The Xavier Legion - Open - Need Players

[McKaela Kiama]

"That's good," Setne mumbles in half-hearted approval of Gwen's permission.

He stared quietly as he approached Gwen. She wanted nothing to do with him, he knew it, he expected it. She was probably right to feel that way. But there was something enticing about his darkness, and that he was fully aware of. He used it to his advantage, seducing her with a light push of the ball toward her, waving it at her, take it, TAKE IT.

"Yes," he finally says, half to praise her for taking the orb, half to answer the mumble she emitted, "The High Commander's son. Middle child. Of three." He shakes his head. "It's certainly a charmed life, but at what cost? At the lives of hundreds of innocents who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?" To top off the slightly melodramatic words, he gave Gwen a disappointed sigh, probably for show. But all the while he hinted at something. Something painful.

A nod is given to Gwen at her question. "An example... you were there to make certain that nobody would ever go against what mother told them to do. That included someone you now hold... very dear." He narrows his eyes at Gwen, smirking lightly down at her.

His words swirled around her, echoing lightly; there, but just out of reach... they were foreign to her as she remembered... remembered what? Pain. Where did it come from? What caused it? It felt like her trust was suddenly betrayed, but how, she couldn't explain. Or who, for that matter. Perhaps trusting anybody was unwise.

She stood there, staring at the ball for several moments, before she bit her lip and dropped it to her feet, and it rolled back to him. Setne gave it only a glance before raising his head and staring down at Gwen again, still grinning. "I understand. However, it's quite a long trip from here to the mansion. I have a short cut, if you don't mind. I promise, we'll be there in only a few moments." He motions lightly with one paw toward a path hidden in the trees at the back of the graveyard that Gwen hadn't noticed until just now... was it even there before?

***

Zander watched in continued silence as Kata continued his mockery of the mouse. He wondered just how long the fox could keep up this game before she put a bullet through his skull. And whether he'd have been next to die if Nico did go on a shooting spree.

He was a little surprised that Nico dropped the gun and ammo instead of killing Kata, and watches as the earmuffs are tossed across the range. All he could do was stare as Nico curses at the fox and mumbles a couple of choice French words. Then she shoves past him. In that moment, he considered grabbing her by her arm, stopping her in some way, but instead he stepped aside and let her go, watching her wander out of sight.

Promptly, the tiger turns to Kata and glares at him, crossing his arms. "Don't you have a goddamn heart? I'm gonna have to find a muzzle for you..." He then drops his paws to his sides and sighs, leaning down to gingerly pick up the weapon and dust it off, ignoring the ammunition. "What should we do?" He didn't care about the answer, mostly prompting Kata to do the right thing and go after her. This wasn't his business, he wasn't here to babysit the emotionally fragile mouse, she wasn't his responsability. But he'd tag along. If he had to.

***

[Hope you don't mind, couldn't leave Nico all alone, now could I? x3;]

Nico found herself on a busy thoroughfare, and fell to her knees in tears right in the middle of a busy sidewalk. Not too long after, she sat herself up against a lonely old building that was empty and for rent, hiding in the entryway where fewer people would see her.

Nearby, people were busily ignoring Nico as she sobbed, they had better things to do than deal with the little rodent. They went on about their business like she wasn't even there. For a few minutes, she was all alone in the crowd of people who cared nothing for her, whether she lived or died.

Soon enough, though, Nico is greeted with a friendly-yet-sympathetic smile. A cute young ringtail had noticed her on the way home from work, and wandered over to kneel next to her. The little creature had big brown eyes, long reddish-brown hair with blonde highlights, and wore a cute black business suit with pinkish-red glittery accents, including a short skirt attached to the pants. The obviously feminine ringtail was flat-chested, but pretty.

However, a quite obviously male voice, though light and gentle, and lacking the stereotypical gay lisp or other mannerisms, came from the girly body, "Are you alright?" She--or was it really a he?--it--offered her a paw and a truly concerned expression. "You'll get your clothes dirty down there! Come on, dust yourself off... it can't be that bad, can it?"

 

[demoneyeszero]

Fai recoiled slightly and sat back on the bed. The little bit of hostility was unexpected but still didnt cause the fox to lose his smile. "Well nice to meet you Alma" Fai's dream glazed eyes scan over Alma, sizeing up the special ops mouse. He crosses his legs and leans on his right hand. "Well my name is Fai Hikaru and my story is rather boring really. No home to speak of, no parents, lived by myself, stole to survive and i stole my way here even...Stormie brought me after she saved me from being raped or worse. Then i sparred with Synn and met Eniba was told i would have a mission soon...annnddd thats about it." Fai tilts his head to the other side and played with his long hair a bit. "What about you? How'd you become a special ops here and stuff? Whats your story?"  

[Katakeome]

Before he had a chance to wonder why Nico's headphones went flying across the field, the back of Nico's hand sent the fox tumbling back over the concrete, landing in the dirt behind with a soft thud while his sunglasses landed nearly two feet away. As she stormed off, the fox stared up expressionlessly at the dark grey sky.

Nico was gone, dots of snow tickled his face, and Zander leaned over the barrier to glare at him disapprovingly.
Kata wiped his cheek, a bit of blood clung to his fingertip, which he examined before discarding onto his shirt. "Was it somethin' I said?" He asks sadly. He might have smirked if it wasn't for the stinging pain to not only his face, but his pride.

"Don't you have a goddamn heart? I'm gonna have to find a muzzle for you..."

A heart? What's that? Kata looked back up into Zander's eyes, then answers with a frown. "Ugh... You wouldn't happen to have a smoke, would ya?"
The question is immediately followed by a shake of his head as he swipes his glasses from the dirt and slides them into his vest pocket, then pushes himself off the ground. "Nevermind."

Hopping over the concrete, he swiped the gun from Zander's hands, looking it over before picking up the crushed box of bullets. "We...?" He asks slowly. The fox shakes the remaining bullets out into his hand, then stuffs them into his pocket, throwing the gun into the other one and tossing the crumpled box aside. "You do whatever you want. I'd better... go apologize or somethin'." He sighs, then turns around towards Nico's direction.

➨

Someone you hold very dear...
It still hadn't quite sunk in that Setne was McKaela's son, how could he be? McKaela wasn't this bad. Not that the kitten knew, at least.
Gwen shook her head, keeping her back to Setne and his seductively evil voice. She heard enough, she didn't care, all she wanted was to go back, to crawl under her blankets in the guest room and never come out again. She felt like crying.

Gwen takes a deep, quivering sigh in an attempt to hold back the tears. She really didn't know how to get back, she was so focused on that damn ball that she didn't even know where she was going. Maybe it was supposed to be that way, it had to be, this was all a plan, a game, and Setne's shortcut was the checkmate.

Slowly, Gwen turns around. Was this her only option? Was her one ray of hope reduced to following some stranger into the woods? She could still taste blood.
It was silent, it was cold, it was dark. A moment passes, then another, and another after that. With Gwen holding back tears and Setne standing by patiently, finally she looks up. "Okay... I'll go with you..."

➨

"Haa... here we go again."
Kata sighed, his hands clinging to his pockets by the thumbs as he walked in the same direction as Nico, but what was he going to do once he found her? Better yet, what was she going to do to him?
Maybe she'd slap him again, maybe he deserved it.
He payed no mind to the few people that he passed along the way, and they returned the respect, aside from a few glances at his dirty and blood stained face and shirt. Kata walked less and thought more while he occasionally glanced down an alley or across the street for a temperamental mouse.

Stopping, his ears swiveled to a voice, and rounding the corner revealed what he almost hoped he wouldn't find: Nico.

But it wasn't just Nico, there was another there too, a young-looking ringtail girl. It was odd, wasn't that a man's voice he heard? Was this someone stopping by to greet the sobbing mouse on the side? Most likely, he doubted Nico had any other connections here.

He walks up to the two, then sighs, nodding at the ringtail, then looking at Nico with a soft, featureless glare. Kata leans against the wall for a moment to see if Nico was going to get up and tackle him, when she doesn't he kneels down, producing the pistol from his pocket and offering it to her, grip first. It might have been startling to see someone hand someone else a gun, especially someone who looked like they had a stomach twisting ride on the emotional express, but Kata payed no mind to the ringtail.

With his luck, the pistol would be taken and thrown right back into his face, in fact he expected that to happen, he deserved it.
"'Hey... you dropped this." His voice was fluid, it was kind. No more sarcasm, no more mockery.  

[Samiur]

Alma chuckled a bit when the Fai questioned him. "Well kid, I'll just say that ruling the world is not something that can be done by force. The Nazi regime, the Greek and Roman empires, Even Napoleon himself. All crippled by rebellion then stamped out. Friend turns on friend, Brother turns on brother. It is the way of things."

"As for me? I found the Rebellion, they didn't find me. Though it seems that if this one succeeds we will shortly have another on our hands. Perhaps i'll start my own. Alma's rebellion: everyone grab a beer and we'll party the baddies away." He raises his arm up as if he is holding a mug. "Ahh.... the things i do to fight tyranny."

✁---------------------------------

"They're coveralls smart a**" She sniffs to try and clear her nose so she could speak a little clearer. "They're supposed to get dirty." The mouse doesn't lift her head or show her face to the stranger. "Now i didn't ask for your company or your sympathy, so shove off."

She hadn't even heard Kata approach until he spoke. His voice surprised her enough to flinch. Immediately she Wiped the tears from her face to try and make it look like she wasn't doing what she was doing. Her hand reaches out in the fox's direction, But instead of taking the sidearm from him she raises a choice finger. "Why did you follow me?" she adds "If that was the only reason, you can just keep the ********' thing."  

[McKaela Kiama]

Zander watches quietly as Kata gets up and collects the remaining bullets. He didn't care to answer the question, and it seemed the fox didn't care for the answer. "I suppose I don't do any good with this one." He promptly sticks his thumb out and throws it over his shoulder in the general direction that Nico had run off. "She likes me even less than she likes you... that doesn't bode well for me." He shakes his head. "Good luck anyhow. If you die, let me know." With that, he sighs and wanders back in the general direction of the barracks, giving Kata only a dismissive wave with his back turned on him.

***

Setne's toothy grin as Gwen accepted his offer should have been enough to tell her it was a very bad idea to go with him. But he wouldn't let her back out now. "Excellent. Don't worry dear, you're safe with me. Nothing bad will happen." His reassurance no doubt held little meaning to Gwen by now. So, the monotonous creature with the bright golden eyes simply motions for Gwen to follow him before he leads her down the hidden path in the woods. After about five minutes of walking in silence, they arrive at a clearing with a massive tree in the centre. A grand treehouse had been built in its limbs. It appeared to be at least a few years old, but recently restored and added onto. This was no childhood treehouse, this seemed to be something an adult would live in as a permanent residence.

"Here we are," Setne mumbles lightly. This was nothing more than a treehouse, right? Surely there was no way to get back to the mansion from there. It must have been a trap after all. "We're very close now, a few steps away." Maybe he was playing Gwen for a fool, but what choice did the girl have? He motions toward the stairs that he'd recently replaced an old rope ladder with, "Ladies first."

Should Gwen decide to go ahead and enter, the inside was set up like a little bedroom retreat. The trunk of the tree had been built into the room, perhaps for decoration. When Setne enters, he smirks and mumbles, "Care for a drink, little lady?" However, instead of pushing the subject, he walks toward the trunk of the tree, then sticks his paw through it. "This way." As he walks into the almost liquid-looking portal, the trunk of the tree vanishes from view to reveal the inside of a black room that glowed red.

Setne's laboratory was filled with high-tech computer consoles, large monitors, test tubes, medical equipment, and a curious-looking machine in the back that seemed the perfect size for a person to lie down in it. It was meant for someone to be bound inside of it, the glass cover lowered, and who knew what tortures to proceed. "Just a little further." He doesn't pause in the lab, but continues straight through another portal on the other side of the room.

Instead of a horrifying torture chamber or something else that would be expected, Setne and Gwen emerge in a small room full of clothes, shirts brushing against their shoulders and faces as they push through. A closet. The regular door is opened to reveal another bedroom. Setne wastes no time in opening the bedroom door... a familiar hallway sat on the other side. They were back in the mansion, and it only took them a couple of minutes.

"There you go," Setne mumbles, glancing to his feet. The yarn ball had followed him. "This is yours, if you want it. I think it likes you." He motions toward the strangely intelligent object, and it hops a couple of times in excitement. "You may find it useful. I'll tell you a secret." He leans down, and whispers into Gwen's ear, "It can change into anything you want it to be." As he leans back, he clears his throat, "How about a kitten?" Just as he says it, the orb transforms into a glittering white fluffy kitten, mewing cutely up at the bipedal kitten. "Anything you like. Just take good care of it."

Perhaps it was a trick, but Setne was kind enough to bring her back to the mansion unharmed, and she could still have access to the reward she had chased that got her in the 'trouble' to begin with. Maybe he wasn't that bad after all...

***

The ringtail simply frowns to Nico's angry reply, but shakes his head. "Doesn't matter what they are, or whether you wanted my company or sympathy, I just want to help. What are you afraid of? I won't hurt you." Quite obviously, this creature seemed completely harmless. But he realized it was only fear that kept the mouse from accepting his help. Again, he offers a friendly smile before he reaches down again to offer her help. Persistent little thing. "I'm Parker," he mutters, just before another voice caught his attention.

Parker hops back at the sight of the gun, unsure what was going on, but realizing in a few moments that the fox meant no harm either. Still, he covers his mouth and watches silently as Nico gives him a kind gesture and some kinder words. Obviously, the fox must have been the enemy. And though the ringtail felt a strange need to yell at him for no reason at all, he kept quiet. Maybe he should just leave.

 

[demoneyeszero]

Fai giggled at Alma's response. The fox was happy to see that his roomate, however temporary, had a sense of humor. He also seemed to be rather intelligient. He stood and leaned hisface in close to Alma's. " So anythin you can tell me bout this place other then the whole, it's just like every other rebellion? Oh, and where can I find some new clothing?" Fai stares into Alma's eyes with his dreamy gaze, seeming to almost be trying to stare through him.  

[Katakeome]

The finger, along with Nico's generous '******** off' wasn't as bad as he expected. Though Nico didn't jump up and hug him with a girlish squee and a mouth full of forgiveness, at least his nose was still intact, and that was good enough for him.
Placing the Makarov on the concrete next to Nico as if it were a fragile and priceless ceramic, the fox rises, then rests a hand on his hip as he looks again to the ringtail.
"Not all." He says, turning back to Nico. "I'm sorry. I went too far."

Apologies weren't his strong point, and although sincere, the words come out shaky at best. Kata suddenly felt an urge to avoid eye contact with Nico at any cost, as a cornered animal strikes its' fiercest when its' eyes meet yours, but he found himself unable to look away, at least for a little bit.
Kata continues to watch Nico with only the slightest hint of sympathy. He felt a tinge of anger at going out of his way to do this. It was stupid, Nico didn't want his apology, he was only wasting his time, and his breath.

The coldness was accented by the snow that continued to grow from a light sprinkle to a full on blizzard. The fox peels his eyes away from Nico for only a moment to watch the flaky droplets melt against the wall behind her.
The fox wonders momentarily if he should at least offer to help her up, but any more apologies or help seemed distant and likely to be rejected in a similar manner to the gun.

Meanwhile, the ringtail girl was antagonizing him with a glare, who she was and what part she played in the fortress was a mystery to him. She looked too young to be a soldier, or a businesswoman, as her apparel suggested. Maybe she was a maid. The fortress had servants and maids, didn't it?
He places a hand against the back of his neck, nervously looking away from the girl and back to Nico.
Kata sighs, "I'll leave you alone. Or if you'd like, take you back to the mansion, or even Alma's house if you prefer." He mutters. It was the least he could do. Kata could see his breath now, the air was growing cold in more ways than one as the sun was on its' descent into the horizon. Another hour and some, and it would be dark.

➨

Gwen only narrowed her eyes at Setne, her tail had come to a complete stop, and for a moment, she seemed as still and lifeless as the UNIDENTIFIABLE tombstones scattered across the grounds. She found it hard to believe anything right now, but as he motioned for her, despite her reluctance; despite the frail, almost unheard voice saying to turn back, that it wasn't too late, she followed.
Not a word was said as they walked through the woods, Gwen kept more than a reasonable distance behind him. Her eyes remained trained on Setne's back, every muscle in her body was tense, every joint rigged to spring into an escape at the slightest warning.

They arrived at a treehouse that looked as if it had some serious renovation done, but why a treehouse?
Stopping at it's base, Setne offers her to climb first, which she refuses with a frown, a shake of her head, and a suspicious glare.
Setne goes in first, followed by Gwen. The inside looked like what one would expect from seeing the work done on the exterior. Gwen ignores Setne's offer for a drink, staying at the entrance while he walks to the middle of the room. As he sticks his hand into the trunk, it boils away to reveal a room.

Was the room inside the tree? Even in the dim, red glow, Gwen could tell that it was much larger than that, was it another portal? Maybe Setne wasn't lying after all.
Setne doesn't look back as he enters, leaving the Kitten by herself on the tree side of the portal. She wanted to run now that he was gone, but her curiosity go the better of her as she approaches the center, then carefully slides into the room.

The walk through what looked like an evil side of Aluna's lab was breif, much to her satisfaction, and ended with a detour through the longest closet known to man. Finally, she was back in the mansion. It must have been a portal like the one to the lab, perhaps the same lab, now that Gwen thought about it.
She gained a little faith in Setne as he told the truth, but still never for a moment dared turn her back to him.

A familiar glow wobbled around Setne's ankles as the orb creeped out from behind him. Gwen had completely forgotten about the strange creature. It pulsed, then hopped up into Setne's hand, which he then offered to Gwen.
"F... For me?" She asks timidly. Gwen holds out her hand, and the orb cheerfully bounces into her grasp. It no longer felt harsh or prickly, but sent a warm numbness through gwen's hand as it turned into a kitten at Setne's command. A light smile breaks across Gwen's face as it mews at her, and she looks back up at him. "I... Thank you, sir, for getting me back, and... Uhm, for this?" The kitten meows once more before morphing back into a silent, glowing orb.  

[Samiur]

Alma gives the boy a good look over. "Clothes?" He ponders the subject for a moment. The boy did look like he could use a new wardrobe. "I've been here under a week, and i brought all i have with me. Sorry kiddo, try someone else."

He scratches his chin before speaking again. "As for this place specifically, It's nice. A little more hi-tech than some of the others. Though my duties generally keep me away from command clusters such as this. I'm not really supposed to keep contact with the people here. Gets people curious when you just wander off into the woods every now and again." Alma checks the clock on his cell phone, figuring he had a couple more minutes to burn before the elevator made it's visit to all the floors. "Was there anything more you needed kid? I really shouldn't stay long."

✁---------------------------------

Nico remains motionless for a moment, seemingly collecting herself for something. The something becomes obvious when she sweeps the gun off of the ground with a shriek and presses it against the fox's throat. her eyes are unfocused and cast to the floor. Like a child who has been scolded, she is afraid to look at him.

Again she pauses, the only movements are her hands twitching slightly. Kata could probably have taken this moment to seize the gun from the girl. She shuts her eyes tight.

*Click*

Without even opening her eyes she begins laughing. It was a quirky bur desperate laugh. She gives the trigger two more tugs, becoming more hysterical with each hollow click. It continues up until the mouse inadvertently snorts while gasping for air. For some reason this stops her dead in her tracks. The pistol remains pressed against Kata's throat (Unless by this point he decided to seize it from the girl) "Yes, take me home boy." These words came out as if she were ordering a dog around.  

[demoneyeszero]

Fai sighed at the news of Alma not knowing anywhere to get clothing either. The fox began to twist his long hair on his finger as he sat back on his bed. He looked down at his ragedy stitched together clothes and then Alma's better attire. "Hmm well if ya do find a place tell me ok?"

The talk of how hi-tech the base was didn't impress Fai all to much. He didn't really think he'd be allowed to use any of the fun stuff anyway. Fai scratches his head trying to think of anything else he needed to know. "Well...do you have any idea what kinda mission Eniba would send me on?" He once again drew close to the older mouse. "I mean I'm not scared it's just...she didn't seem to like me all that much."