Night of the Full Moon (Plot Thread)

[Mystic Serenade]

(Plot thread, open to everyone but mostly directed at living world characters. Hollows and Shinigami beware)

It was a normal night, same as most. A man sits alone at the park on one of the many benches that lay around the perimeter of the central area. He stares up at the shining moon, feeling somewhat depressed that its brilliance must be to a degree lessened by the multiple shining lights of the surrounding city in which this park was located.

It was a bit chilly, yet he felt no real need to zip up the coat he wore. The fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt at the moment didn't entirely help the situation either. At the moment though he was content enough, staring up at the beautiful sphere above him that he could ignore the slight discomfort. He would enjoy the view and occupy himself with his thoughts while he could, for he didn't plan on being alone the entirety of this night.

[blackluster]

Sano yawned as he strolled the streets. Even though he was tired, he didn't feel like sleeping. Being an insomniac wasn't something that bothered him. It's not like his body could grow weak from such a simple thing as lack of sleep. He often walked around aimlessly, just observing the city and its people.

Down the street from him was an empty park. Before reaching it though, he stopped to urinate on a nearby store front. He often did things like this. Long life had left him jaded (even though he appeared to be in his mid 20's) and he seldom really cared for things like decent or lawful social behaviour. The street was empty and nature was calling. He watched the rising steam vacantly, and continued the movement of his head till he was looking at the moon above.

"There's no way monsters and witches would stay at home on a night like this..."

[Mystic Serenade]

The man viewed the act of public indecency from his seat on the park bench though it was quite the distance away. One of the benefits of having a heightened sense of sight and what not, though he didn't particularly use it to view these sorts of acts. It was true that what he just saw was a bit crude, but he had seen worse in life.

Plus he could sense the man in the distance was of a special sort, and not because of what he just did. He would have to go to him if he had to in order to accomplish what he planned earlier on, but hopefully the man would continue straight on his path and come to him instead. For he was quite comfortable in his current position.

[blackluster]

Having completed his rendition of a smiley face on the wall, Sano continued on his way. He stopped at various stores along the street, looking into the windows at things he couldn't really afford. Well, he could, but it was complicated...

He yawned again and glanced over at the park. The only person around seemed to be a man sitting by himself. He had a certain energy, but Sano had reached the point where he immediately disenaged himself from anything human looking. Besides, he wasn't hungry. He continued down the street staggering somewhat. A couple walking up the street discretely crossed the road to avoid him.

[Mystic Serenade]

The man sighed, it looked like he would actually have to get up and walk now. He took one last look at the moon, he would have to redirect his attention for the moment. Begrudgingly lifting himself up from the bench, he then walked over to the fellow he was previously watching.

Though, his definition of walking was to almost instantaneously flash right next to the man.

He threw his arm over the fellow's shoulder, "Excuse me, but there is something about you that interests me."

[Kolbertt]

Arielle was in a rush, her odd habit of going for long walks had taken control of her for TOO long - Hell, it even felt like a millenium since she had done anything else other than walk. But now, she was running, her totally big and unmissable umbrella swung around as she moved.

However, her jogging would be interrupted because of unforseen events... first of all, she gave a close turn around the corner and almost fainted as she approached a man with a distinctivelly strong odor, like an unbathed dog gone wild- The urge to "Wash" him with a strong jet of water was strong, but the need to get home before Mom discovered she was late was stronger.

But then, a voice in her head yelled "STOP!", Lero had awoken...

"Arielle, beware... don't give a single step forward... I feel... that man over there... he's dangerous"

"What? stinko over here?!" She said outloud as she pointed the foul smelled fellow.
"Yeah, he smells dangerously bad, but he's not a real threat (At least not compared to angry Mum...) --- AH!!"

She screamed as suddenly, an odd fellow appeared next to the man - Handling her umbrella with two hands, Arielle prepared to soak them into oblivion

[Dizzy]

I'd decided to go on a walk; cloud cover obscured the view of the sky from my balcony, and I wanted to enjoy the full moon. A quick round of the park - enough to get my fill of the winter sky and some of the local flora - is all I plan to have before returning to the brothel.

I set out from my door, stepping gingerly over the puddles of who-knows-what and some old newspapers lying discarded over the sidewalk, until I arrive at the nearby park. It's a nice one, well-kept and home to one of the finest fountains you'll find in the city. The night is quiet, with hardly even a breeze to ripple the air. It's almost eerie how still it is here.

I turn around the corner, entering the central area of the park - not quite at the fountain, but past the gardens and hedges. It's a flat surface of pavement, with benches resting atop it for visitor convenience and streetlamps pouting rays of light down from their perches. It mixes in well with the darkness, creating the soothing and dusky effect I know all too well. I lift my head to gaze into its light and raise my arms to stretch a little bit, and my shadow follows my movement from eight feet away. Apart from a single man sitting on a distant bench, it appears I have my solitude for the moment. Just a girl and her shadow, stalking the night.

Suddenly, movement! It catches me off-guard, and I nearly jump up in surprise. The man vanishes, seemingly into thin air - either that or he had to move extremely quickly. Luckily, I'm accustomed to the supernatural by now. Collecting my slightly frayed nerves, I amble over closer, eyes searching for his new location. Already, my skills in clairvoyance look like they need some work.

An abrupt scream, sounding like that of a young girl, zaps its way into my head like a defibrillator. I do jump this time, heart pounding furiously. I follow the sound, racing forwards to find out what happened, and as I approach the scene, I can make out the man in the distance, hand on the shoulder of some filthy miscreant, and the little girl a ways away, pointing her umbrella at the pair as if it were a gun. A stranger sight I have yet to see.

Now, once I start to think about it, I'm not entirely sure what it was that drew me over to the park. Sure, it looks nice and all, but the sights are far more impressive when viewed under daylight. The solitude is nice compared to the hubbub of morning strolls through here, but it's compensated for by the added dangers of any jaunt at night. The streetlamps obscure the view of the sky as well. There is no discernible reason that I should've come by if I'd been thinking straight. It almost feels as if I was led here by some supernatural force, a Pied Piper for entirely random assortments of people.

And the man from the bench looks to be the piper. Let's stay awhile and find out what's up, shall we?

[blackluster]

Sano nodded jokingly at the couple who had avoided him. He snickered as they increased their pace until they were out of view. He rifled through his pocket, causing the small change inside it to make a pleasant jingling sound which carried in the cold air.

Perhaps I should get some coffee before calling it the night, but where...

As he approached a nearby adjoining street, a young woman rounded the corner. Her visible repulsion at Sano's appearance was expected, though even he was surprised by her very loud exclamation about his body odour. Even more surprising was the appearance of someone at his side, though in truth, Sano had half expected it. He knew that the world of the night held many people that had energy, but were not of the dead. Since their intentions were never clear to Sano, he always just avoided them.

Why the hell is it so busy all of a sudden...

With a thought Sano completely altered his scent to the smell of a concrete wall on a rainy day. One of the tricks he'd learnt over the years. His stinking scent worked well to keep people away from him while he wanted solitude as he walked. It seemed tonight though, that there were some weird people around.

"Is that better young miss?" he asked in his rasping voice.

With that he turned his body to face the man at his side, bringing his eyes directly in front of the stranger's.

"You're quite a dashing guy, pulling a stunt like that in public, " said Sano in a lowered voice. "If it were just me around, that would have been fine, but ...."

He motioned with his eyes at the girl behind him, and a figure off in the distance behind the stranger.

"Don't go making life difficult for us ..."

[Mystic Serenade]

The man chuckled a bit, "Ah don't worry about them, I am actually quite glad those two are here." He gave the individual at his side a quick pat on the back before stepping forward to face the frightened girl who pointed her umbrella at them oh so threateningly. "Because you know, they'll just make things so much more interesting tonight."

He used his finger to push the end of the umbrella downward while he addressed the girl with a smile, "Please be careful with who you go around pointing that thing at though will you dear."

Taking a few steps forward past the young umbrella wielder, he spoke again however now adopting a more serious tone. "But you know, it is quite unfortunate, that you wish life not to be so difficult. Cause you see," he stared up at the moon again, "I plan to make this night one of the most difficult nights of your life."

"For all three of you," he said with a raised voice to make sure that the stranger further back would most definitely know her presence was known.

[Kolbertt]

"The three of you..."

Arielle pondered this words in her mind... "That only means... there's a third one just behind me... CRAP"
This was all speculation, as she was too worried (Or scared) to turn her back on the Freak and Stinko - Talking of which, his smell had turned surprisingly pleasent in just a blink "That's one hell of a perfume!".

However, what scared her the most, was Lero's sudden silence. It was known for talking non-stop, yet, in the presence of this man, it remained silent.

Pointing her umbrella at the faces of their enemies was an ill-planned move born from fear and surprise. Luckily, she still had her abilities hidden under her sleeve. She layed down her weapon and concentrated in it... A small puddle appeared as water poured from the tip of her umbrella, If any one of them tried to make a surprise move on her, they'd end up wet to the bone.

"You know, I'm not really allowed to talk to strangers... Specially stinky or barely dressed ones - But know of this, I've got OC right here, and won't doubt to use it!"

[blackluster]

"You plan to make things difficult for us?" Sano said rubbing his chin slowly. "How is it you plan on doing that?"

Sano could not sense anyone else or any other traps nearby, though his senses were nothing like they were if he transformed. He opted to wait though, since transforming here and now might not be the best idea. The young woman was already on edge, and the way a curious puddle of water seemed to react to her meant that she wasn't as helpless as she first looked.

There are still too many unknowns here...

[Dizzy]

Damn, guess I've been spotted. Could've sworn I stayed out of the lights and didn't make a sound, but I suppose I'm not very sneaky tonight. Well, what's done is done ... I might as well reveal myself to the other two.

I step closer and into the light, maybe myself entirely visible to everybody in the vicinity. I shiver a bit, though I don't think it has anything to do with nerves; my combination of faded jeans and a black sweater is beginning to feel like it isn't quite warm enough for this time of night. Still, considering the man from the bench's bare-chestedness, it seems a bit stupid to complain to myself.

So why would this random man have brought us all together? It's an enigma to me. A dirty-looking man with the air of being from the streets, a random little girl carrying an umbrella, and myself. A strange group any way you look at it. Although ... both of these men also seem strangely wise beyond their years ... especially considering how they look like a street punk and a hobo. The girl just produced a stream of water out of thin air, and I've got Selestial ... maybe these are people with powers like mine?

It's a stretch, but there's no other conceivable reason. And for us to have one of the most difficult nights of our lives? Somehow I doubt he can quite capture what I had in my first night at the brothel, but ... I don't know. It all just seems really unreal ...

All I've ever done with Selestial is stall one of those monsters until those black-robed people arrived to clean up. I don't really care about what I do with my power, but ... maybe it does merit investigation.

And pain, I can handle. I've always been good at that.

I walk closer to the group, albeit slower, and still silent and wary of the two men, especially the one from the bench. I'll let him make the first move.

[Mystic Serenade]

"Ah don't worry, you'll get your chance to use it plenty enough soon," he said to the young girl. "And as for how I plan to make life difficult for the three of you, I guess thats up to general opinion, but I'd imagine it to be so." The man then snapped his fingers, "Anyhow, I guess it is time I let you create these opinions of yours."

In one instantaneous moment, a woman who appeared to be in her late twenties appeared kneeling in front of the man. From an initial glance, one would think she was just like any other. But the fact that she sported some strange ornament, which appeared to be made of bone, on her head and carried a sword on her side certainly would make one think otherwise. "Make sure these kids here have a nice time alright?"

"Heh, sure thing. Wish you'd do this yourself though."

"Ah, but its always a beautiful sight for me to see you in action."

"Lazy punk, you're just saying that..."

"Shhh shhh, not in front of the children, anyway," the man, likewise in a blink of an eye, appeared back on the bench. "I'll be rooting for you from here," he yelled from his seat.

"Fine, but if I catch you staring off at the moon again..." She turned her attention to the three humans around her. She punched her fist into her palm "So show me what you got eh."

[Kolbertt]

How to deal with such a situation? First of all, this woman was armed. Her sword shone – Unlike her umbrella, this weapon had a menacingly sharp edge, and no one from “her team” seemed to be in possession of a better weapon, a quick glance at the third party member, either a very young woman or an old girl. It was impossible to tell from the distance. But she clearly was unarmed.

“Crap… it seems it’s on me to save them all, but then, if Lero gets damaged we’ll be defenceless against the Freak and the Whore”

It took a few moments for Arielle to realize she was thinking with a cold mind- It was the first time in a while that she could not think of a snappy remark. Was the situation really so tense?

“Say, no one’s commented on the sudden appearance of the water… good for me, as it looks like I pissed my pants -_- Anyhow, let’s make quick work out of here”

The pond on her feet had reached its maximum size – Using her umbrella as an oar, she glided in an unnatural way, and approached the teammate further from her, the blonde woman. Trying to escape would be futile; the Freak had already proven how fast he could be.

This move was, in Arielle’s mind, the best thing to do, as it did not only get her away from the whore (And the still awful looking Stinko) but gave them some privacy as to what to do now.

“Bonjour Madame! Seeing you’ve been dragged in this particular meeting, say… have any plan to get away from the Freak and the Whore?

Oh! The name’s Arielle by the way” Her usual smile went from ear to ear as she politely bended forward to salute

[Dizzy]

The sudden arrival surprises me, though I'm rather used to the unexpected by this point. Her banter with the man from the bench and the latter's subsequent return to his perch makes it clear that she's here to test our powers. - by now I'm sure that it's the reason they've gathered us here. I'm hesitant about this turn of events - firstly because I have no idea how to do fight properly short of stab and gut, and secondly because I have no idea what's going on or what on Earth these two are trying to pull here.

The little girl rows her way over. While my attention had been taken up by the new arrival, her puddle had swelled up to an enormous size, even lapping at my own feet. And then she speaks to me, saying some jarring words before going into a strange combination of bow and salute. I shiver again. This time, it isn't because of the temperature.

She doesn't know anything about me, she doesn't mean anything when she says it. Snap out of it, Claire, you've been doing this for long enough to get used to this kind of thing.

"For one thing," I begin, "I am not married, so you can dispense with the Madame. Secondly, I am, in no subtler words, a whore, and frankly offended by that. Please don't be so quick to judge people."

I look over the girl in front of me - a strange little child who must a very carefree spirit if she can talk to random strangers like she is right now. But I'm far more entranced by the woman who has just arrived - my eyes go over the ornament in her hair and her sword multiple times, and I wonder where she could be from. Certainly not Karakura ...

Suddenly, I remember that we have a situation on our hands. The new woman seems rather inclined towards beating us up, and in response, I concentrate on bringing out my own weapon. It appeared like magic the last time I use it, sliding effortlessly into my hands, and it does so again. Selestial, my sterling silver javelin, comes into my grip, and I give it a twirl, happy to see it again like we're two old friends reuniting.

"I'm Claire," I say to Arielle, "pleased to make your acquaintance."

[Kolbertt]

Arielle looked at the woman in front of her in doubt... she’d claimed she was a whore, yet, lacked the typical high-heeled leather boots, the short skirt and if by chance a whore carried a weapon around, it would either be a shock gun, or a whip, not a silver javelin- “she must mean she is a whore as a really bitchy person, not an actual whore.”

Bending her head to her side as she thought, it was a moment before she realized they were at slightly better odds now, since a javelin would certainly last longer than an umbrella in a real fight – Or so she’d like to think

“Say, a javelin is certainly a long range weapon… If I can keep my distance, Lero won’t be hurt and I can keep my powers for a little longer today. So, we both stay here, while Stinko deals with her from behind... Neat”

“Je m'excuse Mademoiselle… It’s a force of habit to salute with a Madame. Formalities apart, I’ve come up with a plan” – She lowered her voice to a whisper – “Say, if we can keep our distance and distract her, hoping Stinko has another power other than super smell, we have tactical edge over the battle. I’ll call her attention with a flashy move, while you actually attack her”

Her tactical prowess, surprisingly keen for someone her age, faded in her young, reckless way of attacking. The puddle she had used for transport still tracked back to her original position.

She touched it with the tip of her umbrella and moved it up, water quickly moved from the floor following the road traced with the umbrella. When she was done, there was an enormous water arc in front of her. A second, horizontal slash followed with more water completed the move. The water from the arcs spiralled into a massive spinning arrow that moved forward menacingly.

“Water Drill” – A completely useless attack, since it has no more pressure than your regular hose, and takes long to be prepared, but it indeed look flashy. Of course, she has no way of knowing that… Does she?”

[Dizzy]

I wait, and I listen to Arielle as she dictates her plan to me. She's surprisingly adept at planning out the attack, although she doesn't seem to have very much respect for the other man. The girl's also apparently decided not to assess the skills of our opponent, even if we're the ones expected to make the first move. We've also lost the option of conference with "Stinko". Without a clue as to whether he'll join us or flee, or whether he has actual powers at all, we've been launched into a skirmish. And, of course, the largest flaw of all in the plan ...

"Hey, wait a second!" I hiss as she gathers current of water into two crossing arcs, guided by her umbrella, and lets loose at her target with an enormous wave of water, "I don't know how to fight with this thing, I have no idea what the hell I'm doing!"

[Mystic Serenade]

"Heh, seems like you bunch are just a group of amateurs after all." Taking note of the one named Claire's hesitation, she decided to take advantage of the situation. She quickly took a fighting stance, cocking her left arm back and clenching her fist. Her right hand remained open-handed, palm mere inches from her fist. In front of her fist reiatsu gathered together and hardened in preparation to be launched like a speeding bullet. The woman held this position up until the spiral of water came within range of her outreached arm.

Reiatsu pulsated out of the woman's arm and the bullet of energy tore straight through the umbrella girl's attack, effectively stopping it and then passed by both of the woman's opponents and causing a strong gust to pass by as well. For a moment, one could even see the path the energy bullet took through the water drill before it collapsed back into a pools of water.

"You guys are going to have to try harder than that if you want to get through this." She looked at the older of the two females before her, "That over-sized toothpick of yours better not just be for show."

From the bench the man who planned this all watched on, one eyebrow raised in bemusement from watching the events before him.

[Kolbertt]

Arielle stood shocked as a gleaming red light passed through her attack...

The fact that her pathetic excuse of an attack had been stopped did not mind, after all, it was intended to distract. It was the revelation that this silver javelin in which she had trusted blindly ended up being nothing but "an over-sized toothpick" - Also, she did not expect her opponent to be so strong... "I mean, she used a freaking HADOUKEN!"

"Excuse, but I thought I heard you say you did not know how to attack... What did you ACTUALLY say?"

But the look in her eyes did not lie, Claire indeed knew nothing of her weapon. Arielle rolled her eyes, turned her back on Claire and said outloud "Maybe that's what she meant she was a whore..."

Not realizing she had spoken her mind, she turned around once again, once again, with a freaky grin that betrayed the terrified expression she'd made when the gust passed through them-

"Say Claire... wanna try something radical? It can either save us or kill us- What do you say?"

The confident tone in which she said this was far from normal... Arielle certainly did not care for her life, nor did she care too much for an answer, as she had already moved once again without waiting for Claire's reaction.

She had already lifted her umbrella, and raised around twice her normal height in a fountain of water. Several small torrents floated around her as she lifted...

"Mademoiselle Claire!" She screamed "The plan is the same as before, but this time, step forward, AND JUST SURF!!"

The several streams joined to create three strong floating currents that intertwined as they headed for the sword woman in a watery laberinth, to track the movement of a single torrent, though possible was rather difficult -

"Now, all Claire has to do is simply step on the torrent at her feet, arrive next to the whore and pierce her creepy ornament with that javelin... As for my part"

She tried to swing her umbrella forward, but it was hard... Like everytime she controlled hugh amounts of water, Lero got heavy and barelly swingable, but she managed to do it. As a result, the small plataform she stood on merged with a torrent and accelerated forward- So far, so good.

"The plan itself is brilliant... the whore won't expect an attack from a seemingly useless opponent, but a sting with that thing must hurt like hell, and if we are lucky she won't see her coming. To tempt luck, Claire's torrent travels at ground level. I swing Lero around, do a little flim flam and get her to look up, and BAM! A piercing straight to the brain - And if it's not enough, the third torrent is just distraction. Simply perfect! - Well, at least my part...

Arielle tried to look at Claire's actions, but it was an ill move. All her concentration was dedicated to keep Lero up. But eventually, it proved futile. Her weak hands could not keep up the weight. The heavy umbrella flew around, and it was enough for Arielle to lose control of the floating torrents...

Claire's torrent, travelling through ground, slowly, but steadily lost speed, but both her torrent, and the "diversion" torrent, started falling presure less- She, however, continued to move forward, unarmed, uncontrolled, and heading straight to the whore's face... who now looked amused at this severe screw up-


"Ok, I'm dead now"

There was no smile in her face... In it's place, the same terrified expression she'd revealed before reappeared

[blackluster]

Sano had taken a seat on the ground to observe events. He sat, legs crossed, with his head perched on his hand, resting his elbow on his knee.

hmm, the lady with the javelin seems unsure, and the young one is full of fight. But I wonder...

Sano looked over at the man on the bench. He seemed to be very amused at proceedings, though Sano couldn't help but feel that the whole thing was rather pointless. The umbrella girl's first attack was stopped, and she began to launch the second, though the attack seemed to peter out for some reason.

That's strange, it seemed like it would work well enough...

Sano looked beside him. From where he sat on the pavement, there was a drain cover not too far from him. He reached over, picked it up with one hand, and tossed it at incredible speed at the back of the head of the woman with the sword making sure it would reach her before the young woman did. As he did so, he removed one of the coins from his pocket and smirked slightly.

There are still too many unknowns here ....

[Mystic Serenade]

The woman was pretty amused at the sight before her, the umbrella-wielding youth certainly did know how to keep things amusing. In her current state, it was pretty tempting to just rush forward and end the fight right then and there, but that wasn't her or her companion's intention. Besides, it seems the first of the humans that gathered here today decided to actually take action. She jumped upwards and back flipped to land behind the individual who intended to hit her with the spinning disc. "You know," she poked a finger into his back, "that could have hurt you know."

In the meantime, the high speed drain cover that should have continued onward to possibly decapitate the young water controlling female suddenly came to a screeching halt mere inches from her face, crashing down unto the ground. If one were to look at the man sitting back at the bench, one would have noticed that momentarily over an open palm floated a small dark sphere.

[blackluster]

Sure enough, the woman avoided the attack, though Sano wasn't really interested in her anyway. As she executed her jump, Sano watched the man on the bench. His reaction somewhat confirmed two of Sano's suspicions. Sano flicked the coin in his hand toward where the drain cover had fallen, and addressed the woman at his back.

"That could have hurt you say?" Sano probed, though he was more interested in the coin. He changed his tone somewhat to innocence, though it was difficult to pull off with a voice like his. "Your flashiness frightened me miss, that's all. Please don't hurt me. I'm just a normal guy. I have nothing to do with those ladies over there. Look at those strange powers they have, it's quite frightening. I don't know how I got dragged into this. Won't you let me go hmm?"

[Dizzy]

... Somehow, I'm not entirely sure this girl knows what a whore is ...

I can only look on bemusedly as water begins to rise from underneath me and carries me towards our opponent - it must be taking an amazing effort, for gravity should've sent this wave crashing down a long time ago. Arielle is struggling badly with this - perhaps the weight of carrying a human is too much for the girl - but her eyes are set with grim determination on enacting her new plan.

And then her ability breaks, sending water splashing everywhere and causing all of the torrents to ebb to an agonizingly slow pace apart from one - her own. She races towards the woman with the sword, paralyzed in fear, unable to lift her umbrella.

No, that's not it ... her umbrella is the catalyst she uses to control all of this water ... that means she can't lift it because she doesn't have control of such a huge mass of water. But how am I supposed to get rid of some? A javelin can pierce flesh, but it can't do a thing against water ...

Luckily, "Stinko" steps in and distracts the woman for now, courtesy of a drainhole cover to the face. She dodges it with almost artful skill, but that raises another problem - the heavy cover is headed straight for Arielle's head - no wait, it's stopped in midair! Surprised, I look around for the cause, and my eyes eventually rest upon the man from the bench and the black thing over his hand.

I guess he really doesn't want us hurt. That's a good sign.

As the action has developed a slight lull, I rush on over to the still-gliding Arielle, ignoring the other two for the time being. My feet are wet up to my ankles, but I think I can live with that travesty for now.

"A - are you alright?" I ask. "Sorry about that ... umm, I'm pretty useless with this thing. I've only used it once, under extreme duress, and that time ... I think it kind of shot something."

I look back warily at the other two, but they just seem to be exchanging pleasantries. "Like a gun," I add semi-helpfully.

[Kolbertt]

"A - are you alright? Sorry about that ... umm, I'm pretty useless with ... blah blah blah"

Words rung hollow in Arielle's head. After all, she had seen death's face twice in less than an hour, and now, she was weaponless, since Lero had gone missing in the middle of all this havoc-

"Where's Lero?" Arielle said with big wide open eyes.

"What? Who?" Claire asked like trying to understand - She looked at Arielle like trying to find a serious injury on her head or something on those lines.

"Lero, my umbrella!" Arielle now started screaming hysterically - "MY UMBRELLA! WHERE'S MY UMBRELLA!!" Unlike the carefree and simple demeanor she had so far showed, her current state was pathetic. Her face had gone red and her eyes were wet, not from the water around her.

She was about to start a tantrum till she saw where Lero was... just a few centimeters away from the man sitting in the bench. Even worse, after her quick display of childish behavior, the man had also noticed the purple umbrella near him.

Arielle rushed forward in a desperate run to grab it before that freak, despite Claire's warnings on not to do that. She run fast, faster, faster, and then, she felt.

She had tripped on something, her ankle pained horribly, and Lero was just mere inches away from her hand. She stretched her hand in a pathetic attempt to grab it... but it was gone.

A figure stood tall in front of her, moonlight surrounded it's body and hid it's face. Whoever it was, it had Lero in it's hands.

[Mystic Serenade]

The woman laughed at the human's response, "Haha cut the act. You can't hide what you are from us, actually, you're the closest one in resemblance to us out of you three. So come on, show me what you're really capable of." Her attention was soon diverted by the young girl's outburst back near her companion.

The man on the bench, once standing above the young girl, now bent down to look at the girl at eye level. "This umbrella seems pretty special, you shouldn't let go of it so easily next time." He then placed the umbrella before the young girl and patted her once on the head before rising up again. "I've seen enough, get ready to go Masaki."

[Kolbertt]

Arielle grabbed her umbrella and kept on the floor for a few seconds after the man had spoken. She stood up ignoring the pain in her ankle, tidied her clothes and after a brief pause, holding Lero tightly in her hand as a walking stick, said:

“I demand to know what was this all about. By all means I request an explanation. You’ve pulled the strings for long enough. And even if I’m in no mood to fight, mark my words, I’ll hunt you down and pull the truth out of your neck with bloody pincers if I must!”

Rage was obvious in her words. But her little speech hid the true motif of her anger. Considering herself as the most intelligent person in the group, the fact that her “partners” had refused to act as she had said was frustrating. That they knew nothing about their powers was no excuse. It irritated her, but it was far from causing her tantrum, after all, she was used to deal with stupidity.

What angered her beyond words was that people had seen her facet of a small, angered little child. She was past beyond that stage in human growth, and a regression like that could not be simply forgotten. That she was arriving late home and would be severely punished for it did not matter any longer. In fact, she would willingly stay if it meant an explanation.

[blackluster]

The coin Sano had tossed passed over the drain cover and fell uneventfully, spinning a few times before coming to rest.

hmm not what I expected...

"What I am you say?" Sano asked rhetorically, scratching his chin and rolling his eyes as he did so. This was surely his best impression of being deep in thought. "I'm sure I don't know what you are talking about." The conversation was interrupted by the young woman's outburst. She certainly seemed to be a on a short fuse. Sano had expected her to run away a long time ago, but there she was, still sporting for a fight.

"Like the young lady there, I too would like to know what all this is about. For someone carrying an air of being above the rest of us, you certainly have bad manners sir," he remarked at the man on the bench. Sano looked over at the other woman in attendance.

No one seems to be hurt, but that was the pretty obvious outcome the moment that guy stopped my pitch. I've never seen those two around, yet here we all are...

Sano bent over backwards slightly, twisting his head awkwardly as he did so. The proximity of the woman behind him meant he could get a very nice closeup view of her body, which brought a broad smile to Sano's face.

... yet here we all are....

[Dizzy]

It's a relief to see that nobody's been hurt and that we can carry on with our lives, but I remain bemused about the purpose this whole gathering. I personally plan to use these powers as little as possible, avoiding conflict, not protecting anybody with them apart from Zella and myself, and just going on with my aimless life in general until I’m ready to die.

I don’t plan to live for anything; affection leads to emotions, distress, and pain. I’ve grown self-proclaimed skills at shutting people out and living life alone, with the singular exception of Zella. Yet … I feel myself being strangely drawn to this girl, Arielle. I need to be more composed. It’s only natural to want to keep others from dying - even a species as rotten as humans can reach deep down and pull out that tiny little shred of integrity. But … I don’t know what it is about myself, or how to even describe my reclusive life. Attachment to Zella is one thing; she’s the only thing keeping me tethered to Earth. But I have to keep myself from that degree of caring for others. Not ever.

But despite my stance towards using Selestial, this meeting still intrigues me. So far, it seems to have been a test of some sort, until they realized we were hopeless at what we do and now seem to have given up on us. I don’t mind the sentiments, but I want to know the motivation behind this. It doesn’t quite seem like the type of recruiting that a superhero squad would beget. Still, Arielle and “Stinko” have already voiced their questions, and I’d rather be silent than redundant. So I just wait for an answer, along with the two of them.

[Mystic Serenade]

The woman was less than pleased to see the combatant looking at her so up close. The urge to slap at his face was strong, but she opted to sweep at his legs at the same moment she decided to jump to her partner's side.

"All in good time, you'll learn soon enough," said the man in response to the group's inquiries. Three cards slid down his sleeve and he tossed them in a single motion, each landing before one of the group. "Come to the location written there at ten p.m. tomorrow if you're interested. We can properly discuss this there." And then in a blink of an eye, both of them were gone.

(Note: This is pretty much the end of this plot thread, points will be announced in the rp thread after everyone has left the scene.)

[Kolbertt]

Arielle saw them dissapear. Her eyes closed and grinded her teeth in rage. She grabbed the card floating in front of her... her answers would have to wait, but they would surelly await. As for now, more important things mattered - She turned around as she could, after all, she had a twisted ankle or something like that, and with a smile in her face, and faced Claire-

"Say Claire... would you please give me a hand? I think my ankle is twisted or something... cause I cannot walk properly"

Claire was among the two groups that Arielle considered worthy- If Claire had not been "Interesting" she'd managed to walk home on her own. It was not Claire's weapons or powers that picked her interest. The fact that she was actually talking with a real live PROSTITUTE was amazing. Her life, her story, her work... etc. Everything had the potential of being simply AMAZING.

With a simple gaze, Arielle glared at Stinko... She'd never heard his name, and so far was not really interesting - "Except maybe his resistance to his own smell..." and he certainly did not look like the "Intelligent" type - He failed in Arielle's possible friend list...

[Dizzy]

The two who had brought us here in the first place are gone, and I don't expect I'll miss them. The mystery remains unsolved, but my curiosity isn't all that insatiable, so I can live with it. "Stinko" seems well enough on his own as well. I begin to turn to leave, but my reverie is interrupted by a call from Arielle. Resisting my brain's best efforts, my morals get my body to turn around. I do sort of owe her one for being the only person who wasn't completely helpless in the face of danger.

... I suppose I ought to help her ... it's not like I plan to ever see her again. One last act of goodwill can't be too hard.

I dissipate Selestial into thin air, the newfound absence of its silver gleam immediately conspicuous in the dusky hues of the park, pocket the card lying at my feet without so much as a glance, and walk over to Arielle.

"Does it hurt?" I ask, despite my conscious mind urging me to leave as soon as possible. "Do you think you might need to go to the hospital and get it set?"

Althogh she appears mostly alright, I offer her an arm for support just in case.

Stupid, stupid, STUPID.

[blackluster]

Hm, a sweep to a seated man. How rude.

Sano picked up the card. Someone picking a fight and not even introducing themselves didn't convince Sano that they were company he'd be particularly interested in keeping. As he pondered the card he caught a glimpse of the young woman glaring at him. Normally he wouldn't care, though tonight seemed to be unusual, so going with that flow seemed to make sense.

He strolled over to the pair. As the younger girl was being lifted Sano crounched on his haunches in front of the two, making no attempt to help.

"My name is Sunami Sano. Tell me, do you intend following the instructions on your card?" he asked, reaching over to pick up the coin he had tossed earlier. "Those are some pretty fancy moves you guys showed off earlier." Sano stopped abruptly, considering the young girl's face for a moment. "Hmm, I guess I should apologize about that drain cover huh? Still, all's well that ends well right?"

[Kolbertt]

Arielle gladly grabbed Claire's helping hand

"Naa, it's alright, all I need is a little support till I get used to it. Thanks for being so nice" She smiled wildly at her with shining innocence in her face - A face that quickly changed as soon as she gleamed Stinko. She had totally forgotten she would die had it not been for the misterious man that had gathered them.

"I'm alive, and that's all that matters. As for the instructions, I'll get my answers, from either the Punk or the Whore, but I WILL get them. Oh, Sorry Claire..." Arielle had once again mentioned the "W" word that got Claire so sensitive.

"Anyway, you like our moves? I can give a high pressured bath right now if you want. I mean, you really look like you could use my powers for less offensive means" Swift insults were Arielle greatest delight, and the foolingly innocent face she made up was meant to anger him even more...

"Talking of which, why was it you were allowed in this ball Mr. Sado? I mean, I've already shown my powers and Claire can summon that beautiful spear. From what I've seen so far from you, I may say your only superpower is that of... Well, I mean, with the smell and the drain cover" A grin surfaced in Arielle's face... "Mind if I call you Sewerman?"

These outbursts of aggression where not really fitting with Arielle's character. At any other moment, she'd have made Claire help her and casually talk with her. But right now, Stinko was her emotional punching bag.

[blackluster]

Sano pocketed the coin and sighed.

"Hmm, my 'superpower' is nothing as fancy as yours for sure, " he said, chuckling as he said 'superpower'. "What I've learned over time though is that the world of the dead is a dangerous place, especially for people like us..."

Sano considered his card again, turning it over in his hand. He frowned slightly, hearing his suggested nickname.

"Hm, I don't live in a sewer, though if names like that float your boat, by all means..." he said, bowing in his already hunched position.

"I'm under no illusions. I don't have a particularly big hand to play, so I've found that keeping what little cards you have a secret goes a long way to living a less troublesome life. Our mutual friend seems to be persistent for some reason though, and I have a feeling he would make life uncomfortable for us even if we didn't go..."

With that, Sano stood up. "So, for the sake carefree public urination and undisturbed aimless wondering, I will join you in this little quest of sorts." With that, Sano turned and strolled off.

"See you there ladies!" He shouted over his shoulder as he disappeared into the night.

[Dizzy]

Sunami Sano ... finally I can stop thinking of him as "Stinko". He may be right about them coming after us even if we avoid them, though. Hopefully I can just carry on with my life in peace, but ... not very likely, at this rate. And I won't even ask about the public urination part ...

"Come on, let's just go, Arielle," I whisper hurriedly, ignoring the second frivolous use of the word. "No need to stir up unwanted trouble."

I look around again - apart from the mass of water now in the park, there's no trace that anybody ever showed up. The dusky effect of the streetlamps remains, obscuring the view of the stars. The full moon, however, is far too bright to be blocked out, and it merely hangs above the two of us and the departing Sunami-san, watching the scene lazily like a Cheshire Cat. Almost as if that man from the park still has his eye on us.

I shake my head to clear it of thoughts and give Arielle's arm a light pull so as to ward her off from continuing to yell at Sunami-san. If I'm going to bother with walking her home, I plan to get it over with as quickly as possible.

"What direction is your house in?" I ask her, casually stretching my neck as I so.

[Kolbertt]

"Oh, no need to take me home!" Arielle smiled, that Sano had left really made her mood right now.

"It's just that I'm not used to this pain in my ankle, and I don't know how much Lero will hold me... Oh! I've not introduced each other, right?" Arielle attempted to show her umbrella, but almost fell at the moment she lifted it from the ground.

"Tcheheh... anyway, this is Lero, my umbrella, my friend, my companion, etc. He's a silent one, and can only talk when there is a large quantity of water around, as in a bath, or can throw random one liners it seems---" She remembered the sudden warning Lero had randomly spoken out "--- but other than that, he's a nice one :) Can't really say he's a person yet... As I've only heard his voice so far"

Arielle pointed at the road to their left.

"My house is there, just along the road. Walk with me for a few blocks and I'll be fine... And meanwhile, tell me more about this spear of yours... What's it's name? What kind of personality does it have? What does it think of your everyday life?--- And now, what I've wanted to ask for quiet a time now --- Talking of which, mind telling me more about yourself Mademoiselle Claire? I mean, just to make our little walk a little more pleasent

[Dizzy]

As we walk slowly in the direction she's pointed out, I consider what Arielle is saying about her umbrella, more than slightly surprised by the revelation of it having a voice. A talking umbrella? It's certainly the first one I've ever heard of. Imaginary friends are abundant among kids her age, and the girl hasn't proven herself to be the sanest person I've ever met, but her control over water makes the idea seem strangely plausible to me. Maybe she's turning me crazy as well.

"Selestial?" I ponder aloud. "It doesn't have a personality or voice. As far as I can tell, it's your ordinary javelin. Is that ... strange or something? Are these kinds of weapons supposed to be alive? I'm not very used to the whole idea of this ... I just used it once to stab a giant monster, and I've never really found a practical use for it."

We keep walking under the glimmer of moonlight; we're now nearly at the boundary of the park and approaching the crosswalk. The trees here are barren and lifeless, a sad by-product of the winter. All of the plantlife that survives the winter unscathed it packed away into the center. Somehow, it reminds of of totalitarian dictatorships, of extravagant dynasties of monarchs, and leaving the peasants in poverty and famine.

The night sky is as coldly black as ever, with the lone exception of the full moon watching us amusedly from its perch in the sky, and I wonder what time it is by now. Probably past Arielle's bedtime, though I wouldn't count on her parents having very good control of her. In my mind, I count each second as it passes by. If I can play my cards right, I won't have to talk about myself at all.

Ignoring the second half of the question, I continue. "I don't know where it came from, how I got it, or why it came to me, but I suppose I'm reasonably grateful for its presence. I guess if any more monsters attack me, I'll be ready."

I make sure to leave out any details regarding my personal life, as to discourage the girl from prying. I doubt it'll work - tact doesn't seem to be one of Arielle's specialties - but it's worth a try. I even begin to slowly pick up my pace; I desperately want to return to the brothel already and never see this girl again. But all of a sudden, curiosity catches me off-guard, and I speaking without thinking first. Stupid, stupid, stupid. But it makes sense that if we share the distinction of having some sort of supernatural weapon, perhaps we share another trait of mine that I'm reasonably sure normal humans don't tend to have.

I ask her, "Arielle, can you see the souls of the dead?"

(OOC: Could we wrap this up as soon as possible? This thread is kind of over, and I've got my own plot thread to attend to.)

[Kolbertt]

(Don't worry Dizzy :) My Machiavellian manipulation skills have made you say the exact idea I wanted to bring .p)

Arielle listened to all of her answers while taking mental note of everything- "She flatly refuses to give any detail of her life and keeps the conversation on my first question as to keep my interest in that particular topic... Nice move Claire, but I've seen better - You can keep your mask, I'll keep mine for now.

"Selestial... That's a beautiful name!! And it really does fit your weapon, after all, it's as shiny as the stars"

Arielle awaited an answer, but Claire remained silent... It seemed she wouldn't speak again, and experience had taught her that: "extraction of precise and swift information is a delicate procedure that, if ruined, would only spit random useless facts. Guess I'll wait till tomorrow..."

Suddenly, her inner thinking is interrupted by an unexpected remark by Claire

"Arielle, can you see the souls of the dead?"

"You mean you can actually see them too? Tchehehe... What a coincidence! I mean, I know we are not the only ones, but we sure are a strange kin!...

Wait a second, what if that's the reason we were picked up by those freaks? I mean, I'm not sure about Stinko... but he himself said he had not revealed his hand - I wonder if he actually has a weapon of sorts, kinda like Selestial or Lero?..." And how do I regret not learning more about him... he could be useful after all "Do you actually think that both seeing ghosts and our weapons are related? And now that I say it... When Lero first appeared, seeing ghosts became easier, and I could see them clearer as well"

Pieces kept falling one after the other, but the puzzle remained far from being complete.

"Thanks for the small walk Claire! I think I can go home on my own now! - Oh! And please don't leave me alone tomorrow. You know, I'm counting on ya!" It seems Claire is much more interesting than I first thought... Neat

Arielle waited for Claire's goodbye, but in fact, she was not really hearing. She needed to get home quick... There were some questions Lero would have to answer.

Once Claire was out of sight, Arielle ended the fake. She started walking normally, but soon was surfing her way home, as her ankle DID really ache.

Her night was far from over...

[Dizzy]

What a strange girl ... if I wasn't so bent on avoiding her for the rest of my life, I might even be intrigued enough to walk her the rest of the way home. I'm surprised she didn't continue pressing into my life, though ... maybe she's tired? I can usually predict people pretty well ... but then again, Arielle's confusing as all hell. Maybe she's just messing with me.

Besides, why am I dwelling on this? I won't see any of them again, and as far as I know, none of them know where I live ...

But Arielle's line of, "and please don't leave me alone tomorrow. You know, I'm counting on ya!" keeps coming back like it's haunting my mind. I haven't so much as looked as the card, but I've got a sneaking suspicion that I'll have to sometime soon.

I give the high-above moon another look, locked together in a staring contest with it. As ridiculous as it sounds, I still have the impression that it's watching my every move, and at the time spelled out on the card, it'll draw me in once again with its seductive glow. Like an especially stupid moth to a porchlight. Or perhaps a bugzapper.

Shuddering a bit, I walk briskly back to the brothel, stepping daintily over the crumpled newspapers lying over the sidewalks and through the doorway into the building's warm and inviting light that hides the horrors experienced within. And after I shower and change out of my slightly damp clothes, I feel like I could sleep for the rest of my life.

(Annnnd, cut! Great thread, everyone.)