English, so Draga’s upbringing subconsciously influenced her choice of language: she was speaking Russian, the language she assumed everyone here knew well.

 

[Misty]

Ecaterina had listened first to the man's attempts at English and felt some small pride in her greater ability with the language.  She shot him an appreciative glance that was interrupted by her head turning to look at Draga as she spoke Russian.  So that was going to be the language of choice.  Ecaterina glanced her up and down. She'd seen her before, she knew it.  She ran her mind over where while chewing her lower lip slightly.  And then recognition flashed behind her eyes.  The princess of the rose, no wonder this girl thought she was all that and enough to threaten them.  Ecaterina grinned, it didn't matter if this girl was used to getting her way, they weren't in a castle anymore, and the law of the streets applied to any who stepped into them...besides, Ecaterina knew she and the man had the advantage of numbers.  But still, solidifying her base would be best.

 

She turned her attention to the man deliberately speaking in Romanian and not Russian suspecting that this girl princess would be far too high for the language of such a country and knowing the man had demonstrated he at least knew some of it.

 

"I don't know how well you speak Romanian, I am Ecaterina.  This girl behind me is a princess and not even a particularly important one.  But she's still clearly going to be bossy as fuck.   She thinks we are a couple, and as much as I might love to dance with you, we both know that isn't true.  But it might be to our benefit for now to pretend it is so.  Then we can more easily out-vote her opinions. "  She smiled at him as she said all this clearly leaving it to him to decide if he would agree.

 

Her attention turned to Draga her gaze irritated but still maintaining an attempt to be friendly as she switched to Russian, " So let me get this straight: you are in a situation where you don't know what is happening, you feel you are in the company of those who have spent their lives making their way by their wits and not their bloodline and are at ease in situations like this, but you don't want to take their advice?  You are out of your element, princess.  Let us take care of you." 

 

She leaned forward towards the driver, "We voted, and we think going underground is the best course of action.   The Princess wants an explanation.  I say you lead, if she wants to follow that is her choice.  If she wants to wait to have a proper diplomatic meeting and discuss all the options she can go back to the embassy.  But I refuse to get blown up or arrested because someone wanted to be proper." 

[KDPtheKing]

DeShaun Cambell



The darkness of the cave was al encompassing. To DeShaun, the only people in the room was him and the man who killed his Mentor. His anger was still seeping out. However, as time passed, he was more focused on cutting himself free. Eventually, his hands came free. Right about that time, the man walked of, upset about something. The hell is he upset about?. DeShaun thought to himself. However the man leaving was the perfect opening to him finish cutting his feet free.

As he moved to get to his feet, he then, noticed he was not alone, three others were there too. This also pissed him off but, also started to set his mind right, a little. Everyone there was younger than he. DeShaun knew they needed to get out. But how was he going to get revenge and keep them safe? Why we're all of them taken to begin with? Was it due to that phone call the man just had? Whatever it was, his priority was to get these kids out of there.

Slowly, he made his way towards them, moving scapulas out of the way as to not step on them and making noise. Once he was in their line of sight, he placed a finger over his mouth, signaling to them to remain quiet. Hoping they would not feel some type of way and follow him, he slowly made his way in the direction the man went. He was not too far out of sight but far enough not to be caught. A real shame his anger was so blinding. But sneaking out with the kids was the best choice. At least get then out and then, THEN he would make the guy pay.

[Diabolical Rhapsody]

 

The small smile grew as he saw the lady next to him change the mode of communication to Russian, he was thankful to her for that. But he was even more surprised when the lady on his other side addressed him directly. Up until that time, he hadn't known anyone of the three gorgeous damsels, he had only been thanking his stars for such a fortunate turn of events.

 

The lady introduced herself as Ecaterina and spoke in fluent Romanian which made him a bit nonplussed for a moment. Immediately, a blush formed on the bridge of his nose though he was thankful that his scars would do a good job covering that up. The Gypsy girl was as playful as he had expected as she suggested that they play a couple to shot down the opinions of the other beauty.

 

"I'm Marut and my Romanian isn't that great either though I can understand all that you say." he said with a stupid smile. "But now I have your word, I'll get my dance once this is over." he winked at her before she went to drive a hard bargain from the woman at the wheel.

 

Meanwhile, Marut turned towards the other beauty and inquired in Russian, "You have my thanks for changing the mode of communication but are you really a princess like she says?" he inquired curiously. "Could I, maybe, get an autograph. Once, this is over?"

[Officer Judy Hopps]

Minerva Fairchild

 

Pandora's Box

 

With the nudge of Gideon's spear to pry open the door, the scene within the hallway was empty. From the staircase, Minerva's eyes swiftly found their objective as they emerged from the elevator. That scandalous woman, and with her, the mischievous Annabelle. Why was she even remotely involved in this mess was a complete mystery to her, but now as the two stepped into the hallway from the doorway, the first actions of  Odette caught an alarmed tension from Minerva.

 

For someone who was not supposed to be using magic, she certainly seemed adept at it. Far more adept than anything that she had been told or even remotely suspected. Summoning legends of a bygone age was no small feat, how had this Odette woman slipped beneath the radar of the families?

 

Or was this inquiry simply just that? Sending the two of them to investigate a possible Magi, or perhaps even worse. They knew.

 

From the moment she had inherited her absconded father's wealth, she had been suspicious of her Uncle. She knew he didn't like her, the one dark mark on the family's current roster of Magi. Was he trying to send her to her death? Betrayal of those who didn't necessarily fall into the family's grain was something she had read about in days past...or perhaps she was just being paranoid. Shaking her head to try and remove the negative thoughts on her mind, Minerva watched emotionlessly on as the Knight and Samurai finished taking form, and began to move towards them as Odette departed.

 

As much as she wished to lash out her blade and wound the temptress, Minerva feared what consequence that would possess since Annabelle still currently lay helpless behind the two.

 

Well, Odette was not going to be the only one packing a surprise today.

 

As the Knight and Samurai emerged, Minerva's fingertips wrapped smoothly about the handle of her father's sword. Gideon would be the first to notice this, as he was close. But before him, a series of runes flickered upon the blade. That in itself was something that should not have happened. It was Magic. Something her family hadn't granted access to her yet in their state of mistrust. Perhaps, she had learned it, or perhaps it was a fluke.

 

It was not a fluke.

 

Starting off as the smallest of changes, the softened, pale cheeks that Minerva possessed cracked. From within them shone a brilliant white light that swiftly filled her eyes. No longer were there pupils or irises to behold. The crackling magic arced through the air about her gaze, as her grip tightened upon the sword and the runic detailing within continued to ripple and shine. Horror would have been any of Verditius' blood in this moment.

 

It was her father's magic. One of his most potent weapons. Enhancement Magic that was often called the Ultimate Eye. Raising the flat of the blade to her nose in a noble salute to the Knight, he would return it in kind as she pointed the razor tip of her weapon towards him, while the hilt lightly touched her cheek. Her knees bent, her toes dug into the floor, and then she launched herself forward at the Knight. Sweeping low in order to avoid any counter attacks, and shifting suddenly to the side in a blurred motion, the Magi thrust her blade forward; seeking to puncture the Knight's aide through a gap in his armpit, and bring a swift end to his rekindled life.

Edited by Feisty-Pants, 31 January 2015 - 03:53 AM.

[SliceAndDice]

 

One look was all it took to realize that something was wrong. In a flash, Gideon's lance had sprung into its fully extended form in his hand as he threw the door open to confront the vixen that had just waltzed out of the elevator, leaving Annabel stunned on the ground in the elevator. Before either he or Minerva could accost her, however, she conjured a pair of armored phantoms and ordered the attack! The medival knight ran past him to engage Minerva, but the samurai remained before him. With katana in hand, the ancient Japanese warrior bowed his head before him, seemingly retaining his honor even in his contract to the Faust. Gideon returned the bow, then took his stance... only to be caught off guard by a surge of magic from behind him.

 

He turned his head quickly to see who was throwing around such a spell, and found it was Minerva. Even in the six months he had been placed in her employ, Gideon had never seen her demonstrate her runes. And now that he saw what they held, his face blanched. The Ultimate Eye. William Verditius' trademark magic. How had she learned such a thing? Had she found his research notes? Was she pursuing her father's vile legacy after all? He would have to tell her uncle about this as soon as he could. But how much had she...

 

The sound of plate clinking brought his attention back to the battle at hand. As the samurai advanced, Gideon gripped his spear in both hands and began to circle his opponent. He kept a careful eye on the tip of the sword, always careful to evade it's deadly range- and then he was suddenly upon his target, the razor tip of his weapon flashing and darting forward toward the weak points in the samurai armor like a viper. Neck, knees, underarms, waist, anywhere that might allow him a hit was lashed at, and always from just barely outside of the reach of any counterattack.

 

"I apologize," he said in half-fluent Japanese, "But I must finish this quickly. I have more pressing duties to attend to."

[Viscoun]

Alfred Fama-el Mahid Di-Santo

 

It's always so easy to say "No peace for the wicked". Let the saying loose from your mouth like a horsehair worm slipping out of the open corpse of a dead spider. And yet, what does that make me?

 

Alfred sighed as he unstrapped the sphygmomanometer from the patient's arm. Blood pressure normal. Face normal. Throat and nose normal. Ears normal. It was a common, local strain of influenza, nothing more, nothing less. If people had the time to waste seeing him about these things, he'd rather they wasted their time at home, gritted their teeth, and sat out the cough or fever like real men. At this point, it was almost as if he was busying himself with things that didn't really matter.

 

Not that an illness was a pleasant thing to have, he knew. The patient's loved ones were probably worried. If he'd been a friend of the patient, Alfred would've been worried too, even if he knew it was just the flu. But he didn't know the man, and by his own personal code, he was hence forbidden from giving more of a shit than he needed to. And give just enough of a shit he did. He leaned back in his chair, and gave the patient a reassuring smile, one that he'd practiced over the years of being a doctor in this admittedly vibrant on occasion, yet usually humdrum city.

 

Tangier. Named after tangerines, for when the British were still all up in this bitch. Exciting, eh?

 

"Go to the counter and ask for any of these." He pushed a slip of paper towards the patient. On the paper was a hefty list of medicines, with abstract names upon abstract names lining the rows. "Diagnosis is at the top," he added, circling the word "Influenza" at the top of the sheet, "so the nurses should know what to do. I wish you well - you will recover soon, inshallah."

 

The man thanked him and departed, Alfred standing at the doorway and seeing him off. He sighed again. He wasn't Muslim, but just about 99% of people here were. It was amazing what wonders a simple blessing could do to the psyche. We are the 1%, chanted a voice in his head as he left the examination room, heading down the corridors, cutting a solitary figure in the fading sunset. The sun's light, though dimmed, was still potent - as he walked, all he could see were splashes of red and orange pouring onto the hospital floor. He grasped at his pocket, hoping to find a smoke, before remembering cigarettes weren't allowed within the confines of the hospital. "Tch."

 

After a few minutes of right and left turns, a couple of steps down the stairs, and more turning, a fellow human finally rounded the corner, and Alfred nodded in greeting. The nurse smiled in reply, then suddenly stopped.

 

"Ah!" she exclaimed upon recognizing the ragged, unkempt face that was one of the hospital's head doctors. "Doctor Di Santo, there's someone in the emergency room that needs looking at." She gazed at him expectantly, like a pet awaiting a pat on the head from its master.

 

Another one? "I'll be there soon," he muttered, nodding again.

 

 

 

The new patient was tall, lean, and similarly unshaven, with messy hair to match Alfred's own. You and I might as well be brothers, friend. He was sat on the edge of the bed in the emergency room, calmly chewing on a cigarette, flicking ash as he ground the cigarette between his teeth. He turned to see Alfred enter the room, and stood up, sticking the cigarette into an ashtray conveniently placed on a surgical trolley nearby. Who let this man smoke in here? Alfred shook his head as a wide smile stretched across the man's face. I'll need to have a word with the nurses.

 

"Well, if it ain't the doc." The man's smile never ceased. "Now, come check this fresh wound here. It's hurtin' like hell."

 

Alfred internally winced at the man's heavy accent, but made no sign that he was at all perturbed. "If you'll come with me, sir," he said, beginning his long walk back to the examination room, his eerily cheery patient in tow.

 

In the examination room, Alfred began inspecting at the man's arm, where the injury he'd come to see Alfred about was located. It was a gash, simple and linear in nature. And yet, a closer look and a few touches with his gloves told a different story: there were small, red, rectangular imprints surrounding the laceration. Could it be…

 

"Looks like human teeth, don't it?"

 

Alfred looked up. The man was still smiling. He looked back down.

 

The man began whistling. Unforgettable was the song's name. Alfred had heard the tune on the radio once, when he was still a student in Andalucia. It had been a dark, ferociously stormy day when the song had come up, and Alfred thought the title apt, given that Andalucia hadn't seen a storm on a similar scale for at least several decades. The tune sounded strangely rusty through the man's uneven lips, as if it were being played on a piccolo with half the tube sawed off, or a flute with a rock stuck inside it.

 

Whatever. Alfred shook his head, and turned back to the wound. Though he'd hoped otherwise, it seemed that his initial fears were confirmed. Looks like human teeth. No matter how he looked at it, Alfred couldn't help but agree. But how…?

 

"You're probably thinking I got bit by a monkey. But I tell ya, that fucker was hard to put down. Fought to survive, that Cole Silverstein did."

 

Cole Silverstein? Alfred's eyebrows furrowed in thought, his hands, holding disinfected cloth over the wound, suspended mid-wipe. Then it hit him. No way…

 

There was a man. A patient, rather, who frequented the hospital. The man was old, and seemed to come back older every time. But that wasn't what stood out most about him. No, it was that he'd always come back with splotches of purple and red all over his body. Burn marks.

 

He'd sit down in the examination room, never letting a single word escape his lips, except for simple greetings and some rare words of thanks. Every time, he'd leave with bandages wrapped tightly around his limbs, and he'd come back, bandages gone, burn marks looking fresher than ever. Alfred had never figured out what the man had been involved in, to make him so injured, so worn, like a burnt bit of cloth close to its permanent end in the ashes.

 

Fought to survive, that Cole Silverstein did.

 

Cole Silverstein was that man. So the one sitting before him, with that angry-looking bite on his arm, must have…

 

Alfred dropped the cloth and backed away from him, a sense of terror creeping over him. Whoever his man was, he'd been behind Silverstein's burns. He'd been trying to kill him all this time, and he'd finally succeeded.

 

The man was a murderer.

 

"Y-You…" Alfred stammered as he stared at the man, who continued to smile back.

 

"Why afraid, Doctor Alfred Di Santo?" Alfred almost jumped at the mention of his name. The man's smile seemed malicious now, a wide, carefree grin hidden underneath a black mat of hair. "Are you afraid of me, a poor, wounded man who goes by the name of Simon Hedegaard?"

 

As Alfred racked his brains for memories of the name, the man, Hedegaard, chuckled. "Not that you've heard of me. I'm a magician."

 

"But then again, so are you."

 

Now this was just madness. Hedegaard took a cigarette from his pocket, groaning as his wound brushed against his jacket, and lit it, puffing contentedly. Alfred stood, struggling to comprehend what Hedegaard had just said. This was a lot to take in, and though the man seemed sane on the surface, he'd mentioned a lot of things that made next to no sense at all.

 

Plus, he's a murderer. He killed someone!

 

Hedegaard looked Alfred in the eye, his own eyes beckoning him forward. Answer, the eyes seemed to say. I've just told you something. React to it!

 

"I…" Alfred began, but Hedegaard's eyes opened even wider in anticipation, and Alfred felt the words stick to the back of his throat. There was only one thing he knew he could do, something he'd been doing since he'd left Tangier in the back of a dogged old cart, all those years ago.

 

He's obviously crazy. Make a run for it!

 

And run he did, sprinting out of the room as if a rabid greyhound was chasing him. Every so often, as he made his way hurriedly down the stairwell, towards the main entrance of the hospital, he'd look back to see if the man was there. Perhaps he could fly and catch up to him in no time at all, or so his confused mind told him was possible.

 

Either way, it was imperative that he leave the hospital as soon as possible. Then, he'd think of a different course of action. Perhaps he'd call the police. Perhaps he'd tell security there was a murderer in the examination room on the fifth floor. Perhaps he'd just take his car and drive back home as fast as he could.

 

Or, perhaps he'd not do any of the above.

Edited by Viscoun, 31 January 2015 - 08:45 AM.

[Juro]

Gang Hideout
Johannesburg, South Africa
Time: 11:13

 

Lee's body was being overwhelmed by feelings of pain and regret. Mostly by pain though. Choosing to behave professionally and not shooting Manny in the head was obviously the wrong decision. Now he left to suffered from his mistakes as two bullets were lodged somewhere around his shoulders.

The pain was incredibly excruciating and was worse when he tried to move. All he could do was watch as Manny as he prepared to defile some young female in front of him.

"Fucking trash." Lee whispered to himself.

As much as he didn't want to see what Manny was about to do, Lee couldn't find it in him to avert his gaze. It wasn't because he was some sort of sick pervert; it definitely wasn't that at all. Minus the gunshot wounds, what was happening seemed oddly familia; deja vu if you will. However, is was one memory Lee didn't want to relive.

Since his current employer was an asshole who was probably going to cheat him out his pay, killing him now didn't seem like a bad idea. He met scum like is before, but Manny was in a league of his own.

Gritting his teeth, Lee endured through the pain that was coursing through his body as he reached for the gun that was conveniently within his reach. Although staggering and unstable, Lee aimed the firearm right at Manny's back and without hesitation, let loose as many shots as he could.

Edited by Juro, 01 February 2015 - 05:40 AM.

[Jod]

 

 Murda Bizness - Japan

 
 


Omer sat serenely in his little corner of the nibbling on what was turning out to be a fairly spectacular piece of lasagna. Now, it wasnt that he was oblivious to the madness going on around him. Its just that he hoped that if he stayed quiet, he wouldnt be spotted by the overly violent fellows that surrounded him.

He definately didnt expect to have a bag thrown over his head, when that burly man knocked on the glass during lock up of the store. He was happy that they didnt capture him for his organs. Which was his primary source of worry during the car ride. Omer really liked his organs the way they were.

However when he was seated on the chair, instead of laid down on a steel table. Another revelation popped up in his headspace. They want my secret recipe for my coffee! He knew he had competitors, but he didnt expect them to pull this kind of muscle. The fellows down at the Sakura Cafe looked to be more than they appeared. Yakuza Connections!

Then ofcourse the hoods came off and he was faced with Eyepatch. He made a show of the entire thing. Worse of all, tempting them with wine and then magic?! Though thebit where he recognized Omers coffee wasn't bad, not bad at all.

Either way, it wasnt time to let his thoughts drift. He had to find a banana, he would use it as an escape measure. Fruits were dangerous things.

[Rainbow Dash]

Oscar wasn't expecting that or she would have moved. Her head swam and thinking was difficult. Her face was numb, so it was likely something was broken. She wouldn't have long until the blur subsided and the agony set in.

 

She lifted her hands and started probing her head, pausing once to wipe away the tears that came unwanted. She managed to find the problems fairly quickly. At least knowing where the damage made things easier. Cracked skull. Jaw split in two. Broken nose. Chair shaped bruise.

 

Starting with the most dangerous internal injuries Oscar slowly moved her magic around her head and repaired the damage. It took about a full minute and so she had plenty of time to think about the situation. Perhaps she had been a little rude. But then again so had they, with the whole kidnapping thing. At the very least she knew not to anger the soup-man. She might not survive the next chair.

 

When her rejuvenation was complete Oscar didn't get up. Instead she continued to lie on the ground. It was nice here. There were no chairs. And she had stopped crying, which was nice.

[Darkoda]

Anabelle

Moonlit dance

 

Well now this was quite the situation she ended up in. She knew the girl was some kind of mage and she already had make a mental note to do some interrogating when she got back to the mansion but getting turned into a limp body like this was certainly not high in her list of things to do. She couldn’t even properly add her commentary since her mouth wouldn’t move! Such a travesty!

 

And she had questions too, like how she pulled a medallion out of her back, what was it doing there in the first place, and how she could just up and rip her dress like that then leave her hanging? And just to add to things, her cute Minerva and her chaperone were here as well. “My, my, you’re a popular one Odette~” She’d have added more to that but the world was still spinning, even if her fingers were starting to twitch again. Ah, she just needed a bit more…her fingers curled in on themselves and –

 

“Gah! That always stings something fierce….” She muttered, shaking out her limbs, her body up and alert like she got a jolt through her – which was pretty accurate. While she was curious about her favourite’s presence here, those two seemed to be occupied right now and she still had the rest of the night with her escort to finish. So with a cheeky wave to the two, she walked around the group, opening a window and hopping outside without a care.

 

Of course she didn’t just hop to her death, something that her semi-roommates would know quite well given her habits of coming in through their windows. Her feet gripped onto the edge, taking a moment to appreciate the view. Ah, the thrill of playing daredevil at twenty stories up, and Gideon wandered why she couldn’t just do things normally – and give this up? Not a chance. She worked her way around to the side of the building with the speed and surety granted by someone who did these kind of things regularly, climbing into the balcony that these suites loved to put in. She was sure that there was something up with the door from the inside, but Odette didn’t seem to put equal care into the windows. Convenient for her. Hey, they even had one of those fancy rock gardens outside! She made sure to get a good few scoops of the small pebbles before technically breaking in but circumstances.

 

Once within the room, she walked up to where she saw Odette, moving slowly, seductively, and mostly with caution given that she was probably dealing with a Faust here and while most didn’t contract more than two spirits, she knocked her out somehow, not to mention putting medallions in people’s bodies. Clearly there was even more here than what she’d shown. Once Odette had actually noticed her – she held little hope that she could actually sneak up on her in anyway – she continued their conversation as if she wasn’t just dropped in an elevator.

 

“You lead me on, knock me out and leave me dizzy with a ripped dress. What kind of ending to a night is that?” She had quite the pout out as she talked, but her eyes still held their gleam that Odette probably knew by this point to be a sign of her interest in someone. “Can I at least get an explanation before goodbyes? A promise to meet again wouldn’t go unappreciated either.” Her entire body was sparking with inner power, her steps slow for more than playing. Much like when she wanted to play more sensual games with Minerva, there was probably going to be a fight first.

 

….Well when she looked at it that way, this was quite the familiar situation. Just with an entirely different person. “I should do something about my attraction to the dangerous types like you, but the thrill is far too much fun.” In a smooth motion she flicked a few of those pebbles at Odette, each carrying a slight charge from her. Nowhere near enough to be more than a light jolt, but then that wasn’t what they were for. She’d put more than enough of a charge on Odette given how often they’d been in close contact that she just needed to get them off. That and when dealing with mages, you didn’t just let them toss things at you; however she dealt with that, it might just give her more time as she ran right at her. She only needed to touch Odette to trigger her charges, and an unconscious and/or paralyzed mage was a far easier one to deal with. She’d rather not have it get to that but with Minerva involved…. she could play with her own wellbeing but other people’s was a bit too cruel of her.