As a young girl's spoon dug into orange rice, a stray piece of a turkey sitting inside it, it would eventually reach her lips, sipping the grains into her mouth. Swirling her tongue around so teeth could sink into the brown skin of the meat, munching silently within the confines of her throat. Family members conversed in the kitchen behind her yet she stood idle to it all, as she was focused on that sole objective designed only for her… to enjoy this food, and the time she spent with these people. About to go for another scoop, it was the oddest thing. Did I just see that she inquired of herself? However, yet again, it occurred. The audio of a thumping akin to a horse's hooves clacking against maybe a concrete road. So, there was one thing left she had to ask of herself. If she did see the table's legs, momentarily, lift off the ground before implanting mere milliseconds later; what was the source? Eventually, as the rainy day went on specifically on Thanksgiving Day, she would forget it as she drifted off into a calm slumber. Skeptically, now, as she stood awake in front of her plate carefully seated in a wooden chair, the shoes of another used the rooftop of this complex to send him further.
Mere blurs of his body flashing between the naked eye's basic vision, the streak of black fading just as they tapped against the corner where the Nest stood. And, to his obvious irritation displayed over his features, there stood his partner. Blonde Rohan searching through his phone, fingers tapping against the keyboard until the clicking of a tongue infiltrated the sound barrier, and there stood dear Jotun,
"Ah, there you are. What took you so long, 'Giant'?" Asked the older-looking of the two, shoving his device into his pants' pocket, sharing a shit-eating grin that screamed natural charisma.
Rohan. Jester's Deck Member #2. Wearing a beige turtleneck with cargo pants, his skin complexion was white, yet not too pale. He looked as though he'd never seen the sun a day in his life, an open suit jacket shaded brunette covered the sweater. Light blonde hair with darker highlights of the slicked-back hair. That shit-eating grin mentioned earlier; he wore it so often it could be considered part of his inventory of clothing,
"I wish you'd shut up for once. And stop smiling at me, you look like a fucking freak," The younger of the duo replied at his ally with a glare visible in his eyes' centers, shoving his hands into his coats' blended pockets.
Jotun. Jester's Deck Member #3. A white jacket with silver buttons over the collar shielding the lips from outsiders' sight stood unbuttoned, cargo pants shaded grey. Meanwhile, the sneakers stood untied, black laces strayed about uncaringly, the sleeves rolled up just a tiny bit to show the slightest of muscle. Straight long hair shaded as dark as the night with some lonely strands poking out the sides and otherwise… but enough introductions, surely, the picture has been engraved.
"It's not my fault you're allergic to positive emotion at least a tiny bit. That being said… this is the place, hm? I'm surprised they didn't warrant it off as a crime scene considering what Miriam did to his corpse," Commented Rohan, his unique rasp accompanied by the calm tone he often used made for a tantalizing combo,
"That's cuz he changed his will. He knew Miriam would kill 'im, so he left it to someone else instead of having it demolished after his death… pretty irritating, honestly. Anyway, whadda we know about these sluts?"
Following Jotun's question, Rohan casually… shrugged, rolling back his shoulders without a care in the world visible in his joints, he was yanked by the collar to pull right close to his face. Smirking at the distance they were 'away from one another, it seemed their faces lit up at a feminine voice reaching out to them, allowing Jotun to loosen his fingers' grip over his buddy's attire,
"Uh, excuse me!"
They turned around to face her, the short white-haired girl with green eyes illuminating through the foggy atmosphere of this rainy day, fingers' sides against her temples enclosing her visions' distance. Her eyes hadn't deceived her; they were two men right in front of her, but…
"Are you two coming?! It's probably gonna start raining harder! And we also- need the money," June whispered that last part to herself but they surely heard as clear as day.
Wiping his suit and affixing his collar, Rohan pushed his comrade aside, stepping forward to greet the lady with a bowing motion, taking her right hand, and bringing it right up to his lips. Smooth, perfectly-sized, not to mention that charming grin of his, it all sent her into a blushing frenzy. Jotun couldn't help but moan at the way his voice sounded,
"We'd be honored to stay for the evening at your abode of warmth, young miss. Please, allow us to welcome ourselves in,"
Could June decline after an introduction like that? Naturally, she tilted her frame so Rohan could enter first with a casual strut in his legs pushing him forward while Jotun followed soon after, running in from the fog. Widening her eyes at the speed he sprinted, Wilder closed the door after him with but one palm pushing it, the automatic lock clicking into activation, Jotun shivered, rubbing his arms.
"Why'd you roll your sleeves up again?" Rhetorically asked Rohan of his reluctant partner.
"S-shut up! Uh, you got some warm towels? Kinda dyin' over 'ere!"
Jotun's pleas reached the ears of the shorter girl, donning lighter hair than any of them, her gleeful skipping without so much as spouting another word was an indication. She didn't go to the kitchen, where they remembered it was, to the left of the fireplace… Instead, she jumped up a plentiful amount of steps until she reached the top. And just as she vanished around the corner, intending to locate the whereabouts of the 'towels,' Jotun halted his performance and massaged his shoulder, Rohan closing the distance by one step,
"Did you-?"
"Yeah. It reeks of it here… of that insolent angelic stench," Commented Jotun gracefully as if his vocals were brimming with hate, but Rohan broke in with a personal observation,
"You're- really quite stupid, aren't you?"
Rohan closed his fingers together so the tips could dig into his palm, gritting his teeth. He pulled Jotun just close enough so the bubble could protect them both from the fangs of the Fox. Manifesting from the shadows to pounce as she descended from the chandelier hung onto the ceiling, Kima smirked at them both, clasping her hands to make another shape during her fall,
"You're…!"
The shape of a portrait, her fingers formed. And so, she simply spoke one phrase, and yet the weight of such had infinitely expanded the distance between,
"Angelic Endowment,"
Both widened their eyes in shock and fell victim to the sphere cracking like glass, pushing them back right through the wall, bodies flailing like ragdolls. Jotun couldn't help but chuckle chaotically like a lunatic encased in a mental asylum as he flew through the air without control over his surroundings, eyes rapidly darting as he adjusted his posture. Facing the ground with his features examining the foggy road, where she exited the hole in the establishment, just barely visible through this natural smoke. It was the oddest thing, though, for the second his soles touched against a carriage's roof, he crouched, and he could make it out as she stepped ever closer to his position,
"You! You know what we are… don't you?!"
The Sigil of Baphomet as scarlet as the blood moon appeared over his forehead, radiating a demonic aura that sent shivers down the spines of unknowing bystanders celebrating this widespread holiday. Yet, there was something about Kima that seemed odd to him, the way she moved her hips from side to side, that smile over her pink lips… why did it irritate him so?
"You're a bunch of damned demons, don't act stupid. Did you really come here thinking you could come and ambush us, easily slaughtering us to give Ace some trauma? But… I doubt you're even here for me. You were hoping KATIE was here, weren't you?"
There was something off about her vibe, it wasn't malicious in the slightest, it was almost as if he was feeling warm to the touch over his skin. Similar to that of being smuggled into a blanket while seated onto a cushioned seat, the stray embers of continuous flames touching heating his temperature rapidly. But that couldn't be..! He was so abruptly thrown into a battle to fight for his life, so why… why was he feeling this happiness digging its poisonous veins into the innards of his corrupted soul.
"She's overseas, isn't she? Like we didn't already know that. But do me a favor and inform us… when she'll be back so we can violate her properly!" As Jotun screamed that at the top of his lungs, mothers covered their children's ears in silent rebellion to the words he'd cried, curtains shielding the inside from outsiders' view,
"The two of us are done talking," Kima reached her hand out with her fingers curved in the posture awaiting an item to manifest from the air, and there it was; the dark sheath with bloody lines curved over the cover, "I'll torture you and have fun doing it."
She didn't even bother unsheathing the katana, she just stood there with the hide in hand as she dropped her limb to stay idle by her body's side. There was something about this woman, even as he jumped down from the carriage's top, unconsciously stepping forward as if it were a subconscious action… the way she so easily mimicked his movements as her own. Each moment infinitesimally stretching further into a thousand, multiplying the amount of speed each of them was moving at, the mere nanosecond their feet lifted off the concrete road- shockwaves of wind reverberated off their ankles.
With Jotun distracting Kima, easily comparing their breakneck speeds, Rohan's feet touched against the roof of the Nest's odd shape. Like an Angel descending from the golden gates of Heaven to grace the mortals' realm, his wings of light retracted within the confines of his back's clothing, eyes searching from side to side rather quickly.
'I feel her around here somewhere. Where is that petulant brat?'
A flashback to some time ago had Ace, June and Kima gathered in the kitchen, the ginger of which wielding that of simply the black tendrils of darkness. As if they made minds of their own, the way they slithered out his palm like spiders' legs wiggling in an attempt to move, the sparkles in his little sister's eyes only glowed brighter with each passing moment,
"The black and light tendrils; both that can be manipulated into whatever offensive or defensive shape the mind can imagine. When the time is right, shape it righteously, and fight to kill those who threaten you. If you don't- I will,"
As Rohan brushed the tips of his exposed fingers against the roof, muffled with droplets of rain surrounding the platform, he gasped. Luckily for him, though the attack was deadly and even the slightest bit of miscalculation met the decimation of his being, it was still amateurish. Tendrils of green that burnt to the touch and sent embers into the atmosphere were widened, easily allowing for the ability to dodge between lines as they crashed from below his feet. Debris riddled the rainy air, slabs of remnants hiding her features, Rohan calmly stuck out his palm gliding further into the air.
Abruptly, as if a divine entity somehow intervened, all of the debris from the roof's insides being smashed to bits had all been rendered to nothing. Almost like the space they'd inhabited had been devoured, Rohan touched against the intact portion of the Hotel's summit, hands in pants pockets, giving off the illusion of a nonchalant attitude.
"That was something. Now… where the hell are you, bitch?!"
Just then, a leg connected to the side of his face, and instinctively, yet again, Rohan raised his arm to defend against the kick aimed at his left cheek. Though it worked, and he could still blink, there was the sinking aftermath of raising this limb in an attempt to defend. He could feel his elbow inverting, his bones unleashing that snapping audio as his joints were unnaturally destroyed just by her foot, and the worst thing about it; he could feel it right before he got launched to the air. This wasn't even half of her true strength.
"GAH!"
He yelped momentarily before he was launched to the right, helplessly flailing around with his arms moving side to side above ground endlessly. Just as his face was about to meet the tiled rooftop of this apartment, he felt its holy presence again. Almost immediately, he could feel the hatred in his heart building up instantly, fangs replacing two front teeth and a Sigil engraving into existence right onto his temple. Turning his body right around so he could grab at the tendril aimed for his ankle, it was almost like a virus, the way his fingers gripped this line of plasma.
Instead of burning through his skin to reveal the inner flesh of the epidermis, the green tendril she'd projected out one of her knuckles had… turned black! Across from him, finally showing her face after guiding them into the hotel, she widened her eyes subtly, without a change of facial expression disregarding that, and disconnected the chain-like lengthiness of the projection. Whispers of damnation entered the atmosphere just as the tendril was engulfed by blackness, leading June to step forward as Rohan yanked the tendril over to slip around his entire hand.
Over the volume of the rain, she had no other way to confirm her suspicions other than to yell, "You're the one who controls Death, aren't you?!" She screamed curiously, to which he raised a brow at this deduction.
'Hanniel, you piece of shit… I wish Miriam kept just a piece of you before you died so I could toy with you,' Thought Rohan at the girl's mention of his abilities, to which he raised his hand and revealed his hand.
Fingers surrounded by a ball of blackness that roared with the souls of innocents and sinners all around, shadow-like skulls levitating off the sphere,
"What good does knowing my ability do you?! You'll be dead before you can see any of the others, brat!" Rohan rasping cried back at her, to which June pushed a finger over her chin, and smirked. Needless to say, she truly was August's kid.
"It seems that only that which you can touch is affected by your Death ability. However, it doesn't work both ways, because I can touch you with my hands and legs… unless you have some sort of hidden capability added to that I'm unaware of. Which, of course, is a definite probability. But, I'm always prepared for contingencies-"
June's hands clapped together with the signature sound of thunder roaring above the clouds, Rohan looking around, giving both hands that glow of darkness as he searched for answers. Then, it hit him; she was standing completely still. He couldn't help but move one foot forward, just about to warp right through the space between so he could grab at her, for she WAS utterly defenseless, wasn't she? Until he realized something. A faint sound barely audible over the erratic winds of this rainy day, one that belonged not to the clouds deafening the Capital with shockwaves of thunder or the endless precipitation dripping onto their differing styles of clothing, but to a whispering feminine vocalization solely belonging to that of- her.
'Damn! She's chanting-! I need to stop her before she completes this spell-!' He leaped right off the edge of the rooftop and aimed right for her face with claws branded, replacing where his nails stood. Just about to grab at her face so she could turn to nothing but a stray soul confused at her sudden demise, her eyelids peeled back into her skin and revealed the emerald hue of Convergence's divine nature.
'This aura!'
Nevertheless, despite how stunned he seemed, he couldn't waver now, of all times. He pushed himself further, infinite decreasing the amount of space between Rohan and June just before his hand stood mere centimeters away from decaying her flesh and bones to nothing but ash. However, a slam to his chest from the back of a fist sent a resounding shockwave throughout not only his bones but his flesh, too. Spitting out blood with a shocked expression over his lips, June's parted mouth inhaled carefully, as another green tendril entangled his throat. Thrown right over her head so Rohan could smash through the roof and into the living room, right onto his back.
Widening his eyes to spot those legs coming to crush his face into mush, he rolled to the left to dodge it as she formed a crater under her soles. Morphing the roll to get a running start as he ran ahead, he went for the grab at the face. Extremities drew to his wrists to stop abruptly, Rohan very easily sunk his fangs into her neck. Biting her tongue to prevent a scream, just preparing another attack out her knuckles with more green tendrils, there was a sudden… dizziness that halted her movements. Could something like this count like him touching her? There seemed to be no other explanation. Utilizing remainders of her strength, she stabbed her foot against his ribs and pushed him back so he could fly toward the stairs.
Idle with his knees bent as he awaited what'd occur next, Rohan scratched at his shaven chin… and still, she stood there, without so much as a jerk visible in any portion of her body. 10 seconds passed. Then five more, then five more than that… needless to say, for some unknown reason, she wasn't falling, instead, as he stepped forward with his hand raised; her very finger moved.
'What the hell?!'
"How… how is she still moving?"
"Soul Cleanse - Green," As she spoke those words into existence, he couldn't help but widen his eyes, covering them with his hand at the brightness at this attack.
For, there was no doubt about it, right? She WAS attacking, wasn't she? Through the blinding luminescence cast upon him, a fist connected with his cheek, and teeth came flying out his lips' side; not to mention a droplet of blood following swiftly. The light dimmed and June stood there, with her life laid bare before the eyes of the beholder, a continuous prison of emerald energy enveloping her surroundings. As he fell to the ground and touched his palms against the carpet covering the stairway, her white hair moved with the infiltrating wind through the hole in the ceiling as lightning followed just after the quickened thunder's signature roar,
"The… THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO ME-!?"
He was kicked upside the chin for the back of his head to slam against the wall, June couldn't help but snigger at the way he cried for his life, begging for an explanation of what happened to him. Convergence's soft green hue was replaced with a murderous glare visible in the center as she looked down at her pitiful enemy,
"The same way you infected me with your attack, I did the same to you. Green is made with positive energy, solely made for defending, however, with the right amount of training and the sole intention to bring an end. And so, easily, I managed to make it into a virus. The next second you use your demonic powers, the positive energy of the Green will take your life without hesitation,"
For someone so carefree like June Wilder, to become this cold-hearted in the face of adversity as opposed to her usual childish antics with those she cared about, it was… rather jarring, to say the least. Was this the girl he'd greeted at the entrance and made blush with just a kiss on the hand?
"Why… Why are you doing this? We don't even know you- we haven't even hurt you! Why do something so maniacal and cruel to us when you don't even hate us…?"
Her brother's words two months ago, she remembered them. Ironic, however, that, now, of all times, she would be reminded of such a goal she was searching for. Rather for naught compared to her older sibling's, but even so, she was her individual, she had a heart and soul, just like everyone else in this world. In the end, her cause was just as Ace's was… righteous, in their ways.
'When the time is right, shape it righteously, and fight to kill those who threaten you. If you don't- I will,'
"My brother is a good person. He wants the best for me, our cousin, his woman, our… our mentor. That man gave us a place to belong, a purpose, where he and I felt like we meant nothing to those hollow shells of parents. Recently, he's felt useless, which wasn't what he taught us… so he wants to do something to change that. It isn't just himself, though. If it were me, Kima, or Kay, he'd do the same thing for us all; no matter what. He doesn't realize how destructive that is or how stubborn he is, but I know one thing that can help. I don't want my idiot, big brother to shoulder all that burden and die alone in this place feeling like he has to do all this killing. So, we'll help him. He won't say it, but he's crying out for someone to save him, but it's not me, and it's sure as shit, not Kima. So, until SHE comes back-
We'll shoulder it all!"
To Be Continued!