baraquiel

Avalia

---

Hōshasen: The Plaguemother

TIME: Morning (Present Time)
LOCATION: Forests outside Roshmi City
INTERACTIONS: Malachi @princess, Myra @13org, O'ner (Mathis) @Eviledd1984, Belladonna @Potter + everyone else

---

Overnight, a portion of the forest began to glow in a sickly shade of light blue. Glowing spiderwebs covered the trees and grass, and trapped against them were the skeletal remains of woodland creatures like deer and squirrels, even those of demihumans who were unlucky enough to cross paths with the Plaguemother. She had to devour as much as she could as she needed all the energy she could get in laying her eggs.

She sat on her large web atop the trees as large bulbs of silken eggs stuck against the branches around her. Her lair was covered in blankets of blue spider webs, and anyone foolish enough to touch even a strand of her glowing silk will be stuck and gradually weaken due to how poisonous it was.

She leaned forward to gently caress one of her babies and she could see it move erratically inside its egg. "My children, my pride and joy. You all put a smile on your mother's lovely face. Soon, you will be born unto this world and feast upon the living's warm, tender flesh. You will all move forth and destroy everything in your path to cover the entire world in a sea of blue webs."

As Hōshasen spoke, some of the eggs began to crack as plague spiders emerged from them. Their black chitin was covered in bright blue markings. Their front legs were turned into claws capable of grabbing their prey as they inject their paralyzing venom unto them using their large fangs. Their sizes ranged from rabbits to canines but they all had the same levels of hunger for meat as they all rushed out from their mother's nest into the world.

"Yes, yes... Yes! Go forth, my wonderful children. Kill everyone in sight! Kill in the name of Hōshasen, the Plaguemother!" She screeched as she laughed loudly and evilly, her children raining down from the treetops to crawl along the forest floor as some of them jumped from branches to branches. They didn't have any direction in mind, they just randomly went on their way in search of food.

All of those who were within the forests could hear the loud scuttling of spider legs as the plague spiders drew near them. They could be easily defeated by any means and their most proficient weakness was fire, although the heroes would have to think twice before they could accidentally light up the whole forest. They must be careful not to get bitten by these horrific creatures as one bite will be the end for them. Some of them began to approach the other groups and individuals within the forest but the majority of them were creeping up to the group of heroes closest to them which was composed of Malachi, Myra, Kyran, and Belladonna.

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 {A God RP}

---

APHRODITE

_{APARTMENT ~> THE BALL}

mood: drop. dead. gorgeous

---

Days ago...

It was quite a busy day for Aphrodite. She sat at a chair lined with red velvet, her blonde hair up in a tight bun as she was dressed appropriately for her work. She was currently talking to the last of her clients for the day before she will go for a week-long spa and rejuvenation treatment for the upcoming Ball set by the Romans. The goddess of love will never pass the opportunity to attend any party, though she regretted not going to Hercules' because of a prior commitment. Still, she doubted his kin will welcome her with open arms after what she did at the last Conclave. She guessed she'll give it a try and go to Jupiter's Ball instead; she supposed it will be a better chance to show everyone how sorry she was.

"...and that's why I've felt hollow ever since."

She was snapped back to reality from her thoughts when she heard her client speak. Ah, yes. Sitting across from her was her last client: Georgia Fortman, a 63-year-old with grey streaks on her shoulder-length brown hair. Aphrodite was impressed with the woman's fashion choices, she could tell she was a woman of high class and stature as she did say she was a very successful businesswoman. She had a gorgeous mansion with dozens of servants following her will with her own private jet and helicopter and properties in almost every country in the world, yet the goddess could see the lifelessness in her eyes. She supposed anyone would have that glassy look when the love of their life died.

"I'm very sorry for your loss, Mrs. Fortman. I too had a partner who died just recently. Even though he was my ex, he still held a place in my heart. Now-"

"Do you really think that, Ms. Beuregard?" Mrs. Fortman interrupted, looking at the goddess directly.

"Do I think what, Mrs. Fortman?"

"That they will stay in our hearts? Forever?"

Aphrodite uncomfortably shifted on her seat and adjusted her glasses. "W-Why, yes, of course, Mrs. Fortman. I loved my ex like any other man in my life and even though we were separated, he had made a huge impact on my life. Such a person will of course have a special place in my heart."

She could tell Mrs. Fortman wasn't satisfied with her answer. She stared off through the window without saying a word, almost with worrying in her eyes. Aphrodite continued to wait for a few moments before sighing. "Mrs. Fortman, I'm sorry but I believe you'vee a mistake asking an appointment with me. I specialize in problems brought forth by love, not by the grief of death." She started to stand up. "Don't worry, I have a friend who-"

"He was a kind man." Mrs. Fortman said, and the goddess sat back to her seat with respect to the old woman. "William would always go out of his way to give back to charities, volunteer in relief operations, even provide scholarships to children here and abroad. Even when he has all the money in the world, even when he was at the top of the highest peak, it was all nothing for him. Do you know why?". Aphrodite shook her head in silence and Mrs. Fortman finally looked at her again with tears in her eyes. "Because he said that our love was the greatest achievement of his life."

Aphrodite slowly nodded as her eyes began to water as well. She was not the type to easily cry but she could hear the mixture of grief, pain, and love from Mrs. Fortman's voice. She could tell that their love was powerful and genuine, and Aphrodite could rarely see this type of love among mortals these days. She picked up a box of tissues and offered it to the crying woman who took them and wiped away her tears. "I know it is not in my place but, what happened to William, Mrs. Fortman?"

The old woman sniffed and composed herself, replying to Aphrodite with a shaky voice. "He was killed in cold blood. A kind and innocent man... Those monsters killed my husband and I swear on my life that I will find whoever did it to him and I will avenge his death." She said with conviction.

The goddess nodded in understanding. Love could make everyone do things they will never even thought of doing. She wanted to give her thoughts about the matter but she thought she would be out of place to do so. Besides, this was way beyond her sphere of influence. Perhaps she could pull some strings with Athena to help this widow's case. "Have you heard anything from the police?"

Mrs. Fortman shook her head. "No, but I've hired my own personal investigator anyway. He even already found a clue that the police haven't discovered yet. It may not be much of a lead but I believe it's better than nothing." She stopped, looked around warily, before leaning over to speak in hushed tones. "This is all confidential, correct?"

Aphrodite already knew what she meant. "Yes. Nothing you say will come out of this room. The only ones here are you and me." Her reply made Mrs. Fortman nod. "Good, good. Aphrodite didn't want to know what the clue was but she figured Mrs. Fortman would still say it anyway regardless. "My P.I. interviewed one of the witnesses from that day and they said the men were wearing black suits and masks. Everything happened so quickly but they did manage to see a tattoo on one of the goons' hands: it was a symbol of a red dragon."

~ დ ~

Presently, Aphrodite was being glammed up by her team in her apartment. They knew that this party was attended by the elite, presumably even one of the biggest and grandest Seattle had ever seen, so they knew they had to work extra hard to make Aphrodite the fairest of them all. As the goddess was being attended to by her glam team, she kept glancing at her phone every other minute.

Danny, one of her dear mortal friends and also the leader of her team, noticed she kept looking at her phone. "You expecting a text, darling?"

The goddess looked at Danny's reflection in the mirror and smiled. "Oh, well... Kinda. I met this guy like days ago and we really hit it off. I just thought maybe he'd send me a call or a text, maybe even an email or letter." She shrugged. "He might just be busy with his work."

"Mhmm." Danny replied with 'that' face and got back to work on refining her make-up, earning a laugh from Aphrodite. "Mhmm? Is there something you want to tell me, Danny?" The goddess said with a laugh as Danny just raised his hands in submission. "Oh nah, it's nothing, it's nothing. I just want you to be careful with men these days. You'll never know what's running in them brains of theirs. Just, y'know. Be careful who you put in your circle, honey."

Aphrodite smirked and raised an eyebrow at him. "Hm. Thanks for those words of encouragement, I guess..." Danny smooched his lips at her before getting back to work on her beautiful face. Of course, the goddess of very wary of gods and mortals alike, especially when one of their kin mysteriously died and some of them still held a grudge at the other gods after all this time. She had no idea what the Romans' true motives were in holding this Ball but there's only one way to find out.

After a while, the goddess was on the way to the Ball in her black limousine. When she got there, a valet opened the door for her and helped Aphrodite get out of her vehicle. Reporters were already flashing their cameras and focused on Aphrodite as she walked down the red carpet in her gown, her wavy blonde hair styled in a semi-loose bun of an updo that went really well with her dress. Of course, she gave the people what they wanted and posed on the red carpet for the reporters, showing off her dazzling smile to the camera as she made sure they got captured every essence of her beautiful face and gown before walking into the ball itself.

She will say though, the Romans really knew how to throw a party. Aphrodite was greeted by all of the mortal celebrities and elites within the venue, with both men and women in complete awe of her beauty. A lady even had to grab her partner's cheeks to make him look back at her which made Aphrodite giggle as she made her way further into the celebration. She could even see some of the other gods talking with the humans and enjoying the ball as well. She pondered about approaching at least one of her kin to catch up with them but Aphrodite was looking out for a particular male god. Where was he?

Avatar: Order of the White Lotus

College is exhausting ughhhh

Otherwise I'm still alive and kicking xD

How about y'all?

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 {A God RP}

---

Meet Me On 24th Street

_{THE BALL}

a @baraquiel & @smarty0114 collab

---

In a previous life, the cameras would’ve turned towards Hera the moment she stepped out of her car, lights flashing to capture her dress. Dr. Karen Bailey, however, was no celebrity. Outside of the medical world, her name held much less weight than others, and she was able to move to the entrance unscathed by the prying reporters. The interior left something to be desired, but it had been decorated well. She would’ve done better, of course, but what could you do?

Hera made champagne her first priority, an easy decision once she saw how many gods had already arrived. Artemis and Athena were making rounds, Odin’s son was perched along one wall, and she could spy the shape of one of Mars’ wretched twins lurking in the shadows. And still, more were arriving, scattered amongst the mortals, dredged up from whatever depths they’d been forced to hide away in. If this night ended without bloodshed, she’d be surprised.

Sipping from her champagne flute, Hera gracefully made her way around the edge of the ballroom, eyes scanning the guests. Was her son’s killer here tonight? Watching her? Laughing at her? She felt certain they were. She still needed to set a date to meet with Ares, gather what he knows. She was losing time, she knew it. How much longer could she sit on her hands? She had found herself in desperate need of a devil to make a deal with.

Speaking of a devil, Bakunawa, or most known by mortals as Jessica Mondragon joined the party in her black party dress.. She didn’t receive any invitation to attend said festivities but a crime boss had her own connections. Her eyes scanned the crowd, looking at the various gods and goddesses milling with each other and other mortals. They laughed and smiled, seemingly enjoying the night in their ignorant bliss. Despite them being reduced to nothing but a fraction of their former god-like selves, they still couldn’t care less when one of their kin was mysteriously murdered. Bakunawa wanted to take the credit for it but eh, maybe next time.

She blended with the crowd, taking a glass of champagne from a waiter’s tray before she casually walked to the edge of the ballroom. She crossed her arm beneath her bosom and took a sip from her drink when her eyes spotted a blonde woman alone a few feet away from her. She couldn’t believe Hera, the queen of Olympus, was here. A smile crept up on Bakunawa’s pretty face as she approached the Grecian goddess. She wanted to see if she could add this powerful woman as one of her connections.

”Hope you don’t mind the company. It gets boring around these parts.” Bakunawa said as she casually stood beside Hera. ”I’m not really much of a party person myself but I must say, it’s nice to mingle and walk among these people of high status. Makes you realize that they’re just as human as you are, whatever that means in today’s society.” She chuckled before taking a sip of her champagne and then turned to Hera, offering her a hand. ”Jessica Mondragon, business woman and sea turtle advocate. Pleased to make your acquaintance. Love your dress by the way.”

Hera’s gaze traveled lazily over this strange woman’s form. There was something familiar to her face, not that she could place it. The nagging thought was quickly dismissed, in favor of forced pleasantries. Dr. Bailey still had a reputation after all. “Dr. Karen Bailey,” she said, taking Jessica’s hand and giving it a firm shake. “I’d tell you where I bought it, but I’m afraid it’s an original,” Hera continued, her voice rich with a certain privilege only the most powerful knew. “I’m sorry, you seem familiar. Have we met?”

”I get that a lot.” The Philippine goddess said, finishing up what’s left on her glass before speaking again. ”Don’t worry, Dr. Bailey. I’m more of a business suit type of woman myself. Hm, you are not familiar in my eyes to be honest. I don’t get sick easily so I rarely go to the hospital.” She continued, the tone on her voice filled with amusement and a tinge of coyness. ”Compared to your people, my kin was comparably known less throughout the world. It’s safe to assume that almost everyone didn’t even know of our existence. I don’t suppose the name Bakunawa rings a bell?” Bakunawa said, her eyes almost twinkling as the goddess was having much fun with Hera.

Hera narrowed her eyes at Bakunawa’s words, shrewd mind easily cutting through the veiled words that slipped from the devil’s mouth. “I can’t say it does. Don’t fret though, dear. We can’t all be as renowned as myself.” Hera took a sip from her glass, eyes never leaving the woman who stood so confidently in front of her. It was obvious she thought herself an equal. The audacity. “Where are you from, and what do you want with my time?”

Bakunawa laughed as she sensed the poisonous pride from Hera’s words. Her thought of these famous gods and goddesses were right. Even when reduced to being lowly mortals, their pride still surpassed the heavens above. ”I am well aware of the death of Hephaestus, the god of forgery and one of your beloved children. I offer my deepest condolences to you.” She said, changing her tone to become softer and sadder. ”I too have lost a person close to mine many centuries ago. Their deaths still gnaw at my heart even to this day. I wish I had someone to help me, to stand by me by that time but I was all alone in my grief and sadness. That’s why I want to be that person to you, Hera. Allow me to offer you the help you need.”

Lips pursed and fingers clenched, threatening the integrity of the glass in Hera’s hand. Her instinct was suspicion, mistrust of this strange goddess who seemed to know her so well. Curiosity rose in her though, filling her mind with questions that she could not help but ponder. Should she not hear her out? Didn’t she owe it to Hephaestus to follow every path she could, until one led to answers? “And what, exactly, are you offering?” She couldn’t deny that she saw something in this woman, a fire that burned in so few; a fire that seemed lacking in her own family.

Hera’s interest seemed to be piqued. All was going well in Bakunawa’s plan. ”You might be one of the most powerful goddesses in your pantheon but here in the mortal world, I suppose your sphere of influence does not extend past the walls of the operating room. I am well aware you have connections of your own but I am offering my own web of connections.” Bakunawa leaned over to whisper in Hera’s ear. ”Connections that will help you avenge the death of your son.” She leaned back and gave the Grecian goddess a friendly smile.

“I will give you a whole day to think of your decision. If you’re interested in my offer, meet me at the Filipino restaurant at 24th Street two days from now. I will be waiting there on that day. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Hera. See you around.” Bakunawa said with a wink, her chuckles filled with utter amusement as she left Hera on her own.

Hera watched Bakunawa leave, a million questions on her tongue. Whatever the goddess had to offer, it was clearly best left to private conversations, away from the prying ears that circled all around. She couldn’t lie and pretend that she did not thirst for answers. Had she not been stricken by grief, she might’ve been more cautious, but as it stood, she knew where she’d be found, two days from now.

---

The Forest of Helsend

~ NEITH ~

Tag: @Blizz@Eviledd1984@Jerkchicken

---

Neith shrugged at Micah. "At this point, I don't know what to expect anymore. It's best if we just get this over and done with. The more time I spend in this place, the more I feel unease for some weird reason..." The elf was a bit weirded out by Micah's excitement in going to that seemingly-yet-definitely cursed forest but she thought it was just one of the quirks of being into the mystical arts; they're more down into the dark and spooky stuff than normal people were. No judgment, even Neith was into some freaky deeky stuff too but she figured it was too inappropriate to let the others know for the time being.

She turned to Dion. "What exactly are we looking for in that forest again? I hope it would be something useful, like a treasure chest or a legendary sword or whatever. I'll just have you know, you will be liable for whatever's gonna happen to me in that god-forsaken forest. Men like you two need to protect the ladies, after all."

Avalia

---

Hōshasen: The Plaguemother

TIME: Many years ago
LOCATION: Somewhere in Roshmi City
INTERACTIONS: None

---

"When I was a little girl, I had a hatred of spiders."

Hōshasen grew up not knowing who her parents were. The House of Sunspring told her she was left as a baby at their doorstep one night and she had been in their service for as far as she could remember. They were all light elves with long flowing locks that were as gold as freshly grown wheat and eyes as green as the first sprout of leaves in the spring. They were elegant and refined in anything that they do as they were one of the upper-class families of Roshmi City back then.

As for her, the thing that made her different was Hōshasen being a demihuman. Her hair was white as the moon and her skin was a pale shade of blue. People would often look at her in awe because they saw how beautiful she looked from the waist up, but their look of admiration turned to that of horror when they turned their eyes to the thing below her waist. Where her legs should have been, there existed a large arachnid with grey hair all over its body along with two pairs of huge, black, glass-like eyes. Children would throw things and laugh at her while saying mean things. Even her own kin, the other demihumans, would look at her like she was unnatural. She thought they were her people, yet they were disgusted and appalled to even call her as one of their kind just because she looked different from them. It led her to hate herself, especially on her spider half for being the sole purpose of making her life a living hell.

It was a good thing that the Sunspring family took her in. They treated her with kindness and took care of her every need though their idea of kindness was making her one of their housemaids at such a young age, making her clean every crook and cranny of their humungous house every single day. Every supper, they were kind enough to let her eat even just a portion of their scrumptious food. Sometimes, the food they gave her smelled funny and was covered in a layer of grass-like green fuzz, but she thought they loved her so much that they gave her such unique foods. She often ended up suffering from diarrhea and vomiting but she thought it was just her body rejecting the food as she was not being used to such luxurious meals.

There will be times where Hōshasen made a mistake, did not wake up in time, or did not do her duties well enough to their standard. They would scream profanities at her or often harm her by whipping her back and her abdomen. As their vine made contact with her skin and leave a mark on her, she chided herself in her mind for being such an idiot. The House of Sunspring took her under their wing, who was she to be so incompetent in doing her duties as part of their family? At least, they said she was part of their family. They even included her in their social gatherings and they tasked her as their main entertainer where they ordered her to dance around on her eight legs. Hōshasen pushed through even if her whole body was in pain, just so she would not bring shame to her family.

When her duties were done for the day, she returned to her room late at night. They provided her with a pile of rugs to use as her bed and a small candle to serve as her light. Her favorite hobby was combing her silver hair; it used to be flowy and long just like theirs but the Sunsprings cut it because they said it would look better on her. She was heavily thin but they said it made her look prettier. She was conscious of the scars on her body but they said the scars suited her. She combed whatever's left of her hair every night while smiling at the mirror. Tears would start rolling down her cheeks before she knew it but I still did her best to lift her smile up. She was very thankful for everything they’ve done to her but as the years went by, their feeling of gratitude was beginning to get more and more tainted by sadness, anger, and hurt.

One day while accompanying the Sunspring matriarch to the market, Hōshasen collapsed to the ground due to exhaustion from carrying all the matriarch bought in addition to the chores she did before leaving. Luckily, a hooded figure was able to carry her. Hōshasen could barely see what the stranger's face looked like but she could tell it was a woman. Despite having no pupils, her amber-colored eyes showed her kindness and her smile was sweeter compared to those given to Hōshasen by her family. The stranger put her hand over Hōshasen's forehead and mumbled something incomprehensible. The stranger then helped her back to her feet and whispered to her ear. "Your home is poison." She said as she walked away.

Her words left a mark on Hōshasen. It was all she thought of while doing her chores and of course, the Sunspring family grew irritated by her aloofness. With every word, punch, kick, and scratch they threw at her, Hōshasen was starting to feel nothing but an impending hurt in her heart. After all these years, she thought everything they did to her was their way of showing how much they loved her. Now that she had grown up, the stranger's words made her realize that what she thought was her home was not it after all. Perhaps the stranger has put some sort of spell on Hōshasen to make her mind clear so she could finally see all the hurt she's been through under this family. Nevertheless, she was thankful for that person's words.

That night, while all of the Sunspring family was peacefully asleep, Hōshasen silently crept into their rooms and studied their slumbering faces. The public thought their hearts were as beautiful as their faces but their souls were rotten to the core. Like it was in her nature, Hōshasen began released bright blue spider webs from her mouth towards the sleeping elves. Her web had become poisonous and corrosive from all the painful years she endured under their wing, making the elves scream in agonizing pain as their flesh began to burn. Some more of the family members rushed towards the sounds of screams and they too were covered in blankets of Hōshasen's webs.

She felt no remorse as she proceeded to cover the entire house in her poisonous webs, basking everything in sickly bright blue. She didn't stop until all the screamings became silent, and the only sound she could hear was their skin being burned to a crisp by her webs. Hōshasen sat in the lounge area, tears streaming from her eyes not due to sadness but due to happiness. For the first time in her life, she laughed freely and out loud as it echoed throughout the webbed hallways. Suddenly in front of her, the stranger from earlier appeared. She reached out to Hōshasen with her hand while smiling sweetly at her, and without hesitation, Hōshasen took the stranger's hand with an evil smile on her face. When the authorities came the next day, they were greeted by the foul stench of the corroded corpses of the entire Sunspring family covered in spiderwebs.

"When I was a little girl, I had a hatred of spiders. I was told I was as ugly as a demon and I will always look like a monster, but I knew the truth. At the moment of being free from the hell I was in, I have never felt more beautiful."

Avatar: Order of the White Lotus

Hinra's face felt warm and she imagined herself blushing a bit. She was not used to being the center of attention at all and she was very much panicking on the inside. "Oh... Oh, okay. T-Thank you all... I-It's..." She quietly stammered. She then took a deep breath to calm her nerves before she continued. "I am not used to these reactions. Usually benders would go as far away from me and my people as possible so I thank you all for your kind and earnest reactions."

She turned to Bik, or Brother Bik as he was more popularly known as. "I am not sure that would be wise, Brother Bik. I humbly admit that I am skilled in blocking a person's chi but I am still struggling a bit in restoring it. Perhaps this mission would be a good chance for me to hone it more so until then, I do not want to twist and jerk your limbs in different directions when I try to restore your chi, Brother Bik." Hinra said with a respectful smile and nod towards him.

Tikaani's comment made Hinra giggle. "It is alright, Tikaani. I will not put you on my bad side if you do not splash me in the face with your waterbending. As for the food, I would like to say I appreciate all types of cuisines there is. I am simply willing to eat any type of food as long as it looks like it is edible."

Hinra then turned to Ayuka and Haoran. "I wonder how far we are from our destination. I would hate to imagine we are going to tire out Yuya for flying too long. I also wonder if we should proclaim ourselves as members of the White Lotus or we should hide who we really are and blend in with the crowd. I know that there are other people finding the Avatar as well so I suppose there will be times where we will have to fight them to protect the chosen one, no?"

𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 {A God RP}

---

BAKUNAWA

_{SCARLET DRAGON HQ 8:00 PM}

mood: downright evil

---

Screams of pain echoed throughout the hallways of the main hideout of the Scarlet Dragon, a crime organization situated in Seattle. The man being subjected to numerous hours of torture was chained inside one of the spacious rooms of the organization. Inside the room were various objects made specifically to instill pain on the quite unlucky subject. The man's clothes were in tatters, his body covered in red-violet bruises, whip marks covered his back, and his face was indistinguishable from all the punching it received. Large brutes continued pounding away at the poor man, with one even grabbing his arms up to force him to stand while another delivered a series of punches at his gut.

A woman was sitting on a red velveted chair while watching the man's torture. She raised her empty wine glass at her attendant beside her and that attendant poured the contents of a wine bottle to refill their boss's glass. The woman took a sip of her drink before sighing from boredom. She snapped her fingers and the brutes immediately stopped, instantly dropping the guy down to the floor. He coughed up blood and saliva while groaning from pain as his whole body was seemingly on fire. She snapped her fingers again and two of her brutes unceremoniously dragged the guy towards her. Using her foot, she placed it under the guy's chin and lift it up to make him look at her.

"Tsk, tsk. Oh, Domingo..." Bakunawa asked the guy. Lately, she received reports of theft from one of her warehouses where her organization keeps the drugs and other illegal objects. This guy got caught redhanded stealing one of the valuables yesterday and he's been subjected to non-stop torture ever since. Bakunawa didn't understand, every single one of her henchmen and women was fairly compensated for their service. "Why would you do such a thing, Domingo? Did someone set you up? Were you forced to steal by another syndicate? I demand to know the truth, Domingo. Say it." Bakunawa sternly said.

The henchmen and women present in the room were tense. Even though she was a classy, cool, and calculating woman, Bakunawa was like a completely different person in their eyes when she gets angry. They all looked at her and Domingo, the air thick with tension and suspense on what's going to happen next. Everyone was silent except for Domingo who breathed hard after receiving a full beating. He looked up at Bakunawa for a few seconds before spitting on her face. Everyone except for Bakunawa gasped when Domingo did that and he laughed evilly while his spit dripped down Bakunawa's chin.

"You think you're so high and mighty just because you showed us kindness and mercy, took us under your wing, and made us your fucking lackeys. Oh no, no, no. I'm not just gonna sit here and do everything you say like I'm your fucking servant. At the end of the day, you're just a worthless Asian woman in a suit and heels. Your kind will be better off in the kitchen, or maybe in my bedroom. I hear exotic bitches like you have a good mo-". Domingo didn't finish what he had to say when Bakunawa slipped her heel from under his chin, letting his face fall down on the floor. He just had to be both a sexist and a racist. She just sighed and stood up, giving her unfinished wine glass to her attendant. "I've seen that I only wasted my time. I'll be-"

When her back was turned on him, Domingo seized the chance. He quickly got up and was about to get his hands on Bakunawa but the goddess was quicker and stronger than him. She turned around swiftly and lowered her head before kicking him out straight in the gut. The strike took the wind out of Domingo and he immediately fell down on his back with a thud, groaning from pain. Bakunawa glared at him and then at the brutes. "Make him suffer." She ordered to them and they replied with evil laughs and knuckles cracking. As she left the room with her attendant, all Domingo could do was scream in pain once more.

Bakunawa's staff nodded and moved out of her way as she walked down the hall. Guards were situated in every few feet of the establishment to secure the safety and protection of everyone. She passed by a glass pane where she could see some of her workers wearing N-95 masks and rubber gloves as they were in the process of creating various illegal party drugs that were a huge hit in seedy clubs and bars.

"Ma'am, Mr. Yun and his constituents have agreed to your clause." Anne, Bakunawa's attendant and who's also her secretary said. "Would you like to arrange a meeting with them right away?". Bakunawa said nothing and she kept walking. Anne had to jog in place to keep up with their boss's strides. "Ma'am, a-are you alright? Would you like me to-" Bakunawa raised her hand and Anne immediately got the message. She stayed silent as she followed her boss right at the end of the hallway. "Cancel all my meetings for tonight and the whole month. I do not want to be disturbed. Message me only when it's necessary. Am I clear?" Bakunawa said with clear authority and Anne eagerly nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Understood." Bakunawa looked back at her and gently patted her head. "This world is so evil, don't you think?" She sadly said before she opened the double wooden doors of her office and locked it shut behind her.

As Anne walked away to do her duties with her cheeks blushing a bit, Bakunawa slowly walked towards the bookcase at the other end of her office. She ran her fingers against the books before settling on one. She craned it downwards and the bookcase automatically split itself in two to reveal a secret door behind it. Bakunawa placed her thumb and eye on the scanners to open the door towards her room of secrecy. Plastered against the wall was a huge wooden board, attached with all the pictures of all the gods from all the pantheons currently alive. Several red threads ran along their faces as a symbol that either one or two of them were connected with each other. Some of the faces had red cross marks on their eyes and Bakunawa used a red pen to put some on Hephaestus' eyes.

On the other wall of the room was a huge map of Seattle marked with various pins and threads too. Bakunawa had been finding the Colossus for years but it always seemed to be out of her grasp. She managed to wait this long for that forsaken artifact so Bakunawa concluded that she could wait a few years more and instead set her sights on the gods this time. She reached out to place her hand on Jormungandr's picture and smiled naughtily. "I can't wait to get my hands on you, big boy." She then walked over to the side of the board where the moon gods were. She licked her lips as she looked at the pictures of Artemis, Menuo, and Tsukuyomi. "Just wait a little longer, my loves. Mommy's going to come and get you." She said to them before giving each picture a kiss.

Bakunawa turned her focus back at Hephaestus, running her fingers against the red thread connecting him to Hera, the Queen of Olympus and his lovely mother. She was sure the poor woman was downright distraught by the death of one of her children but Bakunawa gave Hera some time to grieve and cope with the death of her son. The Moon-Eater still had no idea how the smith god was killed but the thought that someone out there was killing them did put a smile on her face.

"I believe have waited in the shadows long enough. I guess it's time for me to come out and join the party." Bakunawa said with an evil grin.

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tag: @smarty0114 @Theyra @Gothelk

Avatar: Order of the White Lotus

Hinra looked at their leader. She imagined his age won't be that far off hers yet he spoke more maturely than her. Then again, Brother Bik spoke like a very mature and educated man too. She was sure her peers have accomplished more things than her at their age. She forgot about her fear of heights for a second when she thought more of the differences between them. Perhaps she should have heeded her parents' request to go out and explore the world when she was younger. Would she have turn out to be a different person than she was now if did that?

"Thank you for your kind words and for putting your trust in me. I promise that I won't let you all down." She said to him before nodding in respect to her peers, getting the towel back from Ayuka once she's done. Hinra gulped down her fear when she remembered they were still high up in the air as Ayuka blew hot air at Tikaani's face. "Hmmm... Now that I think about it, you all have shown what kind of bending you do. It's only natural for me to share what I can do too."

Hinra looked down at her open palm before closing it to form a fist. "My people were not born with the ability to control the elements like you all. Because of that, we needed to seek other ways of honing our skills to defend ourselves when danger came. We needed to be creative in order to survive." Hinra then looked up at her peers. "Simply put, I can do what is called 'chi blocking'. I can strike certain points to make a part of the body or the whole body paralyzed. I can also block certain chi paths in the bender's body to make them unable to bend for a time. I can make them move again and regain the flow of their chi too."

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "So yeah, that is what I can do. I also know how to cook too so there's that." Hinra said, realizing she had said more words to people other than her family more than what she intended to, making her blush a bit and look at the horizon. If her parents were here, they will be very proud of their daughter finally opening up to others nad making friends, one step at a time.

Avalia

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TIME: Evening
LOCATION: Roshmi City
INTERACTIONS: Ahzmorath @Alivefalling

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Sakura yelped as Ahzmorath broke her chains, the shockwave blowing her backward before she could regain her momentum in the air. Ahzmorath thrashed about, boasting of his superior strength as he made a large hole on the wall. He then started sucking everything into the dark hole in his chest. She heard the others scream in fright as they ran away from the ballroom. Instead of getting fearful of Ahzmorath, Sakura simply felt more irritated at him.

She snarled behind her mask. She didn't want to go full-out to her fellow kin but if he was going to be stubborn about it, Sakura had no choice but to give her all too. She took off her mask and threw it aside before floating upwards again. Her pink dress and the flowers adorning her clothes fluttered and waved about the dark hole on the demon's chest got stronger too. She drew a large pink star using her free hand and two large magical symbols appeared above and beneath Ahzmorath, growing bigger and glowing brighter the more she concentrated. She knew what the demon planned on doing and she knew she needed to get away as far as possible, but she needed to give Ahzmorath a taste of his own medicine first.

"How cute." Sakura said while having an evil smile on her face. "You wanna go back to the abyss that badly? Let me help you with that, ratface!" She shouted before she chanted while objects kept flying beside her towards the hole in Ahzmorath's chest.

"Blessed be those who seek the enrichment of the living,
Those who own a golden heart, those who are endlessly nurturing,
I curse thee damned who seeks to destroy everything and all,
Let pride be their downfall, be crushed by the weight of sky's fall!"

Sakura's magic activated and her magic seals glowed brighter than ever before. The seals concentrated all their magic forcefully towards Ahzmorath, making him suck all of them as per her intention. She wanted to fatten up the huge demon, make him absorb more than his body could handle so she could give him some kind of painful remembrance when he reformed.

Knowing that she must not waste anymore time, the demoness let her magic running and left the ballroom out towards the forest. She procured a talisman and activated it while running. "To my aid!" She threw her now-glowing talisman towards a nearby tree and she jumped as the tree speedily reformed itself as a horse. Sakura landed on her tree horse and used its vines as reins as she rode on into the night, never looking back.