Concept

Black Lily [High Casual]

Announcements

_{**08/21/2018 - IC Thread Officially Begun**}

_{**08/15/2018 - Added Magic: Part 2 under the General Information section.**}

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Current Plot

<sub>**Black Lily, an infamous guild composed of criminals and the worst kinds of people, has risen again from dormancy. In the last three months, its new members have made sure all in The Disk knows of their existence by committing all manner of crime. Their saving grace has been that they have also cleared out every notice board in the city and brought a staggering amount of new revenue to the high council, the government body that controls The Disk. Due to having been non-operational for so long however, the high council has been taking a much larger share of the profits from completed contracts leaving the guild itself with just the bare minimum to live on.

In the wake of this predicament and with no high-paying contracts available, Black Lily considers how to bring in more coin. And of course, the answer is by doing what they do best...**</sub>

Black Lily [High Casual]

Name

Gabriel

Age

Thirty - Four

Gender

Male

Appearance

Quintessential is most accurate when describing the physicality of the mercenary who introduces himself only as Gabriel. His body--a mixed complexion of olive skin and shades thereof--is solid from a full life of laboring and fighting, both with friends and enemies. Heavy lines contour his form, each muscle group clearly defined though not necessarily perfectly symmetrical in their visual. Though he appears lean as a taller man in light armor, his limbs are thicker than they appear--suffice it to say, Gabriel seems to be built in a functional manner versus the absolute hulking mass of some of his old comrades. His bare self is also littered with all manner of scars and old wounds though his face managed to stay completely free of the ugly marks.

His visage is equally defined and sharp with a strong jawline hidden under a short beard and goatee. Almond-shaped green eyes create a deceptively relaxed expression under slightly thick eyebrows that seem furrowed most of the time--a complete contradiction in emotion and a quirk that makes Gabriel’s countenance all the more difficult to interpret. Long brown locks round out the middle-aged merc and he insists on keeping them bound in a short ponytail considering one can never know when they will need to be ready for action.

His armor is a combination of leather hide and hardened steel plates that are attached to the leather in order to keep mobility the primary focus with a little light protection. Chest plate, rounded shoulder plates with a leather base, and greaves are the heaviest parts of Gabriel’s custom forged armor with much smaller plates cut to fit various parts of his leather gauntlets--if ever a punch or two is necessary--and a layer of chain mail protecting his abdomen, obliques, and lower back. Since his armor was a gift, each plate was dyed black and painted with thin, golden lines in an ornate style giving his attire an interesting black and brown motif with golden trim. Under his armor, he wears only a simple set of ebony hosen, matching tunic with a higher collar, and leather boots.

Personality

An oddly energetic appreciation for life permeates Gabriel’s persona even against the general hardness of his outward appearance. He is social and has a tendency to approach strangers first whether out of genuine interest or a lack of fear of consequences of any kind. He can be callous and sarcastic, but also possesses a trait of brutal honesty that, in some twisted way, can be appreciated because lies are the last thing a man of his caliber would ever let slip from his tongue. It is clear to all that the one-armed mercenary enjoys murder and thievery, but in reality it’s more that he enjoys the thrill of danger and the adrenaline rush one gains when a situation goes south and can only be settled through violent means. His brushes with death and the general turn of his life have given the man a unique perspective on what it means to enjoy it each day and he seems to strive to live in a way that fully suits him, anyone else and everything else be damned. It’s the opposite of a personality some would expect from a hardened mercenary, but Gabriel is anything but stereotypical in his middle age.

Weapon(s)

Gabriel carries only a few essential weapons to keep his load light. Attached to his belt under his lower back is the upper portion of a broken spear--the spearhead and part of the stem, a piece which holds sentimental value. The belt itself houses a multitude of small knives which are primarily used for throwing while his primary weapon is a simple double-edged sword with a custom-forged circular crossguard. In addition to these, the merc is capable of efficient unarmed combat and that is part of the reason he opts not carry a larger arsenal.

Magic User

No

History

There is not a child born in Pratus without a family name and even the mercenary who would eventually come to be known simply as “Gabriel” started out life with a proper surname. He was born to an average family, his father choosing to make his trade as a blacksmith and his mother simply resigning herself to household duties. Life was routine for the small family with the couple’s son helping his mother with household chores while constantly wondering what life was like for a man who had the fortune to make weapons for the city guard. In the son’s eyes, his father was the luckiest person in Pratus and he longed to be invited to his forge if even just to watch his hero at work. When he was old enough to go to school, he would stop by the forge in secret, catching glimpses of that well-worn hammer smashing down on a fresh, molten blade or a client beaming in approval at their newest possession. These simple times would not last, however.

Jealous of the man’s work and popularity with the guard, rival forges unified and hired the local thieves guild to stage a robbery during a particularly important commission. When the guard arrived to receive their order, everything was gone save for old, broken equipment and weapons and when the guard searched the man’s house suspecting him of the theft, their claims were confirmed in moments. The son’s father was arrested on the spot and without his income to get them by, they lost everything. The son and his mother were banished from the city once they couldn’t pay their dues and they ended up in a small village just a few miles away with other poor souls who couldn’t afford the protection of the walled paradise. Life took a drastically different turn after that.

Unfortunately, the village of Heston had garnered an infamous reputation as the town that bandits, mercenaries, and general shady types passed through in order to get to The Disk or where those same types met their clients and conducted their precarious business deals. In order to scrape by, the widow of a now hanged blacksmith invited various types of men--and even some women--to her and her son’s small home at different times of the day. These meetings would not last long, but the son had now grown old enough to understand what was going on and he made it his business to stay out of the house as much as possible. He had taken to stealing to survive and attacking those who caught him in order to keep what he stole. Heston was too poor to afford guards of any kind so violence was nothing new for the village. The boy continued his ways until he finally caught the eye of a man who would change his life one more time.

It had been a simple, but petty brawl at the tavern. A group of boys had finally found the teenage thief who had been accused of stealing anything not nailed down and they sought to teach him a lesson. At the same time, a traveling band of mercenaries had just rolled into town seeking respite from a long journey and their chosen form of relaxation involved beer. The men paid no attention to the squabbling children until the teenage boy attacked the hostile group. Being outnumbered five to one ensured a good beating that day, but one of the mercs found himself drawn to the bruised and battered boy. He offered him a hand and inquired about the boy’s parents, already considering the possibility of taking the young man under his wing. Though quiet for a moment or two, the boy would simply reply that he had none. Then and there, the merc introduced himself as Arthur Gaines and offered the boy what he considered a better life--apprentice of a mercenary, able to travel a bit and see more of the world while even honing his extremely rough combat skills and, most importantly, earning coin which would allow him to take of care of himself. The boy eagerly agreed and though Arthur had never asked him his name, the older mercenary bestowed the moniker “Gabriel” on his new protege’.

Gabriel began his new life with a new occupation. As a thirteen year old boy, he was thrust into the world of pit fighting. Pit fighting was a quietly popular past-time that usually took place in the back rooms or cellars of taverns every village and city over. Arthur’s teaching methodology always declared that real experience was the best teacher and so he forced Gabriel to fight in many a pit fight as their group traveled from village to village. In between, Arthur would personally teach the boy sword combat and even went so far as to immerse him in a strange, underhand-grip style that the mercenary group claimed was unique in all of Pratus. Gabriel fought and fought and practiced and practiced, the scars of his dedication and experiences etching themselves onto his skin as years passed and his body grew. Upon reaching adulthood, Arthur officially inducted his apprentice into the group and let him in on what they really did for a living.

It would turn out that Arthur and his ragtag group of mercs were actually the kind of bandits that would kill travelers on the roads, slaughter their escorts, and then take everything in sight. It was merely an evolution in scope to what Gabriel had been doing as a young thief. He took to the life quickly. Wherever the group went, they pillaged and murdered and even still they were hired from time to time to actually perform some mercenary work. That work would involve killing the hellish creatures that now roamed the Wildlands and whenever one would get too close to a city or the group happened to be within the area where incidents had been reported, they were hired.

More years passed and Gabriel only grew older, but in time he began traveling and advertising his services as a lone mercenary. No one can recount the happenings that ended with Gabriel splitting from his murderous platoon, but he quickly gained his own infamy as the one-armed merc who would kill anything and anybody for the right price. Somewhere along his years, the ruthless warrior suffered nerve damage in his left arm and it left the limb unable to take the heft of a blade or most anything with too much weight. It wasn’t long after these events that the one-armed merc received a letter detailing his invitation to the fabled Black Lily guild. Sensing a great opportunity to make more silver doing what he enjoyed, Gabriel joined the guild and hasn’t thought about looking back since.

Black Lily [High Casual]

B l a c k L i l y

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_{An Original Dark Fantasy Roleplay}

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_Premise

You are the absolute worst kind of person.

The depths to which you'll sink are unfathomable and your reputation certainly proceeds you. Maybe you're a murderer, a thief, or just a person who is generally not to be fucked with, but none of that matters. A criminal is a criminal, plain and simple. There's nothing more to it. Your evil is known and your infamy may even be widespread, but regardless it all comes down to the fact that in the eyes of the common man and woman, you're nothing more than a monster. A beast which needs to be kept on a leash and isolated from the rest of society for fear of your feral, unpredictable ways. This is a truth you cannot escape and a label that will remain with you and your being until the day you're finally taken from this world. Until that day comes however...

Black Lily extends an invitation to you. We are an organization that existed long ago, but one that must once again come together to face the evils of the world. Our philosophy, however, is different than those of some hero guild. We firmly believe that one must employ evil to properly fight evil and if our members wish to indulge in their own machinations on the side, that's none of our business. We are a guild of criminals and monsters who have come to an agreement under the unifying banner of the almighty coin. For the proper price, we will cull this world of the threats the exist in the shadows--creatures and entities not of this world that need to be sent back to the nightmarish hell they came from, men and women who have become the kinds of monsters that did not have the luck to join our ranks before a bounty was placed on their heads. We exist to bring death and chaos onto those who have become nothing more than a high price. That is our one and only goal.

You are the absolute worst kind of person. And that's exactly the type of mercenary we need on our side.

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_Welcome

Welcome to my OOC! As I said in the title, this is my attempt at a bonafide dark fantasy roleplay, but more than that it combines my love of the supernatural with my other love of plots starring criminal protagonists. Black Lily is a roleplay following a small band of criminal mercenaries belonging to the a mythical guild of the titular name. They are routinely hired to slaughter all manner of supernatural creature and equally heinous humans. These creatures should be familiar to all because they come from all corners of fiction: Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, Angels, Dragons, Chimera, Ghosts, Wraiths, more horror-inclined versions of animals, etc. If it's a creature that shouldn't be of this world--and sometimes even those that are--and the price is right, Black Lily will eagerly dispose of it. The story follows the missions, life, and times of the guild's members so while there will be plenty of fantasy action to partake of, there will also be more slice-of-life moments as the characters go about their daily lives and do whatever it is the player decides they like to do.

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_{The Rules}

• Communication is most important.
• Common sense is also important. Don’t godmod, take control of other people's characters, and other crap like that in IC.
• A weekly posting pace is all I ask. Don’t worry so much about post length--quality over quantity. At the same time, let’s not post something so short that no one can respond to it.
• Be nice to people. Everybody likes nice people.

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_{General Information}

**I will add more info as necessary**

Pratus - The World of Black Lily

The world of Black Lily is one of a medieval time, but also one sorely lacking in traditional structure. Collectively, it is referred to as Pratus and while there are some places where kings and queens exist, most cities and towns are completely self-sufficient and the ones that aren’t rely on their local guilds to bring in money for the local economy. Not every guild is combat-oriented and some--most notably the merchant’s guild--bring in large amounts of revenue regularly.

Due to how Pratus evolved after The Catastrophe, law enforcement is not backed by any official body and the lands are very dangerous because of it. Civilized towns and cities employ their own guard whether it be knights who no longer serve a lord or hired mercenaries or even volunteers, but outside the walls of civilization, no rules apply. It’s common practice for travelers to hire bodyguards and envoys to keep them safe as they traverse the dangerous roads between societies and it’s just as common for unsavory types to take advantage of any and everyone when they seen an opportunity. On top of that, roving beasts of all kinds usually take offense to seeing other living creatures and have a tendency to attack on sight.

Unfortunately, poorer villages are often the subject of much higher crime rates simply because they lack the funds to employ a proper guard and too many people live their lives doing whatever they please. In short, Pratus is dangerous, depraved, and not generally a great place to exist unless you live in the safety of more wealthy cities. Below is a list of a few notable locales that I’ll add to as the rp goes on and as other people add their creations to the world. Right now there is only one major locale because that's where beginning of the RP takes place for the most part.

The Disk
The Disk is the name commonly given to one of the largest cities in all of Pratus and it is dubbed as such because of its giant, circular wall. The Disk is home to the original branch of the merchant’s guild and as such it is a hub for commerce and a popular destination for travelers from all over. It was one of the first cities to become self-sufficient after The Catastrophe which effectively ended monarchies worldwide.

The Disk employs its own guard and it is mostly made up of the knights who once served the lord that previously ruled the area. Due to its standing, it is one of the safer cities one can live in, but in order for one to reside there permanently, dues are required on a monthly basis. Those in charge deem that any who would use the city to shelter themselves from the evils of the outer world need to pay for the privilege.

The Disk is also home to the mythical Black Lily guild, but thus far no one who is not a member has ever found the guild’s meeting place. The Disk also used to be a particularly lucrative place for Black Lily due to the unusually high rate of supernatural attacks, but lately these reports and sightings seem to have been slowing down.

The Wildlands
The Wildlands are the areas between cities, towns, and villages. Civilized areas are usually more free of supernatural entities and beasts because guilds keep them out and away, but the world has grown so dangerous that humanity is content to let these creatures roam free anywhere that's not near a civilized area. The danger levels vary in different parts of The Wildlands, but most people are in agreement that if you intend to travel between societies, you should hire some kind of escort or bodyguard.

Technology

The technology level of Pratus fits with the medieval time period. Horse and carriage are the main forms of transportation and melee weapons are the main form of weaponry along with bow and arrows for projectiles. Paved roads have not come to be, but some of the wealthier cities have cobblestone at the very least. There's no electricity so it's fire for light and warmth and traditional methods of storing food using salt and other things to preserve items.

All that said, there has been a rumor for years that some members of Black Lily carry around a strange weapon that seems to fire projectiles that aren't arrows and it fits easily into one hand. People have taken to calling them "hand-cannons" though there isn't really anyone who can vouch for having seen one in person.

Guilds

Guilds are the backbone of any area's economy. They're collectives of like-minded people who come to together to make money based on whatever they're like-minded about. Guilds are also a good way to avoid paying city dues to live within the safety of a wall and a city guard because since part of a guild's revenue goes straight to the city government, guild members usually don't have to pay dues. There are many different kinds of guilds and a lot of them aren't combat-based with some notable ones being the Merchant's Order and the Bard's guild.

Combat-based guilds are especially important to a flourishing city however because they promote a strong circle-of-life initiative. Citizens take jobs to make money to keep up with their city dues and make a decent living for themselves, but most importantly they need money in order to hire a guild to help keep them safe. While the city guard will do their best to keep citizens safe from threats of crime, supernatural threats are another league and a guild is usually involved with that kind of work. With the world being as dangerous as it is, it's massively important to keep combat-based organizations operating so everyone can keep being eaten as the last on their minds, among other painful deaths.

Black Lily is, by far, the most infamous and renown guild in the business of slaughtering the supernatural. However, their infamy also comes from the fact that half the crime committed in The Disk is usually perpetrated by their members. It's a give and take sort of relationship.

Magic

Magic was introduced to the world through The Catastrophe and its presence only grew even years after things had settled down. As far as the scholars have concluded, magic is an all-powerful force that has near limitless capabilities. However, using magic has its drawbacks. Firstly, the energy itself is toxic to individuals. While animals were affected with mutations and twisted transformations, the human body cannot handle the strain of such an unpredictable force. People who try to use magic through their bodies introduce a disease that slowly shuts down organs until there are no more left to shut down. As such, those interested in harnessing magical energies have taken to using mediums to achieve their spells.

Secondly, the use of magic attracts supernatural entities. Those who use magic in moderation while keeping the spells relatively small fare fine for a while within city walls, but those who use powerful, outlandish spells can bring the wrath of any number of different otherworldly creature down upon them. Supernatural entities seem to have some intrinsic ties to magical energies and are able to locate heavy magic users with pinpoint accuracy. Those who use magic in the outside world away from civilized areas can find themselves set upon even quicker due to the fact that these kinds of beasts call the wildlands their home.

Though magic itself can be very useful, most combat guilds only employ one or two magic users for fear of attracting more than they can handle or even causing a citywide emergency.

Magic: Part 2

In the first section I explained how magic came to exist and the basics upon which it works, but it's become increasingly clear that I left out a large chunk of the lore regarding how magic specifically works with mediums. My apologies! In this section, I will explain just that.

Due to the threat of poisoning and disease, magic came to be harnessed through the use of mediums--or objects--by humanity. With a medium, anyone could conjure up a spell or two without having to worry about having their organs shut down one by one until death. The power of a spell (and magic in general) is dependent on the strength of the medium being used. For example, if one were to use their own sword to create flames to coat the blade in, that would work perfectly fine. However, if one intended to use a simple sword to summon a raining firestorm down upon the earth, that spell would undoubtedly fail and the blade would be destroyed because it couldn't handle the amount of energy need to conjure up such a spell.

In effect, the more powerful and outlandish the spell, the stronger the medium needs to be in order to handle it and cast the full spell rather than a partial or even complete failure.

The second part to these facts lie in constant contact with magically-energized items. Enchanted gear and mediums that remain passively activated present another threat to their users as constant contact with a magically inclined item exposes the user to magical energies and can still allow the disease to develop over a longer period of time. Those who use enchanted gear would usually only activate the actual spell in times of need as spells are specifically created to be one time use in order to keep the caster alive.

In summation, while magic offers boundless possibilities for the curious mind, the hard truth is that a lot of the denizens of Pratus do not bother to even learn to use magic because it's simply too much trouble. Others shirk the temptation due to fear of not being able to control the spell they conjure properly. Regardless though, magic still remains a wonder for all and those who do pursue it do so with the knowledge that they'll either die by poisoning and the disease or a certain spell will attract too many supernatural beasts that will also spell the end of their being.

_{The Character Sheet}

The Character Sheet

This template below will be what you use to submit your characters. Now, considering there is lots of interest here, I'm going to ask that you submit your character to me via PM. This will also allow everyone to create a concept they really enjoy rather than seeing everyone else's and basing it off of some other reason. There are no needed roles so go ahead and feel free to create what you desire. I left the template un-formatted because I always like to see how potential players individually format their sheets so as long as you include the necessary categories, you can format the actual sheet however you wish. You'll also notice the brevity of the sheet. That's completely intentional because I feel like it's better to reveal information organically within the IC thread.

• Name
• Age (Minimum age 18)
• Gender
• Appearance (We're going against the norm here; no images. A fully written description should be applied here. Of course, no one is stopping you from using an image to write your description though...)
• Personality (I'm not a fan of this, but it's necessary so I can ensure characters don't overlap one another. Considering character development, this section serves as more of how your character is in the beginning of the roleplay)
• Weapon(s) (What kind of weapon or weapons does the character use? Every character gets one standard issue hand-cannon)
• Magic User (Just a yes or no. If you want to go into more detail, add it to the History section)
• History (Every character joined Black Lily through an anonymous letter sent to them and has only been with the guild for three months. This section should tell me a little about the character's life and what they were doing leading up to that. Keep in mind that Black Lily only employs the worst kinds of people so don't be afraid to delve into the darkness. Feel free to create locations and other add-ons to the world.)

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Black Lily [High Casual]

@Heat

It's not first come, first serve so you don't have to worry. Joining will be based on character submissions so even someone who shows interest late still has a chance to join. I'm almost done with the OOC actually and it'll go into a bit more detail there.

Black Lily [High Casual]

Seems like this got lots of interest and I'm glad for it. I'll have the OOC up soon and character submissions will go live with it.

Black Lily [High Casual]

Glad to have your interest!

Black Lily [High Casual]

B l a c k L i l y

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_{An Original Dark Fantasy Roleplay}

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_Premise

You are the absolute worst kind of person.

The depths to which you'll sink are unfathomable and your reputation certainly proceeds you. Maybe you're a murderer, a thief, or just a person who is generally not to be fucked with, but none of that matters. A criminal is a criminal, plain and simple. There's nothing more to it. Your evil is known and your infamy may even be widespread, but regardless it all comes down to the fact that in the eyes of the common man and woman, you're nothing more than a monster. A beast which needs to be kept on a leash and isolated from the rest of society for fear of your feral, unpredictable ways. This is a truth you cannot escape and a label that will remain with you and your being until the day you're finally taken from this world. Until that day comes however...

The Black Lily extends an invitation to you. We are an organization that existed long ago, but one that must once again come together to face the evils of the world. Our philosophy, however, is different than those of some hero guild. We firmly believe that one must employ evil to properly fight evil and if our members wish to indulge in their own machinations on the side, that's none of our business. We are a guild of criminals and monsters who have come to an agreement under the unifying banner of the almighty coin. For the proper price, we will cull this world of the threats the exist in the shadows--creatures and entities not of this world that need to be sent back to the nightmarish hell they came from, men and women who have become the kinds of monsters that did not have the luck to join our ranks before a bounty was placed on their heads. We exist to bring death and chaos onto those who have become nothing more than a high price. That is our one and only goal.

You are the absolute worst kind of person. And that's exactly the type of mercenary we need on our side.

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Welcome to my interest check! As I said in the title, this is my attempt at a bonafide dark fantasy roleplay, but more than that it combines my love of the supernatural with my other love of plots starring criminal protagonists. Black Lily is a roleplay following a small band of criminal mercenaries belonging to the a mythical guild of the titular name. They are routinely hired to slaughter all manner of supernatural creature and equally heinous humans. These creatures should be familiar to all because they come from all corners of fiction: Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, Angels, Dragons, Chimera, Ghosts, Wraiths, more horror-inclined versions of animals, etc. If it's a creature that shouldn't be of this world--and sometimes even those that are--and the price is right, Black Lily will eagerly dispose of it. The story follows the missions, life, and times of the guild's members so while there will be plenty of fantasy action to partake of, there will also be more slice-of-life moments as the characters go about their daily lives and do whatever it is the player decides they like to do.

This all takes place in a medieval style world though not necessarily traditional. The technology level is firmly horse and cart for transportation and sword and shield for weaponry, but as I'm not a fan of ye olde English, there may be some rule breaking here and there. Of course, there will also be magic and sorcery because what's a dark fantasy without magic?

Being a more mature kind of roleplay, darker or more visceral themes will pop up from time to time. There will be violence and the story will delve into depths every now and then, but this is also a purely character driven game. While I do have some direction to keep things moving at an easy pace, most decisions, events, and plot turns will be dictated by how the characters grow and evolve and how the players choose to develop their own mains.

Since this will be a small group, I'm only looking for about 3-5 others not including myself to join up. However, the process of joining will rely entirely on character submissions--how unique and interesting the character is and how well they fit into the universe. With that said, this is just an interest check so all are welcome to show their interest. I'm already working on the rest of the OOC as we speak so if this should garner enough interest, I'll happily throw up the new thread when it's ready. I'll also be happy to answer any questions anyone may have.

So who wants to join me on a journey through the darkness and depravity of the world of Black Lily?

The Front [Concept .x. Lola]

@Lola

Got my post up! Sorry for the delay. Take your own time though, we can maintain an easy pace from here.

The Front [Concept .x. Lola]

He honestly felt like a gun to the head would have been the better option.

The Hispanic man leaning casually on the desk in front of Alvin radiated that kind of dangerous aura whenever he entered a room in spite of his slick, professional look. Fitting button-ups, slim dress pants, and polished wing-tip loafers were the typical attire of the man who sat on Alvin's desk currently fiddling with a cigarette and old lighter. His frown slowly elongated as the constant flick of his lighter produced neither heat nor flame. Finally, an exasperated breath slipped between the thin crevasse of teeth and parted lips and an unusually scarred hand ran through thin strands of greasy black hair. Hazel eyes shifted to Alvin before a chuckle broke the tension building in the small office. "Damn lighter, man," the Hispanic man began, "I swear it just had fluid two hours ago." He stood from the desk and pocketed a hand.

"That's what you always say, Maurice," Alvin replied, fishing through his pocket and tossing a small, silver box towards his guest. Maurice offered a nod of thanks and immediately lit up the cancer stick still resting in one side of his mouth. He took a long drag and exhaled a plume of smoke gratefully.

"Fuuuuck man, that's the good shit. Sure you don't want one?"

"I'm good."

"Don't know what you're missing, but that's cool. I guess you're really gonna quit this time, huh?"

"For sure."

"You mean like the last four times, for sure?"

"Fifth time's the charm. Besides, cigs are expensive as hell. A dollar saved is a dollar earned."

"Except when it's not, right?" Maurice took another drag and puff.

"In what case is it not?" Alvin folded his arms, but remained standing. His office chair was still waiting just behind him where he had been sitting before Maurice had made his surprise visit. The light from the window beyond that illuminated about half of the office space and the dark spots of the beige carpet. Having an entire wall be a window had its pros and cons.

"You know what case. It's the reason I'm here, after all. You know I don't make a trip to personally see anyone unless shit really hit the fan. And I gotta tell ya, shit really hit the fan."

"That wasn't my fault. But everyone says that I suppose."

"I suppose."

"So what are we going to do?"

"We? We aren't gonna do a damn thing. You, however, are gonna have to take a reassignment." Maurice took another drag and lightly tapped the excess into an ashtray sitting on the desk. His gaze briefly caught a picture on the other end depicting Alvin, himself, and three others--Alvin's infamous team. He grinned for a second before returning his focus to the matter at hand.

"Reassignment? You're just plainly saying it, huh?" Alvin's heart jumped for a second, but he showed no hint of change in his composure. He had known this day was coming and it was all he could do to mentally prepare himself for whatever the consequences were going to be. Suddenly, the heft of the weight just under the small of his back became oddly apparent. The metallic object was tucked neatly in the waistband of his jeans just waiting for the moment it might needed. The hard choices had been decided at this point.

"Is there any other way to say it? And it's you we're talking about. I'm not gonna bullshit you, man. What happened was terrible for all involved, but it was worse for the organization. It's not easy to come back from that kind of incident. But..." Maurice trailed.

"But?"

"Like I said, it's you we're talking about it. Boss hasn't lost complete confidence in you. He just needs to know you haven't lost confidence either. That's why it's reassignment we're talking about and a meeting at headquarters."

Alvin relaxed a bit and the weight of the object under his back partially faded. "Right... So, what's the reassignment? What am I going to have to do to fix this?"

Maurice paced to the left and to the right for a moment or two, puffing and looking up, before turning his back to Alvin and facing wall behind the desk. He stared at a painting hanging in an ornate, golden frame. His expression scrunched up. "We're sending you to Veil City. More specifically, to The Club."

Alvin dropped his arms. "Veil?! The Club?! You gotta be fucking kidding me."

"I'm not and it was my idea. Be thankful."

"Thankful, my ass. I'd rather have taken the meeting. You're seriously going to bust me back that much? Am I some fucking foot soldier now?"

"It's not about rank, man," Maurice turned back to Alvin. "This was the only thing I could do. Trust me, you would not have rather taken that meeting."

"I thought you said the boss hadn't lost complete confidence in me?"

"I did and he hasn't. Doesn't change his policy. You know he doesn't stand for anything out of order and he's all about taking responsibility. You would have been a great example for the rest of us considering the years you've put in."

"But it's not about rank."

Maurice sighed and put his cigarette out. He took a few strides towards Alvin and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, I'm serious. It was all I could do. I didn't forget what you did for us, but that shit goes out the window when you fuck up this badly. The point is this. The Club in Veil City is beginning to lose pace a bit. Rather than hold Connie responsible, Boss would rather you go back and figure out what's going wrong and then fix it. You set it up, after all and it was one of our highest earners before we promoted you."

Alvin glanced at Maurice's hand before brushing it off his shoulder. He sucked his teeth. "So you're saying I have to go back to the front? Like a guy who hasn't earned his stripes yet. Unbelievable."

"I know what it sounds like, but it's not like that. You've earned your stripes. You just need to prove they haven't faded since you've been living the comfortable life up here. Go to Veil, work for Connie for a bit, figure out why The Club is losing money, and then bring back the flow."

"Fine, I hear you. It's not like I have a choice, right?"

"Right." Maurice backed up to the desk and resumed his lean. Alvin folded his arms once more.

"Alright. Easy enough. Does my team know?"

"About that... It's just you, Al."

Alvin laughed and nodded his head in frustration. "Of course. Shouldn't expect any less. Alright. Guess I've got some packing to do." The taller man turned and walked towards the window, resting an arm on the glass as he looked out over the city-scape. Maurice stood and placed a card on the desk before heading towards the door on the wall to the left. He stopped just as he grabbed the door knob.

"Al, there's one more thing. You'll need to find someone too. I left the info on your desk. Call us when you come into contact with them." The door opened with a creak and shut with a soft click as Maurice left the office. The clack of his shoes echoed down the hall until they became inaudible. Alvin sighed and headed back towards his desk. He slammed his fist on the stained wood and grit his teeth. They really were busting him back, he thought. He fully erected himself and rubbed the back of neck in an attempt to calm down. Millions of thoughts raced through his mind as flashes of the old days in Veil City assaulted his mind's eye. He hadn't been back there since his early days starting out with the organization and he never thought he would have to go through that kind of street level grinding ever again.

He exhaled loudly and finally decided to take a look at the small business card Maurice had left. It was a plain white card with a simple name on it. Alvin stared for a moment before pocketing the card and grabbing his keys from a drawer in the desk. He took one last look around the office before heading out the door himself intending to go to his apartment before booking a flight to Veil City. He made his way down the narrow hall and, in spite of all that had happened in the last few minutes, only one thought struck him as he made his way down stairs, through another corridor and out the front door of the office building.

Who the hell was Mia Winter?

Ultralight

Daniel Wu shan't be used for his visage is sacred.

@Burger

Damn... I can actually see the point in this lol. I love Into The Badlands and his face popped into my head immediately when I was conceptualizing my character.