MonsieurShade

War of The Angelic Trio

Picture:
(Quote): A soft spoken and reserved man, his desire to serve god, king, and country could rival that of some knights. Many of those that know his curse see him and wonder what his swift and terrible power could do if left unchecked, a few wonder what could have possibly occurred for him to be cursed with such a sinister "gift", and fewer still pity him, not just for his affliction, but for knowledge of the fact that he is a man that has long since forgotten the touch of another.

Name: Cain Argus
Age: 28
Race: Cursed Human
Role & Kingdom: Bishop of Raphael
Ability & Weapon: Cain's curse causes any living matter that comes into contact with his skin to rapidly decay into dust. To be more precise, it acts as a siphon, draining away the victim's very life essence to add to his own, resulting in an increased lifespan based on how many years the creature grabbed had left in its natural lifespan. He typically wields a mace as his go to weapon

Biography: Unlike a few cursed individuals Cain's affliction came not from acquiring favor from a demon, rather from the actions of his own kin turning him into a bartering chip. His grandfather was a warlock, making pact after pact with all manner of demon and devil in exchange for greater power. At some point he lost track of all of the deals he'd made and found himself neck deep in debt. His solution? Offer up any and everything he could to get out of being dragged to hell. Artifacts were traded, favors done, and apprentices sacrificed, but no matter what was done it never seemed enough. Eventually he managed make a last ditch attempt to weasel his way out of losing his soul by offering up his firstborn grandchild to the demon that he'd done the most deals with in exchange for every other cost being dropped. There was a bit of a debate on what would happen to the then twelve year old Cain, but ultimately the demon settled on him being cursed rather than simply sacrificed or being used as a vessel.
Cain, for his part, was completely unaware of what had transpired until one morning he tried to pet the family dog at breakfast only for it to turn into a pile of dust. This caused quite an uproar with his family to say the least, and after several doctor and church visitations word got out about the boy's lethal touch. Being that the town Cain lived in at the time was both superstitious and relied solely on crops and livestock, Cain found his family and himself driven out of town in rather short order to prevent everything being reduced to dust at his hands. For a little while the family eked out a living at the very edge of town, but as the years went by, it became increasingly clear that Cain's family desperately wanted to return to their old home.
Their chance came in the form of a cleric from Raphael passing through to pass on the Good Word. After no small amount of pleading with the holy man Cain was left in the care of the church so that his family could return. It was there that he learned that his curse could be lifted by an angel if he could somehow gain favor, and it was with this knowledge that he began working as hard as he could within the church. His fervent desire to do good, devotion to the kingdom, and magical aptitude pushed him through the ranks of the clergy in a rather short period of time, with him being ranked as a bishop at the age of twenty six. He has held this rank for two years now, and, while he still has not yet gained the attention of any angels as far as he's aware, holds out hope that one day he can lift his curse.
(Song) Click me

War of The Angelic Trio

Picture:
(Quote): A soft spoken and reserved man, his desire to serve god, king, and country could rival that of some knights. Many of those that know his curse see him and wonder what his swift and terrible power could do if left unchecked, a few wonder what could have possibly occurred for him to be cursed with such a sinister "gift", and fewer still pity him, not just for his affliction, but for knowledge of the fact that he is a man that has long since forgotten the touch of another.

Name: Cain Argus
Age: 28
Race: Cursed Human
Role & Kingdom: Bishop of Raphael
Ability & Weapon: Cain's curse causes any living matter that comes into contact with his skin to rapidly decay into dust. To be more precise, it acts as a siphon, draining away the victim's very life essence to add to his own, resulting in an increased lifespan based on how many years the creature grabbed had left in its natural lifespan. He typically wields a mace as his go to weapon

Biography: Unlike a few cursed individuals Cain's affliction came not from acquiring favor from a demon, rather from the actions of his own kin turning him into a bartering chip. His grandfather was a warlock, making pact after pact with all manner of demon and devil in exchange for greater power. At some point he lost track of all of the deals he'd made and found himself neck deep in debt. His solution? Offer up any and everything he could to get out of being dragged to hell. Artifacts were traded, favors done, and apprentices sacrificed, but no matter what was done it never seemed enough. Eventually he managed make a last ditch attempt to weasel his way out of losing his soul by offering up his firstborn grandchild to the demon that he'd done the most deals with in exchange for every other cost being dropped. There was a bit of a debate on what would happen to the then twelve year old Cain, but ultimately the demon settled on him being cursed rather than simply sacrificed or being used as a vessel.
Cain, for his part, was completely unaware of what had transpired until one morning he tried to pet the family dog at breakfast only for it to turn into a pile of dust. This caused quite an uproar with his family to say the least, and after several doctor and church visitations word got out about the boy's lethal touch. Being that the town Cain lived in at the time was both superstitious and relied solely on crops and livestock, Cain found his family and himself driven out of town in rather short order to prevent everything being reduced to dust at his hands. For a little while the family eked out a living at the very edge of town, but as the years went by, it became increasingly clear that Cain's family desperately wanted to return to their old home.
Their chance came in the form of a cleric from Raphael passing through to pass on the Good Word. After no small amount of pleading with the holy man Cain was left in the care of the church so that his family could return. It was there that he learned that his curse could be lifted by an angel if he could somehow gain favor, and it was with this knowledge that he began working as hard as he could within the church. His fervent desire to do good, devotion to the kingdom, and magical aptitude pushed him through the ranks of the clergy in a rather short period of time, with him being ranked as a bishop at the age of twenty six. He has held this rank for two years now, and, while he still has not yet gained the attention of any angels as far as he's aware, holds out hope that one day he can lift his curse.
(Song) Click me

Welp, here we are. Sorry for the wait

War of The Angelic Trio

I recall being part of this RP a long time ago, back when it was on the free section. I may need to dust off my cursed Bishop, Cain Argus once more. I'll see when I get back.

Monster hunter,

Jacque smiled mirthfully at the reactions he'd received from the small jest, "I'm more of a 'terrible pun' kind of guy honestly, but the lewd humor has its uses.". Momentarily glad to have distracted his fellow hunters from any tensions that might have been mounting Jacque turned his attention to Roland as he reminisced about the days gone by. He couldn't help but laugh thunderously, shoulders and braids bouncing up and down with each note of laughter as he imagined the sight of a mute man reacting to receiving an arrow in his asscheek, and by his own son no less.

He would find his laughter cut short as Roland packed away his belongings and rushed out hurriedly. The nearly omnipresent grin that Jacque wore disappeared as concern etched his face as he considered following after his comrade. He ultimately decided against it, after all, while he may have been the sort to wear his heart on his sleeve and speak freely about anything on his mind, he was beginning to understand that not everyone was so open and trusting. For now he'd give Roland his space.

Jacque shook his head a bit at Elysia's offer for him to tag along, his reasoning being that he was in desperate need of a bath and a change of clothing, and after she and Reema left him to his own devices he proceeded to do just that. He popped into his room, making a mental note to visit a taxidermist or ask one of the others for pointers on stuffing a trophy when he was done bathing as he passed by the Great Jaggi head sitting next to his doorway. After rummaging through his belongings Jacque came away with a small rectangular item wrapped in wax paper; bar of homemade soap that had been given to him by his mentor's wife. He unwrapped it, smilingly softly as the pleasant scent mixture of dried tropical berry and cactus flowers hit his nose. Jacque peeked into his trunk, spotting five more identically wrapped bars, each one made by his former mentor's wife using fat from the monsters that he'd personally taken down.

His soap and a change of clothing in hand, Jacque stepped out of his room once more and, after poking his head outside long enough to ask the receptionist where the bathroom and towels were located, trudged back down the hall. The bathroom was simple, much like the rest of the building. Not that Jacque minded really, he enjoyed simple. He washed himself as quickly as he could without wetting the stitched on his hand or causing himself further pain or injury, trying to waste as little time as possible in case someone else felt the pressing need to relieve themselves of the sweat of today's labor.

The process of drying off and getting dressed was a fair bit slower as Jacque got a good eyeful of how his wounds were faring after the doctor's visit. The swelling and redness of the flesh around the stitches in his hand had disappeared, he could spot some bruising around the area but there were thankfully no signs of infection. His shoulder and right pectoral had swelled a bit since the visit, and the difference between his normal skin color and the darkness of the bruising was striking. The dark red welts that showcased where the Jaggi had clamped down on him only served to add to the shocking contrast. An experimental roll of his shoulder told Jacque that he'd need at least a day or two of rest before he was back in suitable condition to even consider going on a solo hunt.

He traced the outline of the teeth marks, sucking in a sharp breath at the sensitivity of his flesh before he slipped on his shirt and exited the bathroom, "Bathroom's free if anyone fancies not smelling like a Congalala tonight!".

Monster hunter,

The feelings are mutual!

The Many Adventures of the Life Guards (Shade and Diz)

Reece couldn't help but grind his teeth together in frustration as Kassy's invisible assault on his mind continued to wear him down. The voices told him to run, they whispered to him about how Percy would kill him one day, of how he should get out of dodge the very first chance that he got. He risked a glance at Percy as the other man put down the crate beneath the pier, the way that the guy moved, the way his muscles rippled beneath his flesh, even the way he looked at things, everything about Percy could be summed up into one word: Predatory. He walked, clutching the cage in his hands just a bit tighter as he looked back at Viola and Manny. Viola was definitely more than willing to grind him into a fine paste, she'd proved it many times before, such as when he'd tried flirting with her just one too many times on his third day in the gang. She would've probably ended him if she hadn't been pulled off. Those two would tear him apart. Then there was Manny.

Manny was a whole different beast altogether. Percy was a monster who was ready to kill if he thought his livelihood was at risk, Viola a violent spitfire who was all too happy to pummel anyone that looked at her wrong, but Manny, he was completely and utterly detached. Reece knew well that no one in the group really cared about one another, but Manny seemed to take it a step further; he was like a machine, following orders to the letter without a single shred of shame...or mercy. If he screwed up, if he even hinted that he might screw up, he'd be shot, have his jaws shattered, his fingers cut off, and his body dumped in a trash compacter or river. Manny had taken the liberty of explaining this to him, rattling off the details of Reece's potential demise with the same sort of hollow tone as a voice machine.

Reece gulped quietly as he saw the handle of Manny's gun poke out from the back of his pants as he bent over to grasp something. That settled it; Reece had to get out. He needed to get out and stay gone, at least for the next year or two. He had a few minor connections in California from his days as a small time hood, enough to keep him going for a few months at least, from there he could find somewhere that the penguin's reach was at least a little diminished. 'That could work...' He mused as he slipped past Percy and set the bird cage down, "H-hey Percy?". He felt himself instinctively shrink down as Percy turned to look at him, "I gotta take a leak right quick, you mind lettting Manny know?" "Turn out your pockets.". Reece blinked, "What?" "Your pockets. I'm not letting you do shit until I know you aren't stealing from us." The larger man said flatly. Reece eagerly complied, after all, the only things he had with him were a burn phone, a few dollars, and a crumpled up receipt. After taking Reece's phone to ensure that he wasn't trying to call in help, Percy allowed Reece to scramble to the other side of the pier to do his business while he returned to the others.

He and the others had no way of knowing that instead of sticking around, Reece quickly shed his jacket and goggles, and, after getting out of earshot, ran as fast as his legs would carry him into the night.
--

Back Home

Dimitri yawned and idly scratched at the stubble growing along his jaw. There wasn't too much on television right now, and the old police scanner that he'd "found at a pawn shop" wasn't giving him much to work with in the way of action. A few B&Es, a drunkard flashing people outside of a bar, all kid's play by police standards, and definitely not something worth him getting out of the house for. The hero sighed and sprawled out on the living room sofa, deciding to pass the time by arcing energy between his hands to see how much his metallic one could take before the palm and fingers started to glow red from the heat. When that grew boring he started teasing Regis with a laser pointer he'd gotten at a dollar store a few days ago, briefly finding amusement in the monitor's spastic antics as it tried to devour the small bead of light. When that too stop being a source of fun Dimitri rolled off of the couch and wandered into the kitchen, intent on relieving his boredom by stuffing his face with cookies.

Monster hunter,

Life thought it could keep me at bay forever...IT WAS WRONG! I LIVE, I DIE, I LIVE AGAIN!

Monster hunter,

Jacque nodded curtly after Reema asked him to keep her clued in if his injuries took a turn for the worst, this was followed by a small snort of laughter at her remark about her armor. It did his heart good to know that the others were just as willing to watch out for each other was they were themselves. He gingerly placed leaned his sword against the trunk that housed the rest of his belongings and rolled his neck to relieve the stiffness that had taken root while he was leaned over his weapon. No sooner than he'd began to try to work out a kink near the base of his skull did he hear Elysia raising almighty Cain about keeping something away from her.

The hunter's brows shot up in surprise, he rolled off of his bed and existed his room to see what the fuss was about. He was treated to the sight of Roland and Reema hunched over the former's gunlance, and Elysia standing a good distance away looking all the world as though she was ready to punch someone. Though he'd only known her for a few hours at best Jacque was beginning to think the diminutive huntress was simply combative regardless of her surroundings. Still, there was something a bit off about her; he could see that her breathing was a bit irregular, her posture just a bit too rigid and tense, almost as though she was forcing herself to appear angry. Jacque subconsciously reached up and began to tug at one of his braids, a habit he'd formed many years back that he tended to do when something perplexed him.

He didn't dwell on it long however, as he wanted avoid rising tensions among the newly formed group. He briefly considered the best way to cut in before he got an idea. The hunter cleared his throat and lightly knocked on the door frame "You know, you really ought to be more careful with your wording.". Jacque plastered on a mockingly suggestive smirk, "Might give folks the wrong idea if they hear a woman yelling 'I'm not putting my face anywhere near that thing anymore' from inside of a guy's room." he all but purred, adding with his statement a brief eyebrow wiggle. This sort of humor wasn't typically Jacque's sort of specialty, but it was the first thing that came to mind when he considered how to lighten the mood. With any luck it would disarm them all before something started.

Monster hunter,

@CloseEnough @Draconequis
Jacque flashed what was quickly becoming his trademark grin at Reema's inquiry about his well being, "I think i'll live. A bit of rest, a lot of ice, maybe a few drinks, and i'll be good to go." he said with a chuckle. His boisterous demeanor did well to hide the fact that his injuries were actually more than a little painful now that his adrenaline had worn off. The grey cotton shirt did well to hide the swelling and massive bluish black bruises that had formed on his right pectoral, shoulder, and trapezius, although it could do little to hide the bruising as it crept up his collar bone. Adding to that was the ovular ring of teeth marks that showed up on his skin, each little mark a dark shade of red were blood had leaked from bursted vessels but had pooled under unbroken skin. He refused to let the others know about the pain for the time being. It was nothing worth bringing up at the moment, perhaps it would be when the others wanted to hunt something and it could risk someone's life, but tonight? It would only serve as a risk of bringing the celebration down.

He accepted the stone graciously and began to sharpen his sword, pausing momentarily to consider whether or not he needed anything from the kill, "The head will do just fine for me, thanks. You can have the rest of my share of the kill since you've got Jaggi equipment. Fair trade for letting me use your stone.".

He stifled a snort of laughter as he watched Elysia picked up the large chest piece. Though the young woman held it with no difficulty there was something uniquely amusing to him when it came to watching feats of strength preformed by something smaller than oneself. He was half tempted to ask her if she wanted to try the chest piece on, if only to sate his curiosity regarding how comical it might look to see someone try and fit into armor built for a person more than a head taller. He decided against it, partially because he feared she might catch on and take offense, and partially because she was offering him a service despite holding no obligations to do so.

With the diminutive huntress looking to make amends for what transpired earlier Jacque couldn't find it in him to turn her offer down, "Far be it from me to turn down your hospitality. But I insist that i'll have to pay you back for it at some point. I won't take no for an answer!" Jacque said with another chuckle. The laughter was cut off by a soft choked noise as he leaned a bit too far forward too quickly and the handle of his sword pressed into his shoulder. The dull throbbing sensation flared intensely for a split second, his jaw bulged a bit as he grit his teeth to keep from making another sound. He corrected his position and continued working through the pain, trying to play off the incident as him simply overreaching. "I really gotta learn to focus on what's in front of me. Gonna lose a finger to a sword one of these days." Jacque half joked before he tossed the whetstone back to Reema, "Good as new, thanks again for letting me use your stone.".

Monster hunter,

Jacque found himself resisting the urge to jokingly waggle is eyebrows at Reema after catching Elysia's comment about the Jaggi bones. The only thing that kept him from doing so, was the fact that he was almost certain that the huntress would leave him with even more injuries than those he already sported. It seemed as though Elysia was at least entertaining the possibility of partying with everyone, and for that Jacque was glad. He laughed, shoulders and braids bouncing up and down with the action as Elysia offered her ultimatum regarding everyone's names "While I wouldn't be completely adversed to an odd nickname, m'name's Jacque. It's nice to meet you.". Jacque didn't really have much time to get much further than his name as the others got ready to ship out, "We can get more properly acquainted later tonight, for now it seems that the others are ready to go."

--

Jacque let out a tired but content sigh as he entered his room and began to shed his armor. After getting back to the village he'd chosen to split off from the others to run a few errands. The first and most obvious choice was to cash in for his part of the pay for the jaggi extermination, his proof of success being the head of the Great Jaggi tucked beneath his arm. Being that he'd done the mission as part of a group he received only a portion of the payment. A quick trip to the local weaponsmith to sell the sinew he'd collected netted the hunter a bit more zenny, enough so that he could visit a doctor for his wounds and make good on his promise to pay for food and drink for his comrades. He was a bit upset when he realized that he likely wouldn't have enough to buy a good whetstone to replace the one he'd brought from home that was steadily being whittled to nothing, or to purchase the supplies necessary to get a few potions for later use, but he figured he might be able to borrow a stone from one of the others at least for the night and simply go foraging for more herbs tomorrow.

Following the retrieval of his payment Jacque visited the local doctor's office, where after parting with a handful of zenny and the story of how he got the injury Jacque received a bit of salve and bandaging for his hand and shoulder, as well as a solid tongue lashing from the doctor on duty about being more careful.

Now, back in his room, Jacque pried himself free of the top half of his amor, inspecting both it and his sword for any sort of defects or damage as he cleaned them off. A once over of the spot where the Jaggi had bitten down on him revealed that, although the creature's teeth had failed to fully punch through, it had dented the metal in that particular spot a bit. Not an immediate concern for the moment, but definitely something for him to fix the very moment he had the cash. His sword, although not damaged, had lost a bit of sharpness. Jacque rooted around in his bag for a bit before coming away with a whetstone that looked due to crumble at any moment. And crumble it indeed did after a few strokes. Jacque sighed through his nose and nodded his head in resignation, "S'about right for my luck." he said to no one in particular as he stood and hefted the weapon onto his shoulder. Not quite in the mood to figure out who lived in what room Jacque simply poked his head out of the doorway to his own room and half shouted to anyone that may have been in range, "Anyone got a whetstone they're willing to share? Mine kind of disintegrated!".