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Post by priestwarrior on Aug 8, 2007 8:49:19 GMT -5
A filthy sidestreet far-removed from the main byways of Genoa: Cristofori was regretting a couple of recent decisions.
"I asked you your name, punk!" growled the lanky post-adolescent glaring down at him. Other menacing stares were directed at Cristofori by the seven or eight ragged teenagers blocking the way out of the dead-end alley. "Don't you know this is Red Hand territory?" Cristofori looked back at the entrance. "What's Red Hand?" he asked with a touch of an accent. His confrontor grinned. "Where you from, kid? Red Hand's the toughest collective in Genoa. And there's a penalty for trespassing on Red Hand turf." "What's that?" asked Cristofori. The other grinned more broadly. "Either you pay us half a beedle or we beat you up and take all the money you have anyway." "Beedle? Sorry, I have no local currency." "You really aren't from around here, then, huh? Looks like its a beating, then." Cristofori smiled suddenly - if you could call the half-twist in his mouth a smile. "I think perhaps not," he said. Guffaws broke out behind him. "Teach this bastard a lesson, Spike!" someone yelled. Spike grinned and cracked his knuckles.
A sudden gleam in the air, and Spike staggered back, clutching the knife in his shoulder. Cristofori whirled to face the other seven, flipping a dagger in each hand. "It's too late to run now," he said gently, the half-smile still twisting his face. A fist crashed into his lower spinal column, and he toppled onto the ground. Spike retracted his forearm back to its normal length. "Time to die, you sonuvabitch," he snarled. Cristofori rolled over as Spike began to lunge forward with the knife. * * * "Where'd he go?" "What happened?" "That flash -" "Someone help me, I can't see anything!" The cries echoed in the culvert where Cristofori lay, cursing softly. It was only a matter of time, of course, before they noticed the open sewer grate and came through after him. He raised his finger, which glowed dimly, and began pulling himself forward through the slime.
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Post by Aiden Chepi on Aug 8, 2007 10:19:27 GMT -5
Feint splashing could be heard off to the eastern side of the sewer. The noise grew louder and louder as it approached Cristofori, only to reveal it's self as a mangy shepard looking dog. He barked at the boy, bowing into a guarded position. The dog stood back up in a proud manor and barked again at Cristofori. He stood for a little then sat back down and stared.
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Post by priestwarrior on Aug 8, 2007 11:42:23 GMT -5
"What do you want, dog?" muttered Cristofori as he sidestepped the animal. "No time for you now." The dog watched Cristofori continue sloshing through the turbid waters. "Dogs in the sewer," Cristofori mused. "What's next, crocodiles?"
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Post by belmoon on Aug 8, 2007 12:56:20 GMT -5
Sodom walked aimlessly in the darkness of the sewer. He had managed to find his way in through a storm pipe closer to the dock, but thanks to a lack of luminescence and direction, he had found himself unable to escape. "I really want to find that beedle... I can't just go home and say, "Hi, Mom! Yeah, lost the rent for the month, sorry about that!"" he sighed, mumbling to himself to keep from feeling alone.
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Post by Aiden Chepi on Aug 8, 2007 15:28:59 GMT -5
The shepard dog barked repetitively at Cristofori, then splashed his way up so that he strode right along side the boy. The dog pressed his nose into Cristofori's ribs, expecting a lovely pat on the head. After a while he barked again, so loud that it echoed, then removed his head from the boy's body; staying close.
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Post by Aaron Williams on Aug 8, 2007 16:01:24 GMT -5
Taylor fell into the dark liquid with a nauseating plop. She trudged forward, and a slight smile spread across her face. As two more plops sounded behind her, however, the smile vanished.
She whirled around, sloshing toward Mary. "Don't...mess this up like you did the last mission", Taylor stopped inches from Mary's chest, glaring up at him. "These sewers are much more dangerous than an old man's living quarters. Here, hold this". Into Mary's outstretched hand Taylor produced a clunky glass box, which contained a dancing yellow light.
Mary examined the light with interest, "Come on...last time was an accident. Besides, it's not like we're doing this for--", he stopped as Taylor whirled around again, looking him dead in the eyes, "--I mean, how could I possibly mess this up?"
"I don't know...", Taylor closed her eyes dolefully, "Just shut up and don't drop the light...damned spiderwebs..."
There was a sharp intake of breath behind Taylor, immediately followed by a ploo-CK. Everything went dark. Taylor growled, angered beyond words, but Mary seemed not to notice. "SPIDERS?!" He yelled, unnecessarily loudly, "you never told me there were SPIDERS down here!"
Taylor yelled back, louder than Mary, "OF-COURSE there are spiders down here, we are in the SEWERS!"
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Post by Aiden Chepi on Aug 8, 2007 16:17:29 GMT -5
just as Mary yelled "SPIDERS?!", the room lit up in an instant. Aiden seemed not to have noticed at first, her clothes did not burn due to her kelar smothered fabric. It wasn't the spiders that frightened Aiden into her combustion.. Oh, no. She was fine with, but once a piece of firey hair fell into her face, she squeaked ( trying so hard not to scream and further distress the party), and swatted at her body, in feeble attempts to get the flames off of her skin.
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Post by Aaron Williams on Aug 8, 2007 16:29:14 GMT -5
Taylors eyes drifted over to Aiden, apparently noticing her for the first time. "...Does it hurt?" She questioned, looking Aiden up and down, "The fire...does it burn you?" She ran her hand a few feet from Aiden's body, feeling the heat that radiated from the fire. She jerked away suddenly, perhaps getting to close to the flame. "We can use this. You; new girl, take the lead. Onnet and I will follow closely behind."
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Post by priestwarrior on Aug 8, 2007 16:31:49 GMT -5
Cristofori paused, listening, ignoring the dog beside him. Shouts and cries echoed off the sewer walls. "They're after me already," he said, glowing faintly. He took a step forward, then froze as an orange glow became visible through a side passage. "Do crocodiles breathe fire?" he wondered, his head tilted. The dog burst into a volley of barks and galloped down the pipe toward the glow. Cristofori followed cautiously, putting out his light and pulling out his daggers.
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Post by Aiden Chepi on Aug 8, 2007 16:43:31 GMT -5
"...It... hurts My skin..." She said quietly dipping her hands in the water beneathe her. For a second it was pitch dark again. Aiden sigh then she drew back her hood, revealing a vibrant light. Her hair writhed around like snakes in pain, little embers escaping into the waters. Even the skin in contact with the water glowed somewhat. She groaned as she trudged up next to Taylor. "So I've been promoted to 'Headlight'?" She glanced up at her flaming hair and smiled " You lead the way miss, since you seem to have good control..." She glanced back at Mary then to Taylor, smiling wryly, she raised her eyebrow. Aiden started slowly up ahead.
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Post by Aaron Williams on Aug 8, 2007 17:03:48 GMT -5
Mary smiled stealthily to Aiden, but Taylor frowned thoughtfully, "We must all use our powers to the best of our abilities, given the situation. It's not like my weaving or Mary's....". Taylor stopped suddenly, turning to face Mary. "What exactly is it that you do anyway?" Mary, who had been scanning the walls any more signs of spiders, was taken off guard by Taylors question. "Wha---? I...It's stupid". He looked at his feet, slightly embarrassed.
Taylor turned back around, keeping within the brightest part of Aiden's light, "We all have different powers...you think I'm proud to be 'gifted' with the ability to sew a corset in two seconds flat? Come on..."
After a few minutes of awkward silence, Mary suddenly spoke, "maybe. If there is ever a situation where I know that the only way to get out alive is by using my 'power', then maybe you'll get to see it. But until then", he smiled weakly, "you'll just have to hold your breath...".
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Post by Aiden Chepi on Aug 8, 2007 17:39:19 GMT -5
She did a doulbe take on Mary as he spoke. Then looked at Taylor and raised her eyebrow and walked on. Aiden heard barking nearing them. "MIMZY!" She called out, to be justly received by her loyal companion. Mimzy pulled at her dress, beckoning Aiden to dunk her head under ( noticing the flames). Aiden drew her finger out infront of her and over to her side, where Mimzy sat obediently. He barked at her several times, as if Aiden didn't know about the flames atop her head. "enough, Mimz" she said subtlety, and at once Mimzy silenced. She looked at Taylor.
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Post by Aaron Williams on Aug 8, 2007 18:27:47 GMT -5
Taylor's eyes widened, "oh, you have a dog?!" She sat on her heels, eye to eye with the dog, "hello 'thar, doggie! How are you? Is you havin' fun in these 'har sewers?" Taylor was suddenly made aware of the presence of her two companions, as Mary made a noise somewhere between a cough and a snicker. She slowly stood up, wiping her backside off. "Anyway, we should get going...".
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Post by priestwarrior on Aug 8, 2007 19:06:28 GMT -5
Cristofori eyed the three people with caution. Two of them looked normal enough, but that was in itself reason for suspicion. Why would normal people be in the sewers beneath Genoa? And of course, one of them was on fire. Cristofori prided himself on...well, a lot of things, actually, but one of them was his faculty of reason. He immediately came to the only possible conclusion.
They were demons.
Cristofori turned and headed the other direction very, very quietly.
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Post by Aiden Chepi on Aug 8, 2007 21:58:46 GMT -5
Mimzy barked at his "new found friend" that walked the other way and headed off towards him. He pulled and the boy's clothes, tugging him towards the rest of the party. He barked between clenched teeth, and wouldnot for the life of himself let go. "Mimzy?!? What do you have? Drop it! Let it go! " Aiden yelled as she ran closer to the game of tug of war. " Mimzy! What do you-- Oh.... It's a boy!" Aiden said, smiling. She backed away a few steps and smiled kindly. " Why... are you in the sewers?" She asked, as if her hair was normal. Which it was, just not for the people around her.
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