originally posted in:The New Dojo
[spoiler]y'all I dunno the state of Dojoville since it was blown up and shit a few times so I'm gonna improvise[/spoiler]
[b][u]Dojoville, Some Random Bar.
14:00 PM.[/u][/b]
[i]It was a little past the middle of the day, the sun shining brightly even in the winter, bathing the streets of Dojoville in its warm yellow light, the bright blue sky sparsely dotted with clouds. The frosty weather nipped at exposed skin, leaving the streets almost completely barren and empty, most people hidden inside their cozy homes and comfy beds, warm and pleasant.
As such, the otherwise bustling bars, taverns, and other similar places were the exact opposite of busy, only the most faithful customers there and present... along with a few more interesting individuals, most of which had little more than ill intent.
It was in one such bars that the main focus of this post took place, a small gathering of interesting individuals seated around a circular table in the middle of the main room, all four of the wooden seats occupied. The table and its chairs was rustic, crafted from fine oak wood, giving a slight polish to protect against scratches and give it some shine.
The room itself was much the same, just about everything made from wood, leaving the tavern with a look that suggested it was ripped straight from the Middle Ages, or something. The other tables were circular as well, each accompanied by exactly four chairs, while the two corners next to the door were filled with L-shaped booths of sorts, the couch-like seats given some red velvet padding of soft cloth, the seats paired with tables that fitted.
As far as the more miscellaneous things went, there was a counter on the opposite side of the door, "walling" the place with the booze and the food off from the drunkards, though it was currently left unattended, the tender likely in the backroom.
The individuals around the middle table were all far, far less interesting than the fine furniture of the tavern, consisting of three males and only one lady, whose back was facing the door, almost as if for a quick getaway.
She was dressed in a cloth, gunmetal grey trench coat, the front of which was let open to show a piece of midnight black harness-like protection wear, the thing like a Kevlar vest but far sleeker, even as it hugged the woman's chest very nicely, the metal given a little rounding. It was likely made out of some metal weave, while her arms were seemingly unprotected, covered by the sleeves of her coat, hands dressed in black fingerless gloves that showed healthy tan skin and well-kept nails. On her legs, she had a pair of pencil grey jeans, with underneath, some black military boots, the right impatiently tapping on the wooden flooring.
And, well, her head... it was covered by a helmet that was similar to the harness she wore on her torso, black and made from some sort of sleek metal, stylized like an ancient Barbuta helmet, the visor filled with golden one-way glass, leaving the whole piece of headwear completely expressionless and even emotionless.
The men that accompanied the nameless, faceless woman were all dressed in fine, pencil grey suits, wearing polished black dress shoes on their feet, though the barbarians didn't even wear ties. Their faces were all generic and lame, handsome with slight facial hair and slicked back hair, black and blonde, and very much lame. They were uninteresting and only there to get harmed, or whatever.[/i]
"So," [i]The woman spoke, her voice lightly distorted by a very slight static tone, though it was undeniably feminine, warm, and lovely to listen to, like a gentle breeze in the middle of a day in summer,[/i] "I take it y'all're goin' with the deal?"
[i]When the three men nodded in unison, the lady pulled a chrome briefcase from beneath the table, the digits on her right hand firmly wrapped around the black grip. She plopped it down, sliding it to the middle of the circular surface, wearily watching the men, who were all eagerly eyeing it.[/i]
"It's all in here. I'd like it if y'all would abstain from opening it until I'm out of here, though, for entirely private reasons."
[i]Of course, since it wouldn't be any other way, one of the males took it upon himself to see exactly what was inside, pulling it over to him with a curious-yet-confused face, thumbs elegantly flicking the little clasps off, before opening the suitcase, revealing what was inside. When he did, just about everyone froze, except for the nameless woman, who just groaned in annoyance.
Within the metal-framed case was a whole lot of wiring and other fancy, technical stuff, a keypad with the numbers 0 to 9 on the very left, with above it, a digital clock that was at 02:27 exactly, counting down by the second, while below the keypad, a single red button sat. Dominating the rest of the suitcase's inside were whole packets of explosives, neatly held in place.
A bomb. Of course.[/i]
"Goddammit, you goooooons..."
[i]She made a dramatic sigh, her right hand darting out to the time bomb, tip of her thumb booping the red button, followed by the 5, followed by the button again, the clock going empty before flashing with 00:05.[/i]
[b]"Yo! What the fuсk?!"[/b]
"Sorry babe."
[i]In those four remaining seconds, she tipped her seat backwards, rolling in the same direction once it hit the floor with a harsh crash, deftly landing on her feet. She turned on her heels with a half-assed wave of her hand, her boots skidding over the wooden floor.
2.
She made a mad dash towards the door, right shoulder aimed at it as she prepared to ram through it.
1.
She made contact, her speed and weight crashing into the door, snapping the lock and causing it to fall open. The missus fell with it, so suddenly turned around when it shot open, making her stumble back.
0.
The bomb exploded with three rapid beeps mid-fall, the blast knocking her flat on her back and sending her onto the street a good meter or two. She was perfectly fine, however, even as the tavern was torn apart by a fiery inferno and a whole fuсkton of force, the three men in suits very much dead. Then, a large piece of shrapnel very unceremoniously dug into the front of her viso, hitting with a thud, sending a jolt through her body before she went limp.[/i]
"Mmmmmmmmoooother[i]fuсker[/i]!" [i]She exclaimed after a good few seconds of silence and limp-ness, her voice cracking the silence that had managed to set in... no, wait, her ears were still blown out, leaving her deaf for the moment.[/i] "Fffffffuсking hellllllllll, Gods, oh Christ! Shrapnel huuuurts!"
[i]She squirmed around in agony, twisting and turning as her hands wildly grasped at the piece of jagged metal that was embedded into her helmet. Her ten fingers wrapped around it, the edges digging into her flesh and her skin, blood dripping onto the front of her helm with soft little thuds, and yet, with a mighty yank, it came out, sent flying to the sidewalk, the piece that had been stuck thickly coated in blood.[/i]
"GODS! Fuсking, fuсk, good Christ, ohhhhh FUСKING HELL!"
[i]She squirmed some more, rolling over to her front in her wild flailing, blood dribbling out from the hole in her visor, the "glass" cracked rather thoroughly. Then, the woman went limp again, the trickle of crimson slowing down, only to stop completely. She groaned quietly, swearing underneath her breath, rolling back onto her... well, back, only to find herself surrounded by people.
When her hearing returned, she found out they were bombarding her with worries, asking if she was okay or whatever. She didn't really care, waving them off with a gesture of her bloody hands and a quick, rude, and very brash "fuсk off already" until she was bothered no more. She grunted as she rose to her feet, her hands soon... no longer dripping blood as she slid them into the pockets of her trench coat.[/i]
[spoiler]open y'all[/spoiler]
English
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"Close," [i]She responded shortly, turning on her heels to look at the man, admiring his afro and those kind eyes of him, while he got a glimpse of a single golden eye through the gash in the helmet, roofed by a red eyebrow.[/i] "Very close." [i]She paused in front of the man, noticeably taller as she stood at about six feet and two inches tall, give or take, since her heavy boots and helmet both skewed the estimate, each adding a bit to her supposed height. Even without both, though, she was definitely a big girl.[/i] "Healin' factor, which'sn't really magic, I suppose. DNA fuсkery's more accurate." [i]She let out a little snort, her voice carrying a very definite accent with it, thick and foreign, though it was a Newfie one, according to JT. Canadian.[/i]
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"Oh? D-N-A, huh?" The man thought for a moment, tapping the crystal ball upon his chin in deep thought. There was a long, low "hmmmmm" that escaped him, before his urge to speak overtook him once more. "So, is that an off branch of the Dialossi worshippers? Hm, but that wouldn't make sense, as it is not magic. You're a mystery! Oh I love mysteries." He squatted down, and used his upright staff for support as he looked for signs of runes. His eyes quickly traced over her entire body once, and deciding there were none, tried to test it instead. Just in case. So, he poked her in the leg with the staff again.
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"Die-a-lo-- a what? The... the fuсk're those?" [i]The poke didn't do much other than annoy the woman just a teeny tiny tad, her lips pursing as she looked down at him. The urge to kick him in the face arose, of course, seeing him squatted down in front of her, but she was quick to shove that thought aside since he did definitely seem like a decently nice person. She pocketed her hands as she raised her right eyebrow and cocked her head to the right, both confused and... a little curious. She couldn't help but wonder, really, because while mages weren't necessarily a new concept to her, this all was... She was used to a different kind of mage, back home, so this was odd indeed -- especially these Dialossi - or whatever - worshippers the friendly man had mentioned.[/i]
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"Dialossi, the god of healing, light, warmth and all the good stuff. That said, her followers don't really share the warmth that they advertise." With a grunt of effort, he pulled himself up with his staff, regarding the rather vulgar woman with another dazzling smile. "I'd hoped that maybe they'd taken to being like the one they worship, but it seems I was wrong. Say then, what's your name? I'm Tyrian." He extended a rather thin hand, but it was rough with signs of the hard work he had once done in the mountains.
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[spoiler]so basically Christians[/spoiler] [i]The "rather vulgar woman" firmly took the mage's hand in her own with a toothy grin on her face, her eyes twinkling with delight as she listened to what he said. Of course, she did have something to say regarding the followers of Dialossi, because she wasn't the biggest fan of religion.[/i] "Isn't that most religious fol'wers, though, Tyr? Seems 'ey're all сunts who're the 'posite 'f 'eir gods -- 'cept the ones that follow the gloomy gods." [i]She made a solid point. She gave Tyrian's hand a good shake before letting go, her own reaching up to lightly tap against the side of her helmet.[/i] "Mine's Helena. Pleasure t'meet ya."
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[spoiler]Oof[/spoiler] "You make a point, I didn't meet one bad apple in my time at the Tyal temple. That said- all the apples there were bad. Tyal is the snake God-" He used the hand he had just shook with to gesture at the staff in his right hand. Upon closer inspection, the snake climbing up the pole was surprisingly detailed. "Of poison, venom... All the nasty stuff." Tyrian shrugged, and tapped the crystal ball against his palm. "So Helena, huh? Well that's quite a nice name- at least it is easy to understand and pronounce! You won't believe the things I've come across!" This time, his hand moved to his chin, rubbing it in curiously. "I came here to study the way of the God of Rot- perhaps mix it with my own studies, but what brings you here? Or have you been part of the land since you were born?"
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[i]Man, this guy was a talker, Helena thought to herself with an amused smile. Still, at least listening to him was interesting and entertaining enough, her head cocking to the side as she simply tuned in to Tyrian's little rant, only speaking up once she had to answer a question.[/i] "Business," [i]She replied shortly and very lamely, her answer so very boring and bland -- at least, until she elaborated.[/i] "Same business that had this 'ere bar blown t'high hell. [i]She vaguely gestured over her shoulder and at the bar as it did nothing more more than burn in the background, the smoke blotting out the sky. Relevant to the burning, exploded burning, sirens were heard in the background... which meant the two should likely start moving.[/i] "I'm 'ere for m'work, t'plot a plan." [i]Vague.[/i]
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"Hoho! A real, true criminal! Right in front of my eyes!" Though his enthusiasm remained, his voice had dropped to a whisper, only Helena could hear it above the roaring fires and chatter of the crowd. There would be no public reveal of what she had done. Upon hearing the sirens, he gave a sly smile, and began walking backwards, away from the scene. His movements were smooth, even through a crowd, he hit no one. It was... Snake like. "So what's it like- I mean, always being on the run? Or are you one of those criminal guys with the fancy accents, living in luxury? Though, your accent isn't really that fancy..." It seemed that the Monks of Tyal had some access to the outside world. Perhaps it was that their rules were not as strict as those before them, or they simply didn't care.
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[i]Helena smirked at both of Tyrian's comments, starting to walk after the weird snake monk, though her movements were a lot less fluid and gracious... she wasn't quite stomping like a brute, but rather, she walked with confidence, self-assurance, and broad shoulders. Not cocky, oh no, but it was definitely a walk of someone who was confident in themselves. She didn't avoid people at all, the crowd instead moving aside for the woman as she carried herself forwards with grace, her boots thumping on the pavement.[/i] "A criminal? That's not very nice," [i]She teased with a jesting tone,[/i] "Though y're absolut'ly correct. 'Tis fine enough, mostly b'cause the law folks can't really do a whole lotta stuff t'us since we're fast 'n sneaky beaky, so... yea; one of 'em criminal guys livin' in luxury, kinda."
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"Hmmm? So, where are you off to now? To blow up another building? Or to settle some debts? The world you live in is all so exciting!" Tyrian would walk straight back into a larger rock of rubble on the ground, and fell straight backw... Nope- he stopped halfway, his smile returning as he let out a "hehe" at the woman. "Just kidding! But it reminds me- do you tell lies all the time? Being a criminal and all."
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[i]"So a bar blows up and there's a... What, redhead coming out? Why did I expect that?" A voice asked, approaching the woman from behind. The sound wasn't too deep or light, rather it was a perfect blend, a synchronized harmony of a calm tone blending with an inquisitive and curious one. Natalie Ellidran had approached the strange lady from behind. She saw the commotion from down the road and heard the explosion while she was rounding the corner to get on the street, and now she was hearing faint sirens off in th distance. If there was a time for her to speak to the stranger and inquire about what had happened, the time was now. Nat wasn't dressed like many other people, with layers upon layers of armour to keep her protected, rather she was dressed in a much more sensible fashion for the conditions she was currently in. A black jacket adorned her slim yet slightly curvy physique, the felt and cotton clothing falling halfway down her thighs and with sleeves that hit her wrist, accentuating her pale skin and the ring on her right forefinger. Her pants consisted of a pair of skinny jeans that had reached her ankles, though the pair of black lace-up boots that rode halfway up her shins almost looked to eat the bottom of her form-fitting pants. The jacket was closed though she looked to have a dark purple shirt on beneath it, which matched her long, wavy, midnight purple hair that fell down her back. Nat's face was very angular and with well defined points, though her face was almost snow-coloured and the blue eyes in her head were near oceanic, shining amidst her striking features like diamonds. [/i]
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[i]The voice so suddenly piping up behind her definitely got Helena's attention, even if she was mildly agitated at the fact she was still being bothered, but ah... nothing she could do about that. She spun on her heels, head cocked slightly to the right when Nat came into view, though it slowly straightened.[/i] "B'cause we're bold, brash, 'n... beautiful? I don't fuсkin' know." [i]The redhead shrugged, the new arrival getting just a barest hint at what lay beneath the helmet through the crack in the front. She saw a vibrant golden eye, the iris so magnificently twinkling in the little light that managed to shine through the lengthy hole, while above the eye, a sharply arching eyebrow sat, fiery red in colour. The view got snatched away, however, as Helena groaned in mild annoyance, also hearing the sirens of annoying government people in the background as the police, the firefighters, and the hospital people rushed on over, though she only guessed at the last two. She rolled her eyes, pushing a sigh past her lips as she looked back at Natalie.[/i] "So then, what 'boutcha? Decided t'just come over 'n talk t'the potential terrorist?"
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[i]"In the Dojoville? We have more domestic terrorists than normal people, I'll take my chance." Nat chuckled and looked over her shoulder. She recognized the street they were on due to having a few friends that lived nearby - One wasn't home and she knew a way in, so maybe she could slip the woman out of the area and away from the police? "Speaking of criminals and terrorism, want to get out of the middle of the street? So you don't get arrested?" [/i]
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[i]Helena laughed quietly at Nat's first words, the snicker soft and short, sounding weirdly distorted through the helmet. She nodded slowly, her left hand slipping out of her pocket to give the purple-haired lady a thumbs-up.[/i] "Was plannin' on runnin' n' lettin' m'Cap'n deal with the mess, buuut runnin' off t'hide with a pretty lass doesn't sound so bad. Sure, lead the way, eh?" [i]Her voice took a jesting tone for just a moment, though she got serious again rather quickly, hand disappearing back into her coat in the meantime.[/i]
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[spoiler]What accent is that, Newfie? [/spoiler] [i]Nat started to run along the pavement, gesturing for her to follow. She turned right and darted through an alleyway before jumping atop a duster and catching a fire escape ladder, which she climbed and kicked to make fall for the woman. She waited on the third level of the fire escape, which was right outside a small hallway the two could cut through. [/i]
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[spoiler]I dunno, honestly. It's just me improvising hard.[/spoiler] [i]Helena shot after Natalie rather quickly, her combat boots thumping on the stone tiles that made the sidewalk, while her trench coat fluttered in the wind. She could've easily caught up with the other woman, but instead chose to lag behind to follow her easily, acting quick to follow up the ladder, the fire escape, and to the window.[/i]
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[spoiler]Ah. Well it looks Newfie as hell (east coast Canadian province), and the eh? she said made me think it lol. [/spoiler] [i]Nat speedwalked through the long and beige corridor, before slipping through an empty house and jumping out the window. She easily crossed the tight gap and grabbed the roof of a nearby music store and rolled on top of it, where she started to run again. [/i]
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[spoiler]Well, she's basically from space Canada.[/spoiler] [i]And again, Hel followed, dexterous and elegantly, tailing Nat closely, never being more than about two meters away from her. She followed the purple-haired woman like a tail, her mind running since she wasn't all too focused... of course, the thought of it being an elaborate ruse to trap her did cross her. Oh well.[/i]
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[i]Natalie dashed across the snowy rooftops, only losing her grip on the ground once in a while as she slid across the cool ice below. Eventually she looked to the closed window of her friend's apartment, which shot open, allowing her to jump and roll inside of it. She did so and jumped, turning halfway midair to land back-down on the living room couch. [/i]
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[i]The redhead made a significantly less flashy entrance as she purposely aimed lower than Natalie had, boots hitting the wall right below the window, hands gripping the windowsill. She landed with a grunt, quickly hoisting herself up and over, deftly landing with both feet on the inside after doing a little flip.[/i]
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[i]"Welcome to the safe haven. Or at least, for the hour," Nat said as she got up off the couch and went to the kitchen. She moved past the array of various beers and grabbed her and the redhead a bottle of water eachz which she passed to her upon returning to the window. [/i]
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[i]Helena took the bottle of water with a grateful nod, plopping down on the couch after, sighing in relief as she finally, at long last, got the chance to fuсkin' relax. She pushed a groan past her lips, her hands moving up to the sides of her helmet, giving it a few hard tugs before it came off, getting placed in her lap after. She gave her head a wild shake, hands correcting her hair a little after, so that she didn't look like a hobo. The woman's face was revealed at long last, her thick, fiery red hair let loose to hang, reaching to her shoulder blades, where it was neatly cut. The locks were nice and well-kept, curly and wavy, if a tad messy and haphazard after being stuck in a helmet. Her face was surprisingly angular and pretty, with big golden eyes, barely plump pink lips, and a slightly upturned nose.[/i] "Name's Helena, BTW. Also, if y'don't mind m'askin', but who opened the window? B'cause I don't see anyone."
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[i]"I'm Nat. And I've got the window situation handled through magic." Nat, like the masses of Dojoville who possessed magic, was usually very open about it. She sat on the couch beside Hel and let out a brief sigh of relief, all the while she took off her jacket and laid it out beside her. The purple tee shirt was revealed to have a golden creature on it - a Griffon - with black sleeves attached to it that ran to her wrists. She sipped casually on the water. [/i]
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"Nat? Short for Natalie, I presume? Also, y'got mages 'ere? Huh... just've psychic peeps back home." [i]Indeed, indeed... Helena wasn't quite used to the typical mages, but rather, just people who could use their mind to do things, like telekinesis and all that stuff. She shut her eyes for a moment, her head resting back while her hands blindly grabbed her bottle, ubsvewed the cap, and then also brought it to her lips, letting her take a deep swig.[/i]
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[i]"It's... Complicated. Some mages use magic from a source, some use it from a source of ethereal energy - I get all my magic from my genes." Nat's case was strange, in that magic-blockers would rarely ever affect her, though at the same time, her magical growth was limited to her using the full extent of her genes. "My mother was something called a Tempest, which is basically some sort of time mage. I got gravity as a modified gene, sorta." [/i]