Mortim

Melodramatic Deities and an Ageless Taste for Pizza

Pahn sinks deeper into his seat, that slight sensation of fatigue now fully covering him. He listens as Anora speaks, never blinking nor wavering into another emotion. This would appear unnatural compared to interaction with most other living humans. People express their thoughts, whether they be understood or not, in practically every way at all times. Someone else would have shifted, reacted, sighed, looked elsewhere, or committed to practically anything other than remaining inside a look of tired analysis whilst taking in another persons words. He was a breathing statue being spoken to by an energetic young woman.

"It does sound stupid.-" Pahn would say without any notions of hostility, the frankness of his tone still present as always. "-Your mind gave you an image, there's no reason to be apologetic before speaking on a subject." It was Anora's need to be cautious with her words, her sensation of being embarrassed by what it is she feels, that our celestial had called 'stupid'. What she had spoken about wasn't the thing he thought to be at all idiotic, it was her anxiety that made itself present before anyone else had revealed an issue with conversation context.

"Regardless, I've been in many places resembling your description." Pahn would quickly recant as his final answer, caring not how this may derail Anora's thoughts. He may have a soft voice, but there was certainly the unhindered tongue of a confident man behind each sentence. There was no reason for Pahn to hold back, in his mind this would only breed a truer confusion then whatever may already be present.

*Ding-ding!* The bell to Dino's establishment rings as it typically does when another customer enters. On this occasion, it was a set of five faces whom stepped atop said premises. These pedestrians were dressed as any other might be, some outfits more striking than their counterparts. What may have rung outwardly as odd, was how each individual asked to be seated separately though they had obviously entered as a group. Nevertheless, they were men and woman like anyone else, each being eventually provided their own table as an average customer may be.

--------------------Somewhere in Earth's Southern Hemisphere--------------------

The scaled gorgon whom held Anora captive earlier today spared no expense in escaping conflict to reach her homeland. She had witnessed something spectacular, and her sister needed to know of what it meant. Not a moment was wasted as she scaled fauna-caked towers. Her jade skin-suit bends and flexes with each bound through the darkness. Massive green leafs flutter and snap against the pressure generated by her supernatural speed, tropical ecosystems doing nothing to hide a deep trail left in her blistering wake.

She inevitably lands at the peak of her predestined location, one small room holding a being of vast combative prowess. This beings back is to her sister, the gorgon whom traveled so far to shed light on an everlasting conflict. Limestone blocks surround them here, not one furnishing made present to comfort whomever may dwell in this ill-lit domicile.

"Dear sister. He's still alive, as you had feared." That familiar feminine figure kneels before her sibling, a sign of respect towards someone possessing greater power than herself.
"I do not fear this life. Though, I do suspect that man as a true immortal." An immaculate woman standing near her moonlit window turns to face the kneeling girl behind her.
"Th-this is not all. He's been given the jade crux by Nuhn-Ket. There's already a test in place to observe it's earliest results." The younger gorgon shudders in anger as her sister speaks highly of another being. 'My beautiful sister is meant to be the strongest, the highest of all beings!!' Or so she inwardly thought.
"Good, young sister. Come directly to me when you're better informed." The glowing woman turns back towards her window, crossing either humanoid arm over he voluptuous chest as she previously had been before our young informants arrival.
"Yes, Medusa!" The young gorgon would say before vanishing back into the night. Again, she would waste no time in traveling towards a destination she thought would better her adored sister by any means possible.

Melodramatic Deities and an Ageless Taste for Pizza

NAME: ???
NICKNAME/TITLE: The Gray Man
SPECIES: ???
GENDER: Male?
HEIGHT: 5' 11"
BUILD: Skinny - Tone
PICTURE:


DESCRIPTION: Apprentice to Prephlin and somehow tied deeply to Pahns past. His mysterious presence was the first to usher chaos into Anora's world. His motives are told to be stealing an item capable of 'breaking Earth'. His name is unknown, yet, his vast power was acknowledged upon combating Pahn.

Melodramatic Deities and an Ageless Taste for Pizza

Thanks! And I understand, the holidays are usually crazy for all of us.
Happy early Christmas to you as well! I hope this season has been treating you with good tidings! ;D

Melodramatic Deities and an Ageless Taste for Pizza

Pahn would sit motionless for roughly ten seconds before answering Anora. His mind needed time to process this modern human, her ways, her ethics, and the manner in which she presented inquiry's. Her rush for words and expression was beyond him, he was internally beginning to recognize this. She sought to speak whilst he awaited proper ways to pronounce meaning that even then lacked their substance of explanation. He knew of days when entire nations would wait century's for him to say but one word, let alone explain all of his personal history and convictions.

"I'm unsure.-" Pahn would say in a frank tone, those eyes never moving from the candle between them whilst continuing to speak. "-I have yet to know if I truly care for this shell you call home.. Though..-" He slowly leans backwards, pausing for less than a second by some miracle of speech. "-What I do know of is the malice in my heart for a creature known as Prephlin..." Our celestial human slumps into his seat, still analyzing a steady flame whilst allowing his arms to relax into the hidden space below their table.

Pahn's posture had grown to be suddenly striking, fitting of a godly countenance by just mere mention of one hated 'creature'. His shoulders had stretched outwards without slouching forward. His hands had fallen to sit laxly near his waist. His hips shifted partially to the right as to project a confident posture in leaning faintly towards one direction. One could say he was ready to perch atop a throne, looking out over horizons of conquered land from a mountaintop fortress. Pahn projected the nuance of a fair king, caught in his own contemplation during the brief respite he's provided between country-defining conversations. This happened quickly, his body seemingly slipping into this pose without any preconceived notions.

Anora, aside from any reactions she may have, would be shown a brief flashback of what would feel like her own memory. She see's a glowing, silvery man sitting on the edge of what looks to be a coffin with much the same pose Pahn now holds. He's just ten feet ahead of where she stands. They are surrounded by vines which pulsate and throb with slivers of light that change their hue with each heart-like swell. These vines all lead to said casket, it's lid somewhere out of view as steam billows continuously from it's open top towards a dark abyss above. These vines wrap like veins along the small walls of said coffin, stretching somewhere far into the shadowy distance in every direction along the floor. A mosslike substance grows slightly atop everything here aside from Anora and the man before her. His countenance doesn't shift despite feeling as though one may have been standing here for hours. The pure ivory light beaming from his naked skin keeps finite bodily details from being analyzed. Somehow, this light isn't hard on the eyes at all. Even though one might remember a great panic clasping them in that moment, the sight of this man provides an equally calming note to circumstance. "It's been too long.. Don't worry, I feel your reason for my wake. We'll bring resolution to the affairs of you and your guardians.-" His voice would fall faint, slowly dissipating into nothingness before the vision itself would also darken. Over the course of roughly three seconds, our young woman would be pulled back into the reality of Dino's Italian Eatery.

When back in the present, Anora would feel an ominous weight against her chest. The candle between her and Pahn had begun to flicker without any breeze present. Pahn's eyes had slowly begun to assume their silvery glow. Air grew thick, heavy with that familiar presence once invoked during godly combat. Those near began to cough frantically or look about in panic, the feeling of a large beast stalking man as it's prey overtaking all of those present. Appearantly, during Anora's venture into an unknown past, Pahn had begun to swell with an aged instinct to hunt the aforementioned 'Prephlin'.

*Slap!* All at once, this sensation ended as two pale hands belonging to our celestial man rose to slam palm-first into his own features. They rotated and twisted against his face for a short moment as if he were attempting to rouse his expression from a recent nap. During this time, his posture shifted from that of a king to that of an average man, though of course once either hand lowered, human eyes could soon gaze upon smooth appearance again. His face was glazed as it had been, though it now showed exhaustion by a feint frown and falling cheeks. This was a practiced look, a way of revealing a lack of rest stretching towards lengths uncomfortable simply to imagine.

"What other questions do you have?" Pahn would quickly say. He had apparently realized what he was doing and wished to readily change the subject. Those eyes now looked upon Anora, never shifting. He was not swelling with pride this time, rather, he maintained that callous expression of fatigue in wait of new inquiry's.

Mortims Journal

- UNFINISHED POST 2 / Unrevised -

Melodramatic Deities and an Ageless Taste for Pizza

I know that last post had a lot of foreshadowing, I was basically establishing our first little journey or two. Both of those revealed characters will play big parts in whats to come. If you have any questions you want to ask here feel free to. Otherwise, you'll find out through your character later anyways.

Melodramatic Deities and an Ageless Taste for Pizza

Anora had projected an array of questions in Pahn's general direction. He would neither react immediately, nor show any outward signs of haste towards resolving said inquiry's. He would sit there, patiently sifting through his menu whilst allowing faint smiles and sighs to roll from his porcelain lips. Our mans mind is likely occupied by one of two things upon natural observation: should his pizza be just classic cheese, or should he wait to decide on the toppings before answering this woman's anxieties?

Pahn looks up, opening his mouth slightly whilst taking a breathe in as if to begin speaking. Just as this occurs, his eyes squint in slight at the girl across from him. Once having squinted, his lips shut and he shakes his head. He looks silently down at the menu before him once more. He would speak several seconds later, hardly taking liberties to tear his gaze from assorted food prices on this occasion. He didn't appear to be intentionally disrespectful, he simply acted as if this conversation and it's subjects were of minor day-to-day relevance with the potential of confusing their recipient.

"I think you're curious about what it is you've away from. I think that my existence, and the similar individuals I've attracted here, push your logic into new places. You're afraid, but, still unsure as to why that is. This,-" One hand raises from it's previous hold along the edge of a laminated restaurant menu to wave one finger around during a brief pause. "- this is what you're curious about." This hand returns to it's place on the rim of a now thoroughly examined piece of simple literature. Still, Pahn doesn't look upwards. He would stop speaking again, though, if Anora may take this seven second interval to toss in some further response, Pahn would raise his hand again as if to shush her during an essential moment in personal deliberation.

"I am-.." He would finally say, still allowing moments for seemingly unnecessary breath in between his words. "-I'm an old man. A being far older than this planet. You could say I wasn't human at first, but, upon landing here I had already become that.-" He drops the menu, both hands wrapping themselves around each other near his chin whilst previous expressions change from joyful pride into painful remembrance. "...- Someone had come here with me. We disagreed on certain things. Then, after some conflict with each-other, he died to keep me trapped here for a very long time." His lips tighten, his eyes squint whilst gazing at the wall rather than facing Anora. He took an even larger sum of moments as his jaw tenses further by each word. Should our guardian woman speak, a hand would still be raised to shush her.

"The people you encountered were toying with both me and you. They are apprentice to an old relation I hope is far from his former power. They seek to steal something from me. In short, a weapon of sorts that, if acquired, could be used to break both me and this world. None have been capable of doing so, perhaps they may possess what it takes.." That last sentence of his was nearly wishful, lingering on a sigh that says it to be desired.

"Here are your drinks! Now, what can I get ya'?" Dino would arrive promptly upon Pahn taking several minutes to answer Anora's questions, wine and water in hand alongside appetizers of bread sticks and sliced cheese. In-between them would now also sit a candle, likely meant to enhance some 'romantic' vibe the owner of this restaurant had gotten into his head. *Click!* The fire of the candle is set alight with some practiced gesture meant to exude flair and comedy to whatever customers observe it. Pahn would grin lightly at this chef and his antics whilst a notepad is withdrawn to take the pairs order. They exchange some odd set of looks, Dino points and makes an odd "Eh?" sound before nodding and writing something down for Pahn. "He'll have the usual, what is it you desire my dear?" He'd depart upon receiving her order, rushing eagerly into his familiar kitchen.

Pahn would sit quietly, staring at the candle between him and Anora with an utterly emotionless expression. Those glazed eyes looked to be peering into some deep part of his memory he'd been tossed into by this girls questions.

-------------Somewhere deep in the void of space---------------

"Do you feel him?" Gentle vocals caress the ears of three guests, powerful beings who'd arrived to hear what this first speaker has to say.
"Do you mean the source is singular?" Looking towards the man who'd spoken, a masculine voice projects it's concerns.
"Yes, he is one being... Sen, will you?" The gentle voice inquires a third presence, it's quiet nature breaking to provide response.
"My second apprentice. He will. I am the contingency. Is this adequate?" Feminine vocals project powerful waves of tempered force against those present.
"I consent." The second voice would state.
"I consent." The first voice would state.
"I consent." The fourth and final voice would state.

All depart for their separate occupations. Sen, the unrevealed caretaker of an unnamed duty contacts her prized student. A blade now soars towards Earth, a blade unperturbed by whatever may be waiting for him on one of the most aged worlds in our known universe.

--------------------------------------------------------
-------------Somewhere in the Earth below---------------

A gray man, faintly weakened by his battle with Pahn, slinks across puddles of crimson hatred. Human blood pools at his feet whilst he stands before a dark presence. 'Prephlin's disgusting, no class..' The man finds himself thinking upon gazing upwards at his oddly dressed master.

"Prephlin, please, I beg-..." A gloved hand extends forward from a seat high above, shushing the younger being below.
"You should watch your head. We have lots to learn still, don't we, kiddo?" A high pitched, cartoonish voice projects itself throughout the grimy cave where these two converse.
"No, please master, I need to find his tre-" Before the grey man could speak further, that same gloved hand was upon him. It's durable fingers tightly clasp his throat whilst those squeaky vocals again propagate through a fluid smeared residence.
"Stop that silly talk of yours. The surface has done you no good. I'll see to it you're all right again." And with that, the screams resume, as they had for century's before. What a painful teacher he is, the old god of horrors known as Prephlin.

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Melodramatic Deities and an Ageless Taste for Pizza

Pahn found himself faintly bemused, or, perhaps enchanted by the woman hurrying about before him. These were sensations he'd spent so long away from, he could hardly tell the difference between them. How strange it is, her world being one which moves in response to those around her. The cars and street before them had rules she felt she must obey, people who's tasks may have greater importance than her own. This was not the existence Pahn inhabited. He is a being of power, a being who could rewrite all of modern society should he so desire. He hardly took to such tedious tasks, but, it is possible nonetheless.

Pahn's legs carried him at a natural pace towards the sidewalk which Anora impatiently shouted about. He silently continued to smile at her, continuing to grin in such a manner whilst turning away to guide said girl to his favored Italian establishment. He would silently act as their guide, content with his own thoughts before reaching aged metallic door.

*Ding-ding* Rustic bell chimes at our two patrons entrance. Had Anora posed any questions on their short journey here, Pahn would have nodded in response as an aged man may before taking his time to provide cryptic answers; perhaps providing the occasional 'hmm' as if what was to be said truly required thought.

"My boy!!" An old man would shout from within the kitchen before any of the presently occupied staff could attend to Anora and Pahn. Dino exits from between swinging doors that lead to where all imagined delicacies are prepared. His portly legs carry a plump figure to greet them, wildly grinning eyes leer between Pahn and his first meal guest before bearded lips enamored with an aged smile release several further words.
"I see you've brought a lady with you this time, eh?" One eye emulates a practiced wink before his bare elbow jousts Pahn several times like he was some close grandchild whom just started dating. Pahn simply chuckled and allowed his body to bounce about in response to the force, hardly minding the humor of this energetic chef.
"I'll seat you two right away!" Dino laughs aloud, slapping Pahn's upper-back with force before clasping the mans shoulder to guide them towards a quaint booth in the corner of the establishment.
"I'll bring you two bread sticks to talk over. Take your time ordering, it's on the house." Dino then rushes away towards his duties in the kitchen, presumably preparing something special for such a well-acquainted customer.

The interior here was of an atypical red and brown scheme. The lower half of all the walls in the dining area were covered in boards of waxed wood, the upper half holding red and white checkerboard designs. Pictures of this restaurants long history deck the walls between slogans over family life and meals prepared properly by love and patience. Their booths cushions were a deep-red with an orange embroidery, leading into dark brown wood paneling which appeared sturdy in its attachment to a dark-grey carpeted floor. White tile sets could be seen glistening inside the kitchen, should one sneak a peek in that direction. This place was busy, as told by the ambiance of conversation and chatter paired with clanking glasses and the occasional thud of iron cookware somewhere in the distance.

Pahn slides with one smooth motion into their booth, looking with complacency and faint joy in Anora's general direction.
"So, what is it you're curious about?" He would say, as if they had just finished watching some movie and she'd mentioned she had questions over one or two of the plot holes. Once more his aloofness reared it's head, showing itself further as he flipped casually through the menu's which had been waiting for them on their table covered in green and white checkerboard designs. Had she asked of things before this, he would have still questioned her here. Perhaps he was wishing for her to better word whatever inquiry had been posed, or perhaps he simply forgot. Regardless, it might be odd to see this luminous deity in all his majesty attracting stares at an Italian eatery of all places. How easily he had walked into normal society, the conversations with an old man and the consumption of food. What life has he lead before meeting Anora as he has today?

Melodramatic Deities and an Ageless Taste for Pizza

I'll be posting soon. Just finished up some big IRL stuff but now I should have the free time to write out something.

Mortims Journal

'God, not again...' I find myself thinking upon reexamining present circumstance after waking from a brief rest. This wasn't my first time in a drop-ship, though, it was a first for most of us here. My gaze lingered on the horrified expressions of my current comrades as our cabin jostles and shakes in response to explosions being set alight someone near our vehicles exterior hull. Things must have gotten pretty rough out there to rouse me like this.

I only wish my assigned team could remain calm. Terror can be witnessed gripping them tighter than the metallic braces locked against each of their panting chests. Sure, Purge Cor. wasn't a job faced with sanity. Regardless, this hardly permits terror to dictate your actions. We were getting ready to face literal nightmare army's, not the fears already gripping our minds.

"Oh god.. Oh god, why me?" Someone nearby could be heard muttering aloud between hurried prayers. There were sixteen of us lining this rooms walls, it's likely only eight of us would make it out alive. That's the fate of an emergency strike team in our suspected conditions, the strongest survive. Regrettably, the weak couldn't depart at this point, the locks beneath us already releasing several of their initial bearings.

"Drop zone red, air-support pulling out. Prepare for premature release." Over the loudspeaker our pilot could be heard summarizing present circumstance. Things are grim. If our drop zone is red than we're being put somewhere far from the designated landing coordinates due to excessive danger. This results in an extended trek to our objective and a near guarantee at finding new obstacles. If air-supports pulling out as well, then we're definitely on our own out there.

My mind races to grasp the current situation, retracing instruction whilst preparing to survive an already smoldering battlefield. We were debriefed so there shouldn't too many unaccounted variables.

Summarized, our briefing is as follows: Panzer Settlement was reported with a type-3 epidemic fully underway two days past. The dominant population was rendered into bloodthirsty ghouls almost literally overnight. These ghouls don't show any severe anomalous traits aside from the atypical enhancements to strength and senses roughly twice that of an average human. First response forces succeeded in erecting a quarantine barrier along the edge of the target settlements land before the plague could spread to any neighboring jurisdictions. My unit's here because it was determined an unnumbered amount of ghouls have retained enough operational knowledge to have directed this settlements primary weapon defenses towards our barrier. This equipment has capacities to damage the barrier, but has yet to accurately land a shot. Since this could create a breach, our current mission is to disable the equipment so no other lands suffer contamination. We need everything to hold together until a member from 'The Ivory Hand' can arrive to fully remedy this plague. You'd think something this important would demand more than the greenhorns they've given me. We must be stretched pretty thin these days.

Upon finishing my inner briefing, I once more look upwards. The four bronze walls of our current space do nothing to compliment the already faint lights provided to us inside this jostling coffin. We all wear super-alloy suits meant to mechanically enhance our combat abilities. Despite said armor coating the full exterior of each my soldiers, I can still practically smell their feverish sweat. They shake, they whisper, they prey on fears of the self that have no place on a battlefield already caked in terror.

"Release in five..-" The dim luminescence surrounding us switches from green to red, meaning we're only moments from catapulting towards the surface below.
"-four-" I take several deep breaths, the ragged panting of that same praying soldier now reverberating unto a silent audience.
"-three-" Metallic plates can be heard quickly shifting beneath each of us, ushering our hearts to throb in readiness of whats to come.
"-two-" With the shrieks of a rusted lock system, the doors beneath each of us open to the searing dawn. Powerful light now leaks freely into dim space.
"-one.-" And with that final count our metallic braces push us downwards into the open sky before releasing their grip to allow free fall towards the cataclysm below.

"HOLY SHIT!!" I hear someone scream through our open com system. I inwardly question whether he's ever sky-jumped whilst stabilizing my free fall. My eyes moves to check on him, private Bender, the first to show how scared he was to pursue our assigned duties. Shortly after seeing his trained instincts were keeping him from spinning to his death I glance to check on the others. All of us appeared to be stable, to which I'm sure is no small miracle in consideration of nearly my entire unit being struck by hyperventilation during the ride here.

*Boom!* A distant explosion rumbles overhead, the drop ship having nearly been hit by yet another explosive projectile. I scope the Earth below Whilst still in free fall to attempt at finding where this well-aimed gunfire is coming from. Even semi-intelligent ghouls aren't capable of that. We would truly be unlucky if the reinforcements had to pull out before drop due to our unit discovering this as a type-2 outbreak.

-POST 1 / Revision 1 -