Fear and Loathing in Varda Prime: A tale of Crime and Sin in the Eldritch Wastes
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		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: chaoslord29 on 10-04-2016, 23:30:43</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Fear and Loathing in Varda Prime: A tale of Crime and Sin in the Eldritch Wastes</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>10-04-2016, 23:30:43</strong>
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				Vincent was in his element.&nbsp; His squad was moving at full clip through the craggy ravine, counting on low-lying terrain and storm for cover as they advanced on the heretic installation.&nbsp; They'd scouted several elevated and camouflaged watch posts (pretty sophisticated for a bunch of degenerate demon worshipers) during their survey, but the weather system would be playing havoc with their monitoring equipment, and had forced them to batten down the hatches on the whole.&nbsp; Storm fronts in the wastes were nothing to sneeze at, as lightning, fist sized hail, and radioactive fallout were often the least of ones worries; howling gales that could leave you deafened, blackfost which could leave limbs and extremities paralyzed and necrotic, or even torrential downpours of caustic blood were not unheard off, even this long after the Great Conflict.&nbsp; What gave Vincent confidence however, was not just that he had seen such horrors before, having fought through many of them side by side with these very men in against tides of infernal beasts, but the mark IV Crusader Power Armor, the pinnacle of contemporary war gear, which gave them the advantage. <em> 'My faith protects me,'</em> He thought, as the enhanced muscle servos lent his movements uncanny alacrity and superhuman strength, <em>'But my armor helps.'</em>.<br><br>Each of the dozen soldiers was similarly clad in the matte black auto-reactive plate mail, the underlying skeleton of titanium and mechanical actuators serving not just to support the heavy frame, but provide them with tenfold pushing and lifting power.&nbsp; The veterans, like Vincent, wore their armor like a second skin and were capable of surprising feats of agility too, but the combat subsystems assisted the whole squad in maintaining unit cohesion and pathfinding through the treacherous terrain through an augmented reality head's up display in each helmet.&nbsp; As they neared the trench which was the remainder of the still standing defenses left over at the bunker (having once been built in to the side of a mountain which at some point had been split open by titanic forces), they fanned out, and Vincent gave the sign to hold position.&nbsp; Weapons were readied, Vincent himself&nbsp; hefting his combat rifle in one hand, and ballistic shield in the other.&nbsp; The power armor made wielding even a high caliber heavy machine gun possible with one hand, often integrated in to the vambraces of the armor itself and the linked targeting system to the helm's internal display meant one was never firing 'from the hip'.&nbsp; Vincent preferred the heavy gauntleted fist however, and the familiar feel of squeezing his hand around the grip of the 'Vindicator' assault weapon, a large bore, fully automatic, drum fed combat shotgun, which through his suit's ammo selection system he could vary between blessed alloy solid slug rounds, and holy-water infused shrapnel shot.&nbsp; Two of his fellow squad members sported the massive combat shotguns, supported by six carbine armed heavy infantry, and their heavy weapons compliment: two armed with incinerators, one with a recoilless anti-immaterial weapon, and the last with a good, old-fashioned short barreled Vulcan 20mm cannon.<br><br>"Squad, prepare for assault." He uttered, causing a tremor of anticipation down the line, and prompting their anti-immaterials specialist to chamber breaching round in to the massive weapon as he set his armor in to a firing stance.&nbsp; Time seemed to slow then, and suddenly Vincent felt himself break out in a cold sweat, everything coming to a peak of swirling chaos.&nbsp; He felt himself carried across the trench, as the impact of the heavy weapon tore open a whole in the bunker, but his squad was no longer around him.&nbsp; Now he was inside, amidst the rubble and the ruin they had left there, scorch marks, blast patterns, and bullet holes riddling every surface, but his weapon was no longer in hand, and there were the broken and crumpled figures of his comrades all around him; more, not just those who had accompanied on him on this mission, but those who had been lost before, recognizing older patterns of armor, able to put faces and names to each of them, despite those still encased inside their armor, or worse, their bodies torn apart or disfigured beyond recognition.<br><br>He was standing now, alone, facing the eldritch circle which they had discovered in the inner sanctum of the cultist's installation, and even now <em>it</em> was crawling it's way through the warping reality of the floor towards him.&nbsp; Mostly was it wreathed in shadow, but he knew this was no mere demon, as tendrils of dark power and arcs of baleful fire wreathed from it down around the summoning circle, materializing in to abominable limbs and appendages which melded together or back in to formlessness.&nbsp; All of them seemed to be beckoning Vincent, drawing him closer, but his sword was in his hand, deployed from the reserve weapon rack of his armor, and his ballistic shield worked just as well in melee.&nbsp; &nbsp;He swung and hacked and hewed at the nameless entity, and he could tell he was hurting it.&nbsp; A roar of sheer hatred built up inside of him as he parried and stabbed and fought through the scorching wounds and terrible blows it rained upon him.&nbsp; Nothing would stop him from having his revenge against this thing which had killed so many of his comrades.&nbsp; He knew it was impossible, that he had never seen this thing before, but the terrible desire for retribution had overtaken him now, and as he struck a final blow, a white light seemed to fill the room, emanating from his pitted and scored weapon as he brought it down in a wide arc. The force was all consuming, filling his senses till there was not but a maddening void of endless light.<br><br><hr><br>Vincent sat up in bed, bolt upright, the nightmare ripping him from his sleep, panting and sweating.&nbsp; Instantly his hand went to a weapon at his hip which was not there, and a second later he was out of bed, reaffirming his surroundings before his breathing could finally begin to slow.&nbsp; The sheets were tangled around him in a mess, and he sighed, collapsing back on to the bed as he held his head against the throbbing in his temples.&nbsp; A glance at the clock revealed it to be just too early to be considered morning, but he knew it was no good trying to get any more sleep now.&nbsp; Clearing his throat and giving a muted groan, he disentangled himself from the fabric, shedding his night clothes as he moved the short space across the tiny apartment to what passed for his bathroom.&nbsp; The modular faucet array could serve as both shower and sink, which was to Vincent's mind infuriating in some way he couldn't quite quantify, but he set it to shower for the moment and the frosted opaque plastic screen slid in to place behind him.&nbsp; He showered cold, meaning for it to be a short affair, but finding the shivering sensation to be almost pleasant when he went to rub warmth back in to his limbs with his hands.&nbsp; At least it helped him feel a little more alive at this hour of morning, and so he came out dripping and cold before seeking out a tower, tying it at his waist before he moved to the window to stare out at the city.&nbsp; You certainly wouldn't guess it was a little after 4 a.m. for all the lights and activity that buzzed below him, and his frown deepened a little as he regarded it. <em>'I wonder if it's just Varda Prime, or if the other arcologies have abandoned any semblance of normal.'</em> He thought, before restoring the opacity of the wall and began to change.<br><br>He took the extra time to complete his daily training regimen at the building's fitness center; vacant, except for himself at this hour, but that preferable to the stares he often received.&nbsp; Everything about the man screamed 'military' to his fellow tenants, and it was not a terribly comfortable association to make for citizens who were use to dealing with civic law enforcement.&nbsp; Vincent found it that much easier to work himself in to a thorough vigor without their eyes however, and followed up his workout with a hot shower this time.&nbsp; Having detected his early rise, his in-home servitor unit had started a pot of coffee brewing and in combination with his exercise, he now felt more restored than sleep these last few weeks had left him.&nbsp; A few minutes later and he was smartly attired in his dress uniform and headed out the door to the local diner, once again, mostly deserted, but that only allowed him the pleasure of enjoying a hearty breakfast in silence; the serving staff knowing better than to try and make conversation.&nbsp; This particular diner had an appreciation for his service with one of the demon-hunting wasteland companies, and so he received a wide berth; for that, and the fact that they employed a fully human, rather than automated (or integrated) wait staff Vincent was most appreciative.<br><br>With time left to walk the remainder of the way to the city center, the streets grew progressively more crowded along the way, with Vincent receiving more than few looks of concern, and delivering a few stern gazes of his own towards those who looked ready to pass comment, and towards the gaggle of recognizable Outsiders he passed along the way.&nbsp; Still, the trip was without incident, and he arrived in the lobby of the Civil Defense Bureau before the day staff were in full swing, and so checked in (having full security clearance) and made his way up to the upper administrative floors, where he waited for his appointed meeting and helped himself to another cup of coffee in the break room.&nbsp; He found himself growing increasingly optimistic as the appointment neared; civilian life was unbearable to him, and yet it was what he had been forced to endure following his last engagement (the source of his nightmares) and the several extended tours of duty which now had him on the short list for psychiatric evaluation.&nbsp; This new assignment however, had promised to be transitional to a new posting fighting the still teaming, malignant denizens of the wastes, and it was being overseen by his old commanding officer, who was herself now a civic leader here in Varda Prime.&nbsp; He wondered at how she could stand to live in one of the more notorious dens of Outsider activity in the new world, but hoped that she had requested his company's assistance, and Vincent's participation specifically, to begin serious work rectifying that very situation.<br><br>As the meeting time approached, he was called in by an aide, waiting briefly in an antechamber to the Deputy Commissioner's robust office.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Fear and Loathing in Varda Prime: A tale of Crime and Sin in the Eldritch Wastes</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>12-04-2016, 01:07:10</strong>
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				Last night was a blur to her at best. She remembered going home with someone on her arm, as much as it loathed her to do that kind of thing. But it was his job as an escort to cater to her needs and she just couldn't keep herself in check like before. It was about time to let loose for her own benefit and he knew that too. No matter how rough and crazy it got (hence the rather nice sum for compensation) she had to be satisfied. It always struck her as humiliating right up to the moment she actually felt sated, and that wasn't an easy feat for a succubus. Mostly though, she felt rather bad about the poor handsome young man who would be under her thumb that night. <br><br>Just like the one before him, and the one before that, roughly once every month for as long as she got into the routine of covertly feeding her inner beast.<br><br>In Varda Prime it wasn't something to be embarrassed about, though the local humans still didn't exactly warm up to their supernatural neighbours even though the Great Conflict had been a long time ago. It was easy to move around the city and get whatever she needed, free of judgement, albeit at the cost of the occasional glare from an emboldened patriot who thought she was scum. But not last night. Last night she was a goddess incarnate and everything melded into a tangle of limbs, moist bodies, moans and gasps of pleasure.<br><br>Sometimes she would completely lose herself part way through. Sometimes she would invite a few more eager souls into her bed so she could feel their heated touch and mouths all over her body in tandem and it still wasn't enough. That morning when she awoke well before the sun, however, revealed that it hadn't been such a rough night. For her, any way...<br><br>Alix felt her heart beating loudly in her chest and it rang louder in her ears, like the worst hangover of someone's lifetime mixed with an orgasm that clouded the mind and made limbs seize up. It was a conflicting roller coaster of emotions and sensations before the succubus could roll over in bed and gasp out loud, inhaling deep lungfuls of air hungrily almost on par with the gasps she uttered the night before. In the darkness of her large bedroom the dim light of early morning was just peaking over the massive towering buildings that made up the city's core in her floor to ceiling window, and already the streets were beginning to flood with fluorescent light. <br><br>Her teal eyes, however, had their own peculiar glow to them and seemed to cast a bit of illumination on her fair features. Alix sat up in bed with a groan and ran her hands over her body, furrowing her dark angled brows as she felt the soreness of her strained lean muscles and the occasional sore spot where finger-shaped bruises were already in the process of rapidly healing. She tilted her head back and let out a raspy soft sigh as she swivelled and threw her legs off the bed to stand, shakily at best. Her bed partner murmured and rustled beside her, with a full myriad of indents, cuts and bites of his own. He didn't seem to be in pain, thankfully.<br><br>When she moved to step away from the bed though, more motion under the silk sheets caught her eye. A woman slithered up and emerged beside the male escort, quickly latching herself to his side. Alix saw a glaring bite mark above her pert left breast and immediately could taste the sickly sweet copper of blood still on her rosy, sumptuous mouth. Hastily the succubus licked her lips and exhaled through her nose as she walked towards her dresser. She rifled through the top drawer quietly and pulled out more credit sticks, lining them up on the night stand beside her male escort and the woman she barely remembered thanks to her lustful frenzy. She only faintly remembered stopping by one of Varda's most prestigious clubs that catered to locals and Outsiders.<br><br>Completely nude, the succubus walked out of her bedroom and went into the small, fairly empty kitchen to pour herself a glass of water. She knew by the lack of sunlight she still had a couple more hours to kill before the meeting. And she wanted plenty of fresh air first - at least, as fresh as possible in the walled city.<br><br>She made a quick stop in the bathroom to tousle her thick raven-black waves of hair around the short horns that protruded a few inches behind her forehead and gently arced back along her head. Then she paused in her closet to throw on an outfit that was 'business casual' as far as her occupation of mediating between her kind and the humans was concerned: a pair of black jeans, one-inch heeled boots with a few polished silver buckles along the side, a wine red short sleeved v-neck shirt, and a cropped military style jacket. Once ready, Alix was out the door before the sun had risen and walked to work, very slowly and as long of a way as possible. She passed in front of a small diner she normally gave a wide berth to but after a quick inspection from her peripheral vision as she strode past, she was already getting dirty looks just for being near the human-dominated eatery.<br><br>After about a half hour of walking further into the heart of the city, Alix came to the Civil Defence Bureau with time to spare. She paused at the security station just inside and lifted her arm as a servitor bot scanned her wrist fro the chip she voluntarily had implanted. The option to have an ID card or tag was generally for the humans while her kind had more hoops to jump through. Safety precautions, of course.<br><br>Upstairs, Alix hurriedly walked towards her superior's office and found the antechamber not quite empty. The aide, a young lithe blonde with a fairly endowed chest, looked over to the succubus as she came into view. Immediately a sheepish smirk crossed her face and Alix tried to hide the growing smirk to no avail. A flash of her white teeth revealed her slightly elongated canines.<br><br>"Oh good, you're here! Right on time," she said, clearing her throat. The aide threw a holographic screen up in front of her, quickly scanning a list of names and appointments on a calendar grid to cross reference with the succubus' ID clearance. The blonde's face contorted slightly as she began to pronounce her name. Not that Alix blamed her. Human tongues just weren't meant for those kinds of names.<br><br>"Miss Driina Istral--" She was cut off quickly by a polite dismissive wave.<br><br>"Alix, please. It's much easier to pronounce," insisted the succubus. The blonde nodded, a little embarrassed yet having a hard time dropping her smile as she gestured towards the Deputy Commissioner's office. Alix walked ahead and opened the door.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Fear and Loathing in Varda Prime: A tale of Crime and Sin in the Eldritch Wastes</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>14-04-2016, 19:12:12</strong>
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				Vincent checked his watch as he remained sitting, patiently, in the antechamber, counting down the seconds one cool tick at a time.&nbsp; His was one of the old fashioned digital varieties; no touch screen or wireless interlink, and even those were falling out of favor as more and more citizens just used their cell phones or the growing number of augmented reality goggles, glasses, and even contact lenses and direct visual input they were offering.&nbsp; No, Vincent’s watch had buttons, and only a handful of alternate functions, but it was sturdy and understated, and didn’t require recharging, which was to his mind, the most insipid element of most ‘modern’ technology.&nbsp; Even as cordless charging had become the norm, his military experience left him thinking constantly in terms of liabilities, and it didn’t matter to him that everywhere in the arcology had power strips and interlink access.&nbsp; Outside, you needed to know that what you were carrying was reliable in the most extreme circumstances; often it was the people themselves who broke down first.<br><br>As the door to the antechamber opened once more, he instinctively stood, the expectation of either a superior officer or a civic official always on his mind, but the appearance of a woman was just as much a reason to remain standing.&nbsp; Her attire didn’t give him a clear hint as to her purpose here at the Civic Defense Bureau, but then, keeping up with modern trends and fashions was a losing battle.&nbsp; It wasn’t until his eyes fell upon the horns that curled up from her brow, and identified them as “natural” that he frowned; a momentary lapse in the otherwise mask of stoicism which was Vincent’s modus operandi around civilians, but it was noticeable.&nbsp; Slowly but surely he began to pick up the other tell tale features which identified her, unequivocally, as an Outsider, and likely a succubus or other fiendish creature at that.&nbsp; Vincent couldn’t help but bristle: shirking his shoulders, settling into a more balanced stance, and after crossing his hands in front of him looked pointedly towards the door to the Deputy Commissioner’s office.<br><br>Fortunately, the door opened before any comment could be exchanged between them and a confidence alto rang out with a polite “Enter.”, apparently directed at them both.&nbsp; Vincent immediately moved towards the door, pausing awkwardly as he and the succubus tried to pass through it at the same time, and while not wishing to shoulder past her, wasn’t keen to simply give her leave to enter ahead of him. <em>’What could the Colonel need the likes of her here for?’</em> He wondered to himself.<br><br>Deputy Commissioner Cruze however, showed no signs of concern as either Alix or Vincent entered, rising to her feat to reveal a willowy figure clad in a dark blazer and slacks.&nbsp; The blouse she wore had the barest decoration in the form of a ruffled collar, but it was still more accoutrement than Vincent was accustomed to seeing his former CO wearing.&nbsp; “Major Reynolds, Alix, both of you, please have a seat.” She said, gesturing with one hand to the pair of stylish modern furniture pieces in front of her broad desk.&nbsp; The walls of the office were largely unadorned save for a single case with an array of medals; two aluminum bookshelves housed a collection of pre-conflict books, and there was what appeared to be a larger cabinet or locker to one side.&nbsp; The wall behind the Deputy Commissioner was opaque, and looked to be reinforced, artificial illumination diffusing throughout the room as what looked like pastel clouds generated by the holo-display provided some relief floating overhead and just above eye-level.<br><br>“If you haven’t had time for introductions yet, please, allow me.&nbsp; Alix, this is Major Vincent Reynolds of the Holy Confraternity of the Sanguine Lance.&nbsp; Major, this is Alix, one of my top investigative officers here in Varda Prime into Interworlder affairs.”&nbsp; Ms. Cruze finished and reclined back in her supple desk chair, steepling her fingers while her elbows rested on the arms, apparently quite comfortable with the heavy stillness which now hung in the air.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Fear and Loathing in Varda Prime: A tale of Crime and Sin in the Eldritch Wastes</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>21-04-2016, 20:50:05</strong>
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				Alix cleared her throat somewhat awkwardly as she walked to the open door and tried to move through it at the same time as the man who gave her a wary look mere seconds ago. They managed to edge around one another until someone came out on top and entered the Deputy Commissioner's office one step ahead, although Alix didn't care or realize who. She was far too concerned with getting to the chair that Cruze motioned to and focusing on the polite but firm tone of her voice. Much like the humans in Varda Prime espoused how awful it was to fee threatened and scared around particular supernatural creatures living in their midst, it was a double edged sword. <br><br>She had her fair of prejudice slurs thrown her way. And from the looks that man was giving her? He wasn't a fan, either.<br><br>Inside Cruze's office, the atmosphere felt a lot lighter around the succubus when she took her seat. She offered the man a curious sidelong glance when Cruze briefly mentioned his name. <em>Major, huh?</em> She thought warily to herself with a sightly furrowed brow, although any outward signs of aggression and uncertainty were not intended. When the Deputy Commissioner dropped the bomb and introduced them to one another, she realized this wasn't going to be a quick in 'n out of the office where she had to brush up some human militant on why they should stop hounding the 'Outsiders'. Most of her quota came from humans who were sick in the head or corrupt by other human cultists, any way.... but she was getting ahead of herself.<br><br>Trying to act as amicable as she could and express a smile that didn't stretch too far - the humans didn't like to see fangs - she turned in her seat and faced the Major. Her hand came up and out slowly as if to showcase the fact that she wasn't covered in scales or pustules, or some other absurd thing humans must have thought about her kind. A very broad category, at that.<br><br>"Pleased to meet you, Major Reynolds. Thank you for your service," she said, hoping he wouldn't balk at her mention of the great calamity. She respected people who could defend those who weren't able to, and she knew many lives were lost when that rift opened that prevented anything from returning to normal. "Is there something my investigations office can help you with?" Ailx asked, although her head turned slightly to look towards Cruze seeking an explanation as to why she was planted in that room with a human. A human with a military record to boot.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Fear and Loathing in Varda Prime: A tale of Crime and Sin in the Eldritch Wastes</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>29-04-2016, 19:24:48</strong>
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				Vincent’s features remained stoic as the Deputy Commissioner made the introductions, but his gaze narrowed slightly as he leveled it away from his former commanding officer and towards the Outsider investigator who was even now extending her hand quite amicably.&nbsp; It was a sentiment he didn’t care to share, as he gave his customary vice like handshake, and merely gave a curt nod in acknowledgment of her thanks.&nbsp; He didn’t give voice, even in his head, to the various spiteful or barbed thoughts which rose to his mind regarding exactly what one of her kind must think about his ‘service’; defending humanity and it’s home from hostile, inhuman invaders wasn’t quite summed up by such a succinct word, nor was his time in the wastes since, continuing those efforts whether what remained of human-kind deserved it or not.<br><br>Before he could reply however, Deputy Commisioner Cruze piped up once more, “Actually Alix, it’s Major Reynolds who will be assisting you.” She spoke quite demurely, but Vincent couldn’t help but double take.<br><br>“I’m assigning both of you to a special investigations unit, investigating the movement of contraband by criminal syndicates here in Varda Prime.”&nbsp; She continued, “Officially, You, Alix will be my representative on the task force, and you, Major, will be a tactical advisor under her supervision.&nbsp; You’ll both be coordinating with Lieutenant Cartwright who is heading up the task force out of the Civic Defense force.”<br><br>Vincent was stunned, not just that the CO who had trained and fought with him for years was now working openly with Outsiders, but that she expected him to report to one!&nbsp; At the end of the day, this Alix and her ilk were inhuman, the enemy,&nbsp; and if they were being tasked with ‘investigating’ outsiders, how could Vincent or Colonel Cruze (as she had been known in their service together) possibly trust her to be loyal to the cause?&nbsp; There was one word there which prevented him from some sort of apoplectic fit, or else accusing the woman sitting across the desk from him of being some sort of shapeshifting impostor to his CO.<br><br>“Officially.” He murmured, glancing back and forth between both ‘women’, “What about unofficially?”
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				Title: <strong>Re: Fear and Loathing in Varda Prime: A tale of Crime and Sin in the Eldritch Wastes</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>02-05-2016, 21:29:14</strong>
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				Alix felt the urge to sink back into the plush chair and try to become as small as possible when she felt the icy stillness grow as soon as she tried to reach out for the Major's hand. When he finally opted to take her hand in a vice-like grip and give her a curt wordless nod, it was accentuated with a dark hateful aura. Her species was great at detecting sensual emotions like lust and love, and feeding off of them, but the empathy didn't stop there. This was a bad idea and Aix didn't exactly trust working with someone who probably would be elated to see her die. That feeling increased tenfold at least when Cruze swiftly corrected Alix's assumption with a jaw-dropping statement.<br><br>Trying to contain herself, Alix remained quiet and fairly still in the chair. But she did noticeably lean forward as Cruze continued to explain the situation. Sticking it to Major Vincent and telling him point blank that he would work under her made the succubus feel a strange kind of satisfaction that she normally only got when satisfying a lot of pent up carnal desire. She couldn't help the smirk that crawled onto her face even when the Major looked between them and practically implored for there to be another 'real' person for him to report to, or none at all. He struck her as the kind that liked to work alone after the war.<br><br>Cruze's gaze honed in on him rather suddenly and she took in an audible breath through her nose, as if she was expecting this kind of reaction from him.<br><br>"Unofficially," she said, pushing off her desk to stand in front of the pair with arms crossed, while giving Vincent a pointed look, "there's a whole lot of shit happening between Varda Prime and the wasteland. We've picked up on activity spikes during particular times of the month. A pattern. We suspect it could be cult activity. This is a delicate situation so we need to be careful about how we go about this. Since Allix is the top agent in her field we called her in to help spearhead this project because she had inside knowledge. And you have accolades coming out of your ass from the Sanguine Lance," Cruze stated bluntly as her formal charm became more down to earth and urgent. <br><br>She shared a glance between them, "So I fully expect both of you to work together and find out what's being moved in this city, where it's going, and why." Like a mother who was fed up with her fighting children, her brow rose at Vincent, daring him to question his place beside Alix, which unofficially, put them on equal footing. At the same time, she gave Allix a long hard look to ensure she didn't let the 'official' wording get to her head. Outsiders were hard to trust, even for Cruze who was a self-reformed woman who espoused their rights.<br><br>"Got it?" she asked after a moment of silence. Alix quickly nodded and gave a quick 'yes ma'am' in response.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Fear and Loathing in Varda Prime: A tale of Crime and Sin in the Eldritch Wastes</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>chaoslord29</strong> on <strong>06-05-2016, 01:15:22</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				It took Vincent the remainder of Deputy-Commissioner Cruze’s explanation to swallow the rind of his pride at having been stuck with a inhuman hellion for a partner, let alone having to officially be considered under her supervision.&nbsp; The mention of cult activity and his military distinguishments helped, and got him thinking in a different direction; the civil defense forces for Varda Prime were top-notch from all outside reports, a sterling record of peacekeeping and even a few defensive actions in conjunction with The Lance and a handful of other Crusader Companies.&nbsp; This ‘shit’ as his former CO had put it, must either be something truly infernal in threat and origin, or else . . . .<br><br>‘Or else, she needs someone from outside, someone she can trust.’&nbsp; Vincent thought, narrowing his brow, looking for any sign of confirmation in Cruze’s own demeanor of his deduction, ‘Hopefully just to verify this Alix, and her ilk are all the reports say . . . but at worst, someone to watch her back.’<br><br>Vincent had done just that on several occasions as a lieutenant back when Leticia de Cruze had been a captain in the Sanguine Lance.&nbsp; They’d risen through the ranks together, having fought on separate fronts during the Great Conflict, and Vincent had become her top field officer while she rose to the rank of Colonel among the company’s top brass.&nbsp; Vincent had figured her for the next Marshall of the company,&nbsp; who alongside the Cardinal, and the Master-At-Arms, formed the tribunal of leadership in the Lance.&nbsp; Instead, she had accepted Varda Prime’s offer to head up outworlder investigations as their newest Chief Inspector (a demotion in his eyes, but a worthy cause) and quickly established the same effectiveness and reputation for cool decision making that she had earned in the Wastes.&nbsp; It wasn’t uncommon for crusader-types to retire in the scattered settlements, picking up cushy jobs with civic defense forces or private security firms for corporate types; what was a surprise was Cruze’s latent political ambitions coming to the fore, to Vincent, and her superiors in Varda Prime’s civic leadership, some of whom felt they may have created a monster.<br><br>Still, it was hard to argue with her results, and now she had called upon Vincent to get them.&nbsp; He’d never let her down before, and sure as hell wasn’t about to start now.&nbsp; Rising to his feet, he saluted in proper fashion and with a touch of his previous zeal, and was about to give the traditional response for their company, when he realized how their present company might take a bold declaration of ‘Deus Velt’.<br><br>This of course prompted a smile from Cruze, who quickly told Vincent to be “At ease,” and indicated he should sit once more.&nbsp; “The case files you’ll need are with Sergeant Major Gregor Clement, who’ll be your liaison to the Civic Defense Force and is commander of the task force I’ve created to deal with this issue.&nbsp; I’ve indicated to him that the two of you are to be given a wide berth, and he’s not happy about his inspector corps being benched.&nbsp; All the same, he’ll provide whatever backup and resources you need, and will be in charge of boots on the ground to follow up any leads or tactical efforts are necessary in the course of this investigation.&nbsp; Any questions?”<br><br>Vincent glanced at Alix once before shaking his head and giving his affirmation, “No questions, Deputy Commissioner.&nbsp; I won’t let you down.”
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Fear and Loathing in Varda Prime: A tale of Crime and Sin in the Eldritch Wastes</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>09-05-2016, 20:46:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Alix rose her brow and immediately jerked her head towards the Major as he shot out of his seat. Old habits clearly died hard with the man as he saluted his former captain, and there was a hint of annoyance that flashed over the succubus' face when he seemed ready to spout whatever motto the Sanguine Lance had burned into his mind. Even as an 'Outsider' who was quite assimilated to the highly populated human city of Varda Prime - or at least it once housed a majority of humans - she was understandably uncomfortable with the zeal thickening the air. Alix never wished harm on someone who didn't beg her for it, any way. So to be given the evil eye and looked down upon by most humans, her new partner included, kept her in a wary mood.<br><br>Once the pleasantries were over Alix could breathe a sigh of relief inwardly through her nose. She ran her hands down her cropped jacket and cleared her throat as she stood up and nodded towards Cruze. Once more she warily gazed at Vincent from her peripheral vision before saying her goodbyes to the Deputy Commisiioner.<br><br>"I don't have any questions, either. We'll go see Clement right away," Alix reassured her. <br><br>However she didn't linger too long in the office after saying her parting words. The succubus turned on her heel without regarding Vincent as she headed for the office door and opened it quietly and quickly. In the hall she managed to spare a fleeting smile for the pretty blonde aide who gave her a demure wave from her desk before blushing down towards her papers. Alix liked to think the humans who did enjoy her company did so for more than just her magnetic aura, although that clearly had no effect on Vincent from what she already experienced with his firm handshake and even firmer glare at their introduction.<br><br>Sergeant Major Clement's office was only one floor below on the opposite side of the building where a lot of the groundwork for these 'Outsider' cases were conducted. A small department of on-board detectives and other personnel inhabited the lower level and were presided over by Clement's watchful hawk-like beady eyes. Alix had never met the man before in person but she heard plenty about him from her various run-ins with the local task force who often didn't believe her when she said she was working <em>with</em> them. He was known as a blunt man, military to the bone, which made Alix immediately think he and Vincent would be bosom buddies. Humans.<br><br>Pausing at the elevator down the hall from Cruze' office, Alix waited until she heard - and smelled - Vincent joining her before she hit the button to call the next available lift.
			</dd>
		</dl>
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