Raiha

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Circe laughed to herself, and stood quietly with Melech standing a full head taller than her. He held his arm, focusing his will, while Circe padded forward silently, on bare feet, while seven female Awakened, fully transformed came closer. She laughed in a soft burst of of sound, and they paused within shouting distance, then continued forward. Circe stood with one hand on her hip, completely relaxed, nearly laughing aloud at their pompous behavior. She held her Yoki at a steady, weak level, changing her wavelength to reflect all of theirs.[/i] "Join us or die." [i]Her voice rang out, making Melech flinch. She'd used her own abilities, and projected her voice loud enough to be heard over the howling wind. No yoki here. The Awakened laughed with the cocky lilt that only supreme overconfidence could give. And that was too fun. Just too much fun. Melech frowned. The odds weren't good, but it was too late. Circe was committed. She was releasing yoki at a furious rate, and she was changing her shape quickly this time. In one instance, she burst upwards several stories, going from a lithe, slender woman to a demonic being of monstrous proportions. Keeping in line with her penchant for deception, she kept all but one pair of wings visible, concealing the others under the main of sleek blueish green hair. One of the slightly weaker Awakened pointed a finger-like appendage at Circe, her gaze tracing the third eye on Circe's forehead. [/i] "You're Circe. Former number 2 from Riful's time." "Guilty as charged. ...and all of you are from the era before the Class of 47. Of Alicia and Bess ...but that doesn't appear to have helped you in any way." "You talk big, but you've got a badly wounded male, and just yourself against all of us." "And....?" [i]The two biggest Awakened exchanged glances, and shot forward in a surge of energy, going for Circe's exposed arms, only to feel a burst of agony as wings, and tendrils on her arms alike, wrenched through flesh. Circe twisted her body's tendrils, growing the viciously hooked barbs that she'd always concealed. With a rush of power, she jerked her whole body backwards, the wings and limbs ripping as they went, slicing with enough force to completely wrench off limbs at the shoulder. One attempted to regenerate, but Circe flickered one of her still hidden wings and completely removed it's head, moving so quickly it didn't even realize it was already vanquished. The others took that as their cue to gang up on Circe, whipping limbs and tentacles at her like it was going out of style. One lashed against her lower half, another going for her head, and still another shooting directly for her third eye. Melech started and was about to lurch forward to help, when in an instant, four of the surviving six Awakened leapt back, dripping purple blood, covered in multiple lacerations. The Awakened female Circe had badly wounded earlier was beheaded at her feet, and she had spread four of five pairs of wings, and was laughing with the sort of manic, hysterical mirth that had shaken Melech before. Her head was tossed back carelessly, her hair fanning out behind her shoulders. Claws splayed and dripping with fluids, eyes snapping and sparkling with life, and her voice echoing beyond them all.[/i] "I will destroy the lot of you. ...weaklings and cowards.... .....I will taste your flesh and mutilate your corpses...."[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Circe regarded him with the cold and terrible eyes of any awakened, the cool green brushing his own gaze aside. Her voice was soft, and it pushed against his ears, reaching him even as he would remove himself from it if only to get in the final kill he so desperately desired.[/i] "Save your strength. Recover that arm of yours, and get better why don't you...." "I'll kill... ....kill them all..." [i]The female Awakened Being smiled, closing her eyes very slowly, even the third. Meanwhile the surviving Awakened, catching the barest glimpse of her true power in the moment when she chose to align her Yoki with Melech's, fled for his life as it was. His panic infected all others that he came across in his wild flight from Alphonse and from the horrifying beauty that was Circe of the Cold Light. Of course he would have no way of describing her. They hadn't spoken their names aloud, but he recalled the yoki. The complete release of Melech's and the clever cloaking of her own. Someone would have to know. Someone would see. Someone.... ...And moments after his departure, Melech had stopped struggling, and was cradled in the wings of the only creature that was capable of returning his love. He paused long enough to notice Circe's eyes were still closed, and she smiled at him, drawing him closer, and then shrinking, and setting him down as her body shrank to its normal size. With a soft movement, she pulled up the robes she'd liberated from a hapless human and slid them up over her body, the slim arms that had held him immobile now holding up his own shirt for him. She laughed aloud at his expression and leaned against his chest so softly the reversal of positions was thrown into sharp relief.[/i] "You're sweet when you're upset. I do appreciate your return." "And thank you for that." [i]He cupped her cheek in one hand and smoothed back her hair slowly. It flared up in the snow and wind and she showed no sign of discomfort, merely snuggling closer to him with a decidedly girlish gesture. Melech placed his good hand around her waist and focused on the other with some concentration of will. Circe placed a gentle hand on his wounded arm, her touch light as the snowflakes on his cheek.[/i] "You're a good protector." [i]Even as the words fell from her lips, she turned and faced her body to the South. She considered the view, narrowing her eyes yet again, and her third eye snapped wide open to take in the sights as well. Circe pointed with a delicate finger, and Melech followed the line she drew. It wasn't a shocker really, but the vague forms of several awakened advancing.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[quote name='Lethargy'][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkGreen]Does this happen to anyone else here: I get very congested and stuffed-up during the allergy season, especially when I lie down. I generally sleep on my side, and in doing so, all the fluids in my sinuses and nasal cavities migrates toward the side that I'm sleeping on. Therefore, when I sleep on my right side, I can't breathe out of my right nostril, and vice versa. Nothing is more frustrating than only being able to breathe at 50% capacity.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]It's like the kid peeked into my life and then caught a glimpse of what it's like to be D'Ann. How freaky is that? Because that's exactly what happens to me all the time. Of course in my case both are mostly clogged all the time, so I'm breathing through the nostrils at 15% capacity. ....a hooka would be totally wasted on me.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[quote name='Sirius'][COLOR=#35425e][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]You could just, you know, stick a wad of tissue up your nose to plug them fluids in. Works for me.[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]But then you'll look like a walrus in rut! ....for those who don't know what 'rut' is, I refer you to dictionary.com. Or worse still, they'll weld permanently to your nose and you'll spend the rest of your life looking like a Japanese porn star. Which may or may not be so bad. So yes, I'm in Southern California, so I have absolutely no sympathy for anyone who thinks they have worse air pollution where they live. Mostly because on a good day I can dimly see the outline of the mountains not fifteen miles from my current location. Oh a bad day I'm not sure where I am. It's like I live in a toxic fog of hellish horror... ...and yes, those things kill me too, I just don't have asthma attacks.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Teenage Alien Pervert Apprehended; Parents Mortified. Moron 'Grip Reaper in Training' Slashed by own Scythe, Bleeds to Death! Jimmy Hoffa Found In Six States![/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[quote name='Sirius'][COLOR=#35425e][FONT="Palatino Linotype"]Was it the dosage or are anti-histamines supposed to work that way?[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]I took Benadryl once. Biggest mistake of my life. I had a class in an hour and I sort of sat there with my friend pinching me every five seconds so I wouldn't just slump over in a daze of death and drool. They knock you right out. I promise.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Oh, cushy desk job...I'm all over it. Ah the irony. I think I failed to mention that I was also tested for all of the above. Positive tests? ...EVERYTHING! Especially the pollen and trees and stuff though. Dust and mites too. When then did the mini scratch tests and injections I had welts on top of welts. Gross! Anyway I'm back from talking to the boss man, and he was ultra sympathetic, which is interesting because I didn't expect any of that, but whatever. So now I'm scraping the bottom of the jobs barrel. Macy's! Verizon Wireless! Victoria's Secret! Borders! Bring 'em all on! In the meantime, I am going to try to choke down waffles and tea.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]So here I am, freshly hired with a marketing firm that goes door to door offering various services to clients. And as I was tramping across a freshly mown lawn, it occurred to me that this may not be such a great job for me, regardless of my drive to do well and earn money. This thought was thrown into sharp relief when I woke up this morning choking and suffocating under a deluge of allergic reactions. 1: My throat's closed up. 2: My chest's compressed 3: My sinuses are under amazing pressure. And what's to blame? My deathly allergies to anything that grows out of the ground. Grass, weeds, pollen, tree pollen, poplar, elm, etc. And wouldn't you know it, the territories I've been assigned to cover are rife with all of the above. ...stupid homeowners and their desire to have trees and plants everywhere... So I have to go into the office in a couple hours and explain that I'm unfit for this job because of health reasons, which seem to insert themselves in every situation I have. Only thing I can ask for is a referral to a desk job that doesn't involve someone around me using a leafblower. Man I'm pathetic. Now, tell me how allergies have ruined your life, and the lives of people around you. What's your poison? Bee stings? Peanuts? Small children?[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Circe considered things, her amber eyes widening and then narrowing again in thought. For a moment, they flickered between normal and then back to vertical demonic slits. She held up one finger to Melech's lips and purred like a kitten.[/i] "Our ultimate goal of course is the conquest of the east. But for fun...we should destroy Dauf or Riful..." "I take it you're going to just not bother with Isley?" "Not for years." [i]Her laughter filled the air like the chime of a thousand bells. And then she paused and considered him again seriously. She arched an eyebrow delicately and purred softly.[/i] "But first I think we should find the rest of the Awakened that are here and still loyal to Isley." "Convince them to join us?" "Of course not." "Then you mean we slaughter them." [i]Circe stood in the burgeoning light and let the sun wash over her face and hands. She smiled once more and he stood up next to her, a hand over her slim shoulder. Her gaze seemed to cover the entire land of Alphonse, and her smile would've lit up the sky alone. She turned and her eyes flicked slowly across Melech's own, her amber eyes reflecting his purple ones. He laughed aloud and pushed his hair from his face.[/i] "We should get started then. There are more than just a few." "....you can have first pick." [i]As she said so, she tilted her head to one side with a smile, an almost girlish gesture, and he smirked, his body shifting over.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]As soon as Melech said those words, he instantly regretted it. She raised herself up by simply contracting and pulling her torso without use of her hands, and flipped over on top of him, drawing her legs together to compress his sides sharply. He felt her slowly squeezing, until he felt like he couldn't breathe, when she suddenly released him and dug very human nails into his skin, raking them down to raise red marks that quickly faded.[/i] "...I always want more." [i]He caught her shoulder in one hand, enveloping it completely, only to watch as she snatched it up in her own hand, twisting to one side and biting into his wrist. Circe laughed and released it in an instant, then flung her head back all at once in a cloud of hair against her shoulders He raised his hands in what was most likely instinctual self defense, but it was too late. Moving faster than he could follow, she jerked her body down and sank her teeth deep into his neck, shaking her head back and forth, moaning through a locked jaw. "I shouldn't, but my body won't stop.... ......want to stop... ...can't...won't...." .......hours later, she'd come back down, her breathing was normal, and neither were the worse for wear. Circe had fallen asleep like a little child, senseless and silent in his arms, her hands around his neck like a child, her body completely unmarked. If he hadn't known better, he would've sworn she'd simply been tired and peacefully resting this whole time. In her sleep, she turned over and he saw the slender lines down her back, points where her wings sprouted, and slowly trailed a finger down them. She twitched once under his touch, then again, and before he could move away, several slender ridges of wing pressed through her skin and wrapped around his wrist, pulling him back down to her. Melech looked over her shoulder and saw she'd opened one eye and had been watching him observe her the whole time. The rest of her hair was covering the third, or he would've figured it out.. ....and Circe released his hand.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]A sharp thrust into her desire, a sharp push against her body, and Circe's head was flung back among the snow and ice. Dark hair on the snow, and purple blood dripping down all around them, and Melech's expression changed. He pushed down against her once more, and then nearly laughed aloud and tilted his head down to place his lips against her seashell of an ear. His voice wasn't mocking, merely filled with surprise. [/i] "All this time, and you stayed a virgin..... ....do you know how delightful that is?" "I had a rough idea.." [i]Her voice sounded strained to him, but then again, he could hardly fault her. She was small and slight beneath him, with her hair framing her pale face, her slender fingers on his arms, and he wanted to keep her looking this way for as long as he could. Half of him wanted to shift, and to pierce her through and through, again and again with his mane. But she'd shown her trust in him, and she'd put enough faith into him enough to give him this gift of hers. Best to not squander it. Better to make her writhe, to scream, to give it to her, to forget himself... "She's perfect...any more perfect and I'd have to kill her." Circe's eyes were wide open, staring, almost mindless, and her lips parted slightly as her breathing came harsh. This feeling, it was just like Awakening for the first time. She could almost feel Ligardes's claws on her body, ripping her to shreds faster than she could recover. His mocking laughter, the way he'd ripped her armor apart, and the wild look that nearly blinded him on its own merit. He'd fallen back, he'd had a look of true fear on his face. She'd grown the wings first, used them to pull herself off the ground, her body had shaped itself into a form of power, and she was bigger than him. "How now...?" She was stronger, and she'd come so close to killing him. So close, feel her wings impaling his shoulders, mutilating, hurting..... .....and then Circe came back to the present, with Melech's hands on her body, hers on his cheeks. Without warning, she screamed aloud, shoving all claws into the middle of his back, ripping up towards his shoulders, moaning, screaming, crying aloud. Her cries, breathy gasps for air, they were more than enough for him, until she began to struggle, to dig her heels into his back, wrap her legs around her hips... ...her mind assaulted by that rush of white light that'd taken her over so many times before when she awakened...[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]"Thats what I like to hear." [i]He pulled her closer, his free arm covering her shoulder and throat. He dug his fingers through her flesh, feeling her yoki tingling against his fingers. Melech's teeth sank into Circe's throat, tasting purple blood, drawing lines in her body... ...but rather than just showing signs of pain, she arched against him, writhing with pleasure. She dug her shoulder blades, sharper than he anticipated, and tilted her own head up, back towards his shoulder, to bite his flesh. With a grunt, he pushed her back, and held her at arms length, a fold of skin disappearing into her mouth, her smile playful. At times, he forgot that she was so much younger than him, even if he still retained his youthful appearance. Her smile was fading into a flushed look of heady pleasure. Her cheeks bloomed with color, and he saw the tinge of blood through pale skin. Circe tilted her head to one side and watched him quizzically, until he brought his head down, very close to her, his tongue slithering down to caress her cheek, down to her chin, under her throat.[/i] "Oh, so he knows what he's doing..." "Do you?" [i]She sank her fingers into his shoulders, barely healed, her claws barely piercing his flesh, gentle...almost sweet. Her scratches were nothing more than another interesting sensation, unfortunately for him, her sadism was tinged with the sort of masochism that would've only worked if she had the capacity to heal. Which she did. And as she pushed herself against his flesh, tilting her head back to let his lips touch her throat. This time, he arched over her and touched his lips to hers. Unbeknownst to him, it was the first kiss she'd ever received from anyone, and it burned her mind like fire. Circe cried aloud, and threw her arms around his neck, nails retracting, her body becoming more human by the second. He pulled into him, his tongue pressing against hers, his hand on her cheek, the other pressed against the small of her back. [/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="darkorchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]"Just because I can fight you...doesn't mean I won't... ...fuck you as well. [i]This time, she awakened slowly, taking her grand sweet time. This time, she grew wings first, and they sprouted from behind her slowly growing beyond the expected length she'd shown him before. First two curved up, then two to the sides just beyond them, the next snaked down to curl over her shoulders, and the last two pairs trailed down behind and around her shoulders. Her laughter filled the air as her eye flicked open in a burst of energy and light, nearly blinding him. She slowly curved out both arms like a welcoming friend and he watched as the fans and tendrils on her body slowly sprouted. Like a cat extending its claws, her talons exploded from her fingers with the same gentle noise that drawing a blade gave. Her smile was beyond what he'd seen before, darker blue lips contrasting bright white teeth, and then he saw the frame around her face burst up higher this time, like Isley's form... ...yet she still recalled the delicacy and grace of any Claymore like her, and he felt warm just watching. She drifted towards him, and Melech raised his mane around him in a defensive pattern.[/i] "Tell me you like what you see..... ....tell me it's beautiful to you." [i]He opened his mouth to speak, but his body shot forward of its own accord, six strands of his mane, all a blooded red burst from his shoulders to strike at her wings, all of them piercing one, leaving four unscathed. Circe laughed once more and instead of pausing, let the flesh of her wings heal around his own tendrils instantaneously. She whipped all of them back at once, dragging him closer to her, until she could reach him with her own claws. He raised his in response, the extra pair bursting forward only to be softly pushed aside with two of her other wings. The two main arms instantly locked with Circe's, his brute strength useless in the face of her own raw power. With a soft look from her third eye, she flicked her final pair of wings upwards and out, taking two chunks from both shoulders this time around and he grimaced. They weren't feathery like the others she'd flashed in front of him before. These were raw blades merely shaped like wings, and they cut far stronger than he'd expected from a defensive warrior.[/i] "...you're wonderful...." [i]She let him strike towards her, releasing both of his arms to free his claws for slashing, and as quickly as he put marks into her body, she healed them up. Melech was surprised at how tactically she'd taken this. By pulling him close, he couldn't use his special attack; there wasn't enough room for him to wind back to release the energy silently. ....the look she gave him was knowing, proud, so utterly mindless it was beautiful to see. In an instant, she released his body and let them rip through her again, only so she could heal them for the second time. He turned and flicked his claws at her again, only she'd given him enough space to use his technique this time around, and the attack surged forward. This time he saw both of her eyes close and the third remained open. She swung her body around in a rush of power and all of her wings together flickered forward to form a solid shield, all of them frying beneath his attack, and reforming even as the slashes rent them apart. As the attack ended, she let her body fall back slowly, and she caught herself with four of six wings, letting her body recover from the assault, seemingly wounded. ...of course at that point Melech was taken completely off guard. When he blinked, she'd turned back to her human form and stood before him completely naked, completely exposed, with her hair trailing around her neck, looking up at him fearlessly.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Circe laughed high and soft, childlike. [/i] "I would love to..." [i]The emphasis she placed on love was disturbing, at least it would've been if Melech hadn't been expecting it. She retracted all of her wings at once, keeping only the claws and the third eye. Although, once she opened her mouth, he caught a flash of a bright purple tongue and teeth that were pointed like any large cat's. She purred aloud and then jumped down from the rocky ledge in her human form, barely pausing as Melech leapt down next to her. The two slipped down from the top of the mountain, Circe moving so quickly, even for someone so hungry that Melech briefly considered why she'd be moving so fast. Then he realized it. She'd seen a lone man walking back to the village, and by the way her yoki suddenly expanded into a monstrous level, and she leapt high into the air, extending her claws only, keeping a moderately human face, and slammed down on him, impaling him in vital areas, her head tossed back, eyes closed in exquisite pleasure. Without even looking at him, she tore him apart and consumed every part of him she cared to, feasting with the abandonment of a child. Melech found his own prey, consuming with gusto, but for some reason, even though he was male, Circe seemed to kill with more pleasure than any other male he'd seen, or female for that matter. Dripping blood, and utterly satiated, Circe turned to him, corpses scattered around her like flower petals.[/i] "Too tasty for words...don't you think?" "Absolutely. Absence makes the heart grow fonder." "Or the stomach." [i]Circe licked her talons clean, savoring the traces of blood much like any other feral being, the slender length of her tongue whisking the flavor from her lips and fangs. She shuddered her body slowly in the shock of renewed energy and grew several wings, apparently on a whim, flickering them outwards in the snow and ice.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]She turned in a burst of a smile and iridescence, the third eye of her forehead narrowing as it took in the form of Melech. He recoiled instantly, nearly pinned down by the burst of green light that poured from her eyes. Circe saw his flesh ripple and a tendril of his hair burst towards her only to be swatted down and pinned with a flick of her wing. He stepped back and withdrew as she stood and turned to face him completely. Melech looked up in surprise. The eye was one thing... ...and then his vision was clouded in a snowstorm of pale blue, purple, and green feathers. They enveloped him, holding him still, even as he struggled to turn to his Awakened form, nearly making it, but falling back as she moved her head very close to his. Her smile seemed to pierce him, and her voice was exactly the same as it was when she was human. The same soft tones caressed his ears, made his thoughts less simple to decipher.[/i] "Hello Melech....it is so nice to see you again. ...I'm...so hungry." "You Awakened. ....when was that?" [i]The abruptness and directness of the question made Circe blink once. She withdrew her wings from his body slowly, tilting them so they spread down from her back like a cloak. He noticed that several delicate fan-like tendrils burst from her arms and from behind her ears, giving her the appearance of wearing a queen's diadem. Her thoughtful expression was new to him, and she tilted her head to one side, her third eye considering him all the while. Apparently she'd forgotten she had just wanted to consume him to sate her hunger.[/i] "After Riful turned, and set up her alliance with Dauf. I was on a hunt for Ligardes with three other girls. Like when we last fought, he killed every girl but me, and I was wounded to the point where I had to awaken or simply roll over and die. ......I'm sure the organization would've been happier if I had died. They wouldn't have had to force me this far north." "Couldn't you have killed them all?" "Not necessarily what I wanted. ....some of them were still my friends. I can still feel their pull now and again. It was better to stay here and avoid them completely. After I turned, I fled Ligardes, Isley was too close for me to risk it." "....he always was such a pompous jerk. It's so irritating he has the strength to back it up." [i]Circe smiled at him cooly, then tilted her head back up to look at the sky. He noticed she had slits down the sides of her body, making it look as though she was wearing a very long skirt. She raised a heavily taloned arm and considered the points of her claws, looking at him through them all the while.[/i] "If I would've known how good it felt... ...I would've turned sooner." [i]Melech paused. She was smiling at him, not with the same irritating smug smile she'd worn when they fought, but with a sunny, inhuman look that intrigued him.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]The Awakened Being crawled from her icy prison, standing, shaking slightly in her human form. Thick dark hair tumbled around her shoulders, dripping with melted snow and ice. Her soft pale skin reflected light, and as she sat in the feeble sun, her body began to come back to her. Slowly, she turned, drying her hair, willing her third eye to form on her forehead, noting the weak presence of Another. "Who is he that feels so faint, but smells like an Awakened?"[/i] [i]Circe eyed the Awakened Being, showing no trace of true fear, and no disdain that she knew her other comrades felt for him. He was monstrous, that was true, but underneath she could recall that Melech was once a good Claymore. Not that he bore any resemblance then to what he was now, with a bright blue mouth, four arms, and claws so long they could pierce through trees on their own. She flicked a lock of that characteristic platinum blonde hair from her face and took a step forward, raising her Claymore. Her voice was cool and quiet, almost like silk brushing against ice, and it floated from her lips.[/i] "If I ran away now, the organization would never forgive me. I couldn't live with myself and my cowardice. ...it's better to stay and fight." "Even with the tragic death of your comrades?" "...I'll be over it shortly." [i]She took a step forward, and predicting a head on attack, Melech swung two of his elongated mane strands, nearly catching her, only to realize that both of them had been gently pushed aside by the flat of her blade. Confused, but still overconfident, he swung again, this time using the two arachnid like arms, hurling both forward with a speed that should've taken her off guard. Instead, Circe shrugged her shoulder's casually, and twisted her blade up as if it were a fan, deflecting his dead on attack once again.[/i] "...your soft sword technique is remarkable...but what will you do with only defensive moves?" [i]Melech narrowed bright purple eyes at her and she smiled back at him in the most condescending, mocking manner he'd ever seen. She tossed her hair carelessly from her face and shoulders, taking a loose, relaxed stance. Her silver eyes glittered in the dying sun and she raised her blade above her head and he felt Yoki flowing through her body, but as to where, he couldn't determine. ...but by then it was too late. With a rush of energy and the blinding flash of metal, she forced his eyes shut with the attack for which she'd been named and hurled herself towards him, swinging her sword above her head, bringing it down with a burst of power, in that instant releasing energy. Her eyes snapped a bright gold and she cut down, taking a heavy chunk from his right shoulder, and landing a remarkably safe distance away from him, turning in the same instant to face him again. He gave her a nearly empty, mindless stare and she hissed at him through remarkably feral teeth. Even when releasing her youma powers only 30 percent, she grew fangs large enough to take his arm in her mouth and tear off flesh. He jumped and swung at her with a vicious movement, hardly making a sound and she caught his forearm in her teeth, shaking her head in one jerk, the sounds of ripping meat filling the air. She dropped it and stabbed forward, scoring his side with her Claymore, laughing as she did. Sensing his yoki flowing to his mane from his chest, she leapt back once more, and he turned slowly; facing her down, his pelt rippling in its own private breeze.[/i] "So you can swing that thing..." [i]She tilted her head to one side, regarding him with a mildly deranged smile. Her eyes clung to the hectic glow characteristic to her kind, even though he couldn't sense the slightest shred of yoki flowing from her body.[/i] "You're definitely interesting...Circe of the Cold Light."[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Ask your questions here, questions about symbols, the Organization, other kinds of Awakened, anything remotely plot related, etc. Post images and related stuffs here, and so on and so forth. I'll also take requests to do your character like I did Ikillion's and mine. Eventually an accepted list will be posted here as well as plot points.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Voracious Eaters. Awakened Beings. Abyssal Ones. Dwellers of the Deep. No matter how you look at it, these are the end result of creatures who have gone too far. Of Claymore warriors that once were sent to protect the innocent, but in the course of their campaign against the Youma that threatened humanity, something went awfully wrong. They say that once a warrior goes past the limits, they can't return. Or in some cases, they don't want to return. The end result is an Awakened Being, far beyond the normal strength and intelligence of their former self and far beyond the simple Youma from which they originated. In the course of events, Isley and Priscilla joined forces from the North to take control of Luciela's territories to the South and were victorious. While Riful of the West sought to upstage Isley, she noted that Priscilla, the One Horned Monster was going to make her dreams of total power impossible. But in the meantime, as Blood Eyes Miata and Clarice hunted down Galatea, and the seven survivors of the War in the North made their way down from Alphonse, two unexpected things happened. One was the appearance of Circe of the Cold Light. The second was Silent Melech. Both, trapped in the frozen wasteland eventually became free. Both had Awakened and been sealed in space. Both were once Claymores, single digit warriors in their own times. Times when Riful the Number One Claymore walked the earth and Isley and Ligardes fought for dominance. Circe was Number Two under Riful and Melech Number Four under Isley, Ligardes, and Dauf. Both did good work as humans, but like all warriors, their time of usefulness to the Organization came to an end. And now they are both awake, and both are hungry after their long imprisonment. Will you join their side, or will you fight them and their unearthly power as a Claymore? Either way, this is the end of things. Be there for it. [center]~~~~~~~~~~~~[/center][/i] Name: Circe of the Cold Light Previous Ranking: 2 Symbol: Pisces Fighting Type: Defensive Abilities: Capable of swinging her blade and reflecting light or Yoki energy to blind the opponent, capable of limb regeneration, can deflect head on attacks and manipulate the force behind it to turn on the user. Personality: As a Claymore, Circe was the model warrior. Polite and strong and unwavering in her desire to perform her jobs without complaint. She was often called for difficult missions, her power nearly equal to that of number 1, Riful, and she relished chances to test her own abilities. When she Awakened however, Circe became less moral and honorable, and more amoral and monstrous. She doesn't consider the means to the end, and thinks that human lives and the lives of Claymores are utterly beneath her consideration. Circe thinks only of accomplishing her goals and the best ways to do them. Regardless of her numerous faults, she remains to this day, an obscenely polite creature, considerate of other's feelings when she's in a good mood and always calm. Appearance: In her human form, Circe is as beautiful as her namesake. Long sienna colored hair, silky pale skin, and shimmering amber eyes. Long and lithe, her human form is echoed in her Awakened form. Tall and vaguely humanoid, with spikes and fanlike protrusions over her entire body, and ten wings that change shape from feather to blade at a whim. Covered in an iridescent blue, green, and gray light, Circe as an Awakened is both beautiful and terrible at the same time. Long claws, longer limbs, and a third eye on her forehead. With these she wreaks havoc and looks good doing it. Biography: At this stage, you will tell me your history, why you became a Claymore, and demonstrate for me your good knowledge of the series. The manga included, will add to your total score. Also, it helps to impress me with your good grammar, spelling, and general creativity. Go wild. Ultimate Agenda: To take control of the Northern lands of Alphonse, now abandoned by Isley and Priscilla. A large army of Awakened that were still loyal to Isley stand in her way. Instability/Craziness Level: 1: Jean/Miria/Irene. Focused and with high mental strength. 10: Ophelia/Miata/Priscilla: Freudian troubles, superimposition of parents on comrades, obsession. Circe's level: 6. Allies: Melech.[/FONT][/COLOR] [img]http://www.hillcity-comics.com/manga/Xnew_graphic_novel8167.jpg[/img]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][CENTER]So here I am, slightly bereft, wondering just what sort of ideas people really have of me, When they break things off as much as I do, Do they feel hatred? Does it sting them? Do they have to get their own back and strike me? Do they think I want to see their pictures? Their happiness? Their new girl? Their...rebound? I don't want to touch, to see, to feel, to hear, to know just how happy they become, Because that's not what I have for me now, Does he even know? Does he have more? Than just a cold and stupid ignorance, That slaps me in the face, Shocking me with sheer stupidity, And you know? I feel. ....betrayed. There are rules to this and he's flied in the face of every single one of them, Telling me he's sleeping with his new girl, Telling me that she's not going to keep smoking, A filthy Hypocrite! If I'd smoked when we dated, he would've broken it off, But he goes to her, "I saw a chance and I took it." No. You just didn't want to have to face the pain of being single by yourself, So you ran to the nearest female that wasn't a drug addict, Or dating a 40 year old, Or on crystal meth, I think you need new friends. So here I am, and I've seen his 'pictures' that he showed me, Just to make me feel 'happy for him' when in reality they choked me, With angry bitter sobs, Grabbing my throat with two hands, Wrapping me in a sort of hollow grief, And now here I am, I didn't want to cry, I don't want to feel, I don't want to care. Most of me doesn't want to do this, But there's a hideous, ugly part of my soul, That wants to hate, To take my bitter revenge, To become Medea, To feel the hot burst of blood from the heart, So my pain is realized. He's choked his pain so he won't feel it anymore, But we all know, It'll come bubbling up to the surface again by another name, With another face, And someday he'll know my pain, And suffer as I have suffered. But not by my hand, I will not be the one to be pathetic, To be as small as him, And I will hide my pain, Cloak it in indifference as he's done, And be the adult in this annoying situation, And that way I will be above the petty reproaches, Of people I know. Because after these words fall to page, I am myself after all.[/CENTER][/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Name: Nystra Ell'rezar Code Name: Kells Species: Siyannan Home Planet and Century: Siyanna; 6,000; a veritable youngling. Titles and Awards: [center][i]Siannan World Champion; 6,000[/i][/center] Appearance: Lilac skin, pupilless eyes, pointed ears, dark red hair. Pale, plain robes, not big on armor, depending instead on her rather dense and strong skin to protect her from most attacks. Desired Weapons: Double long swords, or twin rapiers. [center]~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/center] [i]Glur stepped across an empty field, and looked at the tiny little thing that had risen up unexpectedly, taking an entire planet by surprise. She was slender, pale, almost impossible to see in the tall grass. He towered over it all, with boiled leather armor, a stave held in a relaxed grip. He nearly missed her, but in an instant, she stood up, thick red hair billowing out behind her, the point of her glaive far above her head. The point flashed in the twin suns that had turned the field a heady bronze, and reflected against his eyes, either on purpose or by accident, he couldn't tell. She smiled at him prettily, a flash of more than mildly feral teeth on pale purple lips. He regarded her cooly.[/i] "So you're the champion of this planet. This pitiful little nothing of a place?" "That's me. I'm Kells." [i]Her voice was cool and soft, drifting from her smiling lips like oil brushed with silk. He leaned forward, and instantly leapt back as a relaxed, gentle swoop from her blade nearly caught him across the face. He jumped further out of range to notice that she wasn't smiling anymore. Instead she had furrowed her brow at him and was actually looking slightly more lethal than she had just moments before. He swung forward, catching the tip of her weapon and she parried swiftly, falling back with an almost expected grace, her flip carrying her across the field further than he'd anticipated. With a swift lunge, he thrust forward and thought he'd caught her on the shoulder, only to feel the stave in his hands reverberate so strongly he dropped it. Instantly she swung forward, striking him a solid blow across his exposed cheek. He parried, surprised that she'd thrown down her glaive as well to go in hand to hand against him, but he didn't have much more time for that. Instead, she was bringing forward a long line of powerful blows with both her hands and feet, displaying all the agility of a feline, which, at that moment she truly did resemble. He swung and made a glancing blow across her lip, and she shouted aloud, slamming both hands full against his chest, knocking him back. In a shimmer of pale light, she swept forward almost faster than he could follow and tripped him as he staggered back, returning to face him and place one bare foot flat across his throat.[/i] "This planet may be pitiful, but I am not." [i]He tried to rise, but she narrowed her eyes and stiffened her leg, holding him down beneath her feet. She leaned forward, looked deep into his eyes, then took her foot from him and jumped back lightly, laughing like a child.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Neuvox: Old French for New, or Reborn. Raiha: Japanese for Child of Thunder/Rage. Fitting enough, considering I almost always used the name 'Raiha' after reading it in 9th grade in 'Memoirs of a Geisha.' Of course I now discover that it's also the name of an anime character that happens to have blue hair and be so generic as to be disappointing. Oh well. The Neuvox is derived from an old rock band that nobody has ever heard of and fitting enough that I added it after OB upgraded again. Anyway, I once was known as 'Lapraseye' on a Pokemon forum, or 'Lapras666' in one of my more combatative stages, but on OB I started as 'Setsuna' as in Sailor Pluto. If you can't remember this, dont' worry. The only people that do are Charles aka 'The Great Frying Pan Man or 'El Crazy White Boy' and Sephiroth. And even THAT is hazy. My personality? What you see, is often how I am. Sexy Talk with Raiha is exactly how I'd answer those questions when asked of me in real life. I am caustic, sardonic, sarcastic, blunt, and easily offended. Shocker? I think not![/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Call me Raiha little one. Nobody will know me by Neuvox. And even if you were, it's Neuvox, not Neuvo- anyway. I suppose we'll all eat on the walk there, and heal as we go along. It's so nice...to be number 16 and above you all...[/FONT][/COLOR]

[RIGHT][FONT="Garamond"][COLOR="Black"]December 15th 3:20 p.m.[/COLOR][/FONT][/RIGHT] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]The heat of the day is here, and I'm resting in the relative cool and shade of one of those quiet mountain valleys. It's quiet and dark here, there are so many trees, so many potential places for zombies to hide. But there's nobody within 75 miles of me, and thus, no zombies either. If there are people hiding in the valley, further in, odds are they're completely uncontaminated. Or they're Branch Dividans. In which case they're totally safe and probably better armed than the current military that's been fronting and blasting their message. I have one friend left I can talk to, and he's only safe because of his wits and wits alone. I won't tell more of who this source is, but I can safely say that I'm doing better here than anyone else could that I'm related to. I know some of my cousins in other countries are probably safe and sound in their military bunkers, including my second cousins and third cousins that are their families. I also have heard from my friend that I'm better off staying here than attracting the attention of the survivors that prey on anyone that looks remotely weaker. I still need a gun, but I can't figure out a way to safely get my hands on one. Besides. Knives don't need to be reloaded. On the other hand, I can't take down more than six at a time now. I've figured it out. My limits, when things are safe and things aren't. I nearly got clipped by one of the tainted, but I tripped and recovered in time to get out of the range. I suppose I'm leaving more of a trail of corpses then you'd expect, and I have yet to feel upset about this. I shouldn't be surprised you know. It's been five months since the first rumors began to spread. We went from the good life to hell on earth in under two months. I hear that Manhattan has fallen, so that means I'll have to say goodbye to more of my classmates. In my heart I know that I'm paying a steep price for my continued survival. Every day I'm alive, and make it further, I don't know what happens to me. But I feel as though my survival means the death of others. I'm in Wyoming still, but I find myself drawn to the deeper forests. Perhaps I should go further in.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"][i]Llyra smiled to herself once more, vaguely remembering the last Awakened one she'd touched upon. He was powerful, but so were her team mates, and with her heightened yoki sensing abilities.... ....The Awakened one became so flustered and frustrated that he'd ended up leaving himself more open for attacks and in the end...it'd gone well. Better than the organization had expected. Better than even Llyra had imagined it would go. She stood, pulling down the sleeves of her dress and replacing her blindfold. With a turn of her body, she began to walk forward along with the others, her fingers feeling the tendrils of leaves trailing down from trees. Reaching upwards slightly, going by touch and a very vague extrasensory perception, she jerked down three slender twigs, and clustered them together, long leaves twining around them. With a rush of magic, she felt the life of the tree augmenting her own power, creating a wand pulsing with life and energy. Elle stepped down next to Llyra and looked at the freshly made wand, so bright against the softer ash colored skin of her fellow Hunter.[/i] "Why do you insist on using wands instead of a staff or glaive?" "I prefer the natural, what I can touch and feel and connect to. I've never managed to connect with any wooden staff that I couldn't manipulate or channel equally well with the wand." [i]Elle shrugged and trudged on, Llyra stowing her wand back in the folds of her kirtle and skirts. In time, she began to sense the pulsing, wildly waving yoki of an Awakened being. A Hunter playing unwilling host to a youma, full of conflicted emotions, riotous bloodlust, and near insanity. They would never recover the Hunter's human heart. ...inwardly, Llyra wondered how the others would take the news. And how quickly they could recover from their current battle wounds, that would begin to take a toll.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR]

[COLOR="Black"][FONT="Garamond"][RIGHT]December 5th, 2007 3:45 p.m. PST[/RIGHT][/FONT][/COLOR] [COLOR="DarkOrchid"][FONT="Times New Roman"]Car's still stocked pretty well, and I'm listening to the typical Linkin Park LPs. Don't ask me why I'm sitting in the car, letting my music play for a bit, but I felt like it. I called my family, and they've done what I've done. Clever bastards. They retreated into the high mountains in the north and are set up in a small pocket of territory, near a lake, near a small road. I'm not worried about them half as much as I'm worried about my stranded friends. The ones closest to the epicenter, or so I hear, are fucked. They're already dead and gone, I shouldn't be worried I guess. ...I'm aware I'm close to an outpost, and I'm somewhere in Wyoming. I'm driving quite slowly these days, not taking up too much time. I can read a map, I can read signs. I'm avoiding the main roads as usual, but the other day I ran into yet another attack. I didn't mention this at first, because it's less on my mind than it was the first time I killed. I suppose I should document it though for posterity. For you my readers, I'll tell even the sick parts that turn my stomach and make me question why I've kept going. I was running in fourth gear, not asking much of my engine, when I pulled over at the local rest stop, realizing that I wasn't as quite alone as I wanted. My hand automatically dropped to my side and I turned my head. They lurched out of the bathrooms where they'd been sheltering -or feasting. I drew and turned, contemplating running, but better to leave them lying under the sun until they died and were gone. The first was the fastest. He nearly took off my head with a clean swipe, and I removed his arms in the first two strokes. As he did, two others circled behind me and began to fence me in. Instead, I turned back and beheaded one, than the other. I don't know if you know this, but I've been growing stronger. I didn't even notice until I lifted the filled gasoline can with one hand and put it in my trunk without a serious strain. The other with my left, and I blinked. Perhaps all the heavy lifting of the past few months has done something good. Even so. It certainly helped me take out what had to have been a family of zombies. Dead, and dead again. Twitching on the floor in a mish-mash of limbs and coagulated blood. I didn't look except to ensure they were all dead. I didn't want to check anything else. No ID, I didn't care who they were. I didn't care. And I still don't.[/FONT][/COLOR]