Mirage ~ All Welcome

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2.../mirage500.jpg


Summary:
This is a role play for anyone, current chars, new chars or even as one's own self.
It is like the holo deck on Star Trek but bigger and better.
Every so often the environment changes and characters will be thrust into a new pseudo reality.



Introduction:

Mirage exists outside of yet is embraced by all existence. It's countless doors connect to most dimensions.

This place is literally the dream of a demi deific being whom conceived a way to materialize and merge it's dream state with countless dimensions. Why? So that a cross section of different creatures from the farthest reaches of all existence could amass upon a common ground.

Mirage is basically a fish bowl by which the divine being may inspect and interact with a menagerie of inter dimensional creatures solely for it's own amusement.

If you find a door to Mirage in your plane of existence, walk through it and be whisked into a happy little helter-skelter realm. All such doors lead to the the hub of this fantasy realm, its oasis heart, a massive circular bar stocked with all beverages imaginable. This bar forever remains at the center of Mirage though surrounding environments unravel and re-weave at it's creator's whim.

Do as you will in Mirage. It is a sometimes sanctuary from whatever hell currently holds you captive.
When comes the time for departure, but a twinge of the imagination will rip you to back to the reality from whence you came.



The Law:

• No demeaning, destruction or death unless agreed upon by participating individuals.
• When posting, bold the name/names of those you are interacting with for ease of sifting through conversations.
• Every 25th post will be a scene change.
• The 25th poster will select and write up the next environment we interact in.
• If the 25th poster doesn't want to do the scene change, he/she can announce it in post and the next person can create our new environment.

Char Sheet:

Only a small char sheet is required, create a new char, use a current char or simply be yourself.

Name:
Sex:
Species:
Appearance:
Age/Semblant Age:
Apparel/Possessions:
Short Bio/Powers :

If you're using a pre-written Arc Arena character a link to your bio will suffice.

Gothic styled Churches with spires that climb towards the heavens mark the horizon, surrounded by strife and villainy. The Churches are left completely untouched; a stark contrast to the bombed out buildings and scarred landscape that the people of the city are so used too. Those that are lucky have survived to adulthood, but no one person makes it that far untouched.

Horrific scars, mangled limbs, and many other tale tell signs of terrible ‘accidents’ are visible upon the faces of these victims. Every so often you might happen across a figure with an untouched visage and these are the ones that are feared the most. The warped memories and psychotic thoughts that assault them daily drive them to do things that would make the most resilient of men wretch with disgust.

Bullet shells litter the ground alongside glass and other debris. Small children clutch their knees to their chest and rock back and forth, suffering from shell shock and crying for parents that will never come. They can not write, nor read, but put a rifle in their hands and they’ll put one between your eyes.

The oppressive police force, once called upon by the civilians to protect them, are controlled by the Churches and used to quell uprisings by the Rebel forces that operate in the extensive sewer system that runs for miles under the city.

There is no such thing as peace here. There is no such thing as silence, or privacy. Your life may be forfeit at any second and the only thing you can do about it is lay down and accept it or fight back…unless you are free of morals and have the desire to join those that would other wise oppress you.



__



Character/post will be forthcoming.

Character sheet is posted here: http://www.dreamviews.com/community/...618#post608618

Please, forgive me for not knowing the fancy smancy way of making the here a hyperlink. :P

Anyone that wishes to join me as the antagonist, please by all means, do so. :)
_


Crunching glass was disregarded as blue eyes stared down the narrow street. A cruel smile adorned the face of the man decked out in police riot gear, but due to the way the headpiece covered his face the smile went unnoticed by any of the men under his charge. He held an MP5 in his grip; it felt odd but not out of place. He had used weapons in the past, but hadn’t made it a point of using slugthrowers too often. Unfortunately all this place had to offer were such devices.

Of course, the powerful man had no qualms about using a weapon that ripped into flesh, pierced organs and with proper technique could even splinter bones. The sadistic animal inside of him purred like a kitten at the thought, wishing nothing more then to indulge in wanton blood shed. He tightened his grip and pressed on, picking up the pace as he neared the decrepit apartment building.

The sun had long ago set and their operation had been planned down to the second over two days ago. His mission was to bring the target back alive so the higher ups could work ‘it’ over and pump out information about the rebels. Zadkiel, however, felt a deviation from the plan would be in order if there were no secondary targets he could sate his blood lust with.

His pace quickened and his nose twitched; the strings invisible surrounded him and allowed him to extended his perceptions further then any of the mere mortals that accompanied him. The group stopped on either side of the rickety door; their approach had been flawless. In no more then five seconds hand signals had been exchanged and the door was kicked in with little effort.

The intimidating team entered into the room, all eyes searching for hostiles or the target…

Name: Malyss Slayde
Sex: F
Species: Human
Appearance: Tall, thin but extremely muscular, silver eyes, short dark hair
Age/Semblant Age: 20's
Apparel/Possessions: Tattered brown trench coat, dark tight fitting clothes that offer ease of movement, a few small weapons but main is her saber.
Short Bio/Powers : Sith Warrior Lord

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Silver eyes, brimming with ire, opened suddenly.

"What in hells name..." the woman hissed.

She sat and up flung away the filthy sheets that had conformed to her body. Her eyes skimmed the crumbling innards of the room before she stood and gathered her scant belongings. She then clipped her weapon to her waist, whirled a tattered brown trench coat over her thin form and without a backward glance strode out into the dust and death ridden hallway.

She approached the first door on her right. One perfectly placed boot effortlessly kicked the wooden door from it's hinges. It slammed into the floor and the room's inhabitant awoke with a start. He scrambled off of his tattered cot, eyes welling with fear.

"MARR!"

The man stood at attention, his eyes never breaking from hers as the lanky, short haired woman advanced slowly.

"Yes, Lady Slayde."

"What HELL have you found us this time?" She asked with an elegant sweep of her arm, permitting the tall scruffy man to break her gaze. "What is this? Last night we fell asleep in a lavish suite. Today we awake in a rotting slum."

The man nervously glanced about, only then seeing what the lady spoke of. "I... I have no explenations. I don't understand."

"You brought us here. I trusted that you trusted this place. Gather your belongings and come. I don't fully understand this place either and I am reluctant to pry with the Force into the surrounding landscape just yet. Even without enhanced senses death and destruction are thick in the air. I can almost taste it."

Malyss turned suddenly and exited the room. She did not wait for the man to follow. After a few minutes Marr joined her and they walked silently through the horror of this new place. Her senses were continually assaulted by sickening scenes of oppression all around. They were not of her concern and she simply shoved aside or stepped over those that attempted to make contact. Her heart remained hardened.

The Sith lady understood that they were in some sort of shifting realm. What she didn't understand was who was in control and how much control, if any, she still was in possession of. This was supposed to be an escape from carefully controlled world she'd spent years constructing around herself. This place turned out to be a bit more of an escape than she had anticipated.

A few minutes of walking brought them to a familiar sight, the place called Mirage. It stood before them, unchanged and unscathed in the midst of the battle scarred city. Deciding to stick with the familiar for now the pair entered Mirage to gather their wits about themselves.

A baton was withdrawn from Zadkiel’s hip and in a single swift motion the jaw of a lady tugging at his arm and begging they release what he figured to be her husband was broken. A mixture of teeth, blood, and saliva sprayed out of her mouth and across the grimy looking far wall. He smirked and looked down at her, crying and clutching her face. Tears and blood were always a favorite combination of his.

He followed the team out after wiping the blood off of his weapon and onto the woman. They had acquired the primary target and the blow to her face had sated the beast within him for the time being. He knew there would be more brutality; there was always more brutality here. As they neared the daunting van they arrived in, he was approached by a thin, aging, fearful man. It was quite obvious that he did not want his identity to be known by the way he had his face wrapped and covered.

The man came close only when Zad waved away those under his command and waved the man closer. Even if he wanted to resist, he would have found himself unable to turn away from Zadkiel now. He was weak willed and greedy; easy prey.

“Ss…sir, I bring you news of her.”

Instantly Zadkiel turned and glared at his soldiers, barking orders for them to return to the station without him. When dust and fragments of the surrounding buildings had settled after the departure of the van, he returned his icy gaze to the man. An obvious chill crept up the cowering figures spine as he told of the sight he had beheld no more then twenty minutes before.

The memory of her brought his beast around until it was full awakened. The thing was clawing at his flesh, growling for escape, for blood; her blood. He paid the man very little before shoving him aside and making his way towards where she was reportedly seen venturing.

A good couple of hours oozed by as Malyss and her accomplice whispered across the table to each other. Together they attempted to make sense of the insanity in which they were now ensnared.

Other patrons conversed amongst themselves, their voices a low droning hum beneath the strains of slow jazz like music that thrummed throughout the place. Every so often Malyss's eyes would glance suspiciously around the room before locking back onto the sooty eyes of the man across from her.

"I think, dear Marrkabe, that perhaps this is just the place I'd been searching for. You are not as much the blundering fool I'd taken you for this morning. My gratitude to you for finding this... realm. " Malyss raised a thin stemmed wine glass into the air and swirled the reddish liquid inside. "To dumb luck."

The man raised his glass in salute and grinned. His chest puffed out with pride in the knowledge that he'd done something worthy of approval.

Malyss noticed his suddenly swelling ego and grinned. "Don't you go getting egotistical on me. I don't want to waste time preforming another attitude adjustment on you."

Marr nodded and smiled sheepishly.

Lady Slayde sat back and relaxed slightly, her mind racing. She had learned of places that existed above and beyond the forces of light and dark she'd been trained in while still a member of the order. To now sit in the midst of mythology was a delightfully twisted pleasure.

Now, where to begin...

Zadkiel entered into Mirage, a bit weary to enter into a place that might whisk him away from this paradise but knowing that sitting out front and waiting on her to leave, or if it was in fact her, would be nothing more then a punk move and he certainly wasn’t a punk. He had stripped out of the police gear and changed into something more reserved and non-descript.

Wasting no time, he approached the managers office and entered it. Having come in the back way, he didn’t have to go far. A short, fat man looked up in surprise at him. He squinted at Zad and his brow furrowed as he tried to get a clear look at who was invading his office unannounced.

“I require your assistance, or rather the assistance of your security team. A suspected criminal might be in your establishment and I wish to…subdue her and remove her. You will help me, surely.”

The short little man leaned back in his leather chair, letting out a bout of obnoxious, disrespectful laughter. He continued on for at least half a minute as Zadkiel stood quiet, steadily getting angrier at the man but holding himself in check.

“You barge in unannounced and expect me to jump up and help you? What makes you think you even have jurisdiction here, huh?” The man chortled. “You are no better or worse then any one else in this place, save for the staff and myself of course, and I assume you’ll respect that and leave this ‘suspect’ alone for the duration of your stay.”

He sounded far too sure of himself considering who he was talking too. It would take little more then a flick of Zad’s wrist to snap the stubby man’s neck and leave him for death to claim, but that wouldn’t help him any. The taller, slimmer of the two shook his head slowly and excused himself from the office. During his time with the order, he had learned many things but the thing he prided himself on the most was the ability to remain in control of himself. For all the urges lurking beneath the surface, he was able to keep a firm grip on each and every one of them. He was their Master, not vice versa.

The thrill of perhaps finally finding her, though, held no small part in helping him remain under control. He would do nothing to mess up what might be his only chance at getting even. He had been on a Galaxy wide search for her, spent countless days and nights obsessing over whether or not he’d ever find her. He had no family, no friends, no attachments at all so when he just…disappeared one day, off on his little adventure no one noticed.

The dull, rhythmic steps of his boots sounded from the back hallway as he entered the main area. The music was distasteful and the patrons disgusting, but none of that mattered. His eyes flitted over the crowd, taking in the sights of gluttony, lust, avarice as they were indulged to the fullest all around him. It was delightful to see people enjoying such things but real enjoyment was not found until the unseen strings tugged his eyes to the side and locked them on two figures whispering to each other. With a chuckle, he approached. His blond locks were shaggier then the last time they had seen each other, but for the most part his body had remained the same on the outside. Still just a little too muscular. With arrogance in every step he couldn’t help but grin.

”At last…”

He slammed his palms down on the table; anything sitting on the table jumped with surprise as he looked between the two figures.

“Didja miss me?”

"No more than I miss the rest of your pathetic kind." Malyss casually answered without looking at the creature that dared invade her space... her time. "Lord Zaddy. Or is it Master now? Surely someone as self centered and as single minded as you would have whored his way up another notch in the Sith ranks."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes, not even affording him a face to face conversation. She took another sip of what was had been a celebratory drink, now ruined.

"Marrkabe. Allow me to introduce you to the the reason I deserted the Order. This is the Sith Zadkiel, one of the Order that trained me."

Marr's pitch black eyes glared at the form that hovered over their table. He was about to speak but Malyss cut in.

"But pay Zaddy no mind. He's about to escort himself out of our presence." Her eyes turned back to Zad. "Aren't you... Sithmutt."

His face turned to indifference as he looked her over. She hadn’t changed an ounce, it would seem, though he wasn’t fond of the boy she was talking with. Since when did she keep company at all, anyways? He found himself wanting to get rid of the bastard that sat across from her. After all, he had been after her for who knows how long; he deserved that seat for the time being.

“Well, just as much of a social butterfly as ever than, I see. Please, do tell, why would I escort myself out of your presence when you haven’t even had the good manners to offer me a drink?”

He glared into her eyes, make it evident that he had absolutely no intention of leaving this place without having some choice words with her. She might not take this meeting as anything more than random chance, or bothersome at most but this was very serious to him.

“If anyone here is a mutt, it’d be you. After all, I’m a pure blood…your nothing more then a genetic anomaly. Now, I believe where we last left off there was some unfinished business between us.."

Her wine glass clinked lightly down onto the table and Malyss's eyes narrowed as she called up that last encounter with Zad.

"You are mistaken, as so often you are when it comes to matters between us. Our business was quite finished. A genetic aborration bested and beat an allegedly pure and superior human specimen. That was the end of it."

Finally she turned to face Zad so he could fully appreciate the cruel smile that spread across her face after the last statement. Marr's harsh and humorless chuckle accompanied his boss's bitter grin. He had heard of how Malyss had beat and humilated Zad at the conclusion of her Lordship trials. But he had no idea how complete Zad's loss and humiliation had been.

Malyss stood suddenly. Silver eyes flashing with utter contempt.

"And this is the end of this little reunion. So skip along back to the orgy of greed, massacre and fornication that calls itself Sith. It is the only place a weak, mangy beast such as yourself could belong, Zakiel."

Beneath it all her rage began to boil. Malyss would not let this pathetic piece Sith trash ruin everything. Not now. She was so close to realizing her grandest desires. Damn the meddling forces that had thrown them together again.

“Heh. You bested no one; do not be mistaken about such.”

Zadkiel glanced towards the boy that could help but chuckle at her comments. His eyes were full of disdain and unstrained, animalistic urges to commit unspeakable sadistic and brutal acts with his flesh. The look was amplified as he touched upon the force to use one of the few mental techniques all warriors were taught and most excelled at; the ability to instill a primal fear in someone with but a glance.

The look was only held for a few seconds, but he felt his goal had been achieved and by the time he looked back to Malyss, his eyes were as blue and clear as the day he was born.

“I lost all contact with the Sith a long time ago, shortly after our last encounter in fact.” Zad shifted his tongue, almost as if tasting it, before popping it in his mouth and looking at her with a bitter gaze. “Have you lost your sight, girl, you must have. There is no other excuse for why you proclaim to see a weak, mangy beast where there is one such as myself.”

He chuckled lightly, looking her form over slowly; eying up his prey as an animal seeking to over come the leader of the pack would size up the alpha. He leaned forward slowly, pausing only when his mouth was near her ear so that only she would hear what he had to say.

“I’ve found you, woman, and there will be no escape now. Your final days will be plagued by me, haunted, stalked…made more miserable then the hand life has dealt you.”

He pulled back, looking down for a moment, before turning on his heel and moving towards the bar.

(yeah, not really sure why my text is smaller and red when I use this computer...)

((doesn't matter, I shall still kick your ass no matter the size or colour of your font ;)))

Every fine hair stood at attention as the creature Zad moved closer. She did not draw away. To do so would be taken as a sign of weakness. She stood her ground, as still and as cold as as the Gothic statues that stared down upon the death stained city with their soulless stone eyes. Zad's rancid breath washed over her ear. His words found their target and rekindled the hell fire of hatred she'd previously felt for the man, her former Master.

As Zad walked away Marrkabe, with lightning quick reflexes, drew his blaster and fired off three perfectly trained shots at the back of the retreating man's head before Malyss could intervene. By way of the Force she ripped the blaster from Marr's grip before he could squeeze off a fourth shot.

Before Zad could react, before the blaster fire could find it's target, before Marr's weapon found Malyss's waiting palm, everything in Mirage came to a complete halt. Time was stopped in it's tracks.



One of the establishment's waitresses casually strolled through the frozen bodies to the trio of trouble makers. Her form, draped in a billowing white toga like dress, floated around and between Zad, Malyss and Marrkabe. She stood before Zad and stared him in the eyes. Her head cocked to the side curiously as she inspected him. She then glanced around Zad to the blaster fire that was halted an inch from searing into the back of his skull. She giggled. Her sight then fell upon Malyss and Marrkabe and the blaster that hung frozen in the air between them. Interesting situation, to say the least. These three would warrant further watching.

The lady shook her head dourly and flicked a stray strand of raven hair from her face. "Tsk, tsk. No fighting in the house kiddies." She informed in a voice laced with light and laughter. "You'll have to finish this outside."

Zad's face recieved a couple of playful smacks before the lady turned away. All light bled from the world. For a split second Malyss, Marrkabe and Zad were the only creatures left existing in that hunkering darkness.



A moment later the world flashed back into existence. They were no longer in the Mirage. The three, still frozen in their respective stances, materialized in the midst of a merciless bloodbath battle in one of the most decimated parts of the city. Time resumed it forward march. Zad, Malyss and Marrkabe came to in a rain of bullets and a chorus of agonized death cries.

His hand had touched his lightsaber the same instant the tremor was felt, unfortunately though something intervened. Zadkiel didn’t have the faintest idea just what it was, but when the trio appeared in one of the worst sectors of the city, the sector Zad most enjoyed policing, it was unmistakable that they had been removed without choice from Mirage and none to politely at that, considering how his face now stung.

The scarlet weapon on his hip burst into life and glowed cruelly as he twisted it around behind his back and shifted it ever so slightly; each blaster bolt was turned away. A surge of joyous rage surged through his veins as he whipped around and fling the coat covering his magnificently scared body to the side. The glow of his weapon illuminated each of the blemishes, ancient and as recent as only that morning. The result was a sight that would intimidate most, but not even come close to garnering more then a flinch from the woman before him.

Wishing for no distractions, he raised his open palm then slammed it against the ground. The body of her boy crumpled into a pile of flesh; his squirming was a most lovely sight and Zad almost felt it a shame that he had to be rid of the third. He lifted his hand then jerked it to the side, watching as the man was flung away and out of his sight. This was not his fight, regardless of where his loyalties lie this was between Malyss and him. No one else.

“You got that pathetic thing doing your dirty work now? Afraid you might have missed me? Need a man, regardless of how wretched a man he might be, to get the real tasks done? Cute.”

The suffering that surrounded him was empowering, the screams invigorating, and the death was the sweetest of ambrosias. He wanted to savor the moment, for the countless hours of torment that had passed since their last encounter had left him bitter and to savor it meant it would be all the more sweet once he slammed her lifeless face into the debris strewn ground.

He rotated the shaft in his hand and watched the light trail left behind by the weapon. It was time to see if his former apprentice had kept up with her saber training, as any real warrior would have. The words that followed, as he charged her, were mostly drown out by an explosion little more then fifty meters away.

“…Come girl, lay down and admit your inferiority before your Master.”

The new scene was met by a sneer from Malyss as finally the blaster was clutched by her nimble fingers. No time to wonder how they ended up outdoors she side stepped and whirled out of the way of a fresh shower of bullets. She spun, crouched low to the ground and fired back, picking off anything that was dressed in the same uniform as Zad.

Behind, she could hear a weapon hiss to life to be followed by the swift demise of Marrkabe. Effortlessly she unhinged her own saber while continuing to blast away those who took aim at her. Malyss did not activate her saber. Not yet. She simply held it out between she and the egotistical sack of Sith bastard that called her on.

Once a break came in the shooting Malyss turned like a rabid beast upon the man behind her. She lunged forward but did not attack with the weapons. Instead a savage blast of raw power surged out from Malyss. It slammed into Zad with all the force of a run away star ship. So powerful was the shove that it smashed him into a distant stone wall. The sound of flesh and bone impacting the unyeilding wall was sweet music to her ears.

Before he could recover Malyss gave the slightest nod of her head. The stone wall bent instantly to her will. It cracked, crumbled and then crashed down upon the pathetic creature that had the audacity to call himself her master.

A few more bullets whizzed past from behind. One nicked the former Sith lady's shoulder. She spun, coat tails flying, and gave a strong backhand sweep of her arm. Bullets that had sped toward her halted and then turned back upon the men who had fired them. The result was amusing to behold. Those foolish enough to have not taken cover were mowed down by back lash of their own bullets. Such primitive weapons. The only good thing about them was they were easy to manipulate.

But back to the bastard at hand.

Malylss spun, backflipped and seemingly danced her way through a new onslaught of gunfire. She leapt high and curled into a tight ball to minmize body area while she whirled through the air. The agile lady came to land behind the mountain of groaning rubble that encased Zad. She ignited her light saber. It's snap hiss was a familiar and soothing sound that amped up the desire to plunge the blood red blade straight into that mouth that never knew when to shut the hell up.

The air seemed to grow thick, almost suffocating, around the freshly destroyed wall. The man buried beneath the rubble took in a deep breath, tasting chips of rock and dust that covered him. Zadkiel could feel the countless scraps and cuts all over his body, but no bones had been broken…at least at this point, that is what he would tell himself. Not knowing for sure always made fighting a little easier.

The hand with his, now disengaged, lightsaber was pinned between two rocks with the weapon lulling on the edge of his forced open palm. He tried to move the hand and felt that the rocks had done enough damage that their tips were actually rubbing against each other from the center of his hand. Warm, thick blood was dribbling out of the wound, but such realization only earned a cackle laced with the insanity of a mad masochist.

All at once his entire body thrust upwards and the pile of rubble was effectively removed. The shards of rock, chunks of concrete and even much of the dirt and sidewalk surrounding the area flew outwards in every direction. Zad pulled his saber hand towards his chest and gripped the fingers, which refused to respond now that a few choice parts in his hand had been sliced in half by rubble, and bent them inwards until they were locked around his weapon.

He did not ignite it, though, rather he stalked towards Malyss with a shit eating grin laced with lunacy upon his face. This was his element, this was what he lived for, and she was nothing more then his final goal in life. With open palm, but curled fingers, his left palm shot forward and carried with it a blast from the force that sent her backwards as he quickened his step. His lifeless weapon was brought around to his left hip as he stopped in front of her. Whipping it around, he listened to the orgasmic sound of hard steel colliding with someone’s jaw with enough force to lift her off her feet.

“…bitch, we got a problem.”

His voice was thick with rage and a flitting arousal from the death all around. He spat a gob of dust filled salvia and blood out next to her, than ignited his weapon and cracked his neck. The resulting snap-hiss was accompanied by a startlingly loud pop. Without warning he drew back his right leg and, making sure there was more then amply force behind it, slammed it into her ribs and sent her further backwards. Before she could even finish sliding, he leapt into the air and brought his weapon up, preparing to slice her clean in two as soon as she met her destination.

Quicker than the eye could perceive Malyss twisted and turned between the sudden eruption of rock shards. When she spun to again face Zad she did not return his smile.

In an instant she sailed backward. Malyss barely managed to keep her footing. She turned to face Zad only to find herself soaring back, jaw raging with molten agony. But pain was welcome. It only served to focus thought and strengthen resolve. It was nothing but fuel to feed the ever growing fire of complete despise that rampaged deliciously through her veins.

She landed and rolled to her hands and knees only be sent sliding, courtesy of Zad's boot, through a mess of broken buildings and bodies. She rolled onto her back to see the creature bearing down. Malyss drew up her weapon to blocked the blow. Her muscles strained as she held off his weapon and the weight behind it.

A sudden blood slicked smile flashed up at Zad.

His saber blinked dead out at the exact moment both of Malyss's feet slammed square into his gut. The Sith mongrel was sent arcing backward through the air. Malyss lifted from the ground, landed on her feet, crouched and leapt after the soaring man. She spiralled through the air like a sleek bullet, her saber hugged close to her chest and creating an scarlet light trail behind. She summersaulted and came down, feet first into Zad's chest. The downward force of her stomp sped up his decent and he slammed into the concrete several times harder than normally he would have.

Still perched atop him Malyss took a moment to crush the bottom of her boot into his face and mash it around. She dropped a knee on his face as she whirled the lightsaber around so the blade protruded from the bottom of her grip. She positioned the length of the saber down the middle of Zad's body. His flesh sizzled and popped where it came into contact with the saber blade.

"No bitch."

She wrapped her left hand around his neck and crushed it, her fingers digging deep into the flesh and muscle. Her right hand, still gripping the light saber, tilted a bit. The tip of the weapon seared into the ground between Zad's legs and was slowly drawn up toward his crotch.

"You have a problem"

She grinned maniacally as crimson oozed and dripped from her blood drenched lips.

He felt her caress upon his weapon’s activation switch and cursed her as his weapon went dead just in time for her boots to steal away his breath. He prepared to curl his body into something that would reduce the damage, but before he could he felt her feet smash into his chest. His momentum was tripled little more then a second before he collided with the ground. The debris and rocky ground ripped up his back and sent shocks of pain to every inch of his body.

The grimy boot that was planted upon his face was disgusting and degrading, more so considering the owner of the boot. He grunted and prepared to fling her off with the force, but unfortunately she switched tactics and brought her knee into his face. Blood began to dribble out of the side of his mouth as his teeth were painted scarlet. Zadkiel gritted his teeth as the blade traveled down his body, adding a new scar to his collection in a way that was driving him mad.

He did not lean his neck back in an attempt to get air; that would be a sign of submission that he refused to give to the abomination. All he could do when he she positioned the blade between his legs was chuckle and stare her down. A sound came from deep in his throat just before he spat a large gob of salvia and blood into her face.

“You think that’s a problem? I made sure that would never be a problem.”

He watched as the blade met where the fleshy appendage between his legs should have been; the weapon only found Sith steel keeping it from cutting deep into his midsection. What her blade had sought to quench its blood lust on was no longer a part of him. All distractions had been purged from his body and mind.

“…That must be disappointing.”

He brought his left arm up; open palmed, and slammed it into the back of her elbow. It was forced forward and in that moment he brought his legs up off the ground and into the air until he was able to curl them around her neck in a very awkward, difficult position. Using gravity’s aid, he was able to pull her off and throw her as his legs returned to the ground.

Zad stood up, slowly, and released his lightsaber. It fell, clattering upon the ground as he moved forward and removed it from his mind completely. His right hand, wounded as it might have been, was still curled up and mostly useless. It was a shame, really, that he would not be able to give her a proper beating such as she deserved but she wouldn’t walk away, none the less.

He brought his knee into her gut and let his other leg rest on the ground next to her, his elbow driving downwards and colliding with her face. His left fist quickly followed as he desired to see her face black and blue, left as nothing more then a soup of ripped flesh, shards of bones, cartilage, blood, and in the end brain matter.

He wanted to speak, to degrade her, but he found his mouth was beyond use. The anger he felt for her disabled the all of his body that wouldn't be of use when beating her to death.


The back of his hand slammed into her face, to the left and just above her left eye. Behind him, a rock floated into the air and as he continued to punch her in a brute, forceful manner he came up along side his hand and waited for him to accept it and use it as a weapon. That moment wasn’t long away, as he quickly took it up and moved to crush her nose with it.

Back to ground getting a beating was a position Malyss was not accustomed to. Each strike and fresh burst of pain only focussed her, now murderous, rage.

She could not see due to Zad's fists pounding into her face. But then, Malyss didn't need to see. All around her the world came into view through her mind's eye. The landscape was ghost like and she could clearly envision the rock that was about to smash her face through the back of her skull.

In the split second it took for Zad to raise his weapon to strike, Malyss bucked free from the man, sending him catapulting forward. She twisted to her feet. Her eyes were swollen shut already but she had no use for vision at this point.

She crouched low. The bodies around Zad quickly bloated. Malyss thrust tendrils of her power into all the bodies. The corpses suddenly erupted. An all encompassing gush of shrapnel like bone shards ripped into Zad's flesh from all sides.

After the explosion she leapt to Zad and drove both of her fists, full force into his chest. It was an assault on an old would from one of their former encounters. She had previously crushed and pulverized his ribs and again attacked thatweak spot.

Malyss delighted in the sound of his rib cage cracking and collapsing inward. With force fueled speed each fist took it's turn continually driving Zad's shattered ribs deeper into his heart and lungs. One final round house kick planted square into his chest was her finishing move, landing the bastard flat on his back.

Before the mortally wounded creature could arise Malyss called hers and Zad's light saber to her waiting hands. She raised a foot to deliver the killing stomp but stopped. Instead, with her saber blade, she carved a design into Zad's chest. Two dots, on on each peck, an oblong u shape just above his navel and lastly a circle to encompass the char marks.

"I won't kill you. Live and suffer further on, Zaddy, knowing an impure creature of the weaker sex has beat you down yet again."

Malyss spat a mouthful of blood into Zad's face, smiled and then left, disappearing like a shadow specter into the ruins of the city.

The battered, bruised, and near dead body of the once great Sith Master was still for several long moments as the victor took her leave. His eyes, caked with dirt and blood, fluttered open halfway and tried to take in the sky above him as his weathered breathing steadily slowed down. Gathering what little energy he could, he reached out and grasped onto a rock, to begin crawling away for he had not the energy to even stand on his own two feet at this point.

The man was too beat down to even truly experience any of the emotions he should have, or that was how he figured it. In truth, though, the only emotion he was left capable of feeling was anger and rage, but he had been burnt out on those two; thus leaving him without the capacity to even feel human.

Zadkiel did not regret challenging Malyss, as wondering on for the rest of his life without fighting her again would have been a far worse fate that what he just suffered at her hands. She might have spoken of not killing him, but that was not up to her any longer. It was up to his body and whether or not it could withstand the punishment it had been dealt. If it could, he might just barely survive, but if it could not he would be dead within five minutes.

Slowly, agonizingly so, he crawled through a doorway of a derelict, old apartment building and leaned against the wall just inside the door. He closed his eyes, reality twisting and contorting as he struggled to figure out what was real and what was imagined…his time was nearing…death was closing in, coming for him, to reap his soul and punish him for his sins. Death would only find failure, though, as Malyss had single handedly punished him for a lifetime of sins in her triumph over him.

__

(( Enter Gabriel; http://www.dreamviews.com/community/...482#post619482 ))

A slightly tall, slender formed figure approached the bar of the Mirage. Gabriel had only recently entered the place and it was far, far from what he was used to. Outside of this establishment lay a land that was decimated by machines of war with only a few places just barely hanging onto their sanctity. It was truly disgusting to see such violence at every turn, which is why he had chosen to remain inside the bar and drink himself silly.

He had appeared in a different form and garments every day, running up a tab under each assumed name and delighting in sampling drinks and delicacies from every corner of reality. Today he wore a set of rather flashy clothes that fit perfectly with the platinum locks of hair cascading down his back. Due to his form and features, no one was ever quite sure as to whether they should address him as Sir or Madam, but that was how he preferred it. Easier to get away with things if the witnesses couldn’t even tell what gender the culprit was. Plus it was just downright amusing to see someone getting flustered when they were unable to figure out how to address the enigmatic person.

Gabriel raised his hand, ordering another drink as he placed his shoes upon the table and relaxed. Today would be a good day; he could feel it.

Name: Raava
Sex: Female
Species: Whatever Mirage needs her to be
Appearance: Human form, tall, slender, long braided dark hair & eyes, skin sort of light iridescence and shifts with color when light strikes it a certain way
Age/Semblant Age: ageless but appears mid 20's usually
Apparel/Possessions: Light flowing clothes
Short Bio/Powers : An extension of the creator of Mirage

__________________________________________


Raava moved toward Gabriel and neatly placed his drink, a rather large order, beside the creature's upraised shoes.

"You certainly have made yourself at home."

Her deep lightless eyes drank in the sight of him. The lady's smile was all welcome and warmth.

"Do you frequent this place often... "she paused to consider whether it was a male or female before finishing, "... sir? I am your hostess Raava."

She bowed elegantly, eyes never straying from the eyes of the customer.

Gabriel looked up at her, raising an eyebrow with an odd sort of smirk upon his face as if to question something she had said. He left just what he was questioning ambiguous to see if he could make her feel nervous. Females had a tendency to be cute when they were nervous, unlike their counterparts which just seemed to try and grunt it away-save for the odd boy out that was also cute about it.

“Hmph, Not often, you know…just passing through. Maybe stay the night, I suppose. Nice to meet you, Raava. Thank you for the…” Gabriel reached over, picking up his drink and taking a quick sip of it....”…drink”

He glanced down at his footwear and merely smiled back at her before sinking back into the corner and pulling the drink backwards so that it was positioned beside him on the table.

With an elegant wave of Raava's hand the music in Mirage changed to something slow and soothing. It was a stark and somewhat morbid contrast to the occasional eruption of gunfire or the distant boom of explosives that surrounded the safe haven establishment.

The lady turned back to Gabriel, "The world violently expires outside of these walls. And all you do is kick your feet up and drink the time away. Do you feel any compassion for the creatures that die all about us?"

The change of music was entirely welcome by the elf. He enjoyed the contrast between death, pain, destruction and calm, soothing, peace. Two entirely different worlds separated by little more then a few walls. The lady’s question, however, was not one he welcomed. It stirred too many thoughts and pierced his placid disposition.

“Compassion? No, I lost all compassion for humanity long ago. They shunned me, hated me, and mocked me. I have no sympathy for those that die, those that cared nothing about me once…well, let us just say that humanity isn’t exactly on my top five favorites list.”

He wrapped his long, slender fingers around the chilled glass and swirled the liquid contents for a few long seconds before returning his gaze to her, his eyes a bit softer.

“It is a very callous outlook that I possess, but then if you’ve seen the things I’ve seen and experienced what I’ve experienced you too would harbor a similar nature.”

Gabriel looked down at his drink, pausing to take a sip of it as old wounds that had only just scabbed over began to fester once more.

“How about you? You stay in here, serving drinks rather then going out there to help them. Do you lack compassion, or just courage?”

Raava laughed.

Hers was not a normal laugh. It was light and haunting, seeming to come from the very air that embraced them all.

"I assure you sir I am out there as well as right here."

From across the room another waitress turned to stare Gabriel's way. "As I am right here."

From behind the bar the bartender waved to grab the elf's attention. "As I am right here."

Raava grinned and twirled a finger into a ringlet of her hair.

"As I am.. right here." Came a voice from across the table from Gabriel. There suddenly sat an anthro lion with a blond, shaggy mane. He winked, got up and left. But first he gave Raava a friendly nod as he passed her by.

She nodded in return and then turned back to the elf. "So you see, I am here. I am there. I am anywhere I please. I lack nothing."

Gabriel’s eyes flickered from one figure to the next as they all spoke to him in turn. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a bit surprised at what he’d just witnessed, but all things considered it wasn’t an entirely strange event. He rested his eyes on her, lost in silent contemplation. Without warning, a sly smile appeared upon his face. He slid out of the boot he was in and moved close to her, cocking his head to the side like a curious animal.

“Interesting…Anywhere you please, you say?”

His tongue slide over his lips, moisturizing his lips after they had suddenly dried out from the surprise at seeing this seemingly normal waitress was something more.

“Does that include inside of my head, by chance?”

Gabriel was sincerely curious, as he did not want anyone snooping around up there. He didn’t even appreciate it when he himself would pull up old thoughts to dwell upon, much less if someone else started pulling them up.

“No, don’t answer that. I suppose we all have our little talents. No need to let everyone know the extent of them…”

He flashed her a smile, the moment their eyes met his would mimic hers exactly…but only for a second, until he returned to his seat in the booth.

Raava cast a suspicious eye upon the elf. He reeked of mischief and would be an interesting creature to watch. She hoped heartily that he wouldn't end up like the previous specimens that had to be cast out of Mirage to take care of their violent business.

"I could be inside your head should I choose. But I choose not to be. It's much more entertaining that way."

She tossed a wink Gabriel's way, and immediately his seat turned to a silver mist that slithered away in all directions to disappear.


-------------

A tall cloaked figure sauntered in through the front door of the establishment. The cloak and hood were draped loosely from the lithe form concealing the creature beneath it.

She moved to an out of the way booth and sat. A hand snaked out from under the cloak to tug the hood down farther, keeping the being's face cast in shadow. She knew no one gave half a damn about anyone else here but still she didn't want her beaten face to draw attention. Right now she simply wanted to relax.

Name: Lord Bennington Abingford Croftworthe VII

Race: Human

Age: 36

Description: 5’9” 125 lbs, hazel eyes, neat shoulder-length light brown/dirty blonde hair, extremely fair skin, very thin, always dressed in fine robes or occasionally a dress suit. He sometimes can be found wearing a fedora or a bowler and a pair of small, round spectacles.

Personality: Clever and sarcastic, Bennington will wear your confidence down before the battle even starts. He has no respect for anyone and isn’t afraid to tell you about it. He has poise and mannerisms befitting an aristocrat of his stature. He keeps to himself, confiding only in his groundskeeper, Bourkeley. He has, in the past, been aggravated to the point of a meltdown, and it is thought that he has suppressed his emotions to a disturbingly unhealthy maximum.

Abilities: He is still scarred from childhood disease, and walks with a cane. However, the flow of adrenaline he receives in battle allows him to discard it. When he is fully mobile, he is quite fast, in running, hand speed and decision-making. While he is generally weak, he has well-defined shoulder muscles that allow him to swing with tremendous force. His time in the library has taught him the principles and theories of many forms of hand-to-hand combat. While he tires easily, he can regain his footing quickly. He has a good deal of instinct and has been known to go insane when cornered. He does, however, on a deeply subconscious level, have a fear of conflict and of aggravating his opponents.

Weapons/Equipment: He carries a Smith & Wesson .500 Magnum at all times, and often varies the sword he carries. He also carries two of the finest knives in existence, made from aggregated diamond nanorods and impeccably sharpened, in ankle sheaths.

Biography: Bennington spent his days speculating about what death is like. He finally decided to experience it first time, by dying in the greatest battle of all time. He learned to fight and set off to seek his destiny. He found the Arcane Arena.

Bennington entered the room and gazed disdainfully at the party that had gathered, and chuckled quietly.

"And what, pray tell, have we here?" he asked, brushing a cruel lock of hair from his face, grinning amusedly, "A little... soiree? A get-together? A party? Well? What are you waiting for? Get your Lord a cup of tea, welcome him out of the cold, let him dry off, get him a bit of meat to satiate his regal hunger. Have some blooming respect, for your own sake."

Bennington sat down in a chair by the door, folded his hands over his lap, closed his eyes, and inhaled the scent of the room, moving his hands through the air as if to feel the atmosphere of the scene he'd walked in upon.

"Well?"

Outside of the Mirage, thunder cracked and lightening flashed. The trees that surrounded the place shook violently as wind whipped them all about, the torrential downpour pounded the roof of the building. It had all started so suddenly that it was likely to take every inhabitant by surprise save for the most regular of customers that had, over time, grown used to the shifts.

The old world that lay just outside of the door, the world inhabited by mythical creatures and fair kings was in stark contrast to the brutal, oppressive nature of the ‘world’ they had just come from. Soon the likes of dwarves and elves would begin to enter into the place, albeit cautiously, to enjoy a few drinks before continuing on the path to whatever destination lay at the end of their journey.

By morning the storm would pass and the sun would shine through the trees, warming the face of any who decided to enjoy a few moments of peace and fresh air. The world was inspiring , to say the least, and so full of mystery and adventure that even those with longer then average life spans could only just barely graze the surface of it all.

__

“…Tricky little lass.”

Gabriel stood and brushed himself off, slightly annoyed at having ‘lost’ his seat, but having found the entire run in amusing he decided to mark the ‘waitress’ off as an amusing figure to speak with on occasion. Before the slender, androgynous elf could find himself a new seat two figures entered in rapid succession.

The first was tall and kept his, or her, body concealed from the prying eyes of others. He watched the silent, enigmatic figure for a few seconds as he wondered what was beneath the hood and where the person had just come from. His azure eyes flickered towards the door, though, to see the entrance of a man that was decidedly less pleasant then the soundless one.

Obnoxious, self-important, and many other adverbs came to the mind of the elf. He had no love for anyone such as that man. He was the sort that Gabriel loved to hate, for he was the one that would have put Gabriel down and shunned him as he had been by his ‘friends’ so long ago. Letting out a slightly exasperated sigh, he shook his head and moved towards a booth further back then the one he had been sitting in.

From that point, he would merely observe and go back to his regularly scheduled hours of drinking himself stupid until he forgot about how mad life could drive him.

Raava's grin greeted the sudden shift of existence from one world to another.

She turned and took note of the latest gaggle of creatures to parade through the door. Some were beings manufactured to adorn the newly forged scenery. Some were not. To tell real beasts from illusions was impossible to all but the establishment staff, whom now were garbed in attire befitting the fantasy land that now cradled Mirage.

Raava turned back to the elf. She smoothed out the flowing ruddy brown skirts of her gown and then adjusted the frilly white peasant blouse that enwrapped her upper body. The ringlets of her hair cascaded over her barren shoulders and bounced a little when she turned back to the elf.

"You don't know the half of it... sir. Should you need anything else do not hesitate to ask." Raava turned to tend the latest of customers. As she did a firey haired waitress in a velvet green gown brought a stool to Gabriel's table and sat it beside him. She grinned, gave a slight apologetic bow.

Raava moved across the room toward the brass male creature that sported his arrogance like a crown. She did not reply to him instantly but looked him over before offering Bennington the sweetest of smiles.

"Welcome, sir, to Mirage. Here respect is only shown to those who show it whether you be lord or laborer. That being said, I'd be glad to bring you what every your lordly heart desires should only you ask for it."

Other staff tended to the sudden flood of dwarves, elves and other mythical beings that poured though the doors.

_____________
In her lonely little sector of Mirage, Malyss sneered neath the shadows of her hood at a a group of dwarves that tottered by. They reminded her of Ewoks, small, furry and obnoxious.

She was surprised by the ornate metal work that embellished their primitive weaponry. She eyed an set of battle axes that lay across the back of the final dwarf and the secretly impressed lady Sith wondered how many heads she could effortlessly lop off with the likes of creations.

Her drink arrived and she very slowly nursed it, her mind returning to thoughts of Zad and how she would have loved to break in the Dwarf axes on his sorry ass...

Bennington rose, ran a hand through his hair, and glanced back at the door.

"Come, Bourkeley." he said.

A small man teetered into the room.

"Yes, m'Lord?" he asked.
"Fetch us some food. Don't bother to give it to me if it isn't good." he snarled.
"Yes, sir." the man said, bowing his head slightly.

Bennington scratched his head, closed his eyes, and zoned out. Suddenly, a group of dwarves burst through the door.

"Dear God, Bennington!" Bourkeley shouted.
"The food can't be that bad, you bloody nut." Bennington said nonchalantly.
"No, sir. Look!" Bourkeley said.

Bennington looked at the dwarves disgustedly.

"What are those things, and how can you expect me to even keep my food down with them in the room?" Bennington demanded.

Malyss glared out from under her hood at the commotion. Irritation grew thick in her gut as she beheld the arrogant display of the blond headed man across the room.

"Figures, rid myself of one egotistical creature and another shows up to take his place. Gotta love how everything balances out so... nicely," she muttered into her cup before taking another drink.

She wasn't the only one who'd taken notice of the man's display, various creatures seemed to be offended by Bennington's attitude. This brought a rare smirk to her face. She wondered if a little brawl was to break out as dwarves muttered in hushed voices near by. It'd be nice to watch a bunch of little men dog pile the other.

_____


Raava couldn't help but grin. Mortals were such interesting creatures. They varied so greatly.

She straightened her face and quite seriously informed the offended lord Bennington, "All are welcome here. That is our purpose, to offer all sizes and shapes of creatures a place to escape. If you don't think you can keep your food down due to the appearance of some of our patrons might I suggest that you not eat? Or, if you are interested, you could be moved to a VIP room."

The elf found amusement, the more he watched, in the ego of the stately human. He found it most entertaining and decided that to further his own entertainment, he would see what effect interrupting the man as if he was common riff-raff would have upon him. Gabriel stood, brushing his hands down his clothes so they smoothed out, and then crossed the floor to Raava.

He cut around in front of her, a little too close for comfort, and found himself between her and the human known as Bennington. He flashed her an innocent smile as he spoke up, his smooth voice easy on the ears.

“Music. Music more befitting of this…this new place. That is what I need and you did say anything, yes?”

"You, elf. Yes, you. Perhaps the clash of metal and your screams for mercy will be music enough? What say you to a duel?" Bennington said, drawing his sword, "If respect here is paid to those who show it, perhaps you'll learn to pay it to those who earn it. Draw thy tool, or are you the coward I'd expect to be made of a man of a race of such short stature?"

Gabriel turned to face the man, his face alight with a grin and a giggle escaping his throat. The man was quick to violence as a solution, which just would not do. For a moment the elf was quiet, merely staring at Bennington with wide, emerald eyes, but when he spoke again it was in that same smooth voice as before.

“A duel? Respect? You are worth neither my time, nor respect. So terribly sorry to disappoint, though I must confess I do find great amusement in how you allude to your race being better then mine. Your race of puny, squabbling humans compared to the superior intellect, agility, and long levity of mine. That’s shame that when you taste that last sweet breath of life, I’ll still be alive with many years ahead of me.”

The elf released a devious little laugh

“Now, I believe the lady asked you if you’d like a V.I.P. room. You and I both know that’s the best place for you, because in all honesty this room is just barely too small to fit all of us AND your steadily swelling ego.”

Gabriel turned to face Raava, his smile ever present.

“Now, about that music milady?”

Bennington snarled, grasping the handle of his sword, knuckles turning white. Then, he breathed deeply, and sheathed his weapon.

"I was merely noting that a race of such size and age would be predisposed to cowardice, because you cannot defend yourself, and a thousand year life span does not help you if you are killed halfway into it. Now, if you will not give me reason to respect you, it would be in your best interest," Bennington tapped his sword, "if you would refrain from interrupting me while I am trying to find out what sort of creatures have just entered this building. I am beginning to realise that this world is very obviously not as mundane as it seems."

The elf tilted his head to the side slightly, a little annoyed that the human had the gull to continue running at the mouth about cowardice, among other things. Slowly he turned on his heel, letting his eyes once again rest on the form of Bennington. His tongue slithered over his teeth, pressing against his incisors as he considered his words.

“It would do you some good to size me up a bit better, lest you fail to realize my height is but an inch shorter then you. Now, about that interruption bit-I believe it is you that is interrupting me, so why don’t you sit back, relax, and just keep quiet until I’m done here.”

Gabriel moved to turn, but paused and looked back to Bennington one last time, is if to add something in after-thought.

“Oh, and your respect is worth as much as the mud on the bottom of my boots. Thanks for the offer though, that was sweet of you.”

With that, he turned his back to Bennington once more, trusting Raava would stop any violence that might begin.



"Terribly sorry for the most rude...of interruptions. Some people just don't know when to not butt into a conversation."

Gabriel flashed a smirk as he recalled how he had began the conversation with her, by butting in.

"Thy tongue is sharp, and thy wit is sharper. I have never before met anyone who would defy me so. Though you fear battle, you fear not death. Is this bravery, or do you just not care anymore?" Bennington asked, a bit more compassion and admiration in his voice, but he took a stinging tone as he said the last sentence.

'What a delightful little show', Raava thought as she took a step back and watched the interaction between Gabriel and Bennington. She did not interfere. She would not unless weapons were drawn and since things seemed to have simmered a bit she simply orchestrated a change of music. Something lively with an slight folklore-like feel to it spilled into the establishment.

"Anything else, while I'm right here?" She asked of both creatures.

----------

At the change of music Malyss shook her head and stood. She hated such fairy type music.

She decided to leave and explore the outdoors for a while. Find out what this world really was. She wanted to find the source of this world's power.

“A little of both.”

The sentence was casually tossed over his shoulder to Bennington as he let the music greet his ears. It was just what he had asked for. With a sly smile he took up Raava’s hand.

“Yes, one more thing. A dance, perhaps?”

"I'm starting to take a fancy to you, Mr. Gabriel. But, I suppose I'd best just leave you two otherworldly creatures alone. Thank you, Raava, for the hospitality. I should remember to drop by here should I need anything." Bennington said with a laugh.

"Come, Bourkeley." Bennington said, and the little man followed him out the door.

What shall I do now to occupy my mind?, Bennington thought as he walked through the woods into which he'd wandered.

She took Gabriel's hand and pulled him out into a fairly empty section of Mirage. Raava whirled into his arms, skirts swirling out eloquently, until her back was pressed cozily against the elf's front.

"If you think you can handle me, pretty boy."

She cranked her head around and offered him a quick wink and grin before she spun out from his arms again. She extended a hand as if waiting for him to kiss it in a gentlemanly way. The music picked up a little as most of the eyes in Mirage turned to watch lively couple.

---------------------------------------

The light of day was too much for her sensitive eyes to bear so the eternally disgruntled lady Sith found comfort neath the shade of tangled together tree branches. Malyss pressed further into the forest. It's floor was near barren of plant life due to the tree tops not allowing a sliver of light to slice through their leaves. This made her journey all the easier.

After roaming for a great while she stopped and lept effortlessly straight up into the tree branches. Drifts of moss came loose from the branches and softly fell to the ground. She watched it fall and shook her head. She was getting sloppy. She considered retrieving the evidence of her ascent but didn't. Instead she scaled the tree as if she were a creature native to such an environment. At the very top she hacked her way through the canopy and looked out over the endless sea of emerald that sprawled out before her eyes.

"So horribly green." She mentioned aloud. "Reminiscent of that damnedable place... Naboo."

Her eyes narrowed suddenly as Malyss's acute senses picked up on the nearing of creatures.

Bennington heard the clamping of hooves ahead.

"Steel yourself, Bourkeley. This does not look to be shaping up well."
"Yes, m'Lord." the little man said, drawing a dagger.

Bennington reached the top of a small hill to see that a full pride of centaurs was coming towards him.

"Man. Yes, you. What business have you in our forest?" a larger centaur asked.
"I'll have whatever business I like in this bloody forest. I'll have high tea here if it so pleases me. Who are you to tell a Lord of my stature what to do?" Bennington asked with a scoff.
"Prepare yourself then, human." the centaur said, pulling a large crossbow from off his back.


Name: Marquis Remy L’Adamant
Sex: Male
Species: Human
Appearance: 6’1” 150 lbs, blue eyes, long, curly jet-black hair, rather tan skin, a very solid physique.
Age/Semblant Age: 32
Apparel/Possessions: He favours light materials, often wearing rather frilly, flamboyant outfits. He carries his sword at all times and a backup dagger
Short Bio/Powers: He is a prominent Marquis in France. He has the uncanny ability of always being there to help a friend in need. And I mean always.

Remy burst into the bar, stared at the dancing creatures, looked around wildly, and drew his sword.

"Where did Bennington go?"

“Pretty boy?”

The elf grinned as he moved one hand behind his back and used the other to grasp the ladies hand, bowing and kissing it as a gentleman would before pulling her closer to him and beginning to dance to the music, putting his preternatural agility on display as he moved across the dance floor with her. At one point, as he pulled her into a spin that left her pressed against him in much the same way as before they began to dance.

“I’m hardly a pretty boy, though I don’t doubt you are handful.”

He flashed a wink and spun her back out of his arms, his eyes only flickering to the entrance for a second when the man with a sword came bursting in, demanding to know where Bennington had gone.

“Bennington,” the elf called over his shoulder in a questioning manner. “I believe he went out back to remove the stick in his, well, there are ladies present. You get my drift!”

"Well, at least I know we speak of the same man." Remy said, rubbing his head, searching for the correct word. "Merci beaucoup." He turned on his heel and ran out the door.

-----------------------------

"A coward, I say. You are most certainly a coward. Fight me honourably. With a sword." Bennington yelled. The centaur grinned.
"You are but an animal. And what to hunt an animal with but a bow?" the centaur said, and with that, he fired the crossbow.

------------------------------

Remy ran in front of Bennington, slashing the bolt from the air. He squared his shoulders to the large centaur and waved his sword.
"I think not. If you wish to harm my compatriot, you must harm us both, for neither of us shall abandon the other." Remy gave Bennington a look to let him know he didn't think they would get out of the current situation, and snarled.
"Be prepared to die."

The music played on and some of the patrons began to join the first pair of dancers on the floor. Some danced alone, some with a partner, and still more danced in a small grouping of their companions.

Raava's grin was everpresent. It was wide and bright as if tinted by the fair light of a full moon. And though as deep as darkest midnight, Ravaa's eyes could shimmer as if diamonds were secretly swam in the endless pools of shadow that were the windows to her soul.

As the lively music came to a rousing end Raava spun free of Gabriel's arms. Like a timid spirit she slipped away. The dancing crowds whirled to a halt and Raava slipped away into the joyous mess of them. She was gone but just as she vanished her spirited giggle could carried through Mirage as if the very air were her breath.

--------------------------------------

Like a skulking spider Malyss crept through the high tree branches toward the beasts that she had sensed.

As if she and silence were one, the still becloaked woman made her way to what would most likely be her prey. Stark, silver eyes glared out from behind the shield of emerald leaves offered up by the trees. Malyss did not move, she barely breathed as she watched the scene play out before her.

Gabriel had become entranced by the enigmatic woman and when she spun out of his grasp and disappeared with little more than a giggle he was a bit disappointed. Everyone around him was still enjoying themselves at least and he wouldn't ruin that. Everyone deserved to have a little fun and now that his fun had vanished into the crowd, it was time to return to the liquid fun he had been enjoying before her arrival.

Moving with grace through the crowds, he skirted the rowdiest of bunches and took a seat back at his table. Within a few seconds he was lifting his hand, calling for another pint now that he had just downed the entirety of his fresh one that Raava had delivered.

She perched high in the tree and relaxed. It was a rare thing for Malyss to do and it was unnerving to let her guard down just that little. She knew of the sinister things that lurked in the murk shadows and wound themselves up in masquerade, things that would spring and slaughter at any given chance. Her world had ever been one of survival of the wariest.

But there, in the breeze, with the soft rustling of leaves all around she decided to relax. She deserved it. After all was said and done, to watch others kill and be killed, would be a wonderfully grim treat.

"Yes, be prepared to die." She muttered while resting her back against the trunk of the tree. She lightly applauded Bennington and the centaurs in the distance. "Hurry up and get on with the slaughter already."

____________________________

Twisting and turning through the growing crowds of strange beings, a little waitress made her way to Gabriel, drink on tray. Someone on the dance floor stepped on the girl's dress tail and she came to an akward halt She fumbled to recover the nearly spilled drink.

"A little room people, please. Drink coming through."

She gathered the remaining bits of her self control together and proceeded to Gabriel's table. She smiled and gently placed the tray on the table just as someone bumped her from behind. She jolted forward onto the table and knocked the elf's drink into his lap.

With eyes all full of horror the girl ripped off her apron and started cleaning the mess.

"I'm so sorry. So sorry. Please forgive me. This drink was special for you, from Raava..."

She continued frantically dabbing madly at the mess with her apron and started trying to clean the mess off of the elf himself.

Gabriel was caught completely off guard by the waitress and her run away drink. All he could do was let his mouth fall open in a small gasp of surprise as the liquid crashed down onto his lap and made a shiver run up his spine. He looked to the waitress, about to tell her not to get so upset about it, but then she began to clean the mess off of him. He jumped back closer to the wall, holding his hands out, stumbling and stuttering over words, obviously a little startled and uncomfortable now.

"HEY! Hey..that's okay, don't worry about it! I'll clean it, or it'll dry..just clean the table, not me, okay?"

He offered up a nervous smile, still holding his hands out a little bit. Raava had sent him a drink and that made his smile brighten up some when the information was processed at last.

"...Raava sent that for me? Really?" His grin widened even more. "That's nice of her, I'm Gabriel. What's your name?"

Bennington swung at the centaur leader with his sword. The centaur blocked the shot with his massive forearm. The sword stuck into his arm a bit, and he simply wrenched the sword from Bennington's grip. At the same time, he grabbed Remy and Bennington by their throats and hoisted them into the air. Remy writhed in pain and, with a sudden burst of energy, stabbed his sword through the arm that was holding Bennington. Bennington hit the ground with a thump and immediately, he crawled back into a tree. The centaur hurled Remy aside like a ragdoll and ripped the sword from his arm.

"Stay still, and I may make a straight shot to your head. Your end can be quick. If you continue to writhe, I may miss." the centaur told Bennington.
"I'll go shot for shot with you, beast of burden." he spat, and the centaur fired. The bolt ripped into Bennington's shoulder, and Bennington gritted his teeth and spat into the dirt.
"And what of my end of the deal? A shot for a shot is, indeed, fair," Bennington laughed as he pulled his .500 Magnum from a holster and shot the centaur through the heart. Immediately, the other centaurs, who had formed a ring to watch the fight, scattered.
"The human carries a thunder-stick!" one screamed as he tore away from Bennington.

Bennington brushed himself off, and staggered over to Remy.
"Dearest, are you alright?" he asked Remy.
"It is you who should be worried about himself. Your shoulder is pierced through." Remy noted. Bennington laughed nervously.
"It's quite alright. I'll just need a little stretch." Bennington said. As he tried to move his arm, he fell into the dirt, screaming in pain.
"We need to get back to the bar." Remy said grimly.

I'll pass on the setting change. I don't want anyone to say I used the setting change to get out of trouble. XD

((You may have escaped scene shift LB, I think there are a couple of more posts to go before that happens. I could be wrong though, I'll go back and recount shortly))




She pulled back abruptly and wrung out her apron as the elf decided to introduce himself.

"My name? Are you going to complain about my shoddy service?" She asked, a shadow of fear tinging her voice. "I really am sorry about the drink. Someone bumped me from behind."

The waitress looked nervously over her shoulder for a moment and then composed herself once again.

"Loi. That's my name." She gazed sternly at the elf for a few moments before continuing. "I'll get you another drink. Perhaps two to make up for.. uh.. what happened."

Before Gabriel could answer Loi made her away through the bustling crowd. She returned shortly, drink tray laden with various colored beverages. Careful to make sure no one bumped into her again, Loi gently placed the tray before Gabriel and gave a curt bow.

"To make up for any inconvenience."

The grinning waitress invited herself to a seat across from Gabriel and offered him a long narrow glass filled with a bubbly blue liquid.

"Cheers."

________________________


"Ha."

Malyss uttered the sound in a bored tone as Bennington screamed in the dirt. It was the closest thing to laughter as she would ever allow, aside from the maniacal laughter that accompanied a particularly brutal and successful offensive.

She leapt down from the the tree and landed silently upon the barren earth and like a shadow through shadows and made to the forest's edge. She watched the men for a while, wondering if she should interfere. After what had happened she figured they would try to attack if she revealed herself. And there it was, the reason to step out from the shadows. She wanted to see if they were still jumpy enough to strike out. She adjusted her hood and cloak to conceal herself adequately.

"GOOD SHOW!"

The cloak figure appauded as it stepped out from the thick shrubbery skirting the forest. "Especially the ending, with the guy screaming like a little girl in the dirt."




This is the 21st post after the last Scene Shift :D

Gabriel didn’t have time to speak up before she left to seek out a replacement for the drink she had split on him. He didn’t mind it really, and had no intention of reporting her as he understood how careless others could be. While she was gone he worked on cleaning himself up, the result being a small pile of wet napkins sitting in a pile at the edge of the table, against the wall.


The elf glanced up just in time to take notice of her return, as well as all the drinks on the tray. There was a glimmer in his eyes as he hoped they were all for him, though he had his doubts that they all were when the waitress took a seat. That didn’t bother him any, some company while drinking would be nice, with the added bonus of being able to call this all social drinking rather then drinking to get drunk.


“Well, that’s mighty kind of you to bring these drinks over here. Interesting name, I don’t believe I’ve ever heard that one before. Your service is hardly shoddy, some people would do well learning a little respect for when a lady is passing with a drink laden tray though.”


He smiled and accepted the drink from her and with a smile, he returned her ‘cheers’ and downed the entire thing at once. He opened his eyes wide for a moment as the curious liquid made its way down into his belly. He hadn’t had a blue bubbly drink before, though his experince with colored drinks said they were supposed to be fruity. This one wasn’t as fruity as he had hoped it’d be.


“Well now, that was certainly an interesting drink. What else have you got on that nifty little tray of yours? Something delicious I hope!”

"Who are you?" Remy asked. When there was no answer, he repeated himself. Again, silence.
"Why do you sit still while this man dies! Show yourself, coward!" Remy yelled. When he was again greeted with silence, he stood up.
"Show yourself!"

I thoguht the scene change system worked every 25 posts, like, at numbers 25 and 50 and 75. But apparently, it's 25 on-topic posts?

25th post after the scene change.
I knew I should have worded that better.
:oops:


Loi bit her fingernail for a few moments as she tried to pick out another drink for Gabriel.

"How about... this one?"

The girl very carefully picked up a shot glass filled with something that could easily pass for molten lava and offered it to the elf.

"I hear this one has a nice after burn to it. I wouldn't know though. I've never been brave enough to try it."

__________________________


"Give me a good reason to assist you and perhaps I'll feel generous enough to put the man out of his misery."

Malyss stepped nearer to the men but did not reveal herself to Remy and Bennington just yet.

"He's done you no harm. You've no right to come in here and refuse him help, and even go so far as to threaten his life. Help us, or go away." Remy snarled, drawing his sword.
"I will protect this man to the death. And I have a knack for doing just that. You have to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky?" Remy shouted, and still, no one answered.

"Well, do you?"

“…after burn?”

He raised an eyebrow catiously and held up his hand, pushing the drink backwards towards the tray.

“Maybe save that one for later…”

His response was a bit uneasy, but he took to eying up the other drinks quickly.

“Anything that’ll go down easy and has a good taste?”

"Luck has nothing to do with anything."

Malyss's gloved hand reached in the direction of Remy's sword. She was no expert at manipulating elements but could do so enough to will the molicules of the man's sword to vibrate at a continually faster pace. The swords metal heated none too quickly, just fast enough to let the creature know the sword would soon sear it's flesh.

Her free hand found it's weapon. Malyss drew it out from under her robes. The saber's blood red blade snap hissed to life and she pointed it at Remy.

"Go ahead and try your luck. I'm not foolish enough to place my life in the hands of such a primative concept as... luck.

As she took a step forward everything locked in the realm halted.


_________________________________________


The scenery around the trio bled away to leave a vast expanse of white. A new scene splashed across the blank canvas, one that was similar to the previous landscape with it's lush greenery and yawning blue skies. But this was no longer a fantasy land. Malyss, Remy and Bennington were now trapped in times Medievel. This was a world Kings and Queens and Knights on religious crusades. It was a time steeped in superstitions, the struggle for survival and a legions of suffering.

As the scene change came to it's conclusion, it's occupants still frozen and unaware of what was transpiring all around, a dust devil of red sand whirled into the space between Malyss and Remy. The dust took the basic form of a human and it stared Malyss in the face. The dust creature's hand moved to Malyss's face, caressed it. As it's gritty fingers moved down the Sith Lady's cheek a wispy red glow was teased out from her flesh. The light was absorbed into the sand creature as it fell apart and whirled back into a dust devil. A moment later it died away. As the last grains of it's scarlet sand fell to the earth the scenery was brought back to motion.

The entire shift had taken a millisecond and would seem instantaneous to those in the midst of it.

Inside Mirage things went on as normally they did, various species of beings moved about, laughing and conversing. None knew that the outer world had changed as the building, Mirage, was the only constant.

However, when the creatures left the establishment they would step back into whichever world their minds remembered escaping from. Unless, of course, they knew of this realm's unstable ways and expected to step out into a new experience.

_____________________________________________

At Gabriel's table Loi looked about herself suddenly. She'd been around long enough to sense the shifts in the outside world. She focussed on the elf again.

"Yes after burn. Of course, if you're not brave enough to try it either, I understand. Only the heartiest of creatures dare down that drink."

She selected a syrupy red drink in a bulbous glass and passed it to Gabriel.

"Perhaps this one is more suited to your effeminate palate." She grinned impishly, "I know I like it. It is a mix of ten of the sweetest berries ever discovered. They are frozen and then fermented to create a sweet bouquet of the most delicious wine your taste buds will ever have the privilege of tasting. It's sweetness masks it's high alcohol content. Bottoms up."

“What? Effemative? Me? Hardly, you must be mistaking me for someone else. I simply like to save the drinks with strong after burns for last, ‘tis all really.”

He eyed up the thick looking liquid that was said to be made of the sweetest berries ever. He was a little suspicious of her after that impish little grin, she was likely to give him a drink with a strong after burn but not mention it this time…but the promise of such a sweet liquid caressing his taste buds was too tempting to risk not trying because of some burn.

“I think…that drink will prove to be just fine.”

With a large grin he accepted the drink from her and took the thick red liquid into his mouth, swishing it around on his tongue for a few moments to really get the full taste out of it before swallowing it and setting the glass down. It was brilliant! He blinked a few times and glanced around, almost conspiratorially as if he didn’t want anyone else to know of the drink.

“Have you anymore of that?”

As the scene suddenly changed to a different land, Bennington threw his head back, laughing hysterically. Tears ran down his face, as he pointed at Malyss, and occaisionally swept a hand around to indicate the area aroudn them. Once he regained some control, he spoke.

"You're going to try to take on a Lord and a Marquis... hahahahahaa.... in the... hahahahahaha... Middle Ages? Hahahhahaha..." Bennington laughed, and playfully punched Remy in the leg with every syllable of laughter.

"Isn't that just a fucking hoot, Remy? Bloody hell, I can't stop laughing..." Bennington giggled ferociously. Then, with his good arm, he stood and began to walk away.

"What was that about luck, Miss?" he said over his shoulder, as Remy snarled and threw his scalding sword to the ground.

"Of course there's more of that." Loi said cheerily. "But it is very expensive. That one, as all of these, are courtesy drinks to make up for the little mishap with the first drink that I knocked over."

Very gingerly she picked up another glass, this one the size of a shot glass. Inside of it a crystal clear liquid sparked in the light.

"Try this one. It's called Seduction. It fills your entire body with a delightful warmth. Some claim it's almost as wonderful as the after glow of... uh... relations with someone you love."

Loi grinned in a somewhat shy manner.

"I wouldn't know about either sensation. You'll have to be the judge of after effects of the drink, yourself."


----------------------------------------------


"Giggling bitches." Malyss muttered as the creatures moved away. "Much smarter than I anticipated though. They prove to possess a scrap or two of common sense by walking away."

She yawned and disengaged her light saber. She wouldn't waste her weapon's energy on such unworthy subjects. Just as Malyss holstered her saber the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She spun, cloak whirling, and snatched an arrow out of mid air.

Just faintly she could sense threat lurking just behind the trees in the nearby forest. She snapped the arrow and turned to face the new assailants.

A new shower of arrows sped through the air toward her. The Lady Sith raised her hands, palms facing the oncoming projectiles. She attempted to slow the primative barrage by way of her Lordly abilities. The arrows did not slow, they rained down around her, spearing into the dirt all around as she managed to dodge all but one. She looked down at her thigh, the end of an arrow protruded from it.

"What the HELL!" She hissed as she quickly snapped the tail of the arrow off. Malyss reached around and grabbed the arrow head and yanked it's shaft out of her thigh. The pain was minimal, not even enough to savor.

"Kill it! Tis a creature born of devilry." Some anxious male voice echoed through the forest.

Before Malyss could respond another hail of arrows sliced through the air toward her. Again she tried to Force the arrows away but found she could only focus on one arrow at a time.

"You want devilry... I'll show you devilry." She yelled.

The light saber hissed to life again. She whirled it out ahead of her so it blurred into a crimson shield of light. Any arrow that came into contact with the laser shield was splintered or knocked aside. In the aftermath she wondered what the hell had happened to her ability to manipulate that force that bound all life together. Her control had diminished considerably. But even with powers tempered Malyss would hunt down and kill the forest bores like the mud grubbing swine that they were. They had pissed her off to just the right degree.

Gabriel listened quietly, considering ordering several more of the fruity drinks that tasted like liquid pleasure flowing down his throat, but he knew he couldn’t afford them and the waitress seemed so nice that he couldn’t just order them and screw off like he had done days previously. His eyes took in the sight of the sparkling liquid, enjoying the sight of it as well as the name. It might have been his inebriated state, but the name sounded simply delicious, but the innocence expressed by the waitress…well, that was much more delicious sounding.

“You don’t know? Well, that’s alright. I don’t quite know the sensation myself, traveling alone does that to a person.”

He grinned slyly as he accepted the drink, curious to see if it really would warm his entire body. The previous drinks were doing a good job of giving him full body warmth, but he was certain if this drink could do it he would feel it. He tossed his head back and downed the contents of the shot glass. She was right; he could practically feel the warmth spreading throughout his body with each pump of his heart.

“That…is quite the drink, Ma’am. Why don’t you have a drink with me? I’ve drank alone for so long..”

Hearing the sound of arrowfire, Bennington hesitated. He turned around, and ran at Malyss, knocking the saber from her hand as she dealt with the archers.

He spoke to the crowd in a faux English accent.
"Take the demon's weapon and destroy it! Quickly!" he yelled.
"Who the hell are you?" a man asked.
"I'm Lord Bennington Croftworthe VII, and if you think this," he motioned to Malyss, "has some tricks up its sleeve, you'll be blown away to meet me. Destroy the weapon. Bash it to bits with a hammer or something. Quickly, before she summons it."

Bennington turned to Malyss, and whispered, "If you'd like to make something of this, I can turn this whole bloody kingdom on you. Plus, the tides of fate," he nodded his head toward Remy, "and whatever secrets I have up my sleeves. Sit with me for a bit. Talk to me. You intrigue me, you know. I'll turn you loose if you cooperate. Hell, I might be able to help with whatever you're looking for here."

Loi gave Gabriel's proposal some thought and then grinned in a sorrowful way.

"Sorry. I can't drink with you while I'm on the job. Company rules. But later I'd be glad to join you."

She sat back a bit and relaxed some, eyes darting from drink to drink as she decided which to offer up next. Her fingers wrapped around the delicate stem of a crystal wine glass. Loi picked it up and tipped the glass this way then the other. The silver tinged liquid inside swirled lazily in it's vessel, the slight momentum made the liquid glitter like near microscopic diamonds were suspended in the fluid.

"This," she announced as her eyes moved to Gabriel's. "is called Divine Sorrow. I'm not sure what this one is made of. It's one of the odder drinks served here and I don't know where it's imported from." She leaned closer to the elf. "There is a wonderful little story that says this drink is acutally the tears of a heart broken goddess. There are many stories about how she lost her beloved and all are morbidly romantic. The end result is her unable to do anything but weep for all eternity for her lost love. It's a silly story really, for who'd want to pay for and drink the sorrow soaked body fluid of some unknown creature?"

Loi gave the glass another tip forward and back. The liquid inside sparkled again in response and she passed it on to Gabriel.

"Why do you travel alone? Life is so abundant. I find it hard to believe that one can still remain so alone in this day and age."



___________________________________________



After Bennington's attack and proposition Malyss, ever the irate, shoved the man away with one hand as her other out streched toward her fallen weapon. With all her remaining power she willed the weapon to spin wildly and soar across the landscape toward the row of men that had been foolish enough to leave the cover of forest while thinking they were about to aprehend her.

In all of 5 seconds the red disc of light saber effortlessly zipped toward the men and decapitated them all as if the weapon were a laser saw. Then like a boom a rang the weapon whirled back to Malyss's iron grip. She spun and deactivated the light saber while she issued a clean round house kick to Bennington's chops.

"Don't EVER touch me."

She turned her attention back to the forest.

"I don't need your help. I've survived worse. Overthrowing the ignorant civilizations here should prove quite entertaining. A little work out at the most."

A horn sounded in the distance and behind that grew the low roll of hooves thundering across the earth. In the far distance the first few horses mounted the horizon and charged onward toward her. Bennington and Remy were still behind her and ahead was the forest from which a new barrage of arrows darkened the heavens.

"Quite the work out indeed." She muttered and ripped the cloak from her body to reveal her feminine shape clad in worn mud brown leather. Her silver eyes sparked. The barest hint of a grin twitched at the corners of her still swollen lips. She knew most primitive societies oppressed the alleged weaker sex.

Let them try oppress her, even in her weakened conditions she knew she could mow down the best of their kind.

It was a sad story, indeed, that Loi told him about. He found himself fascinated with the liquid as he turned the story over in his mind. Romantically tragic tales had always caught his interest and this one was no different. Even without the story behind the name, it was likely he would have ordered the drink just from hearing such a name. It wasn’t that he delighted in others suffering, just that he could relate to them on some level.

He glanced up when she finished speaking, but only long enough to meet her eyes as if accepting her question, before turning his gaze back to the liquid. Most of the time he stayed away from others and was able to avoid such a question, but he hated when it did come up. He was never quite sure how to answer, he couldn’t tell the truth and lying wasn’t the easiest thing in the world; even when dealing with strangers.

“I am not sure I could properly explain why I travel alone, life is abundant true…but most…”

The elf just shook his head in a manner of sorrow and took the drink. He was glad for her company, one could never see just how alone they were until they were in the company of someone they enjoyed. The wine glass was chill in his hand; he rose the glass slowly and drank in the liquid. His fingers curled a little from the taste, it was a strange one that left him wondering if her tale really was true. If romantically sorrowful tales had a taste, it would be the bitter sweetness of that drink.

“Regardless of those that surround me, I feel I’ll always be alone. You see, I can be surrounded by people and still be alone, I guess maybe I’m just a solitary person.”

He gave a half hearted smile as he looked to her, his eyelids drooping for a few seconds as the alcohol in his system was making sure to take hold.

((sorry for the slowness of my response.. just nabbed a few spare minutes)

The music shifted suddenly from it's light and airy lilt to something medieval. The tune was spun mostly of stringed and woodwind instruments. It was a spirited toe tapper of a piece but bore occasional undertones of something ominous.

Loi took note of the music and drummed her nails upon the table top in beat with the tune. She stared down at the remainder of the drinks on her tray while turning Gabriel's words over in her mind. With a sudden grin she selected the drink that looked like lava and offered it to the elf.

"I know how that feels. I was very much secluded from those I lived amidst. That's how I ended up here at this place. I wanted to live, actually live and learn from anyone and anything. Where I was before this... it was rather bland. We had our duties and year in year out and that's it. But I found a way to escape. I escaped to here. And for all it's ups and downs and unpredictability.. Mirage is infinitely more enjoyable than precisely dictated paradise from which I sprung."

The young woman shoved the drink closer to the elf.

"Brave enough tackle this one yet? The after burn isn't all that bad. An unusual medley of pleasure and pain has been reported of this drinks after bite. Of course, if you still don't want to chance it... I totally understand...milady"

Loi swirled the orange molten-like drink in it's glass as she tossed a playful wink Gabriel's way.

Gabriel barely noticed the abrupt change of music, though his ‘dancing’ mood had passed a while ago so it didn’t much bother him that the music changed as well. His eyes focused on Loi’s drumming nails, listening to that repetitive pattern as if it was the only source of that particular beat. The constant tap, tap…tap…He had to blink a few times to force his focus away from such a mind numbing thing.

“Where I came from, it was a very fanciful place…but things changed, as they always do, and I changed…the result being I had to leave, I was driven to leave and I did…hey, wait a minute did you just call me milady?!”

The elf almost seemed angry at what she’d said, but it was the fake anger of an elf rather then the potent anger other species could muster practically on demand. He eyed up the drink carefully, still weary about tasting it and then eyed up Loi suspiciously, as if he thought she was plotting something that had to do with the burn that drink would bring upon his poor, innocent throat.

“I was brave enough to tackle it before, I just didn’t quite feel the need to yet. Ya’know, the wait is said to make things better, right?”

The last word didn’t sound so sure as all the other things he had said and he appeared a little nervous as he accepted the drink from her. His lips suddenly felt dry and his tongue instinctively flicked over his lips to moisten them. He swirled the liquid around in its glass in much the same manner she had, prolonging the drinking of it as long as he could.

“Well,” he said a little shakily, “…bottoms up!”

He tilted the glass back, drinking it as fast as he could and letting it slide over his tongue and down his throat just as quickly. The instant it touched his throat, though, he began coughing. The result was that some of the liquid made its way down his throat and some of it ended up dribbling down his chin. He blushed embarrassedly and began a frantic search for some sort of cloth to wipe up the drink on his chin with.

Blood trickling from his mouth, Bennington snarled.
"My dear lady, what the fuck do you think you're doing?"
Bennington ran after her, throwing himself at her feet and grabbing her ankle. The Sith tripped and Bennington threw his arms around her neck to drag her down. She hit her head on a large, sharp rock. Her eyes rolled back and she collapsed. The side of her head swelled up quickly.
"Hey, someone get out here!" Bennington yelled, "I need a surgeon!"

A wiry man ran out from behind the trees, and knelt down, looking at Malyss' swollen head. He drew out a saw and touched it to her head.
"What the hell are you doing?" Bennington asked.
"We need to let the blood out to reduce the swelling." the man said.
"No! Get ice, or cold water in a bag." Bennington said, appauled.
Remy ran off to fetch something.

Once the swelling came down, the doctor spoke to the crowd.
"When shall we burn the witch?"
"No, what?" Bennington began to protest. Remy remained silent, and the other men drowned Bennington out.
"At noon tommorrow, it is." The little man said in satisfaction.
"Stop! Postpone it. At least long enough to ensure that she still is a threat after that knock to her head.
"How are we to know that you are even a Lord? What are you Lord of? Where are your men?" a man asked. Bennington cleared his throat.
"Well, you see. I'm Lord of.. Eh... well. You know. Lord of.. ehhh.. uhh... ooh.. The... uhh.. Kingdom of.. Middle Earth. Yes! That's it. I'm Lord of the Kingdom of Middle Earth. My men? I have forty thousand men nearby, wiating for my signal. As I was saying, postpone it, or die."
Just then, Malyss' eyes fluttered open.

Loi snickered at the elf and tossed her apron to him so that he could wipe away the dribble on his chin.

She didn't say anything for a few minutes, simply traced her finger around the lip of an empty wine glass. Her eyes grew distant for a few moments before she looked at Gabriel again.

"So, I guess you're not as lady like as I'd first thought."

She picked the last drink from the tray.

"This is your final freebe." the waitress said in a mock sad voice. "Would you like anything else? You seemed to enjoy Divine Sorrow, perhaps I could bring you another. Though, it is quite expensive..."


_________________________________


Malyss awoke, the world nothing but a teary blur, her head ached as if it had been underfoot during a stampede.

She didn't not know what the hell had happened but she did know that the current situation was not a good one.

"Get away from me." She hissed and scampered away from the voices that danced around her head.

The sound of thundering hooves grew closer, she could feel the power of the oncoming charge reverberating in the ground. With a quick swipe of the back of her arm across her eyes Malyss wiped the blurriness from her vision. What met her sight was a massive onslaught of muscle and hooves, topped off by glints of silver and the wild flapping of standards at the head of the mob.

She stood and prepared to try fend them off but from the forest there came a rain of arrows that ripped into the configuration of horses and riders. The great rider bearing beasts rose up onto hind legs, snorting and whinnying as arrows sliced into their flesh. Riders were thrown to the ground, some already dead with the ass end of arrows protruding from various body parts. Malylss watched the dying creatures, a look of morbid fascination plastered on her face.

Then she heard it, or rather felt it, something was zipping toward her. The woman spun, her head swimming for a moment, and raised her left arm to shield her head. An arrow sliced through her forearm, it's tip coming to a halt just before plunging into her temple. She knew she should have been dead but somehow the arrow's progression through her arm and into her head had been halted.

With arrow still protruding from her arm Malyss ran straight into the mess of dying horses and knights, stripped one of the fallen men of their shield and sword much to the surprise of the male creatures all around.

Gabriel caught the apron and used it to dab at the corners of his mouth and wipe his chin clean; ignoring her snickering. He then dabbed at his shirt a little, trying to dry up the small amount that had gotten onto him. He glanced up at her in silence, then went back to cleaning up the mess he made. The Elf couldn’t help but grin when she said he wasn’t Lady like, as she had thought.

“See, told you…and if I order a tray of drinks, would you sit and talk with me as you have been?”

He smiled sweetly, accepting the last drink from her but only holding it. If it was in fact his last and if she wouldn’t sit with him after he was done, well, he wasn’t quite ready to drink it just yet.

Bennington looked up and the horsemen were upon him. Two knights stretched a net between themselves, and Bennington was trapped in the net. As he dragged along the ground, he instinctually grabbed a dagger from his ankle sheath, and slashed his connection to one of the knights. The other knight didn't seem to notice. Bennington crawled out of the hole in the net, and dragged himself up the rope to the knight. He stabbed the knight's horse in the thigh, and the horse flipped over, crushing the knight. Bennington stood shakily, and brushed the dust from his clothing, which had changed to elaborate silk robes when he'd come into the Middle Ages. Drawing his sword, he ran through the battle looking for Malyss. He found her swinging a sword.
"Malyss, what are you doing?" Bennignton yelled.

((For the sake of continuity, lets say Bennington's little shoulder problem was fixed by the surgeon.))

She was about to answer when a group of rowdy young men burst into the place. They halted and took in the odd assortment of patrons within Mirage and backed out, crossing themselves as they did.

Loi shook her head. "I wonder what, in the 13 hells, she's up to...", the waitress mused out loud. She glanced at Gabriel and offered a polite grin. "I can stay and talk a while longer but by the sights of those last lads who came in I think we may have a situation soon to handle."

"Have you been here before? I don't recall seeing you but there is a familiar feel about you. Perhaps its just that all elves sort of look the same that I feel I know you."


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At hearing her name Malyss turned, hacking her sword through the knees of an encroacher as she did. The scent of blood stained the air and seemed to intoxicate her.

"I DON'T KNOW!" she yelled angrily at Bennington as she spun block another sword that nearly found her neck. She pushed the attacker back by sheer force of rabid will and rammed her sword up into the soft underparts of the knight's chin. The tip of the sword cracked out through the top of the man's skull before she withdrew her weapon again. Her frenzied silver eyes then looked to the man who had addressed her.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING but I REFUSE to die like... this." she said bitterly. And in all honesty she didn't know what the hell she was doing or where she was. The pain, the blood and agony that drenched the air fed and fueled the wounded woman. All she knew was it was kill or be killed and she didn't give half a damn who might be friend or foe.

From the forest came another attack, infantry instead of archers. The wave of roaring men approached and Malyss, though sure she could fend them all of if she chose to decided she'd better retreat and try to figure out what was going on. She hacked her way through mess of flailing bodies and snarling horses until she found a beast that was relatively unwounded. She jumped upon it's back, kicking a persuing knight in the face as she did.

"Get me the hell out of here." She snarled, sword still swinging like mad in one hand while her other tugged on the horse's reigns. The creature reared, and tore through the crowd, mowing down unfortunate knights in it's path.

Name: Kyrr Qel Droma

Sex: Male

Species: Human, with Yuuzhan Vong embellishments.

Appearance: An even two meters tall with a muscular build and highly discolored skin turned a dark grayish hue. His left arm and shoulder are covered a dark green organic armor, and are not human in nature. His right eye is missing, leaving an empty, blackened socket, and his remaining eye is a startling blue and does not appear wholly human. His facial features are well-defined and sharp, and he wears his black hair at shoulder length.

Age/Semblant Age: Roughly 30-40 standard years. His exact age is unknown.

Apparel/Possessions: Kyrr usually wears a black jumpsuit with the left arm removed, and a black cloak with dark green lining. He always has a utility belt with the usual assortment of useful items attached, and goes nowhere without his somewhat unusual lightsaber. It is contained within a wholly organic, living hilt, and has no power cell or other electronic parts. Instead, it is designed to utilize Yuuzhan Vong bio-technology, and the only non-living part is the incredibly efficient crystal that is multihued throughout its structure. This allows the lightsaber's blade to be any color Kyrr desires, though he mostly settles for a deep green or blue tint. Kyrr also carries with him a small assortment of Vong technology/organisms, including two amphistaffs that stay coiled about his midsection. He harvested them himself, and they are more an extension of himself than anything else. He has no other weapons.

Short Bio/Powers: Kyrr served the New Jedi Order in the Yuuzhan Vong War, but was captured on a Vong-held world when his fighter was shot down by yorik-et (coralskippers). He lost his left arm and right eye in the crash, and was lucky that the piece of his console that took out his eye didn't continue into his brain. He only survived at all through sheer force of will and by bringing up a wall of Force energy around himself. He didn't get it up in time to prevent the loss of his arm and eye, however. The Vong taught him the true meaning of pain, and he learned a lot from his time with them. He was augmented by their technology, relacing his left arm among other things. During his time in captivity, the Vong came to admire him, and taught him much of their ways, and their style of combat.

He eventually escaped, after two long years, just before the war ended, taking his amphistaffs with him. He returned to the Jedi Order a very different man. Hardened, sardonic, cynical and perhaps a bit cruel now, he finally saw the Jedi for what they had become. Nothing but a political organization, with no time for true justice any more. Disgusted with the state of the Order, he left, but not without argument. Now he is one of the darker denizens of the galaxy, determined to bring justice to all the criminals and evildoers the Jedi do not deem important enough to bother with. He prefers to stick to the shadows, but does not fear the light. He is very strong in the Force, and has no truck with Light Side or Dark Side. He just uses it as he needs to, and to the Nine Hells of Corellia with the consequences.

---

Right, so that went a little longer than intended. Now, for the real post. The first half of this is recycled from a story I wrote with this character, if it seems familiar.

---

Kyrr Qel Droma walked into the bar, shaking the acid rain from his cloak. It was a dreary day in the upper levels of Nar Shaddaa, as per usual. It fit his mood perfectly, also per usual. Shrugging his cloak off of his broad shoulders, he extended it toward the gawking teen the establishment used for a doorboy. Staring, the boy took it, hesitantly. Why must they always stare... Kyrr thought irritably, flipping a small coin in the doorboy's direction as he stalked to the bar. He knew well what had attracted the boy's gaze; his left arm and shoulder. Captured by the Yuuzhan Vong during the Vong War, he had been `augmented' by his captors before he had the opportunity to escape. The most noticeable of these augmentations was his left arm, being covered in crustacean-like armor a dark green in color, which extended to his shoulder which was covered in a pauldron of the same material.

Shrugging off the unwanted attention as a necessary evil, he tossed a coin down on the bar, calling to one of the six bartenders. "A Lomin ale, and not out of that keg. That one, there," Kyrr said, indicating a keg near one wall. Grimacing, the barkeeper grabbed a tankard and began to tap his drink, shaking his head. This was the good stuff, the stuff only a few select customers knew of. And he'd never seen this character before in his life. Though he would surely remember him now that he had. Hard to forget a Vong-altered human. At least he looked human. Mostly. Kyrr returned the barkeep's distrustful glare with his one usable eye, the empty, blackened socket of the other unnerving even to such a hardened individual as the Devaronian bartender. Surprising, to see a Devaronian tending bar, thought Kyrr idly.

Deciding that staring down a customer was bad for business, especially this particular customer, the Devaronian irritably set the tankard of ale down heavily on the bar, sloshing dark liquid onto the scarred duraplast. Swearing under his breath, the red-skinned humanoid turned to his one other customer, a dark-furred Chadra-Fan. Turning on his stool to survey the cantina, Kyrr glanced over the many alien and human faces. The sign over the door had indicated this place was called Mirage, and the establishment did seem to be of a much higher class than a cantina on this level of the world had any right to be. He'd felt something as he'd passed through the doorway, too. A slight...difference, in the Force. As Kyrr surveyed the other inhabitants of the place, he noticed several species that he had never seen before.

What was this place? He got the sudden impression that were he to step out of the door he'd come in through, he wouldn't find the filthy Nar Shaddaa street anymore. He almost rose to his feet to test the theory, but thought better of it. He knew he was right. It must have been some sort of temporal rift. He'd read about occurrences like this in old records, heard of similar happenings from shamans on backwater planets. He'd been skeptical, of course, but that was then. Taking it in stride, he turned back to his drink. Not much fazed Kyrr Qel Droma these days. If he was here, it was by the will of the Force, and it would do no good to fight it. Besides, evil was everywhere. He could serve the balance of justice as easily here—wherever here was—as in his own dimension.

So he remained on his barstool, and waited for trouble to find him.

She stepped out from the crowd, eyes casually scanning over the various creatures within her realm before her sights laid upon the unique form of the latest patron. Raava approached Kyrr and took up a bar stool beside him.

"Welcome to Mirage, sir. Faring well?" her voice purred while inspecting his left arm. She was curious as to why it looked the way it did. He appeared to be an interesting specimen of humanoid, one that begged further attention. "If there is anything you need feel free to ask. I am Raava, manager of this place," she informed with a gracious wave of her arm to signify the whole of Mirage.

The endless wells of ebon that were her eyes settled on the fascinating man creature before her.

“Bah, they just stumbled into the wrong place. I doubt they’ll be anything to worry about.”

Gabriel leaned closer to the wall at her last question, finding himself unsure of how to answer her. He furrowed his brow a little bit, thinking about the question and feeling the general cloudiness that the drinks had instilled in his mind.

“Yes…I’ve been here a few times…I just, well, I change so often that it's understandable if you don't remember me.”

Kyrr saw her coming and knew she was not what she seemed. He could sense through the Force that the being before him was not just before him, but also elsewhere. A lot of elsewheres. He reached out briefly with the Force, searching, curious...and found more than he'd expected. Nearly every waitress, servant or bartender in this place contained part of the same consciousness this woman did. She wasn't all of them, but she was in them. Like a hidden onlooker tucked away in the back of their minds until she wished to come to the forefront. That's why he hadn't noticed it before; she was only using their senses, not controlling their bodies. For the moment.

Impressed and curious, Kyrr took another draw from his ale before answering with a faint, sardonic smile, “Only manager?” He could tell easily enough from her unabashed gaze that she was curious herself, of his augmented arm. Now finished with the ale, he slowly, intentionally, and with no obvious effort, closed his left hand, crushing the sturdy steel mug into a compact cylinder between his hard-skinned fingers. Without breaking eye contact, he deadpanned, “Oops.”

Loi's interest very visibly upped in the creature across from her.

"Change? Change how?" she asked eagerly. She then looked away, whipped her obvious eagerness back under control and tried to continue on in as casual a fashion as possible. "Never mind. I'm just very glad to have gotten the chance to sit and get to know you now. I'm sorry I never noticed you earlier. I'm now rather glad I spilled that drink all over you."

A barely there nervous giggle escaped her smiling lips. The waitress attempted to not rush her task. It was her first time permitted to investigate a customer and she didn't want to scare him away be coming on too strong. And besides, this Gabriel character was kind of interesting and not as boorish or rude as the majority of creatures that came into Mirage.

______________________________________


Raava glanced over at the steel mug and grinned. "That was quite a show but... being only the manager here I have to ask if you will be replacing that steel mug." She winked, letting him know that she was kidding.

With a simple tap of a fingernail upon the bar, Raava caught the bartender's attention and motioned for him to bring another drink for Kyrr. As the spirit arrived she outright asked, "What are you exactly? You'll have to forgive me if that question offends. I'm a very curious creature and sometimes my curiosity comes off as rudeness."





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*edit*

She charged away from the battle, something in the back of her mind, nagging, nagging, NAGGING. Malyss had the feeling she did not retreat. She sensed it was against her nature...but then she wasn't even sure what her true nature was. The instinct for self preservation had taken hold and directed her to get her wounded ass the hell away from the battle until she should piece things together. As of that moment... she wasn't quite sure who exactly she was.

The snorting chestnut brown beast upon which she rode lunged full tilt into the forest. Malyss, never having rode such a creature before struggled to stay atop it while ducking and dodging the low hanging branches and vines that rushed at a barely discernable speed at her head. She managed to stay mounted and was beginning to have confidence in what she was doing when the horse ripped free of the forest and came to an earth shredding halt at the cliff they'd just discovered.

Malyss was catapulted forward and like a ragdoll flew threw the air and disappeared over the edge. She did not utter a sound and so the only thing to echo back up to the twitching ears of the horse was the distant meaty thud of a body slamming into stone.

Gabriel grimaced a little when Loi tried to push the question of just how he changed. He regretted having added that last bit and honestly wasn’t quite sure why he had done that. It wasn’t in his best interest for one of the staff to find out what he could do, else they might charge him for the times he skipped out on the bills.

“Glad you spilled the drink on me? Ha…well, it is nice talking to someone so I’m rather glad you did that as well.”

His words were threatening to slur, but he was putting forth great effort to speak clearly. He didn’t want to appear as if he couldn’t handle his drinks, less she try to make him out to be feminine again. He gave her a sly, yet soft smile.

“Ish okay, most people only notice me once.”

With that, his smile turned into more of a grin.

Kyrr was intrigued. He thought for a moment, taking a swig from the new mug before answering. “What am I? I am a harbinger of justice, a deliverer of light in this dark universe. Wherever evil lurks, no matter how dark its lair, I will follow, to end its miserable existence. I am not merciful, because evil is not merciful. I am not forgiving, because evil is not forgiving. I am not kind, nor caring, nor gentle. I have no time for such things.”

He paused for a second, then chuckled quietly. His left arm flexed unconsciously. “You are curious of the nature of my arm; it was a gift, one I paid for ten-fold. I am still as human as you, in most ways. In others . . .” Kyrr trailed off, staring into the distance of a starfield that wasn't there. In other ways he was more Vong than human. Pain was a friend to him now, rather than a nuisance to be pushed aside. The Force was no longer a devout religion, but rather a companion in time of need. Many things had changed during his time with the Yuuzhan Vong. Many things . . . He shook off thoughts of the past; better to stay in the present.

“I am not offended. Without questions, how would we learn? It is ingrained into the instincts of all intelligent beings to question. Curiosity is not rudeness, it is the basis of sentience.” Kyrr's attention was caught momentarily by a brief ruckus at a table on the far side of the establishment. A huge, hulking giant of a man was roughly pulling a young woman by the arm, trying to force her to leave with him. The girl, probably about twenty standard years old, clearly did not want to go. Kyrr sighed. It was the same everywhere, he thought; there was always some drunken fool either too stubborn to see that his affections were not returned or just cruel enough not to care. This thick-browed cretin was the latter, he'd wager.

Normally he wouldn't bother with such a lowly upset, it was below him. But there was something about that girl . . . With a harshly muttered, “Excuse me for a moment,” to the woman in front of him, Kyrr dropped heavily from the tall stool and strode over. His long legs ate up the distance in a matter of seconds, and then he was there. Standing behind the giant, even his generous height dwarfed by this oversize brute, Kyrr spoke three quiet words, “Let her go.” With a surprised grunt, the man turned to face Kyrr, his large meaty hand still wrapped around the girl's arm. "Huh?"

“I'll only ask you once.” There was suddenly a chill in the air.

“Or what? 're you gonna trip me with your lil' footsies?” the man sneered, amidst appreciative chuckles from the surrounding tables.

“No, just this,” a smile came to Kyrr's gray-skinned face as, with a quick snap of his wrist, a slender cord-like shape unwrapped itself from his waist and scythed through the suddenly cold air. There was a soft thud as the drunken brute's arm hit the floor, and silence seemed to emanate from it for a moment. As quickly as it had appeared, the living staff re-assumed its dormant position at Kyrr's waist along with its twin with a soft whisper of movement. The frightened girl gasped, but didn't scream. The man whose limb had just been severed was not so quiet. His pained scream reverberated through the cantina, echoing loudly. The serpent-like amphistaff did not cauterize the wound as a lightsaber would, and so the shock was much worse. The giant of a man, now short one arm, fell to his knees, clasping the spurting stump.

"You should get a tourniquet for that." His objective met, Kyrr turned and made his way back to the bar, flipping a coin to Raava. “That should cover the damages.”

Bennington fell into the threshold of Mirage. He sighed deeply, and collapsed, saying, "They're gone." He was unconcious. ((Not to insult your intelligence or anything. =P))

----------------------------------------------------

Remy awoke in his bed in Biarritz, France.
"He's safe."

-----------------------------------------------------

Bourkeley's head was pressed to the anvil.
"For associating with a witch, you die." the headsman said, raising his axe.

LB: can't insult what's not there lately. ;)

Loi grinned quite happily in response to the slight slurring of the elf's words.

"Your's is an interesting name. Is it spelled Gabrielle or Gabriel? Or is it strung together in some other strangely spelled way as seems to be the fashion with names these days?"


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Raava watched the swift but violent interaction between the two creatures. She then deftly caught Kyrr's coin in her hand.

Most others in the place looked on in a shocked horror at the sight but soon went back to their own businesses. Raava turned her full attention back to Kyrr.

"Why did you feel obliged to interfere when you didn't know what the story behind the struggle might have been. What if the girl was some intergalactic serial killer and the beast was merely apprehending her?


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Bennington fell through the front doors and Raava stood, waved for one of the beefy bouncer type guys to tend to the man.

They dragged Bennington through the bar, laid him in an empty booth and left him there.

When attention turned form the Lord a scruffy looking young man eased over and started rummaging through Bennington's clothes for anything that might be of monetary value.


____________________________


Raava stood. "LOI!" Tend this creature," she called as she motioned toward the disarmed man.

Loi gave Gabriel an apologetic glance and then dutifully obeyed. She rushed to the fallen and still screaming man. If anyone had bothered to notice, it would have looked strange for someone of the little waitress's size to lift and support such a massive beast of a creature.

She helped him toward the rear of Mirage and together they disappeared into a dark room.

Mirage's manager then helped the nearly abducted young woman to the bar where she helped the girl into a seat.

"Do you know her?" she asked of Kyrr

“If that was the case I would not have acted. The evil in his mind was plain, her thoughts were frightened but innocent. Do not think to question my judgment and I will not question yours. You did not act because you did not know what the story behind the struggle was; I acted because I did not need to know. I however have an advantage you do not.” Kyrr hesitated, not sure if he wanted to extrapolate on the powers that the Force granted him. Raava meanwhile turned her attention to the man still sitting on the floor, clutching at his bleeding stump. At her instruction, a slight waitress assisted him to his feet and helped him to a room in back. Odd, Kyrr thought, she hadn't even showed any real effort when she bore most of the huge man's weight. He'd have to keep that in mind.

By then Raava was leading the frightened young woman to a seat near Kyrr. After she was seated, Raava asked did he know the girl.

“No, and it is better that I do not. Do you have a room where she could sleep?” What he didn't mention was the brief but powerful surge he had felt through the Force when he had first seen the girl. The real reason he had stepped in. If he hadn't, the lass would have probably killed the brute manhandling her, and likely a dozen more besides. She wouldn't have meant to, but her fear made her powerful. More than she knew. How she had found her way here Kyrr did not know, and she was not his responsibility. But she didn't need to be around all these people right now. The Force was new to her, he sensed, and she could barely control herself with all these thoughts pummeling the outer walls of her consciousness. She needed to be alone.

So he would get her a room, and put off the inevitable disaster a bit, but beyond that she not his problem. He had enough on his hands at the moment. In a moment, he was going to go and wake the man that the bouncers had just dragged in. He looked like he might have an interesting story to relate...

"Hey, huh wait a minute. Gabrielle...isn't that the gurl's version?" His words were still a bit slurred but it was obvious that his thoughts weren't processing as clear as before. I squinted for a moment, his brow furrowing as he thought about her question. He laughed a bit, more of a giggle then a laugh and then he spoke to hear in somewhat of a conspiratorial tone.

"It'z actually neidder way, that's justa name I use so people won't know my real one becauze my real one has power...but don't tell anyone!"

He chuckled a little more, smiling and leaning back in his seat as if he had just revealed something of drastic importance - though in truth, he really had.

Bennington awoke and looked around. It was dark. He felt for his Magnum. Still there. Sitting up, he felt his ankle sheaths. One of the knives was missing. Fuck. That had cost him a lot of money. He took the remaining knife and held it in his dominant right hand and held the gun in his left. He stood up slowly, noiselessly. He felt a wall. He began to feel around the room. He felt a door knob. He pressed his ear against the door and heard loud clinking and laughs. He opened the door a crack and peeked out. He saw, among ordinary people, a large man with strange green armour and two whips at his hip and a weapon similar to the one that Malyss had used. Malyss... What had happened after the knights had called for reinforcement? He couldn't remember. That man must be his captor. With a sudden burst of energy, he hurled the door open, popped into the threshold, squared his shoulders to the strange man and began firing.