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 Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 2:54 am
White Flag of Death
Rank: Two
Antagonist: Providential Smiles
NPC Accompaniment: No
Souls available: 
Mission: SUCCESS/FAILURE
It was a beautiful day, hot and sunny the way the locals liked it and so the streets were just filled with people. There was noise, laughter and shouting in the streets, the average mix of the human population trying to spend their day as productively as they could. There was nothing different about the day really. The buildings rose from the ground, forbidding and oblivious as to what was happening under their very eyes.
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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 3:55 am
The pair were silent as they walked through the streets of Osaka, inwardly ready for action but outwardly calm. Mostly they stuck to the side streets, the alleyways in the back of busy places that their target seemed to strike the most. They didn't talk much - what was there to say? Lucien was deep in his own thoughts, though his eyes were constantly moving, searching for possible threats. Beside him, he could sense Z's presence, though his partner seemed much more subdued compared to his usual insane self. "You want to talk about it?"
"No."
Fine. Though his observational and information-finding skills weren't quite as good as Z's, even he could tell that being back in Japan made the man uncomfortable. But Z pushed back when pushed, and right now was not the best time for a confrontation.
A combination of things alerted him - Z's sudden stillness, a sound, maybe imagined or real, a flash of white - and Lucien stopped completely, turning absolutely still as he tried to sort through his senses to find out what exactly it was. Lucien knew that Z was doing exactly the same, and in fact, had probably been able to notice more in that second than he had, but the two of them felt different things, and would use the information differently. So he concentrated... it had been to his left, the sound of someone moving quickly but stealthily, leaving nothing but the sound of displaced air as they moved. They were behind a restaurant, near the garbage dumps that they used to throw away the night's waste, and the area was foul - this particular back road led to other smaller alleyways, and was rarely ever used. Had there been a flash of white?
No matter. Lucien's calm eyes met Z's suddenly predatory ones, and without another word, the pair turned swiftly to the left, postures no longer casual but with deadly intent. Nobody moved like that unless they were doing something they shouldn't be doing.
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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:05 am
PS knew better than to make too much noise. That had ruined the third murder, almost. Some stupid busybody had heard him humming to himself in the crook in the street, and had come to investigate. Good thing he had been almost finished, or else he would have had another death on his hands. It wasn't the prospect of another victim that had bothered him, but the fact that it would have had him caught. No. PS knew exactly how to time things. He knew the average time it took for the police to respond and arrive on scene in Osaka. It was never easy for the good, it was always easy for the bad.
Still.
He grinned. This was his best target yet! It had been a sign that had sent him hunting in this stretch of the city, and to find a young woman dressed entirely in white, well... it was like leaving a lamb in the cave of lions. She had been just screaming to be noticed, to be touched. Oh, he would touch her alright. Just not in the way she might have expected.
She was passing an alley, near a dumpster. But that wouldn't do. Dumpsters always had a some homeless man hiding in it, and sometimes the garbage made too much noise. So he followed, scanning until he saw the back of a narrow road. There. It was silent there, and there was enough cover to make this a good one.
A smile curved on his lips as he jumped in behind the victim, covering her mouth lest she screamed and breaking her neck. The death itself didn't excite him. It was the after. The chase.
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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 5:26 am
Z was in front, with Lucien following closely behind as they twisted through the narrow roads, headed towards the spot where they'd last saw that glimpse of white. There wasn't enough room for them to walk side by side, and Z had been quicker, slipping ahead before Lucien could say a word. Abruptly, Z stopped, and although Lucien couldn't see a thing with Z's broad shoulders blocking part of his view, he shifted to the side, so that he could see both ends of the narrow alley.
As he did so, he felt rather than saw his WEAPON take his deadlier form, twining sinuously up his left arm and around his neck. The neck thing was new - usually Z just stayed wrapped around his lower arm.
"I know you like thrills, but my neck?" The words were whispered, almost soundless as Lucien scanned the area Z had been headed towards, looking but seeing nothing amiss.
:: I got longer, apparently, with the official soul we ate last mission. I could wrap around other areas, if you'd like. ::
The amusement was evident in Z's tone of voice, even if he couldn't see it. Lucien had learned to tell from Z's voice and level of anticipation how big the threat to their safety was - if Z was excited, they were probably in deep s**t. If he was bored, then most likely the threat was still quite far away.
"Well, at least there's something good to be had from having to do this officially." Lucien took a step forward, paused. He hadn't sensed anything, but... "Why'd you stop?"
:: The flash of white turned right at the alleyway just ahead. I think I heard death. ::
The phrasing was somewhat strange, but Lucien understood. Without another word, he stalked silently towards the alleyway, approaching it carefully from the shadows so that he could remain hidden for as long as possible.
A woman, dressed in white. And a man? The girl hung from his hands like a limp doll, and it was obvious there was no life left. The MO matched their mission description - the killer always waited to be discovered. Looked like they'd found Providential Smiles.
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Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 6:48 am
PS hauled the body so that it was leaning against one of the walls, it's back supported by the brick of the building. He paused for a moment to adjust her legs so that one would be crooked, and the other almost obscenely raised. There. Thats the way it was supposed to be, in death. He smiled as he surveyed his handiwork, taking a step back with a grunt of satisfaction. Now all he needed was the final touch. Reaching inside his pocket and pulling out the white pressed handkerchief he had bought for this purpose alone, he unfolded it with an almost ceremonious feel. Yes. Perfect.
He paused though, before placing the white silk on the victim's face. Had he just heard...? No. It was too early for the police to arrive, and if there was a casual witness they would have screamed by now. Still, he glanced back behind him with a frown, quickly to make sure that there was no second victim standing on the street.
It almost disappointed him when he realized he was still alone.
Leaning down, he adjusted the handkerchief so that it fell squarely over the middle of her face. It would not do to have it fly away with an errant breeze. No. He was a perfectionist by all counts and he wanted this moment to be perfect. He took pride in his work. In the horror. This was one of his finest: who knew the victim would be so obliging as to match her outfit to his work?
Deciding that there was simply nothing he could do to make the moment even more perfect, he reached out to pet the soft black hair and decided to wait. Any minute now, hopefully. Wait long enough to hear the sirens and then, just when the police had their hopes of finally catching him... then he'd run.
He couldn't stop the snicker that escaped him this time.
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Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 3:58 am
Lucien froze as the man paused, wondering if his whispered words and movement had carried over to their target, who was now continuing in the act of placing a white handkerchief over the dead woman's face. A certain twisted side of his personality had to admire the way the white cloth matched the white dress, but he kept that particular thought in the back of his mind. While they both knew that for all of Z's craziness, Lucien was the one with much more... sadistic tastes, it wasn't something he needed to share with his partner.
Dragging his thoughts back to the business at hand - namely returning the favor of death to this man now petting the black hair of his victim - Lucien gripped the razorwire tighter in his fist before stalking forward, footsteps silent in the alleyway.
When the man snickered, the sound echoing eerily, Lucien nearly jumped. Around his body, Z shifted, the blades digging deep enough to force a slight hiss of breath through his teeth.
:: He's good at running. We're good, but it'll be riskier if we let him find out we're here. ::
Z's voice held a trace of anticipation, and Lucien could tell that his partner was eager for Lucien to betray their positions too early. With the adrenaline coursing through his body making him feel more powerful, and more dangerous than usual, he could almost agree, but with the police involved, it would be perhaps a bit too risky for his own tastes.
Inching ever closer, Lucien angled his approach so that he would be coming at the man's back, away from his line of vision. "You being longer means you can reach further, right?" The question was soundless, echoing in Lucien's head as he paused, approximately two meters away. In response, the free end of Z's coil began to drift upwards, stretching to the longest it could get while still being attached to Lucien's forearm before darting quickly, snakelike, towards the unsuspecting man.
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Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 6:22 am
PS sighed as he removed his hand from the soft black hair and sighed, taking a step backwards. It hurt him a little bit when the game ended so quickly: the chase was only part of the game, and the police were so stupid. He wished they were smart enough to chase him longer. To add a little bit more of a buzz to this chase. Sometimes he wondered if he should let himself be caught, or almost caught. At least that way when he escaped it would make things a little bit more exciting.
He didn't hear anything behind him. It wasn't instinct that had him turning around either. It was just habit. Habit of scanning the area to make sure he was alone, habit to tell if maybe the police would be easier to spot than to hear. Habit, and he almost missed the flash of metal. Because even for him, there were times when he was a little bit soft. He turned with a quick scan and turned back to the body, fidgeting. He could feel the adrenaline start to pump through his body to prepare him for the fight.
Soon, he would run.
Something niggled in his brain though, something that had flashed with a glint of sun. He scowled as he spun around, for real this time with his body tensing for a run. Had he just seen something?
Please roll a 10 sided die to determine the success/failure of your first attack.
3-10 is successful.
1-2 is a failure.
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toxiin rolled 1 10-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-10)
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Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 10:36 am
Even as Z was whistling through the air towards the man, Lucien was stepping forward, getting closer to the man in case he still attempted to run. They both knew that the man enjoyed the chase, and they needed to be in position to prevent that - though Lucien could feel Z's slight disgruntlement at the loss of the chase.
:: It would've been fun, but perhaps this will be good enough. ::
Excitement flowed through his blood, heightening already sharp senses to an almost deadly edge as the razorwire struck. Needing no direction, Z slid silently, almost gently, around the side of the man's neck, not touching skin until there was enough of the coil to wrap around the front. One quick jerk of Lucien's arm, and the wire tightened, blades slicing into the skin as Z continued to slide, delicately cutting deeper as he moved.
Lucien smiled. This was the part he loved best. The first attack, the realization of the target that they had been discovered, it always gave him such entertainment. Stepping closer, he side stepped so that he could see their target's face before crooning softly, "Gotcha."
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Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 9:38 pm
PS snarled, surprise filling his eyes as he realized that the glint of metal hadn't been a fluke of imagination. It was something sharp and shiny that was making its way towards his neck, and the person, the person! He wasn't police He hadn't been given the advance warning in words. He hadn't been given a chance to run.
The razor wire bit around his neck and he snarled, hands coming out to yank at it instinctively. The razor wire bit into the soft palms of his hands, and he clawed at it frantically: it wouldn't come off. It wouldn't come off! He lurched back, towards the body displayed so perfectly and yanked at it again. The acrid smell of blood in the air was foreign: it was his. His hands were slick as he snarled again, struggling to unwrap the coil of metal that was cutting through his breathing.
He slid a glance towards the evil green eyes and his own narrowed into a look of malice. "I won't die so easily." he rasped, his voice cold and forbidding. No. He was going to put up a fight.
Please roll 1 10 sided die to determine the success or failure of your next action.
3-10 is success
1-2 is failure.
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toxiin rolled 1 10-sided dice:
9
Total: 9 (1-10)
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Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 5:28 am
Lucien watched, somewhat distractedly, as the man on the other end of the razorwire struggled, blood first trickling, then streaming down from the many cuts as he yanked, attempting to remove the wire. He could feel the vibrations through the wire, but he suspected that Z was muffling it somewhat. Abruptly, he tensed, watching as Z began to slowly unwind himself from around the man's neck, though he kept one end curved firmly around the wrist.
:: This cut wasn't deep enough, and he's stronger than he looks. ::
Nodding, Lucien moved his arm back, allowing more of the coil to stretch out for better maneuvering as he angled for another attack. "I suppose you're right. For someone like you to die a quick death would be too much of a waste." One quick jerk, and he disengaged Z from the man completely, and though he could feel Z's disappointment at being unable to inflict more pain, it changed quickly to anticipation and excitement as the WEAPON followed Lucien's train of thought.
:: Oh, yes! ::
This time, instead of aiming straight for the man, Z went up and over a nearby pipeline before dropping back down, making a loose circle around the man's already bloodied neck. Once positioned, Lucien took a step backwards, guiding Z as the razorwire began to shift, lifting the man up off his feet, positioning him right over the dead body of the woman. Red blood splattered loudly in the near-silence of the alleyway, creating dark stains on the white dress.
"Oh, my apologies." Lucien stood, tilting his head back slightly to look the man in the eye. "It appears we've ruined your handiwork."
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Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 5:51 am
PS rubbed at his neck with a scowl when the razor wire disengaged, and watched the young man with slitted eyes. He was young, extremely young but he was too good at this! He looked back at the alley way with a glance, wondering if the wall was short enough for him to scrabble up. Maybe he could reach that window, and get away. Maybe he could duck the next attack and... There was something almost comical about the way he watched the razor wire slip around his neck for a second time, burrowing down further into the already made cuts and dragging him up, up towards the sky. His eyes were dark with pain as he let out a strangled scream, forcing sound from the vocal chords that were being tightened against their own will. His fingers now didn't worry themselves over being hurt: they scrabbled at the wire that tightened around his neck. The red blood that ruined his art work was a pity. But his life was more important. He struggled, legs dancing in a gross mockery as death claimed him. He stiffened, and for a moment it was as if time stood still before PS seemed to explode into smoke and ash. Where the target had been, a red soul drifted down lazily towards the ground. It seemed to shimmer with suppressed anger and for a moment appeared almost to stare at the dead woman now speckled with red blood. 
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Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 6:13 am
The two of them stayed motionless, watching as all vestiges of life disappeared from the man's corpse. Blood dripped steadily, the noise almost rhythmic in the lull before the body decomposed, revealing a single, shiny soul.
Lucien stayed where he was, a few steps removed from the red blob as Z flashed back to human form, landing right next to the body of the dead woman. They'd have to deal with that as well, but later. Right now... he watched as his WEAPON partner reached out with one hand, pinching the tip of the soul before bringing it firmly to his mouth. Z's tongue flicked out once, lightly tasting the soul before he swallowed it whole.
"That could've been more fun." A slight glimmer remained in his partner's violet eyes as the adrenaline from the mission still coursed through both their veins.
"Agreed." Lucien wasn't surprised by his partner's reaction, and he had to agree - this was rank two? It didn't seem all that much harder than the previous one. Shrugging, he turned to go, with Z following after a moment's pause. "Maybe the next one, we'll let them run a bit more."
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ikshiva rolled 1 100-sided dice:
61
Total: 61 (1-100)
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Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 6:14 am
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