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Post by citizenmike on Oct 18, 2009 11:46:47 GMT -5
City Of Animus Presents: Chapter 10 Survivor Stories Two: Tomorrow Knows
With the city standing amidst uncertainty, the city of Animus is at its most vulnerable. With many of the residents walking unknowingly into its power and its ways, the time comes for the residents to act.
With most power gone, this is their chance to take the city and do what is right for them and for Animus.
This is their story...
Rules & Guidelines: *Open to all characters. *This will be play-by-post and will take place in certain areas of the city. Wherever you chose to start is up to you, by the second post of each player, characters must cross paths. *All new characters are required to post an Awakening prior to roleplaying on this chapter. (For Awakening, please see Bi-Weekly Assignments Board) *Takes place three weeks after Chapter. 9.
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Post by citizenmike on Oct 18, 2009 11:59:52 GMT -5
It was early in the night when Johnny awoke. Veronica lay curled on the other side of the bed; sheets tucked just over her shoulder. Johnny rolled his way to her side and wrapped his arms around her; beneath his hands, he felt the girth of his child growing inside her. Somewhere inside, Johnny couldn't believe it was happening. It wasn't wrong, it was just strange, different, new... Exciting.
Johnny pressed a kiss over Veronica's cheek and held her tightly.
Veronica's eyes flickered open slowly. Turning to him, she nestled her head against the depression between his chin and his chest.
"Good morning, beautiful.", Johnny murmured.
"How late in the day is it?".
"The day just descended, so I reckon the night has just begun.", Johnny replied to her.
"How long have we been asleep?", Veronica asked, slowly waking.
"I don't know."
"How long have you been awake?".
"Twenty minutes, I think.".
"Deja-vu"., Veronica said with a smile.
<***>
Walking down the street towards the church, Veronica and Johnny held each other with their hands clapped together, fingers entwined. To Johnny, he still couldn't believe it. The way they acted back there... They had a routine. There was the cup of coffee Veronica had to have every morning, it was what kept her up and going, and Johnny just knew, he just knew, how to make it for her perfectly... And even things like getting ready and dressing up: the door to the bathroom wide open, she'd step in the shower just as soon as he'd step out, and the way they would just talk in there, as he was brushing his teeth, and putting on his clothes, and the way she would just dry herself and change right in front of him, as they continued talking... Johnny'd be smoking out the window as she'd just get ready... He had a routine, he was comfortable, and so was she... They just knew each other too well... It's was nice.
Crossing the street, Johnny twirled his arm over her shoulder, their fingers still crossed and locked, and kissed her.
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Post by Tommy Tyrant on Oct 20, 2009 1:13:07 GMT -5
Tommy sat on a bench in the middle of a quiet street, the odd businessman would be walking briefcase in hand to wherever he spent most of his waking hours. Couples of mindless would be walking hand in hand talking about their lives, that never seemed to be happening.
He didn't know why he would feel anger towards the majority or ordinary people he just would, and more often than not they'd pay dearly for it. Tommy leaned back on the bench head to the sky, blunt nestled between his fingers as he blew thick smoke into the air. He was feeling light headed already. "This is some potent stuff.." Tommy murmered to himself.
He stood up and started walking, nowhere in particular just something to do so he wouldn't feel as though he were attatched to his seat and not be able to move at all. While he walked he passed a shop window with a reflective surface, he stood there a while just gazing at himself. "What is your deal man?..." His reflection asked him Tommy shrugged, "I have no idea dude, I'm just rolling with what seems real to me" "If you say so, if you say so.."
Tommy blinked a few times before rubbing his eyes and walking on keeping his head down.
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Post by citizenmike on Oct 20, 2009 1:17:44 GMT -5
Nearing the church, Veronica and Johnny spotted Tommy look at a shop window. Approaching him as they motioned down the street, Veronica called out to him, "Hey, Tommy.".
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Post by Selice on Oct 20, 2009 1:23:09 GMT -5
The cool wind blew through Selice's hair as she raced through the sky's of Animus. She was on a paint run. Today officially marked the first day of renovations to the home she had decided to make her own. A warm smile was firmly planted on her features as she flew towards the hardware store. She raced along, her long grey jacket flapping behind her like a cape, her long dark hair streaming behind her.
She still had a little while to go when she felt the need to do something crazy. A wide grin spread over her face and she picked up her speed, then suddenly, she retracted her wings. The large feathered appendages disappeared and Selice began to fall from the sky. She closed her eyes, the feeling of the fall was totally amazing. Her eyes snapped open again, just when she was about to hit the street she brought forth her wings and just barely skimmed the pavement of the main street. It was days like these that helped her to forget about all of the terrible things she had undergone, days like these she really felt alive, and that she could let loose and have a bit of fun. These perfect days reminded her that there was nothing to fear, that he could no longer harm her...and she thanked god for every second of those days.
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Post by Tommy Tyrant on Oct 20, 2009 1:55:53 GMT -5
Tommy turned instantly, fists up when someone called his name. He was able to lower his fists and calm down when he saw who they were, Veronica and Johnny. "Oh, uhm hello my young friends. How are you this fine day in un-reality?" Tommy asked, a subtle hint of annoyance in his voice. His eyes were now bright red as he squinted at them from a distance, he walked towards them.
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Post by citizenmike on Oct 20, 2009 2:01:48 GMT -5
"We're just lovely.", Johnny replied sarcastically.
Veronica drew herself closer to him and asked, "Are you alright?". Veronica took a moment to study him and found the blunt tucked between his fingers, not to mention that he was reeking of reefer. "Oh...", Veronica added.
Johnny turned around and noticed the angel from the church glide near them. Looking at her, he waved her over.
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Post by Selice on Oct 20, 2009 2:08:59 GMT -5
Selice stopped and turned, hovering in mid air for a moment. She noticed several familiar faces and smiled. She turned and descended to where Veronica and Johnny were standing. "greetings" she whispered, offering a bow to the people before her. I certainly hope everyone is doing well she added, the warm smile still concreted to her features. For an Angel of death she was pretty damn chipper.
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Post by Tommy Tyrant on Oct 20, 2009 2:16:51 GMT -5
Tommy glared hard and long at Veronica "Yes! Of course I'm alright! I'm happy! Happy happy happy! ALL THE FUCKING TIME!" Tommy took a moment to calm down and slow his breathing, then he took another toke.
He wasn't sure if he was imagining it but he thought he just saw someone fly down to their little 'get together'. Opening his eyes wide he just stared at the Angel, realizing he had met her before, but couldn't focus enough to make proper words or think of sentences.
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Post by cyansky on Oct 20, 2009 6:42:23 GMT -5
Asri dragged Syl through the streets, him being annoyed at Syl's habit of dragging him everywhere and skipping its doctor's appointments (him being the 'doctor') and Syl hugging his arm as usual. In Kiel's absence, Syl was fond of holding onto him... it found his presence oddly comforting. It was like a warm blanket on its mind, giving it comfort and peace
"Come on, Syl," he said, "we need to get you to the hospital... you can't miss one of your check-ups."
"But Asri!" whispered Syl weakly, "I don't want to..."
"Stop whining. It’s Kiel’s request."
Syl simply hugged Asri's arm tighter, letting silence fall upon them for a few, long minutes. Kiel... it knew its sibling meant well, but it found it a bit annoying that Kiel was insisting on these check-ups... Was its personality really that buggy? Was it worth it to fix them? Syl had never seen Kiel's magical prowess first-hand on Animus, but its memories told it that Kiel... was... incredible... a miracle... a saviour... and its hero... It wondered what Kiel was capable of, all the while somehow believing that Kiel... could do anything.
"... Alright... if it's for Kiel..." said Syl, giving him a small smile.
Asri smiled at it and kissed it on the forehead gently.
"Thank you, Syl," he said, with a gentle expression on his face, "I don't want to sound very demanding, but it's for your own good... we have these bugs screwing up your personality any longer; otherwise it'll put you in danger in the future."
He ran a hand gently through Syl's hair, sighing.
"I love you, Syl," he said, "never forget that I'm here to protect you."
Syl closed its eyes.
"I know. You're my big brother, right?"
Asri looked back at Syl, perplexed. Now that... was familiar... Syl had always seen him like a big brother, rather than its guardian. However... this? This Syl calling him its brother... it seemed unlikely to Asri, but... looks like biological relations weren't the only requirement to become a part of Syl's family.
"Big brother?"
"I know we're not really related, but... you're my family, Asri. That's why I'm referring to you as such..."
"That's... so sweet of you Syl," replied Asri, grinning sheepishly at it. "It's been a while since I've had a sibling. Not since I've... No, you shouldn't know what happened to them... my biological brother and sister..."
Syl tugged at his arm.
"Why shouldn't I?"
"There are reasons why Kiel and I are hiding things from you. It's for your own happiness. We don't want to burden you with the dark secrets of our past. We'll bear it for you, so that we can break the cycle of suffering and bloodshed. You'll understand. Someday. I swear… I’d never hurt you… I’ve never have…"
He drew it into a hug, holding it tightly. Syl sighed. Feeling warm and loved in his embrace… just as it always had. Syl’s recollection of its past was fuzzy; it didn’t know what atrocities it had committed, if any… nor why Kiel and Asri gave so much attention to it behind the scenes, almost as if it was at the center of their world. Maybe it’s because they love me so much, thought Syl, because they’re my… family… since I doubt I’ll be returning to my homeworld... Asri and Kiel have their own business, but's a wonder that they've managed to follw me even here.
In the midst of its thoughts, Syl felt itself get dragged along by Asri. And it knew why. Only a couple of streets away, Syl sensed the aura of another angel… a female one… could she be one of Asri’s friends? It was not surprising, really. His isolation wasn’t as bad when he was with other non-humans. With humans he was more isolated due to his curse, while non-humans generally fared better against his diseases and had a higher survival rate… usually, unless against diseases that were specialized to fight against them.
“Come on,” he said, “there’s someone I want you to meet.”
A few moments later, Asri and Syl turned on the another corner, coming face to face with the group… comprising of the angel, Johnny, Veronica, and the clown it recognized from the bar before… That clown... other than that Mr. Meany Man, Mr. Clown was one of the few people that Syl was wary of befriending... Perhaps it was Asri's hatred of clowns, perhaps it was the man's insanity... Syl didn't know. But it knew that insane friends were seldom reliable.
Asri, however, acted as if Tyrant never even existed. He just smiled and waved when he saw Selice.
“Hey Selice!” he called out to her, “how are you?”
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Post by Trace on Oct 20, 2009 12:36:25 GMT -5
The siblings has set up camp in the remains of the old church. It was quiet there for one, but that wasn't their primary concern. The church was brimming with natural magical energy, more so than any other safe location in Animus. Here, in the abandoned church, Maz could easily tap into this natural magic and combine it with his own already incredible talent. With this magic he could do almost anything, including keep tabs on the entirety of Animus.
"It's stirring all right."
As Maz spoke Viscum turned towards him. Maz sat at the center of the church, his hands placed in front of him, his eyes closed. Visible magical energy surrounded his body, almost like drops of water that could travel in any direction. The magic flowed freely, with Maz acting as its tether to the physical realm. Through this method Maz could keep track of the city, its residents... and Animus itself.
"How much time do we have?"
Viscum spoke slowly, seriously, a look of concern clearly present on his face. While he knew that Maz having access to all this magic was dangerous it was the only way that they could be sure of anything right now, and that was a risk they would just have to take.
"We're safe for the immediate future, but it's safe to say that it knows what is happening. Just on thing could trigger it and that's a dangerous thought."
Viscum nodded at Maz's words, knowing full well that Maz knew exactly what he was talking about when it came down to issues like these.
"Right," Viscum said, taking charge of the situation. "We cant stay here, there's still things to be done. That madman is still running free out there, and I'm not taking any risks on him doing something that could wake it up."
< *** >
At the same time Rosa darted from building to building, sticking to the rooftops to avoid detection and to make the trip quicker. She was acting as the physical eyes and ears of the siblings while Maz and Viscum took care of the magical side of things. If something happened she would be there, ready to counter it. Making another leap and landing gracefully on a shop rooftop Rosa noticed a small gathering of people in the following street. She recognized Johnny and Veronica from her previous meeting, and Syl and Asri were easy to tell apart from the rest.
"A gathering of people," Rosa spoke softly to herself. "That doesn't tend to end well around here."
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Post by Selice on Oct 20, 2009 18:28:28 GMT -5
Selice grinned as Asri approached. Hello there my friend, How have you been? she whispered. Asri helped put Selice's mind at ease about being around Tommy. His presence somewhat unnerved her, but thankfully Veronica, Johnny and Asri were all there, along with several faces she had not seen before. She offered Syl a warm smile. Hello there. My name is Selice, and who might I have the pleasure of addressing? she whispered softly to the new angel.
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Post by cyansky on Oct 20, 2009 21:11:47 GMT -5
Syl cocked its head, with a curious expression on its face as it heard Selice's voice in its head.
"That's wierd, Asri," it said, "her voice... in my head..."
Asri smiled and ruffled its hair affectionately.
"That angel there is Selice," said Asri, "she's a good friend of mine, so please be nice."
Syl grinned at him happily.
"You know I always am!"
Asri chuckled at it as he stepped forward, putting a hand on Syl's shoulder.
"I've been relatively fine, Selice, just spending time with my friends as usual," he said, with a charming smile, "by the way, this is Sylredrae, or Syl... my ward."
Syl grinned, and hugged his arm. Asri looked down at it, still smiling.
"Miss Selice! Pleased to meet you!" said Syl to the angel eagerly, grinning, "wow, another angel? Are you Asri's bestest friend now? Has he been bringing you flowers? How's it going in Animus? Did you go an any adventures...? Was there a planet made out of sugar involved? Wow, I'd love to go there!"
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Geinkotsu
Fleshling
Our characters are only but a piece of ourself. Help it grow into a fictional you.
Posts: 209
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Post by Geinkotsu on Oct 20, 2009 22:30:06 GMT -5
Zachery walked through alley-ways and streets, cutting through empty parking lots and yards. He had no specific location he wanted to reach; he just wanted to see the city. And perhaps be able to help in someway, even though that was not likely. The day was still shallow within the hours of morning, birds quietly chirping in their trees as few mindless walked past, not even acknowledging him.
After the explosion of the hotel, he had taken his leave of the area and disappeared ever since. Not coming across anyone so far and he masked his spiritual essence so no one would be able to find him easily. He didn’t want any company; he had thoughts to sort out and things to place. And truthfully, he felt puzzled and confused of this entire ordeal. He hadn’t been here long, and he had walked into a problematic event on the first day of his arrival. This, perhaps, would mean something in the future. Zachery paced himself, slowly walking through another alley, garbage bags stacked up in piles in, on top, and around metal garbage cans. Their round, hard, cold steal lids lying on the ground, propped up against full bags of trash. The ground was paved; small puddles of water lay crevassed in holes from earlier days of rain. Their water mucky with browns and colored with oils from the pavement. The skies were a light blue with thin smoky clouds hovering above buildings and disappearing out in the distance. The air was fairly warm and crisp, as if standing between the two seasons, which was refreshing.
He walked past the black bags of garbage, making sure not to touch them because he had gotten another shirt; one which wasn’t ripped and stained with blood and singed from a near death experience. He was now wearing faded dark blue jeans which had a strange snake pattern down the left pant leg, and a black shirt with koi fish and skulls with strange flowers, also wearing black and purple skater’s shoes with swirling designs on them. His fashion sense seemed to revolve around meaningful patterns and gothic….. Or he was just strange. Either way, it was a particular pairing of cloths that he always picked out. Zachery placed his hands in his pocket and walked out of the alley, stepping onto the cracked sidewalk. He looked up as he felt a similar aura drifting in the area. It was Johnny and Veronica.
He paused and stared at them for a moment, deciding whether or not to join the group. Most of the people he didn’t know or have the pleasure to meet. And right now he was debating on if he should take the time out of his unsocialable time to talk to them. The ever so tempting ‘leaving without a word and acting as if I never saw them’ option failed as he turned and walked towards them. Zachery decided it would be in his best interest to get to know everyone so he could decide if he could trust them during another deathly occurrence. He stopped a few feet from the group, silent for a moment, then spoke in his usual, unmoved and unemotional tone of voice, “Hey, it’s been a while.” Zachery addressed Johnny and Veronica, but stared over at the others as if they could turn and attack him at any moment. The exploding hotel event possibly giving him the idea that anyone could easily turn.
Though he looked like his normal self. White uncaring eyes, emotionless facial expression, white and black spiky hair, and the leisure position of his stance as he stood there, leaning slightly on one foot with both hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans.
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Post by kaybeezy on Oct 20, 2009 23:14:46 GMT -5
Chrystabelle woke with a start, blue eyes instantly alert as she took in her surroundings. She calmed immediately as she took in her surroundings. She was on the floor in the library again, which caused her to smile ruefully; this was the second time this week she'd spent the night here. She yawned and sat up, stretching her slightly sore muscles in the process. She surveyed the room, happy to see that everything was just where she'd left it: messy pile of books on the table, the red wagon she'd gotten from a toy store to carry books home, and even the movie she'd fallen asleep watching, an old martial arts film. The discovery of videos had been an amazing day for Chrystabelle, as her home had been nowhere near so technologically advanced. Along with books, she now spent a lot of time absorbing information through motion pictures.
After a quick trip to the library's small bathroom to freshen up, she returned to her collection of items. Though the library was cozy and one of her favorite places in Animus, she knew it wasn't a place she should be living. She promised herself she'd sleep in her own home this evening, and began placing the books she wanted into her bag and putting the other books back on their shelves. When everything was a neat as when she arrived, she placed the bag in her wagon and rolled it over to the check out counter. Behind the counter, as she expected, was the librarian, sitting quietly in a chair. Chrystabelle smiled softly at the woman, gently rapping her knuckles against the surface to get her attention.
"Good morning, Beatrice," she said sweetly to the woman, greeting her by the name she'd appointed. The woman didn't answer, just staring blankly. Her ever present dark green cardigan made her similarly colored eyes stand out, and Chrystabelle longed for the day she'd see some sparkle of life in them. "I'm going to get some fresh air and go home now, alright? Don't worry, I cleaned up my mess. I hope you have a nice day," she told her sincerely, though Beatrice didn't appear to acknowledge. Clutching her wagon, she walked out the dark, feeling rejuvenated by the fresh air. Not quite ready to go home, she wandered the streets of Animus with no particular destination, taking in the familiar sights. She felt strangely content on a spiritual level, as if she was emitting some kind of warmth. An abrupt cool breeze ruffled her hair and skirt, almost as if to remind her she was alive and moving.
Blinking rapidly, she stopped walking, eyes quickly spotting a small congregation of people. She recognized some faces, but not all, and grinned at the chance to meet more residents of Animus. She quickly made her way towards the group, wagon squeaking slightly at her increased speed. "Hello everyone! Are you having a sidewalk party?" She asked eagerly.
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