Oasis

The Beauty and the Beasts

The fox pretended to be surprised when she heard the sound of an umbrella opening beside her, tensing her shoulders and turning her head fast enough to make her hair flow in an inky curtain over her shoulder. Her harsh, golden eyes immediately connected with his and she smiled, but not big enough for him to notice her canines that were just slightly too sharp to be human.

“Thank you so much, I hate getting my hair wet.” Her narrow eyes turned to the street and she gently hooked her hand on his arm that was holding the umbrella. The gesture seemed innocent enough, but it was all the fox needed to ensure the man couldn't run away. She didn't believe he was weary of her, but she wasn't going to take her chances. She wasn't fond of being refused.

“I live down this way.” She pointed down a random street, not thinking about the fact that it led away from the housing districts, and began to guide him. She kept her body close to him, the shelter of the umbrella small enough to necessitate it, and could feel the faint warmth of his body through his coat. This would have been such a romantic moment, had her thoughts not been on how much money she thought this man might have lying around his overly-lavish condo she was certain he possessed. Perhaps he had a nice watch collection too… Not that she wore watches, especially not men’s watches, but they often sparkled with gold and jewel accents and that was good enough for her.
A few minutes passed in silence, and the pair was slowly making their way to a more isolated part of town. The old roads were narrow, just wide enough for two cars, but with no designated sidewalk. Street lights were becoming sparse and with the rain, there was no hope for moonlight. Now seemed as good a chance as any. Stopping suddenly, the dark haired woman turned to the man, pushing her body even closer to his. She kept her grip on his arm loose, not wanting to frighten him, and gazed longingly into the deep blue pools of his eyes, “I know this is awfully forward of me, but do you think I could go home wi-“ A fierce snarl cut the woman short as a stray mutt stumbled across their path.
Immediately, the woman’s pupils constricted and black-tipped ears emerged from her hair. She growled softly, her red lips pulled back to reveal sharp canines. The fox spirit walked over to the dog and smacked it with her umbrella hard enough to knock the poor creature off its feet. She raised the umbrella once more and shouted in a voice that was much harsher than the one she’d used before, “You filthy beast, get out of here!” The dog quickly got up and scampered away, much to the fox’s relief. She sighed softly and lowered the umbrella, annoyed as she looked down at her soaked clothing. Then she remembered.

“Shit…”

Abandoning her makeshift weapon, the fox-like woman dashed towards the young man, grabbing both his wrists and pushing him back against the wall. Her gaze roamed across the man’s face as murmured more to herself than to him, “What a shame… you have such a pretty face.” Her eyes paused momentarily at his lips before staring coldly into his eyes, “I hadn't planned on killing you, you know. Unfortunately, that’s just how these things go sometimes- not that it matters to me. You see, whether I take your money or your heart, I’ll still get what I want.”

The fox didn't want to eat another heart so soon, the newspapers were still filled with stories of her last two victims, but she figured it would be a waste to kill him and not take the heart. Besides, if she were really lucky she would find his address on his ID and still be able to take his valuables before fleeing town. Actually, maybe this wasn't such a bad arrangement after all. Still… She was hoping she would have gotten to toy with this human a little more.

Science, Madness, and Love? (Omnial & Oasis)

Umm... I'll let you decide. If you write something in your post you think I'd need or want to respond to, leave the time skip to me. Otherwise, there isn't really anything else I wanted to accomplish on the first day so I don't mind if you go ahead and do it. :)

The Beauty and the Beasts

Oooooh man, just finished reading. I'm like... giddy with excitement. Working on a reply immediately! ^o^

The Beauty and the Beasts

It was a brisk spring evening, about 7 o’clock. Through the steady murmur of rain, a single pair of footsteps could be heard headed down an empty street of Central Saint Petersburg, the clack of high heels unmistakable. Though her face was hidden by an umbrella, the woman’s presence exuded beauty and confidence. Her long legs took leisurely strides and a beige trench coat clung to her shapely figure. Hotel Astoria came into view and the woman’s full lips curled into a smile, her pace quickening slightly.

The doorman greeted her with a smile, his eyes doing a quick scan of her figure as she passed by. With her umbrella folded and the crystal chandeliers providing a warm glow, the woman’s face came into full view. Her face was narrow with high cheekbones and her eyes were an eerie, animalistic gold. After checking in her coat and umbrella, she made her way over to the bar.

Sliding onto one of the stools, she ordered a red wine and then turned a bit to see who else was present. She spotted a couple men in the back corner, clearly having some sort of business debate. The younger one was quite handsome, almost delicate in his features, and his posture was far more relaxed. The older man, probably in his 40s, was dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief, the negotiations not seeming to be in his favor. Seemingly satisfied with what she saw, the mysterious woman turned back to the bartender and stuck up a casual conversation, though her focus never left the men behind her.

Forty minutes later, the woman felt confident the meeting was drawing to a close and she stood to make sure she left before they did. Stepping outside, she ripped a large hole in her umbrella and waited. Not much longer… She thought as she licked her lips in anticipation. She’d been following the man for a couple days now and had determined that he was sufficiently wealthy. All that was left was to seduce him and steal what she could from his home.

Finally, the fox spirit’s beautiful target walked out of the building and she began her act. She fumbled with the umbrella, trying to find a way to make it functional despite the large hole and failing. She sighed in exasperation and mumbled to herself, “This is just great. How am I supposed to get home now?”

The Beauty and the Beasts

Name: Lilith

Age: 1,127 (looks to be in her twenties)

Appearance:
Fox form: Mostly white with black on her ears and halfway up the forelegs. She has golden eyes with subtle black markings around them that resemble eyeliner. She’s within the average size range for a fox but is rather slender making her legs look longer than most. She has nine tails but usually hides eight of them with magic.
Human form: In keeping with legend, Lilith is very beautiful with porcelain skin and silky black hair that falls to the middle of her back. Her vibrant blue eyes are framed by bangs that go straight across her brow. She has full lips and a shapely but delicate figure that stands about 5'7".

Personality: Lilith is extremely vain. As there are only a handful of kumiho over the age of 1,000, she commands quite a bit of respect from other fox spirits. The beauty of her human form has resulted in a very similar result among people. She has been doted on for over a hundred years now, and the result on her ego is undeniable. She used to be quite the malicious prankster as is true to her species, but her ventures as of late have been quite self-serving. Lilith enjoys stealing expensive clothes and jewelry because she believes she deserves such things. Since she is so used to having things go her way, Lilith can be quite childish when her demands are not met.
Haughty and aloof, people are usually afraid to approach her.

(Extremely) Brief History: Lilith started off as a common fox, gaining sentience around her tenth year of life. Initially she was just curious and traveled around China watching humans as they went about their lives. It wasn't long before she learned how easy they were to trick, and so she then became a prankster. She went to India, Russia, out to Japan, and finally Korea, which is where she was when she had her 1,000th birthday and finally obtained a human form of her own. With the changing global atmosphere, Lilith found it easier to travel and has now seen all there is to see on this planet (as she believes). Her focus is now to obtain all the treasures she can get her paws on.

Likes: Things that sparkle, silk, lace, wine, dark colors (black, blue, and violet), red meat, flowers, colorful birds

Dislikes: Being told ‘no’, being touched, dogs, stubborn people, loud people, people who smell, crowded places, dirty places, being hot, having her hair, makeup, or clothes ruined

Abilities:
1.) Fox fire: an eternally burning blue flame made from the soul of a human. Since they are difficult to create, most foxes only have one or two ( Lilith has two). They can be used to fight or to heal minor injuries.
2.) Slight telekinesis (objects less than 1 lb) mostly used to unlock and open doors or write while in her fox form.
3.) Shapeshift into objects (of about the same mass). Lilith’s object of choice is usually a large vase.
4.) Shapeshift into a human.
5.) She is stronger and faster than a human, despite her slender build.

LostBrotherGrimm said
Name: Aleksei Nikolaevich Titov

Real name: Aleksei Demyanovich Volkov

Age: 21

Appearance:Slim build and elegant figure – always properly dressed for formal occasions, mostly due to his foster father‘s demands. His eyes are deep green, fading into brown near the edges - giving him an intimidating, piercing gaze. He is 177 cm tall, only slightly above the average Russian male. His hair is black, yet (depending on lightning) giving off an illusion of dark blue. It is long enough to cover his ears and to let bangs cover his whole forehead (if he should so desire it), but it is not to be mistaken with shoulder length hair. Although his eyes give of an intimidating, mature vibe – his jaw line is not strong as in most Russian males, which gives him an opportunity to look more seducing than most guys in his vicinity. That often proved helpful in his line of work.

Personality:Alex often refers to himself as a man that is willing to do anything for money, but that is mostly because in his line of work you need to give of the impression of a big time player, otherwise you won’t get far and you would fail. And failure is not an option in this world. He was taught that fact well. But, behind the facade of money, he considers himself a strong-willed man that knows the difference between right and wrong – and, most importantly, between good and bad people. And he is ready to step over the bad if it would help him get to his goal.Once upon a time he might have been a fun seeking individual, but now those days are long gone by. He is a mature and highly cold individual, not relying on emotions any more than he has to. If he is to help someone, it is purely for the fact that he will gain some benefit from that (or at least that’s what he tells himself).He is cautious about being seen in the wrong places at the wrong time, once again the reason being his foster father – who wouldn’t take kindly to any scandals being brought to light and dirtying his family name. Because of that, Alex takes extreme precautions when doing his job. Therefore, his logical intelligence is pretty off the charts.

(Extremely) Long History:

Supa Long

Ten years ago, he had a family – a caring mother and a loving father. He was a happy child – as happy as a child could be growing up in Russia. That was a fact that his father often brought to the dinner table. His father, Demyan, was a traveling businessman, often going on trips out of the country. He brought fascinating stories of life beyond Russian borders and it all sounded perfect to little Alex. At the time, his father was working for a highly successful company in Russia, but all good things must come to an end.

It was middle of the winter when a new chairman stepped up to lead the company. Promising world glory was his method of gaining people’s trust, but in reality, all he did was take as much money as he could for himself and then sold off the company, bit by bit. People got fired rapidly and Alex’s father was one of those luckier ones. Or so it seemed.

Although he was fired, his bank account was in a good position – he was a smart man and he saw through intentions of the new „leader“. He saved some money for the upcoming dark days. And he thought they could make it through. Until a certain person entered his life. A childhood friend, absent from the country for years. Of course Demyan greeted him warmly and the two shared stories of the good old times, deep into the night. But his friend had something else on his mind, rather than reminiscing about the past. He had a business proposition for him. It was something that was supposedly extremely successful in US at the time. He had the whole plan laid out to the single detail, but there was a catch. He needed money as a deposit to loan even more money. And the amount was astonishing. He knew well banks in Russia wouldn’t give him that sort of money, which is why he wanted to loan from no one other than Russia’s shadow – mafia.

And the deal was the two would be partners, they would split the profit fifty-fifty. „It is a deal of a lifetime, comrade.“ And although Demyan had to pull out every single digit out of the bank and family savings – he took that risk. For friendship and for hope of better days.

The better days never came. The partnership never came. Although the company was founded, Demyan’s name was never on the founder’s list. In fact, his name was not mentioned anywhere, but in a single document. A document that bound him to the mafia. That bound him to return any company’s debt in case the founder wouldn’t be able to. And when asked about it, the man just turned his back on his childhood friend. It was the beginning of an end. What little money he had left, Demyan used to buy alcohol. His family was falling apart and as the debt of the company grew – his life fell apart even more. Apparently, the man never wanted to lead any sort of business in Russia. His intention was to take the money invested and legally leave the country six months after the company was founded, leaving piled up debts in the hands of poor Demyan.

With his life on the brink of ruin, Demyan felt something he never felt before. Desperation. He met up with his friend one last time, begging for a solution. Begging on his knees. All that he got was a feeling of saliva on his face. That moment, something inside of him broke. Rage, pain and then... darkness. After regaining his conscience, he found he was next to a dead body, scissors still in his hands. His bloodied hands. What brought him back to the real world was the sound of police banging on the door. Someone reported the screams.

Sentence – life in prison. Sentence for his family – repaying the debt to the mafia. No one knew who had it worse. If it was the government that was involved, things would’ve surely gone smoother, but since it was the mafia – they weren’t so kind. Reputation surrounding Russia’s loan sharks and mafia was a frightening thing, but Alex and his mother were yet to find out the real meaning of frightening.

At first they tried escaping, moving from town to town – but it was in vain. Every time, they would be found and more pain would be inflicted on the caring mother’s psyche. Not wanting to feel the humiliation anymore, it was the kid that swore to the evil men that he will repay the debt. Like a courageous hero, saving his family. But he was just a ten year old boy, how would he be able to repay it. Why would they even consider it?

They wouldn’t, not if it weren’t for a cunning man that saw a glimpse of an opportunity there. And the man took it. He took the boy under his own roof, raising him with an iron fist – teaching him how to be a successful businessman. Under his tutorage, he became his right hand. That man was called Nikolai Titov – a supposed descendant of the former KGB general, Gennady Titov. Back in those days, ten years ago, Nikolai was just one of the loan sharks working for Russian big dogs, but over the years he became the leading figure in Russian mafia.

Alex, on the other hand, had everything he wished for in those ten years. But there was a price. Price of everything he ever asked for was being added to the debt he swore to repay. And Nikolai never forgot that debt, he reminded the boy every single day of the money he had to return. And that day, ten years ago, Alex signed a contract with the devil incarnate. As long as he was breathing, he had an obligation to return that money. And as long as he didn’t return the money, Nikolai owned him. And whatever his so-called foster father ordered him to do - it was expected of him to do, no failures.

After all, Nikolai was a leading man behind the Russian mafia – but he wasn’t able to freely act as such. To public eyes, he was known as a CEO of a respectable company, so logically; he needed someone to be his underground right hand – someone who would supervise the deals that were going on in the dark. All the meetings, all the deals and all the people that wanted to cooperate with Nikolai, had to talk to Alex.

That was the opportunity he saw ten years ago – he didn’t see sympathy when looking at the begging boy. His heart didn’t flutter. The devil saw a slave to the money that would in a few years obey his every word. And he got what he wanted.

Nowadays, Alex is working hard to repay the debt – large sums of money fluctuating under his care. But he bears hate and despise for that man deep in his heart. His motivation changed over the years. He won‘t simply be a dog and work all his life to repay the debt to the man that would never let him repay it. He won‘t be a hero that will save his family’s reputation and pride. No - he will bring the whole mafia down instead. And he will, someday, kill that man.

He will have his revenge.

Likes: Money, music, feeling of superiority, revenge, city lights, suits

Dislikes: Corrupt authority, mafia, cold, memories

Special Traits:
1.) Above-average IQ
2.) Skilled talker/negotiator – or you could call him a gifted diplomat
3.) Knows how to fire a gun
4.) Has been educated in economy
5.) Has a lot of connections in an out of mafia

Science, Madness, and Love? (Omnial & Oasis)

I was thinking after we wrap up the first day we could skip to next week. I figure Sky's going to be busy organizing the lab those first few days which is pretty uninteresting plus it's probably best if we get the story moving along so we don't lose interest. I figured Monday could start with the long-awaited tour as well as the introduction to the first story arc aka their first project together. :D Sound good to you?

Science, Madness, and Love? (Omnial & Oasis)

In a beautiful cacophony of light and sound, all the machines seemed to flare up at Nathan’s command. It was an impressive show, to be sure, but Sky wasn't given much time to appreciate all this man had created because soon he was rambling again. She stood there, still smiling, and waited patiently for him to finish.

She took his head rocking back as a sign that he was done, for now, and took the chance before it disappeared, “Doctor, if I may? I’m quite eager to see what you've been working on but I understand your reservations. If you’d be more comfortable, I could start off doing simpler tasks. Such as getting this place cleaned up and organized, perhaps?” The young apprentice did not like the idea of being a maid when she was here to do science, but it was clear she would have to win over Nathan’s trust first. Besides, she didn't see how she could get any work done under these conditions anyway.

“I promise I won’t touch any of your inventions without explicit permission. You can count on me, sir!” Smiling yet again, Sky turned on her heel and began walking to the door, hardly giving Nathan time to react. Waving over her shoulder she called out, “Please feel free to continue your work, Doctor; I’m going to go pick up some supplies. I’ll be back in an hour with some coffee; you look like you could use it.”

Exactly an hour had gone by and Skylar returned, as promised, with coffee and a Nissan Versa hatchback filled with as much organizational equipment as she could fit in it. She set the coffees and a surprise box of half a dozen donuts on the table and then looked around, more closely this time, for Nathan.

“Hello? I’m back.”

Science, Madness, and Love? (Omnial & Oasis)

Sky’s head whipped to the side as someone called out to her, her eyes wide in surprise. Someone had been here the whole time? She opened her mouth to introduce herself, but was immediately cut off by a barrage of questions. Yet again, the young woman found herself both amazed and a bit horrified by what she saw. Surely this man, now curled in the fetal position, was NOT the man she was going to be working for. He was just some bumbling assistant she was going to replace, right? He had to be. Except… he had called them his inventions... And what was his deal with dentists?

Before she could try and rationalize the situation to herself further, the man stood once more and commanded her to speak. Clearing her throat, she stood up and approached the man, gently pushing the wrench to the side.

“Please don’t point things at me, I’m not here to cause trouble.” Turning her outstretched hand, she offered it for a handshake, “My name is Skylar Donahue but if you’d like, you may call me Sky. I apologize, but there seems to have been some miscommunication. Your mother, Mrs. Burnoise, told me you were looking for an assistant. She gave me the address and access codes to your lab so I had assumed she spoke to you about it. I would have called first if I had known.” She smiled warmly, but inside, Skylar was irritated. Not only was her potential boss completely unorganized and childish, but this was a less than ideal first impression. She should have known better than to show up without contacting him first. It was an amateur mistake and she silently chided herself. It would not happen again.

Science, Madness, and Love? (Omnial & Oasis)

Skylar “Sky” Donahue

Age: 23 years old

Height: 5’6”

Appearance: Sky has long brown hair that falls to her lower back with side-swept bangs framing her blue eyes. Taught from a young age the value of first impressions, Sky takes great care in making sure she always looks presentable when going out. Her clothes are in keeping with the current trends but she tends to prefer skirts and shorts- things that draw attention to her long legs and away from her lack of curves. Being somewhat modest, however, she always wears leggings or stockings underneath.

Personality: Sky is organized and a bit of a neat freak. She dislikes inefficiency and sees chaos as one of its greatest proponents. Quite amiable, she gets along with almost everyone she meets and this is no coincidence. Sky knows the value of a good connection and figures you never know who’s going to be helpful in the future so you might as well get on everyone’s good side. Although usually sweet and caring, Sky can be incredibly stubborn and is capable of standing her ground when needed.

Other: Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry double major

Science, Madness, and Love? (Omnial & Oasis)

Skylar Donahue stood in front of a large chain link fence and glanced at the address she had written down. It was the right place, but this didn't look like a laboratory at all. Beyond the fence, all the college graduate could see was what looked to be an old, run-down warehouse. Still… she didn't think Mrs. Burnoise would make a mistake with something like this; if anything, Mrs. Burnoise was a very reliable woman. Shrugging her shoulders gently, Skylar walked over to the keypad beside the electronic gate and entered the code she had been given. There was a beep, but for a moment nothing happened and Skylar began to worry, yet again, that maybe she didn't have the right information.

With a creaky groan, the gate finally began to roll open and the brown-haired woman couldn't hold back a sigh of relief. Walking through the gate with curt strides, Skylar approached the only door she saw, nestled on the right side of a broad, windowless wall. Pausing at the threshold, she made sure her hair was still perfectly in its bun and adjusted her clothes, a plain button up blouse with a matching black vest and pencil skirt. Satisfied with her appearance, she entered the second code and heard the automatic click of the door being unlocked. She made sure to open the door confidently, unsure of what she would find within. As her eyes adjusted to the darker room, she saw….

Nothing. It was a plain entryway with a coat rack to her left and another door on the opposite wall. She rolled her eyes at how ridiculous she was being and advanced once more. There was absolutely nothing to be nervous about. She had wonderful grades, good lab experience, and the recommendation of the scientist’s mother. A nearly flawless resume. Plus, Skylar was quite confident in her work ethic. There was no way this could go wrong.

As the next door was opened, finally Skylar’s work space was revealed to her and what a sight it was. There was stuff everywhere. Large machines she could hardly hope to identify were lined up against all four walls and there were even more scattered about the large, open room. She could hardly see any of the original flooring, as it was covered in scraps, partially finished… things, papers, and more food wrappers than she had ever seen in her life. Wide-eyed, Skylar tried to take everything in, her mouth opened slightly in a mix of horror and amazement. There was so much stuff she didn't even notice the man bent so far into a machine that only his lower half was exposed.
Shuffling through the litter, Skylar made her way to a nearby desk and carefully cleared a space to set down her briefcase. Sighing loudly, she leaned on the desk and glanced at her watch. It was 10:00 am on a Tuesday, surely the head researcher should be here by now. Skylar was not a big fan of wasting time when there was work to be done and clearly, she was going to have plenty to do.