Tessa let her arms rest on the small wooden table she had found, a quiet refuge from the chaos as she listened to the crowd cheer and roar. Events geared towards beating each other up had never appealed to her; there was already so much violence in the world, why add to it? The ends of her hair brushed against her elbows as she leaned forward, eyes staring at the not so distant stadium. She could walk back, but it was so quiet here (not counting the crowd, but she could block it out if she tried). She hoped the wounds she had inflicted on Conrad wouldn't keep him from doing his best, but she wasn't sure she wanted to see the results. Or even talk to other people really. It wouldn't be so bad if she just stayed out here a little while longer.
From now on I will post updates in the OC. Any questions can be posted on my profile, in here, or PMed to me. Thank you in advance for understanding.
The biggest slap in the face is learning you were always alone; you just lied to yourself to get by.
Kara rubbed her temples, feeling the beginnings of a migraine. Magic? Paintbrushes? It reminded her of a Disney game she had once played with some friends, back when the Wii was still a popular thing to have. She might have signed up to help, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to be signed up for this. She couldn't imagine that she would use the picture taking feature very often. She hated taking pictures of herself. The thought made her smile and she shook her head, making the pain in her temples worse for a moment before it lessened. Of course she would worry about selfies before worrying about exactly how the magic worked. "So....um...Are we working in teams, or alone?" Kara decided to ask, her voice sounding small. She cleared her throat before continuing. "I only ask because I don't want the paintbrush...magic to conflict with one another, but you make the villains sound tough. I mean, I don't want to take on Maleficient by myself or anything." God she really had lost it somewhere along the way. How was she just accepting this?
Essentially a bump post to try and keep one of her favorite RP's alive, Kala had turned and twisted through the many streets of the city, and now stopped at a tavern for a drink. The ale was cool, refreshing, and strong enough to make her stomach turn warm. As she pressed her lips against the wooden tankard, she considered her new boss's position, and those of the people she met. There was no doubt in her mind that one day, she would have to fight them. She felt a tug of concern, but pushed it away. Couldn't be helped. They didn't have information on her, and Osiris had all the answers. She needed those answers. Without them, she had no hope of understanding what she was, what she could do, or even her life expectancy. She was fairly sure that she could never become a mother, which had saddened her at first, but as life went on she realized it was for the best. The mothering instinct, however small it may have been, was destroyed, along with any hope for love or kindness. It had taken her some time to accept this, but she understood now that it made her stronger. She eyed the bartender before throwing up a finger, asking for one more. She had time.
Kala followed Flame with little difficulty, other then a warning in the back of her mind that at this pace, she would have to make a diligent effort to conserve what energy she could. She had taken life from plants before, and could do so again if she needed, but it tasted...gross. Like eating dirt, she supposed. Well, Flame seemed preoccupied, and wasn't looking back. She let her fingers pass over the bark of the tree before digging her nails into the lined grooves as her face twisted in disgust. She had forgotten how gross it really was. Once they arrived at the city, she remained at Flame's side, sated for now, strength coursing through her veins. I suppose it was worth it. She grimaced, digging slivers of wood out of her nails as Flame warned her about the Titans. She didn't stop to correct the girl, it was only for concern for her safety after all, and followed as the girl sprinted away. While she couldn't hope to keep up with the fae, she would do her best.
Tessa silently wished Conrad good luck in his battle as she heard Alessia call out her good wishes to Zephyr. She could never be that outgoing, though sometimes she fervently wished she was. You do the best with what you have. She reminded herself, before leaving the crowded area to go find herself something to drink. She had spotted a man with what looked like beer in his hands, and though she had never been big on drinking, today it didn't seem like it would be so bad.
Veera grabbed the reins firmly as her horse pranced, nervous at the sight of the mage. "Evening." She addressed Solomon evenly. "We're on witcher business, I'm afraid it can't be discussed." She looked the man up and down, frowning slightly. He was too charming, and something about him was...off. But perhaps just a little bit off was what she needed. "Ser, do you know of a place to stay in Oxenfurt? One that might not be....obvious to the trained eye? We need a place to hide from a certain....acquaintance. Someone persistent and smart. I would be in your debt if you could provide such a place." She gave the most sparing of details, determined to keep as much as possible from the man. As little information as could get back to Veceslav as possible. She also made sure that Aaron wasn't included on the debt. He was an accomplice, but to a point. She was also his superior, in a sense, and despite her intense desires to massacre and murder, she couldn't help but feel a little responsible for his safety. Probably as close to mothering instincts as she would ever get. Teliana braced herself for the impact just as Vyle came flying back down in front of her. Huh? For a moment, her slightly higher then average intellect was stunned by the vampire's sudden appearance. The first time he told her to go didn't penetrate the cloud of surprise that enveloped her brain. The second time, however, she grabbed her skirts and ran, not daring to look back. It wasn't really in her nature, but she needed time to regroup. Time to do...this. Smacking her palms together with enough force to make a loud clapping noise, she reached for the fire, speaking the words of old as the ball of flames grew in her hand. Sorry Zach, I promise that I'll make you enough burn cream to fix you up. She turned to toss the fireball. She would be damned if she left a friend, or newfound ally, to die. Tessa blinked when Callum tumbled off the roof, but otherwise gave no indication she was minorly, minorly concerned she had actually hurt him. You can't hurt witchers, silly. She scolded herself, focusing on Seth's words. "I guess this is the closest to a special that we have." She grabbed a clean mug and stuck it under the spout of a barrel, turning the spigot in order to let the ale flow into the glass. After it was full, she set it down in front of Seth before going back to her busy work. "I guess it's Bryce's bar, but he lets me run it and stay here. I don't like sleeping in Sanctuary. Too much pain." She paused, a twist in her lips making her face grimace into a smile. "Welcome to the Bumblebee." Grabbing a second mug, she filled it with the same ale and shoved it on the bar in front of Callum. "Not everyone has fucking people to kill." She snapped, dangerously close to grabbing the knife she kept as security underneath the table and attempting to stab Callum with it. "Especially me." She turned back to Seth. "Do you like it?" She asked, motioning towards the liquor. She hadn't had any complaints, but fresh perspective was always good. Zack had left the underworld of Sanctuary, somehow, and was making his way around Oxenfurt curiously. Despite his pounding headache, the sights and sounds here were so much better then underneath. It was stale there, crowded, and hopeless. Here there was light, and laughter. He loved it. He paused at a merchant stall, inspecting the goods. He could really use a new shirt.
Tessa used Geokinesis again because of consistency.
Veera rolled her eyes at the silly creature and then whistled, her face giving no room to disobey. The animal came to her and stood at her side, carefully avoiding eye contact as she mounted, turning in her saddle to face Aaron. "We should be there soon (Like within the next post soon because Magick just wants to get going on the story). Are you prepared for what must be done?" She was ready to start when they got there, but other things needed to be taken care of. A place to hide that Veceslav wouldn't find them, and a plan of attack. Where they would start. She relayed these thoughts to Aaron before turning her horse to face him.
Because Magick has neither the time nor the ambition to read through thirty some posts and try to figure out her life, she decided that Tessa is going to make an extremely awkward post based on an update behind the scenes from @Vladek515 (thank you!) She had finished her stew a while ago, and folded her hands in her lap. Interesting travel stories? Well there was that one time with the beads....She shook her head, nearly smiling. That one wasn't appropriate for company. Then there was the time she had to steal a llama....but she didn't want to admit to the crime and be arrested for theft. "The place I came from had these really pretty birds, with these feathers that glowed in the dark. They used to fly at night, and way up in the sky they looked like glowbugs." She offered, clenching and unclenching her hands. Those birds were carnivorous, and had tried to eat her shortly after she had seen them, but it seemed like a nice thing to say. With that post completed, Magick drifted back into her hellish hole to await the next response, this time promising that she would try to keep up better as long as people didn't type novels every page.
It was after his helmet fell off that the wheels started turning in Sara's head. As he rubbed his jaw, his words faded in her ears while she stared at his face. His eyes...she had seen this before. Heard this before. The vacant look, the color, it was all wrong. Loki had done this, with the sceptor. Her train of thought was momentarily interrupted when the helmet was kicked off the floor and careened through the air towards her face. She threw up her arms, crossing them in front of her face to protect herself before taking a step back as the hard metal glanced off her skin, probably bruising her. The eyes, the sceptor...Ranger VI was with Hydra, but now she was no longer certain whether it was voluntary. In fact, she was nearly positive it wasn't. When Loki had used the sceptor before, it had caused the victim to do whatever the holder had ordered. And Ranger was young...younger then she was, judging by his face. It would be odd for Hydra to recruit them that young, but it wasn't impossible. Regardless of how or why he was here, and under their control, she needed to act. There was only one way to free someone from that kind of power. Acting quickly she grabbed the helmet and threw it back with all of her strength before running after it, using the nearby bed to launch herself into the air, aiming a spinning kick at Ranger VI. Catwoman crossed her arms, whip curled in one hand, the other tapping the top of her arm. Eyeing over the X-Men, she saw a couple of cuties, but nothing that could probably handle her style. There was only one man who had proven he could, and she somehow doubted she could ever fill the hole he had created in her heart. "Hey there, kiddies. Name's Catwoman. My friends call me Selina. Or at least they would if I had any friends." She smiled charmingly, her eyes razor sharp. It did her no harm to at least give them a first name. Her last name constantly changed to keep her from being captured on account of more then one missing item. "So the reunion is nice and warming and everything, but we really need to go. Especially if you want your friend back alive. I don't think Ultron is too fond of her." She didn't really care about the other woman's fate, too much, but it would be nice to keep from being caught until at least Wednesday. "And I suppose we should help the civilians too." Gambit was unsure of the new additions to their rescue team, but he didn't mind eyeing up the new woman for a moment before turning his attention back to Scott. "Evacuate" was what he was saying. Now that wasn't really Remy's style, but Scott called the shots, and he followed. He didn't miss the altercation between Kitty and Pietro, but shrugged. It was hardly any of his business, after all. He could barely handle his own affairs, let alone get involved in others. He eyed the newcomer, Catwoman, again as she introduced herself. She knew how to charm, that was evident, but she had nothing on the great Remy LeBeau, womanizer of the south. "If they're on their way, we should get goin' too." He interrupted, agreeing with Catwoman unknowingly. "We don't wanna get caught with our pants down when they get here."
Sara didn't struggle against the grip he had on her throat, though she did wiggle her leg to try and break it free. No points scored there. "If you didn't want it to hurt, you shouldn't have asked me to try so hard. I'm dressing to impress, after all." She replied, matching his tone of voice. She was pretty sure she had a concussion, and her ribs hurt like hell. She let her body go limp, as if she had momentarily given up. "When you decide to dole out the hits, be ready to get some back." Sara moved quickly, reanimating her body and driving her elbow into the arm that held her throat. At nearly the same second, as quick as her reflexes could manage, she brought one knee up to drive it into his stomach, the arm that had elbowed his arm now reaching to punch his jaw.
Tessa did whatever the other S classes were doing because she was a little lost soul in a big RP. Back in story land, Tessa kept her head down until she finished eating, before placing her hands in her lap. She wasn't sure what to contribute to the conversation, if anything. Conrad was still at her side, so it was still okay. She just hoped that Silvia wasn't too upset. Half of her wanted to chase after the girl, but she knew her place was here. She had promised, and she would keep the promise, if nothing else.
Veera followed quietly, letting Xara ask all the questions. The ones she had herself, didn't really matter. Or was it that the answers didn't matter? She continued to ponder this question instead of the others she had, or the unending darkness, as they walked on. It at least kept her mind busy. "You're fine, Xara. I don't think inquisitivity should be condemned." was her only comment as she stared into the nearly hidden road ahead of them, wondering what came next.
The fighting was as familiar to Veera as breathing (after more then a couple decades of living by the sword it should be). She slid from one pose to another, flashing from sign to sign as her stamina allowed and cutting through the enemy until there were only a few left. Those she would let Aaron handle. She had to admit, the boy knew what he was doing. He was a good pupil, and Veceslav had taught him well. At the thought of her own mentor she grimaced, and brushed her hair back from her face. Had he figured out they had left? She hoped not, or at least that he would go the wrong way. As much as she cared for him, he just couldn't understand, and she was beyond having the patience to make him. As soon as Aaron finished his share of the monsters and took what he wanted from those corpses, they would be off again. Speaking of which...she bent down to the nearest body in front of her and began cutting away the vital organs and eyes, putting them in in her pouch for oils and potions later. Or else maybe there was a merchant who would want them. People bought strange things these days. Ana grimaced as she read what Zach had scratched in the dirt. Stuffing a hand into the hidden pocket of her dress, she pulled out a handful of blossoms, whispered an old prayer over them, and blew them from her fingers into the wolf's face. On humans, it would knock them out faster then a heartbeat. In wolves...she had no idea. Tessa jumped as Seth's voice sounded beside her. Bryce would be furious, she realized. She hadn't paid attention at all to her surroundings. "A doppler? Irritating a witcher? That'll be the day." She scoffed, pain behind the irritation in her voice. Maybe if some of her kind actually stood a chance against the monster killers, they wouldn't have to be so scared all the time. "What are you doing here?" She asked Seth, whirling around as Callum hung off the roof in front of her. Oh gods. Stalking up to Callum, she completely ignored the hopeless line of thought she had just been following and jabbed Callum in the chest with her newly bruised finger. It was more of his stomach, since he was hanging off a roof, and quite a few feet above her. The pain was worth it. "I don't HAVE names, I'm not a murdering psychopath!" She yelled, just as her mind realized she probably shouldn't yell those words out. "Now if you don't mind, I have a bar to run!" She turned and walked back to the counter, slamming the swinging door open, and then shut as she grabbed a rag and began to furiously wipe down the mugs and counter. "You can stay if you order a drink." She relented, glancing at Callum, then Seth, who had hadn't yet told her why he was there.
Tessa half smiled at Gale's confusion at the items they were supposed to get (she assumed the look on his face was one of confusion, but she didn't want to say anything out loud and offend him). Quietly moving to the side, dragging Zack with her, she began to pick up one item after another and gather it on one of the counters. While she knew where the basic stuff was, Zack was the one who knew where everything was. She glanced at Gale, sizing him up in her mind. He was quieter then Hunter, and not as commanding as Drake (but who was?) but he had an aura of confidence about him. It seemed like most of the older scouts did. Did the scouts that die also have confidence? She shuddered, then quickly covered it up as a shiver from the cold, rubbing her arms in a pretend attempt to get warm before stepping back to watch Zack gather the supplies. What if she was next on the list of people to die, and she just didn't know it? Zack frowned slightly when Tessa stepped back, but kept on gathering the supplies. He wasn't going with, so the least he could do was make sure they would have everything they needed. Knowing Tessa, she was agonizing about whether or not she would be coming back. And if he was honest, he was too. She was smart, quick, and strong. She had all the tools she needed to survive. But so had the people who had left this morning. They had been good, some of them great, and one little mistake had cost them everything. It was only human to make mistakes, and death was inevitable. Still, he couldn't help but feel his heart twist at the thought of Tessa meeting her end. She will be fine. He told himself as he slipped another can into the mounting pile of foodstuffs. She will come She promised she would. Veera kept her eyes shut and focused on trying to breathe as little as possible, to keep the blade away from her neck. All she could do at this point was hope that Drake didn't do something stupid, and that he wasn't lying, and that someone else knew he wasn't lying. She would take every second of life she could get right now. Kala bowed as Flame left the room, a smile slipping onto her face at the girl's decision. "I will be ready in a heartbeat." She promised the princess. The girl is doing something. Perfect. Quick as a snake that her creator so fiercely despises, Kala reached out the window and grabbed the bird, pressing her fingers to the small pulse on its neck and shutting her eyes. Within seconds, the bird was dead, and she felt...refreshed. Her body was still weakened, and her mind wasn't as sharp, but what else could be expected of such a small meal? She would have to keep an eye out for something more...substantial. Pulling up the loose floorboard in the room, she grabbed her small dagger, and her longer sword. Both were suited well for the tasks she would be pursuing. "May the gods watch over us." She whispered, grabbing the bird's body and tossing it out the window. She didn't stay to watch it fall to the ground, instead entering the ante room where Flame waited. "I am at your command, my lady."
Tessa stretched, rolling her shoulders and cracking her neck from side to side before heading out. She debated going out of town to do some fighting, but Bryce would get pissy if she left without him. Though he had been getting better since Emma popped into our lives...She smiled to herself, reminded once more of her little brother's attitude change. Her own had gone from; "Nice to meet you stranger!" to "That bitch better not break his heart." But what could she do? She was the older sister, it was her job to keep Bryce alive and happy, since their parents had proved incapable. Speaking of parents....She hadn't thought about them in a long time. Obviously they were no longer responsible for either her or Bryce's care, or they both would have died weeks ago from starvation. Had someone called in a complaint? Had one of her friends called the SS and gotten them placed in foster care? She didn't think anyone she knew would have the courage or the wits to do such a thing, but perhaps Bryce knew...she hesitated, biting her lip. She wouldn't bring it up to him. Not now, anyway. With a nod to herself, she traipsed off to the town library, to curl up in a chair and do some reading. Maybe take a nap. It was a lazy day, after all. Bryce grinned when Emma laughed, then held out his hands obediently. He had spent enough time with his sister that he knew to always respond to a woman's commands. His mouth dropped open slightly when the axe materialized in Emma's hands, before grinning at the sight of it. "That's awesome!" You make it?"
As they rode onwards for an undetermined amount of time, Veera considered her plan. It would be easiest to start in a big city; she and Aaron had already determined that. Hiding the evidence of what they were doing would be another matter. Plague victims. She decided. That would be the best way to go. The bodies would be burned beyond recognition, and the proof would be destroyed. Just as she turned to relay this information to Aaron, the medallion around her throat hummed and she wrinkled her nose as it filled with a horrible smell. "We've got company!" She shouted to the man behind her as she yanked out her silver sword just in time to decapitate one of the ghouls rushing towards them. Ana, uncertain from from Zach's lack of response, took a step back, still holding the fire in her hands. Why do men have to be so complicated? I'm sure the potion would have worked on a girl. She thought unfairly to herself as her heart pounded in her chest. Vyle had royally screwed her by keeping her occupied when she should have been escaping, and she could hardly outrun a werewolf. Her only option, if he attacked, was to try to dodge and escape to the roof. Zack was lying on the floor, trying to ease his headache. He might go exploring later and see what this Sanctuary held. Tessa stalked towards the tavern she ran, slamming her hand against the wall before slumping down as she reached into her pocket for her keys. Bryce might come looking for her, but she didn't care. She needed to do something besides talk to people. Her hand throbbed as she shoved the key into the lock and twisted, nearly breaking it before shoving the door open and walking in. She briefly debated punching the wall again, but held off. She didn't want to break her knuckles.
Sara smiled uncertainly. "I'm not sure, I was on my way to the gym and I ran into...uh" She paused tactfully before changing tracks. "The robotics club looks really interesting. I've never been very good with any of it, but it seems like you guys do good word. If you could just point me in the right direction I'll be on my way." Tessa hurridly yanked her shirt on backwards and zipped up her jeans before dashing out the door. "I'M COMING!" She screamed as she raced down the hallway. She wasn't sure why she was screaming, but it seemed like the right thing to do.
