Hello! Btw, I'm glad you like the ref! I'll probably postmmy second character today because the two kind of go together.

oh damn i forgot it was today and i needed to do a cover
sorry

draco btw

(Draco) I had no idea whether you were planning to do a cover or not because you never replied when I asked

(Aggron) Hello! That's great, I can't wait to see them.

i was going to

sorry

Oof
I mean there's always next time to host!
Just not next week cus I'll be off camping XD
I'll be doing replies until Wednesday/Thursday though

Also the green is a nice change
(Also my phone is gonna die soon but I'm stuck in a bit of a family thing oof)

My computer is overheating too much to draw anything...

(King) Yeah, I'll probably cancel it next week while you're not here. I think it'll be easier that way. (I can't remember if I already said it's cancelled, but I'm saying it now. XD)

I think everyone's here, should we start?

Oof
computer of Radiant pls take a chill pill

Sure thing!

(King - I think we're waiting on Morty now, so you can start if you like.)

Yes! @King You should start!

I think there's a thunderstorm coming now too...

Oof okay
Prepare for salty Morty with at least three people who hate him in the same room as him

@Aggron/Radiant
Mortikai's expression goes from bad to worse as he watches Dianne /then/ Crowley walk in. He was considering taking a knife from his coat and stabbing himself with it just to avoid the confrontation, but it was too far away. He decides to move his glare to the crowdragon, speaking with a slight sarcastic tone.
"Sorry, I don't like going with untreated injuries, unlike you walking around with your entire chest cavity open for the world to see. Someone could've came up to you and grabbed your heart right out of your chest, if you had one."
He didn't even want to address Dianne, knowing the colorful language she would use to talk to him with.
"First I get accused of being friendly with kids, then I get accused of being the cat equivalent of a druggie. Remind me why I'm immortal again..."
He mutters this under his breath with a soft growl.

Crowley snorted and sat down on the temple floor, eyeing Mortikai with dislike. 'Of course I have a heart, you idiot. I'd be DEAD if I didn't have one,' he said, taking the cat shifter's insult literally. 'You know, Morty, I always resented the way our friendship ended - we could have been awesome buddies, but you just HAD to betray me.'

{Pythia just ignores them both and gets to work cleaning Morty's wound. Dianne chuckles at Morty's comment before exiting and getting to work recalling the curse.}

(???)

(I'm so drunk, I can barely seeeeeeee,
But it helps me get through another daaaayyyyy!)

(Crowley: *murders Pythia, murders Morty, murders Dianne, steals Jerry's hat, and flies away laughing hysterically*)

(Ardens: (Drunk) "Ay! GoNa Kil' yA and I'LL KeeP KiLlin' Ya, and... thEn You'Ll Be dEaD.....An' tHus Ain'T EvEn mY RP!"

(Crowley: You can't kill me, you freakin' OP wizard dragon! Know why? 'CUZ I'M WAY MORE OP THAN YOU AND I'LL KILL YOU FIRST AND GET BACK TO YOUR OWN RP YOU EFFING WEIRDO!!)

(Ardens: “My RP.....(Hic)....iS dEaD. BloOdy LenNox can’t dO aNytHing right...An’ I hAve tO be OP! WhO else is GonNa stop MalDius tha MoLd BaLl?”)

(Crowley: Just let the evil guy take over the world! I bet he's a heck of a lot cooler than you or any of the GOOD guys! Urgh, I hate GOOD people! *pretends to vomit*)

(Dispair: guys pls I think my son is dead help)
(Also oof sorry my phone died r.i.p)

(He's ded
Everyone's ded
Crowley you're not a good person)

(I am ded. Not big surprise. (Deh!))

(Crowley: Ha! Everyone's ded!)

(*Kills Crowley* Ha! Now you're ded too!
Seriously though, what are we doing? XD)

(I don't know I've just revived myself (aka got my phone charged enough to not die instantly and away from family gatherings
I'll actually reply now lmao)

(Crowley: O NO, I BE DIE)

(I don't know. XD I'm guessing everyone is too ded to actually RP at the moment and we're bored so we're doing... whatever the heck this is meant to be.)

(King - ESCAPE FROM THE FAMILY GATHERINGS
FAMILY GATHERINGS ARE EVIL

Well, unless you like your family, of course.)

@Radiant/Aggron
"Maybe, but I'm sure you've guessed by now that I'm against the killing of innocents. Especially when they might mean something to me."
He then voices a quiet "ow" with a slight hiss as Pythia cleans his wound.
"You should learn some self-control. Not everything is about murder, you know. And I never betrayed you. I just have some morality left in me."

(I escaped--)

(Heheh. Yeah, idk what that was. Ardens doesn't even drink. :/ )

Crowley squinted suspiciously at him, as though trying to figure out if he's being honest or not.

'Yeeeah, not everything is about murder,' he said. 'But it's still fun! Besides, I don't murder EVERYONE. I think fighting people is more fun.' He cocks his head to one side. 'So, does that mean you DO still like me?'

(Gotta love some out-of-character drinking.)

(Sorry about the sudden changes in verb tenses there. I recently wrote a story in present tense and now I keep switching involuntarily.)

{Dianne pipes up from the other room.} "Really? //You're// against the slaughter of innocents? Have you forgotten who your boss is? How many deals has Brink made where you've had to round up 'traitors' for slaughter? I know how that slimy feline works."

(There's some very loud music coming from somewhere a couple of streets away.
I suspect a party.)

( @Richard Probably. XD)

@Aggron/Radiant
"I'm not a naive teenager anymore. I know've known the difference between deserving death and undeserving death since I killed my own father in the late 1800s. And to be honest, serving under someone like that you're bound to get an idea for how messed up it is."
He sighs, sounding bitter. He could almost feel his mark burn as he speaks against Dark Brink.
"I have limits to what I'll do. Dark Brink doesn't. Most of the time I'm only doing it because I have to. And it's not just traitors to the cause, it's anyone he deems "worthy" to die, and that could be anyone from petty thieves to murderers. Occasionally it's the odd innocent, they tend to not carry as much dark power for him to take control of."

(p a r t y t i m e)

(Forgot to mention that he ignores Crowley whoops)

'Hey!' said Crowley, clearly aggravated by Morty not answering him. 'Who cares about your stupid master or whoever he is? I'm probably way cooler than him. You should ditch him and run away with me. I promise I won't kill you if you'll be my loyal friend again.'

While he was talking, Armin entered the room, probably curious as to why he could hear so many people speaking. 'Is there a party or something happening in here?'

(There's also a pretty dramatic lightning and thunder storm going on right now.

My dad and I have agreed that it must be Satan.)

{Dianne passes by the open door, giving Morty an angry look.}
"Right. If he deems it necessary for you to bring children to slaughter, you do it without hesitation. If he deems it necessary to kill the innocent, you have no say. You, Mortikai, are a puppet. A tool. //You// have become lower then the dirt."

@Aggron/Radiant
Mortikai gives her a tired look.
"I already know that."
He then turns his attention to Crowley.
"If it were that simple, I would be long dead by now. Dark Brink's mark isn't something that can be get rid of easily, and it's not something I would actively search out as his right hand. He'd kill me before I even found out where the White Stag is."

(Yeah it's me I'm having a wild party you should join)

Crowley didn't say anything, which was rather unusual for him. He just sat in the corner, eyeing Mortikai with suspicion and probably a lot of other things that he'd never admit to.

Meanwhile, Armin had leaned against the doorway to listen to the conversation.

{Again, Dianne pipes up from the adjoining room.} "Why don't you just ask his counterpart, Light Brink? Surely, he must know."

Pythia: "Hold still..."
{Pythia closes her eyes, puts her hand over Morty's wound, and mutters some incantations. His wound starts healing rapidly, and his ribs painfully crack back into place, and begin to heal.}

@Aggron/Radiant
"/She./"
Mortikai corrects before jolting from the sudden pain, clenching his jaw and balling his fists to avoid yelling, his body tensing to avoid moving any more. He breaths out slowly, staying tense.
"...The same result may occur. Light Brink isn't as powerful as her brother, and he would find out sooner or later. Talking to her by itself would bring about some questions, and he would get the truth out of either of us in no time at all."

Crowley gave a cackle of laughter. 'Sounds like you're in a sticky situation,' he said mockingly. 'Shouldn't have gotten involved with Dark Brink in the first place, should ya?'

(Yo, I'll probably head off in a minute. X))

(Also whoever's having this party really needs to turn their bass down)

(There's an overly friendly moth in my room)

{Dianne passes by, once again.} "Then have someone else ask her, someone other than you, duh. That way, Brink won't know your intentions until it's too late."

( @Radiant Capture it! >:D)

(It's disappeared now. ;( I think it just came to check out my DS because it's the only light in the room.)

(Lol. One time, my 3ds was the only light in the room, and I was visited by an over-friendly spider dangling from the ceiling, right over the screen, right in front of my face. D: )

(MOTH FRIEND
OH NO SPIDER IS NOT FRIEND AJXJJSJXNND)

(Yeeeeaah... I don't want that happening in here. XD I actually don't mind a lot of spiders, but I don't like the kinds that hang from the ceiling.)

(Heh, watch your ceilings. XD)

(I check them every night. XD)

(I'm gonna get going for now, it's pretty late here. See you all!)

(Bye, @Radiant!)

@Aggron/Radiant
"Considering the only people I know are connected to him, I would rather not sacrifice them."
He stays quiet for a few moments.
"There is...one person I know, but...I'd rather I know fully what she means to me before I ask anything of her."
Mortikai looks up at Crowley with a slightly saddened expression.
"You have no idea how many times I've wished that I could have changed my mind all those years ago."

(Morty pls they were having a good time we don't need your sadness)
(Also talking about friendly bugs a money spider was getting far too friendly with me when I was in the car just now
The worst thing is it was on a thread and the wind from the open window was blowing it TOWARDS ME--)

Crowley showed his teeth in a nasty smile. 'Yeah, well, that's what ya get for not thinking before you run off with evil spirits!' He erupted into a fit of mad laughter.

(Money spiders are OK though, they're so tiny... Usually when I find bugs in the car, I catch them and throw them out the window. XD

One time I was in a car and there was a quite big spider in a web next to me and the wind was pulling it towards me. That was not good.)

{Dianne narrows her eyes and looks to the floor in reminiscence.} "We all have things we wish we could have done differently, Mortikai. But, the past is unchanging, and the future doesn't exist. The only thing that matters is what we decide to do right now, so stop being a chicken, and solve this problem. Do you want to be a puppet for the rest of existence?"

@Aggron
He shifts uncomfortably, not sure how to answer.
"It's not that I don't want to, it's just...what would I do with myself? I could search into the past that's been kept from me, but...would I even be taken back? I've spent this long in the shadows I don't know how to be normal anymore, if there even is a normal."
Mortikai seems to be rambling a little at this point. He wishes he didn't leave his alcohol at the door.

Crowley squinted at Morty, guessing he must be a little bit drunk. 'Geez, I'm not sure whether I want to laugh at you or feel bad for you. You're just so pitiful.'

{Pythia had finished, but she didn't want to interrupt. Dianne walks into the room and sits down across from Morty.} "And that's where I've been for the last few thousand years. I cut all ties with my evil overlord, destroyed him, payed for my mistakes, and at the end of it all, I found emptiness. Nothing but an endless drift through time. I understand your hesitation, this is all you know. But, I have found solace in the fact that I am truly free. No longer must I kill and mame in the name of some terrible wretch. So, you have a choice. Stay the tool of a heinous being for the rest of existence, or spend that eternity being free. Neither will guarantee your happiness, but only in one will you actually be able to choose."

'I'm not so different, either,' commented Armin. 'I'm not pretending that Sargon, one vampire, is anywhere near the level of Dark Brink or whatever monster Dianne probably served... But he still managed to successfully control me through fear and blackmail for over two hundred years. And then I betrayed him. And I like to think things are better for me now, now that I'm free and have a chance of destroying him.' He glanced at Mortikai, then looked away. 'I personally think you'd have a better chance of being happy if you left him, but ultimately it's your decision.'

{Dianne glances at Armin before turning back to Mortikai.} "Surprisingly, the vampire's right. Right now, your existence is pain. I can see it in your eyes and in everything you do. It's why you're such a drunkard. You might not be completely happy after you're free, but at least you won't be in pain anymore."

Mortikai manages a slight sad smile.
"I'll figure something out eventually. Dark Brink needs me more than I need him, and while I may be trapped under his thumb I've got him mostly wrapped around my little finger. I'm not saying I can control him, but being a Champion rather than a normal proxy does have it's perks."
Realizing that Pythia had finished, he moves to put his shirt back on.
"Besides...I need to find someone first. See if it's worth it."

{Dianne stands and chuckles.} "Be careful, that's probably exactly what he wants you to think. I'd get out sooner than later if I were you. With Brink helping Sargon, it may only be a matter of time before he orders you against me."
{Pythia gets up to put her supplies away, but before she does, she adds one last thing.} "Should you decide to have someone ask Light Brink for the White Stag, you may send them here. This is sacred ground, and Dark Brink cannot enter. He will not be able to follow them here."

Armin turned to Dianne. 'So, how much of the curse is left now?' he asked.

Crowley was still eyeing Mortikai as though he wasn't sure what to think of him.

"Quite a bit, but it's all in one place." {Dianne replies, while walking for the door. } "Shouldn't be much longer now."

'In one place?' Armin repeated. 'And where's that?'

Ivy was still waiting outside, looking bored, curious and impatient all at the same time.

"I'm not entirely sure." {Dianne says.} "I just know they're in that direction." {She points east. As she exits the building, Jerry asks a question}
Jerry: "What took you so long?"
Dianne: "Oh, I ran into Mortikai and had a little chat."
Jerry: "Mortikai's in there?"

'You sound a little surprised,' said Armin. 'I was expecting them to kill each other, too.'

Ivy stood up. 'Who? Mortikai? Isn't he some servant of Dark Brink's? Why's HE in there?'

(Literally cannot remember if Ivy has ever seen or been in a conversation about Morty before, so I'm just gonna say she's heard of him.)

"If you must know-"
The man in question says as he walks out of the room, pulling his coat back on.
"-I was in need of some medical help. Now if you'll excuse me I have someone to find."
Mortikai nods curtly, about to tip his hat when he realised he wasn't even wearing it, masking the mistake by running a hand through his dark blue hair. With that, he maneuvers around everyone to get out the door, not forgetting his bottle of alcohol he left. A shiver runs down his spine as soon as he leaves the threshold, now suddenly aware Dark Brink's mild anger about being unable to know about what he had discussed while in there. Mortikai smiles very slightly as he realises the dark spirit had made a mistake - that was very unlike him.

(Mortikai's like a local celebrity except only like five people in the city like him XD)

'Hmph! Medical help?' Ivy muttered as she stared at Morty's retreating back. 'I bet he got hurt doing something for that evil spirit master of his.'

Just then, Crowley came slinking out of the temple, looking thoroughly put-out that Morty had left without talking to him. He flew up onto the roof of the temple, where he had a good view of the blue-haired man walking away.

(What should I do with Crowley? I could have him follow Morty, but that might interfere with what Morty's doing. Or he could stay with the Armin and Jerry Cooperation, but he might not have anything to do there, except be an annoying butt...

I could also have him fly off and encounter somebody else.

Either way, he's pretty much free for whoever wants him. XD)

"Mortikai, wait!" {Jerry says while walking after him.} "I need to talk to you!" {He turns back to Dianne before following Morty.} "Keep going, I'll catch up."
Dianne: "Alright." {Dianne walks for the next objective with the group while Jerry splits off.}

(Idk, maybe finally bring Mia into this and have him do stuff with her?)

(After Morty and Jerry have a talk I'll have Mia come in like "oo I was so totally following the entire time" and sees Crowley like "oo he seems fun" XD)

Mortikai pauses, looking back.
"What is it, Inspector?"
He feels a little awkward with the formality, since Jerry's position as a private investigator surely came with Shacklestone's downfall. He spots Crowley up on the temple roof, but says nothing about it.

(King - Alright. XD)

Armin and Ivy glanced back when Jerry suddenly split up to talk to Morty, but after a brief hesitation they continued to follow Dianne's group.

"Please, call me Jerry." {He says while looking over his shoulder.} "I need to talk to you regarding a newer member of Brink's collective, and his possible association with the release of this curse that's going around."

"Oh, wonderful."
He mumbles.
"I knew someone had been inducted, I just didn't know who or why. Of course he would-"
He pauses, remembering he now had to watch his tongue.
"Of course, we would utilize any form of darkness to gain power. Go on then, what about it?"
Mortikai sounds a little tired of having to talk as if he was still one-hundred-percent invested in Dark Brink's cause, but he continues anyway.

{Jerry pulls out his file on Oliver.} "Two nights ago, I had a little run in with your 'new recruit'. Oliver Morrow is his name. We also happen to know that he's responsible for setting this curse free. What I want to know, is if Brink ordered him to do it, and why."

{Dianne looks back before continuing. After a short walk, signs of the infected begin to appear everywhere. bloody trails of handprints on the walls and foot tracks all leading to some centralized location. On top of all this, there is a heavy stench of death in the air.}
Dianne: "This must be ground zero. Stay alert!"

'Urgh, this place smells worse than that orphanage did,' said Armin under his breath. He looked around and said more loudly, 'Does anyone see any infected?'

"Ah, another magician."
Mortikai rolls his eyes a little.
"Off the top of my head, all I can think of is Dark Brink's lust for dark power, born form the darkness of death and plague. Next best thing to the dark power created in living beings."
He shifts a little.
"Of course, I can find out the truth of it for you."

{Right as Armin said that, they appeared in mass, around every corner, and in every alley. They began to shamble forward, seemingly trying to surround and catch the group.}
Dianne: "Everyone stay back! Don't let them touch you!"

{Jerry nods. } "If you could give me the truth, that would be appreciated. I don't think Brink quite understands the severity of the situation, and just how bad things could get."

Ivy shrieked and drew her revolver, aiming it at the nearest cluster of infected. 'Stay back, freaks!' she yelled, pointing the gun at the sky and firing a warning shot. Armin held his sword out in front of himself, using the blade's length to keep the infected at bay.

'You'd better hurry up and deal with them, Dianne.'

{As the infected drew near, they started talking.}
Infected 1: "Braaaaiiiiiinzzzzz! Braaaaiiiiiinzzzzz!"
Infected 2: "What are you talking about!? We don't eat brains!"
Infected 1: "Shut up! If I'm dying, I'm going to die doing what I want!
{As the first group of infected neared, Dianne extended her hand towards them, then violently pulled it back. The curse ripped free from the infected, and returned to its caster. The infected, however, were killed by the process, torn open by the force.}

Ivy yelped and jumped backwards. 'Eww, did you have to do that? Couldn't you have just cured them like you did the others?!' She gingerly stepped away from a mutilated, infected corpse.

Armin scanned the area. 'There's still more of them coming,' he warned. Ivy looked up and aimed her revolver again.

'Does that mean I'm allowed to shoot them?' she asked.

"Not if they're openly threatening. Don't shoot. I'll handle this." {Dianne states firmly. The other infected saw what she did, and stopped immediately.}
Random infected: "Wait, please! We won't cause any trouble, just please help us!"
{Dianne gets to work, recalling the curse in a non fatal manner. One of the newly cured, however, has the gall to approach Armin.} "Lousy traitor! How come I catch the fatal disease, while you're getting comfy with the humans, and staying perfectly healthy!? That's not fair! I'm loyal, why do I have such crumby luck?"

'Maybe because you're loyal to a murderous bastard?' Armin suggested. 'Try being loyal to the right people.'

Ivy backed away from the infected who hadn't been cured yet, leaving Dianne to deal with them.

( @Radiant Two questions: Where's Lord Grimm been, and when is Sargon going to talk to the real Ana about the phone call?)

{The goon just makes a face.} "I am loyal to the right person! The Count fights for our freedom! Freedom from these jerks!" {He motions to Jerry's family. }
Old Man: "Careful, boy. Them fightin' words."

(Hmm, I'd say Grimm is probably in one of the buildings around Atlas Tower where the non-human army are staying. He's probably with the dragonshifters he came over with.

Sargon can go talk to her anytime he likes, I just wasn't in a big hurry with it. I'll probably have him do it soon.)

Armin gave a grim smile. 'Yeah, you should consider shutting up if you want to live. In case you hadn't noticed, you're surrounded by 'these jerks'.' He lifted his sword and jabbed the goon in the chest, not hard enough to leave a cut. 'Unless you WANT to fight?'

(Ok, I was just wondering. When he first showed up, Grimm looked like he was going to be that one guy who just kinda teases Sargon every time something goes wrong. XD)

(Ooh, I could do something with that. XD)

{The goon just pouts and turns away.} "I can't. Sargon made us promise not to interfere with the broad."
Dianne: The f&$k did you just call me?"
Goon: "Oh shet, I thought she was out of earshot!"
{Not waiting for her to appear, the goon runs off.}
"We'll settle this later, Armin!"

Armin laughed and watched as the goon sprinted away. 'Of course we will,' he said, amused. He then turned around to see what everyone else was up to. 'Are they all cured?'

{Dianne nods, looking annoyed.} "Yes. There's only one last person. It's just a matter of finding him..."

(This is RR, I'm just too lazy to log out of Draco's account.

Is Dianne talking about an infected, or the Illusionist?)

Sargon was on his way outside to talk to Anastasia, when he almost ran into someone in the entrance corridor. It was Lord Grimm.

'Ah, Count! Lovely to see you!' he said, with a grin that did not inspire confidence. 'Where are you going in a hurry? I thought everyone was ordered to stay inside until that /plague/ was dealt with.' He said the word 'plague' with heavy emphasis, as if to remind Sargon of how badly things were going right now.

'I need to talk to Ana,' the Count replied shortly.

'Oh, did something happen to her? ...Besides getting killed, I mean?'

Sargon ignored him, but Grimm didn't take the hint and followed the vampire all the way out of the tower.

(Illusionist.)

'The Illusionist guy? Well, he must be somewhere,' said Armin. 'Does anyone have any ideas about where he MIGHT be?'

'He used to live in the Gold District, didn't he?' interrupted Ivy.

'Yes, but I don't think he lives there anymore. It'd be too easy to find him.' Armin thought for a moment. 'Maybe he's hiding somewhere completely different - the Bronze District, for instance.'

They found Ana skulking in a car park near the tower, which was a relief, as neither of them wanted to walk very far with the truce between the army and Dianne still in place. The big blue dragon looked up when she heard their approach, and her eyes immediately fell on Sargon.

'My Lord! Do you have any new missions for me? I promise, I will do anything you ask of me and I won't fail again!'

'Well, she certainly seems normal enough,' commented Lord Grimm.

Sargon approached Ana. 'Are you intending to pretend that our conversation earlier this morning never happened?'

'Wh-what? What do you mean? We haven't spoken since last night, My Lord...'

Dianne: "Of course he is. Jerry has his property records, so that's where we need to start, as soon as he's done with the cat-man."
{Dianne proceeds to sit on the floor, legs crossed.} "We'll just have to be patient."

'Alright'. Armin sat on a stone wall and looked around to make sure there were definitely no more infected hiding in the alleyways. 'Is this the moment when we all make awkward small talk to fill the silence?'

Ivy huffed, obviously not too happy about having to wait, but leaned against the side of a building and didn't argue.

Dianne: "Do what you want."
{Magnus turns to Armin} "Well, this is uneventful.....want to listen to the prank call again?"

Ivy pulled her revolver out again, and examined it boredly. Armin turned to Magnus. 'D'you think he's already found out the last call was a fake? I wish there was some way we could find out. Maybe we should call him again and see if he's really angry.'

{Magnus shakes his head.} "Naw, let him call us. If we call him again, it might be right when he's talking with Ana, destroying our cover."

'Good idea,' Armin replied. 'Guess we'll just stay here and wait, then. If you think if anything more interesting to do, let me know.'

Ivy started doing a bit of target practice, attempting to shoot some graffiti on a distant wall with her gun.

Lord Grimm and Sargon exchanged glances. Then the vampire gazed up at Ana, and pulled his phone out of his pocket. 'You called me about an hour ago. You knew my phone number.' He looked into her eyes for any hint of recognition, but she just looked blank. 'You told me that you 'loved' me and you were planning to kill yourself because I couldn't return your feelings.'

Ana's jaw dropped. She stuttered incoherently for several moments before bursting out, 'Who did this?! I NEVER did this! I would never do something so ridiculous, so pathetic... This MUST be a prank! And I'll find whoever did it and I'LL KILL THEM SLOWLY AND PAINFULLY!!'

'Well, it seems like you were mistaken, dear fellow,' said Grimm. 'She doesn't love you. It was a prank call.'

'I DO LOVE HIM!' Ana screamed, and then stopped abruptly as she realised what she said. She stared down at Sargon for a moment, looking immensely embarrassed. Then, with a furious screech, she leapt into the air. 'I'LL KILL THEM!'

'Ana!' Sargon called after her. 'The truce is still in place!'

(Omg XD Grimm, you troll! I don't think this could have been any more hilarious. XD)

Magnus: "Eh, I'm gonna go looking around. Jerry might be a while, with the chatter box he is." {Magnus turns and starts walking off.}
Dianne: "Don't go far."

(Sargon: GRIMM YOU'VE RUINED EVERYTHING YOU IDIOT)

Armin gave a yawn and stood up. 'I may as well do the same.' He took off walking in roughly the same direction as Magnus, holding his sword at his side in case they ran into anything unexpected.

Sargon watched as Ana disappeared into the clouds far above the city, feeling helpless for the first time in a long time. He could order her back with telepathy, but he couldn't physically force her back. There was nothing he could do. He'd always assumed that Ana's love for him would mean she obeyed his orders unconditionally, but he'd underestimated the strength of her rage.

Grimm looked like he was trying to keep a straight face. 'Count, ALL the soldiers are supposed to be staying here, aren't they? She's going to cause problems if she flies off by herself...'

'I know that!' Sargon snapped. He looked indecisive for a moment, then shapeshifted himself into a tall silver horse and took off galloping through the city, following the direction Ana was going in.

{Magnus was climbing a rubble pile, looking for anything interesting, comepletely unaware of the massively angry dragon he had helped provoke.}

{As Sargon galloped through the city, he can hear the sound of heavy machinery being operated. It seems that Dianne had ordered her draugrs to gather corpses from the city, and they were using bulldozers to gather them and loading them into dump trucks. The draugrs who was in charge of this was a large werewolf comically wearing a hard hat.}

While Magnus was climbing, there came a sudden shriek of fury from somewhere high above them. Anastasia came diving out of the clouds, plunging towards Magnus at an incredible speed. With a blow from her talons, she knocked him off the pile of rubble to the ground below. 'YOU!' she screamed. 'WAS IT YOU? DID YOU DO IT?!' Of course, she had no idea that Magnus had done the prank call - she was just attacking the first person she saw.

'Woah!' Armin, who was still at the bottom of the pile, leapt backwards and raised his sword as Ana appeared out of nowhere. 'What the hell?'

Sargon slowed a little as he passed one of the bulldozers, watching them suspiciously. //Dianne must be controlling those draugrs...// he thought. //They were not created by MY necromancers.// However, he didn't stop to talk to them. He could ask Dianne about them later. He trotted past the workers more cautiously.

{Magnus took the hit, hit the wall, but landed on his feet, unfazed.} "What the- Did I do what? And //you're// not supposed to be here, given the terms of the truce!"

{Dianne, not far away, heard the commotion.} "Son of a-"
{Getting up, she starts running in the direction of Ana, followed by the rest of the group.}

{The draugrs see Sargon, but pay him little attention, except for the leader, who shouts to him as he passes.} "Yer riskin' the entire army by bein' out here! Just sayin'!"

Sargon didn't stop, but sent a telepathic message at the werewolf as he ran onwards. //I am not planning to cause harm to anyone. I am going to stop one of my own from disobeying orders.// With that, he increased his speed, quickly approaching the area where Ana and Dianne's group were.

Ana completely ignored what Magnus was saying, and instead flew down in pursuit, slashing wildly at him with her talons, though missing because she was so angry. 'IT MUST HAVE BEEN YOU!' she screeched. 'ONLY - A - DRAUGR - COULD - MIMIC - SOMEONE ELSE'S - VOICE!'

Armin ran forwards, and swung his sword up at her. It sliced through the scales on her chest, leaving an insignificant wound. Ana didn't even notice he was there.

{Magnus kept on dodging, but he started to get angry. As she swiped at him once more, he drew his greatsword, and in one graceful movement, sliced off Ana's entire hand.} "What are you talking about?! Explain!!"

{The werewolf draugr shrugs, then goes back to work, confident Dianne could handle it.}

Ana made a noise that was somewhere between a roar and a scream, though being a zombie, she couldn't really feel pain anymore. 'SOMEONE CALLED LORD SARGON AND PRETENDED TO BE ME AND TOLD HIM I LOVED HIM!' she yelled. 'IF IT WASN'T YOU, THEN WHO WAS IT?! TELL ME!'

{Magnus blinks a few times, then a grin splits his face.} "It was Armin!" {He said, pointing to the vampire.}

Ana gave a triumphant screech and dived after Armin, apparently forgetting that there was no way he could have mimicked her voice to make the prank call. The vampire threw Magnus a look of betrayal before taking off running down an alleyway, Ana in hot pursuit.

{As Armin ran, Magnus ran around the alley, coming out front of Armin, and running past him, towards Ana.} "Sorry, old chap, but I needed a distraction!" {Diving under Ana, he swings his sword, cutting off both of her hind legs, right above the knee, effectively destroying her mobility. Avoiding her falling body, he stands behind her, laughing.} "Actually, I lied! I //did// do it!" {He then takes out the recorder and plays the part where sargon tells her to "find someone else to love". }

Ana fell to the ground in a heap. As Magnus played the recording, she stared in complete horror at hearing Sargon's rejection. Even if she hadn't actually called him, she now knew what he would say if she ever did. It was true; he DIDN'T return her feelings. For a moment it looked like she might cry, but then she summoned up all her rage, all her betrayal, and blasted Magnus with a jet of flame, effectively engulfing the draugr in blue fire.

Armin yelped and threw himself aside as the flames roared past him, singing his jacket. At exactly the same moment, Sargon turned up, in his horse form, coming to a dead halt and staring at the scene in front of him.

{Magnus took a step back, throwing the recording device aside to save it from the flames. Dianne shows up as well, addressing Sargon and Ana.} "Hey! What is the meaning of this?"

Ana stopped blasting Magnus with fire, and turned to glare at Dianne instead. She didn't remember Dianne killing her, but she still knew it had happened.

Sargon shifted back into his human form and addressed the group. 'I must apologise for this. Ana took it upon herself to come here and attack you, against my orders.'

'It was because of the prank call, My Lord!' Ana cried, looking close to tears. 'They tricked me! Tricked both of us! And that ZOMBIE admitted that it was him!' She pointed her remaining forepaw accusingly at Magnus.

Armin was frozen, staring at Sargon. He hadn't seen the Count since they'd been working together, and he was afraid of what might happen if Sargon spotted him.

{Dianne turns to Ana, a very angry expression on her face.} "Have you no self control? Are you an animal with no restraint? Why should you care what my idiot subordinates do?" {She then turns to Sargon.} “And you! I’ve half the mind to leave you with this curse! I told you to control your people! I don’t care if she can’t control her feelings, I don’t care if you’re in love, I don’t care that she’s dead! You. Had. One. JOB!” {Magnus walks up looking extra crispy and motions to Dianne in a cautious manner. } “Dianne, calm down, it really was my fault....." {Dianne turns and snarls at Magnus.} “ I’ll deal with //you// later!”

'Come now, Dianne. We all have a little trouble controlling our subordinates from time to time. You've proven that yourself by allowing your draugr here to run wild and play jokes on Ana. I told you that I would order my troops to leave you alone, and I have. I cannot be responsible if they disobey.'

'My Lord--' Ana began.

'Be quiet,' said Sargon coldly, and she shrank back. 'You've caused enough trouble for today. I suppose I'll have to find a new body for you, since as this one is damaged beyond repair.' Ana subsided into quiet sobbing.

'This is stupid,' said Ivy from the back of the group. 'You two REALLY need relationship advice,' she added, peering around Dianne at Sargon and Ana.

{Dianne sighs heavily and rubs her eyes. As much as she hated to admit it, Sargon had a point.} "Very well. Take your subordinate and leave. I'm sure you need to deal with her, as I need to deal with mine." {She glances at Magnus, who was frowning and crossing his arms. Because he was fabricated from deer, his charred body was starting to smell like cooked venison.}

Sargon inclined his head towards Dianne. 'Thank you.' He beckoned to Ana, then shifted back into his silver horse form and cantered away. Ana heaved herself up - not the easiest thing in the world when she was missing both back legs and one forepaw - and took flight, following her master, still in tears.

Armin audibly exhaled with relief. 'I thought that might get nasty for a minute.' He turned to eye Magnus. 'Don't think this is weird or anything, but you smell pretty nice.'

Ivy was keeping quiet, her eyes flicking back and forth between Dianne and Magnus, waiting for the explosion.

"You two." {Dianne speaks in a growl and points to Armin and Magnus.} "Get over here, NOW." {Magnus walks up calmly and looks to Armin.}
Bob: "Oooooh, you two are in trouble...."

'Hey,' said Armin, raising his hands. 'This wasn't my idea. Yes, I did mention pranking Sargon, but Magnus was the one who actually decided to do it.'

Ivy snickered. 'Yeeeah, sure. I bet you jumped at the opportunity, bloodsucker.'

"Doesn't matter. You still played a part." {She then turns to Magnus.} "And you //both// knew just how emotional Ana can get! What the hell were you thinking?"
Magnus: "Dianne, it was a harmless prank! It's not our fault she overreacted!"
{Dianne gives them both a stare that pierces them to their souls.} "Is this all a joke to you? Have you any idea what's been happening over the last week?"

Armin nudged a bit of rubble on the ground with his foot. 'Of course I know what's been happening. Death, destruction and mayhem.'

"And you thought it was a good idea to provoke the maniac responsible for it, by impersonating his personal lapdancer? Magnus, I expected better of you, and Armin, well, I'm actually not surprised. You never were the sharpest knife in the kitchen."
{Magnus makes a very angry face and looks to the floor.}

'Because you're so much better than us?' said Armin scornfully. He took a step nearer Dianne. 'You can't even have a conversation with Sargon without insulting him in every sentence. You've openly called the guy an idiot and you've called Anastasia his prostitute. The second this curse is gone, they're both going to be out for your blood.'

"Wouldn't be the first time. Normally, I wouldn't give a damn what you two do, but we need to get this done, and your little stunt could have cost us much needed personnel. You said he was formidable, and I saw you nearly pi.ssing yourself just at the sight of him." {Dianne walks right up to Armin staring down at him.} "Do you know what would have happened if he had decided he had enough of you, and went on the attack? I think you do."
(Jeeze, Dianne's got anger issues....:/)

Armin gave a short, mirthless laugh. 'He would have killed me. I have no doubts about that. But at least I wouldn't be dying because I'd just called his right-hand a who.re in front of him. You know, Dianne, you remind me a lot of Anastasia herself - loud, arrogant, and an attention seeker.' Armin looked more annoyed than anyone had ever seen him, his crimson eyes gleaming darkly as he met Dianne's glare.

(Characters with anger issues are fun. X))

{Dianne clenches her right hand, eliciting a cracking noise, and her face is turning white. The air around her becomes heavy, and she begins to give off a sickening aura.} "Compare me to that harlot again.....I //dare// you....see what happens." {At that moment, Magnus steps in and physically gets between them.} "That's enough from the both of you. Look, Sargon came, he handled Ana, we're all here, no harm done. Go cool off, before you both do something you'll regret."

(Well, they certainly make for interesting interactions. XD)

'Oh, of course, Magnus,' said Armin dangerously. 'We wouldn't want THAT to happen... But, you know, Dianne wouldn't regret it for a moment if she killed me. She doesn't care about anyone.' And on that word, he shifted into his hawk form and took off into the sky, moving with sharp, aggressive motions.

(Random trivia: this is actually the first time in all 60+ RP sessions that Armin has gotten angry. Like, really angry.
Have a medal, Dianne.)

(I'll probably disappear in a minute. Not sure when my wifi is going off. XD)

{Dianne watches Armin fly away before stomping off as well. No one dared to follow her. Magnus looks up to Armin, then to Dianne, wondering who he should speak to first. //Eh, I'll give them their space for now...//}

( XD Lol. I knew those two didn't get along but damn, we might just have our own Marvel-esque civil war in a hot minute.
Ok, just let me know.)

Ivy, who had been watching the scene with amazement, realised that now was probably not the time to make a witty/sarcastic comment. She turned to Magnus, since as he was the only one not in a bad mood, and muttered, 'Sooo. what now? Do we stand around here and wait for Jerry to show up?'

Armin flew for about a quarter of a mile, ending up somewhere in the Bronze District. He landed on a roof that still seemed intact, and returned to his human form. As he sat down, he realised that he was shaking slightly. //Why do I even bother? I've traded one obnoxious leader for another, and at least Sargon didn't treat everyone around him like dirt. He had respect for his allies...//

Sarah: "I don't know about you, but I'm going to go set traps for when Sargon tries to march out of the city. Call me when Jerry gets back.

Magnus: "That's all we can do, really. I should probably go find Armin and try to convince him not to bail on us...Then go talk Dianne out of her angry fit...."

'Yes, I think you should,' said Ivy. 'Because we MIGHT have a problem if Armin decided to, y'know, go back to Sargon. I don't like him, but he's useful.' She hesitated, then said more seriously, 'Who do you think was RIGHT, though? Armin or Dianne?'

"Neither of them." {Magnus grumbles.} "Dianne completely over reacted, and Armin just made it worse..." {With that, he starts walking in the direction Armin flew in.}

Ivy stayed where she was, looking thoughtful.

Armin glanced around and saw Magnus in the distance, undoubtedly following him. He didn't want to talk, but it would have seemed cowardly to fly away again. He stayed up on the roof and waited.

{Magnus spots Armin and walks to the base of the building. Scaling it in seconds, Magnus walks next to Armin and sits down. He says nothing, just to see what Armin would say.}

Armin didn't look around when Magnus sat beside him, keeping his gaze on the skyline. 'What do you want?' he said in a low voice. He didn't sound furious, mostly just tired and bitter.

"I'm here to apologize...." {Magnus states.} "We both know Dianne has no manners, and that she act likes she's above it all. I should of known she'd lash out like this before I made that call, so I'm sorry."

'It's not just about the phone call, though, is it?' said Armin. 'She's been picking fights with me since the beginning. 'Creeper'? 'Parasite'? 'Not the sharpest knife in the kitchen'? Maybe this would've never happened if she could just show me an ounce of respect.'

(Hey, I gotta go. See you!)

"Ah, but that's just the thing. Respect is not a word present in her dictionary, for the most part. If you think she's bad now, you should have met her back when she was still under Dolorus' proverbial thumb. You'd be lucky to get a word out of her that wasn't a swear word or a terrible insult. Point is, she hardly respects //anyone//."

(See ya!)

'I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it, though. I spent 200 years being blackmailed and abused by Sargon, and I didn't leave him so I could work for someone else who's just as bad.' Armin got to his feet. 'Sometimes I think it'd be a lot easier to just fly away to some distant country and forget about all of this... But I won't. I promised I'd help Jerry and his family defeat Sargon, and that's what I'm going to do.'

{Magnus stands as well.} "Good on ya, mate. I admire that resolve. But, there's one very important thing you need to keep in mind. Dianne's not the one in charge. She likes to think she is, but she's not. The only reason she's bossin' us all around right now is because she's kinda cleaning up her own mess. Once this is over, it'll probably be Jerry's show again, or something. Honestly though, I don't think we have a designated leader at all."

Armin shrugged. 'I guess I'm used to thinking of someone as the leader. For me, it's either Dianne or Jerry, depending on who's around at the time.' He pulled his jacket around himself more tightly, noting the slight chill in the air, and looked around. 'Are we going back now?'

“I am.” {Magnus states.} “I need to go talk Dianne out of her rage full fit, and get her to apologize to you.”

'...Good luck with that,' said Armin dryly. 'You don't have to if it's too difficult. I don't think she'd apologise to anyone.' He walked to the far edge of the roof. 'I'm going to fly back. I won't go near her until you've spoken to her first.' With that, he shapeshifted and flew away.

(Colors died for 14 hours...)

(Wth Yes it did. :/)

(That was spooky
Also hi I'm back from camp :'D)

(Wb @King)
{Magnus sighs and turns towards the direction of the group.} "Good luck.....nothing good about mine...." {With that, he descends from the building and heads over to find Dianne.}

{Magnus finds her sitting in Nyx's ruined flower shop ('Cause why not? XD) quite a ways from the group. All the flowers around her were dead and withered, not just from neglect. As Magnus approaches, Dianne speaks to him without turning to face him.} "Is Jerry back?"
Magnus: "No. That's not why I'm here. What the hell was that back there?"
Dianne: "You and the bloodsucker did something stupid that jeopardized the mission, and I got angry."
Magnus: "Angry? That's an understatement. You had the death shroud for a minute there. And what for? All because a dead and bitter dragon was batting around a walking corpse and screaming of her hopeless love?"
Dianne: "There was more at stake than that. Oliver has the curse. We're going to need everyone we can get to bring him down. If we had lost too many..."
Magnus: "But we didn't. Everything's fine."
Dianne: "No, it's not. Don't you see? If we don't stop this here, that's it for everyone. And it'll be my fault..."

(Hi King!)

Armin did as he'd said, flying in the other direction and eventually coming across the place where Ivy and the rest of the group were waiting. He descended on the plaza and returned to human form, just as Ivy saw him and cautiously approached.

'Are you two done fighting?' she said suspiciously.

'I'm done. I don't know about her. Magnus went to talk to her.'

'Well, if he could put a stop to your sulking fit, I'm sure he'll have no trouble with Dianne.' Ivy was speaking in a carefully light tone, which was strange, because normally she didn't waste an opportunity to fight with Armin, but maybe she was scared of provoking his temper after the earlier scene. 'I'm just going to wait for Jerry.'

Armin hummed in acknowledgement and walked over to a quiet space, drawing his sword and making a few practice swings at the air.

{Magnus takes a moment to consider this}
Magnus: "...Huh. Come to think of it, you are under a lot of pressure to contain this thing. To be honest, it was kinda hard to notice since you're always angry to begin with. Heheh..."
{Dianne doesn't answer right away.}
Dianne: "...This isn't funny...I'm tired, Magnus..."
Magnus: "Well, you have been pulling some late nights lately..."
Dianne: "That's not what I mean..." {She turns to him for the first time in the conversation. She's crying now.} "I'm //tired// of being used! I'm tired of being...being...this! Everything I do breathes death!"
{Dianne turns away. Magnus walks into the shop and sits down across from her.} "That's not true."
Dianne: "Isn't it? Look around you! This is all on me!"

(I'm gonna wait until Magnus and Dianne are finished talking. My characters won't be doing anything until then.)

(Yeah, that might be a while. X) )

(Take as long as they need, I don't mind. X))

@Aggron
"Oh, believe me. He probably does. He might have been initially blinded at the amount of power he would gain from this, but he knows how bad it can get. He just doesn't care."
Mortikai tips his hat and goes to leave.
"But I do. I'll let you go. You help get this mess cleaned up and I'll clean mine. It'll take a bloody long while but..."
He puts his hand into his pocket, finding the pouch Emilia had given him.
"At least I actually have something to live for now."

"Alright." {Jerry says, a little unsure.} "I just hope he realizes that this curse will kill every last member of his collective, if it goes unchecked. He doesn't possess the power to nullify it." {With that, Jerry turns and begins to walk back towards the group.}

{Magnus takes a minute to think before speaking.} "Perhaps this is your doing, indirectly, but this was not your intention. You are not Delilah anymore."
Dianne: "Don't you get it? My intentions don't matter! No matter what I do, people get hurt!"
Magnus: "That's not true. From the point we destroyed Dolorus to right before Sargon's attack, you didn't harm very many people. You're not doomed to hurt everything you touch, you're just...a little more volatile than others."
Dianne: ".....I never wanted this..."
Magnus: "Well, Dianne, at the end of all the power and age, you're still a person. We all make mistakes, have moments of weakness, and in those mistakes and moments, we make decisions that forever change the course of our lives. Mortal or not, that is a burden we all bear. So, what are you going to do? Sit here, crying over the past, or are you going to take this moment in the present to fix your life? Fix your mistakes, rebuild your bridges, and for god's sake, just be happy within your existence! You destroyed your demons, you won your freedom from a being that makes Sargon look like a peasant boy, and what do you do with your infinite time in this universe? You willingly suffer as a recluse, forever excluded from the world."
{Dianne slowly picks her head up.} "You're right." {Getting up, she wipes her eyes and stands to her full height.} "I can't change who I am, or what I've done, but f$%k it, living in perpetual suffering over what was will solve nothing."
Magnus: "There you go! Now let's go fix this and kill Sargon so we can get out of here and start living happily."
{Dianne starts to walk back, but stops."
Dianne: "Magnus....Thank you...For everything. When this is all over, I'll send you off...so you can be with your people..."
{Magnus gives a look of surprise, the smiles widely.}
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's do this!"

After a few minutes, Armin stopped cutting the air with his sword and looked over his shoulder, alert like a dog picking up a scent. 'Jerry's coming,' he said simply.

'Good,' grumbled Ivy. 'Then we can FINALLY go somewhere.'

Crowley was still on the temple roof, watching suspiciously as Jerry and Morty conversed. //Should I follow him?// he thought, looking on as the top-hatted man began to walk away. //Is he even worth my time? ...Nah. Probably not.//

{Jerry arrived right as Dianne and Magnus did.}
Jerry: "Sorry for the hold up. Everyone ready to go?"

Armin and Ivy looked up as everyone arrived. 'I think so,' said the vampire. He eyed Dianne and Magnus a little suspiciously as he spoke to Jerry. 'Did everything go well with Brink's servant?'

@Radiant
Scowling, Mia peers around a corner, watching Mortikai and Jerry leave.
//What's he up to? He hasn't even given us any orders...Knew I should've just stayed at the Tower like Sargon said to...He's being more suspicious than everyone thinks /I/ am...//
Five, her little brass robot, trundles up to her, making an inquisitive noise.
"Nah, he's not worth it. Probably off being Dark Brink's special chosen one."
She mutters with scorn in her voice. As she goes to turn away, she spots Crowley, not recognising him as one of Sargon's own. Guessing that he probably had something to do with Mortikai, she grins slightly and calls up to him.
"Oi, crow dragon dude! Do you know him?"
She jabs a thumb in Mortikai's direction, despite the fact he had already disappeared from view.

'Who, ME?' Crowley responded automatically, without even looking at Mia. After a moment, he tore his gaze away from the street Morty been walking on and peered over the side of the roof to see who was addressing him. It was a girl. She didn't look particularly weird or unusual. Probably just some random citizen.

He grinned back at her. 'Sure I know him. We were friends once... Until he betrayed me and I left him to find better people. I was just thinking about whether I should go kill him, that's all.' This was a lie, but Mia didn't need to know that.

@Radiant
"Pfft, kill him? Easy. I could do it with my eyes shut!"
She laughs, unknowingly lying just as much as he was.
"Though, I /am/ meant to be working for him, as boring as that is. He can't even do anything right."
Rolling her eyes, Mia crosses her arms and leans against the wall.
"Anyways, what's your name? You sound better to be around than tall, dark and depressed over there."

Crowley gave his signature cackling laugh and jumped down from the rooftop, landing neatly with his wings folded.

'The name's Crowley,' he said. 'And you're right. I AM way better than he is. I could kill him with my eyes shut and my legs tied together.' He gave a boastful grin. 'And who are YOU?'

He hadn't yet noticed the small robot that had been following Mia around.

{Jerry just kinda shrugs.} "I guess. We didn't end up trying to kill each other, so that's a plus. Anyway, we're going to have to check each of Oliver's properties in the city. There's a few, so we better get started now."

'So, you DO know where all of his properties are?' said Ivy. 'Where's the closest one? Also, WHY are we walking around the city on foot when we could use cars?' She was obviously bored of walking everywhere.

Armin rested his sword over his shoulder and said nothing, just waiting for the group to move so he could follow.

"Cars make too much noise." {Jerry says simply.} "We are trying to sneak up on this guy, y'know."

'We're not exactly being subtle,' muttered Ivy as she moved to the middle of the group. 'There's like, ten of us and we talk the whole time.'

'Come on, let's get going,' said Armin, sounding slightly impatient. He glanced up at the sky. 'It's still only about noon, but we want to find this guy before it starts to get dark'.

{Jerry nods and starts to walk.} "The first one's not far. We'll have to be quiet when we approach, we have no idea which one he's going to be in. Let's go." {As the group started walking, Magnus taps Armin's shoulder.} "Hey. Dianne's got something she'd like to say to you."

Ivy nodded and fell into step beside Jerry. 'That's fine. I can be quiet when I need to. Probably better than the rest of you.'

Armin turned to look at Magnus, then at Dianne. 'Oh, really?'

Back at Atlas Tower, Sargon paused outside the building, then moved aside to clear a space for Ana to land. She did, or rather crashed, and once she was down she immediately folded her wings around herself to hide her injuries, missing limbs, and general zombie-ness.

'I am going to send my team of necromancers out here,' said Sargon expressionlessly. 'They will find another dragon body for you to inhabit, since as your original one is almost destroyed now. And, Ana? Please try not to do anything like that again. You put our entire operation at risk, and we have real enemies to deal with, not draugrs playing practical jokes.'

Ana sniffed. 'Yes, My Lord... I'm sorry...' She lifted her head and gazed at him desperately. 'But, My Lord... Recently I've noticed something different about you... The way you speak... Is something worrying you?'

They stared at each other for a long moment, and then Sargon turned and walked away.

//Step one, find the necromancers,// he thought, reeling it off in his head. //Step two, return to those traitors of Brink... It's time for them to die.//

{Dianne walks up to Armin with a look of annoyance that she was trying to hide.} "It's been pointed out to me that...I haven't been very nice to you and...Ugh.....look, you don't like me, and I sure as hell don't like you. But, as long as Sargon lives, we're stuck working together, so we should try to be nicer to each other. So, with that said.....I'm sorry."

(Hey, mind if I do something funny to Ana really quick, or do you need her to lay there sulking?)

(Aka Sargon's gonna vent his frustration by stabbing two children :'))

Taking a step back as he lands, she laughs a little.
"Hey, that's pretty impressive. I'm Mia, and this little ball of bolts is Five."
She taps the back of the little brass robot with her foot, making it trundle forwards a little.
"I built it myself! Anyways, what're you doing stalking my dumb boss? Other than planning to kill him, that is."

Armin held Dianne's gaze for a moment, then nodded. 'Thanks. I'm sorry too, I guess. I made things worse than they needed to be.' There were a lot of other things he wanted to say, mostly about how Dianne had always treated him like dirt, but she had apologised now, and he didn't want to start another fight. 'You're right that I don't like you, but I won't let them happen again... As long as you don't either.'

Ivy rolled her eyes behind their backs. 'This is so sweet,' she muttered sarcastically.

(Aggron - Go ahead!)

Crowley looked down in surprise, noticing the little robot that he hadn't seen before. 'Oh. Cooool.' He nudged Five with his nose, just to see what would happen. 'And uh, nothing much. I guess I wanted to see where he was going, but he's gone now. I could follow his scent, but that seems like too much effort.'

{Dianne nods.} "Ok, deal. We already have a common foe, no point in fighting each other."
Magnus: "Now hug him."
{Dianne looks at Magnus like he had lobsters coming out of his ears.}
Dianne: "No."
{With that, she turns and follows the group.}

Armin chuckled. 'Now THAT's definitely asking for too much,' he said with amusement. Ivy, who had leaned forwards excitedly when Magnus said 'now hug him', moved back again, looking a little disappointed.

{As Ana lay there in a miserable heap, the sound of a vehicle is heard nearby. Suddenly, a draugr appears, looking at Ana.} "Over here! I found another one! Sure is ugly too. Bring the bulldozer!" {Just then, a bulldozer appears, slowly crawling towards Ana, preparing to scoop her up.}

Ana's head jerked up as she heard the machine approaching, and her eyes went wide with shock. 'HEY!' she screeched. 'I'M NOT ONE OF THOSE MISERABLE CORPSES AND I'LL GET SARGON TO KILL YOU AND DID YOU JUST CALL ME UGLY?!' She spat a fireball towards the bulldozer in a rage.

{Magnus laughs and pats Armin's shoulder.} "Don't worry, I'll get you that hug."
Dianne: "No way! Not even if he was the last person on the planet!"

'What if it was a choice between me and him?' Armin asked, while pointing at Magnus. 'He's a rotting corpse, surely even I'm not worse than THAT.'

{The bulldozer driver smashes the brakes when Ana picks up her head. The fireball explodes on the machine, scorching it a bit, but leaving it functional.}Driver: "Oh, shet! She's still alive!"
Random draugr: "Damn, she needs a medic. Well, back to work."
{With that, the bulldozer crawls backwards, making its characteristic "BEEP BEEP BEEP", while the draugr starts to leave. }

'OF COURSE I'M ALIVE! YOU STUPID HORRIBLE ZOMBIE CREATURE!' Ana bawled. 'THAT'S RIGHT, YOU DRIVE AWAY LIKE A COWARD! AS SOON AS I'M BETTER, I'LL COME AFTER YOU AND TEAR YOU /AND/ YOUR UGLY MACHINE TO PIECES!' At this point, her voice gave out from screaming so loudly and she slumped back to the ground, gasping for breath.

{Dianne doesn't look back when she speaks.} "I'd rather hug a bucket of spiders than let /either/ of you touch me in that way!"

'I feel like I should be insulted by that,' said Armin lightly, 'but I guess I should have expected it.'

{The draugr on foot clicks his toungue disapprovingly as he walks away.} "Y'know, Dianne's not the best boss in the world, but at least she cares about us enough to not leave us in a miserable state like that." {He jerks his thumb in the direction of Ana.}
Driver: "Amen to that."

{Magnus chuckles as he follows along.}
Magnus: "She's joking, Armin. We both know she'd pick me..."

Just as the bulldozer was driving away, a trio of necromancers and another trio of general magicians walked out of the building and headed over to Ana. The magicians were levitating a dead dragon body behind them. It was quite a bit smaller than Ana, and had black scales, silver spikes and red eyes.

'Here we go...' muttered the lead necromancer. 'Everyone get in a circle and let's do this. And, Ana? Try not to ruin this body too. There's a shortage of dead dragons at the moment.'

'I'm not using THAT,' said Ana petulantly. 'It's smaller. And it's nowhere NEAR as pretty as me.' The necromancers were used to this complaining, so they ignored her, and set about switching Ana's soul from her original body into the new one.

'Really? Well, she doesn't have much taste then. You're a rotting corpse.' Armin rolled his eyes. 'I'd rather hug Ivy than you, and I don't like her much more than I like Dianne.'

'Hey!' said Ivy indignantly. 'Take that back, you freaking bloodsucker.'

{Magnus laughs.} "This body isn't permanent. Dianne could just put me into something nicer. You guys, on the other hand, are stuck with what you've got."

'Excuse me, what's the problem with that?' snapped Ivy, growing even more indignant. 'There is nothing wrong with what I look like, and I'd rather be 'stuck' as one person than be DEAD like you.' Armin just chuckled quietly at her outburst.

'Well, I'm pretty sure I can survive without Dianne wanting to hug me,' he said.

{Magnus just laughs and keeps walking along.}

{After a short bit of walking, Jerry gives the signal for everyone to quiet down. The group approaches a large, ornate building with glass walls and a fountain in front}
Jerry: "This is it. The Morrow center for unfortunate youths. It was just an office building for the foster care system, but Oliver bth paid for its construction and owns it."

'So you think he might be hiding here?' said Ivy, stepping forwards and peering up at the building.

After sending the necromancers to see Ana, Sargon continued on his way up through the tower, to the room where he was keeping the last of Brink's traitors prisoner. He knew he now had to kill them, over Brink's circle, in order to gain his rightful powers from the dark spirit.

'Over here,' he said, beckoning over an unnamed guard. 'I may need someone to help with restraining the traitors as I do this.'

(King - Ah damn my brain has died
Who were the traitors Sargon needs to kill? I know that Forrest and Ryker are already ded... It was the telepathic twins, right?)

"Yep. But, there's only one way to find out." {Jerry turns to everyone.} "Alright, here's how we're going to play this. Dad, you, Ivy, and Bob take the high ground with the rifles. Dianne, you and Magnus cover the back. Armin, you and Sarah come with me inside the building. Joe, you and everyone else stay out here and cover the front. Got it?"

'Sure, I can do that!' said Ivy confidently, going over to join Bob and Jerry's father, pulling out her gun as she did so.

Armin merely nodded and went to follow Jerry into the building.

{Jerry goes with his group and gets to work. Putting on a gas mask, Jerry offers one to Armin.} "Here. Just in case he uses gas grenades again." {With that, he quietly enters the building.}

@Radiant
(Yep! I can't remember their names though XD I think the lad was Nate and the lass' name began with an "l" or something oof)

Five lets out a surprised beep, whirring quietly as it rolls away a little from the nudge.
"Pfft, little coward. Weeeeeeell anyways, we could find something fun to do instead!"
Mia gives Crowley an excited look.
"I haven't met anyone as cool as you or me in ages. It'll be great!"

(It was Lisa and Nate, ya scrubs. XD @King they're your characters, you should know! XD)

(I HAVE A BAD MEMORY I'M SORRY XD and I was too tired to check the ref XD
At least I got Nate and the "L" part right? XD)

Armin took the gas mask with a muttered thanks and put it on. As they stepped inside, he looked around for any sign that Oliver or other people might be nearby, but so far, he couldn't see anything.

Being called cool was not good for Crowley's ego in the least, but he just grinned widely and said, 'Yeah, you're right about that! Normally I'd spend this time either eating, drinking, or murdering people... But I might be open to other ideas if you've got any...'

He glanced at the robot a few times as he spoke, trying to figure out if it was really intelligent or not, but eventually deciding that it didn't matter and was just going to hurt his brain.

Sargon entered the room accompanied by the nameless guard and shut the door behind them. 'I am going to draw a circle on the floor,' he said, ignoring Lisa and Nate. 'You guard the door.' With that, he knelt down, withdrew a box of writing materials from his pocket and started to sketch Dark Brink's summoning circle at his feet.

(If anyone else has an urge to control the guard at any point, feel free. XD)

{Jerry starts to sweep the building, revolver drawn. The first floor seems clear, with nothing but debris and broken glass. }

Armin pushed a bit of broken glass aside with his foot. 'Well, it looks like something's happened in here,' he said, 'but it could have just been from Sargon's people scouring the place.'

"More than likely." {Jerry says, inspecting the floor.} "This was the door to the lunch room. Sargon's goons likely broke in here for the food." { As Jerry walked along, he moves some more glass with his foot.} "Huh. Hey, Armin, look at this." {Under a layer of glass, Jerry reveals a small drop of dried blood. }

'That's some blood,' said Armin unnecessarily. 'Could there have been a fight here at some point? Or maybe someone was doing some demon - I mean, Dark Brink - summoning here.'

"Demon, Dark Brink, two ways of saying the same thing." {Jerry moves some more glass to find that this is no lone drop. This is a subtle trail, leading off into the building.} "This way." {Jerry says as he follows it.}

'I don't think this could be from an injured person,' said Armin as he followed the trail behind Jerry. 'The drops of blood are too small, and too far apart. Unless someone was running around in here with a nosebleed, then this is definitely from something else.'

"Hmm. Quite curious." {Jerry follows the trail into a supply closet, where it seemingly ends. The only things in the room are some brooms, buckets, and a filing cabinet.}

Armin inspected the closet, using his sharper eyesight to see into the darker corners. 'Nothing here,' he announced. 'Well, except the obvious things.' He kicked one of the buckets. 'Do you think the filing cabinet's worth investigating?'

"Not the cabinet. Rather, what's under it." {With his foot, Jerry taps what appears to be a trapdoor frame hidden under the cabinet.} "Just like my basement. Give me a hand, will ya?"

'What is it with you and secret passageways?' Stepping past him, Armin grabbed the edge of the cabinet and lifted it easily out of the way, exposing the trapdoor underneath. 'Do you know what's down here?'

"Hey, blame Oliver, he built it, not me." {Jerry looks at the trap door.} "It's probably steam tunnels down there. If it's too dark, we'll be sitting ducks if we go in. Any ideas?"

'You didn't bring a light?' said Armin, looking at him disbelievingly. He shook his head and peered into the trapdoor. 'I think I'll be able to see in there. Even if I can't, my other senses are good enough for me to navigate through the tunnel. You can just follow. But if we're attacked by something, you'll have to leave the fighting up to me.'

"Of course I brought a light, Armin. Do I look stupid to you?" {Sighing, he pulls out a locket. Opening it, an impossibly bright stone shines out.} "This locket is emanating light magic, so I have to be careful not to point it at Dianne or her draugrs. It'll hurt them quite a bit. Open the door when you're ready."

Armin looked like he was resisting the urge to facepalm. 'You DID bring a light? Why did you even ask about it being too dark, then?' With a groan, he stepped up to the trapdoor. 'I'm going in first. You follow. With the light.' Without waiting for an answer, he jumped down into the tunnel.

{Jerry sighs and watches Armin descend. When he hits the ground, he sets off a pressure plate, which activates a trap that sends knives flying at Armin.} "Look out!"

Armin dodged the knives, though one pierced the sleeve of his jacket, nearly hitting his arm. He pulled it out and looked at the other knives, which had buried themselves in the tunnel wall behind him. 'Why do these places always need to have traps?' he grumbled, then looked up at Jerry. 'Are you coming down or not?'

{Jerry nods, then jumps down, followed by Sarah. } "Well, at least we know we're in the right spot. Lead the way."

{Somewhere, deep in the tunnels, an alarm rings out, triggered by the pressure plate, waking the Illusionist. Getting up, he puts on his gear and looks to the sounds of approaching intruders.}

Armin set off along the tunnel, alert for any more unexpected traps. 'Are you sure the three of us can survive meeting this guy if we find him?' he said quietly. 'Maybe we should have brought more people along.'

"We're not here to beat him in the tunnels."{He replies} "We're here to flush him outside." {Just then, as they were approaching a forked passage, there was the blur of the Illusionist passing in front of the light. As he passes, he threw gas grenades at their feet.}
Jerry: "Grenade!"

Armin took a few steps backwards as the grenade exploded, his mask protecting him from the worst of the gas. Before anyone else could say anything, he was already hurrying onwards, following the passage the Illusionist had taken.

{Up ahead in the passage was a door leading out of the tunnels. Light was creeping in through the edges, allowing Armin to see the Illusionist's outline against it. He was standing about halfway between Armin and the door. More knives fly from the darkness at Armin.}

Easily able to see the blades coming at him from the Illusionist's silhouette, Armin realised that he couldn't dodge them this time - not without the knives hitting Jerry and Sarah behind him. Instead, he swung his sword, catching most of the knives in mid-air and knocking them aside. He got unlucky, though, and one blade sunk into his shoulder. Despite the pain, he continued moving towards the Illusionist, aiming to cut him down.

{Behind Armin, Jerry and Sarah take aim.} "Armin, duck!"

The vampire immediately ducked, looking over his shoulder as he did so to see what they were up to.

{Jerry and Sarah opened fire on Oliver, but Oliver saw them when they raised their guns and bolted for the door. He burst out the door and into the daylight, but as soon as he did, Dianne was waiting for him. She grabbed him the moment he got outside and slugged him, breaking the eyepiece on his gas mask in the process. As she reached into his coat for something, she suddenly recoiled with a pained cry, as Oliver slashed her with his machete. As she fell back, he took off down an alley, Everyone shooting at him and Magnus in hot pursuit.}

Armin shifted into his hawk form and took off after the Illusionist. In this form, he was faster than anyone running on foot, and had caught up to Oliver in seconds. Armin landed right behind him and shifted back, immediately grabbing Oliver in a headlock, hoping to restrain him long enough for Magnus or the others to catch up and help.

{The Illusionist struggled against Armin, trying to get free. In a moment, there was a click, then a loud boom, followed by blinding pain. Oliver had pulled out a sawed-off shotgun and had it pressed against Armin's side. Pulling the trigger, he blew out a good chunk of his captor's side.}

Armin immediately released him with a yell of pain, stumbling back against a wall and pressing a hand against the wound in his side, which was bleeding profusely. Half-blinded by pain and shock, he pulled out the small pistol that he'd taken from Jerry's armoury days ago and fired several shots at the Illusionist, hoping to stop him from running away before the other arrived.

*others

{The Illusionist ran, but one of Armin's wild shots hit its mark, eliciting a grunt of pain from him. Magnus had caught up, and brought his sword down on Oliver. However, Oliver was quick, and avoided getting killed, but still recieved a deep slash wound on his arm. Taking the machete, he tackles magnus into the wall and stabs him through with it, and runs, leaving it in. It was not meant to kill Magnus, just pin him in place, buying just a little time. As Jerry caught up, he stopped at Armin.} "Armin! You alright?"

Illusionist: "Brink! A little help!?"

'Fine...' gasped Armin, which was obviously a lie. 'Just go after the guy... Don't let him escape now...' He groaned and slid down the wall to the ground, staring after the Illusionist as he sprinted away.

{The Old Man finally caught up, huffing and puffing.}
Old Man: "Go, Jerry....Huff...I'll take Armin to your uncle Steve."
{Jerry nods and runs after Oliver. Magnus unsticks himself, tosses the machete aside, and takes off as well. All the wounds Oliver sustained have made him considerably slower, but he kept running nevertheless.}

Just then, Ivy showed up as well. She had been following the Old Man, her revolver still in her hand. She stared in surprise at Jerry and Magnus chasing the Illusionist, then noticed Armin. 'What the heII happened to YOU?' she said. Looking up at the Old Man, she added, 'Should I go and help them?'

{The Old Man picks Armin up.} "Yes, Ivy. He's headed down Main Street. See if you can cut him off." {With that, he starts taking Armin back.} "Go get 'im."

Armin didn't react to them showing up; he seemed to be on the verge of losing consciousness. Ivy, however, grinned wickedly and gave the Old Man a thumbs-up. 'Got it!' With that, she sprinted off down the alleyway, looking for the others.

{The Old Man starts carrying Armin away and talking to him, trying to keep him conscious.} "Stay with me, Armin. We'll get you patched up, an' you'll be back to killin' Sargon in no time."

...

{Magnus, Sarah, and Jerry continue to pursue the Illusionist. To keep from being shot at, Oliver continues to weave in and out of alleys, but his injuries are starting to slow him down.}
Illusionist: "Brink! I know you can hear me! Help!"

'I wasn't... exactly killing Sargon in the first place...' Armin muttered, half-conscious. //Why am I always the unlucky one?// he thought. 'Hey, where are we going...?'

Ivy cursed loudly upon realising that she was never going to catch up. Looking around, she spotted a wall that had crumbled, forming a kind of makeshift ladder to the top of a building. With impressive agility, she climbed up onto the roof and started running along, following the sound of the Illusionist's hurried footsteps.

(Brink ain't gonna help you Oliver
He's got better things to do--)

(I'm going to reply at today's RP.
And Oliver might be screwed. XD)