[IC] Tales from the nevermore (closed. do not post.)

[ScienMalefica]

Sighing and shaking his head Orion stood up and walked over to the guard, dragging him over to a dark corner out of sight of most of the bar. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked the guard.

"I'm sorry sir I was following protocol," the guard responded, shuffling away from the girl slowly. Of course he was talking about a weapon he must've spotted her tending to or something of the like she must've had under the table, in her purse or something like that. Shaking his head Orion took used his left arm to grab the guard's head and pull it toward him, also moving his right elbow to slam into the idiot's neck, crushing his windpipe and killing him instantly, with no more sound than a light gasp escaping the guard's lips. Orion kept him in the shadows of that corner and went back to the table.

"I couldn't quite figure out why you shouldn't kill him," Orion laughed and sat back at the table casually. Looking at the now six people near the table he picked up his whiskey, downed the remainder of it, then asked, "So who are these fine young gentleman? Allies? Personnel? Lovers?" with a casual smile, like he was talking to an old friend.

[Warlord297]

-jacks puts his book away as he is getting ready to leave but yet jack gets up and walks over to the table where aery is sitting with a group of friends-

"sorry to bother you but i was just wondering why u thought it was crazy that i had a sword"-pulls out d chair to sit down-"Well i actually have a very interesting story if u want me to tell u all, and after all i am known in this town not to be reckon with, even squad's of soldiers are no match for me, sorry to get cocky there but if u like just stop by the blacksmith anytime so i can tell u the tale of me species"-then jack leaves the bar and heads back to the shop on the other side of town, but when jack left his strange marking on his back are being revealed without him noticing-

[RomanAria]

Aery kept her face expressionless as the boy casually murdered his guard. Peter's eyebrows went up a fraction of an inch. "Dangerous friend, huh?" he whispered in her ear.
Then her eyebrows went straight up at the babbling of the boy with the sword, mentioning that they should come talk to him at the blacksmith's. She, of course, would probably do no such thing. Such a thing screamed "trap!" to her instincts.
Alex went to say something, and she elbowed him hard in the ribs.
"Quiet, and let me do the talking. And Peter, put your gun away. We don't want a scene!"
He ruffled her hair in that annoying mannerism of his. She ignored him, studying the boy at the table with expressionless eyes. The only bit of emotion that she couldn't resist was when he suggested that the boys were lovers. Her hand went to the pencil tucked behind her ear. But she slowly took her hand down as she felt Peter tense up next to her, then forcedly relax.
She laughed as well, albeit a slightly forced one. Gracefully took a seat. The boys, taking their cues from her, sat as well, though rather awkwardly.
"Hardly lovers, sir. More like comrades." Adam said, putting on his polite country-boy accent.
Aery lightly stepped on his foot under the table without shifting her upper body at all.
"Don't mess around with him." She whispered under her breath. "Or we'll all be dead by morning."
Turning back to the boy whose name she still hadn't caught, she flashed a polite smile.
"I'm sorry for interrupting our conversation. The boys are lovely, of course, and they're able to take care of the muscle-work that our profession requires, but they tend to not understand the subtleties of the social system. If I didn't take care of the courtesies, we'd all be dead a hundred times over by now." She laughed, ignoring the boys obvious discomfort. She'd pay for it during hand-to-hand practice later, but right now, not getting killed for seeming disrespect was far more important.

[Warlord297]

"donnt worry i wont hurt anyone i in fact is the creater of this sword"-jack stands by the table-"but if u guys dont wanna go i understand"

[Warlord297]

-jack leaves the bar and to attend the blacksmith shop-

[The Slenderman]

( Using a late comer ANSEL modern version ) Ansel looked around her surroundings and looked forward to see a Cafê, she walked to it and walked into the building and sat down ordering a Expresso.

[ScienMalefica]

Smiling at the girl and her comrades Orion laughed "Comrades then," then gesturing to the bartender to bring some more whiskey. Drinking too much would be a dangerous game when dealing with these people, so Orion decided he'd only have the one more. "And don't worry about their social ineptitude, I used to be like that as well, since I hated and still hate people in general I never bothered learning how to socially be adept. Then I realized how useful they are as pawns," Orion grinned, taking his drink from the bartender and noticing a few people starting to point towards the corner of the tavern where the guard lay. "Well that's my queue," Orion laughed, then asked, "Care for a walk?" as he walked towards the tavern door. He had a feeling even if they didn't come that he'd see them again sometime soon. Orion shrugged off that feeling. "Instincts are a fool's tool, logic is the truth," he muttered to himself under his breath as he walked, not paying attention to the other group, feeling safety in the knowledge of the other four guards that while might not beat the group in a fair fight, should probably be able to shoot first if they make a stupid move. Or they might come for that walk he offered. Who knows.

[RomanAria]

Aery raised her eyebrows at Peter. He gazed back at her, his expression dark and unreadable.
"Well, now you've gone dancing with the dragon, Aery." Adam muttered. "That's one dangerous fellow."
"Remind me why we picked this bar again?" Alex wanted to know.
"Oh shush. Let's go on a walk with this guy, why don't we?" Aery said.
"Aery! No!" Peter smacked his hand on the table.
"Aww." She pouted.
"Well, why not go on a walk with him? He'll already remember all of our faces." Kyle suggested.
"Because he just killed one of his own guards?" Jon said, making a face.
Aery downed the rest of her Coke, got to her feet. Grumbling about her, the boys got up too.
"When did we agree to listen to a fourteen-year-old?" Peter grumbled.
"When you consider the fact that I can pull seniority on all of you." She called over her shoulder, walking quickly to catch up to the older boy. She saw his guards, only four of them left. She brushed by one of them and soon caught up with Orion. Peter and the others followed her too, so all six of them were walking in one bunch along the sidewalk.

[ScienMalefica]

“So what made you decide to keep following a man with such apparently unsavoury tastes as I?” Orion asked the group, then noticed his guards following in broad daylight. Idiots. A ten-foot tall infant with one leg could be more inconspicuous than these imbeciles. It was painful to watch. He threw some coins in their general direction and yelled out, “Go buy yourself some drinks boys!” with a smile.

“Thanks boss!” one yelled as they all scrambled on the ground to try to get the money. Pathetic. Good thing Orion told the bartender if they ever come to that tavern and buy drinks to mix in strong doses of mirtazapine and trazodone, which should knock them out for an hour or so.

Once the guards were out of sight Orion asked, “You going to try to kill me or something once my guards are gone?” with a seemingly innocent grin, putting his hands behind his head as he walked.

[RomanAria]

Aery scoffed. "I wouldn't dream of it. I only murder when there's something to be had from it. Besides a ticket to prison."
Peter came up on her other side, grabbing her hand a little more aggressively than was strictly necessary. Was he really thinking that she was trying to flirt with the boy? She'd have a talk with him later.
"As far as following you, you intrigue me. How a young gentleman like yourself has made your way so far as you have in the world, but alone. I'd rather like to invite you to train with us, physical endurance and hand-to-hand combat, if you would like to." Peter tensed up, digging his thumbnail into Aery's palm. She gritted her teeth and pinched him back until he let go.
Kyle and Jon grabbed her by the waist, picked her up in the air, shaking her. "Are you crazy?!" they whispered loudly.
"Boys, put me down." she snapped. "I was HOPING you lot wouldn't make a scene. Why shouldn't I extend an offer to another young gentleman of a similar caliber of training as our own? You boys have got to be tired of getting beaten by me." The boys flipped her over and let go of her abruptly, and, twisting in midair, she landed lightly on her feet, resuming walking like nothing had happened.
Looking at Orion from the corner of her eye, she kept walking, tucking her hands into her shorts pockets. She was rather excited at the prospect of training with him.

[ScienMalefica]

“You want me to… train with you? That doesn’t make sense, that’s not logical there’s no benefit for you, it’d just end up with me knowing more and as you said, you believe that we’re on opposite sides of the law,” Orion responded, intrigued but wanting to understand both how it would benefit him and why they would make an offer that doesn’t seem to give them anything.

He smiled weakly at the antics between Aery and the boys, confused and slightly envious of the way they treated each other. Then again, Orion reminded himself, they don’t have what he has either. That made Orion feel a little bit better, burying away that tiny longing for companionship that so often irritates him. "If I'm going to be doing this I'm not learning how to use any weapons, hate fighting with anything but my body. And I'm not teaching you any Lerdrit, maybe a bit of Aikido if you don't already know that, then again knowing you Americans you probably just know your westernised karate and kung fu and if we're lucky jiu jitsu," he responded, proud of his own Canadian heritage. Orion then noted the Americans' stereotype for Canadians, and compared it to himself. He stifled the grin at that but stayed amused.

[Warlord297]

-as jack tends the shop he is making a loud bang with his hammers as he is repairing a triple-shot cannon and us heard throughout all of town that everyone heard it-

[RomanAria]

Aery rolled her eyes. Typical... Canadian. Not the right accent to be English and too abrasive to be anything else.
"As far as why I would offer this? Because I'm bored, and because I think our alliance might be a force to be reckoned with. Because, as I said earlier, it intrigues me that a boy not so much older than myself--for you cannot yet be an adult, despite your drinking habits--made his way alone in an adult world. Surely we have much to teach each other. I'd think you should like to know at least some of the weapons we have at our disposal. And I would be honored if you would teach me better martial arts than I have learned. In two weeks I mastered all that they" the tilt of her head took in all five boys, all of whom were pouting or frowning, "could teach me, and I am still hungry for more knowledge. But you would not like to learn to knife-fight? Nor swordfighting?" They used sword-fighting as a warm-up, even though there was no practical application of it. They used wooden swords for it, or sometimes dull metal ones, and it was always great fun.

[ScienMalefica]

"There's only one weapon I've ever shown an interest or aptitude for and it's most likely you know nothing of how to use it more than instincts," Orion muttered, remembering the one weapon he ever showed an interest for, which they'd probably consider even more foolish than swordplay. "As for my age, I'm 16, and I'm not legally an adult here, but adulthood is relative, in Iran and Saudi Arabia I'd become an adult at 14, if I was in.... hrm... Ancient Rome for example, I'd be viewed as an adolescent until I was 30. Interesting people they were," Orion chuckled amusedly.

[RomanAria]

Aery cocked her head to the side. "Oh, and what weapon would that be? I know a good deal of weapons." Chuckling despite herself at his comment about age, she said, "Well, I'm fourteen, though people tell me I look like I should be eight or nine and talk like I've got at least a doctorate. Which technically I do, through online academies, since none of the in-person colleges even wanted to me when I was nine and looking to get in." She cut herself off, for she would gladly chatter all day about academics. "The boys are fifteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, and sixteen."
"Oh, just tell him our names too, why don't you, Aery?" Peter drawled. "Since you're telling him everything about us."
She winced, decided to drop the secrecy. "But Peter, you're the one who told me to never give away more information than the person gives you!"
He paused to consider, finally saying tartly, "Touche."
Smiling apologetically, she turned to Orion. "I'm Aerienna Johnson. Most call me Aery. The other one with glasses is Peter Cardew. The dark boy who looks like he is going to punch me about now is Kyle Watson." She leapt out of the way as Kyle good-naturedly tried to tackle her. "As I was saying. The freakishly tall one is Alex Jones... Alex, admit it, you're taller than average by a good eight inches. The fairly short, pale blond one is Adam Romero, and the honey-blonde one is Jonathan--Jon--Prescott. I don't think I caught your name..."

[ScienMalefica]

Smiling and avoiding the question about names, Orion responded, "Pleased to meet you all. What'd you get a doctorate in Aery? I got one in philosophy when I was sick and in hospital with a laptop for a few weeks, was considering psychology, but given everyone I've talked to with a degree in that as evidence, college psychology seems to be nothing serious. As for the weapon, rope darts. Got them in my bag somewhere, haven't used them in a while though," and then threw his bag on the ground, searching through it. Searching through the bag to find it, he took out a stack of novels, a bottle of whiskey, a suspicious packet of tiny red pills, at least 4 mobile phones, until he finally found the spikes on rope that now made apparent that he was wearing a necklace decorated by a nearly identical looking spike.

[RomanAria]

Aery blushed. "Um... Genetic engineering? I mapped the entire human genome, using myself and these five as a base, over the course of two years, and figured out which genes control our physical and mental attributes. It wasn't entirely legal, my research, considering that in some cases I cloned myself and Peter, and in others I raided egg-banks, modified the genes, and allowed the embryos to grow to see what each modification did, and then destroyed them once I'd gotten the data I needed. But my research was so thorough that the other scientists looked the other way about my methods of gathering it." She left out one key thing, however: Every time she destroyed an embryo, every time she vivisected one under a microscope to watch the organelles forming, she wrote her findings down, and then went and cried and cried over murdering the children. Scientifically not children, but in her heart she'd murdered children. Her own children.
Subconsciously she twisted her hands so that the scars on her wrists wouldn't be visible. One hundred and seventy six lacerations on her left forearm, for the one hundred and seventy six children she'd created in a petri dish and then brutally murdered.
She visibly shook her head to clear the thoughts and forced a smile. The smile turned genuine when Orion showed her the rope darts.
"Those are so cool! I've seen them before and I've always wanted to learn to use them, but I've never had the chance to. As far as me, my weapons are pretty simple. My guilty pleasure one is the Atlatl. It's highly impractical, of course, but so fun. Same with longbow, actually, though people laugh at me when they see me shooting longbow, because almost everyone uses a draw-weight that is heavier than I am!"

[ScienMalefica]

"Interesting," Orion said half to himself, as he took of his necklace strapped the chain end of the rope dart looking necklace to his wrist so his hands can stay open for his hands to attack. The necklace did however not shine like the one in the bag. This was due to it being a decoration not meant to cut his chest, but it doubled as a practice weapon or a non-lethal option as it was possible to knock people out quite quickly with it if taking them by surprise. He slipped it under his sleeve and smiled. "Maybe sometime you can check out some genes of mine sometime, maybe you'd understand how swift I can be physically and mentally without having to break you... physically or mentally. Just keep in mind if you attempt to clone me I won't hesitate to kill you, Aerianna Johnson," he said with another of his signature seemingly innocent grins.

Although he wasn't completely sure he could beat her in a one on one let alone with her comrades who were, he decided confidence was his best bet of keeping superiority. Despite her casual remarks about her comrades, they were quite strong in their own right. Not on the same level as himself like Aerianna could possibly be, but strong. He figured confidence from him would be a decent bluff, and if needed he could probably get away and plan their demise another way if they call it. Orion decided to just hope they just ignore it. But he did want to know if he could be physically par to Aerianna.

"Have you got any practice weapons on you or on your teammates, Miss Johnson?" Orion asked. It was a long shot, people didn't normally carry around training weaponry, but the best realistic goal was that their base was nearby. He slid out his practice rope dart necklace from his sleeve, by holding his arm down, the tip of the spike remaining an inch above the ground. Surely she'd get the idea that he wanted to spar. A mentally disabled spoon could figure out things that simple.

[RomanAria]

Aery smiled a little thinly at the barely-concealed threat. "I don't think anyone is going to "break" me quite so easily as you might think. I don't look like much, I know, but I'm rather fast. And as far as breaking me mentally, well, let's just say that even the CIA can't do that, and they had two years to try."
Peter nudged her as the threat registered with him. "Oh, now you've done it, Banana. And now he's going to kill us all."
Aery shoved him playfully, whispering fiercely. "If he tries to kill us, I'll kill him first. And don't call me Banana! You know my parents aren't Latin scholars!" He was referring to the fact that her name, Aerienna, was rather like the Latin word Ariena, which means Banana.
"You know, if we are going to be in combat with one another, I would really like to know your name. If you would be so kind, sir? Or I'll just come up with an epithet, but..."
"Tell her your name, you'll hate the epithets!" Adam shouted. He would know, too.
Aery grinned at the comment about practice weapons. "Nothing on me. However, our "clubhouse" as we call it is just up the street, and I have a goodly supply of items there. Perhaps nothing quite so effective as your rope dart, but I'll find a suitable weapon to spar with. If we take a right turn here..." she guided them onto a side-street, stopping before a tiny house. "Peter, key? I always leave mine at home when we go on runs."
He grumbled about "idiot bananas who are going to get themselves squished" but stepped up to the black door and flashed an ID badge at a sensor in the doorknob. The door swung open, to reveal an elevator taking up the entire teeny house. Bowing sarcastically Peter held the door open for Aery, and she and the other boys piled in. Down at the bottom of this elevator, about a quarter of a mile down, they had an enormous sprawling complex, of which they only regularly used about a quarter. Their "clubhouse."
"Come on, hop in! I promise it won't break. We've taken full gunsafes down in this before and it's not even squeaked." Aery called to Orion.

[ScienMalefica]

Picking up the 'Banana' nickname Peter mentioned Orion took a few seconds to register the meaning of the joke. Orion had taken the time to accumulate a knowledge of Latin as it was useful to speak in public places so others don't know, these days very few learn Latin compared to French, Spanish, or Mandarin, and it also has the benefit of being a thorough language that no living race speaks as whole. A very useful safeguard when piled on with others. So this made Orion wonder why Peter and Aerianna at least knew Latin. Rather than brood on it he decided to voice his opinion as he stepped into the elevator, wrapping his real rope dart on his other wrist as a safeguard and warning just in case. "So I see you have an interest in Latin," he said without a particular target, so they could each individually interpret it if they did or think it was just for someone else if it wasn't, a common crowd control technique to isolate certain traits or qualities. "What made you decide to follow that?" he asked. It seemed likely all of them knew Latin for some reason given the casual nature of the joke, so Orion idly wondered which would respond. "Name's Oreo by the way," he said, deciding to still go with the slight security of his nickname even though it was so close to his real name and could be misheard as his real name.