Lady Absinthia

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

@Therealslayer @Nallore @Sigil @Morose @ONL @Rivaan @Caits @FantasyChic


Okay peeps all TWD posts have been moved over from SI to RPG. Now that that is taken care of - here are the current counters for TWD...

Lady A - 1
Sigil - 5
Morose - 2
Cases - Day 1 of 10

Okay, you are clear to start posting here. From here on out, post here on RPG first and then copy and past it over to SI please. (Code here!!!! Seriously! SI changes the code so if you code there you are in for a world of headaches! Code and post here FIRST, then past on SI.)

🧚🏻‍♀️ The Walking Dead - Year 6 Part 1

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Amelia, Raymond, & Samira

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Location: Church southeast of Newnan
Skills: Stealth (X3), Athletics (X3)

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Raymond wasn't going to say no to any help, he was getting tired a bit from all of the running that they have been doing since Newnan had fallen. He looked towards Sam when she asked if they had a plan, he wasn't sure about the plans at the moment. "When we get somewhere safe and able to rest we can discuss that then." Ray said, right now all he really cared about was getting to a safe location as soon as they could. Raymond then gently patted the pack that he had. "Hopefully there is a bugout plan in here and we can work off of that."

As he continued to remain alert Ray looked around for the walkers that were nearby, he was hoping that they would still be able to keep their distance. Ray was also nervous that he could end up slowing down both Amelia and the newcomer. But he kept those thoughts to himself, he just remained focused on what was ahead of him and what else was around them as well.

Helping Ray was starting to get harder on Amelia. She just barely avoided tripping and pulling him with her. She kept him up alright, but her own mobility right now was suffering. The energy and vigor from earlier was suddenly sapped as if by a force divine as just moving was harder. The grace to avoid making sounds was also gone as every step she made turned into a noise be it from snapping branches under her every step. The attention of the walkers was pulled.

“Dammit...” She mumbled, still struggling as they moved. This is now how she wanted to go.'NO!' She screamed in her mind. This is not where they'd die dammit. They had to make it out and fast. She tried to calculate how much time they had till the walkers reached them, but it was impossible. She found herself overwhelmed by the variables. This is what she got for neglecting math the apocalypse happened." If we are lucky we might be able to juke them around those houses in front of us... maybe. If they don't reach us by then that is."

"Sure thing Chief," Sam replied with a small smile. They look exhausted, hell, I'm getting exhausted. Probably isn't the best time for idle chatter. Sam looked around and an idea sprang in her mind, she turned to Ray and Amelia "Hold on, I'll be right back." Sam left Ray's side for the moment being as she moved ahead and searched the ground for something useful for Ray. She grinned as she spotted a large piece of wood half leaning up against one of the trees. She approached it and picked it up, the mud and melting rain colored her hands black, but the piece seemed sturdy enough. She'll only know just how sturdy it is when Ray will add his weight to it, but Sam was hopeful as usual.

Sam turned toward the pair when she heard a crack that startled her, shit! Sam was an optimist but there's no way they could ever outrun that horde and Sam only has about two dozen shotgun shells left - She didn't know how equipped her new friends were. Not to mention the sounds of weapons firing would attract more to their location, they needed to find a way to sneak past them and fast.

Sam made her way back to the pair and offered Ray the makeshift walking stick: "Here, this will help. And it'll give Red a bit of rest. I can scout ahead to clear the path." Sam paused and looked back over her shoulder, her heartbeat increased as adrenaline started to make its way through her system. She spotted the houses Amelia was talking about and nodded when she turned back to her. With a lowered voice she asked them: "Great, sounds like a plan." Sam could clear a path for them, move some logs around and go around hills. If they do this slowly and quietly, they could make it without alerting those walkers.

Raymond looked as he watched Sam running off to grab something, he wasnt sure if he could trust her just yet or not, she just happened to appear near Newnan when shit went down. But he decided for now to keep his thoughts to himself, right now wasn't really the time to think about it. There was a herd of walkers nearby and they would certainly be on them if they remained still, Ray gave Amelia a nod losing them if they attempted to go past the buildings would probably be good.

A few seconds later Sam came back with a stick, he was grateful for her help, but still wasn't that convinced just yet if she was from Eden or not. "Thank you." Raymond said and accepted the stick, he had lost the crutch somewhere in the chaos Ray then shifted his weight somewhat more on the stick while still clinging onto Amelia. "Lets keep moving." Ray said taking a deep breath as he followed Amelia's lead.

It wasn't working well. Amelia's strength was more or less spend at this point. Moving was hard, helping Ray was even harder. Not to mention the mental fatigue and stress that accumulated by everything that transpired. It was hard to focus. She was making mistakes left and right as she did so. Making noise, attracting attention to them.” I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...” She mumbled to Ray, trying to keep calm, but failing.” I'm... attracting them now...” In her mind though, she knew she was tired, despite the fact she was trying to continue.' So tired... just a little more. Till we get away... please.'

Sam had moved ahead of the pair, the path they were currently on wasn't going to cause them any problem - well, any more problems than they already faced. She thought that it would be safer if they stuck together, and as she moved back towards them Sam could clearly see the exhaustion on Amelia's face. "Path's clear," she paused and then added: "for now." Sam watched Amelia struggle with the task, with good reason. She didn't know how long she had been carrying Ray, but it was clear it had taken its toll on the woman. "Hey, why don't you take a break? I'll take him for a bit."

"How you holding up Chief?" Sam supported Ray as they covered a lot of ground; she didn't know where this renewed vigor came from but she was happy her body was finally cooperating with her. Sam checked on Amelia and noticed she was trailing behind them. Damn, I hope this place is not much farther. She needs to rest and eat. Well, we all do, Sam thought as her stomach grumbled and her lungs burned but she could see the road ahead and it fueled her fire even more. "Nothin' like a good hike to get that heart pumping, am I right?" Sam joked, though it was sarcastic through and through. For the first time in a while, she could only dream of the moment she could rest her legs.

The muscles in her legs burned, but she didn't let that slow her down and were able to reach the road quickly. Sam had no idea where they were, all she knew was that they were north of Miami. She would have to rely on her companions to guide them where they wanted to go.

Raymond looked over at Amelia he was getting worried about her, she was tired and worn out more because of him he thought about just letting them go on ahead of him. "Tired I guess." Raymond said hearing Amelia's groans they were drawing the attention of the walkers towards her. Looking over at Sam. His leg felt like it was on fire still he wanted to press forward the walkers were slowly getting closer towards them. "It's more like hopping on one leg constantly then a hike." Raymond said jokingly.

He could see the road now they just needed to continue forward, looking over at Amelia with a concerned look on his face. "If they get to close, just save her i'm slowing you guys down." Raymond said softly, he thought about Tiffany and hoped she was still alright, he wanted to live but he didn't want these two to die because of him.

Amelia was currently behind Sam and Ray. She just couldn't keep up with them right now. Her fatigue was showing, but now that Ray was no longer weighting her down, she appeared to be at least faring better than earlier. Her movement was steady and she wasn't making as much noise anymore. In fact she was almost willing to say she was making just the ordinary amount now by walking, but that didn't mean the zombies she attracted earlier were no longer after her, to have her for a juicy snack.' I want to see Riley!' She thought, focusing on that singular desire to keep her going.

Sam chuckled at Ray, she wondered how it happened but she knew better than to ask. Besides, it wasn't important. Sam thought he was lucky to have survived the injury, especially if it happened post-outbreak. She didn't know how many surgeons there were these days, but Sam figured it was probably close to how many firefighters there were. She frowned at his last statement, "the only thing that needs saving is your optimism, friend." We'll get through this, Sam thought decisively.

As she continued to exert herself, her stomach started to grumble embarrassingly loud. Sam hadn't eaten in a while but she knew the last thing she had wasn't exactly fresh. Dammit, I know I should have had my power bar instead of that burrito. Her stomach started to hurt more and more as she started to sweat a little more than she already was. The jolts of pain came in waves and valiantly fought her own bowel movements, but it became harder and harder with each step she took. She was even reciting the Lord's Prayer, but nothing worked. It had to get out, she feared she may explode if it didn't and God only knows what farting inside of yourself does.

Sam tried the slow release technique, but it came out as a full force blast that was almost as loud as her shotgun. Some of the walkers diverted their broken bodies towards them. Okay, I'm ready to die. It can't get any worse than this. At least she didn't shit herself. That's a plus, right? Right. The smell hit her quick and swift, even she knew it would be too much for someone else's poor nostrils to inhale.

Raymond looked towards Sam at her comment and smiled slightly shaking his head, it was hard to be optimistic when you watched your home for the last several months get destroyed in front of you. And having to worry if someone you loved going missing in all of the chaos that happened shortly after. "Kind of hard to be when you watch everything around you fall into a massive sinkhole." Raymond said, then he noticed as Sam started to slow down somewhat looking over at Amelia a few feet behind them worried that she was lagging behind.

Ray then froze for a moment as he heard the loud sound coming from Sam, and then shortly after that the nasty ass smell that came from the fart. Raymond felt his stomach starting to feel twisted and knotted at the scent, as he leaned forward and turning his head slightly towards Sam. Releasing all of what he had eaten earlier in the day, hitting Sam on the shirt, pants and shoes. Groaning slightly as he whipped his nose and mouth away of snot and drool from it feeling completely embarrassed about what he had just done.

Amelia found herself catching up to Sam and Ray to her joy. She was sadly thinking of just going out with a bang if she couldn't escape. Maybe draw the walkers attention so they don't chase down the other two, but luckily such grim thoughts weren't a thing she was ready to do just yet. It had to be a situation where death was certain anyways.

Still the fact she was catching up fast was good, she made some noise, but nothing overly big. What was not as good was the wall of stench of decay that hit her face as she got closer to their previous spot. It made her stomach want to turn inside out right away, but miraculously she held it in! 'Dear god...' She thought, pressing her sleeve to her mouth and nose.

Nallore, Rivaan, The Real Slayer

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Ashton, Riley, Niesha

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Location: The Hordebuster
Skills: N/A

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Objectively, the concept of putting space between them and the crater that was Newnan was a good idea. He even had a destination in mind; one of the established bugout points north of them. The death throes of the once populated city were already drawing in the Dead, and it was only a matter of time before the living came to pick over the bones of their deceased home. Ash also considered it a matter of time, and likely a very short time, until the terrorists from Eden decided to start hunting down anyone who managed to get out alive. For this, Ash was thankful that Thana and the others were on their way to give them some hell. Even if all they did was harass them, it would buy the survivors needed time. Thana's safety was still heavily on Ash's mind. Perhaps that is why he did what he did.

The Hordebuster blew through another walking corpse, this one exploding so spectacularly that part of it painted the windshield and safety bars atop. Without warning, Ash stomped on the brakes, bringing them to a shuddering, skidding halt just before the intersection with the highway. Ash was wide-eyed and close to hyperventilating as he managed to finally get out, "Jesus Fucking Christ, that was Thana!". Clumsily, he fumbled for the lock and door handle, apparently uncaring of the danger outside the vehicle.

Niesha flinched as the a walker exploded on the windshield, raising her hands up slightly, even though she knew that it could not hit her. She let out a soft sight, but was soon throwing her arms out to stop herself from hitting something as Ash slammed on the breaks. Looking about for whatever had caused Ash to stop- and now freak out she sure- Niesha frowned. They'd just hit a walker, hadn't they?

As Ash fumbled with the lock, Niesha reached out to yank him back, his shout causing her to believe he wasn't as stable as he seemed. "ASH!" Niesha shouted, her shout louder then she intended especially inside the enclosed space, "It wasn't Thana! It was too dead for a fresh corpse! Thana is fine! ASH!" she thought about hitting him over the head, but was a little hesitant to do so. "RILEY! HELP"

Riley jumped slightly when she heard a thud on the hordebuster she saw the bits and remains of a walker that was there, then she suddenly gripped the sides of the seat. Ashton was stopping in the middle of the road, and saw him trying to reach for the door Riley nodded towards Niesha and then tried to help pull Ashton back. "Ashton calm the fuck down, it was just a regular damn Walker it wasn't Thana!" Riley said. Riley looked towards Niesha, and then started to wonder if she should actually start to drive herself, and let Ashton cool down, and if he freaked out again she would smack him if she had to.

Ash's mind, meanwhile, was struggling for a sense of what was accurate and grounded in reality. He knew that something wasn't right, but he was fairly damned certain that he just partially liquefied his Thana. His eyes were still wide, face splattered with a look of uncertainty, and breathing at a rate that threatened unconsciousness if he persisted. His left hand still moved awkwardly at the door, blindly trying to locate and disengage the lock. His eyes were directed at Niesha in the passenger's seat even as hands attempted to keep him from exiting his truck. Ash knew what he saw, thought he was certain of it, but the barest thread of confusion prevented him from acting upon it with absolute clarity. "...i saw her. I killed her. She's dead..."

Niesha shook her head, swallowing back emotions that wanted to spew out. Right then, it wouldn't do any of them any good. "No, Ash... you didn't. It's what ever has fucked with our minds, you didn't kill her. She's alive." She hoped that was true, but right then, she had to break through that confusion, "Ash. I promise you, that wasn't her. On my own life, it wasn't her! You can't go out there, you'll die and then you won't be able to see her again!" A strange thought entered Niesha's mind.

What if that was what the... visions were about? Chloe had had a gun to her head... Ravi had thought he had a razor going to his neck... And if Niesha had followed Sophia, would she have found her death? Guilt over not following her still twisted Niesha's heart, but it had been the right decision at the time. And now this... But what could do that to them? "Please Ash... "

Riley groaned slightly and stared Ashton down as he awkwardly kept trying to fumble with the lock on the door to the Hordebuster. "Get a fucking hold of yourself Captain Tight Ass, that was not fucking Thana out there!" As far as Riley knew she was still alive wherever she was. "There is a damn horde right behind us, if you get out we fucking die, and if we don't continue moving soon we fucking die!" She saw her sister kill herself right in front of her, and then Ravi getting killed she didn't want to see Niesha, or Ashton get torn up by a herd of walkers, or herself. Riley wasn't sure if she was even getting through to him at this point.

Ash's clumsy attempts to unlock the door slowed. This was progress, though possibly not fast enough progress considering that the Dead trailing the Hordebuster had begun to catch up. The first few were already laying decomposing hands upon the body of the vehicle; their groans could be heard through the protection of steel and tempered glass as they shambled up to the sides and attempted in vain to pry inside to get the juicy nuggets of peoplemeat within. The look of loss and confusion stayed on his face, but his words of protest slowed considerably. "No. I don't... just no." Ash saw what he saw. Then why wasn't he acting on it? At that moment, his desire to leave the safety of the 'Buster was just about even with his responsibility to what remained of his people. He stood upon a knife's edge of decision, unsure as to which would win out.

Niesha weighed the different options. It was unlikely that Riley and herself would be able to hold Ash back for long, especially not when he was in such a crazed state. She hurried went through the options. Knock him out? But what if they were overwhelmed, had to make a break for it? Neither she nor Riley could carry him, and they couldn’t do it together for long. Especially if they were surrounded by walkers. It was clear that they needed to do something however.

Hopefully, whatever "something" was, whether it was a break of realization by Ash or outside intervention, it would have to happen soon. Ash's mental and emotional condition was getting worse. He could clearly see a neatly decapitated head on the hood of the Hordebuster; it belonged to a woman with dark hair and fair skin. Piercing blue eyes bored into him as it spoke directly to Ash with a familiar voice that only he could hear: "Ash whys you go be doin' this shit to me? I mean, I wasn't all that bad was I? Sure I did me some shit but I be keeping Dick in tow, I did good fer yous peeps. Just because you be gettin' it on with me sister and she gots a corncobs up her ass doesn't mean yous gotta takes me out like this..."

Ash's eyes focused on Zoie's head. His own tilted to the side, mimicking a confused German Shepherd in appearance. His mouth opened slightly as if to respond to the severed head on the hood, only to be cut off by another voice originating from the same source. "Ash... you got us confused.... It wasn't her, it was me you got..."

Niesha decided that getting in trouble was a shit ton better than Ash getting eaten by walkers, and opening that door. Shifting so she could do the move justice, Niesha raised her hand and brought it down in a slap, the sound on impact somewhat satisfying, at least to her. ”Pull yourself together, Ash! You damn well know that a fresh corpse wouldn’t go splat like that!” She decided the time for subtle was over.

His face didn't flinch in the least as the slap landed. Ash just remained sitting and staring like a piece of meat, either unaware of the pain or welcoming it. Inside, he knew logically what had happened. Something began to come together in his mind. He just couldn't physically react to Niesha's attempt to help.

Without warning, tears stung her eyes and she cursed. ”It wasn’t Thana, Ash. It’s all in your head… Just… Just like it wasn’t real that I saw Sophia… please Ash… snap out of it. I know how hard it is.” Her voice shook slightly with the emotion it held, and fell into a soft whisper.

”I don’t want to die today.” The words slipped out, and she suddenly realized the truth to them. She didn’t want to die. ”So I damn well will slap you silly if I have to, and tie you up to keep us all alive.” What she’d use to do so, Niesha didn’t know. But she didn’t think Ash was in a sound mind to realize that.

Riley turned her head as she could hear the groans of the walkers getting louder, and then she could hear their undead hands hitting against the doors and glass of the Buster. Her heart started to race as panic started to set in, and Ashton was still dead set on trying to unlock the doors and get to his non existent girlfriend who wasn't there. Then Riley heard a slap looking at Niesha surprised that she actually hit him. "Ash don't you fucking dare open that door I will punch you the fuck out if I have to!" Riley yelled towards him, as she contemplated on if she should even attempt to knock the man out if he continued to attempt with the door again.

Riley looked towards Niesha for a moment. "If Ashton doesn't snap out of it, and he opens the door get back here as quickly as you can." Riley didn't want to die today either, she wanted to live for as long as she could. Riley went back to thinking as she thought about just knocking him out again and taking the wheel herself and drive as far away as she could.

The voices in the cab of the Hordebuster rattled around in Ash's head, snippets and snatches of the vocalizations of the two women with him. "...it's all in your head... ...wasn't real... ...don't you fucking dare open..." Finally, "I don't want to die today." He began to truly hear the sounds of the Dead outside of his truck, keying into his base instincts for survival. The head on the hood was still there, still looking at him, but a modicum of clarity hit. Single tears came from each of his eyes, subtle as the moisture necessary to remove a film of dust from them. Quietly at first, "...i'm seeing things." then with a little more strength, "I'm seeing things." He looked to Niesha, whose handprint he wore in swelling rouge across his face, beaming grateful tenderness. "Thank you." Ash was still a little disconnected, but he knew where his responsibility lay. He had to get them out of there. Now.

Niesha let out a relieved breath. She hadn't thought much beyond the basic "Someone freaking out, slap them". If she had, she might have thought she'd get in trouble. "How often does one get to slap a superior without repercussions?" She said, trying to make light of the situation. "What say we bust through this hoard? I promise, I'll let you know if what you see is real or not." Which might not be the best idea, but she hadn't been seeing or hearing things in a while, so she figured she was out of that danger. "We all good?"

Riley leaned forward resting her head against the back of Niesha's seat for a moment and looked towards Ashton when he finally started to get some sense into him now. The slap seemed to get Ashton back on track for now at least looking at the walker that was still on the hood for a moment then turned to look at Niesha. "Probably not that often." Riley said lightly joking she was still on edge, she was still worried about Ashton's mental state more then her own at the moment. "we just need to keep moving forward"

Nodding at Riley's assessment of the situation, Ash brought the Hordebuster into gear and put his mind into a determined place. Deep within himself, he felt clarity wash over his beaten psyche, strengthening it, reinforcing his sense of self and his awareness of the world around him. You're back, Captain. Good. Tend to your people. This is your duty. Excellent. In a baffling twist of irony, Ash could tell his mind was back because he could clearly hear the voice in his head tell him so. Such was the dilemma of being Captain Ashton J. Holloway. The good news was that this voice in his head looked out for him, more or less. Kept him on task. Was recognizably part of him.

Ash leaned onto the gas pedal of the great, modified dump truck known as the Hordebuster. In just a moment, they would be across the highway and leaving this group of dead people behind them, en route to the bugout point to regroup before the push to Zebulon. Unfortunately, the truck had other ideas. Instead of roaring forward and blowing past the dangers around them, it shuddered once and rolled backward, nailing the curb and halting. "...damnit." growled Ash. The gear had slipped into reverse, pitching them into the embankment. Not ideal, but fixable. He shifted gears and gently pushed the gas, only to hear a responding sound of tires spinning in mud. The Dead could also be heard shambling toward the Buster, making their position even less ideal.

"Shit." It seemed a fitting thing to say.

"I concur." Niesha replied wearily, leaning back in her seat and closing her eyes. Why did everything seem to be against them today? She tried to think what they could do, with the dead crowding them. They could stay, but how long until the horde grew strong enough to break through the buster? She didn't want to try and find out.

"I suppose we should clear the horde, then try to push the buster out?" There didn't seem to be any question about leaving the Buster- that was probably going to be the only thing that would keep them alive.
Riley felt the buster lunge backwards onto a curb, looking over her shoulder for a moment as she could hear the tires getting stuck in the mud. Really things aren't getting any better as Riley turned her head to look between Ashton and Niesha hearing her suggestion on clearing out the horde that was behind them, then trying to push it out. It was really risky Riley could hear the walkers outside, she wasn't sure what to actually do. "Is there a way to get out onto the top and clear them out without having to get onto the ground?" Riley asked, looking towards Ashton, since it was his ride after all.

Sigil, Nallore, Caits

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Tiffany Lyle and Jack Hudson

Location: Walking Towards Arnco Mills

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With all the chaos from the destruction of Newnan and losing Tatiana, Jack didn't even think twice as he reached for his gun, a Colt M1911, instead of his knife. Pulling his gun, he barely had time to aim as he fired off a shot towards the walkers in front of him. From his position on the ground, it was a miracle he even got a shot off - and not altogether too surprising when it missed. The bullet didn't hit the walkers - or Tiffany, for that matter.

However, it gave him enough of an edge that he managed to shove the two walkers back, scrambling out from underneath them and to his feet.

Tiffany looked over to see Jack still on the ground. She then turned her attention back on to the oncoming zombie. It was then she heard the gunshot. Thankfully, it had missed her, but it also missed any of the walkers. Jack was on his feet now though, which was a good thing. But she wished he'd taken the time to aim.

Her walker was getting nearer and Tiffany knew she had to end this now if she wanted to help Jack. So as the walker inched closer, she jumped forward, diving her knife into the walker's briain. She could see the small struggle, but she pulled it out quickly, ending whatever hope the creature had at living. She kicked it down as it flopped to the ground.

She then turned her attention to the two on Jack. They needed to get moving soon or the rest of the horde would be on them.

Jack needed to get back into the habit of counting his ammunition. He fired his pistol twice, attempting to take out the two walkers in front of him. With the first shot, he missed the walker completely. Maybe it was nerves, maybe it was an after effect of the hallucinations - he didn't know and he didn't stop to think it through. He hit his second target, however, dead on. The walker dropped down to the ground, leaving just one. "I'm down three, gonna use the knife now," Jack explained quickly. He didn't want to waste anymore ammunition if he could help it - not with his 33% success rate today.

Tiffany was thankful Jack's aim was more or less all right as he managed to take down one of the walkers, but he was no down three bullets. They had precious little to spare, especially considering her gun and bow were now in what was once Newnan. She ran up behind the walker and plunged her knife deep into the back of it's skull. She whipped it out, sending some chunks to the ground before it dropped.

"Why don't I take care of that." She said as she dropped it. She put her knife away as she scanned the surrounding area. Surely they drew more attention to themselves. "We should leave before more come on us. We need to get to wherever we are going and soon."

"The Mills - it's one of the bug out spots," Jack said, grateful that Tiffany had gotten the last of the walkers. He didn't want to risk taking another shortcut and decided the best choice would be to head west - there was a lot of snow over on the road, snow that they could use as cover from any more walkers that turned up. Using all of his survival skills, Jack expertly ninja'ed his way over to the road, ducking for cover as needed and somehow avoiding any additional walkers coming his way.

Tiffany never considered herself a sneaky person. In fact, she remembered a time when she tried to be. It was during her rebellious years when she walked into a convenience store and tried to steal make-up. She felt so daring at the time, but she was also incredibly nervous. She remembered picking the lip gloss and putting it in her pocket, turning around, and colliding smack into the sunglass display, knocking it all over. She, sprawled on the floor, trying desperately to get out of there, but all of those around her running up to see if she was ok.

She never stole anything again.

And much like that time, this didn't go as planned. As she took a trip down memory lane, she forgot where she was. Jack had already walked plenty ahead of her. In that instance, she stepped in a horribly placed hole in the ground made by some animal. As she stumbled forward, her mind went back to that sunglass display, "Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!" she screamed, almost as if in slow motion, as she fell forward. Wouldn't stop there though, her momentum propelled her forward, falling down a small incline. Now, not only had she embarrassed herself in front of ALL the undead, but they were now very aware of her.

As she already had stated: Fuck.

Jack stopped in his tracks as he, along with practically every walker in the area, heard Tiffany slip. His heart skipped a beat at the thought of losing someone else. Without Tiffany, he would be completely alone. And with how his psyche was, that didn't bode well. Yet he didn't want to use his entire clip of ammo if he didn't have to, and so, Jack dug deep. He took a deep breath, before mustering all of the mediocre dancing skills he possessed.

"IT'S THE EYE OF THE TIIIIIIGAAAAAAH!" Jack screamed, as he proceeded to perform a series of completely unrelated dance moves. In one second, he was twirling like a ballerina. In the next, he was doing the standard White Girl Shuffle TM of every prom. And then a moment later, he was doing the Egyptian before going into jumping jacks. If he had faith in his ability to moonwalk backwards, he would have done that. Hell, he even played his own leg like a guitar.

"IT'S THE THIRLL OF THE FIGHT! RISIN' UP TO THE CHALLENGE OF OUR RIVAAAAAAL!" Jack bellowed. And with his truly horrendous display of dancing, all of the walkers began to shuffle towards him, rather than towards Tiffany.

FantasyChic, Morose

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Beatrice Decker

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Location: in a TANK
Skills: None

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From what Beatrice could tell, Lola appeared to be enjoying herself. She couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight. She doubted anything had ever phased Lola and she felt a certain kinship with her. Her fearlessness could have easily gotten Lola killed - but it seemed to keep her alive. As an ex-Justice native, she could appreciate that. Certain weaknesses and failings could be seen as strengths - it all depended on the context. A borderline anti-social personality - such as her owns - had allowed her to survive. It had kept her alive this long, but now that she was doing something for a reason other than her own wellbeing, she felt that she was on death's door. There was no telling if she'd be able to hover there safely.

"If I were to believe in a higher power, it'd be an absentee father," Beatrice said. "In this world, there's no comforting light. Just demons - the ones already here and the ones we made for ourselves." She was a firm believer that even if the walkers hadn't started the end, even if it had been a natural disaster or something else, the end result would have been the same. People would have killed each other, one way or another. The walkers were just an excuse. Even James, one of the arguably best intentioned people on the planet, had committed murder. The walkers and this world didn't force him to it. He had chosen that darkness.

"How far out are we from Eden?" Beatrice then asked, addressing Lola.

[@Morse]

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World Narrative

I do not believe that a single group right now is having an easy time. Well, groups 4 and 5 are. They are in vehicles and while they did just watch a couple die and are on their way to hell to dance with the devil, they are doing pretty good. Groups 1-3, that's another story. Lady Luck has each of you in some interesting predicaments. Now time to keep moving.

Groups 1-3: You are on cases once again. We will stick with the ten day counters. You are to keep moving. Goal? Get to the edge of your provided map! So chop chop and get the lead out! 10 days and counting! Updated maps below - now roll out!

Group 1


Group 2


Group 3

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Thana Martin

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Location: Exit 41 to U.S. Hwy 85
Skills: Redneck Vehicles

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"There we go," Thana said as she turned in her seat somewhat to listen better to what Alex was saying about where they needed to go and to get a look at the map some. It may have taken him a few minutes to get his bearings but once he did he had come up with a rather decent route. "Let's get a move on." Throwing the truck into gear Thana eased pressure onto the gas peddle and started up the on ramp. First thing was first, to the other side of the highway. Things looked to be pretty cut and dry on the map.

Thana knew however that in this day and age things were never as simple as they appeared on the map. It seemed that Newnan had taken sometime to mark out roads that seemed to be permanently blocked when these maps were put together but thing was, how long ago was that? How often did they update that stuff? She imagined it had probably been a time. Even if it had been the month before with the snow and storms, it could mean a simple 20 mile trek would take hours. She hoped it wouldn't.

They hadn't yet heard from Gavin and the women with him, so that told Thana that they had least not arrived at Eden yet. That was both a good and a bad thing. Good because it meant she wasn't falling behind. Bad because it could mean they ran into trouble. It could be looked at as either way but for now she was just going to hold on to no news was good news. She had too because outside of the Eden situation was the Newnan situation. The question remained, did Ash get back to town? If he did, did he find anyone alive? If he had, was he able to get back out? It was all up in the air. Yes, hold onto no news is good news.

Glancing over at Thalia she let out a breath. "While we have a chance we should eat. Can you go into my bag there and pull out the MRE's? Let's divide one up so we can at least get something on our stomachs. Once this whole Eden thing starts, who knows when they next time we will be able to will be," she said as she glanced down at her bag before placing her attention back on the road as they turned onto Hwy 85.

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Gavin And Lola

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Location: Heading For Peachtree City
Skills: Tank Operations (Lola), Land Navigation (Lola), People Reading (Gavin)

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"Rights now miay' onlies goal is to be ables to make some of them demons out'dare choke on their cudes. Ifs I gots time laters Is be willin' to deals with me own demons. Rights nows those, their my bruders in arms" Gavin said as he let his head rest against the cool wall of the tank. He knew he had his own demons. HE could feel them inside. Sure he was a good ol' country boy with good old suthern' values. He loves his momma and Jesus. (In that order) He had read his bible. Did what he could to make people happy, smile, and take care of them. Yet part of being a good ol' boy meant you pushed all that aside to drag a fucker out behind the woodshed from time to time. Now was that time.

He couldn't help but chuckle a bit at Lola as she had turned a simple driving job into a game. He understood how she was. Sure he was in his brooding mode right then he had been known to turn many a bad times into a game. It wasn't but a day ago he was sloshing through the woods outside of Newnan with his best mate at his side, singing away as if they were two prison mates. (Minus the keistering.) So as she yelled out her points he had to sit up a bit more and give her a challenge. "Fuck I ain'ts got a bat, we should get one after this. Have a real game of mailbox smash! Ain't no postman to piss off."

Lola nodded, she liked that idea. "Aces mate! Okay, we get done with Eden we hit the road, find a bat, and gave some real fun. Oh shit! 500 points! That one left half his head on the gun," Lola said laughing her ass off, so much in fact she slipped out of her seat and onto the floor. It took her a second to get back into place. Thankfully with tanks, it wasn't like with cars. She didn't suddenly veer off the road. The tank kept going the direction it had been. She did manage to take out another one while she as on the floor, only to see is platter when she got back into her seat. "Blind hit! 2000 points!"

After a minute she realized that Beatrice had said something to her. Of fuck, map. Yeah, forgot about that." Laughing she picked up the map, took a look at it, looked back at the road, back at the map, the road, map, road, map, road. "Okay, here we are. Here is where we is going," she said pointing to the map before handing it fully over to Beatrice. "No downed bridges out or major road blocks and we should be to the city in twenty, round about."

@Lady Amalthea

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Alexander Polawski

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Location:Going Up the Country

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The sign of approval from the front seats was a relief to Alex sitting in the back. He looked up from the map he had just been given directions from and watched as the scenery started to move again down the windows of the pick-up, pulling it up onto the ramp of Highway 85. If they were lucky, Alexander's plans had not resulted in them getting stuck somewhere down the line without any option but to turn around. All of which would simply mean time wasted doing nothing, and more time for the so-called Eden folks to organize after Hell opened its proverbial gates.

Eating? Well it did sound like a good idea. Even more so once Alexander sensed the empty feeling in his stomach. He hadn't eaten in a while, not since...well now that he thought about it, the only thing he'd 'eaten' was the handfull of snow after the night at that hospital. Sure he had gotten a plastic bag of hot cocco, but that gave more warmth than anything else. "Sounds good. Mystery E's are better than nothing. Not that I'm complaining." Alex said, looking at the two ladies in the front, waiting for Thalia to find the Bag Nasty before turning his eyes at the road forward as well. "If we get blocked up ahead, can the truck still get us through?"

@ONL

🦄 Darker Than Black - Merged With T.S.

@Dragoknighte @Sigil @Morose @Nallore @FantasyChic

Okay peeps all DTB posts have been moved over from SI to RPG. Now that that is taken care of - here are the current counters for DtB...

Lady A - 4
Sigil - 6
Morose - 1 for Cecily (Case needs to be posted today!)
Nallore, Fantasy, Drago - we will be continuing cases in my next update, so you are clear for now.

Okay, you are clear to start posting here. From here on out, post here on RPG first and then copy and past it over to SI please. (Code here!!!! Seriously! SI changes the code so if you code there you are in for a world of headaches! Code and post here FIRST, then past on SI.)

🦄 Darker Than Black - Merged With T.S.

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Natasha Brinne

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Location:La Hacienda - Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Skills: Stamina

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Natasha looked over to Cecily and shook her head slightly. As far as she was concerned she had gotten enough favors as of late from people she didn't know. The most recent had someone snooping into her private life all because she was trying to help someone. She wasn't about to add to it. For all she knew she would end up having to give a DNA sample for this one. "Thanks but no. I'll take care of the rental when we get to the airport. Couldn't get a flight out today but have to head there anyways. Rental place is there. Not dare asking El Snoopy for a ride back on his jet," she said as she looked away and wrapped her arms around herself.

It was more than obvious that the day was taking its toll on Natasha. Sure she wasn't currently in chemo but she was still recovering and that could take years. Yet the woman was trucking on. All those years pushing herself when she was an intern, the morning runs, the late nights. This was just another day. As far as Natasha was concerned you could sit in bed and feel like shit, dwell on it, and end up feeling worse or you could keep going and maybe, just maybe, take your mind off the pain for a few minutes here and there. Those little breaks when she didn't feel the last months of chemo weighing down on her more than made up for the shit storm rumbling through her mind right then. Hey, at least her rumbling was better than what Liams had been.

At Cecilys words Natasha quirked a brow. It did sound like something was related. Granted submerging a body to destroy evidence wasn't exactly a marker. So many killers did it from what she had heard of back in India. Yet, the fact that all three were associated with MSS made her pause. "Sounds like someone is targeting MSS employees," Natasha quipped as she glanced back over to Cecily. More glad than ever that she had decided to pack her shit up and get the hell out of there. It was time to make a break for it.

Liam was giggling away in the mean time. His little hands swiping this way and that, pushing the brown... yeah you know what it is... all over the floor, over himself. He really had a knack for the dirty arts. A Poo Prodigy one might say. I am sure Cynthia would have approved.

@Lady Amalthea

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Riley, Roy, & Priya

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Location: On The Road Again - Deadlight District
Skills: N/A

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"Well we need one more guy, and an old sixties van and we would have the full set." Riley said with a light laugh as she watched Pyira climbing into the backseat of Roy's car, she then proceeded to climb into the front seat next to Roy. She reached over and started to strap herself into the seat, looking over towards Roy's partner once more and gave her a friendly smile. Riley then turned her attention back over towards Roy when he asked what they wanted, and thought about what she was craving. "I'm either craving some pizza, Mexican food, or maybe some hot wings?" Riley asked.

Priya let the Scooby Doo comments go on as she watched the two interact. Riley gave her a friendly smile, which she returned, but she still wasn't ok with her tagging along, especially if they were all going to go to the safe house together. Was Roy asking for Riley to be privy to the evidence? Priya was also sure this town wouldn't be able to do pizza justice like back in New York. "I could go for some hot wings."

"And here I was going to suggest shawarma," Roy said as he back up out of the parking space and then drove towards the parking deck exit. He did't know if these girls would get the reference but he knew Cecily would have. He wondered if she was okay as he turned out onto the main road and started heading down the road. "I know a wings place that's on the way. We can hit there. How hot do you want them?" he asked as he pulled to a red light and stopped.

Riley leaned back and itched her back for a moment looking over at Roy making a Shawrama reference. "Like the ending credit scene in the Avengers or something right?" Riley asked, remembering seeing it in theaters a few times though Cecily was more of the comic fan she sometimes did get the references from time to time. "I like mine really hot." Riley said, she always preferred her wings really spicy.

Priya nodded her approval. "Spicy is preferred." She left it at that as she waited for Roy to get moving. She was growing restless by the second. Why Roy suggested Shawrama was beyond her. She liked Shawrama, but not for a quick bite to eat. She settled into the backseat and let her thoughts wander.

"Yes! Exactly! Like the Avengers, just call me Ironman," Roy said grinning as the light finally changed and he continued down the road. Nodding as the girls said they wanted something spicy, he figured that would make ordering a lot easier. "So who wants what to drink then? And so you want sides or dips? Faster I can dart in and out the better."

"Ironman is pretty badass." Riley said with a smile, as she looked over at Priya through the rearview mirror for a moment, she got the feeling that she either didn't trust her or just plain didn't like her. But she decided to remain quiet about it for now, her attention then turned back towards Roy asking for what kinds of drinks that they wanted. "Coke would be great and a side of fries with ranch sauce." Riley stated, that's what she always had every time that she and her friends or bandmates would always go out if they wanted to get wings she would always order that.

Priya met Riley's eyes and let them linger. She didn't care if the girl felt her distrust or not. "Coke is good for me also." She didn't want a side or anything, she wasn't super hungry, but she did want something to eat before they dove into all of this. Priya looked at the evidence she gathered with her as they drove. Hopefully, the truth was in here. Or, at least, the right direction.

Roy nodded and ended up heading towards the Deadlight District. It wasn't long until he was having to stop again. Apparently there had been some huge accident. The beat cop was directing traffic around the entire scene as people were trying to clean up the remains of one very dead man. "I am so fucking glad this isn't my district," he mumbled to himself as they drove slowly passed the carnage. Roy perking his brow as he spotted a cat just sitting there and licking blood stained paws.

Riley's eyes wondered over towards the window as she watched the traffic getting busy again, seeing the accident that was there. She wasn't exactly sure what happened, as she watched people trying to clean up the mess she noticed that there was a cat there as well. It reminded her of her own cat when she was growing up, she was really fond of him when she got kicked out she never got to find out what happened to him. "I wonder what happened there." Riley asked before turning her attention towards Roy. "Know anyone who works on this district?"

Priya looked over as well. Thankful she wasn't a traffic cop considering the damage she saw. Especially the cat with blood on it.
That was just disturbing. "Looks bad." That was all she said as that was all that needed to be said. She felt sorry for those involved, but things seemed to be taken care of.

@Nallore

Mali Anson

Location: Spa
Skills: N/A

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The sound of the door opening is what managed to snap Mali out of her potential plans to wrangle Relic into doing something a normal teenager would do for once. Zoie's sudden (from her perspective) appearance was enough to make her heart skip a beat. Rather, for an instant her heart forgot what the hell it was supposed to be doing until it was slapped in the face and reminded that it pumped blood.

"Oh. Hey. From the sound of things, they're treating me better than you, but I'm not allowed to move my face for twenty minutes." She could have said more, but decided against it. Zoie was in a phone call, and she didn't want to interrupt any important business, or worse be told that she'd need to shut her yap because the person on the other end had more important things to say than her.

Zoie looked over at Mali and gave a nod. "That's good. Remember if you need or want anything, just ask," she said as she with a smile, her accent slipping away for the most part before giving another wave as she had when she first spotted Mali and heading out of the door. Dr. Johnson caught Zoie in the hallway before she get fully off. Seemed the two exchanged some words before Elizabeth came back into the room.

"Came in with Mrs. Crawford?" she asked as she stepped back over to Mali and held out the water bottle for her.

"Yeah, her treat even," Mali replied as she took the offered water bottle and fussed around with the cap for a bit. The thing didn't want to twist off, and it took a couple of tries and using her robe as a handle with better grip to get the piece of plastic to come off properly. The real challenge was keeping her face from scrunching up in exertion during the whole affair so the mask didn't get ruined after having it on for only a couple of minutes.

"That's nice of her, don't usually see her in here treating someone," Elizabeth seemed to quip.

"I take it she comes here pretty often?" she asked in return after finally getting in a sip of the water.

Elizabeth nodded as she climbed back onto her stool and got comfortable. "I see her about once every two months, I believe Wayne sees her weekly," she said in a passing manner as she snapped on a set of latex gloves. Reaching out she touched Malis forehead to check on the mask and see how it was setting up. "Oh that's doing wonderful."

"Is there anything else that you're going to need to do once the mask finishes what it's doing? Or should I be good to whatever else it is that Wayne and/or Zoie have planned for me here?" Mali found herself starting to fidget a bit given the lack of things to occupy her body with. She had a feeling that if her seat had had any extra features like wheels or a rotating seat and she was left to her own devices once more that she would bounce around the room for lack of anything better to do.

"No, once it is finished, I will remove it, add a moisturizer and you will be all done. Wonderful thing about this one is there is no down time. Others you have to keep your face covered and out of the light for a day. Some leave the face raw and red for days," Elizabeth explained. Many times facials were a pain. They were never done the day of an event yet this one could be. Granted its effects didn't last as long as others did but that was the trade off. It wasn't long before Elizabeth was finishing up with Mali and pulling her gloves back off. "And I think that covers it. Should be ready for Wayne and whoever else Zoie has lined up for you."

"Thanks. See you later," Mali said, waving as she left the room. Sure chances were that she'd never meet Shela again, but the automated farewell came out by pure force of habit. Now free of facial masks and allowed to emote once more, she looked around for Zoie, Genny or Wayne or anyone at all that she knew to give some indication of where to go next. She'd avoid having to wander around the spa looking like a child abandoned mid shopping trip who had to ask where their mama was if she could help it.

It wasn't too long before Genny came around the corner and smiled over at Mali. "Ahh, all finished? Wonderful. Time to take you over to [a href="queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/d…. She will be doing your make up for the evening. I was speaking to Zoie and she was telling me about the event you two are attending tonight. Sorry, she is with Wayne right now getting her hair finished and then she is meeting you for a meal before you go have your hair done while she has her make up taken care of."

Motioning for Mali to follow her she led her over to what looked your typical seat and mirror to have ones hair done. The only difference was instead of hair supplies were rows and cases of various make ups. Standing chewing gum and popping bubbles was a woman who stood about six feet tall, black and aqua blue hair, large eyes, thick make up on.. Wait, that wasn't a woman. That was a man, or wasn't. Grinning as she spotted Genny she spoke and it was clear. She as a drag queen. "Darling! So what have you brought me today?" she asked.

"This is Mali, you are to take good care of her. She is with Zoie," Genny said and the woman nodded.

"Got it love. So you are the one the entire shop is buzzing about. I can see why. Aren't you just spectacular!"

Mali looked to the left and to the right. Seeing that there was nobody else Dolores could have been talking about Mali pointed herself.

"Really? Me?" A small part of Mali sat back and doubted that the store was actually talking about her, and this was just a way for the store to garner returning customers, but that was almost entirely drowned out by how flattered she was. Blushing like a schoolgirl, she took her seat in the unoccupied chair, ready for whatever the drag queen had in store for her.

"Oh hun yes. One, you came in with Zoie so that raised brows. And just look at you. We get a lot of snot nosed brats here trying to all look like carbon copies of barbie. You though, oh girl, you are you. Strong, stunning in more ways than one, an original. So, tell me, I have to know. You a client of hers or something more?" Delore asked as she leaned back against the counter, she was bubbling and looked about to burst with curiosity.

Now here, Mali was faced with a serious conundrum. The exact details of what their relationship was supposed to be was never established, so there was no 'canon' explanation to choose from. She could say that she's a client, which would be enough to fill her role as a cover story and be the least likely to clash with anything Zoie might have said to any other of the staff members. However, that wouldn't really satisfy her or Dolores. It was too drab, and . But if she said something more than that, she might accidentally go too far and make Zoie mad.

"I'm not sure I'm at liberty to say," she replied with a cocky grin, choosing the hidden third option of playing at being coy and secretive. The look on Dolores' face told her that the secret was likely more interesting than the fact of the matter. All she had to do here was capitalize on it and they'd both be able to walk away happy. Or happy enough.

"Oh you tease! That is salacious!" Delore exclaimed as she clapped her hands together. Flipping her teal hair off her shoulders she grinned as she popped another bubble. "Okay darling, well let's get you all set up. Get ready for your close up," she added with a wink before turning around and starting to go through her various make-ups, pulling out several and holding them up close to Malis face so she could find the ride shades that worked with her skin.

"I don't know if you've been told this, or how much it'll affect your choices, but Zoie and I are- will be attending a party later tonight. A high class event." It still was awkward saying the words out loud in a way that didn't come off stand-offish, especially when you had to mention it multiple times within the span of a couple hours, but those were the breaks. She didn't want to accidentally get something applied that looked good but was not appropriate for the event tonight, requiring poor Dolores to have to start all over from the beginning.

"Don't you put any weight on those broad shoulders of yours girlfriend. I got the dl from Genny. Big todo, we've had several in here today getting done up for tonight. I got you covered,"

Delores said and popped a bubble of gum and gave a wink to Mali. "Now, just relax," she added as she got to work getting Mali 'done right'.

Well, at least she didn't have to worry about that. All there was for her to do was sit back and try her best to stay completely still. Wouldn't want to suddenly fidget while a mascara brush was millimeters away from the eyeball.

Delores did her thing. While the woman may have been a bubble gum popping drag queen, she wasn't near as over the top as Wayne was and once she got into her zone she didn't utter really a word as she worked. Concentrated on the task at hand instead of trying to fill the air with meaningless conversation. It wasn't long before she was done and had Mali, in her humble opinion, looking spectacular. The make up was fresh, simple and rather understated. Except for the eyes where she gave a thicker liner to draw attention. "You are going to knock them dead tonight, girl."

"Thanks, you did a great job," Mali replied as she checked herself out in the mirror, taking in all the little changes Dolores had made from different angles. With my luck, she thought, after all this effort put in to look pretty for tonight, it'll be raining outside, and neither her nor Zoie had brought an umbrella, ruining much of the benefit derived from this whole excursion. But then again, maybe in such a high class establishment they'd have such things prepared so that their hard work wasn't nullified by common weather patterns.

"So all that's left is to go back to Wayne, right?" Mali asked as she got up out of the chair and began to leave the drag queen's corner of the spa. "Wait, I shouldn't be asking you, right? Sorry." Dolores just worked in the make-up department; of course she wouldn't know what else Mali had to have taken care of, and it was thoughtless to ask in the first place. Genny was the one who was keeping track of all that. Speaking of which, Mali looked around, expecting her to materialize any moment now.

@DragoKnighte

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Cecily Ashworth

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Location: La Hacienda - Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Skills: Constitution, Marvel Universe Knowledge, Deduction

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Cecily nodded, and although she didn't admit it, she was grateful that Natasha didn't like the idea of her contacting her parents for help. She felt obligated to offer, but not having to do it filled her with a small sense of relief. She really didn't enjoy what she was envisioning that conversation would be like. It'd be worse than the Ultimate Marvel Universe - and Wolverine watched his potential kids going at it in the bushes in those comics. If that wasn't any indication of how much Cecily enjoyed talking to her parents, then it was a lost cause.

"Maybe I should drive when we get the rental," Cecily offered. "If you're not feeling up to it." She couldn't help but see how drained Natasha appeared. With everything that had happened at La Hacienda, combined with Natasha's treatments, it didn't surprise her at all. Her own bullet wound seemed to be healing nicely and she had driven a death trap in Justice for a few years. She could handle driving them back.

She bit her lip - was this MSS employees that were being targeted specifically? It seemed unlikely to her that that was the reason behind it all. According to Alicia's video, she had been recruited by this group. They hadn't killed her because she worked for MSS - they killed her because she betrayed them. Maybe the same thing had happened to Kelley Breeden. Queensguard had killed her - and she was willing to bet that it could be for the same reason they killed Alicia. "I don't think they're targeting MSS employees," Cecily explained. "I think they're recruiting them - Alicia was murdered because she was trying to take this organization down. So was another MSS employee, Lorna, who was caught up in the cross fire. I think Kelley was involved in this as well - whether she was taken down in the cross fire or she tried to betray them, I don't know..."

"But at any rate, I think we need to get the death files and body of Breeden. I think I'd also like to go through the file of all female vics we've processed in the last few years - not just homicides by natural causes as well - and tag the ones that would be of interest to Queensguard for recruitment. I'm guessing these aren't the type of people you say no to - or betray."

@Morose

🦄 Duplicity - D&D Style Fantasy Rp Adventure (Completed)

@Sigil @Dragoknighte @Rivaan @The Grey Dust

Okay peeps all Paradox posts have been moved over from SI to RPG. Now that that is taken care of - here are the current counters for Duplicity...

Up Next is Riv, you are on day 1 for the 3 day counter

Okay, you are clear to start posting here. From here on out, post here on RPG first and then copy and past it over to SI please. (Code here!!!! Seriously! SI changes the code so if you code there you are in for a world of headaches! Code and post here FIRST, then past on SI.)

🦄 Duplicity - D&D Style Fantasy Rp Adventure (Completed)

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Keystone

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Location: Deymin's Tower (2F)

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It wasn't everyday that Keystone saw a Dwarf fly. Nor was it everyday that he found himself locked in mortal combat with a pig he could have just as readily thrown a saddle on and rode home. Such experiences were unheard of back home. Keystone walked the path of an adventurer now, more or less, whether he wanted to or not. He'd been involved in weirder stuff (dear and shiny gods, he'd been involved in weirder stuff) before; fisticuffing a giant pig wasn't even the oddest thing he'd done this week.

The act of bucking off Nor was sufficient to provide an opening for attack, one which Keystone was more than satisfied to exploit. He hammered a metal gilded fist into the same spot on the creature's flank with punishing strength, causing it to jerk its head to one side. While the first hit was solid, the second struck on his porcine opponent's neck, glancing away with significantly less gusto than the first.

Keystone would have those pprk chops. Oh yes, he would have those chops. But a little more effort was necessary before that could happen.

@Sigil

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Update

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Boar B: Mr Boar did not like the fact that Keystone decided to try to pummel him to death. In retort to that he starts thrashing his head from side to side. Now, out of the two attempts at goring Keystone open he misses one but the other other hits square on Keystones rib cage on the right side and splits through cloth, leather, and to the skin where he receives one hell of a gash measuring a good 8 inches in length and half an inch deep - some bone on one rib can be seen.

Now that is end of round. Time to move on. New Round.

Here is our order... (Thomas's held action will last until he comes up again, so he can call at anytime to cast - check to make sure he isn't cashing in before you post.)

Satilla
Sana
Centipede
Kyra
Cyneberg
Nor
Ash
Hooded Figure
Thomas
Keystone
Bob
Boar A
Boar B

@Lady Amalthea

🦄 The Paradoxical Emendation - Merged With T.S.

@Natsu @Sigil @Morose @Dragoknighte @Nallore @FantasyChic @Mnkee

Okay peeps all Paradox posts have been moved over from SI to RPG. Now that that is taken care of - here are the current counters for Paradox...

Lady A - 1
Sigil - 3
Morose - 5
Drago - 6
Nallore - 1
Fantasy - 2
Mnkee - 6
Natsu - 6

Okay, you are clear to start posting here. From here on out, post here on RPG first and then copy and past it over to SI please. (Code here!!!! Seriously! SI changes the code so if you code there you are in for a world of headaches! Code and post here FIRST, then past on SI.)

🦄 The Paradoxical Emendation - Merged With T.S.

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Gilbert Summers

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Location: Ville au Camp - Main House (Sitting Room)
Skills: N/A

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The eyebrow arch that came from Gilbert, while not quite legendary, likely exerted physical force capable of slapping the cap off of a bottle of sarsaparilla. Of course, this was mostly due to the utterly blatant and dramatic manner in which the Russian Paradox hurled herself suggestively at him. If allowed to go much further, the statuesque Emendator wouldn't have been surprised in the least if the metaphorical hurling turned into a much more literal event. The eyebrow stood at attention, paired with a slight backward tilt of his head for just a moment before returning to something more relaxed.

It wasn't the first time that a Paradox had come onto Gilbert. This was perhaps the most pressing reason that Evelina strenuously insisted that he wear a shirt. Well, the joke was on her! He was wearing a shirt and a vest, and some recently dead (to her point of view, anyway) lady was still eye-molesting him. Was he wearing pants this time? Sometimes he didn't... Yup, pants and everything. Ok, upon personal reflection, this was most assuredly not his fault this time, which is precisely what he intended to tell The Dice when the inevitable conversation came up later on today. And it would. There was no escaping it.

As if his thoughts were made manifest, Evelina chose precisely that moment to make her appearance. She was speaking in older Greek, as well. Generally, this was not good for him, as her tendency to do so often coincided with moderate annoyance at him. Luckily for Gilbert, her commentary and observations could be responded to with a fairly laid back, "Not a problem at all, Evie. It's what I do." The next exchange (this time in modern English) was not taken quite as well. Gilbert knew of that gambit in chess, if it was the one he suspected it might be. There was a counter, but that particular bud needed to be nipped within the next couple of moves, before it became much more expensive in terms of sacrificed pieces. He smiled, considering his next move (which he did not mention immediately).

Chess would have to wait, though, as would questions for just a moment. The Dice lived up to her name, rolling an ornate polyhedron across a flat surface to reveal the runed facet that showed on top when the die came to a rest. Gilbert knew this mark. He exhaled and shook his head slightly. "Well, it looks like a matter beyond our consideration now. We've got a spirited group of guests to make feel welcome, so let's, ah... well, let's talk some." He gave a relaxed smile and leaned back in his chair, truly a comfortable piece of furniture that wholly belonged in a room reserved especially for Sitting.

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James Grady

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Location: Ville au Camp - Main House (Sitting Room)
Skills: N/A

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Well, so far Q & A raised more Qs than As. James figured that something like this would be the norm until he got his bearings, if he could decide what concepts such as "norm" and "bearings" meant in this place. For instance, one of his best friends in the world just rattled off an impressive string of what he assumed involved a fair amount of swearing in Spanish, a language that he never really got an amazing opportunity to learn outside of a few key phrases from popular eateries and the occasional colorful metaphor.

Then there was the kid. He wasn't really a kid, but James figured that he had a couple decades of worldly experience on the guy. Of course, what did age mean anymore? Or experience? They seemed to just be ideas of ever-growing abstractness to him now, and he was rarely the fuzzy and introspective type. Especially now though, with James feeling a sort of emptiness deep within his brain. What caused it? And why did he feel like a part of himself had been bled away? But his mental digression away, the kid didn't seem to blink in the slightest when we made his presence known in the form of a harsh, bug-eyed, anachronistic whisper directed in an attempt of situational levity. Well, "the more things change", as the saying goes.

@Sigil

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Faith Masters

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Location: Ville au Camp - Main House (Sitting Room)
Skills: N/A

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Faith didn't know what to make of the woman's words. Her mind was all over the place, though. Hell, she was still wrapping her head around the fact she was alive and in the past in a different state when Eve gathered her along to follow her. Hopefully, answers would be given soon. As the two of them walked along the hallway, Eve called out to another woman who appeared and Faith had to suppress a ton of comments she had.

The woman was pale as pale could be. She expected her to be the Walking Dead, or a ghost, or something. She was in desperate need of a suntan. Still, Eve gathered her too as they entered another room where more people were gathered. She didn't recognize any of them and hoped introductions would be in order. She got her answer as some of the Emendators were introduced with objects rather than names. That was peculiar, but questions had to wait until the end. She had a lot to ask.

@FantasyChic

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Sophia Harris

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Location: Sitting Room
Skills: N/A

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Sophia sat in her seat as she turned her head to see three other women, one of them introducing themselves as The Dice the Emendator that Alicia had mentioned earlier when she was being shown to her room. And then a really pale woman who looked like she spent most of her life in a cave her skin looked so incredibly white, then there was a blonde woman as well. She gave them a friendly smile as she leaned back as she gave The Dice her attention, hearing her speaking in Greek she assumed but she didn't understand it. Then she pulled out something from her pocket watching the object falling down onto the table, she didn't know what it meant, but she remained quiet about it for now.

Sophia had quiet a lot of questions to ask, as she started to wonder exactly what she should even ask and wasn't sure who would like to speak up first for the most part everyone else seemed to be pretty quiet. "I do have a question, well a lot actually." Sophia said looking towards James probably the only person that she knew out of the entire group. "I am truly grateful not being dead and everything. But why all of us, what is our purpose here other then having a second chance at a new life?" She asked looking between both Gilbert and Evelina.

@Nallore

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Evelina Lucas

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Location: Ville au Camp - Main House (Sitting Room)
Skills: Administration, Diplomacy, Memory Training, History

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When Gilbert spoke Evelina craned her head slightly. The Dice couldn't quiet agree with his assessment of the situation. A death out in the world beyond Ville au Camp might had been beyond his consideration but it wasn't beyond hers. In fact, this was the time when it became all about her consideration. Not every death that occurred out in the world in the course of human existence was caused by the fall of her dice. If it were she would be doing nothing but spending her time sitting at a desk and dropping dice after dice after dice. No, instead when a series of event occurred... That train of thought stopped as one of their new arrivals spoke.

Evelina quirked a brow as she glanced over towards Sophia. Taking a step forward, away from the desk, and towards Sophia she glanced down at her. "In such a hurry. I just requested that you hold your questions until I have have an opportunity to speak. Please, do listen and pay attention to what I have to say, as well what occurs around you now. There are things far worse than the Dead Walking out there that you will face, and things far worse than death or being bit." As Evelina spoke her voice was calm and even. In fact, while her words could be taken as blunt and harsh her intonation was kind and understanding.

Turning she went back to the matter at hand. "Yet that is not a bad place to start. So we shall. I am The Dice. Some refer to me as Lady Luck. Others the Grim Reaper. One of the Fates. Depending on the time, the place, the people, I go by many names. In the end I am responsible for you being here," she said as she turned back around as she reached her desk once again. Lacing her fingers together she let her hands drop in front of her and gave a melancholy look towards the newest arrivals.

"The fall of my dice is what caused your death."

She let those words hand in the air for a moment. Let it sink in. She was the reason they died. One could see her breathing inward and holding it for a moment. The look remained on her features for a moment before she continued. This is where she would clarify. "But no, I didn't kill you." She needed to say that, she had to remind herself of that each time her dice came up with the death rune. As much as it wasn't her fault that they died she still bored the weight of it every day of her life. It was a lot of weight after all these years and at times she wondered if she should perhaps change her name to Atlas.

"Nor am I responsible for every death that occurs. For whatever reason, I came into being. When I did, when I became aware, when I learned of my abilities and the compelling tingle that causes the dice to drop I began to hold certain fates in my hand. Some deaths cannot be avoided. Illness, a series of choices, and more, all lead up to a persons death. It is supposed to happen. Not because someone deserved to die but because life lead them to that point. Yet every so often something happens. A wrench gets thrown into the works of the universe. A ripple in the should have that hits me. At this moment I roll the dice... As you watched me just a moment ago. That was another death. I do not control The Dice, I am but their executioner. It could have come up that they had another chance but not this time. The Dice spoke, and that is the end. That explains why you died. It is chance, a luck of the draw. Something went wrong in your timeline that disrupted when your natural death should have occurred. The Dice are tossed and give you a chance to escape it. You didn't."

As Evelina spoke she walked around the room, taking time to look at each of them. Look them in the eye, let them know in a way that even though she was speaking to all of them she had not forgotten that each of them was an individual. She conducted herself as if she was the combination of a CEO running a multi-billion dollar company that was speaking to the board of Trusties right then, a mother trying to explain to a toddler why they shouldn't touch the stove, and a something more. She had an air about her that could make her seem intimidating at one moment and as soft as a teddy bear the next. While the way she held herself never changed, little drops or rises in her voice showed so much. More than that, it was the simple truthful look in her eyes that shown through.

"Yet the more pressing question rattling around in your minds is how you got here if you died? That is as simple, and complicated, as your death was. I brought you here. It is an ability I have and have possessed since my moment of consciousness. That occurred in the 9th Century B.C., in the city of Carthage. Back then I was known as Dido." The last word slipped from her lips and she sat herself down behind the desk in the room, having walked there during the last little bit of speech. Many would not know who she had been, some though might. It might tickle the back of their minds. Either way, if it did or didn't really didn't concern her. It was a simple way to lay the date down. It meant she had been at this for nearly three thousand years.

"With each time The Dice must be tossed, for each time the Death Rune presents itself, I am given a moment of consideration. Do I or do I not bring that person back?" she said as she continued and gave a glance over towards Gilbert. It had come full circle. This was where she had disagreed with him. It was beyond his consideration at the moment of death. Yet when The Dice were tossed, when that moment came and a life was claimed, that was when her moment of consideration was most important. It was the moment it began.

"I weight things carefully and decide if I will bring you back. Those of you sitting here I chose to return to the world of the living, as it were. Why you in particular? That I will not answer, ever. That is my reason and my reason alone." For the first time since she had begun speaking her tone turned harsh and steely. This was not something she would budge on. She never had and never would explain why she chose one soul over another. They would just have to live with that.

Letting the cold look that had over come her features fade away she smiled slightly. "Anyways, what does it matter what I think? You are here now and what happens now is up to you. Though we do have some rules. The first and greatest is that you are not allowed to ever return to your old life. If you were and they saw you die... Imagine how that would affect those you left behind? Could they truly accept that you came back from the dead? Would that not drive them insane? It could create a greater ripple in time that could bring about the death of many many more. It is not allowed and those that break the code will face the wrath of the Emendators. So please, if any of you are having thoughts of such, put it out of your mind. Let the world you knew grieve for you and move on."

Reaching over the desk she picked up her pipe, it still smoldering slightly as she did. After a few short puffs it came back to life and she inhaled deeply before she continued. The wisps of smoke trailing up and around her features. "One the good side there are many advantages to living this life. One is that you will not grow older. You will remain this age for as long as you remain here. Normal things will not cause you death to come about again. Illness, age. Things you need not worry about. No more flus or sniffles. No more periods," she added at the tail end of that little bit and smiles over towards the women. "Which trust me, was one of the grandest moments. Sadly no children but the men can't reproduce either. You all are dead after all."

Puffing again she held the pipe between her lips for a minute as she tapped the nails of her free hand on the desk. "Also, you will begin to manifest abilities. Each of you were reborn with two. They will come about and no two of you have the same. Each is unique. Myself, I hold The Dice and what I refer to as Disrupt Death. Those you have experienced first hand by dying and being brought back. Gilbert here has some interesting ones. If you would. Please give them a demonstration. How about something with a Viking Flair?" she said with a grin gently tugging at the corner of her lips. It was his turn to be part of this little introduction to the Afterlife.

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Alicia Gonzalez

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Location: Ville au Camp - Kitchen House
Skills: Psychology

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The water splashed as Alicia dropped a spoon, it slipping out of her hands and splattering down the front of her shirt. "Fucking hell..." she griped as she let out a huff and stomped her foot somewhat. She would need to go change her shirt in a moment but she figured she could wait on that for now. She was still washing dishes and if she went to change now and it happened again she would just need to change her clothing again. Fuck that. She would just do it when she finished and limit herself to one damp shirt. Granted she did have an apron on but she had splashed enough water so far on herself that the apron was soaked and it went through to the clothing underneath. A housewife she was not. Then again she hadn't been in the life before this one, on either time line. So why start now?

Gilbert hadn't cleaned up his plates either, so she was handling both of them. She smirked to herself. She would get him back for this one. Not that he had meant to cause her more work it... It was still the perfect excuse for her to pull a little prank of her own. She couldn't let Gio and Nancy have all the fun today. She fully intended to have a bit of fun herself and get a few laughs in. Gilbert being one of her victims just was how things worked out. It had to the The Dice. She would chalk it up to that.

Laughing to herself she finished up the dishes and peeled the apron from her. Stepping out the back door of the kitchen house she started to twist the apron. Wringing it out and letting the water drop to the ground off to the side of the back door. She kept twisting and wringing until her knuckles went white and no more water could fall from the cloth. It wasn't dry now by any stretch of the imagination but it was far better than it had been and frankly right then it was much drier than the rest of her. Snapping it out, it unrolled itself. Turning she made her way back inside and hung it up as she glanced around the room. Dishes were done, breakfast was cleaned up, apron was handing. It was time for her to head back to her room and get changed, and then head off to take care of a few things of her own. The mischievous smile only grew on her lips.

@Lady Amalthea

🦄 Duplicity - D&D Style Fantasy Rp Adventure (Completed)

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Bob

Location: Bed, Second Floor
Interacting With: Cyneberg
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Who knew what Bob's last meal has been before he died. Even if it hasn't been digested by the time he had died, it would have been so well mixed into what was now Bob's torso no one could have figured it out. Right now his midsection looked like someone had shoved a Ninja blender into his diaphragm and hit frapee. Yet, the undead affectionately known as Bob was still kicking. Well not exactly....

You see thanks to the bowel reconstruction job Cyne was doing Bob's legs were not longer working, severed spine and all. Yet, one part of him did still work, it was just about three feet above his ass. His jaws to be exact. His body has worked up the paw of the bear and somehow, Bob managed to chomp down on Cynes left arm with Jaws of Steel. He broke fur, skin, and some muscle as he tried to turn her into a snack.

🦄 Soulless Regency - Merged With T.S.

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Ludwig Zimmer

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Location: Russian Tent City, Regent Park, London, England, Europe, Northern Hemisphere, Planet Earth
Skills: English, Observation, Mental Stamina, Unacknowledged Soulless/Countries

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The Russian seemed to be looking at him, very closely. Studying him. Oh yes, he was studying him. Well as one studious man to another he had to allow the study. I mean when was the last time he allowed anyone to study him? When was the last time someone wanted to study him? Probably never, well outside of Ulrich but that was a different story entirely. Ludwig was determined to comply and let the man look into the depths of his soul. He knew of this technique. It was most fascinating. At least he hoped it was a skill and the man didn't just enjoy the company of younger men. While he would have been flatter but even if he had swung in that particular direction Vlad was obviously too manly for his tastes. Did he have a taste? He hadn't really thought about it but now that he was he didn't think he had a taste. Oh butterscotch would be so tasty right then. But this was England, so he would probably be stuck with crumpets and tea.

There could be no crumpets and tea though, they had work to do. Or so he assumed a Circus had work to he. He, himself, had work to do. He was supposed to be seeing the Graveolase. Yet, something was more pressing right then. He was being studied and he must comply. So he did. His eye widened as far as they could, lids locking tight against his skull, brows raising dramatically and high. He lips remained closed but one could tell his jaw was ever elongating to try to give the most taunt of psychotic expressions as his nostrils flared. He wasn't trying to look crazy, he was just trying to have his eyes open wide enough to be studied. Yet standing here he found he could just catch the blurred tip of his nose as his glasses slipped down his face and his eyes crossed as they walked slowly down to the little button at the end of his nasal vessel. He still still though, he as being studied.

It was just as Vlad finally spoke that he let out the breath he was holding and quickly pushed his glasses back up his nose and scrunched his face up as tightly as he as stretched it. "Oh thank heavens. A moment longer and I would have had a new pair to be needed to be constructed. I am not sure of the glassmen in this area, I wouldn't want anyone that hadn't had their minds cleared Cobblewinchester Muffins examining my eyes that closely again. Splattered brains is a right pain to get out of parchment..." he said as he flipped open his journal and pointed to a spot on one of the pages. The page listed out various skill names and the area from which they had come. It was a listing of the Irish skills.

"That was the Chteniye Dushi?" he asked as he began to chew on side of his quill. "I hope I held still long enough, did I pass? I hope I did. You aren't... what was it? Bazhooling me? Is that a new technique? I haven't heard of that one but I'd like to see it. Oh yes! I would but can you show me later? I'm in a hurry," he said as he held the quill between his teeth and spoke. It made the speech a little wetter than normal but he was managing his English right properly in his mind. Flipping a couple of pages in his journal he found an envelope and shoved it towards Vlad. "See, here, the Graveolase finally responded. They promised to see me when they met with the Russians. I'm the first in a century they've agreed to see so I can't be late for this very important date."

Ludwig handed over the opened envelope proudly. It was recognizable with the foiled lining and the crest of the council on it. Within was a letter from the now deceased Arch Graveolase. Buckingham wrote that he was looking forward to meeting the head of the German skills finally and he would speak to him when he met with another of the New Aged that were presenting, Russia. "They are here right? At least that is what they told me. I can meet them right?" Ludwig asked as his bottom lip rolled in and he bit it nervously, half crossing his leg and acting as if he had been holding going to the bathroom far too long. This man was of a skill set no one had heard of? And he was their representative? And he had notes on others? Even knew of the Russians?

What madness was this? This wasn't Sparta Or was it? One might think so as from the tent a goat burst through, wearing a red cape and a bronze galea with a face mask and a crest. He came baaaaing out of the tent and tore down the center of the Circus towards the entrance/exit. "₁Мистер Клопс вернётся сюда!" a man yelled as he rushed after him. The animal was not listening as his cloak billowed valiantly behind him.

"GOSTINLIBER!!!!!!!!" Ludwig exclaimed with such excitement as he jumped out of the way and half ducked behind Vlad. "I didn't know they roamed this far west..." he quipped as his fingers curled against the mans arm and the goat bore out of Regents Park like white lightning. Where he was headed was anyones guess and the man that had been chasing him stopped near the exit, throwing his hands up. This wasn't the first time that animal had run off, he would return, when he wanted vodka.

My Hider

1 - Mr. Clops get back here!

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Millicent Wyndham

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Location: Formal Gardens, Heaton Hall, Heaton Park, Manchester, England
Skills: N/A

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Looking down at the riticule in her hand, she pulled at a loose string. Millicent was trying to push out of her mind everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours. It was too much for the strongest mind to look back on and right then she felt her sanity slipping away. Or perhaps it was locking itself away for its own safety. For her own. Hiding her face, feeling as if she had fallen from grace. Her entire life she was afraid try to do more than she had. Always trying to remain in good standing for the sake of her name, for her father reputation. Yes, she as a blue stocking. Had been out spoken, educated, vocal. Yet even to some that could be over looked. Defiled on the other hand was something that even the purest of women could hardly ever recover from. Even if it was proven what did it matter? The damage was done. Tainted good would never be sought after.

Her greatest fear was coming true. To wed without affection. Yet, it was all that was left for her. Wasn't it? Whom could hold affection for a woman such as her now? Even if she were to marry and be widowed. (If only such a thing were possible.) No one would dare come near her again if the slightest hint came through that she was anything but pure before the exchanging of the rings. Yet some women had managed to get around it but then it was consensual and they married. What a conundrum. To marry and act as if she wanted it, wanted him, and pray for his death. Or to never wed, and forever be alone? At this point, which was truly the worse of her options? She could not fathom. It was best to put it out of her mind.

Finding her tongue dry she looked around and wished for something to drink. Champagne, something to numb the pain inside and out, would have been welcome. It was about then that Rutherford and their host returned to her side. There were a few words exchanged between the two before Rutherford sat down and whispered against Millicents ear. It made her skin crawl but she nodded nonetheless. The two walked away from her and back towards the main area of the house.

Millicent let out a breath and looked around the formal garden. It was an interesting place to be. Not many homes had such large indoor green houses such as this one but it was beautiful. It was warm in there though, much warmer than outside where others might be. It was probably why there were so few in the Formal Garden. Summer was hot and damp enough as it was in England. English and summers and all. In the Formal Garden it was even more so. Sighing she rose from her place. She needed to freshen up, for if she remained in there much longer the makeup that was covering her bruises would melt away. Her hair she did not even bother to worry about. It was unruly at the best of times. Humidity made it impossible.

Grasping her clutch she moved from the Formal Garden and into the main hallway that connected it, seeking out a powder room and hoping that there were not too many from the ton within it gossiping. She did not wish to see faces she knew and have to explain why she was there, with whom she was there with, why she didn't have an escort, and so forth. It was near the Salon that she finally found the door she was seeking and she stepped inside.

Large chairs were covered in thick padding and fabric for women to relax on. It seemed more of a vanity room than anything else and in a sense it was. Yet it was empty, with glasses of champagne laid out, trays of sweets, perfumes, make ups, and more. The only one there was a single maid who stood off to the side, there to aid women with their clothing or other such necessities should they need it. Grasping a flute she downed the champagne quickly and then another before taking a third and sitting down for a moment to catch her thoughts and to enjoy the simple swirling tingles rushing through her. Millicent was never one to drink so it didn't take much for it to go to her head slightly. It was a welcome change to everything else coursing through her right then.