SPOOKY MAN
weeyyyy this is real good! :D

OMG that's so epic, I love it

@King Thanks! So, what's on today's agenda?

Well, I'm guessing that the search for Brink's proxies will continue, Morty's probably gonna become active once the sun comes up, and the doggo squad'll likely head out once everyone's up and got food XD

re.Thank you, only with the mountains I have to practice a bit, but I'm glad that you like my picture

Hey! Sorry I'm late, this cover looks awesome!

Pssst, you need to add the RP tag in the description.

Also, to be sure, are we starting things from the next morning? If so, I'd like to start. X)

@Radiant Yes, we are starting from morning. Go ahead and start whenever.

Oh, jeeze, how could I forget the tag. I'll put that up rn.

Alrighty, give me a moment and I'll write something.

Early next morning, Armin was standing outside with his 'stolen' car, waiting for Jerry and Ivy to be awake. He was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses that hid his eyes, and smoking a cigarette, for some reason.

The woods were alive with the sounds of morning birdsong. //Wonder what time they get up?// he mused. //Maybe I shouldn't have come out so early.//

----

In Atlas Tower, Sargon was already awake and talking to Anastasia. 'We must find the next two people Brink charged us with destroying,' he said. 'Apparently, they are a pair of twins, with unusual powers. I may be wrong, though. You should search our forces for them.'

'Yes, sir!' said Ana breathlessly, then hurried off.

{As Sargon dismissed his second in command, a telepathic message came through from one of his lower commanders.} //Uh, s-sir, we've got a problem over here on thirty-ninth street. I-it's uh....you've just ...you've got to see this...//
{As he was finishing, another came through from a different commander.}//Uh, sir, I know you said to only use this channel for emergencies, but uh....well, this is an emergency. There's something wrong with our food rations....Um, I think you need to come down here and see for yourself...//

(This cover looks awesome!!)

{Jerry soon emerges from the base, smoking a cigarette of his own.}"Mornin' Armin. I didn't know you smoked."

(Thanks, @Fade!)

Sargon had started to move towards his work desk, but turned back at the sound of the message in his head. //I will be there immediately,// he replied, then left the room and walked quickly to where the commander was. //A problem with food rations? That could put a dent in our work...//

(Aggron)

Armin looked up as Jerry appeared. 'Oh, I don't,' he said lightly. 'Not usually. I was just bored.' He sent a glance towards the upper windows of the house. 'Did you see Ivy at all before you came out here?'

As he spoke, he took the cigarette from his mouth and dropped it on the grass, then crushed it under his boot.

ahaha sorry I only just checked my comments-

(Hello Dracooo
it's the morning just so you know)

Alrightyyy

//this cover looks brilliant btw ;o;

sp00kyman

In the room he had been left in, Mortikai stirs, stretching himself awake.
"Mm...forgot how nice it was to sleep somewhere comfortable...I should sleep as a cat more often."
He muses to himself as he stands and shifts into his human form. He glances at his hat and coat, then picks up his bowtie and begins to fasten it around his neck, expert enough to not need a mirror to see if it had been done well. Shrugging on his coat, he places his hat firmly on his head and steps out of the room, nodding slightly to one of Sargon's forces as they pass, assuming that he had told them that he was there to help, in a way.
"Right...I imagine they've got one of those traitors so far, so looking for...three others. Better now than never."
Mortikai sighs softly and heads down the nearest corridor.

(Dracooooooooo)

(So, he's visiting the food commander first, right? Not the one on thirty-ninth)
{The commander greeted Sargon nervously.}"My Lord, I-I fear we have a problem. Come." {Opening the door to the ration room, Sargon is met with the stench of decay and the smell of smoke simultaneously. As the commander leads Sargon through, the smells get worse and the buzzing of insects can be heard.}"I can't explain it, but...all in one night, some of our food was burned, some of it rotted, and some of it is filled with insects and pestilence. I-it's as if death itself visited and touched the food with its bony fingers."

{Jerry nods.}"I knocked on her door and told her that we'd leave without her if she wasn't down here in five minutes. She'll be here, trust me."

(Hey, @Draco! Glad you could make it!)

Hey Kingo, hey Aggron!!
let's ruin some liiiiiiiiiiiiiives

(Aggron - Yup.)

Sargon looked around, breathing deeply as he took in the repulsive smell of the spoilt supplies. 'And this really all happened in one night?' he clarified. 'Strange... I will look into this. Rest assured, I will find the culprit and ensure this doesn't happen again. In the meantime, give the order that at least a quarter of our forces are to work on gathering new supplies. All their other tasks can wait.'

Giving the commander a brief nod, he turned to leave. As he did, he sent a return telepathic message to the other commander. //What seems to be the problem?//

(yES
I think I replied last last time, d' y' want me to copy it over? ;w;)

(Aggron)

'Well, then, she'll probably show up any second--'

Before Armin could finish, Ivy came out of the house and walked over to them, looking disgruntled and with her hair ruffled. 'Nobody told me we were leaving this early,' she complained grumpily.

(Draco)

Sheldon was an early riser, and had already snuck downstairs to look for food as soon as the sun began to rise. He was pretty sure nobody else would be up yet, so he went to the kitchen and set about making himself a slice of toast, humming quietly.

{The food commander nods and sets off to his task. The other commander speaks up, sounding a little shaken.}//Uh, well, last night, a number of patrols went missing. We thought they were just screwing around and looting the city when they weren't responding and never checked in. That was not the case. We found all of the patrols across the city and, well...someone painted the city with their blood.//

(Aggron)

Sargon drew to a halt in the middle of the corridor. //Painted? What do you mean by that, exactly?// he enquired. //And how many patrols were killed?//

{Jerry just chuckles.}"We're on the clock, Ivy. If Dianne was successful, that means Sargon's forces are going without breakfast right now. We need to hustle before they run out of food options altogether. Ready to go?"

However, as Sheldon was making his toast, Henry suddenly walked into the kitchen and looked around quickly. "Ah, Ginger Biscuit!" he exclaimed when he saw Sheldon.

ye king, you can copy it :0

//Well, it's just an expression. You see, they've all been brutally mutilated, disemboweled, and dismembered. And a little more than half, I think, we're still finding more. I-in all my y-years, I've never seen anything like this. If you didn't send for those reinforcements before, we'd be, well...// {The commander trailed off nervously.}

(Aggron)

Ivy didn't look impressed. Despite her lack of enthusiasm, everyone could see that she was still carrying her knife, the one she'd used to kill the werewolf last night. 'Eh, whatever,' she said tiredly, and went to investigate the car. 'Where did you find this thing? The scrap yard?'

Armin didn't bother responding to that. He turned to Jerry and asked, 'So are you two ready to leave? Nothing we need to bring with us?'

(Draco)

Sheldon jumped violently in shock. Behind him, there was a little 'ping' noise as the toaster spat out his piece of toast.

'U-uhm, good morning?' he ventured nervously. He'd never felt quite right around Tochi's granddad. The old man was just too strange.

(Aggron)

Sargon's expression darkened, though there was nobody around to see it. //I see,// he said telepathically, his voice calmer than he looked. //Please don't worry too much. There are reinforcements coming in constantly from the other regions. Whoever did this is clearly very dangerous, but I will find them.// He briefly wondered if the person who'd killed the patrols was the same one who'd ruined their supplies, then put the thought aside for later. //Give the order that I want no patrols sent out after nightfall until this person has been dealt with.//

{Jerry points to the rifle on his back.}"I've got everything I need. I'm not sure about Ivy though."

"Morning," said Henry cheerily. "I came to get a biscuit. I'm awake early because I accidentally did something to my alarm..." he gazed at the toaster. "Oh, don't let that get cold."

(Aggron)

'I'm fine,' said Ivy absently, her attention fixated on the car. 'I mean, I don't need to take anything else.' Without waiting for Armin to tell her to get in the car, she opened the door and slipped in, settling onto the back seat.

'Great. Then let's go before the sun comes up any higher,' said Armin. He climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine, waiting for Jerry to follow.

(Draco)

Sheldon's gaze slowly drifted to the toast, and surprise flitted through his expression. 'Oh! I forgot.' He took the toast out of the toaster and started spreading butter and marmalade on it. 'So, uhmm, is anyone else awake...?'

@Draco
He peers into the cupboard Thorn opened to see what was in it, then opens the ones in front of him. In one was stacks of bowls and plates, and in the other was various tins of assorted foods, mostly vegetables.
"Huh...Not a lot in here, unless you want...chopped tomatoes and stringbeans."

{Meanwhile, at Pythia's temple, Dianne awakens with a start. She finds herself lying on a cot under a white blanket wearing one of the priestess' blue dresses.}"The fu@k?" {When she sits up, she's hit with a massive headache. Stopping to hold her head, she realizes that she is in possession of most of her captive souls. Twenty-five of the thirty, to be exact. More than what she delegated to the rat draugrs who destroyed Sargon's food. Looking up, she sees Magnus in a vampire's body looking at her.}
Magnus:"Hey, take it slow, you've lost a lot of blood."
Dianne:"Magnus, why am I still here? What happened? Where are my things? What the-"
Magnus:"Hey, hey, calm down. Last night, as we were leaving, we were attacked by an unseen assailant, do you remember that?"
{With the memory coming back to her, Dianne starts to get visibly angry.}
Magnus:"To answer your other questions, After you lost consciousness, I brought you back here to get your wounds treated, your things are on the desk over there, and you're wearing one of the priestess' dresses because your clothes had to be cut off in order to quickly treat the deep slashes you sustained from the skirmish."

{The commander acknowledges Sargon's request and sets to his task}//Yes sir.//

{Jerry puts the rifle on his lap as he enters the passenger seat and closes the door.}"Whenever you're ready, Armin."

( @Radiant what should we do for Crowley and Vitis?)

(Aggron/King)

Feeling the commander disappearing from the telepathic link, Sargon continued walking through the tower. He was searching for Mortikai. He didn't know if the shapeshifter was still in his room, but decided he would find him quickly enough if he looked around.

"Not that I'm aware of," he replied. "I haven't checked on Tochi, and Carol's sleeping like a log."

As soon as Sheldon was done with the marmalade he grabbed a spoon that was lying nearby and scooped up some of the orange substance and eating it. "Just the right amount of shreds," he announced.

*eated

*ATE

EATED ISN'T A WORD

(Aggron)

Armin glanced down at the controls of the car, then after a moment of uncertainty remembered how to get it started. The engine whined as they rolled away from the front of his house, following a narrow path that led out of the forest and towards Riverside.

'Will take about twenty minutes to get there,' he said once they were moving. 'It's further to RIverside than the distance between here and Shacklestone's gates.'

(Aggron - Hmm, I'm not sure. If you have any ideas for them, I'd be happy to go along with it.
Crowley doesn't really think about anything he does. XD)

"There's got to be something better..." Thorn floated her paw towards another cupboard and opened it. "Oh, do I see bread?"

(Draco)

Sheldon leaned against the counter a safe distance from Henry, nibbling his toast and trying to decide if this was normal behaviour. He didn't know what to say, so he waited awkwardly for Henry to speak, hoping that Tochi or Caroline would show up.

{Jerry grunts in response.}"Makes sense."

Henry placed the marmalade back where it was before. "Now, where on Earth did I leave the biscuits?" he mumbled to himself, walking around the room. "I need one for me, one for Richard, and you can have one too if you'd like..."

(Aggron)

The drive went by in uneventful silence. Eventually, the entrance to Riverside came into view up ahead. It was a large but somewhat rural-looking village, very different from the city surroundings of Shacklestone. And it looked like Sargon's army hadn't tried to do anything to the village yet, judging by the peaceful atmosphere.

Armin steered the car into Riverside and looked around for somewhere to park. The narrow, dusty roads were already crowded with parked vehicles and even a few horses tied up outside the buildings.

(Draco)

Sheldon eyed Henry nervously, then started shuffling towards the door. Once he was sure Henry wasn't watching him, he darted out of the kitchen and ran back upstairs, still holding his toast.

"It might be..." Henry turned to look at Sheldon, but he was no longer there. "Oh dear. Did he run away?"

He turned his gaze to a tank half-hidden in the corner. "You don't think he's scared of me, do you, Richard?"

The huge black slug inside the take made no response.

*tank

@Radiant
Mortikai had explored for a while, mostly in his thoughs, gently turning the small pouch he had recieved from Emilia in his pocket to ensure he didn't drop it. He spots the count, and, putting his thoughts to the back of his mind, jogs to catch up with him.
"Sargon, hey. Have you found any of those traitors yet?"

@Draco
"Oh, neat. You want it grabbing?"
Keenan asks, unsure of the capability of her disembodied paws. He pokes around in the tin cupboard a little, then takes a plate and places it on the counter.

{As Dianne was sitting on the bed, Pythia opened the door, walked in, and closed it behind her.}
Pythia:"You're up already? I expected you to be out for a couple days at least."
Dianne:"I'm stronger than most..."
Pythia:"Clearly. Those wounds would have killed anyone else. How do you feel?"
Dianne:"I'm dizzy, my head hurts like a sonofabinch, and I'm a bit light headed."
Pythia:"Sounds about right. Just lie back down, let yourself heal."
Dianne"I'd really be more comfortable at home."
{Pythia sighs.}"Well, I'd highly advise against moving around right now, but I know you won't listen to me. No one does. If you really must go, I'm coming with you, to make sure you get there alright."
Dianne:"Ok." {Dianne nods as Pythia leaves to get ready.}

(King)

Sargon turned and looked up at Mortikai. 'Not yet. Anastasia has gone out in search of the twins. I expect her to root them out before long. I also wanted to talk to you. Something has happened which is putting my entire forces at risk.'

(Draco)

Sheldon got back into Tochi's room and, finding her still asleep, tentatively spoke up. 'Um, Tochi? Y-you might want to wake up. It's morning. And your granddad is creepy. Uhm, not CREEPY creepy, but... well, he's difficult to talk to? And... it's morning. The sun is up. We should probably go outside and... do stuff. Yes. Mmh. Stuff. ........Are you still asleep?'

Thorn nodded. "Yeah, take it. I'll see if I can find some other bits and bobs so we can make sandwiches."

{Over on the far side of Shacklestone, Vitis is with Crowley, gawking at all the dead patrols.}"Son of a- Look at this, Crowley! That masked guy's bad news! I doubt the both of us combined could deal out this much carnage!"

After a second, Tochi sat up in bed and gazed over at him. "Hmm? Oh, good morning," she greeted him, smiling. "Yes, Grandpa is a bit... off. He always has been. Did he mention his pet slug, by any chance?

In the downstairs bedroom, Caroline was just waking up with no idea that Tochi and Sheldon were awake and her husband was in the kitchen talking to a mollusc.

(Aggron)

Crowley stared at the chaos, then a nasty grin appeared on his face. 'Wow. I ALMOST have respect for this freak. Anyone who can kill this many people without getting killed themselves is pretty good at their job.' He reached down to run a finger along the hilt of his sheathed knife. 'I dunno, maybe in your serpent form, you could've killed them. After all, this guy's only a human.'

(''her husband was in the kitchen talking to a mollusc'')

{Jerry looks out the window.}"There's a spot, Armin. Right outside the Uncle Joe's Happy Cow Ranch."

(Draco)

Sheldon carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, putting the last corner of toast in his mouth. 'Uhm, yes, he did. Why does he have a pet slug?'

(Aggron)

'Got it.' Armin turned the steering wheel and drove into the space. The engine cut out as he stopped the car. 'So, where are we going?' he asked as he leaned back in his seat and glanced over at Jerry.

{Vitis just shakes his head.}"Yeah but still. This is insane. Are you sure he's human?"

(Aggron)

Crowley folded his arms. 'He SMELLS like a human. And something tells me he is one. Unless he has a good disguise or something, he's human. He's just REALLY powerful. Like, unfairly powerful.'

mollusc :)

"Grandma told me he found it long ago, sat on our counter-top eating an abandoned biscuit," Tochi explained in an amused tone. "He wanted to keep it so badly, so he did. And it's still alive." she laughed. "He talks to it like it's his best friend."

{Vitis just laughs.}"Y'know, people used to say I was unfairly powerful. Just weird hearing it about someone else.}

(Draco)

Sheldon tried to think of something to say that wouldn't be considered insulting. He couldn't. 'Uhm, I suppose that's... normal?' He gave a nervous chuckle and ran a hand through his hair, trying to make it lie flat over his eyes. 'Do you normally eat breakfast? I could bring you something if you want...'

(Aggron)

Crowley laughed too. 'There's always someone out there more powerful than you. You should remember that.'

{Jerry hides his rifle under the seat before exiting the car.}"We need to go see the mayor. He's the one with the authority to order a town wide evacuation."

"I usually just go with a bowl of cornflakes," Tochi responded. "Then we can go and do the thing." she paused, then added, "After we've found a safe spot for it."

(Aggron)

Armin climbed out of the driver's seat, then stood back to give Ivy room to get out. 'And do you know where he'll be?' he said. 'Come to think of it, I wouldn't be surprised if he's already thinking of ordering evacuation. Considering what just happened to Shacklestone.'

@Radiant
"Well, that sounds wonderful. Care to tell?"
He says, raising an eyebrow with interest.

@Draco
He takes the bread and places that next to the plate.
"Hm, medium white. Good enough. Maybe there's a fridge about with filling stuff inside, or something, unless you want an uncooked sweetcorn sandwich."
He laughs.

(Draco)

'Right!' Sheldon leapt off the bed and hurried downstairs. 'Wait there!' he called out over his shoulder, before heading into the kitchen to make cornflakes. He really hoped Henry had finished talking to his slug and gone somewhere else by now.

(King)

'Two things, actually,' said the Count. 'The first is that we discovered our food supplies to be destroyed. We have almost nothing left and will have to devote our time to gathering new supplies. The second is that a large number of my patrol forces have been violently killed by an unknown enemy. I don't suppose you would know anything about those things?'

{Jerry waits for Ivy to leave the car.}"He should be in his office at the town hall. I know the way, I've been there before."

(So, who wants to portray the mayor of Riverside?)

{Looking around, Vitis speaks up.}"Well, looks like the masked man isn't around during the day. I bet he can't remain unseen in the light. Want to have some fun until night falls again?"

(Aggron - I don't mind someone else playing him. I'm not too good with authority-figure characters. XD)

Ivy scrambled out of the car and shut the door. She'd been curiously quiet during the ride, and all she said now was: 'It looks peaceful here.'

'That's because Sargon's minions haven't had time to wreck the place yet,' said Armin. Then he turned to Jerry and said, 'Alright, lead the way.'

{Somewhere dark in Shacklestone, the Illusionist sits before a summoning circle bearing the mark of Dark Brink.}"Brink, the night is up and the deed is done. The streets of Shacklestone flow with the blood of the murderous and the deserters alike."

"Not likely - I hate sweetcorn no matter what state it's in," Thorn meowed, laughing too. She opened the fridge with her paw. There was a pleasantly large selection of fillings and spreads - cheese, peanut butter, jam, salad, various types of mashed-up fish, and a bunch of other things.

(Aggron)

Crowley considered. He already had two people on his 'To Kill Later' list - Dianne and the masked stranger. 'What have you got in mind?' His eyes lit up. 'Hey, we could go to that big office tower where the Sargon guy lives and give him some trouble! Or we could just go back to the temple and finish off Dianne. And maybe Pythia too, while we're at it.' He spoke very casually, as if he wasn't discussing murdering people.

{Jerry turns and begins to walk.}"This way. it's not far."

{Vitis takes a moment to consider the options.}"I'd rather not kill Pythia, at least not yet. She should be the last one, as the rest of your targets are far more dangerous. Plus, if we get fu@ked up in a fight, she could save our as.ses in a pinch. I would like to check out that tower though, bet the old man has a lot of money and things stashed in there."

(Aggron)

Armin easily fell into step beside Jerry, all the while straightening his dark sunglasses. It was only now clear why he was wearing them; he didn't want the people of the town to recognise him as a vampire and make any sort of fuss.

Behind them, Ivy was following but lagging back slightly, her eyes scanning all the little houses and shops they walked past.

(Aggron)

'Yup,' said Crowley, grinning. 'I was going to go there myself anyway, but if you wanna come with me, I'll let you.' He adjusted his scarf, drew his knife, and started off in the direction of the tower. 'D'you think we could sneak inside if we pretended to be his servants or something?'

Henry was conveniently just leaving as Sheldon entered the kitchen. Caroline was also there, watching him go. They had probably been talking about something, but it didn't seem all that important

(Draco)

Sheldon quietly shuffled into the room, his floppy hair hiding most of his face. 'Good morning,' he mumbled when he saw Caroline there. He started making a bowl of cornflakes, wondering idly if their conversation had been about Henry's pet slug.

@Aggron
//Well, you've done a wondrous job, I must say.//
The spirit muses as it materializes and floats around aimlessly.
//I suppose you'd want a reward, and from what I've seen, you're quite deserving of it. What say you?//

@Radiant
"Well, I'd be happy to assist in gathering supplies if needed. And as for the patrols-"
At that moment, he feels a jolt of pain through his head right when Dark Brink is summoned, forcing him to stop for a moment.
"Gah...I...I think I have an inkling of an idea of what could be behind them...Do you know if any of them carried Brink's mark?"

@Draco
"Oh, sweet! Peanut butter!"
Keenan's face brightens up as he reaches for the jar.
"We only got this rarely back home! And it's the one type that actually tastes good!"

(King)

Sargon's expression didn't change at Morty's reaction. 'I will need to ask my commanders,' he said. 'But I am certain that some of the soldiers working in those patrols carried Brink's mark. It seems that a great number of people do.' He paused momentarily. 'So, you have an idea of what may have happened?'

@King
{The Illusionist stares blankly ahead.}"You know what I seek. Have I earned it, or must more blood be spilled?"

{Vitis grins.}"Yeah, let's go! That should work to get us in."

@Radiant
"Y'see, Dark Brink doesn't play for sides. He just helps whoever's selling themselves to him, so...it's likely that he's helping someone working against you as well as helping you."
He jogs slightly to catch up and stay by Sargon's side, absentmindedly rubbing his head slightly to try to get the remnants of the pain out.

"Good morning, Sheldon," Caroline said, giving him that Tochi-like smile. "How are you? Did you sleep well?"

(Aggron)

'Yeah. Unless they have, like, passwords or something. Maybe they have really good security.' He snickered. 'I bet not, though. I mean, what kind of idiot must Sargon be to think he can control all non-humans?'

{Vitis laughs.}"Yeah, ain't no one tells me what to do except me. That old guy's just another authoritarian chump! Like the po-po!"

(King)

Sargon nodded. 'I understand that. He is not a person to work only for one side. He must have his own motivations.' He took quicker strides, heading for the tower exit without any fixed destination in his mind. 'But if somebody else is killing my people in Brink's name, it does cause problems for me, as I'm sure you can guess.'

(Draco)

'Yes, very well,' Sheldon answered quickly, as he poured cornflakes into a bowl. 'Uhm, Tochi and I were planning to... go for a walk outside after breakfast. Would that be... OK?'

{Once they leave, Dianne and her company walk through the streets towards her home. Dianne is still lightheaded, so Magnus is helping her walk, Pythia is simply astounded by all the death surrounding them, and the werewolf draugrs are bringing up the rear, watching for threats. Slowly, they make their way through the city.}

(Aggron)

Crowley skipped ahead on the sidewalk, his scarf trailing behind him in the breeze. 'Yeah, same here. I'm not letting anyone tell me what I can and can't do. Even if this guy's a great ruler, that doesn't make him MY ruler. And if he ever tries to control ME, I'll kill him - just like all the other freaks I want to kill.'

@Aggron
//You have asked and you shall recieve. You have followed correctly and done my deed. With their deaths so swift and your soul so dark, you are worthy enough to bare my mark.//
As it speaks, it's body twists and contorts into a dark mass, tendrils of darkness searching this way and that, eventually reaching for the Illusionist to brand his skin.

"Yes, of course," Caroline gave him a small nod. "Just be a bit careful. I don't know if that chaos from Shacklestone City is going to come here."

She gave Richard the slug a quick glance, then opened a drawer under the sink. There were a few old-looking mugs inside. "Tea before you go?" she asked.

(Draco)

Sheldon shot her a quick look. 'Yes, of course,' he agreed. 'I certainly won't be doing anything dangerous.' With his back to her, he gave himself a small, rueful smile. As if HE'D ever be found purposely getting into trouble. 'And tea would be great... thank you.'

He picked up the bowl of cornflakes and headed back upstairs, letting himself into his and Tochi's room to give it to her.

(I just realised Caroline and Sheldon both said 'yes of course' whoops)

"Peanut butter, nice choice," Thorn said approvingly. "Used to eat peanut butter in things a lot. Now just need a knife to spread it, unless you're using your fingers!"

Y E S O F C O U R SE

{The Illusionist removes the glove on his right hand.}"Here. If you have to brand something, brand the hand that took the lives in your name."

{Arriving at a large wooden structure, Jerry stops.}"We're here. Alrighty, let me do the talking, ok?"

Caroline started making two cups of tea for Sheldon and Tochi.

Tochi had been looking out the window and she turned around when Sheldon walked in. "Oh, right, the cornflakes! Thank you!"

{Vitis skips ahead of Crowley.}"Not if I kill him first! Come to think of it, we should really test who the more proficient killer between us is. Next time we get into a scrap, the one to kill the most people wins! What do ya say?"

(Aggron)

Ivy huffed and folded her arms, but was too busy looking around the village to argue. Armin gave Jerry a sharp look. 'Are you saying you don't trust me to talk to anyone?'

(Draco)

Sheldon handed the bowl to her. 'Your grandma is making tea,' he said uncertainly, hovering beside the bed. 'And she says she doesn't mind us going out afterwards, as long as... as long as we're very careful.'

(Aggron)

Crowley grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. 'Deal. But there's no way you'll be able to kill more people than me. I've been killing for fun since I was 15.'

yo ho
might go soon)

"OK, good." Tochi took the cornflakes. "We will be being careful. And if anyone finds us and they seem unfriendly, we come straight back here."

{Jerry shook his head.}"No, Armin, of course not. It's just that I deal with the authorities and civic leaders a lot and I know exactly what to tell them to get them moving, that's all."

(Draco - Alrightyyyy)

'Y-yes, that's a good idea.' Sheldon leaned against the edge of the bed. 'I was thinking about it last night, and I DO want to learn how to... transform properly.' He said the last part in a hushed voice, afraid Tochi's grandparents could hear them.

{Vitis laughs.}"You might have started earlier than me, but do you got these skills?"

(Aggron)

'I guess that's true,' said Armin lightly. 'Would it be better if Ivy and I waited outside? You can probably deal with it just fine by yourself. And she's obviously dying to go and look in the shop windows.'

'I am not,' said Ivy indignantly. 'I just thought, since as we're here, why not look around? I might never come here again.'

Tochi looked approving. "Nice. I'm not sure how much skill it takes, but it'll be worth it in the end." she thoughtfully scooped up some cornflakes.

{Jerry turns to the two of them.}"You could stay out here if you want, or come with me. Either way's fine."

(Draco)

'Just out of, um, curiosity... If somebody gave you the choice to be any species, would you choose to be anything other than human?'

(Aggron)

Armin glanced at Ivy, then shrugged. 'I'm fine with either.'

Ivy's entire demeanour changed instantly. 'Good!' she said brightly. 'Because I'm going shopping, and YOU can come along and help me.' Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Armin by the arm of his leather jacket and started dragging him off into the village. 'Good luck with whatever you're doing!' she yelled back to Jerry.

(Aggron)

Crowley scoffed disbelievingly. 'What skills have you got that I haven't?' he asked.

{Jerry laughs and mockingly waves goodbye to Armin.}"Be sure to hold her bags for her like a true gentleman, eh Armin?! Hahaha!" {After that, he turns and walks towards town hall.}

{Vitis just grins.}You're just going to have to wait and see. We going to the tower or what?"

(Aggron)

Armin sighed and let Ivy pull him towards the shops. 'You'd think he might help me out, considering all the dangerous situations we've been in together,' he complained. 'Where are we going, anyway?'

'FIRST we've got to visit the clothes shop,' said Ivy.

'Oh heII no.'

'Oh heII yes. And after that, we need to go to the sweetshop. And then maybe to the book store.'

'Ivy,' he protested, 'you don't even have any money.'

'Yes I do. I brought it with me from Shacklestone. Now are you coming or not?'

'Yes, fine, just don't take forever. I know what girls are like for taking forever in shops.'

Tochi made a small 'hmm'. "Perhaps a scorcerer of some kind? I've always wanted to be able to use spells, to be honest."

(Aggron)

'We ARE going to the tower.' Crowley started walking backwards so he could move and look at Vitis at the same time, and promptly walked into a streetlamp. 'Ow.' The shape of the office block tower was visible above the other buildings, not far away.

(Draco)

Sheldon nodded slowly. 'I wouldn't mind that,' he said. 'It sounds like it would be more useful than turning into a giant ugly dog thing.'

(Hey, I think I'm gonna get going for now! It's pretty late.)

( @Radiant Ok, we continue this incrementally, yes?)

(alrighyo-
byeeeeeee

(Aggron - As long as you're all up for that, then sure.)

yes

{Vitis laughs at Crowley when he walks into the streetlamp.}"Hahahahaha! Ok, ok, we're going to the tower. What's the plan once we get inside?"

(Aggron)

Crowley veered away from the streetlamp, giving it a warning snarl in passing. 'Easy,' he said. 'We just walk in, all confident, like we go there all the time. If anyone talks to us, we just act like we're part of his army. What's the worst that could happen? And once we're INSIDE, we go explore. I wanna know what that guy hoards in his place.'

{Vitis grins.}"Yeah, ok! And if we get caught, we just fight our way out! Sounds like a plan!"

(Aggron)

'Yep,' said Crowley, brandishing his short dagger. 'Look, there's the entrance over there.' They had just entered the street which held the tower. Up ahead, they could see the double glass doors flanked by a pair of werewolves in humanoid form, obviously posted as guards.

{Smiling nonchalantly, vitis begins to smoothly stroll up to the glass doors, as if he owned the place.}

(Aggron)

Crowley followed him, twirling his dagger absently in his hand and trying to look like he'd just been out on a patrol or raid. The werewolves guarding the doors eyed them as they approached, then stepped to either side, leaving the doors accessible.

'Welcome back,' one of them said lazily.

{Vitis nonchalantly nods in the guard's direction before entering the building and taking in the sight of the first floor.}

(Aggron)

It looked fairly quiet inside, most of the army members out doing various tasks. Only a few people were lingering in the corridors with nothing to do. As Crowley and Vitis entered, a young dragonshifter - recognisable by the faint scent of burning wood that surrounded him - sauntered over to them.

'Hey, did you hear what happened last night?' he said. 'Apparently the Count's entire food store got destroyed by enemies. He's got half the army out gathering fresh supplies. I've never seen anything like it.'

{Vitis looked at the shifter and chuckled.}"Is that so? Our army's pretty big, so I'd imagine food's important. How'd they get in to wreck it all, anyway? Place looks pretty secure.

(Aggron)

The shifter shrugged. 'Nobody knows. It was probably some magician. Don't tell the Count I said this, but we don't have the best security against magical attacks. They're really hard to shield against.'

Just then, there was a commotion at the doors behind them as someone pushed their way through. 'Make way for the Count's most favoured one!' yelled Anastasia, hurrying past Vitis and Crowley on her way up the corridor. The dragonshifter gave her a sour look as he stepped aside.

{Vitis eyed Ana sideways and spoke once she was out of earshot.}"What's the broad's problem? The Count's most favored?"

(Aggron)

Crowley sniggered. 'Who does she think she is?'

The dragonshifter huffed out an exasperated sigh. 'That's Ana. She's the Count's primary assistant and she lets the position go to her head. She thinks she's better than us all. Half of us are just waiting for the opportunity to kill her.' He shook his head. 'Anyway, who are you guys? I've never seen you around here before. And I remember a lot of faces.'

(Hey, I'm gonna stop here so we can take a little break before the next RP. Besides, I need the others around to do some things I'm planning. XD)

(Ok, see you then.)