Original Sin (IC)

[Zurvan]

Asher Bharrant
Inferno-Jolly Fool's Bar
The Present-Morning

"About Sen? Is that it? And here I was preparing myself for some doozy of a inquiry." Ash laughed again. "What's there to say? You know her reputation. I admire her and respect her. Without a single doubt in my mind, she is the strongest person I know. And I don't just mean in a physical sense. I'm talking mental, do you know what I mean? She's sort of like a bullet in that sense. Straightforward and to the point, with no time for subtleties or deception, no room for doubt, complete with force of will and power to back it up. In that sense, what you see is what you get. Strength."

"Strength..."

A wicked grin appeared on Asher's face.

"Wonderful, most excellent, very, very good."

The relief shown on Asher's face was clear to see, it was as if dark clouds had parted to show the brilliance of the sun.

"Oh you have no idea how good it is to hear that. I've been fighting alone for far too long, so hearing that reliable partners have shown themselves is most exquisite. I don't know what I would've done if your answer failed my expectations, hahahaha."

The former stiffness in the air there might have been seemed to have been short lived after being blasted away in jovial laughter.

"Phew, glad to hear it. Mhmmm, Sen, straight as an arrow, with a will that can't be bend. I think I'll like her."

Asher's mood settled for a bit, amused and relieved, he returned to a more serious yet casual tone. The music from the bar having transitioned to a more upbeat tune, their conversation continuing.

"Among the qualities I truly treasure to see in others, strength and trust are among the best to have. But enough about that, I'm content with what you've said. So, is there anything you want to know from me?"

Asher gave Ash a meaningful look.

"Otherwise, I guess it'd be best to fill me in on more about the organization. Where to meet, what jobs need doing, rules I should know, the more boring stuff."

[Bird of Hermes]

Ana
Inferno - Upper levels, private residential district
The Present- Morning

Damn, the easy target was gone. She was now dealing with the store manager rather than trying to bully the retail worker.

"Well miss, as my associate here has already told you, our boss is currently very busy and not seeing anyone. I'm sure you understand, you know how seriously Mr. Wosnda takes his work after all. Speaking of knowing Mr. Wosnda, I don't believe I've seen your face before miss?"

"Well I know he takes his work seriously, it's why he's so good at what he does. Well, it's not like he'd be here-" Ana smiled coyly, gesturing towards the large estate "if he wasn't. Isn't that right?"

Her attention now moved to her phone, ready to play out her bluff. Her brow was furrowed with an impatient huff, some put on for show, some honestly quite genuine.

"Now as for Me-" emphasising that last word clearly, maintaining this persona convincingly would be key for the next few moments. "Honey likes to keep me to himself and could you blame him? You can take a look and see for yourself but just a look because I mean, who wouldn't? But that's not the point. Now the real point is- he is going to what to see me to make him feel good and before you say anything."

Ana paused, turning up from her phone to the guard in question.

"Does he know your name, or do you just hear commands from a phone or other people?"

[Frantic Author]

Ashley Harker
Inferno- Dragon's Den: Luxury Apartments
The Present-Morning

Harker smiles brightly, pleased to hear of the arrival of a person he's so dearly been waiting for. He moves through the study, glancing at the shelves before rubbing his brow. It's been a cold, cold winter for everyone, and it does not look to be any better in the fall. This place is...

Damaged.

It's damaged in a way Harker's not entirely sure if he can entirely repair. But he smiles sadly, leaning against the desk of the office as he awaits the arrival of a man he knows has killed.

[Satehi]

Theola August
Inferno-Officer May's house
The Present-Morning

Watching her subordinates pull themselves through their doubts… Theola felt somewhat proud of them, not that she would have let any of it show.

“Right. Tell the chief that I’ll be there right away.”

Pulled out of her thoughts by the messenger, she gave her response and gestured for their team to start moving. She was somewhat grateful that they had been given time to handle this issue first- but as she herself had said, they were members of the police. They could not let this get to them forever, and needed to return to their regular duties.

[Mooncake]

Stray Dog
Inferno-Underworld Coliseum
The Present-Morning


A miss.

Dum-da-dum-da-dum.

The vibrations of the crowd echoed through the ground - but he could feel his opponent's, too, and he moved with them,

The larger man had lost his weapon, and that, Stray Dog was willing to accept. He rolled with the force of the push, continuing his momentum to flip onto one arm and push off, skidding backwards in the sand.

The two fighters took a moment to reassess each other.

"...I was careless."

Stray Dog's eyes narrowed. The most dangerous opponents were those who had been backed into a corner, he knew that, but... there was one thing more dangerous still.

Himself.

"Kssssh."

He breathed out through his teeth.

His heart began to beat again.

Veins began to stand out all over his body.

{Weren't you listening? I asked you - what is your name?}

Stray Dog tucked his sword into a strange position, one that looked almost unnatural, the blade resting in the crook of his elbow, pointing behind him with its jagged edges. The hilt pointed towards Griffin as the smaller boy put one hand on the sandy floor of the arena.

It was time.

He burst forth, surging towards Griffin, looking to all the world like he was going to attempt a full-frontal charge.

But...

It wasn't a slash.

It wasn't a thrust.

He leaped.

Stray Dog's foot exerted enough force to embed a footprint in the ground, leaping high into the air - as if he had pole-vaulted towards Griffin.

And, covering his approach...



...was almost 3 feet of steel.

His goal, sheer, animal instinct, was to get past him in a way Griffin did not expect. And then, as Stray Dog fell, he would stab his opponent through the back of the neck.

Spoiler:

Accelerando (2 MGI) - ???

[I3uster]

Fatima bint Samum
Inferno-Night Parade territory
The Present-Morning

Being involved in this business, despite all the horror and violence she had to face every day, had a very small upside. Of course there was material benefit to it, but anything she earned beyond the bare necessities to survive was simple luxury, luxury she now did not feel compelled to chase now that the one she earned it for could not appreciate it anymore. No, this was far more important for her survival than all the money in the world could ever be.

It had been hard on her, sure. The first few weeks the nightmares about that day tormented her to the point where she thought that not the meaningless violence of the gutter, but simply a lack of sleep would be her end.

The...change of her lover also meant that the nightmare did not end after she woke up, but rather lingered in the form of the grotesque smile that said lover's lips now formed whenever she woke up.

Leila never smiled in the morning. She hated waking up.

But there was a gift given to all of those still living in Inferno. It was the gift of persistence. An unflattering view eschewed by many in the upper echelons would be that those living in the gutter share the same characteristics of cockroaches: they will thrive and survive, no matter how disgusting their circumstances may be.

And so it wasn't long until the nightmares of that fateful night could no longer truly faze her, no matter how persistent they were.

Because even as she lost the most precious thing to her, she still was the one on the right side of the blade.

For many "it could be worse" was not something that would alleviate their pain in such a terrible situation.

However, a child of the gutter, surrounded by so many examples of what could have become of her, had a more immediate understanding of how bad it really could get. As such, it was her one thread to retain her sanity.

And so she arranged herself with the situation and the strange way of interacting with the one person she treasured.

Because it could be worse.

She could just be dead.

"Hello. I am Miss Grey, a secretary for Mr. Faeng." The woman adjusted her glasses for a moment before giving the two of them a thin-lipped smile. "Please be at ease, and allow me to congratulate the two of you on your promotion."

The woman's voice snapped her out of autopiloting her own body.

"Thank you. Do we get dental now? My girlfriend has a real bad sweet tooth and I have to think of my future too, you know?"

Lightening up the atmosphere a little served two purposes. One, as a general principle, it obviously made any form of negotiation more pleasant, as it

And two, more specifically, in a system of disparate gangs like the Night Parade it was imperative to always send the same simple and effective message.

I am not afraid of you.

[Tangerang]

Asher Bharrant
Inferno-Jolly Fool's Bar
The Present-Morning

"Among the qualities I truly treasure to see in others, strength and trust are among the best to have. But enough about that, I'm content with what you've said. So, is there anything you want to know from me?"

"Otherwise, I guess it'd be best to fill me in on more about the organization. Where to meet, what jobs need doing, rules I should know, the more boring stuff."

"Well, let's not get too ahead of ourselves here," Ash laughed off his question. "Don't worry, we'll get to that in time."

"You are aware of who we are and what we do, aren't you?"

All of a sudden the atmosphere completely shifted. Ash spoke in a low voice, and there was a sudden glint of steel in his eye.

It had been easy to forgot given the previous lighthearted conversation, but this man was for all intents and purposes, a hardened criminal in the eyes of the law.

---

Ana
Inferno - Upper levels, private residential district
The Present- Morning

"Well I know he takes his work seriously, it's why he's so good at what he does. Well, it's not like he'd be here- if he wasn't. Isn't that right?"

""...""

The two new bodyguards showed no reaction to her provocation.

"Now as for Me- Honey likes to keep me to himself and could you blame him? You can take a look and see for yourself but just a look because I mean, who wouldn't? But that's not the point. Now the real point is- he is going to what to see me to make him feel good and before you say anything."

"Does he know your name, or do you just hear commands from a phone or other people?"

At this point, the two of them broke into rather unpleasant smiles.

"As a matter of fact, as part of his personal bodyguards group, he does know our names."

"But on the other hand, I'm pretty sure he doesn't know your name. See, we're fairly well acquainted with his let's say, 'acquaintances'. We wouldn't be very good bodyguards if we weren't. And you certainly aren't on the list."

"Which brings us to the question, just who are you?"

The two bodyguards slowly circled around her as they spoke. From the distance Ana could see multiple new bodyguards seemingly materialize and begin to head in her direction.

At that instant, unbeknownst to the bodyguards, her phone vibrated twice. That was the signal from her partner, that the robbery was almost completed. It came a bit faster than was expected, but that worked to her advantage. All she needed was to buy a little more time, and then find a way to get herself the hell out of there.

Unfortunately, that last part seemed to be the hard part.

---

Ashley Harker
Inferno- Dragon's Den: Luxury Apartments
The Present-Morning

In the distance, Harker could hear the man move around his apartment. First, to the kitchen. Sounds of running water, and cooking. The man was making himself breakfast. Of course, why wouldn't he? Here he was safe. He had no idea of the danger he was in. And Harker could afford to be patient.

And so, some time passed, as Harker listened to the man go about his morning. Until the moment arrived at last. The sounds of footsteps leisurely approaching the study. Approaching Harker.

Like a fly into the spider's web.

The door slowly opened.

The gangster's eyes widened in surprise as his brain slowly registered the fact that there was an unexpected stranger in his study. This was singular moment of opportunity where the man was frozen in shock. All that was left was to take it.

---

Theola August
Inferno-Officer May's house
The Present-Morning

“Right. Tell the chief that I’ll be there right away"

"Got it. Will do."

The messenger gave Theola a salute and walked away.

Theola Agust
Inferno-Police Headquarters
The Present-Morning

It was late morning by the time she made it to headquarters. Without bothering with formalities, she headed straight to the office of the chief. And without bothering to knock, she opened the door and made her way in.

"About time."

Across from her, sitting at his desk sat the current Chief of Police, Alfred Judge.

The man was a living legend. From starting at the very bottom of Inferno, he fought and fought and through his own strength he grasped victory after victory. And so he rose, not only to the top of Inferno, but through Purgatorio and eventually, he even entered Paradiso, one of the exceedingly few to have accomplished that feat. Come to think of it, her former captain might also be on the same path. It's said that every generation, there's a handful of 'rising stars' that will fly out of Inferno to take their place in the heavens above. And of course, thanks to her secret, she was also currently a candidate to be one of those 'rising stars'.

Still, for some reason or another, he has recently descended back down to Inferno and taken the position of Police Chief. And here he was staring at Theola with an impatient look on his face.

"Take a seat. You finish everything you needed to do? We have a lot to discuss today."

Spoiler:

Alfred Judge-Head of Inferno's Police

---

Fatima bint Samum
Inferno-Night Parade territory
The Present-Morning

"Thank you. Do we get dental now? My girlfriend has a real bad sweet tooth and I have to think of my future too, you know?"

Miss Grey raised an eyebrow at Fatima's request.

"No, but I shall bring dental benefits up at the next meeting."

It seemed her joke was a swing and a miss.

Well they can't all be winners.

Miss Grey adjusted her glasses slightly before continuing where she left off.

"Anyway, as it turns out, two positions have recently become," she paused for a moment as if trying to think of a better term "...vacated. And after some internal discussion among some of the higher ups, the two of you have been nominated to this position."

She hesitated again. It would seem that there is something about this topic that she was entirely satisfied with. Nevertheless, she pressed on.

"That is to say, the position of Miss Allis's personal aides and assistants. Do either of you have any questions?"

[Tangerang]

Stray Dog
Inferno-Underworld Coliseum
The Present-Morning


The boy took a strange stance in the midst of the arena floor.

And then the next moment...

He shot forward like an arrow. Once more with that inhuman speed, he dashed at his enemy.

And then he leapt. With enough force to leave a deep imprint on the sandy earth of the Colosseum, the boy soared through the air. And as he flew, his blade flashed through the air. Any attempt by Griffin would see his limb sliced clean off. There was no course of action left for Griffin to take. A perfect countermeasure to any potential move Griffin could use.

And in there lay the mistake.

The instant after Stray Dog leapt, the moment the man realized the course of action the boy had taken, he reacted by immediately crouching low against the ground. And then the next moment, he dashed forward, keeping his center of gravity as low as he could force it, narrowly avoiding the blade as it flew over his head.

He sprinted at full speed towards his weapon that had been abandoned across the ring. If he reached it, the scales would once more be balanced.

Spoiler:

Stray Dog
4/6 MGI

[Bird of Hermes]

Ana
Inferno - Upper Levels, Private Residential District
The Present- Morning

She'd performed the roll well enough, she'd never been trying to convince them, just binding time and stalling them. In the highest levels, lying and business went hand-in-hand, a CEO could look at you and tell you the sky was green with the upmost certainty. Not the best environment to raise a child but it was the only choice Ana was ever given. Another part of the role was making people thinking they were in control and leading them down the path they think that they want but ending up with taking everything from them. Usually this would result in an unreasonable business buyout after getting enough blackmail material or convincing a board of directors to turn on their CEO.

Ana was not her father, she wasn't as good a liar. She was a slow learner but she did learn. She just needed to play a little longer and Ana just needed to make sure that they thought they had the upper hand.

So as they broke into those unpleasant smiles...

"As a matter of fact, as part of his personal bodyguards group, he does know our names."

"But on the other hand, I'm pretty sure he doesn't know your name. See, we're fairly well acquainted with his let's say, 'acquaintances'. We wouldn't be very good bodyguards if we weren't. And you certainly aren't on the list."

"Which brings us to the question, just who are you?"

Her expression dropped it's haughtiness, her eyes shifted to an expressionless void and her posture slouched, an stance and expression she hadn't worn in a while during her brief stint as a sewer rat.

"Very well, you got me." her voice had dropped now too, a desolate husk of what it was now too. "You don't know who I am because frankly I'm nobody. I was looking to speak with you so I could get my foot in the door and put on my little display for your boss."

It was the truth, technically, she did want to get attention but not for the reasons they though. Ana had noticed the circling two bodyguards and the others approaching. She had two plans, finish her little speech and walk away or get a little more... physical. Back to the little speech however.

She turned to the first bodyguard who she had unseated so easily "It's how I've gotten by in the past and can you blame me? Looking the way I do everyone wants a piece." and she turned to the second, more stern one. "A girls gotta eat and she does what she's gotta do, as I'm sure you do too."

The sympathy card rarely worked with these kinds of men and they would try to use her to 'Send a Message' so to speak. Ana hoped it would work this time for their own sake. Letting out a dull huff, she adjusted her posture and took a step back.

"Now you can either let me in as I would have originally liked, under your supervision of course - you'd be pretty bad bodyguards if you didn't as you said yourselves... Or you let me walk and I bother someone else, you don't see me again."

Ana's fist tightened at the last word, she knew the positions they were standing in and that they'd try show how tough they thought they were but she was prepared.

And as Ana said herself, a girls gotta eat.

And Ana was always hungry.

[Satehi]

Theola August
Inferno-Police Headquarters
The Present-Morning

Not one to waste time, Theola simply barged into the room. Her stride had not even a slight pause as she made her way into the office of the chief. To say her behavior was not influenced in part by the knowledge that the chief did not care much about such formalities to begin with would be false- but it was definitely true that Theola personally did not care for them either.

And she couldn’t say that she cared much for the idea of rising out of the Inferno, either. If presented the opportunity between climbing up to the heavens or to stay here, she would gladly take the latter anytime.

In that sense, she and the chief had at least two superficial similarities.

“There’s never an end to things that need to be done,” She quipped back at him, in response to his earlier impatience. “least of all in this part of the city.”

It was a fact that she felt the chief of police of all people would be more familiar with than anyone.

“But as far as work is concerned, then both me and my team will be fine.” She paused, not sure if she wanted to continue, but eventually her conscience won over her pride. “… Thanks, though. It was important to get this out of the way.”

Naturally, what she referred to was handling her subordinate’s departure- the time they had been given to sort through their thoughts had most certainly not been a waste, and for that she was somewhat appreciative.

Grabbing a seat, she stared at Alfred, waiting for him to continue.

“So? There was a meeting today, right?”

[Zurvan]

Asher Bharrant
Inferno-Jolly Fool's Bar
The Present-Morning

"Well, let's not get too ahead of ourselves here," Ash laughed off his question. "Don't worry, we'll get to that in time."

"You are aware of who we are and what we do, aren't you?"

Seemingly unfazed by the sudden change in atmosphere, Asher spoke in his previous half serious, half casual tone.

"Mhmmm, well I have some idea I guess. I don't know whether you higher ups do anything fancy, but I figure you take what you want, do as you please and fight whoever is stupid enough to stand in your way."

"That quality, the strength to trample, that is something that I seek."

Meeting Ash's steel with a sharpening look of his own, Asher gradually got more serious as he continued to speak.

"As for who you are, well, I don't really care who you are or what you think to be, instead I focus on, what you could become."

Steel met steel in a clash of gazes between the two now.

"But that's why we're here, to find out whether we can see eye to eye...

... or whether we end up with an eye for an eye."

Asher relaxed again, and much more casually asked.

"Does that answer your question, Ash, or am I mistaken?"

[Frantic Author]

Ashley Harker
Inferno- Dragon's Den: Luxury Apartments
The Present-Morning

"Ah," Harker says with a smile as he closes eyes, gesturing towards a chair. "Please, do take a seat. We have much to discuss after all."

He leans back in the man's chair, one eye idly opening as he glances at the man. Tilting his head once more, he gestures to the seat, smiling brightly. "If you do not wish to sit, of course, you are allowed to stand. I will allow you that much, as I am naught but an invader in your home. However, does your home not deserve to be invaded?"

Killings.

That's what makes the world of Inferno go round. Death and despair at every end of every street corner, and cleaning it up just a bit... Is that enough for one such as Harker? To clean it, little by little, bit by bit, until it shines like the star he knows Eden to be.

This is a goal that is impossible.

This is a goal that he sacrificed an eye and his future for.

Harker looks at the man, a cheery smile on his face, as he leans it against his hands.

"You're awfully well put together for a limp-dicked child killer."

[Mooncake]

Stray Dog
Inferno-Underworld Coliseum
The Present-Morning


He landed in the sand.

As soon as his foot touched the ground, Stray Dog kicked off, letting gravity do the majority of the work as his body stayed low to the ground, hurling after Griffin.

There would be no more tricks.

No more games.

He had thought about throwing the sword like a spear, straight through Griffin's heart, but-

It was better to fight him head on.

Yes.

Stray Dog slumped to his knees for a moment, momentum carrying him forward in a slide towards Griffin - and as he got close enough, he surged upwards, sword swinging up in an attempt to slash across Griffin's body.

[Tangerang]

Ana
Inferno - Upper Levels, Private Residential District
The Present- Morning

"Now you can either let me in as I would have originally liked, under your supervision of course - you'd be pretty bad bodyguards if you didn't as you said yourselves... Or you let me walk and I bother someone else, you don't see me again."

The two personal bodyguards gave each other a look. The sudden shift in personality wasn't what they had expected, but they weren't completely thrown off their composure yet either. A conversation wordlessly passed between the two men, and the next moment they seemed to have reach some sort of agreement.

One of them gave some sort of signal, and one of the bodyguards ran into the mansion while the rest of the bodyguards positioned themselves between Ana and the exit, their expressions blank. From a quick glance, they seemed to number about eight behind her.

The other bodyguard clapped his hand once, and turned to face Ana.

"Very well, Miss Nobody. That does sound like a logical proposal. So be it then. We'll escort you to a guest room while your message is being delivered, and then we'll wait to see whether your proposal intrigues Mr. Wosnda."

A large hand came down and rested on Ana's shoulder.

"No complaints right? This is what you wanted after all."

---

Theola August
Inferno-Police Headquarters
The Present-Morning

“So? There was a meeting today, right?”

"That's right. There was a meeting today. It's over now, so I have to fill you in on the details."

Alfred put his elbows on his desk and drummed his fingers together. The man was not happy. However, it did not seem to be directed at her in particular.

There seemed to be something that was on his mind, bothering him. Distracting him.

He sighed and snapped himself back to attention.

"To cut straight to the point, it's about the governor's speech later today. Despite my protests, she's still going through with her original intentions. So it's about the security arrangements."

---

Asher Bharrant
Inferno-Jolly Fool's Bar
The Present-Morning

"Does that answer your question, Ash, or am I mistaken?"

The tense atmosphere evaporated. It seemed like he passed the first test.

"Yeah, you more or less have it less. As long as you 'understand' and are prepared, I've got not complaints here."

"'The strong do what they will, the weak suffer what they must.' That's the gist of it, pure and simple. It's sounds like you have the mindset down, now all we have to do is test the rest."

Ash finished his drink and leaned back into his chair.

"Well, that's pretty good for now. You've got any leftover questions or concerns? You want some time to finish up your drink? Get some food? There's plenty of time, no rush. You got to make sure you're at your best after all."

"Oh right, you got any hobbies?" Ash offhandedly asked, almost as an afterthought.

---

Ashley Harker
Inferno- Dragon's Den: Luxury Apartments
The Present-Morning

The man didn't even bother to reply. What stood before him was clearly some noble idiot with a misguided sense of justice. And one suicidal enough to break into his home, of all places at that.

In other words, a walking dead man. Not worth the time wasting breath on. Just cripple or kill him, and then review the security procedures of this place if this type of gutter trash was able to make it this far.

With a smooth motion, he reached behind his back and gripped the steel baton her kept there. At the same time, he leapt over the desk, swinging his weapon out in a polished arc to crack this intruder's skull.

---

Stray Dog
Inferno-Underworld Coliseum
The Present-Morning

It became a race, the man rushing to regain his weapon, and his pursuer seeking to slice him before he could.And the victor of that race was...

Griffin.

Compared to Stray Dog's earlier superhuman speed, his agility had clearly decreased at he chased. Thanks to that, Griffin was able to reach his weapon first and rearm himself.

But this exchange was not over. The moment he grabbed his mace, he swung it in a horizontal arc with all the force he could muster. The blow continued on behind him, as he swung his body to continue the strike. He had correctly guessed that his opponent would not pass up this opening, and launch an attack of his own.

However he hadn't gotten everything correctly. Stray Dog had allowed the force of his dash bring him low to the ground, sliding towards Griffin. Griffin's strike had been made at chest level, too high to properly catch or defend against the boy's blade.

It was also a mistake that Stray Dog wouldn't overlook. He brought his blade up, slicing into the man's body.

The two separate.Griffin's weapon just barely managed to deflect the top of Stray Dog's blade. Thanks to that, Stray Dog's aim had been disrupted by just the tiniest amount, causing the cut to not have been as deep as intended. Still, the wound was severe: a large gash ran diagonally up his chest. His breathing grew heavier and more ragged.

And all around them, the crowd gave wild cheers. What a battle! This newcomer from nowhere was not only holding his own, put holding the edge against one of the more veteran fighters. And now, he had even struck blood!

"Bleed! Bleed! Bleed"

Spoiler:

Stray Dog
5/6 MGI

[Leftovers]

Gremory
Inferno - Night Parade Territory
The Present - Morning

In the beginning it was all quite wretched.

She suffocated ceaselessly, in every conscious moment. From the flesh that constricted her, from the very air of the world, permeated with mortality, sick with malaise. It pressed down on her, compacted her. Her being folded in itself. Compressed, each time denser and yet reduced, dimmer and muted, a light in the farthest distance, crushed under pressure, suppressed under depth. She was an ocean poured into a teacup, enormity giving way to capacity. It was not long before she desired nothing more but to shatter her vessel, to spread her wings and burst forth unhindered, undiminished, free once more. Damned be the contract and damned be her pride.

But of course, she was made of sterner stuff. Near maddening though it was, perpetuity begat acclimation. Eventually, her essence reached an equilibrium with the pressure exerted by incarnation; then, sure enough, she began to push back.

In time, corporeality warped to accommodate her shape. The vessel that discomforted her so was broken in like a pair of unworn shoes. When existence was no longer a nuisance she was finally able to take proper stock of the situation; in considering what to make of it, she found cause to reclaim her cheer.

Even in this state she had remained herself. Unyielding, indivisible, eternal. There was no need for apprehension. One such as her would surely persist, come what may in the transient world. Unexpected though it was hers was not an imprisonment but an excursion, a complication in the contracts that would soon be resolved.

Thus affording herself peace of mind, the young Devil turned her eyes on the world with a renewed sense of indulgent superiority.

"Fufufu."

Unknown to humanity something inhuman walked as one with them. If they could not discern her guise she saw no harm in humouring their misconceptions. As with their wishes and their dreams, humanity's illusions were enjoyable in their own way.

"Our congratulations to your superior. Recognising excellence is by no means a given."

As though she was the one bestowing her favour upon the bespectacled proxy and her master, Gremory offered such words with a self-satisfied smile.

"Now, assistants, you say? Then it is rather self evident, no? We shall lend that one our strength" - and here she reached out to Fatima, mischief dancing in her eyes, and looped the woman's arm with her own in an intimate gesture - "as we do with each other."

Oh yes, she could make do with this just fine.

[Frantic Author]

Ashley Harker
Inferno- Dragon's Den: Luxury Apartments
The Present-Morning

"Ah. I'm sorry, you seem to have misunderstood me," Harker says as the man leaps over the desk, his lips still spread into a smile as he raises a single hand in the air, waving it down lazily, his fingers almost dancing through the air. "You seem to believe that was a request."

Then the weight hits. Crushing, overbearing, an endless amount of weight lands on the man's back as he is still mid-air, and Harker's eyes narrow.

"It was not."

Standing up, he reaches out to take the bar away from the man, glancing at it distastefully as he taps it with one finger. "Weapons are... So distasteful are they not? Did you know, sir, that there are men of violence in this world?"

He says the phrase almost casually as he moves away from the desk, glancing out the window at the streets so far below the duo in this quiet study, watching with gentle eyes at the people who live their lives in the hopeless land underneath this building of sin.

"There are those who strive for violence, my friend, and those who live it. These two types of people are on completely different levels. If you simply strive for violence," His hand brushes the window, rapping it with back of his knuckles, hearing the ting of the glass. "Then you are not the same as a man who lives in it. To strive for it, yes, is something that many of us in Inferno do, as I'm sure you very well know. This is a city of violence and sin after all. It is not a surprise to meet a man who strives for violence with every step you take into the streets of Inferno."

He turns to face the man again, holding the pipe over his shoulder as he beams at his trapped audience.

"I am neither of those things, my friend. For you see, I am something altogether different."

This city is dying.

It's a whisper everyone's heard.

It rumbles underneath the broken streets, muttered by broken people.

This city is dying.

It echoes through the darkened night, yelled by men with blackened hands from overwork.

But then...

One day...

Have you heard?

It's a different whisper.

It's a whisper that streaks through Inferno like wildfire.

There's a person who will help anyone.

It's laughed off, at first.

It's a joke in a tavern, at first.

There's a person who will do absolutely everything in his power to save someone.

In the end, there is but a single thing that wreaked havoc throughout the entirety of Inferno. One man, with no plans to speak of, no combat experience of note, a talentless, fourth-rate at best, irrationally idealistic, foolish, hopeless case of a man. The real tragedy of the actions that he took was that Ashley Harker had one truly, despairingly, fatal flaw.

"I," he says, flipping the pipe in his hand and tucking it underneath his elbow as he moves a stray strand of hair out of his eyes--

"Am an ally of justice."

You see, he really, really wanted to be a hero.

[Tangerang]

Gremory
Inferno - Night Parade Territory
The Present - Morning

"Now, assistants, you say? Then it is rather self evident, no? We shall lend that one our strength as we do with each other."

"..."

Miss Grey was temporarily taken aback. Was she perhaps surprised by the overly public display of affection?

She took several breaths, readjusted her glasses once again, and reset her mental state and composure. Once more, she gave off the aura of a businesslike professional.

"I'm pleased to hear that, and I want you to devote your full efforts to your new task. Miss Allis is a very important member to the Night Parade as her strength is an invaluable asset. However, her mindset can be... seems to be wired a bit differently compared to normal people."

She brought her hand to her forehead as if she was remembering an previous headache and it gave her a headache.

"...in other words, keep her from getting into too much trouble."

---

Ashley Harker
Inferno- Dragon's Den: Luxury Apartments
The Present-Morning

"I, am an ally of justice"

"You're a dead man is what you are," spat out the man currently pinned to the floor.

"You have any idea of what you're doing? Who you're messing with?" He struggled, trying to get to his feet, but the mysterious power forcefully slammed him back down to the ground.

"There's easier ways to kill yourself, you freak!"

[Bird of Hermes]

Ana
Inferno - Upper Levels, Private Residential District
The Present- Morning

"No, this will be on my terms."Ana was unfazed when the man placed a hand on her shoulder. It was a typical intimidation tactic, a big stupid man trying to make someone feel small and weak and nothing she hadn't seen before - used everywhere from Inferno to Paradiso.

Ba-dum

There was nothing this person could do that could scare her, nothing he could do she hadn't already endured already but yet here he was trying to control her. Ana was not a dog to be pulled on a lead and nor would she allow these people to throw her in a room all alone. Not again.

Ba-dum

She could feel her heart beating loud and steady through her whole being. Beating with defiance. Beating with rage. Beating with a will to live. But presently, it was beating like a ravenous predator about to pounce upon her prey and bite into them. Ana placed her own hand atop the man unfortunate enough to place his hands on her body without her permission and and squeezed down hard enough to send her own message, the tone still dull but a growing wicked smile betrayed her voice.

"Oh, a volunteer? Let me show you the goods then."

Ba-dum Ba-dum Ba-dum

She wanted to tear it off but there was the matter of the others to deal with. But there was more to do, she wasn't here to kill them all but just as a distraction a few more seconds for the robbery to go off without a hitch but she was racing with anticipation and there was the hunger, the ever present hunger.

"What's your name, Brian? You look like a Brian. I'm going to call you Brian." Ana's hollow voice called out as she now moved to squeeze down painfully and leaned in to whisper into his ear. "Well here's my little demonstration just for you Brian, take a look at your friends and see what happens when you aren't nice to a pretty young thing like me.

She had resorted to this after all and violence for threat of violence was the rule of beasts but Ana was no longer prey, now she was predator. And a girl's gotta eat.

Wise Up!

Murder of Crows (2 MG)

[Frantic Author]

Ashley Harker
Inferno- Dragon's Den: Luxury Apartments
The Present-Morning


"You know," Harker said, glancing at the man before him with no smile on his face, twirling the metal rod in the air as he glanced around the room, staring for a moment at the plant in the corner. "A dead man tells no tales but that of his own misfortune. I have no interest in dying, and so I will not. This city has too many broken bodies and dead dreams for me to fall for it."

He walked forward, the metal resting coolly against his neck as he moved, the only sound in the room his feet as they crossed the carpet, softly brushing against the faded rug.

"You are a member of the Pride faction. The Pride faction has been kidnapping children. What you are doing to these children is irrelevant, I merely have a request of you, my friend," he spoke with a smile on his face, blue eyes twinkling. "I would appreciate it if you and yours would stop."

"Ah," his mouth moved without him meaning to, as he holds up a finger, eyes closed as the smile grew even larger. "Of course! You have no need to worry for my safety."

"After all,"

The rod moved, slowly, ever so slowly, and lifted the man's chin to look directly into Harker's eyes, while an inferno larger then the city itself swirled within them.

"I have no interest in doing anything as stupid as dying."

[I3uster]

Fatima bint Samum
Inferno - Night Parade Territory
The Present - Morning

The change in her contact's attitude wasn't lost on her. She tried her best to not act too unnatural in front of her, even if she was taken aback as much as Miss Grey by that sudden move of her "partner". It wasn't that it had not happened before, in fact Gremory did seem to derive some kind of sick satisfaction at the ensuring discomfort, but still whenever she decided to spring skinship on her too suddenly she almost automatically pushed her away.

This wasn't her body to use, and without Leila in control that was not a touch of warmth and affection. It was a piece of dead meat slapped against her, for the amusement of an evil beyond her comprehension. And it took quite a bit of malice to escape her comprehension of all people, muscle for the runoff of the runoff.

"I'm pleased to hear that, and I want you to devote your full efforts to your new task. Miss Allis is a very important member to the Night Parade as her strength is an invaluable asset. However, her mindset can be... seems to be wired a bit differently compared to normal people."

"Protection just so happens to be my forte. But I am a guard more than a chaperone. I hope we are not expected to act as moral guidance for her then?"