Friday Funnies – “That’s not an iPad.”

The Council HQ – BC

Near the border of the Vestro District and the Inner City is where the Council HQ is located. This is essentially the heart of the town. Many of the halls are restricted to public access, whilst others aren’t, such as the Hall of Public Records, historical objects, etc.

 

Joel, Ava and the cat carrying Selina now make their way to the Hall of records at the Council HQ of the Inner City.  

Scene setting : Council HQ – Blood city.

Co-written with Gene and Temp.

 

Razorbackwriter:  

The bus pulled up just shy of the entrance to the the Council Head Quarters – an ancient structure that lay near the border of the Vestro District and the inner city. While this might not be a place where you see youth hanging out, or the usual cafe latte set, it was a place of importance amongst the leaders and business people of the city. Two large stone lions guarded the entrance to the outer stairs. Silently stalking those that entered, though frozen within their marble shells. It was here that Joel alighted from the bus with his companions, Ava and the child priestess Selina. Having come from the city library with only a book on the myths of the supernatural of the city and districts, it was here that they had more chance of finding clues to Selina’s birthright and also just where her descendants were in a modern world.

Joel was already considering what he may have to do, if they had no luck in the Hall of records. The poor girl couldn’t simply be left on the streets, and he was pretty sure that Ava’s parents would throw a fit if she was taken home to their fine estate. A girl dressed from the fifteenth century and speaking the lingo of that day. They may well call for the men in white shirts…or worse. Adults were often the worst skeptics, especially those that were not young at heart.

Standing on the second step from the bottom, Joel looked down at Selina and then at Ava.

“This is the place. Ominous looking building, isn’t it?” It was not exactly the kind of building that charmed you when you first saw it. “Shall we go inside, and continue our quest?” Joel now ready to continue the hunt for clues to their little child Priestess.

~RB~

 

Gene:

{Previous thread: The Library}

Whilst on the bus, Ava kept her bags close by, as if she feared anyone would steal them. This was not the case. The bus was crammed with people heading home and that in itself was a flaw. Their eyes would linger over Selina; Ava had to sit elsewhere from the two, luckily, so she went unscathed by the attention. That was until the bus came to a stop, outside the Council Headquarters. Rather uncomfortably, Ava stood and shuffled out of her place, cradling her bags, following Joel and Selina out the bus.

The fresh air came to a relief to Ava. She stretched; after being crammed for so long, one could not blame her for doing so. The headquarters towered over her. It was odd looking at the place her father worked at. Perhaps, he was in there now. If so, she’d have to tread carefully. Ava had no business here, even her father knew that. Only from afar Ava had ever gazed upon the building. Now, with it so up close, it felt daunting.

Moving to the lion statues, she reached up and placed a hand on them; the cold served to calm Ava after such a warm day. After stroking the statues – and admiring the intricate designs – she returned to Joel and Selina.
“Yeah. If someone asks, we should say Selina is a cosplayer.”

Most of the youth might have come to that conclusion. However, it didn’t mean they wouldn’t view her as peculiar. Ava moved her bags from her left hand to her right; she tensed her left arm, now aching from holding the bags. If she had foreseen how her day would have turned out, she wouldn’t have purchased anything. It was frustrating having to carry bags around all day. Ava made it clear she wouldn’t climb the stairs first; she’d wait for Joel to lead the way and Selina to follow, then proceed to trail behind them, keeping a look out for her father.

 

Temp:  Selina hadn’t been all that fond of the bus ride they took over to this place, but she refrained from voicing her opinion. She found the metal contraption to be very noisy and bumpy. What made it really bad though was the people that accompanied them on the bus. They had all been staring at her, and she found it to be very uncomfortable. At least now she understood why they were giving her such odd looks. As soon as they reached their destination Selina let out a sigh of relief, and then followed Joel rather closely. He seemed to be much more fond of her than Ava was, but she really wasn’t sure why. So long as she wasn’t in danger there was no need to make it a concern, so she decided to simply let it be. In an attempt to get looked at a little less Selina decided not to speak and instead remained silent. She unconsciously snuck one of her small hands into one of Joel’s as she moved closer to him, finding this place to be a little bit intimidating. Hopefully he wouldn’t mind.

 

Razorbackwriter:  

The teacher had been well aware of how the public were reacting to Selina. The bus being another example of their curiosity, though the stares went from their cell phones to Selina and then back down again. There was really only so much that Joel could do, like he had done in the Peach Cafe, but in a moving bus, that was a different story. Now on the stairs, with Ava following along behind, the trio were ready to hit the hall of records. What did surprise Joel however, was when Selina silently reached for his hand and moved closer to him. At first he raised a brow – instinctively curious to this sudden need to be close. However, it became more clear as people that were coming in and out of the building were now looking at them. Joel felt this sudden urge to be protective once more and offered Selina a smile, before giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. He wasn’t going to let her down.

Entering the building finally, there was a large reception desk. Guards were on several chamber doors. The real heavy weights of the city conducted their day to day business activities here, and the teacher assumed that the need for the guards was warranted. Not all that were in power were that popular in some of the outer districts. Politics was a grubby game at best. The teacher had never really taken much of an interest, but just knew that there were shady things going on in the name of progress.

Walking up to the reception desk, they were met by a woman in a long grey cardigan and she had her silvery locks tied up in a tight bun, that pulled on her face, like it was a mask. Beady eyes looked up from her book as she saw the three approach.

“Can I help you?” The woman spoke with a dry voice, no hint of emotion. She must have been in this same job for years. There was no passion to her. She was as dull and grey as her cardigan.

“Ah…yes we are seeking any records you would have on the Shamandalie family. Circa….uhm..Fifteenth century. Say a census form, or…birth certificates?”

Would the woman notice Selina, and the fact that she was dressed from that era.

“One moment. You will need to fill out these forms in triplicate and all wear these gloves.” She slapped down a pile of paperwork for Joel, and then three sets of special gloves, that were used for aging documents. “It’s our normal procedure. Oh…and there is a fifty dollar fee for the lodgement of the papers.”

Joel had not expected there to be a cost involved, but…considering the ornate surrounds, it should be no surprise that they would charge a fee where they could. The teacher took out his wallet and handed over his last fifty dollar bill. His lips thinned as he knew his sister was not going to be happy. They were going to have to have ramen for a few nights.

The receptionist took the bill with a smirk before staring down at Selina and then cocking a brow. “Why is she….” The woman started, and Joel cut her off very fast. “Cos player. Convention on at the Powerhouse.”

“Oh…”

That was close.

Joel handed over the completed forms and the receptionist went to go and start tapping in what the trio were after. She trotted away for a good half hour, that left Joel having to try and entertain the girls the best he could. Once the woman returned, she had a large box, and then motioned for them to follow her to an observing room. The room had four chairs, and a table in the middle. The box was placed in the center and then she left the three to go through it.

 

~RB~

 

 

 

 

Bad Kitty – GS.

 

Tommy and Elissa’s quiet romantic moment is suddenly interrupted by the most unlikely creature ever.  Frank and Isolde have also come along for the ride, but this is going to take a lot of explaining.

Scene setting :  Elissa’s apartment – Gantz Series.

Co-written with Temp, VunG and Chor.

 

Temp:  Xillia, Isolde, and Frank would all suddenly appear within the apartment only a few feet away from Tommy and Elissa. There was a very peculiar scent in the air of this room, one which Xillia definitely recognized. It was the scent that normally went hand in hand with intercourse, something which Xillia’s species also took part in. Though, she wasn’t quite sure how it worked for humans. Perhaps it was similar to her own kind? Whatever the method might be, she was definitely curious. She now let go of Frank and Isolde and remained on her knees due to her being too tall to stand completely. Xillia scooted very closely to the other two humans in the room, who were in a very close embrace.“Ohhh my! Are you two planning on mating more? You must allow me to witness it!”If her eyes could light up and turn into sparkly stars, then they certainly would do so at the prospect of watching them unite.

 

VunG:  It was slowly becoming clear to Elissa that… that there was a real chemistry between them, more than just friends who like each other in bed, more than just people curious about the other… there was something real there. As she felt his sweet touch and opened her eyes to see the joy in his, the happiness she felt from seeing him so comfortable with her was… actually rather alarming. But… she was fine with it. And as he took her in for a kiss, she gladly accepted… and found that it was neither lustful no aggressive… no she could feel his emotions through it… and she had to admit that the moment was overwhelming. As much as she was reluctant to admit it, his feelings, his fire, was starting to spark up in her, and as he kissed her, pushing her into the wall, she gladly accepted it, lacing her fingers behind his neck with her eyes closed, simply enjoying this sweet moment, happy to continue it as long as he would have her like th–

“Ooh my! Are two planning on mating more?” Immediately her eyes snapped open and turned towards the source of the sound to see… the strangest looking woman she had ever seen standing smack in the middle of her home. She broke the kiss with a start, turning to look towards the woman, her hands still linked behind Tommy’s neck as she stared at the woman, trying to figure out how she’d gotten in. Then, just as she was releasing her boyfriend, she suddenly spotted Frank and… that seemed to be Isolde with him. How had they gotten in?! Immediately she began looking around frantically, looking at the door–which was still locked–then at the woman staring at them like a kid in a candystore… and just talked about watching them do it… at least that was what she thought she heard… the window which was still very much closed… WHAT WAS GOING ON?! She quickly began looking frantically between everything, fingers pointing every which way as she tried to figure out what had just happened. Her fight-or-flight reflex hadn’t even kicked in, this person was just so strange and harmless seeming that she was just completely lost! Eventually she calmed down… only to just stare slackjawed, going from Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy, to fluffy, to Frank, to Tommy…

 

Razorbackwriter:  Lost in the blissful kiss, that was now getting even deeper, Tommy was completely unaware that they had an audience. A very enthusiastic one at that.

“Ohhh my! Are you two planning on mating more? You must allow me to witness it!”

Tommy’s eyes snapped open while in the middle of the kiss, only to pull away from Elissa and come face to face with the biggest girl he had ever seen. She was so big that she was on her knees and watching Tommy and Elissa with a fascinated stare. Did she just say what he thought she said? Errr…

“Hey Tommy! Hi Elissa…This is….”

“FRANK!” Tommy let out an angered bellow, that would make anyone shudder.

“Oh shit.” Frank then hid in behind Isolde, while this cat girl was still staring at Tommy and Elissa with high expectations of a sexual floor show. If Tommy was completely taken aback by what was going on, Elissa was losing the plot completely. Her finger pointing became frantic, and Tommy knew exactly what she was trying to convey.

“NO!…NO, YOU CAN’T WATCH! YOU DIRTY…DIRTY…HEY WAIT, WHAT’S WITH THE TAIL?” He was only now just seeing the alien’s long fluffy tail and this was when his eyes darted to Frank and Isolde, who were just standing there, like this was…nothing new to them at all.

Tommy, being, well Tommy; moved his body to shield his girl from the cat girl while staring daggers at Frank.

“How the hell did you three get in? The door’s locked. And…and…” He pointed at Xiilia and uttered the question“How’d she know we’d had sex?”

Frank poked his head out from behind isolde and replied. “She can stop a car with a force field. I think she is an alien. A Princess too.” He bobbed his head and could see Tommy was livid. “Were you two really having sex?”

“I am so going to belt the crap out of you, Frank.” Tommy made a run at Frank, who screamed like a girl.

“Isa!…Save me!” Frank ran into the kitchen, leaving Isa to face the heat.

~RB~

 

Chor:  

Whatever Isolde thought she was expecting…her mind could not even touch the idea of what really happened when they entered the apartment. Complete and utter chaos had ensued, in an almost gentle and quietly furious way, with the alien upon her knees begging to be the private audience at the next showing of ‘Tommy and Elissa: Getting It On’. Having knowledge of the body most do not, it was obvious to Isa that they had engaged in some pretty serious intercourse. Sex was a science to Isa, she knew the signs; and the scene they happened upon in their arrival was a small hint as well.

Suddenly, the harmless pleading of the alien became banter betweenst the friends. Isolde, Frank cowering behind her, sighed and crossed her arms like an elementary school teacher.

“This is all very expla-” she was cut off by yelling from Tommy and then things seemed to escalate more as he came rushing at the two to clearly assault Frank. Honestly, Isa might do the same in this situation. Frank’s shrill shriek, which almost had Isolde wondering about his sex, pierced Isa’s ear and as the two ran off she was left standing there alone in her white shorts and bright soccer mom hoodie. This was turning out to be an astronomically great day, depending on your definition of the word.

“Mein Gott…” She paused.After a moment of letting Tommy chase Frank, she spun on her heel.

“OY, BOYS!, “She practically screamed, though her commanding, rough voice did not hit the screeching level her compantion’s had. She looked then to Xillia and Elissa.

“Please, if you would join me in the dining area?” she spoke gently, but there was something about it that wasn’t quite a question or a suggestion. They all needed to have a good old fashion family meeting; or a friendly chat of that sort. She went in search of this place anyways and sat herself comfortable at the table, licking her lips.  

 

 

The Party Boys – He’s gonna step on you again.

 

Morning World!  It is near midnight here, but I know a lot of you out there are waking up.  So I thought, why not find an epic rock song to help start the day. Here is a classic Australian rock flash back from the Party Boys.  A collection of some top Oz musicians, this song has a ripper beat and some great vocals by John Swan.  This song was originally by John Kongos, but has also been covered by Def Leppard.

“He’s Gonna Step On You Again”

[Originally by John Kongos](He’s gonna step on you again)
(He’s gonna step on you again)
(He’s gonna step on you again)
(He’s gonna step on you again)

Hey rainmaker come away
From that man you know
He’s gonna take away your promised land
Hey good lady

He just want what you got
You know he’ll never stop
Until he’s taken the lot

Gonna stamp out your fire
He can change your desire
Don’t you know that he can make
You forget you’re a man

Gonna stamp out your fire
He can change your desire
Don’t you know that he can make
You forget you’re a man

You’re a man. He’s a man
(He’s gonna step on you again)
(He’s gonna step on you again)
(He’s gonna step on you again)
(He’s gonna step on you again)

Hey rainmaker he got golden plans
I tell you he make you
A stranger in your land
Hey good lady

He got God on his side
He got a double tongue
You never think that he lie

Gonna stamp out your fire
He can change your desire
Don’t you know that he can make
You forget you’re a man

Gonna stamp out your fire
He can change your desire
Don’t you know that he can make
You forget you’re a man,
You’re a man, he’s a man

Hey rainmaker come away
From that man you know
He’s gonna take away your promised land
Hey good lady

He got God on his side
He got a double tongue
You never think that he lie

Gonna stamp out your fire
He can change your desire
Don’t you know that he can make
You forget you’re a man

Gonna stamp out your fire
He can change your desire
Don’t you know that he can make
You forget you’re a man,
You’re a man, he’s a man

 

 

The Maze of Greed – Part Four : SS.

Hate and revenge can lead you down a very dark path.  This is what Scar and Mariela are about to find out.  What if they are not the only ones that are lost in the Maze of Greed?

Scene setting : Maze of Greed – Seven Sins series.

Co-written with Dessy and Artie.

 

Razorbackwriter:  “I was speaking all la de da. You know, fancy talk. I didn’t mean that you were mywitch…I…I…oh forget it.” Trying to explain his faux pas was just making him seem a bit silly. He didn’t mean to upset her, but by her body language the damage was done. When a woman folds her arms and gives you the look, its best to settle your bets and pay your dues. Even if you meant no harm by it. The alp much rather find a way to help the witch get far as he could from Lydia’s clutches, but now that they were in the maze, it was going to be easier said than done. Course, she interrupted his chain of thought when she mentioned that Lydia was far more evil than she first thought. Lydia had gone out of her way to earn the young witch’s trust. Becoming a woman who was nothing more than a fraud. Oh she seemed lovely, alright, but the clues were there. Like when she killed Warner, and used his blood as a sacrifice for the Devil. Did the Devil himself not say that she was an ambitious little bitch? This was of course all well before Scar arrived on the scene. And he was summoned from the book of shadows. Lydia’s grand plans for him were to keep Mariela out of harms way as she plotted the ball, and then what was to happen afterwards, when everything fell into place. Again, Scar knew that Mariela was the key to Gabriel’s curse or the removal of it. But Scar had taken Mariela into the maze first and well before Lydia was ready. That was why she appeared in the hand mirror held by the raven man.

“You…remember the hand mirror, don’t you?” Scar started, his face now perfectly serious. There was no joy or mischief in his voice. “There….is another one. Here….somewhere in the labyrinth. A bigger mirror…a looking glass.” It appeared the Alp knew a whole lot more about Lydia’s schemes than first imagined. “It’s not hers. It belongs to a Warlock. I think his name was…Raul, or something. Anyways, it is enchanted just like the one I broke.”

Scar fidgeted with his hat nervously as he bowed his head. “My understanding is that the Lydia in the mirror is in another dimension. It was why I thought….that it was safer out here, than in that hall.” Was the Alp starting to regret bringing the witch out into the maze? “As for….the price of using my hat as a way to escape, the price could be a greater one than you are prepared to pay. As I said before, magic always comes at a price.”

~RB~

 

Dessy:  Mariela stared at him, raising an eyebrow as the alp tried to explain himself… but miserably failed. “‘Fancy talk?’ That’s what it is?” she said, before she just ended up grinning when he told her to forget it. She didn’t know what had happened for Scar to start calling her “my witch” when she wasn’t his property. But if he was trying to earn brownie points, it wasn’t working. Not right now. Mariela was still a little unhappy that Scar never gave her an explanation. She also didn’t like whatever was going on in the maze. She was a little angry about that.

Mariela nodded her head when the hand mirror was mentioned. Her face turned into a frown when Scar grew serious. Most of the time he was always happy and playful, so seeing him so serious was weird. “What does the mirror have to do with anything?” she asked, putting her arms by her side. “And why did a warlock give it to her?” she then asked afterwards. She was so full of questions, and so curious.

Mariela watched him fidget with his hat, her green eyes watching him as he talked. “So, there are two Lydia’s? Why and how? And what does this “other Lydia”,” she made air quotes with her fingers. “…want to do with me?” she then pointed to herself. She listened to him again, and she thought that Scar was regretting taking her out to the maze. That’s what it sounded like, at least. “What do you mean “a greater one than I won’t be prepared to pay”? Scar, I have no idea what you are talking about…” she sighed, and gave a roll of her eyes. “I know magic always comes with a price! Everything comes with a price!” she said, annoyed, and moving her arms around the air dramatically.

 

Razorbackwriter:  Scar grimaced as Mariela’s anger started to get the better of her. Here she was, stuck in a horrid maze with the Alp, when she could be back in the ball room. Though little did they realize just what had gone down within those walls. Scar certainly didn’t know….not yet. All he knew was that when he took Mariela from the ball room, he genuinely feared for her life. Some of Hell’s most powerful beings were in that room, and with murder taking place, unruly fights…well, Scar figured some of them might succumb to the blood lust and attack a pretty thing like Mariela. She totally took his words the wrong way, and he felt like she was scolding him for it. It really was just an honest mistake, and yet he could feel the rise of her anger. She was becoming more and more animated. Flailing her arms about her wildly. His answers had only made her want to ask more questions. For example, what did the mirror have to do with anything? Why would a Warlock give it to her?

The alp was starting to feel drained. He had no idea that Mariela would be so damn curious about…well everything. His job was to keep her in the dark. That was what Lydia had set for him. But after the wonderful times he spent with the witch, he had lost sight of what was required.

“Why would a Warlock do a deal with the Demon of Ambition….and Greed? Why do you think?” Now he had an exasperated tone. Scar had only overheard the pair plotting, but not actually met the Warlock properly. “He obviously thought there was something to be gained. I don’t know….maybe…maybe…” the Alp stuttered. Racking his brain of possible conclusions. “There must be…a damn good reason. Maybe they had a common enemy. You know, revenge and hate can lead you down a very dark path.” He glanced around him and then he suddenly had a clue. “What if….there is someone in this maze, beside us? What if, she let him use the maze…for a purpose other than her own?’

Perhaps the Alp was on to something, but the train of thought left his mind when Mariela again quizzed the hat and the price that would be paid for using the magic within. The colour drained from his face, as he stepped right up to her and went to grab her shoulders. Staring at her he said softly.

“Imagine a place where you had no power, no magic. The hat is a portal in a way. You could use it and save yourself.”Scar turned his head away from her as he closed his eyes. Was his love for her so much that he was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice?

~RB~

 

Dessy;  Mariela took a deep breath and put her arms by her side. She was getting angry. This entire thing was just frustrating her in many ways. From being dragged out of the ballroom, to being in a terrifying maze, to this whole confusing mess with the two Lydia’s and the two mirrors. It was frustrating the young witch. All she wanted was for the entire mess to be over, and that’s it. She rested her arms at her sides, watching Scar as he spoke.

“Why would a Warlock do a deal with the Demon of Ambition….and Greed? Why do you think?”

This caused Mariela to give a shrug of her shoulders. She didn’t know. It could be anything. But Lydia and this warlock were obviously working together for something. For what, Mariela didn’t know. “I know there must be a “damn good reason”, but what is that reason?” she asked. The witch was too curious for her own good – asked so many questions. “Yeah… “Hate” is starting to lead me down the path where I’m going to destroy the next living creature that appears in this damn maze.” she grumbled, putting her hands on her hips. At Scar’s next words, Mariela’s eyes widened. “What purpose would that be? And if there is someone else in this maze, then we have to find them, Scar. We can’t leave them in the dangers of the maze.” she spoke, now determined to save whoever this person was from the terror of the maze. She wasn’t going to just leave them here.

All of a sudden, the color drained from Scar’s face when she mentioned the hat again. He grabbed her shoulders, staring at her as he spoke, and Mariela’s green eyes stared into his red one’s. “If losing my magic is the price I have to pay, then I’m not doing it.” she spoke, but watched turn away from her and close his eyes. “My magic is the only part of my family I have left, and I fully intend on keeping it.” she spoke, crossing her arms now. “And I never said I wanted to go to another dimension. Because I don’t.” she said, but her face softened. “There’s something you’re not telling me about this, Scar. I can see it in your face.” she said. She took one of her hands and placed it on the Alp’s shoulder. “What is it?” she then asked, tilting her head to the side as her other hand lay by her side.

 

Artie:  Blackness, then slight light. More blackness, then light again.. Bandit’s eyes would flutter open slowly, laboriously, her head pounding as though she’d been knocked out. What a hell of a dream.. Though, she would soon find it wasn’t much of a dream. Her wrists felt sore underneath her, her whole body aching with a dull and burning pain. She would push herself off of the grass, attempting to take in her surroundings through a fog of pain in her head. Her eyes blinked again, lids heavy and yet not fully opened yet. A light groan escaped her lips, a tired look on her face that had a prominent bruise on her cheek, in the midst of a healed but dirty cut. How it had gotten there, she couldn’t tell. Blonde hair that was stained brown fell into her face, furthering to cloud her vision. With a light huff the female would manage to sit herself up, reaching to her neck to find no collar… a clear ploy of some sort. She was sure it had merely moved itself to be around an ankle, but she wasn’t sure. At the moment, all of her limbs felt painfully dead and dull.

“Hello?” The word formed on her lips, but her throat was so dry all that came out was a soft croak, more along the lines of ‘grnoa?’ She herself could only barely hear the noise come from herself – it was so painfully quiet of a noise. This was the effect of little water, the burning that steadily rose a direct symptom of this dry throat. She would lick her lips, but unsuccessfully, as her tongue had little moisture to begin with. As she began to somewhat focus, yet still weakened, Bandit would gaze down at herself. She was fortunate to be back into clothes, her prior clothing.. It was in the same dirty condition, with a minor tear on the hem of her shirt or pants leg, but otherwise they seemed to be unaffected. Where am I? Pure willpower would force her to crawl to a hedge of the maze across from her, sitting up but un-moving as she appeared almost dead, eyes barely open from the energy crawling here had required. Her head slumped a bit as her eyes closed, the sounds of something in the distance.. voices, maybe? She couldn’t be sure if they were friend or foe, but she would try to not make herself known, knowing an enemy wouldn’t be fended off if she was found..

Last Warning – SS.

The party had now broken down into a series of fights.  Royals against the Anarchy Division & The Princess of Greed taking on William the Templar, while a thief has snuck into the underground Blacksmith shop, to try and steal Beserker.  The Ball is nothing more than a showdown of Holy versus the Evil of Hell.

Scene setting :  The Masquerade Ball of Greed.  Seven Sins Series.

Co-written with Zetta, Moo, Temp and Nhal.

 

Zetta:  The space around Blitz began to visibly move, as if he was cloaked with a clear, thick barrier. This was the manipulation of torrential energy that would allow for instantaneous movement. With the charge set he was already proposed to make a move by the time the knightly demon slayer had dispatched of the princess’ little projectile, but he needed to assure of a few things before stepping in. She seemed determined to put him down obviously for ruining her gathering, the man would have casually left this situation to it’s own natural happenings but he had already taken interest in the killer. His option to walk had left the moment that of a half-god looked upon him, he briefly considered that his target would know full on what he was. Having already distinguished himself as a very capable assassin he was positive that he had some sort of decoy, unless he really was just that strong to turn his back on demons and confidently walk out after revealing himself. For this; He turned to the two still behind him just a few feet away, hearing their voices. One man standing straight before another, he had a firm stance but lacked any sort of special power beyond his own dna. The apparent guard had black hair and his face was flushed in all red, obviously blushing. The one being guarded was stronger, him being a true demon, and at this high of a place he was positive he had just witnessed a third prince.

He barely noticed them before from how close they were.. Maybe they were homosexuals, it didn’t matter much though, in this time he noticed a group of hands scaling to the ceiling of this place. ‘Twas an odd sight, but not really unusual for someone like him and so he spoke casually to the black-haired male guarding the white-haired male. “Please, I might not be able to hold back if I get excited. If that happens make sure this area at least stays in tact.” He said so with a light grin, bearing his teeth to reveal his growing angst because he was about to get locked into a real party. But the man had no time to wait for a response from the skeptical tuxedo wearing guard. So by the ending of his sentence, his entire form was gone. Pushing aside space and time to instantly transport himself to a few inches in front of the assassin. Arms folded, eyes shut still. Without making a single motion, he mentally amassed a force of hundreds of thousands of molecules for a gigantic wave bearing telekinetic strength matching that of five metric tons. He aimed this force at the entire upper body of the man in iron-clad before him, doing so as to not also send the weakened demons sprawling across the room as well in this simplistic but powerful attack while simultaneously knocking away the falling chandelier. If this ended well, he could simply take that as payment, he figured. However it would be sent flying as well, in the direction of the man he spoke to moments ago, who would listen to him this time to protect the other guy at the very least.

This type of attack would also serve to potentially disarm his target, a force capable of knocking Blitz himself off of his feet could certainly make it harder to hold onto the sword and shield or even diminish his fighting capability using his fingers to withstand all of the force from the resonating metal. Despite it’s given tactical advantage being that the user did not have to waste any effort on a wide-scale move, it did mentally strain him and so he could not afford a physical attack at the same time. It gave a defender a short time to respond, when coupled with Blitz’ teleportation, but could still be heard before the instant he attacked at a very low pitch sound as he literally propelled matter itself. Also seen as the moving matter would quickly push the air forward as well, adopting a scene of violent turbulence by the time it would make it to the assassin. If successful the force would send him to the feet of the Princess of Greed, likely putting her in a weakened position if Excalibur was near.
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Cecil heeded every word spoken from Gabriel, as he had his back turned despite bearing such a flustered grill. His face was lit was intense nervousness, and to his surprise she chose no path of offense against him just yet. The royal guard’s heart beat rose slightly still, in light anticipation of such an act when they returned back home. He was thrown off from his concentration when the one with pink-hair began speaking to him, originally Cecil was only concerned with keeping Gabriel safe, but in this way he would also be able to utilize his skills to serve her even indirectly. To that he gave the other man a nod, signifying his understanding of his request and the situation then similarly agreeing to help him, only to properly service his love. But he would not act without Her actual consent however. “Is it okay for me to take the place where that princess introduced herself?” He asked to confirm whether or not he’d actually listen to that other guy. Doing so timidly since Lady Gabriel seemed frustrated already, and he understood her, while not being a full demon himself – to the point that he felt hatred towards holiness he did become a sort of evil soul with his time spent here and so had a sort of disdain towards anything outside of the new norm for himself. For the sake of maintenance he had removed his hands from practically tied behind his back to being set firm on either side of his body. Now he was ready for any defensive measure necessary.

It was not long after that when the chandelier in the middle of the room fell down, then was quickly launched at the two of them. The rate it was going it would have become a socket in the wall above them and likely through the building itself, projected with such force that if it hit someone it would likely turn them into a mangled corpse. The blunt tips of each light would burn against the skin before scraping off bone marrow and finally smashing them into the ground. Cecil moved instinctively.. The thing was too close to the two of them, he created webbing between his fingers and extended only his hard out to catch the flying object before it hit anything, enlarging the shape of it as well to keep the surrounding scenery unharmed. His augmented strength served him well, halting all momentum from his catch like a professional baseball player. Though from the force alone the back of his hand still fell limp afterwards, but the burning sensation of such a fast moving big object was mostly resisted, only a searing path now coursing through that entire limb.

 

Nhal:  Belphegor’s clawed hand clenched in irritation as his attention went from the man floating above the floor to the large chandelier which was now flying across the room. His body quickly began to melt away into a dark purple wisp which would bolt next to Lydia and whisper noises towards her. “Excuse me for cutting in… But I’m going to be dealing with this meddler.” flying from her side the wisp suddenly exploded into a black cloud which moved in Blitz’s direction as it formed a clawed hand, slamming into him and wrapping its fingers around him rapidly. As it continued on its trajectory, the black crystal coating the wall which blocked its path cracked and split open, allowing the black hand and its unwilling passenger to be sent crashing through a closed window and into the palace courtyard. As soon as the hand was free, the crystal wall closed sealed itself, preventing any further entrance or exit from the grand hall.

As the hand sailed over the courtyard, it adjusted slightly, dropping Blitz towards the ground before molting away and swirling down, reforming into the ghostly form of Belphegor a couple of yards away from him. “Don’t you know that its rude for someone to interfere with the battles of a demon prince?… Especially a child such as yourself.” Tucking his hands behind his back he cocked his head to the side slightly. “Or could it be you were simply guarding an accomplice? Well, Anarchy Division? Which is it, a poorly made business opportunity? Or just sheer stupidity?” He rolled his fingers behind his back as he drifted to the side slowly, observing the half god with great detail.

Moo:  No response from the Berserker armor. Kirsikka frowned while she tilted her head, looking it over. Perhaps taking the entire armor would allow her to test it a bit more…not to mention impress her Lord. Her eyes scanned the room once more before she stepped onto the platform, breast to breast with the armor in the small space left for her to stand. Carve away a sample before attempting to take the entire suit. That sounded best in regards of actually accomplishing her goal. If something were to happen, she couldn’t leave empty handed. The item she had been dawdling with in the ballroom poked from between her fingers, the silver reflecting dully thanks to the musty room’s lack of light. Kirsikka pressed it to the shoulder of the armor and applied force until it began cutting into the metal. Her guard seemed to just stare off into space, standing idle in front of one of the twelve statues lining the walls for the meantime, as she had no orders for him.

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Gabriel had been so taken with annoyance and hatred that she barely regarded Cecil and Blitz as they spoke. With his question, her head turned after a moment of hesitation. It became obvious rather quickly something was bound to happen while the pink haired man teleported between the Templar and Lydia, underneath the chandelier that would obviously crash down before long. “Yes, do as you see fit,” she answered quite quickly. She herself moved to a safer place, out of the way where Cecil stood for the time being. As it was, the pink haired man most likely had ideas of his own…and for him to share specifically with Cecil any spot of information, it meant trouble may as well have been headed their way. Even if she hadn’t bothered to listen to them previously.

Despite the princess’ dangerous mixture of emotions, she stayed put. It would have been more entertaining, had it not been a holy being to cause the trouble. The situation was more chaotic the longer Lydia let it drag on. Sloth was much faster to react to the situation at hand, and obviously felt irritated as Gabriel did. The two were soon out of the room in a rush, leaving the rest of them in some weird silence. Gabriel looked over to Cecil as he held onto the massive chandelier, relaxing her tensed stance before approaching him. She rested her hand over his, which was warm to the touch. Hot, actually. “Your body can be used so creatively.” She pushed on the chandelier away from him until it crashed to the floor. “…As much as you’ve misbehaved this evening…you have done a decent job here.”

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Astarte somewhat smiled while she noticed Blitz charging up for his battle. It was obvious the demigod was geared up for a fight, even after having had that spar earlier in the day. His healing was impressive enough that he was already battle-ready once again. Already, she was moving through the crowd…and much more easily now that everyone had stopped dancing, all eyes on the holy man and other more powerful demons crowding to the area. It wasn’t surprising that the closer she got, the more strain she felt on her muscles. Those in the front were already kneeling, their bodies practically pressed into the ground from the power of the Excalibur and other notable items the man was bearing. But this was something similar to being in Elysium for Astarte herself; she had withstood it nicely enough to still spar with Blitz. And he himself would be fine facing the holy man due to his being a demigod. There was no worry or doubt in the hellcat’s mind as she watched the chandelier fall and suddenly bolt in a different direction, only to be caught by a demon who seemed to be close to one of the new princes.

While that in itself was impressive, her eyes hadn’t strayed for long, before the prince of Sloth was throwing himself in Blitz’ direction. The two wound up being brought through the door way too quickly for her to react physically. Astarte would be sealed inside the ball room with the rest of the guests, waiting for Blitz to return to her side. So he would have to fight without her to cheer him on visibly, but if he knew her well enough, he would know that she had faith he would be completely fine on his own, like always…

 

Temp:  William knew that there were more than just demons among the crowd, but he really didn’t expect non-demons to be hostile towards him. This assumption was indeed a mistake on his part. Both the Princess of Greed and an unknown being had decided to attack after he made short work of the first attack. At first there was the chandelier that was dropping towards him. This wasn’t something he was very worried about though. He knew that Sanctus would protect him from the object, as well as the fact Excalibur would cut through it like paper. Before there was even time to react to the chandelier, the unknown being appeared before him and shot forth a tremendous amount of force. William was no ordinary being, but even that fact meant little to this amount of force. Thankfully, William was not alone in his quest for revenge. The Armor of Grant would prove more than sufficient, especially when combined with Sanctus. William pulled Sanctus up and blocked to force from making contact with his upper body, while the rest of his body was protected solely by Grant. The force was still far too powerful for William to be completely unaffected by though, and as such he was pushed backwards. Once the force had passed he stumbled backwards, and then rolled back even further and away from the Princess of Greed. Once he was back up on his feet he turned his attention back towards the Princess, who was obviously still very angry with him. In order to make it perfectly clear that this wasn’t a fight she should be picking, he extended his Angelic wings, which would also reveal his aura. This obviously would show that not only was he some sort of assassin clad in holy items, but that he was also of Angelic origins. Once his wings were out completely, he pointed Excalibur directly at the Princess. “Last…Warning…” If she continued this, then she would lose much more than she likely thought she would by letting him go.

 

Razorbackwriter:  Beserker stood completely still. Just as you would expect a suit of armor to do. Kirsikka had no power in the Kingdom of Greed, nor did she know the secret to unlocking the evil that dwell within the metal plates. All around her the stone statues stood in readiness but for what? What Kirsikka was not aware of, was that the podium on which Beserker stood was pressure plated. In other words, the moment the weight changed on the dias – it would bring Beserker and the stone statues to life. Course, it would not happen instantly. That was the beauty of it. No, let the fool who dare tamper with the suit of armour learn the hard way. So, while she was pressed chest to chest with the armor and applied force to start and cut away a piece for a souvenir, the eyes behind the visor illuminated into a sickening shade of gold and red. The fingers on the gauntlet flexed and then with the speed that was completely unnatural, it tore out and gripped Kirsikka by the hair, pulling her head back so she would have no choice but to look up and into those fiery eyes. Each of the statues stood to attention with a loud cracking sound that resonated throughout the blacksmith shop. Dust falling away from their shoulders as their heads all turned towards the Beserker armor and it’s captive.

She could try screaming for help…..but who would hear her over the ruckus coming from above.

Lydia stood in what was the wreckage of her beautiful ball room. Guests all scattered, royals all holding back for fear of the angelic being who now stood opposite Lydia, his sword Excalibur pointed at her in one final show down. A last warning, spoken in that broken language. The smell of death wafted up towards Lydia’s nostrils as she looked at Belphegor, Gabriel, Cecil, and then Blitz – the one from Anarchy division who had also gotten in the way of the Princess’s assault against William. The silence now would be broken by the sound of Lydia’s heels as she walked over the broken remnants of the chandelier – another casualty of the ball. Though the sight of the angelic wings now unfurled and proud was enough to have others quake in fear, Lydia put on the performance of her life. Bathed in the holy aura, which caused her skin to prickle, blister and peel, she summoned all her courage to stare the angelic being down.

The Princess of Greed had finally gotten to see the true natures of the attending Princes of Hell and she came to realize one very important fact. None…acted true to their name sake. Not even Gabriel. Princess of Wrath….bullshit. She…he…didn’t even enter the fight, and her simpering man servant appeared to do all the work.

Lydia lifted her chin proudly, the sword’s tip glistening as it was primed to be pushed through her chest if the angelic being dared. Gritting her teeth in a bid to starve off the pain that she was experiencing, she uttered in a very menacing growl.

“The party is over….for you. Get out.”

Violent jade green eyes burrowed into William’s. If he was true to his word, he would lower his sword and turn to leave. If not….Lydia would pay the ultimate price.

“ALL OF YOU. GET OUT!”

The Princess’s raised voice would ring throughout the hall. Her silhouette now changing in it’s colour as her skin continued to burn.

~RB~

 

 

You can always win over Australians with the offer of a day off.

The Gruen Transfers; “The Pitch” asks two ad agencies go head to head to win a Gruen trophy.   In this clip they try to convince Australians that we need to start a war with New Zealand.  But how do you convince the Australian public to rally behind the idea?  It’s easier than you might think.  Totally tongue in cheek, and no offence to my Kiwi readers…(lol), the two ad agencies do a smash up job of promoting an Invasion.