Abstract Proxy

Sleepless Nights\\ Iron Cages

Safe travels!

Will contribute to the thread in the next day or two.

Decibitus

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~1446 | PARIS | FASHION SHOW VENUE

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"Lucian!" Vera said, swooping down to pick up the fallen reaper, cradling his head gently in her arms.

Reapers, all of them, herself included, were already dead. First aid wasn't strictly required. But such merciful ministrations would have to wait. It was foolish to try to treat the wounded when the battle was still unfolding. That was an old trick. That was how one casualty became several and then many. That was how an entire squad was lost.

"Lucian! We need you to stay awake. I'm sorry. You must rest later. What monkeys? Where did they take, Celeste? What direction were they heading" Vera asked, shaking Lucian precisely. She had no wish to worsen his injuries. However, duty demanded otherwise. Kindness was weakness in the field. They needed a direction. Somewhere to begin the hunt for their lost target and their new unknown enemey.

And soon!

@OwO@dragonmancer

Decibitus

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~1445 | PARIS | FASHION SHOW VENUE

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Tossing aside a singed hair that drifted down to her cheek, Vera frowned at the braggart wizard blowing hot air in her direction. She already missed the dragon fire that had threatened to immolate her. He talked too much she decided with a knowing pause. A difficult disease to cure when death was not an option.

She did not begrudge Edward his question, he was finally concerned with something that mattered, and on annoyed reflection she was forced to agree that the pink haired woman they were supposed to be protecting was nowhere to be seen.

"I don't know," Vera simply said.

"The spell was distraction enough," she added with another deep frown, gesturing where the dragon had been before it faded into the aether. "Za dvumya zaytsami pogonish’sya — ni odnogo ne poymayesh."

"If you chase after two hares, you’ll end up not catching even one," Vera generously translated.

Her features softened as she turned towards the seriously wounded Lucian, "Are you alright, Lucian? Did you see what happened to your friend?"

He was brave, if nothing else. And loyal, he fought even when he should have given up. She could forgive much for such traits. A loyal soldier was often enough.

Sleepless Nights\\ Iron Cages

Cam

Hands and arms moving in a blur of motion, Cam broke through the weakened grasp of the bloodied trapeze clown trying to squeeze her to death. She grabbed hold of the mangled elephant head that the creature possessed and tossed it front of her. The tragic performer smacked into the floor with a audible thud as whatever remained of its skull painted the floor rainbow colors.

Savoring the sudden surge of vitas she could taste, Cam didn't hesitate, and with three long strides, she launched herself across stage in a catlike leap. Trailing just behind Emma's wall of snapping shadows, Cam prepared her own blow for the ringmaster. Claws to strike wherever there was weakness. Throat, limbs, body, or remaining eye, it didn't matter.

They had dallied long enough. She wouldn't take any chances. Dead was only dead when it was certain. It was time to end the sad performance.

Sleepless Nights\\ Iron Cages

Cam only had to deal with the death rattle of a sad performer who hadn't had a chance to shine.

Sad, but it has to go down.

Thanks for the update post!

Decibitus

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~1444 | PARIS | FASHION SHOW VENUE

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Vera heard Edward shouting from afar, again, but the words didn't mean anything to her, she was in the moment, swinging her sword, cutting through bone, just a dead woman fighting a dead dragon in a duel to whatever came after the end of the dream or nightmare that Vera called undeath. Maybe it was better this way. Fight to fight. Battle to Battle. War to war. Change was only surface deep, nothing ever truely changed. She was the same. The world was the same. Her enemies were the same. No one knew what they were fighting for. Not really.

She could see flames emerging from the maimed dragon. She could sense a challenge. They had wasted too much time. Lucian was down for the count. His wounds would be severe. There was no time for caution.

Smiling for a fleeting movement, Vera ignored the compulsion to defend, it was a habit instilled by the constraints of mortality, death was no mystery to the dead, and she did not worry. A good soldier knew when to gamble.

Twisting her sword free accompanied by the unwilling crack of splintering bone teeth, Vera swung her freshly freed sword upwards aiming to cleave the dragon's shattered skull into two from within.

Sleepless Nights\\ Iron Cages

Cam

Cam let out a small growl of frustration, as the freshly spawned clown, now normal sized, swung in her direction. She was not so sleepy and slow so as to miss the obvious attack, dodging deftly out of range. She had seen the doors pop open after all, she had been ready. Darting forwards and ducking under clumsy swings that sailed over her head with comical cartoonish sounds from the clown, Cam swung bloodied claws across whatever passed for the swollen stomach of the creature. Silly string entrails tore free with a sickening POP! partly showering Cam with bitter fruit punch tasting blood as the clown expired.

Spitting as she fought a new wave of disgust, Cam wasted no time. She had too little already and she needed more. She needed to stall. She needed something that would go boom. She needed something heavier. She needed something that could smash a car in one fell swoop. But she could hear fighting. She could hear dying. Everyone was busy. She needed to buy time.

Jumping forward, Cam put her entire weight into a heavy kick more like a full body stomp that smashed into the right side door of the upturned clown car monstrosity. She hoped it would jam, but she didn't wait to see if her new strategy would bear fruit, instead she dashed around the upturned half-man sized car, sensing a pattern in her biomechanical supernatural foe. She would be ready by the door should another clown pop into existence.

Raising her voice, not quite shouting, but hopefully loud enough to be heard over the battle unfolding around her, Cam spoke as she moved,"If you aren't too busy fighting, I need something big enough to smash this car. Before more clowns crash our party!"

Sleepless Nights\\ Iron Cages

No worries!

I am going to post in the next day or three (lol).

Decibitus

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~1443 | PARIS | FASHION SHOW VENUE

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Vera had no time to gloat seeing her cut strike true and cleaving part of the calcified tail from the dragon. She wouldn't have. Today the dragon. Tomorrow her. Today her or tomorrow the dragon. It didn't matter. It was only a matter of time. True death loomed. It always waited. She suspected, even if she did not know it true. She was a tool. She was a weapon. She would spend her efforts wisely. She would be a cog in the machine. Once and forever more. She did not challenge her fate. It was all she deserved. It was all any of them deserved.

She hoped Lucian was moving. She hoped Lucian was alright. Celeste she would worry about later. Civilians were not a concern when there were dragons. Thoughts did not slow her. She wasn't thinking. Not really.

Moving to avoid the angry dragon with an open mouth of razor sharp teeth flying towards her, Vera tried to dodge, channeling another swing, with the hope at least of proper timing into a parry. Followed by a riposte. A word she vaguely remembered. Channeling a defensive strike into a deadly blow.

Short parry...parry and then strike.

RATTLECHOMP

<Snipped quote by Mole>

Aw I'm honored! Hullo!!! 💚

IC post coming shortly-ish!

@Dragonfly 9 (still ok to post up in character tab!) @Abstract Proxy (no pressure + character posts and apps accepted through the first round 💚)

@Mokley

Got a bit too busy, so gonna have to pass, but best of luck, the cast looks very fun already!