RPG The Posthuman Effect

[Vicky]

[center][img]http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/8954/posthumaneffect.png[/img]


[font=lucida sans][b]?This is where the sun beats, my friend, and the dying trees give no shelter; this is where your shadow rises up to meet you, and squares up to your face, boisterous and arrogant. The playground must be tamed to scarred Earth with dust so that the real men may become children, and the children will become sand.?[/b][/font]




[img]http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/3360/sincopy.png[/img] ? [img]http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/2851/reshefcopy.png[/img] [img]http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/9632/baalcopy.png[/img] ? [img]http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/139/chronuscopy.png[/img][/center]




[size=1][align=justify][font=arial]?So that?s that. It?s over. We?re stuck here.?

Chronus stepped back as Baal and Reshef threw the last of the hull into the sea. It stayed floating for awhile, as if it were trying desperately to fly again, then sunk in a bubble of steam. Sin stood close by with his arms folded and chewed the bottom of his lip out of frustration; he was stuck on this forsaken planet that wasn?t even a hell hole and wasn?t even important enough to have a bit of fun on. He had no army except three disobedient officers, no ship, no weapons and no contact with his home world. It was highly doubtful that they would be rescued in the next millennia.

They had travelled the forsaken planet before coming back to the site and ridding of their ship. An ice age had come and passed, creatures had died and risen, now the mammals roamed the Earth. The place in which they crashed became a desert, almost.

He moved off from the group as they talked, and only Chronus noticed. She had watched him as they had tripped throughout the world and saw that, when he knew people were watching, he kept his imprinted blueprint demonic tendencies at his highest? but when on his own he was quiet, intelligent, and angry. He wasn?t afraid, because people like Sin could barely feel fear? but he was battling between evolution and individuality. He was a [I]nice[/I] boy, inflicted with the rapture and madness of his people, becoming a carcass that even the Devil himself would reject.

Sin kept walking. When the ship crashed Sin was, in his people?s terms, a fairly young adult. He was only in his thousands and now he was in his triple thousands. He had grown far more and his voice had obtained that eerie echo that only full adult demons received and his skin had turned to the crimson blood red.

They had seen amazing things on the planet as they travelled. Chronus had predicted one species of mammal would become the dominate, after seeing a few at the beginning of their travels. They hadn?t seen those ?mammals? yet, and truth be told they should have evolved by now.

He rested on the edge of a cliff, crouched, eyes closed. The sun was going down. He hated the sun of this planet because it made him feel cold and weak. On his home they were so close to their sun that it made their lakes turn into hot lava and the ground seem like burning deserts. That?s why he liked coming to the desert here; it made him feel at home.

?We should protect this planet. There?s no sense in destroying the weak.?

?We should [I]condition[/I] this planet. When it?s people rise they should be taught under our dominace and they may, eventually, become? how would you say? [I]helpful[/I] to the army. But never soldiers. There?s only special blood for that.?

?Sin, you?re insane. What kind of sick satisfaction do you get out of doing that? It?s like slaying children.?

?And children will be treated the same as adults. That?s the law.?

?That?s your law, not ours.?

Sin blew out of his nostrils at the memory of his argument with Chronus. He hated her for trying to be so level headed. He hated them [I]all[/I], in fact. If they had just did as he told them and kept in line then he wouldn?t be in so much turmoil? he?d be perfectly fine killing. As he thought about this he had noticed he was walking through the desert now and was forced to look a head.

He was surprised to the point of actually changing his expression to wonder rather than arrogance and anger at the silhouette that headed towards him, a very, very small figure ? running - and carrying something in their arms. Sin crept forward slightly and let his arms drop beside him, concentrating his gaze on the figure ahead. Running. Running away from something and towards Sin. Whoever it was happened to be incredibly small from a distance, so Sin crouched down as they came towards him, for a reason he didn't know.

The falling sun had managed to show Sin a glimpse of the silhouette before it fell, and Sin was educated enough to see it was a child. They were dressed in white clothing, though grey and dirty now, and she had darkly tanned skin. Her hair, though not perfect, wasn't as matted as Sin would have expected from primitives. At a distance he made out what she carried in her arms, a stitched-together figure made of wool, wood and cloth, with a facial expression fashioned by leaves.

Sin was too focused describing her in his head that he didn't notice she had stopped running and slowed down, a set of brown eyes focused on Sin. She wasn't that far away from him at all now, close enough for them to make each other out. And, to Sin's amazement, she didn't seem afraid. The look in her eyes was profound, intelligent curiosity, rather than fear for something she didn't understand. Sin straightened up, taking long strides towards her. The girl stood still in the sand, looking up at Sin as he moved forward.

?What are you?? he asked her. She tilted her head? and? a smile. Sin didn?t understand why she wasn?t afraid of him.

Then it occurred to Sin. There was a flaw in his people?s logic. Why would a species fear a new discovery if it had never hurt them? Would they fear the sand if it had never hurt them? No. Fear was a blueprint in evolution. The species in the Universe that were afraid of the demons like Sin were afraid because of urban legends ? because the image of demons and hatred was printed throughout their history, throughout their evolution. This girl knew not fear, because she knew not Sin. Her instincts and evolutionary foundations didn?t include demons and new discoveries.

Sin was close enough to the girl now to kneel down in front of her, but with his height he was still towering over her on his knees. Cautiously, Sin lowered himself into the sand, crouched down and keeping himself up on his elbows. He looked at the girls face, blinked at her, and she blinked back. Sin smiled a toothy, demon grin, and she imitated it, without an inch of fear inside her. The sand blew up behind them, onto her sandals and in Sin's hair, but neither moved.

That was the nice boy in Sin. That was what Chronus talked about. Through all the years of harsh evolution and conditioning, Sin?s species still had a little bit of themselves hidden beneath the brutality. Sin was curious. Sin was used to laughing. Sin was a child, even they he was an adult now.

The girl offered him the doll. Sin took it and held it in his massive hands and he thought he heard a giggle from the child. He was amazed at how much they seemed to have evolved, so quickly.

Sin stared at the doll. He then came to a decision.

Chronus, in all her empathy and philosophy, had forgotten one thing; Sin may have been a boy, but he was evil. It was not evil due to evolution of conditioning, it was evil due to existence. It was what the first demon was born to be and what every demon asked for in their blood ? it was in their DNA, always there, the [I]only[/I] constant throughout their entire existence. Sin could be as kind as he wanted, but it was only a build up to evil.

He locked his claws around the doll and crushed it. The girl?s face turned sour and [I]that[/I] was fear. Sin stood up and bared his teeth into a snarl at her. He would show them fear in a handful and dust.

She turned to ran. He reached out and caught her by her hair. He pulled her back, pulled her up to his height, and held her backed against his chest with one arm. He looked up, red eyes to the sun, and noticed several more silhouettes ahead, who must have been watching for some time. Adults. People. Humans.

This was what made the demons so powerful. This very moment, Sin knew, was what gave them the ability to imprint their image on humanity?s soul and keep them afraid.

He closed his claws around the neck of the child and clamped down, twisting, turning, raking into her skin and feel the warmth drip down his arms. He heard, vaguely, Chronus shouting from a distance when she had finally found him, but all Sin knew after that was that he ripped the girl in two. And he never felt so damn good in all his life.[/font][/size]

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[center][font=lucida sans][size=4][b]CONTENTS[/B]
Chapter One - Our Time Has Come[/size][/font]

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[img]http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/3013/chapter1e.png[/img][/center]

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[size=1]Acey wasn?t in the mood for a gig today. The rest of the band had planned on a drinking and smoking session today after they touched down in their next city, having trashed and picked up girls from the last. But for some reason, today, Acey wasn?t interested.

He rolled over and knocked his elbow into a blonde girl beside him, stark naked. He grunted. He could feel the tour bus moving and it made his hangover even worse, so he decided to get up. He pulled on his trousers and reached for his t-shirt when the bus decided to pull to an unnecessary halt.

[b]?Hurensohn??[/b] he grumbled as he pushed through the door, [b]?what?s that driver playin? at? Huh??[/b]

Acey?s accent had only a tint of German to it. He was born there but rarely lived there until his band days.

[b]?Ah chillout. We?re just taking a pitstop.?[/b] Andras, the Hungarian addition to the band, raised a beer glass and a grin. [b]?Nice contact lenses, too.?[/b]

[b]?What??[/b]

[b]?Yeah I notice too.?[/b] Murray, too big and too stupid to say anything proper in English than a few phrases, had jumped up to poke at Acey?s eyes.

[b]?Ah fuck you! Wichser!?[/b]

He batted Murray?s hand away and ran back into his coffin sized room. The mirror showed his reflection, staring back at him? with red eyes. Bloodshot and crimson in his iris, contrasting with his deathly pale skin and hair. The girl in his bed stirred and smiled at him, but Acey barely noticed.

[b]?Shit!?[/b]

He poked at his eye and blinked a few times. This wasn?t a hangover and didn?t look like any disease he?d known, and he had to admit it added to his image, but he was fucked off. He was fucked off because he immediately assumed some degenerate from his band had put contact lenses in overnight.

[b]?Murray! Andras!?[/b]

What followed was a mixture of arguing and flying bottles around. The young girl who had somehow managed to sneak her way into the rockstar?s bed was more than terrified, but Acey didn?t care. Each band member blurted out phrases mixed in with their English, though Acey was the loudest and Acey was in control. He normally wasn?t this violent but he was surely not in the mood today.

[b]?A?ight fuck you man! You?ll be back! We?ve got the fuckin? cigarettes!?[/b]

Acey had kicked the door to the bus open with his boot and stumbled down the stairs with his belt unbuckled and his jacket half on. He gave the two-fingered salute to the manager and spat on the floor before pulling out his shades and hiding his eyes. He just hoped it wasn?t conjunctivitis.

He didn?t remember the name of the town. It was quiet of people, but loud of car engines zooming past. The ground was slightly dusty and it was quite hot, almost as if there were rattlesnakes in the background but Acey knew that was just in his head. He turned around to look at the bus and saw the girl trying to leave, with Murray running out after and grabbing her arm. Acey shrugged and spat on the floor.

Ahead was a city, so it was assumed the bus had stopped just outside the main area of wherever they were. Acey chewed in the inside of his lip and sighed, walking forward in determination; he was a different man today, though he didn?t feel much like a man any more.[/size][/align]

[Akieen Cloud]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"][COLOR="Navy"]Irin walked out from the alley stretching and yawned as a stray dog followed her out licking her hand. She looked down as it whined and rolled her eyes.
'I'm hungry...'
"I know, me too."
She looked both ways and felt her mouth water as she heard a hot dog vendor walking down the street, she closed her eyes and sighed as he passed. After he had left she held up her hands which were now full of hot dogs, she passed half down to the dog beside her and nodded as it whined.
'Thank you.'
She nodded to the dog and began to walk down the street the dog following in her heels. She continued to walk until she reached the park where she sat under a tree waiting for something, anything, interesting to happen. She tilted her sunglasses down and looked over them and squinted as the sun beamed into her blood red eyes. She lifted them back up over her eyes and leaned on the tree behind her closing her eyes and drifting to sleep.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Drizzt Do'urden]

Koda yawned with a mighty roar as he awoke in his small apartment. Glancing down he noted a red sticky substance on his arm, apparently the peroxide he'd put on his wound from the fight last night reacted with something he had on his skin. Wiping it away his eyes grew large as the wound was holding much better, normally knife wounds required stiches and time, but he'd be ready to fight tonight at this rate.

Climbing to his feet he stretched his massive arms out wide and pulled on his clothes, the owner of the tournament never paid that night. He said it was "tacky" for the fighters to walk out with money, it took away from the ambience. "Bull Shit" Koda found himself thinking outloud.

Shutting the door behind him Koda looked out at the magisty of his little stretch of land. The farmer he rented from gave Koda a great deal on the tiny shack, in exchange Koda helped during planting and harvesting seasons.

Walking down the long dirt road that led from his shack to the city a sudden craving hit Koda like a hammer. "God I'm starving..." he paused as an odor caught his attention. It smelled like a hamburger...but there was no heat in it. Glancing over Koda noticed one of the cows had wandered over to the fence and was eyeing the man.

"What...What the hell is wrong with me?" Turning away Koda walked a few more steps before pausing. Then turning and leaping he was on the cow in an instant, he took the cow down in his initial lunge. As the cow struggled beneath him, Koda unsheathed his knife and plunged it into the cows main artery. Then in a sinister twist the flailing stopped.

Koda came to his senses a few moments later as he stopped and noticed he'd eaten about a quarter of the massive cow...almost gagging he jumped to his feet and tore threw the woods. Hopefully the farmer would blame it on a pack of wolves...hopefully.

[DeLarge]

[FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]Kai stepped gingerly off the subway, his bass tucked safely away in the gig bag strapped to his back. He was exhausted, partly from playing a late gig in a crappy dive bar that was all Reverent Power could manage since the incident, and partly because he hadn't slept at all well the previous night.

His dreams were full of angels and demons, beasts and machines, and he had spent the best part of the night lying awake, shivering through the cold sweat that soaked his skin.

He wore a black canvas jacket with a large collar over his white t-shirt - his sweat-soaked shirt had been thrown triumphantly into the baying, throbbing crowd as he walked off stage, finally feeling as though he had his edge back.

It had taken a few weeks for his ribs to heal, and a few months for his hearing to fully return, and he had not been gig-fit for some time. But now he was feeling better, having got over the trauma he had suffered during that fateful gig.

The only things that hadn't recovered were his eyes. Still crimson, he resorted to wearing a pair of mirrored aviator sunglasses over them at all times. During the day and at gigs, he looked cool, but during the night he looked like a junkie, but he was used to the stares.

With a concerted effort, he forced himself up the stairs that led out of the subway station and into the neon jungle that was his home district. Chinese restaurants, off-licences and bars stayed open this late, catering to the needs of nocturnal people such as Kai.

He stopped briefly to grab a noodle-based snack from one of the Chinese places, and hungrily forked the greasy food into his mouth, savouring every MSG-laced mouthful. Dropping some money onto the counter, he nodded to the owner and left, heading back to his apartment.

Swinging a left down an unlit alley, he finished off his noodles and dropped the container into a dumpster, wiping his mouth with the paper napkin the restaurant had supplied him with.

[B]"Hey, mate," [/B]came a gravelly, unhealthy-sounding voice from the shadows, [B]"You got some change for me?"

"Sorry," [/B]said Kai, rummaging through his pockets, [B]"I've got nothing."

"Come on, you must have something."

"Honestly, I haven't got anything. I just spent the last of my money at the noodle bar across the street."

"What about that fancy thing on your back?"

"That's my guitar."

"Must be worth something."

"Are you seriously suggesting I give you my guitar? Are you crazy?"

"Nah, mate," [/B]came a second voice from behind Kai, [B]"We ain't crazy. Just hand over the stuff, and no-one gets hurt." [/B]Kai whirled around to see a second man, dressed in scruffy black clothes, twirling a switchblade around his fingers.

[B]"You don't want to do this," [/B]said Kai, keeping his cool, [B]"You really don't want to do this."

"Take them glasses off, man," [/B]the second mugger said, [B]"You look like a dick." [/B]He reached out and grabbed the glasses off Kai's face, revealing the penetrating crimson beneath.

[B]"Oh shit," [/B]hissed the mugger, his eyes widening with fear, [B]"What the fuck is wrong with you, man?"

"I told you you didn't want to do this," [/B]Kai replied, his voice enhancing, growing deeper, booming, echoes flying around the narrow alley, [B]"Now go, before you get hurt!"

[/B]The mugger staggered backwards, falling to the floor then scrambling to his feet and making a run for it. The first man clearly thought this idea was prudent, and followed him, emerging from the shadows to pass the crimson-eyed, ethereal-voiced being that stood before him.

Kai relaxed, and released the energy he had been forcing into his own vocal cords to make his own voice change. He smiled a little to himself, having found this technique useful over the past couple of months, and clambered up the fire escape to his apartment.

As he swung in through the window - he could have come in the front door, but his landlady was a friendly elderly lady, and he didn't like waking her when he came in late - he pulled the gig bag off his shoulders and set it down. With a few swift motions, he unzipped it and pulled his pride and joy out of it.

An original MusicMan Stingray bass guitar in a RedBurst finish with humbucker pickup. He placed it down on the guitar stand that stood next to his new amplifier, and his collection of other instruments.

Realising that the salty noodle snack had dried his throat out a little, he wandered over to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of mineral water from inside. He had beer, too, but he had been drinking during the gig, and now he just needed simple refreshment. Swigging from the bottle, he thumbed through the mail that had arrived earlier, before noticing the tiny flashing light on his answering machine.

He hit the play button, concentrating to muffle the sound a little so it didn't wake up his neighbours, and listened to the message.

[B]"Hi, um, this is Kai Gabriel, right?" [/B]came the slightly hesitant voice, [B]"My name is Nico Stanley, and I was wondering if I could talk to you. I heard about your gig on the news, and the story has kind of stuck with me, you know? Anyway, my number's in the book, so give me a call when you get this message. Thanks, bye." [/B]The beep sounded, but Kai was deaf to all but one sound. A single word, echoing round and round in his head, growing until it was screaming inside his mind.

[I]Chronus.[/I]
[/FONT]

[Vicky]

[size=1][i]OOC: Take this as my actual better real first post, ha. I'm ashamed of the opening post but that's what happens when internet browsers delete your work.[/i]

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[align=justify]He liked Mayfair, because they were cheap and rough, but they didn't sell them here. So he was breathing in what felt like air even though it was nicotine, blowing it out through his nose without feeling that nasty tingling of smog burst through his sinuses. He didn't like the smooth smoke. He liked the gritty and nasty one. The kind of cigarette that would make rich people choke and cough and spit at the taste, the kind that would make poor people grin while they snorting it out like a red-arse dragon.

[b]"Sir! You can't smoke in here! This is a [i]waiting[/i] area!"[/B]

Acey looked up at the receptionist who looked praticiulary mortified by his actions. Acey looked around and saw the same expression on people's faces... he sighed and stubbed it out on his jacket.

[B]"I ain't seen no sign."[/B]

[B]"That's because it's common sense..."[/B]

Acey turned his head and raised an eyebrow to the man sat beside him, rather old to say the least and engrossed in his newspaper. When the man looked up to Acey, he flicked his cigarette end at the man. He blinked twice at Acey and did nothing; Acey turned to the receptionist, whose jaw hung open, and snarled at her. She shook her head like she wasn't really bothered and walked away.

Acey fucking hated hospitals and doctors. It was where people came to die, or get told they were going to die, or get told they were just overreacting. It was ridiculous and boring. The speakers called name after name but never his, never 'Andrew' or even 'Acey, can I have an autograph?'.

They waited, everyone in the room, for some time. The man beside him had fallen asleep, obviously on the emergency list as well. The room began to be filled with less and less people, leaving only an old man, his wife and a very nervous looking teenager sat opposite. Acey sighed and looked over at the newspaper bloke, who had a can of coke in his hands. Acey was [i]real[/i] thirsty.

He poked the man and expected nothing of it, perhaps at the very most for the man to spring awake. But Acey jolted back from a strange feeling, like the room had begun to change a little from a millisecond of touch. He glanced around and did it again, this time grasping the man's entire hand.

It was almost too quick for Acey to notice. What was once a dull waiting room had turned into an office party and the room, in fact the entire [i]picture[/i], was brighter than normal day, with a little bit of a Gaussian blur effect to it. As soon a Acey stepped forward it all changed. Faces were on him and the office turned dark, dull, almost creepy, just like Acey would like it to be. The man who even in his dreams held a drink turned to Acey.

[B]"What?"[/b] he asked.

Acey looked at his cup. He wasn't sure what was going on at all, but he knew he still wanted a drink. And he [i]knew[/i] he didn't like this guy.

Immediately after thinking that the man's face turned incredibly green from fear and sickness as he stared down at his hand. Gasps came from around and he clutched his wrist, his fingertips turning blue, then to ice, then falling off with dried blood inbetween like slush. He [i]screamed[/i].

[B]"Andrew Slade, room 6 please."[/B]

Acey jolted away from the man. He looked at him and noticed him twitching, sweating, his face convulsing with obvious fear. There were murmurs across the room from people who had seen Acey; he ignored them and went to his appointment.[/size][/align]

[Akieen Cloud]

[COLOR="Navy"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]It was amazing, free; she was running through an open field, the wind in her face and smell of fresh air flowing through her senses. She stopped and looked around panting and looked at the ground, the grass soft and cool on her...paws? She jumped and looked around, she was a wolf and a beautiful one at that. Large and black, her senses stronger than she could ever remember before and she loved every bit of it. She took off running enjoying the sensation even more now and let her tongue hang out the side of her mouth. She stopped and let out a howl, but something was off; it was so close. She sat straight up as the noise got louder and louder and as her vision cleared from her sleep she saw the small dog that had been following her being drug off by the animal control. Jumping to her feet she rushed forward and grabbed the man's arm.\
"Wait, he's mine, he's been following me around."
"Yeah right, I've seen you both around here enough to know that your both street brats. Neither one of you have a real home and all you do is steal whatever you want and don't give a damn about anything else but saving your own skins."
She felt the bubble in her throat but swallowed it back not knowing what it was and not trusting it.
"He's not hurting anything is he?"
"Well no, but you really think I care? This little mongrel is gonna get put down and than your gonna be left alone."
This time she didn't hold it back, the bubble grew and moved up her throat til it was there, right there and as she watched the over weight, balding man throw the dog into the truck with more force than necessary it exploded from her mouth. A deadly roar of a growl. She bared her teeth in a primal fashion and advanced on the man, he was out of luck this day as the park was empty, it was working and school hours for the city and the park was empty now except for them. She took measured steps forward as he backed up towards the truck.
"What the hell are you?"
"Pissed."
In the back of her mind she registered the prick of what felt like needles as she spoke but it was pushed to the back of her mind as he turned to run and she leaped after him. She never heard him scream and as he hearing and vision cleared from her blood lust she nearly screamed as she looked around and saw that she was in an ambulance and blinked.
"Lay still ma'am. You were attacked by a rabid dog in the park, he killed the animal control and came after you. Your lucky. He only managed to get your arms."
She frowned, that wasn't right...or was it, no. She remembered dimply the dog biting her arms and yelling at her to stop, but she couldn't really hear him at the time, for some reason the blood was pounding in her ears. She studied the memory closely and held in her mortification as she realized it had been her that had attacked him.
"What happened to the man?"
"There was no hope of saving him, the animal had nearly ripped his intestines completely out, poor bastard was still alive when we got there trying to tell us something but all we got out was 'the girl' before he died. Your very lucky."
"And the dog?"
"He was terminated on sight by the police when they got there."
She felt guilt rip at her insides and closed her eyes again, realizing that her sun glasses were still in their proper place. She looked at her arms and saw that they were torn to shreds and sighed as she looked at the ceiling of the ambulance and closed her eyes again. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Zephyr]

[COLOR="DarkRed"]The night-darkened silhouettes of cars blurred past as the motorcycle weaved through traffic at lightning speeds. At the controls was Andrej, grinning like a madman and ready to let out a howl of excitement that even his helmet would be unlikely to contain. At this point he wasn't even sure where he was anymore, as he had decided to just take off in a direction and see where he wound up. It was just the way he liked it. Wild, random, unexpected, and just barely within his control.

A few days back he had actually had a plan. He was going to base jump off of a large cliff in an area now completely distant from his current location. Rumor had it that the spot was one of the best, and worst, to jump from. A real thrill ride. Just one problem with that thought. It seemed that everyone else had gotten the memo as well. By the time Andrej got there numerous others had arrived and were jumping as well. Too many to make it any fun. Why bother with the jump if it was so easy that anyone could do it?

Andrej's thoughts on the subject found themselves abruptly halted by a familiar red-blue light show in his mirrors. [i]Finally, something interesting.[/i] Backing off on the throttle just a hair allowed the police car to make it's way closer to Andrej's bike. When it was just a few car lengths back he kicked the throttle up, and the sporty little crotch-rocket launched itself forward. Even on a normal motorcycle this would have been fun, but Andrej had made a few improvements. Lately he seemed to have a sub-conscious drive to amp up his normal toys in ways he did not even know he knew how to change.

The chase persisted for a good half an hour, with Andrej toying with the officer through a cat and mouse game. After a few more units joined the fun he figured it would be best to make himself invisible for a bit, and worked his way off the highway and back into town. He had no idea where he was, but he did know one thing: it was time for a beer. Stopping off at the first dive bar he could find Andrej approached the bartender, pausing a moment as a news report on TV caught his ear. "... were attacked by a rabid dog in the park this afternoon. The dog was put down by police at the scene, and the young girl was rushed to hospital. Tragically, the animal control offic....."

"Wild dog attacks? Sounds like a rough town." Andrej half-laughed and muttered something to himself in his native tongue before turning back to the bar. "Give me a glass of the worst tasting shit you've to on tab, ja?"[/COLOR]

[Mykul]

Nico sat at the bar of the dingy tavern, draining his glass and thinking of everything that had transpired in the past months.

It had taken him all of one day to decide that he needed to track down Kai Gabriel. Some unknown, powerful force compelled him to seek out the musician. So, taking nothing with him but money, clothes, and a pair of sunglasses to hide his new ocular abnormality, Nico left his sunny paradise and arrived in the city.

As soon as Nico had purchased a small city apartment, he retrieved a phone book and began to search for the name Gabriel. He called, but there was no answer. Feeling more and more uneasy, he left a hasty message and hung up.

Nico scribbled down Gabriel's address, and was ready to leave in search of the man to whom he was mysteriously drawn, but suddenly stopped. He didn't know how or why, but Nico suddenly knew that what he was doing was [I]wrong.[/I]

[I]He has to find...me. And I...have to be ready.[/I]

These words rang in his mind as purest truth, even though they toed the line of nonsense. What did he have to be ready for? Who was this Kai Gabriel, anyway, and why did Nico feel this urge to seek him out?

And so Nico sat at the bar, drinking, waiting. He had not deviated from his routine for the last several days: explore the town, go home, check to see if Kai had called, sleep, repeat. He glanced at his watch and decided it was time to go.

He payed and thanked the bartender, who grunted in reply. Despite all the weirdness of this city, apparently people who wore sunglasses indoors at night were thought to be transients.

Nico walked out into the night air, orienting himself in the direction of his new home. After a quarter mile of trekking, a sudden, frightening feeling made Nico stop in the middle of the street. His heart was pounding in his chest. He glanced up and down the deserted thoroughfare, as if some unseen assailant was waiting to pounce on him from the shadows.

A restaurant door opened fifty yards down the street, and Nico's head snapped around. Emerging from the burger joint were two young people; one a pretty girl and the other a solid-looking boy with shoulder-length golden hair hidden by a cap. Nico could hear their conversation from where he stood.

[B]I know, Caleb, I know. But do try to come down then, ok?[/B]

But the boy didn't answer. He had stopped in the middle of the street and stood rigid, staring straight at Nico. Slowly yet determined, as if diabolically curious, the boy started towards Nico. The girl with whom he had exited the restaurant looked terrified.

Every particle in Nico's body was screaming: Flee! But it was too late. The young man let out a snarl and broke into a run, teeth bared and fingers flexed like claws. Now Nico could see his face; thick skin and his abnormally sharp teeth.

Nico yelled, held up his hands, and concentrated with all his might. He still didn't understand the nature of his new, strange ability, but over a short time he [I]had[/I] learned some control.

The new strangeness didn't fail him.

A brilliant flash bathed the street in light. Nico saw keenly and naturally through the brightness. The young man had fallen to the ground, hands over his face, and was thrashing blindly. With all the speed he could muster, Nico ran, not daring to look back for his unknown attacker.

[B]OOC:[/B] Hope you don't mind me giving you a cameo, Mr. 10. Feel free to treat it like it never happened.

[Drizzt Do'urden]

After taking a roundabout way back to his shack Koda quickly showered and washed the blood off of his clothes, and began once again making his way down the long road to the city.

He cringed when he again smelled the cow, the scent growing all the more potent now that the cow was...in pieces.

Rounding the corner Koda stopped when he saw the farmer standing over the cow in disbelief. Then, calming himself Koda continued his walking, calling to the farmer when he got within earshot. "Hey Earl...what the heck happened here?"

Earl had always been friendly to Koda, ever since his wife passed away it seemed he reached out to the man more and more. Trying to fill the void that 40 years of marriage had left, "I can't explain it. Whatever did this did a good job covering its tracks. Damn wolves...you make sure you be carefull and get your carcass inside before dark." Earl nodded a good day and began examining the bovine cadavar once again.

Upon entering the city Koda felt his neck prickle up, it was as if he'd wondered into downtown Baghdad again...someone or something was here to hurt him. Someone or something needed to be hurt...

A low growl erupted from Koda's throat, the same animalistic growl he'd heard himself give when he first lunged at the cow. There would be blood spilt by the end of the day...some would be his.

[Akieen Cloud]

[COLOR="Navy"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Irin walked through the hall looking for an open window to climb out of; she was in no mood to try and come up with a story and having no real address made being in a hospital slightly difficult. She looked into room after room and shook her head. Still no luck but just as she was about to give up hope and just walk out the front door she saw a nurse emerge from the room ahead of her talking to the patient inside.
"Please stay here while I go and get the doctor."
The nurse came out looking some what nervous and turned the corner going the other direction from Irin, thankfully. She bent low and slowly made her way forward, the smell of cigarettes assaulted her nose unlike anything she had ever smelt before. She covered her nose and instead of going through the room to get out the window she tried to walk past to find another room but as she did something pulled her to look into the room. She saw no one at first and than with an unknown growl she jumped back and into a defensive stance as the young man came from behind the door.
"Who the hell are you? My doctor?"
He smelt strongly of cigarettes, and he looked harmless enough but something told her to be wary of him, underneath all the smoke and other smells coming off him she smelt danger, like an animal knows where something dangerous is she knew to stay away. She backed away from his door and opted for her front door method as before and walked out with a group of people, she shook her head trying to rid her self of the image of the young man. He was strange but every time she imagined his face in her mind she felt and need to defend her self and felt her lips curl back over her teeth in a feral snarl. Luckily she was holding her head down so no one would notice. She didn't pay attention to where she was going and noticed the smell of the city was slowly dissipating and she was smelling more and more of the country side on the out side of the smog and pollution. She looked up from her feet to see where she was and stopped in her tracks as the wind blew in her face. She had caught the scent of something, or someone that intrigued her, which didn't happen often for her. She looked around trying to find the source; it was different yet familiar all at once. She continued to look through the crowd as she walked when not paying attention her face was suddenly buried in the chest of a large, beast like, man. The smell was from him!
"I'm so sorry, I was distracted; please forgive me."
She took two steps back and looked up to see him giving her a strange look.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[GothikMoon]

[I]Pounding music echoed throughout the old storage house. It's basement filled with drunken adolescents raving violently whilst deafening themselves with the horrid misconception of a new generations idea of so-called music. Their bodies moved awkwardly with each other, simulating a wild seizure of what they call dancing nowadays. Personally it disgusted me...yet I continued to return there night after night. My own body and mind just as bit as consumed by impure human nature as everyone else. The only difference was...I had an alternative purpose then those peons. While I was working, they were lazing about, throwing themselves at each other like uncontrollable horny beasts...I on the other hand, had a very important job...[/I]

Shoving her way through the crowd of sweaty teens, Emilia made her way to the top of the rusting metal staircase. Never keeping her sight from the men in suits ahead of her, or the man they were dragging. Entering a vacant room, she slammed the door behind her and removed a shapely dagger from under her leather jacket. Glancing to the man beside her, she pointed towards a chair near a rotting desk.

" Tie him up...and hurry." She twisted the blade into her index finger as she walked towards the frightened man. "What a pity Leo. I was really hoping you would come through for me, but I suppose you were more interested in helping your friends."

"N...no..it wasn't like that. I had no choice, they said..."

"No choice! Did you actually think the fucking cops would protect you from me? I own those men! Tell me...what do you fear?" Angrily backhanding him, Emilia stuck the dagger to his throat. " Aw...don't whimper like that Leo. It's pathetic...plus, I'm not going to kill you."

Leo looked up hesitantly. "Your not?"

Slipping the dagger back into her coat, she replied. " Of course not. Your not dealing with my father remember? Why would I kill someone who could be a valuable asset to me? He always regretted that you know. Now...apologize."

"Oh thank you Miss Giovonii. Thank you so much...you won't regret it. I promise."

"Release him." Smirking evilly, she turned around and unsheathed her dagger once more. "By the way Leo...you weren't one of those that were valuable to me..." Briskly spinning around, the dagger flew from her hand, abrubptly protruding into the man's skull. She pulled the crimson stained blade from Leo's brain, and chuckled softly. " Dump that disgusting thing into the peer."

One of the guards laughed and starred at her amazed. " You used to be so innocent. Now look at you."

Smiling sweetly she kissed his cheek and wrapped her hand around his arm. " Innocent? Ha! Your idiocy astounds me sometimes J, but your cute so it's ok." Smirking wildly, her ruby eyes gleamed over the crowd below.

[Orcus]

[FONT="Book Antiqua"]Cale roared furiously on the ground, attempting desperately to shield his eyes from the terrible light that had flooded the area. He felt as if his eyes would rupture should even a little light leak in through his eyelids. What kind of source could produce this light? Had? Had that man done it? Luckily, Cale could feel the light dimming, and eventually it was gone altogether. He slowly opened his eyes, allowing the world to readjust and fall back into place. He gasped slightly when he noticed Flo had her arms around him, and had buried her face into his chest. Her tense posture denoted that she hadn?t grabbed him just to block out the light?. But also to keep him from losing his mind again.

Cale?s thoughts inundated his mind once the pain from the light subsided entirely. Who had that man been? Why had Cale been completely and entirely possessed by the urge to attack that man? Or even worse, would he have stopped simply at attacking the man? He clenched his jaw at the thought. The last thing he wanted was to hurt someone?then why, why was he unable to stop himself? Flo stirred against his chest, drawing away his attention. He nuzzled her lightly and spoke.

[B]?It?s okay, sweetheart. The light?s gone.?[/B] She looked up at him, and he could see the intense fear in her eyes. He almost cried knowing that that fear was not for the seemingly divine light that man conjured out of thin air, but for the savagery Cale had just displayed. The pain in his heart almost convinced him to stand up and flee back into the mountains, but he knew he couldn?t. He needed to take Flo home, he needed to speak with her, and he needed to find out just who that man was?. He kissed Flo?s forehead lightly and stood up, lifting her in his arms simultaneously.

[B]?Let?s get back to your apartment, yes??[/B] Flo smiled lightly and nodded, giving Cale the directions her car. When they approached it, Cale could easily still feel the fear coursing through Flo, and thought it best that he drove, despite his relative disdain for driving. He drove them home as quickly as he could. Once in her apartment, Flo decided she would take a shower to calm her nerves, leaving Cale in the living room to think some more.

Cale, despite his natural aggressiveness and anger, had always been able to hold these feelings back for the good of others. He was adamant about holding himself at bay and only attacking or striking another only when absolutely necessary. He had only ever really hurt one man, his father?his face contorted into a snarl at that thought?and he had deserved it. But that innocent man who had treaded across the street, nowhere near him? That innocent man whose scent had sent Cale immediately into a state of panic and self defense?

[B]?What the hell was that all about??[/B] Cale pushed his face into his hands and sighed heavily. What was the worst about the whole situation was he could still smell the man, and could not deny that he felt tempted to track him down and apologize?. Of course, that was if he could keep from eating the man long enough to apologize. Cale pulled his face from his hands and sprung up, walking over to Flo?s room. He heard the shower turn off a minute ago, so he knew she would at least be in a towel by now, and thus would be able to talk. He raised his hand to knock on her door, but she opened it before he had to. He smirked and kissed her softly.

[B]?Am I that predictable??[/B] She laughed and shook her head no.

[B]?I would say yes but I?m not so sure after this afternoon. Agreeing to stay and attacking a stranger aren?t things I?d normally expect from you.?[/B] She giggled again after that. Cale sighed lightly and smiled. The fact that she was joking about it meant that her initial shock had worn off, and now she was only interested in helping him past what had happened. She led him to the bed and sat next to him, then leaned over and rested her head against his shoulder. Cale began talking first.

[B]?I dunno what happened down there? It was as if the scent of that gut triggered all of my self defense mechanisms. I felt like I needed to attack him before he could attack me? Though now that my head is clear, I don?t remember smelling any mal-intent on him.?[/B] Flo bit her lip and thought about what Cale had said. He didn?t expect her to understand, exactly?she wasn?t Baal, like him, so she didn?t understand the much more animalistic abilities he could utilize. Flo took another moment, then suddenly her eyes widened. She opened her mouth and began speaking slowly, as if still piecing the thought together.

[B]?Well? Your instincts would tell you if something dangerous was approaching, right??[/B] Cale smiled lightly and nodded.

[B]?More or less.? [/B]

[B]?Well, that man you attacked? You were almost right on top of him when that light filled the streets, yeah??[/B]

[B]?Yeah. I almost had my claws on him, I believe?Wait, are you suggesting that he was the source of the light??[/B] Flo nodded and put her hand on his leg.

[B]?Think about it! I don?t much understand your abilities, but I know that your ability to sense other?s feelings and predict other?s actions is extraordinary. What if you could feel that power inside of him, and it frightened you??[/B] Cale?s frowned at what Flo said. Why hadn?t he thought of that? It made sense that if he had special abilities for his clan, that somebody might have similar abilities pertaining to their own. Cale jumped up at the thought, surprising Flo again. She grabbed his hand nervously.

[B]?Cale, Cale what?s wrong??[/B] He looked at her, his eyes as red as she had ever seen them.

[B]?I have to find him. I can?t tell you why, but I have to.?[/B] He spun on his heel and headed for the door, but Flo kept her grip on his hand firm.

[B]?What if the same thing that happened earlier happens again? I know you?ll be expecting it, but can you control yourself??[/B] Cale shrugged and pulled away from Flo.

[B]?I won?t know until I see him. If I feel there?s a chance I can?t, I?ll come back.?[/B] Flo stood up and walked towards him. She grabbed the zipper on his jacket and played with it in silence for about a minute before she spoke again.

[B]?What if? what if he had more powers? What if? you get hurt??[/B] Cale grabbed her arms and shook her lightly, prompting her to look back into his eyes. Though they were still vibrantly blood red, they appeared softer now. He could feel her worry slipping away as confidence slowly replaced it. Cale had to keep from showing his pride at what he had just done. He had always theorized that his ability would allow him to influence another?s emotions?now he had proof. With her fear pushed aside, Flo?s demeanor changed immediately; she let go of Cale?s zipper and placed her hands atop his, then nodded.

[B]?Come back soon, Cale. Do whatever it takes, okay??[/B] Cale nodded and burst out of her apartment, sprinting back in the direction the encounter had taken place. He was going to find that man, and he was going to ask him what he knew about their special abilities. Regardless of how much time it took to find him, Cale wouldn?t stop until that man told him what he wanted to know. Cale was a hunter, and that man had just become the prey.[/FONT]

[SIZE="1"][B]OOC[/B]: Ugh, that post was atrocious... Anyways, thank you for the Cameo, Mykul. It helped me direct my post. :][/SIZE]

[DeLarge]

[FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]After aun uneasy, sleepless night, Kai sat cross-legged on the floor of his apartment, an ice-cold bottle of beer sat no more than a foot away from him, his bass sitting across his lap, wires running over the floor around him. One lead ran from the output socket on the bottom of the instrument into the input socket on the amp, and a second lead ran from the output socket of the amp to the pair of chunky cans that were clamped over Kai's ears. He plucked idly at the strings, the fingers of his left hand flying over the fretboard, pressing down and releasing in time with his plucks.

He had listened to the ever-so-slightly creepy answerphone message more than a dozen times, running the details over and over in his head, trying to silence the echoing voice that now rumbled around his mind. After the fifteenth time, he switched his mineral water for beer, and decided to try and write a new song to distract himself.

But no matter how hard he concentrated on the strings, on the heavy wood of the instrument, on the music theory he knew was stored in his mind, he couldn't drown out that single, repeated word.

[I]Chronus...Chronus...Chronus...

[/I]After half an hour of playing, he placed the instrument back on the stand, tore his headphones off and switched the amp off. Grabbing his beer and standing up, he stormed over to the kitchen. He thumped the play button on his answer machine once more, placed his beer down on the counter, and began rummaging around in the cupboards to try and find his phone book.

[B]"...give me a call when you get this message. Thanks, bye." [/B]As the beep sounded, Kai finally laid his hands on the thick, dusty volume, which he yanked out of the cupboard, ignoring the pots and pans that fell to the floor as he did, and slammed it on the counter, a cloud of dust billowing out from under it as he did.

He flicked through the book as quickly as he could, his eyes scanning down the page until he found the number for a Nico Stanley. Luckily, it didn't seem to be a common name, and there was only one listed. He ran his finger along the page to the number, grabbed the phone and punched the digits in.

He picked up the phone as he held the receiver to his ear, and carried it into his practice area. It rang five or six times before it clicked over onto the machine. He listened to the pre-recorded message, then plucked up the courage to leave his own.

[B]"Nico Stanley? This is Kai Gabriel. You left a message on my machine earlier today, about the news report. If you want to meet, there's a bar on the corner of Garrison and Fifth called Cad's. I'll be there in..." [/B]he glanced at his watch[B] "...two hours, that means twelve thirty. If you're there I'll talk to you then. Have you...no, never mind. Bye." [/B]He replaced the receiver and dropped the phone back onto the counter, rubbing his eyes. He was tempted to ask whether Stanley knew what "Chronus" was, but there was every chance that he was just a reporter looking to dig up some dirt on the band.

He wasn't sure, though. Something in the man's voice suggested that he [I]needed[/I] to talk to him, rather than just wanting to. Plus, as soon as he heard Stanley's voice, that word had started echoing in his mind. As crazy as it sounded, he felt some kind of connection this stranger, something deeper than just a desire to meet.

Perhaps, through a simple meeting, he could ascertain what was happening to him - his eyes, the strange ability he seemed to have developed, and now the discomfort he was feeling in his shoulders.

Groaning and massasging his shoulders, Kai headed to the bathroom, stripping his white vest off and turning to look at his back in the mirror.

There were strange red lines of pain running down his shoulderblades, looking like the beginnings of an open wound, or long, thin burn marks. As he touched them with his fingertips, they throbbed.

He grunted in discomfort and grabbed a tube of antiseptic cream from the mirrored bathroom cupboard above the sink, and smeared some of the cooling white ointment on the marks. The discomfort settled almost instantly, and he closed his eyes, breathing out through his nose.

He splashed his face with water, pulled his vest back on and slung his jacket over it. Pulling on his boots and zipping them up at the sides, he headed out of his apartment.

---

Thirty minutes later, he sat in a cubicle in Cad's bar, sipping a Coke, his sunglasses over his eyes even in the dingy underground bar. Every few minutes the door swung open, a bell clanging as it did, and Kai's attention snapped to the door. After the first few looks, he realised it was redundant, as he had no idea what this man looked like.

[B]"Kai Gabriel?" [/B]came a voice from the front of the cubicle as Kai was sinking deeper into his own thoughts, [B]"My name is Nico Stanley." [/B]Kai looked up, and saw a young, lithe man, who looked as though he spent a lot of time in the sun. However, the most remarkable thing about this man was that he, like Kai, was wearing sunglasses indoors.

[B]"Fuck me," [/B]Kai gasped under his breath. This was too much coincidence for one day...
[/FONT]

[Mykul]

[B]"May I join you?"[/B]

Kai hesitated only a moment. [B]"Yeah- yeah of course."[/B] He motioned for Nico to sit opposite him, and he did so. [B]"Can I get you anything?"[/B]

Nico chuckled. [B]"No thanks, I'm not much of a drinker."[/B] Nico paused, wondering where to begin. He faced the task of explaining to a complete stranger that he had tracked him down for no good reason besides a strange instinct.

As he was thinking, Nico was studying Kai from the corner of his eye. What seemed most odd was the fact that he, like Nico, was wearing sunglasses at this hour and indoors. This gave Nico an idea.

He reached up and removed the shades from his face. Kai froze, shock apparent on the portions of his countenance that were not hidden behind his mirrored aviators. Slowly and with purpose, Kai exposed his own eyes.

Nico let out a breath and leaned heavily against the back of his chair. Staring at him from the other side of the table was a pair of crimson eyes, exactly like the ones that had been greeting him in his mirror for weeks.

[I]Well,[/I] Nico thought. [I]At least now I know why I felt such an urge to find him.[/I] It was obvious that he and Kai were somehow connected; somehow united through this abnormality.

[B]"Has... has anything strange been happening to you lately?"[/B] Kai asked hesitantly. Nico raised his eyebrows. [B]"I mean, besides the red eyes, that is."[/B] Kai added.

They both laughed, and Nico felt the fear and uncertainty he had been feeling over the past weeks slowly drain away. It was as if he had been reunited with an old, good friend after many years of separation.

[B]Yeah. Check this out,"[/B] Nico said. He reached across the table and wrapped both of his hands around Kai's glass of coke. [B]"Ready?"[/B]

Kai looked up at him, puzzled. The next second, Nico illuminated the glass, making it appear as if a 60 watt bulb had been placed inside the amber liquid. Kai gasped slightly. Grinning, Nico cut the light and withdrew his hands, glancing around to make sure no patrons had seen this display.

[B]"Pretty crazy, huh?"[/B]

Until this very minute, Nico's new powers and eye color had frightened him. Now, in the presence of Kai, these fears and doubts were completely forgotten, replaced with excitement.

Kai's face was full of bewilderment at the meeting's events thus far. [B]"I've got a trick of my own,"[/B] he said, lowering his voice. [B]"But I'm not sure I can show you here...it's not very discrete...[/B]

[B]"It's late. I bet an empty street won't be too hard to find,"[/B] Nico suggested.

Kai readily agreed. He signaled the barmaid, paid for his drink, and the two men exited the establishment.

They walked in search of an uninhabited street, talking amiably. Nico told Kai about the sunny paradise from which he had ventured, and Kai in turn described his life as a musician. It suddenly occurred to Nico that there was something very important that he should mention to his companion. He told Kai the story of his ferocious attacker.

When Nico finished his tale, Kai was visibly worried. [B]"You say he moved like an animal. Was there anything else strange about him?[/B]

Nico nodded solemnly. [B]"It happened so quickly...I'm not sure, but I think he had eyes like ours."[/B]

[B]"But you were able to blind him and get away?"[/B]

[B]"Yeah. I jetted out of there. Man, my shoulders are killing me,"[/B] Nico said as he attempted to stretch his scapulae.

[B]"So are mine!"[/B] Said Kai, now utterly perplexed at the seemingly endless stream of coincidences. [B]"This just keeps getting weirder and weirder."[/B]

Minutes later, they arrived on a block that was perfect for their needs. Nico took a step back from Kai, bowing slightly. [B]"Maestro."[/B]

[Drizzt Do'urden]

Koda had been scanning the area for whatever it was that smelled of danger when the girl bumped into him. She was smaller then him, seemed to be a similar age, but there was something about her that seemed...familiar.

"I'm so sorry, I was distracted. Please forgive me." Her voice was sweet, but there was something lurking inside that Koda could hear...or feel.

He found himself staring at her, and when he camed to his senses a bit he immediately felt embarassed by his behavior. "I apologize, I'm a bit distracted myself," deciding he was to intrigued to resist he kept going, "do I know you from somewhere?"

The look in her eyes seemed to scream "YES I know EXACTALLY who you are" though the tone in her voice was questionable as his was. "No...no I believe I was mistaken" he said before she had a chance to answer.

Suddenly Koda felt a sharp pain in his head, the smell of blood. The smell was so potent it was impossible to pinpoint it, but somewhere close by it had to be. He found himself grabbing at his head.

Then the voices hit...something called to him. "Baal wake up Baal..." Was that what this smell was... no...wait was he Baal?

As if out of the blue the smell of blood left as quickly as it came, though a faint hint of it still brushed the air. Looking at the girl he squinted through the tears the smell brought with it, he looked at her and then out into the streets. Then a voice that sounded so much like a growl then speaking came from him..."Sin is near..."

[Vicky]

[size=1]Acey clicked his tongue after being disturbed by some odd person on his way to the doctor's door. He shoved his hands in his pockets and went to room 6, knocking loudly.

[B]"Yes?"[/B]

He bounded in. He didn't poke his head in timidly, instead he presented himself by flinging the door open and strolling in. He threw himself down on the chair, one hand over the back, giving half a grin.

The young Asian doctor looked at him and cleared her throat, placing her pen down. When Acey didn't say anything, she asked.

[B]"What can I do for you?"[/b] she said. Acey took off his sunglasses. [B]"Oh, I see. Well, let's take a look."[/B]

She shined lights in his eyes and inspected all around his face. She took blood samples, just in case, and asked him a lot of questions that he barely answered. She checked through the computer at all kinds of diseases and causes, checking back at the paper, then back at Acey. She tried as hard as she could but she didn't know.

[B]"I'm going to prescribe you something. If your eye colour doesn't return within the next two weeks I want you to come back here."[/b]

[B]"So you don't know what's wrong with me?"[/B]

[B]"At the moment, no."[/B]

Acey felt angry. His jaw automatically clenched and the first thing that came to mind was that he didn't want to stay there - when the doctor handed him the prescription he snatched it, ripped it up and walked away.

[B]"Some fuckin' help you are!"[/B]

He faintly heard her calling after him but he paid no attention. He stormed out of the doctors with most eyes on him, but he didn't really give a damn. He took off in search of more cigarettes.[/size]

---

[I][SIZE=1]OOC: We'll start the next chapter shortly. Also, anyone interested in making clan pictures with names on (without the original aliens in them), drop me a line or post so in the backstage because my computer with the images on had a hard drive fail. Har bloody har, someone hates me...[/i][/size]

[DeLarge]

[FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode][B]"Maestro," [/B][/FONT][FONT=Lucida Sans Unicode]said Nico with a bow, taking a step back from Kai on the deserted street. Kai shifted his feet a little, taking a deep breath as he did. He made sure he wasn't about to destroy anything, and rubbed his hands together, blowing on them as if to give them good luck.

[B]"I'd take a couple more steps back if I were you," [/B]Kai suggested, and Nico, with an obliging nod, did as he said. Kai closed his lids over his crimson eyes, brought his shoulders back so his hands were as far apart as possible, and, with a concerted effort, brought them together, palms splayed, in an almighty clap.

The effect was instantaneous - a wall of sonic energy rumbled down the street, bulbs smashing in streetlights, car alarms wailing, and long, fine cracks appearing in the concrete of the street. Kai looked shocked at the magnitude of what he had just done, but nowhere near as shocked as Nico did.

[B]"I wasn't expecting that to happen..." [/B]Kai said, turning to Nico with a slightly sheepish grin on his face, [B]"...I guess I can't control it too well right now."

"That was incredible," [/B]Nico gasped, the power that Kai had just displayed apparently stunning him.

[B]"It was," [/B]said Kai, [B]"But I think we'd better get out of here, quickly."

"Why's that?"

"Because I hear sirens!"

[/B]Nico listened to the wind for a second, before recognising police sirens and nodding to Kai. Both men ran as fast as they could away from the scene of the crime, back towards Kai's apartment.

---

[B]"Nice place," [/B]Nico said as Kai handed him a beer, [B]"Little smaller than I was expecting."

"Well, the band's not doing as well as you might think," [/B]replied Kai, levering the cap off his own bottle, [B]"Blowing up a PA system tends to leave you somewhat of a pariah in the music circuit."

"So do you think that was something to do with what's happening to us?"

"Could be. I mean, it was definitely sonic energy that ruined that gig - it's too much coincidence to assume that it was something different."

"There seems to be a lot of coincidence following us around," [/B]said Nico, taking a sip of his beer, retreating into thoughtful silence.

[B]"True," [/B]said Kai, plucking up the courage to ask the big question, [B]"Can I ask you something?"

"I think you already have," [/B]replied Nico with a laugh, which Kai reciprocated.

[B]"Something else. Does the word "Chronus" mean anything to you...?"[/B]
[/FONT]

[Akieen Cloud]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"][COLOR="Navy"]Irin had managed to pull the young man she had run into towards a small cafe' left of them, sitting down she looked at him through her sunglasses and took a deep breath. He looked at her and put his chin in his hand.
"Is there something I can help you with?"
"Back there, you said 'Sin is near...' what does that mean exactly?"
He looked out the window not answering.
"Look will you just give me an answer."
"And why should I do that?"
She snatched her glasses off showing him her blood red eyes and let out a small growl. He blinked in surprise.
"Yeah, I get that alot, you smell faintly of blood by the way, you might want to take a longer shower next time."
He blinked again as she took a sip of the water that was set in front of her and sat it back down again.
"So, I think it's about time we both start talking, what do you think?"
She linked her fingers together and put her chin on top of them looking at him and smiling sweetly.[/COLOR]

sorry for the short post, I'm trying to get back into the groove of things again, my husband just left friday so I'm out of it. Forgive me.[/FONT]