silvermist1116

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

Whoo! Chapter 4. Time for Stacey to make an appearance.

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

Lyss brought them some time when she forced Luis and Babylon into the wall. That's good enough for him. He helped her onto Asta's back, pulling her up with her good arm and kept a good hold on her so she didn't fall off, then they backed away from the fight. Penny was ready to keep going, but they didn't have to. The Dollhouse were covered in a blue mist, then they disappeared. Crisis averted. Or so he thought. They were all in the parking lot with the DENS agents. He's ripped a part of his shirt to wrap around Lyss's shoulder, hoping that'd stop the bleed until they were able to get to the hosptial. He's just tied the knot when Helena told them Claudette didn't make it. Claudette didn't...what?

His head swam and suddenly everything was spinning. He clumsily climbed off Asta's back, paid barely any mind to his leg, and collapsed on the ground. This couldn't be happening. Not another sister. Not the one person that was actually leading them in the right direction. The one person he had faith in not to get them all killed, to actually take care of them. He sobbed loud and hard. He couldn't remember the last time he'd spoken to Claudette without all the usual drama between members. If he hadn't just stood there when she got shot. If he'd done something maybe she's still be alive. Rationally he knew there was nothing he could do for bullet wounds, but his rationality could take a backseat, because nothing made sense anymore. He couldn't hear all the arguing going on around him over his tears.

If he hadn't suggested that Kimberly help them they wouldn't be in this mess. His, Vashti's, nor Emily's problems were solved, their sister was dead, and the person that got away with it was no where to be found. He hoped the Coven didn't hate him for this. He's responsible for bringing her into their lives, which makes him indirectly responsible for Claudette being dead. And now Kimberly was off in the wind and...Oh no. They left her with Vashti. He puts a lot of stoke in Leviathan keeping her alive, but if she had her guard down then it wouldn't been easy to take her out. He rubbed at his tears, while taking out his phone. He dialed Vashti's number, hoping she'd pick up, that she was safe, that another member didn't end up dead.

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

What you mean Claudette didn't make it? I'm upset.

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

This was worse than he thought possible. Herik expected a fight, but he didn't expect for this to be a set up. Kimberly didn't seem like the type to double cross them, she even sent her friend to keep an eye on things, so why would she come in guns blazing and trying to get them killed. Something doesn't add up, but he can't think of it right now. Claudette's hurt, Ilsa's been drugged, and there's a serious possibility that half of them will die in the crossfire. He didn't know what to do with himself. A flock of birds came in and carried away their injured. That left him, Lyss, Madison, Penny, Babylon, and Luis cause he heard screaming and is sure a few of Luis's friends are dead. He called Asta to his side. Time to jump in from the couch. He's glad they're in a small space and he doesn't have to move from his spot to do damage. Asta repelled Babylon's hellfire away from him, until the sprinklers came on. He didn't want to waste Asta to keep him dry, so he ordered him to stop and let the water soak him through. Now his cast is wet. That's another trip back to the hostipal to get it changed. He needs to go anyway. Hasn't seen his mother in awhile.

Lyss was struggling and asked for Madison's assistant, but asking for help didn't get far when a man suddenly appeared behind her. Herik hesitate; Asta immediately went to Lyss's aid, grabbing her around the waist by his tail and pulling her away from the man split seconds before he could hit her. Asta let go of Lyss by his side. Herik's not sure if moving her made her release her hold on Luis and Babylon, but he knew for sure if she got knocked out it would and he's not sure if he and Madison could take down three people on their own.

"I'm not sure if we should fight this out with the three of us. Luis healed when you attacked him earlier," He said to Madison.

"You're bleeding too much," He said to Lyss, worried that if she didn't get help soon she'll pass out from blood loss. "And I'm on a bad leg." He climbed onto Asta's back, leaving his crutches, just encase they needed to make a quick get away.

Coil: Pantheon Divided (A Modern Day Mythology/Urban-Fantasy)

When do you plan to start?

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

The club was what he expected from Tampa. Bright, loud, and shaddy. He used to come to places like this with his friends after they graduated high school and every one of them were the same: dancing, drinking, and designer drugs. He always got in without being carded, because of his size and some clubs didn't care his friends had fake IDs. He doesn't miss places like this. They lost their appeal around the time he was legal to drink and it's been so long he doesn't know what kids wear to clubs anymore. He hadn't packed for that, because he didn't have anything remotely club worthy in his closet and he didn't have the money to spend on an outfit he'd only wear once. He made do with a simple gray shirt, black shorts, and sandles.

The fee to get into the club was more than he wanted to spend. The price has gone up since his day, but he paid the price. They were here for something that could help his mother and he'd pay any price to get it. He followed everyone else inside, bringing up the rear on his crutches. He got a lot of stares. It could've been from a combination of his height, his outfit, and his crutches, but even if he were dressed normal he'd be noticeable anyway. A few of the bouncers eyed him up, took a look at his leg, then shook their head affirming to themselve they could take him in a fight. The biggest guys always check out the biggest guy in the room, which wasn't him cause there was a bouncer by a set of stairs that was huge. Sometimes he takes for granted that he's a peaceful person, but he always appreciates his nature when he sees a man like that. No trouble coming out of him. He can't say the same for one person that was with his group. He hoped she gets her head about her. This isn't Schmidt.

Going up the stairs to the VIP section was daunting, but he did it. No worse than the stairs in his apartment building, but he was tired after all that work. He would've called Asta to help him, but that's not the brightest idea in a building with extra-normals they know nothing about and would preceive him as a threat. He was just a little late to the party. He hobbled right as Luis introduced himself. The room did nothing to make him feel better about being here. It looked like a stereotypical sex dungeon without all the toys. Toys he can see anyway.

He took a seat next to Claudette, since no one wanted to and he needed to rest his leg. Four more weeks in this thing. Time didn't move fast enough. Hopefully he'll have his mother back between now and then. When Luis told them the Dollhouse could provide any service he was prepared to speak on behalf of Emily and Vashti, since they weren't here to represent themselves, but Penny jumped in on a long spiel about Annabelle Heart. Not what most of them were here for. Claudette eventually took over the conversation as their leader. He didn't know she was cursed as well. So four members needed cures and Luis was about to name his price when Molly and Ellie walked in.

He was shocked, not sure how to process seeing their dead members "alive" and "well". He hadn't known what Molly got up to, if she left or what, but seeing Ellie again made his chest hurt. He was still grieving for her and to see Babylon parade around like everything was fine pissed him off. He clutched in his fist, face stony, while he kept in his desire to pick a fight. That's not what they're here for. He wants to avenge Ellie, but she's dead. He's accepted that. His mother was still worth saving. Her condition hadn't gotten worse when he checked on her before coming here. They just needed a price, then they could hash this out in the parking lot. He's sure Emily would like a piece of this demon.

"Mr. Luis, you were naming your price." He turned away from Babylon, eyes on the man that would get them what they wanted. Cut out all the noise and get back to what's important. That's all he had to think about.

Recollections: The Coven [COMPLETED]

It was a time and a half getting back into the car after he heard the first gun shot inside the gas station. He knew something was up with the man in the assless chaps, but it was Florida. He was raised here most of his life. Most things didn't surprise him anymore, human things. Extra-normals still got to him like nothing else did. He saw weird things on the beach all the time. A cowboy wasn't all that bizarre. When Madison came out with Jaws he knew the situation was going to get worse, so he hobbled as fast as he could back into Quinn's car, then dialed the police. Chances are none of them are going to see anything out of the ordinary. He'd just ended the call with the operator when everyone came out and they booked it out of there. He needed to sleep.

By the time they made it to the hotel he could barely keep himself together enough to get into his hotel room. He just took his pain pills, then gingerly laid down in his bed, and went to sleep. He woke the next day with a notification of Claudette about staying preoccupied until tomorrow. There was nothing he could do with a cast on his leg and he needed a break from the Coven, so he was content to stay in his room. He ordered room service for lunch and texted Vashti to see how she was doing. He meant to do it the night before, but he was out before his head hit the pillow. He imagines he's fairing better, since they left before the dust settled after the argument, and he doubts Leviathan won't take advantage of her mental state. On top of paying for this trip, Schmidt might have to get a new beach house too.

Straits of Steel (A South East Asian Cyberpunk Thriller)

The outskirts of the Triangle close to Canton Canal

Twenty-seven degrees wasn't as hot as it could get here in New Malacca, but it was still unbearable when one was in a house with no air conditioning packed with AR and VR addicts that haven't moved in days, the walls had mold and it smelled of mildew, oil, and B.O. The perfect hiding place from an organization that was built on the foundation of paper records and wouldn't think to find their target among a group of a Deep abusers that lived in squalor.

Xia laid on a futon next to a girl they didn't know the name of. That's not completely true. She told her name the first time they connected to the Deep together nine months ago. She said it was 01101011 01100101 01100101 01110000, but they don't know what that means. Binary code isn't something they've picked up on even with all the time they've spent in Precipice houses. Like the one they're in now. They meant to leave hours ago, but 01101011 01100101 01100101 01110000 grabbed their hand and wouldn't let go, until she showed them something they didn't understand in the Deep. Although, they're fortunate she pulled them along into her Deep interface or Xia would miss their appointment later on today. One they should be leaving for now that the sun was west instead of high in the sky.

Xia pulled their hand away, but 01101011 01100101 01100101 01110000 kept them connected and they weren't skilled enough to detach their mind from someone else's interface. They didn't want to do this, but they really couldn't miss this appointment. Xia slammed their fist into 01101011 01100101 01100101 01110000's chest. She gasped and popped up, while Xia rolled onto the floor out of reach. They were still connected, but she didn't have the hold on them like she had before. It was a shallow connection for them to communicate through their interfaces without either having too much influence over the other.

That hurt. Why'd you do that?

I have an appointment. I gotta go.

When will you be back?

Xia shrugged. This was their third time here. It depends on how long they get to stay in any one place before the Green River Snake assassins catch up to them. If this job goes well, then they'll be back afterwards. If it doesn't, then they won't. Simple as that. They pushed 01101011 01100101 01100101 01110000 forehead, she fell back onto the futon, and just like that they disconnected and she was in the Deep forgetting the last twenty-fours they spent together. Xia changed into their full spectrum body suit. It activated the moment they zipped it up. The color changed to beige, unassuming, and unnoticeable to the average person. They put on the head mask to check if the settings were functioning today. Their vision was clear, their optic scope could see a house bobbing in the water miles away clearly. It was a great day for their tech. Xia pulled it off, hid their bag in a cabinet next to the room's door, then left the house.

It was a short boat ride into the heart of Canton Canal. They paid the water taxi, then continued their trek on foot. If the Snakes tracked down anyone that's had contact with Xia, which they do sometimes, they don't want the cabby to give any information about what they could've possibly been doing based on the location they were dropped off at. There was too much riding on this latest assignment. The ad for the 500,000 asyuan was not only the biggest possibly payday they've ever had, even when they worked for the Snakes, but it was more than enough to get all their bootleg body mods removed and replaced with legitimate technology from reputable a company. By the time Xia arrived at the
Suraiboshen their suit turned navy blue when the sun on the horizon. Two bodyguards stood outside the omakase doors. They weren't anything they haven't seen before. Large, looked like they could throw them around, the usual intimidating type that hasn't scared them in years.

"Weapons on hand?"

Xia's right arm deconstructed and turned into a sniper rifle. They left their nail gun in their bag. Chances are if they needed to use it, then they could just snap the target's neck. The guard on the right looked mildly impressed, but did a once over on the rest of them, and they could tell that first impression was short lived.

"Keep it normal. Please wait in the hall way with the rest of the group. Our employer will be with you shortly." The guard on the left opened the door to let them in. Just like he said there were four other people waiting. The ad hadn't said anything about this being a group assignment, but unexpected things happened in their line of work all the time. Xia didn't sweat it. It'd either turn out good or it'd turn out to be shit. The money was the main goal and if they had to team up to get it, then so be it. They only hoped 500,000 asyuan wouldn't be split between all these people. They took a seat next to the woman with the hijab and pull up a AR tetris game in the meantime.

Straits of Steel (A South East Asian Cyberpunk Thriller)

@Bork Lazer I just noticed there isn't a description for the orange key zone. What is that area?

Straits of Steel (A South East Asian Cyberpunk Thriller)

Xia Lang

Age: 22

Gender: Non-Binary

Preferred Pronouns: Doesn't matter. He/She/They will respond to either.

Affiliation:

The Green River Snakes

The Green River Snakes are a matriarchal run child trafficking ring that started in Vietnam in 2011 and has kept the organization in the family, since the first Snake Lady, Dan Thi My. The organization left Vietnam in 2025, taking a chance on booming growth of New Malacca and is currently run by Snake Lady Akanishi Miho. The Snakes have control of Shin Ryushu Docking from alliances and later marriage into a prominent yakuza family, making it easy to export and import children without anyone asking too many questions. Once the children are processed and chipped with a tracker at level one they are given a new name. Usually one that's generic, because the name doesn't matter until they earn the respect with the Snakes to change their name.

They're very secretive about how they're run. There's rumors about what goes on in the organization, but no one knows for sure. They run on a strict take it to the grave policy. Anyone that's caught saying too much, or ages out/out lives their usefulness will die. Even allies of the Snakes only know what's need to know. Most of their business, other than monetary transactions, is done on paper. If their business doesn't involve another party, then they keep it to themselves.

Appearance: Xia is 5'2, slight, and made of muscle. Their body is nearly straight and mostly angles. Their hair is short, black, and straight. The left side is sheared to the scalp. Their eyes are black and they have a split in their left eyebrow from a scar. Their face is angular, lips not thin or thick, their nose is straight, and their voice is medium-low and a little raspy. Their chin, left shoulder to their breast plate, and thin piece of skin on their right shoulder are discolored, paler than the rest of their skin, because of body modifications in those areas. The clothes that they wear for commissions is a skin tight full body spectrum suit that changes colors to match the time of day or background, so they don't stick out and easily hide. Sometimes they wear a matching helmet, sometimes they don't. It's temperamental and obscures their vision when it doesn't want to work right. Their every day clothes are mainly colorful loose jackets that hide their body and make them look unassuming, black tank tops, matching tight pants, and boots.

YOUR SOUL

PERSONAL GOAL: Survival. Xia wanted out of the Green River Snakes, but that's only possible through death and they don't have plans to kick the bucket anytime soon. So they've been running from assassins they grew up and trained with, going from one zone to the other, disappearing for a time before they're found again. It's a snake and mouse chase all over the aquapolis with the exception of Shin Ryushu Docking. They could try to kill Snake Lady, but they're no saint and isn't looking to create a power vacuum in that part of the city.

LIKES: Yuzu flavored anything, tea, cookies, candies, peels, boba. If it's yuzu they want it. AR is fun. They're not addicted, but AR treasures hunts are a nice way to pass the time. They also learned a lot about diving into the Deep by living in a Precipice house one time when they were in hiding. Music, mainly NM hiphop. It's a mix of traditional East Asia instruments, dialects, and synths with deep 808 bass. Most of the music is underground, because it can't compete with digital J-pop and K-pop market.

DISLIKES: Blood; they're not squeamish, but it's hard to wash out of their full spectrum suit. Peroxide doesn't take well to the fabric and it tends to leave patches of their body exposed, because the proteins in the blood conflicts with the camouflage functions. The Green River Snakes. Not because they kidnapped them from wherever the hell they came from, but because they won't leave them alone. Like damn. They just want to live their best life and they can't do that with trafficking ring out to get them. They're not going to tell any secrets. They don't have a reason to. Shin Ryushu Docking for being the only place in New Malacca to sell Yuzu products.

REPUTE: In Shin Ryushu Docking they're a threat to the safety of the Green River Snake's business. They gave a wanted poster to all the members of the organization from level one to the top. To the rest of New Malacca they're a nobody. Just an average person with the exception of old clients from their level three escort days, but that was almost a decade ago. They'd be surprised if any of them recognized them.

HEEL: Depressed, but high functioning depressed. Nothing bothers them beyond a mild inconvenience. They aren't passionate about anything. Green River Snakes sucked out what passion they could've had or rage, anger, happiness, and left a disinterested husk in its wake. They don't realize there's anything wrong with them. Each day it's the same thing, if they're not running from assassins, then they're doing AR treasure hunts or completing freelance jobs for people that don't have money to afford the Ambassadors, or hunting down all the sweet shops in whatever zone they're in to find a yuzu produce. It's rinse, wash, repeat, and Xia's content with it being that way.

CODE: Loyalty. The Green River Snakes weren't good for a lot of things, but instill loyalty in them was one of the goods Xia took with them. Their loyalty extends to keeping their mouth shut, but they also don't have the energy to go around shopping for buyers for everything they know. Is it really loyalty or are they just lazy...? Naw. Loyalty, yeah, that one. They haven't been sprung up by their toes and beaten for information about Green River Snakes yet, but if they were they wouldn't tell a soul. No point. Once the interrogators get what they want they'll kill them anyway.

QUIRKS: Xia has a knife they got from an escort client they like to do tricks with. Nothing major, just tossing it up with a forward or back spin and catching the tip of it in their fingers. It's not good for anything and it's ugly, but it's the first gift they received and it'd be weird if they didn't have something in their hands when they're thinking.

YOUR PAST

Xia could tell you where they came from. They know they're from outside of New Malacca, because they remember the boat trip being too long be close, but that's about it. They were six years old when the Green River Snakes track tagged and gave them a new name. Lang Xia is the only name they remember. Xia spent the first year and a half of their time with the Snakes at level one in the factory from lack of trying to get points. It wasn't until about nine months in that a lot of the kids that were with them on the boat to Shin Ryushu Docking either died from lack of nutrition, only so long the body can survive on congee, they disappeared while on errand runs, or they moved up in levels. Xia didn't want to be the Xia number eight to die, so they worked for points, until they were almost eight. Level two wasn't hard to get through, but they did linger on the last few hundred points they could've gotten if they did errands, since the parties or meetings were few and far between. After the first few times of being felt up by creepy yakuza, triad, or kkangpae they weren't eager to move on to sex work. None of the kids they were in level two with were, but when the first left, and everyone heard through the level grapevine that he was doing well, eating better, and got paid many were eager to go. Xia got the last few hundred over with, then went to the worst level of hell they've ever been through.

Dodging knives flying out of walls was better than having to learn Kama Sutra and taking practical exams on it. No one knew that many ways to fuck. Xia knew, because most of their clients weren't that creative. Before the cyberware surgeries and assassin training, Xia had a pretty soft face, long black hair, and looked like the type of young girl anyone would want to dress up like a doll. The only normal thing they did when they were ten was play dress up, but with creeps instead of friends. The nightmares were fun too and the vomiting from getting sick at the thought of sick fucks having their way with them. Unlike the other levels where Xia took their time, they didn't with level three. The most points came from escort or leasing business. With the escorts they ran the a higher risk of being bought and stuck with an owner forever, so they had to create a persona that was desirable to get more points, but undesirable to spend more than a night or two with. So Xia became a brat; learned to never push too far when getting on a client's nerve, but just on the right side of sweet to make them forgive whatever bratty thing she did. That pushed them to their goal points to get out by the time they were twelve.

Level four was the best level. They had more to do every day, no one touched them in a sexual way, and they learned a lot of useful skills in two years. All the classes were for twelve hours, espionage, martial arts, and marksmanship were three hours each with hour breaks in between. Xia wasn't the number one in class, but number two was okay. They got berated for always coming in second place to the girl in first, but they didn't care. They still got their required points at the end of two years to graduate and move onto something else. First in their class became a spy, while they came a assassin. Their first kill didn't bother them as much as they thought it would. Maybe it was level three that barely made them flinch at shooting a real person and not a dummy in the head. Or maybe Xia just stopped being bothered with live, death, and society as a whole. Didn't matter. None of their victims did. The next two years were spent saving money from assignments to get cyberware. Each year after that they got a new modification, something convenient to help with missions, until they left level four and went to five at eighteen.

They wanted a break from assassinations and more money to pay back the Snakes for taking part of the bill on their cyberware. Being bodyguard was the next best thing. No commitment to multiple underlings or other responsibilities would be great. The benefits of no debt outweighed anything else, until Snake Lady Akanishi Miho choice them to be her bodyguard. Not what they intended, but the paycheck was better than anything they were going to get with anyone else. It only took two years to pay back the Snakes along as they didn't spend their money on anything else. At most they couldn't give up yuzu, but that's the only thing in life worth paying for anyway. Guarding Snake Lady was exhausting. She liked to play games where she's give them the slip to wander around Shin Ryushu Docking like there weren't yakuza out there that wanted her dead. She could take care of herself, but that didn't mean her luck wouldn't run out. All the secrets and things they found about Snake Lady could set them up for a life in the East Sine Corporate Tradeplex with all the rich people if they sold the information. Which is why they now have a bounty on their heads.

It's been a year since they left the Snakes and they're getting tired of running, but they didn't work as hard as they did for sixteen years just to die at the hands of the people that made them.

YOUR PERSON

ATTRIBUTES:

Assassination - Are they best at it? No. They're plenty of others with more experience than them, but they're good enough to not only make a living, but had once been a bodyguard to Snake Lady. If they advertised that in the Deep they'd get a lot more business with higher pay, but secrets to keep and all that.

Sex Work - It's a skill Xia can't wait to die, but all information on how the human body works to get the most pleasure from is stuck in their mind. Alternatively, it also works as what causes the most pain. They don't make a habit of stabbing or shooting anyone in those areas, but it's good to know anyway.

BODY MODS:

All of Xia's mods are shoddy black market jobs. Everything doesn't work the way it should. Xia has phantom pains for the body parts they replaced, terrible migraines from the Deep interface, and blurry vision from the eye scopes.

Deep Interface - On left side of their scalp where their hair is shaved in place of skin is an interface that connects them to the Deep. They don't use it to Deep dive. The first they did it was because a Precipice friend convinced them it and it put them in a coma for a day. If they're not using maps or the music functions it's useless to them.

Eye Scope - Xia's eyes are augmented with scopes that can enhance anything 12 miles away. It's controlled by their thoughts, but the tech is shoddy and sometimes enhances when they don't want it to. They had to learn how to fight with their eyes closed, cause the first it glitched out when they in the middle of hand to hand they almost died. They're vision is blurry if they don't have it on all the time. They fear they're going blind. Have to save up to pay for a surgery to get them removed.

Jaw Replacement - They fell off a building during a New Year assassination attempt. It was a two story fall, but on the way down their jaw hit the corner of the building they were perched on. Shattered the bone to the point it had to be replaced, but they didn't have the money for the best job so they have a metal pale plate in its place.

Breast Plate - Their left shoulder to where their breast used to be was replaced with a cyberware bulletproof non-removable breast plate instead. Nothing says death like a shot through the heart. It wraps around to their back and is two made of two pieces, the largest part connects to the shoulder and long the edges of the plate, and the back piece connects to the back. As long as someone doesn't shoot them from an upward angle under where the plate end half way to the navel, then it'll work fine for the most part. It's been broken before by shotguns at close range and sniper shots. They've gotten lucky they didn't die both times and barely ran away with their life to make it to someone that can fix it.

Gun - On their upper right arm is a gun that constructs itself when mentality activated. It's as long as their arm when it's built up and often the weapon of choice if they can help it when doing assassin work. Unless the piece of shit gets jammed, then they have to get close an personal.

EQUIPMENT:

Arm Gun

Camouflage Full Spectrum Catsuit

Nail Gun - This one doesn't get used as much, because they don't make a habit of getting to close when they have a job, but if they have to the nail gun works. It's something they picked up on a job at a construction site once and had to use an impromptu weapon and didn't get rid of it.

Knife - Can't do anything with it. The point is dull and the handle kinda wobbly. At best it'll hurt like a bitch if they stab someone with it. At worst it could take out an eye. Everyone needs a last ditch effort weapon.