{Run,Hide} . The Age of Monsters . {Stand,Fight}
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Hello all you lovely people new and old! This is an rp about people who get possessed by giant animal spirits overnight called Daemons. It's fun! You should join!
Please read below for all the info you will need .
Check out the topic in the RP planning subforum and post your skellys/interest in joining there. Here is the link to the topic!
Background Story and Info
About 10 years ago something happened across the planet that is now known now as the start of The Age of Monsters. All over the globe, millions of people suddenly became possessed by giant, mythological spirits of yore. The spirits, called Daemons, live inside of the human hosts. No, they entwined themselves with them, sharing their powers, becoming a single body with two souls. Together they became known as the Taken.
Those that were Taken kept a humanoid appearance, but gained telltale markings of being possessed. Some markings were subtle while others were not so. A woman with a Serpent Daemon had only her eye color change from dark brown to a light green. A Taken boy with a Stag Daemon found himself with his hair the color of his daemon's silver fur and growing small antlers.
Though the Taken looked mostly human, they could shift form into that of their Daemon. Daemons are by no means small creatures. The smallest recorded thus far was a Mouse Daemon that was about the size of a Hummer. On average, they reached to be the height of a two to three story house. And while some Daemons and their humans coexisted peacefully, with the human in control of the body...others did not. The results were devastating.
When the Age of Monsters began, hostile Rogue Daemons caused massive destruction to towns and cities. The casualty list was rising each day. Refugee camps were formed as entire metropolises were demolished. Panic and fear spread. In the midst of chaos, a new power arose. A special task force was established to capture and destroy the possessed: The Daemon Eradication and Apprehension Force. D.E.A.F., as they are known, developed sciences, weapons, and devices for the disposing and extraction of Daemons. These Extraction procedures leave the human host dead in nearly every instance, but the greater good of humanity depended on it.
It was a miracle. Only a year and half into this new era, in the smoldering ruins and abandoned streets, hope was being restored. Somehow (the rumors say through dark magic or occult science) the D.E.A.F. Laboratories figured out a way to force an Eradicated Daemon and human to combine and created their own Taken Agents. These Agents were rigorously trained and taught. Only the top trainees became full fledged warriors. Soon they were used to battle the Rogue Daemons. And battle they did. When the world reached the sixth year of the Age of Monsters, nearly every Daemon, good or evil, was destroyed.
Nowadays, peace and order has been somewhat restored. The Rogue Taken population no longer reaches even a fraction of the numbers they had in the beginning. While the D.E.A.F. Agents not longer war with other Taken, they are still used to hunt them down. Experiments are carried out on those Taken who are captured in D.E.A.F. Labs. Horrific, terrible experiments to be sure.
To be an uncaptured Taken is hard, especially if you are heavily marked. Almost no human trusts a Taken. They must hide every day or face death.
Setting
About 150 miles north of Barton City, the new capital of this land and home to the D.E.A.F. Headquarters, is a hellish, desolate landscape. Here is the sight of the Battle of Lake Morrigan, perhaps the bloodiest massacre during Year 4 of the Age of Monsters. Though the battle rage for only 4 days and 4 nights, approximately 63,624 Taken, Rogue and Agent alike, met their fate on these blood-soaked grounds. As the sun rose on the fifth day, Second Class Agent Howard LaRoche of Romulus Division wrote the following excerpt as he moved from his campsite towards the battlefield:
"It is August 7th during the 4th year of the Age of Monsters, sunrise. We have won. I am standing at perhaps the farthest east of the battlefield, the Romulus Camp, stationed against the treeline of Lake Morrigan State Park...What is before our eyes I cannot bear to write about, but an account needs be taken of such carnage. Thoder, my Daemon, has not uttered a word since we both beheld this horrifying scene. At its epicenter the area has a 18 mile radius at best...gods have mercy on us for what we have done here. This land used to be one of rolling foothills, lovely with sparse trees and the scent of beautiful wildflowers on the wind. As a boy I remember bringing the horses my family owned to ride here on summer days. Those days are gone now, destroyed by our hands. All of it destroyed. The wind is heavy with the smell of smoke, ozone, blood, and decay. The hills have been all but leveled, massive craters littering the area to the north and south. At the far west, closest to Great Lake Morrigan, I can see the hundreds of great boulders that were called from the earth. That is where the last slaughter took place, it seems. This beautiful land was torn as easily as if someone gouged sculpting knives through clay. They are moving the bodies to the trenches as I write. The bodies, stars help us the bodies. Daemon and man alike littered about like discarded rib bones. From my position I can see fellow Agents returning to their posts, sloshing through what I wish with both our souls to be water. But the ground is so saturated with the blood...any hope of life returning here is futile. This is a place of anguish; a place of death; a place of pestilence...."
10 years on and the land is still as barren and marred as it was then. Skeletons of Daemons half-buried now protrude from the hard soil. For a reason yet to be explained, a hazy miasma of dust and fog hangs over the grounds nearly 85% of the year; even with its location near the windy lake. It is a sad land, a place where you can feel the anguish as you approach. But this land is also abandoned. After the War, officials deemed it protected land and incorporated it into the Morrigan National Park, but not one soul has ever visited. Fences were constructed 5 miles from the edge of the war zone, allowing people to turn back before they ventured further. No one visits the Lake Morrigan Battlefield.
This significant fact is exactly why in the northwest most corner, nearest to the enormous boulders and home to the most Daemon skeletons, there lies a campsite in the woods. No more than 400 yards from the Lake to the west and 600 yards from the battlefield in the south, a makeshift Rogue refugee camp has been constructed. Rogue Taken living on the run constructed this site near the beginning of last year, right after a mysterious force had summoned Taken of all kinds to a town outside of Barton City. With so many Rogues in one place they had become an easy target for D.E.A.F. Agents. In fact, Agents had detained nearly two dozen Rogue Taken who had ventured to the area. The uncaptured had no choice but to flee.
Many Rogues come to the Campsite, but few stay for very long. There are only a handful that have stayed since its construction. Though only a humble tent city, it is far more than most living life on the run have had in years. This is where the Rogue Taken who felt the calling last spring have converged. This is one of the only places where any Rogue has felt somewhat safe in years. It's not much, but it's home...
Unfortunately, not all those who leave the camp are fortunate enough to stay uncapture. The clouds of uncertainty drift closer and closer to the Rogues every day. Somewhere in Barton City, a Taken cries out in a windowless room within the D.E.A.F. Laboratory walls...
D.E.A.F Labs Guide to Daemons and Taken
Daemons and the humans they have possessed are pretty complex. Not to mention a bit scary! Even though we live in a time of great peace, we must always be cautious. Thanks to the brave and hardworking scientists and agents at the D.E.A.F Research Laboratory, we know a great deal about how to spot one and what to expect. Here are some facts every human should know:
Taken Facts: 1. Never EVER approach a Taken! They can control their Daemon's Power and will not hesitate to attack! 2. You can tell a Taken by odd markings or symbols on their bodies. Colorful hair, animal tails or horns, feathers, claws, and unusual eyes are just some common traits. Some markings may even resemble a tribal tattoo, so be aware! (Note: Be aware that a new trend among adolescents is to "dress like a Taken". Many false reports have been made for teens with cat ear headbands and colored hair. Please use discretion when reporting sightings. Look for nervous body language and suspicious behavior.) 3.Remember, a Taken may say he or she is in control, but the Daemon is always present. They can see what their human sees and can even converse with them. Be advised: Share no D.E.A.F. secrets with a Taken. 4. You can always trust a D.E.A.F. Taken Agent. They are here to help and protect all citizens! You can spot them by the silver D.E.A.F. insignia band surgically implanted onto their right wrist. They will be happy to show you proof of their allegiance!
Daemon Facts 1. Daemons in their true form must under NO CIRCUMSTANCES be approached. Get to a safe place or Monster Bunker and alert authorities if you see one. 2. Our research shows that all Daemons are animal forms. Some have odd colors or markings different than their true animal counterparts. Some even have jewelry or symbolic clothing. 3. Know that Daemons have fearsome powers! Telekinesis, elemental powers, weather control, and even healing abilities have been recorded. 4. A Daemon gathers energy from a mysterious natural force. If they fight too long, their powers will fade unless they rest and recharge. Good thing we always have enough Taken Agents to wear them down!
If you have any more questions, are interested in Daemon and Taken History, or are interested in the technology we use to defeat them, please visit the D.E.A.F. Research Museum in Barton City! You can see pictures, recordings, and illustrations of apprehended Daemons and even see our displays of pelts and talismans!
Students: Please inquire about our Honor Student Internships!
Plot
No one knows why Daemons possessed humans a decade ago. A band of Rogue Taken come together in a search for the truth. All the while, the D.E.A.F. seeks to apprehend these Taken under the guise of peace for humanity.
Despite what the D.E.A.F. says, there ARE Taken who live happily and harmoniously with their Daemon. But they are in constant hiding from other humans and Taken Agents. These times are trying. These times are deadly.
Whatever the truth may be, it is certain the Age of Monsters is more than a random event in the void. The truth is out there, the truth is hidden, and the truth will be found.
Rules
This is a literate roleplay so all the basics (proper grammar, no god-moding or pp-ing, etc.) apply. But I do have a few of my own:
1. Please let's try not to have any Mary-Sue or Gary-Stu characters. Especially Sympathetic Sues. Sure your character may be a brooder, but let's not have them have depression, a troubled past, AND dead parents too. You can think of something better. I BELIEVE IN YOU. 2. No immortality or invincibility. 3. Two paragraph minimum, please. 4. I edited this rule out so here is this sentence instead. 5. 2 characters MAX each. 6. No repeat daemon animals. 7. ONE power per daemon. Powers can repeat, but you can't have healing power and flames, for example. (Unless you have some sort of cleansing flame...which would actually be pretty cool...Let's play this rule by ear.) 8. Have fun. This is a roooleplaaaay. RPing is supposed to fun. Don't get mad, man. Relaaaax.
Character Skelly
You can either choose to be an Rogue Taken (just meaning uncaptured) or a Taken Agent. Taken Agents are loyal to the D.E.A.F. under penalty of death (Hence the silver band on their arm. It is an electronic smart device that tracks them, gives them orders, and can incapacitate them if need be.) Rogue Taken can either be harmonious with their Daemon or hostile.
Hostile Daemon's have little to no bond between their human host. It only allows human control for survival purposes. If threatened, a hostile Daemon will not hesitate to shift form against the human's will. They tend to be disagreeable when conversing with their human. This bond can vary from borderline harmonious to extremely hostile and anywhere in between. Taken Agents who have gone under Eradication and Reassignment generally are more susceptible to hostile relationships with their new Daemon.
Harmonious Daemon's share a strong bond with their human. They understand their predicament and willingly let humans have control. The Daemon and Taken human work together, two souls in one. Both have adapted themselves to one another's personalities, giving and taking here and there till they were in sync. Like the Hostile Daemon, the bond can vary from complete harmony to nearly hostile.
Taken Agent Rankings: It's not extremely important as all our characters are going to be Agents working towards just capturing Rogue Taken. BUT they are ordered into Divisions and from there into class. The oldest and first Division is Genesis, which appeared a year after the Age of Monsters began. After the unit's success and growth, the D.E.A.F. created the Dioscuri, Gemini, Romulus, and Remus Divisions. When your character joined the D.E.A.F. correlates to which Division they will be in (ex: If they were captured, turned over at the start of The Age of Monsters, they will be in Genesis then so on and so forth). That being said, agents can be reassigned to another Division. Within each Division, a Taken Agent is ranked Fourth, Third, Second, or First Class. Class is dependant on how you've performed in the field, usually based on time in the unit. Some Divisions may not have any Fourth Class agents due to all agents in said Division being seasoned veterans. Divisions used to only work within their unit but that is no longer the case. Many agents in the field work with others outside of their own Division (though agents with titles from older Divisions still receive a higher level of respect). They take orders directly from the D.E.A.F. Headquarters.
Human's Name: Age: Gender: Appearance: (remember the special markings!) Personality: Allegiance: D.E.A.F. Taken Agent/ Rogue Taken Daemon's Name: Species: Gender: Bond with Human:Hostile/Harmonious Appearance: (You can have a light blue lion with two tails and six paws for all I care. Have fun with it!) Power: Please specify the extent of the power.If the power is 'fire' does the Daemon shoot fireballs or engulf itself in flame? Human hosts wield a certain level of power while in their form. How much power can the human wield?
NOTE When you rp in the human form, the Daemon with be in the subconscious of the human. They can see and hear everything the human does, even go so far and identifying scents, but can't control the body. This is opposite if you are rping in the Daemon's form.
[spoiler= The Characters]
Rogue Taken
Human's Name: Nicholas Lebedev (a.k.a. Nick) Age: 25 Gender: Male Appearance: 6'1, 190lbs. Nick has sharp features overall, including his claw-like fingernails. His face is oblong with deep set, light gray eyes (which match Xar's) , a larger than normal roman nose, and high cheek bones. He keeps his golden blond hair in a short fringe cut (which he does himself). Unfortunately, he is afflicted with a long tiger tail, white furred with his Daemons unique black stripes. The stripes from his tail continue up his back to the shoulders, down his legs to the knee, and appear on his ar
Human's Name: Ilony Farmer Age: 23 Gender: Female Appearance: She is a thin female due to living in the woods more than in cities. Her light brown hair is somewhere around the middle of her back, usually restrained by a bandanna or hair tie. On her right shoulder blade she has four scratch marks that travel down to her left floating rib. Her eyes are hazel with the brown concentrated in the middle of her eye, with green surrounding it. Her clothes aren't in the best condition, and usually loose fitting, her pants are held on by a belt. She steals clothes from people silly enough to leave them in the sun to dry. Personality: Ilony used to be fun loving, caring, and willing to help anybody. After she was infected however she became cautious, and lost a lot of her sense of fun. She will still help anybody if they will let her. She used to like the company of others, but now she prefers the quiet of the woods. Cities of any size make her jumpy, and most of the people that have changed also make her uncomfortable. Once she calms down though she usually begins to trust people. Allegiance: Rogue
Daemon's Name: Iktha Species: Cougar Gender: Female Bond with Human: Mostly harmonious Appearance: She looks like a typical cougar, if you don't notice the tan feathered wings that are tucked away by her sides. Iktha also has small row of spines that travel down from the crown of her head to the tip of her tail. Iktha stands about three stories tall at the shoulder. Power: Sound imitation, it can range from a small animals to that of a fog horn. When Ilony is in control the power manifests as being able to imitate other human beings, something that Iktha cannot do. The sound only needs to be heard once to be imitated perfectly. If enough of another animals sounds are made Iktha can usually learn the language, or at the very least understand the meaning of the sounds that are being made.
May make another charrie later
Human's Name: Demetri Chazti Age: 24 Gender: Male Appearance: 6'4 and lanky. His skin have a olive almost sickly tone to it. He always looks tired with heavy bags under his eyes and has a bunch of beauty marks on his face. His hair is dark black, long and unruly. Hidden in the wefts of hair is a pair of goats's horns. His hair also often covers his eyes which have the same long rectangular pupils as a goats. sketch
Personality: While kind of a space case and very rarely sober, Demetri is mostly focused on self preservation and isn't a big fan of contemplation and self evaluation. Most of the time his head is in the clouds with empty encouragement and pep talks for others that he doesn't really believe in. Due to his relationship with his daemon, he's usually smoking or drinking something to keep his spirits up. He probably wouldn't last a day alone in the woods. He's pretty soft and not used to life on the run but he finds it better than the alternate of just waiting for someone to take him out. His relationship with his daemon is...complicated. They are more of two separate entities due to Demetri's constant substance abuse to suppress and ignore him. Angered by Demetri ignoring him, his daemon is more openly hostile and intrusive. Allegiance: Rogue Taken
Daemon's Name: Baphomet Species: Goat Gender: Male Bond with Human: Mostly Hostile Appearance: Baphomet is a large thick wooled goat. Pitch black in color with bight violet shining eyes. Multiple sets of eyes that is, all over his body. Usually his eyes are closed but he is quite uncomfortable to look at when they are open. He has two sets of horns, one set smaller and set behind the first long slender pair. Power: Memory manipulation. Demetri can erase, modify and view anyone one person's memory, the extent of which depending on physical contact and time. He has most skill in quickly erasing someone's memory of himself, making it easy for him to make a quick get away. Baphomet's power runs deeper in where he can cause mass hallucinations by trapping people in repeating memories or even fabricated events, an act that takes a large amount of energy. (( I of course will not do this to anyone's character unless given permission or asked! ))
I can also make a agent if we find ourselves in need of one :0
tumblr | no zazz to be found
(Let's do it!)
Nick and Xar
It was promising to be another hot and sunny day near Lake Morrigan. Much to the joy of the citizens, summer had come early to the State Park. The happy sounds of families and friends camping, hiking, fishing, and doing all manner of outdoor activities echoed through the Park grounds, as pleasant as the tweeting of birds...But the joy ended with a dead halt at tall, sturdy chain-link fence deep in the woods.
The battlefield was covered thick with fog this morning. Though the sun shone brightly it's rays could do nothing to burn through the unnatural mist. It was cold here. There was no laughter, no friendly conversations to be heard. No flora, no fauna, nothing but bones and a faint smell of blood...And a low, rumbling growl coming from the far west.
A massive beast slumped against a boulder larger than himself. He plowed his right shoulder into the rock, letting his limp body slide halfway down the stone. Before him lay the the bleach white bones of a enormous skeleton, which appeared to be equine. It's back half was crushed underneath the same boulder. His head hung low as he let another long, somber murrow rumble into the quiet. The great white tiger dug his silver claws deep into the hard earth. Xar, came a soft whisper within the Daemon's enormous head. Let's head back...It's time. Xar stood motionless for a long moment before responding. "You are right, little one." His deep voice boomed even as he whispered. Xerxaros opened his eyes. The grief held within the light blue depths was strong and apparent. "...You are right."
Nick came upon the Rogue Camp with a heavy heart. Xar had remained silent for the length of the trek. For the past year, each week, they had been visiting the Morrigan Battlefield during their morning foraging task. When the battle began, Xar and he had been together for four years. A week prior, he had celebrated his 19th birthday with many of the Rebel Rogues whose bones now littered the dead earth. Addy...Xar muttered as Nick's memories passed to him. ...Reisa. Nick saw an image flash in his mind; the bleached bones on the field. A icy shot of grief stabbed his veins. The tip of his tail twitched uncomfortably. "Xar, had it not been for them, it would be our bones under that boulder...!!!"
"NIIIICK! NICHOLAAASSS!!!" The shrill screech of a child came from the shanty town of tents. A young girl, all yellow blonde hair and bright blue wings, came half-running half-stumble-flying towards him. "Woah! Easy now, Colleen! Don't-!!!" CRASH. The barrel of wild mushrooms he had been carrying flew out of his hand as the bird-child rammed him onto his back with a tackling hug. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Nicholas!" A woman's voice called out. "Colleen! What do you say!?" As quickly as the child was down, she shot back up with an apologetic smile. Nick propped himself up on his elbows, giving his head a little shake. "Oops. I'm sorry, Nicholas." She looked back to the brown-scaled woman who had scolded her. "I'm sorry, Aunt Grace. Nick didn't find any of those little berries anyway. Only mushrooms." Her Aunt shook her head and motioned with her hand for the girl to come with her. With a little huff, she flew-ran back towards her Aunt, who turned them back towards the camp. "It's ok, Colleen! I forgive you." Nick called to them as they walked off. He began collecting the mushrooms and putting them back into the bucket.
It is a shame she was subject to experiments at such a young age... Xar said as Nick turned to watch the young girl walk away. She was only 4 when they forced a Daemon into her. She was 7 now. "At least she got a good Daemon." Nick stood up, lifting his now full bucket with him. "We lucked out, Xar. We make a good team. Not many Taken can say that, it seems." Xar let out a purr of happy agreement as they entered camp.
Turner and Rahlus
--Coming Soon!--
Sticks...
Sticks woke up, her eyes practically glued together and her throat half closed from the too hot day mixing with the wet mist around her. She was also in pain. Her back was aching from sleeping curled up next to a giant petrified bone, her eyes were sore underneath all the gunk from not being able to sleep, and mentally she was frayed.
"I'm getting waaaayyy too passive aggressive..." ,she quickly thought as she sat up.
It was plain by the putrid smell and the milky white clouds intermingling with the humongous greying bones that she was on the long ago marked battle ground. It was a desolate and numbing place. Not haunted house type of spooky, like legit spooky. In a haunted house insanity would definitely grow to paranoid levels but by staying the night and seeing the sun rise a feeling of triumph would kick in. An adrenaline high that would make you forget how scary the night was and would make you stay again with out feeling nearly as scared ever again because you proved it was fake and that there was nothing insidious about it. That was not the case at this graveyard-even if there was nothing logically to be afraid of. Nothing moved or lived but there was no adrenaline rush afterwards, there was no reward because this area was not something to be taken light heartedly in any circumstance. It was insidious in every way-maybe even before it was outwardly marked as such. That being said, many Taken shook when they even thought about it (heck even humans chose to ignore it) and Sticks was no exception. She hated the place when she originally ran across it under instinct from her so called 'fuzzy friend' and she regretted more then anything getting a little too passionate about her head mate being, simply, a condescending maniac to her last night. It was ridiculous that she had taken it so far and she was so very sorry.
She tried telling Jn'reh this several times as she stumbled back to camp-feeling and probably looking undead-but to no avail it seemed. He was silent. Silent to the point where she almost couldn't feel him in her head anymore. A few soft breaths and feathery light touches when she concentrated really hard but other then that she felt alone. Now it seemed that she was the one screaming out to someone who didn't care-what an ironic twist of roles. She almost wanted to cry at how pitiful their situation was (even though she knew Jn'reh would tell her that she was acting selfish) but she knew she couldn't, especially since she was already stepping into camp.
Brushing some hair out of her face, she looked upwards towards the sun and pulled on a thin layer of composure. She figured it was probably 9 am with an annoyed glare and then started walking to her corner of the messy camp. It only took her a few minutes to pad over to a less congealed fixture of the living grounds where she saw her 'home'. It was simply a few owl feathers, a little taller then she was, propped up against some stones and tied there with some withered vines. What ever smile she hadn't notice crawl onto her face as she had soaked up the upbeat and nostalgic atmosphere of the camp was snatched from her. It's not like she had forgotten her predicament, it's just that it had faded to a less mentally mushing type of hardship. She knew she was missing something-missing him-and she knew she had done something wrong but she had been able to forget it until she looked at those feathers and realized all that she wouldn't have with out her companion. And it felt like Jn'reh was waiting for this moment to gloat, she felt two giant eyes were melting through her, with their usual contemptuous glow. Sticks swallowed harshly and dove into her refuge, splashing a bit of water on her face and open mouth then grabbing some roots with jerky movements. She repeated to herself, not really knowing that she was mumbling it out loud in an angry tone that she was sorry. If Jn'reh bothered to look he would realize she was sincere but he refused to and so she was left only to stiffly walk as far away as she could from those reminders of him and what her actions had reaped while gnawing agitatedly on her roots and mumbling like a mad women (which probably wasn't far from the truth).
//I've written my piece for Joshua and Foyri but i'm not sure if we are getting into the DEAF agents yet/ my post would be way over count limit if I post it .0.
[Align=center] Deviant art! [/align]
Matthew was there, in the middle of a barren wasteland, the rock below him cracked and dry, no sign of life in sight. He got up from what he thought was sleep, but everything was hazy, as if he was still waking up, but he felt fully awake. Suddenly, he felt something below him, as if an earthquake suddenly sprung to life in a far off distance. Beelzebub stood beside him, only much much smaller than he would usually be, only a few feet tall. He seemed to be waiting. Matthew looked to the horizon, and saw at least a hundred daemons in full control charging towards him. He felt the tremors from behind him to see a similar sight. Daemon of all shape, sizes, and animals were converging on each other. Beelzebub didn't seem to care, but Matthew braced himself for the worst.
As the two sides came clashing together, it was a bloodbath, the titanic roaring of daemons, the clashing of hide against hide, flying daemons taking aerial battles high in the sky, but through all that killing and anguish, neither Matthew nor Beelzebub were effected. It was as if they were just ghosts on the battlefield, unable to be noticed or effected by the others. None the less, they watched dozens of daemons die, a glowing salamander impaled by a rhinoceros with five horns and eight tails, a giant horse-like daemon with a fiery mane suddenly become crushed by a boulder, a brown horned eagle ripping apart a snake with wings. There was no end to the death here.
As Matthew and Beelzebub were about to be crushed by the foot of a gargantuan six-legged mammoth, Matthew's eyes opened, waking up in a cold sweat. He witnessed something he knew he probably would never want to see- A massacre of his own kind. Matthew was never there at the battle at the Daemon Graveyard, but he knew a few of the older Taken knew a lot more about it than he did, but he personally didn't want to know what went down there, but he was sure that's what he just dreamed of. He tried to rub the sleep out of his eyes, to almost no avail. Matthew popped his stiff neck both ways and stretched, his stiff muscles slowly loosening. As he got out of his hammock-like "bed" made of woven vines, grass, and sticks, Beelzebub whispered into his mind, its two voices speaking in disorder. He just decided to ignore them for now. He didn't need this crap this early in the morning. He stood up and stretched once more, getting the rest of the drowsiness out of his system.
Matthew stepped out of his woven tent-like home, the roof made up of closely-woven vines and a single aluminum roof panel, all suspended by two trees and two or three big rocks he found in the forest that he rolled into camp. It wasn't the best of homes, but it was still home. He saw Nick enter camp and the small Taken girl run to him. Coleen was it? She was just about the youngest person to live in camp. Matthew couldn't help but feel sorry for the small child. He turned his attention to Nick and gave him a small wave.
A Horns & Roses fan!
Callahan Magnus - Rogue Taken
'Do you remember this day ten years ago? It was the bloodiest day we'd ever spent together. It was glorious,' Brogan cooed. Callahan clenched his teeth trying to block out his voice, but the daemon just went on as if Callahan wasn't there. 'Dahlia died here. And Jason. And Melanie. And Damon. All your friends and where were you?' Callahan curled his fingers together digging his nails deep into the skin of his palm. 'Oh, that's right. In a hospital bed because you wanted to die. You should have just gone to battle. Although-' Callahan let out a howl rising to his feet in a flurry of anger. "No! Stop! I don't want to hear about my dead friends! Just go back to the abyss you came from and leave me be!" By the time he finished, he was yelling. He probably looked ridiculous as he marched from his tent trying to flee from the monster within. It was no use, Brogan was always there.
As he left his makeshift home, he could see several people staring. They'd been laughing only moments ago, but were completely silent now. His antics within his home must have garnered him some unwanted attention. He glanced toward them before continuing on his way. He didn't know where he was going, but when he finally looked up from the ground he was standing at the edge of the battlefield. It was covered in its usual fog and the smell of death continued to reek from it. He let out a groan as Brogan laughed loudly. 'You can't even stay away!' Callahan clenched his fists again. "Brogan, I swear to the gods, just be quiet for one moment!
Brogan was grinning that devilish grin, but didn't answer. He sunk into Callahan's subconscious finally giving him a moments peace. He dropped to his knees letting his head hang and his eyes fall closed. He curled his hands together taking a moment to pray for all the friends he lost because he wasn't there. He remembered this day like it was yesterday.
Standing in front of the mirror, Callahan picked up the razor blade. He could feel Brogan in the back of his mind just watching with curiosity. This was his third attempt at killing himself. The first was with a gun to the temple and the second was in a car accident that left him with several scars on his back. He was certain this time it would work. He made quick work of this suicide attempt and within several minutes Callahan was lying on the ground unconscious.
When he woke up, he was in the hospital. He had bandages around both wrists and was hooked up to an IV as well as a heart monitor. He was groggy and mainly disappointed that he was still alive. He was restrained to the bed as well to keep him from thrashing around. The TV was airing some big news story about a huge, devastating battle that made Callahan's blood curdle. Several of the faces that flashed across the screen were people he knew and he could feel a huge knot growing in his stomach. Brogan was itching to appear and Callahan didn't have the strength to ignore him. He took the time to explain to him just what exactly had happened.
He spent the rest of that day grieving and sleeping just to try to push the pain of not being there out of his mind. It was the worst day of his life.'
Callahan opened his eyes and looked out across the battlefield. It was still covered in that hazy fog, but he knew his friends were there. He gave one more silent prayer before rising to his feet. He didn't want to spend this day grieving, he wanted to spend it with friends. Callahan turned on his toes and made his way back to camp where he immediately spotted Nick who was tackled by Coleen and then Matthew just coming out of his tent. He didn't know either of them terribly well, but he figured he could at least try to turn them into friends.
(( I'll bring in my DEAF Taken Agent later. :] ))
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Ilony peered around the trees, squinting into the fog. "I hate this fog. Remind me why it's here?" she said, seemingly into space. She was not overly fond of the fog, but wanted to find the camp that was rumored to be near the battleground. The pair had tried hard to avoid this place. Iktha had known some of the daemons, but none of them had been close friends. The cougar preferred to live alone, and away from others. Through a lot of convincing Ilony had convinced her daemon that they needed a break from running at the first sign of another human.
"I don't know why, it just appeared." Iktha replied, sounding slightly cross. Ilony could feel Iktha trying to avoid bringing up a painful memory and she had a good guess what it was. They had gone to the battle, and fought. Iktha hadn't known many of the other daemons, but she still had wanted to fight to protect the Rogues from the D.E.A.F Takens. Her anger and fury at the attack had frightened Ilony. It was one of the few times that Iktha had forcefully taken control of the pairs actions. Ilony had retreated into their mind, barely a glimmer of thought while the battle raged. Ilony was not a fighter. Ilony could barely recall any of the events besides the horrible screams, splashes of blood everywhere, explosions, pain, and the smell of death. Nothing concrete ever touched her mind, but she knew it touched Iktha's. When the battle was finally over the cougar daemon had spent months trying to coax her partner back into consciousness and form.
"I'm sorry." Ilony whispered before continuing into the fog. She could see boulders sometimes where they didn't belong, often crushing large skeletons. The fog's density made them even spookier and she tried avoiding them, especially when she felt Iktha retreat so she wouldn't have to see them. She had no idea where she was going but eventually began noticing signs of habitation. Worn paths of dirt began to appear faintly in front of the girl. The dirt felt hard packed under her feet- well used. What felt like forever later she saw a few tents beginning to pop up. "We must be on the outskirts now." she whispered. She would have been more excited but the fog put a damper on her mood. The fog hid dangers she didn't care to think about. "Hello?!" she called, hoping nobody would attack her.
Thoughts raced through her mind, was she supposed to bring supplies for shelter? Would they accept her? How long was too long to stay if they did? What would she do to be useful around camp? She doubted anybody was aloud to laze about, they were refugees trying to survive after all. She tried to keep her eyes and ears peeled in case this was a trap and D.E.A.F. agents were hiding under the shelter of a rough-looking tent with a metal roof.
It was loud.
Demetri had stumbled across the settlement a day or two ago, but had gone mostly unnoticed. Baphomet had a bad habit of erasing his presence from others.
"You should thank me you ingrate." The voice was a loud obnoxious bleat. I wasn't scary at all he thought through a shiver. "The less they know of you the better. Do you really want them to know of-" The crack of a lighter silences the voice. "Not now alright?" Demetri smiled weakly, putting the cigarette between his teeth. "they'll abandon you or kill you you know. you are too soft. you are useless you know that." He sucks in the smoke until the inside of his mind getting fuzzier and fuzzier until it devolves to white noise and static.
He can almost swear he sees a pair of glowing red eyes in the smoke he exhales, the idea makes him laugh.
He pocketed the lighter and stood up to overlook the old battlefield. Unlike many of the others, He had not seen this area in its full past glory. While thousands of other taken fought to their bloody death, he was hiding out in some city, squatting in a foreclosed apartment completely safe if a bit rattled. As much as he smoked and drank to silence Baphomet he knew he was right. He was weak and a coward. Unable to take the self-inflicted guilt he just left. He ran away in some weird hope to find some kind of redemption.
He took another drag form his cigarette as he kicked over a femur bone with his foot. He didn't feel any different, if anything he felt more like dead weight than before. " they'll eat you alive. "
He went back to camp.
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*daemon
(( OOC| Hey all! I'm going to be working down in Bonnaroo next week from the 9th-15th, so I probably won't be able to contribute much. But by all means, keep going without me! I'll figure it out what to do with my characters before then.))
Turner and Rahlus
Barton City, 150 miles south of Lake Morrigan. Center City, D.E.A.F. Headquarters Campus: Laboratory Compound.
The sun was shimmering on this beautiful Barton City day. All the rays seemed to be beaming down directly on the outside seating area of the D.E.A.F. cafeteria wing. It was afternoon and most agents, scientists, and personnel were enjoying lunch on or off campus. A pleasant day in the city.
Turner lazily thumbed through the manilla folder on the cafe table in front of her. "I can't even get a damn break at lunch..." She murmured sourily with an annoyed twitch of her bovine ears. This was the third folder of its kind she that she had been given today. Another mundane, classified file of a Rogue Taken brought into the deep sublevels of the Laboratory Compound. There they would be subjected to all manner of experiments, which normally ended in Eradication, for at least a few months if not years. Perhaps if they displayed interest in joining the D.E.A.F., or if they begged long enough, they would be given Reassignment and begin their training.
But before all that excitement, there was the interrogation. Boring, tedious, bloody work; not a seasoned agents most favorite job assignment. It was barely a challenge to get them to spill every piece of information they had anymore. With a sigh, Turner pushed the file away. She was in was in no mood to deal with it's contents. Picking up her fork she began to poke the bland cafeteria chicken salad on her tray. Thoughts began to wander to the new burger joint a few blocks away...
Finish your meal so we can get started on this Rogue! The rough voice bellowed loudly in her skull. The sudden severity of the words made Turner jolt, slamming her clenched fist onto the cafeteria table. "Damnit all, Rahlus, you miserable bastard!" Rage had made her face as red as her hair. The bull chuckled softly at the display. Turner fumed and collected all her belongings, and the file, from the table, stomping out of the courtyard and into the building. "You good for nothing... mother effing... son of a..." She could feel Rahlus smiling at her curses. This only fueled her anger. "If you're so eager to get to work, just turn us right now and you can perform the interrogation!" Of course he wouldn't. It was against policy with the severest of repercussions. You haven't even read the file yet. What makes you so sure it's another interrogation?
No sooner had he spoken did the smart device on her left forearm begin to beep. "First Class Agent Turner. Report." Turner took a deep breath to calm herself before she placed her finger on the screen of her device. "This is Agent Turner." "I hope you've gotten acquainted with the latest file given to you. This one is important. We are bringing you and a group of agents to Sub-60 to meet the subject.
Sub-60? It's been awhile since we've gotten a case like this! Turner could feel Rahuls' glee. Somehow she couldn't help but smirk as well. Today was going to be interesting.
"Alright, we'll be down in a minute." Turner said as she took her finger of her device. She began towards the basement elevator with a renewed skip in her step. "Better snoop out the file while we have the long ride down, ay Rahlus?" Couldn't agree more. At least they could agree on work. She opened the folder as she stepped through the elevator doors.
ROGUE TAKEN FILE NAME: REBEKAH ASINGER AGE: 34 S: FEMALE DAEMON: BLACK BEAR, 2 STORIES, GOLDEN MARKINGS ABILITIES:TURNING LIMBS, BODY INTO SOLID STONE AT WILL
SUBJECT WAS APPREHENDED IN UNOVILLE, 70 WEST OF BARTON CITY. EXTREME VIOLENCE AND MILITARY FIGHTING TACTICS UPON APPREHENSION SUGGEST POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT IN REBEL FORCES. UPON INTERROGATION, SUBJECT TURNED AND TOOK DAEMON FORM. SUBJECT REFUSES TO SHIFT INTO HUMAN FORM AND WAS TAKEN TO THE SUBLEVEL 60 DAEMON SUBDUING CENTER. SUBJECT IS SAID TO KNOW THE LOCATION OF ROGUE CAMP AND MUST REMAIN ALIVE. TOP AGENTS SUGGESTED...
The grin on Turner's face widened as her white eyes scanned the pages hungerly. Oh yes, today was going to be fun...
Anita had been happy to find that no one had found her store of supplies since she'd last been there a little over a month ago. Of course, she had stored them within the graveyard, but even though it was a ways off from the campsite, it wasn't uncommon for rogue taken to sift through while foraging.
Ghaerhjipp had been happy to remind her continuously of her good fortune the day before, when she'd been constructing a shelter at the campsite. "Truly, Anita, you're lucky no one noticed it under those old bones. How long did it take us to precure that tarp? How many tries?" he had remarked.
But Ghaerhjipp was silent now, as Anita woke up in her newly constructed shelter. The tarp, faded blue in colour, was indeed a good portion, fastened above a combination of plywood boards and rusted metal panels that made up three walls. Anita could have attempted to build some sort of fourth floor with a door, but she preferred to be in a more open environment anyway.
Anita had plenty of food and some supplies stored in her backpack, which she had slept with in her arms and now slung over her back as she got up, but it seemed worth her while to see if anyone in the camp had anything to trade. Disinfectant was something she always had trouble getting her hands on, and she would happily trade some of her canned soup for fresh fruit.
She walked steadily to the front of her shelter, stepping out of the cover of its three walls, and looking around. Not too far off another person, presumably a taken as well, seemed to be standing outside of a shelter that had been cleverly constructed between two trees. Anita silently admired the resourceful move, and studied the boy, who seemed to be waving at someone.
Mikey scanned the contents of the manila folder intently, documents in his right hand and sandwich in his left. There wasn't much to scan, really, just the one page. But he liked to memorize as much as possible before interrogation. And besides, this case was interesting.
'REBEKAH ASINGER' was significantly older than he was, which, in addition to the fighting tactics mentioned in the report, did suggest to Mikey that she was a rebel leader. Not too many older taken running around causing trouble without an agenda. Not that 35 was old, per say, but most of Mikey's run-ins in the field in his four years at D.E.A.F. had been with rogue taken at least a decade younger.
He'd finished writing up a report on a field mission earlier that day and recieved the folder not long after handing it in. Sometimes he wondered if he got the assignments he did because he was qualified, or because no one else was free. Didn't matter too much to him, though, he was happy to do whatever was needed to forward the objectives of D.E.A.F. It wasn't as if it was thankless work, anyway, just a bit inconsistent, but such was its nature.
"Bleep, bleep, bleep,
Second Class Agent Savchenko. Report."
There came a sort of chipper beeping noise from the device on his right forearm and he quickly surrendered his sub to the surface of his desk and gently pressed his ring finger to the smooth face of the device. He always tried to tap in before the fourth beep.
"Agent Savchenko reporting," he answered promptly. It was still a bit jarring to respond to the title second class agent, but he figured in another two weeks his surprise at the promotion would wear off.
"Savchenko, you, along with a group of agents, will be meeting the subject of file in Sub-60."
"Understood," he replied, lifting his finger off the device screen. He looked mournfully down at his sandwich, but dutifully abandoned it for the stairs. The quickest way to Sub-60 would be to take an elevator from his floor to the basement and then another from there, but with agents always clamoring in and out on his floor, in practice it could be faster to jog down the stairs. And it was a good warm up, as well.
Mikey seemed to get to the basement just as an elevator closed. Another opened beside it, but the little light indicated it was going up. He gave a friendly smile and nod to the agents occupying it, and stood aside to wait for the next elevator heading down.
[img align=center]http://i60.tinypic.com/14viniv.png[/img]
[D.E.A.F]
The woods stretched out beyond the fence for a few miles yet before abruptly shifting into cratered wasteland. A breeze stirred the leaves and rustled the dense leaf litter amongst the tree trunks, wafting yet more into the thick drift at the base of the fence. Even in the warmth of a glorious summer day, thick with heat and sunlight gleaming through the leaves above, the metal links of the fence were cool to the touch.
“They say the dust and fog are made from the spirits of the dead.†Roux trailed his fingers along the chain link, barely brushing the surface of the metal. “Those that died at Morrigan Lake.†The wind shifted slightly, blowing through the fence and bringing just the slightest faint touch of cool lake mist.
If one was to believe witless vagrants and penniless street preachers. Siir was cuttingly unamused. You know this.
Roux set a hand against the chain link fence and tentatively shoved. “We could go and make sure. Right now. Bring back a trophy even. It is not expressively forbidden by D.E.A.F. to enter the Lake Morrigan battlefield alone, hnn?†The fence rippled under a heavier push. “If it was, whoever taught the rules to we Fourth Class agents need to revise their work. After all, with all those complex restrictions and guidelines to follow, who would fault a person for forgetting a few?â€
In the depths of his consciousness, Siir barked out a laugh. Foolishness. You place too much interest in the rambling of idiots.
Roux ignored his Daemon. Getting over, or even through, the fence was proving to be a slight difficulty. The metallic links stretched up to a decent height and its structure seemed sturdy enough to resist more than a push with effort behind it. Going over or through it in Siir’s form was not an option. Too much visibility and future reprimanding by his superiors to even consider that for more than a fleeting second. Climbing seemed like the only viable way at the present time.
He had just set his eyes on his first potential handhold when his communications device chimed softly. Roux grimaced and ignored the blasted thing. Even when its obnoxious beeping had been forcibly changed to a gentle chime, it still annoyed him when it sounded. It was a pity that the pretty technician down at I.T. hadn’t been charmed enough to switch it to a silent mode, quoting some regulation about always needing to be on the alert when a high priority message came through.
The noise will not cease. Answer the thing before I become irritated.
Still eyeing the fence, Roux absently tapped at his right arm and half-heartedly listened to the professional voice on the other end of the link. By the time his summons had ended and he had signed off, his quick footsteps had carried him past the trees he had previously come by and back to the winding trail that led to the main park area.
“So, something new at least, hnn? Back to the compound for us then.†As usual, if not able to provide some cutting remark, Siir deigned not to reply. “About a hundred and fifty miles away right? When we’re clear of contact, I’ll be using your form then. Let’s say, ten minutes at just under top speed?â€
[flower=Corsair]
Adelphe Agatha Amaretto and Ninon - D.E.A.F. Taken Agent
The day hadn't been all that busy. She'd spent most of her morning working on finishing all of her reports. She tended to get behind given that they were so boring. She didn't take the time to sit down and write them all up right after her work. She was thankful that she took such extensive notes during her interrogations. They certainly helped when it came time to writing up reports. She'd only just started gaining solo interrogations, so she had a lot of getting used to, but she did the best she could. She tried hard and she felt that was good enough for her bosses.
Adelphe made her way to the cafeteria trying to calm her growling stomach. Breakfast had been short, just a granola bar and chocolate milk, so by the time noon rolled around she was practically starving. She'd thought about taking a break from her work, but felt that if she stopped she wouldn't be able to pick it up again. It was better to push through it than quit halfway. She'd taken the files down just before heading to lunch so she could get those ones out of the way while she finished working on the rest. After her lunch break, of course.
The cafeteria was buzzing. She spotted several agents from her own group and gave them a wave as she picked up a ham sandwich, a fruit cup, and a carton of chocolate milk. She then made her way over to her friends. "Hey guys! How's your day so far?" she asked, sitting down at the end of the table. "Hey Triple A. Pretty good. Just interrogated a semi-harmonious gorilla, so it's going pretty well," the man to her left answered, Marcus. Adelphe nodded shifting her gaze around the table listening to everyone's responses. Everyone seemed to be having a much better day and she was a bit jealous of them.
Suddenly a loud beeping blared from her wrist and she jumped at the noise. She let out a laugh as she raised her wrist pressing her finger into the answer button. "Fourth Class Agent Amaretto. Report." Adelphe glanced toward her friends who were eyeing her curiously. "Fourth Class Agent Amaretto reporting," she replied, a bit timidly. "You, and several other agents, will be taking on a large case today. Please obtain the information and report to Sub-level 60." Adelphe stared at her wrist with wide eyes while her friends gaped at her with surprise. "Woah. I guess I better get going. See you later!" she called, as she jumped out of her chair making her way toward filing room.
She skidded to a stop at the front desk breathing heavily. "I need the file on a large case that's recently-" She was cut off as the woman held up her hand to silence her. She snapped her mouth closed as she handed her a file. Adelphe smiled warmly taking it from her immediately. "Thank you!" She called running back down the hallway toward the elevator excitement bubbling in her stomach. This was probably the biggest case she'd ever gotten and she planned on reading up on it in the elevator. She expected it to be a long ride, so it would give her plenty of time to read.
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Matthew Lief
Matthew was about to head out and do some trading with people around the camp. Since Matthew's one of the few people to actually head out to the city a few times a week (As long as he put in his colored contacts to hide his eyes), just this week he managed to snatch some ointment from a convenience store, a backpack he found for 3 dollars at a thrift store (which he now used), and a few apples from a U-pick orchard. Just as he began to walk away, he heard someone call out.
"Hello?!" She shouted from behind his shelter.
Matthew peaked his head out from behind his make-shift home to find the young woman standing there, towards the woods. She didn't seem familiar to him. She must have been new to the camp. Her clothes were all at least one size bigger than she was, obviously stolen. She looked a bit jumpy as if she was worried someone would attack her at any moment possible. He let out a sigh.
"Hey... um... welcome to camp I guess? If you were looking for the rogue taken refuge, then you've come to the right place."
He exposed the rest of his body and scratched the back of his head, revealing the golden beetle markings on his hands. He frowned for a bit. Why did she have to end up at his tent of all places? He felt good that this girl found the camp, but why is he the one to explain the ins and outs of the camp to her? He mentally shrugged. He couldn't change that now. After a bit he finally spoke up again,
"Do you... have any questions or..?"
Silas Riel
Silas was in the middle of training, furiously attacking his knife training partner with the dull training knife. He never let up, leaving his partner no reaction time to counterattack, but when that time did come, Silas parried the attack, and counterattacked twice as hard. Each slightest mistake he made, he heard Kthera scream in his ear, naming his failure to complete a perfect move. Right after he sent his partner off after winning the sparring match again and again, he was handed a document. A new case he supposed.
The file was on another Rogue Taken, this one's file number being . Interesting. Interrogation was to come first, but supposedly, this taken knows the location of the Rogue Taken encampment. If this was true, Silas could have the kind of action he's been waiting for. He put his jacket back on, and as he did, the device on his wrist began beeping and a voice came from it, stating,
Genesis third class agent Silas Riel. Report to Sub-60 immediately. There you will meet with other agents and the subject of file .
Silas nodded, pressing a small button on the side of the device to close the message. He finished putting his jacket and headed towards the elevators to head down to Sub-60. Today will be interesting for sure.
A Horns & Roses fan!
"ELLA DEAF JUNIOR AGENT"
"How are you today Ella?" The man sitting across form her wasn't anyone particularly special. He wasn't taken or anything, just a normal man with a normal face and normal lab coat. He wasn't even looking at her, apparently too enthralled in whatever he was reading in that damn manila folder that was OH so more important than her. She deserved better, especially from this unremarkable man. She was a thing of legend! At least how she told it. She felt herself, herself? yeah this was her, bristle and snarl. He should be so lucky to breathe her air.
"I would be a lot better with some leg room." She said with a snicker and kicking back the man's leg. His eyes shot up to meet her's and narrowed. That was better.
"What am I even doing in her anyway?" Ella said sniffing the air. "I thought I was in time out." Well that was putting it lightly anyway. The normal man removed and glasses and placed them gently on the table. Ella bit back the urge to smash them with her fist.
"You remember how we were talking of a big project coming up right?" At this Ella's mouth cracked into a twisted grin. "We are considering putting you on the assignment Ella." The man said holding up the manila folder. Just as Ella went to grab the folder he snatched it back. "But." Oh how she hated when they did that. "You must understand, you will be working in a large group. You don't have a very good track record with working with others. Because of your age you are the junior member. You will have to listen to the directions of your superiors. Do you understand that?" Superiors. What the Hell?! She didn't follow orders! She was a god! A deity! A living idol of divinity! "Why should I listen to a bunch of glorified serfs?! She yelled shooting up to her feet. She slammed her hands on the table daring him to disagree. She felt a weight behind her voice, as she should.
The man only sighed before looking down at a small note hidden behind his coat arm. "Ella, does a god not serve its people? Does it not use divine force to protect it's holy believers?" Complete garbage logic of course, but that is what would work on her. The cogs began turning in the girl's head before she reluctantly sat back down. "Y-Yeah...Yeah! T-Thats what a god does! I-I was jut testing you! You pass! What an honor!" She lied. "I'll listen to them, I promise. I have to protect my believers right?" She said with a crooked grin.
The man slid the manila envelope across the table. "You'll have to read it in the elevator or else you'll be late." The man said gesturing to the now lit elevator door. Ella gave a snide grin before saluting. "Sure thing bossman. You won't regret this." She said with a hyena bark/laugh before entering the elevator."
The man let out a sigh of relief and rubbed his temples as he looked over the file. "I think I already have."
ROGUE TAKEN FILE NAME: ELLA LEE AGE: 18 [AMENDED] S: FEMALE DAEMON: FENNEC FOX [ASSIMILATION WAS SUCCESSFUL] ABILITIES: INVISIBILITY WARNING: USES EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION AND PRONE TO LYING. DO NOT FULLY TRUST! GOD-COMPLEX: USE HER PSYCHOSIS AGAINST HER. VERY DANGEROUS.
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{{ Oh wow! I hope you have fun at the festival! }}
Joshua and Foyri
Joshua wasn't a second rank Genesis agent just for show. He had earned that title fair and square even though, he did get the occasional anxiety attack if he hadn't been given a proper run down and, yes, he couldn't rely on Foyri anywhere and his abilities were, well, passive. Still, Joshua was an incredibly intelligent man and had been working hard at the facility long enough to know the ins and outs of the jobs he could do with enough proficiency to capture the attention of the more profound leaders here. He was also usually able to do this while maintaining good mental health (despite the constant oppression from his unwelcome head mate). However, it seemed that today was an unusual day for him.
As per usual he had been scattered among levels 21-36 since 4 am for his rigorous chemical and physical treatments to try and stimulate the growth of more useful toxins within his quills. They had managed to introduce many variations of natural compounds to them but finding one that stuck was a challenge and, currently, the only successful chemical was a paralyzing agent with a burning sensation. The tests seemed to be a waste of time but the bacteria that the scientists harvested from him were powerful enough to convince the tired Taken to continue the various tests and preparations. After all, he would love to help in any way he could (even if it did lead to acid reflux, insomnia, and dizziness at times).
Five hours dragged on by before he was finally allowed to go up, around nine, for an hour or so. During that time he had the beginning of a migraine due to Foyri strongly protesting the progress the scientific departments had made in tampering with 'his' quills but he got to eat a hardy meal and breath in fresh air before finally reporting back down to the lower levels to do what his job actually entailed of on the regular. Which was, scientific research on Taken samples. Occasionally he would be called to do an interrogation and, back when fights were frequently fought and horrendously bloody, he would go out on the field as a medic and with some melee combat techniques. But, most of the time his presence was unnecessary. Truly, when the DEAF organization wasn't weaponizing his body, they seemed only to want his mind and what he had discovered about daemons from first hand experience. Joshua was completely fine with this. It meant that, like usual, it had been a pretty uneventful morning of research on miscellaneous things that he already hypothesized wouldn't work (such as rabies on mammal daemon samples). That was, until another scientist, Dr. Raznet, patted him on the shoulder and told him that the new quill samples had been highly effective in helping take down a bear on Level 60. Shock over came him since he didn't remember being told that it was already being used but he listened as he was also told that, since he knew the most about his quills and had a ready supply somewhere in his head of hair, he was to help be part of the team to monitor the long term effects. Plus, he was a well trained agent so his specific attributes in psychology and animal physiology might help with the interrogation and subduing of the currently incorporative women. Joshua was excited to hear this but he had his doubts. Still, he managed to tromp down to the elevator with tired eyes and slight nausea.
By the time he got there, most of the people seemed to be swarming around the large 4 panel clear container in which the subject was contained. Joshua marveled at the site and allowed the information he already knew flow into his head. Turning away, he quickly identified the 4 person team of scientists who had monitors and were discussing quietly amongst themselves. A little closer to the 'glass', a few DEAF agents were towering in front of them. Joshua sondered over and skirted behind the confident looking agents to meet the scientists. He looked over a few of the charts and took a clip board that one of them handed over then had a brief discussion with them. So far she physically seemed to be doing fine although she was pretty hot. One of the scientists explained how they had slowly been dropping the temperature but her increased blood pressure was probably keeping her warm. In response a younger looking scientist let out a chipper statement that she would try turning it down more but Joshua quickly stopped her with a somewhat radical statement of, "If it's not too much trouble could you please turn it down to just below freezing? I feel like that will help with the interrogation and it will only induce a short hibernation that can be easily reversed."
Joshua wasn't sure if it was because he seemed like an authoritative figure but after shifty looks the young women finally said "Yes sir",and scurried off. A nervous smile bit at his lips as the scientists remained quiet and so he pardoned himself before walking up to the left side of the small line of Taken Agents and poking his head out when their conversations had lulled so that every one could see him with a somewhat curt, "Excuse me, I am sorry to interrupt but I had Samantha lower the temperature in the containment chamber so with in a few minutes her Catecholamine levels should lower enough to where she is easier to talk to." To which, the bear barked and shouted that she wouldn't give up any information. Joshua looked up to her but only changed his behavior by hushing his tone so that it was less likely that the bear would hear while saying, "It is vital we work fast on her, however, because she will be pretty sleepy with in 15 minutes and she will fall in and out of consciousness unless we turn the temperature up which would only result in what we have now unless we find the perfect temperature which would take a while..."
[Align=center] Deviant art! [/align]
Ilony ducked and spun into a crouch, startled by a young man popping up from his tent. She studied him briefly before standing up again. She could feel Iktha's restrained laughter at having been startled by exactly what she'd been looking for. "Sorry, uh... um... old habits." she said sheepishly. Ilony reminded herself they were fellow Taken, it was okay to relax. Well maybe not relax completely, but relax a little bit. Carefully the knife was sheathed and hidden away again on her waist. "Do I need to check in or something?" was the only question she could come up with. She voiced it, feeling dumb even as she asked it. 'Take me to your leader' Iktha commented but was ignored.
"I'm not an agent." came out of her mouth before she could stop it, adding to the lameness of her first impression. To follow that up she pulled the sleeves up on her shirt, exposing both of her tanned arms for inspection. 'This is worse than the mall last year' Ilony thought, remembering the terror of trying to escape the mall. She still hoped the girl she'd met there had made it out safely after they were separated. The chaos of everybody, Taken and human, trying to escape the DEAF agents was something neither of them wanted to relive. The crush of people as the pushed against the doors of the exits had killed a few people and injured many more. The pair had fought, Iktha wanting to fight, Ilony wanting to flee to safety. They fled, Ilony fighting the entire time to stay in control. She did not want to be near a repeat of the war. She'd called her parents- sure news would break over all of the major news stations that a mall had been supposedly attacked by rogue Taken- and told them what had really happened.
After twisting her arms in various angles, showing no band was concealed anywhere, she flapped her arms on her sides. Socializing wasnt her thing. She had managed to avoid all but a few people over the last year and her social skills were very rusty. Noticing the pack on Matthew's shoulder, "Do you need help with anything? Something to do?" she asked eagerly, desperate for something to do besides standing there flapping her arms like an idiot. 'Shut up' Iktha ordered, 'You're acting like a scared little chicken. I eat chickens whole'. Ilony clapped her hands over her mouth, she was embarrassing herself, Iktha was right. Her eyes were wide, she closely resembled the 'Speak no Evil' monkey.
Turner and Rahlus]
The doors of her elevator opened with a gleeful ping, far to happy a sound for Sub-Level 60. The dark work that went on here was not for the faint of heart. If the public had any inkling as to what happened in these sterile halls...well...even the the most staunch opponents of the Taken would cringe.
Only a creature as despicable as Rahlus could be as giddy as a schoolgirl about coming down here. As Turner clopped down the hallway there was a skip in her step, an after effect from her Daemon's high emotions. "Honestly, Rahlus, can you control yourself? You're going to make us look bad if I skip into the room like a child..." We've been interrogating imbeciles who break as soon as you slam your fist. I am looking forward to more of a challenge. Turner flipped through the end of the file as she passed room after room. More than a few had one-way, enforced windows. A few had scientists and groups of new recruits standing outside taking notes of events within.
"Christ," Turner muttered as she turned to the end page of the notes. "I don't know half the names of the agents we are working with on this case..." The agency was big, but it wasn't that big. Maybe she just couldn't put a face to the name. That wasn't an uncommon thing for her to do, she had always been bad with faces. Actually, really just bad with people that she didn't think she would work with again. But there was one name she recognized...
Rahlus snorted lightly as they passed by a window into a massive room. Turner slowed her pace as she turned her attention to the agents, and Daemon, within. A rather disgruntled looking bear was being held captive while scientists and agents looked on..."The hell is he doing in there?" She looked from the list of names in her hand to a particular agent in the room. In a rather funny display of annoyance, she pawed at the ground with her right foot. Very much in a manner like a bull before charging. Turner briskly walked to the secured door of the room, sliding the arm with her device into the advanced looking security lock on the wall beside it. "Agent Leslie Turner, Genesis Division, 1st Rank. Access granted.
She pushed the door only enough for her to place half her body through. "Agent Mentle! Agent Joshua Mentle, Genesis, 2nd Rank!" With her free hand she waved the file folder above her head. "you are needed at the end of the hall!"
Nick and Xar
Nick watched everyone go about their day around camp with a smile. It was nice, this. For the last year he had felt a welcomed sense of family and unitedness. Something that was incredibly rare for Rogues. He had just finished dropping off the mushrooms at the cooking tent when he noticed a lanky man heading into camp. Nick recognized him but couldn't place his name...Carl?...Colton? Carlton? Xar suggested, bemused. But Nick wasn't even sure the man's name started with a 'C' anymore. He couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed by that. As new people came into camp he always prided himself in being somewhat of a single-man welcome wagon. Remembering their names, Daemon's, whatever background they chose to give...
I remember him, Nicholas. This man keeps to himself...I don't believe he is compatable with his Daemon. When we have seen him I notice he has a solemn way about him. "Maybe, Xar. But that's no excuse- OH! Callahan!" Nick said loudly in surprise. That was his name! Realizing that perhaps he had inadvertently gotten the man's attention with his outburst, Nick tried to save face by waving to him. Xar chuckled to himself at the reaction. "I really do amuse you, don't I?" Nick mumbled under his breath as he continued to flag down Callahan.
Matthew and Beelzebub
"Shes's a jumpy one..." Beelzebub's heads mused in unison. "Seems so I guess... Matthew thought back. "It's... fine." Matthew told her, scratching the back of his neck. "And quite obvious that she's not an agent..." Beelzebub said, a toothy smile crossing it's mouths as the girl made even more of a fool of herself. As she quickly covered her mouth ith her hands, Matthew put his hand to his face. "Um..." He began, dragging his hand down his face, "I'm probably going out to trade some stuff around here... you could either join me or check in with Nicholas over there... he knows most stuff about the uh... camp."
"The name's Matthew by the way." With that he pointed to Nicholas and started to walk, not bothering to really wait for the girls response. He didn't have much time to waste on not being productive today. He nd Beelzeub could tell a storm was brewing.
Silas and Kthera
The elevator pinged as the doors slowly opened to sub-level 60. This place was usually reserved for the big cases, such as important interrogations such as this one. Apparently there were quite a few other agents on this case besides him. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about this but as long as they aren't too much of a nuisance to him he should be fine.
He was actually a little excited for this case. He didn't get many high-priority cases like these as of late, due to the decrease in rogue taken activity. They seemed to finally realise they're not wanted here in sosciety, and that they're just savages that cause nothing but trouble and utter chaos when they're too weak to control themselves. Not like Silas at least. It was only those two times he released Kthera, but he would never let himself do that again. That was a promise he made himself.
As he turned down the corridor he saw another genesis-class agent. It seemed she was trying to get the attention of another genesis-class agent in the room the subject was being held in. he wondered how mny high-ranking agents were on this case. As he walked down the hallway he clled to her. "Silas Riel, Genesis class rank 3 reporting!"
A Horns & Roses fan!
Callahan Magnus and Brogan - Rogue Taken
As he walked closer to the camp, he felt like he was being ignored. One of the men didn't even acknowledge that he was there making him feel incredibly inferior. He could feel Brogan smiling in the back of his mind and he wanted to scream, but instead he just rolled his eyes. Brogan was such a cocky bastard who always left him feeling like he was nothing. He was only gaining reassurance of this fact when he was ignored by another Taken. It pained Callahan to know that even humans didn't care about him, but someone responded.
He lifted his gaze from the ground when Nick called out his name. A smile turned up the corners of his lips slightly and he headed in his direction. He wasn't sure if he'd meant to call out to him, but he started waving and Callahan took that as a sign to catch up to him. Once he did, he stopped pushing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Hey. What're you doing?" he asked, trying to be friendly. He didn't really know how to interact with people anymore. Brogan kept him from socializing, but he was trying and he figured that was good enough for now.
Adelphe Agatha Amaretto and Ninon - DEAF Taken Agent
As the elevator descended, Adelphe took a moment to look over the file.
ROGUE TAKEN FILE NAME: REBEKAH ASINGER AGE: 34 S: FEMALE DAEMON: BLACK BEAR, 2 STORIES, GOLDEN MARKINGS ABILITIES:TURNING LIMBS, BODY INTO SOLID STONE AT WILL
SUBJECT WAS APPREHENDED IN UNOVILLE, 70 WEST OF BARTON CITY. EXTREME VIOLENCE AND MILITARY FIGHTING TACTICS UPON APPREHENSION SUGGEST POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT IN REBEL FORCES. UPON INTERROGATION, SUBJECT TURNED AND TOOK DAEMON FORM. SUBJECT REFUSES TO SHIFT INTO HUMAN FORM AND WAS TAKEN TO THE SUBLEVEL 60 DAEMON SUBDUING CENTER. SUBJECT IS SAID TO KNOW THE LOCATION OF ROGUE CAMP AND MUST REMAIN ALIVE. TOP AGENTS SUGGESTED...
She furrowed her brow at the last sentence. 'Top agents suggested...' Why had they asked for her to join? She was only a fourth class agent. She wasn't even ready for something like this, but yet they'd asked for her anyway. She didn't think she was anything special, but maybe it had something to do with Ninon? She did have incredible strength after all. Adelphe pursed her lips and closed the file deciding it didn't matter. They'd asked for her, so she was going to comply.
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open revealing a long and dank hallway. She let her arms swing to her side as she glided down the hallway glancing into several rooms before she spotted the one she was needed in. She pushed her arm into the security band before entering. There was a four panned window floor to ceiling before her. She marched right up to it taking in the large bear that was chained to the floor. She was struggling against the chains, but she was very much restrained. Adelphe glanced behind her as several more people entered the room. She stood off to the side listening quietly to their conversations. A scientist entered the room and immediately told one of the other agents to turn the temperature down to below freezing. She hesitated, but did as she was told. Adelphe turned her attentions to the bear excited to see her reactions to this temperature change. That was one a first class agent entered the room: Turner.
Adelphe knew immediately that this case was going to be interesting if Turner was involved.
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