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A spirit vogued mockingly through the valley of the shadow of death.

Quietness lingered after the storm. A body, like it awoken from a slumber, stood on stilettos in pitch blackness, crust-eyed, wishing to be absolved of the atrocity before them. Not quite sleepwalking, the devil witnessed it all. Usually, tranquility spoke volumes, still air whispering hope, planting seeds, foretelling the sun's arrival. It was nature's gentle way of reminding humanity that even the most tumultuous nights yield to light. In Aeternus, there was no such hope–such light. They say God is light, and in him, there is no darkness at all, but anticipating the rays of the morning to awake from *this* nightmare? One waits an eternity.

Dawn never came, and it never will.

Unlady-like, Ixxa burped an ember, wiping a morsel of blood from the corner of her mouth with her wrist. It didn't compare to what stained her dress and the rest of the room. Like a taipan, her forked tongue instinctually licked around her lipstick-smudged mouth. Around her, devastation–litters of limbs, blood seeping into the deep cracks of leather Chesterfield seats, once ornate interior cornices charred beyond recognition, and countless demons beheaded by guillotine, stretched into knots by looping torture racks. The crimson-skinned succubus stood alone in the center of it all.

Her snow blonde bed hair could have looked worse, but for the moment, looks mattered little to Ixxa. It wasn't like anyone could see her. Only her lime-green eyes stood out in the magical darkness. That begs the question though, where exactly was she? She blacked out.

A sanguine flame of zippo lighter lumified a corner of the room, evaporating the humidity of the dark mist. On top of Vincenzo's piano, Ceven sat cross-legged with a look reading business as usual.

“Eating for two now?”

Ixxa whipped her snow-blonde tresses behind her shoulder with her left hand. Slightly embarrassed, she raised her chin, running her sharp black acrylics through her hair, neck gently swaying left and right. Perhaps it was an act, but she failed to acknowledge the situation.

I think it's time to go to the hotel. I don't suppose Nocturnelle will let us just waltz through the front door with this. Think he'll sniff out our plan?”

“He always does, but I have a feeling his hands will be tied this time around. Go on without me. I’ll have to fix up here a bit so we can open back up in an hour. We may have to sit down and try to convince him. Anyways, Vincenzo hit the music.”

On her way to the hallway, the succubus strutted past several bodies in her descent wayward down into the winding rabbit hole of the speakeasy’s backrooms. Leading to the infinitely crawling ant colony of catacombs that were Aeternus’ depths, the freshness of Aeternus’ sulfuric fumes delighted Ixxa's nostrils even down here.

It never quite made sense to the horned seductress, but who was she to complain when it could potentially smell like piss or the countless dead bodies of wanderers who dared traverse this eternal labyrinthine connecting all parts of this verse. Even now, hysterical wails diluting into whispers in the abyss tickled her sharp ears. Passing sepulcher after sepulcher, small and large, some vaulting nefarious imps, others fell titans, the deeper she traveled, the less hazy her mind became. Normally just walking between the walls felt like being wedged in between the gyri of a truly odious mind. Right now, it felt…different. The tunnels always had a mind of their own, testing wanderers' resolve through hellish standards which allowed only the most blackhearted demons to navigate with clarity.

Admittedly, she struggled most with this place out of the demonic casino quartet of Vileiro, Ceven, Parooz, and herself. It may have come from a sense of insecurity. Ceven was the treasurer of souls, Vileiro racked up souls by the second with his intergalactic chain of casinos, and Parooz, the most efficient of them all, when around, was The Big Earner managing to acquire premium souls by the boatload with get-rich schemes on a whim.

Ixxa, despite being the seductress of deviancy, the mistress of great sex, the sultan of twat — she, a renowned demon in her own right, facilitated the fitting end of too many mortals to count. Yet, her work was slighted. Souls were souls, most of the time at least, but admittedly, those who long for sexual deeds from a demon whether for an experience or to be desired understandably felt like endlessly snacking on junk food. Frankly, it was too easy but no longer would she stand in her peer's shadows.

Her trek brought her to a brightly painted door entering the wine cellar of the Pleiades Casino & Resort. Unlocking the creaky door, which gallons of WD-40 could not fix, she was alone, walking past rows upon rows of wine racks and severed claws with gnarled fingers carrying colossal vats of strange liquids. In this ashy, obsidian-bricked chamber, each bottle is sealed with a molten black wax stamped with blasphemous symbols and infernal sigils. In the center before Ixxa, a goblet of blackened crystal, filled with wine so dark it dimmed the light around it like a reverse glow. It was the succubus devil’s first time seeing it, but she was certain. This is what guided her through the catacombs. Looking up, it dwarfed her. Seldomly a red drop from the black ceiling broke the silence of the chamber and that is what guided her through the tunnels.

She kneeled, burning the sigil birth to her by the Hells on the foot of the enormous glass with the tip of her fuschia glowing nail. Standing in silence, a single blood-red drop fell from the murky expanse of the ceiling unleashing an echoing plop until the edge of the glass overflowed into a waterfall painting the dark floors a blood red. The walls around Ixxa murked, shrouding everything around the succubus until it was just her, the crystal glass, and a hazy pink sky. The river she stood in felt like being ankle-deep at the start of rapids. The feeling of an outgoing tide pulled her in by her most carnal temptations, desires, aspersions, and wishes. Yes, even demons had those. With her lime-green eyes, she made out a far more sinister pair on the other side of the glass. Even devils gulped.

“Speak Daughter.”
ASTERIA SPACE

One might argue being a great pirate takes as much luck as skill. More times than not, it was better to be lucky than good, and if both? You have Captain Metallo and his crew drifting in Asterian space. They took deliberate measures to avoid detection from the buzzing Orichalca's scouts in orbit buzzing about like bees, zipping in and out of orbit. However, there was one oddity looming about. There should be way more. As the vessel masquerading as debris veered ever so close to the last line of sensory detectors, The Midas Dome, set to analyze through every photon refracting off its asteroid mile-wide thickness, the defense dropped.

Other than an eerie hum, it was tempting. Nothing separated Metallo’s crew from upping the propulsion, shortcutting their journey into the city.

UNTIL THERE WAS!

The blinding baptism like of millions of bulbs overheating, infinite shattering shards, sputtering explosive light evolving into vortexes of tangling gold and silver rays prying open a slit in space with sheer might, willpower, birthing a glorious luminescent mothership, a whale by comparison directly over the captain's stealth vessel.

Flying too close to the sun, it was too late to run now. The seldom air traffic and dropping of the dome. It was not a trap. It merely foretold the arrival of one of the grand Orichalca's ships, making space. Skin bathing directly in the ethereal light of the oval ship simmered. The pirates in such close vicinity had to be sweating wells. A gravitational-like pull pinned their ship terrifyingly close as a mechanical whir progressively dialed up, triggering a sonic boom that made you instinctually close your eyes. The helix-ringed ship rubber band popped from orbit into the Asteria homeworld, dropping countless space rocks into a vast artificial ocean stimming with life.

Among those dropping towards the carefully curated marine ecosystem behind the main mountainside of the Golden City, Captain Metallo and his crew, probably ready to puke from the epileptic light show and drastic movement. Their journey into Asteria wasn't textbook by any means, but successful as the Orichalca ship disregarded their presence, gently hovering westward to land, marking the end of their latest space excursion hauling the chaotic cast they knew and unknowingly brought.

✯✯✯


Victoria's hazel eyes gleamed sad, conflicted, alone in a strange world. Struggling to process the events that brought her here, the nine-year-old's last memory was a traumatic one. Shaken out of her sleep by a blaring announcement rattling her bedroom, her eyes pried open. Immediately noticing Mr.Whiskers was gone, she was concerned for his safety. That worry shifted immediately to herself when a woman slithered through the crack in her window, cross-bodying onto her bed. In serious stranger danger, Victoria shut her eyes to scream as loud as her lungs allowed. A swift hand muffled her cry as her bulging eyes strained looking over her shoulder. A strange light filled the room, then the still of darkness.

It all felt like a bad dream. The bed the heiress awoke in was not hers, high up, circular, several times larger than she was accustomed to. It took several scoots for the girl to slide from underneath the gold satin sheets to the edge. The size of the room was baffling, with incredibly high ceilings supporting several gingko chandeliers and their white petals. It took a lot to impress the young girl, never known to dine without a silver spoon. In Aesteria, the standards for cutlery were gold. Rushing barefoot across the cold white statuario marble floors, Victoria lugged at the door but it wouldn't budge. She roamed the luxurious space until she turned her attention to a large balcony. Behind its translucent beige drapes, a small, familiar figure, waving its tail silhouetted by the morning light.

“Mr. Whiskers. You came to save me!” Victoria's delighted cry filled the room, so loud that her voice shot through the window of the adjacent balcony attached to the room next to hers. She wasn't aware, but her unsolicited spooner inhabited that room, them too abducted by the space-faring tribe of amazons and given favorable accommodations.

Victoria was young, and simply too short-sighted to anticipate such a thing. Seeing a familiar face, she was far too elated, immediately picking up the calico cat, mushing her rosy cheeks against his. She put him down to look for some food in the kitchen, raiding the nearby cabinets and fridge. When she came back, Mr. Whiskers peculiarly lounged on the couch like Garfield as if he was watching the television which mysteriously turned on.

*** "By the authority vested in me by the Orichalca Tribunal of Asteria, I hereby enumerate the heinous transgressions committed by the defendant, Reginald Cavala, CEO of Balecorp, against the laws and sanctity of the galaxy…” ***

It was her father. Worry filled Victoria’s previously gleeful face, taken aback by the alien live stream before her. It was true she despised her father, but she realized he was in danger. Her silence spoke wonders, watching Reginald in a state she’d never witnessed before.

“Father…”

Only a truly unique cache of crimes accumulated across the universe managed to land the head of Balecorp smack dab in such an absurd predicament. Forcibly kneeled, wrists and neck shackled by luminous rings. The floating halos seared his flesh whenever his posture lagged. His arms felt like noodles. Were he to move slightly, the rings followed, but any drastic sequence might result in the CEO losing a hand or worse, his head.

In the center of a coliseum carved into a mountainside blessed by Midas’ touch, Reginald stood trial at the mercy of thousands of winged, teal-skinned, female warriors chanting in excitement over the set of twin waterfalls on opposing sides of the arena. Yet, somehow, the corrupt entrepreneur felt at ease, releasing a sigh of relief. Maybe it was because, for the time being, the disgraced linchpin was as far from Merse as realistically possible. Perhaps it was because he assumed his daughter and all of the agents within his manor were left be. Neither of those were true but bliss sure is nature's best pain reliever.

After the interlude of harmonizing obtuse-shaped Didgeridoos, Reginald Cavalas’ crimes were listed as follows…

  • Unlawful Waste Dumping in the Sacred Gardens of Exoplanet Xerxes.
  • Petty Theft of Relics from the Ancient Civilization of Renaum.
  • Forgery or Falsification of Planetary Deeds.
  • Selling filtrated mud from Planet Mire, Labeling it as Spring Water.
  • Sabotaging the Galactic Bubble Wrap Factory on Planet Pop.
  • Faking an Emergency to Skip Queue at the Intergalactic Spaceport in Prolix.
  • The Mass Production & Smuggling of Truly Forbidden Snacks into Earth F67x through Ximbic.
  • Illegally Parking in the Handicap Zone at Asteroid Metropolis Mall of The Universe.
  • Racketeering Charge - Illegal Trading of Stolen Sacred Samurai Swords from Planet Fortis.
  • Starting An Illegal Fire Stone Mining Operation on Planet Kilamara.
  • The Mass Distribution of Stacker 2000 Throughout The Multiverse's Space Lucha Scene…”


The list continued to the point where the sun notably changed position in the sky…

*** “These petty crimes, while seemingly inconsequential on their own, collectively disrupt the harmony and sanctity of the universe. In the name of justice and the preservation of cosmic order, these transgressions must be addressed for the greater good of the universe. You, Reginald Cavala are sentenced to an eternity of indentured servitude so that you may finally begin to nibble at atoning for your wrongs only by the grace of our great matriarch." ***

The tall, bejeweled Orichalca warrior named Nalaita draped in her silky, golden sashes and sarong finished her speech, looking down on Reginald with a set of judgemental eyes raising concern in Victoria’s visage. By her fathers wishes, she lives a sheltered life. The alien woman was of nothing she’d ever imagined, admiring her kinky white hair braided to her ankles and domineering set off fully stretched, feathery wings. Victoria didn’t let the woman's otherworldly beauty distract her for long. The fact was her father was in trouble. Noticing the girl's heart raced with the all too familiar feeling of having already lost a parent in her mother, before the first tear managed to drip off her cheek, Mr. Whiskers did the unthinkable.

“... I’ll save him.” It was said almost begrudgingly.

“...”

Puzzled, Victoria turned to her pet, wiping the tears from her rosy cheeks. “Mr.Whiskers…you can talk?”

“Of course I can. I’m a special cat.”

Fully in possession of her innocence as a child. That answer was more than enough for her.“Wow! Can you really save my Father?”

“I will!” the cat said valiantly, leaping all the way from the couch onto the balcony. Perched on the glossy railing, he left Victoria one final message before biding her adieu.

“Make you listen to the nice green ladies and eat your veggies.”

Victoria’s face became playfully sour-faced before smiling cheek-to-cheek. “Thank you, Mr.Whiskers. You’re the best!”

And so, Merse leaped, taking in the glimmering, breathtaking views of the golden architectural marvel city built within the Sub-Saharan-like tropics that is Asteria. The information broker plunged a few hundred feet, his tiny frame transmogrifying into a human-sized anthropomorphic feline, flesh bubbling like microwaved mac and cheese. This time, clothes even came with the package. Placing his signature fedora firmly on his head to complement his long, beige trench coat and trousers, Merse was in full detective mode. For anyone with the displeasure of knowing him, they knew this was his default. Landing securely on his toes as a cat always does, Merse knew exactly where he was.

This massive building he referred to as a five-star prison. The Orichalca Amazon's terrible habit of abducting civilians was something he had several opportunities to observe. Of all the shady figures Merse's line of work put him in contact with, a handful of them already met similar fates like Reginald, rotting away in the prison deep in the core of the asteroid were they not to reform. **This** place, however, was different. This is where they brought the women, granting them the chance to accept their rightful place in this misandrist's wet dream of a matriarchy.

For men, this place was a dystopian hell hole. Yeah, men were allowed to visit, and even enjoy the amenities, but with laws so obtuse and skewed, it was only a matter of time before any male found himself in trouble for the most petty of offenses. Without a doubt, they planned to assimilate Victoria and even the woman in the other room that Merse stealthy snooped on before finding the child.

He noticed the stealth gear littered all over the floor. It was fishy, and not in a good way like filleted flounder. The detective deduced she infiltrated the Cavala residence and was near the young heiress, mildly concerning him. Their rooms being so close made sense. As suspect of a character Merse was in his own right, not trusting the woman, the information broker left fine traces of his fur as any cat would all over her apartment. One here, one there. Anywhere. These hairs were peculiarly sensitive. Always connected, Merse could identify where every single one was without much thought. Though a protective measure, it was susceptible to backtracking if he wasn't careful. He wasn't. Maybe that's what he wanted. It was.

Sha’Rema’s Chancery

A vigorous debate ensued at the precipice of a mountain of Asteria, a golden castle, shining like the morning sun, a gleaming star to waking eyes. A court of warriors, young and old, tall and short, unlogical and insane argued under the light of a constellation chandelier centering a spiraling amphitheater. Its prevailing light has not been off for a century. To normal folk it was blinding, but Asteria’s prestigious warriors considered it a blessing to receive its golden rays. In reality, their eyes were baked to oblivion, most seeing vividly through sensory techniques passed down from one generation to the next.

“This man's body is impressive, sleek, agile, powerful. The laborers born from him could sustain a small generation of efficient workers, maybe even be lucky to father an Orichalca of immeasurable potential.”

“He lacks the mind! Think of where we found him. What exactly was he doing? Krillians aren't known for exactly their philosophical acumen. He even injured Maletesma!”

“Thalira, more the reason to sentence him to reformation! He is a loose cannon left be!”

“Surely someone capable of injuring a warrior of her magnitude is worth his weight in gold, which is why I decided to barter them as much. Was a small price to pay considering the troves we plundered on Axlar. They should be able to flip—”

“I just think he's hawt!” shot a high-pitched voice chanting from a distance.

“...”

“...”

The room erupted into chaos like dozens of alleycats squabbling in an alley over scraps in a seafood restaurant’s dumper. Thirty voices clashed in blaring arguments, borderline screeching so loud and tangled, not a single word pierced the uproar. All in front of the very man of topic, who at this point, probably pictured the prospect of a room of women fighting over him going much different. They haven’t even asked for his input and haven't bothered to feed him. Rude. Not to mention, he found himself caged, contained by golden constructs resembling hard light on a raised platform. As the debate dragged on with no discernible end, the Orichalca warriors practically begged him to act out and escape as a faint trace of a Kharcho soup slipped into the room.

Only several floors down, a feast was underway in a bountiful oasis of gastronomic delights. A cherished custom, celebrating the latest excursion's success, their victories, culture, and most importantly unyielding spirit bringing light to the world. A banquet featuring fruits and vegetables from across the galaxy grown in the verdant gardens of Asteria, displayed by floating jumbo-sized cornucopia weaving gently in the air. Golden trays, imbued with the same magical energy that their warriors possessed, floated gracefully through the hall, serving as an endless conveyor belt of culinary delicacies unique to this asteroid. Even the utensils shimmered with a life of their own, resting on tables draped in sleek white linens, starkly contrasting with the collective golden splendor of the venue.

And watching all of this, a pair of cat eyes, observing from the safety of the skyward atrium.

That post had some really rad imagery. Good stuff.
I put in a small clarifying edit in the event anyone already read that latest scene.


Nice. Can't wait to read!
I put in a small clarifying edit in the event anyone already read that latest scene.


Nice. Can't wait to read!
Born last to an odd litter of calico, Mr.Whiskers always was special. Tightly snug in the nightly embrace of young Victoria, she hugged him as her father rarely would, telling him stories of how he wasn't so great as people say, and how most nights he failed to tuck her in bed.

“I hate him!”

The cat purred as if it understood her resentment, comforting the nine-year-old by rubbing its curled backside on her, encouraging the girl to stroke his soft spotted fur. Unbeknownst to her father, Reginald Cavala, CEO of Balecorp, the largest smuggler of drug paraphernalia across this sector of the cosmos, she adopted a new pet. Victoria befriended the playful alley cat, secretly feeding him when he hopped onto her window sill one starry night. Her father, as the scrooge of the galaxy he is, forbade even the idea of Victoria owning dogs, hamsters, or even a red slider turtle, and above all, he hated cats. He even went out of his way to order the hundreds of guards under his command to treat strays like vermin and eliminate them on sight.

In the past, any animal Victoria befriended, even as gentle as a hummingbird, her father killed, but that's what made Mr. Whiskers so special. Whether it was a few days or even a week, he always came back.

On this foggy night, Reginald left his Sauron tower of a headquarters and decided to take it easy for once, lounging in the theater of his luxurious neoclassical mansion, cigar in hand. Currently, the lone spectator of a blockbuster he missed out on, it was a well-needed rest from balancing his public figure and the extremely dangerous line of work from the safety of his grandiose shimmering durasteel walls and transparent aluminum windows.

The film Illuminating the dim room detailed a spy getting the drop on a mafia head by playing a loyal confidante for years. It was no comedy, but the sheer contrast in his reality from the character’s caused the CEO to smirk. If he told you, he was bulletproof. There was never a reality where he'd get caught with his pants down. With the graveyard of assassins sent his way, there was little reason for the linchpin to think he could ever be lynched. That didn't mean he wasn't paranoid. The militia of agents throughout his many-acre residences showed Reginald was overcompensating for something. With a crib boasting several landing pads, a private hangar for spacecraft, shelter concealing infinity pools, biometrically secured underground vaults, escape tunnels, robotic chefs half defense bots, and sensory fields for the utmost security, even if Reginald wasn't aware of it himself, it was fear.

Of what remained to be seen, and easily one might attribute his abundance of security to protecting his young daughter who would one day inherit his enterprise. After dozing off several times in the final act, Reginald decided to call it a night, slipping on his slides, zonked, walking through his art-filled halls before stopping at Victoria's room. She was already sleeping before he got home, so as any loving father would, he slowly cracked the door open to get a glance at her considering he'd leave before she even got the chance to get up for homeschooling.

Lit under the hazy moonlight from her window, the sight of her in slumber reminded the linchpin of his only soft spot, who he did all of this for, his little princess, Victoria. After her mother, his Mrs.Smith to his vice-based endeavors, was taken out by some photosynthesis-powered weirdo who he still has a hit out on to this day, Reginald vowed to protect Victoria to the extent that made her dislike him.

Her long hair likened her to Rapunzel, trapped on the top floor with little interaction in her father's built fortress. She was too young to understand, yet old enough to rebel. She didn't know of the dark consequences of her father's work but soon she would.

Reginald looked at her side, Victoria's body cupped like she tenderly embraced an absent teddy bear. It was odd, but not enough for him to draw suspicion. The thought of forgetting a book he intended to finish on his helicopter ride to his headquarters in the morning sidetracked him, so he went to his home office as a last stop before bed to retrieve it.

At this point, he walked into his oval-like office like a zombie. Opening the door, everything was of norm. Quasi-slumbered, Reginald made it to his home office’s desk. While he monologued angrily under his breath why his favorite sports team still sucked after checking his phone, the CEO managed to sit for a moment in his office chair. The second he sat down, it appeared something small pranced through the slither he left in the door. His eyes widened like he awoke from a nightmare at the realization that it was a cat. Jolting up, the cat’s lassoing tail around his neck forced him back down just as fast.

“You've been lying to me, Reggie.”

Mr. Whisker's small body began to convulse, fur rippling as his bones audibly cracked, limbs stretching, contorting, elongating to that of a human-esque figure. His menacing yellow eyes glowed like any cat’s would in the night, and the “gotcha” smirk on his face as his spotted fur transitioned to a sleek black was of Reginald’s worst nightmares. It was Merse, who did in fact, catch the bulletproof CEO linchpin, all of those things, with his pants down.

“You didn’t get the message the first time when I sent Edris. You thought you could disrespect me again by taking out one of my closest informants and hiding your hand? In return, I gained an even closer one to you. She rants often about how you're rarely home. Poor thing. She’s just getting to the tip of the iceberg of how much of a piece of shit her father is.”

“Victoria!” Reginald screamed, forehead veins bulging.

“As a CEO, you quickly grasped the stipulations. In case you didn't, this is how it's going to go from now on. You work for me.” Before the information broker could lecture further, his left ear twitched, keening in on an alarming sound.

As quickly as Merse was aware, an enormous, oval-shaped golden spacecraft shimmering with a moon-like glow several times larger than the mansion he stood in entered the air space above him. Veering ridiculously close, the spaceship possessing rings like Saturn was in full control.

“Reginald Cavala, your continuous crimes across known space end today as we, Orichalca, have deemed your reformation necessary.”

“Shit! I knew you were scum but not enough to get on their radar.”

Merse’s animal intuition led him to retake his form as an innocent house cat, relinquishing his grip on the CEO's neck. As soon as he did, a series of intricate Holographic rays penetrated every inch of the manor, ignoring walls, doors, even people. Nothing could cast a shadow and just like that, Reginald saw only black.

Golden Asteria


An extraordinary sight in the vastness of space, Asteria is a radiant utopia dependent on who you ask. Built upon a small terraformed asteroid operating more like a ship, this golden city is the proud home of the Orichalca, a tribe of space-fairing, winged, teal-skinned alien women warriors who go on long space “excursions” where they find resources for their society.

Asteria is encased within a shimmering, energy-infused dome that maintains a temperate climate fostering verdant landscapes, and a breathable atmosphere. This city is filled with lush gardens, sparkling waterfalls, and architectural marvels that blend natural beauty with advanced technology.

With all things beautiful, there is a not-so-hidden dark side. Their society is a matriarchy where women hold the highest positions of power and respect. Men in the city are emasculated, oppressed, slaving away at blue-collar labor with little chances for advancement or leadership. At the heart of the asteroid lies Asteria’s underground prison in the asteroid’s core. This high-security facility is a testament to their galactic might as they imprison the most vile and odious male rulers and criminals from countless corners around the galaxy to reform them.

The asteroid they're stationed on bestows magical abilities to their ordained warriors through ritual. Combined with their mystical weaponry, defense systems, and infrastructure, they were equipped to take on the various civilizations that aimed to steal from their golden city. It was truly a marvel of a stronghold to be revered throughout known space.
Human, or so Zourn thought. As a wavy brunette, she was undeniably beautiful, her sharp, striking features, surely making her the apple of someone's eye. Yet, beneath, her spirit was tinged with an unsettling depth of familiarity with others. She wasn’t an empath, though some considered her so. Lacking empathy, anyone she truly understood, she controlled. The Ecrui probably couldn’t make the correlation based on her overexposed senses, but several individuals on Earth held traces of her weaved into their very being.

A stick of dark-plum lipstick parted from Margaret Iedereen's gently smacking lips, gracefully twirling into its rose gold container before dropping into her classic Sac Faubourg Birkin resting on the table above her pencil skirt. All eyes sat on this woman seemingly without care in the world practicing her office beauty routine to a sour-faced audience. In the wake of Allure City's mass erasure and replacement of Spain, and the lockdown on her precious city, Earthlings searched desperately for signs of stress in her. Any sprinkle of doubt in her timeless visage, any stutter of words in her convicting tone, even a drop of sweat. Examining her defined brows in a compact mirror in her left hand, she didn't crack. Despite the sheer totality of individuals clamoring for her downfall outside of Earth’s Extraterrestrial Embassy, business was business, and Allureans could always count on their not-so-honest, not-so-duly elected, silver-tongued leader to work in their best interests. Her plate was stacked rather high, and rather than play with her food, she got straight down to the meat and potatoes enacting her current agenda, ranging anywhere from imperative to petty.

Beginning with petty, with her usual resting bitch face, Margaret’s almond-shaped eyes leered through her gem-studded birdcage veil into the tongue-biting agents of the room. An awkward silence inflated the space, only disrupted by the lynch mob outside the embassy broadcasted via the lone television of the conference room. “WE KNOW SHE PLAYED A PART IN THIS! MARGARET IEDEREEN IS COMPLICIT WITH THE CAT MAN!” They protested her right to live, let alone allow her to take refuge on Earth.

Folding her arms, bust buckling ever so slightly out of her caramel blazer, Margaret addressed the room. "Earthlings may protest, snivel, and cry out over my arrival, casting me as both a pariah to their society and a symbol of their imagined oppression. I find it quite amusing. History suggests I cannot be both, though the former would streamline operations. Yet, I must admit, I find the latter sentiment rather endearing."

Already over it, a man, clearly lacking dozens of hours of sleep at this point, sitting opposite the oval oak cherrywood table from her, slid a heavy manila envelope halfway across the table. The tall silent figure accompanying Margaret approached from the corner of the room, fetching the documents. One side of his body and entire face was wrapped in an excessive amount of bandages, reminiscent of a mummy freshly unearthed. The rest of his get-up contrasted greatly. Wearing an intricately designed jacket with asymmetric cuts, straps criss-crossing his torso, and pants that seemed to defy conventional tailoring with their unorthodox shapes and patterns, his avant-garde attire dangled as he stretched his arm to Margaret.

“Thank you, Ra.”

Margaret smirked, her eyes twinkling with a touch of mischief. As she perused the document before her, a hint of satisfaction curled the corners of her elegant lips.

“I see you admirably acquiesced to most of my stipulations. The Catch-22?”
Name: Edris Alder Horatio
Alias(es): U.S.N., Pitcher Plant, Agent E., Poison Edris
Gender: Male
Hair: Feign Lavender
Eyes: Dark Brown
Skin: Dark Olive
Height: 6’3
Distinctive Features: Annoyingly, flower petals seemed to randomly appear during his monologues, and no one can quite figure out why. Naturally, he gave off the slightest bit hint of pollen causing people to sneeze.

Likes: Women, Ackee & Saltfish, Beach Apples, Elderberry shakes, Yewberry pie, Honey-roasted Apricot kernels, Jatropha, and Cashew apple fruit snacks.
Dislikes: Being called Poison Edris

Appearance:
An impeccably tailored off-white tweed suit, to go with his absurdly proper posture. Examining closer, you'll notice the subtle herringbone pattern woven from the finest ivory and cream wool. Beneath, a soft cashmere white turtleneck with a silver Cuban link choker chain resting at the collar. His ensemble was in sartorial harmony with his slim-cut trousers matching his blazer. In the breast pocket, Edris sported a vibrant crimson rose, meticulously positioned to contrast and add a dynamic focal point. Hailing from the school of Bond, he blended elegance and sophistication with in-the-open, easily identified, explosive methods of espionage and unnecessary chaos.

Personality:

Habitual unsolicited winker, no woman was safe from the self-proclaimed heartbreak kid's “passionate” pursuit. Only second to his espionage escapades, his love bombing knew no bounds, often landing him in the company of not-so-innocent socialites, one half allured by his propensity to spring rare flowers on them, and other dangerously aroused by the prospect of this so-called agent's naïveté. His notorious at this point, lowered guard flew too close to the sun, but there was a reason why his assignment inbox was full. Many of his enemies by now figured his flirty, flower petal bullshit entangled antics as a front for a deadly killer, dubbing him The Pitcher Plant.

Powers, Skills, and Abilities:

As felt by nature, his passion burned with the white, hot intensity of a thousand suns. Enough to influence seedlings to sequoia with little time in between, he'd rather clench the thorniest rose between his pearly whites. Never wilting, his posture was absurdly great. His skin, photoshop fresh. The definition of his flexed muscles felt like snakewood. He'd attribute his way with ladies more to his charisma than acknowledge his natural cologne of pheromones.

Equipment:

Un-prettier Lance: A Lance as much a mystical force as it is a physical object. As the manifestation of nature's power, taking the form of a blade with an immeasurable Janka rating, Edris could blossom it out of a pot of collard greens on Thanksgiving if he wanted. Its unparalleled hardness and durability clashed with metals at no cost. Any chip reformed with evergreen vines and radiant chlorophyll, absorbing bright energy sources like sunlight. Only the rightful wielder can summon the full blade from any nearby plant or even the smallest mustard seed. It was an antenna for all things nature, life, and growth.

Seeds: Lots of them.

Seedshot: Crafted from ancient wood revered for its sturdiness, the Seedshot is both elegant and powerful. To the touch, it felt like cool iron. The “bullets” it shoots are extremely hard, imbued with natural energy allowing them to penetrate surfaces and germinate upon impact, rapidly growing into thick vines or entangling plants to immobilize targets. The gun itself is charcoal-black, ergonomic, and adorned with intricate gold leaf and vine engravings. Were there an assassin’s museum, it deserved its own exhibit.

Your Last Memory:

“One knee down, kissing the delicate opera-gloved hand of Jadwiga, a beautiful woman I had only just met at the Celestial Soiree, a gala serving as the main event of a long week celebrating breakthroughs in fashion, technology, and interstellar culture in the Prolix star system.”

Additional Plot Hooks:

Once, Margaret Iedeeren hired him to kill Merse, so promptly, our favorite anthropomorphic information broker shows up uninvited to her manor, having a destructive skirmish with Edris in her luxurious ballroom only for Margaret to show up in her bathrobe, mid-facial scrub, screaming at the top of her lungs for both of them to get out and that Edris would not be getting paid. The two shook on it as they had a relatively fun exchange and bid farewell. A very unorthodox beginning to their ongoing professional relationship.
Hmmm...
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