Oct-taku
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Post by Oct-taku on Mar 18, 2009 9:27:21 GMT
Victor sighed.
"Sir, you're getting to be an expensive aqauintance." he said, before turning to Mattias.
"5.5 million."
"12 million." a voice said from...somewhere in the crowd. It was cold and metallic. Victor sighed again. He had hoped that this particular Endbringer wouldn't be here tonight. Oh well.
Said Endbringer was a metal box on wheels, with a camera and speakers. Not actually the self-aware computer known as OMEGA, but just a "represenative".
"Twelve million. Hear I 12.5?" Mattias asked. Victor simply bowed his head.
And thought of all the nasty things he'd do to OMEGA when the time came.
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Post by The Spy on Mar 18, 2009 13:22:39 GMT
OOC: Okay, FINALLY got a character lined up.
Name: Premier Voldin Hiramanda. Age: 200. Visual Age: Early twenties. Height:6'2" Eyes: Currently green. Hair: Currently Black. Nationality: Talardian
Born when times were much simpler than now, Voldin Hiramanda was one thing that was never simple, "touched" by an evil force called only known in text by the name "The Duality" while he was still in the womb, he was born with two personalities, both of them quite malevolent.
All through his childhood he has been somewhat of a prodigy, excelled in many forms of education, possessed extreme abilities with physical activities, and excelled in many forms in swordplay, as such was the norm of a Kings' son, and he was quite proud of that indeed, very proud.
His life all through his twenty-first birthday was uneventful, but on his 21st birthday, everything changed.
He received a vision in his dreams, a quite lucid one in fact; saying his remarkable talents were given to him by the Deity that visited his dreams, who called himself "Duality", Duality gave him an ultimatum: Either destroy the world, and recreate it with the perfect balance of chaos and order or lose all his abilities of being the "best".
Naturally, he choose the former, he is being tasked with this, he only has to follow the guidelines, Duality wasn't really precise about it.
He quickly rose through the hierarchy of his royal family by assassinations and bribery, taking on multiple disguises and using his powers that were given to him by the Deity to "transmute" his appearance and voice.
His family monarchy still controlling all the land they had to begin with, and more, parts of russia was ceded along with parts of China aswell, giving him land comparable to the size of the U.S.
He is now trying to make his plans of global purification possible by collecting dangerous and dubious artifacts, usually fixated on mystical weapons and energy amplification artifacts. --------------------------------------------------------
I take my seat in the private booth nearby the stage, and one of the tellers inform me of the current bid.
"15 Million." I say, folding my cloak and giving it to one of my bodyguards to hold.
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Oct-taku
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Post by Oct-taku on Mar 18, 2009 20:21:20 GMT
"Fifteen going once. Fifteen going twice. Sold!" Mattias announced. "After the auction is over, sir, please inform us of where you would like for the item to be delivered.
"Next is lot #...." Mattias said, but Victor was no longer listening. He had, of course, lost the Ankaran Machine fragment. No matter. There were 20 others scattered across the globe. But it wasn't the object that concerned him, nor was it the next item of dubious authenticity.
It was the man he had seen entering the booth. Among Endbringers, the man was almost legendary.
Voldin Hiramanda.
Victor sighed. Fifteen million was nothing to him, but he had no interest in starting a bidding war tonight. After all, when Hiramanda eventually fell, by his hand or another's, he would most certainly be there to grab what he could.
Victor stood, and with a nod to the Bandage-Man, he left the Auction Room, and once the door shut behind him, he was gone.
He had other business to attend to.
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Post by Ty on Mar 19, 2009 0:57:00 GMT
Marco nodded back at the other man. He stared hard at him as he walked by, trying to read his essence. Marco was never good with names or faces. Instead, he recognized people by the unique pattern of corruptions and disturbances in their souls.
"Hatred..." he muttered to himself as the man left. "Alienation... and devotion. We have more in common than I thought."
With that, he turned to the man who had won the auction. He didn't need to be very close to get a read on him; the Endbringer practically radiated an evil aura.
"Pride... avarice... the rest is unclear."
Marco turned and walked toward Hiramanda. "Sir. I hope I'm not interrupting. I would just like to congratulate you. I can see you're a man of expensive taste."
He offered a handshake to Hiramanda, at the same time getting a clearer sense of him.
Hmm... I see two halves to an ancient coin. The coin's face is always changing, but its worth is constant.
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Oct-taku
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Post by Oct-taku on Mar 19, 2009 1:03:50 GMT
Meanwhile, Victor was relaxing in his "home." He usually traveled from location to location as his needs demanded, but there was one base, this one, that he felt most comfortable at. It was deep in the forests of France, unmapped and unmarked.
Victor was reading a book. A very old book. So old, it was more of a set of scrolls. The Key of Solomon.
On the table next to him, a severed hand danced across a peice of paper, writing a message in blood.
"Market?"
"Didn't get what I wanted. Story of my life, really. There are more fragments of the Ankaran Machine. I already have two."
"Key?"
"Yes. Ever since I lost that page in '76, in London....I've had this feeling...."
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Post by The Spy on Mar 19, 2009 3:25:02 GMT
"Deliver it to the Holy Kingdom of Taladaria, Look for the 'big castle'." I say, chuckling to myself.
I turn to the man approaching me and I look at his hand with a dissatisfied frown.
One of my Bodyguards stand between me and the man.
"His Holiness does not bless those with his gracious touch, please refrain from trying to make physical contact." He says.
"It's quite alright." I say now with white satin gloves on my hands.
I extend my hand and I shake his.
"Taladarian customs, I hope you understand, the holy family cannot make physical contact with anyone of a lesser social ranking, which is pretty much anyone out of the family." I say, grinning with pride.
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Post by Ty on Mar 19, 2009 3:57:32 GMT
"I understand. In that case, I'm sorry if I offended you."
Marco didn't seem insulted, though it was hard to tell from how little of his face was showing. From his level tone, he didn't sound especially impressed either. He glanced at the bodyguard.
"Such devotion... I am rather envious. Sadly, most of my followers are cursed with a need to question the accepted order of things."
"Anyway, it was a pleasure to meet you, your excellence. May your reign continue to be long and prosperous."
Marco turned and started walking away.
Though as they say, all good things must come to an end.
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Post by The Spy on Mar 19, 2009 6:01:18 GMT
Strange, an Endbringer approaching another endbringer? He must have a death wish... I think to myself.
I tap 2 of my 4 bodyguards' shoulders.
"Yes your Holiness?" They both ask me.
"Follow that man, be discreet about it, if he appears to be hostile to you, incapacitate him, do not kill him." I order with a devious smile.
"Of course your holiness." They both say, unclasping their Taladarian Longwords and walking behind the bandaged man.
"Your Holiness, you're expected back at the Carlton in 50 minutes for your banquet, shall I tell them you will be arriving late?" One of my bodyguards ask me.
"Yes, do that, if I'm correct, certain hostilities will surface in a few short minutes..." I say, being escorted by my Bodyguards, I look at their non existent faces as they are just cloaked 7 feet tall men with black fabric covering their heads.
Hopefully your brothers don't alarm that Endbringer, he seems to be a new one I haven't met yet... I think to myself as we approach the street level.
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Oct-taku
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Post by Oct-taku on Mar 19, 2009 10:19:18 GMT
Victor surveyed the amusement park from his position in the air. Well, more like his mind's position, but that was just semantics. He had sensed something here, not two hours after his "conversation" with the hand. He had taken along his newest Abomination, a mixture of the serpentile Aztec demon Tasmil the Dreamer and a Skull Swarm.
He gave a mental command, and Tasmil emerged from the shadows of a merry-go-round, knocking it over in the process. He'd felt it again. There was another Endbringer here, most certainly, along with an Abomination. Tasmil, at Victor's command, began to tear the place apart.
Bumper cars went flying, and people were torn in two. Victor supressed a laugh as an attendant at the Air-Rifle booth aimed one of the "weapons" at the Abomination. Tasmil considered him for a moment, then tore his head off. A post-mortem jerk caused the rifle to discharge into the ceiling of the booth.
And then, Victor saw it.
"There." he thought, linking his vision with Tasmil's. "On the roller-coaster." he directed, and the Abomination turned to meet its opposite.
It was like a gorillia held together with railroad spikes. Two torsos were pinned together, as were four arms, and four legs. Two heads sat atop its shoulders. Tasmil considered none of this, however. It just sprang towards the other Abomination, blood on it's mind.
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Khallos
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The Duke of Ditchington
Posts: 1,507
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Post by Khallos on Mar 20, 2009 9:16:56 GMT
OOC: Hey guys, im not really all that happy with my character this time. Not sure Chezzy fits in here, and i mucked up his backstory. So i'm suspending my participation in this RP and voiding my posts until i can work stuff out. It's not like i actually influenced the plot in any way, so that shouldnt really be a problem. =p Just saying, is all.
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Post by Ty on Mar 22, 2009 5:53:30 GMT
Marco walked out onto the street, where one of his minions was waiting with a car. He opened the passenger side door, then stopped. He didn't turn to look, but he got the sense of someone following him. He climbed into the front seat and closed the door behind him.
"Don't be alarmed, but we're being followed."
"What?" the minion asked incredulously. He started to turn to look behind the car, but Marco stopped him.
"It's alright. Do you have word of the bank mission?"
"Yes. The new Ascended survived his task." Ascended was the term Marco used to refer to the abominations. He figured it was better for the cult members' morale. "He is back at the lair now recovering."
"Excellent. We should return as well. Take the scenic route."
The minion nodded and started up the car. They pulled out onto the street and start driving toward the city park.
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Post by The Spy on Mar 22, 2009 13:12:31 GMT
I get in the Armored Limousine and we start to head towards the Taladarian Embassy.
Your Holiness, we have begun to follow the Endbringer and he is now mobile. My two Fracture Agents say to me telepathically.
I mentally nod to them.
Continue to follow, if you are spotted engage them in combat. I order them.
Understood your holiness, Fardinia Taladaria. They say, ending it with the Maxim of Taladaria.
Fardinia Taladaria. I say back to them.
We get on the highway, which runs parallel to the park.
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Post by Ty on Mar 23, 2009 5:06:55 GMT
The car parked on the street next to the park. Marco and his minion got out and started walking across the grass. Marco scanned the area slowly, looking back and forth as they walked.
"Hmm... it should be here somewhere..." Marco turned to the minion. "The Clock was wound yesterday, wasn't it?"
"I believe so, sir."
Marco closed his eyes. He held out his hand in front of him, as if reaching for something. He seemed to be following his own hand. As it turned slightly to one side or the other, he would change his path to match. The minion watched in fascination, walking a few paces behind him.
Suddenly, he stopped and turned to the left. He opened his eyes. "Here we are."
"Where?" the minion asked. " I don't see anything."
"Stand where I am. Look."
Standing behind Marco, the minion looked where he was pointing. Set in the ground, there was a solid stone staircase leading down into the earth. The minion was certain it wasn't there a second ago.
This was one of the strangeways produced by the Strange Clock, a magic artifact Marco had acquired some decades ago. Sometimes they appeared as doors in walls were there previously was no door, or more often a foggy gravel path along the ground. The strangeways were shortcuts between locations where the Clock had been or one day would be, appearing and disappearing as time passed. Marco was one of few beings who could predict their locations, and unless you knew exactly where and when to look, they were impossible to use.
Marco walked forward and started down the stairs, followed by his minion. To anyone watching from another location, it would appear as if the two men had simply walked behind a tree and disappeared.
***
At the bottom of the stairs, the two men followed a dark hallway that ended at a wooden door. The door opened onto a hallway within Marco's lair, a dilapidated old castle somewhere in the Scottish countryside. For all intents and purposes, the castle was the clan's headquarters. Strangeways were the only reasonable way to get there, so unless it was a special occasion, only the top members of the clan would go there for any length of time.
Marco followed the hall to another set of stairs. This one led down into what used to be a dungeon, but was now a sort of living quarters for Marco's abominations. There were eight beds, all but two of which were empty. In one, a thin frail-looking girl with black makeup was sleeping peacefully. In the other, the tall man from the band job was resting. There was a large glass pitcher of water on the table beside him. In an attempt to ease the pain in his throat, he had drank almost all of it.
"Sir," he said in his ragged voice. He started get out of bed to greet his Master, but Marco waved a 'sit-down' gesture to him.
"You should save your strength, Flame-Eater," he said. "I may need your services again sooner than I had planned. Destiny yet has a great tapestry to create from your thread."
Flame-Eater smiled weakly and sat back down. He took the pitcher from the table and took a few big gulps of water.
"The bank job went well," he said between drinks. "The others are still counting the money. How were the auctions?"
"There were a few interesting pieces, but nothing we could afford. At any rate, I met a few interesting individuals. A rich foreign dignitary won the piece of the Ankaran machine. He is an Endbringer, of course."
"Will he be a threat to us?" the driver minion chimed in. "Surely his might cannot surpass your own, Master."
"Perhaps, but he has a great many resources at his disposal. Should he initiate the hostilities too soon, we may be in an unenviable position."
"What are your orders, Master? Should we seek him out and destroy him now?"
Marco made a soft noise that could be interpreted as a laugh. "Your eagerness is admirable, son, but action in haste could be worse for us than no action at all. Let me confer with our Lord as to the best course of action. In the meantime, you and the others should prepare for the next Ascendancy ritual."
The minion looked surprised. Marco usually only had an average of one or two rituals a year. Starting up again so soon could only mean he was preparing for war with the other Endbringers.
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Oct-taku
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Post by Oct-taku on Mar 23, 2009 9:41:08 GMT
"And that will be the death-shake." Victor thought with a triumphant smirk, as Tasmil gripped the other abomination in its powerful jaws and shook it. With a mighty roar, the creature died, and Tasmil stretched open its mouth.
Victor heard the revving of a motorcycle behind him. He turned, to see a Honda speed past him, the driver's face concealed by a black helmet. Behind this helmet, deep red hair flowed.
As Tasmil finished with the abomination, Victor thought to himself.
"I have seen that red before...."
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Post by The Spy on Mar 26, 2009 3:41:11 GMT
Sir, the Endbringer, it just dissapeared! One of my Fracture Agents say to me.
Impossible, I'll be right there. I say, asking the driver to stop the car, and we're right above the park.
I step out of the limo and so do my 2 fracture agents.
I do a running jump off the highway and I slowly glide down like an angel.
My two Fracture Agents follow suit.
We stop at the tree where my other two agents are.
I place my hand on the tree.
"I sense....a disturbance in the law of order in this flora." I say, stepping back and pulling out my Cutlass which is made from the bones of Zeus.
"I have seen this type of sorcery before." I say, placing my hand on the tree.
"The powers of Order command you to cease your works of magic and reveal to me my goal." I say, the tree opening slowly and forming a nexus type of portal.
"Well now, shall we?" I say, stepping into the portal and taking me to a dark corridor.
Me and my Fracture agents hear voices talking and we open the door.
"Sorry for intruding, I seem to have lost my way and ended up here." I say, smiling and looking around.
"Dreary little place." I add in.
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Post by Ty on Mar 26, 2009 4:50:35 GMT
Marco sensed another presence had arrived. He did a facepalm just before another one of his minions rushed into the dungeon.
"Sir! There-!"
"The Endbringer? Yes, I know. Damn my curiosity."
"What should we do?"
"What else? Make our guest feel comfortable." He turned and walked over to the other bed where the girl was sleeping. "Invite the Endbringer to join me in the main dining hall. Set out some water and light refreshments. I'll be along shortly."
The minion looked puzzled, but he knew better than to question his Master's orders. "Yes, sir. Right away."
As the minion left up the stairs to deliver the message, Marco knelt beside the bed. He gently touched the young woman's shoulder, and she stirred slowly.
"Come, my dear. We have guests waiting."
She yawned and wiped her eyes. "Guests? What kind of guests?"
"The dangerous kind, I think. Still, let's try to show them some courtesy. If things become... unfriendly, you know what to do."
"Mm-hmm."
The girl slowly rose from the bed. Marco shot a glance to the Abomination and remaining minion. "As you were, Flamer-Eater. And you, return to your duties. I want to have another ascended before the night is out."
"Yes, sir," the minion said, running for the stairs and out of the dungeon. The Flame-Eater laid down and tried to get some sleep.
Meanwhile, the girl had started getting dressed. Marco turned around to allow her some modesty. She quietly slipped into a long, black dress. It clearly didn't belong to her originally, as the garment barely stayed in place on her tiny frame.
Once she was done, Marco immediately turned to her again. He took her hand, and they casually walked together toward the stairs.
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Post by The Spy on Mar 30, 2009 18:39:29 GMT
I put on a pair of latex gloves over my cloth gloves and I pick up a small orb off the counter.
"Intriguing." I say, putting it back.
I see Marco emerge from a door.
"Ah Marco, yes I know your name but you don't seem surprised." I say taking off my hat and giving it to one of my fracture agents to hold.
The woman accompanying Marco catches my eye and I smile lecherously.
I take a step forward and I take her hand.
"Now, what is a charming young woman like you doing in a place like this?" I ask, hoping to provoke a reaction from Marco or the woman.
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Post by Ty on Mar 31, 2009 0:03:07 GMT
Neither Marco nor his companion seemed fazed by the comment. The girl was holding onto his arm as if she had trouble keeping her balance on her own.
"This is one of my followers. She's what we call an Ascended." Marco's tone remained monotone, almost to the point of disinterest. "I'd introduce you, but I don't know her name. My followers found her lying half-dead in a pile of garbage downtown. We think she was probably a heroin addict."
He turned as one of his minions from earlier returned. They exchanged a quick nod of understanding, and the minion left again. Marco turned back to his guests.
"Would you be interested in continuing this over dinner? The servants are almost finished preparing the roast. Some kind of wild boar, I think."
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Oct-taku
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Post by Oct-taku on Apr 1, 2009 0:02:37 GMT
"Just tell me what I want, and I'll put the knife away. It's as simple as that."
"Never!"
Victor sighed. With a casual wave of his fingers, the silver dagger floating above the bound man's neck pricked his ear, then traced a line on the canvas of the straitjacket.
That's the scary part -- when you move the dagger out of sight. His breathing quickens every time I do it. How intriguing.
"Look, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that this is just one more trial -- some kind of grand sacrifice that you'll make to protect everyone else. But here's today's lesson: It just doesn't work that way."
Victor waved his hands again, and the knife began its journey up the man's body again. His captive thrashed and twisted on the hotel room bed, trying to fling himself away from the knife. But the straps on the straitjacket and the shackles on the bedposts held.
Viktor paused the knife and let the man flop around on the bed for a while. When exhaustion set in, Victor floated the knife over his face briefly, then spoke. "I'll make it easy on you. Don't give up any secrets, but tell me about the Mistress. You're a smart guy. You can talk without giving up your precious secrets, right?"
Silence from the captive. He's clenching his jaw; that's classic 'I want to say something but I know I shouldn't' body language. Now I deliver the changeup.
"Not a talker, are you? That's fine. Why don't you just listen for a while?"
The captive twisted his neck, forcing his head as far from Victor as possible.
"You don't have to look at me -- just listen. I know you're busy being brave. Inside that little mind are all these brave little 'don't' thoughts. 'Don't say anything,' 'Don't show fear,' 'Don't react when he hurts you.'"
"I know because I can hear every one of those 'don'ts.' I've heard them from every person on the trail that led me to you." Victor paused for a moment, letting the implication sink in.
And what a trail it's been, thought Victor. Ever since the battle at the amusement park, he'd used sorcery, a network of fanatic followers, and old-fashioned detective work to get to this point. He'd carved a bloody path through an Oregon commune, a Malaysian mosque, and an entire town in the Australian outback while on the red-haired woman's trail. And finally this morning, Victor captured someone who personally knew the mysterious "Mistress."
"Barry, you're a temple leader for the Church of Unified Light. Ironic, isn't it, that you're talking to someone whose mental powers beggar anything you promise to the faithful? I'm inside your head right now -- and I didn't need a 'Cthonic Crystal' or a 'Transcendent Mind Seminar' to get there. You people can't even spell 'chthonic' correctly, much less tap into its power."
"The Church has power! The Mistress has power!"
There's his voice -- now keep him going. "You're half right, Barry . . ."
"You inquisitors don't scare me, because the church is what matters, not me. You'll probably kill me in a few minutes, but the church will keep going. You can't get all of us. Not in a million years!"
"But what if I get the Mistress? Maybe that's all I want."
"The Mistress doesn't matter -- she's just our guide. If you murder her, we'll still reach the Golden Transcendence. We're closer than you can possibly imagine."
Victor bellowed a harsh, mirthless laugh. "Oh, you'd be surprised at what I can imagine. Let me guess: The Mistress told you that the Golden Transcendence was some sort of 'mankind sharing their inner thoughts in universal brotherhood' thing."
"You'd never understand . . ."
Now I drop a truth-bomb on him. "Oh, I understand, Barry. I understand because I've got cults of my own. Temple of the Final Days? Mine. Reverend DeSalle? Mine. The Nelson commune in the papers last week? Mine.
"Your Mistress has them, too. You're not the first follower of the Mistress to wear that straitjacket, Barry. You're just the first one from your particular Church."
The captive clenched his eyes shut and started shaking his head back and forth. He's denying it with his surface thoughts, but deep down inside he's processing it. He's checking it against what he's seen over the last five years. Good.
"But there's a difference between my cults and the 'churches' of your Mistress." Victor paused. Make him ask -- make him break through his own wall. "Want to know what it is?"
The captive's head stopped shaking. Motion paused as if the hotel room was holding its breath. Then a plaintive croak from the captive: "What?"
"I have exactly one scruple, Barry. Those who follow me know exactly what I'm trying to do: End the world. They might be delusional or suicidal -- I'm sure many are -- but they know that they're working toward destroying everything, forever and ever, amen.
"Your Mistress wants to end the world before I get my chance. And she lied to you because she's going to sacrifice her minions to make it happen. The Mistress isn't bringing you a million years of mankind living in telepathic harmony, Barry. She's bringing you two months of the status quo, then the world dying in screams.
"Think about it. Haven't you heard a lot of 'change is coming soon' language from your Mistress lately? And I hear she might be moving you somewhere . . ."
"No . . ." Not much energy in that denial, Barry. You're processing again.
"Tell me where the Mistress is, and I'll take you along. You can see the truth for yourself, right in the presence of the Mistress. And isn't the unified light supposed to reveal truth? I think I heard that in one of your sermons."
"Leave me aloneā¦" The captive's eyes opened, wet with tears.
Token resistance. "I'm putting away the knife, Barry. Why don't you get some sleep, and then we'll talk some more later."
The captive's shoulders drooped, and every joint beneath the straitjacket released its tension.
"Sleep, Barry. And when you wake up, I've got something else to show you. Something I found in the basement of your church."
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Post by The Spy on Apr 2, 2009 11:47:33 GMT
"Well....why not?" I say, smiling brightly at his gesture but I know full well what his true feels are against me.
I notice the thin girl holding onto me.
"Don't you feed this slave of yours? She's positively frail." I say, with a dissapointed sigh.
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Post by Ty on Apr 3, 2009 4:20:20 GMT
OOC: By 'his', I meant she was holding onto Marco's arm. But either way.
IC:
Marco didn't bother correcting the 'slave' connotation. In truth, it wasn't that far off.
"I try," he said. "She wouldn't eat at all for a while; she was very close to death. Her drug habit has taken its toll on her. Still, I find that the most distorted people make the best Ascended."
As they started walking toward the dining hall, he decided to clarify. "As you may have guessed, Ascended is my group's title for an Abomination. I've always found the term far too negative. After all, how can one be considered an abomination if they are changed for the better?"
The dining hall had apparently kept its original use since the castle's glory days of the past. Small rectangular wooden tables stood in two long rows to the left and right of the main doors. At the far end of the room, there was a much larger table, obviously intended for powerful lords and ladies back in the day. Several small plates of bread and cheese were arranged along the sides, and two larger places had been set at either end of the table, presumably for Marco and Hiramanda. Each had a larger plate, eating utensils, napkin, and a wine glass filled to the top with some kind of red wine. A minion stood by the middle of the table with the wine bottle in case anyone needed a refill.
Marco walked to one end of the table and sat down. The Ascended girl pulled up a chair nearby and started eating some bread, taking small bites.
"I must admit, " Marco said, "I am somewhat surprised to see you again so soon, Your Excellence. To what do I owe this unannounced visit?"
Another minion stood at the opposite end of the table, pulling out a chair for Hiramanda to use.
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Post by The Spy on Apr 3, 2009 7:37:42 GMT
I sit down and I unclasp my two swords, Hyakka and Ryo-ran and I place next to my plate and my Fracture Agents stand behind me, protecting me.
"I'm sorry, but even if I told them to get back, they'll still come drawing close." I say, pushing myself closer to the table.
"Anyway, I'm here to possibly buy any artifacts you wish to part with." I say, smiling.
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Post by Ty on Apr 3, 2009 8:21:36 GMT
Strange that he should say "possibly," and "wish." That implies I have a choice in the matter, Marco thought to himself.
"I'm flattered you think I would have anything of interest to you," he said. "As you can no doubt already see, I run a fairly simple operation here. I do have a few simple artifacts: just tools of the trade, really. I doubt any of them would be of much use to you..."
Looking over the Endbringer and his associates, it was evident that Hiramanda could pretty much take whatever he wanted, and there wasn't much Marco could do about it. Maybe if he'd had time to prepare, to create more Abominations, but not right now. His best chance at this point was to convince Hiramanda that he was more useful as an ally than an enemy.
"Let me ask you something, Your Holiness: do you have many enemies? While I can see your subjects adore you, I would imagine there are any number of beings who would see you killed. What sort of preparations have you made against such an event? After all, bodyguards can only do so much..."
Marco waited for a response. His female companion looked at him with some confusion, realizing what he was implying. With just a moment of eye contact, he assured her he knew what he was doing.
"It occurs to me now, there is something I could offer you that you might like. It's not an artifact, per se; more like a service. It's an insurance policy of sorts, to ensure His Holiness is perfectly protected from harm. Does this prospect interest you?"
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Post by The Spy on Apr 4, 2009 2:15:57 GMT
I chuckle and I sit back in a quite rude posture.
"I have an entire army, a navy, a Air force and a Mechanized Assault Platoon on call, protection is what I know what to do." I say, sneering with pride.
"What I want to buy however, is the artifacts that look just like this." I say, holding up a picture of the Artifact I bought at the auction.
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Post by Ty on Apr 4, 2009 2:48:31 GMT
Marco tried to hide his disappointment.
"I see... this ancient machine seems to be in high demand of late."
Two servants came into the room carrying a roast pig on a large metal tray. They set it in the center of the table and began cutting.
"I can respect a man of means such as yourself, even if your goals may undermine my own. But in the case of the Ankaran machine, I'm afraid I can't help you."
The servants brought over several slices of meat for Marco's and the girl's plates. She began eating the meat with more enthusiasm, but Marco ignored the food. He shifted slightly in his seat, resting his elbow on the table and his chin on his palm.
"Are you certain I cannot interest you in my assistance? Armies and weapons of war are effective at large, but what happens when you find yourself all alone? For example, consider this very moment. You have your escorts with you, but suppose they aren't enough to repel a threat. Your armies are not stationed here. There are no military vehicles to operate."
Marco's voice remained monotone as usual, but there was definitely an implication of a threat there. Marco fixed his eyes on Hiramanda's.
"So, out of concern for Your Holiness' well being, I must ask, what will you do when you find yourself all alone?"
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Post by The Spy on Apr 4, 2009 3:01:33 GMT
I grab my the two swords Hyyaka Ryo-ran and I kick up the tray of the roast pig that has still been mostly uncut.
I then quickly jump up into the air and I use my powers of chaos to actually defy the laws of gravity and I use my own skills with swords to julienne the large pig into smaller slices, thinner than a magazine.
I stop cutting and I land on the floor, I notice alot of grease is on the blades so I quickly swipe it across the air, getting the grease on Marco, the girl and his Ascended.
"I'll do what I did to that pig, either it be one man or one thousand men, if I am threatened, I will kill them in the most beautiful of ways." I say, sheathing both of my swords in their hip sheathes .
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Post by Ty on Apr 4, 2009 3:26:08 GMT
"Indeed..."
Marco used his sleeve to wipe himself off. The girl frowned and looked down at the mess, then glared angrily at Hiramanda.
"I really liked this dress..." she said. She turned back to Marco. "Master?"
"Patience, dear." Marco handed her his napkin to clean up with, then turned to Hiramanda. "Your Holiness, I get the impression that you're not hungry. If that is the case, I don't want to keep you too long, as I imagine you are a very busy man. If you like, I would be happy to show you to the door."
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Post by The Spy on Apr 4, 2009 5:01:36 GMT
"Busy? Me? Why of course not." I say, smiling and nodding to my Fracture Agents.
I draw one of my swords.
"But when I say I wanted those artifacts, I wasn't expecting a no, and you dissapointed me." I say, sighing heavily.
"I will give you one last chance, I can buy or trade those off of you, or we can end this in a more bloody matter." I say, stabbing a slice of the pig with my sword and taking a small bite out of it.
"Well?" I ask, chewing loudly.
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Post by Ty on Apr 4, 2009 8:07:10 GMT
Marco sighed. "I have nothing to give you, and yet you still persist."
He stood up and walked out from the table. His companion stood as well.
"Such is your delusion. You cannot accept the idea of something that is beyond your grasp. From an early age, you were given everything. Your patricidal exploits only proved you're incapable of acquiring anything on your own. And if you don't believe me, I'll be more than pleased to prove it to you."
The girl licked her lips. "Now?"
"Just wait, dear. His Holiness seems to think that nothing is beyond his grasp. I say we put his delusions to the test."
Even as he spoke, the room around them was beginning to distort ever so slightly. The walls and floor seemed like they were moving, shifting one way or another. Objects became difficult to focus on. In response, all of the servants bowed their heads and closed their eyes, knowing that if any of them stared at any one spot for too long, they'd start to go insane. Marco was playing to his strengths now. Hiramanda was dangerous, but he was too confident. It wasn't much of a weakness, but it was more than enough to exploit.
Marco picked up his wine glass from the table and held it out to Hiramanda. "Do you see this? The wine in this glass represents everything you've ever desired; everything you've ever dreamed of owning, and more still. You are to do what you always do: pursue that which you desire."
"The rules of this challenge are simple. You must take the wine and drink it. Every last drop. If you can do this, then you are welcome to this castle and all of the artifacts it holds. I won't lift a finger to stop you. But, if you cannot drink the wine, then I get to reap a fragment of your knowledge. What do you say, Your Holiness? Are you up to the task?"
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Post by The Spy on Apr 4, 2009 10:27:36 GMT
OOC: Nobody but my fracture agents know of my powers, and if you see them they're quite hard to explain, I can bring chaos to a situation, or tranquil order.
I sigh and I let the insane half of me take hold, intensifying the room with a myriad of colors, shapes, smells, sounds, feeling, and temperature changing a million times every nanosecond.
Everyone but me and my Agents tense up as if a live current was running through them for about 3 seconds and I quickly end it.
Everyone in the room is brought to their knees, overloaded by all the sensory stimulation.
"I did not come here to be challenged of my worthiness and evaluated by the likes of you, either hand me the artifact, or I will leave and come back with a much larger complement of men to protect me." I say, my eyes now narrowing to a thin slit, expressing my contempt and dissapointment at Marco's insult.
"I expect my artifact first thing in the morning." I say, turning around and leaving.
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