[Los Caballeros] Mercy
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Light =&gt; Light: Exotic Small Groups =&gt; Topic started by: Requiem on 06-05-2009, 05:06:05</h2>
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				Title: <strong>[Los Caballeros] Mercy</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Requiem</strong> on <strong>06-05-2009, 05:06:05</strong>
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				<em>Out of order.</em><br><br>Preston stared, unbelieving, at the bright yellow sign plastered over the elevator.&nbsp; He hadn't even seen it at first; he must have jammed the button at least four times before he realized something was wrong.&nbsp; It was an old elevator, you had to hit the call button just so to get it to light up.&nbsp; When you were riding it felt as if the entire thing was slowly shaking apart, and the occasional ping of metal bouncing down the shaft as it laboriously climbed to the top floors always sent a shiver down his spine.&nbsp; He had complained to other tenants on his daily trips in the death machine, all of them agreeing the elevator needed to be replaced and how it was a crime they were forced to ride the thing.<br><br>He drew his jacket tighter around him, glancing at the door to the stairs as it swung open.&nbsp; Maria stepped out, the gorgeous bank girl that lived on the second floor.&nbsp; From here he could smell the floral scent drifting off her ebony locks, mixing with the smell of ketchup and frying grease that he carried.&nbsp; He quickly pulled the McDonald's hat off his head, hoping by some measure that she wouldn't see him.&nbsp; Six months ago, he remembered telling her about how his major was going at Mercy Island State University, even letting it slip that he had a good internship coming up with one of the studios down in Summer Bluff.&nbsp; If those dark eyes dropped on him and spotted the mess his life had become since leaving school, he was pretty sure he would die.&nbsp; She smiled at him briefly and moved along, leaving a whirl of intoxicating scents behind her.&nbsp; He sighed and watched her leave before passing through the door himself, trudging up the stairs and complaining silently about how he couldn't use the elevator.<br><br>His tiny apartment was on the ninth floor, a one bedroom flat had once been easy enough to afford with the allotments off his student loans.&nbsp; He remembered thinking what a steal it was, filling it with computers and televisions and video games almost as quickly as he could get the money in hand.&nbsp; Now there was little more than a couch in the living area, and an old card table near the kitchen with bucket seats like you find in a bus terminal to sit on.&nbsp; His books, the last treasures he would ever sell, were stacked neatly against the walls.&nbsp; They stood in quiet dignity like the skyscrapers of the city, impervious to time and entropy, waiting for the time they would be returned to their proper place among the bookcase shrines they once commanded.&nbsp; Everything else, aside from the bed surrounded by piles of clothes in the adjoining room, had been sold.&nbsp; Everything that could go had so that he could afford to finish off his lease and eat before hopefully finding somewhere cheaper to live.<br><br>He dropped on the couch and closed his eyes, letting the late afternoon sun wash over his face.&nbsp; He stank; he wanted nothing more than to take a hot shower and just forget about what his day-time life had become, but a wave of apathy so powerful washed over him that even that simple pleasure was too much of a trial.&nbsp; He began sinking into a little self induced pity, and eventually it took longer for his eyes to recover from each blink.&nbsp; When he opened his eyes again it was much later, artificial light streaming in from the darkened skyline beyond his balcony.&nbsp; A low smile cracked his face, and eagerness rushed through him as he jumped from the couch and ran to his bedroom, stripping away the mustard-caked uniform and kicking his sensible non-slip work shoes to the corner.&nbsp; Naked, he pulled his thin mattress up by the edge and reached in for the cool comfortable material hidden beneath.<br><br>The garment was red and black, a cool flexible material that was stronger than leather but just as flexible as spandex.&nbsp; His fingers ran over the red sun at the center, across the flame-like design that stood scarlet against a black background.&nbsp; It still felt new to him, so different from what he used to wear in a different life, more alien to him than that of the mundane fast-food worker he was moments ago.&nbsp; He pulled the trousers up over, sliding across his thin muscular frame like a glove and then slid into the top.&nbsp; He dug through the clothes and found his boots and gloves, a matching set of black leather with straps that kept them in place to either elbow or knee, respectively.&nbsp; With those on he lifted his cape, a scarlet red length with a black cowl at neck, open to let his hair through and covering just enough so that no one could see the man inside.<br><br>The Living Blaze stepped from the shell of Preston Scott, glancing at himself with a wide grin that anyone would call infectious, his boyish sense of wonder and adventure returned in the moments it took to transform.&nbsp; He stepped to his balcony, glancing around to make sure no one was looking and slid over the edge into the cool embrace of the night sky.&nbsp; As the ground rushed towards him he let fly the energies the coursed within him, heating the air around him and rising effortless back into the sky as if carried by the warm wind itself.&nbsp; He glided lazily, rolling and drifting on his back as the building rolled past.&nbsp; Three or four blocks away from his home he yelled in triumph, his eyes igniting in a burst of fire as he reached inside and pulled the flames out, an explosion of flame igniting the current he glided on and propelling him forward with the speed of a jet.<br><br>It was time to patrol the city.&nbsp; It was time to be free.&nbsp; 
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballero] Mercy (Requiem and strudel)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>strudel</strong> on <strong>06-05-2009, 05:26:04</strong>
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				Miles away Dawn Sabina was entering her own apartment complex, faded denim jeans clung to her shapely legs, a few tattered holes here and there from years of wear and tear without being replaced by crisp new clothes, designer lable "GLO" worn off a year back and forgotten as the jeans descended into delapidation. A simple black spaghetti strap shirt hugged her lithe frame, mid-section only slightly visable and where physique poked through, firm abs marred by a shimmering navel ring were appearant. A less than enthused look was painted upon her exotic features, full lips pursed tightly together as she kicked a bag of trash in the hallway, mentally noting the fucking slob that left it there would get it once she figured out who it was.<br><br>Naturally straight black hair was let loose to cascade freely and unbound over golden shoulders, like sheets of silk complimenting not only her skin tone but her curious yellow eyes as well, orbs hidden 'neath a canopy of void-black lashes. Silver hoop earings hung from her ears and a couple white gold rings adorned her lithe fingers, hand extended to reach out and jam the key into her door, fidgeting with it back and forth before it finally gave way into her swanky apartment. Her place was located on the filthier side of the city, a place where not many people, albeit those of whom were comfortable in the thicker crime-infested spots of the city, would dare to tread lightly, especially a female of her.. physical caliber.<br><br>Slamming the door behind her, she dropped the handbag she was carrying into a chair by the entry, flicking on a light and sifting through the mail she'd procured from her neighbors mailbox.. she'd overheard he was getting quite a lucrative sum of money in the mail and ever since had taken the courtesy of checking his box.. for him. A smirk alighted those mischievous lips, lightly glossed and shimmering, as she pulled out a wad of cash.. this followed by a deep chuckle, her voice honey-coated in nature, almost melodic.<br><br>"Sucker.." She said to no one, cracking her neck and dissappearing into her room for a moment. The exterior of the apartment gave no inclination as to what was actually inside. Designer couches, chairs, a flatscreen high-def tv that was supported on the wall opposite the couch. A couple extremely expensive paintings from artists who were well known, but not well enough for someone who wasn't an art conesuior to know. How she aquired all of these fashionable items was quite a different story, as the work shirt she discarded was stitched with the name "Papa Johns Pizza." No one working at a pizza place could possibly afford all of this.<br><br>Moments later she emerged in a rather risque outfit, long black leather boots accompanying the outfit, climbing up her calves but stopping half-way, not quite reaching her knees because she figured those would be too hookerish. The heel was thin, causing a clicking noise to emit with each carefully placed step she took. It was time to go out, and tonight? She was going to have some real fun.. at the thought of that, an almost sadistic smirk twisted those rose petal lips into a sinister sneer.<br><br>"Time to play.." She mused, once again, to no on present as she cracked her knuckles and grabbed her handbag on the way out, making sure to lock the apartment behind her. Where was she headed? A local club. Club Essence. Quite the scene lately and a place where she could go innoticed, like she usually did, until it was time for festivities to begin. Luckily.. her mutation was easily hidden until she decided to transform. Made for loads of fun.<br><br>[[outfit is the same as the one on the char sheet]]<br>(http://i683.photobucket.com/albums/vv192/strudelyhoo/NewChar.jpg)
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballero] Mercy (Requiem and strudel)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Requiem</strong> on <strong>06-05-2009, 05:56:05</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s194/RequiemOgre/Games/livingblaze.jpg)</div>"You don't understand, Bobby" Blaze said conversationally as he sailed through the air.&nbsp; Only a few feet below the traffic moved along a street, the occasional car swerving as they spotted him breezing along.&nbsp; "I don't think you get how serious this situation is."<br><br>"PUT ME DOWN YOU FREAK!" Bobby screamed, his feet bumping across the roof of another car as Blaze dipped lower.&nbsp; Held by the scruff of his greasy gray jacket, Bobby was flailing and twisting in the air and Blaze carried him through the sky.&nbsp; "Ohgodimgonnadieimgonnadieimgonnadie..."<br><br>"Really?&nbsp; You want to go down?&nbsp; Here?" Blaze glanced down at the fat purse snatcher.&nbsp; This was their third trip through the streets like this in the last month.&nbsp; Last time, quite by accident, Blaze had dropped him while they were flying over the river.&nbsp; He had a good feeling that Bobby hadn't forgiven him for that yet.<br><br>"NO!" Bobby screamed suddenly as Blaze dipped him between two cars, letting his feet scrape the pavement.&nbsp; The sounds of horns blaring and brakes screeching sounded behind them, followed sharply by more brakes and a collision.&nbsp; Blaze glanced back to make sure it wasn't serious, relieved to find that the trailing car had been quick to react, and the accident was just a fender bender.&nbsp; Bobby's terrified shriek brought his eyes forward again as the delivery truck ahead slammed on it's breaks.<br><br>Blaze grunted and lifted with all his might, using both hands to haul the three hundred pound crook into the air and pulling him up just quick enough to save him but not in enough time to miss the truck all together.&nbsp; There was a dramatic ripping sound as the leg of Bobby's jeans caught the edge of the truck, and soon Mercy Island was seeing more of Bobby the Purse Snatcher than it had ever wanted too.<br><br>"Sorry about that boss." Blaze apologized, then scolded himself immediately.&nbsp; "Anyway, we've had this talk before.&nbsp; You know that old women like keeping their purses, so why do you keep doing it?"<br><br>"Fuck you freak, put me down!" Bobby was desperately trying to cover himself and grab on to Blaze's arms at the same time, making him dance around in the air like a very fat ballerina.&nbsp; "I won't ever do it again, oh God don't drop me again!"<br><br>"Oh, you promise huh?&nbsp; Well, that's good enough for me." Blaze shot back, glancing around.&nbsp; "What I think you should do is tell the cops what you did, like that mounted officer down there near the clubs.&nbsp; Hey, look at that! You ever been up to the top of the Knight Tower?&nbsp; What is that, like, two hundred stories tall or something?&nbsp; Man it's big!"<br><br>Bobby screamed beneath him, squirming violently enough that Blaze had to really work to keep him in hand.&nbsp; The burning in his arms had nothing to do with flame for once; if he didn't put this fat ass down soon, he was going to leave something new for the Street Service to clean up in the morning.<br><br>"Oh god, anything! Fine!&nbsp; Fine!&nbsp; I'M SORRY!"<br><br>"I knew you'd see the light of day Bobby."&nbsp; He soared towards the club row, getting low enough to drop Bobby in front of a very startled horse before sailing down the street.&nbsp; God, he loved his job.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballero] Mercy (Requiem and strudel)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>strudel</strong> on <strong>06-05-2009, 21:32:05</strong>
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				A car slammed on it's breaks somewhere within the general vicinity and Dawn whipped her head around, flowing ebony strands flitting over her facial features and sliding over her opposite shoulder with this motion, feral yellow orbs cast in the general direction of the inconvenient noise.. only to see a fat man flailing in the arms of some guy in spandex. A scowl spread over her features, disgust most likely, and very much distaste at the scene that was playing out. She hadn't needed to see that.. and who <em>was</em> this self-proclaimed superman wannabe? Not that it really mattered, she was delightfully under the radar, and momentarily a simple pedestrian on her way, obviously from her attire, to the club.<br><br>A loud whistle whisked her attention away from the act of.. could you call it heroism? Surely parading a fat man half naked around the city couldn't have been anything of that caliber.. but who was she to judge. <br><br>"Heeeeeeeeey baby, lookin' gooood." Some gutter snipe cat-called to her from the other side-walk, raising his steel reserve 211 40 oz in the air and stumbling a bit as he winked in her general direction. Dawn, of course, played right into this and dipped a shoulder, canting her head to the side and pursing full lips into a make-shift pouty air-kiss, raising one hand to aforementioned features and blowing a kiss his direction, which caused the man to give another drunken shout into the air and spill a bit of his malt liquir.<br><br>"Slob.." She muttered under her breath, a light chuckle parting the barrier those lips so readily provided and permeating the air like a thick perfume. Turning on heeled feet, she continued on her way towards her club of choice for the evening, Club Essence. The resounding *click click click* of her boots carried her finally to the enterence where a bouncer stood, dressed in a black T that exposed his numerous tattoos and body modifications, chest rippling with the outcome of hard work at the gym every other day a week -and- not to mention working at the club, hoisting three hundred pound shitstarters up and out the front or back door when someone decided to get rowdy. Black shirt gave way to an nondescript pair of jeans with a black studded belt, docs on his feet and shades on his eyes.<br><br>"I.D." Was the simple utterance, barked from the man.<br><br>"Tony we go through this every time." She smirked, fishing into her purse for her id and&nbsp; handing the piece of plastic over, slipped delicately between manicured middle and fore-finger. The bouncer chuckled and checked it then returned it to her, stepping to the side to allow her entrence into the club, lights and sounds seeming so far away as she walked down the black hallway that would break into a club rather packed with people this evening.<br><br>*Club Essence was composed of three stories. Once you emerged from the long black hallway at the entry it broke into a large first floor where there was a plexiglass dance floor that lit up different colors to the music, led lights professionally affixed to each clear tile beneath the floor, also alighting when stepped upon by those who chose to get loose on the floor. On the far end of the dance floor was a stage which housed the dj booth, DJ Hennesy already mixin' it up and spouting out the recent club favorites for those present, large multi-color strobes affixed to a small catwalk that ran diagonally under the second floor. There were a couple freestanding tables with raised chairs but the first floor was primarily for dancing. <br><br>The second floor could be accessed by four different metal staircases, and this was where the actual bar stood, simply lining the outskirts, attached to all four walls of the building with a large square space in the middle for those to look down on the first floor below, rails set up around the perimeter so none of the drunken idiots would easily fall right off the second floor and make a delightful little mess upon those underneath them. The bars were also lit up, lined with vibrant red led lights that caused the second floor to emit an effervescent and almost ethereal glow all it's own. The bar extended to cover every inch of the outter wall and numerous bar tenders were running back and forth to serve those in attendance.<br><br>Third floor was V.I.P. This could only be reached by one lone spiral staircase, and was roped off, two rather hardcore looking bouncers seated at the top to stop those who think they can just slip under the rope. Up here the floor was intact across the whole expanse, unlike the second floor which had an absence in the center for easy viewing. Private booths were set up here, sectioned off for those who had either reserved them, or were high up enough in the proverbial social ladder to have the ability to enjoy them whenever they pleased. The center floor area housed a couple velvet-cushioned booth areas that were open, and a private V.I.P bar, circular in fashion, was stuck in the very center.. the third floor dimly lit by blue led lights to give it a calmer appeal.<br><br>Dawn's objective for the evening was to make it up there.. and it wasn't going to neccessarily be that hard for the talented little vixen. A coy smile alighted her features as she did the meet and greet with a couple people she knew, gangbanger types who were probably packing.. people she considered her homies and good friends. Loyal.. and loyalty was the key here. None of them, however, knew exactly what she was.. or what she was up to, but they knew the fiesty young woman could hold her own, hell, she'd ridden with a couple of them on a few jobs.<br><br>"What's crackin' A-money." She purred to one of them in particular, a large black dude wearing a blue tall t and baggy pants, black and blue jordans on his feet and a watch around his wrist that was almost blinding. The guy turned around as Dawn slipped a hand over the small of his back, locking up with her momentarily before they broke away.<br><br>"Chillin chillin boo, you came ta pay ya homies a visit t'night, D?" Was his reply, posted up against the wall, startin to cheese [smile] which showed up his diamond-bit encrusted grill.<br><br>"Somethin' like that, honey. Hey remember we're on for Friday.. gotta make some money, right?" She mused, getting a nod from the man in return before he turned back around to do what he had already been preoccupied with, which was slangin' to the club kids who were looking for E and other various club drugs, possibly coke.. Dawn didn't really much care, but he had to make his money somehow. She would then make her way upstairs to the second floor and post up at the bar, ordering a whiskey sour and pivoting on the stool so she could get a better view of the club.. to better calculate her method of entrence to the third floor.<br><br>[[sorry for such a long post, I just wanted to describe the club so you knew what you were working with.]]
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballero] Mercy</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Requiem</strong> on <strong>08-05-2009, 06:29:28</strong>
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				<em>The Living Blaze crouched on the ledge of the building, four stories above the floor, a look of deep introspection on his face.</em><br><br>Blaze was under no illusions that he was hidden; he didn't want to be.&nbsp; He could already see some of the people below gawking at him, including a few that had seen him dealing with Bobby.&nbsp; Even now he could see a few people with their phones pointed up at him, and he made a mental note to check Youtube at the library tomorrow to see how popular he was that night.&nbsp; The last video posted about him was already up to nearly a million hits.&nbsp; He got a little grin on his face; the guy that had recorded him had been in a great position to capture Blaze shooting tiny tendrils of flame over the would-be rapists ass all the way up Citadel Boulevard.&nbsp; Maybe he'd let it go on for too long, and sure some of the comments blasted him for putting the guy in the burn unit, but when you were the mutant master of flame, you just had to accept these things.<br><br>He scanned over the people below, heating the air up around himself to ward off the higher altitude chill; Blaze hated being cold with a passion.&nbsp; &nbsp;Below the clubbers moved about, and he let his eyes drift over them freely.&nbsp; The women were dressed to attract eyes, and Blaze would have to be stone dead to not look at least a little.&nbsp; He got his eye full of mini-skirts and tube tops, loving how no matter what time of year it was the women always had a little more flesh to show.&nbsp; In the dead of winter he'd seen guys buried in layers of coats, and women wearing only enough to legally be considered clothed.&nbsp; &nbsp;It seemed as though the colder it got, the less they wore.&nbsp; He was fairly certain that should an Ice Age come, one survivor would be wearing six layers of fur and jackets while his girlfriend would be wearing pasties and a band-aid.<br><br>As he was about to take to the sky and see about having some more fun with the lowlifes of the city, he caught sight of something extraordinary entering one of the clubs.&nbsp; He stood and leaned out, craning his head to see around the bouncer at the dark haired beauty making her way into the club.&nbsp; He squinted, trying to get a better look at the barely concealed curves under her club clothes, whistling lowly to himself as she entered.&nbsp; He considered for a few minutes, looking up and down the street at the passing people.&nbsp; <br><br>"You know, heroes need a night out too..."&nbsp; <br><br>In a moment he off, flying back to his apartment in a burst of speed and a short lick of flame trailing in the air.&nbsp; Ten minutes later, Preston Scott made his way to the club, getting a rare lucky break and slipping past the line as the bouncers changed out.&nbsp; Dressed in a Mindless Self Indulgence t-shirt and ripped jeans with a faded biker leather, he wouldn't go down in history as the best dressed alter-ego in Los Caballeros, but it was far less subtle than scarlet flames.<br><br>(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s194/RequiemOgre/Etc/prestonscott.jpg)
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballeros] Mercy</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>strudel</strong> on <strong>08-05-2009, 21:17:18</strong>
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				Unbeknownst to her she had a fan, if only for the evening, and if only to admire her from afar.. couldn't have just left it at that and had made his way past Tony and into the club. She was currently seated on the second floor, bronzed skin basking in the ethereal red light the bar gave off, her manicure tipped fingers playing idley with the coffee straw they'd slipped into her whiskey sour, full lips lowering momentarily to indulge in the intoxicating beverage, before those feral yellow eyes of hers were cast back up in the direction of the spiral staircase leading to the V.I.P lounge.<br><br>"Hmmm.." She mused quitely to herself as she slid off of her seat one shapely leg after another, adjusted the bottom of her suit she was wearing, and began to casually walk around the outter walls of the second floor, examing the possibly entry points. The staircase was gaurded, but that would be no problem if she were in an almost intangible form, moreso on the melleable side of things, however she'd have to reduce her potency to a dwindling degree less she eat a hole right through the stairs and simply fall back to the first floor.<br><br>Every calculated footfall made a small thud upon the carpeted second floor, and quickly enough she'd made her rounds, finding this crucial information : There may have been an access point, however it would have had to be through the walls themselves, as the lights above them on the second floor were simply affixed to the third floor itself, no other obvious entry point other than through the bouncers, although that probably wouldn't be much of a feat either, slithering past the two of them and maybe scuffing their shoes up a bit, once inside the lounge she'd be able to masquerade as one of the haughty club-going elites until she enacted her plans for the evening.<br><br>She'd retake her seat at the bar.. watching and waiting, seeing if there was perhaps a bounce that needed to take a piss, her position key in keeping visuals on both of them. Her whiskey sour was placed back upon the bar.. empty soon to be refilled by the eager bartender ready to receive a tip.. which of course he didn't, and thus he probably wouldn't be coming back to fill her drink again this evening. Oh well, not like she gave two shits. The second drink was raised delicatedly by lithe digits and taken of once more. She couldn't be bothered by the staring eyes all around her, those that thought she was one of the best pieces of eye candy that'd strutted into the club that night. On occassion she would glance their direction, giving an onlooker a soft wink and purse of her pouty lips, running her tongue over there expanse, but that was about it. A couple drinks were bought for her but she couldn't afford complete intoxication tonight, thus they were discarded accordingly.<br><br>"C'mon.." Another whispered plea that fell inaudibly upon the bouncer's ears..<br><br>"Give me an opening.." She continued, almost purring as these words fell from her lips in a viscous fashion.<br><br>Now she wasn't about to spring into action just yet, and could've possibly socialized for a bit in all actuality, but she hadn't seen anyone in the club worthy of her time yet this evening, and thus her attentions were focused on the whiskey sour, and her predestined plans.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballeros] Mercy</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Requiem</strong> on <strong>10-05-2009, 01:59:25</strong>
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				Preston made his way through the crowd of the lower floor, looking in vain for the little piece of gorgeous he had seen from the building.&nbsp; His costume, hidden underneath his street clothes for those just in case moments, was itchy tonight and he kept reaching inside his jacket to scratch at his side and pull it from his skin.&nbsp; That was something they never mentioned in the comics; flamboyant costumes made of super-science materials tended to not let you sweat properly, and got uncomfortable after a while.<br><br>He made the basic circuit; bar, tables, line outside the bathroom, corner with the dealer, and the crowded closet in the back that no-one was supposed to know about (and everyone did, gathering from the moans within) before he settled on one of the large blocks over the dance floor.&nbsp; He glanced up at the VIP area, knowing that his little trick was highly unlikely to work a second time.&nbsp; His eyes passed over the people just at the rail, and though there were some hot ones, the woman he had labeled "Cleavage" was no where to be seen.&nbsp; &nbsp;He glanced around the room, half deciding to head back out on patrol, maybe bust down a few dealers in the park or see what the mob was up to in North Shore.&nbsp; Since that deal a few months ago, crime in the city had been on the rise...<br><br>He almost slapped himself, looking with renewed interest around at the people.&nbsp; So one got away, there was plenty of hot chicks wearing next to nothing surrounding him.&nbsp; It was time he actually got a little back for his nightly patrols.&nbsp; The Flaming Goth had probably nailed every good-looking goth chick down at Bienville Circle, it would hurt him to tap some rave-chick or preppy-wannabe.&nbsp; He got a funny grin on his face, brushing the bangs back from his face.<br><br>Of course, he still had the Goth's costume.&nbsp; He was sure all the little batlings in goth central would be happy to see him again...<br><br>Again, he almost slapped himself.&nbsp; The Goth was gone, and he was better for it.&nbsp; From now on, it was just the Blaze.&nbsp; The Blaze and... when he had to be... Preston Scott.&nbsp; He made his way to the bar, ordering a bottle of water and leaning back, watching the women come and go.&nbsp; His eyes continued to reach up the VIP lounge though, daydreaming.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballeros] Mercy</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>strudel</strong> on <strong>10-05-2009, 02:18:48</strong>
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				"Know somebody up there? Or just a ambitious onlooker?" Came the voice of Dawn Sabina herself, appearantly Blaze had unknowingly sat himself on the other side of the woman, leaving her figure in his blindsight as she'd walked off to the bathroom and was now returning to her stool, placing firm bottom promptly upon the velvet-lined furnishing. Her voice was honey-coated, siren-like in nature that even if you were unwilling to listen.. it would've soothed you into submissively complying if only for a second to indulge her in conversation. <br><br>A quirk of finely waxed obsidian brow met him, yellow eyes confined 'neath a canopy of void-black lashes roaming over him as if to figure him out from first glance. Why was he scratching himself? Weird.&nbsp; That thought being casually cast aside she raised the whiskey sour to her lips, thin straw pressed against plush gloss as she finished her second beverage and replaced it on the bar still emitting a red glow that gave her bronze complexion an interesting glistening effect.<br><br>"I find myself doing the same thing sometimes." She mused, orienting back upon the spiral staircase once more towards the bouncers that stood barring the way. There were some pretty important people up there tonight, those of whom owned extremely lucrative businesses and probably had a quantative amount of cash on them, not to mention what their jewelry must have been priced at. Running her tongue over her lips as the thought aroused her addiction for the finer things, this gave no inclination, however as to her actual thoughts. She simply.. played it cool. For all she knew this was just another guy at the bar, nothing to concern her pretty little head about.<br><br>A hand rose to brush back errant silken ebon strands of hair from her line of sight, a simple gesture which cause her hair to flip over slightly to one side of her face, framing her exotic features in a most flattering way.<br><br>"So is that why you came here tonight.. to stare at the V.I.P. lounge?" A light-hearted chuckle.. did he know someone up there? She was continuing the flow of conversation for the sole purpose of figuring out if this chum here could help her access the upper floor without drastic measure.<br><br>And as explained.. Dawn could be nice.<br><br>If there was something in it for her.
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				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballeros] Mercy</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Requiem</strong> on <strong>10-05-2009, 02:51:15</strong>
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				<div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"Know somebody up there? Or just a ambitious onlooker?" </blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>He was working so hard on looking disinterested that the sudden sound took him completely by surprise, and he nearly sprung from the bar he was leaning against.&nbsp; His eyes went to her face, then made the trip down... as any man's eyes would.&nbsp; From a few stories up she was hot; right next to him she was practically smoking.&nbsp; Preston got his little grin, as he looked back up to her face, leaning against the bar in his "I'm to cool to just stand" stance.&nbsp; Before he could say anything, she spoke again.<br><br><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"I find myself doing the same thing sometimes."</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>He watched her look to the staircase, following her eyes with his own.&nbsp; He glanced sidelong at her with his peripheral vision, taking the moment to scratch under his jacket again.&nbsp; She certainly seemed impressed with the wealthy snobs up in the lounge.&nbsp; Preston's hopes crashed suddenly.&nbsp; This woman was some form of gold-digger.&nbsp; He opened his mouth, taking a moment to fix his smile back in place when she spoke again.<br><br><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">"So is that why you came here tonight.. to stare at the V.I.P. lounge?"</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br>He eyes were on him.&nbsp; She was checking him out, and she was curious!&nbsp; Preston didn't care if he was dead wrong, this was the first time he'd talked to a girl, much less a hot girl, as himself in what seemed like an eternity.&nbsp; This was his chance to wow her, to impress her, to get her interested before she came to her senses and went running away.&nbsp; Everything - everything!- depended on what was going to come out of his mouth right now to get her attentions with.<br><br>"Oh, you know baby." Preston smiled.&nbsp; He blinked in concern, suddenly.&nbsp; Apparently, his mouth was done.<br><br>He started praying for a sudden stroke in that moment.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballeros] Mercy</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>strudel</strong> on <strong>10-05-2009, 03:19:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She waited with a bemused look on her face as he fumbled around at the bar, trying to save himself and post up against the aforementioned surface as if nothing had happened, and she hadn't taken him by surprise, when in fact she was intuitively good at doing just that. He was right, in a sense, perhaps she could be classified as a gold digger, but only to a certain degree. She wasn't going to just wait around for the alleged sugar daddy to spoil her with everything she wanted.. oh no. She was more than happy to simply melt the flesh and muscle, tendon and sinew that he was composed of, even the bare skeleton itself, after having removed all items of monetary value that is. She was a gold digger.. that made sure to dynamite the gold mine afterwards.<br><br>She knew he was checking her out, she'd felt eyes upon her from when she'd first approached the club this evening, but when he spoke? she was almost immediately dissapointed in his choice of words as his mind and mouth didn't quite cooporate, something mussing up the unison it took to properly approach a lady in conversation. And Dawn being a woman that was blunt in nature, didn't stop herself from replying to that.<br><br>"Oh, you know it baby?.. That's all you could come up with?" An unsatisfied pout formed upon rose-petal lips lightly glossed with what seemed to be diamond flakes. Tracing her fingers idley up and down her opposing forearm she emitted a sigh, parting her lips to let the exhale through. A shake of her head, ebony hair swishing to and fro as if it had a life of it's own, caressing her shoulders and blending with her choice of attire for the evening.<br><br>"If not for star-gazing.. then why'd you come here tonight?" Another inquiry, hopefully giving him enough room to redeem himself from the previous ultra-male like response. He wasn't neccessarily a bad looking male specimen, not particularly in the top ten, but he wasn't -ugly- and thus she continued light conversation, figuring he wasn't going to be any use to her after all. Reaching into her handbag, she procured from it's depths a marlboro light 100, a zippo found as well within the purse's confines, one with the words "I'm Good At What I Do" on it. A simple flip and flick and the cigarette was lit, placed on the edge of pouted lips as the zippo was replaced from where it came. A drag from the stick, and she'd reached over and pull a glass ashtray her direction.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballeros] Mercy</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Requiem</strong> on <strong>10-05-2009, 03:28:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>God damn it Preston, get your shit together!</em><br><br>This is precisely why he should try to pick up women when he was wearing the capes.&nbsp; The Living Blaze was confident, charismatic, and cool... well, maybe not cool.&nbsp; Preston was the idiot savant that somehow seemed to fail upwards.<br><br>He caught how she looked at him, and he wondered if she was determining his wealth mentally.&nbsp; If that was the case, he knew he was done in for.&nbsp; He had to impress the hell out of her in some other, more unique way.&nbsp; The temperature around him rose a little in nervousness, not enough to truly be noticeable.&nbsp; He took a drink of his water, placing the bottle back on the counter and fished his own pack of cigarettes out his jacket pocket, screwing one into his lips without lighting it, his cheap little bic lighter still in hand.<br><br>"Hey, what have I got?&nbsp; You're gorgeous, and you know it.&nbsp; You've heard all the lines, you've had guys fall over backwards to get you dance or more a hundred times over, I'm sure."&nbsp; He lit his cigarette, feeling a stride fall into his words.&nbsp; He smiled, trying to catch her eyes with his own.&nbsp; "But here's a fact; All these other guys could give a shit less what you're thinking.&nbsp; Yeah, you've got one hell of a body and a smile that could melt the north pole.&nbsp; But you got a look in your eye also, like your trying to find something.&nbsp; I actually care as to what that is too."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballeros] Mercy</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>strudel</strong> on <strong>10-05-2009, 04:59:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"You've got the ability to redeem yourself appearantly." She chuckled lightly at that, ashing her cigarette and pulling the glass fixture in between the both of them as they finally struck up a conversation.<br><br>"However I can be quite the deceiving woman, perhaps I'm not trying to find anything at all.." A quirk of her brow as she let out a thick puff of smoke, inhaling it through her nose and letting it then leak back out, passing her lips as it did in a curling, serpentine fashion. A flutter of her lashes as she glanced back up towards the third tier in the club and she decided it was almost about time to put her plan into action, however she'd politely conversate just a smidge more with this poor sap who'd probably be melting in a pile of his own flesh soon.<br><br>Aww.. poor wittle guy.<br><br>Her sinister side just couldn't allow her to give two shits about the man at the moment, however she was an amazingly talented actress and placed herself so deep into the role that it wasn't just believable to those present, but to the young woman herself. The outfit she was wearing slipped a bit, and she raised a hand not busied with the cigarette up to catch it before she was derobed in front of all those occupying the club this fine evening.<br><br>"You're sweet.." She purred, rising from the velvet-lined stool she'd so comfortably placed herself upon earlier and snuffed the cigarette in the appropriate tray, raising a hand to brush against his cheek, manicured index finger running from just beyond the lobe of his ear down his jawline only to circle around to his lips and press lightly.<br><br>"Excuse me for a moment.." Were the woman's last words to him as she turned and sauntered off towards the bathrooms, hips swaying from side to side as she allowed him to view her from the back, buttocks expertly cupped by the outfit she was wearing, long bronzed legs shimmering faintly in the light, smooth as silk.<br><br>Upon entering the bathroom her demeanor would quickly change, walking into a stall and clasping her purse close to her body as she began her transformation. It were as if her silken ebony hair became an oilslick, pressing firmly against her shoulders and beginning to spread the viscous liquid about her whole body until not only was she completely encased, but now specifically composed -of- this thick black substance. A faint hissing noise could be heard as she began to melt through the floor but only momentarily, as she quickly recallibrated the potency of her acidic nature and slipped onto the floor, becomming flat and so thin she were almost invisible, following the caulked section between tiled floor and wall, coloring it black as she strung herself along the outskirts of the women's bathroom and out into the club itself, making her way swiftly along behind the bar on the opposite side that she had left Preston at.<br><br>Upon reaching the spiral staircase, her serpentine form would wind it's way up each stair, making sure to thin herself to the point where there would not be noticable movement, doing so from underneath each rung.. she wasn't stupid, and quickly slipping past the bouncers, purposely increasing her toxicity as she overlapped one of their shoes, causing the man to flinch and reach down toward his gucci penny loafs and find that they, and part of his flesh was missing.<br><br>"What the FUCK?" The bouncer exclaimed, being relieved from his post to go attend to his wounds. That would have been the first sign.. the second might have been the blood curdling screams comming from the V.I.P lounge twenty minutes later.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballeros] Mercy</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Rhapsody</strong> on <strong>10-05-2009, 08:48:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>Tweak the sensitivity on the antennae.&nbsp; Careful, careful... Now, all that's left is to add the legs and ... there! Done!</em><br><br>Tanya slid the last component into place and pushed away from her workbench, groaning as her muscles protested and stretching to pop the knots in her back.&nbsp; She glanced at the clock and was mildly surprised to see that she'd whiled away half the day bent over her bench, putting the finishing touches on the devices a wannabe supervillain who called himself The Roach ordered two weeks ago.&nbsp; It was a simple thing, really, a mechanical bug with stealth capabilities, the kind that could pick up conversation and keytones through recording devices cleverly hidden in the antennae, digitize the recordings and radio them back to an accompanying handheld receiver, amongst... other things. <br><br>But Tanya tried not to think of all the special-order abilities she'd built into the damn thing.&nbsp; Surely, there was no <em>positive </em>use for the micro-explosives implanted in the carapace, or the drug-delivery system included in the tiny but wicked mandibles.&nbsp; She wasn't exactly sure if true roaches had mandibles, but if The Roach wanted them and was willing to pay extra for them, then Tanya was in no position to argue.<br><br>She really wished she could stick to supplying heroes with gadgets and gizmos, like she had when she'd started out.&nbsp; Those were the good times, when she was fifteen and funnelling beloved public figures like the Golden Torch and Doc Justice with devices that made their jobs a lot easier.&nbsp; But all most heroes could offer these days were favors, free merchandise if they had the connections, or their gratitute.&nbsp; <br><br>Gratitude didn't pay the rent, though, and unless the hero worked for McDonald's, favors didn't feed her.&nbsp; Even the government research grants in her name didn't give her the kind of money that would allow her to help keep the family home in the family.&nbsp; <br><br>Villains could pay her in <em>cash</em>, and a lot of cash to boot.&nbsp; When it came down to her conscience twinging at her guiltily, or her stomach twinging at her with hunger, she'd feed her stomach and deal with her conscience later.&nbsp; With her dad laid off from Lostros Computers and her mother's piano lessons and part-time job not hauling in as much money as they needed to maintain the lifestyle, never mind Tanya's own ravenous need for fresh parts and wiring, she had to take paying jobs when and where they came, and she couldn't be too picky about it.<br><br>Tanya looked back over her shoulder at the prototype lying so innocently on her workbench, under the magnifier and in reach of dozens of tools that would easily dismantle it, then sighed and waved her hand over the bioscanner that controlled the hidden door, leaving her sub-basement lab and her dubious contributions to society behind.&nbsp; <br><br>===========<br><br>The ATM around the corner from the club was more than happy to spit out a couple of hundred dollars for her, despite her distinct lack of a bank card.&nbsp; She grinned, patted the terminal like she would a favored pet, and thanked it for its time.&nbsp; The computer inside chirped happily at her, and <em>Would you like to complete another transaction?</em> popped up on the screen.&nbsp; <br><br>"No," she said, "but thank you again."<br><br><em>Have a good day!</em><br><br>Tanya patted the machine again, then turned and walked away from the terminal, counting out the crisp twenties as she rounded the corner.&nbsp; She stuffed the wad into her pocket, and pulled out her ID as she <br><br>"Hey Jimmy," she said warmly to the bouncer screening IDs at the door.&nbsp; He grinned back and moved aside for her, much the complaints of the next girl in line.&nbsp; <br><br>"Not bad, T," he said as she moved past him and into the club.&nbsp; "Not bad at all.&nbsp; By the way, thanks again for that solid you did me."<br><br>"Any time Jimmy," she called over her shoulder as she stepped into the press of bodies and the thumping of bass.&nbsp; Sometimes, favors were useful, especially when the recepient of such favors had a prized but cranky Harley no mechanic could figure out how to fix, and was a bouncer at her favorite club.&nbsp; She still had to pay cover, but skipping to the head of the line and not needing to show ID whenever he was on the door was wealth in and of itself.<br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballeros] Mercy</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>strudel</strong> on <strong>10-05-2009, 21:29:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Remaining in her malleable form, viscous in nature, she'd slipped herself into one of the bolted&nbsp; metal doors that composed the more upstanding of the V.I.P. private booths, ones that were constructed for the sole purpose of not allowing any to enter, unless they could pass the retinal scan on the outside. Maybe a bit too high tech for a simple club? Perhaps, however this could lead one to believe that some not so savory business was taking place on the top floor of this particular establishment.<br><br>Occupying this cubicle was one of the city's bigwigs in underhanded crime, being the one numerous bookies would report to in the gambling faction of the city, and this had been Dawn's target all along.. finding someone with enough monetary value to not only fill her wallet, but her residence and her stomach as well. Hey, a girl's gotta eat, right? The inside of the booth was extravagant, the walls coated with a black crush velvet lining, a bench encircling a large table in the center, the bench itself raised and covered in silk, the thread count Dawn was unsure of. <br><br>There he sat, puffing on his cigar and filling the small area full of toxic fumes, a harsh scent permeating even the outside of the booth, via the passage Dawn had taken her entry at. At first he didn't taken notice to the minute sliver of black oozing along the bottom portion of the bench, very much like a thick oilslick without the shiney possibility for "rainbows". The man was obviously too overindulged in himself and confident in his safety that he was untouchable, or so he thought.<br><br><em>I'm going to enjoy this...</em><br><br>Thoughts filled her head, or what would have been her head had she been on the better side of tangible. Slowly serpentine tendrils extended to inaudibly wrap around the man's ankles, slithering over his pants with a faint hissing sound.. the sound of material being eaten away due to her acidic nature. More obsidian tendrils erupted from the viscous black pool on the floor, tightening around his calves and ascending to his thighs.. the man now aware of this entity near him.. touching him.. began to scream.<br><br>At the first outburst, a thick tendril swiftly rose into the air and stared at him for a moment, as if having a life of it's own, bobbing it's tip back and forth almost toying sadistically with it's prey before launching directly at the fat man's gaping maw, piercing his flesh, pocks and burn marks begging to show on his face as flesh began to drip from the previously opened orifice. Invading his body, it traveled down his esophogus and upon hitting his stomach she increased her potency to a degree where she would eat through the man's epidermis and vital organs however not strong enough for her to burn a hole right through the floor, although there'd be a small crater where the pool had been until she moved to encompass the vastness of the man's feeble body.<br><br>A few working strands less potent in nature had swiftly relieved the man of his belongings that were of any worth. A diamond-chip Gucci watch, a number of designer rings with rocks in them the size of quarters, a Prada wallet with stacks of crisp benjamins in it, and a few chains that had hung around where the man's neck -used- to be. All of this items were placed upon the table and when she was done... there was what resembled human soup on the floor, the remnants of what once was a prominent figure in the city, reduced to a smoldering pile of putrid flesh and blood. <br><br>Dawn would solidify, reclaiming her exotic physique, long dark hair giving off an ethereal shine as she opened the door to exit the booth manually, emerging and sealing the door promptly behind her with a little acidic touch, melting the components so it'd be a task to get to the man.. or what was left of him.<br><br>She had planned on melting the club to the ground, and if she could've found enough reserve of acidic components throughout the club she would've had means to do it.. however this would suffice for now, and as she made her way past the bouncers on the third floor she'd offer them a sultry smile, lips pursing gently as she ran her tongue over them.<br><br>"Night boys." She cooed, running a manicured finger down the bicep of one, the confused look on his face there for good reason. How had this girl gotten access to the V.I.P. lounge? Probably just servicing a john she had up there.. mistaking Dawn for a whore was highly amusing in her eyes but she rolled with it, descending the stairs slowly but surely and catching sight of Blaze as she did.<br><br>"G'night handsome.. " She purred, twirling her fingers at him in a wave as she made her way towards the exit.<br><br>Meanwhile.. upstairs pandemonium was letting loose, one of the man's lackeys had decided to go check up on the boss, and noticing the door was melted shut, had requested immediate assistance in jarring it open with whatever handy utensils they had laying around. It would take them a good ten minutes to eventually break the barrier.. and when they did.. a stench unlike anything that'd ever graced their nostrils would perfume outward to taint the whole upper floor. People would be ushered downstairs for safety.. bickering would begin. There were a lot of people that were going to be in a -lot- of trouble for this one.. Obviously something had gone wrong.. and that would be appearant to anyone on the second floor of the club, even some on the first.<br><br>Dawn? She was chatting it up with the bouncer at the door, passing Tanya as the girl walked in, feral yellow eyes running over her figure as she offered the female a coy smile, fluttering of her lash working as a light wink as the girl passes her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballeros] Mercy</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Rhapsody</strong> on <strong>11-05-2009, 13:35:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				In the middle of a long, boring come-on line from a guy with too much tequila in his system, Tanya's cell phone vibrated against her hip.&nbsp; She plastered on a fake smile for the guy, held up one finger in the timeless gesture to wait, and pulled the flip phone out of its holster while she was turning slightly away from him.&nbsp; She thumbed the cover up, read the caller ID and sighed.&nbsp; <br><br>"I'm sorry," she said over her shoulder to the guy, who was staring at her like he wasn't sure how many of her there actually were, "but it's work.&nbsp; Talk later?"<br><br>Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked towards the patio, smiling warmly to Jimmy as she passed him breaking up a fight in the corner.&nbsp; Phone to her ear, she shook a cigarette out of her pack, lit it with her Bic and said, "Talk to me, Baby."<br><br>"Baby" was the name she'd given her computer at home, a custom-built machine that was somewhat shy of actual sentience, but with a definite personality of its own.&nbsp; It had been programmed to forward any messages meeting certain requirements directly to her, and never once had that programming glitched.&nbsp; Well, okay, once it had, but in Baby's defense, the penis enlargement ad had managed to get around her spam blocker too.&nbsp; <br><br>Now, Baby datastreamed information through her cell phone into her ear that would be random line noise to anyone else, but her unique gift translated it for her into a language just as eloquent as English:&nbsp; <em>Message received.&nbsp; Standard trace routes attempted, but unsuccessful.&nbsp; Source origin unavailable.&nbsp; Return address verified.&nbsp; Message reads:&nbsp; Madame Tanya, It is understood that you have aptitude in all things technological... </em><br><br>Tanya frowned when the first line was transmitted to her, and she had to tell Baby to pause the playback so she could wiggle her little finger inside her ear, just to make sure there wasn't something jammed in there that was distorting the message.&nbsp; But when she told Baby to resume transmission, she realized she really hadn't been mishearing the datastream.&nbsp; <br><br>"Baby," she said, her cigarette burning and all but forgotten between her fingers.&nbsp; "Reply message to return address; message reads..."&nbsp; She reeled off the reply she wanted to send, feeling a little dazed and a lot unnerved, but thankful for the fact that the bald text would convey nothing of the sort to the potential client.&nbsp; If anything, it should sound calm and composed, like supervillains contacted her every day.<br><br><em>They do,</em> Tanya thought somewhat ruefully as she snapped the phone closed and tossed her unsmoked cigarette aside.&nbsp; She lit a fresh stick, inhaled deeply and exhaled as she leaned back against the patio railing, tilting her head back to stare at the club lights dancing in smoggy sky.&nbsp; She forced herself to think of nothing at all, because if she started thinking, she wasn't going to stop, and right now that wasn't so much of a good thing.<br><br>Barely had she finished her cigarette when her phone, still in her hand, vibrated again.&nbsp; She closed her eyes for a moment, an uncustomary moment of hesitation since she'd opened her doors to all and sundry.&nbsp; This was big shit.&nbsp; This was the kind of thing that could get not only her, but her family killed as well.&nbsp; This was the major leagues, not some small time wannabes like Doombot or The Roach.&nbsp; This was...<br><br>This was freaking <em>Overlord</em>.<br><br>But then, the practical side of her mind piped up with its usual argument.&nbsp; The family home, her own bills, her special equipment and parts... None of it came cheap, and if this was the major leagues, they'd hand her a major league cheque.&nbsp; &nbsp;A thousand up front, just to consult.&nbsp; That was rent, right there.&nbsp; <br><br>With a sigh, she flipped the phone open again, and listened to the message.&nbsp; She thought for a moment on how she wanted to respond, then finally sighed and told Baby how to phrase the reply.&nbsp; Shaking her head, more at herself than anything else, she pushed herself off the railing and put her phone back in its holster, with the intent to make her way out of the club and head over to the next street to see if there was any way she could just get this consultation over with tonight.<br><br>What the hell did Overlord, of all people, want with <em>her</em>?&nbsp; And how the <em>hell</em> had he gotten his infamous hands on her true identity?<br><br>She was trying to figure out if she really wanted to know the answer to those questions when the screaming started inside.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballeros] Mercy</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Requiem</strong> on <strong>11-05-2009, 16:37:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Preston grinned inwardly at himself.&nbsp; He had recovered, if just barely, but he still had a long way to go if he wanted this particular beauty moaning within the next hour.&nbsp; At one time he actually invited women back to his apartment, but that time was long since gone.<br><br>He watched her leave, eyes glued to curves as moved away.&nbsp; He glanced around the room after she left, letting the last tendrils of her perfume fade off before gulping down a bit more of his water.&nbsp; A small puff of steam drifted from his mouth as he pulled the bottle away, and Preston almost laughed as he concentrated on cooling his temperature down a little.<br><br>Everything was going fine until he saw -her- walk in.&nbsp; In that moment, he could have screamed.<br><br>He moved through the club, a look of anger and fervor on his face as he grabbed Miss Junior Einstein by the arm.&nbsp; It didn't occur to him that she actually had an important phone call; this was his night out, and he would be damned if he would let Tanya stop him from scoring this time.<br><br>"What the fuck are you doing here" he demanded.&nbsp; Sure, it had been well over a year since they'd last threw things at each other, and granted, Preston was a mutant superhero now.&nbsp; But some things never change, and Tanya was one of them.&nbsp; "I swear to god, if you are here just to fuck with me I will.. will"<br><br>This was the problem with Preston; he never had anything good to follow up with.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballeros] Mercy</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Rhapsody</strong> on <strong>11-05-2009, 17:07:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				A quick glance over in the corner informed her that the screaming was coming from a bachelorette party in the process of consuming enough mojitos to float the Seventh Fleet.&nbsp; She rolled her eyes and turned back to continue on her path to the exit...<br><br>...only to have her arm snatched and her body whirled around until she was face to face with...<br><br>"Golly gee willikers, Mr. Peabody," she said softly, blinking slowly at the guy before her.&nbsp; "Set the Wayback Machine for 2007..."<br><br>Preston Fucking Scott.&nbsp; Of all the insecure, inferiority-complected jackasses to run into tonight of all goddamn nights.&nbsp; She ran an eye over him, noting how much he'd changed in just a year and a bit.&nbsp; No more dark clothing, no more stealing his girlfriend's kohl pencil to mark up his face with a physical manifestation of the deep wounds within his tragic soul, or whatever the fuck excuse he'd used to give her when her hundred-dollar eyeliner turned up in the bathroom trash ground down to a mere stub.&nbsp; <br><br>And he still couldn't come up with anything witty to say.&nbsp; <br><br>"It's a free goddamn country, Blackrose," she said, and she knew the shot was a low one, but there was something about him that made her be completely incapable of helping herself.&nbsp; "I don't see your name blazing in blacklight over the door, and I certainly don't see any of your little batling friends staking out goth territory for you."&nbsp; She attempted to wrench her elbow out of his grasp.&nbsp; "You wanna let me go before someone sees this." It wasn't a question.<br><br>Like she'd just summoned a genie, like freaking magic, like she'd just parted the Red Raver Sea, Jimmy appeared out of the crowd, a hulking man with a shaved head, beard and too many muscles rippling out of his black staff shirt.&nbsp; "This guy bothering you, T?" he asked, ominiously eyeing Preston up and down.<br><br>Tanya didn't break eye contact with Preston when she spoke to the bouncer. "Nah, Jimmy.&nbsp; It's alright.&nbsp; Just an old boyfriend I haven't seen in awhile.&nbsp; Isn't that right, <em>honey</em>?"&nbsp; And if the last word was hissed through her teeth, well... that was certainly understandable, wasn't it?
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballeros] Mercy</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Requiem</strong> on <strong>11-05-2009, 17:28:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She had the nerve to be angry at him?<br><br>"Blackrose!" he nearly shouted, voice rising an octave.&nbsp; He gritted his teeth and glared.&nbsp; He had filled out a bit since last they'd met, nights of smashing bad guys having paid off a little.&nbsp; "What in the hell are you doing in the Three Dimensional World anyway?&nbsp; Whatever fat-ass acne reading digital stalker you're cybering now with could get enough e-Viagra to power your latest fusion-driven vibrator?"<br><br>When Jimmy appeared, Preston looked up at the sound of the voice.&nbsp; Then he continued looking up.&nbsp; Preston was tall, but it still took some time for him to crane his neck at the neanderthal stuffed in a "BOUNCER" t-shirt.&nbsp; He wasn't positive the man even had a neck, and the low sloping brow and dumb expression looked more suited to clubbing women over the head than it did speaking.<br><br>"Back off, roids-boy." He threatened, "I'm just trying to make your shitty little club more appetizing by getting the trash to walk itself back out."<br><br>Even a few months ago, Preston would have cowered and run screaming.&nbsp; Since that time though, he'd become a bit more confident and he knew that he had a few hidden cards to play should things go from bad to worse.&nbsp; He then caught sight of Dawn leaving and nearly collapsed on himself, glaring at Tanya with such fury that the air around him raised a few degrees.&nbsp; This was all her fault; it always was.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballeros] Mercy</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Rhapsody</strong> on <strong>11-05-2009, 17:49:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Tanya's hands clenched at her sides in fists so tight her knuckles turned white, and the thick, wide silver band around her left forearm had never felt so <em>tempting</em>.&nbsp; Had she installed any of her offensive weapons for field testing in the last week or so, or did it still carry just the personal shielding and teleporter it usually did?&nbsp; It took a nanosecond to check with the micro-computer built into the bracer.<br><br>Nope.&nbsp; Just the shield and teleporter.&nbsp; Dammit.<br><br>A cell phone sitting on a nearby table blared out a ringtone, some angry and bass-heavy song, right before it popped and crackled and exploded spectacularly in a shower of sparks and a puff of smoke.&nbsp; Its owner cried out like his mother had just dropped dead, and clutched the shattered remains of the device to his chest.&nbsp; "My little black book!"<br><br>Tayna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, centering herself.&nbsp; Now was not the time to lose control, not with a meeting so important and scary as one with Overlord right around the corner.&nbsp; Not with at least three trusting and friendly ATM machines along the way she might accidentally tell to commit suicide.&nbsp; She opened her eyes again, forcing her inexplicable and murderous anger down, locking it back into the box in which it belonged.<br><br>"He wants the trash out, Jimmy," she said, and her smile was a little too sweet.&nbsp; "I think that's your job, yeah?"<br><br>"Yeah," Jimmy agreed, cracking his knuckles before clapping one meaty hand on Preston's shoulder. "It's time to leave now," he announced, and attempted to shove him in the direction of the door via a handful of shirt.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: [Los Caballeros] Mercy</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>strudel</strong> on <strong>12-05-2009, 23:30:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Dawn hadn't left the general vicinity of the club yet, and in fact was leaning against the outter wall about five feet from the entryway with a marlboro light 100 pressed between her lips, one leg crossed over another as she casually inhaled, letting smoke curl from her nostrils as she slipped into quiet contemplation. It seems all the occupants of the club that evening were too wrapped up in their own social agendas they hadn't had time to notice what was going on up top on the third floor, which generously worked in her favor, as it hadn't called any attention her way, but she was slightly disappointed.. a furrowed brow following this thought.<br><br><em>Next time.. I won't be so nice to the innocent bystanders..</em><br><br>Something stirred beyond narrowed eyes. She'd wanted more than that. In reality the melting of a gambling tycoon would have been kept on the hush hush, only permitted to be talked about within the circles in which that subject belonged.. but Dawn craved more.<br><br>Another drag from her cigarette and she removed it from her lips, a few smoke rings spiraling forward only to dissipate as she ran a finger through the center of them. Ashing before she took the last drag, the butt was dropped on the parched pavement of the famished city, boot promptly brought forth to snuff the flame.<br><br>On the bright side of things? She had rent money for the next couple of months, and once she cut those gems out of the jewelry herself, she was almost positive she could procure the assistance of someone to move the stones for her. It would just take a little time and a the right type of motivation.. but it would happen.
			</dd>
		</dl>
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