FunnyGuy

Ember Grove - Reboot

Time: Afternoon
Location: Alexei's, Ember Grove
Mentions: @Pink Khione Vivian and @Potter Nikolaus

Alexander watched Vivian leave the pool table for the bar. He found his gaze lingering on her feminine form and looked to the pool table with a small smile. It had been a while since intimately shared a woman's company… Unfortunately, Vivian would not do. She was lesser despite her skills as a billiards player. He knew in time he would surpass her and then perhaps find another use for her. However, the purpose she would serve was not up to him. Warden Amarante chose who went where based on her evaluation. Would she be suitable as one of his kind or simply new livestock?

His smile died quickly as he pondered and also overheard the voice of a newcomer greeting Vivian. Definitely not here next time. Alexander moved around the table and stared at each ball he could strike. He nodded to the solid ball he could most likely sink. He leaned in, aimed, and shot… the eight ball right into a corner pocket. Success! Now to wait on Vivian to return before continuing.

Ember Grove - Reboot

Time: Morning
Location: Operation Humanity Base
Interaction with:

---

"Colonel. You got time?" Sean said as he stood in the door frame of Colonel Trotter's office, while the man stood at his desk outfitted with a mount that allowed him to work on his computer while standing at his desk. Both men shared stern looks upon their faces.

"Depends on what it is. So out with it, Agent Stone." Trotter did not mince words, but Sean expected as much. He shut the door to the office and walked up towards the desk. There was only a chair on Trotter's side so sitting was not optional unless you wanted to just go criss-cross applesauce on the nearly reflective floor. It appeared to be so clean, one could probably eat off of it. The budgeting of this group…

"Colonel… I've voiced my opinion about my current responsibility and… I agree with you. The assets need to be tracked due to the value of their biological enhancements and the advantage they give us." Sean explained before sighing. He chose his start wisely. He was intentionally stroking some ego, but now he had to be a bit more real with the man.

"But we can't accomplish that with tracking chips and myself alone. You're basically sitting me out of the game to be the water boy for a team that's not even playing."

"A team that's not even playing?" Trotter was not totally following Sean's analogy.

"The assets. Task them with actual missions and investigations instead of keeping them cooped up. Angel won't tell me, but she is up to something. And I don't need to have a higher clearance to know that this group is keeping her from it. She's going to find out anyway, so why not guide her."

"Because she can't handle it! She wants to kill the leader of the Sanguine Moon and it will only lead to her death. Operation Humanity cannot have that. Even now, we have coordinated an ambush to take that cocky son of a bitch down! To get Alexander, we need patience and coordination. Not an impulsive child with a vendetta." Trotter scowled, showing he was not budging. "You want to know why the experiments are just the roving guards of Ember Grove and not an organized team? I'll up your clearance so you can find out yourself and see things the way I do, Agent Stone. In the meantime, I have people who can keep a close eye out on our assets... Times up by the way." Trotter returned his gaze to his monitor as Sean gave a nod before exiting the room.

Fuck that guy. He wants me to read up on the frankensteins. Fine, but I'm sleeping first.

Avalia

Time: Night
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interaction with: @Tae Azriel, "possibly" @Dezuel Terneus

---

The chaos and bloodshed would make any sadistic demon proud of Ahzmorath's summoning. To call Azriel and angel was a crime. She had the heart of a demon… because he made it so. He idly observed and enjoyed the scene while he kept the guests locked in to become victims of Ahzmorath's violence. He crushed and devoured those that aimed to combat him. The cowardly female human and her companions' loss gave Umber an emotion to snack to feed on. Grief and guilt were sweet and savory. It was almost enough to make him forget the presence of the Light Elf Governor… Almost. He was so close to him and his facade of loyalty to the throne only made his true feelings seem as if they were amplified as he internalized them.

What if he focused on tossing the elf to Ahzmorath?
….
….
….
….
….
Not good enough. Besides, someone was vying for his attention. He could feel the animosity aimed his way and managed to lock eyes with the culprit. Strong feelings emanated from her body before she launched a knife his way. He could use the governor to shield himself from the knife.
….
….
….
Also not good enough. Umber simply teleported an inch to the left. Her attempt at rallying guests was amusing to him. Hope was not enough for victory, but he would admit the resistance here was more than what he imagined. He was beginning to wear down as desperate guests beat on his barriers. With Ahzmorath attacking anyone in his sight, Umber could soon fall victim without enough strength to fight back. He needed to drop the barriers, but Aklenroth would have his head if he did so willingly. Then his eyes fell on a treasure trove of emotion. Darius. So vulnerable that he could be twisted any which way. The empathic demon used his power to create hallucinations to influence Darius in assisting him. The human obliged….

"Azriel. Follow me out!

Water suddenly gathered into beach ball-sized spheres around Umber. Umber looked around at the spheres that generated from the air.

What an odd trick. He thought before the sphere burst, both wetting him and possibly Terneus while distorting his view.

In the meantime Darius could be seen shooting water with enough pressure towards the ground to help vault himself up towards the demon. Darius made inches away from Umber before being stopped midair with telekinesis.

"]This was your plan? I chose poorly." Umber stated just in Darius' head who scowled at him while also dripping wet. Umber was somewhat disappointed, until Darius winked at him.

"Gotcha... With your own stupid move too." Darius said almost coldly before using water covering both of them to send them both flying to and then off the balcony. Umber released his barriers just as he had wanted and the two fell from the building.

Avalia

Time: Night
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interaction: @13org Myra

"We'll definitely be fine."

Darius couldn't believe he said something so untrue. Myra's demeanor had said otherwise as she hissed and looked around in all directions. She was anticipating things going horribly wrong and the next chain of events would prove her right. First was the creepy voice he heard within his mind. It was unlike Malgormuun's voice that was much deeper and slightly distorted. Umber's warning made him flinch but heeded the demon's message. Even if he chose not to, Myra went into 'mama bear' mode and guided O'ner and himself away from the center of the room by forming a perimeter around them. She did this by continuously circling around them while using her tail to create as long a boundary as possible. They only stopped when a voice was heard above the rest. The elven greeter was making some kind of closing speech…

"Fuck, what's… What?!" Darius shouted as he watched Umber tear out the elf's small body as if he had been folded and compressed inside. He watched and listened with wide eyes as Umber set the stage for Azriel to stylishly summon a giant monstrosity in the center of the ballroom. Upon entry, it crushed dozens of guests. Their lives instantly ended. Darius stared unblinking at the deceased.

No training or words of experience and wisdom could prepare him for something like this. When it came down to it, Darius had never truly witnessed someone die in front of him. There were visions that Malgormuun plagued his mind with. Of the many humans that had died in Avalia, but this was different. His breathing went shallow as his facade of confidence shattered in the face of the scene before him.

Keep away from this one. Ahzmorath will not spare you… And neither will he.

He snapped out of his daze and looked toward Spellbane in shock as the large black fox demon headed his way, all while slinging people away with his jaws. What was he supposed to do? Fear gripped him as he braced himself.

Darius! What are you doing?! Move or fight! DARIUS!

He froze, but luckily for him, Myra sprung forth. She attacked the creature before continuing to run off. Its attention was on her, and Darius was aware that it was exactly what she wanted. She was still protecting him.

Look at you. So weak that you need to be saved! What has Kol taught you?! What have I taught you?! You fail your kind! You disgrace them with your weakness! Darius watched as Myra darted around the ballroom before his eyes caught a glimpse of one of the humans that had revealed herself moments ago. Then a familiar voice stole his attention. Ayita. She was everything he was not at this moment. She was brave. She was fully committed to her cause. She stood ready to face her enemies and strike them down without hesitation. LOOK AT THEM! Even the foolish ones of your kind choose to act at this moment! Move! Take a fucking step! MOVE! This. Is. A. WAR!

Tears welled up in his eyes. Malgormuun was not a liar. He had been honest and did not spare Darius' feelings. Was it because he did not care for his host or because he wanted to be aware of the vicious truth. He gritted his teeth as he grew frustrated with himself. Why couldn't he move? He could at least run for an exit or maybe he should have charged at that demonic fox.

It's not easy Darius, but I can help you overcome this feeling. Dread is a friend I know all too well. You freeze because you are afraid to act… In your memories, there is nothing such as this, but you need to move. You need to live. You need to find Risa Millinia. Overcome this paralysis. He shut his eyes tight to keep the tears away and opened them to find Caius staring him in the face. Not Umber, but Caius.

"Your feelings are more delectable than the warrior woman who threw a knife my way… I know what you truly want. And I can help you, child. You just have to do one thing for me in exchange…" Darius' hallucination of Caius grinned.

Avalia

Time: Night
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interaction with: @Dezuel Terneus, @Alivefalling Aklenroth, @Tae Azriel, and @Eviledd1984 O'ner

---

Elsea had left Umber with a wink and a smile but the gesture was nothing compared to her growing feelings towards Terneus. The way the interaction between all three of them was not what Umber wanted it to be, but it would suffice.

Besides, something became far more pressing than twisting his dear Elsea, as unbelievable as that seemed.

"I bid you farewell, King Andros." Umber said as if it was natural. Terneus' emotions were quite interesting, holding a rare mix of flavor. Some of his feelings that should have been positive were warped and mixed with negativity.

When Umber re-entered the ballroom, he laid his eyes on Risa's image. Disgusting… Fairies are so disgusting… Umber listened to Risa's speech, amused by her claims and her desire. Little did she know, Umber could simply use her inspiring speech as a means to sift out those who empathized with her… or could he? As he attempted to take in so many emotions at once, he winced in pain. It was still too much. Had he reached his limit?

Umber resorted to just watching and in doing so, he caught sight of the gruesome image that followed Risa's speech. His eyes widened as a sinister smile spread across his face. He couldn't help it. He was not only pleased with the artistic talent, but he also recognized it. Disgusting until they're twisted… by me…

"Why not take a chance! I stand with Princess Millinia! Down with the Lich King!"

Umber's head whipped in Darius' direction. He wanted to know what the fool was doing. Darius' emotions came off as conflicted, as if he was internally fighting with his decision to make such a proclamation. What a fool! To be so weak and betray so openly. I will shatter him...

But despite the demon's initial displeasure in Darius' words, he grew excited as he watched the effects that came from them. One by one, Aklenroth's enemies willingly and pridefully identified themselves. And it was not just rebels… but HUMANS. Umber had already identified or had strong hunches on some, but this display was just incredible. These humans were incredible. He laid his eyes on Elsea with her burning emotion and then to coward girl who was attempting to be brave. The climax was so close... Something needed to be done in its wake.

"Aklenroth. Azriel. General Faister, Commander Dreadclaw… Unintentional or not, it seems the human, Darius has won the game in identifying the most enemies to the throne… What is your bidding, Lich King?

Avalia

Time: Night
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interaction: @Eviledd1984 O'Ner and @13org Myra

Darius stood quietly as more and more people echoed their desires for a revolution. He knew making such a bold declaration would stir up the crowd, but not to this magnitude. He also knew Aklenroth was not a benevolent ruler. Hell, he could even admit the dude was far from the type of king this world needed, but he wondered if things would spiral out of control due to his actions just now. It definitely was not something he was aiming for. He managed to witness Artemis depart from the ball, but not without delivering a clean punch to a guard who attempted to keep her from leaving. He went to go see what was going on, but a familiar voice stopped him.

When O'ner and Myra approached him, he gave them an uneasy smile. He had a lot of mixed feelings at the moment and was not sure if he had made the right move. Aklenroth could have him and his friends killed. And while on the topic of friends, where was Artemis running off too. It almost seemed like too much was going on at once.

"I'm fine, but Artemis just… she just left without a word and it looked like she got into a fight wi-" Darius stopped mid-sentence as he listened to a red-haired woman stand up on a table while making a declaration and revealing herself as a human. "Another?" Her appearance filled him with hope, but her words quickly snatched that same hope away. She did not need to say much for him to figure out how she would react to his proposal on leaving Avalia. He frowned for only a moment before realizing he needed to just accept her choice. She was surely one of the people he would need to look for once the ball concluded.

Then came the second woman who stood on a different table and made a similar declaration against Aklenroth. He noted her as well as someone he'd need to look for.

Darius was aware tension was building by the second, and it was partly his fault. But it was not supposed to turn out like this. People weren't supposed to be on tables or revealing their humanity to all of the guests in the ballroom. And due to this growing tension, he now wondered if the ball would become unsafe before immediately looking to Myra, the one who had been by his side from the start.

"We'll definitely be fine." Darius assured her with a stern expression. He couldn't let her see his doubt. Anything could happen at this point. And so he would remain observant and quiet amongst the guests for the time being.

Ember Grove - Reboot

Time: Morning
Location: Operation Humanity Base
Interaction with: @princess Angel, @MasterDucky Remy, @Potter Shay

---

I did not want to push this button… Sean kept a neutral expression as he listened to Angel. He did not like this kind of confrontation, but here it was. Sean was not one to engage in a serious argument about a matter that he could just remedy on his own. If Angel did not want to share her destinations and intentions despite being tasked to do so, he would just find another way to keep track of her. Unfortunately, nothing reasonable had seemed to work. Courtesy calls, text messages, notes, nothing worked. At least Remy, who by the way, concerned him the most at times gave him some sort of heads up. Sometimes in the oddest of forms, but she usually tried to leave a… notice?

"Agreed." Sean let out somewhere in the middle of Angel's tiff. Part of him wished he had remained at the base and napped, but he had to put in some effort to keep track of Angel, especially after last night. Remy's odd and sudden entrance gave Sean an opening to covertly sigh at the situation.

When Remy rode off alone on her skateboard he sighed as he watched her coast down the long road. He sighed again, but this one was not hidden.

"Let me know if you need a ride back later!" Sean called out to give her the option not to skateboard for the hours it would take to get into town. His eyes soon set on Angel who stated she was 'done' and he couldn't help think of when he heard those words last. He raised his hand to the steering wheel and turned up the music some. Not to the previous volume, but enough to where it could not be considered low. "I'll see you later then… Take care." Sean simply said as he turned from the vehicle and headed back towards his own. The last two words seemed to be where his concern pushed to the surface. He didn't want to be the overbearing babysitter and Angel did not want that either, so he'd wish her the best and keep it moving.

Besides, his true gripe was with Trotter.

Avalia

Time: Night
Location: Roshmi Grand Hall
Interaction: @Potter Artemis

Artemis' reluctance to share what she was keeping from Darius only provided a window of opportunity for an interruption. The sound of some kind of commotion caught his ear, and though he wanted to know what Artemis had to share, he needed to stay focused on the mission at hand. Besides, Myra was out there without him. She was no damsel, but the last time he left her alone, things did not go so well.

The noises of the other guests led Darius back into the ballroom. And as he entered his attention was drawn to the projection on the walls. Displayed was the pink-haired fairy that had gotten so much attention when she had entered the Roshmi Grand Hall. She was indeed beautiful and probably deserved the spotlight. The technology or magic at use was intriguing and sort of reminded him of Aklenroth's message in the sky. Was it the same kind of ingenuity? Darius wondered with curiosity as he looked about before her initial sputter of nervous words morphed into verbal daggers that struck him.

His eyes fixed on hers with a fury he had not felt or expressed since the day he met Aklenroth. The day he was shown the countless deaths of those irresponsibly and inconsiderately brought into this world. The lost… by this world and the former. Her very form seemed to twist in his perception as he heard her proud words. How she promised a way home. He didn't even notice his right hand balling so tightly that it caused his arm to tremble ever so slightly. She was part of what he hated about his and all the other humans' circumstances in this world. Her approach was gentle but her motive was far from it. Like pawns, humans were being used to kick off a game of chess. The game could not start without them of course. No matter the winner, the pawns ran the high risk of being sacrificed. All for a king… or in this case, a princess.

She mocks you. You and the rest of your kind. Just look at her weakness! The cowardice of these fae! Always pushing others to the front... You hate her, don't you? You hate her! She couldn't even face the crowd in person. A message that cannot be challenged and only be heard! We kill her and we end this Darius. Remember. No rebellion. No reason to fight... Darius, I shall burn this feeling into your memory! Like all of those horrid visions I have shown you! It may feel like a curse. A nightmare even. But it is a gift that pushes you further. Makes you stronger. Let's find her Darius… Come on!

Whether it was Malgormuun's doing or just his emotions getting the better of his senses, Darius could still see Risa so clearly on the wall. Even after the projection changed to the horrific display of a fairy that had been fatally violated, her face was visible. It took the place of the unfortunately mutilated woman's face. Was this what he desired? Is this what he wanted for her?

No. I don't want that. He seemed calmer now. Malgormuun was quiet and oddly satisfied despite the young man's demeanor seemingly going away from the anger he had been feeling. Instead, there was sorrow. He nodded to himself, preparing himself for what he was about to do. With a look of pride, he raised a fist proudly. "Why not take a chance! I stand with Princess Millinia! Down with the Lich King!" Darius shouted as a few around him began to nod reluctantly before another cried out.

"Princess Millinia!"

"Down with the Lich King!" Another cheered.

"End his tyranny!" Someone shouted.

"Stand with the fairy princess!"

The few soon became the many within the crowd. Some of it was just drunken excitement, but there are those who legitimately wanted to see Aklenroth fall in the face of righteousness.

Ember Grove - Reboot

Time: Noon
Location: Alexei's, Ember Grove
Interactions: @Pink Khione Vivian and @Helo Elias

Vivian's request to punch Devin caused Alexander to wear a sly smirk.

"I'm interested in you telling me how that's wrong? I would consider myself very wealthy and... very retired." Alexander crossed his arms over his chest before his eyes darted towards the male bartender that was vaguely familiar. His mention of the art exhibit caused him to scowl at Elias. One of the unlucky that missed a chance to bask in the supremacy of vampirism. So unfortunate to see Maeve has doomed you. He shook his head at Elias, visibly angered.

"Paintings? Do you think I care about meaningless art when lives were lost last night? To think that someone would take advantage of the little bit of good I was doing for the university's youth. With the property damage and such a messy criminal investigation, the fall semester might as well be canceled…" Alexander's expression went solemn as his gaze dropped from Elias before looking up with what seemed like hope in his eyes. In actuality, it was ambition that filled him. The art exhibition had resulted in failure, but even failure birthed new opportunities and Alexander took advantage of any and all opportunities.

"...but I believe I'm on the verge of developing a sure way to keep things going. It will take time and resources, but a wealthy retiree has nothing but both of those things. Anyway, no drinks for me, but I would like to open a tab… For everyone. Vivian, yourself, and even the other Alexander Drake."

Ember Grove - Reboot

Time: Noon
Location: Alexei's, Ember Grove
Interactions: @Pink Khione Vivian

The older man looked longingly at Vivien. He was both confused and interested in the young woman that had approached him.

"I can be whoever you want me to be." He gave her a nod and a smirk.

"But not Alexander Drake." Alexander walked around the man to approach Vivien. Getting a better look upon her, he smiled. The expression appeared to be a part of a polite greeting that would soon slip through his teeth, but it was really him finding… opportunity in this woman.

"Greetings, you must be Vivien. I'm the... real Alexander Drake and I must say, it is a pleasure to meet you in person." Juxtaposing the older man, Alexander gave her a nod and a smirk.