The Forsaken Art

The girls stood by the door, each on one side as Jaide took out the truth serum. They had seen this procedure before, and they were relieved when he agreed, apparent by their flopping down onto a couch nearby. THey sighed, slipping their boots off and waiting for Jaide to continue with protocol.

Jaide noticed his apprehension and paused. She looked at him and stalked towards him like a predator. If he was lying... well... Jaide glanced up at the twins, who were making themselves comfortable. There was more than one occasion where someone had to be "disposed of" because of their answers.

"Just a little pinch," Jaide warned, inserting the needle under his skin. She took her time allowing it to work his way. She watched for a change of breathing and took his wrist in her hands. She felt his pulse as she began her interrogation...

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

After what felt like hours later, they had finished. Jaide had asked questions front, back, and side to side, trying to ensure there were no loopholes in his honesty. She tried to stray from personal questions, as his past was his past and she didn't need to know it. She gave him nod of approval and looked at the twins.

"He's alright," She said finally, "Would you mind taking him and setting him up with a room? Showing him where to go to eat?" She asked the twins, "I have... business to attend," Jaide turned her head.

Jaide left the room and the house. She stepped into a shadow and allowed it to envelop her. She transported to a place nearby to an undisclosed location.

Jaide stood in front of a small shack, her hands in her pockets. The tiny frame of it loomed like a precursor to bad news. Jaide took a deep breath in and stepped forward, placing her hand against the cool wood of the door. It opened with barely any effort, the hinges groaning in protest.

The room itself was bright and decorated modestly. In the corner was an older man, his head was hung low and a soft snore emitted from him. Jaide's eyes stayed far away from the bed, unable to take what was laying there.

"Any change?" Jaide asked quietly. The old man jumped and snorted, wiping at his jaw. The sadness in Jaide's eyes woke the man's brain up immediately. He shook his head a negative.

"You know there hasn't been any change in the past two years..." He said, "Maybe it's time to--"

"SHUT UP!" Jaide yelled, her eyes turning pitch black. The man put his hands up in surrender.

Jaide strolled furiously towards the bed but with each step, her stride slowed. She sucked in a breath as her eyes fell upon a small girl, no older than seven. The child had raven black hair and was pale from the lack of sunlight. Her eyes were closed like she was sleeping.

Jaide trembled as she sat down next to the bed. She took the soft, small hand in her own and her heart slowed. She planted a small kiss on the girl's cheek, her free hand on the child's forehead.

"Hey, sis," Jaide whispered.

Zelcys entered the room for the appointed meeting and, after a good number of hours left with a slightly fulfilled look on her face and the fur of her inner thighs rather moist. The last task for her working day done, she stretched before heading back to her office. She took the key, hiding it in her fur, before grabbing the weapon her boss had entrusted her with.

She left her office, locking it again, before heading off to her home. It had been tiring day, as usual, as the Czar's secretary and, as usual, she simply cooked one of them many fishes she had before eating it then heading to bed, curling up there.

Emma and Anna groaned, slipping their shoes, belts, and shirts back on before Jack could turn around. They had just been getting comfortable, before Jaide had stopped. Usually the interrogation took way longer than it had, and they had been planning on drawing something, maybe reading a little bit. They got up from the couch, taking each of his arms in one of theirs and lead him out of the house towards CORE HQ.

As they walked, Emma and Anna berated him with questions.

"Any powers?" Anna asked, curiously, eyeing him up and down.

"Any skills?" Emma asked, doing the same as her sister.

"Any girlfriends?" they asked at the same time, giving him a smile.

"Any powers?"
Jack nodded.
"I...can absorb mana in my body to create a sort of adrenal rush." He said, deciding not to tell them about the other thing. "And...im good with blades. I mean, really good."
"Any girlfriends?"
Jack blushed again.
"n...no. Why do you keep asking questions like that?"

Amanda walked out of the CORE headquarters. she felt bored, and walking around Venice, with its intricate waterways always soothed her, as she walked, she picked at her hair, sorting it out only slightly. After she had been walking for a while, she spotted a curious sight. Eyebrow raised, she spoke. "Looks like you two have found a pet. And oh my, it's a male. Growing up, are we?" Her voice was melodic, but cold as ice, as she addressed the twins and completely ignored the man they were escorting.

Emma and Anna giggled, walking with him, Anna explaining that aldron always scared away boys with his threats of dismemberment if they hurt his girls, and how the boys always walked away with a pale look on their face.

It wasn't a long walk to the CORE HQ, and soon they were walking towards the large building, only to meet Amanda. As she spoke, Anna glared, tightening her around Jack's, and Emma audibly hissed.

Anna poked her sister behind Jack's back, saying, "what do YOU want, Amanda?"

Jack didnt appreciate being called a pet, and it showed.
"Can we help you?" he said, in a polite but cold voice.

Amanda snorted. "With you two? Nothing of any sort. I AM however curious just where you're taking this little pet of yours... and if anyone else KNOWS about it." Amanda figured that not even the twins were stupid enough to get what she was saying, but if she were forced to speak more clearly.... she'd probably have to kill their little pet anyway. "And as for YOU..." she said, motioning to Jack, she raised her hand and lowered his mouths temperature around 10 degrees Celcius. "Shut up."

Retasouhdal sighed, "My plans from 25 years ago have changed... However..." She opened her palm, a Mana Seed appearing there, "I need to plant this... Should stop magic stealing the futures of things here." She closed her hand and the seed disappeared before Lauren piped up, "What's 'CORE'?"

Jack raised his hand, his eyes beginning to glow.
"Dont test me bitch." he growled, in a voice that sounded very different, and ignoring how cold his mouth was.

Amanda smirked. "Ooh, the kewt widdle possum's got fangs, does he? Newsflash, shit-for-brains, I could cause all the fluid in your body to exodus at once. I figure there's only about a 70 percent chance of me going Rogue form it." She grinned. "Really want to test your luck?"

Jaide rubbed her sister's arm for a little bit before looking at the older man in the corner.

"I'll be back tomorrow. I still have things to settle," Jaide said. The old man nodded his head respectfully and then Jaide took her exit, giving a long, lingering look to her sister.

She stepped into the shadows and transported herself back to CORE's headquarters. She asked if the twins and Jack had arrived yet and furrowed her brow when she was told they hadn't.

Sighing, she figured the twins had gotten distracted somehow. She exited CORE and then walked the streets of Venice, searching for them. She came upon quite the sight of the twins, Amanda, and Jack all crowded together. Jaide could feel the tension from a mile away.

"Just what's going on?" Jaide asked coolly.

Jack smiled.
"Ok then. Give me your best shot. Then i will shit myself laughing, and show you MY best shot."

Amanda was about to amuse the stupid man, when Jaide appeared, and asked what was going on in a tone of voice that told Amanda SHE would likely end up the one in trouble. "Hmph. Standards are falling if they let shit like you in. Out of my way, you dumbfuck possum." she said, walking straight on and jumping over the man, kicking against his back before continuing her leisurely stroll.

Jack watched her leave.
"...was that another one of your tests for me? Anger testing or something?"

Anna and Emma glared at Amanda's back as she walked away, Emma taking a second to spit. When he asked, they merely stated that Amanda was a bitch and should be ignored or hurt whenever possible. They gripped Jack's arms tighter and steered him towards the door, knocking loudly. A slit on it opened, and the girls grinned up into it, saying, "Alfonzo, please let us in. We are only hungry travelers!"

The eyes studied them warily, before the door opened and they were ushered in by a large dark skinned man, who patted them on the heads as they entered. He eyed Jack up and a down, saying, "new member? Better get him a room and some food, eh girls?"

They nodded, steering Jack down the marble floored hallways. They made their way towards the dorm section, asking Jack, "what do you think so far?"

"Causing problems already, new boy?" Jaide asked with a smirk. She already knew Amanda liked to cause... problems. But she still enjoyed watching people squirm. She then shrugged, "No, that was just Amanda."

She looked at Amanda's retreating back and called out to her, "Mindy! You want to come to a meeting tomorrow? There's a few paladins... might give you some entertainment."

Marneila and Sylas both thanked Azirak in unison before chowing down on the meal.

Amanda sighed, and turned her head to shout to Jaide. "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times. Don't fucking call me Mindy unless you want me pissed off to kill someone. And as much as I'd love killing some paladins, I'm meeting someone tomorrow. So fuck it. Kill a platoon of the fuckers for me." she said, and continued her walk.

Azirak sat back and relaxed. Being a creature that fed off electricity, he didnt need food.

__________________


Jack looked around.
"Well, its going to be hard with that Amanda bitch around, but this does look nice." He walked around a bit.
"Thanks, but..."
He wasnt quite sure how to say it.
"Do you...have any rooms where...oh, nevermind." he said.

"CORE is the rebellion group on Earth. They're looking for political and military ways to get New Republic unseated," Charlie replied, tossing his head back and looking over at Lauren.

"That Mana Seed...." Said Charlie, looking at it, "I'd recommend planting it quickly. Any specific way you have to plant it?"


~~~*~~~*~~~

"Sure, Mindy, I'll stop. Just remind me tomorrow," Jaide said with a smirk, waving at her and walking away.

Mircana nodded to Trent's hospitality and held up Greyson on her own, floating to reach Trent's height.

"Don't worry about the money. I have some spare coins intended to rent a room in the city anyways." She took Greyson from him and held him over her shoulder. "I'm not as helpless as you think." She ended that last comment with a smile and sighed. "Actually...I have a better idea. Where's the port?"

"There's a plain where a battle was fought, nearing a millenia ago... It's broken and destroyed mostly, save for a single patch of grass. That's where I need to plant it. But with things going the way they are, once this New Republic detects us it's going to be near impossible to plant it safely." Ret explained, "I'm... not enthusiastic about going there though..."

"What's wrong mom?" Lauren asked, already seeing the sorrow in her mother's gaze. Ret shook her head slowly before looking straight ahead, "Nothing... I'm fine." she said before adding, "Let's just get to the CORE HQ."

Emma giggled, saying, "what, you gonna do something dirty you don't want people to know about?"

Anna laughed, steering Jack to a simple but large room, complete with an arm chair, desk with swivel chair, bed, dresser, armoire, and bedside table. She showed him in, finally slipping her arm out of his and saying, "this'll be your room. The mess hall is down the hall! Welcome to CORE."

Emma waved goodbye and left, and Anna turned to do the same, before looking over her shoulder and saying, "it was nice meeting you Jack. I hope you enjoy it here."

With that she scurried out the door and after her sister, following her down the hall to the mess hall to find something to eat.