Ancient Dynasty; A Viper's Promise

[Alter Ego]

OOC: You're welcome, Melissa. ^-^ Anyway...you did all that in one hour? :O *Dies* I needed more time just to draw the outline of a Gulpin I spontaneously decided to make in pixel, and it's still wobbly. Yeah, I'm definitely glad that I never aimed to become a professional artist. xD

IC:

"Well, loveh..." Lori replied to Reina's question in her usual sap-oozing tone, "...some of us actually like to make a few preparations before we meet important people. You know, try to make a good first impression? But of course..." she continued, "...you aren't really the type to care about those things, are you?" she cast a dismissive glance at Reina's clothes - all of which were definitely on the current fashion blacklist - "It's a shame, loveh, a real shame, pretending to be a boy at your age..."

'Oh, for crying out loud...' Valen thought for himself, having already taken care to choose a spot as far from Lori as mortally possible, '...is she really going to keep at it all the way to the office?' Well, he certainly wasn't going to give her any additional enjoyment in that little game, as he strongly suspected that the annoying woman was practically daring him to intervene so that she could drag in a 'knight in shining armor' analogy too. With this in mind, the boy leant back against the wall, folding his arms and staring passively at the ceiling and hoping that the rest would have the common sense to move the procession along quickly.

 

[Kogenta]

[OOC: A pleasure to have you RPing with us again, Light_Azumarill. ^-^]

Chain turned slightly as he heard Reina approach. Looks like she caught up with us after all. Catching the red-haired trainer's comment, Chain's expression softened with what might have been amusement before again losing emotion as he heard Lori speak. The male hacker gazed casually at the still-talking woman, following her as she walked while silently wondering at her ability to smile so widely and so incessantly. Both Valen and Reina seemed irritated by Lori's jibe, as would be natural, though Reina's displeasure was considerably more evident.

Upon arrival at the elevator, Chain quietly watched Lori slide an ID card through a slot to one side and memorized the object's appearance before casting his usual glance about the elevator interior and stepping in--consciously placing himself between Kyoko and Lori, though whether this was more to protect Kyoko or Lori was unclear. As Lori proceeded to make another less-than-favorable remark regarding Reina, Chain's dragonlike, green-gold eyes slid halfway toward the woman before lowering patiently toward the elevator floor.

After a calculatedly brief, yet sufficiently long, amount of time, the dark-haired trainer commented indifferently, "Speaking of boys, you never did finish the story you were telling earlier. I suppose it doesn't matter, though." I doubt anyone here wants to hear Lori say anything, but in theory this will be an improvement. Chain's eyes closed calmly. In theory.

 

[Mika]

-OoC-

Welcome back Melissa. ^^

;; I apologize for my poofing. I had a paper due and pepband (of doom. <<) and then I came home and threw up four times. :3 so yeah. I've been... rather missing. o_O

Assuming I can sit up tomorow for longer than five minutes I'll post a proper IC. T-T -bows repeatedly- I'm sorreh. D: I don't know why I keep getting sick. @-@

 

[Light_Azumarill]

OOC: Dun worry Alter, art takes practice it does! And thanks Kogenta. Glad to be back too. Hi Mika! Erm, yes, don't go pushing yourself on our account. Keyboards tend to hate being barfed on. XD

Zuuu... I'm posting!


Reina
-----------------

That woman was pushing her luck, she was. Reina's patience only lasted for so long, and Lori was just so insufferable. Valen had kept quiet about the comment, but he was far better at hiding his feelings and anger towards Lori than Reina was. She knew that getting angry was just what Lori was hoping she would do, but how could she just stand there and let the woman verbally abuse her?! She opened her mouth after a moment to say her piece, but Chain spoke instead.

After his comment, Reina nodded. "Oh yes, do go on Lori," she said in a forced, calm voice, "Because your opinions matter so much, don't they? Besides, I'm sure you must be getting tired of trying your best to insult children." She was pathetic really, trying to make some girl mad. Granted, Reina didn't think of herself as qualifying under the category of 'children', but in this case she was willing to make an exception.

OOC: Yes, 'tis short... but such is the way of conversational posts.

 

[Mika]

-OoC-

I'm sorry this post is so cruel and evil....

I got SO BORED in my AP Lang Class....

And evil smirk = >3~ face


-IC-

Well, this was definitely a first.

Kyoko and Reina, seemingly teaming up? Who thought it could happen or rather, that it would ever in a million possible moon cycles even begin to happen? Strange as it may seem, this was exactly what Kyoko was now intending to do. That sly little innocent smile had once again crossed her face when Lori got into a fight with Reina (who had much cooler clothing than Kyo-chan herself) about clothing and the sheer moment Reina mentioned Lori's child-aimed torment, she couldn't resist any longer. She wouldn't admit she had any sort of respect for the older girl, she wouldn't admit that she wasn't going to let someone blatently insult the only person aside from Rosairie who didn't think she was a complete waste of time...and this elevator was hot and stuffy and it was making her cranky. Yeah, that's my reason. I've had enough nyuuhuhu~ It's time to put this old hag into her place nyuhuhuhuhuuu~

Adorning a cutesy pouty facial expression, she tugged on Valen's sleeve lightly, him being easier to reach than Chain due to the fact the male, in his surprisingly pre-knowledge of this unavoidable argument, had shoved her into a corner away from physical contact with that wretched beast unfit for anything, much less breeding. He was simply leaning against the wall, right to her left. When the first tug or two didn't work, she yanked hard enough that he'd have to acknowledge her or fall over which would result in a Houndour Pile that would be funny but would cause the girl much pain grief and suffering later. Now, as long as she played like it was simply a conversation, tho it was probably going to be one-sided, that Lori wasn't involved in, she could simply acuse the woman of eavesdropping. Perfect plan~

Settling her hands on her hips once she had his attention, (whether he wanted it was another matter that she really didn't give a HootHoot about), she stuck her tounge out lightly, "Booooooo! Valen-sempai, aren't there any pretty young tour guides around here that aren't so old and boring? This one just keeps droning on and on and it's driving me crazy!" Rolling her eyes, she threw her hands up lightly, lowering her voice a little, her eyes glancing to the left in a shifty sort of manor, "It's either that or she's so old she doesn't realize she's got absolutely no idea what real people wear and is trying to impose her old-woman fashions on the rest of us. Tch, who do you think she's kidding with all that gaudy obviously fake makeup? It's true you can't hide old-people faces blemishes and wrinkles, right Valen-sempai?" Giving the boy a wink she knew he'd be the only one to see, she turned towards the lady, waggling a tsking finger, "Excuse me, ma'am? Could you please stop talking so loudly til we get up there? I've got such a horrid headache and I really don't want to have it when I meet the ceremony guy. Thanks much~!"

Settling back into her corner, she couldn't help but let her cutesy smirk return to cross her pale little face, a strand of pink hair trickling into her eyes. She was such a little monster and nothing felt better than being a monster and getting away with it.

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: That's okay, I like cruel and evil...at least when it's directed at someone else than Valen for a change. xD

And yeah, art takes practice. No argument there. That's why I'm so bad at it. Too undisciplined to put in the needed effort. Oh well, I'll just try to do it step by step, maybe I'll get there eventually...like, some time during the next five years. xD

IC:

At first, Valen didn't know what the heck Kyoko was hoping to achieve by bugging him, but the moment he actually turned his eyes in the right direction to look the little brat in the eye - which happened to be right after the last yank, which had felt more like a vicious attempt to dislodge his wrist than a simple bid for attention - he caught on immediately, and even though co-operating with Kyoko was probably near the top of his never-to-do list, he - oddly enough - found himself willing to make an exception in this case. After all, it was simply a case of siding with the lesser evil to defeat the greater, no?

"Too true." he concured on the remark about hiding age, savouring the increasing tension in the smile of Lori - ever the seasoned eavesdropper - "Old people are like that, I'm afraid. You'll just have to endure their last-century views so they don't get offended." was that creak he just heard caused by the elevator or the grinding of teeth? Valen decided not to spoil the act by looking, once again turning his attention completely elsewhere as Kyoko made her loud bid for silence on Lori's part on the pretense of having a headache.

"Certainly, loveh..." Lori hissed out from between gritted teeth, a murderous gleam in her eyes and her smile now so strained that it looked like she was preparing to bite Kyoko's head clear off her shoulders. 'I might not be able to get at you now...' that glare seemed to say, 'But I swear you'll not get away with this.'

And with that, Lori did something most exceptional: she actually fell silent, settling down by the control pannel and pulling out a small file with which she begun to trim her fingernails with such malice that the whole process seemed more like she was sharpening a knife...or a sword.

 

[Light_Azumarill]

OOC: I almost feel sorry for Lori. Almost. ^-^


Reina
-----------------

For one wild moment, Reina thought that Kyoko was going to get it from Valen. Surely he wouldn't side with the pathetic excuse for a little girl, right? Surprisingly though, he did, and Reina certainly thought it was a testament to how much he loathed Lori. She knew what Kyoko had done in the past, but Lori? What had she done to Valen in the past, Reina wondered. But she shouldn't be thinking about other people's business, should she? It shouldn't be a big deal to her what Lori had ever done to Valen or anyone else for that matter. Pushing the thought from her mind, she noticed with great interest that it was suddenly very quiet.

"Have we just entered the 'opposite dimension'?" she said, casting an amused glance from Lori to Kyoko to Valen.

'Yeah,' she thought to herself, 'If this means that I'll be wanting to wear dresses all of a sudden, then I'll be getting my award mailed to me, thank you very much.'

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: I friggen' love the school copying machine! ^0^ Because it didn't work, my finnish teacher failed to copy out the papers we were supposed to be working on, which means a double skip since she didn't have a backup plan.

This being the case...it's posting time. ^^

IC:

"It seems so..." Valen - never one to resist tormenting Lori a little - remarked at the opposite dimension comment, "When the noise pollution-" he cast a meaningful glance at Lori at this point, "-suddenly just outright disappeared, I thought I had simply gone deaf, but apparently that's not the case." the boy seized on the opportunity to smirk a little. Granted, Lori would be exacting bloody vengeance at every viable opportunity because of this, but since he had already more than crossed the line with his previous remark he might as well make the most of it.

Still dead silence from Lori. The elevator's machinery continued to hum quietly, although judging by the tone it was already slowing down. They would probably arrive at their destination any moment. In the mean time, Valen seized on the opportunity to enjoy something that was very rare in Lori's company...silence. Sweet silence...

"This would be your stop." Lori remarked, her expression and tone still sour as the elevator came to a halt, the doors opening with a discreet 'ping'. Her expression gained a certain triumphant edge to it, however, as she observed the corridor opening up on the other side and leading to the office door on the other side, strategically plain and narrow...the last path before the point of no return.

"Now then, off you go on your merry little ceremony." she added, her usual annoying tone returning as she hastily ushered the group into the hallway, "I'm sure you will find it most...memorable." and with those last words, the elevator doors shut again, the machinery once again setting into motion and carrying Lori dwonwards again, leaving Valen and the others with virtually no options, no destination but the ominous, dark oak doors with the almost exorbiantly well-polished nameplate on them: Slythe D'Argent, CEO

 

[Light_Azumarill]

OOC: I love it when stuff like that happens! I once had a Spanish teacher that always talked about us needing to get into college, and told stories of her trips to Mexico for so long on test days that half the time they were postponed. It got to the point where the class knew that's what would happen, so they would egg her on and ask plenty of good questions. XD Then I had an English teacher that was always getting forgotten by the copy machine people in the school, and so our tests were always late. ^^

BTW, what are we doing about Rosairie? Is there someone who's going to control her? Just curious. ^^


Reina
------------------

Smirking back at Valen's comments, Reina leaned back against the wall of the elevator. It was amazing how one could change their attitude so quickly. Just a moment ago she was about to boil over because of Lori's snide little remarks, but now she was quite happy. The strangest thing of all was that her elated attitude wouldn't have been possible without Kyoko's help. Well, Reina supposed, she couldn't be completely witless and pathetic. At least this time Kyoko's little scheme actually worked, rather than just succeeding to make she or Valen angry like the other times.

The elevator began to slow down, and as it stopped, Lori seemed to regain her usual composure. Reina didn't give her a second look though, and just got off the elevator with a mildly annoyed expression on. Like she had said to Valen before; she had nothing to hide from Slythe. She couldn't help but wonder though... what had Lori meant by 'memorable'? It sounded as if they were tiny fish getting tricked into seeing the 'memorable' inside of an alligator's mouth.

'I can speculate for years and never get anywhere,' Reina told herself, 'Or I can just go in there, keep a level head, and know that if anything funny happens, I am perfectly capable of getting out of it.'

There was no doubt though that the large, wooden doors to Slythe's office was quite ominous. Reina glanced at Valen, wondering if he had been up here enough times to get used to it. She was sure that he had never come to Slythe's office in quite this way before; in a suspect awards ceremony, surrounded by Rosairie and Kyoko, Avery and Cona, Chain and her.

"Cozy little place, isn't it? Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside," Reina said in her usual sarcastic tone. Her stomach was a bit nervous, but she made sure her voice sounded confident.

Reina briefly wondered how well Kyoko would fare in Slythe's office. She seemed to be the kind of whiny little thing that did poorly in places where it needed to be serious and quiet. Hopefully she didn't decide to clutch onto anyone's arm. Rosairie, despite being an annoying rich girl, could probably hold her own; at least she had some sense. Avery and Cona were more normal than the other two girls, so they would probably have no problems. Chain and his confusing words and polite manner would probably find this a breeze.

Reina stepped up to the doors, and suddenly thought of something. "Erm... do we knock?" she said turning to Valen, raising an eyebrow.

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Nyah, no, we don't have anyone doing Rosairie yet. Any takers? I'd rather avoid controlling characters I don't have a grasp of and...well, Rosairie is one of those. So, someone...please? *Puppy dog eyes*

Anyway, yeah, teachers like that are awesome. ^-^ One of my English teachers is like that, he loves his subject so much that all it takes to get a small presentation is to ask about some complex literary term. Ask about Jane Austen and there goes the double lesson. xD

IC:

"Somehow, I don't think that will be necessary." Valen replied, slowly striding over to the door as well. He wouldn't admit being afraid of Slythe, far from it, but in this case he had...other duties as well, his gaze drifted absent-mindedly from the door to Reina at the thought. He knew all the dirty tricks that Slythe could throw at him like the back of his hand, but Reina...brave though she was, she just didn't know the rules of the game being played. In fact, it was questionable whether she was even fully aware of the game being played, and to tell her-well, suffice to say that the awkward personal confession that that would entail was something Valen didn't want to go through, not when he needed his senses to be at their sharpest. The boy shook his head, as if to dislodge the thoughts again and focused once more on the door, unceremoniously pushing it open to reveal...darkness.

Yes, except for the narrow beam of light that the gap between door and doorframe cast across the office floor there was no visible light in the office, and for a few awkward moments, Valen found himself simply standing there and staring into the darkness in an attempt to discern the vague dark shapes within.

"Ahh..." a voice in the darkness spoke up, breaking the silence, even though the eerie tone did little to break the unsettling atmosphere. Why was it - Valen wondered - that Slythe always found away to sound more disturbing than the last time? "The tournament victors, yes?" the voice continued, "I've been expecting you. Pray enter-" like usual, he somehow managed to make the word sound like 'prey', "-I do apologize for the conditions, I was hoping for the circuitry to have been fixed by now, but alas-" there was a slight shifting somewhere in the darkness, perhaps signifying an apologetic gesture of some kind, "But, no matter. We shall make do with what we have. A moment, if you please." there was a brief flicker of a match in the darkness, and soon a total of ten small lights appeared - one at a time - illuminating their surroundings, although 'illuminate', in this instance, basically meant separating the monotonous darkness into various shades, splitting the treathening mass into an ominous flicker of varying shades. Nonetheless, visibility had improved somewhat, enough to reveal a set of eight, rather comfortable-looking chairs with black leatherning and a solid desk, apparently made out of the same material as the door, with a pair of elegant chandeliers set upon it. Between these two flickering beacons of light stood the most disturbing part of the interior: Slythe's face, with it's pale, listless skin and piercing red eyes, one of them almost completely covered by the dark purple hair. The face was - it seemed - currently offering them an inviting smile, but the flickering light of the candles was distorting it in a decidedly disturbing manner. To Valen's eyes, this seemed like a meeting well prepared.

"Do sit down." Slythe continued softly, his voice betraying nothing but open friendliness, "I apologize for the poor lighting, but I did not wish to delay the ceremony further for such a...trivial matter. Don't worry, I've been assured that the regular lights will be back momentarily. Oh, and do close the door behind you..." he added, "Our talk is for our ears alone, is it not? I would not wish for any information to leak out to...undesired parties."

 

[Light_Azumarill]

OOC: Well... it would probably be best if Mika did Rosairie, considering how good of friends she is with Charon and how good of friends Kyoko and Rosairie are. ^^; However, if Mika doesn't want to... *sighs* I guess I'll do it. XD I actually wouldn't mind, but I expect everyone else to point out if I make any mistakes. The last thing I wanna do is ruin an awesome character like Rosairie.

Anywhoo... methinks this RP is a playground for the creepy part of Alter's mind. ^^;;;


Reina
-----------------

"Oh," Reina said stupidly as Valen moved to push open the door. She watched curiously as the oak door swung open to reveal a darkened room with pretty much nothing visible in it. Reina frowned a little, thinking for one wild moment that perhaps they had come to the wrong place. However, her mind quickly dismissed that thought for another more plausible one; Slythe's a weirdo who likes to scare people. Or at least shake them up enough to make sure they were vulnerable.

Then came a voice, though it by no means was a calming one, that made it clear that they were indeed in the right place and in the right company. Reina felt a chill go up her spine despite her constant inner reassurance that she would be okay. He offered an explanation about the lack of light, which Reina raised an eyebrow at. What kind of a person sits alone in the dark of their own office? Even so, wouldn't the whole floor's power be out? Or at least someone else's? Then again, the only thing that seemed to be here was his office. It didn't matter though; to Reina, it just seemed like a ploy to scare them.

As Slythe lit some candles for light, his form became clearer, though not by much. For a second, in the low lighting, Reina thought she was looking at Valen; the dark purple hair, covering a little of one side of his face coupled with quite pale skin. But no, Valen was not across the room, he was standing as they all were, in the entrance to Slythe's office. Reina blinked and focused her attention back to Slythe, who was a little more visible now that he had managed to light more candles. Reina hadn't gotten a good look at him during the opening ceremony, nor would she have known who he was then anyway, so this was really the first time she had seen him. His hair did still resemble Valen's, but the rest of him was something quite creepier. As he began to tell them to sit down, Reina pushed her thoughts from her mind and began looking for a chair.

She spotted the closest one and slowly sat in it, wondering exactly what was coming next. His friendly tone of voice may have fooled others, but Reina had taken Valen's advice seriously and so she felt no more comfortable than a tiny Rattata surrounded by the coils of a hungry Seviper.

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Well, my soundtrack of randomly chosen songs was going through Evanescance's 'Haunted' when I wrote that (Don't particularly care for the lyrics, but I love the eerie intro) so yish, the music kind of inspired me. xD But yes, most of my creepier stuff goes here. What can I say? It's such a lovely opportunity...besides, it's fully appropriate for Slythe. ^-^

Anyway, I was really REALLY trying to be sensitive and wait for other people to post, but by golly...some folks just don't take a hint. >.< So yish, now it's official: post ye' lurkers. xO *Pokes you people with the pointy finger of guilt*

And yes, I agree that Mika would be the logical choice for controlling Rosairie, what with the whole nee-chan thing and all. ^-^

IC:

Slythe's smile seemed to widen slightly as Reina stepped forward, "Ahh...miss Rookford, I presume? Oh, but where are my manners?" he rose up, reaching out one of his thin, pale-skinned hands and shaking Reina's, "Truly a pleasure to have you with us. I would introduce myself, but considering the circumstances I assume that that won't be necessary." he chuckled slightly, causing Valen to shiver in an almost indistinguishable manner. Only Slythe knew how to make a chuckle sound eerie. Not feeling like letting Reina suffer the brunt of his discussion techniques alone, the boy stepped into the small circle of light as well, deciding on the center spot, a maneuver which Slythe surely couldn't 'fail to notice'.

"Valen." the CEO remarked calmly, nodding in the boy's direction, "Lori informed me of your performrance. Quite remarkable, I should say, although of course..." he added, "I should know your abilities well enough not to be surprised anymore, shouldn't I?"

"Sir." Valen replied neutrally, offering a very curt nod and dismissing any possibility of a handshake with his gaze. Fortunately, Slythe assented, settling for a similar nod, and the boy sat down on Reina's right-hand side.

'What's with his darkness obsession?' Valen though for himself, feeling slightly annoyed already as he peered into the shadows. He knew that Slythe liked to keep his pet Seviper - Nigina - out and moving in his office, and the boy had had enough unpleasant experiences with the serpent to realize that he didn't want it to sneak up on him in the dark. 'Then again...' he pondered, casting a discreet glance in Slythe's direction only to note a carefully mimcked one reflected at him, 'He's probably counting on that, trying to psyche me out. Urgh...why can't the rest of them just get over here so we can get it over with?' he cast an annoyed glance over his shoulder, trying to see if the rest of the group was anywhere near getting seated. After all, how hard could taking a darn seat be?

 

[Kogenta]

[OOC: Sorry. I was waiting for Mika to post. ^-^;;]

Chain tilted his head gently forward, allowing his dark hair to shadow his face and mask any expression that might enter his features. Valen and Kyoko's "teamwork" against Lori was, if nothing else, unexpected--though perhaps not wholly. At least now I know they can work toward a common goal if they must . . . Or at least, if they both hate someone enough. I just hope the consequences of their actions aren't too severe. The male hacker's gaze slid to one side, viewing both Kyoko and Valen, both the subjects evincing some form of satisfaction. Nothing I can do about it now, I suppose. Chain again lowered his eyes and fell still, mentally preparing himself for the challenge he knew lay ahead.

As the elevator doors slid open, Chain's glance flickered upward, focusing deliberately on the path that led to the location of the long-awaited ceremony. "Fittingly oppressive," the trainer observed wordlessly as he viewed the narrow hall. He stepped out of the elevator, finally lifting his head as he brushed his unkempt bangs away from his eyes. Though a few strands naturally fell back in front of his face, the deep light of the trainer's eyes was now better revealed--their green and gold hues mingling flawlessly and almost appearing to shift, like twin pools of oil ready to ignite, given only a spark.

Acting according to his custom, Chain remained near the back of the group as they made what might have been a type of death march toward the wooden doors at the hall's end. Seeing Valen raise a hand to open the door, Chain was scarcely able to prevent his eyes from narrowing. And the game begins.

The door swung open.

Although the door had been opened, for a moment nothing could be seen beyond the doorway except a rectangle of light that had spilled into the otherwise-black room. Chain entered warily, but with as calm an aura as could be maintained, his irises dilating in an attempt to track Slythe's shadowed form while the CEO lit a series of candles. At Slythe's request, Chain turned and gently closed the door. The dull thud of wood against wood reminded Chain of the closing of a coffin lid.

Moving a few paces further into the room, Chain turned his gaze toward the chairs that had apparently been placed for the tournament "winners" to occupy. Eight chairs . . . Makes sense. Still, I almost expected seven. After JJ disappeared so abruptly earlier, and his own companions only discovered his depature via a tournament official, it seemed suspicious. But, even if something was done to JJ, not having a chair for him would be too obvious for someone like this man to do. Chain watched Slythe carefully, though not too closely, attempting to maintain an awareness of even the darker corners of the room as his eyes slowly adjusted to the gloom. No . . . This 'Slythe' definately wouldn't do anything like that. Knowing anything aside from what information he allows us to know will surely be difficult. Inversely, I wonder how much he knows about us . . . If he can set up a scene for us as elaborate as this, then he's not the type to let someone move around his computer network without being informed of the culprit. Does he know it was me? And if he does, why hasn't he acted on it yet . . . ? Only long practice--or, possibly, habit--allowed the hacker to maintain his expression of unconcerned indifference as he watched and heard Slythe greet first Reina, then Valen.

With a CEO like this, I wonder what type of company WaiWai Inc. really is. And it makes me wonder about Valen, too. Chain halted himself before his eyes shifted toward the dark-haired boy who had by now seated himself. Sorry, Valen. I don't mean to mistrust you. But . . .

After what felt to be a long moment--though it was likely only a few seconds--Chain stepped forward and offered his hand to Slythe, nodding politely as he introduced himself. "You probably know already, but my name is Chain. An honor to meet you."

[OOC: I will post in Eseka when I am able. ^-^;; My apologies . . . ]

 

[Mika]

-OoC-

Alter, your banner will be back up by later today/tonight, photobucket is down for updates.

Sorry, we lost our internet for a couple days thanks to this stupid cold weather and the stupid ebil substitue libarian wouldn't let me post at school. -is back now- TT Gomen gomen. And I will take over Rosarie... If Alter, you make her magically able to appear with the group. Because I have no clue where she is. @-@

I'll post Kyo-chan for right now, Rose tomorow if she can magically poof in with the group. :x

And then, from now on, my posts will be in black if the two girls interact and Kyoko's posts will be purple while Rosaries will be hotpink.

And if anybody's familiar with the game "Tales of the Abyss" and notices what I did with the Gloomietta reference, keep your mouth shut

Alter, I'll post my profile and crap in Eska after school today and I should get a drache post up by then as well.

Which brings me to another point.

I lost four people in drache. >> Somebody in here should pm me a profile -chewson- and you know, join. >> so it doesn't die. -pets her rp protectively-



-IC-

She'd been quiet for the remainder of the ride to the top floor, completely tunning out the battle of wits ensuing between the three after her little outburst, settling against Chain's arm lightly. The higher up they got, the more the Butterfrees in her stomache were growing. Something about this wasn't settling right at all with the girl and as much as she hated it, she couldn't really put her finger on the exact reason why until they stood up by those big wooden doors.

The whimper was swallowed. Not even a hint of the pathetic child-sound left her vocal chords or anything attached remotely to them but it was obvious to anybody that wasn't staring at the wooden gates to hell that the girl was bothered by it, considerably bothered by it. She'd wanted to turn and bolt but Valen... Valen was watching. Shaking timidly, she silently slipped a pokeball off her belt, clicking the center button to release the purple blob that was then tightly clutched like a stuffed toy, a lovey if you would, against her chest by both her arms. Burrying her face in the semi transparent fluff for a split second, she forced her body to at least appear relaxed if not confident as she scurried after Chain, desperate to be close to someone and because she kept her head focused on the ground beneathe her, she didn't notice the light from the hallway fading until it was gone, the thundering click of the doors as they slid into their closed position signaling the end of any light but that which stemmed from the candles.

Knowing she'd get yelled at if she forgot, she quickly gave a bit of a curtsy to the purple-haired man and after mumbling her name at a semi-audible level, schooched as close to the nearest person as she could. With a light squeak of unhappiness at the raised height of the chairs, made for tall people, she struggled up into the massive chair that was much too big for her little stature without really using her otherwise preoccupied hands and settled her chin on Shuppy's head, shaking lightly but not really visibly.

/Kyo-chan, if you squeeze me much tighter I'll explode. I know this room is setting off something inside you but you must push it aside. This could be a test put out by this Slythe Character to test your nerves or something ridiculous like that. I'm right here, you needn't worry./

/It's like Daddy's room Shuppy... It's just like Daddy's room. I can't stand these candles. If he just got rid of the candles.../

/Kyo-chan. Push it out of your head and act like a winner. I'm here to protect you and you know that./

/...Mmm... Yeah okay... S-sorry.../

/Now, greet your host with the respect he deserves./

Somehow gathering her courage, she managed to look up at the man and after a bit of self-motivating thought pep talks, stared directly into his eyes, "Sorry, I had my head facing the ground. I'm Kyoko." Finding inward strength, she managed to give him a cutesy smile only she was capable of, she broke the eye contact and settled back down against Shuppy's body.

 

[Light_Azumarill]

OOC: Oh, Evanescence. That explains it. XD I love their music! Though, don't get me wrong, I'm not some depressed "emo" person (but you probably already knew that); I'm really always very happy. ^^; I just love the sound of their music. But yeah, I could see why you wouldn't want to claim a love for the lyrics of "Haunted". XD

Yay! Mika's still with us! ^^ And she's doing Rosairie! That means I don't have to! ^^; BTW, I want to sign up for your RP Mika! It'll just take me a day or so to come up with a character.

Anywhoo...


Reina
-----------------

As soon as Reina took the seat she had chosen, Slythe proceeded to take her hand up in a handshake. In the split second before he actually reached her, her mind warned her not to flinch or look away no matter how creepy and gross he was. Gross? Who was she, Rosairie?! She manged to keep her eyes away from the ground and onto the man's face, but she couldn't repress a small shiver.

A part of her wished that Tabansi was here to see all of this. He understood so much more of things than she did. He couldn't be here though, so she just had to push that particularly weak thought away and concentrate.

Reina had nothing to say to Slythe's comments on introduction, so she remained silent, watching as Valen and Slythe exchanged nods and the boy took the seat to her right. Part of Reina felt that this was a move that said he didn't think she could handle this on her own, but the other part was quite grateful for any kind of support. It was perhaps the eerie situation, but the latter part of Reina won out and she began to feel a little better knowing that a friend was there next to her.

Chain then took it upon himself to be introduced, and did so in his usual, polite manner. Reina briefly wondered what it must be like to have to be polite to absolutely everyone. If she was forced to be courteous to Rosairie, she wouldn't be too happy.

Kyoko seemed to be badly shaken by the whole thing. The little girl wasn't her annoyingly cutesy self at all, and she had been so helpful in the elevator. Reina felt a stab of concern for the girl as she struggled to take her seat. At first she felt guilty about feeling concerned for the girl, but as with Lori, they were really on the same side, right? When Kyoko finally mustered up the courage to introduce herself properly, Reina didn't think twice about somehow gaining a kernel of respect for the girl. It took some guts to do that.

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Nyah, actually Mika, Rosairie was right with the group when Charon disappeared, so let's just assume that she's been very quiet (For whatever reason, trying to keep a brave face or something, maybe?) and followed the others, just take control whenever and thanks for volunteering. ^.^

Oh, and Melissa, seconded about the music. I just recently discovered that Evanescence is a perfect source of inspiration for coming up with creepy and angsty bits. As for Haunted...well, I count myself as lucky that I couldn't even make out the lyrics properly, but what I did catch was...disturbing to say the least. So yeah, 'don't particularly care for' was maybe a bit of an understatement. xP Anyway, don't worry, Melissa: I don't think anyone who knows you could ever mistake you for an emo. xD

And yes, I concur about Drache. We need more people, yes we do. It's been like...ages since anyone posted there. I should know, I did it last. xD By the way, Mika, I could try to drag Clow back in by the collar if that helps. ^-^

Randomly, I think my Drache character is pretty much of an emo. Poor guy. *PatPat*

IC:

"Well mannered as I've been told." Slythe replied to Chain's introduction, maintaining his smile which - in contrast to Lori's - could easily have passed for a genuine one to anyone who didn't know better, his hand smoothly moving forward to shake Chain's, "And yes, mr.Quaixer, I do indeed know of your name. My trusted security chief mentioned you." the CEO didn't let as much as a muscle in his friendly expression as he said this and his tone didn't betray any change either, "He was quite impressed with your...skills." he continued conversationally, "It's not often one gets such praise from a man like him. Especially in troubling times like these..." he paused, casting a mournful glance across the darkened room, "First that malicious hacking attempt and now this..." he tutted, "It's shameful, people might think I'm keeping them in the dark..." for a moment, Valen thought he caught sight of a grin on the CEO's face, but after the strain forced him to blink the moment was gone, Slythe speaking up again "Funny, isn't it, how a single misfortune - a malicious virus, so to speak - can cause such changes to one's life, is it not?" even though his expression didn't shift, his eyes locked directly with Chain's at the statement, remaining there for a very brief but rather awkward moment, "Oh, but I am rambling now, aren't I?" he added, letting out another one of his disturbing chuckles and reverting back to his amiable persona, "My apologies. It must be age getting to me. Just imagine when I get really old...I'll probably never know when to shut up." he chuckled a bit again, "Nonetheless, I am infinitely pleased to have you with us." he nodded, pausing briefly before turning his gaze on Kyoko.

"And I notice that the other trainer my dear security chief mentioned has joined us as well. Kyoko, I believe he called you? I do apologize if Vincent's tactless behaviour caused you distress..." the CEO offered her his warmest smile, "He is a good man, but a bit over-pedantic and careless with his words at times. No taste for mystery, I'm afraid. A pity, that..." he bowed his head mournfully for a moment, "Nonetheless, you have certainly proven yourself to be the black horse of this tournament, Miss Kyoko, standing your ground when others much older and larger than you fled in terror and fighting your way up the ranks. Impressive...very impressive indeed. That only goes to show them that you can't judge a book by its cover, does it not? My congratulations on your eighth placing and welcome. I'll be watching your progress with great interest." with that, he leaned back in his chair again, like a viper reeling back to strike again, as he waited for the others to step closer.

Valen, meanwhile, was watching Kyoko's internal struggle with a mixture of feelings. Part of him wanted nothing more than to watch the pesky little girl squirm, but the rest...Valen wasn't ready to accept it consciously, but something inside him had begun thinking of them as a sort of team (Largely due to Kyoko's intervention in the elevator, probably) and as the girl approached what looked like a complete breakdown he felt an uncharacteristic urge to step in and help, but then again - his subconscious reasoned - this was completely natural. A chain was only as strong as its weakest link, after all, and links didn't get much weaker than Kyoko. If she broke down she would probably drag Rosairie over the brink with her, those two would probably pull along Chain and that would be more than enough revealed weakness for Slythe to pull the whole lot of them apart. Fortunately, Kyoko had remained in control for now, but with the way things seemed to be going it was probably only a matter of time until he had to step in, himself.

 

[Mika]

-OoC-

Yes, that would help. -.- Clow was supossed to be my little spy in the hole and he's gone and poofed on me and seemingly doesn't care about it.

If for some reason he needs to drop, which by the way I will accept if he can bother to tell me so in a pm, then Melissa? D: Would you pwetty pwetttty pwease mind making a traitorous character? ^-^; Deafeh offered to take it over but ebil Yoh isn't a cute Yoh and I really like my cute ickle Yoh. ;.;

If I fail with Rose, don't, please don't, maul me completely mmkays? I'll post it right after club gets out, I'm going to get dragged away without even posting this much if I don't hurry it up.


-IC-

Slythe's tone actually scared her more than his actual words. Sweetness mixed with a tart underlying sour that hinted at many different things, all of which were too confusing to really take part aside from one little proven truth; she'd really put a thorn in Vincent's side and if Slythe knew, who was to say other people didn't? Her mind reeled at the thoughts now spiraling around this newfound information and in addition to the light headache that still lingered from her almost sleepless ordeal the previous night, it soon magnified into something that would've made her swoon had she not been sitting down already. Her first thought was to look for her Onee-san... but Rose was too deeply involved in problems of her own to notice And I'd just... I'd just get in the way. Looking instead to Reina, a thought crossed her mind and Kyoko did something then she'd never really done before and would probably regret later when she recieved an ear full from either Valen or Reina, depending on who got to her first.

Loosening her grip to just a single arm around the shadow pokemon, she scooted her chair a little closer to Reina's own chair and hesitantly leaned her head against the newfound shoulder. The soothing warmth did wonders for her still pounding head and after a few minutes, the worst of it passed. Little pink eyes peered up lightly at the older girl, a light nervous blush on her cheeks. Mumbling at a level only Reina's ears would most likely pick up, she managed to get out a sentance without stuttering, "Please let me stay here for a little bit...? I won't ever bother you again if you let me."

She knew that when the introductions were finished, she'd have to sit up and act professional but until then, prehaps she could stay here...?

 

[Light_Azumarill]

OOC: Hmm, I'll wait until you sort out this stuff with Clow, and then I'll sign up. ^^; That way nothing gets too confusing.

On another note... I made chocolate mousse! XD I won't know for sure how it turned out 'til after it chills for a few hours. I just hope I didn't burn the chocolate. :X


Reina
------------------

Reina listened to Slythe ramble on about things she really didn't think concerned her personally. She supposed that he had prepared for each person their own little greeting. Chain would no doubt take it well, he always did. Kyoko though... why was it that Reina kept worrying about her?! She was a stupid, pathetic little girl that was whiny, useless and-- coming her way?

Reina blinked, thinking that perhaps she had seen wrong, but no, suddenly she felt the soft plop of a small person's head on her shoulder. Her shoulder! Her first thought was to hurl the little girl off of her in shock and disgust; but her second thought was, unfortunately, the one that stuck. The painful thought of what Tabansi would have to say.

'She's not one of the girls from back home. One chance is all she deserves, but you need to give it to her.'

'GREAT!' Reina thought to herself, 'This is JUST how I wanted to look in front of Slythe!' Here she was, at a time when she could have made Kyoko really hurt and suffer from the annoying crap she had been doing all yesterday and today, and she was backing down like a soft-hearted fool. Kyoko whispered in a low voice to her and Reina didn't reply. She wasn't about to let herself become another clingy-toy of Kyoko's by acting all-too-happy about this. It was enough that she wasn't tossing the girl aside like a rag doll.

So she sat there silently, turning her head to look at Valen with a pained expression that clearly said, 'Why me?'

 

[Kogenta]

Almost.

For a full minute, Chain found himself at the edge of almost, struggling inwardly not to allow himself to make the ever-near, ever-easy step off the brink that would drop himself from the already-perilous 'almost' to reality. Almost flinching, almost stepping away, almost faltering . . . A growl of suppressed defensiveness almost gripped the hacker's throat, fading before it evinced itself in a similar manner to the change in expression that had almost crossed his face.

Sensitive to even the slightest movement, the candle flames about the room flickered, sending violent shadows stretching and twisting about the room's occupants, shadows like demons straining to escape from some dark dimension. For a brief moment, the fire illuminated Chain's eyes, giving a definite light to their mingling colours and trying to reveal the mixed emotions scarcely held back by his soul's twin windows. Chain was silent longer than he wanted to be, but knew he should not speak until he had more fully regained control of himself.

"I'm not worthy of the compliment," Chain replied, meeting Slythe's eyes despite every urge not to, and choosing his words with painful care. "But I appreciate it nonetheless. Still, it really is a shame the world is coming to what it is."

Chain turned and made his way toward the closest unoccupied chair. Now facing away from Slythe, the trainer finally allowed a momentary, still held, flash of emotion to pass across his features. Currently, Chain's mind was unsteady, unclear, and somehow felt unable to comprehend any notion except one: He needed to regain his composure. This was when Chain needed to be at his peak, and yet he was more shaken than he had been since the tournament's start. As he seated himself, Chain cast an expressionless glance toward the others before returning his gaze to Slythe.

Alright, just put together what you know . . . Think calmly. If I didn't know it before, at least now it's been rather certainly confirmed that Slythe knows about the hacking incident earlier. Evidently he also knows my history and is aware of the events surrounding 'that' time. If someone had gone through that experience, anyone could guess that memories of it might be a type of Achilles' heel for the person--especially someone as perceptive as Slythe. At the moment, none of the tournament participants seem to be fully alright, though--another reason I cannot allow myself back down. So even if my movements are limited, right now, I'll at least remain calm and take in what I can.

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Well, I've told Clow now, so I guess there's nothing left but to wait for his decision. Seriously, though, the sooner we get some new blood into the RP the better. It's been inactive far too long for my liking. xP

Anyways, yay for chocolate mousse! I love chocolate mousse. *Jealous* Hope it turns out good. ^-^

IC:

'Come on, people...' Valen thought impatiently as the situation seemed to be shifting rapidly in Slythe's favour, casting another annoyed glance over his shoulder, 'Walk up to the stupid desk, accept your bloody welcoming speeches, and sit down in your goddamn chairs!' he absent-mindedly tapped the armrest in agitation. Whatever barb Slythe had concealed in his words had certainly hit its mark. Despite the calm facade, Chain had been a finger's push away from plunging over the edge after the statement, and yet Slythe had left him there. Just his style, come to think of it, he liked to toy with people. 'Come on, Chain...' the boy thought for himself, casting a discreet glance at the hacker, 'I'm counting on you to be strong here, don't go Kyoko on me...'

Yes, Kyoko...Valen shifted his glance back towards the whimpering girl child only to find that she was...clinging to Reina's arm? What the-? When did that happen? At first, the boy felt a strong urge to yank the pesky little parasite straight of his friend's arm, but he constrained himself - even though this took some effort. First off, Kyoko was already disbalanced, and with the situation being what it was, he could hardly be handing Slythe any additional weapons by detoriating it further. And besides, he reasoned, Reina was a tough girl - funny, a few days back he would have considered that expression an oxymoron - she would be able to stand up for herself against Kyoko. Still, it didn't change the fact that that suffering expression on her face was...almost painful to watch. 'Why me?' the question was written all over her face, but Valen had no real answer for it.

"Because she hates me?" he suggested, mouthing his response as quietly as he could. If Slythe had overheard - which Valen assumed he had - he certainly gave no indication of it, leaning back comfortably in his chair and smiling like he would have wanted nothing more than to embrace the whole world, a serpent masquerading as a benefactor.