The last few days had been slow going. Oakland was out of the country, it seemed, from what she could ferret out. Rumors about his abilities seemed to keep cropping up, enough to confirm her suspicions.

Up until now, the only reborn gods she'd ever hunted had been young and with little knowledge or control over what they did. That was not to say that it wasn't a bit harrowing at times. A kid with a gun who didn't know what they were doing was still dangerous. Still, she'd never failed.

Oakland, though, appeared to have control over what he did. It made him more formidable prey. Of course, that just meant it would be all the sweeter when she won. Still, she needed more information. And she could be honest. She needed bigger guns. Something new. You didn't hunt mountain lions with a sling shot.

She got on the dark web and found the hidden Atharim message boards. She wanted to dig through posts of god-hunts. She did love a good story. And there might be things she could use. Some of the names would be familiar to her- especially here in the west. Hunting for 30 years tended to get you around.

Instead, the boards were ablaze with the historic convocation that had been called in Moscow and all that had happened. The Regus had set the collective Atharim afire. Few were stupid enough to post any kind of disagreement, even anonymously, but she was sure there were a few bleeding hearts even among her brethren who were beating their chests in dismay at the direction they were taking.

They just didn't get it. The Atharim existed because they hunted down gods. That was how it began. Every Atharim had it drilled into them. The gods had meant slavery, suffering and death for mankind. Period. Instead, they would have them wait until the gods were so numerous and powerful that the earth would be awash in blood at the inevitable fight. So short sighted. War was war. Humanity against the would-be oppressors. And they would do it to, of that she had no doubt. Thankfully, most did get it though.

Oh, but she wanted to be part of this new Order of Archangels. More than anything. God, what a hunt to a part of. An elite team dedicated to saving humanity from the worst slavery ever known. And the hunts....talk about adrenaline.

All thoughts of Oakland were pushed aside. Oh, she'd come for him someday. That was for sure. But she'd do it prepared. There were already hints and speculation about the type of weapons that would be employed. They ranged from the fantastically imaginative to the fearsomely real. Sonic weapons, medical drones the size of fleas, directed energy weapons, and so very many others, many she'd never even heard of. There even whispers of other things, though if anyone knew what they were, they were keeping very silent.

This, right here, this was what she was born for. It took all of 10 minutes for her to get her tickets on a red-eye and contact Atharim HQ notifying them of her arrival. She hadn't been asked, but she didn't care. She wanted in. They'd be stupid not to take her, either. She knew what she could offer.

She'd never felt so excited in her life. Or at least not in a good long while. This was gonna be fun.

VaiaPlus' new facility was built upon an old site, a site that Dr Issac Flynn had been waiting years to purchase. He knew the city plans, knew what lie underneath farther than most would dig, but the new facility required deep pockets, and it required a deep facility, something to secret away things the world didn't need to know about yet. Yes VaiaPlus was a leader in research. They were one of the pinnacle's of success in terms of curing some of the most common annoyances in life.

The common cold nearly eradicated because of their research. But it's pesky nature still produced issues with a full cure. But they were getting there. Cancer was close in many areas, some like brain cancer was a bit harder to understand and cure. You can't exactly transfer a person's brain and expect that person to be the same. Though some had their theories.

Flynn knew that there was much controversy in finding cures. The ethics of it, the morality of testing upon subjects of the human variety. But the good thing was, it only hurt what they actually knew about. Flynn had plans, many many plans.

But tonight was not a night about plans, it was about the money!

The conference room was decked out ballroom style. Round tables around the perimeter of the conference room covered in freshly pressed white table clothes, silver and gold candelabra's sitting on each table. Fine china and crystal goblets with real silverware sat at each place setting. It cost a pretty penny just to make that table reservation. And Flynn hoped that more would bring their attentions to spending more money the more the wine flowed and the music would thrum in the background. He hoped they would open their pockets wide.

Tonight's fine menu was catered by one of the most prestigious chef's in all of Moscow. Flynn didn't know what it exactly entailed, and he didn't really care, and neither did those in attendance. The name brought them in.

The music was a small string orchestra playing their beautiful music just under the noise level of the room. The center of the floor was left for dancing.

Flynn was not surprised to see many familiar faces, and probably a few unfamiliar ones as well. It was not uncommon for the rick and famous brats to show up and make themselves know and fancy functions like this. They wouldn't know a cure from a drug. But the presentation later on in the evening by some of his most finest researchers would hopefully provide some entertainment as well since they too would more than likely be only half way tipsy before their turn at the stage.

Flynn walked through the throng of money, greeting and chatting with those who stopped him, or those who were more than rich enough for him to stop and present himself to them. He knew those faces, he would smile and laugh and drink with their pleasant little selves until they gave him the money he needed. He was a businessman after all, and this was his business.

((NPCs and PCs welcome to pop in. I'll keep the thread open for few months so when you are free feel free to pop in))

VaiaPlus is once again in the news as their new state of the art research and medical facility have been completed. The underground bunker halted the project temporarily causing the city of Moscow much grief as the traffic was affected in the area as well as the protesters who would stand outside the old bunker and demand answers, demand the information be released.

VaiaPlus has released press announcements stating that all research was benign in nature and that if there were any pre-cold-war secrets to be held, they were not in the bunker that once lay under the newly built facility.

VaiaPlus will host a fundraiser/open house in the coming weeks to showcase some of their new facilities and the researching being done at the new site.

Just a friendly reminder to not let yourselves get drawn into more than 1 thread at once. Or at least try your best to avoid the situations - extenuating circumstances excluded of course. It really is best for everyone, even if its a hassle now and then.

Thanks!

-A

Calvin had wanted to give himself a treat. He wanted to go out for dinner, but so many restaruants served alcohol and he was by himself. After awhile, he decided to cook his own dinner, feeling a craving for a rare steak. He walked through the open air Izmailovsky Market looking for a butcher, but then thought he should get some fresh veggies while he was at it.

Last night had been an AA meeting and Calvin hadn't made it. That reminded him that he should call Lucas and let him know everything was okay. He had missed because he had been working on Chase's assignment and was so exhausted he fell asleep early.

Calvin leaned against a wall, took out his wallet, and dialed Lucas. "This is Lucas."


Calvin smiled. "Hi Lucas - it's Calvin calling. How are you?"


"Good. Just finishing up with work. What's up?"


"I wanted to call and check in because I missed the meeting last night. I've been working pretty hard this week and fell asleep early. Everything is fine. Still alcohol free."
That thought still made Calvin smile.

"Glad to hear it. You keeping up with your routine?"


"Yes, sir. Practice guitar every day. I started working out too. I had a couple of things I wanted to run by you too - if you have time."


Calvin had been thinking about a career change ever since he had started getting better and now was considering going to Police Academy. He got the idea from when he was the Wolfman - the difference would be that this time he'd be doing it the right way. He wanted to help protect people - but not injure others in the process. The problem was his record. He was looking to get it expunged.

Calvin waited for Lucas response. He could hear the smile in the man's face. "Good. Don't let up. I told you I'm going to be blunt with you. I'm glad you're sticking to it. You'll see it helps. So what's up?"


"I've been thinking about a career change - looking into entering into the Police Academy. I'd have to get my criminal record expunged and a letter from my sponsor might help with that. I'm not asking you for it now - I think I need to continue focusing on beating my addiction now, but for the future - I mean - I should wait right?"


"It's good to have goals like that. But you're being smart. You don't want to change your routine too much right now until it IS a routine. Where you don't feel right unless you've done it."
He heard a laugh. "I'll tell you what, you'll be busy. But that's a good thing. I'd be happy to help."


Calvin smiled and laughed. "Thanks - while on the topic of life-long decisions, I'm also thinking of getting a tattoo. I know that's kind of what you do. Would you be interested in meeting and maybe going over some ideas sometime?"


"Sure. I can help with that. No problem."


"Great."
Calvin paused for a moment. "Well I won't keep you any longer. I have food to buy and I'm sure you have things to do as well. It was good talking to you and have a good day.


"You too Calvin. You will see, the longer you go, the more proactive you are, the better you'll feel. You'll feel empowered."


"Thanks, man. Good night.


They hung up and Calvin decided to bring the career change up to Alex as well - she might have more to add on that. He would also need to get her recommendation on the expungement. He really thought that this was what he wanted to do, and hopefully could overcome the obstacles with that.

Calvin kept his Wallet in his hand and began walking again. There was a slight crowd in the market and Calvin bumped against some people. Calvin said apologies when needed and approached what appeared to be a vegetable market. He could start there and then get the steak later.

((With Lucas))


Edited by Calvin, Jan 23 2015, 07:27 PM.

Working with Aria had been interesting to say the least. She encouraged him to explore his talents. He knew it was multiple purposes considering her ultimate mission was to kill Ascendancy. A nearly impossible task, one which she didn't want to actually do but with the new way of things in the Atharim there might be no way out.

Today he spend the day alone in the warehouse. He'd been doing some designing of the work space, dojo was his work in progress name, he had thoughts and plans and ideas to go over with Aria. But today he was not working on that, he was playing. Playing with the power was dangerous, it could back fire, and he'd rather do it without prying eyes and those who could laugh at him when he failed. Nox hated to look like a failure.

Nox looked at the large open area that they'd designated training room. It was literally empty, one day he'd fill it with obstacles and other various things to test his skills and others like him, but right now, he was looking to extend his ability with things. To understand what worked with the new tying off technique and how to increase the duration he could use his power, which ultimately meant using it less. He grinned as he popped in his ear buds and the music thrummed in his ears. It was some catchy tune with a good beat, he used it when he needed to keep the momentum going. He had Aurora edit out the lyrics and replace the melody with just some other instrument. She found it all fun and interesting.

Nox knelt on the ground and surveyed his kingdom with a grin. He picked up a handful of gravel on the ground that they'd yet to sweep away. Nox rolled the gravel around in the palm of his hand contemplating his arrows weave, earth and fire. He had earth in his hand. Nox took one pebble of gravel in his between his forefinger and thumb and threw it like a baseball. It was small and had little weight to it, it didn't go far. But a weave wasn't heavy either, it was particularly insubstantial.

Nox wove a bed of air and dropped the gravel on it. It floated in mid-air, he smiled happily at the small little feat of power. Magic!

The modification to the original weave he used air instead of earth, and left the fire off just for now. The ball formed around the small earth pelts and Nox flung the weave at the pallet he'd used with Bas and Pytor here. It flew into and landed neatly into the wood like a bullet might. He'd have to figure out if it pierced Oni skin, but it was a neat trick none the less. He could unleash a few of these with one weave and if they were fast enough they'd hurt. What if they were sharp?

A new thought rattled around in his head.

Calvin got started on his assignment the next day. He had to admit he was feeling excited about it. Calvin hadn't felt this way in a long time. Chase had given him ten locations and the first was somewhere in the wilderness of Spain.

Calvin started off by running at a normal pace through the Moscow wilderness, feeling free from his struggles. He increased his pace - moving as fast as he had been taught he could. At this rate, it shouldn't take long for him to arrive in Spain.

He arrived in a forest and Calvin began to search. He needed to find an item - something permanent and he began to look for one. He walked through the forest, his wolf eyes scanning until he arrived in a clearing.

In the clearing stood a woman. Calvin recognized her, although he hadn't expected to see her here. Guilt swam into Calvin's mind and his clothes began to shift to what he wore the last time he saw her. A knife and a bottle of whiskey appeared unbidden into his hand.

NO! It wasn't my fault!
Calvin thought closing his eyes. He focused on Lucas. He wouldn't give into it now.

When Calvin opened his eyes, his clothes had returned to normal and the knife was gone. The bottle of whiskey had been replaced by his guitar. He willed it away and stepped forward to the woman. She had turned to face him, but he didn't know how much of the struggle she had witnessed.

"Hi."
Calvin said, not sure of what else to say yet.

Every gleaming society had its darknesses, and often, the brighter shone the elite, the deeper the colour of the shadows.

The Almaz was a club bolted into the Underground, but claimed exclusively by the favour of the obscenely rich. Cash or favour granted admittance - often both were required to get a foot through the door - but it did not hold the prestige of somewhere like Manifesto. It was not the sort of place one openly admitted to attending, nor a name that found its way into polite conversation or the sparkle of the tabloids. No paparazzi paved the way to its doors. On the contrary. Recording devices were prohibited within, and security took the rule seriously enough to break fingers and worse for transgression.

The clientèle was mixed; the golden elite getting their dark kicks alongside the cream of local gang life, though you might only tell by the absence or proliferation of tattoos amongst the formal dress-code. Big money was won and lost on the fights, that being the Almaz's bead and butter. Allies forged and shattered in its walls, deals soaked in loyalty of blood. Upside leather and velvet decorated a lavish bar area, filtering down into the pits below, where the real entertainment happened. Down there rings and cages separated the various fights, couched by plush ringside tables. This was not sportsmanship; it was brutality.

For now Ori lingered upstairs, by the bar, indulging in the hum of conversation beneath the drum of industrial style music. She was known here, but not a regular face; Luka came here too, albeit not as a customer, and it had sucked some of the lustre easily recovered elsewhere. Intention had pulled her here tonight, though. The promised heat of violence below stirred passion and ferocity in those around her, and it was whispered rumours of a particular fight tonight that had bent Ori's ear.

Some time earlier that afternoon she'd sent Giovanni a message to meet her at the club, though the details had been vague. She trusted he'd come running. In any case, he was her delay; his name was cleared at the door - supposing he wasn't foolish enough to try and spin an alias, though he would still be searched before the bouncers allowed him in. If he didn't show it changed nothing of her plans, but he would be missing a fuckload of fun.

The past two weeks had been wonderful, albeit very difficult. It had been two weeks and two days since his last drink, and even though the call to drink was still there sometimes, it was becoming easier to manage. Especially since he started seeing Alex, Lucas, and playing guitar.

The guys at work had bought it for him, as well as a couple of lessons for Christmas/congratulations. That had been really nice of them and had been quite the surprise when he had seen it. He knew he found some true friends and hoped things stayed that way when he left. The more he thought about it, the more he was looking to do something else besides fix cars. He thought he knew what he wanted, but wasn't sure. Maybe it was something to talk with Alex about.

He met with Alex once a week and they discussed his progress. Calvin thought he had made some big strides and was feeling significantly better about things. He told Alex that he was playing guitar and whenever he felt the need to drink, he practiced. She encouraged this course of action and said she wanted to hear a song when he got good enough. That had made the first week a lot easier - and he quickly picked things up. His teacher said that he was a natural at the instrument. He called Lucas often - just to check in and say he was doing alright. He often started by telling Lucas how long it had been - it made him feel successful.

He had also told her about the Dream, the nightmare, and the strange girl he had met there. He told her about Dawn Wind too. Calvin had been coming to terms with the deaths of his family and Snow. He was beginning to understand that they were not his fault, but Dawn Wind - the alpha wolf's blood was on his hands. He should have listened, but he kept himself from allowing the guilt to eat him.

That was what brought him to the Dream this time. First off, he wanted to find the spot he buried Dawn Wind and talk. He knew the wolf wouldn't hear him, but it was for his comfort. Secondly, he needed to work on the other things that Alex wanted him to work on - his abilities. He wanted to talk to Sierra, but had not yet worked up the courage to call her. For now, he'd ask the wolves to train him in the dream, as Dawn Wind had started to long ago.

Calvin arrived at the mound, and wondered if it only existed because he wanted it to. Calvin sat on the ground and spoke, telling the wolf how sorry he was and what he was doing to fix himself. He also spoke of the strides he had made lately - that things were getting better. He emoted, allowing himself to feel the guilt released from what had happened and then turned his attention to the Dream Woods around him. Hopefully a wolf would teach him something and he could get started with really learning how to use the gift he had.

The time had finally come, he'd put it off long enough, his fear of needles was outweighed by his fear of the results of the convocation that he'd attended nearly a day past. So Nox did the most life saving thing he could think to do and Nox had asked Aria for Lucas' shop, and the address, and he'd brave his fear and Aria's boyfriend again.

But Nox was still fighting his irrational fear of needles, he did everything with in his power not to have to go, telling himself that finding the families of those in the plane crash was more important. He had done so, but found that Lucas' shop was still keeping hours, even after he'd spent the past many hours licking envelopes and walking them to the farthest post drop box he knew of. Sadly it was just barely after noon when he dropped them in the box, and found himself in the Enlightened District.

Lucas' shop wasn't too far from Aria's place, which now was with in a short jaunt from where he stood. The world had played a nasty trick on him. Nox wasn't surprised really that Lucas' shop was so close to Aria's apartent, but Nox knew that it could have been anywhere, she wandered the entirety of the city by foot and metro since she got her. He still had a lot to learn.

Before he'd walked out of their warehouse apartment Aurora tucked a book with the drawing of the tattoo in his hot little hand. She knew him alot better than she let on at times. With the drawing was neatly tucked into a book and held close to his chest to keep the wind from whipping it here and there Nox walked towards Lucas' shop. Nox's thoughts drifted to his sister to keep from thinking about what he was about to endure. Nox knew Aurora would kill him if the paper came back a mess. Though she wasn't exactly sure what she was going to do still but it was still a peice of their parents that she held on to. Maybe he'd get it framed for her much like Aria's drawing.

Nox wasn't exactly looking forward to seeing Lucas, the last time hadn't ended great. Though at least it hadn't come to blows. For Aria's sake he's tone down himself. Which said a lot about what he'd do for Aria. But in the long run it was in his own self interest to stay on Aria and thus Lucas' good side. Aria could turn him in to her new handler and that would cement her loyalty and condemn his life. Nox knew Aria wouldn't do that. He hoped he knew her that well. She'd set out to find a way to not kill Ascendancy, knowing that it meant her life as Atharim was over, yet she still looked for the answer. She was far braver than he was.

The Dueling Dragons stood before him. Nox took a deep breathe and regretted doing so as the near ice crystals form in his lungs. Moscow was hell in the winter! And you thought hell was cold, Nox joked in his head. He pulled open the door and the little bell tinkled it's welcoming call. The rush of warm air bathed him, he pulled his coat closer to soak in all the warmth he could.

Nox stood in the door way and stamped the snow from his boots. He'd actually bought a pair of good rugged and warm boots for all the walking he seemed to be doing. Two men stood working on customers, he recognized Lucas. Nox opened the book and pulled out the drawing of the tattoo he wanted to splay across his left forearm. Tradition said the dragon was done in all black ink. Nox was far from traditional. He wanted it to be red and black. Screw Tradition!

Nox walked to the counter and set the paper on it and his book on top of it so when the door opened it wouldn't blow away. He'd wait till they were done. Until then he'd look around at the photos on the wall of various tattoos in 'stock' and done prior. It was an interesting bunch of work. They were clearly good at their jobs. And it was a good distraction from his fears.


Edited by Nox, Jan 14 2015, 09:35 AM.