dreamingflowers

Code Vein (Closed)

_{C H A P T E R T W O : MISTLE MISTERY}

THE CROW'S NEST

AMBIENCE

THE BRIDGE

---

^{February 24rd, 2057 | 08:46am}

Poppy watched the retreating backs of the Provisional Government agents. It was a similar scene to the morning prior. The difference being that Ionna was now walking between them, towards a new purpose and place to live, and the two agents that had arrived for the exchange that morning had been different from the last. One of them had been rather unremarkable in their features and seemed green around the gills. During the entire discussion, he'd kept mostly quiet and remained a step behind his associate, only moving when it was time to make the trade. The second was very obviously a Revenant. Pale skin and a deep red coloration of one of his eyes marked him as such, but the more striking feature was the severe scarring of his face. It was obvious that some extreme trauma he'd sustained had healed so grievously as to leave him grotesque and it was far too easy to dismiss him as nothing more than a man with ill intention. However, his natural charisma and pragmatic attitude painted him in a very different light and ended up doing most of the persuading.

The Commune was no place for a young girl. Children were the safest under the close watch of the government. There was little to no freedom but at least they were protected. Turning a child into a Revenant was cruel. Poppy didn’t agree with it. They would eventually mature into adults, but their bodies were trapped in time. Ionna should have never been allowed to exist as a Revenant but as one, and more importantly as a recently awoken child revenant, she was in better hands with the Provisional Government than theirs.

And it wasn't like other options weren't discussed or that their own competence as caretakers wasn't explored. The agent, who had introduced himself as Ducard, had also spent time expressing his admiration of the Commune and their skill. Retrieving the sample was by no means an easy task and the group's success was telling. Erik and Ajax specifically were met with some flattery as he shared how both of their skills were still widely acknowledged at headquarters. He was quite pleased to have finally met them. However, despite the worship, it was agreed upon that ultimately it was better this way.

After some final exchanges and a dodged question about the fate of the rest of the mistle, the two agents took their leave and Poppy watched them walk out of view. She looked at the companions to her side, gauging their reaction to Ionna’s departure. Erik and Ajax both had history with the Provisional Government. They knew where they were sending her off to.

Their commission was sitting inside two large wooden crates. Arguably more valuable was the mistle they recovered. It was decided to only hand in a sample. They didn’t tell them they uprooted the entire mistle from its original location. They would simply think it eventually died off.

Little did they know the Commune’s resident scientist was tinkering with the plant inside the safety of the Crow’s nest.

Some hours later....

Preparations for the karaoke night were in full swing. After their confrontation with the Tsar Bomba everyone had been knocked out cold, too tired to celebrate their victory. So they moved the party to the day after. Everyone took on a task, some out of their own volition, others were ordered to.

Against all expectations even Poppy had managed to free up some time from her relentless personal schedule to whip up a cake. It had actual sugar in it, berries, lemon peel and unlike everything else she normally cooked up, it tasted great. The cake was where her involvement ended. The medic had better things to do.

In the peaceful silence of the medical area she worked undisturbed, enjoying the stillness. The only sounds came from the distillation unit behind her. She was extracting essential oils from opium flowers and simultaneously making preparations for Amelia’s bed bath.

Young Justice

M E T A H U M A N Y O U T H C E N T E R

---

^{June 23th, 2021 | 14:08pm. | Taos, New Mexico}

The pool

It was relatively quiet at the pool for the time of day. A handful of teens were lounging around, having drinks and sunbathing. The only people in the pool were two girls who were chatting on a pink and purple floatie. They were laughing and pointing at one of the guys who dove into the pool to retrieve their sunken sunglasses.

The lifeguard sat on a lounge bed closest to the pool, most likely bored out of his skull. He was wearing sunglasses and staring at his phone. It didn’t look like he was particularly busy. It didn’t take him long to notice the new arrival among the regulars. A guy with aggressively dyed blonde hair and hot pink swimming shorts. Zach cannon balled into the pool which made him smirk.

He zoomed in on Zach and snapped a picture before making his way over to him.
“Hey blondie, want me to get your back for you?”

The lifeguard had a cocky attitude about him. He picked up a bottle of sunblock and played around with it, throwing it up over his head and catching it behind his back. He lifted up his sunglasses and smiled.

The gym

Charlie was nearly finished with his first set of chest exercises, he wiped some sweat from his forehead and took a breather. He grabbed the bottle of water beside him and glugged it down. It was way too hot for this crap. He dried off his face with his tank top. This gym session was forced on him and he came half prepared. Only for the moron not to show up. Thiago could be such an asshole sometimes.

He got up from his seat to stretch. A weird looking guy entered the gym. He was giving heavy grease lightning vibes and didn’t look at all like he had any business working out. Charlie was sure he did though, likely when he wasn’t parading around dressed like John Travolta. The guy was built solid. It was annoying. Charlie didn’t feel like finishing up his set and he walked up to the new guy.

“Hey dude, do you need to borrow some workout clothes or something?”

The Cafeteria

Upon entering the cafeteria, Aleen'a would be met with the sight of various teenagers seated at tables. Some tables were nearly filled up, while others had no more than two people sharing a meal and conversation.

“Gotta love Nacho Day!” A passing teen said aloud amongst his group of friends. The group was on their way to the longer line in the cafeteria serving nachos with a station for toppings and condiments beyond the front of the line. Other food options were available of course but not quite as popular today. Just as Aleen'a absorbed all before her eyes, a voice of intrigue addressed her from behind.

“Whoa… I mean, hi! You're just really tall. I mean that's not a bad thing but it's… cool? I'm sorry if that's offensive or anything. I just… I just have a hard time breaking the ice with new people and… and I'm talking way too much.” She frowned before she simply decided to just stick to the basics. “What I mean to say is… Hi, my name is Cecile and I haven't seen you around here before. When'd you get here?”

Code Vein (Closed)

Location: Ruined City outskirts
Interactions: Vincent, everyone

---

Poppy ignored Cerise's offer to explore the remains of the music store. She didn't want to leave the mistle out of her sight, considering all of the trouble they went through to get it. The Sidhe watched Vincent approach, unmoving from her spot. Her green eyes narrowed slightly. She moved the mistle carefully, setting it further away from Vincent.
"Think this is the first time I got to chat with you since I joined up,"

Poppy stared ahead at the building across of Vincent and her. For a couple of seconds there was the pull to go and search, making her restless. Sometimes she still believed he could simply pop up around any corner. Explore some unassuming place and stumble on a vital clue. Other times she recognized her foolishness and stopped searching for what wasn't there. Walk a fine line between hope and despair. It was something she had to learn to live with. The result of having deeply cared for someone.

After about a minute of silence she spoke to Vincent. She kept looking at the other side of the street, instead of turning her face towards him.
"I guess it is. The Commune's been together for a long time. Since you're new, here's a piece of advice. If you plan to keep up your reckless attitude, don't become too close to any of them."

The medic didn't want someone to disturb the fragile emotional health of the group, by first building a relationship and disappearing shortly after.

Poppy got up from her seat and made eye contact with Vincent for a couple of seconds. She didn't say anything and moved towards the music store. The box with the mistle was cradled in her arms like a baby wrapped in a cloth.
"Come on everyone, we need to head back. It's getting dark."

As per usual it wasn't a suggestion but rather a declaration.

Young Justice

_{E P I S O D E FIVE : G R O W I N G P A I N S}

BLENDING IN

SOUNDTRACK

M E T A H U M A N Y O U T H C E N T E R

---

^{June 23th, 2021 | 13:02pm. | Taos, New Mexico}

The Team arrived a couple of streets down from the Metahuman Youth Center. The Zeta Tube port was located in an unassuming clay brick house, one of many in Tao. It served as the perfect disguise. A short fifteen minute walk in the hot afternoon sun got them to where they needed to be. The Youth Center looked like an ill fit in the picturesque town. A hulking grey stone infrastructure, beating out most other buildings in size. Upon entering it was obvious the complex was founded by some serious money. Air conditioned halls drove off the stifling heat. Subtle influences of Taos could be spotted in the decor. Local artistry lined the walls and surrounding rooms. It gave the inside a bit of warmth and charm in an otherwise mostly aseptic environment.

They were instructed to wait for their contact to arrive. Thiago, a seventeen year old meta-human who'd been living at the center for roughly eleven months. He knew his way around the place, and had eyes and ears on the meta's inside. Though he had a reputation of being flaky, hot headed and loud mouthed. A good thirty minutes passed. The fire manipulating meta-human was nowhere to be found.

A presumed employee passed by the Team for the third time, finally addressing the group.
"Good afternoon folks. You're probably waiting on a tour of the place. I heard you all would be staying here a while and I must say, you're more than welcome here! I'm willing to bet Thiago is hauled up somewhere else."

"You know, the guy who was supposed to give you a tour. You'll know him when you see him, usually trash talking his friends with flames coming out of his ears.”

"Oh by the way, my name is Tomás . I work as one of the event coordinators for the center."

The Team got a tour of the facilities around the Youth Center which included a pool, a gym, gaming area, cafeteria, basketball court and a large library and garden. After the tour they were left with directions to get some lunch. Without any leads from their contact they would have to figure out their next step on their own.

Code Vein (Closed)

_{C H A P T E R O N E : A NEW DAY}

THE RUINED CITY

AMBIENCE

INNER CITY

---

^{February 23rd, 2057 | 16:57pm}

The members of the Commune were hauled up on the side of a street after a harrowing escape from the Tsar Bomba. Their improvised but impeccable teamwork allowed them to complete the objective with minimal casualties. It was a testament to the trust they had in each others skills. A select few had entered inside a broken-down building, it's original purpose barely identifiable. Others remained vigilant outside, fighting the post battle exhaustion best they could.

Poppy was perched on the remains of a busstop. She sat with her back against the glass, her eyes were closed, shawl wrapped around her like a blanket. The Sidhe appeared unposed, but was acutely aware of her surroundings. Next to her sat a makeshift box, containing the mistle, secured in a handful of soil.

Young Justice

Location: Base of Mount Justice --> Greenhouse
Interactions: Martian Manhunter, Hex

---

Cain pulled up at the base of Mount Justice. He turned off the motor and waited, staring at the entrance. He gripped the steering wheel tight and his knuckles turned white. He felt the same mix of apprehension, adrenaline and fear he did before entering a flaming building. They told him what happened last. His dad lied about it for three days. The only reason he couldn't keep it up was because of her birthday. Daphne wouldn't just disappear on her birthday. The guys back at his station told him to leave mid shift. At first he wanted to go to Gotham University, confront his dad, punch him in the face. Ask him what the hell he'd done. While he was driving he realized his sister needed him more.

He sighed, running a hand across his tired face. Cain exited the car and walked over to the entrance where J'onn was waiting for him.
"Morning J'onn...." His voice cracked, both with dryness and the emotion he was trying to push down. The Martian Manhunter put a sympathetic hand on the young firefighter's shoulder. They didn't speak much on the way to the Greenhouse. With every step Cain felt worse.

The pair entered the improvised greenhouse. It was the size of a small garden shed, made of glass. Potted plants were whimsically arranged in the remaining space around Daphne. Cain stared at his sister, feeling a mixed bag of feelings. Mostly anger.
“I told you not to go Daph, Dad’s career isn’t your responsibility”

He didn’t talk, not even when the Martian Manhunter left. Cain’s face was set in a hard expression. He sighed loudly and softened up a little.They told him they weren’t sure if she could hear him.
“Hey Daph…..happy birthday sis…”
He rubbed the back of his neck. Cain looked at her serene face, searching for any hint of recognition. There wasn’t any. He sighed again and continued his side of the conversation.

“I fixed up your car with the guys back at the shop, worked out the dents, cleaned up the paint. Even added a bunch of flowers on the doors, made it look real nice. So it’s ready for your next accident.”

“You’re really a shit driver Daph” He laughed. The sound was hollow. Cain cleared his throat and noticed someone sitting next to Daphne. He didn’t see it before, a scrawny weird kid bundled up on the floor.

“Who the fuck are you??”

Code Vein (Closed)

Location: Ruined City inner city
Interactions: Team Mistle, Ajax

---

Poppy followed the events unfolding from higher up, her eyes shifting from one place to the next. She surveyed the area, flitting between buildings. The unmistakable and terrifying roar of a Tsar Bomba came at her. It instantly sent shivers through her body, skin prickling and senses on high alert. The Sidhe steadied herself on a ledge and relaxed her wings.
"A Tsar Bomba....."

"If it explodes it will destroy all of us."
The safest plan would be to retreat, sample or not. Poppy didn't want any of them to die. She soon realized that plan was no longer an option. It was moving towards them at an alarming pace. Fear spread through her in a way she hadn't felt in years. She started to breathe faster, her chest heaving, the onset of a panic attack. Poppy opened the sides of her mask with trembling hands, allowing more air to fit through. At the same time she upped the oxygen supply to compensate for the small amount of pollution in the air. Spores escaped immediately, sticking to area around her. The fear exponentially increased the speed of their growth. A trail of red flowers sprouted from the broken ledge.

Erik's question snapped her out of it. She closed her mask and took back control over her fear. She rose up into the sky narrowly dodging a swooping tentacle. It was much closer than any of them had realized. The medic stood face to face with the immense creature and she could only think of one thing. She raced back down towards her group.
"RUN!!!"

The buildings around them trembled, the movement of the Tsar Bomba reverberating through the entire block. The shaking off the fragile buildings created dangerous pathways. Stone and metal parts came crashing down from up high. It forced Poppy to take her eyes off of the team below and ensure she wouldn't get hit by the flying debris. She decided to gain more altitude to get a read on the position of the Tsar Bomba. It was being attacked by Lysandra's drones and in the distance she heard the unmistakable sound of Cerise firing Lariat.

Poppy caught on to what they were doing. She cast one pained glance at her allies below an rushed to cover the distance to the other half of the Commune. She crash landed next to Lysandra and Ajax, forgetting her ankle was injured. Poppy drew in a sharp breath at the pain and took a minute to catch her breath. She steadied herself on Ajax's shoulder, looking at him with both fear and determination.
"We need to distract it. We can't let it get to the others."

With no time to waste Poppy immediately got back into the air and fired her crossbow at the same spots Lysandra's drones were aiming for. She kept shooting and reloading and was quickly running out of ammunition.

Young Justice

Location: Communications complex
Interactions: The Team

---

The Martian Manhunter watched the Team react to Daphne's state. It was obvious his protege was a loved member of this Team. He'd hoped she would settle in well. During their mentorship, he learned Daphne’s home life had become unstable. The emergence of her powers awakened an obsessive scholarly desire in her father. On the outside, they looked like any regular family. A single dad, always working, the older brother watching out for his younger sister in high school.

At first glance it looked like Mr. Hall only cared about his career, using Daphne’s meta-human powers as the genesis for his research publication. It was also a reason to spend time together. When he began to dig deeper he could see the dysfunctional family dynamics. The Martian uncovered that Mr. Hall carried a great deal of regret in one of his many conversations with Daphne. He wanted to make up for lost time and reconnect with the teen girl, whom he realized he barely knew. In turn, Daphne wanted to help him with his publication. It could possibly be the breakthrough he’d been chasing after for years. She hoped after writing the publication he’d spend less time working.

The Martian was proud of the way she put herself out there during missions. Always with a healthy dose of very real fear. It took courage to put that aside and take on the mantle of a hero.

“Promise you’ll get me back if it takes over again. Please get me back….”

He stared at the dark corners of the communications complex, a single tear falling from his deep-set eyes.

“Martian Manhunter, is there any other correspondence between the missing teenagers. Metahuman powers, physique, hair color, hobbies?”

Viktor drew him from his mind back into the present. He looked at the stoic hero, taking his time to gather his thoughts before answering. A good minute and a half passed before he answered Viktor.
“There don’t seem to be many unifying qualities, apart from their age and gender. There is no correlation between their meta-human powers. Each victim was reported to be athletically inclined, but the similarities are negligible. You will have to do more reconnaissance on site."

The Martian Manhunter explained to the Team they had another five hours to prepare and rest, before traveling by zeta to New Mexico. He finally dismissed the Team, taking Daphne with him to relocate her to the improvised greenhouse located on the base level.

Code Vein (Closed)

Location: Ruined City inner city
Interactions: Erik

---

The air was colder, with the sun having passed its highest point. Goosebumps spread across her exposed shoulders. She looked down at the group below, to Dalas. He needed her shawl more than she did right now. She shook off the cold and flapped her wings a bit faster, trying to get warm that way. Being up in the air by herself helped her clear her mind. Poppy breathed in and out slowly. The events of a few hours ago replayed in her minds eye.

She failed to spot the infernal, it was a mistake. Dwelling on it was not going to help. It was more useful to focus on the here and now. They managed to pull through. There was something that still bothered her however. Akaia's reaction was predictable. The Sidhe cared intensely about her, maybe too much. It unsettled Poppy, more than she let on. While in mid-flight the fairy crossed paths with the animal familiar of the Sidhe in question. She looked at Licorice, its beady eyes stared back at her.

"How can I make her stop?"

Her involvement with the Commune was temporary, it always had been, right from the very start. Even after many years Poppy was still chasing after her old life. Her life with him. Caring about someone else felt like she was giving up. Sometimes it was lonely, painful even. The heaviness of melancholy was slowly creeping up on her. Airborne solitude would only make the gloom stick to her like the miasma.

Poppy knew where to go with this. There was something, or rather someone, who surprisingly managed to chase off her gloom on occasion. She went down between the buildings, hovering in place next to Erik.

"I suggest we turn left after we cross through this street. The others are going into the opposite direction. We'll cover more ground that way"

Post deletion request

Hi ^.^

I wanted to ask if any of the moderators could remove a post from my thread.
roleplayerguild.com/posts/5333633

Many thanks!!
xxx