Vicki Victory

Vicki leaned over the cup, resting on her elbows, and breathed in the delightful fragrance. A heavenly mixture of chocolate, cream, and sugar filled her nostrils, the waft intoxicating her. “No....no sugar. This is perfect as it is, ” Vicki sighed out with pleasure.

She gently took the cup with both hands and gingerly pressed the brim to her lips. Rich, warm ichor danced over her tongue, and drifted down her throat. This was bliss.

Vicki briefly closed her eyes, relishing the moment. It was a welcome reprieve from her confusing day. She opened her eyes and perked her attention back to her guest “So, what's up with you? You've got this…” She began to motion all around Garrett with her hand, “...whole dark cloud thing going on.”

@Ambra

Liam raises a brow curiously as Sam began to speak, his expression giving no indication on how these words effected him. Matt sat silently as he continued to watch the exchange, seeming to almost never blink as his mind processed everything: words, mannerism, and tone.

As Sam's statement's drew to a close, Liam paused a moment in silence before cracking a wide grin. Now leaning back in his chair, he'd shake his head with his eyes closed, "I know people like you. I know them all to well. Considering the fact I was trying to be courteous, I held my tongue... But if you want it," His eyes now opened as he focused upon her, his grin seeming to grow into a malicious smile, "Though I'd suggest you figure out what the hell you're trying to dress up as 'princess'. Just another hopeless daddy-issue victim that wants to be a 'big girl' and do things on her own. Like drink, smoke, and screw her life into the gutter. You were just one thrust away from being a teenage mother, weren't you? Or perhaps you skipped that one party where your boyfriend od-ed on meth in the bathroom? Hard to be left alone when you dress like a neon-train-wreck, and then spur every person who attempts to give you the time of day."

At this point, Liam stands from his chair with his stance readied and his eyes locked upon Sam. To those paying attention, a subtle breeze would circulate about the room. Matt folded his arms expectantly, his form shifting and flickering before appearing at Artemis's side. He'd say nothing, merely looking on with a mixture of expectation and expectency.

@Kiroue@Eklispe

He sipped at his coffee, noticing that it was a little too black for his liking. Garrett reached over and ripped open a small packet of sugar with some difficulty, pouring it into the warm liquid before him. At least the lady liked the hot chocolate he had prepared; for some reason, many people asked him to make it, and not others. Apparently, he was a god at making hot chocolate, even though he didn't really think so. Hey, it was something to brag about, though. Maybe he could start selling hot chocolate when he had nothing to do after binging on League.

"Hm?" Garrett raised an eyebrow at the question, his eyes flashing apprehensively. He knew that he was a bit grouchy, but what was that about a dark cloud? "What's it to you? Can't people have bad days?"

Shaking his head, he began to tap his foot against the ground in annoyance. All he wanted to do was get rid of his damn hangover, and someone was already questioning his mood. It wasn't his fault that he had constantly been getting drunk-- especially after what happened last night. "Listen, I'm not in the mood to be jabbed at like that. It's none of your damn business."

@TheWinchester4

Insults toward her were always the same and always unoriginal, but that didn't mean it didn't make her upset. It wasn't so much that the lashings themselves hurt, it was the fact that they were so off the mark. People looked at her and saw a rat in a gutter. She looked at herself and she saw a bird who was free. As the words came flowing out of his mouth, she would catch memories in them like sharp embers flying into her mind; the first time she was called a disappointment by her parents who just didn't understand, that disgusting man at that one party a year ago who just wouldn't take no for an answer. What came also were the countless rejections. Rejections from jobs, from teachers, and from anyone who saw her. They saw only what they wanted to see and didn't look any further. They were never interested in seeing who the real Sam was, but then again, if they did, would she even let them in? She had built a wall around her heart for the same reason that was being shown at that moment: it was hard to let anyone in when you are so used to rejection and hatred.

The man stood, towering above her like an obelisk of everything that had beaten her down ever since high school. He embodied her insecurities, her enemies, and ignorant hatred in every way. A lump formed in her throat and her arms were tensely folded over herself. She felt a something sudden and unexpected as her anger turned less into a fire, but into lava that burned at her nose and tickled at her eyes. The woman's painted eyes began to water as if the anger was so great that it could push out tears. Shit, no! The woman stubbornly shook her head to stop the tears from falling. The one thing she hated about anger was that more times than not it came with tears that made her look weak. She wasn't about to shed tears in front of this asshole. No, she was going to teach him why he was wrong, whether she had to shout it to him or punch it through him.

A silence weighed in the air as what the man said hung there, a tense breeze blowing through the room. Sam worked in vain to gulp down the lump in her throat. It refused to go away and so as she began, her words were tainted with a fuming quiver. "So, that’s what you think when you look at me, huh?" The skinny woman attempted to add in a slight laugh, but it was so forced it sounded pathetic. Sam took another gulp, shaking her head and in a long moment forced her eyes to rise and meet his. Her eyes, though glossy, were full of flame as she said, "Well, you don’t know anything about me, do you?" Her jaw tightened and she shifted her weight from one hip to the other. Her voice showed the first signs of catching confidence as she went on. "Yeah, I drink, I smoke, and I like to screw, but that does not make me the girl you described." Her voice finally lost its quiver and her posture began to straighten as she continued to look the man right in his eyes as she made known something that had taken her a long time to believe, herself. "I am not a trainwreck, I am not a failure, and I am not a fucking mistake." Her rising in ferocity with each declaration, the heat punctuating each one. She took a moment to look at him to let that hang in the air to make sure he well understood what she said, before dropping her voice to say, "I’m just different from you." She let this sit there for a moment before continuing on. "You see success in contributing one's life to society by going to school and then working a boring job that helps the world or whatever. You know what? I just never got that. Instead of having my life sucked away as a sacrifice to get approval from people, I’ve chosen to instead to take it for myself, to cherish it, and use it how I see fit." She ended strong and in full faith of what she said. She continued with a tone that was a bit softer, but still held the unbreakable firmness which she held. "I have been a misfit all of my life because I see happiness in getting drunk and climbing a mountain. I see a perfect Saturday night in racing across farm roads at a hundred miles per hour." She paused, remembering many of the unfounded insults that the man had thrown at her. Her tone became punctuated as she said this, "Oh yeah, and I also see beauty in making sweet love to a woman all night long." She left little time for that to sink in before she really started to lash into him with this last bit, the temperature rising in the room to a higher level than had ever occurred before. "So, fuck you and your assumptions! If you’re satisfied by being held down by rules and obligations people force on you, go right ahead! Just don’t judge me for not finding comfort in being wrapped up in chains." She finished with venom in her tone and confidence in her voice. Sam was shocked to find herself taking in heavy breaths with her anger still escalating. The heat she did not feel was centered around her hands as they stayed tightly balled up. The long sleeves of her leather jacket began to suffer as the material began to crack and shrink along her arms. Though she was aware of what was going on with her jacket, her focus never wavered off of the ignorant man with the bright blonde hair.

It was a lazy morning. The sun filtered through the swaying curtains, streaking down to illuminate the cream-colored carpet floors. A light breeze skirted around the small room, the sound of the curtains clinkering together disturbing the russet-haired woman from her beloved sleep. Her crimson eyes cracked open to reveal blurred vision, and a loud yawn came forth from her lips. What time is it? she wondered, her gaze flickering towards the nearby clock. It was only noon... yet, her stomach growled loudly, waking her up even further. Corine yawned again, flipping her aching body towards the other figure that lined the corner of her bed. The man's sides rose and fell evenly, and she realized that her companion was still asleep. She tapped him roughly on the shoulder. "Wake up," she barked, furrowing her brow.

The man didn't even stir. His bare sides continued to rise and fall, ignoring her command.

Corine grumbled a curse under her breath. "I said get up, you lazy oaf!" she cried out with frustration, kicking the body over the corner of the bed. It was then that the man cried out with shock as his body hit the floor, making a light thump against the carpet. The red-haired woman crawled over to the corner, peering down at the man stretched out on the ground. She grinned deviously, sticking out her tongue at his confused expression. "I'm hungry."

"Corine..." the man groaned, rubbing his greasy hair as he looked up at her with a crooked grin. "Could've done it a better way that that."

"What? Are you kidding me? I'm not going to do that kinda stuff before eating!" Corine growled. "You're such a pig."

Soren grinned further. "But I'm your pi-" Before he could even finish his sentence, a pillow caught him in the face. A grumble escaped him as he rubbed his head again, eyeing the woman as she got dressed before him.

"Come on, get dressed and go out and get something to eat," the woman commanded, glaring at his expression as she pulled on her pants.

The young man sighed, reaching towards his shirt which had been discarded across the room. He pulled that on, along with his pants, and lazily fixed his hair in the mirror. Soren really didn't feel like going out so early, but if he didn't, he would get his head chewed off by his bedmate. That, and he probably wouldn't get any more action for the rest of the day. Turning back towards Corine, he held out his hand and wiggled his fingers. "Cash? 'M not paying for all of your meals."

Corine rolled her eyes and buried around her pockets for money. She pulled out a crumbled ten-dollar bill and threw it at him. "Just go to the McDonald's next to that diner place. We ate there yesterday."

"But of course, your highness," Soren murmured, picking up the money, which had fallen to the floor, and making his way out of the room. After checking that he had all his belongings, along with the money that Corine gave him, he left his small apartment and stepped out into the sun.

Times sure had changed in Darkwell. Murders, muggings... it wasn't the same as before. Then again, he was pretty sure that it wasn't ever going to be the same when Corine had discovered that she could bring down an axe on him whenever she so wished. Soren was surprised to see that he had powers as well. Wind powers. And a sword. At first, he thought he was dreaming about being some sort of "Airbender" from that one show he used to watch when he was younger, but as soon as he began to get a knack for drinking and swordplay, he knew what had become of him.

Soren sighed as he made his way down the sun-stained street, shoving his hands into his pockets as he blinked the sleep out of his eyes. For a moment, he wondered if there were more people out there like him. It sure would be funny if he came across someone hopping all over the place like Riven.

Vicki Victory

“Whoa there… ,” she murmured.

That was not the reaction Vicki was expecting; very few people had ever snapped at her like that. Unexplainably interested in this man, Vicki kept her cool and pressed on, ”Everyone has bad days, man. I'm not jabbing…”

Vicki leaned back in her seat, folding her hands together on the table. She squinted her eyes slightly, attempting to analyze this guy. He was obviously annoyed by the straightforward question, so a more delicate approach would be necessary. Garrett’s eyes had some drooping circles underneath them, so he likely had a late night, and not in the good way. So, he's either just short-fused from the lack of sleep, or there's something bothering that kept him up. Or both.

Proceeding carefully, Vicki gently asked, “Sorry if that was a bit on the nose. Is it alright if I ask what happened last night? ”

@Ambra

Surprisingly, the woman before him kept her cool at his biting remark. Garrett narrowed his eyes at Vicki, grinding his teeth together as he noticed that she was observing her. What was she looking at? Did he really look like that much of a piece of crap? He was half-tempted to peer into the window to see if he could catch his reflection. Maybe his hair was standing up, or there was a booger up his nose. He felt his cheeks begin to heat up-- it wasn't often that someone had looked at him so intently.

At her question, he gave a lazy shrug. "Got wasted. Went to bed late. Woke up early." he answered almost immediately. Out of the corner of his eye, he could have sworn that he saw his shadow laugh at him. He tapped his foot more rapidly as he realized that his shadow, or shadows, were beings that could act on their own accord. He knew that they didn't skirt around the room simply because it was risky. "Any more questions?"

@TheWinchester4

Vicki Victory

Now Vicki was just annoyed. Her expression went blank, and Vicki plainly blurted out, "Why did you come over here? Thought this was an impromptu date or something?"

She swiftly picked up her mug of hot chocolate with one hand and downed the rest of it instantly. Vicki slammed the mug down on the table, causing the table to slightly bend inwards at the point of impact.

She sighed angrily, then stated, "This morning, I punched a guy and sent him flying 15 yards across the room and through a window." Her voice was raised now, but not quite a yell.

Vicki allowed the words to sit in the air for a few seconds before adding, "On accident."

@Ambra

It appeared that he had gotten on the woman's nerves. Garrett's eyes flashed again, scowling at the stranger angrily. There was tension crackling between them, and he did not like it one bit. Who did she think she was, storming in, asking him to sit down, and then asking about his personal life? And then she went and slammed the empty mug of hot chocolate on the table, almost breaking it in the process. She even went so far as to say that she punched a guy fifteen feet across a room and through a window. He perked up. Did that mean that she had powers, too?

Yet, that didn't give her a basis to speak to him that way. "What are you getting at?" Garrett growled darkly, not bothering to drink his coffee any longer as he glared at her.

@TheWinchester4

Vicki Victory

Vicki slowly lowered her head to the table, resting her forehead on the cool surface. Idiot. You lost your temper. Rule #1: always stay in control.

She sat back up straight, inhaling loudly. She wiped her snow-white hair out of her eyes before continuing, "I work at a gym, Victor's Gym. He's that retired boxing champ." Vicki turned her head to look out the window, vaguely seeing her reflection in the glass. "I'm his daughter. I was boxing, just practice, against this new guy." Vicki turned her head back forward, staring down at her hands while flexing them. "I hit him with everything I had...and he just went flying. "

The two of them sat in silence for a few seconds, Vicki lost in contemplation. This was the first time she had stopped to really think about her situation.

"I...I felt his bones when I hit him. Right in the sternum. His ribs caged in when I hit him. Then there's all the gym equipment he flew into. And there's probably some shards of glass embedded in him."

Oh god...that's why dad called me into his office. He didn't want me to see what I'd done before the ambulance showed up.

Vicki finally looked back up at Garrett, locking eyes with him. "There's a good chance he's going to die. Internal bleeding, shredded organs, blunt force trauma, shock..." Vicki shrugged, "All of the above."

She felt the hot boil of tears beginning to form under her eyes. She darted her gaze down to her lap, trying to hide the tears from her guest. "And who's to say that it won't happen again? I'm a monster now. I'll never be able to box again without almost killing someone. "

@Ambra

@rivaan
Claire raised her eyebrows, also observing Garrett interact with the customer. "Garrett never usually talks to a customer like that and for so long too...He's just so full of surprises today." She uttered to Clarice. Claire followed her into the locker room and closed the door behind them, accessing her locker and pulling out a light blue sleeveless dress. She nodded in response to Clarice's question.
"Mhm, I do! I just haven't tried flying yet...I'm curious to try it though, but I'm kinda scared I'll fall and hurt myself at the same time." She said, gesturing to her. "Maybe you could catch me though! I would love to attempt it as long as you can help me out." She said excitedly.

"If I focus, I can sprout them. I just have to come up with a way to prevent them from ripping my clothes up when they do and I think I've found a solution!" She proudly proclaimed, showing Clarice the dress in her hand.
Claire quickly undressed and slipped into the dress, putting the rest of her clothes in her backpack and looking at herself in the small locker mirror and making adjustments as needed. "I could show you if you're coming along to the place. I'll unveil it there."

@DFA

“Aweeeeeeeeee…” Calarice made an amused and happy voice as Claire asked if she can catch her in case she falls during flight attempt. “ You are just so adorable, I want to hug you! Unlike that dark and gloomy guy we have for a colleague!” She stated with a smile.” Of course I will catch you, especially now that my strength seems to have skyrocketed~ I will catch you no matter what takes me.”

“Hmmm that’s a nice dress, it will suit you.” Clarice stated when she was showed the nice garb. She nodded a few times, before changing into her own clothing. Her simple elegant jeans and her matching white shirt with short sleeves, that nicely outlined her beautiful figure. To complete that she wore a pair of tall leather boots. “ Of course I will come with you to that place! No way I’m letting you go there alone, considering there may be bad people waiting in ambush for cute innocent girls like you~ Besides I am curious about the other people who show up and their powers. I wonder if there is a Katarina one… if there is… I want that person!” She stated with a smile of a predator.

------------------------------------

“So this is that place right, Claire?” Clarice asked when the cab she called, left them at the address that Claire had for that gathering.” Good, let’s go and say hello to our competitors, enemies, allies, double crossers and so on~” She said with a big smile as she clenched her fist for a moment and relaxed it again. She more or less had gotten the control over the armor now or at least mostly. She was more than sure she can summon the gauntlet and maybe a chest armor if need arose.

Liam continued to stare callously at the woman before him, taking a moment to push in his chair before moving off to the side and further into the apartment. For a moment he paused, mulling over something in his mind before chuckling to himself, "How compelling... You are a true virtuoso aren't you? Rebelling against conformity and 'the man'-" At this point, his tone was clearly of a mocking nature, turning back to face her once more, "But for every farm road you race down, you risk running into a family that's just trying to make it home. Every chain you break makes it harder for the rest of us to support the weight of your ignored responsibilities. That's the mentality of a child. Not thinking beyond 'I just want to have fun' and not thinking of how it effects the others about you. How long have you been struggling in your life, hmm? How long has it taken for you to get a break or find success?" He gave no time for her to answer as he began to approach her, "Ever stop to think that it might be your choices coming back to haunt you? Think it's your responsibilities catching up to you? Of course not! You're to tanked to even consider it, and would instead like to blame it on 'the man'."

At this point, he took a moment to straighten his tie, standing just within arms length of the woman, "Like I said, I've had to face people like you before. Want to take the easy way out and 'enjoy life', and try to look down on everyone who's trying to make something of themselves. Yet when things seem to come crashing around you, and you can't fend for yourself; who do you turn to? Of course the people who've actually made something of their lives. Look at this place? When do you hope to enjoy luxury and ease of life? When do you want to enjoy peace in your life instead of having to stay above water? Since we're asking me, I'd bet on never. You're just another fool who defines their self by the troubles they've been through and not the problems they've solved."

At this point, the air in the room began to grow slightly, actually enough to make hair sway and empty cans slide upon the table. Small particles of dust began to accumlate and show in the air, seeming to accumulate around Liam as he spoke out like a disappointed father. Matt narrowed his eyes slightly, remaining silent still. It was then his eyes cut to Sam, widening slightly in surprise, though in reaction to what, no one could tell.

@Kiroue

Raze Colter

Just as Raze was about to finally give in to the lull of sleep, the screeching of a cab woke him up. He peered over the ledge to see who the passengers of this cab would be. Probably just another old couple or man coming to see his mistress.

Out from the backseat came a tall, striking woman with black hair. Despite her model-good looks, she was casually adorned with a white shirt and jeans, the clothes clinging tightly enough to accentuate her natural curves. Although this wasn’t one of the people Raze was looking for, he sat up a bit more straight to get a better look of her.

After this woman stepped out of the cab, another person followed her. Someone that Raze recognized from the cafe.

His heart stopped for a moment, the panic and excitement of finally spotting one of the cafe-goers rushing into his mind. Raze recognized the blue-haired girl as the one he saw with Anivia’s wings. Did her companion have powers as well

For the moment, the two women were just standing in front of the building, likely double-checking the address. These ones...I’ll follow them to the meeting.

@rivaan@DFA

Alex dropped his stuff off and looked around. Boss man wasn't here and he hadn't gotten a text either. Whatever his work was done. Alex flicked out the card he'd gotten and looked at the address. Well. . . Surely it couldn't hurt just to take a look? Several minutes later Alex was rollerblading into sight of the building, to his surprise at the same time as the armoured lady, Clarice, showed up, along with some other rather petite girl. He casually roller-bladed in front of them, stylishly spinning, rang the bell, and leaned against the wall, arms folded, and a slight grin on his face. Everybody liked showing off, even him. "Yo, Clarice. Didn't expect to see you here. I assume you and shorty and here about the card?" Alex asked briefly flashing it before whisking it back into his pocket. Shorty probably was a champion as well, if the latest string of coincidences held true. Honestly if he wasn't a chill guy he'd be pretty freaked out by the last two days. Eh.



Artemis quietly stared at the verbal conflict in front of her. She would've liked to intervene, she thought the experiment had gone to far out of hand at this point, but she felt as though it'd be a waste to stop it now. Artemis had to admit she was curious to see the result, she would've felt bad for Sam, but Sam clearly didn't want or need any pity. Artemis nibbled some more and found she had eaten all her pizza, she let out a small noise of disappointment. The argument seemed as though it was mere moments away from escalating into them at each others throats literally rather than figuratively. Was she about to she a fight between two champions? Artemis was torn between excitement and. . . Scared excitement.

Aelia Stark

The three of them had made it to the location of the meeting in just a few minutes. Aelia remained fairly quiet, twiddling her thumbs as she rode in the car with Erick and his friend. Luckily, she didn't get carsick from all the feelings that were beginning to well up in her, yet she did become rather uncomfortable when white fur was getting everywhere in the back seat. When they parked, she darted out of the vehicle and glanced at the building warily.

Two voices sounded nearby, and she looked up to see two other women standing in front of the building. Did those two have powers, as well? "Maybe we should hurry up," Aelia advised, giving them a glance as they approached the building. "I'm pretty sure that we're late."

@Universorum



Honestly, Garrett didn't care about what the woman said. But when she started to cry... it was almost as if someone had punched him in the gut. Nerves wracked his body as he watched tears begin to well up in her eyes as she mourned about not being able to participate in boxing anymore. Damn, he hated when girls did that. What was he supposed to do? He wasn't that cold as to shrug off her sadness and insult her, like he usually did, but what else was there to do?

"E-eh," a sound of distress left him as he quickly glanced away, frowning even further. "Don't worry about paying for the drink."

Garrett got up from his seat, taking his empty mug and retreating back into the currently empty kitchen. His cheeks had begun to grow rosy out of embarrassment, and he glared angrily at the floor. I'm such an idiot.

Sighing, he raised his hand as he gestured, focusing on communicating with his shadow. The dark figure manifested in front of him, its blank expression waiting for a command. It still creeped the living shit out of him. "I've reason to believe that there are others like us," Garrett explained curtly. "Scout. Find out any information. And don't get caught."

The shade nodded its head, melting into the floor and slithering away much like it did when he first saw it. He hoped that nothing bad would come of his order; if someone saw that thing, he was screwed. It did look almost exactly like him, after all.

@TheWinchester4



A loud yawn left Soren as he lazily swaggered down the street, staying to the shade to avoid the hot sun. It was almost too hot for him, even though it wasn't even the hottest day that he had experienced in Darkwell. His pale eyes sharply glanced at the sky, noticing that, even though the sun was shining brightly, clouds were beginning to gather. Perhaps it would rain soon. If he was lucky, Corine would keep him entertained as he watched television, instead of going out and doing girl stuff like she always did.

Just as he turned the corner, he noticed that there was a gathering of people in front of a building. Strange. He never saw that many people in front of the building before now. Soren paused, watching as the strangers got out of their vehicles and looked at the address with intent. Was it the mafia, or something? It couldn't be-- women weren't part of the mafia, in the first place. Or were they? Maybe he should stick around and see what was going on... perhaps it should be reported to the police.

@DFA @rivaan @Universorum

Claire stepped out of the taxi, which took off immediately after, and stared at the looming building before her. There was a certain energy buzzing in the air and it felt hostile, as if something were taking place inside. Most likely it was the others from the cafe! Was someone in trouble?
Claire looked to Clarice, wondering what was going through her mind at the moment as the tall girl clenched a fist. Was she tense as Claire was? Claire felt anxiety wellup in her as she feared at the probability that not everyone inside would be as friendly as most of the people she'd met so far. What Clairce had said earlier, put her on edge and she took her word to heart.

"If it came down to it...would I even be able to protect myself?" Claire muttered. She took a breath, clenching and unclenching her hands as she felt her power flowing through her hands. No...not yet...Just be ready. She told herself.

“So this is that place right, Claire?” Clarice asked her.

Claire nodded. "Yeah, that should be it."

Clarice took the lead as they walked forth and knocked on the door. "Excuse me! We're here for a Matthew Duroe. He gave us this card and wanted to see us!" Claire announced. Just then a male approached from behind them and stood to the rear. Claire eyed him, suspecting that he was also here for this "Matt" figure. There was movement at the corner of her vision and she also noticed a male turn the corner.

Claire pointed at both of them. "You're here for this guy too?" She brandished the card and waved it at them.

@rivaan @TheWinchester4 @Ambra

"Oh? More visitors for Matthew? Today is a strange day..." An elderly voice called out from a speaker beside the door, "Well, I did tell him he should be more social. One moment. With that, the subtle crackling of the speaker subsided as a sudden buzzing resounded. Slowly, the doors creaked open, showing the rather dull mono-colored interior of the multi-story building. On the opposite side of the room from the door, an elderly man sat dabbing his forehead with a small cloth.

"Welcome, welcome!" He called out through the door, his voice surprisingly loud despite his age, "You're letting the cool air out! Come inside!" Shortly after addressing those outside.

@DFA@Ambra@Eklispe@TheWinchester4@rivaan

Vicki Victory

Vicki hated this. She hated not being in control of herself, of her emotions, let alone being able to control the flow of tears streaming down her face now. How embarrassing, crying in front of someone I just met, she thought to herself as she wiped away the drops from her eyes. Garrett got up and started saying something to her, but she wasn’t able to make out what it was, overwhelmed by her emotions as she was.

Out of the corner of her eye, Vicki saw something move. She thought it was a dog at first, but upon closer inspection, it was...liquid. Some black thing rose up from the floor, standing in front of Garrett, and blocking Vicki from exiting her booth. Vicki’s eyes widened and she let out a small shriek, slightly leaning back away from it.

Looking closer at it, the black figure was the exact same height as Garrett. In fact, it even had the same hair as Garrett, and the same outfit as Garrett. Whatever it was, it even looked like Garrett...it was Garrett.

”I’ve reason to believe that there are others like us,” Garrett said, staring down the shadowy apparition. ”Scout. Find out any information. And don’t get caught.” With that, the shadow clone nodded as if understanding and melded back into the floor, skittering off like some unholy, black puddle.

Vicki propped herself up on one knee in her booth to watch it glide off, her mouth slightly ajar. The tears on her face were dried up by now, but she wasn’t paying any attention to the crust beginning to form on her cheeks. Vicki turned to look at Garrett, still standing on one knee. Her was shock plainly obvious.

”What the hell do you mean more like us?

@Ambra

Raze Colter

Shit

Raze was hoping to get in unnoticed, but the blue-haired girl he recognized turned and talked directly at him. ”You’re here for this guy too?” She pulled out a business card and waved it around for Raze to see. That’s probably the one the guy was passing out at the cafe. A couple other people showed up just as the blue-haired woman spoke to him: A punk teenage kid, and a very relaxed-looking brunette man.

Raze pushed back some locks of his hair drooping over his eyes, gathering himself to think of an appropriate response. “I, uh...yeah.” Smooth.

Thankfully, an old man, the receptionist probably, started speaking through the intercom. The receptionist buzzed the small group through the door and called for them to enter the building. Eager to get out of the awkward situation, Raze hurried on through. He was about to press a button to call the elevator, but realized that would be futile if he didn’t know his destination.

Remembering that the old man called the host “Matthew,” Raze turned his head to look back at the receptionist, asking politely, ”I’ve never actually been to...Matthew’s apartment. Could you tell me which floor he’s on?”

The kindly old man beamed at Raze, cheerily responding, “Oh, hahah, sure! He’s at the tenth floor, the very top of the building.”

”Thank you.” Oh geez, this guy must be a big shot.

Raze summoned the elevator and waited for it to arrive.

@Leolycan@DFA@Eklispe@Ambra

"You really don't know a single fucking thing about me, do you?" She flared, not taking any break to process his words. "Almost everything you just said is not true." Her head cocked, her anger rising at the blatant ignorant judgement of the man before her. "You stand on your high horse spouting things that you think are true, saying again and again this chant of 'I've had to face people like you before'." She even went to the extent of mocking his voice as she repeated his words and then raged again. "Who the fuck are you talking about? Oh yeah, not me." She quickly pulled up her finger, "Get this through your thick head:" and then began jabbing him in the chest with the finger with every word of this statement. "I am my own fucking person." She retracted this weapon, which had left 6 little black spots with tiny embers forming on his chest. She resumed. "Maybe you could have said all of that shit three years ago, but not now." Sam said firmly, unwavering in her pride in what she had done. "I worked my ass off to pull myself out of the gutter. I went to school to become a bartender and graduated with a well earned license. Now I have a job that pays for what I need, I have an apartment that is half-decent, and I have a car that works just fine." The sleeves of her leather jacket finally began to sprout little lightning bugs of ember that crawled along the seams, glowing brighter with every second. "I don't depend on anyone anymore, you hear me?!" She changed course, but didn't waiver in her ferocity. "You are so disillusioned to think that I even want all this!" Sam said, raising her arms, which were sprouting small, glowing flames, to gesture to the expensive space. "Is it so hard to believe that I don't give a damn about luxury or peace or being rich or all that crap!? No, I don't have that as something I care about. I care more about living my own life instead of what fucking type of wood I should have for my fancy desk!" Red with anger she began to dissolve sheer, illogical anger, now aggressively attacking ad hominem. "You just think you know everything, huh?!" She pushed Liam with a small posturing push. The push was much greater than you would expect from a woman of her size, and was more comparable to being pushed back by a body builder. The heat that radiated from the fire burning from her skin was brilliant. "You think just because you worked and got a shit load of money that you are better than me?!" Another push. This one stronger than the last, feeling like being hit by a two hundred pound weight. Liam being Nasus he was more apt to stand the onslaught, but it was clear that this power was great. Her entire arms had taken flame, revealing red glimmering scales underneath. "You are not and you never will be!" With this, without thought, she flung both of her arms, balled into fists straight into the man's chest.

A burst of flame exploded and the force of the impact was comparable to being hit with a truck at a high speed. The impact, along with the fire, would have killed anyone who wasn't one of the League, and was sure to knock Liam into any wall behind him. The collision with the wall created a large crash which resonated and shook the building at least slightly. The inferno covered every inch of her skin, her eyes glowing with an appearance of molten lava and curled horns had sprouted from her scalp. In place of her clothes, now burning at her feet, much of her skin showed a metallic assortment of red scales against her grey skin. All Samantha could feel was the power of it--the immense force of the fire that she wielded. She was cataclysmic! She was a force that could reap destruction and grow more powerful from that destruction. The half-dragon could feel it; the more she let her flame spread, the more the delicious power would imbue her with strength. It was intoxicating and it was thrilling! This was what it was like to live! She knew this was getting out of control and fought instead to control it. She shut her eyes with a force and after about 5 seconds of breathing, she managed to reduce the fire to only her arms, but it had been difficult. She wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of seeing her rage completely out control, but enacting restraint had made her more exhausted. Oddly enough, though Sam was none the wiser, it was like it had depleted her prana just to control any action that she was doing than to actually create the ability. It was by her own strength of will that she wasn't burning the room, but only at her scaled arms. With her teeth gritted and spoke, her eyes fixed to the man she had attacked. "Tell me you were wrong about me." She struggled to take deep breaths, molten lava dripping in slow streams from her eyes. It was so hard to stay controlled, her voice cried out sharply. "Tell me now!"