Seraphim
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King of Castle Smoke
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Post by Seraphim on Mar 8, 2006 15:10:41 GMT 12
It might have been any street. Most of New Pork was unrecognizable to anyone who hadn’t lived there all their lives. Street signs were either missing, illegible, or renamed by one of the tribes. The tall buildings with their company’s logos formerly painted on their sides were now half their original size if that, their insides gutted by the cleansing flames that had been designed to remove the last strains of the Black Plague.
Crouched in the shadow of a pile-up of cars and planks of wood, Seraphim blinked out into the steady rain that had been falling since early yesterday. It had been hell to fix up the last of the leaks in the roof in the middle of the night using only torches and the odd paraffin lamp, and most of the Cigarettes were sleeping off the results of running around in the dark. Some of them would wake up with hangovers – Castle smoke had opened up a cache of beer from someplace to keep spirits up during the downpour.
Seraph scowled. He hated alcohol, but the Tribe wasn’t quite as ready to listen to him as they had been to listen to Serenity. Steam curled from Seraph’s mouth as he exhaled, and it rose like smoke up into the sky to join the threatening storm clouds above. The Master of the Cigarettes was wearing black, mostly, and a long black coat reminiscent of those in the Matrix hung from his shoulders, attempting to keep the cold of the rain out of him. It wasn’t doing a very good job, and Seraphim rubbed his hands over his shoulders as more steam emerged from his mouth.
He wasn’t ready to go back ‘home’ yet. He didn’t want to be cornered by a very drunk Alexander and asked where he’d been. He didn’t feel like forcibly dunking the heads of several Cigarettes into the rain-collecting buckets outside the building to clear their wasted heads.
Seraph adjusted his weight and stared out from under his makeshift leantoo. Water dripped from the overhanging roof, pooling at his combat-booted feet.
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Jade
Omega
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Let no one near to see the fear.
Posts: 59
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Post by Jade on Mar 8, 2006 15:21:29 GMT 12
Underneath the streets a very dirty woman was climbing up a maintenance ladder that only she and her tribe used. Reaching the top of the ladder, she propped the metal disk up- like you might see in some moving. The disk was covered by a small cavern of rubble, and she quickly put the disk back into it's place as the wind's blowing into the place blew more dust over the her and everything around her.
Wiping a greasy strand of hair from her face, she grimaced as the sewers grime smeared on her face markings. It was a common problem among the Wharf Rats. As she was accustomed to the stifling lukewarm of the sewer, she only had on a gray shirt and something that suited as pants- they certainly hadn't been Before.
Creeping closer to the opening of the cavern, she let her eyes adjust to the lighting of this place. As the leader of the Wharf Rats, she was hardly above, and she hardly smelled any air that was not mucked by the sewage. Her lungs burned from the clean air. She blinked and immediately ducked, of all the openings to choose, she had to choose one that was near another Tribe's member- and if she remembered from the first time she'd met the others, the deputy of the Cigarettes.
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Seraphim
Administrator
King of Castle Smoke
Posts: 382
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Post by Seraphim on Mar 8, 2006 15:38:08 GMT 12
Seraphim’s keen brown eyes flickered towards the movement ahead of him. Running into another tribe was uncommon – the tribes weren’t quite big enough to fill the entire city. But running into other tribes did happen, and most of the Cigarettes were prepared for such a meeting with switchblades, pocket knives, and diving knives. As it was, Seraph slipped a hand into his pocket and withdrew a slightly rusty black-handled switchblade.
He unfolded from his crouch, ducking out of the leantoo and into the rain. It pattered off the leather shoulders of his coat. He could have imagined the movement, but he was sure he’d caught the black-brown of skin and the blue face-paint of the Wharf Rats. At least it wasn’t the teal of the Wildcats – they usually hunted in packs. The streets weren’t any safer now than they had been – the tribes mugged each other more often than thugs pulled people into alleys before the plague hit. It was potentially dangerous to be outnumbered by another tribe out here in the grid.
Seraphim thingyed his head to one side and flicked his switchblade open. The blade glinted, dulled by exposure to fire. Seraphim’s boot splashed in a gathering puddle, giving him away if he hadn’t already been seen. He twitched and tightened his grip on the small black weapon. He swallowed.
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Jade
Omega
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Let no one near to see the fear.
Posts: 59
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Post by Jade on Mar 8, 2006 15:47:31 GMT 12
I can fight, or I can wait... She couldn't go back, because it would make to much noise, and alert the Cigarettes of how the Wharf Rats could pop out of nowhere. I didn't come up here to wait somebody out, if he was a WildCat or a Vampire, we'd be fighting... He was waiting for her out there...
Would she go knowingly into an ambush, or would she wait for far to long. What would you do?
The woman took a deep breath and walked into the clear of the streets, the rain pounding down upon her. She walked away from where she'd last seen the other, and once she found a big enough piece of rubble, she turned and looked for him, while she fingered her pocketknife.
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Seraphim
Administrator
King of Castle Smoke
Posts: 382
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Post by Seraphim on Mar 8, 2006 16:05:45 GMT 12
Seraph’s eyes flicked sideways at more movement, and his coat swung as he spun to follow it. He flipped the switchblade around backwards into his preferred fighting position and scanned the rubble ahead of him. He was sure the other wasn’t a Wildcat or a Vampire, but a Wharf Rat might still be feral, or else dangerous. With his heart trying to pound a hole in his chest, Seraphim resumed motion. Rain began plastering his black hair to his face, and he wished he’d had time to tie it back into a ponytail. Maybe he should have let somebody cut it.
The Leader of the Cigarettes paused. He shifted his fingers on his weapon and wondered if he was chasing ghosts. Some of the children had gone mad already – it wasn’t uncommon. Some people just couldn’t cope with the stress of living on their own, without adults or doctors or teachers to tell if they were sad or sick or being bullied. Life with the tribes was tough.
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Jade
Omega
Inactive Member
Let no one near to see the fear.
Posts: 59
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Post by Jade on Mar 8, 2006 16:12:10 GMT 12
She crouched near the rubble, spinning around slowly. She was grumbling inside about people and how he hadn't attacked yet. Things went a lot easier if they went to her plan. Jade growled, letting for half a second her blank face to shatter. A sign of her own madness- she was unhappy about someone not attacking her.
The wind blew her greasy pony tail back at her face, she brought up one hand to throw it back. Her eyes scan the rubble and ground around her, she started to shake. She was filled with energy now, as she expected an attack, and her muscles where alternating between being stone and being liquid. If only she could hear a sound or see the tip of his coat flicking from behind one of the rubbles.
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Seraphim
Administrator
King of Castle Smoke
Posts: 382
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Post by Seraphim on Mar 8, 2006 16:23:03 GMT 12
Living in New Pork taught you things, and Seraph was extremely agile from spending hours scrambling over rubble to reach supplies. He could climb easily with one hand, but he opted to use two, clenching his switchblade between his teeth before latching onto the huge concrete-and-iron wall rising above him. He was sure that the movement had hidden itself behind the rubble – and he would have expect attack from either side of the massive concrete wall, not from above.
Following his instincts was one of Seraph’s downfalls – being honest about what you thought of someone made you enemies quickly – but there were some situations in which instinct was a good thing. This was probably one of them, and Seraph paused only a moment before throwing one hand over the edge of the concrete slab and swinging himself over onto the other side. He landed solidly on his feet, dropping instantly into a fighting stance, transferring his blade to from his teeth to his hands in one swift movement.
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Jade
Omega
Inactive Member
Let no one near to see the fear.
Posts: 59
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Post by Jade on Mar 8, 2006 16:30:40 GMT 12
She got what she wanted, a noise and a person. Behind her. Jade turned, and stooding- while flicking her blade open in a fluid motion. Shifting through memories she found she was right, it was the boy who'd been with the leader of the Cigarettes. Only now he had that girl's markings. Had leaders already been upsurped, or maybe her tribe had not yet found out... She'd speak to them later.
Her eyes narrowed on him, and she spoke. "Hello." It was a statement, said in a scratchy voice that showed ill-use. Maybe they would talk- probably not. That was not the way of this city. He was younger than herself, which maybe evened thier strength.
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Seraphim
Administrator
King of Castle Smoke
Posts: 382
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Post by Seraphim on Mar 8, 2006 17:07:59 GMT 12
Seraphim recognized the blue lines curves on the girl’s face, dark against her darker skin. Leader of the Wharf rats – they had met at a gathering of all the tribe mistresses and betas, shortly before Serenity’s murder. Brushing away memories of Serenity’s death, Seraphim considered his reply. There were multiple things one could say in response to hello without sounding stupid. But it was important to choose one that wouldn’t cause strife between the Cigarettes and the Wharf Rats.
“Hi,” Seraphim responded in a voice equally hoarse. It was absurd, really. Their parents would have told them to get out of the rain before they caught their death of cold. It was almost pleasant to be allowed to stand in the wind and the rain without worrying about the consequences. Of course, Seraphim had spent hours crouched on the roof while it rained – he loved the rain. He had loved it until he had seen what a few leaks could do to Castle Smoke.
“I suppose you’re just taking a walk,” Seraph said snidely. He hadn’t relinquished his grip on his switchblade, the metal was growing warm from the heat of his hand. Steam smoked from his lips and mingled in the smog.
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Jade
Omega
Inactive Member
Let no one near to see the fear.
Posts: 59
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Post by Jade on Mar 9, 2006 9:08:14 GMT 12
Great, he wants to talk. My throat will ache after this. A small swell of anger rose- a Leader or not, he was to show proper respect. Mentally she smoothed out her face again, it wouldn't do to respond with a snide comment- neither would it do much to take it at face value.
Barely lifting her eyebrow- as she was questioning his right to address her in a such a manner (even though, as mentioned, they where from different Tribes)- she once again spoke- her voice grating and harsh.
" Of course I am walking. You seem to be too." With a small wonder she relished the feel of clean-ish water on her skin, as she ran her thumb lightly over her blade.
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Seraphim
Administrator
King of Castle Smoke
Posts: 382
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Post by Seraphim on Mar 9, 2006 10:39:14 GMT 12
Shit – that was a point. He had no reason to be out here himself, so far from Castle Smoke territory. Seraphim scowled and adopted a more passive pose, folding his switchblade and replacing it in his pocket. It felt strange to be around someone not of his tribe – least of all unarmed. But the Cigarettes had no quarrel with any of the tribes, yet, and Seraph didn’t want to be the one who caused feelings of unease in between them. So it was time to put away his sharp toys and play Master of Cigarettes.
“Walking is permitted,” he replied icily, dragging wet hair away from his eyes with one hand, the other still in his pocket and reluctant to relinquish his grip on his knife. He could fell rain trickling down his face, tracing paths through his white face-paint. He shifted his weight and glanced up at the clouds. They didn’t show any signs of wanting to pull away.
He had every right to talk to her as an equal or as a subordinate, even though they were both, technically, of the same rank. He would hardly have been more polite had he still worn the Beta markings on his face; there was no reason for him to be subservient to the Mistress of a different tribe.
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Jade
Omega
Inactive Member
Let no one near to see the fear.
Posts: 59
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Post by Jade on Mar 9, 2006 10:51:19 GMT 12
Jade, unlike the boy, did not put her switch-blade away. She'd told herself long ago not to trust anyone outside her Tribe- and give only half-trust to those inside. She just stood there for a while and let the rain pound down on the two for a while.
" I'm quite glad to now I'm permitted to walk on neutral territory." She said, her tone as blank as her face.
Inwardly, she was growling at the situation. An encounter with another tribe would never end well- and she couldn't use the sewers again. She'd have to go through the tip of WildCat terra. One of her own patrols might catch her.
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Seraphim
Administrator
King of Castle Smoke
Posts: 382
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Post by Seraphim on Mar 9, 2006 12:21:07 GMT 12
"Hey, I could just attack you, if you’d rather." Seraphim snapped "And we could skip the chit-chat." Gods – why was he the only one who had trouble with diplomacy but ended up being the only person using it? What was the use? Seraphim sighed and flung his head back to stare at the roof, rain dripping slowly over his face and tinkling down off his coat and onto his boots. The cool wetness was comforting – more so than warmth would have been. Seraph was notorious for fighting well in the rain, even though he tended towards pyromania.
He wasn’t really very worried anymore, now he knew he wasn’t up against a Vampire or a Wildcat, although the Wharf Rats weren’t harmless themselves. Having put his knife away was a huge step for anyone, him most of all, but it seemed like the wisest thing to do. Besides – he could trip her and run if she became hostile. Who could follow him over these streets in the rain? This was his dreary landscape – the only place he’d been able to escape to, ever. Escape from school into the dump, from the family into the run-down houses down the street that everybody else thought was haunted.
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Jade
Omega
Inactive Member
Let no one near to see the fear.
Posts: 59
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Post by Jade on Mar 9, 2006 12:35:20 GMT 12
That was enough to crack her blank look, she snorted and looked rightly at him as if he'd just discovered the newest level of craziness. Was he stupid? How did he lead if he burst like that?
" Fine. You go ahead and start the first Tribe War that this place has ever seen. I'll be glad to get one of the Tribes out of our way." She was openly scoffing at him now- he would attack and she would either kill him or use him as bait. Either way could have advantages.
Once again she felt a rush of energy as she tensed and released her muscles in a silent but complete stretch.
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Seraphim
Administrator
King of Castle Smoke
Posts: 382
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Post by Seraphim on Mar 9, 2006 13:32:11 GMT 12
“Jack pushed Jill off the hill and got off scot-free,” Seraphim said coolly, reciting an old schoolyard variation of Jack and Jill – a line of it, anyway. It was rather vulgar in full and was guaranteed to stoke anyone into something close to an insane rage. It usually worked on Seraphim – but his fuse was short anyway, and almost anything could make him angry.
This wasn’t going in the direction Seraph intended. Of course, what he’d said was true – it would be easy to frame the falling buildings for her death if he decided to stab her or something. Not that he would – who knew what sort of a leader for the Rats would come up then? The Wildcats and the Vampires were bad enough on their own for violence and murder. The Tribe did not need another enemy.
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Jade
Omega
Inactive Member
Let no one near to see the fear.
Posts: 59
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Post by Jade on Mar 9, 2006 13:43:25 GMT 12
Well, what can you say to that? She meant, though, outwardly. Inwardly she was seething and muttering about the stupidity of boys- and of course why he wouldn't just make a fool of himself and start attacking her. Outwardly, she knew it'd be stupid and make her look a fool if she seethed.
So, she just looked at him levelly and said flatly, " That's jolly well good for him." Only it came out a bit more strained than she would of liked. The strain would show tension, and that would mean to him that he'd won in making her angry.
In another section of her brain, of course, she was laying out what she could do if she killed him- the Cigarettes might be especially weak if they lost another leader. Or if she captured him- that would gain something, and she would still kill him. But, if he escaped... She'd make it back to her Tribe somehow, and plan for an attack.
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Seraphim
Administrator
King of Castle Smoke
Posts: 382
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Post by Seraphim on Mar 9, 2006 14:21:13 GMT 12
“Indeed,” Seraph responded, staring at her pointedly. This was a fragile sort of position he was in. He had to do something to stop a war building from this encounter – but fuck, he just wasn’t any good at diplomacy. He should have given Daisuke the job and stayed in Beta – he was better at backing people up then at actually making decisions and talking legal. Seraphim sighed and rolled his stiff left shoulder, contemplating the best means of escape. He could just leave, excuse himself and leave.
Or he could do as he’d threatened. But what was the use of killing the leader of the Wharf Rats? He’d have more luck if he wounded her or took her captive, but even then there wasn’t much the Cigarettes could do. When Serenity had ruled, the Wharf Rat leader would have been put to good use – but Serenity was dead. Seraph had to make his own choices.
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Jade
Omega
Inactive Member
Let no one near to see the fear.
Posts: 59
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Post by Jade on Mar 9, 2006 14:31:02 GMT 12
Running her thumb over her blade somemore, Jade thought about what to say next. This was the awkard part in conversation- the part that made everyone want to squirm. And she wanted to squirm. It would not do for another Tribe's leader to see her squirm.
" Are we going to leave eachother behind, and not speak of it. Or shall we continue glaring like children." She said, yet again in a flat voice. Just let him think she wasn't plotting in her head.
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Seraphim
Administrator
King of Castle Smoke
Posts: 382
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Post by Seraphim on Mar 9, 2006 14:45:22 GMT 12
Seraphim glanced at her, his head slightly to one side. He was suspicious – there was no way they would just part ways like nothing had happened. Not that anything had, but there would be talk if the tribes knew that they had even talked – exchanged a few insults over switchblades. It would probably be kept secret, but there was always the chance that someone would find out. Seraph did not need someone plotting behind his back.
“We are children.” Seraph responded at last. He’d hating being called a child or being treated as one, but it was all he could think to say. What does one respond to a double-edged question, anyway?
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Jade
Omega
Inactive Member
Let no one near to see the fear.
Posts: 59
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Post by Jade on Mar 9, 2006 15:05:04 GMT 12
At that she smiled- not in the kindly way she used to welcome younglings to her Tribe. No, this was a disarming smile.
" We are teens or tweens, whichever you prefer. Not to mention we fight, and barely survive. We are not children." She said, just as flatly- somewhat scolding the other. As if she was scolding a youngling.
OOC: A youngling? I've watched to much StarWars.
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